Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video NPP parliamentary candidate for Klottey Korley constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Valentino Nii Noi Nortey has appealed to the electorates to vote massively for him and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to continue President Akufo-Addos good works. He said this yesterday at an outdoor event at the Odawna Market in Accra which was part of his ongoing campaign tour. The NDC presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama has only one term to be President if he wins the election because he had been a President before and so, would not be truly committed to fulfilling his promises, Nii Noi Nortey cautioned the citizenry. He described former President John Mahamas comeback as a risky investment saying with the coming elections, remember that the other person (John Mahama, NDC) has only one more term (4 years) if he wins. He is the same person who told us that 4 years is not enough to run an effective government. So, my question is, what is he going to do with the remaining four years that he is fighting for? He continued; But, if Dr. Bawumia is elected, he can go for two terms and so, this will give us a chance to assess him on the promises he is making today when he comes to seek our votes again for the second term. But the other man (John Mahama) will not return to you if he wins. So, lets really think about that. Valentino Nii Noi Nortey further reminded Ghanaians about their hardships under the Mahama regime. On December 7th, two people will be contesting the elections, our former President and our current Vice President. One ruled and we werent happy with his governance. For instance, today, we would have required at least 3 generators to have this programme because our lights would have been out by now. Also, do you remember those times when your child in Senior High School could be sacked for not paying his or her school fees? But today, Free SHS has stopped that and become a common thing that some people have even forgotten that it was a particular government that thought about this and implemented itPresident Nana Akufo Addos government has done it. He therefore solicited votes from the electorates stating we want you to put in your best because we dont want to win with a small margin but a very big one. At the Odawna Market rally were prominent names from the New Patriotic Party which included the Vice President and NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, STC Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chairman of the Bawumia campaign team; Nana Akomea, Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya; Sarah Adwoa Safo, former General Secretary of the NPP; Kwabena Agyepong and former National Treasurer, Kwabena Abankwah Yeboah among others. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has reacted to the Electoral Commission of Ghanas response to its demand for a forensic audit into the Provisional Voters Register for the pending December 7, 2024, general elections. The Electoral Commission (EC), during a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, September 12, 2024, while assuring the NDC that their concerns about the voter register would be resolved, said there was no need for a forensic audit of the register. A Deputy Director of the EC, Samuel Tetteh, explained that it has the expertise to handle all the issues raised about the register, just as it has done in the past. He added that the demonstration which has been announced by the NDC and is scheduled for Tuesday, September 17, 2024, was not needed and would only heighten the tension in the country. Reacting to this, the Director of Elections and IT at the NDC, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, said that his partys position remains unchanged. He indicated that the demonstration would come off, accusing the EC of trying to manipulate the data on the voter register. He said that the commission, at a recent meeting, informed the NDC that the irregularities found in the voter register had been resolved and took the hard drive it (the EC) gave to the party to update the register on it, but to date, the drive has not been returned. The NDC elections director added that the demands of his party, including a forensic audit of the register and it being exhibited for the second time, remain unchanged. After our meeting last week with the EC about the unfit-for-purpose voters register, three (3) INTERCONNECTEDLY DEPENDENT/CONDITIONAL issues stood out: 1. Our non-negotiable demand for an independent forensic audit, 2. Submission of our findings for the forensic audit, and 3. RE-EXHIBITION of the register after the forensic audit. The 4th issue is the UNDENIABLE fact that we (NDC) left our hard drive with the EC, and requested that they provide us with their so-called updated register, Dr. Omane Boamah wrote on Facebook on September 13, 2024. He also indicated that the refusal of the commission for a forensic audit of the register has eroded the trust and cooperation that was seen at the recent meeting. He added that the EC has also admitted to the errors the NDC has pointed out and its updated register, which was showcased at the meeting, still had the errors. Never mind that we started punching holes in their so-called updated register at the meeting when Dr. Yaw Ofori Adjei, one of their IT Consultants, unsuccessfully tried to rely on it to answer a question. The Electoral Commission must understand that on the basis of their refusal to accept our request for a forensic audit and also by refusing to provide us with their so-called updated register, they have eliminated the trust and the spirit of cooperation that characterised last Friday's meeting. The immutable truth is that the EC has always admitted to the errors we (NDC) point out! Including their infamous CORELDRAW arithmetic errors admission. Never have they been able to prove our #EAGLEEYES wrong! Read his post below: Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video His Spiritual Holiness Sheikh Alhaji Abdulai Maikano Jalloo (Khalifatul-Akbar), the Spiritual Leader and President of the Tijania Muslim Council, has expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government for spearheading all the developmental projects within Prang which is the spiritual home of the Tajania Muslim Council and its environs. He described the NPP as a development-conscious party, hence deserves the full support of all Ghanaians. Khalifatul-Akbar made these remarks on Friday, September 13, 2024, when Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, NPP Vice Presidential Candidate, paid a courtesy call on him in Prang, the capital of Pru West constituency of the Bono East Region, as part of his constituency campaign tours. According to the Spiritual Leader, the real essence of politics is to bring about development and make life easy for people. Unfortunately, despite the spiritual significance of Prang and its socioeconomic potentials, the town was virtually neglected by all previous governments until the reign of President Akufo-Addo and Bawumia". He stressed; All the developments you see in Prang were championed by the NPP, most of which were done through the current MP and immediate past DCE for this area, Hon. Stephen Jalulah. Prang is forever grateful to the NPP and will always support you. He also eulogized the NPP presidential candidate, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, describing him as not only their son but a source of pride for the Muslim community (Ummah) and Ghanaians at large. The spiritual leader said prayers for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and blessed them. He made prophetic declarations that they emerge victors in the general elections. On his part, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh thanked Khalifa for his continuous prayers and support for the NPP. He highlighted the historical role Muslims played in the formation of the UP tradition which undergirds the NPP, particularly through the Muslim Association Party which is one of the parties that came together to form the UP, now known as the New Patriotic Party. He assured the Muslim community and all Ghanaians that the next NPP government under H.E Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia will deepen religious tolerance and harmony in the country. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Students and staff safely returned to school two days after someone emailed an administrator Eufaula City Schools on Wednesday and threatened violence to Eufaula High. The juvenile suspect who was accused of making the threat was located on Thursday and brought in for questioning, along with one other suspect, authorities said. No further details about the suspects or any possible charges were immediately released. "We appreciate everyones patience and understanding during this time and apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused. A special thanks to the Eufaula Police Department for their continued support of our schools," police said in a news release. Law enforcement and the school district worked together to protect students after the administrator received the threat Wednesday evening. ECS cancelled school and activities on Thursday to ensure everyone remained safe. The safety of the students is paramount, Eufaula Police Chief Danny Christ said on Wednesday. ECS Superintendent Joey Brannan said the school district was in constant communication with the police department during the incident. Eufaula police said its Criminal Investigations Division will continue to investigate the incident. Anyone with information can call the Criminal Investigations Division at 334-687-1200 or the anonymous tip line at 334-687-7100. He advised music stakeholders to create special platforms to celebrate legendary highlife artistes and preserve the Ghanaian highlife music. Every country has its own music, so why do we have to leave highlife and chase other genres which do not promote our culture. It is quite sad that we are supporting the promotion of other genres, which is a total deviation, he said. He claims that highlife music is a beautiful genre that, when pushed, will earn international recognition to support the music business in the country. The former president of MUSIGA from 1999 to 2007, stated in an interview with BEATWAVES at the Erata Hotel in Accra that one of the reasons highlifes appeal is dwindling is the lack of a concerted effort by Ghanaian music industry leaders to promote the genre. I think this is the time we have to work as a team to bring back highlife music and inspire the next generation of musicians to perform more highlife, he stressed. According to him, highlife music could be used as a developmental tool to transform the mindset of people due to its good lyrics, even though he thinks highlife music is uniquely Ghanaian and better captures the spirit of the country than other genres. Alhaji Sidiku, who is also former Vice President of the International Federation of Musicians (FIM), said it was important for the youth and up-and-coming artistes to follow the good steps of veteran musicians to project highlife globally. The veteran filmmaker, musician, sportsman and businessman has won over 62 awards in sports, music and film. He has over 16 films which include Jealousy, Meba, Who Is To Blame, Man Woman, among others to his credit. A former national athlete, he won silver and gold medals during the All African Games held in Senegal and West African Games, all in 1963. In 1965, he won bronze medal in the 4400 metres relay in All African Games held in Congo Brazzaville. Source: dailyguidenetwork.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A 38-year-old man was shot and killed in Harrisburg on Friday, authorities confirmed with PennLive. Thomas Davenport, of Harrisburg, was shot at his home on the first block of North 14th Street just before 5 p.m., according to District Attorney Fran Chardo. Police said they arrived at the scene and found Davenports body surrounded by family members. The shooting prompted an hours-long search for the shooter inside 58 North 14th St., the duplex where Davenport was found, as well as at the next-door home. The shooter remained on the loose Saturday. I dont know what happened. It was my son. He got killed, a woman named Mary told PennLive when reached Saturday. Thats all I know. Other than that, I dont know. Only thing I know is my son is gone. She said her son lived in the duplex with his grandmother, but declined to provide additional details or further identify herself. Its unclear how long Davenport had been living there. The Dauphin County Crisis Response Team (CRT) responded to the shooting Friday night, as well as officers with the Harrisburg Bureau of Police, Pennsylvania Capitol Police and Susquehanna Township Police Department. The victims family members were evacuated from 58 North 14th St. The CRT assisted police with clearing the homes second and third floors and the neighboring house. Neighbors said they were kept out of their homes for about five hours. Officers with the CRT slowly and methodically searched the two homes, but nobody was inside. Officers could be seen going in and out of the two homes until after 9 p.m. Friday. Several marksmen were posted around the home while police confirmed the shooter was not inside. A drone, less-lethal ammunition and smoke were used by the CRT during their search efforts. Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas Carter confirmed the situation was not a stand-off and police were taking precautions because they were unsure if the shooter was still in the house. The shooter has not been publicly identified as of Saturday. Davenports homicide was the 17th in Harrisburg in 2024. Jan Murphy contributed to this report. Benji Gregory, the actor who starred as Brian Tanner on the popular 1980s show Alf, was found dead in his car alongside his service dog back in June. Both Gregory, 46, and his service dog, Hans, were dead inside the car when police discovered them on June 13 in a Chase Bank parking lot. Now we know why Gregory died. According to a report from Deadline, the Maricopa County Medical Examiner says the cause of death was heat exposure in the setting of hepatic cirrhosis. The death was ruled accidental, according to the report. Arizona was going through a heat wave at the time of Gregorys death, seeing multiple days with temperatures at more than 100 degrees. Alf was a popular sitcom that aired on NBC from September 22, 1986 until March 24, 1990. Alf stood for Alien Life Form, and focused on an alien which crash landed in the garage of the Tanner family and ends up staying with them. Benji Gregory played the young son, Brian, in that show. His list of credits also included Jumpin Jack Flash, Once Upon a Forest, and Amazing Stories. Rock fans were pretty excited when Janes Addiction announced back in July that its entire original lineup had reunited and was performing together for the first time in 15 years. Then the group produced its first new song in 34 years. And now well, now it looks like the reunion might be short-lived because things went off the rails during the groups show in Boston on Friday. Video of the performance, which can be seen below, shows frontman Perry Farrell approaching guitarist Dave Navarro onstage during a song and engaging him in a physical confrontation. Farrell walks over to Navarro and roughly throws a shoulder into him as he plays. He then stares down Navarro and takes several steps forward into his face and can be seen saying something. Navarro extends his hand to hold Farrell back, and Farrell appears to become more incensed. He then appears to throw a short punch at Navarro as a crew member scrambles on stage to hold him back. Navarro appears stunned by it all. Several more members of the crew scramble onto the stage and restrain Farrell before taken him to the back. As that was occurring, Navarro took off his guitar and appeared to say something to fans in the front row. CANT SEE THE VIDEO ABOVE? CLICK HERE. Variety reported that the incident took place during Ocean Size, which was the 11th song of what the site says is usually a set that goes for 14 or 15 songs. It said some fans said that tension looked to have been brewing for several songs. Janes Addiction has yet to address the incident. The band is slated to play against on Sept. 15 in Bridgeport, Connecticut so fans will find out soon enough if they were able to work things out. The conservancy that oversees a storied but aging ocean liner and its landlord are headed to mediation as they attempt to resolve a years-old rent dispute that could force the historic ship out of its berth on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. A federal judge had ruled in June that the conservancy had until Thursday to present plans to move the SS United States, a 1,000-foot ocean liner that still holds the transatlantic speed record it set more than 70 years ago. That deadline, though, came and went after the conservancy filed a lawsuit Wednesday that accused Penn Warehousing of sabotaging its efforts to sell the vessel. The group also asked U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody to extend the plan deadline to Dec. 5. During a hearing Friday, Brody agreed with a lawyer for Penn Warehousing who suggested the mediation, which will be led by a federal magistrate judge. She also agreed to suspend the deadline for now. A timetable for the mediation has not yet been determined. The conservancy welcomed the mediation proposal, saying it would continue to work in good faith to resolve this dispute and relocate the vessel safely. The conservancy has been in talks with a Florida county that wants to acquire the ship and turn it into the largest artificial reef in the world. Those plans were put on hold earlier this month when Penn Warehousing asked Okaloosa County for a $3 million payment to stay past the deadline. Speaking at Fridays court hearing, an attorney for Penn Warehousing described the request as negotiation 101, t he Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Craig Mills also said the payment had been made public in past court hearings, had been asked of the conservancy before and should be taken as a starting point for negotiations. The rent dispute stems from an August 2021 decision by Penn Warehousing to double the ships daily dockage to $1,700, an increase the conservancy refused to accept. The firm has said through its attorneys that it wants to regain access to the berth so it can replace the ship with a commercial customer that will provide jobs and tax revenues to the city. When the conservancy continued to pay its previous rate, set in 2011, Penn Warehousing terminated the lease in March 2022. After much legal wrangling, Brody held a bench trial in January but also encouraged the two sides to reach a settlement instead of leaving it up to her. She ultimately ruled that the conservancys failure to pay the new rate did not amount to a contract breach or entitle Penn Warehousing to damages. However, she found that under Pennsylvania contract law, the berthing agreement is terminable at will with reasonable notice. Christened in 1952, the SS United States was once considered a beacon of American engineering, doubling as a military vessel that could carry thousands of troops. On its maiden voyage in 1952, it shattered the transatlantic speed record in both directions, when it reached an average speed of 36 knots, or just over 41 mph (66 kph), The Associated Press reported from aboard the ship. On that voyage, the ship crossed the Atlantic in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, besting the RMS Queen Marys time by 10 hours. To this day, the SS United States holds the transatlantic speed record for an ocean liner. It became a reserve ship in 1969 and later bounced to various private owners who hoped to redevelop it but eventually found their plans to be too expensive or poorly timed. It has loomed for years on south Philadelphias Delaware waterfront. SUNBURY The public will be permitted to attend the preliminary hearing for two men charged in the Aug. 15 fatal shooting near the courthouse in Sunbury. President Judge Paige Rosini on Friday denied the motion of District Attorney Michael C. ODonnell to ban the public except for the media. A 1-year-old boy died Friday morning in a fire in a Lebanon City home, Mayor Sherry Capello announced in a press release. The boy, along with three other children and 59-year-old Barbara Miller, were in the home on the 1300 block of Brandywine Street when the fire was reported shortly before 10 a.m. Gov. Josh Shapiro and voting rights groups castigated the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for ruling Friday that counties can throw out mail-in ballots if voters fail to put accurate dates on the envelopes. The high court ruled that the lower court that found the mandate unenforceable erred in taking the case because it only sued two counties Philadelphia and Allegheny and did not include all 67 election boards. Its unfortunate that the PA Supreme Court did not side with the voters of our Commonwealth today, wrote Shapiro in an email statement. It should be clear that voters who make an inconsequential dating error deserve to still have their valid vote counted. My Administration will continue to fight for voter enfranchisement and ensure Pennsylvanians right to a free, secure, and fair election. The Supreme Courts 4-3 decision came two weeks after Commonwealth Court had halted enforcement of the handwritten dates on the outside envelopes envelopes, raising fresh concerns that thousands of ballots could be invalidated. Thousands of voters are at risk of having their ballots rejected in November for making a meaningless mistake, said Mimi McKenzie, legal director of the Public Interest Law Center. Its more important now than ever for every voter to carefully read and follow the instructions for submitting a mail-in ballot. More than 10,000 voters cast mail-in ballots in recent elections with inaccurate or missing dates. Mail-in ballots are favored by many more Democrats than Republicans in Pennsylvania. The Black Political Empowerment Project and other community organizations sued the Department of State earlier ths year to end the disqualification of mail-in ballots based on what it said was a common trivial error on the external envelopes. This procedural ruling is a deeply unfortunate and unnecessary setback for voters, whose fundamental right to vote is at stake, ACLU Voting Rights Project Senior Staff Attorney Ari Savitzky, who represented the plaintiffs. It is time to end once and for all the practice of disenfranchising thousands of eligible voters based on a totally meaningless paperwork mistake. We will not stop fighting to make sure that all votes are counted. ACLU Voting Rights Project Senior Staff Attorney Ari Savitzky made the following statement: This procedural ruling is a deeply unfortunate and unnecessary setback for voters, whose fundamental right to vote is at stake. It is time to end once and for all the practice of disenfranchising thousands of eligible voters based on a totally meaningless paperwork mistake. We will not stop fighting to make sure that all votes are counted. A statewide coalition of ten nonpartisan community organizations sued Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt and election officials in Philadelphia and Allegheny County in state court, demanding an end to the disqualification of mail-in ballots for inconsequential date errors on the declaration envelope. The petitioners argued that this practice violates the fundamental right to vote in free and equal elections guaranteed by the Pennsylvania Constitution. Cumberland Valley High School student Anish Koka deserves high praise for publicly writing about his experience with bullying (As I See It, Sept. 10). We often hear about bullying in the abstract, but it is rare that we hear from a victim. Under the threat of being beaten up, Anish was frequently forced to do the bullys homework, often at the expense of completing his own homework. He did the right thing by reporting the bully to the principal, but after listening to the bully depict his actions as just a joke, Anish had to endure the humiliation of apologizing to his oppressor. He would continue to be bullied for another two months until the bully left for another school. The school administrators failed Anish. And they doubtlessly have failed other students who have been victimized by the bullies they have to deal with, in many instances on a daily basis. A posed photo of Donald Trump with Pennsylvania State Police troopers at a 9/11 memorial in Shanksville was used by the Republican presidential candidates campaign this week without the agencys knowledge, a spokesperson said. It marked the second time Trump has posed with Pennsylvania State Troopers as a personal keepsake for them, but then used the photos on his social media campaign platforms. The former president posed with eight uniformed troopers in front of a Flight 93 memorial version of the American flag while visiting Shanksville on Wednesday, the 23rd anniversary of the plane crash. The photo, posted to Trumps Facebook and Instagram campaign accounts, had no caption. Trump and several troopers posed with the former presidents signature thumbs-up gesture. The troopers reposted Trumps campaign post on their police union Facebook account with the words: #GrayNation. The state police have a policy against officers appearing in uniform at non-department events without permission from commanders. Another department policy says troopers: shall not use their position for political influence. Experts say the photo could convey the appearance of an endorsement in the way the photo is being used by Trump. State Police spokesman Myles Snyder said troopers posing with visiting dignitaries is customary for keepsakes when they are working to provide extra security at events. This is common across the country, but the photos typically remain private mementos. Trumps campaign previously posted a photo with officers from Nebraska and Iowa in October in front of his Trump plane. The Democratic nominee for president, Kamala Harris Facebook page did not contain any posed photos with officers. But there was one image with members of the military from July 4, when she visited troops as vice president, and it explicitly said it was not an endorsement. These words were watermarked across the photo: Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs of individuals in uniform does not imply endorsement by any military department or the defense department. Pennsylvania State Police came under scrutiny in 2022 when Trump posted a photo to Truth Social of himself standing in the middle of 31 uniformed troopers, and five men in plainclothes. The group was posed in front of the state police banner for Troop P Wilkes-Barre. Trump made the photo his masthead on his Facebook page. The 2022 photo sparked outrage among people questioning the propriety of uniformed officers posing for a photo posted to a presidential campaigns social media accounts. The plainclothes officers were believed to be working undercover. You should have seen the look on my husbands, a retired member of the PSP, face, one woman posted in 2022. This is not allowed for a reason and all should be publicly reprimanded! This is not ok. If they want to pose out of uniform their business but as representatives of a state agency &LE (law enforcement) this sends the wrong message to the people of the state of PA. read another Twitter post. Trump later removed the 2022 photo, without comment. The Shanksville photo was still on his social media campaign sites as of Friday. In 2022, former Gov. Tom Wolfs office described the photo as a private photo opportunity with the former president. State police said Trump did not ask for the agencys permission to post the photo, either in 2022 or this week. The photograph was not officially sanctioned or disseminated by the Pennsylvania State Police, nor was PSP asked permission to use the photo opportunity for anything other than a private photo with the former president, Snyder said on Friday. The Pennsylvania State Police does not endorse any political candidate or campaign. The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment ahead of Fridays publication. Christine Vendel contributed to this report. It was not until nearing my 40s that I truly understood that whether one is employed or an entrepreneur, a university degree is universally respected. People at a graduation ceremony. Illustration photo by Pexels I am puzzled that the debate over the value of university education still persists. Those who deem university unnecessary might encourage their children to exit academic schooling early or to opt for vocational training instead. Personally, as someone born into poverty in the 1980s, my university degree enabled me to purchase an apartment in Ho Chi Minh City within a decade and settle my familys debts. Consequently, I firmly plan to guide my descendants toward obtaining university education. University education primarily molds ones thinking for the professional world, not merely equipping them with job-specific skills. Hence, I believe it is essential for everyone to undergo higher education. It equips an 18-year-old with a robust mindset after four years, readying them for continuous learning throughout their career. Statistical evidence shows a correlation between a countrys development and its rate of university education. Notably, the OECDs 2018 data lists the top ten most educated countries as Canada, Japan, Israel, South Korea, the U.K., the U.S., Australia, Finland, Norway, and Luxembourg. This ranking reflects the proportion of residents aged 25-64 in each country who have attained some level of tertiary education. Thus, education fundamentally underpins any society, and if Vietnam aims to progress, we must prioritize fostering a well-educated populace capable of driving national advancement. Countries that have flourished post-World War II, starting from conditions akin to Vietnams, such as South Korea, China, Singapore, and Japan, have consistently prioritized education in their national policies. Addressing how to make higher education accessible to all citizens is a challenge that requires a concerted effort from both society and the government. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 revealed that individuals with a bachelors degree earned 56.6% more than those with an associate degree. Meanwhile, associate degree holders made 14.6% more than those with only a high school diploma, who in turn earned 25% more than unskilled laborers. The General Statistics Office of Vietnam reported that in 2023, the university and college enrollment rate was 28.6%, merely half of the global average, positioning Vietnam among Southeast Asian nations with the lowest rates of higher education enrollment. In 2020, just 11.1% of Vietnams workforce had a university degree, a stark contrast to the leading countries in Southeast Asia. Research indicates that without an increase in these rates, Vietnam will lag in the 4.0 industrial revolution, essential for breaking free from the middle-income trap. Growing up in poverty, my family and I had to borrow money for my education, while 80% - 90% of my peers from my hometown discontinued their studies after middle or high school. After a decade, those investments in education paid dividends. For me, a university degree marked a pivotal turning point that led to better job opportunities, a positive environment, and enriching relationships. Unless financial or academic challenges are prohibitive, completing ones education should be a priority. For young individuals not facing such obstacles, fully pursuing education is invaluable. Knowledge is pivotal for a developing nation like Vietnam to transition into a developed one. We should not trivialize the pursuit of proper education with flimsy excuses. This society thrives on the expertise of the qualified. A review of the educational qualifications of major corporate leaders reveals a commonality: few lack at least a bachelors degree, let alone advanced degrees like doctorates or professorships. The comforts and utilities we enjoy in modern society are the fruits of labor from countless engineers and scientists. Its time we cease underestimating the importance of education and degrees for Vietnams future prosperity. What are your thoughts on my perspective? We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Donald Trump melted down in Las Vegas as he alternated between screaming rage and incoherence as Kamala Harris increases her polling lead. Trump claimed that according to one right wing poll he is up by six points: An out of his mind Trump is citing an unreliable right wing poll to claim that he is up six points in the general election. All other polls have him trailing nationally by 4-5 points. pic.twitter.com/9XPBpxKCsC Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) September 14, 2024 Trump later screamed at his fans and ranted about Biden leaving the race: Trump is literally screaming at the audience, and then rants and raves about Joe Biden leaving the race. Someone is clearly not doing well. pic.twitter.com/UsNhW3R3M3 Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) September 14, 2024 Trump claimed that his pollsters are cheating him and making up numbers: This must be what a nervous breakdown looks like as Trump claims his own pollsters are making up numbers and cheating him, I just saved $200,000 with these phony pollsters. They dont even go out intact, they just give you a number. pic.twitter.com/Db7yBVmvsw Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) September 14, 2024 Trump also claimed that the jobs and crime numbers that he promoted when he was president are now all fake: Trump claims that all of the crime and jobs numbers are fake from the same people whose numbers he touted when he was president. pic.twitter.com/cBfllg54Qa Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) September 14, 2024 The nation is witnessing the ex-president trying to change the reality that he is losing the election through lies and fantasies. Instead of accepting the fact that he is losing, Donald Trump has mentally retreated to a place where he is actually winning the election and everything is fine. Trumps frantic behavior and increasing paranoia tell a much different story than the words that were coming out of his mouth. At some level, Donald Trump knows that he is losing this election. Trump knows that he list the debate, and if Trump doesnt go back to the White House, he could end up in jail. Donald Trump is losing. He is running out of time. The latest polls show Kamala Harris leading by 4-5 points. He has not been able to stop her momentum. Trump is cracking up. The last time we saw Donald Trump this desperate, he incited an insurrection and tried to overthrow the government. Trump is losing and it is causing him to melt down. To comment on this story, join us on Reddit. A Japanese man was arrested for making over 100 silent phone calls a day to his wife using a hidden number feature, claiming he did it "out of love." Police in Hyogo Prefecture last week arrested the 38-year-old man from Amagasaki City on charges of "stalking," a criminal offense in Japan that is punishable by imprisonment and fines. The man was found to have made repeated silent phone calls to his wife, who lives with him. The suspect reportedly made these calls to his wife's smartphone from his own, between July 10 and Aug. 4, as reported by Kobe Shimbun. According to the police, he made approximately 100 calls a day, all from an anonymous number. The calls only occurred when the man was not in bed or when his wife was not using his phone to play games, which led her to become suspicious. On July 24, she consulted the police. The 31-year-old woman told authorities that each time, the caller remained completely silent until she ended the call. The calls came from a number that could not be displayed on her phone, making it impossible to block it. During the investigation, it was discovered that the husband had been making the anonymous calls. There had been no confirmed troubles between the couple before this incident, according to Japan Today. When questioned by investigators, the man stated, "I love my wife and made silent calls to her." Charlestons largest lodging just wrapped up the first phase of its $150 million renovation that added new amenities and a fresh modern look to its event and ballroom spaces. The Charleston Place has big plans to enhance every space within the next two years. More than 40,000 square feet of banquet space were updated and expanded to better cater to the demand for event space that can handle meetings, conferences, weddings and other events. New additions on the second floor include an 1,100-square-foot bridal suite, two 1,350-square-foot meeting rooms, an expanded pre-function space, a second set of restrooms and a new banquet kitchen. Becky Hubbard, managing director of the hotel, described the first phase work to elevate the meeting and event spaces as spectacular. Our vision was to craft a versatile and refined environment that caters to the diverse needs of all groups. With these enhancements, The Charleston Place is poised to be the citys foremost downtown locale for hosting unforgettable events, Hubbard said. The Charleston Place has events on the books as far out as 2027. Demand for conferences, meetings, weddings and special events continues to be strong, particularly for late-2025 and early-2026 timeframe, Hubbard said. The Charleston Place has already started work on the rooftop pool, rooftop bar and fitness center on the 4th floor, which is slated for completion in spring 2025. In the early part of 2025, the hotel will start work on all of the guest rooms starting on the 7th & 8th floors, the Club Lounge and redesigning the drive-up entry area. Once completed, guests will drive through an iron gate lined with lush landscaping to a grand porte-cochere, where they will be greeted by a valet service. Dont forget about the grand staircase, which will get a new iron railing. State regulators are giving the public more time to weigh in on a key environmental permit that tech giant Google will need before building one of two data centers in Dorchester County. The S.C. Department of Environmental Services also said this week it will hold a public hearing on Google's proposal to build emergency generators to keep its $510 million data center planned for the Pine Hill Business Campus operating in case of a power shutdown. That meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Oct 15 at the Rollins Edwards Community Center at 301 N. Hickory St. in Summerville. Comments will also be accepted by mail and email through Oct. 17. The cut-off date previously was set at Aug. 21. The generators, which are part of a larger construction permit for the entire data center, need an air permit because they will emit, among other things, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. Those emissions would be less than the 250 tons per year that would cause them to be considered a regulated pollutant but more than the 100 tons per year that require a permit and annual emission fees. Documents outlining Google's plans are available at the DES website. The agency said it will consider recommendations and comments from the public in determining whether to issue the air permit. Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has provided few details about the project, which has received historic tax breaks from Dorchester County and a discount electricity deal from Dominion Energy. Today's Top Headlines Story continues below Google is using the alias Autumn Timber LLC in permit applications for the data center off U.S. 17-A west of Summerville. The search engine leader is planning a second data center off U.S. 78 near St. George. They will join an existing Google data center at the Mount Holly Commerce Park near Mount Pleasant. Elected officials have said the Pine Hill data center is expected to generate about $2 million a year in tax revenue and they have touted Google's community involvement, including providing free laptops to local schools. Google has not said how many people the data centers will employ, but such facilities typically aren't big job creators. South Carolinas legislators once believed, as USC law professor James Underwood explained in his authoritative four-volume history on the state's constitution, that Promiscuous state fiscal aid to all forms of private endeavor, whether religious or not, was to be viewed with deep skepticism. Hence the provision that prohibits spending public funds for the direct benefit of any religious or other private educational institution. On Wednesday, a divided S.C. Supreme Court embraced that interpretation of our states constitution, in a surprising ruling that struck down the Legislatures plan to throw our tax money at private schools. Those of us who share our former leaders wisdom should enjoy this moment. It wont last long. Im not even sure the 3-2 majority in Eidson v. S.C. Department of Education got it right. But Chief Justice John Kittredge is certainly right when he notes in his dissent that the majority defines a direct benefit to private schools very differently than the unanimous Supreme Court did in 2020 when it correctly if awkwardly struck down Gov. Henry McMasters voucher plan. The 2020 ruling in Adams v. McMaster as I always believed and as Justice Kittredge finally spelled out in a way the court did not at the time rejected Mr. McMasters plan to spend federal COVID funds on vouchers because federal law required the money to be paid directly to the private schools. Thus, a direct benefit. Last year, the Legislature used that ruling as a roadmap to craft its "education scholarship trust fund" law to get around the "direct aid" problem by allowing parents to direct state funds to the private school of their choice. Its true, as Associate Justice Gary Hill suggests in the majority opinion, that this is a distinction without a difference. But all indications were that the distinction would suffice. After all, the state constitution had been amended in 1972 to delete a ban on indirect aid to private schools for the express purpose of allowing the state to provide scholarships to students attending private colleges. By Huang Fang, Wu Jiaju The 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," is being held at the China National Convention Center and the Shougang Park in Beijing from September 12 to 16, featuring participation from over 80 countries and international organizations. What impressions does the 2024 CIFTIS leave on participants? And what are the event's highlights that have won widespread praise from them? Kazakh minister: service trade becomes a key driver of global economy Arman Shakkaliyev, Kazakhstan's minister of Trade and Integration, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the national pavilion of Kazakhstan at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, on Sep. 12, 2024. (Photo provided by the interviewee) "Kazakhstan places great importance on opportunities to discuss service trade, as it is becoming one of the key drivers of the global economy," said Arman Shakkaliyev, Kazakhstan's minister of Trade and Integration. He highlighted the broad scope of the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and China, where services play a special role. "Both countries have achieved significant success in sectors such as transportation, logistics, information technology, education, healthcare, and tourism," Shakkaliyev noted, adding that transportation and logistics have become the foundation for success of many other industries. He also emphasized the potential for growth and cooperation in digital services and artificial intelligence. "We are keen to exchange experiences with China and are ready to collaborate on various initiatives and projects." Additionally, Shakkaliyev also expressed interest in the education and tourism sectors, noting their role in strengthening multinational culture exchanges. Italian governor: Western people should experience China's development firsthand Dott. Maurizio Rasero, the governor of Province Asti, Italy, talks to China News Network at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, on Sep. 12, 2024. (Photo: China News Network / Wu Jiaju) "I hope to have enough time to attend all the forums at CIFTIS," said Dott. Maurizio Rasero, the governor of Province Asti, Italy. After attending the conference organized by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), a key forum at the 2024 CIFTIS, Rasero remarked that the conferences mission aligns closely with Asti Provinces plans for cultural and tourism development. Having visited nearly 30 cities in China, Rasero emphasized the unique culture of each one and expressed admiration for the diligence and indomitable spirit of the Chinese people. "I hope that more Western politicians and citizens will come to China and experience its development firsthand," Rasero added. Zimbabwean diplomat: China's development is astounding Thuresi Ndarama, a Third Secretary at the Zimbabwean Embassy in Beijing, gives an interview with China News Network at the Shougang Park in Beijing, on Sep. 12, 2024. (Photo: China News Network / Huang Fang) "China is an amazing country with amazing people who are very friendly!" said Thuresi Ndarama, a Third Secretary at Zimbabwe's Embassy. At the Belt and Road Initiative cultural showcase in Shougang Park, the Zimbabwe Embassys pavilion featured an array of animal-shaped handicrafts. "This is a colorful world, and it is nice to meet so many people at CIFTIS," said Ndarama, expressing her hope for more Chinese people to visit Zimbabwe to further economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Slovak diplomat: shared prosperity fosters understanding and cooperation Tomas Kudlacak, a Third Secretary at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Beijing, talks to China News Network at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, on Sep. 12, 2024. (Photo: China News Network / Huang Fang) Commenting on CIFTIS' theme, Tomas Kudlacak, a Third Secretary at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Beijing, emphasized that despite the cultural differences, efforts to understand each other help overcome obstacles. "When you want to communicate, you just do what you can. If somebody wants to understand, then he will understand," he said. Kudlacak highlighted efforts to promote cultural exchanges between the people of Slovakia and China, noting that it was an honor to experience diverse cultures while working at the embassy. International exhibitors praise CIFTIS as an excellent exchange platform Rwandan exhibitor Mutijima Emma participates in an interview with China News Network at the Shougang Park in Beijing, on Sep. 12, 2024. (Photo: China News Network / Huang Fang) "CIFTIS is the world's largest comprehensive fair and a good platform for exchanging experience and business ideas, showcasing our countrys goods, and facilitating cultural exchanges," said the Yemeni exhibitor Al-Hababi Rashad Ali Hussein at the Yemen Embassys pavilion in Shougang Park. Thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, Yemeni economy is progressing steadily, and cultural exchanges between Yemen and China are increasing, further deepening bilateral relations, he noted. Rwandan exhibitor Mutijima Emma, who has lived in China for seven years, remarked on the country's rapid development. "China is a country that has been developing so fast. I think a group of countries should learn from China and cooperate with China," Emma said. PR-Inside.com: 2024-09-14 02:25:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 997 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 13, 2024 / bettermoo(d) Food Corporation (CSE:MOOO)(OTCQB:MOOOF)(Frankfurt:0I5A)(WKN:A3D8PP) (the "Company" or "bettermoo(d)") is pleased to announce it has received initial purchase orders for its newly launched Moodrink Barista Edition ( Moodrink Barista ) from United Natural Foods Canada, ("UNFI Canada" or the "Distribution Partner"), the largest publicly traded wholesale distributor in North America delivering healthier food options to people throughout the United States and Canada[1], and an established coffee shop distributor (the "West Coast Coffee ShopDistributor"), serving the West Coast of Canada for over 16 years. Both distributors placed initial order soon after the product's official launch in late August, which management believes reflects the strong demand and enthusiasm for bettermoo(d)'s innovative plant-based Moodrink Barista.bettermoo(d) intends to leverage its distribution partners to target coffee shops and food service establishments, while also utilizing its existing networks to work on placing Moodrink Barista in retail chains across Canada. By offering a product tailored for baristas and coffee enthusiasts, the Company is positioning itself to serve an expanding segment of the beverage industry.The coffee industry has demonstrated consistent growth, with North America being a major player in its expansion. On average, individuals in this region consume about three cups of coffee daily, highlighting the role coffee plays in their daily routines. In 2023, the North American coffee market was valued at US$ 18.23 billion and is projected to reach US$ 27.06 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8%.[2]"As the coffee industry continues to grow and evolve, the demand for high-quality plant-based alternatives has never been greater. Launching Moodrink Barista is a strategic move that allows bettermoo(d) to not only meet this rising demand but also to expand our market presence in a key segment. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to introduce our innovative products to a wider audience, with the goal of creating new revenue streams that align with our vision of sustainable and health-conscious living," stated Nima Bahrami, CEO of bettermoo(d).About United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI):As one of the most influential companies in its industry, United Natural Foods, Inc. ("UNFI"), the parent company of UNFI Canada, operates 50 distribution centers across North America and serves a diverse array of approximately 30,000 retail partners, including natural product superstores, independent retailers, conventional supermarket chains, e-commerce platforms, and food service providers.About the West Coast Coffee Shop Distributor: The West Coast Coffee Shop Distributor, a trusted name in the industry for over 16 years, specializes in providing premium bubble tea ingredients, coffee products, and food packaging solutions. With a strong presence across three locations in lower BC and Calgary, Local Distributor has been serving the West Coast of Canada since 2007. Committed to the principles of integrity, professionalism, and quality, they offer not only high-quality products but also a broad spectrum of integrated services. These include expert recommendations for store planning, innovative packaging design, and essential equipment, ensuring that customers receive comprehensive support tailored to their needs.With 1,149 coffee and snack shops in British Columbia [3] and 970 in Alberta [4], bettermoo(d)'s newly launched Moodrink Barista has the potential to secure placement in a large number of these locations through the Local Distributors. This opportunity can position bettermoo(d) as an integral part of the lucrative coffee industry in Western Canada, while also enhancing brand visibility and driving growth through expanded reach.ABOUT BETTERMOO(D) FOOD CORPORATION bettermoo(d) Food Corporation is an innovative plant-based dairy alternative food and beverage company based in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada, launching Moodrink, a nutritious dairy-alternative beverage with a revolutionary flavour. Moodrink includes a blend of herbs and flowers similar to what cows ate, before the time of mass livestock production. Like rich dairy products, Moodrink contains added healthy plant fats and vitamins, so consumers don't miss out. The "Moodrink" is just the beginning of the revolution for the Vancouver based dairy-alternative company, bettermoo(d).Driven by the motto "What A Cow Eats and A Human Needs" bettermoo(d) seeks to produce dairy alternative products that are good for both people and the planet - ensuring that all products are nutritious and sustainably sourced, and that also emulate the great taste of traditional milk from the Alps regions of Switzerland, France and Austria. Working with food scientists, the Company's goal is to conduct continuous food research and development programs with the aim of rolling out a full line of dairy alternative products, including Moogurt and Buetter, as well as many other products, that are better for YOU and better for the planet.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD of DIRECTORS Nima BahramiChief Executive Officer and Director bettermoo(d) Food CorporationFor further information please contact:Email: investors@ bettermoodfoodcorporation.com Website: www.bettermoo.com Phone: 1-855-715-1865The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.This news contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "Forward-Looking Statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements with respect to the anticipated development of, and market demand for, Moodrink Barista, as well as with respect to the anticipated size and growth of the dairy alternatives market and opportunities for growth therein, and with respect to the Company's ability to achieve, sustain and expand market share within the coffee segment, are forward-looking statements. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assum PR-Inside.com: 2024-09-14 12:10:48 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 998 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 IRAEmpire releases its latest analysis of Noble Gold Investments reviews and fees.LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 14, 2024 / IRAEmpire is proud to release its Noble Gold Investments review for 2024.Ryan Paulson, Chief Editor at IRAEmpire.com says, "Seeing the recent surge in the popularity of gold IRA companies and investments, we thought it was vital to release this analysis." Consumers interested in learning about gold IRA companies can sign up for this free checklist. Ryan highlights that the checklist has already helped hundreds of investors choose reliable gold IRA companies.Noble Gold Investments is a precious metals company that specializes in gold IRAs and other precious metals investments.Consumers can read the full Noble Gold review here.Founded in 2016, Noble Gold Investments has quickly established itself as a reputable player in the precious metals industry. The company offers gold, silver, platinum, and palladium products for investment, with a focus on helping clients diversify their retirement portfolios through gold IRAs.One of Noble Gold's distinguishing features is its low minimum investment requirement of $2,000 for precious metals IRAs, making it more accessible to a wider range of investors compared to some competitors. The company charges an $80 annual fee for its gold IRAs, along with storage fees that vary depending on the depository used.Noble Gold has garnered positive reviews across multiple consumer watchdog websites. It boasts an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and high ratings on platforms like ConsumerAffairs, TrustPilot, and Google Reviews. These ratings suggest a strong track record of customer satisfaction.The company offers a variety of IRA-approved precious metals products, including popular coins like American Gold Eagles and Canadian Gold Maple Leafs. In addition to standard offerings, Noble Gold provides unique services such as its "Royal Survival Packs," which are pre-selected collections of precious metals designed for use in emergency situations.Noble Gold emphasizes customer education and support, offering free consultations and educational resources to help investors make informed decisions. The company also provides a buyback program, allowing customers to liquidate their precious metals investments when needed.While Noble Gold has many positive attributes, potential investors should note that the company does not list prices online, which may make comparison shopping more challenging. Additionally, its storage options are somewhat limited compared to some competitors, with facilities primarily located in Texas.Overall, Noble Gold Investments appears to be a legitimate and customer-focused precious metals company, particularly well-suited for those looking to start a gold IRA with a relatively low initial investment. However, as with any investment decision, potential customers are advised to conduct thorough research and consider consulting with a financial advisor before committing to a precious metals investment strategy.Noble Gold Investments offers a diverse range of precious metals products and services tailored for investors looking to diversify their portfolios or protect their wealth. Here's a detailed breakdown of their key offerings:Noble Gold specializes in self-directed Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) backed by precious metals. These IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium in their retirement accounts. The company guides clients through the process of setting up or rolling over existing retirement accounts into precious metals IRAs.For direct investment outside of retirement accounts, Noble Gold offers a variety of gold and silver bullion products. These include popular coins like American Gold Eagles, Canadian Gold Maple Leafs, and American Silver Eagles, as well as gold and silver bars of various weights.Setting itself apart from many competitors, Noble Gold also provides investment options in platinum and palladium. This includes coins like the American Platinum Eagle and Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf, as well as platinum and palladium bars.For numismatic enthusiasts or those seeking collectible investments, Noble Gold offers a selection of rare coins. These may include historical pieces or limited edition coins with potential numismatic value beyond their precious metal content.A unique offering from Noble Gold is their "Royal Survival Packs." These are pre-selected collections of precious metals designed for investors concerned about economic instability or crisis scenarios. The packs come in various sizes and compositions, tailored to different investment levels and preferences.IRAEmpire recently ranked the best gold investments companies of each US state as well.Noble Gold Investments, a precious metals company specializing in gold IRAs and other precious metals investments, offers a unique product called "Royal Survival Packs" designed for investors concerned about economic instability or crisis scenarios.These Royal Survival Packs are pre-selected collections of precious metals, including gold and silver coins and bars, tailored to different investment levels and potential emergency situations. The packs are marketed as a way for investors to have readily accessible precious metals that could be used as currency or bartered during times of economic turmoil.Key features of the Royal Survival Packs include:Investment tiers ranging from $10,000 to $500,000, with names like "Noble Knight," "Noble Baron," and "Noble Duke" corresponding to increasing investment amounts.Discreet home delivery within 5 days of purchase, with packages fully insured and shipped in plain wrapping to ensure privacy.Option for secure storage in guarded depositories in the U.S. or Canada for those who prefer not to keep precious metals at home.Composition of easily recognizable and liquid precious metals, selected by Noble Gold's experts for their potential utility in crisis situations.A special "Noble Ambassador" pack available for offshore clients, which can be purchased with dollars or bitcoin.Noble Gold positions these packs as a form of financial insurance, arguing that precious metals could serve as a reliable means of exchange during emergencies when traditional currencies might lose value or become inaccessible.While the company touts the benefits of these survival packs, financial experts generally caution against keeping large amounts of precious metals at home due to security risks. Additionally, the effectiveness of such packs in actual crisis scenarios remains theoretical.As with any investment product, potential buyers should carefully consider their financial goals, risk tolerance, and the broader con PR-Inside.com: 2024-09-14 17:03:55 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 302 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 14, 2024 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Globus Medical, Inc. ("Globus" or "the Company") (NYSE:GMED) 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. Globus disclosed in an August 13, 2024, SEC filing that, "on July 16, 2024, Globus Medical, Inc. received a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the FDA') following an inspection of our facilities in Audubon, Pennsylvania. In the warning letter, the FDA cited deficiencies in the response letters sent by the Company to the FDA following the Form 483, List of Investigational Observations, which was delivered to the Company in connection with the inspection that occurred from February 15, 2024 until March 7, 2024. The letter describes observed non-conformities in establishing and maintaining product complaint procedures, including complaint investigations, trending, risk reconciliation, and Medical Device Report (MDR) procedures including timely reporting, pertaining to the ExcelsiusGPS robotic system." 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.310-301-3335 info@ schallfirm.comwww.schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm The Nigerian government on Friday announced that the loading of the first batch of petrol from the Dangote refinery will commence on Sunday, 15 September. The government said petrol from the Dangote refinery will only be sold to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) which will then sell to various marketers in the short term. The government disclosed this in a statement posted on the X handle of the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Friday. According to the statement, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, disclosed this in his office in Abuja shortly after the meeting of the technical sub-committee on the sale of crude oil to local refineries in naira on Friday. Mr Edun, represented by the Executive Chairman Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, announced the completion of all agreements and modalities for the implementation of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval on the sale of crude to local refineries in naira and corresponding purchase of petroleum products in naira. I am glad to announce that all agreements have been completed and loading of the first batch of PMS from the Dangote refinery will commence on Sunday 15 September. From 1st October, NNPC will commence the supply of about 385k barrels per day (bdp) of crude oil to the Dangote refinery to be paid for in naira. In return, the Dangote refinery will supply Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and diesel of equivalent value to the domestic market to be paid for in naira. Diesel will be sold in naira by the Dangote refinery to any interested offtaker. PMS will only be sold to NNPC, NNPC will then sell to various marketers for now, Mr Edun said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later He said all associated regulatory costs, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), etc will also be paid for in naira. We are also setting up a one-stop shop that will coordinate service provision from all regulatory agencies, security agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth implementation of this initiative. This will be located in NPA, Lagos. We thank everyone for the hard work and patriotism exhibited over the last couple of weeks. We would sincerely like to thank Mr President for championing this novel initiative and would like to assure Mr President that he can count on us to implement his vision, he said. In July, the Federal Executive Council directed NNPC Ltd to engage the Dangote refinery and other local refineries to resolve the dispute over the sale of crude oil to them. The FEC, presided over by President Bola Tinubu, also directed that such crude oil sales to the refineries be made in naira and that the refineries located in Nigeria should also sell their refined products to the Nigerian market in naira. Since then, according to the statement on Friday, the implementation committee chaired by the minister of finance and the technical committee have worked intensely with NNPC Ltd and Dangote refinery to fashion out the details of the modalities for the implementation of the FEC approval. In a landmark move towards reducing pressure on the Naira, eliminating unnecessary transaction costs, and improving availability of petroleum products, the federal government has successfully initiated the sale of crude to local refineries as well as corresponding purchase of petroleum products in naira, the statement said. READ ALSO: Minister announces date for lifting of petrol from Dangote Refinery It said this initiative marks a significant milestone in Nigerias journey towards energy self-sufficiency and economic growth. Last Monday, Devakumar Edwin, vice president at Dangote Industries Limited, said the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery has begun the processing of petrol. Mr Edwin explained that the NNPC Ltd, Nigerias sole importer, would buy its product exclusively. Speaking to reporters last Tuesday, the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said the petrol refined from the refinery would hit filling stations across the country within 48 hours, depending on the NNPC Ltd. But NNPC in reaction to a statement that the Dangote Refinery Limited is being undermined by actions of the company, said it is not the sole offtaker of all products from the Dangote Refinery. It said the refinery is free to sell its petrol to any marketer. The NNPC explained that the Dangote Refinery and any other domestic refinery are free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, which is the current practice for all fully deregulated products. The latest statement by the finance minister, however, shows that NNPC will be the sole off-taker of Dangotes petrol. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Folagade Banks gained widespread recognition when he adopted the character of a self-righteous Yoruba mother, Mama Deola, in his skits. In Nigerias competitive field of content creators, Mama Deola stands out with her signature brown rope, head tie, quirky shoes, and unique accent. This comedic character blends humour with cultural insights, making Folagades storytelling uniquely engaging and relatable. Beyond skit-making and his famous Mama Deola persona, Folagade is also an event host and an actor who has appeared in some movie productions. Some may have wondered how he conceived such a unique character as Mama Deola, who entertains while evoking a strong sense of nostalgia. In an exclusive interview with industryhe revealed how he created Mama Deolas character by surpassing challenges and negativity. He narrated, I created the Mama Deola character during my final year of school based on conversations I had with friends. One afternoon, we were gisting in my room, and I discovered we all had similar upbringings. Our parents did a lot of similar things while raising us. They had a WhatsApp room where they communicated. It was like, So your mum and dad do this. That means it was relatable content. I said, Ok, I was going to try it. If I wanted to chip a little comedy into it, I am going to be able to do that with the mums because dads are quieter when doing their actions. They are less dramatic, but mothers are more surprising. Before I started, I didnt want to use costumes because I didnt want to be one of those guys who dressed the part. You can see that as I do my content now, I dont do too much with it. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Challenges The skit maker briefly recalled the challenges he faced as a student in building the Mummy Deola character and how he overcame them. He said, I had a tight schedule because I was wrapping up my final-year project in school. So, the challenges I faced were timing and my tight schedule. From the first video I dropped for Mama Deolas character, people loved it; it was a blast, and blogs reposted it. After overcoming the challenges of balancing his final-year project with skit-making, another hurdle arose. Every content creator, entrepreneur, and influencer must deal with negative comments or criticism. People handle offensive remarks differently by responding, deleting comments, blocking troublesome individuals, or ignoring them. Folagade has shared how he manages these recurring challenges as a skit-maker. He said, I bless the Lord for the kind of fans I have because I hardly see negative comments. I dont have hostile fans. All my fans are positive people and say positive things because they see that my content comes from a vast place of love for motherhood. I dont see negative comments; if I see any, I dont notice them. Imagine me having 10,000 beautiful comments and just one awful comment. How will I notice it? All I see is the love people bring to me, he added. Source of livelihood During the interview, the skit maker admitted that Mama Deolas character pays his bills, which has positively impacted his life. The actor said, I have achieved many things that might take work on a typical day. But because I am an actor playing the mama Deola character, I get to work with big brands and meet tremendous and beautiful personalities. It has given me a source of livelihood and income, helped my personality, and built my portfolio. Folagade, a geographer before becoming a skit maker, further mentioned how Mama Deolas character has taken him abroad three times and opened numerous doors for him. However, he believes that he would have been successful at the Mama Deola role even without adopting a female persona. Unique content creation style Peeping into the content creation industry, many skit makers have fallen prey to going in circles and delivering the same content creator, entrepreneur, and influencer , however, distinguishes himself by sticking to decent, educative, yet funny content. He briefly said, I want you to see the Mama Deola character and remember a woman once encountered on the street, secretariat, market church, and mosque. That might set me aside from a lot of content creators. Most people sexualise ladies; you will see ladies wearing this, trying to look attractive, trying to sell their bodies, all because they want viewers to watch their content, which is something I will never do. You can still be decent and funny. More so, when discussing how he chooses the topics for his skits, the talented content creator revealed that he is highly intentional in selecting content that will leave a lasting impact. I deliberately pick my topics; if you watch my content well, you will notice that I love conveying a message. I dont want to create content people will laugh about and move on from. Instead, I want to create content you will watch, and a message is passed across to you. I leave sexual topics out of it. I only say things children can watch and derive joy from watching. Stuff that will make a family happy. Sometimes, I pick my content based on personal experiences. Current trends may be topics people talk about, but I am selective. I dont follow all the trends. I will use a few that align with Mama Deolas brand and other inspirations, like what a friend tells me, he added. UK content creators earning more While Folagade believes the content creation industry is thriving and lucrative, he feels Nigerian creators would be even more enthusiastic if the issue of monetisation were addressed. Revealing how lucrative it is, he said, It is lucrative, but initially, it wont be lucrative. You have to invest your time, invest your money, and put a lot of effort into it before it starts being lucrative. Folagade pointed out that their UK counterparts earn significantly more from videos posted on TikTok, a social media platform, encouraging brands to appreciate content creators efforts. He said, You shouldnt have to go live on other platforms like TikTok before earning. Many of us have many views on TikTok and are not earning a dime, but our counterparts in the UK are earning a lot of money on videos with fewer views in Nigeria; we should be allowed to earn well on our videos. Brands pay well, but they should appreciate content creators more for their efforts to tell their brand story. Nigerians will be happier if we can do more for the content creation industry. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The year 2020 was a glorious one for the people of Bahumonu in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State because it marked the end of a 15-year-old communal war among four communities in Bahumonu. Like many other crises that had bedevilled Cross River communities in the past, the wars between Ediba and Usumutong communities and Ebom and Ebijakara were mainly a tussle over land, though there were other remote causes. While the wars raged from around 2005 with attendant destruction of lives and property worth billions of naira, they left in their trail widows and orphans, exacerbating poverty in the warring communities. For instance, as a result of the war, indigenes of Ebijakara community were sacked from their land and have not returned years after the war ended. The destroyed Community Secondary School Usumutong has yet to be reconstructed, and its staff quarters are overgrown with weeds. The Ediba and Ebom communities also suffered various degrees of destruction. My children are scattered all over the nation A survivor of the conflict, Janet Ekpe, from Ebijakara, lost her husband and their property during the war. Narrating her ordeal, Mrs Ekpe said she and her children suffered so much during the conflict, adding that though she was happy that the war was over, she was still in pain as her wounds were yet to heal. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Apart from losing my husband to the war, the crisis prevented my children from going to school, our house was destroyed, and we were sacked from our community. As we speak, my children are scattered all over the nation because I cannot take care of them. I survive by taking small farmland on a lease, which has not been easy. I have cried and begged just to get something to survive on. This is why I plead with the (Cross River) State Government to help us go back to our homeland and to facilitate the construction of houses. We are still suffering though the war is over, she said. For Nkam Igiri, an entrepreneur from Ebom, the place where he did his business and lived was burnt down during the war. I am happy that the war ended four years ago, but since it did, we have not really seen much progress in the communities. Some of us that lost everything, including our means of livelihood, are still struggling to put food on our tables and send our children to school. The government needs to help us, he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Dilapidated roads, schools, health centres A visit by a NAN reporter to Bahumonu in Otumosa and some of the communities recuperating from the years of carnage showed that they still lack basic amenities such as electricity, a good telecommunication network and roads. The roads have broken down, especially the Ring Road that connects the nine communities of Bahumonu. The schools and health centres are dilapidated, and there are no jetties at the river that separates Bahumonu from communities in Ebonyi. Earnest Abam, the central youth leader of the Bahumonu, said that though peace had returned, key areas, like the causes of the conflict, still needed to be investigated and addressed. There are some striking issues that caused the war in the first place that have yet to be resolved, such as a permanent boundary between Usumutong and Ediba communities. Also, we have yet to resolve the discontentment between Ebom and Ebijakara for the latter to return to their land from where they were sacked during the wars. The conflict lasted for years, people died on all sides, and we are putting heads together to see how we can placate hearts to bring about peaceful coexistence, he said. Mr Abam said they realised that the war did not bring any good to them, and therefore they would not pick up arms again. He called on the state government to help them consolidate on the peace by bringing infrastructural development to the communities. Difficult to fully resolve issues, even after the fighting ended The paramount traditional ruler in Abi Local Government Area, Solomon Edward, told NAN that it had been difficult to fully resolve the issues, even after the fighting ended. Mr Edward said the elders had continued to disagree, adding that it was sad that some people were still bitter that peace had returned to the warring communities. I have continued to lay curses on anyone who does not want peace to reign among the communities that decided to say no to guns and machetes. We are still pushing to ensure that we fully resolve the issues and bring Ebijakara back to their land, but it is becoming more and more difficult because where we are asking them to stay, they are not comfortable with it. At this point, we appeal to the state government to help us resolve some of the lingering issues that are hindering total peace, he said. Although war-torn for about 15 years, the four communities have been relatively peaceful after the youths miraculously laid down their arms in 2020. People can move freely today, but they now sell and buy in ramshackle markets. Remarks by governors representative Speaking on the situation, Earnest Eteng, chairperson, Bahumonu Peace and Development Union said things were getting better. He thanked the youths for their doggedness in maintaining the peace that was achieved in 2020. According to him, the youths were always the first to visit any scene where there was misunderstanding capable of resulting in violence, even without the elders knowing. They have done this very well to ensure that the peace is sustained. Mr Eteng appealed to the communities indigenes to fully embrace peace so that the state government could come to their rescue in the area of infrastructural development. The state government has agreed to help us, but they said we must be ready to sign the peace agreement (and) state where each of the projects will be. That was what we were told in 2021 when the committee set up by former Governor Ben Ayade came on a fact-finding mission in Bahumonu. That position has not changed, he stated. But Collins Bassey, the community relations officer for Abi Local Government Area for Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State, said the state government has done a lot to ensure peace in Bahumonu. He said the communitys schools, roads, and other infrastructure were in bad shape, but the government was poised to rebuild them and do more. Mr Bassey said the reconstruction of Bahumonu Ring Road was captured in the 2024 budget, adding that if there was no peace there would be no meaningful development. The people lost so much; families lost their properties and loved ones in the war. So, I will not rest but continue to remind the governor of his promises to the Bahumonu people because with peace, theres nothing we cannot achieve. There was a 2024 Interdenominational church service recently in Otumosa to commemorate the 4th Anniversary of the return of peace in Bahumonu. Where the solution should start from The war in Bahumonu may have ended but it is clear that the peace being enjoyed among the four communities today is fragile. While many of the indigenes are quietly aggrieved and recuperating from the emotional wounds and trauma, the issues that caused the war are still yet to be fully resolved four years later. The solution for this appears to lie in the Cross River State Government implementing the recommendations of the report of the Ndoma Egbe Committee set up in 2021. The Bahumonu is a cluster of nine communities that are well-known for their agrarian capabilities, especially in rice production. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Soldiers working with vigilante operatives have killed Halilu Sububu, a notorious terrorist operating in Zamfara and Sokoto states. He was killed in an ambush on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. The gunfight took place around the Kuzawa and Mayanchi areas on the extended Gusau-Sokoto highway in Maru Local Government area of Zamfara State. Local sources told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Sububu was killed alongside some of his foot soldiers while he was crossing the highway en route to Bagega forest where he has his base. Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, the senior special assistant on media and publicity to President Bola Tinubu, confirmed the killing of the terrorist in a tweet on Friday. The bandit kingpin, Kachalla Halilu Sububu (pictured), was downed this morning by troops. His death adds to the increasing number of bandit-warlords cut down by security forces under this administration: Ali Kawaje, Dangote, Damina, Baleri, Modi-Modi, etc. Mr Sububu was one of the notorious terrorists in the north-west whose attacks on civilians and security officials have led to the death of hundreds of people and displacement of millions of others. In his later years, Mr Sububu relocated to Bagega forest in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State, where he took control of mining sites in the area as reported by PREMIUM TIMES in an investigation last year. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later I can confirm that Halilu Buzu (Mr Sububu) was killed because he left Bagega very early in the morning with his boys on over 50 motorcycles, a native of Bagega, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, said. It was in the late evening that we started hearing stories that he was ambushed by soldiers. Then some miners returned from his sites and said some of his boys had returned without him. Another local source said Mr Sububu travelled through Mayanchi-Anka highway but delved into the forest around Gwaram village in Talata Mafara Local Government Area. He wanted to cross over the highway to access Maradun forest but was intercepted by the soldiers, the resident said. He didnt believe the soldiers would get his location because that was his style, the source said. Halilu would not use the same route when going to his hometown, Sububu or Tubali, but yesterday he decided to do that, and the soldiers still got him. We thank God that the soldiers got him. The man, Halilu Sububu Mr Sububu is not an ordinary terrorist, called a bandit by locals. He is the only terrorist in the North-west who is known to have close ties with French-speaking Jihadists in the Sahel region of West Africa (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Senegal). It is believed his gunrunning business was successful because of his affiliation with Jihadists in the Sahel. In his first and only known interview with journalists, Mr Sububu addressed himself as the Leader of the terrorists operating on the northern flank. A family friend of Mr Sububu, whom PREMIUM TIMES spoke to on the phone in October, said the terrorist was born in 1986 as Halilu Jammare. His father, a Fulani herder, Jammare, was born in Jajjaye, a community near Sububu. He said Mr Sububus mother is from the Niger Republic and came to Nigeria with her grandfather through Maradi in the Niger Republic. She should have been around 11 or 12 years old when they came to Nigeria. The community leaders in Sububu gave them land to build a house. That was where Jammare saw her and they got married, the source told PREMIUM TIMES. Mr Sububus father died 25 years ago, according to the source. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police have returned the N3 million which some officers allegedly extorted from a Nigerian man in Bayelsa State, south-south Nigeria. The extortion PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how some police operatives allegedly extorted the money from the Nigeria man, Kelechi Isaac, at gunpoint on 26 August at Odi area of Bayelsa State. Mr Isaac, who is based in Ghana, hails from Nguru Nworie, a community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo state, Nigerias south-east. The victim narrated that five police operatives flagged down his vehicle while he was driving back from a marriage ceremony with two of his friends. He said the operatives subsequently forced him at gunpoint to transfer the N3 million to two separate bank accounts. Arrest of the officers The police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, last week, confirmed that the operatives who carried out the extortion had been arrested. The policemen involved in this case of extortion of N3 million have been arrested, he had said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Adejobi, an assistant commissioner of police, said the operatives were attached to Zone 16 headquarters in Bayelsa State. Meanwhile, Mr Isaac said that on 5 September, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 16 Headquarters, Paul Omata, informed him that the money had been recovered from the operatives. But PREMIUM TIMES reliably gathered that the police, after the recovery, did not immediately return the money to the victim. This followed a disagreement between Mr Isaac and authorities of Zone 16 Police Headquarters over where the money would be picked after the victim expressed concerns about his safety in the South-south state. They have given me the money But Mr Isaac told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday night that he has now collected the money. They have given me the money today. (I am) just coming in from Bayelsa now, he said in a WhatsApp message to this reporter. The victim said that, against his wishes, the police authorities returned the money to him in cash, but he insisted on getting a Point of Sale (POS) machine operator to transfer the money to his bank account. They did (the handover in cash), but after the handover I refused to touch the cash, insisting they get a POS agent to take the cash and transfer it to me, which they did, he stated. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerian security forces under Sector 4 Operation Whirl Punch have rescued 13 persons held by kidnappers in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The states Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the rescue followed a firefight. Mr Aruwan, in a statement, said the development was communicated to the state government in an operational feedback. The troops responded to credible human intelligence of bandits moving kidnapped victims in the general area of Chigulu village, Kachia LGA. The troops subsequently mobilised for a rescue operation at the location of the suspected bandits camp. The troops arrived at the location and made contact with the bandits. An intense gun battle ensued at the base of a high ground in the area. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The bandits were subdued and fled into the dense forest, abandoning their hostages, Mr Aruwan stated. The security forces went on to rescue the 13 hostages, comprising six men and seven women, from the terrorists hideout, he added. He said the troops dislodged the camp and destroyed various items, such as clothing and personal effects, at the site. Mr Aruwan said the items recovered include one AK-47 rifle, one locally-made rifle, four AK-47 magazines, 87 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, five mini solar panels, five mobile phones and N192,220 in cash. The rescued persons were taken to a military facility for examination and debriefing, before being reunited with their families. The Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, expressed happiness at the report. He praised the swift response of the troops led by the General Officer Commanding, 1 Division Nigerian Army/Commander Operation Whirl Punch (OPWP), MLD Saraso, a major general, and congratulated them for the successful operation, the statement stated. Mr Aruwan said the governor sent his heartfelt goodwill to the rescued persons as they rejoined their families. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Fuxi Temple to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) LANZHOU, Gansu/BAOJI, Shaanxi, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping urged northwest China's Gansu Province to deepen reform, make innovation, and do solid work to improve the people's well-being and the region's prosperity, to write a Gansu chapter in Chinese modernization. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection from Tuesday to Friday. Gansu should take solid steps in improving ecological conservation and restoration, accelerating green and low-carbon transition, further deepening reform and opening up comprehensively, promoting rural revitalization across the board, better securing people's livelihood and strengthening ethnic unity, Xi said during his inspection tour in Gansu Province. On Tuesday afternoon, Xi visited the Fuxi Temple in Tianshui City, where he learned about the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. The temple is dedicated to Fuxi, a mythical ancestor of the Chinese nation. It is imperative to protect and pass on the precious cultural heritage, so that the wisdom and creativity of ancestors will constantly inspire future generations and enhance national pride and confidence, Xi said. On Wednesday morning, Xi listened to the report of a local water diversion project and urged better maintenance and management of the project so that it would play a greater role in improving people's lives. While visiting a Huaniu apple production base, he emphasized the importance of optimizing cultivation of this variety and innovating marketing models so that this specialty industry will be expanded and more people will increase their incomes through it. Xi then visited the Maijishan Grottoes, where he carefully inspected the caves, sculptures and paintings that date back over 1,600 years. He called on cultural relic workers to make greater contributions to promoting the preservation and innovative development of China's traditional culture and enhancing its influence. On Wednesday afternoon, Xi came to Lanzhou, the provincial capital. At a local residential community, he emphasized the necessity of focusing on the practical needs of residents, especially the elderly and children, and continuously improving community services. During his visit to retired Party member Li Zongbiao, Xi said that local authorities have worked hard in providing elderly care, healthcare and community services and the work must continue and improve over time. When speaking to local residents, Xi said 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese people should be more united and make more efforts to create even greater achievements. He extended his holiday greetings to the residents ahead of this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept. 17. Xi then inspected a section of the Yellow River near the Zhongshan Bridge in Lanzhou and learned about the ecological protection of the country's "mother river." He called for joint efforts in protecting the river so that it will benefit the people forever. On Friday morning, Xi listened to the work report from the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee and the provincial government. Gansu should promote new-type industrialization, accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, build a significant national manufacturing base for new energy and new-energy-related equipment, and fortify the ecological security in the western part of the country, Xi said. He stressed the need to deepen reform and expand opening up with greater courage and determination, and to implement the people-centered new urbanization strategy effectively. Xi emphasized the need to strengthen cultural heritage protection and build the Dunhuang Academy into an example of world cultural heritage protection and a center of Dunhuang studies. He also called for efforts to advance the building of national cultural parks dedicated to the Great Wall, the Long March and the Yellow River. Efforts should be made to promote social advancement and governance, and lay a solid foundation for common prosperity for people of all ethnic groups, he said. On his way to Gansu, Xi visited the Baoji Bronze Ware Museum in Baoji City of Shaanxi Province on Tuesday afternoon. He hailed China's bronze civilization and called for better protection, research and promotion of bronze cultural relics. Xi also inspected a local riverside ecological park. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour. On Thursday morning, Xi met with senior officers and representatives of soldiers and civilian staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army troops stationed in Lanzhou. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Fuxi Temple to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Fuxi Temple to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local apple production base to learn about the development of the modern specialty fruit industry in mountainous areas in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local apple production base to learn about the development of the modern specialty fruit industry in mountainous areas in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local apple production base to learn about the development of the modern specialty fruit industry in mountainous areas in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local apple production base to learn about the development of the modern specialty fruit industry in mountainous areas in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with fruit growers, local villagers and agricultural technicians while visiting a local apple production base in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Maijishan Grottoes to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Maijishan Grottoes to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Maijishan Grottoes to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with tourists and cultural relics protection staff while visiting the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with tourists and cultural relics protection staff while visiting the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Maijishan Grottoes to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local community to learn about local measures to improve public services, enhance the well-being of the people, and strengthen comprehensive public order maintenance, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local community in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local community to learn about local measures to improve public services, enhance the well-being of the people, and strengthen comprehensive public order maintenance, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local community in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with residents while visiting a local community in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local community in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with the crowd while visiting a section of the Yellow River in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, waves to the crowd while visiting a section of the Yellow River in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Baoji Bronze Ware Museum to learn about the local efforts to enhance the protection and use of cultural relics in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Baoji Bronze Ware Museum to learn about the local efforts to enhance the protection and use of cultural relics in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Baoji Bronze Ware Museum to learn about the local efforts to enhance the protection and use of cultural relics in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Baoji Bronze Ware Museum to learn about the local efforts to enhance the protection and use of cultural relics in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, meets with senior officers and representatives of soldiers and civilian staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army troops stationed in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 12, 2024. Xi made an inspection tour in Gansu Province from Tuesday to Friday. (Xinhua/Li Gang) Editor: GSY A group, Media Rights Agenda, has trained journalists on media laws and regulations in Nigeria. Media Rights Agenda is an independent organisation committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of expression, media freedom and access to information in Nigeria. Over 30 journalists, drawn from the South-east and South-south Nigeria, participated in the two-day training, which was held from Wednesday to Thursday in Enugu. The MacArthur Foundation supported the training through the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusion, and Accountability Project. The training The training covered a range of topics and issues, such as local and international frameworks on freedom of expression, the safety of journalists, and laws affecting media freedom. It also covered digital security and common digital threats to journalism practice, the relevance of the Freedom of Information Act of 2011 and how to avoid legal liabilities as journalists. Why the training The Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda, Edetaen Ojo, said the training became necessary because of the increasing attacks on journalists and media outlets often perpetuated through the misuse and abuse of the law. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Ojo, a media expert, noted that journalists play an important role in holding leaders and institutions to account as well as strengthening democracy, which often brings them into confrontation with the rich and the powerful. In performing these critical functions, therefore, you will frequently find yourself navigating complex legal environments and issues. Your ability to do your job as a journalist, therefore, depends not only on your storytelling skills and abilities but also on your knowledge and understanding of the law, especially those that affect the media, he said. In addition, familiarity with the laws and regulations affecting journalists and the media empowers you to better protect yourself and your sources. Participants speak The participants commended the Media Rights Agenda and the partners for organising the training. A participant, David Eleke, a journalist with ThisDay newspaper, said knowledge gained in the training would help participants thrive in their journalism practice. This is honestly the most impactful training I have been part of in a long time, Mr Eleke said at the end of training on Thursday. Another participant, Alicia Johnson, a presenter and news editor at Fad FM, a radio station in Cross Rivers State, described the training as an eye-opener. Ms Johnson said the training came at the right time when journalists were being harassed and intimidated in Nigeria. After the training, I (have) developed more courage to do journalism, knowing that there are some organisations that stand with journalists especially when they run into legal trouble, she said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Edo State Government has said that emergency responders have rescued all trapped students in the collapsed three-storey building on Ekhator Street, off Ekosodin Road beside the University of Benin, in Benin City. In a statement by the Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, the government noted that there were no fatalities, and an investigation is ongoing to unravel the immediate and remote cause of the incident. According to him: The government confirms the collapse of a three-storey building in Ekhator Street, off Ekosodin Road, beside the University of Benin, Ugbowo, Benin City. A rescue team was deployed to the site of the incident and all the trapped students have been rescued alive and are receiving medical attention. He added: Emergency Responders including the Edo State Fire Service and officials from the Edo State Command and Control Centre deployed to the scene of the accident have confirmed that there are no fatalities from the incident as at this time. Excavators and other heavy equipment are on site to clear the rubble and also remove the other parts of the distressed building. The government has ordered a full investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the collapse as well as an audit of other buildings in the area to ascertain their status. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The state government has stationed officials at the site to provide updates on the incident. We appreciate the gallant work of the emergency responders and the good Samaritans in the community who provided assistance in managing the situation. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has advised Nigerians to acquire digital literacy to unlock opportunities and empower themselves. The Director-General of NITDA, Kashitu Abdullahi, made the call at the official kick-off ceremony of digital literacy for all by the agency in collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre, Minna. Mr Abdullahi said the use of digital devices will help traders market their products and to share information among themselves In his remarks, the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Faruk Yabo, said digital literacy is a key to unlocking opportunities, empowering individuals, and driving economic growth. He said the programme was designed for individuals aspiring to have high technical skills while the Digital Literacy for All initiative is aimed at providing basic skills to citizens across the federation to enable them to have access to government programmes and services The Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Ayodele Wisdom, said President Bola Tinubus administration is determined to bring governance to the doorsteps of every youth, adding that this is the time for them to know every aspect of the internet. He further added that they were ready to collaborate with state governments and organisations to drive the digital economy. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Wisdom called on the youth to tap into the various digital initiatives to improve the economy of the country. The Director-General of the NYSC, Y.D Ahmed, said the digital economy plays a key role in the economic development of any nation as it promotes greater access to information to promote innovation that enhances productivity in various areas of endeavor. The scheme will work together with NITDA to train 30 million Nigerians before 2027, as well as encourage all stakeholders to key into the digital literacy for all, he added On its part, the Niger State Government said it would partner with key stakeholders to improve digital literacy in 75 per cent of the people in the state. Governor Umar Bago said going digital is the gateway to advancing the economy of the state and the country. Hence, he said the initiative is key and timely. He said because of the speed at which the country is going, there is a need to join the trend, calling on all parties to join the digital revolution. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has decried the alleged victimisation of its members in public universities across Nigeria. The zonal coordinator of ASUU in Kano, Abdulkadir Muhammad, a professor, stated this in a statement he made available to reporters on Saturday. He said lecturers were being victimised under the pretence of due process and adherence to the rules and regulations governing the Nigerian university system. Mr Muhammad said the victimisation is mainly perpetrated by university administrations with the endorsement of the Chairmen of the Governing Councils and Visitors of the universities. The obnoxious, unjust and callous victimisation and degradation of our members are more pronounced in Kogi State University (KSU), Anyingba; Lagos State University (LASU), Ojoo; and Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki. Others include: Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma; Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO); and Chukwuemeka Odumegu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam. Kogi State University (KSU) In KSU, 120 members of ASUU have been unjustly dismissed for over seven years now, largely for demanding conducive working condition, better welfare package, payment of backlogged salaries and allowances and adequate funding of the university, the ASUU said in the statement. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Muhammad said the affected members sought legal redress, but unfortunately the court ruled against them. ASUU-Kano Zone is particularly disturbed by the travesty of justice in this judgment delivered against our innocent members. However, the Union will continue to explore all legal avenues to ensure reinstatement of the sacked members in KSU, Mr Muhammad said. Mr Muhammad also cited a case in the Lagos State-owned LASU in 2017, where lecturers were allegedly dismissed for insisting on due process in running the affairs of the university. Lagos State University (LASU) In September 2017, the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of ASUU-LASU were illegally dismissed by the then Vice Chancellor, Professor Lanre Fagbohun, mainly because of the Unions insistence on strict observance of due process in the running of the university affairs. In September 2019, the Secretary and Assistant Secretary of the union were also dismissed on the basis that they requested for the reversal of the wrongful promotion of Dr Fagbohun to the rank of professor. To add insult to injury, the Treasurer of the Branch was, on same date, also dismissed for demanding that her well-deserved promotion be properly dated. In February, 2022, under the new administration of Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, two separate committees were set up and their final reports absolved the five ASUU leaders of any wrongdoing. Consequently, the Governing Council directed for their unconditional reinstatement with immediate effect. Following these tyranny and arbitrariness, the Visitor of LASU, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, set up a visitation panel and all the relevant stakeholders, ASUU inclusive, submitted memoranda. Alas, the Governor has adamantly refused to release the White Paper of the Visitation Panel. Up till now, the affected members are yet to be reinstated, the ASUU decried in the statement. The statement added that at Ebonyi State University (EBSU), the immediate past chairperson of the branch, Ndubuisi Idenyi, was suspended by the university administration for (allegedly) convening a meeting of ASUUs Ethics, Grievances, Conflict and Crisis Management Committee. In the same vein, the Branch Chairperson, Comrade Ikecheku Okorie Igwenyi, was also suspended for convening an online meeting to convey NEC resolutions to members of the Branch. The Chairperson has also been denied his promotion to the professorial cadre since 2017. Worse still, the university administration has banned the Unions activities on the campus, which is a clear violation of the fundamental right to freedom of association as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. Conclusion The victimisation of ASUU members and crass violation of university rules and regulations are not peculiar to KSU, LASU and EBSU but are also obtainable in many others. ASUU-Kano Zone frowns at the dehumanisation, denial of promotion, non-payment of backlogged salaries and arrears, travesty of justice, denial of freedom of assembly and association, increased violation of other fundamental human rights of its members and all forms of victimisation in many public universities. We, therefore, call on the respective university administrations, Governing Councils and the Visitors of the affected universities to respect the university laws, respect freedom of assembly and association, end victimization of innocent intellectuals and their families, recall all the illegally suspended members and reinstate those unjustly dismissed, the statement stated. Premium Times could not immediately verify the claims made by the union as of the time the report was filed. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Two persons have been confirmed dead in a road accident along Onitsha-Enugu Expressway in Anambra State. The incident happened at about 7 p.m. on Thursday around Nteje, a community in the Oyi Local Government Area of the state. The spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Margaret Onabe, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday. The latest accident occurred about 24 hours after a speeding Toyota Sienna vehicle rammed into a market in Abagana, a community in the states Njikoka Local Government Area. At least three people died in the accident which occurred on Wednesday morning. How the latest accident occurred Ms Onabe, a route commander, said the latest accident involved a Toyota Camry with an IVECO Turbostar tanker. Three male adults and one female adult were involved in the crash. One female adult and one male adult were killed. None was injured, while two male adults were rescued unhurt, she said. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The spokesperson attributed the crash to brake failure and loss of control. Before the arrival of the FRSC rescue team from RS5.33 Nteje arrived at the scene, they were informed by DTO Dunukofia that the killed victims had been taken to the mortuary. The rescue team managed traffic and ensured the two vehicles were towed away from the road, she said. The Sector Commander of the FRSC in Anambra State, Joyce Alexander, has sympathised with the family of the deceased victims, Ms Onabe said. Mrs Alexander, a corps commander, warned motorists to desist from disobeying traffic rules and regulations and ensure they service their vehicles regularly. The sector commander urged the motorists to drive to save their lives and lives of other road users. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Experts have said that the commencement of operations at Dangote Refinery will not lead to a significant drop in petrol prices in Nigeria. The experts, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES in an interview on Thursday, said the refinerys operations will lead to a more stable and predictable supply of petroleum products, reducing the volatility in prices caused by importation and supply chain disruptions. However, they cautioned Nigerians against expecting a sudden and drastic drop in pump prices. Last Monday, Devakumar Edwin, vice president at Dangote Industries Limited, said the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery has begun the processing of petrol. Mr Edwin explained that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Nigerias sole importer, would buy its product exclusively. Speaking to reporters, the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said the petrol refined from the refinery would hit filling stations across the country within 48 hours, depending on the NNPC Ltd. Speaking on the latest development with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday, Dan Kunle, an energy expert, emphasised that the narrative of price crashing is wrong, noting that the pricing of petroleum products will still be determined by global market forces and other factors. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later This narrative of price crashing is a wrong narrative. Let me take you back to basic economics. Production capacity and supply capacity are the most important aspects of any goods or commodity or services that citizens enjoy. If the production capacity and the supply system is weak, you can never enjoy steady supply and steady price. The circumstance in which this country is today, the first thing Nigerians should look out for is the production capacity of petroleum products and the supply chain guarantee; it is then you can begin to see whether price can be stable and not be jumping every day and then you can begin to say, since the production capacity have scaled up so much, prices may begin to fall or to remain stable, Mr Kunle said. He explained that the stability of supply and production capacity will lead to a stable price, not necessarily a cheap one. So, when MTN came to market, MTN and Airtel, was the price of the telephone cheap? No it wasnt because it was at an entry level, it was a take off period, so for now, people should not carry this wrong narrative that because Dangote is refining crude oil locally, it means the price will be cheap. No, the price can be stable because there is something we call production capacity and supply capacity, he said. Mr Kunle said if Dangote refinery has production capacity but does not have guaranteed supply of crude, the raw material, at a reasonable price, the output will hardly translate to cheaper petrol. Its not possible in pragmatic economics, he said. According to him, if the cost of the crude is very high, the output of the products from crude will also be relatively high. If Dangote gets crude at international price and they translate it to naira, sufficient crude, 700,000 barrels per day and they translate it to naira, and they give him every day unfailingly, and he refines it, that gives Nigeria a stable source of supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and if that continues like that, you can now say, supply of PMS locally is now more than even excess, then the price may adjust reasonably down, depending on the cost of production of the crude, so the cost of PMS is a derivative of the cost of the crude. If crude oil is $100 per barrel and it costs Nigeria $48 to produce, that means when you give that crude oil to Dangote to refine, or to any refinery to refine, $100 multiplied by the exchange rate, because youre selling to him in naira, so when he adds his refining cost and everything, so how can the petrol per litre be cheaper than what it is now? It will be high. But if crude oil is $50 multiplied by the exchange rate you give it to him, plus his refining cost, the price again also will reflect the cost input of crude, he said. He said what Nigerians should be looking at henceforth, is that for the first time in history, the nation is going to have steady supply of petroleum products. That steady supply and stability will make you and me to plan because we will no longer go and spend one hour, two hours in petrol station, so you can now adjust your income, what we call income allocation, you can reallocate your income and say oh, this week, I will not spend more than N2,000 on petrol, this is what I will spend. Why? You could now plan. So the one hour you used to waste in the petrol station, you could now go and use it to do other things productively, he added. Also speaking, Muda Yusuf, director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), noted that the pricing issue will depend on various factors, including the cost at which Dangote gets the crude. He stated that if the cost of crude is low, there may be a reduction in price, but if the cost is high, the price of the product will also be high. The pricing issue will depend on a number of factors. First it depends on the cost Dangote gets the crude. If the cost at which Dangote refinery get the crude is low, may be by virtue of concession given by NNPC or the condition given by the government then we are likely to see a reduction in price as a result of the coming on board of Dangote. Thats the principal factor because if crude oil is selling at $80 and Dangote has to buy crude at that maybe $80 or more, there is no way that can bring down the price of his product. Even the social environment at which we are, the NNPC at the current prices still subsidise fuel. So, unless the government is trying to subsidise the product for Dangote as well, Mr Yusuf said. He explained that the fact around Dangote is not enough to change the price; it depends on the condition under which he is able to get the crude. Government has offered NNPC to sell the crude in Naira, but we dont know at what exchange rate they are using, we dont know how much they are going to sell it per barrel. So, the major determinant will be the cost of the crude that will determine what will happen, he said. On Friday, the Nigerian government announced that loading of petrol from Dangote Refinery will begin on Sunday. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Agricultural experts from across Africa, last week, met in Rwanda for the annual Africa Food Systems (AFS) Summit to advance conversation on transformative agricultural practices and policies to achieve sustainable food systems across the continent. The summit, themed Innovate, Accelerate and Scale: Delivering Food Systems Transformation in a Digital and Climate Era held between 2-6 September. It brought together diverse stakeholders, including world leaders, investors, academia, farmers organisations, among others. The AFS Forum is the worlds premier forum for African agriculture and food systems organised annually to spotlight innovations, technologies, best practices, business models, policy delivery mechanisms, and investments to accelerate food systems transformation in Africa and beyond. With youth and women at the helms of this years gathering, the organiser said it also seeks to encourage greater high-level commitment to addressing challenges facing Africas food systems. Some of the experts and farmers who spoke at the different stages of the five-day summit, argued that improved finances and technology are potent ways to transform the challenging agricultural landscape in Africa. Across the different corridors/pavilions at the summit, growers of different commodities also showcased producer-friendly insurance, tractor hire scheme and solar power project initiatives from Heifer International and its strategic partners to decision makers present. From Nigeria, representatives of Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) and the Kano State government, during their side meetings, showcased how sustainable agricultural practices (climate-smart models) being implemented under the Kano State Agro Pastoral Development Project (KSADP), are helping to transform the face of agricultural practices and farmers livelihood in the state. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Consequently, farmers who participated at the conference shared their stories, highlighting how strategic investments in technology and financing can significantly boost agricultural productivity, improve food security, and enhance livelihoods for millions of farmers across Africa. Heifers support Some farmers explained to delegates at the summit how catalytic financing and technology have empowered them to increase productivity and incomes, marking out a clear path to accelerated food systems transformation. Some of the farmers are partners of Heifer International, a global nonprofit organisation which leverages technology and innovation, and works with key government, development partners, and local communities to end hunger and poverty. At various side events during the forum, smallholder farmers within Heifers ecosystem outlined the organisations impact on their incomes. Agri-Insurance and Mechanisation According to a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES, Felicia Gbukka, a rice farmer from Nigeria, narrated how Heifer-led initiatives in agriculture insurance and mechanisation enabled her to build resilience against losses and improve productivity. A heavy flood came in 2021 and my one hectare of farm was wiped out.Then Heifer and its partners came to Benue State and compensated those of us who had signed up for the insurance scheme. That money helped me purchase inputs for the next farming season. In 2022, I progressed to 10 hectares, the farmer was quoted to have said. Today, I have 15 hectares of rice farm. In two weeks, Ill start harvesting. The tractors scheme helped me a lot to increase productivity, then the insurance scheme helped me avoid bankruptcy. Partnering with key stakeholders such as Leadway Insurance, Olam Agri, Pula Advisors, and ThriveAgric, in Nigeria, Heifer said it created and funded a system that automatically triggers insurance payouts to smallholder farmers when certain conditions are met. The organisation said the compensation received via the Pay-at-Harvest Area Yield Index Insurance, a key vehicle of the initiative, enabled farmers like Ms Gbukka, and over 3000 others similarly affected smallholder farmers in Northern Nigeria, to refinance for the next farming season. Existing concerns In 2022, PREMIUM TIMES reported how the devastating flood that affected over 26 of Nigerias 36 states swept across expansive agricultural fields, destroying crops, businesses and infrastructures, leaving a dead toll of over 600 people according to authorities. Like in 2022, several farmlands were also submerged last year. Farmers across major agricultural heartlands recorded significant losses, although the impact of the floods was not as severe as the previous year. Nevertheless, the impact of the damage is evident in the state of food availability, accessibility and affordability across the country amidst significant surge in the prices of staple food largely orchestrated by government policies and changing weather conditions. This year, several farmers have also incurred significant losses due to drought (delayed rainfall ) and excessive rainfall in some parts of the country so far. Similarly, PREMIUM TIMES four-part investigation published recently revealed how lack of effective storage facilities, transportation systems and government negligence among others are aggravating post-harvest losses in Africas most populous country amidst lingering food scarcity. In the face of these challenges, Heifer noted that the tractor scheme that helped Ms Gbukka to build resilience in 2022 after the flood is a key part of its mechanisation initiative in Africa. In partnership with Hello Tractor, an Agritech company, a PAYG tractor financing service is facilitating affordable tractor rental services to smallholder farmers across Africa, Heifer said. Beneficiary farmers are recording increased incomes as high as 227%, equipment owners are seeing enhanced profitability, young people are getting jobs, and Hello Tractor is well positioned to attract investment that propels significant growth, Heifer said. Speaking to leaders at the event, Adesuwa Ifedi, Heifer Internationals Senior Vice President, African Programs, gave insights into the role of digital solutions in revolutionising Africas agriculture. She highlighted the importance of digital technologies in food processing, e-marketing, and food waste reduction. New data is emerging from the work done by innovators in the agtech space that can now be used to effectively assess the risk of investing in this sector and shift the way we price risk. Leveraging this new data can open the door to more investment into the sector,she said. Lekan Tobe, Heifer Internationals Country Director, Nigeria, said: Climate change can result in catastrophic losses for smallholder farmers, and we must work hard to close some of these gaps. For example, in Africa, we have seen cases where a whole village is wiped out by floods. This is why we, especially for smallholder farmers, prioritise removing some of these pain points. We can do more if we work together, he said. Solar-Powered Productivity Members of the Dwaniro Dairy Farmers Cooperative Ltd., one of the farming cooperatives Heifer works with in Uganda, told the Kigali conference about the huge impact that renewable energy investments had had on their incomes. Since Heifer came in and supported us with the use of solar components, said Charles Ibona, General Manager of the cooperatives processing plant. This, he said, significantly reduced our diesel costs, giving us more income as the money for diesel has been saved. Kawooya Steven, Production Manager of the cooperatives processing plant, said: Solar as a source of energy is more reliable. Our coolers need a reliable source of energy, so when with solar, we are very sure that our milk will be well preserved compared to using other sources of energy. Also, with solar, our production costs have gone down. Just by establishing a power station run by solar in a community, said William Matovu, Heifer Internationals Country Director, Uganda, we are not just lighting up the area, but also stimulating production and productivity. This is catalysing growth of other small businesses in the area, local schools are similarly affected, smallholder farmers are increasing their incomes and investing in the local economy. It is a game changer because the community has changed. For us, this is what impactful transformation looks like. Collaboration for Transformation During the forum, Heifer said its mechanisation initiative in Rwanda was also launched. In partnership with Hello Tractor and the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture, the organisation said it handed over the first batch of 15 smart tractors to farmer representatives from across the country to boost agricultural productivity. On his part, Jehiel Oliver, Hello Tractor Founder , emphasised the initiatives potential to revolutionise agricultural productivity. These tractors will not only enhance efficiency but also support farmers nationwide, he stated. The groups said the mechanisation initiative combines technology with generations of local farming expertise, ensuring that new tools complement traditional practices and are adapted to local crops and environmental conditions. Sasakawa Intervention In his remarks, Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, who was represented by the states Agriculture Commissioner, Danjuma Mahmoud, explained the collaborative efforts of organisations, particularly the Sasakawa Africa Association, in advancing food security and promoting agricultural transformation in Kano and Nigeria at large. He specifically highlighted the pivotal role of the KSADPan initiative of the state government with funding support from the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihoods Funds. He said the KSADP initiative is driving the states agricultural development agenda while embracing climate-smart practices to ensure sustainability. The Kano State Agro Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) funded by the Islamic Development Bank and Lives and Livelihoods Funds has achieved massive gains, a statement issued by SAAs Communication Officer, Moses Nonegoatse, quoted the governor as saying. He added that the KSADP initiative efforts align with the governments agricultural development agenda and feed into their blueprint to reach smallholder farmers. We are opening new frontiers in agriculture and sustainability, and we are engaging the private sector, the statement said. Speaking during a side event themed Food systems transformation: Emerging insights from mega initiatives, Godwin Atser, SAAs country director, lamented that the poor adoption of innovative technology among farmers has kept agricultural production significantly lower in Nigeria. Sadly, Nigerian farmers are back where Indian farmers were in the early 1970s. Low productivity is a major cause of rural poverty, Mr Atser noted. He explained that there is a need to grow the agricultural sector to have a transformational impact on tackling poverty. While reiterating SAAs commitment towards boosting agricultural productivity across Africa, Mr Atser explained that agriculture contributes 2030 per cent of the Gross Domestic Products of several countries in Africa. So, if we achieve agricultural transformation as a country, 50% of our problems will be gone, he said. The official noted that they are leveraging funding support by the Nippon Foundation, to assist the governments efforts in achieving food, nutrition, and income security for smallholder farmers in Nigeria by promoting climate-smart technologies and the adoption of regenerative, market-oriented and nutrition-sensitive agriculture practices. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Lagos State Government has increased boarding fees for students of its secondary schools otherwise known as model colleges by 185.71 per cent. The new fee, which takes effect immediately, was raised from N35,000 to N100,000 per term. The announcement was made on Friday in a letter signed by the Director of Basic Education Services, Olufemi Asaolu, and addressed to all principals of the state government owned boarding schools in the state. Titled: Review of Boarding Fees in all Public Secondary Schools in Lagos State for 2024/2025 Session, the letter stated that the state government had approved the increase, warning schools against collecting additional fees from students. However, parents who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday expressed shock and disappointment at the sudden increase amid the economic hardship being experienced by Nigerians. They lamented that the new fee is unaffordable, and have called on the state government to reconsider its decision. In 2021, the state government tried to increasethe boarding fees in all its model colleges from N25,000 to N50,000, before it was pegged at N35,000 after parent protested. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later While urging the government to review the decision, another parent, whose child just finished from one of the model colleges said apart from the boarding fees, the model colleges dont charge tuition or any other fee. Reaction A widow and parent of two kids at the Lagos State Junior Model College, Ojo, Favour Ezulu, says the fee hike is shocking and unfair for many parents, especially with the current economic realities. Ms Ezulu said she has already made a payment of N35,000 each for the new term which is starting on Sunday, before the announcement was made. She said: See, I am a BP patient and my husband died three years ago, I am the only one catering for my children. I sew bedding sets and curtains to make ends meet, but now the burden is getting too much on me. I have already paid N70,000 before they announced the increment last night, even if they want to increase, it shouldnt be as much as N100,000. It is too much, we need help. If they can put it at N50,000, I can still manage, there is no way I can afford N200,000 for two kids. Another parent who identified herself simply as Mrs Ojo also expressed frustration with the governments decision citing financial difficulties. The increment is too high and sudden. They didnt even stop at N50,000 or N70,000, they took it as high as N100,000 I have two kids at the Model College in Ojo, which is N200,000 per term, so it is not achievable, she said. On her part, Ijeoma Obidike, another parent, questioned the fee hike despite the economic crisis in the country. I got the news yesterday Friday and I was shocked asking questions like why increase fees for a public school even with the current economy? They should have considered us and wait till after the economy is back to normal, Ms Obidike said. The government did not state the reason(s) for such an increase of the fees in the memo, but only directed that schools implement immediately. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Labour Party (LP) in Anambra State has threatened to boycott the forthcoming 28 September local government elections in the state. The LP spokesperson in Anambra State, Theo Egbe, disclosed this during a press conference in Awka, the state capital, on Saturday. PREMIUM TIMES obtained a text of the conference. ANSIEC published APGA members as LP candidates On 11 September, Genevieve Osakwe, chairperson of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), released the final list of qualified candidates for the local government polls. Mrs Osakwe said that the candidates and political parties for the elections should begin their campaigns, adding that the list of candidates had been published as required by the Electoral Act 2022. However, in the Saturday statement, the LP spokesperson, Mr Egbe, accused ANSIEC of publishing the names of known members of the ruling APGA as LP candidates for the polls. Giving an instance, he said a member of the APGA and current transition chairperson of Orumba North Council Area of the state was on the list of persons published by the commission as LP candidates. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify the claim. The LP chieftain expressed surprise that ANSIEC published the list despite the fact that the party did not sell nomination forms, conduct primary elections, or submit its register or list of candidates to the commission. The Labour Party, Anambra State Chapter views this conduct of ANSIEC and Anambra State Government as a criminal assault on due process and a rape of the electoral laws of the land, as well as unwarranted provocation of the law-abiding members of Labour Party at large, he said. Court actions Mr Egbe, an engineer, said the LP has, in a letter dated 9 September, informed ANSIEC and people of Anambra State of its intention to boycott the exercise. He said the party has also notified authorities of the State Security Service in the state and the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State of the development. The spokesperson added that the LP had served the commission with a pending suit which the party filed against the State House of Assembly challenging the creation of ANSIEC and fixing of the polls. Mr Egbe hinted that the LP has also filed a separate lawsuit against the commission over the development, but did not give details. He maintained that the LP has a total lack of faith, trust and confidence in both ANSIEC and the process adopted for the polls, which the party argued was in violation of the Electoral Act, 2022. In conclusion, the Labour party family of Anambra State pledges to remain law-abiding, even in the face of these glaring absurdities, illegalities and crass provocations, and diligently commit to the legal pursuit of dismantling the sham branded Anambra LGA Council election via the law courts, he stated. Our appeal Mr Egbe said that despite the planned boycott and lawsuits, the LP has appealed to ANSIEC and the Anambra State Government to reschedule the election and prepare the electoral body to conduct it. This, he said, would enable the commission to conduct an election that will be based on the rule of law and due process, in which all political parties and voters alike shall meaningfully and procedurally participate. Anambra State has absolutely nothing to lose by rescheduling this unacceptable and inglorious proposed sham called LGA council election for a lawful and legal one to be conducted in the nearest future. Rather the state has so much to gain for it, the LP spokesperson added. ANSIEC silent Mrs Osakwe, the chairperson of ANSIEC, did not respond to calls on Saturday from a PREMIUM TIMES reporter seeking her comments. She had yet to respond to a text message seeking her comments as of the time of filing this report. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The addresses by world leaders speaking for eight billion human begins, began flowing at the United Nations headquarters in New York, on Tuesday, 10 September. The focus is on peace; how to save humanity from itself. That same day, a debate raged in the host country between its two leading presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Inevitably, they had to address the issue of peace, especially in the Palestine which houses symbolic cities of peace like Bethlehem and Jerusalem. It is a Holy Land where the blood of the innocent waters its fields, mountains and valleys. Harris advocated a ceasefire-for-hostage deal. She condemned the 7 October, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel but added that far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed by Israel. To all Harris talked about peace in the Palestine, Trump, the former Twitter-in-Chief, chirruped: She hates Israel! She hates Israel! She hates Israel! Then, he switched to: She also hates the Arab population! Trumps singsong about Harris hating Israel and the Palestinians while not clearly stating his own position, is not the product of a confused mind. Rather, it portrays Americas duplicitous position; a peace maker who favours one side. Expecting the US to broker peace in the Palestine, is like Waiting for Godot. The League of Nations was moulded from the furnace of the First World War with a primary purpose to end wars and create peace. That failed and, a bloodier World War Two erupted. The creation of the UN 79 years ago was again, to ensure universal peace. However, some of the world leaders now taking their turn to address the UN General Assembly on peace, are the very practitioners of bloody strife in the world. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Actually, calling for peace can be hazardous and can come at high cost. When Canadian legislator, Sarah Jama, advocated a ceasefire in the Israeli war in Gaza, she was accused of anti-Semitism and expelled from her Ontario New Democratic Party caucus. United Kingdom Member of Parliament, Paul Bristow was sacked as aide to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology for calling for a ceasefire in the Palestine. Andy McDonald, Labour MP for Middlesbrough was suspended from the party when he said at a demonstration: We will not rest until we have justice. Until all people, Israelis and Palestinians , between the river and the sea, can live in peace. Jeremy Corbyn, British Labour Party leader for five years from 2015, was expelled for advocating a ceasefire in Gaza. The party termed his campaigns as anti-Semitism. He had to stand as an independent candidate to retain his Islington North seat. He was punished for desiring a British government that would on the world stage search for peace, not war. Sometimes, the cost for even suggesting peace, is capital punishment. Denys Kireyev, a 45-year-old Ukrainian banker on 23 February obtained information that Russia was going to attack Kiev the next day and that the Antonov Airport would be the centre of the attacks. His information was spot on and it enabled his country prepare for the attack. Five days later, he was part of the Ukrainian Negotiating Team that met with Russia in Gomel, Belarus. There, he toed a line for a ceasefire. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian government led by President Volodymyr Zelensky was not interested in peace; it believed that Russia has to be militarily defeated. A week later, Kireyev was invited by the Security Service of Ukraine, SBU, accused of being treasonable at the peace talks and was summarily executed with a shot in the head. The government lied that Kireyev, who had honoured an invitation, was killed while trying to avoid detention. An uncoordinated government then made a second announcement that he had died while on a special mission. Finally Ukraines Defense Ministry announced that Kireyev had died defending Ukraine and Heroes dont die! The point had been made: talk peace and die. This Tuesday, the President of the UN General Assembly, Mr. Dennis Francis reported to the human race that while in the last one year, he visited 31 countries, circumstances frustrated my desire to meet with Israelis and Palestinians on the ground. That admission that he could not visit the epicentre of ongoing conflicts in the world is like an admission that the UN is failing in its primary purpose of ensuring world peace. The Trinidadian diplomat noted with regret: Peace holds the foremost position, not just as a guiding principle but as the very raison detre, the alpha and omega, if you will, of the United Nations This organization was forged in the fires of two cataclysmic wars, with the solemn vow of sparing future generations from the scourge of war. There are no pretences that the major world leaders in Europe and North America do not want peace as evidenced by their insistence that even basic steps towards peace talks will not be taken in the bloody Russo-Ukrainian War. So, the fires of war are being deliberately stoked in many parts of the world. They include the European-North American War burning in Ukraine, the Middle East conflicts that have already sucked in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen and Iran. There are the virtually forgotten wars in Syria, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and, the low intensity combats in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Nigeria and Myanmar. The armed conflicts in Somalia have been on since 1981 with two short periods of lull in the fighting. Direct armed conflicts are not the only danger to world peace. There are issues like unilateral actions taken against countries on the basis that powerful nations do not like their politics. Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has decided to mediate in one of them. In a 3 September letter to US President Joe Biden, he wrote: It has been brought to my attention that Cuba is currently listed by the United States as one of the countries supporting or sponsoring terrorism globally. As my interaction and relationship with the government and people of Cuba is concerned, especially during and after the time of Fidel Castro, I want to appeal with you, President Biden, to reconsider Cubas inclusion on the list of countries supporting terrorism globally. I know and appreciate what contributions Cuba made to (the) final liquidation of colonialism and Apartheid in Africa. Cuba made the US terrorist list for actions like fighting the Apartheid military in Africa and, supporting liberation fighters like Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Ruth First, Joe Slovo and Oliver Thambo. These were people the US and UK classified as terrorists. Today, peace is broken universally, the challenges are picking up its pieces and how the UN can piece them together again. Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A firefighter battles the wildfire, dubbed the Bridge Fire, in Mt. Baldy community area in Los Angeles County, California, the United States on Sept. 11, 2024. Bridge Fire, the largest wildfire in California as of Wednesday, exponentially exploded from 4,000 acres (16.2 square km) early Tuesday to nearly 48,000 acres (194.2 square km) with zero containment. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the blaze, jumping in size over ten times in 24 hours, has expanded from Los Angeles County into neighboring San Bernardino County. (Photo by Qiu Chen/Xinhua) LOS ANGELES, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Bridge Fire, the largest wildfire in California as of Wednesday, exponentially exploded from 4,000 acres (16.2 square km) early Tuesday to nearly 48,000 acres (194.2 square km) with zero containment. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the blaze, jumping in size over ten times in 24 hours, has expanded from Los Angeles County into neighboring San Bernardino County. In an update Wednesday afternoon, officials said about 40 homes and cabins were destroyed in fire. There have been no reports of significant injuries or deaths. Bridge Fire is one of three major fires in southern California, along with Line Fire and Airport Fire, which all sparked amid an intense heatwave that brought triple digit temperatures and dry conditions to the region. Officials said a 34-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday. He was accused of sparking the Line Fire burning in the foothills of the San Bernardino National Forest, east of Los Angeles, which spanned over 34,600 acres (140.1 square km) at 14 percent containment as of Wednesday. Justin Wayne Halstenberg, a Fedex delivery driver, was allegedly started Bridge Fire intentionally on Sept. 5, but local authorities did not disclose how he did it. Meanwhile, Airport Fire, started Monday afternoon in Orange County, now stands at over 22,000 acres (89.1 square km) with zero containment, according to the latest Cal Fire data. The wildfire, dubbed the Bridge Fire, rages in Mt. Baldy community area in Los Angeles County, California, the United States on Sept. 11, 2024.(Photo by Qiu Chen/Xinhua) A firefighter battles the wildfire, dubbed the Bridge Fire, in Mt. Baldy community area in Los Angeles County, California, the United States on Sept. 11, 2024.(Photo by Qiu Chen/Xinhua) A firefighter battles the wildfire, dubbed the Bridge Fire, in Mt. Baldy community area in Los Angeles County, California, the United States on Sept. 11, 2024.(Photo by Qiu Chen/Xinhua) The wildfire, dubbed the Bridge Fire, rages in Mt. Baldy community area in Los Angeles County, California, the United States on Sept. 11, 2024.(Photo by Qiu Chen/Xinhua) Editor: WXY Nigeria has a rich tradition of identifying and supporting people struggling against colonialism. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the 1980s played an important role in popularising the independence struggles for Western Saharans against Moroccan colonialism. NANS condemned Nigerias role in the abortion of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Heads of State Summit in Tripoli on August 5, 1982. The abortion was to, amongst others, stop the admission of WS into the OAU. In December 1982, NANS took the independence of WS at the same level it took the struggle for Namibia, South Africa and Palestine independence by demanding that the POLISARIO Front be recognised as the authentic and sole representative of Western Saharans. NANS equally demanded that government accorded the POLISARIO Front all the necessarily diplomatic entitlements worthy for a sovereign country. It also called on the government to provide political, diplomatic, material and financial support to the Front. General Muhammadu Buharis military regime played an important role in the admission of WS as a member of OAU. Professor Ibrahim Gambari, then Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, played a pivotal role in this respect. Apart from convincing the military to recognise WS as an independent country, he also participated actively in the bilateral and multilateral meetings amongst various Heads of States, which paved the way for OAUs recognition and admission of WS as a member on 11 November 11, 1984 at the 20th Summit of the then OAU. With the extreme political degeneration of NANS, the Society for International Relations Awareness (SIRA) and the Nigerian Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara (NMLWS) amongst other organisations kept the struggle for the independence struggle of WS in Nigeria alive. These organisations successfully frustrated Moroccos bid to join the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Admitting Morocco into ECOWAS would have rationalised Moroccos colonisation, and paved the way for other African countries to politically legitimise its colonisation of WS. Secondly, it would have demoralised the POLISARIO Front and its allies all over the world. Thirdly, it would have reversed the gains of the Saharawi and non-Saharawi peoples for the independence of WS. Fourthly, it would have provided huge markets for Morocco to sell the looted products of WS. On 13 August, Nigerias foremost human rights and democracy activist, Femi Falana, presented a paper on The Legal Implications of Continued Colonialism in the World It was at the International Conference to Eradicate Colonialism in the World, organised by SIRA in Abuja. The paper is quite important as it critically examined the legal struggles for the independence of WS in the General Court of the European Union. There, three cases were brought against the European Union (EU). Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The first, T-279/19, sought to annul the Council Decision 2019/217 of 28 January, 2019 on Agreement between the EU and Morocco. The second case, T-344/19, sought to annual the Council Decision 2019/441 of 4 March, 2019 on the conclusion of the EU-Morocco Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement. The third, T-356/19, sought the annulment of the Council Regulation 2019/440 of 29 November, 2018, allocating the fishing opportunities under the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement. The rulings on these cases assert that the POLISARIO Front is the: legal personality as the internationally recognised representative of the people of Western Sahara. Secondly, that: Western Sahara has a status that is separate and distinct from Morocco and, as such, should be regarded as a third party to any EU-Morocco agreement. Thirdly, that any agreement on any issue relating to WS: necessarily requires the consent of the people of Western Sahara through their representation (and) that the consultations of the local population carried out by the EU institutions did not meet that requisite. In the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPRs), an African, Bernard Mornah, brought a case against the Republics of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote dIvoire, Ghana, Mali, Malawi, Tanzania, and Tunisia. The case was filed on the Applicants behalf by Falana Chambers. The applicant argued that these states abdicated their international obligations by admitting Morocco into the AU without any conditions requesting it to end its occupation and colonisation of WS. That, by so doing, they failed to safeguard the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of SADR. The Court passed a landmark judgement, which stated that: Moroccos occupation of Western Sahara is a violation of the right to self-determination and independence, and that all States have an obligation to assist the people of Western Sahara in their struggle for self-determination. Secondly, that: several other autonomous human rights were violated by Morocco in Western Sahara, including the right to dispose of natural resources. Thirdly, that the continued colonisation of WS by Morocco: is incompatible with the right to self-determination of the people of SADR. Fourthly, that while the eight States did not themselves directly violate the rights of the Saharawi people, they do have an obligation to assist the people of Western Sahara in their struggle for self-determination. Fifthly, that the eight states, and all Member States of the AU: have the responsibility under international law, to find a permanent solution to the occupation and to ensure the enjoyment of the inalienable right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people and not to do anything that would give recognition to such occupation as lawful or impede their enjoyment of this right. Falana, on these basis, submitted that that the ACHPRs: echoes the International Court of Justice and the Court of Justice of the European Union. The combined effect of these rulings is that the occupation of part of the territory of Western Sahara by Morocco cannot be justified under international law. Put differently, that: Morocco is not competent to exploit any of the vast natural resources in Western Sahara as they belong to the Saharawi people. Falana proposed intense legal actions be brought against all African States to: stop the importation of fish, phosphate and other products from Western Sahara without the consent and authority of the POLISARIO Front. Also, that the gas pipeline between Nigeria and Morocco must not be allowed to pass through the territory of Western Sahara without the consent and authority of the Polisario Front. Falana also urged that the fifteen African countries that have established consulates in Western Sahara should be: exposed and challenged with a view to closing down the consulates. Further, that African progressive forces should mount pressure on the African Union to comply with the judgment of the African Court by adopting measures to end the illegal occupation of the territory of Western Sahara by Morocco. Furthermore, Falana called on SADR to make a Declaration to enable Western Saharans to access the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights in line with article 34(6) of the Protocol for the Establishment of the African Court. The Saharawi journey to independence has been a long and torturous one but they will reach their destination and, a country like Nigeria has the duty to assist them to do so, by any means necessary. Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf worked as deputy director, Cabinet Affairs Office, The Presidency, and retired as General Manager (Administration), Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMet). Email: aaramatuyusuf@yahoo.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print When President Tinubu unveiled plans to construct the Lagos Calabar coastal highway, he began arguably one of Africas most gigantic undertakings in decades. Poised to be a transformative piece of infrastructure, the Nigerian government says the strategic road will enhance connectivity and boost economic growth along the coastal states by bolstering trade, tourism, and agriculture by providing a direct and efficient route for transporting goods and people. It will span 700 kilometres, cost a whopping N15 trillion and the timeline given is eight years. For a project so promising, its facing controversies and criticisms over transparency and prioritisation way too early. It may likely run into the same land mines that plagued its predecessors, such as the Lagos Ibadan expressway. With prominent figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar questioning the procurement process and cost estimates, many Nigerians now label the project as potentially wasteful and lacking due process. For some, the project could be Tinubus attempt to outshine an old predecessor from his home zone, the South-West region of the country, on whose watch the Lagos Ibadan expressway was completed decades ago. Although, the Presidency has repeatedly churned out reassurances, mere words are no match for the 45-year long back-and-forth that plagued the Lagos Ibadan expressway project which remains fresh in the Nigerian psyche. Looking Back Commissioned in 1978, the Lagos Ibadan expressway was West Africas first dual-carriageway. The then military government of Olusegun Obasanjo intended to bolster Nigerias transportation infrastructure and facilitate seamless travel between Lagos, the then commercial capital, and Ibadan, one of its largest cities. It symbolised modernisation expected to revolutionise logistics, significantly cutting down the time and cost of moving goods and people between the bustling metropolis of Lagos and the hinterland, thus boosting economic growth. However, the road soon became synonymous with chronic delays, safety hazards, and infrastructural decay. Over the years, it has suffered from poor maintenance, rampant traffic congestion and numerous accidents. Despite several attempts at rehabilitation by multiple administrations, the project has faced persistent setbacks due to corruption, inadequate funding, and mismanagement. In 2013, the Goodluck Jonathan administration took a major step to save the day. It terminated the concession of the expressway, which his predecessor, Umaru YarAdua, granted to the Bi-Courtney consortium in May 2009. As a responsible government, I dont think we can allow Nigerians to continue to suffer. All of us in government feel pained that the country is held to ransom because of a transaction that probably was not consummated properly because of some kind of issues. But we cannot continue like this. We will intervene on that road, Jonathan explained. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later The then Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, clarified that the Federal Government had to terminate the road concession to Bi-Courtney due to the failure of the company to reach financial closure as provided for in the agreement. Thereafter, it engaged the services of Julius Berger Plc and R.C.C Nigeria Limited to commence work immediately on the reconstruction of the expressway. However, that did little to improve the situation. The systemic challenges persisted. For instance, despite the initial allocation of funds, the project frequently encountered budget cuts and delays in fund disbursement. Although N30 billion was allocated to the project, only N11 billion was eventually made available due to cuts by the eighth National Assembly in 2017. There were also logistical hurdles, including land acquisition issues, utility relocations and frequent theft of construction materials. Due to the long lag time, new requirements such as the construction of toll gates and flyovers to accommodate growing traffic and religious institutions along the route sprang up. These necessitated additional funding and extended timelines, too. There were also accusations of poor oversight and coordination. As of early 2024, after expenses of over N311 billion, the project still remains uncompleted. Deja Vu While it may be too early to christen the Lagos Calabar Coastal project as another Lagos Ibadan expressway waiting to happen, however the signs are overwhelmingly clear. The first is citizens buy-in. Though some Nigerians commended the idea of a major road linking the South West and the South South parts of the country, a sizeable number are yet to understand why the government wants to pursue such a massive project when many interstate roads lie in total decay. Perhaps the most controversial issue is procurement. Staunch critics such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have raised concerns about the lack of a competitive bidding process that, he said, contravenes the 2007 Public Procurement Act. The Federal Government contracted Hitech Construction Ltd to execute the project. Hitech is owned by a Nigerian Lebanese business magnate, Gilbert Chagoury, who is President Tinubus personal confidant. Abubakar also drew attention to another startling fact: the presidents son, Seyi Tinubu, sits on the board of CDK Integrated Industries, a subsidiary of Chagoury Group. He argued that such affiliations constitute a conflict of interest. While some do not frown at awarding contracts to deserving political allies who can deliver on the job, concerns lie in disallowing other qualified contractors a fighting chance for the contract of the century. Emanating from that is the challenge of the legitimacy of the projects numbers. Constructing the coastal highway will cost 15 trillion, leaving Nigerians wondering if they got the best deal. The Nigerian government says it has approved 1.06 trillion to construct the first few kilometres covering Eko Atlantic to Lekki Deep Seaport. The Minister of Works Dave Umahi says the concrete-based road will cost 4 billion per kilometre. However, there are doubts about this estimate as the bidding process was not competitive. This reality pits the government against the Nigerian public over a perceived lack of transparency. Another disputed promise on the project is its eight-year completion timeline, which critics say is the governments way of selling a pipe dream to Nigerians. With projects such as the Lagos Ibadan expressway ,which remains under construction more than ten years later still fresh in their collective memory, many citizens do not believe the coastal road can be completed within the stipulated time frame. But its not all gloom and doom yet. Having started on the wrong foot, the government and all stakeholders can take the below certain steps to win back buy-in, repair trust and deliver the project: 1. Transparency One of the significant issues with the Lagos Ibadan expressway was the lack of transparency in the awarding of contracts, which led to delays and suspicions of perceived corruption. For the Lagos Calabar Coastal project, the government has already faced criticism for by-passing a competitive bidding processes, as seen with the direct awarding of the contract to Hitech Construction Ltd., a company linked to associates of President Tinubu. While it may be impractical to return to competitive bidding, the government can be more open with its numbers and progress and ensure timely delivery in every phase of the project to win back trust in the projects integrity. With just under seven and a half more years to go, this approach will minimise the risk of inflated costs and ensure that the project wins the buy-in of contiguous communities along its path. 2. Comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) The Lagos Ibadan expressway faced significant backlash due to the insufficient consideration of environmental and social impacts, leading to widespread discontent among affected communities. Similarly, the Lagos Calabar Coastal project commenced without a comprehensive ESIA, resulting in public outcry and legal challenges over the demolition of residential and commercial edifices. Critics argue that the lack of initial assessments could lead to long-term environmental and social issues, such as the demolition of properties without adequate compensation. It is not too late to conduct a thorough ESIA before proceeding with construction. These assessments help identify potential environmental and social impacts early, allowing for the development of mitigation strategies to address these concerns. Engaging with the myriads of soon-to-be affected communities and stakeholders transparently ensures their voices are heard and their rights are protected. 3. Realistic Timelines and Cost Projections The Lagos Ibadan expressways prolonged construction timeline and escalating costs have been a significant source of frustration. The initial timelines were overly optimistic, failing to account for potential delays and financial uncertainties. The Lagos Calabar Coastal project is similarly ambitious, with an eight-year completion goal and significant financial projections that critics argue are unrealistic given the projects scope and todays economic environment. President Tinubu must readjust his expectations and those of Nigerians by setting realistic timelines and cost estimates. Transparent communication by the Nigerian government about projected costs and timelines, along with periodic updates, can help manage public expectations and promote accountability. Conclusion As the Nigerian government pushes forward with the coastal highway, ensuring transparency, stakeholder engagement, and efficient management will be crucial to avoid repeating previous mistakes and genuinely uplift Nigerias infrastructure landscape. Some ways to do this is through early, inclusive stakeholder involvement, open accountability through periodic assessment, prioritising only plans that are in line with the projects strategy. Tunde Ajia is an infrastructure advisory and project strategy consultant. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Dauda Lawal has reassured the Nigerian Army of his governments commitment to supporting the troops in Zamfara State. The governor pledged the support when he hosted the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Christopher Gwabin Musa, a General of the Nigerian Armed Forces, on Friday at the old council chamber of the government house in Gusau. A statement by the governors spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, revealed that the Chief of Defence Staff announced the new code name for the joint task force: Operation Fansan Yamma, into which all other operations in the Northwest have been collapsed. The statement added that Operation Fansan Yamma North-West is a code name with a strong message of hope, signifying that the troops are always prepared to crush banditry in the zone. In his remark, Governor Lawal commended the CDS for showing commitment to tackling insecurity in the country. He stated: General, your presence in Zamfara today has significantly transformed the perception of the army. You have greatly boosted our morale, and the people are now filled with hope. This visit is something we would never take for granted. My government is fully committed to cooperating with the army and other security agencies in Zamfara State. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later With your comment, I am optimistic that peace will return to Zamfara. You went to school here, and you witnessed its peaceful nature in the past. Gusau used to be the second largest commercial centre in the North after Kano State. I appreciate your willingness to work with the states Community Protection Guards (CPG). Please note that all CPG guards were carefully selected and underwent rigorous profiling by the DSS and other related agencies. We are fully supportive of the armys efforts in the fight against banditry. The guards have been deployed to their local areas, where they are familiar with the terrain. We have complete confidence in the armys dedication and believe they will continue to intensify their efforts. I would like to use this opportunity to express my condolences for the loss of the brave officers who tragically lost their lives along the Gusau to Funtua road. May their souls rest in peace. I want to reassure you that my government stands with you, and we will continue to work closely with the army and other security agencies to put an end to banditry, Governor Lawal added. Earlier, Mr Musa, the CDS, had expressed his gratitude to Governor Lawal for his support of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies in the state. We are here to express our appreciation for your commitment to the Armed Forces and security agencies as well as your valuable contributions to Zamfara state. I used to boast that I knew Gusau quite well, but honestly, now that I am here, I am confused. Its remarkable to see how much development has taken place in just one year under your leadership. I want to say thank you for improving the lives of the people. This is the benefit of democracy. We have witnessed a lot of developments and ongoing constructions in the state since you took over. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Six communities in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, have accused Sanusi Daggash, a former senator from Borno State, of grabbing their land. Mr Daggash represented the Borno North District in the Senate between 1999 and 2007 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Former President Musa YarAdua later appointed him as minister of national planning after he lost his bid to return to the upper chamber for the third time. As a senator, he served in various committees like population commission and national identity card, FCT, capital market, loans and debts, among others. The communities alleged that Mr Daggash connived with traditional rulers in Gassol to grab over 5,000 hectares of land without paying the ancestral owners any compensation. Allegation The residents on Monday staged a protest in Gassol over their claims. Their spokesperson, Hudu Kashimu, at a press conference on Thursday said Mr Daggash claimed to have obtained a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) for their land without their consent. On Monday, the protesters, from Kwatan Taru, Natride, Dinyawo, Wurbo, Kiyari and Sendride, held placards with different inscriptions and vowed to resist the land grab. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Controversies Mr Kashimu said the land belongs to peasant farmers who, with their forefathers, have used the land for over 100 years. He said a former minister of agriculture and water resources, the late Bukar Shuaibu, during a visit to the Upper Benue River Basin site in Gassol in 1984, begged the late Emir of Muri, Umaru Tukur, for a portion of land for his personal use. Tukur graciously directed the then district head of Gassol to allocate a parcel of land to Shuaibu. Acting on the directive of the emir, the then district head of Gassol further directed the village head of Sendride to allocate a parcel of land near the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority to Shuaibu, which covered only 200 hectares. We were also told that after Shuaibus death, his family sold the land to one Sanusi Daggash, and all this were done without the consent of the original owners of the land We were equally told that the said land became a subject of controversy and litigation between the Taraba State government, some elders of Gassol community and Daggash over ownership and the number of hectares of the said land, until 2023 when former Governor Darius Ishaku ordered the revocation of the controversial land. After the revocation of the land, Daggash and his wife met with Ishaku and pleaded for a portion of the land to be given to him for his personal farming business. We were also informed that during the meeting, Ishaku directed the state surveyor-general to allocate only 200 hectares of land to the senator. Surprisingly to us, after Ishaku left office, Daggash went to court to challenge the initial revocation by Ishaku, claiming over 5,000 hectares of our land. We the original owners of the land from the aforementioned villages and communities hereby, reject in total the seizure of our land by Daggash or his agents We are therefore calling on the state governor, Agbu Kefas, to stop Daggash or his agents from encroaching on our land, Mr Kashimu said. Also speaking Idris Adamu, a community leader, accused the traditional ruler (Lamido) of Gassol, Idi Chiroma, of using his position to take over land in his chiefdom. Chiroma reacts Reacting, the Secretary of the Gassol traditional council, Inusa Gassol, who spoke on behalf of Mr Chiroma, called on the aggrieved communities to remain calm and desist from acts capable of creating tension in the chiefdom. Mr Gassol said the leadership of the community was surprised to hear the allegation against an innocent chief who was not part of the said land allocation. The state government and the Gassol traditional council are fully in the picture of the land matter involving Sanusi Daggash and some indigenes of Gassol, which is currently before the court of law. As a traditional father, I appeal to the protesters to remain calm and be law abiding, as there are rooms for dialogue that could lead to the amicable resolution of the land matter As a father of all, I have not taken side in the matter but will rather be fair to all parties in the interest of peace, he said. Repeated calls to Mr Daggashs two known phone numbers did not connect as of Friday. He also did not respond to text messages sent to his phone requesting his reaction. However, one of his friends who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, the senator will not speak on the matter since it is before the court. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has distributed relief materials to communities that were affected by flooding and insurgency in Yobe recently. The State Coordinator of the Commission, Ali Abbas, made this known during the handover of the items to benefiting communities in Damaturu on Saturday. He said the gesture was on behalf of NEDC Managing Director, Mohammed Alkali, who is working closely with Governor Mai Mala Buni on humanitarian and development interventions in Yobe. You may recall that recently, we experienced flooding, as well as insurgent attacks in Mafa community in Tarmuwa Local Government. The MD and his team visited these sites last week to inspect the situation and communicate with the affected people, Mr Abbas said. He added that the MD instructed the commission to distribute food and non-food items to the affected communities to fill the gaps in the governments efforts. Mr Abbas listed the donated items to include two hundred 25kg bags of rice, two hundred cartons each of macaroni and spaghetti, and two hundred pieces of blankets. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Others were two hundred pieces of nylon mats, two hundred pieces of shadda for men, two hundred pieces of womens wrappers, and two hundred pieces of childrens wear. According to him, the flood-affected communities included Jumbam, Wagir, Nangere, Nguru, Kaligari, and Mafa, a community recently attacked by insurgents. A representative of the Tarmuwa Local Government people, Mala Musty, expressed appreciation for the gesture. He appealed for more support from other sympathisers within and outside the state, saying the devastation was significant and the people were in desperate need. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has attributed the rising cost of housing accommodation in FCT to market forces. Mr Wike stated this in Abuja on Saturday when he visited Zeberced Limited Quarry, Kubwa-Abuja on Saturday, to see what the company was doing. While responding to journalists questions about what the FCT Administration was doing to address the high rent for accommodation in Abuja, the minister noted that everything has increased in cost. According to him, no government legislates on rents for houses, but market forces. Mr Wike said, You are aware that everything has actually increased. The man who built the houses didnt build that he will not make profit at the end of the day. I dont agree with people always complaining about rent increases. There are increases in everything today. So, rent should not be singled out. You want us to make a law and say that a 2-bedroom flat should not be more than N50,000 or N100,000 for example. I dont think that will encourage investors. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later We are not running a socialist or communist system; we are running a capitalist economy, and these are determined by market forces. The minister however added that the government could come in with some regulations, saying, but cannot totally take over the housing processes. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has urged the federal government to take action against the flooding menace in the country by building dams and dredging rivers. He made this call during a meeting on Friday in Yenagoa, the state capital, with first-class traditional rulers in Bayelsa. Mr Diri stated that the major river channels had become shallow and required dredging to increase their water-carrying capacity. He emphasised that the federal government must go beyond issuing warnings about impending floods and take concrete measures, such as dredging rivers and building dams, to mitigate the impact of flooding in Nigeria. The governors remarks followed an appeal by Bubaraye Dakolo, chairperson of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council and Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom. A devastating flood on Tuesday killed 37 and displaced over 414,000 people in Maiduguri, Borno State. In Abuja, two people were killed as a flood devastated homes and infrastructure in a community in the FCT. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Weve experienced flooding every year for the past six years, but this is by far the worst, the Chairperson of the Agwan Hakimi Landlord Association, Funmilayo Patrick, said of the flood disaster in the community. We are used to it, but losing lives has left us shaken. Homes have been submerged, destroyed, and were terrified of what the next rainfall might bring. Diri lifts suspension on traditional ruler During the meeting with the traditional rulers, Governor Diri announced the lifting of the suspension on Azibakayam Wongo, the paramount ruler of Otuokpoti community in Ogbia Local Government Area. He highlighted the importance of collaboration between the traditional institution and the state and local governments in maintaining peace. The governor expressed appreciation for the traditional rulers support and assured them that his administration is open to their counsel. He urged them to maintain the integrity of the traditional institution. Mr Dakolo, the chairperson of the traditional rulers council, explained that the visit was to congratulate the governor on his Supreme Court victory, which he said reflected the wishes of the people of Bayelsa. He also commended the governor for working closely with traditional rulers and expressed their readiness to continue collaborating with the government on the development of Bayelsa. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Minister in charge of Nigerias Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that he has a family relationship with the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Edo State, Anugbum Onuoha. There had been speculations that Mr Onuoha was Mr Wikes associate. But speaking on a Channels TV programme, Politics Today, on Friday night, Mr Wike said the Edo INEC REC is his cousin who, however, has the wherewithal to act independently, unencumbered by family relationships or political interests. He described Mr Onuoha as a personality whose decisions on duty cannot be influenced by anyone. He said the REC would do what is right in his handling of the Edo governorship election no matter the preferences of anyone else. Mr Wike also said he told Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State that he would not support Asue Ighodalo, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next Saturdays election in the state. I told him (Governor Obaseki) I am not going to support Ighodalo, Mr Wike stated on Friday in an interview on Channels television. The minister said Governor Obaseki brought the PDP candidate to his house in Abuja two times and asked for his support, which he declined. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later While serving as governor of Rivers State, Mr Wike was the chairperson of Mr Obasekis re-election campaign in Edo State in 2020. The former Rivers governor recalled how a former inspector general of police ordered him to leave Edo State, where he was campaigning for Mr Obasekis second term, but he refused. After winning the election, Mr Obaseki fell apart with Mr Wike. Mr Obaseki told Mr Wike then that the PDP was not his personal property and that In Edo, we dont accept political bullies and overlords. Asked why he turned down Mr Obasekis request to support the PDP candidate, Mr Wike said, The one I supported never helped me; rather, I was insulted. This suggests that he turned down Mr Obasekis request based on his 2020 experience. INEC REC The chairperson of the PDP in Edo State, Anthony Aziegbemi, on Thursday, demanded the redeployment of the INEC REC in the state, Mr Onuoha, alleging that the REC is Mr Wikes associate. Mr Wike acknowledged that the REC is his cousin, but said that even the chairperson of INEC cannot influence the decision of the REC. He reminded the Edo PDP chairperson that he (Mr Wike) played a role in his becoming the partys chairperson. When his governor came to meet me to support Mr Ighodalo, was he there? They didnt know that the REC was my cousin? When Mr Obaseki brought Mr Ighodalo to my house two times to support him, they didnt know that the REC was my cousin? It is just today that they just knew that he is my cousin? He was posted more than one year ago. Mr Wike said after supporting Mr Obaseki in 2020, he (Wike) became a stupid man and added that he does not like ingrate in life. He said he would also not support the APC candidate for the Edo governorship election because he (Wike) is not a member of the APC. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Labour Party (LP) in Anambra East Local Government Area has threatened to boycott the 28 September local elections in the area. The Chairperson of the LP in the council area, Chidi Chinwuba, and the party secretary, Onyeka Aghadiuno, disclosed this in a statement issued in Awka on Friday. The statement urged the public to disregard any list published by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) that included any LP candidate in the council area. According to the statement, the list did not originate from the party. It explained that the LP neither conducted any primaries to nominate candidates nor submitted any names to ANSIEC. Therefore, the party chieftains asked the commission to delist any flagbearer purportedly on the LPs platform for the polls in the area. They further threatened legal action against the commission should it publish the names of any LP candidates in the area for the exercise. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later LP Anambra East Chapter wishes to disassociate itself from the 28 September Local Government elections in the state. The party, through its rightful leadership, has issued a statement that we, as a party, are not participating in the election. The general public is hereby urged to disregard the list published by ANSIEC as the names attached to the LP in Anambra East did not originate from the party, they stated. They further warned that anyone dealing with these individuals does so at their own risk, adding that the party in the area would not be held liable for any negative occurrences. They alleged that ANSIECs inclusion of the partys candidates for the polls suggests a desperation to involve parties in an already compromised election. Those responsible for this are mischief makers seeking to deceive the innocent and law-abiding citizens of Anambra East Local Government Area and Anambra State, the statement added. It further disclosed that the partys state chapter was already in court, challenging the election process, and hence, would not participate in the exercise. On 11 September, ANSIEC Chairperson Genevieve Osakwe released the final list of qualified candidates for the council polls. Mrs Osakwe said that the candidates and political parties for the elections should begin their campaigns, adding that the list of candidates had been published as required by the Electoral Act. She urged the public to visit ANSIEC headquarters or the Local Government Areas to verify the names of the candidates contesting for various positions. She assured the electorate that the election would be free, fair and credible. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nkomoro Onuogba Nike community, Enugu East Local Government Area, Enugu State, has appealed to former minister of power, Barth Nnaji, to stop demolishing their ancestral homes and farmland. They made the appeal during a news conference on Friday in Enugu, alleging that the former minister had forcefully taken over their ancestral land. The community members carried placards with inscriptions such as Barth Nnaji has rendered our people homeless, Gov. Peter Mbah, please save us; and Barth Nnaji leave our land alone. The Nkorom Onuogba community, which migrated from Ezza in Ebonyi State, appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to prevent them from becoming homeless. The communitys claim Speaking through a representative, Stephen Itumo, the community claimed it had lived in the area for decades and regretted that Mr Nnaji emerged from nowhere to demolish their homes. According to Mr Itumo, former minister of power, stormed the community with armed security personnel numbering over 100 and eight bulldozers pulling down their houses and leveling their farmlands. He said the community had a land dispute with the Onuogba community, which then sold the land to Titus Alinta. Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later Mr Itumo said the matter was pending in courts and wondered why Mr Nnaji was the one demolishing their property. We woke up Monday morning to find hundreds of police men and bulldozers in our community, pulling down our houses. This land belongs to us. We will not let anyone take it away from us. When they came to execute the order in 2013, they demolished 264 buildings and raped our women, Mr Itumo alleged. Mr Itumo narrated how they migrated to Enugu State. Nkwubor people, a neighbouring community, had a land dispute with Onuogba Nike around 1958 that made Onuogba Nike people approach my people in Ebonyi State who were warriors to help them defeat Nkwubor people. We came, fought the war, and defeated their enemies, which made them settle our forefathers with this land after a written agreement and oath-taking. Counsel to the community, Jessie-Daniels Onuigbo, said the dispute dated back to 1974 when the Onuogba Nike community, neighbours to the Nkomoro, filed a suit in court claiming ownership of the land. The court gave judgment in favour of the Onuogba Nike community, but the Nkomoro community appealed. The Court of Appeal upheld the judgment, but the Nkomoro community was not satisfied and appealed to the Supreme Court. According to Ms Onuigbo, the appeal is still pending at the Supreme Court, but Mr Nnaji, who allegedly bought the disputed land from Mr Alinta, has been trying to take possession of the land by force. We were not represented in court when Prof. Nnaji got a judgment to demolish the homes. We have filed an appeal against the judgment, and we are waiting for the court to decide on the matter, Ms Onuigbo explained. Counter-claim from Nnaji Reacting, Mr Nnaji, said he had been the owner of the land for over 20 years as he bought the land from Mr Alinta in 2000. Mr Nnaji who spoke through his surveyor, Okwuchukwu Nnaji, said Mr Alinta purchased the land from Onuogba community in 1977 and got Certificate of Occupancy in 1987 before transferring the ownership to Mr Nnaji in 2000. He said Alinta went to court with Nkomoro Onuogba community, adding that when he died, his children continued with the matter until 2013 when judgment was given at the Enugu State High. He said the execution order took effect immediately. READ ALSO: Enugu govt explains how much private schools should pay as taxes It was in the process of executing that order that Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Bishop Onaga intervened. But, the settlement did not work out. Hence, the recent demolition was in continuation of that execution order. They have no evidence of stay of execution order and the land in dispute is approximately 103 hectares. I have letter of authority from Mr Nnaji to parcellate the land, he told the News Agency of Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Adela's tissue-agnostic MRD test has been clinically validated to predict and surveil for recurrence in patients with head & neck cancer, regardless of HPV status The test identified recurrences in head & neck cancer up to 14.9 months before standard of care clinical exam and imaging FOSTER CITY, Calif., Sept. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Adela, Inc., an innovator in blood testing for molecular residual disease (MRD) monitoring and early cancer detection through a proprietary genome-wide methylome enrichment technology, has successfully completed clinical validation of its MRD test to predict and surveil for recurrence in head & neck cancer. Results have been published in Annals of Oncology1 and are being presented during an Oral Presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024. "Blood-based MRD testing has the potential to transform recurrence monitoring for patients with head & neck cancer. Currently, the majority of recurrences are not detected until symptoms or physical findings are reported by the patient2. By identifying signals of disease prior to clinical presentation or routine imaging with MRD testing, recurrences can be treated earlier and more effectively," said Geoffrey Liu, MSc, MD, Medical Oncologist and Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network (UHN). "The clinical validation results from Adela's MRD test demonstrate that the test identified recurrences up to 14.9 months earlier than standard of care clinical exam and imaging." The ability of Adela's test to quantify cfDNA cancer signal and predict and surveil for recurrence was evaluated in individuals diagnosed with stage I-IVB human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive oropharyngeal and HPV-negative head and neck cancer treated at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network. This comprehensive patient cohort, based on rigorous data collection, provided a strong foundation for evaluating the test's performance. The full study cohort included >1,100 plasma samples collected from >300 patients. 484 plasma samples from 149 patients were included in the validation analysis. In the study, blood draws occurred before and after curative intent treatment, and in a subset of patients, at mean 12 and 24 months post-curative intent treatment. In the validation analysis, Adela's MRD test demonstrated the ability to identify recurrences up to 14.9 months before standard of care clinical exam and imaging, with a mean lead time of 4.1 months. Sensitivity for recurrence in the surveillance setting was 91% at 88% specificity. Significant differences in recurrence-free survival (RFS) were observed when patients were stratified by MRD positivity (HR of 35.7 (P<0.001)). MRD status showed significant association with RFS in both HPV-positive and HPV-negative disease. "We are highly encouraged by the validation results of Adela's MRD test, demonstrating strong test performance without the added complexity of obtaining a patient's tumor tissue sample or building an individualized panel," said Dr. Anne-Renee Hartman, Chief Medical Officer of Adela. "For patients with head and neck cancer, in particular, tumor tissue samples are often not available. A blood-only, tissue-agnostic offering such as Adela's is the only way to make MRD testing universally accessible to those who will benefit." "These strong validation results exemplify the ability of Adela's genome-wide methylome enrichment platform to maximize detection of cancer signal in the blood by efficiently capturing and preserving the information-rich methylated regions of the genome. This single liquid biopsy platform can be applied across cancer types, and we look forward to replicating these promising results in additional cancer types in the near future," said Dr. Daniel De Carvalho, Chief Scientific Officer of Adela and Senior Scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network. A Research Use Only (RUO) version of Adela's MRD test is currently available to biopharmaceutical companies and other investigators for use in biomarker discovery and drug development. Adela plans to commercialize the test in 2025 for use in patients who have received curative intent treatment for head & neck cancer, regardless of HPV status, to detect recurrence earlier and help guide treatment decision-making. Presentation Details Presentation Number 64O - Clinical validation of a tissue-agnostic genome-wide methylome enrichment MRD assay for head and neck cancers Shao Hui Huang, MD, MSc, MRT(T) 3 Saturday September 14, 2024 15:35 PM CEST Salamanca Auditorium, Hall 5 About Adela Adela is developing best-in-class technology to accelerate the diagnosis and improve the management of cancer through blood tests for minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring and multi-cancer early detection (MCED). Adela's genome-wide methylome enrichment platform, which utilizes the company's patented cfMeDIP-seq platform, efficiently captures extensive, biologically-relevant genomic information to maximize test performance and improve treatment decisions. The company's platform specifically isolates the information-rich (methylated) regions of the genome through a high-affinity enrichment process, enabling it to capture and preserve more genomic material for sequencing compared to other platforms that use enzymatic or chemical treatment (bisulfite conversion). This comprehensive view of the methylome significantly increases the opportunities for Adela's products to detect cancer signals in the blood compared to approaches that target a smaller set of genomic regions. It also enables enhanced prognostic and predictive abilities, as well as dynamic monitoring in patients over time. Adela's approach to MRD testing is tissue agnostic, eliminating the burden of acquiring a tumor sample. Adela's investors are F-Prime Capital, OrbiMed, Deerfield Management, Decheng Capital, RA Capital Management, and Labcorp. Find more information at adelabio.com. About UHN UHN is Canada's No. 1 hospital and the world's No. 1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 20,000 members of TeamUHN, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education at UHN and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. 1 Liu G et al., Clinical validation of a tissue-agnostic genome-wide methylome enrichment MRD assay for head and neck malignancies. Annals of Oncology. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2024.08.2348 2 Agrawal A et al., Role of the physician versus the patient in the detection of recurrent disease following treatment for head and neck cancer. Laryngoscope. 2004 Feb;114(2):232-5. doi: 10.1097/00005537-200402000-00011. 3 Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada SOURCE Adela BRONX, N.Y., Sept. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A court authorized this Notice. This is not a Solicitation from a lawyer. An $8.85 million settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit filed against Conopco, Inc., and Unilever United States, Inc. (together, "Defendants"). The Settlement provides cash payments to eligible Settlement Class Members. What is this lawsuit about? Plaintiffs filed this lawsuit against the Defendants alleging the Defendants' labeling of Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream gave consumers the impression the ice cream contained vanilla flavor derived only from the vanilla plant and not from non-vanilla plant sources, and allege that it contained non-vanilla plant vanilla flavors. The Defendants dispute all of these allegations and deny any wrongdoing. The Court has not decided who is right. Who is included in the Settlement? You may be included in the Settlement if you purchased the Product (Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream) in any size in the United States from April 21, 2016 through August 14, 2024. A complete list of the Products can be found at www.VanillaIceCreamSettlement.com. What are the Settlement Benefits? As a result of the Settlement, the Defendants have agreed to create a Settlement Fund of $8,850,000. Cash payments from the Settlement Fund will be paid to each Settlement Class Member who submits a valid and timely Claim Form. Monetary Benefits : Settlement Class Members who submit a valid and timely Claim Form by February 19, 2025 are eligible for a cash payment. Valid Claims with Proof of Purchase will receive $1.00 for each Product, with no Product number limit. Valid Claims without Proof of Purchase will receive $1.00 for each Product, up to a maximum of 8 Products. If you are a Settlement Class Member and submit a Valid Claim for Products with both Proof of Purchase and without Proof of Purchase, the cash payment benefits will be combined. Each Household is limited to and may only submit one single Claim Form. Settlement Class Members who submit a valid and timely Claim Form by are eligible for a cash payment. will receive for each Product, with no Product number limit. will receive for each Product, If you are a Settlement Class Member and submit a Valid Claim for Products with both Proof of Purchase without Proof of Purchase, the cash payment benefits will be combined. Injunctive (Non-Monetary) Benefit : Within 12 months of the Settlement becoming final, the Defendants will be required to develop a new Product formula that does not include vanilla derived from non-vanilla plant sources. How can I get a payment? If you believe you are a Settlement Class Member and want to obtain a cash payment from the Settlement, you will need to complete and return a valid and timely Claim Form. The Claim Forms, and information on how to submit them, are available on the Settlement website at www.VanillaIceCreamSettlement.com. Claim Forms must be postmarked (if mailed) or received (if submitted online) on or before February 19, 2025. What are your options? If you want to keep the right to sue or continue to sue the Released Parties for the legal claims in this lawsuit, and you do not want to receive a cash payment from this Settlement, you must take steps to exclude yourself from the Settlement. To request to be excluded from the Settlement, you must fill out the Exclusion Form found on the Settlement Website at www.VanillaIceCreamSettlement.com or you can mail/email a written request for exclusion by October 31, 2024 to the Claims Administrator. If you choose to exclude yourself from the Settlement, you will not be bound by the Settlement or any judgment in this lawsuit. Information on how to mail/email your exclusion request can be found on the Settlement Website or by calling 1-888-603-5137. If you are a Settlement Class Member, and have not excluded yourself from the Settlement, you can object to the Settlement if you don't like any part of it. The deadline to object is October 31, 2024. What happens next? The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing on November 21, 2024, to consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate. If there are objections, the Court will consider them. You may attend the Final Approval Hearing, but you are not required to do so. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend and speak at the hearing, but that is not necessary. The Court may change these deadlines or the hearing date (and time). Check the website below for updates. Please do not call the Court or the Clerk of the Court for information about the Settlement. For more information, call 1-888-603-5137 or visit www.VanillaIceCreamSettlement.com. URL: www.VanillaIceCreamSettlement.com SOURCE Supreme Court of the State of New York, Brox County NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TO: RECORD AND BENEFICIAL HOLDERS OF JERNIGAN CAPITAL, INC. ("JERNIGAN CAPITAL") COMMON STOCK FROM AUGUST 3, 2020, THROUGH AND INCLUDING NOVEMBER 6, 2020, THE DATE OF THE CONSUMMATION OF JERNIGAN CAPITAL'S MERGER WITH NEXTPOINT ADVISORS, L.P. (THE "MERGER"), INCLUDING ANY AND ALL OF THEIR RESPECTIVE SUCCESSORS-IN-INTEREST, SUCCESSORS, PREDECESSORS-IN-INTEREST, PREDECESSORS, REPRESENTATIVES, TRUSTEES, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, ESTATES, HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND TRANSFEREES, IMMEDIATE AND REMOTE, AND ANY PERSON OR ENTITY ACTING FOR OR ON BEHALF OF, OR CLAIMING UNDER, ANY OF THEM, AND EACH OF THEM, TOGETHER WITH THEIR PREDECESSORS-IN-INTEREST, PREDECESSORS, SUCCESSORS-IN-INTEREST, SUCCESSORS, AND ASSIGNS (THE "CLASS"). THE PARTIES TO A SHAREHOLDER CLASS ACTION SUIT CONCERNING THE MERGER HAVE AGREED TO A PROPOSED SETTLEMENT. YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION AS A RESULT OF THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT IN THE BELOW CAPTIONED: IN RE JERNIGAN CAPITAL, INC., SHAREHOLDER LITIGATION, Lead Case No. CH-20-1472-II YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to an Order of the Court, that the above-captioned action has been provisionally certified as a class action and that a settlement for $3,925,000.00 has been proposed (the "Settlement"). Under the Settlement, the settlement amount, minus any Court-approved attorneys' fees not to exceed one third of the Settlement Fund, and incentive awards of $5,000.00 for each Plaintiff, expenses not to exceed $100,000.00, will be distributed on a per share basis to Class members who owned shares of Jernigan Capital common stock from August 3, 2020, through and including November 6, 2020, the date of the consummation of the Merger. A hearing will be held before Chancellor James R. Newsom III, at the Chancery Court for the State of Tennessee for the Thirteenth Judicial District in Memphis, Shelby County Courthouse, via Zoom at: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/16020156999?pwd=aitzNDBDOWFLb08xWHRsZDA4RkN0dz0 (Meeting ID: 160 2015 6999 / Passcode: Bike), at 10:30 AM Central Time on December 13, 2024, to determine whether the Settlement should be approved by the court as fair, reasonable, and adequate, and to consider the application of Co-Lead Counsel for attorneys' fees and reimbursement of expenses and incentive awards for the named Plaintiffs (the "Settlement Hearing"). IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED ABOVE, YOUR RIGHTS WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS SETTLEMENT. IF THE COURT APPROVES THE SETTLEMENT, YOU WILL BE FOREVER BARRED FROM PURSUING THE RELEASED CLAIMS. You may obtain copies of the Stipulation of the Agreement of Settlement, Compromise, and Release, a detailed Notice of Pendency of Class Action, Proposed Settlement, Settlement Hearing, and Right to Appear (the "Notice"), and instructions concerning your right to appear and object to the Settlement or award of attorneys' fees by visiting https://www.rg2claims.com/jernigan.html or contacting Co-Lead Counsel: MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC Juan E. Monteverde The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4740 New York, NY 10118 Tel: (212) 971-1341 Fax: (212) 202-7880 KAHN SWICK & FOTI, LLC Michael J. Palestina 1100 Poydras St., Suite 960 New Orleans, LA 70163 Tel: (504) 648-1843 Fax: (866) 467-1400 As described more fully in the Notice, you need not file a written objection in order to object and may appear at the Settlement Hearing personally to make an oral objection. In the event there is a written objection it shall be filed with the Court and served upon Co-Lead Counsel above such that they are received no later than twenty-one (21) calendar days prior to the Settlement Hearing, or no later than November 22, 2024. If you want to be excluded from the Class and Settlement, you must make a request in writing no later than twenty-one (21) calendar days prior to the Settlement Hearing, or no later than November 22, 2024. Further information may be obtained by contacting the Co-Lead Counsel listed above. PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE COURT. By Order of The Court SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC SAN DIEGO, Sept. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As homeowners in San Diego, we're fortunate to live in one of the most desirable locations in the country. With our perfect weather and stunning landscapes, it's no wonder many of us are looking to make the most of our living spaces. Whether you're considering a remodel to create additional living space for your growing family or planning to add square footage as an investment, this guide will help you navigate the process and make informed decisions. The San Diego Advantage San Diego's real estate market continues to be robust, making home improvements a smart investment. Not only can you enhance your quality of life, but you can also significantly increase your property's value. With the city's strict zoning laws and the scarcity of new developable land, improving your existing home is often the most practical and cost-effective way to get the space you need. Design-Build vs. Owner-Build: What's the Difference? When embarking on a remodeling project, one of the first decisions you'll face is whether to go with a design-build firm or manage the project yourself. Let's break down the pros and cons: Design-Build Advantages: Streamlined process with a single point of contact Cohesive team working together from start to finish Typically faster completion times Better budget control and fewer surprises Expertise in navigating San Diego's unique building codes and regulations Owner-Build Considerations: Potentially lower costs if you have construction experience, and don't make mistakes. More direct control over every aspect of the project Requires significant time commitment and project management skills Likely longer timelines due to resources and unexpected challenges. Increased responsibility for ensuring code compliance, and payments for mistakes made in-field. Limited or no warranty or support. For most San Diego homeowners, partnering with a reputable design-build firm offers the smoothest path to achieving their remodeling goals. These firms bring a wealth of local knowledge and experience, ensuring your project not only meets your needs but also complies with all local regulations. Spotlight on Excellence: Murray Lampert Design, Build, Remodel When it comes to design-build firms in San Diego, one name stands out for its longevity, expertise, and commitment to customer satisfaction: Murray Lampert Design, Build, Remodel. With nearly five decades of experience serving the San Diego community, Murray Lampert has established itself as the premier choice for homeowners looking to transform their living spaces. What sets Murray Lampert apart? Family-Owned and Operated: As a family business, Murray Lampert understands the importance of home. Their slogan, "Our Family, Your Home," reflects their personal commitment to each project. Comprehensive Design Development: Unlike some competitors who may rush through the planning phase or provide less un-front value. Murray Lampert places a strong emphasis on thorough design development. This attention to detail often results in smoother projects and fewer costly changes down the line. Local Expertise: With 49 years of accredited experience in San Diego , Murray Lampert has an unparalleled understanding of local building codes, permit processes, and architectural styles that are indicative to San Diego's costal lifestyle, and historical preservation. BBB Affiliation: As an affiliate of the Better Business Bureau, Murray Lampert demonstrates its commitment to ethical business practices and customer satisfaction. Transparent Pricing: Murray Lampert's comprehensive approach ensures that homeowners understand the full scope and cost of their project from the start, avoiding unexpected expenses. Some firms may seem less expensive initially. The Murray Lampert Difference Choosing Murray Lampert means partnering with a team that treats your home as if it were their own. Their design-build process is tailored to San Diego's unique environment and lifestyle, ensuring that your remodel not only adds value but also enhances your enjoyment of our beautiful city. From coastal cottages in La Jolla to mid-century modern homes in Point Loma, Murray Lampert has the expertise to handle a wide range of projects. Whether you're looking to add a second story, create an open-concept living area, or build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), their team will guide you through every step of the process. https://youtu.be/fib7-SOSOYM Making the Most of Your Remodel Regardless of which firm you choose, here are some tips to make the most of your San Diego home remodel: Consider Indoor-Outdoor Living: San Diego's climate is perfect for blending interior and exterior spaces. Think about adding sliding glass doors, patios, or rooftop decks to maximize your living area. Prioritize Energy Efficiency: With California's focus on sustainability, incorporating energy-efficient features can not only reduce your bills but also increase your home's value. Plan For the Future: If you're adding square footage, consider how your needs might change over time. Flexible spaces that can be adapted to different uses are always a smart investment. Don't Forget the Details: In San Diego's competitive real estate market, small touches like high-quality finishes and smart home technology can make a big difference. Respect Your Neighborhood: While personalizing your space is important, consider how your remodel fits within the context of your neighborhood. A cohesive look can boost curb appeal and property value. With the right design, Design-Build is an exciting journey, specially creating a space that you'll love in a city as beautiful as San Diego. By choosing a reputable design-build firm like Murray Lampert, you're not just improving your home; you're investing in your future and enhancing your San Diego lifestyle. Remember, when it comes to transforming your living space, experience matters. With Murray Lampert's nearly five decades of serving San Diego families, you can trust that your home is in good hands. So, whether you're dreaming of a spacious kitchen for entertaining, a serene master suite retreat, or a versatile home office with ocean views, take the first step towards making it a reality. Your perfect San Diego home awaits and with the right team, the journey can be as rewarding as the destination. Visit us online: https://murraylampert.com/our-process/ Stay connected with Murray Lampert Design Build Remodel on Social Media. Facebook: Murray Lampert Design, Build, Remodel | San Diego CA | Facebook Instagram: Murray Lampert (@murraylampert) Instagram photos and videos X: Murray Lampert (@murraylampert) / X Houzz: MURRAY LAMPERT DESIGN, BUILD, REMODEL - Project Photos & Reviews - San Diego, CA US | Houzz SOURCE Murray Lampert Design, Build, Remodel WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) is honored to announce that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala D. Harris will offer remarks at this year's Leadership Conference and Annual Awards Gala as celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month kick off throughout the country. President Biden will attend the Annual Awards Gala on Thursday, September 19th, and Vice President Harris will attend the Leadership Conference on Wednesday, September 18th. Their remarks will be part of CHCI's signature multi-day event, which is themed "Latino Excellence in Action: Innovation, Influence, Representation." "It is an honor to have President Biden and Vice President Harris participate in this year's CHCI Leadership Conference and Gala as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month," said CHCI Board Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat. "Their participation is a powerful reminder of the Administration's consistent work to deliver for Latino families and communities. We are appreciative of their ongoing efforts and are honored to have them join this year's events." "Both President Biden's and Vice President Harris' dedicated work and historic achievements speak to the power of perseverance, and their commitment to using public service to deliver for families reflects a central value of our leadership programs at CHCI," said Marco A. Davis, CHCI President and CEO. "We look forward to welcoming them to the Conference and Awards Gala, where their insights will inspire our network of leaders who will continue to shape the future of our nation." Additional honored guests at the Leadership Conference and Annual Awards Gala include Biden-Harris administration officials, members of Congress, celebrities, and Hispanic opinion leaders. Onsite press credentials and interview requests with select honorees, musical talent, participants, and organizational leadership may be available upon request. CHCI 2024 Leadership Conference Host Sponsors Amazon Genentech 47th Annual CHCI Awards Gala Host Sponsor Bank of America ### ABOUT CHCI The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) is the premier Hispanic nonprofit and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization in the country dedicated to developing the next generation of Latino leaders. CHCI provides leadership, public service, and policy experiences to outstanding Latino/a/x students and young professionals, and convenes Members of Congress, other public officials, corporate executives, nonprofit advocates, and thought leaders to discuss issues facing the nation and the Hispanic community. Visit CHCI.org and follow us @CHCI on social media. SOURCE Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute FRANKFURT, Germany, Sept. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec, HKG: 0386) has been honored with the Best Environmental Protection Case award at the First Sino-European Corporate ESG Best Practice Conference in Frankfurt, Germany. The event, held at Congress Center Messe Frankfurt, recognized Sinopec's outstanding contributions to sustainable development. Sinopec Wins Best Environmental Protection Case at the First Sino-European Corporate ESG Best Practice Conference in Frankfurt. Themed Together for the Future, the conference showcased top cases in ten categories, including environmental protection, social responsibility, corporate governance, and technological innovation. It aimed to foster dialogue and cooperation on sustainable development between Chinese and European businesses and deepen understanding of China's advancements among German and European industrial communities. KPMG served as the knowledge partner, providing professional services throughout the selection process. The event was co-organized by several prominent institutions, including the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, China International Publishing Group, Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce, Frankfurt International Auto Parts Exhibition, and the German-Chinese Economic Association. This recognition not only underscores Sinopec's leadership in environmental stewardship but also reflects its ongoing efforts towards achieving a more sustainable future through innovative practices across all aspects of business operation, from governance to social responsibilities. Yongsheng Yu, Managing Director of Sinopec Group Branding Department, underscoring the company's dedication to embedding environmental sustainability into its core operations. Emphasizing their commitment to the mantra "Cleaner Energy, Better Life," Sinopec has strategically adopted Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles as a cornerstone of its business strategy. Sinopec, one of the world's top refining companies and the second-largest chemical product producer and marketer, strives to balance development between its enterprise and societal welfare. Since 2007, with its first sustainability report released for the following 18 consecutive years, the company has been enhancing its ESG governance to address global challenges like climate change and energy security while also adapting to trends such as the electrification of transportation and steadily promoting energy transformation. In tackling global challenges such as climate change and energy security, Sinopec's Board of Directors has continually improved its ESG governance structure, energetically implemented a green and clean development strategy, and progressively advanced energy transition while embracing the electrification trend in transportation energy. Sinopec will continue to work towards being a key player in the creation of a clean and beautiful world, a trailblazer in green and low-carbon development, and a protector of shared planet. SOURCE SINOPEC NYSE: VZLA TSX-V: VZLA VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Vizsla Silver Corp. (TSXV: VZLA) (NYSE: VZLA) (Frankfurt: 0G3) ("Vizsla Silver" or the "Company") announced today that it has updated its at-the-market equity program (the "ATM Program") to offer and sell up to US$100 million of common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") to the public, from time to time, through the Agents (as defined below). Sales of Common Shares, if any, will be made pursuant to the terms of an equity distribution agreement dated September 13, 2024 (the "Equity Distribution Agreement") among the Company and Canaccord Genuity and CIBC Capital Markets, as lead agents, and National Bank Financial and BMO Capital Markets (collectively, the "Agents"), on the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American, and/or any other marketplace for the Common Shares in Canada or the United States or as otherwise agreed between the Agents and the Company. The sales of Common Shares under the ATM Program, if any, will be determined at the Company's sole discretion, and at the market price prevailing at the time of each sale. The offering of Common Shares under the ATM Program is being made pursuant to a prospectus supplement dated September 13, 2024 (the "Prospectus Supplement") to the Company's final short form base shelf prospectus filed in all provinces and territories of Canada dated March 31, 2023 (the "Base Shelf Prospectus"), and pursuant to a prospectus supplement dated September 13, 2024 (the "U.S. Prospectus Supplement") to the Company's U.S. base prospectus (the "U.S. Base Prospectus") included in its registration statement on Form F-10 (the "Registration Statement") (File No. 333-270533) filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on April 4, 2023 (collectively, the Prospectus Supplement, Base Shelf Prospectus, U.S. Prospectus Supplement, the U.S. Base Prospectus and Registration Statement, the "Offering Documents"). The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the ATM Program, if any, to fund ongoing work programs to advance the Panuco Project, for working capital and for general corporate purposes. The ATM Program will be effective until the earlier of the date on which (i) the issuance and sale of all of the Common Shares issuable pursuant to the ATM Program have been completed, and (ii) the receipt issued for the Base Shelf Prospectus ceases to be effective, unless earlier terminated prior to such date by the Company or the Agents in accordance with the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement. Concurrent with entering into the Equity Distribution Agreement, the Company's previously announced at-the-market equity distribution agreement dated March 26, 2024 was terminated. "It is prudent for Vizsla Silver to have an ATM Program available for optionality," commented Michael Konnert, President & CEO. "The Company never utilized the ATM that it had in place from April 2021 until March 2023." The Prospectus Supplement, the Base Shelf Prospectus and the Equity Distribution Agreement are available at www.sedarplus.ca and the U.S. Prospectus Supplement, the U.S. Base Prospectus and the Registration Statement are available at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Agents will send copies of the Prospectus Supplement and the Base Shelf Prospectus or the U.S. Prospectus Supplement and the U.S. Base Prospectus, as applicable, upon request by contacting: Canaccord Genuity Corp., Suite 2100, 40 Temperance Street, Toronto, Ontario M5H 0B4 or by email at [email protected]. Potential investors should read the Offering Documents before making an investment decision. Such documents contain important information about the ATM Program. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Common Shares, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Vizsla Silver Vizsla Silver is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, BC, focused on advancing its flagship, 100%-owned Panuco silver-gold project located in Sinaloa, Mexico. To date, Vizsla Silver has completed over 380,000 metres of drilling at Panuco leading to the discovery of several new high-grade veins. For 2024, Vizsla Silver has budgeted +45,000 metres of resource/discovery based drilling designed to upgrade and expand the mineral resource, as well as test other high priority targets across the district. 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. SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes certain "ForwardLooking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forwardlooking 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 forwardlooking statements or information. These forwardlooking statements or information relate to, among other things: the issuance, sale and distribution of Common Shares pursuant to the ATM Program, including the price, volume and timing of any distributions; the intended use of net proceeds from the ATM Program, if any; and other statements that are not historical facts. Forwardlooking statements and forwardlooking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of Vizsla Silver, future growth potential for Vizsla Silver and its business, 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 price of silver, gold, and other metals; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; Vizsla Silver's ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms. These statements reflect Vizsla Silver'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 forwardlooking statements or forward-looking information and Vizsla Silver has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the Company's dependence on one mineral project; precious metals price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company's mining activities in Mexico; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company's management team and outside contractors; risks regarding mineral resources and reserves; 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; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company's interactions with surrounding communities and artisanal miners; 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 Vizsla Silver's management discussion and analysis. Readers are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forwardlooking statements or forward-looking information. Although Vizsla Silver 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. Vizsla Silver does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forwardlooking 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. SOURCE Vizsla Silver Corp. CULVER CITY, Calif., Sept. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WNP, the skincare brand that has taken social media by storm, has launched a groundbreaking new product: a vibrating eye cream. This latest innovation, combined with its unique packaging and effective formulas, has made WNP a must-have for beauty enthusiasts. A Fresh Approach to Skincare: WNP stands out from the crowd with its innovative approach to skincare. The brand's commitment to using high-quality ingredients, combined with its user-friendly packaging, has earned it a loyal following. The Vibrating Eye Cream: A Skincare Game-Changer: WNP's new vibrating eye cream is a testament to the brand's dedication to innovation. The built-in massager and cooling applicator provide a soothing and effective treatment for tired eyes, helping to reduce puffiness and dark circles. Beyond the Buzz: WNP's popularity is not just due to its innovative products. The brand's focus on quality, sustainability, and user experience has resonated with consumers. With its commitment to redefining the skincare routine, WNP is poised to become a leading player in the beauty industry. For more information on WNP and its products, please visit http://wnp.us SOURCE WNP If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Johannesburg, Sep 14 : South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill into law in Pretoria, the country's administrative capital. The bill is aimed at transforming the country's education system and enabling the government to tackle some of the issues that the education system has been grappling with, Xinhua news agency reported. "The signing of this bill marks an important step toward resolving longstanding challenges in our education system," Ramaphosa said on Friday. Though access to quality education has improved since the fall of the apartheid regime, the President added that more work is required to tackle the remaining barriers. "In many respects, education outcomes fall short of what our society needs and what the young people of our country deserve," he said. The bill's focus on foundation phase education and stricter penalties for corporal punishment has shown the government's commitment to creating a safer and more supportive learning environment. "Grade R, the reception year before Grade 1, will now be compulsory. This will enhance our focus on early childhood development," Ramaphosa added. The bill would also oversee the language and admission policies of South African schools to ensure an equitable education system. "We have seen learners being denied admission to schools because of their language policies. We have had cases of children not being allowed back to school or to sit exams because their parents cannot pay school fees," he noted. The bill's signing faced backlash from the opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), which is part of the Government of National Unity. John Steenhuisen, the DA leader, threatened to walk away from the government if the bill were signed into law. Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube from the DA did not attend Friday's ceremony, saying that she had written to the President requesting the bill be sent back to the Parliament for reconsideration. Ramaphosa addressed such concerns in his speech, saying that he would be engaging with the parties in the next three months. "In the spirit of cooperation and meaningful engagement, I have decided to delay the implementation date for clauses 4 and 5 of the bill by three months. This will give the parties time to deliberate on these issues and make proposals on how the different views may be accommodated," said the President. The signing of the bill into law was welcomed by the South African Parliament. In a statement issued after the signing ceremony, Joy Maimela, chairperson of the Basic Education Committee in the Parliament, said the legislation has taken a long time to pass through the lawmaking process and aligns with the ongoing transformation agenda in the education sector. "The committee commends the President for signing into law this progressive piece of legislation that will positively change the landscape of schooling in South Africa. This is exactly what the country needs at this time," Maimela said. She also noted that the committee is aware of the language policy clause that President Ramaphosa has delayed for three months. "We look forward to the engagement on this issue but continue to call for the full implementation of the bill," she added. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text US announces fresh sanctions on Russian state media for raising money for Moscow's troops in Ukraine. Image Source: IANS/Twitter/@USAndIndia Washington, Sep 14 : The US State Department on Friday announced fresh sanctions on Russian state media, accusing a Kremlin news outlet of working for the Russian military and running fundraising campaigns to pay for sniper rifles, body armour and other equipment for soldiers fighting in Ukraine, an official statement said. While the outlet, RT, has previously been sanctioned for its work to spread Kremlin propaganda and disinformation, the new allegations suggest its role goes far beyond influence operations. Instead, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that RT is a key part of Russia's war machine and its efforts to undermine its democratic adversaries. "RT wants its new covert intelligence capabilities, like its longstanding propaganda disinformation efforts, to remain hidden," Blinken told reporters. "Our most powerful antidote to Russia's lies is the truth. It's shining a bright light on what the Kremlin is trying to do under the cover of darkness." RT has also created websites posing as legitimate news sites to spread disinformation and propaganda in Europe, Africa, South America and elsewhere, officials said. They say the outlet has also expanded its use of cyber operations with a new unit with ties to Russian intelligence created last year. The sanctions announced on Friday target RT's parent organization, TV-Novosti, as well as a related state media group called Rossiya Segodnya and its general director Dmitry Kiselyov. A third organisation and its leader, Nelli Parutenko, were also sanctioned for allegedly running a vote-buying scheme in Moldova designed to help Moscow's preferred candidates in an upcoming election. Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested the sanctions against RT were unnecessary because it has already been sanctioned. "I think a new profession should appear in the United States -- a specialist in sanctions already imposed against Russia," she wrote on her Telegram channel. Russia's global propaganda work is receiving extra scrutiny in the months leading up to the US election. The crowd-sourcing effort ran on Russian social media platforms and sought to raise funds for military supplies, some of which were procured in China, officials said. There were no obvious connections between RT and the fundraising campaign, or any indication that Chinese officials knew their products were being sold to Russia. The list of supplies also included night-vision equipment, drones, radios and generators. RT's actions show "itas not just a firehouse of disinformation, but a fully fledged member of the intelligence apparatus and operation of the Russian government," said Jamie Rubin, who heads the State Department's Global Engagement Centre. Last week, the Biden administration seized Kremlin-run websites and charged two RT employees with covertly paying a Tennessee company nearly $10 million for its content. The company then paid several popular far-right influencers, whose content often mirrored Russian talking points. Two of the influencers said they had no idea their work was being supported by Russia. This summer, intelligence officials warned that Russia was using unwitting Americans to spread its propaganda by disguising it in English on sites popular with Americans. Officials say Russia seeks to divide Americans ahead of the election as a way of reducing support for Ukraine. Russia's influence operations also appear designed to support former President Donald Trump, who has criticised Ukraine and the NATO alliance while praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Kyiv, Sep 14 : Ukraine brought back 49 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians from Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. These include personnel of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the National Police, and border guards, The Kyiv Independent reported. A total of 23 women were brought back, including civilians detained and illegally imprisoned by Russia before the full-scale invasion, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported on Friday. Leniye Umerova, a Crimean Tatar, is among the released. She was detained by Russia at the Georgian-Russian border in 2022 when she travelled to occupied Crimea to look after her cancer-stricken father. Military medic and Hero of Ukraine Viktor Ivchuk was also among those released. Ivchuk, a colonel of the Armed Forces and head of a military hospital in Mariupol, had been held captive by Russia since April 2022, The Kyiv Independent reported. "We have to bring home all of our soldiers and civilians," Zelensky said. The released captives include 15 soldiers of the Azov Brigade who defended the city of Mariupol in 2022. "The Azov (soldiers) were included in the exchange for the first time in a long time. This group consists mainly of women," said the sub-division of Azov responsible for captured, killed and injured soldiers. The Ukrainian President expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the team responsible for securing the release of prisoners and hostages from Russian captivity and emphasised on bringing home every remaining Ukrainian still held captive by Russia. "I want to thank our entire team that works to secure the release of prisoners and hostages from Russian captivity. I especially want to acknowledge each of our Ukrainian units that contribute to replenishing the exchange fund for our country. All our warriors who capture Russian occupiers, and all our services that neutralise Russian saboteurs and collaborators, bring closer the liberation of our people. We must bring home every single one of our people, both military and civilian," Zelensky said. Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry of Ukraine also informed about the release of 49 Ukrainians from Russian captivity. Sharing a post on X, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said, "At home. Today, 49 of our people returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity. Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, National Police and civilians are finally back home. Glory to Ukraine!" Thirteen sailors, eight soldiers of the Armed Forces, two police officers, and four border guards were also freed from Russian captivity, according to the headquarters. This is the 56th prisoner exchange since the outbreak of the full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine. A total of 3,569 Ukrainians have been brought back from Russian captivity, Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said. Kyiv aims to conduct an all-for-all prisoner exchange, which was one of the issues at Ukraine's peace summit in Switzerland in mid-June. New Delhi, Sep 14 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma arrived in New Delhi on Saturday following a six-day visit to Japan and South Korea. The trip was part of the preparations for the upcoming 'Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit 2024'. During the meeting, discussions were held on furthering the partnership as well as new investment opportunities in the state were highlighted. Rajasthan Deputy CM Prem Chand Bairwa, who accompained him during the foreign visit, said "it was a good visit and the investors have a positive outlook towards us". "It was a good visit. The investors out there have a positive outlook towards us and the CM has also promised them to provide all possible support in a positive way," Bairwa said. Speaking on the CM Sharma's visit, Rajasthan Minister Jawahar Singh said, "This visit of the CM regarding the Rajasthan summit to invite companies from different nations who want to invest in the state will bear positive results -- generate employment and I hope that foreign companies will get into MoUs with the state and will help in the development of Rajasthan. Under PM Modi's leadership -- countries around the world have shown trust in India as he does what he speaks." Prior to Japan, the Rajasthan CM was on a two-day visit to South Korea along with a high-level delegation. Several South Korean firms expressed their interest in exploring opportunities in Rajasthan and expanding their business in the state. This includes several leading South Korean firms, including Samsung Healthcare, LX International, Orion Corporation, and Hyosung Corporation, as well as the Korean Stone Association. The Rajasthan government, led by CM Sharma, will be hosting the 'Rising Rajasthan' Global Investment Summit 2024 on December 9-11 in the capital, Jaipur. The three-day mega summit, which aims to attract and facilitate global investment, innovation, and partnerships in the state, is organised with the support of the Industry and Commerce Department, Bureau of Investment Promotion (BIP), and RIICO, with BIP serving as the nodal department for this summit. Lucknow, Sep 14 : A man has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF), who allegedly duped people by posing as the Chief Minister's Personal Secretary, an official said. Farooq Aman, 26, was arrested from the Kamta tri-section of Lucknow, the official said on Friday. In a statement, the STF said that Aman duped people by posing as the Chief Minister's Personal Secretary and organised online gambling. He was arrested late on Thursday. The accused was found to have been associated with an organised gang that cheats people by promising to help them pass competitive examinations in exchange for money and organising online gambling, the STF said. Aman is a resident of Sahriya village in the Nizamabad area of Azamgarh district. Two mobile phones, Aadhar card, and several documents were seized from him, it added. A case has been registered against the accused at the Cyber Crime Commissionerate police station, Lucknow, under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act. Earlier on June 24, the Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force had arrested a notorious criminal for allegedly impersonating the Chief Minister's Secretary and duping government officials over the phone. In a statement, the STF said Vivek Sharma alias Bantu Chaudhary, who used to dupe administrative officials and the general public by making fake phone calls in the name of the CM's Secretary, was arrested in Basti district. According to police sources, Vivek confessed that a few days ago, in order to cheat the district magistrate and chief development officer of Basti, he called on their official numbers and introduced himself as the secretary of the chief minister. It was also found that Vivek's mobile number, in the mobile application 'True-Caller', appeared as "Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath". A case had been registered against him under Sections 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 384 (punishment for extortion) and 507 (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) of the IPC in Basti's Kotwali police station. Several cases had been registered against him in various police stations of Aligarh, Balrampur, Mathura, Kanpur Nagar and Hardoi districts on the charges of fraud among others, the STF said in the statement. Seoul, Sep 14 : North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has met with the head of Russia's Security Council in Pyongyang and vowed to deepen the bilateral ties between the two countries, state media said on Saturday. The meeting came on the anniversary of a rare summit between Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin last year at the Vostochny Cosmodrome space centre in Russia's Amur region, during which Kim pledged his "full support" for Moscow, Yonhap news agency reported. During their talks on Friday, Kim and Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of Moscow's Security Council, had a "wide exchange of views on the issues of steadily deepening the strategic dialogue between the two countries and strengthening cooperation to defend the mutual security interests and on the regional and international situation," according to state media KCNA. The two sides reached a "satisfactory consensus" on the presented issues, it added. Kim also stressed their bilateral relations in politics, economy and culture were developing dynamically following his summit talks with Putin in June. He vowed to continue expanding cooperation with Russia in the spirit of a partnership treaty signed between the two leaders during their June summit, which includes a mutual defence clause. Russia's Security Council said on Friday that Secretary Shoigu discussed bilateral and international issues with North Korean officials. The Council also said the talks will make an important contribution to the implementation of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The treaty, signed in June during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea, pledges mutual military support in a contingency. On Friday, North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister issued a statement to mark one year since the summit between Kim and Putin at a space centre in Russia's Far East. The statement said that North Korea is committed to cooperating with its strategic partner Russia and to developing bilateral relations on a permanent basis. The US alleges that Pyongyang is providing ammunition and other military supplies to Russia to be used for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, and in return is seeking assistance in military technology and energy. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Sep 14 : India has ushered into a new era of energy transition driven by a shared commitment to advancing the 'Hydrogen Agenda', Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy, Shripad Naik, has said. The Green Hydrogen commitment is a historic opportunity to redefine energy systems, create jobs and secure a cleaner planet for future generations. Addressing the International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2024), Naik emphasised the government's unwavering commitment to advance clean and green energy. The minister highlighted the National Green Hydrogen Mission with an initial outlay of Rs 19,744 crore as a comprehensive strategy, encompassing demand creation, production, R&D, infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, international partnerships, and most importantly, skill development and job creation. Naik also underscored the importance of youth, affirming that by empowering the youth with necessary skills, India is equipping them to be the architects of a sustainable future. According to Professor Ajay K Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the government, the commitment to Green Hydrogen is not just about meeting emission targets. "It is about seizing a historic opportunity to redefine our energy systems, create new jobs, and secure a cleaner, healthier planet for future generations", he told the gathering. Bhupinder S Bhalla, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, highlighted the transformative potential of Green Hydrogen for India's energy sector. He said that Green Hydrogen is not just a new energy source, it is a pathway towards a future where clean energy is the norm, and industries are decarbonised. "The journey ahead will be challenging, but our collective ambition is strong, and the opportunities are vast," he noted. Green Hydrogen is more than just a technological innovation it symbolises a new era in energy where sustainability meets economic viability. Jyoti Vij, Director General of FICCI, said the country's transition goals will require concerted efforts from both the government and industry. The conference highlighted India's dedication to international collaboration and innovation. Kurukshetra, Sep 14 : Sounding the poll bugle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a rally from Haryana's Kurukshetra on Saturday by launching the BJP's campaign with an aim to retain the helm in the state for the third straight term ahead of the Assembly elections on October 5. Kurukshetra, Sep 14 (IANS) Sounding the poll bugle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a rally from Haryanaas Kurukshetra on Saturday by launching the BJPas campaign with an aim to retain the helm in the state for the third straight term ahead of the Assembly elections on October 5. PM Modi will seek votes for 23 candidates, who will be present at the public meeting, which the party believes is a platform to showcase strength and unity, at Theme Park at 2 p.m. The 23 Assembly seats fall in districts on the GT Road belt, comprising Panchkula, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Panipat districts and parts of Yamunanagar, Sonipat and Kaithal. In the 2019 Assembly polls, Congress wrested 14 seats from BJP, mostly falling along the GT Road belt, considered the stronghold of BJP. Besides Modi, the party has lined up its top leadership comprising Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh and party President Jagat Prakash Nadda for campaigning in the coming days. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who is contesting from Ladwa in Kurukshetra district, has been touring across the state to ensure return to power. A total of 2,500 police personnel, including eight Superintendents of Police, have been deployed for the security of the Prime Minister. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP, which won 40 seats, well below the 75-plus target, and was six short of a majority in the 90-member Assembly, announced an alliance with the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) led by Dushyant Chautala, great-grandson of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal. The rival Congress won 31 seats, while the less-than-year-old JJP, which broke away from the state's once major regional Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) owing to family disputes, won 10 seats. Seven Independents and one each of the INLD and the Haryana Lokhit Party had also won. In the 2014 Assembly polls, BJP had won 47 seats and formed the government in the state for the first time. Ahead of Banned Books Week, PEN America has offered an advance look at its censorship statistics for the 20232024 school year, finding more than 10,000 bans recordednearly triple the 3,362 bans reported in the 20222023 school year. Hyperbolic rhetoric about porn in schools is being used to justify banning books about sexual violence and LGBTQ+ topics (in particular, trans identities) and books by women and nonbinary authors, PEN representatives said in a release, "and attacks on so-called 'woke ideology' continue to lead to books on race and racism being removed." In addition, PEN America this week released a warning about Project 2025, the controversial set of policy proposals from the Heritage Foundation thats widely considered to be a governing blueprint for the next conservative administration. Project 2025 is up-front about its intent to equate LGBTQ+ content in childrens books and in school curricula with pornography, and to treat making such content accessible as a crime, a PEN release states. If implemented, this slate of proposals would turbocharge the forces of censorship that have been running rampant in states across much of the country for the past four years. Ahead of Banned Books Week, which is set to run September 22-29, Monday's issue of Publishers Weekly is our first ever Freedom to Read issue. It's packed with stories from those on the front lines of this now years-long surge in book bans, and it's well worth a read. We'll have more to talk about next week when the issue drops, so please stay tuned. Oh, and bonus: the great Jerry Craft did the cover. Meanwhile, as we reported in Publishers Weekly this week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on September 24 will rehear the appeal in a closely watched case over book banning in Llano County, Texas, and a host of amicus briefs lay out exactly what's at stake. On one side, authors, librarians, publishers, and freedom to read advocates are urging the full court to uphold Judge Robert Pitmans March 2023 opinion and order finding that Llano County officials improperly banned several books from library shelves, while, in a brief of their own, some 18 states urge the court to find that local politicians can exercise near total control over which books and materials are allowed in schools and libraries. Politico reports that a northeast Florida school district this week agreed to restore 36 books that were challenged and previously pulled from campus libraries in a settlement of a federal lawsuit. "The settlement reached by Nassau County school officials and a group of parents, students and the authors of the removed childrens book And Tango Makes Three marks a significant twist in the ongoing legal battles surrounding Floridas K-12 book restrictions, which have been derided as 'book bans' by opponents. Under the agreement, that book and others such as the The Bluest Eyeby Toni Morrison and the The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel will once again be available to students after being removed last year," the article states. Hyperbolic rhetoric about porn in schools is being used to justify banning books about sexual violence and LGBTQ+ topics (in particular, trans identities), and books by women and nonbinary authors. Over at Book Riot, Kelly Jensen leads off her weekly censorship news roundup with a look at academic libraries. "What begins in the public schools bleeds into the public libraries. This has played out again and again throughout the last four years as right-wing players attempt to destabilize and defund public institutions of democracy," she writes. "It should come as little surprise that academic libraries are also under siege nationwide. The work of dismantling them has been seen already, particularly in legislation that outlaws diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, but in the last couple of months, these institutional cornerstones of higher education have seen it coming faster and harder." EdSurge reports on changes resulting from Texas takeover of the states largest school district, which has led to school librarians losing their jobs. One of the changes was Houston Independent School Districts new Superintendent Mike Miles increased focus on test scores, which meant closing 28 school libraries and turning them into so-called team centers. Miles is not going to target the schools where the parents have wealth and power, and that's concentrated in the schools with higher white populations, Melissa Yarborough, a teacher at Navarro Middle School in Houstons East End, which is home to one of the citys historically Latino neighborhoods, said. And that's due to a legacy of racism. Alaska Public Media reports that Alaska librarians are hopeful that a state agency will restore a large cut in funding for an annual grant that supports smaller rural libraries. The director of the state Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums last month told librarians around the state that this years Public Library Assistance grants will be $1,829, about 75% smaller than what theyve been getting for years. A cut that massive, even though its a small grant, does have a pretty big impact on a small library in rural Alaska, Theresa Quiner, the director of the Kuskokwim Consortium Library in Bethel, said. The University of Washington Magazine has profiled former American Library Association Executive Director Tracie D. Hall in her role as a distinguished practitioner in residence at the UWs iSchool, where she received her masters degree. I hope I can be a source of the same kind of inspiration and learning that I experienced at the iSchool, says Hall. An editorial in the MIT Technology Review argues that Congress must step in to address the issues presented in the Internet Archive's loss in court. "If the courts wont recognize CDL-based library lending as fair use, then the next step falls to Congress. Libraries are in crisis, caught between shrinking budgets and growing demand for services. Congress must act now to ensure that a pillar of equality in our communities isnt sacrificed on the altar of profit." And finally, Banned Books Week kicks off at the end of next week. For more on what's on tap, visit the ALA's Banned Books website. The Week in Libraries is a weekly opinion and news column. News, tips, submissions, questions or comments are welcome, and can be submitted via email. Previous columns can be viewed here. Top health authority urges greater efforts to build a childbearing-friendly society 15:09, September 14, 2024 By Du Qiongfang ( Global Times China's top health authority on Thursday advocated people have marriage and childbirth at an appropriate age, and called for increased efforts to create a more childbearing-friendly society, in response to the recent changes in the country's demographic development. Yu Xuejun, deputy head of the National Health Commission (NHC), said at a press conference on Thursday that the new changes occurring in China's demographic development, including low birth rate, an aging population, and regional population disparities, are a natural outcome of economic and social development at certain stages, reflecting global demographic transitions and broader trends of modernization. Yu underscored the importance of optimizing birth support policy system and incentive mechanisms, calling for persistent, long-term efforts from all localities to promote sustainable demographic development. Yu said the NHC will focus more efforts on advocating marriage and childbirth at appropriate ages, as well as optimal childbearing practices. It will call for shared parenting responsibilities between spouses, aiming to guide young people toward positive perspectives on marriage, childbirth, and family, fostering a new culture of marriage and childbearing. According to the latest statistical bulletin on the development of civil affairs in 2023 released by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs, a total of 7.68 million couples tied the knot throughout the year 2023, marking a 12.4 percent increase compared to the previous year. This is the first rise in marriage registrations in nearly one decade, surpassing the 7.64 million marriages recorded in 2021, Chinese media Yicai.com reported. He Yafu, an independent demographic expert who monitors marriage registration data, attributed the rise in marriage registrations in 2023 to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led many young people to delay their weddings until 2023. He noted that the number of marriage registrations in the first half of 2024 decreased year-on-year, indicating that the post-pandemic compensatory effect has gradually faded. He also mentioned another contributing factor: Many young people chose to get married in 2023 with the intention of having children in the auspicious Year of the Dragon in 2024, He told the Global Times on Thursday. In 2023, 9.02 million babies were born, resulting in a birth rate of 6.39 per thousand people, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Xian Jiangnan) Four years ago, the historic Abraham Accords between the UAE, Bahrain, and Israel were signed on the White House lawn. Morocco and Sudan soon followed. In the midst of the extremely challenging COVID-19 pandemic, a ray of light heralding a new era of peace, integration, and cooperation broke through the darkness. Hamas October 7 massacre led to an outbreak of regional conflict. Yet just as the original Abraham Accords peace agreements emerged during the COVID-19 era, the next stage of Middle East cooperation and integrationAbraham Accords 2.0can emerge from the current period of war and tension. Following the signing of the Abraham Accords, trade ties skyrocketed, over a million people traveled between the Accords member countries on new direct flights, and groundbreaking partnerships were announced in fields such as innovation, space, AI, water, cyber and sustainable development. Inspiring initiatives to advance interfaith harmony were launched, including the opening of Abu Dhabis Abrahamic Family House, and Muslim-Jewish leadership delegations between Israel and Morocco. Yet even as Abraham Accords ties grew, a lack of robust American leadership over the last several years allowed China, Russia, and Iran to make inroads into both the MENA and Sahel regions. Then, Hamas October 7 rampage of murder, kidnappings, and rape, and the subsequent terror attacks by Irans proxy network, created an enormous challenge to regional peace. Extremist media networks like Al Jazeera spread incitement and distrust, while Muslim Brotherhood and Iranian-linked groups sought to use the conflict to promote instability. At this time of war, the potential of the Abraham Accords to transform the Middle East from a source of conflict into a hub of innovation, economic growth, and tolerance not only remains but is more urgent than ever. Now is the time to launch the Abraham Accords 2.0 in order to shape a future of stability, prosperity, and peace for the region. The next stage of the Abraham Accords must be based both on expanding the circle of peace to include additional Arab and Muslim countries and on advancing paradigm-shifting regional economic, technological, and security initiatives with global impact. On the economic level, such initiatives should involve advancing the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor such that it encompasses not only overland trade but energy and communications connectivity as well. IMEC would not only contribute to infrastructure development, employment, and global supply chain resilience, but could serve to counter Chinas Belt and Road Initiative in the region. The existing Free Trade and Qualified Industrial Zones agreements between the United States and numerous regional countries could be expanded and leveraged to accelerate economic growth and integration. Israels start-up dynamism and the GCCs impressive track record of executing advanced technological projects could be combined via U.S.-led trilateral and multi-lateral frameworks to produce breakthroughs in innovation. Completing the regulatory frameworks and ensuring an encouraging public environment for deepening bilateral ties between current and potential Abraham Accords countries is critical as well. On the security level, a U.S.-led Middle East Security Architecture encompassing air and missile defense, drones, space, satellites, maritime security, cybersecurity, intelligence sharing, joint exercises, and R&D could empower regional allies to combat threats on their own. Such a regional alliance would help deter and counter Iran, thereby decreasing the chances of an all-out war and increasing the probability of a quick and decisive victory if such a war were to break out. It would also help protect U.S. bases, while enabling an eventual shift of U.S. assets to other theatres, including the Indo-Pacific. Looking forward, once Hamas has been defeated, and the Gaza Strip has been demilitarized and deradicalized, Gaza could be integrated into new regional frameworks for economic, energy, and logistical cooperation. This would contribute to the stability and growth of the entire region. Turning the Abraham Accords 2.0 vision into a reality will require strong American leadership and a holistic approach that combines diplomatic, economic, and security components. It will also require a willingness by the United States and all of its allies and partners in the region to actively invest in promoting Abraham Accords ties and breaking down long-standing barriers to cooperation. The ongoing conflict and geopolitical tensions should not lead us to abandon the successful strategies that led to the Abraham Accords. It is indeed more urgent than ever that we take ambitious steps to deepen these historic agreements, expand warm peace through strength, and shape a brighter future in the Middle East. At the darkest of times, the greatest opportunities can appear. Aryeh Lightstone is the former US Special Envoy for Economic Normalization and Executive Director of the Abraham Accords Peace Institute (AAPI). Asher Fredman is Israel Director at AAPI and Executive Director of the Misgav Institute for National Security. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate 'Banks may find small ticket size lending economically unviable due to the cost of branch operations.' FlexiLoans.com, a lender to small businesses starved of credit from legacy institutions, uses digital tools to make good the lack of transparency and thin files of borrowers. The firm intends to hit an annualised disbursement of Rs 5,000 crore, and has set an internal target of Rs 10,000 crore for the next three years. Ritesh Jain, co-founder of Flexiloans.com, spoke with Raghu Mohan/Business Standard in a telephonic interview. Now that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened funding norms, how do you see growth from here? The RBI has raised concerns about small ticket-size lending, particularly personal loans under Rs 50,000 or Rs 1 lakh. But we focus on lending to MSMEs (micro, medium and small enterprises), which is supported by schemes like Mudra and e-Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises. While there may be restrictions on personal loan lending, MSME funding remains relatively unaffected. Initially, there was some confusion, but once we clarified that we specialise in MSME lending the situation improved. What sets FlexiLoans apart from banks and NBFCs in this segment? We don't set up physical branches, and this allows us to reach more locations compared to the larger banks and NBFCs. We operate in over a thousand cities and have access to 15,000 PIN codes, and typically provide loans under Rs 20 lakh. Banks often categorise loans in this range as personal loans or retail loans. Our lending approach is cash flow-based rather than asset-secured. We've been profitable at a relatively early AUM (assets under management) compared to our peers. As of today, we get around 400,000 people applying to us on a monthly basis. Almost all e-commerce ecosystems and payment ecosystems like PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm, among others, have partnered with us. We have more than 100 partnerships as of now and the second largest MSME platform in the country. Can you throw light on credit evaluation and underwriting? We assess cash flows by reviewing bank statements and GST (Goods and Services Tax) returns, whereas banks often require secured assets. Our technology and process efficiency enable us to offer quick loans with minimal documentation - typically just three documents: A bank statement and business KYC details. Our entire credit underwriting process is digitised; the proprietary credit analytical tool helps to quickly assess the creditworthiness of borrowers, and the loan decision is communicated in 15-30 minutes. Our USP is to disburse loans within 24-48 hours. Most people take 30-40 days to get a loan in this segment from other lenders. We do a lot of co-lending with banks. About 40-50 per cent of our book is through co-lending. We provide under Rs 10 lakh loans and 70 per cent of our business is concentrated in the Tier-II and Tier-III cities and beyond. How have you managed to succeed in cash flow-based lending even as traditional lenders struggle? Banks face challenges with cash flow-based lending for high ticket sizes. For loans above Rs 50 lakh or Rs 1 crore, relying solely on cash flow data can be risky. Banks often secure these loans with collateral. We, on the other hand, focus on smaller ticket sizes where cash-flow lending is more feasible. Banks may find small ticket size lending economically unviable due to the cost of branch operations, which makes it less practical for them. In case of default, we follow the standard collection processes, including contacting customers. And legal processes. Do you think delayed bill settlements remain an issue? The mandate is clear: Companies should settle MSME bills on time. However, some sectors and clients still experience delays. This is why it's crucial for lenders to recognise that MSME cash flows can be erratic. We offer supply chain and invoice-based financing to address this. In our invoice discounting product, where payments come from large companies, we rarely see delays: 99 per cent of the payments are on time. What is your growth projection for the next three years? We manage more than Rs 2,000 crore in AUM, including co-lending with an annual disbursement run rate of over Rs 4,000 crore to more than 1.5 million registered users. We have disbursed more than 100,000 loans. By the end of this year, we aim to hit an annualised disbursal of Rs 5,000 crore. Our internal target for the next three years is to exceed Rs 10,000 crore. Our last fundraising round was about 18 months ago. We raised approximately $30 million from existing investors and from marquee global investors. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com A 9-year-old student of Montfort School in Lucknow died of cardiac arrest while playing in the premises, the school principal said on Saturday. According to a statement issued by the school principal on Thursday, after receiving information that a student of Class 3, Manvi Singh, fell unconscious in the playground, she was rushed to the nearby Fatima Hospital. The girl's family took her to Chandan Hospital, where the doctors said that she died due to cardiac arrest, the principal said. The matter also came to the notice of the police, but the girl's family has said that no action will be taken, they said. After receiving information about the girl's death, a holiday was declared in the school on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hit the poll campaign trail in support of his party candidates on Saturday by addressing a mega rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, amid tight security arrangements. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photograph: ANI Photo This will be the first visit by a prime minister to Doda in the last 42 years. Multi-tier security has been deployed across the twin districts of Doda and Kishtwar, particularly around the venue, to ensure a peaceful and smooth conduct of the election rally, which will be held at the stadium in Doda town. "Prime Minister Modi will hold his first election meeting in Doda tomorrow. This will be a significant event as it marks the first visit of any Prime Minister to Doda in 42 years. The last prime ministerial visit to Doda was in 1982," said Union Coal and Mines Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party election in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir, G Kishan Reddy, on Friday in Samba. Modi's rally is all set to give boost to his cadres and candidates in the region where voting for eight Assembly seats in the three districts of the Chenab Valley -- Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban -- is scheduled for September 18. During the 2014 Assembly elections, PM Modi addressed a BJP poll rally in Kishtwar district. Since then, the people of Doda have been eagerly waiting to see and hear the Prime Minister, a leader said. BJP leaders believe that the prime minister's visit will significantly boost the electoral prospects of party candidates in the union territory. The party is contesting all 43 Assembly seats in the Jammu division. In the last J&K Assembly, BJP had 25 MLAs. Voting in the J-K Assembly elections will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8. This is the first Assembly election in J&K in 10 years, and the first since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. The Jammu region has long been a BJP stronghold, with the party winning all 25 of its seats from this region in the 2014 Assembly polls in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a poll rally in Jammu on last Saturday, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held another rally in Ramban district on Sunday. A 22-year-old youth from Telangana, who was unwittingly recruited into the Russian army and left stranded at the Russia-Ukraine border for months, expressed his gratitude to the Centre on Saturday for facilitating his return to the country. IMAGE: A soldier from Carpathian Sich international battalion fires an RPG while conducting manoeuvres near the front line, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kreminna, Ukraine. Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters "I still cannot believe that I have returned home. The horrific scenes of the ongoing war are still fresh in my mind..." said Mohammed Sufiyan, who returned home safely on Friday night after working as a support staff for the Russian army in its war with Ukraine. Sufiyan (22), who hails from Narayanpet district, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Telangana government and also the media for facilitating his return. Sufiyan recalled that he reached Russia via Chennai and Dubai in December 2023 after being promised the job of a security personnel by a Mumbai-based employment agent. However, he was taken to the Russia-Ukraine border and subjected to training before being entrusted with work like loading vehicles and building bunkers, he told PTI. Sufiyan and others like him realised that they were misled, but could not establish contact with the main agent. The youth said he was taken close to the frontline but his health deteriorated after spending sleepless nights as the war raged on. Later, he was shifted to a 'green zone' in Ukrainian territory under the control of Russia, about 60 kms from the frontlines, after he shared his ordeal. "We were in a jungle for eight months," he said. The central government arranged air tickets to reach Delhi from Moscow, he added. Speaking to PTI in July this year, Sufiyan's family expressed hope that he would return home following PM Narendra Modi's visit to Russia. Russia had agreed to India's demand to ensure early release of Indian nationals working with the Russian military as support staff after PM Modi "very strongly" took up the issue with President Vladimir Putin during his visit. Stranded on the International Space Station through February, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore plan to vote in the November 5 US presidential election from space. IMAGE: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore addresses a press conference from the International Space Station (ISS). Photograph: @NASA/X "It's a very important duty that we have as citizens and (I am) looking forward to being able to vote from space, which is pretty cool," Williams, who is of Indian origin, said on a call with reporters on Friday afternoon. Williams, 58, and Wilmore, 61, participated in a press conference on Friday from the International Space Station (ISS), which has been their home since June. Their Boeing Starliner spacecraft ran into several problems midflight and could not bring them home from a planned 8-day voyage. "I sent down my request for a ballot today," Wilmore said. "It's a very important role that we play as citizens including those elections, and NASA makes it very easy for us to do that," he said. They, however, did not indicate which presidential candidate -- either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris -- would get their vote. American astronauts have been voting from space since 1997 when the Texas legislature passed a bill allowing NASA employees to vote from space, New York Post reported. That year, NASA astronaut David Wolf became the first American to vote from space on the Mir Space Station. In 2020, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins also performed her civic duty from space on the ISS. Election officials in Harris County, Texas -- where NASA's Johnson Space Station is located -- told NBC News that they work with NASA to send astronauts a PDF with clickable boxes to make their choices. The PDF is password-protected to ensure a secret ballot. Friday's press conference came exactly one week after the Starliner returned to Earth without its crew to make room on the space station for SpaceX's Crew Dragon, which is now due to bring the two astronauts home in February. Williams and Wilmore are living on the ISS with seven other astronauts. They said they feel "grateful" to spend more time in space, despite difficulties. When asked if it was difficult to see the Starliner leave without them, William said they were tasked with ensuring it left the ISS safely. "We were watching our spaceship fly away," she said. Williams said as she and Wilmore used to work in the Navy, they are "not surprised when deployments get changed". "It's risky and that's how it goes in the business," she said. When asked if they feel let down by NASA and Boeing, Butch said, "Absolutely not." Pointing to William's t-shirt with a NASA logo, he said: "That represents something that we stand for as an agency - we go beyond, we do things that are out of the ordinary." "This is not easy," he added. He said that 90 per cent of their astronaut training is about preparing for "the unexpected". Williams, who has just been named the commander of the International Space Station, said she was in good spirits. "We're here with our friends, we've got a ride home," she said, adding that she is looking forward to the next couple of months on board the ISS. Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal have written to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting their intervention in the RG Kar hospital impasse. IMAGE: Junior doctors continue their protest against the RG Kar murder and rape case amid heavy rains, at Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata. Photograph: ANI Photo Copies of the four-page letter written by the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front were also sent to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union Health Minister J P Nadda. A post-graduate trainee was raped and murdered in state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Junior doctors have been on a 'cease work' since then. 'We humbly place the issues before your esteemed excellency, as the head of state, so that our unfortunate colleague who has been the victim of the most despicable crime shall receive justice, and so that we, the healthcare professionals under the West Bengal Health department, may be able to discharge our duties to the public without fear and apprehension. 'Your intervention in these trying times will act as a beacon of light to us all, showing us the way ahead out of the darkness that surrounds us,' they wrote. One of the agitating doctors, Aniket Mahato, told PTI that the letter was drafted earlier this month and sent on Thursday night. In the light of these extremely unfortunate events, the head of the institute in question, along with the state police and certain state government officials had allegedly mishandled the entire forensic and legal proceedings with little regard for either the sanctity of the crime scene that was mobbed by several people of infamous repute within the West Bengal medical fraternity, or for the victim's parents the letter said. In view of these circumstances, the sense of deep mistrust and fear that we feel towards the authorities remain unallayed so far, and we desperately implore that these noxious elements within the health system be weeded out to assure us of a truly safe workplace, it said. In this turbid atmosphere of fear, distrust and hopelessness , the junior doctors in West Bengal have been forced to avoid working within the hospital premises and instead, have taken alternative modes to discharge the duty of providing health care services to citizenss, it added. The proposed talks to resolve the impasse between agitating junior doctors and the West Bengal government over the RG Kar issue fell through on Saturday after protestors, who had agreed to join the meeting based on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's appeal despite relenting on their live-streaming demand, were "unceremoniously" asked to leave the venue. IMAGE: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee speaks to the delegation of junior doctors, who are protesting over the RG Kar rape and murder case, outside her residence, in Kolkata. Photograph: ANI Photo An agitating doctor, speaking to reporters before leaving, said they had agreed to attend the meeting without live-streaming or video recording, as requested by Banerjee. "When we came here, we had demanded video recording or live-streaming of the talks. We were not allowed. Then the chief minister came out and appealed to us to join the talks, promising that we would receive the minutes of the meeting. We discussed among ourselves and agreed to join the meeting without live-streaming or video recording," the doctor said. "When we conveyed this to Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya, we were told to leave the venue because it was too late and they had been waiting for us for three hours. We were unceremoniously asked to leave," the doctor added. Breaking down in tears before the camera, another doctor said this incident reflected the "true intentions" of the state government. "It shows who is not serious about the talks," the doctor said. A video shared by the junior doctors showed Bhattacharya telling them to leave as it was too late. "Today it's over, we have been waiting for three hours but you people didn't come inside. It's too late now," she was heard saying. The authenticity of the video shared by the junior doctors could not be independently verified. IMAGE: Mamata with officials wait at her residence for protesting junior doctors to initiate talk. Photograph: ANI Photo Earlier, Mamata Banerjee appealed to the agitating doctors to join the meeting, amid their demand for live-streaming of the discussions. I would request you all to come inside and attend the meeting. As the matter is before the court, we cannot allow live streaming. I will video-record the meeting and will provide you with a copy only after permission from the Supreme Court, she said, while appealing to students to come inside and not to get drenched in rain. Today, you said that you want a meeting, so I have been waiting. Why are you people insulting me like this? Please don't insult me like this. Earlier on the three occasions, I have been waiting but you people didn't come, she said. The scheduled meeting between Banerjee and the agitating junior doctors, who have been protesting over the RG Kar incident, did not take place even after a three-hour wait due to the impasse over live-streaming the meeting. Banerjee had made an earnest appeal to the junior doctors to join the meeting despite the impasse. You are the owner of this article. Israel stepped up its massive air strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs in its drive to wipe out Hezbollah's capabilities and leadership, even as the world awaits with trepidation the October 7 anniversary of the bloody attack on Israel by Hamas -- which, like Hezbollah, is a U.S.-designated terror group with ties to Iran. Meanwhile, Tehran said it had lifted all flight restrictions after earlier announcing it was closing Iranian airports as of 9 p.m. on October 6 until 6 a.m. on October 7, citing "operational restrictions," at a time when Israel is weighing options for its response to Iran's recent massive missile strike on its territory. State media said the restrictions were lifted after ensuring favorable and safe conditions. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav 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. "The Iranians did not touch the air force's capabilities. No aircraft were damaged, no squadron was taken out of order," Gallant said in reference to the Iranian missile strike, which caused few injuries and slight damage to two air force bases. "Whoever thinks that a mere attempt to harm us will deter us from taking action should take a look at [Israels operations] in Gaza and Beirut, where Israel is battling fighters of Hamas, which has been deemed a terrorist organization by the United States and EU. Israel earlier said conducted a series of targeted strikes on weapons storage facilities and infrastructure sites that belong to Iran-backed Hezbollah. Hezbollah has been designated by the United States as a terror group, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing but not its political unit, which holds seats in the Lebanese parliament. Lebanon's official National News Agency said Hezbollah's stronghold in the area was hit by more than 30 strikes. A petrol station and a medical supplies warehouse were hit by the air raids. Video footage showed huge flames and plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky, as residents fled their homes in panic with explosions echoing in the background. Many observers said the attacks were the strongest yet of Israel's recent air strikes. "Last night was the most violence of all the previous nights," Hanan Abdullah, a resident of the Burj al-Barajneh area in Beirut's southern suburbs, told Reuters. "Buildings were shaking around us and at first I thought it was an earthquake. There were dozens of strikes -- we couldn't count them all -- and the sounds were deafening," Israel has bombed Beirut suburbs for days, killing Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and possibly his potential successor, Hashem Safieddine. Security sources have said Safieddine had been out of contact since October 4, after an Israeli air strike near Beiruts international airport that was reported to have targeted him. Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine. Israel says Nasrallah was killed in a strike on the group's central command headquarters in Beirut on September 27. Two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters on October 6 that Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force -- the overseas arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) -- also had not been heard from in recent days since traveling to Lebanon. Senior Hezbollah member Mahmoud Qmati, when asked about Qaani's whereabouts, told Reuters: "I have no information. We are also searching for the truth of this matter. Statements on October 6 out of the United States -- Tel Aviv's most important ally -- indicated some frustrations with the scope of Israel's military action. "Military pressure can at times enable diplomacy. Of course, military pressure can also lead to miscalculation. It can lead to unintended consequences," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in statement. The spokesperson said Washington supported Israeli actions in going after extremist elements but added that U.S. leaders but did not approve of the targeting of civilian infrastructure. "Every civilian casualty is one too many," the spokesperson said. Israel said on October 5 that its forces had killed 440 Hezbollah fighters in ground operations in southern Lebanon and destroyed 2,000 Hezbollah targets. Nine Israeli soldiers had been killed in southern Lebanon so far, the authorities said. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, nearly 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the latest conflict, most of them since September 23. Israel says the attacks on Hezbollah are aimed at enabling the safe return of tens of thousands of citizens to homes in northern Israel, bombarded by the group since last October. The Israeli forces were on high alert ahead of the first anniversary of an attack on October 7 last year, which sparked the war and was carried out by Hamas. According to Israel tallies, some 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage in the unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel. Israeli police on October 6 said several people had been injured in a suspected shooting attack in Beersheba, a city in southern Israel. One attacker was killed, the ambulance service said. Separately, health officials in Hamas-run Gaza reported on October 6 that at least 41,870 Palestinians have been killed in the territory in the yearlong war between Israel and Palestinian militants. Palestinian officials said that an Israeli strike on a mosque in Gaza early on October 6 killed at least 19 people who were sheltering after being displaced from their homes near the town of Deir al-Bala. The Israeli military said the strike was targeting militants. The reports could not immediately be confirmed, but the Associated Press said one of its journalists counted the bodies at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue. AP also reported that hospital records showed that the fatalities from the mosque strike were all men. Israel said its forces on October 6 surrounded the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza in response to indications that Hamas was rebuilding its operational capabilities in the area. Israel is also considering a retaliatory strike on Iran, which fired at least 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1. Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad visited Kharg island on October 6, amid concerns that Israel could target Iran's largest oil terminal there. "The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC] Navy plays an important role in the security of oil and gas facilities," Paknejad was quoted as saying at the facility, from which around 90 percent of Iranian oil exports are shipped. In Syria, state media and local rights monitors said an Israeli air strike targeted three cars in the city of Homs, although details remained sketchy. Israeli forces have for years been striking Iran-linked targets in Syria and have intensified such actions since the October 7 attacks. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP 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. Dimitry Toukhcher was taking a breather from a weightlifting session in January 2023 when he flicked open his e-mails to find a message from controversial Canadian author and psychologist Jordan Peterson. Peterson has become a cultural lightning rod in the West since rising to prominence in 2016 over opposition to Canadian laws around gender identity. He has also raised hackles for his views on feminism, climate change, and political correctness. He is a prominent opponent of progressive politics who enjoys vast audiences for his books and YouTube lectures. "Just gave you a shout-out on Rogan," read the one-line message. Toukhcher, the 41-year-old founder of the LGFG fashion house, took a moment to absorb the enormity of those seven words, then replied, "I'm going to frame that e-mail and put it on my wall." The next day, he watched along with millions around the world as Peterson opened The Joe Rogan Experience -- the worlds most popular podcast -- describing the unique "heaven and hell" suit that Toukhcher had designed for him. News stories, memes, viral clips, and entire analysis videos breaking down the symbolism of Peterson's vivid new outfits followed. Such guerrilla marketing has its roots in Toukhcher's Soviet upbringing and a subsequent, ferocious faith in the free market. Toukhcher still has clear memories of his 1980s childhood in the south of Kyiv and the events that were shaking the foundations of the Soviet Union at the time. "I remember Chernobyl, and I was only 3 years old when that happened," he told RFE/RL. "I remember quite well my grandmother taking me to Odesa during that time. We wanted to head south because the wind was going north." Toukhcher's grandmother's job as the editor for a state propaganda newspaper meant she "knew something was amiss" before the wider Soviet public became aware of the scale of the nuclear disaster. Toukhcher left Ukraine with his parents in 1992 amid the economic chaos that was roiling the former Soviet Union. When he arrived in Vancouver, Canada, the young Toukhcher, steeped in Soviet supremacy, stepped into an alternate reality. "I was a fairly conscientious student, even in the Soviet school system. I really cared about doing well. And doing well usually meant appeasing the teacher, which means being quite a good conformist," he recalled. "I really believed and had a lot of pride in the fact that [as a Soviet citizen] I was from a country that had the best scientists, the best technology, the best people, the most caring government. We were really told that a lot in school." But faced with Canadian supermarkets filled with enticing food, and cartoons playing around the clock on television, Toukhcher was confronted with the realization that "everything here in Canada is just better, obviously." The experience, he said, "f****d with me really hard." Today, Toukhcher says that, largely as a result of that slap-in-the-face lesson on propaganda and the free market, "I'm an unapologetic capitalist." Because his teams rely directly on sales for their incomes, he said, "We eat what we kill." Toukhcher has declined in the past to be interviewed about his relationship with Peterson. He agreed to speak with RFE/RL provided he could record the conversation lest he be misquoted. After listening to an audio version of Peterson's self-help book 12 Rules For Life, which has sold more than 10 million copies, Toukhcher, who had been a fan of Peterson long before the book's 2018 release, took note of the main point of each chapter. He then imagined a series of 12 suits, one for each of the chapters, with themes such as "Tell the truth -- or, at least, don't lie," and "Stand up straight with your shoulders back." The suits would have the title of each chapter under the collar and be made with symbolic materials. The "stand up straight" outfit was to be woven with fiber from bamboo; another suit, made for the theme "Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world," would be lined with Soviet propaganda posters. The unusual lining was a nod to Peterson's personal collection of Soviet art -- much of it sourced from Ukraine -- that the psychologist says he keeps as a reminder of the mass murder carried out in the name of Marxism through the 20th century. Attempts to reach Peterson with his pitch to make the suits a reality failed initially, Toukhcher says. But in June 2022, when he saw that Peterson was going to be in Estonia, where Toukhcher now lives, he says he "did what any crazed fan would do. I bought the VIP ticket to a show and shook his hand." After the Tallinn encounter, the clothing designer was able to book a 10-minute phone call with Peterson. "I got right into the imagery [of the 12 suits] and the meaning behind each detail of the suit, and he liked it," Toukhcher said. "He said, 'Lets go for it.'" Peterson has said he is well aware of the promotional impact that wearing Toukhchers suits has had for the Ukrainian-born entrepreneur but said, "Thats fine," given he "doesn't push it, he plays nice." Some suits have been more impactful than others. A recent design by Toukhcher bearing religious iconography has been worn by Peterson in several high profile-podcast appearances and public speaking events. Another suit, designed in the colors of the app formerly known as Twitter, was widely panned as making the Canadian look like an "unemployed birthday clown." The suit jacket was lined with screenshots of tweets attacking Peterson's dress sense, apparently anticipating the reaction the blue velvet design would evoke. In a July 2024 podcast, the Canadian author said of Toukhcher's suits, "He sends me these damn things, and I think, 'There's no way I'll wear that.' Then I put it on and I think, 'Huh, I like that.'" PRAGUE -- The chairman of the NATO Military Committee said the question of whether to allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia with Western-made long-range missiles is a "political discussion" but, from a military standpoint, would be within Ukraine's legal right. Dutch Navy Admiral Rob Bauer told RFE/RL in an interview on September 14 that the lifting of the restriction is not a question that NATO is discussing, but in his opinion as military leader the answer would be yes. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. "In accordance with the UN charter and in accordance with the law of armed conflict, if you are attacked by a nation, then you are allowed to defend yourself," Bauer said. "That defense doesn't stop at your borders. You are allowed to actually attack the enemy on its own territory." Bauer spoke with RFE/RL as the NATO Military Committee -- the alliance's highest military authority -- met in Prague for a two-day conference to discuss strategic developments within the alliance in light of decisions made during the NATO summit in July. The meeting took place a day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss whether to approve Kyiv's request to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia. Bauer said the threats voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and former President Dmitry Medvedev in response to those discussions showed their frustration over how the war is going 2 1/2 years after Russia launched it. "If I think it's primarily a proof of how frustrated they are because Russia has not achieved any of their strategic goals in Ukraine," Bauer said. Putin said earlier this week that the West would be "at war" with Russia if it allowed Ukraine to strike with Western-made long-range missiles, while Medvedev said on September 14 that Russia could destroy Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, with non-nuclear weapons if the West lifted its restrictions. Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chairman of the country's security council, also said Moscow could resort to nuclear weapons. Bauer said the threats must be taken seriously, but what NATO and the other allies of Ukraine are doing "is within the UN charter, within the international law. And we will continue doing so." In his speech to the conference, Bauer praised the Ukrainian military for proving to the world that there is "nothing they cannot do" and only need the support from their allies to achieve their goals. "And they will have it -- not only now, not only for the duration of the war, but also in the decades to follow," Bauer said in comments to the conference. NATO allies led by the United States have donated tens of billions of dollars of military equipment to help Ukraine fight the war, and Bauer said Ukraine's forces are growing "more and more interoperable" by the day with NATO forces, moving the country closer to NATO membership. "One day, we will stand side by side under the NATO banner," he said. "Ukraine deserves our unrelenting support, not only because of who they are as a people but also because of who we are as NATO." Bauer also said NATO needs need a much larger defense-industry production capacity and it must be better coordinated to increase deterrence. "The more we ramp up our deterrence, the better chance we have of protecting the freedoms that we hold dear and preventing war from ever entering our soil," he said. Army Lieutenant General Karel Rehka, chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, also commented on the war in Ukraine, saying it is a matter of survival for Ukraine and a fight for the principles of democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity that NATO exists to defend. "It is imperative that we -- at the top of our militaries -- provide all necessary assistance to Ukraine, be it in the form of training or supplying weapons and other military equipment," Rehka said in an address to the conference on September 14. "By supporting Ukraine, we are also strengthening our unity and containing the Russian threat." Both Bauer and Rehka agreed on the need for greater defense expenditures, with Rehka saying, "It is evident that 2 percent of GDP on defense spending will not be enough." Rehka also warned that threats from Russia come not only on the conventional battlefield but also in the form of hybrid tactics, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and kinetic acts of violence. "All these actions are designed to sow fear and undermine the unity of our societies. We must, therefore, take a broad approachthat integrates our conventional military capabilities with robust cyberdefenses and strong civil-military cooperation." BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14. World-famous actor and musician Will Smith, who arrived in Baku to perform at a concert as part of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, appeared in the paddock today, Trend reports. Will Smith visited the Formula 1 garages, met with famous teams and pilots. The American actor also met with his fans, shared sincere moments with them and gave interviews. Will Smith gave fans an unforgettable night with his spectacular performance on the first day of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. WASHINGTON -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for months has been pleading with the United States and Britain for the right to use their long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russia. He finally appears to be close to achieving his goal. There has been noticeable momentum over the past few weeks to loosen those restrictions ahead of a key meeting between President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington on September 13. The two leaders were expected to discuss support for Ukraine, among other topics, but not formally announce any change in policy. But the meeting itself and other bits of information reported during the week gave the appearance that something was afoot. Asked on September 11 whether he would loosen the restrictions, Biden said, We are working that out right now, signaling a possible shift in his position. The comment came as many members of Congress, including those from his own Democratic Party, called on the president to ease his policy. I expect that we will see an announcement shortly about relaxing the restrictions. There has been tremendous buildup, and it would be very hard to backtrack, Mark Cancian, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and Institutional Studies, told RFE/RL. I suspect the United States and the U.K. are hammering out the conditions, in particular the target sets, because they will want to limit the strikes to military targets to avoid civilian casualties and suffering. The likely permissible targets for long-range strikes will include airfields, logistics hubs, depots, and headquarters, he said. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russian energy assets, in particular oil refineries and storage facilities, with their own homemade, long-range drones since the start of the year. Though they are legitimate military targets inside Russia, the Biden administration did not express support for the strikes. The U.K.'s Guardian newspaper reported on September 12 that London has already given Ukraine the green light to use its Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which can travel up to 250 kilometers, for long-range strikes deep into Russian territory. The U.K. requires Washington's permission because the missiles contain U.S. parts. Giving Ukraine the green light to use Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) -- a powerful, supersonic, ballistic missile that can travel as far as 300 kilometers -- to destroy Russian military assets far from the front lines following months of foot-dragging would be consistent with a pattern set by the Biden administration since the start of Moscows invasion. The administration had initially denied Ukraine's requests for Abrams tanks, F-16 fighter jets, and long-range missiles like High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and ATACMS, in part amid concern it could provoke Russia. Biden eventually gave in to all those requests as pressure mounted from Ukraine, allies, and Ukraine supporters at home. Earlier this year, as Russian forces concentrated near the border with the apparent intention to reinvade Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, the Biden administration relaxed its policy and allowed Ukraine to fire ATACMS at forces just inside Russia, but no further. Glide Bombs The call to ease the restrictions on long-range strikes has grown this year as Russia continues to terrorize Ukrainian troops and cities with powerful glide bombs, which are difficult to spot on radar. Zelenskiy in June said Russia was dropping as many as 3,000 glide bombs a month. The pounding of Ukrainian positions from the sky has enabled Russian ground troops -- albeit at extraordinary costs in human life and equipment -- to gain territory, threatening key logistics towns, like Pokrovsk. The best defense against the glide bombs is to destroy the planes dropping them or push those planes farther from the front lines, something that can be achieved by targeting air bases, experts say. But Cancian agreed with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's statement last week that easing the restrictions will not turn the tide of the war in Ukraine's favor. The analyst pointed to the limited impact long-range Western weapons have had so far on Russia-controlled Crimea. Ukraine has struck Russian airfields and other military assets on the peninsula with those weapons. While this has weakened Moscows capabilities, it hasnt been decisive in that theater of the war, he said. He added that the use of long-range precision missiles inside Russia could make it more difficult for Moscow to launch glide bombs and force it to disperse headquarters and logistics hubs, making its military operation less efficient. It is not going to be a game-changer, but it would be helpful, he said. Putin's Threats As momentum built this week to ease the restrictions, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued his latest warning to the West about supporting Ukraine, saying he would view such a policy change as the direct participation of NATO countries in the war in Ukraine. However, he did not say how he would react. Putin in 2022 hinted at the use of tactical nuclear weapons, a comment that immediately provoked a negative response around the world, including from friendly countries like India. Earlier this year, following the latest U.S. policy change, he said Russia could supply lethal weapons to Western adversaries. Putins saber-rattling has influenced the Biden administrations cautious approach to supplying Ukraine with ever more sophisticated weapons such as F-16 fighter jets and long-range missiles and permitting strikes inside Russia. Some experts argue that Putin's threats are empty, saying he hasn't followed through on any to date, and that the United States should not heed them. David Kramer, who served as U.S. assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor from 2008-09, told a conference on September 12 that Putin is using the nuclear threat to undermine Western resolve. I really would caution against overstating the possibility of nuclear escalation. That is what Putin wants us to think. Lets not fall for it, said Kramer, a Russia expert who is now the executive director of the George W. Bush Institute. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has welcomed the progress in Azerbaijani-Armenian normalization, the spokesperson of the US Department of State Matthew Miller said, Trend reports. He noted that Blinken recently spoke with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and reiterated the importance of a durable and dignified peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Secretary of State welcomed the recent progress between the sides, including the agreement to regulate border delimitation, he added. To note, following the Protocol of the eighth meeting of the State Commission on State Border Delimitation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia and the Commission on State Border Delimitation and Border Security Issues between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan signed on April 19, 2024, the Commissions completed the work on the agreement of the Regulations on Joint Activities. The Regulations on Joint Activity of the Commissions were signed on August 30, 2024. At present, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia have initiated internal procedures. Strokestown Agricultural Show, which gets underway today, Saturday, September 14th, has an incredible line up and an eye catching 80,000 in total prize money. The show will take place on the grounds of Strokestown Park House. One of the main sections of the show is the cattle section, which is set to be as competitive and popular as ever. In this section, the Sweeney family has generously sponsored the All-Ireland Beef Bullock Final to the value of 6,000. The Sweeney family also sponsors the Breeding Heifer Class to the value of 2,000. Greenvale Animal Feeds sponsors the All-Ireland Beef Heifer Final to the value of 3,000. Greenvale has sponsored the All-Ireland Beef Heifer Final for Id say 25 or 30 years, said show chairman John OBeirne. Pictured at the Strokestown Show launch in the Percy French were Martin Shiel, Strokestown Show Treasurer; Anthony Geoghegan, Roscommon Sheep Breeders, sponsors Jack Beirne and Dylan Cronin, Corby Rock Mill, John Farrell Roscommon Sheep Breeders and Strokestown Show Chairperson John O'Beirne. Pic. Michelle Hughes Walsh Mr OBeirne also said that Percy Hanly and the Hanly family had been sponsoring the All-Ireland calf classes for a long number of years, and he thanked Mr Hanly for his generous sponsorship. With sponsors like that, the show is blessed, Mr OBeirne said. He also thanked the many breed societies that attend the show, highlighting that the Pedigree Angus section has a total prize fund of 13,000. Pictured at the Strokestown Show launch in the Percy French Hotel were committee members and volunteers. Pic. Michelle Hughes Walsh He also welcomed the shows many breed societies to the launch, which included the Charolais Society, Hereford Charolais, the Shorthorn Society and the Angus Society. We have had the All-Ireland Angus finals here for a long number of years, he said. He added that the Irish Simmental All-Ireland finals will also be held at the Strokestown Show this year. We have a serious show of Simmental cattle here. We cater for every breed, we cater for every society, he said, adding that the show was delighted to host the societies' finals. The Breeders Choice class is open to all traditional genotype 4* or 5* breeding heifers, suitable to make a suckler cow. This is sponsored by the Department of Agriculture and Minister Charlie McConalogue. In the sheep section, Mr OBeirne said there is a new class for the Roscommon Sheep Breeders Society. There is a serious amount of work involved in getting this show up and running," said Mr O'Beirne. He thanked the shows hardworking, efficient, and great committee. Starting in 1867, the show has run every year since then, bar two years during the pandemic. Pictured at the Strokestown Show launch in the Percy French were Strokestown Show Treasurer, Martin Shiel, Vice -Chairperson Padraic Holmes, Show Chairperson John O'Beirne, sponsor Cormac Dolan from Greenvale Animal Feeds and Allen Dolan, Show Joint Secretary. Pic. Michelle Hughes Walsh We always boasted that we were the only show that ran continuously for 150 years. Its first chairman was Percy Frenchs father. Theres history within history there. We have the original schedule that was printed in 1867 and we got it reprinted. That is thanks to David McMahon. He located it, his mother had it as it had come down through the generations fully intact," said Mr O'Beirne. September 14, UPDATE A roundup of local and international news. Newsflash Newsroom, 14.09.2024, 20:00 FLOODING More than 5,000 households in several localities in Galati county (eastern Romania) were affected by floods, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations announced on Saturday. At least four people died and several hundred were evacuated. Also, in Vaslui County (east) there were floods in several localities, and dozens of people were evacuated. In several eastern counties, road and rail traffic were disrupted, and the electricity supply was interrupted. The authorities have announced that several camps will be set up for the citizens evacuated following the floods. The government specified that the residents of the flooded areas in Galati county, the most affected by the episode of severe weather and the consequences of the heavy rains, will receive water and food immediately, for a period of 7 days. WEATHER The heavy rain created problems in the Republic of Moldova, in several districts near the border with Romania, as well as in the capital Chisinau, where a number of main streets in the city center were flooded, the authorities being forced to suspend the circulation of several public transport lines. There are also problems in other states in Central and Eastern Europe, after days of heavy rainfall. In the Czech capital, Prague, which suffered catastrophic flooding in 2002, flood barriers were erected. In the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, there is a state of emergency following heavy rains. In Poland, due to the overflow of a river, the authorities decided to close a border crossing point with the Czech Republic, and it is not possible to drive on several national roads. DEFENSE The U.S. State Department on Friday announced it has approved the sale of 32 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Romania in a deal worth roughly $7.2 billion. Romanias deal for the Lockheed Martin-made F-35s will also include F135 engines made by Pratt & Whitney for each jet and a spare engine, the Pentagon announced. The Romanian Defense Ministry hailed the decision and specified that, in addition to the jets, the purchase would also provide logistics and maintenance support, navigation, communications and cryptographic equipment, ammunition and weapons, training for pilots and other personnel, and simulators. Romania is a key NATO Ally in promoting security and stability in the Black Sea region and beyond. The F-35As will provide Romania with unparalleled air defense capabilities and enhance interoperability among NATO air forces, U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec said. ENERGY Romanias natural gas deposits are full and the coal stocks are are at the required level. This is the conclusion of Fridays meeting of the National Energy Command, convened by Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja. He specified that the problem is the significant fluctuation of energy prices in the short term, and one cause is the lack of interconnectivity between Austria and Hungary. The energy ministers from Romania, Bulgaria and Greece will present in about 10 days, to the Council of Ministers of the European Union, a preliminary plan for accelerating investments in interconnections, so that when energy is cheaper in one part of Europe, the other part can also benefit similar prices. Romania continues to be the second largest gas producer in the EU. GERMAN BORDER The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns its citizens traveling to Germany to prepare for longer waiting times, because the government in Berlin has decided to extend temporary checks at all land borders to reduce illegal migration. As of Monday, in addition to the temporary checks already in place at the land borders with Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Poland, there will also be checks at the borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark, for a period of six months. Romanians facing special situations can call the embassys hotlines in Berlin, as well as the Romanian consulates in Germany. FARMERS Romanian farmers will receive a bigger advance from the European funds, the Agriculture Ministry in Bucharest announced. According to the institution, advances will be granted in the amount of 70% from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund for direct payments and 85% from the European Fund for Rural Development, as a result of a derogation approved by the European Commission. The Romanian Agriculture Minister, Florin Barbu, has said that this will help farmers cope with the liquidity problems they face, in order to prepare for the new agricultural year. The Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture specified that a budget of approximately 1 billion euros was allocated to cover these amounts and that it is making efforts to start payments on October 16. DRUGS Three Albanian and three Romanian drug traffickers were detained by the Romanian law-enforcement agency DIICOT, after they were caught with approximately 4.5 kg of heroin. The drugs were prepared in a house in Ialomita county (south) and were intended for the Romanian market. The value of the heroin is approximately 50,000 euros. According to the Romanian Police, investigations began after two Albanian citizens entered the country on September 9, with the aim of trafficking a large amount of heroin. They then met with other members of the group in a house in Ialomita, where the drugs were mixed with additives, portioned and packaged. Later, the narcotics were distributed among the members of the group, according to DIICOT. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14. Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov met with a delegation headed by the President of the Supreme Court of Appeals of the Republic of Turkiye Omer Kerkez, Trend reports. In the course of the meeting, the sides expressed satisfaction with the successful development of ties between Azerbaijan and Turkiye in all spheres and emphasized that interstate relations have reached the highest level of strategic partnership and alliance due to the joint efforts of the leaders of the two countries. Furthermore, the level of cooperation between the judicial-legal systems of the two countries was highly assessed. The importance of continuing this cooperation both in a bilateral format and within the framework of international organizations was stressed. In this context, the establishment of the Conference of Supreme Courts of Turkic States in Shusha last October was highlighted. The prospects of expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkiye in various directions, including in the judicial-legal sphere, were discussed at the meeting. Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Inam Karimov, attended the meeting. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14. The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan is holding an important meeting under the chairmanship of Mazahir Panahov, Trend reports. The meeting is all about approving the protocol of the CEC meeting of September 12 in connection with the snap parliamentary election held on September 1 and considering the received appeals. To recall, a total of 112,749 local observers were registered to observe the election. More than 65,000 of them were representatives of political parties. The number of registered international observers was 598, representing 51 organizations and 69 countries. Out of 990 registered candidates in the parliamentary election, 305 are representatives of 25 political parties. Even though 371 candidates were affiliated with political parties, their respective parties did not nominate them. A total of 676 candidates were affiliated with a political party. Will be updated Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. China proposes new regulation on labeling AI-generated content Xinhua) 15:49, September 14, 2024 BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has released a draft regulation that aims to standardize the labeling of AI-generated synthetic content to protect national security and public interests. Titled "Measures for identifying AI-generated synthetic content," the draft regulation is open for public feedback until Oct. 14, 2024. AI-generated synthetic content, as defined by the proposed rules, is any text, image, audio or video created using artificial intelligence technologies. Under the draft regulation, internet information service providers must adhere to mandatory national standards when labeling such content. Providers offering functions like downloading, copying or exporting AI-generated materials must ensure that explicit labels are embedded in the files. Platforms that distribute content are also required to regulate the spread of AI-generated materials by offering identification functions and reminding users to disclose whether their posts contain AI-generated content. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Xian Jiangnan) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14. Serbia and Azerbaijan will sign agreement on supply of additional gas volumes, Trend reports via the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy. Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic announced the preparation of an official agreement regarding the purchase of gas from Azerbaijan. During a visit to Novi Sad city on September 13, the minister attended the Srbijagas company headquarters. "This November, we'll have 750 million cubic meters of gas in underground storage at Banatski Dvor [Serbian village] and 163 million cubic meters in gas storage facilities in Hungary. We have also secured additional gas supplies from Azerbaijan (in 2024), which we will purchase according to our needs, and we'll formalize the official agreement soon," the minister said. She mentioned that Serbia has a strategic interest in having gas storage facilities on its own territory. "By the end of 2026, 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas will be stored in Banatski Dvor. The measures being taken will crucially contribute to energy security and stability for the next 25 years," the minister added. To note, Serbia has been receiving gas from Azerbaijan since the beginning of this year, and over the past period, it has purchased more than 23 million cubic meters. On November 15, 2023, a contract was signed between Srbijagas and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) for the supply of Azerbaijani gas (up to 400 million cubic meters per year during 2024-2026, with the possibility of an increase starting in 2027). The gas is transported through Bulgaria. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, September 14. Tajikistan has proposed developing an action plan for implementing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) Economic Development Strategy to 2030, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade told Trend. This proposal was made by Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Zavqi Zavqizoda, during the 23rd meeting of SCO member states' ministers of economy and trade. SCO countries account for nearly half of the world's population and 27 percent of global GDP, making the region a massive market with significant opportunities. In this context, Tajikistan initiated the development of the SCO Economic Development Strategy to 2030, which has been adopted by the member states, Zavqizoda said. He suggested that participants develop an action plan to implement the strategy, focusing on areas such as the digital economy, green energy, e-commerce, large infrastructure projects in the energy and transport sectors, and innovative fields. He also highlighted the use of Tajikistans extensive transit potential. The minister emphasized that Tajikistan views cooperation within the SCO as a priority for its foreign policy. As a result, trade turnover between Tajikistan and SCO countries has shown consistent growth, with over 70 percent of Tajikistans foreign trade conducted with SCO member states. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced her return to work Sept. 13 after undergoing an outpatient procedure to treat skin cancer. In a video posted on social media, Hochul, 66, thanked New Yorkers for their well-wishes and support during her recovery. Back at work after this mornings procedure! Thanks to everyone for the kind wishes. pic.twitter.com/DeNRQHPpSU Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) September 13, 2024 STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. As the outdoor temperature drops this time of year, many people will, unfortunately, experience their body temperature going up along with the other uncomfortable symptoms of the coronavirus (COVID-19). And now that cold and flu season has become COVID-19, cold, flu and RSV season, medical experts are urging folks to head to the doctor or pharmacist for the newest preventative vaccines. And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is urging New Yorkers to get the vaccine as the children return to school. The Food and Drug Administration has approved two new 2024-2025 mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which protect against new variants of the virus. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with local medical experts, say the vaccine will prevent serious symptoms in recipients, along with protecting others who have compromised immune systems and co-morbidities, including lung and heart vulnerabilities. The two newest vaccines, manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer, are both formulated to target KP.2, a strain of the virus that comes from the omicron family of variants, the same family responsible for a variety of variants beginning in 2021. It is anticipated that the new vaccines will also be effective against newer evolutions of the virus within the omicron family, according to the CDC. And while deaths and hospitalizations are nowhere near the levels we experienced in the height of the pandemic, last year more than 916,300 people were hospitalized in the United States due to COVID-19, and more than 75,500 people died from it, according to the CDC. And, most people who were hospitalized had not received last years updated shot, the according to the agency. The currently available vaccines are also expected to protect against any future variants discovered in 2024-2025, according to medical experts. We know the vaccine will still be effective going into the winter months, said Dr. Thomas Gut, associate chairman of medicine at Staten Island University Hospital and medical director of Northwells Post-COVID Recovery Program. Weve targeted specific strains of it better. The original vaccines didnt have the benefit of knowing what evolutions of the virus will come about. We can now predict, (from the) family, whats more likely to target the strains. Even if youve been vaccinated prior to this new vaccine becoming available, the earlier vaccine would not be entirely protective against the newer strains, and some of that immunity would have waned any way, said Dr. Philip Otterbeck, chief medical officer at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC). Testing, too, will become easier in the coming weeks, as those in the United States will soon be able to order free text kits, according to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Protecting those more vulnerable Getting vaccinated and testing will do as much for others as it will for those receiving the shot, according to the medical experts. Its not only for the parties receiving the vaccine, it is protecting their friends and family who might be more vulnerable, said Otterbeck. The overall recommendation is that everyone 6 months of age and above should be vaccinated against COVID, with particular emphasis on those over 65 or those with multiple comorbidities. Those who are immunocompromised are at the greatest risk, the doctors said. And testing will allow people the opportunity to make good decisions, stay home, and avoid infecting those who are at particular risk. The elderly, those with any cardiovascular disease or any kind of chronic lung disease and those with any immune deficiency are at particular risk of serious complications from COVID-19 that may lead to hospitalization or even death, Otterbeck said. Can I still get COVID after getting the vaccine? Though it is still possible to contract COVID-19 after being vaccinated, there is still much to gain, even for the young and those without compromised immunity, Gut said. Even if you do end up getting COVID and youre younger, the COVID vaccine does help you get over it quicker and with fewer symptoms, he said. It might wind up being a cold with a runny nose, where it could (have been) an illness that gives you a high fever, cough, congestion, shortness of breath. And, unfortunately, the fever can knock you out for a few days. Can I get a flu shot or RSV vaccine at the same time? Yes. It is best to confirm with your doctor whether or not you should get the vaccines together or spread them out, but it is recommended that most people get them together. What if I recently got the old vaccine? Even those who have been vaccinated with the old vaccine within the past 12 months should get the newest vaccine, according to the latest CDC guidance. This one targets the more updated, the more current virus that we see circulating in the population, Gut said. Do you have to stick with vaccine manufacturer you took last time? No. You no longer need to stick to one or the other, as was the protocol in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Otterbeck said. What if I recently had COVID-19? If you recently had COVID-19, you can delay the new vaccine for up to three months, Gut said. But you dont have to, and theres no harm in getting it sooner, according to doctors and the CDC. How long does the vaccine take to become effective? It usually takes about a week to start getting proper protection, Gut said. But, immediately, your immune system starts processing and learning from the vaccine, he added. What are the side effects of the vaccine? While not everyone will feel side effects, it is possible to feel soreness at the injection site, fever and some muscle aches, the doctors both said. And they are never worse than getting sick from COVID itself, Gut emphasized. Should I get vaccinated if Im pregnant? Yes. The CDC recommends vaccination for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant, or might become pregnant in the future. Pregnant and recently pregnant women are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people. Breastfeeding is rarely a safety concern with vaccines, according to the CDC. And there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines impact fertility or are harmful to the mother or infant, and vaccination is recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and other medical experts. What about people with chronic medical conditions? According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, the vaccines are safe for adults with cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, dementia, diabetes (type 1 or type 2), Down syndrome, heart disease, HIV, liver disease, and sickle cell disease, and these people are at higher risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19. Should I take a pain reliever before getting the shot? No. The CDC does not recommend taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen prior to receiving the vaccine, as it may affect how your immune system responds to to it. After receiving the vaccine, it is fine to take pain relievers if you have soreness or fever, according to the CDC. Can I get the vaccine for free? Many private insurance plans cover the cost of adult COVID vaccinations, as do Medicare and Medicaid. Children can get the shots for free through the Vaccines for Children program. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Photographer Irma Bohorquez-Geisler has spent more than 20 years capturing everyday life within the Mexican immigrant community on Staten Island. After being awarded a Staten Island Arts 2024 grant, Bohorquez-Geisler used the funding to support her solo photography exhibition, Mexican Heritage: Costumes, Masks and Photos, opening Sunday, Sept. 15, at Wagner Colleges Union Hall Gallery. With a mission to preserve, promote and share Mexican traditions, especially with the younger generations of Mexican-Americans, she displays various photographs that capture Mexican traditions and culture. Her work also seeks to introduce these cultural practices to the broader New York community through the richness of Mexican folk arts, music and dance. This exhibit will feature a selection of color photographs from her long-term and ongoing documentary series, Simple Moments of an Emerging Presence. This series captures the profound moments of everyday life within the Mexican immigrant community on Staten Island while highlighting both the ordinary and the extraordinary. Joana Ramirez in a Chinelo dance costume Carnival tradition. The Chinelos are people from the state of Morelos whose dance is known as the jump" dance dressed in costumes. September 18, 2022. Port Richmond, Staten Island. NY. (Courtesy of Irma Bohorquez-Geisler)Irma Bohorquez-Geisler Through her upcoming exhibition, Bohorquez-Geisler aims to showcase traditional dance costumes, including dresses, masks and headdresses that represent Mexicos rich cultural heritage, specifically from the states of Morelos, Tlaxcala and Puebla. These costumes are used in Day of the Dead dances and festivities, and with permission from their owners, they will be displayed for limited periods. The exhibit will include photographs of home altars honoring deceased loved ones and the preparation of pan de muerto (bread for the deceased) at home and local bakeries. Bohorquez-Geislers goal is to preserve these precious Mexican traditions while creating opportunities and building bridges that enrich the lives of the Mexican-American community. Mariachi Mexico Lindo and Irma Bohorquez-Geisler. New York City Day of the Dead Festival (Dia de Muertos). Snug Harbor Cultural Center. October 30, 2011. West Brighton, Staten Island. NY. (Courtesy of Irma Bohorquez-Geisler)Courtesy of Irma Bohorquez-Geis Awards and accolades Bohorquez-Geislers contributions have earned numerous accolades over the years. She is the founder, and artistic and program director of the annual New York City Day of the Dead Festival (Dia de Muertos) on Staten Island, which was established in 1992. In 2024, her work was featured in the 2024 National Competition Soho Photo Gallery, juried by Lyle Rexer, an internationally recognized critic, writer and curator. Her work was also shown in the Portfolio Development exhibition. Additionally, she exhibited in the curated show Remember at the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council in New Jersey. She participated in the juried exhibition, YesAnd 2022-2023, at the Staten Island Museum, and her work was featured in the online magazine F-Stop Photography Collective Exhibition in 2023. Bohorquez-Geisler was the recipient of many Staten Island Arts Council grants each year from 2000-2019 and 2023 for her photography, her annual Dia de Muertos festival, and as a teaching artist and folk artist in the community. In 2021, she was honored as one of the City of York artists to receive the City Artist Corps award. A selection of her photographic documentary series was showcased in the exhibition Migration Stories at Wilmer Gallery. Irma Bohorquez-Geisler is a photographer who lives in Silver Lake. Sept. 21, 2023. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)Jan Somma-Hammel Exhibit date, location and admission info The exhibition will be on view at Wagner Colleges Union Hall Gallery from Sept. 15 to Nov. 7. The open reception will be held on Thursday, Sept. 19, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The Union Hall Gallery is open Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. This exhibition is made possible with the support of a DCA Art Fund Grant from Staten Island Arts, with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, September 14. Turkmenistan's Investment Forum (TIF 2024) was attended by representatives from 44 countries, including 22 international organizations, the Deputy Chairperson of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Hojamyrat Geldimyradov said, Trend reports. He made the statement in his report to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov at a Cabinet meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan. The forum was attended by representatives from 44 countries, including 22 international organizations, foreign government agencies, companies, and embassies accredited in Turkmenistan. The event included three plenary sessions, seven sessions on key areas of the economy, and four roundtable meetings, he emphasized. According to the deputy chairman's report, nine memoranda, five agreements, and eight contracts were signed between Turkmen agencies and foreign partners during the forum. Geldimyradov stated that more than 80 meetings were held with representatives of international organizations and financial institutions to discuss opportunities for further economic cooperation. Furthermore, Geldimyradov mentioned that the representatives of Turkmenistan demonstrated the investment potential of various sectors of the national economy, projects under implementation, and existing favorable conditions for foreign investors. In their reports, the foreign experts noted the growing authority of Turkmenistan and its commitment to international obligations. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that the Investment Forum in Ashgabat has become an important platform for strengthening economic ties between Turkmenistan and the world community and establishing new business contacts. To note, the Turkmenistan Investment Forum (TIF 2024) was held in Ashgabat from September 10 through 11 and served as an important platform for attracting investments into the country's economy. The organizers were the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan. The forum was attended by representatives of leading international companies and organizations. The main focus was on attracting investments in the hydrocarbon sector, the TAPI project, gas chemistry, electric power, construction, and transportation. rSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Parades, festivals and other events throughout New York City will result in road closures across all five boroughs this weekend. This weekend is the first of the 98th annual Religious Feast of San Gennaro. The event will take over Little Italy in Manhattan and continue through Sept. 22. Also, on both Saturday and Sunday, the United Nations General Assembly is expected to force the closure of multiple streets. The anticipated closures are slated to last until Sept. 24. According to an advisory from the NYPD, the closures will be at the discretion of police. Additional closure details: 98th Annual Religious Feast of San Gennaro Manhattan: Thursday, Sept. 12 until Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024 Locations: Mott Street between Canal Street and East Houston Street Mulberry Street between Canal Street and East Houston Street Baxter Street between Canal Street and Grand Street Centre Market Place between Grand Street and Broome Street Centre Street between Canal Street and Broome Street Cleveland Place between Broome Street and Spring Street Lafayette Street between Spring Street and East Houston Street Canal Street between Bowery and Centre Street Hester Street between Mott Street and Centre Street Grand Street between Elizabeth Street and Centre Street Broome Street between Mott Street and Centre Street/Cleveland Place Kenmare Street between Mott Street and Cleveland Place Spring Street between Mott Street and Cleveland Place/Lafayette Street Prince Street between Mott Street and Lafayette Street Jersey Street between Mulberry Street and Lafayette Street 8th Avenue Fall Fair Manhattan Location: 8th Avenue between 23rd Street and 14th Street Moon Festival Parade Queens Formation: 38th Avenue between Price Street and Main Street Route: Main Street between 38th Avenue and Elder Avenue Dispersal: Elder Avenue between Main Street and Colden Street Rev Angel Valentins Corner Manhattan Location: NWC of 100th Street and 3rd Avenue Closure: None Santina DiStefano Way Staten Island Location: Southwest corner of Forest Avenue and Oakland Avenue Closure: None UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY Manhattan: Tuesday, Sept. 10 until Saturday, Sept. 24, 2024 Locations: Monday, Sept. 10 through Sept. 29, 2024 FDR Drive between Whitehall Street and 42nd Street Area Bounded by East 86th Street on the North, East 80th Street on the South, Park Avenue on the East and 5th Avenue on the West; All inclusive Area bounded by 60th Street on the North, 34th Street on the South, 1st Avenue on the East and 3rd Avenue on the West; All inclusive Area bounded by 57th Street on the North, 45th Street on the South, 3rd Avenue on the East and Madison Avenue on the West; All inclusive Area bounded by West 47th Street on the North , West 44th Street on the South, 7th Avenue on the East and 8th Avenue on the West; All inclusive Grand Army Plaza between 58th Street and 60th Street Grand Army Plaza between East Drive and 5th Avenue 8th Avenue between West 49th Street and West 44th Street 6th Avenue between West 59th Street and West 46th Street 5th Avenue between East 63rd Street and East 49th Street Madison Avenue between East 58th Street and East 42nd Street Vanderbilt Avenue between 47th Street and 42nd Street Park Avenue between East 62nd Street and East 45th Street Lexington Avenue between East 57th Street and East 42nd Street East 63rd Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue East 62nd Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue East 61st Street between 5th Avenue and Lexington Avenue West 59th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue West/East 58th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas West/East 57th Street between 7th Avenue and dead end/FDR Drive West 56th Street between 7th Avenue and 6th Avenue West 55th Street between 7th Avenue and 6th Avenue West 54th Street between 7th Avenue and 6th Avenue West/East 53rd Street between 7th Avenue and FDR Drive West 52nd Street between 7th Avenue and 6th Avenue West 51st Street between 7th Avenue and 6th Avenue West/East 50th Street between 7th Avenue and Dead End/FDR Drive West/East 49th Street between 8th Avenue and FDR Drive Service Road FDR Drive Service Road between East 48th Street and East 49th Street East 48th Street between 1st Avenue and FDR Drive Service Road West 46th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas West/East 42nd Street between 7th Avenue and FDR Drive West/East 34th Street between 7th Avenue and FDR Drive UN General Assembly Manhattan: Sept. 10 until Saturday, Sept. 24 Locations: Sept. 10 through Sept. 29 FDR Drive between Whitehall Street and 42nd Street Area Bounded by East 86th Street on the North, East 80th Street on the South, Park Avenue on the East and 5th Avenue on the West; All inclusive Area bounded by 60th Street on the North, 34th Street on the South, 1st Avenue on the East and 3rd Avenue on the West; All inclusive Area bounded by 57th Street on the North, 45th Street on the South, 3rd Avenue on the East and Madison Avenue on the West; All inclusive Area bounded by West 47th Street on the North, West 44th Street on the South, 7th Avenue on the East and 8th Avenue on the West; All inclusive Grand Army Plaza between 58th Street and 60th Street Grand Army Plaza between East Drive and 5th Avenue 8th Avenue between West 49th Street and West 44th Street 6th Avenue between West 59th Street and West 46th Street 5th Avenue between East 63rd Street and East 49th Street Madison Avenue between East 58th Street and East 42nd Street Vanderbilt Avenue between 47th Street and 42nd Street Park Avenue between East 62nd Street and East 45th Street Lexington Avenue between East 57th Street and East 42nd Street East 63rd Street between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue East 62nd Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue East 61st Street between 5th Avenue and Lexington Avenue West 59th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue West/East 58th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas West/East 57th Street between 7th Avenue and dead end/FDR Drive West 56th Street between 7th Avenue and 6th Avenue West 55th Street between 7th Avenue and 6th Avenue West 54th Street between 7th Avenue and 6th Avenue West/East 53rd Street between 7th Avenue and FDR Drive West 52nd Street between 7th Avenue and 6th Avenue West 51st Street between 7th Avenue and 6th Avenue West/East 50th Street between 7th Avenue and dead end/FDR Drive West/East 49th Street between 8th Avenue and FDR Drive Service Road FDR Drive Service Road between East 48th Street and East 49th Street East 48th Street between 1st Avenue and FDR Drive Service Road West 46th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas West/East 42nd Street between 7th Avenue and FDR Drive West/East 34th Street between 7th Avenue and FDR Drive THE 22nd AUTUMN MOON CULTURAL FESTIVAL AND CHILDRENS LANTERN PARADE Manhattan: At the Discretion of NYPD (Sept. 15 to Sept. 17, 2024) Location: Mott Street between Canal Street and Chatham Square Shri Guru Ravidass Marg Queens Location: Northwest corner of 61st Street and Broadway Closure: None 55th Annual African American Day Parade Manhattan: At the discretion of NYPD Formation: Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd between W 110th Street and W 111th Street W 110th Street W 115th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard and Lenox Avenue West 111th, West 112th , West 113th and West 114th Street between Frederick Douglass Boulevard and Lenox Avenue West 115th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Lenox Avenue St Nicholas Avenue between W 113th Street and W 114th Street Route: Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard between W 111th Street and W 136th Street Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard between W 110th Street and W 116th Street Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard between W 124th Street and W 126th Street Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard between W 125th Street and W 126th Street Dispersal: Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard between W 136th Street and W 140th Street W 135th St - W 136th St, W 137th St between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Lenox Avenue Miscellaneous: W 132nd Street between Lenox Avenue and 5th Avenue W 126th Street between Lenox Avenue and Frederick Douglass Boulevard W 125th Street between Lenox Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard Frederick Douglas Boulevard between W 127th Street and W 128th Street Lenox Avenue between W 132nd Street and W 133rd Street Lenox Avenue between W 136th Street and W 140th Street St Nicholas Avenue between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and W 115th Street 31st Annual Fall Symphony Fair Manhattan: At the discretion of NYPD Location: Broadway between 86th Street and 96th Street Mexican Independence Parade Brooklyn: at the discretion of NYPD Formation: 59th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue Route: 5th Avenue between 41st Street and 59th Street Dispersal: 5th Avenue between 41st Street and 43rd Street Michael P. McCauley Way Bronx Location: SEC (630 Courtlandt Avenue/dentist office) Closure: None Ralph Mercado Way Brooklyn Location: SEC at Pacific Street and Boerum Place Closure: None Nicholas Otoniel Feliz Dominici Way Bronx Location: Southwest of Kingsbridge Road and Kingsbridge Terrace on West Kingsbridge Road Closure: None Our Lady of Grace Way Queens Location: NWC of 159th Avenue Closure: None STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. An NYPD officer from Staten Island has reached a $175,000 settlement with the city in a lawsuit alleging punishment from superiors for failing to acknowledge courtesy cards flashed during traffic stops, according to the Associated Press. Officer Mathew Bianchi, formerly assigned to the traffic unit on the South Shore, initially filed the civil complaint in May of 2023. Both the city of New York and former 123rd Precinct Commanding Officer Andrey Smirnov were named as defendants in the case, as previously reported. These cards are issued by the citys police unions to members who then pass them along to family and friends. Theyre purportedly used as a way to get out of tickets for traffic infractions such as speeding, not wearing a seatbelt or in some cases, even blowing a stop light. Although not officially recognized by the NYPD, the cards are often viewed as a perk of the profession. Its a form of corruption, Bianchi told the Associated Press. My approach to how I handle them (the cards) is not going to change, even if some boss is going to try to punish me. Im still going to go out there and Im going to do exactly what I feel is right. The suit against the city The suit alleged that at one point, Bianchi was warned by an official with the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) that if he continued to write tickets for those displaying such cards he would not be backed by his union and would be reassigned. The PBA does not set policies regarding the way that police officers perform their duties, a June 2023 statement from the PBA read. The law and NYPD policies afford police officers discretion in taking enforcement action. Each police officer determines how to exercise that discretion based on the specifics of each case. Likewise, the PBA does not determine where or how the NYPD deploys its personnel. That is the sole prerogative of NYPD management. According to the suit, Bianchi was also allegedly passed up for a promotion despite his qualifications. Back in the summer of 2022, Bianchi says he was moved from the traffic unit to the night patrol just three days after he issued a citation to a friend of the NYPDs highest-ranking uniformed officer, Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, the complaint alleges. Court documents further allege that Bianchis supervisors would monitor his body-camera footage to see if he was giving those in possession of the courtesy cards a hard time, as previously reported by the Associated Press. Manhattan-based Attorney John Scola, who represented Bianchi in the case, argued in the complaint that his clients first amendment right to speak out as a citizen regarding a matter of extreme public concern was violated. Namely widespread corruption, illegal practices and the manipulation of issuance of traffic tickets due to courtesy cards, as reported previously. A response from the city In December, the city sought a dismissal of the complaint and responded to the allegations. To start, wrote corporation counsel of the City of New York and attorney for the defendants, Hon. Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix: The amended complaint is barred, in whole or in part, by the applicable statutes of limitations. Conduct complained of may consist of nothing more than what a reasonable victim of discrimination would consider petty slights and trivial inconveniences, and thus plaintiffs claims under the New York City Human Rights Law must be dismissed, added the defense. Even assuming that the plaintiff engaged in speech protected by the First Amendment, and that such speech was a substantial or motivating factor in their employment decisions, defendants are not liable because they would have made the same decision in the absence of such speech. Court documents first revealed the case was heading for a settlement conference in February. Despite the settlement, Bianchi claims his attempts to advance in the NYPD have been limited by the lawsuit, the Associated Press report says. Still, Bianchi reportedly has no regrets for bringing the case. Im glad I didnt take the punishment and the retaliation lying down, he told the Associated Press. Im glad that I did something. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. In honor of those who have died, here is a compilation of obituaries posted on SILive.com. Viewing times and guest books can be seen here. Mary Thomas.Family Photo Mary Thomas, 83, died on Sept. 11 in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania surrounded by her children. A New Dorp High School graduate who grew up in Old Town, Mary was a homemaker with various part time jobs. Mary enjoyed spending time with her family and many pets. She attended Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses in Eltingville, where she had many friends. Her husband, Cecil Thomas, passed in 2010. The couple had five children, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Read Mary Thomas full obituary and service information >> Yesterdays obituaries: Former Staten Islander Rev. Dr. Romaine L. Gardner, an attorney and educator who was active in his community, died Sept. 7 at Alta Vita Memory Care Center, Longmont, Colo. While teaching philosophy, he decided he wanted to learn about the philosophy of law and enrolled in a night course at Brooklyn Law School. It intrigued him so much that he went on to complete a juris doctorate and enter the field of corporate law. Read the full obituary on SILive. Dr. Michael A. Paglia, 95, a distinguished surgical oncologist who practiced medicine for over 40 years in New York City, died June 27. He was a beloved father, grandfather and family member, a dedicated physician and a friend to many. Read the full obituary on SILive. Dana Wiley, a former Stapleton resident, died Sept. 3. He was a former member of St. Philips Baptist Church. Read the full obituary on SILive. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Staten Islanders on the South Shore were surprised to see fighter jets overhead Saturday morning, with one Tottenville resident describing them as extremely low-flying. The Staten Islander said that the jets had made several passes, and commenters on the Ring app were reporting sightings over South Shore neighborhoods and just across the water in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The likely source of the jets was an event that began at 11 a.m. at the Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown, New Jersey. The brand new USS New Jersey technically the third ship with the name was being commissioned at a ceremony that brings the ship to life and makes it an official part of the U.S. Navy Submarine Force. A commissioning website describes the ship as the United States Navys newest fast attack submarine. Another Staten Island resident expressed anger that there was not a Notify NYC alert sent in advance, saying that the jets were alarming. This rattled us. How scary and how negligent to not bring this to our attention GIVEN the times we live in, she wrote in an e-mail to the Advance/SILive.com. Imagine seeing this happening in your backyard and you had no idea what it was? A number of Staten Islanders also posted their alarm on Facebook, and the Advance/SILive.com newsroom received phone calls inquiring about the jets. ABOUT THE COMMISSIONING After a vessel has completed rigorous testing and sea trials, the shipbuilder then deems the ship capable of performing her designed mission and is prepared to join the fleet, reads the website. Expected to attend a commissioning event is the Ships sponsor, head dignitaries, public officials and media For all purposes of law and tradition, the vessel then becomes a United States Navy ship. The Commanding Officer and crew come aboard and are entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining and operating their boat in peacetime and under conditions of war. A feed of the event was provided online: https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/33459 The Advance/SILive.coms sister site, NJ.com, reported last week that the ship had made a dramatic arrival in Sandy Hook Bay. As one of Americas oldest towns, we have witnessed so much history and to be able to host the officers, crew and families as well as the thousands of veterans and people from across the State and nation, we are marking another incredible moment in Middletowns and Naval history, Middletowns mayor told NJ.com. Over the past week, the United States published, revised or reissued 10 different travel advisories, including warnings for the popular European tourist destinations of Italy and the United Kingdom. Both European countries fall into the lower Exercise Increased Caution alert category, a Level 2 alert. Level 4 is the highest. Issued by the Department of States Bureau of Consular Affairs, the advisories are periodically assessed and revised or reissued. Italy and the United Kingdom were reissued advisories, both identified for increased caution due to the potential threat of terrorism. Tourists considering travel to Mexico should also carefully review the revised alert published on Sept. 6, which outlines numerous areas of the country that should be avoided, largely due to crime and kidnapping. Also this week, Level 2 alerts for exercising increased caution while traveling were issued for: Sri Lanka, due to civil unrest and the threat of terrorism Jordan, due to the threat of terrorism. However, the alert warns that some parts of the country should be avoided, including the immediate area surrounding the Jordan-Syria border, due to armed conflict. Bahrain, due to the threat of terrorism Saudi Arabia, due to the threat of missile and drone attacks from Yemen and terrorism Meanwhile, the more serious Level 3 alerts, which advise Americans to Reconsider Travel, were issued this week for: Guyana, due to crime. Violent crime, including murder and armed robbery, is common, especially at night, the alert reads. Local police often lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents. Bangladesh, due to civil unrest, crime, and terrorism. Pakistan, due to the threat of terrorism. All travel alerts issued by the United States are available on the U.S. Department of State website. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The first presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is in the books, with what many have deemed a strong performance by Harris vaulting her to a multiple point lead in several post-debate polls. The heated debate drew tons of interest on Staten Island, with both Democrats and Republicans hosting watch parties to cheer on their respective candidate. A CNN flash poll conducted immediately after Tuesdays debate found that nearly two-thirds, 63%, of respondents believed Harris turned in a better performance, compared to 37% who said the same of Trump. Subsequent polls conducted by various outlets appear to echo those sentiments, with Harris now leading by as many as five percentage points. Heres a look at how both candidates performed in some of the most recent polls. REUTERS/IPSOS A Reuters/IPSOS poll, which includes responses from 1,405 registered voters between Sept. 1 and Sept. 12, showed Harris leading Trump by five points, with 47% supporting Harris, 42% supporting Trump and 11% either undecided or planning to vote for a third-party candidate. Among those who had said they at least heard something about Tuesdays debate, roughly 53% believed Harris won, 24% believed Trump won and the remaining respondents believed neither won or declined to answer. About 52% said they believed Trump stumbled and didnt appear sharp during his performance, including 20% of Republicans, indicating that even some within his own party were underwhelmed by his showing. Voters generally gave Harris better marks than Trump on how she carried herself. Asked which of the two appeared more dignified, 56% of people familiar with the debate picked Harris, compared to 24% who picked Trump. Forty-nine percent said Harris seemed like someone who would listen to me and understand my concerns, compared to 18% who saw Trump that way, wrote Jason Lange of Reuters. NEW YORK POST A New York Post poll, which includes responses from 1,174 likely voters between Sept. 10 and Sept. 11, showed Harris leading by three points, with 50% supporting Harris, 47% supporting Trump and the remaining 3% planning to vote for a third-party candidate. Much like in the previous poll, far more people felt as though Harris outperformed Trump in Tuesdays debate, 50% to 29%. The debate, as a whole, was viewed much more favorably by the general public than the June 27 debate when President Joe Biden was still at the top of the ticket. Roughly 60% described the debate as good, compared to just 42% who described the previous debate as such. MORNING CONSULT A Morning Consult poll, which includes responses from 3,317 likely voters on Sept. 11, showed Harris leading Trump by five points, with 50% supporting Harris, 45% supporting Trump and the remaining respondents either undecided or planning to vote for a third-party candidate. The debate performances appear to be helping Harris, with Morning Consult polling prior to the debate showed Harris leading by three points, polling during the debate showing her leading by four points and post-debate polling showing her leading by five. Its too early to say whether Harris debate performance is the key driver of our latest head-to-head numbers, as our short-term trends suggest she was already building momentum ahead of Tuesdays televised match-up, wrote Eli Yokley and Cameron Easley of Morning Consult. Whats clearer is that Harris debate performance will help her sustain that momentum, keeping her in the drivers seat of a close contest that is very likely to be decided by tens of thousands of voters in a few key swing states. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, September 14. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Uzbekistan to Turkmenistan Akmaljon Kuchkarov has concluded his diplomatic mission in the country, Trend reports via the Turkmen Foreign Ministry. In connection with this, the Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov held a meeting with the ambassador. The meeting discussed the current state and prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the fields of politics, economics, and culture. Meredov expressed his gratitude to Kuchkarov for his contribution to strengthening Turkmen-Uzbek relations and wished him success in his future endeavors. The ambassador thanked the Turkmen side for support and assistance in carrying out his diplomatic mission. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Where do we draw the line between legitimate expression of political opinion and the need to comply with an employer directive not to make adverse comment about their values or support for particular causes? Each case is dependent on the facts, of course, but employees should be allowed to endorse or advocate for human rights issues that are of national or international significance. For example, endorsing an Amnesty International campaign about the human rights abuses being committed in Gaza. Or supporting self-determination for Indigenous Australians. Such an exercise of freedom of speech is vastly different to criticising your boss, or complaining about fellow employees. Given the importance of the right to freedom of expression, employees should only be sanctioned if their public commentary breaches anti-discrimination or hate laws, or if it can be said to directly harm their employers reputation. A case of the latter might be to accuse the employer of supporting racism in the workplace. While that might be the case, it is reasonable that the employee raise the issue with the employer or in an appropriate legal forum. So, given what we have seen in the Gillham and Lattouf cases and more generally about the weakness of the position of employees in the political advocacy space, is there a model that would strike a fairer balance? South Africa has one of the most rights-oriented constitutions in the world, including the right to freedom of speech. This means, as legal academics Jean Chrysostome and Osman Bantu, noted in 2022, that while the contract of employment has always been regarded as the foundation of a relationship between the employers and employees, it does not allow companies to violate workers right to express their views and thoughts in or outside the workplace in social media. A simple reality is that citizens, including workers, have the right to freedom of expression. Employers can and do sack employees in South Africa for social media posts or emails that are derogatory, racist or damage the employer. But the main difference between that country and here is that in a dispute an employee can legitimately defend themselves by arguing their constitutional right is a relevant factor. As Australians start their families later, more people are needing to turn to assisted reproductive technology. This is a good news story. IVF is providing would-be parents with opportunities not available to older generations. The technology is also becoming much safer, with fewer risky multiple births as clinicians move towards single embryo transfers. But, as Angus Thomson reports in todays Sun-Herald, a sweeping review of Australias fertility policy by former health minister Greg Hunt and embryologist Rachel Swift has found the IVF sector will not cope with the forecast rise in demand without significant changes to funding, access and regulation in the sector. Among the reviews recommendations is expanding the definition of infertility for Medicare-funded IVF treatment to include any prospective parents who would need donor eggs, sperm or embryos to achieve a successful pregnancy, expanding access to same-sex couples and single women. According to UNSWs annual perinatal epidemiology report, released on Friday, single women and same-sex female couples now account for 17 per cent of people using IVF. Australia was also unusual because the proposed legislation specifically exempts the media, while plaintiffs suing media outlets in the UK and New Zealand were integral to the development of their civil causes of action, Rolph said. In the UK, in particular, celebrity plaintiffs were crucial to the development of privacy law, he said. Celebrities shaped UK law Supermodel Naomi Campbell sued British tabloid the Daily Mirror after it published photos of her leaving a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in 2001. In 2004, the UK House of Lords ruled the Mirror had infringed Campbells right to privacy by publishing details about her treatment in circumstances where she had a reasonable expectation of privacy. The landmark case adapted the existing law of breach of confidence and established the tort of misuse of private information. Naomi Campbell at The Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute benefit gala in 2019. Credit: AP Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, successfully sued the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline for misuse of private information after it published vast tracts of a letter she sent in 2018 to her father. An appeal by the publisher failed. Her husband Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, relied on the same law to win a phone-hacking claim in 2023 against the Mirror Group. Actor Hugh Grant has also settled phone-hacking claims. But experts say the Australian proposal would lead to different results. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, successfully sued the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline for misuse of private information. Credit: AP Arguably going too far University of Sydney Professor Emeritus Barbara McDonald, who headed the Australian Law Reform Commission inquiry which recommended in 2014 that a privacy tort be enacted federally, said the exemption for journalists goes much further than the ALRC had recommended. It is an absolute, not a conditional exemption. For example, even if a journalist committed a crime while invading a persons privacy, there would be no remedy: arguably that is going too far, McDonald said. Hugh Grant, pictured in 2023, has received damages from UK media companies for phone hacking. Credit: AP There may be some difficult decisions as to what counts as news it is not limited to matters of serious public concern. McDonald said the ALRCs recommendations fell short of a complete exemption for journalists but we thought that we had recommended a version of a privacy tort that was the most protective of media freedom as it could be: by providing for a hurdle of public interest before the tort would be actionable. McDonald said businesses examining peoples private lives, such as private detective agencies, may fall foul of the laws unless they can persuade a court that their invasive behaviour is justified in some public interest, such as preventing fraud. Dr Michael Douglas, a consultant at WA law firm Bennett, said the blanket exemption for journalism was a really bad idea, for a few reasons. First, dodgy hack journalists are the most likely to engage in the kind of activity this tort could respond to think of Prince Harrys phone being hacked by tabloids in the UK. THE PROPOSED LAW Allows people to sue for damages if someone intrudes upon their seclusion, or misuses information about them, when they had a reasonable expectation of privacy. The privacy invasion must be serious and either intentional or reckless. A plaintiff must satisfy a court that protecting their privacy outweighs any public interest in the invasion raised by a defendant. A range of defences are available, including lawful authority and consent. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies have broad exemptions. There is a major exemption for journalists involved in the collection, preparation for publication or publication of journalistic material, meaning news, current affairs or a documentary. This includes commentary, opinion and analysis. Damages are expected to be capped at the maximum available for non-economic loss in defamation cases. This is currently $478,500. Why shouldnt those dodgy tabloids get sued when they do the wrong thing? Second, the tort already has a defence built in where the invasion of privacy was in the public interest. This could protect quality public interest journalistic activities that uncover wrongdoing by invading privacy good journalism is already protected. And third, the ALRC never recommended this journalism exception. He said the government appeared to be scared of copping criticism from right-wing media companies and the legislation was gutless. A lot of test cases Minter Ellison senior associate Dean Levitan predicted there would be a lot of test cases, including about what constituted a serious invasion of privacy, what is considered in the public interest, and who is a journalist. The bill accepts privacy invasion will occur, and then [effectively] it says, Have you done it for a sufficiently good or justifiable reason?, Levitan said. Some of Brisbanes most beautiful birds are disappearing. A new Griffith University study has revealed populations of small, colourful and melodic native species are declining across the city. In Brisbane in particular, youre starting to lose a lot of species in highly urbanised areas, lead researcher Dr Andres Felipe Suarez-Castro told Brisbane Times. Brisbanes birdlife is disappearing as green spaces make way for development, according to a Griffith University study. Poor urban planning that doesnt protect green spaces is having a high impact on these birds. A man is dead after his motorcycle collided with a ute in Moreton Bay overnight. The 34-year-old from Redcliffe was allegedly struck by a Nissan Dualis on Burpengary Road in Narangba about 7pm on Friday. The utes male driver and his female passenger both 21-year-olds from Caboolture suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The Narangba crash came just hours before two people were killed on the Sunshine Coast. Credit: Jorge Branco They were taken to the Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital and were assisting police with their inquiries. Teenagers are training in martial arts in response to increasing youth violence in Victoria, with Melbourne schools turning to private instructors to keep their students safe. Victorias most recent crime report showed youth crime had climbed to its highest level in a decade, with police warning the pursuit of notoriety or social media likes had contributed to an increase in violent assaults. Avila College health curriculum leader Matthew Roberts. Credit: Eddie Jim Both public and private schools have enlisted self-defence instructors to provide safety training to students, including Avila College, which runs a program as part of its curriculum. Curriculum leader Matthew Roberts said the school wanted students to feel physically and mentally confident. Australian Border Force workers wont have to take care of asylum seekers health and safety during boat interceptions under a fresh exemption to workplace laws, which has been granted by the government despite concerns from parliaments Labor-led human rights committee. The Albanese government has renewed a rule that exempts Operation Sovereign Borders staff from taking reasonable care not to harm the health and safety of others while at sea, meaning workers cannot be prosecuted under workplace laws. Asylum seeker arrivals by boat have significantly reduced under Operation Sovereign Borders. Credit: Reuters Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt justified the decision to the parliaments human rights committee, saying it was necessary to ensure that individuals can act confidently and quickly in the diverse and unpredictable circumstances that might arise in the operational environment. But the Labor-led committee said the measure did not seem necessary or proportionate as it issued its response this week. Chair Josh Burns said the exemption applied to no other similar workplaces and that Watt had not provided evidence it was achieving its stated purpose. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, September 14. The trade turnover volume between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan decreased to $372.5 million from January through July 2024, Trend reports. The data from Uzbekistan's Statistics Agency show that this figure indicates a 11.7-percent decrease year-on-year ($416.2 million from January through July 2023). Tajikistan made it into the top 20 trade partners of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan's exports to Tajikistan reached $286.9 million, which is 17.5 percent less over the year ($337.2 million in the first seven months of 2023). The volume of imports from Tajikistan to Uzbekistan reached $85.6 million from January through July 2024, increasing by 8.3 percent year-on-year ($79 million in the same period of last year). Meanwhile, Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover volume amounted to $36.8 billion from January through July 2024. This figure indicates a 5.4 percent growth year-on-year ($34.9 billion from January through July 2023). Uzbekistan's exports reached $14.7 billion, while imports totaled $22 billion during this period. Less than an hour after Cronullas qualifying final loss to Melbourne, Sharks chief executive Dino Mezzatesta phoned the NRL and pleaded his clubs case to play a semi-final in their own backyard on Friday night. The NRL risks the embarrassing scenario of the Sharks facing North Queensland in front of less than 15,000 fans at Allianz Stadium at the same time as the AFL and Sydney Swans push for a 43,000-plus sellout next door at the SCG. Mezzatesta had alerted the NRL during the week about the potential code clash and now he hopes common sense prevails by allowing the Sharks to play their semi-final at PointsBet Stadium. The Sharks chief added he had no interest in playing at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta, which is harder to get to for Sharks fans travelling from the Shire. Jamie Kah was as ice-cold calm as the brisk winds that swept rain and hail across the grassy expanses of Flemington Racecourse on Saturday. A fortnight had passed since the star jockey made two crucial mistakes at a Caulfield race meeting that have the potential to derail her spring, and yet the pressure did not show. Jamie Kah pilots Point King to victory in the Lexus Archer Stakes. Credit: Getty Images From the moment she strode into the mounting yard for the first race, alongside trainer Ciaron Maher, she was stern-faced and focused. She rode with confidence. She rode through inclement conditions that would have sent a penguin scrambling for a huddle in Antarctica. While the Paris Olympics were a celebration of Australias all-conquering women, who won the majority of the nations medals, Paralympic gold medallist Emily Petricola says the International Paralympic Committee needs to introduce gender equity to ensure greater female representation in the Paralympics. Victorias returning Olympic and Paralympic athletes were given the warmest of welcomes at Melbourne Park on Saturday despite cold and drizzly weather with family, friends and fans forming a guard of honour. As the athletes arrived, they signed autographs and posed for photos. Emily Petricola shares her new jewellery with Kerry Young and her daughter Riley. Credit: Chris Hopkins Among the athletes returning home was parcyclist Petricola, fresh from her record-breaking stint in Paris where she set a world record of three minutes, 35.856 seconds in the womens C4 3000-metre individual pursuit qualifying, before going on to win gold in the final. Petricola described her victory as magical. Siri is getting a generative AI revamp, a move that will make Apples digital assistant powerful and useful again after years of relative irrelevancy, according to one of its original founders. Babak Hodjat invented the natural language processing technology that eventually became Siri. He said in an interview that Siri was well ahead of its time when it launched, but then fell behind its time. Until now. When Apple unleashed Siri in 2011 it was the first language assistant on the market, but received mixed reviews for lacking certain information, sub-par voice recognition and for requiring stiff user commands. It was overtaken quickly by its smarter rivals like Amazons Alexa, which was compatible with more devices and was more natural to interact with. Apple this month unveiled its iPhone 16 range that will feature a revamped, supercharged Siri, as part of its Apple Intelligence suite of AI features that will come preloaded on the new devices. Its the biggest change to Siri in its 13-year history. When it comes to American museums, few are as storied as this one in the city of New York. The great American poet Walt Whitman was there at the age of six to see the laying of its cornerstone. It was one of the first museums in the US to dedicate an exhibition to black artists. In 1999, New York Citys then-mayor Rudy Giuliani, enraged by the showing of a work by controversial artist Chris Ofili, threatened to get its lease terminated. He didnt succeed and in October, the much-loved Brooklyn Museum kicks off its 200th anniversary celebrations with a series of programs and events that highlight the best of the borough and mark two centuries of doing things the Brooklyn way. Brooklyn Museums Beaux-arts court. The museum is marking its 200th birthday with several new exhibitions. Though gentrification has swept the high-density borough on the western side of Long Island, Brooklyn is famously artistic, multicultural and forward-thinking. The 52,000-square-metre museum, New Yorks second largest behind the Met, is recognised as a pioneer in community art education and participation. The 200th anniversary celebrations start on October 4 with the launch of The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition, a group show that spotlights local artists working in various mediums. Australia PM hits back at Musk after 'fascists' quip Sydney, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hit back at Elon Musk on Saturday after the tech mogul called his government "fascists" for proposing laws that would fine social media giants for spreading misinformation. Australia introduced a "combating misinformation" bill earlier this week, which includes sweeping powers to fine tech giants up to five percent of their annual turnover for breaching online safety obligations. "Fascists," Musk posted Thursday on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. But Albanese fired back at Musk on Saturday, saying social media "has a social responsibility". "If Mr Musk doesn't understand that, that says more about him than it does about my government," he told reporters Saturday. The exchange between Musk and Australian officials is the latest in a long-running spat with the Australian government over social media regulation. Australia's government is exploring a raft of new measures that would see social media companies take greater accountability for the content on their platforms -- including a ban for those under 16 years old. The country's online watchdog took Musk's company to court earlier this year, alleging it had failed to remove "extremely violent" videos that showed a Sydney preacher being stabbed. But it abruptly dropped its attempt to force a global takedown order on X after Musk scored a legal victory in a preliminary hearing, a move he celebrated as a free speech triumph. Musk, a self-described "free speech absolutist", has clashed with politicians and digital rights groups worldwide, including in the European Union, which could decide within months to take action against X with possible fines. In Brazil, where X has effectively been suspended after it ignored a series of court directives, Musk has responded by blasting the judge as an "evil dictator cosplaying as a judge". lec/mca TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, September 14. Uzbekistan and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) discussed strengthening and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation, Trend reports. The matter was reviewed during a meeting between Uzbekistans Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Finance Jamshid Kuchkarov, and representatives of the IFC delegation headed by the Director for Turkiye and Central Asia regions, Wiebke Schlomer. During the meeting, the parties discussed cooperation in the area of public-private partnership, in particular on projects implemented in the area of modernization of electric power networks, education, healthcare, transport, and water management. The representatives of the IFC noted the importance of the Uzbek presidents resolution, On measures to develop public-private partnerships in Uzbekistan for 20242030. In addition, the sides also reviewed current trends in the field of privatization, including the expansion of privatization processes of SOBs and SOEs and the development of the electric vehicle industry and infrastructure in Uzbekistan. At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to conduct systematic activities and increase efficiency in achieving their goals. Earlier, Uzbekistan and the IFC joined forces to strike a new deal that aims to grease the wheels of the country's legal and regulatory frameworks, making it more enticing for foreign direct investment (FDI) to flow in and give a boost to economic growth. On tour of war-scarred Gaza, Israel army renews vow to save hostages Rafah, Palestinian Territories, Sept 13 (AFP) Sep 13, 2024 The Israeli army will use all means to bring back hostages still held in Gaza, its spokesman told a group of foreign journalists on Friday in the war-scarred city of Rafah. "We need to do everything, everything we can, in all means, to bring them back home," military spokesman Daniel Hagari told the journalists embedded with the Israeli army. "This is one of the goals of the war, and we will achieve it." Rear Admiral Hagari was speaking in front of a shaft in the Tel al-Sultan neighbourhood of Rafah that connects to a tunnel where Israel says Hamas shot dead six hostages late last month. Their deaths spurred an outpouring of grief in Israel as well as anger at the government, which critics say is not doing enough to reach a deal that would end the war in Gaza and secure the remaining hostages' release. The war was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. The count includes hostages killed in captivity. The militants also seized 251 hostages, 97 of whom are still in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliation has killed at least 41,118 people in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry. The UN human rights office says most of the dead have been women or children. Israel has denied independent access to Gaza for international media during the war, now in its 12th month. Rafah, in the far south of Gaza, has been hit hard by the fighting, and AFPTV footage on Friday showed streets lined with the bombed-out shells of buildings, many partially collapsed with rubble spilling into the streets. Hagari said the destruction was intended to wipe out the network of tunnels under the city. "You have a maze of tunnels here, a maze of tunnels here in Rafah, underneath the houses. This is why the destruction," he said. "There is even not one point left without a tunnel here in Rafah. "In order to defeat (Hamas) we need to take control of this underground system." The army also showed journalists the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip of land that has emerged as a key sticking point in talks towards a possible ceasefire mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that retaining control of the corridor was important to stop any arms smuggling into Gaza from Egypt. Hamas is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from the territory. sha-mj/rcb/kir Biden, Starmer discuss Ukraine missiles as Russia tensions mount Washington, Sept 13 (AFP) Sep 13, 2024 US President Joe Biden played down threats of war from Moscow Friday as he met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss whether to let Ukraine fire Western-supplied long-range missiles into Russia. "I don't think much about Vladimir Putin," Biden told reporters at the White House when asked about the Russian president's warning that giving Kyiv the green light would mean that NATO was "at war" with Moscow. Starmer was set to press Biden during the meeting to back his plan to send British Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine to hit deeper inside Russia as allies become increasingly concerned about the battlefield situation. "I think the next few weeks and months could be crucial, very, very important, that we support Ukraine in this vital war of freedom," Starmer said as the talks began. But while Biden said it was "clear that Putin will not prevail in this war," he is expected to reject Ukraine's demand to be able to use long-range US-made ATACMS missiles against Russian territory. US officials believe the missiles would make a limited difference to Ukraine's campaign and also want to ensure that Washington's own stocks of the munitions are not depleted. - 'Afraid' - The White House played down the chances of any immediate decision coming from Friday's visit by Starmer, the Labour leader's second to the White House since he took office in July. "I wouldn't expect any major announcement in that regard coming out of the discussions, certainly not from our side," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky however pushed Kyiv's Western allies to do more. Speaking in Kyiv, Zelensky accusing the West of being "afraid" to even help Ukraine shoot down incoming missiles as it has done with Israel. Zelensky added that he will meet Biden "this month" to present his "victory plan" on how to end two and a half years of war with Russia. He also said Kyiv's recent offensive into Russia's border region of Kursk had "slowed" Moscow's advance in eastern Ukraine. Russia has reacted angrily to the prospect of the West supplying long-range weapons to the country it invaded in 2022. In another sign of increasing tensions, Russia revoked the credentials of six British diplomats whom it accused of spying in what London termed "baseless" allegations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin's war warning on Thursday was unambiguous: "We have no doubt that this statement has reached its recipients," he said on Friday. Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia warned separately that letting Ukraine use long-range weapons would plunge NATO into "direct war with... a nuclear power." - Trump fears - Ukraine and the United States's allies are all meanwhile anxiously waiting for the result of a tense US presidential election in November that could upend Washington's Ukraine policy. Biden is on his way out of office while the election is a toss-up between his Democratic political heir Kamala Harris and Republican former president Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly praised Putin, and refused to take sides on the war during a debate with Harris on Tuesday, saying only: "I want the war to stop." Trump has also repeatedly pledged to push through a quick deal to end the war if elected -- a deal many Ukrainians fear would force them to accept Russia's territorial gains. Biden has strongly supported Ukraine since Russia's invasion, but has been risk averse about stepping up to new kinds of weapons deliveries, fearful of stoking nuclear tensions with Putin. His reticence about allowing Ukraine to use longer-range US missiles follows similar delays on HIMARS rockets, tanks and F-16 jets -- all of which he eventually approved. Harris has pledged to continue steadfast support for Ukraine if elected. burs-dk/jgc Biden, Starmer put off Ukraine missiles decision Washington, Sept 13 (AFP) Sep 13, 2024 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden on Friday delayed a decision to let Ukraine fire long-range Western-supplied missiles into Russia, a plan that sparked dire threats from Moscow of a war with NATO. Starmer told reporters at the White House that he had a "wide-ranging discussion about strategy" with Biden but that it "wasn't a meeting about a particular capability." Before the meeting officials had said Starmer would press Biden to back his plan to send British Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine to hit deeper inside Russia as allies become increasingly concerned about the battlefield situation. But the Labour leader indicated that he and Biden would now discuss the plan at the UN General Assembly in New York the week after next "with a wider group of individuals." As they met with their teams across a long table in the White House, backed by US and British flags, Biden played down a warning by Russian President Vladimir Putin that allowing Ukraine to fire the weapons would mean the West was "at war" with Russia. "I don't think much about Vladimir Putin," Biden told reporters when asked about the comments. - 'Will not prevail' - But while Biden said it was "clear that Putin will not prevail in this war," he is understood to be reluctant to grant Ukraine's insistent demand to be able to use long-range US-made ATACMS missiles against Russian territory. US officials believe the missiles would make a limited difference to Ukraine's campaign and also want to ensure that Washington's own stocks of the munitions are not depleted. The two leaders said they also discussed the war in Gaza, with Britain having recently suspended arms deliveries to Israel over concerns that they could be used to violate international humanitarian law. The US, Israel's main military and diplomatic backer, has held off such a step. Biden and Starmer agreed on their "ironclad commitment" to Israel -- but stressed the "urgent need" for a ceasefire deal and a "need for Israel to do more to protect civilians" in Gaza, the White House said in a readout. The White House had earlier played down the chances of a Ukraine decision coming from Friday's visit by Starmer, the Labour leader's second to the White House since he took office in July. "I wouldn't expect any major announcement in that regard coming out of the discussions, certainly not from our side," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. - 'Afraid' - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky however pushed Kyiv's Western allies to do more. Speaking in Kyiv, Zelensky accusing the West of being "afraid" to even help Ukraine shoot down incoming missiles as it has done with Israel. Zelensky added that he will meet Biden "this month" to present his "victory plan" on how to end two and a half years of war with Russia. Russia has reacted angrily to the prospect of the West supplying long-range weapons to the country it invaded in February 2022. In another sign of increasing tensions, Russia revoked the credentials of six British diplomats whom it accused of spying in what London termed "baseless" allegations. Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia warned separately that letting Ukraine use long-range weapons would plunge NATO into "direct war with... a nuclear power." Ukraine and the United States's allies are all meanwhile anxiously waiting for the result of a tense US presidential election in November that could upend Washington's Ukraine policy. Biden is on his way out of office while the election is a toss-up between his Democratic political heir Kamala Harris and Republican former president Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly praised Putin, and refused to take sides on the war during a debate with Harris on Tuesday, saying only: "I want the war to stop." Starmer denied he was worried about a Trump presidency, and said the need to help Ukraine in coming weeks and months was urgent "whatever timetables are going on in other countries." Four IS group leaders killed in Iraq raid last month: CENTCOM Washington, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Four Islamic State group leaders were killed in a joint US-Iraqi raid in western Iraq last month, including the head of the jihadist group's operations in the country, CENTCOM said Friday. "This operation targeted ISIS leaders and served to disrupt and degrade ISIS' ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians," CENTCOM said in a statement on X about the August 29 raid. A total of 14 IS operatives were killed -- revised from the 15 reported previously. Five US troops were wounded, with another two injured in falls. The four leaders killed were identified as Ahmad al-Ithawi, the operations leader for the Islamic State group in Iraq; Abu Hammam, who oversaw operations in western Iraq; Abu Ali al-Tunisi, who managed technical development; and Shakir al-Issawi, who led the group's military operations in western Iraq. "CENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS, who continues to threaten the United States, our allies and partners, and regional stability," General Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement. The operation took place amid ongoing talks between Baghdad and Washington over the presence of anti-jihadist coalition forces in Iraq. Despite Iraq's stated goal of a full withdrawal of the forces, no timeline has been made public. The United States has some 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State group. North Korea leader holds talks with Russia security chief Seoul, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held talks with Russian security chief Sergei Shoigu during his visit to the nuclear-armed country, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday. Shoigu's trip comes as Moscow seeks ammunition to continue its more than 30-month offensive in Ukraine and as the West accuses Pyongyang of sending arms to Moscow. President Vladimir Putin travelled to North Korea in June and signed a mutual defence pact with the reclusive state. "There was a wide exchange of views on the issues of steadily deepening the strategic dialogue between the two countries and strengthening cooperation to defend the mutual security interests and on the regional and international situation," North Korean state media said, confirming the meeting. Kim "affirmed that the DPRK government would further expand cooperation and collaboration" with Russia based on the treaty they signed in June, it added, using the country's official name. Russia's security council also said on its website Shoigu's meeting with Kim will "make an important contribution to the implementation" of the defence pact. Shoigu heads Russia's Security Council after stepping down as defence minister in May. Experts have long believed North Korean missiles are being deployed in Ukraine. A new Conflict Armament Research report this week used debris analysis to show "that missiles produced this year in North Korea are being used in Ukraine". Moscow has historic ties with Pyongyang since the Soviet Union helped found North Korea, but has warmed relations since launching its 2022 Ukraine offensive that ruptured ties with the West. Four Islamic State leaders killed in August Iraq raid: CENTCOM Washington, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Four Islamic State group leaders were killed in a joint US-Iraqi raid in western Iraq last month, including the head of the jihadist group's operations in the country, the US military said Friday. "This operation targeted ISIS leaders and served to disrupt and degrade ISIS' ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians," the United States Central Command, or CENTCOM, said in a statement on X about the August 29 raid. A total of 14 IS operatives were killed -- revised from the 15 reported previously. Five US troops were wounded, with another two injured in falls. The four leaders killed were identified as Ahmad al-Ithawi, the operations leader for the Islamic State group in Iraq; Abu Hammam, who oversaw operations in western Iraq; Abu Ali al-Tunisi, who managed technical development; and Shakir al-Issawi, who led the group's military operations in western Iraq, according to CENTCOM. "CENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS, who continues to threaten the United States, our allies and partners, and regional stability," General Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement. The operation took place amid ongoing talks between Baghdad and Washington over the presence of anti-jihadist coalition forces in Iraq. Despite Iraq's stated goal of a full withdrawal of the forces, no timeline has been made public. The United States has about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State group. CENTCOM had previously reported killing an Islamic State member Wednesday during a strike in eastern Syria. The member was reportedly in the process of planting an improvised explosive device when the strike occurred. Coalition forces have been targeted dozens of times with drones and rocket fire in both Iraq and Syria, as violence related to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza since early October has drawn in armed groups across the Middle East. Last winter, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, a loose alliance of Iran-backed groups, had claimed about 175 rocket and drone attacks against US troops in Iraq and Syria. US forces have carried out multiple retaliatory strikes against these militant factions in both countries. jgc/aha Gaza rescuers say 11 from one family killed in Israeli strike Gaza City, Palestinian Territories, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Gaza's civil defence agency said an Israeli air strike hit a house in Gaza City on Saturday morning and killed 11 members of a single family, including women and children. "We have recovered the bodies of 11 martyrs, including four children and three women, after an Israeli air strike hit the house of the Bustan family in eastern Gaza City," agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. The strike took place near the Shujaiya school in the Al-Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City, he said. "Rescuers are continuing to search for the missing," Bassal said. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strike. Bassal said Israeli forces carried out similar strikes in some other parts of the Hamas-run territory overnight, killing at least 10 people. Five people were killed in northwestern Gaza City when an air strike hit a group of people near Dar Al-Arqam school, he said. Three others were killed in a strike in the Al-Mawasi area of the southern Khan Yunis governorate, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge, Bassal added. The war in Gaza broke out after the October 7 attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Militants also seized 251 captives during the attack, 97 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead. The count includes hostages killed in captivity. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has so far killed at least 41,118 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry of the Hamas-run territory, which does not provide details of civilian and militant deaths. The UN human rights office says most of the dead have been women or children. Serbian President wants to reinstate compulsory military service Belgrade, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Saturday he had approved the reinstatement of compulsory military service. "I hope you all understand how much we need a strong army, how much we need to purchase and manufacture more weapons," he told a ceremony at the Military Academy. Compulsory service would last 75 days, he told cadets being promoted at the ceremony to the rank of first officer. "We don't want to attack anyone. Nor will we do so. But we want to deter those who relentlessly threaten us every day," he added. Serbia abolished compulsory military service in 2011 and has since relied on a professional army. For the provision to be reintroduced, it must be approved by government and then by parliament, where Vucic's party has solid majority. Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said on Friday the government was ready to expedite the proposal to parliament and have it implemented "in 2025 after fulfilling logistical and administrative conditions". Ukraine can produce more weapons but needs funding: officials Kyiv, Ukraine, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Ukraine is ready to scale up its domestic weapons production but is financially constrained, Ukrainian officials said Saturday as they asked for increased foreign investment in Kyiv's defence industry. Kyiv has relied on Soviet-era stocks and Western deliveries for much of its defence against Russia's invasion, while developing its own weapons production. "At this point the limit is not in production capabilities, it's all in the funding," Oleksandr Kamyshin, advisor to the President for Strategic Affairs, said at a conference in Kyiv. "Each production facility tells us: I can do more, all I need is proper funding," he said. He specified to AFP that Ukraine had a production capacity equal to $20 billion but could only manage to fund $7 billion with its own budget. "It's hard to produce with money; it is impossible without money, that's why we encourage investment in the defence and security sector," Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said on the same panel. One of the solutions, former US General David Petraeus suggested, would be to use some of the $300 billion in frozen Russian assets. Ukraine's defence industry has recently made strides including the first successful test of a domestically-produced ballistic missile and the deployment of a Ukrainian-made long-range "rocket drone" called Palianytsia. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, September 14. Turkiyes Gurok Holding has expressed strong interest in partnering within Uzbekistan's jewelry industry, Trend reports. This was revealed at a meeting between the Deputy Director of the Department of International Relations of Uzbekistans Ministry of Economy and Finance, Shukhrat Matkarimov, and the delegation led by the Director of Business Development of Gurok Holding, Omer Alagoz. During the meeting, the sides discussed promising projects for the development of the jewelry industry in Uzbekistan and issues of attracting large Turkish companies to these projects. In this regard, Uzbekistan presented information to the company about the reforms being carried out in this area and the opportunities created in the country. The Turkish delegation visited major jewelry manufacturers and jewelry stores in Uzbekistan. Following the meeting, the sides agreed that the jewelry specialists of Gurok Holding will visit Uzbekistan in the first decade of October. Meanwhile, Uzbekistans foreign trade turnover volume with Turkiye amounted to $1.6 billion from January through July 2024. This figure has decreased by 12.5 percent year-on-year ($1.8 billion in JanuaryJuly 2023). Turkiye ranked fourth among the countries with the largest volume of foreign trade turnover in Uzbekistan. * FIRST NAME * LAST NAME * EMAIL Your email address * PASSWORD Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number Show * YEAR OF BIRTH You must be at least 18 years old to create an account 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 * Required fields I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice CREATE ACCOUNT I'LL TRY LATER Already have an account? SIGN IN By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, September 14. Uzbekistan and Germany will discuss further development of their multifaceted cooperation, according to the Uzbek presidential office, Trend reports. At the invitation of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will pay an official visit to Uzbekistan on September 15-16. The visit will include high-level talks in Samarkand city, where the two sides will explore expanding trade, economic, technological, and investment-financial partnerships, deepening cooperation with leading German companies and banks, and continuing active engagement in labor migration, ecology, education, healthcare, culture, tourism, and other sectors. Both parties will exchange views on key aspects of regional cooperation. As part of the visit, the President of Uzbekistan and the German Chancellor will also hold a joint meeting with business circles from both countries. To note, Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover with Germany amounted to $506.3 million from January through June 2024, a decrease of 84.2 percent compared to the same period last year ($932.9 million). Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14. Iran has sent a research satellite Chamran-1 into space today, on September 14, Trend reports. The 60-kilogram Chamran-1 satellite is at an altitude of 550 kilometers from the Earth. The mission of the Chamran 1 satellite is to assess the operation of cold gas motion, navigation, and situation control subsystems in space systems. This satellite was sent into space using the Qaem 100 satellite launcher. The Chamran 1 satellite was manufactured by the Iranian State Electronics Industries Company in cooperation with the Aerospace Research Institute and local private start-ups. To note, the Qaem 100 satellite launcher was manufactured by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is the second time it has launched a satellite into space. Tom Bratkowski has not moved too far from his childhood home. In fact, he is right next door to the home where he remembers the horse-drawn Quality Dairy wagon delivering milk, butter and other dairy products to his red brick family home. Those memories are much more recent than the year 1816, when the area was known as Old North and was a separate village from the City of St. Louis. It joined the city in 1841, and our home was built in 1886, Tom says. After college, he returned to the home in 1972, living upstairs from his parents. But this time he was with Gloria, whom he had met at the University of Wisconsin and married in 1971. When the house next door became available in 1975, the young couple purchased it and began 15 years of restoration work before taking occupancy in 1990. We had to chase pigeons out of the attic when we started, Gloria says. Most of the renovation in the 2,100 square-foot home was done by Tom, including restoration of 52 decorative corbels around the second-floor perimeter, updating bathrooms and repairing huge ornate ceiling medallions in the dining and living rooms. When you own an old home there are lot of big projects masquerading as small projects, he says. They usually seem easy. You never find out until you start. During his restoration years, Tom was careful not to compromise any of the original woodwork that remains as an outstanding example of the craftmanship of the late 1800s when the residence was constructed. Elaborate pine molding with a dark varnish encases the door frames that soar 10 feet up in rooms where the ceilings are 12-feet-high. Tri-fold wood shutters can be collapsed and hidden out of sight in recessed nooks inside the window frames. Original floor baseboards are 12 inches tall, twice as high as those found in homes today. Two unique slate fireplace mantels remain untouched in the living room and dining room. Although stone, when first installed both were painted to look like wood. Each feature three small hand painted murals of country scenes on the front panel over the firebox, and original etched mirrors cover the opening when the hearth is not in use. Vintage heirloom furniture and collections fit perfectly into the historic residence. The dining room table was Glorias grandmothers, and a nearby armoire belonged to Toms grandfather. On a back staircase no longer in use is a display of Toms collection of old washboards and the tools associated with hand washing clothes before the time of washing machines. Included in his collection are the copper boilers used to soak clothes in a mix of water and lye soap, and the handheld tools needed to agitate the clothes and then extract them from the boiler. We have been to the Columbus Washboard Company in Logan, Ohio, he says. It is the last factory still making washboards. One part of the residence that is not old is on the roof. In 2023 they had an array of nine solar panels installed to make the Victorian age home more energy-efficient and reduce its carbon footprint. In the back yard the same gazebo remains that Tom remembers from his childhood. That used to be a barn where a neighbor stabled his horse, he says, pointing to what is now a garage. When it was hot he would bring the horse outside and let him stand under that gazebo. Tom and Gloria Bratkowski Ages: Both are in their 70s. Occupations: Tom taught biology at Maryville University for 38 years. Gloria was a public-school teacher in St. Louis and is now an active community volunteer serving on the board of the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group. She also participates in the Ready Readers program at the Ames Visual and Performing Arts Elementary School. Home: Old North St. Louis Family: Three sons and three grandchildren. A son and Toms brother live next door to each other on the same street where Tom grew up. Old North House Tour and Arts Festival What: The annual self-guided Old North House Tour and Arts Festival. It will include the Bratkowski residence, in addition to nine other homes. The event will also feature an arts festival in Crown Square at 14th and St. Louis streets (across from Crown Candy Kitchen which opened in 1913,) with local artists, vendors, food trucks and live entertainment. When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 21 How much: Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the event. More info: onsl.org/tour Photos: At Home with Gloria and Tom Bratkowski in Old North St. Louis Famous Ukrainian interviewer Ramina Eskhakzai has revealed the biggest lie of the scandalous blogger Oleksandr Voloshyn, who fled abroad, justifying his actions by "threats from the military." The Internet celebrity conducted an investigation that showed: The 27-year-old influencer went on vacation to Mexico in the winter as a volunteer. He brazenly deceived his fans and a journalist, claiming that it was just gossip. ADVERTISIMENT Ramina Eskhakzai published a detailed investigation on her YouTube channel. She collected evidence to prove the blogger's outright lies. In the new video, the journalist analyzed the fragments of an interview with Volodymyr Voloshyn, where he stated: "I have not been to Mexico. I have been to Europe, to many countries with a sea, because I had meetings with the right people there. But I have not been to Mexico specifically." In response to Anna Trincher's ex-husband's loud justifications, the 32-year-old woman released a number of facts that refute his words. Among them: a screenshot of correspondence with a foreigner who saw the fugitive in another country, the date of the internet celebrity's departure abroad, and his photo at an airport. ADVERTISIMENT "Oleksandr Voloshyn was in Mexico. This is evidenced by the information about crossing the border and the photos taken at the airport. This is evidenced by information from a foreigner, because when I asked her: "Does she know Oleksandr Voloshyn? Has he been to Mexico?" she said: "Yes". Our mutual acquaintances testify to this, and Oleksandr Voloshyn told me personally when I told him that I knew he had lied to me, looking me in the eye and showing me the evidence," Ramina said. ADVERTISIMENT After leaving Ukraine, Voloshyn claimed that he left his homeland because he felt in danger. The blogger released a 45-minute video justifying his flight abroad, in which he said he was forced to do so because he was constantly facing hate and threats. For her part, Ramina Eskhakzai says in a published investigation that the departure was planned. "He left with the help of corruption, did not pay taxes, and did not declare his income in full. He went abroad through an obscure company. Oleksandr Voloshyn's departure abroad was a planned action with the export of cars, the sale of apartments, even during the interview he mentioned Spain several times," the interviewer said. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ST. LOUIS A Centreville man already serving a life term for murder pleaded guilty this week to fatally shooting a St. Louis man during a robbery. The two killings happened hours apart on June 30, 2019. Timothy B. Stokes, 56, was charged in January with first-degree murder in the death of Brian Culton, 65, at a home in the 200 block of Upton Street in the Patch neighborhood of south St. Louis. Stokes robbed Culton of about $100 around 2 a.m. that day before shooting Culton. Three hours later, Stokes shot and killed Michelle Williams, 24, outside a gas station on South State Street in East St. Louis after the two got into an argument. Later that morning, Illinois State Police encountered Stokes walking along Interstate 255 near I-64. He fired at troopers and ran away; the highway was closed for several hours while police searched for him. Stokes was found in a vacant building in East St. Louis and was arrested. He was convicted last year of murdering Williams and shooting at a police officer and sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus 20 years. He will serve a concurrent life sentence for Culton's murder. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Israeli airstrikes hit central and southern Gaza overnight into Saturday, killing at least 14 people as friends and family members of a Turkish-American activist killed by an Israeli soldier honored her in a funeral. The airstrikes in Gaza City hit one home housing 11 people, including three women and four children, and another strike hit a tent in Khan Younis with Palestinians displaced by the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza's Civil Defense said Saturday. They followed airstrikes earlier this week that hit a tent camp on Tuesday and a United Nations school sheltering displaced on Wednesday. A campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio drew down and the World Health Organization said about 559,000 under the age of 10 have recovered from their first dose, seven out of every eight children the campaign aimed to vaccinate. The second doses are expected to begin later this month as part of an effort in which the WHO said parties had already agreed to. "As we prepare for the next round in four weeks, were hopeful these pauses will hold, because this campaign has clearly shown the world whats possible when peace is given a chance, Richard Peeperkorn, WHOs representative in Gaza and the West Bank, said in a statement on Saturday. In Turkey, activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, the 26-year-old from Seattle who held U.S. and Turkish citizenships, was laid to rest in her hometown in the town of Didim on the Aegean Sea. The Israeli military has said that Eygi was likely shot indirectly and unintentionally by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on Sept. 6. Turkey announced it will conduct its own investigation into her death. An Israeli protester who witnessed the shooting said she was killed after a demonstration against Israeli settlements. We are not going to leave our daughters blood on the ground and we demand responsibility and accountability for this murder, Numan Kurtulus, the speaker of Turkey's parliament, told mourners. Eygi's body had been earlier brought from a hospital to her family home and Didim's Central Mosque. Thousands of people bid her farewell in the town's streets, which were lined with Turkish flags. Her death was condemned by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken as the United States, Egypt and Qatar push for a cease-fire and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Talks have repeatedly bogged down as Israel and Hamas accuse each other of making new and unacceptable demands. The war began when Hamas-led fighters killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. They abducted another 250 people and are still holding around 100 hostages after releasing most of the rest in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Around a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead. The war has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gazas population of 2.3 million, often multiple times, and plunged the territory into a severe humanitarian crisis. Gazas Health Ministry says over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its count, but says women and children make up just over half of the dead. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants in the war. Associated Press writers Sam Metz in Rabat, Morocco and and Andrew Wilks in Istanbul contributed to this report. Updated at 7:15 a.m. An Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot with the 354th Fighter Squadron from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., prepares to land Oct. 27, 2023, at an undisclosed location within U.S. Central Commands area of responsibility. CENTCOM oversees military operations in the Middle East. (U.S. Air Force) The Air Force is moving on from its steady, slow-flying attack jets that have been heralded for decades of service, especially among the ground forces saved by A-10 Thunderbolt IIs while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The long-coming transition away from the jet affectionally dubbed the Warthog by those ground troops who relied on it for close air support was set to take a major step Friday as the Air Force inactivated one of its storied units, the 354th Fighter Squadron, which has flown the A-10 since 1991. The unit and its associated maintenance unit the 354th Fighter Generation Squadron were set for the inactivation ceremony Friday evening at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, near Tucson, Ariz., service officials said. The ceremony comes weeks after the unit made its official last A-10 flight over the Tucson skies on June 21, and after all its aircraft had been moved to other A-10 units or the Boneyard the final resting place at Davis-Monthan for the services retired aircraft, a base spokesperson said Friday. By the end of this decade, the Air Force plans for its entire fleet of A-10s to rest in the Boneyard. Though initially resisted by members of Congress and others who have long supported the Warthog, lawmakers agreed with Air Force brass last year to divest from the five-decade-old jet in favor of newer, more advanced aircraft the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, which is the most expensive weapon in U.S. history. A-10 pilots have said watching the service move on from the platform would be difficult. Nonetheless, the mission to support ground troops in battle would continue, Col. Scott Mills, the 355th Wing commander at Davis-Monthan, told Task & Purpose, an online military publication. The attack mindset is never and will never be defined by the aircraft we fly, said Mills, a longtime A-10 pilot who has flown the aircraft in combat. The attack mindset is actually ... based solely on the soldier, sailor or Marine [who is] on the ground. Its the ability to act when no one else will take action that is dangerous and put the needs of that ground team ahead of your own and ahead of your aircraft and do whatever it takes to make sure that at the end of the day, they are protected and enabled to achieve whatever their objective is for that day. The service plans to move most A-10 pilots and maintainers into F-35s in the coming years, arguing that aircraft can conduct the close air support mission that made the Warthog famous. Other A-10 units, including at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia and Gowen Field Air National Guard Base in Idaho, are expected to shed their A-10s by 2028 in favor of F-35s and F-16s, respectively. At Davis-Monthan, the A-10 mission will be replaced with a special operations mission, as the 492nd Special Operations Wing will relocate from Hurlburt Field in Florida to the Arizona base with several aircraft, including the MC-130J Commando II gunship and the fledgling OA-1K armed overwatch aircraft program. While the A-10s have proven popular for their lifesaving ability to fend off enemy ground attacks in regions where U.S. troops face little-to-no airborne threat, Air Force officials have long worried the aging Warthogs would prove easy targets against near-peer powers such as China or Russia. The planes were not designed to evade modern radar systems or for an air-to-air fight, but specifically to support ground troops by flying low and slow below 1,000 feet. The A-10 carries several air-to-ground bombs and its most famous weapon the 30mm GAU-8/A cannon, a seven-barrel Gatling gun that fires 3,900 rounds per minute. Fridays ceremony will not be the first time that the 354th Fighter Squadron has inactivated. The unit inactivated shortly after World War II, when its pilots flew P-51 Mustang fighters across the Europe, according to a unit history. It inactivated again in the 1950s before returning to fly F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bombers in Vietnam. The unit inactivated again in 1982 before its activation in 1991, when it first began flying the A-10. Lt. Col. Patrick Chapman, the squadrons commander, led the unit on its final A-10 deployment in the fall to the Middle East in support of operations in Iraq and Syria. The unit flew the aircraft out of Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates on its final deployment, according to the service. Chapman called the tour operationally challenging during a very turbulent time in the Middle East. He said he was proud of his units performance and expected the airmen would fare well with their new aircraft. The lieutenant colonel said he agreed the A-10 would not perform at all well in a high-end conflict with a powerful enemy, but he said ground forces would continue to need attack pilots to support them in a close-in fight. Were not defined by what we fly, he told Task & Purpose this week. Were defined by the attack we bring with it. (Nancy Montgomery/Stars and Stripes) Marjah, Afghanistan, Jan. 23, 2011: An Afghan translator working for the Marines takes a local boy for a bike ride on the boys bike on Marjahs main drag. The road had just been paved, a first in the town. Check out Nancy Montgomerys report on progress made at the time in Marjah. View of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support mission base located near Port-au-Princes international airport in Haiti. (Jose Iglesias) (Tribune News Service) The West African nation of Benin is supposed to be a critical partner in the multinational security mission helping Haiti fight violent gangs pledging the single-largest force of 1,500 to 2,000 soldiers, who also would be the only native French-speakers enlisted in the campaign. But now the nations deployment plans appear to be on hold. At issue is who Beninese troops, once deployed to Haiti, will be answering to and whether the international effort to stabilize and secure the country for elections should be carried out by police or military personnel. Our position and our commitment remains the same, to help Haiti, Benin Foreign Minister Shegun Adjadi Bakari told the Miami Herald in an interview. But since the beginning we said clearly, what Haiti needs is not a police mission. We believe that we need a military mission in Haiti to fight against gangs, restore the security in the country and restore the stability, which is a prerequisite for any election. The participation of Benin, where the population speaks French like many Haitians, is considered a key to the success of the mission. Its concerns about the rules of engagement recently came up in a briefing with congressional foreign affairs staff. Some congressional staff have been concerned about the pulling of resources by the Biden administration from strained areas of the globe to put out fires in other areas. Islamic State and al Qaeda militants, for example, are currently spreading violence across West Africa, and the Pentagon has turned to coastal countries such as Benin and others in the region, to house U.S. forces and assist U.S. counterinsurgency efforts after American soldiers over the summer were forced to withdraw from Niger. Benin first offered to join the Multinational Security Support mission in February amid calls from the Caribbean Community for more Francophone nations to join the effort after the United Nations agreed to the deployment of foreign forces to help the Haitian national police dismantle armed gangs controlling most of the capital. Kenya had volunteered to lead the effort and agreed to deploy 1,000 of its police officers. However, the effort was delayed due to court challenges in Nairobi and funding issues in Washington. Still, Washington was able to amass a list of countries to volunteer troops to what it continuously touted as a police-led security mission. Those countries The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad, Jamaica and most recently, Guatemala. Of those, the Kenyans were the first to deploy. The first contingent of the 400 Kenyan police officers began arriving in late June. On Thursday, they were joined by 25 Caribbean security personnel including members of the Jamaican military and police force, and two members of Belizes military. In welcoming the Caribbean contingent, Godfrey Otunge, the Kenyan force commander and a policeman, said the presence of the Caribbean forces will enhance the synergy of the ongoing operations between the Multinational Security Support mission and the Haiti National Police. Until now, both groups have struggled to make a significant impact against the armed gangs, which have grown even more emboldened amid the missions lack of resources, which include a lack of security personnel, equipment and financing. Bakari said Benin has several concerns about the mission, which the government shared with partners from the onset. Among them was about the command structure, which was voiced the minute it offered to contribute between 1,500 to 2,000 military soldiers. They came back to us and said are you ready to send your military right now? We said, Yes. But you cannot ask the military to be led by policemen, he said. It hasnt happened anywhere in the world. You need the military to command military people.This is where we stand today, we said We cannot send our military persons in Haiti to be led by policemen coming from Kenya. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. This is not the first time the question of who is better equipped at taking on Haitis armed gangs has come up. A confidential U.N. document obtained by the Herald ahead of Kenyas pledge to lead the effort suggested that the international armed force could consist of a mix of military and police units, but must have the muscle, assets and intelligence capabilities necessary to fight heavily armed kidnapping gangs. Bakari said Benin raised this very idea in its own conversations, suggesting that the security mission be a mix of army and police, or just army. All of us know that it is impossible for policemen to solve this issue, he said. They dont know how to do this kind of operation; its a pure war, we know that. He also raised another concern, one that also help lead to the decision by Canada not to take the lead despite heavy courting by the United States to do so. They should understand us also, how can I send my people to Haiti and they will be shot at? What will I tell my constituents? Bakari said. While some in Washington view the uncertainty around Benin as a blow to U.S. efforts to securing Haiti enough for the country to be able to hold long-overdue general elections next year, Bakari said he remains hopeful that his nation can keep its commitment to the troubled Caribbean country that not only shares the French language but other cultural touchstones. There is a diplomatic meeting with U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken later this month, he said, where Benin plans to once more raise its concerns. The U.S. is the largest financial contributor to the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission, providing more than $300 million toward its operations and the construction of a base near the international airport in Port-au-Prince. Despite the largess, there still isnt enough money to support the 2,500-security personnel it who are expected to field the operation. Concerns are also growing that while the current funding, including $84.5 million in a U.N.-controlled Trust Fund, is enough to support the troops currently employed, funding will soon run out by early next year. To address the funding and resource issues, the U.S. plans to push for more funding during the upcoming U.N. Genera Assembly that begins on Tuesday. It is also pushing to transform the non-U.N. mission into a formal U.N. peacekeeping operation. Along with Ecuador, the U.S. is floating a resolution among members of the Security Council for a years extension on the mandate of the current mission until October 2025, and for planning to begin on transforming it into a peacekeeping operation. As a peacekeeping mission, funding would come from member state assessed contributions, and not voluntary contributions. It would also have assets like helicopters and a hospital capable of doing surgeries, which doesnt currently exist. But for any of this to happen, the U.S. will first need to convince U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that a formal peacekeeping mission is the way to go, and then it will have to ensure that neither Russia nor China vetoes the idea when the resolution comes up for a vote on Sept. 30, two days before the mandate expires. I believe at some point our partners will hear us and they will understand our position and what we are asking for, Bakari said. Our position is simple, he added. We are ready. Our people are trained, they have all of the clearances but at the same time the United States, Canada, France and other countries, they have to commit in terms of financing. 2024 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Migrants rest outside the bus station. (Mary Beth Sheridan/The Washington Post) VILLAHERMOSA, Mexico With detentions at the U.S. border plunging to a four-year low, everyone is angling for the credit. Democrats highlight President Joe Bidens tougher asylum policies. Republicans point to Gov. Greg Abbotts razor-wire barriers on the Texas border. But a major reason for the drop can be seen 800 miles south of the border in this sleepy, palm-shaded city closer to Guatemala than to the United States. Here, sleek white government buses roll in, one after another, to disgorge groups of bewildered migrants. The foreigners have been stopped at highway checkpoints or plucked from buses and trains, caught in a massive dragnet set up by Mexico under U.S. pressure. But the government cant afford to deport them. So it sends them back here to southern Mexico where many simply turn around and head north again. Officials call it El Carrusel. The merry-go-round. Yoleida Aponte, 34, a Venezuelan migrant, rests with her son at an encampment outside the Villahermosa bus station. The family was detained in central Mexico and bused back to the south. They intend to head north again. (Mary Beth Sheridan/The Washington Post) The tactic isnt totally new, but is being employed more aggressively than ever before. Since the start of this year, the Mexican government has bused around 10,000 migrants a month to the south, roughly double the figure last year, according to official data obtained by the migrant activist Gretchen Kuhner. Thousands more captured migrants are loaded onto planes or minibuses for the trip. Senior U.S. officials and migrant advocates say the operation is a major factor in the stunning fall in apprehensions at the U.S. border, down 77 percent since December. But its unclear whether the results are sustainable. The number of migrants camped out in Mexican cities is rising. And advocates and aid workers worry about the human toll. I call it the policy of wearing people out, said Eunice Rendon, head of the nonprofit advocacy group Agenda Migrante. Maria Rosa Barrios, 33, a Venezuelan X-ray technician, is stuck on the carousel. She entered Mexico with her partner and their three sons in February. Now they were at a migrant shelter in Villahermosa. This is our fourth time trying to go north, she said. The family was first picked up by immigration agents outside the northern city of Monterrey in March and bused to southern Chiapas state. In May, they were ordered off a train near Piedras Negras, across from Eagle Pass, Tex., and returned again. In August, they were stopped just hours after setting out from Chiapas. By now, Barrioss dyed blonde hair has gone dark. Shes dropped two pants sizes for want of food. Her skin, once the color of almond milk, is now rough and browned by the sun. Round and round she goes. Sometimes I say, why did I make this decision? she said. Tears welled in her eyes. But I have to continue, to help my parents, to help my children. Maria Rosa Barrios, 33, comforts her 4-year-old son, Jose, in a blue T-shirt, as her 9-year-old son, Crhistian, looks away at the Amparito shelter for migrants in Villahermosa, Mexico. Barrios is hoping to reach the United States to earn money to pay for treatment for Crhistians growth disorder. (Mary Beth Sheridan/The Washington Post) Mexico triples its migrant detentions Mexico launched the crackdown just after Secretary of State Antony Blinken led a delegation to Mexico City in December. Record numbers of migrants were reaching the U.S. southern border and Republicans were pounding Biden on the issue ahead of the presidential election. Blinken pressed President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to step up enforcement, according to U.S. and Mexican officials. Mexicos migration agency went into overdrive. Aided by the military, agents added checkpoints on highways and ramped up searches of trains and buses. In the first half of 2024, Mexico logged 712,226 apprehensions nearly triple the number in the same period last year. Mexico couldnt possibly deport that many people. It wasnt just a question of money. Its Supreme Court had ruled that migrants could be detained for only 36 hours, not enough time to process most for a return home. So authorities dramatically scaled up a program to send them to cities near the Guatemalan border. The merry-go-round is just one of the governments tactics. Authorities also tightened access to humanitarian visas, which many migrants were requesting under the guise of seeking asylum in Mexico but using instead to travel to the U.S. border. Officials leaned on railway operators to keep migrants from hopping freight trains. Those detained are being sent to southern cities that are often ill-equipped to handle them. Villahermosas only migrant shelter, known as Amparito, is hosting twice as many migrants as a year ago. When the 60 beds in its dorm-style rooms fill up, the staff squeeze mattresses into the main meeting room and the childrens play area. An infrastructure with 60, 90, 100 beds isnt remotely enough for the number of people who come, director Karina Vidal said. Barrios outside her dormitory-style room at the shelter. (Mary Beth Sheridan/The Washington Post) Mexican policy leaves migrants in a state of helplessness Barrioss case shows why migrants continue to push two, three or four times to get through Mexico to the United States. The economy in her native Venezuela has collapsed, the result of mismanagement by the socialist government and punishing U.S. sanctions. Nearly 8 million people have fled. Barrios and her partner, Mario, a taxi driver, couldnt make ends meet. And they were growing increasingly anxious about their 9-year-old son, Crhistian. At the shelter, Barrios watched Crhistian skip off to play with his 4-year-old brother. They were the same size. The treatment he needs is very expensive, she said. There was no way to earn enough in Venezuela to deal with his growth disorder. Barrios left Venezuela in January with her Bible and a suitcase of dreams. The family hiked through the treacherous Darien Gap, the 60-mile stretch of jungle between Colombia and Panama, and worked their way to Mexico by bus and on foot. Eight months later, theyre broke. Like other migrants who cluster at stoplights or on street corners in Villahermosa, the family peddles lollipops or begs for change outside convenience stores. Theyre often reduced to sleeping in the street. We use our shoes for pillows, Barrios said. Migrants at the shelter choose from a pile of donated shoes. (Mary Beth Sheridan/The Washington Post) Shes adopted a determined cheerfulness. Theres no going back to Venezuela; shes sold her house. And, she figures, other Venezuelans made it to the United States. Why cant they? She keeps her kids going with stories of life in America. They ask, Mama, when will we reach the beautiful country? When will you take me to Disney? Barrios said. Analysts say the merry-go-round is subjecting vulnerable people to horrific conditions, including kidnapping and robbery by criminal groups. Many migrants are escaping life-threatening violence or economic collapse back home, said Tonatiuh Guillen, a former head of Mexicos migration agency. These arent the migrants of years ago. Mexico denies its being cruel; it accepted a record 140,000 applications to its own refugee program in 2023. But the figure has plunged this year, as officials try to crack down on abuse. Aid workers fear its becoming harder to access the system. Biden is also taking measures to control migration Andrew Selee, president of the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute in Washington, has been watching detentions fall at the U.S. border. I keep saying its not sustainable, he said. And then they sustain it. Thats due not just to the Mexican merry-go-round. The Biden administration has steadily ratcheted up penalties for asylum seekers who arrive illegally. Texas officials claim credit for Operation Lone Star a three-year-old program thats fortified the border with razor wire, National Guard and police. Analysts, however, note that other states have recorded similar drops in border-crossers without such measures. Some migrants may have postponed their trips because of the cooling U.S. job market, or an effort by Panama to curtail traffic through the Darien Gap. This is all happening at the same time, said Selee. It may have created enough reinforcing factors to keep the numbers down for a bit. The Mexican government is hoping that the combination of U.S. policies and its own enforcement will transform the dynamics at the U.S. border. Around 75,000 migrants a month are now entering the United States through legal channels many using an app called CBP One to schedule appointments for asylum interviews. Washington recently made the app available in the southern Mexican states that border Guatemala in addition to those in the central and northern parts of the country. Mexico has promised to begin transporting those in the south who have appointments to the U.S. border. We believe that guaranteeing safe migration is part of our job, Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena said. But only around 1,450 appointments are available each day through CBP One, far less than the number of migrants seeking them. Many people struggle for weeks to get a date via the app and when they do, its often several months in the future, leaving them waiting in Mexico. Other factors could foil the efforts to keep border arrivals down. Smugglers typically find ways around enforcement measures. A new wave of Venezuelans could reach the United States in the wake of the countrys July presidential election, which was widely denounced as fraudulent. Its not easy, Barrios said. But its also not impossible. Video: The Mexican Government is routinely bussing immigrants to their southern states before they can reach the U.S. border. Valentina Munoz Castillo in Mexico City contributed to this report. (c) 2024, The Washington Post. China's consumer market continues recovery with increased retail sales Xinhua) 15:50, September 14, 2024 BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's consumer market has maintained stable recovery this year with expanding retail sales, official data showed Saturday. Retail sales of consumer goods went up 2.1 percent year on year in August, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement. Rural consumption gained 3.9 percent last month from a year ago and the catering sector saw its revenue rise by 3.3 percent -- well above the average level, according to the data. In terms of products, sales of communications equipment climbed 14.8 percent, while sales of cereals, oil and food went up by 10.1 percent. Medicine sales increased by 4.3 percent, and that of home appliances and audio and video products rose by 3.4 percent. In the first eight months of 2024 combined, retail sales of consumer goods increased 3.4 percent compared to a year earlier. Online sales remained a bright spot, rising by 8.9 percent year on year in the January-August period. In particular, sales of physical goods increased by 8.1 percent and accounted for a quarter of total retail sales. Commenting on the data, NBS spokesperson Liu Aihua highlighted the recovery trend of the consumer market, especially in services, new-type consumption and online sales. Recent vibrant summer travel and strong cultural and tourism demand underlined the great potential of service consumption, while digital and green consumption also emerged as a new fashion and favorites of consumers, Liu said. China has rolled out an array of measures to boost consumption this year, including a program promoting large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins. Recently, the government further stepped up efforts to encourage the purchase of automobiles and home appliances, among others. While recognizing policy impacts, Liu also said that consumption recovery still faces restraints, prompting authorities to channel even more energy into strengthening consumer sentiment and stimulating domestic demand. The presence of improved government policies and better products and services on the market, means the potential of consumption will be unleashed at a faster pace and thus the consumer market will have a more solid foundation for recovery, Liu added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Xian Jiangnan) During the exchange of prisoners with Russia on September 14, 23 servicemen who were part of the Azov Regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine returned home. In total, Ukraine returned 103 servicemen as part of this exchange. ADVERTISIMENT The defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal spent more than two years in captivity. This was reported by the head of Azov's patronage service, Olena Tolkacheva. "It's a miracle! 23 Azov people are returning to their homeland today after more than two years of captivity!" she said in a statement. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the exchange of prisoners. The exchange brought back 82 privates and sergeants, as well as 21 officers. Among the released soldiers are members of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, border guards, and police who defended Kyiv, Donetsk, Mariupol, and Azovstal, as well as Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions. As reported by OBOZ.UA, on September 13, Ukraine and Russia conducted the 56th exchange of prisoners of war. As a result, 49 Ukrainians returned home, including 15 defenders of Azovstal. At the same time, 49 Russian soldiers who had surrendered in the Kursk region went to Russia. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, showed the emotions of our fellow citizens upon their return home. The Ombudsman emphasized that the health condition of the returnees is extremely serious, many of them have lost tens of kilograms of weight. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets U.S. President Joe Biden for a bilateral meeting in the White House on July 10, 2024. The two leaders are meeting again on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, and they are expected to discuss the issue of allowing Ukraine to make long-range strikes deep into Russia. (Simon Dawson/U.K. Prime Ministers Office via Flickr) Russia on Friday accused six British diplomats of spying and announced it has stripped them of accreditation, ahead of a crucial White House meeting between President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who are expected to discuss later Friday whether to allow Ukraine to strike military targets deep inside Russia using some long-range Western weapons. On the eve of the meeting, President Vladimir Putin also warned that if Ukraine fires Western missiles deep into Russia, it would mean that Russia was at war with NATO and would respond accordingly. Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) said that Britains Foreign Office was coordinating the escalation of the political and military situation in Ukraine to ensure Russias defeat in the war. It said the diplomats were threatening the security of the Russian Federation. The British Foreign Office described the FSBs accusations as completely baseless and said Russia revoked the diplomats accreditation last month in retaliation for earlier British action in response to Russian state-directed activity across Europe and in the United Kingdom. We are unapologetic about protecting our national interests, it said. Putins threat underscored Moscows unease about the impact that a decision allowing Ukraine to target Russia using some long-range weapons might have on the strategic balance in the war. The issue is not whether to allow the Ukrainian regime to make strikes on Russia or not. The issue is to decide whether the NATO states are directly involved in the military conflict or not, Putin said. If this decision is made, it will mean nothing other than the direct involvement of NATO states, European states, in the war in Ukraine, Putin said in a television interview late Thursday. Such a move would change the very nature of the conflict, he said. This will mean that all NATO states, the United States, the European countries are fighting with Russia. And if so, then given the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will make corresponding decisions based on the threats that will be created for us. John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, suggested that Bidens meeting with Starmer would not produce a shift in Washingtons reluctance to let Ukraine fire American-provided long-range missiles deeper into Russia. There is no change to our view on the provision of long-range strike capabilities for Ukraine to use inside Russia, and I wouldnt expect any sort of major announcement in that regard coming out of the discussions, certainly not on our side, Kirby told reporters. He largely declined to comment, however, on whether the U.S. would support the British or French if they decided to authorize Kyiv to launch long-range strikes with the weapons they have provided. We have and will continue to have meaningful conversations with our alliesabout what were all doing to support Ukraine, about what can be done, what should be done, the pros and the cons of all these moves, Kirby said. In response to Putins remarks on NATO, Starmer told British reporters that Russias invasion was illegal and that Ukraine has a right to defend itself. We dont seek any conflict with Russia. Thats not our intention in the slightest. But they started this conflict, and Ukraines got a right to self-defense, he said. Ukraine has repeatedly dismissed such threats from Russia, maintaining that Putin never follows through. On Friday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also recommended not getting too worried over the Russian leaders remarks. I would not attach excessive importance to the latest statements from President Putin, Tusk told a news conference. They rather show the difficult situation the Russians have on the front. Kirby agreed that Putins statements are unreliable, while adding a note of caution. Its hard to take anything coming out of Putins face at his word, Kirby said. But he emphasized that the U.S. carefully watches potential Russian threats. He starts brandishing the nuclear sword, yes, we constantly monitor that kind of activity, Kirby said. He obviously has proven capable of aggression. He has obviously proven capable of escalation over the last now going on three years. Throughout the war, Kremlin and senior Russian officials have spelled out a series of red lines, for example the supply of F-16 warplanes to Kyiv or any invasion of Russian territory, and these have been crossed without major repercussions. In addition, until recently Kremlin officials seemed to be playing down the matter, stating that the decision to lift restrictions on using Western weapons for long-range strikes into Russia had already been made. But on Friday, speaking after the responses from Starmer and Tusk, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov sought to reinforce the gravity of Putins warning in comments to journalists during a regular conference call. The statement that Putin made yesterday is very important, he said. It is extremely clear, unambiguous and does not allow for any double readings. We have no doubt that this statement has reached its addressees. The Russian daily Kommersant also suggested that this time around, Putin is serious. In an article headlined, Vladimir Putin drew his red line, Kommersant reported that such strikes would be classified as NATO strikes against Russia. Previously, Russian officials, including Vladimir Putin himself, have repeatedly said that NATO countries are directly or indirectly involved in the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, but this is the first time this topic has been raised so harshly and unequivocally, Kommersant reported. The war against Ukraine, planned as a short, sharp operation, has instead turned into a long, bloody war of attrition, which British intelligence recently estimated has cost Russia more than 610,000 soldiers killed or wounded in action. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials have been pressing Washington for months to lift the restrictions against using Western missiles to target military sites such as airfields where Moscow bases the planes that have launched devastating strikes, knocking out much of Ukraines energy infrastructure as well as killing civilians. Anyone who simply looks at the map and sees where Russia is launching strikes, where it is preparing forces and holding reserves, where its military facilities are located, and what logistics it uses anyone who sees all of this clearly understands why Ukraine needs long-range capabilities, he posted on Telegram. At a conference Friday, Zelensky also said that he would soon brief Biden on his victory plan to end to war and bring about a reliable peace. Biden was asked Tuesday whether the United States was ready to lift the restrictions. We are working that out right now, he said. A British government statement ahead of Fridays White House meeting accused Russia of escalating the war, notably by importing Iranian ballistic missiles for use against Ukraine, calling it a significant escalation bolstering Putins capability to continue his illegal war. The FSB said expelling the six diplomats is a first step in response to the numerous unfriendly steps taken by London. It said it found signs of spying and sabotage by the six British diplomats from the political department of the Moscow Embassy. An FSB officer who appeared on state television on Friday morning said British diplomats being expelled had met with journalists from Novaya Gazeta newspaper and from the rights group Memorial. Memorial, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has, like hundreds of media, civil society organizations, journalists and activists, been declared a foreign agent by Russian authorities. Its a classical British spy. Its fun watching him, but it cant be tolerated any further, the FSB officer said. We got sick and tired of tolerating this circus as they went jogging across Moscow and through urban forests, their one-day visits to neighboring towns for the purpose of sitting on a bench for several hours in the frost, or multiple changes of public transport and taxis to escape from security services in order to visit some gathering of foreign-agent NGOs that lobby for migrants interests, he said. State television broadcast the names and photographs of the accused diplomats. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left and U.S. President Joe Biden hold a bilateral meeting at the Intercontinental Hotel in Paris on June 7, 2024. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images/TNS) (Tribune News Service) President Joe Biden will meet his Ukrainian counterpart at the U.N. General Assembly to discuss Ukraines strategy for the war ahead of the U.S. elections, said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. With little more than four months before a new U.S. president is sworn in, we are going to treat each single one of those days preciously when it comes to supporting Ukraine, Sullivan said via a video link to the annual Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, organized by businessman Victor Pinchuk. I believe that were at a vital moment, at a crossroads, Sullivan said of the Biden meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy meeting at UNGA. Zelenskyy, whos repeatedly criticized allies for the slow supply of promised weapons, has said hell lay out a victory plan when he meets with Biden that would force Russia to halt its full-scale invasion, though he hasnt offered specifics. Ukraines leader said he would also brief the U.S. presidential candidates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, on the proposal. Ukraine is pressing its allies to allow the use of Western weapons to strike deeper inside Russia to target military objects that have been moved further back from the nations border. Our job is to put Ukraine in a strong position on the battlefield so that they are in a strong position at the negotiating table, Sullivan said. Having a conversation that puts all of the pieces together is what the White House hopes to bring together at the New York meeting. Sullivan warned that any peace proposal suggested for Ukraine that ran counter to fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, democracy and freedom wouldnt be sustainable. Ukraine has to be in the lead when it comes to diplomacy and negotiations, he said. Kremlin forces recently stepped up missile attacks on Ukraine, damaging its energy facilities and causing blackouts across the country. Russian ground troops are advancing in Ukraines eastern region of Donetsk as the war moves through its third year, outnumbering Kyivs army in personnel and ammunition. The strategic town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk is of unique concern, Sullivan said. I meet with my team every single day to think about what tools we need to put into place to help stabilize the front and make sure that those grinding advances by the Russians are met with stiff resistance, Sullivan said. We are currently working on a substantial package, pulling together a range of different capabilities that we are going to try to get out the door before the end of this month. Ukraine has repeatedly called for more air defense systems and the U.S. is in the process right now of securing those from partners, Sullivan said. Kyiv also needs to build more concrete barriers around energy transformers and substations to protect them from Russian drones, Sullivan said, adding that were trying to deliver the tools to be able for them to build that out around more energy infrastructure. The U.S. has made it a priority to help protect Ukraines nuclear power plants, Sullivan said. Russia has proved completely brazen about its attacks on civilian energy infrastructure, he added. 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Since coming to power in July, Irans new political leadership has signaled its interest in reengaging with the West which could bring restored ties and sanctions relief for the isolated country. For Iran, engagement is more difficult now than ever. Tehran is deeply enmeshed in the Israel-Lebanon conflict. The nuclear deal is in tatters. Sanctions have crippled the economy. And this week, the United States accused Iran of sending ballistic missiles to Russia and imposed new sanctions. Still, regional diplomats and officials say, the developments this week are unlikely to derail Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkians efforts to bring his country out of isolation, which one Arab diplomat described as the countrys only option. In this case, time is not on Irans side, said the diplomat, who meets regularly with Iranian officials, and who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. He said Iran appears eager to secure some kind of progress toward engagement to relieve domestic and international pressures. When Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the sanctions Tuesday, he addressed Irans diplomatic overtures directly. Irans new president and foreign minister have repeatedly said that they want to restore engagement with Europe, they want to receive sanctions relief, he said. Destabilizing actions like these will achieve exactly the opposite. The sanctions appear milder than expected, when European countries warned Iran that ballistic missile transfers to Russia approximated a red line in the Ukraine war. The measures largely target Irans civil aviation and could take months to go into effect. Irans Foreign Ministry said the weapons transfer allegations were a vile propaganda ploy and a blatant lie. The ballistic missile deal with Russia, which the Treasury Department alleged was negotiated long before Pezeshkian took power, is an example of how Iranian policy often plays out on two tracks, according to Nicole Grajewski, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment. While civilian leadership may push for reform or diplomacy, the military and security apparatus maintains its own long-term goals, often independent of the political leadership, said Grajewski, who is the author of the book Russia and Iran: Partners in Defiance from Syria to Ukraine. Just a few months into his term, Pezeshkian is juggling multiples crises at home and abroad. The war in Gaza has dragged on for nearly a year, and in that time Israel has traded nearly daily fire with Hezbollah, Irans most powerful allied militia. Domestically, Irans economy has repeatedly hit record lows. And widespread frustration over the use of heavy-handed tactics by security forces continues to simmer. After the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July, Iran vowed a decisive response. That was over a month ago. U.S. officials believe that every day that passes lessens the chances of a major incident and escalation, although additional American military assets remain in the region as a deterrent. Since Pezeshkians election, Iran has indicated to the Biden administration that it is interested in talks, but U.S. officials are waiting for signs of support from Irans supreme leader, who is the ultimate decision-maker. By standing with Russia in its war, Iran is defending its interests and existence, said a Lebanese official who deals regularly with Tehran, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. The official said the most recent sanctions on Iran are part of a policy to put it under constant pressure, but recently, he said, that approach appears to be yielding diminishing returns. These sanctions have become a double-edged sword, he said, adding that they have crippled Irans economy and ability to project power but have also necessitated stronger ties with countries like Russia. Iran has continued to advance its nuclear program and thwart international inspectors. Uranium-enrichment experts have been barred from inspection teams and Iran has failed to explain uranium traces found at undeclared sites. But at a board of governors meeting this week in Vienna, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said Pezeshkian agreed to meet to discuss improving cooperation. I encourage Iran to facilitate such a meeting in the not-too-distant future so that we can establish a constructive dialogue that leads swiftly to real results, Grossi said in a statement. When asked by reporters if the not-too-distant future meant after the U.S. election, Grossi responded: No, hopefully before that. Reviving the 2015 nuclear deal had been a priority for the Biden administration. Talks progressed enough that in 2022 the two sides were reviewing final texts of a potential agreement, but failed to secure a breakthrough. The deal had curbed Irans nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, but collapsed when then President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018 and imposed new maximum pressure sanctions on Iran. Irans president campaigned on promises to improve the economy by ending isolation. And as he built his cabinet, his appointments reflect a greater emphasis on diplomacy. Former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal, was appointed as strategic vice president. And career diplomat Abbas Araghchi, another member of the nuclear negotiating team, is Irans new foreign minister. He has all the right people in place, said Sina Azodi, an expert on Iran and a lecturer at George Washington University, of Pezeshkians government formation. The question is if he can get the approval of [Ali] Khamenei, Irans supreme leader. Over the past month, Pezeshkian has appeared to go out of his way to keep Khamenei on his side, Azodi said. Its a kind of bear-hugging approach, he said, that could serve Pezeshkian well if he comes under fire from Iranian conservatives opposed to engagement. Khamenei addressed Pezeshkians cabinet directly last month. We do not have to pin our hope to the enemy. For our plans, we should not wait for approval by the enemies, Khamenei said in a video broadcast by state television. It is not contradictory to engage the same enemy in some places. Theres no barrier. The comments, while vague, were interpreted by many as opening the door to potential talks with the West. But in the same address, Khamenei included a warning: Do not trust the enemy. Irans supreme leader has always provided a little bit of leash to his governments to test the waters and see what they can achieve, said Suzanne Maloney, director of the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution and an Iran expert. But what kind of deal would even be possible is unclear. The structure of what worked 10 years ago is essentially inconceivable today, she said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference following a strategic dialogue meeting with Britains Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on Sept. 10, 2024, in London. (Alberto Pezzali/Pool/Getty Images/TNS) (Tribune News Service) The U.S. and U.K. are increasingly concerned that Russia is sharing with Iran secret information and technology that could bring it closer to being able to build nuclear weapons, in exchange for Tehran providing Moscow with ballistic missiles for its war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has increased its cooperation with Iran over its ambitions to obtain atomic weapons in recent months, according to Western officials familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss assessments that havent been made public. The development was discussed by U.S. and U.K. officials in Washington this week, the people added, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met President Joe Biden at the White House for a strategic meeting on foreign policy. They described it as worrying, and an escalation of Russia and Irans military ties. Russias foreign ministry, Irans embassy at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, and the U.S. National Security Council didnt respond to requests for comment. Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that Russia was exchanging nuclear technology with Tehran during a press conference in London last week, during which he said Moscow had received a shipment of Irans Fath-360 ballistic missiles. For its part, Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks this is a two-way street including on nuclear issues, as well as some space information, Blinken said. Iran insists it isnt looking to produce nuclear weapons, although thereve been growing concerns the Persian Gulf nation could build them in response to escalating tensions with Israel. In April, a senior Iranian general said the Islamic Republic could revise its nuclear doctrine if Israel targeted its atomic facilities, remarks that were seen as a warning that it could seek to produce a warhead, having long said its atomic capabilities were only for civil purposes. IAEA, the United Nations watchdog, said Irans nuclear-fuel levels rose between June and August, enough to fuel a handful of warheads should Iran make a political decision to pursue weapons. At a conference in London last weekend, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns said Russia and Iran were deepening their military relations. With assistance from Jenny Leonard. 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris greet Paul Whelan at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Aug. 1, after he was freed from Russian captivity. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post) Members of Congress agree they must change the law so that Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained by terrorist groups or foreign governments dont owe penalties for failing to pay taxes while theyre captive. But their attempt to address that problem is stuck in a fight over other legislation. The Senate in May unanimously passed a measure that would prevent the Internal Revenue Service from assessing penalties to freed hostages who didnt file or pay taxes during their ordeal. On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously advanced similar legislation. But the House committee packaged the hostage tax bill with a measure that would make it easier for the government to strip tax-exempt status from nonprofit groups over allegations of support for terrorism. And because of an arcane procedural step Congress took to try to speed passage of the hostage bill, that move probably prevented it from becoming law. The Senate used an obscure tool called a deeming resolution to approve the hostage provision it unanimously declared that once the legislation passes the House, it would also be considered passed by the Senate. But if the bill is altered in any way in the House, the Senates action is moot. The House bill, though, is different from the Senates because of the section on nonprofits. Free speech and pro-Palestinian advocacy groups oppose that provision, concerned that it could be leveraged to silence organizations with dissenting views or halt the work of humanitarian agencies that operate in areas controlled by terrorist entities, especially in the context of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. That opposition probably dooms the House bills chances in the Senate. Ways and Means, by adding an unrelated bill to it, guarantees that [the deeming resolution] wont work and that we will either have to revise it, change it, send it back, or that we wont get this done in this Congress, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), one of the hostage bills main supporters, told The Washington Post. My hope is that the House will recognize they have a chance to just send this bill to us and it goes directly to the presidents desk. Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason T. Smith (R-Mo.), though, said in a meeting Wednesday that the two provisions were closely related. Terrorist group Hamas is believed to be holding seven Americans hostage in Gaza, four of whom are said to be alive. When they are released, they could face substantial tax penalties, Smith said. Our hearts break for the hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th, including the Americans still being held captive. Russia and other nations continue to wrongfully detain other Americans abroad as well. The last thing these Americans and their families need are penalties from the IRS for a situation entirely outside of their control, Smith said. At the same time, U.S.-based organizations that enjoy not-for-profit status in our tax code while supporting terrorism or providing financial support to terrorist organizations should not be able to benefit from tax-exempt status. Groups that provide support to terrorist groups defined in federal law as financial, material or logistical assistance, with exemptions for medicine and religious items are already subject to having their nonprofit status revoked. They fall under the same provisions that regulate terrorist activity and financing, and those convicted under the statute could face a decades-long prison sentence. The Houses bill would create a new suspension and review process for nonprofit groups, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Smiths committee advanced the legislation by a 38-0 vote; Democratic Reps. Lloyd Doggett (Tex.) and Don Beyer (Va.) said they voted for the bill in committee but hoped it could be amended to limit the use of the nonprofit provision. But theres very little time left in the congressional session, so the Senate probably will not be able to consider the bill this year, and lawmakers will have to start the process from the beginning in 2025. The legislation would have a negligible impact on federal finances but has an significant effect on individuals returning home from captivity. When Post columnist Jason Rezaian returned to the United States in 2016 after 544 days in Iranian captivity, he paid a $6,000 tax penalty. Rezaian said in an interview that Smiths assertion that his bill will help people held hostage by Hamas is based on a misunderstanding: The IRS has a long-standing practice of forgiveness for people who are held hostage by non-state organizations, including Hamas and groups like the Islamic State or Boko Haram, Rezaian said. The goal of the new bill is to expand that to people held by foreign governments, like Russia or China. When I returned home from Iran in 2016 after being imprisoned for nearly a year and a half, I found that the IRS had charged me with thousands of dollars in penalties for not filing my taxes on time, Rezaian wrote in The Post last month, after several Americans were released from captivity in Russia. The usual penalties had compounded. I was sleeping less than three hours a night, repeatedly waking from nightmares that I was back in prison. During the day, I was distracted and having trouble concentrating. So I neglected to sit down and address the problem. Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel at the ACLU, said he has been urging members of Congress to vote against the bill because of the component on nonprofits tax exempt status. The law already provides ways to strip organizations of their tax-exempt status if they provide material support for terrorism, he said; the proposed legislation broadens the governments powers to do so in ways that Hamadanchy fears could be weaponized against nonprofits that fall out of favor with future White House administrations. This is really a way of trying to stifle dissent and chill speech, he said. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the Alliance could have done more to prevent Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to him, providing Ukraine with weapons could have helped avoid a large-scale war. ADVERTISIMENT He said this in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The Secretary General explained that fear of Moscow prevented NATO countries from taking these steps. "Now we provide military equipment for war then we could provide military equipment to prevent war," Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg noted that the Allies were hesitant to provide the weapons requested by Ukraine before the invasion because of fears of escalation of the conflict with Russia. He also emphasized that the war can only be ended through negotiations. "To end this war, at some point, we will have to re-engage in a dialog with Russia. But it should be based on Ukrainian strength," he added. Earlier, the commander of the Finnish Defense Forces, General Janne Jaakkola, said that he did not rule out an escalation of the military conflict in Europe. In his opinion, the aggressor country Russia is not deterred from using military force. However, right now, Moscow does not pose a military threat to Finland. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said that allowing the use of Western long-range weapons to strike Russian territory would "change the nature of the conflict" and would be seen as direct participation of NATO countries in the war in Ukraine. He threatened that this would provoke a "retaliatory reaction" from Moscow. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Bizarrely, this defendant seems to have exaggerated what he is alleged to have done, said the Antrim Magistrates Court judge, sitting in Ballymena A Belfast man accused of deliberately running over his six-month-old puppy bizarrely seems to have exaggerated his actions, a judge has said. Releasing Sean Norris on his own bail of 500 with a range of conditions, including not being allowed near any animal, District Judge Nigel Broderick commented that usually defendants who appear in front of me tend to minimise their actions during police interviews. Bizarrely, this defendant seems to have exaggerated what he is alleged to have done, said the Antrim Magistrates Court judge, sitting in Ballymena. Appearing via videolink last Tuesday, Norris, from Colinbrook Drive, Dunmurry, faces five charges across two cases. He faces three charges arising from incidents on May 19 this year including two of causing unnecessary suffering to two dogs and making a threat to kill his brother. Norris is also charged with and has admitted causing criminal damage to windows and possessing a weapon, namely a hammer, at Oakglen in Antrim on June 25 this year. During Tuesdays bail application the court heard he had been reported as missing last May after arguing with his mum and brother over concerns he was not taking care of his six-month-old border collie pup. The officer told the court his colleagues spotted what they believed to be fur and blood on the bumper of Norris car, after fining him on the motorway. He claimed hed driven over the dog several times and there were fears it was severely injured or dead, but following searches at Glenshane Road, she was found alive and well. The threats towards his brother related to a number of text messages sent by Norris. The second charge of animal suffering his mothers Bichon Frise when Norris told police, I hate it - I gave it a few good slaps and boots to shut it up. Defence counsel Grant Powles said a psychiatrist had assessed Norris as mentally fit to stand trial but incapable of forming the necessary means to commit the offences, even though he admitted criminal damage and having a weapon. Both cases were adjourned to September 24. The court heard fake Chinese Apple phones were dispatched to Ireland and swapped for genuine iPhones sent to China A DUBLIN-based Chinese businessman has been accused of money laundering connected to an international 9.7m "zombie" iPhone fraud. Chengwen Guo, 41, of Ivy Exchange, Parnell Street, D1, was arrested at his home on Wednesday following a three-year investigation by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation into an illegal counterfeit Apple phone trade. He was taken to Kevin Street Garda station in the city centre and charged with three offences under section seven of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 for possessing crime proceeds totalling 170,460, following searches at three locations in Dublin in January 2022. The offence carries a maximum 14-year sentence. The father of four, who was believed to be running a chain of phone shops since moving to Ireland in 2012, allegedly had 143,245 at his home, 20,700 at Murray Mobile, 15 Main Street, Dundrum, D14, and 6,515 in a 2019-reg Audi Q2 car at Shanowen Road, D9. The court heard fake Chinese Apple phones were dispatched to Ireland and swapped for genuine iPhones sent to China. He was refused bail when he appeared before Judge David McHugh on Saturday at Dublin District Court, which heard gardai believed he was a "central figure in the complex deception that was undertaken to defraud Apple". Detective Garda Conor Cadogan said Mr Guo "made no reply" to the charges, and the officer objected to bail, citing flight risk. The contested bail hearing was told that the GNBCI probe opened in December 2021 following a report from tech giant Apple about product warranty fraud. "It was suspected that an international organised crime gang (OCG) are involved in procuring counterfeit products and sending them to members of the OCG in Ireland for processing," Detective Garda Cadogan said. He claimed that in July 2021, Customs officers intercepted a package "full with counterfeit items and Apple products" destined for the Murray Mobile phone company at 15 Main Street Dundrum. The court heard a different name was on the package, but it also had the same address and mobile phone number as the accused. Gardai believed the accused controlled eight Murray Mobile stores in Dublin and Kildare. Ten searches under warrant were carried out on January 10, 2022, and gardai found the cash at the three locations named in court and on the charges. Detective Garda Cadogan said the investigation team froze 14 bank accounts connected to Murray Mobile, the accused, and his wife. He told Judge McHugh there was a total of 168,902 in them. The officer explained that the probe focused on genuine and unique IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers applied to counterfeit Apple phones. Known as "zombie phones", the court heard, they were allegedly supplied to Mr Guo and subsequently used to defraud Apple. This activity involved the phones being brought to a specific phone repair shop. Some 10,685 were submitted for repair from 2019 to 2021, and 9,761 of them have been allegedly confirmed to be counterfeit zombie phones. It was estimated that the accused and his associates made approximately 9.7m from executing this fraud. Detective Garda Cadogan said he was satisfied that it involved members of the international gang in China and Ireland. The court heard that it was believed the fake devices were shipped to Ireland, where genuine IMEI numbers were applied to them. The accused allegedly brought them to the phone repair shop to be processed, and he received genuine replacement iPhones, which were sent to Asia and sold to the benefit of the organised crime gang. Mr Guo's phone was seized in January 2021 and allegedly contained evidence that he was a "central figure in the complex deception that was undertaken to defraud Apple". The detective believed the accused was a "major flight risk", adding that he was a person of considerable means with connections. He contended that it would be easy for Mr Guo to flee the jurisdiction to evade justice if granted bail. Judge McHugh heard that the investigation team would recommend that the Director of Public Prosecutions bring further serious charges under organised crime legislation and for trademark, money laundering and theft offences. The court heard that Mr Guo had a Chinese passport, and Ireland did not have an extradition agreement with China. The detective said 57 witness statements had been taken. Questioned by defence solicitor Conor Ruane, the officer agreed that Mr Guo was arrested on Wednesday at his home, which had been searched in January 2022. Mr Ruane stressed that his client continued to work and live here despite knowing of the ongoing investigation. Family members were in court. Mr Ruane said his client's wife was an Irish citizen, and his ties to the country were solid. The detective said the businessman travelled to China numerous times a year and had family and friends there, but agreed with the solicitor that the majority of his accounts have now been frozen. Pleading for bail, Mr Ruane said his client would surrender his passport, which is currently in the UK embassy, because he had applied for a visa to visit his adult daughter, who is studying in the UK. The detective said he had recently learned about that, and it strengthened the case to object to bail. Furthermore, he did not know if gardai had jurisdiction to seize the passport from the embassy. The defence solicitor said there was a 9,000 bail offer from his client's wife, but the garda would not agree to any terms being set. Mr Ruane said the accused has the presumption of innocence, the wait for further charges would increase his client's time in custody more than normal, and he was entitled to bail with terms. The court heard he spoke very good English, and he also had the assistance of an interpreter. However, he did not address the court or indicate a plea. Judge McHugh said he was satisfied Mr Guo was a flight risk and refused bail. The accused was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday. in court this week, Arakas said he was offered 50k by an expat Lithuanian gang boss living in Spain to murder MMA fighter Remigijaus Morkevicius. Kinahan gunman Imre Arakas has described in detail how he stalked his victims before murdering them in cold blood as he lifted the lid on his life as an international hitman-for-hire this week. Arakas pleaded guilty to the murder of a MMA fighter, Remigijaus Morkevicius, in Lithuania in Kaunas District Court on Friday. The veteran criminal also admitted his role in a separate attempt to kill a witness in another murder. In court, Arakas described in detail his chosen career as a gunman for hire a job which saw him hired by the Kinahan Cartel to kill James Mago Gately in 2017. He told how he carefully staked out his targets and tried to throw police off his scent before gunning down his victim at close range. Arakas based himself on Spains Costa Del Crime where he worked for a range of organised crime gangs across the continent - including the Kinahan Cartel and Balkans Mafia gangs. in court, Arakas said he was offered 50k by one expat Lithuanian gang boss living in Spain to murder MMA fighter Remigijaus Morkevicius. The convicted killer revealed how he botched a first attempt to killer Morkevicius but, ultimately, killed him in December 2016 with a Kalashnikov assault rifle. "He [Morkevicius] was slightly turned because he was putting on his coat. "There was a distance of about seven meters between us. I fired single shots. I didn't count the shots. "I saw how he fell to the ground," he said In court, Arakas described how he was provided with a gun and detailed information about Morkevicius movements in the Lithuanian capital, Kaunas, by the Spanish-based gangster. "He [the ex-pat mobster] mentioned that Morkevicius is a bastard, that he causes problems. But I didn't remember the details. He added: "There was a lot of information about the situation in Kaunas. "Where the car is parked (near the casino), where Morkevicius lives, what kind of staircase. "He also described his appearance to me - a small man, sporty, provided his car numbers, indicated where there are video surveillance cameras, places of police raids", Arakas said in court. Arakas was extradited to Lithuania last year after serving a sentence imposed by the Special Criminal Court in December 2018, where he admitted to conspiring with others to murder James 'Mago' Gately in Northern Ireland between 3 and 4 April 2017. Arakas had been contracted by the Kinahan cartel to carry out the shooting and boasted in messages that he would take out Gately with one shot in the head Imre Arakas In court this week, Estonian national Arakas told how he received he instructions for the hit in Lithuania on an encrypted Blackberry phone. "The information came in Russian. I spent nine years in a Russian prison, so I know the Russian language," he said. The murder in Lithuania happened just four months before Arakas travelled from Spain to Ireland to kill Mago Gately in April, 2017, as the Hutch Kinahan feud was threatening to spiral out of all control. Arakas told the court that he had previously tried to shoot Morkevicius with a handgun but failed when the gun jammed. "I saw him, he was walking with a child, he was filming something on the balcony of the house," "In Kaunas, near the house, we passed a short distance. "Then I turned around, pulled out my pistol, but it jammed. "He [Morkevicius] turned around and ran. Arakas then went to Spain, was given a Kalashnikov assault rifle, and returned to shoot the victim in December 2016. During his court hearing, he also admitted attempting to kill a key witness in another murder, Gija Zabachidze, on July 22, 2016. Arakas claimed that he had agreed to kill people for money due to his difficult financial situation. He described in details his careful preparation for the hit on Zabachidze and how he even bought extra-large runners to throw police off the scent if they found footprints. Arakas said that he initially he staked his victim before shooting him "It was a block of private houses, I went there by bicycle, I bought it here in Kaunas. "It was a folding bike. I went to that area and luckily I saw him. "He was driving the car and I knew the numbers. "He passed me, I turned around and followed him, I saw where he turned. "The same day, or maybe the next day, I threw the bike away, then I returned to the house, went around from the other side and saw him through the big window," he said. Arakas said the fired a number of shots through the window hitting his target. "He was lying on the bed watching TV, the window was open from above. " I didn't want to shoot through the glass because it changes the trajectory of the shot. I hid on the bench to be higher, but I couldn't aim well, I shot twice. Some movements, sounds, a woman's voice were heard. I didn't shoot anymore and retreated. I didn't know if I hit him, I thought I did. Yes, I could have kept shooting through the window glass, probably would have killed them both. I had something [bullets] still to shoot, I still had 12-14 rounds left. I didn't want to kill a woman, he said. Arakas then described how he then dumped anything he had which could link him to themurder. "I bought scissors to cut wires. I threw them into the river. I also bought sneakers at the mall. And I threw them away. In an interview last year with an Estonian media outlet, he said serving his sentence in Ireland for the Gately murder plot was like staying in a three star hotel and said, prison in Ireland is OK if you were friends with the Kinahans. Imre Arakas in Dublin Despite pleading guilty to the Gately murder plot, he bizarrely claimed he was only in Ireland at the time to go camping. Everyone thinks I am an international killer but I was in Ireland for camping. Look at the things I had in my bag. I wasnt going to kill anyone. Arakas is also now facing firearms and conspiracy-related charges in relation to the shooting of Deimantas Diamond Bugavicius in November 2015. The murder had been widely covered in Lithuania. Bugavicius was previously linked to one of the country's most famous pop stars, Vita Jakutiene. Arakas allegedly travelled to the Lithuanian city of Kaunas along with the two other Estonians and they stayed in an apartment rented by a Lithuanian former boxer Ricardas Baika ahead of the murder of Bugavicius. Police said they found Arakas' fingerprints and DNA during a search of the apartment. Imre Arakas appeared by video-link in court Arakas told authorities at a previous court hearing that he could not explain how his fingerprints and DNA were in the apartment and said he never lived in the apartment. it was the murder of Diamond more than 3,000km away in the Baltics that resulted in Arakass arrest in a Kinahan safehouse in Dublin and swept up senior mob men in the plot to kill Gately. Ago Leis, head of Estonias Organised Crime Bureau, previously described how Arakas had been named by underworld sources as Diamonds killer when Lithuanian authorities called in help from their Estonian neighbours. They began to track his movements and discovered that he had become a regular visitor to Ireland during 2016 and 2017 and that the Kinahan gang was known to have used his services before. When it was discovered that he was planning a trip to Dublin in April 2017, Eastern European authorities contacted the Gardai and Arakas was placed under surveillance as he disembarked a flight from Alicante. Disguises belong to the conspiracy. Later, while searching Arakas Tallinn home, we also found face masks and clip-on fake noses, in addition to gloves, hats and a bulletproof vest which should have ensured his safety, the Estonian police chief said. Homeless man, Sean Kerr, has been charged with criminal damage following the incident at Creggan Court Hotel in Athlone Judge Bernadette Owens barred Sean Kerr from Athlone alongside imposing a number of other conditions after the 23-year-old appeared at a sitting of Mullingar District Court. Sean Kerr (23) was charged with causing criminal damage and using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour at the Creggan Court Hotel in Athlone on Thursday evening. A homeless man who allegedly smashed the front door of a midlands hotel that provides State accommodation to dozens of Ukrainian refugees told gardai upon his arrest: They should be looking after Irish people, not Ukrainians, not Arabs, not blacks, my mother agrees with me on that. Twenty-three-year-old Sean Kerr, of no fixed abode, issued the reply shortly after his arrest on Thursday evening following an incident at Athlones Creggan Court Hotel. Kerr was later charged with causing criminal damage to a large pane of stained glass that belonged to the hotels main door and of using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour. Sean Kerr (23) was charged with causing criminal damage and using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour at the Creggan Court Hotel in Athlone on Thursday evening. The three-star hotel first began providing accommodation to up to 150 Ukrainian refugee families, comprising mainly of women, children and more senior individuals in early spring 2022. Kerr, meanwhile, was further charged with public order and assaulting a securing guard at Dunnes Stores, Irishtown, Athlone in a separate and unrelated incident earlier the same day. Those charges resulted in Kerr being brought before Judge Bernadette Owens at a sitting of Mullingar District Court. The court heard there were no objections to bail subject to a number of conditions. Judge Bernadette Owens barred Sean Kerr from Athlone alongside imposing a number of other conditions after the 23-year-old appeared at a sitting of Mullingar District Court. They included orders for Kerr to stay out of Athlone with the exception of pre-arranged legal consultations. Kerr was similarly instructed to steer clear of the Creggan Court Hotel and Kilmartins N6 Service Station, to remain intoxicant free, provide a mobile phone number to gardai and remain contactable at all times. Sgt Paul McNally, for the State, said directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were awaited. Counsel for Kerr applied for legal aid owing to his lack of residing accommodation in a request which was granted by Judge Owens. Upon signing his bail bond, Judge Owens warned Kerr it was within the Gardais remit to apply to have his bail revoked should there be any breach of those conditions. Kerr was consequently remanded on bail to a sitting of Athlone District Court on November 13. Appearing at Lisburn Magistrates Court by videolink from police custody, 23-year-old Thomas Macauley confirmed he understood the eight charges against him, all alleged to have been committed on 13 September this year A Co. Antrim sex offender, previously jailed for the sextortion of nine teenage girls, was remanded back into custody today accused of a catalogue of offences including breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order. Appearing at Lisburn Magistrates Court by videolink from police custody, 23-year-old Thomas Macauley confirmed he understood the eight charges against him, all alleged to have been committed on 13 September this year. Macauley, originally from Ballymena but whos address is subject to a court imposed reporting restriction, faces three driving offences including dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving while disqualified, for drug offences including being concerned in the supply of class A and C drugs and simple possession of class A and C drugs and finally, breaching his SOPO. The SOPO was put in place for five years when Macauley was jailed in 2022 by Judge Patricia Smyth for a series of sex offences including possessing and distributing indecent images of a child, engaging in sexual activity with a child, blackmail, harassment and making threats to kill, as well as common assault, all committed between August and November 2018. At the time of sentencing in August 2022, Belfast Crown Court heard that Macauley met the teenagers on social media and persuaded them to send him pictures in various states of undress but once they did, he then used these images to either blackmail or harass the girls and also sent indecent images to the parents of two of the teenagers. Imposing a 40 month sentence with 16 to be served in custody and two years on licence Judge Smyth said the case was shocking. In court today Det. Const. Taylor did not disclose any of the alleged background facts but gave evidence that she believed she could connect Macauley to each of the charges. Defence solicitor Don Mahoney confirmed he was not lodging a bail application on behalf of Macauley, revealing that his prison release licence has been revoked so he is likely to be in custody for some time. District Judge Eamon King remanded Macauley into custody and adjourned the case to Craigavon Magistrates Court this Friday, 20 September. Paedophile Marcia Walker (51) is currently banged up in HMP Frankland in Durham known as Monster Mansion due to the many murderers, rapists and terrorists locked up there A transgender child rapist who threatened to cut off a warden's genitals and put them in a blender is to spend an extra 33 months behind bars. Paedophile Marcia Walker (51) is currently banged up in HMP Frankland in Durham known as Monster Mansion due to the many murderers, rapists and terrorists locked up there. She is considered too dangerous for a women's prison having raped two young girls, one of whom was aged four, but is legally recognised as female by the prison authorities. However, she is kept isolated at Frankland for everyone's sake according to a prison source quoted by the Daily Mail as she is trouble She makes life difficult for herself, said the source. If she just tried to get on with people, her time inside would go a lot quicker. Guildford Crown Court was told Walker had sent voice messages threatening to cut off a man's penis, place his genitals in a blender, cut the brakes on his car, burn down his house and place a bomb under his car. She sent further threatening voicemails, letters and emails to staff, including one in which she vowed to shoot a warden dead and others in which she made vile racist comments. On January 24, Walker phoned Crimestoppers from Category-A HMP Frankland, in County Durham, with the intention of inducing a false belief that a bomb was present in the staff car park. She also physically assaulted two prison officers at Frankland and was charged with two counts of racially aggravated public disorder, for which she got 18 more weeks in jail. Two counts of assaulting an emergency worker added an extra 31 weeks while charges of sending malicious communications led to an extra year of prison time. Walker also admitted communicating false information about the bomb with intent, for which she got six months. She will spend an extra two years and three months locked up for sending a communication threatening serious harm. However, as some of the sentences, handed down on August 20, were ordered to run concurrently, they total 33 months. One further charge of sexually assaulting a man was dropped. Walker was originally jailed for 13 years in 2003 after raping two girls, one of whom was aged four. Formerly known as Mark Walker, she is legally recognised as female by the prison authorities but has been in a long-running dispute over access to gender realignment surgery. In 2021, Durham Crown Court heard Walker attacked guards after they objected to her having razor blades. She claimed that being unable to shave herself worsened her gender dysphoria. When prison officers entered her cell, she spat at one and told him: I have Covid. The court heard that Walker was already angry that copies of National Geographic magazine sent into jail by a charity had been confiscated from her cell because they contained pictures of naked children. During interview, Walker had insisted she had no sexual interest in the images in the magazine, adding: They cannot take my razors from me. Despite her decision to identify as a female, prison bosses decided Walker would pose a risk if moved to a women's jail and should be kept in isolation. Other inmates were said to be furious because they were kept in their cells for 45 minutes so Walker could wash and eat alone. One source told the Daily Star: She has to be treated as a woman but cannot be moved to a female prison because she poses a risk. And, as she's legally a woman, she must be kept apart from male inmates. The Prison Service said transgender prisoners do not receive special treatment and have access to the same facilities as male prisoners. Walker's fellow inmates at the jail include terrorist Michael Adebolajo, who murdered soldier Lee Rigby, serial killer Levi Bellfield, who murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, and former police officer Wayne Couzens, who kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard James Ward (30) had his case adjourned at Blanchardstown District Court, to decide how he intends to plead. A warehouse worker was found with nearly 3,000 of ecstasy in his Dublin home when it was searched by gardai, it is alleged. James Ward (30) had his case adjourned at Blanchardstown District Court, to decide how he intends to plead. Judge David McHugh remanded him on continuing bail. Mr Ward, of Wheatfield Grove, Clondalkin, is charged with possession of MDMA with intent to sell or supply at that address on December 3 last year. Read more Jailed gang boss Liam Byrne delivers message from prison to funeral of dad Jaws Detective Garda Ronan Doolan told the court he arrested the accused at Ronanstown garda station by appointment and Mr Ward was charged. The Director of Public Prosecutions consented to the case being dealt with at District Court level subject to a judge considering the issue of jurisdiction. Det Gda Doolan said Mr Ward was alleged to have been in possession of 2,960 of MDMA and no paraphernalia were found. Judge McHugh accepted jurisdiction, allowing the case to remain in the district court. The judge adjourned the case to a date in November, when the accused will be expected to enter a plea. Mr Ward will be given a date for hearing if he is denying the charges. The judge granted free legal aid following an application by defence barrister Ciaran MacLoughlin, who said Mr Ward was a warehouse operative. The only way to end the war in the next 10 years is to move it to Russian territory. To do this, Ukraine at least needs permission to strike at Russian targets deep in the country. ADVERTISIMENT This opinion was expressed by political analyst and publicist Vitaliy Portnikov in an exclusive interview with OBOZ.UA. He explained that this would reduce Russian arsenals and, consequently, the number of strikes on our country. "We will be able to negotiate with Russia that it stops its shelling of Ukrainian infrastructure in exchange for not destroying Russian energy infrastructure or oil depots. We will already have the opportunity to talk about this because we have the weapons to do so," Portnikov said. He noted that drones are one thing, but Western missiles are quite another. "I keep saying this all the time. The only way to talk about ending the war in the next 10 years is to move it to Russia. So that Russia understands that yes, it can exhaust Ukraine and turn it into a wilderness, but the European part of Russia, where the majority of the Russian population lives, may become such a wilderness too, and it may not be ready for this," the analyst said. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, Portnikov called on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to wait until after the US elections and show the victory plan to the next president of the country. According to his impressions, in Ukraine, "high officials worry too much" about the US elections. As reported, President Zelenskyy said that the strategic plan for Ukraine's victory in the war, which he is going to present to US President Joe Biden, will be "frank" and "clear." In addition, it will not contain many points. Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! A group of men wearing balaclavas had smashed windows and attempted to set fire to the empty property Gardai are investigating an incident of criminal damage by fire at a terraced house in Charleville, Co Cork yesterday evening which, it is believed, arose as a result of a feud between two families. Emergency services were called to the property shortly before 9pm yesterday. A group of men wearing balaclavas had smashed windows and attempted to set fire to the empty property. Shots were also fired inside the premises. The house was extensively damaged. A car was also criminally damaged in the incident. The Garda Press Office has confirmed that scenes of crime investigators attended at the house and conducted an examination of the premises. The house was vacant at the time of the incident. Gardai have indicated that enquiries are ongoing. Meanwhile, it is understood that the incident occurred arising out of a dispute between two families in Kilmallock in Co Limerick and in Charleville. Yesterday morning shots were fired at an empty house in Kilmallock as part of the ongoing rivalry. A petrol bomb was also thrown at a property in Knocknaheeny in Cork city earlier this week as a result of the dispute. A number of files on different incidents which have taken place arising out of the feud have been sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. This afternoon, a Garda spokesperson issued an appeal for witnesses Gardai are investigating an incident of criminal damage by fire that occurred at a domestic residence in the Fortlands area of Charleville, Co Cork yesterday evening, at approximately 8.50pm, the spokesperson said. "No persons were in the building at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported at the time. "The scene was preserved and a technical examination was carried out. Gardai are also investigating an incident of criminal damage to a car that occurred in the Rathgoggin area of Charleville later that evening, at approximately 9.55pm. Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have information in relation to these incidents to contact them. The Garda spokesperson added: Any person, including road users and pedestrians, who were in the Charleville area, between 5pm and 11pm on Friday, September 13 and who observed any unusual activity, is asked to contact investigating gardai. Gardai are also appealing for information in relation to an Audi A6, a white Skoda Rapid, a BMW and a silver Ford Focus car, travelling in the Charleville area at this time. Any road users or pedestrians who were travelling in the area during this time and who may have camera footage (including dash cam) are asked to make this available to Gardai. Anyone with information is asked to contact Mallow Garda Station on 022 31450, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. Investigations are ongoing. Ref: PR22806/2024 Issued by Emma Farrelly on 14/09/2024 16:26:06 Mission Statement: Ag Coinneail Daoine Sabhailte - Keeping People Safe Follow Garda Traffic on Twitter Follow Garda Info on Twitter Like us on Facebook Disclaimer Faisneis i seo don te sin no don eintiteas sin a bhfuil a sheoladh uirthi, agus do siud amhain, agus d'fheadfadh abhar runda agus/ no abhar faoi phribhleid a bheith iniata. Toirmisctear aon athbhreithniu, atarchur no leathadh a dheanamh ar an bhfaisneis seo, aon usaid eile a bhaint aisti no aon ghniomh a dheanamh ar a hiontaoibh, ag daoine no ag eintitis seachas an faighteoir beartaithe. Mas tri bhotun a fuair tu e seo, cuir sceala chuig an seoltoir le do thoil agus scrios an t-abhar d'aon riomhaire. Is e polasai An Gharda Siochana seoladh abhair choluil a dhicheadu, agus mas doigh leat gur abhar coluil ata sa teachtaireacht seo ba cheart duit dul i dteagmhail leis an seoltoir agus le postmaster@garda.ie laithreach. The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. It is the policy of An Garda Siochana to disallow the sending of offensive material and should you consider that the material contained in this message is offensive you should contact both the sender and postmaster@garda.ie immediately. He has been sent back to Australia An ally of Daniel Kinahan, who has been described as Australia's biggest cocaine trafficker, has been unceremoniously booted out of Dubai. Hells Angels boss Angelo Pandeli had lived the high life in the Gulf State since 2018 where he owned a stunning mansion on the famous Palm Jumeriah island. But his days as an ex-pat drug lord came to an end when he was deported back to Sydney Airport last week. Niall speaks to Sunday World reporter Eamon Dillon about Pandeli, biker gangs and Australia's underworld. MORE EPISODES The English-born poet, who died earlier this year, has remained the sole garda suspect for the unsolved murder since his first arrest in 1997. Ian Bailey was nearly intercepted and arrested for drink-driving on the night that Sophie Toscan du Plantier was killed, a new book reveals. The English-born poet, who died earlier this year, has remained the sole garda suspect for the unsolved murder since his first arrest in 1997. But now it has emerged that Bailey, who had previously been handed a driving ban, was spotted at the wheel of his partners car in Schull in the early hours of December 23, 1996. When dawn came that day, the body of French filmmaker Ms du Plantier was found at the bottom of the driveway leading to her holiday home at Dunmanus West, on the Mizen peninsula, in West Cork. An effort had been made to intercept Bailey when driving his partners Ford Fiesta home after a nights Christmas drinking. But he managed to give a garda squad car the slip. Read more Jailed gang boss Liam Byrne delivers message from prison to funeral of dad Jaws Witnesses said Bailey had first been to one pub in Schull on his own before he joined partner Jules Thomas in The Galley pub, on Main Street, on the Sunday night of the murder. There, one local noted he appeared to have a lot of drink taken. The barman estimated he consumed five to six pints of Guinness and maybe one or two shorts. When leaving after midnight, Bailey downed a last drink, a Powers whiskey, in one go. Bailey later admitted to only two or three pints and one or two whiskeys, but added: I remember seeing a garda car, after leaving the premises. Unknown to Bailey, the garda cars occupant had also seen him. Sergeant Gerard Prendeville said he was observing Ian Bailey sitting in the white Ford Fiesta he and Jules Thomas use. He was alone in the car, seated in the drivers seat and parked on my left, between the supermarket and Brosnans car park. He was waiting for Ms Thomas to join him. I can clearly remember this, as it was my intention to stop Bailey if I met him driving, Sgt Prendeville said. From what I have seen in the past, if he was out for the night with his friend Jules, she would normally drive home and I took it as unusual to see Bailey in the driving seat alone. With that in mind, I drove up to the top of the town and turned around at that junction. I then travelled back down to town. But he did not meet any traffic as he travelled once more along Main Street. Baileys car was gone. I turned right and went down the Pier Road. There was no sign of Bailey. I presumed therefore he had gone ahead and either by accident or design avoided me. Had Bailey been challenged and failed a breath test, he would have been arrested on the spot and forced to spend another night away from home. Nonetheless, he made his way out of Schull in his car, then taking what he said was an unusual route home. He stopped at Hunts Hill, where he could see a light on in Ms du Plantiers house across the valley. Ms du Plantiers uncle told the Irish Independent it was just a matter of bad luck. There is not any matter of responsibility here, since it is impossible or very difficult to exactly predict what would happen that night, said Jean-Pierre Gazeau. In garda interviews, Bailey admitted to a premonition that something bad was going to happen. His partner Ms Thomas told gardai in a signed statement later repudiated that Bailey expressed an intention to go over to the house of Alfie Lyons, which was directly behind Ms du Plantiers holiday home. Sgt Prendeville was one of two gardai who were first on the scene when Ms du Plantiers beaten body was found. He and Garda Billy Byrne answered a 999 call from Mr Lyons at 10.30am, arriving in the same Schull squad car that had attempted to detect and detain Bailey for suspected drink driving. Both Bailey and his partner acknowledged he had driven home from the pub. He had a past conviction for drink-driving and would later be charged with drug-driving but was appealing against that offence when he died. The DPP never directed a charge of murder be brought against Bailey, yet he was convicted after being tried in absentia by three judges in a French court in 2019. Sophie: The Final Verdict is published by Hachette Books Ireland, and is available from Easons at 15.99. Adele Rennie (33) pretended to be a male pharmacist when she matched with her victim on the dating Adele Rennie used dating app Tinder to match with her victim (PA) A woman who used a voice-changing application to sound like a man during a sophisticated stalking campaign has been jailed for more than two years. Adele Rennie, 33, from Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, pretended to be a male pharmacist when she matched with her victim on the dating platform Tinder in August 2023. They exchanged mobile phone numbers with Rennie, a registered sex offender, later arranging to have flowers delivered to the victims home address, prosecutors said. The woman then arranged to go on a date with the person who she believed to be a man from the fake profile. On August 21 2023, Rennie cancelled the meeting at the last minute which resulted in the victim believing that the Tinder account was a catfish profile. Six days later she received a voice note from a woman who called herself Cheryl, claiming to be a friend of the man and asking her not to give up on him. She then received calls from the man which she believed sounded like the voice had been altered. On September 5, the victim received an unwanted explicit image from Rennie, who stated she did not mean anything by it and was unable to delete it. A week later the woman received a message from Rennie containing a photograph taken outside the complainers workplace. Prosecutors said that on October 8, Rennie sent her victim a screenshot of Google Maps which showed someone outside her home. The woman then received a photograph of her street which had been taken through a car window. Five days later the victim was sent a ticket for a gig in London by Rennie but decided she did not want to go. Rennie then asked her to send the ticket on via Ticketmaster to an email address. The woman was then shown pictures from the concert by a witness showing Rennie in attendance there. She then contacted police who searched Rennies home on November 14, 2023. A mobile phone was examined which revealed an email address with the name of the man and searches for the victim in its internet history. The police also found a photograph matching the fake male profile and recovered several bank cards, which had not been declared in accordance with Rennies sex offender notification requirement. Rennie previously appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on July 30 where she admitted four charges. On Friday this week, Rennie was sentenced to 28 months in prison and made subject to a 12-month supervised release order at the same court, the Crown Office said. She was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years. David Bernard, procurator fiscal for north Strathclyde, said: Adele Rennie carried out a sophisticated stalking campaign despite being subject to strict notification requirements as a registered sex offender. We recognise that the trauma suffered by victims of stalking can be profound and distressing. We hope this conviction brings some comfort to those affected by Rennies concerning and manipulative behaviour. I would encourage anyone who has been the victim of such offending to come forward, report it and seek support. You will be listened to, and we will use all the tools at our disposal to seek justice. A non-harassment order, banning Rennie from approaching, contacting, or attempting to approach or contact her victim for a period of five years was granted at the court on Friday. She was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years. Mr Martin made his comments at the launch of the Senan Molony book, Sophie, The Final Verdict yesterday Ian Bailey who was convicted in absentia of the murder of the French film producer, Sophie Toscan du Plantier pictured at his house outside Schull in County Cork shortly after the news came through to him. Photo: Mark Condren A solicitor who represented the late Ian Bailey for over twenty years has described as extraordinary and astonishing a decision by the Tanaiste Micheal Martin to say that his client should have been tried for the murder of French woman Sophie Toscan Du Plantier. Mr Martin made his comments at the launch of the Senan Molony book, Sophie, The Final Verdict on Thursday. The Fianna Fail leader was critical of the decision by the DPP not to prosecute Mr Bailey who passed away earlier this year at the age of sixty six. He said that that there were significant questions that remained unanswered in relation to the death of Ms Du Plantier at her remote holiday home in Toormore on the outskirts of Schull in West Cork on December 23rd, 1996. In an interview with the Opinion Line on Corks 96FM Frank Buttimer, solicitor for the late English national, said he couldnt understand why the Tanaiste opted to weigh in on the case at this juncture. He described his comments as a feral attack on many of the pillars of the justice of the State. "I was just saying to someone else there a while ago that its almost as if he (Martin) woke up after twenty eights years of not knowing that something has happened, reads a book, which is pompously titled, quote-unquote, 'The Final Verdict' and says, 'my God, this is dreadful. Why didn't we do something about this?'" Mr Buttimer said that the Tanaiste seemed to fully take on board the contents of the book by Mr Molony which he feels contains nothing in the way of hard evidence. "The author concedes, I'm lifting quotes here from a newspaper, he says, quote, there are sequences here that would not be allowed in a court of law', end quote. Another quote, 'there are pieces of evidence here that would be struck out by the law and would not be allowed into their court system', end quote. "What's astonishing is he (Martin) seems to be basing his opinion on the content of a book where stuff is in there that would not be evidential. And he goes on to disparage the office of the DPP for declining to prosecute Ian Bailey, the Supreme Court, which he seems to suggest was used in an effort to prevent Bailey's removal, and the other two high courts which refused to extradite Bailey. Tanaiste Micheal Martin "So it's a feral attack on many of the pillars of justice of the state. Where it comes from, I have absolutely no idea. I would not have any adverse comment to make about Micheal Martin as a politician generally, but I'm surprised at this. I'm just wondering what this rant is all about. Mr Buttimer said that he has no intention of reading the book by Mr Molony as he is certain it wont contain any new evidence in relation to the Du Plantier case. "I did a lot of research in to the murder in to the dreadful murder of Madame Toscan du Plantier. I absolutely assure anybody who's out there listening that there was nothing tangible by way of evidence against Ian Bailey, such as would even have justified a prosecution against him, let alone a removal to the crowd over in France to their system of justice. Where you are effectively guilty until proven innocent with all of the consequences that would have flowed from there. He maintains that his late client was 100 per cent innocent. "100 percent. Absolutely. Without question. The first time he walked in the door to my office in or about March 1997... he comes to me and he just says to me, 'look, if I'm ever prosecuted because you do defend, you know, you defend people who are accused of crimes and so on'. I said, absolutely. So I knew about the case, but I never had met him. So I spoke to him for a while. Ian Bailey who was convicted in absentia of the murder of the French film producer, Sophie Toscan du Plantier pictured at his house outside Schull in County Cork shortly after the news came through to him. Photo: Mark Condren "One gets impressions and one forms opinions of people as one meets them professionally or non-professionally. From that time onwards, I pretty much knew that the concoction against him was a load of rubbish. It was absolutely, manifestly obvious that there was nothing to go on. Mr Buttimer added that he fears the Du Plantier case will go unsolved. Passage of time is the enemy of acquisition of information. So in all probability no. (It wont be solved). But ultimately the tragedy is as say what happened? Like what actually happened? The failure is going right back to 1996, stroke 1997, to conduct a proper inquiry. We cant turn back the clock on that one. Mr Bailey collapsed and died in Bantry, Co Cork last January. He was on two occasions detained by gardai for questioning in relation to the murder of the 39 year old French national. Mr Bailey always denied any wrongdoing in relation to the murder of the film producer. The poet and former journalist was convicted in absentia after a trial in France four years ago. He was sentenced to twenty five years in prison. Officials in France were unable to extradite Mr Bailey to Paris to serve the sentence handed down by the courts. In an interview with Virgin Media News a month before his death Mr Bailey said that he had immense sympathy for the family of the late mother of one. I know that I cannot do anything about their belief that I am responsible. They have always had my full sympathies. I have expressed that. People are entitled to believe what they want to believe. We cant change what people are going to believe. As previously revealed by the Sunday World, there have been discussions about an Army Council-style leadership model. PACEMAKER BELFAST 24/10/2005 William Mo Courtney arrives at Belfast high court this morning for the start of the Alan McCullough murder trial. Courtney and another UDA man Ahab Shoukri are accused of the murder of McCullough last year when he arrived back in Northern Ireland after being exiled with former UDA leader Johnny Adair. The UVF command structure will dissolve once the current veteran leadership move on, the Sunday World has been told. There are fears the terror group will splinter into organised crime gangs with their own independent leadership models, independent of a central command. The future shape of the UVF has been a matter of speculation and conjecture for some time, with veteran Chief of Staff John Bunter Graham now an elderly man and in poor health. He has been at the helm for more than four decades and there is no one available who could rely on the trust of the membership. His trusted right-hand man, Harmless Harry Stockman, would be considered by many as the obvious choice, but he is deeply distrusted and disliked in the ranks. As previously revealed by the Sunday World, there have been discussions about an Army Council-style leadership model. Harry Stockman Senior figures in the current command structure are known to favour a shared leadership, rather than rely on a figurehead like Graham. There has been an ongoing internal leadership discussion for a number of years, with Graham understood to lean towards Stockman. Leading loyalist and alleged UVF commander Winston Winkie Irvine is also believed to be a candidate despite deep unpopularity among the membership and the fact hes facing criminal charges over alleged possession of a guns and ammunition. He remains a high-profile figure and is close to the UVF leadership and was present at the groups show of strength in east Belfast during the summer. But there are fears that individual areas will turn their back on the traditional central command. Should the UVF go down the road of the deeply fractured UDA, it will be a body blow to any attempts to transition the organisation away from criminality. John 'Bunter' Graham It leaves the prospect of organised crime gangs using the name of the UVF as a cover for drug dealing and racketeering. The disintegration of the UDA presented police with a major headache. With the ruling Inner Council effectively disbanded, they broke up into a renegade collection of organised crime gangs, answerable to no one but themselves. The breakaway South East Antrim UDA is the most glaring example. They are now considered to be one of the largest organised crime gangs in the country. North Antrim UDA have also effectively broken away. The old UDA leadership has been powerless to intervene. In the west and the north of the city the organisation dominates the drugs, with the likes of UFF C Company chief Mo Courtney controlling the trade on the Shankill. Should the UVF suffer the same fate, the prospect of a successful transition from criminality will all but disappear. The failure of the Graham and Stockman to deal with the renegade East Belfast UVF has further disillusioned the leadership. Graham has been under intense pressure from the British security services paymasters to deliver the UVF as a peaceful organisation. So far he has failed. For more than 40 years Graham has been the undisputed and unquestioned leader of the terror group. He has had the final word on all major decisions. For years the membership accepted and followed his decisions and directions but, as it emerged he had been working for British intelligence and security services, trust in him waned. The broad daylight murder of Bobby Moffett on the Shankill Road in May 2010 was final straw for many. Moffett was murdered after he had a run-in with a senior figure in the organisation. Moffett was shot in the face with a sawn-off shotgun as he made his way to a meeting with the leadership. His funeral a few days later was one of the largest seen on the Shankill for many years, with UVF members defying Bunters orders not to attend. Sources have now told us that support for an Army Council-style leadership is waning. There is so much suspicion and distrust at the top of the organisation they would struggle to find half a dozen people who could work together, said our source. There are too many agendas while the older guys are anxious to move the UVF away from drugs, they realise they are probably fighting a losing battle. There have been discussions with government negotiators which could see a sizeable number of members transition. The hope is should they make that journey they will be immune from prosecution for historic crimes. The controversial Legacy Act offers them protection but with the new Labour government pledging to repeal the legislation, there is a degree of uncertainty. Sources acknowledge time is running out to find a solution. Criminality is a reality and is not going to go away, said our source. We need to find a way to separate those who have no interest and let them escape the stigma of being a criminal gang. Police attended the scene in the Castlereagh Road area in the early hours of Saturday morning. Police at the scene of the assault in east Belfast. Photo: Kevin Scott Police at the scene of the assault in east Belfast. Photo: Kevin Scott Police at the scene of the assault in east Belfast. Photo: Kevin Scott A man has been arrested after a serious assault in east Belfast. Police attended the scene in the Castlereagh Road area in the early hours of Saturday morning. A 21-year-old man has been arrested and remains in custody. Police forensic teams in white suits were at the scene overnight. An animal health scientist said the government's commitment to eradicate foot and mouth should it arrive here is the right approach. Last week, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said the government would carry out a plan of urgent eradication if the rapidly-spreading viral disease arrived in New Zealand. An economic impact report showed an incursion of foot and mouth disease would cost New Zealand $14.3 billion. The disease can infect cloven-hoofed animals including cows, pigs, sheep, goats, deer and alpaca. Livestock can exhibit high fever, blisters and sores around the mouth and feet, and they can become lame. Hoggard said an incursion would have dramatic impacts as animal product exports would halt immediately. AgResearch chief scientist Axel Heiser agreed the approach to 'stamp it out' was right. He said eradication was possible, as the Mycoplasma bovis programme illustrates, but foot and mouth disease moves more quickly than M bovis. "Foot and mouth can spread with the wind from one farm to the next, and it spreads faster than it shows signs in the animals, so your animals are infected before you know it," Heiser said. "That makes it a really, really nasty disease. And so it's absolutely critically important that if we have an incursion that we find it quickly and that we react within the first 72 hours." Heiser said farmers and veterinarians must be on the lookout for symptoms, and vets are required to report any cases to the Ministry for Primary Industries. "And then this rapid response plan kicks into gear." MPI was also considering the use of an emergency vaccination, if appropriate. Hoggard said it would take 10 months to stamp out the disease using an emergency vaccine, or 15 months without it - but the latter would have higher operating and conpensation costs and nearly double the value of lost trade - at $15 billion. Heiser said once New Zealand knew the type of virus it was, it would call on its emergency vaccine provider in the United Kingdom to ramp up production. "We are prepared but all this takes a few days. And then again, it will not eradicate the disease - as a vaccine it will only slow it down and control it - so that we can put the test-and-slaughter programme in place side by side with the vaccine." The government said it was also committed to maintaining a strong border and robust biosecurity systems. Monique Steele/RNZ A family fun night including an open-air movie will help raise money for Omokoroa Point School. The animated film Encanto will start at 7pm with Night Owl Cinema at the school field on Saturday, September 14. This is one of our final fundraisers for the year and weve had really successful community support with our other fundraisers, says PTA treasurer Dayna Baker. Gates open from 5pm and we have food trucks coming from Omokoroa Beach Pizzeria, Bok Bok Chicken, Burger Lab, Lil Orbits Donuts and Fika. The idea is for families to spread their picnic blankets to enjoy dinner before the movie. Well also have popcorn and glow sticks available for sale, so make sure to bring cash as well, says Dayna. There are a number of silent auctions organised by our major sponsor for the event, Barfoot & Thompson Omokoroa, as well as a treasure hunt, balloon animals and fun activities for the kids. The PTA is hoping to raise at least $3000 from the event which will go towards a new playground for the school. The existing playground is out of date so we hope to upgrade that to keep it safe, says Dayna. Our last movie night event was super colourful and fun, so wed love to see lots of people there, Tickets are available from Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/encanto-movie-night-by-omokoroa-point-school-pta and follow the Omokoroa Point School Facebook page for more information on the event. Rotarys image as an exclusive club for retirees and older adults is rapidly evolving. Ask 34-year-old Indeevar Duhan the new president of the Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise. A dedicated club member for four years, Indeevar represents a wave of younger individuals joining the ranks of Rotary. I first encountered Rotary while pursuing my MBA at Waikato University, says Indeevar, a registered nurse who also launched his own company. I was eager to enhance my business skills and found Rotary to be a valuable networking platform. Introduced to the club by Nathan Capper in 2021, Indeevar was initially drawn by the networking opportunities. However, he soon appreciated Rotarys commitment to service. No-judgement perspective As a nurse, I saw first-hand how Rotary could assist those in need. What kept me involved was the camaraderie, the laughter people cracking jokes and the welcoming environment. "I love the fellowship where people try to get to know each other from a zero non-judgemental perspective. Having moved to New Zealand in 2008, Indeevar adapted well to Kiwi culture and hopes his parents will eventually join him. He began his nursing career at age 20, inspired by a strong family tradition of care. Nursing felt like a natural fit for me. Id seen the culture of care in my own home with my parents looking after my grandparents. Nursing marries up my knowledge of human anatomy and physiology with a deep-seated desire to care for others. Indeevars pursuit of an MBA was a logical extension of his nursing career. I wanted a broader understanding of healthcare management, particularly the complexities of funding and administration. This new perspective has informed his ongoing work as a registered nurse and his recent venture into business with Signature Health Group, a home and community health service he founded in March 2024. We go out to people and make sure they stay happy and healthy living in their homes with their families, away from the hospital. Given me the wings Indeevars progression from Rotary club director to president reflects his commitment and enthusiasm for the organisation. Rotarys multifaceted aspects motivated me to take on more responsibilities. The culture of the club has given me the wings, and its fun. The team Im joining is fantastic and supportive with assistant governor Pat Taylor, and previous president and secretary Michele and Simon Beaton just a phone call away, and they respond with the precise information I need. As he steps into his role as president, Indeevar has outlined four key goals for the 2024/2025 year: increasing membership and impact, expanding the clubs reach, enhancing adaptability; and, most importantly, ensuring the club remains enjoyable. We need to be responsive to community needs, such as the rising cost of living, says Indeevar. Growing our membership will foster camaraderie and enhance our community outreach, supporting charities like Waipuna Hospice and the Graeme Dingle Foundation. Enriched voice Secretary Kathy Webb says the clubs membership has become more diverse in the past five years, with members like Indeevar, Shiv Thammalla, and Arshdeep Singh bringing new perspectives. This shift has enriched our clubs voice. With an ambitious agenda for the year ahead, the Tauranga Sunrise club is to continue to make a positive impact and embrace a vibrant new era of service. The key message I want to convey is that Rotary is fun, says Indeevar. Im excited about making a positive difference and enjoying the camaraderie. Its a motivating experience, and I look forward to what well achieve together, making one change at a time. Upcoming project The Kopurererua Valley Rotary Centennial Trust needs 200 volunteers to plant 4500 native trees and shrubs on September 29. The valleys network of walking and cycle paths gives the public access to this open green space, its rich history, and a convenient way to bypass traffic congestion. Volunteers who can help from 9.30am-12.30pm on September 29 can register at: www.eventspronto.co.nz/event5622 The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi has published a new series of photos from the front line. In these pictures, the commander-in-chief personally communicates with the defenders before their battle with the occupiers. ADVERTISIMENT Syrskyi posted the photos on his official Telegram channel on September 14. They show him together with Ukrainian soldiers. "On the eve of the battle," the commander wrote briefly. In particular, the photo shows the head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shaking hands with the soldiers and talking to them before the defenders are about to go into battle with the enemy. ADVERTISIMENT The media assume that this is a flanking attack by Ukraine, which is allegedly being implemented in the Glushkovsky district of Kursk region. As reported by OBOZ.UA, the ISW report for September 13 states that the Ukrainian Defense Forces have entered another district of the Kursk region. They have advanced in the Veseloye area of the Glushkovsky district, and fighting was also reported in the areas of Novy Put and Medvezh. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have also advanced in the area of Sudzha, while the enemy command has deployed Wagner PMC units to Kursk region. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, analysts stated that the Russian army would be forced to redeploy forces from other areas to Kursk to counter the Ukrainian army. The forces currently concentrated in the region are poorly trained. At the same time, a few days ago, the Russian Federation announced the first large-scale counterattack in the Kursk region, involving paratroopers and marines. The propagandists claimed that the aggressor's troops had allegedly recaptured several settlements. These statements have no confirmation, although the Russians have made some progress , and it will be slower and slower, ISW stated. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Peering through a microscope, youd probably see tiny bowls floating around in Niamh Tysons blood. The 13-year-old Pyes Pa student is the fifth generation of her family to fall in love with the sport. Thats not a typo. Niamh started playing bowls just over a year ago. This week her mum and grandparents watched her compete in the indoor bowls competition at the Zespri AIMS Games for the second year in a row. I thought Id give it a try and I enjoyed it so I kept going, Niamh said. Her second AIMS Games has been pretty cool and pretty scary with the nerves of not being sure shed qualify on the first day. But she did. I did it, Im going to do better than last year. Her mum, Bronwyn, picked up the sport when she was Niamhs age, and her brother competed in the code last year. Niamh Tyson, 13. Photo: Alan Gibson. Her mum paused it for a while due to work commitments but started up again when Niamh started getting into it. Watching her daughter grow in the sport has been great. Her grandparents also played. And her great-grandparents. And her great-great-grandparents. The latter two generations have unfortunately passed away. Niamhs grandparents, Noelene and Jim Hill, 74 and 76 respectively, made the trek over from Te Awamutu to watch her at Mercury Baypark Stadium Lounge in Mount Maunganui this week. Noelene started playing seriously 47 years ago when she was pregnant with Bronwyn. Theyre born into it. She got her husband Jim into it, and hes been playing the beautiful game on-and-off since 1986 for the past 38 years. Im not social by any means, I want to win, he said with a smile, speaking fondly of the memories and friendships cultivated on the bowling green. The couple were very competitive, Jim said, and would play pairs competitions together when they were younger. Noelene stopped playing in 2010 after starting a treatment and Jim has recently blown the dust off the bowls after an injury-related hiatus. They all loved watching Niamh, and seeing so many young bowlers. I get quite emotional, Noelene said of watching all the young competitors. Youre just so happy for them and theyre doing so well. Niamh has had to work hard through self-doubt but loves the sport and has been really enjoying it. She's also playing pairs this week. She said theres a huge community behind it with everyone supporting each other. Same age and older, everyone can play, and at any point. The five generations of bowlers in her family are proof of that. Cira Olivier The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. In the Pokrovsk sector, the occupiers Dmytro Lysakovskyi "Goodwin" and Serhii Hrytsay "Ernest" were eliminated. In the ranks of the invaders, they were called "one of the most effective UAV crews." ADVERTISIMENT Russian "military commanders" complained about the destruction of the occupiers. They stated that Lysakovsky and Hrytsay were allegedly deliberately sent by the command for a "meat assault." In particular, shortly before the liquidation, the occupier "Goodwin" wrote in Telegram that he and his colleagues went to the Memryk area of Pokrovsk district of Donetsk region. "According to the source, the commander ordered us to be sent on a one-way trip," he complained. Lysakovskyi had been fighting against Ukraine since 2014, and was formerly the "head of air reconnaissance" of the terrorist "DPR." He and "Ernest" were killed four days after they were transferred to attack aircraft, Z-military writes. ADVERTISIMENT Both occupants recorded a video before their deaths in which they accused their command of working for Ukraine. According to them, the commanders allegedly do not provide intelligence information, do not strike at the reconnoitered positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, are involved in drug trafficking, and are involved in "schemes" with army property together with the "DPR authorities." Now, because of the elimination of the "legendary drone operators," the FSB's Military Counterintelligence Department (DVKR) has allegedly launched an investigation. ADVERTISIMENT Allegedly, the case has "reached the very top" and it is allegedly about "premeditated murder." As reported by OBOZ.UA, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian army lost another 1210 of its occupants at the front in Ukraine yesterday. The total number of the aggressor country's losses in killed and wounded since the beginning of the full-scale war has already reached 632,630 people. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! shankar.balan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,421 Thanked: 23,912 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/2 (9) Re: A 1000 kms round-trip to buy a Hyundai Kona | EDIT: 10000 km review on page 5 Apologies to my good friend GKR9900 for hijacking this thread temporarily. As you all know, after much consultation, test driving, agonising, and hours of yakety-yak with him, EV Fan, and various other Distinguished Members of the League of EV Gentlemen, I bought my Hyundai Kona in March. I've mostly used it in the city since. I did 2 drives to Krishnagiri and back and managed it on one single charge both times. But it is not a big distance. I also did two Bangalore Mysore Bangalore trips but I did charge the vehicle at Mysore at the Mall of Mysore. It has taken me until last week to find the time to go to Ooty in the Kona. And Ooty and Coorg are my most visited destinations. The cars state of charge was at about 75-80% when we started because I had charged a week earlier and used the car here and there in the city. As usual, it was only me and my wife and our relatively light luggage. We stopped at Swad Mysore for a quick breakfast. Sadly the Jio BP charger there is still not functional. We then stopped at Shell outside of Mysore for a fast charge up to 83%. It was at 17% and it took 40mins so we had some coffee and hung around chatting with the serving lady. And then we attacked the rest of the drive including the steep Sigur Ghat. The Kona performed perfectly. The instant torque and responsive behaviour are very very enjoyable. Upon reaching our destination I saw that we still had 99kms of range left. Later that day I charged the car back to 85% for our local usage. And then after driving about 85-90 kms locally up and down the hills the next day, I found the charge had come down to 62% so I charged it back up to 83% to be prepared fot my return journey. Then we did the return journey and it was very nice to see how the natural regen helped maintain the SOC and range down to Mudumalai. We reached Mysore (Shell) with around 199kms range left. I guess I could have attempted the Mysore Bangalore run. But I chose to be prudent and charged the car for about 25 mins while we ate a small meal next door. Returning to the car we found it had reached 83% so I stopped charging and drove back to Bangalore, reaching home with 111kms range left. I find the eco mode and level 1 regen is nice and I do use the regen paddles much like one would use the gear paddles in an ICE car. I frankly drove all the way on the highway at speeds around 85-95kmph. Im really not into Hypermiling and all those things to increase range. I just want to enjoy my car without caring too much and falling victim to this insidious range anxiety. In the hills, I always stay well within the sensible speed limit, irrespective of all my years of experience, driving around those hills. The Kona feels solidly planted and handles very nicely indeed with its low centre of gravity - battery located under the car. It is absolutely fun to drive on the highway and in the hills too. I never thought I would like an EV so much. But I certainly love my Kona. One has to change the driving thinking and driving style in an EV as compared to an ICE. It is not necessary to start with full charge and nor is it necessary to top up to full every time. Just keep using and charging when needed just like the mobile phone or watch. No need to get obsessed and tense with trying to will the charger to take the car to 90-95%.it is much easier if one breaks all these taboos. Also, I mostly charge using public and private charging infrastructure - fast chargers usually and once in a while plugging it into my office. But then considering I drive an average of 500kms a month in this car my charging also happens only around once or twice a month or so when in the city and obviously as described here, more frequently when on a road trip. One allows for charging stops and food breaks. And generally goes at an easier pace. And the interesting thing is in an EV one tends to hear better and somehow enjoy the journey more calmly with some nice music and conversation and watching life go by, unlike in a fast ICE car where one feels instinctively like listening to the engine growl and play with the gears and generally send it. But then, one can accelerate fiercely when needed and accomplish overtaking maneuvres with consummate ease. EV acceleration is teeth blisteringly addictive as I have opined in the past. (But it also drinks the juice nicely if one fiddles too much with the accelerator.) In conclusion: I'm happy overall with my first Blr-Nilgiris-Blr EV trip. The total charging cost incurred was around 1600-1800 Rupeesand the performance of the car in the hills and thise lovely curvy twisty roads was excellent. The Ground clearance is more than adequate for my needs. The smooth acceleration is lovely. The vehicle is Stable and planted and highly confidence-inspiring. If it had been AWD instead of FWD then that would have been the icing on the cake. But, as expressed before, I love the FWD Konas size and proportions much more than I do, those of the AWD Kia EV6 and the RWD Ioniq5. Best of all, compared to my erstwhile petrol AT Thar, where a trip like this always costs me 10,000Rs and more, this Kona is a whole world apart. From the perspective of my pocket and the fuel costs, I am very happy that I sold that Thar and bought the Kona. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Turbanator : 11th September 2024 at 08:15 . Reason: As requested. Kindly take your time and post when you have crosschecked everything. shortbread Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: KL 7 Posts: 2,625 Thanked: 7,452 Times Infractions: 0/2 (11) Re: Ford confirms restart of manufacturing cars in India | To focus on exports Ford's journey in India reads like a dramatic screenplay, filled with soaring highs, gut-wrenching lows, and questionable-comical decisions. After exiting the Mahindra joint venture (like any other Mahindra JV), Ford made a remarkable impact on it's own with the Ikon, a very successful model that established the brand as a household name. It remains baffling why they discontinued such a strong model instead of innovating it further. Despite the subsequent successes of the EcoSport and the well-regarded Endeavour, Ford faltered with a costly investment in the state-of-the-art Sanand manufacturing facility, only to sell it off cheaply to Tata Motors. Rather than focusing on more prudent expansions like the Maraimalai Nagar factory, Ford seemed to stray from strategic foresight. After investing years and resources into building a reputation in the Indian market, their abrupt exit highlighted a remarkable miscalculation, only for them to reconsider their position years later and attempt a comeback now. To regain Indian consumers' trust, to regain that confidence, Ford must invest significantly, but success in the automobile industry often hinges on just one standout vehicle. Ford needs to channel the spirit of the Ikon by launching an exceptional product that offers great value and specificationsit's time for Ford India to reignite its appeal and launch another Josh machine! SmartCat Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 6,822 Thanked: 47,837 Times View My Garage Re: China urges its EV manufacturers to avoid investing in India and Turkey Quote: dust-n-bones Originally Posted by No Chinese company would be eager to, given what happened to BYD So what exactly happened to BYD? They made a .ppt file and it was rejected? That's not the way the business world works. If carrot (PLI schemes) & stick (import tariffs) approach is used, Chinese companies will form a line to invest in India. The article speculates that Chinese Govt has asked companies to not invest in India/Turkey. The conclusion we can draw is that they fear India/Turkey's manufacturing capabilities, perhaps going by the way India smartphone supply chain/exports is growing. Quote: Who do you think is the net loser in all this? I think that's the Indian citizen, specially one who is entering the job market, with no prospect for succeeding. Right now, India has negligible BEV know-how. China has arguably the best. How does one navigate this without first packing away our knee-jerk tendency? To begin with, India does not exactly have significant know-how in modern petrol/diesel engines either. Both Tata/Mahindra consult with AVL Austria for their engines, even now. So Chinese entry will not magically improve India's EV know-how either. And in other news, the two wheeler EV market is booming despite negligible Chinese presence. What it means is that four wheeler EV market too will grow, with or without Chinese brands, when the inflection point is crossed. Quote: I would only add that thinking of relations with China (& India's progress) purely tactically like this is foolhardy. And generally speaking, every foreign investment should be welcomed because it means small but additional ($$ inflows + jobs). So in that way, Indian Govt did respond 'tactlessly' to the whole situation. So what exactly happened to BYD? They made afile and it was rejected? That's not the way the business world works. If carrot (PLI schemes) & stick (import tariffs) approach is used, Chinese companies will form a line to invest in India.The article speculates that Chinese Govt has asked companies to not invest in India/Turkey. The conclusion we can draw is that they fear India/Turkey's manufacturing capabilities, perhaps going by the way India smartphone supply chain/exports is growing.Attributing great loss to Indian consumer or employment scene or automotive business environment due to BYD decision is quite an exaggeration.To begin with, India does not exactly have significant know-how in modern petrol/diesel engines either. Both Tata/Mahindra consult with AVL Austria for their engines, even now. So Chinese entry will not magically improve India's EV know-how either. And in other news, the two wheeler EV market is booming despite negligible Chinese presence. What it means is that four wheeler EV market too will grow, with or without Chinese brands, when the inflection point is crossed.However, I agree that not allowing BYD to invest in India was foolhardy, but for different reasons. Even after Galwan, imports from China was allowed unhindered & was actually trending upwards. Allowing the Chinese to invest in India would have given us some leverage.And generally speaking, every foreign investment should be welcomed because it means small but additional ($$ inflows + jobs). So in that way, Indian Govt did respond 'tactlessly' to the whole situation. Last edited by SmartCat : 15th September 2024 at 10:39 . Cutting corners: Samsung's Texas semiconductor fab was intended to be a key facility for the mass production of advanced processes below 4nm. However, several setbacks have raised questions about Samsung's ability to compete in the advanced chip manufacturing space. The company is rapidly losing ground to TSMC, and unless it regains its footing, its decline could significantly impact the semiconductor landscape. Samsung is facing ongoing challenges with 2nm chip yields, prompting the company to withdraw personnel from its $17 billion Taylor, Texas plant, which was designed to be a hub for mass production of advanced processes below 4nm. This decision, first reported by Business Korea, comes amid repeated delays in the company's mass production timeline, now pushed back from late 2024 to 2026. Samsung's foundry yield for processes below 3nm currently stands below 50 percent, with its Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology yield reportedly as low as 10 to 20 percent. In contrast, the advanced process yields at its main competitor, TSMC, stand around 60 to 70 percent. Meanwhile, Samsung's chip manufacturing market share is dwindling as the performance gap widens, with TSMC holding 62.3 percent of the global foundry market, while Samsung's share has dropped to 11.5 percent. Top 10 foundries by revenue (Q2 2024) Ranking Company Revenue (2Q24) Revenue (1Q24) QoQ Market Share (2Q24) Market Share (1Q24) 1 TSMC 20,819 18,847 10.5% 62.3% 61.7% 2 Samsung 3,833 3,357 14.2% 11.5% 11.0% 3 SMIC 1,901 1,750 8.6% 5.7% 5.7% 4 UMC 1,756 1,737 1.1% 5.3% 5.7% 5 GlobalFoundries 1,632 1,549 5.4% 4.9% 5.1% 6 Huahong Group 708 673 5.1% 2.1% 2.2% 7 Tower 351 327 7.3% 1.1% 1.1% 8 VIS 342 306 11.6% 1.0% 1.0% 9 PSMC 320 316 1.2% 1.0% 1.0% 10 Nexchip 300 310 -3.2% 0.9% 1.0% Total of Top 10 31,962 29,172 9.6% 96.0% 96.0% To see how far Samsung has fallen behind, one only has to look at TSMC's Arizona facility, where recent trial production has yielded results comparable to those of its established plants in Taiwan. The facility is on track to begin production at its first fab in the first half of 2025. The second fab, set to begin production in 2028, will produce chips using 2nm process technology with next-generation nanosheet transistors, in addition to 3nm technology. Samsung is now rethinking its strategy and has kept only a skeleton crew at the Taylor plant. The company has a preliminary agreement with the U.S. government for close to $7 billion in subsidies under the CHIPS Act, which is now at risk, as the deal requires the plant to be operational. To be fair, TSMC's Arizona facility also experienced setbacks in its construction and staffing. However, Samsung has been unable to resolve its issues, despite Chairman Lee Jae-yong's personal intervention, including visits to major equipment suppliers like ASML and Zeiss in search of solutions. It may be that Samsung's challenges extend beyond technical issues. The pervasive bureaucracy within Samsung, slow decision-making, and low compensation are the main reasons for the decline in foundry competitiveness, a semiconductor professor told Business Korea. "The delayed investment timing compared to 20-30 years ago also indicates that the management is not fully aware of the current reality, necessitating a fundamental overhaul of the management system," this person said. Samsung's recent struggles are particularly striking, given its history in semiconductor manufacturing. In 2022, the company became the first foundry to achieve volume production of 3nm chips, outpacing TSMC by nearly six months and Intel by several years. Samsung had ambitious plans to maintain its technological edge by being first to market with 2nm transistors. However, it now appears that this goal may be out of reach. Being involved in an auto accident can be a traumatic experience, leaving you with physical injuries, emotional stress, and financial concerns. One of the most critical steps you can take after an accident is finding the right attorney to represent you. With so many options available, it can be challenging to know where to start. Finding the best auto injury attorney in Tampa requires thorough research and careful consideration. Start by seeking recommendations from friends, family, or online reviews to find experienced attorneys with positive client feedback. Look for lawyers specializing in auto injury cases, as their expertise will be crucial in navigating complex legal processes. Verify their credentials, track record, and success rate in similar cases. Schedule consultations to discuss your case, evaluate their communication style, and ensure they offer personalized attention. Consider their fee structure and ensure it aligns with your budget. The right attorney will provide dedicated representation and work diligently to secure the best outcome for your case. If you're in Tampa and need legal representation, this blog will help you find the best auto injury attorney to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Why You Need an Auto Injury Attorney? After an auto accident, dealing with insurance companies, medical bills, and legal procedures can be overwhelming. An experienced Tampa auto injury lawyer can help you navigate these complexities, advocate for your rights, and maximize your compensation. Whether it's negotiating a fair settlement with insurance companies or representing you in court, the right attorney can make all the difference in the outcome of your case. Steps to Find the Best Auto Injury Attorney in Tampa 1. Research Local Attorneys Start by compiling a list of potential attorneys in Tampa who specialize in auto injury cases. You can do this by searching online, asking for recommendations from friends or family, or checking with local bar associations. Look for attorneys with positive reviews, high ratings, and a strong online presence, as these can be indicators of their reputation and success rate. 2. Check Experience and Specialization Not all attorneys are created equal, and when it comes to auto injury cases, experience matters. Look for an attorney who specializes in personal injury law, specifically auto accidents. An experienced attorney will have a deep understanding of Florida's traffic laws, local court procedures, and the tactics insurance companies use to minimize payouts. Ask potential attorneys about their experience handling cases similar to yours. How many years have they been practicing? What is their success rate? Have they handled cases that went to trial? These questions can give you insight into their level of expertise and whether they are equipped to handle your case. 3. Evaluate Their Track Record A proven track record of success is a strong indicator of an attorney's ability to win cases and secure fair compensation for their clients. Ask potential attorneys about their past cases, particularly those similar to yours. How much compensation have they secured for clients in the past? Do they have any notable case results? Additionally, look for any accolades, awards, or recognition the attorney has received. These can further validate their competence and success in the field. 4. Schedule Consultations Most auto injury attorneys offer free initial consultations, giving you an opportunity to meet them in person and discuss your case. During these consultations, pay attention to how the attorney communicates. Do they listen to your concerns? Do they explain legal concepts clearly and without jargon? Are they approachable and willing to answer your questions? The consultation is also a good time to ask about their fee structure. Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning they only get paid if you win your case. Clarify the percentage they will take from your settlement and any additional costs you might incur. 5. Assess Their Communication Skills Effective communication is essential when working with an attorney. You need to feel confident that your attorney will keep you informed about the progress of your case and respond promptly to your questions and concerns. During your initial meetings, evaluate their communication style. Are they transparent about the process? Do they provide regular updates? Clear and consistent communication is key to a successful attorney-client relationship. 6. Consider Local Expertise Hiring a local attorney who understands Tampa's legal landscape can give you an edge in your case. Local attorneys will be familiar with the local courts, judges, and insurance companies, which can be beneficial in negotiations and litigation. They may also have established relationships with local experts, such as accident reconstruction specialists or medical professionals, who can support your case. 7. Check References and Reviews Before making your final decision, check the attorney's references and online reviews. Ask the attorney for contact information of past clients who can speak to their experience working with them. Additionally, read online reviews on platforms. While one or two negative reviews shouldn't be a deal-breaker, a pattern of dissatisfaction could be a red flag. 8. Trust Your Instincts Ultimately, choosing an attorney is a personal decision. After meeting with potential candidates and evaluating their qualifications, trust your instincts. Do you feel comfortable with the attorney? Do they inspire confidence? Remember, you'll be working closely with them throughout your case, so it's important to choose someone you trust and feel at ease with. What to Expect After Hiring an Auto Injury Attorney Once you've selected the best auto injury attorney in Tampa, they will begin working on your case immediately. Here's what you can expect: Case Evaluation and Investigation Negotiation with Insurance Companies Filing a Lawsuit if Necessary Ongoing Communication and Support Conclusion Finding the best auto injury attorney in Tampa is crucial to ensuring you receive the compensation you deserve after an accident. By researching local attorneys, evaluating their experience and track record, and trusting your instincts, you can find a legal advocate who will fight for your rights and guide you through the complexities of your case. With the right attorney by your side, you can navigate the aftermath of an auto accident with confidence and secure the best possible outcome. The iPhone 16 lineup is still on the hype train as it was only recently announced by Apple. It will be the first iPhones to take advantage of Apple Intelligence aside from A18 and A18 Pro chips. Now we know what its first-ever AI-generated image looks like, it's about time to deep dive into its components inside, particularly its random access memory or RAM. In a new interview, Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies Johny Srouji has provided some invaluable information about these models, urging that all four iPhone 16 models are equipped with 8GB of RAM for guaranteed improved performance as compared to the previous generations of Apple products. New Ram Hike Across iPhone 16 Series: Here Comes 8 GB RAM For reference, the 6 GB RAM was present in the standard iPhone 15 model and iPhone 15 Plus. However, the two Pro variants are far more superior with 8GB RAM. This was one of the reasons why the Pro models could run Apple Intelligence, and the other models - could not. This year, however, Apple is making all four iPhone 16 models balanced by providing all of them with 8GB of RAM to support the Apple Intelligence. In an interview with Geekerwan, Srouji confirmed this RAM upgrade and this indicates the first time ever Apple has released specific RAM specs for its iPhones. The executive said that the decision to increase the RAM was primarily aimed at ensuring that Apple Intelligence had better performance but other functions too will reap from it. Apple Intelligence and the Need for More RAM During the interview, Srouji elaborated on the importance of RAM for Apple Intelligence and the overall user experience. As 9to5Mac extracted, Apple has lots of data that tell them what is capable of running a particular feature. One of the important features mentioned here is Apple Intelligence. From there, the team takes a closer look at various computations, memory capacity, and configurations to see what trade-offs need to be established. For iPhone 16, Srouji said that Apple Intelligence is considered a major factor in their decision to upgrade the existing RAM to 8GB. "The 8GB will help immensely with other applications, including high-end gaming and AAA-titled games. This is going to be a huge advantage for those who play games on their devices," he said. Optimized Software and Hardware Integration One of Apple's major strengths lies in its ability to seamlessly integrate hardware and software, and Srouji emphasized how this benefits memory optimization. Srouji explained that the software team also focuses on optimizing memory footprint on top of optimizing computing capability. With this, they will not waste any memory to utilize the best of the available RAM. This level of integration means that Apple can fine-tune both the hardware and software to deliver the best possible performance without overbuilding or wasting resources. Apple's Approach to Silicon vs. Competitors When asked about how Apple Silicon compares to competitors who focus on increasing core counts, Srouji provided an insightful explanation: "When you look at single-thread performance, our cores are the best in the industry. We lead the way in both performance and efficiency cores. Rather than just adding more cores, we focus on making sure each core performs at the highest level possible." Srouji explained that Apple uses extensive simulation and performance modeling to optimize each product. As such, designing an iPhone comes with careful consideration of its battery size, thermal envelope, and more. Overbuilding only leads to wasting the capability of a product that's why they emphasize that settling for a perfectly balanced configuration is so much ideal. If you want to check the full interview, click the video below. The U.S. State Department has responded to Russian dictator Putin's latest threats that allowing Ukraine to strike targets on Russian territory with long-range weapons would be seen as direct participation of NATO countries in the war. They emphasized that they are closely monitoring the Kremlin leader's rhetoric, but advised him to end the war in Ukraine if he does not like discussions about strikes on Russia. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by US Foreign Policy spokesman Matthew Miller at a briefing on Friday, September 13. According to him, the Kremlin head has been issuing similar statements over the past two and a half years. "So, its not really a new statement by President Putin, but of course we pay close attention to everything that he says. I would say President Putin is the one who could end this war today if he wanted to. The only reason we are even having a discussion at all about the provision of American capabilities to Ukraine and the provision of capabilities by our NATO Allies and the coalition of 50 countries that weve assembled around the world to Ukraine is because Putin continues to press this illegal war, that he continues to try to forcibly take territory of Ukraine. So, if the president of Russia doesnt want to have a conversation about what capabilities we provide to Ukraine, theres a very easy way to get to the end of that conversation, and thats for him to end this illegal war," the official stated. ADVERTISIMENT The US official added that the United States will not participate in the war in Ukraine but will continue to help it defend itself along with a coalition of allies. Earlier, the White House responded to Putin's threats too. Karine Jean Pierre said that the dictator's statements were addressed not to Americans or Europeans, but to the Russian audience. Although Putin has "dangerous rhetoric," his words are nothing new, she said. The day before, Russian dictator Putin said that allowing Western long-range weapons to strike Russian territory would "change the nature of the conflict" and would be seen as direct involvement of NATO countries in the war in Ukraine. He threatened that this would provoke a "corresponding reaction" from Moscow. As reported, Yaroslav Chornohor, director of the Russian and Belarusian studies program at the Prism UA think tank, believes that such statements by Putin should not be taken too seriously as it is not the first time he has made them. There are no specifics in Putin's statements. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the country will not send long-range Taurus missiles to the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Despite persistent appeals and requests from the Ukrainian authorities, Berlin's stance on the transfer of these weapons to Kyiv remains unchanged. ADVERTISIMENT The German Chancellor said this at a press conference in Berlin on Friday, September 13. His words were quoted by The Guardian. "Germany has made a clear decision about what we will do and what we will not do. This decision will not change," the official added. Scholz's statements came amid discussions between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden about the possibility of allowing Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike military targets of the Russian occupation forces on the territory of the aggressor state. Earlier, federal government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit noted that the weapons discussed by the United States and Britain have a longer range than those provided by Germany. Meanwhile, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also noted that the agreements between Washington and London on this topic remain exclusively their business. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, it was reported that Biden held talks with Kieran Starmer on September 13. During the meeting, the politicians reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine and "expressed concern" about Iran and North Korea's arms sales to Russia and China's support for the aggressor country's defense industry, the White House said. At the same time, they did not agree to allow Kyiv to launch Storm Shadow missiles at military targets in Russia. As reported, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that the United States and Britain could give Ukraine permission to use their weapons to strike deep into Russia, as international law allows it. He also urged Washington and London not to be afraid of Russian dictator Putin's threats. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ADVERTISIMENT Myanmar junta makes rare request for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods Taungoo, Myanmar, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request Saturday for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people who have already endured three years of war. Floods and landslides have killed almost 300 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which dumped a colossal deluge of rain when it hit the region last weekend. In Myanmar, more than 235,000 people have been forced from their homes by floods, the junta said Friday, piling further misery on the country where war has raged since the military seized power in 2021. In Taungoo -- around an hour south of the capital Naypyidaw -- residents paddled makeshift rafts on floodwaters lapping around a Buddhist pagoda. Rescuers drove a speedboat through the waters, lifting sagging electricity lines and broken tree branches with a long pole. "I lost my rice, chickens, and ducks," said farmer Naung Tun, who had brought his three cows to higher ground near Taungoo after floodwaters innundated his village. "I don't care about the other belongings. Nothing else is more important than the lives of people and animals," he told AFP. - Flee by any means - The rains in the wake of typhoon Yagi sent people across Southeast Asia fleeing by any means necessary, including by elephant in Myanmar and jetski in Thailand. "Officials from the government need to contact foreign countries to receive rescue and relief aid to be provided to the victims," junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said on Friday, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. "It is necessary to manage rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures as quickly as possible," he was quoted as saying. Myanmar's military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad. Last year it suspended travel authorisations for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha that hit the west of the country. At the time the United Nations slammed that decision as "unfathomable." AFP has contacted a spokesperson for the UN in Myanmar for comment. After cyclone Nargis killed at least 138,000 people in Myanmar in 2008, the then-junta was accused of blocking emergency aid and initially refusing to grant access to humanitarian workers and supplies. - 'Terrible experience' - The junta gave a death toll on Friday of 33, while earlier in the day the country's fire department said rescuers had recovered 36 bodies. A military spokesman said it had lost contact with some areas of the country and was investigating reports that dozens had been buried in landslides in a gold-mining area in central Mandalay region. Military trucks carried small rescue boats to flood-hit areas around the military-built capital Naypyidaw on Saturday, AFP reporters said. "Yesterday we had only one meal," Naung Tun said from near Taungoo. "It is terrible to experience flooding because we cannot live our lives well when it happens." "It can be okay for people who have money. But for the people who have to work day to day for their meals, it is not okay at all." More than 2.7 million people were already displaced in Myanmar by conflict triggered by the junta's 2021 coup. Vietnam authorities said Saturday that 262 people were dead and 83 missing. Images from Laos capital Vientiane, meanwhile, showed houses and buildings inundated by the Mekong river. CORRECTED: Myanmar junta makes rare request for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods Taungoo, Myanmar, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request Saturday for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people who have already endured three years of war. Floods and landslides have killed almost 300 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which dumped a colossal deluge of rain when it hit the region last weekend. In Myanmar, more than 235,000 people have been forced from their homes by floods, the junta said Friday, piling further misery on the country where war has raged since the military seized power in 2021. In Taungoo -- around an hour south of the capital Naypyidaw -- residents paddled makeshift rafts on floodwaters lapping around a Buddhist pagoda. Rescuers drove a speedboat through the waters, lifting sagging electricity lines and broken tree branches with a long pole. "I lost my rice, chickens, and ducks," said farmer Naing Tun, who had brought his three cows to higher ground near Taungoo after floodwaters innundated his village. "I don't care about the other belongings. Nothing else is more important than the lives of people and animals," he told AFP. - Flee by any means - The rains in the wake of typhoon Yagi sent people across Southeast Asia fleeing by any means necessary, including by elephant in Myanmar and jetski in Thailand. "Officials from the government need to contact foreign countries to receive rescue and relief aid to be provided to the victims," junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said on Friday, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. "It is necessary to manage rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures as quickly as possible," he was quoted as saying. Myanmar's military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad. Last year it suspended travel authorisations for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha that hit the west of the country. At the time the United Nations slammed that decision as "unfathomable." AFP has contacted a spokesperson for the UN in Myanmar for comment. After cyclone Nargis killed at least 138,000 people in Myanmar in 2008, the then-junta was accused of blocking emergency aid and initially refusing to grant access to humanitarian workers and supplies. - 'Terrible experience' - The junta gave a death toll on Friday of 33, while earlier in the day the country's fire department said rescuers had recovered 36 bodies. A military spokesman said it had lost contact with some areas of the country and was investigating reports that dozens had been buried in landslides in a gold-mining area in central Mandalay region. Military trucks carried small rescue boats to flood-hit areas around the military-built capital Naypyidaw on Saturday, AFP reporters said. "Yesterday we had only one meal," farmer Naing Tun said near Taungoo. "It is terrible to experience flooding because we cannot live our lives well when it happens." "It can be okay for people who have money. But for the people who have to work day to day for their meals, it is not okay at all." More than 2.7 million people were already displaced in Myanmar by conflict triggered by the junta's 2021 coup. Vietnam authorities said Saturday that 262 people were dead and 83 missing. Images from Laos capital Vientiane, meanwhile, showed houses and buildings inundated by the Mekong river. Myanmar junta makes rare request for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods Taungoo, Myanmar, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request Saturday for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people who have already endured three years of war. Floods and landslides have killed almost 300 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which dumped a colossal deluge of rain when it hit the region last weekend. In Myanmar, more than 235,000 people have been forced from their homes by floods, the junta said Friday, piling further misery on the country where war has raged since the military seized power in 2021. In Taungoo -- around an hour south of the capital Naypyidaw -- residents paddled makeshift rafts on floodwaters that reached the roofs of some buildings. Around 300 people were sheltering at a monastery on high ground in a nearby village. "We are surrounded by water and we don't have enough food for everyone," one man said. "We need food, water, and medicine as priority." Outside another temple, Buddhist nuns in pink and orange robes waded through knee-deep water. "I lost my rice, chickens, and ducks," said farmer Naing Tun, who had brought his three cows to higher ground near Taungoo after floodwaters inundated his village. "I don't care about the other belongings. Nothing else is more important than the lives of people and animals," he told AFP. - Flee by any means - The rains in the wake of typhoon Yagi sent people across Southeast Asia fleeing by any means necessary, including by elephant in Myanmar and jetski in Thailand. "Officials from the government need to contact foreign countries to receive rescue and relief aid to be provided to the victims," junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said on Friday, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. "It is necessary to manage rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures as quickly as possible," he was quoted as saying. Myanmar's military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad. Last year it suspended travel authorisations for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha that hit the west of the country. At the time the United Nations slammed that decision as "unfathomable." AFP has contacted a spokesperson for the UN in Myanmar for comment. After cyclone Nargis killed at least 138,000 people in Myanmar in 2008, the then-junta was accused of blocking emergency aid and initially refusing to grant access to humanitarian workers and supplies. - 'Terrible experience' - The junta gave a death toll on Friday of 33, while earlier in the day the country's fire department said rescuers had recovered 36 bodies. A military spokesman said it had lost contact with some areas of the country and was investigating reports that dozens had been buried in landslides in a gold-mining area in central Mandalay region. Local media reported that six people had been killed in a landslide Friday in Tachileik in eastern Shan state. Military trucks carried small rescue boats to flood-hit areas around the military-built capital Naypyidaw on Saturday, AFP reporters said. "Yesterday we had only one meal," farmer Naing Tun said near Taungoo. "It is terrible to experience flooding because we cannot live our lives well when it happens." "It can be okay for people who have money. But for the people who have to work day to day for their meals, it is not okay at all." More than 2.7 million people were already displaced in Myanmar by conflict triggered by the junta's 2021 coup. Vietnam authorities said Saturday that 262 people were dead and 83 missing. Images from Laos capital Vientiane, meanwhile, showed houses and buildings inundated by the Mekong river. Climate march shuts down Hague motorway during police strike The Hague, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Extinction Rebellion climate activists blocked a major motorway running through The Hague on Saturday, their "most disruptive" action yet to protest against billions of euros in Dutch fossil fuel subsidies. The demonstration coincided with a police strike over pensions. While officers were present in case of emergencies, they were not set to break up the protest as usually happens. Many of the activists had conducted a week-long march from Arnhem in the east of the Netherlands that culminated in the protest on the A12 motorway that serves The Hague. Extinction Rebellion (XR) said some protesters planned to take advantage of the police absence to camp out overnight in the motorway tunnels. "We will keep coming back until the subsidies are abolished," said XR spokeswoman Rozemarijn van 't Einde, adding that they amounted to between 39.7 and 46.4 billion euros ($44.0-51.4 billion) per year. Authorities have not ruled out shutting off large sections of the motorway to traffic to ensure the activists' safety. The XR group regularly targets the A12 motorway and police often arrest hundreds of protesters. "The blockade will be the most disruptive since the first blockade on July 6, 2022," said the group. "The severity of the climate and ecological crisis justifies the additional nuisance." Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel said police "always act in emergencies, even during work stoppages" so he was not concerned about public safety. He said it was a "bit ironic" the protesters were urging authorities to ensure their safety given they rail against what they call disproportionate and heavy-handed policing. Myanmar junta makes rare request for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods Taungoo, Myanmar, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request Saturday for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people who have already endured three years of war. Floods and landslides have killed almost 300 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which dumped a colossal deluge of rain when it hit the region last weekend. In Myanmar, more than 235,000 people have been forced from their homes by floods, the junta said Friday, piling further misery on the country where war has raged since the military seized power in 2021. In Taungoo -- around an hour south of the capital Naypyidaw -- residents paddled makeshift rafts on floodwaters that reached the roofs of some buildings. Around 300 people were sheltering at a monastery on high ground in a nearby village. "We are surrounded by water and we don't have enough food for everyone," one man said. "We need food, water, and medicine as priority." Outside another temple, Buddhist nuns in pink and orange robes waded through knee-deep water. "I lost my rice, chickens, and ducks," said farmer Naing Tun, who had brought his three cows to higher ground near Taungoo after floodwaters inundated his village. "I don't care about the other belongings. Nothing else is more important than the lives of people and animals," he told AFP. - Flee by any means - The rains in the wake of typhoon Yagi sent people across Southeast Asia fleeing by any means necessary, including by elephant in Myanmar and jetski in Thailand. "Officials from the government need to contact foreign countries to receive rescue and relief aid to be provided to the victims," junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said on Friday, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. "It is necessary to manage rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures as quickly as possible," he was quoted as saying. Myanmar's military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad. Last year it suspended travel authorisations for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha that hit the west of the country. At the time the United Nations slammed that decision as "unfathomable." The UN's Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Myanmar said it could not currently comment on the junta's request for foreign aid. "It is estimated that thousands of people have been forced to flee, but numbers are difficult to verify amid telecommunications blockages and a challenging operational context," a spokesperson told AFP. A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Myanmar said it had no comment on the request. After cyclone Nargis killed at least 138,000 people in Myanmar in 2008, the then-junta was accused of blocking emergency aid and initially refusing to grant access to humanitarian workers and supplies. - 'Terrible experience' - The junta gave a death toll on Friday of 33, while earlier in the day the country's fire department said rescuers had recovered 36 bodies. A military spokesman said it had lost contact with some areas of the country and was investigating reports that dozens had been buried in landslides in a gold-mining area in the central Mandalay region. Local media reported that six people had been killed in a landslide Friday in Tachileik in eastern Shan state. Military trucks carried small rescue boats to flood-hit areas around the military-built capital Naypyidaw on Saturday, AFP reporters said. "Yesterday we had only one meal," farmer Naing Tun said. "It is terrible to experience flooding because we cannot live our lives well when it happens," he added. "It can be okay for people who have money. But for the people who have to work day to day for their meals, it is not okay at all." More than 2.7 million people were already displaced in Myanmar by conflict triggered by the junta's 2021 coup. Vietnam authorities said Saturday that 262 people were dead and 83 missing. Images from Laos capital Vientiane, meanwhile, showed houses and buildings inundated by the Mekong river. Storm Boris wreaks havoc across eastern and central Europe Slobozia, Romania, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Four people have died in Romania in floods triggered by Storm Boris, which has brought torrential rains and widespread disruption to central and eastern Europe, rescue services said on Saturday. Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually fierce rains. "We are again facing the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present on the European continent, with dramatic consequences," said Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. "We must continue to strengthen our capacity to anticipate extreme weather events." In Romania, four bodies were discovered in the worst affected region, Galati in the southeast, where 5,000 homes were damaged. Hundreds of people have been rescued across 19 parts of the country, rescue services said, releasing a video of flooded homes in a village by the Danube river. "This is a catastrophe of epic proportions," said Emil Dragomir, mayor of Slobozia Conachi village in Galati, where he said 700 homes had been flooded. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is visiting the area, while President Iohannis sent his "condolences to grieving families". Around 100,000 firefighters have been mobilised in the Czech Republic, where nearly 2,900 incidents were recorded on Friday, most of them due to fallen trees and floods. Almost 50,000 homes were without electricity on Saturday, Czech power company CEZ said, and a hospital in the southeastern city of Brno was evacuated on Saturday morning. "The ground is now saturated so all the rainwater is going to stay on the surface," Environment Minister Petr Hladik said on X, formerly Twitter. Residents are being offered free bags of sand to shore up their homes. - 'Peak is yet to come' - Neighbouring Slovakia has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bratislava. Meanwhile in Poland, the government warned the situation would be the most difficult in the southwest going into Saturday afternoon and evening. Authorities have shut the Golkowice border crossing with the Czech Republic after a river flooded its banks, closed several roads and halted trains on the line linking Prudnik to Nysa. Austria registered winds of 146 kilometres (91 miles) an hour in the south. Firefighters have intervened around 150 times in the capital Vienna since Friday to clear roads blocked by storm debris and pump water from cellars, local media reported. Four thousand homes in the Styrie region are without power and the "peak is yet to come", Chancellor Karl Nehammer warned. In mountainous areas of the west, snow halted traffic and rescue services were searching for a man reported missing after an avalanche. Parts of north-east Austria have been declared a natural disaster area. Some areas of the Tyrol were blanketed by up to a metre (three feet) of snow -- an exceptional situation for mid-September, which saw temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) last week. burs-bg/am/gv/rox Salvage operation for stricken Red Sea tanker underway: Greek defence source Athens, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 An operation to tow an abandoned tanker struck by Yemen's Huthi rebels in August, threatening environmental disaster, began Saturday and is ongoing, a Greek defence ministry source told AFP. The Greek-flagged Sounion is being towed northwards under military escort, the source said. The tanker was hit last month by Iran-backed Huthis off the coast of Hodeida while carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil. "(The tugboat) Aigaion Pelagos has begun to gradually tow the tanker northwards, escorted by military vessels," the defence source told AFP, adding that the ships' radars had been turned off for security reasons. The European Union's Red Sea naval mission, Aspides, had earlier said that "the salvage operation of the MV SOUNION is essential in order to avert a potential environmental disaster in the region." "To achieve this, several public and private actors are working together," it added. The Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion was hit by missiles off the coast of Hodeida on August 21. Damage to the vessel had threatened a Red Sea oil spill four times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska. The Sounion's crew, made up of 23 Filipinos and two Russians, was rescued the day after the attack by a French frigate serving with the EU mission. The EU naval force was formed in February to protect merchant vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by the Huthi rebels, who have waged a campaign against international shipping that they say is intended to show solidarity with Hamas in its war with Israel in the Gaza Strip. Since November, the Huthi attacks have resulted in the sinkings of two ships and the deaths of at least four crew members. Salvage operation for stricken Red Sea tanker underway Athens, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 An operation to tow an abandoned tanker struck by Yemen's Huthi rebels in August, threatening environmental disaster, began Saturday and is ongoing, a Greek defence ministry source told AFP. The Greek-flagged Sounion is being towed northwards under military escort, the source said. The tanker was hit last month by Iran-backed Huthis off the coast of Hodeida while carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil. "(The tugboat) Aigaion Pelagos has begun to gradually tow the tanker northwards, escorted by military vessels," the defence source told AFP, adding that the ships' radars had been turned off for security reasons. The official added that a rescue team had boarded the tanker and attached tow cables, overcoming "adverse conditions." Once the tanker is safely out of the area, the source said that an update would be given on the operation. Greek state news agency ANA said the tugboat was escorted by three frigates, helicopters and a special forces team, without disclosing the states of origin. A Greek fire ship also stood ready to lend assistance if required, ANA said. The tanker had been anchored west of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, midway between Yemen and Eritrea. The European Union's Red Sea naval mission, Aspides, earlier Saturday said that the salvage operation of the Sounion "is essential in order to avert a potential environmental disaster in the region." "To achieve this, several public and private actors are working together," it added. - Oil spill fears - The Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion was hit by missiles off the coast of Hodeida on August 21. After the initial strike, the Huthis returned and detonated charges on the ship's deck, setting off new fires. Damage to the vessel had threatened a Red Sea oil spill four times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska. The Sounion's crew -- made up of 23 Filipinos and two Russians -- was rescued the day after the attack by a French frigate serving with the EU mission. The EU naval force was formed in February to protect merchant vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by the Huthi rebels, who have waged a campaign against international shipping that they say is intended to show solidarity with Hamas in its war with Israel in the Gaza Strip. Since November, the Huthi attacks have resulted in the sinkings of two ships and the deaths of at least four crew members. The Huthis have been firing drones and missiles at ships in the vital commercial route, saying they are targeting vessels linked to Israel, the US and Britain in a show of solidarity with Palestinians over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. A salvage operation had been attempted earlier this month, but Aspides at the time had said that "the private companies responsible for the salvage operation have concluded that the conditions were not met to conduct the towing operation and that it was not safe to proceed." On Friday, the mission said it stood ready "to facilitate a new salvage operation in the coming days." The vessel was still on fire on September 12 but there were no signs of an oil spill from the main cargo hold, Aspides said Friday. A diplomatic scandal is gaining momentum in Italy: hundreds of billboards with the words "Russia is not our enemy" and a demand to stop supporting Ukraine have appeared in several cities across the country. The Ukrainian Embassy in Rome reacted to this, and diplomats called on the Italian authorities to put an end to the campaign to rehabilitate the image of the aggressor state. ADVERTISIMENT This is stated in the CNN publication. The Sovranita Popolare group, which allegedly "advocates peace," took responsibility for the campaign. Since June, banners depicting a handshake between two hands colored in the colors of the flags of Italy and Russia have been appearing in various Italian cities. The posters also contain slogans such as "Russia is not our enemy" and calls to stop allocating money for military aid to Ukraine and Israel. As of September, the number of such banners was already in the hundreds. The Ukrainian Embassy in Rome responded to the campaign. "We are deeply concerned about the brazenness of Russian propaganda in the Eternal City. We ask the city authorities of Rome to reconsider the permission for such posters, which have a clear goal of rehabilitating the image of the aggressor state," the diplomats called. ADVERTISIMENT The reaction to the call varied from city to city in Italy. In some cities, the banners were taken down by the city authorities, while in others they were left up until the end of the lease of the advertising space. The Sovranita Popolare group, which allegedly "stands for peace," took responsibility for the campaign. According to CNN, these "peacekeepers" accuse European politicians, and the Italian government in particular, of having unreasonably intimidated Italian citizens with a possible Russian attack on Europe in the future after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT "Italian warmongers have been inciting Russophobia, hatred of the Russian people, culture, and art for two years," the "peacekeepers" note, who are much more interested in the aforementioned "culture and art" than in the destruction, destroyed cities, thousands of killed Ukrainians and millions of refugees caused by the same "Russian people" for whom the "activists" are so worried. However, it will hardly take long to find out where the Russophile campaign in Italy has its roots: a few weeks ago, almost identical banners appeared in Donetsk, occupied by Ukraine since 2014, as reported by activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement. They depict the same handshake, though the "residents of Donetsk" for some reason decided to inform the world that they do not consider Italians to be enemies. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! Storm Boris wreaks havoc across eastern and central Europe Slobozia Conachi, Sept 14 (AFP) Sep 14, 2024 Four people have died in Romania in floods triggered by Storm Boris, which has brought torrential rains and widespread disruption to central and eastern Europe, rescue services said on Saturday. Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually fierce rains. "We are again facing the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present on the European continent, with dramatic consequences," said Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. "We must continue to strengthen our capacity to anticipate extreme weather events." In Romania, four bodies were discovered in the worst affected region, Galati in the southeast, where 5,000 homes were damaged. Hundreds of people have been rescued across 19 parts of the country, rescue services said, releasing a video of flooded homes in a village by the Danube river. "This is a catastrophe of epic proportions," said Emil Dragomir, mayor of Slobozia Conachi village in Galati, where he said 700 homes had been flooded. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is visiting the area, while President Iohannis sent his "condolences to grieving families". Around 100,000 firefighters have been mobilised in the Czech Republic, where nearly 2,900 incidents were recorded on Friday, most of them due to fallen trees and floods. Almost 50,000 homes were without electricity on Saturday, Czech power company CEZ said, and a hospital in the southeastern city of Brno was evacuated on Saturday morning. "The ground is now saturated so all the rainwater is going to stay on the surface," Environment Minister Petr Hladik said on X, formerly Twitter. Residents are being offered free bags of sand to shore up their homes. - 'Everyone is scared' - Neighbouring Slovakia has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bratislava. Meanwhile in Poland, the government warned the situation would be the most difficult in the southwest going into Saturday afternoon and evening. Authorities have shut the Golkowice border crossing with the Czech Republic after a river flooded its banks, closed several roads and halted trains on the line linking the towns of Prudnik and Nysa. In the nearby village of Glucholazy, Zofia Owsiaka watched with fear as the fast-flowing waters of the swollen Biala river surged past. "Water is the most powerful force of nature. Everyone is scared," local resident Zofia Owsiaka, 65, told AFP. "This is the second time in my life that I've seen such a phenomenon. It's a nightmare for the people who live here," added Piotr Jakubiec, 39. Austria registered winds of 146 kilometres (91 miles) an hour in the south. Firefighters have intervened around 150 times in the capital Vienna since Friday to clear roads blocked by storm debris and pump water from cellars, local media reported. Four thousand homes in the Styria region are without power and the "peak is yet to come", Chancellor Karl Nehammer warned. In mountainous areas of the west, snow halted traffic and rescue services were searching for a man reported missing after an avalanche. Parts of northeast Austria have been declared a natural disaster area. Some areas of the Tyrol were blanketed by up to a metre (three feet) of snow -- an exceptional situation for mid-September, which saw temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) last week. burs-bg/am/imm/gv CEZ Former Russian Defense Minister and current Secretary of the Russian Security Council Sergei Shoigu visited DPRK. There, he met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to discuss strengthening "cooperation to protect mutual security interests." ADVERTISIMENT As a result of the meeting, Kim Jong Un promised that the DPRK would provide "full support to the Russian Federation." The meeting between the representatives of the two dictatorships was reported by Reuters, citing the North Korean state news agency KCNA. In the DPRK, Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang was explained by "discussing the deepening of the strategic dialogue" between North Korea and Russia. According to official statements, the North Korean dictator and the representative of Putin's regime held a "wide-ranging exchange of views on regional and international situations" and reached consensus on a number of issues, including increasing "cooperation to protect mutual security interests." ADVERTISIMENT After his conversation with Shoigu, Kim Jong Un said that Pyongyang will continue to expand cooperation with Moscow as part of a strategic partnership. This "partnership," as Ukrainian and U.S. officials and independent analysts have repeatedly claimed, means that Kim Jon Un is providing Russia with missiles and shells for a war against Ukraine. In return, he receives economic and military aid from Russia. Both Moscow and Pyongyang deny this, but periodically declare their intentions to strengthen military cooperation. In June of this year, the two countries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. ADVERTISIMENT This is not the first time Shoigu has visited the DPRK. According to Reuters, his visit last year in July marked the beginning of closer ties between North Korea and Russia. During that visit, Shoigu and Kim Jong Un watched a military parade that featured nuclear weapons delivery and attack drones. Earlier, the DPRK accused Ukraine of terrorism because of the Kursk operation. North Korea has promised to support Russia in its efforts to "protect its sovereignty." Also, the DPRK called the AFU's Kursk operation "the result of the US anti-Russian confrontational policy" and said that the fighting in Kursk region is allegedly bringing World War III closer. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes! A wooden sculpture of a Maasai warrior holding a spear guards the entrance to the Arusha Cultural Heritage Center. The structure of the building known as the largest art gallery in Africa, according to a large sign at the entrance foreshadows everything that awaits behind its doors: the living history of an entire continent, its struggles, its tribes, but above all, the art that has guided various African cultures for generations. With an architecture that represents the essential elements of local culture (the drum, the spear and the shield), the gallery was inaugurated in 1994 in this northern Tanzanian city by Saifuddin Khanbhai, whose great-grandfather an emigrant of Indian descent founded a trading post in Tanganyika in the 19th century. Arusha is a city thats surrounded by lush forests at the foot of Mount Meru, east of the Great Rift Valley mountain range. Today, its the countrys tourist epicenter and one of the most-visited cities in all of Africa. The classic bustle of African metropolises is no exception here. In the streets outside the Cultural Heritage Center, women roast corn on the cob over embers, men walk around pulling carts and offering sugarcane juice to pedestrians, while the boda boda motorcycles and scooters zip along the avenues. Bajajis (autorickshaws) and dala dalas (minibuses) fill the roads, their sides plastered with photographs of American rappers and African personalities. They give the city its pulse. However, once youve entered the gallery, the silence of the museum takes on an unexpected prominence, broken only by the sound of a few birds. Theyve made their nests on the roof. Beyond the silence, the first thing that strikes you when you enter is the immense amount of artistic works that are housed within the gallerys walls. There are thousands yes, thousands of paintings and sculptures on display, distributed across the four floors of this majestic, modern building. Walking through its interior means embarking on a journey through African life and trade, its rituals and customs, its wars and its past, all interconnected through an extensive collection of antiques and bronze and ebony sculptures, among other notable objects. The Arusha Cultural Heritage Center was founded in 1994. DIEGO MENJIBAR The gallerys rooms connected by spiral corridors to a central space that overlooks the ground floor house the works of more than 1,500 artists, both established and emerging, traditional and contemporary. And, even though the space operates as a museum, each and every one of the works on display can be purchased by visitors. Arusha is the starting point for the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit the country every year in search of the adventures we all know from documentaries: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest mountain in Africa and whose peak, Uhuru, inspires the architecture of the building) or going on safari. Visitors dressed in beige, in the purest Indiana Jones style are driven in open-top Land Rovers across the plains of the Serengeti or the Ngorongoro crater, in search of the world-famous big five (lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhinos). The cultural significance of this building as well as its extravagant design has led it to be nicknamed the African Guggenheim by some Western visitors. Its iconic status is due, mainly, to the fact that its the largest place dedicated exclusively to exploring the treasures derived from African culture (it goes without saying that there are more spaces of this type on the continent, although none of them of this magnitude). The gallery is divided into three sections History, Wildlife and Soul of Tanzania allowing visitors to freely explore. One of the works on display at the Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre. DIEGO MENJIBAR The History section displays ethnographic objects from hundreds of African tribes, from the Yoruba in West Africa to the Fang in Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Cameroon; the Oromo in Ethiopia and the Nyamwezi in Tanzania; the Luba in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Guro in the Ivory Coast, just to name a few. The Wildlife section features contemporary paintings and sculptures of the graceful creatures that inhabit the African savannah, while the Soul section reflects the essence of the continent through diverse perspectives. But among the many world-famous works housed here, one stands out: the Ujamaa Tree of Life Sculpture, a Makonde structure (an Indigenous art style originating from the tribe of the same name) depicting several intertwined human figures, representing a symbol of unity and continuity. Historically known as African socialism, Ujamaa represents the continents great family. Its the idea of living and working together with a common goal: caring for loved ones. The tree of life is 18 feet tall and took 20 years to make. The scale of the center isnt surprising when you consider that it aims to represent the countrys 120 tribes something Tanzania is extremely proud of. Its main vision is to promote the work of local artists, but the proceeds from sales, the gallerists explain, go to humanitarian causes, such as supporting local orphanages, building schools and wells, or fighting poaching. It also houses a large collection of tanzanites, the idyllic blue gemstones found only in Tanzania. And those interested in photography will find the gallerys only photographic exhibition on the second floor. Its creator Pietro Luraschi documents the countrys wildlife in striking black-and-white. The ground floor can be overwhelming for the unprepared visitor, due to the amount of works scattered and filling every corner. Two studios have also been set up, so that local artists can work in a creative environment. Visitors can see first-hand the process of creating a work of art. Two visitors, surrounded by sculptures, at the entrance to the Arusha Cultural Heritage Center. Sally Weigand (Alamy / CORDON PRESS) Dr. Jane Goodalls dream Known as the worlds most famous primatologist, Jane Goodall arrived at the Gombe Forest Reserve 65 years ago to do fieldwork for anthropologist Louis Leakey. Overwhelmed by what she found, she stayed there to live. She has spent a lifetime in Tanzania dedicated to primates, studying them and educating future generations about the importance of their protection. The best-known of her discoveries has a name: David Greybeard, a chimpanzee with whom it was discovered that the use of tools isnt exclusive to humans. David used a hollow branch to extract insects from a termite mound. On July 14, 2025, Dr. Goodall who maintains a close relationship with the Arusha Cultural Heritage Center will open an immersive show at the gallery called Dr. Janes Dream, precisely on World Chimpanzee Day. As she explained in New York City a few months ago, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in her life and, above all, learn: Theres a tent where my mom and I were and two little peepholes looking out into the world of the chimps. [The visitors] go into this dream world and are going to have to investigate. Its like an adventure. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Advertisement Eating outSex, sleaze and hospitality Sexual assault allegations lead to resignations at Swillhouse Swill Mag editor Myffy Rigby is the latest to walk away from the Sydney hospitality group as fall-out from the Herald expose continues. Bianca Hrovat September 14, 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 Myffy Rigby, editor of Swillhouses lifestyle publication Swill Mag, and the hospitality groups general manager, Toby Hilton, have exited the company after revelations of sexual harassment, assault and drug use within its six high-profile Sydney bars and restaurants. Rigby took to Instagram on Friday to announce she had resigned on September 7 and said she was shocked by The Sydney Morning Herald and Good Food reports claiming Swillhouse discriminated against women, failed to protect female staff from sexual harassment and assault, and pushed a woman out of the company after she was raped by a colleague in the bathroom of Restaurant Hubert. I gave notice the next day and removed myself from the workplace immediately and have not returned since, Rigby wrote. Swillhouse venue Le Foote in The Rocks. Louise Kennerley I have been deeply shocked by the allegations. My heart goes out to the women who have been subjected to the behaviours described in the article, and I stand in solidarity with them. Advertisement Rigby declined to comment further. Last week, Swillhouse general manager Hilton also announced his resignation in a company-wide email, which described the hospitality company as the best part of my lifes work. The past few weeks have been very hard but an important lesson in realising that good actions or intent mean little if the experience is not consistent for all, Hilton said. There is clearly a different reality between what we thought we had created versus what existed for some, for which I am truly sorry. Good Food understands from sources unable to comment publicly that there have been additional resignations from employees working at Swillhouse venues. Rigby, who was previously national editor of the Good Food Guide, worked at the Swillhouse headquarters, a warehouse loft in Surry Hills. Three other former head office employees, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their future employment, described it as a toxic environment tightly controlled by Swillhouse chief executive Anton Forte. Advertisement Myffy Rigby, pictured in 2015. Fiona Morris There is no suggestion of allegations of sexual harassment against Forte. Through his lawyers, he has denied any claim that he was responsible for the companys culture and otherwise encouraged inappropriate conduct. Swillhouse has worked very hard in recent years to promote a diverse, inclusive, and safe workplace an environment where bullying, harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated, he said. Rigbys statement comes two days after the sixth issue of Swill Mag was released, which includes interviews with London-based restaurateur Jonny Gent (Sessions Art Club) and French chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud, who owns seven restaurants in New York City, including the eponymous Daniel, which holds two Michelin stars. She had edited the almost-quarterly magazine since its inception in February 2022. Advertisement Last week, the Good Food Guide dropped Swillhouse venues Le Foote (The Rocks), Restaurant Hubert (CBD), Albertos Lounge (Surry Hills), The Baxter Inn (CBD), Shady Pines (Darlinghurst) and The Caterpillar Club (CBD) from its annual publication, and widened its selection criteria to exclude hospitality venues known to allow or perpetuate assault. Anton Forte pictured outside his Le Foote restaurant in The Rocks, which has since been removed from The Good Food Guide. Supplied Hilton will continue to work for Swillhouse until the ship is steadied in the coming weeks under the guidance of Justine Baker, the former chief executive of the Solotel hospitality group, who was appointed Swillhouses chief strategy officer on August 28. According to a statement from Cato & Clive, the crisis communications firm hired by Swillhouse following reports by this masthead, Baker will work with the executive team to review business operations and structure and facilitate SafeWork NSW investigations. SafeWork NSW has confirmed it has launched inquiries into Swillhouses operations. The government agency is responsible for ensuring workplaces meet their duties regarding workplace sexual harassment and alcohol and drug use. Staff can report workplace sexual assault to SafeWork NSW and the NSW Police. Advertisement Left: Rachelle Rocky Hair. Right: Jenna Hemsworth. Christopher Pearce In a text message sent to former employee Jenna Hemsworth, who went public with allegations she was sexually assaulted while working at Swillhouse, chief executive Forte said he intended to follow Bakers recommendations for change. What we did, where we didnt listen or act as we should have, was weak, Forte said in the message, and invited Hemsworth to email Baker. The other woman who came forward with allegations of sexual assault was former Swillhouse bartender Rachelle Rocky Hair, the first female to be employed behind the bar at Frankies and The Baxter Inn, who described herself as the canary in the coal mine. If [Swillhouse] had learnt and changed 10 years ago and the assaults and harassment had stopped with me, I would have let this go, she said. Advertisement Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up We have a tendency to think of sex as an action, says Esther Perel, a couples therapist and author who is launching a new online course about desire. But she reframes it for her clients and audiences. Sex isnt something that you do, Perel tells them. Sex is a place where you go. Loading She often asks questions such as What do you want to experience there? Is this an experience, for you, of transcendence? Of spiritual union? Of deep connection? Or Is it an experience where you can be mischievous and for once not a good citizen? Acknowledging that a joint orgasm isnt the only destination during sex can help couples become unstuck, Perel finds. Candice Nicole Hargons, an associate professor at Emory University and author of the forthcoming book Good Sex, encourages her clients to think about the idea of a sexual menu. Most of us get this really unseasoned sexual menu kind of handed to us when were kids, she says. The types of sex on our menu may be influenced by media, sex education classes and what we pick up socially. But she encourages her sex therapy clients to create a more flavourful, personalised menu to say for themselves what their yeses are, what their noes are, what their maybe-sos are. The only nonnegotiable? Pleasure should be the main course. Youd be surprised by how many people I talk to on a day-to-day basis who dont understand that sex isnt supposed to be painful, says Jessica Ross, a sex therapist based in Michigan. Orgasm? Optional. But pleasure is mandatory. There is more than one type of desire Sexual desire, as its portrayed in TV, movies and pornography, is invariably spontaneous a sudden, overwhelming urge to have sex. But there is another, equally valid type of desire, known as responsive desire. It emerges in response to deliberate pleasure or erotic stimuli, says Lauren Fogel Mersy, a psychologist and sex therapist based in Minnesota and an author of Desire. People who tend to experience responsive desire should feel reassured that there is nothing wrong with them, she says. Theyre not broken. They might simply need to put in a bit more work to understand what kind of erotic stimulation helps them feel open to the possibility of intimacy, such as touch, for instance. Also, couples need to let go of the expectation that they should be aligned in how and when they experience desire. Desire discrepancy is the norm rather than the exception, Fogel Mersy says. Never underestimate the power of the clitoris The clitoris is the powerhouse of the female orgasm, and the vast majority of the sensitive nerve endings that contribute to pleasure are located on the surface of the vulva, not inside the vagina, says Ian Kerner, a sex therapist based in New York City and author of She Comes First. Most intercourse positions dont provide a lot of clitoral stimulation, he says, which is a major contributor to the pleasure gap among heterosexual couples. In taking a more clitoral approach to sex, activities that are typically thought of as foreplay, including manual and oral stimulation, are not just a precursor to something else. They are the main event, Kerner says. That said, there are women who can orgasm during intercourse, says Debby Herbenick, a professor at the Indiana University School of Public Health and author of Yes, Your Kid: What Parents Need to Know About Todays Teens and Sex, whose research suggests 18 per cent of women orgasm from penetration alone. For women who do want to have an orgasm during vaginal penetration or intercourse, its OK to want that and there are ways to try, she says. Intimacy can be just as important as sex. Credit: Getty Images Men are not light switches There are many cliches about male sexuality: among them, that all men think about sex constantly, and that all it takes is a strong breeze for a guy to get an erection, Kerner says. What gets lost is the bigger truth that male sexuality is as complex and variable as female sexuality, Kerner says. Desire discrepancy is the number one issue he sees in his practice, and men are just as likely to be the low-desire partner as women, he says. Often, his male clients feel a lot of shame and embarrassment that they are not initiating sex the way theyre supposed to. Men are not light switches when it comes to sex, Kerner says. They dont just turn on and off. Intimacy should be on the calendar, not just sex Putting sex on the calendar is well-worn sex therapy advice, but Tanner believes it can backfire. The pressure of having to keep a sexual appointment can actually decrease sexual desire, she said. Rather than putting sex on your calendar, schedule an activity that opens the door for intimacy. Loading What that means will vary from couple to couple, says Jessa Zimmerman, a sex therapist in private practice in Seattle, who offers the same advice to her clients. Perhaps its a date night. Perhaps you get into bed a bit earlier than usual and see what happens. Its so different than OK, were going to have sex every Sunday night. Because, oh, my gosh, its not too long before the lower-desire person is starting to avoid that or dread that, she says. Its possible to overthink good sex Sara Nasserzadeh, a social psychologist and author of Love by Design, who works with clients around the world, said she sees a tendency among some of her North American clients to feel as if they must talk about sex ad nauseam. Its ridiculous to me, because sex is something that involves the bodies, she says. It involves the somatic. That doesnt mean her motto is Just Do It, but sometimes you have to let your bodies connect and talk for you, Nasserzadeh says. Put another way: sex should momentarily rob you of your intelligence, says Dr Stephen Snyder, a sex therapist based in New York City and author of Love Worth Making. It should make you a bit selfish and maybe even regress a bit, he says. Good sex makes you dumber, he says with a chuckle. And great sex makes you really, really stupid. The New York Times Such conduct is designed to ostracise Jewish businesses and intimidate the Jewish communities. These actions are designed to inflict fear and instil division. This matter should be referred to police and investigated as a priority. Palestine supporters used a kite flying festival at Bondi Beach to protest the war in Gaza. Credit: Instagram Allegra Spender, a federal independent MP who was concerned last weekend to see the symbol on display in her Sydney electorate at a kite flying event on Bondi Beach, said its appropriation needed examination. I went and looked at the history of the symbol and my concern is about what it is trying to do, she said. It really has no place on a family day which should be about bringing people together and celebrating. The symbol is known as the Abu Obeida triangle, named after the spokesman for the Hamas military wing, and was first used by the terrorist groups Al-Qassam brigades to identify targets such as Israeli tanks and soldiers for lethal strikes. Since October 7, the symbol has morphed into an online meme and emoji shared by Hamas sympathisers and more recently, pro-Palestinian activists, including some unaware of its origins. The symbol is outlawed in Germany because of its direct association with Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation that has controlled Gaza since 2007 and planned and led the October 7 attack on Israel, when 1200 people were murdered and more than 200 kidnapped. The attack provoked Israels ongoing, deadly reprisals in Gaza. The symbol has become ubiquitous within the pro-Palestine protest movement. Credit: Instagram Josh Roose, a Deakin University political sociologist and expert in political and religious violent extremism, said Hamas had carefully chosen the red triangle or red arrow a symbol that features in the Palestinian flag to maximise its appeal. It is actually a very sophisticated tactic, Roose said. It has clearly been used by Hamas in their military videos. It has been picked up by their activists and now used by the anti-Israeli, global protest movement. If you call that out, you are accused of trying to outlaw the Palestinian flag, which then creates more outrage and victimisation. Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the symbol had become a de facto Hamas flag. Just as neo-Nazi groups have long evaded scrutiny and accountability by shifting from the swastika to various derivative symbols or code words, the pro-Hamas movement has done likewise, he said. The inverted red triangle was first used by Hamas Al-Qassam brigades to identify Israeli targets. Credit: The Palestine Chronicle But the aim is clear. It is to show support for Palestinian violence and revel in the killing of more Israelis. Greens MP Tim Read, the Brunswick parliamentarian contacted by Cohen after his Lygon Street business was first marked with the symbol in July, said he was very concerned by the episode and had raised it with Merri-bek Council and police. Vandalising Jewish-owned businesses is unacceptable and antisemitic behaviour, which I completely condemn, he said. I encourage people to be critical of Israels continued bombing of civilians without attacking Jewish people, many of whom are protesting Israels actions. Loading Palestinian community leader Nasser Mashni deplored the targeting of a Jewish-owned business but declined to comment on the use of the symbol more broadly. The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network opposes all violence against civilians, in Australia or anywhere else, he said. The war in Gaza, which is approaching its first anniversary, is estimated by Palestinian authorities to have killed nearly 43,000 people. In December, the federal parliament bolstered Australias counter-terrorism laws by inserting a new provision into the criminal code prohibiting the public display of hate symbols. Although the law change explicitly outlaws Nazi and Islamic State symbols, it also created a new offence, punishable by up to a years jail, for anyone who knowingly displays a symbol used to identify a terrorist organisation. A memorandum circulated by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus to explain the purpose of the law change said violent extremists used symbols to spread their ideology to a wider audience and recruit followers. Ideologically and religiously motivated violent extremists within the community are seeking to publicly display and trade symbols of hate with the intent of promoting hatred, instilling fear and harassing others, the memorandum noted. Dreyfus last week introduced legislation to criminalise the practice of doxxing the publishing of private, identifying information with malicious intent after the details of 600 members of a Jewish chat group were distributed online by pro-Palestinian activists. Dutton said the targeting of a Jewish-owned business with a Hamas symbol was precisely the type of conduct that should be captured by change to the criminal code. We have the laws to deal with these acts of intimidation and hate. The government and our law enforcement agencies need to swiftly use them, he said. Cohen contacted the Brunswick police station about the threatening symbol, but police did not respond. Merri-bek Council promised to conduct an investigation but closed the case a week later without taking action. In 45 years of contesting elections, Clover Moore has never lost one or even looked like losing one. That was true again on Saturday. By 8pm it was clear that while Moores vote was going backwards, it was still high enough to ensure she would retain the job she has held without being seriously challenged for the past 20 years. Clover Moore celebrates another term as Sydney lord mayor at her election party at the ArtHouse Hotel on Saturday night. Credit: Janie Barrett With counting about to pause for the weekend, she was sitting just under 37 per cent of first preferences, a swing against her of about 6 percentage points. You couldnt hope for much better when youre seeking a sixth term. No one seriously thought Moore would be in trouble. Even if there was a sense among some voters that two decades is a long time for anyone to be in power, there was no clear alternative who they could embrace with certainty and enthusiasm. Same-sex couples, single women and low-income families would have cheaper access to fertility treatment under a new 10-year plan to address declining birth rates and regulate Australias booming IVF industry. In a sweeping review of Australias national fertility policy, unveiled on Sunday, former health minister Greg Hunt and embryologist Dr Rachel Swift found the fragmented IVF system was not equipped to keep up with rising demand fuelled by older parents and more non-traditional families. Another recommendation was to fund public patient IVF targeted at low and limited-income families, noting a single IVF cycle could cost upwards of $10,000. Former health minister Greg Hunt, now a professor at the University of Melbourne, has co-authored a review into the countrys booming IVF sector. Credit: Eddie Jim The review will increase pressure on Hunts successor as federal health minister, Mark Butler, to update the Commonwealths definition of infertility after the authors found there was near universal community support for giving same-sex couples and single women equal access to Medicare-subsidised IVF. That would accord with what weve found for women, says Brown. That means theyre very vulnerable, and if anything else goes wrong perhaps she and her partner split up theyre prone to not being able to cope. Somehow, that moves from suicidal ideation to homicidal ideation. We dont know enough to say how that happens. Mental health looms large in Australian cases involving mothers who murder. In 2014, Cairns mother Raina Thaiday killed eight children; her four sons, three daughters and a niece, aged between two and 14. She had schizophrenia, and a court heard she had believed she was saving the children from the end of the world. Neighbours heard her saying things like, You stab my kids, I stab them first. Raina Thaiday thanks paramedics for safely delivering her child in the back of an ambulance in 2009. Credit: Nine News In Melbourne, Katica Perinovic, 42, was being treated for paranoia and anxiety when she killed her children Claire, 7, Anna, 5, and Matthew, 3 before taking her own life. They were stabbed in the back. Their father is taking legal action, claiming his wifes doctor was negligent in treating her mental health condition. Some killers convince themselves theyre acting in the interest of their child. In Port Hedland, Margaret Dale Hawke, a heavy drug user who had repeatedly told services she was struggling, stabbed, strangled and suffocated her three children. Babies, I dont want us to hurt any more, she told them. Once, these cases were known as altruistic killings. But its not altruistic at all, says Brown. Its a violent death. The profile of an offender can shift with the age of the child. Neonaticide, or the killing of a newborn, is almost exclusively committed by mothers and often involves women whove concealed, denied or not even recognised their pregnancies. One British study cites the heartbreaking example of a young teenage mother who hid her newborn in a school bag, before telling her mother, Dont be mad, mum. Ive had a baby. Keli Lane leaves court during her trial in 2010. Credit: Nick Moir Australias most famous case is that of Keli Lane, a polo player from Sydneys northern beaches who hid five pregnancies over seven years. She terminated two, and put two babies up for adoption. She was convicted of murdering the fifth, a girl called Tegan. Between the babys delivery at Auburn Hospital on September 12, 1996, and her mothers arrival at a friends wedding a few days later, Tegan disappeared and has never been found. Infanticide, involving the killing of a child before their first birthday by their mother, is a discrete crime in NSW and carries a similar penalty to manslaughter. It comes from a British law written in the days when murder was punishable by death, but authorities felt women suffering post-natal mental illness should be given grace. The law is rarely used, and police tend to lay murder charges instead. Murder was the charge levelled at NSW woman Kathleen Folbigg over the deaths of her four children. She was convicted in 2003 but pardoned by the NSW governor last year after new medical evidence suggested the babies might have died of natural causes. Another Sydney case involved a woman who drowned her six-month-old baby in the bath tub after developing psychosis after the birth, and worrying obsessively that the child had dwarfism. Melbourne woman Katica Perinovic killed her three children before taking her own life. Most filicide victims are not yet five years old. Younger children are more likely to be suffocated, drowned or shaken, and older children those over 10 are more likely to be stabbed or shot. Police are still waiting on toxicology results to see if Ben and Russell Smith were drugged when they died, and have not revealed whether they were killed together. Brown said such a violent act from a mother could leave a child frozen with shock and fear. You just couldnt believe your mother would do it, and by the time you realise shes doing it, youre close to death, she says. Studies into what goes through a mothers mind at the time of the crime are rare. One, in which British researcher Julia Stroud interviewed dozens of perpetrators, didnt get much sense from them, says Brown. Most were incoherent. As Hawke said to a West Australian court: I dont know why I did what I did. I remember being all over the place and confused. What Stroud did find, says Brown, was that many of the women thought theyd told services they needed help. They believed they were expressing their fear that they would kill their children, but the services didnt hear that at all. Twin sisters Maya and Karla Dickason and their older sibling Liane. The girls were killed by their mother Lauren. Credit: Facebook Stroud also found that the women had been struggling with multiple stresses before the killing, and then something happened to tip them over the edge. It might have been quite minor, but it was major to them at the time. This was what Lauren Dickason, a doctor in New Zealand, told the court during her murder trial. She had been struggling with her mental health; shed even confided her homicidal thoughts to her husband. The whole family had just spent two weeks in COVID isolation after arriving from South Africa. One night, when her husband was out, something just triggered me. The children were being wild again, jumping on the couches, not listening to what Im trying to tell them. She received a request for more information about her daughters cleft palate. She didnt have the strength to make the childrens school lunches. She told the children they would make necklaces with cable ties. They put the ties around their necks and died by asphyxiation. Loading Burke says services should be better trained to identify red flags. Smith, who was not known to child protection teams within the Department of Communities and Justice, is the sort of person who needed a family agency stepping in every week to keep her afloat, she says. Our argument from our studies is that women do seek help but nobody appreciates the problems they have looking after their children. The staff in those services are not educated to appreciate that there are risks of filicides that they see, so they dont probe deeply into whats disturbing the person. Its too late for Russell and Ben, whose lives were allegedly ended by the woman who was supposed to keep them safe. Russell and Ben were happy, funny, outgoing boys, and were very much loved by their family and friends, said their father, who will mourn them forever. Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service (1800RESPECT) on 1800 737 732. King Charles III has decided, or been warned, not to use the word walkabout during his five days in Australia next month. Its a start. Walkabout was his mothers preferred term for greeting bystanders during a 1970 tour, a time when Indigenous Australians had been citizens for three years. Walkabout is deeply offensive to some, not all, but it is unquestionably from another time. When the Kings father asked Aboriginal dancers if they still throw spears at each other in 2002, however unintended the offence, his words were still out of time, betraying how the institution and the individuals representing it had become museum pieces. The Queen on a walkabout in 2011 in Canberra with Governor-General Quentin Bryce and Prince Philip (behind). Credit: Andrew Ellinghausen Im not going to relitigate the republican case here. Twenty-five years ago, a referendum rejected the constitutional change to an Australian head of state. It was peak John Howard political craft. The then-prime minister, a committed monarchist, didnt devote his campaign to pro-monarchy arguments. Instead, monarchists united behind the slogan Say no to the politicians republic, successfully splitting republicans into those who wanted any republic, those who wanted a specific model, and those who reacted viscerally against the word politician. The gist of it was, If you dont know, vote no, which, in 1999, seemed like an effective but one-use-only appeal to the national rear-vision mirror. Australians also had more pressing concerns than fiddling around with symbolic constitutional change. They were doing it tough after prices on all goods and services had risen by 10 per cent. Changing the head of state was too much of a niche concern. Maybe it could be saved for later, after the cost-of-living crisis had passed. The Liberal senator criticised amid allegations against Bruce Lehrmann believes parliaments new workplace watchdog will not stop the weaponisation of parliament as crossbenchers attack its structure as too weak to enforce a change in behaviour. Both major parties agreed to create the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission last week to investigate complaints against badly behaved politicians, staff and others in federal parliament, but its reach stops at the doors of the Senate and House of Representatives chambers. Senator Linda Reynolds in Parliament House last month. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Debate in those chambers is legally protected from both lawsuits and the new watchdog to allow robust discussion of the issues facing the country. Liberal senator Linda Reynolds told this masthead she welcomed the commissions establishment and the protection of parliamentary privilege, but that it would not prevent political attacks. Clover Moore has claimed victory, securing an unprecedented sixth term as lord mayor of Sydney while hitting out at a weird and nasty election campaign, and saying her rivals had nothing substantial to offer. Moore had nine challengers in the lord mayoral race, including Labor, the Greens, the Liberals and independent Yvonne Weldon, but Moore was clearly ahead with about 37 per cent of first preferences. Clover Moore celebrates another term as Sydney lord mayor at her election party at the ArtHouse Hotel on Saturday night. Credit: Janie Barrett She said it was a more aggressive campaign than usual and she was underwhelmed by her opponents. I didnt think any of the other candidates had anything to offer, Moore said. They said we need a change and fresh ideas. I listened very carefully to hear what the fresh ideas were and there werent any. Irish writer Maggie OFarrell, 52, says that if she had to take a book to a desert island, it would be James Joyces Ulysses. Published in 1922, it was vilified but, above all, loved and extolled. It prompted speculation that the novel as a form might be dying. For Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset, it indicated that the novel had reached its ceiling, that its traditional form had to be abandoned in order for the novel to grow. Joyces Ulysses is so impressive that even in its misreading it yields a new text, as Irish author Sally Rooney, 33, brilliantly explains in an article in the Paris Review. But what does this mean exactly? It means it opens out possibilities, paths, literally ways of being in the world, according to Rooney. In other words, it enlightens. Its publication marked Irish literature so profoundly that everything that mattered, from Flann OBrien to Samuel Beckett, at the start of the 20th century, passed through rupture, absurdity, and a deliciously disproportionate formal experiment, on the fringes of any kind of margin. Today, that mutable inner self that turned the stream of consciousness into a labyrinthian game has been transformed into a collective self. According to Luis Solano, OFarrells editor at Asteroide Books, who points out that OFarrell grew up in Scotland but must inevitably be touched by the Irish tradition, Irish literature today has more in common with the rest of the world than English or North American literature does, and that is what has given it its central role. Also the editor of Caroline ODonoghue from Cork, author of the bestseller The Rachel Factor, Solano stresses that this global relevance may account for the fact that the two favorite authors for the Booker this year were Irishmen Paul Murray and Paul Lynch. It is a literature of the inner self, which, although very much anchored in reality, reflects universal experiences, because its localism is not as invasive as American localism, which is more focused on the woke, or as the British, which is so isolated by Brexit. Whats new in them, however, has been a decade in the making. Because when the crisis erupted in 2013, Ireland suddenly occupied a new role, in literary terms. The creation of small Irish publishers, owned by editors who had returned to Ireland after being made redundant by English publishers, relaunched the countrys talent. No one had anything to lose. They were reckoning on what no one had reckoned on before. And what started as a way to make ends meet became a trend when Tracy Bohan, an agent at the Wylie literary agency, sold the first novel by Sally Rooney, then an unknown 26-year-old, to 12 countries. Rooney had published an essay that made Bohan think she had something. By then, she had already made her debut in the The Stinging Fly literary journal, along with Colin Barrett and other new Irish authors. The Stinging Fly was a launch pad for any young Irish author worth their salt, especially after Rooneys success. Although it has been going since 1998, it wasnt until it was made to look like a book in 2005 that it began to be seen as part of what could make a difference the go-to journal for publishers eager to find new voices. The truth is that in both oral tradition and literature, the Irish have always been recognized for being great storytellers, and brilliant at finding new ways to tell them. If we go back to the English canon from the 19th century to the present day, the great names are, for the most part, of Irish origin. Yeats, Wilde, Beckett, Joyce, Shaw, Flann OBrien. In fact, what would the English canon be without Irish authors? ask Albert Puigdueta and Roberta Gerhard, Rooneys editors in Spain where the authors latest novel, Intermezzo, is about to appear in book stores. Intermezzo is another experiment, borrowing from Joyce and Woolfs stream of consciousness device, according to editors Emilie Pine and Michael Magee, who add that both Joyce and Woolf are representative of the different paths that Irish literature has taken today. There is both a social portrait with authors like Magee, who are managing to talk about the Northern Irish conflict, a taboo until recently, says Puigdueta, and a generational portrait, which, in Rooneys case, is based on a classic English tradition inaugurated by Jane Austen. Austen spoke of the complexity of romantic relationships and social expectations in the 19th century, and flagged up the contradictions, vanities and defects of each of her characters. Rooney does exactly the same in her novels, but with the concerns and spirit of our time, adds Gerhard. The list of names that matter is endless: Claire Keegan, Audrey Magee, Donal Ryan, Jessica Andrews, Eimear McBride, 2018 Booker winner Anna Burns, Lisa McInerney, Tana French, Kevin Barry... and it grows by the minute. Did it do so before the 21st century, when few Irish authors aside from John Banville and Colm Toibin were globally recognized? One need only look at the number of names cited above for the answer. The form, in all cases, is important, not so much because of the tradition they come from but because of the battle each one fights in a highly competitive world in which distinguishing oneself is the only way to stave off instant oblivion. This is something that Irish literature has been good at from the beginning and, though it is now centered on the inner self, it remains forever unruly and new. And, it seems, better than ever. Social media is frequently awful, but sometimes you thank the gods for it. How else would we cope with the outlandishness of Donald Trump, who this week claimed that Haitians are eating the cats and dogs of Ohio? The claim, made during his presidential candidate debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, was a fresh serve of the inadvertent comedy Trump has been dishing up ever since he descended the golden elevator of Trump Tower into our collective consciousness. The first meeting of the two candidates got fiery quickly. Credit: AP He has recommended drinking bleach to stave off COVID. He looked directly at a solar eclipse. He once asked a seven-year-old who had contacted the North American Aerospace Defense Command to track the movements of Santa Claus if she still believed in the big red feller because at seven, its marginal, right? Oh, and he coined the term covfefe. Each one of these moments spawned a thousand internet memes, and Trumps debate claim about pet imperilment was no different. Trump made this bizarre assertion in response to, well, something that was completely unrelated, but it was part of an attack on the Biden/Harris administration for what they have done to our country by allowing these millions and millions of people to come into our country. Washington: Donald Trump has doubled down on his attacks against immigrants, vowing to, if elected, embark on a mass deportation program that would begin in Springfield, Ohio the Midwest city at the centre of debunked claims about pets being eaten by Haitians. Days after the former US president amplified the claims during the debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, a bomb threat forced the evacuation of Springfields city hall, schools and other buildings, prompting President Joe Biden to declare: This has to stop. Donald Trump in a press conference on Friday at his golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Credit: Bloomberg Pope Francis also entered the campaign fray when asked to provide counsel to American Catholics on how to vote in the November 5 election. Pressing on the two hot buttons for the campaign and the church migration and abortion Francis said both candidates were against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies. Francis said migration was a right described in Scripture and that anyone who did not follow the Bibles call to welcome the stranger was committing a grave sin. US comedian Jerry Lewis never wanted anyone to see The Day the Clown Cried. At least not during his lifetime. He knew that what he had hoped would be a masterpiece had actually turned out to be a monumental disaster and a stain on his career. When he received the honorary Palme dOr at Cannes in 2013, he said in reference to the film, No one will ever see it because Im embarrassed at the poor work. It was all bad and it was bad because I lost the magic. Dubbed the King of Comedy, Lewis kept the only copy of the unreleased The Day the Clown Cried. The film tells the story of a clown imprisoned in Auschwitz for mocking Hitler and, like the pied piper, he leads the camps children to their deaths in the gas chambers. Last week, the Venice Film Festival screened the documentary From Darkness to Light, by Eric Friedler and Michael Lurie which, based on another documentary and an interview with the comedian himself, attempts to shed some light on a movie Lewis wanted good and buried. The backbone of From Darkness to Light is provided by Ferne Pearlsteins The Last Laugh (2016), in which Pearlstein interviews famous comedians about their profession. The heart, on the other hand, lies in the interview Lewis gave to Friedler months before he died in 2017 at age 91. It is an encounter in which the comedian, who was generally wary of the press, let his guard down and talked about the fiasco. Friedler and Lurie also had access to the original unreleased footage of the film which they incorporate into the documentary about 30 minutes of which had already appeared on the internet for a period in 2016. Archived in the U.S. Library of Congress, Lewis donated the materials under the condition it would not make them available until 2024. We didnt even think the movie existed, Martin Scorsese recounts onscreen. We thought it was a myth. One person who did see it was the comedian Harry Shearer, who said, I got access to it because someone had a video copy of the first montage and they passed it on to me for a few days. His opinion? Youd just think My God, wait a minute! Its not funny, and its not good, and somebodys trying too hard in the wrong direction to convey this strongly-held feeling. Jerry Lewis, on the set of 'The Day the Clown Cried.' To understand why Lewis decided to direct and star in a drama about the Holocaust, you have to go back to the mid-1960s, when he was considered a movie maestro in France by the most discerning critics who saw in his work a subtly ironic vision of the American way of life. After a performance at the Olympia theater in Paris, a Hungarian producer, Nathan Wachsberger, who owned the rights to a script written by Joan OBrien and Charles Denton, came to talk to him. No one else had dared to film that script about a washed-up clown called Helmut Doork who annoys the Nazi guards by entertaining the children of Auschwitz. About to be executed, he is saved when the Nazis suggest that he use his talents to lead the children to the gas chambers. Doork accepts and carries out his task without any acknowledgment of what he is doing. In the end, the children hang onto the clown and ask him, Where are we going, Helmut? and all together, singing and laughing, they enter a gas chamber. The doors close. Lewis took the plunge: he wanted to be a respected moviemaker, and this seemed like as good a chance as any. In early 1972, he lost almost 20 kilos, did pre-production in Paris and hired Harriet Andersson to play his wife. Meanwhile, French star Pierre Etaix would play the clown and German Anton Diffring would play the Nazi who made his life impossible. Halfway through filming in Stockholm, Wachsberger took off with some of the money and the cameras, but that didnt stop Lewis, who finished the film. When the shoot was over, he took the footage to Los Angeles. There, devastated by how bad it was, he refused to take the project any further, burying it instead. What went wrong? Scriptwriter Joan OBrien suggested that it was because she and Denton had written the story of an egotist seeking redemption, and Lewis had rewritten it, looking for his own version of Charlie Chaplins The Great Dictator. OBrien fought to regain the rights to her screenplay which is now once again available should another filmmaker be willing to take it on. What can be seen of The Day the Clown Cried in the documentary is boring, leaden and disjointed. In one sequence, the clown hooks his nose on the barbed wire. Next to him, another prisoner muses, When youre ruled by fear, laughter is the scariest sound in the world. What is heard, however, are the half-hearted sounds of the Jewish children gathered to watch Helmut on the other side of the fence. Those same children will be the ones who go with the clown in the end to their deaths. The camera used in the filming of 'The Day the Clown Cried.' Aimed at a family audience, Lewiss main shame appeared to lie in the fact that the project failed to properly handle such a delicate topic. Where was the comedy, if one is taking 65 children to the gas chamber? he told the German documentary Der Clown. One critic said that it was wrong to deal with the Holocaust instead of facing Nazism in a broader sense, like Mel Brooks The Producers. Another describes the film as ahead of its time: years later, Roberto Benigni did hit the right note in Life is Beautiful. Meanwhile, comedian Harry Shearer summed it up as so drastically wrong, its pathos and its comedy so wildly misplaced. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition In 1973, at 20 years old, Dora Maria Tellez quit medical school to join the armed struggle against the Anastasio Somoza dictatorship. Three years later, she was enrolled in guerilla combat and medic training in Cuba. Riding the wave of revolution in the late 1970s, Tellez rose to the top of the guerilla command structure, leading FSLN cadres into battles across the country. By 1978, she was known as Comandante Dos of the insurrectionist Terceristas the third way popular front forces and was one of three Sandinista commanders to lead the famous and pivotal assault on Nicaraguas National Palace, dubbed Operacion Chanchera, or Operation Pigsty. With Tellez and fellow guerilla commanders Eden Pastora and Hugo Torres leading the charge, a small cadre of Sandinista fighters disguised as members of the National Guard ambushed the Palace during a joint session of Congress, taking some 2,000 government officials hostage in hopes of leveraging the release of Sandinista prisoners. The daring attack marked a turning point in the revolution, exposing Somozas fragility and inspiring a popular uprising that toppled the dictatorship less than one year later. Dora Maria Tellez, at one of the barricades in 1979. FRI The plan seemed too simple to be sane, Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote in a chronicle recounting the assault. So simple and insane, in fact, that it worked. And thanks in no small part to Tellez, who at just 22 years old led the negotiations with Somoza. The dictator caved, releasing 59 political prisoners and delivering $500,000 in cash to the rebels. In the months to come, Tellez would lead the Sandinista units that fought, block by block, to capture the city of Leon the first major urban center to fall to the revolutionary forces. Dora Maria Tellez was beautiful, shy, pensive, Garcia Marquez observed, with an intelligence and good judgement that would have served her in many great paths in life. The year before the assault on the National Palace, Dora Maria was stationed at the Carlos Fonseca Guerilla Front near Nicaraguas northern border with Honduras. There, she met a man who would haunt her for life a man with whom she would fight side by side for years, through revolution and bloody counterinsurgent war; a man with whom she would govern the country during the decade of Sandinista rule in the 1980s, when Tellez served as Minister of Health, overseeing programs that cut the countrys child mortality rate in half despite U.S. sanctions, destabilization, and war; a man whose campaigns for president she would support again and again, even after she split with the FSLN in 1995, and a man who, some 45 years later, would become her incarcerator, and Nicaraguas new dictator: Daniel Ortega Saavedra. In the mid 1990s, Tellez joined Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramirez and other ex-FSLN guerillas in breaking from the party to form the dissident Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS, now called Unamos). The MRS spent years organizing to dislodge Ortega, whom Tellez and many Nicaraguans had come to see as a pro-business megalomaniac who had betrayed the revolution for the sake of power and prestige. In 2018, a militant, student-led civil rebellion erupted across the country. Some forty years after the revolution, masked youth were in the streets once more, ripping up cobblestones and defending barricades against paramilitaries, soldiers, and police. But the repression came hard and swift, and this time, the rebels lost. It was the deadliest conflict the country had seen since the civil war, with more than 350 people killed, upwards of 2,000 injured, and thousands more imprisoned, disappeared, or exiled. In 2021, Tellez was one of dozens of Nicaraguan dissidents rounded up and sentenced to prison for crimes against the nation in sham trials ordered by Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo. After surviving 606 days of solitary confinement in the dungeons of El Chipote prison, in February 2023, Tellez was taken out of her cell, loaded onto a plane, and sent into exile in the United States along with 221 other political prisoners, including her partner. Dora Maria Tellez in Washington, United States, after being banished by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, on February 10, 2023. miguel andres Today, Dora Maria Tellez is a historian with an honorary doctorate from the Sorbonne and is currently a visiting researcher at Tulane University, where she studies Nicaraguan history and is writing her memoirs. Despite her current vocation, however, she says that she doesnt dwell too much on the past. At 68 years old, her spirit is firmly grounded in the present: Once again, we are trapped in a dictatorship, no different than the Somozas: a family dictatorship with dynastic ambitions This is a moment in which we must act for Nicaragua once more, she says in an interview with EL PAIS. Question. What has your life in exile been like since you were expelled from Nicaragua? Answer. Exile is always difficult. First of all, its not merely exile, its banishment, an uprooting, which is even worse, because youre uprooted from where you belong and prohibited from returning. Its a very difficult experience. You settle down, but one of the hardest parts of exile is that you inevitably refuse to settle down. And whats more, its not easy living in another country, in another culture, and in the case of the United States, in another language. We came here, all 222 of us, with only what we had on us, only our passports. Its a difficult experience, and I didnt have it as hard as most of the others. I had my family in Georgia, so that made the transition a little lighter. Ive been fortunate enough to have a job, to be able to somehow do what I want to do and have some stability, but its still been difficult, and most people have it much worse, with a lot of instability. Then there are all the consequences of prison. In my case, from the isolation, which undoubtedly took a toll, emotionally, psychologically, physically... and above all, from the fatigue; one experiences a very exacting accumulation of fatigue in prison, which gradually fades away as you fill in the gaps from living in isolation for so long. In other words, you have to catch up, and it comes at daily cost. A really high cost, actually. Q. The FSLNs supporters claim that the Ortega-Murillo government enjoys broad popular support, largely because it has succeeded in reducing poverty (though Nicaragua remains the second poorest country in the hemisphere). What is your response to this claim? A. If the regime had the popularity it claims to have, they wouldnt have been afraid of holding clean elections in 2021. Instead, Ortega threw all the pre-candidates in prison and eliminated all competing political parties. They were terrified of the opposition. If they had the majority support they claim they have, if they had the popularity they say they have, they wouldnt be afraid of holding clean elections, because they would win. But Daniel Ortega doesnt win elections, Daniel Ortega steals elections. Q. Are there still sources of resistance inside the country, despite the repression? A. The resistance is like a river: there are periods when its forced to flow underground, then moments when it emerges back to the surface with the full force of its current. Right now, were in a moment in Nicaragua when this river of resistance, which is always advancing but sometimes goes underground, is about to explode to the surface again, because theres no other way. The regime hasnt been able to reestablish its balance of forces, to reestablish its power base, and not only has it not been able to reestablish these, but now the very source of its power is eroding: the judicial system, public employees... Every week you have announcements of new purges, and on top of all this is the issue of Daniel Ortegas succession. We need to remember that this is a family dictatorship. Its not a dictatorship of the party, nor is it a military dictatorship, strictly speaking. Its a family dictatorship, which controls the apparatuses of power and relies on the judicial system, the police, public employees, the Sandinista Front itself, the armyall these institutions that are being weakened, that are in crisis. And the clearest sign of the crisis is the purges, which are revealing an internal crisis tied up with the growing power of Rosario Murillo. Q. Do Ortega and Murillo have any ideology, any political convictions? A. No. Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillos only ideology is political power. They are there to hold on to power. And theyll do whatever it takes. I mean, they provided decisive support for the criminalization of therapeutic abortion in the National Assembly. They campaigned against the Central America Free Trade Agreement with the United States, but when Ortega came to power, he swallowed the free trade agreement like it was nothing. Theyll do one thing and then another contradictory thing in the same 24 hours, no problem. Whatever it takes to stay in power. Thats their ideology. Theyre not right wing or left wing or centrists or anything else. Theyre Ortegistas, plain and simple. Their ideology is to keep the Ortega-Murillo family in power, whatever the cost. Q. How would you describe the nuances of the oppositions political landscape? A. There are different oppositions within the opposition. There are sectors that maintain that we cant rely on elections with Ortega and Murillo in power, that we shouldnt even think about elections and that first we need to focus on removing them from power, but they dont explain how. There are others who say that yes, we have to work toward clean, free, fair, competitive elections, and furthermore, that the opposition has to prepare for that. There are those who are focused on building right wing power, or a center right or extreme right project. There are those who think that national unity is paramount, that we need a project that represents all the political currents in Nicaragua. This is a moment in which the opposition is looking for a path forward. I believe that we need to confront our adversary on the terrain that exists. Not in the hypothetical terrain that I want to exist. Q. Have the U.S. sanctions had any impact? A. If they didnt have an impact the regime wouldnt complain about them. They accused me, during my trial, of supporting sanctions against the State of Nicaragua. But I didnt ask for sanctions against the State of Nicaragua. I asked for sanctions against the Ortega-Murillo family. And as far as I know, the State of Nicaragua is a republic, not a monarchy. If it were a monarchy and Daniel Ortega were the king, and I asked for sanctions against Daniel Ortega, that would be asking for sanctions against the state. The sanctions cause them damage, and that damage is economic. Q. Is there anything the anti-Ortega movement can learn from the Sandinista revolution and its aftermath? A. We should always learn from our history. Studying history is like looking into a rear-view mirror: you have to drive looking forward, but you also have to keep checking behind you. The first lesson is that this is a moment in which armed struggle is not a valid option. It has to be a civil struggle. And secondly, this is a moment to remember that we need to continue pursuing a democratic vocation, not only on the part of the opposition leadership, but in general, among all Nicaraguans. We have an authoritarian and intolerant culture that still weighs on the opposition movement. Another lesson of the revolution is that the youth have decisive contributions to make to Nicaraguan society. I believe that part of the issue of confronting the dictatorship has to do with achieving the unity of the Nicaraguan people. You cant divide everything up into pieces these parts yes, these no, those no, I like these, I dislike these because the regime is the only one that wins in those conditions. Q. What future, or what possible futures, do you think await Central America? A. Central America faces an enormous challenge right now. We are seeing a process of remilitarization across the region. There is a lot of money flowing to the military. The police are getting a lot of money. And all for purposes of social control, not for purposes of security. And this goes hand in hand with the clear authoritarian tendency that is plaguing Central America, with the exception of Guatemala. These are no longer military dictatorships. They are civil regimes in alliance with the military. And they use the gangs as their as alibis. Thats the truth. The gangs are the pretext for establishing authoritarian regimes. But you can confront gangs with a democratic government. You dont need a dictatorship, an authoritarian regime, or militarism to confront gangs. Q. In April, Nicaragua filed a lawsuit before the International Court of Justice accusing Germany of facilitating the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. How did you feel when you heard the news of Nicaraguas case before the ICJ? A. Nicaraguas petition to the Court regarding the slaughter in Gaza is a stunt on behalf of the Russians. Its a strategic move on the part of the regime. Its not a sincere act of solidarity with the Palestinian people. Its a maneuver typical of the Ortega-Murillo regime, which just a few days ago was congratulating the Biden administration on its approach to the situation in Palestine. This is the kind of game they always play. Really, the Ortega-Murillo family should be brought before the International Criminal Court for committing crimes against humanity, which have been thoroughly documented. They arent defending the Palestinian people. They are guilty of genocide themselves, and want to hide behind the Palestinian people to pay political favors to Putin. They dont care at all about what happens to other people, they only care about what they need to do to stay in power, and to stay in power, they need an alliance with Putin. Q. What do you remember most about the years of revolution? A. Well, I have a lot of memories. Im writing my memoirs, so obviously I have to analyze those years, review my life in those years, take stock as well. But remembering is not exactly the vocation I dedicated myself to. I feel like this is a moment in which we must act for Nicaragua once more, with all the lessons learned over the years, with the experience one accumulates, and with an awareness of the changes in the political circumstances and what the country requires now, in the first quarter of the 21st century, forty-five years after the triumph of the Sandinista Revolution in the last quarter of the 20th century. That is, understanding what the Nicaraguan people expect, what the Nicaraguan people want, what the Nicaraguan people aspire to, what Nicaragua should be those are fundamental things, and now, once again, we are trapped in a dictatorship, no different than the Somozas: a family dictatorship with dynastic ambitions, period. So, I see myself as taking action to contribute to facing the challenges that Nicaragua has now. Best in State Ambhoras cable-stayed bridgegets RECOGNITION from PWD Staff Reporter : NAGPUR district is celebrating a proud moment as the 700-meterlong cable-stayed bridge with a sky gallery at the top, located in Ambhora, Kuhi tehsil, has been selected by the Public Works Departament (PWD) as the best bridge in Maharashtra for its innovative construction. The bridge is located approximately 70 km from Nagpur city. Construction of the cable-stayed bridge began in 2019, following a Rs 143 crore contract awarded by the State PublicWorks Department, and was completed in 2024. The bridge was opened for traffic in January 2024. According to PWD officials, the Ambhora bridge was chosen as the best bridge, while the Headquarters of the State Excise Department at Boribandar was recognised as the best building, and Ashtavinayak Parikrama Marg in Pune has been honoured as the best road. The Government Resolution in this regard was issued by the State Government on Thursday. The Ambhora bridge, noted for its innovative design, is the longest purely cable-stayed bridge in India which stretches 700 meters in length and 15.26 meters in width. The bridge is supported by five pylons constructed in the Wainganga River, with the central pylon reaching a height of 40 meters. A viewing gallery at the top of the central pylon has been developed to enhance tourism. From the viewing gallery, visitors can enjoy scenic views of the backwaters across the riverbed, which is more than 50 feet deep. Visitors can access the gallery via two capsule-sized lifts or a staircase. The gallery features a carpet area of 325 square meters and is covered with super-thick glass. The bridge also includes footpaths on both sides and two lanes, each 7.5 meters wide, allowing simultaneous travel for four fourwheelers. The bridge has boosted tourism at the Shree Chaitanyeshwar Mahadev Temple in Ambhora and has spurred development in the backward areas of Kuhi and Umred tehsils. The State Government is also working to introduce watersports near the bridge in the backwaters of the Gosikhurd project. Certificate course on Organic Farmingand Certification concluded at RCONF Business Reporter : THE Regional Centre for Organic and Natural Farming (RCONF),Gondkhairi,Nagpur, Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare conducted a 21 days certificate course on Organic Farming and Certification recently at its centre. The Chairman of the programme, Omprakash Jajodia, President, Agro and Ruler Development Forum VIA, Nagpur was the guest of honour wheras Sudhir Dive, ExecutiveMemberAgroVision, Nagpurwas chief guest andDr A K Bohria, Joint Director Central Integrated Pest Management Centre (CIPMC) was present as special guest. Total 30 candidates participated in this workshop. Dr Ajay Singh Rajput, Regional Director, RCONF, Nagpur said, Agriculture is incomplete without cows and bulls. The desi cow urine is the best organic fertilizer and Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) is secrete of agriculture that should be utilised by the farmers. Intheworkshop,Omprakash Jajodiaappealedtoprotectthe soilfrompoisons.DrAKBohria explainedthe scienceof soilto the farmers and also told the formula to protect it from toxins and make it healthy. The workshop was supported by all officials of RCONF including Dr Sarita Kumari Yadav, Dr Praveen Vootla, S K Bakshi, Ramesh Chand and Shivkumar Patel, while Dr PraveenVootlaproposedavote of thanks. GSI to explore URANIUM DEPOSITS in Gondia, Cgarh Staff Reporter : GEOLOGICAL Survey of India (GSI) has zeroed in on Gondia and neighbouring Chhattisgarh State for exploring possibility of harvesting the uranium deposits in the area. Preliminary study hinted at availability of the uranium that is quite crucial in meeting the energy requirements of the country. Navjit Singh Nayar, Director, GSI, stated that preliminary survey has hinted at presence of uranium in the Bijli Rhyolite strata on the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border and hence further detailed survey would be needed to confirm the earlier findings. Uranium is quite rare material as in case the deposits are found, same would need further test post exploration to find out its strength and purity and then only its further usage could be discussed. GSIs finding was discussed at the 60th meeting of Maharashtra State G e o l o g i c a l Programme Board (SGPB). It was held at GSIs headquarters in city. Iqbal Chahal, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Mining, Maharashtra, chaired the meet. The meet of agencies working in exploration of earth materials was to review the exploration work conducted in Maharashtra during the Field Season 2023-24 by Department of Geology and Mining. Speaking at the meeting, Chahal asked the top bosses of all the agencies to increase the pace of exploration of critical mineral as same can be game changer for the economy. There are deep seated minerals and their proper survey and documentation is needed to help finalise the policy of mining and geological exploration. Further Chahal asked the agencies to tap Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to achieve the exploration targets. Bijli Rhyolite is a volcanic rock and it is made up of quartz, sanidine and plagioclase and other minerals and hence further detail exploration is needed to confirm the presence of uranium, said Shrikant Manthanwar, Regional Director, AMD. The meeting was also informed that in Nagpur District Kyanite- Sillimanite deposits have been found while at Chandrapur and Yavatmal districts Limestone presence is detected. Also in Sindhudurg district, bauxite deposits have been found in the survey. The meet reviewed the findings of 12 geological projects for the year 2023-24 and also discussed exploration plan for 2024-25 was finalised, and Anjali Nagarkar, Director, Directorate of Geology and Mining, talked about taking 15 surveys for the Field Season 2024-25 that would be taken-up in districts of Nagpur, Kolhapur, Bhandara and Chandrapur. The survey during 2023-24 was taken-up by GSI, Directorate of Geology and Mining, AMD, Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDI), Mineral Exploration and Consultany Limited (MECL), and other agencies. GSI officials informed that they would be conducting survey for copper, bauxite and other rare earth element during the forthcoming year. Pradip Kulkarni, MECL, stated that mineral exploration is on at Mirgaon block of Bhandara district while Shubham Anjanakar, MOIL, briefed about their ongoing work in Chikhli, Dongri Bazar, Kandri and Beldongri Satak areas of Bhandara and Nagpur District. Pravin Gupte, Chief Scientist, Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminum Research and Development and Design Centre, proposed tie-up with Directorate of Geology and Mining for including in forthcoming mineral auctions. Ajay Deshpande, Associate Scientist, Maharashtra State Remote Sensing Application Centre, informed about mapping of WCL mines and damage assessment of Kharif and Rabi corps through satellite imagery for Nagpur District administration. Om Dutt, WCL, and R Karthikeyan, CMPDI,WCL officials said this year they are targeting excavation in 1,73,824.70 meter area in 40 minutes as against 68,830.10 meter during the last year. Shriram Kadu, Directorate of Geology and Mining, and S P Awale, Deputy Director, was also present. Rao said that there is need for better co-ordination among different agencies to increase the revenue. He referred to reports of Bauxite with JNRDDC and stressed on organising AI training so that all others can be acquainted with the same. Bibhas Sen, Deputy Director General, GSI, RamThapar, IBM, Om Datta Bijani, Sr Manager, CMPDI, R Kartikeyan, Manager, CMDPI, Vandit Vyas, WCL, Shriram Kadu, S P Awale, Roshan Meshram, Senior Geologists, and others were also present at the meeting. VIDARBH S POWER WOES : X High energy tariff a HEADACHE for healthcare sector By Vikas Vaidya : Sector experts point out that the difference between average monthly electricity bill for a corporate hospital in Maharashtra and adjoining States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is as high as 60%. MAY it be hospitality sector or healthcare sector, a common problem haunting the both is high electricity tariff. While the hospitality sector is stuck between boom and high tariff burden, the healthcare sector is struggling to strike a balance between rising energy consumption and high tariff raising the expenditure bill. Though the city of Nagpur in particular, and Vidarbha region in general, are emerging as medical tourism hubs, high power tariff is one of the factors contributing to rising operating costs for healthcare units. Nagpur city alone has between 480 and 500 big and small hospitals registered with the Government agencies. In the last 10 years, chains of corporate hospitals have found immense potential for growth in Nagpur. The corporates have either acquired the existing hospitals or come up with their own units. KIMS has taken over Kingsway Hospital, and Max Healthcare has bought Alexis hospital. Other major healthcare units -- Wockhardt, CARE, Meditrina, Neuron, Nelson, New Era -- are operational for a considerable period of time. In recent times, Midas hospital has expanded itself. Colors hospital, too, has come up. Besides, 12/15 medium-sized hospitals are waiting for buyers. But, the rising cost of electricity is making the operations of hospitals expensive as they have to maintain energy-intensive instruments and equipment. Ultimately, this cost is passed on to citizens, making the healthcare costlier for the common man, who every politician of every political party claims to care about. When The Hitavada spoke to a few leaders from the healthcare sector, the picture that emerged was not very promising for growth. According to Dr Anup Marar, President of Vidarbha Hospitals Association ( VHA), In Maharashtra, we have base electricity tariff of Rs 10.50/- per unit. After addition of other charges, the landed cost of power works out to be over Rs 15/unit. InTelangana and Andhra Pradesh, the landed cost of power is just over Rs 9.5/unit. The difference between tariff in Maharashtra and these two States comes to Rs 6/unit. In total operations cost, this difference does matter. If the average electricity bill for a corporate hospital in Nagpur is Rs 60 lakh per month, then for those many number of electricity units consumed, the same hospital pays Rs 36 lakh in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh or even in Chhattisgarh, he elaborated with an example. This difference is almost of 60 per cent! Earlier, Dr Marar added, Maharashtra Government was providing subsidy with a particular formula, but the same stands withdrawn now. Dr Tushar Gawad, Unit Head KIMS-Kingsway Hospitals, pointed out that there was a steady rise of 5 per cent in energy tariff every year. Since 2020-21, the tariff has been rising, except in 2021-22 due to aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic. Rough calculations reveal that the tariff has increased by 15 per cent over the last four years. Now, our average monthly electricity bill amounts to Rs 60-65 lakh which means we pay over Rs 7.8 crore annually on this account. All the hospitals are buying electricity at commercial rate. In Maharashtra, the landed power cost is 15.50/unit. If we compare these rates with those of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the difference is considerable. In both these States, the landed cost of electricity is Rs 10/unit while in Maharashtra we are paying much more. We have no other alternative but to go for solar energy. Hence, we have started drawing solar power through open access, which has resulted into 20 per cent reduction in our power cost, he said. Electricity bills witnessed increase by 7.25 per cent in the previous year. Now, there is an additional 7.50 per cent hike this year, plus fixed charges have increased by 10 per cent annually. The rise in tariff will directly affect the consumers, who will have to bear the cost, said Dr Marar. VHA keeps raising this issue regularly before the officials concerned.We have always requested the authorities to look personally into this aspect. We feel that India is providing only 1.3 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product for healthcare. If Government expects private healthcare industry to join hands with it in steering healthcare sector to a newer height, our grievances also should be paid heed to. How could the Government expect us to cooperate, if electricity charges are rising consistently? As an association, we will meet the authority concerned on the issue of energy tariff to press for its reduction, he stressed. Delay in reimbursement of expenses out of free treatment to beneficiaries of various Government schemes just adds to the difficulties of the private hospitals, which share 80 per cent of healthcare burden, he added. The radiology units face another issue. They are not able to save energy because CT Scan, X-ray, MRI Ultra Sound machines consume a lot of energy. Dr Raju Khandelwal, Managing Director of Advanced Imaging Point, Ramdaspeth, said, Till last year, we were paying average electricity bill upto Rs 2.5 lakh per month. It has increased to Rs 3 lakh now. We have to keep cooling unit and chiller on for 24 hours. It is very difficult to achieve viability in running a radiology unit. Under various healthcare schemes, Government asks us to charge less for services provided. How can we survive if we dont get any subsidy, any facility, any relief from operating expenses? Now, the Government has levied electric duty also on us. We suffer a lot, but who cares... The grief of rising operational expenses is shared across the healthcare sector, and the ultimate bearer of all these expenses is the proverbial common man. Besides, high electricity tariff is not proving to be conducive to growth of power-generating but industrially backward and commercially opportunitydeprived region like Vidarbha. By now, Nagpur could have established itself as the medical tourism centre of the country. This has not happened. Air connectivity is an important part but the hospital cost plays a significant role as far as medical tourism is concerned. If steps are not taken in time, continued rise in energy tariff will surely dampen the prospects of the city from becoming medical tourism hub, Dr Gawad concluded. Based upon the growth of healthcare sector, several direct and indirect employment opportunities have emerged on the scene -- ambulances, equipment, medical supplies, medicine shops, care-givers, food suppliers, fruit vendors, affordable stays, other transport, so on and so forth. Buoyed with this, some leaders in Nagpur have started weaving dreams about turning Nagpur into a major med-tech (medical technology) hub, involving manufacture of equipment. But, the dream merchants are probably ignoring the basic trouble with all the plans -- high power tariff is affecting the prospects of the city as well as entire Vidarbha region. Dreams are realised only when efforts are made to realise those. (To be continued) Kejriwal gets bail, walks out of Tihar NEW DELHI : THE Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the corruption case lodged by the CBI in connection with the Excise Policy scam, saying prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan granted the relief to Kejriwal on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 10 lakh, and two sureties of like amount. Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED in the Excise Policy case on March 21, was granted interim bail on May 10 for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls and has been in jail since June 2 when he surrendered. he top court directed Kejriwal not to make any public comment on the merits of the case and added that terms and conditions as imposed in the ED case would also be applicable here. The top court, while granting him bail in the ED case, had said that Kejriwal cannot visit his office or the Delhi Secretariat and not sign any official file unless absolutely necessary to obtain the Lieutenant Governors sanction. It said completion of trial was unlikely to occur in the immediate future and rejected the apprehension of tampering by Kejriwal. In his first remarks after being released from the Tihar Jail, Kejriwal said he will continue to fight anti-national forces working to weaken the nation, and asserted the incarceration has only strengthened his resolve. Hours after the Supreme Courtgrantedhimbailinthe Delhi Excise Policy case, Kejriwal stepped out of the jailtoa resounding welcome byhispartyleadersandsupporters. Addressing party workers from the sunroof of a vehicle, Kejriwal raised slogans of Inquilab Zindabad and Vande Mataram. I want to thank people who prayed for my release. Youhavebravedraintocome here and I am thankful to you. Every drop of my blood is dedicated inthe service of my nation. In my entire life, I have faced difficulties but theGodhasalwaysbeenwith me, he said. Kejriwal stressed that the jail time has strengthened his resolve. They put me in jail to breakmebutmy resolve has only grown stronger. Jails cannot break me. I will continue my fight against antinational forces, he said. Hundreds of Aam Aadmi Party(AAP)workersandsenior party leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister BhagwantMannand former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, were waitingoutsidetheprisontowelcome Kejriwal. SC again compares CBI to caged parrot NEW DELHI, OBSERVING that Arvind Kejriwals arrest by the CBI in the Excise policy case was unjustified, Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on Friday slammed the agency, and said it must dispel the notion of being a caged parrot. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan granted him bail in the case. Writing a separate concurring judgement granting bail to the AAP supremo, Justice Bhuyan questioned the timing of Kejriwals arrest by the CBI and said its aim was to frustrate the grant of bail to him in the Enforcement Directorate case. ind any illegality in the CBI arrest.Justice Bhuyan wrote in his judgmentthattheCBI is a premier investigating agency and it must not only be above board, but also be seen to be so. Every effort mustbemadetoremoveany perceptionthatinvestigation wasnotcarriedoutfairlyand that the arrest was made in a high-handed and biased manner, he said. Inafunctionaldemocracygovernedbytheruleoflaw, perception matters. Like Caesars wife, an investigating agency must be above board. Not long ago, this court has castigated the CBI comparing itto a caged parrot. It is imperative that CBI dispels thenotionofitbeing a caged parrot. Rather, the perceptionshouldbe thatof an uncaged parrot, he said. Noting that CBI case was registered on August 17, 2022,JusticeBhuyansaidtill the arrest of the Kejriwal by the ED on March 21,theCBI did not feel the necessity to arrest Kejrwal though it had interrogated him about a yearback--onApril16,2023. It is evident that CBI did notfeelthe need and necessity to arrest the appellant fromAugust17,2022tillJune 26, 2024 i.E. For over 22 months. It was only afterthe Special Judge granted regularbailtotheappellantinthe EDcasethattheCBIactivated its machinery and took the appellantintocustody.Such action on the part of theCBI raises a serious question mark on the timing of the arrest; rather on the arrest itself. For 22 months, CBI doesnotarresttheappellant but afterthe learned Special Judge grants regular bail to the appellantintheEDcase, CBI seeks his custody, Justice Bhuyan said. Muslim leaders express support; urge to trust Govts intentions Waqf (Amendment) Bill NEW DELHI ; AMID the ongoing row over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, a group of Muslim Social Workers and IslamicScholarsduringthemeeting in Delhi expressed their support to the Government, emphasising that doubting the Governments intentions is not appropriate. Talking to ANI, Islamic Scholar MuftiWajahatQasmi saidthat the meeting was called to remove the confusion created by some political parties against the Government, saying that the land ofMuslimswillbe snatched away. Themeetingwascalledregarding the amendment of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. We called the meeting to remove the confusion created by some political parties against the Government, saying that the land of Muslims will be snatched away. The meeting was conducted peacefully. We are standingwiththeGovernmentand we should not doubt the intentions of the Government. The Government is thinking for the needyandpoorMuslims.Withthis bill, Waqf will flourish, Muslims will flourish and so will the country, he said. While addressing the meeting,Qasmialsourgedthepeople to read the bill and then present their views in front of the JPC. Everyone has their opinions and it can be different. Theres no issue. Butweshoulddistanceourselves from useless slogans and protests. In the last 10 years, we have protested against the governmentallthebillsintroducedby the Government without reading them. I just want to say that you mustreadthebillandpresentyour views infrontofJPC.Readthebill, and share your views, he said. Another Social activist MohammadTahirIsmail toldANI thateveryoneshouldexpresstheir grievances to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) and should doubt the Governments intentions. I think that with this bill, people who are being benefitted by illegally occupying the land of the Waqf Board will be stopped. Everyone should express theirgrievances to theJPC andshoulddoubtthegovernments intentions, he said. POLITICAL DRAMA ! WEST Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee is trying to hoodwink the nation by offering to resign -- by so-called respecting popular wish. It is naive to think that a woman of her method and manner would make a genuine offer to step down. If she were a woman of honest means, she would have stepped aside long back when the whole nation agonised over the details of the terrible violation of human rights in her State during her regime of the past 15 years. But Ms. Mamata Banerjee is not a person of that fine kind or of fine values. Much to the contrary, she is only trying to make unsuspecting common people believe that she is a genuine person well above politics. Much to the contrary, there is ground to believe that she is playing only a political drama (which actually means nothing on the ground). Outwardly, the trigger was the refusal of Resident Doctors in West Bengal to join her in talks in an attempt to resolve the current crisis. The pictures of the event show a pathetic empty-theatre with rows of unoccupied white chairs -- with the Chief Minister waiting for the Resident Doctors for two hours, her shoulders drooping, her face ashen ! Her offer to step down came in response to that empty treatment the Resident Doctors gave the Chief Minister ! -- a fact that nobody would ever want to deny. This political drama -- of offering to resign -- is Ms. Mamata Banerjees latest attempt to score a point over her opponents of all kinds. She is now trying to project herself as a coy and helpless woman in distress. There is no need for the common people to get hoodwinked by such tactics -- especially from a woman as nastily and completely political as Ms. Mamata Banerjee. They must realise that a woman who can go to extent of allowing her goon-cadres to indulge in mass violence to intimidate common people would never want to step down -- pompously respecting peoples wish. People should be able to see through the smoke-screen of emotion which Ms. Banerjee has tried to build. She is not in the least a damsel in distress. Much to the contrary, she is a woman completely in charge of whatever she wishes to do to retain her power. That is the reason why the nation has been asking for her sack -- naturally through the tool of Presidents Rule. Unfortunately, the Centre does not see that as an option (for god-knows why). And the Centres dilly-dallying on the subject now stands buttressed by a resolution at the recent meeting of the topmost body of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Kerala stating, in effect, that unseating a popularly elected State Government is not the right thing to do for the Government at the Centre. Obviously, the RSS and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have other ideas that are yet to be disclosed to the people. No matter that political route the Centre may or may not take, the common people across the country have come to get totally disgusted with the happenings in West Bengal over the past few years -- and therefore seek a salvation from the political logjam. At least for now, there appears no way out of -- unless and until the judiciary initiates certain decisive action and issues directions to the Central Government to act tough -- beyond politics. Beyond politics ! Yes, that is the term to be considered at this stage. For, West Bengals problem is well beyond politics. It is in realm of a rotting social order in which there is no semblance of sanity and sanctity of human civility. This is one ugly reality of India of today -- manifested so dirtily in West Bengal over the past many years. A communal song, unfurled in a round, echoes throughout the forest. It could be mistaken for the chirping of birds, but instead, it emanates from the mouths of several members of the Murui Buue people, dancing around the trunk of a tree. Amid its roots, six-year-old Desire digs in the earth, as if looking for something submerged in the depths of mud and memory. Zoila Ochoa, the leader of Centro Arenal, a community located an hour from Iquitos on the Amazon river, is present in this circle, wearing a crown of blue macaw feathers. She raises her arms to the sky and sings in her Indigenous tongue, in which her name is Nofik Komek (Heart of stone). Desire's name is Buinano (Mermaid) and a little girl who leaps about nearby is Safia (Flower). Safia is the only person from this community who has been entered into the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC) under her Indigenous name. The rest, more than 40 individuals, have one name in Spanish and another in Murui Buue, a language that still lacks the recognition that has been granted to 48 Indigenous tongues spoken throughout Peru. The Ministry of Culture does recognize the Murui Muinani. But Ochoa says that their language is not the same as the one that, since 2000, she has been fighting to preserve. Her struggle takes place in the Murui Buue Centro Arenal Amazon River Autonomous School, which is currently located in her home, a charming wood cabin where various colorful posters hang, representing objects, plants, animals and fruits. One of these says Oogodo, which means banana. Another bears a drawing of a condor and says Urujaino, and yet another portrays a tree and says Amena. With didactic methods like these, members of the community are preserving their words, their worldview, their jungle lifestyle. They are also preserving the jungle itself, planting trees and medicinal plants. The Murui Buue, according to testimonies gathered by anthropologist Carlos Quispe, arrived at this part of the Amazon at the beginning of the 20th century, amid rubber fever. Julio Cesar Arana, a man who committed genocide in order to expand his shiringa (latex from the rubber tree, also known as Hevea brasiliensis) plantations, forcefully relocated the community from the Putumayo river basin. Young girls and women listen to the communitys wise man, Santiago Perez, tell stories of their people beneath the stars in Centro Arenal. SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA On a recent night around a fire, wiseman Santiago Perez Flores tells the story of an Indigenous girl who came across a baby boa. Afterwards, Ochoa speaks of how her father arrived walking, during the war with Colombia, a jungle border conflict between the country and Peru in 1932. He knew that some members of their community were already living here. To this day, the memory of rubber fever is tormentous for the Murui Buue. By the time its cursed era came to a close, it was 1912 and since the British had experience growing shiringa in Southeast Asia, many had established themselves permanently in these lands, which owe their name to the sand found throughout the forest. Fighting displacement In 1975, during the government of General Juan Velasco Alvarado, Centro Arenal managed to be officially recognized as a Native community. But then, other problems arose. As Peru moved from rubber fever to petroleum boom, as Quispe explains, migrants from other places arrived, attracted by the work available with oil and gas companies. Zoila Ochoa Garay prepares for a traditional dance at the ancestral long house. SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA In 2000, non-Indigenous inhabitants presented demands for the territory to be re-distributed (parts were eventually sold by its new owners.) According to those who made the complaint, there were no longer Indigenous people living on these lands. It was then that my uncle Arturo Garay called an assembly to protest, says Quispe. Garay, at the time the last local speaker of Murui Buue, drove efforts to preserve the communitys dances, customs, songs and language itself. Without his drive, today there would be no traditional dress (white with black geometric figures), no Indigenous names, nor traditional forest management. That same year, he began to teach their language through songs, dance and stories. In 2004, the dance group Tuhuayo was founded, the troupe that performed in the forest while Buinano turned over the earth. In 2010, lessons were moved to Ochoas home, where in addition to the posters, there are folders, a blackboard and publications that explore Indigenous cultures. Students sing Perus national anthem in the Murui Buue language at the Murui Buue Autonomous School, founded by Zoila Ochoa. SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA Garay died in 2018, but by that point, Ochoa had already taken over his duties. She also founded the Seed Womens Association, one of whose projects has been to sow plants across 1.7 of the 1,900 hectares that belong to the community. There, they plant forest species, medicinal plants and fruits like the umari (Poraqueiba sericea), which they call Nekana. Another of these plants is the sacha ajo (Mansoa alliacea), a medicinal species that was even used for pain management during the pandemic. At the edge of road, there is a cedar sapling (Cedrela odorate), a tree that can take decades to grow. Ochoa gazes towards the forest, towards the future of her people, as her grandchildren scamper about nearby. Caring for the forest This is a crucial matter. At least, according to studies by Conservation International, an organization that bestowed upon Ochoa a grant from the Indigenous Women of the Amazon Program in 2022. The money went towards reinforcing her work in the community, in its forests, wetlands and mangroves, the latter constituting gigantic reserves, thanks to their enormous capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. Grilled fish wrapped in leaves of the 'Parangua Panga' tree. SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA If more wooded areas in the Centro Arenal territory are allowed to deteriorate, a point of irrecoverable carbon will arrive, i.e., a loss of carbon that will take an extended amount of time to reverse, which will make the fight against climate change all the more difficult. And thats even in this corner of the Earth, where biodiversity still reigns. A toucan (called nokaido in Murui Buue) poses on a tree near the kitchen of Ochoas home, as if to prove this last point. Meanwhile, she and her family cook black prochilodus fish (Prochilodus nigricans), wrapping them in leaves from a palm tree known locally as paragua panga, which the leader harvests in the forest with a hatchet. To drink, there is chauana, a traditional beverage prepared with essence of yucca starch and the extract of fruits like the aguaje (Mauritia flexuosa), known in the Amazon as the tree of life. There is a huge pot whose liquid men and women from the Autonomous School take turns stirring with a wooden ladle. Indigenous culture is alive here and the forests live on, but new threats loom, similar to those that struck this ecosystem and its communities in the past. The Murui Buue have an Alert System for Environmental and Territorial Crimes (SAAT) that was established to contain attempts to invade their lands. As part of these efforts, they employ a drone. Zoila Ochoa cares for plants in her greenhouse with Desire, in the Centro Arenal community. SEBASTIAN CASTANEDA The struggle continues Ochoa recalls how recently, a group of settlers attempted to establish themselves on land that belongs to the community. Her son Arthur Cruz Ochoa, a local leader whose name is Monilla Amena (Tree of abundance), brought a group of Murui Buue to confront the invaders. His mother accompanied them. She says, there was shouting and nearly a fight. Nearby, a freeway is being constructed to connect Iquitos with El Estrecho, located on the Colombian border. It cuts across part of the communitys lands. If it is built, it will only bring those who look to do business, she says, as if imagining a future full of stores rather than forests. The government is required to consult with them, but so far, that has not happened. Ultimately, this is a community that resists and, according to a preliminary study by the School of Anthropology of the University of the Peruvian Amazon (UNAP), led by Juan Pablo Moncada, it is in a process of cultural revitalization. But perhaps the best proof of this lies in the massive smiles that can be seen on the faces of Safia, Buinano and Jai Nao Anedu Moto (Root of this Earth) as they dance. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Priya received over Rs 5 lakhfrom a man from Sangli: Police Priya Bagde-Gluck murder case Staff Reporter : THE investigation into the murder of 25-year-old Priya Bagde alias Gluck took a new twist on Friday as the police uncovered a connection to Sangli. A 55- year-old man from Sangli, who is the husband of a Woman Police Head Constable, had been in contact with Priya for the past year. A senior police officer privy to the investigation informed that Priya was in constant touch with the man and had received over Rs five lakh from him. The reason behind the mans financial support to Priya is part of the ongoing investigation, said the official. Call Details Reports (CDR) revealed that Priya was in regular contact with the Sangli man, making two to three calls to him daily. The man had also visited Nagpur several times in the past, according to the official who questioned him. However, the man declined to clarify why he gave money to Priya, according to officials. In addition to her connection with the Sangli man, Priya was frequently in touch with a John Gluck (70) from the United Kingdom. She had virtually married Gluck and had changed her name to Priya Gluck. Simultaneously, her killer, Mahesh Keshavrao Wadaskar, the owner of the Turning Point Hotel and Lodge in Ramtek, was a close friend of hers. Officials reported that Wadaskar was distressed uponlearning of Priyas connectionswith John Gluck and the Sangliman. It particularly demoralised him when Priya changedher Facebook profile namefrom Priya Bagde to PriyaGluck. Notably, Priya was brutallymurdered by Wadaskar, a resident of Sakkardara, on August16 at his hotel. He later disposedof her body about five kilometers away from Ramtek town, near a Physical EducationCollege. Body buried after 2 am SourceS revealed that after poi- soning Priya at the hotel, Wadaskar, along with two to three accom- plices, transported the body to Khindsi Road near Ishwar Deshmukh Physical Education College. They buried the body about 50 meters from the roadside. The process occurred after 2 a m on August 17, according to the polic The memory of Denver the way it was nine months ago seems like something from another world. In mid-January 2024, the capital of the state of Colorado had reached peak occupancy at its makeshift temporary migrant shelters, which were holding 5,200 people. Nearly all of them were asylum seekers sent by bus from Texas by Governor Greg Abbott, and who were sleeping in hotel rooms paid for by the city. On the streets, entire families expelled from the shelter system for reaching the maximum time limit were reported to be spending the freezing winter nights at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, under bridges, and lining up for hours to get a hot meal. Mayor Mike Johnston, with the citys accounts in the red, asked the federal government for help several times. There was no response. Faced with silence and a municipal expenditure of $72 million since the end of 2022 to care for 42,000 migrants, he and his team decided that something had to change. So they devised a new program focused on long-term integration. In the spring, while Chicago and New York were announcing new and stricter time limits for staying in shelters, Denver proposed almost the opposite: full and continuous support for six months, the time it takes to get approval for an asylum application and obtain a work permit. Now, with the new program in operation since late June and at full capacity, with 865 beneficiaries, including 215 families, and also with new migrant arrivals at a minimum due to the implementation of Joe Bidens executive order to limit illegal border crossings, the city is a different place. Migrants prepare to rest inside a shelter in Denver, Colorado, in January 2023. Thomas Peipert (AP) Sarah Plastino, director of the new program, explains that the goal of the program came from the fact that a large number of people were leaving shelters and entering our communities here in Denver. We knew we needed a program that would specifically support those people who did not yet qualify for a work permit and needed to apply for asylum. So we designed this to capitalize on the six-month waiting period to train those who were waiting for their work permit and provide a large number of people with stability. First, they decided that instead of housing people and families in hotel rooms night after night, which was extremely expensive, they would be placed in permanent housing for six months. This is cheaper for the city, and it also gives the beneficiaries more autonomy. In partnership with non-governmental organizations, they assigned apartments and houses available on the regular market, according to the size of the families and the area where the children were already attending school. Using the same logic, they began to provide food and vouchers to prepare meals at home, which is also much more economically efficient for the city than providing food through restaurants or contractors. Also, to make it easier for the migrants to move around and communicate, those who joined the program were given mobile phones, SIM cards and public transit passes. These foundations provide stability and generate a very different relationship with the authorities. Plastino likes to tell the story of how she recently put a migrant in touch with the police because she needed help with a delicate security issue. She probably wouldnt otherwise have felt comfortable enough to trust me and then talk to the police, she reflects. A welcome message to migrants participating in the WorkReady Denver program in June 2024. Nikki A. Rae (County of Denver) But the program has a long-term vision above all. While minors are legally enrolled in school as soon as they arrive, adults had to wait six months, unable to perform any paid legal activity until they received a work permit. Now, under the program and in alliance with the Workers Center, a city organization dedicated to the training and professional development of the working class, there are English lessons for migrants and job training in the areas where there is the greatest demand: construction, hospitality, and caregiving. In addition, the organization is in direct contact with potential employers and it is expected that the migrants will get good jobs as soon as they receive their paperwork. This was already something that the Workers Center did independently, but by collaborating with the city the operation has grown immensely, says Mayra Juarez-Denis, executive director of the organization. The city saw what we had done and was very impressed. We had limited resources Now they are referring these participants to us and its like the same program we were running, but on steroids, because we have twice as many resources, more collaborators and more interest from companies, which are in contact with the citys Department of Economy, to find jobs for people beforehand. That collaboration is very powerful. They are committed to training at least 500 people this year. The plan has several distinct stages. The first, which is now ending, focuses on the basics, mainly English language, computer skills and learning about the culture, to facilitate assimilation into a new society. The second, which is just beginning, is the vocational stage, aimed at preparing immigrants for the jobs that are available. A program worker teaches classes to immigrants last June. Nikki A. Rae (County of Denver) As an immigrant herself from Monterrey, Mexico, Juarez-Denis hopes that this program will demonstrate the power of our institutions, not just government institutions, responding to the needs of the community. She says that this way, a chain of solidarity and support is cultivated that strengthens the social fabric. She has already seen this in action: a family of migrants who literally arrived with a backpack and now, after finding employment, can also teach others. For Plastino, the program is a source of pride after months of hard work to make it a reality. It is designed to benefit the individual, but also industries where there is a shortage of workers. It is very strategic, she says, adding that she would like to make it a model to follow by showing that even on a smaller scale it is possible to provide effective solutions to complicated problems. However, the basis for the programs success at the moment depends on border crossings remaining very low and, therefore, new arrivals in Denver being practically on hold. Throughout the months of July and August, Texas did not bus any more migrants to so-called sanctuary cities, and the handful of new immigrants who arrived in the capital of Colorado have been the recipients of a basic program that provides shelter and food; but for just a few days before facilitating their transfer to someplace else where they can be cared for by relatives or friends. In the event that migrant arrivals spike again, Plastino says they are prepared and have redesigned the reception system based on lessons learned during the most critical period, although she does not provide details. In any case, the most important lesson is that one must be flexible and adapt to the specific needs of each moment, she stresses. In the current context, that means a comprehensive and long-term support program to facilitate the social and labor integration of the migrants who now call Denver home. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated their hold rating on shares of American Axle & Manufacturing (NYSE:AXL Free Report) in a research report released on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat reports. They currently have a $6.00 target price on the auto parts companys stock. Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Wolfe Research raised shares of American Axle & Manufacturing to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Bank of America upped their price objective on American Axle & Manufacturing from $7.00 to $7.50 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, American Axle & Manufacturing currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $7.58. Get American Axle & Manufacturing alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on AXL American Axle & Manufacturing Trading Up 5.1 % Shares of AXL stock opened at $5.84 on Tuesday. American Axle & Manufacturing has a 1 year low of $5.43 and a 1 year high of $8.99. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $6.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $6.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.42, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The company has a market cap of $686.08 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -83.35 and a beta of 1.95. American Axle & Manufacturing (NYSE:AXL Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 9th. The auto parts company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.08. American Axle & Manufacturing had a net margin of 0.04% and a return on equity of 3.47%. The firm had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.12 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that American Axle & Manufacturing will post 0.34 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Axle & Manufacturing Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp increased its holdings in shares of American Axle & Manufacturing by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 102,451 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $754,000 after buying an additional 1,370 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its position in American Axle & Manufacturing by 7.4% in the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 23,084 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $170,000 after buying an additional 1,582 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in American Axle & Manufacturing by 13.5% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 14,037 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $98,000 after buying an additional 1,665 shares during the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in American Axle & Manufacturing by 2.5% during the second quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 84,592 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $591,000 after buying an additional 2,066 shares during the period. Finally, Xponance Inc. increased its position in American Axle & Manufacturing by 18.2% during the second quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 18,225 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $127,000 after acquiring an additional 2,800 shares during the last quarter. 91.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About American Axle & Manufacturing (Get Free Report) American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, engineers, and manufactures driveline and metal forming technologies that supports electric, hybrid, and internal combustion vehicles. It operates through two segments, Driveline and Metal Forming segments. The Driveline segment offers front and rear axles, driveshafts, differential assemblies, clutch modules, balance shaft systems, disconnecting driveline technology, and electric and hybrid driveline products and systems for light trucks, sport utility vehicles, crossover vehicles, passenger cars, and commercial vehicles. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for American Axle & Manufacturing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Axle & Manufacturing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD Free Report) had its price target raised by Morgan Stanley from $68.50 to $73.00 in a report published on Tuesday morning, Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the consumer goods makers stock. Separately, UBS Group raised Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, June 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $73.25. Get Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on BUD Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Trading Up 0.1 % Shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV stock opened at $64.90 on Tuesday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $61.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $61.18. The company has a market cap of $116.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.27, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV has a 1 year low of $51.66 and a 1 year high of $67.49. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The consumer goods maker reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $15.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.21 billion. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV had a return on equity of 14.77% and a net margin of 9.89%. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.72 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV will post 3.41 EPS for the current year. Institutional Trading of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC raised its position in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 50.7% in the second quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 550 shares of the consumer goods makers stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 225.0% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 546 shares of the consumer goods makers stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 378 shares during the period. Addison Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 39.7% during the second quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 591 shares of the consumer goods makers stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV during the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Valley Wealth Managers Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV in the 2nd quarter worth about $38,000. 5.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Company Profile (Get Free Report) Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV produces, distributes, exports, markets, and sells beer and beverages. It offers a portfolio of approximately 500 beer brands, which primarily include Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois; Beck's, Hoegaarden, Leffe, and Michelob Ultra; and Aguila, Antarctica, Bud Light, Brahma, Cass, Castle, Castle Lite, Cristal, Harbin, Jupiler, Modelo Especial, Quilmes, Victoria, Sedrin, and Skol brands. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of China Limited (OTCMKTS:BACHY Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,100 shares, a decline of 91.3% from the August 15th total of 12,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 69,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.0 days. Bank of China Price Performance Bank of China stock traded up $0.14 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $10.80. The companys stock had a trading volume of 15,025 shares, compared to its average volume of 44,058. Bank of China has a 1-year low of $8.40 and a 1-year high of $13.02. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $11.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $11.12. The company has a market cap of $127.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.13 and a beta of 0.21. Get Bank of China alerts: Bank of China (OTCMKTS:BACHY Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 29th. The bank reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $21.67 billion during the quarter. Bank of China Cuts Dividend Bank of China Company Profile The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 9th were paid a $0.683 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 9th. (Get Free Report) Bank of China Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking and financial services in Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and internationally. It operates through six segments: Corporate Banking, Personal Banking, Treasury Operations, Investment Banking, Insurance, and Other. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Bank of China Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of China and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Berenberg Bank restated their buy rating on shares of Rainbow Rare Earths (LON:RBW Free Report) in a research note released on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have a GBX 38 ($0.50) price target on the stock. Separately, Canaccord Genuity Group restated a speculative buy rating and issued a GBX 21 ($0.27) price objective on shares of Rainbow Rare Earths in a research note on Wednesday, June 19th. Get Rainbow Rare Earths alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on RBW Rainbow Rare Earths Stock Performance Rainbow Rare Earths Company Profile Shares of RBW opened at GBX 10.50 ($0.14) on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 3.79, a current ratio of 2.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.90. Rainbow Rare Earths has a 52-week low of GBX 9.10 ($0.12) and a 52-week high of GBX 17 ($0.22). The stock has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 10.67 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 10.79. The company has a market capitalization of 67.59 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -500.00 and a beta of 2.25. (Get Free Report) Rainbow Rare Earths Limited engages in the mining and exploration of rare earth minerals. It explores for neodymium, dysprosium, terbium, and praseodymium deposits. The company holds 90% interest in the Gakara project covering an area of approximately 135 square kilometers located in Western Burundi. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Rainbow Rare Earths Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rainbow Rare Earths and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust (NYSE:BBN Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 171,100 shares, an increase of 114.7% from the August 15th total of 79,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 253,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.7 days. Hedge Funds Weigh In On BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Fortis Group Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 2,000 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 43,308 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $657,000 after buying an additional 1,090 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its holdings in BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 19,369 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $315,000 after buying an additional 1,223 shares during the period. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 55,143 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $902,000 after buying an additional 1,435 shares during the period. Finally, Benedetti & Gucer Inc. lifted its holdings in BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust by 15.8% during the 1st quarter. Benedetti & Gucer Inc. now owns 11,700 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $191,000 after buying an additional 1,600 shares during the period. Get BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust alerts: BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust Trading Up 0.3 % Shares of BBN traded up $0.06 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $18.27. The companys stock had a trading volume of 139,262 shares, compared to its average volume of 223,665. BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust has a one year low of $14.33 and a one year high of $18.34. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $17.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.46. BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust Cuts Dividend BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust Company Profile The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be paid a $0.0929 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $1.11 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.10%. (Get Free Report) BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc It is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It primarily invests in taxable municipal securities, which include Build America Bonds. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bokf Na boosted its holdings in Coupang, Inc. (NYSE:CPNG Free Report) by 6.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 189,569 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 11,874 shares during the quarter. Bokf Nas holdings in Coupang were worth $3,971,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in CPNG. Barings LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Coupang in the second quarter worth $888,000. Qsemble Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Coupang during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,083,000. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Coupang by 76.3% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,294,098 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,111,000 after purchasing an additional 559,945 shares in the last quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. increased its stake in Coupang by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 443,320 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,288,000 after purchasing an additional 28,380 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Choreo LLC purchased a new position in Coupang in the second quarter worth about $4,155,000. Institutional investors own 83.72% of the companys stock. Get Coupang alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth CPNG has been the subject of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Coupang from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. CLSA raised Coupang from a hold rating to an outperform rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $18.00 to $31.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $27.25. Insider Activity In other news, insider Pranam Kolari sold 10,432 shares of Coupang stock in a transaction on Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.90, for a total transaction of $207,596.80. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 170,356 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,390,084.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, insider Pranam Kolari sold 10,432 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.90, for a total value of $207,596.80. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 170,356 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,390,084.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Benjamin Sun sold 700,000 shares of Coupang stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.63, for a total value of $14,441,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,169,421 shares in the company, valued at $44,755,155.23. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders acquired 601,300 shares of company stock valued at $13,604,354 and sold 1,110,432 shares valued at $23,870,597. Insiders own 13.60% of the companys stock. Coupang Trading Up 1.1 % Shares of CPNG stock opened at $23.95 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.21, a P/E/G ratio of 171.76 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firms 50 day moving average is $21.81 and its 200 day moving average is $21.14. Coupang, Inc. has a 12-month low of $13.51 and a 12-month high of $24.35. Coupang (NYSE:CPNG Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by $0.08. Coupang had a return on equity of 12.04% and a net margin of 3.87%. The company had revenue of $7.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.08 earnings per share. Coupangs revenue was up 25.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Coupang, Inc. will post 0.14 earnings per share for the current year. About Coupang (Free Report) Coupang, Inc, together with its subsidiaries owns and operates retail business through its mobile applications and Internet websites primarily in South Korea. The company operates through Product Commerce and Developing Offerings segments. It sells various products and services in the categories of home goods and decor products, apparel, beauty products, fresh food and groceries, sporting goods, electronics, and everyday consumables, as well as travel, and restaurant order and delivery services. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CPNG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Coupang, Inc. (NYSE:CPNG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Coupang Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Coupang and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bokf Na grew its stake in Eaton Co. plc (NYSE:ETN Free Report) by 8.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 10,094 shares of the industrial products companys stock after purchasing an additional 826 shares during the period. Bokf Nas holdings in Eaton were worth $3,165,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of ETN. Qsemble Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Eaton during the second quarter worth $5,546,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Eaton by 40.4% during the 2nd quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 330 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $105,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Eaton by 17.6% during the 2nd quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 15,075 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $4,727,000 after purchasing an additional 2,261 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC raised its position in Eaton by 49.1% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC now owns 2,050 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $643,000 after purchasing an additional 675 shares during the period. Finally, LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in Eaton by 17.7% in the second quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 477,275 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $149,650,000 after purchasing an additional 71,740 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.97% of the companys stock. Get Eaton alerts: Insider Activity In related news, insider Taras G. Jr. Szmagala sold 335 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.72, for a total transaction of $96,721.20. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 9,900 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,858,328. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, insider Taras G. Jr. Szmagala sold 335 shares of Eaton stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $288.72, for a total value of $96,721.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 9,900 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,858,328. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Heath B. Monesmith sold 49,040 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $301.02, for a total transaction of $14,762,020.80. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 71,262 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,451,287.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 52,511 shares of company stock worth $15,809,326. Insiders own 0.53% of the companys stock. Eaton Price Performance Shares of ETN stock opened at $305.67 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $121.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.09, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The stocks 50-day moving average is $300.56 and its 200 day moving average is $311.46. Eaton Co. plc has a 1-year low of $191.82 and a 1-year high of $345.19. Eaton (NYSE:ETN Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $2.73 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.61 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $6.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.35 billion. Eaton had a net margin of 15.12% and a return on equity of 21.45%. Research analysts predict that Eaton Co. plc will post 10.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Eaton Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 5th were given a dividend of $0.94 per share. This represents a $3.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 5th. Eatons payout ratio is presently 44.39%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms have recently commented on ETN. Barclays upped their target price on Eaton from $318.00 to $319.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Eaton from $376.00 to $371.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Raymond James lowered their target price on shares of Eaton from $375.00 to $365.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Eaton in a report on Friday, September 6th. They set an overweight rating and a $370.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their target price on shares of Eaton from $357.00 to $333.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $335.18. View Our Latest Stock Report on Eaton Eaton Company Profile (Free Report) Eaton Corporation plc operates as a power management company worldwide. The company's Electrical Americas and Electrical Global segment provides electrical components, industrial components, power distribution and assemblies, residential products, single and three phase power quality and connectivity products, wiring devices, circuit protection products, utility power distribution products, power reliability equipment, and services, as well as hazardous duty electrical equipment, emergency lighting, fire detection, explosion-proof instrumentation, and structural support systems. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Eaton Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eaton and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. British Smaller Companies VCT2 (LON:BSC Get Free Report) announced a dividend on Thursday, September 12th, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Investors of record on Thursday, October 3rd will be given a dividend of GBX 1.50 ($0.02) per share on Friday, November 1st. This represents a yield of 2.73%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 3rd. The official announcement can be seen at this link. British Smaller Companies VCT2 Price Performance LON BSC opened at GBX 55 ($0.72) on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of 125.72 million, a PE ratio of 1,866.67 and a beta of -0.01. British Smaller Companies VCT2 has a 1 year low of GBX 52.50 ($0.69) and a 1 year high of GBX 57.50 ($0.75). The company has a fifty day moving average of GBX 55.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 55.55. Get British Smaller Companies VCT2 alerts: About British Smaller Companies VCT2 (Get Free Report) Featured Articles British Smaller Companies VCT 2 plc is a venture capital trust specializing in emerging growth, growth capital, acquisition funding, and development funding. It is an evergreen fund. The fund invests in a range of securities which may include ordinary and preference shares and fixed income securities, such as corporate bonds and gilts in VCT qualifying and non-qualifying securities. Receive News & Ratings for British Smaller Companies VCT2 Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for British Smaller Companies VCT2 and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KYODO NEWS - Sep 14, 2024 - 09:17 | All, Japan Shizuoka Prefecture is considering permitting Central Japan Railway Co. to carry out a boring survey in preparation for Japan's delayed high-speed maglev train project, a source familiar with the matter said Friday. The move would mark a major shift in the prefecture's policy on the maglev train, after the project was delayed by former Gov. Heita Kawakatsu. Kawakatsu, who abruptly resigned and was replaced by Yasutomo Suzuki in May, did not approve the survey, citing concerns about the impact on water resources and the ecosystem. The central Japan prefectural government is expected to convey its final decision to the railway operator as early as Tuesday after it received consent from relevant municipalities, including those along the Oi River, for the geological survey to take place prior to tunnel drilling. The line's first leg from Tokyo to Nagoya was originally planned to open in 2027, but the company conceded in March that it had abandoned hopes of meeting the target amid long-running opposition from Kawakatsu. The operator, also known as JR Central, plans to eventually extend the service of maglev trains, which travel up to 500 kilometers per hour, to Osaka. Related coverage: Japan's maglev project in focus as Shizuoka election campaign starts Condor Capital Management lowered its stake in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ Free Report) by 3.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,457 shares of the companys stock after selling 264 shares during the period. Condor Capital Managements holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $1,919,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in STZ. CoreCap Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Constellation Brands during the second quarter worth $617,000. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 37.4% during the 2nd quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 11,170 shares of the companys stock worth $2,874,000 after buying an additional 3,040 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 33,211 shares of the companys stock worth $8,545,000 after buying an additional 586 shares in the last quarter. Executive Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Constellation Brands by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Executive Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,925 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,811,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Advisory Services Inc. increased its holdings in Constellation Brands by 66.7% during the 2nd quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 4,812 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,238,000 after acquiring an additional 1,925 shares in the last quarter. 77.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Constellation Brands alerts: Insider Transactions at Constellation Brands In related news, EVP Kaneenat Kristann Carey sold 977 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.00, for a total transaction of $254,997.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 2,706 shares in the company, valued at $706,266. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Kaneenat Kristann Carey sold 977 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.00, for a total transaction of $254,997.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 2,706 shares in the company, valued at approximately $706,266. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Daniel J. Mccarthy sold 1,854 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.43, for a total value of $468,005.22. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 3,232 shares in the company, valued at $815,853.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 16,414 shares of company stock valued at $3,982,922. Insiders own 12.19% of the companys stock. Constellation Brands Trading Up 0.4 % STZ opened at $252.63 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.88. The firms 50 day moving average is $245.91 and its 200-day moving average is $253.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 52-week low of $227.50 and a 52-week high of $274.87. Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 3rd. The company reported $3.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.46 by $0.11. Constellation Brands had a return on equity of 23.72% and a net margin of 22.70%. The business had revenue of $2.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.67 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.91 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 13.53 EPS for the current fiscal year. Constellation Brands Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 14th were given a $1.01 dividend. This represents a $4.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.60%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 14th. Constellation Brandss payout ratio is currently 30.10%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms have recently commented on STZ. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $320.00 to $295.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 9th. Barclays raised their price target on Constellation Brands from $287.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Truist Financial restated a hold rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $308.00 price objective on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Finally, Roth Mkm reduced their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $303.00 to $298.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Constellation Brands has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $296.78. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on STZ Constellation Brands Company Profile (Free Report) Constellation Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, produces, imports, markets, and sells beer, wine, and spirits in the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. The company provides beer primarily under the Corona Extra, Corona Familiar, Corona Hard Seltzer, Corona Light, Corona Non-Alcoholic, Corona Premier, Corona Refresca, Modelo Especial, Modelo Chelada, Modelo Negra, Modelo Oro, Victoria, Vicky Chamoy, and Pacifico brands. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding STZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Constellation Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Constellation Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CoreCap Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 9,433 shares of the energy exploration companys stock, valued at approximately $1,187,000. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of EOG. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 631.2% during the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 94,590 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $11,906,000 after purchasing an additional 81,654 shares during the period. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 30.0% during the second quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 12,320 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $1,551,000 after purchasing an additional 2,844 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC increased its stake in EOG Resources by 25.5% in the second quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 179,143 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $22,549,000 after acquiring an additional 36,347 shares during the last quarter. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in EOG Resources by 1.4% in the second quarter. Trueblood Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,587 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $955,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Altman Advisors Inc. increased its stake in EOG Resources by 0.7% in the second quarter. Altman Advisors Inc. now owns 12,731 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,603,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. 89.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get EOG Resources alerts: EOG Resources Price Performance EOG stock opened at $119.37 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $67.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.43, a PEG ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 12-month low of $108.94 and a 12-month high of $139.67. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $125.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $126.17. EOG Resources Dividend Announcement EOG Resources ( NYSE:EOG Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The energy exploration company reported $3.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.98 by $0.18. EOG Resources had a net margin of 30.33% and a return on equity of 25.42%. The firm had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.49 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 12.2 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 17th. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.05%. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio is currently 28.75%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages recently issued reports on EOG. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and issued a $147.00 price objective on shares of EOG Resources in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $143.00 to $135.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $154.00 to $147.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $136.00 to $130.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $124.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, May 24th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $143.63. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on EOG Resources Insider Activity In other news, COO Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 4,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.48, for a total transaction of $505,920.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 35,058 shares in the company, valued at $4,434,135.84. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, COO Jeffrey R. Leitzell sold 4,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.48, for a total transaction of $505,920.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 35,058 shares in the company, valued at $4,434,135.84. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Charles R. Crisp sold 6,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.60, for a total transaction of $816,400.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 60,892 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,648,035.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 21,537 shares of company stock worth $2,751,612. Company insiders own 0.30% of the companys stock. EOG Resources Company Profile (Free Report) EOG Resources, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas primarily in producing basins in the United States, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and internationally. The company was formerly known as Enron Oil & Gas Company. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EOG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for EOG Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EOG Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CVC Credit Partners European Opportunities Limited (LON:CCPG Get Free Report)s stock price dropped 2.7% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as GBX 93.20 ($1.22) and last traded at GBX 93.20 ($1.22). Approximately 174,302 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 28% from the average daily volume of 135,646 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 95.80 ($1.25). CVC Credit Partners European Opportunities Stock Performance The firms 50 day moving average is GBX 93.20 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 93.20. CVC Credit Partners European Opportunities Company Profile (Get Free Report) CVC Credit Partners European Opportunities Limited is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund of fund launched by Goldman Sachs International. The fund is managed by CVC Credit Partners Investment Management Ltd. It invests in the fixed income markets of Western Europe. The fund seeks to invest in securities of companies across diversified sectors. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for CVC Credit Partners European Opportunities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CVC Credit Partners European Opportunities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated their hold rating on shares of Dana (NYSE:DAN Free Report) in a report released on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have a $12.00 price objective on the auto parts companys stock. DAN has been the topic of a number of other reports. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Dana in a report on Thursday, September 5th. They set a peer perform rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Dana from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Dana from $18.00 to $17.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Dana from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price objective on Dana from $14.00 to $12.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $14.67. Get Dana alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on Dana Dana Stock Up 5.5 % NYSE:DAN opened at $9.85 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 0.90. The companys fifty day moving average price is $11.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.21. Dana has a 1-year low of $9.16 and a 1-year high of $15.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 109.46, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 2.29. Dana (NYSE:DAN Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The auto parts company reported $0.31 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $2.74 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.76 billion. Dana had a positive return on equity of 4.98% and a negative net margin of 0.01%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.37 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Dana will post 0.98 EPS for the current year. Dana Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th were issued a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.06%. Danas payout ratio is 444.49%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Dana by 1.3% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 426,586 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $5,170,000 after purchasing an additional 5,468 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Dana in the 2nd quarter valued at $388,000. Cibc World Markets Corp increased its stake in shares of Dana by 46.0% in the 4th quarter. Cibc World Markets Corp now owns 1,190,000 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $17,386,000 after acquiring an additional 375,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Dana by 89.5% during the 4th quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 126,015 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $1,841,000 after acquiring an additional 59,502 shares during the period. 96.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Dana Company Profile (Get Free Report) Dana Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, provides power-conveyance and energy-management solutions for vehicles and machinery in North America, Europe, South America, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through four segments: Light Vehicle Drive Systems, Commercial Vehicle Drive and Motion Systems, Off-Highway Drive and Motion Systems, and Power Technologies. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Dana Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dana and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its position in shares of The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Free Report) by 11.1% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,199,589 shares of the banks stock after acquiring an additional 120,302 shares during the quarter. Federated Hermes Inc.s holdings in Bank of New York Mellon were worth $71,843,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Bank of New York Mellon during the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Able Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Kathleen S. Wright Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Bank of New York Mellon in the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Family Firm Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Bank of New York Mellon in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.31% of the companys stock. Get Bank of New York Mellon alerts: Insider Transactions at Bank of New York Mellon In related news, VP Hanneke Smits sold 15,000 shares of Bank of New York Mellon stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.11, for a total value of $961,650.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 173,930 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,150,652.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on BK shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Bank of New York Mellon from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Citigroup cut shares of Bank of New York Mellon from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $65.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Bank of New York Mellon from $61.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Bank of New York Mellon from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $66.14. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Bank of New York Mellon Bank of New York Mellon Trading Down 0.5 % Bank of New York Mellon stock opened at $68.70 on Friday. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $64.99 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $60.11. The Bank of New York Mellon Co. has a 12 month low of $39.66 and a 12 month high of $69.74. The firm has a market cap of $50.70 billion, a PE ratio of 15.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 12th. The bank reported $1.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.08. Bank of New York Mellon had a net margin of 9.40% and a return on equity of 11.87%. The company had revenue of $4.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.53 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.38 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that The Bank of New York Mellon Co. will post 5.63 earnings per share for the current year. Bank of New York Mellon Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 22nd were given a $0.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 22nd. This is a boost from Bank of New York Mellons previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.74%. Bank of New York Mellons payout ratio is 43.52%. About Bank of New York Mellon (Free Report) The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation provides a range of financial products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and other segments. The Securities Services segment offers custody, trust and depositary, accounting, exchange-traded funds, middle-office solutions, transfer agency, services for private equity and real estate funds, foreign exchange, securities lending, liquidity/lending services, and data analytics. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bank of New York Mellon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of New York Mellon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Finance of America Companies Inc. (NYSE:FOA Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 58,200 shares, a growth of 45.9% from the August 15th total of 39,900 shares. Currently, 1.6% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 37,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FOA. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Finance of America Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $41,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new stake in Finance of America Companies during the second quarter worth $43,000. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its position in Finance of America Companies by 2.7% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 112,500 shares of the companys stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the last quarter. 97.20% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Finance of America Companies alerts: Finance of America Companies Stock Up 10.4 % Shares of FOA stock traded up $1.06 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $11.28. The company had a trading volume of 32,433 shares, compared to its average volume of 20,686. The company has a market cap of $112.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.32 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 71.55, a current ratio of 2.83 and a quick ratio of 2.83. Finance of America Companies has a 12 month low of $4.10 and a 12 month high of $16.00. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $7.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $6.87. Analyst Ratings Changes Finance of America Companies ( NYSE:FOA Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported ($0.05) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.20) by $0.15. The company had revenue of $79.04 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $66.00 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.15) earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Finance of America Companies will post 0.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Separately, UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Finance of America Companies from $15.00 to $14.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. Get Our Latest Analysis on FOA Finance of America Companies Company Profile (Get Free Report) Finance of America Companies Inc a financial service holding company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of a retirement solutions platform in the United States. It operates through two segments: Retirement Solutions and Portfolio Management. The Retirement Solutions segment engages in the loan origination activities comprising home equity conversion, proprietary reverse, and hybrid mortgage loans for senior homeowners. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Finance of America Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Finance of America Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fresenius Medical Care AG (ETR:FME Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of 36.65 ($40.27) and traded as high as 37.62 ($41.34). Fresenius Medical Care shares last traded at 37.56 ($41.27), with a volume of 493,103 shares. Fresenius Medical Care Trading Down 1.7 % The stocks fifty day moving average price is 35.39 and its 200 day moving average price is 36.61. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 77.56. The stock has a market cap of $10.65 billion, a PE ratio of 20.05, a PEG ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 0.86. Fresenius Medical Care Company Profile (Get Free Report) Fresenius Medical Care AG provides dialysis and related services for individuals with renal diseases in Germany, North America, and internationally. The company offers dialysis treatment and related laboratory and diagnostic services through a network of outpatient dialysis clinics; materials, training, and patient support services comprising clinical monitoring, follow-up assistance, and arranging for delivery of the supplies to the patient's residence; and dialysis services under contract to hospitals in the United States for the hospitalized end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and for patients suffering from acute kidney failure. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Fresenius Medical Care Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fresenius Medical Care and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Ganfeng Lithium Group Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:GNENF Get Free Report) shot up 11.7% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $2.20 and last traded at $2.20. 2,272 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 76% from the average session volume of 9,570 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.97. Ganfeng Lithium Group Stock Performance The business has a 50 day moving average of $2.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $2.68. Ganfeng Lithium Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Ganfeng Lithium Group Co, Ltd. manufactures and sells lithium products in Mainland China, rest of Asia, the European Union, North America, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Lithium Metal and Compound, Lithium Battery, and Lithium Ore Resource and Others. The company has interests in the Mount Marion mine located in Australia; Cauchari-Olaroz project situated in Jujuy Province, Northwest Argentina; Mariana project located in Salta Province, Argentina; Sonora project situated in Mexico; Pilbara Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project located in Western Australia; Ningdu Heyuan mine situated in Ningdu County, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province; Avalonia project located in Ireland; Qinghai Yiliping lithium salt lake project situated in the Qinghai Province; Goulamina spodumene ore project located in southern Mali, Africa; PPG lithium salt-lake project located in Salta Province, Argentina; and Songshugang tantalum-niobium mine project located in Jiangxi Province. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Ganfeng Lithium Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ganfeng Lithium Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Great Portland Estates (OTCMKTS:GPEAF Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at BNP Paribas to a strong sell rating in a research report issued on Thursday, Zacks.com reports. Great Portland Estates Stock Performance Shares of OTCMKTS:GPEAF opened at $5.14 on Thursday. Great Portland Estates has a 1-year low of $4.42 and a 1-year high of $6.90. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $5.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $5.14. Get Great Portland Estates alerts: Great Portland Estates Company Profile (Get Free Report) Further Reading We are a FTSE 250 property investment and development company owning 2.5 billion of real estate in central London. We proactively manage our portfolio, flexing our activities in tune with London's property cycle to deliver long-term out-performance. We create in-demand spaces that people want to be part of; helping our occupiers, local communities and the city to thrive. Receive News & Ratings for Great Portland Estates Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Great Portland Estates and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Great Wall Motor Company Limited (OTCMKTS:GWLLY Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 600 shares, a growth of 50.0% from the August 15th total of 400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.4 days. Great Wall Motor Price Performance OTCMKTS:GWLLY remained flat at $14.14 during trading hours on Friday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 95 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,547. Great Wall Motor has a 1-year low of $9.69 and a 1-year high of $18.65. The companys 50 day moving average price is $14.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.21. Get Great Wall Motor alerts: About Great Wall Motor (Get Free Report) Featured Stories Great Wall Motor Company Limited researches and develops, manufactures, and sells automobiles, and automotive parts and components in China, Europe, ASEAN countries, Latin America, the Middle East, Australia, South Africa, and internationally. The company offers SUVs, sedans, pick-up trucks, multi-purpose vehicles, and energy vehicles primarily under the Haval, WEY, ORA, Tank, and Great Wall Pickup brand names. Receive News & Ratings for Great Wall Motor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Great Wall Motor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 26,949 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after acquiring an additional 192 shares during the period. Abbott Laboratories comprises about 2.1% of Guardian Wealth Management Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Guardian Wealth Management Inc.s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $2,800,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ABT. Encompass More Asset Management lifted its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 3.3% in the second quarter. Encompass More Asset Management now owns 3,002 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $312,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Wynn Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Wynn Capital LLC now owns 3,427 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $390,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Hummer Financial Advisory Services Inc boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Hummer Financial Advisory Services Inc now owns 8,290 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $942,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. NORTHSTAR ASSET MANAGEMENT Co LLC increased its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 1.9% in the first quarter. NORTHSTAR ASSET MANAGEMENT Co LLC now owns 5,396 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $613,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Addison Capital Co lifted its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 5.4% in the first quarter. Addison Capital Co now owns 1,950 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $222,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.18% of the companys stock. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Insider Transactions at Abbott Laboratories In other news, CEO Robert B. Ford sold 141,679 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.41, for a total transaction of $16,492,852.39. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 220,059 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,617,068.19. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms have recently weighed in on ABT. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a buy rating and a $121.00 price objective for the company. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $125.00 target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Tuesday, June 4th. Barclays raised their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $119.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $121.80. Read Our Latest Research Report on ABT Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance NYSE ABT opened at $116.40 on Friday. The companys 50 day moving average is $109.24 and its 200-day moving average is $108.73. The firm has a market cap of $202.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.72. Abbott Laboratories has a 12-month low of $89.67 and a 12-month high of $121.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.04. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 20.18% and a net margin of 13.65%. The firm had revenue of $10.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.08 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current year. Abbott Laboratories Profile (Free Report) Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The company provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Meniere's disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ABT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Inchcape plc (LON:INCH Get Free Report) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 769.36 ($10.06) and traded as high as GBX 832.50 ($10.89). Inchcape shares last traded at GBX 814 ($10.64), with a volume of 492,270 shares. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In INCH has been the subject of a number of research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating and issued a GBX 1,100 ($14.38) price target on shares of Inchcape in a report on Tuesday, June 18th. Berenberg Bank increased their price target on Inchcape from GBX 1,040 ($13.60) to GBX 1,120 ($14.65) and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Get Inchcape alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on Inchcape Inchcape Stock Up 0.7 % Inchcape Cuts Dividend The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 198.14, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 1.10. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is GBX 827.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 771.50. The firm has a market cap of 3.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,228.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 1.19. The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 8th were paid a GBX 11.30 ($0.15) dividend. This represents a yield of 1.34%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 8th. Inchcapes dividend payout ratio is currently 5,373.13%. About Inchcape (Get Free Report) Inchcape plc operates as an automotive distributor and retailer. It engages in the distribution, sales, and marketing of new and used cars, and parts. The company also provides aftersales service and body shop repairs; and finance and insurance products and services, as well as product planning, logistics, brand and marketing, channel management, and retail services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Inchcape Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Inchcape and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG Get Free Report) insider Curtis E. Garner sold 15,750 shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.02, for a total value of $866,565.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 473,514 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,052,740.28. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance Shares of CMG opened at $56.12 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $76.85 billion, a PE ratio of 59.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.25. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a 52-week low of $35.37 and a 52-week high of $69.26. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $54.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $80.70. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The restaurant operator reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.94 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 44.01%. Chipotle Mexican Grills revenue was up 18.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $12.65 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 1.08 EPS for the current fiscal year. Analyst Ratings Changes CMG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. Raymond James dropped their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $70.00 to $62.50 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. StockNews.com cut Chipotle Mexican Grill from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 4th. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $61.00 to $56.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $74.60 to $67.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $62.36. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Chipotle Mexican Grill Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Riverview Trust Co lifted its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,900.0% in the 2nd quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 400 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 392 shares in the last quarter. RiverPark Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,900.0% during the 2nd quarter. RiverPark Advisors LLC now owns 400 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 392 shares during the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Finally, Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group lifted its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4,900.0% in the second quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group now owns 400 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 392 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.31% of the companys stock. About Chipotle Mexican Grill (Get Free Report) Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. It sells food and beverages through offering burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and salads. The company also provides delivery and related services its app and website. It has operations in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new position in shares of DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DV Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor acquired 68,930 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,342,000. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of DV. Y.D. More Investments Ltd lifted its position in shares of DoubleVerify by 40.3% in the 2nd quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd now owns 15,676 shares of the companys stock valued at $305,000 after acquiring an additional 4,500 shares in the last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D lifted its holdings in shares of DoubleVerify by 22.5% in the second quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 97,681 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,902,000 after purchasing an additional 17,967 shares in the last quarter. Pier Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of DoubleVerify by 23.5% in the second quarter. Pier Capital LLC now owns 310,098 shares of the companys stock worth $6,038,000 after buying an additional 59,099 shares during the period. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. grew its stake in DoubleVerify by 25.9% during the 2nd quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 3,046,200 shares of the companys stock valued at $59,310,000 after acquiring an additional 626,586 shares in the last quarter. Finally, United Services Automobile Association grew its position in DoubleVerify by 7.4% during the second quarter. United Services Automobile Association now owns 10,798 shares of the companys stock valued at $210,000 after purchasing an additional 746 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.29% of the companys stock. Get DoubleVerify alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth DV has been the topic of several research reports. Macquarie reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $25.00 target price on shares of DoubleVerify in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a buy rating and issued a $33.00 target price on shares of DoubleVerify in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of DoubleVerify from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of DoubleVerify in a report on Friday, June 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a buy rating and issued a $28.00 price objective on shares of DoubleVerify in a report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $31.53. Insider Activity In related news, CFO Nicola T. Allais sold 1,764 shares of DoubleVerify stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.16, for a total transaction of $35,562.24. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 77,314 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,558,650.24. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 5,292 shares of company stock valued at $104,835. Insiders own 3.00% of the companys stock. DoubleVerify Stock Down 0.3 % Shares of NYSE DV opened at $17.43 on Friday. DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $17.22 and a 12 month high of $43.00. The company has a market cap of $2.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.92. The businesss 50 day moving average is $19.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $23.81. DoubleVerify (NYSE:DV Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.04. DoubleVerify had a net margin of 9.97% and a return on equity of 5.70%. The business had revenue of $155.89 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $153.78 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.07 earnings per share. DoubleVerifys revenue was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. will post 0.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About DoubleVerify (Free Report) DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc provides a software platform for digital media measurement, and data analytics in the United States and internationally. The company provides solutions to advertisers that enable advertisers to increase the effectiveness and quality and return on their digital advertising investments. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for DoubleVerify Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DoubleVerify and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kohls Co. (NYSE:KSS Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading on Friday. Stock traders bought 37,471 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 66% compared to the average volume of 22,509 call options. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms recently commented on KSS. StockNews.com cut Kohls from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, May 31st. Morgan Stanley cut Kohls to an underweight rating and reduced their target price for the company from $18.00 to $17.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 27th. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Kohls from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Kohls from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and set a $19.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated a market perform rating and set a $23.00 price target on shares of Kohls in a research report on Wednesday, August 28th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $20.67. Get Kohl's alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on Kohls Institutional Trading of Kohls Kohls Trading Up 1.3 % Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Algert Global LLC bought a new position in Kohls in the second quarter worth about $694,000. Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc raised its stake in Kohls by 100.0% in the second quarter. Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc now owns 80,000 shares of the companys stock worth $1,839,000 after buying an additional 40,000 shares in the last quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC raised its stake in Kohls by 1,422.5% in the second quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC now owns 239,028 shares of the companys stock worth $5,495,000 after buying an additional 223,328 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its stake in Kohls by 0.5% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 234,659 shares of the companys stock worth $5,395,000 after buying an additional 1,079 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deerfield Management Company L.P. Series C raised its stake in Kohls by 83.9% in the second quarter. Deerfield Management Company L.P. Series C now owns 30,166 shares of the companys stock worth $694,000 after buying an additional 13,761 shares in the last quarter. 98.04% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. NYSE KSS traded up $0.26 during trading on Friday, hitting $19.72. 6,080,145 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,875,125. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.16. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $20.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $23.29. The firm has a market cap of $2.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.92, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.93. Kohls has a 12-month low of $17.68 and a 12-month high of $29.60. Kohls (NYSE:KSS Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 28th. The company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $3.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.69 billion. Kohls had a net margin of 1.66% and a return on equity of 7.43%. Kohlss revenue for the quarter was down 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.52 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Kohls will post 1.81 EPS for the current year. Kohls Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 11th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.14%. Kohlss dividend payout ratio is currently 80.65%. About Kohls (Get Free Report) Kohl's Corporation operates as an omnichannel retailer in the United States. It offers branded apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, and home products through its stores and website. The company provides its products primarily under the brand names of Croft & Barrow, Jumping Beans, SO, Sonoma Goods for Life, and Tek Gear, as well as Food Network, LC Lauren Conrad, Nine West, and Simply Vera Vera Wang. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Kohl's Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kohl's and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $30.74 and last traded at $30.74, with a volume of 106998 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $30.46. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, StockNews.com raised Koninklijke Philips from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold. Get Koninklijke Philips alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Koninklijke Philips Koninklijke Philips Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 0.74. The company has a market capitalization of $28.89 billion, a PE ratio of -32.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.73. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $28.44 and its 200 day simple moving average is $25.33. Koninklijke Philips (NYSE:PHG Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The technology company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter. Koninklijke Philips had a negative net margin of 2.35% and a positive return on equity of 10.15%. The company had revenue of $4.80 billion for the quarter. On average, research analysts predict that Koninklijke Philips will post 1.5 EPS for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Koninklijke Philips Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PHG. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Koninklijke Philips during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Koninklijke Philips during the 1st quarter worth $40,000. Fairscale Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Koninklijke Philips during the 2nd quarter worth $54,000. CWM LLC raised its stake in Koninklijke Philips by 21.9% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,429 shares of the technology companys stock worth $86,000 after acquiring an additional 616 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in Koninklijke Philips in the first quarter valued at $91,000. 13.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Koninklijke Philips (Get Free Report) Koninklijke Philips N.V. operates as a health technology company in North America, the Greater China, and internationally. The company operates through Diagnosis & Treatment Businesses, Connected Care Businesses, and Personal Health Businesses segments. It also provides diagnostic imaging solutions, includes magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray systems, and computed tomography (CT) systems and software comprising detector-based spectral CT solutions, as well as molecular and hybrid imaging solutions for nuclear medicine; echography solutions focused on diagnosis, treatment planning and guidance for cardiology, general imaging, obstetrics/gynecology, and point-of-care applications; integrated interventional systems, and interventional diagnostic and therapeutic devices to treat coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Koninklijke Philips Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Koninklijke Philips and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD Free Report) had its price objective upped by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $315.00 to $375.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Lithia Motors from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $266.00 to $302.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Guggenheim raised shares of Lithia Motors from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $338.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Lithia Motors from $300.00 to $335.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Lithia Motors from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $326.00. Get Lithia Motors alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Lithia Motors Lithia Motors Stock Performance NYSE:LAD opened at $279.58 on Tuesday. Lithia Motors has a 1 year low of $231.36 and a 1 year high of $331.96. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $275.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $271.55. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.66 billion, a PE ratio of 8.25, a PEG ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 1.64. Lithia Motors (NYSE:LAD Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $7.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $7.09 by $0.78. Lithia Motors had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 13.84%. The business had revenue of $9.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.29 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $10.91 EPS. Lithia Motorss revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lithia Motors will post 28.89 EPS for the current year. Lithia Motors Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th were issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 9th. Lithia Motorss dividend payout ratio is currently 6.26%. Insider Activity at Lithia Motors In related news, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 306 shares of Lithia Motors stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $289.65, for a total transaction of $88,632.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,922 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $556,707.30. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Lithia Motors news, Director Sidney B. Deboer sold 11,938 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $290.86, for a total value of $3,472,286.68. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 46,129 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,417,080.94. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Shauna Mcintyre sold 306 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $289.65, for a total transaction of $88,632.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 1,922 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $556,707.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.79% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lithia Motors Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth approximately $123,976,000. Cadian Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Lithia Motors during the 4th quarter worth approximately $105,370,000. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 14.7% during the 2nd quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 1,700,893 shares of the companys stock worth $429,390,000 after buying an additional 217,867 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 25.0% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,016,520 shares of the companys stock worth $256,621,000 after buying an additional 203,543 shares during the period. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Lithia Motors by 118.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 160,860 shares of the companys stock worth $40,609,000 after buying an additional 87,362 shares during the period. About Lithia Motors (Get Free Report) Lithia Motors, Inc operates as an automotive retailer worldwide. It operates in two segments, Vehicle Operations and Financing Operations. The company's Vehicle Operations segment sells new and used vehicles; provides parts, repair, and maintenance services; vehicle finance; and insurance products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Lithia Motors Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lithia Motors and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report) by 39.7% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 34,927 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 9,930 shares during the quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.s holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,591,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Gilbert & Cook Inc. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 12,928 shares of the companys stock worth $522,000 after acquiring an additional 413 shares in the last quarter. Aveo Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Aveo Capital Partners LLC now owns 10,845 shares of the companys stock worth $437,000 after purchasing an additional 333 shares during the period. 9258 Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 17.8% in the 4th quarter. 9258 Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,300 shares of the companys stock worth $254,000 after purchasing an additional 953 shares during the period. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $217,000. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in Altria Group by 51.3% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,428,870 shares of the companys stock worth $57,641,000 after purchasing an additional 484,618 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Altria Group alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes MO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Barclays upped their price target on Altria Group from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Altria Group from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. StockNews.com upgraded Altria Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, June 28th. UBS Group increased their target price on Altria Group from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research report on Monday, September 9th. Finally, Bank of America increased their target price on Altria Group from $52.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $49.67. Altria Group Stock Performance NYSE:MO opened at $52.96 on Friday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $50.89 and its 200 day moving average is $46.42. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $39.06 and a fifty-two week high of $54.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $90.36 billion, a PE ratio of 11.08, a PEG ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.65. Altria Group (NYSE:MO Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $1.31 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.35 by ($0.04). Altria Group had a net margin of 42.25% and a negative return on equity of 232.55%. The company had revenue of $6.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.31 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.11 EPS for the current year. Altria Group Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 10th. Investors of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a dividend of $1.02 per share. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.70%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. This is a positive change from Altria Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.98. Altria Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 82.01%. Altria Group Company Profile (Free Report) Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; large cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; oral nicotine pouches under the on! brand; and e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. increased its stake in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI Free Report) by 40.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,033 shares of the communications equipment providers stock after purchasing an additional 1,168 shares during the period. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.s holdings in Motorola Solutions were worth $1,557,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 10.5% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 533,401 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $166,994,000 after buying an additional 50,494 shares during the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 28.3% during the 4th quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 2,241 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $701,000 after buying an additional 494 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 25,925 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $8,117,000 after buying an additional 2,546 shares during the last quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC now owns 4,754 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $1,488,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Private Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Motorola Solutions during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. 84.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Motorola Solutions alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $372.00 to $467.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Motorola Solutions from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, August 30th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Motorola Solutions from $370.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Motorola Solutions from $385.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Motorola Solutions from $460.00 to $510.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $466.17. Motorola Solutions Stock Performance MSI opened at $441.76 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.03, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $413.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $377.07. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 1 year low of $269.64 and a 1 year high of $448.98. The company has a market capitalization of $73.70 billion, a PE ratio of 54.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.97. Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The communications equipment provider reported $3.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.23. Motorola Solutions had a net margin of 14.04% and a return on equity of 337.36%. The company had revenue of $2.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.41 earnings per share. Motorola Solutionss quarterly revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 12.22 EPS for the current year. Motorola Solutions Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.89%. Motorola Solutionss dividend payout ratio is presently 48.45%. Insider Activity In related news, COO John P. Molloy sold 23,985 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $407.50, for a total value of $9,773,887.50. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 46,821 shares in the company, valued at $19,079,557.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock. About Motorola Solutions (Free Report) Motorola Solutions, Inc provides public safety and enterprise security solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Motorola Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Motorola Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG Free Report) by 80.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,696 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 5,656 shares during the quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.s holdings in Public Service Enterprise Group were worth $936,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new position in Public Service Enterprise Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in Public Service Enterprise Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in Public Service Enterprise Group during the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its holdings in Public Service Enterprise Group by 1,866.7% during the 1st quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 590 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 560 shares during the period. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Public Service Enterprise Group during the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. 73.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Public Service Enterprise Group alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have commented on PEG shares. Guggenheim raised Public Service Enterprise Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $82.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, June 17th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Public Service Enterprise Group from $78.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Public Service Enterprise Group from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, May 23rd. Barclays boosted their price objective on Public Service Enterprise Group from $71.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Public Service Enterprise Group from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $77.92. Public Service Enterprise Group Stock Performance Shares of Public Service Enterprise Group stock opened at $84.16 on Friday. Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated has a one year low of $53.71 and a one year high of $84.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.31, a PEG ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.60. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $78.81 and a 200 day simple moving average of $72.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.46. Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The utilities provider reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.64 by ($0.01). Public Service Enterprise Group had a net margin of 16.12% and a return on equity of 10.72%. The firm had revenue of $2.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.03 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.70 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated will post 3.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Public Service Enterprise Group Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.85%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 9th. Public Service Enterprise Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 66.48%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Public Service Enterprise Group news, CEO Ralph A. Larossa sold 1,378 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.69, for a total transaction of $111,190.82. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 148,892 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,014,095.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Public Service Enterprise Group news, EVP Tamara Louise Linde sold 19,127 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.26, for a total transaction of $1,535,133.02. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,524 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,419,476.24. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Ralph A. Larossa sold 1,378 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.69, for a total value of $111,190.82. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 148,892 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,014,095.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 30,068 shares of company stock valued at $2,406,965. Corporate insiders own 0.57% of the companys stock. Public Service Enterprise Group Profile (Free Report) Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated, through its subsidiaries, operates in electric and gas utility business in the United States. It operates through PSE&G and PSEG Power segments. The PSE&G segment transmits electricity; distributes electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers; and appliance services and repairs to customers through its service territory, as well as invests in solar generation projects, and energy efficiency and related programs. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Public Service Enterprise Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Public Service Enterprise Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KYODO NEWS - Sep 14, 2024 - 17:31 | World, All, Japan A high court has granted permission for a Japan-born baby daughter of Afghan refugees to be given Japanese nationality, rescinding a rejection by a family court, with their lawyer hailing it as a "breakthrough" move. The decision by the Nagoya High Court, dated Wednesday, is likely to be the first for a child of Afghan parents to be allowed to create a new family registry in Japan, lawyer Yasuyuki Nagai said. Under Japan's Nationality Act, a child is deemed a Japanese citizen if they were born in Japan and either both of the parents are unknown, or if known, both of them are without nationality. Presiding Judge Yasuhiro Hasegawa said in his decision that the girl's parents were effectively stateless when their child was born in Japan in 2022, as Afghanistan had lost its international standing following the Taliban's return to power in 2021. In Japan, just nine people from war-torn Afghanistan were granted refugee status in 2021, but the number grew to 147 in 2022, and 237 in 2023, according to the Immigration Services Agency. "We can expect an increase in the number of children born from parents who fled (from their country), so it's a breakthrough decision," Nagai said. Related coverage: FOCUS: Asylum seekers on provisional release facing poverty in Japan Japan court orders government to admit gay man as refugee over persecution Japan now able to deport people with multiple failed asylum claims Mitsubishi Chemical Group Co. (OTCMKTS:MTLHY Get Free Report) passed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $29.34 and traded as high as $31.28. Mitsubishi Chemical Group shares last traded at $31.28, with a volume of 214 shares traded. Mitsubishi Chemical Group Stock Up 0.7 % The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The company has a market cap of $8.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.01 and a beta of 0.34. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $29.48 and a 200 day moving average of $28.82. Get Mitsubishi Chemical Group alerts: Mitsubishi Chemical Group (OTCMKTS:MTLHY Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $7.24 billion for the quarter. Mitsubishi Chemical Group had a return on equity of 5.09% and a net margin of 2.61%. About Mitsubishi Chemical Group Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation provides performance products, chemicals, industrial gases, health care products, and other products in Japan and internationally. The company offers polyester films for various applications, including optical materials, for electronic displays; industrial materials for electronic components, automotive parts, and medical equipment; and packaging materials for food and other products. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Mitsubishi Chemical Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mitsubishi Chemical Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Naspers Limited (OTCMKTS:NPSNY Get Free Report) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,600 shares, a decline of 86.7% from the August 15th total of 34,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 79,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days. Naspers Stock Down 0.6 % Shares of NPSNY stock traded down $0.23 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $39.36. 11,044 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 45,219. Naspers has a fifty-two week low of $29.51 and a fifty-two week high of $44.84. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $39.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $38.29. Get Naspers alerts: Naspers Company Profile (Get Free Report) Featured Articles Naspers Limited operates in the consumer internet industry in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America. The company operates through Classifieds, Food Delivery, Payments and Fintech, Etail, Edtech, Social and Internet Platforms, Media24, and Other Ecommerce segments. It holds investments in classifieds, food delivery, payments and fintech, education, health, and ecommerce, as well as ventures, and social and internet platforms. Receive News & Ratings for Naspers Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Naspers and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nevada King Gold Corp. (CVE:NKG Get Free Report)s stock price rose 6.7% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as C$0.33 and last traded at C$0.32. Approximately 36,050 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 79% from the average daily volume of 171,724 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.30. Nevada King Gold Stock Up 4.3 % The company has a market capitalization of C$123.65 million, a PE ratio of -4.00 and a beta of 1.59. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of C$0.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$0.34. Get Nevada King Gold alerts: Nevada King Gold (CVE:NKG Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 22nd. The company reported C($0.01) EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of C($0.01). About Nevada King Gold Nevada King Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of resource properties in Nevada, the United States. The company explores for gold, silver, iron ore, vanadium, and other base metals. The company was formerly known as Victory Metals Inc and changed its name to Nevada King Gold Corp in April 2021. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Nevada King Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nevada King Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC reduced its position in shares of Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC Free Report) by 38.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,822 shares of the railroad operators stock after selling 2,422 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLCs holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $821,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in NSC. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC now owns 2,840 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $672,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 18.5% during the 4th quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 7,355 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $1,738,000 after acquiring an additional 1,149 shares in the last quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,514 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $642,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 1,784 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $422,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Independent Advisor Alliance raised its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 8,902 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $2,104,000 after acquiring an additional 771 shares in the last quarter. 75.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Norfolk Southern alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages recently commented on NSC. Benchmark upped their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $266.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 29th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $251.00 to $253.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Morgan Stanley restated an underweight rating and set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Norfolk Southern in a research note on Monday, July 8th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $270.00 to $267.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $245.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $264.24. Norfolk Southern Trading Down 3.5 % Shares of NSC stock opened at $245.80 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $240.36 and a 200 day simple moving average of $238.22. Norfolk Southern Co. has a fifty-two week low of $183.09 and a fifty-two week high of $263.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30. Norfolk Southern (NYSE:NSC Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $3.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.20. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 19.64% and a net margin of 14.85%. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.95 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 11.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Norfolk Southern Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 2nd were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 2nd. Norfolk Southerns dividend payout ratio is 86.96%. Insider Activity In other news, EVP Nabanita C. Nag sold 355 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $88,529.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,488 shares of the companys stock, valued at $371,077.44. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, EVP Nabanita C. Nag sold 355 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $88,529.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,488 shares of the companys stock, valued at $371,077.44. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Richard H. Anderson acquired 2,000 shares of Norfolk Southern stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 29th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $247.48 per share, with a total value of $494,960.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 3,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $742,440. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. About Norfolk Southern (Free Report) Norfolk Southern Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods in the United States. The company transports agriculture, forest, and consumer products comprising soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizers, livestock and poultry feed, food products, food oils, flour, sweeteners, ethanol, lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, beverages, and canned goods; chemicals consist of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products comprising crude oil, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, sand, and natural gas liquids; metals and construction materials, such as steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, minerals, clay, transportation equipment, and military-related products; and automotive, including finished motor vehicles and automotive parts, as well as coal. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NSC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Norfolk Southern Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Norfolk Southern and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The North West Company Inc. (TSE:NWC Get Free Report)s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as C$52.13 and last traded at C$51.59, with a volume of 11302 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$51.54. Analysts Set New Price Targets NWC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of North West from C$44.00 to C$56.00 in a research report on Friday, September 6th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of North West from C$40.00 to C$47.00 in a research report on Friday, September 6th. TD Securities lifted their target price on shares of North West from C$52.00 to C$59.00 in a research report on Friday, September 6th. Finally, CIBC lifted their target price on shares of North West from C$43.00 to C$44.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, June 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$49.80. Get North West alerts: Get Our Latest Report on NWC North West Price Performance The firm has a 50 day moving average price of C$45.17 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$41.56. The company has a market cap of C$2.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 60.00, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 2.22. North West (TSE:NWC Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, September 4th. The company reported C$0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$0.71 by C$0.02. North West had a net margin of 5.25% and a return on equity of 19.76%. The firm had revenue of C$646.49 million during the quarter. On average, analysts predict that The North West Company Inc. will post 3.3409536 EPS for the current fiscal year. North West Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.10%. This is a positive change from North Wests previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. North Wests payout ratio is currently 58.39%. About North West (Get Free Report) The North West Company Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail of food and everyday products and services to rural communities and urban neighborhood markets in northern Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. The company operates Northern stores, which offers food, financial services, and general merchandise; NorthMart stores that provides fresh food products, apparel, and health products and services; and Quickstop convenience stores that provides ready-to-eat food products, and fuel and related services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for North West Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for North West and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. O Neil Global Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of CAVA Group, Inc. (NYSE:CAVA Free Report) by 42.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,462 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 4,037 shares during the period. CAVA Group makes up 0.6% of O Neil Global Advisors Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. O Neil Global Advisors Inc.s holdings in CAVA Group were worth $1,249,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its stake in CAVA Group by 9.7% in the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 1,060,029 shares of the companys stock worth $98,318,000 after purchasing an additional 93,635 shares during the period. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale purchased a new stake in shares of CAVA Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,871,000. American Century Companies Inc. bought a new position in shares of CAVA Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $309,000. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D purchased a new position in CAVA Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,957,000. Finally, Sentry Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in CAVA Group by 25.5% during the second quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 4,168 shares of the companys stock worth $387,000 after acquiring an additional 846 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.15% of the companys stock. Get CAVA Group alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of CAVA Group from $77.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Loop Capital lifted their price objective on CAVA Group from $80.00 to $122.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on CAVA Group from $105.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. TD Cowen restated a buy rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of CAVA Group in a report on Thursday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of CAVA Group from $90.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, CAVA Group has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $111.58. Insider Buying and Selling at CAVA Group In other CAVA Group news, Director Theodoros Xenohristos sold 98,490 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.77, for a total transaction of $12,387,087.30. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 424,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $53,432,881.42. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, Director Theodoros Xenohristos sold 98,490 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.77, for a total value of $12,387,087.30. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 424,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $53,432,881.42. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Kenneth Robert Bertram sold 5,250 shares of CAVA Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.28, for a total value of $500,220.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 67,005 shares in the company, valued at $6,384,236.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 427,165 shares of company stock valued at $49,526,186. CAVA Group Stock Down 2.3 % Shares of CAVA stock opened at $122.57 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.01 billion, a PE ratio of 298.96 and a beta of 3.34. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $97.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $82.66. CAVA Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $29.05 and a 52 week high of $128.18. CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 22nd. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $233.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $219.47 million. CAVA Group had a net margin of 5.04% and a return on equity of 7.37%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 35.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.21 EPS. Analysts anticipate that CAVA Group, Inc. will post 0.43 earnings per share for the current year. About CAVA Group (Free Report) CAVA Group, Inc owns and operates a chain of restaurants under the CAVA brand in the United States. The company also offers dips, spreads, and dressings through grocery stores. In addition, the company provides online and mobile ordering platforms. Cava Group, Inc was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Washington, the District of Columbia. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CAVA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for CAVA Group, Inc. (NYSE:CAVA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for CAVA Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CAVA Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Olympus Co. (OTCMKTS:OLYMY Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 11,400 shares, an increase of 100.0% from the August 15th total of 5,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 57,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days. Olympus Price Performance Shares of OLYMY stock traded down $0.15 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $17.90. The companys stock had a trading volume of 31,051 shares, compared to its average volume of 43,353. Olympus has a one year low of $12.36 and a one year high of $19.26. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $17.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $15.84. Get Olympus alerts: Olympus Company Profile (Get Free Report) See Also Olympus Corporation manufactures and sells precision machineries and instruments worldwide. It operates through: Endoscopic Solutions Business, Therapeutic Solutions Business, Scientific Solutions Business, and Others segments. The Endoscopic Solutions Business segment offers gastrointestinal and surgical endoscopy systems, surgical microscopes, endoscope reprocessors, and maintenance services. Receive News & Ratings for Olympus Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Olympus and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of ONE Gas (NYSE:OGS Free Report) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $80.00 target price on the utilities providers stock, up from their previous target price of $71.00. Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Mizuho upped their price objective on ONE Gas from $64.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. StockNews.com downgraded ONE Gas from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Saturday, July 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on ONE Gas from $61.00 to $58.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $64.64. Get ONE Gas alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on ONE Gas ONE Gas Price Performance Shares of NYSE OGS opened at $72.67 on Wednesday. ONE Gas has a twelve month low of $55.50 and a twelve month high of $75.89. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $68.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $64.45. The company has a market capitalization of $4.12 billion, a PE ratio of 17.94, a PEG ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. ONE Gas (NYSE:OGS Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.49 by ($0.01). ONE Gas had a return on equity of 8.04% and a net margin of 10.83%. The business had revenue of $354.14 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $362.06 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.58 EPS. ONE Gass quarterly revenue was down 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that ONE Gas will post 3.84 EPS for the current year. ONE Gas Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 14th were issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 14th. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.63%. ONE Gass payout ratio is 65.19%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On ONE Gas A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in ONE Gas by 21.7% during the 2nd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 977 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of ONE Gas by 6.1% in the first quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 3,580 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $228,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of ONE Gas by 0.9% in the second quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 25,019 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,597,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the period. GW Henssler & Associates Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of ONE Gas by 7.4% in the first quarter. GW Henssler & Associates Ltd. now owns 3,442 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $222,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares during the period. Finally, Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of ONE Gas by 1.8% in the second quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 15,213 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $971,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 88.71% of the companys stock. ONE Gas Company Profile (Get Free Report) ONE Gas, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a regulated natural gas distribution company in the United States. The company provides natural gas distribution services to approximately 2.3 million customers in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. It serves residential, commercial, and transportation customers. Read More Receive News & Ratings for ONE Gas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ONE Gas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 8.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 39,390 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 3,151 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $35,663,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of LLY. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.4% during the second quarter. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC now owns 811 shares of the companys stock worth $734,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Verum Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Verum Partners LLC now owns 731 shares of the companys stock valued at $662,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Acorn Creek Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Acorn Creek Capital LLC now owns 927 shares of the companys stock valued at $840,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the period. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. now owns 1,687 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,527,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.8% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 736 shares of the companys stock worth $573,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.53% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance LLY opened at $923.71 on Friday. Eli Lilly and Company has a twelve month low of $516.57 and a twelve month high of $972.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $877.92 billion, a PE ratio of 136.04, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. The firms 50-day moving average price is $897.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $832.88. Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend Eli Lilly and Company ( NYSE:LLY Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $3.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.64 by $1.28. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 67.52% and a net margin of 18.86%. The business had revenue of $11.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.83 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 16.49 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.56%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 15th. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.58%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the company from $725.00 to $1,025.00 in a report on Monday, August 12th. Truist Financial reissued a buy rating and set a $1,000.00 price target (up from $892.00) on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday. Berenberg Bank increased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Friday. They issued a buy rating and a $1,060.00 price target for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $977.35. Check Out Our Latest Report on Eli Lilly and Company Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 210,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.82, for a total transaction of $197,362,200.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 96,943,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $91,109,731,514.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders have sold 646,878 shares of company stock worth $591,465,138 in the last ninety days. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders. About Eli Lilly and Company (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Alta Advisers Ltd raised its position in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report) by 7.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 15,800 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after buying an additional 1,100 shares during the quarter. Alta Advisers Ltds holdings in Pfizer were worth $442,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of PFE. Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC raised its position in shares of Pfizer by 100.0% during the 1st quarter. Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC now owns 1,200 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Pfizer during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.36% of the companys stock. Get Pfizer alerts: Pfizer Stock Performance PFE opened at $29.27 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $165.86 billion, a PE ratio of -487.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $29.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $28.11. Pfizer Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $25.20 and a fifty-two week high of $34.42. Pfizer Announces Dividend Pfizer ( NYSE:PFE Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $13.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.96 billion. Pfizer had a positive return on equity of 8.42% and a negative net margin of 4.66%. The companys revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.67 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.66 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 26th were issued a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 26th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.74%. Pfizers payout ratio is currently -2,799.53%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades PFE has been the topic of a number of research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an overweight rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Monday, September 9th. Daiwa Capital Markets raised Pfizer from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $28.00 to $34.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Pfizer from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Barclays increased their price objective on Pfizer from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on Pfizer from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $34.54. View Our Latest Analysis on PFE Pfizer Profile (Free Report) Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, Zavzpret, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Abrysvo, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PFE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund (NYSE:PTY Get Free Report)s share price crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $14.33 and traded as low as $14.23. PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund shares last traded at $14.30, with a volume of 583,597 shares trading hands. PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund Stock Performance The firms fifty day moving average is $14.27 and its 200 day moving average is $14.33. Get PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund alerts: PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund Cuts Dividend The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a $0.1188 dividend. This represents a $1.43 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.03%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Institutional Trading of PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund Company Profile Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund in the second quarter worth about $7,233,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund by 162.9% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 798,564 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $11,875,000 after acquiring an additional 494,797 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund by 81.3% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 527,690 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $7,551,000 after buying an additional 236,616 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund by 458.4% in the second quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 268,396 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $3,841,000 after buying an additional 220,335 shares during the period. Finally, Golden State Equity Partners purchased a new position in shares of PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund in the second quarter worth $2,595,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 10.25% of the companys stock. (Get Free Report) PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Allianz Global Investors Fund Management LLC. It is co-managed by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC. The fund invests in fixed income markets across the globe. It invests in corporate debt obligations rated in the lowest investment grade category Baa or BBB and in the highest non-investment grade category Ba or BB. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC decreased its position in shares of WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC Free Report) by 31.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 35,648 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 16,471 shares during the quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLCs holdings in WEC Energy Group were worth $2,797,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Alley Investment Management Company LLC lifted its stake in shares of WEC Energy Group by 324.5% during the 4th quarter. Alley Investment Management Company LLC now owns 39,256 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $3,304,000 after buying an additional 30,009 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC lifted its stake in WEC Energy Group by 34.0% in the 4th quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 37,561 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,162,000 after purchasing an additional 9,526 shares in the last quarter. Lantz Financial LLC lifted its stake in WEC Energy Group by 324.9% in the 1st quarter. Lantz Financial LLC now owns 28,454 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,337,000 after purchasing an additional 21,758 shares in the last quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd lifted its stake in WEC Energy Group by 18.2% in the 4th quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 38,980 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,282,000 after purchasing an additional 5,994 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brookstone Capital Management lifted its stake in WEC Energy Group by 789.0% in the 1st quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 125,219 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $10,283,000 after purchasing an additional 111,134 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.20% of the companys stock. Get WEC Energy Group alerts: Insider Transactions at WEC Energy Group In related news, VP Anthony Reese sold 1,362 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.78, for a total transaction of $120,918.36. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 1,462 shares of the companys stock, valued at $129,796.36. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, VP Joshua M. Erickson sold 350 shares of WEC Energy Group stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.75, for a total transaction of $31,412.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,377 shares in the company, valued at $213,335.75. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Anthony Reese sold 1,362 shares of WEC Energy Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.78, for a total transaction of $120,918.36. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 1,462 shares of the companys stock, valued at $129,796.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 11,702 shares of company stock valued at $1,078,058. Company insiders own 0.34% of the companys stock. WEC Energy Group Price Performance Shares of WEC stock opened at $95.84 on Friday. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $88.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $83.33. WEC Energy Group, Inc. has a one year low of $75.13 and a one year high of $96.15. The company has a market capitalization of $30.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.54. WEC Energy Group (NYSE:WEC Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The utilities provider reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.04. WEC Energy Group had a net margin of 15.85% and a return on equity of 12.26%. The firm had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.87 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.92 EPS. The companys revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that WEC Energy Group, Inc. will post 4.88 EPS for the current year. WEC Energy Group Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 14th were given a $0.835 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 14th. This represents a $3.34 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.48%. WEC Energy Groups payout ratio is presently 72.93%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have recently weighed in on WEC shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of WEC Energy Group from $98.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of WEC Energy Group from $90.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock a sector outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of WEC Energy Group from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of WEC Energy Group from $80.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price target on shares of WEC Energy Group from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $90.17. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on WEC Energy Group WEC Energy Group Profile (Free Report) WEC Energy Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides regulated natural gas and electricity, and renewable and nonregulated renewable energy services in the United States. It operates through Wisconsin, Illinois, Other States, Electric Transmission, and Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure segments. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for WEC Energy Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WEC Energy Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale lessened its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX Free Report) by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 733,633 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 32,305 shares during the quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale owned approximately 0.66% of Quest Diagnostics worth $100,805,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 50.9% in the 1st quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 41,796 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $5,562,000 after acquiring an additional 14,090 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 135,148 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $18,634,000 after acquiring an additional 7,415 shares during the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Quest Diagnostics during the 4th quarter worth about $1,562,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in Quest Diagnostics by 16.5% during the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 131,329 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $17,481,000 after purchasing an additional 18,642 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 2.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,921,955 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,853,151,000 after purchasing an additional 345,754 shares during the period. 88.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Quest Diagnostics alerts: Quest Diagnostics Price Performance Shares of DGX opened at $154.36 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The firm has a market cap of $17.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.78, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.89. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 52 week low of $119.59 and a 52 week high of $159.36. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $149.21 and a 200-day moving average of $139.85. Quest Diagnostics Dividend Announcement Quest Diagnostics ( NYSE:DGX Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The medical research company reported $2.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.04. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 8.99% and a return on equity of 15.35%. The company had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.39 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.30 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 8.89 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 21st. Investors of record on Friday, October 4th will be issued a $0.75 dividend. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.94%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 4th. Quest Diagnosticss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.38%. Insider Activity at Quest Diagnostics In other Quest Diagnostics news, SVP Karthik Kuppusamy sold 1,990 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.26, for a total transaction of $304,987.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 11,459 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,756,206.34. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, SVP Mark E. Delaney sold 420 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.08, for a total value of $60,093.60. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 5,019 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $718,118.52. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Karthik Kuppusamy sold 1,990 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.26, for a total transaction of $304,987.40. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 11,459 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,756,206.34. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.79% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. StockNews.com raised Quest Diagnostics from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $153.00 to $154.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Citigroup raised shares of Quest Diagnostics from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $145.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on Quest Diagnostics in a report on Wednesday, August 28th. They issued an in-line rating and a $165.00 price target for the company. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Quest Diagnostics from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Quest Diagnostics presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $154.33. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on DGX About Quest Diagnostics (Free Report) Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing and services in the United States and internationally. The company develops and delivers diagnostic information services, such as routine, non-routine and advanced clinical testing, anatomic pathology testing, and other diagnostic information services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Quest Diagnostics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Quest Diagnostics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Secom Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:SOMLY Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 86,900 shares, an increase of 113.0% from the August 15th total of 40,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 47,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.8 days. Secom Stock Down 0.1 % SOMLY traded down $0.02 on Friday, hitting $19.32. 15,414 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 58,427. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $16.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $16.79. The company has a current ratio of 2.63, a quick ratio of 2.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. Secom has a fifty-two week low of $14.11 and a fifty-two week high of $19.92. Get Secom alerts: Secom (OTCMKTS:SOMLY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 9th. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Secom had a net margin of 8.59% and a return on equity of 7.25%. The firm had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter. Secom Company Profile SECOM CO., LTD., together with its subsidiaries, provides security services in Japan and internationally. The company operates through Security Services, Fire Protection Services, Medical Services, Insurance Services, Geospatial Information Services, BPO and ICT Services, and Other Services. The Security Services segment offers static guard, armored car, merchandise, and other services, as well as online security systems. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Secom Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Secom and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shimano Inc. (OTCMKTS:SMNNY Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 19,900 shares, a decrease of 47.6% from the August 15th total of 38,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 86,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Shimano Stock Up 1.4 % SMNNY traded up $0.25 during trading on Friday, hitting $17.82. The companys stock had a trading volume of 45,316 shares, compared to its average volume of 65,753. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $17.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.27. The firm has a market cap of $16.01 billion, a PE ratio of 34.94 and a beta of 0.59. Shimano has a one year low of $12.85 and a one year high of $19.69. Get Shimano alerts: Shimano (OTCMKTS:SMNNY Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $746.22 million for the quarter. Shimano had a return on equity of 8.74% and a net margin of 12.62%. Shimano Company Profile Shimano Inc develops, produces, and distributes bicycle components, fishing tackles, and rowing equipment. It has operations in Japan, Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Oceania. Shimano Inc was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in Sakai, Japan. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Shimano Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Shimano and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Anhui Conch Cement Company Limited (OTCMKTS:AHCHY Get Free Report) saw a large drop in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,000 shares, a drop of 47.4% from the August 15th total of 3,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 43,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days. Anhui Conch Cement Stock Performance OTCMKTS AHCHY opened at $10.84 on Friday. Anhui Conch Cement has a 52 week low of $9.82 and a 52 week high of $13.91. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $11.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $11.57. Get Anhui Conch Cement alerts: About Anhui Conch Cement (Get Free Report) Further Reading Anhui Conch Cement Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, sells, and trades in clinker and cement products. The company operates through five segments: Eastern China, Central China, Southern China, Western China, and Overseas. It provides construction and installation services for industrial purposes; logistic services; and mining and related services. Receive News & Ratings for Anhui Conch Cement Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Anhui Conch Cement and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE:SBSW Get Free Report)s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $3.39, but opened at $3.53. Sibanye Stillwater shares last traded at $3.57, with a volume of 2,575,709 shares trading hands. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Sibanye Stillwater from $7.00 to $6.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Sibanye Stillwater from $5.00 to $4.50 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Sibanye Stillwater presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $5.17. Get Sibanye Stillwater alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on Sibanye Stillwater Sibanye Stillwater Price Performance Institutional Inflows and Outflows The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $4.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $4.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 0.97. A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SBSW. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sibanye Stillwater in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Sibanye Stillwater by 62.6% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 8,837 shares of the companys stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 3,401 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Capital Wealth Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Sibanye Stillwater during the 1st quarter worth $50,000. Fermata Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sibanye Stillwater in the 1st quarter worth about $52,000. Finally, Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp acquired a new stake in Sibanye Stillwater in the 4th quarter valued at about $56,000. 34.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Sibanye Stillwater Company Profile (Get Free Report) Sibanye Stillwater Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a precious metals mining company in South Africa, the United States, Europe, and Australia. The company produces gold; platinum group metals (PGMs), including palladium, platinum, rhodium, iridium, and ruthenium; chrome; nickel; and silver, cobalt, and copper. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Sibanye Stillwater Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sibanye Stillwater and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA:GLD Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders acquired 259,354 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 59% compared to the typical daily volume of 162,785 call options. Hedge Funds Weigh In On SPDR Gold Shares Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Scarborough Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 10,133.3% in the 4th quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC now owns 2,662,393 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $508,970,000 after buying an additional 2,636,376 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank grew its stake in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 23.6% in the 1st quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 5,649,510 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,162,217,000 after buying an additional 1,079,452 shares in the last quarter. Arizona PSPRS Trust purchased a new position in shares of SPDR Gold Shares in the 2nd quarter worth $157,187,000. Global Assets Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of SPDR Gold Shares in the 1st quarter worth $144,269,000. Finally, GLOBALT Investments LLC GA purchased a new position in shares of SPDR Gold Shares in the 4th quarter worth $124,066,000. 42.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get SPDR Gold Shares alerts: SPDR Gold Shares Stock Performance Shares of NYSEARCA GLD traded up $2.34 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $238.67. The stock had a trading volume of 7,453,090 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,055,491. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $226.74 and a 200-day moving average of $216.85. SPDR Gold Shares has a 12-month low of $168.30 and a 12-month high of $238.98. About SPDR Gold Shares SPDR Gold Trust (the Trust) is an investment trust. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion, less the Trusts expenses. The Trusts business activity is the investment of gold. The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but in one or more Baskets (a Basket equals a block of 100,000 Shares). Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for SPDR Gold Shares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR Gold Shares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Analysts at StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Issuer Direct (NYSE:ISDR Get Free Report) in a research note issued on Thursday. The brokerage set a buy rating on the stock. Issuer Direct Stock Performance Shares of ISDR stock opened at $10.66 on Thursday. Issuer Direct has a one year low of $7.61 and a one year high of $20.94. The companys 50-day moving average is $9.53 and its 200 day moving average is $10.55. The company has a market capitalization of $40.83 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.30 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.82. Get Issuer Direct alerts: Issuer Direct (NYSE:ISDR Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $7.69 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.62 million. Issuer Direct had a negative net margin of 1.97% and a positive return on equity of 5.86%. Sell-side analysts expect that Issuer Direct will post 0.54 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling About Issuer Direct In other Issuer Direct news, major shareholder Topline Capital Partners, Lp acquired 22,469 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $7.83 per share, with a total value of $175,932.27. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now owns 685,324 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,366,086.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . In other news, major shareholder Topline Capital Partners, Lp bought 22,469 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $7.83 per share, for a total transaction of $175,932.27. Following the purchase, the insider now owns 685,324 shares in the company, valued at $5,366,086.92. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink . Also, insider Topline Capital Management, Ll bought 19,826 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 27th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $9.65 per share, for a total transaction of $191,320.90. Following the purchase, the insider now owns 705,150 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,804,697.50. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Over the last quarter, insiders have acquired 51,153 shares of company stock valued at $444,409. 26.08% of the stock is owned by insiders. (Get Free Report) Issuer Direct Corporation operates as a communications and compliance company, provides solutions for both public relations and investor relations professionals in the United States and internationally. The company provides press release distribution, media databases, media monitoring, and newsrooms through media advantage platform; ACCESSWIRE, a news dissemination and media outreach service; and Webcaster Platform, a cloud-based webcast, webinar, and virtual meeting platform that delivers live and on-demand streaming of events to audiences of various sizes, as well as allows customers to create, produce, and deliver events. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Issuer Direct Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Issuer Direct and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SYM FINANCIAL Corp acquired a new position in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:MUFG Free Report) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 10,112 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $109,000. A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Catalina Capital Group LLC increased its stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter. Catalina Capital Group LLC now owns 17,965 shares of the companys stock worth $194,000 after acquiring an additional 918 shares during the period. First Affirmative Financial Network increased its stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. First Affirmative Financial Network now owns 19,463 shares of the companys stock worth $210,000 after acquiring an additional 938 shares during the period. Traveka Wealth LLC increased its stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter. Traveka Wealth LLC now owns 37,775 shares of the companys stock worth $408,000 after acquiring an additional 980 shares during the period. LRI Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 15,156 shares of the companys stock valued at $164,000 after purchasing an additional 981 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 101,421 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,095,000 after purchasing an additional 1,002 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 13.59% of the companys stock. Get Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group alerts: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Trading Up 0.6 % Shares of MUFG stock opened at $10.37 on Friday. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $10.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.37. The company has a market cap of $120.83 billion, a PE ratio of 11.91, a P/E/G ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 0.60. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $7.89 and a fifty-two week high of $11.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.92. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Profile Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group ( NYSE:MUFG Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.27 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $22.61 billion for the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group had a return on equity of 7.46% and a net margin of 11.73%. Equities analysts predict that Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. will post 0.88 EPS for the current fiscal year. (Free Report) Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc operates as the bank holding company for MUFG Bank, Ltd. that provides various financial services in Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through Digital Service Business Group; Retail & Commercial Banking Business Group; Japanese Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group; Asset Management & Investor Services Business Group; Global Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group; Global Commercial Banking Business Group; and Global Markets Business Group segments. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MUFG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:MUFG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KYODO NEWS - Sep 14, 2024 - 19:04 | Sports, All Rank-and-file wrestler Wakamotoharu remained two wins off the pace with a victory over ozeki Kotozakura on Saturday, the seventh day of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament. A former sekiwake, No. 3 maegashira Wakamotoharu (5-2) failed to get the hold he was looking for at the jump but did manage to get lower than Kotozakura (5-2) and doggedly forced the ozeki backward out of the ring at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. "I was determined to fight harder than he did," Wakamotoharu said. "I'm concerned more about the quality of my sumo than my win total. For the most part, I've stayed aggressive, and that's the style I strive for." Sekiwake Onosato remained unbeaten at 7-0, defeating Hiradoumi (4-3) with the kind of solid opening charge he had lacked in losing his previous two bouts against the komusubi. After being too cautious in May and too reckless in July, Onosato found the perfect balance with a rapid charge that did not permit Hiradoumi to either hold his ground or evade. The 24-year-old Onosato, who in May won a grand tournament with fewer meets under his belt than any previous champion, is now five wins shy of the unofficial benchmark for ozeki promotion of 33 wins over three meets as a komusubi or sekiwake. Sekiwake Kirishima remained one back at 6-1 by patiently outlasting No. 4 maegashira Kotoshoho (4-3). Kotoshoho deftly avoided being run out of the ring at the jump. He managed to bar the seikwake's arms, but only after Kirishima had secured a pair of belt holds. It was not, however, a winning tactic, as Kotoshoho tired after a prolonged stalemate and was forced out. Ozeki Hoshoryu (3-4) combined a powerful opening charge with a strong shove to the throat as he drove No. 4 maegashira Shodai (4-3) out of the ring in a flash. Related coverage: Sumo: Onosato beats Shodai to keep outright lead on Day 6 Sumo: Kotozakura among 3 to lose, handing Onosato sole Autumn lead Sumo: Slow starter Shodai bucks trend to share early Autumn lead Telstra Co. Limited (OTCMKTS:TLSYY Get Free Report)s stock price passed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $12.48 and traded as high as $12.65. Telstra shares last traded at $12.48, with a volume of 63,400 shares changing hands. Telstra Trading Up 0.7 % The firms fifty day moving average is $12.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Telstra Company Profile (Get Free Report) Telstra Corporation Limited provides telecommunications and information services to businesses, governments, and individuals in Australia and internationally. It operates in four segments: Telstra Consumer and Small Business, Telstra Enterprise, Networks and IT, and Telstra InfraCo The company offers telecommunication, media and technology products and services in Australia using mobile and fixed network technologies, as well as operates call centers, retail stores, a dealership network, digital channels, distribution systems and Telstra Plus customer loyalty program. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Telstra Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Telstra and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC decreased its position in shares of The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB Free Report) by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,484 shares of the pipeline companys stock after selling 885 shares during the period. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLCs holdings in Williams Companies were worth $361,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WMB. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Williams Companies in the first quarter worth $27,000. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP acquired a new position in Williams Companies during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. SouthState Corp purchased a new stake in Williams Companies during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Fairman Group LLC acquired a new stake in Williams Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Alaska Permanent Fund Corp purchased a new position in shares of Williams Companies in the 1st quarter valued at about $46,000. 86.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Williams Companies alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Williams Companies from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, June 10th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Williams Companies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Williams Companies from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Williams Companies from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, August 19th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on Williams Companies from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, June 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $42.83. Williams Companies Stock Up 0.9 % Williams Companies stock opened at $45.03 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.92, a PEG ratio of 6.19 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $43.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $40.98. The Williams Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $32.49 and a twelve month high of $45.81. Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 5th. The pipeline company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $2.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.46 billion. Williams Companies had a net margin of 27.11% and a return on equity of 16.17%. Williams Companiess quarterly revenue was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.42 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that The Williams Companies, Inc. will post 1.93 earnings per share for the current year. Williams Companies Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.475 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.22%. Williams Companiess dividend payout ratio is currently 79.83%. Williams Companies Company Profile (Free Report) The Williams Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy infrastructure company primarily in the United States. It operates through Transmission & Gulf of Mexico, Northeast G&P, West, and Gas & NGL Marketing Services segments. The Transmission & Gulf of Mexico segment comprises natural gas pipelines; Transco, Northwest pipeline, MountainWest, and related natural gas storage facilities; and natural gas gathering and processing, and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Williams Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Williams Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tri City Bankshares Co. (OTCMKTS:TRCY Get Free Report)s stock price dropped 0.9% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $12.50 and last traded at $12.79. Approximately 14,738 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 240% from the average daily volume of 4,335 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.90. Tri City Bankshares Price Performance The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $12.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $11.79. Get Tri City Bankshares alerts: Tri City Bankshares Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 29th were issued a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 29th. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.54%. Tri City Banksharess dividend payout ratio is currently 19.36%. About Tri City Bankshares Tri City Bankshares Corporation, through its subsidiary, provides various banking products and services primarily in Southeastern Wisconsin. The company accepts checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, youth and health savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Tri City Bankshares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tri City Bankshares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TV Asahi Holdings Co. (OTCMKTS:THDDY Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a decline of 88.9% from the August 15th total of 900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.5 days. TV Asahi Price Performance Shares of OTCMKTS:THDDY opened at $13.75 on Friday. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $13.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.37. TV Asahi has a one year low of $10.70 and a one year high of $14.97. Get TV Asahi alerts: About TV Asahi (Get Free Report) Further Reading TV Asahi Holdings Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in television (TV) broadcasting business in Japan and internationally. The company operates through TV Broadcasting Business, Internet Business, Shopping Business, and Other Businesses segments. It engages in the video distribution with advertisements using the internet, production of video distribution content, and licensing of rights; mail-order sales on TV shopping programs and EC sites; and other businesses, including music publishing, event, equipment sales and leasing, and investment in film business. Receive News & Ratings for TV Asahi Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TV Asahi and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Twilio (NYSE:TWLO Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday. A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $83.00 price objective (up previously from $77.00) on shares of Twilio in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price target on shares of Twilio from $68.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 27th. Morgan Stanley cut shares of Twilio from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and reduced their target price for the company from $70.00 to $60.00 in a report on Friday, June 14th. Barclays dropped their price target on Twilio from $70.00 to $65.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Twilio from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Twilio presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $70.52. Get Twilio alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on TWLO Twilio Stock Up 0.5 % Twilio stock traded up $0.31 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $59.46. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,862,737 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,758,452. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $59.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $59.34. The company has a market cap of $9.55 billion, a P/E ratio of -14.83, a P/E/G ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 1.35. Twilio has a fifty-two week low of $49.86 and a fifty-two week high of $78.16. The company has a quick ratio of 5.57, a current ratio of 5.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Twilio (NYSE:TWLO Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The technology company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.17. Twilio had a negative return on equity of 0.22% and a negative net margin of 14.02%. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.23) earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Twilio will post 0.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity at Twilio In other Twilio news, insider Dana Wagner sold 4,237 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.28, for a total value of $238,458.36. Following the sale, the insider now owns 160,137 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,012,510.36. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Khozema Shipchandler sold 11,241 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.29, for a total value of $632,755.89. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 300,084 shares in the company, valued at $16,891,728.36. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Dana Wagner sold 4,237 shares of Twilio stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.28, for a total value of $238,458.36. Following the sale, the insider now owns 160,137 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,012,510.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 47,030 shares of company stock valued at $2,677,475 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 4.50% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of TWLO. Tidal Investments LLC increased its stake in Twilio by 2.3% in the first quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 7,295 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $446,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its stake in shares of Twilio by 14.2% during the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 1,339 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $102,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Twilio by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 5,806 shares of the technology companys stock worth $355,000 after acquiring an additional 201 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Twilio by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 47,511 shares of the technology companys stock worth $2,699,000 after acquiring an additional 205 shares during the period. Finally, Royal London Asset Management Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Twilio by 0.4% in the second quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 60,074 shares of the technology companys stock worth $3,413,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. 84.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Twilio (Get Free Report) Twilio Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides customer engagement platform solutions in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Twilio Communications and Twilio Segment. The company provides various application programming interfaces and software solutions for communications between customers and end users, including messaging, voice, email, flex, marketing campaigns, and user identity and authentication. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Twilio Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Twilio and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed their overweight rating on shares of Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER Free Report) in a report published on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $97.00 price target on the ride-sharing companys stock. Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Needham & Company LLC reissued a buy rating and issued a $90.00 price target on shares of Uber Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Uber Technologies from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Uber Technologies from $96.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on Uber Technologies in a report on Thursday, September 5th. They issued an overweight rating and a $90.00 target price on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Uber Technologies from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirty-one have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $87.60. Get Uber Technologies alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on UBER Uber Technologies Trading Up 6.4 % Shares of NYSE UBER opened at $72.48 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $69.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $70.99. Uber Technologies has a twelve month low of $40.09 and a twelve month high of $82.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $152.28 billion, a PE ratio of 116.90, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.33. Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The ride-sharing company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $10.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.57 billion. Uber Technologies had a net margin of 5.02% and a return on equity of 17.06%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 15.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.18 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Uber Technologies will post 1.06 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Activity In other news, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sold 500,000 shares of Uber Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.91, for a total transaction of $35,955,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,266,114 shares in the company, valued at approximately $91,046,257.74. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.84% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Uber Technologies Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Uber Technologies by 222.7% in the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 355 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. raised its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 111.6% in the first quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 383 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 202 shares during the last quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC raised its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 563.9% in the second quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 405 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 344 shares during the last quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Uber Technologies during the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC boosted its position in Uber Technologies by 1,038.5% during the second quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 405 shares during the last quarter. 80.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Uber Technologies (Get Free Report) Uber Technologies, Inc develops and operates proprietary technology applications in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia excluding China and Southeast Asia. It operates through three segments: Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. The Mobility segment connects consumers with a range of transportation modalities, such as ridesharing, carsharing, micromobility, rentals, public transit, taxis, and other modalities; and offers riders in a variety of vehicle types, as well as financial partnerships products and advertising services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Uber Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Uber Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Valeo Pharma (TSE:VPH Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported C($0.08) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, reports. The company had revenue of C$12.60 million for the quarter. Valeo Pharma Price Performance The stock has a market capitalization of C$6.41 million, a P/E ratio of -0.19 and a beta of 2.38. The stocks 50-day moving average is C$0.08 and its 200-day moving average is C$0.12. Valeo Pharma has a 1-year low of C$0.05 and a 1-year high of C$0.39. Get Valeo Pharma alerts: Valeo Pharma Company Profile (Get Free Report) Featured Stories Valeo Pharma Inc, a specialty pharmaceutical company, engages in the acquisition, in-licensing brands, and sale of pharmaceuticals and hospital specialty products for unmet medical needs in Canada. Its product portfolio includes Enerzair Breezhaler, a LABA/LAMA/ICS fixed triple dose asthma drug; Atectura Breezhaler, a LABA/ICS dual combination asthma drug; Redesca, to treat and prevent deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism; Onstryv, for the treatment of Idiopathic Parkinson's disease; M-Eslon, extended-release morphine sulphate used for pain management; and Yondelis, a soft tissue sarcoma. Receive News & Ratings for Valeo Pharma Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Valeo Pharma and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC increased its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWO Free Report) by 9.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 38,197 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 3,343 shares during the period. Wealthspire Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF were worth $10,028,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in IWO. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF by 9.4% in the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,513 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $397,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. boosted its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF by 22.4% in the 2nd quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 31,069 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $8,157,000 after purchasing an additional 5,687 shares during the period. Stonebridge Financial Planning Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Stonebridge Financial Planning Group LLC now owns 3,613 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $948,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Idaho Trust Bank acquired a new position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF during the second quarter valued at about $4,287,000. Finally, Eagle Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF in the second quarter valued at about $1,427,000. Get iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF alerts: iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF Stock Up 2.5 % iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF stock opened at $277.23 on Friday. iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has a 12 month low of $203.42 and a 12 month high of $291.61. The stock has a market cap of $11.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.25 and a beta of 1.31. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $273.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $265.52. iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF Company Profile iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Russell 2000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the small-capitalization growth sector of the United States equity market. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IWO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Winland Holdings Co. (OTCMKTS:WELX Get Free Report)s stock price crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $4.85 and traded as low as $3.41. Winland shares last traded at $3.95, with a volume of 6,513 shares changing hands. Winland Trading Up 2.6 % The companys 50-day simple moving average is $4.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $4.84. About Winland (Get Free Report) Winland Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides critical condition monitoring devices to the security industry. Its products are used to protect against loss of assets due to damage from water, excess humidity, extremes of temperature, and loss of power. The company offers EnviroAlert, which monitors temperature, humidity, and/or water presence in critical environments; TempAlert, a temperature monitoring device for residential and commercial environments through security systems; WaterBug, a water presence and leak detection system; and Power-Out Alert, a power outage detector. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Winland Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Winland and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of ZTE Co. (OTCMKTS:ZTCOY Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $4.04 and traded as high as $4.08. ZTE shares last traded at $4.04, with a volume of 4,800 shares trading hands. ZTE Stock Up 6.3 % The stock has a market cap of $9.32 billion, a PE ratio of 8.60 and a beta of 0.77. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $4.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $4.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. About ZTE (Get Free Report) ZTE Corporation provides integrated communication information solutions in the People's Republic of China, rest of Asia, Africa, Europe, the United States, and Oceania. It operates through three segments: Carriers' Networks, Government and Corporate Business, and Consumer Business. The Carriers' Network segment provides wireless access, wireline access, bearer systems, core networks, telecommunication software systems and services, and other technologies and product solutions for meeting carries' requirements. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for ZTE Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ZTE and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China's top legislator calls for enhanced exchanges with Kyrgyz parliament Xinhua) 08:19, September 14, 2024 Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with Kyrgyz Parliament Speaker Nurlanbek Shakiev in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji held talks with Kyrgyz Parliament Speaker Nurlanbek Shakiev on Friday in Beijing, calling for enhanced exchanges to provide the legal guarantee for deepening pragmatic cooperation. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that under the strategic guidance of the two countries' leaders, bilateral relations have achieved leapfrog development, reaching a new high in a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era. China is ready to work with Kyrgyzstan to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation on all fronts, and jointly build a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future featuring good neighborliness and shared prosperity, said Zhao. Zhao called on the two sides to enhance cooperation amid the severe and complicated international and regional situations, to jointly maintain the security and development interests of the two countries, adding that China will as always firmly support Kyrgyzstan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests. The two sides should tap deeper into the potential of cooperation in traditional areas, work to make the pie of economic and trade cooperation bigger, promote the exchanges of scientific innovation achievements, and improve connectivity, Zhao said, adding that the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway should be started as soon as possible. Zhao said the NPC is willing to work with the Kyrgyz side to strengthen exchanges and communication between high-level members of legislatures, specialized committees and friendly groups, engage in mutual learning in foreign-related rule-of-law construction and other fields, and enhance coordination within multilateral frameworks including the China-Central Asia mechanism and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. When briefing Shakiev on the people's congress system of China, Zhao said China is willing to strengthen the exchanges of experience in democracy and the rule-of-law construction with Kyrgyzstan on the basis of mutual respect for each other's development path and political system, so as to better serve the development of their respective countries. Noting that Kyrgyzstan and China enjoy a time-honored friendship, Shakiev said the Kyrgyz Parliament is ready to enhance friendly exchanges with the NPC to make positive contributions to bilateral cooperation. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) KYODO NEWS - Sep 14, 2024 - 11:36 | All, Japan More than 60 percent of Japan's 47 prefectures said they had not established plans to work with neighboring prefectures for dialysis patients in the event of a large-scale disaster, a recent survey by Kyodo News found. The results, underscoring the disparity in preparations, came after a weeklong advisory was issued last month over a potential megaquake in the Nankai Trough, which runs along the Pacific coast. Concerns abound that local dialysis facilities would not be able to fulfill demand if an emergency were to strike. Among the 30 prefectures that had no plans, Nara Prefecture said it had "exchanged contact details with the people in charge of dialysis treatments in neighboring prefectures," while Osaka acknowledged the need to consider a plan. Fukui Prefecture said that while it did not regularly coordinate with its neighbors, it had a history of working with others, including accepting dialysis patients who were affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year's Day this year. The survey, conducted between May and June, also found that among the 15 prefectures that have prepared measures, Kochi has a manual to support dialysis patients and has set up a system to provide continued health care during an emergency. Kochi is expected to be hit hard in case of a Nankai Trough earthquake. The Kanto region centering on Tokyo has established a network of eight prefectures, including Niigata, Ibaraki and Tochigi, which hold an annual meeting and drill to exchange information. "It is crucial to work broadly with other prefectures in order to secure dialysis treatments during a disaster," said an official from Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo. Around 350,000 people in Japan require dialysis treatment, which is usually carried out three times a week and requires a large quantity of water. A research group under the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2023 formed a series of recommendations outlining the need for municipalities to compile individual manuals and to establish networks with neighboring prefectures. "There is a risk that the initial response will be delayed because they don't know where to turn. It's critical for municipalities to publicize their manuals and prepare with a range of facilities," said Toshihiko Yamaka, secretariat head of the Japan Hemodialysis Assistance Team. Related coverage: FOCUS: People warned to beware of tick-borne infections in Japan Japan set to approve Lilly's donanemab to treat Alzheimer's disease KYODO NEWS - Sep 14, 2024 - 15:22 | All, World Canada will boost its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region and aims to be a "reliable" partner for like-minded nations in the area, the country's defense chief said Friday, amid China's growing maritime assertiveness. In an interview with Kyodo News in Tokyo, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said Japan is a candidate submarine supplier for Canada, which plans to procure up to 12 conventional military subs in the future to replace old ones. "We recognize, economically, geopolitically, strategically, the (Indo-Pacific) region's importance," Blair said, adding Canada "recognizes that we have, along with all of our allies, a responsibility to maintain security in the region." Blair's remarks came as Canada has been deepening its commitment to the region under its "Indo-Pacific Strategy," released in November 2022, through measures such as dispatching warships. Under the strategy, Ottawa pledged to deepen security cooperation with nations such as Japan and South Korea while characterizing China as an "increasingly disruptive global power." Blair met with Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara on Friday and confirmed they will bolster cooperation and personnel exchanges, according to Japan's Defense Ministry. Japan and China have also been at odds over various issues, including repeated incursions by Chinese coast guard vessels into Japanese territorial waters around the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. "Our Indo-Pacific strategy and our deepening military engagement in the region is intended to demonstrate to all of our allies here that we will be a reliable and trustworthy partner," Blair said in the interview. Canadian Navy ships continue sailing through the Taiwan Strait not to "provoke" China but to demonstrate "the freedom of navigation" in international waterways, he added. China's ruling Communist Party has been intensifying military pressure on Taiwan. Beijing views the self-ruled democratic island as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. As for Canada's plan of obtaining submarines announced in July, Blair said Japanese subs have an "outstanding reputation," but his ministry will see each candidate's "interest" and "capacity" before making a decision. Related coverage: Japan, China, South Korea set 2030 goal of 40 mil. cross-border tourists Australia, Japan reaffirm defense cooperation amid China's clout In a move to promote eco-friendly transportation in the Northeast region, Noida-based Kinatic E-Bikes India officially launched its electric two-wheelers in Assam on Friday. The launch event, held in Guwahati, marks the first phase of the companys ambitious plan to introduce sustainable transportation solutions in the region. Addressing mediapersons, Manik Miglani, chairman of Kinatic E-Bikes India, affirmed the companys commitment to providing state-of-the-art electric vehicles designed for urban commuters. Initially, the company will focus on its flagship brand, Kinatic, with low-speed electric two-wheelers exclusively launched in Assam. Advertisement These electric vehicles are built for urban use and are ideal for short commutes, Miglani said. With a top speed of 25 kilometers per hour, these two-wheelers do not require registration at the Regional Transport Office (RTO), nor do they need number plates which significantly reduce the hassle for buyers. The Kinatic electric two-wheelers are priced between Rs 65,000 and Rs 75,000, making them accessible to a wide range of consumers. Each vehicle offers a mileage of between 65 and 120 kilometers per charge, depending on the type of battery used. This makes them a cost-effective option for daily commuters looking to save on fuel costs while contributing to environmental sustainability. Kinatic E-Bikes India aims to set up a robust dealer network to support its sales and service operations in the Northeast. According to Miglani, the company plans to establish 100 dealers in Assam alone within the next year, ensuring that customers across the state have easy access to the companys products and after-sales services. The Northeast market presents a unique opportunity for electric vehicles, given the increasing awareness about environmental issues and the rising fuel costs. We are confident that our vehicles will resonate with consumers looking for efficient and eco-friendly alternatives to traditional petrol-driven scooters and bikes, Miglani added. The Maharashtra government will soon launch a scheme to facilitate additional income to farmers by selling surplus power generated by their solar pump sets. This was announced here on Friday by Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister, Devendra Fadnavis. The governments move is important as the state has witnessed transition from farmers waiting for years to get grid connection for agriculture pumps to getting pumps on demand, thanks to Solar Agriculture Pump on Demand (SAPD) scheme of the state government. Advertisement He was speaking after inaugurating a registration website for farmers for the SAPD scheme developed by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL). He also published a booklet about the scheme and a poster. A scheme will be launched so that surplus power generated in solar panels of agriculture pumps can be sent to the grid and be sold to power companies so that farmers will get additional income. Thus, farmers will be earning money by selling power instead of paying power bills, said Fadnavis. He said that before 2014, there was serious problem of paid pending cases. After that during his government, emphasis was given on providing power connections to farmers. Now thanks to SAPD, farmers are getting solar pumps on demand with 90 per cent subsidy. Due to solar pumps, farmers are getting day time quality power supply. They wont be required to pay bills for the next 25 years as there will be solar power generation for that period. If we consider a 7.5 HP pump, then a farmer will save Rs 10 lakh in a 25-year period. This scheme has been implemented on the basis of the PM Kusum B scheme, he added. He said that under the Mukhyamantri Saur Krushi Vahini Yojana 2.0, agreements for 12,000 MW have been done and projects have started. Power generation will start from those projects with full capacity in the next two years. Hence farmers will get 100 per cent solar energy for irrigation. Apart from farmers getting green energy, a lot of funds for subsidy and cross subsidy will be saved, he added. MahaVitaran CMD Lokesh Chandra said there has been emphasis on using renewable energy for farmers in the last two-and-a-half years. At one point of time there were 8.5 lakh farmers waiting for power connection but now the number of paid pending cases is negligible. Now paid pending problem will become history due to SAPD. Under this scheme, one million agriculture solar pumps will be installed in the state. After the scheme was launched, two lakh farmers registered and paid their share and out of them pumps have been installed in farms of 45,000 growers in the last six months and it is a record. Maharashtra is on number one position in the country regarding installation of solar pumps, he added. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Saturday said that it conducted a special drive against temporary encroachments in the South Zone of the national capital. The civic body conducted the anti-encroachment drive following complaints about vendors and occupiers occupying unauthorised spaces. Taking cognisance of the complaints received by the South Zone of Municipal Corporation of Delhi regarding vendors and occupiers, a joint temporary encroachment removal drive was successfully executed by the MCD under the leadership of the Deputy Commissioner (South Zone), the MCD said. Advertisement The South Zone of the MCD had been receiving a number of complaints regarding vendors and squatters, the civic body said. Deputy Commissioner (South Zone) informed that the vendors and squatters were found to be hindering vehicular and pedestrian movement. Besides, vendors were blocking footpaths and vending on roads, causing significant inconvenience to the general public, the MCD said. For the removal of such vendors and squatters, a joint temporary encroachment removal drive was successfully executed and temporary encroachment from the footpaths and roads from the entire stretch from the IIT gate to the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare were removed, it said. In the coming week, the MCD will intensify temporary encroachment removal drives to clear roads and footpaths, it added. Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh on Saturday accused the BJP of spreading lies on the bail conditions of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and categorically said the Supreme Court (SC) has not imposed any restriction on Kejriwal. Addressing a press conference, Singh said, After Arvind Kejriwal got bail, the BJP members are shouting at the top of their voice that many restrictions have been imposed on him. The BJP is spreading lies. Attacking the BJP, the AAP MP said, BJP people are saying Arvind Kejriwal cannot sign, cannot work as CM. Why are they so excited? The BJP wants to stop the work of Delhi people. Have they read the court order? CM Kejriwal does not have any department. All the ministers do their own work and sign their own files. Kejriwal signs only those files which are sent to the LG for approval. Advertisement He said the SC has not stopped him from signing the files which will go to the LG. Kejriwal will continue to work as the CM of Delhi like before, and will keep fighting for the people of Delhi to get them their rights. Not a single work of the people of Delhi will stop. The SC has not stopped the Delhi government and Kejriwal from doing any work. He has the right to sign every important file that goes to the LG, Singh said. Stating that Kejriwal is a popular CM of Delhi, he said, After Independence, he is the first CM who has done exemplary work in the fields of electricity, water, education and health, and will continue to do so. On the 2025 Assembly elections in Delhi, Singh said, The people of Delhi will get your (BJP candidates) security deposits forfeited (in the elections) and then you will come to your senses. A shopkeeper and his helper were beaten black and blue before being arrested by police in the Loni area for serving juice mixed with urine. People claimed to have found a can filled with urine from a juice shop, which was handed over to the police. Later, the police reached the spot and arrested shopkeeper Aamir. Based on peoples information, a case was also registered against him. A minor employee working at his shop was also arrested. Advertisement ACP (Ankur Vihar) Bhaskar Verma said on Saturday that the police received information on Friday that a juice seller had been serving fruit juice to customers after mixing human urine into it. The police searched the shop and recovered a cane filled with approximately 1 kg of urine. We interrogated the owner about the container filled with urine but he failed to give any satisfactory reply. The accused, namely Aamir, and his co-worker, a minor, have been arrested. Investigation is underway, the ACP said. The ACP told media persons that during police interrogation, the accused admitted he used to urinate in the can because there was no place nearby to relieve himself. When people saw the can, they thought he was mixing urine with juice. Amir, who hails from Bahraich, had opened the juice shop one and a half months ago. However, eyewitnesses claimed that they had seen him mixing urine from a can in a glass of juice. People also claimed that the shopkeeper confessed to his mistake and pleaded for forgiveness when people thrashed him severely. The ACP said that the can containing urine raised suspicion among people. He added that samples from the can have been sent to the lab for testing. Action will be taken against him on the basis of the report, he added. After 6 years of its release, Rahi Anil Barves cult folk-horror Tumbaad recently re-released in theatres. Achieving an impressive milestone, the opening day re-release collection beat the original first-day sale by a whopping 1 crore margin. While in 2018, its Friday collection was 65 lakhs, the first-day collection upon re-release boasts a staggering figure of 1.65 crores. Additionally,upon its initial release, the film produced and headlined by Soham Shah, was lauded by critics and fans alike. Over the years, it has become a cult horror film and has amassed a massive fanbase. Amid the historic success of the re-release, the makers have announced the awaited sequel Tumbbad 2 after 6 years. Taking to his Instagram account on Saturday, Sohum announced the sequel with a tantalising teaser. The video features the 2018 films characters Vinayak and his son Pandurang. A voiceover by Sohum Shah teases, Samay ka pahiya gol hai, jo beet gaya woh fir laut ke aayegadarwaaza bhi ek baar phir khulega (Time moves in circles. What happened in the past will return again The door will reopen). To this, his sons character asks, Yeh, wapas khulega toh Hastar bhi fir ayega? (If it opens again, will Hastar return?). Ending the trailer on a high, Shah responds, Pralay, Pralay ayega (cataclysm will come). Catch it here: Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sohum Shah Films (@sohumshahfilms) Exuding dark and ominous vibes, the teaser has set social media ablaze as fans await further details in anticipation. Meanwhile, given the success of the first film, netizens have high expectations for the sequel. It is expected to be grander and more intense. Also Read: Tumbbad re-release: Kriti Sanon, Gajraj Rao hail horror classic In a statement by Shahs PR team, they shared their plans for the sequel film. Tumbbad has been a special journey and a labour of love for us. And to see the love it continues to receive is overwhelming and only ratifies our belief and ethos of Sohum Shah Films, that content is king. With Tumbbad 2, we want to push the cinematic experience and boundaries even further. Tumbbad 2 will take audiences deeper into the world weve created, with bigger twists and a more intense exploration of what happens when greed knows no limits. The 2018 hit, Tumbbad chronicled the story of Vinayak and his son who embarked on a herculean mission. He descends into greed and obsession with acquiring Hastars (a monster who is never to be worshipped) cursed wealth. As they are determined to find what they seek, they face catastrophic consequences. Meanwhile, Tumbbad became the first Indian film to screen at the Venice International Film Festival with its premiere at the 75th edition. Developed on a budget of 5 crores, it collected around 15 crores on its initial release. Moreover, the film received 8 nominations at the 64th Filmfare Awards, and took home 3 prestigious awards. The trial run of Chhattisgarhs second Vande Bharat Express was disrupted on Friday night when stones were thrown at the train near Bagbahra Railway Station, Mahasamund district. The attack on the train raised security concerns days before the official inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The train, on its return journey from Visakhapatnam, came under attack at around 9:00 pm. The Railway Police arrested five individuals, including Shiv Kumar Baghel, brother of Tamradhwaj Baghel, Youth Congress president of Khallari constituency, and brother-in-law of local councillor Khileshwari Baghel. Advertisement The other accused have been identified as Devendra Chandrakar, Jeetu Tandi, Lekhraj Sonwani, and Arjun Yadav. All five, aged between 25 and 30, are residents of the Bagbahra area and have been charged under Section 153 of the Railway Act. Investigations are on to determine the motive behind the attack. The isolated nature of the spot and lack of regular monitoring are believed to have contributed to the incident. The Vande Bharat Express, during its trial run, maintained a speed of 130 km/h and completed its journey in a record 8 hours and 15 minutes. The official launch of the service, which will significantly improve connectivity in the region, is set to be held virtually by Prime Minister Modi on September 16. The introduction of the Vande Bharat Express is seen as a significant step forward in bolstering regional rail infrastructure. However, the stone-pelting incident has highlighted the need for enhanced security measures to safeguard critical assets. Authorities are expected to increase vigilance along the route to ensure passenger safety and prevent further incidents. "We have been there for several years, and we will continue to come in the coming years. That's for sure," said Henning Kristoffersen, Commercial Counselor of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, at the ongoing 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). The Norwegian official said that the five-day event exemplifies China's efforts of "inviting foreign companies to come in and access the market." Produced by Xinhua Global Service Emotions ran high as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal returned to his residence on Civil Lines Road after being released from Tihar jail on Friday night. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, visibly elated with the return of their chief, joined his family in a heartfelt welcome. His parents and wife, Sunita Kejriwal, greeted him with Aarti and garlands, marking a joyous reunion. The atmosphere was charged with celebration as Arvind Kejriwals supporters and senior leaders of the party, including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, and Bhagwant Mann, embraced him warmly. Kejriwal held a roadshow from Chandgiram Akhara to his official residence after being released from the Tihar jail and said, The prison walls have increased my courage 100 times. My life is dedicated to the country. Every drop of my blood is dedicated to my country. God has always supported me. Why did God support me? Because I was truthful, I was right; I served the people; I fought for the country; that is why God is with me. Advertisement I express my gratitude to the countrymen who prayed for my release. Some people in the country, anti-national forces, want to weaken the country, want to divide the country. Today judges are being threatened. Attempts are being made to weaken the Election Commission. We have to fight against this. My fault is not that I have committed corruption, my fault is that I have spoken against such anti-national forces. I will continue to fight against such forces, he added. He was released from Tihar Jail on Friday evening, hours after the Supreme Court granted him bail in a corruption case related to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam. Kejriwals lawyers furnished surety bonds for his release before the special CBI judge, citing the Supreme Court ruling. Upon his release, Kejriwal was welcomed by a large crowd of AAP leaders and supporters outside the Tihar jail. His supporters celebrated outside his residence with firecrackers. The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Kejriwal, saying prolonged incarceration amounts to unjust deprivation of liberty. The apex court also put certain conditions on Kejriwals release, including that he shall not make any public comments about the case and shall be present for all hearings before the trial court unless exempted. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with the case. On May 10, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail till June 1 in the money laundering case registered by the ED in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy. However, the court ordered that he should not visit the Office of the Chief Minister or the Delhi Secretariat. In compliance with this directive, he surrendered on June 2. On June 26, he was arrested by the CBI while in ED custody in the excise case. On July 12, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in the ED case, but Delhis Rouse Avenue Court extended his CBI custody. Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Amit Shah has stated that the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is boosting exports to ensure that farmers receive a fair price for their crops, allowing them to earn maximum value for their produce. In a post on X platform, he said keeping the welfare of farmers paramount, the Modi government has made three important decisions: it has decided to remove the Minimum Export Price (MEP) on onions and reduce the export duty from 40% to 20%. This will increase onion exports, resulting in a rise in income for onion-producing farmers; Advertisement it has also decided to remove the MEP on Basmati rice, enabling Basmati rice-producing farmers to export and earn higher profits; and it has decided to increase the duty on the import of crude palm, soyabean, and sunflower oils from 12.5% to 32.5% and on their refined oils from 13.75% to 35.75%. This will ensure that Indian soybean farmers receive better prices for their crops, thus increasing their income. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that Gyanvapi, which some people refer to as a mosque, is actually Vishwanath ji himself. The CM made this statement addressing the inaugural session of an international seminar on the Contribution of Nathpanth in the Creation of a Harmonious Society at Deendayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University. The two-day seminar was jointly organized by Gorakhpur University and Hindustani Academy Prayagraj. Advertisement During the program at Deeksha Bhavan, Yogi Adityanath elaborated on the tradition of saints and sages, describing it as a force that unites society and the nation. He spoke in detail about Adi Shankar, born in Kerala, who established key Peethas for religion and spirituality across the country. When Adi Shankar arrived in Kashi, Lord Vishwanath sought to test him. As Adi Shankar went to bathe in the Ganga during Brahma Muhurta, Lord Vishwanath appeared before him disguised as an untouchable. When Adi Shankar asked him to step aside, Lord Vishwanath, still in that form, challenged him, asking, If you are truly full of Advaita knowledge, you should not see only the physical body. If Brahma is the ultimate truth, then I possess the same Brahma as you, he stated. The CM added, When the stunned Adi Shankar asked the untouchable Lord for his identity, he revealed, I am the very one for whose worship (Adi Shankar) has come to KashiGyanvapi. The Chief Minister emphasized that Gyanvapi is an embodiment of Lord Vishwanath. Stating that the tradition of Indian sages and saints has always been a force for unity, the Chief Minister remarked that this tradition has valued an egalitarian and harmonious society since ancient times. Our saints and sages have consistently emphasized that physical untouchability is not only a barrier to spiritual practice but also an obstacle to national unity and integrity. The Chief Minister further noted that if more attention had been given to eliminating untouchability, the country might never have been enslaved. The tradition of saints never prioritized untouchability within society, and this is also the ethos of the Nathpanth. The Nathpanth respects all castes, sects, religions, and regions, striving to bring everyone together. He added that the Nath sect, on one hand, focuses on spiritual elevation through physical purification, while on the other, it makes efforts to unify every section of society. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted that the words, verses, and couplets of Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath emphasize societal connection and harmony, adding that his leadership is well-known for enhancing social cohesion. He cited Malik Muhammad Jayasis lines: Binu Guru Panth Na Paiye, Jo Bhule Se Bhet, Jogi Siddh Hoi Tid, Jab Gorakh Saun Bhet, and mentioned how Saint Kabirdas praised his glory, while Goswami Tulsidas wrote, Gorakh jagayo jog, Bhakti bhagayo log nigam niyog se. The Chief Minister noted that the enduring influence of the Nathpanth tradition is evident not only across India but also internationally. He recounted his meeting with a prominent saint from Tamil Nadu in Ayodhya, who provided manuscripts of Nathpanth from remote areas of Tamil Nadu. Many places of worship and traditions linked to Gorakhnath Ji still exist, he remarked. He observed that Maharashtra maintains a tradition of reading Navnaths similar to the Ramcharitmanas, and predicted that the Nathpanth tradition would continue to expand in states like Punjab, Sindh, Tripura, Assam, Bengal, and beyond Greater India, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Tibet, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Emphasizing the importance of preserving Nathpanth symbols, he suggested that the Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath Shodhpeeth at Gorakhpur University could lead efforts to create a museum to document and store these traditions. He urged the Shodh Peeth to compile all aspects and symbols of Nathpanth into an Encyclopedia. The Chief Minister stated that Nathpanth has always adapted its role to fit the countrys needs, times, and circumstances. When external threats began to emerge in the country, the Yogis of Nathpanth raised awareness about these dangers through their music. Similarly, Nathpanth has led efforts in challenging social stereotypes. It is indeed a great fortune that Mahayogi Gorakhnath Ji blessed Gorakhpur with his spiritual practices. On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasized that Hindi is a practical language for uniting the country and is derived from Sanskrit, the language of the Gods. He referenced Bharatendu Harishchandras concept of Nij Bhasha Unnati, noting that Harishchandras passion for the language continues to inspire people. He pointed out: If our language and sentiments are not our own, progress will be hindered at every level. The Chief Minister commended the Central Government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership, for promoting Hindi both in India and globally over the past decade. The Chief Minister also released several publications on the occasion. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Saturday that Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to make a provision for property seizure in cases of illegal and spurious liquor. He said that the state government was taking strict measures against those involved in the trade of illegal and spurious liquor. Recently, amendments were made to the Himachal Pradesh Excise Act 2011 during the monsoon session of the State Assembly, tightening the noose against individuals involved in unlawful activities. The most significant amendment is the introduction of a provision allowing for the seizure of property belonging to individuals involved in illegal activities, as well as their relatives and associates, an aspect previously missing from the Act. Himachal Pradesh is the first state in the country to implement this provision. Furthermore, to enhance its effectiveness, these offences have now been made cognisable and non-bailable, he said. Advertisement Sukhu further said that the new provisions will go a long way in controlling illegal liquor trade activities, as the amendments also include increased penalties and longer durations of punishment under various sections of the Act. The illegal sale of liquor to minors or their use as sales personnel is a serious crime and to address this, the new law included provisions for penalties, such as six months of imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs 50,000. He added that in order to ensure effective implementation of these provisions, enforcement agencies are being empowered, he said. The establishment of an Excise Police force has also been proposed to expedite the handling of excise cases and discourage illegal activities, he added. Recalling the Hooch Tragedy in Mandi district in 2022, where eight people lost their lives due to the consumption of spurious liquor, he assured that stringent provisions were being implemented to avoid a recurrence of such incidents in the future. The state government was taking defining steps to combat the menace of drug abuse. The recruitment process for over 1,200 constables is underway, with a specific focus on effectively tackling such issues, the Chief Minister said. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has condoled the demise of Sepoy Arvind Singh, who attained martyrdom during an encounter with terrorists on Friday in Baramulla of Jammu and Kashmir. Arvind Singh hailed from Hathol Khas village in Kangoo of Nadaun assembly constituency, which falls in Hamirpur district. The Chief Minister said that it was deeply painful to lose a brave heart and said that he would live forever in the hearts of the people of India. Advertisement He also expressed deep condolences to the grief-stricken family members. Sukhu prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed soul and give strength to the family and friends to bear this irreparable loss. He said that the state government was standing firm with the family of the soldier and would provide all possible help in this hour of distress. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri has also expressed deep sorrow over the demise of the soldier and said that the people of India are indebted to him for his selfless service to the nation. His supreme sacrifice would be remembered forever, he said. Agnihotri offered deep condolences to the grief-stricken family members and prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the family members to bear this irreparable loss. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Saturday addressed the Official Language Diamond Jubilee Celebrations to mark the 75 years of the acceptance of the Hindi language as the official language of the Union. Mr Shah said 14th September is celebrated as Hindi Diwas as on this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India accepted Hindi as the official language of the Union. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, greeted citizens on the occasion of Hindi Day. In a message, he said he was able to connect with so many people only because he knew Hindi. Hindi can be a link between all Indian languages, he said. Advertisement The Home Minister said Hindi is a friend of all Indian languages and they complement each other. Whether it is Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil or Bangla, every language strengthens Hindi and Hindi strengthens every language, the Home Minister said. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a lot of work has been done to strengthen Hindi and local languages in the last 10 years. The Prime Minister has proudly addressed many international forums in Hindi and has put forward the importance of Hindi not only in the country but across the world. The Home Minister addressed the 4th Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan also and released the Diamond Jubilee Special Issue of the Rajbhasha Bharati magazine. He released a commemorative postage stamp and commemorative coin to mark the Diamond Jubilee. He presented the Rajbhasha Gaurav and Rajbhasha Kirti Awards and launched the Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhaag (Indian Languages Section). Mr Shah said that a new tool Kanthasth has been developed in the past 10 years. Work has been done to establish Hindi prominently in government work. In the coming days, the Department of Official Language is also bringing a portal for translation from Hindi to all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule, through which we will be able to translate any letter or speech into all languages in a very short time using Artificial Intelligence, he said. He said that the Indian Languages Section will become the centre for the protection of Indian languages. The Indian Languages Section will become a supplementary section of the Department of Official Language, because the promotion of the official language cannot take place until we strengthen all our local languages and establish a dialogue between the official language and other Indian languages. The Home Minister said that those who do not incorporate Swaraj, Swadharma and Swabhasha cannot free their future generations from slave mentality. Swabhasha is included in the definition of Swaraj itself. He said a country and people who cannot protect their languages, get cut off from their history, literature, culture, and their future generations continue living with a slave mentality. He said that in the new education policy, the Prime Minister has stressed on imparting primary education in mother tongue. The easiest language for a child to process linguistic expression, thinking, understanding, reasoning, analysis and reaching a decision is through his/her mother tongue. He said that for this reason Prime Minister Modi has laid great emphasis on imparting education in mother tongue. The Home Minister said that today is the day to strengthen all the languages of India and to make the official language the connecting language of the country through which we can carry out the work of our country in our own languages. He said the Department of Official Language has done a lot of work towards making Hindi accommodative and acceptable. He said Hindi can never be polluted with assimilation of words from other Indian languages because Hindi is like mother Ganges and will always remain sacred. Many words are not in Hindi but in other local languages and we have accepted them. Mr Shah said that the languages of India can only be strengthened by Hindi and vice versa. He said that today files and correspondences in the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Cooperation are being written in Hindi. Language is an expression, and expression is effective when it is in ones own language, the Home Minister said. India Saturday advocated recognition of culture as a standalone goal in the post-2030 global development agenda, highlighting its transformative potential in driving economic growth, social inclusion, and sustainable development. This is in sync with Indias own cultural renaissance efforts, aimed at preserving and promoting its rich cultural heritage while fostering innovation and creativity, said Culture Secretary Arun Chawla at the ninth BRICS Culture Ministers Meeting in St. Petersburg. He emphasised the need to place culture at the heart of global development strategies, to use it as a tool for empowerment, inclusion, and mutual understanding. Advertisement The Indian official reiterated Indias commitment to harnessing the power of culture for sustainable development and global cooperation. This aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of convergence between Culture Creativity, Commerce and Collaboration for building an equal, sustainable and inclusive world. He also stressed the importance of creative industries, innovation, and job creation, emphasizing the need for BRICS nations to leverage their collective cultural strengths to drive economic growth and social development. The promotion of people-to-people exchanges, grassroots cultural diplomacy, and education were also highlighted as key areas of focus for Indias cultural cooperation agenda. The four-member Indian delegation for BRICS Culture Ministers meeting and International United Cultures Forum, led by Mr Chawla, included Joint Secretary Lily Pandeya, Yashveer Singh Director and Shah Faesal, Deputy Secretary Ministry of Culture. By prioritising culture, India aims to strengthen BRICS nations collective response to global challenges, promote mutual understanding and respect, and create a more inclusive and culturally resonant global community. This vision is in line with the BRICS spirit of cooperation and mutual support, and Indias leadership in cultural diplomacy is expected to play a significant role in shaping the groupings cultural agenda in the years to come. Hours before the election rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Doda on Saturday, a junior commissioned officer (JCO) among two soldiers killed in a gunfight with terrorists on Friday evening in the Chhatroo area of the neighbouring Kishtwar district of Jammu. On the other hand, three Pakistani terrorists have been killed in an overnight encounter between the security forces and terrorists at Chak Tapper Kreeri in North Kashmirs Baramulla. The Army has identified the martyred soldiers as Naib Subedar Vipan Kumar and Sepoy Arvind Singh. Advertisement The two Army men, who succumbed to their injuries, were among four soldiers injured in the gunfight with terrorists in the forest area in the Kishtwar district. Two to three terrorists believed to be trapped in the cordon by security forces managed to escape. A massive hunt has been launched in the forest area. The White Knight Corps of the Indian Army wrote on X; Based on the intelligence inputs, a joint operation with J&K Police was launched in the Chatroo area at Kishtwar. A contact was established and the scout leading the patrol exchanged a heavy volume of fire with the terrorists at 1530 hrs. In the ensuing firefight four army personnel were injured. The operation is in progress. Top brass and all ranks of the Northern Command and the White Knight Corps have paid tributes to the martyred soldiers. Additional troops have been rushed to the spot, sources said. The district Police of Kishtwar said The exchange of fire has taken place between search teams of security forces and hiding terrorists at Pingnal Dugadda forest area, upper reaches of Naidgham village under the jurisdiction of Police Station Chhatroo, District Kishtwar. The Army on Wednesday eliminated two Pakistani terrorists in the forest area in the Kathua district. Meanwhile, security forces have busted a terrorist hideout in the Poonch district. Police said that on specific information a joint search operation was launched by Police, Army and CRPF in the general area of Chamerd Surankot in the wee hours. The area was cordoned off and the target area was searched, during the search the security forces were fired upon by the hiding militants. However the fire was retaliated by the security forces. Taking advantage of the thick forest cover the terrorists managed to slip away. Additional forces have been pushed in and the whole area is cordoned off. During the search security forces busted a hideout and recovered some arms, ammunition and eatables. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Saturday, visited agitating junior doctors at Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata with a request to resume thier duty. The doctors are protesting against the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Addressing the protesters, the West Bengal CM said, I have come forward by leading the student movement, I have also struggled a lot in my life, I understand your struggle. I am not worried about my position. It rained all night yesterday, you were sitting here protesting, I was worried all night. Advertisement Ms Banerjee assured the junior doctors that she will study their demands and find a solution. After listening to your demands, I will study them. I do not run the government alone, I will definitely find a solution by studying your demands with senior officials. Whoever is found guilty will definitely be punished. I am asking for some time from you, she said in a Bengali. The Bengal chief minister requested the the protesting doctors to return to work, saying the state government will not take any action against them. The state government will not take any action against you (protesting doctors). I request you to return to work All the work related to the development, infrastructure, security of the hospital has been started and will be done further, she added. The doctors have been protesting following the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Hospital, defying both a Supreme Court order and the governments repeated appeals. Earlier on Thursday, the doctors refused to turn up for a meeting called by Ms Banerjee to address their concern and end the deadlock. She reportedly waited for nearly one and half hours but the doctors remained outside the meeting venue. They had demanded for a live telecast of their meeting with Banerjee. However, West Bengal Chief Secretary, Manoj Pant, conveyed that while live streaming was not feasible, the entire session would be documented through video recording. As the death of Mangesh Yadav in an encounter with the police continued to be in the limelight Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav accused the Uttar Pradesh Police of fake encounters. Mangesh Yadav was abducted from his home and killed. I met his family yesterday to know the truth. The UP Police is conspiring and carrying out fake encounters before pressurising the family members to sing to their tunes, he alleged. Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Akhilesh Yadav, referring to a statement given by the family of the deceased, said anyone can give any statement due to the fear of the police. Advertisement He was honouring litterateurs, poets and journalists on the occasion of Hindi Diwas. When asked about his statement comparing saints in Ayodhya with mafias, Akhilesh Yadav, citing BSPs slogan calling to hit Brahmins with shoes, asked why didnt these people express their displeasure. The saints of Ayodhya have taken exception to the intemperate remark made by the SP chief. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activists held a massive protest in Lucknow against the Yadavs statement. The activists raised slogans against the SP president and demanded an apology from him. Reacting on the BSP supremo Mayawatis blame on the SP over breaking the alliance after 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Akhilesh Yadav said, The SP-BSP alliance was poised to change the politics of the country but we were cheated. It is a very small matter as to who did not answer whose phone call. When I got the information about the break of the alliance, a BSP leader was sitting with me on the stage. I asked him why BSP broke the alliance. He said both you and I have been cheated, SP President revealed. On the SP contesting elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Akhilesh Yadav said small states have good opportunities to become a national level party. On the allegations of land grabbing leveled against BJP leaders in Ayodhya, he said this is happening in the entire state. Their leaders are occupying not only the land but even the pond, he charged. BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes U.S. abuse of Section 301 to hike tariffs on some Chinese goods, the Ministry of Commerce said Saturday. The Office of the United States Trade Representative on Friday announced final modifications concerning the statutory review of the tariff actions toward China under Section 301. China has repeatedly lodged solemn representations with the U.S. side concerning the Section 301 tariffs, said a spokesperson for the ministry. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has already ruled that the Section 301 tariffs violate WTO rules. However, instead of rectifying its wrongdoings, the U.S. side further increases tariffs on Chinese products, adding one mistake to another, said the spokesperson. The move is a typical practice of unilateralism and trade protectionism, said the spokesperson, adding that it seriously undermines the international trade order, as well as the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains. Moreover, the move not only fails to solve the United States' own problems concerning trade deficits and industrial competitiveness, but also pushes up prices of U.S. imports and forces U.S. companies and consumers to bear the additional costs. The 2024 Report on WTO Compliance of the United States, which was released Thursday by the ministry, once again expressed serious concern over the U.S. abuse of Section 301, and pointed out that the United States is a "disrupter of global industrial and supply chains." The U.S. side had previously sought public opinions on the results of the Section 301 tariff review. The majority of opinions either opposed the imposition of additional tariffs or requested broader tariff exemptions. "This shows the Section 301 tariffs are unpopular among the U.S. public," said the spokesperson. The United States should rectify its wrongdoings immediately and remove all additional tariffs on Chinese goods, the spokesperson said, adding that China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the interests of Chinese enterprises. Hundreds of Bajrang Dal activists staged a protest and waved black flags while raising slogans against a Madhya Pradesh cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer at Bhopal alleging the officer indulges in Anti-Hindu activities. The Hindu activists reached outside the Government Railway Police (GRP) Station in Bhopal on Saturday morning, expecting that the newly appointed GRP SP, Rahul Kumar Lodha, would come to take charge today. However, the officer did not reach there. Nonetheless, the Bajrang Dal activists raised slogans and also recited a Sunder Kand Paath, as a mark of protest. Advertisement The right wing Hindu outfit is enraged with the IPS officer, mainly due to his action in a recent incident of alleged stone pelting on a Ganesh idol procession in the Mochipura area of Ratlam district. Lodha was the Ratlam SP during the incident. He fact-checked a complaint of right- wing outfits over pelting of a stone on a Ganesh procession at Ganesh Chaturthi on 7 September night by personally visiting the spot at Mochipura area in Ratlam. However, when Lodha led a team to the spot, more than 500 right wing activists also followed him despite being asked to go away. Clash between police and the protesters took place. Following stone pelting, the police registered a case against around 150 persons, including about a dozen Hindu outfit leaders, the next day. Several people credited Lodha for taking swift action and de-escalating the tension and preventing a major communal riot. However, the right-wing organisations, Bajrang Dal and Hindu religious heads spilled onto the roads in Ratlam against police action and alleged that a member of the Hindu community had died following lathi charge by police on protesters at Mochipura. The state government subsequently removed Lodha and transferred him as GRP SP to Bhopal after the incident. Bajrang Dal leader Dinesh Yadav told some media persons at Bhopal that Rahul Kumar Lodha had misinformed the government over the attack on Ganesh procession by a community in Ratlam. Yadav alleged that the police registered an FIR against Hindu community members only. Yadav also claimed that the police cane charged on the Hindus and a Hindu sustained grievous wounds and succumbed to the injuries. We want to warn him (Lodha) that the way he indulged in anti-Hindu activities wont be tolerated, Yadav averred. If his attitude does not change, the Bajrang Dal will carry on its protest wherever he goes to take charge of new assignments, he declared. In the meantime, we request the administration and government that such an officer should be dismissed from the service, Yadav demanded. Rahul Kumar Lodha, an MP cadre IPS officer of 2011 batch, is expected to take charge as SP GRP Bhopal on September 18. A ragpicker was injured following an explosion near Blochmann Street and SN Banerjee Road in central Kolkata on Thursday afternoon. According to the Kolkata Police, the incident took place around 1.45 pm, and the victim was promptly rushed to NRS Medical College and Hospital. He suffered injuries to his right wrist. Information was received around 1.45 pm regarding an explosion at the crossing of Blochmann Street and SN Banerjee Road. One ragpicker was injured and taken to NRS Hospital with injuries to his right wrist, stated an official from the Kolkata Police. Advertisement The area was swiftly cordoned off, and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) was dispatched to the scene. The BDDS team conducted a thorough examination of the area and the traffic was resumed after their clearance. Eyewitnesses described the explosion as loud and frightening. We were standing nearby when the explosion occurred. We rushed to the scene and found the ragpicker lying on the ground, injured. The police responded quickly and transported him to the hospital. Traffic was blocked for a while, an eyewitness recounted. The explosion that comes amid Durga Puja preparations has triggered concerns about public safety in the heart of the city. Following the incident, Dr Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State for Education and Development of the North Eastern Region, wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking a thorough investigation into the incident. Expressing his serious concern over the blast, Majumdar urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to initiate a detailed probe, recommending that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or another central agency lead the inquiry. Given the seriousness of the incident and its potential implications for public safety, a comprehensive investigation is essential to determine the cause of this explosion, Majumdar stated in the letter. He further emphasised that swift action is necessary to maintain public confidence and bring the perpetrators to justice. Hitting out at, what he called as the Congress, Abdullah and Mufti dynasties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are a fight between the three families and the new leadership. Modi, while addressing an election rally in Jammus Doda town, said one family belongs to Congress, another to the National Conference and yet another to the PDP who exploited the youth and suppressed their aspirations. This is the first election rally of Modi held ahead of the first phase of Assembly polls scheduled on 18 September. Advertisement What these three families together have done to you people in Jammu and Kashmir is no less than a sin, he said adding that the three dynasties will be standing against the aspirational youth of Jammu and Kashmir in these elections. They are responsible for ruining Jammu and Kashmir for decades, he said. This time, the election is going to decide the fate of J&K. Since independence, J&K has been targeted by foreign powers. After this, the three dynasties started hollowing out this beautiful region. The political parties you trusted here did not care about your children. Those political parties only promoted their own children, he contended. He said, The youth of J&K have been suffering from terrorism, the parties promoting pariwarwad were having fun by misleading you. These people have never allowed new leaders to emerge anywhere in J&K. These three families are responsible for the terrible state that J&K was in for decades. They indulged in corruption and made you struggle for your basic needs, he said. The PM contded that these families laid the foundation for terrorism and extremism in Kashmir by providing safe haven for the propagation of terrorism for personal gains. BJPs resolution and your support can bring peace, prosperity and security to Jammu and Kashmir. BJP wants to make Jammu and Kashmir developed and terror-free, he added. He urged the people to ensure that the BJP candidates win with a huge mandate and ensure a brighter future for everyone. He warned the people to be vigilant against the false promise of restoration of statehood being made by the Congress as only a BJP government would grant statehood to J&K. The agenda of Congress was to send people to jail whereas we are in the government to eradicate corruption and do good to people. Congress is spreading hatred. The National Conference and Congress have always neglected the Jammu region. They want to bring back Article 370, which will snatch reservation; will you allow them to bring back the old era of fear, the PM asked the people. He said terrorism is taking its last breath in Jammu and Kashmir where his government projected a new leadership to counter dynastic politics which has destroyed this beautiful region. We and you together will make Jammu and Kashmir a secure and prosperous part of the country. He said his government focused on carving out a young leadership soon after we came to power at the centre in 2014. Thanking people for having come out in large numbers in the rally, Modi said I will repay this love and blessings of yours by working twice and thrice as hard for you and the country. Together we will build a safe and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir and this is Modis guarantee. Modi said I want every child in Jammu and Kashmir to have access to good education. Over the past few years, the BJP government has opened various schools and colleges in J&K for the betterment of the youth. The long-standing demand for a medical college in Doda was also fulfilled recently by the BJP government. He further said, We are connecting the remote parts of Jammu and Kashmir by rail. People of Ramban district, Doda Kishtwar and Kashmir Valley can reach Delhi directly by train; we will fulfil this dream of yours. The Ramban station is ready and the trial run has also started. Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, once quipped, Drama is life with the dull bits cut out. In his case, however, it wasnt just the dull bitsHitchcock had a knack for turning the mundane into the macabre, and a stroll down a quiet hallway into a pulse-racing ordeal. Whether its birds inexplicably waging war on humanity or a charming man with mother issues inviting you to a remote motel, Hitchcock never failed to make us reconsider the everyday. So grab your popcorn, but maybe keep an eye on the birds outside, because in Hitchcocks world, danger is always closer than you think. Early life Sir Alfred Hitchcock was born on 13 August 1899 in London, England. A master of suspense, his films were laced with dark humour and a rather grim take on the human experience. Hitchcocks childhood in Londons East End came with a ghostly backdrop: the shadow of Jack the Ripper still loomed large, with whispers of the notorious killer circulating long after the murders. Though he had two siblings, Alfred remembered his youth as a solitary affair, thanks to a father whose disciplinary methods were, lets say, creative. One infamous incident had young Alfred marched to the local police station with a note from his father, leading to a brief, yet terrifying, stint behind barsplanting the seeds for his lifelong fear of small spaces and wrongful imprisonment, themes that would later crawl into his films. As if that werent enough, his doting mother smothered him with watchful eyes and endless meals, providing both the foundation for his signature paunch and a lasting appreciation for the macabre. Advertisement Lets take three quintessential Hitchcock films that showcase his genius for playing with suspense in entirely different ways: Psycho, The Birds and North by Northwest. Each offers its own distinct flavour of thrill, proving that Hitchcock could serve up psychological terror, apocalyptic dread and high-flying adventure with equal flair. Psycho (1960) Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho is the cinematic equivalent of a perfectly set trapcarefully baited, meticulously timed and impossible to escape. From its opening shot to its unforgettable finale, the film plays with audience expectations like Norman Bates plays with taxidermy. With a shower scene that made people fear their own bathrooms, Hitchcock didnt just break the rules of filmmaking; he rewrote them in a new language of tension and terror. The story, deceptively simple, begins with Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) deciding to run off with a bag full of stolen money, thinking her biggest problem is getting caught. But Psycho being Psycho, her plansand quite literally her lifeare cut short by Norman Bates, a shy, soft-spoken young man with a not-so-soft-spoken mother. With what follows, Hitchcock gleefully toys with the audiences sympathies, initially setting us up to root for Marion, only to pivot and put us in the hands of a charming lunatic. Cinematographically, Psycho is a masterclass in visual storytelling. His use of light and shadow is nothing short of masterfuleach scene is carefully lit to enhance tension and create an unnerving atmosphere. Take the Bates Motel, for example: a seemingly innocuous roadside stop bathed in soft light, which somehow makes it even creepier. The interiors, on the other hand, are claustrophobic and shadowy, with the taxidermy-filled parlour practically screaming, This guy is not okay. Then theres the famous shower scene, arguably the most analysed and imitated 45 seconds of film ever made. Hitchcocks use of fast cuts, extreme close-ups and the absence of direct violence on screen is a stroke of genius. Bernard Herrmanns screeching violins amplify the horror, but its Hitchcocks refusal to show too much that does the real damage. Viewers are left filling in the blanks with their imaginations, and in true Hitchcock fashion, what we imagine is always far worse. The camera in Psycho is more than a passive observer; its an accomplice in the suspense. Hitchcock employs it like a peeping tom, whether its slowly creeping toward a closed door or giving us a birds-eye view of Marions car sinking into a swamp. Even the showerhead is given a close-up, as if were being pulled into the very drain along with Marion. The stark black-and-white cinematography adds to the bleak, unsettling vibe, stripping away any sense of comfort or normalcy. Its almost as if the film itself is shot through the eyes of Norman Bateseverything looks innocent at first glance, but upon closer inspection, something is terribly off. The Birds (1963) Alfred Hitchcocks The Birds turns an innocent trip to the pet store into a full-blown avian apocalypse. Its a film that takes the everyday and twists it into a slow, creeping nightmarebecause what could be more innocent than birds? That is, until they decide to turn on humanity and remind us that perhaps were not at the top of the pecking order after all. The story starts off innocuously enough, with socialite Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) flirting her way into a small California town to pull a prank on lawyer Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor). You think youre in for a breezy romantic comedy, but no, Hitchcock has other planslike weaponising seagulls. By the time the first bird dive-bombs someones head, you realise The Birds isnt about cute lovebirds in cages; its about Hitchcock caging you in a world where the rules of nature no longer apply. What sets The Birds apart is that Hitchcock never bothers to explain why the birds are revoltingno mad scientist, no chemical spill, not even a passing maybe theyre angry at global warming. Instead, he lets the randomness of the attacks make things even scarier. Its chaos for chaos sake, and the fact that our feathered friends have no motive is what makes them truly terrifying. Its Hitchcocks way of saying, There are no safe explanations herejust panic. As for the cinematography, Hitchcock uses it to unsettle from the get-go. The films opening scenes are bathed in a sunny, postcard-perfect light, with Bodega Bay looking like the ideal spot for a weekend getaway. But as the birds hostility escalates, so does the visual tension. The calm, picturesque setting begins to feel like a cruel joke, with the wide open sky slowly transforming into a menacing void. The cinematography uses extreme wide shots to show the sheer number of birds, which, instead of offering comfort, overwhelms the viewer. Theres something deeply unnerving about watching thousands of birds gather silently in a jungle gym, as if plotting their next move. Hitchcock also plays with the cameras perspective to ramp up the terror. When the birds attack, youre thrown right into the chaos, with quick cuts between screaming faces and flapping wings. In one famous sequence, Melanie watches helplessly through a window as the birds relentlessly crash against the glassa clear metaphor for the fragile illusion of human control. Hitchcock frames her like a bird in a cage, reversing the power dynamic in a way thats both brilliant and disturbing. Another standout moment is when Melanie is trapped in a telephone booth, desperately trying to avoid being pecked to death. The cinematography puts you in her shoesor, rather, in her claustrophobic glass boxas birds slam into every side, turning an everyday object into a death trap. The camera angles keep shifting, giving you no stable point of view, which only adds to the feeling that you, too, are trapped in this bird-driven nightmare. And then theres the soundor lack of it. Unlike Psycho, with its shrieking violins, The Birds doesnt rely on a traditional musical score. Instead, Hitchcock uses the eerie silence of the skies, punctuated by the dissonant squawks and flaps of wings. Its unsettling to realise that what fills the soundtrack is simply natureamplified, twisted and turned against us. In true Hitchcock fashion, The Birds doesnt end with a comforting resolution. Theres no heroic rescue, no cathartic explanationjust a chilling silence as the survivors drive off, unsure if theyll even make it to the next town. Hitchcock leaves us dangling, wondering if the birds will strike againor if theyre simply waiting for the right moment to remind us whos really in charge. North by Northwest (1959) North by Northwest is Hitchcock at his most playfulan espionage thriller wrapped in a cat-and-mouse chase, all led by a man whos very good at being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Starring Cary Grant as Roger Thornhill, an ad exec mistaken for a government agent, the film takes its audience on a wild, cross-country ride through mistaken identities, Cold War paranoia and enough mischief to make even James Bond jealous. The plot kicks off when Thornhill, whos about as far from a secret agent as one can get, is mistaken for a non-existent spy named George Kaplan. From there, hes whisked into a whirlwind of kidnappings, near-death escapes and sharp suits that never seem to wrinkle, no matter how many times hes almost killed. And lets not forget the iconic crop-duster scene where Hitchcock manages to turn a wide-open cornfield into a claustrophobic deathtrap. Who knew that being chased by a plane in the middle of nowhere could be so nerve-wracking? What makes North by Northwest so fun is that its Hitchcock doing adventure. Its less about psychological horror and more about how much you can throw at a charming, bewildered protagonist before he finally cracks. Cary Grant is at his suave best herequick with a quip, good under pressure and never without a perfectly tailored suit, even when hes scaling Mount Rushmore. Speaking of Mount Rushmore, lets talk about the cinematography. Hitchcocks love of iconic, sweeping landscapes is on full display, from New Yorks gleaming skyscrapers to the vast, barren plains of the Midwest. Cinematographer Robert Burks masterfully uses both grandiose settings and confined spaces to heighten the tension. One moment, youre marvelling at the scale of Thornhill running through the vast, open fields as a plane zooms toward him; the next, youre in the tight corridors of a train car where every glance feels like it could reveal a spy. The crop-duster scene is, of course, a visual masterpiece. Hitchcock plays with perspective brilliantlywide, desolate shots that make Thornhill look minuscule, as if swallowed by the vast landscape. This sense of isolation amplifies the tension, as theres literally nowhere to hide. The long, slow build-up, with the distant sound of the planes engine gradually getting louder, is Hitchcock at his suspenseful best. Just when you think youve had enough of staring at cornfields, the plane swoops down, and suddenly, youre in the thick of one of cinemas most famous chase sequences. Hitchcock also uses the architecture of urban spaces to his advantage. Take the United Nations scene, for instance. The stark, modernist design of the UN building contrasts with the chaotic action unfolding inside. Thornhills attempts to blend into the crowd only emphasise how out of place he is, heightening the sense of paranoia. Hitchcocks framing here is tight and claustrophobic, making the viewer feel as trapped as Thornhill does. And then theres the grand finale at Mount Rushmorea sequence thats as absurd as it is thrilling. Hitchcocks choice to stage a climactic fight on the faces of U.S. presidents is both audacious and oddly symbolic. Thornhill and his love interest, Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), dangling from the face of George Washington, perfectly encapsulate the films mix of high stakes and high style. The cinematography here is breathtaking, using the grandeur of the monument to heighten the peril and, of course, to remind us that Hitchcock was always ready to go big. In Psycho, Hitchcock is like a puppet master, slowly unravelling your mind. In The Birds, he plays the architect of chaos, creating an atmosphere where everything familiar becomes terrifying. And in North by Northwest, hes the conductor of a thrill ride, throwing twists, turns and iconic chase scenes at you with a grin. Three films, three types of suspenseone Hitchcock, endlessly clever and always ready to keep you on edge, whether youre gripping your seat in terror, watching the skies in fear or laughing at the absurdity of it all while hanging from Mount Rushmore. The first impressions of the Nicole Kidman starrer, The Perfect Couple, did mislead me. It was gorgeously mounted, set in a scenic American sea coast and had the most beautiful people serenading across the small screen. It so very much resembled one of those Hindi serials in which the characters are impeccably dressed at all times of the day and night. The Perfect Couple Netflixs latest outing seemed frivolous and even pretentious in those first minutes. But, then, I was wrong. It was glamorous, it was dazzling and the scenes were alluring. But the six-episode limited series had stuff, and resembled an Agatha Christie murder mystery where every character is a suspect, and each had a motive to kill. Brilliantly shot and mounted, it grew on me, every minute of it and I had to finish all of six hours of the show (or thereabouts) at one go. In the midst of all this opulence lavish lifestyles funded by fifth generational wealth that could buy the most expensive cars and Kashmir knits a bloody incident plays spoilsport. Set in Nantucket, Massachusetts in the U.S., a family gets together for a marriage in a 40-bedroom mansion that is nestled by the blue waters of an ocean. Kidmans Greer Garrison Winbury and Tag (Liev Schreiber) have been married for 29 years, and outwardly they are a perfect pair. But are they? Well, not really. Tag has had a string of affairs that Greer chooses to ignore, but when one of his girlfriends at the beach resort is washed ashore, it is trouble and turbulence in paradise. The couple has three sons Thomas (Jack Reynor), Benji (Billy Howle) and Will (Sam Nivola). Benji is the groom, all set to walk down the aisle with Amelia (Eve Hewson). They are madly in love with each other, a union that Greer frowns upon, losing no opportunity to savage the bride behind her back. Advertisement There are more people. Thomass pregnant wife Abby (essayed by Dakota Fanning), Shooter (Ishaan Khattar from our own Bollywood) and the faithful housekeeper Gosia (Irina Dubova). Wait a sec. Isabelle Adjani as a family friend and a couple of detectives complete the circle or almost. One of them is Donna Lynne Champlin as Nikki Henry, and what a performance. Every thought she has about each member of the motley group is written so luminously on her face. I would think that she is the queen of the drama not Kidman, not Fanning, not Hewson. Based on the 2018 novel, also titled The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand and which became a hot topic of conversation, the series helmed by Susanne Bier is flawlessly directed and smartly edited. The suspense does not suffocate you, and the beach watch has an easy going feel. Even when the body of a woman is washed ashore, the grimness of the terrible incident is not thrust on your face. In a way, the style is Hitchcockian, subtle and soft. And the atmosphere resembles a Barbara Cartland novel with a touch of the Agatha Christie mystery. A lovely cocktail, indeed. I know the reviews have been mixed, but I quite enjoyed it, because of its crispness and peppy dialogue. Do not miss out on Adjani taking French, nineteen to a dozen. And the turns and twists thrill! When the climax comes, nobody could have guessed it. The sleuths themselves could not! remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. ISTANBUL, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police have apprehended a suspect believed to have orchestrated a January attack on a church in Istanbul, local media reported on Saturday. The Ihlas News Agency said the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the General Directorate of Security conducted a joint operation in Istanbul to capture Viskhan Soltamatov, a suspected member of the Islamic State (IS). According to the agency, Soltamatov was involved in planning the assault on the Santa Maria Italian Church and was responsible for supplying the weapon used. The attack, which occurred on January 28 during prayer in the Sariyer district, resulted in the death of a Turkish citizen. Intelligence and risk analyses by MIT revealed that Soltamatov was operating in Turkiye under the IS -- Khorasan Province, an IS affiliate based in Afghanistan. His nationality remains unclear. Turkish police had previously arrested 31 suspects linked to the attack, and the investigation continues. Turkiye has designated IS as a terrorist group since 2013, and the organization has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks in the country, prompting frequent operations against its members. A well-qualified person opens up opportunities for oneself, and for many others who can be trained by him and by the institutions and subordinates he creates and nurtures. It requires a strong foundation of education. Dr Vijay Prakash knew this well. So, he chose to join Patna Medical College to work as an Assistant Professor in 1990 and taught for 32 years at this institution, guiding many undergraduate and postgraduate students. Many of his students are now successful doctors all across the country. Over time, he became head of the medicine department and took it to commanding heights. Despite being a brilliant medical student and a successful doctor, one of the reasons for joining Patna Medical College was his strong attachment to his alma mater and his state. Childhood and Education Vijay Prakash was the third child of Kamla Devi, a homemaker, and Assistant Sub Inspector Ramdutt Singh. He was born on 19 February 1954 in Banka Government Hospital. At four, he was admitted to a Mission School in Kahangaon, a sleepy village at the time. His father left his family at Kahalgaon to avoid the childrens frequent school changes with each transfer, ensuring they secured proper education to have a successful career and bright future ahead. He wished for them to overcome the extreme backwardness of their rural background. Vijay Prakash and his siblings did not disappoint their father, and all of them excelled in their studies. Vijay Prakash maintained the top position in all his classes. Later, he was selected for admission to the prestigious Netarhat School. He topped the list of successful candidates (in the erstwhile state of Bihar) in the entrance test for admission to the school. He completed his schooling in 1971 and was awarded the distinction of being the Best Outgoing Student of Neterhat School that year. After that, he secured admission to St. Xaviers College, Ranchi, for higher studies, and emerged as the University Topper. After this, Vijay Prakash joined Patna Medical College and did his MBBS, with gold medals in many subjects; he was also awarded the best outgoing student in the year 1978. It was here that he met his life partner, Rashmi, who was studying in the same medical college and was a year junior to him. Dr Vijay Prakash further secured admission for postgraduation at the prestigious PGI, Chandigarh, through an All India competitive exam and completed his MD in 1982 with a high score and as the branch topper. Subsequently, he joined the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) as its first doctor on 27 July 1984. In 1988, Dr Prakash went to the UK, where he completed MRCP successfully and in a record time of just four months. Post-retirement from Patna Medical College in February 2021, driven by his indomitable spirit to serve humanity, Dr Vijay Prakash established Big Apollo Spectra Hospital, a multi-super speciality hospital in Patna. At this hospital, state-of-the-art treatment is provided at an affordable cost. Under his astute leadership as Senior Consultant and Director, the institute has grown by leaps and bounds. His wife, Dr Rashmi, currently serves as the Head of the Department of Community Medicine at Patna Medical College. His son, Ravi, assists him in his professional work, and his daughter, Ritu, and her husband, Saket, serve as associate professors in Critical Care and GI Surgery at IGIMS, Patna. Dr Vijay Prakash, at 69, leads an active life and looks forward to achieving many more feats. He has authored and published many articles in various medical journals, besides participating in national and international conferences. He has been a member of the Governing Council of the National Board of Examinations (NBE) and the Executive Council of the Medical Council of India a rare distinction achieved by only a handful of doctors. For his immense contribution to medicine and gastroenterology, Dr Prakash was awarded the Padma Shri by Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (the then President of India) in 2003. Dr Prakash was awarded the Padma Shri by Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (the then President of India) in 2003 A day after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that roughly 75 per cent of the disengagement problems with China have been sorted out, China said that troops have disengaged at four places in Eastern Ladakh, including Galwan Valley. The Chinese Foreign Ministry also said that India and China have agreed during their meeting in Russia to work together to create conditions for the improvement of bilateral relations. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks on the sidelines of a meeting of the BRICS high-ranking officials responsible for security matters, in St Petersburg. Earlier, at an interaction in Geneva, Jaishankar had said that the clashes in Galwan Valley in June 2020 affected India-China ties, and pointed out that the two countries have been engaged in talks since then. He said that about 75 per cent of the disengagement problems are sorted out. ALSO READ: What changed two years after Galwan clash? Asked whether the two countries were close to a breakthrough to revive the bilateral ties frozen for over four years due to the military standoff in Eastern Ladakh, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the China-India border situation is generally stable and under control. Doval and Wang are the Special Representatives for the India-China border talks mechanism. Elaborating further about the Doval-Wang meeting, the Chinese Foreign Ministry release said both parties expressed the belief that the stability of the China-India relations is in the fundamental and long-term interests of the two peoples and conducive to regional peace and development. ALSO READ: In 1962 war, Galwan Valley was a flashpoint China and India agreed to implement the consensus reached by the heads of the two countries, enhance mutual understanding and trust, maintain continuous communication, and create conditions for boosting bilateral ties, it said. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed that facing a turbulent world, China and India as two ancient eastern civilisations and emerging developing countries should adhere to independence, choose unity and cooperation, and avoid consuming each other, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Wang expressed the hope that the two sides will properly handle their differences in a pragmatic approach and find the right way to get along with each other and push the China-India relations back on track for healthy, stable, and sustainable development. During their Thursday meeting, both Wang and Doval discussed progress made in recent consultation on border issues and agreed to deliver on the common understandings reached by leaders of the two countries, enhance mutual understanding and trust, create conditions for improving bilateral ties and maintain communication to this end, she said. A press release on the talks issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India and China on Thursday agreed to work with urgency and redouble their efforts to achieve complete disengagement in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh. In the meeting, Doval conveyed to Wang that peace and tranquillity in border areas and respect for the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are essential for the return of normalcy in bilateral ties, the MEA press release said. The Doval-Wang meeting came two weeks after India and China held diplomatic talks during which they agreed to intensify contacts through diplomatic and military channels to find a resolution to the outstanding issues. The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a standoff since May 2020 and a full resolution of the border row has not yet been achieved though the two sides have disengaged from a number of friction points. The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas. The two sides have so far held 21 rounds of Corps Commander-level talks to resolve the standoff. The proposed talks to resolve the RG Kar impasse between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and protesting junior doctors again ended up in a stalemate on Saturday as the meeting failed to start. Banerjee had appealed to the agitating doctors, who had arrived at her residence in Kolkata for talks, to join the meeting amid the demand for live-streaming of the discussions. However, the agitating junior doctors remained adamant on live-streaming of the talks. "I cannot allow live-streaming as the matter is before the court. I will video-record the meeting and will provide you with a copy only after the Supreme Court's permission," said CM. She also told the protesting doctors to not insult her like this. "I have been waiting for the meeting. Why are you people insulting me like this? Please don't insult me like this. Earlier on the three occasions, I have been waiting but you people didn't come," she said. Meanwhile, the agitating doctors said they were "unceremoniously" asked to leave the venue. When we came here, we had demanded video recording or live-streaming of the talks. We were not allowed. Then the chief minister came out and appealed to us to join the talks, promising that we would receive the minutes of the meeting. We discussed among ourselves and agreed to join the meeting without live-streaming or video recording," said an agitating doctor. When the decision was conveyed to Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, we were told to leave the venue because it was too late and they had been waiting for three hours, he added. After Mamata Banerjee visited the protesting doctors outside 'Swasthya Bhavan', the state health department headquarters, they agreed to attend the meeting with the CM. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant in an email said that 15 representatives of the junior doctors were invited to the meeting. While addressing the junior doctors during their dharna, Banerjee said, "I came to meet you as your 'Didi', not as the chief minister...This is my last attempt to resolve the crisis." She assured justice and said no actions would be taken against the protesting doctors after they resumed their work. "I support your movement... I am going to study the demands placed before us, and if anyone is guilty, we will take appropriate action. I want justice to be served," she said. The doctors have been protesting since a junior doctor was raped and murdered in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local community in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) LANZHOU, Gansu/BAOJI, Shaanxi, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping urged northwest China's Gansu Province to deepen reform, make innovation, and do solid work to improve the people's well-being and the region's prosperity, to write a Gansu chapter in Chinese modernization. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection from Tuesday to Friday. Gansu should take solid steps in improving ecological conservation and restoration, accelerating green and low-carbon transition, further deepening reform and opening up comprehensively, promoting rural revitalization across the board, better securing people's livelihood and strengthening ethnic unity, Xi said during his inspection tour in Gansu Province. On Tuesday afternoon, Xi visited the Fuxi Temple in Tianshui City, where he learned about the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. The temple is dedicated to Fuxi, a mythical ancestor of the Chinese nation. It is imperative to protect and pass on the precious cultural heritage, so that the wisdom and creativity of ancestors will constantly inspire future generations and enhance national pride and confidence, Xi said. On Wednesday morning, Xi listened to the report of a local water diversion project and urged better maintenance and management of the project so that it would play a greater role in improving people's lives. While visiting a Huaniu apple production base, he emphasized the importance of optimizing cultivation of this variety and innovating marketing models so that this specialty industry will be expanded and more people will increase their incomes through it. Xi then visited the Maijishan Grottoes, where he carefully inspected the caves, sculptures and paintings that date back over 1,600 years. He called on cultural relic workers to make greater contributions to promoting the preservation and innovative development of China's traditional culture and enhancing its influence. On Wednesday afternoon, Xi came to Lanzhou, the provincial capital. At a local residential community, he emphasized the necessity of focusing on the practical needs of residents, especially the elderly and children, and continuously improving community services. During his visit to retired Party member Li Zongbiao, Xi said that local authorities have worked hard in providing elderly care, healthcare and community services and the work must continue and improve over time. When speaking to local residents, Xi said 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese people should be more united and make more efforts to create even greater achievements. He extended his holiday greetings to the residents ahead of this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept. 17. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) Xi then inspected a section of the Yellow River near the Zhongshan Bridge in Lanzhou and learned about the ecological protection of the country's "mother river." He called for joint efforts in protecting the river so that it will benefit the people forever. On Friday morning, Xi listened to the work report from the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee and the provincial government. Gansu should promote new-type industrialization, accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, build a significant national manufacturing base for new energy and new-energy-related equipment, and fortify the ecological security in the western part of the country, Xi said. He stressed the need to deepen reform and expand opening up with greater courage and determination, and to implement the people-centered new urbanization strategy effectively. Xi emphasized the need to strengthen cultural heritage protection and build the Dunhuang Academy into an example of world cultural heritage protection and a center of Dunhuang studies. He also called for efforts to advance the building of national cultural parks dedicated to the Great Wall, the Long March and the Yellow River. Efforts should be made to promote social advancement and governance, and lay a solid foundation for common prosperity for people of all ethnic groups, he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Baoji Bronze Ware Museum to learn about the local efforts to enhance the protection and use of cultural relics in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) On his way to Gansu, Xi visited the Baoji Bronze Ware Museum in Baoji City of Shaanxi Province on Tuesday afternoon. He hailed China's bronze civilization and called for better protection, research and promotion of bronze cultural relics. Xi also inspected a local riverside ecological park. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour. On Thursday morning, Xi met with senior officers and representatives of soldiers and civilian staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army troops stationed in Lanzhou. (Video reporters: Ma Muwangqing, Li Hengyi, Guo Gang, Ma Sha; Video editors: Wang Houyuan, Wei Yin, Yin Le, Meng Na, Li Qin, Su Yiren, Qi Xing.) Two soldiers, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed and two injured in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Friday. The four Army personnel were injured in the gunfight. Naib Subedar Vipan Kumar, a JCO, and Sepoy Arvind Singh later succumbed to injuries. The gunbattle broke out when a joint patrol party of the Army and J&K police, based on intelligence inputs, launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Naidgham area in the Chhatroo belt connecting Kishtwar with south Kashmir's Anantnag district. Meanwhile, another encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Baramulla district. The gunfight, which started in the Pattan area of the north Kashmir district, is still on and more details are awaited. #Encounter has started at Chak Tapper Kreeri Pattan area of #Baramulla. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 13, 2024 The officials said there was an exchange of fire between the search team of the security forces and the terrorists hiding in the Pingnal Dugadda forest area in the upper reaches of Naidgham village located within the Chhatroo police station limits. Earlier, the soldiers injured in Kishtwar encounter were airlifted to an Army hospital. In another operation on Friday, two terrorists were killed in an encounter at Khandara Kathua. The Army also recovered an AK-47 assault rifle, pistol, magazines, a machete, and a US-made M4 carbine as well. The encounters comes days after the Army killed two Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists in Basantgarh, Udhampur district. The gunfights have raised security concerns ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election rally in J&K's Doda district. The final verdict in the MUDA case on alleged land allotment scam involving Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, could be a landmark judgment that redefines the role of a governor, at a time when repeated standoffs between governors and chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states are raising questions over the practice of parliamentary democracy. The MUDA case proceedings have exposed several grey areas in the Constitution, where the discretionary powers of governors are called in question. ALSO READ: Debate over CM Siddaramaiah's replacement heats up The Karnataka High Court bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna concluded the process of hearing the writ petition filed by Siddaramaiah challenging the order of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot sanctioning his prosecution, on September 12, in the Mysore Urban Development Authority land allotment case. The court has reserved the order while extending the interim stay on proceedings in the trial court till the High Court ruling. The much-awaited verdict which would determine the political path of Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in the state, is expected to throw light on the scope of Section 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, an amendment brought in 2018 to provide protection to a public servant from frivolous and malicious litigations. The current debate is on the bifurcation of powers of the chief minister and the governor in a parliamentary democracy. Senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the chief minister, argued that the principle of natural justice was not adhered to while granting sanction. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the governor, said that at the stage of 17A there was no requirement of principles of natural justice. Non-issuance of notice even in one case would not have caused prejudice". ALSO READ: Is it endgame for Siddaramaiah? The debate highlighted the fact that the governor's power was akin to what is mentioned by Supreme Court in Lalita Kumari vs State of UP (2014), where he has to see whether a prima facie case is made out. Decision of the governor by way of the office he holds and considering the nature of Section 17A his reasons need not be elaborate; it must reflect application of mind, said Mehta. Drawing distinction between Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act that pertains to enquiry/inquiry/investigation of offences relatable to recommendations made or decision taken by public servant in discharge of official functions or duties and Section 19 of the Act is on the necessity of "previous sanction" for prosecution of a public servant, Mehta said. The governor was to act in his own discretion and not on the aid and advice of the cabinet as the chief minister himself was facing the allegation. Mehta then referred to Rule 20 of The Karnataka Government (Transaction of Business) Rules. "Chief minister has an overarching power. He is the final authority, and it is not enough that he did not participate in the meeting of cabinet because the process requires his participation. It is he who decides whether to send it to the cabinet. Merely because he abstains from particular meeting would not meet ends of justice." Senior advocate Prabhuling Navadagi, appearing for one of the respondents Pradeep Kumar, said the question of governor consulting the cabinet before sanctioning prosecution order against the chief ministers did not arise as the Article 163 (Constitution of India) does not bifurcate between council of ministers and the chief minister and here the allegation was against the CM. In his rejoinder submissions, Singhvi noted that the umbrella of statutory protection was provided especially to an elected public servant, as filter to an inquiry or investigation which creates serious implications of diluting, unseating or creating a mandate contrary to the election. There is nothing to show the chief minister's prima facie complicity. Yet, the governor grants sanction and commits a constitutional sin by not answering the question 'why' (he is granting sanction) and instead grants by asking 'why not', argued Singhvi, adding that if one looked at the legislative history of Section 17A, it would show that the idea of Section 17A was to provide a genuine strong filter, a protective layer for the public servant otherwise governance would come to a standstill. The court reminded that the protective shield was not for the guilty, but a safeguard for the innocent. Singhvi stated that initially the 17A was conceived to provide protection through the Lokayukta. This demanded a heightened scrutiny before granting sanction. Later, the Lokayukta was replaced with the government or the police officer, he added. Singhvi argued that the investigating officer (in this case the governor) must first form an opinion that inquiry or investigation is warranted. So, a private complainant becomes the third party as his interference reduces the very objective of the 17A - that is to provide protection to the public servant. The law mandates the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) in cases of cognisable offences is a must. What should a private complainant do if the police refuse to register an FIR?, asked the court and also added that the question of whether a private complaint can seek sanction to investigate is settled, as the law states anybody can set the criminal law in motion. Should the governor always act on advice of cabinet? Mehta, in his submissions, had said the cabinet advice was, in fact, a collective non-application of the mind as it was a copy-paste of the Advocate Generals opinion. Elaborating on why the governor should not be heeding to the advice of the cabinet in this particular case, Mehta said, Article 164 requires, that the Governor would appoint Minister on the recommendation of Chief Minister. Also, by Rule 20 of the Karnataka Government (Transaction of Business) Rules, the Chief Minister has an overarching power. He is the final authority, and it is not enough that he did not participate in the meeting of cabinet (which was chaired by deputy chief minister at CMs behest) because the process requires his participation. It is he who decides whether to send it to the cabinet. Merely because he abstains from particular meeting would not meet ends of justice". Mehta cited the Supreme Court's judgment in A.R. Antulay vs R.S. Nayak & Anr. (1988) and said, the court had said when it comes to sanction of chief minister the governor should independently apply his mind. Recalling Constituent Assembly debates, Singhvi pointed out that Dr Ambedkar, on the question of having elected governors, had said there cannot be two swords in one scabbard. There was a thought to nominate the governors as there was apprehension over anybody applying for the post as it was so non-active, said Singhvi, to illustrate the governor post had limited powers. The power to grant sanction under 17A is not an independent discretionary power of the governor but an executive power ordinarily exercised on the aid and advice of the cabinet. Only in exceptions where there is overwhelming material on record on the basis of which prima facie case is clearly made out and yet the council has refused sanction. Moreover, the governor had to examine the reasons given by the cabinet. But his order does not demonstrate how the cabinet advice is irrational, said Singhvi. Calling out presumptive bias of the governor against the cabinet, Singhvi said, The sanction order only says the cabinet is deemed to be appointed by the chief minister. But he does not give reasons why he believes there should be an inquiry, or if the CM was handling the portfolio or sign any file or give instruction that proves his complicity, before rejecting the advice of the cabinet. Any disagreement of the governor with the cabinet should reflect in the order with reasons. Citing Shamsher Singh vs state of Punjab case, Singvi said in case a minister or chief minister is involved, the governor's discretionary powers are automatically overridden. The Constitution says the discretionary powers are so limited and so specific. But if it is shown that in a case of sanction, the order denying or recommending sanction suffers from transparent apparent bias, it has to be demonstrated. Once the governor demonstrates that, the discretionary comes into play. In this case, the governor, in his 6-page order has made only one point that he is deciding independently and is not bound by the cabinet. As per the Constitution, the governor should act in harmony with the council of ministers, Singhvi added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off the Bharatiya Janata Partys election campaign in Jammu and Kashmir by addressing a large rally in Doda, where he accused the Abdullah, Mufti, and Gandhi families of ruining the region. Terrorism in J&K is nearing its end and the upcoming elections will determine the future of the Union Territory (UT), Modi said. Modi alleged that the National Conference (NC), People's Democratic Party (PDP), and Congress have promoted separatism and terrorism in J&K for the past seven decades to maintain their political influence. #WATCH | Doda, J&K: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says "...We are connecting the remote parts of Jammu and Kashmir by rail. People of Ramban district, Doda Kishtwar and Kashmir Valley can reach Delhi directly by train, we will fulfil this dream of yours. Very soon, the work of the pic.twitter.com/chx8C4IDVE ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2024 He commended BJP workers who had travelled from Ramban and Kishtwar for the rally, I really appreciate your great enthusiasm, he said. Modi said that foreign powers targeted J&K after independence and conspired against the region, while family-run politics further worsened the situation. He criticised NC, PDP, and Congress for failing to hold Panchayat elections after 2000. "It was the BJP government that brought democracy to the grassroots," he said. The Block Development Council and District Development Council elections were held for the first time under BJP rule. Modi described the upcoming election as a contest between three political families and the youth of J&K, who are pursuing their dreams. Young people who used to throw stones at security forces are now aiming for bigger goals, he said. Stones are now being used to build big structures. He also praised Shagun Parihar, the BJP candidate from Kishtwar, whose parents were killed by terrorists. We gave her a ticket to contest the polls. She is our tool against terrorism, he said. Modi assured that BJP is committed to restoring statehood to J&K, making it a terror-free region and a tourist paradise. He added that J&K will soon become a global film destination and that a direct train from Delhi to Srinagar will be operational soon. Taking a jab at the election manifestos of NC, Congress, and PDP, Modi urged voters to choose BJPs Sankalp Patra over the other parties promises, which he claimed, aim to return J&K to its troubled past. He said the other manifestos advocate for the return of Article 370 and a rollback of reservations for Paharis, Gujjars, and Bakerwals. They also want to take away voting rights from Valmikis and Dalits, Modi charged. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's former principal Sandip Ghosh and a police officer for allegedly missing the evidence and causing delay in the FIR registration in the trainee doctor's rape and murder case. The CBI has also added rape and murder charge against Ghosh. Earlier, Ghosh was arrested by the central agency in the case relating to probe on financial irregularies at the hospital. The CBI had alleged that Ghosh had been operating a 'criminal nexus' along with other 'co-accused' for 'wrongful gains'. The agency had also arrested two vendors for alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Hospital. ALSO READ | Impasse over RG Kar rape-murder case continues as doctors-govt meeting fails to start; Mamata says she is being insulted Presently, he is in judicial custody till September 23. CBI had applied in court seeking Ghosh's custody. The arrested police officer is Tala Police Station SHO Abhijit Mondal. Mondal was questioned by the CBI officials on Saturday for several hours and was arrested later for discrepancies in statements. Three persons have so far been arrested in connection with the rape and murder case. Earlier, one civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the rape and murder case on an order of the Calcutta High Court. The central agency arrested Ghosh on September 2 in the case of financial irregularities at the hospital. Meanwhile, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee visited the protesting doctors outside 'Swasthya Bhavan', the state health department headquarters, on Saturday and assured justice to the victim. While addressing the junior doctors during their dharna, Banerjee said, "I came to meet you as your 'Didi', not as the chief minister...This is my last attempt to resolve the crisis." Despite failed attempts, the protesting doctors agreed to meet with CM Banerjee for discussions at her residence to resolve the RG Kar impasse. However, it was another failed attempt as the meeting failed to start. The agitating doctors said that it seems the "government is not serious about resolving the issue." On Thursday, the West Bengal government invited the protesting doctors for talks again but they did not attend despite reaching the venue as they demanded a live telecast of the meeting which the government turned down. The doctors have been protesting since a junior doctor was raped and murdered in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Amid the RG Kar impasse, the West Bengal government invited the protesting junior doctors for a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her residence on Saturday. This might be the last attempt by the state government to resolve the crisis. #WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: A delegation of junior doctors protesting over the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case, arrive at the Chief Minister's residence to attend a meeting with CM Mamata Banerjee regarding their demands. pic.twitter.com/XpD7KWrntt ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2024 Chief Secretary Manoj Pant in a mail said that 15 representatives of the junior doctors were invited to the meeting. ALSO READ | RG Kar rape-murder case: Protesting doctors write to President Murmu, PM Modi seeking intervention to end impasse #WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: A delegation of junior doctors protesting over the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case, arrive at the Chief Minister's residence to attend a meeting with CM Mamata Banerjee regarding their demands. pic.twitter.com/GMXiKWu1Zs ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2024 The invite took place after CM Banerjee visited the protesting doctors outside 'Swasthya Bhavan', the state health department headquarters. The agitating doctors agreed to the meeting and said that they were going to attend it with an open mind. #WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: Dr Arif says, "CM Mamata Banerjee came to our protest site. We are happy that the door for discussion and dialogue is open from both sides. For this, we have also sent a mail to the CM office, in which we have told her that we are very happy that pic.twitter.com/acyOP0vUHM ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2024 The doctors will be placing before the CM their five demands and they had emphasised that there will not be any compromise on their demands. ALSO READ | 'Not here as CM, but as your didi': Mamata visits protesters, promises justice Meanwhile, the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital victim's mother said that the West Bengal CM should be forthright in her comments about action against culprits. Speaking to the reporters, the victim's mother expressed hope that the discussions between the CM and the agitating doctors would yield results. "Instead of merely saying that whoever is found guilty would be punished, she should have been more categorical and direct. Considering the destruction of evidence at the crime scene, and the arrest of only one person, we were expecting the CM to be more forthright," she said. She also demanded the arrest of all perpetrators and officials behind the 'cover-up'. "I wish the state government does not take any punitive action against the agitating doctors who are waging a battle for justice," she said. On Thursday, the West Bengal government invited the protesting doctors for talks again but they did not attend despite reaching the venue as they demanded a live telecast of the meeting which the government turned down. The doctors have been protesting since a junior doctor was raped and murdered in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin called shameful the Bharatiya Janata Partys and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans handling of Annapoorna Srinivasan GST row. Stalin reminded the union minister people are watching. Addressing presspersons at Chennai Airport on returning from the US, Stalin said, Srinivasan had raised a just issue on the disparity in GST. The way in which the Finance Minister handled it is shameful. People are watching. Well known Restaurant Annapurna Owner Srinivasan made to apologize after asking questions on GST in an interaction session with Nirmala Sitaraman. Modi & Gang has become arrogant & unquestionable. They should be chased away from our South India. pic.twitter.com/qICb1RAE9E Hyderabad Intellectuals Forum (@HydForum) September 13, 2024 What started a humorous interaction between Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and renowned hotelier Srinivasan, owner of Annapoorna chain of hotels in Coimbatore, blew up into a huge row after a video emerged showing the latter apologising to Sitharaman for the conversation. #Annapoorna Group Chairman Srinivasan was Allegedly forced to Apologise to FM Nirmala Sitharaman During a public meeting in Coimbatore, he questioned her about GST complexities. If the Modi govt is questioned on taxes, will Mahaprabhu be embarrassed?pic.twitter.com/dPnXj7IlNW Goudrusarkar - (@Gs_0107) September 13, 2024 During a recent interaction with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Srinivasan, also the honorary president of Tamil Nadu Hotels Association, raised humorously the issues faced by hoteliers due to varying GST for food items. The video went viral on social media and it reportedly irked the union minister. Srinivasan jokingly said while bun is exempted from GST, 18% GST is imposed on cream. Customers tell us you give us bun and cream separately, we will handle it, he said. Srinivasan said due to varying GST on savouries and sweets, even the computer is finding it difficult to compute. Srinivasans humourous take didnt go down well with the union minister. Srinivasan met with Nirmala Sitharaman in private later, in the presence of BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan and apologised. He also told the minister that he was not a member of any political party. A video of this private conversation was allegedly shot by a few BJP functionaries present there and was released on social media. Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai had to issue an apology following the incident and said he spoke with Srinivasan and expressed regret. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called for an encyclopedia of the Nath Sampradaya with collections from literature from all over the world including Afghanistan and Pakistan to be compiled. Artefacts from all over the world should also be collected; and where they no longer exist, replicas be made and displayed in a museum, he said. He was speaking at the inaugural session of an international conference which will discuss the contributions of the Nath sampradaya to social amity. The CM currently heads the sect. This is the second such conference which will draw in-person and virtual participation from scholars, academics and members from across the world. Adityanath said that the impact of the sect was visible throughout the country. This is a sect that has never practised any kind of untouchability. There are no distinctions of caste, religion, area or language. It has had just one goal- to unite everyone, he said. The two-day conference is being held at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University which houses a research wing dedicated to the sect. Touching on the multi-faceted influence of the sect, Adityanath said that in Punjab, it had instilled people with the courage to fight off foreign invaders through songs sung to the tune of sarangis (a stringed instrument). In Karnataka, the influence is visible in the Manjunath tradition of which Shiva is the presiding deity. He also touched upon the real nature of the Gyanvapi mosque- the nature of which is currently the subject of a court case. The name, he said, denoted Shiva- who was omniscient. It is not a mosque as is currently thought, he said. The Gorakhvani, a book which encompasses the message of Gorakhnath, the founding father of the peeth, Adityanath said had been quoted in various texts by various poets and writers. Among those he mentioned were Malik Muhammed Jayasi and Kalidas. The central tenet of our belief is cleanliness of the spirit and the body, he said. Adityanath called upon the attendees to not only hold academic discussions on the sect but also such that could be a part of everyday, practical living. The US woman, who is said to be the first person to post the baseless statement about Haitians eating pets in Ohio's Springfield, has claimed that she has no firsthand knowledge about any such incident. The rumour spread like wildfire and triggered controversy after Republican candidate Donald Trump went on to push it during his debate with Democrat and Vice President Kamala Harris. Erika Lee, a resident of Springfield, told NBC News that she is now filled with regret and fear. "It just exploded into something I didnt mean to happen," Lee told the media house. A key point missing in a lot of post debate analysis is that Trumps claim about immigrants eating pets almost perfectly syncs up to the piano in the Peanuts theme song. pic.twitter.com/6icWLe1sPN Noah Garfinkel (@NoahGarfinkel) September 11, 2024 Newsguard, a media watchdog that monitors for misinformation online, had found out that Lee was the early one to post the rumour. She did so after finding out about a neighbour's cat that went missing. Lee added that the neighbour had told her the cat was attacked by her Haitian neighbours. As for the neighbour Kimberly Newton, she just "heard about the attack from a third party". Newton also told Newsguard that Lee misstated her story on Facebook and that the owner of the missing cat was "an acquaintance of a friend". She refused to answer the media's questions. Also read: US debate: Kamala Harris rattles Trump as former President peddles conspiracy theories The whole incident snowballed into a major controversy after Donald Trump repeated the claim on national television to millions of viewers. The Presidential candidate also pledged to conduct mass deportations of Haitian immigrants from the Ohio city of Springfield though the majority of them are in the United States legally. Local police and city officials too repeatedly said there is no evidence of such crimes in Springfield and no such complaint has been received. However, Lee added that she never imagined her post would become fodder for conspiracy theories and hate. "Im not a racist," she said, adding that her daughter is half Black and she herself is mixed race and a member of the LGBTQ community. "Everybody seems to be turning it into that, and that was not my intent," she added. Trump's statement triggered an anti-immigrant fervour in Springfield with authorities receiving bomb threats. Lee added that she is worried and concerned about the safety of the Haitian community. Adding that she did not intend to villainize en masse, Lee said: "I feel for the Haitian community. If I was in the Haitians position, Id be terrified, too, worried that somebodys going to come after me because they think Im hurting something that they love and that, again, thats not what I was trying to do." NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The article has been published by China Daily on Sept. 13: Finding the right way for China and the United States to get along with each other is what both nations and the international community need the most, a top Chinese envoy said on Thursday. Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng, speaking at the Vision China event at the Asia Society in New York, said that for the past 50 years, the reopening and development of China-US relations was the most important event in international relations and the biggest contributor to global peace and prosperity. "History provides us inspirations to look ahead to the future," Xie said in a keynote speech. He said that in the next 50 years, charting that proper course will be critical to international relations. Jointly hosted by China Daily and Bank of China, the event brought together more than 200 people to discuss "inspiration from the past" and "vision for the future". Also speaking at the event, Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, said the country's only national English-language newspaper has chronicled the development of Sino-US relations and "faithfully recorded the bonds forged between the two peoples". "China-US relations are the most important bilateral relations in the world, and they must be managed well, despite the risks and challenges," Qu said. "Just as President Xi Jinping pointed out 'the hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in grassroots connections, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from subnational exchanges' those are the key aspects we should constantly work to strengthen," Qu said. The veteran journalist said he is a firm believer that "mutual understanding is the foundation of friendly cooperation" and that "a modernized China represents an opportunity, rather than a challenge, to the US". Ge Haijiao, chairman of Bank of China, said it is the longest continuously operating and most globalized bank in China. The bank has been a witness, participant and contributor to the ever-deepening and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the US. "Bank of China is firmly committed to promoting trade and commerce between China and the United States, to the benefit of both societies," Ge said in a message read in New York by Hu Wei, president and CEO of Bank of China USA and chairman of the China General Chamber of Commerce-USA. The Vision China morning session featured presentations from six Americans. They came to tell stories of friendship with China in a time wrought with uncertainty. They are people who have remained steadfast in their support of China. In 1979, teenagers Kelly Van Dries and her elder sister Kitty were working at a rodeo in Simonton, Texas, which was owned by their parents. Kelly had the honor of presenting a cowboy hat to Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. Sarah Lande of Iowa recalled the friendly exchanges of the city of Muscatine with Hebei province. Their presentations were followed by a Gen Z debate and exchange in the afternoon, at which US and Chinese youths debated "The impact of artificial intelligence on human life" and discussed how to avoid the Thucydides Trap, while overcoming "information bubbles" for better China-US communication. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lauded recent changes in agricultural export policies, stating that easing export norms on basmati rice and onions, and increasing import duties on some edible oils will boost farmers' incomes and create rural jobs. On Friday, the government scrapped a USD 950 per tonne minimum export price (MEP) for basmati rice and removed a USD 550 per tonne MEP on onions, according to government statements. The government on Saturday raised import duty on crude palm oil to 20 per cent and on refined sunflower oil to 32.5 per cent, aiming to support domestic oilseed farmers and processors. In a post on X, Modi said the government is leaving no stone unturned to support farmers who work tirelessly for the country's food security. "Whether it is reducing the export duty on onions or increasing the import duty on edible oils, many such decisions are going to greatly benefit our food producers. While these will increase their income, employment opportunities will also increase in rural areas," the prime minister said. Modi's comments came in response to a post by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who thanked the prime minister for taking important decisions regarding onion, basmati rice and edible oils in the interest of farmers. Stating that the Modi government is "sensitive" to farmers' welfare and committed to their "development" and "progress", Chouhan said the reduction of export duty on onions from 40 to 20 per cent would help onion farmers get better prices and boost exports. The removal of basmati rice export duties aims to ensure fair prices for growers and increase demand for the premium rice variety, Chouhan added. Regarding refined oils, the minister said the increase in basic duty on refined oil to 32.5 per cent "will increase the demand for mustard, sunflower and groundnut crops for refinery oil". Chouhan expressed optimism that farmers will get better prices for these crops and the increase in refineries in small and rural areas will create more employment opportunities. BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday started an anti-dumping investigation into halogenated butyl rubber imported from Canada, Japan and India. The Ministry of Commerce said in a statement that it decided in accordance with the country's anti-dumping regulation after reviewing materials provided by Zhejiang Cenway New Materials Co., Ltd. that applied for the probe on behalf of the domestic industry in July. The anti-dumping probe will examine halogenated butyl rubber imported from these countries from Jan. 1, 2023 to Dec. 31, 2023. It will also investigate any damage done to the Chinese halogenated butyl rubber industry from Jan. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2023. The ministry has urged interested parties to register with its Trade Remedy and Investigation Bureau within 20 days from Saturday, Sept. 14 to participate in the probe. The investigation is expected to conclude before Sept. 14, 2025, but may be extended for six months under special circumstances. Halogenated butyl rubber is mainly used in products including airtight layers of tubeless tires, heat-resistant inner tubes, as well as medicinal bottle stoppers, shockproof pads, adhesives and sealing materials. Colombo, Sep 14 (PTI) Sri Lanka has announced to allow import of vehicles in a phased manner starting from October 1, a decision that came after four years and as part of the island nation's efforts to keep up with the IMF conditions to restore its economy. The ban would be lifted in three phases for public transport vehicles, commercial vehicles and private motor cars respectively as part of a broader economic recovery strategy tied to the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), an official statement from the Presidents Media Division (PMD) said on Friday. The Cabinet approval granted to allow motor vehicle imports comes after four years of stringent import restrictions imposed to preserve the island nation's foreign exchange reserves during the acute economic crisis, the PMD statement said. With the outbreak of COVID19 in 2020, Sri Lanka imposed import restrictions to preserve forex reserves as the need then was to use the depleting resource for essential imports such as medicine, fuel and food. Depleted foreign reserves in April 2022 led to an unprecedented economic crisis in Sri Lanka, forcing the island nation to declare sovereign default, its first ever since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. Sri Lanka is currently in negotiations with the IMF, which has made external debt restructuring conditional to the USD 2.9 billion bailout package being released in tranches. With the significant improvement in forex reserves and the strength of the rupee, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to lift all vehicle import ban/restrictions by February 2025. This decision is part of our ongoing efforts to restore normalcy in the economy and meet the needs of our people, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said in a post on X. Under the first phase, public transport vehicles would be permitted to be imported from October 1; the second phase will allow import of commercial vehicles from December 1, and under the third phase from February 1, 2025, motor cars for private use can be imported, the PMD statement said. The import of new vehicles is expected to stimulate economic activity by increasing government revenue, particularly from vehicle imports, which have historically been a significant revenue stream for the country, it said. As the reintroduction of imports will put pressure on foreign exchange reserves, extra customs duties will be imposed to minimise its impact, it added. Male, Sep 14 (PTI) Maldives has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Peoples Bank of China to establish a framework for current account transactions and direct investments in their respective currencies and announced that it may soon have a branch of Chinas biggest bank, ICBC. China, which is Maldives' one of the largest trade partners with bilateral trade exceeding USD 700 million, and the top source of tourists to the Maldives, stands to benefit significantly from this agreement, state-run Public Service Media (PSMNews) said here on Friday. The MoU between the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Maldives and the People's Bank of China (PBOC) aims to facilitate smoother and more efficient trade and investment relations between the two countries by promoting the settlement of transactions in local currencies, PSMNews said. Work is underway to open a branch of Chinas biggest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), in the Maldives, news portal Sun.mv quoted Maldivian Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed as saying. Negotiations remain in progress, Saeed added. The MoU follows the state visit of President Mohamed Muizzu to China in January 2024, where he met with President Xi Jinping to discuss strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between their countries and highlighted a mutual commitment to deepening economic cooperation, PSMNews said. The signing of this MoU represents a major milestone in bolstering economic ties and fostering increased trade and investment flows between the Maldives and China, it added. Maldives is also working out a Free Trade Agreement with China, formalities for which were complete, and would be activated at a time of mutual agreement, Saeed added. The development comes ahead of President Mohammad Muizzus scheduled visit to India. Maldives is working out a similar Rupee-Rufiyaa arrangement with India. Maldives and India witnessed a downturn in bilateral ties since pro-China president Muizzu assumed office last November. On his insistence, India withdrew its military personnel manning three aviation platforms used for medical evacuation by May 10. However, after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit here in August this year, the Maldivian foreign ministry had termed it as a "significant milestone" in bilateral ties and underscored that the two countries have expressed their desire to elevate their friendship and strong alliance to new heights. Jaishankar's official visit to the Maldives was the first high-level trip from New Delhi after President Mohamed Muizzu, seen as a pro-China leader, assumed office in November last year. Jaipur, Sep 14 (PTI) Investors from across the country and abroad have expressed confidence in the "double engine" government of Rajasthan and the state's economy will "double" in next five years, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said on Saturday. Sharma, who went to South Korea and Japan to invite investors at the 'Rising Rajasthan' Global Investment Summit-2024, returned to Jaipur along with Deputy Chief Minister Premchand Bairwa. He was welcomed at the airport and later at BJP's state office by several state ministers, MLAs and senior party leaders. "There are immense possibilities of investment in Rajasthan. Investors from the country and abroad have expressed confidence in Rajasthan's 'double engine' government with immense possibilities in all sectors. Work is being done towards doubling Rajasthan's economy in the next five years," he said. Investors from South Korea and Japan have responded positively towards investing in Rajasthan, the chief minister said, adding that foreign investments will lead to an increase in job opportunities. Sharma further said that his government will set new dimensions towards the development of the state. Sharma also targeted the opposition Congress, saying that the efforts needed for investment were not made after the country's independence, but now due to trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, enthusiasm has been seen among foreign investors. BJP state president Madan Rathore said a double-engine government is working in Rajasthan. Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, ministers Jogaram Patel, Babulal Kharari, Suresh Rawat, Avinash Gehlot, Hiralal Nagar, Jhabar Singh Kharra and Jawahar Singh Bedham were also present on the occasion. Jaipur, Sep 14 (PTI) Zinc producer Hindustan Zinc Limited has said its all-women mine rescue team will represent India at an international competition. The country's first all-women mine rescue team will be among 26 teams at the XIII International Mine Rescue Competition to be organized by the National Mining Agency, Colombia, under the guidance of the International Mines Rescue Body (IMRB). "Hindustan Zinc's team marks a historic breakthrough as the first-ever all-women team from India to compete on this prestigious global stage, demonstrating their exceptional rescue skills and expertise," said Arun Misra, CEO Hindustan Zinc Limited. He said that the participation highlights our ongoing commitment to gender diversity and parity, ensuring equal representation and opportunities across all levels. The seven-member team will compete across six categories, including mine rescue drills in both breathing and non-breathing atmospheres, first aid, mining rescue skills, equipment technician tests, and theoretical knowledge evaluations. The competition, held annually in different countries, involves various rescue drills and tests that simulate critical underground mine rescue scenarios. Mumbai, Sep 14 (PTI) South star Samantha Ruth Prabhu will be honoured with the Woman Of The Year award at the upcoming edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Utsavam awards, the organizers have announced. The IIFA Utsavam Awards, to be held on September 27 at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, will kick off the celebration of South Indian cinema by introducing the prestigious Woman of the Year in Indian Cinema award, honouring Ruth Prabhu for her achievements. A powerhouse in the Tamil and Telugu industries, the actor is known for her work in films like Ye Maaya Chesave, Eega, Neethaane En Ponvasantham, Mahanati, and Super Deluxe. IIFA Utsavam has always been special and Im so glad to join its global tour that spotlights the rich tapestry of creativity and storytelling from South Indian Cinema to a worldwide audience. "Its also a gentle reminder for me as an artist and a woman to continue pushing my boundaries and embrace the endless possibilities that this incredible journey offers, Ruth Prabhu said in a statement. Andre Timmins, Founder and Director, IIFA Utsavam, they are proud to celebrate Ruth Prabhus contribution to Indian cinema. As one of the most sought-after actresses of the generation, her remarkable journey in Indian cinema has been an extraordinary testament to her versatility, dedication, and indelible ability to deeply connect with audiences through captivating performances and daring, unconventional roles, Timmins. Lahore, Sep 14 (PTI) Law enforcement agencies have arrested nine suspected terrorists of ISIS and anti-Shia organisations in the Punjab province of Pakistan and foiled a major terror attack targeting important installations and religious places, police said on Saturday. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police claimed that it conducted 71 intelligence-based operations in different districts of the province during which the nine terrorists were arrested with weapons, explosives, and other prohibited materials. A spokesman for the CTD said the arrest of the nine terrorists belonging to ISIS (Daesh) and anti-Shia organisations -- Sipah Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) from different areas of the province during this week were carried out during the intelligence-based operations in Rahim Yar Khan, Okara, Bahawalpur, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Mianwali. The terrorists had planned to sabotage across the province and wanted to target important installations and other religious places. A total of 4.8 kg explosives, two hand grenades, two IED bombs, 26 detonators, four pistols, bullets, and banned literature were recovered from their possession, the spokesperson said. The police have registered nine cases against the arrested terrorists and shifted them to an unknown location for further investigation. London, Sep 14 (PTI) Tarlochan Singh, former chairman of Indias National Commission of Minorities, on Saturday urged the top Sikh body and Sikh MPs from Canada to take up the issue of the ban on turbans for public servants in positions of authority in Quebec province of that country. Singh, a former member of the parliament of India, urged Jathedar Akal Takhat, president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and Sikh MPs in Canada to follow the example of their counterparts in UK who got a similar law amended to protect the Sikh symbols. Adopted in June 2019, the controversial law known as Bill 21 -- prevents judges, police officers, teachers, and public servants in position of authority from wearing symbols such as the kippah, turban, or hijab while at work in Quebec province. In February 2024, the Quebec Court of Appeal upheld the province's controversial secularism law in a ruling on challenges to the law's constitutionality. In a statement, Singh, who is on a brief visit here, said, This is more serious than the law in France where the wearing of turban is banned for the Sikh students in government schools. Observing that he failed to understand why the Sikh members of parliament in Canada have not yet taken this up as a major discrimination against the community, Singh said, We are the only religious community in the world, where everyone is allowed to keep long hairs duly covered as per religious compulsion. I appeal to all of you to request the Chief Minister of Quebec province to reopen this case and amend the law. The Catholic hierarchy may be approached for help. In the UK, the Sikhs with their consistent efforts got similar laws amended to protect Sikh symbols, he added. Islamabad, Sep 14 (PTI) The speaker of Pakistan's national assembly has declared the Parliament Lodges here as sub-jail for jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party's lawmakers who were arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act and newly imposed Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024. On the other hand, Dawn News reported that the Islamabad High Court set aside the physical remand of the 10 arrested PTI lawmakers and sent them to jail on judicial remand. I am directed to refer to the production order issued on September 11 by the national assembly speaker with respect to the 10 PTI lawmakers arrested recently to enable them to attend the sitting of 9th Session of National Assembly... The speaker has been pleased to declare the Parliament Lodges in Islamabad as sub-jail for their custody after each assembly sitting, a National Assembly Secretariat official said in a letter to the secretary of the Interior Ministry on Friday. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers who were arrested on different charges following the party's public gathering at Sangjani were Sher Afzal Khan, Malik Mohammad Aamir Dogar, Mohammad Ahmed Chattha, Makhdoon Zain Hussain Qureshi, Waqas Akram, Zubair Khan Wazir, Awais Haider Jakhar, Syed Shah Ahad Ali Shah, Nasim Ali Shah, and Yousaf Khan. Police officials said the MNAs were detained at the suites allocated to them at the Parliament Lodges. These MNAs were arrested in connection with cases registered at Sangjani and Noon police stations under several charges, the officials said. There are no special arrangements and deployment in and outside the sub-jails as police were already present there, the officials said, adding that services of the available police officers were being utilised. They said that under the written directives of the speaker issued to the interior secretary, the suites were declared sub-jail, and so far any necessary notification in this regard was yet to be issued from the capital administration or police. Geneva, Sep 14 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held wide-ranging discussions with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Daniele Giovanni Cassis on bilateral ties, with a focus on leveraging the trade agreement between India and four-nation European bloc EFTA, which includes Switzerland, the MEA said on Saturday. Jaishankar was here on a two-day visit which concluded on Friday. In a special gesture, Cassis hosted Jaishankar in Geneva, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. "The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on bilateral ties, with a special focus on leveraging the Free Trade Agreement between India and EFTA States (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Principality of Liechtenstein) to boost trade and investments," the statement said. India in March signed a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) under which New Delhi received a USD 100 billion investment commitment from these four European countries. During the meeting, Jaishankar and Cassis also discussed global and regional issues of mutual interest. During his visit, Jaishankar interacted with the leadership of international organisations in Geneva - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and the Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He shared Indias approach to multilateralism, our perspectives on the evolution of human rights, the current global human rights situation, and ways to address various challenges to the human rights ecosystem. He also discussed ways to deepen cooperation in public health and promote traditional medicine systems globally. He also dedicated the newly built state-of-the-art Permanent Mission of India in Geneva, which houses India's missions dealing with the UN and other International Organisations, the Conference on Disarmament, the World Trade Organisation, and the Consulate General of India, the statement said. He also dedicated a statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambekar, the key architect of Indias Constitution, at the Permanent Mission here. He honoured Indian reformer and educator Hansa Mehta by naming a hall in her memory at the mission. Mehta served as the Indian delegate to the UN Commission on Human Rights from 1947 to 1948 and is known for ensuring a more gender-sensitive language in the landmark Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He also planted a tree under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative. He interacted with a large gathering of the Indian community and Friends of India at the Permanent Mission. He highlighted rapid strides made by India and Indias vision of engaging with the world. He also delivered a talk on "Global Tectonics: The Indian View of a World in Churn at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), which was attended by a cross-section of people in Geneva, including from the diplomatic community, academia, think tanks, student community and the Indian diaspora, the statement said. Deir Al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Sep 14 (AP) Israeli airstrikes hit central and southern Gaza overnight into Saturday, killing at least 14 people as the friends and family members of a Turkish-American activist killed by an Israeli solider prepared to honour her in a funeral. The airstrikes in Gaza City hit one home housing 11 people, including three women and four children, and another strike hit a tent in Khan Younis housing Palestinians displaced by the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza's Civil Defence said on Saturday. They followed airstrikes earlier this week that hit a tent camp on Tuesday and a United Nations school housing displaced people on Wednesday. They hit as a campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio drew down and the World Health Organisation said about 560,000 under 10 have recovered from their first dose, seven out of every eight children the campaign aimed to vaccinate. The second doses are expected to begin later this month as part of an effort for which the WHO said parties had already agreed to. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the campaign as a massive success amidst a tragic daily reality of life in a post on X on Friday. Meanwhile, the body of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, the Turkish-American activist killed September 6 by an Israeli soldier, was returned to her hometown late Friday accompanied by a police honour guard, the official Turkish news agency reported. Draped in a Turkish flag, the coffin carrying her remains was carried from a hearse to a hospital in Didim by six officers in ceremonial uniform. Her funeral is due to be held in the coastal town in western Turkiye later Saturday. The 26-year-old activist from Seattle, who held United States and Turkish citizenship, was killed after a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to an Israeli protester who witnessed the shooting. The Israeli military said on Tuesday that Eygi was likely shot indirectly and unintentionally by Israeli forces. Turkiye announced it will conduct its own investigation into her death. Anadolu Agency reported her body arrived in Didim after an autopsy at the Izmir Forensic Medicine Institute. As Eygi's family watched the coffin being unloaded, her mother had to be helped by medics, the agency said. Her death earned condemnation from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as the United States, Egypt and Qatar push for a cease-fire and the release of the hostages. Talks have repeatedly bogged down as Israel and Hamas accuse each other of making new and unacceptable demands. The war began when Hamas-led fighters killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in an October 7 attack on southern Israel. They abducted another 250 people and are still holding around 100 hostages after releasing most of the rest in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Around a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead. It has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90 per cent of Gaza's population of 2.3 million, often multiple times, and plunged the territory into a severe humanitarian crisis. Gaza's Health Ministry says over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its count, but says women and children make up just over half of the dead. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants in the war. (AP) PY PY Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, presides over a seminar in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Sept. 12, 2024. Li made an inspection tour in Heilongjiang Province from Tuesday to Friday. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) HARBIN, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's anti-graft chief Li Xi urged renewed efforts in advancing full and rigorous Party governance during an inspection tour to northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, went on the tour from Tuesday to Friday. During the inspection, Li visited the Central Grain Reserve Harbin Direct Warehouse Co., Ltd., which is affiliated to the China Grain Reserves Group (Sinograin). He also paid visits to Harbin Institute of Technology, a local rice-growing agricultural cooperative, and a village dwelled by people of Hezhe ethnicity. He urged greater efforts in addressing corruption that occurs at the people's doorsteps and ensuring that the people can benefit more thoroughly and fairly from the fruits of the reform. In order to comprehensively deepen reform, it is a must to give full play to the role of full and rigorous Party self-governance in providing political guidance and guarantees, said Li at a seminar held during the inspection tour. He reiterated the necessity to continuously improve conduct, enforce discipline, and combat corruption. Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, visits a local rice-growing agricultural cooperative in Fuyuan City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Sept. 13, 2024. Li made an inspection tour in Heilongjiang Province from Tuesday to Friday. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) Dubai, Sep 14 (AP) A new attempt has begun to try to salvage an oil tanker burning in the Red Sea after attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels, a European Union naval mission said Saturday. The EU's Operation Aspides published images dated Saturday of its vessels escorting ships heading to the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion. The mission has been actively involved in this complex endeavour, by creating a secure environment, which is necessary for the tugboats to conduct the towing operation, the EU said. A phone number for the mission rang unanswered Saturday. The Sounion came under attack from the Houthis beginning August 21. The vessel had been staffed by a crew of 25 Filipinos and Russians, as well as four private security personnel, who were taken by a French destroyer to nearby Djibouti. The Houthis later planted explosives aboard the ship and detonated them. That's led to fears the ship's 1 million barrels of crude oil could spill into the Red Sea. The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors. One of the sunken vessels, the Tutor, went down after the Houthis planted explosives aboard it and after its crew abandoned it due to an earlier attack, the rebel group later acknowledged. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets. The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran. (AP) GRS GRS Islamabad, Sep 14 (PTI) The residential quarters of Pakistans national assembly members have been declared as a sub-jail for 10 lawmakers belonging to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party to enable them to attend Parliament sittings. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers were arrested on different charges, including the Anti-Terrorism Act and the newly imposed Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024, after the partys public gathering at Sangjani on Islamabad outskirts on Sunday. National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Friday approved the designation of Parliament Lodges as a sub-jail for the lawmakers currently detained at the suites allocated to them, The Express Tribune reported. I am directed to refer to the production order issued on September 11 by the national assembly speaker with respect to the PTI lawmakers arrested recently to enable them to attend the sitting of the 9th Session of National Assembly," a National Assembly Secretariat official said in a letter to the secretary of the Interior Ministry. The new arrangement at Parliament Lodges is expected to address both security and procedural needs, ensuring that the detained members can fulfill their legislative duties while managing their current legal circumstances, the newspaper said. The decision follows a request from party chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and other members due to heightened security concerns. Police have registered cases against the 10 lawmakers at Sangjani, Sumbal, and Noon police stations, all near the capital area, officials said adding, the Islamabad High Court has granted them judicial remand. There are no special arrangements and deployment in and outside the sub-jails as police were already present there, the officials said, adding that services of the available police officers were being utilised. Several PTI leaders, including high-ranking figures, were charged with terrorism-related offenses over accusations of violence against police officers during the rally on Sunday. Kyiv, Sep 14 (AP) Ukraine made a new call Saturday on the West to allow it to strike deeper into Russia after a meeting between US and British leaders a day earlier produced no visible shift in their policy on the use of long-range weapons. Russian terror begins at weapons depots, airfields, and military bases inside the Russian Federation, Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak said Saturday. Permission to strike deep into Russia will speed up the solution. The renewed appeal came as Kyiv said Russia launched more drone and artillery attacks into Ukraine overnight. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called on allies to greenlight the use of Western-provided long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. So far, the US has allowed Kyiv to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russia's border with Ukraine. Discussions on allowing long-range strikes were believed to be on the table when US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met in Washington DC Friday but, no decision was announced immediately after the meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pressing the US and other allies to allow his forces to use Western weapons to target air bases and launch sites further afield as Russia has stepped up assaults on Ukraine's electricity grid and utilities before winter. He did not directly comment on the meeting Saturday morning, but said that more than 70 Russian drones had been launched into Ukraine overnight. The Ukrainian airforce later said that 76 Russian drones had been sighted, of which 72 were shot down. We need to boost our air defence and long-range capabilities to protect our people, Zelenskyy wrote on social media. We are working on this with all of Ukraine's partners. Other overnight attacks saw one person killed by Russian artillery fire as energy infrastructure was targeted in Ukraine's Sumy region. A 54-year-old driver was killed and seven more people were hospitalised, Ukraine's Ministry of Energy said. A KAB aerial bomb also fell on a garage complex in the eastern city of Kharkiv, said regional Gov. Ihor Terekhov. No injuries were reported. Meanwhile, officials in Moscow have continued to make public statements warning that long-range strikes would provoke further escalation between Russia and the West. The remarks are in line with the narrative the Kremlin has promoted since early in the war, accusing NATO countries of de-facto participation in the conflict and threatening a response. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state news agency TASS Saturday that the US and British governments were pushing the conflict, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, toward poorly controlled escalation. Similar comments of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, where he said that allowing long-range strikes would mean that NATO countries, the United States and European countries, are at war with Russia. were brushed off by Biden Friday. Asked what he thought about Putin's threat, Biden answered, I don't think much about Vladimir Putin. Elsewhere, Russia's Defence Ministry said that 19 Ukrainian drones had been shot down over the country's Kursk and Belgorod regions. No casualties were reported. (AP) GRS GRS Colombo, Sep 14 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday assured that his government would set up a commission to address the issue of disappeared persons within five years if he is re-elected in the upcoming presidential poll. According to an estimate, around 20,000 people are believed to be missing after the end of the nearly three-decade war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE), which killed over 100,000 people. Addressing a public rally in Jaffna ahead of the September 21 presidential election, Wickremesinghe said if voted back to power, his government will establish the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which will resolve the issue of missing persons within the next five years, news portal dailymirror.lk reported. He further said that his government will also set up the National Land Commission to address the ongoing land disputes in the North. The Sri Lankan government is yet to fully restore civilian ownership of land and property nearly a decade since the end of the civil war in 2009. The president said the issues in the North cannot be limited to just political problems but also require development. If development does not take place, the North will fall behind while other provinces move forward. He emphasised that his leadership will address both the political and developmental challenges in the North. Referring to a statement issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday, Wickremesinghe warned that if the government does not continue the programme it started with the global lender, the economy could collapse again, the Daily News website reported. He said if his government's plan continues for another three years, no one will be able to destroy the countrys economy. Wickremesinghe affirmed his commitment to developing the North and pointed out that non of his political rivals -- Samagi Jana Balawegaya's (SJB) Sajith Premadasa or Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna's (JVP) Anura Kumara -- has any solution for the regions needs. Addressing the gathering, he said, I have always come to Jaffna whenever given the opportunity, including during elections. Now, other candidates are also visiting Jaffna, but they only come during election time. However, I have always made a point to visit regularly, which is why I am in a position to come here and ask for your vote." He said Kumara and Premadasa, who are campaigning against him, propose to overhaul the current system and implement their own. They promise to ease living costs and eliminate taxes. However, such measures would jeopardise the IMF assistance, leading to a potential collapse of the economy. "We have worked with the IMF to strengthen the rupee and have seen a gradual decrease in commodity prices. Our current program is already providing increased relief to the people. We are now in a position to reduce taxes," the president said. He asserted that the economy is strengthening, and with the continuation of this programme for another three years, it will become even more resilient. "While Sajith (Premadasa) and Anura (Kumara) advocate for tax cuts, I also support this idea, but not at the cost of progress. Reducing taxes prematurely could undermine our economic recovery and risk a return to the dire situation of June 2022. I am committed to being transparent with the people about these challenges," he said. Paris, Sep 14 (AP) Gisele Pelicot, the woman who was allegedly drugged by her now ex-husband over the course of a decade so that she could be raped by dozens of men while unconscious, is becoming a symbol of France's fight against sexual violence. Some 700 people gathered at Place de la Republique in Paris in support for the 71-year-old and all rape victims in France. Some carried banners that hailed Pelicot for speaking out about her horrific ordeal and assured other victims of sexual violence that they are not alone. Victims, we believe you. Rapists, we see you, one banner said. Since the beginning of the extraordinary trial on September 2, during which Pelicot will face 51 of her alleged rapists, she has been praised for her courage and composure. First, there was her decision to keep the trial public after the court had initially suggested that it be held behind closed doors. She allowed journalists to publish her full name, and the court to exhibit explicit videos recorded by her husband showing men engaging in sexual intercourses with her naked, inert body. She has said her decisions were in solidarity with other women who go unrecognized as victims of sexual crimes. It's very important to be here because we need to talk about the rape culture, said Anna Toumazoff, an activist and one of the organizers of the Paris protest. After seven years of MeToo, we know that there is not a special type of victim. We are also collectively realizing that there is no special type of a rapist. Despite several waves of the #Metoo reckoning in France, which featured several high profile women speaking publicly about the trauma they've endured after years of sexual abuse, protesters said that much of the violence remains unreported and often goes unpunished. On September 5, Pelicot spoke about her ordeal in public for the first time since police officers, four years ago, called her in to tell her the unthinkable. With a calm and clear voice, she detailed the horror of discovering that her former spouse had been sedating her and invited at least 72 strangers into their house in Provence to have sex with her. For me, everything collapses, she testified. These are scenes of barbarity, of rape. National broadcaster TF1 that day described a dignified, strong," woman, who was "holding her head high. In an open letter translated into English and published in French newspaper Le Monde, journalist and author Helene Devynck thanked Pelicot for her bravery, echoing the feelings of many other French people. You entered our lives like you entered the Avignon court, through the front door, wrote Devynck, a figure of the French #MeToo movement. It's not just you, Gisele, that they've treated like a thing. They were telling us, all of us women, how insignificant we are. Your strength restores ours. Thank you for this immense gift." Next week, Gisele Pelicot will have to brave another mountain: facing the man whom she shared her life for over 50 years, and father of their three children. Her lawyer has said she is planning on attending his testimony. Her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, has previously confessed to the crimes to investigators. But his court hearing will be crucial for the panel of judges to decide on the fate of the 50 other men accused of rape. A majority of the defendants are contesting the accusation of rape. Some have claimed they believed a husband's consent for sexual intercourse was sufficient, others said they were tricked by Dominique Pelicot to believe his wife was consenting. One lawyer representing six defendants has shocked the nation arguing that there is rape and rape, and without intention, there is no rape. Magali Lafourcade, a magistrate and secretary general of the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights, also applauded Gisele Pelicot. She stressed that in France, studies suggest that nine out of 10 women who are victims of rape do not press charges. And when they do, about 80 per cent of the cases are dropped. For health reasons, Dominique Pelicot has been exempted from attending the trial since Wednesday. He is expected to testify on Monday or Tuesday, his lawyer, Beatrice Zavarro, has said. Asked whether her client was trying to get out of testifying, Zavarro said Friday that he had been waiting for his trial, he wanted to talk and be confronted to his wife and children. Dominique Pelicot, now 71, and the 50 other defendants face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. (AP) NPK NPK Islamabad, Sep 14 (PTI) The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Saturday rebuked the top election body and ordered it to implement its verdict on reserved seats, a decision that is likely to benefit the party led by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. The apex court order is a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs ruling coalition as it will potentially make Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party as the single largest in both houses of Parliament after the February 8 general elections. The order coincides with the reported planning of the government to introduce a constitutional amendment for which a two-third majority is required. If the Supreme Court order is implemented in letter and spirit, the PTI may emerge as the largest party in the National Assembly with its seats soaring with the addition of reserved seats. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party-led government on July 15 had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against its decision to allocate reserved seats to PTI. Earlier, a 13-member full bench of the apex court in a key 8-5 judgment on July 12 ruled that the PTI was eligible for the seats reserved for women and minorities in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies. The court had also declared PTI as a parliamentary party. Khan, 71, who faces over 200 cases and has been convicted in a few of them, is currently lodged at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. He had already claimed the February 8 general elections to have witnessed the Mother of All Rigging and called his rivals the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as mandate thieves. In the election, both PML-N and PPP individually won fewer seats than 92 won by independent candidates backed by Khans PTI. The two parties entered into a post-poll alliance under which the PML-N got the prime ministers post and the chief ministership of Punjab province while the PPP got the presidential post and the chief ministership in Sindh province. If the reserved seats are now allotted to the PTI, it will upset the PML-N-PPP apple cart. Earlier, the July 12 majority judgement explained that 39 out of the 80 members of the national assembly, shown by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as PTI candidates, belonged to the party, while the 41 independents would have to file duly signed statements before the commission within 15 days as it explained that they contested the February 8 elections as a candidate of a particular political party. The ECP had subsequently sought clarification on some issues from the court which in its order stated that the clarification sought by the ECP was nothing more than a contrived device and the adoption of dilatory tactics, adopted to delay, defeat and obstruct implementation of the decision of the court. This cannot be countenanced. Even on the application of elementary principles of law, the application filed by the Election Commission is misconceived, the top court said. The court also warned that failure of the ECP to implement the original verdict would have consequences. The attempt by the Election Commission to confuse and cloud what is otherwise absolutely clear as a matter of the Constitution and the law must therefore be strongly deprecated, the apex court said. The list required to be issued by the Commission is nothing more than a ministerial act, for the information and convenience of all concerned, and has no substantive effect. Nonetheless, the continued failure of, and refusal by, the Commission to perform this legally binding obligation may, as noted, have consequences, the order said, adding, This obligation must be discharged forthwith. The issues of reserved seats propped up soon after the February 8 elections when the PTI-supported independent candidates joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) but the ECP refused to allot it the reserved seats. The Peshawar High Court (PHC) had on March 14 rejected the appeal against the ECP ruling. In April, the SIC filed a petition before the Supreme Court against the PHC judgment, which on May 6 suspended the PHC judgment as well as the March 1 ECP decision to deprive the SIC of seats reserved for women and minorities. Finally, the apex court on July 12 adjudicated in the favour of PTI and declared it as a party eligible for reserved seats, but the ECP has so far not fully implemented the verdict. Islamabad, Sep 14 (PTI) Accusing the US of adopting "double standards" and "discriminatory" practices, Pakistan on Saturday rejected unilateral American sanctions on technology companies allegedly linked to the country's ballistic missile programme and said such actions "endanger international peace". The US on Thursday said it has taken action against four Chinese entities, one Pakistani company, and one Chinese individual involved in the expansion of ballistic missiles and controlled missile equipment and technology to Pakistan. Reacting to the US action, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa) in a statement said, "Pakistan considers this action as biased and politically-motivated. Similar listings of commercial entities in the past were based on mere suspicion; involved items not listed under any export control regime and yet were considered sensitive under broad, catch-all provisions." Terming the US sanctions as "double standards and discriminatory", Mofa Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said such "practices undermine the credibility of global nonproliferation regimes, increase military asymmetries, and endanger international peace and security", the Geo News reported. "It is widely known that some countries while claiming strict adherence to nonproliferation norms, have conveniently waived licensing requirements for advanced military technologies to their favoured states," she said, without naming any country. The US State Department Spokesperson, Matthew Miller, in a statement on Thursday said America imposed sanctions on the Beijing Research Institute of Automation for Machine Building Industry (RIAMB), which has worked with Pakistans National Development Complex (NDC), under the missile sanctions laws. The statement said RIAMB had worked with NDC in the development and production of Pakistans long-range ballistic missiles to procure equipment for testing of large-diameter rocket motors, including the Shaheen-3 and Ababeel. "The United States is [also] imposing sanctions on three PRC-based entities, one PRC individual, and a Pakistani entity for ballistic missile proliferation activities: PRC-based firms Hubei Huachangda Intelligent Equipment Company, Universal Enterprise Limited, and Xian Longde Technology Development Company Limited (aka Lontek); and PRC individual Luo Dongmei (aka Steed Luo) for knowingly transferring equipment and technology controlled under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Annex, in support of MTCR Category I missile programmes, to a non-MTCR country," it said. The department said it also imposed sanctions on a Pakistan-based entity Innovative Equipment under the missile sanctions laws, adding that it will "continue to act against proliferation and associated procurement activities of concern, wherever they occur". Meanwhile, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for Chinas embassy in Washington, said: China firmly opposes unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law or authorisation of the UN Security Council. China will firmly protect Chinese companies and individuals rights and interests, Liu said. Islamabad, Sep 14 (PTI) Pakistans former prime minister Imran Khan was grilled on Saturday by a probe team over his controversial social media post allegedly targeting the heads of key state institutions. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered a case against Khan on Friday for allegedly inciting rebellion against the government and state institutions through posts made on social media platform X. The FIAs Cybercrime Wing launched an inquiry and its probe tem led by Deputy Director Ayaz Khan questioned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder for about 45 minutes at Adiala Jail. The team included investigators and technical experts who asked Khan about the nature of the post and who was handling his social media account. The FIA team is expected to visit again to continue the probe and further determine who is responsible for managing Khans social media accounts and issuing directives for such posts. Khan, 71, had previously insisted that he would only cooperate with the investigation in the presence of his legal team and had refused to meet the FIA probe team. Information Minister Atta Tarar had said over the new case against Khan that the FIA is investigating the misuse of social media by the PTI founder to "create anarchy and undermine national security". During the session of the National Assembly earlier in the day, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Khan insulted the institutions by accusing the Chief Justice in his X post and also accusing the Army chief of being involved in politics. Bhutto said if this statement was not issued by Khan himself, then it should be revealed who used his X account. Dhaka, Sep 14 (PTI) A key US State Department diplomat arrived in Bangladesh on Saturday to hold discussions with the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, primarily focussing on financial and trade matters. Donald Lu, the assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, is leading a delegation to Dhaka that also has Brandon Lynch, the assistant US trade representative for South and Central Asia, the bdnews24.com news portal reported, citing a press release issued by the foreign ministry. Apart from meeting Yunus to discuss bilateral issues, the delegation will also meet Finance and Commerce Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed, the release said. Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain said the discussions will primarily focus on financial and trade matters. Earlier, Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin told reporters on Thursday, I can only say that the arrival of the US delegation after the formation of the interim government reflects the importance the United States places on its relationship with Bangladesh. Dubai, Sep 14 (AP) On the streets of Iranian cities, it's becoming more common to see a woman passing by without a mandatory headscarf, or hijab, as the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini and the mass protests it sparked approaches. There's no government official or study acknowledging the phenomenon, which began as Iran entered its hot summer months and power cuts in its overburdened electrical system became common. But across social media, videos of people filming neighbourhood streets or just talking about a normal day in their life, women and girls can be seen walking past with their long hair out over their shoulders, particularly after sunset. This defiance comes despite what United Nations investigators describe as expanded repressive measures and policies by Iran's theocracy to punish them though there's been no recent catalysing event like Amini's death to galvanize demonstrators. The country's new reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian campaigned on a promise to halt the harassment of women by morality police. But the country's ultimate authority remains the 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who in the past said unveiling is both religiously forbidden and politically forbidden. For some observant Muslim women, the head covering is a sign of piety before God and modesty in front of men outside their families. In Iran, the hijab and the all-encompassing black chador worn by some has long been a political symbol as well. Meaningful institutional changes and accountability for gross human rights violations and crimes under international law, and crimes against humanity, remains elusive for victims and survivors, especially for women and children, warned a U.N. fact-finding mission on Iran on Friday. Amini, 22, died on Sept 16, 2022, in a hospital after her arrest by the country's morality police over allegedly not wearing her hijab to the liking of the authorities. The protests that followed Amini's death started first with the chant Women, Life, Freedom. However, the protesters' cries soon grew into open calls of revolt against Khamenei. A monthslong security crackdown that followed killed more than 500 people and saw over 22,000 detained. Today, passersby on the streets of Tehran, whether its tony northern suburbs for the wealthy or the working-class neighborhoods of the capital's southern reaches, now routinely see women without the hijab. It particularly starts at dusk, though even during the daylight on weekends women can be seen with their hair uncovered at major parks. Online videos specifically a sub-genre showing walking tours of city streets for those in rural areas or abroad who want to see life in the bustling neighborhoods of Tehran include women without the hijab. Something that would have stopped a person in their tracks in the decades follwing the 1979 Islamic Revolution now goes unacknowledged. My quasi-courage for not wearing scarves is a legacy of Mahsa Amini and we have to protect this as an achievement," said a 25-year-old student at Tehran Sharif University, who gave only her first name Azadeh out of fear of reprisal. "She could be at my current age if she did not pass away. The disobedience still comes with risk. Months after the protests halted, Iranian morality police returned to the streets. There have been scattered videos of women and young girls being roughed up by officers in the time since. In 2023, a teenage Iranian girl was injured in a mysterious incident on Tehran's Metro while not wearing a headscarf and later died in hospital. In July, activists say police opened fire on a woman fleeing a checkpoint in an attempt to avoid her car being impounded for her not wearing the hijab. Meanwhile, the government has targeted private businesses where women are seen without their headscarves. Surveillance cameras search for women uncovered in vehicles to fine and impound their cars. The government has gone as far as use aerial drones to monitor the 2024 Tehran International Book Fair and Kish Island for uncovered women, the U.N. said. Yet some feel the election of Pezeshkian in July, after a helicopter crash killed Iranian hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi in May, is helping ease tensions over the hijab. I think the current peaceful environment is part of the status after Pezeshkian took office, said Hamid Zarrinjouei, a 38-year-old bookseller. In some way, Pezeshkian could convince powerful people that more restrictions do not necessarily make women more faithful to the hijab. (AP) NSA NSA NSA BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's lawmakers on Friday adopted a decision on amending the Statistics Law in a bid to prevent data fraud more effectively. The decision was adopted as the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) concluded its 11th session in Beijing. The amendments focus on enhancing responsibility for the prevention and punishment of statistics fraud, strengthening statistical supervision, and improving the scientific nature of statistics. Shi Hong, an official of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said that these amendments to the Statistics Law adhere to a problem-oriented approach and strengthen the legal responsibility for illegal activities such as statistics fraud. The amendments call for the construction of a complete, coordinated, efficient, authoritative and reliable national statistics supervision system, according to Mao Shengyong, deputy director of the National Bureau of Statistics. Islamabad, Sep 14 (PTI) The Pakistan government is preparing to roll out a comprehensive judicial reforms package in Parliament amid speculation about legislation to extend the retirement age of superior court judges, according to a media report on Saturday. With at least 22 amendments on the docket, these changes are set to overhaul the justice system and revamp the process of appointing the chief justice of the Supreme Court, The Express Tribune newspaper reported, quoting sources. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government has plans to introduce these reforms as early as Sunday, according to the report. The proposal's centrepiece is introducing a new appointment process for the chief justice. Under the proposed changes, the parliamentary committee and judicial commission could be merged. Instead of automatically appointing the senior-most judge, a panel of five senior judges would be sent to the prime minister, who would have the final say. The government believes the current practice of appointing the senior-most judge encourages lobbying within the judiciary, allowing the Chief Justice to manipulate the seniority list to favour his preferred successors. By giving this decision-making power to the prime minister, the government hopes to curb internal politicking within the judiciary. The reform package also includes a proposal to allow transfers of judges from one high court to another, a move that would increase flexibility within the judicial system. However, one key issue raising the retirement age of judges remains a bone of contention, with no agreement reached as of yet. Despite some disagreements, all coalition parties are reportedly in agreement on the core judicial reforms. In a recent statement, right-wing Islamic leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) indicated that if a reform package on judicial matters is presented, it will be carefully considered. Sources indicate that the government is keeping its cards close to its chest. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has discussed the package with a tight circle, including senior Pakistan Peoples Party leadership, but the rest of the coalition has yet to receive a full briefing. It appears that the government is preparing to throw this package into the National Assembly with little prior information, ensuring the element of surprise. If passed, the reforms could mark a seismic shift in the country's judiciary, shaking up long-established procedures and leaving a lasting impact on how the judicial and executive branches interact. The government took an unusual step on Friday as it summoned sessions of both the National Assembly and Senate on a holiday Saturday. The hurriedly-called session has given further rise to speculations that the ruling alliance might introduce judicial reforms or constitutional amendments. While Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reportedly asserted that the government is all set to table a 'constitutional amendment' in the assembly on Saturday as it has achieved the 'magic number', Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar reportedly denied that the government is likely to go for any constitutional changes. Despite the contradictory statements, the notion is that the government is likely to make some constitutional changes, such as increasing the retirement age of judges. Such a move can lead to an extension in the tenure of incumbent Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is set to retire on October 25, upon reaching the age of superannuation 65 years. Though Chief Justice Isa has expressed that he was not interested in a person-specific extension, experts closely monitoring political and judicial developments say that this varied statement has kept the door open for an extension. Currently, the retirement age of Supreme Court judges is 65, while the same for high court judges is 62. Reports and statements by different lawmakers in Parliament suggest that the government intends to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court judges to 68 and high court judges to 65. The debate about constitutional amendment was triggered soon after the Supreme Court's landmark decision on July 12 in favour of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) about the allocation of reserved seats in national and other assemblies. The decision deprived the ruling alliance of a two-thirds majority. The ruling coalition would need to meet the required number of 224 out of 336 members of the National Assembly and 64 out of 96 in the Senate to get the two-thirds majority to pass the constitutional amendment. Currently, the ruling party lacks a two-thirds majority in both houses, which is required for passing a constitutional amendment. Baghdad, Sep 13 (AP) Iraqi forces and American troops have killed a senior commander with the Islamic State group who was wanted by the United States, as well as several other prominent militants, Iraq's military said on Friday. The operation in Iraq's western Anbar province began in late August, the Iraqi military said, and involved also members of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service and Iraq's air force. Among the dead was an IS commander from Tunisia, known as Abu Ali Al-Tunisi, for whom the US Treasury Department had offered $5 million for information. Also killed was Ahmad Hamed Zwein, the IS deputy commander in Iraq. Despite their defeat, attacks by IS sleeper cells in Iraq and Syria have been on the rise over the past years, with scores of people killed or wounded. Friday's announcement was not the first news of the operation. Two weeks ago, official has said that the United States military and Iraq launched a joint raid targeting suspected IS militants in the country's western desert that killed at least 15 people and left seven American troops hurt. Five of the American troops were wounded in the raid itself, while two others suffered injuries from falls during the operation. One who suffered a fall was transported out of the region, while one of the wounded was evacuated for further treatment, a US defence official said at the time, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the operation that had not yet been made public. In Friday's announcement, the Iraqi military said the operation also confiscated weapons and computers, smart phones and 10 explosive belts. It added that 14 IS commanders were identified after DNA tests were conducted. It made no mention of the 15th person killed and whether that person had also been identified. The Islamic State group seized territory at the height of its power and declared a caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014 but was defeated in Iraq in 2017. In March 2019, the extremists lost the last sliver of land they once controlled in eastern Syria. At its peak, the group ruled an area half the size of the United Kingdom where it enforced its extreme interpretation of Islam, which included attacks on religious minority groups and harsh punishment of Muslims deemed to be apostates. Despite their defeat, attacks by IS sleeper cells in Iraq and Syria have been on the rise over the past years, killing and wounding scores of people. The US military has not commented on the August raid. Earlier Friday, the US Central Command said its forces killed an IS attack cell member in a strike in eastern Syria. It added that the individual was planting an improvised explosive device for a planned attack against anti-IS coalition forces and their partners, an apparent reference to Syria's Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. In August last year, the US had agreed to enter into talks to transition US and anti-IS coalition forces from their long-standing role in assisting Iraq in combating IS. There are approximately 2,500 US troops in the country, and their departure will take into account the security situation on the ground, and the capabilities of the Iraqi armed forces. (AP) SCY SCY Sukma, Sep 14 (PTI) A 44-year-old personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service weapon in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, police said. The incident occurred at a camp of the CRPF's 226th battalion in Gadiras in the morning, an official said. Head constable Vipul Bhuyan shot himself with an AK-47 rifle inside the bathroom. His colleagues rushed to the spot and found him lying in a pool of blood, he said. Bhuyan, a native of Assam, had resumed duty after a leave two days ago, he said. No suicide note has been found, and a probe is underway to ascertain the reason for the extreme step, the official said. This is the fifth incident of suicide by paramilitary personnel in the last three months in Chhattisgarh, where they are deployed for anti-Naxal operations. A constable of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) allegedly committed suicide in Kanker on September 3, while another SSB jawan killed himself in Durg district on August 27. On August 26, a head constable of the CRPF allegedly shot himself dead with his service weapon in Dantewada, and a jawan of the Border Security Force (BSF) died similarly in Kanker on June 20. Jabalpur, Sep 14 (PTI) Police in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday formed a special investigation team to catch a conman who is extorting money from women collegians after threatening them with AI-generated objectionable clips, officials said. The SIT was formed by Jabalpur Superintendent of Police Aditya Pratap Singh to speed up progress in the case, which came to light in the first week of September, and has seen teams visit several states, they added. The SIT will be headed by City Superintendent of Police (Kotwali) RK Shiv and will have personnel from the crime branch, cyber cell and women police station, Madan Mahal police station in charge inspector Praveen Dhurve told PTI. The accused calls up victims and identifies himself as "police officer Vikram Goswami", threatens them with action for sharing obscene videos on social media and then demands money, said police. As per the police's probe so far, the accused is deploying Artificial Intelligence to create such obscene videos. An official said two students have transferred Rs 2000-3000 to him, adding it was being investigated how he was managing to get numbers of the collegians he was targeting. "He sends a link, which contain obscene clips, to the mobile numbers of students and then threatens them with police cases. He also says a police team will visit their parents to apprise them of the developments," the official said. The case came to light after the management of Government Mankunwar Bai Women College alerted police, SP Singh said. An FIR was then registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 318 (cheating) and Information Technology Act sections 66 (sending offensive messages through communication service, etc.) and 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form). Close to 50 women may have been targeted by the accused though only three have come forward, as per police. The issue has seen protests from both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in Jabalpur. Ahmedabad, Sep 14 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of eight persons who drowned in the Meshwo river in Gujarat's Gandhinagar district. Eight persons from Vasna Sogthi village drowned while bathing in the Meshwo river during the immersion of Ganesha idols on Friday evening. Condoling the incident, the prime minister, in a post on X, said, "Deeply saddened by the news of the loss of lives in the drowning incident in Dehgam taluk of Gujarat. My condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones in this tragedy. May God grant peace to the departed souls." PM Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund to the next of kin of the deceased persons and a relief of Rs 50,000 to the injured, the PMO posted on X. A funeral procession was taken out for the deceased in Vasna Sogthi village on Saturday. Dehgam MLA Balrajsinh Chauhan, MP Hasmukh Patel, political leaders and government officials were also present for the mass funeral. Guwahati, Sep 14 (PTI) A Congress delegation was on Saturday allegedly prevented by local people from visiting the eviction site at Sonapur, on the outskirts of Guwahati where two people were killed in police firing two days ago. Several MLAs and leaders of the opposition party had gone to Kochutoli village to meet the locals, but a group of people stopped their vehicles before reaching the site. They disembarked from the cars and tried to walk to the site, but a section of local people did not allow that too, a Congress leader said. Congress state working president and MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar tried to reason with the locals and said the delegation came to listen to all sides. As peoples representatives, we will raise all genuine concerns of the people. Congress will participate in movements for genuine demands. But at the same time, police shooting people dead and evicting people without notice cannot be tolerated. Those who attacked the police must also face action, he said, speaking to reporters at the site. We want a peaceful Assam. There is no law and order in the state anymore, Hussain asserted. A drive in Kochutoli village to evict Bengali-speaking Muslim villagers had turned violent on Thursday when a section of encroachers allegedly attacked the officials carrying out the exercise with sharp weapons and stones. Police opened fire to disperse the mob, resulting in the death of two protestors. In the clash, 33 people, including 22 police personnel were injured, Director General of Police GP Singh had said later. There were about 300 families of illegal settlers and since the drive began 151 families were evicted and 248 bighas of land have been cleared, he added. Ranchi, Sep 14 (PTI) Independent MLA Amit Kumar Yadav and former legislator Jai Prakash Verma on Saturday rejoined the BJP ahead of the Jharkhand assembly polls. Yadav, the Barkatha legislator, and Verma were given membership of the party by Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi at a programme in its headquarters here. BJP's Jharkhand in-charge Laxmikant Bajpai was present at the programme. Yadav, the 42-year-old politician, won the Barkatha assembly seat in the 2019 assembly polls by defeating BJPs Janki Prasad Yadav by a margin of 24,812 votes. He represented the Barkatha constituency from 2009 to 2014 on a BJP ticket but he lost the seat in the 2014 assembly polls. When I was denied a ticket from the party in 2019, I decided to contest the polls as an Independent candidate. I got offers from various parties but I did not join any party. I continued to work for the BJP despite being an Independent MLA. Today, I formally rejoined the party, Yadav said. Verma was in the BJP and had won the Gandey assembly seat in 2014 on a party ticket. But, he lost the seat in 2019 polls to JMMs Sarfraz Ahmad. He later switched to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). The INDIA bloc allegedly denied him a ticket for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from the Koderma seat. He, then, contested the Koderma seat as an Independent candidate, which led to his expulsion from the JMM. I returned to my original party after 18 months. The past 18 months were a black chapter of my life. I will work to strengthen the party in Jharkhand, he said. Marandi said that their return to the BJP would strengthen the organisation. People are joining the party as they found that no work has been done in the state in the past five years under the JMM-led alliance government. The corruption reached its peak, the law and order deteriorated and the current government failed to fulfil its promises. The people of the state have decided to uproot the government in the upcoming elections, he added. Guwahati, Sep 14 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday alleged that a party delegation was prevented by BJP members, posing as members of certain organizations, from visiting the eviction site at Sonapur, on the outskirts of Guwahati where two persons were killed in police firing two days ago. Opposition parties also decried the police firing incident, alleging failure of law and order situation in the state, while Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted that the government will take strong action to protect the interests of the tribal population. A drive in Kochutoli village to evict Bengali-speaking Muslim villagers had turned violent on Thursday when a section of encroachers allegedly attacked the officials carrying out the exercise with sharp weapons and stones. Police opened fire to disperse the mob, resulting in the death of two protestors. In the clash, 33 people, including 22 police personnel, were injured, Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh had said later. There were about 300 families of illegal settlers and since the drive began 151 families were evicted and 248 bighas of land have been cleared, he added. Several Congress MLAs and leaders had gone to the village under Sonapur revenue circle of Kamrup Metropolitan district to meet the locals on Saturday, but a group of people stopped their vehicles before reaching the site. They disembarked from the cars and tried to walk to the site, but a section of local people did not allow that too, a Congress leader said. Congress' state working president and MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar tried to reason with the locals and said the delegation came to listen to all sides. Talking to reporters near the site, he said, As people's representatives, we will raise all genuine concerns of the people. But at the same time, police shooting people dead and evicting people without notice cannot be tolerated. Those who attacked the police must also face action. We want a peaceful Assam. There is no law and order in the state anymore, Hussain asserted. The delegation returned from the area and visited the injured admitted at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital to enquire about their condition. Addressing a press conference here later, Hussain affirmed that the Congress does not support encroachment and that illegal settlers should be evicted, but it should be carried out in accordance with the guidelines laid down by courts with provision for rehabilitation. But the government is not doing that. People were killed, police personnel injured. How did such a situation emerge? We are going to analyse that so that we can submit a report to the party and government for reinstating peace in the area. But a section of BJP members, posing as members of some organizations, prevented us. They verbally abused us, even tried to physically intimidate us, Hussain claimed, alleging that no security arrangement was made for the delegation. The MLA added that the Congress is likely to pursue the matter with the governor. Leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia has also written to Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary to constitute an all-party delegation, led by the Speaker, to visit Kochutoli and take stock of the situation. An AIUDF delegation called on the DGP and raised concerns about the safety and welfare of the persons evicted from the area. We have information that there are injured people in the village. The evicted people are living under the open sky by the riverside. We are concerned about their condition and wanted to check it. But our delegation was prevented from visiting the area on Friday and we have raised our concerns before the DGP, legislator Aminul Islam said. Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi alleged that the Kochutoli eviction was being carried out to divert peoples attention from other burning issues of the state. He also claimed that members of only a particular community are being evicted from the area. The BJP has been in power here for the last eight years. Why the eviction drive is being done only now? It is to try and create communal tension to hide their governments failures. Citizens forum, Assam Civil Society, has also expressed shock at the killing of two persons in the eviction drive. Stating that while eviction drives can be carried out, president and Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan and general secretary Paresh Malakar said it must be within legal framework. It is a serious failure on the part of the police not to try out various other means like using batons, tear gas or rubber bullets to bring the situation under control instead of resorting to firing directly, they maintained. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sarma asserted that the government was committed to protect the interests of the tribal communities. Presence of illegal immigrants in Sonapur tribal belt and block pose a great threat to tribal identity, culture, landscape, he told reporters on the sidelines of a programme here. We are taking strong action to protect the land and culture of the tribal communities, he added. Eviction operation in the area has been put on hold following Thursdays violence, an official source said. Jamshedpur, Sep 14 (PTI) AICC Executive Committee member Dr Ajoy Kumar on Saturday described the flagging-off of a Vande Bharat train from Tatanagar station here on Sunday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "political event", since 80 per cent of the population here is unable to afford to travel on that train. Modi will flag off the Tatanagar-Patna Vande Bharat train at Tatanagar Junction Railway Station around 10 am. "Inauguration of the Vande Bharat train here is fine but the Modi government has failed to check rail accidents," said Kumar, the AICC In-Charge of Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, while addressing media persons here. Kumar asked how the inauguration of trains such as Vande Bharat would matter for the 80 per cent of the populace here, whose monthly income is between Rs 18,000 and Rs 25,000. An average of 35 crore people in the country travel in ordinary category trains but the union government had already lessened the number of general and sleeper class compartments in these trains and banned passengers from travelling with waiting list tickets. This has caused immense difficulty to the common man, he said. The government is not paying importance on improving the amenities in ordinary trains, Kumar said, accusing the Modi government of working for only 2 to 3 per cent of the people. Congress leaders suggested that the Modi government should make an effort to maintain the punctuality of train services, check rail mishaps, and enhance the income of people to make them capable of travelling on Vande Bharat. Referring to the rail mishaps, the former JPCC president said the list is long and the Modi government has miserably failed to put a rein on it. Hitting out at BJP, Kumar said the party is pretending to be the sympathiser of Adivasis but the truth is that they always betrayed them even after ruling the state for a longer period in the state. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's government had forwarded a bill related to the "Sarna religion", a symbol of religious and cultural independence of tribal community after it was passed in the state cabinet two years ago but the union government is yet to approve it, Kumar alleged.Such an approach of the government indicates that the BJP is anti-adivasi, he alleged. Speaking about the BJP's claim of Bangladeshi infiltrators, the Congress leader rejected Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's propaganda of grabbing Adivasi land by infiltrators. In an affidavit filed by the Union Home Ministry in Jharkhand High Court over the issue on September 12, it has admitted that they did not have any data regarding land grabbing after marrying tribal girls by infiltrators, Kumar said, adding that it indicated that Union Home Ministry did not have any record in this regard. Demanding the resignation of Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Congress leader asked on what basis the BJP was making such accusations. New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) Rich tributes were on Saturday paid to veteran Marxist leader and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury at the party headquarters AKG Bhavan here, where his mortal remains were brought amidst chants of 'Lal Salam' from his residence this morning. Wrapped in the red flag of the CPI (M), Yechury's mortal remains were kept at the party office, where party leaders, including polit bureau members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Pinarayi Vijayan and M A Baby, and others paid their tributes to the leader. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi also reached the AKG Bhavan along with the other party leaders to pay her last respects to Yechury. He was the first non-Congress leader Gandhi called after she met then president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in 2004 when she turned down the prime minister's post and rallied for Dr Manmohan Singh, an equation that survived the shock withdrawal of support by the Left to the UPA in 2008 over the Indo-US nuclear deal. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh also paid their last respects to the departed soul at the CPI (M) headquarters. NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and RJD MP Manoj Jha as well paid homage to Yechury. The CPI(M) general secretary died on Thursday at a hospital here after battling a lung infection. Yechury, 72, was in a critical condition for the last few days and on respiratory support while undergoing treatment for an acute respiratory tract infection at the ICU in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was admitted to the hospital on August 19. On Friday, Yechury's body was taken to the Jawaharlal Nehru University from the AIIMS where hundreds of students and faculty members paid their last respects to him. As a student at the JNU, Yechury was a part of the Students Federation of India (SFI), which he joined in 1974 and was arrested a few months later during the Emergency. He served as the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) thrice during 1977-78. Later, the body was taken to his residence, where senior CPI(M) leaders paid tributes to their comrade. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda had also paid his last respects to the leader at his residence on Friday evening. He also placed a wreath on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying homage to Yechury. Later today, his body will be taken to the AIIMS and donated for research. Yechury is survived by his wife Seema Chishti and his two children Akhila and Danish. His elder son, Ashish Yechury, passed away due to Covid in 2021. Yechury was earlier married to Indrani Mazumdar. This photo taken on Jan. 31, 2024 shows the headquarters of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Photo by Michael Tewelde/Xinhua) Africa CDC has called for further strengthening mpox detection and surveillance measures as the total number of cases in Africa climbed to 26,543, including 5,732 confirmed cases and 724 deaths, since the start of 2024. ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for further strengthening mpox detection and surveillance measures as the total number of cases in Africa climbed to 26,543, including 5,732 confirmed cases and 724 deaths, since the start of 2024. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya, while addressing a special online media briefing on the multi-country mpox outbreak in Africa Thursday evening, said the African continent reported 3,160 new cases during the past week alone, including 434 confirmed cases and 107 deaths, eventually bringing the total number of cases reported this year to 26,543. A child caught mpox gets treatment at a hospital in the Nyiragongo territory near Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Aug. 15, 2024. (Photo by Zanem Nety Zaidi/Xinhua) Noting that there has been an upward trend in the number of mpox cases since May, Kaseya said the recent upsurge in cases is mainly attributed to the increasing mpox detection capacity of African Union (AU) members. "With improved surveillance, community awareness, and disease management, we are beginning to detect more cases, which has resulted in a declining trend in the fatality rate," Kaseya told reporters. Data from the AU's specialized healthcare agency show that the cases were reported from 15 African countries across all five regions of the continent, with a case fatality rate of 2.73 percent. It said children under 15 years of age accounted for 41 percent of all confirmed mpox cases reported on the African continent so far, and males account for 63 percent of all confirmed cases. A child caught mpox gets treatment at a hospital in the Nyiragongo territory near Goma, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Aug. 15, 2024. (Photo by Zanem Nety Zaidi/Xinhua) Noting that Eastern and Northern Africa regions are yet to report mpox-related deaths so far, the Africa CDC, in its latest mpox outbreak report issued Friday, said Morocco is the first country in the northern Africa region to report a confirmed case. Central Africa is the most affected region with 23,761 cases, including 5,588 confirmed cases and 720 deaths, while Eastern African countries have reported 1,644 cases, of which 19 were confirmed. Noting the rapid spread of the virus since May, mainly among countries neighboring the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country that has emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak, Kaseya underscored the need to further strengthen cross-border surveillance measures across the affected countries. In mid-August, the Africa CDC declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS). Soon after the Africa CDC declared PHECS, the World Health Organization also declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, activating its highest level of global alert for mpox for the second time in two years. On Friday, the Africa CDC disclosed the launch of a joint continental response plan with the WHO. The six-month plan, running from September 2024 to February 2025, has an estimated budget of nearly 600 million U.S. dollars. Of this, 55 percent is allocated to mpox response efforts in affected countries, while the remaining 45 percent is directed toward operational and technical support through partner organizations. New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) Delhi Education Minister Atishi on Saturday interacted with student entrepreneurs and praised their creativity and confidence. Speaking during the official launch of Business Blasters at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, the minister said the programme aimed to foster entrepreneurship skills among students. This year's batch has developed remarkable ideas, including AI-based apps, ecofriendly cutlery, grass-made paper, smart plant watering systems, and organic scented candles, she said. "Children studying in schools are very creative and this programme has allowed them to recognise their creativity," the statement quoted Atishi as saying. "They will become an example of the fact that they are not dependent on anyone but can create their own future and can give opportunities to millions of other people to move forward," she added. The student entrepreneurs also shared their experiences on the programme. They said the Business Blasters programme gave them confidence and taught them skills such as time and finance management, sales, marketing, leadership, and teamwork. New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) A court here has refused to grant monthly interim maintenance to a woman under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, saying she is "well-capable of maintaining herself". Judicial Magistrate Geeta was hearing the woman's plea seeking interim maintenance. In a recent order, the court said, "It cannot be denied that in a matrimonial dispute, the parties have a tendency to exaggerate the shortcomings of the opposite party in order to settle scores. It is the moral duty of the husband to maintain his wife and children, and he cannot wriggle out." But according to the facts of the case, the petitioner is working in a Union ministry's office and earning more than Rs 43,000 per month, the court noted. It also noted that the woman had lived with her estranged husband for only a few months. "In the considered opinion of the court, the petitioner is not entitled to the grant of interim maintenance as she is well-capable of maintaining herself. Accordingly, the relief qua interim maintenance is declined," the court said. Bareilly (UP), Sep 14 (PTI) A court here convicted a man accused of killing a youth for opposing celebratory firing and sentenced him to life imprisonment, a lawyer said. The court of Additional District Judge Afsha convicted Rehan, 22, and imposed a fine of Rs 11,000 in connection with the five-year-old case. In November 2019, Rehan killed Salim (18) in Parshurampur village for refusing to do celebratory firing, Additional District Government Advocate (Criminal) Hemendra Gangwar said. According to police, Salim asked Rehan to stop firing in front of everyone, which led to an argument. Angered by this Rehan shot Salim in the head, the lawyer said. Police lodged an FIR on the basis of a complaint by a villager. After completing the investigation, police filed a chargesheet in the court, he said. After hearing the arguments and cross-examination of the prosecution and defence lawyers and hearing the evidence, the court convicted Rehan, sentenced him to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 11,000, the lawyer said. Lucknow, Sep 13 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court sought a detailed reply from the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday on the arrangements at the cow shelters in the state. The Lucknow bench of the court asked the director of the animal husbandry department to be present in the court during the next hearing through video-conferencing. The court also asked what is fed to the cattle in the cow shelters for Rs 30 per day. The next hearing of the case will be on September 25. The order was passed by a division bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Om Prakash Shukla on a public interest litigation (PIL) plea moved by Archana Singh Tomar. The court asked whether any survey has been conducted recently, so that it can be known how many pastures are left in the villages, whether those are still in their old form or some areas have reduced or disappeared completely. On the question of cowsheds, the state government's lawyer told the court that at present, 605 cowsheds are functional in Uttar Pradesh, in which an amount of Rs 30 per day is given for the fodder of each cattle. On this, the court asked what is fed for Rs 30. The court said it wants to know what is the mechanism for running these cowsheds and how many people have been appointed in these facilities. The court has also asked the Lucknow Municipal Corporation about the mechanism for running Kanji House and Kanha Upvan (a Lucknow-based cow shelter). New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) Former JNU student and activist Umar Khalid has completed four years in jail after being arrested in connection with the 2020 northeast Delhi communal riots. Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, after violence between supporters of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and those against the legislation spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured. Khalid was in December 2022 acquitted in a case related to alleged rioting, vandalism and arson at a parking lot in February 2020 but remains incarcerated in the second case under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being a mastermind of the riots. The 36-year-old researcher and scholar was arrested on September 13, 2020. While charge-sheets were filed in 2020 and 2022, the framing of charges has been delayed in this case and his attempts to seek bail have been turned down by courts. He has also filed a separate plea in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and it is also pending. The Act was amended in 2019 to give powers to the central government to designate an individual as a 'terrorist'. The FIR in the second case against Khaled was registered on March 6, 2020, and the UAPA provision was invoked on April 19, 2020. The main charge sheet was filed on September 16 of the same year, following which the first supplementary chargesheet was filed the next month on October 22. The second supplementary chargesheet was filed on February 23, 2022, while the third and fourth supplementary charge sheets were filed on March 2 and June 7, 2022. On September 4, a special court, while disposing of the applications of some accused seeking directions to Delhi Police for disclosing whether the investigation in the case was complete, allowed the prosecution to commence its arguments on framing of charges against the accused. The Delhi High Court, however, on September 12 asked the trial court not to pass a final order on framing of charges till September 23. The high courts order came while hearing a plea by riots accused Devangana Kalita seeking direction to the police to provide her with certain videos and WhatsApp chats in two cases, including one under the anti-terror law UAPA. Earlier on December 5, 2022, a court had discharged Khalid and United Against Hate founder Khalid Saifi in the first case related to riots, saying the allegations against them pertained to an umbrella conspiracy or the larger conspiracy of riots, instead of the conspiracy in the present case. Explaining the concept of umbrella conspiracy, the court said it was the larger conspiracy subsuming several small conspiracies hatched under it. The FIR in the case was registered on the basis of the statement of Constable Sangram Singh who said a riotous mob had pelted stones on Main Karawal Nagar Road, besides setting ablaze several vehicles in a nearby parking lot on February 24, 2020. Meanwhile, a special court dismissed Khaled's first bail on March 24, 2022, and the Delhi High Court rejected the appeal against it on October 18 of the same year, saying he was in constant touch with other co-accused and the allegations against him were prima facie true. The high court had also said the actions of the accused prima facie qualified as a "terrorist act" under the UAPA. It said that admittedly, the anti-CAA protests "metamorphosed into violent riots", which "prima facie seemed to be orchestrated at the conspiratorial meetings" and the statements of the witnesses indicated Khalid's "active involvement" in the protests. Khalid then appealed in the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court's order, which had rejected his bail application. Khaild's bail application had been pending in the top court since April 6, 2023, and the proceedings were adjourned 13 times because of a variety of reasons. On February 14, this year, the top court was told by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khalid, that he wished to withdraw the application due to a "change in circumstances". Sibal said, "I wish to argue the legal question (challenging UAPA provisions) but want to withdraw the bail plea due to a change in circumstances. We will try our luck in the trial court." On May 28, however, the special court dismissed Khalid's second regular bail plea, saying its previous order of March 2022 rejecting his first bail plea had attained finality. It rejected the argument of Khalid's counsel that the Supreme Court's view about "prima facie evidence" against an accused had changed because of the grant of bail to activist Vernon Gonsalves in July 2023 and academic-activist Shoma Kanti Sen on April 5 this year in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. "As according to Vernon's case as relied upon by counsel for the applicant, while considering bail, no deep analysis of the facts of a case can be done and only surface analysis of the probative value of evidence has to be done... "As such the high court has in fact did complete surface analysis of probative value of the evidence while considering the prayer of the applicant for grant of bail and after doing so it was concluded that prima-facie case is made out against the applicant," the court said. On July 22 this year, a Delhi High Court judge recused himself from hearing Khaled's bail plea, without assigning any reason and it is pending. The charge sheet against Khalid cites the testimonies of several protected witnesses. According to protected witness Bond, the chakkajam began in the national capital after a meeting between Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Asif Iqbal Tanha and others on December 13, 2019, at Jamia Campus. The said chakka jam was then to spread to the other parts of Delhi. "Umar told Sharjeel to start chakka jam at Shaheen Bagh and Asif and Saiful Islam to start chakka jam at Gate no. 7 of Jamia University. "Umar Khalid said that at the right time, they will also start chakka jam in other Muslim areas of Delhi. Umar further said that the government is a Hindu government and against Muslims and they have to overthrow the government and will do so at the right time," the protected witness said. According to the protected witness Saturn, Khalid and others met former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain at the PFI Office in the Shaheen Bagh area. "On February 10, 2020, Umar Khalid met with Jahangir Puri folk at a protest called by the Welfare Party of India. "Umar Khalid asked that since Bangladeshi live there, they must be made aware of the CAA and asked to fight against the said law," said the statements of witnesses Helium and Crypton. According to the chargesheet, on February 17, 2020, Khalid delivered a speech at Amravati, Maharashtra referring to the visit of Donald Trump, the then President of the United States of America. "Protected witness BEETA had given a statement on this count. He also stated that riots during Trump's visit to Delhi was done by the Jamia Coordination Committee with Pinjra Tod, AISA, Umar Khalid, United Against Hate (UAH), PFI and others. They used to give provocative speeches," it said. Khalid along with other students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was also arrested by the Delhi Police in February 2016 over the alleged raising of anti-national slogans at an event on the campus against the hanging of Parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru. They were later granted bail. New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) A court here has sentenced a man to five years of rigorous imprisonment for committing aggravated sexual assault on a six-year-old boy in 2017. Additional Sessions Judge Rajesh Kumar was hearing the arguments on the quantum of sentence against the 43-year-old man, who was earlier convicted under section 10 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Special Public Prosecutor Nimmi Sisodia sought maximum punishment, saying the convict had committed aggravated sexual assault on the victim by kissing him and touching his private parts. In its verdict dated September 7, the court said, "Sentencing is one of the important aspects of a criminal justice system and the criminal courts are often confronted as to what appropriate punishment is required to be awarded to the convict. "The sentencing takes into account the nature of the offence committed on the victim, its impact on the society, the circumstances peculiar to the victim and the circumstances associated with the accused and (that) the sentence should not be inadequate or excessive." Taking note of the evidence before it, including the victim's deposition, the court said the convict appeared to have committed the offence after being "overpowered" by lust or passion. "Poverty and lack of criminal antecedents are not major mitigating factors. Hence, in view of the facts and circumstances of the present case, submissions (of the defence counsel and the public prosecutor), considering the age and condition of the family of the convict and the manner in which the offence was committed, the convict is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of five years with a fine of Rs 2,000 under section 10 of the POCSO Act," the court said. It also awarded a compensation of Rs 7.5 lakh to the victim. Chennai, Sep 14 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin arrived at the airport here on Saturday to a rousing reception following his fortnight-long official trip to the US to attract investments to the state. The visit was successful and met his aspirations to ensure investment to Tamil Nadu to facilitate jobs for the people and skill training for the youth, he said briefing reporters. State Ministers, officials and DMK members received him at the airport upon his arrival. It was successful in terms of attracting investments from reputed global companies including those among the Fortune 500. The 14-day overseas trip was beneficial to the state as we signed 19 Memorandum of Understanding for a commitment of Rs 7,618 crore, the Chief Minister said. Eight companies from San Francisco and 11 from Chicago inked the pact and they would ensure employment opportunities to 11,516 people through their ventures in Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore, Krishnagiri, Chennai, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram, he said. Asked about AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami 's demand for a white paper on the investments that materialised for Tamil Nadu under his rule, Stalin replied that he has explained everything in detail on the investments that he had brought to the state in the last three years. He (Palaniswami) should read (newspapers). Not even 10 percent of the investment that Palaniswami had obtained during his tenure as Chief Minister from abroad translated into projects. I have proof. It will be shameful to him if I reveal, Stalin said. On the controversial video of the Sri Annapoorna hotel chain owner Srinivasan apologising to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Coimbatore for raising crucial issues on Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Chief Minister said Srinivasan had raised a just issue on the disparity in GST. The way in which the Finance Minister handled it is shameful. People are watching. Responding to a question, Stalin said he would soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and take up the issue of New Education Policy and allocation for Chennai Metro Rail Phase II project. Viewed of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. VIENTIANE, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The China Cultural Center in Laos and the Faculty of Letters of the National University of Laos (NUOL) have hosted a poetry event to promote the Chinese language and celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. The event was held in the Lao capital Vientiane on Thursday, attended by over 300 representatives from the Chinese embassy in Laos, the China Cultural Center in Laos, and the NUOL. During the event, Lao students and representatives from the China Cultural Center in Laos recited poems and performed dances and songs. A student from the Faculty of Letters of the NUOL said, "I like Chinese poetry very much. Chinese poetry is rich in connotation and can resonate with readers. Today's poetry recitation also evoked my longing for my hometown." Speaking at the event, Vice President of the NUOL Thongsouk Keomany said this event has built a platform for Lao teachers and students to appreciate the friendly cooperation between Laos and China, further enhancing the traditional friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries. Li Yiping, director of the China Cultural Center in Laos, said this was the first time that the China Cultural Center in Laos and the NUOL jointly organized the poetry event "Viewing the Same Moon Together -- Reading Poems for the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival," which promotes the traditional Chinese culture and Chinese poetry into campuses and among Lao youth. Li emphasized that it is important to promote cultural exchanges between China and Laos. The Mid-Autumn Festival, taking place annually on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, will be observed on Sept. 17 this year. Hewlett Packard Enterprises's boss has hit back after his company was accused of 'a complete lack of humility' for suing the family of Mike Lynch following his death. Antonio Neri, chief executive of the US software group, said it was a 'difficult' decision to continue the 3billion fraud lawsuit against the British tycoon's estate. But he insisted the move was 'in the best interest of shareholders'. Lynch, 59, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among seven people who died when superyacht Bayesian sank off Sicily last month. The family was celebrating Lynch's acquittal on US fraud charges relating to Hewlett Packard's 8billion purchase of his technology company Autonomy in 2011. Lawsuit: UK software tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah (pictured) were among seven people who died when his superyacht Bayesian sank off Sicily last month The luxury vessel capsized and sunk off the coast of Sicily, Italy, in bad weather on August 19 whilst moored around half a mile off the coast of Porticello Antonio Neri, chief executive of the US software group Hewlett Packard, has defended their pursuit of a lawsuit against the family of Mike Lynch The decision by Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE) to continue with separate legal action against Lynch's estate following his death has sparked outrage. Patrick Jacob, a close friend of the entrepreneur, last week accused HPE of first 'pursuing a man through a relentless battle in the press' and now going after his widow, Angela Bacares, 57, who survived. 'Before the bodies are even laid to rest, they've already begun circling like vultures, demonstrating a complete lack of humanity,' Jacob said last week. 'This is nothing short of heartless and distasteful.' But speaking to the Financial Times yesterday, Neri, 57, said Lynch's acquittal and then death did not change HPE's plan to pursue a separate civil claim over the acquisition. He said: 'Obviously, my job as a representative of shareholders is to make the difficult decisions. 'But in the end, we are making decisions in the best interest of shareholders. 'What we saw is a sad story. But the reality of what happened does not change what happened in the past decade or so, where we believe wrongdoing was done, and therefore, we have to see through the process.' Mike Lynch, known as 'Britain's Bill Gates ', died when his 30million superyacht sank during a freak storm off the coast of Sicily The Bayesian (pictured in an undated handout photo) overturned during a severe thunderstorm in the early hours of August 19 Although Lynch was cleared of US criminal charges in June over the sale of Autonomy, HPE won a civil lawsuit in the High Court in 2022. A judge is expected to award damages by the end of the year. Friends of the late businessman Mr Lynch including Conservative MP Sir David Davis have called for HPE to drop the claim. Sir David said last month: 'I would think the wise thing for Hewlett-Packard to do in their own interest is to drop the case because they are not going to make a great deal of money out of it but they are going to make themselves very unpopular with the ordinary members of the public, picking on a bereaved family.' HPE, a corporate hardware and services business is separate from computer and printer maker HP Inc after a split in 2015. This week it was revealed an elite Italian navy unit was sending divers and robots down to the wreck of Mr Lynch's yacht the Bayesian, which is currently lying more than 160ft below the waters surrounding Porticello, Sicily, after sinking on August 19. Questions over how the 30 million vessel, which measured more than 180ft in length, sank so quickly that the seven of the 22 people onboard at the time died, have been raised by investigating authorities. In an attempt to answer these questions, the Italian navy is sending down six divers from its elite Comsubin unit, the equivalent of the British Special Boat Service, a source close to the investigation told the Times. British tech tycoon Mike Lynch with his wife Angela Bacares, who survived the Bayesian disaster but could now be targeted by HPE pursuing their 3billion lawsuit Tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who died in August, pictured at his Suffolk farm Hannah Lynch, the 18-year-old daughter of tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch The elite divers will be searching for electronic equipment, including CCTV and data storage, and looking to see if doors were left open at the time of the sinking. The trip which ended in tragedy had been part of Mr Lynch's celebrations with family and friends after he was acquitted in a San Francisco court earlier this year of fraud and conspiracy charges. Mr Lynch had potentially faced up to 20 years in a US prison if found guilty of 16 counts of conspiracy, and securities and wire fraud, which he denied. The charges related to a business deal that was hailed at the time as his crowning glory the 8.6billion sale of his software and data company Autonomy to US computer giant Hewlett-Packard in 2011. Mr Lynch personally made more than 500million from the deal, only for HP to later wrote down three-quarters of the value of Autonomy only a year after buying it. The US company fired Mr Lynch while accusing accusing him and other executives of having grossly inflated its size and profits during the sale. He had previously lost a 2019 civil fraud case based on similar allegations that HP now Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE) brought in the UK, with London's High Court ruling in 2020 that HPE had 'substantially won' its case. His separate three-year battle to avoid being extradited to face criminal charges culminated in Lynch going to the High Court to argue that American prosecutors were guilty of legal overreach which threatened UK sovereignty and its citizens. Mike Lynch when he was managing director of the Autonomy corporation which developed software for the web Mr Lynch at Autonomy's headquarters at Cambridge Business Park in 2000 His plea was rejected and in May last year he was flown to California, accompanied by the U.S. Marshals Service, still protesting his innocence. And on June 6 this year he was acquitted of fraud by a jury in San Francisco, while former Autonomy finance executive Stephen Chamberlain, who faced the same charges, was also acquitted on all counts. In his first interview after the charges were rejected, Mr Lynch told how he had feared he would die in prison - saying that medical issues meant he felt it would have been 'difficult to survive' time behind bars. Mr Lynch and his wife are thought to have lived for the last 15 years at their Georgian manor house in Suffolk, with a farm set in 69 acres of grounds and woodland alongside 2,500 acres of mainly arable farmland. Shein may be hit by a crackdown in the US over a trade loophole. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have proposed to change rules that mean the online fashion giant can dodge tariffs on parcels worth $800 or less. Chinese retailers including Shein and Temu have exploded in popularity over the last few years due to their ultra-cheap products. Tariff loophole: Chinese retailers including Shein and Temu have exploded in popularity in the US and Europe over the last few years due to their ultra-cheap product Part of their success comes down to how they can ship products directly to shoppers. But retail rivals and policymakers, including in Europe and the UK, have criticised related tax loopholes. Navtej Dhillon, the deputy director of Bidens National Economic Council, said there has been a drastic increase in exempt shipments. The number of these imports has increased from around 140m to more than a billion in the past decade, the White House said. They have made it increasingly difficult to target and block illegal or unsafe shipments coming into the US, Dhillon added. In Europe, the European Commission is reportedly getting ready to whack custom duties on parcels shipping from outside the EU. Currently, goods under 150 can be imported into the European Union from outside it without any duties. Pubs and restaurants have urged the Chancellor to stop a billion-pound tax bombshell that could quadruple their bills. UK Hospitality said firms face a devastating cliff edge in April when business rates relief is set to end. The group, which represents more than 100,000 venues, is calling for permanent reform to replace the Covid-era aid. With the relief, all hospitality and leisure businesses have 75 per cent shaved off their business rates bill, with the discount capped at 110,000 per firm. Tax threat: Business rates relief, which gives hospitality and leisure businesses up to 75% off their rates bills, is due to come to end on March 31 Business rates are a local levy based on the value of a commercial property meaning shops pay a premium compared to online giants such as Amazon. During the pandemic, there was 100 per cent relief between 2020 and 2022, then 50 per cent the following year. It was then extended to 2025. But the relief is set to end on March 31, whacking hospitality firms with an extra 928million bill. Labour have pledged reforms and said the system disincentivises investment, creates uncertainty and places an undue burden on our high streets. In its manifesto, the party promised to replace the business rates system, so we can raise the same revenue but in a fairer way. But businesses are worried reforms will take too long and waves of venues could close before then. High Street firms have called for Rachel Reeves to take urgent action at her first Budget on October 30. They want to see a permanent, lower rate used to calculate how much businesses should pay, meaning lower bills. Concerns have been exacerbated by Reeves warnings that there are difficult decisions to come in the Budget. Business taxes are among those she has not ruled out hiking as she claims she has to plug a 22billion black hole in the countrys finances. There are also worries over a potential increase to capital gains tax and a raid on pensions. Business rates are another headache for bosses as they await more details over Housing Secretary Angela Rayners plan for workers rights. Some have cautioned that the package of reforms, such as day one basic rights like sick pay, could hit jobs and economic growth. A lower, permanent and universal rate, or multiplier, for hospitality would be a critical first step to deliver that change. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, said: Hospitality businesses are facing a devastating cliff edge next April, when many will see their bills quadruple. The scale of this almost billion-pound tax bombshell is just not viable. Many will face risk of closure, be forced to let people go to stay afloat, or shelve their investment plans. A typical pub in a market town could see an increase of just over 11,000 to their bill, while standard seaside hotels could face an increase of 40,000, according to UK Hospitality. A Treasury spokesman said: We are committed to a fairer business rates system. Elsewhere on the High Street, retailers including Currys and Marks & Spencer have called for the rates system to be reformed. Strike: Boeing staff walked out after rejecting a 25% pay rise. The move halted production of the 737 Max jet at its sites in Seattle Boeing is facing further turbulence after workers downed tools in the first strike for 16 years. Staff at the troubled planemaker have walked out after rejecting a 25 per cent pay rise. The move halted production of the 737 Max jet at its sites in Seattle in the US. It was the first strike since 2008 and came weeks after Kelly Ortberg was appointed chief executive to restore faith in the company after a door panel blew off a new 737 Max jet in mid-air in January. Some 30,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, who produce Boeings 737 Max and other jets, took part in the vote with 94.6 per cent rejecting the new contract and 96 per cent backing strike action. A long strike could badly hit Boeings finances, which are already groaning under a 45billion debt pile. Analysts at investment bank TD Cowen think a 50-day strike could cost it up to 2.7billion of cash flow. TEHRAN, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday his three-day trip to Iraq was aimed at promoting unity and solidarity between the two countries. He made the remarks in an address to reporters upon his arrival in the Iranian capital Tehran from Iraq, while elaborating on the outcomes of the visit, according to a statement released by the website of his office. He noted that his discussions with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, and other senior officials covered political, economic, cultural, and security ties. Pezeshkian added that, in addition to signing 14 memoranda of understanding, it was agreed during the trip that teams from both countries would develop long-term strategic plans to be signed in the future. Heading a high-ranking delegation, Pezeshkian arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Wednesday for his first foreign visit since assuming office as Iran's ninth president in late July. BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's consumer market has maintained stable recovery this year with expanding retail sales, official data showed Saturday. Retail sales of consumer goods went up 2.1 percent year on year in August, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement. Rural consumption gained 3.9 percent last month from a year ago and the catering sector saw its revenue rise by 3.3 percent -- well above the average level, according to the data. In terms of products, sales of communications equipment climbed 14.8 percent, while sales of cereals, oil and food went up by 10.1 percent. Medicine sales increased by 4.3 percent, and that of home appliances and audio and video products rose by 3.4 percent. In the first eight months of 2024 combined, retail sales of consumer goods increased 3.4 percent compared to a year earlier. Online sales remained a bright spot, rising by 8.9 percent year on year in the January-August period. In particular, sales of physical goods increased by 8.1 percent and accounted for a quarter of total retail sales. Commenting on the data, NBS spokesperson Liu Aihua highlighted the recovery trend of the consumer market, especially in services, new-type consumption and online sales. Recent vibrant summer travel and strong cultural and tourism demand underlined the great potential of service consumption, while digital and green consumption also emerged as a new fashion and favorites of consumers, Liu said. China has rolled out an array of measures to boost consumption this year, including a program promoting large-scale equipment upgrades and consumer goods trade-ins. Recently, the government further stepped up efforts to encourage the purchase of automobiles and home appliances, among others. While recognizing policy impacts, Liu also said that consumption recovery still faces restraints, prompting authorities to channel even more energy into strengthening consumer sentiment and stimulating domestic demand. The presence of improved government policies and better products and services on the market, means the potential of consumption will be unleashed at a faster pace and thus the consumer market will have a more solid foundation for recovery, Liu added. ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A European Union (EU) naval mission said on Saturday that new attempts are underway to salvage an oil tanker ablaze in the Red Sea after attacks by Yemen's Houthi forces. The EU naval mission, Operation Aspides, shared images on social media platform X showing its vessels escorting rescuing ships to the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion. The photos were dated Saturday. "The salvage operation of the MV SOUNION is essential in order to avert a potential environmental disaster in the region," the mission said in a statement. "To achieve this, several public and private actors are working together." The mission added that its assets were "actively involved in this complex endeavor, by creating a secure environment, which is necessary for the tugboats to conduct the towing operation." The Sounion vessel, carrying about 1 million barrels of crude oil, was attacked by Houthi forces on Aug. 21 with small arms, projectiles, and a drone boat. The 29-member crew, including Filipinos, Russians, and private security personnel, were evacuated by a French destroyer to Djibouti. Houthi forces later released footage on Aug. 29 showing them boarding and placing explosives on the oil tanker, detonating blasts that threatened a major oil spill in the Red Sea. The Houthi group, which controls large swathes of northern Yemen, has been attacking international shipping near the country's coastline since November 2023, allegedly in support of Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The U.S.-led naval coalition in the region has intensified strikes against Houthi military sites in response, further escalating the conflict. GUANGZHOU, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Li Yanhua vividly recalls a heated debate between farmers and village officials over whether members of the rural community living away should be entitled to collective economic dividends. The discussion was intense because the outcome would be forwarded to the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. "Through the local legislative outreach office mechanism, grassroots voices can be conveyed directly to the top legislative authority," said Li, who works at a legislative outreach office in the city of Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, south China. NETWORK The establishment of local legislative outreach offices across the country was first proposed at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 2014. A decade later, the NPC Standing Committee has set up 45 local legislative outreach offices, in addition to a network of over 7,300 such offices nationwide for the provincial and city-level legislatures. The mechanism has ensured the direct representation of public opinions in lawmaking, a highlight of China's whole-process people's democracy. Sun Zhenping, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, noted that this expansion has "facilitated people's orderly participation in the national legislative process and enriched the practice of whole-process people's democracy." The Hongqiao sub-district office in Shanghai was one of the first four local legislative outreach offices set up in 2015. Its first task was to gather public feedback on the draft Anti-Domestic Violence Law. Wu Xinhui, director of Shanghai KM Law Firm, participated in the process. At the time, she was handling a case involving a paralyzed elderly man abused by his daughter. Wu suggested that the Anti-Domestic Violence Law should include provisions to protect the elderly. "Seeing my recommendation incorporated into the final law was an exciting moment," Wu said. From 2015 to July 2024, more than 30,500 suggestions on 185 draft laws, legislative work plans and review work were submitted through local legislative outreach offices, of which over 3,300 had been taken. PEOPLE'S VOICES "Legislation has always seemed like something grand and out of reach, something we weren't qualified to participate in, let alone see our suggestions be included in legal texts," said Hu Feiyang, a management official with an industrial park in Heping County, Guangdong Province. As a veteran of the industrial park, Hu made suggestions for a regulation aimed at promoting the high-quality development of Guangdong's manufacturing sector. When the regulation came into effect in March this year, Hu found that his suggestion for differentiated evaluation of industrial parks based on actual development situations had been incorporated into the regulation. "I felt a strong sense of pride seeing that the whole-process people's democracy in action," Hu said. Liang Yingyan, an official with the Hongqiao sub-district office in Shanghai, said it was important to hear the voices of ordinary people as the top legislature already has lots of expert resources. Tan Huosheng, a professor at Tsinghua University, noted that any comprehensive democratic process requires the participation of people from diverse backgrounds. This inclusiveness extends to foreigners living in China. Simon Lichtenberg, the Danish CEO of Trayton Group, once attended a meeting held by the Hongqiao legislative outreach office soliciting suggestions for the revised Company Law. "I found it fascinating that a foreigner could make suggestions on a Chinese law," said Lichtenberg, adding that he later learned that his suggestion on employee participation in board meetings had been adopted. "Of course, this may not be the view of just one person, but the key point is that this wasn't just for show. Genuine feedback was sought," said Lichtenberg, who has lived in Shanghai for over 30 years. Lichtenberg was impressed by the process, during which staff from the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee found people relevant to different laws in communities across the country and gathered their opinions through the efficient and effective system. Before adoption, each law requires several rounds of deliberation and public feedback from ordinary citizens as well as legal experts, Lichtenberg said. "This is exactly democracy." A farmer who is accused of assaulting Minister of State Anne Rabbitte when throwing a bag of cow dung at her at a public meeting told gardai he went to the meeting with no intention to harm anyone. In a prepared statement to gardai regarding the events at a public meeting at OSullivans hotel in Gort, County Galway on January 4, 2023 concerning a planned biogas plant for Gort, Joseph Baldwin recalled saying before throwing the first bag of cow dung in the direction of Ciaran Cannon TD if they are going to bring shit into the town here is some for ye. Mr Baldwin said that the first bag fell two to three feet from Deputy Cannon and he that threw the second bag in the direction of Ms Rabbitte and it brushed off someone else and fell on the floor near her. Mr Baldwin said that earlier that day I went down to the farmyard and put dry cow dung into ziplock bags. There was no smell or odour off the bags and I made sure that they were secure." He added: They were very light - like a featherweight. I thought all the TDs and councillors would be at the top table where I could leave the bags in front of them. On why he decided to bring the bags, he said: On the evening in question I said to myself, I have had enough, something had to be done for them to listen and show them that it was unacceptable for the community to be treated like this. He said: I went to that meeting with no intention to harm anyone. In my own mind, I thought that it might be a way of getting through to two Government TDs that they were clearly not helping or listening to the people of our own community. In his statement, he added: I am not apologising because I believe that all I was doing was making the views of the community known and I didnt hurt anybody in the process. I am just a normal, decent person thinking about my community and the people who live in it. However, earlier in evidence during Friday's contested hearing, Ms Rabbitte - a Galway East TD and Minister of State at the Deptartment of Health and at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth - wept tears in the witness box as she recounted the incident at the packed public meeting. She told the court that she was picked out by Joseph Baldwin. There was no safety. I didnt feel safe in a public space with the people that elected me," she said adding: I felt I was the most vulnerable person in the room. Ms Rabbitte told the court that she "didnt feel protected or feel safe there" and adding: "I felt I was being attacked. My space was invaded. We all have buffer zones but my buffer zone was totally removed. I defended myself as best I could. I felt that I was being struck. Asked why she later went to the gardai that night after the public meeting, Ms Rabbitte said: There is a line and I felt it was crossed that night and no one spoke up for me and I had to speak up for myself that night. In the case, Mr Baldwin, aged 39, of Ballyaneen, Gort, County Galway denies assaulting Anne Rabbitte on January 4, 2023 at the public meeting, contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. Recounting the incident, the Galway East TD said that she saw a man had flung a bag of contents towards her constituency colleague, Ciaran Cannon. CCTV footage played to the court showed Mr Baldwin saying here is a bag of cow shite for you before throwing the bag in the direction of Deputy Cannon. The bag fell at the feet of Deputy Cannon. After witnessing Mr Baldwin throwing the bag towards Deputy Cannon, Ms Rabbitte told the court that she thought Jesus. God help us. What is after happening to Ciaran? How will he recover from that one? The CCTV footage showed Mr Baldwin turn and then throw a bag in the direction of the Minister of State who said that the man was incredibly angry, his face was red. She added: The white of his eyes I wont forget. Ms Rabbitte said that the man said to her "'I am not forgetting about you, there is one for you Rabbitte' and then he flung a bag as well. After the bag fell on the ground beside her, Ms Rabbitte said: I didnt know if the two legs were going to go from under me, adding: Someone picked it up and said that it was a bag of shit. In her evidence, she added: I wanted to scream my head off because no one said that what was happening was wrong. I grabbed myself - no one said to me that it was wrong, no one said what happened was wrong. No one said what happened to Ciaran Cannon or myself was wrong. Ms Rabbitte said that she distracted herself at the meeting by taking out her phone and sending out a tweet I cant believe a bag of sh1t has been thrown at me. On going to the local garda station to have what occurred noted, Ms Rabbitte said: It is tough we do what we do but I love it and it is a privilege and I apologise judge to be bawlin my way through it, but someone had to speak up. Solicitor for Mr Baldwin, Daragh Hassett said that eight eye witnesses who were present on the night gave statements to the gardai said that the bag thrown by Mr Baldwin did not hit Ms Rabbitte. Mr Hassett said that Ms Rabbitte had recoiled from her statement to gardai where she said that the bag hit her on the torso and now says she felt it hit her. "It is quite clear from the footage that no bag struck you at all," he put it to her. I still feel it. You cant deny me my feelings," she replied. Mr Hassett told Ms Rabbitte, after hearing her evidence, that she is "a very unreliable historian and he described her direct evidence as "quite emotive". During cross examination, Mr Hassett put it to the witness: "This isn't the Dail now, you can't be making speeches." HE said that Ms Rabbitte told gardai that the bag had struck Deputy Cannon and he pointed out Deputy Cannon had told gardai that the bag did not hit him but instead landed at his feet. Mr Hassett said that her statement to gardai that she was struck by the bag was inaccurate and misleading when seen alongside the CCTV evidence which shows that the bag did not hit her. Mr Hassett said: It is not assault. At the end of the States case against Mr Baldwin, Mr Hassett made an application that the assault case against Mr Baldwin be dismissed. Counsel for the State, Geri Silke BL conceded that Ms Rabbitte was incorrect to say to gardai that the bag struck her but argued that the assault charge stood on the apprehension ground. Ms Silke said: She is obviously mistaken about the bag hitting her. She felt that it hit her and she believed it hit her." Mr Hassett submitted that Ms Rabbittes credibility is shot. He said: Her version of events has turned on its head in 20 months. She told the gardai with absolute certainty that she was struck by a bag on her right upper body. He said: The CCTV footage clears my client as no bag hit Ms Rabbitte." He further added: Her demeanour in the witness box was emotional from the get go with Ms Silke. As soon as the white flag dropped she was in tears and under cross examination there wasnt a tear to be shed and she was able to robustly interact with me in terms of her answers because I put it to her repeatedly that what she said did not stack up. Mr Hassett said that Ms Rabbitte has changed her story to suit the narrative because she knows that camera proves that nothing struck her and nothing struck Ciaran Cannon. The solicitor said that CCTV evidence which shows that the bags did not hit Deputy Cannon or Deputy Rabbitte only became available in January of this year - months after the DPP directed to prosecute Mr Baldwin for assault. Mr Hassett argued that if the DPP had that footage and Ms Rabbittes version of events today, his client would not have been prosecuted for assault. He said: Nothing struck her. She was not assaulted. He noted that Ms Rabbitte told the gardai that the bag hit her on the shoulder and the camera footage has proven Ms Rabbitte did not tell the gardai the truth. Mr Hassett said: I am not condoning Mr Baldwins gesture. It might have been stupid, or silly but he didnt break the law. Judge Alec Gabbett adjourned the case to Ennis District Court on October 2 where, he said, he will deliver his ruling on the defence application to dismiss the case. This weekend the Kansas City Star platforms a sketchy premise with a tacit threat of a legal battle if local activists don't get their way. Here's more promotion by way of dead-tree media . . . "The planned facility would not go in anyones backyard. Instead, reStart would convert and renovate a run-down hotel, the La Quinta Inn off Interstate 35 and 95th Street. The area, already zoned for a shelter, borders an industrial park, big-box retailers, restaurants and other businesses. An abandoned restaurant building on the lot would provide storage and future office space for the shelter. "Lenexa should celebrate. Yet city planners want to fight the project instead. They recommended denial of a special use permit at a public hearing in August. The matter now goes to City Council on Sept. 17." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . For late night and early morning weekend denizens of the discourse we share more than a few relevant items that are much more important than all of the pointless foodie & party news that typically dominates this cowtown amid Autumn. And so, because we can't all be hotties constantly gulping down PSL in a big-dumb-hat with Spock eyebrows . . . Our blog community humbly serves as a refuge for a more nuanced glimpse of the local discourse. Check TKC news gathering . . . Local Shelter From Storm Kansas City shelter rescues animals following Hurricane Francine Kansas City's Wayside Waifs said they anticipate the animals will begin arriving at the animal shelter on Monday and Tuesday. JoCo Tragedy Aftermath Man dies from electrocution in Overland Park tree-trimming incident The electrocution was reported just before 2:15 p.m. in the 12900 block of Connell. Junking Nicer Neighborhoods Northland neighbors question why Kansas City crews are leaving trash bags on streets People in the Northland want answers about why city workers are throwing garbage bags collected from new rolling trash carts directly onto the street. Tragedy Tribute Cont'd Fiesta Hispana honors Lisa Lopez-Galvan Fiesta Hispana kicked off Friday night in the West Bottoms and continues through Sunday, but there is one vital piece missing from the event: Lisa Lopez-Galvan. Baller Season At Rick Source: Chiefs' Brown needs surgery, to go on IR Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown will undergo surgery for his sternoclavicular injury and be placed on injured reserve, a source confirmed to ESPN. Diva Knows What Sells Tate McRae goes NAKED for latest video 'it's ok I'm ok' Tate McRae is pushing the boundaries of taste in her new music video which appears to show her going completely naked, triggering a strong reaction from fans. White House Pushes Back Against Internets Propaganda Biden administration expected to unveil new evidence of RT's key role in Russian intelligence operations globally | CNN Politics The Biden administration is expected on Friday to announce a major effort to blunt the global influence of RT and expose what it says is the Russian state media network's key role in the Kremlin's global intelligence and influence operations, according to a senior administration official and three other sources familiar with the matter. MAGA Embraces Rising Star Far-right activist Laura Loomer pushes back amid criticism of her proximity to Trump Laura Loomer, the social media figure and far-right activist, has accompanied former President Donald Trump to several events this week. Veep Won't Discuss Socialism Harris dodges question on lowering prices by describing 'middle-class' roots: Neighbors 'proud of their lawn' Vice President Kamala Harris went viral for an exchange she had with a Philadelphia anchor, who asked her how she would specifically lower prices for Americans. MAGA Offers Leeway Trump says he doesn't control far-right agitator Laura Loomer, calls her a 'free spirit' | CNN Politics Former President Donald Trump said he doesn't control far-right agitator Laura Loomer, whom he described as a "free spirit" and "supporter," in response to CNN's question about his allies expressing concern about their close relationship in recent days. Swifties Rock Vote?!? Taylor Swift Drove More Than 400,000 People to Vote.Gov After Endorsing Kamala Harris Taylor Swift prompted over 400,000 people to visit the voter registration site, Vote.gov, following her endorsement of Kamala Harris. El Papa Debunks Partisan Myths Pope Francis says Kamala Harris and Donald Trump "both against life" for stances on abortion, immigration Asked to advise Catholic U.S. voters on the choice between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, Pope Francis had harsh words, but no firm guidance. All Bets Off On Campaign 2024 After just a few hours, U.S. election bets put on hold by appeals court ruling Just hours after it began, legal betting on the outcome of U.S. Congressional elections has been put on hold by a federal appeals court. Pet-Eating Memes Spark Chaos Bomb threats force second consecutive day of school closures in Springfield, Ohio SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Bomb threats on Friday forced the evacuation and closure of public schools and municipal buildings for a second consecutive day, as the city continues to deal with sudden national attention that has included false claims against its Haitian population. Don't Test Vlad?!? Putin's options for Ukraine missiles response includes nuclear test, experts say Vladimir Putin's options to retaliate if the West lets Ukraine use its long-range missiles to strike Russia could include striking British military assets near Russia or, in extremis, conducting a nuclear test to show intent, three analysts said. Holy Land Stateside Fights Spike One shot and another arrested after clash at Massachusetts pro-Israel rally Man reportedly attacked pro-Israel demonstrator, who then allegedly pulled out gun and shot assailant Conviction Postscript 3 Americans among dozens sentenced to death in Congo coup attempt A military court in Congo has convicted 37 people, including three Americans, on charges of taking part in a coup attempt and sentenced them to death. Former Boy Band Bargaining Watch live: Justin Timberlake to make statement as part of plea deal after DWI arrest on Long Island Justin Timberlake has agreed to a plea deal, and will make a public safety announcement following his DWI arrest over the summer in Sag Harbor, Long Island. Spicy Tech Talk Exposed The best sexting apps for steamy chats and discreet digital encounters in 2024 Check out the top sexting apps. From longtime favorites like Snapchat to newcomers like SextPanther, these apps keep your private convos, well, private. Home Team Looks Impressive Royals put up runs early, Marsh whiffs Pirates in 8-3 victory Alec Marsh tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts. Tigers Debate Luncheon Mizzou faculty council supports complaint against Mun Choi for 'Welcome Black BBQ' controversy University of Missouri's Black Studies Department demanded that MU Chancellor and UM System President Mun Choi apologize for suggesting the use of "Black" in an event name implies exclusion. The department also noted declining Black student enrollment. Kansas Saves Planet?!? Kansas State University researchers say carbon sequestration on farms can combat climate change * Missouri Independent Farmers can help combat climate change and improve the health of their soil by switching to natural fertilizers and minimizing tilling. Local Slice Of Life Tribute Waldo Pizza shares a slice of its profit with Shaun Brady's restaurant staff at Brady & Fox Waldo Pizza is sharing a piece of its profit with Brady's KC weeks after its owner Shaun Brady was fatally shot. Forecast For This Weekend Kansas City weather: Humidity increases this weekend Kansas City can expect a mix of sun and clouds this weekend with rising humidity and a slight chance of evening sprinkles. And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. KINSHASA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the "epicenter" of the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa, will launch its first phase of the vaccination campaign on Oct. 2, the government announced late Friday. The vaccination effort, which runs until Oct. 11, follows the receipt of over 265,000 doses from international partners, according to the minutes of the weekly council of ministers meeting. "The process of procuring 3,000 doses of vaccines for children is sufficiently advancing," the minutes said. A report released Friday by the Congolese Ministry of Health revealed that the DRC, considered the "epicenter" of the current mpox outbreak, has reported 21,813 suspected cases, including 716 deaths since the start of 2024, accounting for about 90 percent of cases in Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the approval of the MVA-BN vaccine, developed by Bavarian Nordic A/S, as the first mpox vaccine added to its prequalification list. The ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO in mid-August, with the emergence of the poorly understood but more dangerous clade 1b variant, first detected in the DRC in September 2023. This strain has since been reported in countries including Sweden and Thailand. The top writer on faith & morals in Kansas City seems to tacitly acknowledge that there is little enthusiasm for slavery payback as we endure another election season. Nevertheless, local discussions persist and so former Kansas City Star newsman Bill Tammeus hopes to inspire the "people of the book" to take part . . . Here's the word . . . "In many places where communities are considering options for reparations, the work is being led not so much by people of faith who are acting as representatives of their religions but by politically appointed folks who see their work as a secular civic duty. In some cases, including in Kansas City, they are doing good work toward finding some kind of solution that can garner enough political support to be implemented. And I wish them success. You can follow the work of the Kansas City Reparations Coalition here and the Mayor's Commission on Reparations here. But in much of this work, the voices representing institutional religion seem either mostly silent or unable to get much of a public hearing and response for their ideas. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Faith Matters Blog: Work on 'reparations' needs more voices of faith Sorry, but anybody who cares about journalism should agree with the obvious . . . THE ABC "DEBATE" WAS NOTHING MORE THAN AN AMBUSH AGAINST FORMER PREZ TRUMP!!! From the vantage of TKC, the totally lopsided "fact check" count is the most credible evidence of more than just bias but outright collaboration with the Veep and Democratic Party. Longtime readers know that we've clowned the former Prez on many occasions and mostly giggle at the politics of a former game show host. However . . . What was more disturbing was watching "journalists" participate in politically motivated trickery that didn't just target MAGA but also undermined the discourse for American voters. Sadly, there are consequences for all of us after this kind of display . . . And so we ask our TKC blog community wherein the most vocal element of the readership leans conservative: SHOULD SENATOR HAWLEY DEBATE AFTER THE ABC AMBUSH OF MAGA?!? We didn't talk about this facet of the debate much so we'd like to read what readers think. In the meantime . . . Here's a preview as of this writing . . . The Missouri Press Association is hosting the two political forums during its annual conference on Friday, Sept. 20 at The Historic Fox Theatre at 157 Park Central Square. The forums are not open to the public but will be livestreamed. Who is participating in the debates? According to MPA Executive Director Mark Maassen, Republican Mike Kehoe, Democratic candidate Crystal Quade, Libertarian Bill Slantz and Green Party candidate Paul Lehmann have committed to the gubernatorial forum. Democratic candidate Lucas Kunce, Better Party candidate Jared Young and Green Party candidate Nathan Kline have committed to the U.S. Senate forum. Republican Josh Hawley had not reported a commitment by mid-week. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping emphasized continuous efforts to uphold, improve and run the system of people's congresses, China's fundamental political system, to good effect at a meeting held here on Saturday to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC). Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the need to further firm up confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics in developing whole-process people's democracy. Addressing the meeting, attended by about 3,000 people, Xi said that the system of people's congresses is the outcome of the Chinese people's arduous exploration and long-term struggle under the leadership of the CPC. He called the system "an entirely new political system that has grown from Chinese soil," hailing it as a great invention in the evolution of political institutions in human history. The NPC is China's highest organ of state power. The first session of the first NPC was convened In September 1954. The establishment of this system marked a profound transformation in China's political landscape, signifying a shift from a system where the power was concentrated in the hands of a few while the majority faced oppression and exploitation, to one that empowers the people to govern the country as its masters under the Party's leadership, Xi said. Over the past 70 years, the system of people's congresses has demonstrated its clear political strength, providing an important institutional guarantee for creating miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, Xi noted. It is a sound system that embodies the country's socialist nature, he said. Noting that the system of people's congresses is an important institutional vehicle for realizing whole-process people's democracy in China, Xi said it is imperative to uphold the CPC's leadership and adhere to using institutions to ensure that the country is run by the people. He stressed the need to give full play to the role of people's congresses in ensuring full and effective implementation of the Constitution and laws. Efforts must be made to ensure people's congresses play a leading role in legislation, Xi said, calling for more legislation in key, emerging and foreign-related fields. He emphasized the key role of people's congresses in the oversight of both the Party and the country to ensure that all state organs exercise their powers in accordance with the law and that the legitimate rights and interests of the people are safeguarded and realized. People's congresses should play an exemplary role in maintaining close ties with the people and serve as the bridge that links the Party and the state with the people, he said. Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice President Han Zheng, attended the meeting. The meeting was presided over by Zhao Leji, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the NPC Standing Committee. Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attend a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over a meeting to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) A meeting is held to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine a "turning point" and believes the alliance could have done more to prevent the war. He stated this in an interview with the German news outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Ukrinform reports. When asked what could or should have been done differently to prevent war, the politician replied: "It's a pity that the allies and NATO in particular did not do more to strengthen Ukraine earlier. If Ukraine were stronger militarily, the threshold for an attack by Russia would be higher. It is impossible to say whether it would have been high enough Our training and equipment were quite limited. We could have done much more." According to him, instead of strengthening Ukraine militarily, the allies were debating whether to supply sniper rifles. And the United States did not want to supply anti-tank missiles to Ukraine for a long time "so as not to provoke Russia." "Now we are arming Ukraine for war, back then we could equip Ukraine to prevent war," Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg said he was not surprised when Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2022, because the intelligence services had warned about it. "But seeing it actually happen still shocked me. I realized that this was a turning point in our history: there is a Europe before that day and a different Europe after that day," Stoltenberg said. He noted that after Russia's occupation of Crimea and part of Donbas in 2014, the situation remained static for a long time, despite almost daily fighting. When Russia deployed significant forces near the border with Ukraine in the spring of 2021, the allies "were not sure what that meant." But in the fall, as more detailed intelligence reports emerged about Russia's attack capabilities and intentions, NATO shared that information with the public -- partly to counter Russian propaganda and partly in the hope of diplomatically persuading Russia to abandon its plans. Despite the futility of these efforts, Stoltenberg still believes in the possibility of dialogue. "We must be strong to be able to conduct a meaningful dialogue... One thing is clear: in order to end this war, at a certain point there must be a dialogue with Russia again. But it should be based on Ukrainian strength," Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg has served as NATO secretary general since 2014. He will leave the post on October 1 this year. Photo: Europa Press Representatives of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will continue to provide assistance to the Ukrainian energy sector to recover from Russian attacks. This was reported by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. Representatives of the UNDP Office voiced this position at a meeting with Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine Roman Andarak. The meeting was attended by Shoko Noda, Assistant Secretary-General and Administrator of the organization, Director of the UNDP Crisis Management Bureau, and Jaco Cilliers, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine. The parties discussed the need for equipment for the development of distributed generation capacities, in particular gas turbines and gas piston units. The UNDP representatives assured that they are taking measures to speed up the delivery of a new batch of relevant equipment to Ukraine. We are grateful to UNDP for its continued support of our energy sector. The help of international partners is a light for Ukrainian homes. This is extremely important, especially on the eve of winter, Andarak emphasized. The parties also discussed measures to provide backup power to critical infrastructure and strengthen the protection of Ukraine's energy facilities. According to the report, special attention was paid to the development of renewable energy, in particular solar generation. The Deputy Minister briefed the UNDP representatives on the government's decisions to encourage consumers to install the relevant equipment and measures to simplify the relevant regulatory procedures. Read also: Russia attacks energy infrastructure in six Ukrainian regions over past day UNDP representatives emphasized that accelerating the green transition in the Ukrainian energy sector remains one of the key focuses of cooperation programs. As Ukrinform previously reported, international partners will help restore war-affected communities within the framework of the UNDP Ukraine and the UN Refugee Agency's project Mine Action and Return of IDPs in Southern Ukraine. Photo: Ministry of Energy HAIKOU, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- China and Caribbean countries expressed their hope to deepen cooperation in emerging sectors during the Ministerial Conference of the Fourth China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum. The three-day meeting, which concluded on Saturday, took place in south China's island province of Hainan. It centered on emerging sectors and discussed the new opportunities and patterns that green, low-carbon development and digital technologies have brought to China-Caribbean cooperation. "Over the past 20 years, China-Caribbean trade has grown at an average annual rate of 13 percent, which is 3 percentage points higher than China's overall foreign trade growth during the same period," said Wang Shouwen, Vice Minister of Commerce. Wang expressed China's willingness to encourage and support its enterprises, which are equipped with world-class technologies in sectors such as 5G communications, artificial intelligence and pollution control, to explore new opportunities for cooperation with Caribbean countries. A joint statement was issued at the meeting, highlighting the shared objective of expanding China-Caribbean trade. It emphasized enhanced trade facilitation and liberalization, with a focus on strengthening cooperation in areas like animal and plant inspection and quarantine, health care and tourism, as well as mutual investment in sectors such as food production, green development, digital economy and blue economy. Established in 2004, the China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum has served as the highest-level economic and trade dialogue mechanism between the governments of China and Caribbean countries. Over the past 20 years, the forum has facilitated fruitful cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, human resources and health care. People visit the exhibition "Reunion: Mei Lanfang and the United States" at the University of Southern California (USC) East Asian Library in Los Angeles, the United States, Sept. 13, 2024. An art exhibition showcasing world-renowned Chinese artist of Peking Opera Mei Lanfang's life achievements kicked off Friday at the USC in Los Angeles. On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the birth of Mei and the 94th anniversary of his visit to the United States, the exhibition "Reunion: Mei Lanfang and the United States," hosted by USC and the Chinese National Academy of Arts, will last from Sept. 13 to Dec. 20 at the USC East Asian Library, which is well known for its unique collections documenting Chinese culture. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua) LOS ANGELES, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- An art exhibition showcasing world-renowned Chinese artist of Peking Opera Mei Lanfang's life achievements kicked off Friday at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, the largest city in the Western United States. On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the birth of Mei and the 94th anniversary of his visit to the United States, the exhibition "Reunion: Mei Lanfang and the United States," hosted by USC and the Chinese National Academy of Arts, will last from Sept. 13 to Dec. 20 at the USC East Asian Library, which is well known for its unique collections documenting Chinese culture. Mei Lanfang (1894-1961) was an acclaimed Chinese artist of Peking Opera who made prominent contributions to improving and popularizing the traditional Chinese art. In 1930, Mei embarked on a six-month theatrical tour to the United States. During his visit to Los Angeles, Mei received an honorary doctorate from USC. The exhibition will present to audiences the traditional oriental art aesthetics and spiritual core represented by the Chinese artist through various types of exhibits, including paintings, historical photos, and precious publications. USC's Dean of Libraries, Melissa Just, said in her speech that the remarkable collection of artifacts highlights Mei's extraordinary life and legacy. "Thanks to all of you and to the unique items featured in the exhibition, we are able to step back in time and explore Mei's remarkable life and embark together on a cross-cultural collaboration to better understand its meaning for us today," she noted. Li Shufeng, vice president of the Chinese National Academy of Arts, called Mei "an ambassador of art" who brought opera art and Chinese culture to the American people and made epoch-making contributions to cultural exchanges between China and the United States. The Chinese National Academy of Arts is the only national-level comprehensive academic institution in China that integrates art research, art education, art creation, and intangible cultural heritage protection. It's also a cultural and artistic think tank. People visit the exhibition "Reunion: Mei Lanfang and the United States" at the University of Southern California (USC) East Asian Library in Los Angeles, the United States, Sept. 13, 2024. An art exhibition showcasing world-renowned Chinese artist of Peking Opera Mei Lanfang's life achievements kicked off Friday at the USC in Los Angeles. On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the birth of Mei and the 94th anniversary of his visit to the United States, the exhibition "Reunion: Mei Lanfang and the United States," hosted by USC and the Chinese National Academy of Arts, will last from Sept. 13 to Dec. 20 at the USC East Asian Library, which is well known for its unique collections documenting Chinese culture. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua) A visitor takes photos of exhibits during the exhibition "Reunion: Mei Lanfang and the United States" at the University of Southern California (USC) East Asian Library in Los Angeles, the United States, Sept. 13, 2024. An art exhibition showcasing world-renowned Chinese artist of Peking Opera Mei Lanfang's life achievements kicked off Friday at the USC in Los Angeles. On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the birth of Mei and the 94th anniversary of his visit to the United States, the exhibition "Reunion: Mei Lanfang and the United States," hosted by USC and the Chinese National Academy of Arts, will last from Sept. 13 to Dec. 20 at the USC East Asian Library, which is well known for its unique collections documenting Chinese culture. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua) An actor performs during the exhibition "Reunion: Mei Lanfang and the United States" at the University of Southern California (USC) East Asian Library in Los Angeles, the United States, Sept. 13, 2024. An art exhibition showcasing world-renowned Chinese artist of Peking Opera Mei Lanfang's life achievements kicked off Friday at the USC in Los Angeles. On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the birth of Mei and the 94th anniversary of his visit to the United States, the exhibition "Reunion: Mei Lanfang and the United States," hosted by USC and the Chinese National Academy of Arts, will last from Sept. 13 to Dec. 20 at the USC East Asian Library, which is well known for its unique collections documenting Chinese culture. (Photo by Zeng Hui/Xinhua) KHANEWAL, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Sep, 2024) The district administration confiscated over 600-kilogramme plastic bags after a ban was imposed by the Punjab government on single-use plastic and shopping bags with a thickness of less than 75 microns. Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Bukhari said that the teams were strictly monitoring across the district. He said that Rs 44,000 fine was also imposed on shopkeepers over violation. He urged the citizens and shopkeepers to avoid use of shopping bags. Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner Sunbal Javed along with Deputy Director Environment Sarfraz Anjum conducted a raid at Al-Jannat Road. They inspected the polythene wholesale and dealers shops and confiscated 38 kg prohibited polythene bags from Haji and sons plastic store. DC directed the ACs to launch crackdown and tighten noose against shopkeepers involved in sale and purchase of plastic bags. LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Sep, 2024) Emergency Services Department Secretary Dr. Rizwan Naseer commemorated World First Aid Day with the Rescue Scouts and rescuers, reaffirming his commitment to making Pakistan a nation of lifesavers. He shared these thoughts while addressing a ceremony at the Command & Control Centre in Lahore on the occasion of World First Aid Day. He emphasised that Rescue Scouts can play a vital role in saving lives by providing first aid as first responders from the community before specialized emergency services arrive. On the direction of the Secretary ESD, World First Aid Day was commemorated in all districts of Punjab to raise awareness about the importance of first aid, particularly bleeding control and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). All District Emergency Officers were directed to observe World First Aid Day week from September 10th to 14th, with the goal of training as many Rescue Scouts as possible in CPR and bleeding control. A central ceremony was held at the Command & Control Centre, Lahore in which a large number of Rescue Scouts, social activists, NGOs, rescuers and the general public participated. Dr. Rizwan Naseer emphasised the importance of a lifesaver and first aider in every home. He said that emergency services like Rescue 1122 require at least 8 to 10 minutes to respond to any emergency while in the case of cardiac arrest, brain damage or brain trauma starts after 4 minutes which can only be prevented by performing quality CPR by a trained lifesaver. He explained that Rescue 1122 has provided timely emergency services to 15.6 million emergency victims since inception of service. Furthermore, the founder of Rescue 1122 Pakistan, Dr. Rizwan Naseer appealed the general public, especially the youth, to become part of Rescue 1122's life-saving mission by getting CPR training and certification by simply downloading Pak Life Saver app. He said that the practical exercises after initial on-line training can be done from any nearby rescue station. He appealed the students of colleges and universities to join hand with Rescue 1122 as lifesaver to save lives in emergencies and disaster. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Sep, 2024) Federal Minister for Petroleum, Dr. Musadik Malik, said on Saturday that the state encourages the youth of the country to start their own businesses. Responding to a calling attention notice regarding the proposed privatization of the Pakistan Minerals Development Corporation (PMDC), he explained that the government aimed to exit business ventures and focus on promoting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country. He emphasized that the government wants educated youth to start their own businesses rather than rely on government employment. Dr. Musadik Malik further said that Pakistan's state-owned companies have cost the country billions of Dollars. Regarding PMDC, the minister mentioned that around 70 people have lost their lives in various incidents, and currently, PMDC employs about 2,000 people, none of whom are engaged in mining activities. He added that the privatization of loss-making state enterprises is a positive step and should be continued in the best interest of the country. QUITO, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Foreign Ministry of Ecuador announced Friday that starting Saturday "consular services in Venezuela will continue to be served electronically and through the consulates in Bogota and Panama City," after the closure of the Ecuadorian consulate in Caracas. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility established an action plan after the closure of the Ecuadorian consulate in that territory to be implemented from Sept. 14," the ministry said in a statement, without explaining the reason for the closure of the consulate in Venezuela. It added that the action plan facilitates consular services for Ecuadorian citizens who are in Venezuela, "without the need for them to move to another country." The Ecuadorian consulates in Bogota and Panama will electronically handle emergency passport procedures and the legalization of documents issued by Ecuadorian authorities with electronic signatures, according to the ministry. Three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen were arrested Saturday after Venezuelan officials accused them of coming to the South American country to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro. The arrests were announced on state television by Diosdado Cabello, the nation's powerful interior minister. Cabello said the foreign citizens were part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government and kill several members of its leadership. In the television program, Cabello showed images of rifles that he said were confiscated from some of the plotters of the alleged plan. The arrest of the American citizens included a member of the Navy, according to Cabello. Spain's embassy in Venezuela did not reply to a request for comment. The U.S. State Department late Saturday confirmed the detention of a U.S. military member and said it was aware of "unconfirmed reports of two additional U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela." "Any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela," the statement said. The announcement of the arrests comes two days after the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on 16 allies of Maduro who were accused by the U.S. government of obstructing voting during the disputed July 28 Venezuelan presidential election and carrying out human rights abuses. Earlier this week, Spain's parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the election, angering Maduro allies who called on the Venezuelan government to suspend commercial and diplomatic relations with Spain. Tensions between Venezuela's government and the U.S. have increased as well following the election, whose result sparked protests within Venezuela in which hundreds of opposition activists were arrested. Venezuela's Electoral Council, which is closely aligned with the Maduro administration, said Maduro won the election with 52% of the vote, but did not provide any proof of those results. Opposition activists, however, surprised the government by collecting tally sheets from 80% of the nation's voting machines. The tally sheets collected by the opposition were published online, and they indicate that Gonzalez won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro. Despite international condemnation over the election's lack of transparency, Venezuela's supreme court, which has long backed Maduro, confirmed his victory in August. Venezuela's attorney general then filed conspiracy charges against Gonzalez, who fled to Spain last week after it became clear he would be arrested. Maduro has dismissed requests from several countries, including the leftist governments of Colombia and Brazil, to provide tally sheets that prove he won the election. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has long claimed the U.S. is trying to overthrow him through sanctions and covert operations. The Maduro administration has previously used Americans imprisoned in Venezuela to gain concessions from the U.S. government. In a deal conducted last year with the Biden administration, Maduro released 10 Americans and a fugitive wanted by the U.S. government to secure a presidential pardon for Alex Saab, a close Maduro ally who was held in Florida on money laundering charges. According to U.S. prosecutors, Saab had also helped Maduro to avoid U.S. Treasury sanctions through a complex network of shell companies. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met at the White House Friday as Ukraine intensifies pressure to loosen restrictions of U.S. and U.K. provided weapons to strike Russia. With the U.S. presidential election less than two months away, the next president will have to contend with ongoing conflicts and other serious foreign policy issues. A look at the differences in potential approach of each candidate and whats at stake. And despite their historically low record of turnout, could young voters tip the scales in deciding the winner? An animal rights group trying to get real fur out of the bearskin caps worn by King's Guards at Buckingham Palace took aim Thursday at the cost of the ceremonial garb. The price of the caps soared 30% in a year to more than 2,000 pounds ($2,600) apiece for the hats made of black bear fur, the Ministry of Defense said in response to a freedom of information request by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "Stop wasting taxpayer pounds on caps made from slaughtered wildlife and switch to faux fur today," the group said in a statement. A luxury fake fur maker has offered to supply the army with free faux bear fur for 10 years, PETA said. Military willing to consider alternatives The military said it was open to exploring alternatives if they pass muster in durability, water protection and appearance. But "no alternative has met all those criteria to date," a ministry spokesperson said in a statement. The distinctive tall black hats, worn by guards in bright scarlet tunics, are seen by millions who watch the regular changing of the guard ceremony at the palace. They also appear at other royal events including the annual Trooping the Color ceremony honoring the monarch's birthday in June. The cost of the caps rose from 1,560 pounds ($2,035) each in 2022 to 2,040 pounds ($2,660) in 2023, the ministry said. More than 1 million pounds ($1.3 million) was spent on them in the past decade. The price went up because of a contract change for fur that comes from bears killed in licensed hunts in Canada, the military said. PETA, which has been pushing for more than two decades to scrap the fur hats, said each cap requires one bear pelt. The group claimed that the defense department is propping up the "cruel" Canadian bear-hunting industry. The ministry denied that charge and said if it stopped buying the pelts, it would not reduce the numbers of bears being killed. Petition calls for fake fur Parliament debated the issue in July 2022 after an online petition with more than 100,000 signatures called for using fake fur in the caps. "This hunting involves the violent killing of bears, with many bears being shot several times," Martyn Day, then a Scottish National Party member of Parliament, said at the time. "It seems undeniable, therefore, that by continuing to purchase hats made from the fur of black bears the MOD is funding the suffering of bears in Canada by making the baiting and killing of those animals and the sale of their pelts a profitable pursuit for the hunters." Day said a poll at the time found 75% of the U.K. population found real bearskins were a bad use of taxpayer money and supported replacing the hats. He noted that the late Queen Elizabeth II had ceased buying fur for her wardrobe. Earlier this year, Queen Camilla, wife of King Charles III, pledged to buy no more fur products. Change has broken, remade and continues to reshape this remote town where tundra meets forest on the shore of Hudson Bay. The economic base collapsed when the military left town. Rail service and cargo ships the lifeblood of supplies for a town not connected to the rest of the world by roads blinked out. The weather is warming, signature animals are dwindling and even the ground is shifting. Through it all, Churchill has adapted. The town turned to tourism, luring people eager to see its plentiful polar bears. Leaders figured out ways to revitalize its port and railway. As climate change has edged into the picture, they've begun designing more flexible buildings and seeking to entice more varied visitors if, as scientists fear, shrinking sea ice crashes the bear population. Residents, government officials and experts say the town is a model for coping with dramatic shifts and attribute it to the rural mindset that focuses on fixing, not whining. Churchill sits about 1,700 kilometers north of Winnipeg. The town had thousands of people before the military base and a rocket research launch site shut down decades ago. Those sites fell into decay, and what had been a bustling port closed. Train service stopped for more than a year as weather shattered poorly maintained tracks. As the town dwindled, bears began coming to town more often, no longer frightened away by noise from the base and rocket launches and made desperate as climate change shrank the Hudson Bay ice they depend on as a base for hunting. A local mechanic built a fat-tired, souped-up recreational vehicle to see bears safely. Photos and documentaries attracted tourists, who spend $5,000 a visit on average and millions of dollars overall. Churchill now bills itself as the polar bear capital of the world, and though it has no stoplights, it features upscale restaurants and plenty of mom-and-pop hotels. If that comes to an end, Churchill hopes to be ready. The town is promoting tourism for beluga whales, although those too may be harmed as the entire Hudson Bay ecosystem, including the food the belugas eat, shifts to one usually seen further south. It's also highlighting visitors' prospects for seeing the northern lights, spotting birds they can't see at home, and even trying dogsledding. "In time you're going to lose bear season. And we know that. Anyway, it's just a matter of we're going to have to adapt to that change," said Mike Spence, mayor since 1995. "You can't stew over it. That's not going to get you any points." Spence grew up with the military installation "and all of a sudden it closes and then all of a sudden you get the tourists, the abundance of wildlife and the aurora. That's where you take advantage of it. You sort of tweak things and you improve life." The shuttered port and the damaged train tracks? The town took them over and got both running again. Ground sinking because the weather is getting rainier and permafrost is thawing? New buildings like the ones at Polar Bears International, a nonprofit conservation organization with headquarters in the city, have metal jacks that can be adjusted when a corner sinks nearly half a foot in five years. Lauren Sorkin, executive director of the Resilient Cities Network, said every city should have a plan to adapt to climate change's effect on economy and tourism. "Churchill is a standout example of a city that is planning ahead to protect communities and preserve our natural environment and its biodiversity," she said. Spence, who is Cree, grew up with no electricity or running water in "the flats" on the outskirts of town, which was run by a white minority. Churchill is about two-thirds Indigenous with Cree, Metis, Inuit and Dene. Spence recalls his father saying that if only he spoke better English he could tell officials how to fix the town. "I think I'm doing that for him," Spence said. "You don't just say 'I got a problem.' You go there with the fix." You can't drive to Churchill. Food, people, cargo, everything gets there by rail, boats or plane. Rail is the cheapest, and most residents travel by taking the overnight train to Thompson, then driving south from there. Until a few years ago the train tracks, which had been leased to a private company, were not being maintained properly and the wet, stormy spring of 2017 created 22 washouts of the line between Churchill and points south, Spence said. The company couldn't afford to fix them. Big storms in Churchill are as much as 30% rainier than 80 years ago because of human-caused climate change, said Cornell University climate scientist Angie Pendergrass. "Service stopped dead" for 18 months, Spence said. "It was just devastating." Meanwhile, there weren't enough goods coming into the aging port. Spence said that shipping hub and rail lines needed to operate as an integrated system, and not be run by an absentee U.S. owner, so the town negotiated with the federal and provincial governments for local control and federal financial help. In 2018, Arctic Gateway Group, a partnership of 41 First Nations and northern communities, took ownership of the port and rail line. Rail service returned on Halloween that year. Manitoba officials said that in the last two years 610 kilometers of track have been upgraded and 10 bridges repaired. Shipping in the port has more than tripled since 2021, including the return of its first cruise ship in decade, they said. Earlier this year, officials announced another $60 million in port and rail funding. Local ownership is key in Churchill, said former Chamber of Commerce president Dave Daley, who left town in the 1980s but returned after five years because he and his wife missed it. Big hotel chains poked around once and said they could fix up the town's infrastructure and build something big. "We all stood and said 'no'," Daley said. "We're a tight-knit group. We have our different opinions and everything else but we know how we want Churchill to be." As Churchill evolves, its forgotten past has surfaced at times as tourists ask about residents and their history, said longtime resident Georgina Berg, who like Spence lived on the flats as a child. That past includes "not-so-happy stories" about forced relocation, missing women, poverty, subsistence hunting, being ignored, deaths and abuse, said Berg, who is Cree. Daley, a dogsled racer and president of Indigenous Tourism Manitoba, tells of how the Metis people were especially ignored, abused and punished, yet he ends the history lesson with an abrupt shift. "We can't change five minutes ago, but we can change five minutes from now," Daley said. "So that's what I teach my kids. You know it's nice to know the history and all the atrocities and everything that happened, but if we're going to get better from that we have to look forward and look five minutes from now and what we can do to change that." Meanwhile, Daley and Spence notice the changes in the weather not only warmer, but they're getting thunder here, something once unimaginable. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the world. While Churchill isn't quite as bad off because it's south of the Arctic Circle, "it's something we take seriously," Spence said. "It's a matter of finding the right blend in how you adapt to climate change," Spence said. "And work with it." The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. US President Joe Biden met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House on Friday to discuss support for Ukraine amid a push by Kyiv for Western partners to lift restrictions on using their long-range missiles to attack targets deep inside Russian territory. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report. U.S. President Joe Biden will use the remaining four months of his term "to put Ukraine in the best possible position to prevail," a senior adviser said Saturday. Speaking remotely to a forum in Kyiv, Ukraine, Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, also said Biden will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in late September at the U.N. General Assembly in New York to discuss aid to Ukraine. "President Zelenskyy has said that ultimately this war has to end through negotiations, and we need them to be strong in those negotiations," Sullivan said, adding Ukraine would decide when to enter talks with Russia. Biden will be replaced next January either by Vice President Kamala Harris, who has indicated she will continue his policies of backing Ukraine, or by former President Donald Trump, who would not say at a debate earlier this week whether he wanted Kyiv to win the war. The announcement of the upcoming Biden-Zelenskyy meeting came after Moscow and Kyiv earlier Saturday swapped 103 prisoners of war each in a UAE-brokered deal, and as Russian forces continue to gain ground in their grinding offensive in east Ukraine. Sullivan, in his comments by video link to the forum in Kyiv, said "difficult and complicated" logistics rather than unwillingness was delaying aid to Ukraine. "It's not a matter of political will," Sullivan said. "But given what Ukraine is up against, we've got to do more, and we've got to do better." A bomb explosion in Pakistans violence-hit southwestern Baluchistan province ripped through a police vehicle Saturday, killing at least two officers and wounding as many others. Abdul Hameed, an area police officer, told VOA by phone that the attack occurred on a main highway passing through Kuchlak near the provincial capital of Quetta. He said that a homemade bomb targeted a police mobile unit and that an investigation into the incident was underway. There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the deadly bombing in the natural resources-rich Pakistani province, where separatist ethnic Baluch groups routinely target security forces. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Saturdays attack on the police as a terrorist act, his office said in a statement in Islamabad. A daylong series of insurgent attacks rattled Baluchistan last month, killing more than 50 civilians and security personnel. The outlawed Baluch Liberation Army, the largest of all the separatist groups active in the province, claimed responsibility for orchestrating the violence, which targeted security installations and passenger vehicles. The BLA, designated as a global terrorist group by the United States, has lately intensified its attacks in Baluchistan. The province shares Pakistans border with Afghanistan and Iran and hosts major China-funded infrastructure projects. Brazil formally received on Thursday the return from Denmark of an Indigenous cloak made with 4,000 red feathers of the scarlet ibis bird, a sacred mantle that was taken by Europeans during the 17th century colonial era. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attended the ceremony outside Brazil's National Museum in Rio de Janeiro, marking the importance that Brazil gives to the item's repatriation. The cloak, a feathered ceremonial cape used in religious rituals of the Tupinamba people of Bahia in northeastern Brazil, was removed during the Dutch occupation of the area. Its first mention comes in a Danish inventory in 1689, although it is thought to have been taken from Brazil some 50 years before. By the 21st century it was held in the ethnographic collection of Denmark's National Museum, the Nationalmuseet. In 2000, the museum lent the cloak out for an exhibition in Sao Paulo. A Tupinamba leader saw it there and demanded its return. Last year, after lengthy diplomatic negotiations, the Danish museum announced it would donate the cloak to Brazil's National Museum, and it was repatriated in July. Some 170 Tupinamba traveled from southern Bahia to Rio to celebrate its return. "It is crucial they return what isn't theirs and rightfully belongs to us. Our heritage strengthens our identity," said cacique, or chief, Jamopoty Tupinamba to Agencia Brasil on Wednesday. From the first Portuguese voyages to Brazil in the early 16th century, Indigenous cultural items were taken to Europe as evidence of the "discovery" of new territories and then entered museums or private collections. A fresco painted in 1674 on the ceiling of the Apollo Salon at the Palace of Versailles, the king's throne room, depicts newly found America as a woman wearing a Tupinamba cloak as if it were a headdress. According to cultural heritage activist Gliceria Tupinamba, there are another 10 such cloaks in Europe, held in museums and libraries in Italy, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Denmark, where the National Museum still has one large and three partial ones. "It took more than 20 years to get the cloak back. Its return is a symbol of the protection of our cultural and land rights that are under threat today in Brazil," she said. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic addresses the official inauguration ceremony for serial production in China's first tire manufacturing facility in Europe, in Zrenjanin, Serbia, Sept. 13, 2024. China's tire factory begins mass production in Serbia. Mass production officially began at Linglong's new tire factory in Zrenjanin, Serbia on Friday, marking China's first tire manufacturing facility in Europe. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who attended the launch alongside Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming and Linglong Tire Co., Ltd. Chairman Wang Feng, underlined the economic importance of the project. (Photo by Wang Wei/Xinhua) ZRENJANIN, Serbia, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Mass production officially began at Linglong's new tire factory in Zrenjanin, Serbia on Friday, marking China's first tire manufacturing facility in Europe. The 990-million-U.S.-dollar investment represents a significant milestone for both Linglong Tire and Serbia, positioning the factory as one of the most advanced tire production sites globally, according to a statement from Linglong Tire. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who attended the launch alongside Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming and Linglong Tire Co., Ltd. Chairman Wang Feng, underlined the economic importance of the project. "This is the largest greenfield investment in Serbia's history," Vucic said. "It not only provides jobs for over 1,200 people now, but we expect that number to grow to 1,835 in the second phase of development." Vucic highlighted the economic benefits the factory will bring to Zrenjanin and the surrounding region, with a projected boost to the city's budget, which will fund new infrastructure projects. Vucic also emphasized the importance of the Belt and Road Initiative, saying, "China has been a tremendous partner for Serbia, and this factory is a testament to that." According to Linglong, the state-of-the-art facility integrates advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, mobile sensing, and industrial robots, with an annual production capacity of 13.62 million high-performance radial tires. Ambassador Li underscored the significance of the factory for both nations, and he also noted the growing number of Chinese companies investing in Serbia, attributing this to the favorable conditions that instil confidence in Chinese investors. The factory's Phase II expansion is already underway and is expected to further increase production capacity and revenue in the coming years. At the event, two memorandums of cooperation aimed at deepening Sino-Serbian cooperation across various sectors were signed, the first between Linglong and the City of Zrenjanin, and a second between universities in Novi Sad and Beijing. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (2nd R) visits the tire factory as he attends the inauguration ceremony for serial production in China's first tire manufacturing facility in Europe, in Zrenjanin, Serbia, Sept. 13, 2024. China's tire factory begins mass production in Serbia. Mass production officially began at Linglong's new tire factory in Zrenjanin, Serbia on Friday, marking China's first tire manufacturing facility in Europe. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who attended the launch alongside Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming and Linglong Tire Co., Ltd. Chairman Wang Feng, underlined the economic importance of the project. (Photo by Wang Wei/Xinhua) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic addresses the official inauguration ceremony for serial production in China's first tire manufacturing facility in Europe, in Zrenjanin, Serbia, Sept. 13, 2024. China's tire factory begins mass production in Serbia. Mass production officially began at Linglong's new tire factory in Zrenjanin, Serbia on Friday, marking China's first tire manufacturing facility in Europe. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who attended the launch alongside Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming and Linglong Tire Co., Ltd. Chairman Wang Feng, underlined the economic importance of the project. (Photo by Wang Wei/Xinhua) In a visit to see the damage caused by drought and fire in the Amazon, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pledged to pave a road that environmentalists and some in his own government say threatens to vastly increase destruction of the world's largest tropical forest and contribute to climate change. The BR-319 roadway is a mostly dirt road through the rainforest that connects the states of Amazonas and Roraima to the rest of the country. It ends in Manaus, the Amazon's largest city with over 2 million people, and runs parallel to the Madeira River, a major tributary of the Amazon River. The Madeira is at its lowest recorded level, disrupting cargo navigation, with most of its riverbed now endless sand dunes under a sky thick with smoke. "We are aware that, while the river was navigable and full, the highway didn't have the importance it has now, while the Madeira River was alive. We can't leave two capitals isolated. But we will do it with the utmost responsibility," Lula said Tuesday during a visit to an Indigenous community in Manaquiri, in Amazonas state. He didn't specify what steps the government would take to try to prevent deforestation from increasing after paving. Hours later, he oversaw the signing of a contract to pave 52 kilometers (32 miles) of the road, and promised to begin work before his term ends in 2026 on the most controversial section of the road a 400-kilometer (249-mile) stretch through old-growth forest. A permit for the longer stretch was issued under Lula's far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who favored development in the Amazon and weakened environmental protections. In July, a federal court suspended the permit in a lawsuit brought by the Climate Observatory, a network of 119 environmental, civil society and academic groups. Lula's government had appealed the suspension, but it wasn't until his visit on Tuesday that Lula made clear his plan to move ahead with paving. The Climate Observatory lamented the move. "Without the forest, there is no water, it's interconnected," said Suely Araujo, a public policy coordinator with the group. "The paving of the middle section of BR-319, without ensuring environmental governance and the presence of the government in the region, will lead to historic deforestation, as pointed out by many specialists and by Brazil's federal environmental agency in the licensing process." Lula has sought to portray himself as an environmental protector, and deforestation has slowed significantly since he took over for Bolsonaro. But he has also struck out at times against pressure from richer nations on preserving the Amazon, an invaluable resource for the planet in storing the carbon driving atmospheric warming, and did so again on Tuesday. "The world that buys our food is demanding that we preserve the Amazon," he said. "And why? Because they want us to take care of the air they breathe. They didn't preserve their own lands in the last century during the Industrial Revolution." Brazil is enduring its worst drought ever recorded, with 59% of the country under stress an area about half the size of the U.S. In the Amazon, rivers' low levels have stranded hundreds of riverine communities, with shortage of potable water and food. Lula announced a wide distribution of water filters and other measures during his visit to the region. Meanwhile, most of Brazil has been under a thick layer of smoke from wildfires in the Amazon, affecting millions of people in faraway cities such as Sao Paulo, Brasilia and Curitiba and reaching as far south as Argentina and Paraguay. At Lula's event, Environment Minister Marina Silva blamed the extreme drought brought by climate change for the widespread fires in a rainforest usually resistant to fire, calling it "a phenomenon we don't even know how to handle." Silva has been more cautious than Lula about paving the roadway. At a congressional hearing earlier, she called the Bolsonaro era's permit a "sham" and praised the judicial ruling that suspended it. Brazil is the world's fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, contributing nearly 3% of global emissions, according to Climate Watch, an online platform managed by the World Resources Institute. Almost half these emissions stem from destruction of trees in the Amazon rainforest. Five people in eastern Romania were found dead after torrential rainstorms dumped unprecedented rain, leaving hundreds stranded in flooded areas, emergency authorities said Saturday. Rescue services scrambled to save people in the hard-hit eastern counties of Galati and Vaslui. The bodies of three elderly women and two men were found in the localities of Pechea, Draguseni, Costache Negri and Corod, the Department for Emergency Situations said. Authorities later added that one of the victims had been dead for two days and did not die due to the effects of the weather but from other causes. Emergency authorities released video footage showing teams of rescuers evacuating people using small lifeboats through muddy waters and carrying some elderly people to safety. Some of the most significant flood damage was concentrated in Galati, where 5,000 households were affected. A Black Hawk helicopter was also deployed there to help with the search and rescue. The storms battered 19 localities in eight counties in Romania, with strong winds downing dozens of trees that damaged cars and blocked roads and traffic. Authorities sent text message alerts to residents to warn them of adverse weather as emergency services rushed to remove floodwaters from homes. By 1 p.m. Saturday, more than 250 people had been evacuated with the help of 700 Interior Ministry personnel deployed to affected communities, authorities said. Romanias environment minister, Mircea Fechet, told The Associated Press that in some of the badly flooded areas, more than 160 liters of rain fell per one square meter, which he said is a rare occurrence. What we are trying to do right now is save as many lives as possible, said the minister, who was on his way to Galati to assess the situation. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis offered his condolences to the victims' families, writing on Facebook: "We must continue to strengthen our capacity to anticipate extreme weather phenomena. Severe floods that have affected a large part of the country have led to loss of lives and significant damage, Iohannis said. We are again dealing with the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present throughout the European continent, with dramatic consequences on people. Central Europe braces for intense flooding The stormy weather comes as several central European nations anticipate severe flooding to hit the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary over the weekend. In the Czech Republic, river waters reached dangerous levels in dozens of areas across the country Saturday morning, flooding houses and roads in several towns and villages. Heavy rain and high winds left more than 63,000 households without power, the Czech power company CEZ said. A hospital in the country's second-largest city of Brno was forced to evacuate as dozens of citizens moved to safer grounds. Fallen trees and floodwaters caused a dozen railways across the country to also shutter. In neighboring Austria, authorities declared 24 villages in the northeast Lower Austria province disaster zones Saturday afternoon and began evacuating residents from those areas. The coming hours will be the hours of truth for flood protection, for our emergency forces and numerous compatriots, State Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner said, adding that in one area, we expect challenges of historical dimensions. The torrential downpours have also caused a sharp rise in water levels on the Danube River in Austria's capital, Vienna, where special flood relief channels were built in the 1970s and 80s and are likely to be tested over the weekend. The River Kamp, a tributary of the Danube, is also swelling due to the unprecedented weather. Heavy rain also hit Moldova on Saturday, where emergency workers pumped floodwater from dozens of peoples homes in several localities, authorities said. Meteorologists say a low-pressure system from northern Italy was predicted to dump much rain in most parts of the Czech Republic, including the capital and border regions with Austria and Germany in the south, and Poland in the north. We have to be ready for worst-case scenarios, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said after the governments central crisis committee met. A tough weekend is ahead of us. In Poland, dozens of people were evacuated as a precautionary measure Saturday from two villages near the town of Nysa, in the Nysa River basin, after meteorologists warned of unprecedented rainfall, and water levels on some rivers in the area sharply rose, according to Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak. The worst is yet to come, he warned. Polish authorities appealed to residents Friday to stock up on food and to prepare for power outages by charging power banks. The weather change arrived following a hot start to September in the region. Scientists have documented Earths hottest summer, breaking a record set just one year ago. A hotter atmosphere, driven by human-caused climate change, can lead to more intense rainfall. Dozens of Hong Kong journalists and their families have been harassed and intimidated in the past three months, according to the chair of a local press club. The Hong Kong Journalists Association or HKJA said Friday it had tracked "systematic" and "organized" attacks on journalists from June to August this year. At least 15 journalists and their family members, employers and neighbors were harassed both online and offline, the press club said. Selina Cheng, the chair of the HKJA, said in a press conference Friday that it is the biggest case of intimidation that the association has ever seen. "I dont believe this is right, and thats why we are making a loud call today to say we do not accept such behavior," she said. "This type of intimidation and harassment, which includes sharing false and defamatory content and death threats, damages press freedom," she added. Journalists from multiple Hong Kong media outlets have been affected, with anonymous threats and harassment made via social media email or in the mail, the HKJA said in a statement. Some of those targeted received threats to their personal safety and were warned to give up their employment or position within associations, the HKJA added. "HKJA has gathered detailed information on a number of affected journalists and organisations," the statement read. Those affected include two journalism education institutions and 13 media outlets, including the executive committee of the HKJA, Hong Kong Free Press, InMediaHK, and HK Feature. Many of the letters and emails warned that association with the named organizations or people could be a violation of Hong Kongs national security laws. The emails and letters were sent anonymously, with emails sent from Microsoft Outlook accounts. On social media, posts showed photos of journalists and members of the HKJA executive committee pictured alongside images of knives, blood, shooting targets and "memorial" signs. The Hong Kong Free Press condemned the attacks. In a statement shared on social media, it said that the landlord of the news websites director, Tom Grundy, had received threatening letters, saying "unimaginable consequences" would occur unless Grundy was evicted from his property. Grundy reported the threats to police, the news website said. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders or RSF called on the international community to take action. "We strongly condemn this harassment campaign led against the independent media outlets that managed to survive the previous waves of government repression," said Cedric Alviani, RSFs Asia-Pacific bureau director. "We urge the international community to intensify its pressure on the Chinese regime so press freedom is fully restored in the territory." VOA requested comment late Friday from the Hong Kong Police Force but did not immediately receive a response. Hong Kongs undersecretary for security, Michael Cheuk, told media "no one should be intimidated, insulted, or so-called harassed." Cheuk urged anyone who felt under pressure to report it to law agencies, Reuters reported. The HKJA said that it has contacted Meta, which owns Facebook, and Wikimedia Foundation, the two main platforms used in the harassment campaign. Cheng told VOA she believes a person or group of people are responsible. "Bots means they are machine-controlled. I dont think thats the case," she added. Details of the intimidation campaign come as critics warn that press freedom is being eroded in Hong Kong. Since Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 which carries life imprisonment for those found guilty of what are deemed as sedition, subversion, foreign interference or terrorism news outlets have shuttered and there is greater self-censorship on sensitive issues, say media experts. Activists, political figures, lawmakers and reporters are cautious about speaking on the record to the media, with most declining to be interviewed for fear of reprisal. Media unions like the Hong Kong Journalist Association have also come under pressure, after being criticized by authorities and Chinese state media for alleged links to activist organizations. The governments of Hong Kong and China have said that the security law has brought stability back to the former British colony. But since 2020, dozens of people have been arrested under the legislation. At least 28 of those arrested were journalists or press freedom defenders. In August, two journalists from the now-defunct Stand News website were found guilty of sedition in a landmark case. And the pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai is in prison and on trial under the national security law for charges he denies. Iraqi forces and American troops have killed a senior commander with the Islamic State group who was wanted by the United States, as well as several other prominent militants, Iraq's military said Friday. The operation in Iraq's western Anbar province began in late August, the Iraqi military said, and involved members of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service and Iraq's air force. Among the dead was an IS commander from Tunisia, known as Abu Ali Al-Tunisi; the U.S. Treasury Department had offered $5 million for information about him. Also killed was Ahmad Hamed Zwein, the IS deputy commander in Iraq. Despite their defeat, attacks by IS sleeper cells in Iraq and Syria have been on the rise over the past years, with scores of people killed or wounded. Friday's announcement was not the first news of the operation. Two weeks ago, officials said that the U.S. military and Iraq launched a joint raid targeting suspected IS militants in the country's western desert that killed at least 15 people and left seven American troops hurt. Five of the American troops were wounded in the raid itself, while two others suffered injuries from falls during the operation. One who suffered a fall was transported out of the region, while one of the wounded was evacuated for further treatment, a U.S. defense official said at the time, speaking on condition of anonymity. In Friday's announcement, the Iraqi military said the operation also confiscated weapons and computers, smartphones and 10 explosives belts. It added that 14 IS commanders were identified after DNA tests were conducted. It made no mention of the 15th person killed and whether that person had also been identified. The U.S. military has not commented on the August raid. The Islamic State group seized territory at the height of its power and declared a caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014 but was defeated in Iraq in 2017. In March 2019, the extremists lost the last sliver of land they once controlled in eastern Syria. At its peak, the group ruled an area half the size of the United Kingdom where it enforced its extreme interpretation of Islam, which included attacks on religious minority groups and harsh punishment of Muslims deemed to be apostates. Earlier Friday, the U.S. Central Command said its forces killed an IS attack cell member in a strike in eastern Syria. It added that the individual was planting an improvised explosive device for a planned attack against anti-IS coalition forces and their partners, an apparent reference to Syria's Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. In August last year, the U.S. had agreed to enter into talks to transition U.S. and anti-IS coalition forces from their long-standing role in assisting Iraq in combating IS. There are approximately 2,500 U.S. troops in the country, and their departure will take into account the security situation on the ground, and the capabilities of the Iraqi armed forces. Israeli airstrikes hit central and southern Gaza overnight into Saturday, killing at least 14 people as friends and family members of a Turkish-American activist killed by an Israeli soldier honored her in a funeral. The airstrikes in Gaza City hit one home housing 11 people, including three women and four children, and another strike hit a tent in Khan Younis with Palestinians displaced by the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza's Civil Defense said Saturday. They followed airstrikes earlier this week that hit a tent camp on Tuesday and a United Nations school sheltering displaced people on Wednesday. Polio vaccination campaign A campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio drew down, and the World Health Organization said about 559,000 people under the age of 10 seven out of every eight children the campaign aimed to vaccinate have recovered from their first dose. The second doses are expected to begin later this month as part of an effort in which the WHO said parties had already agreed to. "As we prepare for the next round in four weeks, were hopeful these pauses will hold, because this campaign has clearly shown the world whats possible when peace is given a chance, Richard Peeperkorn, WHOs representative in Gaza and the West Bank, said in a statement on Saturday. Turkish-American activist buried In Turkey, activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, the 26-year-old from Seattle who held U.S. and Turkish citizenships, was laid to rest in her hometown of Didim on the Aegean Sea. The Israeli military has said that Eygi was likely shot indirectly and unintentionally by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on September 6. Turkey announced it will conduct its own investigation into her death. An Israeli protester who witnessed the shooting said she was killed after a demonstration against Israeli settlements. We are not going to leave our daughters blood on the ground, and we demand responsibility and accountability for this murder, Numan Kurtulus, the speaker of Turkey's parliament, told mourners. Eygi's body had been earlier brought from a hospital to her family home and Didim's Central Mosque. Thousands of people bid her farewell in the town's streets, which were lined with Turkish flags. Her death was condemned by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken as the United States, Egypt and Qatar push for a cease-fire and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Talks have repeatedly bogged down as Israel and Hamas accuse each other of making new and unacceptable demands. The war began when Hamas-led fighters killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in an October 7 terror attack on southern Israel. They abducted 250 people and are still holding about 100 hostages after releasing most of the rest in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire in November. About a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead. The United States, the U.K. and other Western countries designate Hamas as a terror group. The war has caused vast destruction and displaced roughly 90% of Gazas population of 2.3 million, often multiple times, and plunged the territory into a severe humanitarian crisis. Gazas Health Ministry says upwards of 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its count, but says women and children make up just over half of the dead. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants in the war. Japan and the United States should avoid confrontation about the steel industry and work together amid competition from China, the world's top steelmaker, leading prime ministerial candidate Shinjiro Koizumi said Saturday. Sources told Reuters Friday that a powerful U.S. national security panel reviewing Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel faces a September 23 deadline to recommend whether the White House should block the deal. Koizumi, Japan's former environment minister, said at a debate Saturday that Japan and the U.S. should not confront each other when it comes to the steel industry but to face together the shared challenge coming from China's steel industry. "If China, producing cheap steel without renewable or clean energy, floods the global market, it will most adversely affect us, the democratic countries playing by fair market rules," Koizumi said. Nippon Steel's key negotiator on the deal, Vice Chairman Takahiro Mori, said last month that his company and other Japanese steelmakers were urging Tokyo to consider curbing cheap steel imports coming from China to protect the local market. On Sunday, Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden about their deal, as Biden, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump have all opposed the merger. "We are also in the midst of elections, just like the U.S., and during elections, various ideas may arise. Overreacting to each of these would, in my view, call into question diplomatic judgment," Koizumi said when asked about the deal. Sanae Takaichi, Japan's minister in charge of economic security and another prime ministerial candidate, also defended the deal during the same debate attended by eight other Liberal Democratic Party's, or LDP, leadership contenders Saturday. "It appears they are using CFIUS to frame this as an economic security issue," she said, referring to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. "However, Japan and the U.S. are allies, and the steel industry is about strengthening our combined resilience." The 43-year-old son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, the junior Koizumi, is seen as a leading contender in the September 27 race to pick the LDP's new leader, who will become the next prime minister due to the party's control of parliament. Koizumi said Saturday that he would seek a dialog with the North Korean leadership to resolve the issue over the abduction of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s. The purported primary goal was to train North Korean agents to impersonate Japanese people. "We want to explore new opportunities for dialog between people of the same generation, without being bound by conventional approaches, and without preconditions," Koizumi said. After admitting in 2002 that it had abducted 13 Japanese, North Korea apologized and allowed five to return home. It said eight others had died and denied that an additional four entered its territory. It promised to reinvestigate but has never announced the results. Japan says North Korea has refused to send the others home because of concern that they might reveal inconvenient information about the country. The United States Navy's elite SEAL Team Six would likely have a limited role in defending Taiwan should China invade the self-governing and democratic island, say analysts responding to a Financial Times report that the unit has been training for it for more than one year. Lyle J. Morris, senior fellow for foreign policy and national security at the Asia Society Policy Institutes Center for China Analysis, tells VOA's Mandarin Service that if the unit is indeed preparing for an attack by Beijing, it may indicate that the U.S. is more deeply involved in defending Taiwan than previously thought. However, he stressed that the secret and precise combat characteristics of SEAL Team Six mean its role in resisting China's invasion of Taiwan would be very limited and the focus would be on carrying out special tasks. "As far as their sheer capability to repel an invasion. I think that's more limited," he says. "I think it's in a very discreet, narrow way of coming in for a specific task that Taiwan might need, whether it's helping to protect, let's say, an airfield in Taiwan or protect a communication asset in Taiwan, in Taipei, they could come in and out very discreetly and very lethally to protect that asset." SEAL Team Six specializes in performing sensitive, highly difficult missions. In 2009, the unit rescued Richard Phillips, captain of the MV Maersk Alabama, who was taken hostage by Somali pirates. The elite unit gained an international reputation after the successful raid on al-Qaida leader Osama bin Ladens compound in Pakistan in 2011. It is one of the most highly regarded U.S. military units, along with the United States Army's Delta Force, the 75th Ranger Regiment's Regimental Reconnaissance Company, the Intelligence Support Activity, and the Air Force's 24th Special Tactics Squadron, and part of the Joint Special Operations Command. "Navy SEALs usually deployed from submarines or, most likely, small ships and are useful for targeting vulnerabilities in enemies presentation," Richard D. Fisher Jr., senior fellow with the International Assessment and Strategy Center, tells VOA. Analysts say the U.S. military likely revealed the SEAL Team Six training program to the Financial Times to send a warning to Beijing amid Chinas increasingly assertive moves in the region. "This is one way the U.S. is bolstering deterrence towards China, towards preventing a Chinese invasion of Taiwan," says Morris. "So, I think this is just an added factor getting China to second guess or to reconsider what it will face if it were to invade Taiwan." Dennis Wilder, a senior fellow for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University and a former Central Intelligence Agency military analyst, posted on social media platform X, "It is sure to get under Beijing's skin." In a written response to VOA's Mandarin Service, Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said, "The Taiwan question is the very core of Chinas core interests and the first red line that must not be crossed in the China-U.S. relationship." He urged "the U.S. to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, stop enhancing military contact with the Taiwan region or arming it by any means or under whatever pretext, stop creating factors that could heighten tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and stop conniving at and supporting the separatists attempt to seek 'Taiwan independence by force." Taiwan split from China during the civil war that saw the Communist Party seize power in Beijing in 1949 and the Nationalist Party flee to the island, which developed into a flourishing democracy. But Chinas one-party, authoritarian state never gave up its claim to Taiwan and considers it a renegade province that must one day reunite with the mainland, by force if necessary. Admiral Philips Davidson, former commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, warned in 2021 that China could attack Taiwan within six years. President Joe Biden has repeatedly stressed that if China invades Taiwan, the U.S. will intervene militarily to defend it. The U.S. Department of Defense declined to confirm or deny the Financial Times report. Pentagon spokesperson John Supple said in an email to VOA, "The DoD and our service members prepare and train for a wide range of contingencies. We will not comment on specifics, but will restate that we are committed to our longstanding one China policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. As we have said before, conflict is neither imminent nor inevitable." Americas one-China policy is a strategically ambiguous agreement it made in 1972 to establish relations with China that recognizes Beijing as the only government of China and acknowledges, but does not endorse, Beijings claim that Taiwan is part of China. Washington has unofficial relations with Taiwan defined through the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiques with Beijing, and the Six Assurances with Taipei, which underscore U.S. opposition to attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo and determination to help Taiwan defend itself through weapons sales. There has been previous U.S. military training for Taiwans defense, both on the island and in the United States. Reuters reported last year the U.S. was set to expand the number of troops helping train Taiwanese forces on the island, and Taiwanese officials confirmed more of their troops would be training in the U.S. Recent moves by Pyongyang have focused attention on what will be one of the first major foreign policy challenges facing the next U.S. president: how to deal with North Koreas rapidly developing nuclear threat. In a set of rapid-fire developments on Friday: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for an exponential increase in the size of his nations nuclear arsenal, according to the state-run news agency KCNA. He made the same call in speeches on Tuesday and on the last day of 2022. State media released photos for the first time of the Nuclear Weapons Institute where North Korea processes uranium for the manufacture of nuclear weapons. The photos, which showed a sophisticated array of centrifuges, were made public as Kim toured the facility. North Korea announced that it had tested a new type of 600 mm multiple rocket launcher the previous day. South Korea said on Thursday that North Korea test-fired several short-range ballistic missiles into the waters off the eastern coast. The developments came in the context of enhanced military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, which is believed to be helping Pyongyang to develop its weapons capabilities in exchange for munitions used in Moscows invasion of Ukraine. The threat from North Koreas nuclear and missile programs has been growing steadily and virtually unchecked over the course of several U.S. administrations, said Evans Revere, a former State Department official with extensive experience negotiating with North Korea. Whoever the next U.S. president is, she or he will face a more sophisticated and dangerous North Korean threat. Revere said in an interview that the winner of the U.S. election would have to find ways to weaken the link between Moscow and Pyongyang and demonstrate to Beijing that its partnership without limits with Russia is a dangerous and ill-advised path that will yield no benefits for China. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping declared in May a new era in opposition to the U.S. and reaffirmed the no limits partnership that was first announced just days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While China has held back on providing Russia with arms for its war effort, the United States has accused it of delivering electronic components and other dual-use items that are keeping Moscows arms industry afloat. Pyongyang, for its part, denies participating in any arms transfers to Russia, an act that would violate United Nations sanctions. But a report this week by Conflict Armament Research, a U.K.-based group that tracks weapons in armed conflicts, said parts from four North Korean missiles have been found in Ukraine. The missiles, examined by Kyiv, are either KN-23 or KN-24, known as Hwasong-11 short-range missile series, and thought to have been used in attacks in July and August, the report said. Pyongyang-Moscow military ties have also been expanded to include tourism, trade, and economic and technical cooperation. This makes the use of sanctions less effective as a policy tool to counter North Koreas nuclear buildup, according to Gary Samore, former White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction during the Obama administration. Thats not as much leverage now as it was before because of the Russian-North Korean relationship, said Samore. The U.S. doesnt have very strong economic leverage that it can use with North Korea. With few obvious policy options available, the two presidential candidates former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have largely confined themselves to criticizing each others approach without laying out any specific plans to roll back the North Korean threat. At Tuesday nights televised debate, Harris criticized Trump for exchanging love letters with Kim Jong Un during his presidency while Trump disapproved of the current administrations handling of the issue, saying, Look at whats going on in North Korea. During his presidency, Trump held three summits with Kim but the diplomatic effort ultimately failed when Trump refused Kims demand for sanctions relief in exchange for a partial rollback of his nuclear program. There have been no formal talks between the two countries since, although the Biden administration insists it is open to negotiations without preconditions, a policy that Harris could be expected to continue if elected. The Biden administration also maintains that its goal remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, even as many experts suggest it is time to acknowledge that Pyongyang will not give up its weapons and say the international community should focus on containment. Samore predicted that a Harris administration would continue to say that as an ultimate objective ... the U.S. seeks denuclearization in the long term. A second Trump administration, he theorized, may say denuclearization is no longer possible and accept North Korea as a nuclear power. Robert Rapson, who served as charge daffaires and deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul from 2018 to 2021, said much would depend on how the winner of the election decides to work with regional allies South Korea and Japan. In the likely absence of any grand outreach towards Pyongyang, Harris will have to carefully manage the relationship with ally Seoul, with a focus for the foreseeable future on maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, he said. He added that it was uncertain at this moment whether Trump would feel compelled to reach out to Kim and whether he would diminish the value of the alliances with South Korea and Japan. Eunjung Cho contributed to this report. The largest dam removal project in U.S. history was completed Wednesday, marking a major victory for tribes in the region who fought for decades to free hundreds of miles of the Klamath River near the California-Oregon border. Through protests, testimony and lawsuits, local tribes showcased the environmental devastation due to the four towering hydroelectric dams, especially to salmon, which are culturally and spiritually significant to tribes in the region. The dams cut salmon off from their historic habitat and caused them to die in alarming numbers because of bad water-quality conditions. Without the tribes' work "to point out the damage that these dams were doing, not only to the environment, but to the social and cultural fabric of these tribal nations, there would be no dam removal," said Mark Bransom, chief executive of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the nonprofit entity created to oversee the project. Power company PacifiCorp built the dams to generate electricity between 1918 and 1962. But the structures halted the natural flow of the waterway that was once known as the third-largest salmon-producing river on the West Coast. They disrupted the life cycle of the region's salmon, which spend most of their life in the Pacific Ocean but return to the chilly mountain streams to lay eggs. At the same time, the dams produced only a small fraction of PacifiCorp's energy at full capacity enough to power about 70,000 homes. They also didn't provide irrigation, drinking water or flood control, according to Klamath River Renewal Corporation. Since breaching the dams, salmon regained access to their habitat, water temperature decreased and its quality improved, said Michael Belchik, senior water policy analyst for the Yurok Tribe. But tribal advocates and activists see their work as far from finished, with some already refocusing their efforts on revegetation and other restoration work on the Klamath River and the surrounding land. Here's a look at just a few of the many tribal members at the center of this struggle for dam removal: 'I really felt an urgency' When Karuk tribal member Molli Myers took her first major step into the fight for Klamath dam removal, she was six months pregnant, had a toddler in tow and was in a foreign country for the first time. It was 2004 and she had organized a group of about 25 tribal members to fly to Scotland for the annual general stockholders meeting for Scottish Power, PacifiCorp's parent company at the time. For hours, they protested outside with signs, sang and played drums. They cooked fish on Calton Hill over a fire of scotch barrels and gave it out to locals as they explained why they were there. "I really felt an urgency because I was having babies," said Myers, who was born and raised in the middle Klamath in a traditional fishing family. "And so for me I was internalizing the responsibility to take care of their future." The initial trigger for her to act came two years before that when she saw some of the tens of thousands of salmon die in the river from a bacterial outbreak caused by low water and warm temperatures. "Looking back on it now I wonder where would we be if that hadn't happened," said Myers, 41. "Looking back on it now I can say, 'Was this our creator's call to action?' " She spent the next two decades protesting and flooding state and federal meetings with tribal testimony, including waiting with other tribal members at the doors of a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting at 4 a.m. in 2007 to ask Warren Buffett what he was going to do about the dams. PacifiCorp was at that point part of Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. conglomerate. Today, those same children with her in Scotland are 21 and 19, and with the dams gone Myers said she sees the hope they and her other three children have about the future. "They can do whatever needs to get done because they saw it happen, they lived it, so now there's no impossible for them," she said. 'His vision became reality' For Yurok elder Jacqueline Winter, her feelings on the newly free-flowing river are more complicated. The 89-year-old's son, Troy Fletcher, was the tribe's point person for dam removal for two decades, testifying in front of the U.S. Congress and presenting to state and federal regulatory committees. But his true power came through his ability to bring people with radically conflicting viewpoints from farmers to commercial fishers to tribal members together. Winter said that came from his belief that everyone living along the river are relatives and deserve to be heard. "We're all family. None of us can be left hurting and all of us have to give a little," she said was his message. But at 53, the former executive director for the Yurok Tribe died unexpectedly from a heart attack, nearly a decade before that vision of a free-flowing river would finally be realized. Winter said when she saw the dams breached last month, it felt like his spirit was there through those he touched and she could finally let him go. "His vision became reality and I think he never doubted it," she said. "He never doubted it. And those who worked closely with him never doubted it." 'Protect those fish' Former Klamath Tribes Chairman Jeff Mitchell's work since the 1970s for dam removal came out of the belief that the salmon are their relatives. "They were gifted to us by our creator and given to us to preserve and to protect and also to help give us life," said Mitchell, chair of the tribe's Culture and Heritage Committee. "As such, the creator also instructed us to make sure that we do everything in our power to protect those fish." The Klamath River's headwaters lie on the tribe's homelands in Oregon, and members once depended on salmon for 25% of their food. But for more than a century their waters have not held any salmon, he said. Mitchell and other tribal members' fight to bring them back has cycled through several forms. There were the years of protesting, even gathering carcasses of fish after the 2002 fish kill and leaving them on the doorsteps of federal office buildings. There were his days of walking the halls of the state Legislature in Salem, Oregon, meeting with lawmakers about the millions in funding needed to make dam removal happen. Today, he said he feels like they achieved the impossible, but there's still more work to do. "I'm happy that the dams are gone and we have passage," he said. "But now I'm thinking about what are those fish coming home to. And that's really the focus now, is how do we get the parties to start taking restoration actions and making that the top priority in all of this?" Many cities have been reshaped by immigrants in the last few years without attracting much notice. Not Springfield, Ohio. Its story of economic renewal and related growing pains has been thrust into the national conversation in a presidential election year and maliciously distorted by false rumors that Haitian immigrants are eating their neighbors' pets. Donald Trump amplified those lies during Tuesday's nationally televised debate, exacerbating some residents' fears about growing divisiveness in the predominantly white, blue-collar city of about 60,000. At the city's Haitian Community Help and Support Center on Wednesday, Rose-Thamar Joseph said many of the roughly 15,000 immigrants who arrived in the past few years were drawn by good jobs and the city's relative affordability. But a rising sense of unease has crept in as longtime residents increasingly bristle at newcomers taking jobs at factories, driving up housing costs, worsening traffic and straining city services. "Some of them are talking about living in fear. Some of them are scared for their life," Joseph said. A "Welcome To Our City" sign hangs from a parking garage downtown, where a coffee shop, bakery and boutique line Springfield's main drag, North Fountain Street. A flag advertising "CultureFest," the city's annual celebration of unity through diversity, waves from a pole nearby. Melanie Flax Wilt, a Republican commissioner in the county where Springfield is located, said she has been pushing for community and political leaders to "stop feeding the fear." "After the election and everybody's done using Springfield, Ohio, as a talking point for immigration reform, we are going to be the ones here still living through the challenges and coming up with the solutions," she said. Ariel Dominique, executive director of the Haitian American Foundation for Democracy, said she laughed at first at the absurdity of the false claims. But seeing the comments repeated on national television by the former president was painful. "It is so unfair and unjust and completely contrary to what we have contributed to the world, what we have contributed to this nation for so long," Dominique said. The falsehoods about Springfield's Haitian immigrants were spread online by Trump's running mate, JD Vance, on the eve of Tuesday's debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. It's part of a timeworn American political tradition of casting immigrants as outsiders. "This is what's happening in our country. And it's a shame," Trump said at the debate after repeating the falsehoods. When challenged by ABC News moderator David Muir over the false claims, Trump held firm, saying "people on television" said their dogs were eaten, but he offered no evidence. Officials in Springfield have tried to tamp down the misinformation by saying there have been no credible or detailed reports of any pets being abducted or eaten. State leaders are trying to help address some of the real challenges facing the city. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said Tuesday he would add more law enforcement and health care resources to an aid package the state has already provided to Springfield. Many Haitians have come to the U.S. to flee poverty and violence. They have embraced President Joe Biden's new and expanded legal pathways to enter, and have shunned illegal crossings, accounting for only 92 border arrests out of more than 56,000 in July, the latest data available. The Biden administration recently announced an estimated 300,000 Haitians in the U.S. could remain in the country at least through February 2026, with eligibility for work authorization, under a law called Temporary Protected Status. The goal is to spare people from being deported to countries in turmoil. Springfield, about 72 kilometers from the state capital of Columbus, suffered a steep decline in its manufacturing sector toward the end of the last century, and its population shrank as a result. But its downtown has been revitalized in recent years as more Haitians arrived and helped meet the rising demand for labor as the economy emerged from the pandemic. Officials say Haitians now account for about 15% of the population. The city was shaken last year when a minivan slammed into a school bus, killing an 11-year-old boy. The driver was a Haitian man who recently settled in the area and was driving without a valid license. During a city commission meeting on Tuesday, the boy's parents condemned politicians' use of their son's death to stoke hatred. Last week, a post on the social media platform X shared what looked like a screengrab of a social media post apparently out of Springfield. The post claimed without evidence that the person's "neighbor's daughter's friend" saw a cat hanging from a tree to be butchered and eaten, outside a house where it claimed Haitians lived. It was accompanied by a photo of a Black man carrying what appeared to be a goose by its feet. On Monday, Vance posted on X: "Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn't be in this country." The next day, he posted again, saying his office had received inquiries from Springfield residents who said "their neighbors' pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants." Longtime Springfield resident Chris Hazel, who knows the park and neighborhood where the pet and goose abductions were purported to have happened, called the claims "preposterous." "It reminds me of when people used to accuse others and outsiders as cannibals. It's dehumanizing a community," he said of the accusations against the city's Haitian residents. Sophia Pierrilus, the daughter of a former Haitian diplomat who moved to the Ohio capital of Columbus 15 years ago and is now an immigrant advocate, agreed, calling it all political. "My view is that's their way to use Haitians as a scapegoat to bring some kind of chaos in America," she said. With its rising population of immigrants, Springfield is hardly an outlier. So far this decade, immigration has accounted for almost three-quarters of U.S. population growth, with 2.5 million immigrants arriving in the United States between 2020 and 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Population growth is an important driver of economic growth. "The Haitian immigrants who started moving to Springfield the last few years are the reason why the economy and the labor force has been revitalized there," said Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, which provides legal and social services to immigrants across the U.S. Now, she said, Haitians in Springfield have told her that, out of fear, they are considering leaving the city. JUBA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's transitional government on Friday announced the postponement of long-delayed elections and extended the transition period by two years after failing to meet key provisions of a peace agreement. This is the second time the country, which gained independence in 2011, has postponed elections and extended a transition period that began in February 2020. The extension follows recommendations from both election-related institutions and the security sector, which stressed that the additional time would allow for the completion of essential tasks before the next elections, said Martin Elia Lomuro, minister for Cabinet Affairs in the transitional government. He noted that the government has reset the transition period, which will begin in February 2025 and last until 2026. The world's youngest nation was expected to elect leaders in the country's first-ever general elections on Dec. 22, 2026, at the end of the transitional period. The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan was signed in 2018 to end the bloody civil war that had killed some 400,000 people, according to the United Nations. Under the agreement, the government was supposed to be dissolved on Sept. 22 as South Sudan prepared for elections in December this year. She was eight months pregnant when she was forced to leave her Denver homeless shelter. It was November. Ivanni Herrera took her 4-year-old son, Dylan, by the hand and led him into the chilly night, dragging a suitcase containing donated clothes and blankets away from the Microtel Inn & Suites. It was one of 10 hotels where Denver has housed more than 30,000 migrants, many of them Venezuelan, over the last two years. First, they walked to Walmart. There, with money she and her husband earned begging on the street, they bought a tent. They chose for their new home a grassy median along a busy thoroughfare in Aurora, the next town over, a suburb known for its immigrant population. We wanted to go somewhere where there were people, Herrera, 28, said in Spanish. It feels safer. That night, temperatures dipped to 32 degrees. And as she wrapped her body around her son's, Ivanni Herrera cried. Over the past two years, a record number of Venezuelans have come to the United States seeking a better life. Instead, theyve found themselves in communities roiling over how much to help the newcomers or whether to help at all. Unable to legally work without filing expensive and complicated paperwork, some have found themselves sleeping on the streets even those who are pregnant. Herrera had found inspiration for her journey to the U.S. on social media. On Facebook and TikTok, young, smiling Venezuelan migrants in nice clothes stood in front of new cars. Some 320,000 Venezuelans have tried to cross the U.S. border since October 2022, according to U.S. Border Patrol reports more than in the previous nine years combined. Just weeks after arriving in Denver, Herrera began to wonder if the success she had seen was real. She was seeing doctors and social workers at a Denver hospital where she planned to give birth because they served everyone, even those without insurance. They were alarmed their pregnant patient was now sleeping outside in the cold. In Colorado's third-largest city, Aurora, officials have turned down requests to help migrants. In February, the City Council passed a resolution telling other cities and nonprofits not to bring migrants into the community because it does not currently have the financial capacity to fund new services. Yet still they come, because of its lower cost of living and Spanish-speaking community. Former President Donald Trump last week called attention to the city, suggesting a Venezuelan gang had taken over an apartment complex. Authorities say that hasnt happened. The doctors urged Herrera to sleep at the hospital. It wouldnt cost anything, they assured her, just as her birth would be covered by emergency Medicaid. Herrera refused. How," she asked, "could I sleep in a warm place when my son is cold on the street? Denver struggled to keep up with the rush of migrants, many arriving on buses chartered by Texas to draw attention to the impact of immigration. All told, Denver officials say they have helped some 42,700 migrants since last year, either by giving them shelter or a bus fare to another city. Initially, the city offered migrants with families six weeks in a hotel. But any migrants arriving since May have received only three days in a hotel. After that, some have found transportation to other cities, scrounged for a place to sleep or wandered into nearby towns like Aurora. Today, fewer migrants are coming to the Denver area. But Candice Marley, founder of a nonprofit called All Souls, still receives dozens of outreaches per week from social service agencies looking to help homeless migrants. All Souls had run encampments for migrants, but Denver shut them down because they lacked a permit. Its so frustrating that we cant help them, Marley said. That leaves families camping on their own, unsupported, living in their cars. Kids cant get into school. Theres no stability. When Herrera started feeling labor pains in early December, she waited until she couldnt bear the pain anymore and could feel the baby getting close. She called an ambulance. The paramedics didnt speak Spanish but called an interpreter. They told Herrera they had to take her to the closest hospital, instead of the one in Denver, since her contractions were so close together. Her son was born healthy at 7 pounds, 8 ounces. She took him to the tent the next day. A few days later the whole family, including the baby, had contracted chicken pox. The baby was in a bad state, said Emily Rodriguez, a close friend living with her family in a tent next to Herreras. Herrera took him to the hospital, then returned to the tent before being offered a way out. An Aurora woman originally from Mexico invited the family to live with her at first, for free. After a couple weeks, the family moved to a small room in the garage for $800 a month. To earn rent and pay expenses, Herrera and Rodriguez have cleaned homes, painted houses and shoveled snow while their children waited in a car by themselves. Finding regular work and actually getting paid for it has been difficult. While their husbands can get semi-regular work in construction, the womens most consistent income comes from standing outside with their children and begging. On a good day, each earns about $50. Herrera and her husband recently became eligible to apply for work permits and legal residency for Venezuelans who arrived in the United States last year. But it will cost $800 each for a lawyer to file the paperwork, along with hundreds of dollars in government fees. They don't have the money. What's worse, they're deeply in debt. Despite what the hospital had said when she was pregnant, Herrera was never signed up for emergency Medicaid. She says she owes $18,000 for the ambulance ride and delivery of her baby. Now, she avoids going to the doctor or taking her children because shes afraid her large debt will jeopardize her chances of staying in the U.S. Im afraid theyre going to deport me, she says. Herrera and Rodriguez now hold cardboard signs along a busy street in Denver and then knock on the doors of private homes, never returning to the same address. They type up their request for clothes, food or money on their phones and translate it to English using Google. They hand their phones to whoever answers the door. Herrera recently sent $500 to her sister to make the monthslong trip from Venezuela to Aurora with Herreras 8-year-old daughter. Ill have my family back together, she says. And she believes her sister will be able to watch her kids so Herrera can look for work. The problem is, Herrera hasnt told her family back in Venezuela how she spends her time. They think Im fixing up homes and selling chocolate and flowers, she says. Im living a lie. Finally, her sister and daughter are waiting across the border in Mexico. When we come to America, her sister asks, could we fly to Denver? The tickets are $600. Herrera has to come clean. Life is far more difficult than she has let on. She texts back: No. The Pentagon says it has nearly $6 billion in funding for Ukraine left that could expire at the end of this month unless Congress or the State Department acts to extend the military's authority to draw weapons from its stockpiles to send to Kyiv. "We have $5.9 billion left in Ukraine Presidential Drawdown Authority, all but $100 million of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year," Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said Friday. "The department will continue to provide drawdown packages in the near future and is working with Congress to seek an extension of PDA [presidential drawdown] authorities beyond the end of the fiscal year." A defense official, who spoke to VOA on the condition of anonymity, said Congress' monthslong deadlock in passing the supplemental funding bill for Ukraine was a "contributing factor" as to why billions of dollars for weapons remained unspent. The money was expected to be allocated for Ukraine last year, but the U.S. House was unable to pass the $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan until late April of this year. Of that, about $61 billion was earmarked for Ukraine. The official said the delay left the Pentagon with less time to identify and send military aid to Kyiv from its stockpiles. The nearly $6 billion left in funding amounts to less than 10% of the aid allocated in April to address the conflict in Ukraine. Speaking in response to a VOA question earlier this month, deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said the Pentagon would "use everything we can that's available to us to make sure that we are continuing to provide Ukraine what it needs, both in the short term and the long term." "We're in this fight with Ukraine for the long haul," she said. Two ways to ensure access There are two ways to make sure that access to the remaining funds will not expire at the beginning of October, Mykola Murskyj, director of advocacy for the NGO Razom for Ukraine, told VOA. The first is that Congress has to approve it again. This requires lawmakers to pass a provision that would extend the authority to use the remaining amount in the next budget year. House members from both sides of the aisle have expressed support for extending the authorities so that all the allocated funding for Kyiv can be used. "If we need to extend it, we'll extend it," Representative Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told VOA. Representative Mike Lawler, a Republican on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, added that he would "push to get it done" if the funding was not all spent by the deadline. The second way to ensure the military can access the remaining funds is for the State Department to notify Congress of its intent to use the funds, according to Murskyj. In this case, lawmakers will not need to vote on the extension, but formal notification must be issued by the secretary of state, as has been done in the past. A State Department spokesperson would not comment on whether it would issue the extension, saying it would not discuss communications with lawmakers and their staffs, but would continue "to coordinate closely with Congress concerning the steadfast support that the United States, our allies and our partners worldwide are providing to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia's premeditated, unprovoked and unjustified war." Murskyj told VOA his advocacy group was working with members of Congress to extend the funds. "However, I am not going to put all of my eggs in that basket," he said, because "it is very difficult to predict what Congress will do, and there's always the potential for some kind of last-minute derailment." In a letter to the administration, members of pro-Ukrainian nongovernmental organizations said extending these funds "would send a powerful message to Ukraine, Russia and American voters that the administration wants Ukraine to win." Kateryna Lisunova of VOA's Ukrainian Service contributed to this report. More than 100 Rohingya refugees who have for years been detained at a transit camp in the northeast Indian state of Assam have launched a hunger strike demanding that they be handed over to the United Nations refugee agency in New Delhi, transferred to a detention facility in the Indian capital, and that the process of resettlement in a third country be started. The 103 Muslim Rohingya refugees have been on hunger strike since Monday at the Matia Transit Camp, where immigrants, most of whom entered the country illegally, are held. Local authorities said 30 Christian Chin refugees, also from Myanmar, are on hunger strike, too, in solidarity with the Rohingyas. A midlevel police officer in Goalpara district, where the camp is located, told VOA Thursday that senior Home Affairs Ministry officials from the state headquarters were on their way to investigate the issue. The officials will interact with their counterparts at the camp, as well as the detainees who are on hunger strike, and aim to resolve the issues. The detainees, who are from Myanmar, are demanding to be released from the camp, said the police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. All the officials are trying to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Sabber Kyaw Min, an India-based Rohingya rights activist who is monitoring the situation, said that the refugees in the detention center were living in poor hygienic conditions and received inhumane treatment. Fleeing genocide in Myanmar, our people took refuge in India. Our home country continues to be increasingly unsafe for us. But we are facing persecution here our people are being imprisoned in India, Min, head of the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, told VOA. At least 40 of the Rohingya refugees at the Matia camp hold UNHCR cards, he said, using the acronym for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Yet they are treated like criminals and have been detained. Many Rohingyas have been in detention for as long as 10 or 12 years. They have finished their terms long ago. Yet they are being detained. India has not signed the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol and views all Rohingya refugees as "illegal immigrants," although they have lived peacefully in the country for decades. Since Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014, however, Rohingya refugees have faced trouble in India. After repeated directives from the Indian Home Affairs Ministry in recent years, Indian states have been detaining Rohingya refugees under charges of illegal entry into the country. According to the UNHCR, 676 Rohingyas are in detention in India, but Rohingya rights activists put the figure at 1,000. Min said that in many cases, Rohingya refugees are being held in detention illegally. Jan Mohammad, a Rohingya refugee who recently moved back to Bangladesh from India, told VOA Friday that a relative at the Matia camp told him Rohingyas there were facing torture. My relative sent an audio message to me from inside the camp in which he said that the inmates were suffering from poor health care facilities. The supply of drinking water was inadequate. Some were even drinking toilet water. The living conditions in the camp were abominable, Mohammad said. During winter, they often could not sleep at night because they did not have enough blankets. When they complained about the poor amenities, they were beaten by the guards there. Many inmates there often cried, saying that their detention was for an indefinite period and they would die there, my relative said in his message, three months ago. VOAs email to the Assam home ministry seeking a reaction to the issue has not received a response. In July, a Supreme Court said the living conditions in several detention centers were deplorable while hearing a related petition. In July, 35 Rohingya inmates of the Matia camp wrote to the local administration seeking resettlement in a third country or transfer to a facility with better conditions. The inmates began their hunger strike on Monday, apparently because the authorities did not respond to their appeal. The Indian Home Affairs Ministry said years ago Rohingyas detained in India would ultimately be deported to Myanmar, but only 18 have been deported there since 2021. The London-based Burmese Rohingya Organization UK said in a statement Wednesday that the hunger strike at Matia camp was a direct response to their prolonged and arbitrary detention and the severe human rights abuses they endure. The arbitrary detention of Rohingya refugees in India represents a grave injustice. These individuals, who have already faced unimaginable atrocities, are subjected to further mistreatment. The Indian government must act immediately to end these unlawful detentions and address the abysmal conditions within detention centers, Tun Khin, president of the organization, said in the statement. New Delhi-based lawyer Ujjaini Chatterji, who argues against indefinite detention of Rohingya refugees in India, told VOA Friday that "the Rohingyas cannot be detained without following the due process established by law. The due process includes serving prior notice to them with an opportunity to present their case, and also for the Rohingyas to be told the grounds for their arrest or detention while being given access to adequate legal representation and contact with friends and family, Chatterji told the VOA. Indefinite detention is an absolute violation of not only the very thrust of the Constitution of India, but also against various precedents set through judgments by the high courts and the Supreme Court of India, said Chatterji. The percentage of U.S. residents who were foreign-born last year grew to its highest level in more than a century, according to figures released Thursday from the most comprehensive survey of American life. The share of people born outside the United States increased in 2023 to 14.3% from 13.9% in 2022, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey, which tracks commuting times, internet access, family life, income, education levels, disabilities, military service and employment, among other topics. International migrants have become a primary driver of population growth this decade, increasing their share of the overall population as fewer children are being born in the U.S. compared with numbers from years past. The rate of the foreign-born population in the United States hasn't been this high since 1910, when it was 14.7%, driven by waves of people emigrating in search of a better life. "We knew that here you can have savings, live well. Here you can have normal services such as water and electricity," said Luciana Bracho, who moved legally to Miami from Venezuela as part of a humanitarian parole program with her boyfriend, parents and brother in April 2023. "I like Miami and the opportunities that I have had." In 2023, international migrants accounted for more than two-thirds of the population growth in the United States, and so far this decade they have made up almost three-quarters of U.S. growth. The growth appears to have been driven by people coming from Latin America, whose share of the foreign-born population increased year-over-year to 51.2% from 50.3%, according to the estimates. Latin America was the only world region of origin to experience an increase among those U.S. residents born in another country, as the share of foreign-born residents from Europe and Asia dropped slightly. Nicole Diaz, a Venezuelan opposition activist, left after receiving threats to her life and lived in Peru and Ecuador before moving to the Miami area legally in February 2023 with her husband and 9-year-old daughter. Diaz described herself as "100% happy" living in South Florida, where they pay $2,300 a month for a two-bedroom apartment. "After being in different countries, working here is relaxed, despite the language," Diaz said. "But housing is very expensive, and we have been evaluating moving to another state because here all the salary goes for the rent." Among the states with the largest year-over-year bumps in the foreign-born population was Delaware, going to 11.2% from 9.9%; Georgia, to 11.6% from 10.7%; and New Mexico, to 10.2% from 9.3% The share of the foreign-born population dropped slightly in Washington, D.C., Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and Oregon. The Census Bureau figures don't distinguish whether people are in the United States legally or illegally. Illegal immigration has become a top issue in the 2024 presidential race, even as illegal border crossings from Mexico plunged this summer after reaching a record last December. The share of U.S. residents who identify as Hispanic, no matter what race, rose last year to 19.4% from 19.1% in the previous year, according to the survey. At the same time, those who identify as non-Hispanic white alone dropped from 57.7% to 57.1%. The share of U.S. residents who identify as Black alone dropped slightly, from 12.2% to 12.1%, and it increased slightly for those who identify as Asian alone from 5.9% to 6%. Residents in the United States continued to get older, with the median age increasing from 39 in 2022 to 39.2 in 2023. The nation's aging is taking place as a majority of baby boomers have become senior citizens and millennials are entering middle age. While the share of children under age 18 remained steady at 21.7% year-over-year, the share of senior citizens age 65 and over increased to 17.7% from 17.3%. Meanwhile, a post-pandemic bump in working from home continued its slide back to pre-COVID-19 times, as the share of employees working from home dropped last year to 13.8% from 15.2% in the previous year. In 2021, the first full year after the pandemic's start, almost 18% of employees were working from home, up from 5.7% in 2019. But return-to-office mandates in the past two years have reversed that trend and caused commute times to bump up slightly last year, growing on average to 26.8 minutes from 26.4 minutes. The survey also showed that the median cost of renting, plus utilities and related expenses, grew faster than median home values in 2023 for the first time in a decade. The 3.8% jump in rental costs was the largest annual increase since at least 2011. Despite the spike in rental costs, the share of renter income spent on rent and utilities remained unchanged at 31% in 2023, suggesting that incomes kept pace with rent hikes, the Census Bureau said. Somalia's minister of foreign affairs has said Somalia will consider establishing contacts with and support rebels fighting in Ethiopia if the Ethiopian government attempts to implement the deal it signed with Somaliland. Ahmed Moalim Fiqi was answering a question from local Universal TV on September 12. "The option to have contacts with armed rebels in Ethiopia or rebels that are fighting against the Ethiopia regime if it continues this, to have contact with them is an option open to Somalia, it's a door open to us," he said. Fiqi insisted the situation has not yet reached that stage. "We have not reached that stage, there is a hope there will be a solution. But it is a path open to us it's the correct thing to go there, to take that path to meet them, to support them, to stand by them (the rebels). But that will come when they continue their hostility, and attempt to implement the so-called agreement," he said. Fiqi was asked if the Somali government has a plan to contact the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which was involved in two years of deadly war against Ethiopia's federal government until the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement in November 2022. "We discussed that, but at this time the collapse of Ethiopia is not in the interest of Somalia and the Horn of Africa region. But if they continue to [support] those opposing Somalia and with the secessionist groups [that] they have signed [an] agreement with, it's an option for us," he responded. Ethiopia's deputy permanent representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Nebiyu Tedla, criticized the comments from Somalia's minster of foreign affairs. "It's comical to witness al-Shabab agents posing as government officials, who are unable to function effectively outside of Banaadir (the Mogadishu area) babbling hallow nationalism, driven by narrow clan centralization," Nebiyu posted on X. "Such will only undermine years of progress and lead Somalia into the pit," added Nebiyu, who formerly served as spokesperson for Ethiopia's ministry of foreign affairs. Relations between the two countries have been warming up during the last three decades as Ethiopia hosted reconciliation conferences and sent troops to help successive Somali governments. But relations turned sour when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the president of the self-declared, breakaway republic of Somaliland on January 1, 2024. According to Somaliland officials, under the MOU Ethiopia will be the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent nation in return for the leasing of 20 kilometers (12 miles) of seashore to be used as a naval base by Ethiopia for 50 years. Somalia sees the deal as infringement to its sovereignty. On Friday, U.S. Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer, speaking in Addis Ababa, urged both countries to find ways to work together. "Let me state unequivocally the United States supports Somalia's territorial sovereignty, integrity and unity, and we have made that very clear," he said. "We want to see peaceful and good relations between all countries in the region and certainly between Ethiopia and Somalia. And we urge both to find ways to move forward and look how they can continue to work together. We are well aware of the ENDF's [Ethiopian National Defense Forces] and Ethiopia's sacrifice in Somalia in the fight against al-Shabab. That is what we should be focusing on, frankly from the U.S. perspective, how we can support Somalia in its fight against al-Shabab." Hammer said fighting al-Shabab requires good relations between Somalia and Ethiopia. "There is no reason that these two countries should have difficulties that can't be resolved again through conversations. But again, both countries need to accept the basic principes outlined frankly by the AU charter, which is affirmation and recognition in understanding of each other's territorial sovereignty, integrity and unity," Hammer told reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa. Somalia and Ethiopia fought two wars and supported each other's rebels in the 1970s and 80s. In February 1988, the president of Somalia, Mohamed Siad Barre, and Ethiopian President Mengistu Haile Mariam, reached an agreement in Djibouti mediated by late Djibouti President Hassan Guled Aptidon. They agreed to cease hostilities and committed to cease supporting each other's rebels. This story originated in VOA's Horn of Africa Service. The government in South Sudan has postponed elections scheduled for December for two years citing the need to complete processes such as a census, the drafting of a permanent constitution and the registration of political parties. The Presidential Adviser on National Security Tut Gatluak on Friday said the extension would provide an opportunity to complete critical processes before the new election date of December 22, 2026. This is the second time the country, which gained independence in 2011, is postponing elections and extending a transitional period that started in February 2020. President Salva Kiir and his former rival turned deputy, Riek Machar, signed a peace agreement in 2018 that ended a five-year civil war in which more than 400,000 people died. Cabinet Affairs Minister Martin Elia Lomuro said the extension followed recommendations from both electoral institutions and the security sector. Last month, the chairperson of National Election Commission, Professor Abednego Akok, told The Associated Press the country was behind the electoral calendar, which required voter registration to have started in June but was still pending due to a shortage of funds. The country is going through an economic crisis that has seen civil servants go unpaid for almost one year, after it's oil exports were affected by a damaged pipeline in war-torn neighboring Sudan through which it exports. The Tumaini initiative peace talks that have been going on in neighboring Kenya, believed to provide a foundation for the inclusion of non-signatory groups to sustain peace, have also stalled. A new security act that allows for warrantless detentions became law in August despite concerns from human rights groups that it would create fear in the runup to the elections. Andrea Mach Mabior, an independent political analyst, warned that any sham elections may result in a waste of resources and chaos. "Going for elections that do not meet international standards will be a waste of money," Mabior told the AP. But others like Edmund Yakani, executive director of the Community Empowerment Progress Organization, said delays to the elections or any extension of the transitional period would create a possibility of violence erupting across the fragile country. "If we fail to conduct the elections in December 2024 the chance of the country turning into violence is higher than if we go for the elections," Yakani told the AP in August. The country, which has gone through the shocks of civil war and climate change is in need of humanitarian aid with an estimated 9 million people 73% of the country's population projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance during 2024, according to the 2024 UN Humanitarian Needs Overview for South Sudan. Heavy fighting on Saturday shook a Sudanese city besieged by paramilitaries, witnesses told AFP, as U.S. researchers reported unprecedented and escalating combat in the North Darfur state capital. El-Fasher is one of five state capitals in Sudan's western Darfur region and the only one not in the hands of the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, who have been battling the regular army since April 2023. The United Nations says the war across much of Sudan has created the world's largest displacement crisis, with millions uprooted, and has led to famine at a displacement camp near El-Fasher. Darfur has seen some of the war's worst atrocities, and the RSF has besieged El-Fasher since May. "Neighborhoods are completely deserted and all you can hear are explosions and missiles," Ibrahim Ishaq, 52, told AFP. "The central market area has become unlivable because of the intensity of the explosions," said Ishaq, who fled westward from the city on Friday. Witnesses reported army bombardment south and east of the city on Saturday and said they heard air-defense batteries firing. The Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab said in a report Friday that its analysis confirmed "unprecedented large-scale combat operations" in El-Fasher within the previous 10 days, "with significant escalation in the past 36 hours" involving the army and the paramilitaries. It cited reports that describe "a major multidirectional RSF attack from the northern, eastern, and southern directions" on Thursday. Reduced to rubble Darfur Governor Mini Minawi had on Thursday said on social media platform X that the army had repelled "a large attack" by the RSF. The paramilitaries, however, said they seized military sites in El-Fasher. Using satellite imagery and other data, the Yale researchers said they found munition impacts "likely related to high-tempo aerial bombardment" from the regular army, but they said other structural damage resulted from "RSF bombardment" and combat activity by both sides. Whatever the battle's ultimate outcome, current levels of fighting "are likely to effectively reduce what is left of El-Fasher to rubble," the Yale study said. The United States special envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, on Saturday said on social media platform X: "We are extremely concerned about the RSF's renewed attacks." He urged the RSF "to stop its assault." It was not immediately possible to determine the number of victims. Sudan's war has already killed tens of thousands of people, with some estimates as high as 150,000, according to Perriello. Strikes near Khartoum In the capital, Khartoum, on Saturday, about 800 kilometers from El-Fasher, witnesses reported heavy explosions and strikes to the city's south. Independent United Nations experts earlier this month appealed for deployment of an "impartial force" to be urgently deployed in Sudan for civilian protection. Sudan's foreign ministry, loyal to the army, rejected the idea. Hours after Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin rebelled against his country's top military leaders, his private army's biggest client in Africa panicked, turning for help to his foe in the West. Officials from Central African Republic, where some 1,500 of Prigozhin's Wagner Group mercenaries were stationed, wrote a letter that day, requesting to "rapidly" arrange a meeting with a private U.S. security firm to discuss collaboration. Dated June 23, 2023, the day Prigozhin launched the armed rebellion, the letter sparked a series of meetings, culminating in a deal with the central African nation and Bancroft Global Development. That sparked backlash from Russian mercenaries, according to a dozen diplomats, locals, and analysts. The tensions in Central African Republic are a window into a larger battle playing out across the continent as Moscow and Washington vie for influence. The Russian mercenaries using success in staving off rebels in this impoverished nation as a model for expansion have long been accused by locals and rights groups of stripping natural resources such as minerals and timber and are linked to the torture and death of civilians. In the wake of Prigozhin's rebellion and suspicious death in a plane crash, the Russians are recalibrating their Africa operations. The United States, which has been largely disengaged from the region for years, is attempting to maintain a presence and stymie Russian gains as it pushes African countries to distance themselves from the mercenaries. U.S. officials blame Russia for anti-American sentiment in the region and say they're trying to shift the narrative. "If the U.S. can't regain a foothold, it could give Russia greater economic and political leverage," said Samuel Ramani of the Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security think tank. "If Russia loses Central African Republic, its flagship model on the continent, there could be a domino effect in other countries." Russia's influence In recent years, Russia has emerged as the security partner of choice for a growing number of governments in the region, displacing traditional allies such as France and the U.S. Moscow expanded its military cooperation by using mercenaries like Wagner, which since around 2017 has operated in at least half a dozen countries by protecting African leaders and in some cases helping fight rebels and extremists. They're also plagued by their human rights record. Two years ago in Mali, Wagner and the army were accused of executing about 300 men some suspected of being Islamist extremists, but most civilians in what Human Rights Watch called the worst single atrocity reported in the country's decade-long armed conflict. And in Central African Republic, mercenaries train the army on torture tactics, including how to tburn people alive, according to watchdog The Sentry. Central African Republic Central African Republic was one of the first places the mercenaries entered. The country has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced the president from office. Six of the 14 armed groups that signed a 2019 peace deal later left the agreement. Locals and the government credited Wagner with fighting back rebels who tried to overtake Bangui, the capital, in 2021. The Russians soon expanded to Burkina Faso and Niger, and have ambitions for further growth. Russia is refurbishing a military base some 80 kilometers from Bangui. Alexander Bikantov, Russia's ambassador to Central African Republic, said the base will improve the country's security. Fidele Gouandjika, adviser to President Faustin-Archange Touadera, said the base aims to have 10,000 fighters by 2030 to engage with more African nations. Touadera's office didn't reply to written requests for comment for this story. His adviser to the country's spy agency declined to be interviewed. Pressure from United States The U.S. had been pushing Central African Republic to find an alternative to Wagner for years. A more assertive U.S. approach came as it faced new setbacks and tried to rework agreements in the region. Its troops left Chad and Niger, where they were no longer welcome. Still, the State Department said in a statement this year that it wasn't involved in the decision to establish Bancroft Global Development's presence in Central African Republic. But Washington could deny such contracts if it wanted, said Sean McFate, a former contractor in Africa and author of "The New Rules of War." The U.S. has used private military companies to reduce American "boots on the ground" in Africa, McFate said, and companies like Bancroft have to play by Washington's rules if they want future government work. In response to AP questions, the U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity said it uses private contractors in Africa to help countries operate more effectively, with U.S. government oversight to ensure accountability. The official said the State Department has overseen Bancroft's work in Somalia but not Central African Republic or elsewhere. Bancroft's background Washington-based Bancroft is a nonprofit working in nine countries five in Africa. Its involvement in Central African Republic has been shrouded in secrecy since signs emerged of its presence last fall. During an AP visit months later, rumors swirled about Bancroft's activities, fueling speculation the U.S was bringing its own Wagner to oust Russia. But according to Bancroft founder Michael Stock, the group entered at Bangui's behest. Stock received the letter from the presidency within a day of Prigozhin's mutiny, and the two signed a deal in September, he said. Fewer than 30 Bancroft personnel work there, Stock said, helping Central African Republic with intelligence systems, interagency cooperation and law enforcement. Bancroft has invested some $1.4 million there, Stock said. Much of Bancroft's funding has come from U.S. and United Nations grants. From 2018 to 2020, it received more than $43 million from the U.S., according to audits required as part of tax forms. Amal Ali, a former U.S. intelligence analyst, is among critics who say that despite its yearslong presence in Somalia, Bancroft hasn't contributed to any eradication of terrorism. Stock dismissed such comments as uninformed and said the Somali and U.S. governments "agree Bancroft has done a great deal to damaging illegal armed groups and developing the capacity of the government to perform its national defense functions professionally." Backlash on the ground Rights groups say a lack of transparency about Bancroft's operations has fostered an atmosphere of distrust in a country already rampant with armed actors. Wagner, a U.N. peacekeeping mission and Rwandan troops are all on the ground to try to quell violence. "Operating in a vague and nontransparent way in the Central African Republic only leads to suspicion," said Lewis Mudge, of Human Rights Watch. Stock defended Bancroft's work and policies. "It is perfectly normal for a government not to publicize how it is defending the people and the state," he told AP. Unclear future As the U.S. and Russia jockey for power, African governments say they want to make their own choices. Central African Republic officials approached Bancroft, which shows that these governments haven't become Russian puppets, said Jack Margolin, an expert on private military companies. But, he added, Russia's reaction to Bancroft could hurt Moscow's standing with other nations. After Prigozhin's death, Russia moved quickly to take control of Wagner's assets, and the defense ministry told countries where Wagner operated that it would take over. The country and its military intelligence arm have taken a more direct role in Africa operations, deploying more official detachments from its army. In Central African Republic, it's unclear how much sway the Russian state has with the mercenaries, who are beloved by many. For most people here, there's little interest in squabbles among foreign nations. "There are problems between the Americans and Russians, but that doesn't matter to us," said Jean Louis Yet, who works at Bangui's market. "We are here working, trying our best to make a living. All we want is security." Tropical Storm Ileana made landfall Saturday in Mexico near the coastal city of Topolobampo, forecasters said. The tropical storm formed Thursday off the Pacific coast of Mexico and was packing winds of 65 kilometers per hour as it moved ashore, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. A tropical storm warning was in effect for portions of the Baja California Peninsula. Forecasters predicted 10 to 15 centimeters of rain would fall with Ileana, and up to 20 centimeters was possible in places. Tropical storm warnings were issued for the coasts of northern Sinaloa and extreme southern Sonola. Ileana was the only active tropical storm in the National Weather Service's Eastern Pacific basin Friday. In the Atlantic basin, post-tropical cyclone Francine was bringing heavy rain to parts of the southern United States, and Tropical Storm Gordon formed Friday in the Atlantic Ocean, with forecasters saying it is expected to remain over open water for several days. Oscar Cruces Rodriguez of Mexico's federal Civil Protection said in a statement that residents should avoid leaving their homes until the storm passes and if residents are in an area at risk of flooding to find temporary shelters. Authorities prepared 20 temporary shelters in San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, according to Los Cabos Civil Protection. At the Hacienda Beach Club and Residences in Cabo San Lucas, valet worker Alan Galvan said the rain arrived late Thursday night and has been constant. "The rain isn't very strong right now, but the waves are choppy," he said. "The guests are very calm and already came down for coffee," Galvan said. "There's some flights canceled but everything is ok at the moment." Galvan said they are awaiting further advisories from authorities. The rain remained consistent through Los Cabos Friday afternoon, with several roads flooded and some resorts stacking up sandbags on their perimeters. Some people were still walking around boat docks with their umbrellas. "The priority has to be safety, starting with the workers. We always have to check on our colleagues who live in risk areas," said Lyzzette Liceaga, a tour operator at Los Cabos. We give them the information shared by the authorities firefighters in risk areas so that they can go to the shelters, if necessary," she added. Ukraine's spy chief said Saturday that Russia's increased production of guided bombs as well as artillery ammunition deliveries from North Korea present major problems for Ukrainian forces on the battlefield. The head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency GUR, Kyrylo Budanov, said North Korean military aid to Russia presented the biggest concern compared to support provided by Moscow's other allies. "They supply huge amounts of artillery ammunition, which is critical for Russia," he said, pointing to the ramp up in the battlefield hostilities following such deliveries. Ukraine and the United States, among other countries and independent analysts, say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is helping Russia in the war against Ukraine by supplying missiles and ammunition in return for economic and other military assistance from Moscow. Russia's boost in the production of guided bombs also presented a "huge problem for the front line," Budanov said at the Yalta European Strategy conference organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in Kyiv. Ukraine's forces are stretched thin more than 30 months into the full-scale invasion, working to stave off Russian advance toward key towns in the country's east. Ukrainian forces have also made an incursion into the western Russian region of Kursk. A ramp up in the production of the Iskander-type missiles has resulted in Russia's "massive use" of weapons to attack Ukraine, Budanov said. This year's strikes on Ukraine's critical infrastructure have caused significant damage to the country's power grid, leading to power cuts. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has renewed pleas for air defense support from Ukraine's allies. Budanov said Russian internal planning showed that Moscow will face a recruitment crunch in the middle of next year. "During this period (summer 2025) they will face a dilemma: either to declare mobilization or to somehow reduce the intensity of hostilities, which may ultimately be critical for them," Budanov said. ISLAMABAD, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Two policemen were killed and two others injured when a bomb went off in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Saturday, police said. A police van was passing by Boston Road area of Kuchlak district of the province when it came under attack, critically injuring four policemen. Two of the injured later succumbed to their injuries at a hospital in the district, according to hospital sources. Police were the target of the explosion, and 8-10 kg of explosive material was used in the roadside bomb. Following the explosion, law enforcement forces and rescue teams reached the site, and the forces cordoned off the area to initiate an investigation. No militant group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack. U.S. historian and author Timothy Snyder led a charity run in Kyiv Saturday to raise awareness of the conditions under which Ukrainian prisoners of war are held in Russia as the conflict approaches a third winter. The race came following a recent escalation in Russian missile and drone attacks, largely aimed at Ukraine's electricity infrastructure. People clapped and cheered after Snyder, a 55-year-old Yale University professor who has written extensively on eastern Europe and the global resurgence of authoritarian regimes and is much admired in Ukraine, addressed the nearly thousand runners. He then joined a workout and participated in the run. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers are illegally held in captivity during an illegal war, Snyder told The Associated Press just ahead of the run. This race is about reminding everyone of that and expressing solidarity with Ukrainians and giving Ukrainians a chance to do something together. The 5K and 10-kilometer runs took place around a sprawling park in the Ukrainian capital created out of a renovated Soviet-era exhibition center. The runners included members of the public, service people and veterans, as well as wives of the POWs. Among them was 27-year-old Anastasia Ofyl, whose husband Oleksandr was captured by the Russians. We have to fight for him, she said. Thats why Im running. Ukrainian soldiers often give harrowing accounts of their conditions in Russian captivity when they return home as part of regular prisoner exchanges. In a report issued in July, a United Nations human rights agency said it continued to document the widespread use of torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, against civilians and Ukrainian prisoners of war held by the Russian Federation. Snyder, who has organized fundraisers as part of the countrys war-relief effort, enjoys near-celebrity status in Ukraine. On Tuesday, he visited President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked him for his charity work. The Ukrainian head of state also received former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and the American actor Michael Douglas this week. After Saturdays race, Snyder was surrounded by admirers, many of whom waited in line for autographs and selfies. Some asked the historian to sign translated copies of his widely read books on Ukraine, Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin and The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America. Saturdays race was organized by the Kyiv School of Economics charity foundation which, according to its website, has been raising funds for charitable assistance for Ukrainians since the start of the Russian invasion. Editor's note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com. On the streets of a Colorado city, pregnant migrants struggle to survive She was eight months pregnant when she was forced to leave a homeless shelter in Denver, Colorado. It was November. Ivanni Herrera took her 4-year-old son, Dylan, by the hand and led him into the chilly night, dragging a suitcase containing donated clothes and blankets away from the Microtel Inn & Suites. It was one of 10 hotels where Denver has housed more than 30,000 migrants, many of them Venezuelan, over the last two years. First, they walked to Walmart. There, with money she and her husband earned begging on the street, they bought a tent. Reported by The Associated Press. DACA case faces uncertainty again as US appellate court arguments loom The future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program remains in limbo with another court hearing set for October 10. Judges from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in the case, initiated in 2018 by Texas and other Republican-led states seeking to end DACA. The program offers temporary protection from deportation and work permits to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children who are often referred to as "Dreamers." The case centers on whether DACA exceeds presidential authority, immigration advocates from the coalition "Home is Here" said during a recent conversation with reporters. VOA immigration reporter Aline Barros reports. Immigration takes center stage in debate, but no major proposals from candidates When Kamala Harris and Donald Trump faced each other on the debate stage less than two months before Election Day, the two candidates were at odds on issues ranging from the economy to tariffs and Ukraine. But on immigration, their positions were especially different. VOA immigration reporter Aline Barros reports. Ohio city reshaped by Haitian immigrants lands in unwelcome spotlight Many cities have been reshaped by immigrants in the last few years without attracting much notice. Not Springfield, Ohio. Its story of economic renewal and related growing pains has been thrust into the national conversation in a presidential election year and maliciously distorted by false rumors that Haitian immigrants are eating their neighbors' pets. Donald Trump amplified those lies during Tuesday's nationally televised debate, exacerbating some residents' fears about growing divisiveness in the predominantly white, blue-collar city of about 60,000. The Associated Press reports. Share of foreign-born people in US at highest rate in over a century, according to survey The percentage of U.S. residents who were foreign-born grew last year to its highest level in more than a century, according to figures released Thursday from the most comprehensive survey of American life. The share of people born outside the United States increased in 2023 to 14.3% from 13.9% in 2022, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey, which tracks commuting times, internet access, family life, income, education levels, disabilities, military service and employment, among other topics. The Associated Press reports. Vietnamese immigrants, their children divided on US border policy More than 1.2 million Vietnamese immigrants live in the United States, many of them having settled after the Vietnam war. More recently, a new wave of Vietnamese migration has sparked debate in the community about immigration and has become one of the main talking points this election season. VOA's Elizabeth Lee has the details from Texas, the state with the second-largest Vietnamese immigrant population in the country. Immigration around the world Rohingya detainees protest 'abominable' conditions in Indian camp More than 100 Rohingya refugees who have been detained for years at a transit camp in the northeast Indian state of Assam have launched a hunger strike demanding they be handed over to the United Nations refugee agency in New Delhi, transferred to a detention facility in the Indian capital, and that the process of resettlement in a third country be started. Reported by VOA News. News Brief The Department of Homeland Security Council on Combating Gender-Based Violence and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services commemorate "the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. This landmark legislation is one of the first comprehensive federal responses to addressing and preventing gender-based violence in the United States, and specifically acknowledges the unique barriers that noncitizens victims of GBV face when trying to seek safety and assistance." Only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in this fall's election for president and other top offices. While that's nothing new, the potential for noncitizens to register or vote has been receiving a lot of attention lately. Citing an influx of immigrants in recent years at the U.S.-Mexico border, Republicans have raised concerns about the possibility that noncitizens will be voting something that has rarely occurred in the past. In Congress, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson is seeking to link an extension of federal government spending authority to a proposal requiring states to obtain proof of citizenship when registering people to vote. In various states, Republican officials have launched reviews of voter rolls, issued executive orders and placed constitutional amendments on state ballots as part of an emphasis on thwarting noncitizen voting. Some Democrats contend the measures could create hurdles for legal voters, are unnecessary and lead people to believe the problem of noncitizens voting is bigger than it really is. What does the law say? A 1996 U.S. law makes it illegal for noncitizens to vote in elections for president or members of Congress. Violators can be fined and imprisoned for up to a year. They can also be deported. When people register to vote, they confirm under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens. Federal law requires states to regularly maintain their voter rolls and remove anyone who is ineligible, a process that could identify immigrants living in the country illegally. No state constitutions explicitly allow noncitizens to vote, and many states have laws that prohibit noncitizens from voting for state offices such as governor or attorney general. But some municipalities in California, Maryland and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia, do allow voting by noncitizens in some local elections such as for school board and city council. What is Congress doing? Congress needs to approve a stopgap spending bill before the September 30 end of the budget year to avoid a government shutdown. At the urging of some Republicans, Johnson is seeking to combine a six-month extension of government spending with a measure requiring proof of citizenship, such as birth certificate or passport, to register to vote. Johnson said Congress has a responsibility to "ensure that only American citizens can decide American elections." The plan is similar to a bill Republicans pushed earlier this year known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act. That legislation passed the Republican-led House in July largely along partisan lines but has not come to a vote in the Democratic-led Senate. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday that he opposes the latest Republican attempt to require proof of citizenship for voter registration. He said the stopgap spending bill should be free of "partisan policy changes." The Biden administration also has opposed the Republican efforts while asserting that existing laws against noncitizen voting are working. What does the data say? Data from states indicates that voting by noncitizens is rare, But Republican officials have highlighted voter registration reviews that turned up potential noncitizens. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said last month that more than 6,500 potential noncitizens have been removed from Texas voter rolls since 2021, including 1,930 with "a voter history" who have been referred for investigation by the attorney general's office. Texas has almost 18 million registered voters. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, said in August that he referred for potential prosecution 138 apparent noncitizens found to have voted in a recent election and 459 more who registered but did not vote. Those figures were higher than reviews from previous years but a small fraction of the more than 8 million registered voters in Ohio. Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, a Republican, recently announced that 3,251 people previously identified as noncitizens by the federal government are being switched to inactive status on the state's voter registration rolls. They will be required to provide proof of citizenship and fill out a form to vote this fall. Alabama has more than 3 million registered voters. In Georgia, Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger found that 1,634 potential noncitizens tried to register to vote between 1997 and 2022, although election officials flagged them and none was registered. Georgia registered millions of other voters during that time. Some election administration experts have said the voter roll reviews show that current tools to flag noncitizen voters are working. What do the courts say? Arizona provides a case study for the long-running attempts by Republicans to prohibit noncitizen voting. Under a 2004 voter-approved initiative, Arizona required a driver's license, birth certificate, passport or other similar document to approve a federal voter registration application. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that Arizona cannot require documentary proof of citizenship for people to vote in federal elections. The state responded by creating two classes of voters. For state and local elections, voters must provide proof of citizenship when they register or have it on file with the state. But because that cannot be required in presidential and congressional elections, tens of thousands of voters who have not provided proof of citizenship are registered only for federal elections. An August order by a divided U.S. Supreme Court will allow voter registration forms submitted without "documentary proof of citizenship" to be rejected by Arizona counties while litigation over the law continues. People will be able to register to vote in presidential and congressional elections using a different federal form that requires people to swear they are citizens under penalty of perjury, without requiring proof. What's on the ballot? Republican-led legislatures in eight states have proposed constitutional amendments on their November ballots declaring that only citizens can vote. Proposals in Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin would replace existing constitutional provisions stating that "every" citizen or "all" citizens can vote with new wording saying "only" citizens can vote. Supporters contend the current wording does not necessarily bar noncitizens from voting. In Idaho and Kentucky, the proposed amendments would explicitly state: "No person who is not a citizen of the United States" can vote. Similar wording won approval from Louisiana voters two years ago. Voters in North Dakota, Colorado, Alabama, Florida and Ohio passed amendments between 2018 and 2022 restricting voting to "only" citizens. What else are states doing? Although noncitizen voting already is prohibited in the state constitution, Republican Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana is continuing to draw attention to the issue. He recently signed an executive order requiring state agencies that provide voter registration forms to include a written disclaimer that noncitizens are prohibited from voting. In Georgia, Raffensperger is requiring every polling place to post a sign in English and Spanish warning noncitizens that it is illegal to vote. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas, citing "significant growth of the noncitizen population" in the state, set up a special email account to report suspected violations of election laws. In Wisconsin, Republicans have filed a pair of similar lawsuits in recent weeks that challenge the state's process for verifying whether a registered voter is a citizen. The lawsuits seek court orders requiring the elections commission to perform checks to ensure there are no registered voters who are noncitizens. North Carolina Republicans have sued the state election board, alleging it is not enforcing a new law aimed at removing people from voter rolls who seek jury duty exclusions because they are not citizens. Tennessee's top election office sent letters in June asking for proof of citizenship from more than 14,000 registered voters, although those who failed to respond won't be barred from voting. The list was based on data from the state Department of Safety and Homeland Security, which has information about whether residents were U.S. citizens when they first interacted with that department. Farmers lack funding, complain of minimal government support Banks wary of financing due to uncertain land tenure HDC says lack of long-term finance hinders sector's growth plans HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean farmers aim to capitalize on increasing global demand for blueberries, but self-funded growers like Willard Zireva cite a lack of finance and minimal government support as barriers. Despite being one of the fastest growing blueberry producers globally, with production doubling to 7,000 metric tons last year due to a favourable climate, Zimbabwean farmers are struggling to secure financing for their operations. Zimbabwe's horticultural exports, driven in part by blueberries, exceed $100 million annually. The sector's exports, which peaked at $140 million in 1999, were disrupted when former President Robert Mugabe began the seizure of white-owned farms to resettle landless Black citizens. Despite the sector's recent growth, banks remain wary of financing agriculture due to uncertain land tenure, making it challenging for Black farmers like Zireva to expand. Blueberry farming in Zimbabwe is currently dominated by the few remaining local white farmers, many of whom are looking for foreign investment to expand operations. Zimbabwe's banks do not accept the 99-year leases handed by the government to resettled farmers as collateral for borrowing. The banks also tend to be reluctant to lend to farmers because the state has in the past arbitrarily acquired farmland, including from some Black commercial farmers. Zireva cultivates 12 hectares of blueberry crops at his Talana farm 100 km (62 miles) west of capital city Harare, which he bought freehold in the 1990s before the land seizures. He said that he had to rely on personal savings to plant his first crop after a local bank denied him funding. 'Massive Growth Opportunity' "If funding is available, there is a massive growth opportunity," he told Reuters. Growing a hectare of blueberries in Zimbabwe requires at least $100,000 to import plants, peat pots from Europe, and special shades for the crops. Other costs include refrigerated packaging warehouses and water resources. "We need interventions and interventions have to come from government. Nobody else," said Zireva, referring to concessional funding for farmers. The finance and agriculture ministries, as well as the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ), did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Zireva's farm aims to export 120 metric tons of blueberries to the United Kingdom and East Asia this year, but he says the demand far exceeds their ability to supply. His farm requires $1.2 million to double output, he added. "We are hoping that we can get funding next year to put in eight hectares so that we get to 20 (hectares)," Zireva said. Zimbabwe's Horticultural Development Council (HDC) said the lack of long-term finance was a significant barrier to the sector's plans to double blueberry hectarage to 1,500 hectares by 2030. HDC CEO Linda Nielsen told Reuters that without funding "we will see growth in the blueberries sector coming off on the tonnage side. We really need to grow the hectarage and maintain our market share." The newsletter is published in several languages. Several foreign ministries from different countries have already subscribed. However, it presents a view of the world so different from that of the subsidized press that, in France, the Press Joint Committee refuses to recognize it as a publication in its own right. According to the Commission, we dont do journalism (sic). Admittedly, we are real journalists, not parrots of the powers that be. Our director of publication and editor-in-chief directed French magazines several years ago, and has won journalism awards abroad. He has regularly contributed to some fifteen major dailies and magazines around the world. Voltaire, International Newsletter is available by subscription for 500 a year], is published 42 times a year (not in July-August, nor during the Christmas holydays). Its an indispensable tool for any professional in international relations or defense. Whats more, 10 times a year, subscribers are invited to a Zoom virtual meeting with publications director Thierry Meyssan. Contents of issue N99: EDITORIAL 1887 The financial lobby pleads for European integration by the bankers AMERICAS 1888 According to Washington, neither Israel nor the Palestinians want a peace deal 1889 Washington considers a separate peace agreement with Hamas 1890 Washington confronted with the IDF assassination of one of its nationals 1891 House Foreign Affairs Committee analyzes the debacle in Afghanistan 1892 CIA says Russian nuclear war threats are not credible 1893 Nicaragua frees 135 political prisoners 1894 Spain pursues the strategy of alternative presidents in Venezuela EUROPE 1895 Lindsay Hoyle pleads for censorship 1896 The Bundestag debated Covid-19 not on scientific grounds, but on political instructions 1897 Olaf Scholz radically changes policy 1898 Hungary will send buses of illegal migrants to Brussels 1899 The European Commission continues to support Ukraine 1900 According to Washington, Iran is supplying short-range missiles to Russia 1901 EU enlargement is inevitable 1902 Serbia claims its alliance with Russia 1903 Ruslan Stefanchuk accompanies unelected President Volodymyr Zelensky 1904 The United States and the United Kingdom consult before going to war with Russia 1905 Ukraine hosts the Fourth Summit of the International Action Program against Crimea 1906 Council of Europe calls for the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression by Russia against Ukraine 1907 Russia still has no information about the sabotage of Nord Stream AFRICA 1908 Final Declaration of the China-Africa Summit (FOCAC) 1909 Freezing of Libyan accounts in the USA 1910 Algerian presidential election ASIA 1911 For Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel is surrounded 1912 Hamas rejects the deployment of U.S. troops in the Philadelphia corridor 1913 Palestinian Authority holds state funeral for US-Turkish murdered by IDF 1914 London would plan to station soldiers in Lebanon 1915 Hezbollah now has FPV drones 1916 Turkiye makes new demands of Syria 1917 Egyptian-Turkish Alliance 1918 Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemns Israeli expansionism 1919 Accusations against Iranian involvement in Ukraine OCEANIA 1920 The Five Eyes set up information exchange platform "Migration 5" in Australia INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS 1921 The UN Security Council reviews the situation in Ukraine 1922 UN Security Council reviews the situation in Sudan 1923 The UN Security Council reviews Syrias chemical military program 1924 Palestine now sits in the UN General Assembly 1925 According to Antonio Guterres, Gazas food shortage worsens 1926 Volker Turk demands that the consequences of the ICJs decisions be drawn Photo: Patti Perret/Netflix Spoilers follow for Rebel Ridge, which premiered on Netflix on September 6. The finale of Jeremy Saulniers action-meets-legal-thriller Rebel Ridge moves on the rhythm of protagonist Terry Richmonds (Aaron Pierre) choices all of which go against what his enemies expect him to do. The scene goes against what viewers expect the filmmaker to do, too. Terry refuses to meet the Shelby Springs police at Rebel Ridge, the implied Confederate stronghold where the villainous Officer Lann (Emory Cohen) wants to do a swap for incriminating evidence. He attacks the police station that stores officers stolen loot, and threatens the discretionary funds they care about more than their duty to citizens. And when Chief Burnne (Don Johnson) orders his police to shoot that motherfucker, he anticipates Terry to respond in kind. Maybe because hes a Black man, maybe because he was a Marine, maybe because theyve pushed him to the limit by allowing his cousin to be killed, attempting to frame him, and injecting his friend Summer (AnnaSophia Robb) twice with heroin. But Terrys not going to give in to what they want, or bend to the will of a larger abusive force. Because of that, hes a Saulnier protagonist through and through. Ill admit this: When I first saw Rebel Ridge, I wanted a different ending after seeing the extent of Shelby Springss corruption the polices abuse of civil asset forfeiture and their sneering dismissal of Terrys concern for his cousin Mike (C.J. LeBlanc); government employees like clerks and judges essentially shrugging at the police running roughshod over peoples Constitutional rights as long as they get Christmas lights in December, fireworks on the Fourth of July, and a nice little old tax cut on top. I wanted Terrys vow to haunt the police to be as literal as possible; hell yeah, lets see that Marine Corps Martial Arts Program training! So when the films concluding half-hour is Terry using guerrilla tactics to confuse and disengage rather than aggravate and escalate, I felt somewhat unfulfilled. But a couple rewatches later, what becomes clear about Rebel Ridge is how neatly Terry Richmond actually fits into an existing pattern of Saulnier protagonists who only act destructively when pushed to the absolute brink. Blue Ruin (2013), Green Room (2015), and Hold the Dark (2018) all stack up high body counts: Dwight Evans (Macon Blair) attacks the Cleland family to avenge his parents murder; the punk-rock band the Aint Rights fight through neo-Nazis to escape the compound where theyre being systematically killed; Alaskan natives Vernon Slone (Alexander Skarsgard) and Cheeon (Julian Black Antelope) murder cops to reclaim the body of Vernons son and to punish the local police force for not investigating the epidemic of missing indigenous children. Each of these films gives into blood splatter and gore. Upon second look, though, they also center protagonists who do everything they can to fight against that calamitous slide and whose actions are precursors to Terrys policy of de-escalation. In Blue Ruin, Dwight offers the Clelands an end to their interfamilial dispute if they leave his sister out of it, and only when theyre enthusiastic about killing her, too, does he go through with his ambush on them. In Green Room, the Aint Rights insist over and over that their captors call the police, who they assume will come to their aid; when it becomes clear that the neo-Nazis have already tricked the local cops into leaving, the band members decide to fight back. And in Hold the Dark, Cheeons attack on cops with armor-piercing bullets is methodical and gruesome, but hed already become desperate before this point. When were killed the past is killed, and the past is already dead, so no big deal. But when kids are killed, thats different. When kids are killed the future dies. And theres no life without a future, he offers as justification for his actions. Like Dwight, Terry offers an end to the standoff in the films concluding showdown. Like the Aint Rights, he appeals to the idea of good cops on the Shelby Springs force who might object to Burnne and Lann attacking Officer Marston (David Denman), who is revealed to be a whistleblower against the civil asset forfeiture conspiracy. And, while Terry might not have a death wish like Cheeon, he tells the police to their face how much theyve failed to protect and serve. When Terry wears Mikes hospital bracelet around his wrist during this final sequence, its key to the confrontation a memento mori made into an object of accusation against the police for their misconduct. Saulnier understands that some viewers might have a hard time with the films ending. The local Shelby Springs police, knowing that state police are on their way and could take over their department in the case of malfeasance, turn on Chief Burnne and escort Terry and the injured Marston and Summer to a local hospital. (For some people, thats a huge leap, he admitted when we spoke.) But the director insists any ending in which Terry killed police officers would also have to end in the characters death to be realistic. And he also says the films ending allows for different readings, like one in which Terry doesnt forgive the cops but responds to their attack with his customary pragmatism: Hes a good fucking guy, and he realizes that theres an ally among them. [And] hes got a fucking human shield. In another interpretation, the polices defection from Chief Burnne is motivated by a sense of cynical self-protection: Whatever allegiance they have, how this might end up, how they have to debrief the state police, in that moment its like, This doesnt fucking feel right. Its important to remember, Saulnier says, that Terry didnt come here to make things right. Hes not on a mission of morality. Hes on a mission of justice and survival, and that reading contextualizes the films final sequence, in which Terry pulls up to the hospital with Marston and Summer. While he carries Summer into the hospital, the police who served as his escort rush to Marstons side and neither side says anything to the other. The police once again close ranks, excluding Terry, and Terry gives them no acknowledgement or thanks. He yanks out the data recorder and the evidence needed to bring them down for attacking him and Marston in the first place, and in a fixer-inspired moment, stares off into silence while internalizing what hes done. Rebel Ridge may not end with bloodshed as revenge. But like another great recent Netflix movie, 2022s Athena, it emphasizes that the culture around policing has been so tainted by the failures of the force that of course its officers deserve our distrust, and of course the system protects the racist and bigoted among them, and of course such a system requires individual action against it. That might not be as extreme as some viewers want, but for a mainstream action film in a time of unshakeable Hollywood centrism, Rebel Ridge still takes a stand. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Universal Pictures, Shudder Spoilers ahead for the plot and ending of Speak No Evil, both the 2022 film and the 2024 remake. Happy endings may send audiences out of the theater smiling, but its the bummer endings that create more lasting impressions. A truly bleak ending can enrage and depress, but at its best, it also recontextualizes everything that came before it, ratcheting up the dramatic irony and dread. Even in the pantheon of bleak endings Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Oldboy, The Mist 2022s Speak No Evil stands out, offering a nauseating descent into hell that turns a darkly funny social satire into an endurance test. The shocking cruelty of the Danish films final act was probably never going to jibe with mainstream American sensibilities, so its no surprise that the 2024 Blumhouse remake goes in a very different direction. But in trying to avoid the hopelessness of the original ending, the new Speak No Evil loses something important: the point. Those who have seen the remake or even just endured the omnipresent trailer will recognize the plot of the 2022 Danish film. Christian Tafdrups Speak No Evil begins with a Danish family, Bjrn (Morten Burian), Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch), and daughter Agnes (Liva Forsberg), befriending Dutch family Patrick (Fedja van Huet), Karin (Karina Smulders), and son Abel (Marius Damslev) on vacation in Tuscany. Some time later, Patrick and Karin invite their new friends to visit them at their remote country home, and with only minor reservations, Bjrn, Louise, and Agnes decide to take a weekend trip to the Netherlands. While Patrick and Karin seem warm and friendly, it soon becomes clear that something is not quite right. Abel doesnt speak, which Patrick says is the result of a birth defect, but the relationship between father and son appears strained, to say the least. The Dutch couple subject the Danes to a series of escalating indignities: encouraging vegetarian Louise to eat meat, sticking them with a hefty restaurant bill, criticizing Agnes in front of her mother. For the most part, Bjrn is too polite to say anything, chalking up any discomfort to cultural differences despite Louises increasing alarm. By the time Bjrn discovers whats really going on, its too late: Patrick and Karin are serial killers who murder parents and kidnap their children. Theyve already disposed of Abel, and theyre coming for Agnes next. Bjrn tries to get his family to safety without revealing the true danger to them, but theyre ambushed by the Dutch couple. Karin cuts out Agnes tongue with a pair of scissors the real reason Abel couldnt speak and shes separated from her parents. Patrick then drives Bjrn and Louise to a quarry, where he and Karin force them to get naked and then stone them to death. The film ends with the Dutch family, new daughter Agnes in tow, meeting their next victims. Cheerful, Speak No Evil is not. But the harrowing last act is not simply nihilism. When Bjrn asks Patrick why hes doing this, Patrick says, Because you let me. Tafdrups film is largely about the way we accept mistreatment out of a sense of obligation, or sometimes just to avoid rocking the boat. Throughout the movie, Patrick is testing his victims are they more concerned with their personal safety or with not appearing rude? Bjrns inaction, born out of his desire to be a good and respectful guest, allows his host to do the unthinkable. The Blumhouse Speak No Evil takes a different approach. The setup is the same: Here, its American expats Ben (Scoot McNairy), Louise (Mackenzie Davis), and Agnes (Alix West Lefler) meeting British family Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and Ant (Dan Hough) on a Tuscan vacation. Much of these early scenes feel like a shot-for-shot remake, down to dialogue repeated verbatim, and while there are some minor changes once we arrive at Paddy and Ciaras remote farmhouse, the plot beats are nearly identical. Most of the time, a close do-over of a recent foreign film is designed to appeal to U.S. viewers who wont read subtitles; in this case, the original Speak No Evil is almost all in English, making its American doppelganger feel extra superfluous. But the third act lets the new version deviate more boldly from the original. In writer-director James Watkinss film, its Agnes who discovers Paddy and Ciaras plot after a more proactive Ant shows her incriminating photos of past victims and mimes getting his tongue cut out (why didnt Abel think of this?). She alerts her parents, who handle the situation far more calmly than any of us would. It seems like the family might actually get away until theyre forced to turn back to save a drowning Ant. Rest assured there is no onscreen tongue removal or stoning in this Speak No Evil. At the farmhouse, the American family fights back with everything they can get their hands on box cutters, carving forks, sulfuric acid. (Its a bit like Home Alone, though maybe less violent.) After luring Ciara to a high window, Louise hits her with a brick and knocks her off the roof to her death. And while Paddy briefly captures Agnes, she injects him with ketamine, leaving him incapacitated. Ant then bashes his fathers head in with a brick, and the new family of four all escape (relatively) unscathed. Its probably too blood-soaked to be called a happy ending, but compared with the way the 2022 Speak No Evil concludes, this version is downright pleasant. Without the gut punch of the original ending, however, whats it all for? On its face, this is still a movie about how social niceties can make us behave against our best interests or, in extreme cases, force us to repress our all-important survival instincts. Were all too fucking polite, Paddy says. Hes constantly insisting that his guests be more honest, prodding them to express how they really feel, even if its offensive. Louise finally gets the message. Once Agnes shows her the photos of Paddy and Ciaras past victims, Louise tells her, Its not normal, and we dont have to pretend its normal. Thats all well and good, but these deliberate articulations of the movies message dont quite match what were seeing. When Ben asks Paddy why hes doing this and Paddy says Because you let us, we know Louise is hiding a box cutter and moments later, shes slicing open his face. No one is letting Paddy do anything; the family is very much fighting back! In the original Speak No Evil, the passivity is the point: One of its darkest moments is Bjrn quietly crying in the car en route to the quarry, seemingly resigned to his fate. In the remake, its clear the American family isnt going down without a fight, and theres never any real suspense about whether theyll all make it out alive. The softening of the ending Paddy even explains that hes going to sedate Agnes before removing her tongue undercuts the social satire that made its predecessor so effective. Speak No Evil is meant to be a sick joke, and it doesnt work without the punch line. Beyond that, the new film has too much on its mind for its hits to land. While the bleak original was satisfied with the explanation that Patrick and Karin are simply psychopaths, the American version naturally needs to find a deeper reason for their crimes. Paddy is doing this because they let him, sure, but also because hes going to steal all their money and this is how he makes a living. Also, he had a rough childhood. (Couldnt be contemporary horror without trauma!) And hes an emblem of toxic masculinity, which is why McAvoy modeled his performance on Andrew Tate. These revelations are clearly an attempt to add complexity to Patricks character, but they only muddle the message further in large part because none of it really goes anywhere. Perhaps there is something to the idea of a mens-rights activist challenging a meek father to throw off the shackles of polite society and protect his family, but the concept never amounts to anything but a passing thought. Blumhouses Speak No Evil is burdened by restraint; it dangles challenging themes and darkness in front of audiences but balks at traumatizing them the way the original did. The cowardly happy ending underscores the real failure of the remake a refusal to follow through. BEIRUT, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A senior UN refugee official on Saturday called for increased international support for Lebanon and the refugees it hosts, urging action to address the protracted Syrian refugee crisis. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, assistant high commissioner for Protection at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), expressed concern over the impact of Lebanon's economic crisis on vulnerable populations during a two-day visit to the country. "I am saddened to see the impact of Lebanon's socio-economic crisis on the most vulnerable," Menikdiwela said in a statement. She noted that ongoing hostilities in southern Lebanon have displaced thousands and caused "tragic loss of life," further straining the situation. Lebanon, with a population of around 5 million, hosts an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees, according to government figures, representing the highest per capita concentration of refugees globally. During her visit, Menikdiwela met with Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Beirut who described dire living conditions and safety concerns. The UN official called for "urgent support and commitment from the international community" to address growing needs and ensure protection for refugees and host communities alike. Menikdiwela also emphasized the need for political support to tackle the root causes of displacement, including improving conditions inside Syria to address obstacles to refugee return. The ongoing conflict in Syria, now in its 13th year, has displaced millions internally and externally, with neighboring countries bearing much of the refugee burden. Report by Paris audit court sparks debate in Italy. The iconic Spanish Steps have ended up at the centre of a dispute between Rome and Paris after a report by the French Court of Auditors ruffled feathers in the Italian capital. The court asserted that the landmark staircase was built "with French funds at the beginning of the 18th century and then maintained for decades by the Pii Stabilimenti Della Francia, custodians of the assets from beyond the Alps". The report criticises the management of five French churches in Rome, including Trinita dei Monti which sits atop the Spanish Steps, and with it claims ownership of the famed staircase, according to Italian state broadcaster RAI News. Bilateral agreement As a result of a historic bilateral agreement between France and the Vatican, a foundation called the Pieux etablissements de la France a Rome controls a property portfolio of considerable value in the Italian capital. The agreement derives from a decision taken in 1790 by Pope Pius VI who instructed the then French ambassador to the Holy See, Cardinal Francois-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis, to group together the French religious buildings in Rome and place them under his tutelage. The list of properties includes the churches of San Luigi dei Francesi, which houses three paintings by Caravaggio, Sant'Ivo dei Bretoni, Santi Claudio e Andrea dei Borgognoni, and San Nicola dei Lorenesi, as well 13 buildings in the historic centre including Villa Medici, seat of the French Academy in Rome. Roman real estate The Roman real estate managed by the foundation comprises 180 rental properties, offices, shops and apartments whose market value was estimated at 250 million in the late 2010s and which together generate an annual revenue 4.5 million, according to Le Monde. Rents from these buildings "should guarantee the maintenance of the churches", according to the French judges, who claim however that these assets are not "adequately put to good use". In relation to Trinita dei Monti, the situation is complicated by the fact that the Spanish Steps directly below the church were commissioned by French statesman and cardinal Pierre Guerin de Tencin, and financed by French diplomat Etienne Gueffier. However the monument has been administered, restored and maintained with funds from Rome and the Italian state since the end of the 19th century, reports La Stampa. Reaction Rome's superintendent of cultural heritage, Claudio Parisi Presicce, responded to the debate by stating that the Spanish Steps "are a monumental place and of very high artistic value but they are also a public passage and are therefore without discussion an integral part of Rome, the capital of Italy". Presicce added: "It is important to separate the assessments of the French Court of Auditors regarding the administration of the "Pieux e'tablissements de la France a Rome from the management of the Spanish Steps, which from the 20th century onwards have always been maintained, restored and managed in all aspects by the municipal administrations of Rome". The most recent restoration of the scalinata was in 2016 in a project funded with a 1.5 million donation from luxury jeweller Bulgari. Ma cosa sarebbe la Francia senza lItalia. Non possono fare a meno del nostro lusso, delle nostre opere, della nostra bellezza. Ma ora esagerano. Vogliono prendersi pure la scalinata di Trinita dei Monti. pic.twitter.com/SQNTMTcaCe Daniela Santanche (@DSantanche) September 12, 2024 In a post on X accompanied by a photo of a Corriere della Sera article on the subject, Italy's tourism minister Daniela Santanche lashed out: "What would France be without Italy. They cannot do without our luxury, our works of art, our beauty. But now they are exaggerating. They even want to take the Spanish Steps". News of the report also triggered a backlash on social media in Italy, with the Mona Lisa inevitably being dragged into the debate. Fabio Rampelli, deputy president of the chamber of deputies and a member of premier Giorgia Meloni's right-wing Fratelli d'Italia party, described the report's claims as "laughable". "Right, we will send experts to the Louvre to make an updated survey of the assets stolen from Italy throughout history, especially that of the 19th century or donated by geniuses perhaps forced to give up renowned works of art that have made the Louvre the most visited museum in the world." The outspoken art historian and former culture underscretary Vittorio Sgarbi also waded in: "The French want la scalinata di Trinita dei Monti? Then we must reclaim all the paintings from the Louvre that Napoleon took away". Response from French Court of Auditors "I am truly very surprised that one can interpret and distort the meaning of a report from the French Court of Auditors that is addressed to the French and in particular to the "Pieux Etablissements" for their management of religious assets in Italy", the president of the Court of Auditors, Pierre Moscovici, told news agency ANSA on Friday. "I want to reassure our Italian friends", Moscovici said: "The report only asks for clarification on the situation of the assets", adding that clarifications are "always positive". Olivia Kelleher Gardai are investigating an incident of criminal damage by fire at a terraced house in Charleville, Co Cork on Friday evening which arose as a result of a feud between two families. Emergency services were called to the property shortly before 9pm on Friday night. A group of men wearing balaclavas had smashed windows and attempted to set fire to the empty property. Shots were also fired inside the premises. The house was extensively damaged. A car was also criminally damaged in the incident. The Garda Press Office has confirmed that scenes of crime investigators attended at the house and conducted an examination of the premises. The house was vacant at the time of the incident. Gardai have indicated that enquiries are ongoing. Meanwhile, it is understood that the incident occurred arose out of a dispute between two families in Kilmallock in Co Limerick and in Charleville. On Friday morning, shots were fired at an empty house in Kilmallock as part of the ongoing rivalry. A petrol bomb was also thrown at a property in Knocknaheeny in Cork city earlier this week as a result of the dispute. A number of files on different incidents which have taken place arising out of the feud have been sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Members of the public who may have spotted unusual activity in the Charleville area, between 5pm and 11pm on Friday are asked to contact investigating gardai. Gardai are also appealing for information in relation to an Audi A6, a white Skoda Rapid, a BMW and a silver Ford Focus car, which travelled through the Charleville area at this time. Any road users or pedestrians who were in the area during this time and who may have camera footage (including dash cam) are asked to make this available to gardai. Anyone with information is asked to contact Mallow Garda Station on 022 31450, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station. Waterford native Louise Broxson has been nominated for the prestigious 2024 Apprentice of the Year award being run by the National Apprenticeship Office. Louise was nominated for her role at Sanofi Waterford, a biochemistry laboratory based in Waterford City, where she has worked as a Quality Control Microbiologist since 2021. She is currently studying to qualify as a Laboratory Analyst at South East Technical University. Working with Sanofi, Louise, 40, is part of a team of scientists that is working to improve global health. The judges have noted her use of creativity to implement new methods in the Sanofi laboratory. Reflecting on the nomination, Louise said: Being given the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship at 40 shows that its never too late to achieve your goals and make a meaningful impact in your chosen field. Louise and the other nominees will find out who will win the award at an awards ceremony at the end of October, but will have to face the judges first. Each nominee will get the opportunity to make a presentation to a panel of experts at the WorldSkills conference in the RDS later this month. Taking place side-by-side with the Higher Options conference, WorldSkills aims to promote the profile of apprenticeships and non-university paths into the careers of the future. Last year, more than 27,000 students attended the conference, this year, alongside the apprentice hopefuls will be 48 nominees for the Apprentice of the Year awards from the South East. BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- He Weidong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Friday met with foreign guests from Myanmar, South Africa and Pakistan, who are in Beijing for the ongoing 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum. While meeting with Tin Aung San, Myanmar's deputy prime minister and union minister for defense, He said that the Chinese military is willing to work with the Myanmar side to enhance pragmatic cooperation and safeguard the security and stability of the two countries' border areas. During his meeting with Angie Motshekga, South Africa's minister of defense and military veterans, He said that the two countries' militaries should engage in deeper, more solid cooperation and work together to protect global fairness and justice. When meeting Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Army, he pledged to work with Pakistan to shield the two countries' strategic interests, as well as regional peace and stability. The characterisation of Oscar Wilde by Callum Linnane is convincing in its unforced simplicity. And Ako Kondo as the nightingale in the fairytale magnificently suggests the fragility the paltriness of Wildes connection with his wife and his own heterosexual identity. The second act is similarly patterned, combining memories of Wildes affair with Lord Alfred Douglas (Benjamin Garrett) with a fretful sketch of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde himself appears as the figure in the portrait that ages while its subject remains forever youthful. The new ballet is triumphantly Wildean. Credit: Jason South For the most part, Wheeldons choreography has a timeless, almost yearning, quality full of allusion and metaphor which he punctuates with woozy exaggerations, playful parodies and pitiful spasms. But it is impossible to detail all the achievements of this production here. There is the strength of the ensemble, the power of the orchestra, the dynamism of the staging, the all-round theatre craft. It goes on and on. Loading Of course, we get only a partial view of Wildes life. How could it be anything else? And yet, with its daring confusion of life and art in ways that can seem like a trap for the unwary spectator, Oscar has a quality a strangeness and a glamour that is authentically and triumphantly Wildean. Reviewed by Andrew Fuhrmann MUSICALS and OPERA Sweeney Todd Victorian Opera, Arts Centre Melbourne, until September 21 With Sweeney Todd, Stephen Sondheim elevated a popular genre of throwaway entertainment, the Victorian-era penny dreadful, into so much more than a moody and ghoulish musical thriller. The chemistry between the lead performers is wicked and sublime. Credit: Charlie Kinross Its a lurid tale, to be sure. A barber-turned-serial killer joins forces with his partner in crime, Mrs Lovett, who grinds the victims into mince and bakes them into pies in her shop below. And yet nothing Sondheim touched remained imprisoned by genre. From a musical standpoint, the work sits perched between musical theatre and opera, like one of the caged birds in the story, blinded to increase its powers of song. From a dramatic one, Sondheims inimitable wit surfs the murk of a black comic social satire, positively throbbing with Hobbesian misanthropy, to the very shores of revenge tragedy. From a musical standpoint, Sweeney Todd sits perched between musical theatre and opera. Credit: Charlie Kinross This Victorian Opera production retains the grime and grand guignol (as well as director Stuart Maunder and some key cast members) of its 2015 incarnation, and its at its best in musical theatre mode. One key advantage over its predecessor is the casting of Ben Mingay as Sweeney. He powerfully inhabits the anguish of a naive man tormented beyond endurance by injustice, and the brooding implacability of the nihilistic vigilante, and then the monster that he becomes. That feat eluded Teddy Tahu Rhodes (in a performance undermined by robotic acting) in 2015, and it doesnt come at the expense of vocal power: Mingays sepulchral baritone echoes and enthrals. Antoinette Halloran reprises Mrs Lovett with diabolical glamour. I wont vouch for the Cockney accent, but the chemistry with Mingay is wicked and sublime and theres genuine pathos in the last step she takes on the road to hell the appalling irony of Not While Im Around, opposite the terrific Mat Verevis as the street urchin whos the true victim of the piece. Loading Unfortunately, Lachlann Lawton and Alessia Pintabona arent great as the young romantic leads. Unalloyed purity doesnt exist in this world, and I wanted to hear and feel the undercurrents of corruption Sondheim finds in these unwary souls. Wheres Johannas resentment at the operatic sweetness of Green Finch and Linnet Bird? Wheres the disturbing, obsessive, stalkerish quality to the yearning in Johanna? Adrian Tamburinis Judge Turpin has vocal authority and stage presence enough to make one topless scene seem gratuitous. Kanen Breen is marvellously repellent as the Beadle; likewise Euan Fistrovic Doidge as the con-artist barber who becomes Sweeneys first kill. Both caricatures have a Dickensian quality, something inconsistently achieved by Margaret Trubianos showy Beggar Woman. Sondheim had a marked preference for actors who can sing, over singers who can act. He wouldve loved the 2019 production starring Anthony Warlow and Gina Riley and might well have lamented despite the dark lustre of Mingay and Halloran the slide into operatic accomplishment over dramatic complexity this time around. Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead OPERA La Boheme Melbourne Opera, Athenaeum Theatre, until September 24 This year marks a century since Puccinis death, and with Melbourne Operas mounting of a mini Puccini festival including a new production of La Boheme our citys marking of this milestone draws to an end. Despite the oddities, La Bohemes brilliance overcomes, and satisfyingly closes the loop on our year of Puccini. Credit: Robin Halls La Boheme is an opera so good, its enjoyable even when a production is imperfect, as this latest version demonstrates. Set in Paris in the mid-1800s, four struggling bohemians are in their apartment on Christmas Eve, when their neighbour knocks on the door and asks if she can borrow some candlelight. The ill seamstress, Mimi, and the poet Rodolfo fall desperately in love, but tragedy awaits. This production by Gary Abrahams succeeds in being both poignant and funny. Credit: Robin Halls This production by Gary Abrahams succeeds in being both poignant and funny but suffers from uneven performances and a somewhat confused setting. The curtain rises to reveal an impressive multi-storey set design, with some costumes reflecting a period setting. But through the window we see no arrondissement, instead, Flinders Street Station, one of Marcellos paintings appears to be graffiti in Hosier Lane, and Musetta is dressed in hot pink tulle. Despite Mimi being a role debut, Elena Xanthoudakis portrayal is heart-rending, (plenty in the audience cried when she died) with vocal lyricism and perfectly placed high notes. Boyd Owen, however, struggled with the range of Rodolfo. He sometimes succeeded, but also strained trying to reach the uppermost register of his voice, the resultant sound uncomfortable. Elena Xanthoudakis as Mimi with Boyd Owen as Rodolfo Credit: Robin Halls Christopher Tonkins physical and vocal characterisation of Marcello is one of easy naturalism and likeability. As Colline, bass-baritone Darcy Carroll is to be commended for matching it with a much older and experienced cast. The most curious casting choice is diva Helena Dix as Musetta. No one could ever deny her vocal ability or comic talents, but Dix is a Norma, a Lady Macbeth, a Wagnerian Valkyrie. Musetta is often the first lead role lyric sopranos get out of university. Musetta is a vocal walk in the park for Dix, and the MO audience adores her, but its like Celine Dion covering Sabrina Carpenter. Celine could definitely do it, but it would feel a bit wrong. The Melbourne Opera orchestra, led by Raymond Lawrence, played with excellent pace and emotion, with warm strings that swelled and faded like the love and loss reflected onstage. It was a shame, at numerous times, the orchestra overwhelmed the singers with volume. Despite the oddities, La Bohemes brilliance overcomes, and satisfyingly closes the loop on our year of Puccini. Reviewed by Bridget Davies MUSIC Tan Dun: Nine Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Hamer Hall, September 14 Seeking common ground between his own works and those of Beethoven, Chinese composer-conductor Tan Dun offered a thought-provoking musical conversation between East and West, old and new in this one-off Melbourne Symphony Orchestra program. Composer and conductor Tan Dun leads the MSO at Hamer Hall, September 14, 2024. Credit: Laura Manariti Opening with Beethovens overture to his only ballet, The Creatures of Prometheus, Dun delivered a tight and cohesive account, the orchestra in an eagerly responsive mood. Duns Hero Concerto for violin is drawn from his music for the 2002 film Hero, forming the central component of his Martial Arts Trilogy which also features material from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Banquet. Soloist Lu Siqing, like Dun himself, is a seasoned performer and gave a commanding and committed performance of this music which calls for two violins; one western instrument and another that is tuned differently and restrung with silk strings. Soloist Soloist Lu Siqing and conductor Tan Dun in a performance of Nine at Hamer Hall in Melbourne. Credit: Laura Manariti In its bicentenary year, Beethovens Symphony No.9 has lost none of its lustre. Its exultant final celebration of human solidarity, achieved through the composers stirring setting of Schillers Ode to Joy, continues to express humanitys highest aspirations. Inspired by this famous finale, Duns Choral Concerto: Nine finds parallels between Schiller and ancient Chinese poetry. The three-movement work resourcefully explores the extraordinary versatility of the human voice, with percussive effects, humming and the stretching of vowels like a piece of elastic, all contributing to Duns unique sound-world. Using extreme contrasts of dynamics and fast tempos, Duns vibrant reading of an abridged version of Beethovens symphonic finale created something of a musical firecracker, lighting up an ebullient conclusion. Expressing a vision of human peace and harmony in words and music is a relatively easy task but realising that vision and seeking common ground in daily life is rather more difficult. After a torrid month, the talented and hardworking players of the MSO know this only too well. Reviewed by Tony Way MUSIC Handels House Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Melbourne Recital Centre, September 12 George Frederic Handel would doubtless have enjoyed the delicious twist of history in that his primary London residence 200 years later shared a wall with the flat of legendary electric guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Both were outsiders who took London by storm, both were shrewd entrepreneurs. Soprano Yukie Sato performs with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra at the Melbourne Recital Centre, September 12, 2024. Credit: Laura Manariti Three hundred years after Handel moved into 25 Brook Street, another savvy showman, Paul Dyer, and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra are helping another new talent take Australia by storm: the Japanese soprano Yukie Sato. Loading Satos program of Handel arias left her listeners in no doubt as to her command of this rich musical treasury. On both musical and dramatic planes, she provided a vivid realisation of the composers astonishing creative breadth. Perhaps a little timid at first in a selection from The Triumph of Time and Disillusionment, Sato soon brought coloratura as glittering as her first gown of the evening to Dopo notte from Ariodante and vehement rage to Ah! Ruggiero, crudel from Alcina, an opera made famous by Australias own Joan Sutherland. Clad in a vibrant red dress for the second half, Sato impressed with richly expressive contrasts in Lamor ed il destin from Partenope and Mallontano, sdegnose pupille from Atalanta. Radiating overflowing joy, she returned to Alcina, giving an ecstatic account of Tornami a vagheggiar, singing the middle section sitting on the edge of the stage, something Dame Joan would never have countenanced. Youre the bird girl, right? locals would ask her, and not just because kookaburras and parrots seemed to randomly land in her hair. She had no friends she couldnt understand human ways but she knew the look and language of birds and would often tell them how beautiful they were, particularly her favourite white-bellied sea eagles that would regularly circle in pairs over Jervis Bay. Gina Chick was the strangeling from Jervis Bay on the South Coast of NSW, who would sing to the whales, capture and befriend the blue-ringed octopus, walk with her familys three pet ducks down to the beach, rescue the birds rosellas, magpies, finches, honeyeaters talk to them all, tend their bruised wings, stroke their tummies, feed them from her lips by spitting the chewed-up seed down their gullets. If the story was good enough, Chick would rip the chosen page and chomp, letting the bears and panthers, the birds, geckos, bats and butterflies, the elves and dwarves, the Indian boys and storm boys, the trees and rocks as well, find a place in her roiling tummy, then her heart. Read. Tear. Chew. Swallow. Gulp the characters, ingest the magic, allow the wonder to inhabit you. That was the pattern. Not just with The Jungle Book, but with all the childhood books that landed in her lap Jonathan Livingston Seagull, My Family and Other Animals, The Dreamtime, The Clan of the Cave Bear, Storm Boy, The Lord of the Rings and then the thousands of teenage and adult books that followed. Chick didnt eat the entire book, just the corners of the more enchanting sections where Mowgli and other favourite characters like Bagheera, the black panther roamed wild across the page. Nearly half a century before Gina Chick became a celebrity for surviving 67 days alone in the Tasmanian wilderness, she ate her first book. She was six years old and it was Rudyard Kiplings The Jungle Book, about a skinny little Indian boy named Mowgli, raised in the jungle by wolves. From the first episode, she was the one we saw talking, singing and praying to the earth, as though shed been doing this her whole life, which, of course, she had been. Hello lake. Hello trees, she said, surveying the beautiful bleakness of her new winter home. As one of 10 contestants dropped into a desolate corner of south-western Tasmania to test her survival skills, the then 52-year-old bushcraft teacher from Jervis Bay endured more than nine weeks of brutal deprivation to emerge, not just as the last person standing, but as the person the woman most intuitively in kinship with the natural world. In case you dont watch television , or the moment simply passed you by, Gina Chick is the bare-footed woman in the full-length possum-skin coat who more than one million Australians saw win the first Alone Australia series on SBS last year. Chick in Jervis Bay. In the first episode of Alone, she said, The only way to truly be at home in the wild is to have humility and to realise that nature is going to break every single one of us open. Credit: Tim Bauer The interesting thing about the sea eagle, she says now, sitting on the promontory of her favourite childhood beach, is that it is an incredibly majestic bird. Its got a two-metre wingspan but it quacks like a duck. Wachwachwachwachwachwachwachwachwach. All of Chicks fellow contestants had also been highly skilled, resourceful and, in their own singular ways, crazy-brave. They knew how to fish, dive, hunt, track, stalk and shoot. Or theyd been practising bushcraft all their lives. Or theyd grown up camping and living on country. Or theyd been in the military and been pushed beyond their limits, or they had faith in a higher power, or an extraordinary self-belief, as was the case with runner-up Mike Atkinson, whod done solo expeditions into the deserts of Saudi Arabia, as well as in far north Queensland in a self-made dugout canoe. It made for gripping television and it was this formula that the producers adopted for the first Australian season on SBS last year, with Gina Chick, colder, skinnier and hungrier than shed ever been in her life, becoming the oldest contestant and only the third woman worldwide to win the competition, along with $250,000 in prize money. Since 2015, the American version of Alone had enjoyed huge ratings as it documented these kinds of struggles in places as forbidding as Patagonia, northern Mongolia and the Arctic Circle. Individuals were allowed to select 10 items of survival gear from a pre-approved list of 40, a standard kit of clothing and first aid/emergency supplies, plus a set of motion-activated trail cameras to record their exertions and torments. And it did. Week by week, one by one, as each contestant was crushed by the harshness of trying to subsist alone in winter, right in the path of the Roaring Forties, with little or no food, limited survival equipment and no one to turn to except a rescue team if and when it became time to tap out with an emergency satellite phone. This moss feels amazing, she added, looking like a Norse goddess as she danced shoeless on the edge of a dark lake. This isnt about defeating nature or conquering the wilderness. The only way to truly be at home in the wild is to have humility and to realise that nature is going to break every single one of us open. On her 20th night in the wild, Chick went to bed dreaming of fish, then promptly snared a brown trout in the lake the next morning. Then the next morning, and the morning after that six fish in four days. Whenever I needed anything, she says now, I would go out and I would say, All right Big Mama, I know youve got me here to tell a story. But I cant tell it if Im not here, so Im going to need some food. And, like, theres a fish. Doink. Theres another fish. Doink. Theres an eel. I caught so much food, and it wasnt because Im particularly skilled. But Im receptive. I could listen. My strategy is still to not even worry about food, just to work on this shelter, she said four days into the competition. Sixteen days later, shed still not eaten, but her shelter was something to behold a fire-warmed nest with a swinging door made of sawsedge which shed constructed while asking permission from and singing to the land. Plus, shed built an elevated bed and rock stove. On social media, she instantly became the dancing hippie, the weird fur woman who talked to the platypuses and sang fishy fishy songs to the lake. Some gave her 24 hours at most, a week at best, before leaving the competition. Others intuited immediately that she was the one to watch. She was the only participant who didnt include a sleeping bag in her 10 items of survival gear, just that possum-skin coat made from lutruwita [Tasmanian] pelts which she included as part of her clothing allowance. This allowed her to bring another survival item that no one else thought to bring a block of salt, full of electrolytes for maintaining fluids and blood volume, but also to flavour food, if and when she decided to eat. Shed arrived carrying 19 kilograms of excess weight and we began to love her for that fact alone. Im so fat I cant stand up, I have to rock, she said, guffawing at the camera and herself, before explaining that this deliberate surplus flesh was a key survival strategy because it added about 630,000 kilojoules to her bodys energy reserves. Chick outlasted them all, and she did so with a combination of determination, joyousness, creativity and vulnerability that would turn her, if not into a household name, then certainly into a celebrity for our times: a woman at home in the wild whom we could marvel at without ever hoping to emulate. I will probably be dreaming about that wallaby offal stew for the rest of my life. I put the liver and lungs in that stew. I squeezed all the poo out of the top of the intestines and washed the intestines really well. All the blood went into it, along with the intestines, and because I had salt, it was probably the most incredible stew I have ever eaten. Chick could sense victory in that animals dying breath because, after 35 days of having consumed no more than 1.5 kilograms of protein, she now had almost 8 kilos of wallaby meat to feed her starving body. She also had the ingredients for a stew that she now says she would happily pay good money for in a Michelin-starred restaurant. Fifteen days later, she had a big talk to the lake and told it she needed fat, that the protein from the fish and eel was simply not enough for her needs. That same night, after peeing in the bushes, she remained on a log to gaze at the moon. She was there for about an hour when a wallaby suddenly appeared beside her. She jumped on it. Sorry, sorry, sorry, she told the stunned creature, before smashing its head with a rock. Oh darling, Im so sorry. Holy shit. Oh wow. Oh you beautiful thing. Holy f---, Im sorry. I put the liver and lungs in that stew. I squeezed all the poo out of the top of the intestines all the blood went into it, along with the intestines, and because I had salt, it was probably the most incredible stew I have ever eaten. And by that, she means listen to the land, tune into its symphony of information, follow natures instructions, which shed been doing all her life. Gina Chick had entered Alone Australia not just to win which she firmly believed she would but to make a point. Im making a stand, she said, for a way of being human that I dont see in the modern world, like how to live in relationship with the natural world and get all my needs met. Gina Chick and I meet on a glorious sun-kissed winter morning at Plantation Point, on the northern edge of Jervis Bay, a few hundred metres from where she grew up with her teacher parents Suzanne and Doug Chick, two sisters Danni and Kristin, and a small farmyard of rescued animals. This was the childhood playground of an odd but remarkable little girl who dreamed of turning into a dolphin and being able to speak the language of the ocean, who saw baby whales do cartwheels in the bay and who at low tide played on exposed rocks that looked to her innocent eyes like a giant crocodile. This is where I would walk with my dad when I was having a rough time at school, literally this beach, she says now, and he would explain the stars and the moon to me. This is where she would also come in the dead of night, running headlong into a ferocious storm, her hard-as-leather feet knowing their way to the beach, telling herself, I am not human. I am a storm wrapped in skin. And then asking herself plaintive questions like: Does a planet have a heart? I was the weirdest kid, she tells Good Weekend. Oh, my god, I was such a weird kid. So weird that other kids avoided her, refused to sit with her (the nerds as well), and once, after a high school excursion, even signed a petition all 150 students pronouncing both her crime and punishment: Gina Chick Should Wear A Bra. Gina, like, youre just too big, one girl told her. Chick thought she was talking about her body. No, not literally, the girl said. You just sometimes youre, like, too much. Too much? Chick replied. Too much what? Too much everything, chimed in another girl. Even ya cheekbones are too f---in high. And ya mouth is f---in enormous, ya could fly a f---in plane into it. And ya sing all the time, like, really loud. Like ya think yer Madonna. And yer always doin weird shit like pukin in birds mouths. Yer not normal. No offence, but ya know what I mean? So Chick reverted to talking to birds and butterflies. She intuited the language of ants and their stories of rain and perseverance; she listened to the tales that trees could tell from their rustling branches, and she drowned herself in music by learning the piano, even trying to play Fur Elise with her toes. Playing the flute with an avian entourage. Credit: Courtesy of Gina Chick Thankfully, she had a deeply loving family to ease the loneliness, along with the characters shed met in her favourite books: Mowgli, the orphan boy raised by animals; Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the outcast bird who sought to transcend the limitations of his flock; Storm Boy, the solitary child who befriended a pelican and could hear the earth sing; and Ayla especially Ayla the Stone Age woman from The Clan of the Cave Bear who could survive on her own by hunting with a sling and making fire with rubbed sticks. Read. Tear. Chew. Swallow. I think with the eating of books, she explains, every sense was so alive in me, these characters were so alive, that I needed them inside me. Like these characters were my friends, still are, but I couldnt see them in the world, I couldnt touch them, so by consuming that little bit of paper I was building that character as an actual physical presence. Her mother told her: Gina, you will find your people and follow your enormous talents, which she did once she left school and moved to Sydney. By her late teens, she was studying communications at the University of Technology, Sydney and meeting people such as Hugh Jackman after having collided with him in the cafeteria on day one. They became instant and it would turn out lifelong friends. By her early 20s, she was discovering the queer community and, on a dare one night, shaved her head while tripping on LSD. She then began going to gay picnics, queer pool parties, sex parties, dance parties, any party where she could feel a sense of oneness with other strangelings, fellow misfits who not only accepted her for all her freakish edges but also loved her for them. She danced with abandon wherever she could, in ways humans have been doing since the dawn of time. She danced as communion but, more so, to purge the years of wretched solitude that had collected in her body. She danced to return to herself, to find pure freedom in flight, not unlike Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Chick dancing bare-footed on the rocks at Jervis Bay. Credit: David Leser And now, here on the beach, on a perfectly scripted blue-sky morning, she offers me a spare set of headphones and invites me to join her in a bare-footed dance on the waters edge. Theres a pelican on a rock shelf nearby, a few cormorants drying their wings in the winter sun, and Chicks favourite white-bellied sea eagle soaring above us. I take the headphones and for the next 30 minutes bird girl and I sway and turn to the music as the red-beaked oyster catchers come in to land. It wasnt just Gina Chicks ability to survive nay thrive in the wild that captured the Australian publics imagination when she won that first season of Alone Australia. It was the fact she allowed us to see her vulnerability. In her late 30s, and after the bitter disappointment of a relationship that almost destroyed her, Chick had finally found the love of her life in Lee Trew, an English-born exponent of hunter-gatherer practices such as hunting, trapping, stalking, building fires and constructing shelters. The couple had met at a wilderness survival school in New Jersey and, at the age of 40, Chick fell pregnant, just a few days before finding out she also had aggressive breast cancer. The doctors insisted she terminate the pregnancy to save her own life. She refused. Id called out to the edges of creation that Id wanted a child, she would later say. The gods had called back How bad? Chick changed her doctors, meditated through the gruelling rounds of chemotherapy and somehow went into remission. Her perfect precious miracle of a child was born in 2010 and she was named Blaise, after another of Chicks literary heroes, Modesty Blaise, the fictional master thief turned British spy. Blaise was perfectly healthy for the first two years of her life. She lived deep in the Australian bush with her parents, trusting nature as she would a friend. Just like her mother, she knew the names of all the morning birds, recognised their dawn chorus, even heard her own laughter echoed in the lyrebirds song. Then the unbearable, the unspeakable, the unthinkable occurred when at the age of nearly three she was diagnosed with cancer, 200 tumours about to grow inside her small frame within the space of 10 weeks. In October 2013, after nine days in intensive care and barely four months since first being diagnosed, Blaises respirator was turned off as her devastated parents looked on, her father kissing his daughters fingers, telling her softly that her body was now going back to Earth Mama and that Grandmother Moon was waiting for her. With her daughter Blaise, who was born despite Chick developing breast cancer. Blaise died, aged three, after her own cancer diagnosis. Credit: Courtesy of Gina Chick Chick gives heart-rending voice to this shattering moment in her upcoming memoir, We Are the Stars (to be published by Simon & Schuster on October 2): Blaise dies in my arms with Lee wrapped around us both, she writes. We sing to her as she flies, our voices strong and true, singing her out of the world as we sang her into it: together. Its just a normal hospital room and in it a child is dying and somewhere another is being born and another is eating breakfast and another is weeping and another laughing, playing, growing, falling theres nothing unusual in any of this, were part of a great dance, and this is what pure fluke, grand design, cosmic joke that our dance floor is lined with mourning bells and ravens while a breath away a family cavorts on a carpet of butterflies. Were all connected. Death to life to death. A decade later, we see Gina Chick on our television screens, out in the Tasmanian wild, sitting vigil by a fire on the night that would have been her daughters 12th birthday. She begins to weep, then howl, and in that moment we all hear the ancient lament of a lioness grieving her lost cub. Eighty kilometres north of where we now sit contemplating the blue curve of Jervis Bay, theres another beach, called Bombo, where Chicks grandmother grew up, a similarly high-cheekboned, rebellious spirit who loved the freedom of nature and ran from any kind of conventional life. Chick never met this famous grandmother of hers because, at the age of 45, Charmian Clift killed herself with an overdose of barbiturates. It was 11 weeks before Chick was born. Even if Clift hadnt died so tragically, it is inconceivable these two women grandmother and granddaughter would have found their way to each other, at least not until the NSW Adoption Information Act was introduced in 1990, allowing adopted children to access their original birth certificates. Thats when Gina Chicks mother Suzanne found out she was Charmian Clifts daughter, born on Christmas Day, 1942 at Crown Street Womens Hospital in Sydney, then given up for adoption to a kindly, childless couple three weeks later. According to Clifts biographer, Nadia Wheatley, she had desperately wanted to keep her baby but given that Clift was an unmarried 19-year-old, her own mother Amy wouldnt hear of it. Quoting one of Clifts friends, Wheatley writes in The Life and Myth of Charmian Clift: Charmian never forgave her mother for making her give up the child and, by various accounts, lived with the guilt and sorrow of this abandonment for the rest of her life. Another version of events had Clift sometimes searching the faces of little girls in the street, wondering whether one might be her lost daughter. Charmian Clift, of course, went on to become arguably the most interesting literary figure of her generation, author of numerous books on her own as well as in collaboration with her famous war correspondent husband George Johnston, author of the Miles Franklin-winning My Brother Jack and its sequel Clean Straw for Nothing. (A new documentary on Clift Life Burns High directed by Rachel Lane, premiered at this years Sydney Film Festival and is now on Foxtels Famous channel.) From left: Chicks grandmother Charmian Clift with Leonard Cohen on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960; Chick at the same tree in 2022, during a quest to hunt Clift down and meet her ghost. Clift also became Australias most prominent female columnist, a celebrated and beloved figure who wrote for The Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Herald each week for four-and-a-half years, up until her death in 1969. She wrote with great intimacy and an unflinching gaze on issues both political and personal everything from Indigenous rights, the Vietnam war and the evolving role of women to the magic of learning and the pleasure of leisure. Her last collection of essays was called Being Alone with Oneself, a title of eerie circularity given the path her granddaughter would one day tread. During the early 1950s, Clift and Johnston had fled the stultifying conformities of Menzies Australia for the Greek island of Hydra, where they wrote books, raised their three children and partied long into the night with other artists and writers captivated by their brilliance and generosity. The young Canadian poet Leonard Cohen had been among them and in 1980, 20 years after first stepping foot on Hydra, he dedicated his first Sydney concert to the Australian couple, claiming it was Clift and Johnston whod taught him how to write. He later said: They drank more than other people, they wrote more, they got sick more, they got well more, they cursed more, they blessed more, and they helped a great deal more. They were an inspiration. Just as Charmian Clift would eventually prove to be for the daughter and granddaughter she would never know. Gina Chick was 21 when her mum Suzanne discovered the name of her own biological mother. Chick immediately raced to the nearest bookshop with her sister Danni to find books such as Peel Me a Lotus and Mermaid Singing sitting on the shelves, the authors photo on the back looking almost indistinguishable from their mother. Chick (left) with sisters Kristin and Danni: her loving family helped ease the isolation of being a weird kid. Credit: Courtesy of Gina Chick Something shifted inside Chick as she ran her fingers along the spines of her grandmothers books. No, she didnt eat the pages, but, as she would recall decades later in We Are the Stars, she did breathe in the crisp smell of paper and ink and the hidden jostling of words. And then a tiny voice inside her head said: Well thats all right, then. This explains everything. A few weeks after the filming of Alone Australia, Chick travelled to Hydra to thaw out in a Greek autumn after the deprivations of a Tasmanian winter. She went searching for Charmian (the title of her mothers bestselling book, published in 1995) because she now felt ready to have a relationship with her grandmothers ghost. In the 30 years since discovering that Charmian Clift was her grandmother, shed refused to read her writings, fearing it would influence her own unique writers voice, one shed been developing since she was a child. This was the first time I had wanted to hunt her down, she tells Good Weekend, to find the essence of her, almost stitch that part of her into myself. Because, up until then, shed really been Mums story, not my story. With her mum Suzanne and photos of her grandmother, author Charmian Clift. Credit: David Leser Chick searched for glimmers of her grandmother in the winding, cobbled streets of the island and the bars down by the beautiful crescent-shaped harbour. She looked for her up in the rocky hills and the turquoise waters where her grandmother had regularly swum. She found nothing. Then, on her last day, she stumbled upon the taverna where a famous photo had been taken of Clift leaning against a white-painted olive tree as Leonard Cohen sang and played his guitar. Its a moment engraved in popular cultures collective imagination. Chick leant against that same tree and wept for her grandmother who, like her, had lived with the soul ache of having lost a child. Chick began to play her guitar and sing for her departed daughter and grandmother, two ghosts she imagined now dancing coming home to each other under the olive tree. Loading Chick returned to Australia and was forced to sit with the secret of having won Alone for nearly eight months, until the final episode was aired in late May 2023. Then the dam burst. Suddenly, people started coming up to her in the street, thanking her for her courage and fearless authenticity. Her social media profile exploded. From 1000 Instagram followers before Alone Australia screened, she now had 30,000, then 80,000. Saxton Speakers Bureau snapped her up as a keynote speaker, SBSs Great Australian Walks invited her to become one of their three presenters, then co-host a new SBS podcast on the second Alone Australia season. All this at the very time shed been commissioned to write a book about her extraordinary life. In August last year, she flew to Berlin to begin the writing process from an old warehouse. Hugh Jackman, her friend from university days in Sydney, flew in to join her. With long-time friend Hugh Jackman, who visited Chick in Germany as she began work on her memoir. The pair first met in a university cafeteria. Credit: Courtesy of Gina Chick Gina taught me how to read people, he tells Good Weekend via email. She taught me how to see below the surface she was just instinctive and smart and observant and understood people and I cant wait for people who obviously feel they know her from the show Alone to get an even deeper understanding of who she is and what she has to offer. After a six-day writing spree in the German capital, Chick returned to Tasmania to attend a forest economics congress at the Museum of Old and New Art, where she was invited by its founder David Walsh and his wife Kirsha Kaechele to use their beach house at Marion Bay as a writing den. Chick wrote in a preternatural white heat, almost finishing the manuscript in three weeks. It was an outpouring from my heart, she says, and while I was writing it I could really feel the presence of Charmian and my mother. I could feel the wild, creative genes just singing and ringing and having their own storm inside me. If you spend enough time out in the wilderness, your idea of whats rationally possible shifts. Gina Chick I pretty much just had to hang on when the words started coming, because they were not coming from a cognitive or rational place. It felt like I was sticking my finger up into the clouds and I just had to ride the lightning to get whatever was coming through. A few years ago, Gina Chick was walking through a forest in northern NSW, looking for a cave to sleep in, when she saw a black cockatoo with magnificent feathers high in the branches of a turpentine. Hey little sister, she called, will you give me a feather? and, according to Chick, the bird looked at her for a split second, stretched her beak to her tail, plucked a feather and then spat it out. The feather landed in another branch, too high for Chick to reach, so next thing Chick sees the bird is lifting from its branch, flapping its wings next to the feather and the feather is falling like an autumn seed pod at Chicks feet. That was the closest thing Ive ever seen to magic, Chick says now, completely aware of the disbelief this anecdote will cause. But if you spend enough time out in the wilderness, out in nature, your idea of whats rationally possible shifts. Just look at First Nations peoples connection to country and their experience of cause and effect. There are very clear descriptions of this sort of thing happening people saying, This is something I need, and it comes. And that was my experience on Alone. Show me the girl at seven and Ill show you the woman. From the time Gina Chick was a little girl, she lived in a world of magic, her senses all a tiptoe. She spoke to birds and ran headlong into tempests. She learnt about the atoms and elements of the universe, and everywhere she looked there was wonder to behold, but also a throbbing sense of isolation. At the age of 30, she briefly contemplated suicide. All the pain, rejection and confusion shed felt trying to fit in a box, trying to be human, left her feeling life was not worth the struggle. Loading After a year as a workhand on an island resort in the Great Barrier Reef, however, she decided she wanted to live, and she began reconnecting with nature and her deepest longings: running wilderness programs, rewilding camps, leading dance and meditation retreats, getting in touch with her body once more and the fierce creativity shed inherited through her maternal bloodline. We never saw this on Alone but during her last 10 days, she survived the relentless rain and sub-zero temperatures by writing songs and giving imaginary concerts to pretend audiences, dressed in her signature possum-skin coat. Two years earlier, during COVID-19, shed lived in a bus on the side of a mountain, awaking many winter mornings before dawn to write a song and, of course, now she has an album ready for release because theres nothing, seemingly, that Gina Chick cant do. She can play music, as well as sing and dance. She can hold an audience in rapt attention and can write like a born-writer writes. She can hunt, stalk and kill, while also grieving the death of the animal she has just slain. She can survive on her own in the wilderness, communing with the land, reminding us of our lost connection to nature. And she can do all this because, beyond her physical survival skills and ability to tune into the deep intelligence of the natural world, she has forged a friendship with all the untamed voices and characters both real and fabled that have lived inside her since she was a little girl. I spent so long as a child wondering how to leave my strangeness behind, she says, and it turns out that was the wisest part of me. To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times. Singapore: For months, rumours have abounded in Beijing as to the whereabouts of former Chinese ambassador and foreign minister Qin Gang, after he abruptly disappeared from public view in June last year. He has not been seen since. A veil of murkiness continues to hang over his fate even after a scoop by The Washington Post last week that said he was not only alive but also not in jail. Chinese President Xi Jinping and ex-foreign minister Qin Gang, who has not been seen in public since June 2023. Credit: AP, Jamie Brown Instead, Qin had been redeployed, on paper at least, to a low-level job at the World Affairs Press, a publishing house affiliated with the Foreign Ministry he had once helmed, the Post reported, citing two unnamed former US officials. It appeared to be a humiliating end for a man whose swift downfall stunned China watchers. As a renowned loyalist to President Xi Jinping, Qin, 58, quickly ascended the ranks to become ambassador to the United States in 2021 and then top diplomat the following year before his sudden removal just seven months into the role. Washington: Donald Trumps running mate, Senator J.D. Vance has outlined a peace plan to end the war in Ukraine. But objectively, it sounds a lot like Vladimir Putins. Vances critics immediately said he had described a Russian victory, while his supporters said he had offered the only realistic path to peace. In an interview with The Shawn Ryan Show, Vance, the Republican vying to become US vice president at the November 5 election, was asked about Trumps plans to end the war. Donald Trump and his vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance at a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York on Wednesday. Credit: AP Vance said Trump would sit down with Russians, Ukrainians and Europeans and say, You guys need to figure out what a peaceful settlement looks like. He went on to outline what he thought a deal would entail: the Russians would retain the land they have taken and a demilitarised zone would be established along the current battle lines, with the Ukrainian side heavily fortified to prevent another Russian invasion. DAMASCUS, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has appointed Mohammad Ghazi Jalali as the country's new prime minister, state media reported on Saturday. Jalali, 55, a civil engineer and economist, has been tasked with forming a new cabinet, according to the presidential decree. He replaces Hussein Arnous, who had been prime minister since June 2020. Arnous's government had been functioning in a caretaker role since its term ended following the parliamentary elections in July. Jalali, who previously served as communications minister from 2014 to 2016, holds a doctorate in engineering economics from Ain Shams University in Egypt and degrees in civil engineering from Damascus University. The selection of Jalali follows a meeting on Friday between Assad and leaders of Syria's ruling Baath Party to discuss the formation of the new government. An official announcement of the full cabinet is expected in the coming days, with the new administration scheduled to present its policy statement to the Syrian People's Assembly on Sept. 25. ISLAMABAD, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A passenger bus plunged into a ravine in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Saturday, claiming six lives while injuring 24 others, police said. The incident happened when the vehicle tumbled off a road in the Dhana Sar area of Zhob district of the province, according to the police in the area. Following the incident, police along with rescue teams reached the site and shifted the bodies and injured to a nearby hospital. Local volunteers also participated in the rescue activities. The condition of several of the injured is reported to be critical, according to the hospital sources. The incident took place when the bus driver lost control of the vehicle while taking a turn, said police, adding that the ill-fated bus was carrying the passengers from the federal capital Islamabad to the provincial capital city of Quetta when it met with the accident. A Chinese artist dances during a Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival celebration event in Valletta, Malta, on Sept. 13, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua) VALLETTA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A celebration event featuring mainly poem recitals and music performance was held on Friday night in Valletta, Malta to mark the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most cherished traditional holidays. Hosted by the China Cultural Center in Malta, the event brought together Chinese and Maltese participants to exchange well-wishes for each other and for a deeper and lasting friendship between the two nations. Maltese sinologist Salvatore Giuffre, donning traditional Han clothing, recited a Chinese poem "Spring River in the Flower Moon Night" written in the 7th-century. He also explained to the audience the scene of poetic beauty and imagination the poem vividly portrayed. Following Giuffre's recital, young Chinese artist Guo Mei performed a classic Chinese composition with the same title on the pipa, a traditional pear-shaped stringed instrument, echoing the lyrical charm of the poem. Albert Marshall, executive chairman of Arts Council Malta, recited his own poem "These beautiful people from the remote mountains of Guangxi." It's from his poetry collection "Six Chinese Lanterns", which was inspired by his visit to south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the summer of 2019. Marshall said it was particularly encouraging to see younger generations from both nations becoming more familiar with each other's cultures. The event also featured a collaborative performance and interaction activities like tasting mooncakes and making their own mooncakes and Chinese lanterns. Yuan Yuan, director of the China Cultural Center in Malta, highlighted the significance of cultural exchange. "Through events like this, the understanding between our peoples deepened." The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Sept. 17 this year. Traditionally, it is time for family getting-together in China. Albert Marshall, executive chairman of Arts Council Malta, recites his own poem during a Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival celebration event in Valletta, Malta, on Sept. 13, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua) A Chinese artist plays pipa, a traditional pear-shaped stringed instrument, during a Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival celebration event in Valletta, Malta, on Sept. 13, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia cracked down on 104 human trafficking and sexual exploitation cases in the first half of 2024, according to a National Committee for Counter Trafficking (NCCT) report on Saturday. Twenty-two cases involved human trafficking and 82 cases were related to sexual exploitation during the January-June period this year, the report said, adding that during the crackdowns, the authorities had arrested a total of 134 suspects, including four foreigners. "A total of 290 victims including 241 females had been rescued," the report said, adding that 134, or 46 percent, of them were under the age of 18. Interior Ministry's Secretary of State Chou Bun Eng, who is also the NCCT's permanent vice-chairwoman, said human trafficking cases were linked to crimes of fraud, labor disputes, illegal work, and illegal immigration, among others. "The royal government will continue to do its best to eliminate all forms of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in order to promote the respect for human rights, dignity and social justice," she said. The World esports industry development conference 2024 was held in China's Chengdu, aiming to set up an important platform for communication and collaboration of the global esports industry. TURIN, Italy, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- It's far more beneficial for Europe to cooperate with Chinee automakers than just imposing tariffs on them, Italian auto industry professionals at the ongoing the 2024 Turin Auto Show have said. "Chinese electric cars offer not only high technology, but also high quality," said Andrea Levy, president of the 2024 Turin Auto Show. "We are very happy to have China's brands here and they all look very nice and well-made," Levy said, noting that China's high-quality vehicles, offered at more competitive prices compared to their European counterparts, could play a vital role in supporting Europe's green transition. Levy highlighted the ongoing collaboration between Chinese and European companies. "I favor integration over taxation," he said, calling for a more global perspective. "I have worked in the automotive world with other groups, but I preferred China's Dongfeng," said Bruno Mafrici, an Italian importer of Chinese vehicles. While acknowledging that tax policies in Europe may cause some troubles for his business in the future, he remains committed to working with Dongfeng, expressing confidence in the company's broad range of line-ups. Mafrici is optimistic about the prospects of Chinese car companies in Italy. He told Xinhua that China is at the forefront of technology, while Italy is renowned for its automotive design and industry heritage. "The two countries can collaborate on both industrial and technological fronts, creating new products together." Levy added that Italy is open to Chinese cars and welcomes China's investment: "We plan to invite more Chinese brands to the show in the future." YAOUNDE, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Cameroonian President Paul Biya has allocated 350 million XAF (about 591,809 U.S. dollars) for flood relief after rainstorms caused severe flooding across the country's Far North region, a senior official said Friday. The flooding has claimed 11 lives, destroyed 40,000 homes and displaced 180,000 people, Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji told reporters Friday in the capital, Yaounde. "It is unfortunate that we have casualties, but we have to assist the population. We need to anticipate and put in place preventive measures in cases of flood. The vulnerable population or those impacted by the floods must receive assistance in the fastest possible way," Nji said. He added that within 48 hours, about 50 trucks loaded with relief materials would be dispatched to the region. In response to mounting pressure from heavy rains, local authorities had earlier requested urgent aid for flood victims. In August, Cameroon's meteorological center warned of continued turbulent weather, predicting that heavy rains and strong winds would persist in the region, which has already experienced devastating downpours. BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- China has always opposed the UK's so-called "six-monthly report" which makes irresponsible comments on Hong Kong affairs, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday. On Sept. 12, the UK government issued the so-called "Six-monthly report on Hong Kong: January to June 2024." In response to a related query, spokesperson Mao Ning told a press briefing that since the return of Hong Kong, "one country, two systems" has been a success in Hong Kong, which is widely recognized. The national security law in Hong Kong and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, as well as the improved electoral system, have enabled Hong Kong to enter a new stage in which it has restored order and is set to thrive, its security, democracy and people's freedoms and rights are under better protection, and it enjoys more promising prospects for development, Mao said. Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. It's been 27 years since Hong Kong's return and the UK must respect that fact and stop pointing fingers at Hong Kong affairs, Mao said. Kenyan students learn to make moon cakes during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) NAIROBI, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. The event brought together more than 200 participants and featured activities, including traditional Chinese music, dances, drama, and poetry, as well as the preparation of moon cakes and jigsaw puzzle competitions. Wang Xinyu, a lecturer at the Confucius Institute, said the event was organized to promote cultural integration between the two countries. "Through sharing cultural festivals, China and Kenya will enhance understanding of each other." The Mid-Autumn Festival, taking place annually on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, will be observed on Sept. 17 this year. It is a time for families to get together, share moon cakes, and watch the full moon. Nelson Asienwa, head of corporate and culture at the Afristar, said there is growing awareness among Kenyans of Chinese festivals due to deeper commercial and cultural ties between the two countries. Asienwa added that Kenyans really enjoy celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival because it centers on giving thanks for harvests collected by farmers, which is also a common practice among African communities. Alexander Mwaniki, a student at the Confucius Institute, said the celebration helped him gain a deeper understanding of the Chinese language and culture that he learned in class. Joseph Njane, training officer at Afristar, who entertained the audience with Chinese songs together with other colleagues, said he enjoys music from the Asian country because they are rich in melody while spreading messages of social harmony. Damaris Mutinda, a construction dispatcher at Afristar, said there is rising popularity of the Chinese language among Kenyans because Chinese investments have created numerous job opportunities for locals. Students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi perform during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) People do a jigsaw puzzle during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Kenyan students learn to make moon cakes during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi sing a traditional Chinese song during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) A student from the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi sings a Chinese song during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi perform during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) by Xinhua writer Li Hanlin DUSSELDORF, Germany, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- "China is the prior choice for German companies to organize global supply chains and industry layouts," "We deeply appreciate China's push for higher-level openness," and "We hope China and Germany can work together to maintain the stability and smoothness of the supply chain." These views were resonating among German executives at the second China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) roadshow on Wednesday. They expressed eagerness to use CISCE to enhance their engagement with the Chinese market, explore new opportunities, and build a win-win global supply chain system. GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES As the world's first national-level exhibition dedicated to supply chains, CISCE offers a unique platform for global businesses to strengthen industry and supply chain cooperation. The second CISCE has already drawn over 600 domestic and international companies, including major German firms like Siemens, Bosch, and SAP. "We will be showcasing in the intelligent automotive supply chain section at the second CISCE. We look forward to promoting industry exchanges, fostering cooperation, and driving innovation and transformation toward smart and sustainable supply chains," said Xu Daquan, president of Bosch China. Xu emphasized that the automotive supply chain is vast and complex, making its stability crucial for maintaining product competitiveness. In light of the industry's transformation and global market expansion, CISCE holds particular significance. Through a series of matchmaking events, new product displays, project signings and promotions, German companies have expanded their industry networks and built more stable, resilient supply chains. These efforts have enhanced cooperation across various supply chain segments, creating greater opportunities for their growth in China. "In this highly integrated world, agile and intelligent supply chains are crucial. The CISCE comes at a perfect time, and SAP looks forward to leveraging business AI embedded solutions to help clients further develop," said Klaus Neumann, SAP global senior vice president. CISCE has emerged as a vital international platform, connecting China with global markets and integrating industries, thereby attracting foreign investment and creating opportunities in the Chinese market. At the inaugural CISCE, SAP partnered with leading Chinese companies, such as Huayang Group and EVE Energy, to support the development of a global supply chain. At the second CISCE, SAP will showcase case studies on the impact of artificial intelligence and algorithmic computing across various industries, with the aim of expanding collaborations with both domestic and international partners. STABLE SUPPLY CHAIN MATTERS In recent years, global supply chains have suffered frequent disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, and natural disasters. Ensuring their resilience and stability has become essential for sustained global economic growth. German business representatives emphasized that China not only provides vast market opportunities and cooperation potential but also serves as a key "stabilizing anchor" in the global supply chain. "China is a significant parts supplier in the global supply chain, and 'Made in China' has become a symbol of high quality. China's supply chain system is not only complete but also highly agile and flexible," said Andreas Schmitz, president of the Dusseldorf Chamber of Industry and Commerce. He added that the robustness and completeness of China's supply chain infrastructure instill strong confidence in German companies to further expand their presence in China. Christian Hinkel, head of corporate communications at Deichmann, Europe's largest shoe retailer, told Xinhua that Deichmann operates over 4,700 stores across 34 countries, with the majority of its products manufactured in China. The company works closely with 25 long-term partners in China to ensure high-quality products and brand consistency for its customers. "For example, the China-Europe Railway Express plays a crucial role in stabilizing the Sino-German supply chain. Many of our production materials are transported to Germany via this railway," Hinkel said. He stressed that strong supply chain cooperation between China and Germany is vital for companies like Deichmann, and expressed hope for a future of secure, stable, and mutually beneficial Sino-German supply chains. For many German companies, China remains the top choice for global supply chain and industry layout, thanks to its strong commitment to maintaining supply chain stability and efficiency. Michael Schumann, chairman of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade, noted that while certain components previously had to be imported from Germany or other European regions, German companies have increasingly shifted their supply chains and production to China. This has led to the development of a production model of "In China, For China" and "In China, For the World." CHINA'S INNOVATION AND OPENNESS German investment in China reached a record 7.3 billion euros (8.09 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2024, according to the German Central Bank. German businesses are optimistic about China's innovation and openness, expecting stronger cooperation with China. Clemens Schuette, a board member of the German-Chinese Economic Union, said that many German companies plan to increase their investment in China. Despite current challenges, he is confident in German-China cooperation and sees building green and resilient supply chains as crucial to addressing global challenges. Schmitz noted that despite the German government's new China strategy aimed at reducing dependence through diversification, German investments in China have increased, highlighting China's continued attractiveness. "For multinational companies, they have already established highly integrated supply networks and gained substantial benefits in China, so reducing their business in China is not a wise choice," Schmitz said. He added that German-China business communities should capitalize on opportunities in trade, investment, innovation, and technology to deepen cooperation and achieve mutual development. Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), said that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Germany. He noted that while the bilateral relationship remains robust and cooperation across various fields deepens, economic and trade cooperation continues to be a cornerstone. "We look forward to both countries leveraging their respective advantages, exploring the vast potential for mutually beneficial cooperation, and becoming key partners in global supply chains," said Ren. CARACAS, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People's Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) expressed its strong opposition on Friday to the latest round of sanctions imposed by the United States on Venezuelan officials. "The ALBA-TCP forcefully repudiates this new attack against public officials, their human and civil rights, and the Venezuelan nation in general," the bloc said in a statement. The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions against 16 Venezuelan officials, accusing them of "obstructing democratic political participation and undermining the electoral process" of July 28 in the South American nation. Members of ALBA-TCP view these sanctions not only as an act of aggression against the 16 Venezuelan officials, but a "criminal and illegal practice of the U.S. government against the states that do not act in favor of their interests." ALBA-TCP strongly believes that the unilateral coercive measures imposed by Washington disrupt the economic and political stability not only in Venezuela but also in the entire region. The bloc has called for "respect for the sovereignty of the free peoples of Our America and the Caribbean," while expressing their unwavering support for and solidarity with the Venezuelan people and government. A member of a delegation of over 10 Los Angeles-based travel agents takes selfies at Tiantan Park (Temple of Heaven) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 10, 2024. [Xinhua/Zhao Chenjie] BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) On her maiden trip to China, Janet Melendez, along with other U.S. travel agents, enjoyed Beijing duck, learned Tai Chi, and visited historical sites and scenic spots in Beijing, capturing photos along the way. From Sept. 10 to 12, a delegation of over 10 Los Angeles-based travel agents, many visiting China for the first time, explored the Chinese capital, immersing themselves in the city's vibrant culture, inclusiveness, warm hospitality and convenient lifestyle. "It is amazing to see the Forbidden City and the Great Wall as if we have gone back to hundreds of years ago," said Melendez, founder of Festival International Travel. "Many American tourists are interested in Chinese culture. I hope to let more people learn and explore China." Gregory Cattoni, manager of Rancho Travel, noted that Beijing is both a city steeped in history and a thriving international metropolis. "We can not only taste Beijing duck in the city but also eat KFC, McDonald's and steakhouses in streets and alleys," said Cattoni, expressing delight at how visitors like him can savor local specialties while also enjoying familiar foods. He added that the United States and China need cooperation and communication, and that tourism can significantly enhance mutual understanding between people from both countries. Recently, "China Travel" has gained massive traction on global social media platforms, fueled by China's expansion of the list of visa-free countries, increased international flights, and a series of measures aimed at facilitating inbound tourism. In the first half of this year, over 5 million inbound travelers used mobile payment, marking a fourfold increase compared with the same period in 2023, while over 90 million transactions were recorded, totaling more than 14 billion yuan (about 2 billion U.S. dollars), with both figures marking a sevenfold increase compared with the same period in the previous year. Joey Sy, manager of Hyssop Travel, who has visited China three times and organized numerous trips for his clients, noted that China is safe as always and has become more convenient and comfortable for foreign tourists. "Before this trip, I already added a U.S. credit card to Alipay and WeChat Pay. I bought clothes through mobile payment in a big shopping mall next to the hotel where I am staying in Beijing. It is convenient," he said. Praising China's 144-hour visa-free transit policy, Sy said that it would be very advantageous for American travelers seeking short visits to China. "The policy can reduce the cost and simplify procedures for visa application. It should be promoted to more travel agents and we will develop corresponding travel routes." In the first seven months of this year, the number of foreign visitors to China soared 129.9 percent year on year to 17.25 million, according to the National Immigration Administration. Bo Lin, a staffer with CTG Travel, said the tour aims to boost travel from the United States to China and reinforce the outcomes of the 14th China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit held in Xi'an in May. CTG Travel is one of the organizers of the trip. "We hope to promote people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, and invite more friends to visit China and experience its culture," Bo said. After concluding their visit to Beijing, the delegation headed to Xi'an and will subsequently travel to the Three Gorges and Shanghai. Their itinerary includes exploring accommodation, dining options, scenic spots, transportation facilities, and inbound tourism facilitation measures in China. A member of a delegation of over 10 Los Angeles-based travel agents takes selfies at the Summer Palace in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 11, 2024 [Xinhua/Zhao Chenjie] Members of a delegation of over 10 Los Angeles-based travel agents learn Tai Chi in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 10, 2024. [Xinhua/Zhao Chenjie] (Source: Xinhua) Editor: Wang Shasha Editor's Note: Last September, as millions of animals migrated from Tanzania's Serengeti to Kenya's Masai Mara, in pursuit of water and fresh grass, Chen Yanhua, with curiosity and a longing for Africa, embarked on a journey from Beijing to Nairobi, to start a six-month internship at China Media Group (CMG) Africa. Nairobi greeted Chen with its warm spring breeze, blooming jacarandas, and corn-roasting stalls. The city stimulated her senses, and everything together reminded her of her hometown, Kunming (in southwest China's Yunnan Province), which is known in China as the "Spring City." Such familiar elements instantly bridged the gap between Chen and the East African city. From her arrival, she immersed herself in her efforts to understand Africa, through careful observations and engaging with locals, striving to become a professional correspondent, reporting on Africa, and an active storyteller at the forefront of international communications, sharing China's stories. In this article, Chen writes about her experiences in Nairobi. 'Africa Is Where My Heart Is' Why Africa? Many people have asked me this question. The answer is quite simple, and it can be summed up by a phrase I saw on a board in a coffee shop: "Africa is where my heart is." During the late 1990s, numerous African entrepreneurs, who had been trading in Southeast Asia, relocated to Guangzhou, in south China's Guangdong Province. They settled and established businesses in various areas, such as Xiaobei and Sanyuanli. During my undergraduate studies in Guangzhou, I frequently encountered some of those businessmen on the streets, and I observed them at the airport, shipping boxes of goods. Those brief interactions offered me a glimpse into the trade relations between China and Africa, and they ignited my interest in learning about and understanding Africa, from its own perspective. In late August 2022, I enrolled in the International Journalism and Communication master's program at Peking University. Guided by my advisor, and through various enriching courses, I systematically delved into African communication and development issues. With each book I read, every presentation I gave, and all the discussions I attended, I deepened my interest in the African continent, and in its diverse countries. This burgeoning curiosity led me to unhesitatingly apply for an internship in Kenya. Fortunately, in July 2023, I passed the interview, conducted by China Scholarship Council, and I received a scholarship to intern at China Media Group's Africa headquarters. This opportunity has not been just a valuable practical experience, it has also been a chance for me to improve my understanding of Africa, by living and working on the ground. After having ventured into Africa, and having fallen in love with it, my classmates and I created a vlog, which won first prize in the Second China-Africa Youth Short Video Competition. The short film, titled "Into Africa," revolves around the "primal," "mysterious" and "underdeveloped," terms often used to describe Africa. It seeks to break such stereotypical narratives by showcasing Africa, through the eyes of Chinese youth, and presenting a real, vibrant and dynamic continent to the viewers. Discovering China-Africa Friendship, Along the Railway As an overseas journalist on an internship, introducing the China-Africa friendship to my viewers was a significant mission. From the late 19th century to the 21st century, and from Uganda Railway to Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), railways have connected Kenya's colonial history with its present. Hence, I decided to use the railway, an anchor point in my understanding of Kenya, to share the stories of China-Africa cooperation that I encountered in urban and rural Kenya. In 1896, the British began constructing the Uganda Railway, in Mombasa. Under harsh conditions, an average of four Indian laborers died for every mile of track laid. When I arrived in Mombasa, 128 years later, the heat persisted, but the exploitation was long gone. Mombasa boasts rich marine resources, but, due to outdated fishing techniques, the resources have not effectively translated into economic power. A few years ago, the establishment of a primary processing base, by Chinese company Jinzai Foods, marked a significant turning point. By introducing advanced production concepts, processes and technologies, from China and other countries, Jinzai Foods has driven development of the local blue economy. In 1899, Uganda Railway extended northwest, from the southeastern coast, to reach Nairobi. At that time, Nairobi was used by Maasai herders as a watering hole. Shortly thereafter, and due largely to its elevation and mild climate, Nairobi was chosen to be the headquarters of Uganda Railway. Construction of the railway town transformed the fate of the swampy area, and it gradually developed into East Africa's largest city. I spent most of my time living in Nairobi during my internship in Kenya. In Nairobi, the skyline is adorned with towering buildings, and the efficient road network is often awe-inspiring. Behind the remarkable infrastructure are Chinese construction companies, which are deeply involved in Africa. For instance, during the past 20 years, China Wuyi has completed 38 road projects in Kenya, covering nearly 1,800 kilometers, and those projects have effectively promoted the construction of Kenya's basic road network, and in turn have driven economic and social development along the routes. By 1900, Uganda Railway had reached Nakuru, 146 kilometers from Nairobi. Nakuru is famous for its flamingos, but what impressed me most was a Chinese company, Kaishan Group, which was helping Kenya build a geothermal power project in the Great Rift Valley. Power shortages are a major obstacle to economic development in many African countries. Even in relatively developed Kenya, the electrification rate in 2021 was only 76.54 percent. In an environment where universal electricity access has not been achieved, I experienced power outages in meeting rooms, canteens and gyms. During such times, the locals humorously told me, "This is Africa." Bridging the power gap is a development necessity. My experiences while traveling along unpaved, sand-covered roads to interview staff members of Kaishan Group revealed many Chinese companies are spearheading the development of local water, solar and other renewable-energy projects, and they are using Chinese technology to help Africa achieve green and sustainable development goals. On December 19, 1901, Uganda Railway was completed, in Kisumu, Kenya, without extending into Uganda. Entering the new century, Uganda Railway could no longer meet transportation demands. On June 1, 2017, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR, a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative, officially commenced passenger service, marking a new era in Kenya's railway network. In January, I visited China Road and Bridge Corporation, builder of SGR. Two Kenyan students, who had studied railway management at Beijing Jiaotong University, told me, "Chinese companies have not only transferred advanced technology to Africa, providing us with convenient and comfortable travel options and boosting Kenya's economic development, but have also trained a large number of management professionals for Kenya's railway industry, enhancing Kenya's capacity for self-sustained development." I believe these Chinese companies, deeply rooted in Kenya, are like threads in a vast tapestry of China-Africa cooperation, weaving together a rich and enduring narrative of friendship and collaboration. Making Friends, Through Shared Emotions Telling China's story has been the guiding principle of my work and life in Kenya. Communication and dialogue are the main pathways through which I have strived to achieve this goal. During my internship, I participated in various media activities aimed at diverse audiences, including African youth, children and UN officials. These activities, such as "Twinkle Star" Animation Exhibition Tour and Prelude to Spring Festival Gala, utilized comics, the Spring Festival gala and temple fairs to promote Chinese culture to the overseas audiences. And the audiences deeply inspired me. During the "Twinkle Star" Animation Exhibition Tour, I was responsible for hosting a journalist from Nigeria. During one of our conversations, he highly praised the significance and value of the animation screening, and he expressed a strong desire for Chinese media to promote the event in Nigeria. Through this interaction, I became acutely aware of the role and mission overseas media play in cultural exchanges. Beyond in-depth discussions with interviewees and colleagues, I also enjoyed engaging with locals, especially during my leisure time. Whether I was walking along the streets and alleys, or visiting museums, archives, flea markets or parks, I liked to chat with Uber drivers, vendors, university students and children. The conversations helped me understand the locals' genuine perceptions of China, and allowed me to present a more authentic and multidimensional China to them. During countless conversations, I discovered my secret weapon Swahili was always very effective. Swahili is one of Kenya's official languages. A month after I arrived in Kenya, I began learning simple words and phrases on Duolingo (a language learning app) daily. Whenever I chatted with locals, I habitually started with a simple Swahili greeting, showing respect for their culture. They were often pleasantly surprised by this, which made them more willing to open up to me. Through these chats, I met many interesting locals. While waiting for a car outside the United Nations office in Nairobi, I met a local man who had once operated a garment business in Guangzhou's Xiaobei area. When I met him, he was working as a security guard. When he mentioned "Xiaobei," our shared memories of that place connected us, and evoked a sense of "it's a small world." I also encountered an Uber driver who spoke fluent Chinese, and who had performed acrobatics at Guangzhou's Chimelong. I also met a tour guide, who was learning Chinese on TikTok, and an employee of a Chinese enterprise in Kenya who spoke Mandarin with a Fujian (a province in southeastern China) accent. Meeting such individuals often brightened my day, and filled me with hope for China-Africa, people-to-people exchanges. Lastly, I want to mention my good friend Leslie, a student from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who was studying in Kenya. Our friendship began during a program recording. After exchanging contact information, my classmates and I invited her to our home to try hot pot, sharing delicious food from China with her. During our conversations, I was surprised to discover she had watched many recent Chinese dramas and classic Chinese movies. Through her, I saw the appeal of Chinese culture to young Africans. In our friendship, I also saw that young people of different races and nationalities can become good friends, based on shared emotions. Photos from Chen Yanhua (Women of China English Monthly August 2024) Editor: Wang Shasha Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Fuxi Temple to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] LANZHOU, Gansu/BAOJI, Shaanxi, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping urged northwest China's Gansu Province to deepen reform, make innovation, and do solid work to improve the people's well-being and the region's prosperity, to write a Gansu chapter in Chinese modernization. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection from Tuesday to Friday. Gansu should take solid steps in improving ecological conservation and restoration, accelerating green and low-carbon transition, further deepening reform and opening up comprehensively, promoting rural revitalization across the board, better securing people's livelihood and strengthening ethnic unity, Xi said during his inspection tour in Gansu Province. On Tuesday afternoon, Xi visited the Fuxi Temple in Tianshui City, where he learned about the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. The temple is dedicated to Fuxi, a mythical ancestor of the Chinese nation. It is imperative to protect and pass on the precious cultural heritage, so that the wisdom and creativity of ancestors will constantly inspire future generations and enhance national pride and confidence, Xi said. On Wednesday morning, Xi listened to the report of a local water diversion project and urged better maintenance and management of the project so that it would play a greater role in improving people's lives. While visiting a Huaniu apple production base, he emphasized the importance of optimizing cultivation of this variety and innovating marketing models so that this specialty industry will be expanded and more people will increase their incomes through it. Xi then visited the Maijishan Grottoes, where he carefully inspected the caves, sculptures and paintings that date back over 1,600 years. He called on cultural relic workers to make greater contributions to promoting the preservation and innovative development of China's traditional culture and enhancing its influence. On Wednesday afternoon, Xi came to Lanzhou, the provincial capital. At a local residential community, he emphasized the necessity of focusing on the practical needs of residents, especially the elderly and children, and continuously improving community services. During his visit to retired Party member Li Zongbiao, Xi said that local authorities have worked hard in providing elderly care, healthcare and community services and the work must continue and improve over time. When speaking to local residents, Xi said 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese people should be more united and make more efforts to create even greater achievements. He extended his holiday greetings to the residents ahead of this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept. 17. Xi then inspected a section of the Yellow River near the Zhongshan Bridge in Lanzhou and learned about the ecological protection of the country's "mother river." He called for joint efforts in protecting the river so that it will benefit the people forever. On Friday morning, Xi listened to the work report from the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee and the provincial government. Gansu should promote new-type industrialization, accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, build a significant national manufacturing base for new energy and new-energy-related equipment, and fortify the ecological security in the western part of the country, Xi said. He stressed the need to deepen reform and expand opening up with greater courage and determination, and to implement the people-centered new urbanization strategy effectively. Xi emphasized the need to strengthen cultural heritage protection and build the Dunhuang Academy into an example of world cultural heritage protection and a center of Dunhuang studies. He also called for efforts to advance the building of national cultural parks dedicated to the Great Wall, the Long March and the Yellow River. Efforts should be made to promote social advancement and governance, and lay a solid foundation for common prosperity for people of all ethnic groups, he said. On his way to Gansu, Xi visited the Baoji Bronze Ware Museum in Baoji City of Shaanxi Province on Tuesday afternoon. He hailed China's bronze civilization and called for better protection, research and promotion of bronze cultural relics. Xi also inspected a local riverside ecological park. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour. On Thursday morning, Xi met with senior officers and representatives of soldiers and civilian staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army troops stationed in Lanzhou. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Fuxi Temple to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Fuxi Temple to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local apple production base to learn about the development of the modern specialty fruit industry in mountainous areas in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Ju Peng] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local apple production base to learn about the development of the modern specialty fruit industry in mountainous areas in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local apple production base to learn about the development of the modern specialty fruit industry in mountainous areas in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local apple production base to learn about the development of the modern specialty fruit industry in mountainous areas in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with fruit growers, local villagers and agricultural technicians while visiting a local apple production base in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Maijishan Grottoes to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Maijishan Grottoes to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Maijishan Grottoes to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with tourists and cultural relics protection staff while visiting the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with tourists and cultural relics protection staff while visiting the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the Maijishan Grottoes to learn about the protection and preservation of local cultural heritage in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Ju Peng] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local community to learn about local measures to improve public services, enhance the well-being of the people, and strengthen comprehensive public order maintenance, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local community in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local community to learn about local measures to improve public services, enhance the well-being of the people, and strengthen comprehensive public order maintenance, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Yan Yan] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local community in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Yan Yan] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with residents while visiting a local community in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province.[Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a local community in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Yellow River to learn about local measures to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin, in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province. [Xinhua/Ju Peng] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with the crowd while visiting a section of the Yellow River in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province.[Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, waves to the crowd while visiting a section of the Yellow River in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 11, 2024. Xi on Wednesday afternoon inspected Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province.[Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Baoji Bronze Ware Museum to learn about the local efforts to enhance the protection and use of cultural relics in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Baoji Bronze Ware Museum to learn about the local efforts to enhance the protection and use of cultural relics in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Baoji Bronze Ware Museum to learn about the local efforts to enhance the protection and use of cultural relics in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Ju Peng] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Baoji Bronze Ware Museum to learn about the local efforts to enhance the protection and use of cultural relics in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 10, 2024. Xi inspected the city of Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi Province and the city of Tianshui in neighboring Gansu Province from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, meets with senior officers and representatives of soldiers and civilian staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army troops stationed in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 12, 2024. Xi made an inspection tour in Gansu Province from Tuesday to Friday. [Xinhua/Li Gang] (Source: Xinhua) Editor: Wang Shasha In the hearts of the villagers in Pingnan County, in southeast China's Fujian Province, Zhou Fenfang's name brings a feeling of warmth. Thanks to Zhou and her team's efforts, Pingnan has embarked on a new path of revitalization, through cultural and creative industries, and Zhou and her team have achieved remarkable results in protecting and developing the region's traditional villages. In Pingnan, ancient villages, formerly on the verge of decline, have been rejuvenated through thriving cultural and creative industries, and thanks to the rural tourism industry. As such, the villages have undergone a magnificent transformation, and they have become the poetic and idyllic places Chinese have longed for. Zhou, former Chairperson of the Pingnan Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, is Vice-President of the Pingnan Rural Revitalization Research Institute. During the first World Rural Revitalization Conference, held in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province, in September 2020, Zhou was honored as one of the guardians of ancient villages, for her efforts to protect and rejuvenate traditional villages. Since 2015, Zhou and her team have invited domestic and international artists to establish studios and carry out art projects in Pingnan. They have also invited art-related enterprises to open outlets in the villages. In 2020, the Pingnan Rural Revitalization Research Institute was established in Siping Village. Professor Wen Tiejun, a renowned expert in agriculture, rural areas and farmers, is president of the institute. From being a key county for poverty alleviation to receiving the title of "demonstration county for traditional villages' cultural and creative industries," the county has established the "Pingnan model" for rural revitalization, presenting a trend of "people coming, village rejuvenating, industries thriving, and culture prospering," and activating rural resources and rural vitality. Developing cultural and creative industries, and a rural tourism industry, not only cultivated the cultural atmosphere of the region's ancient villages, but also helped villagers increase their incomes and strengthen their sense of gain, happiness and security. "Pingnan has created a model of 'Party (Communist Party of China) committee and government, plus artists, ancient villages, villagers and the Internet,' and it has constantly promoted in-depth development of cultural and creative industries," Zhou says. With support from the local Party committee and government, Pingnan County, located in the middle region of the Jiufeng Mountains, has overcome the inconvenience created by geographical location, and it has realized "zero-distance communication" with the outside world, with the help of the Internet. Paintings created by villagers have been displayed on social media platforms. People across China are increasingly willing to pay for the villagers' paintings. The beautiful natural scenery of Pingnan has been attracting tourists from across the country. In the bars, cafes, bookstores and homestays, which have been transformed from ancient dwellings, people locals and tourists alike find themselves immersed in the artistic atmosphere of the traditional villages. The ancient charm of the rural areas provides the soil for artistic creation, and, in turn, the art creations nurture the development of rural areas. Zhou says there are three objectives to protecting and developing the ancient villages in Pingnan. The first objective is to protect the villages' appearance, water systems and overall environment; second, to preserve and inherit rural cultural heritage and create cultural brands; third, to implement the "three attractions" and "three innovations" mechanism. "The 'three attractions' refer to attracting high-level talents, new villagers, and bringing back natives who work away from the villages. The 'three innovations' refer to innovating the rental mode of ancient residential buildings; innovating the renovation mode of ancient villages, and transforming ancient dwellings into art spaces, shared spaces and cultural spaces; and, innovating the rural governance mode, including issuing residence permits to settled new villagers, thus injecting fresh blood into rural revitalization," Zhou explains. Each village has its own approach and cooperation methods to develop cultural and creative industries, Zhou adds. While summarizing the experience of Pingnan, Zhou says she believes Pingnan has grasped the opportunity, presented by the rapid development of the Internet, to redefine the values of ancient villages. "Clumsy birds have to begin flying early. But the birds must also 'dare to fly.' In the industrial civilization era, Pingnan was a clumsy bird. But in the ecological civilization era, we have dared to try, and we have grown into a beautiful bird, proving that a small county can make great achievements," Zhou says. Photos from VCG and Interviewee (Women of China English Monthly August 2024) Editor: Wang Shasha President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua meets with Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) MOSCOW, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua met separately with Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov and General Director of Rossiyskaya Gazeta Pavel Negoitsa here Friday. During his meeting with Peskov, Fu emphasized that as China's state news agency, Xinhua is committed to creating a positive public opinion environment for the continuous and healthy development of China-Russia relations. Over the years, Xinhua has actively engaged in practical and friendly cooperation across multiple fields with Russia's mainstream media, playing a unique role in promoting the stable and long-term development of China-Russia relations, Fu said. Xinhua will continue to strengthen friendly exchanges with Russian media partners and actively cover the upcoming BRICS Summit in Kazan, he added. President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua meets with Pavel Negoitsa, general director of Russia's Rossiyskaya Gazeta, in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) In his meeting with Negoitsa, Fu noted that Rossiyskaya Gazeta is an old friend of Xinhua, and Xinhua has always highly valued its friendly relationship with the newspaper. As 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, Xinhua is willing to take this opportunity to further develop and deepen cooperation with Rossiyskaya Gazeta in areas such as news exchange and the application of media-related artificial intelligence, Fu said. Peskov expressed appreciation for Xinhua's long-standing focus on developing relations with the Russian Presidential Press Office and Russian media. He emphasized that cooperation in the field of journalism is crucial for advancing bilateral relations and cultural exchanges, adding that the Russian side supports and encourages mainstream Russian media to continue their good cooperation with Xinhua. Negoitsa warmly welcomed Fu's visit. He noted that the cooperative relationship between Rossiyskaya Gazeta and Xinhua has stood the test of time and expressed willingness to further advance practical cooperation between the two sides. Articles Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles. New partnership to boost employability for underrepresented youngsters in Wrexham A new partnership between The Princes Trust and Principality Building Society is set to help develop opportunities and make employability more accessible to underrepresented young people in Wrexham. The three-year collaboration, which sees Principality named as a Patron of The Trust, will support education and engagement initiatives to help young people across Wales become work ready. As part of the partnership there will be a particular focus on Cardiff, Swansea, Port Talbot and Neath and Wrexham. The Princes Trust offers courses, resources and support designed to help young people acquire essential employability and life skills and a step onto the career ladder with job opportunities. The Princes Trusts Get Into programmes are delivered in partnership with employers and training providers, giving young people aged 16-30 who are ready to enter the workforce, the opportunity to develop sector specific knowledge, skills and work experience and gain certification across a range of industries including technology, healthcare, logistics, hospitality, and retail. Commenting on the new partnership, Tony Smith, Chief Impact and Governance Officer at Principality Building Society, said: Were passionate about ensuring all young people are able to reach their full potential both personally and professionally. We want future generations to feel hopeful, supported and empowered to achieve their goals, finding their sense of purpose in work that they love doing and ultimately contributing towards building stronger communities. Our focus is on improving social mobility through employability and were honoured to be working with The Princes Trust to help young people get started on their career pathway and support them on the journey to a job. The society has already funded a 10-day Get Into Green Construction pilot programme themed around the growing importance of sustainable building skills to build energy efficient homes and mapped to the technology advances in the construction industry. 21 young people joined the programme and received their CSCS card, the leading skills certification scheme in the UK construction industry. Sarah Jones, Director of Delivery in Wales at The Princes Trust said: We are so grateful to have an organisations support whose values align so closely with our own. Our objective has always been to help young people succeed whether that be gaining self-confidence or getting them into sustainable work and combating employment challenges. With Principalitys support we are confident that our programmes will continue to make a difference for young peoples lives across Wales. ULAN BATOR, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A new railway underpass funded by China officially opened to traffic in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, on Saturday. The inauguration ceremony was attended by relevant officials from both countries, including Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Shen Minjuan and mayor of Ulan Bator Khishgee Nyambaatar, along with key project workers. Located in the Songinokhairkhan District in western Ulan Bator, the railway underpass was constructed by the China Railway No.4 Engineering Group Co. Ltd. Shen said that the railway underpass project is crucial for connecting China's Belt and Road Initiative with Mongolia's Prairie Road development strategy, noting that despite overcoming many challenges, it was officially opened to traffic after more than a year. Shen also highlighted that the construction of three additional underpasses is progressing rapidly, which will help alleviate traffic congestion in Ulan Bator. Nyambaatar emphasized that the new underpass will help reduce traffic congestion and cross-railway travel time while boosting economic development by significantly increasing freight traffic for the Ulan Bator Railway Company, Mongolia's official railway operator. For many years, traffic congestion has been a major pressing issue in Ulan Bator. Originally designed to accommodate 500,000 residents, the city now houses nearly half of Mongolia's 3.5 million population and is burdened with over 640,000 vehicles. The rapid population growth and economic development have exacerbated the traffic problems. The Labour government-commissioned report into the state of Britains National Health Service (NHS) was published Thursday, laying the basis for its further privatisation and break-up. The report by Lord Darzi, a retired surgeon and peer in the House of Lords, is titled Independent investigation of the NHS in England. The NHS in England is run by the government in Westminster, while responsibility in Wales and Scotland falls to devolved administrations. Despite its name, there is nothing independent about Darzis report. He is a trusted man of the state and long-time Labourite, serving as a parliamentary under-secretary in the health ministry for two years in Gordon Browns Labour government (2007-10). In that role Darzi led a national review to plan the course of the NHS over a decade. It was Browns government that launched the first austerity measures in Britain following his 1 trillion bailouts of the banks amid the global financial crash. The measures included forcing the NHS to find 15-20 billion in efficiency savings. In June 2009, Darzi was appointed to the Privy Council, the committee which advises the monarch of the day. The following month he was elevated to the Lords, sitting on the Labour benches until 2019. At that point he became an Independent, on the basis of backing the fraudulent claims of the Labour right-wing and Tories that Labours nominally left leader Jeremy Corbyn was enabling antisemitism. Prime Minister Keir Starmer gives NHS speech, September 12, 2024. [Photo by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Darzis remit was set by incoming Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who announced on taking office that Labours policy was that the NHS is broken. A July 11 press report by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Streeting announced that Darzis Findings will feed into governments 10-year plan to radically reform the nations health service. Darzis 142-page review confirms that the NHS, starved of funds, and under resourced for decades, can no longer provide a reliable medical service for the population. He notes that, since 2010, NHS funding has increased by just over 1 per cent in real terms each year. This compares to the long run average annual increase of around 3.4 per cent, and a per person increase of 5.8 per cent a year in the rst decade of this century. The 2010s, in the run up to the pandemic, were the most austere decade since the NHS was founded in 1948. Two paragraphs deal with the staggering capital gap that opened up between the UK and other countries in the 2010s. There would have been 27 billion more capital investment, had we matched the EU15, 35 billion more had we matched the Nordic countries, and 46 billion more had we matched the investment levels of predominantly English-speaking countries. Had we matched the average of all peers, this would have amounted to an additional 37 billion. This could have eliminated all backlog maintenance (now standing at 11.6 billion in 2022) and have already funded the 40 new hospitals announced in 2019 before the pandemic hit. The 37 billion to match the all-peers average alternatively amounts to some 4.9 million for every GP practice, so it could have paid for every community in the country to have a purpose-built, modern GP practice complete with diagnostics, space for specialist input, and a base for mental health and community services. The disastrous state of the NHS is described. By June 2024, the total waiting list stood at 7.6 million people. More than 300,000 people had waited for over a year, and some 1.75 million people had waited for between 6 and 12 months. More than 10,000 people are still waiting longer than 18 months (although this has fallen sharply from its peak of 123,000 people waiting that long in September 2021). By far the largest group waiting were working age adultssome 4.2 million people. The report notes that more than 100,000 babies were left waiting in A&E for more than six hours, and more than 100,000 children and young people were waiting more than a year for mental health support. Accident and Emergency provision is in an awful state, with the report citing, According to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, these long waits are likely to be causing an additional 14,000 more deaths a yearmore than double all British armed forces combat deaths since the health service was founded in 1948. By every metric, the forced collapse of the NHS had resulted in a devastating decline in healthcare provision. Darzi states that Cancer care still lags behind other countries, noting how The UK has appreciably higher cancer mortality rates than other countries. No progress whatsoever was made in diagnosing cancer at stage I and II between 2013 and 2021. His reports also states that People living with serious mental illnesses have signicantly lower life expectancy than the rest of the population, typically dying 15 to 20 years earlier. Moreover, excess mortality for those with serious mental illnesses has been going in the wrong direction. Over 230,000 died from COVID in Britain. Darzis report explains, The combination of austerity and capital starvation helped dene the NHSs response to the pandemic The decade of austerity preceding COVID-19, along with the prolonged capital drought, saw the NHS enter the pandemic with higher bed occupancy rates and fewer doctors, nurses, beds and capital assets than most other high-income health systems The impact less widely known, is that the NHS delayed, cancelled or postponed far more routine care during the pandemic than any comparable health system. Many NHS staff are disengaged, adds Darzi. Without pointing out the terrible impact of Long COVID on healthcare workers, he adds that there are distressingly high levels of sickness absence. Yet Darzi concludes that, Despite the massive gap in capital investment, the NHS has more resources than ever before. The major problem is that the NHS budget is not being spent where it should be and too great a share is being spent in hospitals, too little in the community, and productivity is too low. In fact, the word productivity is used 62 times in the report, linked to the need for a fundamental reform of spending. The report makes no calls for a vast increase in resources to revive the starved health service, with Darzi writing instead that the question is really about how much healthcare value can be created with the resources available. All this is handmade for a Labour government ready to wield the knife, under the cover of reform. For Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Streeting, the word means a further huge expansion of the private sector in the NHS, justified by the need to reduce waiting lists; and increases in workloads with no pay increases. The pair welcomed Darzis report, each delivering a major speech. At the Kings Fund health and social care think tank, Starmer said that Labour would launch a 10-year NHS plan next spring, telling those present, Hear me when I say this No more money without reform Reform does not mean just putting more money in. He went on, Im prepared to be bold even in the face of loud opposition some of our changes wont be universally popular. We know that. Streeting commented in similar terms in an op-ed in the right-wing Sun tabloid, railing against any idea that we can keep ducking reform, if we just spend more money. This wasnt possible as we inherited a 22 billion black hole and a stagnant economy. Speaking to the BBC, Streeting said the status quo of managed decline is not an option, nor is simply pouring ever increasing amounts of taxpayers money into a broken model. He would bring down ballooning costs on the day-to-day spending and improve the productivity of the system. He did not want to end up with an NHS with a country attached. The Labour health secretary has insisted for years that resistance within the 1.4 million strong NHS workforce must be combatted to end the NHSs begging bowl culture. He said Thursday that workers should stop sabre-rattling and abandon any unnecessary threat of collective action. The Suns editorial backed Streeting, saying, Among many mountainous obstacles are unions who will kick, scream and strike over any changes to their conditions or extra demands on staff. But Darzis review was largely welcomed by the health union bureaucracy, whom Streeting is reliant on to help impose the further onslaught on the NHS. His first act on taking office was to meet with the BMAs Junior Doctors Committee and finalise a sellout deal they hope will end a two-year dispute. The Darzi report and Labours response must serve as a warning to NHS workers and the entire working class. In order to prevent the final destruction of the NHS, workers must reject that lie that there is no money availablewhen billions are hauled in by the super rich and military every year. Health workers must build a new rank-and-file leadership, independent of the trade unions, which puts health, education, housing and every other necessity of life above the profits of the ruling class. We urge workers to join and support NHS FightBack, initiated by the Socialist Equality Party, to take this fight forward. Amid a new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, Brazil has seen a consistent increase in the number of cases of the novel coronavirus in recent weeks. It is the second wave of the pandemic this year in the country. COVID vaccinations in the town of Eldorado do Sul (RS), June 2024 [Photo by Marinha do Brasil / CC BY 2.0 According to hugely underestimated data from the Ministry of Health of the government of Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Workers Party - PT), deaths from COVID-19 rose from 229 in July to 334 in August, while cases more than doubled in that period, from 17,964 to 36,970. This increase was also identified by the Todos pela Saude Institute (ITpS), which saw the positivity rate reach 23 percent in mid-August, an increase of 10 percentage points in one month. In September, cases continued to rise. Data released on Thursday showed that the number of COVID-19 cases increased from 7,180 in the epidemiological week of August 25 to 31 to 16,722 from September 1 to 7, while the number of deaths decreased from 89 to 62 in the same period. In total, Brazil has 38.9 million cases and 713,000 deaths from COVID-19. The last two InfoGripe bulletins, published by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) on September 5 and 12, also pointed to a long-term upward trend in cases and, consequently, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 17 of Brazils 27 states, particularly due to the high movement of people between the state of Sao Paulo [Brazils most populous and one of the hotspots of the current wave] and other regions of the country. The InfoGripe bulletin of September 12 also pointed to a higher incidence of COVID-19 cases and deaths caused by SARS. It reported that 32 percent of cases and 52 percent of deaths from SARS in the last four epidemiological weeks were caused by COVID-19, much higher than those caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus (9 percent and 4 percent), Influenza A (14 percent and 25 percent) and Influenza B (3 percent and 4 percent). According to the Ministry of Health, so far in 2024 there have been around 112,000 hospitalizations and 7,000 deaths from SARS, 25 percent of which were from COVID-19. COVID-19, however, is much more than a respiratory syndrome. There is growing evidence of the debilitating effect that SARS-CoV-2 can have on various organs and systems of the body well after the initial infection, a condition also known as Long COVID. In a mid-July interview with Intercept Brasil, Monica de Bolle, a senior researcher at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and an expert in immunology, said: SARS-CoV-2 is a systemic virus. It has been characterized by respiratory disease, so the lay population understands that it is a respiratory virus, but SARS-CoV-2 is not a pure and simple respiratory virus, it lodges anywhere in our body. This, in turn, has been completely ignored by the Lula government. According to de Bolle, There is nothing in Brazil, nothing that the MS [Ministry of Health] has done, to take care of these people [with Long COVID] properly. Theres even a lack of training because SUS [National Health System] physicians wont necessarily know how to identify Long COVID. With unimpeded circulation, new variants of the novel coronavirus have emerged and spread throughout Brazil and the world. In recent months, the global increase in cases has been driven by the KP.2 and KP.3 variants, which have been dubbed FLiRT variants, in reference to mutations at important sites in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, which make them more transmissible. The variants KP.2 and KP.3 descend from the variant of concern JN.1, which was responsible for the global wave of cases in late 2023 and early 2024, including in Brazil. In recent months, the LB.1 variant, which also descends from JN.1, has started to spread around the world. In Brazil, it has already overtaken JN.1, with data from the last quarter (May, June and July) showing that LB.1 accounts for 34 percent of cases. That COVID-19 is still a cause for concern in this fifth year of the pandemic testifies to the total failure of capitalist governments and ruling elites around the world to offer a scientific response to a virus whose effects can be debilitating even for high-performance athletes, as was recently seen at the Paris Olympics. In Brazil, the Lula government has deepened the COVID forever policy of fascistic ex-president Jair Bolsonaro. Since taking office at the beginning of last year, he has abandoned the most basic measures to monitor the pandemic, such as mass testing and monitoring the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage water. Meanwhile, the government continues to misinform the population about the scientific aspects of the pandemic and to carry out a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 that has been a complete fiasco. Positivity rate for SARS-CoV-2 (in green) and other respiratory viruses in Brazil between August 19, 2023 and August 17, 2024 [Photo: Todos pela Saude Institute (ITpS)] Without alerting the Brazilian population that the country is experiencing a new wave of the pandemic, the Lula governments Ministry of Health posted on Instagram on September 7 a series of recommendations to prevent COVID-19. The first and most effective [action] against severe forms of the disease and hospitalizations is the vaccine, according to the Health Ministrys post, followed by physical distancing in suspected cases, hand hygiene and cleaning and disinfecting environments. In the comments section, users of the social network responded angrily to the publication of the government that promised to follow science in its supposed reconstruction of Brazil after the years of destruction by the Bolsonaro government. One of them reads: How come you dont mention MASKS???? It was the masks that saved us before the vaccine and now theyre not even mentioned? Surreal and absurd. Another comment drew attention to the fact that the Lula government is ignoring the scientific knowledge on the transmission of COVID-19: Hand hygiene ... Cleaning the environment, physical distancing?! What is that? COVID is transmitted by aerosols and the only way to prevent it is with effective masks and an air-filtered environment! Its a lot of misinformation, theyre playing games with us!!! Although the Lula government is following the strategy of the worlds ruling elites of limiting its response to COVID-19 to vaccinations, even this has been inadequate and plagued by problems. At the end of last year, it ruled out universal vaccination against COVID-19, which is being offered to children between the ages of six months and five years, the elderly and other specific groups. However, there are increasing reports in the Brazilian media about the lack of COVID-19 vaccines in health centers. In Minas Gerais, the second most populous state in Brazil, the daily O Tempo reported on September 7 that in 52 percent of 211 cities in the state there is no vaccine against the XBB subvariant of Omicron, which is the most up-to-date vaccine against COVID-19 that the Lula government bought. In Sao Paulo, the city of 12 million inhabitants that is the capital of the state of the same name, a report on the g1 website on September 6, titled Parents report lack of COVID-19 vaccine for children in health centers in the capital, showed that of the 164 health centers in the southern part of the city, 79 have no COVID-19 vaccine. At the beginning of May, the Lula government launched a new phase of the vaccination campaign against COVID-19, with the distribution of around 10 million doses of Modernas monovalent vaccine against Omicrons XBB.1.5 subvariant. So far, only 2 million doses have been administered. Further exposing the Lula governments negligence, it announced at the launch of the campaign that its aim was to vaccinate at least 70 million people this year, according to the Ministry of Healths website. In this context, the Lula governments use of Independence Day, on September 7, to supposedly celebrate the resumption of vaccination campaigns, particularly for children, is totally hypocritical. In a report in Folha de S. Paulo in the beginning of July, the director of the Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIm), Isabella Ballalai, said that, contrary to what the Ministry of Health claims, Its not just a question of misinformation, fake news, etc. The biggest factor [in vaccine hesitancy] is lack of information. We also know how important access to doses is. In the Intercept Brasil interview mentioned above, Monica de Bolle reinforced Ballalais observation, denouncing the duplicity and ambiguity of members of the Lula government, including its health minister, Nisia Trindade, who denounced the Bolsonaro governments criminal response to the pandemic, but are now acting as if the virus is less important. For her, this contributes to vaccine hesitancy continuing to rise. As a faithful representative of Brazils corporate and financial rulers, the Lula government is overseeing the destruction of the public health system and other social rights won by the working class. As shown by the governments neglect of the pandemic and it recent freezing of almost 10 percent of the health budget to ensure Lulas new fiscal framework and zero deficit target for this year, any illusions that it might be pressured to change its right-wing trajectory have been completely exploded. The growing strikes that have broken out in Brazil, particularly in various sectors of federal workers against the Lula government, must raise the banner of a scientific response to end the COVID-19 pandemic. For this, it is necessary for the Brazilian working class to unite with its class brothers and sisters around the world in a common struggle for international socialism. A week ahead of Sri Lankas September 21 presidential election, the main capitalist candidates continue to make false promises that they will provide the masses with relief from the governments brutal austerity program. That includes not only the main opposition candidates, Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the National Peoples Power/Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (NPP/JVP), which have neutered and suppressed any struggle against the austerity, but also President Ranil Wickremesinghe who has directly imposed it. At the same time, they reassure big business that they stand byand will implementthe continuing program of deep social cuts and privatisation on which Sri Lankas bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is predicated. The election is occurring amid a global crisis of world capitalismexemplified in unprecedented social inequality, the US-NATO war against Russia, the imperialist-backed genocide of Palestinians, and the embattled ruling elites turn to fascistic and authoritarian forms of rule. The global crisis finds particularly acute expression in Sri Lanka. The capitalist parties contesting the presidential elections are maintaining a deafening silence about these dangerous developments. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP), Sri Lankan section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, and its presidential candidate Pani Wijesiriwardena, are alone in sounding the alarm about the danger of global war, the escalating attacks on democratic rights and moves towards dictatorship. The election comes just two years after the AprilJuly 2022 mass uprising of millions of workers, poor and young people determined to fight government attempts to impose the burden of its economic crisis through skyrocketing prices, shortages of everyday essentials and extended power cuts. This powerful movement, which united Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, cut across the decades-long communalist politics promoted by the Sri Lankan bourgeoisie. Unable to beat back the rising tide of opposition with state violence, President Gotabhaya Rajapakse fled the country in early July and his government collapsed. The mass upsurge, however, was betrayed by the trade union bureaucracy and its political allies who channeled the movement behind the SJB and the JVP/NPPs proposal for an interim government to stabilise the political situation and capitalist rule. This prevented the working class from intervening as an independent political force fighting for workers power with its own socialist solution to the crisis and paved the way for the shattered ruling party of Rajapakse, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), to elevate US stooge Ranil Wickremesinghe into the executive presidency. He negotiated with the IMF for a $US3 billion bailout loan, which the financial institutions Sri Lankan Mission head has described as a brutal experiment. Since early last year, workers have repeatedly mobilised in their tens of thousands against the IMFs social attacks which include a higher value added tax, pay-as-you-earn taxes, huge rises in electricity and water tariffs and the privatisation of state-owned enterprises. These measures are to extract additional revenue from the impoverished masses and guarantee the repayment of foreign debts, defaulted in April 2022. Washington, which dominates the IMF, has used the economic and political crisis to intensify its longstanding efforts to transform Sri Lanka, which sits astride key global shipping lanes, into a key pivot in its preparations for war against China across the Indo-Pacific. The largely discredited capitalist parties, which are haunted by fears of another mass upsurge of workers, youth and the rural poor, have gone through a series of splits. This has resulted in a long list of 38 presidential candidates, many of them fielded and financed by the main contenders to split their rivals votes or promote candidates they support. Wickremesinghe has nervously referred to the protests and strikes against IMF austerity in Kenya, and the recent mass uprising in Bangladesh that forced long-time authoritarian Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country. In the name of national unity, Wickremesinghe has urged his rivals to temper their perfunctory, bad-faith criticisms of IMF austerity, lest they inadvertently raise popular expectations and fuel social unrest. Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe at a public rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, August 28, 2024 [AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena] Wickremesinghe is contesting the election not as a representative of his United National Party (UNP), the grand old party of the Sri Lankan bourgeoisie, but as an independent candidate. The UNP has ruled the country for 37 years out of the 76 since independence. It began its tenure at the head of the capitalist state by abolishing the citizenship and franchise rights of Tamil workers in 1948 and 1949 to divide the working class along ethnic lines. In 1978, the UNP initiated open market policies, destroying tens of thousands of jobs and gutting social rights; in 1983 it provoked the 26-year anti-Tamil communal war, devastating the Tamil minority and the rest of country; and between 19871990 this party massacred thousands of youth from the islands rural south. The UNP split in 2020, with a major faction forming the SJB and contesting the national elections separately. Wickremesinghe was the sole UNP MP elected in the August 2020 national election. During the mass protests Rajapakse appointed him as prime minister in April 2022 and acting president in July. While Wickremesinghe was elected president by MPs from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), its leaders have refused to support him in the current election because he has not accommodated former SLPP ministers in his cabinet. The SLPP is fielding Namal Rajapakse, the son of party leader Mahinda Rajapakse, as its presidential candidate. Another 90 MPs have quit the party, however, forming an alliance to support Wickremesinghe. As election day approaches, Wickremesinghe, bitterly hated by workers and youth for his austerity measures, is desperately trying to woo voters by promising to increase wages for state employees starting in 2025, write off farmers loan debts and cut taxes. At the same time, he has hit out at his rivals who suggests that they could renegotiate the IMF program. He has bluntly warned that any substantive change to the IMF program will lead the financial institution to suspend further loan payments, precipitating the collapse of the Sri Lankan economy. Premadasa, leader of the SJB, an offshoot of the UNP, is demagogically criticising the governments austerity measures, while making false promises of increased employment, higher wages for state employees and cuts in fertilizer prices for farmers. But fearing big business opposition and IMF demands, Premadasa told an election rally on Wednesday that, Sri Lanka cannot remain as a welfare state anymore. Replying to criticism of his so-called poverty alleviation program, Premadasa claimed it would transform the poor into entrepreneurs. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the NPPs presidential candidate, heads the JVP, a petty-bourgeois Sinhala chauvinist party that has spent the last 30 years trying to integrate itself into the political and parliamentary mainstream. He is attempting to win support by falsely posturing as an anti-establishment candidate and appealing to the deep-seated mass hostility to the corrupt bourgeois families which have dominated Sri Lankan politics for decades. Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressing a September 11 rally [Photo: Facebook/nppsrilanka/photos] Notwithstanding this posturing, the NPP/JVP is a pro-capitalist party. Eager to demonstrate its political dependability, Dissanayake has held repeated meetings with US Ambassador Julie Chung and top Indian government officials. Dissanayake began his presidential campaign in August 2023 with empty promises of a better future for allworkers, peasants, fishermen, the unemployed and students. The fanciful theme of his election manifesto is: Rich Country! Beautiful Life! Dissanayake occasionally voices concerns about IMF austerity at public rallies, but this is bogus. Addressing a recent meeting of the partys Business Forum, he categorically declared that if elected president his government would not deviate in any way from the IMFs program. Dissanayake also denounced the UNP and the SJB from the right for promising big increases in state employees wages and declared that these parties did not understand the severity of economic crisis. Any small step [in increasing wages] is deadly, he said. In previous presidential elections, the Tamil nationalist parties based in the North and East of the country usually backed whichever party they considered would provide the best deal for the Tamil elite. While they campaign around the devolution of powers and democratic rights for the masses in these regions, the manoeuvres of the Tamil parties have nothing to do with alleviating the social plight of the Tamil masses. In this years presidential election, the Tamil National Forum, PLOTE, EPRLF and TELO have formed a joint front and fielded former MP P. Ariyanethiran as a common presidential candidate. The main Tamil bourgeois party, Illankai Arasu Kachchi, has split, with one faction backing the SJB leader and the other supporting Wickremesinghe. The Tamil National Peoples Front is calling for a boycott of the election. In line with their perfidious history, the differences between the Tamil parties are purely tactical and centre on how best to secure a deal with Colombo. The Tamil elites, moreover, fully support the geopolitical aims and interests in the region of American imperialism and its partner, India. In this explosive political situation, the SEP, and its presidential candidate Pani Wijesiriwardena, provides the only way forward for Sri Lankan workers, youth and the rural masses. In opposition to all the bourgeois parliamentary parties and the fake-left Jana Aragala Sandhanaya or Peoples Struggle Alliance (PSA), the SEP insists that there is no national solution and no solution within capitalism to Sri Lankas economic crisis. The purpose of the PSA, an alliance that includes the Frontline Socialist Party, Maoists and other middle-class elements is to keep any mass movement of the working class tied to the bourgeois parliamentary framework. While making proclamations about socialism in the abstract, the PSA has not even called for the repudiation of all foreign debts. The SEP is the only party fighting for the mobilisation of the Sri Lankan working class on a revolutionary socialist and internationalist program against the capitalist profit system. This requires the building of action committees of workers in every workplace, neighbourhood and among the rural masses independent of all the capitalist parties and trade union bureaucracies. The SEP calls for the convening of a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and the Rural Masses based on delegates from action committees to discuss and develop a revolutionary program to defend all social and democratic rights under attack from the capitalist class. We call for the repudiation of all foreign debts and the nationalisation of the banks, big companies and the plantations under democratic workers control. These socialist policies require the bringing to power of a workers and peasants government, as part of the struggle for international socialism. We urge you to vote for Pani Wijesiriwardena and join the SEP to take forward the fight for this perspective. TUNIS, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Mohamed Ali Nafti on Friday reiterated Tunisia's commitment to continue supporting the United Nations (UN) efforts in Libya and the mandate of the UN mission. Nafti made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs for Libya in the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Stephanie Koury in Tunis. The Tunisian minister expressed Tunisia's full readiness to contribute to what will support dialogue, consensus and reconciliation efforts to reach a permanent political solution in Libya. For her part, Koury expressed her appreciation for Tunisia's continued support for the UN mediation in Libya and her deep gratitude for Tunisia's fruitful cooperation, support for UNSMIL and all the facilities provided to enable UNSMIL to carry out its tasks. Libya has struggled with fragmentation since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with the oil-rich country essentially divided between a UN-recognized western-based government in Tripoli, supported by the Libyan Presidential Council, and an eastern-based rival administration in Benghazi, led by self-styled Libyan National Army General Khalifa Haftar and backed by the House of Representatives. Suspects are seen at a military court in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sept. 13, 2024. Thirty-seven alleged coup plotters, including three Americans, were convicted and sentenced to death Friday by a Kinshasa military court in a trial against the failed coup of May 19 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Str/Xinhua) KINSHASA, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Thirty-seven alleged coup plotters, including three Americans, were convicted and sentenced to death Friday by a Kinshasa military court in a trial against the failed coup of May 19 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A total of 51 people were tried by a military court in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC, with the hearings broadcast on national television. The three Americans sentenced to death were convicted for the offenses of criminal association, attack and terrorism, including Marcel Malanga, son of Christian Malanga, the alleged leader of the attempted coup. According to the DRC army, an "attempted coup" led by little-known opponent Christian Malanga was "nipped in the bud" early May 19. Six people, including Christian Malanga himself, were killed. The putschists attacked the residence of Vital Kamerhe, then deputy prime minister, before intruding the Palais de la Nation, where the offices of DRC President Felix Tshisekedi are located. The attackers, dressed in military uniforms and displaying the Zaire flag, claimed in video clips circulating on social media that they wanted to "change things in the management of the Republic." Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the DRC from 1971 to 1997. Christian Malanga formed the United Congolese Party in 2010 and advocated for the return of Zaire. In 2017, He created a government in exile in Brussels, Belgium, giving birth to the so-called "New Zaire." Marcel Malanga, who was born in Utah, United States, and two other Americans, stood trial Friday. It is immediately known whether they would appeal their case. Suspects are seen at a military court in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sept. 13, 2024. Thirty-seven alleged coup plotters, including three Americans, were convicted and sentenced to death Friday by a Kinshasa military court in a trial against the failed coup of May 19 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Str/Xinhua) Suspects are seen at a military court in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sept. 13, 2024. Thirty-seven alleged coup plotters, including three Americans, were convicted and sentenced to death Friday by a Kinshasa military court in a trial against the failed coup of May 19 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Str/Xinhua) BARCELONA, Spain, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's recent visit to China could be a "positive" step toward calming trade frictions between the European Union (EU) and China, a Spanish political expert told Xinhua. The prime minister's meetings with Chinese leaders and high-ranking officials could be interpreted as a positive gesture in efforts to help calm tensions, said Just Castillo, professor of East Asian Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Sanchez said at a press briefing before concluding his visit to China on Wednesday that Spain is reconsidering its position on the EU's import tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs). He called on the EU member states and the European Commission to reconsider their positions, stressing that Brussels and Beijing need to find a compromise that avoids a trade war and seeks solutions. "As always, it is a matter of talking about it and seeking solutions within the framework of EU-China bilateral relations," the professor said. Castillo said Sanchez's visit "offers opportunities for dialogue, for negotiation, and for the direct exchange of points of view without intermediaries." On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, "We need to work together and jointly face challenges, which will benefit our companies and consumers and turbocharge the green transition in China, Europe, and even the world." Castillo stated that China views Spain as a crucial economy within the EU and a significant EU member state. Sanchez's visit on Sept. 8-11 should be seen "mainly in economic terms," pointing to the prime minister's participation in the China-Spain Business Forum and his meetings with China's main EV manufacturers, he added. "These visits can provide certain visibility to Spanish companies in that market or in a particular city," the professor said. The European Commission's plan to impose hefty tariffs on Chinese-made EVs has sparked concerns among industry experts and business insiders across Europe. Critics argue that the move may worsen the competitiveness issues of the EU, hinder the region's green transition and escalate trade tensions with China, instead of protecting the European auto industry as intended. A cause of death has been confirmed for former child star Benji Gregory three months after he was discovered dead in his car in Arizona. The 46-year-old actor known for his role on 80s sitcom ALF died an accidental death due to environmental heat exposure, according to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner. Gregory died in the setting of hepatic cirrhosis, per the report, indicating long-term damage had caused scarring on his liver. Its unclear what contributed to the cirrhosis. Gregorys death was announced by his sister Rebecca Hertzberg-Pfaffinger in a July 10 Facebook post, which said the actor was found dead in his car on June 13, along with his beloved service dog Hans. Gregory had gone to a Chase Bank in Peoria to deposit residual checks, but seemingly fell asleep in his car in the stifling heat and never woke up. At the time, Arizona was reportedly enduring its hottest June on record, with temperatures in nearby Phoenix averaging 97 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. According to his sister, the Back to the Future voice actor had a number of other health issues, including a sleep disorder that kept him awake for days at a time. He also suffered from bipolar disorder and depression, she told TMZ. Born on May 26, 1978, Gregory began acting at the age of 5, booking roles on shows such as Fantasy Island, The A-Team, T.J. Hooker and The Twilight Zone. Most famously, he played middle son Brian Tanner in 101 episodes of Alf from 1986 to 1990. Gregory was 15 when he opted to end his onscreen acting career, but continued to do occasional voiceovers for various animated projects. He joined the U.S. Navy in 2004, becoming an Aerographers Mate, the Navy equivalent of a meteorologist, according to his biography on IMDbPro. What Happened to Aundria Bowman? The Heartbreaking True Story of Netflix's Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter Netflix's 'Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter' tells the true story of Cathy Terkanian's fight to find her daughter, Aundria Bowman Courtesy of Netflix Cathy Terkanian and Edward Terkanian in 'Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter' Aundria Bowman, born Alexis Badger, went missing on March 11, 1989. At the time of her disappearance, her adoptive father, Dennis Bowman, told the police that the 14-year-old had run away, alleging that her jacket and some money were missing from their house in Hamilton, Mich. Aundrias disappearance went unsolved for more than 30 years until her her biological mother, Cathy Terkanian, learned of the cold case in 2010 and began searching for the daughter shed given up for adoption as a teenager. Related: The Best True Crime Documentaries to Stream Now For 10 years, she investigated her daughter's disappearance and similar cases in the local area and felt a conviction that Dennis was Aundrias killer. Terkanians suspicions were confirmed when Dennis finally confessed to the crime in 2019. Terkanians relentless quest for justice is chronicled in Netflixs 2024 documentary Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter, directed by Ryan White. Heres everything to know about Aundria Bowmans murder case, including Dennis Bowmans haunting confession and where Cathy Terkanian is now. Who is Cathy Terkanian? Courtesy of Netflix Cathy Terkanian Cathy Terkanian, a retired nurse, is Aundria Bowmans biological mother. She was 16 when she gave birth to Aundria in 1974 and put her up for adoption in the state of Virginia at the urging of her parents. My fantasy was she had the best life, Terkanian told PEOPLE in 2020. Aundria had a closed adoption, but in 2010, Terkanian received a letter from Social Services asking her to get in touch. I thought I was going to meet her, she recalled. Instead, she learned that Aundria had been missing since 1989. Social Services couldnt share the names of the adoptive parents but they did tell Terkanian that her daughter was living in Michigan at the time of her disappearance. Terkanian and her husband, Edward, spent the next decade digging for answers putting pressure on local government and even using a drone to scour the Bowmans property for evidence. Who are Dennis and Brenda Bowman? Netflix Dennis Bowman, Brenda Bowman and Aundria Bowman Dennis Bowman, a former Navy reservist, and his wife, Brenda Bowman, are Aundrias adoptive parents. The couple met in high school and share one biological daughter, Vanessa, who was only 1 year old when Aundria went missing. Vanessas birth was a surprise as Dennis and Brenda didnt believe that they could conceive a child. Into the Fire depicts Brenda as a devoted wife and she has never been charged in relation to her husbands crimes. The Netflix documentary quotes Brenda saying, "I haven't forgotten what he did but I have forgiven... I take my marriage vows seriously." What happened to Aundria Bowman? Courtesy of Netflix Aundria Bowman Prior to her disappearance, Aundria told a friend and her adoptive mother that Dennis was molesting her, per The Holland Sentinel. I looked at her and told her, 'That's a lie, and you know it, Brenda said on the witness stand at Dennis' trial. His confession revealed that on March 11, 1989, he found Aundria packing a bag. She was allegedly planning to run away and report her adoptive father to the police for abuse. The last thing Dennis said to her was, No, you are not, before striking her. The blow caused Aundria to fall down a steep set of stairs and break her neck. Dennis then took her body out to a barn on the familys property, covered it with a tarp and burned her clothes and bag. Days later, he used an axe to cut off her legs so that he could fit Aundrias body in a barrel which he buried. When Dennis and his family moved to another home in Hamilton, he reburied the barrel at their new residence. "I have confessed to the death of Aundria," he wrote in a confession letter in 2019. I have kept it to myself these many years so I could live with Brenda and watch Vanessa grow into a successful young lady. Please with all love I ask you to support Brenda because I have caused her hurt and left her desolate." How did Dennis Bowman get caught? Courtesy of Netflix Dennis Bowman mugshot Before confessing to Aundrias death, Dennis was found guilty of another similar crime. In November 2019, according to The Holland Sentinel, police arrested Dennis for the rape and murder of Kathleen Doyle, 25, which occurred in 1980. A judge handed down two life sentences after Dennis DNA was found on Doyles bedspread. That same year, while being held in the Allegan County Jail in Norfolk, Va., Dennis confessed to Aundrias death and shared the location of her remains during a recorded phone call with Brenda. In 2021, police told News 8 that Dennis also confessed to the 1979 rape and assault of a 27-year-old woman from Holland. Metta McLeod, who appears in Netflixs Into the Fire, also suspects that Dennis is the man who allegedly lured her into his red pick-up truck and attempted to harm her in September 1989 just five months after Aundria disappeared. Dennis wrap sheet also includes a conviction of assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct in 1981, as well as a felony breaking and entering in 1998. Where is Dennis Bowman now? Allegan County Sheriff's office via AP Dennis Bowman mugshot In February 2022, Dennis pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 35 to 50 years in prison for Aundrias murder, on top of his previous life sentences for the rape and murder of Doyle and 20 years for the burglary of her home. He is currently incarcerated at the River North Correctional Center, according to the Virginia Department of Corrections. Dennis is 75. Where is Cathy Terkanian now? Netflix Cathy Terkanian in 'Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter' Terkanian, who lives with her husband in Massachusetts, is still fighting for her daughter. She wants Aundrias adoption annulled and her name changed back to Alexis Badger. Ive got to get that monster's name off of my daughters birth certificate, Terkanian said in Into the Fire. Imagine having to fight that system. But Im going to do it, and Im going to use this [documentary] as the teeth and take it right to the governor. She also wants full custody of Aundrias remains. "I want her body back," Terkanian said during an interview with The Holland Sentinel in February 2022. "Brenda has half of it, she's going to give me half of my child's mutilated body? Somehow that just doesn't give me any peace. She doesn't belong with those people." Dennis will be behind bars for the rest of his life, but that brings Terkanian no comfort. In the final minutes of Into the Fire, she said: Im relieved, but Im still angry. I thought the angry would go away. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. People attend a seminar themed "Strengthening Sino-African Relations: Reflections on Two Decades of FOCAC" at the University of Nairobi in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. The seminar was held here Friday to assess milestones achieved since the inception of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) more than two decades ago. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) NAIROBI, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- A seminar was held Friday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital to assess milestones achieved since the inception of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) more than two decades ago. Senior policymakers, diplomats, scholars and students attended the half-day seminar, themed "Strengthening Sino-African Relations: Reflections on Two Decades of FOCAC." The seminar was organized by the Africa Center for the Study of China, domiciled at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university. Martin Owuor, assistant director of the Asia and Pacific Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that under the FOCAC, Kenya has gained immensely from bilateral ties with China. "Kenya and China have enjoyed warm, cordial relations over six decades," Owuor said. "China has contributed to Kenya's socioeconomic transformation through investments in infrastructure, capacity building, food security, renewable energy and ICT." Owuor noted that Kenya is a major beneficiary of China's proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) even as the East African nation aligns itself with the three initiatives proposed by China covering global development, security and civilization. Zhang Zhizhong, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, said this year's FOCAC summit elevated China-Africa friendship and cooperation to new heights, adding that China committed to advancing modernization in Africa during the three-day summit. The modernization drive, according to Zhang, will in the next three years cover diverse areas such as trade, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, health, agriculture, green development and security. Patrick Maluki, chairman of the Department of Diplomacy and International Studies at the University of Nairobi, said that since 2000, the FOCAC has evolved to become a vehicle for promoting bilateral trade, investments, education and people-to-people exchanges between Africa and China. According to Maluki, as one of the outcomes of the 2024 Beijing Summit of FOCAC, enhancing Sino-Africa collaboration in education and research will be key to addressing threats posed by the climate crisis, epidemics and unregulated use of modern technologies. Peter Kagwanja, chief executive officer of the Africa Policy Institute, a Nairobi-based think tank, observed that the FOCAC's enduring appeal to the Global South, including Africa, has not faded despite geopolitical shifts. The 2024 FOCAC summit, according to Kagwanja, was unique, impactful and incomparable to forums organized by other major powers that have strategic interests in Africa. People attend a seminar themed "Strengthening Sino-African Relations: Reflections on Two Decades of FOCAC" at the University of Nairobi in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. The seminar was held here Friday to assess milestones achieved since the inception of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) more than two decades ago. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) People attend a seminar themed "Strengthening Sino-African Relations: Reflections on Two Decades of FOCAC" at the University of Nairobi in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. The seminar was held here Friday to assess milestones achieved since the inception of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) more than two decades ago. (Xinhua/Wang Guansen) Michaela Mabinty DePrince, the inspirational ballerina who was orphaned in Sierra Leone before being adopted by a New Jersey couple and soaring to the top of the dance world, has died at the age of 29. Her sister, Mia DePrince, announced the death, which comes just days after the death of their adoptive mother, Elaine Mamma E DePrince. I am truly in a state of shock and deep sadness. My beautiful sister is no longer here. From the very beginning of our story back in Africa, sleeping on a shared mat in the orphanage, Michaela (Mabinty) and I used to make up our own musical theater plays and act them out. We created our own ballets. She would choreograph, and I was the composer and conductor, she said. When we got adopted, our parents quickly poured into our dreams and arose the beautiful, gracefully strong ballerina that so many of you knew her as today. She was an inspiration. No cause of death was provided. Ballet dancer Michaela DePrince poses on July 12, 2012, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Gallo Images She attended the American Ballet Theatres Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, became a principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem and then danced with the Dutch National Ballet before joining the Boston Ballet in 2021. At just 16 years old, Michaela appeared as one of the main dancers in the documentary First Position featuring students vying for a spot at an elite ballet school and then at 17 was featured on Dancing With the Stars. Michaela DePrince and Ade Chike Torbert on Dancing With the Stars. Adam Taylor She would go on to appear in Beyonces Lemonade music video. Michaela also had a big role in Brandi Carliles music video for her song The Joke. She also wrote a memoir called Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina as well as a childrens book, Ballerina Dreams, to inspire the next generation of dancers. Ballet icon Misty Copeland, who became the first African American woman to be named principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre in 2015, said she was devastated by this news. In her 2021 book Black Ballerinas, Copeland, 42, recalled taking the young dancer under her wing at ABTs Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. She was a prodigious talent and the first darker-skinned dancer I witnessed come through the program, Copeland wrote. Colorism is without a doubt an issue in the professional ballet world, and her vitiligo differentiated her aesthetic even further. On Michaelas official social media pages, a spokesperson described her short life as one that was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength, and someone whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond. DePrince was also a dedicated humanitarian, advocating for children affected by conflict and violence. She served as an Ambassador for War Child Holland and hosted her gala, Dare to Dream, dedicated to promoting the well-being and mental health of children living in war zones, the spokesperson said. The Boston Ballet also remembered DePrince. Were sending our love and support to the family of Michaela Mabinty DePrince at this time of loss, the ballet said, dedicating an Instagram post to her memory. We were so fortunate to know Mabinty; she was a beautiful person, a wonderful dancer, and she will be greatly missed by us all. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Prince Harry is set to inherit millions on his 40th birthday. Here's how he and Meghan Markle make and spend their money. Prince Harry is set to inherit millions on his 40th birthday. Here's how he and Meghan Markle make and spend their money. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left their royal roles in 2020 to become "financially independent." Later that year, they signed a deal with Netflix reportedly worth $100 million. Prince Harry is set to inherit millions from the Queen Mother when he turns 40 on Sunday. Prince Harry will reportedly inherit millions from a trust fund set up by the Queen Mother when he turns 40 on Sunday. However, that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the fortune he and his wife, Meghan Markle, have amassed since their decision to become financially independent from the royal family in 2020. From lucrative deals with Netflix and Spotify to both of their book deals, the couple have made a fortune profiting from public interest in their post-royal lives. However, they have also run into controversy over the years. In June 2023, reports emerged that Markle and Harry had ended their partnership with Spotify and that they would not receive the full $20 million payout from their Spotify deal. Here's a look at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's combined net worth, and how they spend their money. In January 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared their decision to be "financially independent" from the royal family. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Phil Noble/Pool/Getty Images "We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen," their January 2020 statement read. "We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honor our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages." In the couple's interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, Prince Harry said the primary reasons for their leaving their royal roles was a "lack of support and lack of understanding" from both the media and the royal family. Harry told Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 that the royal family cut him off financially after he and Meghan "stepped back" from being senior royals. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spoke with Oprah Winfrey for their first sit-down interview since leaving their royal duties. Handout/Getty Images Harry said he stopped receiving any financial support from his family in "the first quarter of 2020," the same time that the couple released their statement that they were working toward becoming financially independent. According to King Charles III's financial report from 2021, the offices of Prince William and Kate Middleton continued to be paid for from His Royal Highness's private income. A senior Clarence House spokesperson said that Harry and Meghan received a "substantial sum" from Charles to make their transition to financial independence easier. Meghan Markle, King Charles III, and Prince Harry attended Trooping the Colour in 2018. Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images However, the spokesperson also told the BBC that the couple officially stopped receiving funding in the summer of 2020. There's no officially recognized figure for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's worth in 2024. Business Insider reported in 2020 that the couple was worth at least $30 million, citing 2018 estimates from Money.com, which were made before the couple inked their Netflix deal. In February 2021, several months after the Netflix deal was announced, Forbes put their estimated net worth at $10 million. Harry and Meghan have also relied on inheritance from his mother's estate. Princess Diana, Prince William, and Prince Harry visited Thorpe Park in 1993. Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images Prince Harry inherited an estimated $10 million from Princess Diana's estate after her death on August 31, 1997, Forbes reported. "I've got what my mum left me and without that, we wouldn't have been able to do this," Harry told Winfrey in March 2021. "She saw it coming, and I certainly felt her presence throughout this whole process." Harry will also reportedly receive millions from a trust fund when he turns 40 on September 15, 2024. Prince Harry was included in a trust fund set up by the Queen Mother. KOLA SULAIMON/AFP via Getty Images The Times reported that when Harry turns 40, he will receive 8 million, or about $10.5 million, from a trust fund created by the Queen Mother in 1994 for her great-grandchildren. The Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II's mother, died in 2002 at the age of 101. Prince William also received an inheritance when he turned 40, though it was reportedly less than his brother's because of William's position as heir to the throne and his income from the Duchy of Cornwall. The Times reported that William received 23.6 million from the estate in 2023. When the fund was created by the Queen Mother, it was believed to be worth about 19 million. All inheritances will be distributed as a tax-free lump sum. "It was a way in which the Queen Mother could set aside money for when her great-grandchildren were older and a way of passing a slice of her estate down in a tax-efficient way," a spokesperson said of the fund, The Times reported. "It was a way in which some of her estate could be ring-fenced for them." He earned around $50,000 a year from his job as a captain in the British Army. Prince William and Prince Harry both served in the military. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Prince Harry served in the Army for 10 years, including service in Afghanistan. Forbes estimated that his salary as a helicopter pilot was between $50,000 and $53,000. Before she left acting to join the royal family, Meghan Markle had an estimated net worth of $5 million. Meghan Markle was an actor before joining the royal family. Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images Town & Country reported that the actor earned $50,000 for each episode of "Suits" and a combined $360,000 from her roles in the 2010 movies "Remember Me" and "The Candidate." She also ran the successful lifestyle blog The Tig, which she shut down after getting engaged to Harry. Meghan Markle acted on "Suits." Ian Watson/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty Images She made around $80,000 a year from sponsorships and endorsement deals. Meghan Markle is also a published New York Times bestselling children's book author. Meghan Markle wrote "The Bench" based on a poem she gave Harry for Father's Day. Facundo Arrizabalaga - Pool/Getty Images, Penguin Random House "The Bench," inspired by a Father's Day poem she wrote for Prince Harry, was published on June 8, 2021. The children's book spoke about the relationship between a father and son from the perspective of a mother. It featured illustrations by Christian Robinson and became a New York Times bestseller within a week of its release. The Sun reported that Markle potentially got a $700,000 advance for "The Bench." Prince Harry's autobiography, "Spare," was released in January 2023. He reportedly received a $20 million advance for the book. Prince Harry released his memoir, "Spare," in 2023. Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images, Penguin Random House The book's title refers to the "spare" title he received as the brother of the heir to the British throne and the fact that he will likely never become king. In the book, Harry opened up about his complicated relationship with William, calling him both his "beloved brother" and "arch nemesis." The New York Times reported that Harry received a $20 million advance for "Spare" as part of a multi-book deal, according to sources close to the negotiations. Forbes reported that Harry pledged to donate proceeds from the book's sales to charity and donated $1.5 million to Sentebale, a charity that supports children and young people affected by HIV and AIDS. In September 2020, Meghan and Prince Harry founded their own production company and signed a deal with Netflix reportedly worth $100 million. Prince Harry and Meghan struck a deal with Netflix in 2020. Photo by Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images "Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope," the couple said in a statement. "As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us." Their Netflix documentary series, "Harry & Meghan," which premiered in 2022, follows the couple as they navigate post-royal life. They shared intimate details of their life together and new photographs in the series. Meghan and Harry also received $30 million for a three-year podcasting deal with Spotify. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also signed a deal with Spotify. Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool/Getty Images Forbes reported that the couple did not produce any content for the platform in 2021, which led Spotify producers to step in. Meghan Markle later released her own Spotify podcast, "Archetypes." "Archetypes is the podcast where we explore and subvert the labels that try to hold women back. Here's where we dismantle them with action," the podcast's description reads. However, in June 2023, reports emerged that Meghan and Harry were no longer working with Spotify and that there wouldn't be a second season of "Archetypes" on the platform. It was also reported that Meghan and Harry would not receive the full $20 million payout from their Spotify deal. "The podcast will no longer be produced at Spotify as we are mutually parting ways," a spokesperson for Archewell Audio, the couple's production company, told Business Insider. In February 2024, Meghan announced that she had signed a new partnership with Lemonada Media, Deadline reported. Meghan announced in March that she would be launching her own lifestyle and alcohol brand, American Riviera Orchard. Meghan Markle announced her brand, American Riviera Orchard, in 2024. Mark Cuthbert/Getty Images The New York Post reported that the brand will sell tableware, drinkware, kitchen linens, jams, marmalade, cookbooks, and other products, according to a trademark application filed by Meghan's lawyers and reviewed by the outlet. Tatler also reported in June that the first product available for purchase by the public will be rose wine, adding Meghan to the list of celebrities who have their own alcohol brands. Harry and Meghan's charity organization Archewell was temporarily deemed "delinquent" in 2024 before the matter was resolved. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended a volleyball match in Nigeria in May 2024. Emmanuel Osodi/Anadolu via Getty Images On May 13, NBC reported that the Archewell Foundation, the charity the couple founded in 2021, had been found delinquent in California and had to pause fundraising efforts. The state claimed that the organization had not paid its annual registration fees or submitted an annual report. NBC reported that a source close to Archewell responded that the "group's initial check was lost in the mail" but that they had resubmitted payment and the issue would soon be resolved. On May 14, NBC reported that the charity was no longer delinquent. "We have diligently investigated the situation and can confirm that The Archewell Foundation remains fully compliant and in good standing," a spokesman for Archewell said in a statement, NBC reported. "Due payments were made promptly and in accordance with the IRS's processes and procedures. Furthermore, all necessary paperwork had been filed by the Foundation without error or wrongdoing." After stepping back from their roles as senior royals, Meghan and Harry repaid the 2.4 million, or $2.9 million, cost of renovating their home, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. Meghan and Harry previously lived in Frogmore Cottage. zz/KGC-09/STAR MAX/IPx 2019/AP The cost of renovating the home was originally paid for by British taxpayers through the Sovereign Grant, according to the BBC. The couple paid back the money in 2022 after signing the deal with Netflix. They purchased their first home together, an estate in Santa Barbara, California, in July 2020 for $14.65 million. The couple later purchased property in Santa Barbara, California. Jordan Siemens/Getty Images Vogue reported in 2020 that the pair settled in the private and exclusive neighborhood of Montecito. The publication also reported that, according to property records, the royal couple bought their 14,500-square-foot home for $14.65 million. They put down $5 million, leaving them with a $10 million mortgage, Forbes reported. "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved into their family home in July of this year," a spokesperson for the couple told Business Insider in August 2020. "They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors, as well as for them as a family." Meghan and Harry have received criticism for their use of private jets to travel. Prince Harry and Meghan were married in 2018. Steve Parsons/pool photo via AP In December 2022, The Independent reported that Markle traveled by private jet for the second time in a week to attend an awards ceremony with Prince Harry in New York. She was previously seen boarding a private jet in Indianapolis after appearing at a female empowerment event in the city, The Independent reported. Their use of private jets has raised questions about environmental impact, The Times reported. When asked about his family's use of private jets at an event in 2019, Harry said, "I spend 99% of my life traveling the world by commercial. Occasionally there needs to be an opportunity based on a unique circumstance to ensure my family are safe, and it's genuinely as simple as that." He added, "For me, it's about balance." Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also pay for their own security. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have fought for the UK to pay for their security costs while in the country. Rosa Woods - Pool/Getty Images However, in 2022, the couple were fighting for official police protection while in the United Kingdom. "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the UK," according to a statement released in January 2022, NBC reported. Meghan and Harry appeared to receive official royal security protection when they traveled to the UK for Prince Philip's and later Queen Elizabeth II's funerals, Fox News reported. Read the original article on Business Insider When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Tamzin Outhwaite, Jo Joyner and Angela Griffin star in Channel 5 drama The Wives. | Credit: Channel 5 Get ready to immerse yourselves in a world of sun, sea, sand and secrets in Channel 5's scintillating new six-part thriller, The Wives. Running over three consecutive nights from Monday, starting this week and continuing next week and set in sun-kissed Malta, it stars TV favourites Angela Griffin (Waterloo Road), Tamzin Outhwaite (The Tower) and Jo Joyner (Shakespeare & Hathaway) as three sisters-in-law whose lives unravel as they return to their usual island bolthole where a fourth "wife" mysteriously disappeared a year earlier. Married to the Morgan brothers, Sylvie, Natasha, Beth and Annabelle and their families have been holidaying together at their lavish apartments in Malta every summer for the past 15 years. Sylvie (Tamzin) was always happily married, Natasha (Angela) was rich, while Beth (Jo) and Annabelle (In The Clubs Christine Bottomley) were thick as thieves. As they reunite this year, however, things have changed. Sylvies single and ready to mingle, Natashas in financial dire straits, Beths lost her identity and Annabelles missing and presumed dead! So when Annabelles widower Charlie (Strike Backs Jamie Bamber) arrives with his new girlfriend Jade (Grace's Katie Clarkson-Hill) who looks just like Annabelle the wives are determined to find out what really happened last summer. Angela Griffin Jo Joyner Tamzin Outhwaite star in The Wives "Its a real feminine feast of friendships and fatalities," teases Angela, as we catch up with the 48-year-old actor alongside Tamzin, 53, and Jo, 47, to get the lowdown on this Maltese mystery What do we learn about the wives at the centre of the drama, Sylvie, Natasha and Beth? Tamzin: "Sylvie, Natasha and Beth who have been thrown together through being married to the Morgan brothers are at a real crossroads. My character, Sylvie, is telling everyone shes having a midlife crisis. I actually think that, post-divorce, she's having a rebirth; shes a 50-something woman who knows what she wants and this is the beginning of her new life." Angela: "These three women are all quite peacocky and showy about how brilliant life is but, underneath, each one of them has a secret. When we meet Natasha, her daughter's gone off to university, and she and her husband Sean (Catastrophes Jonathan Forbes) are, financially, not in as comfortable a position as they've been previously. But, as the saying goes, you never know whats really going on behind closed doors." Jo: "Whats lovely about The Wives is the characters are all so different theyre almost like middle-aged Spice Girls! Beths the most traditional of the three. When we meet Beth shes already feeling lost. As she hits middle age, and her sons are heading off into the world, shes struggling with what her place is within the family. Also, shes really missing Annabelle; its becoming her obsession in that something doesn't feel right about her death..." Natasha (Angela Griffin), Sylvie (Tamzin Outhwaite) and Beth (Jo Joyner) in The Wives Are there suggestions that Beth is perhaps a little 'unhinged'? Jo: "In the beginning, she's definitely on her own with the belief theres more to Annabelles disappearance but then theres a pivotal event for the three women where a discovery is a bit too close to home. At that point, Natasha and Sylvie, realising that Beth might have been onto something, pick up the baton and run with it!" Tamzin: "Thats right. As revelations come to light, Sylvie and Tash take on more of a detective-y role. What starts off as a relationship drama takes a thriller turn." The wives enjoy lots of boozy nights together were those scenes fun to film? Jo: "Ah yes. Any of the scenes with the three of us drinking wine and shouting were my favourite. I seem to be alright at drunk acting I have no idea how that could be!" Tamzin: "Basically, these women are clinging onto their youth by coming to Malta year after year and having a whole summer of continuous drinking. They probably can't do what they used to do - but they're having a really good go at it!" Jo Joyner plays Beth Morgan in The Wives What was it about this drama and the characters that appealed and that you could relate to? Tamzin: "Firstly, the fact that its called The Wives because I feel that the majority of people watching TV are women of a certain age but we don't often see ourselves on TV. The fact that Sylvie is dating much younger men and being confident with it was a really lovely thing to play. People don't ask female actors in their Forties and Fifties to film scenes of intimacy very often and Im not prudish, so I found that quite liberating." Angela: "Yes, like Tamz, I recognised all of the women. I recognised the stages they were at in their life; what happens to women when all of a sudden you've got to redefine who you are as a woman, in the world, with your friends and when you're not being called mum. What you do as a woman once your kids have flown the nest is something I really wanted to dig into. And, of course, the idea of spending three months working in Malta was very appealing." Angela Griffin as Tasha Morgan Tamzin Outhwaite as Sylvie Morgan What was it like filming in Malta? Did you get to do any sightseeing? Jo: "I filmed Channel 5s For Her Sins in Malta, so it has a special place in my heart. I love the people, the vibe, the wonderful mix of Mediterranean and Arabic food, the culture, and how safe the capital city of Valletta feels on a night out. So far, Malta doesnt feel as if its been taken over by tourists - so I should probably keep my mouth shut!" Angela: "It was hard work! We shot a lot in a short period of time. It was really windy, it wasn't quite summer, and there were lots of obstacles, but it was so worth it. We didn't see half as much of Malta as I would have liked as Tamz, Jo and I were in scenes quite a lot but when we weren't in, we were out out. Outside of filming, wed go down to the local fishing village, enjoy some incredible dinners and we went into Mdina, also known as the Silent City. So we were really getting around while drinking LOTS of tequila!" The Wives starts on Monday, September 16, showing over three consecutive nights, at 9 pm on Channel 5. Continues the following week. 2024 fall foliage predictions: These maps show when to see peak fall colors in NH Fall is almost here in New England, which means New Hampshire is about to erupt in fall colors. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, leaves can change their color from as early as mid-September all the way through early November. However, the exact timing of fall colors, as well as how vivid they are, depends on the location and weather of the year. Many weather factors can affect the fall color show, including drought, precipitation and warmer temperatures. The Climate Prediction Center predicts a warmer-than-average fall for nearly the entire U.S., which can lower the intensity of autumn colors, but the Old Farmer's Almanac still predicts a great year for fall foliage in New England, recommending people take a trip to the White Mountains for the show. And they're not the only ones. Here's a look at two of the other key forecasts. Where and when leaves are predicted to change Here's a breakdown of how the 2024 foliage is predicted to change across the U.S., according to maps from the Smoky Mountains website: As seen in these maps, the vibrant fall hues which New Hampshire is so well-known for are expected to peak in the first half of October. The region's colorful foliage displays bring in about ten million leafpeepers each year. Here is a map from AccuWeather showing the best month for autumn colors across the country: Like the Smoky Mountains, AccuWeather predicts that New England's best month for foliage will be October, with most of the region peaking in the early or middle parts of the month. According to this map, northern corners of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine could see an earlier peak in late September, while Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts will peak later in October. More: Visit these six Eastern Mass. parks and trails to view great foliage this fall How leaves change color in the fall As plants receive less and less sunlight in the shortened days of fall, the production of chlorophyll, a substance which makes the leaves appear green by saturating them through turning sunlight into glucose, slows down. Without chlorophyll, the "true" color of leaves comes through, according to the Smoky Mountains website. Changed leaves then begin to fall off their branches as the trees close off their veins in preparation for protection in winter, meaning the leaves no longer receive nutrients and therefore weaken at the stem. SOURCE: The National Forest Service, SmokyMountains.com, ExploreFall.com Doyle Rice and Janet Loehrke of USA Today contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Fall foliage 2024 NH: Maps show when and where for peak color Rotisserie chicken can make up a filling meal that comes together quickly on busy weeknights. Perhaps most importantly of all, the rotisserie chicken generally doesn't have surprises. Especially when it comes to Costco's rotisserie chicken -- sold at the low price of $4.99 -- customers typically know what to expect. They may even know useful tips for picking out the best one. However, Costco shoppers in Taiwan may notice that rotisserie chicken appears slightly different. Available in a plastic food bag similar to the one offered in the United States, but with a flame motif, the Taiwanese Costco rotisserie chicken comes with the head still attached. Whether chicken comes with or without its head, it seems that consumers worldwide can't get enough. Costco sold 137 million rotisserie chickens in 2023, the company's CEO, Ron Vachris, revealed in a shareholder meeting. Meanwhile, Taiwanese people are consuming record highs of poultry, primarily chicken. While a rotisserie chicken with an intact head may be a shock to U.S. customers, it could indicate freshness to others. Either way, Costco's presentation goes to show how it adapts its offerings to different regions. In fact, learning about how different ingredients are used across the globe is a great way to appreciate culinary traditions from near and far. Read more: A Guide To Buying Salmon At The Grocery Store Cultural Symbolism Of Chickens In Taiwan Kirkland rotisserie chickens in plastic bags - Macky Albor/Shutterstock While the average American shopper may be wondering why Costco's rotisserie chickens are pulled from shelves after two hours, they may also be curious to learn about the roots behind the Taiwanese practice of keeping the head on a chicken. The tradition is rich in cultural symbolism, especially around the holiday season, and Costco has seemingly taken note. For one, serving the entire chicken indicates a sense of togetherness and family unity. Specifically when it comes to the Lunar New Year, which is celebrated in Taiwan, a whole chicken can be seen as a harbinger of luck in the coming year. This belief is similar to a tradition of the American South, in which collard greens, beans, and rice are seen as symbols of luck for the New Year. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the removal of a chicken's head is also a known ritual in Taiwan. After being accused of wrongdoing, a person would take an oath and then behead a chicken. The beheading of the chicken offered an opportunity for the accused to advocate for their innocence while providing a chance for all involved parties to discuss the conflict. Benefits Of Eating The Whole Chicken Whole chicken in a pot of soup. - Whitewish/Getty Images If you're looking to be more environmentally conscientious in the kitchen without giving up on meat, eating the whole chicken may be the right move. Food waste plays a significant role in creating harmful greenhouse gasses, but if you are eating the bird whole, fewer leftovers will be thrown out. To get comfortable with whole chicken recipes, you could try cooking a whole poached chicken. Served with an effortless dipping sauce made with raw ginger scallion, the Cantonese dish taps into the chicken's natural flavor. If you're looking to try something more advanced, consider the black silkie chicken soup. Though the skin of a silkie chicken is dark, its flavor remains familiar. Black chicken soup is thought to contain medicinal properties thanks to Chinese herbs, ginger, and goji berries and is traditionally served to new mothers after giving birth. Dishes like black chicken soup have nutritional benefits since chicken heads are packed with glucosamine and chondroitin, known to be beneficial for joint and hip health. Though eating a chicken head may seem daunting to some, cooking the head kills bacteria and renders the practice of eating the head safe. Whether you're looking to cut down on environmental waste or are hoping to try out new recipes, the practice of eating whole chicken could be worth introducing into your culinary routine. Read the original article on Chowhound. Based on the headlines this week, it seems too many Americans dont have any Haitian friends - and certainly dont understand their rich food culture. I say this because of the nonsensical, bigoted and tired trope about immigrants eating people's cats and dogs that former President Donald Trump regurgitated during Tuesday's presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. This time, the trope sprang from a social media post about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. It's not just mean and stupid: It's the kind of far-right dog whistle that can also be dangerous. Anyone lucky enough to have Haitian friends and food in their lives knows about the complex flavors of soup joumou, a Sunday-only squash and beef soup, or the famed citrus-marinated pork shoulder, griot. They know about the spicy deliciousness of the condiment of condiments: pikliz. And they surely know the queen of all rums: Haiti's famed Rhum Barbancourt. "Po diab pou yo." Too bad for them. Not one to miss an opportunity to talk about food, I reached out to Miami-based, award-winning chef Alain Lemaire, who has appeared on the "Luda Can't Cook" series on Discovery+ with rapper, actor and restauranteur Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. We talked Haitian food, Haitian families, and what cooking and eating together means to Haitian people. Chef Lemaire even blessed this column with a recipe at the end. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The opinions above are those of Carli Pierson and do not reflect the opinions of Chef Alain Lemaire. What made you get into cooking and why Haitian food? It was a necessity to cook for myself: What I wanted to eat and when I wanted to eat. I was born and raised in Haiti. Growing up in the Caribbean in the '80s and '90s, there was a strict policy of "Whatever there is to eat at the house, you have to eat it." Alain Lemaire in Pembroke Pines, Florida, in 2024. I paid attention to how they cooked the dishes I loved. So, when my mom was at work, I would go back in the kitchen and recreate them for myself. What were your favorite dishes as a kid? This is going to sound ridiculous but we eat spaghetti for breakfast. So, there were two meals I loved cooking. One was spaghetti and the the other was bulgur wheat with beef and sauce: It's called "ble." I mastered these growing up. Immigrants aren't eating pets: Tell Trump I have 'proof' Vance ate my cat Where in Haiti did you grow up? Port-au-Prince, in Delmas. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. When did you decide to make a career of cooking? After graduating high school in 2000, I came to Miami. While I was back home in Haiti, I was trying to decide what I wanted to pursue. In Miami, I had a friend who was going to a culinary program at Johnson & Wales, and when I came I fell in love with the program right then and there. What kinds of reactions do you see from people trying Haitian food for the first time? Chef Alain Lemaire holds a plate of salmon, mussels and cherry tomatoes The shocked expressions when they taste our dishes. It's not a unilateral landscape of flavors: It's layers of flavors. Especially if the food is well seasoned. Also, our Haitian cuisine is a mix of African, French, Spanish and even some Middle Eastern flavors. When you talk about the slave trade, the spice trade, migration from Arab countries: Everyone brought their spices and flavors with them. This is what Haitian cuisine is all about. What is your favorite dish to cook now if you had to pick one? That's difficult. It would have to be lalo: It's more dominant in the central part of Haiti. It's a dish made with jute leaves and some people add crabs and beef, also. Traditionally, it's served with white rice and "sos pwa" (pepper sauce). Trump lies about immigrants hide truth: They pay their share of taxes What would you like people to know about Haitian food and Haitian people? Haitian food is very rich, flavorful; it's bold, fresh and in your face. It is the heart of what we represent because food for us is not only about nutrition, but it brings everybody together. Every celebration involves food. It's about unity and strength. Our food also comes out of struggle, the fight we have to endure and out of making the best of what we have available. Chef Lemaire's creole chicken with cashews recipe Chef Alain Lemaire's creole chicken with cashews. Photo taken on January 10, 2020. Yield: 4 servings Prep time: 4 hours Cooking time: 45 minutes Total time: 4 hours and 45 minutes Ingredients: 4 chicken leg quarters, cut in two 6 ounces tomato paste 1-quart chicken stock or broth 6 ounces epis: Blended thyme, garlic, parsley, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, sometimes oil or citrus, onions and sweet peppers 1/2 cup cashew halves, toasted 2 tablespoons finely ground cashews 1 bouquet garni (wrapped up in a cheesecloth): 3 thyme sprigs, a bunch of parsley stems, 2 heads of scallions, 1 habanero pepper, 5 whole peppercorns, 2 whole cloves and 3 heads of garlic 1/2 green bell pepper, julienne 1/2 yellow onion, julienne canola oil for cooking salt and pepper to taste Method of preparation: Season chicken with epis, salt and pepper. Place in a container and let marinate overnight or for 3 to 4 hours. Heat a dense pot, add some oil and sear chicken in small batches until golden brown on each side. Remove and set aside. In same pan, add tomato paste and cook on low heat until well dissolved. About 2 minutes. Pour in chicken stock/broth then mix in cashew powder until well dissolved. Add chicken pieces, and bouquet garni. Make sure chicken is at least three-quarters submerged. Adjust seasoning, bring to a boil then let simmer. Once chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165F, and sauce is silky, add cashew halves, onions and peppers. Let cook for an additional 7 minutes. Serving suggestions: Serve with white rice and avocados. Carli Pierson is a Voices/Opinion editor at USA TODAY. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is traditional Haitian food? It's about strength and spice McDonalds Is Giving Out 50-Cent Double Cheeseburgers for National Cheeseburger Day Plus More Deals The fast food chain also announced that the $5 Meal Deal will also remain on the menu through December McDonald's, Lauren DeCicca/Getty McDonald's Double Cheeseburger; French Fries McDonald's has a fun deal to celebrate National Cheeseburger Day. On Wednesday, Sept. 18, the chain restaurant will sell double cheeseburgers for only 50 cents in celebration of the foodie holiday. Customers can take advantage of this deal by ordering through the McDonald's app. This isn't the only discount McDonald's is boasting. The $5 Meal Deal will also remain on the menu through December. The popular offer includes a McDouble or McChicken sandwich, fries, chicken McNuggets and a soft drink. At the time, McDonald's president said in a statement that they heard their fans "loud and clear." "Theyre looking for even more great value from us, and this summer thats exactly what theyll get, McDonald's McDonald's Double Cheeseburger Related: McDonalds Is Changing the McFlurry Cups and Introducing a Mini McFlurry McDonald's summer deals are also here to stay. In June, the chain announced that they would be giving out free french fries every Friday for the remainder of 2024. Free Fries Friday, which officially started in July, has become a fan-favorite deal, where customers can redeem a medium Fries with a minimum purchase of $1. 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. McDonald's, Lauren DeCicca/Getty McDonald's Double Cheeseburger; French Fries The company has seen lots of changes in recent months. On Sept. 4, McDonald's announced they would give the McFlurry a makeover and create a miniature version of the frozen treat. The sustainable containers began their rollouts in restaurants across the country on Sept. 10, along with Mini McFlurrys, which are reportedly a third in size of the original McFlurry. Lauren DeCicca/Getty McDonald's French Fries Related: McDonalds New Collectors Meal Comes with 1 of 6 Cups Decorated with Beanie Babies, Hello Kitty and More Wendy's is also dishing out a competitive National Cheeseburger Day deal for the holiday. The chain's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger will cost only 1 cent with any purchase from Sept. 18 to 22. Burger King will also be giving out free Cheeseburgers with any purchase on Sept. 18. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. One person has died and two others are injured after a house exploded in northern Ohio on Friday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: The explosion was reported around 1:30 p.m. on Hook Road in Springfield Township, which is in Richland County, according to WOIO in Cleveland. When first responders got to the scene, they found the home to be leveled and the basement on fire. A man and woman were inside the home. The woman died from her injuries, WEWS reported. The man was taken to an area hospital and his condition is currently unknown. There was also a woman outside the home when it exploded. She was also taken to the hospital with injuries. Her condition is unknown at this time. The State Fire Marshal was asked to assist the Springfield Township Fire Department in investigating the cause of the explosion. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A suspect remains at large after a shooting left a man hospitalized in L.As Vermont Square neighborhood Friday night. Officers responded to reports of a shooting near Normandie Avenue and 49th Street at around 7:30 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Arriving officers located a victim with gunshot wounds at the scene. He was described as a man in his 30s and was found unconscious but still breathing. He was rushed to the hospital where he remains in unknown condition Friday night. A gunman remains at large after a shooting left a man hospitalized in the Vermont Square neighborhood of Los Angeles on September 13, 2024. (Citizen) A gunman remains at large after a shooting left a man hospitalized in the Vermont Square neighborhood of Los Angeles on September 13, 2024. (Citizen) A gunman remains at large after a shooting left a man hospitalized in the Vermont Square neighborhood of Los Angeles on September 13, 2024. (Citizen) A gunman remains at large after a shooting left a man hospitalized in the Vermont Square neighborhood of Los Angeles on September 13, 2024. (Citizen) A gunman remains at large after a shooting left a man hospitalized in the Vermont Square neighborhood of Los Angeles on September 13, 2024. (Citizen) A gunman remains at large after a shooting left a man hospitalized in the Vermont Square neighborhood of Los Angeles on September 13, 2024. (Citizen) The suspect fled the scene in an older model Lincoln sedan. He is described by police as a Black man around 30 to 40 years old. The weapon used by the shooter was a semiautomatic handgun, LAPD confirmed. No further details on the suspect were released. The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call LAPD at 1-877-527-3247. 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. 1 killed, 1 hurt after pickup truck allegedly runs through fence onto I-65 in Warren County BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (FOX 56) A Bowling Green man has died, and an Ohio man has been taken to the hospital after a crash on I-65 at the 22-mile marker on Friday. According to the Kentucky State Police Department (KSP), troopers were called around 7 p.m. on Friday about a crash on I-65. Search continues for suspected I-75 shooter Joseph Couch in rugged Kentucky terrain A preliminary investigation by law enforcement showed that Manuel Garcia, 37, of Bowling Green was driving a 1997 Ford F-150 on Cumberland Trace road when he allegedly drove off the road, ran through a fence, and entered I-65 heading north. When Garcias F-150 entered the interstate, he allegedly crashed into a truck driven by Abdiaziz Shirdon, 35, of Columbus, Ohio, KSP said in a news release. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene by the Warren County Coroners Office, authorities said. Shirdon was taken to the Bowling Green Medical Center where he was treated for his injuries. The investigation into the crash remains 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 FOX 56 News. BEIJING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Saturday expressed firm opposition to other countries' actions aimed at provoking China or harming China's sovereignty on the pretext of "freedom of navigation." Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a question about two German warships sailing through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, citing "freedom of navigation." Naval and air force troops of the People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command monitored the warships throughout the transit, Wu said, noting that freedom of navigation does not equal willful trespassing, nor should it be used to provoke China or harm China's sovereignty and security. The Chinese military remains on high alert and will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and firmly safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, he said. These 11 Sacramento coffee shops are now serving customers Sacramentos burgeoning coffee scene continues to expand, with new spots featuring global brews, unique breakfast bites, and community-driven atmospheres. Highlights include Sips & Scoops offering classic Italian treats, Anchor & Tree Coffee Roasting Co.s educational roasting experiences, and Zoe Coffee and Tacos traditional breakfast tacos. For more food and drink news, subscribe to our newsletter. The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists. Iced coffe with vanilla ice cream called affogato in Italy on a rustic wooden table No. 1: New Sacramento-area cafe serves up coffee, ice cream. Heres the scoop A new cafe is serving up coffee and ice cream at a Sacramento-area mall. | Published June 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Hanh Truong Anchor and Tree Coffee Roasting Co. storefront in midtown, Sacramento on Tuesday, Feb. 13. No. 2: Sacramento coffee shop opened in midtown at old yoga studio. Whats on the menu? A locally-owned coffee roaster recently opened its first coffee shop in midtown Sacramento. | Published Feb. 13, 2024 | Read Full Story by Jacqueling Pinedo Terra Forte co-owners Miriam Ponce (left) and Francisco Quintero (right) pose for a photo behind their coffee bar at 1125 Second St. on Friday, March 1, 2024. The coffee shop opened on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. No. 3: Want a cup of joe from Mexico? Colombia? This Sacramento coffee shop has you covered A new coffee shop opened in Sacramento with a mission it hopes will set it apart from competitors. | Published March 2, 2024 | Read Full Story by Brianna Taylor No. 4: This new Latin American-inspired cafe opened in Sacramento. See where and the prices The cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. | Published Jan. 30, 2024 | Read Full Story by Jacqueline Pinedo No. 5: Sacramentos newest coffee shop serves breakfast tacos on homemade tortillas. Where is it? The menu includes pupusas and cornmeal jalapeno and cheddar scones. | Published June 3, 2024 | Read Full Story by Jacqueline Pinedo No. 6: New coffee shop opens in Elk Grove with drinks and bites. Its been amazing, owner says Tule Coffeehouse in Elk Grove opened its doors on April 30. | Published May 10, 2024 | Read Full Story by Brianna Taylor Persimmon trees planted many years ago by Moinca Guillens father, Bonifacio Ulatan, now shade the patio and are used in some of the dishes prepared at the Tree House Cafe in West Sacramento on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. No. 7: Magical West Sacramento cafe embodies farm-to-fork with fruit grown on site. What I ate This coffee destination opened in 2019, but our reporter Brianna Taylor recently checked it out with a $25 budget and her new favorite book. Heres what happened. | Published July 27, 2024 | Read Full Story by Brianna Taylor No. 8: New juice, tea and coffee bar now open in this Sacramento County city. It has a specialty The spot sells fruit tea, smoothies and coffee. | Published March 27, 2024 | Read Full Story by Hanh Truong No. 9: New coffee shop opens in this Sacramento neighborhood. Whats on the menu? The cafe specializes in Yemeni-style coffee and small bites. | Published April 29, 2024 | Read Full Story by Angela Rodriguez No. 10: Brazilian coffee shop returns to midtown Sacramento with a second location. See where The local coffee shop chain moved its flagship store to downtown in 2023. | Published Feb. 7, 2024 | Read Full Story by Hanh Truong Purple Tree Cafe employee Tone Martinez rings up a customers order on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at the cafe, which is housed inside the MIND Institute at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Martinez, who is on the autism spectrum, works up to nine hours a week at the cafe. Many of the cafes employees have mental, physical and/or developmental disabilities No. 11: At this Sacramento cafe, you can support people with disabilities by buying vegan pastries Most pastries are wheat-free in addition to being vegan, such as peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies and coconut macaroons, and all cost less than $4. | Published June 13, 2024 | Read Full Story by Benjy Egel This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division. JACKSONVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) A 13-year-old is facing legal trouble in Jacksonville after police said the teen implied they had a gun at Jacksonville Middle School. Police officials said the Investigative Division was made aware that on Thursday, the teen made verbal statements to others saying he had a gun. These statements were made outside the school building at the end of the school day. After speaking to all of the parties involved, officials said they determined no gun had ever been displayed or seen. They also determined that the teen did not have a gun at the time of the incident and did they have access to guns at their home. Nonetheless, the teen was still placed under arrest for disorderly conduct and was later released to a family member. The case will be turned over to the Morgan County States Attorneys Office and the Morgan County Juvenile Probation Department. More Central IL school districts address threat trend This incident came amidst a nationwide surge in threats toward schools this week. The day before investigating the teenagers statements, Jacksonville Police also investigated potential threats toward the school district. Those threats were deemed not credible, officials said, and they were not connected to the statements the teenager made. The Jacksonville Police Department, along with Jacksonville School District 117, are committed to the safety and security of the students and faculty, department officials said. We encourage anyone with information regarding online or in-person threats at our schools to report them immediately. The Jacksonville Police Department wishes to thank all of those parents, faculty, and students who quickly reported all of the events that transpired this week. 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. BRANDON, Miss. (WJTV) Brandon police are investigating after an 18-year-old motorcyclist died due to a collision with another vehicle. The crash occurred on Highway 18 at West Sunset Drive around 4:30 p.m. on Friday, September 13. Inmate dies after being found unresponsive at federal prison in Mississippi Brandon police said a green 2024 Kawasaki motorcycle and a gray 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe collided at the intersection. The motorcyclist was identified as Greyson Huff, 18, of Brandon. Huff was treated at the scene by Brandon Fire Department and transported by Pafford Ambulance to Merit Health Rankin. He died at the hospital, according to police. The Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) Accident Reconstruction Team responded to assist in the investigation of the crash. Police said this is an ongoing investigation, and criminal charges are possible. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 WJTV. AUSTIN (KXAN) A nearly $3 million grant from the Texas Education Agency is helping expand STEM educational access to Texas students statewide. Since 2020, Learning Undefeated has operated a mobile STEM lab that travels around Texas to bring hands-on learning opportunities to students. With the one mobile STEM lab, Learning Undefeated serves approximately 30 schools each year; following the grant award, the organization will expand its fleet to nine mobile labs, allowing connections with hundreds of schools annually. Janee Pelletier, Learning Undefeateds chief marketing officer, said hundreds of teachers request visits from the mobile labs. Now, she said the organization will be able to meet more of that demand and offer robust STEM learning for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Its hard for us to get hundreds of requests and only have one mobile lab to serve the entire state, she said. So were very excited to be building a Texas-sized program for this big state of ours. And with the new program, well be able to see almost 300 schools every year. Students participating in lessons in Learning Undefeateds mobile STEM labs (Courtesy Learning Undefeated) Students participating in lessons in Learning Undefeateds mobile STEM labs (Courtesy Learning Undefeated) Students participating in lessons in Learning Undefeateds mobile STEM labs (Courtesy Learning Undefeated) Students participating in lessons in Learning Undefeateds mobile STEM labs (Courtesy Learning Undefeated) Students participating in lessons in Learning Undefeateds mobile STEM labs (Courtesy Learning Undefeated) Students participating in lessons in Learning Undefeateds mobile STEM labs (Courtesy Learning Undefeated) Students participating in lessons in Learning Undefeateds mobile STEM labs (Courtesy Learning Undefeated) Students participating in lessons in Learning Undefeateds mobile STEM labs (Courtesy Learning Undefeated) Learning Undefeated offers 16 different activities on the mobile STEM labs, incorporating math, reading, engineering and scientific methods into the lessons. The various lessons cater to different age groups, Pelletier said, such as kindergarteners learning about how to build a better house to withstand hurricane-level winds from none other than the Three Little Pigs. Students are challenged with problems, so they design something, they build it, test it, try again and then ultimately come to a solution, she said. While Learning Undefeated serves at least one school campus in each of Texas educational regions, Pelletier said the organization does laser in on rural communities that might not have the same field trip opportunities or hands-on learning access that more urban areas do. TEXAS STEM NEWS: UT launches nations first undergrad robotics program that allows freshman applicants Right now, two additional mobile labs are being manufactured. Its sort of like building the shell of a bus or a camper, she said. They build the outside first, and then it gets all of its wiring and all of the bells and whistles. Those two labs are projected to roll out in January, with a complete nine-lab fleet expected to be operational by August 2025. From there, Pelletier said theyll operate regionally to maximize the time spent on school campuses and minimize time spent on traveling across the state. That time spent in classrooms is critical, she added, noting reaching students at an early age can instill in them not only the skillset needed to thrive in the STEM-based fields but also the curiosity, perseverance, grit and resilience to serve them in life. By reaching these students at an early age, they will develop the confidence that they need to understand that there is a place in science, technology, engineering and math for them, Pelletier said. So whether or not these students choose a STEM career, and hopefully they will, but even if they dont, were hoping that were developing humans with the capacity to be innovative and to be creative and resilient to help move us forward into the many years to come and invent amazing new things. Learning Undefeated outlines resources online for Texas teachers interested in requesting a mobile STEM lab visit. More details on the organization are available online. 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. BOISE, Idaho (ABC4) An explosion at an Idaho gas station on Wednesday left two dead and two others critically injured, according to the Idaho Dept. of Insurance. The explosion occurred at a gas station in Cardiff, Idaho, Wednesday afternoon. Two were taken to the hospital with severe burns and it was believed there were other victims. Investigators from the Idaho State Fire Marshals Office sifted through the debris of the fire Thursday morning. The focus Thursday morning was the difficult task of locating any victims. Unfortunately, two victims were located and turned over to the custody of the Clearwater County Coroners Office, the department stated in a press release. The State Fire Marshals Office offers its heartfelt condolences to the family of these two victims and hopes for a speedy recovery to the others injured in this devastating incident. Family of Utahn sentenced to death in Congo speaks out Courtesy of Clearwater County The amount of fuel around the scene due to the explosion proved to be an obstacle for investigators, officials said. An investigation team from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is assisting with the investigation into the cause of the explosion. It is still way too early to even speculate the cause of this tragic event, Idaho State Fire Marshal Knute Sandahl said. Piecing together the events leading up to the explosion and fire could take several weeks. We must be methodical and thorough. This is an evolving, time-consuming, and complex investigation. Collaboration and cooperation with everyone involved in this investigation is paramount. We ask for patience while we piece together the events leading up to incident, Sandahl said. The identities of the deceased have not been released at this time. No further information is currently 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 ABC4 Utah. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Two people from Rochester are accused of robbing a postal worker of his keys and stealing mail last year. Shyasia Kelis McCullough, 23 and Malik Shameer McCray, 24, face a number of charges in the case, including unlawful possession of USPS mailbox keys, mail theft, robbery of a USPS letter carrier and conspiracy. According to prosecutors, June 5, 2023 the pair worked together to rob a letter carrier of his keys on Lake Avenue in Rochester. Its alleged McCray ran up, stole the keys off the carrier quickly without speaking, then took off into a nearby vehicle (identified as a 4Runner) which was initially parked on Birr Street. The letter carrier sustained a minor scratch during the incident, according to court paperwork. According to investigators, the texts above show McCullough (or Eskay S.K for Shyasia Kelis) encouraging McCray to rob the carrier, writing U [McCray] gotta scare him [the carrier] and make sure he dont see u again bro. Jus get up on him when he least expectedIt 100,000 [allegedly the cash reward for the crime] on the line take a deep breath and jus go for itHe not stronger then you. (Photos provided). The two were later arrested in Gates on June 9, 2023 after the vehicle they were allegedly driving was spotted by a Gates Police officer. Around midnight that day, the officer pulled the driver of the 4Runner over. According to prosecutors, McCray was driving, and McCullough was his passenger. McCray was initially arrested at the scene for traffic violations, and McCullough was taken into custody to be interviewed by investigators when she allegedly failed to provide officers with documentation of why she had restrictions on her license. That same day, officers executed a federal search warrant on the 4Runner where they said they found numerous pieces of evidence, including numerous cell phones, ski masks, blank check stock paper, invoices, and portions of what appeared to be invoice remittance slips, bank credit/debit cards and identifications in names other than MCCULLOUGH and MCCRAY. A few days later on June 11, 2023, an officer found what appeared to be the stolen keys in his patrol car on the ground; the same vehicle that was reportedly used to transport McCullough on June 9. This image was sent to a contact in McCrays iPhone June 5, 2023, the same day the robbery occurred, according to investigators. (Photo provided). Investigators recovered numerous messages between McCullough, McCray and at least one other person allegedly from before, during and after the robbery. (Note: no one else mentioned in the complaint (ie: Roy, as pictured below) was reportedly charged in this incident, its unclear what their full role was, if anything). Investigators said they believe this text (from June 6, 2023, the day after the robbery) shows McCullough suggesting that McCray gets paid $100 for every piece [they] hit in exchange for his role in the robbery. (Photo provided). Note: News 8 did censor vulgar language visible in this photo. Days later on June 8, 2023, its alleged McCullough (named Lokdin in this chat) started a new conversation. Investigators claim the conspiracy often stole from USPS collection boxes on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays in the area of East Avenue and University Avenue. (Photos provided). Note: News 8 did censor vulgar language visible in this photo. The charges the suspects are facing carry a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. 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 RochesterFirst. 20-year-old gang member sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2022 Fort Worth fatal shooting A 20-year-old former street gang member was sentenced to 30 years in prison in connection to a 2022 shooting that killed a man, according to the Tarrant County District Attorneys Office. Ivan Powes sentence comes as he pleaded guilty to charges of murder, engaging in organized criminal activity, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, court documents show. The District Attorneys Office said Powe shot into a crowd of people on Nov. 30, 2022, leading to the death of 32-year-old Cortney Deshun Guy. When Fort Worth police responded to the shooting call that day in the 1500 block of East Robert Street, they found both Guy and a 45-year-old woman shot. Guy died and the woman was critically injured, police said. Officers arrested the first suspect that day, 26-year-old Jerome Hall, when he attempted to flee the scene in a vehicle, ensuing a chase, according to police. Hall was charged in Dec. 2022 with evading arrest and was later charged with murder. Court documents show Hall is also facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and engaging in organized criminal activity. He faces anywhere from 15 years to life in prison if convicted. His plea bargain requests 25 years in prison, according to court documents. 23andMe is close to settling a proposed class action lawsuit filed against the company over a data breach that compromised 6.9 million users' information. According to the preliminary settlement filing, the DNA testing company has agreed to pay $30 million to affected customers, as well as to conduct annual computer scans and cybersecurity audits for three years. A website will be built to notify people eligible to a portion of the settlement fund and to facilitate payments. Affected users will also be sent a link where they can delete all their information from the service, and they'll be able to enroll to a three-year Privacy & Medical Shield + Genetic Monitoring program for free. A judge still has to approve those terms. In October 2023, the company admitted that the DNA Relatives profile information of roughly 5.5 million customers and the Family Tree profile information of 1.4 million DNA Relative participants had been leaked. It later revealed in a legal filing that the bad actors started breaking into customer accounts in late April 2023 and that they had access to its systems until September that year. It said that the hackers used a technique called credential stuffing, which uses previously compromised login credentials to access customer accounts. The breach led to several class action lawsuits filed against the company, including one that accused 23andMe of failing to notify the plaintiffs that they were specifically targeted for having Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. In the settlement agreement [PDF] for the consolidated lawsuit, 23andMe noted that it "denies the claims and allegations set forth in the Complaint" and that it "denies that it failed to properly protect the Personal Information of its consumers and users." According to Reuters, 23andMe describes its financial condition as "extremely uncertain." In its financial report for the 2024 fiscal year, it revealed that it earned a total revenue of $220 million, down 27 percent from a $299 million revenue the year before. A huge chunk of the settlement money will come from cyber insurance, though, which the company expects to cover $25 million out of the $30 million total. Three Americans were sentenced to death by a military tribunal in Kinshasa on Friday, along with 34 other participants in a failed coup this summer in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 21-year-old Marcel Malanga, 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, and 21-year-old Tyler Thompson were among 50 suspects for whom prosecutors sought the death penalty, though 14 were acquitted. Malanga is the son of coup architect Christian Malanga. At the time of the attempted overthrow of DRC President Felix Tshisekedi in May, the American DRC Ambassador Lucy Tamlyn condemned the coup attempt and promised U.S. cooperation. We are cooperating with authorities in DRC to the fullest extent possible, as they investigate these criminal acts and hold accountable any American citizen involved, she wrote in a post to X. State Department spokesperson Matt Miller told NBC News that the U.S. would continue to monitor proceedings as the men appealed, noting that the U.S. wouldnt pass judgment on the threes guilt. We understand that the legal process in the DRC allows for defendants to appeal the courts decision," Miller said. The U.S. has not declared the three men wrongfully convicted. The May 19 coup attempt targeted Economy Minister Vital Kamerhe and other Congolese officials after President Tshisekedi postponed a parliamentary election. It was quickly foiled by security forces, leaving six dead, including four coup participants. The central African country went through decades of civil wars and internal strife for decades before ratifying its constitution in 2006 and holding its first multi-party, free elections since 1960. Minor skirmishes between political factions have continued in the decades since. Tshisekedi was elected to the presidency in 2018 and again in 2023, though detractors have refused to accept the latter election's results. 3 arrested in murder of Bedford man who was shot, burned inside his own car, officials say Three suspects, including a juvenile, have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a 20-year-old Bedford man whose body was discovered inside a burning car in East Texas, officials said. On Sept. 1, the Rusk County Sheriffs Office and fire units responded to a vehicle fire. Human remains were discovered inside the car, according to a social media post from the sheriffs office. Investigators suspected foul play and sent the body to Dallas for identification. The victim, Kameron Montre Anderson of Bedford, was found to have been shot several times, officials said. Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said at a Sept. 7 press conference that they believe Anderson was lured to the area through social media and was shot at a Smith County residence. His body was placed inside the trunk of his own vehicle, which was driven to neighboring Rusk County and set on fire. Rusk County Sheriff Johnwayne Valdez told reporters at the press conference that investigators have been in touch with Andersons parents and are trying to piece together his life. What kind of guy was he? What did he do? What were his hobbies? Those things are crucial in this investigation, Valdez said. Because thats the only way were going to find out what could have possibly made this case start to evolve to the point to where he lost his life and was burned up in his own car. Andersons parents have described their son as your normal, everyday kid, according to Valdez. The victim lived with his mother, and theres been nothing to indicate Anderson was involved in something that could have led to his murder. He was somewhat of a gamer, he just loved life, loved being around his family, his friends, Valdez said. The two sheriffs offices, along with the Texas Rangers, are cooperating on the investigation. Eighteen-year-old Nathaniel Hall from Troup was identified as a potential suspect, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On Sept. 4, a police officer in Tyler initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle with five people, and one of them turned out to be Hall. He had an AR-15 rifle and a 9 mm handgun in his possession that were found to be stolen. The 9 mm handgun has been submitted for testing, but Smith and Valdez declined to share information about what type of weapon was used to kill Anderson and how many times he was shot, citing the ongoing investigation. Hall has been booked into the Smith County Jail on a capital murder charge. His bond was set at $2 million, according to officials. Investigators interviewed Halls mother and sister, and learned he was hanging out with 21-year-old Jasmine Williams of Tyler and a 16-year-old friend the night of the murder. According to Smith, a witness overheard them talking about doing a rip, which means to rob someone in street terminology. The 16-year-old, who hasnt been identified because of their age, was located at a Tyler apartment complex. The juvenile attempted to flee, but was eventually arrested by Tyler police and booked into the Smith County Juvenile Detention Center. Williams was surrendered to the Smith County Sheriffs Office by her mother on Sept. 8 and is currently being held in the Smith County Jail on a $1 million bond, officials said. Theres no indication that Anderson knew any of the suspects. Officials arent looking for any other suspects, and said there is no ongoing threat to the community. Investigators are working to get information from the victims home computer, which is how they believe Anderson was contacted and lured to East Texas. They are also trying to get information from the cloud connected with the victims phone. This is gonna be a case thats going to last a while, Valdez said. When youre dealing with a capital murder suspects, you want to make sure that everything is done the way it should be done. More top stories from our newsroom: See how your school did in Fort Worth ISD A-F scores Public calls for firing of officer who shot driver after hit-and-run Candidates threaten to sue Tarrant County over voter access [Get our breaking news alerts.] China's rapidly expanding global economic presence is underscored by its ability to host major trade fairs like the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), according to a Turkish scholar. #GLOBALink On Thursday, President Joe Biden celebrated the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act. (VAWA). He had reason to celebrate because he, as a U.S. senator then, authored the legislation that forged a new path forward for survivors of gender-based violence. Through the tireless advocacy of tribal leaders, Native advocates each VAWA Reauthorization has improved public safety for tribal communities, as the first comprehensive federal law to focus on preventing and addressing violence against women and to provide justice and support for survivors. 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 promise of VAWA is being turned into action as the Biden-Harris administration continues to implement the VAWA Reauthorization Act of 2022s expanded protections and services, including for survivors from underserved and marginalized communities, as well as investments in prevention, and new protections against online harassment and abuse. To mark the 30th anniversary of this landmark legislation, today the Biden-Harris administration announced new actions to increase funding to address gender-based violence and support survivors; meet the housing needs of survivors; address online harassment and abuse; support states in using federal funds to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers; strengthen enforcement to narrow the boyfriend loophole; and support youth exposed to domestic violence. Democratic National Commitee Native Causus Chair Clara Pratte (Navajo) issued this statement to commemorate the 30th anniversary: Thirty years ago, as a leader in the Senate, Joe Biden brought members of Congress together to pass the historic Violence Against Women Act to address domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault. Thanks in part to this groundbreaking legislation and its subsequent reauthorizations, instances of domestic violence have declined significantly, dropping 67% from 1993 to 2022. While VAWA was an important step forward in putting an end to domestic violence, it is our duty to continue to fight for a safer country for future generations of women and girls. The Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022, built upon the legacy of this historic law, included much needed expansion of special criminal jurisdiction of Tribal courts to cover non-Native perpetrators of sexual assault, child abuse, stalking, sex trafficking, and assults on Tribal law enforcement officers on Tribal lands. The act also supports the development of a pilot project to enhance access safety for survivors in Alaska Native villages. On this VAWA anniversary, we remain committed to building upon this law to put an end to the epidemic of domestic violence so that all Americans can live their lives safe from abuse and violence. About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. " Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net Four senior ISIS leaders were killed in last month's U.S.-Iraqi military raid in western Iraq including the group's top operations leader in Iraq and its chief bombmaker for whom the United States had offered a $5 million reward, the U.S. military said Friday. The four ISIS leaders were among the 14 ISIS fighters killed in the Aug. 29 raid on four locations in western Iraq. Seven American service members who participated in the raid were injured. PHOTO: The Pentagon seal in the Pentagon Briefing Room in Arlington, Va., on Sept. 1, 2021. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE) "This operation targeted ISIS leaders and served to disrupt and degrade ISIS' ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond," the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Friday. MORE: US carries out defensive airstrike in Iraq: Officials "As part of the on-going post-raid assessment, CENTCOM can confirm that four ISIS leaders were killed including: Ahmad Hamid Husayn Abd-al-Jalil al-Ithawi, responsible for all operations in Iraq, Abu Hammam, responsible for overseeing all operations in Western Iraq, Abu-'Ali al-Tunisi, responsible for overseeing technical development, and Shakir Abud Ahmad al-Issawi, responsible for overseeing military operations in Western Iraq," it added. Abu Ali al-Tunisi was described by the Rewards for Justice website as "the leader of manufacturing for ISIS in Iraq." "He has conducted training for ISIS members, including instruction on how to make explosives, suicide vests, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Al-Tunisi also provided advanced training on weapons development and the manufacturing of chemical weapons." CENTCOM had said earlier that some of the ISIS militants in the raid were armed with grenades and were wearing explosive suicide belts. 4 ISIS leaders killed in raid that left 7 US service members injured originally appeared on abcnews.go.com 4 killed as heaviest rain in decades hits parts of central and eastern Europe At least four people have died, thousands of homes have been damaged and hundreds have been evacuated after some of the heaviest rain in years hit central and eastern Europe. A slow-moving low pressure system dubbed Storm Boris dumped a months worth of rain onto several of Europes historic capitals, including Vienna, Bratislava and Prague. Four people have died in Romania, where the rainfall left hundreds stranded in flooded areas. Rescue services have been launched in hard-hit counties as authorities warn that they have recorded the heaviest rainfall in 100 years over the past 24 hours. Rescuers assist the locals on a flooded street in Pechea, Romania, on Saturday. - Romanian Emergency Services Galati via AP A car drives on a flooded street in Braunau am Inn, Austria. - Manfred Fesl/APA/AFP/Getty Images The effects were most critical in seven localities, Romanias Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu told CNN affiliate Antena 3. They have already intervened there to save 95 people. Sadly four people have been found dead in their houses or yards. Rivers burst their banks in Poland and the Czech Republic. In Polands south, authorities ordered the evacuation of residences in the town of Glucholazy. The level of the river Biala Glicholaska rose by two meters, or 6.5 feet, overnight into Saturday. After a difficult night and hundreds of incidents reported Polands Interior Minister, Tomasz Siemoniak told TVN24 they were focusing on what the threats will be in the next few hours. Significant flooding is expected to continue in the Czech Republic, where authorities have ordered mandatory evacuations for some areas. Footage released by the Czech Republic Fire and Rescue Service showed flooded streets in the southern Benesove nad Cernou municipality, where two women who didnt follow evacuation orders had to be rescued by boat. Firefighters fill sand bags in Glucholazy, southern Poland. - Sergei Gapon/AFP/Getty Images A flooded house during heavy rain in Mikulovice, Czech Republic. - Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images The swollen Biala River in Glucholazy, southern Poland. - Sergei Gapon/AFP/Getty Images In Germany, southern and eastern states in particular are preparing for flooding. Flood warnings have been issued for rivers in the state of Saxony. In neighboring Austria, heavy rainfall has caused water levels to rise in several rivers, leading to rescue services being called out to parts of the country overnight. Widespread and significant flooding is expected to continue through the weekend. Red alerts, the highest level of warning, have been issued for portions of Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia. This level of alert is associated with intense meteorological phenomena and major damage is likely, according to Meteoalarm. CNN meteorologists Taylor Ward, Allison Chinchar, and Elliana Hebert contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. At first archaeologists thought they had unearthed copper wire, but in reality, they found four Viking Age silver bracelets. . | Credit: Volker Demuth, Archaeological Museum, University of Stavanger Archaeologists in Norway have discovered a Viking Age treasure that had remained "untouched" for more than 1,000 years. The four silver bracelets had been buried nearly 8 inches (20 centimeters) in the ground on a mountainside in Ardal, a village in southwestern Norway, according to a translated statement from the University of Stavanger . "This is definitely the biggest thing I have experienced in my career," Volker Demuth , an archaeologist and project manager at the Archaeological Museum at the University of Stavanger, said in the statement. Archaeologists found the bracelets ahead of construction of a new tractor road. Because some of the ninth-century jewelry had twisted designs, researchers initially thought they had unearthed copper wires in the soil. "At first I thought it was a question of some twisted copper wires that you can often find in agricultural land, but [then] I saw that there were several lying next to each other and that they were not copper at all, but silver," Ola Tengesdal Lygre , a staff engineer at the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger, said in the statement. "I realized that we had found something exciting." Related: 'Spectacular silver treasure' from Viking Age unearthed by college student on farm in Denmark Further exploration revealed that the location once housed a "large and powerful" Viking Age (A.D. 793 to 1066) farm comprising multiple houses for people and animals, according to the statement. The researchers found the buried bracelets within one of the smaller structures, which likely housed enslaved individuals. "This is a unique find, because we very rarely find such objects exactly where they were placed," Demuth said. "As a rule, such valuable objects are discovered on fields that have been plowed, where an object has been completely taken out of its original context. Since the silver hoard has not been moved, it can give us completely new insights into life and society in the Viking Age." In addition to the jewelry, researchers discovered an array of artifacts, including soapstone pots, rivets, knife blades and whetstones for sharpening tools. There's also evidence that the farm had been burned down, which "coincides with a period of great unrest in the Viking Age," according to the statement. RELATED STORIES Viking sword with 'very rare' inscription discovered on family farm in Norway Norwegian family finds 1,200-year-old Viking treasure while searching for lost earring in their yard Viking Age ship burial may be hiding beneath Norwegian farm, iron rivet hints "If people who lived on this farm had to flee from an attack, it would be natural to hide away the valuables you had before escaping to the mountains," Demuth said. "And perhaps in a place where you would not have thought that a treasure was hidden." The researchers noted that Norway didn't have silver mines at that time, so the silver for the bracelets likely came from abroad, likely through trade, gifts or looting. However, they're not the only silver jewelry found in this region; the bracelets' design resembles that of silver necklaces found in Hjelmeland in 1769, according to the statement. The block of earth surrounding the bangles has been X-rayed at the Archaeological Museum. Next, the researchers plan to take soil samples to learn, for instance, whether the bracelets were wrapped in cloth during burial. More than 44 years after 23-year-old Mary Robin Walter was found murdered in her trailer home in Great Bend, one of her former neighbors has been sentenced for killing her. Back in the 1980s, after she was shot to death, the case went cold. Authorities over the years would occasionally revisit it. Dozens of law enforcement officers looked at it. But to no avail. That was until 2022, when a sharp detective convinced the Barton County sheriff to reopen and examine the evidence using contemporary techniques and technology developed long after Walters killing. The sheriff, Brian J. Bellendir, said he was skeptical authorizing manpower and resources for such an old crime. But the sleuthing paid off when evidence pointed to Steven L. Hanks as the culprit. The four-decade wait for justice culminated Thursday in a judge handing down a 10- to 25-year prison sentence to Hanks, now 70. Steven L. Hanks was arrested in 2022 after he confessed to killing Mary Robin Walter in Great Bend in 1980. A neighbor of Walters, he was a suspect early on, but the case went cold. Authorities reopened the case and conducted new interviews - including of him - in 2022. The Kansas Attorney Generals Office said Friday that Hanks confession during a new interview finally solved the case. I was 18 years old and a senior in high school when this homicide occurred. I remember it well, Bellendir wrote in a Friday news release announcing Hanks sentence. By 1982 I had started with the Sheriffs Office as a reserve deputy and have been associated with the Barton County Sheriffs Office ever since. I worked for the four Sheriffs that preceded me and this homicide has haunted all of us. It bothers me that many of the people who were so affected by this tragic crime have since passed away prior to bringing the suspect to justice. I consider myself fortunate that I had the resources and the diligent personnel to close this case. The credit for solving this homicide goes to the dedicated officers that had the tenacity to bring it to a conviction. In all, it took 44 years, 7 months and 19 days from the date of Walters murder until Hanks learned he would spend the next several years locked up. No conclusive evidence Walter, a young wife and mother going to nursing school at Barton County Community College, was shot multiple times at Nelson Trailer Park in Great Bend, where she lived, on Jan. 24, 1980. Police got the call about a homicide there around 6:50 p.m. that day. The trailer park, like many things associated with cases so old, no longer exists. It was adjacent to the site of the Great Bend Municipal Airport, The Eagle previously reported. Officers found the murder weapon, a .22-caliber handgun, at the scene. But exactly who was responsible for such a brutal crime eluded them. Hanks, who was 25 and a neighbor at the time, was among early suspects who were interviewed, but he was never arrested or prosecuted, likely because no conclusive evidence was discovered, according to Bellendirs release and previous reporting by The Eagle. Mary Robin Walter was living in this trailer home in Great Bend when she was murdered in 1980. She was a young wife and mother who was attending nursing classes at the local community college. Despite the investigative efforts of the Great Bend Police Department, the Barton County Sheriffs Office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the case went cold. And many people, including Hanks, moved on. But it wasnt long before Hanks was caught up in another crime, a 1981 Barton County case involving a rape, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and aggravated battery that landed him in prison until 1991, when he was released on parole in Cowley County. Fresh eyes, new interviews & a confession When Detective Sgt. Adam Hales decided to put his efforts into the Walter murder case in mid-2022, no one had actively investigated it since at least 1982, Bellendir said previously. Lt. David Paden and Detectives Travis Doze and Brian Volkel put their eyes on the case, too. The fresh look made clear that some information had been initially overlooked and some had been added at a later date that the original investigators hadnt been aware of, Bellendir said in 2022. The officers spent the next stretch consolidating hundreds of documents accumulated over 40 years into an organized case file, indexing items and figuring out what interviews were there and what information was missing. They then submitted DNA for testing (although that didnt lead anywhere) and conducted several interviews, although many of the original witnesses and investigating law enforcement officers had died by then. Eventually, their diligence paid off. By October 2022, new evidence had been uncovered. Sgt. Detective Adam Hales and Lt. David Paden re-interviewed Hanks. ... In his interviews, Hanks admitted to killing Walter, the Kansas Attorney Generals Office said in a news release Friday. It was enough to lead in December 2022 to a warrant and arrest for Hanks, who was still in Cowley County, living in Burden, at the time. Mary Robin Walter was killed at her home at Nelson Trailer Park in Great Bend in 1980. The park no longer exists. Her murder was finally solved after four decades in 2022. Oldest Kansas murder case solved yet The arrest was the oldest linked to a homicide case in Kansas at the time, Bellendir has said. It also closed the last open homicide case that the Sheriffs Office was the lead agency on, he said. We believe this is the oldest cold case in the State of Kansas to be solved and result in a conviction, Bellendir said Friday in his news release. In April of this year, a judge bound Hanks over for trial on one count of second-degree murder following a preliminary haring. In August, Hanks changed his not-guilty plea to guilty, court records show. He was sentenced Thursday, about a month ahead of when he would have been due in court for a jury trial had he not taken a plea, according to court records. Because the crime happened in 1980, Hanks was sentenced under the state law in effect at that time, which called for a 5- to 25-year sentence and not under current statute, Bellendir said. But Barton County District Judge Steve Johnson departed from Hanks plea agreement and doubled the minimum amount of time he must serve. Johnson ruled Hanks must spend at least 10 but not more than 25 years in prison for the killing, Bellendir said. I am grateful for the diligence of Sgt. Det. Hales and Lt. Paden and the Barton County Sheriffs Office for providing Robins family with closure after all this time, Associate Deputy Attorney General Jessica Domme, who prosecuted the case, said in a statement included in the attorneys generals news release. Robins killer was finally brought to justice because of their dedication and commitment to this cold case. Contributing: Michael Stavola of The Wichita Eagle Cold case: Kansas man arrested 42 years after a woman was fatally shot in Great Bend 1992 murders at bridal shop unsolved but not forgotten by womens families Young kids rarely vanish. But its happened in Kansas at least six times since 1977 Letter: Authorities think missing Wichita infant is dead PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Five people have been sentenced to prison for their roles in an execution-style killing of a Bend man in 2021, Gresham Police Department announced Friday. After months of hearings, officials said final plea deals were reached in the case for the murder of 34-year-old Andrew Sherrell, who was found dead in Gresham with no shoes, no wallet, no phone, no ID, and broken zip ties found near his arms. According to police, the incident happened the night of Sept. 24, 2021, when Gresham police responded to a report of a deceased person, later identified as Sherrell, near Northeast 189th Avenue and Northeast Portal Way. Abandoned, derelict pirate boats still a headache on Willamette River Based on Sherrells positioning and injuries, police determined he was killed by a single gunshot while kneeling on a curb. During the investigation, detectives learned Sherrell was a low-level drug dealer who had outstanding debt to his dealer, identified as Cesar Estrada Nava. According to police, Estrada Nava was also under pressure for substantial drug debt to his own dealer. Suspected kidnapper shot by Salem officers early Friday morning Authorities discovered that Estrada Nava enlisted help from four others identified as Kassandra Kitchens, DSean Baker, Christian Joshua CJ Wobbe, and Andrew Bushnell, in a plot that killed Sherrell. The day of the murder, Sherrell and a friend drove from central Oregon to Portlands Lloyd District, where Kitchens who was Sherrells romantic interest lured him to a parking lot for discount fentanyl, according to Gresham police. Once Sherrell was inside Kitchens SUV, she drove him a block down the street to Estrada Nava, Baker, Wobbe, and Bushnell. Sherrell was then assaulted and forced into the back of an SUV and driven to a second location in Gresham while Sherrells hands, arms, legs, and feet were zip-tied together. COVID lockdowns prematurely aged teen brains, University of Washington finds Officials said Sherrell was assaulted, and pistol whipped while in the backseat before he was placed on a dark sidewalk where he was shot and killed. In the early morning of Dec. 13, 2021, multiple search and arrest warrants were completed by four SWAT teams which led to the arrest of four of the five suspects who were arrested and charged with murder. The fifth suspect, Kitchens, was found and arrested after a pursuit in early 2022. Authorities announced Friday that Estrada Nava and Baker were sentenced to 20 years in prison, while Kitchens was sentenced to nine and half years in prison, Bushnell was sentenced to eight years in prison and Wobbe was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. 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. Around 780,000 pensioners in England and Wales are set to lose their winter fuel allowance because they are not expected to apply for benefits they are entitled to, according to the government's own analysis. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) estimates were released under freedom of information laws on Friday. The "equalities analyses" predicted many people entitled to pension credit - and therefore eligible for fuel payments under the new rules - will not submit a claim, and therefore lose the subsidy altogether. The disclosure comes after the government told opposition parties it had not carried out a full assessment of the policy's impact, amid calls for analysis to be released. No 10 has previously said it was not legally obliged to produce a full impact assessment on the decision to means test the benefit. Under the changes, winter fuel allowance will still be available to those claiming pension credit and some other benefits, but around 10 million people are set to be stripped of the payment. A Treasury spokesman told the BBC that more than a million pensioners would still receive the winter fuel payment, and the government is encouraging people eligible for pension credit to apply. However, the DWP's internal analysis confirms the government is expecting hundreds of thousands of eligible people to miss out. The government estimates around 100,000 more people could be persuaded to claim pension credit, but more than three quarters of a million pensioners who are eligible are still not expected to submit a claim, the document confirmed. The analysis also suggested that nine in 10 pensioners aged between 66 and 79 would lose their allowance, and eight in 10 over 80s would do so. Since those over 80 receive a higher payment - 300 as opposed to 200 - they would take the greatest financial hit, it said. The analysis also found that while those with a disability would be most likely to retain the payment, around 71% will still lose their entitlement. Conservative Party chairman Richard Fuller called on Labour to "immediately" conduct and publish a full impact assessment of "this harmful policy", accusing the government of having "sneaked out" the analysis. Previously, the Liberal Democrats said not carrying out an impact assessment before cutting support was "absolutely unthinkable". Speaking on Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer said the decision to cut winter fuel payments was necessary to stabilise the economy, and that the government was putting "mitigations in place". The DWP said the document - which is more limited than a full impact assessment - was not "routinely published alongside secondary legislation" after it was published in response to a Freedom of Information request. More on this story SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) The latest drought monitor update from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture), NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), CPC (Climate Prediction Center), and the NDMC (National Drought Mitigation Center) is in. Continuing to see the trend of no rainfall in Siouxland through the past week. As a result, seeing abnormally dry conditions expanding across the area with the latest update to the Drought Monitor. Also seeing expansion of moderate drought in NE Nebraska, SE South Dakota, and W Iowa. As well as severe drought in Nebraska and portions of western Iowa. Find your latest forecast from the KCAU 9 Weather Team here Drought Monitor (As of 10/03/2024) Most of NE Nebraska and SE South Dakota, as well as southern NW Iowa are now in moderate drought, with northern Antelope and southwestern Knox counties in severe drought now. The rest of Siouxland has now been categorized as Abnormally Dry, including the Sioux City metro. Severe drought continue to expand in the region. All the latest weather news And in South Dakota, 41% of the state is in some stage of drought, with 35% in Moderate, 12.7% in Severe, and 1.85% in Extreme drought category. An additional 87% of the state, including all of SE South Dakota is considered abnormally dry. This comes as most areas in Siouxland have seen less than 40% of their normal rainfall over the past 30 days, including in those areas in moderate drought, which have only seen 20-40% of their normal 30-day rainfall. In Sioux City, only 44% of the average 30-day rainfall has been measured. Some areas have even see less thana quarter of their normal 30-day rain. Most areas in Siouxland though have seen over 100% of their normal rainfall over the past year which is helping mitigate drought conditions for most, despite the dry stretch of weather weve been in since the end of August and throughout the month of September. However, continuing to see these dry conditions chip away at that surplus of rain weve seen this year. For the latest weather updates visit the KCAU 9 Weather page Unfortunately, not likely to see much, if any relief anytime soon as the Climate Prediction Center 6-10 day precipitation outlook leaning towards drier than normal as we open October. This looks to further exacerbate drought conditions across Siouxland. The next update to the Drought Monitor will be next Thursday so be sure to check back for the latest drought conditions and drought forecast! 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. In 2023, Consumer Reports found traces of lead in dark chocolate from such popular brands as Trader Joe's, Lindt, Hershey's, Dove, and more. Now, the nonprofit product testing organization has just released new troubling findings that affect another grocery staple: There might be lead in your cinnamon. But, some brands are better options than others for steering clear of contaminants. According to the findings published by Consumer Reports on Thursday, the safest grocery store cinnamon brand for avoiding lead is Whole Foods Market, specifically 365 Whole Foods Market Ground Cinnamon and 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Ground Cinnamon, which exhibited nearly zero traces of lead contamination (0.12 and 0.02 parts per million respectively). Scientists determined this by testing 36 different ground cinnamon spice brands (including blends that include cinnamon like garam masala) purchased from 17 grocery stores across Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and online. If you don't happen to live near a Whole Foods Market, there's no need to swear off ground cinnamon or switch to cinnamon sticks forever. Per the report, the cinnamon brands that demonstrated the next-lowest levels of lead were Loisa Organic Cinnamon, Morton & Bassett San Francisco Organic Ground Cinnamon, Sadaf Cinnamon Powder, and Sadaf Seven Spice blend. These findings are especially timely with fall on the way and seasonal foodies turning to cinnamon as a staple autumnal flavor. The test was prompted by a mass outbreak of lead poisoning last fall discovered to be tied to cinnamon applesauce pouches. It impacted more than 500 children. Read more: 23 Whole Foods Baked Goods, Ranked Whole Foods Cinnamon Ranked The Safest 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Ground Cinnamon - Whole Foods Market To be safe, consumers should steer clear of the 12 cinnamon brands with the highest level of lead, led by Paras, which exhibited 3.52 parts per million (ppm). This main offender was followed by ground cinnamon from EGN (2.91 ppm), Mimi's Products ground cinnamon, ShopRite Bowl & Basket ground cinnamon, Rani Brand ground cinnamon, Zara Foods cinnamon powder, Three Rivers cinnamon stick powder, Yu Yee Brand five spice powder, BaiLiFeng five spice powder, Spicy King five spices powder, Badia cinnamon powder, and Deep cinnamon powder. For reference, in the state of New York, levels of lead above 1 ppm are "grounds" (pun intended) for a recall. Following the published findings, Paras and EGN have notified Consumer Reports that they are pulling their cinnamon from store shelves. The next-highest offenders responded to CNN's request for comment, and essentially denied that there was anything wrong with their products at all. ShopRite Bowl & Basket told the outlet "our cinnamon meets all safety and quality standards." Badia Spices said, "Trace amounts of lead is found in nearly every food product grown around the world." It was also noted that the FDA hasn't imposed an official limit for heavy metals in spices. Although, the FDA released a comprehensive list of cinnamon brands that were considered unsafe due to lead content earlier this year on July 30. Now, that list has been expanded upon, and the implications are unsettling, to say the least. Read the original article on Tasting Table. Plumes of smoke from Southern California's fires blew across Big Bear on Sept. 11, causing local air quality meters to return off-the-chart readings for particulate pollution. Officials report air quality on a color-coded scale, in which green indicates "good" and maroon denotes "hazardous" conditions. An air quality index above 150 is considered unhealthy for everyone. Above 300 is considered hazardous. On Wednesday, Big Bear's AQI for fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, reached a breathtaking daily average of 593. The reading was the third-highest AQI measured in Southern California since at least 1999, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The first- and second-worst air quality days were recorded in Ventura County during the 2017 Thomas fire, the state's largest wildfire on record. On Dec. 6 and 8, the Ojai monitoring station recorded daily average AQIs of 961 and 906, respectively. Read more: Southern California is suddenly besieged by fire. Experts say fall will be worse Weeks of sweltering heat primed Southern California's hills and mountains to burn. Between Sept. 5 and 9, three wildfires erupted: The Line fire in San Bernardino County, the Bridge fires in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties and the Airport fire in Orange County. The Line fire began on Sept. 5 in Highland and soon spread through the mountains toward Big Bear. A 34-year-old Norco man has been arrested on suspicion of igniting the blaze. As of Friday, more than 38,000 acres of the San Bernardino Mountains had been consumed by the flames. While the fire hasn't reached the resort areas, the ash particles and haze enveloped the skies of the mountain communities. High winds carried plumes of smoke throughout Big Bear Valley, closing ski resorts and most local businesses. Much of the area is still under an evacuation warning, with parts of the town ordered to leave. I think every agency is doing everything in their power to control this fire so many communities dont get destroyed, said Big Bear Lake City Manager Erik Sund. Particulate pollution, including from wildfire smoke, is dangerous to almost everyone: pregnant women, young children, older people and adults with underlying conditions. Fine particulate matter can be the more damaging to peoples health than other pollutants, such as ozone. The tiny particles, roughly one-thirtieth the width of a human hair, can easily penetrate the lining of the lungs and infiltrate the blood stream. A 2023 study linked long-term PM2.5 exposure to an increased risk of dementia. I worry about the differential impact of wildfire smoke. Even if the affluent get exposed to the same smoke as low-income communities, the low-income communities have less ability to protect themselves, said Dr. John Balmes, a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco and a member of the California Air Resources Board. Where the plume of smoke is going is where the biggest effect will be. In August, Balmes and Jason G. Su, an environmental health sciences researcher at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, published a paper that found communities of color are exposed to higher levels of air pollution than other communities. During wildfire season, experts recommend Californians keep tabs on local air quality monitoring reports, available from the U.S. EPA's AirNow.gov or services such as PurpleAir. If the least you can do is stay inside and close all your windows and doors, that will substantially reduce your exposure, said Suzanne Paulson, a professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UCLA. "If youre trying to exercise, try to get out of that dark orange, red and that sort of horrifying dark purple-brown color thats used for the really high AQIs. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. BEIRUT, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Israeli military targeted a three-story building north of the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon late Friday night, injuring 13 people, according to Lebanese military sources. The military sources said that the Israeli army carried out seven airstrikes on five villages and towns and shelled seven villages and towns with about 35 shells in southern Lebanon on Saturday. In response to the attacks, Hezbollah attacked several Israeli military headquarters and sites with drones and missiles. Lebanese military sources said that army positions have monitored the launch of approximately 70 Katyusha rockets and several drones from Lebanon toward northern Israel. 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. Firefighters braced for another day battling the massive Airport Fire on Saturday in Orange and Riverside counties. 23,494 acres have been charred, and containment remains at 9%. "The weather has been great with cooler temperatures, the marine layer, and the higher relative humidity," Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi told City News Service on Saturday. Officials said crews had "notable success in increasing containment" in areas such as Lake Elsinore, Decker Canyon Road, and Lakeland Village. Cal Fire said 107 residential, commercial, and other structures were destroyed, and another 12 were damaged. No additional injuries were reported. Earlier in the week, officials said 11 firefighters had suffered minor injuries fighting the blaze, many of them heat-related, while two civilians were also injured, one with an unknown medical condition and the other suffering burn injuries. "Weather conditions are expected to remain favorable for firefighting efforts, with a thickening marine layer, mild temperatures, high humidity, and southwest winds," fire officials said. "However, there is a risk of smoke and fog forming in lower drainages in the afternoon, potentially impacting air quality and visibility." The Airport Fire began at about 1 p.m. Monday near Trabuco Canyon Road in the area of the remote-controlled airplane airport, OCFA Capt. Sean Doran said. Officials said the fire was sparked by a county public works crew using heavy equipment. The cause was deemed accidental. By Tuesday morning, the fire had raced up the canyons and hillsides and crested into Riverside County, burning toward the El Cariso and Lake Elsinore areas, where evacuation warnings and orders were issued. Some 1,949 personnel were involved in the firefight, including 36 crews, 253 engines, 31 dozers, 15 water tenders and 10 helicopters. The Airport Fire was one of three large wildfires burning in Southern California this weekend. By Saturday morning, the Line Fire had burned 38,074 acres in San Bernardino County and was 25% contained, while the Bridge Fire in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties had burned 52,960 acres and was at 3% containment. Related: Why are there so many fires in California? See the wildfire predictions through the end of 2024 The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended an air quality advisory until at least 11 p.m. Sunday for most of the region due to smoke from all three major wildfires. Cal Fire officials said Gov. Gavin Newsom has secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency "to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppressing the Airport Fire." Evacuation shelters In Riverside County, the following changes have been made to evacuation shelters as of Saturday morning: Care and reception centers: Santiago High School is closing due to low or no population Temescal Canyon High School shelter will close and be moved to Ortega High School, located at 520 Chaney St. in Lake Elsinore Animal sheltering: Murrieta Equestrian Center will close due to no large or small animals Perris Fairgrounds Animal Shelter will close due to no large or small animals Jurupa Valley and San Jacinto campuses will remain open. An evacuation center that had been established at RSM Bell Tower Community Center, 22-232 El Paseo in Rancho Santa Margarita, was closed Friday, and a new shelter was established at Foothill Ranch Library, 27-002 Cabriole Way. Pets were also being accepted at that location. Large animals were being housed at the Orange County Fairgrounds, Los Alamitos Race Course and Nohl Ranch Saddle Club at 6352 E. Nohl Ranch Road in Anaheim. Road closures The following road closures were in effect in Orange County: Trabuco Canyon Road and Trabuco Creek Road El Toro Road and Live Oak Canyon Road Ortega Highway at Nichols Institute. Highway 74 remains closed on the Riverside County side. A series of other "soft closures" remained in place, allowing access for residents. Full details on closures were available at fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/9/9/airport-fire Evacuation updates #AIRPORTFIRE [UPDATE]: EVACUATION UPDATES WARNINGS are being lifted in the following zones: Southeast side (La Cresta area) - RVC 2000 - RVC 2075 - RVC 2144 - RVC 2197 - RVC 2243 South - Wildomar Truck Trail East - South Main Divide, Hacienda Drive, Calle Paramo, Ainsley Ct, pic.twitter.com/YFTHntZHQq CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) September 13, 2024 Here are the latest evacuation updates as of Friday evening. Warnings are being lifted in the following zones: Southeast side (La Cresta area) RVC 2000 RVC 2075 RVC 2144 RVC 2197 RVC 2243 South: Wildomar Truck Trail East: South Main Divide, Hacienda Drive, Calle Paramo, Ainsley Ct, Tenaja Road West: Via Majorca, Avenida la Cresta, Avenida Bonita, Calle Bandido, Corona Cala Camino North: San Diego/Riverside County Line An interactive map can be viewed at https://go.genasys.com/5wqfag The following zones are being downgraded from an order to a warning: RVC 1804 LSN 1803 LSN 1799 RVC 1801 RVC 1729 RVC 1726 RVC 1728 RVC 2074 South of Ortega Highway, east of Ortega Highway, West Grand, and north of Park Avenue and Magnolia Street Rancho Carrillo: RVC 2074 South: Fox Springs Road/Rimpau Road East: Orange County/Riverside County line West: Verdugo Truck Trail/Oak Flats Area North: Quail Springs Road North: RVC 1724 A South: Patrick Court West: Grand Avenue East: Orange County/Riverside County line North: El Cariso Trail RVC 1935: North: Trabuco Road South: South of South Main Divide East: Arroyo Road West: Rodeo Road/Los Pinos Road An interactive map can be viewed at https://go.genasys.com/nxhqi9 In Orange County, people in Caspers Regional Park, San Juan Springs, Blue Jay campground were ordered to evacuate. Evacuation warnings were in place in Orange County for portions of Ortega Highway, Robinson Ranch HOA, Trabuco Highlands HOA, Trabuco Highland Apartment Complex, the East Side of Coto de Caza, Silverado Canyon, Modjeska Canyon, Rose Canyon Road, Trabuco Creek Road, Trabuco Canyon Road, Trabuco Oaks Drive, Joplin Loop, Cook's Corner, Dove Canyon and El Cariso. Residents can visit https://go.genasys.com/11hh53 to determine if their homes are impacted by evacuation orders or warnings. City News Service contributed to this report. Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Airport Fire: Blaze grows to 23,494 acres, 9% contained on Saturday Garrett Keene sits on the front steps of his home that was destroyed in the Airport fire in El Cariso Village. Keene evacuated with his wife, four children and 46 animals. Garrett Keene watched as the Airport fire grew closer to his neighborhood above Lake Elsinore this week until the afternoon he was suddenly warned to flee. As ash rained down, Keene and his wife packed up their three young daughters, their infant son and their familys most prized possessions a menagerie of dogs, cats, ducks, chickens, birds, tortoises and pigs, 46 animals in all and raced out of their neighborhood down Ortega Highway as 100-foot-tall flames encroached. When the 33-year-old father returned, he found the three-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot ranch-style home that he'd built from scratch reduced to a pile of ash and rubble. As the toll of the fire seeped in, Keene questioned why the evacuation order arrived so late and only by loudspeaker, and why resources from the air hadnt been deployed to his neighborhood when areas in Orange County were swarmed. For 24 hours, we did not get a single plane over here, a single helicopter, a single fire truck. We saw nobody until 45 minutes to an hour before this was happening, he said of his familys narrow escape on Tuesday. A car is crushed by a fallen tree in front of a home destroyed by the Airport fire in El Cariso Village. The El Cariso Village a Riverside County mountain community of about 250 people in the Santa Ana Mountains was devastated during the fire. Keene said that the firespotting app Watch Duty indicated the fire was growing and headed their way so he alerted neighbors to prepare for the inevitable before any official had told them to. We were five minutes from absolute nightmare, Keene said. Read more: Containment, hotshots, evacuation orders: Understanding key wildfire terms On Friday, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said "there were a number of helicopters, air support and firefighters everyone was battling the fire to protect lives and properties." But he did not have specifics on when or where exactly helicopters and planes were when the fire raced into Keene's neighborhood. "Our hearts go out to anybody that sustained damage to their homes or cars," Concialdi said. "Fortunately, theres only been two minor injuries to civilians and 10 injuries to firefighters and everyone got out of there alive." Robert Lucas looks across a ridge after part of his corral caught fire during the Airport fire off Ortega Highway. "The flames were as far as I could see. Do I stay or should I go?" Lucas said. All of his animals survived the fire. Days after the fire had passed through, scorched trees were still smoking with heat, and broken glass, nails and downed power lines littered the ground. At a neighboring property that Keene rents to a mother of two, the fire had blown out the windows and front door. An abandoned jigsaw puzzle was unfinished at the dining room table, and children's drawings and a note in red crayon wishing for a wonderful life clung to the refrigerator. Steve Mangino, 63, also questioned why the neighborhood wasn't warned earlier and instead was left to scramble. Mangino, a neighbor who also rented from Keene, returned to the area Thursday. As he opened the door to his red barn, he braced himself for what may be inside. Lets see if my reason for living is still standing, he said. His two prized motorcycles were undisturbed by the fire a relief, and a sign, he said, to get a lottery ticket. An unfinished jigsaw puzzle remains on a dining room table after the Airport fire destroyed the door to a home in El Cariso Village.. The Airport fire started Monday in Trabuco Canyon and was caused by a spark from heavy equipment that workers were using to move large boulders. It has burned more than 23,000 acres. Multiple homes in the El Cariso village were destroyed and heaps of burned vehicles and old collectible cars were scattered throughout the neighborhood. The evacuated area was quiet and mostly empty Thursday, aside from firefighters patrolling and the occasional resident who had returned to survey the aftermath. Read more: How do wildfires start and spread? Stephen Cuculic, 70, said that he had never seen a fire like this in the 48 years he lived in the El Cariso Village. The back of his home was licked by flames, but the rest remained untouched. Cuculic, a former fire captain, said that he was lucky; other properties didnt fare as well. Down the street from his home, a stairway and two entrance lamps was all that remained of a home once overlooking a small vista. Nearby, a 5.5-acre property was hollowed out; a pool and waterslide remained intact, but the area that once housed a large family room and kitchen was gutted. Garrett Keene stands in the rubble of his home after the Airport fire in El Cariso Village. Keene believes the community will rebuild thats his plan, at least. As he walked through the rubble of his home, he pointed to what once was the master bedroom, the couch, the kitchen where a now-deformed concrete island sat, the space where one of his daughters wheeled her tricycle. Hes grateful that his family and animals made it out safely. But anger and questions remain. We were neglected," he said. 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. Allies Starmer and Biden meet in White House to talk future. It might all change in months With Donald Trump looming as one of two possible occupants of the White House come January, the stakes for Ukraines future could not have been higher as US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met in Washington for the second time in the last three months. It added a new level of intrigue to Fridays face-to-face between Starmer and Biden. The two allies gathered at the White House to talk about Ukraine policy, but in just a few months, Starmer will have to work with - or oppose - a new US leader. Biden, who announced nearly two months ago that he would stand down from his bid for re-election, will be leaving office on January 20. The person who replaces him might be Trump, who has all but declared that his approach to Russias war on Ukraine will be to cut off American aide, let Russia win, and perhaps go as far as pulling America out of the NATO alliance. Democrat nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, has adopted the polar opposite stance, and reaffirmed American commitment to Ukraine if she is elected. Starmer wont know who he is dealing with until November at the earliest, and they wont take the office until January. In Washington, at Bidens invitation, the Prime Minister has found himself at a crossroads as Kyiv pushes to be permitted to use its British-built Storm Shadow missiles to attack targets deep in Russias interior as a way of pushing back on the continued war Vladimir Putins army is waging. Its a decision that Starmer cant make on his own. Biden and Starmer meet at the White House as questions over Ukraines use of long-range missiles grow. While they met, Starmer will be face-to-face with a new US leader in just a few months. (Getty Images) Though Starmer could conceivably authorize the use of the British missiles for attacks on Russian targets on the far side of the countrys border with Ukraine, he cant give assent to using the targeting data that would allow such strikes because it is controlled by the US Department of Defense. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has suggested that America would be amenable to changing the policy that has so far kept Kyiv from striking deep within Russian territory with Western-provided missiles. White House spokesperson John Kirby on Thursday said no decision to reverse the policy was expected during the meeting between Biden and Starmer. Yet during the portion of their sit-down that was open to the press, the Prime Minister hinted that such discussions were on the agenda, telling Biden: that the next few weeks and months could be crucial, very, very important for Ukraines defense in what he called this vital war of freedom. I think that historically, weve shown the strength of our relationship, that we are strategically aligned. We have common cause on these global issues, and therefore its very important for us to have this opportunity to talk them through, not just as a matter of fact it but also the wider strategy that underpins them so thank you for the invitation, he said. As Starmer plots a course of Ukraine, he will be dealing with Donald Trump or Kamala Harris in months - and they will have their own thoughts on Russian policy. (Getty Images) A White House readout of their meeting stated that Biden and Starmer had an in-depth discussion on a range of foreign policy issues of mutual interest and reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine as it continues to defend against Russias aggression. But a decision on letting Kyiv use longer-range weapons wasnt forthcoming. Speaking to reporters after the meeting wrapped, the Prime Minister said the sit-down hadnt been about a particular decision and said the discussions would resume when the two meet again on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York later this month, along with what he described as a wider group of individuals. Still, all of it could be moot should Trump top Harris in Novembers election, since the once and perhaps future president has made clear his intent to cut off support in favor of Moscow. Yet Starmer wasnt willing to discuss any contingencies for such a result or much else when pressed by reporters before he boarded his motorcade. Theres only one reason were having these discussions, and that is that Putin has illegally invaded Ukraine, and the biggest way to resolve this obviously lies through what Putin actually does, because its manipulating this, he said.But we are having a discussion, we stood with Ukraine. Ukraine has a right to self-defense, and weve stood united, not just with allies here in the US, but across with our NATO allies. Ed Catmull doesnt have the intense presence one might expect from a man with his resume. Not only has Catmull won five Academy Awards, hes also received an ACM A.M. Turing Award considered the Nobel Prize of computing has rubbed shoulders with George Lucas and Steve Jobs, co-founded Pixar and co-created the first computer-animated film (and the technology that made it possible). But when Catmull arrived at The Leonardo Museum in Salt Lake City earlier this week, he was wearing a pair of worn-in jeans, a gray T-shirt and unbranded sneakers modest garb for a 79-year-old multi-award-winner. Catmull is the 2024 winner of The Leonardo Award, an award that seeks to honor individuals who have made contributions (that) exemplify the blend of art and science, per The Leonardo. To receive his Leonardo Award, Catmull returned to Salt Lake City the very place his impressive career started. (Catmull) credits the atmosphere and the work that he did at the University of Utah with some of his early success, Virginia Pearce, director of the Utah Film Commission, said during Thursday nights ceremony. We are so proud about your start in Utah and the deeply grateful for the mark that youve made on (the film industry) industry and beyond. It was amazing: How the University of Utah shaped Catmulls career As a kid, Catmull balanced his interests in both art and science. He never saw the subjects as being inharmonious. Growing up, I didnt know that (science and art) were considered to be not compatible with each other. Nobody told me that, Catmull said Thursday night at The Leonardo Museum. By the time Catmull graduated from Granite High School in Salt Lake City, hed experienced success in both subjects. He was nominated for a state scholarship for art, but didnt consider his talents good enough to pursue it exclusively. Animation fascinated him, but there was no college for it. So when he started his Bachelors degree at University of Utah, he fell back on science. There were no tools for it, for animation, so I switched over into physics when I went to college, Catmull said. This revelation prompted laughter from the audience how can the man who co-founded Pixar be a physicist? Its as if somehow these things are incongruous. But thats a problem, Catmull said in response to the audiences laughter. And this makes no sense to me. I think theres a bias of people thinking that art programs are about learning to draw. Its not. Its about learning to see. And in which of the professions is it not important to be able to see? After earning two bachelors degrees from the University of Utah one in physics, the other in computer science Catmull was accepted to a graduate program, also at the University of Utah, studying computer science. When Catmull took his first class in computer graphics he recalled thinking, Whoa, you can use this to make art. In 1972, while still a student at the University of Utah, Catmull and fellow student Fred Parke, created the first computer-animated short film, A Computer Animated Hand. It was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2011, as the vanguard of a technological and creative trajectory for a film industry increasingly founded on CGI and visual effects. More than two decades later, Pixar used RenderMan, a software co-created by Catmull, to make the first-ever full-length animated movie, Toy Story. Catmull credited the University of Utah for fostering a curious and supportive educational environment. It was probably one of the greatest things I got here. It was amazing, fortuitous, Catmull said. The whole place was extremely supportive. He continued, When I left, I knew that I loved the experience. I love the people. I love, their attitude, the way they work, where they support each other, and I was determined that I wanted to experience that kind of environment for the rest of my life. Ed Catmull is honored with The Leonardo award On Thursday night, Catmull accepted with The Leonardo Award in Salt Lake City. The award was presented to Catmull by John Price, a graduate from University of Utahs College of Engineering. In 2023, the college was renamed the John and Maria Price College of Engineering at the University of Utah. This award recognizes those whose careers and lives embody and inspire creativity and innovation. I cannot think of a person more deserving of this honor than Ed Catmull, said Price. Price said he hopes the University of Utahs college of engineering, will continue to produce the level of talent represented by Dr. Catmull and his example will also inspire many of Utahs young children to discover their own passions. Bones from an Amazon pink river dolphin are embedded in dried mud along the banks of Lake Tefe in Tefe, Brazil, on Oct. 31, 2023. More than 200 river dolphins died in the 2023 drought that sent water levels to new lows and water temperatures to record highs. When dolphins were dying in the highest numbers, the water topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Jason Gulley for HuffPost TEFE, Brazil Each morning for the last several weeks, researcher Miriam Marmontel has gazed out at Lake Tefe and the Amazon River, through a thick curtain of smoke from thousands of wildfires raging throughout the region, with a sense of dread and deja vu. Brazil is in the grip of severe drought for the second time in as many years this one already topping 2023 as the worst, most widespread drought in Brazils recorded history. Major rivers throughout the Amazon Basin have plummeted to record low levels, and water temperatures are approaching those that triggered mass die-offs of two species of endangered river dolphins this time last summer. A year ago, drought drove water temperatures in Lake Tefe, in the northern Brazilian state of Amazonas, to as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit the upper threshold of a hot tub. By late September, the pink and gray carcasses of freshwater dolphins began washing ashore in large numbers. It was really horrible to see. We saw them dying in front of us, recalled Marmontel, an aquatic mammal expert at the Tefe-based Mamiraua Institute for Sustainable Development. Miriam Marmontel, an aquatic mammal expert at the Mamiraua Institute in Tefe, Brazil, stands on the banks of a tributary to Lake Tefe during a health assessment of the lake's pink river dolphin population in August. Last year, Marmontel and her team responded to river dolphin die-offs that killed more than 200 in Lake Tefe and 120 near Coari. She and her team are worried this year may be even worse. Jason Gulley for HuffPost Now she and a team of researchers at the Mamiraua Institute are bracing for what they fear could be even more extreme and deadly conditions. Drought arrived in the Amazon a month earlier than usual this year. In Tefe, water levels have been dropping by as much as 1 foot per day, turning areas that were recently covered in water into bone-dry expanses of sand. As of Thursday, water levels on the lake were only 8 to 12 inches above last years record lows, according to Ayan Fleischmann, a hydrologist at the Mamiraua Institute. Upstream of Tefe, water levels on many rivers have already smashed record lows set last year. A decomposing tucuxi river dolphin floats below the surface of the Rio Solimoes, just downstream of the Brazilian city of Coari, on Nov. 15, 2023. Jason Gulley for HuffPost Earlier this week, water temperatures in Lake Tefe spiked to 98 degrees before clouds, bouts of rain and thick smoke from uncontrolled, often intentionally set wildfires moved in. Thats keeping the heat down a little bit, Marmontel said of the smoke and rain. Thats whats saving us, I think, us and the dolphins. The Amazon Basin is home to two unique species of freshwater dolphins, the Amazon river dolphin, also known as the boto or pink river dolphin, and the tucuxi, a smaller, gray-bodied species. These remarkable mammals are endemic to the Amazon region, and their populations have been in severe decline due to myriad threats, including pollution, habitat loss, hunting and the mounting effects of climate change. Marmontel and her team fear that a few straight days of intense sun is all it will take to trigger the next die-off of dolphins. I can almost see that its going to happen again in a matter of a few days, Marmontel said. Several dolphin carcasses have already turned up. Biologists, veterinarians and field technicians working with the Mamiraua Institute return a pink river dolphin to a tributary of Lake Tefe after a health examination. The team conducted health assessments to gauge the health of Lake Tefe's population of the endangered dolphins over two weeks in August before a drought sent water levels plunging to what hydrologists are predicting may be new record lows. Jason Gulley for HuffPost To better understand how climate change-fueled drought is affecting populations of freshwater dolphins in the Amazon, Marmontel and her team have been conducting in-depth health assessments. Last year, with the help of local fishermen, Marmontel successfully captured and released 20 animals in protected reserves near Tefe. Overall, the dolphins looked healthy. But not long after she returned from that trip, her organization received reports of 19 dolphin carcasses floating or washed ashore on Lake Tefe. One or two dead animals per month is not unusual, but 19 in a single day signaled something was terribly wrong, she said. Five days later, 70 more dead dolphins were recovered. The mass mortality event was as unexpected as it was unprecedented. Initially, biologists at the Mamiraua Institute, which led the investigation, worried the deaths might have resulted from pollution or disease. In grueling heat and wearing masks to protect themselves from unknown pathogens, they collected dozens of carcasses in various stages of decomposition and conducted thorough necropsies. What they would later conclude is it wasnt a contagious disease or pollution that killed the animals. Instead, researchers are confident that for the first time on record, dolphins in the Amazon died because the water they live in became too hot. In the end, more than 200 endangered dolphins perished in the waters around Tefe a loss of approximately 20% of the lakes population of Amazon pink river dolphins and 7% of tucuxi. An additional 120 dolphins were found dead in waters near Coari, a city about 120 miles downriver. Marmontel expects other dolphin populations throughout the Amazon also got hit, although there isnt data on the full scale. I cant believe just Tefe and Coari were blasted with this thing, she said. One of the reasons those die-offs garnered immediate attention is because the cities are home to research institutes and universities. Fishermen working with the Mamiraua Institute capture a pink river dolphin for a team of biologists and veterinarians waiting on the river bank nearby on Aug. 19, 2024. Jason Gulley for HuffPost This year, the Mamiraua Institute wanted to conduct health assessments on another 20 dolphins, part of a much broader response that includes monitoring the depth and temperature of rivers and lakes, assessing the animals behavior and using acoustic recorders to detect any changes in their vocalizations, and estimating local populations. The captures themselves are complex operations. Working quietly in the dark of night late last month, local fishermen hired by the Mamiraua Institute spooled a net across a tributary of Lake Tefe. Hours after sunrise, two pink bodies a mother and juvenile male calf finally approached the net. The fishermen moved in quickly, using another net to close the channel behind the animals and trap them. Then, working from boats and in the water, the team used a third net to create a U shape around the dolphins and slowly pull them to shore, where a small army of biologists and veterinarians was waiting. Dr. Jenny Meegan, a veterinarian and dolphin expert with the U.S.-based National Marine Mammal Foundation, examines an endangered pink river dolphin with an ultrasound machine on Aug. 20, 2024. Meegan was part of an international team working with the Mamiraua Institute to conduct health assessments of Lake Tefe's pink river dolphins over two weeks in August. Jason Gulley for HuffPost Once the dolphins reached shallow water, Marmontel and her team got to work. Leaving the juvenile in the water, they used a stretcher to bring the mother on shore. They bound the animals mouth shut with cloth and restrained it to keep it from injuring itself or any scientists. Her eyes were covered, and scientists spoke in soft whispers in an effort to keep her from becoming stressed, which could prove deadly. The team monitored the dolphins breathing, body temperature and heart rate. If any vital sign became abnormal, the veterinarians would have rushed the dolphin back to the water. They swabbed her mouth, blowhole, genitals and anus for future microbial analysis. They took a blood sample from her tail, which was later tested for oxygen levels, pathogens, contaminants and parasites. An ultrasound was used to check for pregnancy and stomach contents. Biopsies were taken of any skin lesions, and the animal was put on a hanging scale to measure its weight. Scientists attached an identification tag and tracking device to the dorsal fin. The whole ordeal lasted about 30 minutes. Throughout it, the mother chattered loudly but showed no signs of major stress. Once released, the dolphin typically recovers quickly. A dolphin expert working with Mamiraua Institute uses a digital thermometer to check a pink river dolphin's temperature on the banks of a tributary to Lake Tefe on Aug. 19, 2024. Jason Gulley for HuffPost That female was one of just two dolphins that Marmontel and her team managed to get their hands on. As severe drought conditions set in and quickly dried up waterways, the safest sites to capture dolphins became inaccessible. In late August, they called off the rest of their planned assessments. Since then, Marmontel and her team have found themselves responding to a steady stream of dolphin fatalities. Though dolphin populations in Lake Tefe appear healthy overall, five carcasses have turned up since late August each one sparking renewed fears that another die-off has begun. Biologist Daiana Guedes da Costa documents a dead pink river dolphin she found floating during a routine monitoring trip on Aug. 28. Jason Gulley for HuffPost Daiana Guedes da Costa, a biologist at Mamiraua Institute, discovered the corpse of one pink river dolphin washed up near a home on Lake Tefe on Aug. 28. Two more were found on Sept. 7, another on Sept. 10 and another on Sept. 13. As biologists headed out by boat to recover one of the carcasses and determine the cause of death earlier this week, pods of pink river dolphins and tucuxi frolicked among schools of fish. The climate is changing, it has already changed, and we are seeing weird things in the Amazon, Fleischmann said. Scientists concluded that the 2023 drought in the Amazon was supercharged by fossil fuel-driven climate change, and climate experts warn that future events will be more frequent and extreme. Daiana Guedes da Costa examines a dry river bed during a trip to monitor dolphin behavior in the waters around Tefe on Aug. 28. Just one week before, this channel had enough water for canoes and other small boats to pass. Jason Gulley for HuffPost The Amazon and its approximately 1,100 tributaries are the lifeblood of the worlds largest rainforest and the 3 million species and more than 30 million people who live there. When rivers shrivel in times of intense drought, dead fish can pile up, water can become contaminated and hard to access, health problems can spike, and trade routes and entire communities can be cut off. Fishermen in remote villages of the Brazilian Amazon claim they were once able to predict the onset of the dry and rainy seasons within a week or so. Today, the end of the dry season has become more of a guessing game. The longer the dry conditions stretch on, the less time there is for water levels to rebound when the rains return. For dolphins, low water levels can cause cascading effects. As water gets shallower, it becomes darker and more turbid as the flow stirs up mud from the river bottom. Like a black T-shirt on a sunny summer day, the water absorbs incoming solar radiation and quickly heats up, sometimes by as much as several degrees per day. Low water levels can also increase negative interactions with humans. Although extreme water temperature is believed to have been the primary culprit in the dolphin die-off in Tefe last year, many of the dead dolphins found near Coari showed signs of being slaughtered by fishermen. As waters recede, fishermen and dolphins, which prey on fish, are forced into smaller and smaller areas and end up competing for the same resources. Pink river dolphins are particularly bold and are known to damage fishing nets to get to an easy meal, according to Marmontel. Many of the dolphin carcasses recovered in Coari had machete and harpoon wounds. Others had fins cut off. Weve documented interactions over the 30 years that Ive been here, but its increasing, Marmontel said. Its a problem thats always happening. Its known throughout the Amazon. The thing is, with this climatic situation, its going to be exacerbated even further. Biologists and veterinarians working with the Mamiraua Institute hike up the dry bed of a branch of the Solimoes River near the community of Barroso to check on seven river dolphins that were reportedly trapped when the drought cut the waterway off from the main river channel at both ends on Aug. 25. As the drought causes rivers and lakes across the Amazon to shrivel, river dolphins have become trapped in several locations. The seven dolphins they checked on were lucky: The team found that the section of river they were trapped in has deep pools that should retain water through the drought. The dolphins did not have be relocated. Jason Gulley for HuffPost Three of the five dead dolphins Marmontel and her team recovered in recent weeks showed signs of human contact. One carcass had marks from a fishing net. Another had no head. And the third had no tail and deep lacerations along its dorsal fin, injuries that Marmontel said are consistent with being struck by a boat. It is the first time Marmontel has encountered an Amazon dolphin that was killed by a boat. Its so dry, and everybodys using that channel, the dolphins, too, she said. The Mamiraua Institute is doing all it can to prepare for what, right now, feels like an inevitable. Theyve been practicing simulated dolphin rescues and secured funds for a giant tank where they would be able to keep and rehabilitate up to three dolphins at a time. They have support from the Brazilian Army and several private organizations. Miriam Marmontel scans a tributary to Lake Tefe during a health assessment for the lake's pink river dolphins in August. Jason Gulley for HuffPost We have better teams, better supplies and everything, but eventually its going to happen, Marmontel said of a mass die-off. And then, of course, its not just this year. Its going to happen next year again. If not next year, the next. Its going to be the new normal. And I dont know how long these populations are going to survive because they are already endangered, both species. Studying dolphins, manatees and other aquatic mammals in the Amazon is Marmontels lifes work. For her, dolphins are a symbol of the Amazon region unique, primitive and intelligent species that adapted perfectly to this environment over millions of years. But, most important, they are sentinel species that provide humans warning of dangers to the larger environment and human health. That became very clear last year because they were the first that were hit, Marmontel said. I keep saying that dolphins are us in the water, living all the time in the water. The Amazonian people depend completely on the water, for fun, for water, for transportation, for anything. Whatever happens to [the dolphins], its going to happen to us, she added. Maybe a little later, but it is. Related... Ambulance group looking for new chair A new chair is needed to oversee two Guernsey organisations [BBC] Recruitment is taking place to find someone to oversee a first aid charity and the ambulance and rescue service in Guernsey. The Commandery of St John in Guernsey is in charge of the St John Guernsey charity and Ambulance and Rescue Guernsey. The organisation is seeking a new chair, known as the knight or dame commander, to be the "leading figure and principal public face". It follows the retirement of the former knight John Hollis who stood down recently. St John Guernsey is a charity which gives islanders first aid, training and youth work. St John provides the ambulance service on behalf of the States of Guernsey through a grant from the committee for health & social care. The service provides emergency medical and major incident response for the Bailiwick. The ambulance service and the charity said the voluntary role involved "leading the organisation, providing strategic oversight and chairing the Commandery of St John in the Bailiwick of Guernsey". Nicola Hoyland-Birch who is leading the appointment process, said she was looking for an "inspirational leader" who can "support and develop the growth of the organisation as a whole". She said: "The role requires someone who is an experienced and professional chair person, with excellent communication skills and who is able to engage a wide range of stakeholders." Follow BBC Guernsey on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. More on this story Related internet links American Red Cross issues warning about unexpected factor impacting US blood supply here's why it's concerning A hotter planet could impact the outcome of your next doctor's visit. Rising global temperatures are causing unexpected ripple effects in our health care system, including strains on the nation's blood supply. What's happening? This summer's scorching temperatures and extreme weather events led to a drop in blood donations across the United States, according to the Guardian. The American Red Cross reported that July's heat affected turnout at nearly 100 blood drives when over 130 million Americans were under heat advisories. As a result, the national blood inventory plummeted by more than 25% in just one month. Why is a smaller blood supply concerning? A stable blood supply ensures Americans get life-saving care. "Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion," says Rodney Wilson, senior biomedical communications specialist for the American Red Cross. "Blood is an essential part of medical treatments for many different kinds of patients. "It's your father who needs open heart surgery, it's your best friend who's getting cancer treatment, it's your sister who is giving birth to her child and hemorrhages." When extreme weather disrupts blood drives, it threatens these life-saving procedures. These disruptions are more frequent and severe thanks to the climate crisis. Last year, the American Red Cross responded to nearly twice as many large-scale disasters as it did a decade ago. These events are no longer confined to specific seasons, from hurricanes to wildfires. They're happening year-round, complicating efforts to maintain a steady blood supply. What's being done about our blood supply? The American Red Cross is working hard to adapt to new climate realities. It is planning ahead to ensure hospitals in areas expecting extreme weather are well-stocked with blood. It is also getting creative with donor incentives offering Amazon gift cards to encourage participation, for example. Ordinary people like you can help by reducing your carbon footprint. Simple actions such as using energy-efficient appliances, reducing meat consumption, or opting for public transportation can make a real difference. If you can, consider donating blood. It can help your community and save a life. Plus, many donation centers are air-conditioned, making them a cool refuge on a hot day. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, never experienced a ruinous population collapse, according to an analysis of ancient DNA from 15 former inhabitants of the remote island in the Pacific Ocean. The analysis also suggested that inhabitants of the island, which lies about 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) from the South American mainland, reached the Americas in the 1300s long before Christopher Columbus 1492 landing in the New World. Settled by Polynesian seafarers 800 years ago, Rapa Nui, today part of Chile, has hundreds of monumental stone heads that echo of the past. The island has long been a place of intrigue. Some experts, such as geographer Jared Diamond in his 2005 book, Collapse, used Easter Island as a cautionary tale of how the exploitation of limited resources can result in catastrophic population decline, ecological devastation and the destruction of a society through infighting. But that theory remains contentious, and other archaeological evidence suggests that Rapa Nui was home to a small but sustainable society. The new analysis marks the first time scientists have used ancient DNA to address the question of whether Easter Island saw a self-inflicted societal collapse, helping to shed light on its mysterious past. Easter Island genomes To investigate Rapa Nuis history further, researchers sequenced the genomes of 15 former residents who lived on the island during the past 400 years. The remains are stored at the Musee de lHomme, or Museum of Mankind, in Paris, which is part of the French National Museum of Natural History. The researchers found no evidence of a genetic bottleneck corresponding to a steep drop in population, according to the study that published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature. Instead, the island was home to a small population that steadily increased in size until the 1860s, the analysis suggested. At this point, the study noted, slave raiders from Peru forcibly removed one-third of the islands population. There is definitely not a strong population collapse, like it has been argued, a population collapse where 80% of the population or 90% of the population died, said study coauthor J. Victor Moreno-Mayar, an assistant professor of geogenetics at the University of Copenhagens Globe Institute in Denmark. Rapa Nui is today a part of Chile and has long been a source of a fascination. An engraving depicts the giant statues, or moai, at the volcanic crater Rano Raraku. - J. L. Charmet/De Agostini/Getty Images The genomes also revealed that the Easter Islanders had exchanged genes with a Native American population, suggesting that the inhabitants crossed the ocean to South America somewhere between 1250 and 1430, ahead of Columbus arrival in the Americas and well before Europeans reached Rapa Nui in 1722. Around 6% to 11% of the individuals genomes can be traced to coastal South American ancestors, the study found, and the teams analysis provided information about when these two groups met and had offspring. The authors estimated it took place 15 to 17 generations before that of the individuals studied. Polynesian seafarers The finding is not totally surprising. Oral histories and analysis of the DNA of present-day islanders suggested such ancestry, and remains of sweet potato, an import from South America, have been found on the island predating European contact, Moreno-Mayar said. Some experts, and the wider public, have been reluctant to let go of cataclysmic stories about Easter Island, said Lisa Matisoo-Smith, a professor of biological anthropology at New Zealands University of Otago. But the ancient genomes add to a growing body of evidence that the idea of a self-inflicted population collapse on Easter Island is a false narrative, said Matisoo-Smith, who wasnt involved in the study. We know that the original Polynesian voyagers who discovered and settled Rapa Nui at least 800 years ago were among the greatest navigators and voyagers in the world, she said in a statement shared by New Zealands Science Media Centre. Their ancestors had spent at least 3000 years living in an Oceanic environment. They sailed eastwards across thousands of kilometres of open ocean and found almost all habitable islands across the vast Pacific. It would be more surprising if they had not reached the coast of South America. These results do provide some intriguing evidence of the timing of that contact. Matisoo-Smith noted that scholars based in Pacific regions had questioned the narrative of ecocide and society collapse based on a range of archaeological evidence. But now, we finally have ancient DNA evidence that directly addresses these two questions and perhaps will allow us to focus on a more realistic narrative of the history of this intriguing, yet actually rather typical, Polynesian island, she said. A study published in June, based on satellite imagery of land once used to grow food, reached a similar conclusion. DNA analysis of human remains The human remains used in the new DNA analysis had been collected by French scholar Alphonse Pinart in 1877 and Swiss anthropologist Alfred Metraux in 1935, according to the latest study, which cited museum archives. Under what circumstances the remains were taken isnt clear, the study said, but they were part of a wider trend of collecting from colonized regions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The research team worked with Rapa Nui communities and government institutions to obtain consent for the study. The scientists said they hoped the results would help facilitate repatriation of the remains so that the individuals could be laid to rest on the island. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Andrade leads after day one at Sanford International SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Billy Andrade carded a seven-under during the first day of the Sanford International at Minnehaha Country Club. After managing just one birdie on the front nine, the American registered six on the back-nine, including five straight from 14 to 18. There is a four-way tie at second place between three-time champion Steve Stricker, Steve Allan, Ken Tanigawa and Michael Wright at 3-under. Sioux Falls Ryan Jansa shot a 3-over 73. 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 KELOLAND.com. ANDREWS, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) The Andrews Police Department has released a joint press release with the Andrews County Sheriffs Office, and Fire Marshalls Office regarding the officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday evening. According to the release, on Friday, September 13, officers attempted to serve a felony arrest warrant for indecency with a child. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Ricardo Infante Jr, was located at a residence in the 900 block of West 5th Street. Officers contacted Infante inside the residence and attempted to take him into custody. During the struggle, a knife was used to stab one Andrews County Sheriffs Deputy and one Fire Marshalls Officer. One Andrews Police Department officer responded by firing their weapon, hitting Infante. First aid was rendered to both injured officers and Infante. Infante was pronounced dead on the scene. There were no other reports of injuries during the incident. The injured deputy was flown to an area hospital for emergency surgery. The surgery was successful and the deputy is in stable condition. The Fire Marshalls officer was treated and released from Permian Regional Medical Center. RELATED: Two deputies, one Fire Marshall officer hurt during officer-involved shooting The other Sheriffs Deputy and Andrews Police Officer were also treated for minor injuries. They have been reported as being ok as their ballistic vests protected them from more serious injuries. The investigation has been turned over to the Texas Rangers, per standard protocol. Involved deputies and officers will be on administrative leave during the investigation. This case remains an active investigation by the Texas Rangers. 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 Yourbasin. GAZA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- At least five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced people southeast of Gaza City, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources on Saturday. Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that Israeli warplanes attacked the Shuhada' al-Zaytun school in the Al-Zaytun neighborhood. Medical sources said that the airstrike killed five Palestinians, including children and women, and left several others injured, who were then transported to hospital. The Israeli military confirmed that its air force conducted a precise and intelligence-guided strike on a group operating within a "command and control complex" formerly used as the Shuhada' al-Zaytun school in Gaza City. The Israeli military statement said Hamas operatives used the complex to plan and execute operations against Israel. 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 250 others taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 41,182, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Saturday. Another Texan and George W. Bush Republican backs Harris over Trump. Will it matter? | Opinion The most surprising presidential endorsement of the week was not from Taylor Swift, Americas favorite childless cat lady, or her beloved Ragdoll cat, Benjamin. The shock of the week or maybe not came from Texan Alberto Gonzales, a Houston Republican and one of the highest-ranking Hispanic officials in American history. Gonzales rose from a family of nine packed into a two-bedroom house to become Texas secretary of state, a Texas Supreme Court justice and U.S. attorney general, all under George W. Bush. When Donald Trump first ran for president in 2016, Gonzales wrote a commentary in The Washington Post defending Trumps harsh comments about judges. But at some point after the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot maybe before Gonzales had seen enough. He now has endorsed Kamala Harris for president. Gonzales joined former Vice President Dick Cheney in the trickle of Republicans with Texas and Bush administration roots crossing over to support Harris, not Trump. This talk about the United States being in decline, becoming a Third World country that were a disgrace was an embarrassment, Gonzales told CNN anchor John Berman, who was almost incredulous at the news. In a year when Republicans hope to flip U.S. and state House seats in South Texas, Gonzales wrote in a Politico commentary that the Democratic nominee is the best suited, able and committed to unite us in a manner consistent with the rule of law. Texas Republicans now boo and hiss former Bush administration officials and nearly every Republican who came before Trump. So, even if its not a surprise that Gonzales sides with Harris, its a surprise that he is so emphatic. I cant sit quietly as Donald Trump perhaps the most serious threat to the rule of law in a generation eyes a return to the White House, Gonzales wrote in Politico. Gonzales wrote that Trumps rhetoric and conduct show little evidence that he has the integrity and character to responsibly wield the power of the presidency within the limits of the law. Alberto Gonzales, left, when he was named Texas Secretary of State for then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush on Dec. 2, 1997. More than a year ago, Gonzales was interviewed by the Post in his role as dean and professor at the Belmont University School of Law in Nashville. He called Trumps bashing of grand jurors, prosecutors and judges extremely dangerous and said that the Jan. 6 riot is a perfect example. You know, for the longest time, because there has been sort of crazy rhetoric out there for many, many years surrounding former President Trump, and for the longest time I just sort of ignored it as silly, Gonzales said. But for quite some time now I have come to the conclusion that it is too dangerous to ignore it. Texas political experts who remember Gonzales doubted his backing will make much difference. For one thing, Gonzales isnt well-known among traditional Republicans in the seven telling states that will decide the next president. For another, his support may remind not only Republicans but also anti-police Democrats that Harris is a 27-year prosecutor, district attorney and California attorney general. Then there was Gonzales own record as attorney general. This is one of those endorsements that is quite likely a net-negative, Mark P. Jones wrote by email. He is a political science professor at Gonzales alma mater Rice University and also a chair in Latin American Studies. Democrats who remember Gonzales remember him for defending the waterboarding of detainees under Bush during the Iraq War and the use of the PATRIOT Act to spy on U.S. citizens, Jones wrote. Weatherford College professor Darrell Castillo worked in the White House under President Ronald Reagan. He wrote by email that Gonzales is viewed as a neocon and RINO, referring to a Republican in name only and comparing Gonzales to Republicans who opposed Reagan. Gonzales and Cheneys Harris endorsements are both part of a longstanding split between Bush and Trump supporters. Gonzales endorsement doesnt carry much weight, SMU professor Cal Jillson wrote by email. But it will draw some attention to former President Bushs determined silence on this election, Jillson wrote. Probably busy painting. TCU professor Jim Riddlesperger wrote that endorsements late in the race dont make much difference. But they can spur disinterested voters to get involved. I dont think Gonzales endorsement will have this effect, Riddlesperger wrote. But Taylor Swifts does! If only Gonzales had a cat. Do you have an opinion on this topic? Tell us! We love to hear from Texans with opinions on the news and to publish those views in the Opinion section. Letters should be no more than 150 words. Writers should submit letters only once every 30 days. Include your name, address (including city of residence), phone number and email address, so we can contact you if we have questions. You can submit a letter to the editor two ways: Email letters@star-telegram.com (preferred). Fill out this online form. Please note: Letters will be edited for style and clarity. Publication is not guaranteed. The best letters are focused on one topic. BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Authorities have released the 911 calls made from Apalachee High School on the day of the shooting, Sept. 4. Colt Gray, 14, is accused of pulling out a high-powered rifle from his backpack a gift from his father, Colin, according to investigators and opening fire, killing four people and injuring nine others. The Barrow County 911 call center was inundated with phone calls around 10:20 a.m., and many people received an automated message explaining there was a "high call volume." An emotional caller, struggling to find the right words, contacted 911 to try to relay information provided by her daughter. Caller: "My daughter calling me crying. Somebody go 'boom, boom, boom, boom'" Barrow 911: "Ma'am we have officers out there, OK?" Caller: "Oh yes, please at Apalachee High School." Some of the calls rolled into neighboring Gwinnett County. Barrow 911: "Barrow County 911, what is your emergency?" Gwinnett 911: "Hey, Barrow, this is Gwinnett, we have a caller on the line who said he got a call from his girlfriend advising of an active shooter at Apalachee High School." Barrow 911: "I have units on the scene there, I cannot confirm or deny what is going on there." The caller stated that he had been texting with his girlfriend, who was inside the school, hiding from the shots. She was eventually evacuated from the school. Nearby Yargo Elementary School and Haymon-Morris Middle School were also on lockdown. Parents there flooded the 911 call center. Caller: "Sir, my daughter goes to school next door to Apalachee. Is there a school shooter?" Barrow 911: "We do have an active situation Apalachee High School right now. We have a lot of calls coming in." The 911 operator explained all the schools are on a hard lockdown. Due to Georgia law, many of the calls will not be released. In a letter to FOX 5, Barrow County Emergency Communications explained that "911 calls that contain the speech or cries of a minor" are not part of Georgias open records, as most of the calls were made from inside the school The Apalachee High School gathered to mourn those killed in Wednesday's attack, pray for those who were injured, and try come to grips with the atrocity at a makeshift memorial in front of the Winder school on Sept. 6, 2024. (FOX 5) RELATED CONTENT: Apalachee High School teachers Cristina Irimie and Richard Aspirnwall, along with 14-year-old students Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, were killed in the attack. Colt Gray, Colin Gray (Barrow County Sheriff's Office) Both Colt and his father, Colin, now face charges connected to the shooting. Colt Gray was charged with four counts of felony murder. Colin Gray was charged with four separate counts four of involuntary manslaughter, two of second-degree murder, and eight of cruelty to children. Both are being held without bond. The attorney for the father of suspected Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray has filed a motion to withdraw from the case. Channel 2s Courtney Francisco obtained a copy of Arnold Ragas motion to remove himself as Colin Grays attorney. Colin Gray is charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum sentence of 180 years. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Ragas is Deputy Director of the Georgia Public Defender Council and was appointed to represent Colin Gray. The motion to withdraw is part of the judicial process when a defendant obtains private attorneys. In the court document, Ragas said Grays private attorney filed a motion to take over the case on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Court records now list Jimmy Berry and Brian Hobbs representing the older Gray. Alfonso Kraft Jr. is listed as the teenagers attorney, according to the Barrow County Clerks Office. RELATED STORIES: This comes after Colin Gray filed a motion asking to be separated from all other inmates in order to ensure his personal safety. Colin Gray was arrested after his son, Colt Gray, was accused of shooting and killing four people inside Apalachee High School and wounding nine others. The younger Gray is charged with four counts of felony murder. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN RELATED NEWS: DES MOINES, Iowa (KCAU) The Sierra Club Iowa Chapter has filed an appeal to overturn the Iowa Utilities Commissions decision to grant Summit Carbon Solutions a permit for their CO2 pipeline. The chapter claims that the decision should be reversed for several reasons. According to the lawsuit, Summits claim for having the pipeline was that it would benefit the ethanol industry. The Sierra Club says there was no evidence to support the claim and was based on pure speculation. South Sioux City CSD goes into secure status temporarily The chapter says a court can take away the decision if a judge determines the claim has no substantial evidence. The Iowa Utilities Commission ruled back in June to grant the permit to Summit Carbon Solutions. 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. A federal appeals court declined to block enforcement of Colorados ban on conversion therapy for minors, saying the law does not restrict free speech but instead legally regulates conduct. House Bill 1129 was enacted in 2019. It bans state-licensed mental health providers from trying to change a minor patients gender identity or same-sex sexual attractions. In a 2-1 decision handed down on Monday, a three-judge panel of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law and struck down a request for an injunction. Kaley Chiles is a licensed professional counselor in Colorado Springs who sometimes provides counseling on matters of gender and sexual identity. She views counseling as an outgrowth of her Christian beliefs, which condemn same-sex sexual relations as sinful. She filed suit claiming the law infringed upon her free speech rights. Filing briefs supporting the law were One Colorado, the states largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group; the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), the national LGBTQ+ civil rights legal advocacy group; and Born Perfect, NCLRs survivor-led program to fight conversion therapy. We are extremely pleased with todays decision, which allows Colorado to continue protecting its LGBTQ children and adolescents from the dangers of conversion therapy, Chris Stoll, senior staff attorney at NCLR, said in a statement. These discredited practices, which falsely promise to be able to change a young persons sexual orientation or gender identity, have been rejected as unsafe by every major medical and mental health organization in the country. Born Perfect applauds the Tenth Circuit for ensuring that Colorado can continue to protect youth from the dangers of conversion therapy, Mathew Shurka, Born Perfects co-founder and chief strategist, said in a statement. Advocates and survivors like me are getting the reassurance we need, that every child is Born Perfect. We are delighted that Colorado's youth will remain protected from conversion therapy, Nadine Bridges, executive director of One Colorado, said in a statement. Research has shown that conversion therapy can cause increased rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, homelessness, self-harm, and suicide. LGBTQ+ youth are especially at risk, as are families who are misled into believing these dangerous practices can prevent their children from being who they truly are. Chiles filed the suit with the help of the right-wing Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) legal group. Displeased with the decision, ADF referred to the law as COs Counseling Censorship Law in a post to social media. ADF counsel Cody Barnett also took issue with the rulings finding that counseling is not speech. Counseling is speech, not conduct, and it must be treated as such under the First Amendment, Barnett said following the decision. The government has no business censoring private conversations between clients and counselors, nor should a counselor be used as a tool to impose the governments biased views on her clients. Chiles and ADF vowed to appeal the courts decision. DENVER (KDVR) The Archdiocese of Denver announced Friday that it will close two K-8 schools, including one in just a few months, and consolidate two high schools. Wellspring Catholic Academy of St. Bernadette in Lakewood is set to close on Dec. 20. Guardian Angels Catholic School in Denver will close at the end of the 2024-25 school year. Bishop Machebeuf High School will combine with St. John Paul the Great High School in Denver for the 2025-26 school year. Trump promises mass deportations, starting in Aurora Serious financial challenges have required tens of millions of dollars from the Archdiocese in the last decade, the archdiocese stated in a release on Friday. Additionally, Colorado schools have seen declining enrollment due to ongoing demographic changes. Therefore, the difficult decision to restructure has become necessary to ensure the overall sustainability of the Churchs educational mission. Demographic changes have affected school districts throughout the Denver metro area in recent years. Jefferson County has moved to close 21 public schools, and Denver has closed several schools and is looking to close more. Farther north, the Poudre School District considered but held back on a plan to close a handful of schools there. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox The Archdiocese of Denver said it is committed to helping staff find new roles within its school system and supporting students as they move to a new school community. They say the consolidation should strengthen enrollment at several nearby Catholic schools, some of which are just a few miles away from the schools that will close. 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. Arizona man indicted for attempting to lure a minor who turned out to be an undercover agent: DOJ PHOENIX - Federal justice officials in California say a grand jury has indicted a West Valley man for allegedly trying to lure a minor online. In a statement released on Sept. 13, prosecutors said 42-year-old Anthony Dalton Wolff of Surprise was indicted on a count of distribution of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and a count of attempted coercion and enticement. "Between March 16, 2023, and July 30, 2024, Wolff met and then communicated with an undercover federal agent on a forum on the dark web dedicated to discussion of child sexual abuse. The undercover agent had established a profile for a mother with a seven-year-old daughter," read a portion of the statement. "Wolff contacted the agent and immediately stated that he had a long-standing sexual interest in girls, and he hoped to have a sexual relationship with the agent and her purported daughter." Officials said Wolff later moved communications to Telegram, which they described as a "fully encrypted application that does not cooperate with law enforcement," and "frequently sent videos of himself while viewing and commenting on some of his favorite child exploitation videos." "He planned to meet the agent and her daughter in California and described in graphic detail how he wanted to sexually abuse the girl and to have another child with the mother so he could sexually abuse that child," read a portion of the statement. Per the statement, federal agents served a search warrant at Wolff's home on Aug. 28, where the devices allegedly used in connection with the incident were seized. "A federal magistrate judge in Phoenix, Arizona, ordered Wolff detained as a danger to the community, and he will appear before a magistrate judge in Fresno as soon as he arrives in the Eastern District of California," prosecutors wrote. If convicted on the distribution charge, prosecutors say Wolff faces five to 20 years in prison, with a fine of up to $250,000. As for the attempted coercion charge, Wolff faces 10 years to life in prison if he is convicted, as well as a fine of up to $250,000. "Law enforcement believes there may be additional victims in this case and urges anyone with information to come forward by calling the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP or through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's (NCMEC) website," prosecutors wrote. From left: Arkansas Department of Education Chief of Staff Courtney Salas-Ford, Arkansas PBS Executive Director and CEO Courtney Pledger, PBS Chief Financial Officer Jason Kuna and ADE CFO Greg Rogers answer questions from the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee on Friday, September 13, 2024. (Screenshot/Arkansas Legislature) An audit into Arkansas PBS procurements and related processes continued to raise concerns from state lawmakers about the educational television networks business practices at a Friday meeting. The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee sent the audit report to its State Agencies subcommittee to be discussed further next month before the full committee will vote to file it. Auditors have referred the report which examined the networks expenditures, purchasing procedures and internal controls from July 1, 2021 to Dec. 30, 2023 to Attorney General Tim Griffin and 20th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Carol Crews. The committee asked Arkansas Legislative Audit to conduct the investigation in November 2023 after the regularly scheduled 2022 audit of the network indicated that officials might have sidestepped state laws related to contract bidding. Purchases of more than $20,000 would have triggered a bidding process, and the network made several purchases just below that threshold from the same company, according to the 2022 audit. Intentionally circumventing procurement law is illegal, according to the audit report. Executive Director and CEO Courtney Pledger told the committee there was no such intention, which she has told lawmakers before. Arkansas PBS has taken steps to ensure the mistakes and errors that drew concern from lawmakers wont happen again, Pledger said. For example, PBS limited the number of employees who touch procurement, hired an experienced procurement manager, created a new fiscal manager role and hired a new controller, accounting coordinator and chief financial officer, she said. The special audits findings included: The networks infrequent use of standard contract documents for procurement, instead using scope statements, or detailed descriptions of projects for vendors; A lack of a clear definition of what constitutes a project for procurement purposes; 44 instances in the review period where PBS paid multiple vendors that were located at the same address; Two instances, totaling $32,750, where the network paid for goods and services before receiving them or before vendors completed them; A $131,843 penalty from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for filing a financial report late, though CPB has reduced the fine to less than $33,000 and will deduct it from a future grant; $14,265 paid during the review period to an out-of-state law firm that had been on the networks retainer since at least 2014. The Attorney Generals office is responsible for state agencies legal counsel, and auditors could not find documents authorizing the firm to represent the network from 2019 onward. Pledger told lawmakers last year that Arkansas PBS was training its entire staff in state procurement law. Auditors recommended in the report that this training continue. Auditors also recommended that the network comply with procurement laws, submit reports to grantors and oversight organizations in a timely manner, and seek approval for outside legal counsel when necessary. Lawmakers from both parties asked Pledger for reassurance that future audits will not yield the same results. Are we not going to have these bids that are $19,999 that go to the same vendor? said Sen. Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock. Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, said he was not convinced the audit findings were mistakes and errors as Pledger said and suggested that perhaps time will tell that some of this stuff was done intentionally. Pledger said the Legislature can count on Arkansas PBS to learn from its errors in judgment. We will not do any of the things listed in here ever again, she said. For the $20,000 benchmark for bids, nothing anywhere near will go through our shop without bids. Special PBS audit of expenditures Sullivans questions The committee voted to file the 2022 and 2023 regular audits, as is standard practice for audits of state agencies. Lawmakers deliberately delayed filing both until the special audit had been completed. Rep. Justin Gonzales, R-Okolona, made the motion to send the special audit report to the State Agencies subcommittee, which will meet Oct. 10, in response to questions from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro. Sullivan has been the Legislatures most vocal critic of Arkansas PBS. He unsuccessfully tried to reduce the networks spending authority in the 2022 and 2024 fiscal sessions. The governor appointed Sullivans wife to the Arkansas PBS Commission earlier this year. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansas PBS, formerly known as Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN), is technically part of the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education within the state Department of Education but acts independently of the two entities. Sullivan asked Arkansas Department of Education officials if the state has any responsibility for ensuring that PBS corrects the issues revealed by the audits. The network is required to submit a corrective action plan to the department before receiving any additional grant funds, department CFO Greg Rogers said. One such grant from the department funded Rise and Shine, a program Arkansas PBS started broadcasting to boost school-aged childrens learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sullivan asked Pledger if the network measures increases in students learning, test scores and the quality of Arkansas schools based on the reach of supplementary education programs like Rise and Shine. Pledger said she did not think there was any way to draw that line. Thats reasonable, I get it, but the answer would be no, we dont have the data, Sullivan said. He mentioned that earlier this year, the state withdrew a contract with an Indiana-based education company following pushback from lawmakers on the proposals high cost and the vendors apparent ineffectiveness. Chesterfield, a former teacher, offered a different perspective. Sen. Linda Chesterfield, D-Little Rock Its very difficult when youre dealing with supplemental education to determine that it has a direct impact on whether or not great improvement is taking place, she said. We know that Arkansas students still have a long way to go, and PBS is not the reason. She added that ADE is responsible for measuring the impact of programs while PBS is simply responsible for distributing those programs. I think in this conversation [about audit findings], we lose some of that knowledge about what you do well, Chesterfield told Pledger. In my opinion, we cant just deal with what you do poorly. We must also deal with things that you do well. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX ARLINGTON, Va. (DC News Now) Arlington police were looking for a black shirt and bag Friday after chasing someone down. The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) said at around 4:10 p.m., officers arrested someone in the Langston Blvd. and N. Adams Street area. Pentagon lockdown lifted after report of armed individual at Transit Center They had run away from a stolen car in the N. Veitch St. and Wilson Blvd area. Before the person was taken into custody, they ran into the area of Custis and N. Barton streets and threw away the items. Police are searching the area for the shirt and bag and are asking residents in the area for help. If anyone finds the items, they should call ACPD at (703) 558-2222. 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. Arrest made in Georgia after threats to schools in NEPA EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) Police say they have arrested a juvenile in Georgia who made social media posts threatening violence to schools in northeastern Pennsylvania. According to the Scranton Police Department, in a joint investigation with the Savannah, Georgia Police Department, a juvenile male, no age given, was arrested after police say he made numerous social media posts, on multiple platforms threatening school violence. Officials say the threats identified schools in Lackawanna County and northeastern Pennsylvania. PD: Man facing charges after shots fired in Lycoming County The male is in custody at a detention center in Savannah, Georgia, police note. Further information may be released, officials added. 28/22 News will keep you updated as details become 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 PAhomepage.com. GAZA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Hamas issued an urgent humanitarian appeal on Saturday to save two million displaced people in the Gaza Strip before winter arrives. "We are issuing an urgent humanitarian appeal to save two million displaced people in the Gaza Strip before it is too late, as winter approaches, weather conditions worsen, and the displaced people's tents deteriorate," the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said in a statement. The statement noted that there are 543 shelter and displacement centers in the Strip due to the Israeli military's "forced displacement by compelling citizens to evacuate their homes and safe residential neighborhoods, which is a violation of international law." According to the statement, 74 percent of the displaced people's tents have become unusable, and 100,000 out of 135,000 tents need immediate replacement. It confirmed that these tents are completely dilapidated as they are made of wood, nylon, and fabric and have deteriorated due to the sun's heat and the climatic conditions in Gaza, becoming completely out of service. The statement urged the international community and relevant organizations to act urgently and provide immediate relief to the displaced people. 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 250 others taken hostage. Arrest made in murder of Dallas man trying to stop robbery Arrest made in murder of Dallas man trying to stop robbery DALLAS - Police have made an arrest in a murder featured on FOX 4's Trackdown. Forney police arrested 23-year-old Adrion Brown and charged him with the murder of 38-year-old Quentin Gellington in October 2023. Detectives told FOX 4's Shaun Rabb that Gellington intervened in a robbery on Village Fair Drive and tried to defend the victim. The two attempted robbers then turned on Gellington, shooting him. He was then run over by a car. Gellington was pronounced dead at the hospital. An uninvolved woman was also shot. She was treated and released. Police have not released any information about what led them to Brown or his alleged role in the killing. Brown is currently in the Dallas County Jail. Gellington was a father of two, according to police. Allowing Ukraine to use ATACMS to strike targets deep inside Russia is the subject of "intense consultations," U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, said on Sept. 14. Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv, Sullivan reiterated that no decision had yet been made, a day after President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer met in Washington to discuss the issue. Ukraine had been hoping for permission to be granted during the talks to use two Western-supplied long-range missiles Storm Shadow and ATACMS to strike military targets such as airfields located deep inside Russian territory. But Starmer left Washington with no such announcement being made, putting Kyiv's hopes on hold once again. "I understand Ukraine's perspective on it," Sullivan said, adding: "But rather than me trying to elaborate on the reasoning one way or the other, this is something that I think is the subject of intense consultation among allies and partners, and will be (discussed) between President (Biden) and President Zelensky." Zelensky is due to travel to New York later this month for the United Nations General Assembly. Speaking at the same conference a day earlier, Zelensky said the U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles are "pointless" in Ukraine due to their limited quantity and restrictions on strikes deep inside Russia imposed by Western partners. The U.S. began providing Ukraine with Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which have a range of up to 300 kilometers (190 miles), in the spring. While these missiles have been used in Russian-occupied Crimea, Washington's restrictions prevent their use on Russian soil. "ATACMS in the form that we have today (in Ukraine) is pointless if you cannot use it on their (Russian) military bases, airfields with helicopters and airplanes. It's pointless," Zelensky said. "If ATACMS has a big restriction on the use of missiles because there are few of them... Unfortunately, it doesn't work." The NYT reported that it's likely a decision will be made about Storm Shadows before one is reached over ATACMS. While Ukraine has been pleading for permission for months, it's understood the stance of Western nations has changed in light of Iran supplying Russia with ballistic missiles. "We've now seen this action of Russia acquiring ballistic missiles from Iran, which will further empower their aggression in Ukraine. So if anyone is taking escalatory action, it would appear to be Mr. Putin and Russia," U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, said while visiting Kyiv earlier this week. Lammy added that Iran supplying ballistic missiles to Russia "clearly changes the debate" around the issue, as it allows the Kremlin to gain "further penetration into Ukraine." Zelensky is also expected to present Biden with a plan for Ukraine's victory against Russia, which will also be presented to Vice President Kamala Harris and ex-President Donald Trump, the two candidates for the upcoming November presidential election. "I do think we need a comprehensive strategy for success in this war and that is what President Zelensky says he's bringing," Sullivan said. "And so we're very much looking forward to sitting down and talking that through, and President Biden is eager for that conversation. "And it's only right that it be President Zelensky who brings that because it is up to the democratically elected government of Ukraine and the people of Ukraine to set out the course of the war, their path to victory." Read also: Russia launches counteroffensive in Kursk can it push Ukraine off its own turf? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Authorities were actively looking for Georgia shooting suspect after a warning call from his mom the morning of the attack On the morning of the shooting at a Winder, Georgia, high school that left four people dead, authorities were actively looking for the teenage suspect after the school received a warning call from his mom but there was a mix-up and they werent able to get to him fast enough, according to the Barrow County sheriff. Before last weeks mass shooting at Apalachee High School, Colt Gray, 14, apologized to his mother, Marcee Gray, in an alarming, cryptic text that prompted the mother to warn the school that something could be wrong. Im sorry, mom, the text read. The mother then called the school and asked administrators to check on her son. Thats when authorities started searching for Colt Gray, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith told CNN affiliate WXIA. She did speak to someone in the school, and we were actively looking for him, Smith said. I am not aware of her saying he is going to do this, or he has planned this, but there were some messages back and forth, the sheriff added. A resource officer went to look for the boy, but there was another student in the same class with almost identically the same name, and both he and Colt Gray werent inside the classroom at the time, according to the sheriff. He went to the bathroom with a student that has the almost same name thats who they think were looking for, Smith said. Smith said the officers thought they had caught up to Colt Gray in time, but they were actually speaking to the other student. As were trying to figure out whats going on, the shooting starts, Smith told WXIA. Authorities allege Colt fired an AR-15-style rifle inside the high school, killing two teachers and two students. Nine others who were injured eight students and one teacher are expected to recover, authorities said. Newly obtained emergency recordings and dispatch records from the Barrow County Sheriffs Office capture the chaos and panic that unfolded both inside the school as an active shooter was reported and outside it as worried parents received panicked texts from their teenagers. The deadly attack on September 4 marked the 45th school shooting in 2024 and the deadliest US school shooting since the March 2023 rampage at The Covenant School in Nashville. Colt Gray, who authorities say confessed to the Winder high school attack, is charged with four counts of felony murder and will be tried as an adult. His attorney, Alfonso Kraft Jr., declined to comment Wednesday when reached by phone. His father, Colin Gray, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children after authorities accused him of knowingly allowing his son to have a weapon, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. CNN has reached out to Colin Grays attorneys. Law enforcement and first responders control traffic after a shooting took place at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on September 4, 2024. - Christian Monterrosa/AFP/Getty Images We have an active shooter at Apalachee High School On the morning of the shooting, a 10-minute call was placed from Marcee Grays phone to the school at 9:50 a.m. ET, the Washington Post reported. Colt Gray had left his Algebra 1 class around 9:45 a.m. ET, student Lyela Sayarath, who was sitting next to him in class, previously told CNN. She said a person who later came to the class looking for Colt Gray confused him with another student. An administrator comes in asking for the kid that sits next to me but mistakes him for my friend, Lyela said. The first call for the shooting came in from a RapidSOS device at 10:22 a.m. ET, computer-aided dispatch reports released by Barrow County on Friday show. Active shooter! an officer is heard yelling in one audio clip while speaking with a dispatcher, who repeats the phrase back to him. Another officer can be heard responding calmly, Correct. We have an active shooter at Apalachee High School. Two minutes later, authorities had the suspects name as Colt and one student was dead, according to the reports. At 10:30 a.m., the suspect was in custody, not injured, the reports show. Fifteen minutes later, the reports show one person was dead in a hallway and three were dead in another hallway. An officer, sounding slightly out of breath, asks the dispatcher to roll EMS. She is heard confirming emergency medical services were en route to the high school. Im just worried it was him When a woman who identified herself as Colts aunt found out about the text he had sent, she made a tearful 911 call that morning just after 11:45 a.m. ET. Sobbing, she told a Barrow County 911 operator she was afraid her nephew was involved in the school shooting at Apalachee High School, according to a recording released Friday. My mom just called me and said that Colt texted his mom, my sister and his dad that he was sorry, and they called the school and told the counselor to go get him immediately, the woman told the operator. And then she said she saw that theres been a shooting, and Im just worried it was him. The woman then shared her and her sisters phone numbers with the 911 operator, adding that shed prefer they call his mom first because Ive been trying to get through to somebody. Im just so worried whats going to happen, the woman told the operator. Meanwhile, a school counselor had informed Marcee Gray that her son had made references to school shootings, she told ABC News, prompting her and the teens grandfather to travel 200 miles from Fitzgerald to Winder, Georgia. Concerned parents reported their children were in danger Parents called 911 the day of the shooting concerned about the safety of their children, the new recordings reveal. A parent is on the phone with their child, an officer urgently says in one recording. They are in the art room, locked up. A male caller told a dispatcher in another recording that his daughter, a school psychologist, was working with a student in a trailer next to where the shooting was happening. He said his daughter tried to hide behind a desk with the student. I want them to be aware that shes in a trailer and she cant lock the doors and if they can check on the trailers hopefully, they can check and get her out, the man is heard saying. The dispatcher confirmed whether the student was with the psychologist, to which the caller responds, yes, and she didnt want to call, she didnt want to make any noise. CNNs Isabel Rosales, Andy Rose, Lauren Mascarenhas, Celina Tebor, Eric Levenson, Dakin Andone, Meridith Edwards, Sara Smart, Nouran Salahieh, Steve Almasy, Scott Glover, Holly Yan, Jaide Timm-Garcia, Keith Allen, Rebekah Riess, Devon Sayers, Kelly McCleary, Emma Tucker, Alaa Elassar and Taylor Galgano contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Michaela DePrince performs during her debut as Kitri in the final rehearsals of the production "Don Quixote" at the Joburg Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa, on March 5, 2013. She died at the age of 29. File Photo courtesy of PixnioFile photo by Kim Ludbrook Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince has died at the age of 29, a message posted on her official Instagram page said. The cause of her death has not yet been disclosed. "Rest in Power: Ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince. With pain in our hearts, we share the loss of star ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond. Her life was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength," the post said Friday. "Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us. She stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places. Though her time with us was far too brief, her brilliance and legacy will continue to shine in the hearts of all who were touched by her story, for generations to come. Love and prayers go to her chosen family, friends, and those who loved her." DePrince went from life as an orphan in Sierra Leone to being adopted and brought to the United States as a child. She studied at the American Ballet Theatre's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet, then joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Dutch National Ballet and Boston Ballet. Her extraordinary journey was chronicled in the 2011 documentary, First Position. "We're sending our love and support to the family of Michaela Mabinty DePrince at this time of loss. We were so fortunate to know Mabinty; she was a beautiful person, a wonderful dancer, and she will be greatly missed by us all," the Boston Ballet said in a statement. Michel Barnier was selected to be Frances prime minister on Sept 5 - JEFF PACHOULD/AFP via GETTY IMAGES Michel Barnier will not last a year as Frances prime minister, Marine Le Pen said just days before the former Brexit negotiator names his government. The National Rally (RN) leader, a kingmaker in Barniers appointment, told her MPs in Paris on Saturday that there would be new legislative elections in just 10 months. She said of Mr Barnier, a member of the centre-Right Republicans: This is a mandate that I personally want to be as short as possible. I think it cant last. He emerged as Emmanuel Macrons surprise choice as prime minister last week after snap elections in July, which left France with a hung parliament. It ended nearly two months of deadlock but infuriated the New Popular Front coalition of Left-wing parties, which won the election but fell short of a majority. National Rally leader Marine Le Pen with party president Jordan Bardella - LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via GETTY IMAGES Ms Le Pen could collapse Mr Barniers precarious government by calling a vote of no confidence in the 73-year-old conservative, whose party won just 5 per cent of votes in the National Assembly elections. For now RN said they have the prime minister under surveillance and that his government will not make any major decisions without their involvement. RN won the first round of the snap legislative elections but was prevented from seizing power by electoral pacts that saw establishment parties stand down candidates to keep the hard-Right from government. It still ended the elections as the largest single party. Ms Le Pen said: Our great country that is France cannot function like this, cannot be led by a political force that won 5 per cent. I am convinced that there will be new legislative elections at the end of these 10 months, and I hope for them. Ms Le Pens comments were designed to reassure the party faithful that their tacit support of Mr Barnier was temporary. RNs reticence was said to be a tactic to cast themselves as responsible politicians unwilling to jeopardise the French economy before budget negotiations when Paris is under pressure to reduce its deficit. But it warned it would trigger a vote of no confidence if Mr Barnier moved to raise taxes. Jordan Bardella, the partys president and choice for prime minister, said at the Palais Bourbon: We have not changed our objectives, or our ambitions. We are preparing the alternative that the country needs. He called on the gathered deputies to cross a new threshold and become an influential opposition and to snatch victories everywhere in the months ahead Mr Bardella added: We must remain a constructive opposition whose only compass is the interest of the country and the interest of the French. Mr Barnier is likely to come under RN pressure to fulfil two of his promises from his failed campaign to become French president in 2022. The former EU commissioner called for a moratorium on non-EU immigration for three to five years. Kingmaker Marine Le Pen, leader of largest party in the French Assembly - ALEXIS JUMEAU/ABACA PRESS/ALAMY LIVE NEWS He also demanded a constitutional shield that would prevent the European Court of Justice and non-EU European Court of Human Rights overruling French decisions on migration. Ms Le Pen has long argued against immigration and the supremacy of European courts over national law. Mr Barnier faces a tricky balancing act in naming his new government to prevent a vote of no confidence, which could come as early as October from the Left when he presents his policy objectives A trade union chief on Saturday described Mr Barnier as the weakest prime minister in the history of the Fifth Republic. Mr Barnier said earlier this week: I will form the government next week with serious ministers and a government that will be balanced. He vowed to control immigration with rigour and tenacity and humanity. As for the centrist Mr Macron, the president was reported to be willing to accept he had lost control of the government after years characterised by his Jupiterian direct rule. He told a small group of ministers after an election that cost him his majority: I was a president who governed, I will be a president who presides. But other sources suggested Mr Macron was, like Ms Le Pen, simply biding his time and waiting for Mr Barnier to fail. One anonymous politician told Le Figaro: In the coming weeks, you will see Macron distancing himself from Barnier as if he had the plague. The president cannot dissolve the Assembly and call fresh snap elections for a year. The source said: He will say to himself, If Barnier fails, I must not be blamed for it. And so, we may witness an interminable failure that will suit Macron. The latter has made his calculations. He must hold out for a year to regain his power to screw everything up. 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. TAMPA, Fla. - A Bay Area civil rights activist is claiming police brutality after his arrest was captured on a Hillsborough County deputy's bodycam. Carl Soto held a press conference on Friday, with Hillsborough deputies calling one immediately after, saying the arresting deputy was found to not have violated any policies. It all started over a relatively minor traffic violation. The deputy pulled him over after noticing the graphic of a comic book character in the middle of the plate, instead of any official DMV Florida logos or vanity plates. Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office So he pulled him over, and it took only seconds for things to go haywire. "I am going to give you about point-two seconds to explain what you pulled me over for," Soto told the deputy, "because I have not committed any traffic violations." After denying the tag is illegal, Soto became even more agitated. Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office "Get your watch commander out here now," he said. "Let me call your sheriff." The deputy cites the Florida statute that he found Soto to be in violation of, and orders him out of the car. He asks for his license a total of 20 times, opening his door amidst a flurry of arguing back and forth. "You have no lawful reason to open this door," Soto said as he held up his license. "You will not take it." Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office That's when the deputy takes his taser out, and orders him out of the car. He tells the deputy he has trouble standing because he just had back surgery. "Your badge will be removed today," he tells the deputy. "I never did anything unlawful to you. Have you lost your mind?" While his wife tells him over speakerphone to comply, he tells her to call a lawyer. A minute after cuffing one arm, the deputy makes the arrest for resisting without violence. READ: School threat against Newsome High prompts campus lockout, large HCSO presence Soto called a press conference Friday, saying the arrest exacerbated his back injury, and insisting the deputy overreacted and racially profiled him. "I was treated like a criminal and thrown on the ground in the middle of a street like I was a criminal over a license plate," he told assembled media. The deputy is heard on bodycam saying he couldn't have known what race he was given his back windows were tinted. Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Deputies also say they've reviewed the video and found nothing wrong with the stop, the way the deputy interacted or with the manner of arrest. "(He was) not complying with lawful commands, not handing over his license," said HCSO spokesperson Amanda Granit. "And just it all could have been avoided. And that's what I, you know, this didn't have to end this way, but it did because of Mr. Soto's actions." Soto told the deputy that he had been told by the DMV that his Joker license plate was legal, but the state does not produce legal license plates with comic book characters on them. READ: Uber driver found guilty of sexually assaulting college student Soto has promised to file a lawsuit. HCSO says they have no plans to change the employment status of the deputy who made this arrest. Soto faces a charge of resisting arrest without violence, and has pleaded not guilty. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA BAY: BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) Schools all over the country are reporting a major increase in school threats since last weeks shootings at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Many Florida schools have been targeted. Just Friday morning, there was a threat of violence against Bay High School in Panama City. Local law enforcement increased their presence on campus. While the threat was deemed not credible, they say they are still taking any and all threats seriously. And they are still investigating. School officials said these threats have serious consequences. Threatening schools is not a joke, is taken seriously at every level. With law enforcement and the state attorneys office. We do this because we want to ensure a safe and secure environment for all of our students at all of our schools. I urge students not to simply just share concerning information among themselves and repost unsubstantiated claims but instead report it immediately to the proper authorities, Bay District Superintendent Mark McQueen said. Holmes County authorities are investigating a threat circulating their schools, as well as false reports of an active shooter at Bethlehem school. 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 mypanhandle.com. When school started this year for Mikalay in Belarus, the 15-year-old discovered that his teachers and administrators no longer called him by that name. Instead, they referred to him as Nikolai, its Russian equivalent. What's more, classes at his school one of the country's best are now taught in Russian, not Belarusian, which he has spoken for most of his life. Belarusians like Mikalay are experiencing a new wave of Russification as Moscow expands its economic, political and cultural dominance to overtake the identity of its neighbour. This isn't unprecedented. During the czarist and Soviet eras, Russia imposed its language, symbols, and cultural institutions on Belarus. However, after the USSR dissolved in 1991, Belarus began to reclaim its identity. Belarusian briefly became the official language, and the white-red-white national flag replaced the Soviet-era red hammer and sickle. Related The situation shifted in 1994 when Alexander Lukashenko, a former Soviet collective farm official, came to power. He made Russian an official language alongside Belarusian and removed the nationalist symbols. Now, with Lukashenko in power for over three decades, he has permitted Russia to dominate various aspects of life in Belarus, a nation of 9.5 million. Belarusian is rarely heard on the streets of Minsk and other large cities. Official business is conducted in Russian, which also dominates the media. Lukashenko speaks only Russian, and government officials often avoid using Belarusian. The country relies on Russian loans and cheap energy, forming a political and military alliance with Moscow. This alliance allows President Vladimir Putin to station troops and missiles in Belarus, using it as a staging area for the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and his Belarus counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, talk at an economic summit in the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, on Dec. 23, 2014. - Maxim Shipenkov/AP I understand that our Belarus is occupied. And who is the president there? Not Lukashenko. The president is Putin, said Svetlana Alexievich, the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, who lives in Germany in effective exile. The nation has been humiliated and it will be very difficult for Belarusians to recover from this. Belarusian cultural figures have faced persecution, and hundreds of nationalist organisations have been shut down. Experts suggest that Moscow aims to implement in Belarus what it intended for Ukraine when the war there began in 2022. It is obvious that our children are being deliberately deprived of their native language, history, and Belarusian identity, but parents have been strongly advised not to ask questions about Russification, said Anatoly, father of a Belarusian student, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution. We were informed about the synchronisation of the curriculum with Russia this year and were shown a propaganda film about how the Ukrainian special services are allegedly recruiting our teenagers and forcing them to commit sabotage in Belarus, he added. Only a few schools have managed to retain some paperwork and courses in Belarusian. In recent years, one of these schools saw dozens of its teachers fired, and the Belarusian-language section of its website disappeared. Lukashenko derides his native language, stating, Nothing great can be expressed in Belarusian. There are only two great languages in the world: Russian and English. Belarus was part of the Russian empire for centuries and became one of the 15 Soviet republics after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Daily use of Belarusian decreased and continued only in the country's west, north, and rural areas. In 1994, about 40% of students were taught in Belarusian; now, it's under 9%. Speaking Belarusian is seen as opposition to Lukashenko and a declaration of national identity, which played a key role in the mass protests after the disputed 2020 election that gave Lukashenko a sixth term. In the harsh crackdown that followed, half a million people fled the country. At the same time, more people want to speak Belarusian, which has become one of the symbols of freedom, but they're afraid to do it in public, said Alina Nahornaja, author of Language 404, a book about Belarusians who faced discrimination for speaking their native language. Like Ukrainians, Belarusians desired closer ties with Europe, accompanying their nationalist sentiment, noted Belarusian analyst Valery Karbalevich. But the Kremlin quickly realised the danger and began the process of creeping Russification in Belarus, he added. This led to the emergence of pro-Russian organisations, joint educational programmes, and cultural projects, like mushrooms after the rain against the backdrop of harsh repressions against everything Belarusian, Karbalevich said. Belarusian athletes carry the countrys flag during celebrations marking Independence Day in Minsk, Belarus, on July 3, 2013. - AP/Copyright 2013 The AP. All rights reserved Censorship and bans affect not only contemporary Belarusian literature but also its classics. In 2023, the prosecutors office declared extremist the 19th-century poems of Vincent Dunin-Martsinkyevich, who opposed the Russian Empire. When the Kremlin supported Lukashenko against the anti-government protests in 2020, it ensured his loyalty and received carte blanche in Belarus. Today, Lukashenko is paying Putin with our sovereignty, said exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Belarusian national identity, cultures, and language are our strongest weapons against the Russian world and Russification. In February she had posted on X that "being labeled as 'extremist' means loving your country & speaking your language." Four cities in Belarus now host a Russia House to promote Russian culture and influence, offering seminars, film clubs, exhibitions, and competitions. The goal is to plant Russian narratives so that as many Belarusians as possible view Russian as their own, said analyst Alexander Friedman. The Kremlin spares no expense and acts on a grand scale, which could be especially effective and dangerous in a situation where Belarus has found itself in information isolation, and there is almost no one left inside the country to resist the Russian world. Putin published an article denying the existence of an independent Ukraine back in 2021, and even then we understood perfectly well that he was pursuing similar goals in Belarus," Latushka said. TALLINN, Estonia (AP) When school started this year for Mikalay in Belarus, the 15-year-old discovered that his teachers and administrators no longer called him by that name. Instead, they referred to him as Nikolai, its Russian equivalent. What's more, classes at his school one of the country's best are now taught in Russian, not Belarusian, which he has spoken for most of his life. Belarusians like Mikalay are experiencing a new wave of Russification as Moscow expands its economic, political and cultural dominance to overtake the identity of its neighbor. It's not the first time. Russia under the czars and in the era of the Soviet Union imposed its language, symbols and cultural institutions on Belarus. But with the demise of the USSR in 1991, the country began to assert its identity, and Belarusian briefly became the official language, with the white-red-white national flag replacing a version of the red hammer and sickle. But all that changed in 1994, after Alexander Lukashenko, a former Soviet collective farm official, came to power. The authoritarian leader made Russian an official language, alongside Belarusian, and did away with the nationalist symbols. Now, with Lukashenko in control of the country for over three decades, he has allowed Russia to dominate all aspects of life in Belarus, a country of 9.5 million people. Belarusian, which like Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, is hardly heard on the streets of Minsk and other large cities anymore. Official business is conducted in Russian, which dominates the majority of the media. Lukashenko speaks only Russian, and government officials often don't use their native tongue. The country depends on Russian loans and cheap energy and has created a political and military alliance with Moscow, allowing President Vladimir Putin to deploy troops and missiles on its soil, which was used as a staging area for the war in Ukraine. I understand that our Belarus is occupied. And who is the president there? Not Lukashenko. The president is Putin, said Svetlana Alexievich, who won the 2015 Nobel Prize for literature and lives in Germany in effective exile. The nation has been humiliated and it will be very difficult for Belarusians to recover from this. Belarusian cultural figures have been persecuted and hundreds of its nationalist organizations have been closed. Experts say Moscow is seeking to implement in Belarus what the Kremlin intended to do in neighboring Ukraine when the war there began in 2022. It is obvious that our children are being deliberately deprived of their native language, history and Belarusian identity, but parents have been strongly advised not to ask questions about Russification, said Mikalays father, Anatoly, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition his last name not be used, for fear of retribution. We were informed about the synchronization of the curriculum with Russia this year and were shown a propaganda film about how the Ukrainian special services are allegedly recruiting our teenagers and forcing them to commit sabotage in Belarus, he said. Mikalay's school was one of the few where paperwork and some courses were conducted in Belarusian. In recent years, however, dozens of teachers were fired and the Belarusian-language section of its website vanished. Human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski, convicted in 2023 on charges stemming from his Nobel Peace Prize-winning work, demanded his trial be conducted in Belarusian. The court rejected it and sentenced him to 10 years. Lukashenko derides his native language, saying nothing great can be expressed in Belarusian. There are only two great languages in the world: Russian and English. Speaking to Russian state media, Lukashenko recounted how Putin once thanked him for making Russian the dominant language in Belarus. I said, Wait, what are you thanking me for? ... The Russian language is my language, we were part of one empire, and we're taking part in (helping) that language develop,' Lukashenko said. Belarus was part of the Russian empire for centuries and became one of 15 Soviet republics after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Daily use of the Belarusian language decreased and continued only in the country's west and north and in rural areas. In 1994, about 40% of students were taught in Belarusian; it's now down to under 9%. Although Belarusian, like Russian, is an eastern Slavic language, its vocabulary is considerably different. In 1517, Belarusian publisher Francysk Skaryna was one of the first in eastern Europe to translate the Bible into his native language. Even speaking Belarusian is seen as a show of opposition to Lukashenko and a declaration of national identity. That played a key role in the mass protests after the disputed 2020 election gave the authoritarian leader a sixth term. In the harsh crackdown that followed, a half-million people fled the country. The Belarusian language is increasingly perceived as a sign of political disloyalty and is being abandoned in favor of Russian in the public administration, education, culture and the mass media, upon orders from the hierarchy or out of fear of discrimination, said Anais Marin, the United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in Belarus. At the same time, more people want to speak Belarusian, which has become one of the symbols of freedom, but they're afraid to do it in public, said Alina Nahornaja, author of Language 404, a book about Belarusians who experienced discrimination for speaking their native language. Like Ukraine, Belarusians had a desire for rapprochement with Europe that accompanied their nationalist sentiment, said Belarusian analyst Valery Karbalevich. But the Kremlin quickly realized the danger and began the process of creeping Russification in Belarus, he added. That prompted pro-Russian organizations, joint educational programs and cultural projects to spring up "like mushrooms after the rain against the backdrop of harsh repressions against everything Belarusian, Karbalevich said. Censorship and bans affect not only contemporary Belarusian literature but also its classics. In 2023, the prosecutors office declared as extremist the 19th-century poems of Vincent Dunin-Martsinkyevich, who opposed the Russian Empire. When the Kremlin began supporting Lukashenko against the anti-government protests in 2020, it ensured his loyalty and received carte blanche in Belarus. Today, Lukashenko is paying Putin with our sovereignty, said exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Belarusian national identity, cultures and language are our strongest weapons against the Russian world and Russification. Four cities in Belarus now host a Russia House to promote its culture and influence, offering seminars, film clubs, exhibitions and competitions. The goal is to plant Russian narratives so that as many Belarusians as possible view Russian as their own, said analyst Alexander Friedman. The Kremlin spares no expense and acts on a grand scale, which could be especially effective and dangerous in a situation where Belarus has found itself in information isolation, and there is almost no one left inside the country to resist the Russian world. Almost the entire troupe of the Yanka Kupala Theater, the countrys oldest, fled Belarus amid the political crackdown. Its former director, Pavel Latushka, now an opposition figure abroad, said the new management couldn't recruit enough new actors, and had to invite Russians, but it turned out that no one knew the Belarusian language. Putin published an article denying the existence of an independent Ukraine back in 2021, and even then we understood perfectly well that he was pursuing similar goals in Belarus," Latushka said. The main course was supposed to be Ukraine, he added, with a Russified Belarus "as a dessert. SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the co-founders of Ben & Jerrys Ice Cream, has partnered with MoveOn Political Action in developing a new and exclusive flavor of ice cream, to celebrate Vice President Kamala Harriss run for office. The new flavor is called Kamalas Coconut Jubilee. Its a coconut ice cream with a caramel ripple and confetti stars. VP Harris says she washed greens in bathtub, shares recipe MoveOn said they are taking an ice cream truck on tour, starting Sept. 16, rolling through swing areas handing out free ice cream to reach and engage voters. The Vote Tour will include stops in more than 20 cities in battleground states, with rallies held in Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada. The organization is also offering a chance for people to win a pint of Kamalas Coconut Jubilee, autographed by Ben and Jerry, by entering a contest. For official contest rules, 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 WSAV-TV. ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ferocious clashes erupted on Saturday between Houthi militants and pro-government forces in the country's southern province of Lahj, a military official told Xinhua. The local official, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that armed confrontations broke out when Houthi forces attempted to seize control of strategic mountainous positions along the administrative borders of Lahj and Taiz provinces. The official confirmed that two soldiers were killed and five others left injured as a result of the Houthi offensive, and heavy weapons were used in the hours-long confrontations. The Houthis failed to capture new territory, but they established military positions near the contact lines, according to the source. Local media outlets reported that the intensification of hostilities prompted many families in affected areas to evacuate their homes, raising concerns about potential humanitarian consequences. The recent outbreak of violence followed limited engagements between the two sides in the same area last week, which resulted in the killing of a number of people. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi group seized several northern provinces, forcing the Yemeni internationally recognized government out of the capital Sanaa. Actress and film producer Marsai Martin delivers remarks during a brunch held to celebrate Black Excellence on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. President Biden hosted the brunch during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundations annual Legislative Conference this week to recognize achievements in the Black community. At right is Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young. (Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images) Actress and film producer Marsai Martin delivers remarks during a brunch held to celebrate Black Excellence on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. President Biden hosted the brunch during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundations annual Legislative Conference this week to recognize achievements in the Black community. At right is Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young. (Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images) WASHINGTON President Joe Biden, in the last months of his four-year term, detailed his administrations efforts in seeking to advance opportunities and equity for Black communities on Friday during the White Houses first-ever brunch in celebration of Black Excellence. The event came as the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation hosted its annual legislative conference this week in Washington, D.C. Today, we honor this simple truth: Black history is American history, Black excellence is American excellence, and folks, we dont erase history like others are trying to we make history, Biden said to a crowd on the South Lawn that included members of the Congressional Black Caucus and other Black leaders. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre; Trell Thomas, founder of Black Excellence Brunch; Marsai Martin, an actress and producer; and Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, gave brief remarks ahead of Biden. I know it because Ive seen it. Ive been vice president to the first Black president in American history, a president to the first Black vice president and God willing, to the first female Black president in American history, Biden added. Biden who originally sought a second term passed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris in mid-July following his disastrous debate performance in June against the Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump. Today, we honor this simple truth: Black history is American history, Black excellence is American excellence, and folks, we dont erase history like others are trying to we make history. President Joe Biden Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, now has the chance to become the first woman to serve as president, the first Black woman president, and the first president of South Asian descent. Biden also underscored some of the administrations key efforts in regard to Black communities, such as achieving the lowest Black unemployment rate on record. As of August, the administration has created 2.4 million jobs for Black workers, according to a White House fact sheet. He also emphasized the administrations efforts to ensure that more Black Americans have health care than ever before. The White House says its done so by lowering premium costs by an average of $800 for millions of Americans, increasing Black enrollment in Affordable Care Act coverage by 95%, or over 1.7 million people since 2020, per the fact sheet. Biden added that on this very lawn, in front of the White House built by enslaved people, we hosted the first-ever Juneteenth concert after I made Juneteenth a federal holiday, and on this lawn, we celebrated the first Black woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court, the best decision I made: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. He also condemned racism toward Haitian migrants to the U.S., saying the community is under attack in our country right now and calling it simply wrong. Conspiracy theories about migrants and bomb threats continue to rock Springfield, Ohio. Trump at Tuesdays presidential debate hosted by ABC News amplified false claims about Haitian migrants there, saying: In Springfield, theyre eating the dogs, the people that came in, theyre eating the cats, adding that theyre eating the pets of the people that live there. Appearing to allude to Trump, Biden added that theres no place in America. This has to stop, what hes doing. It has to stop. Meanwhile, Biden and Harris are both slated to speak at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundations Phoenix Awards Dinner Saturday in Washington, D.C. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX BIG FLATS, N.Y. (WETM) Big Flats residents are invited to come together for Community Days in less than one week. The 70th Annual Big Flats Community Days returns to Big Flats Community Park (100 Main St.) from Sept. 19 through Sept. 21. The event will be open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Festivalgoers can expect to find new carnival rides and games, live music, local vendors, fireworks, and more. Pay-one-price rides will be available until one hour before the end of the event on Thursday and for the entire event on Friday. Rides will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Craft vendors will be open for business during the whole festival every day, and each day will have special events. Tempers flare at public hearing regarding housing project in Big Flats Visitors can catch the Miss Twin Tiers Pageant at 6 p.m. on Thursday and support competitors aged from newborn to 18. Stone Cold Sober will perform from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday, and visitors can get a Big Flats Community Days Famous Fish Fry from 6 p.m. until they run out. Saturday will be packed with the most fun. The Firemans Waterball Contest will start at noon, and a parade will start at 5 p.m. The parade will feature fire trucks, classic cars, floats, school-aged children in costumes, and more. Spencer Creek will take the stage from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., and raffle drawings will start in the food pavilion at 8 p.m. The night will end with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. However, if Saturday nights forecast calls for rain, the fireworks show will be held the day before. Proceeds from Big Flats Community Days are returned to the community through contributions to fire companies, ambulance associations, scout groups, school projects, and community projects. Funds from the event have been used to buy new equipment for Andrew Sperr Memorial Park, lighting for Community Park, landscaping at the Big Flats Community Center, and other town improvement projects. 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 WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. Republicans have started spreading a shockingly racist conspiracy theory against Haitian immigrants in Ohio falsely accusing them of kidnapping pets and eating them. This includes Donald Trump, who brought it up during the debate against Kamala Harris on Tuesday. Since then, the former president has changed up which animals he says are being abducted, prompting Bill Maher to joke during Fridays Real Time monologue that this is like Noahs Ark, if Noah was a fat ahole. For some background, Springfield, Ohio is home to a growing community of immigrants from Haiti who are here in the United States legally. Late in 2023, an 11-year-old boy was tragically killed when a Haitian immigrant driving in the wrong lane collided with a school bus. That man has since received a 9- to 13-year prison sentence. White supremacists have used this tragedy to stoke racist resentment against the Haitian community, culminating in this conspiracy theory. In response, the boys parents have spoken out in defense of Haitians and demanded people stop using their son to stoke hatred. Unfortunately, their platform is smaller than the lies biggest proponents, which include Trumps running mate JD Vance and even the Republican Attorney General of Ohio, along with Trump himself. As such, the towns problems have only worsened, and on Friday, local schools were forced to close for the second day in a row after bomb threats were made against them. (It should also be noted that Vance is a U.S. senator from Ohio, meaning that like the states attorney general, he is promoting a hate campaign that is directly contributing to a climate that is bringing terroristic threats down upon his constituents.) Back to Maher, who explained this sad situation, adding, How can you top this today? Trump is walking it back. He said, No, Im sorry, not that, not the cats and the dog, its the ducks and the geese. Theyre going to the ponds. Theyre going to the ponds, and theyre taking the geese to eat them. And this is what Trump supporters are doing now, trying to prove that the distinct book, this insanity that hes basing the campaign on, is true. Theyre literally on a wild goose chase. As the list of animals, its growing and growing like Noahs Ark, if Noah was a fat ahole, Maher continued. And where is he getting this from? Well, hes got a new bullst whisperer named Laura Loomer. Of course, thats her name. Laura Loomer, there she is. Hes with her everywhere, Maher added. Now for MAGA people, shes for people who find Marjorie Taylor Greene too intellectual. She believes in a birtherism. Shes a 9/11 truther. Crisis actor, Pizzagate, rigged elections. Youve heard of Florida Man? Shes Florida Woman, Maher went on. Now, theres a big fight within the Republican Party. I love this because, yes, Marjorie Taylor Greene, the voice of sanity, Maher said with disbelief, has come out against Laura Loomer. Says shes too far right. Shes a racist. Now Loomer has accused Marjorie Taylor Greene, she says Marjorie Taylor Greene is an antisemite, and she cheats on her husband, and she said I cant believe I have to report this she said [Greenes] lady parts resemble an Arbys sandwich, which is so offensive, to Arbys. Then Lindsay Graham, the other Real Housewives guest member, got involved, and hes attacking Laura Loomer, [saying] shes toxic. And she posted back, we know youre gay, Lindsay. Lets see David Muir fact -heck that, Maher joked. You can read more about this absurd drama here, and watch the monologue below: The post Bill Maher Says Trumps Racist Haitian Conspiracy Theory Is Like Noahs Ark, if Noah Was a Fat A-hole | Video appeared first on TheWrap. (NewsNation) As former President Donald Trump defended spending time with far-right activist Laura Loomer, Bill OReilly says she doesnt matter. Does it matter to the American people that Laura Loomer exists? No, it doesnt, OReilly said Friday on NewsNations On Balance. Loomer, a self-described investigative journalist and proud Islamophobe, was with Trump during Tuesdays debate, as well as by his side at 9/11 memorial events in New York and Pennsylvania. At a California news conference Friday, Trump said Laura is a supporter. I dont control Laura. Laura has to say what she wants. Shes a free spirit. Who is Laura Loomer? I have no idea why Donald Trump does what he does, OReilly responded to host Leland Vitterts suggestion that Loomers presence is horribly detrimental to his campaign. While acknowledging that Trump being seen with Loomer is a bad look, OReilly countered that it doesnt matter to me as a voter. And I think a lot of voters feel the same way. OReilly also said Trump missed an opportunity to turn the tables on Harris and the ABC moderators during Tuesdays debate. Trump should have narrated that debate looked in the camera and go, Heres why David (Muir) is asking that question. Heres why that question was asked of the vice president that big softball question. Do I get a softball, David? But instead, Trump gets so tied up in his own emotional field. He gets so distracted by crowd size, and this and that. Alan Dershowitz says Kamala Harris needs to earn his vote OReilly also defended Trump invoking the immigration situations in Springfield, Ohio, and other locations. The Biden-Harris administration opened the border, inexplicably. She cant explain why that happened. She actually said the border was secure for two-and-a-half years, and now, all of a sudden, its not secure, he 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 NewsNation. The billionaire mother of Laura Tomlinson is facing a 200,000 lawsuit after an aspiring dressage rider was kicked in the face by a horse. George Day is suing Ursula Bechtolsheimer, claiming he was forced to give up a burgeoning career after suffering serious facial injuries and a traumatic brain injury as a result of the accident on March 5 2021. Mrs Bechtolsheimer, 72, is the only daughter of German retail tycoon Karl-Heinz Kipp, who died in 2017, and the mother of Tomlinson, 39, the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist whose wedding to Mark Tomlinson, the polo player, in 2013, was celebrated by guests including the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Duke of Sussex. Laura Tomlinson won a gold medal in the team dressage at the London 2012 Olympics - Musall/DeFodi Images/Getty Images Mrs Bechtolsheimer runs a horse breeding stable with her husband at Eastington House in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, where Mr Day says he was working at the time of his injury. He says he was hand-grazing a young horse called Darcy, who had been injured and was on box rest, High Court documents show. The horse grazed for a short while before suddenly raising his head, and kicking out, hitting him in the face, and causing him to lose consciousness, documents state. He was taken to the Great Western Hospital in Swindon with extensive facial injuries, including a shattered nose, fractured facial bones, eye sockets, and cheek bone, and then underwent surgery at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Since the accident he claims he has suffered from neurological symptoms from his mild traumatic brain injury including fatigue, headaches, dizziness and blurred vision, reduced sensation in his face, blurry vision, tinnitus, and finds eating tough foods difficult. He says he tried to return to Mrs Bechtolsheimers yard after the accident, but could not manage the work, and had become uncomfortable with horses. Now he is no longer able to ride professionally and cannot continue his equestrianism career, the court will hear. Mr Day, 31, who competed at a high level in dressage competitions, is claiming more than 200,000 in compensation for his injuries. He says his Olympic dreams have been shattered and has been left with few other job prospects. Mrs Bechtolsheimer, who helped train Carl Hester, the dressage Olympic gold medallist, during his early career, has admitted some liability for the accident, but wants Mr Day to prove his injuries. She also wants him to prove his claims that he was a highly skilled rider, who had competed up to the Prix St George level, was riding professionally at the time of the accident, and that his proposed career path would have included the possibility of competing at Grand Prix dressage and beyond. In her legal defence, the billionaire said his claim that he would have had a successful career as a professional rider, but for the accident, is fanciful, and that he would not have worked as a professional rider for her but as a groom. A spokesman for the Bechtolsheimer yard said: Mrs Bechtolsheimer and her team extend their sincere sympathies to George for the injuries he suffered, and wish him all the best for his treatment and recovery. The matter is in the hands of the insurance company for the purpose of determining the amount of damages that he is to receive. Liability has been admitted not on the basis that the accident was caused by negligence but by virtue of the fact that the Animals Act 1971 imposes strict liability in circumstances such as those in which George sustained his injuries. Neither Mrs Bechtolsheimer nor her daughter were involved with the management of the yard at the time of the accident. Mr Days claim was issued by Katie Moult of Irwin Mitchell. The defence was filed by Julian Dexter of Keoghs. 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. PLANO, Texas - A Garland man who just turned 30 is thankful to be alive after exposure to black mold led to double pneumonia that nearly killed him. Doctors at Medical City Plano credit a quick response and a life support machine that helps keep the heart and lungs going. Dylan Michael is sharing his story to thank his medical team and hopes to remind people that it can be dangerous to ignore a persistent cough. Dr. Andrew Fredericks with Medical City Plano credits the hospital's ECMO program with saving Michaels life. "His survivability was less than 5% by the time we were called to intervene," the doctor said. "He was really close, knocking on heaven's door," said Michaels mother, Brandi Arnold. During the pandemic, Medical City Plano beefed up its ECMO program. The hospital is known for having the best ECMO outcomes in the country. Michael says his problems began after he helped clean up black mold at his grandmother's home. He wore a mask over his mouth and nose. "When I was cleaning her ceiling, it dropped to my eyes," he recalled. "A few days later, I got a light cough, thought it was a cold. It lasted for two weeks. By the third week, I had heaviness in my chest. It was painful." Thats when Michael texted his mom back on August 4. "He came down and was sweating, clammy, white, pale," Arnold said. An urgent care immediately transported Michael to Medical City Dallas, where he was placed on a ventilator. But doctors could see he needed Plano's ECMO treatment. Dr. Fredricks explained how it works. "ECMO is a heart and lung bypass machine. It takes blood from you, circulates it in a machine, gives it oxygen and puts the blood back into the arteries," he said. Michael celebrated his thirtieth birthday in his hospital room, a milestone he nearly didn't make. As a freelance graphic designer without health insurance, Michael put off seeing a doctor. Unable to eat or drink since August 4, Michael has a new perspective on life since his treatments. "It makes me grateful for the little things, like water," he said. "I hope people take away that going to the doctor is important." When Michael is released, he said he hopes it is still warm enough to jump in the pool, and he can't wait to go to his favorite Mexican restaurant. Angela Rye moderates a Sept. 13 panel, Black Women BelongIn the Senate, at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundations conference. Others, from left, are Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester, Senate candidates from Maryland and Delaware, respectively, and Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.). Photo by William J. Ford Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) said she understood the significance of math when she walked into the U.S. Senate chamber last year as just the third Black woman and 12th Black person ever to serve in the chamber. Butler, who will step down when her term expires in January, said the number of elected Black women senators could double this fall if voters elect U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D). Im so excited that we are about to move beyond the acceptance of having just one. Were going to be bold enough to send two to the United States Senate, Butler said Friday, the third day of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundations legislative conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Im excited for the doors that they are going to keep kicking open when we are no longer counting how many, but that we are welcoming women, Black women, women of color, women of all experiences and walks of life to the highest chamber in our United States government, Butler said. Butler was appointed to the Senate after the death of longtime California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Only two Black women have been elected to the chamber: Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois was the first, in 1992, and Vice President Kamala Harris was elected in 2016 from California. If Rochester and Alsobrooks are elected this fall, then, the total number of Black women elected to serve in the Senate in its history will double from two to four. All the women are Democrats. In Delaware, home to President Joe Biden, Rochester is the heavy favorite to win against Republican Eric Hansen and independent Michael Katz. She has served as Delaware secretary of labor, personnel director with the states Office of Management and Budget, and CEO of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League. We are qualified, Rochester said. We dont just step up into this and it wasnt, Poof. Now Im here. Rochester said sometimes when she walks into a room with a male Senate colleague, people will call him senator and me Lisa. Its important how we present ourselves. In neighboring Maryland, Alsobrooks has a more competitive race against two-term former Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican. She said her race is center stage in the fight to determine control of the Senate, repeating a central theme of her campaign. When we elect Kamala Harris to be our president, shes going to need to have the majority in the Senate so that she can get her agenda across, Alsobrooks said. She also took aim at Hogans position on abortion, another campaign theme, saying the former governor is, bless his heart, hes shifting and changing and all kind of things. Alsobrooks noted that vetoed legislation two years ago to expand abortion access in the state, and when that veto was overridden by the Democratic-controlled legislature, he withheld state funding that would have been used to train non-physicians to perform abortions. That money was released by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore on his first day in office last year. Hogan has pushed back on the abortion argument, saying repeatedly that while he personally opposes abortion, he would vote to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade, which was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022. And the Hogan campaign this week turned the control of the Senate argument on its head with a new ad that says Hogan would be a critical swing vote in a closely divided Senate. To drive the point home, the campaign pointed to an endorsement of Hogan by retiring Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who often broke with his party in recent years, giving him outsized influence in the Senate. Despite their qualifications, Rochester said women are still viewed differently than men who are elected to office. Alsobrooks career spans 27 years, including serving as the countys first full-time prosecutor to handle domestic violence cases, the youngest and first woman elected as the county states attorney in 2010 and the first woman elected to be county executive eight years later. Butler was president of Californias biggest union of long-term care workers, Service Employees International Union 2015. She also served as an adviser when Harris launched a 2019 campaign for president. If elected, Rochester said she and Alsobrooks, who affectionately call each other future sister senator, plan to push to codify Roe v. Wade. The conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 two years ago in favor of a Mississippi ban on abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, allowing states to set their own rules for abortion. I have my daughter sitting right here on the front row, and she now has less rights than we did and that aint right, Rochester said. So, we want to make sure that those who come before us and those who are here now have the right to do with their body what they want. Cyndi Campbell and her father, Wayne Narcisso, pause outside the Cheverly Community Market on Sept. 7. Campbell credits her father for the familys winemaking passion. Photo by Robert Stewart/Capital News Service By ROBERT STEWART Cyndi Campbell and her sister, Dalia Chambers, are working hard these days. Winemaking is laborious, weather dependent and replete with regulations, and it costs a pretty penny to start up. But the two Landover-based winery owners have got some help other Black women owners who are also making headway in a tough industry. Its an informal network where the women encourage and serve as a resource for each other. I always joke that were a rounding error, said Campbell, citing the fractional percentage of black-owned, women-owned wineries. There are about 100 wineries and vineyards in the state of Maryland, fewer than 10 of them Black-owned, according to Kimberly T. Johnson, a winery owner and current president of the Maryland Wineries Association. Nationally, more like 1% of the vineyards and wineries have Black owners, according to the Association of African American Vintners. Last year was a big year for the group. Campbell and her sister, based in Landover, officially launched the boutique winery, Narcisso Wine Cellar, a year after harvesting the grapes needed for their seven different wines. Boyd Cru Wines, a family-owned winery in Poolesville, also opened its doors. CEO Jonll Boyd said she also found out that year that the companys wines would be sold in Target. Today, Boyd Cru has broken into two big chains and several stores in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. Clyopatra Winery & Vineyard opened the tasting room of its Black-owned commercial vineyard. Ifeoma Cleopatra Onyia owns the Laurel-based operation. (Her legal name is spelled differently than that of her vineyard brand.) When it comes to Black owners, we are the pioneers, said Onyia, who believes that creating a winery and vineyard as a business is one way to create Black generational wealth. She would like to see Maryland do better at marketing its wine. Not only do we have wineries, but we produce really great quality wines, she said. For Campbell, setting up a winery was not easy at first. You feel kind of isolated sometimes, said Campbell. From navigating paperwork to planning distribution of the wine, Campbell believes networking is key. You cant do this on your own, she said, you need to collaborate. She said thats why she got involved with the Maryland Wineries Association, a trade association representing the network of wineries all over the state. Among its many other functions, the wineries association is a resource for helping new wineries figure out how to navigate the red tape and network with others in the field. The association also hosts several events and festivals including the Maryland Wine Festival, like their September event in Westminster. Through the statewide association Campbell was able to meet other Black women owners. One of them reached out and invited her to get together, she said. Earlier this month several of the women gathered at the tasting room at Oniyas winery. They sampled each others wines and talked about business, she said. Tia Clarke, based in Upper Marlboro, owns a wholesale wine business, Roman Clarke Wines. Clarke learned about the small group through Boyd. For Clarke, the group has helped her understand more about business models. Clarke aspires to get what is known as a Class 4 winery license, which means completing paperwork and ensuring at least 51% of her product is sourced from Maryland agriculture. About five years ago, Kimberly T. Johnson and her business partner, Denise Roles Matthews, opened Philosophy Winery & Vineyard, breaking new ground as a Black- and woman-owned winery. They soon began winning statewide awards. Philosophy has helped to pave the way for others, said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks. Sometimes it takes one to do it, he said. It illustrates to others that they can enter the space. Dealing with the costs While starting a winery is expensive, starting a vineyard is even more so. The vines take years to grow before the vineyard owner can produce wine, potentially meaning years of not breaking even. One way wineries like Campbells are circumventing the steep financial barrier to entry is by entering into business with established vineyards. They buy the grapes but create their own recipes to make their own wines. For the vineyard owner, the agreement is about income and the quality of the Maryland wine. Roy and Judy Crow own Crow Vineyard & Winery in Kennedyville, on the Eastern Shore. It helps with the local economy and helps the people that live and work here, said Roy Crow. He said its good for the Maryland wine ecosystem if new businesses like Narcisso Wine Cellar have access to good-quality Maryland grapes. When it comes to Black owners, we are the pioneers. Not only do we have wineries, but we produce really great quality wines. Ifeoma Cleopatra Onyia, owner, Clyoptra Winery & Vineard Judy Crow said thats also good for the reputation of the Maryland terroir, or the wine terrain. We want Maryland to be a destination where people can come and explore Maryland and enjoy the wines like they do in California, she said. Look at how the industry has taken off in California for tourism and restaurants and all around grapes. Virginia is the same way. Atticks said the growing diversity of Maryland wineries expands the market and the reach of a quality product. Weve just expanded the tent. Weve opened the wine shop a little bit further, Atticks said. Black consumers are seeing themselves in these winemakers for the first time, and thats good for the industry. And thats great for the community. Back in Prince Georges County, Campbell knows all about expanding the reach of Maryland wine. Before she and her sister launched the business, they did a series of focus groups and taste-testing sessions to help them better understand what people in the area would drink. Erika Rodgers, an accountant based in Washington, D.C., attended some of the tasting sessions. Rodgers said the session helped her develop a sense of the kinds of wine she likes. I definitely feel like they provide a ton of information for you to feel comfortable drinking and buying wine, Rodgers said. It makes me appreciate wine. As for Campbell, she has several events lined up throughout the fall. She wants to continue introducing new consumers to wine and educating them about the product. For us, its just really guiding people through and enjoying our wines, said Campbell, feeling more comfortable with that, making wine more approachable. https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/chrt.fm/track/35917C/d2h6a3ly6ooodw.cloudfront.net/reasontv_audio_8296988.mp3 1x 1.1x 1.25x 1.5x 2x 3x :15 :15 Download In June 2024, Anthony Fauci appeared before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic for a contentious confrontation with congressional Republicans. But it opened on what might have sounded like an amicable note, as the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (ROhio), played up Fauci's sainted status: "There were drinks named after you. You got bobbleheads made in your likeness. You were on the cover of Vogue. You threw out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals game." Fauci was the closest thing the world of public health had to a rock star. For nearly 40 years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fauci had served as the influential but unassuming director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a subsidiary of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) housed within the sprawling U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). That post made Fauci the federal government's de facto top pandemic expert across the dozens of agenciesfrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the Food and Drug Administration to the Office of the Surgeon Generalthat share responsibilities for preventing and responding to disease outbreaks. Fauci steered the U.S. government's response to AIDS, Zika, Ebola, and swine flu. He oversaw billions in annual research grants aimed at stopping the next disease outbreak. When COVID struck, Fauci was the face of public health when public health was all anyone was talking about. His celebrity also made him a partisan lightning rod. Democrats saw him as a steady, straight-talking scientist who struck a pleasing contrast to a chaotic Donald Trump recommending crank COVID cures in White House press conferences. For many conservatives, he was a hate figure responsible for locking down the country without regard for civil liberties or collateral damage. But by that June 2024 congressional hearing, Fauci was at the center of a new array of controversies. In 2023, the incoming Republican House majority had reorganized the coronavirus subcommittee to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The information they'd uncovered, supplemented by years of dogged investigative journalism, was damning for Fauci and his agency. Fauci had long denied his agency had ever funded controversial gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in Wuhan, China, where the COVID-19 pandemic originated. But weeks before Fauci's testimony, a senior NIH official admitted that the NIAID had funded such research. Days later, President Joe Biden's administration would strip EcoHealth Alliancethe nonprofit that the NIAID had paid to do that gain-of-function researchof its federal funding, citing the organization's lack of transparency and oversight failures at the WIV. Soon after, the select subcommittee revealed that Fauci's senior scientific adviser, David Morens, told EcoHealth scientists in emails that Fauci would "protect" the group from public scrutiny about the pandemic's origins and that Morens could pass any needed communications from EcoHealth to Fauci via a private back channel that was safe from public records requests. The day of Fauci's testimony, the Harvard- and MITaffiliated biologist Alina Chan argued in The New York Times that a lab leak at the WIV was the probable cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, the revelations painted a picture of Fauci as a dissembling, denying, power-grabbing bureaucrat who repeatedly used slippery arguments to dodge public oversight of a controversial, high-risk agendaan agenda that may have led to the very pandemic his job was to prevent. Fauci argued it was all much ado about nothing. At the hearing, he said the gain-of-function research the NIAID had funded in Wuhan wasn't of concern and couldn't have sparked the pandemic; that he had no back channel with his senior scientific adviser, who he didn't even work that closely with; and that while a lab leak wasn't a conspiracy theory, he couldn't be expected to know everything that happened in China. His story was that he had acted in good faith, in the name of science, and that he wasn't culpable. Yet when one considers Fauci's record and the accumulated evidence about a lab leak origin of COVID-19, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that he is probably at least partially culpable for the pandemic itself and actively worked to obscure that fact. As Richard Ebright, a Rutgers University molecular biologist and fierce Fauci critic, says of the series of choices that led to dangerous pandemic research being conducted in Wuhan with U.S. tax dollars: "There are few decisions that are so centrally linked to a single person and that person's pathologies, and that person is Anthony Fauci." We may never know the full story of the pandemic's origin. But if this were a bureaucratic whodunit, the most likely suspect would be Fauci. COVID-19 was Fauci's pandemic. Pushing Risky Research Prior to COVID-19, Fauci had long supported funding pandemic research that other scientists found risky, if not downright dangerous. In 2005, as NIAID director, he praised researchers who'd used a grant from his agency to resurrect the virus that had caused the Spanish flu pandemic. Better understanding that virus would help prevent future diseases, he argued. "The certain benefits to be obtained by a robust and responsible research agenda aimed at developing the means to detect, prevent and treat [future pandemics] far outweigh any theoretical risks," he said in an October 2005 statement co-authored with thenCDC Director Julie Gerberding. This wasn't a universal opinion at the NIAID. The agency's chief scientist described this approach to pandemic prevention as "looking for a gas leak with a lighted match." Fauci would continue to praise and fund this kind of research. In 2011, researchers at the University of Wisconsin and at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands managed to manipulate the virus H5N1 (which had been responsible for a 2004 bird flu epidemic in Asia) to transmit between mammals, a "gain of function" for a virus that had heretofore only been able to pass from infected birds to humans. One of the researchers involved in the work would say the enhanced pathogen they'd created was "very, very bad news" and "probably one of the most dangerous viruses you can make." Fauci was more sanguine, telling The New York Times that "there is always a risk. But I believe the benefits are greater than the risks." When the influenza research community adopted a temporary moratorium on gain-of-function research in response to the H5N1 experiments, Fauci begrudgingly accepted it as necessary to calm public opinion. He still insisted this work's potential to stop the next pandemic far outweighed any "theoretical risks" it posed. Deadly outbreaks of bird flu and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in the early 2000s, and the anthrax mailings that followed the September 11 terror attacks, had both the public health and the national security establishments attuned to "biosecurity" threats. At the same time, researchers were rapidly improving their ability to create and manipulate viruses in the lab. This offered the potential for creating new vaccines, therapeutics, and pest control measures. It also raised the risk that a new pandemic might be accidentally released from a lab. In the mid-2000s, President George W. Bush's administration commissioned reports on how "dual-use research of concern" might be subjected to some sort of risk-benefit analysis. But Fauci consistently argued against the idea that their agencies should have to abide by additional guardrails when funding risky research into pandemic pathogens. "It's safe to say NIH is always on the 'more science, less regulation' side. That was definitely true in this debate," Gregory Koblentz, a biosafety expert at George Mason University who's been a longtime participant in debates about how to regulate dual-use research, tells Reason. There are very good reasons to be wary about regulating scientific research. But the equation changes when the government itself is funding the research in question. Indeed, Matt Ridleya science writer who co-authored Alina Chan's book Viral, about the origins of COVID-19suggests that government funding itself is a big part of the problem. A profit-seeking private sector would never touch the kinds of research that was being done by EcoHealth Alliance in Wuhan, he argues. The odds that such research will identify the next pandemic virus and develop a profitable vaccine or therapeutic for it, he says, are too low for even the most starry-eyed venture capitalist. There was also the downside risk of a lab accident. In 2014, there was a series of embarrassing safety lapses at U.S. government labs, highlighting this risk. Dozens of CDC employees were potentially exposed to live anthrax samples shipped by mistake to labs not equipped to handle them. At another CDC lab, a less dangerous version of bird flu was accidentally contaminated with deadly H5N1. Vials of smallpox capable of infecting people were stashed in a cabinet at an NIH lab, where they'd apparently been sitting for decades. None of these incidents were direct results of gain-of-function research. But they heightened the concern that researchers working to enhance deadly pathogens might do so in unsafe settings. Oversight Avoidance In October 2014, President Barack Obama's administration paused federal funding of gain-of-function research that could make flu, SARS, or Middle East respiratory syndrome viruses transmissible via the respiratory route in mammals. It also started crafting a regulatory framework for vetting these experiments. In 2017, the White House produced the laboriously titled HHS Framework for Guiding Funding Decisions about Proposed Research Involving Enhanced Potential Pandemic Pathogens, which became known as the P3CO framework. Under P3CO, the NIH would forward grant proposals involving research on known pandemic pathogens or research that might create or enhance such pathogens to a new P3CO committee within HHS for a department-level risk-benefit analysis. The debates leading to the framework stressed the value of performing those risk-benefit assessments publicly and transparently. But the committee's deliberations would be kept secret. This framework also gave the NIH considerable autonomy to decide which grant proposals it wouldand wouldn'tforward to the HHS for review. To date, the P3CO committee has vetted just three research proposals involving so-called enhanced potential pandemic pathogens, out of potentially dozens that should have been examined. Two out of three were allowed to go forward unaltered. The committee required the other to adopt additional safety mitigation measures, and the NIAID ultimately chose not to fund it. Fauci and NIH Director Francis Collins, also an advocate of gain-of-function research, found a way to skirt the oversight process. They "realized that if they don't [forward proposals to HHS for review], there is no review," says Ebright, the Rutgers biologist and a longtime critic of gain-of-function research. "By willfully violating the policy, they could nullify the policy." This gap in the oversight system would become apparent when the NIAID failed to stop gain-of-function research being performed at the WIV. Dangerous Exceptions During his June 2024 testimony, Fauci said that he signed off on every grant the NIAID funded but didn't individually review each one. In a 2022 deposition, he admitted that he also might have signed off on some exceptions to the Obama administration's gain-of-function pause. But he couldn't recall specific examples. So it's possible that one exception Fauci might have signed off on was the work being performed by EcoHealth Alliance in Wuhan, China, and that work might have led directly to the COVID-19 pandemic. EcoHealth Alliance is a New Yorkbased nonprofit that specializes in research on pandemic risk from emerging "disease hotspots" in the developing world. In 2014, it received a five-year, $3.7 million NIAID grant to collect virus samples from human beings and bats in China and then sequence and experiment on these viruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. This type of research was the passion project of EcoHealth's president, Peter Daszak. Daszak, who Vanity Fair has called "one part salesman, one part visionary," was known in D.C. circles for his invite-only cocktail parties for senior government officials involved in funding scientific research. He pitched this research as crucial for finding viruses that were likely to "spill over" from animals to humans. Once identified, vaccines and therapeutics could be developed preemptively to stop any outbreak. Critics argued this work was an inefficient way of spotting which of the thousands upon thousand of viruses circulating in nature might cause the next pandemic. But in 2016, EcoHealth revealed it was engaged in far more alarming work. In its second annual progress report to the NIAID, EcoHealth announced that it intended to create "chimeric" or hybrid viruses out of spike proteins, the part of a virus that allows it to enter and infect hosts cells, from SARS-like coronaviruses discovered in the wild and the backbone of another, already-known SARS virus. EcoHealth wanted to use these viruses to infect "humanized" miceanimals genetically manipulated to have human lung cellsto see whether any of them posed a pandemic risk. It proposed doing the research at the WIV, where many U.S. researchers considered the biosafety standards much too lax. This was exactly the kind of dangerous research that the gain-offunction pause and P3CO framework were intended to control. Upon receipt of EcoHealth's 2016 progress report, the NIAID program officer overseeing the grant told the nonprofit that its work appeared to violate the then-active pause on gain-of-function research. EcoHealth wouldn't receive its next tranche of grant money unless it could explain why it didn't. Daszak responded that the viruses they were working with hadn't been shown to infect people yet and were unlikely to do so, given how genetically different they were from the original SARS virus. Yet the plain text of the pause policy never required that viruses being experimented with already be shown to infect human beings. The idea that it would is "laughable," says Ebright. "The whole point of a policy that operates at the proposal stage, before the research has been done, is to prevent the construction and creation of such a pathogen." (Illustration: Joanna Andreasson) Nevertheless, in July 2016 the NIAID told EcoHealth it could proceed with its work on the condition that the chimeric viruses it had created didn't demonstrate higher growth rates than their naturally occurring cousins. Experiments run by EcoHealth in 2017 showed that its hybrid SARS-like coronaviruses exhibited much greater viral growth, and were much more pathogenic, in the humanized mice compared with natural variants. But EcoHealth didn't pause its work as promised. It also didn't report these results to the NIAID immediately. It only revealed them in a fourth annual progress report submitted April 2018. EcoHealth was plainly violating the terms imposed on its research in 2016. Its work had also not been forwarded to the P3CO committee for review. Yet the NIAID renewed its grant for another five years. In this second grant phase, EcoHealth proposed making more chimeric SARS-like coronaviruses containing features with "high spillover risk" to human beings. EcoHealth was scheduled to start this work in 2019. That year, the nonprofit should have submitted a fifth annual progress report to the NIAID. It didn't, claiming the NIAID's reporting -system had "locked them out"a claim subsequently found false. When EcoHealth's year five report was eventually submitted two years late, in 2021, it showed that additional chimeric viruses created in Wuhan demonstrated both enhanced transmission and lethality in humanized mice. By that time, the COVID-19 pandemic was already well underway. 'Not Following the Policy' In 2021, Fauci said the NIH "has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology." That wasn't true. What EcoHealth was doing in Wuhan clearly met the widely understood definition of gain-of-function research. In his June 2024 testimony, Fauci dodged accusations that he lied by saying that while EcoHealth's work might have met a generic definition of gain-of-function research, it didn't meet the precise definition established in the P3CO framework. Fauci said that every time he mentioned gain-of-function research, "the definition that I use is not my personal definition; it is a codified, regulatory and operative definition." That definition, he said, "had nothing to do with me." On the contrary, regulatory definitions had quite a bit to do with Fauci. They were designed with the expectation that he and his fellow public health bureaucrats would use discretion and good judgment when making decisions. The relevant regulatory language included lots of "likelys and highlys and reasonably anticipated," says Gerald Epstein, a former director at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy who wrote the P3CO policy. "These words are inherently subjective. You can't not be. You've got to be making judgment calls on something that does not yet exist." Those subjective definitions gave Fauci and his NIAID underlings considerable room to decide what research required additional review. Was the agency complying with the spirit of the policy? Epstein points to the total number of projects the NIH sent to the P3CO committee. "The fact that they found one project in seven years [that needed additional safety measures] tells me they were being too conservative," he says. Koblentz is more blunt. When the NIAID allowed EcoHealth to proceed with its work under novel conditions, he says, it "wasn't for them to decide. That was them not following the policy." Smoking Gun? The NIAID's failure to forward EcoHealth's experiments to the P3CO committee was, at minimum, a serious process failure. That failure may well have allowed for the creation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Wuhan lab. In 2018, the same year that the NIAID renewed EcoHealth's grant for another five years, Daszak submitted a $14 million grant proposal to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), called DEFUSE. Once again, he proposed creating chimeric SARS-like coronaviruses selected for their ability to infect human beings. Early drafts of the DEFUSE proposal, uncovered by U.S. Right to Know reporter Emily Kopp, show that Daszak envisioned creating viruses with features present in SARS-CoV-2 and which do not appear in naturally discovered coronaviruses of the same family, including features that primed the virus to infect and spread in humans. Kopp's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests also revealed notes from Daszak and his collaborators on DEFUSE project drafts that suggested the EcoHealth president was deliberately trying to obscure the fact that these novel viruses would be created in Wuhan by omitting the names of Chinese researchers from the proposal. An early draft of DEFUSE also proposed creating novel coronaviruses in Wuhan because it used lower biosafety precautions than what would be used in the U.S., describing the lower safety standards as "highly cost-effective." In a note on this early draft, University of North Carolina epidemiologist and pioneer gain-of-function researcher Ralph Baric, a proposed collaborator, said that U.S. researchers would "freak out" were such research done at Wuhan's typical biosafety levels. DARPA ended up rejecting the DEFUSE proposal. But it remains possible that the Chinese researchers secured separate funding for the work. Ebright suggests that EcoHealth could also have used NIH funding from its renewed grant for the work, given how much overlap there was between the two proposals. Ebright is unequivocal in his assessment that the research described in EcoHealth's progress reports, its 2018 grant renewal application, and the DEFUSE proposal, including the early draft and notes, combine into "smoking gun" evidence in favor of the COVID pandemic having been created at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. "It all falls together. We know what they were doing in the years preceding 2019. We know what they proposed to do in 2019. We knew how they proposed and where they proposed to do it," says Ebright. "It is exactly what the virus' emergence tells us." Poisoned Debate We probably won't ever definitively discover the origins of COVID-19. Officials in both the U.S. and China ensured that. Chinese officials obstructed any investigation into the Wuhan Institute of Virology. In September 2019, the Associated Press reported, the institute took its database of viruses offline. It also hasn't made public lab notebooks and other materials that might shed light on exactly what kinds of work it was doing in the lead-up to the pandemic. In late 2019, the Chinese government also exterminated animals and disinfected the Wuhan wet market. If COVID did leap from animal to human in the Wuhan market, as many natural origin proponents argue, that evidence is gone. What we're left with is studying the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself and whatever information can be gleaned from the U.S.-funded research that went on at Wuhan leading up to the pandemic. On both fronts, Fauci, his underlings at the NIAID, and NIAID-funded scientists involved with work at Wuhan have worked to conceal information and discredit notions that COVID might have leaked from a lab. In late January 2020, Fauci's aides flagged the NIAID's support of EcoHealth's Wuhan research in emails to their boss. A few weeks later, Fauci and Daszak would go on Newt Gingrich's podcast to dismiss the idea that COVID-19 came from the Wuhan lab, calling such arguments "conspiracy theories." Both men also worked to shape the discourse behind the scenes away from any focus on a lab leak. Daszak organized a group letter of scientists in The Lancet, the U.K.'s top medical journal, declaring that they "stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin." Daszak did not disclose his relationship to the Wuhan lab when organizing this letter; The Lancet's editor would eventually concede that this was improper. In testimony to the House coronavirus subcommittee in May 2024, Daszak would claim the "conspiracy theories" mentioned in the Lancet letter referred only to such wild early pandemic notions that COVID had pieces of HIV or snake DNA inserted into it. He said a word limit prevented him from being more precise. Fauci, meanwhile, would help corral virologists into publishing the widely cited "proximal origin" paper in early 2020. In the paper, the authors flatly declared that "we do not believe any type of laboratory-leak scenario is plausible." Yet troves of private messages and emails released by the House subcommittee's investigation show that the authors privately expressed far more openness to a lab leak theory. One of the paper's authors, Scripps Research evolutionary biologist Kristian Andersen, privately rated a lab leak as "highly likely." But Andersen had a pending $8.9 million grant application with the NIAID as the paper was drafted. That grant was later approved. In an email, one of the paper's authors, Edward Holmes, references "pressure from on high" during the drafting process. The authors of the proximal origin paper say they merely had their minds changed while drafting the paper. They were just following the scientific method. Ridley, the science writer, has a much less charitable assessment of their behavior. "That's scientific misconduct at the very least," he says, "to write a paper that says one thing and to think it's wrong in private." Hiding the Evidence There may be more we don'tand won't everknow about Fauci's own communications with Daszak and other NIH officials about EcoHealth's work in Wuhan. In May 2024, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic released a tranche of emails between Fauci's senior scientific adviser David Morens and Daszak, in which the two strategized about how to get EcoHealth's federal grant reinstated (after it was terminated by the Trump administration in 2020) and how the nonprofit should respond to NIH investigations into its grant work. Across multiple emails to Daszak, Morens mentioned that he frequently had conversations with Fauci about Daszak and EcoHealth. He said Fauci was trying to "protect" Daszak. Throughout these emails, Morens urged Daszak to email him on a personal email account to avoid Freedom of Information Act requests, openly admitted to deleting emails to shield them from FOIA, and said that the NIH's FOIA staff had advised him on how to hide information from records requests through deletions and strategic misspellings. Most conspicuously, Morens sent a brief reply to Daszak in April 2021 in an email chain in which the two had been discussing mounting scrutiny from Republicans and some scientists of EcoHealth's Wuhan work. "PS, i forgot to say there is no worry about FOIAs," Morens wrote. "I can either send stuff to Tony [Fauci] on his private gmail, or hand it to him at work or at his house. He is too smart to let colleagues send him stuff that could cause trouble." In another email, Morens mentioned having a "backchannel" to Fauci. Asked about Morens' comments at the June hearing of the coronavirus subcommittee, Fauci denied having substantive conversations about EcoHealth with Morens and said that his senior scientific adviser was not someone he worked terribly closely with, outside collaborating on scientific papers. The Next Pandemic Fauci's best defense is that he ran a sprawling agency that doled out billions of dollars in grants. Even the most detail-obsessed administrator couldn't possibly keep track of every single program and project. And U.S. officials had limited control over what happened in the distant, opaque Wuhan lab. But even if that's true, it's an admission of administrative negligence, since the oversight protocols weren't followed. It also implies a dramatic failure of the risky research that Fauci championed for pandemic prevention. As Ridley says, the pandemic "occurred with the very viruses that there was the most attention paid to, in the very area where there was the most research going on, where there was the biggest program looking for potential pandemic pathogens, and yet they failed to see this one coming." At a minimum, gain-of-function research didn't protect the public from the pandemic. Meanwhile, the more direct case against Fauci is strong: Not only was he an ardent supporter of research widely believed to be risky, but he manipulated bureaucratic protocols in order to avoid scrutiny of that research, then responded evasively when called to account for his actions. At least one of the programs born out of Fauci's risky research crusade was pursuing exactly the type of viral enhancements that were present in COVID-19, and that research was conducted at the Wuhan virology lab in the very same city where the virus originated. Lab leak proponents cite the virus's transmissibility as evidence for a Wuhan leak: After all, EcoHealth was trying to create pathogens primed to spread rapidly in humans. The evidence is not fully conclusive. But it seems reasonably likely that Fauci pushed for what his peers repeatedly said was dangerous research, that some of that dangerous research produced a deadly viral pathogen that escaped the lab, and that Fauci helped cover up evidence and arguments for its origins. It is more than a little bit ironic that, throughout his career, Fauci fought against restrictions on gain-of-function research, casting those restrictions as counterproductive shackles on scientific progress. When a pandemic did finally break out, he would also be an ardent supporter of imposing the most restrictive controls on the general public. "Elderly, stay out of society in self-isolation. Don't go to work if you don't have to," Fauci told Science in March 2020. "No bars, no restaurants, no nothing. Only essential services." When asked in July 2022 what he might have done differently during the pandemic, Fauci said he'd have recommended much stiffer restrictions. Did Fauci, so revered as a man of science, have any evidence to support his program of lockdowns and social controls? His eventual admission in congressional testimony that the federal government's social distancing guidance was a guesstimate that "sort of just appeared"and one that turned out to be ineffective at controlling the pandemicbolsters the conclusion that the pandemic restrictions that shuttered schools, churches, businesses, and countless social gatherings were, in fact, ineffective tools of control. Indeed, most American efforts to control the pandemic proved ineffective: not just lockdowns and capacity restrictions, but also mask mandates, testing, and contact tracing. If nothing else, Fauci's role in the pandemicas a public health rock star with suspicious links to the virus's originis a lesson in the dangers of resting too much power and authority in the hands of any one official. Throughout the pandemic, Fauci's mantra was "follow the science." But in practice, that seems to have meant "follow Fauci." Too often, America did. The post Should We Blame Fauci for the COVID Pandemic? appeared first on Reason.com. OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) The Blue Angels will take to the skies this weekend for the Owensboro Airshow. While they love putting on a good show in the air, they also make it their mission to inspire the next generation. The U.S. Navy squadron surprised students of all ages across the city. The Blue Angels are making their way around the city with a couple pit stops to speak with young minds. At Sorgho Elementary they talked about the various roles in the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, a pilot spoke about his South American roots, and the importance of chasing your dreams no matter what. Fall Fest excitement builds as revamped Munchie Map released Fifth grader India Manley says she was most inspired by their decision to bring more women into the fleet. They shared the Blue Angels first female fighter jet pilot Lieutenant Commander Amanda Lee will join the show. Manley says she has dreams of owning a restaurant or being a nurse one day, and shes using their bravery to push forward. They do something really dangerous, and I said [Ill be] risking my life on helping people and stuff like that, says Manley. Students competed in an airplane decorating contest. The prize? A V.I.P. meet and greet with the pilots on Sunday. Victoria Jones, a fourth grader at Sorgho Elementary, was one of 5 winners. I was gonna ask my dad if we can go. I felt really good and I felt really happy cause I knew something good was gonna happen, says Jones. They also stopped at Apollo high school and the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program at Daviess County High School got to rattle off their questions at MidAmerica Jet. One student is already enlisted and is set to leave in May. He says the extra experience has only strengthened his desire to fight for his country. Everybody sees the pilots. They see the service members in their uniforms, but they dont see how many people it takes to carry out these operations and really how much of a team it is, says Wyatt Miller, a senior at DCHS. 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 Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). CAIRO, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- At a bustling fair selling low-priced school supplies in the Egyptian capital Cairo, parents were busy selecting goods for their children as the new school year begins later this month. Dubbed "Welcome Schools," the fairs, organized by the Egyptian government across the country, will last until the end of September or until the end of the year in some governorates. They aim to help parents buy their children's needs at more affordable prices, according to media reports. At the main fair in Cairo, which covers about 6,000 square meters, around 200 vendors showcased their school-related goods, including clothing, school uniforms, school supplies, leather products, and school bags, in addition to a section for food products. During the inauguration ceremony of the fair in Cairo last week, Egyptian Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Sherif Farouk said that the event represents a true partnership between the government and the private sector for the benefit of citizens. The minister, whose ministry organizes the fairs in cooperation with other ministries, affirmed that the "state is keen to provide various forms of support to alleviate the burden on Egyptian families." A large number of consumers were attending the fairs for their competitive prices. "The prices of school uniforms and clothes in general are very low compared to those in shops... at least 30 percent cheaper," Nermin Wassif, a mother of one girl, told Xinhua while shopping at the fair. The middle-aged woman said she did not expect the prices to be within reach of most Egyptian families. "I already bought a pair of shoes and a jacket for my daughter at a very reasonable price. I will now go buy the stationery," she said, flashing a smile. "I will tell all my friends and relatives about this fair." Taha Mohammed, a father of three schoolchildren from Cairo, was surprised by the good prices and high quality of the supplies at the vast fair. "I came to buy school uniforms and bags, but I ended up buying other items, such as clothes for my kids and me, because of the very affordable prices," Mohammed, a tour guide in his 40s, told Xinhua. As for the vendors, they said they are always keen to support Egyptian families before the start of the new school year by offering discounts that sometimes reach more than 30 percent. "We always participate in the exhibition. This year, we are offering discounts of up to 10 percent on school supplies and books," Moataz Mohammed, a bookshop owner, told Xinhua. Mohammed revealed that he sells at prices lower than those at his bookstore, hoping to relieve citizens' burdens amid skyrocketing prices. Over the past two years, the foreign currency shortage in Egypt has led to the devaluation of the local currency and the rise of a parallel currency exchange market, plunging Egypt into one of its worst economic crises. The crisis was further exacerbated by the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that erupted last year, which has impacted Egypt's tourism sector and halved its revenues from the Suez Canal. Bob Caseys Senate campaign in Pennsylvania says it wont renew an ad that drew a complaint from the widow of a U.S.-based journalist who was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. The campaign said in a statement Friday that it sympathizes with the widow of Jamal Khashoggi, but didn't plan to immediately pull the ad , which uses the image of the journalist to criticize opponent Dave McCormick for ties to the Saudi government. Campaign spokesperson Maddy McDaniel said that the ad, which the widow said was insensitive, would be cycled out next week as planned. There is no dispute that David McCormick demanded his hedge fund show support and loyalty to Mr. Khashoggis murderers, all to protect his own business interests, spokesperson McDaniel said. We have the utmost sympathy for what Mrs. Khashoggi has experienced. She said the campaign spoke with the widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, who says the ad is insensitive and incorrectly identifies her late husband as an American. The commercial is a very painful reminder of how my husband died, and as you can imagine, I have been traumatized every day for the past 6 years, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi said in an email to Caseys Senate office obtained by POLITICO. I take no position on the politics of your Senate race, but I am dedicated to correcting misconceptions about my late husband. Jamal Khashoggi, who had written columns critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for The Washington Post, was killed by officials of the government of Saudi Arabia inside the consulate an incident that caused a serious breach in relations between the U.S. and its longtime ally. U.S. intelligence officials later determined the killing had been authorized by Prince Mohammed, the de facto ruler of the kingdom. In the ad, the Casey campaign alleges that McCormick, a wealthy Republican businessman, demanded his hedge fund stay loyal to the murderers to protect their investments in Saudi Arabia. The widow objected to the characterization of her husband as an American, since he was a Saudi citizen who lived in the U.S., or any mention of him at all and discussed the issue with the campaign along with her lawyer, Randa Fahmy a donor and self-described good friend of McCormick. In the aftermath of Trumps wild claims, Springfield has endured bomb threats,targeting schools, city buildings, and other local institutions (REUTERS) Two hospitals in Springfield the Ohio city at the center of Trumps false pet-eating claims were placed on brief lockdowns after receiving bomb threats Saturday morning. Both medical centers have resumed normal operations after police and hospital security found nothing suspicious during their search. The safety protocols we have in place for these instances allow us to work quickly with local law enforcement to investigate threats thoroughly and ensure the safety of our patients and staff, Kettering Health Springfield said in a statement. The other alleged target was Mercy Healths Springfield Regional Medical Center, which went into lockdown after officials heard of the alleged bomb threat around 6am. One of our most important responsibilities is the safety and security of our patients, visitors, associates and physicians, a spokesperson for the Springfield Police Division said. Haitian refugees in Springfield, Ohio say Donald Trumps inflammatory claims earlier this week while debating VP Kamala Harris have helped create a terrifying day-to-day reality for them (AP) Springfield has endured bomb threats targeting schools, city buildings, and other local institutions after the Ohio town was thrust into the spotlight earlier this week when former President Donald Trump brought up a racist conspiracy during the presidential debate that Haitian migrants were stealing and eating the pets in the community. Theyre eating the dogs. Theyre eating the cats. Theyre eating the pets of the people that live there, he said on Tuesday as Kamala Harriss expression flitted between shock and amusement. Local authorities had already debunked the lies even before Trump peddled the narrative on the debate stage, with Springfield police saying there is no credible evidence to support the allegations. From strangers to friends: How Ukrainians meet and bond during wartime train travel For the past eight years, Anton Lytvynov, a stage director at Lviv National Opera, has celebrated New Year in Kyiv with his three friends Sandra, Mykhailo, and Volodymyr. However, on Dec. 31, 2022, work commitments kept Lytvynov in Lviv longer than he had expected. Determined to reunite with his closest friends all the same, Lytvynov decided to ring in the New Year on the train, planning to meet with them on Jan. 1. Late at night, he traversed the empty, narrow corridor of the Lviv-Kyiv train to his dimly lit yet warm compartment. As the train gradually set off, the sound of its wheels on the tracks built into a steady rumble. Thus began a journey that would prove as exciting as the destination itself. Sitting alone on one of his compartments dark-red leather beds, Lytvynov overheard people speaking loudly in the compartment next to his. "I went to them to ask if they wanted to celebrate the New Year together, and they agreed," Lytvynov says. The moment he heard the names of his fellow travelers, Lytvynov was thunderstruck: The people sitting next to him were named Sandra, Mykhailo, and Volodymyr just like the friends he was traveling to see. "It felt like a scene from a TV series," Lytvynov laughs. The four bonded instantly, exchanged contact information, and remain in touch to this day. Since Ukraine shut down its airports in February 2022, trains operated by the state-owned railway, Ukrzaliznytsia, have become one of the primary and perhaps the easiest means of travel both within Ukraine and abroad. Countless fascinating encounters and stories unfolded in the corridors and compartments of Ukrainian trains since then. Tetiana Kohut, a 37-year-old train attendant, often sees strangers find common ground while traveling. Its not surprising, she notes: in the intimate space of a train compartment during long journeys, shared everyday rituals like sleeping or sipping tea create a cozy atmosphere, naturally fostering connections among passengers. Trains have also evolved into unexpected hubs for celebrity encounters and important connections, often paving the way to shared projects and other new opportunities. War changes everything Since the start of Russias full-scale war, Ukrainian trains have borne witness to more tears of sorrow, sadness, and grief than ever before. Just a day after Russian troops began heavily bombarding Ukrainian cities in late February 2022, Kohut was working on her regular route from Lviv, her hometown, to Novooleksiivka in Kherson Oblast. But her train never reached the destination. The village, located on the east bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, was swiftly occupied by the Russians. "We reached Zaporizhzhia and were told that we could not go further," Kohut says. "We also were ordered to allow everyone on the train, not only those with tickets. We became an evacuation train." A train attendant of nearly 20 years, Kohut heard the sounds of explosions for the first time that day in Zaporizhzhia. She also saw hundreds of people at the station. Many of them were crying, and others looked lost and heartbroken, leaving suitcases on the platform as they boarded the lifesaving train to escape the war. The first-class sleeping car she worked in was designed to accommodate 20 people but ended up carrying nearly 200, Kohut says. "A woman from Zaporizhzhia helped me count the passengers and wrote a heartwarming letter to thank us." People walk to the railway station in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 12, 2024. (Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent) Train attendant Tetiana Kohut checks the tickets of passengers before departure to Lviv at a railway station in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 12, 2024. (Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent) The start of the all-out war changed everything for Kohut and many other train attendants across Ukraine. In the first few months of the invasion, they worked without breaks, despite their exhaustion, to ensure everyone who wanted to escape the war could board their trains. The war also heightened the hazards of their work, as Russian attacks occasionally target train stations. Over 600 Ukrzaliznytsia employees have been killed since Feb. 24, 2022. Kohut says she lost colleagues in the Aug. 24, 2022 Russian attack on Chaplyne, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, when a passenger train and a residential area were hit, killing a total of 25 people. One of her close friends, a fellow train attendant, was seriously injured in the attack. Once filled with laughter and excitement for upcoming travels, the train cars are now often filled with crying, silence, or the heavy sighs of people sharing the pain brought by Russias war. "We have to be doctors We have to be psychologists for our passengers now," says Kohut. Despite the dangers, trains have been also the primary means of traveling to Ukraine for many of the world's top politicians and celebrities, with over 700 diplomatic missions arriving in Ukraine by train since the start of the invasion. Kohut has had the fortune to work on many such routes, and has met former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Polish President Andrzej Duda, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and others. "Right now, all the world-famous celebrities are traveling (to Ukraine) by train. I only ever saw them on TV before, and serving them now is just so pleasant, its indescribable," says Kohut. Unexpected tears A chance encounter on a train initially brought tears to the eyes of Kyiv resident Olha Hrianyk, and led her to experience grief she thought she would never endure again. Hrianyk, 63, and her husband were traveling from Chernivtsi to the capital last May when a tall young man entered their compartment. The couple noticed a very familiar and cherished unit badge on his backpack. "'Are you from the Azov brigade?' My husband asked," Hrianyk recalls. "He said: 'How do you know?'" "I told him that our son was an Azov fighter." Hrianyk's son Oleksandr helped liberate Kyiv Oblast in the early months of the full-scale war. He was then transferred to defend Mariupol, ending up at the Azovstal steel plant, the last Ukrainian stronghold in the city, where he was killed on May 8, 2022. He was 29. Evening railway station in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 12, 2024. (Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent) Train attendant Tetiana Kohut before departure to Lviv at the railway station in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 12, 2024. (Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent) Vladyslav, the young man they accidentally met on the train, was undergoing training to join Azov. Some of his commanders had known Hrianyks son Oleksandr well: "He told us it was a great honor for him to meet us," Hrianyk says. The elderly couple and the young soldier talked until late at night, opening their hearts and sharing stories about military service and the war: "I looked at him thinking, 'Son, youre so bright, you're so proud to be there (in Azov). What amazing young people we have,'" says Hrianyk. "In that brief time, that child became like family to me." They shared phone numbers and kept in touch with Vladyslav while he was undergoing military training in Kyiv, often inviting him over for dinner or simply to rest after being on duty. One day last September, Vladyslav's mother suddenly called Hrianyk, expressing relief at finally contacting the couple her son had accidentally met on the train and had told her a lot about. But then she delivered some heartbreaking news: Vladyslav had been killed in combat near Bakhmut. He was only 19. "We printed his portrait and put it at the fallen soldiers memorial (next to the St. Michaels Cathedral in Kyiv). (The portrait of) our Oleksandr is there too," Hrianyk says. Now, as we come there to see our Sasha, we come to see Vlad, too. Turning words into actions For many Ukrainians, meetings on trains have sparked new ideas and fruitful collaborations for their projects or businesses. Vinnytsia-based Nataliia Kovalchuk, a content creator for an NGO called the National Network of Local Philanthropy Development, recalls numerous captivating experiences during her work trips across Ukraine. People talk on the phones inside the train on the railway station in Kyiv, Ukraine on June 12, 2024. (Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent) "My team laughs at me when I say, Youll never believe it, but I met someone on the train again," Kovalchuk says. During her railway journeys, Kovalchuk always buys a cup of hot tea a true gem of Ukrainian train travel, served by train attendants in a special glass with a metal cup holder. Little did she know that accidentally spilling her tea onto a nearby passenger's belongings would lead to another valuable connection. Surprisingly, the spilled tea did not lead to bad feelings, but helped Kovalchuk bond with the woman whose belongings she had soaked. It turned out that the woman worked at a center for the physical and psychological rehabilitation of Ukrainian soldiers. Kovalchuk donated some books for the soldiers undergoing rehabilitation there and helped the center boost its social media presence to attract more funding in the future. Now she is planning to invite some of the war veterans from the center to give a lecture to local young people and her organization on inclusivity and treatment of people with disabilities in Ukraine. And all this became possible thanks to a chance encounter on a train. As the evening comes down, people walk to the railway station in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 12, 2024. (Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent) Note from the author: Hi! Daria Shulzhenko here. I wrote this piece for you. Since the first day of Russia's all-out war, I have been working almost non-stop to tell the stories of those affected by Russias brutal aggression. By telling all those painful stories, we are helping to keep the world informed about the reality of Russias war against Ukraine. By becoming the Kyiv Independent's member, you can help us continue telling the world the truth about this war Read also: Night Train to Odesa is a remedy for reading about wartime despair Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A three-year-old boy was left fighting for his life after a rare combination of common childhood illnesses meant his heart started shutting down. Vickie Julian, 37, from Brecon, Powys, took her son to the GP on 16 June thinking it was a cold, but days later Freddie was rushed to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children for emergency heart surgery. He was deteriorating quickly and the final option was a life-support machine which would re-oxygenate his blood and give his little heart a rest. It worked, making Freddie the first patient in the UK to be saved by the new Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine, according to the hospital. Vickie noticed her son had a cold on 15 June and took him to the GP, who told her it was a virus. Within days he stopped eating then "his arms were freezing cold, his lips were blue and his eyes were in the back of his head," she said. Vickie and her husband Steven, 45, took their son to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil where a cardiac paediatrician scanned his heart. "He said his liver was about four times the size it should have been, his heart was swollen and there was fluid around it - it just wasn't beating," said Vickie. Vickie said: "We are so proud of Freddie - his fight and determination is contagious, just like his smile" [Vickie Julian] Doctors found Freddie had slapped cheek syndrome, pneumonia, enterovirus and rhinovirus - which often cause the common cold. "Slapped cheek was the dominant virus in his blood and Freddie didn't even have red cheeks, but somehow this virus got into his body and it managed to attack his heart," said Vickie. He was rushed to hospital in Bristol on 20 June where a temporary pacing wire was put into his heart to prevent it from stopping. "They threw everything they could at Freddie for five days, he was on about 15 different life support infusions. "He was he was so puffy because his kidneys weren't working, he was just filling full of fluid." The Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation machine works by removing blood from the patient and re-oxygenising it before pumping it back into the body [Vickie Julian] Doctors put Freddie on a kidney filter, but he deteriorated throughout the day. "He was so scared," his mum said. Finally, the only option was to put him on the new ECMO machine - similar to the heart-lung bypass machine used for open heart surgery, according to Great Ormond Street Hospital. The machine delivers oxygen to the blood by working as an artificial lung membrane, continuously pumping this blood into and around the body. Bristol Royal Hospital for Children said the new ECMO machine was more portable than the version it replaced and allowed the team to monitor patients while they are attached to it. Vickie said surgeons explained it was a "last chance life support" that was Freddie's only hope. She said that was "the scariest thing to hear". This embedded content is not available in your region. After five-and-a-half days, Freddie's heart was rested and doctors had cleared his other infections. Vickie said her son was "so unlucky to fall so poorly with the viruses attacking his heart" and that, if it was not for the ECMO machine, "he definitely wouldn't be here". The machine that saved her son is being named after him, she added. "He's a determined little boy. Everyone I speak to is just like, 'he's just a force of nature'," she added. Mum Vickie and dad Steven have taken it in turns since June to sleep next to Freddie in hospital at night [Vickie Julian] Four weeks later, Freddie was transferred to a hospital in Cardiff where he began intensive neurological rehabilitation for speech, language, physio and play therapy to "try and get him back to the little boy he was before," said his mum. "When he came here, he had no head control, he was like a newborn baby, he couldn't move his arms. "Now he's sitting up, he's in a walker putting one foot in front of the other - and he's paying attention to choosing toys and babbling." Freddie is lucky to have survived, says his mum [Vickie Julian] For a long time he refused to eat and did not like anything near his face "because of everything that he's been through". But after weeks of rehab, Freddie began eating and drinking and loves Skips and Giant Wotsits in particular. "They're doing everything they can here at Noah's Ark to bring him on as much as they can, with a view to us hopefully going home before Christmas. Which would be the best Christmas present, us all back together." Freddie and sister Millie have been able to see each other regularly despite being so far away because of housing provided by the Ronald McDonald charity [Vickie Julian] Vickie said she wanted her family's experience to show other parents that "if something doesn't feel right, then it's really not - don't hesitate to take your children to be seen". "Never in a million years did I think Freddie was on death's door. "We're just lucky there's the pioneering technology which he had access to,and the right decisions being made at the right times which saved his life - and we're so grateful, we owe them everything." BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) The Bakersfield Police Department is all set to discuss new efforts on neighborhood engagement during an upcoming meeting at MLK Community Center. The event is free and open to public. ADAKC to host Caring for the Caregiver seminar in Bakersfield The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 17, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 1000 S Owens Street. Officials will discuss crime trends in the metro area and the departments new Community Engagement Division. BPD will present a strategic plan for strengthening the relationship with the community and ask for feedback from attendees. State officials approve Phase 2 of Borel Fire clean up efforts The seminar session will cover the use of surveys to gather input and how residents can get involved in police training. For more information, contact the BPD Community Relations Department at 661-326-3053. 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 KGET 17. A series of record-breaking wildfires are currently burning in several regions in Brazil, threatening residents and some of the most important ecological systems in the world. More than 50,000 wildfires are currently active throughout Brazil, authorities and the Igarape Institute, a Brazilian-based think tank that focuses on emerging security and development issues, told ABC News. Some of the regions most heavily affected are the Amazon, Cerrado and the Pantanal. MORE: 'Out of control' fires ravage the Amazon region The fires are so bad that residents in nearby towns are choking on the smoke, The Associated Press reported. Densely populated cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are at risk of fires coming within city limits, officials said. About 60% of all the fires burning throughout Latin America are currently happening in Brazil, officials said. PHOTO: This aerial view shows smoke billowing from the forest at Pirituba neighborhood, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sept. 13, 2024. (Nelson Almeida/AFP via Getty Images) A third of the fires are sparked by human-caused actions to clear land for agricultural purposes, according to experts. Deforestation and drought are contributing heavily to the wildfires, Rachael Garrett, a professor of conservation and development at the University of Cambridge, told ABC News. MORE: Forests in Brazil emitting more carbon than they absorb due to climate change: Study The Amazon is currently experiencing the worst drought in 40 years, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Tuesday while visiting an Amazon riverside community near the city of Tefe. PHOTO: Fires spread through the environmental protection area of Pouso Alto, in Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, during dry season, in Colinas do Sul, Goias state, Brazil, on Sept. 9, 2024. (Eraldo Peres/AP) Lula has called on the public to identify any suspected arsonists to federal police. In Brazil, criminals starting fires only risk a prison sentence up to four years in jail, but Lula has vowed to change that law. A record amount of land has already been burned in Brazil so far this year. About 12 million hectares, or nearly 30 million acres, were destroyed in Brazil between January and August, according to MapBiomas, a Brazilian fire activity monitoring site. The states of Roraima and Matto Groso were the most affected. MORE: Experts explain how the Brazilian wildfires became so devastating and what can be done to save the rain forest There have been 180,000 fires this year in Brazil, with more than 7,000 occurring in just the past two days, according to the National Institute for Space Research,Brazil's satellite agency. This is the most fires in a year since 2010, according to the agency, with more than three months to go in 2024. PHOTO:The fire burns vegetation in the Tingua Biological Reserve in Nova Iguacu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, on Sept. 13, 2024. (Pablo Porciuncula/AFP via Getty Images) Deforestation of the Amazon has led to a reduction in rainfall in Brazil, throwing the ecosystem off balance and causing a loop of drought and devastating wildfires, Garrett said. MORE: Fires in Amazon rainforest up more than 80%, scientists warn Out-of-control wildfires in the Amazon are also affecting nearby countries as well, prompting flight cancellations, evacuations and school closures in Bolivia and Ecuador due to the smoke. PHOTO: A firefighter sprays water to fight a forest fire in the city of Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, on Sept. 11, 2024. (Lourival Izaque, STR via AFP via Getty Images) While the wildfire season in the Amazon region traditionally occurred from August to October, it now stretches on for six months, Efrain Tinta Guachalla, a socio-territorial investigator at Fundacion Tierra, a Bolivian NGO dedicated to sustainable rural development, told ABC News earlier this week. Deforestation for the growing amount of farmland, often for soy and cattle, is likely the culprit behind the extended fire season, Guachalla said. The Amazon rainforest is one of the most important and biodiverse ecosystems in the world. Not only does it contribute heavily to the watershed systems in South America, it houses millions of species of plants, animals and insects and absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, experts say. Further degradation of the Amazon would be "catastrophic" for the already delicate ecosystems in the region, Garrett said. ABC News' Victoria Beaule and Trisha Mukherjee contributed to this report. Brazil experiencing record-breaking wildfires as persistent drought affects the Amazon rainforest originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A Brazilian court had banned a couple from naming their baby after an ancient king over fears the child would be bullied. Catarina and Danillo Primola had planned to name their newborn son Piye, paying homage to the first black Egyptian pharaoh who had ruled Egypt for 30 years and helped in founding the 25th dynasty. However, the Court of Justice in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais and registry office ruled that Piyes pronunciation is too similar to plie a Portuguese word for a ballet dance step. Even though piye is spelled differently, the court claimed the parents would not be permitted to register first names that could expose their bearers to ridicule. That is why the sound and spelling of the name were preponderant for the rejection, the Minas Gerais Court of Justice said, according to the Daily Mail. They would be capable of causing future embarrassment to the child. A court rejected the name Catarina and Danillo Primola picked out for their baby saying it would cause future embarrassment to the child. TV Globo A judge reversed the decision to block the name on Friday, the outlet added. The couple initially got the name idea after hearing a theme song for the 2023 Carnival in Rio de Janeiro while practicing choreography at the Academicos de Venda Nova Samba School. The new parents thought it would be a powerful way to give a new narrative to the history of black people. We went to research what it was like and we found the story of Piie, who was a Nubian warrior who fought and conquered Egypt and became the first black pharaoh, Primola told the outlet. Piye was born in Sudan and rose to power in Egypt in 744 BC. He died in 715 BC and was succeeded by his brother Shabako, according to Smart History. The battle over the name delayed the couple from getting their child the required vaccines and forced them to be late for a screening to detect rare health conditions. We know that bullying cannot be combated by prohibiting it, nor can it be combated by oppression, Danillo Primola said. Bullying can be combated by studying and working on the ignorance of society as a whole. This isnt the first time a judge has blocked parents from picking certain names for their children. In 2013, a judge in Tennessee ordered a babys name to be changed from Messiah to Martin after a child support hearing. The judicial official in charge of the case said religious residents in the area would be offended and added that its a title only Jesus Chris had earned and it would be an unfair burden to put on the kid. In France, courts have rejected baby names like Nutella and Prince William because they didnt want the kids to be mocked. With Post wires BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) The Bristol Virginia Police Criminal Investigations located a suspect vehicle from a shooting that occurred on Thursday, according to a release from the department. Photo courtesy of BVPD According to the release, the shooting took place at Suffolk Ave. at a residence. There were no reported injuries. Police: Juvenile charged with four counts of death threats at a school in Washington County, Va. Officials with the Bristol Virginia Police Department (BVPD) described the vehicle as a silver, four-door Nissan Titan truck. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call or text Detective Chris Stine at 276-696-4091. 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. British PM urged to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles -Sunday Times LONDON (Reuters) - British Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been urged by former defence secretaries and an ex-premier to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles inside Russian territory even without U.S. backing, the Sunday Times reported on Saturday. According to the Sunday Times, the call came from five former Conservative defence secretaries - Grant Shapps, Ben Wallace, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox - as well as from ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. They warned Starmer that "any further delay will embolden President Putin", the Sunday Times said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been pleading with allies for months to let Ukraine fire Western missiles including long-range U.S. ATACMS and British Storm Shadows deep into Russia to limit Moscow's ability to launch attacks. Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden held talks in Washington on Friday on whether to allow Kyiv to use the long-range missiles against targets in Russia. No decision was announced. Some U.S. officials are deeply skeptical that allowing the use of such missiles would make a significant difference in Kyiv's battle against Russian invaders. President Vladimir Putin has said the West would be directly fighting Russia if it allowed Ukraine to strike with Western-made long-range missiles. (Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by David Gregorio) DE PERE, WI (WFRV) The Southern Bridge was brought up as an idea in the 1970s and then again in the 90s. Only now does the Brown County Highway Department have plans in place. Green Bay officials take voters questions on election security They connect Packerland Drive west of I41, across the Fox River, to Monroe Road in East De Pere. They held a meeting Thursday night to inform people about the projects coming to their roads in the coming years. Were getting close, Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach told Local 5 News. You can see on Highway 41, they already began the interchange with the state of Wisconsin right now. Were going to be doing a lot of work in the next two years. People are going to start to see a lot of construction. Two Rivers Police Department confirm skeletal remains are of Elijah Vues Construction on the actual bridge wont begin until 2027. The entire project should be done in 2029. 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. An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 13, 2024 shows a view of the China-aided Jamestown Fishing Port Complex in Accra, Ghana. Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday inaugurated a China-aided fishing port complex in Jamestown, a coastal community in Accra, the nation's capital. Constructed by CRCC Harbor and Channel Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd., a Chinese firm, the Jamestown Fishing Port Complex features a range of facilities, including a two-story office building, a fish market, an ice-making plant, shops, cold storage, a kindergarten, a fire station and a ship repair station. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua) ACCRA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday inaugurated a China-aided fishing port complex in Jamestown, a coastal community in Accra, the nation's capital. Constructed by CRCC Harbor and Channel Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd., a Chinese firm, the Jamestown Fishing Port Complex features a range of facilities, including a two-story office building, a fish market, an ice-making plant, shops, cold storage, a kindergarten, a fire station and a ship repair station. During the commissioning ceremony, Akufo-Addo expressed his delight at the project's completion, saying it will bolster Jamestown's fishing industry and reduce post-harvest losses. "The government prioritized this project due to the important role artisanal fishing plays in Ghana's economy and the livelihoods of the people," Akufo-Addo said. He noted that the new port will create jobs, stimulate the local economy and transform the fishing community. "It will inject new energy into the heart of this community, with ripple effects across the entire nation," he said. The president also expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for its longstanding support of Ghana, including its assistance with the harbor project and other key infrastructure developments. Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Tong Defa officially handed over the port complex, affirming China's commitment to supporting Ghana's socio-economic progress. "It is a significant infrastructure project aimed at boosting Ghana's fishing industry, enhancing local economic development, and improving the livelihoods of local communities that rely on fishing," Tong said. He said that China considers its solidarity and cooperation with African nations, including Ghana, a cornerstone of its foreign policy. The project is a symbol of the two nations' joint efforts toward modernization, and a testament to the Global South's confidence in unity and collaboration, Tong said. Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo addresses the inauguration ceremony of China-aided Jamestown Fishing Port Complex in Accra, Ghana, Sept. 13, 2024. Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday inaugurated a China-aided fishing port complex in Jamestown, a coastal community in Accra, the nation's capital. Constructed by CRCC Harbor and Channel Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd., a Chinese firm, the Jamestown Fishing Port Complex features a range of facilities, including a two-story office building, a fish market, an ice-making plant, shops, cold storage, a kindergarten, a fire station and a ship repair station. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua) An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 13, 2024 shows a view of the China-aided Jamestown Fishing Port Complex in Accra, Ghana. Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday inaugurated a China-aided fishing port complex in Jamestown, a coastal community in Accra, the nation's capital. Constructed by CRCC Harbor and Channel Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd., a Chinese firm, the Jamestown Fishing Port Complex features a range of facilities, including a two-story office building, a fish market, an ice-making plant, shops, cold storage, a kindergarten, a fire station and a ship repair station. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua) (FOX40.COM) The Calaveras County Sheriffs Office is asking the public for help with several unsolved cases during National Cold Case Month. Throughout the month, the sheriffs office is posting the details from cases, many dating back decades, to social media in hopes that someone will provide the missing information and investigative leads to bring closure and justice to these cases. Here are some of the cases the sheriffs office is looking for more information on. Jeffrey Askren Jeffery Askren was reported missing on May 1, 1984. His 1978 Red Honda Accord was found three days later on Winston Road. The sheriffs office said the vehicle may have been spotted at that location as early as April 25. CAL FIRE makes back-to-back arson arrests in Butte County Askren had possibly made reservations at an inn in Sutter Creek for April 23 but did not check-in. The sheriffs office said Askren was known to carry camera equipment and that a lens cover and tripod were found in or near his vehicle. No further evidence of Askren was found. At the time of his disappearance, Askren was 30 years old, 59 tall and 150 pounds. He had red hair and blue eyes. The sheriffs office notes that Askrens car was found just a few miles from where the bodies of many victims of the Wilseyville serial killings were found. His body is not among those that have been identified but some remains have yet to be matched with a person. Roy Dixon The body of Roy Dixon was discovered by deputies responding to a report of gunshots and later a fire around 2:30 a.m. on October 14, 1997, on Winton Road in West Point. His body was found four feet from a vehicle on fire. The coroners office found Dixon had been stabbed in the back, shoulder, lungs and heart but that the cause of death was crushing injuries to the head, neck and chest. The coroner thought he may have also been run over. Hector Girol On September 9, 2000, deputies responded to a suspicious death around 11:50 p.m. in Copperopolis. Hector Gilroys body was found in the shower with multiple gunshot wounds. Sharalyn Murphy In 1994, the hands and headless body of Sharalyn Murphy were found near New Melones Reservoir. The 23-year-old is thought to have died sometime in the fall of that year. The sheriffs office said that Murphy was originally from Washington but had moved to the Sacramento area the previous year. Several illegal cartel-related marijuana grows shut down in California Delta Parrots Ferry Jane Doe The partial remains of a woman were found under the Parrots Ferry Bridge during a drought on October 9, 2015. The sheriffs office said the body likely belonged to a 25- to 45-year-old woman who is estimated to have been between 48 and 53. The body had been weighted down beneath the water prior to the drought. The Calaveras County Sheriffs Office asks that if you have information about one of these or other cases to call their anonymous tipline at (209) 754-6030. 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. An Alameda County man was arrested after he allegedly assaulted flight attendants while on a Frontier Airlines flight from Orange County to San Francisco. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press) Federal authorities have arrested an Alameda County man after he allegedly assaulted flight attendants while traveling from Orange County to San Francisco, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Charles Angel Salva, 30, of Fremont, was on a Frontier Airlines flight from John Wayne Airport to San Francisco International Airport on Monday when, authorities say, he pulled down an oxygen mask from the overhead compartment shortly after takeoff and began yelling obscenities at flight attendants. We are all going to hell, he said, according to a statement from the U.S. attorneys office. This airplane is going down! He then allegedly grabbed at passengers and ran to the back of the plane as flight attendants tried to restrain him. Passengers helped restrain Salva using a seat belt after he broke out of flex cuffs. Read more: FAA refers 43 reported abusive, unruly plane passengers to FBI, even as incidents fall from COVID highs Salva attempted to choke a flight attendant and kicked another approximately six times in the leg, causing bruising and swelling, according to federal officials. The affidavit also alleges that Salva said he was going to kill everybody. The flight diverted to Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County, as flight attendants did not feel safe trying to put Salva back in his seat. Read more: 'Every parent's worst nightmare': Teen who was sexually assaulted by passenger sues Delta Air Lines A passenger later told officials that Salva appeared claustrophobic and seemed like he wanted to get off the plane. Salva was arrested Wednesday and is charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants, according to the U.S. attorney's office. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted. 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. CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) A Happy Valley High School student has been arrested and charged with threat of mass violence following a discovered social media threat to the school, the Carter County Sheriffs Office (CCSO) reports. According to a release on Saturday, the sheriffs office learned of an online threat of violence involving firearms at Happy Valley High School on Sept. 11. SEE ALSO: Elizabethton student charged with false reporting The CCSO said it, along with the Elizabethton Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security, worked to conduct an investigation and identified a person of interest, who was ultimately found to be responsible for the threat. The sheriffs office said it arrested a 15-year-old male Happy Valley High School student and charged him with threat of mass violence on school property. The juvenile was being detained pending judicial review on Saturday morning, the CCSO said. A spokesperson for the CCSO confirmed to News Channel 11 that this incident is completely unrelated and separate from a threat and subsequent false reporting charge to an Elizabethton High School student on Friday, who reportedly admitted to posting a different threat against Happy Valley High School as a joke. 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. A close contact of an avian flu patient in Missouri also fell ill at the same time but it is unlikely there was any human-to-human transmission in the case, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI Sept. 14 (UPI) -- A close contact of a Missouri resident identified as having a human case of the H5N1 avian flu also became sick around the same time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revealed. According to a CDC avian flu update issued Friday, an investigation of last week's mysterious case of the Missouri bird flu patient found that a "household contact" of the patient also became ill with similar symptoms on the same day. That person was not tested for the avian flu and his since recovered. The CDC probe also found that a second close contact of the Missouri patient, identified as a health care worker, similarly developed "mild symptoms" and tested negative for flu. Despite the multiple illnesses, the agency has determined there was no human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 virus, which has been circulating among poultry and wild birds since 2022 and made the interspecies jump to dairy cows earlier this year. "The simultaneous development of symptoms does not support person-to-person spread but suggests a common exposure," the CDC said. The agency's update also confirmed that genetic tests performed on the virus from the Missouri patient determined it is closely related to the strain found in dairy cattle, thus deepening the question of how the person contracted the infection. The case marked the first instance of the virus in someone without a known occupational exposure to sick or infected animals. It was the 14th overall human case of H5N1 reported in the nation. The Missouri patient was hospitalized on Aug. 22, underwent testing and was treated before being released, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Dr. Dana Hawkinson, the medical director for infection prevention and control at the University of Kansas Health System, told the Kansas City Star a pet could be responsible for the infection. "I think household pets are probably a fairly good, plausible explanation for this," he said. "In general we just don't have a lot of information about this case." CDC, WHO monitoring overseas outbreak of M-Pox: What we know CDC, WHO monitoring overseas outbreak of M-Pox: What we know DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) Both the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) are monitoring M-Pox outbreaks overseas; some worry this outbreak could turn global if not taken care of. Previously, WHO stated that M-Pox is a global health emergency, with testing and surveillance increasing in the United States. Open burn ban issued for 28 Ohio counties They did this declaration for three reasons. First, it was unexpected. Second, it has the potential for cross-border international transmission. And last, since it can cross borders, we need an international response, said Chris Cook, Clark County Health Commissioner. Health experts want to emphasize that this is just a precaution and that M-Pox does not spread the same way that COVID did years ago. M-POX, clay 1 and clay 2, its not COVID. You know, I think we are kind of wired right now to think about airborne, aerosol, droplet transmission. But this is not how it transmits at this time, said Cook. People who are at greatest risk for getting M-POX are again, those sexual contact, folks who have multiple sexual partners. Travel also complicates the spread of the virus. Worldwide travel is so open, that it is very easy for what appears to be a localized outbreak, to all of a sudden become a worldwide problem once again, said Roberto Colon, Premier Health chief medical officer. A vaccine against M-Pox is readily available, and those who are at risk are encouraged to get the vaccine as soon as they can. Even if the virus does mutate, the vaccine will still be effective. It is very likely that we will see some varying iterations or varying modifications to this virus, moving forward. That does not immediately mean that the vaccines become less effective or not effective, said Colon. How do Miami Valley schools rank on Ohios 2024 report cards? Health experts also point to the fact that a vaccine is readily available to those at risk as another reason why this is not a similar situation to COVID. The WHO has also recently announced their prequalification of another M-Pox vaccine that will address the spread of the virus. 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 WDTN.com. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has barred a Beverly Hills obstetrician-gynecologist and former member of its physician network from practicing at its facilities. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has barred a Beverly Hills obstetrician-gynecologist from practicing at its facilities after an investigation into "concerning complaints from patients," according to a spokesperson. Dr. Barry Brock, a longtime physician who has advertised his low rate of cesarean section births, has had his hospital privileges terminated and the matter reported to the Medical Board of California, according to Cedars-Sinai. "The type of behavior alleged about Dr. Brock is counter to Cedars-Sinais core values and the trust we strive to earn every day with our patients," its spokesperson said. Brock, 74, has denied any wrongdoing and said he had surrendered his privileges without any "fact finding" or "hearing on the merits" of the allegations. Cedars-Sinai did not immediately respond to those claims. Read more:'I don't want him to go': An autistic teen and his family face stark choices In August, weeks after his privileges at Cedars-Sinai were suspended pending an investigation, Brock emailed current and former patients to announce he was retiring from medicine at the end of the month, saying the "uncertainty of how long this process will take" left him unable to deliver the care his patients would expect. Neither Cedars-Sinai nor the medical board would discuss details of the allegations, saying they were confidential under the law. Nine former patients have spoken with The Times about alleged experiences with Brock and two shared complaints they sent to Cedars-Sinai. The written complaints and other records including complaints to the state medical board and police reports allege inappropriate remarks, unnecessary physical examinations, a botched medical procedure and the pressuring of a patient to undergo a vaginal birth when she sought a cesarean section. Brock, who was in private practice and not employed by Cedars-Sinai at the time of his termination, denied any accusations of sexual misconduct and said "these few anonymous allegations" were not indicative of his skills or "my character that I have shown day-in and day-out in my practice and in the delivery room for 46 years." He said Cedars-Sinai had only offered a summary of the complaints, and that it was "not a fair process" to be asked to defend himself without being able to identify the patients involved. Any claim that I performed a medical examination or procedure for anything but a medical purpose or conducted it in a way for my own personal gratification, to discourage C-Sections, or to sexually harass a patient is an outrageously false claim, Brock told The Times. Read more:Desperate parents turn to magnetic therapy to help kids with autism. They have little evidence to go on Brock left Cedars-Sinais physician network in 2018, the hospital spokesperson said, but retained delivery privileges at the medical center. He went first into private practice at Rodeo Drive Womens Health Center in Beverly Hills and moved to a different private practice in Beverly Hills in January 2021. In one complaint filed with the state medical board, a patient wrote: "Dr. Brock commented on the size of my breasts, proclaiming that my husband 'must be enjoying these.' This comment was made during an impromptu and forced breast exam." (The Times is not naming the patient, as the case involves an accusation of sexual assault.) Brock, responding to the allegation, told The Times that "this is not the type of comment I would ever make. I have performed clinical breast exams on thousands of women, and I am looking for medical issues. When the patient was admitted to Cedars-Sinai a week after her due date with low amniotic fluid, Dr. Brock ordered the nursing staff to do everything possible to facilitate a natural delivery, which became torturous for me, she wrote in her medical board complaint. Mine and my husbands requests to Cedars staff for a different OBGYN to deliver our baby fell on deaf ears. The patient wrote that she was diagnosed with an infection as labor wore on, and that her fetus' heart rate plummeted. Brock eventually performed an emergency C-section roughly 20 hours after labor began. The baby emerged blue and unresponsive, according to hospital records The Times reviewed, and required resuscitation. The patient wrote that Brocks first comments to her after birth were not about her infants condition, but about her vagina. After the surgery, Dr. Brock proclaimed that I would stay nice and tight down there, she wrote in her medical board complaint. Brock said in response that without sufficient information to review the patients medical records, I cannot state what occurred here. If patients request a C-Section, I do not deny one and do what is best for the patient and the baby. I have done elective C-Sections throughout my career. As for the alleged comment, I never use the words 'tight' to describe the vaginal canal, Brock said. Another patient who complained to Cedars-Sinai also reported her allegations to the Beverly Hills Police Department. As of mid-September, Brock said he hadnt been contacted by the department. In a police report reviewed by The Times, the patient described going to a gynecologist in 2020 to have him "flip a breech baby. She said the doctor performed breast and vaginal exams on her before doing an ultrasound and made comments about her body, such as remarking on her not having stretch marks, the police report said. The woman found his remarks to be unprofessional and said they caused her to feel uncomfortable, and said she felt the breast exam was unnecessary, according to the police report. It does not name the doctor, but the woman identified him as Brock. The episode made her feel like she had been taken advantage of, the police report stated. Read more:Nearly $1 billion in funds left unspent by centers for disabled Californians Guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that an ultrasound is necessary before attempting the procedure, but does not mention any other physical exams. Experts said performing a breast exam was not standard for the procedure, although a breast exam might be undertaken for other reasons, such as initiating care with a new patient. Brock said such exams were standard for his new pregnant patients. Any patient who believed that they could simply show up at a new OB-GYN office and expect that physician to not perform a physical did not understand the process of becoming a new patient, he wrote. If the patient had a physical issue that was missed due to me not performing a physical or breast exam, I would have been legally responsible for malpractice. As for his alleged comments, I do not recall any exact instance of commenting on the lack of stretch marks in an inappropriate way, he wrote. However, there have been patients who did not have any stretch marks well into their pregnancy and when asked if it is possible to avoid stretch marks entirely, I have made comments such as you are lucky. A third former patient, who did not complain to Cedars-Sinai before the suspension, filed a complaint against Brock to the medical board in April and with Beverly Hills police in July. The doctors name was redacted from the police report copy provided to The Times; the patient confirmed it was Brock. During her second pregnancy in 2022, the woman said Brock made comments about her body so frequently that she requested a chaperone be present during her visits with him, according to the police report. Following delivery of her second child, Brock spent an unusually long time suturing what he said was a small labial tear, she told police and the medical board. The sutures remained tight and painful weeks after the birth, she wrote in the medical board complaint. When she described the problem during a follow-up appointment, the woman wrote in the medical board complaint, Brock told me if I didn't like the way it looked [the stitching of my vagina], because I wanted to get back into porn, he could do a corrective procedure for me. Brock denied making such remarks, saying that I would never say or imply that a patient could get back into porn. He also said he had never been informed that any patient had asked for a chaperone due to comments on their body. Read more:Peanuts! Get your peanuts! Kids who eat them early are much less likely to develop an allergy, studies conclude In her complaint, the patient wrote that she ultimately left the practice and sought care from another doctor who told her that Brock had stitched her labia minora together, leaving only a small opening for her vagina. Two years later, activities like using the bathroom, exercising and sexual intercourse remain painful as a result of the injury, she wrote in the complaint. In a written response provided by his attorney, Brock said that while he could not speak definitely without being able to identify the patient and consult her record, he doubted the problems she described were caused by his suturing. Dr. Sharon Winer, a gynecologist who has referred patients to Brock, called him "one of the best OBs that I've ever seen" and said that when it comes to healthcare, you cannot take a single act or activity and take it out of medical context. His attorney also provided emails from former patients praising his care. He absolutely has a colorful personality, and can be direct to the point of possible offense ... to those who dont know or understand his sense of humor, one wrote, but when it comes down to his skill, his bedside manner, and his commitment to patients, he is UNMATCHED. 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. CEO of Malaysia firm accused of child abuse says there were cases of sodomy KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The head of a Malaysian conglomerate accused of running homes where hundreds of children and youths were allegedly sexually abused said there were 'one or two' cases of sodomy at the shelters but he denied other allegations of misconduct. Police this week rescued 402 children from charity homes that authorities say were run by Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB) Holdings, an Islamic firm that the authorities have also accused of exploiting its workers. Health screenings showed many of the children had injuries consistent with physical and sexual abuse, while 13 of them had been sodomised, police said on Friday. GISB has said it did not run the homes and denied all allegations of abuse and exploitation of workers. But in a video posted on GISB's official Facebook page on Saturday, Chief Executive Nasiruddin Ali said the company had broken some unspecified laws. "I don't want to blame the laws. It's true we have done some wrongs in the eyes of the law but couldn't there be some advice or discussions first?" he said. Nasiruddin said allegations by police that children were sodomised and taught to sodomise others were "disgusting" but acknowledged there were cases of such abuses at the homes. "Indeed, there were one or two cases of sodomy, but why lump them (the cases) all together?" he said. GISB has been linked to Al-Arqam, a religious sect banned by the government in 1994. The firm has acknowledged the link but now describes itself as an Islamic conglomerate based on Muslim principles. Malaysia's Islamic Development Department said in a statement on Saturday it would bring a report on suspected deviant teachings involving GISB to the cabinet, the national religious affairs council, and the conference of rulers. Malaysia has nine royal rulers who act as the custodians of Islam in the country. Nasiruddin said some of GISB's accounts had been frozen and assets seized by authorities, adding that the firm was in the process of hiring lawyers to defend itself in court. Following Wednesday's raids, police detained 159 people pending investigations and said its probe into GISB may be expanded to include financial offences. (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; editing by Miral Fahmy) An alarming number of school shooting threats have prompted lock downs and lead to confusion and heightened fears across Central Florida. Now, law enforcement and school officials are promising maximum consequences amid a spike in unfounded threats. In just the last week, more than 8 students across Central Florida have been arrested for either threatening a school shooting or bringing a gun onto school property. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said since the school year began, the office has received more than 200 school shooting threats, but none of those threats were credible. Still, all threats are taken seriously, and each threat causes a disruption that uses up law enforcement resources. To deal with the spike in threats, Sheriff Chitwood said beginning on Monday, he plans to publicly shame students who make unfounded threats, and their parents. Im going to show you every kid thats been arrested and where they go to school, and then from there on out, were going to publicly shame them and their parents. So parents, do your job. Dont let Sheriff Chitwood raise your kids, said Chitwood during a press conference Friday. Read: Police: 2 Boone High School students arrested after loaded gun found on campus Chitwood said his office will pursue criminal charges to the full extent of the law in every case possible and threats meant as jokes are no exception. He announced the arrest of two Heritage Middle School students ages 13 and 14 who threatened to shoot up their school on social media this week. Both are now being charged with making written threats to kill, which is a felony. Chitwood said parents could also see criminal charges. Additionally, Florida law allows the cost for law enforcement investigations into school threats to be charged to the parents of juvenile defendants. Chitwood said the bill could be several thousands. I know of a set of parents right now that theyre looking at $11,000 each because somebodys paying this bill, said Chitwood. The spike in threats and gun scares at school is far reaching. Read: Boy, 15, accused of making school shooting threat in Seminole County sees judge Law enforcement has made arrests this week at Boone High School in Orlando, Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, Seminole High School in Sanford, as well as Dunnellon High School in Marion County. School administrators and law enforcement across Central Florida were united in taking a hard stance on the problem and urged parents to take a proactive role in educating their children. These behaviors carry heavy consequences that will alter lives and change futures in a way that young people may not comprehend. Im asking our parents to partner with us and talk with your children about the serious nature of making threats, said Serita Beamon, Superintendent of Seminole County Public Schools. Aside from potential felony charges for students, state law mandates schools must have zero tolerance for either bringing firearms to campus or making threats of violence. That law says violators must be expelled. In Volusia County, Sheriff Mike Chitwood also said the county would also soon roll out a project bringing weapons detection canines to school. He said the canines would be deployed in November. School officials also said they continue to take every threat, whether rumor or written, seriously. They also reiterated they do not want to dissuade anyone from reporting a tip about a possible threat, even if the threat turns out to be a hoax. Read: Dunnellon High School student arrested after making threat to school Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. CHICAGO - A 21-year-old Chicago man has been charged in the deaths of a Catholic school worker, her brother, and 81-year-old mother who were found shot inside their Morgan Park home in 2022. Zavier Griffin, of the Gresham neighborhood, was taken into custody Friday morning in Pinckneyville after evidence linked him to the shooting between Apr. 4 and Apr. 5, 2022, according to a statement from Chicago police. He faces 12 felony charges including first degree murder, home invasion with a firearm, aggravated criminal sexual assault, murder with other forcible felony, and possession of a stolen vehicle, police said. Zavier Griffin, 21. (Chicago police) Officers conducting a well-being check found the bodies of Thomas Ann Riley, 64, her mother Arteria Riley, 81, and her brother Ruben Riley, 61, in their home in the 11300 block of South Green Street on April 5, 2022. Arteria Riley was shot in the right side of the head, and pronounced dead on scene. Thomas Ann Riley and Ruben Riley were shot in the right side of their bodies, officials and the medical examiners office said. RELATED STORIES: Police said the motive for the killings was unclear, and neighbors spoke of being heartsick over the loss of the longtime Morgan Park residents. Chicago police are on the scene for three people found shot to death inside a home on the Far South Side. | Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere / Sun-Times Arteria Riley was a retired postal worker and widower who raised her family at the home, according to neighbors. She was an avid bowler who was in a league and traveled for competitions before losing her sight, they said. "They are the kind of people who would give you the shirt off their backs," one neighbor said. "I have no idea why they would meet such a violent end. I am heartsick." Thomas Ann Riley worked as a secretary and finance manager for the last seven years at Saint Philip Neri School, a Catholic elementary school in South Shore. When she didnt show up for work that week, people became concerned. "Ms. Riley was the face of our school," the school said in a letter to families Wednesday morning. "She was the person who greeted every student and parent who entered the building. It was impossible to come to SPN and not encounter Ms. Riley. She was warm, yet firm with everyone she met, and she knew everyone in our community. She was an integral part of what made our school special." Neighbors said they had not heard any gunshots and expressed disbelief, describing the block as an otherwise quiet one. "They are the kind of people who would give you the shirt off their backs," said one neighbor. "I have no idea why they would meet such a violent end. I am heartsick." Griffin is expected to appear at a detention hearing on Saturday. CHICAGO A man connected to a Southwest Side armed robbery and home invasion that happened earlier this week has been arrested and charged, according to the Chicago Police Department. CPD said Kentrell Brown, 26, was arrested around 3 a.m. Thursday in the 3500 block of West 47th Street. Police said he was identified as a suspect connected to at least four different robberies, one of which was an armed robbery carried out by multiple offenders that turned into a home invasion in the citys West Lawn neighborhood earlier that Thursday morning. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 2 armed robberies proceed into home invasions overnight on citys Southwest Side, one ends in exchange of gunfire Brown was charged with three felony counts of armed robbery and one felony count each of home invasion with a firearm, vehicular hijacking and kidnapping while armed with a firearm. Incidents connected to Brown At approx.1:07 a.m., in the 4900 block of S. Western Ave. (9th District); Took property at gunpoint form a 29-year-old male. At approx. 1:15 a.m., in the 6200 block of South Kolin Avenue (8th District); Took property at gunpoint from a 39-year-old female and another 20-year-old male then forcefully enter a residence in which additional property was taken. Offender then fired shots inside an occupied residence, not striking anyone. At approx. 1:40 a.m., in the 3300 block of West 59th Place (8th District); Took property at gunpoint from a 17-year-old male. At approx. 2:34 a.m., in the 3600 block of W. 38th St. (8th District); Forcefully took a vehicle from a 42-year-old male. Armed Robbery and Home Invasion on South Kolin Avenue WGN News talked with the woman who was the victim in the incident on South Kolin Avenue. They came in the wrong way, she said. They just pulled up. They came out with their guns, and they were asking for money. According to police, the woman and her son were in a vehicle when they were approached by two armed male offenders, who demanded their property. The woman said her son was getting ready to drive her to work, but they never left their parking spot. Police said the offenders robbed the victims, then proceeded to follow them into a home, where they demanded more property. There was an exchange of gunfire inside the home, according to police, and the offenders fled. Police recovered a firearm, and no injuries were reported. According to the woman, the offenders exchanged gunfire with her brother, who she said has a CCL license. I just remember yelling, screaming, and the next thing you know, I hear the guns right by my ear, she said. It was so loud. All I could hear was my brother say, Get down. Details on West 59th Place Less than 30 minutes after the incident on South Kolin Avenue, police said a 17-year-old male was getting out of his vehicle in the 3300 block of West 59th Place when a black SUV pulled up behind him and two armed male offenders approached, demanding property. Police said the offenders then forced the victim to a home, where they robbed him then fled in the black SUV. No gunshots were fired in that incident. Police have not said whether the two incidents on South Kolin Avenue and West 59th Place are connected, even though Brown was arrested and charged in connection to both. Brown was scheduled for a detention hearing in Cook County Circuit Court Saturday. No additional information is available at this time. 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. SEOUL, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), met with visiting Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council Sergei Shoigu on Friday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Saturday. During the talks, they had a wide exchange of views on the issues of steadily deepening the strategic dialogue between the two countries and strengthening cooperation to defend the mutual security interests and on the regional and international situation, and reached a consensus on the issues discussed, the KCNA said. Kim expressed his appreciation for the development of bilateral ties in all fields including politics, economy and culture, and said that the DPRK government would further expand cooperation and collaboration with Russia in the spirit of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the future, it added. The DPRK leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the treaty in Pyongyang in June of this year. CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) It was an evening filled with memories and laughter as the 1974 Chicopee Comprehensive High School class celebrated its 50th year anniversary. It was a large crowd at The Knights of Columbus Hall with dozens eager to relive their high school memories. Some traveled back to Hampden County from as far away as Utah, Montana, and Colorado, to attend. This event, which takes place every five years, serves as a way for the class to come together and strengthen their bonds. Its unbelievable because it doesnt seem they say I remember Mom saying the time goes by fast. It goes by very fast. But its wonderful to see people we have people coming tonight who have never been to a reunion. We have people who have come to every single reunion. So its just nice to reconnect with people, expressed 1974 Chicopee Comprehensive High School Class Officer, Lynn Provost Larrabee. There was also a table with photos and a display honoring the more than 60 class members who had passed away. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.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 WWLP. TEXARKANA, Texas (KTAL/KMSS) A man was arrested following a shooting investigation by the Texarkana, Arkansas Police Department. Texarkana, Texas, police were called when a two-year-old child arrived at Wadley Hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg. The mother, who was still at the scene, reported that her other child, who is eight, found a firearm in their Texarkana, Arkansas, home and shot the younger sibling accidentally. Through their investigation, police learned that the mothers live-in boyfriend, Breydan Ybarra, dropped the child off at the hospital. He is also said to have dropped the eight-year-old and a five-year-old child off at the childrens grandmothers home in Nash, Texas. More: Texarkana News Police made contact with the children for identification purposes and also checked the home to ensure there were no other victims. A warrant check was run on Ybarra, which revealed that he is a convicted felon, leading to his arrest. Ybarra was arrested for possession of a firearm by certain persons and three counts of endangering the welfare of a minor all are felony charges. Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators were called to the home, and a search warrant was executed on the home and vehicle. The child was flown to Childrens Hospital in Little Rock for treatment. 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 KTALnews.com. WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) A man arrested in March is charged with child endangerment after police said they found a young girl in a car full of drugs and the two adults passed out in the front seats. The Wichita County Jail booking photo for Thomas Carruthers. Thomas Carruthers was initially charged with possession of drugs at the time. PREVIOUS STORY: Woman makes plea deal in Walmart parking lot shooting Police say around 1 a.m. March 13, 2024, police went to check on a car in a motel parking lot on Walcott with a young child in the back and two adults slumped in the front seats. A seven-year-old girl was asleep, leaning against the door in the back seat and there was a cut straw with brown residue in the seat next to her. There was also a cut straw with residue in the drivers seat where the girls mother, Wilma Rosario-Santos, was sitting, along with burnt tinfoil. Police also found loose marijuana in the car and crack cocaine rocks on the front passenger seat and under the drivers seat. A search of Rosario-Santos uncovered a bottle in her underwear with counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl and a Xanax bar. Officers located a witness at the motel who said Rosario-Santos, her daughter and Carruthers had been in their motel room and he saw them smoking fentanyl pills on the bed while her daughter was inside a play fort she made with a table and blanket. The witness said he confronted them and asked Carruthers why they were smoking drugs in front of the girl, and Carruthers told him if he didnt like it, he could get out. He said Rosario-Santos never said anything because she was out of it. When interviewed at the police department, police say Carruthers told them they had been in the motel room and were smoking fentanyl when they decided to go somewhere and got into the vehicle. Carruthers said he could not drive because of the drugs, so Rosario-Santos was going to drive, and the child was in the back. He said the crack cocaine in the car was his, and he uses it to keep him awake. Police said when Rosario-Santos was questioned over a period of time, she did not once ask how or where her daughter was. Rosario-Santos was also arrested last year for allegedly shooting at two men after an alleged botched sale of Xanax or fentanyl in a Walmart parking lot. She has six prior drug charges and three charges of smuggling in another county. RELATED: Woman arrested in hotel parking lot in car with drugs, child, police say Carruthers has seven arrests, including one for engaging in organized criminal activity, and was released Friday, Sept. 13, on bail for the endangerment charge. Rosario-Santos remains jailed on more than $260,000 bonds for child endangerment, attempted escape, aggravated assault and four drug charges. This is a developing story. Stick with Texomas Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 Texomashomepage.com. Child flown to hospital after being hit by vehicle in Washington County A child was hit by a vehicle in Washington County. Washington County dispatchers say emergency crews were called to the intersection of 12th Avenue and Lincoln Avenue in Charleroi at around 2:20 p.m. on Saturday. Officials confirmed a child was hit by a vehicle in that area and was flown to UPMC Childrens Hospital in Pittsburgh. The exact age of the child has not been released at this time and their condition is unknown. Channel 11 has contacted the Charleroi Police Department for more information and is waiting to hear back. All units have cleared the scene. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Western Pennsylvania man dies after falling into campfire in Somerset County Former Pittsburgh Steeler JuJu Smith-Schuster announces engagement Slow-moving superload scheduled to move through our region next week VIDEO: $2.3M worth of heroin found in Pittsburghs Fineview neighborhood DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts The German frigate "Baden-Wuerttemberg" is moored in the port of Incheon. The German frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg on Friday entered the strait between China and Taiwan, according to positional data on the internet, marking the first time in more than 20 years that a German military vessel has used the politically sensitive route. Fabian Kretschmer/dpa China has said German warships passing through the Taiwan Strait, which divides China from Taiwan, pose a risk to security. "The behaviour of the German side increases the security risk and sends the wrong signals," said Navy Captain Li Xi of the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command on Saturday. Chinese troops in the area of operations are always on high alert and take decisive action against threats and provocations, he added. A German warship traversed the Taiwan Strait for the first time in more than 20 years on Friday, despite protests from Beijing. The Baden-Wurttemberg frigate and the Frankfurt am Main supply vessel passed through the contested strait on their way from South Korea to the Philippines. Both the Chinese army and Taiwanese forces said they monitored the passage. The move caused consternation in Beijing, as China claims sovereignty over Taiwan and sees the strait as belonging to Chinese - rather than international - waters. Taiwan is a self-governing democratic island off the south-east coast of China, which claims it as a province and which it has threatened to take by force if it makes any moves towards formal independence. German leaders have largely dismissed Beijing's protests over the passage, the first by a German military vessel since 2002. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said during a press conference in Berlin that the strait is an "international waterway," echoing Defence Minister Boris Pistorius's earlier comment that the route was in "international waters." "It's the shortest route," Pistorius added, and "the safest route given the weather conditions." When asked whether China had been informed about the ship's passage, a Foreign Office spokesman in Berlin said: "That is neither planned nor necessary." Warships from other countries, such as the United States, have also passed through the strait in the past, prompting protests from Chinese leaders. Chincoteague buyback foal dies of fatal injury, most likely kick from another pony The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Co. has shared the tragic news that one of this year's buyback foals has died. Here's what we know now. Fatal injury for buyback foal came in the wild The fire department reported on its Facebook page that one of this year's buyback choices, Ellie was fatally injured on Sunday evening. The department was notified midday on Monday and confirmed that it was in fact her, and upon examination determined her death was likely a result of a kick from another pony. The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Co. has reported the tragic news that buyback foal "Ellie" has died of a fatal injury, most likely from a kick from another pony. The department posted this reminder of what life is like for the precious herd: "We are constantly reminded that life in the wild is fragile and although we manage these ponies there are factors beyond our control. This filly was the first foal from her mother 'Wildest Dreams' in a number of years and a great genetic fit for the island as well as being stunning black and white. It is a really sad day for us and the pony community as we were greatly looking forward to this fillys life on the island and her contribution to the herd." Big events close OC Inlet parking lot: Ocean City's Inlet Parking Lot to close for string of big events. Here's what's coming. Berlin's new brewer on the block: Craft beer lovers rejoice: Berlin Beer Co. offers new hot spot to check out This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Chincoteague Fire Co. announces tragic death of buyback foal The City of Miamisburg has appointed a new Police Chief. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The City of Miamisburg announced Friday that Miamisburg native Michael Brem has been appointed as the new chief of police. TRENDING STORIES: Brem started his career in 1993 as a corrections officer with the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office. He is currently a captain with the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office assigned to Washington Township. Brem also worked as an Assistant Community Services Division Commander with Jefferson Township, Organized Crime Supervisor, and Regional Training Center Supervisor all with the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office, according to the City of Miamisburg. Miamisburg City Manager Keith Johnson said this was a regional search for the next police chief. We were looking for a proven leader and he (Brem) was an impressive hire, Johnson said. I believe he has met and exceeded all the areas we were looking to address. He was undoubtedly the candidate and will be a great addition to the Miamisburg Police Department, City Staff, and the community. Brem will replace Police Chief John Sedlak who plans to retire later this year. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] What college campuses look like after the end of affirmative action Samantha Greene, a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said she quickly noticed a difference in the student body when she stepped on campus in August. As president of the Black Student Movement at the states flagship university, Greene said this years Black Student Convocation, an event that welcomes first year students and connects them to resources on campus, was much smaller than its been in the past. Weve definitely noticed a significant decrease in not just attendance, but in the presence of Black students on campus, Greene said. We know each other, we talk to each other and there is just less of them. Last week, UNC Chapel Hill released a profile of incoming freshman and transfer students that shows in the year since the US Supreme Court gutted affirmative action in college admissions, the number of Black students admitted to the university dropped from 10.5% to 7.8% a decrease of around 25%. Harvard University also experienced a similar drop in Black enrollment, according to data released this week which shows a 22% decrease in Black freshmen when compared to the year before. Both schools were named as plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case that ended the long-held practice of considering race and ethnicity in college admissions. I chose this school because I saw the robust amount of diversity that was here and the results of it as well, Greene said of UNC. So, to see that kind of go a little bit down the gutter definitely has me thinking about my choice to be here. As admissions offices across the country release their latest racial demographics, a murky portrait is beginning to emerge of the Class of 2028 one thats left some experts warning about the long-term effects of a lack of diversity on campus. College diversity seesaws across the country Ending affirmative action has had an uneven impact on admissions to some of the most highly selective and competitive universities in the country. At Yale University, the percentage of Black students admitted this year held steady at 14% when compared to those who started last fall, but the number of Asian students fell by 20% compared to last year. At UNC, despite the decline in Black students admitted, the percentage of Asian and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander students saw a slight increase. And at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the number of Black students admitted to the Class of 2028 collapsed from 15% last fall to just 5% this year, while Latino students saw a 31% decrease. In an interview with the universitys news outlet last month, Stu Schmill, MITs dean of admissions, said the change in demographics reflects the impact of the Supreme Courts ruling. The Class of 2027 had the highest proportion of students from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds in MIT history, he said, and the university used race as a factor in identifying well-prepared students who emerged from the unequal K-12 educational environment. But after the ruling, Schmill said he has no doubt that we left out many well-qualified, well-matched applicants from historically under-represented backgrounds who in the past we would have admitted and who would have excelled. Further complicating the picture, many universities have also noted that since the end of affirmative action, students are now given the option to self-report their race on their applications and some have declined, skewing the demographic data available. The sharp drop in Black students admitted to UNC Chapel Hill sparked a swift outcry from students and alumni. In a news conference following the release of the data, Rachelle Feldman, vice provost of enrollment at the university, said it is too soon to know if the changes in demographics are a pattern. At Chapel Hill were following the law in every way in our admissions process but we also take very seriously our service to the state and trying to reach students and applicants in all 100 counties and make sure that anyone from any background within North Carolina or beyond that earns their way here finds themselves welcomed and supported and able to thrive, Feldman said. William R. Fitzsimmons, Harvard universitys dean of admissions and financial aid, made a similar commitment as he sought to reassure the campus and the wider public that the Ivy League school remains determined to foster a diverse student body. Our community is strongest when we bring together students from different backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs, he said in a statement. And our community excels when those with varied perspectives come together inside and outside of the classroom around a common challenge by seeing it through anothers perspective. But for Ed Blum, the legal activist whose lawsuit against Harvard and UNC ultimately ended collegiate affirmative action practices, the impact of the court decision is not clear-cut. Blum told CNN in an email he believes the Supreme Courts ruling has greatly benefited all college students. The easiest part of my job is persuading my fellow Americans that a students race should not be used as a factor in college admissions, Blum said. In dozens of polls Gallop, Pew Research, New York Times and others significant majorities of all Americans of every race do not believe a students race should be used in college admissions. Affirmative action bans have lasting impact History shows ending affirmative action can have long-term economic repercussions for students of color. Backlash to affirmative action policies reached a fever pitch in the 1990s, leading several states, including Texas, Washington, Florida and California, to enact bans on race-conscious admissions policies. Zachary Bleemer, an economics professor at Princeton University who studies the impact of affirmative action bans, said the bans passed in the 1990s similar to today had an immediate effect on the diversity of the student body. When California ended affirmative action in 1998, what you saw was this immediate decline between 40 and 50% of Black and Hispanic enrollment at Berkeley and UCLA, the two most selective schools in the state, Bleemer said. Bleemers research also tracked the lasting effects of the ban over the next decade and found that more than 1,000 fewer students from underrepresented minority groups applied to University of California schools each year. For Black and Hispanic students, losing access to Californias most selective colleges and universities also had long-term economic consequences. When affirmative action bans are put into place, Black and Hispanic students flow into less selective universities, and as a result, become a little bit less likely to earn a college degree, earn a degree in a lucrative STEM field, or in a graduate degree, he said. If you follow them forward to the labor market, you see meaningful decline from the order of 5 or 6% of wages that disappear because they end up going to a less selective school instead. But in the years since these bans were implemented, Bleemer said schools have found ways to maintain diversity through race-neutral admissions policies. In states like Texas and Florida, top-tier admissions policies guarantee automatic acceptance into state schools for students who graduate high school in the top 10% and 20% of their classes respectively. Other schools, like those in California, have adopted a holistic approach to admissions that places less emphasis on test scores and instead views the applicants qualifications in their entirety. These programs tend to increase Black and Hispanic student enrollment, Bleemer said, though not to the same degree as race-conscious affirmative action policies. Ultimately, Bleemer said, he feels the end of affirmative action presents American colleges and universities with a chance to realign their admissions process with their values. Universities, I think in many cases, realize themselves how impactful the ban has been, and reconsider what they want the composition of their university to look like, and implement policies race-neutral policies that better reflect their admissions interests, he said. And for Greene, the sudden change in her student body is also a chance for student organizations like the Black Student Movement to make their voices and their concerns heard. I think its really important that people know and see how collective we are, she said. I just fear that the community is no longer driving UNC. It is now a limited amount of individuals in a high position of power that are changing what UNC means to students, and I do worry for the university but it doesnt change my mind about coming here. Editors Note: Chelsea Bailey graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Republican vice-presidential candidate Senator JD Vance continues to stoke outrage against foreign-born members of his own constituency, sharing video footage with his 1.9 million social media followers that he claimed showed African migrants in Dayton, Ohio eating cats but instead appears to show nothing more than poultry cooking on an outdoor grill. Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks should be ashamed of themselves, Vance posted Saturday on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. Another debunked story that turned out to have merit. Vance has claimed, falsely, in recent days that Haitians who are not Africans living in Springfield a town of 58,000 which is not Dayton were stealing, killing, and consuming their neighbors pets. The video was originally posted by the right-wing Manhattan Institutes Christopher Rufo, who offered a $5,000 bounty to anyone that could provide proof of cat-eating immigrants in Ohio. The footage was filmed last year in Dayton, Rufo wrote in a companion article published Saturday on his personal website. He said he spoke with the person who shot the video, and that this person said the cat-eaters were some Africans that stay right next door to my kids mother, according to Rufos piece, which insists the claims were verified by multiple witnesses and visual cross-references. One can make the case for migration, but one cannot, at the same time, deny that it comes with costs which, in this case, seem to include a pair of flayed cats on a blue barbeque in Dayton, Ohio, the article concludes. Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks should be ashamed of themselves. Another "debunked" story that turned out to have merit. https://t.co/dOyh9oTXhb JD Vance (@JDVance) September 14, 2024 Backlash was swift, with replies ranging from, I find it strange that a self-professed hillbilly doesnt know what whole chickens look like, to, HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT CHICKENS LOOK LIKE WITH THEIR LEGS ATTACHED YOU F****ING DIPSHIT. Oliver Alexander, an open-source intelligence analyst, weighed in, sharing images of plucked chickens looking remarkably similar to whatever was being grilled in the video. Clearly chicken you weirdo. Dudes never seen chicken that wasnt dino-nugget shaped, he wrote. Rufo did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday. The Vance campaign declined to comment on the record. An expert at the National Chicken Council did not reply to inquiries. However, a source close to Vance told The Independent that they do not believe the carcasses seen on the grill are chickens. A visual comparison of skinned cats prepared for laboratory use and whole-plucked chickens suggested the animals in the video are almost certainly not feline. Saturdays repost by Vance, a Yale-educated lawyer who represents the State of Ohio, marks yet another escalation in the anti-immigrant narrative he publicly launched less than a week ago. On Monday, Vance claimed, falsely, that newly-arrived Haitians in Springfield were feasting on their neighbors domestic animals, prompting national outrage by the right. GOP Sen. Ted Cruz gleefully stirred the pot, posting a photo that same day of a cat with a single line of text reading, Please vote for Trump so Haitian immigrants dont eat us. As the concocted tale picked up steam, it was swiftly debunked by Springfield officials, who said they had no information to support Vances allegations. However, that didnt stop the Trump-Vance campaign from sending out a press release accusing unvetted Haitians of consuming not only domestic animals, but local wildlife such as ducks and geese, too. On Tuesday night, during the first (and likely only) presidential debate between Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Kamala Harris, the former president seized the opportunity to ratchet tensions up even further. In Springfield, theyre eating the dogs, Trump insisted at the Tuesday evening event. The people that came in. Theyre eating the cats. Theyre eating, theyre eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is whats happening in our country, and its a shame. Since then, members of the Haitian community have become targets, many of them scared to leave their homes for fear of being attacked by angry residents. Haitian refugees in Springfield, Ohio say Donald Trump and JD Vances wild claims have turned their day-to-day lives upside down (REUTERS) Its creating so much panic in the community, Springfield resident and local leader Viles Dorsainvil told The Independent. ... The words that come out of their mouths matter. They are looking for the highest office in America. They have the obligation to do better, because words are powerful. He said Haitians in Springfield have been calling the nonprofit Haitian Community Help and Support Center, which Dorsainvil founded last year, to ask if it is safe for them to go outside. And we let them know, when they are going out, to be careful, Dorsainvil said. On Thursday morning, multiple schools and government offices in Springfield were evacuated following bomb threats, followed by a repeat of the situation on Friday, which forced evacuations at two elementary schools and a middle school. No explosives were found at any of the locations listed in the threat, Springfield authorities said in a news release. Still, a day later, Vance was back at it. As one dismayed X user wrote, It does feel like these guys wont be satisfied until someone is hurt or killed. Climate protesters are taking action against Big Oil. UK courts are handing them prison terms akin to rapists and thieves As right-wing rioters attacked communities with racist violence across parts of the UK last month, 22-year-old climate activist Cressie Gethin sat in a prison cell. Her crime? Organizing a disruptive protest against new government-granted licenses to drill for oil a planet-heating fossil fuel in the North Sea. In late July, a London court found Gethin and four other members of the Just Stop Oil activist group guilty of conspiring intentionally to cause a public nuisance, after recruiting protesters to climb structures along the M25 a major ring road around London bringing traffic to a standstill in parts over four days in November 2022. Prosecutors alleged that the protests, organized over a Zoom call, disrupted more than 700,000 drivers, caused economic damage of over 760,000 ($980,000) and racked up 1 million ($1.3m) in policing costs. Now Gethin and three others Louise Lancaster, Daniel Shaw and Lucia Whittaker-De-Abreu, who planned the disruption on the call are serving four-year jail terms, while Just Stop Oil co-founder Roger Hallam was given five years. All are appealing. The sentences are believed to be the longest in the UKs history for non-violent protest and were delivered under two new controversial laws that supercharged policing powers to crack down on disruptive protests, even when they are peaceful. They place the act of planning a public nuisance event, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, on a similar footing as violent crimes like robbery, for which punishments range from community service to 12 years jail, or rape, which is four to 19 years. The judge who in court referred to the activists as extremists justified the long jail terms because all five activists had previously been convicted of one or more offenses in relation to direct action protest. Each were on bail for another set of proceedings when the Zoom call took place. He also noted people missed important doctors visits and funerals because of the protest. But activists like Gethin say their demonstrations are proportionate to the problem at hand a rapidly warming world that threatens to transform life as we know it, through deadly extreme weather events and by pushing ecosystems to their brinks. They are now battling the bolstered powers of the police and courts to get their point across. A very harsh sentence like this doesnt make sense morally or legally but it does make sense politically, Gethin told CNN in a handwritten letter from HMP Bronzefield, a womens prison just south of Londons Heathrow Airport. The laws have drawn criticism from the UNs special rapporteur on environmental defenders, Michael Forst, who said not only do they criminalize peaceful protest, but they are being enforced in punitive and repressive ways. Big Oils donations to the UK government Big Oil has poured money into think tanks and charities that have had an influence on climate and protest laws. At least two think tanks that have received funding from fossil fuel companies made campaign donations to the ministers overseeing the legislation. One the right-wing Policy Exchange drafted a report that essentially served as a blueprint for one of the laws. Despite its plans to transition to a net-zero economy by 2050, the previous Conservative government issued hundreds of new permits to further explore the North Seas oil and gas reserves in 2023, against the recommendations of climate scientists and the International Energy Agency. The recently elected center-left Labour government has pledged to stop new licenses but the tough policing laws remain. It is a pretty clear message, isnt it? Gethin said. Youre demanding change that puts our power and profit at risk, so you must be stopped. Cressida Gethin being arrested by London police at a Just Stop Oil demonstration in London in November 2023. The then 21-year old was charged with wilfully obstructing a highway and remanded in prison for 23 days. - Just Stop Oil The laws were purpose-built to target protest groups like Just Stop Oil. The UK government explicitly pointed to disruption from the groups predecessor, Extinction Rebellion (XR), in its rationale for formulating the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. The Public Order Act 2023 brought in new criminal offenses and higher fines for protesters, such as locking-on where protesters cling to a place or object and disruptive slow marching, usually used to block traffic. From their inception, the policing laws which have also been applied to anti-racism and gender-equality protests have sparked concern among civil society groups of a creep in authoritarianism in British society. Amnesty International said they mark a dark new era for protest rights, and give police license to close down almost any protest they wish. Jodie Beck, head of policy and campaigns at the British human rights organization Liberty, said the laws underpin inflammatory political rhetoric around the climate movement and racial justice movement, and strike at the heart of how we protest. There have been more than 3,000 Just Stop Oil activist arrests since the group formed in 2022, according to the group. Most of those arrests have been for planning or carrying out direct actions, including slow marching. Other activists, who have defaced famous artworks and buildings, were arrested and charged with criminal damage and trespassing. Twenty-one are currently imprisoned. The Home Office did not respond to CNNs questions about whether the new Labour government will reevaluate the laws, but said: We recognize the democratic right that people must be free to peacefully express their views, but they should do so within the bounds of the law. A think tank linked to ExxonMobil and the laws The 2022 policing law was drafted soon after an influential right-wing think tank called Policy Exchange, which has in the past received funding from ExxonMobil, outlined XRs protest tactics and called for the criminalization of the group, in a report that heavily influenced the new laws. Its unclear how much money ExxonMobil has donated to Policy Exchange over the years as charities in the UK are not required to make their funding public, but in 2017, the oil company gave $30,000 to the think tanks US branch, according to an ExxonMobil document. At the time, Policy Exchange was part of the Atlas Network, a US-based non-profit that supports 500 free market groups globally, many of which are connected to the fossil fuel industry and the proliferation of anti-protest legislation in other countries. ExxonMobil told CNN that they do not currently fund Policy Exchange or American Friends of Policy Exchange, but did not answer questions about past funding. Policy Exchange did not answer CNNs request for comment. London Metropolitan Police officers arrest an Extinction Rebellion protest during the group's first mass civil disobedience campaign that brought parts of London to a standstill in October 2019. Over the course of that two week protest, Met Police arrested over 1,800 people. - Toby Melville/Reuters/File While lobbying and donating to lobby groups is legal, lobbying itself is poorly regulated in the UK, and lacks transparency. British think tanks are not required to name their donors. Questions have been raised over the governments closeness to Policy Exchange. In 2023, as the world marked its hottest year on record, Rishi Sunak the former prime minister whose government passed the anti-protest laws thanked Policy Exchange for their contribution to the legislation, calling Just Stop Oils activists slow-walking eco-extremists. Sunak himself once worked for Policy Exchange as the head of a research unit on race. Sunaks government ministers met with fossil fuel representatives once every working day on average last year, according to an analysis of Transparency International data by environmental and human rights watchdog Global Witness. Even though the UK voted the Conservatives out by a landslide in the last election, the divisive language used by Sunaks government against climate activists remains prominent in the countrys tabloid media, and even in its courts. Gethin said theres a misconception that activists dont care how their demonstrations affect others. We are, in fact, in a constant state of moral tension, conflicted about disrupting other members of the public like ourselves, whilst being left with very few alternatives to keep the crisis on the table, she said. The sad truth is that visible, disruptive action is the main thing that keeps it on the political agenda. Protests by Just Stop Oil, she said, are an attempt to stop the mass starvation and loss of life scientifically proven to be the consequence of new oil and gas extraction. And even if direct action tactics are sometimes unpopular with the public, history shows that they have been key to major victories in many movements, including the US Civil Rights and womens suffrage movements. The UKs lengthy jail terms stand out globally, but the creeping clampdown on disruptive climate protest is also happening elsewhere. A report published Tuesday by Climate Rights International criticized the double standards of a number of wealthy nations that promote democracy globally for using tough policing laws, arrests and jail terms against climate protesters at home, including the UK, US, Germany, France and Australia. In the US, at least 21 states have responded to climate activism by rolling out so-called critical infrastructure laws that criminalize protests near oil and gas pipelines, according to the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law. Those laws have proliferated since the Standing Rock Protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline. While they vary from state to state, many share language written by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a right-wing lobbying group that has received funding from fossil fuel companies, including Chevron and Energy Transfer the company responsible for the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. ExxonMobil severed ties with ALEC in 2018, but had given more than $1.7 million to the group between 1998 and 2015, according to Exxons publicly available disclosures published by the Center for Media and Democracy. Chevron and Energy Transfer have not replied to CNNs request for comment. Police arrest protesters demonstrating against the Dakota Access Pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in Mandan, North Dakota, in November 2016. Since the Dakota Access pipeline protests, multiple US states have cracked down on protests near oil and gas pipelines. - Stephanie Keith/Reuters/File For Gethin, these links are no surprise. Unfortunately, if we expected resistance to the government and their fossil fuel backers to be met with a soft response, we were always kidding ourselves, she said. Stripped of the climate defense Even more concerning to campaigners is how the activists trials have played out. The judge in the Just Stop Oil trial banned using the climate emergency as an admissible defense meaning jurors were not allowed to take the defendants political and philosophical motivations into consideration when deliberating. Over and over again, he referred to our actions as expressions of opinion and belief and our attempts to give evidence about the climate crisis (the only reason the actions happened) he called, political grandstanding, Gethin said, speaking of the judge. The UNs Forst, who attended the proceedings, said the situation the activists were facing signals that fundamental pillars of a democratic society are right now in grave peril in the United Kingdom. A Just Stop Oil activist stands on a M25 gantry during the November 10, 2022 protest. This protest was planned over the Zoom call that Gethin and the other Just Stop Oil activists organized -- and what landed them in jail this year. - Leon Neal/Getty Images The Just Stop Oil case amplifies the near erasure of legal defenses available to protesters who take part in disruptive demonstrations. In a separate case in March, a London court ruled that environmental activists accused of criminal damage could not rely on their political or philosophical beliefs as a reasonable excuse. Tim Crosland, a former government lawyer and director of the legal charity Plan B, said the case sets a worrying precedent. Juries are often willing to acquit environmental activists if the reason for their actions is allowed as evidence, he said. In 160 environmental protest trials from 2019 to March 2024, Plan B found most verdicts resulted in not guilty verdicts or hung juries. In May, an independent government review on political violence and disruption recommended the judiciary examine the potential issue of juries acquitting disruptive protesters from progressive causes, including climate change and anti-racism. The same report compared Just Stop Oil to terror groups and recommended their actions be banned. The reports author Lord Walney, whose name is John Woodcock serves in the UKs upper chamber of parliament but is also a paid advisor to lobbying groups that represent fossil fuel companies, as well as arms manufacturers. In his report, he also recommended a ban on the group Palestine Action, which stands against weapons sales to Israel. Woodcock has not responded to CNNs request for comment, but at the time he told British media he had consistently applied an objective standard and sought a wide range of perspectives. Just Stop Oil activists slow marching along a road in central London in May 2023. - Henry Nicholls/Reuters Meanwhile, people who rioted across England and Northern Ireland earlier this month were sentenced to two years on average for their participation in the violence. One man received a 3-year, 3-month sentence for throwing bricks and a trash can at police, less than Gethin and her peers. Beck said that the law had led to uneven policing. Youre essentially creating a toxic mix there where the police will essentially intervene in some protests in a particular way and others in a completely different way, Beck said. Back at Bronzefield prison, Gethins life at just 22 has become devoid of agency and choice. But shes not feeling sorry for herself, saying that she has enough to eat and can see trees outside her window. Now, she is looking to the future no matter how dystopian it feels. The terrifying outlook of ecological and social upheaval in the coming decades makes a fantasy out of any material aspirations and dreams I might otherwise have had, she said. But being a good person standing up for what is right that is something I can work for, whatever the future brings. CNN has blurred a portion of Gethins handwritten letter from prison to protect privacy. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com NEW DELHI, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A ragpicker was killed Saturday after an object that he picked up exploded in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, police said. According to police, the blast ripped several fingers of the ragpicker, and he was immediately taken to a hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. Following the blast, police cordoned off the area and sent bomb disposal squad to the spot. (NewsNation) The Department of Justice announced Thursday that two Colombian nationals who conspired to murder U.S. soldiers by detonating a car bomb outside a military base near the Colombia-Venezuela border have been sentenced. Andres Fernando Medina Rodriguez, 40, a former military officer, and Ciro Alfonso Gutierrez Ballesteros, 31, received sentences of 35 and 30 years, respectively, for the June 15, 2021, attack at the Colombian 30th Army Brigade Base in Cucuta, Colombia. The two were aided in the attack by the 33rd Front, an extremist faction of the Las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (FARC) guerrilla group. According to the DOJ, Medina Rodriguez drove (a) bomb-laden SUV to the 30th Army Brigade Base, eventually parking it in front of the location where U.S. and Colombian military personnel worked. Gutierrez Ballesteros, riding a motorcycle, escorted Medina Rodriguez. Once inside, Medina Rodriguez activated the bombs timer device and left the area on foot before fleeing on the motorcycle driven by Gutierrez Ballesteros. The challenges Springfield, Ohio, faces to handle Haitian migrants The blast injured three U.S. Army soldiers and 44 members of the Colombian military. Following an investigation, the two conspirators were arrested and extradited through the efforts of the Justice Departments Office of International Affairs, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Sections Office of the Judicial Attache at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota and Colombian authorities. Our most urgent mission and highest priority is to hold those accountable who target Americans, (including) the brave men and women who serve as members of our uniformed services domestically and around the world, said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. 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 NewsNation. DENVER (KDVR) Should the right to school choice be enshrined in the Colorado Constitution? It is a question voters will have a chance to decide, and not everyone is happy about that. Some parents and teachers are concerned that the question could go too far. I urge you as strongly as I possibly can to vote no on Amendment 80, Kevin Vick, president of the Colorado Education Association, told a crowd of opponents of Amendment 80. Trump promises mass deportations, starting in Aurora Teachers and parents from across the state gathered to rally Friday against the ballot initiative looking to add the right to school choice into the Colorado Constitution. Opponents fear if passed, the initiative could open the door to private school and charter school families getting access to dollars for public schools. The public schools are struggling with funding as it is. This potentially opens the door to siphoning off funding to private schools that most of the money would go to people that are already paying the tuition at private schools anyway. So people are really worried, Vick said. Rallygoers with signs that say "NO ON 80, PROTECT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS" To be clear, there is no language in this years ballot measure that mentions school funding. But opponents worry Colorado could end up with issues seen in states like Arizona and Ohio, where vouchers became available for families regardless of income levels. Weve seen what happens in other states when these deceptive, destructive voucher schemes pass. They hurt our public schools, taking away resources from the schools that serve the vast majority of kids in our states. They destroy state budgets, costs balloon, said Noel Candelaria, secretary and treasurer of the National Education Association. Although families already have the right to school choice in Colorado, supporters of the initiative insist this measure is about protecting that right from any future legislative efforts that could threaten it. Colorado would actually be the first state in the nation to allow voters to put the right to school choice in our state constitution. Its a right that we already have in statute, said Kristi Burton Brown, executive vice president of Advance Colorado, a think tank backing the measure. And right now in Colorado, if you want to send your kids to a neighborhood school, charter school, private school, home school, across district lines to pick a better school, you have the right to do that. What this amendment would do is put it in the constitution so that legislators in the future cant attack our rights and take them away. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Efforts were presented this past legislative session to increase accountability and transparency around charter school operation and funding in the state, but it failed to become 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 FOX31 Denver. A Columbus company has started building more than 50 homes and duplexes in a half-mile square of Franklinton to be sold, rented and leased-to-own. The homes are being built by New City Homes, based in Franklinton. Most of the homes will be built in an area bordered by West Broad Street on the south, Yale Avenue on the east, railroad tracks on the north, and Central Avenue on the west. More: Columbus housing authority working on bringing 234 affordable housing units to Franklinton New City is calling the project Franklinton NOW, in a reference to North of West Broad Street. Its very rare to have an opportunity to build 50 new homes in an existing urban neighborhood, New City President Chris Knoppe said in a news release. These vacant lots exist today only because many of the older homes were demolished over a period of several decades." The first home has been built and is being featured in the BIA Parade of Homes, which started Thursday. The two-story, 2,348-square-foot home at 94 Wisconsin Ave. includes three-and-a-half baths, three bedrooms on the second floor, and a fourth in a finished basement. Other features include a first-floor laundry, two-and-a-half car garage, patio and fenced rear yard. Listed at $494,900, it will be the largest model offered by Franklinton NOW. Construction is wrapping up on the second home at 98 Wisconsin Ave., one of the smaller models at 1,220 square feet and two bedrooms, which will be listed at $374,900. Eight more homes are under construction with additional groundbreakings scheduled now through summer 2025, the company said. Home prices will range from $374,900 to $494,900. Like many new homes in Columbus, the homes receive a 15-year tax abatement. Rental homes will lease for $1,750 to $2,400 monthly while duplex rents will range from $850 to $1,750 per month. Homes will also be available for lease-to-own. New City plans to build the homes on Wisconsin, Chicago, Princeton, Hayden, Yale, Central, Guilford and Rodgers avenues. New City Homes of Columbus plans to build more than 50 homes in an area north of West Broad Street and east of Central Avenue in Franklinton, an area it calls Franklinton NOW. Founded in 2018, New City Homes specializes in building and renovating homes in urban Columbus. Much of the company's work has been on the East Side near Nationwide Children's Hospital, where home prices have jumped in recent years, but Knoppe said the time is right for similar efforts in Franklinton, which has seen substantial investment in recent years. Franklinton has evolved through good times and bad," Knoppe said in the release. "Today, there is a rush of positive energy coming into the neighborhood." jweiker@dispatch.com @JimWeiker This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: First of more than 50 new homes rises in Franklinton Fire and public safety officials held community meetings Saturday evening to provide the latest updates on the Bridge Fire and Line Fire as they continued threatening homes in San Bernardino County. Both fires showed little overnight growth as firefighters continued working to build and strengthen containment lines around the flames, according to the U.S. Forest Service. As of Saturday night, the Bridge Fire has scorched 53,783 acres of land and was 5% contained, Cal Fire reported. The Line Fire stood at 38,417 acres and was 29% contained. Bridge Fire meeting held in Phelan A meeting on the Bridge Fire was held at the Serrano High School Performing Arts Center in Phelan on Saturday evening. Bridge Fire - Community Meeting - Saturday, September 14, 2024 Bridge Fire - Community Meeting - Saturday, September 14, 2024Bridge Fire - Community Meeting - Saturday, September 14, 2024 Posted by Angeles National Forest on Saturday, September 14, 2024 Line Fire meeting held in Big Bear Lake A Line Fire community meeting was held at North Shore Elementary School in Big Bear Lake Saturday evening. Saturday fire behavior update for Bridge Fire Bridge Fire activity was "moderated due to higher moisture levels" Friday night into Saturday morning, according to an update provided by the U.S. Forest Service. The Los Angeles County Fire Department's Boeing Chinook CH-47, designated Helitanker 55, works to battle the Bridge Fire in the Angeles National Forest on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2014. "The fire did however continue to smolder and creep in dry vegetation, and it made occasional runs in drainages and along slopes," according to a statement from the agency. "Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny and seasonably cool with poor visibility in the morning. The weather is expected to remain cool over the next several days which will continue to help moderate fire behavior. Firefighters are strengthening control lines and mopping up hot spots." The Bridge Fire began Sept. 8 near the Sheep Mountain Wilderness before steadily burning its way through the Angeles National Forest. Bridge Fire Operational Update September 14, 2024 #BridgeFire Operational Update September 14, 2024Fire Size: 52,960 acresPercent Contained: 3%Personnel: 2,453For more fire infomation: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/caanf-bridge-fire Posted by Angeles National Forest on Saturday, September 14, 2024 Saturday fire behavior update for Line Fire Officials were also cautiously optimistic at the Line Fire. "Friday night, firefighters continued making great progress mopping up established containment lines, especially in the priority areas to the north in Wrightwood and to the southeast in Mt. Baldy Village," according to a morning update from the U.S. Forest Service. "In all areas of the fire, firefighters are identifying and strengthening secondary contingency lines." A fire crew managed to quickly contain a spot fire in an drainage in the Mt. Baldy on Friday before it reached more than an acre in size, officials said. "The most active area of the fire was on the north flank in the Blue Ridge area where fire is backing down toward campgrounds," the statement said. "However, in the Wrightwood area firefighters continue to make good progress with direct attack and structure protection as fire has moderated in that area." Calmer behavior on the west and southwest flanks of the Line Fire allowed firefighters to make progress putting dozer lines along the Sheep Mountain Wilderness, officials added. The Line Fire began Sept. 5 at the north end of Highland. Evacuations and damage No new evacuation orders have been put in place over the weekend as fire and sheriff's officials continued working to reopen neighborhoods once safe, authorities said. Incident commanders have reported the Bridge Fire has destroyed 20 homes in Mt. Baldy and 13 in Wrightwood, along with six wilderness cabins. Damage assessments were ongoing. San Bernardino County officials have prepared a map depicting documented Bridge Fire damage: A current list of Bridge Fire evacuation orders and warnings can be found online at fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/9/8/bridge-fire. One structure had been confirmed destroyed by the Line Fire and three others has been damaged, according to the U.S. Forest Service. A current list of Line Fire evacuation orders and warnings can be found online at fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/9/5/line-fire. Members of the California National Guard continued assisting the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department in providing security for evacuated neighborhoods. "We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all CHP personnel and National Guard Service members who have been assisting with traffic control and evacuation efforts," sheriff's officials said via social media. "We are grateful for their dedication to our communitys well-being and for the collaboration that allows us to continue serving San Bernardino County effectively." California National Guard members provide security in an evacuated neighborhood as the Line Fire raged through San Bernardino County on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all CHP personnel and National Guard Service members who have been assisting with traffic control and evacuation efforts. We are grateful for their dedication to our communitys well-being and for the collaboration that allows us pic.twitter.com/jnzkdri5I7 San Bernardino County Sheriff (@sbcountysheriff) September 14, 2024 What caused the Line and Bridge fires? Investigators have determined the Line Fire was started with an incendiary device in an act of arson. A 34-year-old Norco man accused of lighting the Line Fire was due in San Bernardino County Superior Court on Monday to answer to nine arson-related felony charges, according to court records. He was being held without bail. The cause of the Bridge Fire remained under investigation. More: Firefighters hold their ground against Line, Bridge fires Brian Day is a Daily Press reporter who covers breaking news and writes about the criminal justice system. This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Containment lines around Bridge, Line fires continue to grow Comoros president 'out of danger' after knife attack, minister says FILE PHOTO: Working dinner at a the final day of the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg MORONI (Reuters) - Comoros president Azali Assoumani is "out of danger" after he was injured on Friday in a knife attack by a 24-year-old policeman who was found dead in his cell a day later, officials said on Saturday. The attack occurred around 2 p.m. local time (1100 GMT) on Friday in Salimani Itsandra, a town just north of the capital Moroni "The president is doing well. He has no health problems, he is out of danger. A few stitches were given," energy minister Aboubacar Said Anli said at a press conference in Moroni on Saturday. Azali was attacked as he attended a funeral, according to the presidency. The motive for the attack has not yet been determined The attacker, Ahmed Abdou, went on leave on Wednesday before orchestrating the attack on Friday. Abdou was placed in a cell after he was taken into custody. However, "this Saturday morning, when investigators went to see him, they found him lying on the ground, his body was lifeless," Ali Mohamed Djounaid, Comoros' public prosecutor, said at a separate press conference. He added that an investigation was being conducted to determine the motive of the attack and the cause of his death. In May, Assoumani was sworn in for a fourth term in office following a tense January election which his opponents claim was tainted by voter fraud. Officials deny the allegations. (Reporting by Abdou Moustoifa; Editing by Elias Biryabarema and Mark Potter) Azali Assoumani addresses supporters at his party's Convention for the Renewal of Comoros headquarters in Moroni on January 16, 2024 (OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT) (OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP/AFP) A man who attacked Comoros President Azali Assoumani with a knife, wounding him slightly, has been found dead in prison in unclear circumstances, the public prosecutor said on Saturday. The attack took place on Friday afternoon during a funeral for a well-known religious leader in Salimani-Itsandra, a village near the capital Moroni. Prosecutor Ali Mohamed Djounaid said the dead man was a 24-year-old soldier called Ahmed Abdou from the same village where the attack took place. He had assaulted the president and a relative of the late religious leader with a "kitchen knife", the prosecutor said, before being restrained and handed over to investigators. "He (Abdou) was isolated in a cell so that he could calm down yesterday after his arrest. Investigators found his lifeless body lying on the floor this morning," Djounaid told a press conference Saturday. "A doctor declared him dead." The government declined to detail the president's injuries, saying only that he had needed "stitches to his scalp". Government spokeswoman Fatima Ahamada said Saturday that 65-year-old Azali was at home with his family and "doing very well". She was speaking at a press conference in the presence of nearly the entire government and the governors of two of the Comoros archipelago's three islands. - Investigation underway - Djounaid said Abdou was overcome by the president's security detail and handed over to investigators but the latter did "not have time to question him" before he died. "An inquiry is underway into the reasons for the young man's attempt on the president's life. "There will also be an inquiry into the circumstances of his death," the prosecutor added, though there was no indication an autopsy had been carried out. The young man's body was handed over to his family and he was quickly buried according to Muslim tradition, a family source said on condition of anonymity. The vast majority of the Comoros archipelago's 870,000 inhabitants are Muslim. "The burial took place in a heavy atmosphere in front of a large, mostly young crowd," Daoudou Abdallah Mohamed, head of the Orange opposition party, told AFP. "There's a feeling of incomprehension in the village," he said, asking that "light be shed on the circumstances and conditions" of his death. Authorities said Abdou had been in the military police for two years and had failed to return to his unit on September 11 after being given 24 hours' leave. A witness at Friday's funeral for the late religious leader, who asked to remain anonymous, said he had been "like crazy". "He lunged at the head of state, attacking him first with a knife and then with his fists." If another mourner had not intervened, "I think the president wouldn't have escaped safely," he said. str-ayv/gv/imm Altagracia Gonzalez surveyed her damaged possessions on Sept. 2, 2021, after her Elizabeth home flooded during Hurricane Ida. (Photo by Daniella Heminghaus for the New Jersey Monitor) Gov. Phil Murphy this week vetoed a bill that would have set foreclosure protections for residents whose homes were ravaged by Hurricane Ida, saying he would sign it only if legislators amend the bill to tighten oversight. The bill would have put Ida-impacted homeowners mortgage payments on hold for a year and insulated them from foreclosure during that time goals Murphy said he supports. But it does not require residents to verify their eligibility nor allow mortgage companies to seek documentation, he noted in a conditional veto statement Thursday. I am concerned that the current bill, which requires mortgage servicers to grant a forbearance on nothing more than a homeowners word that they qualify for the program, is not appropriately tailored to ensure that the relief it provides focuses on those who continue to have difficulty paying their mortgage due to Ida-related damage to their homes and does not contain adequate oversight measures or safeguards to prevent abuse and to ensure compliance with the law, the governor wrote. The veto infuriated storm survivors, who say relief remains elusive and their homes are still uninhabitable or not fully fixed three years after the September 2021 storm that killed 30 people in New Jersey and caused billions in damages. I understand wanting to make sure that this goes to people who need it most. Well, thats exactly what theyre not doing with this CV, because now the people who need it most are not going to get it, said Leanna Jones, an Ida survivor from Milford and an organizer with the New Jersey Organizing Project. In his veto statement, Murphy urged lawmakers to restrict the foreclosure protections the bill offers to Ida survivors who participate in two state programs that have identified homes still needing repair, reconstruction, elevation, or mitigation work. But many people whose homes sit in flood-prone areas are excluded from those programs, under a controversial state policy change adopted last year to discourage residents from rebuilding in flood-prone areas. That policy, which focuses relief efforts on neighborhoods not in floodplains, has driven many Ida-impacted residents to apply to the state to buy their homes for demolition and conversion to green space, rather than to elevate and repair them on their own dime, advocates say. We absolutely are being bullied and forced into a buyout, said Debby Josephs, whose Manville home was ravaged by Ida. Even residents who would welcome a buyout say theyve encountered delays that have left them in a limbo that Murphys veto worsened. I applied last summer, and Im still waiting, said Jones, a single mother of two who bought her home just two months before Ida hit. Im trying to get my head above water to prepare for whatever is happening next, and this mortgage forbearance would mean so much and give us a little bit of breathing room. The bill already has fraud protections, in that only people who received Federal Emergency Management Agency relief are eligible for forbearance, Jones added. The state also could require homeowners to provide documentation of Idas impact as they did for insurance coverage, rather than restrict the protections to people in the state-administered programs, Josephs said. Murphys timing also irked bill supporters because he vetoed the bill the same day it would have automatically become law. The bipartisan bill went to the governors desk in June after passing almost unanimously in both chambers and their committees, with Assemblyman John Azzariti (R-Bergen) the lone no vote. It would have become law Thursday, had Murphy not issued the veto. The fact that the governor chose at the last minute, after having this on his desk for months, to pull the rug from underneath us was a slap in the face, Josephs said. Waiting until the last minute to do this shows no empathy to us, as survivors. Legislators irritated Under the changes Murphy recommends, only residents participating in the states homeowner assistance and recovery program and mitigation assistance program could apply to the state Department of Community Affairs for certifications of eligibility for forbearance. Homeowners denied certification could appeal and file a complaint with the state Department of Banking and Insurance, which could then investigate and decide whether to reverse the denial, Murphy wrote. With these changes to the program, I am confident that the State can provide targeted and appropriate relief to residents who are still burdened by damage caused by Hurricane Ida, Murphy wrote. Bill sponsor Sen. Troy Singleton (D-Burlington) said he is greatly disappointed and frankly surprised by Murphys misgivings, especially because he previously worked with the governors office on compromise language. After three long years, families whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Ida remain financially burdened from the effects of the storm. Every day, week, month and year of inaction, is more time these families suffer financially and emotionally, Singleton said. He said he would review the veto statement to determine next steps. Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez (D-Middlesex), another bill sponsor, said Murphys requested changes would only serve to diminish the population of eligible recipients and add layers of bureaucracy to the assistance process. Sen. Doug Steinhardt (R-Warren), a bill co-sponsor, said lawmakers should return to Trenton as soon as possible to pass an amended bill. Legislation wouldnt have been necessary if the Murphy administration hadnt changed its relief rules two years into Ida recovery, leaving those living in flood zones in the lurch, Steinhardt said. Thats not assistance, thats abandonment, he said. As written, the bill would have given instant relief to those who have been ignored, overlooked, and unassisted for three long years since Hurricane Ida, without all the bureaucratic red tape that the Governors recommendations would require. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has sent a not-so-subtle message to lawmakers regarding the financial crisis that could take place in South Florida and in other condo-heavy areas of the state thanks to new laws created after the tragic 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside. The possibility that new safety and financial reserve requirements could make condominium living too expensive for some residents is already causing panic and slowing down condo sales. Theres fear of a double-whammy effect: Condo fees have already increased 60% in the past five years thanks to the rising cost of property insurance and because associations are preparing to meet the new state requirements, the Herald reported. DeSantis is correct to urge action from the Republican-led Legislature. Speaking at a news conference in Miami Lakes on Sept. 9, he floated the idea of delaying deadlines or providing no-or-low-interest loans to condo owners hit by special assessment, the Herald reported. He suggested he might not want to wait until the regular legislative session starting in March but he has yet to call a special session. This is not something that we can put off until next March or April, DeSantis said. I think there are a lot of looming deadlines and we have to have a plan forward to keep people in their units if that is what they want to do. Lawmakers acted quickly after the death of 98 people in Surfside and that was much needed. Under previous state law, many condo associations opted not to maintain reserves for routine maintenance, which is no longer allowed. With the exception of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, buildings were not required to undergo inspections in Florida. Post Surfside, the state requires 30-year milestone inspections. Condo associations also face a Jan. 1, 2025, deadline for a structural integrity reserve study in which an engineer inspects their buildings for safety and figures out how much they need to set aside in reserves for repairs. Its very likely that lawmakers will revisit the condo issue next year. Yet its still unclear whether they will propose some type of financial relief for condo owners hit with hefty costs. Republican state Rep. Vicki Lopez of Miami sponsored Floridas new condo laws. There are 667 condominiums in her district, which covers part of Little Havana, home to many seniors. She told the Herald Editorial Board she understands that costs related to the new state requirements could force those older residents out of their homes. Among the proposals Lopez is considering for the next legislative session are tweaking condo governance laws and creating a program similar to the one in Miami-Dade County that provides financial assistance to condo owners earning up to a certain income to pay for special assessments. Whether the Legislature will implement something similar statewide will depend on what yet-not-available statewide data shows, Lopez said. The money associations will have to save after they conduct the structural integrity reserve study will be included in budgets approved mostly in November or December of 2025, Lopez said, way past the regular legislative session. The only way to convince a conservative Legislature to provide financial assistance to condo owners is by showing data on how big of a problem this is. We have to be able to present data to both my (House) leadership and Senate leadership and probably the governors office, Lopez said. Yet its easy to predict that many condo owners will find themselves struggling to pay for higher fees and special assessments on top of skyrocketing insurance premiums and other costs. There are more than 315,000 condo units in Miami-Dade and 250,000 in Broward. More than one-third of those in Miami-Dade and more than half in Broward are at least 40 years old. We have known that the financial reckoning for many condo owners was coming after Surfside. As that day rapidly approaches, lawmakers need to be ready to help or potentially allow another crisis to unfold. Click here to send the letter. A confrontation at pro-Israeli rally leads to gunfire after a man tackles one of the demonstrators A suspected gunman and the man he allegedly shot both face charges of assault after a clash at a pro-Israeli demonstration in Newton, Massachusetts, authorities said. The fracas began when a man with no connection to the rally began shouting comments at the demonstrators around 6:40 p.m. Thursday, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said. Words were exchanged back and forth across the street, the prosecutor said in a news conference Thursday. The man eventually crossed the street toward the rally and jumped upon one of the demonstrators, Ryan said. A scuffle ensued. During that scuffle, the individual who had come across the street was shot by a member of the demonstrating group. The 31-year-old man who was shot was hospitalized and is expected to survive his injuries, the district attorneys office said Friday. Authorities have not identified the Newton resident, but police have applied for a criminal complaint against him for assault and battery, the prosecutors office said. An assault and battery that does not occur in the presence of a police officer is not an arrestable offense, Ryans office said in a written statement. The person charged is then entitled to a hearing before the Clerk Magistrate to determine whether probable cause exists. Investigators believe the person who was tackled in the scuffle, 47-year-old Scott Hayes of Framingham, was the demonstrator who shot the Newton man, the prosecutors office said. Authorities believe Hayes legally owned the gun used in the shooting. Hayes was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and violation of a constitutional right causing injury, the district attorney said. He was arraigned Friday afternoon, and a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf. His license to carry also was suspended, the district attorney says. CNN has attempted to reach Hayes attorney for comment. Edited footage of the alleged incident has been circulating on social media. Newton Police Chief George McMains asked the public to send videos or tips of the incident as investigators try to piece together the circumstances. Police will also provide extra patrols at the houses of worship over the next several days, McMains said. Newtons mayor implored the public to avoid jumping to conclusions. I have two asks: First, let the Newton police do their work and get the facts straight, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said. Second, I ask everyone to remain calm. CNNs Aaron Eggleston contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A firefighter observes the Line Fire in the foothills of the San Bernardino National Forest, in Mentone, Calif., on Monday. State fire officials said cooler temperatures and moister air this weekend are helping to contain the Line Fire and two others in southern California. File Photo by Apu Gomes/EPA-EFE Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Favorable weather and unstinting efforts by firefighters are helping to bring a trio of destructive wildfires in California under control, state and local officials said Saturday. The most serious of the blazes, the Line Fire near San Bernardino, Calif., was 25% contained as of 1:13 p.m. PDT, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. That 38,000-acre fire was threatening more than 56,000 structures, but only one has been destroyed and three others damaged. Three firefighters have been injured in battling the Line Fire, which had triggered evacuations in Highland, Calif., and Big Bear, Calif. Some of those evacuation orders had been lifted but others affecting 44,000 homes and commercial buildings in San Bernardino County remain in place. Officials have classified the Line Fire as a case of arson. The San Bernardino County Attorney announced this week that Justin Halstenberg, 34, of Norco, Calif., was charged with nine counts of arson in connection with the fire, which started Sept. 5. Higher moisture levels and cooler air following weeks of record-high temperatures are helping to tamp down the Line Fire and the state's other wildfires, officials said. "Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny and seasonably cool with poor visibility in the morning," Cal Fire said in an update. "The weather is expected to remain cool over the next several days which will continue to help moderate fire behavior. Firefighters are strengthening control lines and mopping up hot spots." A weak cold front is expected to bring a chance for rain between Sunday and Monday across southern California, the National Weather Service said. Meanwhile, the Bridge Fire burning in the rugged San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles remained the largest of the three southern California blazes at 53,000 acres. It was 3% contained as of Saturday afternoon, Cal Fire said. It has consumed 19 structures so far after starting Sunday. "Today, the Bridge Fire had minimal movement," fire officials said Saturday. "Firefighters continued to mop up hot spots, establish or strengthen containment lines along the entire perimeter of the fire where accessible to do so." A third blaze, the Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties, was 9% contained after spreading to more than 23,000 acres and destroying 107 structures as of Saturday. Eleven firefighters have been injured in battling it so far. I started Monday. Firefighters are making "significant strides" in establishing a key containment line near Lakeland Village, Calif., and are tapping "invaluable" air support in battling the blaze, Cal Fire said. MOSCOW/KIEV, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Ukraine exchanged 206 prisoners of war on Saturday, said the Russian Defense Ministry. "A total of 103 Russian servicemen who were taken prisoner in Kursk region have been released. In exchange, 103 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been transferred," Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. All the exchanged Russian soldiers are in Belarus where they are provided necessary assistance. The United Arab Emirates made humanitarian mediation efforts for the exchange, it said. The exchange was the second one in two days, Ukrainian authorities said on Saturday. A total of 103 Ukrainian military troops, including 21 officers, were released, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in a post on Telegram. A vehicle and surrounding forest are burned after the Bridge Fire swept through Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) LOS ANGELES (AP) Thousands of firefighters aided by cooler weather made progress Saturday against three Southern California wildfires, and officials in northern Nevada were hopeful that almost all evacuees from a blaze there could soon be home. Authorities have started scaling back evacuations at the largest blaze. The Bridge Fire east of Los Angeles has burned 81 square miles (210 square kilometers), torched at least 33 homes and six cabins and forced the evacuation of 10,000 people. Two firefighters have been injured in the blaze, state fire officials said. Operations section chief Don Freguila said Saturday that containment was estimated at 3% and improving, with nearly 2,500 firefighters working the lines. He said Saturday's focus would be on the fire's west flank and northern edge near Wrightwood, where airtankers dropped retardant on the flames in steep, rugged areas inaccessible to ground crews. A lot of good work. We're really beating this up and starting to make some good progress, Freguila said. He said a new spot fire broke out Friday night near the Mount Baldy ski area along the blaze's southern edge, burning only about an acre before crews buttoned it up." The Southern California have threatened tens of thousands of homes and other structures since they escalated during a triple-digit heat wave. The Davis fire in northern Nevada The blaze in Nevada near Lake Tahoe broke out last weekend, destroying 14 homes and burning through nearly 9 square miles (23 square kilometers) of timber and brush along the Sierra Nevadas eastern slope. Some 20,000 people were forced from their homes early this week. Fire officials said there was a 90% chance the last of the evacuees would be able to return to their homes by the end of Saturday. Containment of the blaze was estimated at 76% Saturday, fire spokeswoman Celeste Prescott said. Some of the 700 crew members should soon be sent off to other fires, she added. Firefighters were mostly mopping up but anticipated winds picking up in the afternoon so stood ready to attack any spots that flare up. We're on the verge of big success here, Truckee Meadows Fire District Chief Charles Moore said. The Line Fire in Southern California Authorities say a delivery driver purposely started the Line Fire in Southern California on Sept. 5. It has charred 59 square miles (153 square kilometers) in the San Bernardino mountains, where people ski in the winter and mountain bike in the summer. It was 25% contained as of Saturday. Cool weather over the next several days should help, fire officials said. It is burning through dense vegetation that grew after two back-to-back wet winters when snowstorms broke tree branches, leaving behind a lot of dead and down fuel, Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Jed Gaines said. Three firefighters have been injured in the fire, according to Cal Fire. The Big Bear Zoo said it moved all its animals to a zoo in the city of Palm Desert to protect them from the wildfires and escalating temperatures. Arson-related charges have been filed against Justin Wayne Halstenberg, who is accused of starting the Line Fire. He is due to be arraigned on Monday according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. Halstenberg's mother, Connie Halstenberg, told the Los Angeles Times that her son did not light that fire. The full extent of the damage caused by the blaze remains unclear, but San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said at least one home was destroyed. The Airport Fire in Southern California The Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties fire has been difficult to tame because of the steep terrain and dry conditions and because some areas hadnt burned in decades. Reportedly sparked by workers using heavy equipment, it has burned more than 37 square miles (96 square kilometers). It was 9% contained as of Saturday. Although direct lines have been challenging to build due to rugged terrain, favorable weather conditions have supported their efforts, the Saturday situation report from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. Eleven firefighters and two residents have been injured in the blaze, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. It destroyed at least 27 cabins in the Holy Jim Canyon area, authorities said. ___ Sonner reported from Reno, Nevada. Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. Associated Press reporters Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California, and Amy Taxin in Santa Ana, California, contributed. Court rules in favor of former Hinds County supervisor HINDS COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) The Mississippi Supreme Court sided with a former Hinds County supervisor, whos challenging his loss in the 2023 election. The justices overturned the Hinds County Circuit Courts decision to toss out David Archies challenge. The Circuit Court had ruled that Archie did not file his challenge in time. Six candidates qualify for Ward 2 special election in Jackson Archie appealed the ruling, claiming he could not file his appeal in time because the clerks office was closed due to a cyber attack. According to the justices, theres not enough evidence to determine if the office was closed, so the case will be sent back to the lower court. CO178944Download The Mississippi Supreme Court did not rule on Archies election challenge itself. Its still up to the Circuit Court to decide if that challenge will be able to go forward. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 WJTV. REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (KRON) A pair of brothers, Jaime Ontiverosalvarez, 25, and Raul Ontiverosalvarez, 27, were arrested on Thursday for starting a fight in Redwood City that turned to gunfire, police said. On August 8 at about 5 p.m., officers from the Redwood City Police Department said they responded to the 600 block of Whipple Avenue on reports of a fight involving a group of subjects, with the sound of gunshots being heard. Officers later learned that the two brothers went to a nearby business and initiated a fight with one of the employees. Police said co-workers were initially able to overpower the brothers until one of them drew a firearm, and the pair began chasing multiple victims. Police said the brothers fired multiple shots at the employee and his co-workers, but no one was shot during the foot chase. Police did not specify how many victims were involved in the attempted shooting. RCPD said the brothers fled the scene before their arrival and were outstanding at the time of the initial investigation. The Redwood City Police Departments Street Crime Suppression Team took over the investigation and revealed the fight was initiated due to an ongoing dispute between the brothers and the employee. On Thursday, police served a search warrant on the 800 block of Palm Avenue and arrested both brothers. Police said they found a concealed firearm, ammunition and equipment related to firearms during the arrest of Raul Ontiverosalvarez. Both brothers were booked into Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City. Jaime was booked for attempted murder, while Raul was booked for both attempted murder with a firearm and carrying a loaded firearm, according to 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. Leonard Leo, who operates a vast network of conservative nonprofits, called on his groups to start "weaponizing" their ideas, something he said the left has been championing over the years. A letter sent to groups supported by Leo's 85 Fund on Wednesday said it would be undergoing a "comprehensive review" of entities it supports, and "will be adjusting the extent to which it funds ideas and policy development." The goal, according to Leo's letter, is to ensure their philanthropic efforts are not overly focused on "ideation," or as Leo describes it, "the development of and education about conservative ideas and policies." Rather, Leo wants his groups to adopt more aggressive tactics that "weaponize" their ideas and produce more tangible results, something he suggested liberals have championed effectively for their causes. "The Left built powerful networks of activists, academics, journalists, and philanthropists, along with professionals from other disciplines, who could collaborate to influence public attitudes and generate political pressure on public officials," Leo said. "They invested in talent pipelines to populate the power centers inside government, where policy would be implemented. They incubated litigation as a means of leveraging the law to produce change. And, beyond politics and law, left-wing philanthropy built or took over enormous infrastructure to control various cultural chokepoints." "In contrast," Leo continued, "vastly insufficient funds are going toward operationalizing and weaponizing [conservative] ideas and policies to crush liberal dominance." STOP PRETENDING: CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST WANTS DEMS BEHIND SCOTUS ETHICS RULES TO TAKE THEIR OWN MEDICINE Leonard Leo speaks at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on April 23, 2019. Leo, the co-chairman and former executive vice president of the Federalist Society, a group focusing on advancing the principles of a limited, constitutional government, controls a $1.6 billion war chest. The money was given to him by industrialist Barre Seid to fund his network of conservative groups. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Leo's letter cited the George Soros-funded Tides Foundation and the Hansjorg Wyss-backed Arabella Advisors as examples of groups that "incubate action-oriented campaigns." He pointed to their support of nationwide NGOs like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). SJP has been at the forefront of drumming up anti-Israel sentiment at college campuses across the country since Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack that killed over a thousand innocent Israelis and took hundreds hostage. Meanwhile, WPATH has been at the forefront of the transgender movement, publishing standards of care that doctors and public officials alike have used to justify "gender-affirming care" for minors. "With donors like Hansjorg Wyss and the Arabella Advisors network having billions at their disposal, the left is able to significantly outspend the conservative movement to shift American society," Leo told Fox News Digital. "Consequently, we need to do more with less, focusing on leveraging the conservative movement's talent to have impact, if we want to be successful." Leo has been credited with transforming the Federalist Society into the powerhouse lawfare organization it is today with more than 70,000 members. Meanwhile, Leo has also been considered one of the foremost influences on former President Trump's Supreme Court nominations. Prior to Trump's selection of Federalist Society-backed Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, Leo drew up a list of potential judges that Trump released during his 2016 campaign. LEONARD LEO WARNS BIDEN-HARRIS EFFORTS TO RADICALLY OVERHAUL SUPREME COURT COULD BACKFIRE From left: Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson attend a private ceremony for late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in the Great Hall at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 18, 2023. After Trump was elected, Leo stepped away from his daily duties with the Federalist Society, but remained its co-chair. Meanwhile, in 2022, Leo's Marble Freedom Trust received a $1.6 billion gift from American businessman and GOP donor Barre Seid. Leo still has roughly $1 billion left to spend, the Financial Times reported this week after analyzing public financial disclosures. A representative for Leo declined to share how many total NGOs receive financial support from the 85 Fund. "Expect us to increase support for organizations that call out companies and financial institutions that bend to the woke mind virus spread by regulators and NGOs, so that they have to pay a price for putting extreme left-wing ideology ahead of consumers," Leo said during a rare interview he granted to the Financial Times. Leo told the outlet that his Marble Freedom Trust has been increasingly focused on going after "woke" banks and China-friendly entities across a range of sectors, such as food production and artificial intelligence. Leo also indicated he plans to invest in local media in the U.S. over the next year. Protesters display a sign to protest conservative billionaire philanthropist Leonard Leo. The call from Leo for his groups to "operationalize" and "weaponize" their ideas has been met with anger from liberal critics. "Leonard Leos brazen call to 'weaponize' the conservative movement further exposes his strategy of using his dark money network to force his right-wing agenda on everyday Americans and stack the deck in favor of the powerful few," said Carolina Ciccone, president of NGO watchdog Accountable.US. "Lets be very clear: This isn't just about shaping conservative thought its about weaponizing the very institutions that are set up to protect the rights of everyday Americans to serve the interests of right-wing special interests." Jay Willis, former GQ writer and current editor-in-chief of progressive commentary website Balls & Strikes, accused Leo of trying to rebrand "as an Elon Musk-style culture warrior who rants about the woke mind virus." Original article source: 'Crush liberal dominance': Conservative funder urges leaner, meaner posture for activist groups The river Jihlava is flooding. Heavy continuous rain has led to flood alerts on many rivers and streams in the Czech Republic. The highest warning level 3 (danger) was in force at more than 25 gauging stations on Saturday morning. Water levels are expected to rise further over the weekend. Uhli Patrik/CTK/dpa Flooding has been reported in the Czech Republic and neighbouring Poland caused by heavy rainfall overnight. Emergency forces in both countries have been preparing for severe weather since Friday. Heavy rains in the region of the Elbe and Vltava rivers in the Czech Republic caused the water level of the Elbe to rise. Authorities have issued the third flood alert level for around 20 rivers and streams, Czech news agency CTK reported. Elsewhere, the sudden rainfall caused flooding. The village of Mikulovice near the Polish border was flooded in the early morning, as seen on footage published by Czech television on social media platform X. In the southern city of Ceske Budejovice, firefighters have been setting up flood barriers along the Malse and Vltava rivers since Friday evening. In Prague, preparations for the expected flooding of the Vltava were in full swing, with flood barriers being erected along the river banks. Shipping traffic has been suspended. Water levels in rivers in the Czech Republic are expected to rise further over the weekend, according to meteorologists. Some areas have seen between 50 to 110 litres of rainfall per square metre since Friday. Across the border in south-western Poland, the Biala Glucholaska river burst its banks in the Opole region. Some 400 residents of the village of Glucholazy, near Mikulovice in the Czech Republic, had to be evacuated. Interior Minister Tomasz Simoniak visited the scene, posting pictures of rescue efforts on X. Some 100 firefighters and 60 police officers had been deployed to the village, he said. Some of the residents of the village of Morow also had to be evacuated because the Mora river burst its banks there. The fire department responded to a total of 400 calls in the region. Poland's Meteorological Institute expects the rains to continue. The river Jihlava is flooding. Heavy continuous rain has led to flood alerts on many rivers and streams in the Czech Republic. The highest warning level 3 (danger) was in force at more than 25 gauging stations on Saturday morning. Water levels are expected to rise further over the weekend. Uhli Patrik/CTK/dpa The Essex County District Attorneys office is investigating a fatal shooting in Lawrence on Saturday morning. Around 7 a.m. officers responded to reports of shots fired on the 300 block of Water Street. Upon arrival, officers found a 33-year-old male suffering from gunshot wounds. According to the Essex County District Attorneys Office, the victim was treated on the scene before being transferred to Lawrence General Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The victims name is not being released at this time. The shooting is under investigation. 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 Dad of Calif. Girl Who Died in Hot Car with Allegedly Drunk Mom Inside Lost 2 Kids to DUI Driver in 2012 (Exclusive) Prosecutors say Sandra Hernandez-Cazares was severely intoxicated when she parked the car near her apartment and mother and daughter lost consciousness in the extreme summer heat courtesy Juan Ruiz Juan Ruiz with his daughter, Ily Elizabeth Ruiz. Relatives broke the window of the white Ford Expedition parked near the mothers California apartment and pulled the limp 3-year-old from the scorching car. But Ily Elizabeth Ruiz was already dead, with Anaheim police saying in a press release that they believe she died of complications from heat stroke on Friday, Sept. 6. (Her autopsy is pending.) Her mother, Sandra Hernandez-Cazares allegedly unconscious in the locked vehicle with a blood alcohol content of nearly four times the legal limit, according to a press release from Orange County prosecutors is charged with felony involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse causing great bodily injury, with an enhancement charge based on Ilys age, per online court information. gofundme Ily Ruiz. Related: 3-Year-Old Girl Dies After She's Found Unconscious in Hot Car Alongside Her Mother: Reports Prosecutors said in the press release that Hernandez-Cazares and the father of their four children had pushed for stricter DUI laws after their two young sons were fatally run over by a drunk driver while camping in North Dakota in 2012. Recalling the earlier accident, the father, Juan Ruiz, said in a phone interview with PEOPLE that he had suffered a collapsed lung, flatlining, and had to be airlifted off the campgrounds. They should have let me die there, too, Ruiz says. I would not be going through this again. Juan Ruiz Juan Ruiz (center) with his sons Cyris Alexander Ruiz (left) and Alaries Marcos Ruiz (right). Calling Ily my princess, the grieving father who named his youngest child for the abbreviation of I Love You, remembered her bubbly personality, and penchant for everything princesses, especially Frozens Elsa. In pictures and videos he shared of his daughter and 5-year-old son, Lazarus Ruiz, the kids are seen scrambling eggs and cooking stovetop hot dogs, the little girl grinning up at the camera, fork in hand. courtesy Juan Ruiz Ily Ruiz with her brother, Lazarus Luiz. Such quiet days were a part of the life he rebuilt after the loss of Cyris Alexander Ruiz, 9, and Alaries Marcos Ruiz, 5. We had a conversation about Lazarus not growing up to be an only child, Ruiz recalls, of deciding to have Ily. And now I have just one child left. courtesy Juan Ruiz Ily Ruiz (with Lazarus Ruiz) dressed as a princess on Halloween 2023. She planned to do so again this year, her dad says. Ruiz says Hernandez-Cazares, who he met in high school, had never recovered from the deaths of their eldest sons. The couple split two years ago. She would never do this to her daughter on purpose, he says. But it doesnt change what is done. courtesy Juan Ruiz Sandra Hernandez-Cazares and Juan Ruiz with their children, Lazarus and Ily Ruiz, celebrating her second birthday in July 2023. Family members searched for the 42-year-old mom Friday, Sept. 6, after Lazaruss kindergarten reported that he had not been picked up, according to prosecutors. Around 4:20 p.m., authorities responded to the 1300 block of N. Fashion Lane, where prosecutors say relatives and paramedics tried to revive Ily, who had died in what prosecutors described as extreme temperatures. Doctors believe Ily had been dead for several hours before relatives found them inside the vehicle, which prosecutors and police allege was littered with empty alcohol bottles. At the hospital, Hernandez-Cazaress blood alcohol level registered at 0.30, per prosecutors. courtesy Juan Ruiz Ily Ruiz. 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. Referencing the unimaginable pain of her sons tragic 2012 deaths, District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement that such a devastating tragedy has ripple effects of grief, adding: A mother who was robbed of the chance to see two of her sons grow up because of the selfish decision of a stranger will have to live with the fact she will never get to see her little girl grow up because of the choices she made. Ruiz who had been working at an oil field in Texas to support his family says that for the second time, everything changed in a moment with the death of their third child. courtesy Juan Ruiz Lazarus and Ily Ruiz at her third birthday in July 2024. Quitting his job following Ilys death, he traveled to California, where on Wednesday, Sept. 11, he attended a hearing in which he tells PEOPLE he gained partial custody of Lazarus, who Child Protective Services had originally placed in the care of an aunt. His voice broke as Ruiz said in an interview just days after his daughter's death that his son did not yet know his sister had died because he wants to explain it to him, himself, adding: This is going to be hard for him. So if I want my son to come out of this, I have to be there for him. My son needs me. Orange County Jail Sandra Hernandez-Cazares in September 2024 mugshot. Meanwhile, Hernandez-Cazares who is held at Orange County Jail on $150,000 bond faces a maximum sentence of 12 years if convicted on all charges, according to prosecutors. She made her first court appearance on Tuesday, Sept. 10, and her arraignment and bail review is slated for Oct. 1, per online court information. Her public defender, Catherine Gardner, did not respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. Ruiz says he does not want the mother of his children vilified. Sandy was a good mom when she was okay, he says. She needs help, she would never do this on purpose. I dont want people to hate her. Just leave the hate for me. A GoFundMe has been set up to help Juan Ruiz with funeral plans. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. On September 14, 1959, the Soviet probe Luna 2 -- known informally as Lunik 2 -- became the first Earth-launched space vehicle to land on the moon. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Sept. 14 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1901, U.S. President William McKinley died of wounds inflicted by an assassin eight days earlier. He was succeeded by Vice President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1920, the first live radio dance music was broadcast, carried by a Detroit station and featuring Paul Specht and his orchestra. In 1959, the Soviet probe Luna 2 -- known informally as Lunik 2 -- became the first Earth-launched space vehicle to land on the moon. In 1960, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries was founded. Princess Grace is honored in Philadelphia at a gala celebrating her film career as actress Grace Kelly on March 31, 1982. She died September 14, 1982, when her car plunged off a mountain road by the Cote D'Azur. File Photo by George Bilyk/UPI OPEC ministers meet in Moscow on December 23, 2008. File Photo by Anatoli Zhdanov/UPI In 1975, Pope Paul VI canonized Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born saint. President George W. Bush leads his staff in a moment of silence on the south lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on September 18, 2001, with Vice President Richard Cheney to his left and advisor Karen Hughes to his right. File Photo by Michael Kleinfeld/UPI In 1982, Princess Grace of Monaco -- American film actress Grace Kelly -- was killed when her car plunged off a mountain road by the Cote D'Azur. She was 52. In 1991, the South African government, ANC, Inkatha Freedom Party and 20 other anti-apartheid groups signed a peace accord to end black factional violence. On September 14, 1975, Pope Paul VI canonized Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born saint. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI In 1996, Bosnians elected a three-person collective presidency: one Muslim, one Serb and one Croat. In 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush proclaimed this to be a day of national mourning and remembrance for those killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The FBI identified the hijackers and said several had taken flying lessons in Florida. Sarah Shourd (L) listens to her mother Nora speak to the media during her visit north of Tehran, Iran on May 20, 2010. On September 14, 2010, Shourd, imprisoned in Iran on charges of espionage for more than a year after she and two male companions were accused of illegally crossing into Iranian territory, was released on $500,000 bail. File Photo by Maryam Rahmanian/UPI In 2003, authorities said an estimated 124 people were dead or missing after South Korea was struck by the most powerful typhoon to hit the country in a century. In 2005, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, the third and fourth largest U.S. air carriers, filed for bankruptcy as the industry reeled under record high jet fuel costs. A Northwest Airlines airplane approaches a gate at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., on December 26, 2009. On September 14, 2005, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, the third and fourth largest U.S. air carriers, filed for bankruptcy as the industry reeled under record high jet fuel costs. File Photo by Alexis C. Glenn/UPI In 2008, the U.S. brokerage firm Merrill Lynch agreed to sell itself to Bank of America for $50 billion and Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy after it failed to find a buyer. File Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/UPI People walk passed the Merrill Lynch building at 4 World Trade Center in New York on September 15, 2008. Bank of America agreed to buy Merrill Lynch for about $44 billion in a mega-deal on September 14, 2008. File Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/UPI In 2010, U.S. hiker Sarah Shourd, imprisoned in Iran on charges of espionage for more than a year after she and two male companions were accused of illegally crossing into Iranian territory, was released on $500,000 bail. The men -- Shane Bauer, her fiance, and Josh Fattal -- were freed just over a year later. In 2023, the U.S. Justice Department indicted Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, on felony gun charges. He was the first child of a sitting president to be charged by the department. File Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI The Dayton Police Department is speaking out after a social media video claiming migrants in Dayton ate cats went viral. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: The video was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, just after 8 a.m. on Saturday, claiming African migrants barbecued cats last summer. It shows what appears to be at least one skinned animal on top of a grill in a yard and several cats roaming around. The post gained traction and has over 13 million views and 17,000 reposts. Republican Vice-Presidential nominee and U.S. Senator JD Vance reposted the video saying in part, another debunked story that turned out to have merit. A few hours later, the Dayton Police Department released a statement saying it strongly refutes the information being put out on social media or other avenues about our immigrant community. We stand by our immigrant community and there is no evidence to even remotely suggest that any group, including our immigrant community, is engaged in eating pets. Seeing politicians or other individuals use outlandish information to appeal to their constituents is disheartening. Kamran Afzal, Dayton Police Chief Dayton Mayor Jeffrey J. Mims also posted a statement on the baseless claims on social media. In part, Mims said, There has been absolutely zero reports of this type of activity and spreading such misinformation undermines our status as a welcoming city. The video was posted just days after rumors of Haitian immigrants abducting and eating peoples pets in Springfield garnered national attention. As previously reported on News Center 7, Springfield leaders said there were no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused. In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community. Additionally, there have been no verified instances of immigrants engaging in illegal activities such as squatting or littering in front of residents homes. Furthermore, no reports have been made regarding members of the immigrant community deliberately disrupting traffic. Karen Graves, Springfield Strategic Engagement Manager [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Speaking at a national convention of Arab Americans, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud ripped into Israel for promoting what he called "apartheid" and "genocide," saying that many in his city have lived experiences of being oppressed by the country's military forces. Hammoud, who leads the city with the highest percentage of Arab Americans, linked the struggle for economic and environmental justice in the U.S. to the fight for Palestinians in an address on the first full day of ArabCon, the annual convention of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the largest Arab American civil rights group. It was one of Hammoud's more intense speeches delivered over the past year. Mayor Abdullah Hammoud speaks in front of a large crowd during the opening remarks of ArabCon, the National Arab American Convention hosted by the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) inside the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. "In Dearborn, our values and our morals are universal, where we care about the policy fueling the genocide in Gaza as much as we care about bringing forward universal health care, where we care about Lebanon as much as we care about ensuring a green future for our children and our grandchildren, where we care about what's unfolding in Yemen as much as we care about centering worker and union rights," Hammoud said Friday morning in the Lincoln Ballroom in the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, the city's civic center. "That is Dearborn, where our values and our morals are universal." Hammoud spoke about how many Arab Americans in Dearborn, or their family members, have dealt with living under Israeli occupation or faced strikes by Israeli military forces. Israel has been in increased conflict with Palestinians, Lebanon and Yemen since Hamas' attack on Oct. 7. "When people ask, 'Why? Why do we care in this regard? Why do we care so much?,' the answer is simple: because for the residents of this city, we never have to we never have to wonder what it is like to live under occupation or apartheid ... we bear the scars, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually," he said. Hammoud has ancestral roots in southern Lebanon, which has been in battles with Israel for decades, including over the past year. The 34-year-old leader took office in 2022, the first mayor of Arab descent in the city's history. His remarks reflect a movement among some on the left to incorporate justice for Palestinians with other social movements. "We know what it is like to have IDF (Israel Defense Forces) boots stomped on our faces," Hammoud said. "We know what it's like to have to have pull our grandmothers from under the rubble of apartment buildings bombed by IDF fighter jets. We know what it is like. And we still have the booklets in which IDF soldiers had to stamp granting us the freedom to move about freely in our own ancestral villages. Dearborn never wonders what it is like overseas, because for many of us, we were able to escape those realities, and now we watch in horror and direct conversation and communication with our family and friends overseas as they suffer each and every single day. This is why this community is still strongly united in the pursuit of justice, be it locally or globally. This is why in Dearborn, as we have shown the world most recently, this is where the place where community comes first and where the people have the gall and the backbone to say: people over party, and damn it, people over president." More: Arab American convention in Dearborn to feature Macklemore, Jill Stein, Cornel West Hammoud is a Democrat, but has not endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he met with last month. Jill Stein, the Green Party presidential nominee, spoke Thursday night at a reception for the convention at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, where Hammoud spoke. Stein also spoke at a rally in Detroit Wednesday and met in Dearborn with a Muslim group. Cornel West, another presidential candidate, is expected to speak at the convention, which continues until Sunday with various panels and other events that include scholars, activists and politicians. A survey released on July 29 of ADC's members showed that 45% of them support Stein, 27.5% support Harris, 18% are undecided and 2% support Trump. Abed Ayoub, left, listens to Dr. Rabab Abdulhadi speak during a panel talk at ArabCon, the National Arab American Convention hosted by the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) inside the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Hammoud did not tell the crowd who to vote for, but urged people to register and cast ballots. He also called for respecting differences of opinion at the convention. "We have to be certain that regardless of how we vote, we must be certain that we do advocate for the vote," Hammoud said. "We have a responsibility, not only upon ourselves, but upon our families, upon this country, to ensure that we register our votes and make sure that those voices are heard." Hammoud did not mention Harris or Trump during his remarks, but he did appear to criticize Trump for using the word "Palestinian" as a slur during his speeches in recent months. Trump has often accused U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, who is Jewish, of acting like a Palestinian. "At this convention in this city, we know that when someone says, quote, 'you're like a Palestinian', we know that it's not a slur, rather it's an indication of your resilience," Hammoud said. Abed Ayoub, a Dearborn native and attorney who's the national executive director of ADC, also addressed the crowd. "We know this is happening with the backdrop of an ongoing genocide and an election," Ayoub said. "And we as an American community, want our voice heard. And we're at a critical moment where ... you have two parties that are not really doing all they can to stop the genocide. ... So the decisions need to be made, the conversations need to be had, and the organizing needs to be done. How do we move forward? What is our role when it comes to elections? What's our role after November? How do we mobilize? How do we strategize, and how do we continue to come together? And we're not going to agree on every single issue throughout the weekend. There's going to be some disagreements, but ... we all have the same goal ... an end to the genocide and the empowerment of our community." Jewish and pro-Israel groups have criticized using words like "genocide" and "apartheid" to describe Israel's actions. The largest Jewish civil rights group, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), has said that "genocide is a legal term, and in no way do Israeli policies and actions meet this legal threshold. Rather, the sensationalist use of the term genocide in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not only inaccurate and misleading, but it serves to demonize the State of Israel and to diminish recognized acts of genocide." Abed Ayoub, the national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), speaks on Sept. 13, 2024, at the annual convention of ADC, in Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn. On left is Prof. Khaled Beydoun, a metro Detroit native who is a law professor at Arizona State University, and on the right is Prof. Rabab Abdulhadi, founding Director/Senior scholar of Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies Program at San Francisco State University, who was the founding director of the Center for Arab American Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Hammoud and Ayoub said they're hoping the ADC will hold their convention in Dearborn again next year. In previous years, ADC has held its annual conventions in Washington D.C. or nearby suburbs. Also speaking Friday morning was Prof. Khaled Beydoun, a metro Detroit native who teaches law at Arizona State University with a wide following on social media sites. He criticized both conservatives and liberals, warning that Democrats are also often hostile to Palestinians. Beydoun criticized Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel for charging 11 pro-Palestinian protesters, echoing the views of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, and other Arab Americans. Nessel is seen as a "progressive elected Democrat," but her charges are a type of "fascism," Beydoun said. More: Michigan AG charges 11 pro-Palestinian protesters at University of Michigan The convention is being held less than two months before a presidential election in which Michigan, which has the highest percentage of Middle Eastern residents among all states, is seen as a swing state. Prof. Rabab Abdulhadi, founding director/senior scholar of Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies Program at San Francisco State University who was previously the founding director of the Center for Arab American Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, said she has been active in Arab American organizing since the 1980s, recalling her support of the presidential campaigns of Jesse Jackson and Michael Dukakis in the 1980s. She and other speakers expressed optimism that there will be progress in coming years as more politicians support Palestinians. Contact Niraj Warikoo:nwarikoo@freepress.com or X @nwarikoo This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dearborn mayor alleges Israel promotes genocide, apartheid at ArabCon Staff members load giant pandas Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan to a plane at Vienna Airport in Vienna, Austria, Sept. 13, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Zupanc/Xinhua) VIENNA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Giant pandas Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan left Austria on Friday and arrived in Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan province on Saturday, according to Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo. A cargo plane carrying the two pandas, who were among the most popular animal stars at the Schoenbrunn Zoo, departed the Vienna Airport on Friday night. The pandas' favorite snacks, including bamboo, sweet potatoes and carrots, were also on board. When visiting the pandas at the Schoenbrunn Zoo on Wednesday, Chinese Ambassador to Austria Qi Mei thanked the zoo and the Austrian side for taking care of the pandas. She said that the Austrian people will have more opportunities to see the beloved pandas with a new panda conservation agreement between the two countries. In June, Schoenbrunn Zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) signed an agreement to strengthen their cooperation on giant panda protection and related research. Under the agreement, a new pair of pandas will be sent to the zoo under a 10-year project after Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan's return to China. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck, director of Schoenbrunn Zoo, said in a statement that visitors to the zoo will not wait too long for the giant pandas as "a young pair of pandas will be moving in the near future." He added that the zoo will renovate its facilities to welcome the new panda pair. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck, director of Schoenbrunn Zoo, Qi Mei, Chinese ambassador to Austria, Wolfgang Schuessel, former Austrian chancellor, Eva Landrichtinger, Austrian secretary-general of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy (from L to R), attend an event to send away giant pandas Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan at Schoenbrunn Zoo, Vienna, Austria, Sept. 11, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Zupanc/Xinhua) The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday that Dearborn Sausage Company, Inc., a meat distribution establishment from Dearborn, is recalling 1,944 pounds of wiener products sold under the Brookside brand name. The company inadvertently mislabeled all-beef wieners as beef and pork wieners, while swapping the label on beef-and-pork wieners to read as only containing beef. The label mishap may be troublesome to people who do not eat pork, and it also poses a risk to people with a soy allergy, as the wieners in the beef-and-pork packaging include soy, an undeclared allergen. These are the two ready-to-eat products being recalled: 2-lb. vacuum-sealed packages of Brookside Brand Fully Cooked Natural Casing Beef Wieners" bearing lot code A0122024 and sell by date of Nov. 5, 2024. This product may contain undeclared pork. 2-lb. vacuum-sealed packages of Brookside Brand Natural Casing Fully Cooked Wieners bearing lot code A0322024 and sell by date of Nov. 5, 2024. This product may contain undeclared soy. The mislabeled products were made on Aug. 7 and shipped to retail stores in Ohio, according to the USDA, and they have the establishment number EST. 10002 printed inside of the USDA mark of inspection. Be careful: Harmful algal bloom reported in Ypsilanti's Ford Lake: What health officials are saying The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA noted that there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions to these products. People who have the recalled product in their fridges and freezers at home should throw them out or return them to the store they purchased them from, the USDA said. Breaking news reporter Liam Rappleye can be reached at LRappleye@freepress.com This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dearborn Sausage Company recalls 2,000 lbs of wieners Only three people know what happened during the early hours when gunshots rang out Dec. 9, 2021, behind the closed door of room 319 in the Hyatt Place Hotel in Sarasota. One man died. Another is a witness for the prosecution. The third took the stand Friday, claiming during a a hearing in a Sarasota County courtroom that he fired his gun that day in self-defense. Brennan Wakey appeared in court for the third and final hearing under Florida's Stand Your Ground law in a case in which he is accused of killing his boyfriend, 24-year-old Colton Wright. The 28-year-old is charged with murder in the second degree and tampering with evidence. Sarasota police were called to the hotel off University Parkway after a housekeeper discovered Wright's body. Wright and Wakey had been in a romantic relationship since June 2021 when the shooting occurred, according to the victim's mother. Wakey claims he had no choice but to fire the gun. He testified Friday that Wright seemed different, more violent than he'd ever previously been, and that he was afraid Wright might have killed him. The prosecution argued that if Wakey had really fired the gun in self-defense he would have called 911 or told someone he didn't have a choice. Instead, he fled the hotel minutes after the shooting with the murder weapon, which has never been recovered. Previously: Sarasota judge denies increasing bond for man accused in fatal 2021 hotel shooting Postponed: Third Stand Your Ground hearing in 2021 Sarasota hotel murder case canceled Wakey was seen on surveillance video exiting a side entrance at 3:02 a.m. pulling a black duffle bag on wheels behind him, with a gun tucked into the waistband of his pants, according to a probable cause affidavit and evidence shown in court during two earlier Stand Your Ground hearings in February. Wakey then drove to Port Charlotte to his father's home, where investigators later found the victim's laptop and cellphone, as well as a red shirt and blue jeans in a washer. Those two items, the only ones in the washer, matched the clothing Wakey was seen wearing when exiting the hotel, according to evidence presented in court. Sarasota Circuit Court Judge Thomas Krug is expected to rule on the self-defense argument soon, but it's not clear when. Brennan Wakey testifies during Stand Your Ground Previous fights, bouts of violence and irritability, volatile messages threatening death it all came rushing into then 25-year-old Brennan Wakey's mind as a glass bottle of margarita mix rushed toward his head, he said. In an attempt to avoid being hit, Wakey leaned back onto the bed he'd been sitting on. He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the trigger of his pistol, he testified. "Are you going to shoot me next?" The question came moments after Wakey had jumped off the bed, locking eyes with the only other witness to the shooting that killed Colton Wright. As Wakey leaned over the body, his hands shaking, his mind in a state of shock, the gun went off for a second time. Both Wakey and the witness, Wright's friend Nick Trail, promptly left the hotel with Wakey grabbing his suitcase, Wright's laptop and phone, and tucking his pistol into his pants. Neither man called 911 or told anyone at the hotel that they had left Wright bleeding out in the hotel room, according to Wakey's testimony. Wakey testified that unlike previous fights when he'd been able to placate Wright, this time was different. He said that unlike previous acts of violence that weren't directed at him, this time he believed that Wright might have killed him by repeatedly bludgeoning him with the bottle. Wakey described Wright's face as flushed red, his eyes dark and his demeanor wild. During Wakey's testimony Friday, the 28-year-old broke down in tears, his sobs echoing in the courtroom. 'He loved everybody': 2021 Sarasota hotel shooting victim missed by family, friends Where is Wayne Wakey?: Family looks for missing Port Charlotte man. Police zero on his son. Wakey said he'd met Wright online in 2021, with Wright moving into Wakey's Sarasota home that August. While Wakey spent his time divided between his Sarasota home, his father's home in Port Charlotte and time in New York for work, he and Wright developed an intimate relationship that had many ups and downs, according to his testimony. On his good days, Wakey described Wright as being happy-go-lucky, charming and persuasive. On the bad ones when his addiction to methamphetamines caused him to be irritable and volatile, Wakey described Wright as having hallucinations of invisible people being in the room with him or believing that the birds were secretly cameras used by the government to spy on him. Wakey alleged there were instances when Wright would throw things around the house and text death threats to Wakey when he didn't get his way. He cited a trip the two took to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, three months before the shooting. Wakey said he awoke to Wright going through a bag of someone else's mail. When Wakey said he couldn't be anywhere near the mail since he worked as a financial advisor, he claims Wright took out a knife and made stabbing motions at him. Wakey said he left the room and returned later. Questioned by Assistant State Attorney Karen Fraivillig, Wakey admitted that following the incident, the two walked around Gatlinburg like tourists, since Wright wanted to show Wakey the town he'd lived in briefly. Wakey also admitted that Wright had packed the knife in a bag in the trunk, taking it back with them to Sarasota. Despite the alleged growing aggression from Wright, and his persistent requests of Wakey for a BMW, Wakey agreed to bring several items to Wright to the hotel that night, including the bottle of margarita mix, Wright's laptop and a change of clothing. He later joined Wright and Trail in the hotel room. Fraivillig focused her questioning on three thumbnail images obtained by investigators from Wright's phone that Wakey admitted to deleting off the phone following the shooting. The thumbnails, along with surveillance video from the hotel, present a timeline of the five or so minutes surrounding the shooting. At 2:57 a.m., the first showed Wakey lying leisurely on the hotel bed with one hand resting behind his head. At 2:59 a.m., the second thumbnail showed Wakey standing at the end of the bed, the gun clutched in his hands, held in front of his stomach and pointing it at the person holding the phone, presumably Wright. At 3 a.m., Wakey is seen sitting on the edge of the bed, the gun now placed right behind him and his shoes on his feet. Less than two minutes later, surveillance video shows Wakey leaving the hotel. In those five minutes, Wakey claims that he and Wright began arguing about the BMW again. Wakey alleged he said he wanted to leave, and Wright told him to get his stuff and go, grabbing the laptop Wakey had bought him and throwing it like a frisbee at him. Wakey claims he rolled onto his right side, with the laptop hitting his back and shoulder. In that moment, Wright saw the gun tucked into Wakey's pants and lunged onto the bed. Wakey rolled onto his back and managed to tuck the gun into himself to prevent Wright from getting it. Wakey said Wright lunged about three or four times in an attempt to get the gun from him. Wakey claims he was able to talk Wright down for a brief moment, enough so to sit on the edge of the bed and put his shoes on in order to attempt to leave. At some point, Wright grabbed the bottle of margarita mix. When Fraivillig asked why Wakey hadn't told investigators about the gun's location, he said nobody asked him and that he then evoked his Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights when police began to interview him. Fraivillig during her cross pushed on the fact that Wakey knew Wright had what had been described in court as an unsavory history, including a meth addiction, had previously attempted to run over an ex-boyfriend in St. Petersburg and was on probation, yet invited Wright to live in his home and remained with him. Asked by Fraivillig why he had deleted the photos on Wright's phone and not called 911 following the shooting, Wakey said he'd been in a state of shock and wasn't thinking straight after having lived through what he said was the most traumatic experience of his life. He said by the time he got to his father's home in Port Charlotte, he felt it was too late to call police. "It didn't feel real, it felt like a dream," Wakey said. Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota judge in Wakey case to decide on Stand Your Ground defense Oregon has often led the way in making government more democratic, for example, through its initiative process, mail voting and automatic registration. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Oregon has a good track record one of the strongest among the 50 states on democracy. The state makes it relatively easy for Oregonians to participate in elections compared with many other states. But threats to democracy lurk elsewhere outside the state and that means Oregon has a special role to play in setting an example. The 2007 United Nations General Assembly resolution setting up the International Day of Democracy called democracy a universal value based on the freely expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems, and their full participation in all aspects of life. Furthering democracy should not only be the work of elected officials but also the public needs to be involved, something thats good to remember as States Newsroom and other media organizations across the country mark Democracy Day on Sunday. Oregon has been all over democracy for more than a century. The sweeping electoral reforms that have been adopted nationally happened early in Oregon, and primarily thanks to a popular movement. One of its leaders was William URen, a Wisconsin native, came to Oregon looking for work and found it laboring in orchards. He was afire with the idea of politically empowering people like himself. By 1892, he was an activist organization leader, the spark plug behind the states Populist Party and the tip of the spear behind Oregons initiative, referendum and recall provisions, which are pure popular democracy. And he succeeded because large numbers of Oregonians joined the effort. Ever since, Oregon has been among the most active states with ballot initiatives backed by signatures though the Legislature refers measures to the ballot, too and it has above average participation in elections generally. The state has been aggressive in making voting easy, through the Motor Voter law and adopting mail balloss along with other efforts that other states often have replicated. Not all states have these tools: Oregon is among 24 that allow initiatives on the ballot. Oregon and California were the first to adopt automatic voter registration through the Department of Motor Vehicles. In 2016, Oregon expanded th Motor Voter law to make voter registration automatic unless the person opts out of registration. That eliminates the need to fill out a voter registration card. Today, Oregon is one of 24 states with some form of automatic voter registration. All this may matter more in Oregon as a factor in politics than in some states in part because the election margins often are close. Landslide wins are less common in Oregon than in many states, and really close elections are not unusual. Two and maybe three of Oregons congressional races this year are expected to be close, which would reflect what happened two years ago. How many people participate in democracy by voting and in other ways affects the results, and not everyone is in favor of strong voting. Some other states, like Ohio, Arizona and Idaho have faced efforts against widening voter access and allowing public initiatives, reserving that power for legislatures. Such efforts easily could arise in Oregon. There are also political arguments, such as Utahs U.S. Sen. Mike Lees well-known 2020 tweet, Were not a democracy, arguing that the U.S. is a republic, with the implicit assumption that self-government is not a positive idea. The Heritage Foundation, which is operating as a central planning arm for a prospective second Trump administration, has argued likewise. The common rebuttal to statements like Lees is that the U.S. is both a democracy and a republic the latter being the mechanism through which the former works. But this has not sunk in in all quarters. Anti-democratic ideas like those from Lee and the Heritage Foundation may find less interest in Oregon than in some places. But that doesnt mean democracy isnt under threat nationally and internationally. That means Oregon has a chance to make its longstanding perspective felt in what is increasingly becoming a political debate. When the United Nations set up the International Day of Democracy, it was intended partly to celebrate self-government but also to review the state of democracy in the world. Americans generally, and Oregonians specifically, need to weigh in on the state of democracy. Oregons long history with democratic activism gives it special cachet in pushing for an easier process for the public. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., slammed the Electoral College as an "obsolete" system from the 18th century that is deadly for Americans. Raskin spoke with The Free Speech project at the Riggs Library in Washington D.C. on Friday. The congressman expounded on a variety of topics, particularly his efforts to discredit and ultimately circumvent the Electoral College in the name of protecting American democracy. "We passed the nations first National Popular Vote Interstate Compact," he said, touting his work. "We initiated that, were now more than two thirds of the way there, because its 2024. How about its time to start electing the president the way we elect mayors and representatives and senators and governors? Whoever gets the most votes, wins." He contrasted this with the Electoral College, which he argued can "get you killed." MSNBC HOST RAGES AFTER SEEING POLLS SHOWING TRUMP LEADING, CALLS ELECTORAL COLLEGE A SUICIDE PACT "Rather than a convoluted, antique, obsolete system from the 18th century, which these days can get you killed as nearly it did on January 6, 2021," he claimed. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "I mean, we were meeting [at the Capitol] just because of the formalities of the 12th amendment which say that youve got to have a joint session to count the Electoral College votes sent in by the governors under the certificates of ascertainment," he said. "But we knew who had won the election. Everybody knew who had won the election, but were still going through these 18th century rituals and thats what gave Donald Trump the opportunity to invoke the mob- come here, well be wild' and then tell them to go and fight and fight like hell or they wouldnt have a country anymore." Raskin then argued that candidates should not win the White House if they lose the popular vote. "So, look, we've had five popular vote losers in American history become president, twice in this century alone, in 2000 and 2016," he said. "And I think the vast majority of American people think we should be electing the president just by having an election in seeing who gets the most votes, rather than this convoluted, rickety system where it all comes down to a handful of states, six or seven states instead of everybodys vote counting equally everywhere in the country." HILLARY CLINTON CALLS KAMALA HARRIS THE UNDERDOG BECAUSE OF ELECTORAL COLLEGE Data guru Nate Silver's presidential election forecast has predicted for weeks that Trump will win the presidency through the Electoral College while Vice President Kamala Harris wil top the so-called popular vote. Original article source: Democratic congressman claims Electoral College 'can get you killed,' blames for Jan. 6 Capitol riot Caoimhe Archibald said a deal signing will hopefully take place this week [Getty Images] The Derry and Strabane City and Growth Deal will go ahead, the Finance Minister has confirmed. Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Caoimhe Archibald said a deal signing will "hopefully take place as planned this week". City Deals are regeneration funding packages worth more than 1.5bn with about 600m coming from central government. The Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, posted on X that he "looks forward to signing the financial terms of the Derry City and Strabane Deal - in the coming days." The UK government had paused funding for the deals ahead of the UK spending review which provoked outrage among NI leaders, including First Minister Michelle O'Neill describing it as "deplorable". Game changers - Archibald Caoimhe Archibald confirmed the deal would go ahead on Saturday evening [PA Media] There are four deals in Northern Ireland: the Belfast City region, Derry City and Strabane, Mid South West region, and Causeway Coast and Glens. Archibald said she is "continuing to press for the other deals", which she described as "game changers for regions across the north, creating jobs and boosting local economies". O'Neill said she has spoken with the secretary of state and urged that the same approach be taken with the other City Deals and projects like Casement Park. "These will be major economic boosters for our local economy and should go ahead," she said on X, formerly Twitter. A UK Government spokesperson said: We understand the importance of the Derry City and Strabane Deal, which is at a very advanced stage. "The UK government is committed to continuing to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on this deal, to enable it to deliver growth and opportunity. More work to do - Eastwood In a statement Foyle MP Colum Eastwood, from the SDLP, said he had been engaging with senior Cabinet minister in the Treasury and the Northern Ireland Office (NIO). "I am glad that we have made progress over the last 24 hours and have received confirmation that the Derry City Deal will continue as planned. "This is a good start and we have more work to do," he added. More on this story The front page of the Deseret News on Sept. 15, 1982, announcing the death of Princess Grace of Monaco, formerly known as the actress Grace Kelly. A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives. On Sept. 13, 1982, Princess Grace of Monaco, better known to Americans as film star Grace Kelly, and her daughter, Princess Stephanie, were involved in a car crash in that tiny nation on the French Riviera. Due largely to a series of misleading communiques from the Monaco palace, little was known about both the nature of the crash and the severity of Princess Graces injuries. On Sept. 14, 1982, Princess Grace died at age 52. According to accounts, as the pair were driving about two miles outside of La Turbie, Grace missed a particularly sharp turn, sending the car over a 120-foot slope. The two were rushed to the hospital, and Stephanie was sent home the next day with only minor injuries. But Grace suffered a second hemorrhage, likely caused by the accident, and never regained consciousness. Many believe an initial hemorrhage caused the accident. There were a number of false reports that the young daughter was driving, that Grace had only suffered a broken leg which led to some initial confusion. Original reports in American newspapers focused on the former actress broken leg. Born Grace Patricia Kelly in Philadelphia in 1929, Kelly starred in her first film, Fourteen Hours, at age 22. She starred in High Noon. Best known for her roles in the Alfred Hitchcock classics Dial M for Murder and Rear Window, Kelly won an Academy Award for best actress for her performance in The Country Girl, the year before her fairy-tale wedding to Prince Rainier II in 1956. The pair had first met in 1955 at the Cannes Film Festival. When she married, she became Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco and gave up her acting career. She went on to have three children with Prince Rainier: Caroline, Albert and Stephanie. Rainier died in 2005. Her funeral service was reportedly watched by approximately 100 million people. Here are some articles from Deseret News archives about Kelly, her life and legacy: Monaco has new princess after nearly 30-year wait N.Y. exhibit will focus on life of Princess Grace Monaco princess will grace new postage stamps Emotional farewell for Prince Rainier Universal Pictures Despite an MPS statement, the Milwaukee city attorney says no deal has been reached with MPS on school police Demonstrators gather outside Milwaukee Public Schools administrative offices in 2020 to support a resolution ending district contracts with the Milwaukee Police Department for resource officers. Milwaukee Public Schools on Friday said it had reached an agreement with the city of Milwaukee that would facilitate the return of police officers to city schools a claim refuted by the city. MPS' announcement said, "This week, MPD and MPS agreed upon the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)" for the SRO program and the district "is ready to implement a School Resource Officer (SRO) program as soon as officers are available." Milwaukee City Attorney Evan Goyke took issue with MPS' assertion the deal had been agreed to. "While we have made meaningful progress, there remain outstanding and unresolved issues, and there is no completed agreement at this time. It is our hope and commitment that an agreement is reached as soon as possible," Goyke said. The district is facing pressure to comply with the state law, which required it to put police in schools beginning in January. At issue between the two sides may be how, exactly, the officers will be paid for. In an email to the Journal Sentinel, an MPS spokesperson confirmed the agreement in question does not include details about who will finance the requirements of Act 12. "The MOU (memorandum of understanding) outlines the roles and responsibilities of MPS and the MPD when the program begins," said emailed statement from MPS spokesperson Nicole Armendariz. "The MOU does not outline financial obligations. SROs were part of the citys shared revenue agreement." She added, "The timeframe to have the program in place is dependent on when fully trained officers will be available to the district." When it became law last summer, Act 12 mostly focused on funding for local governments across Wisconsin. But it included an unfunded requirement that MPS put 25 full-time school resource officers in its buildings during regular school hours, as well as have them available for other school-related events. Putting the officers in MPS schools is estimated to cost at least $2 million per year. Under Act 12, MPS and the city "shall agree to an apportionment of the costs." Under the requirements of Act 12, MPS has been out of compliance with state law since Jan. 1, 2024. The law does not specify what penalties, if any, the district could face for non-compliance. On Thursday, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said, It is also well past time for the restoration of police officers at schools. I ask MPS to address this with urgency." His statement came in response to an assault on three adults by a groups of teenagers on Wednesday. The school board overseeing Milwaukee schools had previously phased out the use of in-school police, concerned about the over-use of law enforcement in school discipline matters. But Republican lawmakers in favor of Act 12 said it is necessary to make school safer and recruit more teachers. In a previous agreement related to police in MPS, in 2018, the district and Milwaukee police shared the associated costs. "MPS has taken Act 12 very seriously from the beginning, engaging with city partners to build a sustainable SRO program," Friday's news release from MPS stated. Reporter Alison Dirr contributed to this report. Cleo Krejci covers higher education, vocational training and retraining as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at CKrejci@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @_CleoKrejci. For more information about Report for America, visit jsonline.com/rfa. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: City attorney says no deal reached with MPS on school police officers Georgias Republican lieutenant governor, Burt Jones, wont face criminal charges like the ones being pressed against Donald Trump and others by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The news underscores how destabilizing it would be if Willis is disqualified from the state election interference case, an outcome that the defense is pressing for on a pretrial appeal. Before Trump and his co-defendants were charged last year, the Democratic DA had been disqualified from investigating Jones after she hosted a fundraiser for a Democrat who would become Jones opponent in the 2022 election. That meant a new prosecutor or office needed to take over, which falls to a state prosecutor panel to decide. After nearly two years, the Republican head of the panel said in April that he would handle it himself. And on Friday, he announced he wouldnt seek charges against the lieutenant governor. While the episode is significant in its own right, it also highlights the possibly great complications that would follow if Trump and his co-defendants succeed in kicking Willis and her office off the case; we might not know whether theyll succeed on that score until at least next year. Even though the Jones matter involved just one person, it took years to settle and perhaps in a manner quite different from how Willis would have handled it. We were reminded this week of how complex the criminal case is against the Republican presidential nominee and others, when the trial judge dismissed some counts in the indictment while signaling potential further litigation stemming from the Supreme Courts immunity ruling for Trump in the federal election interference case. The Georgia case featuring many defendants, including several high-profile ones would, like the Jones matter, expect to face difficulties in finding a new office or prosecutor to handle it saying nothing of how it would be handled. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for updates and expert analysis on the top legal stories. The newsletter will return to its regular weekly schedule when the Supreme Courts next term kicks off in October. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com 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. The gruesome death of a Mexican immigrant at a Central Valley poultry plant last year could have been caused by toxic fumes emanating from a pool of chicken waste water that incapacitated the worker before he fell in and drowned, according to new details in a state report. The death of 66-year-old Jesus Salazar Castillo at Pitman Family Farms could have been prevented with training, protective gear and better protocols for working around hazardous gas, state officials said in a special investigative report. The family-owned company is known for its humanely-raised poultry sold under the high-end Marys Chicken, Marys Turkey and Marys Duck brands. The special investigative report concludes that missing floor coverings and damaged railing around the wastewater pit, as well as the lack of safety plans or monitoring of toxic wastewater, contributed to Salazars death. Though the investigation doesnt mention the employer by name, details of the fatality in the report match the day, time, age of the victim, and nature of Salazars death, as documented in other state and police records. The July Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation report is a type of investigation conducted by the California Department of Public Healths Occupational Health Branch reserved high priority workplace deaths. Pitman Family Farms did not respond to a request for comment. Company executives have declined requests for interview and comment in the past for previous Bee stories about worker safety at Pitman facilities. Marys Chicken product, seen for sale in a Fresno grocery store photographed Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. Sangers Pitman Family Farms supplies chickens sold by the Marys Chicken label. Poultry processing is considered a hazardous industry by federal occupational health and safety regulators, but Pitmans safety record includes multiple worker deaths and a higher than average rate of injury compared to other similarly sized poultry plants nationwide, according to a 9-month Fresno Bee investigation into working conditions at the company. The Bees February investigation prompted by Salazars death in May 2023, found the company has engaged in unsafe business practices, with at least four worker deaths in the past eight years during the course of various operations involving the companys Central California ranches, grain mill, processing facility and poultry transportation fleet. On the morning of his death, Salazar was assigned to clean the area around a waste pit at Pitman Family Farms poultry processing plant in Sanger a 14-foot-wide, 8-foot-long and 17-foot-deep rectangular structure containing a mixture of chicken feathers, remains, waste, fat and water. The water pumps which carry wastewater were turned off that morning to prevent overflow, the report said. The waste in the pits stagnant water likely led to dangerous levels of hydrogen sulfide, which is a flammable, highly hazardous gas common in meatpacking plants and in sewage operations including wastewater treatment. Though the hydrogen sulfide levels werent measured or monitored by the company at the time of Salazars death, the state report said the gas was likely present in the pit. At high concentration, the report said, it may result in death within minutes. Investigators wrote that Salazar may have been kneeling close to the surface of the offal pit where he was exposed to concentrations of H2S (hydrogen sulfide) that resulted in the rapid loss of consciousness that caused him to fall in the pit. (Offal refers to to the waste or byproduct of butchered or processed animal meats.) The report also shows that Pitman Farms made upgrades to the waste pit area following Salazars death. If the pit had been guarded on all open sides and a hinged floor hole cover was used, the report said, it may have been less likely the victim would have fallen into the pit and died. La Abeja, a newsletter written for and by California Latinos Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter centered around Latino issues in California. According to the Fresno County Coroners office, Salazars cause of death was drowning. But its not immediately clear how Salazar ended up in the waste pit because there were no direct witnesses to the incident or camera footage inside the waste pit room. The report said the company failed to develop proper safety protocols related to hydrogen sulfide. There were also missing and unsecured floor grates protecting the offal pit, as well as damaged guardrails, the report said, echoing findings from Cal/OSHA inspections and a Sanger Police Department report obtained by The Bee. The employer did not have any policies or procedures to perform work in the offal wastewater pit room, the report said. Originally from Michoacan, Mexico, Salazar worked at Pitman Family Farms for about two years before his death. According to his company badge, he was a turkey line worker, though the FACE report said he regularly took on extra weekend shifts to help with maintenance in the pit room, where he died. Salazars grieving family is shocked, heartbroken and angry about the new details on his death. The previous information we received from Pitman Farms lacked the depth and important factors that we believe contributed to my fathers death. After reviewing the new report, we are filled with sadness, as it seems his death was not merely an accident, but rather a result of neglect. We genuinely feel this tragedy could have been prevented, said Salazars daughter-in-law Lina Castillo. According to CDPH, FACE investigators do not enforce state or federal job safety and health standards regulations or determine fault. Our investigations consider all factors and do not focus on who was to blame, the agencys website said. In November, Cal/OSHAs cited Pitman with four serious violations and $56,250 related to Salazars death; the company is contesting the penalties. Castillo said her family initially believed the company valued Salazars hard work and well-being. In light of the report, she now says they believe the company values profits over the lives of its workers. It feels incredibly unjust and infuriating, she said. Multiple dangerous operations at California poultry business Salazars was one of two deaths at the poultry plant in less than a year. On Feb. 21, 19-year-old Jose Abrego died when he was crushed by a semi-truck in what police responding to the scene described as poorly lit working conditions with little safety precautions. Abrego had been cleaning poultry debris from the truck bed, when a coworker assigned to move the truck for loading and unloading purposes struck and killed Abrego, according to a Cal/OSHA inspection and police report. One occupational safety expert said his death was totally preventable. Two trucking experts calculated that according to the most recent available data, the Pitman-affiliated poultry transportation fleet, Western Grain and Milling, had an estimated accident rate around four times higher than industry standard, indicating poor safety and risk management programs. Safety regulators cited the trucking company with 242 mechanical, safety and other related violations in the past two years. The most recent CA/FACE report on Salazars death is not the first time a government agency has found Pitman Farms to have unsafe practices around a hazardous substance. Around two dozen workers were hospitalized between 2014 and 2016 following three toxic ammonia leaks at the processing plant. Ammonia is one of the top three chemicals that causes worker injuries and meatpackers often use large amounts of ammonia in their refrigeration system. According to a settlement agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the company didnt have an emergency response program in place as required by law at the time of the first leak. The EPA also said there were no records that employees received or understood training related to the process. Whats new in state report on Pitman worker death The investigation into the drowning was conducted in September 2023 after CDPH FACE investigators received a referral from the California Department of Industrial Relations on May 9, days after Salazars death. Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program Report 23CA002 by Melissa Montalvo on Scribd This embedded content is not available in your region. At the national level, FACE investigations are conducted by the Center for Disease Controls National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, though some states, including California, can conduct their own investigations. NIOSH does not comment on state FACE reports, said an agency spokesperson. But in general, in-depth field investigations are conducted for selected cases in priority categories of fatal injuries. The federal agency prioritizes robot-related fatalities, tree care/arborist, powered industrial trucks/warehousing, tow truck drivers, and waste collection/sanitation, as well as other issues such as confined spaces, electrocutions, logging, deaths of Hispanic workers and youth worker deaths. State FACE programs can have additional priorities. Priorities are determined according to national and state priorities and are periodically reviewed and revised, a NIOSH spokesperson said. In CA, FACE reports also focus on worker drownings, palm trimming, solar installation and other wood chippers, firefighting, construction falls and Methalyne Chloride exposure, according to the CDPH website. This report was produced to warn workers of the potential hazard working in a poultry processing facility, said a spokesperson for CDPH in an email statement. FACE reports and other educational materials can provide valuable lessons to prevent other tragic workplace deaths, and are shared with workers, employers, and the public. The state report made several recommendations to prevent similar deaths, including: To develop and implement policies, procedures and inspections to prevent workers from being overexposed to hydrogen sulfide Ensure pit area is identified as a permit required confined space Maintain pumps and equipment in pit room are in operation so there is wastewater flow Ensure offal pits are guarded and covered Pitman Farms installed new guardrails and floor grates over the waste pit after Salazars death on May 6, 2023. A new report by the California Department of Public Health said if the pit had been guarded on all open sides and a hinged floor hole cover was used, it may have been less likely the victim would have fallen into the pit and died. 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. The gruesome death of a Mexican immigrant at a Central Valley poultry plant last year could have been caused by toxic fumes emanating from a pool of chicken waste water that incapacitated the worker before he fell in and drowned, according to new details in a state report. The death of 66-year-old Jesus Salazar Castillo at Pitman Family Farms could have been prevented with training, protective gear and better protocols for working around hazardous gas, state officials said in a special investigative report. The family-owned company is known for its humanely-raised poultry sold under the high-end Marys Chicken, Marys Turkey and Marys Duck brands. The special investigative report concludes that missing floor coverings and damaged railing around the wastewater pit, as well as the lack of safety plans or monitoring of toxic wastewater, contributed to Salazars death. Though the investigation doesnt mention the employer by name, details of the fatality in the report match the day, time, age of the victim, and nature of Salazars death, as documented in other state and police records. The July Facility Assessment & Control Evaluation report is a type of investigation conducted by the California Department of Public Healths Occupational Health Branch reserved high priority workplace deaths. Pitman Family Farms did not respond to a request for comment. Company executives have declined requests for interview and comment in the past for previous Bee stories about worker safety at Pitman facilities. Marys Chicken product, seen for sale in a Fresno grocery store photographed Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. Sangers Pitman Family Farms supplies chickens sold by the Marys Chicken label. Poultry processing is considered a hazardous industry by federal occupational health and safety regulators, but Pitmans safety record includes multiple worker deaths and a higher than average rate of injury compared to other similarly sized poultry plants nationwide, according to a 9-month Fresno Bee investigation into working conditions at the company. The Bees February investigation prompted by Salazars death in May 2023, found the company has engaged in unsafe business practices, with at least four worker deaths in the past eight years during the course of various operations involving the companys Central California ranches, grain mill, processing facility and poultry transportation fleet. On the morning of his death, Salazar was assigned to clean the area around a waste pit at Pitman Family Farms poultry processing plant in Sanger a 14-foot-wide, 8-foot-long and 17-foot-deep rectangular structure containing a mixture of chicken feathers, remains, waste, fat and water. The water pumps which carry wastewater were turned off that morning to prevent overflow, the report said. The waste in the pits stagnant water likely led to dangerous levels of hydrogen sulfide, which is a flammable, highly hazardous gas common in meatpacking plants and in sewage operations including wastewater treatment. Though the hydrogen sulfide levels werent measured or monitored by the company at the time of Salazars death, the state report said the gas was likely present in the pit. At high concentration, the report said, it may result in death within minutes. Investigators wrote that Salazar may have been kneeling close to the surface of the offal pit where he was exposed to concentrations of H2S (hydrogen sulfide) that resulted in the rapid loss of consciousness that caused him to fall in the pit. (Offal refers to to the waste or byproduct of butchered or processed animal meats.) The report also shows that Pitman Farms made upgrades to the waste pit area following Salazars death. If the pit had been guarded on all open sides and a hinged floor hole cover was used, the report said, it may have been less likely the victim would have fallen into the pit and died. La Abeja, a newsletter written for and by California Latinos Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter centered around Latino issues in California. According to the Fresno County Coroners office, Salazars cause of death was drowning. But its not immediately clear how Salazar ended up in the waste pit because there were no direct witnesses to the incident or camera footage inside the waste pit room. The report said the company failed to develop proper safety protocols related to hydrogen sulfide. There were also missing and unsecured floor grates protecting the offal pit, as well as damaged guardrails, the report said, echoing findings from Cal/OSHA inspections and a Sanger Police Department report obtained by The Bee. The employer did not have any policies or procedures to perform work in the offal wastewater pit room, the report said. Originally from Michoacan, Mexico, Salazar worked at Pitman Family Farms for about two years before his death. According to his company badge, he was a turkey line worker, though the FACE report said he regularly took on extra weekend shifts to help with maintenance in the pit room, where he died. Salazars grieving family is shocked, heartbroken and angry about the new details on his death. The previous information we received from Pitman Farms lacked the depth and important factors that we believe contributed to my fathers death. After reviewing the new report, we are filled with sadness, as it seems his death was not merely an accident, but rather a result of neglect. We genuinely feel this tragedy could have been prevented, said Salazars daughter-in-law Lina Castillo. According to CDPH, FACE investigators do not enforce state or federal job safety and health standards regulations or determine fault. Our investigations consider all factors and do not focus on who was to blame, the agencys website said. In November, Cal/OSHAs cited Pitman with four serious violations and $56,250 related to Salazars death; the company is contesting the penalties. Castillo said her family initially believed the company valued Salazars hard work and well-being. In light of the report, she now says they believe the company values profits over the lives of its workers. It feels incredibly unjust and infuriating, she said. Multiple dangerous operations at California poultry business Salazars was one of two deaths at the poultry plant in less than a year. On Feb. 21, 19-year-old Jose Abrego died when he was crushed by a semi-truck in what police responding to the scene described as poorly lit working conditions with little safety precautions. Abrego had been cleaning poultry debris from the truck bed, when a coworker assigned to move the truck for loading and unloading purposes struck and killed Abrego, according to a Cal/OSHA inspection and police report. One occupational safety expert said his death was totally preventable. Two trucking experts calculated that according to the most recent available data, the Pitman-affiliated poultry transportation fleet, Western Grain and Milling, had an estimated accident rate around four times higher than industry standard, indicating poor safety and risk management programs. Safety regulators cited the trucking company with 242 mechanical, safety and other related violations in the past two years. The most recent CA/FACE report on Salazars death is not the first time a government agency has found Pitman Farms to have unsafe practices around a hazardous substance. Around two dozen workers were hospitalized between 2014 and 2016 following three toxic ammonia leaks at the processing plant. Ammonia is one of the top three chemicals that causes worker injuries and meatpackers often use large amounts of ammonia in their refrigeration system. According to a settlement agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the company didnt have an emergency response program in place as required by law at the time of the first leak. The EPA also said there were no records that employees received or understood training related to the process. Whats new in state report on Pitman worker death The investigation into the drowning was conducted in September 2023 after CDPH FACE investigators received a referral from the California Department of Industrial Relations on May 9, days after Salazars death. Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program Report 23CA002 by Melissa Montalvo on Scribd This embedded content is not available in your region. At the national level, FACE investigations are conducted by the Center for Disease Controls National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, though some states, including California, can conduct their own investigations. NIOSH does not comment on state FACE reports, said an agency spokesperson. But in general, in-depth field investigations are conducted for selected cases in priority categories of fatal injuries. The federal agency prioritizes robot-related fatalities, tree care/arborist, powered industrial trucks/warehousing, tow truck drivers, and waste collection/sanitation, as well as other issues such as confined spaces, electrocutions, logging, deaths of Hispanic workers and youth worker deaths. State FACE programs can have additional priorities. Priorities are determined according to national and state priorities and are periodically reviewed and revised, a NIOSH spokesperson said. In CA, FACE reports also focus on worker drownings, palm trimming, solar installation and other wood chippers, firefighting, construction falls and Methalyne Chloride exposure, according to the CDPH website. The agency did not respond to requests for comment. The state report made several recommendations to prevent similar deaths, including: To develop and implement policies, procedures and inspections to prevent workers from being overexposed to hydrogen sulfide Ensure pit area is identified as a permit required confined space Maintain pumps and equipment in pit room are in operation so there is wastewater flow Ensure offal pits are guarded and covered Pitman Farms installed new guardrails and floor grates over the waste pit after Salazars death on May 6, 2023. A new report by the California Department of Public Health said if the pit had been guarded on all open sides and a hinged floor hole cover was used, it may have been less likely the victim would have fallen into the pit and died. ATHENS, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis requested on Friday an immediate response from the European Union (EU) to distortions in European energy market. The distortions have resulted in extremely high electricity prices in central, eastern European and Balkan countries compared to western European states, according to Mitsotakis. In a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which was released by the Greek premier's office, he said that in Greece's case, wholesale electricity prices in the country have more than doubled from 60 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) (66 U.S. dollars/MWh) in April to 130 euros/MWh in August. Although Greece has made remarkable progress in accelerating energy transition, prices have risen to levels last seen in early 2023, amid the energy crisis, he said. A similar situation was also reported in other countries this summer, Mitsotakis said, adding that disparities in prices as well as other extra cost undermine the spirit of the internal market. In his letter, the Greek leader called upon EU to act. (1 euro= 1.11 U. S dollar) Donald Trump had used Erika Lees comment during the presidential debate against Kamala Harris - ALEX BRANDON/ASSOCIATED PRESS The woman whose social media post appears to have been among the first to spark claims that Haitian migrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, has insisted she is not racist. Erika Lee, 35, claimed in a Facebook post that her neighbours friends cat disappeared, only to be found strung up outside a Haitian familys home who were preparing to eat it. Misinformation watchdog Newsguard found Ms Lee was among the first to write on social media about the allegations about the Haitian community. The claims were repeated to 67 million viewers by Donald Trump during Tuesday nights presidential debate, despite local police and officials insisting there was no evidence to support the claims. It just exploded into something I didnt mean to happen, Ms Lee told NBC News, adding that she never thought it would ever get past Springfield. Im not a racist, she said, adding: Everybody seems to be turning it into that, and that was not my intent. Ms Lee said she is mixed race, a member of the LGBTQ community and her daughter is half black. The Springfield resident added that the city had been struggling to cope with the arrival of thousands of Haitian migrants. Officials say between 15,000 and 20,000 have arrived in the small city of 59,000 people in four years. Screenshots of Ms Lees Facebook post, in which she claimed the pet was found hanging from a branch like youd do a deer for butchering, and they were carving it up to eat were shared across X. Ive been told they are doing this to dogs, they have been doing it at Snyder Park with the ducks and geese, she added and claimed to be told that last bit by rangers and police. Kimberly Newton, Ms Lees neighbour, told NewsGuard she had heard the rumour from someone else and that the owner of the cat had been an acquaintance of a friend, not her daughters friend as Ms Lee had claimed. I feel for the Haitian community, Ms Lee said, adding that she had pulled her daughter out of school and now fears for her safety. If I was in the Haitians position, Id be terrified, too, worried that somebodys going to come after me because they think Im hurting something that they love and that, again, thats not what I was trying to do. It comes after Trump vowed to swiftly deport migrants from Springfield and Aurora in Colorado, which he claimed had been overrun by criminal gangs. The former president showed no sign of backing down from his claims that migrants had been eating pets in Springfield, despite accusations that his allegations had triggered violence in the city. On Friday, police released video footage of an American woman being arrested for allegedly eating a cat 170 miles away from Springfield. The arrest took place in Canton, Ohio, on Aug 16 after police received several concerned calls from the public. Other posts that contributed to the false allegations included a photo of a man holding a dead goose taken in Columbus, Ohio, but was spread online as evidence of the claims about Springfield. It was also reported that Springfield city hall had to be evacuated on Thursday due to a bomb threat, with the mayor Rob Rue telling local media the threat came from someone who claimed to be a local resident and mentioned frustration with immigration. 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. On July 18, 2008, Genai Coleman was sitting in her car near a transit station and reading her Bible when a man with a gun approached her. The assailant, who had walked out of a gas station across the street, pointed his weapon at her and demanded that she get out of her gold Dodge Stratus. He shot the 40-year-old in the chest, pulled her out of the vehicle and drove away. Coleman, a Gwinnett County, Georgia resident, didn't make it. SURVIVOR OF CASANOVA KILLER REVEALS WHY SHE WANTED MURDERER TO FALL IN LOVE WITH HER: 'ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE' The murder is being explored in Oxygens true-crime series, "The Real Murders of Atlanta." It explores "shocking, sinful and salacious cases" in the "metropolitan mecca of music, entertainment and tech." It features interviews with loved ones, investigators and others connected to the cases being profiled. Genai Coleman was murdered on July 18, 2008. She was 40. The Navy Reservist was gunned down in her car outside an Atlanta mall. Brittany Barrington, the crime scene supervisor of the Gwinnett County Police Dept., was on the scene. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "This is a crime of opportunity," Barrington explained to Fox News Digital. "She was doing what people do every day, and I still do it sometimes everybody does. Youre just sitting in your car on your phone, not paying attention, just in a random parking lot. He took advantage of that. Its truly a crime of opportunity. He needed her car, and he was going to take it." Colemans family later contacted the police, worried that the punctual mother of three adopted children had never returned home. Investigators confirmed that Coleman was the victim. Coleman was a beloved schoolteacher and soon-to-be grandmother, the episode revealed. Genai Coleman was a beloved Georgia schoolteacher and soon-to-be grandmother. She is seen here with a close friend. FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X While Coleman was parked near a popular mall, the crime scene was "minimal," said Barrington. There was a pool of blood and zero suspects. "All the main evidence that would have provided leads right off the bat was gone," she said. "What stood out to me was that the car was missing. There were no fired cartridge casings on the ground. And we knew a shot was fired. So that immediately roused my suspicion that maybe the casing was left in the car. Maybe the casing was picked up. Maybe the firearm that was used was a revolver, so there would be no casings left behind." There was a witness. Genai Coleman was waiting for her daughter to come out of work when she was targeted by a stranger. According to the episode, a bus driver described how she had seen a man walk around to the driver's side of the vehicle, calling Coleman a "mothef----r." She heard a gunshot and saw the man pull Coleman out of the car to the ground. Colemans car was found parked in a lot about 40 miles away. A cigarette butt was found on the car floor. "The small chance of finding that cigarette butt provided a huge DNA lead," said Barrington. "It started up a whole new aspect of the investigation quickly." The cigarette was submitted for DNA. The episode also described how detectives reviewed surveillance footage and spotted a man who was purchasing a pack of cigarettes Bronson Lights from the gas station. The Bronson filters were a match to the filter they found from the recovered cigarette butt. The same man was also seen walking through a parking lot located about 15 feet from where the vehicle was dumped. SIGN UP TO GET THE TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER A cigarette butt was found inside Genai Coleman's car. Family members confirmed that Coleman wasn't a smoker. The DNA results came back. It led to Donald Smith. According to investigators, Smith was previously charged with armed robbery, making him a "definite suspect." They obtained his cellphone records and discovered that his phone had pinged towers near the crime scene on the night the murder took place. He also looked just like the man spotted on surveillance. The police were certain they had their killer. But when Smith was brought in for questioning, he insisted that he had never seen Coleman or her car. When police told him they had his DNA, Smith replied, "So what?" "My DNA couldnt have been in that car, because Ive never been in that car," said Smith. One witness, a bus driver, heard a gunshot. She then saw Genai Coleman being pulled out of her car by a man. Smith was then shown the surveillance footage. "That is definitely not me," he said. Smith went on to share that the cellphone number police found had been his brothers an identical twin. "Donald and Ronald hes my twin," said Smith. Barrington said that a murder case involving identical twins is "extremely rare." "This is the only major homicide case that the department has had with identical twins," she explained. "Since then, I havent had an additional crime scene that involved identical twins. This was a unique experience. . . . You dont normally deal with this. Its usually a single person, or you do have twins, but theyre fraternal twins. But the uniqueness of identical twins is very rare." GET REAL TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB The fingerprints discovered by police belonged to Ronald Smith. Smith initially refused to implicate his brother Ronald Smith, who also lived in Gwinnett County. But he later confirmed that the man in the surveillance video was Ronald. In addition to the cigarette butt, fingerprints were lifted from the car. They would be the key to figuring out which twin had done it. "Even if youre an identical twin, youre going to have unique fingerprint characteristics that set you apart from your sibling," said Barrington. "Thats what helped to determine which brother had their hands on the top of the roof of Genais car so we could identify which brother was the actual suspect." The fingerprints were a match for Ronald. Ronald, who was arrested, later admitted to killing Coleman and taking her car before leaving it behind. He claimed that the shooting had been "an accident." "It was a hair trigger," Ronald claimed, the Oxygen series shows. "I set out to take a car . . . at gunpoint. The gun went off." In October 2012, Ronald was convicted on charges of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, hijacking a motor vehicle and possession of a weapon during the commission of a felony. The Gwinnett Daily Post reported that he had been sentenced to life plus 25 years in prison. Barrington said a crime like this "could happen to anyone at any time." "Be aware of your surroundings," she warned. "And also know that detectives, the police department, anyone investigating, has the passion to get justice. They want to help." "Theres an emotional toll," Barrington reflected. "Theres a professional toll, too. But this is why we are here. This is why we exist." Original article source: DNA from Georgia woman's murder leads to wrong twin, investigator says: 'Crime of opportunity' Docs: Mother arrested, accused of starving 5-day-old child and exposing her to drugs A five-day-old child is dead, and her mother has been arrested, accused of murdering her. On the morning of September 11, detectives with the Seattle Police Department say they arrested Ashlee Creighton after she reportedly tried to run from them. A man was also arrested for trying to help her escape. According to court documents filed in King County, Creighton called 911 in May to report shed had a stillborn, but an extensive investigation revealed that wasnt the case. Detectives believe the child was born on May 18 at the Civic Hotel in Seattle. Creightons call for help did not come in until May 23, according to police records. Court documents state that a combination of meth and fentanyl was found in the baby girls system and the child also showed obvious signs of malnutrition and dehydration. Creightons internet history reportedly included searches such as breastfeeding a baby born addicted and WA State law on hospital reporting to CPS. The court documents go on to state that her cellphone contained a message from who detectives believe is the father, stating I told you she needs to see a doctor. Ashlee Creighton knew her baby was not ok and needed essential medical attention, the court documents state. Despite being in a Co-Lead facility with 24-7 access to staff, resources, and a working cellphone, the defendant did nothing. Creightons bail has been set at $300,000 and the state is requesting a hearing to increase it because they consider her to be a flight risk. A doctor and another nurse from the Countess of Chester hospital were allegedly on some shifts at the time of many baby deaths - CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/GETTY IMAGES Staff at Lucy Letbys hospital were concerned that a doctor had been on shift at the time of many of the deaths and collapses of babies, leaked documents show. In the opening statement at Letbys trial, Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, said consultants had become suspicious of the neonatal nurse after noticing incidents had one common denominator. But a leaked email between staff at the Countess of Chester Hospital shows that a senior nurse had raised concerns about a doctor who features in a number of cases of babies who collapse. At the Thirlwall Inquiry this week, Kate Blackwell KC, who is representing the hospital management, also said one of the reasons Letby had not been considered a risk earlier was because it appeared that there was also a doctor whod been on shift at the time of seven of the incidents. Leaked documents also show that Eirian Powell, the neonatal unit ward manager, had worked with Dr Stephen Brearey, the units lead consultant to draw up a staffing chart for the unexpected deaths and collapses, which included both nurses and doctors. But she was troubled to find that by the time the chart was sent to Alison Kelly, the executive director of nursing and quality care, the column relating to doctors had been removed, leaving only the nursing staff. Staffing analysis formed the basis of suspicion against Letby and during her trial, one of the most damning pieces of evidence presented to the jury was a chart revealing that the nurse was always on duty when the babies collapsed or died. Letby was convicted last year of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others, as well as the attempted murder of a seventh baby at retrial in July - CHESTER STANDARD/SOUTH WEST NEWS SERVICE The table, which covered a 13-month period between June 2015 and June 2016, showed that each of the 38 other nurses was in attendance on just a handful of occasions when suspicious incidents occurred. Letby was dubbed a constant malevolent presence by the prosecution. A second chart that included doctors and consultants did not appear to show any uptick or suspicious presence for any of the medics. But it has since emerged that a doctor and one other nurse had allegedly been on shift at the time of a high number of baby deaths. An email between Powell and Kelly from March 2016, published by the Thirlwall Inquiry this week, showed that, alongside Letby, a doctor had also been identified as a common theme among eight baby deaths. The email, which refers to Letby as a particular nurse said: High mortality eight as opposed to our normal two to three a year. A commonality was that a particular nurse was on duty either leading up to or during. A doctor was also identified as a common theme however not as many as the nurse. Despite reviewing these cases there was nothing obvious that we were able to identify. Leaked minutes of interviews from a grievance procedure lodged by Letby in the autumn of 2016, also reference a second nurse being on the ward at the time of many of the unexpected deaths or collapses. Powell said she mentioned the commonality and said the nurse stood out, although admitted she was not as prominent as Letby. Experts from several British universities have questioned the shift pattern data used in the trial, which showed Letby as the only staff member present at every death and attempted murder. Next week, the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) is convening a meeting to explore how statisticians can collaborate better with legal teams in the wake of the Letby case after becoming aware of concerns raised by members. The RSS has previously warned of a lack of knowledge in the legal profession over the interpretation of statistical evidence and in 2022, released a report specifically setting out how best to deal with cases of medical serial killers. Letby was dubbed a constant malevolent presence by the prosecution - CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/GETTY IMAGES In a written opening statement to the Thirlwall Inquiry this week, Ms Blackwell said that in the summer of 2016, following the collapses and deaths of the babies at the Countess of Chester, there was little to link the nurse to the incidents other than shift data. Aside from the link between Letbys shift pattern and the deaths, nothing specific was ever articulated by either Dr Brearey or Dr (Ravi) Jayaram, or any other consultant, to identify the wrongdoing by Letby. For example, there was never any suggestion that any consultant had witnessed an event involving Letby that raised suspicion about her behaviour towards any of the babies on the unit. There was nothing raised about any concerning test results. There was nothing raised about a failure in the care that Letby had given to any of the babies to indicate that her conduct had, or might have, contributed in any way to the deaths on the NNU (neonatal unit). The undefined concerns of the consultants were not shared by nursing staff. Indeed, the NNU Manager, Eirian Lloyd Powell, was firmly of the view that Letby was a good and competent nurse. Neo-natal unit at Letbys hospital Since Letbys conviction, several statisticians have come forward to question the way data was used however the prosecution has argued the case was not only based on statistical evidence. Peter Skelton KC, who is representing the parents of children A, B, I, L, M, N and Q, has addressed the ongoing speculation that Letby may be the victim of a miscarriage of justice at the Thirlwall Inquiry this week. Lucy Letby was not convicted on the basis of questionable statistics but because the factual and expert medical evidence demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that she had harmed children at the hospital, he said. Dr Jane Hutton, a professor of statistics at the University of Warwick, has previously raised concerns about how the staffing chart was compiled. All staff, cleaning and technical as well as healthcare should be on the list, she said. By removing doctors, it could prejudice future investigations. It also effectively assumed harm was caused by a nurse. It should also include basic information on gestational age, birthweight, multiple pregnancy, reason for premature birth, at a minimum. Management ought to have gone to Public Health England, Health Security Agency, which has the relevant expertise. 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. HONOLULU (KHON2) The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) is set to enhance world language programs at schools in the Aiea-Moanalua-Radford and Kailua-Kalaheo Complex Areas, thanks to two grants from the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The DoDEA grants, which aim to support military dependents education, will fund new initiatives to expand language learning opportunities. Since 2008, DoDEA has invested around $32.5 million in Hawaii public schools, helping to improve educational outcomes for students with military parents. John Erickson, superintendent of the Aiea-Moanalua-Radford Complex Area, expressed gratitude for DoDEAs ongoing support. Were thrilled about the new learning opportunities this funding will bring. It will allow us to hire new language teachers, introduce cutting-edge technology, and offer a more comprehensive language curriculum from kindergarten through 12th grade, Erickson said. The Aiea-Moanalua-Radford Complex Area has been awarded a $2 million grant spread over five years. This funding will establish a K-12 world language pathway, starting with new language programs at the elementary and middle school levels and encouraging high school students to advance to higher-level language courses. The grant will benefit Aliamanu Elementary, Aliamanu Middle, Aiea Intermediate, and Radford High. In addition, the Kailua-Kalaheo Complex Area received a $1.25 million grant. This grant will increase access to Spanish and Japanese language instruction for K-6 military-connected students and offer world language programs through out-of-school-time activities. The grant will support Aikahi, Kainalu, Keolu, Maunawili, and Mokapu elementaries. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news For more information about DoDEA and its global educational support for military dependents, visit www.dodea.edu. 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 KHON2. A group of tenants at the Waldo Heights apartment complex in south Kansas City is suing the facilitys ownership, alleging residents have been forced to live with pest infestations, security problems, garbage build-up and other problems. Attorneys for the three plaintiffs, Valiera Brooks-Davis, Sherry Willaughby and Whitney Harris, who are residents or former residents of the complex, wrote in a complaint that Waldo Heights aggressively collects rent from hundreds of residents and yet is reluctant, if not outright hostile, to respond to tenant complaints. In an interview with The Star, Brooks-Davis, who lived at the complex from July 2018 through December, recalled mice setting up residence in a shoe box in her home, not wanting to invite people over because roaches would tumble from the ceiling, and how garbage would pile up in dumpsters for three to four weeks. At one point, a resident died in a unit in her building, and the body stayed in that persons unit for three weeks, the odor masked by the smell from a nearby dumpster, she said. Last year, residents were left without water for days after a main broke. During her time at the apartments, the rent for her two-bedroom unit climbed from $605 per month to $699, Brooks-Davis said. Dogs live better, she said. People treat their dogs better than we were being treated. Its just not right. The property, owned by San Francisco-based Landmark Realty, touts its management of over 7,000 units across more than 80 properties nationwide. Alongside Waldo Heights, the company also runs a handful of other properties in the Kansas City metro. Requests for comment to both the company and Nicholas Porto, whos listed as the companys Kansas City-based attorney for the lawsuit, were not returned. Profit over people The lawsuit, originally filed in Jackson County Circuit Court and moved to U.S. District Court in Kansas City in June, said the Kansas City Health Department has identified nearly 50 code violations at the property since 2019. Attorneys wrote the site operates in violation of several Kansas City ordinances that govern trash disposal, pest infestations and other requirements. Robberies and violence frequently occur in the complex parking lot, and the site does not have any secured exterior doors, gates or lights in the parking lot, according to the lawsuit. Non-residents are often found sleeping in unsecured common areas and stealing clothes from the laundry room, attorneys wrote. Brooks-Davis recalled returning home one night around 10 p.m. to find someone sleeping in front of her door. She grappled with what she should do and eventually stepped over the person, slipped through her door and called for security. She spearheaded an effort to unionize residents with KC Tenants, which she believes led management to not renew her lease at the end of last year. Despite the poor conditions, the move sent her into depression. She now lives across the street from her old complex, and the conditions there still haunt her. I wanted to pursue this because they put profit over people, she said of the lawsuit. They need to understand that we deserve to live in safe, habitable, clean conditions. We deserve that. Pocket the money Harris, a resident of the property since 2018, has a door thats not flush with the ground, leaving a two-inch gap that allows for rodents and roaches to enter her home, attorneys wrote in the lawsuit. The gap keeps her from regulating the spaces temperature, which the lawsuit said creates freezing winter and sweltering summer temperatures. Harris had tires stolen from her car, her vehicle broken into, and shes frequently found strangers sleeping in the laundry room. Because of safety concerns, she washes her clothes at a laundromat and doesnt allow her children to leave her apartment, attorneys wrote. Willaughby, a resident from April 2019 through early August 2023, also dealt with a rodent and roach infestation in her unit and had her car broken into at the complex. Frustrated by the conditions, she began to participate in the union and moved out when issues did not improve. The lawsuit notes that Waldo Heights pursued a civil claim against her despite knowing she was no longer in possession of her residence, which her attorneys wrote was in retaliation for her complaints and union activity. Gina Chiala, the executive director at the Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom and one of the attorneys representing the women, said that while the lawsuit names three specific tenants, her group has heard from others with similar stories throughout the property. Tenants at Waldo Heights are predominantly low-income and people of color, according to the lawsuit. Too often, apartment complexes that rent to low-income people, choose to pocket the money that theyre supposed to be using for repairs and for upkeep, Chiala said. We want to see those profit models change, and we want to see them shift. We want to see these companies pay a price for violating the law. Donald Trump calls Kamala Harris the worst vice president ever. Where does she rank? 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. Donald Trump said during his debate with Kamala Harris that she has been the worst vice president in the history of our country. So we asked two scholars who have studied the vice presidency if that was so. Harris, vice president since 2021, was rated 11th of 18 modern vice presidents in a study by Justin Vaughn, associate professor of political science at Coastal Carolina University, and Brandon Rottinghaus, professor of political science at the University of Houston. they are co-directors of the Presidential Greatness Project, which conducted the study. The findings involve ratings of vice presidents starting with Franklin D. Roosevelts administration in 1933, the year scholars consider the beginning of the powerful American presidency. Stay Informed On Election News Sign up here to get our Election 2024 newsletter, with local, state and national political news and analysis sent right to your inbox. The professors asked scholars and political experts to rate modern vice presidents in different areas. The study was conducted from November 15 to December 31, 2023. Among the areas rated: Balancing the ticket, policy adviser, maintaining relations with Congress and serving as a surrogate for the president. We asked Vaughn for more details. Below is our interview with him: Q. Donald Trump says Vice President Harris is the worst vice president in the history of our country. Your study has her #11 . Is there any evidence to back up Trumps claim? A. I dont think there is any evidence to back up the idea that Harris is the worst ever, but it is equally hard to make the argument that she has been an impactful vice president. Prior to this summer, there is little to suggest that she played a major role in the administration or that she had a strong role in President Bidens decision making, as opposed to the role Biden played in the Obama White House, for example. Harriss vice presidency had some mild chaos with turnover and occasional negative media coverage and she didnt perform with aplomb on the signature issue she was handed (immigration), but at the same time there havent been the disastrous performances we associate with other, more infamous vice presidents. Since Harris replaced Biden at the top of the ticket, theres been a bit of revisionist history taking place on both sides, but for the most part I think an objective read of the Harris vice presidency was that she wasnt given a large role and didnt do much with the role she was given, at least not until this summer. Q. Could you break down how you arrived at rating Harris #11? A. The ranking is based on expert ratings. We surveyed over 150 scholar experts in the American presidency in November-December 2023, and one of the things they did was rate each modern vice president on a scale of 0-100 for their overall greatness. The ranking is based on the average rating for each vice president. Harriss average was 46.03, which rated her just under Dick Cheney and just over Nelson Rockefeller and Mike Pence. (Cheney served under President George W. Bush, Rockefeller under President Gerald Ford and Pence under President Donald Trump.) While we dont have individual explanations from the participating scholars for why they rated each vice president the way they did, the story about Harris is relatively clear. She generally wasnt seen as playing a major role in the Biden Administration, the relationship between Harris and Biden specifically didnt appear to be strong, particularly as she seemed to be the subject of various leaks expressing dissatisfaction with her performance, and the one major issue she was assigned immigration was not a whopping success, though there are a range of explanations why. Q. Where does Harris rate as a policy adviser? A. Harris didnt rate terribly well as a policy adviser. In addition to asking our experts to rate the overall greatness of modern vice presidents. We also asked them to rate specific dimensions of a subset of more recent presidents (i.e., contemporary presidents from Walter Mondale through Kamala Harris) on key attributes of the vice presidency, including service as a policy advisor to the president, on a 0-100 scale. Harris came in sixth out of eight, and is grouped together at the bottom with Mike Pence and Dan Quayle, who also were not regarded as important policy voices in their administrations. (Quayle was President George H.W. Bushs vice president). Q. Harris seems to get praise from the experts in your survey as a ticket balancer. Why? Harris offset Biden in just about every important way: age (essentially Gen X vs Boomer/Silent), race & gender (multi-racial woman of color vs white man), ideology (West Coast somewhat progressive vs traditional liberal), and geography (Bay Area California vs East Coast). Q. Why do you only rate post-1933 vice presidents? A. We only asked our participating scholars to rate post-1933 vice presidents, or modern vice presidents as we refer to them, for a couple of reasons. First, the institution of the presidency fundamentally changed in 1933 with FDR; that has become a natural cut-off point when scholars explain the institution today. Second, and more pragmatically, the further back we ask people to evaluate vice presidents, especially if we were to go back into the 19th Century, youd have a situation where a lot of scholars just dont know a lot about individual figures and the opinions would be less meaningful. Q. This goes beyond the study, but is there anything about a persons performance or behavior as vice president that tells us what sort of president they could be? A. In general, the characteristics a person demonstrates throughout their career are the ones they demonstrate as president. So if a vice president isnt a good manager or a good communicator, they arent going to become one as president when the task is even more significant. On the other hand, if they have good relations with members of Congress or a knack for policy as VP, they probably will further showcase those skills as POTUS. Q. Why is Spiro Agnew last? A. Agnews lack of contributions to the Nixon Administration were overshadowed by his divisive political style and, especially, his personal scandals and legal troubles, which led to him having to resign from the administration. (Agnew, President Richard Nixons first vice president, resigned in 1973 after pleading no contest to a single charge of federal tax evasion.) Q. Why is Al Gore first? We dont have individual explanations for why our experts rated Gore as highly as they did, but the fact that he was a strong partner with Bill Clinton and that he handled a relatively high-profile policy assignment (reinventing Government/streamlining bureaucracy) well and served as a skillful messenger for the administration without creating any scandals is a major reason why he is looked at as a successful contemporary vice president. CEDAR CITY, Utah (ABC4) A driver was arrested in Iron County on Thursday after allegedly passing a Utah Highway Patrol trooper at speeds well over 100 mph, then continuing to flee as the trooper pursued. Kevin Douglas Robinson, 60, was arrested on charges of reckless driving (class B misdemeanor) and failure to stop at command of police (third-degree felony). A UHP trooper was on patrol on Southbound I-15 at mile marker 99 when he was initiating a traffic stop on a speeding vehicle. The trooper was reportedly driving 100 mph with his lights on when another vehicle passed him on his right. Police seize 90 pounds of marijuana in Emery County traffic stop The trooper turned on his siren and began following the vehicle that passed on the right, clocking it at speeds up to 114 mph, according to a probable cause affidavit. The driver later identified as Robinson fled, and a few miles down the road, used the right shoulder of the freeway to pass a dump truck. Robinson reportedly fled at high speeds, and at mile marker 95, nearly came to a stop before speeding up and continuing to flee. At Exit 82, Robinson pulled over and stopped. He then fled once more before finally stopping just past the bridge on I-15, according to the affidavit. He was taken into custody at that location. Robinson was booked into Iron County Jail on the charges previously stated. 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. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Drug dealing squatter took over owners NYC apartment after she died from OD, continued to peddle narcotics: cops Drug dealing squatter took over owners NYC apartment after she died from OD, continued to peddle narcotics: cops An alleged drug dealer took over a Queens apartment after the owner died of an overdose then squatted in the space for months while peddling narcotics from it, according to neighbors and law enforcement. Joseph Pisano, 53, allegedly finagled his way into the Jamaica Estates home of Anneliese King, a retired former administrative assistant, after the pair met at a senior center near her building, Kings neighbors and landlord told The Post. King, 64, who a neighbor and ex-boyfriend described as a longtime heroin addict, let Pisano into her fifth-floor one-bedroom unit on Ava Place where she paid $1,451.40 a month, according to Queens housing court records and residents, who said the alleged dope seller was seen around the builder using a walker. Joseph Pisano allegedly squatted in an apartment after the tenant died from a drug overdose and peddled drugs from it. Obtained by The New York Post [Pisano] took advantage of her, one neighbor, 53, told The Post. Some people have a way of recognizing weakness. He recognized she was weak. Drug sales went down in the dead of night, the neighbor said, adding that addicts would mistakenly ring her bell looking for Pisano in Kings apartment in the six-story, 52-unit building. The audacity of this man . . . to have [his alleged drug dealing] so visible and putting all our lives in jeopardy, the neighbor fumed. King was found dead May 20 in her apartment. She had overdosed on heroin and fentanyl, according to a medical examiners report obtained by The Post. Hours after authorities removed Kings body, Pisano returned to the apartment with another woman and continued occupying the unit, according to Queens Housing Court records. Pisano allegedly met the legal tenant, Anneliese King, at a senior center near her apartment building. J.C. Rice She died and they went on with their business, said Robert Miller, an attorney for landlord Herb Donner. Pisano and the woman lived in Kings apartment for more than two months rent-free, the frustrated landlord alleged in the housing court suit. The quiet, middle-class building further devolved into a hotbed of drug use and sales following Kings death, shattering many residents sense of security and peace in the otherwise posh neighborhood. Over the past few weeks, squatters have moved into our building on the 5th floor (apt 5B) and are attracting individuals who appear to be drug users. These individuals are engaging in drug transactions right on the sidewalk in front of our building on a daily basis, one outraged neighbor wrote in a June 28 letter to the buildings management, a copy of which was obtained by The Post. We no longer feel safe in our own home and are increasingly worried about our safety and property, they added. An NYPD spokesperson said there were no drug-related 911 calls for the building this year. Pisano and another woman squatted in the fifth-floor unit for two months after King died. J.C. Rice The NYPD was initially reluctant to do anything, according to housing court records, despite new state laws passed earlier this year intended to let cops intervene more easily in squatter situations. Donner issued an eviction notice in June against Pisano and his companion before asking a Queens Housing Court judge to boot the unlawful residents, housing court records show Pisano was finally busted July 31 during a 6 a.m. raid, where cops found a scale covered in cocaine residue on the dining room table, along with 32 vials of coke, 21 glassine envelopes containing heroin, a ledger containing names and cash amounts and other paraphernalia, according to a criminal complaint. A woman named Kelly King was also arrested and indicted on a slew of drug charges, including possession and intent to sell. Its unclear if King, 52, has any relation to the dead tenant. Cops found heroin, cocaine and a slew drug paraphernalia in the apartment. J.C. Rice Video surveillance obtained by The Post shows Pisano slowly being shepherded out the door as he used his walker, while King was led away in handcuffs. Pisano pleaded guilty on Aug. 20 to criminal possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to nine months in Rikers, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katzs office. King was sentenced to nine months probation after pleading guilty to second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia, officials said. The apartment, meanwhile, remains empty and bolted shut, with Donner waiting for a housing court judge to grant him an eviction warrant to allow him to legally re-enter the space. The bright white feathers of a pair of Pekin ducks ruffled in the summer breeze as they snoozed on concrete steps leading into the Chicago River at Ping Tom Memorial Park. The birds were unfazed by the whistling trains, the rumbling traffic of the city and the nearby gaggles of Canada geese and wild mallards. As former pets, humans didnt disturb them either. That is until a woman from a bird rescue group tried to net them. When the ducks quickly dispersed, she took out a walkie-talkie and called for reinforcements. In moments, a volunteer whizzed by in a kayak, ready to catch the waterfowl with his bare hands as he expertly maneuvered the vessel. Chicago Bird Collision Monitors rescues thousands of birds annually, said the organizations director, Annette Prince. Over a hundred of those rescue calls involve former pet ducks such as the Pekins, who had been at the park in Chinatown for a few months. They are left to fend for themselves but experts say its often a death sentence. Theres no official data on how often this happens, but according to an estimate by an anthrozoologist in a 2023 National Geographic report, tens of thousands of domestic ducks are dumped each year throughout the United States. This is a true education problem, said Adrienne Eyer, a volunteer with the bird monitors project. Domestic ducks in the wild become easy targets for predators; they are literally sitting ducks. Being bred and reared for the meat industry means most domestic ducks cant fly because their bodies are oversized and their wings are too small. And Chicago has no shortage of possible predators, including coyotes, foxes, raccoons, hawks and great horned owls. As pets, ducks also learn to depend on humans for food so they arent prepared to forage. Every spring, families purchase chicks, rabbits and ducklings from local feed sellers and pet stores to include the cute animals in their Easter baskets and seasonal pictures. After a few months, the novelty often wears off. As temperatures drop, owners realize they cant keep a growing duck in their backyard or inside their home and some mistakenly believe the winged animal will be able to survive in the wild. Instead, they are effectively putting it in harms way, which is also illegal. They are not expendable party favors, theyre living things you should only plan on getting if youre planning on being a responsible owner, Prince said. Needlessly abandoned The bird collision volunteer network tries to respond to all calls in the Chicago area about domestic ducks, but Prince said the efforts divert precious energy from saving birds injured on the countrys largest migratory route the Mississippi Flyway to birds needlessly abandoned. Other domestic breeds frequently dumped in ponds and nature areas around Chicago include Swedish Blue and Indian Runner ducks. She said pet ducks, like any other pets, represent a commitment for as long as they live, which can be eight to more than 10 years in captivity. But their life expectancy can be easily halved in the wild, and experts say ducks likely experience traumatizing emotions from abandonment. During a Humboldt Park rescue, Eyer said she was approached by a family who told her they had watched a crying and clearly distraught woman dump a pair of ducks earlier that day. Domestic ducks are kind of like dogs or cats, she told the Tribune. Theyre very people-oriented, they have big personalities, they very endearing and very charming. Duck dumping is illegal in Illinois under the section for cruel treatment in the states Humane Care for Animals Act: No owner may abandon any animal where it may become a public charge or may suffer injury, hunger or exposure. Violating this state law is a criminal offense considered a Class A misdemeanor the most severe of its kind, which also includes theft, criminal trespass, battery and aggravated assault. Such offenses can be punished by up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $2,500 and mandatory court assessments. Chris Anchor, a senior wildlife biologist at the Forest Preserves of Cook County, said visitors dump all kinds of pets in their natural areas, including ducks but also cats, dogs, parakeets, exotic snakes and gerbils. But as the countys 22 nature preserves span tens of thousands of acres, rarely does the staff get to the abandoned pets in time to give them a second chance.Many times, we find out when we find an animal that has died, Anchor said. Sometimes, a singular pile of feathers will be how staff discovers a duck was left behind and became prey. The vast majority of pet owners doing the dumping, he said, likely do so because they had no idea what they were getting into in the first place and then it became too much of a burden or too messy to keep the animal. Besides violating state law, abandoning animals in the forest preserves of Cook County is punishable per the district code by a fine of $75 to $500. The Chicago Park District, which owns some of the city parks where volunteers like Prince and Eyer have rescued ducks, said in an emailed statement that it discourages the disposal of unwanted pets for public safety reasons and the health of the animals and habitats. Our park-based ponds are teeming with wildlife. However, we are unaware of any pet ducks being left behind at ponds, the statement said. Unknown disposal of pets in our parks and facilities is a very rare occurrence. The Park District also warned the public not to engage wildlife without proper permission and precautions and suggested that people contact Chicago Animal Care and Control at 311, to report an injured or domestic duck. An education problem Advocates and experts say education should start from the beginning of the supply chain. You can have your Instagram moment, your big, grand gesture, your perfect little Easter, without affecting the welfare of these animals, Eyer said. Ducks can be purchased from feed stores for $5 to $20 each but generally must be bought at least two at a time because they require company. Little information is passed on to potential owners about their responsibilities. On the other hand, the process of getting a dog or cat can be expensive, and adopting one can also require a background check. Ten years ago, Grayslake resident Kerri Gburek started taking stray chickens and ducks home from her job as a veterinary technician. Her passion has grown into a small business the Chicken Eggspert educating potential owners with home consultations and classes at the Lake County Farm Bureau, offering expertise in village board meetings in municipalities passing poultry ordinances, and renting out chicks and ducks around the Easter holiday so families can take photos and interact with the birds without having to commit. She also offers day or weeklong hatching projects for school classrooms and families at home. I try to offer a solution so that those folks who maybe arent as educated about the husbandry requirements arent going out and purchasing them, she said. At a 5-acre farm a few miles west in Lakemoor, Gburek has 180 chickens and ducks, including adults and younger ones. From the end of February to the end of June every year, she will hatch 1,200 to 1,500, most of which she sells to families she mentors through the ownership process or supplies to petting zoos. Her business has taken her across suburbs and cities in Cook, Lake, McHenry, DuPage and Kane counties, even up to Kenosha and Walworth counties in Wisconsin. I wouldnt give it up for the world, educating people and allowing the kids to have the experience. It teaches them how to care for something and (take) responsibility, she said. And I try to be very transparent and upfront with people and let them know what theyre getting into. You know, raising them is kind of a messy commitment. Theres a lot of bedding and spilled water and poop involved. Team efforts Eyer got involved in rescues earlier this summer after she saw a domestic duck with a flock of mallards at Columbus Park on the citys West Side, near her Oak Park home. After a sleepless night, she returned the next morning with her daughter, ready to spend all day building trust with the bird. Luckily, it took less than an hour but still required the help of a nearby birder. A wildlife biologist and trained animal handler, Eyer has been volunteering to save ducks from local nature areas ever since. She recalled a rescue in early August that lasted seven hours. When Eyer got to Riis Park, she found a female Pekin duck commingling with a flock of mallards, and a bonded pair a male Pekin and a female Swedish Blue, later named Whitey and Bluey that were keeping to themselves. It took the combined efforts of her husband, a family passing by and a fisherman to finally corral the ducks just before sunset. They were only able to capture the last one after catching its partner. The two of them had evaded us for hours at this point, she said, and within seconds of going into the crate, with all the noise the duck was making inside the crate, the other one just came walking out of the bushes and gave himself up. He was like, OK, I surrender. It was happy and sad all at the same time. Princes recent rescue at Ping Tom Park took roughly half an hour a quick turnaround for an often complicated operation. She had invaluable help saving the ducks later named Ping and Tom from the volunteer on the water. A resident of the village of Wayne 40 miles west of Chicago, Jim Tibensky began kayak racing in 1967 and for 20 years has been volunteering for waterfowl rescues with the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors. Earlier that morning, Prince and Tibensky had rescued a Canada goose in Glenview whose leg had been injured with a fishing line. After being radioed in, Tibensky chased the ducks to the riverbank opposite the park wings furiously fluttering but never taking flight and shepherded them one by one toward Prince. So you see that they can get away, but they cant fly away, so its ultimately wearing them down, she said as she put one of the ducks in a canvas carrier and picked off white feathers stuck to her hands. Even if they cant fly, waterfowl can swim and go underwater to escape predators and threats. But its not a sustainable survival strategy in Chicago when water freezes in the winter. When theres partial ice, we never want them to dive under, because they then drown, Prince said. The bitter cold and icy ponds can not only be dangerous for the birds but also for rescuers, so volunteers try to save as many domestic ducks as possible before temperatures drop too much and bodies of water ice over. Our time is running out, Prince said. Their time is running out. adperez@chicagotribune.com PRAGUE, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- From a military perspective, Ukrainians should not be restricted in using delivered weapons, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee Chair Rob Bauer said here on Saturday. Speaking after a meeting of the NATO Military Committee in Prague, Bauer said lifting the restrictions on the use of supplied weapons to Ukraine would be logical from a military point of view. However, he noted that countries providing these weapons to Ukraine have the right to put limits on individual weapons, adding that there is a political discussion on the matter. According to the Czech News Agency, debates on restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine are taking place at various levels. Italy has introduced them, while countries such as the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Netherlands do not set any conditions for the use of weapons. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that by providing Ukraine with long-range weapons, Western countries risk involving directly in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In such circumstances, Russia would be forced to make "appropriate decisions" based on the new threats, Putin was quoted by Russian media as saying. According to Western media reports, Ukraine has been pleading with its Western allies for it to use their missiles, including long-range ones, to fire deep into Russian territory. East Providence residents push back against plans for flood-prone neighborhood EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) East Providence residents are grappling with a voluntary home buyout program introduced earlier this year. In January, Mayor Bob DaSilva announced plans to revamp a flood-prone neighborhood that includes Abbott, Marsh, and State streets. The initiative is part of a $7 million federal program designed to allow the city to purchase properties, tear them down, and create open public spaces in their place. MORE: How East Providence is trying to transform a flood-prone neighborhood To date, the city has bought 14 homes and five vacant lots, with demolition scheduled to begin at the end of September. Abbott Street resident Miriam Bamba chose not to sell her home, explaining that she moved in only two years ago. I love my house, she told 12 News. Thats why I made it my dream house. Leaving would be heartbreaking. Bamba also raised concerns about safety in the neighborhood with the introduction of open public space and the potential for wildlife. My safety and my familys safety is my concern, Bamba added. 12 News reached out to Mayor DaSilvas office for comment but was told he was unavailable. NEXT: East Providence roadway to close for Washington Bridge work Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News 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 WPRI.com. The career and impact Judge Leon Schydlower has had and continues to have on El Paso and the legal community was celebrated at an investiture ceremony for the newest federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in El Paso. Schydlower's investiture ceremony was attended by more than 200 people from El Paso and throughout the state of Texas. The investiture ceremony was the formal investing of Schydlower with rank of U.S. District Court Judge. "It was a long process getting here, but I'm so honored to be the newest U.S. district judge in El Paso," Schydlower said after the ceremony. "The best part about that is I'm sitting in the El Paso division, which is my home. I'm an El Pasoan to my core, and I hope I serve in a way that the people of El Paso will be proud of." Attendees applaud during the investiture of federal judge Leon Schydlower at the Albert Armendariz Sr.EFederal Courthouse on Sept. 12, 2024. The ceremony was held Thursday, Sept. 12, at the Albert Armendariz Sr. Federal Courthouse in Downtown El Paso. He was officially sworn in as U.S. District Court judge March 23. The prominent attendees included Western District of Texas Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses, all of the federal judges in El Paso, judges throughout the Western District of Texas, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, former El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, El Paso state Judge William E. Moody and El Paso attorneys Sergio Saldivar, Joe Spencer, Felix Valenzuela and Leonard Morales. "Judge Schydlower was the right selection to be our next U.S. District Court judge," Saldivar said. "He has the experience from his military background, his career as a practitioner and a U.S. magistrate judge. El Paso and the Western District of Texas will benefit greatly from his many years of experience. He is a fair, intelligent and impartial judge who will be a great gatekeeper of our criminal justice system." Judge Leon Schydlower laughs during his investiture ceremony for a federal judgeship for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in El Paso at the Albert Armendariz Sr. Federal Courthouse on Sept. 12, 2024. Videos from U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, who both recommended Schydlower to President Joe Biden to fill the judicial seat, were played during the ceremony. "I was glad to join with Sen. Cornyn in recommending Judge Schydlower to the president for appointment to the Western District of Texas," Cruz said in his video. "I am confident he will serve with the same distinction that he has demonstrated in his many years of service as a magistrate judge, and as a judge advocate in both the Navy and Air Force. Thank you Judge Schydlower for your willingness to serve and to uphold the constitution and rule of law." Schydlower, who had served as a federal magistrate judge since 2015 for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, was recommended by Cruz and Cornyn, along with U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, to Biden to fill the vacant judicial seat. He was nominated Dec. 19 by Biden. Judge Leon Schydlower wipes a tear as he speaks of the sacrifices his wife made during his career at his investiture ceremony for a federal judgeship for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in El Paso at the Albert Armendariz Sr.EFederal Courthouse on Sept. 12, 2024. Schydlower received 20-1 votes from the judiciary committee during a Feb. 29 meeting and his nomination was then sent to the full Senate for vote. He was easily confirmed March 22 by the U.S. Senate in a 90-8 vote as a federal district court judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Schydlower served in the U.S. Navy as an attorney, and continues to serve as a judge and legal educator in the U.S. Air Force, where he holds the rank of lieutenant colonel. He is a graduate of Hanks High School and University of Texas School of Law. Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Pasoans come together to honor newest federal Judge Leon Schydlower Elderly ringing GP for help are giving up on NHS treatment after failing to get through Elderly people are giving up getting help from GPs after struggling to get through on the phone, ministers have been warned. Just half of patients now find it easy to reach their family doctors surgery on the phone, analysis reveals. The Government has vowed to tackle the 8am scramble, which means growing numbers of patients are struggling to get care. But many surgeries are pushing online booking systems, which vulnerable patients are struggling to navigate. Analysis of the nationwide GP survey of 760,000 people shows less than half of people find it easy to contact their local practice by telephone. One in eight unable to speak to anyone at all Trends show that the number dipped to less than half for the first time in 2023, with 49.8 per cent of respondents finding it easy to contact their local practice by telephone. The figure has fallen from 80.8 per cent since 2012. While the methodology has since changed, this years data show an almost identical figure of 49.7 per cent. One in eight patients contacting a GP practice were unable to speak to anyone at all, the latest research shows. The 2024 data show thousands of people who got stuck in an automated system, or gave up after failing to get an answer, or being left in a queue. On Thursday, an independent investigation into the NHS found that the service was failing the elderly at a vital moment. Lord Darzi, a leading academic surgeon, said he was deeply concerned about the treatment of the elderly, saying: After a lifetime of contributing to the NHS, they rightly expected it to be there for them in their hour of need. But the NHS is no longer able to hold up its end of the bargain. During the pandemic, the NHS introduced a system of total triage to reduce the number of patients seen in person. Since then, family doctors have been told that they must respect patients wishes if they want to see a doctor face-to-face. The latest contract for GPs, which came into force in April, says GP practices must allow to book an appointment over the phone or by walking in, if they wish to. However, patients groups said this is frequently ignored, with websites heavily promoting the use of online systems, and receptionists instructing those who walk in that they must book online. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, a practising GP and former chairman of the British Medical Association, said far too many surgeries were forcing patients to use online systems. He said: No one should be forced to use the digital route. There are far too many GP practices that are making it compulsory for patients to use online triage, or in some cases saying that if they cant, they have to dictate details to a receptionist to go through the system. If we have a digital first policy for the NHS, then you make it the default setting, and that excludes people; that is just not right. That goes against the values of the NHS. Older lady says she dreads online booking system Caroline Abrahams, director of charity Age UK, said: We have heard of experiences of older people completely giving up with seeking treatment as they cant get the systems to work for them. There is an increasing risk of digital being the default in too many spaces in society at the moment, and there needs to be careful consideration into how its working in practice and ensuring that it is not the only way to access vital services for older people. Recently, we heard from an older lady who dreads becoming ill as her GP Surgery now has an online booking system for appointments and she doesnt use computers. She told us she feels quite abandoned. We cannot have a system where older people who are offline are locked out of the care they need. Shutting older people out of services if they are not online is a flagrant and grotesque breach of the right of everyone in our country to have equal access to the NHS. It has to stop. Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: I worry about digital exclusion. This is not just about the elderly, it is about a lot of people, those with mental health problems, those with learning disabilities, many people who are vulnerable in some way. For patients in the early stages of dementia, trying to remember passwords and navigate systems can prove a major barrier. We are increasingly moving to a digital system which is a good thing for the population at large. But this needs a very careful transition. You have to have the capacity for someone to talk to a human. Just 8 per cent of patients at the Your Health Partnership group of practices in the West Midlands said they found it easy to contact their GP by phone. Yet over 90 per cent of patients in the Oxford Central GP described the experience of calling their local practice in this way. Meanwhile, almost three quarters of patients in Holderness GP network said they were unable to get through to a person, either hanging up or requesting a callback via an automated message. Risk of unequal service for patients Rachel Power, the chief executive of the Patients Association, said: Data from a range of resources show the same thing many patients find it difficult to get in touch with their GP practice. The 8am rush to get an appointment seems to have been replaced for many with having to complete an online form to get an appointment. She added: Practices which have moved to exclusively using online appointment booking are not complying with their contract with the NHS and are risking creating an unequal service for their patients. An NHS England spokesman said: GP teams are working incredibly hard to see increasing numbers of patients and a recent survey found nine out of 10 patients said their needs were met at their last appointment, but these findings make clear there is more to do to improve patients satisfaction and experience in accessing primary care services. Practices are contractually obliged to allow patients to walk in, phone or go online to make appointments and if this is not possible local commissioners should support practices to address this, while every GP practice must offer face-to-face as well as telephone and online appointments with around six in 10 appointments taking place in person. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: The NHS is broken and it is unacceptable that so many patients cant easily book appointments with their GP. We are hiring an extra 1,000 GPs into the NHS by cutting red tape, and will modernise the way people book GP appointments so we can end the 8am scramble. This government is committed to fixing the front door to the NHS and we have provided a further 311 million towards GP contract funding in 2024-25. We will ensure GPs have the resources they need to offer patients the highest quality care. Click here to view this content. 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. Elon Musk's ideas about government efficiency are all wrong, political scientists say Elon Musk is calling for deregulation and spending cuts to make the government more efficient. The billionaire's mindset echoes previous efforts to run the US government like a business. Political science experts said that approach fundamentally misunderstands American federalism. Elon Musk is on a mission to make the US government more efficient, touting deregulation and decreased spending in public appearances as he courts a role in a potential second Trump administration. The billionaire evangelized about efficiency during a live appearance at the All-In podcast Summit in Los Angeles on Monday, suggesting he would draw on his business acumen to slash federal spending if chosen as the head of Trump's would-be government efficiency commission. "We do have an opportunity to do a once-in-a-lifetime deregulation and reduction in the size of government," Musk said at the summit appearance about a potential Trump win. But two political scientists told Business Insider that Musk's desire to run the US government like a private business an approach many private sector professionals have supported for decades isn't as foolproof as the CEO might think. Musk did not respond to a request for comment. Musk has done a 180 in his support for Trump. The billionaire endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, but after Trump won, accepted a role on two of the then-president's economic advisory councils. He later departed the administration, citing Trump's environmental policies. But since Musk officially endorsed Trump in July, he's repeatedly posted on X about the need for government efficiency. "The idea that you can run the entire government as a business, it's just not designed that way," said Patricia Crouse, a practitioner in residence of political science and public administration at the University of New Haven. "You have to work around our system of federalism." Trump, a businessman turned politician, based much of his first presidential campaign on the notion that his experience in the private sector would guide his approach to politics. While perhaps misguided, both experts said it's not an entirely unfounded line of thinking. According to the academics, the government is inefficient in many ways, and accusations that federal agencies waste time and money are not always unwarranted. But the push to make the government work more like a business misunderstands a fundamental element of US federalism profit is not the end-all, be-all, political science experts said. "Government is almost always more inefficient than the private sector because their motives are just different," said Christian Grose, a professor of political science at the University of Southern California. Former Vice President Al Gore spearheaded the Reinventing Government initiative, which sought to streamline government efficiency Cynthia Johnson Profit vs. Protection Efforts to privatize parts of the US government date back decades. The modern-day push for a business-like government has its roots in Reaganomics, the economic policy put forth by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, which reduced regulation, slashed government spending, and scaled down the federal workforce. The other side of the aisle took a similar approach in 1993 when then-Vice President Al Gore launched the Reinventing Government initiative, which attempted to streamline government processes and minimize bureaucracy. Former President George W. Bush also had a business background, making his pre-presidency fortune in the Texas oil industry. Once in office, Bush cut regulations with his Faith-Based and Community Initiative, which sought to outsource some social services to faith-based groups. Grose said the pro-business mentality is present in local and state government, too, adding that private sector professionals often run gubernatorial races on such platforms. Political experts said it makes sense that business leaders like Musk would see only inefficiency and wastefulness in the government's operations. "In the private sector, the motive is profit. The less efficient you are, the less profitable you are," Grose said. "But inefficiency in the private sector isn't the same." The government's job isn't to make money, but to regulate and keep people safe. "Sometimes that's not efficient in an economic sense," Grose added. Consider, too, that the government and businesses serve very different stakeholders, Grose said. CEOs have to answer to stockholders and a board of directors the president has to answer to every American in the country. Elon Musk suggested a second Trump presidency would be a "once-in-a-lifetime" change to deregulate and cut spending. The Washington Post The pitfalls of privatized government Crouse said the consequences could be dire if Trump and Musk are able to make massive cuts to federal agencies. "If you decide you want to run the government entirely like a business, you're going to see things like poverty and unemployment increase because it becomes every man for himself," Crouse said. For all of its faults, the federal government has a fail-safe of sorts, thanks, in part, to its massive size, Crouse said. She added that outsourcing critical government services to private companies runs the risk that those services could disappear if the company went bankrupt. "A business isn't really self-correcting, at least not as easily as government is," Crouse said. Crouse said that privatizing the federal government could also lead to increased corruption, pointing to the for-profit prison industry as one example. In 2008, two Pennsylvania judges were convicted of accepting money in return for sending kids to private detention centers to increase occupancy. "Businesses are out to make a profit, so they're going to do what they can to increase profits, and if the consumer gets hurt in the process of doing that, well, that's all a part of business," Crouse said. Beyond the logistical issues associated with a business-like government, Grose said he was skeptical of the sentiment at the heart of Musk's comments earlier this week, casting doubt on whether a second Trump presidency would result in "once-in-a-lifetime" deregulation. While Trump did engage in some deregulation during his first term, Grose said he didn't behave like a traditional business Republican, citing his tariffs and tax cuts, the latter of which helped the national debt surge. "It's not obvious to me that he is a massive budget cutter based on past experience," Grose added. Both Crouse and Grose also expressed hesitation about taking business advice from Musk, pointing to the breakdown of Twitter, now X, after the billionaire bought the site in 2022. Ultimately, however, both said the 235-year-old federalism that governs America simply isn't equipped to handle the pressures faced by private businesses. "My fear is that it would collapse," Crouse said. Read the original article on Business Insider Salva Kiir has been president of South Sudan since independence in 2011 [Getty Images] The government of South Sudan is holding an emergency cabinet meeting hours after it announced that long-delayed national elections would be postponed by two years. The polls were due to take place this December. A 2018 peace deal that ended a civil war allowed president Salva Kiir to remain in charge of a transitional government with his former foe Riek Machar serving as his deputy. South Sudan, the world's youngest country, has not held national elections since independence in 2011. The decision to postpone the vote by another two years has not come as a great surprise. The political leaders of South Sudan have not exactly been racing to get ready for a vote. This has fuelled suspicion that they are clinging onto power in the oil-rich country. President Salva Kiir's office says essential tasks like writing a new constitution have to happen before an election. Officials have also cited logistical and security challenges, which could not be overcome by the end of the year. Those in charge are the same leaders who plunged the country into a five-year civil war. Given the current relative peace and the fact that neighbouring Sudan is being destroyed by conflict, South Sudan's politicians may not come under much international pressure. More BBC stories on South Sudan: [Getty Images/BBC] Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts (KRON) Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price responded on Friday to a letter sent on behalf of her acting employees that accused her of making threats and using mob boss tactics. The letter, which was sent to Prices team and written by a lawyer representing the employees, claims she uses armed private guards in her office and threatened to arrest employees who financially supported the recall effort against her. Price called the language in the letter not only unprecedented and disrespectful but also a racially charged dog whistle. Armed guards in the office According to the letter addressed to Price, the DA hired private security personnel armed with guns. Employees claim this is unprecedented in the Alameda County DAs office, as the Alameda County Sheriffs Office previously provided security. These unverified personal armed guards created an atmosphere of fear in the office, the attorney, Daniel Horowitz, wrote. The letter claims that the sheriffs office banned these guards from the courthouse, causing Price to relocate to 7677 Oakport St. in Oakland. DAs employees claim they are afraid to go to the new location, as there are no sheriffs deputies present. Kamala Harris destroyed San Francisco, Trump claims Employees further claim that gang members and criminals are present at the office. In a response from Prices office on Friday, she called the allegations regarding the armed guards one hundred percent false. She claims the armed staffers at her office are retired law enforcement officers who work for Alameda County, are Peace Officer Standards and Training certified and have passed background checks. Threats to arrest employees who support recall movement The letter states that Price recently issued threats of arrest to members of the district attorneys office who actively raised money to support the recall campaign. On Feb. 16, 2024, Price allegedly sent an email with the subject Election Season Reminder re: Campaign Activities. In it, as part of a Grand Jury report, she claimed that California Government Code 3205 is a criminal offense, the lawyer wrote. The code reads: An employee of a government agency shall not solicit political contributions from an employee of the same or another government agency. In short, the employees are claiming that Price threatened to arrest any of them who raised money for the recall effort against her, citing Section 3205. She added that employees should govern yourselves accordingly. However, in July 2023, a court ruled that the law violates the First Amendment. After this, California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a formal notice to every district attorney in California telling them not to enforce Section 3205, the letter claims. Prices email allegedly came after this notice, disobeying Bontas order. This threat to make an arrest under a statute ruled unconstitutional is consistent with Pamela Prices history of abuse of power, the letter said. Section 3205 was again cited in an email sent in May by Chief Assistant District Attorney Royl Roberts, the letter claims. In her response to the letter on Friday, Price said it was completely false that she threatened employees. She acknowledged that Section 3205 is no longer enforced and said that has been communicated to her staff. Demands The employees listed three demands for Price at the end of the letter: Stop using armed private security guards at the courthouse and the DAs office Stop threatening job actions against employees who oppose her Retract her assertion that Section 3205 is operative and state that county employees are permitted to solicit funds to support her recall. The group is considering legal options, including state and federal intervention. In her response, Price accused the letter of using racially charged language. Calling DA Pamela Price a mob boss is not only unprecedented and disrespectful but is also a racially charged dog whistle designed to undermine trust in the countys first Black district attorney in the minds of the public. 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. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) Enrollment across University of North Carolina System schools is up this school year. North Carolina Central University say the largest increases. The UNC system reported enrollment this year was up 2.2% over the last year and 3.5% since 2022. NCCU reported a 7.7% increase in enrollment between the Fall 2024 and Fall 2023 school year. Fayetteville State Universitys enrollment is up 3.8%. Enrollment at N.C. A&T was also up 3.1%. NC States enrollment increased 3.1% over that time period. UNC-Chapel Hills enrollment increased 0.6%. The UNC System reported campuses added more than 5,400 students this fall statewide. No schools within the system saw a reduction in enrollment. The system says this growth comes after years of focused investment in low tuition, student support programs to encourage retention and graduation, and improvements to financial aid, transfer programs and online learning. Weve worked hard to keep higher education affordable, to make sure students are graduating with great prospects and less debt, said UNC System President Peter Hans in a release. Our universities are focused on delivering a valuable education thats truly accessible for the people of this state, and that message is getting across. David English, the UNC Systems senior vice president for academic affairs reported some of this years growth, resulted from re-enrolling students who had previously stopped out of UNC System schools without a degree. A focused effort to reconnect with those students and offer a pathway to graduation helped boost overall enrollment at several institutions, English said. The UNC System also reported public Historically Black Universities have benefited from changes to policies that allow more out-of-state students at UNC campuses with strong demand and open capacity. Our public HBCUs are tremendous assets for North Carolina, and theyre bringing in talented students from across the country, Hans said. Thats great news for those schools and for the states economy. UNC also states the recent launch of a simpler, more generous scholarship is putting higher education within reach of more North Carolina families. The Next NC Scholarship helps North Carolinians from households making $80,000 or less pursue higher education by covering more than half, if not all, of tuition and fees at any public university. NC College Connect, a new pilot program, will simplify admissions at some universities and encourage more qualified high school graduates to pursue an affordable college degree. 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. Pennsylvanias unemployment rate is seeing an all-time low. However, some local businesses continue to face staffing challenges. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry reports that the states unemployment rate is near a historic low. In July, the rate was at 3.4%, which is the 10th consecutive month that its gone unchanged. According to the department press secretary, Pennsylvanias seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs are up 12,200. Although, it ranges with each industry. New nurse liaison program to extend healthcare services for PA veterans But the question is, are these numbers reflecting local businesses? More specifically, the service industry? It gets busy. Lunch rush is busy dinner is busy. We have anywhere between 28 and 32 people on staff. most part time some full time, said Anthony Santoro, co-owner of MP Coney Island. MP Coney Island opened its doors in May and Santoro said that although theyre always looking for help, their employment is decent at the moment. The hot dog/chili restaurant is located at 6360 Sterrettania Road, just off Exit 18 on Interstate 90. Santoro added that they have been very lucky business and employment-wise. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News For people that arent from Erie, who are visiting our city, for them to see a popular gas station and up-and-coming hot dog restaurant, I think is really important, he said. One owner of a local restaurant said seasonal needs can also present staffing challenges as well. I do fine nine months out of the year but those three summer months, you have to carry three or four extra employees not just because of the sales, your people need time off. they have children, they have lives. so we carry extra people to accommodate the employee as well, said Lynn Fogle, owner of Shirleys Fogle said it can be difficult to find employees because its harder to advertise. Over $200K in funding awarded for demolition on former Bel-Aire Hotel The breakfast/lunch shop has attempted more common ways such as Facebook or a sign on the door. However, Fogle explained that once an employee is a part of the team, they typically stay. They do well and they do well because I think we really do care. Were the whole package, she said. Both restaurants are still in the hiring process so if youre looking for a job, thats where you can 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 WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. The European Parliament has had to pay out for failing to protect a whistleblower who was sacked after reporting harassment and fraud by an MEP. It is another embarrassment for the Brussels institution after the Qatargate corruption scandal, which saw Belgian police arrest MEPs and seize 1.5 million (1.3 million) in cash. The EUs General Court ordered the parliament to pay 10,000 (about 8,500) to the victim, who, like the MEP, has not been named. It said: The European Parliament infringed certain protection rules relating to the status as an informant of a parliamentary assistant. Whistleblower rules are supposed to shield people, including parliamentary assistants, if they report wrongdoing. Han ten Broeke steps down as a Dutch MP after 12 years - ROBIN UTRECHT/SIPA US/ALAMY The European Parliament has called for EU-wide whistleblower rules but its own rulebook is weaker than the other EU institutions. The assistant involved in Wednesdays ruling was exposed as a whistleblower by the parliament after reporting an MEP for harassment and fraud. This left him vulnerable to retaliation, the court said. He was transferred to another MEP but fired soon afterwards, before later taking the parliament to court in a legal battle that began in December 2022. The parliament did not comment on whether it would appeal the decision but said it was analysing the ruling. Nick Aiossa, of Transparency International EU, told the EU Observer website: Its a parliament that is not taking its responsibility to protect staff seriously. Every single assistant who has blown the whistle in the past seven years has been fired. And that for us is unacceptable. Perhaps this will inspire the parliament to take things seriously. The court ruling came in the week it emerged that a controversial Dutch MP was being lined up to join the office of the Netherlands EU commissioner. The Dutch government wants Han ten Broeke to be Wopke Hoekstras head of cabinet in the European Commission. Mr ten Broeke stepped down as a centre-Right MP of 12 years standing in 2018 after it emerged he had had an unequal relationship with a party assistant. Unequal relationship At the time, the 25-year-old woman was 19 years younger than the MP, who was 44. She accused him of sexually deviant behaviour but never pressed charges, the Politico website reported. Mr ten Broeke quit after both signed a non-disclosure agreement. He is currently chairman of a Dutch automotive lobby group. An official close to Commissioner Hoekstra said reports of Mr ten Broeke getting the plum job were speculation. After resigning, Mr ten Broeke admitted to a brief sexual relationship with the party employee in 2013 but insisted he did not sexually harass her. He said he would describe it as an unequal relationship. Mr ten Broeke added: Not in the sense of power or authority, but in view of the fact that I was a member of parliament and she was an employee in her mid-20s. If I look back on that now, I should never have allowed myself that. It was not OK, should not have happened and will never happen again. At the time he said the matter went before the integrity committee of his pro-business VVD party and that he and the woman agreed the matter would be left at that. 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. Emergency responders in the Czech Republic and Poland were grappling with flooding on Saturday while Austria declared some areas disaster zones amid historic rainfall in central Europe and as forecasters warned that worse is ahead. Emergency forces in both countries, along with parts of Austria, have been preparing for severe weather since Friday. Heavy rains in the Czech Republic led the Elbe river to rise, with the Czech weather service reporting up to 170 millimetres of precipitation in the worst affected regions in the previous 24 hours. Authorities have issued the highest flood alert level in around 35 locations, Czech news agency CTK reported. More than 60,000 households have been left without electricity, CTK also reported, citing energy suppliers. The north-western administrative region of Usti nad Labem bordering Germany is worst affected, with more than 20,000 households temporarily affected by power outages due to trees falling on overhead powerlines amid the strong winds. In Prague, preparations for the expected flooding of the Vltava river were in full swing, with flood barriers being erected along the river banks. Shipping traffic has been suspended. A hospital in Brno was evacuating 180 patients to other facilities, the management said. AMbulance services and the fire brigade helped transport patients as the Svratka River continues to rise and water entered the basement where the power supply is located. Meanwhile, the mayor of the Spindleruv Mlyn resort in the Giant Mountains recommended all tourists and visitors leave town as the Elbe river looks set to burst its banks and the access road could be flooded. The highest flood alert level was also in effect at more than 40 other gauging stations nationwide with areas around Jesenik in the Altvater Mountains in the east and Frydlant in northern Bohemia worst affected. The authorities declared an emergency situation in the eastern region of Moravian-Silesia and a flow rate of 800 cubic metres of water per second was expected in Prague during the course of the day. Water levels in rivers in the Czech Republic are expected to rise further over the weekend, meteorologists warned, with the peak expected in Prague on Sunday morning. Poland hit by flooding Across the border in south-western Poland, Krakow is also struggling after the heavy rainfall, and city officials offered people sandbags at 28 locations to protect their homes. Public transport in Krakow was temporarily disrupted after several underpasses in the centre were flooded and trams and buses were temporarily diverted. In Jarnoltowek, near Mikulovice, meteorologists recorded rainfall reaching 161.5 millimetres, leading its mayor to order the evacuation of the village and two further communities along the Zloty Polok river. Some 400 residents of the nearby village of Glucholazy also had to be evacuated. Interior Minister Tomasz Simoniak visited the scene, posting pictures of rescue efforts on X. Some 100 firefighters and 60 police officers had been deployed to the village, he said. "The situation has come to a head in just a few minutes. We really don't have much time," Simoniak warned after a meeting of the crisis management team in Nysa. "The next 24 to 36 hours will be the most difficult." Some of the residents of the village of Morow also had to be evacuated because the Mora river burst its banks there. The fire department responded to a total of 400 calls in the region. Poland's Meteorological Institute expects the rains to continue, with 47 locations already facing the highest alert level. Once-in-a-century floods expected in Austria Austrian emergency authorities declared 12 municipalities to be disaster zones after persistent heavy rainfall. In the Waldviertel region, around 120 kilometres north-west of Vienna, the floods are expected to reach levels generally seen only once in a century. "The coming hours will be the moment of truth for flood protection and a massive test for our emergency services and many of our fellow citizens," said governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner. In the Waldviertel region in particular, we expect challenges of historic proportions. The emergency services are preparing to evacuate people to safety as a precaution amid fears the Ottenstein reservoir could overflow. If this were the case, it would cause considerable flooding along the Kamp, a tributary of the Danube. Amid the rainfall, the ground is completely saturated, while the area is also being battered by heavy winds. Parts of eastern and southern Germany have also been battered by heavy rainfall, with the German Weather Service forecasting more storms to come. The level of the Vltava in Prague has risen sharply after extreme rainfall. Heavy continuous rain has led to flood alerts on many rivers and streams in the Czech Republic. ihova Michaela/CTK/dpa A car stands in the water under a railroad line in a flooded underpass. Heavy continuous rain has led to flood alerts on many rivers and streams in the Czech Republic. The highest warning level 3 ("danger") was in force at more than 25 gauging stations on Saturday morning. Water levels are expected to rise further over the weekend. Sznapka Petr/CTK/dpa A person with an umbrella looks at the Male River. Heavy continuous rain has led to flood alerts on many rivers and streams in the Czech Republic. Pancer Vaclav/CTK/dpa NEW YORK, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Apple and Huawei launched their new models almost at once earlier this week, drawing wide discussion about the innovations behind the two tech giants. Huawei launched the world's first commercial tri-fold smartphone, the Mate XT, on Tuesday, with several technological breakthroughs such as a dual-hinge system and screen-bending features. Huawei's new release came just hours after the launch of Apple's iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, both built for Apple Intelligence. The iPhone 16 lineup's camera system features a 48MP Fusion camera with a 2x Telephoto option, while a new Ultra-Wide camera enables macro photography. The two company's debuts commanded attention and discussions among media reports, experts, and consumers. In an article titled "Apple's China rival Huawei just upstaged the iPhone 16 launch," AOL, an American online service provider company, reported that Apple is used to being the main act in the smartphone world each Fall when the tech giant launches its latest iPhones. "This year, however, one of its top rivals in China has tried to rewrite the script." "It shows how confident Huawei is in taking on Apple in the smartphone game as the Silicon Valley firm faces a tricky period in its most important international market," it said. Jamie MacEwan, senior research analyst at Enders Analysis, told Business Insider that despite the "eye-catching" Mate XT targeting a fairly small niche at the very top of the price range, it is a sign of "the return in force of Huawei." "The close timing of Huawei and Apple's product launches signals the start of a new competitive wave in the Chinese premium market," Amber Liu, a research manager at market research firm Canalys, told CNN. Key areas of competition will include high-end products, software capabilities, and AI deployment, she added. Liu said Huawei's rapid recovery "directly challenges" Apple's performance in China, its second-largest market which accounts for over 20 percent of its global shipments. It also comes after Chinese smartphone makers dominated the top five spots domestically quarterly for the first time, she said, pushing Apple to sixth place. Since releasing its Mate 60 Pro smartphone series last August, Huawei has outpaced Apple in the Chinese market, according to a report from Quartz, an American business news website. In April, Huawei reported a rise in profit for the fourth consecutive quarter, showing resilience against U.S. sanctions. Meanwhile, Apple's iPhone sales fell 19 percent over the same period -- its worst performance in China since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, said the report. Apple's share of China's smartphone market also fell year-over-year in the first quarter of 2024 from 19.7 percent to 15.7 percent. According to the report, the company has had to cut prices on some iPhone models in the Chinese market as competition grows with Huawei and other homegrown smartphone makers. Apple's smartphone shipments in China fell by 6.7 percent in the second quarter of this year, according to data from Canalys. As Washington barred companies like Google from providing Huawei with its Android OS, some analysts projected the ban would cripple the Chinese tech giant's smartphone ambitions and competitiveness. "Now, the company (Huawei) is once again making its way back to the top. It's also venturing into new businesses," said a CNN report. Apple's new iPhone 16 failed to excite investors with long-expected artificial intelligence (AI) features still in test mode even as an industry-first tri-fold phone from Huawei raised the stakes in a battle to dominate the global smartphone market, said a Reuters report. The rise of foldable smartphones reflects a growing consumer demand for more flexible and innovative form factors, said analysts. In the coming years, foldable smartphones are likely to become more mainstream, potentially reducing the cost barrier and driving higher adoption rates across global markets. "As screen technology advances and consumer expectations evolve, devices like the Mate XT showcase the future of mobile design -- where functionality and aesthetics converge," said a report on technology.org, a science and technology news website. AI integration is another key trend shaping the future of mobile technology. From image editing to real-time translations, AI is becoming a core differentiator in smartphones. "The Mate XT's advanced AI features illustrate the growing importance of artificial intelligence in everyday devices, both for enhancing user experience and also for transforming how we interact with technology," said the tech news website. Emergency responders in the Czech Republic and Poland were grappling with flooding on Saturday while Austria declared some areas disaster zones amid historic rainfall in central Europe and as forecasters warned that worse is ahead. The first villages were evacuated in the Czech Republic and Poland, and communities in Austria have been declared disaster areas. In Romania, at least four people died in the floods after heavy rainfall. Emergency forces in the Czech Republic and Poland, along with parts of Austria, have been preparing for severe weather since Friday. Heavy rains in the Czech Republic led the Elbe river to rise, with the Czech weather service reporting up to 170 millimetres of precipitation in the worst affected regions in the previous 24 hours. Authorities have issued the highest flood alert level in around 35 locations, Czech news agency CTK reported. More than 60,000 households have been left without electricity, CTK also reported, citing energy suppliers. The north-western administrative region of Usti nad Labem bordering Germany is worst affected, with more than 20,000 households temporarily affected by power outages due to trees falling on overhead powerlines amid the strong winds. In Prague, preparations for the expected flooding of the Vltava river were in full swing, with flood barriers being erected along the river banks. Shipping traffic has been suspended. A hospital in Brno was evacuating 180 patients to other facilities, the management said. Ambulance services and the fire brigade helped transport patients as the Svratka River continues to rise and water entered the basement where the power supply is located. Meanwhile, the mayor of the Spindleruv Mlyn resort in the Giant Mountains recommended all tourists and visitors leave town as the Elbe river looks set to burst its banks and the access road could be flooded. The highest flood alert level was also in effect at more than 40 other gauging stations nationwide with areas around Jesenik in the Altvater Mountains in the east and Frydlant in northern Bohemia worst affected. The authorities declared an emergency situation in the eastern region of Moravian-Silesia and a flow rate of 800 cubic metres of water per second was expected in Prague during the course of the day. Water levels in rivers in the Czech Republic are expected to rise further over the weekend, meteorologists warned, with the peak expected in Prague on Sunday morning. Poland hit by flooding Across the border in south-western Poland, Krakow is also struggling after the heavy rainfall, and city officials offered people sandbags at 28 locations to protect their homes. Public transport in Krakow was temporarily disrupted after several underpasses in the centre were flooded and trams and buses were temporarily diverted. In Jarnoltowek, near Mikulovice, meteorologists recorded rainfall reaching 161.5 millimetres, leading its mayor to order the evacuation of the village and two further communities along the Zloty Polok river. Some 400 residents of the nearby village of Glucholazy also had to be evacuated. Interior Minister Tomasz Simoniak visited the scene, posting pictures of rescue efforts on X. Some 100 firefighters and 60 police officers had been deployed to the village, he said. "The situation has come to a head in just a few minutes. We really don't have much time," Simoniak warned after a meeting of the crisis management team in Nysa. "The next 24 to 36 hours will be the most difficult." Some of the residents of the village of Morow also had to be evacuated because the Mora river burst its banks there. The fire department responded to a total of 400 calls in the region. Since Friday morning, more rain has fallen in south-west Poland than during the so-called millennium flood of 1997, and the alert level has been exceeded at 47 gauging stations across the country. Prime Minister Donald Tusk appealed to citizens in the evening to get to safety in good time. Once-in-a-century floods expected in Austria Austrian emergency authorities declared 12 municipalities to be disaster zones after persistent heavy rainfall. In the Waldviertel region, around 120 kilometres north-west of Vienna, the floods are expected to reach levels generally seen only once in a century. "The coming hours will be the moment of truth for flood protection and a massive test for our emergency services and many of our fellow citizens," said governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner. In the Waldviertel region in particular, we expect challenges of historic proportions. The emergency services are preparing to evacuate people to safety as a precaution amid fears the Ottenstein reservoir could overflow. If this were the case, it would cause considerable flooding along the Kamp, a tributary of the Danube. Amid the rainfall, the ground is completely saturated, while the area is also being battered by heavy winds. Parts of eastern and southern Germany have also been battered by heavy rainfall, with the German Weather Service forecasting more storms to come. The level of the Vltava in Prague has risen sharply after extreme rainfall. Heavy continuous rain has led to flood alerts on many rivers and streams in the Czech Republic. ihova Michaela/CTK/dpa A car stands in the water under a railroad line in a flooded underpass. Heavy continuous rain has led to flood alerts on many rivers and streams in the Czech Republic. The highest warning level 3 ("danger") was in force at more than 25 gauging stations on Saturday morning. Water levels are expected to rise further over the weekend. Sznapka Petr/CTK/dpa A person with an umbrella looks at the Male River. Heavy continuous rain has led to flood alerts on many rivers and streams in the Czech Republic. Pancer Vaclav/CTK/dpa DAKOTA CITY, Neb. (KCAU) In the second day of the Jason Jones quadruple homicide trial, jurors saw the details of the crime scene up close as investigators testified. Day two of the trial began with a family member of the three Twifords who were killed. The family member said Gene Twiford had some cognitive issues, but was a friendly man. Sioux City mental health counselor charged with allegedly fraudulently billing insurance, Medicaid Nebraska State Patrol investigators then took the witness stand for several hours. State prosecutors introduced a series of crime scene photos, as well as video taken from inside and around the home of Michele Ebeling, the fourth of the victims Jones is accused of killing. State patrol investigator Tim Doggett was asked to identify exhibits and explain to the jury what they were seeing. Doggett made mention of items, including shell casings and a gas can, as well as the location and condition of Ebelings body. This is Ms. Ebeling rolled on to her left side, showing more of her burnt clothing and her blood on her backside shirt, Doggett said then. Fellow investigator Jeremy Hampton also spent considerable time on the witness stand, detailing information gained through ballistics as it relates to Ebeling. Milford man dies of injuries from motorcycle crash, police say Upon initial observation, I observed several areas of her body with varying degrees of burns, Hampton said. I observed what appeared to be a bullet hole in her forehead and one in the left chest area by the collarbone. Her clothes had burn marks on some of them and had been burned off. Hampton told jurors that based on gunpowder burns, the gun used in Michele Ebelings murder was approximately two feet away from the victim when it was fired. Testimony is scheduled to resume Monday at 9 a.m. in the Dakota County Courthouse. 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. Ex-Hochul, Cuomo aide accused of being Chinese spy went on White House tour while under fed investigation Its Ms. Sun goes to Washington. The alleged Chinese spy who infiltrated the New York governors office was able to get into the White House while under federal investigation, The Post has learned. Linda Suns tour of the Executive Mansion came just two months before the FBI raided her gaudy $3.5 million Long Island home as they wrapped up their case into her alleged work for Beijing. The May 8 visit was facilitated by Suns former boss Queens Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), the congresswomans office confirmed Friday. Sun a former high-ranking aide for Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo gushed about the jaunt to Washington DC in an emoji-filled Facebook post several days later. Linda Sun and her husband Chris Hu were indicted in Brooklyn federal court earlier this month. Paul Martinka Tour of the White House [check emoji], See our favorite Congresswoman [check emoji], Tour of the Capitol with our favorite Congresswoman [check emoji], Sun wrote in the May 10, 2024 missive, obtained by The Post. Her trip to the nations capital also included one other notable stop a visit to the International Spy museum, the post said. One of the photos included in the post shows a card from the museum labeled undercover mission. But at the time of the visit, Suns purported cover was about to be blown. A source confirmed that the former political operative was actively under investigation at the time. A Facebook post by Linda Sun says she and her family visited the International Spy Museum on a trip to D.C. in May. Obtained by NY Post Last week, Sun, 41, and her husband, Christopher Hu, 40, who also is listed on White House visitor logs, were slapped with sprawling charges of violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy. They have pleaded not guilty. Brooklyn federal prosecutors allege Sun used her position under Hochul and Cuomo to turn the governors office into a virtual mouthpiece for the Peoples Republic of China and Chinese Community Party. In exchange, she allegedly received gifts and millions of dollars in bribes which she and her hubby used to buy real estate, including their Manhasset mansion, and luxury cars like a 2024 Ferrari Roma. Sun joined the Cuomo administration, working as a liaison to Queens and the Asian American community, after a stint as Mengs chief of staff when the pol was first elected to the state Assembly in 2009. But the two apparently were in still in touch recently a spokesperson for the congresswoman said her office helped facilitate the White House tour, which is how such visits are commonly organized. Meng did not give Sun and her family a personal tour of the US Capitol, but the two did take a photo on the steps outside the House chamber, the rep noted. Obviously, nobody knew anything about what she is now accused of doing which continues to be deeply troubling and shocking, Mengs spokesperson wrote to The Post in a statement. If anything was known, her request would have clearly not been considered. The tour does not include the Oval Office, West Wing, interaction with officials or anything along those lines, the statement said. A spokesperson for the White House said the visit consisted of the standard tour given to members of the public White House visitors on such tours generally do not meet with officials though they do access sensitive areas that host official functions just one floor beneath the presidents bedroom. White House tours are museum visits that consist of a walking tour through historic rooms and do not include access to White House offices, personnel, or non-public information, a White House spokesperson said. Tours are available to any members of the public, through congressional offices, and this was arranged through that standard process, by Rep. Meng. Still, the visits raised eyebrows for intelligence and foreign influence hawks curious of how Sun wouldve gotten through US Secret Service background checks with the active probe into her and her husband. The Biden-Harris administration must crack down on tighter security controls on all federal government buildings, including the White House, to ensure Chinese and Russian operatives do not gain access, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Post. Michael Lucci, founder of State Armor, a group that advocates on issues involving foreign adversaries and state governments, said he was less concerned about the White House tour itself, and more about how information may or may not have been shared about the investigation into Sun. A spokesperson for Rep. Grace Meng called the indictment of Linda Sun troubling and shocking in a statement. AP It could be the case that shes a target of the investigation and to deny her access on what was possibly just a normal tour might have just thrown up a flag for her that they just didnt want to throw up yet, Lucci said. Lucci also questioned why federal authorities appeared not to have alerted the governors office when investigators first interviewed Sun and informed her about requirements of the Foreign Agents Registration Act in 2020. There needs to be better communication, Michael Lucci said of coordination between federal authorities and state governments. rfaraino There needs to be better communication, he said. If the FBI agents are telling her about obligations under FARA, in my opinion, they should say something to the governors office. Sun stayed on as a staffer in state government following the interview, bouncing around several other executive branch positions before being promoted to a deputy chief of staff under Hochul soon after the gov took office in 2021. The damning 64-page indictment laid out how Sun and her husband received lavish gifts from Chinese officials as she used her position as a mid to upper level staffer in New York government to help advance Chinas agenda. The charges detail how Sun worked to stop state officials from recognizing Taiwan as an independent nation and at one point falsified Hochuls signature to help facilitate Chinese nationals entries into the US. Meng, one of New Yorks most prominent Asian American elected officials, took the opportunity to condemn Chinese influence campaigns, but also cautioned against stereotyping. Congresswoman Meng condemns public corruption and firmly opposes any effort by a foreign government to influence or undermine American society and democracy, Mengs spokesperson wrote. For too long, Asian Americans have often been viewed as not real Americans and continue to have their loyalty questioned. The Congresswoman believes that cases like these must not further fuel those harmful stereotypes and paint the entire Asian American community with one broad brush, the rep said. Additional reporting by Joshua Christenson Ex-teacher accused of sex crimes may be escaping to Yosemite, deputies say Ex-teacher accused of sex crimes may be escaping to Yosemite, deputies say FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) A former elementary school teacher facing charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a child could be escaping to Yosemite National Park after missing his court date in Santa Barbara County, according to the Fresno County Sheriffs Office. Deputies say they are looking for 54-year-old Steven Carl Schapansky, who was reported missing in Fresno on Wednesday. Schapnasky was due in a Santa Barbara County courtroom on Friday to face the two felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and 70 misdemeanor counts of electronic peeping, but he did not show up. 54-year-old Steven Carl Schapansky (image courtesy of the Fresno County Sheriffs Office) According to YourCentralValley.coms sister station KTLA, 54-year-old Steven Carl Schapansky was accused of recording minors undressing, including students at the school he taught at: Santa Barbara Charter School. Schapansky had taught fifth and sixth grade at the charter school. The Fresno County Sheriffs Office says Schapansky was last seen in Fresno on Wednesday riding a 2021 blue Honda Monkey motorcycle with a California license plate of 25H7377. It is believed that he is heading to Yosemite National Park. Man facing sex charges could be escaping to Yosemite, deputies say Schapansky is described as 6 foot 2 inches and 210 pounds. He has blue eyes and blonde hair and was last seen wearing a blue polo shirt, blue shorts and white shoes. Anyone who sees him is asked to contact the Fresno County Sheriffs Office at 559-600-3111. 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. Explainer: What is the constitutional amendment, Act 408? LOUISIANA (KTAL/KMSS)To save time at the polls, voters should know the proposed constitutional amendment for the November 5, 2024 presidential election. The Louisiana Secretary of State explained, Constitutional amendments are placed on statewide election dates as determined by the legislature. In November, Louisiana voters will decide if Act 408 becomes an amendment to the state constitution. Do you support an amendment to require that federal revenues received by the state generated from Outer Continental Shelf alternative or renewable energy production be deposited into the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund? The present constitution notes the State Treasurer must make annual deposits from federal revenues received by the state from Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas activity. According to the American Petroleum Institute 2020 report, in 2019, Louisianas oil and gas industry contributed $73.0 billion to state GDP. However, it also contributes to rising sea levels, increased carbon emissions affecting human and animal health, and land loss. The proposed amendment changes the language and adds other federal revenue to include alternative/renewable energy production sources, such as wind, solar, tidal, wave, and geothermal. Explainer: How accessible are the election polls, and do you need a lift? Louisianas Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) works to protect Louisianas coastal areas through coastal restoration projects, such as: Creating berms to block oil threatening Louisianas coast; monitoring land loss from dredging canals for oil and gas production, which have forced families to relocate; Protect the public and property from hurricane storm surge damage by levee and other improvements; Conserve and restore habitats such as the Atchafalaya Basin, which improves water quality for fish and other wildlife; And deploying resources from the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation and Development, and other state agencies to fight for the future of Louisianas coast. To see the CPRAs 2029 Coastal Master Plan. 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 KTALnews.com. Explanation finally revealed for viral image of man holding geese that fueled bizarre pet-eating claims in Ohio A viral photo of a man carrying two geese in Ohio fueled Donald Trumps wild, now-debunked conspiracy that Haitian migrants are eating pets in the state but turns out it was a wild goose chase. The Ohio Division of Wildlife told TMZ that the man was picking up the two geese that had been hit by a car in Columbus, which is about 45 minutes from Springfield, where Trump had previously claimed that migrants were chowing down on the birds. In order to collect a carcass, people need documentation from a county sheriff or wildlife officer, the wildlife organization explained, but according to the Franklin County Wildlife Office, this is not required for geese, meaning the man had a right to them. TMZ reported that there is no evidence that the man is Haitian, an immigrant or that he even intended to eat the geese. At a rally in Tucson, Arizona, this week, Trump dragged geese into his narrative. A recording of 911 calls show that residents are reporting that the migrants are walking off with the towns geese, Trump said. Theyre taking the geese. You know where the geese are? In the park, in the lake. And even walking off with their pets. Trump once again offered no evidence to support his claims. The Ohio Division of Wildlife told TMZ that the man was picking up the two geese that had been hit by a car in Columbus, which is about 45 minutes from Springfield (isitmeyourelooking4x/Reddit) The claims about geese come just days after the former president wildly pushed the false narrative about Haitian migrants eating pets as he faced off against Kamala Harris on stage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday for their first and likely only presidential debate. Local authorities had already debunked the lies even before Trump peddled the narrative on the debate stage, with Springfield police saying there is no credible evidence to support the allegations. Theyre eating the dogs. Theyre eating the cats. Theyre eating the pets of the people that live there, he said on Tuesday as Harriss expression flitted between shock and amusement. Haitian refugees in Springfield, Ohio say Donald Trumps inflammatory claims earlier this week while debating VP Kamala Harris have helped create a terrifying day-to-day reality for them (AP) Extreme, the vice president quipped in response, as 67 million ABC viewers watched on television. The rumors stemmed from a bizarre anecdote posted by Springfield local Erika Lee on a local Facebook group, where she alleged that a cat owner found her dead pet hanging from the tree ready to be skinned, butchered and eaten in a house said to be occupied by Haitian immigrants. Lee has since told NewsGuard that it was a tale that she heard fourth-hand, coming from a neighbors friends daughter whom she had never met. Extremists keep trying to sabotage the electrical grid. What would happen if they succeeded? (The Hill) Political extremists have attempted a number of attacks on electrical infrastructure and substations in recent years, with a goal of sowing chaos and civil conflict. The plots have repeatedly failed, however, and sociologists say that even if they do succeed, the kind of disasters they seek to create rarely result in members of the population turning on one another though they could prove costly, and deadly. In July, two former Marines, both active in an online neo-Nazi community, were sentenced to prison for a plot in which they stole military equipment from Camp Lejeune as part of an intended attack on a power substation in the Pacific Northwest. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the plotters, Liam Collins and Paul Kryscuk, conspired, prepared, and trained to attack Americas power grid in order to advance their violent white supremacist ideology. The year before, officials said they foiled another, similar plot, this one targeting the grid in Baltimore. The two alleged plotters, Sarah Beth Clendaniel and Brandon Russell, were described by the FBI as racially- or ethnically-motivated extremists, and officials said they targeted Baltimore in large part because of its status as a majority-Black city. Many plots of this kind are specifically motivated by accelerationism, the belief that creating conflict and unrest will hasten a broader societal clash, said Molly Conger, a researcher based in Charlottesville, Va., who covered the Collins-Kryscuk plot on her podcast, Weird Little Guys. What they think will happen is that, if theres a crisis, it will provide cover for violence, but it will also force normal people to engage in violence. And thats not what will happen, Conger said. Instead, she said, All that will happen is old people who need their oxygen machines will die, and it will cost the energy company a billion dollars. Blackouts resulting from other causes, such as natural disasters, have resulted in a number of deaths and costly damage in recent years. Winter Storm Uri, for example, caused widespread outages in Texas for multiple days in 2021 that left many Texans to confront unbearably cold indoor temperatures and posed a particular threat to residents with electronically powered medical equipment. Nearly 250 people died because of the storm and the resulting outages, which also caused tens of billions of dollars in estimated damages. If plots like the above had been enacted successfully, they could potentially have caused even more damage simply because they sought to inflict deliberate sabotage. The theory that sowing this kind of chaos could make the population turn on each other has recurred often in American culture. Charles Manson, for instance, believed the murders committed by his followers would spur Helter Skelter, a race war from which they would emerge to take control. Neo-Nazi James Masons correspondence with Manson acolyte Lynette Squeaky Fromme inspired his book Siege, a central text of accelerationism on the far right. The idea has also been portrayed in fiction: In the classic Twilight Zone episode The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, a power failure in a quiet suburb sets neighbor against neighbor. In a twist ending, the situation is revealed to be the result of a plot by alien invaders. However, experts say theres evidence that even if extremists successfully caused widespread blackouts, they wouldnt have the desired effect. Its never going to start a race war, but for some reason, they really think it will, Conger said. On the contrary, people affected by disasters frequently cooperate and care for one another to make up for any gaps in institutional infrastructure created by the disaster, a phenomenon sociologists call disaster solidarity. For example, in a study published in the journal Disasters, researchers found that in the months after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, Puerto Ricans affected by the storms organized around ad hoc leaders to provide mutual aid and determine who needed what and how to distribute it. The researchers also observed what they called counter-intuitive generosity from those who had suffered losses themselves. Theres a fair amount of evidence that theres an early period after a disaster when people are fairly cooperative, lead author Robert Schrauf, a professor of applied linguistics at Pennsylvania State University, told The Hill. They work together to recover [and] that generates a sense of euphoria, a brotherhood, were all in this together, that sort of thing. It becomes its own social capital. Much of that cooperative spirit tends to fade with time and return to the status quo, Schrauf said, but in the case of the hurricanes, it lasted at least three months. Much of that, he added, can be attributed to the fact that residents of the island could not easily leave, giving them few options but to work toward common goals. Plans like those of the extremists, he added, are also unlikely to work because disaster solidarity tends to involve forming a united front against outsiders, even seemingly benevolent ones like doctors who are new to the area. Conger said that the people behind these plots are likely not considering the sociological history of disaster fallout. Instead, theyre motivated by an almost religious conviction: They have faith in this idea of acceleration, like you might have faith in God. Their racist beliefs, she added, also make them more likely to assume the worst of residents of low-income minority communities, a perception she said has been aided by mainstream media coverage of disasters like Hurricane Katrina. The actual evidence doesnt bear that out, there was no widespread like uptick in violent criminal activity among the Black people of New Orleans after Katrina. That didnt actually happen, she said. But at a societal level, the average person probably does believe that the idea that [after a disaster] people are murdering and raping and stealing just because thats what they always wanted to do, but now they have the opportunity to do it. Ultimately, Conger said, the threat isnt that the people behind these plots will provoke the conflict they desire, its that they seek to take advantage of very real vulnerabilities in the grid. Supply chains are inelastic there is no warehouse full of extra transformers. These things are made to order. They take a year to make, she said. And so if someone were to successfully take out a bunch of these large transformers, it could be catastrophic. You only have to shoot up some of them, and this causes a cascading failure across the grid, she 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 Queen City News. A social media account run by Vice President Kamala Harris campaign has been repeatedly deceptive. The @KamalaHQ account, which has more than 1.3 million followers on the X social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has made a habit of misleadingly clipping and inaccurately captioning video clips to attack former President Donald Trump. The Harris campaign deploys @KamalaHQ as a kind of irreverent attack dog, using jocular posts to draw attention to controversial, incorrect, or dubious comments by Trump and his allies. But the account, which the Harris campaign calls its official rapid response page, has itself made inaccurate comments on multiple occasions. Below are eight examples of false or misleading video posts from the account since mid-August, including three from the latter part of this week. All of them have previously been highlighted by an anonymous rebuttal account called @KamalaHQLies, which itself has more than 268,000 followers. Misleadingly describing a Trump comment about his supporters An August 17 post from @KamalaHQ strongly suggested Trump had gotten confused about what state he was in during an event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The post said, Trump: Would that be okay, North Carolina? (He is in Pennsylvania). It included a six-second video clip in which Trump said, while pointing to his left, Would that be okay, North Carolina? I dont think so, right. The Harris campaign was explicit about its intentions in the version of the post it made on the Instagram @KamalaHQ account, saying, Donald Trump is lost and confused. But Trump was not lost or confused. The full video of the rally shows that earlier in the speech, Trump had pointed to the same spot on his left to acknowledge and then speak to a group of ardent supporters from North Carolina, eventually saying, Thank you very much. North Carolina! Later, in the moment shown by @KamalaHQ, he pointed to these supporters again and referred to them as North Carolina. He had not forgotten he was speaking in Pennsylvania. The Harris campaign declined to comment on this @KamalaHQ post. Deceptively clipping and misleadingly describing a Trump comment about immigration On Thursday, the @KamalaHQ account made a new attempt to suggest that Trump was confused about his location. Its post said, Trump: Pennsylvania, remember this when you have to go to vote (He is in Arizona). It included an eight-second clip of Trump saying in a Tucson speech, So Pennsylvania, remember this when you have to go to vote, okay, just remember this: 2,000% increase. This is a small The Instagram post of this remark, too, was more explicit than the X post; on Instagram, the Harris campaign added text over top the video that read, Trump forgets which state he is in (again). But Trump, again, had not forgotten which state he was in. The extended footage shows that the Harris campaign clipped out critical context: Trump was talking about immigration, a key topic in Arizona, and had just read a part of his prepared text about how a small Pennsylvania town has experienced a 2,000% increase in the population of Haitian migrants under Kamala Harris. He then added, So Pennsylvania, remember this when you have to go to vote, okay, just remember this: 2,000% increase, this is a small town; of all a sudden they got thousands of people. One could try to argue its odd for Trump to make a direct appeal to Pennsylvanians while speaking in Arizona. But Trumps remarks anywhere in the country are broadcast to voters everywhere in the country, and, regardless, @KamalaHQ eliminated the context that would allow people to develop an informed opinion on this remark. The Harris campaign declined to comment on this @KamalaHQ post. Deceptively clipping and misleadingly describing a Trump comment about his 2017 Charlottesville remark A Friday post from @KamalaHQ said, Trump says nothing was done wrong in Charlottesville in 2017 when neo-Nazis chanted Jews will not replace us and killed an innocent woman. The post included a 10-second clip of Trump telling reporters at a Friday event in California, like on Project 2025, I have no idea about had nothing to do with me, he didnt correct her, he knew that. Charlottesville nothing was done wrong. But the full video of Trumps California comments shows that the Harris campaign deceptively cut the clip right before Trump made clear he was not claiming that neo-Nazis in Charlottesville did nothing wrong or that the murder of innocent Charlottesville counterprotester Heather Heyer was not wrong. Rather, the full video shows, he was arguing that he did nothing wrong with his very fine people, on both sides comment in 2017 about the events in Charlottesville, which he has repeatedly insisted was not about white nationalists. Specifically, Trump was complaining that a moderator of the presidential debate on Tuesday, David Muir of ABC News, did not challenge how Harris described Trumps 2017 comments. We say Harris debate description of the 2017 comments was fair, but regardless, Trump was not defending murder on Friday. Here is Trumps full Friday remark, in which he invoked various Fox News hosts: I think he (Muir) corrected me 11 times. Of the 11 times, I dont think he had the right to correct me at all. Didnt correct her once. Like on Project 2025, I have no idea about had nothing to do with me, he didnt correct her, he knew that. Charlottesville nothing was done wrong. All you had to do is read my statement one more sentence and you wouldve seen that. Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Jesse (Watters), all of them, they Greg Gutfeld they all took that and they corrected it many times. But they keep coming with the same lies. Defending the @KamalaHQ post, the Harris campaign said in an email: Hes saying he did nothing wrong in relation to him saying very fine people who did what is described in the tweet. There are two problems with this. The post itself did not acknowledge that Trumps nothing wrong comment was about his own previous remark. And while theres a solid case that this 2017 very fine people comment was about some white nationalists, theres no basis for claiming it was about Heyers murderer in particular much less that Trumps nothing wrong comment on Friday was about this murderer. Deceptively clipping and inaccurately quoting a JD Vance quote about veterans health care On Thursday, the @KamalaHQ account posted a nine-second video clip of Sen. JD Vance, Trumps running mate, speaking in an interview. The account wrote: Q: Would you consider privatizing veterans health care? Vance: I think Id consider it. But Vance did not actually say I think Id consider it. A close listen to the clip reveals Vance actually said I think Id consider and And because @KamalaHQ clipped out the critical comments he made after the and, the Harris campaign didnt allow people to immediately learn just what Vance said he would consider. The extended Vance quote shows he said he would consider giving veterans greater flexibility to use private health care but that he does not want to eliminate federal health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). A public-private combination for veterans care was the general approach taken by President Barack Obama and then by Trump; its certainly not without critics, but its much less contentious than the idea of a total privatization. Heres the full Vance quote: I think Id consider and Donald Trump was really good at this, doesnt get enough credit for this particular innovation giving veterans more choice. Right? So lets say youre in a rural hospital. Your closest VA is 120 miles away. Why force a veteran to drive two-and-a-half hours to that VA facility when he can get cheaper and good care right in his backyard? Right? So I do think that we ought to open up choice and optionality for veterans. You know, I think that there is areas where the VA actually works very well, so I wouldnt say get rid of the whole thing. I would say give people more choice, I think youll save money in the process, youll also give veterans a lot more optionality. The Harris campaign defended the @KamalaHQ post. It argued in its email, Vance is suggesting he would consider privatizing VA functions. This is not misleading. Our caption does not say the whole VA health system. But the Harris campaign did not address the captions consider it misquote or explain why it cut the clip before people could hear Vance explain what he would consider. And if the Harris campaign wanted to claim Vance was talking about possibly privatizing certain VA functions, as it said in the email, it could have said that in the post rather than at very least leaving open the impression he was talking about privatizing the whole VA. Vance spokesperson William Martin said the Harris campaign is lying about what Vance said. Martin said Vance personally relied on the VA for years after leaving the Marine Corps, that Vance does not even want to privatize VA functions, and that giving veterans more options to voluntarily choose private care cannot be fairly described as privatizing even parts of the VA. Martin said: In the full exchange, Senator Vance clearly says he would not privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs. Deceptively clipping and falsely describing a Trump quote about penalties for damaging monuments The @KamalaHQ account frequently invokes Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation think tanks right-wing policy proposals for the next Republican administration. Project 2025 is not Trumps initiative, and he has said he disagrees with some of its proposals, but he has extensive ties to the initiative; you can read more here. An August 30 post from @KamalaHQ said, Trump says he plans to bring back laws from 100+ years ago, echoing Project 2025: We dont pass laws like that. They are tough. The post included a seven-second clip of Trump speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania. But the full video of the rally shows Trump was not even talking about Project 2025 or his future plans. Rather, Trump was telling his usual tale about how he supposedly signed a century-old law to give automatic 10-year prison sentences to people who were damaging monuments. Trumps story is false he didnt actually sign any law on monument-damage penalties or impose automatic 10-year sentences but its also false that he was echoing Project 2025 or announcing some plan for a next Trump administration. The Harris campaign defended this @KamalaHQ post by arguing that Trumps entire platform is about embracing tough policy of the past on various subjects. Thats another thin defense. The post made a specific claim about what Trump was supposedly saying in a specific video included in the post, and Trump wasnt actually saying that. Deceptively clipping and misleadingly describing a Trump comment about taxes A September 5 post from @KamalaHQ said, Trump tells his wealthy donors he is going to make his tax handouts for the ultra-wealthy permanent and cut their taxes even more. It included a 13-second clip of Trump saying, The fifth pillar of my plan is to make the Trump tax cuts permanent they are massive tax cuts, biggest ever, permanent and to cut taxes even more. But the full video of the speech shows the @KamalaHQ post cut the video clip right before Trump elaborated on what he meant by cutting taxes even more. The first two policies he mentioned were eliminating taxes on tips and eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits policies that, whatever their merits or flaws, would certainly benefit people who are not wealthy. (So did his 2017 tax cuts, which produced gains on average for people of all income levels although the wealthy gained most.) Also, this was not a speech to wealthy Trump donors alone. It was a speech to the nonpartisan Economic Club of New York, whose members include a broad array of business executives from the area; some attendees were wealthy Trump donors, but others were not. The very next day, the Harris campaign used the @KamalaHQ account to tout her own popularity among chief executives. The Harris campaign defended the post in question in part by noting that wealthy Trump donors were in attendance and in part by saying that one of the biggest policy announcements Trump made in speech was that he plans to try to lower the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15% (a reduction Trump said would be solely for companies that make their product in America). The Harris campaign said that no tax on tips and Social Security were not new. New or not, though, the @KamalaHQ clip clipped out those important words making Trumps comments on tax cuts sound more focused on the wealthy than they were. Cutting out critical words from a Vance comment about unions An August 29 post from @KamalaHQ said, Vance: Democrats want to attack Republicans as being anti-union and sometimes the shoe fits. It included a five-second clip of Vance saying those words. But the full video of Vances speech to the International Association of Fire Fighters union shows that the Harris account clipped out the critical remark Vance made next, arguably in the very same sentence. His full comment: A lot of Democrats want to attack Republicans as being anti-union and sometimes the shoe fits but not me, and not Donald Trump. He went on to outline actions he had taken to support firefighters. The Harris campaign said that this @KamalaHQ post was a direct quote of JD Vance; the campaign said the post is clearly meant to convey that Vance acknowledges Republicans have a history of being anti-union. But even direct quotes can be made misleading if they exclude the contextualizing words that came before or after the quote. If, for example, movie critic Sally Smith wrote, This director has a long history of making great films, but this one is awful, it would be a direct quote if an ad for the new movie said, Smith: This director has a long history of making great films. But that would also be deceptive. Falsely describing a comment from a Trump ally An August 28 post from @KamalaHQ said: Trump operative on Project 2025: If you have principles without power, its meaningless. We must wield power. We must seize power. The post included a 12-second clip of far-right activist and Trump ally Jack Posobiec saying in an interview, Now if you have all power and no principle youre a tyrant. But if you have principles without power, its meaningless, its completely meaningless. You must wield power. You must seize power. But as Posobiec accurately noted in response to the @KamalaHQ post, he never even mentioned Project 2025 in these comments. The words Project 2025 do not appear at all in a transcript of the full interview. The Harris campaign defended the @KamalaHQ post with a confusing stretch claiming Posobiecs comment is part of a larger Trump-Project 2025 agenda to fire civil servants who are not seen as Trump loyalists. Posobiec wasnt talking here about firing civil servants, and, regardless, the post made a specific claim that Posobiec was talking about Project 2025, which he was not. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Fact Check: No, Fisher-Price Doesn't Sell a 'My First Dealer Kit' for Children Claim: An image shared on social media in 2024 authentically showed a Fisher-Price "My First Dealer Kit" for children. Rating: Rating: Fake In early September 2024, social media users resurfaced a claim that toy company Fisher-Price was selling a "My First Dealer Kit." Items resembling a gray hoodie, firearm, cash and marijuana were included in the package. One Facebook user who shared an image of the purported kit wrote: "'My first dealer kit' by Fisher-Price Get em before they gone lol n yes they are real hahah." Similar posts also appeared in August on X, YouTube, Threads and 9GAG. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=857070469899566&set=a.133057992300821 Though the origin of the image was unclear, several indications such as some words being misspelled and the inconsistency of Fisher-Price's branding suggested it was made using generative artificial intelligence software. For this reason, we rated this claim and the image as "Fake." For example, the box read "Fisher Picce" instead of "Price" and "KT" instead of "KIT." Lettering and logos across the box were also misshapen or filled with nonsensical words and figures, which further suggested the image was created using AI software. (Snopes compilation) Online AI detection program Hive Moderation determined the post was 99.8% "likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content." (Hive Moderation) Mattel, the parent company of Fisher-Price, did not include such a product on its online inventory list as of this writing. We asked Mattel for comment and will update this article if we receive a response. Snopes has previously looked into other fake children's products, such as the "My First Vape" toy, a "Happy Hour Playset," the "My First Hookah" and a Fisher-Price "My First Seance" kit. Sources: Evon, Dan. "Is 'My First Hookah' a Real Toy?" Snopes, 16 Dec. 2021, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/is-my-first-hookah-a-real-toy/. Hive Moderation. https://hivemoderation.com/ai-generated-content-detection. Accessed 3 Sept. 2024. LaCapria, Kim. "Fisher Price Happy Hour Playset." Snopes, 7 Dec. 2016, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/fisher-price-happy-hour-playset/. MacGuill, Dan. "Is the 'My First Vape' Children's Toy Real?" Snopes, 11 Sept. 2017, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/my-first-vape-toy/. "Search: 0 Results Found for '"My First de Fer Kit."'" Mattel Shop, https://shop.mattel.com/search?q=%22my+first+de+fer+kit%22. Accessed 3 Sept. 2024. Threads. https://www.threads.net/@official5starfranchise/post/C-s64o3y2Oo. Accessed 3 Sept. 2024. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qepm290Jubg. Accessed 3 Sept. 2024. Claim: Police audio confirmed reports of Haitians hunting geese in Springfield, Ohio, in 2024. Rating: Rating: False Context: A call to the Clark County Sheriff's Department regarding four alleged Haitians carrying dead geese would not be confirmation of "Haitian goose-hunting," even if verified. Regardless, authorities could not verify the complaint's claims. The claim promoted by 2024 Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump on Sep. 10, 2024, that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were stealing and eating pets is entirely unfounded, as Snopes previously reported. Later reporting revealed it was based on third-hand information posted to a private Facebook group by someone who later admitted, "I'm not sure I'm the most credible source." That Facebook post, shared by Trump's vice-presidential running mate JD Vance, combined pet-based allegations with claims that the Haitian community was "hunting" waterfowl in a public parks. A viral video of podcaster and Springfield resident Anthony Harris speaking at an Aug. 27, 2024, Springfield City Commission meeting made reference to this as well. "They're in the park, grabbing up ducks by the neck and cutting their heads off and eating them," Harris claimed, among other things. Following Snopes' original fact-check of these claims, conservative outlet The Federalist published what it described as "police audio" that "confirm[ed] Haitian goose-hunting in Ohio." While this audio is a legitimate recording of a complaint made to the Clark County Sheriff's Department, it is like any single report made to law enforcement not a "confirmation" of anything. The complaint itself did not include a claim of someone witnessing any "hunting," and the sheriff's department, as well as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, were unable to verify the claim or locate the individuals or their alleged connection to the Haitian community. In this article, Snopes reviews reporting that has uncovered the backstory behind this police complaint and explains why this purported evidence falls significantly short of verifying the inflammatory claims that have led to multiple bomb threats against schools and public buildings in Springfield, Ohio. The Police Report The call to police on which The Federalist reported was placed on Aug. 26, 2024 a day before the meeting in which the viral Anthony Harris video originated. The incident involved a man later identified by journalist Steven Monacelli as someone identifying himself as "Toby", who reported seeing four Haitians returning to the street from a bike path with each of them holding a goose: CCC: Clark County Communications? Toby: Yes ma'am. I got a question. This is a non-emergency line, correct? CCC: Yes it is. Toby: Okay. I'm sitting here, I'm riding on the trail, going to my orientation for my job today, and I see a group of Haitian people. There was about four of them. They all had geese in their hands. They got away. I couldn't make out the first three of the license plate [...] it was a gray Toyota Tacoma they took off on. There was about four of them. There was two men, two women. The reported location was near the entrance to a bike path by a river that connects, two miles to the west, with Snyder Park, a location referenced in an early viral posts about Haitians: Monacelli independently acquired audio and information regarding this complaint, which The Federalist redacted in its own reporting, allowing him enough information to identify and speak with the caller. In an interview with Monacelli, Toby said he filed the report because he said it was illegal to hunt geese without a permit. "I was just reporting [a potential crime] like anyone else," he told Monacelli. The Clark County Sheriff's Department told Monacelli that it "had no other information to provide on this call or possible outcomes as this was our only record of the incident." Local news outlet The Springfield News-Sun reported that law enforcement eventually forwarded the complaint to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), which could not substantiate the claim. At a county commission's meeting on Sep. 10, 2024, the News-Sun reported, Clark County Commissioner Sasha Rittenhouse said that, "No videos have surfaced, no pictures have surfaced, no dead geese have surfaced; there's nothing to substantiate that it's happening." [Clark County Commissioner Sasha] Rittenhouse said she rode with an ODNR staffer last Thursday to look into some claims about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating geese and ducks, and learned that nothing came out of the call, with there being no evidence. At the same meeting, Clark County Sheriff's Office Major Scott Cultice said that "he and another employee at the Clark County Combined Dispatch Center went through 11 months of call records Tuesday to check for reports on these matters, and the Aug. 26 call was the only one he was able to verify that had been made." What The Police Report Does Not Prove Though viral videos reference multiple people placing calls about this behavior, Toby's report is the only record of anything approaching the allegations leveled against the Haitian community. Taken at face value, Toby's testimony would provide first-hand evidence only of four individuals carrying dead geese. The complaint, even if verified, would not provide evidence of "hunting," though. That is a conclusion Toby arrived at on his own. Further, the complaint, even if verified, would not provide evidence of Haitian immigrants being involved. That, too, is a conclusion arrived at by Toby. The evidence provided by Toby is also a far cry from the rumors that formed on Facebook and spread thanks to amplification by right-wing influencers, Vance, and Trump that Haitians were [butchering] dogs and "doing it at Snyder Park with the ducks & geese." The person who wrote the original Facebook post referencing cat killing said that this Snyder Park information came from "Rangers & police." It is possible, then, that this portion of the rumor stems in some way from the ODNR ride-along described by Rittenhouse at the Sept. 10 meeting. If that is the case, it would not amount to independent confirmation of the claim, but would instead be a distortion of this same complaint by Toby that led the ODNR "rangers," perhaps to look into the matter. The Bottom Line The Federalist, Trump, Vance, and an army of other pro-Trump social media influencers, are arguing that this single complaint regarding what may have been a hunting-permit violation "confirms" allegations of "Haitian goose-hunting." Even if everything Toby witnessed was factual, his testimony would not confirm "goose-hunting." It would confirm only that four people were carrying four dead geese away from a river. Because this unsubstantiated report would not confirm these charges as reported, and because one person's allegations to a non-emergency police line would not on its own constitute evidence of anything, the claim that Toby's report to police "confirms" Haitian geese hunting in Springfield is "False." Sources: "County: No Evidence of August Claim That Haitians Took Geese at Springfield Park." Springfield-News-Sun, https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/county-no-evidence-of-august-claim-that-haitians-took-geese-at-springfield-park/NFRGJNURHREGHB32HBC6UKZJWQ/. Accessed 13 Sept. 2024. D'Angelo, Alec. "The Origins of Trump's Ohio Pets Conspiracy." New Lines Magazine, 11 Sept. 2024, https://newlinesmag.com/spotlight/the-origins-of-trumps-ohio-pets-conspiracy/. Justice, Tristan. "Exclusive: Police Audio Confirms Haitian Goose Hunting In Ohio." The Federalist, 11 Sept. 2024, https://thefederalist.com/2024/09/10/exclusive-police-audio-report-confirm-haitian-goose-hunting-in-ohio-they-all-had-geese-in-their-hands/. Kasprak, Alex. "No Evidence Haitian Immigrants Are Eating Ducks, Geese or Pets in Springfield, Ohio." Snopes, 10 Sept. 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/cats-ducks-haitians-springfield/. ---. "Video Footage and News Headlines Don't Document Haitian Immigrant Eating Cat in Springfield, Ohio." Snopes, 12 Sept. 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/video-headlines-immigrants-eating-cats/. NewsGuard. Triple Hearsay: Original Sources of the Claim That Haitians Eat Pets in Ohio Admit No First-Hand Knowledge. https://www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/origins-haitians-eating-pets-claim. Accessed 13 Sept. 2024. Actresses perform at a celebration event, dubbed "Ode to the Moon," in Mexico City, Mexico, Sept. 12, 2024. The celebration, hosted by the China Culture Center in Mexico City and Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, lasted from Sept. 11 to 13, during which the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra and the Opera and Dance Theater of Sichuan Province staged wonderful performances. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) Actresses perform at a celebration event, dubbed "Ode to the Moon," in Mexico City, Mexico, Sept. 12, 2024. The celebration, hosted by the China Culture Center in Mexico City and Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, lasted from Sept. 11 to 13, during which the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra and the Opera and Dance Theater of Sichuan Province staged wonderful performances. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) Actresses perform at a celebration event, dubbed "Ode to the Moon," in Mexico City, Mexico, Sept. 12, 2024. The celebration, hosted by the China Culture Center in Mexico City and Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, lasted from Sept. 11 to 13, during which the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra and the Opera and Dance Theater of Sichuan Province staged wonderful performances. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) Actresses perform at a celebration event, dubbed "Ode to the Moon," in Mexico City, Mexico, Sept. 12, 2024. The celebration, hosted by the China Culture Center in Mexico City and Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, lasted from Sept. 11 to 13, during which the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra and the Opera and Dance Theater of Sichuan Province staged wonderful performances. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) Actresses perform at a celebration event, dubbed "Ode to the Moon," in Mexico City, Mexico, Sept. 12, 2024. The celebration, hosted by the China Culture Center in Mexico City and Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, lasted from Sept. 11 to 13, during which the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra and the Opera and Dance Theater of Sichuan Province staged wonderful performances. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) Actresses perform at a celebration event, dubbed "Ode to the Moon," in Mexico City, Mexico, Sept. 12, 2024. The celebration, hosted by the China Culture Center in Mexico City and Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, lasted from Sept. 11 to 13, during which the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra and the Opera and Dance Theater of Sichuan Province staged wonderful performances. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) Actresses perform at a celebration event, dubbed "Ode to the Moon," in Mexico City, Mexico, Sept. 12, 2024. The celebration, hosted by the China Culture Center in Mexico City and Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, lasted from Sept. 11 to 13, during which the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra and the Opera and Dance Theater of Sichuan Province staged wonderful performances. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin) Family of missing Southern California woman pleading for help in locating beloved matriarch The family of an Orange County woman is turning to the public for help in locating her after she disappeared almost two weeks ago. Geetaben Patel, 58, was last seen around 2:15 p.m. on Sept. 2 near Santa Margarita Lane and Del Sol Circle in La Palma, according to CHP. A Silver Alert was issued by CHP on Sept. 5 that listed Patel, who is diagnosed with schizophrenia, as standing 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighing 120 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a dark blue shirt with pink and purple pajama bottoms. Rescue cat missing after cage breaks at LAX Patels son told KTLA that he and his family are worried because she is without her medication, and due to the high temperatures that recently scorched the area, there is a higher chance she could have fallen ill. She left without her wallet, phone or anything that would aid in tracking her, he added. Geetaben Patel as seen in family photos. Geetaben Patel as seen in a family photo. Geetaben Patel as seen in family photos. Geetaben Patel as seen in a family photo. Geetaben Patel as seen in a family photo. La Palma Police Department Detective James Roche confirmed that they have received no leads or tips from anyone in the 12 days Patel has been missing. Surveillance footage from the area has turned up no sight of her either, Detective Roche said. Southern California grocery store shut down after suspect releases irritant Family and friends of the beloved woman are gathering in La Palma on Saturday and forming a search party that will go door to door looking for her. Anyone with information on Geetaben Patels whereabouts is urged to contact the La Palma Police Department. Sofia Pop Perez contributed to this report. 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. Family of Tyre Nichols: Congress has blood on its hands for holding up police reform The family of Tyre Nichols said Congress is responsible for Black Americans who have died at the hands of police following inaction on police reform. In an emotional address to the press on Friday, RowVaughn Wells, Nicholss mother, joined civil rights attorney Ben Crump, Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) and other families who lost loved ones to police violence to demand why police reform has stalled. Back in 2020 when George Floyd was killed in front of everyones eyes, in front of the world, we thought that because the world saw this that our babies would not die from police brutality again, Wells said. But three years later, my son Tyre Nichols was murdered by five Memphis police officers. He was beaten to death. I want to say to Congress: All these kids and all our kids that are being murdered their blood is on your hands. Three of the five former police officers involved in Nicholss death are currently on trial in Memphis. Since the 2020 murder of Floyd, Democrats in the House have tried to pass sweeping police reform. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which would make it easier for the federal government to successfully prosecute police misconduct cases, eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement and ban the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants was amended to include the Tyre Nichols Duty to Intervene Act. But legislation has stalled repeatedly in Congress. We havent had systematic police reform in the United States of America since Lyndon Baines Johnsons Great Society legislation in the 1960s, Crump said. Since at least the 1980s, and the beating of Rodney King, brutalized Black Americans have hoped for systematic police reform, he added. Instead, others including Floyd, Nichols and Michael Brown have since been killed. I can only fathom, had we got that reform, how many families up here like Sonya Masseys and others would have been spared their loved one becoming another hashtag? Crump said. How many more exhibits, America, do we have to give you before we have some reform on these officers? The Georgia Floyd Justice in Policing Act was reintroduced most recently this year by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), who died in July. Though its been unclear who will take up the mantle after Jackson Lee, Vice President Harris has vowed to sign the legislation if she wins in November. Horsford, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said that the caucus would come together to ensure the bill passes. As chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, our message to the families is that we want all of you to know that we are still fighting, that we are still working and we will not stop fighting for you or the loss of your loved ones until the legislation is passed, Horsford 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. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The family of Tyler Thompson Jr. has released a statement regarding his death penalty sentencing handed down by a military court in Congo on Friday. Read the statement in full below: We are heartbroken over the verdict from the DRC: Tyler has been sentenced to death by a military tribunal, as have the two other Americans that were charged and convicted. We continue to believe in Tylers innocence and will be pursuing all possible appellate remedies. We urge all who have supported Tyler and the family throughout this process to write to your Congressmen and request their assistance in bringing him home. Thank you for standing with us. Many have reached out as the recent news has been reported. We are grateful for the kindness and support during the past months. At this time, we ask that our familys privacy be respected as we navigate this situation and determine our next steps. Skye Lazaro, Ray, Quinney & Nebeker, PC. Attorney for Tyler Thompson and the Thompson family PREVIOUSLY 2 Utahns are facing death penalty in Congo: A historical perspective on US citizens executed by foreign countries The Congolese military court handed down death sentences Friday to 37 people, including three Americans, after convicting them on charges of participating in a coup attempt. Six people were killed during the botched coup attempt led by the little-known opposition figure Christian Malanga in May that targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi. Malanga was fatally shot while resisting arrest soon after live-streaming the attack on his social media, the Congolese army said. Malangas 21-year-old son Marcel Malanga, who is a U.S. citizen, and two other Americans, were convicted in the coup attempt. He told the court that his father had forced him and his high school friend to take part in the attack. Thompson Jr., 21, flew to Africa from Utah with the younger Malanga for what his family believed was a free vacation, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36, is reported to have known Christian Malanga through a gold mining company. The company was set up in Mozambique in 2022, according to an official journal published by Mozambiques government, and a report by the Africa Intelligence newsletter. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters in Washington on Friday that the federal government was aware of the verdict. The department has not declared the three Americans wrongfully detained, making it unlikely that U.S. officials would try to negotiate their return. We understand that the legal process in the DRC allows for defendants to appeal the courts decision, Miller said. Embassy staff have been attending these proceedings as theyve gone through the process. We continue to attend the proceedings and follow the developments closely. Thompsons family maintains he had no knowledge of the elder Malangas intentions, no plans for political activism and didnt even plan to enter Congo. He and the Malangas were meant to travel only to South Africa and Eswatini, his stepmother, Miranda Thompson, told The Associated Press. Utahs U.S. Sens. Mitt Romney and Mike Lee have not publicly urged the U.S. government to advocate for the Americans release. My thoughts are with the families during this difficult time, Lee told the AP on Friday. We will continue to work with the State Department to receive updates on this case. This is an extremely difficult and frightening situation for the families involved, Romney spokesperson Dilan Maxfield said. Our office has consistently engaged with the State Department and will continue to do so. Last month, the military prosecutor, Lt. Col. Innocent Radjabu, called on the judge to sentence all of the defendants to death, except for one who suffers from psychological problems. Congo reinstated the death penalty earlier this year, lifting a more than two-decade-old moratorium, as authorities struggle to curb violence and militant attacks in the country. The countrys penal code allows the president to designate the method of execution. Past executions of militants in Congo have been carried out by firing squad. 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. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The family of Tyler Thompson Jr. has released a statement regarding his death penalty sentencing handed down by a military court in Congo on Friday. Read the statement in full below: More Local News We are heartbroken over the verdict from the DRC: Tyler has been sentenced to death by a military tribunal, as have the two other Americans that were charged and convicted. We continue to believe in Tylers innocence and will be pursuing all possible appellate remedies. We urge all who have supported Tyler and the family throughout this process to write to your Congressmen and request their assistance in bringing him home. Thank you for standing with us. Many have reached out as the recent news has been reported. We are grateful for the kindness and support during the past months. At this time, we ask that our familys privacy be respected as we navigate this situation and determine our next steps. Skye Lazaro, Ray, Quinney & Nebeker, PC. Attorney for Tyler Thompson and the Thompson family The Congolese military court handed down death sentences Friday to 37 people, including three Americans, after convicting them on charges of participating in a coup attempt. Six people were killed during the botched coup attempt led by the little-known opposition figure Christian Malanga in May that targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi. Malanga was fatally shot while resisting arrest soon after live-streaming the attack on his social media, the Congolese army said. Malangas 21-year-old son Marcel Malanga, who is a U.S. citizen, and two other Americans, were convicted in the coup attempt. He told the court that his father had forced him and his high school friend to take part in the attack. Thompson Jr., 21, flew to Africa from Utah with the younger Malanga for what his family believed was a free vacation, and Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, 36, is reported to have known Christian Malanga through a gold mining company. The company was set up in Mozambique in 2022, according to an official journal published by Mozambiques government, and a report by the Africa Intelligence newsletter. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters in Washington on Friday that the federal government was aware of the verdict. The department has not declared the three Americans wrongfully detained, making it unlikely that U.S. officials would try to negotiate their return. We understand that the legal process in the DRC allows for defendants to appeal the courts decision, Miller said. Embassy staff have been attending these proceedings as theyve gone through the process. We continue to attend the proceedings and follow the developments closely. Thompsons family maintains he had no knowledge of the elder Malangas intentions, no plans for political activism and didnt even plan to enter Congo. He and the Malangas were meant to travel only to South Africa and Eswatini, his stepmother, Miranda Thompson, told The Associated Press. More Local News Utahs U.S. Sens. Mitt Romney and Mike Lee have not publicly urged the U.S. government to advocate for the Americans release. My thoughts are with the families during this difficult time, Lee told the AP on Friday. We will continue to work with the State Department to receive updates on this case. This is an extremely difficult and frightening situation for the families involved, Romney spokesperson Dilan Maxfield said. Our office has consistently engaged with the State Department and will continue to do so. Last month, the military prosecutor, Lt. Col. Innocent Radjabu, called on the judge to sentence all of the defendants to death, except for one who suffers from psychological problems. Congo reinstated the death penalty earlier this year, lifting a more than two-decade-old moratorium, as authorities struggle to curb violence and militant attacks in the country. The countrys penal code allows the president to designate the method of execution. Past executions of militants in Congo have been carried out by firing squad. 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. Milly Fyfe, who produces social media content when not farming, is seen interviewing the NFU President Tom Bradshaw [Tim Scrivener] A woman who is a farmer, blogger and marketing adviser is one of the finalists in a prestigious national awards scheme. Milly Fyfe from Yelvertoft in Northamptonshire is up for the content creator accolade in this year's British Farming Awards. She set up a blog and podcast four years ago, and it includes ideas for simple meals for busy families using British ingredients. She is the only female finalist in the category and said being chosen was "absolutely phenomenal". The British Farming Awards "recognise British farmers and agricultural businesses for their commitment, resilience and innovation to an industry that consistently serves the nation". Ms Fyfe multi-tasks as a farmer, PR and marketing consultant, blogger, podcaster and writer. She set up her community interest company, No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents, to provide recipe ideas using ingredients produced in the UK. She said: "Being recognised as a finalist in a competition such as this has been absolutely phenomenal because I've been focussing for a little while on 'No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents', and to be recognised for the work that I'm doing, helping to provide a connection between food grown in the UK and how to make tasty meals from scratch, it's the recognition that I'd really hoped for. "I continue to want to make a difference within the community not only locally but also throughout the UK, so to have this recognition is amazing." She said the award selection process had involved an online interview with the judges as well as a written submission. Johnny Wake from Courteenhall Farms is also up for an award [Oliver Conopo/BBC] Johnny Wake from Courteenhall Farms in south Northamptonshire, will be joining Ms Fyfe on awards night as he is a finalist in the sustainable farmer category. The ceremony takes place in Birmingham on 17 October. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Related internet links CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) A first grade student at New River Primary in Fayette County was the $5,000 Grand Prize Winner of the 17th Annual 2024 SMART529 When I Grow Up essay contest. Academy Sports & Outdoors hosted a giveaway to local kids in Raleigh County According to a press release from the West Virginia State Treasurers Office, Emma Stover was recognized for this achievement during a special ceremony at the Culture Center in Charleston on Friday, September 13, 2024. The press release continued by saying that 15 regional student winners attended the awards ceremony with their families to be recognized and read their winning essays. Stover was one of these winners and was randomly selected as the grand prize winner during the ceremony. She wrote about her dream of being a teacher. The annual When I Grow Up essay contest is a tremendous event that allows children to get together with their parents to talk about their future career dreams, and then help them start preparing to achieve them. This contest is always heartwarming and inspiring, because it gives you a chance to hear what our children are aspiring to become. I congratulate all of these students for sharing their dreams of the future, said State Treasurer Riley Moore. A total of 3,315 West Virginia students submitted essays this year for the contest. Students from three different age groups, which included kindergarten through first grade, second through third grade, and fourth through fifth grade were judged in each of the five geographic regions, which came out to 15 regional winners. $500 was given to each winner to make a SMART529 account and an additional $4,500 was given to the grand prize winner. Each winners school will also be awarded $500 to support school programs. Two WVU nursing students honored at special signing ceremony on WVU Tech campus The following are the winners and their dream jobs for the 2024 When I Grow Up Contest (it should be noted that the students have moved up a grade since they entered the contest): Region One: Emma Stover, Kindergarten at New River Primary in Fayette County Teacher Gage Cline, 2 nd Grade at Shady Spring Elementary in Raleigh County Chef Piper Brady, 5th Grade at Stanaford Elementary in Raleigh County Author Region Two: Keira Spaulding, Kindergarten at Crum PK-8 in Wayne County Paleontologist & Museum Owner Ava Metz, 3 rd Grade at Eastbrook Elementary in Putnam County Egyptologist Charles Charlie Davis, 5th Grade at Holz Elementary in Kanawha County Computer Programmer Region Three: Carson Wray, 1 st Grade at Nutter Fort Primary in Harrison County Animation Designer Theodore Teddy Metz, 3 rd Grade at Philippi Elementary in Barbour County Plumber Morgan Hayhurst, 5th Grade at Covenant Christian School in Monongalia County Astrophysicist Region Four: Felicity LaMora, 1 st Grade at Beverly Elementary in Randolph County Teacher Oforiwaa Amofah-Yeboah, 3 rd Grade at Orchard View Intermediate in Berkeley County Scientist Edith Ellsworth, 4th Grade at Orchard View Intermediate in Berkeley County Special Education Teacher Region Five: Cullen Gregory, 1 st Grade at New Manchester Elementary in Hancock County Movie Director Eliana Pentino, 2 nd Grade at Steenrod Elementary in Ohio County Veterinarian Madison Reiner, 4th Grade at Lubeck Elementary in Wood County Wolf Biologist Teachers for kindergarten through fifth grade also had the chance to compete in the contest for the teacher portion. The teacher that won this year was awarded a $2,500 cash prize. 2024 When I Grow Up Statewide Teacher Winner: Mrs. Saida Chaieb, Kindergarten Teacher at Spring Hill Elementary, Cabell County The When I Grow Up student and teacher essay contests are sponsored by SMART529, Hartford Funds and the West Virginia State Treasurers Office. These sponsors promote the awareness of SMART529 and the need for funding and savings for education. Governor Justice announces record-breaking tourism growth in West Virginia SMART529 is a tuition program managed by the Board of Trustees of the West Virginia College and Jumpstart Savings Programs. They get money from Hartford Funds. For more information, visit www.SMART529.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 WVNS. FILE - A flare burns natural gas at an oil well in Watford City, N.D., on Aug. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File) BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) A federal judge in North Dakota has temporarily blocked a new Biden administration rule aimed at reducing the venting and flaring of natural gas at oil wells. At this preliminary stage, the plaintiffs have shown they are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim the 2024 Rule is arbitrary and capricious, U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor ruled Friday, the Bismarck Tribune reported. North Dakota, along with Montana, Texas, Wyoming and Utah, challenged the rule in federal court earlier this year, arguing that it would hinder oil and gas production and that the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management is overstepping its regulatory authority on non-federal minerals and air pollution. The bureau says the rule is intended to reduce the waste of gas and that royalty owners would see over $50 million in additional payments if it was enforced. But Traynor wrote that the rules "add nothing more than a layer of federal regulation on top of existing federal regulation. When pumping for oil, natural gas often comes up as a byproduct. Gas isn't as profitable as oil, so it is vented or flared unless the right equipment is in place to capture. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is a climate super pollutant that is many times more potent in the short term than carbon dioxide. Well operators have reduced flaring rates in North Dakota significantly over the past few years, but they still hover around 5%, the Tribune reported. Reductions require infrastructure to capture, transport and use that gas. North Dakota politicians praised the ruling. The Biden-Harris administration continuously attempts to overregulate and ultimately debilitate North Dakotas energy production capabilities, state Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in a statement. The Bureau of Land Management declined comment. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) The U.S. Department of Labor said a federal jury in Kansas has awarded $957,324 in back wages for 168 workers at Los Cocos Mexican Restaurants in Wichita, Derby and Andover. A news release from the DOL said the jury found three owners willfully violated federal laws by using tips earned by servers to pay hosts and bussers and denying workers minimum and overtime wages. The verdict was rendered on Aug. 30 after a lawsuit against Los Cocos was filed by the DOL. The Wage and hour Division alleged that between May 2017 and Dec. 2022, the owners violated provisions in the Fair Labor Standards Act. The release said the Wage and Hour Division previously found Los Cocos in violation of the FLSA in 2009. Now that the trial, which lasted five days, has ended, the judge will now issue a payment order for the employers to pay the wages and resolve the suit that was filed in January 2022. The department continues to seek recovery of an equal amount in liquidated damages for the affected workers. Once recovered, the department will disburse funds to the workers, the release said. A jury of their peers found the owners of these three Los Cocos restaurants willfully took wages from servers to pay co-workers who bussed tables and greeted diners and did not pay workers overtime or paid some less than the required minimum wage for their hard work, said Regional Solicitor Christine Heri in Chicago. The Department of Labor will take all necessary actions to ensure workers receive their rightfully earned wages and will present evidence and request the court order the employers to pay employees an amount equal to their back wages in liquidated damages. According to the release, investigators found that in addition to misusing tips to pay hosts and bussers and failing to pay servers and cooks overtime when required, Los Cocos owners did not maintain complete and accurate time records, as the law requires. Specifically, the release said, the jury awarded $567,291 in minimum wages for loss of the tip credit, $276,115 in overtime pay for back of the house employees such as cooks, $88,590 in withheld tips and $25,328 for other minimum wage violations. In November 2023, the same court ordered the restaurants owners to pay $16,734 back overtime wages to 43 servers after the departments motion for summary judgment. Those wages remain unpaid, the DOL said, making $974,057 the total restitution owed employees. Food service industry investigations find employers frequently operating invalid tip pools and violating federal overtime, minimum wage and recordkeeping regulations, said Wage and Hour Division District Director Reed Trone in Kansas City. Too often, workers are unaware of their rights and afraid to ask employers about shortages in their paychecks. The wages the department is working to recover will have a tremendous benefit for workers and their families struggling to make ends meet. 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. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Federal leaders are publicly accusing an Oregon businessman of abusing employees retirement funds, just months after he sold his newspaper group to another company. The U.S. Department of Labor launched a lawsuit against Robert B. Pamplin Jr. and R.B. Pamplin Corporation on Thursday, alleging they had violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act starting in 2019. Fake social media threats against local schools prompt investigation According to DOL, the federal act prohibits companies from acquiring over 10% of their assets. However, an investigation from the Employee Benefits Security Administration determined Pamplin knowingly had its pension plan obtain interests for more than 50% of its assets, according to the lawsuit. The department alleges some properties were not sold to the plan at fair market value or were unsuitable for multiple uses without significant improvements, plaintiffs wrote. Other properties had attached liens, unpaid leases, unpaid property taxes, environmental liabilities or were sold in fractional interests, diminishing their value. The labor department specifically referred to Pamplins Albina, Tait and Ross Island properties as those in need of expensive environmental repairs. The company currently owes the pension plan over $2 million in late lease payments, according to the complaint. River otter attacks child, mother in rare Washington marina encounter Court documents also show the corporation is the parent company of at least a dozen subsidiaries, such as food, wine and textile companies. The conglomerate previously owned Pamplin Media Group a KOIN 6 partner before it was sold to Carpenter Media Group in June. Eighty-three-year-old Pamplin had said the takeover was due to age and health reasons. The businessman also resigned as a trustee from his companys pension plan in Sept. 2023. Federal officials claim he stepped down due to DOLs enforcement efforts that began before the lawsuit was filed this week. Young girl dies in NE Portland, fentanyl suspected: Police Dr. Pamplin must restore the pension plan to where it would be if not for his wrongdoing and make his employees pension plan whole, Regional Solicitor Marc Pilotin said in a statement. The Solicitors Office has already been engaged actively with Dr. Pamplin to determine how he will do so and the department will not relent in fighting for participants rights until he does. KOIN 6 has reached out to RB Pamplin Corporation for comment and will update this story if we hear back. 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. Firefighter from line of department members dating back to Irish potato famine promoted at FDNY ceremony Hes a chip off the old block. A new dad who comes from a long line of cops and firefighters dating back to the Irish potato famine was promoted at an FDNY ceremony Friday along with dozens of other proud smoke-eaters. Timothy Clarke, 41, was bumped up from firefighter to Lieutenant in Chelseas Tower Ladder 12, following in the footsteps of a forefather who fled the Emerald Isle to become one of the Big Apples Bravest. My great, great, great, grandfather was one of the first ever paid New York City firefighters, so its been kind of a family tradition, a family career, Clarke told The Post. My grandfather was a firefighter, my father was a cop, so weve been all firefighters and cops since the Irish potato famine, he said, referring to the traumatic period in Irish history, which led to roughly a million deaths between 1845 and 1851. Timothy Clarke took an oath as he was promoted from firefighter to Lieutenant. Michael Nagle His pioneering great, great, great grandpa, Patrick Conaghan, put out fires all over Manhattan beginning in the mid-1800s after emigrating, he said. My middle name is Conaghan, so Im named after him, he said. [Im] fifth generation. Clarkes great, great, great grandpa Patrick Conaghan became a firefighter in 1865. courtesy Clarke family He said his new higher rank is an honor his late relatives would have been proud of. It means a ton, its a huge responsibility, its a big tradition to carry on, not with just my family, but with the job itself, he said. Its your obligation to train and be better and rely on the people around you, to make sure everyone gets home and does the right thing. Clarkes grandfather John Clarke became a firefighter in July 1937. courtesy Clarke family Clarke said he now has a 13-day-old daughter but the jurys out on whether shell go into the force, too. Right now were just trying to get through breastfeeding, he said. Clarke pictured in 1989 with his police officer dad, who became a cop in 1968. courtesy Clarke family Clarke was promoted, along with roughly 70 other FDNY members, at a ceremony held at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Facility on Staten Island. In total, six staffers were promoted to Captain, three were promoted to supervising fire marshal, 32 were promoted to Lieutenant, 29 were promoted to fire marshal. Congratulations to all of you, FDNY Chief Robert Tucker told them. Your promotions today are making you the leaders of the greatest fire department in the world. Calamares is a Linux system installer used by dozens of distros to get the bits from an ISO image onto a target computer. Development is nowadays purely on a volunteer basis, which makes it hard to keep up with all the changes in the Linux world. But steps are made, and code submissions are very welcome, and heres a note on something relatively new and useful: Wayland keyboard layouts. Some History In an X11-based system, the X server is the one thing that knows how to interpret keystrokes (pressing the button on a bit of hardware, e.g. the button to the right of the one labeled CapsLock is labeled A and makes the letter a when pressed). The X server can be told how to interpret the buttons: one command is setxkbmap which can manipulate the keymap: $ setxkbmap -query rules: evdev model: pc105 layout: us options: ctrl:swapcaps Using setxkbmap you can change the layout from the command-line: setxkbmap -layout us changes it to US-English, setxkbmap -layout ua changes it to Ukranian, and theres tons of other layouts. In Ukranian, pressing the keys labeled WASD yields . Changing the keyboard layout is just a matter of being connected to the X server any X11 terminal program can do it, or an application can do it programmatically by sending the right X11 protocol messages. Wayland There isnt a standardized mechanism in Wayland to request a different keyboard layout. Its up to the compositor how and what it wants to do. Some compositors are willing to listen to systemds locale1 service. KWin does this, but only when started with suitable command-line flags. Many systems that start KWin as part of their live installation do not pass that flag. Some compositors just dont implement this at all. KWin (Wayland) The way to tell KWin to change the keyboard layout is to rewrite the configuration file for keyboard layouts in KDE Plasma, then send a DBus signal to KWin. You can see that happening here, at least as of the code in April 2024. I suppose the idea is that the only way to change the keyboard layout is to go through the KCM, click on the list of layouts, manipulate it, etc. and then click apply. For those cases when I briefly want to type Ukranian, or Arabic, thats really annoying. For Calamares, which tries to set the keyboard layout when you select one, thats really annoying. Calamares and KWin In the upcoming Calamares 3.3.10 release, the installer can be configured to edit KDE Plasmas keyboard configuration file. I imitated the code from the KCM, but without relying on KConfig because that would be yet-another dependency for Calamares. This is a total bodge job. But it works! For distros that use Calamares, and use KDE Plasma, and come up with a live system that uses Wayland (e.g. Asahi Linux) this means that keyboard layout updates can now be applied consistently, and you can e.g. type your password in the keyboard layout youre actually going to use. It aint pretty. Frankly, I think there should be a standardized way to say use these keyboard layouts, but I also understand that that opens the whole can of worms of who should be allowed to change the keyboard layout?. First area county included in burn ban as drought conditions continue The first of our area counties have been included in a burn ban as drought conditions persist. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Union County, Indiana was added to Indianas burn ban list on Saturday, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Sixteen other counties in Indiana and 28 counties in Ohio are now under a burn ban. The full list of exempt list activities and required conditions can be found here. As News Center 7 reported on Friday, the following activities are prohibited under the burn bans in Ohio: Any open burning of trash, debris, waste, combustibles, leaf piles or similar vegetation Campfires and bonfires Throwing down or discarding lit or smoldering material, such as matches or cigarettes Using or discharging any type of fireworks Live-fire training events Flame effect(s) based displays or exhibitions, including sky lanterns and cold spark machines Using spark- or heat-producing devices for recreational purposes [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] First round of polio vaccinations in Gaza completed, says WHO chief A child gets vaccinated against polio virus in Deir El Balah Health Center. Hundreds of thousands of children are to be vaccinated against polio in the embattled Gaza Strip from 01 September morning. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa The first round of the polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip has been successfully completed, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. More than 560,000 children under the age of 10 have received a first dose of the vaccine, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a post on X. "This is a massive success amidst a tragic daily reality of life across the Gaza Strip," he added. The WHO and partner groups negotiated temporary ceasefires with Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas to enable families to bring their children to vaccination centres and mobile vaccination teams to reach families. Humanitarian pauses of nine hours each day ensured the safety of communities and health workers and enabled vaccination efforts, WHO representative Richard Peeperkorn said. "In areas where humanitarian pauses took place, the campaign brought not just vaccines, but moments of calm," he said. There were no major incidents during the campaign, which lasted just under two weeks. The children will need a second dose of the oral vaccine in four weeks to be protected from infection. "As we prepare for the next round in four weeks, were hopeful these pauses will hold, because this campaign has clearly shown the world whats possible when peace is given a chance," Peeperkorn added. Jean Gough, UNICEF representative in Palestine, welcomed the progress made in the first round of vaccinations but added the "job is far from done." "We are poised to finish the task and call on all involved to ensure we can do so in the next round in four weeks' time, for the sake of children everywhere." The campaign comes after three cases of polio were detected in Gaza in July, the first cases recorded in the territory in 25 years. Experts fear that a polio outbreak might be imminent as hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people are currently forced to live in cramped living conditions. More than 90% of children need to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of polio, which can cause paralysis, according to WHO figures. WHO said that the original target for the campaign 640,000 children was estimated without an accurate survey and may have been an over-estimate, due to displacement and ongoing hostilities. An additional 65 independent monitors were being deployed to cross-check the proportion of children vaccinated across the Gaza Strip. The majority of the 2 million residents of Gaza have been displaced, some several times, since the beginning of the Israeli military operation almost 11 months ago, as their neighbourhoods were bombed and their homes partially destroyed. Israel declared war on Hamas, which controls Gaza, following the terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, in which some 1,200 people died. According to UN figures, which refer to local authorities, more than 40,000 people have died in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the conflict. A child gets vaccinated against polio virus in Deir El Balah Health Center. Hundreds of thousands of children are to be vaccinated against polio in the embattled Gaza Strip from 01 September morning. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa For many years the opening of trout season was a big event in the county. As late as 1965, the Telegram-Tribune devoted a full page to photos about opening day. However, as the creek environments have degraded over the years, fishing has diminished. A major change has been the addition of dams. A lawsuit was recently filed targeting Lopez Dam, asking agencies to release more water to support fish habitat. Photographer Jim Vestal had a full page of photos in the Telegram-Tribune May 8, 1965, on the opening day of trout season. Fishing was active in Reservoir Canyon. Meanwhile, Whale Rock Reservoir near Cayucos has had its own fishing controversy. In days past, rogue anglers dodged a guard on horseback to pursue the legendary wild trout of Whale Rock. Fishing is now allowed, only from shore and California fishing regulations apply. Trails are closed when rain makes paths muddy. More details are on the city of San Luis Obispo website. The following story was by Steven Churm and published Dec. 14, 1978. Fun fact: The following story implies that Whale Rock is a concrete dam, but it is an earth fill with some concrete structures: Earth-moving equipment hauls dirt to build the earth fill Whale Rock dam. Crowd may give outlaws fishin blues With a touch of pride, they call themselves outlaws the last of a dying breed. For years theyve gotten away with something law-abiding folks will have to wait until 1980 to do fish in Whale Rock Reservoir. Its been a come-one, come-all angling club for anyone with a taste for adventure. Membership is more than worth the risk of admission a trespass warning, or at most, a citation. Its like a wrist slap for an armed robbery of Fort Knox. Whale Rock has always been a good, close lake to catch eight to 10 trout in a couple of hours, one outlaw angler bragged. Most fishermen claim run-ins with the law at the reservoir have been few and far between. Most tangles are with trophy-sized trout, trapped by the 21-year-old dams soiled, concrete walls. Fishing at Whale Rock has been the countys most well-known secret. It has lured fishermen to the water-filled cleavage in the gently rolling foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains since the late 1950s. Anglers have always come to fish the reservoirs forbidden fruit: huge trout. A steelhead trout caught in Whale Rock Reservoir. Caught steelhead are measured before being returned to the lake. A recent state Supreme Court decision, upholding an earlier opinion to legalize fishing at the reservoir, will undoubtedly unveil once and for all what mysteries remain at the 594-acre fishing hole. When the gates at Whale Rock are thrown open to every angler this side of Huck Finn about 18 months hence, the fishing outlaw will no longer be an endangered species hell be extinct. Outlaws must be careful to survive, so the stereotype goes. They shun the spotlight. Any publicity, they say, is bad publicity. Questions should only draw stony stares. But Whale Rock casting bandits, armed to the gills with their favorite bait and a tackle-box full of rainbow-colored flies and lures, are different. They dont run paid advertisements proclaiming theyre lawbreakers, with access ratios second to none. Asked how and why theyve fished Whale Rock in violation of 26 restraining orders filed since 1970 to deny anglers access to the reservoirs shore, the outlaws talked. They told of being driven to a point near the dam by family or friends. Once on foot, they quickly slip past the reservoir managers home to the deserted shoreline to fish away a warm summer evening or brave a chilly fall dawn for a chance to hook a big one. A view of a full Whale Rock Reservoir above Cayucos from an Alaska Airlines flight as it takes off from San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport on the way to Seattle on the morning of July 16, 2024. All the outlaws interviewed claimed the big one rarely got away. Outlaws traded tales with the reporter; only the names were changed to protect the guilty. Ive fished about 30 times and youd never see many fishermen, a sharp-witted Atascadero angler said. But youd know they were there. Word would get around, fishins good up at Whale Rock, he said. Especially after the third big rain of a season when the streams start running real good, youd get a flock of fishermen going up there. Its so super simple. Whenever you see creeks or the reservoir, you just drive up and hit the brush. From there, a few fleet steps and youre home free. Other fishermen confirmed the trespassing scenario. Under the cover of darkness or the thick chaparral that rings the reservoir, fishermen claim they move easily, ignoring the dozens of posted signs that warn trespassers to keep out. Outlaws have defied the trespassing laws maximum penalty $500 and six months in jail for a chance struggle with a prized trout. Laura Selkirk of Cayucos Cellars was on her way home on Nov. 9, 2020, when she captured this image of a vivid sunset over Whale Rock Reservoir. The vista was so dramatic that she turned the car around and was literally leaning through the passenger side to get the photo, Selkirk said. Once the sea-going rainbow trout, more commonly known as steelhead, migrated yearly up Old Creek and its tributaries to spawn and rear their young, before again returning to the sea. Completion of Whale Rock Dam abruptly altered the steelheads cycle. Man had again threatened natures way. Trapped in the reservoirs fresh water, earmarked for domestic use, in the county, the steelhead were forced to adapt to survive. Since fishing has never been allowed in Whale Rock, there are some fish that have been in there for 20 years, Dennis Eimoto, a Department of Fish and Game biologist, said. Those fish have genetically adapted, he said. We have never stocked that lake. And if we do, it will only be with fish raised from eggs taken from the reservoir. You see, the trout there are wild compared to the ones we raise in hatcheries and stock in many lakes. Whale Rocks trout have a spirit all their own. Its a heck of a fish to tangle with. Its a challenge. That challenge has spawned an endless stream of headaches for reservoir Manager Bob Mayse and his crew. Mayse and his boys patrol the shoreline by Jeep and foot to flush out would-be fishermen, when possible. On occasion, Mayse has called out sheriffs deputies to cite trespassers. Mayse refused to comment on how troublesome the outlaws are, saying only; Weve got things under control now, but you go out and write about these people and it will all come down on us. Most county authorities say effective enforcement at the reservoir, owned jointly by the state and city of San Luis Obispo, is nearly impossible. San Luis Obispo was studying populations of native and nonnative fish at Whale Rock Reservoir in 2016. A crew of volunteers heads out to check a fish trap in the back of the lake. We dont regularly patrol there, Sheriffs Capt. Antony Wood said. Sure we go out on occasion, but its minimal enforcement, he said. And its only when we get called out. The problem is theres no clear answer as to what is legal and what isnt up there. Ironically, fishing during the trout season, which runs from the last Saturday in April to Nov. 15, is legal at Whale Rock, according to one fish and game official. Whats illegal is trespassing, Lt. DeWayne Johnston of Paso Robles said. When an agent from our office catches a fisherman, we check his fishing license and then run him out, he said. But really thats all we can do. We cant hide it - people fish there. Authorities admit theres no way of knowing how many outlaws fish the reservoirs sparkling waters. But they agree on one thing: the reservoir is being fished, regularly. By 1974, the number of anglers dotting the jagged shoreline reached a new high. Public pressure finally forced the Whale Rock Commission, charged with managing the reservoirs 40,660 acre feet of water, to take action. They hired a guard on horseback to patrol the lake shortly after dawn and near dusk to nab trespassers during the summer of 1974 and for the next two years. Fishing has never been legal at the reservoir, built to provide a source of drinking water for San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly, the California Mens Colony and Camp San Luis. It was fenced from public access to protect the safety of the water supply. Said A. L. Ellsworth, sanitary engineer for the state health agency, in 1975: We believe that the entrance of the public to the reservoir without adequate control could endanger the safety of the water supply. Superior Court Judge Richard C. Kirkpatrick ruled in 1975 that fishermen have a right to fish at Whale Rock Reservoir. The San Luis Obispo Sportsmens Association challenged closure of the lake in 1969 by staging a fish-in. The California Supreme Court upheld Kirkpatricks decision in October - a victory for the sportsmens association. Kirkpatricks decision was previously upheld by the Second Appellate Court in Los Angeles, but was appealed to the states highest court last year. The Supreme Court opinion, written by Justice Wiley Manuel, noted: We believe that the reservoir impounds the water course known as Old Creek and its tributaries, the water of which were frequented by migratory fish. Officials believe most anglers may have to wait until the 1980 trout season to cast their lines into the now-restricted waters. Time-consuming hearings, required to develop a plan to open the reservoir, will delay the opening up to 18 months, one official said. However, the state Supreme Court ruling settles a decade-old controversy about the reservoir near Cayucos. San Luis Obispo city officials and state representatives in 1960 inspect the nearly completed multimillion-dollar Whale Rock dam near Cayucos. Two large cranes assist in the bridge work across the 1,040-foot spillway in the background. From left are Charles F. Beatie, Whale Rock dam construction manager; Robert Jansen, principal hydraulic engineer for the state Department of Water Resources; San Luis Obispo Mayor Fred M. Waters; City Council members Dr. J. Barry Smith, Gerald W. Shipsey and Donald Q. Miller. Published Oct. 5, 1960. It is also the beginning of the end for the outlaws. Its hard to imagine, but I suppose it had to come, one Morro Bay angler, grudgingly admitted. To think, all those years we used to go up and fish with lots of elbow room may be over, he said. Another outlaw reminisced about the good old days. When it was good, really good, wed go up there maybe three nights a week. Hell, wed pull out eight to 10 fish each, weighing in at about six to 10 pounds, on a good night, he said. Most fishermen said they used some type of lure a 4-X Flourescent Flat Fish, Phoebes, Super Duper or Hot Shots to hook the two-to-four-pound trout. Some said they use live bait, such as golden china fish. Others, use so called trash bait bacon, cheese, fish eggs. Never use more than a six-pound test line, one Cayucos fisherman warned. Not unless youre fishing the creeks and want to yank those babies out real quick. Most trout caught range from 12 to 24 inches in length and weigh-in, on the average, at one-to-four pounds, fishermen said. Hell, there were some guys that would fish the creeks with gill nets during the spawning season, another outlaw recounted. Those guys would pull out 100 fish at a time, mostly looking for the big breeders. Theyd cut out the roe (fish eggs) and turn around and sell a three-gallon bucket of roe for $25. Such fishing practices may ultimately prove costly, according to one fish and game enforcement officer. Six Sacramento suckers were recently removed from Whale Rock Reservoir. A lot of trash fish suckers and carp have been introduced to the reservoir. Coupled with the poachers take, they compete for space and food in the lake, hurting the trout population, Lt. Johnston said. You see, the outlaws bring the live bait in, use it, and when they leave they cast the leftovers into the reservoir. What they dont realize is, it really hurts the trout. Theyre screwing up their own fishing, he said. One fish and game biologist said the outlaws impact on the reservoir has been minimal. Theyre screwing things up, he said. One fish and game biologist said the impact on the reservoir has been minimal. Theres still a healthy population of trout there, Eimoto said. We monitor lakes all over the state with a much higher usage, he said. Whale Rock is in good shape. Really good shape. Maybe thats why the outlaws are still fishing at Whale Rock. In this photo released by the Romanian Emergency Services Galati (ISU Galati), a rescuer carries an old man in Pechea, Romania, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 after torrential rainstorms left scores of people stranded in flooded areas. (Romanian Emergency Services - ISU Galati via AP) BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) Four people in eastern Romania have been found dead after torrential storms dumped unprecedented rain, leaving hundreds stranded in flooded areas, emergency authorities said Saturday. Rescue services scrambled to save people in the hard-hit eastern counties of Galati and Vaslui. The bodies of three older women and one man were found in four localities, the Department for Emergency Situations said. Emergency authorities released video footage showing teams of rescuers evacuating people using small lifeboats through muddy waters and carrying some older people to safety. Some of the most significant flood damage was concentrated in Galati where 5,000 households were affected. A Black Hawk helicopter was also deployed there to help with the search and rescue efforts. The storms battered 19 localities in eight counties in Romania, with strong winds downing dozens of trees that damaged cars and blocked roads and traffic. Authorities sent text message alerts to residents to warn them of adverse weather as emergency services rushed to remove floodwaters from homes. By 1 p.m. local time on Saturday, more than 250 people had been evacuated with the help of 700 interior ministry personnel deployed to affected communities, authorities said. Romanian Environment Minister Mircea Fechet told The Associated Press that in some of the badly flooded areas, more than 160 liters (42 gallons) of rain fell per square meter (about 10.7 square feet), which he said is a rare occurrence. What we are trying to do right now is save as many lives as possible, said the minister, who was on his way to Galati to assess the situation. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis offered his condolences to the victims' bereaved families, writing on Facebook: "We must continue to strengthen our capacity to anticipate extreme weather phenomena. Severe floods that have affected a large part of the country have led to loss of lives and significant damage, Iohannis said. We are again dealing with the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present throughout the European continent, with dramatic consequences on people. Central Europe braces for intense flooding The stormy weather comes as several central European nations anticipate severe flooding to hit the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, and Hungary over the weekend. In the Czech Republic, river waters reached dangerously high levels in dozens of areas, prompting the authorities to evacuate hundreds of people, including from a hospital in the second-largest city of Brno, to escape raging floods. A 54-year-old man was missing, police said, after he fell in a flooded stream in the southeast of the country, while another three people were swept away in a car by a river in the northeast. By Saturday evening, Czech authorities had declared the highest flood warnings in more than 70 areas across the country, and said that thousands more people should be prepared to be evacuated as the rains continued to slam down. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute said such extreme floods in those regions only occur about once a century. In neighboring Austria, authorities declared 24 villages in the northeast Lower Austria province disaster zones on Saturday afternoon and began evacuating residents from those areas. The coming hours will be the hours of truth for flood protection, for our emergency forces and numerous compatriots, said the provinces state governor, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, adding that in one area we expect challenges of historical dimensions. The torrential downpours have also caused a sharp rise in water levels on the Danube River in Austrian capital Vienna, where special flood relief channels were built in the 1970s and 80s, and are likely to be tested over the weekend. The Kamp River, a tributary of the Danube, is also swelling because of the unprecedented weather event. Heavy rain also hit Moldova on Saturday, where emergency workers pumped floodwater from dozens of peoples homes in several localities, and 13 localities in three districts suffered partial electricity outages, authorities said. Meteorologists say a low-pressure system from northern Italy was predicted to dump heavy rainfall in most parts of the Czech Republic, including the capital and border regions with Austria and Germany in the south, and Poland in the north. We have to be ready for worst-case scenarios, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said after the governments central crisis committee met. A tough weekend is ahead of us. In Poland, dozens of people were evacuated as a precautionary measure on Saturday from two villages near the town of Nysa, in the Nysa River basin, after meteorologists warned of unprecedented rainfall. Some farms were flooded. Water levels continued to rise in rain Saturday and some roads and streets in the cities of Krakow and Katowice were flooded, and water penetrated the basement of a hospital in Krakow though firefighters quickly pumped it out. Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said that the worst is yet to come. Polish authorities appealed to residents on Friday to stock up on food and to prepare for power outages by charging power banks. The weather change arrived following a hot start to September in the region, including in Romania. Scientists have documented Earths hottest summer, breaking a record set just a year ago. A hotter atmosphere, driven by human-caused climate change, can lead to more intense rainfall. ___ Stephen McGrath reported from Sighisoara. Karel Janicek in Prague; Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland; and Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna; contributed to this report. Flagstaff police ask public's help to locate man accused of making mass shooting threats An image of Justin Hill, who police were searching for after he made mass shooting threats on the internet on Sept. 13, 2024. Flagstaff police were searching for an Ash Fork man accused of making mass shooting threats on Friday. On Saturday, Flagstaff police announced an arrest warrant for 36-year-old Justin Wayne Hill, who has been identified as the suspect behind multiple threats of mass shootings at various schools, businesses, and government offices in the Flagstaff area. Hill allegedly shared his messages online and on social platform Yelp, consisting of "threats associated with mass shooting incidents," said Flagstaff police Sgt. Jerry Rintala. Police were actively looking for Hill on Saturday afternoon, according to Rintala. Hill was described as a white male, about 6 feet tall with a medium build, with brown hair and blue eyes, according to Rintala. Hill was believed to be driving a blue 2009 Subaru Impreza with Arizona license plate CKA72E, according to Rintala. "We urge the public to remain vigilant ... If you see Mr. Hill or the vehicle described, please contact the Flagstaff Police Department immediately," Rintala said. Anyone with information on Hill was asked to contact the Flagstaff Police Department at 928-774-1414 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111. Flagstaff police were working on the investigation alongside the Coconino County Sheriff's Office and Coconino County Attorney's Office. This is a developing story; check back for more details. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Flagstaff police seek Justin Hill, accused of mass shooting threats Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried filed a complaint with a state attorney on Sept. 13, 2024, against Jason Weida, secretary for the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration. (Photo by Jackie Llanos/Florida Phoenix) Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and two private citizens filed criminal complaints Friday against the head of the state agency thats maintaining a website pushing messaging opposing the proposed abortion-rights amendment. With 52 days until the election, the legal pressure keeps mounting against the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administrations webpage published on Sept. 5 claiming that Amendment 4, which would protect access to abortion until viability, threatens womens safety. The complaints from Fried in Leon County, Orlando real estate agent Ellyson Kennedy in Orange County, and Tampa Bay solar executive Angelique Mathena in Hillsborough County are the latest challenges to the webpage and subsequent television and radio ads that critics have called out for using state funds to attempt to move voters against the amendment. This campaign was created and funded using taxpayer dollars in order to persuade Florida voters to vote against Amendment 4 in the 2024 General Election in Florida. Using an official government agency for political campaigning is prohibited by state law, Fried wrote in her letter to Jack Campbell, state attorney for the Second Judicial Circuit in Tallahassee. For the amendment to become a part of the Florida Constitution, 60% of voters would have to approve it. Two additional legal challenges claiming state interference with the abortion-rights amendment emerged this week: The ACLU of Florida and Southern Legal Counsel, on behalf of Floridians Protecting Freedom, the sponsor of the amendment, filed a lawsuit against AHCA in the Leon County court on Thursday. A South Florida appellate attorney has asked the Florida Supreme Court to stop DeSantis, AHCA Secretary Jason Weida, and Attorney General Ashley Moody from interfering in the voting on Amendment 4. The states highest court has agreed to expedite that case. DeSantis state attorneys The state attorneys in those jurisdictions are not obliged to do anything. Two of the prosecutors asked to act on Friday are DeSantis appointees, named after the governor removed their predecessors because he disapproved of their progressive policies. Those prosecutors are Andrew Bain in Orange and Osceola counties, who replaced Monique Worrell; and Suzy Lopez in Hillsborough County, who replaced Andrew Warren. Both Lopez and Bain are running for re-election against Warren and Worrell. All three of the complaints submitted Friday cite a Florida statute that prohibits state officers and employees from using their official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with an election. A violation of that law is a misdemeanor of the first degree with a punishment of up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. Weida posted a link to the webpage on X on Sept. 5, calling it a transparency page meant to combat the lies and disinformation surrounding Floridas abortion laws. Meanwhile, DeSantis has defended the AHCA webpage, comparing it to a public service announcement. Its not an anti-Amendment 4, DeSantis said during a news conference Tuesday. What it is, its providing information about what Florida law is and the resources that are available under that law. AHCA did not respond to Florida Phoenixs requests for comment. Florida man admits to recording hundreds of videos up women's skirts, deputies say DAVENPORT, Fla. - A former employee at a Florida gas station has admitted to secretly recording hundreds of photos and videos up women's skirts, according to the Polk County Sheriff's office. Polk County deputies initially responded to a Circle K on Sand Mine Road around 10 a.m. on Aug. 31 after a woman reported feeling someone poke her on her lower back while using a self-checkout. She looked behind her and said a man was walking away. She told deputies that she believed the man had attempted to take a photo of her, according to the arrest report. Detectives determined using surveillance video from inside the store that the man later identified as Christopher Kilpatrick had exposed himself and poked the woman. Video allegedly showed him exhibiting similar behavior to another woman earlier. Further security video from the same day allegedly showed Kilpatrick recording photos and videos looking up the skirts of two unsuspecting women, deputies said. Kilpatrick was interviewed, and his cell phone was seized. PCSO said Kilpatrick confessed to his actions and admitted "that he has done this to between 300-400 women, including juveniles." He was arrested and booked into jail on several charges, including exposure of sexual organs and simple battery. PCSO is asking anyone they believe to be victimized by Kilpatrick to call the Polk County Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit at 863-298-6200. A recent poll has found that many Americans are losing trust in the federal government to effectively ensure food safety, especially in the wake of several major food recalls, Newsweek reported. In a poll conducted by Gallup between July 1 and July 21, 37% of Americans said they either discarded or returned food items in the past year due to a product recall or food safety advisory. Fifty-three percent of respondents said theyve steered clear of purchasing certain brands or types of foods due to a recall or advisory. Twenty-six percent of participants said they were concerned about possibly consuming contaminated, recalled food. The poll included 1,010 total respondents. Additionally, 57% of Americans said they have either a great deal or fair amount of faith in the U.S. government to ensure food safety and protect consumer health. Twenty-eight percent said they have little confidence, while 14% of respondents said they have no confidence. Amongst Republicans, confidence in national food safety has experienced the largest decline since 2019, which Gallup explained was due to the change in presidency from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. As of July, 50% of Republicans said they felt confident in the governments ability to guarantee food safety. That statistic is a 27-point drop from 2019, according to Gallup. In the same vein, independents also exhibited a growing lack of confidence in the government. Sixty-three percent of independents vocalized confidence in the federal government back in 2019 compared to 52% now. Democrats, however, have grown more confident in the government's ability to promote food safety. As of recently, 74% expressed having trust in the government, which is up from 65% in 2019. Overall, confidence in the federal government is waning across nearly all demographic subgroups, Gallup noted. Parents of young children showcased the greatest decline in confidence, from 67% in 2019 to now 49% expressing confidence in the governments ability. Sixty percent of adults without children said they felt confident in the government versus 68 percent back in 2019. The latest Gallup poll comes after an influx of food recalls ranging from breakfast items to fresh fruits and deli meat. Many have garnered significant media attention in recent months, namely the recall of approximately 207,528 pounds of Boar's Head deli meat due to Listeria contamination. The outbreak has been reported in 18 states. At least nine deaths have been reported and 57 people have been hospitalized since the outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) described it as the largest listeriosis outbreak since the 2011 outbreak linked to cantaloupe. In June 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled cucumbers due to a potential salmonella contamination. Last month, Perdue Foods, Inc. issued a recall of approximately 167,000 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets and tenders because they may be contaminated with metal fragments. And earlier this week, eggs were recalled because of potential salmonella contamination after dozens have gotten sick with the same strain of bacteria, according to a report from Today. Indeed, food recalls have been frequent and overwhelming for consumers nationwide. There seem to be several reasons why food recalls have been on the rise. Theres the consolidation of food production, as explained by Delish. Giant corporations are paying other companies to produce various food products and then sell them under various brand names. This means that contamination in one area of a large facility can affect several products that cant be traced to a specific supplier. If people cannot trace a product back to a supplier, the supplier has no incentives to keep their processes as clean and effective, in terms of food safety, as possible, Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer group, told NBC News. Want more great food writing and recipes? Subscribe to Salon Food's newsletter, The Bite. The inclusion of more advanced technology within the food industry has also fueled an increase in recalls. Chris Cook, a county health commissioner in Ohio, told WDTN that such technology can catch contamination issues before a product has even reached consumers, thus prompting more recalls. In response to Gallups poll, a FDA spokesperson told Newsweek that the agency is working on building up peoples confidence when it comes to their food. The FDA believes that food should be a vehicle for wellness and takes its responsibility seriously to help ensure the foods we eat are safe, the spokesperson said. As we continue to work towards building more robust food safety systems, it is the agency's hope that we also continue building consumer confidence in the U.S. food supply. The spokesperson continued, The FDA acknowledges the feedback presented in the Gallup poll results and will consider it as we move forward with the reorganization of the Human Foods Program, which is being undertaken to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our work. Forced out of business in China, a bookseller turns the page Yu Miao, owner of JF Books, said his original store, Jifeng Bookstore, closed in China in early 2018 (Drew ANGERER) (Drew ANGERER/AFP/AFP) From talks on social issues to topics like constitutionalism and religion, bookseller Yu Miao wanted Jifeng Bookstore in Shanghai to be a place for public discussions. "But some topics are considered taboo and sensitive to discuss in public spaces," he told AFP, of the store that was effectively forced out of business in China in January 2018. Years later, Jifeng has started a new chapter as JF Books in Washington, a rare source of Chinese-language volumes in the US capital, covering everything from sociology to China studies. The bookstore originated in China in 1997, with up to eight outlets in cosmopolitan Shanghai at its peak. But as Beijing tightened restrictions on booksellers and academics over the past decade, the store came under heightened scrutiny. Authorities posed obstacles to organizing events on topics like feminism, constitutionalism and religion -- sometimes notifying the store that certain seminars had to be canceled. "We didn't want to have any taboo topics or self-limitations," Yu said, adding that subjects were chosen for their importance. The store did not allow its decisions to be affected by concern over potential interference, added Yu, who took over the business from its founder in 2012. He recalls being delighted that most people attending the seminars were young. - An emotional farewell - But Jifeng came under increasing pressure to cancel events, and in 2017 it had trouble renewing its lease. "You realize that your space for survival is shrinking," Yu said. In those years, he added, other publications, independent media and cultural institutions also shuttered amid scrutiny. In 2016, China shut down several online operations for independently reporting and publishing articles about potentially sensitive subjects. Some of the freewheeling political and social news sites of Sina, Sohu, Netease and iFeng were closed, state media reported at the time. On one of the last days of Jifeng's Shanghai operations, people were in the store when its power was cut. "I think the power outage was also to prevent people from gathering," Yu recounted. But instead of leaving, patrons lit up their mobile phones and put up battery-powered lights, casting a hazy glow over the space. "People read poetry, sang, strummed the guitar and played the piano," Yu said. "More readers heard the news and came to join us. It was a moving moment." Photos from that evening are displayed on JF Books' brightly lit storefront in Washington, while handwritten cards from patrons of the Shanghai store remain displayed by its entrance. - 'Hard to imagine' - After Jifeng's closure, Yu moved to the United States with his wife and their children, furthering his studies. With the family now planning to stay in the country for longer, opening another bookstore was a natural choice for Yu. "My desire to participate in society came together with my inner regret," he said, referring to his wistfulness over Jifeng's closure. Realizing it was tough to find Chinese-language books in Washington, even online, Yu figured that opening such a bookstore could fulfil the needs of readers like himself. In addition to Chinese-language volumes, the store carries English titles with a focus on Chinese and Asian issues, alongside Asian authors' works. "Besides books from mainland China, we can also procure books published in Taiwan and Hong Kong," Yu said. "This was hard to imagine when we were running a bookstore in Shanghai." Many such books are not available in mainland Chinese stores due to strict controls. Yu has faced other difficulties in recent years: after a visit to China, his wife was temporarily unable to leave, an experience he called "a nightmare." Now, he added, "We really cherish being able to live together freely and without fear." - A meeting place - Like its predecessor in Shanghai, Yu wants JF Books to be a space where people come together -- to buy books or attend seminars and cultural activities. Already, three talks it is organizing in September, including one with Chinese-American poet Ha Jin, are fully subscribed. "It feels very nice to have a bookstore of Chinese books in (Washington)," said Rayna Zhang, 35, who visited the shop after reading about it on social media. "I think it's also a way of helping us keep up with the trends, the culture of young people back home," added Zhang, who is Chinese. Another patron, 36-year-old William Au, added: "I just find it fun that a place that seemed so prominent in the community out of Shanghai (is suddenly here)." bys/bbk/aha A former Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer charged with stealing $900 from a suspect pleaded guilty Wednesday. Henry Chapman, 49, took an Alford plea meaning he maintained he was innocent but admitted that evidence would likely lead to a conviction according to court records. In the eyes of the law, he is guilty. Hell be on supervised probation for two years and have to complete a cognitive behavioral intervention course. Chief District Court Judge Roy Wiggins approved the plea deal. Chapmans attorney, Michael Greene, did not respond to a request for comment Friday. What happened? On March 14, police arrested a man on a federal warrant and gave him a speeding ticket. Chapman delivered the man and his money to CMPDs University City division office, according to an affidavit. When other officers were in view, the man called out Chapman. Chapman pocketed about $1,000 and tucked it in the drivers side door of his patrol car, the man under arrest said. His guess was close. Chapman had nine $100 bills. The next day, Chapmans department charged him with embezzlement. Chapman no longer works for CMPD, the department has said. Court records show that prosecutors dismissed the mans speeding charge on Sept. 6. The case was dismissed as there is a low likelihood of resolving a misdemeanor traffic matter in a timely manner, while the defendant remains in custody on federal criminal matters, said Mike Stolp, a spokesperson for the district attorneys office, in a message. Body camera footage told fuller story The Charlotte Observers news partner, WSOC-TV, obtained body camera footage of the arrest and confrontation by filing a petition in court. In North Carolina, a judge has to sign off on body camera video being released to the public. (My client) was alone and in handcuffs, and rightfully fearful of the officers who had his life in their hands, said Dominique Camm, an attorney for the man arrested, in a statement to the Observer this summer. He just witnessed a man with a badge and a gun manipulating his money and the officers he was trying to articulate that to, struggled to understand what he was saying or outright disbelieved him. He was thankful that body camera recordings provided a minimal balance in the power of credibility between an ordinary citizen and law enforcement since the latter is generally perceived as automatically credible, Camm added. On Friday, Camm questioned why prosecutors offered Chapman an Alford plea in the first place. Although Mr. Chapman accepted some responsibility for his actions, this process has been a slap in the face of accountability, he added. He did not know about the plea until a reporter called, he said. Stolp said an Alford plea is nothing out of the ordinary. Alford pleas are frequently entered on criminal cases across the country as a matter of law, he said. Their effect in the law is the same as any other plea of guilt. Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism. The S&P 500 index is offering a teeny-tiny dividend yield of just 1.2% today. In comparison to that, Portland General Electric's (NYSE: POR) 4.1% yield looks huge. Brookfield Renewable Partners' (NYSE: BEP) 5.8% is even more impressive. And Enterprise Product Partners' (NYSE: EPD) 7.2% is downright massive! All of these yields are also above average compared to the industries in which they operate, suggesting the stocks are cheaply priced today. Here's a look at each one. 1. Enterprise Products Partners is built to be boring Enterprise Products Partners is a midstream master limited partnership (MLP). It owns energy infrastructure assets like pipelines and processing and transportation facilities. Unlike many other energy companies, whose revenue and earnings are largely determined by commodity prices, Enterprise gets paid fees for the use of its assets. Thus, demand for energy is more important than the price of the products flowing through its midstream system. It's actually kind of a boring business, which conservative income investors will probably appreciate. As noted, the yield is 7.2%, backed by a distribution that has been increased annually for just over a quarter of a century. The average yield in the energy sector is 3.2%, and Enterprise's average yield over the past decade is around 6.8%. The MLP looks attractively priced today relative to both. But what's backing that yield? Well, there's no need to worry. Enterprise has an investment-grade balance sheet, and distributable cash flow covers the payout 1.7 times over. A lot would have to go wrong before a distribution cut was on the table. Keep in mind, though, that as a master limited partnership, there are some complications come tax time and not all MLPs can be held in a retirement account. 2. Brookfield Renewable is focused on a growing niche Brookfield Renewable comes in two flavors, a partnership with a 5.8% yield and a corporate version, Brookfield Renewable (NYSE: BEPC), with a 5.1% dividend yield. They represent the exact same entity, with the difference between the two yields related to demand (some investors avoid partnerships, including many institutional investors, like pension funds). Brookfield Renewable, as its name implies, invests in renewable power, a niche of the utility industry that's expected to see growth for years to come as the world shifts from carbon fuels to cleaner alternatives. Its asset portfolio spans North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, and it covers hydroelectric, wind, solar, and battery storage. Story continues In other words, it's a one-stop shop for renewable power. And the best part is that the vast majority of its revenue comes from contracts, so the business is highly reliable. Brookfield Renewable has increased its distribution for over a decade. It has an investment-grade credit rating and a solid 70% payout ratio of funds from operations in the second quarter of 2024. The best part is the runway for growth as utilities around the world continue to go green. For reference, the average utility (not a perfect comparison, but the most appropriate one available) yields around 2.9%. 3. Portland General Electric is regulated and increasing its spending Portland General Electric is a fully regulated electric and natural gas utility. It is about as boring as it comes, and the size of the company (it has a roughly $5 billion market cap) is modest in the utility sector. But the State of Oregon, where it operates, has an interesting little feature: Transpacific communication cables land in Portland General Electric's territory. That means the utility is an important hub for the technology sector, notably as a location for data centers. The company expects industrial demand to grow at a huge 7.5% a year. The utility's dividend yield is 4.1%, which compares very favorably to the average utility's yield of 2.9%. The dividend has been increased annually for 18 years. And the balance sheet is investment grade. Best of all, Portland General Electric is investing heavily in the transition toward clean energy, which should power earnings growth as regulators approve the rate hikes needed to cover the cost. This probably isn't going to be an exciting company to own, but it sure looks like a reliable high-yield dividend stock. Three high yields to choose from Enterprise, Brookfield Renewable, and Portland General Electric all have high yields on an absolute level and relative to the industries in which they operate. That suggests they are incredibly cheap passive-income stocks that you could plug into your dividend portfolio. Get to know them a little better and it's likely that one, if not more, will be on your buy list. Should you invest $1,000 in Enterprise Products Partners right now? Before you buy stock in Enterprise Products Partners, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Enterprise Products Partners wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $730,103!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of September 9, 2024 Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Brookfield Renewable. The Motley Fool recommends Brookfield Renewable Partners and Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Incredibly Cheap Dividend Stocks With Yields Up to 7%! was originally published by The Motley Fool NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) A former Easthampton man is facing 35 criminal charges related to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material between 2021 and 2023. Liam Galpin, 22, pleaded not guilty to all charges during an arraignment in Hampshire Superior Court on Friday. The charges include seven counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, 26 counts of dissemination of visual materials depicting a child in sexual conduct or nudity, one count of dissemination of bestiality, and one count of attempting unauthorized use of a computer system. Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Anne Yereniuk, who is prosecuting the case on behalf of the Commonwealth, said the charges stem from a series of cyber tips provided by Microsoft to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). These tips led to investigations by detectives from Easthampton and Northampton police departments, ultimately resulting in the charges against Galpin. Judge Bertha D. Josephson, who presided over the hearing, set bail at $10,000. Galpin was ordered to reside with a relative and is prohibited from having contact with minors under the age of 18. Galpins defense attorney, Jonah Goldsmith of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, agreed to the bail amount and conditions. The case is set to return to court on January 14, 2025, for further proceedings. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.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 WWLP. The State Bar of California filed disciplinary charges Thursday against a former high-ranking official in the Los Angeles city attorney's office for his alleged role in a Department of Water and Power scandal. Jim Clark, a top deputy under then-City Atty. Mike Feuer, secretly directed other attorneys to orchestrate a class-action lawsuit so that claims over a botched DWP billing system could be settled on terms favorable to the city, State Bar prosecutors allege. Clark "directed and authorized a scheme of collusion and deceit that was a blatant betrayal of his duties as an attorney and public official, George Cardona, the Bars chief trial counsel, said in a statement. Read more: Secret FBI files allege former L.A. city attorney lied to feds, likely obstructed justice. He denies it Erin Joyce, an attorney for Clark, said the Bar was attempting to "tarnish Mr. Clark's record and good name" based on unfounded allegations. "Mr. Clark is a highly respected attorney who has enjoyed a distinguished legal career over the past 49 years, unblemished until now by a single complaint to the State Bar or by any allegation of ethical impropriety," Joyce said. If the charges are upheld by the State Bar Court, Clark faces disbarment, suspension or probation. A partner for 30 years at the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Clark joined the city in 2013. He left to pursue mediation work in 2020, a year after the FBI raided his office and others as part of a criminal investigation into the sham lawsuit. Clark, who wasn't charged in the criminal probe, collects a city pension worth nearly $4,000 a month. The State Bar complaint alleges that Clark "instructed" three attorneys working under a city contract to find "friendly counsel" to file a class-action lawsuit against the city over the faulty DWP billing system, which had issued erroneous bills to thousands of customers, including one Van Nuys couple billed nearly $52,000. The DWP faced multiple lawsuits over the billing debacle. With an attorney on the plaintiffs' side of the lawsuit colluding with the city's team, the city could settle the claims on its desired terms. Bar prosecutors also allege that Clark gave "false and misleading statements" in another lawsuit by denying his role in the sham lawsuit in a signed declaration. Clark also concealed information from the civil court overseeing the DWP lawsuits, prosecutors said. Clark knowingly committed "acts involving moral turpitude, dishonesty, and corruption" in violation of the California Business and Professions Code, which is part of the State Bar Act, prosecutors said. Clark faces additional State Bar charges for accepting $640 worth of tickets to a 2016 Who concert from an attorney involved in the collusive lawsuit and failing to report the gift as required under city law. The State Bar has also filed charges against a former DWP commissioner and an outside attorney and has proposed a temporary suspension for a city attorney who works at the DWP all in connection with the massive scandal. Clark's name appeared extensively in FBI search warrant affidavits made public in May after The Times sought their release from a federal court. Former DWP general manager David Wright accused Clark of lying about his role in the collusive lawsuit, one affidavit stated. Read more: Top Feuer deputy who worked on DWP settlement quits city attorney's office Marisol Mork, another Clark attorney, told The Times in May that Wright's "allegations are riddled with inaccuracies" and denied that Clark did anything wrong. Multiple witnesses told FBI agents that Clark suffered from an unknown condition in 2017 and 2018 that affected his "functionality" at work and prompted him to take a medical leave, one of the affidavits said, with partial redactions to protect Clark's privacy. In the affidavits, an FBI agent also said he believed Feuer, who served as city attorney from 2013 to 2022, had lied to government investigators and probably obstructed justice. Feuer disputes the agent's allegations and maintains his innocence. Four people, including onetime DWP general manager Wright and high-ranking officials in the city attorney's office, pleaded guilty to various federal crimes, including bribery. 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. Former Russian president threatens to turn Kyiv into melted spot if long-range missiles approved The former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has warned that the Kremlin could reduce Kyiv to a giant melted spot if Ukraines allies give the green light for them to fire long-range missiles deep into Russia. Ukraine has been calling on the West to allow it to use Western-supplied long-range missiles to target military sites in Russia, which the country says is vital to its war effort. However, Vladimir Putin has warned that if the US, UK and France give Kyiv permission to fire Storm Shadow missiles at its territory, it would amount to Nato being at war with Moscow. And in an expletive-laden message characteristic of Mr Medvedev, the deputy chair of Russias Security Council issued another threat on behalf of the Kremlin on Saturday. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has asked to use Western-supplied long-range missiles to target military sites in Russia (PA) Claiming the West is underestimating the possibility of Moscow retaliating to the decision, he wrote on the Telegram messenger app: The pompous Anglo-Saxon b***ards do not want to admit one thing: any patience comes to an end. And then thats it. A giant grey melted spot on the site of the mother Russian city. Holy s**t! Its impossible, but it happened Moscow is known to issue sensationalist threats of further escalation against the West and Ukraine if support for Kyiv is increased. Mr Medvedevs threats have consistently been some of the most aggressive, and are more closely aligned to the hyperbolic statements from Russian state media presenters than comments from Mr Putin. The former Russian presidents last post on X, formerly Twitter, suggested Russia could use hypersonic missiles to sink Britain in the wake of foreign secretary David Lammys trip to Kyiv earlier this week. But it comes as the US appears to be unsure whether to cross this latest Kremlin red line. Although the UK believed to be supportive of lifting the restriction, Washington has the ultimate say as the systems rely on US technology to work. Volodymyr Zelensky, centre, with US secretary of state Antony Blinken, left, and British foreign secretary David Lammy, right, during a meeting in Kyiv on Friday (EPA) Ukraine made a renewed call on Saturday for the West to give the go-ahead, after a meeting between US and British leaders a day earlier produced no visible shift in their policy on the use of long-range weapons. Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak said: Russian terror begins at weapons depots, airfields, and military bases inside the Russian Federation. Permission to strike deep into Russia will speed up the solution. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war on Saturday for the second day in a row, with each side releasing 103 people. The Russian defence ministry said the Russian soldiers exchanged had been taken prisoner in Russias Kursk region after Ukraines cross-border assault last month. The United Arab Emirates said it mediated the exchange of 206 prisoners between Russia and Ukraine, in what is their eighth such mediation. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the officials overseeing the exchange in a message on X, saying: Our people are home. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A man was shot dead in Mason, Tennessee and four people are charged with his murder, the Tipton County Sheriff says. Deputies responded just after 8 p.m. Wednesday to the 4400 block of Mason Charleston Road, where a man had been found with a gunshot wound, Tipton County Sheriff Shannon Beasley said. Deputies and EMS began life-saving procedures but were not able to save the victim. He was identified by authorities as Anthony Moore, 44, who was the homeowner. Investigators found signs of forced entry into the home and by Thursday, had detained four suspects. Each has been arrested and charged with 1st Degree Murder in Perpetration of Especially Aggravated Burglary and is being held with no bond. They are: Darel Darrell Darnell (34) of Oakwood, TN Zyun Marrell Glass (23) of Covington Maurice Taylor, Jr. (24) of Covington Sarah Pauline Ewing (39) of Covington Three arrested after Midtown carjacking, East Memphis chase This is a very sad and tragic incident and an absolute senseless killing, Beasley said. Its bad enough that anyone would plan to rob or steal from someone but to kill another human being over property, especially in their own home, is beyond sickening. If anyone has information in this case, call the Criminal Investigations Division at 901-475-3300, Central Dispatch after hours at 901-475-4300, phone in tips at 901-475-3307, email tips to sheriff@tiptonco.com or Facebook Sheriff Shannon Beasley. 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. WINCHESTER, Mo. Authorities are searching for four suspects who allegedly took off with half a million dollars worth of jewelry Saturday afternoon from an armed robbery near Ballwin. The Ballwin Police Department says a jewelry store in the 14000 block of Manchester Road was robbed around 12:15 p.m. Saturday in the Winchester shopping plaza. Investigators say four masked suspects entered a store, stole various high-priced goods and left in two vehicles. No one was hurt. Though the stores manager tells police he lost nearly half a million dollars in inventory. The manager of the store told Ballwin police that the suspects were wearing old people Halloween masks. Additional details on the suspects are unavailable at this time. Police encourage people to avoid the area while detectives are on scene investigating. If you have any relevant information, contact the Ballwin Police Department at 636-227-9636. 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. The Reverend Brett Murphy with some of the congregation outside Emmanuel Free Church of England church in Morecambe, Lancashire - Lorne Campbell /Guzelian A church is embroiled in a free speech row after sacking a vicar who ran an anti-woke YouTube channel. Breakaway Anglican denomination, the Free Church of England (FCE), dismissed the Rev Brett Murphy last month after ruling that the nature and tone of videos he posted online had brought the church into disrepute. The FCE took issue with the vicar using the term witch to refer to female priests. The vicar, who opposes the ordination of women, has claimed the comments were tongue in cheek and sarcastic and that he has a right to free speech. It was not my intention to say all female clergy were witches, but to criticise militant feminism within the church, he said. But the ruling rejected this. Your comments on the freedom of speech are noted, but there are proportionate limits to this right particularly when it comes to protecting the churchs reputation, the ruling read. The disciplinary hearing also upheld allegations that he failed to follow reasonable instructions from your bishop and failed to file the churchs accounts in a timely manner. The churchs ruling, seen by The Telegraph, upheld one allegation of inappropriate online activity, finding that his YouTube channel did not sit with the principles and values of the church. The Rev Murphy uses the channel to comment on news and developments in Christianity from a conservative Christian standpoint. He is now appealing against the ruling, claiming the investigation was not carried out fairly. A screen grab from Rev Brett Murphys YouTube channel, on which he referred to female clergy as witches - Rev Brett Murphy/YouTube He also claims he is being forced out by his bishop, the Rt Rev John Fenwick, describing the disciplinary proceedings against him as a kangaroo court. But the bishop rejected the criticism, saying: The personal nature of the attacks on me is entirely misplaced. Rev Murphy was cleared of wrongdoing last year by a Church of England tribunal after he referred to its first transgender archdeacon as a bloke. Last year, the father of two left the Church of England to join the FCE along with the Rev Calvin Robinson, a political commentator. He was made the vicar of Emmanuel, Morecambe, in July 2023 and under him the congregation grew in size from two worshippers to 50. But after 13 months in the position, he was sacked by email on Aug 9 following a disciplinary hearing brought against him by the FCE. It has been one of the most traumatic experiences of our lives, he told The Telegraph. I think Ive got pretty thick skin because Ive been through a lot as a minister. Enduring a kangaroo court and the injustice of that was pretty unpleasant. The cold and callous disregard about caring for my pregnant wife and two children has been a concern to us. The Rev Murphy added: I cant help but feel like there have been daggers in my back. The FCE should have really been right on board [with the channel] because I was only proclaiming doctrines that were congruent with their own beliefs. Rev Murphy, who has received more than 140,000 in online donations since his sacking to fund the purchase of a home, is considering setting up a separate church with his congregation in Morecambe if the appeal against his dismissal fails. The Rev Murphy has accused Dr Bob Stephen, the FCEs general secretary, of being the one person issuing the allegations, investigating and holding the hearing on his own, analysing the evidence and issuing the dismissal at the hearing. This appears to contradict both the FCEs own rules, which say accusations against ministers should be judged by a panel of clergy and laity, and guidelines issued by Acas, the conciliation service, that different people should carry out the investigation and disciplinary hearing in misconduct cases. Andrea Williams, the chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: The mark of a passionate vibrant Christian faith is the ability of a man to grow a church. Brett has done this, and his community love him. To remove him and his young family from the church and home is cruel. The Rt Rev Fenwick said: I am unable to comment on the termination of Mr Murphys contract of employment, or the circumstances surrounding it, as the process has not yet been concluded and the Free Church of England, for its part, is observing the confidentiality that is expected in such matters. 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. Free updated Covid-19 vaccines given out by Springfield Pharmacy to help slow the spread SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the distribution of a newly released FDA-approved vaccine is bringing hope to residents of Springfield. 22News has a closer look at this updated vaccine, and how the city is trying to slow the spread. Good for them and also for myself because they wont pass it onto me and I wont pass it onto them, said Helen Walter of Springfield. To help mitigate the spread of covid-19 as we head into a new season, the Bay Area Neighborhood Resource Center in Springfield had the opportunity to receive a free mRNA vaccine. I have breathing problems and they say with Covid it affects your breathing, So I think its wonderful, and we dont even have to come that far, I only live a couple of streets over, added Walter. The updated COVID-19 vaccine has been released at a crucial time as the number of cases continues to rise in Massachusetts and across the country. In just the past week, there were over 2,000 confirmed cases and 13 deaths in the state. The reason for the spike was due to the omicron strains called FLiRT. Its so contagious and it can go airborne very quickly so you had Fathers day, the fourth of July, family reunions, cruises, and people flying on planes, said State Representative Bud Williams. Covid infections are expected to reach the highest between Thanksgiving and Valentines Day, peaking around Christmas. We are very concerned for those, especially for those 65 and older and in underlying conditions, added Williams. Experts say with these new updated vaccines youll be able to protect yourself from any newly recent circulating variants, preventing yourself from serious illness and hospitalization. Usually with each vaccine it is covering different variants going through the air from last year up until this year, said Nurse, Springfield Pharmacy, Ashley Perez. She adds if you do feel sick take the following precautions, please stay home, put a mask on, call your PCP office, try to get any free COVID test at hand, added Perez. Vaccine clinics will continue every Friday At the Bay Area Neighborhood Resource Center. The city will also start giving out free vaccines on October 1st, in multiple locations including the Raymond Jordan Senior Center. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.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 WWLP. An offender freed under the Governments early release scheme allegedly sexually assaulted a woman within an hour of leaving prison. Amari Ward, 31, is said to have been one of around 1,750 prisoners released on Tuesday after jails in England and Wales came close to running out of space. Ward is claimed to have been free for 30 to 40 minutes before allegedly reoffending at Sittingbourne Station in Kent, according to The Sun. He was later arrested in Croydon, south London, and appeared before the towns magistrates on Thursday charged with sexual assault. Under the early release scheme, prisoners were released 40 per cent of the way through their sentences rather than halfway. Up to 1,700 more are due to be freed on Oct 22. People spray sparkling wine over a man who walked out of Nottingham Prison - Tom Maddick/SWNS Outside HMP Wandsworth and other prisons, those freed were greeted by a celebratory atmosphere of sparkling wine showers and cheering friends. One released prisoner was driven away from Pentonville jail in a 200,000 Lamborghini. Some prisoners are believed to have already been recalled for breaches of their licence, which places restrictions on where they can go, who they can meet and where they can live, as well as requiring them to attend meetings with their probation officers. Court documents seen by The Sun said Ward had offended on the same day released and had now been recalled to prison until 2026. Ward is set to appear before Maidstone Crown Court on Oct 10. Martin Jones, the chief inspector of probation, had predicted the early recalls on Tuesday, saying prisoners were almost bound to be sent back to jail within days or weeks because things will go wrong in the community and they would breach the terms of their licence. He said that a third of those freed were likely to reoffend within a year of their release, based on previous trends. Ministry of Justice figures show that the number of recalls of freed prisoners for breaching their licence was 7,415 between January and March this year, a 9 per cent increase on the same quarter in the previous year. People will be nervous Charlie Taylor, chief inspector of prisons, said violent criminals who posed a high risk of harm to the public would be among the 1,750 released on Tuesday. Mr Taylor told the BBC he recognised people will be nervous as there is a risk of some prisoners reoffending. The Government excluded sex offenders, terrorists, convicted domestic abusers and anyone with a sentence for violence of more than four years. However, freed prisoners would include those who were jailed for less than four years for violence and people who may have assaulted a partner or former spouse, including causing grievous bodily harm, but who were not convicted of a specific domestic abuse offence such as stalking or coercive control. A British Transport Police spokesman said: Amari Lindon Ward, 31, date of birth July 30 1993, has been charged with sexual assault following an incident at Sittingbourne railway station on Sept 10 at around 1.07pm. He has been recalled to prison and is next due to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on Oct 10. 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. (KRON) Charles Angel Salva, 30, of Fremont, is facing a potential 20 years in federal prison after assaulting passengers and flight attendants on a San Francisco-bound flight in September, a federal complaint filed by the Justice Department Thursday alleges. According to the complaint, Salva was on a Frontier Airlines flight bound from an Orange County airport destined for San Francisco International Airport on September 9. Oakland sideshow suspects arrested after leading CHP on chase Right after taking offwhile the airplane was climbing and under 10,000 feetflight attendants noticed one of the middle rows oxygen masks out of its compartment and Salvas hand stuck in the overhead compartment, the complaint said. One passenger later told police that Salva appeared claustrophobic and seemed like he wanted to get off the plane, leading to him reaching for an oxygen mask and getting his hand stuck. The complaint says Salva allegedly began yelling obscenities at flight attendants, such as We are all going to hell and This airplane is going down! Salva then ran to the back of the plane, allegedly grabbing at fellow passengers before flight attendants tried to restrain him. While attempting to restrain him, Salva allegedly then attempted to choke a flight attendant, leaving two small marks on the victims neck, the complaint said. Salva then pushed another flight attendant and said he was going to kill everybody, the complaint alleges. Salva allegedly broke out flex cuffs and had to be restrained by a seatbelt, the affidavit alleges, claiming passengers also aided in restraining the Fremont man. During the incident, Salva kicked one flight attendant approximately six times in the leg, causing apparent bruising and swelling, which required medical attention, the affidavit alleges. The complaint says the flight diverted to Ontario International Airport because the flight attendants did not feel safe trying to put Salva back in his seat. Salva is charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants. The Fremont man was arrested Wednesday and is expected to make his initial appearance on Thursday in US District Court in Riverside. 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. Fresno County confirms first West Nile Virus death in 2024 FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) The first death caused by the West Nile Virus (WNV) in Fresno County in 2024 was confirmed on Friday by the Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH). According to the California Department of Public Health, there have been 38 reported human WNV cases in California in 2024, four of those resulting in death. Our heartfelt condolences go to the family and friends. We need to stay vigilant as mosquitoes may continue to test positive for WNV in the County and may continue to cause several severe illnesses, including WNV infection, which can require hospitalization and intensive care as well as death, said Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County Interim Health Officer. Officials with Fresno County and the FCDPH remind residents that mosquito season is still in full force and prevention is the key to protecting themselves from mosquito bites. Mosquitoes become infected with the virus upon biting infected birds, and once infected, these mosquitoes can then spread the virus to humans and other animals with their bite. To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes and contracting WNV, health officials advise residents to take the following precautions: Apply insect repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. Make sure that doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep out mosquitoes and repair or replace screens with holes. Eliminate standing water and containers that can hold water from around the home. Contact mosquito abatement districts to report poorly maintained swimming pools or water features that appear green. For more information, visit the Fresno County Mosquito Control 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 YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. LANZHOU, Gansu/BAOJI, Shaanxi, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping urged northwest China's Gansu Province to deepen reform, make innovation, and do solid work to improve the people's well-being and the region's prosperity, to write a Gansu chapter in Chinese modernization. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection from Tuesday to Friday. Gansu should take solid steps in improving ecological conservation and restoration, accelerating green and low-carbon transition, further deepening reform and opening up comprehensively, promoting rural revitalization across the board, better securing people's livelihood and strengthening ethnic unity, Xi said during his inspection tour in Gansu Province. On Tuesday afternoon, Xi visited the Fuxi Temple in Tianshui City, where he learned about the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. The temple is dedicated to Fuxi, a mythical ancestor of the Chinese nation. It is imperative to protect and pass on the precious cultural heritage, so that the wisdom and creativity of ancestors will constantly inspire future generations and enhance national pride and confidence, Xi said. On Wednesday morning, Xi listened to the report of a local water diversion project and urged better maintenance and management of the project so that it would play a greater role in improving people's lives. While visiting a Huaniu apple production base, he emphasized the importance of optimizing cultivation of this variety and innovating marketing models so that this specialty industry will be expanded and more people will increase their incomes through it. Xi then visited the Maijishan Grottoes, where he carefully inspected the caves, sculptures and paintings that date back over 1,600 years. He called on cultural relic workers to make greater contributions to promoting the preservation and innovative development of China's traditional culture and enhancing its influence. On Wednesday afternoon, Xi came to Lanzhou, the provincial capital. At a local residential community, he emphasized the necessity of focusing on the practical needs of residents, especially the elderly and children, and continuously improving community services. During his visit to retired Party member Li Zongbiao, Xi said that local authorities have worked hard in providing elderly care, healthcare and community services and the work must continue and improve over time. When speaking to local residents, Xi said 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese people should be more united and make more efforts to create even greater achievements. He extended his holiday greetings to the residents ahead of this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept. 17. Xi then inspected a section of the Yellow River near the Zhongshan Bridge in Lanzhou and learned about the ecological protection of the country's "mother river." He called for joint efforts in protecting the river so that it will benefit the people forever. On Friday morning, Xi listened to the work report from the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee and the provincial government. Gansu should promote new-type industrialization, accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, build a significant national manufacturing base for new energy and new-energy-related equipment, and fortify the ecological security in the western part of the country, Xi said. He stressed the need to deepen reform and expand opening up with greater courage and determination, and to implement the people-centered new urbanization strategy effectively. Xi emphasized the need to strengthen cultural heritage protection and build the Dunhuang Academy into an example of world cultural heritage protection and a center of Dunhuang studies. He also called for efforts to advance the building of national cultural parks dedicated to the Great Wall, the Long March and the Yellow River. Efforts should be made to promote social advancement and governance, and lay a solid foundation for common prosperity for people of all ethnic groups, he said. On his way to Gansu, Xi visited the Baoji Bronze Ware Museum in Baoji City of Shaanxi Province on Tuesday afternoon. He hailed China's bronze civilization and called for better protection, research and promotion of bronze cultural relics. Xi also inspected a local riverside ecological park. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour. On Thursday morning, Xi met with senior officers and representatives of soldiers and civilian staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army troops stationed in Lanzhou. (Video reporters: Ma Muwangqing, Li Hengyi, Guo Gang, Ma Sha; Video editors: Wang Houyuan, Wei Yin, Yin Le, Meng Na, Li Qin, Su Yiren, Qi Xing.) JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE / Shutterstock / JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE / Shutterstock While Trump hasnt gotten into the nitty-gritty of his plan for helping seniors if hes elected President, reviewing his track record in the White House from 2016 to 2020 and watching him in the media can provide a clue of how life could be financially easier for retirees under a Trump win. Find Out: What a Trump Presidency Could Mean for Social Security in 2025 Read Next: 9 Easy Ways To Build Wealth That Will Last Through Retirement Here are six unexpected ways a Trump presidency could affect your wallet if youre over 65. Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week. Cut Drug Costs for Seniors When Trump took office, basic Part D premiums decreased by 13.5% from $34.70 in 2017 to $30 in 2020. The Trump Administration saved seniors $1.9 billion throughout that period. Part D enrollment increased 12.2% between 2017 and 2019. If he wins the White House, well likely see more ways retirees can save on prescription drug plans. Seema Verma, the former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), said that under Donald Trumps leadership, CMS had lowered prescription drug costs. During his presidency, Trump boosted competition among drug providers and reported saving taxpayers around $6 billion through cheaper Medicare subsidies. Verma added that the Trump Administration offered seniors lower costs at a time when healthcare costs continued to go up. Verma said that Following Trumps initiative, CMS implemented actions to drive down costs for seniors in the drug program. Check Out: Trump Wants To Eliminate Income Taxes: How Would That Impact You If You Are Retired? Increase Transparency and Choice in Healthcare Today, both presidential candidates and the Biden Administration realize the importance of negotiating with big pharma to provide low-cost prescription options for seniors, especially insulin, whose costs have risen astronomically. During the coronavirus pandemic, former president Trump and CMS worked together to give retirees broader choices in plans, making it easier to understand their options and put beneficiaries in control. CMS created tools that increased transparency in pricing to support the initiative so seniors could compare plans and find affordable options in the following ways. Reduced out-of-pocket prescription drug costs by implementing tools that provided clinicians with costs to discuss options with patients when prescriptions were written. Passed legislation to ban gag clauses, which enabled pharmacists to share information about other ways to access cheaper prescription drug options. Mailed patients an Explanation of Benefits document each month that introduces prescription increases and lower-priced alternatives. Empowered Part D patients by offering more drug choices available in the private sector. Reducing the cost of medicines for low-income beneficiaries. Allowed substitutions on formulary lists so people could access lower cost-sharing options. Increased competition by making more plan options available. Story continues Provide Job Training for Retirees With Disabilities At a time when over seven million job openings could not be filled, Trump provided apprenticeship programs to fill the gap in the workforce, helping 450,000 job seekers with disabilities, including retirees, reenter the workforce. Trump signed an Executive Order instructing the Labor Department to develop these apprenticeship programs in 2017. Programs taught participants in-demand skills and connected them with job opportunities. The average beginning wage for graduates was $70,000 per year. Trump could likely continue these types of apprenticeship programs. The Biden Administration has also established student loan forgiveness programs for many Americans. If Trump becomes president, these programs could likely continue. Eliminate Student Loan Debt for Disabled Veterans and Find Others Civilian Jobs During the Trump Administration, he helped hundreds of thousands of veterans find civilian jobs in the workforce. The former President also wiped away federal student loan debt incurred by U.S. veterans if they were fully disabled. Many retired veterans had finished their tours decades ago and still owed thousands of dollars in student loans, creating hardships for them and their families. If the veterans were permanently disabled, their loan debt could be forgiven, alleviating that financial stress. Provide Retirement Planning Incentives for Seniors and Businesses Trump originally drafted the SECURE Act, an initiative to incentivize employees to prepare for retirement. The Act offered various options and incentives for workers and employers to access saving options and tax-advantaged savings programs that could be accessible to everyone. One of the key goals of the SECURE Act was to incentivize employees to offer new 401(k) plans and broaden access to existing plans for a larger number of workers than what was available before Trumps time in office. He drafted legislation that provided businesses with tax credits for starting new retirement plans for employees, which included designing auto-enrollment features that made it simpler for employees to enroll in a retirement plan. Some of the changes the SECURE Act introduced included lifting the maximum age to contribute to traditional IRAs, raising the age for accessing minimum distributions from retirement accounts, and providing additional tax incentives for employers that matched worker retirement savings plans. Now, renamed the SECURE Act 2.0, with some modifications, its more than likely that Donald Trump will provide additional retirement savings investing incentives, especially with the threat of the Social Security Trust fund at risk. No Taxes on Social Security or Raising the Eligibility Age Seniors should not pay tax on Social Security, Trump [posted] on his social media pages, said Aaron Cirksena, founder and CEO of MDRN Capital. If Trump becomes president, he said he will use Social Security to strengthen the economy without raising taxes or increasing the age eligibility for retirees to qualify for benefits, said Cirksena. This would benefit retirees [by enabling them to] save money and gain more stability, Cirksena said. Editors note on election coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. For more coverage on this topic, please check out 5 Surprising Ways Retiring Could Be Easier Financially Under Harris. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Surprising Ways Retiring Could Be Easier Financially Under Trump Zanele Sibanda's loved ones gathered in Tredworth, Gloucester to remember the care worker [BBC] A friend of a woman who was killed last month says she "sits and waits for her call", weeks after her death. The family, friends and colleagues of Zanele Sibanda gathered in Tredworth, Gloucester on Friday afternoon to pay tribute to her. Care worker Ms Sibanda was stabbed to death in the early hours of 27 August. Ms Sibanda's friend and colleague, Sendy Chikanya said the 28-year-old "always had a smile on her face". Ms Chikanya told the BBC she was with Ms Sibanda just hours before her death. "I met Zanele when we got to work together in the past year," she said. "We just became friends, she was very outspoken and she always had a smile on her face. "She would call me every single time to ask me 'Are you okay?', and that's how we used to cope with work." Flowers were laid where Ms Sibanda died [BBC] When asked how much she missed Ms Sibanda, Ms Chikanya replied "a lot". "She was always there to support, always there whenever I needed someone to talk to," she said. "I just sit and wait for her call." 'Good team player' Adeyemi Adedokun, another of Ms Sibanda's colleagues, said she was "a good part of the team" at Care 1st Homecare. "I only knew her in work and I can say she is outspoken and a good team player," he said. Those who took part in the vigil lit candles at Ms Sibanda's home in Dora Walk, before walking a short distance to lay flowers where she died. A 32-year-old man has been charged with murder and is due back in court next month. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Didim, Aydin, TURKEY (Reuters) - Hundreds of people waving Turkish and Palestinian flags gathered for the funeral on Saturday for Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Turkey's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel were among mourners at the ceremony in the Turkish Aegean coastal city of Didim. A guard of honour carried the 26-year-old's coffin, which was draped with a Turkish flag. "The blood of Aysenur Eygi is as sacred as that of every Palestinian martyred, and we will follow it until the end. As the Turkish nation, we are fully committed. As a state, we are fully committed," Kurtulmus told reporters. Eygi was killed on Sept. 6 as she took part in a protest against settlement expansion in the West Bank. Israel has acknowledged that its troops shot the activist, but says it was an unintentional act during a demonstration that turned violent. "She was directly targeted and shot behind her left ear. May God have mercy on her, and may her soul rest in paradise," Kurtulmus said. Ankara said it will request international arrest warrants for those to blame for what it calls an intentional killing. U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris said on Wednesday the killing of Eygi was unacceptable and Israel must do more to make sure such an event never happens again. Kurtulmus said Turkey would "ensure this case is pursued until the end". "We will hold them accountable in all international courts. Yesterday, we completed all autopsies in accordance with international standards," he said. Prayers were held for Eygi in various Turkish cities, including Istanbul and Ankara. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Mike Harrison) Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a joint US-Turkish citizen who was shot dead in the occupied West Bank last week. A guard of honour carried Eygis coffin during the funeral ceremony, which took place in her home district of Didim, in western Turkey. Israel has said it was highly likely the 26-year-old activist was killed by its forces during a protest in the West Bank on 6 September. Turkey says it was an intentional killing. Eygi's death has inflamed tensions between the two countries, and several Turkish government officials, including Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, attended the funeral. Mourners carrying Palestinian and Turkish flags were seen crowding outside Didims Central Mosque as proceedings took place. Also among the mourners were Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus and leader of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel. Hundreds of people turned out in Didim for Saturday's funeral [EPA] "The blood of Aysenur Eygi is as sacred as that of every Palestinian martyred, and we will follow it until the end," Kurtulmus told reporters, according to Reuters news agency. "As the Turkish nation, we are fully committed. As a state, we are fully committed." Prayers were held for Eygi in cities across Turkey, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara. Her mother, Rabia Birden, said on Friday: "The only thing I ask of our state is to seek justice for my daughter," according to Anadolu news agency. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had previously said it was highly likely Eygi was "hit indirectly and unintentionally" by IDF fire, which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the killing was unprovoked and unjustified. No-one should be shot and killed for attending a protest, no-one should have to put their life at risk just for freely expressing their views, Blinken told reporters shortly after the IDF released its statement. Eygi was buried in Didim Asri Cemetery, western Turkey [Getty Images] Relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated since the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023. Turkey suspended all imports and exports from Israel in May and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously labelled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the "the butcher of Gaza". In response to the suspension of trade, Israel's foreign minister Israel Katz accused Mr Erdogan of acting like a "dictator". The American-Turkish activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who was killed by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank last week, has been buried in her familys hometown in southwestern Turkey. The activists body arrived in Turkey on Friday in a flat top coffin, wrapped in the Turkish flag and carried by soldiers, in a ceremony that is usually reserved for fallen troops. Her coffin was placed outside Didim Central Mosque on Saturday, where hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects to the 26-year-old. A smaller event later took place at a cemetery where an imam read verses from the Quran and mourners laid white flowers on her grave. Mehmet Suat Eygi, father of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, prays with relatives and friends next to her grave. - Dilara Senkaya/Reuters Eygi, who was born in Turkey and had joint US citizenship, was shot by Israeli forces while taking part in a weekly protest against an Israeli settlement near the Palestinian village of Beita. All Israeli settlements are considered illegal under international law. She was a recent graduate of the University of Washington, and had been volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), the same pro-Palestinian activist group as Rachel Corrie, a US citizen killed in 2003 while attempting to stop an Israeli bulldozer from demolishing Palestinian homes in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was highly likely that Eygi was hit indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire. In its initial inquiry into the incident, the IDF said that the shot was not aimed at the activist, but at the key instigator of a violent riot at the Beita Junction where it said Palestinians burned tires and hurled rocks at Israeli security forces. It didnt name the alleged instigator. US President Joe Biden called the shooting totally unacceptable and said there should be full accountability over her death. But he has also called the shooting a tragic error. The speaker of Turkeys Grand National Assembly, Numan Kurtulmus spoke outside of the mosque during the procession and said Eygis killing was not the fault of a handful of Israeli soldiers, this is the crime of a terrorist state. Kurtulmus indirectly referred to Biden, calling him so far from humanity for describing Eygis death as an apparent accident. A guard of honour carries the Turkish flag-draped coffin of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi during her funeral ceremony in Didim. - Dilara Senkaya/Reuters The ISM has criticized Biden for refusing Eygis familys demands for an independent and transparent investigation into her death. Why arent we seeing justice? one of her friends, Juliette Majid, told CNN. What are they, what are they doing? We just want to be able to have justice for our friend, for our loved one. We want justice for those she loved most, for her family. She was remembered by her family as a fiercely passionate human rights activist who was gentle, brave, silly, supportive, and a ray of sunshine. Like the olive tree she lay beneath where she took her last breaths, Aysenur was strong, beautiful, and nourishing. Her presence in our lives was taken needlessly, unlawfully, and violently by the Israeli military, they said in a statement. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com FILE PHOTO: The Iranian flag is seen flying over a street in Tehran ROME (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised powers condemned on Saturday "in the strongest terms" Iran's export and Russia's procurement of Iranian ballistic missiles. Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, deepening the military cooperation between the two countries, which are both under U.S. sanctions. "Iran must immediately cease all support to Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine and halt such transfers of ballistic missiles, UAVs (drones) and related technology, which constitute a direct threat to the Ukrainian people as well as European and international security more broadly," the G7 ministers said in a statement. "We remain steadfast in our commitment to hold Iran to account for its unacceptable support for Russia's illegal war in Ukraine that further undermines global security. In line with our previous statements on the matter, we are already responding with new and significant measures." Italy currently holds the presidency of the G7 group of wealthy nations which also includes the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France and Canada. (Reporting by Angelo Amante, writing by Giselda Vagnoni, Editing by Louise Heavens and Ros Russell) Looking for a momentum bounce from Vice President Kamala Harris's Tuesday debate performance, her vice-presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, rallied supporters in far northern Wisconsin on Saturday. "Kamala Harris did her job Tuesday night. We need to do our job for the next 52 days," Walz told the crowd at the University of Wisconsin-Superiors Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium. Tuesday night's debate was the first and only scheduled between Harris and former Republican President Donald Trump as each seeks to win the White House on Nov. 5. And while the two may not appear again on the debate stage, their vice-presidential running mates will square off in a debate on Oct. 1. Saturday's rally was part of the Harris-Walz campaign's "New Way Forward" tour of battleground states. Walz's event in Superior followed campaign stops he made in recent days in Wausau and in Michigan. Harris will return to Wisconsin on Friday as part of a swing through "blue wall" battleground states. Last week, Trump rallied supporters in Mosinee outside Wausau and his vice-presidential running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, will be campaigning in Eau Claire on Tuesday. Both campaigns have been making frequent stops in Wisconsin as they work to court voters in the critical swing state. The Marquette University Law School poll conducted before the debate and released this week found Harris had a four-point lead over Trump among registered voters in Wisconsin, within the poll's margin of error. The poll also revealed changes that may help Harris in the state. "All gas, no brake," Walz said as he urged the crowd to make the case for the campaign and turn out the vote. "Lets give it our all. And think about it: That 53rd morning, when you wake up, we get to say: 'Congratulations Madam President.'" Here's what to know about Walz's visit: Superior-Duluth a stronghold Democrats hope to regain Walz's trip to the state's northwestern corner is not the first of the Democratic presidential campaign this cycle. In January, President Joe Biden then the party's presumptive nominee seeking a second term in the White House visited Superior in a bid to regain the key Democratic stronghold that sits across Lake Superior's St. Louis Bay from Duluth, Minn. The two blue cities known as the Twin Ports are surrounded by communities that have increasingly leaned toward Trump as heavy industry and mining jobs disappeared. At that January visit, Biden announced new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace the 60-year-old Blatnik Bridge connecting the two cities. He said the project was expected to create 10,000 jobs, a critical message in the region, an expert previously told the Journal Sentinel. "Donald Trump talked a tough game on infrastructure, Kamala Harris got it done," Walz said Saturday referencing the bridge. The Marquette Law School poll showed Trump leading Harris on the economy, the No. 1 issue, though she has gained ground compared to when Biden was in the race. On Saturday, Walz framed Trump as someone born into wealth with no concept of the challenges faced by the working class while he said Harris grew up in the middle class. Walz references listening to 'smart women,' needling Trump as 'smallest man in the world' Walz opened by offering a "life hack" for men: "Surround yourself with smart women and listen to them and youll do just fine." Women will be an important voting bloc in the election, and the Harris-Walz campaign has leaned into abortion rights as a key campaign issue. Trump comes to the race with a polarizing history with women and reproductive rights. Walz also name-dropped Taylor Swift, who endorsed Harris after Tuesday's debate, signing her Instagram post as a "Childness Cat Lady" in reference to past derisive comments by Vance. "Its really great to have all of these women help us beat the smallest man in the world, Donald Trump," Walz said. Walz urges 'old-school Republicans' to consider Democrats' agenda Walz said Republicans "used to talk about freedom" but that a second Trump term would produce the opposite. He framed Trump's agenda as being the same as Project 2025, a conservative blueprint created by the Heritage Foundation from which Trump has tried to distance himself even as Democrats have continued to point out his connections to the plan. In particular, Walz hit on abortion and reproductive freedom, difficult issues for Republicans since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. Trump appointed conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who helped write the ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and has since sent mixed messages over whether he supports the effects of the ruling both taking credit for the ruling but also distancing himself from states' decisions to enact strict rules. "I would go out to all of your neighbors and make the case on this. Do you want JD Vance deciding about your wife and daughter's health?" Walz asked to yells of "no" from the crowd. "Or would you rather just leave it to them and their doctor? That's what freedom looks like." Walz highlights importance of Wisconsin in November election The November election will be a "margin-of-error race," Walz predicted, saying Wisconsin would be one of a handful of states necessary to win. "This thing's going to be a battle for the next 52 days," he said. "It's gonna be won in rooms just like this. It's gonna be won door-to-door, call-to-call, $5 donation, trying to have that hard conversation in the produce aisle with the person you saw there at the grocery store." The last two presidential elections in have been close in Wisconsin. In 2020, Biden won by about 21,000 votes after the state elected Trump by a similar margin just four years earlier. He said Democrats would win when they turned out the vote. He also slammed Republicans for spending "the last decade figuring out how to make it harder for people to vote" and Trump for still not admitting he lost the election four years ago. "That choice of voter suppression versus voter engagement, we choose the joyful path," Walz said. "We choose to take our chances with explaining what we stand for, standing on our record, letting everybody vote, counting every vote fairly, and then accepting the results of that." What did former President Donald Trump's campaign say about Walz's visit? The Trump campaign in a statement called Walz a "radical leftist governor" who is "now attempting to bring his failed policies to Wisconsin." It's clear that the Harris-Walz vision for America is one of chaos and destruction," said Trump campaign Wisconsin Press Secretary Jacob Fischer. "In stark contrast, President Donald J. Trump will fight to restore safety, security, and prosperity to every corner of the nation. While Kamala Harris and Tim Walz cater to the Radical Left, President Trump remains committed to putting Wisconsinites first and protecting American values." Molly Beck and Lawrence Andrea of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this story. Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'All gas, no brake': Takeaways from Tim Walz's rally in Superior Georgia man sentenced to 23 years in prison for attempted sexual exploitation of minor WALTON COUNTY, FL. (WMBB) An Appling County man has been sentenced to more than 23 years in federal prison for attempting to coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity. According to a news release, 50-year-old, Todd Eric Sisk of Braxley Georgia pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography. During a November 2021 undercover online operation, investigators from the Walton County Sheriffs Office said they identified Sisk using apps to communicate with minors. Santa Rosa Beach man in custody after fleeing deputies into the Choctawhatchee Bay Investigators said they determined that Sisk paid a user on Twitter whom he believed to be 13 years old to produce a video of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The investigators contacted Homeland Security Investigations in Savannah for assistance. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood ordered Sisk to pay $10,600 in restitution and assessments, register as a sex offender, and serve 15 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Walton County Sheriffs Office, with assistance from the Baxley Police Department. 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 mypanhandle.com. As he stormed out of a meeting on border security with the German government this week, Friedrich Merz, the opposition leader, had a spring in his step. The Right-wing CDU party chief, a hobby pilot and former BlackRock executive, has waited decades for his chance to become the next chancellor of Germany. Now it could be within reach, with chancellor Olaf Scholzs coalition seen as hopelessly weak on border security, and with national elections fast approaching. Last months stabbing attack by a Syrian refugee at a music festival in the western town of Solingen has put border security at the top of the political agenda in Germany. It has also handed Mr Merz a chance to relentlessly attack the government on migration, forcing Mr Scholz to announce new border controls that will come into effect on Monday. Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, watches on as Friedrich Merz, the Christian Democratic Union leader, speaks in the Bundestag - Liesa Johannssen/Reuters This country needs to be able to live in freedom and security once again, Mr Merz thundered after the Solingen attack, which killed three people, vowing to end Germanys migrant crime nightmare. The CDU leader has demanded that Germany transforms its border security policy: rather than just carry out extra checks, he says, it should be turning away illegal migrants on a comprehensive scale. When a crunch meeting with German ministers on Tuesday failed to meet that commitment, he simply walked out, branding the government incapable and leaderless. It is a remarkable shift in tone for a leader of the CDU, the centre-Right party formerly led by Angela Merkel, who threw open Germanys borders amid the 2016 refugee crisis with the slogan wir schaffen das (we can handle it). Mr Merz, 68, was born in the town of Brilon, West Germany another contrast with Mrs Merkel, who was deeply marked by her experience growing up in the Communist GDR in the east. Pro-business and socially conservative, he lost a power struggle with Mrs Merkel two decades ago, which in turn prompted a hiatus from politics for the legal profession and the corporate world. But when Mrs Merkel stepped down in 2018, he swept back into the CDU as leader and pushed the party in a decidedly more populist direction, having coined the phrase Leitkultur (dominant culture) in Germany. CDU insiders describe him as a tough, stern leader who has imported American-style management from his time at BlackRock into the party. He is rumoured to have once been a member of the Andean Pact, a secretive all-male society for CDU rising stars. When he comes into the room, everyone goes quiet, like when the schoolteacher comes in, one source said. And he can be really tough on people, to the point of being rude. Early on in his role as leader, insiders say he quickly tired of lengthy CDU meetings in the German parliament, which tend to start at 3pm and can drag on until as late as 9pm. They are now cut short at 5pm, which irked colleagues who enjoyed making long, meandering speeches; some feel their leader is more impatient than efficient. One source said Mr Merz insists on taking his staffers out for a beer, and picking up the tab, after a tough day. Unlike Mrs Merkel, known to the world as Mutti (Mummy), he has no nickname, and is simply Herr Merz to his staffers. Mr Merzs foreign policy is broadly supportive of Ukraine, with his party heaping pressure on Mr Scholz to provide Kyiv with powerful Taurus long-range missiles, albeit unsuccessfully. He seems to me to be quite an opportunistic politician who seizes whatever opportunity he can to stick it to the Scholz government, said Minna Alander, an expert on German politics and European security. In the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion, [his focus was] Ukraine he demonstratively went to Kyiv before Scholz now its migration. I dont think, however, that he really cares much about Ukraine, she added, alluding to his notorious comment in September 2022 that Ukrainian refugees were indulging in welfare tourism. He later apologised for the remark. His road to the chancellery has a major obstacle: support for the hard-Right AfD is surging in Germany, with the party taking first place in the Thuringia state elections in September. The CDU risks losing voters in droves to the AfD, largely owing to its muscular rhetoric on radical Islam and migration, and its abhorrence of German military support for Ukraine, which it fears will drag the country into a global conflict. Merzs big promise to the CDU was to push through a more conservative party profile. Now the migration issue seems to have become his theme, with which he wants to be associated, said Benjamin Hohne, a German political scientist at the Chemnitz University of Technology. However, it remains to be seen whether this will help the CDU achieve better election results or whether the Right-wing populist AfD will benefit because this is one of its core issues, he added. Earlier this month, Mr Merz veered closer still to the AfDs rhetoric on migration, saying migrants are behind the nightmare of gang rapes and accusing young migrant men of a complete lack of respect for women. Mr Merz is expected by many in his party to become a much closer friend of Ukraine than Mr Scholz was, should the CDU win the next general election in late 2025. On the most important topic of our time, namely restoring peace and security in Europe, Friedrich Merz, unlike Olaf Scholz, listens, said Norbert Rottgen, a senior CDU MP and a leading Ukraine supporter in the party. Merz understands that Russia will only negotiate when Ukraine has militarily won the upper hand and when there is no way left for [Vladimir] Putin to achieve his objectives militarily. Scholz, in contrast, believes that he knows everything best himself, he added. Friedrich Merz [has] made it clear how important a victory for Ukraine is for the European security architecture, said Roderich Kiesewetter, the CDUs crisis prevention spokesman and one of the partys more hawkish voices on Russia. In an apparent attempt to wrestle back control of the migration debate, Mr Scholzs interior minister announced this week that Germany will impose nationwide border checks for six months, starting on Monday. Critics noted that Germany already imposes such controls at four of its eastern borders, including Poland and Austria. Whether the new measures will have much impact remains to be seen, and they clearly do not go far enough for Mr Merz. But CDU allies hope that his energetic, brisk style will make him far more attractive than Mr Scholz who is considered slow and staid by comparison to voters in 2025. He doesnt want to waste time. Hes always in a hurry, one source said. Hes focused on getting things done. 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. Frank Schwabe speaks during a debate at the German Bundestag. Jonathan Penschek/dpa Germany on Saturday criticized Azerbaijan for refusing to allow lawmakers to enter the country ahead of the UN climate conference due to be held in Baku in November. Azerbaijan is hosting the next UN Climate Change Conference from November 11-22, but Baku has imposed entry bans on 76 lawmakers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe over their criticisms of human rights violations in the country. Four members of the German parliament are among those denied entry: Frank Schwabe, Heike Engelhardt, Andrej Hunko and Max Lucks, according to the Funke media group newspapers. Baku's move is "incompatible with Azerbaijan's obligations in the Council of Europe," a German Foreign Office spokeswoman said. The Council of Europe is an international organization that aims to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law on the continent. Its 46 members include all 27 EU countries, but also countries such as the United Kingdom, Turkey and the Caucasus republics of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Germany and the 14 other states affected by the decision issued a statement condemning Azerbaijan's move in a meeting of the Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg. Heike Engelhardt, Member of the German Bundestag, speaks at the Bundestag session. Christophe Gateau/dpa Andrej Hunko speaks during a debate at the German Bundestag. Michael Kappeler/dpa Max Lucks, Member of the German Bundestag, speaks in the plenary session of the German Bundestag. Christoph Soeder/dpa For many investors, the main point of stock picking is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But if you try your hand at stock picking, you risk returning less than the market. Unfortunately, that's been the case for longer term ADM Hamburg Aktiengesellschaft (FRA:OEL) shareholders, since the share price is down 31% in the last three years, falling well short of the market decline of around 11%. And over the last year the share price fell 29%, so we doubt many shareholders are delighted. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 14% in the last three months. So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress. See our latest analysis for ADM Hamburg We don't think that ADM Hamburg's modest trailing twelve month profit has the market's full attention at the moment. We think revenue is probably a better guide. Generally speaking, we'd consider a stock like this alongside loss-making companies, simply because the quantum of the profit is so low. For shareholders to have confidence a company will grow profits significantly, it must grow revenue. In the last three years, ADM Hamburg saw its revenue grow by 13% per year, compound. That's a fairly respectable growth rate. Shareholders have endured a share price decline of 9% per year. This implies the market had higher expectations of ADM Hamburg. However, that's in the past now, and it's the future is more important - and the future looks brighter (based on revenue, anyway). The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). If you are thinking of buying or selling ADM Hamburg stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet. 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 ADM Hamburg, it has a TSR of -21% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective Investors in ADM Hamburg had a tough year, with a total loss of 24% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 7.9%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 2% per year over five years. 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. 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. Take risks, for example - ADM Hamburg has 3 warning signs we think you should be aware of. Story continues Of course ADM Hamburg 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. Germany has struck a controlled migration deal with Kenya, which will see Berlin open its doors to skilled and semi-skilled Kenyan workers. The deal was signed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Kenyas president William Ruto on Friday. Ruto landed in Germany on Friday for an official two-day visit. While the exact number of workers that will arrive in Germany has not been disclosed, a spokesperson for Kenyas presidential office previously said it was looking at employment opportunities for up to 250,000 Kenyans. Migration is a major flashpoint in Germany, and has fueled the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Germany welcomed more than one million people during the migrant crisis of 2015-2016 and more recently took in large numbers of Ukrainians fleeing Russias invasion. The agreement comes as Scholzs government launches a crackdown on illegal immigration, recently announcing a tightening of border controls. Late last month, Berlin unveiled new security measures aimed at speeding up the deportation of rejected asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants which will begin next week. As well as deterring irregular migration, the deal is intended to address labor market needs in both countries, providing opportunities for Kenyan workers while supplementing an ageing Gemanys shortage of skilled laborers. It also intends to simplify the repatriation of Kenyans who are in Germany illegally. The two countries agreed to step up their cooperation on repatriation, with the introduction of measures such as the use of biometric data to identify those who are required to leave Germany. Expired passports and identity cards will now also be accepted as travel documents to facilitate repatriation. According to the German government, there are currently around 14,800 Kenyan citizens living in Germany. Around 800 of them are required to leave the country. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said she was very pleased with the outcome. We want to consistently enforce the repatriation of people without a right to remain - this is an important building block for limiting irregular migration. We have made good agreements for this, she said. On the other hand, we want to attract qualified workers, who we urgently need in many areas of our economy. The German Interior Ministry adds that it is in confidential talks with several other countries regarding migration agreements. The new security package came in the wake of a fatal attack in the western city of Solingen, in which three people were stabbed to death on August 23. The suspect was identified as a 26-year-old Syrian man with alleged links to ISIS, who had previously been due for deportation. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Germany won't allow long-range strikes on Russia even if other countries do, Scholz says Germany will not allow Ukraine to launch attacks with German weapons far behind the front "even if other countries decide otherwise," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. His statement comes shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stopped short of lifting restrictions on using Western-supplied long-range weapons on Russian territory during their meeting in Washington on Sept. 13, while media continue to report on encouraging signs that the ban might be reversed. Scholz said during the public talk in Prenzlau, Brandenburg that Germany "will continue to support Ukraine militarily" so that the country "does not collapse," German media Welt reported. However, Scholz stressed that he would remain opposed to the idea of Ukraine using German long-range weapons to attack targets deep inside Russia. "I am sticking to my position, even if other countries decide differently," Scholz said. Commenting on media reports that the U.S. could lift the existing restrictions, he said that not all speculations are correct, according to Welt. Restrictions on the usage of U.S.-made and provided ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) are "the subject of intense consultation among allies and partners, and will be (discussed) between President (Biden) and President Zelensky," U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sept. 14. According to earlier media reports on Sept. 11, Biden was said to be finalizing the details of the plan to lift some restrictions, while the U.K. had reportedly privately decided to allow Ukraine to use its British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for long-range strikes, though no public announcement had been made. Meanwhile, German media Spiegel reported on Sept. 13 that the debate is also ongoing inside the German parliament on whether Ukraine should be provided with German long-range missiles Taurus, with politicians from the FDP and the Greens supporting the decision. Ukraine has long been urging the West to lift the ban on striking military targets deep inside Russia. On Sept. 13, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his speech at the YES conference that without the ability to strike inside Russia, U.S.-provided ATACAMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) are pointless. Read also: ATACMS restrictions subject of intense consultations between Ukraine and allies, Sullivan says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits the Forest Botanical Garden at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) during his summer trip. Fabian Sommer/dpa German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has defended the planned expansion of the nation's border controls as he addressed the public in a citizens' dialogue on Saturday. "Irregular migration is not what we want," Scholz told the gathering in Prenzlau, Brandenburg. If, as last year, 300,000 people came to Germany, only some of whom were entitled to protection, "then that is not good," he said. Therefore, one must look more closely at who has the right to enter, "because unfortunately we cannot completely rely on all our neighbours doing what they should do," Scholz said. Germany is a member of the Schengen area, which allows some 420 million people in 29 European countries to travel freely without facing border controls. But checks are already in place at some of Germany's nine borders, including with Poland. Scholz's comments come as Germany on Monday extends the controls of its borders with Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. Scholz emphasized that border controls - initially set to last six months - would be carried out in accordance with European law. They were ordered by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in a bid to curb the number of unauthorized entries more effectively. While the steps have been criticized by Germany's neighbouring countries, Berlin has pointed to security risks posed by irregular migration and smuggling activities at the EU's external borders. SAN ANSELMO, Calif. (KRON) A 15-year-old girl was arrested in connection to a school shooting threat made at schools within the Tamalpais Union High School District on Friday afternoon, Central Marin Police officers said. Girlfriend arrested with charges of killing her boyfriend in Pleasanton home, police say While investigating what they believed was a bomb threat at a TUHSD school, officers from CMP received a report from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) claiming a girl had made separate threats of a shooting. Police clarified that the bomb threats made were not connected to the shooting threat. Through the FBI report, police said they were able to identify the girl making the threats through social media. Police said the girl, later identified as a 15-year-old San Anselmo resident who attends a school at TUHSD, was located and arrested in the nearby area for making criminal threats. We will continue to work diligently to identify and apprehend those responsible. School safety and providing a safe place for students to thrive is of paramount importance, Marin police officers said. Earlier on Friday, the TUHSD received specific bomb threats to high schools Friday morning, causing the district to cancel classes, according to 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 KRON4. Girlfriend arrested with charges of killing her boyfriend in Pleasanton home, police say PLEASANTON, Calif. (KRON) Kennedy Stith initially claimed her boyfriend, Edevion White, had been murdered by a pair of robbers in their Pleasanton home in 2023. After a year-long investigation, however, Lieutenant Erik Silacci with the Pleasanton Police Department told KRON4 the girlfriends claims were untrue. Fremont man who allegedly went berserk on SF-bound flight faces federal charges White, 32, originally from Tennessee, was killed in his home at the 5700 block of Owens Drive on May 1, 2023. Stith, 27, his girlfriend whom he lived with at the time, had called the police, claiming a pair of robbers in ski masks had stabbed and killed White during the alleged home invasion. Police arrived to find White with an apparent stab wound to the chest. PPD investigators believed that White knew the assailant. After a year-long investigation and seeking the publics help in what they claimed to be an unsolved homicide case, detectives determined Stiths claims were untrue The victim and the suspect were known to each other. On Thursday, Stith was arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail for homicide. The City of Pleasanton extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Edevion White, PPD 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. GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) A Glynn County man is facing multiple charges for a Friday hit and run in a stolen FedEx van that left one dead. 25-year-old Malincoln Smith of Brunswick has been charged with DUI, driving on a sidewalk, felony vehicular manslaughter, felony hit and run, and other miscellaneous charges by other agencies. According to the Georgia Department of Public Safety Public Information Office (GDPSPIO), on September 13, at 1:38 p.m., troopers responded to a hit-and-run crash on Norwich Street in Glynn County. The investigation determined a stolen FedEx van was traveling recklessly through a parking lot on the east side of Norwich Street when it struck a Pontiac SUV and a pedestrian. The deceased pedestrian was identified as 66-year-old Larry Holloway of Brunswick. GDPSPIO reports that Smith fled the scene and was arrested soon after a pursuit on foot. This was one of several traffic crashes reportedly caused by Smith, and the charges may vary from agency to agency. Among these agencies are the Glynn County Sheriffs Office, Glynn County Police Department and possibly Brunswick Police Department. 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 WSAV-TV. Michael Whatley (right), chair of the Republican National Committee, speaks to reporters as North Carolina GOP chairman Jason Simmons looks on at the NC GOP headquarters in Raleigh on Sept. 14, 2024. (Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) National Republican leaders spoke to volunteers in North Carolina on Saturday as part of a national tour focused on election security, while the party continues to file a flurry of lawsuits in battleground states ahead of the start of early voting. Weve got to have the right rules of the road in place before voting starts, said Michael Whatley, the chair of the Republican National Committee, during a Protect the Vote event at the NC GOP headquarters. Whatley, formerly the North Carolina party chair, has helped lead a new front of Republican efforts focused on voting and elections. That includes four lawsuits in North Carolina against the Board of Elections, on topics ranging from non-citizen voting to the use of student digital IDs at polling places. In response to the first of those lawsuits, the NCSBE called Republican allegations categorically false and said they could undermine voter confidence in elections. Concerns about the security of elections and potential fraud remain front and center for some Republicans, as former President Donald Trump continues to falsely claim that he won the 2020 presidential election. Just over 78% of North Carolina residents believe their votes were counted accurately in 2020, a recent poll found (though they were slightly less confident in other states counting). A bipartisan panel of experts and attorneys has been touring the state in recent weeks as part of a Trusted Elections Tour as part of an effort to debunk myths and conspiracy theories. Whatley argues that the Republican litigation is simply pushing for popular requirements. This is not election denialism, he said. These are not conspiracy theories. These are proposals that are supported by 70, 75, 80 percent of all Americans. GOP training up partisan observers with new NC law in effect Republicans are recruiting and training both poll workers and partisan observers who will monitor precincts across the state once voting begins. Observers are allowed under Senate Bill 747, North Carolinas new GOP-led elections law. Every polling place can have up to three observers per political party present at once, including at-large observers who cycle through precincts throughout the day. They are allowed to walk around a precinct and listen in on conversations about the administration of the election. But they cannot directly interact with voters or look at filled-in ballots. NC Newsline previously reported that the Democratic Party was training observers to watch for any irregularities or disenfranchisement. So, too, are Republicans. The North Carolina party will have a war room set up at headquarters, Whatley said, though they will aim to address any problems that crop up locally. What weve continued to pursue over the last couple election cycles is making sure our network of volunteers and volunteer attorneys are understanding the sensitivities that go on within the polling locations, NC GOP chair Jason Simmons said. Mark Finchem on Aug. 2, 2022, at an election night party for Kari Lake. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror Former Republican lawmaker and candidate for Arizona Senate Mark Finchem went on a talk show hosted by a conspiracy theorist and spread some conspiracy theories himself on the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. The host of the show has falsely claimed the Jewish people were behind 9/11. Finchem unsuccessfully ran for Secretary of State in 2022, won the Republican primary for Legislative District 1 in July and is anticipated to return to the Arizona Legislature come January. Finchem has built his brand on election fraud and other conspiracy theories and is also known for his association with and support from extremist groups like the Oathkeepers. On Sept. 11, Finchem went on Scott McKays show, streamed on Rumble. Also known as Patriot Streetfighter, McKay has a history of espousing antisemitic beliefs, as first reported by the left-leaning Media Matters for America. McKay, a central figure in a movement during the pandemic to harass school boards for mask mandates, has espoused antisemitic beliefs and has also praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX McKay has falsely claimed that Jewish people built up Hitler as a way for them to profit from World War II and praised the dictator for trying to break free of the Rothschilds corrupt money-magic fiat system, alluding to an antisemitic conspiracy theory. He has also said that Hitler was actually fighting the same people that were trying to take down today. Finchem did not respond to a request for comment for this story. Mark Finchem recently appeared on an antisemite Scott McKays program and thanked him for his offer for help, should he win his Senate seat. McKay is someone who praised Hitler hes not someone whose show you should be appearing on, let alone accepting help from, Media Matters for America senior investigative reporter Eric Hananoki said in a statement to the Mirror. The former lawmaker went on the show to promote an investigation being conducted by a non-profit he runs that is involved in a bizarre, conspiracy-riddled probe into a Tennessee police department. Earlier this month, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation raided the Millersville Police Department using a search warrant obtained through a criminal investigation of the departments assistant police chief, Shawn Taylor. Taylor had appeared on McKays show the day prior and is working with Finchems non-profit as an investigator. Two local district attorneys confirmed to local TV station NewsChannel 5 that the TBI had been asked to investigate Taylors possible use of sensitive law enforcement data to investigate his potential political enemies. The investigation also involves the possible perjury of a Millersville detective during testimony he gave in a botched child predator sting, NewsChannel 5 reported. Both Finchem and McKay had harsh words for the people involved in the case who they allege are corrupt, in addition to other perceived ills. Any of you bastards that are watching this, now is the time to get out, McKay said. So if you want to save your asses now is the time to step asideAll of you who are corrupt will be held accountable one way or another. McKay went on to claim that America is lost and that people like he and Finchem have to put down this Satanic energy and that the CIA, FBI and others are involved in child sex trafficking. Finchem also claimed that the television networks NBC, CBS and ABC are connected to the CIA. Throughout the interview, McKay and Finchem both alluded to the QAnon conspiracy theory. In its simplest form, the complex and damaging QAnon conspiracy theory alleges that a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles are running a global sex-trafficking ring, control world governments and are trying to bring down former President Donald Trump who is himself single-handedly dismantling the cabal. McKay referenced intelligence drops multiple times throughout the interview, which is an allusion to Q drops which were a plethora of posts on sites like 4chan between 2017 and 2022 that were alleged to be from the infamous Q. Throughout the interview Finchem made a number of conspiratorial claims, without evidence, accusing the judge in the Tennessee case, as well as others, of being involved in child sex trafficking. He claimed that the Tennessee-based journalist who has written about Taylors ties to conspiracy theorists is providing cover to perverts and sex traffickers. Finchem repeated Taylors false claim that an agent with TBI urinated in Taylors bathtub. The former lawmaker claimed to have DNA evidence related to that allegation. Finchem has often courted those from the fringe and especially those in the QAnon world. He has spoken at their conventions and held fundraisers with known QAnon believers and 9/11 truthers. We are deeply troubled by Arizona GOP Senate nominee Mark Finchems recent appearance on a radio show hosted by an individual who regularly promotes antisemitic views and pro-Hitler rhetoric, Alan Zeichick, board chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix, said in a statement to the Arizona Mirror. Arizona deserves leaders who will unite us, not those who associate with people saying such harmful ideologies, Zeichick said. We encourage the voters of District 1 to send a clear message that bigotry and hate speech have no place in our state or nation. Hananoki told the Mirror that with just a little digging, Finchem could have easily discovered McKays extremist background. Eric Trump even had to disavow McKay after the national media reported on McKays antisemitic background, Hananoki said. But this is all part of a pattern with Finchem and his association with extremists. He has promoted QAnon propaganda, endorsed an antisemitic pastor who wasnt even running in Arizona, and praised Gab CEO Andrew Torba, who once said that we dont want people who are Jewish. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Gov. Jeff Landry addresses reporters at a news conference Sept. 13, 2024, on the recovery from Hurricane Francine at Signature Aviation in Kenner. U.S. House Majority Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng listen behind the governor Gov. Jeff Landry addresses reporters at a news conference Sept. 13, 2024, on the recovery from Hurricane Francine at Signature Aviation in Kenner. U.S. House Majority Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng listen behind the governor. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) KENNER Hurricane Francine, which brought widespread power outages and moderate flooding to Louisiana two days ago, revealed the regions lingering wounds from Hurricane Ida three years ago, Gov. Jeff Landry said Friday. The governor and his wife joined several New Orleans-area officials, some who were accompanying him on a helicopter tour of storm damage, for a news conference at the Signature Aviation terminal near Armstrong International Airport. The Biden administrations top disaster response official joined Landry for a helicopter tour Thursday, which the governor said should help convince the White House of the need for recovery dollars in Louisiana. The aerial inspection also showed Federal Emergency Management Administrator Deanne Criswell how flood protection projects spared Terrebonne Parish from more extensive flood damage, he said. Roof damage was also limited from Francine, according to the governor, which he attributed in part to the ability of homeowners to rebuild stronger after Ida. This, combined with a proven levee system, should bring down insurance premiums, Landry said, starting with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that provides coverage of last resort in areas where the private market wont write policies. There should be no excuse, Landry said. There really should be no excuse to increase premiums just because of this storm. The governor and Louisianas congressional delegation have been part of a bipartisan push to get FEMA to revise its risk assessments for flood-prone areas. They insist the latest version, referred to as Risk Rating 2.0, doesnt fully take into account flood protection and storm resiliency investments dating back to past disasters. These started with the recovery after hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and the devastating floods of 2016 in the Baton Rouge region. U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, who joined Landry at the news conference, was less optimistic that FEMA would adjust its flood insurance program rates. Its been a complete failure, Scalise said. We have been pressing for over two years for FEMA to just explain how it works. The majority leader was even more pointed when asked if Francines impact would convince the Biden administration to place a more urgent emphasis on revisiting NFIP premiums. Im not confident in FEMA right now running the NFIP program, Scalise said. FEMA works with us on a lot of other things, so Im not going to disparage them completely. The way theyve run the NFIP program has been a complete disaster that has wrecked communities in places just like south Louisiana, and were far from the only one. Landry said the state would keep FEMA updated on damage reports from Francine, and that Criswell understood the billions of dollars spent in Louisiana to reduce the impact of hurricanes. We should get a credit for it, the governor said. Landry and members of Congress from Louisiana have asked President Biden to consider a full reimbursement of the states Francine recovery costs, which have to exceed the states capacity to pay for them. A crew of linemen use bucket trucks to repair a utility pole near Houma on Sept. 12, 2024, one day after Hurricane Francine made landfall in Terrebonne Parish. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) Power outage progress Landry said power outages appear to be the biggest impact from Francine, which at its peak knocked out electricity to more than 450,000 customers. He stressed the need for more grid infrastructure improvements, which he credited with keeping the lights on in Louisianas lone inhabited barrier island. You see things like down in Grand Isle, where they didnt even lose power this time, the governor said. Normally, they used to lose power when there was a bad thunderstorm. As of 4 p.m. Friday, there were just over 80,000 customers left to reconnect in the Entergy Louisiana footprint, 5,600 for Entergy New Orleans and nearly 2,800 for Cleco. Various electric co-operatives and municipal power providers reported significant progress bringing customers back on line. Utility regulator Eric Skrmetta, who represents District 1 on the Louisiana Public Service Commissioner, said in an interview he was pleased with efforts to restore power. Youre talking about from 450,000-plus down to 120,000 plus [outages] in 45 hours, Skrmetta said regarding Entergys response. By anybodys standard, thats a great recovery. The highest number of Entergys remaining outages was in Terrebonne Parish, where more than 19,500 customers await electricity. Lafourche was next with more than 15,000, followed by Jefferson Parish with more than 12,600. Clecos outages were concentrated in St. Mary Parish, where almost 3,200 customers were without power mid-Friday afternoon. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell speaks to Gov. Jeff Landry at a news conference Sept. 13, 2024, on the recovery from Hurricane Francine at Signature Aviation in Kenner. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) New Orleans drainage delays The governor was asked whether he would make good on his promise to provide the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans $29 million it has requested from the state to cover the remaining cost of a local power station at its main plant. The facility currently relies on outdated turbines and backup generators that frequently fail to power its drainage, sewage treatment and drinking water system. While Francines heavy rains would have flooded the city regardless, power problems led to delays in clearing water. New Orleans officials sought money from the state to pay for a portion of the new Entergy substation, but legislators did not include it in the capital outlay budget finalized in early June. At the time, Landry said he would work to find the needed money from other sources. With Mayor LaToya Cantrell and S&WB executive director Ghassan Korban standing behind him, the governor was asked Friday whether he would promise to provide the $29 million needed for the power substation. Landry did not expressly commit to that dollar amount but said he would go back and find where that pot of money is. He hinted that more scrutiny is needed over the ample federal resources already provided to New Orleans from previous natural disasters. This area has received billions of dollars, and the question is: Why are we in the same position? Landry said. The federal government provided $76 billion to Louisiana for its recovery from Hurricane Katrina, which was estimated to have caused $125 billion in damages. More than $14 billion was spent to repair the federal flood protection system that failed in the storm, and nearly the same amount went toward the Road Home program that helped homeowners repair their properties or bought houses from residents who chose not to return. Allocations for subsequent storms that caused major damage in Louisiana Gustav and Ike in 2008, Isaac in 2012, the great floods of 2016, Laura and Delta in 2020, and Ida in 2021 brought far less money from Washington, D.C. Landry said he intended to continue discussions with the city, Sewerage and Water Board, state and federal decisions to determine how to address problems with New Orleans drainage infrastructure. We plan to work very closely with them to make sure that the money that were going to spend is going to go where its needed the most, he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Gov. Tim Walz, Democratic VP nominee, to host Asheville campaign rally; how to get tickets Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz arrives at Central Wisconsin Airport alongside daughter Hope Walz in Mosinee, Wis. with his daughter on Friday, September 13, 2024. Democratic vice-presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will rally in Asheville the afternoon of Sept. 17 following events in Atlanta, the Harris-Walz Campaign announced Sept. 14. Walz's visit comes as the dueling Trump-Vance and Harris-Walz campaigns vie for the swing state. North Carolina is expected to be a highly competitive race, with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump narrowly winning the state in 2020 with 49.9% of the vote. The most recent polling averages from RealClearPolling put Vice President Kamala Harris only at one-tenth of a percent behind Trump in the Tar Heel State. Walz will deliver remarks as part of a campaign rally in the city and will arrive in Asheville around 4:30 p.m. Attendees must RSVP online. Details about location and time will be announced to "confirmed guests only," according to the Mobilize.us RSVP page. An RSVP is required but does not guarantee admission. The visit by Walz will come just days after Harris kicked off her "New Way Forward" tour of swing states, which also included Harris making visits in Greensboro and Charlotte on Sept. 12. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump visited Asheville on Aug. 14, delivering remarks on the economy. He is set to visit North Carolina again with another rally in Wilmington on Sept. 21, and his running mate JD Vance will be in Raleigh on Sept. 18. More: How did Buncombe County Dems, GOP members react while watching Trump-Harris debate? More: Donald Trump is rallying in Western North Carolina. But why Asheville? This story will be updated. Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Democratic VP nominee Tim Walz to campaign in Asheville; what to know By Anna Tong and Katie Paul (Reuters) - Fei-Fei Li, a leading artificial intelligence researcher, has raised $230 million for a startup she and three colleagues founded to make AI technology that can understand how the three-dimensional physical world works, the company said on Friday. Initial funding for World Labs was led jointly by Andreessen Horowitz, New Enterprise Associates and Radical Ventures. Other investors included AMD Ventures, Intel Capital and Nvidia's NVentures. World Labs declined to share its valuation. Li, one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in AI in 2023, led AI at Google Cloud from 2017 to 2018, served on Twitter's board of directors and has done stints advising policymakers, including at the White House. The Stanford University professor is widely known as the "godmother of AI," a moniker alluding to the three "godfather" winners of the 2018 Turing Award, the computing world's top prize, for their breakthroughs in AI technology. Li made her name in AI by developing ImageNet, a large-scale image dataset that helped usher in a generation of computer vision technologies that could identify objects reliably for the first time. Reuters previously reported that Li was working in stealth mode on an AI startup that could render ideas into 3D environments. World Labs' other founders are computer vision researchers Justin Johnson, Christoph Lassner and Ben Mildenhall. While commercially available generative AI models can produce dazzling text and photo outputs, Worlds Labs focuses on "spatial intelligence," or the ability to reason how the 3D world works, Li told Reuters. Spatial intelligence models could be used in the future for augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) or robotics, she said. "The images and videos that you have seen so far coming out of generative AI models do not give you enough of the whole sense of how a 3D world is built," Li said in an interview, along with Mildenhall. This sense is fundamental to unlocking broader reasoning capabilities in AI systems, she noted. This would avoid the rendering of "hallucinations" like hands with the wrong number of fingers. "The way we understand the structure of the world, imagined or real, will fundamentally be a piece of this AI puzzle," Li said. The San Francisco-based startup, with 20 employees, will train foundation models that its founders refer to as "large world models" or "LWMs." Li said a combination of synthetic and real-world data will be used to train the models. Story continues The models will use the same transformer-based architecture that serves as the basis for OpenAI's viral ChatGPT chatbot, Li said. However, the transformer would not be the "be-all and end-all" of their models, she said, suggesting they will incorporate other elements as well. Li will continue her work at Stanford University's Human-Centered AI Institute while building the startup. World Labs is Li's second go-around in entrepreneurship. As a Princeton University student, Li borrowed money to buy a dry cleaning business for her parents and spent her weekends working there, she said in her memoirs. (Reporting by Anna Tong in San Francisco and Katie Paul in New York; Editing by Richard Chang) Gov. Tim Walz travels to North Carolina for campaign stop; Trump, Vance also on the way Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrats nominee for vice president, plans to visit Asheville Tuesday for a political event, according to a campaign official. His trip kicks off a week of North Carolina campaign events that includes visits from the Republican nominees, former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, who will be in Raleigh the same day that Walz is in Asheville. It will be the second time Walz has visited North Carolina since August, when Vice President Kamala Harris chose Walz as her running mate. Campaign officials have not yet provided further details about Walzs visit on Tuesday. During his last visit, to Raleigh, he stopped for milkshakes at Cook Out with Gov. Roy Cooper before visiting a campaign office and a fundraiser. The Trump campaign said Trump and Vance plan to host rallies to focused on the state of the economy. Trump will visit Wilmington on Saturday. Michael Zhadanovsky, the North Carolina Democratic Coordinated Campaigns rapid response director, said Trump and Vance are campaigning on an extreme agenda that would rip away North Carolinians freedoms and raise taxes for working families across the state. Voters here dont want Trump and his MAGA allies like Robinson trampling on our rights and freedoms, Zhadanovsky said. When Trump and Vance come to Wilmington and Raleigh next week, were going to make it clear: were not going back. The multiple visits in a single week highlight the importance North Carolina is playing in the upcoming election. Trump and Vance have increased their visits to the Tar Heel state since Harris became Trumps opponent for president on July 21. When Trump faced off against President Joe Biden, he often led in North Carolinas polls, sometimes by double digits. But when Harris launched her campaign, the polls began to narrow. On Monday, a poll from Quinnipiac University showed Harris three points ahead of Trump in North Carolina. Harris visited three days later, on Thursday, holding campaign rallies in Charlotte and Greensboro. Democrats have spent more than a year investing in North Carolina as a key battleground state. While Democratic presidential candidates rarely win in North Carolina, the margins have narrowed. Trump carried North Carolina in 2020 by the smallest margin of any state he won. Democrats have worked to flip North Carolina blue, trying to secure the states 16 electoral votes. The government has defended the early release of prisoners after it emerged a former inmate allegedly sexually assaulted a woman on the same day he was freed. Amari Ward, 31, was released as part of the policy, which aims to ease prison overcrowding, on Tuesday. He appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Thursday charged with sexual assault and is due to appear at Maidstone Crown Court next month. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the early release scheme was necessary because it had "inherited prisons in crisis and on the brink of collapse". Reoffenders would be punished, it added. Ward is alleged to have "intentionally touched" a woman who did not consent in Sittingbourne, Kent, on Tuesday, according to court documents seen by the BBC. He was arrested at an address in south London. Ward was charged with sexual assault, denied bail and recalled to prison on Thursday. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "The Government inherited prisons in crisis and on the brink of collapse. "Had that happened, the courts would have been unable to hold trials and the police to make arrests. "We had no choice but to introduce emergency measures, releasing some prisoners a few weeks or months early, while excluding a number of offences and imposing strict licence conditions. "While we cannot comment on the details of any single case, those who break their licence conditions or commit further crimes will be punished." Around 1,750 prisoners were freed early on Tuesday from jails across England and Wales. The government's latest iteration of the scheme came after July's general election, but officials had already been drawing it up when the Conservatives were in power. In May, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was challenged over the early release of dangerous criminals under the scheme. During PMQs, Sir Keir Starmer asked for a guarantee that no criminals considered high risk would be freed early. The former PM insisted no-one deemed a threat to public safety would be eligible. Under the early release policy, some inmates were released after serving 40% of their sentence, instead of 50%. [BBC] Criminals serving prison sentences of less than four years for violent offences, including manslaughter, are among those eligible to be freed under the scheme. Despite government efforts to prevent domestic abusers from leaving prison early, the restrictions will not apply to all criminals with a history of such violence as the policy only excludes particular offences such as stalking. Attackers convicted of other crimes such as threats to kill or actual bodily harm could still qualify for early release. Rioters involved in this summer's unrest are also not specifically excluded from early release. They will only stay behind bars for longer if they are serving more than four years for a violent offence. Terrorists and sex offenders are excluded and will not be freed early. This month, prisons reached a record population of more than 88,500. Officials had previously said that some of those released were likely to reoffend. Earlier this month, Martin Jones, HM chief inspector of probation, said: "There is also, I think, a certainty that some will reoffend." He added that the risk of serious offences was rare but a risk that could not be eliminated. The family of murdered GAA official Sean Brown have said they are "utterly devastated after the government rejected a coroners request for a public inquiry. Mr Brown, 61, was shot dead near Randalstown in County Antrim in 1997 after being abducted by loyalists. The Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said he has "enormous sympathy" for the Brown family but that an inquiry is "not the best way to proceed". But Mr Brown's daughter, Clare Loughran, told BBC News NI that her family "are never going to give up" their search for justice and the truth about the murder. 'It is not the end' In February, it emerged that more than 25 people, including state agents, were linked by intelligence to the murder. The following month, Coroner Mr Justice Patrick Kinney said a public inquiry was the appropriate way to examine the full circumstances of the killing. He made the request in writing to the government. The move had the backing of PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher. Mr Browns family heard back from Benn, but they claimed he had ignored the explicit direction of a High Court judge. The family statement added: It is not the end of our journey. We are not going away. This is merely a decision that will be challenged, and we will look forward with renewed enthusiasm to a judicial review already listed for September 26. Clare Loughran (left) and her family holding a photo of the late Sean Brown [PA Media] Speaking to BBC News NI on Friday night, Mr Brown's daughter said her family were finding it very difficult to come to terms with the government's refusal. "There's been a lot of very tough days all along the line for these last 27 years but this has to be one of the low points to it all," Ms Loughran said. "Daddy was taken from us such a long time ago and we really thought that this time round we might be able to get to the bottom of the truth, but unfortunately this has been another kick." Ms Loughran explained her family wants a public inquiry into the murder because it would be "completely independent of the government" and would give the family legal representation with the power to call witnesses to seek answers. She pointed out that a High Court judge had "read all the unredacted sensitive information and he has felt that the only way forward to explore Daddy's case is a public inquiry". Clare Loughran said her family "are never going to give up" their fight for justice [BBC] In a statement, the secretary of state said he recognises the decision will come as a disappointment to the Brown family. "I am, however, confident in the Independent Commissioner for Reconciliation and Information Recoverys (ICRIR) capability to deliver justice," Benn continued. "I would therefore encourage Mrs Brown and her family to meet with Sir Declan [Morgan] and the ICRIR to hear how the independent Commission would approach any investigation into Mr Browns death." 'They are stoic' But Ms Loughran said her family has "very little faith" in the independence of the ICRIR . She argued the revelations about state agents were concealed for decades and only came to light as a result of the inquest. The Browns' solicitor, Niall Murphy, explained they have filed a legal challenge with the High Court. "The family is not accepting the decision; they do not believe it is a lawful, rational, or reasonable decision," he said. The lawyer described it as an "immense surprise and intense disappointment". "They are very, very disappointed," he said, adding: "However, they are stoic." The Pat Finucane Centre said that the Brown family recently met with Benn. It said during the meeting the family told the Secretary of State the ICRIR is "unacceptable" to them. In a statement the centre said the family's view on the ICRIR "has been ignored". What happened to Sean Brown? Sean Brown's body was found in a burnt-out car near Randalstown [Pacemaker] Mr Brown was locking the gates of GAA club Bellaghy Wolfe Tones when he was kidnapped by the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF). In March, the coroner said Mr Brown's inquest could not continue due to material being withheld on the grounds of national security. He decided that redactions of intelligence material meant he could not properly investigate the circumstances of the killing. Instead, he wrote to Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, requesting a public inquiry into the case. The Jersey Horse Association met last week to set out proposals to protect the equestrian sector [BBC] Work is under way to set up a new group aimed at ensuring the survival of the equestrian sector in Jersey. The Jersey Horse Association said it met last week to set out proposals for the group to work on. Alasdair Crosby, from the association, said the equestrian sector in Jersey was struggling as "so few people are taking part" and "clubs are thinking of closing down". Deputy Kirsten Morel, Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, said the new group could "give a voice" to the needs of the equine sector. 'Urgent steps' Rebecca Flath, a member of the Jersey Horse Association development team, said there needed to be a "single voice" giving the sector "more power". "There are a lot of issues at the moment around difficulties in planning permissions for putting shelters in place for horses," she said. "As a horse owner, I only want the best for my horses and that is why welfare is one of the most important aims of this new association if it becomes properly established." Mr Crosby said the next move was "to work out what the most urgent steps are and speak directly to government". "I'm sure everyone will come on board because it is the only way that equestrianism in Jersey will survive," he said. Mr Morel said the sector made an "important economic, environmental and social contribution" to the island. "I look forward to working alongside the new association as it gives a voice to the needs of this community," he said. Follow BBC Jersey on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. More on this story Related internet links In Dungannon there are two very different types of structures standing side by side, dominating the towns skyline [BBC] There is growing disagreement over an old British army communications mast on an ancient historical site in County Tyrone. The Troubles-era mast has been there for decades and sits atop a tourist destination that many historians consider to be one of the most important sites in Ulsterthe Hill of the ONeill. Beside the mast, a pair of ruined towers overlook Dungannon, the last remaining remnants of a grand house dating back to the 18th century. Some emergency services, NI Water, and mobile networks still use the mast, but its future is uncertain. The Hill of the O'Neill is known for its stunning views of several counties [BBC] Mid Ulster District Council and NI Water, which owns the mast on the site of an old British army barracks, are at odds over its future and who might foot the bill to remove the mast or change the site. Others consider it to be a relevant part of Northern Irelands recent history. NI Water had previously proposed to jointly develop and manage a feasibility study with the council to explore options to remove, reduce, or better disguise the mast. It was estimated that the study would cost 100,000, and a business case was completed in relation to sharing the costs with the council. However, NI Water has said it can no longer go forward with the proposal because of funding cuts and an insufficient budget. 'This is a major tourist site' Niall Maneely is chair of the Dungannon and South Tyrone Chamber of Commerce [BBC] In a statement to BBC News NI, NI Water said it offered to help with the feasibility study and options for mast removal, but "this study and the outcomes would need to be fully funded by MUDC. Independent Republican councillor for Dungannon, Barry Monteith, has called for the mast to be relocated. This is a major tourist site that is promoted on the basis of the view. If a similar mast was on the walls of Derry, in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, or in the Lakelands of Fermanagh, it wouldnt be tolerated, so it shouldnt be tolerated here. The telecommunications mast is used by NI Water, the emergency services and mobile phone operators [BBC] DUP councillor Clement Cuthbertson has previously criticised the prospect of public money being spent on the feasibility study. In a social media post in July, he said: This would be a ridiculous waste of ratepayers' money. The chair of the newly-formed Dungannon and South Tyrone Chamber of Commerce, Niall Maneely, said the mast being so close to an ancient site was potentially detrimental to the character of a popular tourist destination. We acknowledge the use of the mast by emergency services and mobile operators, but surely there are other locations that can provide the same service. James Kane is from the ONeill Country Historical Society [BBC] James Kane from the ONeill Country Historical Society said the mast's future was complicated. Obviously there are those who would like to eradicate any evidence that remains from that period in Dungannon during the Troubles, and you can understand that. But from a historical point of view, the mast is the last remaining artefact of what Dungannon was like in the 70s and early 80s when the barracks were there, he said. He added: So there is substance to the argument of why not leave the mast there?, build it into the historical storytelling on the site, instead of the cost of removing and eradicating it completely. MUDC has said that the mast impacts its ability to promote and develop the site as an important heritage and tourism asset for the region". A council spokesperson said that it was continuing to engage with NI Water to explore ways in which the mast could be "reduced, or ideally, removed, and relocated to an alternative site". For much of the 20th century, the site was closed to the public as it was used as police and army barracks; it was transferred to the local council in 2007. A museum on the site tells the story of Hugh O'Neill and the O'Neill clan [BBC] History of the Hill of the O'Neill From the 14th century onwards, the hill was the seat of military and political power of the ONeill clan, chosen because of its height advantage and panoramic views. The clan's origins date back as far as the 10th century, including two High Kings of Ireland. Hugh ONeill became leader of the clan in 1595, but he would eventually leave Ireland in what would become known as the Flight of the Earls. In the 18th century, a prosperous businessman, Thomas Knox Hannington, built a grand house on the site, and the ruined towers of it can still be seen today. On a clear day, it provides views of Lough Neagh, the Sperrin and Mourne Mountains, Cavehill in Belfast, and as far as the counties of Cavan and Monaghan. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) Columbus is hosting a gun buyback where citizens can anonymously trade in firearms in exchange for cash gift cards of up to $750, but not all firearms qualify for payment. Columbus police and the Office of Violence Prevention, or OVP, are partnering for the event. The city said it is accepting rifles, assault rifles, handguns and shotguns in exchange for a cash gift card. It is also accepting non-working, antique and 3D guns, but there is no cash incentive for these firearms. Columbus police said they found dozens of untraceable, homemade firearms in 2023, including 75 illegal Glock switches, which convert some handguns into fully automatic weapons. Police said individual gun parts and entire firearms made through 3D printing have been documented. See your schools grade on Ohios 2024 report cards 3D-printed guns fall under the ghost gun category, or guns without an identifying serial number. Metal and polymer guns assembled through at home kits also fall under this umbrella. We will absolutely accept ghost guns or 3D printed guns, but we are not offering gift cards for those, India Duke, public information officer for the OVP, said. We do not want to incentivize individuals to create firearms just to get the cash gift cards. The program is anonymous, so anyone turning in firearms will not be identifiable, allowing anyone with these guns to turn them in safely and get them off the street. Participants should arrive with the gun or guns placed in their vehicles trunk inside of a box or bag. Guns must not be loaded. The gift cards are first-come, first-serve, and OVP said it is prepared with over $100,000 of cash gift cards. The event starts at 10 a.m. in Phillips Hall parking lot D at Franklin University, and will go until the gift cards run out. They will also distribute gun locks and other safety-related giveaways, OVP 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 NBC4 WCMH-TV. Florida Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick warned that former President Donald Trump and running mate JD Vances lies about Haitian immigrants in an Ohio town could absolutely lead to anti-immigrant violence, Dem. Cherfilus-McCormick, the sole Haitian-American representative in Congress, told Victor Blackwell on CNNs First of All on Saturday morning that the rhetoric was dangerous. My first reaction was just pure disgust and disdain, Cherfilus-McCormick said, adding that the ex-president and JD Vance are fully aware that Haitians in Ohio are in the U.S. legally on Temporary Protected Status. For him to say that they are committing crimes and stealing pets is a big lie. Trump, who railed against the community and claimed that they were eating the dogs in front of nearly 70 million Americans during the presidential debate earlier this week, doubled down at a press conference on Friday and dismissed the idea that his hateful rhetoric could contribute to violence, instead vowing to deport the legal Haitian immigrants to Venezuela. Its really rooted in racist stereotypes that weve heard decades before, she said. Words have actual real meanings, and they have actual real results. And this is exactly it. What Donald Trump is doing right now is really trying to be divisive, this is his one tool. The Congresswoman said the danger towards Haitian immigrants wasnt limited to Springfield, whose non-Haitian residents have also condemned the barrage of attacks against the immigrant community. Were feeling the combativeness, were feeling the death threats, Cherfilus-McCormick said, adding that shes hearing that from people all across the country. The increasingly inflammatory language from Trump and Vance has already inspired a number of bomb threats in Springfield, as Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloids attack Haitian immigrants with front-page coverage of minor traffic incidents. Our children now are at risk going to school, the Haiti Caucus co-chair said, adding that she was planning to visit the Haitian community in Springfield. Creations Market shop owner Philomene Philostin, a naturalized US citizen of Haitian origin, shelves merchandise in her store that caters mainly to Haitian residents in Springfield, Ohio, on September 13, 2024 (ROBERTO SCHMIDT) (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/AFP) Bomb threats are being called into schools and businesses are closing at sundown in Springfield, Ohio, after the small US town became the center of conspiracy theories targeting its Haitian immigrant community -- leaving some in fear for their lives. The mostly white city in the American Midwest has seen a boom in population in recent years, fueled mostly by Haitians attracted by its economic revival, and new businesses happy to attract laborers. But after fleeing gang violence in Haiti, many newcomers are now worried they could be victims of hate crimes here as Republicans stir tensions over the influx of Black foreigners during a heated political campaign season. "Some of them want to leave (town), some have already left," said Romane Pierre, manager of the Rose Goute Haitian restaurant. He closed early, around 8:00 pm, on Thursday, worried about his staff having to walk home late at night. What started as municipal growing pains in a rapidly growing city have morphed into allegations of an "invasion" by "illegal" newcomers, baselessly accused of stealing and eating people's pets and causing a crime wave. Since Republican White House candidate Donald Trump declared "they're eating dogs" at Tuesday's presidential debate, tensions have only increased. A bomb threat Thursday closed city hall and a local public school attended by many Haitian children. Schools were evacuated for a second day Friday, and the FBI investigated threatening calls telling a Haitian community center to "fucking leave," the centers executive director told AFP. "It's a sad reality, putting people in panic," said Viles Dorsainvil, executive director of the Haitian Community Help and Support Center. "We are trying to help them to understand what has happened is just because of a political agenda." - Too much of a good thing? - In many ways, Springfield's growing population was a success -- and one specifically sought out by the city, which previously had a declining population typical of the post-industrial heartland. City officials pushed an economic plan to attract new businesses, and it worked -- perhaps too well, attracting some 10-15,000 Haitians to a town that had a population of under 60,000 in 2020. The growth has stressed the already tight housing market, emergency services, and the health and school systems -- real problems, said Wes Babian, former pastor at the First Baptist church. And the jobs revival has not translated into fixing systemic problems such as longstanding local poverty. But Babian denounced what he said were growing "racial overtones" in residents' complaints. "There's been a lot of controversy over the last year or so with regard to the new neighbors," said Babian. "Certainly understandable in some respects, but it's migrated to a much more negative, even dangerous level at some points." Many of the Haitans in Springfield have some sort of legal or protected status. Some have lived in the United States for years. But they have been accused of being bused into the town by the federal government, or living grandly off public benefits while the local population languishes. In reality, some Haitians arrived with their own funds and started businesses, like Philomene Philostin, a naturalized US citizen who owns a grocery store stocked with Haitian staples such as djon-djon seasoning and dried lalo leaves. Others are barely scraping by, such as Fritz. He arrived at the US-Mexican border five months ago, and was given an appointment to cross and seek asylum. He receives food assistance, but nothing he can use to pay rent -- which he hopes to turn around after finding a night shift job at a food services company. "But they haven't paid me yet," he said, and the housing situation for him, his two-year-old son and pregnant wife, at a friend's house, is precarious. As he spoke to AFP downtown across from the evacuated city hall, a car drove by, with its occupants yelling out, "Fuck you!" - 'I've got my weapons' - Since the presidential debate, Daniel, a Haitian who has lived in Springfield for four years under a legal protection called Temporary Protected Status, has stopped leaving his house unless it's completely necessary. But he insists the people spreading the hateful rhetoric are in the minority. "The threat is real," he said. But "it's not the entire community." Others are on his side. Sitting on his front porch, an American flag fluttering in the twilight, Vietnam War veteran WIlliam Thompson declares "it's the land of the free... They got an opportunity to come be free." And if, like so many fear, things spiral into violence, "I've got my weapons inside the house," he laughed. nro/sms/jgc SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) Former President Donald Trumps campaign stopped in the Hostess City Saturday afternoon. The campaign hosted a town hall rally, with standing room only at the Morris Center. The voters here they understand, they get it, said Congressman Buddy Carter, who represents Georgias 1st District. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem led a discussion alongside Carter and Georgias 10th District Rep. Mike Collins. They say Georgia voters are focused on the rising cost of living and border safety, both of which they say theyre trying to change. To me, it just makes me want to go out and talk more about Trump, said supporter Angie Mingledorff after the rally. You know, a lot of people dont understand. Tim Waltz to visit Georgia next week, campaign says Those in attendance got a call to action: to convert undecided voters onto their team. I dont want another four years of what I just had, said Mingledorff. I want Trump back in with what he was back in 2016. Im just all excited to find those people that are on the fence, like they said, and just try to find those independents and tell them this election is up to us, said supporter Kaye Buffalini after the rally. We have to vote. We have to get out and vote. The campaign took questions from the audience, many concerned with the current state of the country, wanting to know how the Trump administration could change things. Were excited about the turnout we had here today and the amount of individuals asking insightful questions on what it really means for their family, why are gas prices so high, why are our grocery prices going up and what will President Trump do different than what Kamala Harris has done the last four years, said Noem. The event ended with a reminder to voters to head to the polls. Go vote early, said Collins. We win this thing big enough where we wont have to worry about anything else. Early voting begins on Oct. 15 and ends Nov. 1. 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 WSAV-TV. The Harris campaign on Saturday unveiled an ad highlighting her pledge during the debate to put Americans first regardless of party, seeking to draw a contrast with some of former President Trumps comments. The 30-second ad, which was shared first with The Hill, features an exchange from Tuesdays debate in which Harris argued Trump was more interested in defending himself than he is in looking out for you. The ad, called Prosecutor, then cuts to a rally appearance earlier this year where Trump quipped to attendees, I dont care about you, I just want your vote. As a prosecutor, I never asked a victim or witness are you a Republican or a Democrat, Harris said during the debate exchange featured in the new ad. The only thing I ever asked them: Are you OK? And thats the kind of president we need right now. Someone who cares about you, and is not putting themselves first. The ad will run on digital platforms across battleground states and is part of the campaigns $370 million paid media campaign running through Election Day. The ad is the fourth that the campaign has unveiled since Tuesdays debate between Harris and Trump. The campaign said Harris would seek to build off the debate with new ads, travel to battleground states and interviews with local media. The vice president repeatedly attempted to get under Trumps skin, often succeeding as the former president went on tangents about crowd size, Biden and a conspiracy theory about migrants abducting pets in an Ohio town. Harriss campaign almost immediately called for a second debate between the two candidates, but Trump has said he will not participate in another debate. A CNN rapid poll found 63 percent of debate watchers said Harris won Tuesdays debate, compared to 37 percent who said Trump won. Multiple polls released Thursday showed Harris widening her lead over Trump nationally. Trump cited multiple social media polls, including one posted by C-SPAN, that showed he fared better than Harris. And a Trump campaign poll found Trump got a 2-point bump from the debate, while Harriss support in battleground states remained flat. 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. We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Green Energy Penny Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Altus Power (NYSE:AMPS) stands against the other green energy penny stocks. Exploring Green Energy Green energy comes from naturally replenished resources such as the sun, wind, and tides, and is used for various purposes including electricity generation, heating, and transportation. Unlike traditional forms of energy from finite sources such as fossil fuels, green energy is sustainable and includes several types of energy such as bioenergy, geothermal energy, hydrogen, hydropower, marine energy, solar energy, and wind energy. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), there has been impressive growth in green energy spending, however, it remains highly concentrated in a few regions, primarily advanced economies, and China. Green energy investments are not evenly distributed due to obstacles such as high upfront costs and macroeconomic challenges affecting broader adoption. While costs for clean technologies have risen in recent years, they remain competitive compared to fossil fuels. Despite record global investments in energy transition technologies reaching $1.3 trillion in 2022, this amount falls short of the necessary investment to achieve the 11.2 Terawatts of green energy capacity pledged by countries. To address this, there is a need for increased and more investment in green energy, particularly in developing countries, which have received disproportionately low levels of funding despite their high energy needs. The global investment in renewable generation capacity must exceed USD 1.5 trillion annually to meet targets. Inflation Reduction Act Spurs Investments in Green Energy Analysts are bullish on the investment opportunities in green energy, particularly in light of the U.S. government's recent fiscal stimulus efforts, including the Inflation Reduction Act. The Biden administration's $370 billion investment in energy and climate incentives is expected to significantly boost various sectors within the green energy industry. Experts highlight the importance of tax credits and other incentives aimed at developing renewable energy infrastructure and supply chains, especially in the U.S. and with fair trade partners. While traditional, large-cap-weighted ETFs are popular, there's growing interest in more diversified, equal-weighted approaches that include smaller, innovative companies in areas like battery production, solar power, and critical mineral extraction. This transition to renewable energy is seen as a global trend, offering investment opportunities beyond North America. JP Morgan is actively investing in green energy projects by providing tax equity financing to support the development and construction of solar and storage projects in the United States. In May, the bank committed $680 million in tax equity financing to rsted, a leading energy developer, for the construction of two major projects: the Eleven Mile Solar Center, a 300 MW solar project in Arizona, and the Sparta Solar, a 250 MW solar project in, Texas. This investment is one of the largest solar and storage tax equity transactions since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which introduced new tax credit mechanisms, including the ability to transfer tax credits. The bank's involvement allows it to optimize its federal tax obligations while supporting the expansion of green energy infrastructure. Additionally, this deal builds on its existing investments in 1.8 GW of rsteds U.S. onshore green energy portfolio, demonstrating the bank's interest in the energy transition. The current level of investment in green energy falls short of what is required to transition to a sustainable energy future. A more equitable distribution of investment and a stronger commitment to overcoming barriers such as high upfront costs. With that in context let's take a look at the 10 best green energy penny stocks to buy now. Our Methodology For this article, we scanned green energy ETFs plus online rankings to compile an initial list of 50 green energy stocks. From that list, we narrowed our choices to 10 stocks trading under $5 that were the most popular among hedge funds. The hedge fund sentiment was taken from our database of 912 elite hedge funds as of Q2 of 2024. We also included the market cap of these companies as of September 4. The list is sorted in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment, as of the second quarter. Why do we care about what hedge funds do? 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 close up of a solar panel array in a suburban neighborhood. Altus Power (NYSE:AMPS) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 11 Market Capitalization as of September 4: $494.36 Million Altus Power (NYSE:AMPS) is a prominent player in the green energy sector and specializes in community solar power solutions by leveraging underutilized rooftop spaces to generate solar electricity and capture excess energy from commercial and industrial properties. Altus Power (NYSE:AMPS) provides cost-effective solar power to residential customers. The company serves over 25,000 subscribers nationwide through its Community Solar program and offers green energy savings without requiring customers to install their own solar panels. The company operates a robust portfolio of solar assets, including both operational facilities and those under development. On August 20, Altus Power (NYSE:AMPS) announced that it completed two new community solar projects in Maine, totaling 12.6 MW. The projects will benefit over 2,600 local households by generating clean electric power and reducing nearly 12,000 metric tons of carbon emissions. Altus Power (NYSE:AMPS) has partnerships with industry leaders such as Blackstone and CBRE, which enhances its market presence, and positions the company as a leading player in the green energy landscape. Altus Power's (NYSE:AMPS) strategic approach to acquiring and managing large-scale solar projects has positioned the company as a prominent player in green energy. Altus Power (NYSE:AMPS) is well-positioned to benefit from the growing demand for green energy solutions. Analysts expect the companys earnings to grow by 100% this year. Industry analysts have a consensus on the stocks Buy rating, setting an average share price target at $5.56, which represents a 56% upside potential from its current level. As of the second quarter, the stock is held by 11 hedge funds and the stakes amount to $28.10 million. Overall AMPS ranks 9th on our list of the best green energy penny stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of AMPS 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 AMPS but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first solo sit-down interview since she became the Democratic nominee to a local news station in Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania (KENA BETANCUR) (KENA BETANCUR/AFP/AFP) Kamala Harris appealed to moderate voters Friday in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania, reiterating that she is a firearm owner who wants to preserve Americans' gun rights while maintaining "reasonable" gun safety laws. The US vice president gave her first solo sit-down interview since she became the Democratic nominee to a local news station in Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania, where analysts believe her race for the White House against Republican Donald Trump could hinge. "We're not taking anybody's guns away. I support the Second Amendment (of the US Constitution) and I support reasonable gun safety laws," Harris told ABC affiliate WPVI. Guns rights have been a contentious issue in American politics for decades. Meanwhile Trump has riled up supporters on the campaign trail by saying Harris wants to "confiscate your guns." Harris in the interview cited her raw experience as a prosecutor and how it brought her intimately close to the victims of gun violence. "I have personally prosecuted homicide cases," she said. "I have personally looked at autopsies. I have personally seen what assault weapons do to the human body. "And so I feel very strongly that it is consistent with the Second Amendment and your right to own a gun to also say we need an assault weapons ban. They're literally tools of war." Polls show most Republicans are opposed to a ban on semi-automatic rifles, known by some as assault weapons, including popular AR-15 style rifles that have been used in many mass shootings. But Harris said she also backs more popular policies including universal background checks on gun purchasers. "The majority of NRA members support that," she said, referring to the powerful lobbying group, the National Rifle Association. The 59-year-old White House hopeful surprised many during this week's debate with Trump when she identified herself and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, as gun owners. She reiterated that again during her 11-minute interview on Friday, while also repeating her campaign pitch of unity and a new direction for the country. "Most Americans want a leader who brings us together as Americans, and not someone who professes to be a leader who is trying to have us point our fingers at each other," she said, referring to Trump. "I think people are exhausted with that to be honest." mlm/des Harris focuses on Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania in an effort to shore up her support WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) Vice President Kamala Harris has upcoming events scheduled in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin as her campaign focuses spending on the blue wall states with the Nov. 5 election nearing. On Tuesday, Harris will sit for an interview with the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia. Two days later, she is joining Oprah Winfrey in Michigan at her Unite for America livestream event with 140 different grassroots organizations. Harris' visit to Wisconsin on Friday will be her fourth since she launched her White House run in July. Harris' campaign has a large operation in the states with hundreds of staff and on-the-ground outreach efforts. Supporters in Wisconsin have knocked on more than 500,000 doors and that since last weeks debate with Trump, the campaign has signed up more than 3,000 new volunteers. Overall, Harris team is on pace to outspend Republican Donald Trumps campaign 2-to-1 in television advertising over the next two months. Even before Democratic President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign and made way for Harris, the Democrats wielded superior campaign infrastructure in battleground states. Harris team, which includes her campaign and an allied super political action committee, has more than $280 million in television and radio reservations for the period between Tuesday and Election Day, according to the media tracking firm AdImpact. Trumps team has $133 million reserved for the final stretch, although that number is expected to grow. Vice President Harris on Friday pledged to end unnecessary degree requirements for some federal jobs as she courted middle-class voters in the critical battleground of Pennsylvania. For far too long, our nation has encouraged only one path to success: a four-year college degree. Our nation needs to recognize the value of other paths, additional paths, such as apprenticeships and technical programs, Harris told the crowd in Wilkes-Barre, prompting applause. As President, I will get rid of the unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs to increase jobs for folks without a four-year degree, understanding that requiring a certain degree does not necessarily talk about ones skills, Harris said. She also promised to challenge the private sector to follow suit. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), who was a top contender in the so-called veepstakes to join Harris on her fast-tracked ticket, notably signed an executive order in the Keystone State last year that removed four-year college degree requirements for most state government jobs. The pledge comes as the vice president promises shed champion the middle class if elected to the Oval Office this fall. At the same time, shes been working to highlight her own background as she appeals to the critical demographic. I come from the middle class. I understand where I come from, and Im never going to forget that, and I will always put middle class, working people first, Harris said on Friday. Her rally speech was briefly interrupted by what appeared to be protests over the war in Gaza, prompting Harris to briefly veer off-topic as she addressed them directly. Now is the time to get a hostage deal and ceasefire. We have been working around the clock to get that done, and I respect your voice, but right now I am speaking, she said to cheers. The shut-down echoed a line shes used at previous events. Harris and former President Trump are locked in a tight race for the White House. The latest polling averages from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ show the Democrat with a 3.5 percent lead nationally. Harris made two stops in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, where the DDHQ aggregation shows her ahead by a fraction of a percentage point. 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 Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump, and the Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, debate for the first time during the presidential election campaign at The National Constitution Center on Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) On Sept. 10, 2024, 67.1 million viewers (minus online streaming and PBS numbers, which are not available) watched a historic presidential debate. Donald Trump had debated Hillary Clinton the first woman to head a major party ticket in 2016, but this debate was historic not for his opponents gender or racial heritage, but for the path that led her to the debate stage. Until Harris became the presumptive nominee on July 21, after President Joe Bidens withdrawal from the race after his June debate performance, there had never been a substitute candidate in U.S. history. Harris hit the ground running and injected enthusiasm into an electorate that was not excited about a rematch of 2020. Before the debate, however, Harris negatives were almost equal with her positives 47% to 46%. Trumps positives were at at 45% and negatives at 50%. Of those who planned to watch the debate, three out of 10 said it would help them decide their vote, indicating soft supporters for both candidates along with the undecideds. Polls showed a race that was virtually tied. Thus, the debate was important to each candidate. In a pre-debate column, I gave four things to keep in mind when watching the debate. How did they play out? First, I noted that historically winning a debate does not mean winning an election, and that watching to see who has the leadership qualities and values a person supports is a more important question. In post-debate analysis, many have shared that historic fact when reporting on post-debate polls showing Harris as the clear winner. What the debate did show is that Harris received positive reviews for looking and sounding presidential and future oriented, with a positive attitude about the countrys future. At this writing, a national poll was released showing a 5-point lead, 47% to 42%, for Harris. Sustaining that debate momentum is now her challenge, especially without a second debate. Trump maintained his dystopian view of the country and spent considerable time on the past his, Bidens and Harris and interjected unproven claims about immigrants eating cats and dogs and committing crimes in record numbers. He also asserted that Harris supports transgender surgeries for immigrant prisoners and post-birth abortions. He tried to bolster his self-descriptions as a successful president who was tough and well-respected internationally. As I suggested, there was little new information, but for those who did not watch the conventions or who do not follow news closely, at least some of both candidates policy positions and attacks on their opponent might have been new. Harris touted her opportunity economy and gave details on how she will help the middle class and lower prices. Trump repeated his attacks on Harris as an extremist Marxist and a flip-flopper who had three and a half years to solve problems and didnt. He gave few specifics about his own policies and when pushed on how he would replace the Affordable Care Act, he responded I have a concept of a plan, an answer that fueled dozens of memes on social media He also repeated his claim that he can end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza with simple phone calls, but didnt say what would transpire in those calls even before he is sworn in to end the wars. In a post-debate focus group I ran, the only new information all of the eight members learned was that Harris owns a gun. Given the importance of gun rights for many voters and Trumps claims that she wants to take guns away, that could be significant. The third point I made about the debate is that there are multiple agendas, and they are not all well-served. Trumps agenda was to hammer Harris on the economy, the border, foreign policy and extremism. While he did do that, he often strayed from those points and took bait from Harris that led him to a rant about the size of his rallies rather than the issue at hand. He waited until his closing statement to ask why she and Biden have not solved economic problems in their term. He should have started with that position. He also had no response when Harris explained that there was a bipartisan border plan that Trump asked Republicans to tank so he could keep the issue alive during the campaign. Trump also avoided answering more than once if he wants Ukraine to win. When the nonanswer is coupled with his failure to say what he will do in a call to end the war, it raises questions. Harris had two agendas: provide more detail about herself and her policies, mainly to appeal to middle class and swing voters. She also needed to paint Trump as self-centered, not respected, dangerous and out of control. She began with her biography in her first response on the economy and outlined her economic proposals. However, she failed to answer whether Americans are better off than they were four years ago. That gave Trump leverage on the issue, but he didnt exploit it as well as he could have. She knocked Trump off message and referred to his responses as extreme a word he uses for her. Overall, Harris is seen as winning the debate because she executed her agenda almost perfectly and Trump strayed from his and weakened his attacks as a result of her strategy. The moderators wanted to cover as many topics as possible in a single debate and they did. However, they left out a key issue: gun control. They also wanted to fact-check the candidates. However, they only fact-checked Trump, going as far as researching the pet eating claims by talking to the city manager of Springfield, Ohio, and citing FBI statistics on overall crime being down. Trump blasted both counters by saying that neither source was believable fake facts. In covering multiple topics, they often failed to get details and let both candidates evade their questions. Given that most of the publics top issues were included, the moderators did serve the publics agenda in part. Their failure to redirect and get details and straight answers, however, didnt serve the public. They can also be criticized for not giving the same speaking time to both candidates. Trump spoke over five minutes more than Harris 42 minutes and 52 seconds to Harris 37 minutes and 36 seconds and they were not consistent in muting the microphones. Finally, I prepared readers for both candidates to make erroneous claims, and they did. The moderators did some fact-checking on Trump and there were multiple live fact-checking sites and numerous articles post-debate doing the same for each candidates responses. Trump was credited with at least 30 false claims and Harris with one outright false statement (that unemployment was the highest since the Great Depression) by one news source, along with several statements that were misleading or without context. In fairness, they should have fact-checked Harris. It is too early to know if the debate will translate into enough votes for either candidate to sway the elections outcome. Trump appears to have ruled out a second debate, and the vice-presidential debates never attract the same viewership. Debates are not the final word, but they shape the final words. Both candidates will adjust their remaining appeals to the voters based on what they learned from reactions to the debate. The job interview is usually not the last step in the hiring process there are references to check and searches to conduct. Voters have time to seek out information from the candidates and the news media. Consider looking at the debate transcript, which often tells a very different story than what is gleaned from watching in real time. The vice-presidential candidates will also offer insights into the teams positions, so tune in on Oct. 1 to see Tim Walz and J.D. Vance defend the top of their tickets and possibly clarify unresolved issues from the presidential debate. Diana B. Carlin is the co-author of The 1992 Presidential Debates in Focus and The Third Agenda in U.S. Presidential Debates: DebateWatch and Viewer Reaction 1996-2004. She is professor emerita of Communication at Saint Louis University and a retired professor of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here. The event was set up in 2021 as a celebration to mark the end of Covid restrictions [Anti-Loo Roll Brigade] Headline acts are to return to the stage during a festival which raises money for people in the community. About 5,000 guests are expected to attend the Anti-Loo Roll Festival across Friday and Saturday in Colchester, Essex. The event was initially set up as a celebration to mark the end of Covid restrictions in 2021. "Being a Colchester boy, seeing this amazing festival in my hometown is just the most surreal feeling," said the event's founder Peter Dutch. The festival was a product of the Anti-Loo Roll Brigade, a community group that supported residents throughout the pandemic. Peter Dutch gave up his scaffolding job to run the group full-time [Peter Dutch] A night at the proms inspired night took place on Friday, but Mr Dutch said the main attraction was Saturday's line-up. He said a range of local talent and tribute bands would take to the stage in front of the crowd in Lower Castle Park after a year of planning. "I'm really excited, the sky is blue and the sun is out. It's shaping up to be our best one yet," Mr Dutch said. "It won't really sink in until everyone starts walking through the gates, then I'll get a moment to actually take it in." Mr Dutch said he wanted to help make a difference in people's lives [Anti-Loo Roll Brigade] The work of the Anti-Loo Roll Brigade has continued post-pandemic, with it now registered as a community interest company and based at the Lakelands Centre in Stanway. Mr Dutch, who gave up his day job to run the group full-time, said it was helping children from abusive backgrounds and soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder, among other tasks. "We're in a position to be able to help people and make a difference in their lives, so it would be a crime not to help," the former scaffolder added. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, left, and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, right. (Official photos) Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts and Ned Lamont of Lamont are considering a major energy deal, with Healey signaling that she might agree to purchase power from the Millstone nuclear power plant in Connecticut if in return Connecticut buys a chunk of the output of the proposed Vineyard Wind 2 wind farm off the coast of Marthas Vineyard. The proposed swap was first reported by the Hartford Courant, but details of the arrangement being discussed were confirmed by CommonWealth Beacon. What set the discussions in motion was a lengthy offshore wind procurement conducted jointly by Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island that ended last week with only Massachusetts and Rhode Island making procurements. Connecticut took a pass, leaving the fate of Vineyard Wind 2 unclear Massachusetts agreed to purchase 800 megawatts of the Vineyard Wind 2 project but the remaining 400 megawatts were unclaimed. Why Connecticut didnt purchase the remaining 400 megawatts was unclear, but it appears likely the price of the power was too high for Lamont and Democrats in the Connecticut Legislature at a time when electricity ratepayers in Connecticut have seen their bills skyrocket, largely because of charges associated with Millstone. Millstone is one of two remaining nuclear power plants in New England and a key source of carbon-free electricity. In 2019, Connecticut lawmakers, worried that Millstone might close, jeopardizing close to 1,000 jobs, directed the states two major utilities to enter into a 10-year power purchase contract for half the power plants output. The utilities agreed to pay a steady rate of $50 a megawatt hour, but the cost to ratepayers varied depending on wholesale prices. When the wholesale price of electricity exceeded the Millstone price, Millstone had to kick the difference back to ratepayers, which happened when the war in Ukraine sent the price of natural gas, the primary fuel for electricity generation, skyrocketing. More recently, wholesale prices have fallen below $50, and ratepayers have had to pick up the difference. Connecticut wanted other states to buy in to the Millstone deal to make sure the plant kept operating, but none did. In a close-out spending bill Healey filed this week, she included several provisions that redefine clean energy under Massachusetts law and allow the Department of Energy Resources to enter into long-term contracts for clean energy and/or associated environmental attributes. The new clean energy definition included nuclear power generation that is located in the ISO-NE control area and commenced commercial operation before January 1, 2011. Millstone, based in Waterford, Connecticut, opened in 1970. Seabrook Station, located in Seabrook, New Hampshire, opened in 1990. The Hartford Court quoted a Lamont spokesman as saying the governor believes that Millstone is a regional asset and is grateful that Governor Healey included the procurement language in a recent legislative proposal. As was discussed at the meeting [of New England governors and eastern Canada premiers] on Tuesday, making our grid more reliable, green, and affordable is a multi-state effort. Asked when he would make a decision on rejoining the latest offshore auction, Lamont told the Courant: Well see. Asked whether it would be before the November election, he said, Im cautious on this, as you know, so not for a while. A spokesperson for Healeys executive officer of energy and environmental affairs had no immediate comment on a possible Millstone deal, but she did say offshore wind is key to unlocking jobs and economic development in our region. We believe in the Vineyard Wind 2 project. Selecting projects now will ensure New England stays in the lead as the industry takes off nationwide. Massachusetts appreciates Connecticuts partnership and we look forward to other entities joining in this procurement. We will continue to seek out opportunities to partner with other states for our collective benefit. Rep. Jeffrey Roy of Franklin, the Houses lead lawmaker on energy issues, visited Millstone in 2022 and has advocated for Massachusetts procuring some of the plants power. He said he was pleased to see Healey include the language in her close-out spending bill, which also included a handful of siting and permitting provisions cribbed from House and Senate climate bills. Sen. Michael Barrett of Lexington, the Senates point person on energy, was disappointed earlier this week when Healey slipped a handful of climate measures into her close-out spending bill and left out a number of Senate priorities. Asked about Massachusetts negotiating a Millstone deal, Barrett called it a major new wedge into Massachusetts climate policy. He added: This stuff hasnt been explained, particularly the upside and the downside for Massachusetts. This is kind of coming out of nowhere. The Senate is going to take a very close look at what the governor is proposing. This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Aiming to strengthen regional efforts to tackle climate change, Gov. Maura Healey signed resolutions Tuesday alongside Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey to reconvene energy and environment committees among a cohort of New England states and Canadian provinces. Healey, who co-hosted the annual New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers Conference, said the coalition will revive the Northeast International Committee on Energy and the Committee on Environment, with a goal of boosting regional collaboration and planning across 11 jurisdictions. "In Massachusetts, we've put real resources behind our teams partnering with other New England states. We want to extend that work to and with our neighbors in Canada," Healey said of the energy panel. "Those efforts have delivered more investment, innovative ideas and real progress on tough energy issues, and I know we can do even more working together as states and provinces." Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller tours the landfall area for the project's second of two offshore power cables after being pulled onshore through a trench under the parking lot at Covell's Beach in Centerville where it then heads to a new substation under construction in Hyannis. Photo taken Jan. 18, 2023 Healey offered few details about the committees' forthcoming work during a press conference Tuesday afternoon at Boston University, after a morning of private roundtable discussions. Offshore wind supply chain "One of our discussions was building out an offshore wind supply chain here in New England and Canada to achieve true energy independence and save money for our residents," Healey said. "We also discussed the opportunity to create consistent pathways for decarbonizing some of the hardest-to-reach sectors of the economy, including heavy transportation, aviation, and commercial and industrial buildings. This alignment will allow us to use the clean energy we're producing in the most effective ways possible." Furey voiced optimism about the leaders' ability to address climate change challenges and meet energy demand. "The region is more than shared geography and shared resources. It truly is a family, and when you're tackling the complex challenges and problems that exist in the world today, including the changing geopolitical tensions, energy demands, and how we're going to tackle the big problems of climate change, that can only be strengthened when you have a familial relationship like we do amongst us," said Furey, who noted the sentiment was shared by several governors. Building relationships across borders The two-day conference appeared to focus heavily on relationship-building, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper and other officials indicated. Guests included Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. Those governors did not offer remarks during public sessions with the press. The regional coalition also includes New Hampshire, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. "I thought there was a lot of agreement on transmission and the need for additional transmission, and also on the need for more clean energy and the sharing of clean energy," Tepper told reporters. Tepper expressed her interest in the re-launched environment committee, where she said officials can focus on resilience issues. BU's Center for Computing & Data Sciences is commonly referred to as the Jenga Building, and is the largest fossil fuel-free, carbon-neutral building in Boston, as well as one of the largest carbon-free buildings in New England, said BU President Melissa Gilliam. Gilliam said Healey envisions Massachusetts becoming a hub for climate tech, though key investments for the sector are stuck in an economic development bill that Beacon Hill lawmakers could not agree on before the end of formal lawmaking. A coalition of conservative groups, including MassFiscal, held a virtual press conference "rebuttal" Tuesday focused on energy affordability concerns, like steeper costs to ratepayers for renewable energy and potential negative impacts to tourism and marine businesses. "At a time when Connecticut households are grappling with sky-high electricity prices, we ask Gov. Lamont to be mindful of how decarbonization policies could drive electricity prices even higher," David Flemming, director of policy and research at the Yankee Institute, said. "Any such policy change discussed by the governors and premiers will have a miniscule impact on climate change, but has an enormous potential to make Connecticut more unaffordable than it already is." Lamont, in a statement shared by the Healey administration, thanked governors and premiers for their collaboration. "The Northeast faces many challenges when it comes to energy affordability and reliability, and collaborating on these policies among our states and provinces is a way that we can work to diversify energy supplies, strengthen the clean energy supply chain, and grow the clean energy workforce," Lamont said. Drew Cline, president of the New Hampshire-based Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, criticized Furey's comments that described the region as a family. "The idea that our leaders are going to get together and concoct their nice little schemes to provide us with very expensive, unreliable power because they prefer that generation is evidence of government leaders living in a bit of a fantasy world and not doing their responsibility to the folks that they're supposed to represent," Cline said. The governors and Canadian leaders started their conference Monday by visiting the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay and attending a welcome reception at Fenway Park. By Tuesday morning, the leaders were showing off their friendly alliances. Healey spoke about how Massachusetts selected 2,678 megawatts of offshore wind power last week for three projects, with Rhode Island selecting 200 MW from one of the projects. She stopped short of mentioning that Connecticut, originally part of a Southern New England partnership, did not select a project on its own or partner with another state. Healey, speaking later with reporters, said Connecticut officials are still evaluating next steps. Tepper said Connecticut is "going to have to make its decision, and we'd love to have them on board." Wu said Boston, which participated in the recent bid, is slated to receive 15 MW of offshore wind power from the new projects. "We believe we're the first major city to directly contract as part of an offshore wind procurement," Wu said. "It's equivalent of one wind turbine, which will go to serve 5,000 residents in the City of Boston, along with about a third of the energy for the Boston Public Schools system." Asked about the status of Quebec delivering hydroelectricity to New England, Healey said, "Right now we are continuing to work with Maine, and with the developers, and utilities on some of the negotiations there." Healey also touted a recent nearly $400 million federal grant to New England states, which she said will be used to build new transmission equipment for offshore wind power in Connecticut and Massachusetts, plus to invest in battery energy storage systems in northern Maine. "We're really in this together," Healey said. "We really, really are, us New England states and our eastern Atlantic provinces." This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Some fear green efforts will put financial squeeze on consumers BOSTON (WWLP) Governor Healey filed a closeout budget bill on Wednesday that turns the page on fiscal year 2024 and sends a message to lawmakers that she will no longer wait for them to reach a compromise on clean energy. The bill designates a total of $714 million to cover any deficiencies, has a net cost of $149 million to the state, and includes $590 million that will be put into reserve accounts to ensure future financial stability. It also includes several provisions related to a clean energy permitting and siting bill that the legislature was unable to reach a compromise on before the end of the session on July 31. Prior to the end of the session, both the House and Senate passed their own versions of massive clean energy permitting and siting bills that aim to integrate more clean energy sources into the modern grid. Both bills were packed with policy priorities, and despite both branches working with the administration to finalize language or the reform, they have not yet reached a compromise six weeks later. The governor acknowledged that the bill remains before a conference committee, but asked that they consider her bill so that we can capitalize on the potential to grow our clean energy sector and advance our climate goals. The Senate negotiation lead, Senator Michael Barrett, told State House News Service that the provisions in the Governors bill indicate that she is taking sides. The governor is all but killing the negotiations, said Barrett. You cant create an altogether second track that gives one side almost everything it seeks and still claim to be interested in a true compromise. House negotiation lead Representative Jeff Roy told State House News Service that this issue is too important to be left undone, and sees the governors bill as another opportunity for progress. I dont think doing nothing is the appropriate option here, said Roy. In that sense, Im encouraged by what the governor is attempting to do. Roy said the governors version of the bill includes two of the Houses top prioritiesprocuring additional energy storage and authorizing regional procurements. It does not include financial relief for monthly gas bills or new methods to deal with plastic wastetwo Senate priorities. The Mass Coalition for Sustainable Energy and The Nature Conservancy praised Healey for taking the initiative to pass what they both consider to be critical legislation. The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance calls Governor Healeys clean energy additions a backhanded attempt to sneak in policy. This is no way to govern, said Mass Fiscal Alliance Spokesperson Paul Craney. Lawmakers need to keep the Governor in check and not let this abuse in power occur. In addition to clean energy, Healey used this budget bill to allocate $225 million to support education and transportation initiatives. This bills reserve deposits include putting another $265 million into the $8.8 billion rainy day fund. The surplus comes from the millionaires tax-a controversial 4% surtax on high-earning households. As a result of this tax, tax collections exceeded last years by $1.636 billion, allowing for a budget gap of $233 million, and giving the state the liquidity needed to continue to invest in funds meant for future spending. The rainy day fund, which is a surplus holding account that can be used under very specific circumstances to restore financial stability to the state, also includes capital gains tax revenues above a certain threshold. In practice, instead of spending the surplus money, the state government is putting it in their piggy bank for designated uses. The money that is set aside does not contribute to balancing the budget. In recent years, state lawmakers have been extremely hesitant to spend any of the money kept in that fund. Healeys movement on the supplemental budget bill aligns with last years timeline, when she filed her budget closeout on September 13. Looking forward, Governor Healeys $317 million in budget vetoes leaves the state some wiggle room if revenue collection is less than predicted. Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz says the Executive Office for Administration and Finance has already started to prepare to produce the fiscal year 2026 budget. 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 WWLP. Weekend Outlook: Francines remnants will slowly move south across Mississippi this weekend. The stationary front will linger across the state too. These features will bring us more heavy rain and storms on Saturday. We could pick up an additional 2-4+ of rain, and flash flooding will be a concern. Highs will be in the upper 70s. More rain is expected on Sunday but it will not be as widespread. The scattered showers and storms will have downpours at times. Highs will be in the upper 70s. Next Weeks Outlook: A few showers will still be possible on Monday and Tuesday as the Francine remnant low moves into South Mississippi. Highs will be in the lower 80s. We will finally dry out Wednesday through Friday with sunshine, lower humidity, and highs in the 80s. Tracking the Tropics: Tropical Storm Gordon is over the far Eastern Atlantic Ocean. Winds are 40 mph and could get a little stronger on Saturday. It is forecast to battle dry and wind shear Sunday through Tuesday as it weakens to a tropical depression. It will move very slowly to the west over the open Atlantic Waters. A non-tropical area of low pressure could form along a stationary front a few hundred miles off the SE U.S. Coast this weekend. The low may develop some subtropical or tropical characteristics and a depression could form early next week. It is forecast to move NW back toward the U.S. The NHC is giving this system a medium chance of developing. Be sure to follow the CBS 42 Storm Team: Follow Us on Facebook: Chief Meteorologist Dave Nussbaum, Meteorologist Michael Haynes, Meteorologist Alex Puckett, and Meteorologist Jacob Woods. 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 CBS 42. Henderson County gets swept up by the Blue Tornado PADUCAH, Ky, (WEHT) The Henderson County Colonels fell to the Paducah Tilghman Blue Tornado, 48-10. The Colonels will look to turn things around when they face off against Owensboro Catholic next week. 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 Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). We recently compiled a list of the 13 Best Commodity Stocks To Buy According to Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR) stands against the other commodity stocks. Two major trends that are shaping commodity markets are the rising interconnection of the market and the increasing importance of power in the energy transition, as per a report. The link between necessary commodities for the energy transition, such as LNG and metals, grew to 56% in 2022-23, up from 27% in 2015-19. With the introduction of more than 100 new tankers in the previous three years, the supply of LNG is rising dramatically. By 2028, it is anticipated that there will be more LNG carriers than oil carriers. Flexible contracts and increased competition between Europe and Asia are the main causes of this change. Moreover, estimates suggest that power will play a larger part in the energy transition by 2040, contributing between $1.3 trillion and $2.4 trillion, expanding at a rate of up to 5% annually. Since renewable energy is predicted to account for the majority of the power mix between 2030 and 2050, significant investments in transmission networks, flexible power assets, and renewable energy sources will be required to meet net-zero targets. Up to 50% of the steel, copper, and aluminum needed for production will come from wind turbines alone. Meanwhile, it is becoming more difficult to reduce inflation as global commodity prices level off, according to the World Bank's April 2024 Commodity Markets Outlook. The price decline from mid-2022 to mid-2023 was 40%, but it has since stabilized. However, since the middle of 2023, indices of commodities prices has largely not altered. The World Bank projects that global commodity prices will fall by 3% in 2024 and 4% in 2025, assuming that geopolitical tensions do not flare up again. Inflation will continue to rise above central bank targets despite this modest decline as per the report World Bank. Oil prices are still high as the world economy is going down; Brent crude is expected to average $84 a barrel by 2024, as per the World Bank. Prices might rise above $100 in the event of global upheaval, providing investors in oil substantial profits. Secondly, due to geopolitical uncertainty and the robust demand from central banks in developing countries, gold is predicted to reach record highs in 2024. This confirms gold's reputation as a "safe haven" asset in times of market volatility. Moreover, the demand for metals like copper and aluminum is being driven by investments in green technologies. Already at a two-year high, copper prices are predicted to grow by 5% in 2024, while aluminum prices are forecasted to rise by 2% due to rising demand for renewable energy infrastructure and electric vehicles. On the other hand, a report from a large US bank stated that, in May, commodity prices reached all-time highs, driven by increases of 74% in only 1.5 months for U.S. natural gas, copper, gold, and cocoa. A retreat in June was brought on by profit-taking and worries about the U.S. economic slowdown. By year's end, Natasha Kaneva projects a 10% growth in the commodity market, citing weather-related supply chain disruptions and favorable fundamentals that might raise the price of gas, oil, and agricultural products. Energy transition commodities may see more gains from China's decarbonization initiatives, and gold prices may reach $2,600/oz by 2025 as a result of Fed rate cuts and central bank easing. Methodology: We sifted through holdings of commodity ETFs to form an initial list of 20 commodity stocks. Then we selected the 13 stocks that had the highest upside potential based on analysts' consensus. We have only included stocks in our list with an upside potential of 30% or higher. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the upside potential. 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 newsletter's 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 fleet of tanker trucks transporting oil and natural gas, amidst the backdrop of open fields. The Denver-based company Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR) searches for and produces natural gas and natural gas liquids across North America and Canada. The company stated that it has proven reserves of 18.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent at the end of 2023. In 2023, production was roughly 3,483 million cubic feet equivalent per day on average, with 63% natural gas and 37% liquids. The Marcellus and Utica shales in West Virginia and Ohio are used by the company to produce natural gas. It focuses on locations with a comparatively high liquid content; around 35% of its production is made up of natural gas liquids and condensate. This suggests that the company is in a good position to profit from growing butane, propane, and ethane prices. Strong international demand exists for these petrochemical feedstocks, and Antero stands to gain significantly from its position as an anchor shipper on the Mariner East 2 pipeline, which provides direct access to export facilities on the East Coast. Antero reported earnings per share that were in line with PitchBook consensus, while revenue was below expectations due to lower natural gas prices. Antero has been struggling with prolonged weakness in gas prices, just like the majority of natural gas players. Nonetheless, it has improved its financial performance by shifting development toward natural gas liquids, or NGLs. Despite this, the lower commodity prices have caused the Morningstar analyst Stephen Ellis to nearly completely reduce the fair value from $25 to $24. Nonetheless, Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR)s midstream contracts provide it priority access to LNG export markets, allowing it to capitalize on rising global demand for US natural gas. Overall AR ranks 9th on our list of the best commodity stocks to buy according to analysts. While we acknowledge the potential of AR as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AR but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Lead levels in everyday foods have emerged as a serious concern for consumers, leading to several recent recalls. That includes lead-tainted cinnamon in applesauce and apple puree products popular with young children, resulting in at least 500 cases of lead poisoning. That begs the questions of how widespread the problem is and which cinnamon products to avoid. The nonprofit organization Consumer Reports provides some valuable insights after testing the lead content in major cinnamon brands, including Costco's Kirkland Signature cinnamon. Costco sells its store-brand cinnamon in characteristically large 10.7-ounce containers, labeled as Organic Ground Saigon Cinnamon. With enticingly low prices, it's a fair guess the company moves a lot of cinnamon through 800-plus worldwide warehouse locations. Consumer Reports placed Costco's Kirkland Signature cinnamon in a middle category of "Okay to Use," due to its measured lead content on 0.80 ppm (parts per million). That's just under the criteria for placement in the "Don't Use" category, which encompasses 12 cinnamon products with lead levels above 1 ppm. Costco cinnamon joins other well-known brands in the okay-ish category, including Trader Joe's, The Spice Lab, and the Target-owned Good & Gather. While Costco's product hovers near the highest in that category for lead content of 0.80 ppm, others are considerably lower, including McCormick and Simply Organic, at 0.23 and 0.28 ppm, respectively. Putting this in perspective requires a closer look at what levels are considered acceptable, and how lead makes its way into cinnamon and other spices. Read more: 16 Worst Canned Foods You Can Buy Causes And Consequences Of Lead In Cinnamon Costco organic ground cinnamon - Costco The FDA has no established federal limits on lead in spices, including cinnamon, though it can take actions such as issuing safety alerts. A current petition on the Consumer Reports website urges the agency to take swift action on dangerous levels of lead in cinnamon. New York, the only state to regulate lead in spices, restricts lead amounts to 1 ppm, resulting in at least 100 state-level spice recalls over the past eight years. Lead in spices can come from the soil in which they grow, as well as through production, packaging, and storage processes. The vast majority of cinnamon comes from outside U.S. borders, with potentially low oversight and regulation enforcement. Harmful industrial elements in the soil, including lead, is particularly concerning with cinnamon because the bark can take as long as 10 years to reach maturation, potentially absorbing extensive soil and water contaminants. Lead in foods, including cinnamon, can cause a host of adverse health outcomes, particularly during pregnancy and early childhood. Those include developmental issues with the brain and nervous system, permanent damage to intellectual and behavioral abilities, and more. Adults, too, can suffer from lead ingestion. It may cause damage to reproductive systems, kidneys, the immune system, and other issues. Prevention is key, so be aware of which cinnamon brands have the lowest lead counts, including two Whole Foods brands rated as the best cinnamon for avoiding lead. Read the original article on Tasting Table. LINCOLN CITY, Ind. (WEHT) The South Spencer Rebels fell to the Heritage Hills Patriots, 48-0, Friday night. The Rebels will head home to face off against Pike Central next week, while the Patriots will go up against the undefeated North Posey. 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 Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW). This building in the village of Kfar Rumman was among a string of targets across southern and eastern Lebanon hit by the Israeli air force on Saturday (Mahmoud ZAYYAT) (Mahmoud ZAYYAT/AFP/AFP) Hezbollah's second-in-command warned on Saturday that an all-out war by Israel aimed at returning 100,000 displaced people to their homes in areas near the Lebanon border would displace "hundreds of thousands" more. Naim Qassem, number two in the Iran-backed Lebanese group, was speaking after Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel was determined to restore security to its northern front. Gallant told Israeli troops last week that "we are preparing for anything that may happen in the north". In a speech in Beirut, Qassem said: "We have no intention of going to war, as we consider that this would not be useful. "However, if Israel does unleash a war, we will face up to it -- and there will be large losses on both sides," he said. "If they think such a war would allow the 100,000 displaced people to return home ... we issue this warning: prepare to deal with hundreds of thousands more displaced." Hezbollah has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces in support of ally Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack on Israel triggered war in Gaza. Thousands of people living in the border area of both countries have been displaced by the fighting. On Saturday evening, the Israeli military said its air force had struck suspected Hezbollah weapons storage facilities at two locations in Lebanon's eastern Beqaa Valley, as well as in six locations in the south. Three children were among four people wounded in an Israeli strike in the northern Beqaa's Hermel district, some 140 kilometres (85 miles) from the Israeli border, the Lebanese health ministry said. A source close to Hezbollah said the strike targeted a farm in the area, a stronghold of the militant group. A second strike on the village of Serine, near Baalbek, targeted "warehouses storing food products", the source added. The cross-border violence since early October has killed 623 people in Lebanon, mostly fighters but also including at least 142 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, authorities have announced the deaths of at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians. jos/srm/kir/ami Pieter Van Ry, director of Englewood Utilities and South Platte Renew, shows U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper how a construction team replaced the lead water pipes at Jim Luethke's house in Englewood, on Sept. 13, 2024. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline) U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper joined local officials and community members in Englewood Friday for a lead pipe removal demonstration and conversation. In May, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded $32.8 million for Colorado to identify and replace lead pipes in drinking water service lines. Englewood Utilities received $10 million for this purpose, as well as $30 million in low-interest loans to replace about 3,000 lead service lines. The federal funding came from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This is the way we ought to operate, and once the elections over, it doesnt matter whether youre a Republican or a Democrat, Hickenlooper said. Were all on that same team trying to solve these problems. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Hickenlooper, a Democrat, joined Englewood city officials and public health experts to discuss the citys lead pipe removal process as well as the health risks associated with lead. Exposure to lead in drinking water, particularly in children or pregnant people, can cause lasting neurological damage. Pieter Van Ry, director of Englewood Utilities and South Platte Renew, showed Hickenlooper what the construction companies do to cut off service lines containing lead and replace them with copper at a house that just had the process done. That home belongs to Jim Luethke, who said the pipe replacements gave him peace of mind that his kids and grandkids are drinking clean water. I think its a minor inconvenience to have your front of your home kind of ripped apart for a few days, or a day, basically and water off for about five hours, Luethke said. And sometimes you have to divert around the local blockages, but thats not a very big deal to have nice water. Englewoods lead reduction program is offered to homeowners at no cost, though utility fees may increase to support its financing. Programs like what Englewood is doing here is a big win for public health, and its removing the largest source of lead in our water system, and its also a big win for environmental justice, Nicole Rowan, director of Colorado Department of Public Health and Environments Water Quality Control Division, said at the event. John Michael, a spokesperson for CDPHEs Water Quality Control Division, said the division is helping local water systems conduct their own initial lead service line inventories, which are due to the state by Oct. 16. The state doesnt conduct any lead pipe removal replacements, but water systems interested in federal funding to support lead reduction efforts must apply through the state. Water systems must replace lead service lines that they own and offer to replace lead service lines owned by customers but are not required to bear the cost of replacing the customer-owned lead service lines, Michael said in an email. CDPHE estimates there may be up to 111,900 lead service lines across the state. Denver also started a lead reduction program, replacing pipes in certain homes throughout the city. Michael said once the state receives the initial inventory from water systems, it will have a better idea of what systems will need to be replaced. In general, we would expect to see lead service lines in some communities built before 1960, Michael said. However, not all communities had used lead lines before 1960. We may see some communities with lead lines in older areas and no lead lines in newer areas. Rebeca Medrano, strategic partnerships manager with Conservation Colorado, said getting clean, safe and affordable drinking water to disproportionately impacted communities in particular is imperative. She said about 40% of Coloradans fall into that category, including people of color and low-income communities. For many years, Colorado has recognized the significant risks that are posed by lead in our water, and as we hear the effects of lead are very scary, Medrano said. Research as recent as 2021 continues to show that Black children and children in low-income communities consistently show higher blood lead levels than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about a half a million children in the U.S. have elevated blood lead levels, meaning the amount of lead found during a blood test is higher than most other children. Colorado received $100 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund airport improvements, as well as $28.6 million for road safety improvements, among other projects. As we were doing this in Washington, I had real confidence that this would be implemented properly, Hickenlooper said about planning the law. We really looked at, how do we put the actual legislation in such a way that the state government has a real role, and that they have an incentive to make sure that they give autonomy to the counties and the municipalities. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE WACO, TX (FOX 44) The Hispanic Leaders Network (HLN) marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month with a vibrant celebration at Art Center Waco on Friday, spotlighting the incredible talents and creativity within the Hispanic community. Megan Bias is the Executive Director of Art Center Waco, who expressed her enthusiasm for the event, Its amazing. It just brings so much joy to my heart to be able to facilitate this and welcome them to the Waco Community Art Center. We want to support the community as much as they support us. The event was a testament to the communitys unity and cultural pride, with smiles and support filling the room. Daniella Rodriguez is a cultural board member of HLN, who shared, It was just really fun to see a bunch of Hispanic leaders tell us a little bit about their work and what inspires them, giving us a bit of inspiration ourselves. As Hispanic Heritage Month approaches, attendees are eagerly anticipating the upcoming events and the chance to showcase their culture. I think this month is an opportunity to bring color and brightness to the community. For those who havent tried our food or seen the Fiesta and mariachi, its a chance to experience the richness and beauty of our culture, said Ines Alvidres, a local painter and artist. HLN does an amazing job of bringing together the Hispanic community, showcasing artists, and creating a space where we can connect and share, said Eric Linares, a Waco citizen whos a part of numerous organizations. The Hispanic Leaders Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Latino leaders in the Greater Waco area, and has been a cornerstone of the community for the past seven years. Digital creator Marissa Ramos reflected on the significance of the month, Our community makes Waco what it is vibrant and beautiful. Its wonderful to see our culture highlighted and shared with a broader audience. In addition to celebrating local creatives, the event included a voter registration table ensuring that the Hispanic community is prepared for the upcoming elections. With Hispanic Heritage Month starting on September 15 and running through October 15, HLN is committed to hosting events that shine a light on Hispanic culture and contributions. Attendees left the event excited and inspired, looking forward to more opportunities to celebrate and share their heritage with Central Texas. 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 KWKT - FOX 44. Jared Isaacman swung open the hatch and climbed out into the void, gripping a structure called 'Skywalker' as a breathtaking view of Earth unfolded before him (-) (-/Polaris Program/AFP) The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, which made history when its crew conducted the first spacewalk by non-government astronauts, concluded early Sunday with a splashdown off the coast of Florida. The Dragon spacecraft plunged into the ocean at 3:37 am (0737 GMT), a webcast of the arrival showed, with a recovery team deploying in the pre-dawn darkness to retrieve the capsule and crew. The capsule was lifted from the water and onto the recovery vessel half a hour later. After brief medical checks, a smiling and waving SpaceX engineer Anna Menon was the first of the crew to exit, followed by engineer Sarah Gillis, pilot Scott Poteet and commander Jared Isaacman. A helicopter was due to transport them to land. "Happy, healthy, home," the Polaris Program wrote on X. "A new era of commercial spaceflight dawns, with much more to come." The four-member team led by fintech billionaire Isaacman launched Tuesday from the Kennedy Space Center, quickly journeying deeper into the cosmos than any humans in the past half century as they ventured into the dangerous Van Allen radiation belt. They hit a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) -- more than three times higher than the International Space Station and the furthest humans had ever traveled from Earth since the Apollo missions to the Moon. Then on Thursday, with their Dragon spacecraft's orbit brought down to 434 miles, Isaacman swung open the hatch and climbed out into the void, gripping a structure called "Skywalker" as a breathtaking view of Earth unfolded before him. "SpaceX, back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world," he told mission control in Hawthorne, California, where teams erupted in applause. He went back inside after a few minutes and was replaced by a second astronaut, SpaceX engineer Gillis, who, like Isaacman, performed a series of mobility tests on SpaceX's sleek, next-generation suits. Since Dragon doesn't have an airlock, the entire crew were exposed to the vacuum of space. Mission pilot Poteet and SpaceX engineer Menon remained strapped in throughout as they monitored vital support systems. It marked a "giant leap forward" for the commercial space industry, said NASA chief Bill Nelson, as well as another triumphant achievement for SpaceX. Founded in 2002, the company has quickly outpaced its legacy competitors, now thriving as one of NASA's prime contractors -- thanks in large part to owner and CEO Elon Musk's fervent drive to colonize Mars. - Rousing violin solo - Since completing their extravehicular activity, the crew have continued to carry out roughly 40 science experiments -- for example inserting endoscopic cameras through their noses and into their throats to image their airways and better understand the impact of long-duration space missions on human health. They also demonstrated connectivity with SpaceX's Starlink internet satellite constellation by sending back to ground control a high-resolution video of Gillis playing "Rey's Theme" by "Star Wars" composer John Williams, on the violin. Polaris Dawn is the first of three missions under the Polaris program, a collaboration between Isaacman and SpaceX. Financial terms of the partnership remain under wraps but Isaacman, the 41-year-old founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, reportedly poured $200 million of his own money into leading the 2021 all-civilian SpaceX Inspiration4 orbital mission. The final Polaris mission aims to be the first crewed flight of SpaceX's Starship, a prototype next-generation rocket that is key to Musk's interplanetary ambitions. ia/nro/mtp/fox/dw NEW YORK (PIX11) Some of the citys most iconic spots in Midtown West have been overtaken by the homeless and mentally ill. Stakeholders are concerned that if enough isnt done, tourism could be impacted, which would cut the citys bottom line. More Local News Eighth Avenue in Midtown, from Times Square to Chelsea, is the gateway to the most visited spots in the world. But when 60 million tourists arrive every year: People in distress, people with mental health issues, substance abuse disorders, looking to connect with those individuals, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said. And its not at all the portrait New York leaders are looking to paint. Its significant, and thats why were all working together, Bragg added. Since February, Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg has teamed up with Assembly Member Tony Simone, the NYPD, and Sheriff Anthony Miranda. While theres a significant law enforcement element, they say it starts with housing the homeless and mentally ill. Thats why they launched the Neighborhood Navigators Program. A lot of these folks need to be helped. Were not going to arrest ourselves out of the problem, Simone said. The navigators have experienced homelessness themselves, and the peer-to-peer outreach has connected over 100 people so far with services. Still, many wonder why there is still so much despair on display. It takes months for them to establish a relationship and get them help, Simone said. Simone lives nearby and walks the avenue with Sheriff Miranda, looking for illicit activity, including unlicensed pot shops. The inspections are the result of community making complaints, Miranda said. Kathy Wylde leads the Partnership for New York, overseeing business development in the city. She calls this corridor extraordinarily important for its vitality. We have a lot of work to do in that area. It suffered most due to the pandemic, Wylde said. Wylde says she fielded safety concerns from fashion executives during New York Fashion Week. They see homelessness, they see flagrant drug abuse. Its not good, Wylde said. While she says it hasnt affected tourisms $74 billion business, it has led to more retail and restaurant openings in Brooklyn than in Manhattan. Overall, crime in the area is down, but D.A. Bragg says it will take time to see a difference. Theres more work, and well do it, Bragg 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 PIX11. Its hot, more so than usual. South Florida under an excessive heat warning South Florida is no stranger to the heat, nor the constant heat advisories issued by the National Weather Service. But a warning issued Saturday about the weather calls for a bit more concern. Miami-Dade and Broward counties are under an excessive heat warning expected to last until 6 p.m, according to the NWS. Excessive heat warnings are rare and represent a higher level of concern compared to heat advisories. Saturdays heat index the temperature when you mix in humidity is expected to reach up to 113 degrees. What is an excessive heat warning? The designation is more severe and less common than a heat advisory, which is issued for Miami-Dade and Broward when a heat index of 105F or higher is anticipated for at least two hours. Specifically, the National Weather Service issues an excessive heat warning for Miami-Dade and Broward when a heat index of 110F or higher is anticipated for at least two hours, a new criteria. Up until last year, temperatures had to reach 113 degrees for an excessive heat warning to be issued for Miami-Dade and Broward counties. But this past year the NWS worked with Miami-Dade County to lower the criteria in an effort to combat heat-related illnesses, according to NWS Miami senior meteorologist Robert Garcia. Stay hydrated Extreme temperatures can increase the chances of heat-related illnesses. The National Weather Service advises staying indoors and drinking lots of fluids until the heat begins to subside. Stay in air-conditioned spaces, avoid outdoor activities during peak heat, and check in on family and neighbors. Wear lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing, and protect yourself from UV rays with a hat and sunscreen when you have to be outside. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also suggests taking regular breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas if youre outdoors. If you experience symptoms like dizziness, confusion, weakness or fainting, seek immediate medical help by calling 911. Hartlepool Council is considering measures to increase capacity [BBC] A council has warned it is reaching "crisis point" supporting children with special educational. Hartlepool Council Councillors said it was struggling to meet demand for special education needs and disabilities (Send) provision. The authority said that when it could not meet demand it had to use the independent sector, which was expensive and often out of the area. In a bid to ease the pressure, it said it was considering measures such as extending the boroughs only primary special school. Sally Robinson, executive director for children and joint commissioning services, said the council was reaching absolute crisis point, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported. A report for a meeting of the councils childrens services committee was told scoping work had started around an extended build at Springwell School, but this would be likely to cost more than 1m. The school has also made 66,000 worth of adaptations to support six more children and prevent them being placed out of area. Councillors also heard several mainstream schools were taking action to meet demand, including Grange Primary, which would provide additional resourced provision for a further 12 children, adding to the existing 21 Send places. In addition, Greatham Primary was looking to accommodate 20 children in a project costing 19,000. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. More on this story Related internet links Human remains found on private property are those of 3-year-old boy who went missing in February, authorities in Wisconsin announced Friday. Two Rivers Police Chief Benjamin Meinnert said the remains, which were tested forensically and determined to be those of Elijah Vue, were found only three miles northwest from where the child had been reported missing. This is not the outcome that we hoped for. The familys devastated. Were devastated. Our community is devastated, he said. I never met Elijah, but I watched that 3-year-old boy bring out the best in this community. A deer hunter found the skeletal remains Saturday in a wooded area with thick underbrush that was repeatedly searched by air and on the ground over the months, Meinnert said. What started out as a search for a missing boy is now a death investigation, he said. After Meinnerts brief statement at a news conference Friday, the department declined to answer questions but said it would provide timely updates as the investigation continues. Elijah Vue. Elijah disappeared from an apartment in Two Rivers, about 90 miles north of Milwaukee. Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre said earlier this year that the child disappeared after he was sent to stay with a man because of "disciplinary reasons." Vues mother, Katrina Baur and the man her son was allegedly sent to stay with, Jesse Vang, were charged with child neglect. Baur was charged with being a party to the crime of neglecting a child, as well as two counts of obstructing an officer. Baur told police she left her son with Vang on Feb. 12 to teach him to be a man and planned to pick him up Feb. 23, according to a criminal complaint. In March, Meinnert said on Facebook that the red and white plaid blanket Elijah was said to have had with him when he disappeared was found in a rural area between Manitowoc and Two Rivers, about 3.7 miles from where he was last seen. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com property appraiser sitting at desk reviewing floorplan layout Cindy Chance, the CEO of the Appraisal Institute, was terminated during what she described as a secret board meeting on Thursday night that she was excluded from. The Appraisal Institute now faces a backlash from members who support Chance, a veteran nonprofit leader who joined roughly a year ago and pledged to make governance reforms and support the work of on-the-ground appraisers. The Appraisal Institute did not respond to HousingWires request for comment, but in a letter to members on Friday, the trade group said that Chance is no longer in her role, and a search for a new leader would soon begin. John Udelhofen will step in as interim CEO. We are committed to finding a leader who reflects the mission, vision and values of the Appraisal Institute and helps us carry forward the progress made towards our Strategic Plan goals, Board President Sandy Adomatis wrote in a letter to members. We want to reassure you that we take our mission as Directors of the Appraisal Institute seriously. We are moving forward with our progress on the top goals in our Strategic Plan to modernize our education delivery and development of new materials and continue to modernize technology and offer the programs weve heard are most valuable for you. As is our mandate, our efforts will remain focused on recruiting and retaining member professionals. We will continue our great work with PAREA, and our efforts in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion that include further expansion of college and university relations. Chance told HousingWire on Friday that she received no specific feedback prior to the termination notice. She said she was terminated without cause. People have been saying this would happen since the Q3 board meeting, she said. I heard about them planning to fire me through leaks and innuendo, not from the Board itself or any of the officers. Im very proud of my work and my focus has always been the welfare of the members and the appraisal profession. Asked why she was terminated and if there were any disputes, Chance replied, Youd have to ask them. Chance said she was on the record as recommending governance overhaul, but I wouldnt call that a dispute that was a recommendation based on my fiduciary responsibility to the organization. I was executing successfully and communicating transparently to the Board and the membership regarding my progress on our board-approved goals. Chance also said the board president and other members stepped in to make significant decisions including directing staff, firing key contractors and ending partnerships, while she was CEO. Story continues The trade organization, which is the largest professional association of real estate appraisers, provides free training resources to appraisers, distributes grant money and publishes a quarterly publication called Valuation. The Appraisal Institute has been criticized by the government for a lack of diversity in its ranks and has acknowledged a need to modernize. According to the groups own statistics, 78% of U.S. appraisers say they are male, 1.3% identify as Black and 4.3% as Hispanic. More than 70% of appraisers are over the age of 50 and many have been retiring. Another point of tension is the relationship between independent appraisers and appraisal management companies, middlemen that often take a substantial cut of the appraisal fee, squeezing profits for appraisers and accelerating the shift to virtual appraisals. Multiple independent appraisers on Friday took to social media to air grievances about Chances dismissal, and in some cases, announce their resignations from positions at the trade group. She was terminated because her positive changes threatened the entrenched interests of the Institutes Board members, said Lori Noble, a West Virginia appraiser who has been openly critical of the organizations board. They have a lot to answer for now and it is up to the members to demand a full audit of the organization or some type of legal action to explain the behavior and conduct recently, as well as the last several years. Demonstration in support of Gisele Pelicot and all rape victims, in Marseille Demonstration in support of Gisele Pelicot and all rape victims, in Marseille PARIS (Reuters) -Hundreds of people, mostly women, gathered in cities across France on Saturday in support of Gisele Pelicot whose husband is on trial, accused of drugging her and recruiting dozens of strangers to rape her in a case that has shocked the nation. Feminist associations have called for some 30 gatherings in cities from Marseille to Paris, where on the Place de la Republique banners read "Support to Gisele" and "Victims we believe you". As her extraordinary story has rippled through France since the trial began earlier this month, Pelicot, now aged 72, has become a symbol of France's fight against sexual violence. It was her decision to forgo a private trial and instead insist on a public trial, due to run until December, to alert the public to sexual abuse and drug-induced blackouts, her lawyers have said. "We thank her a thousand times for her enormous courage," feminist campaigner Fatima Benomar from the "Coudes a Coudes" association told BFM TV, adding the gatherings were also to show support to all rape victims. Seventy-one-year-old Dominique Pelicot is accused of repeatedly drugging his wife and allowing strangers to rape her in the couple's home over the course of a decade. He was due to testify this week but was excused due to ill health. If he is able, he is expected to testify on Monday. In Marseille, where about 200 protesters gathered in front of the Palais de Justice, Lou Salome Patouillard, a 41-year-old artist, said: "I am here to support Gisele and all women as there are many Giseles, too many Giseles." Prosecutors said Pelicot offered sex with his wife on a website and filmed the abuse. Fifty other men accused of taking part in the abuse are also on trial. Pelicot's lawyer Beatrice Zavarro has told French media Pelicot admits to his crimes. Some of the other defendants have admitted their guilt while others say they believed Gisele Pelicot had pretended to be asleep and was a consenting participant, according to French media. They each face up to 20 years in jail if found guilty. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon, Manon Cruz; Editing by Ros Russell) Hundreds mistakenly paid over 20k in benefits last year allowed to keep money Most of the overpayments were triggered by innocent paperwork errors but a total 2.3mn was attributed to claimant fraud - MATTHEW HORWOOD/ALAMY Last year, more than 500 people were allowed to keep 20,000 or more in benefits that were wrongly paid to them, The Telegraph reveals. Within this group, 17.5 million in benefits were paid out in error and written off by administrators amounting to an average of 30,674 per person. Although most of the overpayments were triggered by innocent paperwork errors, there were 75 cases where claimants were fraudulently allowed to keep a total of 2.3 million they were not entitled to. The 569 write-off cases were revealed following a freedom of information request from The Telegraph to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). Overall, the department wrote off last year a total of 329 million in benefits that had been paid out by mistake and another 6 million that had been pocketed by fraudsters. The DWP also provided details on the cases of the biggest outstanding debts that it is still chasing down, which includes one person who now owes 547,000 in overpaid benefits. This person, who pocketed the cash through a mixture of fraud and paperwork errors, has been asked to pay back the debt at the rate of 130 per month meaning it will take them 350 years to completely settle the debt. Another person swindled the DWP out of 491,000 in benefits they were not entitled to, and they were now trying to track them down to start a repayment programme. In a separate case, the DWP was involved in a probate dispute with the relatives of a person who fraudulently claimed 343,000 in benefits before they died. The report comes after a gang of five Bulgarians living in Britain were sentenced for defrauding the British taxpayer of 50 million in Universal Credit payments earlier this year in the countrys biggest-ever benefit fraud. Complete failure Joanna Marchong, the investigations campaign manager of TaxPayers Alliance said: Taxpayers will view this as a complete failure from the Department of Work and Pensions. Writing off these overpayments, even after errors have been identified, is not just an act of laziness, but a costly one at that. DWP negligence is directly hitting the pockets of hard-working taxpayers, costing them millions. The government needs to be diligent in ensuring that only those who qualify and truly need benefit payments receive them and that they receive the correct amount. Last year in total, the DWP said 7.4 billion was lost to fraud from the benefit budget and another 2.4 billion to errors made by either the claimant or officials. The figures mean that every day almost 27 million in benefits is being paid out in error. The state attempts to recover the money in many cases but writes off some debts in cases where it decides there is no prospect of getting anything back. A DWP spokesman said: This government will not tolerate fraud or waste anywhere in public services, including in the social security system. We are determined to reduce fraud and error and are currently exploring all options on how best to achieve our goal. 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. Handshake in the colours of the Italian and Russian flags. Photo: Barbie Nadeau/CNN This summer, hundreds of posters have appeared on the streets of Italian cities with the slogan "Russia is not our enemy" and images of a handshake in the colours of the Italian and Russian flags. Source: CNN; European Pravda Details: Some posters also include "No more money for weapons for Ukraine and Israel. We want peace. We reject war". The responsibility for the posters was claimed by the group Sovranita Popolare. The posters, which first appeared in northern Italy in June and were then spotted in Verona, Modena, Parma, Pisa and several cities in the southern region of Calabria, were funded by associations created in protest against the closure of shops in the country. The Ukrainian Embassy in Rome responded to the situation, stating, "We are deeply concerned by the arrogance of Russian propaganda in the Eternal City" in a post on social media platform Twitter (X). The official reaction to the posters varied by region. The local authorities removed them in some places, while they were allowed to remain until the end of the period paid for in others. The mayors office in Rome was dissatisfied with the posters because they displayed both the citys name and its official symbol. The city ordered the local police and the advertising company that owns the billboards in Rome to remove all the posters. In turn, Sovranita Popolare published an article claiming responsibility for the campaign and quoted Article 11 of the Italian Constitution, which states that "Italy rejects war as an instrument of aggression against the freedom of other peoples and as a means for the settlement of international disputes." The group argued that "politicians, leaders, parties and the government, supported by the allied and complicit press, slowly and by turning to Italian citizens, have stirred up fear that the enemy is close to invading Europe" since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "For two years, Italian warmongers have been fueling Russophobia, a feeling of hatred towards Russian people, culture and art," Sovranita Popolare claimed. An Italian media regulation official told CNN that Italian law does not require cities or regions to approve the content of posters, but companies owning advertising spaces must adhere to rules that prohibit support for fascism or other extreme views. Background: At the beginning of September, it was reported that the Italian government was suspected of ambiguity regarding its stance on Ukraine following a meeting of the leaders of the three ruling parties in Italy, aimed at signalling the alignment of positions before the parliament resumed work after the summer break. Support UP or become our patron! A grizzly bear (Photo by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Program via FLICKR | Creative Commons license). Two hunters who were reportedly charged by a grizzly bear on Monday north of West Yellowstone shot and killed the bear and also shot and injured one of her cubs, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said on Friday. The incident happened in Tepee Creek; the two hunters were not injured, spokesperson Morgan Jacobsen said. They reported being charged by the sow, who had two yearling cubs along with her. FWP said the hunters shot and killed the sow with handguns and that the yearlings also charged the two people. One of them was shot and injured, Jacobsen said. FWP bear specialists and game wardens, along with Custer Gallatin National Forest law enforcement, went to the site on Wednesday and confirmed the sow, an older female, was dead. They found evidence that one of the yearlings had been injured but did not locate either of the cubs. FWP said it plans no further management actions but said the shooting is still under investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Montanas archery season opened on Sept. 7, and while no other hunters have reported injuries in bear conflicts, and no other bears have been wounded or killed so far this season by hunters, FWP reminded hunters to carry bear spray, make noise and travel in groups, to avoid areas where close encounters with bears could occur, and to be aware of bear sign and how other animal calls could affect bear behavior. Police announced Friday that they arrested an illegal alien they believe may be responsible for the murder of a family of four in upstate New York last month. Irondequoit Police shared in a post via X the arrest of 34-year-old Julio Cesar Pimentel-Soriano, originally from the Dominican Republic. Pimentel-Soriano is wanted in his home country for another murder in 2019. On August 31, Fraime Ubaldo, 30, Marangely Moreno-Santiago, 26, Evangeline Ubaldo-Moreno, 4, and Sebastian Ubaldo-Moreno, 2, were murdered in their Irondequoit home. HAITIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FACING SEVERAL CHARGES WAS RELEASED AT US BORDER LAST YEAR "This was a horrific scene," said Irondequoit Police Chief Scott Peters in a press conference. "In almost 32 years of doing this job, I haven't seen anything like it." After an extensive investigation, police arrested Julio Cesar Pimentel-Soriano on September 7. The family home on Knapp Street in Irondequoit was the site where all four were murdered late last month. "It appears Mr. Soriano entered the island of Puerto Rico illegally and obtained fraudulent New York identification," read the Irondequoit Police Department's post. "With that identification, he was free to travel from Puerto Rico to the United States mainland." "Our condolences go out to the family, their friends and neighbors," Irondequoit Town Supervisor Andrae Evans said to Spectrum News. "Im so sorry this has happened, but I want you to know that the Town Board and I will authorize anything thats needed to our police department to collaborate and to use any and all resources to bring these people to justice." MEXICAN GOVERNMENT BUSES MIGRANTS TO US BORDER AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BECOMES TOP ELECTION ISSUE The family's bodies were discovered in the basement while firefighters were addressing several fires at the home that morning. After further investigation, police could determine the cause of death for the family was not related to the fires. A 34-year-old illegal alien from the Dominican Republic was arrested on Friday for the slaying of a family of four in upstate New York. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Original article source: Illegal alien from the Dominican Republic suspected in murder of New York state family: police Illegal migrant from Dominican Republic suspected of horrifically killing New York family of four An illegal migrant wanted for murder in the Dominican Republic is accused of horrifically killing a family of four in upstate New York last month as firefighters made the gruesome discovery during a house call. Julio Cesar Pimentel-Soriano, 34, allegedly used a sharp object to fatally stab Fraime Ubaldo, 30, Marangely Moreno-Santiago, 26, Evangeline Ubaldo-Moreno, 4, and Sebastian Ubaldo-Moreno, 2, inside their Irondequoit home on Aug. 31, according to a felony complaint viewed by WHAM. He allegedly stabbed each victim in the neck and chest multiple times. Obviously, the allegations are troubling, Assistant District Attorney Perry Duckles told the outlet. They are difficult to deal with. They are difficult to see. Julio Cesar Pimentel-Soriano, originally from the Dominican Republic is suspected in killing a family of four on Aug. 31, 2024. Dominican Republic National Police It seems like this family was very well-liked and very active in their community, so obviously my condolences go out to their family, friends, and neighbors who had to suffer through this, Assistant District Attorney Perry Duckles said. Firefighters were called to the residence around 5:23 a.m. on Aug. 31 for multiple fires around the home before they discovered the family of fours bodies. Investigators determined that it was readily apparent their deaths were from a homicide, and not the fire. This was a horrific scene, Irondequoit Police Chief Scott Peters said, holding back tears at a press conference Friday. In almost 32 years of doing this job Ive never seen anything like it. Fraime Ubaldo (right), Marangely Moreno-Santiago, Evangeline Ubaldo-Moreno, and Sebastian Ubaldo-Moreno were found murdered while firefighters worked to put out fires at their home. 13WHAM ABC News/YouTube Duckles says police are still looking for at least one other actor in connection to the deaths. The Irondequoit Police Department captured Pimentel-Soriano on Sept. 7, a full week after the gruesome alleged killings. Pimentel-Soriano illegally entered Puerto Rico, where he obtained a fraudulent New York identification, police alleged. With that identification, he was free to travel from Puerto Rico to the United States mainland, the department said. The Dominican Republic National Police issued an arrest warrant for Pimentel-Soriano on Sept. 6. He is wanted for a 2019 homicide in the Dominican Republic. The familys bodies were discovered in the basement while firefighters were addressing several fires at the home on Aug. 31, 2024. FOX News A makeshift vigil was set on the front porch of the Moreno familys home on Knapp Avenue in Irondequoit in the past two weeks, complete with stuffed animals and photos of the victims. FOX News He was charged with second-degree murder and is being held at the Monroe County Jail without bail, according to jail records viewed by The Post. His case was moved to a grand jury. The assistant DA also alleged Pimentel-Soriano used the alias Rafael Jose Vargas and had connections within the Rochester area. A makeshift vigil was set on the front porch of the Moreno familys home over the past two weeks, complete with stuffed animals and photos of the victims. Our condolences go out to the family, their friends and neighbors, Irondequoit Town Supervisor Andrae Evans said to Spectrum News. Im so sorry this has happened, but I want you to know that the Town Board and I will authorize anything thats needed to our police department to collaborate and to use any and all resources to bring these people to justice. It is my guarantee and the Town Boards guarantee our police department work with our federal, state and local agencies and bureaus nonstop until justice is served, Evans said days before Pimentel-Sorianos arrest. Because no one, no one deserves this. And whoever you are who did this, you will be brought to justice. With Post wires Immediate need for all blood types: how to help SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) Vitalant is set to host blood drives from Sept. 17 through Sept. 20. Vitalant noted in a press release that it is currently facing an immediate need for all blood types resulting from hundreds of donations that went uncollected due to canceled blood drives and closed donation centers in the path of Hurricane Francine. This weather event occurred during a recent decline in blood donations following the Labor Day holiday weekend. These two circumstances have put additional pressure to meet the demand for blood, which is essential for countless medical procedures and emergency situations. For those looking to participate, there will be different pop-up locations each day with operating hours. On Sept. 17, you can go donate at Bearded Barista, located at 2412 College Hills Blvd., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Sept. 18, there will be two locations and times. The first locations hours are 9 a.m. to noon at Pinnacle Bank, located at 502 S. Koengheim St. The second location is Coldwell Banker Legacy Realtors, located at 3017 Knickerbocker Road, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 19s blood drive is hosted at the YMCA, located at 353 Randolph St., from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The final pop-up is on Sept. 20 is at Live Oak Testosterone & Weight Loss, located at 2021 W. Beauregard Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can also visit the Vitalant Donation Center, located at 2020 W. Beauregard Ave., to donate blood. Their operating hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are 9 a.m. through 6 p.m. Thursdays hours are noon through 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays hours are 7:30 a.m. through 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 ConchoValleyHomepage.com. Jose Patino, a 35-year-old DACA recipient and Arizona community organizer, says it took him a long time to overcome the fear of sharing his personal information including his legal status on social media. (Photo courtesy of Jose Patino) For more than a decade, San-Francisco-based Miguel has been successfully filing renewals for his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status every two years, at least until 2024. For some reason, this year, it took more than five months to get approval, during which his enrollment in the program lapsed, leaving him in a legal limbo. He lost his work visa and was put on temporary unpaid leave for three months from the large professional services company where hes worked for a decade. In those three months, I was trying to do a lot of damage control around getting an expedited process, reaching out to the ombudsman, congressmen all of the escalation type of actions that I could do, he said. He was also being cautious about what he put in his social media and other online postings. Like many, he realized such information could put him at risk in an uncertain political environment around immigration. Given my current situation, I try not to brand myself as undocumented or highlight it as the main component of my identity digitally, Miguel said. Miguel, who came to the United States at age 7 with his parents from the Philippines, says he was already mindful about his digital footprint before his DACA protections lapsed. His Facebook and Instagram accounts are set to private, and while amplifying the stories of immigrants is one of his goals, he tries to do so from an allyship perspective, rather than centering his own story. While his DACA status has now been renewed reinstating his work permit and protection from deportation and Miguel is back at work, hes taking extra precautions about what he posts online and how hes perceived publicly. Its the reason that States Newsroom is not using his full name for this story. Miguels company is regulated by the SEC and has to take a nonpartisan approach on political issues, he said, and that extends to employees. Staying neutral about political issues may be a common rule for many American workers, but its more complicated when an issue is a part of your core identity, Miguel said. I think thats been a huge conflicting area in my professional journey, he said. Its the separation and compartmentalization that I have to do to separate my identity given that it is a very politicized experience with my actual career and company affiliation. Digital footprints + surveillance Its not unusual for your digital footprint the trail of information you create browsing the web or posting on social media to have real-life ramifications. But if youre an immigrant in the United States, one post, like, or comment on social media could lead to an arrest, deportation, or denial of citizenship. In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice saying it would begin tracking more information, including social media handles for temporary visa holders, immigrants, and naturalized U.S. citizens in an electronic system. And Homeland Security would store that information. But in recent years, theres been more data collection. In 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was found to have contracted with commercial data brokers like Thomson Reuters CLEAR, which has access to information in credit agencies, cellphone registries, social media posts, property records, and internet chat rooms, among other sources. Emails sent by ICE officials were included in a 2019 federal court filing, showing that information accessed via the CLEAR database was used in a 2018 deportation case, the Intercept reported. ICE agents used an address found in CLEAR, along with Facebook posts of family gatherings, to build a case against a man who had been deported from his home in Southern California and then returned. The man had been living in the U.S. since he was 1, worked as a roofer and had children who are U.S. citizens. Ultimately, a Facebook post showing the man had checked in at a Southern California Home Depot in May 2018 led to his arrest. ICE agents monitored the page, waited for him to leave the store, then pulled him over. He was charged with felony illegal reentry. Ray Ybarra Maldonado, an immigration and criminal attorney in Phoenix, said hes seen more requests for social media handles in his immigration paperwork filings over the last few years. It can be nerve-wracking to think that the federal government will be combing through a clients posts, he said, but clients have to remember that, ultimately, anything put on the internet is for public consumption. We all think when we post something on social media that its for our friends, for our family, Ybarra Maldonado said. But people have to understand that whatever you put out there, its possible that you could be sitting in a room across from a government agent someday asking you a question about it. Ybarra Maldonado said hes seen immigration processes in which someone is appealing to the court that they are a moral, upstanding person, but there are screenshots of them from social media posing with guns or drugs. Ybarra Maldonado suggests that people applying for citizenship or temporary protections consider keeping their social media pages private, and to only connect with people that they know. He warns that people who share info about their legal status online can be the target of internet scams, as theres always someone looking to exploit vulnerable populations. But maintaining a digital footprint can also be a positive thing for his clients, Ybarra Maldonado said. Printouts from social media can provide evidence of the longevity of someones residence in the U.S. or show them as an active participant in their community. Its also a major way that immigrants stay connected to their families and friends in other countries, and find community in the U.S. Identifying yourself online For Jose Patino, a 35-year-old DACA recipient, that goal of staying connected to his community was the reason he eventually began using his full name online. When he was 6, Patino and his mother immigrated from Mexico to join his father in West Phoenix. From the beginning, he said, his parents explained his immigration status to him, and what that meant he wasnt eligible for certain things, and at any time, he could be separated from them. If he heard the words la migra, or immigration, he knew to find a safe place and hide. In Patinos neighborhood, an ever-present feeling lingered that the many immigrants living there felt limited and needed to be careful. He realized he could work, but it would always be for less money, and hed have to keep quiet about anything he didnt agree with. Most people in his neighborhood didnt use social media or didnt identify themselves as undocumented. You dont want your status to define your whole identity, he said. And its something that you dont want a constant reminder that you have limitations and things that you cant do. But like most millennials, when Patino went to college, he discovered that Facebook was the main way of communicating and organizing. He went back and forth at least 100 times, over signing up with the social media platform, and eventually made a profile with no identifying information. He used a nickname and didnt have a profile photo. Eventually, though, he realized no one would accept his friend requests or let him into groups. And then little by little, as I became more attuned to actually being public, social media protected me more my status than being anonymous, he said. If people knew who I was, they would be able to figure out how to support me. Patino and others interviewed for this story acknowledged that the DACA program is temporary and could change with an incoming federal administration. In his first few months of his presidency in 2017, Donald Trump announced he was rescinding the program, although the Supreme Court later ruled it would stand. That moment pushed Patino toward community organizing. He is now very much online as his full self, as he and his wife, Reyna Montoya, run Phoenix-based Aliento, which aims to bring healing practices to communities regardless of immigration status. The organization provides art and healing workshops, assists in grassroots organizing, and provides resources for undocumented students to get scholarships and navigate the federal student aid form. Now, Patino said, he would have very personal conversations with anyone considering putting themselves and their status online. The community has gained a lot of positive exposure and community from immigrants sharing their personal experiences, but it can take a toll, he said. His online presence is now an extension of the work he does at Aliento. Basically, I want to be the adult that my 17-, 18-year-old-self needed, he said. For me, thats how I see social media. How can I use my personal social media to provide maybe some hope or some resources with individuals who are, right now, maybe seeing loss or are in the same situation that I was in? Liberation and freedom Tobore Oweh, a 34-year-old Nigerian immigrant who arrived in Maryland when she was 7, has spent the last decade talking about her status online. After she received DACA protections in 2012, she felt like it was a way to unburden some of the pressures of living life without full citizenship, and to find people going through similar things. That was like a form of liberation and freedom, because I felt like I was suppressing who I was, and it just felt like this heavy burden around immigration and just like, its just a culture to be silent or fear, Oweh said. And for me, sharing my story at that time was very important to me. She connected with others through UndocuBlack, a multi-generational network of current and former undocumented Black people that shares resources and tools for advocacy. Being open about your status isnt for everyone, she said, but shes a naturally bold and optimistic person. She referred to herself as DACA-mented, saying she feels she has the privilege of some protection through the program but knows its not a long-term solution. Shes never felt super safe, but was more uneasy through the Trump administration when he made moves to end the program. Everyone with DACA is definitely privileged but, you know, we all are still experiencing this unstable place of, like, not knowing, she said. Since sharing more of her experiences online, Oweh said, she feels more opportunities and possibilities came into her life. Oweh moved to Los Angeles seven years ago and runs a floral business called The Petal Effect. She feels safe in California, as the state has programs to protect immigrants from discrimination through employment, education, small businesses, and housing. Access to community For Oweh, it was never a question of whether shed use social media, but rather how she would. She feels the accessibility to community and for sharing resources far outweighs the risks of being public about her status. Growing up, it wasnt like what it is now. I feel like, you know, future generations, or you know, the people that are here now, like we have more access to community than I did growing up just off of social media, Oweh said. So, its been instrumental in amplifying our voices and sharing our stories. Being vocal about your status isnt right for everyone, Beleza Chan, director of development and communications for education-focused Immigrants Rising, told States Newsroom. Social media, student organizing, protests, and blogging led to the passing of the DREAM act and DACA in the last two decades, and those movements were essential to immigrants rights today. But those feelings of security come in waves, she said. I think the political climate certainly affects that, Chan said. In the previous years, it was undocumented and unafraid, and, since Trump, its been like youre undocumented and youre very afraid to speak up. Important state, no debate: Michigan not picked to host for first cycle in decades Michigan, once again, factors to be a crucial state to national politics this fall, as it's considered one of a handful of election battlegrounds that will decide the balance of the 2024 presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. But even as the state's profile grows nationally, a small but noteworthy trend in presidential elections is set to be broken as things stand, there won't be a presidential debate in Michigan for the current presidential cycle. Barring a last-minute change of plans, this would be the first presidential cycle since 2004 when Michigan didn't host a presidential debate for either the general election or the presidential primaries, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The second debate of the general election cycle (the first between Harris and Trump) took place Tuesday in Philadelphia. Like Michigan, Pennsylvania is a swing state where either candidate winning could determine who ends up winning the White House. But Tuesday may have been the lone debate between the presidential candidates While the Harris campaign quickly began calling for another debate almost immediately after the first one ended, Trump has said he won't debate Harris again. And even if Trump reverses course and agrees to a third debate of the cycle, CBS News has offered to host the debate on Arizona State University's campus, thousands of miles away from voters in Michigan. So, it stands likely Michigan's run of hosting a presidential debate will come to an end. Here's a look at the recent history of presidential debates held in the Mitten State: AFP_1J87ZG.jpg Democratic presidential hopefuls former Vice President Joe Biden (L) and US Senator from California Kamala Harris greet each other ahead of the second round of the second Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season hosted by CNN at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan on July 31, 2019. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images In 2020 primaries, Dems went after Biden in Detroit The early field for the 2020 Democratic presidential primary was so crowded that candidates had to participate in two separate debates over two nights in late July 2019 at the historic Fox Theatre in Detroit. While Biden's 2020 run had its ups and downs before he clinched the Democratic nomination on his way to the White House, he was viewed as the frontrunner in the race when nearly two dozen candidates debated in Detroit. And on July 31, 2019, he was the main target for the nine other candidates on stage, including Harris. "But as the debate wore on, Biden found himself fending off numerous attacks from both Harris and others in this second night of debates in Detroit, with challengers questioning decisions on the Iraq War, support for a 1994 crime bill and many other statements and positions in a political career dating back to the 1970s," the Detroit Free Press wrote in its coverage of the debate. Despite the challenges to Biden in Detroit and in subsequent debates, he eventually emerged as the Democratic nominee. There were no Republican debates that year, due to a lack of challengers to Trump, the incumbent. At one point, a debate was slated to take place between Biden and Trump in Oct. 2020 on the University of Michigan's campus, but the university withdrew from hosting due to concerns with the coronavirus pandemic, which was ongoing at the time. Republicans, Democrats both debate in Michigan during 2016 primary Just three days apart, both Republican and Democratic presidential hopefuls ventured to Michigan for debates during the 2016 primary cycle in Detroit and Flint, respectively. First, on March 3 of that year, Trump faced barbs from other Republican candidates at the Fox Theatre, the Free Press reported at the time. When Trump first launched his candidacy for president, many Republicans viewed him as a party outsider, a far cry from his stature within Republican politics today. By the time Republicans held their Detroit debate, Trump had a clear, but not insurmountable advantage in the delegate count. He would emerge victorious from the Republican primary, and eventually win Michigan on his way to the White House in 2016. More: Harmful algal bloom reported in Ypsilanti's Ford Lake: What health officials are saying More: JD Vance returning to Michigan, this time for a rally in Kent County on Tuesday Then on March 6, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders sparred in Flint. The debate came less than two years after the onset of the Flint Water Crisis, which was a prevalent issue raised during the night. Both Sanders and Clinton called for former Gov. Rick Snyder to resign due to the water crisis during the debate. Clinton, who went on to lose the Michigan primary, win the nomination nationally and then lose to Trump that fall, criticized Sanders for a 2009 vote during the federal government's rescue of the automotive industry. "The first 22 minutes of the debate were consumed with the crisis in Flint, with both candidates hoping to score a victory in Tuesdays Democratic primary in Michigan attempting to one-up the other in terms of concern," the Free Press wrote in coverage of the evening. Rick Perry's 'Oops' moment in Rochester ahead of 2012 primary Eight Republican presidential hopefuls debated on Oakland University's campus on Nov. 9, 2011, a little less than a year before the 2012 presidential election that would ultimately pit former President Barack Obama against Republican nominee, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. While Romney, a Michigan native, participated in the Rochester debate, perhaps the most memorable moment of the night involved a different former governor. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whose campaign had already been hurt by poor performances in prior debates, forgot the name of the third federal agency he'd eliminate if he were to be elected. He named the departments of Commerce and Education, before taking several moments to recall the name of the third. He eventually recalled the Environmental Protection Agency, according to an ABC News report, but later retracted and said the Department of Energy was the third agency. The third agency of government I would do away with - the education, the uh, the commerce and lets see. I cant. The third one. I cant. Sorry. Oops," Perry said. Perry, at least, was able to joke about the gaff. The Free Press reported at the time he told reporters following the debate "I'm glad I had boots on because I sure stepped on it out there." The last cycle Michigan didn't host a presidential debate in was 2004 The lone debate of the 2008 presidential election cycle to take place in Michigan was a Republican primary debate in Oct. 2007, when nine candidates, including the late John McCain, a U.S. Senator from Arizona, participated in a debate on the University of Michigan's Dearborn campus. McCain was the eventual Republican nominee. It's been twenty years since neither party held a presidential debate in Michigan, as neither Democrats nor Republicans held a debate in Michigan during the 2004 primary election. The presidential debates ahead of the general election that year were in Arizona, Florida and Missouri. The American Presidency Project tracks presidential debates dating back to 1960, when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon participated in the first televised presidential debate between candidates. According to the project, the earliest presidential debate held in Michigan was during the 1992 election cycle, when then-President George H.W. Bush, then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton and independent candidate Ross Perot met for a debate on Michigan State University's campus. Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com Looking for more on Michigans elections this year? Check out our voter guide, subscribe to our elections newsletter and always feel free to share your thoughts in a letter to the editor. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan has hosted notable debates, even if it won't in 2024 Every few years, organizations like Siena College and C-SPAN ask historians, political scientists, and presidential biographers to rank the best U.S. presidents. The results invariably spark debate among academics and the public alike, and the whole exercise has become an amusing, if somewhat cynical, pastime. Most Americans are only most interested in who tops the list, a discussion often dominated by the perennial question: Was George Washington or Abraham Lincoln the better president? Scholars, however, are often more fascinated by the figures who, after years of re-evaluation, begin to shake up the rankings. Some presidents, like Ulysses S. Grant, have seen their reputations rise over time. Others, such as Andrew Jackson, have experienced a steady decline in esteem. This ongoing reassessment fuels a steady industry of historians advocating for their chosen president to have their legacy revisited and judged anew. Lindsay M. Chervinskys pick? John Adams. In Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic, she offers a compelling exploration of the rise and tumultuous tenure of the Adams administration, a period often overshadowed by Washingtons legacy and Jeffersons ascension to power. But Chervinskya presidential historian and the executive director of the George Washington Presidential Librarydoes more in the book than simply recall the often overlooked years of 1791-1801. Instead, she argues convincingly that, far from being a mere footnote in the history of the office, it was John Adams who faced the true test of establishing enduring precedents for the nations highest role. It was a feat that Chervinsky chronicles as anything but easy. Unlike Washington, who enjoyed near-universal reverence and unchallenged authority, Adams inherited a presidency fraught with deepening political divisions and growing public skepticism. As Chervinsky puts it, the second president would have to withstand cabinet schemes fomented by department secretaries to increase their authority at the expense of the president, and to combat European countries efforts to exploit the United Statess weaknesses for their own imperial aims. In many ways, the second presidentwhether Adams or anyone elsewas set up to fail from the outset. The greatest challenge Adams faced during his presidency was the looming threat of war with Revolutionary France, in what became known as the Quasi-War. This undeclared conflict arose when France began seizing American ships throughout the Caribbean in retaliation for U.S. neutrality in the war between France and Britain. The crisis over how to respond sharply defined the emerging party lines of the early American political system. While Federalists pushed for a strong response to French aggression and closer ties with Britain, the Jeffersonian Republicansseeing the French Revolution as an extension of their own struggle for libertyfavored diplomacy with France. Much to the frustration of his fellow Federalists, Adams made peace his priority. Deeply suspicious of the motives driving European powers to make alliances with the young nation, Adams saw them as cynical actors who viewed the United States as little more than a pawn to be manipulated. Following the precedent set by Washington, he argued that America should avoid war and steer clear of entangling alliances with European nations whenever possible. Yet, as Chervinsky aptly observes, His positions should not be confused with isolationism, because Adams was also a fervent supporter of intellectual, financial, and diplomatic engagement on the world stage. Maintaining peace, however, proved difficult. In 1797, Adams sent diplomats to France, only for them to encounter demands for bribes in the XYZ Affair, which outraged the American public and intensified calls for war. Despite this pressure and the ongoing criticisms he faced from Federalists in public and private, Adams continued to pursue diplomacy. In 1799, he sent a second peace commission to negotiate directly with the new French leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, who was preoccupied with other wars in Europe and more inclined toward peace. This led to the Convention of 1800, which officially restored peace between the two nations. Reflecting on this success in 1815, Adams quipped to Massachusetts Sen. James Lloyd, I reflect upon them with So much satisfaction that I desire No other Inscription on my Grave Stone than Here lies John Adams who took upon himself the Responsability of the Peace with France in the Year 1800. Foreign conflict was only one of his concerns. At home, Adams grappled with a hostile press, intensifying political polarization, rising xenophobia, domestic unrest, recurring yellow fever epidemics, and a near-treasonous vice-president. A particularly dramatic moment unfolded in May 1798. After attending a morning church service, Adams returned to the presidents residence in Philadelphia to find a mob gathered outside, sporting tricolor cockades in support of revolutionary France. Alarmed, he immediately sent word to the War Department for reinforcements while his servants, fearing the worst, began barricading the house. The situation grew even more perilous when a second group arrived, this time bearing the black cockades of the Federalists. Thankfully, the militia arrived just in time to defuse the standoff, though many feared the city would be ablaze by morning. Thanks to Chervinskys engaging prose of events like these, Making the Presidency certainly makes for a compelling and captivating read. Meanwhile, factionalism within his own party continued to plague Adams. Alexander Hamilton in particular had long sought to undermine his leadership. Before Adams took office, Hamilton had encouraged Federalists to support Thomas Pinckney in the 1796 election, while exerting influence over key members of Adams cabinet. As tensions escalated, the former treasury secretary launched more direct attacks, culminating in a public condemnation of the presidents leadership in the infamous Letter Concerning the Public Conduct and Character of John Adams ahead of the 1800 election. Hamilton accused Adams of being often liable to paroxysms of anger, which deprive him of self command, guilty of a vanity without bounds, and ultimately responsible for serious errors as president. Despite Adams reputation for being difficult, stubborn, and overly sensitive to criticism, Chervinsky uncovers the complexity of his character, emphasizing his genuine desire to serve his country and his efforts to rise above partisan politics whenever possible. As Benjamin Franklin once remarked, I am persuaded that he means well for his country, is always an honest man, often a wise one, but sometimes and in some things absolutely out of his senses. This captures the contradictions of Adams leadershipprincipled and deeply committed, yet at times erratic. Following suit, Chervinsky depicts him as a leader humbled by the weight of the presidency, yet fiercely determined to make his mark on the young republic. With extensive experience in Congress and international diplomacy, as well as eight years as vice president, Adams proved to be the right man for the daunting task of succeeding Washington. The first presidents efforts to establish norms, traditions, and precedents would have amounted to little had Adams not successfully met the challenge of maintaining them. This is not to suggest that Adams was without fault. Chervinsky makes it clear he made his share of mistakes, but perhaps none were more damaging to his legacy than the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. Chervinsky observes that the Federalists viewed these drastic measures as essential to counter the threats from France and domestic Republican opposition. Designed to suppress dissent and curb foreign influence, the Acts were seen as a necessary response to the looming prospect of war with France. While Adams did not draft the legislation, he signed it into law, including the Sedition Act, which effectively made government criticism illegal. Although Adams would later regret this decision, Chervinsky notes that at the time, Adams had long feared that the republic would be short-lived, and he refused to oversee its collapse. If these themesdebates over foreign involvement and friendships torn apart by politicssound familiar, its because they are. As Chervinskys narrative highlights, while the specific challenges facing the United States may have evolved, the broader patterns remain strikingly consistent, and the lessons from John Adams and his times are enduringly relevant. No lesson remains more relevant for Chervinsky than the outcome of the 1800 election. Despite Adams and Jefferson having been close allies since the Second Continental Congress of 1775, their friendship had become increasingly strained by the time Adams assumed the presidency. It finally fractured during the 1800 campaign, when Federalists accused Jefferson of being a Francophile atheist while Jeffersons supporters depicted Adams as a covert monarchist. The election ended in an unprecedented Electoral College tie between Jefferson and Aaron Burr, with 73 votes apiece (Adams trailed with 65.) The tie threw the decision to the House of Representatives where, after 36 rounds of voting and significant political maneuvering, Jefferson finally won. Even in defeat, Adams exemplified sound leadership by ensuring a peaceful transfer of powermaking it a cornerstone of the American republic. Thanks to Adams, today, we take such transfers for granted, seeing elections as routine contests between two parties vying for a largely stable electorate. But in times of media distrust, economic volatility, and global uncertainty, the stakes are higher, and the example of Adams, according to Chervinsky, feels more urgent. For Chervinsky, exploring the peaceful transition of power in 1800 undeniably echoes the dark events of January 6, 2021. Both Adams and Donald Trump faced contested elections, yet where the former respected democratic norms, the latter undermined them. Some readers might find the comparison somewhat overstretched, yet the larger point isnt merely about Adams giving up power (as if he could have realistically held onto it). Rather, its about the dignityalbeit muted by appointing his Federalist allied midnight judges and his refusal to attend Jeffersons inaugurationwith which he accepted his defeat. Adams ensured the continuity of the republic by stepping aside for a political rival he once admired but now passionately disagreed with. After January 6, Americans were reminded of the preciousness and fragility of republics, Chervinsky writes, confessing that she, like many Americans, had taken a peaceful transfer of power for granted. Adams never did. 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. We recently compiled a list of the 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks That Will Ride A $30 Trillion Opportunity According To Morgan Stanley. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (OTC:BMWYY) stands against the other humanoid robot stocks. Over the course of the last century, the makeup of modern day society and the world as we know it has significantly changed. Humans living in the first quarter of the 20th century were just starting to get used to automobiles and long distance air travel was still a distant dream for most people. Now, with the age of artificial intelligence seemingly upon us, the world has changed. AI, a technology exclusive to science fiction in just the past decade, is now a reality even though its highest firm, i.e. artificial general intelligence, is far from being a reality. Similarly, while factories in the 20th century had to rely on workers for most of their production, now, automation is in full swing. No where is the impact of this clearer than in the factories of Elon Musk's car company. The electric vehicle billionaire has often described his attempts at establishing a viable production base for electric vehicles as "hell," and now, he believes that the future of the world lies in the hands of humanoid robots. So much so that Musk believes that by selling $1 trillion of humanoid robots annually, his company can reach an unbelievable market value of $25 trillion. Right now, it's valued at $708.7 billion after having lost 8.96% year to date, and the combined value of the S&P 500 is $45.7 trillion. Musk aims to have the first version of his firm's Optimus humanoid robot in small scale production early next year and start selling the humanoid robot to other companies in 2026. A simple humanoid isn't what one of the world's richest men is talking about though, since the key to his plan of selling robots is autonomy. This is the key valuation driver, believes Musk, as he shared during the Q2 2024 earnings call: And it takes the valuation, I think, to some pretty crazy number. ARK Invest thinks, on the order of $5 trillion, I think they are probably not wrong. And long-term Optimus, I think, it achieves a valuation several times that number. Ark Invest, Cathie Wood's hedge fund which filed $11.2 billion of investments with the SEC for Q2 2024, is also quite bullish on humanoid robots. Calling humanoid robots as generalizable robots, Wood's firm believes that they represent a $24 trillion revenue opportunity. This opportunity is split even between household and manufacturing robots, with the investment firm outlining that even a 50% take rate coupled with a 50% productivity boost could lead to a $7.1 trillion revenue opportunity for humanoid robots. Looking ahead, Ark Invest believes that humanoid robots will "have grown to 10% of the number of humans in the manufacturing workforce" by 2030 - in an era where cheap "robots in human form-factors have begun to populate households" to "address a third of household chores" and be an attractive purchase because of the time that they help people save. Story continues Cathie Wood and Elon Musk aren't the only ones who are convinced about the potential that humanoid robots offer. Another big believer is the investment bank, Morgan Stanley. It believes that the biggest potential of humanoid robots is the cost savings that they can offer. As per analyst Adam Jonas' estimates, these robots can "bring about cost savings of roughly $500,000 to $1 million per human worker over 20 years." These savings will come at a hairline of a fraction of the cost, with the bank's estimates sharing that they could cost anywhere between $10,000 to $30,000 to manufacture. The investment bank's estimates also believe that by 2030, America could have as many as 40,000 humanoid robots helping humans. Talking about overall usage, the industrial and other uses of humanoids could lead to a wage impact of $1 billion. These wage impacts grow as we move further down the future, and peak in 2050 when the bank believes that the humanoid population will be at an unbelievable 68 million for a wage impact of a whopping $3 trillion. Of course, the robots that the bank has envisioned aren't your everyday run of the mill equipment. These will use artificial intelligence, which naturally expands the investment options for investors looking to profit from this potential growth. As per analyst Ed Stanley, the list of potential contenders for investment as humanoid robot stocks includes "companies making the generative AI that will power the robots brains, the mechanics that make their bodies run, and the battery storage needed to power them. Further development in those three areas will be key to achieving humanoid commercialization.." If you thought that we were done with trillion dollar estimates for the humanoid robot industry, you'd be wrong. Another such estimate comes from the management consulting firm Roland Berger. It believes that if the sector scales according to optimistic projections, then by 2050, 50 million humanoid robots could generate $1.5 trillion in revenue. However, the firm does caution that this optimism is contingent on "heavily dependent on technological progress and the regulatory environment" as regulatory scrutiny of humanoids is benign right now as the majority of them are currently prototypes. Our Methodology We used Morgan Stanleys Humanoid 66 stock list. for our list of the biggest beneficiaries of the humanoid robot race. This list is divided into three categories, humanoid enablers and beneficiaries, enablers, and beneficiaries. From these three, we selected the top stocks from the beneficiaries list. If you're interested in the other two categories, be sure to check out $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley. For these stocks, we also mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. 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). 25 Richest Billionaires in Automotive Industry A luxury car dealership's showroom, representing the automotive industry the company operates in. Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (OTC:BMWYY) Number of Hedge Fund Investors in Q1 2024: N/A Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (OTC:BMWYY) is another German automotive giant. Like its peer Mercedes, it benefits from using humanoids by saving on costs, ensuring employee safety, and increasing production efficiency. While the estimates for humanoids in our introduction stretch out to decades in the future, Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (OTC:BMWYY) is one of the early movers in this space. The firm plans to use humanoid robots in a factory in South Carolina this year, after it announced a deal with a startup earlier this year. Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (OTC:BMWYY) made progress on this front in August when it tested the first humanoid robot in a German factory and used it for vehicle chassis manufacturing. Yet, since the firm still generates revenue from selling cars, any weaknesses or unexpected costs don't do well for the shares. This was also the case in September when Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (OTC:BMWYY)'s stock dropped by 10% after it cut 2024 EBITDA margin guidance to 6% - 7% from an earlier 8% - 10% following a costly recall. Overall BMWYY ranks 14th on our list of the best humanoid robot stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of BMWYY as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some 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 BMWYY but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Participants of the 2024 Indigenous Peoples Summit walk off of the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus to the Elmwood Park Pavilion for lunch. They did so because UNO's exclusive contract with a food caterer would not allow an exception for summit organizers to bring in their preferred Native American caterer. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) OMAHA It was not a walk that participants in the annual Indigenous Peoples Summit wanted to take on an 86-degree afternoon. But they did on principle, and to underscore a key reason that brought some 125 leaders of tribal governments, Indigenous groups and others together in the first place: a quest to reclaim cultural power and traditions. What pushed conferees on Friday to walk the quarter-mile from a University of Nebraska at Omaha auditorium to Elmwood Park for lunch many in ribbon skirts and traditional regalia was that they were not permitted to bring food from a preferred culturally sensitive caterer onto UNO grounds. UNO has an exclusive contract with Sodexo, a global food services company. Efforts by summit organizers to find a work-around were rejected, so they took their lunch hour off campus. We were put into a place where we would have had to compromise our dignity and traditions, Sheelah Bearfoot of the Chiricahua Apache Nation told the Nebraska Examiner. More at stake than lunch Choosing to walk to the park was inconvenient, particularly for the elders who were offered rides. But Bearfoot, an environmental justice advocate, and other planners of the event said there was more at stake than lunch. Fridays gathering was about empowerment, rebuilding Native Nations, reaching economic sovereignty, climate justice, sacred sites and traditional ecological knowledge. The group sought to strengthen partnerships, to create opportunities, to learn and to share successes. Expert speakers represented an array of tribes and academia from as far away as Zimbabwe, where Aya Khourshid, a climate and social researcher, joined virtually to talk about rethinking economies. After morning workshops, waiting for the group at the Elmwood Park pavilion was a colorful spread prepared by Anthony Warrior, a Nebraska-based chef specializing in Indigenous-inspired cuisine, including braised bison with Umoho Nation corn medley, white earth wild rice and patty pan squash. The group walked back to UNOs Milo Bail Student Center for afternoon programs. In addition to many Indigenous leaders, speakers included State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, who welcomed the group to his district and offered to help with legislative efforts, and State Sen. Terrell McKinney of North Omaha, who has battled for Native American issues including a law that protects public school students from discrimination based on cultural hairstyles, tribal regalia and headdress and funding for a Chief Standing Bear museum. No solution is too far McKinney, in response to a question on how to craft state policy, said that any legislative initiative should keep top of mind the core of who you are. But be as creative, as bold as you can be no solution is too far, McKinney said. During the same panel on economic sovereignty, Luis Marcos, co-founder of Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim and an organizer of the event, noted the significance of the luncheon dilemma. He said Indigenous and tribal governments want to be respected and treated as sovereign nations. Victoria Kohout, chief of external relations for UNO, said Sodexo is the exclusive caterer for all main campus buildings except the Thompson Alumni Center. She said its a setup thats common practice for universities. Local Sodexo representatives referred comments to UNO. When will this stop? Marcos said, amplifying his voice to conferees. He referred to an earlier conference discussion that delved into ways to rebuild sovereignty and authority stolen from Indigenous people. When will we be recognized as sovereign nations? Missty Slater, chief of staff for the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, said its unlikely anyone will be able to codify culture or make culture a law or a business. But she said leaders can push the needle to incorporate more cultural values into policy. Band together and shun industries and businesses causing harm to Native communities and goals, she said. Hurt their bottom dollar. For Indigenous people, Slater said, money is more of a medium goal. The larger goal of economic development is creating a positive impact on a collective community. National model Panelist Perry Worden of Bridgepoint Investment Banking, who also is vice president of Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim, told the summit that Nebraska-based Ho-Chunk Inc. has become a national model for self-empowerment. Ho-Chunk Inc., for example, has WarHorse Casino, farmland, housing, and companies that manufacture and distribute Native American tobacco products. The ancestral name for the Winnebago Tribe is Hochungra, often truncated as Ho-Chunk. Worden said the tribes holding company ventures have been able to help create generational wealth, which leads to economic independence. Fridays summit continued an annual gathering of pan-Indigenous communities. Last years event took place over two days in various Omaha area locations including a sacred water ceremony on the banks of the Missouri River. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Multibillion-pound overruns led to cancellation of parts of HS2, seen here being constructed in the Misbourne Valley in Buckinghamshire - Jim Dyson/Getty Images Europe Rachel Reeves is to abolish two key government bodies overseeing the UK engineering industry after a series of disastrously managed infrastructure projects, ranging from HS2 to Hinkley Point C nuclear power stations. The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) and the Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) are to be restructured and merged with many staff likely culled to create a powerful new organisation responsible for monitoring all major government-funded projects. It follows analyses by groups including the pro-growth campaign Britain Remade showing that the UK pays more for its infrastructure projects than almost any other developed country. The move is the biggest shake-up in infrastructure management for more than a decade and follows a series of projects wrecked by surging costs and delays. These include HS2 where multibillion-pound overruns led to cancellation of part of the project linking the West Midlands to Manchester and to the East Midlands. Originally priced at 38bn, costs for just the London-Birmingham leg went to 50bn and then 70bn. Retaining the cancelled sections would have pushed costs to more than 105bn. Similarly, Hinkley Point C power station went from a budget of 20bn to 42bn. The Transpennine Rail upgrade has seen its initial cost of 300m spiral to 10bn. Hinkley Point C power stations budget leapt from 20bn to 42bn - Daniel Leal/AFP There are fears the looming refurbishment of the Houses of Parliament currently costed at 3.5bn could go the same way. The buildings are so high-profile that any cost or time overruns would prove highly politically awkward. The new body is to be called the National Infrastructure Service Transformation Authority, or NISTA. It would give ministers support dealing with the many looming, but massively controversial projects, especially in transport, such as Gatwick Airports plans to open a second runway and Heathrows long-term hopes for a third runway. Such projects would boost economic growth but generate furious protests from environmental groups. Some of the most complex projects are in energy, including Sizewell C, the next nuclear power station, the small modular reactor programme, along with the rebuilding of the National Grid to ensure it is fit for net zero. Without the firm management that the UK has been missing, all have the potential to go disastrously over budget and timescales. The plans to replace NIC and IPA with a new body were confirmed by Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, at a Labour Party forum where he pledged to deliver a 10-year infrastructure programme, to be announced shortly, with every department told what it could spend up to five years ahead. He said the two bodies were not able to provide the stability needed for such long-term thinking partly because the NIC is not a statutory body, meaning its findings can be ignored. Mr Jones said: The NIC was doing a brilliant job on strategy. For those of you involved, I think everybody agrees, their outputs are actually really great. But lets be frank, the government wasnt really listening or taking it seriously. So they produced great reports, but it wasnt informing decisions. He also criticised the IPA, which reports to the Cabinet Office and Treasury and which is meant to support delivery of all types of major projects ranging from railways and roads to defence, schools and hospitals. Mr Jones said that the IPA had evolved into a compliance body rather than leading the way. He said: The Infrastructure and Projects Authority has expanded a lot over the years since it was first created. If were honest, its become a bit of a compliance function, and needs to be more about speeding up delivery and focusing on delivery. He said the result of having infrastructure split between two bodies meant the sector lacked leadership and authority which the new organisation, NISTA, would be expected to provide. He said: We have infrastructure thats not delivering for parts of the country, thats holding back our growth and our potential. We think we can really create an authority at the centre of government that has the buy-in of Treasury, the Cabinet Office, and No 10, working with departments and other partners to really drive delivery in the way that we want to and to actually fix the problems that all of us know. British families worse off than Americans Analyses by Britain Remade, which campaigns for better infrastructure management, show the impact of the UKs failures on energy, transport links and construction of new homes. It calculates that British families are now 13,500 worse off than the average American family and almost 6,000 worse off than the average German family. It reviewed over 300 transport projects across 20 countries and found Britain builds trams at twice the cost of the European average and almost four times the cost in Germany. Britain pays three times more than Germany to electrify its rail lines and HS2 worked out nine times more expensive than the Tours to Bordeaux high speed line. Sam Dumitriu, head of policy at Britain Remade, said: On almost every form of infrastructure from rail to road, from nuclear power stations to trams, Britain spends more on a like-for-like basis. Too often Britain reinvents the wheel and lessons learnt on one project are forgotten for the next. Some projects are chopped-and-changed so many times over that their cost balloons and hundreds of millions of pounds are wasted on unnecessary work. The TransPennine Rail Upgrade which morphed from a straightforward electrification project to a massive change forecast to cost 10bn highlights the need for reform in the way the UK plans and executes infrastructure projects. Sir John Armitt, chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, who is 78 years old and steps down in January, welcomed Labours plan for a 10-year infrastructure delivery strategy. He said : Closing the infrastructure gap between what the UK has and what we need is a long, hard task. NISTA provides an opportunity to bring delivery of this strategy into the heart of government. 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. Inmate dies after being found unresponsive at federal prison in Mississippi YAZOO COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) An inmate died after being found unresponsive at a federal prison in Mississippi. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Robert Angelo Mangine, 51, was found unresponsive at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Yazoo City Medium around 1:30 p.m. on Friday, September 13. Trial for Rankin County teen accused of killing mother begins Monday Officials said responding employees initiated life-saving measures, and emergency medical services (EMS) were requested while life-saving efforts continued. Mangine was pronounced deceased by EMS personnel. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was notified. Officials said Mangine was sentenced in the Northern District of Iowa to a 420-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine Within 1,000 Feet of a School Zone, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession with Intent to Distribute 20.85 Grams of Methamphetamine, and Carrying a Firearm in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. He had been in custody at FCI Yazoo City Medium since July 15, 2022. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 WJTV. An inmate at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning has died after a stabbing attack by a fellow inmate, authorities said. On Sept. 5, deputies responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at the facility at 1:30 p.m., when they found the victim suffering a stab wound injury, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Deputies provided medical aid until paramedics took the victim to a hospital. Steve Gonzalez, 36, of Moreno Valley, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on Sept. 7. Officials said the victim's family was notified and was able to be at his bedside while he was being treated at the hospital. The sheriff's Corrections Central Investigations Unit, in coordination with the sheriff's Homicide Unit, identified 55-year-old Scott Lowder as the suspect who allegedly killed Gonzalez, but no further details were provided regarding the altercation. Lowder was in custody for criminal threats and brandishing a firearm and will remain in custody pending murder charges, officials said. Anyone with information regarding the death was encouraged to contact Investigator R. Navarrete with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777. The death is the latest in the county's jails. Department records submitted to the California Department of Justice show there were 19 deaths in 2022 and 14 in 2023. Three deaths were reported as of June 2024. Roughly a dozen lawsuits have been filed on behalf of inmates who died in 2022 and 2023. City News Service contributed to this report. Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Inmate killed at Smith Correctional Facility in Banning An internal Secret Service investigation has confirmed that multiple, substantial communication breakdowns preceded the 13 July attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. The Washington Post, citing unnamed officials, reported on Saturday that the former presidents security detail failed to direct local police to secure the roof of the building used by the gunman. The Secret Service had discussed placing heavy equipment and flags between the stage and what would become Thomas Matthew Crookss perch atop a glass factory 300ft away to block the clear sight lines from the roof. Related: Melania Trump boosts conspiracy theory online about rally shooting But supervisors who arrived at Butler for the rally found cranes, trucks and flags were not placed in a way that blocked the line of sight. Crook was later able to climb on to the roof and fire a rifle seven times, killing one spectator, wounding Trump in the ear and injuring two others, before being shot dead by Secret Service snipers. The internal inquiry, known as a mission assurance investigation, found that unlike security details guarding a sitting president and vice-president that have military support, the Secret Service uses a command post separate from local police to protect political figures who are not serving in office. But in Butler, Trumps security detail had no way of communicating with local police guarding the perimeter of the fairground. The astonishing lack of communication led to Crooks being able to get on the roof despite reports of a suspicious person carrying a rangefinder an hour before Trump was due to speak that were not relayed to the Secret Service. It took rally-goers to alert local police to a man bear-crawling on the roof before he loosed off shots at the former president, with one clipping Trumps ear. Instead, local countersnipers were instructed to text a photo of Crooks to just one Secret Service agent, and agents never heard local police radio traffic about trying to track him down. Butler county police also reportedly warned the Secret Service that they would not be able to post a patrol car next to the building but received no further instruction. Kimberly Cheatle resigned as director of the agency days after the shooting after saying the roofs slope was too steep for agents to manage. The acting agency director, Ronald Rowe, said in a statement to the outlet that the Secret Service cannot operate under the paradox of zero fail mission while also making our special agents and uniformed division officers execute a very critical national security mission by doing more with less. The report also found that the Secret Service had been slow to beef up Trumps security even after it received reports of an Iranian plot to kill political candidates. Rowe testified to Congress later in July that he was embarrassed by security lapses and vowed to reform the agencys practices. Two separate congressional investigations are also looking at security lapses. The Trump campaign has said it has sometimes been forced to cancel or postpone events over concerns that security is insufficient and followed years of requests from Trump aides for greater security. Both the first lady, Jill Biden, and the vice-president, Kamala Harris, were in Pennsylvania that day, lending credence to claims that the Secret Service was stretched too thin. I think the American people are going to be shocked, astonished and appalled by what we will report to them about the failures by the Secret Service in this assassination attempt on the former president, the Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal told Fox News after being briefed on the internal review. Illustration: Benjamin Currie; Photos: Getty Five years ago, Kris Kobach, Kansas former secretary of state, announced on Fox Business Network that, in order to quickly deport undocumented immigrants seeking asylum in the United States, the Trump administration would need camps. Or, as he also put it, processing towns. The U.S. government owns thousands of empty mobile home trailers, Kobach told host Lou Dobbs, and it should deploy them to border cities and create processing towns that are confined. People who cross the border seeking refuge in the United States, he said, should be detained there until their claims are rejected, then promptly expelled from the country. Kobach, then the general counsel of a private border wall-building effort two former leaders of which later went to prison for defrauding donors was a lonely voice at the time. But in the years since, the Trump wing of the Republican Party has come around to his point of view. Key allies and advisers arent mincing their words: In order to carry out Trumps mass deportation agenda, the United States will need enormous prison camps for immigrant families, part of an effort to deport millions of people at a record pace. The mass deportation operation will be a bloody story, Trump said last weekend. And key advisers have promised a historic infrastructure project to churn people out of the country. The camps will be built on open land in Texas near the border and should have the capacity to house as many as 70,000 people, which would double the United States current immigrant detention capacity, Stephen Miller, the main point man on immigration in Trumps White House, said last year. In multiple interviews, Miller has gleefully described daily flights out of the camps to all corners of the world, an undertaking he said would be greater than any national infrastructure project in American history. Trump comes back in January Ill be on his heels coming back, and I will run the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen, Thomas Homan, who served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the Trump administration, said in July at a conference for Trump-aligned conservatives. They aint seen shit yet, Homan said. Wait until 2025. Eisenhower 2.0 Trump himself, as usual, has stayed away from the details of his plan to deport more than 10 million people, and his campaign didnt respond to HuffPosts questions about specific policies. Instead, the campaigns national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said in a statement: President Trump will restore his effective immigration policies, implement brand new crackdowns that will send shockwaves to all the worlds criminal smugglers, and marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in American history. Trump has frequently invoked former President Dwight D. Eisenhower whose administration infamously oversaw a massive, deadly deportation program named after a slur, Operation Wetback as a model. That program, launched in 1954 to push undocumented migrants into Mexico, has been a Trump hobbyhorse for years. In 2016, CNNs Jake Tapper pressed Trump to respond to critics who called it a shameful chapter in American history; Trump countered by saying, Some people think it was a very effective chapter. Eisenhower did a massive deportation of people, Trump told Time in April this year. He got very proficient at it. I will run the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen ... They aint seen shit yet. Wait until 2025.Thomas Homan, former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the Trump administration Eisenhowers deportation effort resulted in the expulsion of more than 1 million people, according to a government report. That tally is likely exaggerated, though, and includes a significant number of people who today might be said to have self-deported that is, they left the country on their own rather than face arrest or deal with court proceedings. Government records detail a militaristic operation using trucks, jeeps and planes. The government conducted naval deportations on cargo ships that a congressional investigation later compared to cramped slave ships and which led to highly publicized drownings. Law enforcement agencies, from local police up to the federal Border Patrol, pitched in on mass sweeps of industrial areas and immigrant-dense neighborhoods. Press clippings from the time noted numerous camps were used to house people awaiting deportation. The Los Angeles Times described one such concentration camp as a wire-fenced security camp capable of holding 1,000 people in Elysian Park. Within a few years, the same area would host Dodger Stadium. Subsequent coverage included a photo of a 10-month-old in her mothers arms youngest internee, the caption reads and a 1-year-old American citizen being deported along with his family. Other stories referred to human freight being shipped back to Mexico. I have seen mothers deport[ed] and leave on this side their nursing babies, one South Texas resident reportedly wrote to the attorney general. What is wrong with this country any way? The nature of immigration, and immigration law, was much different in the 50s, when the U.S.-Mexico border was more porous and seasonal migration was common. But Trump and the modern Republican Party have embraced the Eisenhower operations purge of immigrants: At the Republican National Convention, scores of people held up Mass Deportation Now! signs distributed by organizers, and this years GOP platform promises the largest deportation operation in American history. A person in a wheelchair holds a sign that reads "Mass Deportation Now" on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Andrew Harnik via Getty Images Aspects of Trumps plan would almost certainly be challenged in court. But the scope of Republicans ambitions is nonetheless startling. The GOP platform calls for immigration arrests executed in cooperation with local police and massive portions of Federal Law Enforcement whove been shifted from their normal work over to immigration enforcement, alongside thousands of Troops who would be transferred to the border. The platform also calls for invoking the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century law that gives the president broad powers to deport people from hostile nations. Trump has reportedly considered using the law as a pretext to deport people whose countries of origins contain drug cartels and gangs, accusing them of invading the United States. Large-Scale Staging Grounds If Trump and his team are serious about deporting every undocumented person in America, theyll need a place to put them first. Despite Trumps hatred for catch-and-release the fishing term he uses to describe the policy of releasing immigrants from custody as their legal cases proceed the simple fact is there was, and is, nowhere near enough detention space available to incarcerate everyone Trump wants to deport. Immigration officials struggled to keep up with the Trump White Houses demand for space to detain immigrants in deportation proceedings, according to records obtained by NPR. Trump increased the number of proceedings initiated against undocumented immigrants each year but that didnt mean that everyone facing deportation was actually forced to leave the country. Instead, it just left behind a huge backlog of cases for his successor. Over the course of Trumps presidency, U.S. migrant detention expanded to new heights, part of a decades-long trend of putting more and more people behind bars. Miller was perhaps the most influential voice in Trumps ear on immigration, including on Trumps infamous family separation policy and his ban on immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries. And he has been clear about his plans for Trumps next term in office. Rather than simply trying to block immigrants and asylum seekers from entering the country in the first place, as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is trying to do with his militarized Operation Lone Star, Miller envisions a detain-and-remove strategy, as he told Charlie Kirk last September. Such a strategy would involve local, state and federal law enforcement, as well as the U.S. military, he said, including deputized National Guard soldiers. You would need to switch to indiscriminate, or large-scale, enforcement activities involving, basically, going into any place where theres known congregations of illegals and holding everybody on sight, determining whos there illegally, and then taking people who are there illegally into federal detention, he said on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show in November. The detention facilities Miller envisions would be massive. Hes described them as large-scale staging grounds near the border, most likely in Texas, and an extremely large holding area that could hold upwards of 50, 60, 70 thousand illegal aliens. The camps would have constantly operating runways, Miller said separately in November, with a packed schedule of lights probably military aircraft, some existing DHS assets shipping deportees around the world. White House senior adviser Stephen Miller watches as President Donald Trump tours a section of the southern border wall, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Otay Mesa, Calif. via Associated Press Miller isnt the only one thinking about this. Former Trump officials told NBC News in July that the mass deportation effort would likely involve the Pentagon, which would be asked to participate in either setting up detention camps or relocating migrants to foreign military bases. The Interior Department would be asked to provide federal land for deportation sites, the report added, describing interviews with the former officials. The Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services would also be involved, according to the report the latter because its the government agency that currently deals with unaccompanied children. Like Watching Schindlers List Trump has not denied or distanced himself from any of this. Shortly after he praised Eisenhowers massive deportation operation to Time, Trump said he would use the National Guard to round up people and if they werent able to, then Id use the military. Without naming him, Trump also embraced Millers theory that undocumented people are actually enemy invaders, and therefore fair game to be deported by the military. And, pressed by his interviewer on the need to build new migrant detention camps, the former president dodged the question before saying, I would not rule out anything. Its possible that well do it to an extent but we shouldnt have to do very much of it, because were going to be moving them out as soon as we get to it, Trump said. On this point that massive camps wont be necessary, because the deportations will happen very quickly Miller and others with experience in the Department of Homeland Security disagree. If a deportation team goes to a particular house and arrests an illegal alien family so, say, a mother, a father, and four children theres not just a plane on a tarmac thats 10 minutes away ready to take them, Miller told Kirk. Rather, Miller said, you need to then build massive staging facilities to hold people until theyre shipped out of the country. Other Homeland Security veterans agree with that assessment, even if theyre less giddy about it. The nightmare becomes obvious, Thomas Warrick, a former DHS deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism policy, wrote in The Hill Thursday. A second Trump administration could detain hundreds of thousands of people, but it does not have the ability or the capacity to move them out of the country as fast as ICE, the National Guard and local law enforcement can bring them in. Expect to see families behind barbed wire in overcrowded camps, desperate U.S.-citizen children looking for missing immigrant parents, and U.S. citizens swept up in immigration raids. To get a sense of what future deportees might find in these camps, just look to historic conditions in immigration detention particularly at processing centers near the border, where migrants are sent after being arrested by Border Patrol. In this March 27, 2019, file photo, Central American migrants wait for food in a pen erected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in El Paso, Texas. via Associated Press In 2019, during a period of more frequent migration, the government erected tent cities to detain new arrivals. Conditions were poor. At one point, government lawyers argued that the administration wasnt required to provide soap to children. Squalid living arrangements and dangerous overcrowding were common. At an El Paso Border Patrol facility, border agents told government investigators that some of the detainees had been held in standing-room-only conditions for days or weeks. Separately, investigators observed detainees standing on toilets to make room and gain breathing space. Multiple children died after being detained while entering the United States, including several who died from the flu. The way they were treated in the facilities was horrific, horrific. Total medical neglect, the medical director of a non-governmental migrant shelter near the border told HuffPost recently, recounting people they treated whod passed through the processing centers in late 2018 and 2019. It was like watching Schindlers List. America Moves Right Perhaps most troubling to activists and advocates concerned with migrants rights is the rightward shift both parties have taken on the border in recent years. After all, former President Barack Obama removed more people from the country in each of his two terms than Trump did in his one term, earning himself the nickname deporter-in-chief. There are some caveats to that statistic, though. For one thing, Trump dramatically reduced legal immigration. For another, the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the number of people arriving at the border, both because fewer people made the trip to the United States and because Trump cited the pandemic to invoke a rule called Title 42, which allowed Border Patrol agents to turn away even those seeking asylum. The Trump administration also created the so-called Remain in Mexico policy formally called the Migrant Protection Protocols to force certain migrants seeking asylum to await their court dates south of the border, frequently in dangerous and unsanitary conditions. Trump has said he would pursue this policy again as president. President Joe Biden has opened legal pathways for migrants seeking to enter the United States, and the overall number of border crossings during this presidency has been much higher than during the Trump administration though Biden has also removed far more people from the country than Trump did. Biden has also recently dramatically limited asylum rights at the border echoing some of the Trump administrations legal strategies by placing new restrictions on the ability to pursue asylum that are triggered on the number of unauthorized crossings per day. The policy prevents countless asylum seekers from exercising their right to seek safe haven in the United States, an ongoing lawsuit from immigrant rights groups alleges. Since Biden implemented that asylum cap, the Kino Border Initiative, a migrant aid program with locations in the United States and Mexico, has received hundreds of would-be asylum seekers at its Mexican clinic who were turned around and expelled back into Mexico at the U.S. border. For the last eight years or so, we have been consistently with different policies blocking peoples access to asylum, Pedro De Velasco, the groups director of education and advocacy, said of U.S. authorities. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, has played up her experience as a border state prosecutor in campaign ads, a sign shes likely to continue Bidens more restrictive border stances. And, like Biden, she supported a bipartisan border bill that would have expanded some legal immigration pathways while also limiting asylum rights. Still, theres little doubt that a return to Trump would shift U.S. immigration and border policy even further to the right. Project 2025, an ideological handbook for a second Trump term authored by scores of former Trump administration officials though technically not part of the GOP candidates campaign platform offers hints at what could be to come. On top of laying out plans to severely limit legal migration, the Project 2025 playbook offers several steps to weaken the protections offered by sanctuary cities, which, broadly defined, limit local police departments ability to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Those sanctuary policies are a major reason Trump wasnt able to deport as many people as Obama. Project 2025 calls for a nationwide detention standard that allow[s] the flexibility to use large numbers of temporary facilities such as tents. It also reiterates a goal of Trumps first term ending the Flores Settlement Agreement, a 1997 consent decree that places limitations on the detention of migrant children. Put together, the overlapping arrest, imprisonment and deportation operation imagined for a second Trump term would, like Miller has said, be a historic feat of logistics and, potentially, a new frontier in cruelty. And there appears to be plenty of other plans being developed behind the scenes. Russ Vought, who was director of the Office of Management and Budget during Trumps presidency, was a key co-author of Project 2025. He was also policy director of the Republican National Conventions platform committee. And hes in line for a high-ranking post if Trump wins a second term. He recently told undercover reporters that he was working on about 350 different documents full of plans for the next administration including on mass deportations. You may say, OK, all right, DHS, we want to have the largest deportation, Vought said in a secretly recorded meeting. What are your actual memos that a secretary sends out to do it? Like, theres an executive order, regulations, secretarial memos. Those are the types of things that need to be thought through so youre not having to scramble or do that later on. The plans wont be public, Vought said but rather, very, very close hold. JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) Theres more trouble for Jacksons Thalia Mara Hall. The city has 10 days to present a plan to fix 22 fire code violations at the facility. In early August, the city was forced to close the facility after early microbial activity was discovered following a recent malfunction with the HVAC controller in the facility. Jackson leaders address efforts to repair Thalia Mara Hall Mississippi Commissioner of Insurance and State Fire Marshal Mike Chaney asked fire inspectors to conduct an inspection of Thalia Mara Hall on Tuesday, September 10. This comes after the State Fire Marshals Office received a complaint on Monday, September 9 in reference to safety issues. I had a lot of complaints just from citizens in the Jackson area, Chaney stated. The report showed in addition to mold growing in the facility, human waste was found on the balcony of Thalia Mara Hall. Homeless people may have been there and used the place for living quarters, maybe had defecated on the balcony, said Chaney. Some fire extinguishers at Thalia Mara Hall are not up to date, and its been almost 20 years since some of them have been replaced. Chaney said Jacksons building code inspectors should have replaced some of the extinguishers years ago. Jackson arts leaders frustrated with Thalia Mara Hall closure If the city does not submit a plan, Chaney said things are going to get serious. If they do not give us a plan, we will red tag the building. And when we do that, it requires us to be with anyone that enters the building. And we could sanction the city with code violations, and they can be fined. I dont think well ever go that far, he said. Chaney is hopeful that the city will give their plan of remediation. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 WJTV. An engineer inspects the container ship Dali in April, after it slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Photo courtesy National Transportation Safety Board. A new report says a loose wire in the container ship Dali could have triggered the blackout that caused the crew to lose control of the ship and sent it careening into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the early morning hours of March 26. The report Wednesday from the National Transportation Safety Board details of series of examinations and tests of Dali systems by a team of engineers over the course of the month of April, when the ship was still pinned under the wreckage of the bridge. The team which included engineers from the NTSB, from the ships operators and from Hyundai Heavy Industries, which built the ship, among others determined that the loosely connected cable could create an open circuit that would trigger blackout. When they tested their theory by disconnecting the cable, all equipment powered by the Low Voltage (440V) Switchboard, including operating lights throughout the vessel, immediately lost power, which only came back on after about 10 seconds. The Dali was leaving the Port of Baltimore early on March 26 when it suddenly lost power as it was approaching the Key Bridge, which crosses over the shipping channel into and out of the port. Instead of passing under the bridge, the drifting, 984-foot Dali slammed, fully loaded, into one of the bridges piers. The crash caused the center span of the bridge to collapse in a matter of seconds, killing six of the eight members of a road crew that were working on bridge repairs at the time and sending tons of debris onto the ship and into the Patapsco River below. Besides cutting an important route for more than 30,000 commuters, and for truckers looking to bypass the center of the city, the debris also clogged the Patapsco River, blocking shipping traffic in and out. It closed the Port of Baltimore for months, throwing thousands of workers off the job and hitting businesses in the region that rely on the port. It took more than two months for the coordinated efforts of state and federal agencies, and private contractors, to remove more than 50,000 tons of debris from the Patapsco and reopen shipping lanes to Baltimore. The Dali left in late June and headed for Norfolk, where hit was to undergo further repairs. While the port was reopened after just two months, state and federal officials expect it will take years to replace the Key Bridge. But the state last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to Nebraska-based Kiewit Infrastructure, which could begin construction by next spring, around the one-year anniversary of the crash. Plans for the replacement bridge are still being developed, but state officials have said it will be higher, and its center span wider, than the old bridge, to allow for even larger container ships that are expected in the future. Bridge replacement is expected to ultimately cost as much as $1.7 billion. In the hours after the crash, President Joe Biden pledged that the federal government would pick up 100% of the cost of the project, and bills have been introduced in Congress to do just that. But those bills have been stuck in committed so far. Many migrants who were living in Iran are refugees, having being deported back to Afghanistan - MOHSEN KARIMI/AFP Iran is to deport two million Afghan migrants in six months, in one of the largest expulsion programmes in recent history, according to Ahmad-Reza Radan, head of Irans national police. Police have already begun violently detaining migrants and dumping them back across the border of the Taliban-ruled country. Shops in one province have been ordered not to sell food to Afghans, while videos have gone viral of an Afghan George Floyd having his neck knelt on by police officers. According to the UN, around 4.5 million Afghans live in Iran, with many having fled the country since the takeover of the Taliban in 2021. In order to prevent more migrants entering the country, Tehran is also building a 13ft-tall wall along a stretch of the 900-km-long border with Afghanistan. A sign in a bakery in Iran reading: By order of the honourable judge: Selling bread to non-nationals is forbidden before adding that any bakeries committing such an offence will be dealt with according to the law. It also gives teh address and telephone number of the bakeries union. Afghans who had worked in the security forces of the US-backed government told the Telegraph they were terrified of being sent back. It follows the return of at least 600,000 Afghan refugees from Pakistan since Islamabad launched a crackdown on illegal migrants in October last year. Mr Radan, referring to Afghan nationals, said: We are working to deport a significant number of unauthorised foreign nationals whose presence in the country is illegal. Iran has been grappling with an economic crisis driven by Western sanctions and the mismanagement of the Islamic regime. There are reports of brutal and violent treatment of Afghan migrants by Iranian police - X Eskandar Momeni, Irans interior minister, said this week: Afghans are cultivated people, but our country cannot receive so many migrants. We plan to handle these matters in an orderly fashion and without much fuss, he said, referring to the deportations. Our priority lies with irregular migrants. Around 625,000 Afghan migrants left Iran in 2023, according to the Danish Refugee Council. The drastic increase in deportations promised by authorities appears to be linked to Masoud Pezeshkians (the new president) pledge to secure the border with Afghanistan during the election campaign. In one widely-shared video taken last month, a group of police officers can be seen arresting a teenager, with one officer pressing his knee on the Afghans neck. Women protest the officers actions as the boy is handcuffed, lifted off the ground and shoved into an unmarked car. The migrant, who was later released, has been nicknamed the Afghan George Floyd, with social media users widely circulating remarks made by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, following George Floyds killing by US police. The Ayatollah said, A police officer pressed his knee on the neck of a black man until he died, while other officers watched and did nothing, this is not something new, it is the nature of America. In another video, police officers take turns hitting an Afghan who leans against the boot of their patrol vehicle. . pic.twitter.com/8MGo2ktR6U Azizullah Sanjar (@AzizullahSanjar) July 26, 2024 In some areas, Afghans face severe restrictions: they are banned from buying groceries, renting homes and visiting certain areas. Thousands have had their phone sim cards blocked, while goods are also sold to Afghans at higher prices than to Iranians. Local prosecutors in southern Kerman province have even prohibited bakeries from selling bread to Afghan nationals. Afghans speaking to The Telegraph have reported being beaten and humiliated by both Iranian police and ordinary Iranians. My son went out to buy bread, and we didnt hear from him for over a week, then he called us from Afghanistan, said Mr Rahmatullah, an Afghan migrant living in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz. His 13-year-old son was arrested at a bakery and deported to Afghanistan after spending four days in a refugee camp. We couldnt go to the police to search for him during those days, as we feared they would arrest us too, he said. A week later, his cousin from Afghanistans western Herat province called to say that Mr Rahmatullahs son was with him. According to witnesses, Iran is sending tens of thousands of migrants back to Afghanistan, despite threats of famine - HOSHANG HASIMI/AFP Mr Rahmatullah, 46, was a high-ranking police officer under the US-backed government before the Talibans return and joined thousands who fled. I cannot return to Afghanistan and life here is too difficult we cannot even go out to buy bread without facing harassment from Iranians, he said. My cousin will send my son back to Iran. Another Afghan national, living in a city near Tehran for the past two decades, said that the anti-Afghan attitude has never been so intense. We have legal documents, yet we still cannot go anywhere some ordinary Iranians sometimes even spit on us for no reason, life has become difficult, he said. There are signs outside parks that say Afghans and dogs are not allowed to enter they claim were taking their jobs but no Iranian would do the hard labour that Afghans would do, he added. Water rights of the Helmand River Taliban officials believe that the deportations are linked to a dispute over the water rights of the Helmand River between the two countries. Iran relies on this water for farmland irrigation in its southeastern regions and has accused the Taliban of restricting the supply by constructing dams. We all know the real issue is the water, everything else is just an excuse, an official from the Talibans interior ministry told The Telegraph from Kabul. They want more water, and were not giving it to them, thats it, he said. The previous government was giving them more water than Iran was entitled to. There have been discussions with the Iranians to halt the return of Afghans, as the Mujahideen are already struggling to feed millions of impoverished people, he explained. Adding this challenge would make the situation even more difficult, he said. Even amid the deportation programme, Afghans continue to hire smugglers to transport them into Iran so they can escape the hardships of life under the Taliban. A Taliban fighter stands guard at the Islam Qala border between Iran and Afghanistan - HOSHANG HASHIMI/AFP While many Afghans remain in Iran and send money back to their families in Afghanistan, some attempt to reach Europe via Turkey. Samad, who works with smugglers in Herat province, collects Afghans arriving in the city to transport them to the border, earning a commission for each person he sends. The number of people fleeing the country is overwhelming, they include children and the elderly, all trying to go and send a piece of bread back home, he said. They are desperate and extremely poor, leaving because if they stay, their families will starve, he added. Upon reaching Nimroz province, which borders Iran, Afghan smugglers hand over their charges to their Iranian counterparts. Another route goes through Pakistan. Many will be held hostage, not being allowed to go out to find work, until their families pay the smugglers, who charge up to one hundred million rials (150) a months wage in Iran. Either war kills Afghans or hunger does, Samad said. Thats our destiny. 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. Iran says it is open to talks but rejects pressure as US, EU impose sanctions Iran's top nuclear negotiator Araqchi talks to journalists after meeting senior officials from the United States, Russia, China, Britain, Germany and France in a hotel in Vienna DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister said that Tehran was open to diplomacy to solve disputes but not "threats and pressure", state media reported on Saturday, after the U.S. and three European powers imposed sanctions against the country's aviation sector. Abbas Araqchi's comments come a day after The European Union's chief diplomat said the bloc is considering new sanctions targeting Iran's aviation sector, in reaction to reports Tehran supplied Russia with ballistic missiles in its war against Ukraine. "Iran continues on its own path with strength, although we have always been open to talks to resolve disputes ... but dialogue should be based on mutual respect, not on threats and pressure," Araqchi said, according to the official news agency IRNA. Araqchi said on Wednesday that Tehran had not delivered any ballistic missiles to Russia and sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and three European powers would not solve any problems between them. The United States, Germany, Britain and France on Tuesday imposed new sanctions on Iran, including measures against its national airline Iran Air. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom, Editing by Louise Heavens) Multiple insiders secured a larger position in Brightstar Resources Limited (ASX:BTR) shares over the last 12 months. This is reassuring as this suggests that insiders have increased optimism about the company's prospects. While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. Check out our latest analysis for Brightstar Resources Brightstar Resources Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by insider Jack Yetiv for AU$2.0m worth of shares, at about AU$0.011 per share. Even though the purchase was made at a significantly lower price than the recent price (AU$0.019), we still think insider buying is a positive. While it does suggest insiders consider the stock undervalued at lower prices, this transaction doesn't tell us much about what they think of current prices. In the last twelve months Brightstar Resources insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! Brightstar Resources is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find small cap companies at attractive valuations, this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Does Brightstar Resources Boast High Insider Ownership? Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Brightstar Resources insiders own 16% of the company, worth about AU$18m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About Brightstar Resources Insiders? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Brightstar Resources shares in the last quarter. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders do have a stake in Brightstar Resources and their transactions don't cause us concern. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Brightstar Resources. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 5 warning signs for Brightstar Resources (of which 3 don't sit too well with us!) you should know about. Story continues Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. 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. Russia is getting more missiles from Iran, but claims about their accuracy may be way off. A recent Iranian attack highlighted what are likely to be deep flaws with ballistic missiles. Missile accuracy may not be high on Russia's priority list. Russia is restocking its ballistic missile arsenal with help from Iran, but there's good reason to believe that these 200 or so short-range missiles Iran is widely believed to have delivered are not nearly as accurate as Tehran claims. Iran recently transferred Fath-360 close-range ballistic missiles to Russia, weapons that can blast fortified positions or cities near the frontlines and which could strain Ukraine's air defenses. Iran claims the Fath-360 is accurate to about 100 feet of a target, but a recent Iranian attack highlighted deep flaws with its missile claims. "Russia needs all the shorter range firepower that it can get, and despite the technical failings of Iranian missiles, the Russian war in Ukraine is not about precision, it is about brute force," Nicholas Heras, senior director of strategy and innovation at the New Lines Institute, told BI. Reports of the Fath-360 delivery via the Caspian Sea came barely a week after the Associated Press reviewed a new expert report on Iran's April missile attack on Israel that raised serious questions about the accuracy of Iranian missiles. The report found that the liquid-fueled Emad missiles that Iran fired at an Israeli F-35I air base missed by a wide margin. Iran claimed the Emad could hit within 50 meters of a target, but the experts concluded the weapons had a 0.75-mile circular error probable, a measure of the distance from the aim-point in which 50% of missiles will land. That's 40 times less accurate than Iran claimed. "Russia wants this missile system in order to reduce stress on its own stocks of mobile short-range ballistic missiles, most notably for systems such as Iskander," Matthew Orr, Eurasia Analyst at the risk intelligence company RANE, told Business Insider. An Israeli soldier examines part of an Iranian ballistic missile fired at Israel during Iran's direct attack in April. OREN ZIV/AFP via Getty Images These latest reports follow a Reuters exclusive in early August that Russian military personnel were receiving training in Iran on the Fath-360. While the Emad, derived from the Shahab-3 family of Iranian missiles, is from a different class than the Fath-360, such accuracy issues could tarnish the usefulness of Moscow's newest imports. Russia already acquired KN-23 ballistic missiles from North Korea. However, their use against Ukraine early this year raised serious questions about their accuracy. On the other hand, the short range of the Fath-360 (75 miles) may indicate that Russia simply wants these missiles to augment its firepower in its depleting war of attrition against Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine. "Russia is likely not concerned with the wide target deviation circular error because many of Russia's own munitions have similar issues and because Russia has targets for which it is less concerned with such deviation," RANE's Orr said. "The short range of this system suggests that Russia likely intends to use these systems against Ukrainian front-line forces and their supporting infrastructure, pushing the system launchers into greater danger than some of its own launchers for longer-range systems," he added. "Thus, they will supplement Russia's glide bomb campaign and further complicate the work of Ukrainian anti-air forces near the front line." Consequently, while these close-range ballistic missiles could contribute to some Russian tactical victories, they are certainly no game-changers. "It seems dubious that several hundred of these munitions could have a significant impact on the war," Orr said. The Iranian missiles are further justification for why Ukraine needs relaxed rules on its use of ATACMS missiles and other strike weapons like the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, a cruise missile launched from an aircraft, Orr said. That step, Orr concluded, "could have a significant impact on the war by increasing the costs of the war for Russia." Heras from the New Lines Institute similarly believes that Russia isn't overly picky about its imports. "The Russians want to overwhelm and bludgeon Ukrainian forces, which are already facing manpower shortfalls," Heras said. "It is not the type of missile that Iran is giving to Russia that matters, it is the deepening of the Iranian-Russian military alliance that is the big story here." "The Russian war in Ukraine advances Iran's goal to build a great power alliance with Russia." Read the original article on Business Insider Iraqi oil minister stable after surgery in US, official says Iraq's oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani speaks during a press conference at Iraq's Majnoon oil field near Basra BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani is in stable condition after receiving emergency heart surgery during an official visit to the United States, an oil ministry official who is part of the Iraqi delegation said on Saturday. Abdel-Ghani arrived in the U.S. earlier this week on a trip aimed at courting U.S. companies to invest in Iraqs energy sector. The oil ministry official told Reuters he fell ill and was rushed to hospital during the trip and underwent heart catheterization surgery. "Hes out from the operating theatre and is in a stable condition," the official said. Abdel-Ghani and other oil ministry officials could not immediately be reached for comment. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed, Writing Timour Azhari, Editing by Louise Heavens) U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday a raid which resulted in the death of 14 ISIS terror operatives in Western Iraq. Of the 14 operatives, four were ISIS leaders: Ahmad Hamid Husayn Abd-al-Jalil al-Ithawi, Abu Hammam, Abu-Ali al-Tunisi, and Shakir Abud Ahmad al-Issawi. US, IRAQ TEAM UP TO KILL 15 ISIS OPERATIVES IN EARLY MORNING RAID, US MILITARY SAYS The raid occurred on August 29 and was conducted in partnership with Iraqi Security Forces. According to CENTCOM, the responsibilities of the four ISIS leaders who were killed involved military and technical operations in Iraq. A masked Islamic State soldier poses holding the ISIS flag in 2015. "This operation targeted ISIS leaders and served to disrupt and degrade ISIS ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond," read CENTCOM's statement. 3 YEARS AFTER US WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN, ISRAEL LOOKS TO LESSONS LEARNED FROM WAR ON TERROR ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, "is a Salafi-jihadist group that has conducted and inspired terrorist attacks worldwide, resulting in thousands killed or injured" according to the Department of National Intelligence. Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, commanding general of U.S. Central Command, addresses the attendees during Army Day on Camp Buehring, Kuwait, May 19, 2023. Army day is an opportunity for U.S. Army Soldiers to showcase their capabilities to senior military and civilian leaders during the conference. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Original article source: ISIS leaders killed in Western Iraq in joint raid with Iraqi Security Forces: CENTCOM Salvini has repeatedly used attacks against illegal immigration to boost his political capital (GABRIEL BOUYS) (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/AFP) Italian prosecutors requested on Saturday a six-year prison sentence for Matteo Salvini, Italy's far-right deputy prime minister, for blocking migrants from disembarking at one of the country's ports in 2019. Salvini, a partner in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition, is on trial for alleged deprivation of liberty and abuse of office for keeping 147 migrants at sea for weeks on a ship run by the Open Arms charity. "The prosecution has asked for former interior minister Salvini to be sentenced to six years," Open Arms' lawyer Arturo Salerni told AFP, as the "long and difficult trial" nears an end. A verdict in the trial, which began in October 2021, could come next month, he said. Salvini would be free to appeal any decision. Salvini was not present, but wrote on Facebook: "Six years in prison for having blocked arrivals and defended Italy and Italians? Madness. Defending Italy is not a crime." Meloni also criticised the prosecutors. "It is incredible that a minister of the Italian Republic risks 6 years in prison for doing his job defending the nation's borders, as required by the mandate received from its citizens," the prime minister wrote on X. In summing up, prosecutor Geri Ferrara told the Palermo court in Sicily that there was "one key principle that is not debatable". "Between human rights and the protection of state sovereignty, it is human rights that must prevail in our fortunately democratic system," he said. The ship was stuck at sea for nearly three weeks before the migrants were finally allowed to disembark on the island of Lampedusa following a court order. Members of Open Arms have testified that the migrants' physical and mental well-being reached a crisis point as sanitary conditions onboard became dire, including a scabies outbreak. - 'Chaos' - Salvini, head of the anti-immigration League party and interior minister at the time, testified in January that he had understood that "the situation was not at risk" onboard the ship. "The POS (safe port) should have been provided immediately and without delay," prosecutor Marzia Sabella said Saturday, according to Italian media reports. "Refusing to do so was breaking the rules, not being in line with a government plan," and Salvini's "choices" had given rise to "chaos", she said. A populist known for an "Italians first" policy, Salvini has repeatedly used attacks against illegal immigration to boost his political capital. In 2019, serving under prime minister Giuseppe Conte, he implemented a "closed ports" policy under which Italy refused entry to charity ships that rescue migrants stranded while crossing the Mediterranean. He cast it as a tough measure against traffickers who operate boats between North Africa and Italy and Malta, the deadliest migrant crossing in the world. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, also known for her anti-immigrant politics, offered Salvini a message of support on Saturday night, alleging he was the target of "judicial harassment aimed at silencing him". Salvini thanked her and promised not to "give in". Much of the trial has been focused on determining whether the decision-making and responsibility in the case lay with the Conte government or Salvini alone. Salvini has previously faced a similar trial, accused of refusing to allow 116 migrants to disembark from an Italian coastguard boat in July 2019. But it was thrown out by a court in Catania in 2021. bur-ide/smw/mca ROME (Reuters) - An Italian prosecutor on Saturday asked a judge to sentence right-wing League leader Matteo Salvini to six years in prison over his 2019 decision to prevent more than 100 migrants from landing in the country. The then interior minister, who is currently serving as deputy prime minister and transport minister in Giorgia Meloni's government, has been charged with kidnapping and is awaiting sentencing following his decision that left the migrants stranded at sea. Prosecutors had then ordered the seizure of their ship and the evacuation of the people on board. On Saturday, the prosecutor asked for Salvini's imprisonment at a hearing in the Sicilian capital of Palermo. The final decision rests with a senior judge at the end of a three-stage judicial process. A definitive conviction could bar Salvini from holding government office. "I would do it all again: defending borders from illegal immigrants is not a crime," Salvini said in a post on X on Saturday. During his 14 months as interior minister, Salvini stopped several boats from docking in Italy in an effort to halt migrant flows. He regularly accused migrant rescue charities of effectively encouraging people smuggling. Salvini's League is part of Meloni's centre-right government. "It is unbelievable that a minister of the Italian Republic risks six years in prison for doing his job of defending the nation's borders, as required by the mandate received from the citizens," Meloni said in a post on X. "Turning the duty to protect Italy's borders from illegal immigration into a crime is a very serious precedent. My full solidarity," she added. Meloni, who rose to power in 2022, has vowed to clamp down on unauthorised arrivals from North Africa with harsher immigration laws, restrictions on sea rescue charities and plans to build migrant reception camps in Albania. At the same time, she has opened the door to hundreds of thousands of migrants to work in Italy legally in an effort to plug labour gaps in the country, and stop migrant smugglers. Interior ministry data show the number of irregular migrants reaching Italy by sea so far in 2024 is around two third lower than in the same period last year, at 44,675 people. (Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; editing by Clelia Oziel) A source close to Dame Carolyn said the TV boss felt leading the Industrial Strategy Council would be too time-consuming - Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg The boss of ITV has turned down the chance to lead the Governments Industrial Strategy Council in another blow to Labours pro-business credentials. Dame Carolyn McCall, who was also the former chief executive of easyJet and the Guardian, was approached by the Department for Business and Trade with a view to taking up the role. However, she is understood to have declined the opportunity amid concerns about time commitments. A source close to Dame Carolyn said the TV boss felt it would be too time-consuming and entail significant lobbying from bosses in other industries. They added: If youre a FTSE CEO, thats a big commitment. Dame Carolyns decision represents another blow to Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who are already struggling to appoint an investment minister. The setback comes just weeks before a crucial international summit on Oct 14 designed to show Britain is open for business. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is also struggling to appoint an investment minister - Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, who runs Global Counsel alongside Labour peer Lord Mandelson, was the Chancellors first choice for the investment role, but turned it down for financial reasons. Mr Reynolds has said the Industrial Strategy Council will be a key government advisory body underpinned by statute, enabling it to withstand the winds of political change. However, it is thought the councils statutory footing means the role requires a minimum commitment of two days a month. In addition to her role at ITV, Dame Carolyn already holds non-executive positions at fund manager Bridgepoint and is a trustee at the Royal Academy of Arts. Dame Carolyn has previously held roles on government bodies, including the previous governments Levelling Up Advisory Council led by former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane. However, these have previously required lower time commitments. It is thought that the Industrial Strategy Council will form a key pillar of Labours mission to boost economic growth. The Kings Speech claimed Labour would forge a new partnership with both business and working people and prioritise wealth creation for all communities. The Industrial Strategy Council would have an objective to see rising living standards in all nations and regions in the United Kingdom, with four missions including delivering clean power by 2030 and building a more resilient economy. A spokesman for ITV declined to comment. The Department for Business and Trade was approached 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. Javion Magee Was Found Dead Against A Tree With Rope Around His Neck In Rural NC: What We Know So Far A devastated family in Chicago is demanding answers after their loved one was found dead on Wednesday in a rural area in Henderson, North Carolina against a tree and he had rope around his neck. The family, according to ABC 11, is going from Chicago to North Carolina to demand information on the death of the 21-year-old truck driver, Javion Magee. As the news station reported, Magee was found leaning with his back up against a tree and a rope around his neck. What police have said so far Although police havent yet provided much details, Vance County Sheriff Curtis R. Brame is refuting some of the information circulating on the internet. I understand theres over 1,000 hits on TikTok (accusing) the sheriffs office of not being transparent, not providing information to the family and that is not true, Brame said, per ABC 11. Theres been information put out there that theres a lynching in Vance County. There is not a lynching in Vance County. The young man was not dangling from a tree. He was not swinging from a tree. The rope was wrapped around his neck. It was not a noose. There was not a knot in the rope, so therefore, it was not a lynching here in Vance County. While Magees body is sent to the medical examiner for an autopsy, Brame said there are no signs of foul play. According to the sheriff, Magee died shortly after he went to a nearby Walmart. Information will be available to the family as soon as the autopsy report is available, Brame added. According to CBS 17, deputies said they responded to a call at 285 Vanco Mill Road on Wednesday and found the 21-year-old in a seated position with a rope wrapped around his neck and the other end of the rope attached to a tree. The Aurora, Illinois native was found outside of a fenced-in area located near a tractor repair business and a church, the sheriffs office added. As WRAL reported, Brame said evidence shows MaGee purchased a rope from a Walmart, where he had stopped for a delivery before his death, but MaGees family is skeptical of that information. A search warrant in the case lays out the timeline of MaGees last hours, as captured on surveillance cameras. The sheriffs office used GPS from MaGees delivery truck to track his movements before his death. Their report continues, At 4:20 p.m. on Sept. 10, he was seen on surveillance cameras at the Walmart purchasing the rope that was found with his body. Two hours later, he was later seen going into and out of a Hampton Inn on Ruin Creek Road in Henderson. Surveillance cameras at the hotel show he arrived at 6:28 p.m. and left at 6:36 p.m. Surveillance cameras in the area where his body was found show MaGee pull up in his truck and walk toward the direction of the tree where his body was found the next day around 10 a.m. In response to the discourse happening on social media, Mike Waters, the district attorney for multiple North Carolina counties including Vance, told the Raleigh News & Observer, I feel at this point this investigation has been conducted the same way any other suspicious death investigation would be, and they are doing all that they can do. The News & Observer reported that his cell phone information will be reviewed by officials and his truck searched as the investigation continues. Civil rights attorneys are representing the family Civil rights attorneys Harry Daniels and Lee Merritt, along with North Carolina attorney Jason Keith, are now representing the family as they search for answers. According to a statement from the familys spokesperson, per CBS 17, said that authorities told them that they couldnt view the body and a video posted by a family member on social media went viral overnight. As of today, the authorities havent shown us anything proving that this young man with no history of mental illness took his own life, Daniels added, per CBS 17. How can the police expect us to take their word for it when they wont even let this family view the body? Civil rights leader Bishop William Barber II is also urging for officers to provide information. We must have truth and transparency in this matter. Hanging is not a form of death that can be easily dismissed, particularly here in the South where it has been used as a weapon of terror against Black families for generations, Barber said, per CBS 17. I join attorneys Daniels and Merritt as they seek truth and justice for Javion McGee and his family. The NC NAACP has also made a statement Per WFMY, the North Carolina NAACP has stated the following: The death of Javion Magee is a heartbreaking event that requires the utmost attention from all levels of law enforcement. We demand a comprehensive and transparent investigation to uncover the truth behind this tragedy. As a community, we cannot rest until we have clear answers. The NAACP will stand with the Magee family and will continue to push for justice in this matter, ensuring that every aspect of this case is investigated with the seriousness it deserves. Magees death has gone viral on TikTok Several TikToks and X (formerly known as Twitter posts), including those referenced by Brame, have gone viral after focusing on everything from news reporting to speculation about what happened to Magee. 2024 AND WE STILL HAVE CRAP LIKE THIS HAPPENING!? NO, THIS NEEDS TO BE EVERYWHERE. THERE'S ALWAYS CAMS FOR EVERYTHING ELSE, SHOW THE PROOF IF THERES NO FOULPLAY! #JavionMagee #whatsthetruth #hangingin2024 pic.twitter.com/k1UXGoJ2Tf The Zenovybe Stream (@TheZenovybe) September 13, 2024 #JavionMagee's family is entitled to answers to what happened to Javion. We know from experience that nothing good comes from them withholding information and stonewalling the family. @hendersonNCgov we need answers. NOW. https://t.co/b1ZHZApC0D pic.twitter.com/atStTEn2Oe OverwhelminglySickOfThisShit (@imsickoftheshit) September 13, 2024 One TikTok user, @scottieprimpin, identifies herself as Magees cousin and posted a TikTok that has now gone viral in which she asks for help. The family is questioning what authorities are saying Candice Matthews, a civil rights activist and state chair for the Texas Democratic Black Caucus who is the spokesperson for Magees family, said via The TRiiBe: How can you say that it was a suicide? We have not even had autopsy report. We havent had a full investigation. Now that all of this is out and were amplifying the issue, now, all of a sudden, the sheriff has put out a statement and isnt saying that it is a suicide. Now hes saying if anyone knows anything to reach out to Crime Stoppers hotline. Were not going to play this game, sir. Matthews also noted that Magee did not have a recorded history of mental health struggles. So what would make this man hang himself? she said. And how he was hung, it was no way that he could have done that himself. Per the TRiiBE, Matthews says that the family is calling for transparency and wants government officials to investigate it as a hate crime. We demand the Department of Justice to come in and investigate this. We demand the FBI to come in and investigate this as a hate crime, she said. This is a developing story with more details to come; if you know anything about Javion Magees death, call the Vance County Sheriffs Office at 252-738-2200 or the Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers at 252-492-1925. JD Vance heading back to Wisconsin Wednesday for campaign stop in Eau Claire Republican vice presidential nominee, Senator JD Vance, holds a press conference on crime and safety in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is heading back to Wisconsin on Wednesday for a campaign stop in Eau Claire. It will be Vance's second stop in Eau Claire and fifth trip to the state since former President Donald Trump tapped him to be his running mate in July during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Vance spoke to reporters in Eau Claire just a few miles away from a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz in early August, headed to Milwaukee for an Aug. 16 visit with a small crowd of law enforcement and reporters at the Milwaukee police union, criticized Democrats handling of public safety during an Aug. 20 stop in Kenosha, and talked about the economy at an Aug. 28 visit to De Pere. Vance is expected to focus on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border during Wednesday's event in Wisconsin, which is scheduled to be held at 4:30 p.m. at the Eau Claire Event Center. Vance has joked about his repeat trips to the battleground state, saying, "I basically live in Wisconsin now." Despite his frequent travel to Wisconsin, this week's Marquette University Law School poll found Vance is viewed favorably by 37% of voters and unfavorably by 47%, with 16% having no opinion. In that same poll, 43% of Wisconsin voters viewed Walz favorably and 37% viewed him unfavorably, with 19% saying they haven't heard enough or didn't know. Walz campaigned in Wausau on Friday and is scheduled to hold a rally in Superior on Saturday. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: JD Vance returning to Wisconsin Wednesday to Eau Claire campaign stop A new viral video shared by Republican vice-presidential nominee and Ohio Sen. JD Vance is continuing to fuel rumors about migrants abducting and eating pets in the state. However, this time it says it's happening in Dayton, about 30 miles from Springfield, the epicenter of recent unproven claims that allege Haitian immigrants are killing pets. The video was posted on X Saturday morning by Christopher F. Rufo, a prominent conservative activist who initiated the adversarial movement against critical race theory. The video shows what seems to be skinned animals on top of a small charcoal grill in the yard of a home. A couple of live cats could also be seen roaming the yard around the grill. The post quickly gained traction on the social media platform, amassing over 33,000 likes and and 15,000 retweets as of Saturday afternoon. Two of those retweets were from Vance who along with other Republican influencers, spread rumors earlier this week about Haitian migrants in Springfield eating pets and Donald Trump Jr. "Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks should be ashamed of themselves. Another 'debunked' story that turned out to have merit," Vance posted. In the caption of Rufo's post, he claims the video is proof of migrants eating cats in Ohio. EXCLUSIVE: We have discovered that migrants are, in fact, eating cats in Ohio. We have verified, with multiple witnesses and visual cross-references, that African migrants in Dayton, the next city over from Springfield, barbecued these cats last summer.https://t.co/8QveTJy4Vp pic.twitter.com/PxuJQ7fJc9 Christopher F. Rufo (@realchrisrufo) September 14, 2024 "We have discovered that migrants are, in fact, eating cats in Ohio," the caption reads. "We have verified, with multiple witnesses and visual cross-references, that African migrants in Dayton, the next city over from Springfield, barbecued these cats last summer." However, Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims said in a statement Saturday afternoon that he refutes the rumors of Dayton's immigrant and refugee population eating pets and called the claims "baseless." "This claim is totally false and dangerously irresponsible of politicians aiming to sow division and fear. There has been absolutely zero reports of this type of activity and spreading such misinformation undermines our status as a welcoming city," Mims said in his statement. "The city of Dayton stands by its immigrant and refugee community and we value all of their contributions to our city's vibrant culture and economy. We will remain committed to creating an inclusive environment for all Dayton residents." Vice presidential candidate and Ohio Sen. JD Vance shared a viral X post from Christopher F. Rufo, who claims a video shows migrants in Dayton cooking cats on a grill. City of Dayton officials have come out and refuted the claims in the post. Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal also released a statement Saturday afternoon, saying the department "strongly refutes the irresponsible information being put out on social media or other avenues about our immigrant community." "We stand by our immigrant community and there is no evidence to even remotely suggest that any group, including our immigrant community, is engaged in eating pets," Afzal said in the statement. "Seeing politicians or other individuals use outlandish information to appeal to their constituents is disheartening." Dayton police and city officials did not immediately respond to requests for further comment. Dayton is the second Ohio city to be at the center of pet-eating rumors. Earlier this week, rumors about Springfield, a town of about 58,000, and its growing Haitian population have dominated the internet and national news. The rumors alleged that Haitian migrants in Springfield were abducting and eating pets, as well as waterfowl from local parks. Those rumors rapidly spread on social media and were even mentioned by former President Donald Trump during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday. Co-owner of Champion City Cuts, Rufus Humphrey, left, and Joe Ruck, right, talk about the influx of Haitians into the community, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. The business is in the strip mall on the west side of the city, they say is known as Little Haiti. Fact check: Ohio woman accused of eating cat is from Canton, not from Springfield "In Springfield, they are eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there," Trump said during the debate. However, Springfield police and city officials and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources all said there is no evidence of pets, ducks or geese being eaten. "In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community," Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck said in a previous statement. Despite city officials debunking the rumors, Rufo said in a post Wednesday that he is offering a monetary reward to anyone that can provide him with evidence of migrants eating cats in Springfield. "I will provide a $5,000 bounty to anyone who can provide my team with hard, verifiable evidence that Haitian migrants are eating cats in Springfield, Ohio. Deadline is Sunday. Go." Rufo said in the post, which has about 23,000 likes and 3,300 retweets as of Saturday afternoon. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Dayton officials debunk rumors of migrants grilling, eating pets Even if it's not a huge purchase, we think it was good to see that Stephan Nanninga, the Independent Member of Supervisory Board of Cabka N.V. (AMS:CABKA) recently shelled out 46k to buy stock, at 3.08 per share. Although the purchase is not a big one, increasing their shareholding by only 3.1%, it can be interpreted as a good sign. See our latest analysis for Cabka Cabka Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Notably, that recent purchase by Independent Member of Supervisory Board Stephan Nanninga was not the only time they bought Cabka shares this year. They previously made an even bigger purchase of 57k worth of shares at a price of 5.34 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being 3.04). While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. Cabka insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. They paid about 3.83 on average. This is nice to see since it implies that insiders might see value around current prices. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of undervalued small cap companies that insiders are buying. Does Cabka Boast High Insider Ownership? Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Cabka insiders own 53% of the company, currently worth about 40m based on the recent share price. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About Cabka Insiders? It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. But on the other hand, the company made a loss during the last year, which makes us a little cautious. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Cabka insiders are well aligned, and quite possibly think the share price is too low. That's what I like to see! So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. To that end, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Cabka (including 1 which doesn't sit too well with us). Story continues If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. 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. Jones County student arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot up school, police say A female Jones County student was arrested Thursday after allegedly threatening to shoot up a school, police said. The 15-year-old threatened to shoot up Jones County High School if a boy rejected her, the Jones County Sheriffs Office confirmed in an online post. The student was detained and transported to the Macon Regional Youth Detention Center, where she is being held pending a juvenile court hearing. Local police and school resource officers identified the student after spending hours Thursday night investigating and interviewing other students, police added. Authorities said they received multiple reports of school threats this week but determined that they were not credible to the countys schools. The Jones County Sheriffs Office said it takes any threat to school safety seriously and will thoroughly investigate. We hope that students will realize school shootings are not something to joke about or take lightly. Parents, please talk with your children about the seriousness of making threats and spreading rumors online, the office said in a social media post. The incident follows a wave of online rumors circulating across Middle Georgia school districts and the Apalachee shooting in Barrow County. Josh Harder vs. Kevin Lincoln for Congress: What to know about this close California race Nonpartisan election analysts are tracking the race for Stocktons congressional district as one that could be close on November 5. Nonpartisan analysts including The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections and Sabatos Crystal Ball rate that Californias 9th Congressional District will likely, but not definitely, pick incumbent Rep. Josh Harder, D-Tracy, over Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln, a Republican. The 9th Congressional District, which centers around Stockton, holds most of San Joaquin County and reaches from Galt through Manteca. There are more Democrats registered than Republicans. Stay Informed On Election News Sign up here to get our Election 2024 newsletter, with local, state and national political news and analysis sent right to your inbox. Over the last year, The Bee has spoken to analysts across these organizations. Theyve cited national Republican enthusiasm to flip this seat and Lincolns candidacy as an upside for the GOP on this seat. They noted Harders decisive 2022 win and the districts left-leaning makeup favor Democrats. While its rated as likely Democratic, analysts are watching to see whether it will become closer as November approaches. Thats one that I think Republicans are really bullish on, and I can definitely see that becoming more competitive, Erin Covey, a U.S. House analyst and editor at The Cook Political Report, said in an August interview. Ten California House races are on analysts watch lists, including the one for the 9th. California congressional contests will help decide whether Democrats or Republicans control the House of Representatives in 2025. Several of the states races are high priorities for national Democrats and Republicans in November. There are 220 Republicans, 211 Democrats and four vacancies in the House. Three of those empty seats were held by Democrats, one by a Republican. The number for control of the chamber is 218, meaning Democrats need to flip four seats nationwide to win control of the House. Josh Harder Harder, 38, has represented the Central Valley in Congress since 2019. He entered the House by ousting a Republican congressman from a district containing Harders hometown of Turlock. Harder retained his seat in the 2020 election. Following 2020 redistricting, the once-a-decade redrawing of legislative maps based on census data, Harders old district was chopped up. A significant chunk moved into a district with Stockton. When longtime Stockton Rep. Jerry McNerney, a Democrat, said he was not going to run for Congress again, Harder announced he would run in the newly-drawn seat. He won by almost 10 percentage points against San Joaquin County Supervisor Tom Patti, a Republican. Harder worked in venture capital until 2017. He left during his first congressional bid and taught at Modesto Junior College. In Congress, he sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which writes government spending bills. Harder said in an interview that cost of living, water access and reproductive health care were driving constituent conversations. He thinks of his two young daughters when he thinks about the rise of laws restricting abortion access and the overruling of Roe v. Wade. Harder said Roe v. Wades federal protections should be returned. Following the Supreme Courts 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, a person nationwide legally could seek an abortion until the point of fetal viability, which is generally regarded as around 24 weeks of pregnancy. The Supreme Court overturned the near-50-year precedent in 2022. I want my daughters, who will be six-generation residents of San Joaquin County and the Valley, to be able to have a home, Harder said, to be able to have the same way of life thats been passed down generation after generation, and to be able to have the same rights that have been enshrined into our law that are being undermined right now. Kevin Lincoln Lincoln, 43, has been mayor of Stockton since 2021, running for and entering public office for the first time amid the coronavirus pandemic that forced lockdowns throughout the U.S. Cost of living, crime and combating the effects of fentanyl were top-of-mind issues in many of his recent conversations with constituents, he said in an interview. Prior to becoming mayor, Lincoln served in the U.S. Marine Corps and on Marine One during President George W. Bushs administration. After moving back to California to start his family, Lincoln was a district manager for a private security company and an executive administrator for his local church. Lincolns own family has struggled with the effects of addiction, crime and homelessness. He recalled as a teenager a homeless man asking him for money, only to find out the person was his biological father. Lincoln hadnt seen him in a few years. Throughout his childhood, his father had been in and out of jail. There were people in my life here in Stockton that helped me and my mom and my family out in times of need, Lincoln said. And so Id always had a call to service. I always felt the desire to give back where I could. Fundraising Harder has had the fundraising advantage. While campaign finances are far from the only factor in determining an election, cash on hand lets candidates spend more on advertisements, events and other supplies necessary to a campaign. Its also good to reserve money in case of unexpected issues. Campaign funds come from a wide range of sources, including those not specified in the candidates official report, from individual donors, political action committees, other lawmakers and joint-fundraising groups. Harders campaign committee raised almost $730,000 from the beginning of April to end of June, according to the most recent Federal Election Commission reports, which became available in July. He had more than $3.3 million available. Lincolns raised almost $338,000 in the same time period. He reported over $620,000 on hand. Previously, analysts had said that President Joe Biden running for re-election might have had a negative impact on vulnerable Democratic incumbents such as Harder, particularly due to the nationalization of local races and the decline of split-ticket voting, where someone picks candidates for separate offices from a different parties on the same ballot. With Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, Bidens drag is not a factor. Rather, deputy editor of Inside Elections Jacob Rubashkin said in August, Harris ability to keep up the enthusiasm and keep up her ability to win over moderates and Independents is going to be crucial for these downballot candidates. First Judicial District Court Judge Matthew Wilson listens to arguments on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024 in his Santa Fe courtroom. (Photo by Shaun Griswold / Source NM) A ruling is expected later this fall in the trial over a controversial monument in New Mexicos capital city that ended this week. Closing arguments came on Friday morning from the lawyers who represent Union Protectiva de Santa Fe, a historical Spanish colonial group that sued the city after the monuments and others were removed from public spaces. Union Protectiva and lawyers from the city of Santa Fe must turn in written factual findings and legal arguments by Sept. 27, First Judicial District Court Judge Matthew Wilson said. Wilson said he will then issue a written ruling in due time. If Wilson rules in favor of the city of Santa Fe, then the Union Protectiva is likely to ask an appeals court to review the ruling. What follows is a summary of both sides closing arguments this week. State law requires protection of historic sites Kenneth Stalter said the New Mexico Prehistoric and Historic Sites Preservation Act prohibits the city of Santa Fe from spending public money on altering the Plaza, unless theres no alternative. He argued on behalf of his clients with Union Protectiva that the project must include all possible planning to preserve, protect and minimize harm to the site. He said Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webbers June 2020 emergency order counts as an action, and therefore a project, supported by public money under state regulation. He pointed to Webbers testimony that he didnt do any planning before issuing the emergency proclamation, and didnt consult with the State Historic Preservation Office. Stalter said the box placed over the base of the obelisk, the sign attached to the box and the removal of a plaque first installed in 1973 all count as projects because they were paid for with public money. Stanley Harris, the attorney for the Santa Fe City Council, said there is no program or project about the Soldiers Monument requiring use of the historic Plaza or the historic district that surrounds it, because the city government has not made a final decision on the matter. Back to square one Stalter said the citys changes to the obelisk after protesters damaged it counts as a physical and visual element under the State Historic Preservation Office regulation. Hes asking the court to force the city government to repair and restore it back to the way it was before in the Plaza. Harris said the plaintiffs havent proposed an alternative with any basis in sound engineering, telling the judge that Union Protectiva has no idea and has not shown that such repair and restoration is in any way feasible, prudent or even physically possible. Box and sign had no adverse effect on Plaza, city says Stalter said state law includes a definition of an adverse effect as the introduction of physical, audible, visual or atmospheric elements that substantially impair the historic character or significance of the site, or substantially diminish the aesthetic value of the site. He said the testimony and evidence show the Soldiers Monument has been the Plazas central feature since the late 19th century. I dont think anyone would dispute that physical and visual elements have been introduced, Stalter said while displaying to the courtroom two photos of the obelisk before and after its destruction by protesters and alteration by city officials. Harris said whats important is the use itself is the adverse effect on the site, which is not the case here. Theres no testimony or evidence that (the box) was anything except protective, thats what it was doing, he said. It was not a program or project that has an adverse effect on the Plaza. How courts have interpreted the law Harris said the only time New Mexico courts have interpreted the law at issue is called National Trust for Historic Preservation v. City of Albuquerque. Stalter said the ruling in that case allows someone to sue when their use or enjoyment of a historic site is threatened. He pointed to Vigils testimony about how the destruction of the obelisk affected his and his organizations use and enjoyment of the Plaza. Harris said its the plaintiffs burden not the defendants to prove there was an alternative design for the project which wouldnt cause substantially equal damage to the site. He said even if the plaintiffs had proven that, the project can still be legal if the less-damaging alternative is infeasible or imprudent. Stalter said National Trust came up through the courts in a very different procedural history than this case. He said in that case, the city of Albuquerque had participated in the regulatory process with the State Historic Preservation office, where alternatives to the governments proposal were identified and debated. None of that has been done here, Stalter said. What the judge should look at for historical significance Harris said the changes made to the obelisk after its destruction did not affect the Plazas listing on the National Register of Historic Places because the obelisk isnt mentioned in the part of the listing where a federal official called the keeper approves the sites historical significance. He pointed to Kimberly Parkers expert testimony that the reason any property is listed on the National Register is for its significance, and the Soldiers Monument is not part of the significance of the Plaza being listed. Harris said the description part of the form also includes other things like benches, concrete sidewalks and large Cottonwood trees. That doesnt make them part of the Plazas historic significance, he said. Stalter said state law doesnt mention the nomination form, and the National Park Service was using those forms before the New Mexico Legislature passed the law in 1989. If the Legislature had wanted to hang everything on the nomination forms, they very clearly could have used that and state it in this Act, he said. Theyre putting words into this that are not in this section. He pointed to Parkers testimony that even if the nomination is important, the form as a whole, including the description section, identifies the Soldiers Monument. He said the judge isnt constrained to just looking at the forms contents, because theres nothing in state law or regulation saying so. He suggested the judge look at other evidence like expert testimony or the 2005 Cultural Landscape Report. Were not saying just because benches or concrete sidewalks or Cottonwood trees are mentioned, that anything to do with them affects the historic character, Stalter said. What were saying is that defines what the property is evaluate the historic character of these features. Was Union Protectiva harmed? Stalter said under National Trust, an organization has grounds to sue under the state Prehistoric and Historic Sites Preservation Act when it has members who use, enjoy or benefit from the site. That time can never be brought back, he said on behalf of his clients who have lived for more than three years without the monument in place at the Plaza. Harris said plaintiffs dont have standing, but for a different reason: National Trust says standing is denied if the case will undermine the effective functioning of the Act or interfere with its administration. Because theres no violation of the [Prehistoric and Historic Sites Preservation Act], plaintiff cant show an injury or hardship from any action taken by defendants, Harris said. Stalter said asking for enforcement of the law ultimately in no way undermines or interferes with the statute and regulations. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Judge says Ashli Babbitt familys suit over Jan. 6 death must go to trial before end of 2025 A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitts family against the U.S. government must go to trial before the end of 2025, a judge ruled Friday. In a terse order, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said that a multiyear pretrial schedule proposed by Babbitts family and the government in the $30 million suit is unacceptable. The parties are directed to meet and confer on a schedule that puts trial, at the latest, in December 2025, Reyes said. Babbitt was shot and killed by law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack as she attempted to climb through a barricaded door near the House chamber. The shooting was captured on video, and Babbitt has since been portrayed by the political right as a martyr who was unjustly killed. The lawsuit for wrongful death and assault and battery was filed this January by conservative legal group Judicial Watch on behalf of Babbitts estate and her husband, Aaron Babbitt. In court filings Friday, lawyers for Babbitts family and the government jointly proposed a pretrial schedule that would stretch into 2027 before heading to trial around October or November of that year. The parties proposal suggested that discovery would last eight months, beginning in January 2026 with a deadline for completion by Sept. 21 that year. Though they agreed on the timeline, they disagreed on how many discovery requests and depositions should be allowed as part of that process. Babbitts lawyers suggested that 100 interrogatories, 50 fact depositions and unlimited requests for production of documents and admission should be allowed due to the chaos of the scene where Babbitt was killed and the investigation that followed. They contended that scores of rioters and law enforcement officers, plus some House members and staff, were present in the space where Babbitt was shot, and many other witnesses became involved during the aftermath, from paramedics to the officials who investigated the shooting. Plaintiffs requested increases also seek to prevent the use of limits on discovery to shield the facts and avoid or limit liability for the governments singularly most embarrassing event on January 6 the officer shooting and killing of Ashli Babbitt, Babbitts lawyers wrote in the filing. The government instead suggested that 25 interrogatories and 25 fact depositions should be allowed, in addition to 50 requests for admission and 25 requests for the production of documents. The above limitations reflect Defendants view that this case focuses on the shooting of Ashli Babbitt, a circumscribed event confined to a narrow time period, the government wrote. Defendants requested limitations to document discovery also seek to prevent use of this litigation to launch a sweeping inquiry into January 6 that far exceeds the scope of permissible discovery and the claims presented in this lawsuit, their proposal said. Babbitt was one of four people killed in the mob of pro-Trump rioters who stormed the Capitol as the certification of the 2020 presidential election was ongoing, though two of the others died of natural causes and the third died of an accidental overdose, according to The New York Times. Several police officers also died in the days and weeks after the riot. The Babbitt familys lawsuit alleges that U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd was negligent when he fired at Babbitt that day, contending he did not identify as an officer and failed to provide her with any warnings or commands before shooting. The lawsuit also purports Babbitt posed no threat to the safety of anyone. The facts speak truth, the lawsuit reads. Ashli was ambushed when she was shot by Lt. Byrd. An internal investigation by the U.S. Capitol Police found that Byrd acted lawfully and within department policy and would face no discipline. It also determined that Byrds actions had potentially saved members and staff from serious injury and possible death. 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. 'We just ran out of time': Boeing Starliner astronauts on why their spaceship returned to Earth without them When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. NASA astronauts Suni Williams (left) and Butch Wilmore, who flew to the International Space Station on Boeing's Starliner capsule in June 2024, discuss their mission during a press conference from the ISS on Sept. 13. | Credit: NASA Boeing's Starliner capsule might have been able to finish its mission as planned if time had been on its side. Starliner launched June 5 on its first-ever crewed flight, a trial run that sent NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station (ISS). The duo were supposed to live on the orbiting lab for just a week or so, but NASA extended their stay to about three months while studying thruster issues that cropped up during Starliner's rendezvous with the ISS. Ultimately, the agency concluded that bringing Williams and Wilmore home on Starliner was just too risky, so the capsule returned to Earth uncrewed on Sept. 6; its former crew will come home next February on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. But that decision was made under some time pressure, Wilmore said, noting that 12 astronauts are currently living and working on the ISS. Build Boeing's Starliner! Boeing Starliner model from Metal Earth You can build your own Boeing Starliner space capsule with this Metal Earth Boeing CST-100 Starliner 3D Metal Model Kit, available for $10.95 at Amazon. Seven of those 12 are NASA astronauts; the other five work for Russia's space agency, Roscosmos. Six of the Americans, including Williams and Wilmore, have been on the station since June or earlier, presenting a challenge for the NASA ISS team. (The seventh NASA spaceflyer, Don Pettit, arrived at the station with two Russian colleagues on Sept. 11.) "To staff the space station with six [NASA] people we've done it. We've done it well, I think, over the past couple of months. But it's not prepared for that long-term. And so we had to make some decisions on a timeline," Wilmore said during a call with reporters that he and Williams held from the ISS today (Sept. 13). "The timeline came to the point where we had to decide, is Starliner coming back with us or without us?" he added. "And we just did not have enough time to get to the end of that runway where we could say that we were going to come back with it. I think we'd have gotten there, but we just ran out of time." Related: Astronauts would have been fine on Boeing's Starliner during landing, NASA says Wilmore said that he and Williams were involved in the discussions that Boeing and NASA held about the thruster issues and Starliner's homecoming plans. "I was really impressed," Williams said of those meetings. "There were a lot of opinions. There was a lot of data coming in at different times, and a lot of people trying to digest that data and understand it and take it forward." a cone-shaped spacecraft docked to a multi-cylinder space station RELATED STORIES: Boeing Starliner capsule lands back on Earth, without astronauts, to end troubled test flight (video) Boeing Starliner astronauts will return home on a SpaceX Dragon in 2025, NASA confirms Starliner: Boeing's next-generation spaceship for astronauts Williams and Wilmore said that they aren't disappointed to be spending all that extra time in space. Both astronauts stressed that the Starliner mission was a test flight, so some issues were to be expected and dealing with the unexpected is a big part of being a NASA astronaut (as well as a Navy test pilot, which both Williams and Wilmore were as well). The two spaceflyers said they'll miss their families and friends during their extended orbital stay, but both accentuated the positive. Williams, for example, described space as her "happy place." And she highlighted the benefits of getting a different ride back to Earth. "We're excited to fly in two different spacecraft. I mean, we're testers; that's what we do," Williams said. "We wanted to take Starliner to the completion and land it back on land at home. But, you know, you have to turn the page and look at the next opportunity," she added. "We'll come back with some evaluation of both spacecraft, and I think we're pretty fortunate for that." MADISON Vice President Kamala Harris will return to Wisconsin on Friday as part of a swing through "blue wall" battleground states including Pennsylvania and Michigan. The campaign on Saturday confirmed the visit but did not provide any additional details. The Democratic presidential candidate will participate in a "fireside chat" hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia on Tuesday, followed by a "Unite for America" livestream event with Oprah Winfrey in Michigan on Thursday and the Wisconsin event on Friday. The latest swing follows the campaign's "New Way Forward" tour and the only scheduled debate between Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump. The campaign is set to host events "in every media market in every key battleground state in just four days." Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is also scheduled to return to Wisconsin next week, with a Tuesday campaign stop in Eau Claire. It will be the Ohio U.S. senator's second stop in Eau Claire and fifth trip to the state since former Trump tapped him to be his running mate in July during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, campaigned in Wausau on Friday and was to hold a rally in Superior on Saturday. A new Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday showed Harris with a four-point lead over Trump. It also showed Harris leading for the first time among the most enthusiastic voters, while Trump held that advantage when President Joe Biden was still in the race and during the early days of Harris' own campaign. In the poll, Walz was the only name at the top of the ticket including third-party candidates with a net positive favorability rating, meaning more people view him favorably than unfavorably. Harris and Trump both have net negative favorability. Harris' last Wisconsin rally was at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum on Aug. 20, appearing along with Walz during the second night of the Democratic National Convention. Jessie Opoien can be reached at jessie.opoien@jrn.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kamala Harris to make 'blue wall' campaign stop in Wisconsin next week Kamala Harris just gave her first solo interview as the presidential nominee. Heres what we learned Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first solo interview since she was selected as the Democratic nominee for president, pitching herself as a new generation of leadership. In the exclusive interview on Friday, Harris sat down with 6ABC during her campaigning in the swing state of Pennsylvania where she discussed the economy, gun control, and reaching undecided voters. Harris told Action News Brian Taff that she has a plan for bringing down prices for Americans and making life more affordable starting with helping small businesses and first-time homebuyers. When I talk about building an opportunity economy, it is very much with the mind of investing in the ambitions and aspirations and the incredible work ethic of the American people, and creating opportunity for people, for example, to start a small business, she said. So my opportunity economy plan includes giving startups a $50,000 tax deduction to start their small business. It used to be $5,000. Nobody can start a small business with $5,000. Harris gave a solo interview on Friday night in the swing state of Pennsylvania (6abc) Harris also explained her plan to bring back the American Dream by giving first-time homebuyers a $25,000 down payment. Opportunity economy means, look, we dont have enough housing in America. We have a housing supply shortage, and what that means, in particular, for so many younger Americans, the American Dream is elusive, its just actually not attainable, she said. To help people who just want to get their foot in the door, literally, and so giving first-time homebuyers a $25,000 down payment assistance. Fridays interview also touched on a major issue in the election gun control. When asked where she draws the line in America on gun ownership and gun use, Harris insisted that she is not taking anyones guns away, but that there should be a ban on assault weapons and universal background checks. I am a gun owner and Tim Walz, my running mate, is also a gun owner. Were not taking anyones guns away. I support the Second Amendment and I support reasonable gun safety laws, Harris said. I feel very strongly that it is consistent with the Second Amendment and your right to own a gun to also say we need an assault weapons ban. Theyre literally tools of war. Harris continued with one of her solutions: I say we need universal background checks. The majority of NRA members support that. Why? Its just reasonable. You just might want to know. In less than 53 days, Harris will go head-to-head with Donald Trump as Americans cast their votes in the 2024 election. Donald Trump and VP Kamala Harris on the debate stage on Tuesday (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) When asked how she differed from Biden, Harris repeated a line from the debate, saying she is obviously not Joe Biden. She added that she would offer a new generation of leadership. Harris also touched on how she plans to reach undecided voters. I, based on experience, and a lived experience, know in my heart, I know in my soul, I know, that the vast majority of us as Americans have so much more in common than what separates us, she said. Harris then took a swing at Trump, explaining why voters would prefer her over her rival. And I also believe that I am accurate in knowing that most Americans want a leader that brings us together as Americans and not someone who professes to be a leader who is trying to have us point our fingers at each other. Trump posted about Harriss interview on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday morning, writing that it was a world salad, a real mess! (Truth Social) Trump posted about Harriss interview on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday morning, writing that it was a world salad, a real mess! Fresh polls show that Harris has seen a boost among voters, after the candidates faced off in the presidential debate in Philadelphia, the first since Biden stepped down from the Democratic ticket in July. The former president has since said he will not debate her again, claiming he was the winner. Kamala Harris needs Latinos to win these swing states. They say she has more to do ALLENTOWN, Pa. Latino voters in 2020 were part of the Democrats mainstay coalition that catapulted Joe Biden to the White House. But many say they have not heard this year from either major partys presidential candidates. Vice President Kamala Harris has a little more than seven weeks to turn the tide in her favor in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Nevada and Arizona following her abbreviated campaign for president, and to do so she'll need more Latino votes than shes currently getting. Pennsylvania has seen a fast-growing Latino population in the state, where white and blue collar workers are shrinking in key Democratic strongholds like the Lehigh Valley region, which is home to Allentown, the state's third largest city. The same is true of Milwaukee in Wisconsin and Detroit in Michigan. Taken together, these small pockets of voters could be decisive in pushing Harris across the victory line. Latino voters, we crave engagement, said Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, a strong Harris supporter who is Cuban American and was elected the citys first Latino mayor in 2022. There's some amount of attention given to Latino voters but we always appreciate more, Tuerk added. When I talk to the campaign, I'm always pushing hard to say, Hey, better Latino engagement. Better Latino engagement. Yet, more than half of Latino voters nationwide (55%) said they havent been contacted by either Harris or former President Donald Trump, according to a recent UnidosUS poll. Harris' campaign has held fewer events focused on Latino voter outreach, even as it has blasted a $3 million investment into Spanish-language radio ads and started a WhatsApp channel. Especially within the Latino community, those voters on the margins can get often left out of traditional campaigns, said Melissa Morales, president and founder of Somos PAC, a liberal Latino advocacy organization working to turn out first-time and disaffected Latino voters. That happens, Morales said, either because its too expensive or it's too hard to reach them. 2024 Campaign: Why HHS secretary thinks Latino support for Kamala Harris will grow In Pennsylvania, where there are roughly 600,000 Latino voters, 49% said they have not been contacted, according to UnidosUS. Whats more, Latino voters say they want to see better outreach year-round, not just during the run-up to the election. My whole thing here is, how do you pick the people up that's been kicked so long? And how do you get the Latino voters? And how do you make us feel it? said Jose Rivera, 53, a self-described independent of Puerto Rican heritage, who attended a Harris campaign watch party Tuesday in Allentown at the invitation of a friend. Instead of just coming around during the election. Its like, don't knock on my door just because it's election season, he said. You should be knocking on my door to find out what they need. Harris lags with Hispanic voters With roughly 50 days until the election, Harris campaign says its ramping up its outreach to Latino voters. To do so, it is beefing up its staff adding four Hispanic consultants to the campaign on Friday and fanning out top surrogates to key battleground states to drum up Latino support. The campaign laid out its strategy Saturday morning, timed to the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. It includes top surrogates stopping by Saturday night's fight between world champion boxer Canelo Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga and organizing around Mexican Independence Day which is Sept. 16 to host events at churches, celebration events and parades in cities like Phoenix and Raleigh, N.C. The campaign also is bolstering its presence at community and sporting events in the Blue Wall state of Michigan, including a canvass launch and a Hispanic Heritage tailgate at a Detroit Tigers game. Harris is also slated to deliver remarks at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institutes annual conference on Wednesday, where she will speak about her agenda to boost middle-class Latino families. Harris-Walz Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said Hispanic Heritage Month is an important moment for the campaign to leverage efforts to reach out to Latino voters about the stakes of this election, how crucial their vote will be in deciding this race, and defeating Trump and his anti-Latino agenda. Building on our historic efforts to break through and earn the support of Latino voters everywhere, this Hispanic Heritage Month will be a key part of our aggressive campaign efforts to make our case to voters about Vice President Harris, who has spent her entire career fighting for Latino families, and as president, will always focus on the issues that our community cares most deeply about, Chavez Rodriguez said. Ahead of the push, second gentleman Doug Emhoff addressed a Latino voter event hosted by his wifes campaign last Saturday in Allentown. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham spoke at an event on Monday in Woodbridge, Virginia an area with a large Central American population in a state that Trump's team still insists will be competitive but is seen among the Democrats as no longer in play. Chavez Rodriguez, the granddaughter of American labor leader Cesar Chavez, led a virtual call with United Farm Workers over Labor Day weekend. Civil rights icon Dolores Huerta endorsed Harris in Phoenix, Arizona, in July. Of the four total interviews the Democratic presidential candidate has given, one was with a Latino-focused radio station in Arizona. By any metric, though, Harris is playing catch up. President Joe Bidens support among Latino voters had seen a steep drop off before he handed Harris the keys to the campaign. Harris is running 10 points behind 2020 exit polls with Latino voters in a national New York Times/Siena poll. She was winning 55% of the Hispanic vote to Trumps 41%. Four years ago, Biden won 65% of Hispanic voters to Trumps 32%, according to CNNs exit polling. Trump has made steady gains with Hispanic voters, primarily among those without a college degree, a Pew Research study said. Analysts have said Harris will need two-thirds of Latino voters to win. Her biggest opportunity is with voters who have sat out previous election cycles. Harris has room to grow on Bidens margins with new Hispanic voters and those who did not cast a ballot in the last election: Hispanic adults made up 10% of the voting electorate, but accounted for 20% of nonvoting citizens in the last election, Pew said. A separate Pew study found an estimated 36.2 million Hispanics are eligible to vote in 2024 compared with 32.3 million in 2020, an increase of nearly 4 million potential Hispanic voters nationwide. The push to secure Latino votes The Harris campaign is going on offense as Election Day gets closer. Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Nanette Barragan said shes been to Allentown, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Minneapolis to campaign for Harris in the last several weeks. Harris campaign also wants her to visit Reno and Detroit. Harris team has very much increased the requests for members of the Hispanic caucus more so than than the Biden folks had, Barragan, D-Calif., said. They keep asking the members, are you available this weekend? Can you go now? Can you go tomorrow? she said. The same day Harris hit the trail in Pennsylvania on Friday, her campaign launched a new ad to hit the airwaves: an endorsement from Puerto Rican Lehigh Valley host of La Mega Radio, Victor Martinez. The ad will air on TV and radio in Spanish in the Philadelphia, Allentown, and Reading media markets. That ad will also run digitally in Spanish and English. Last month, the campaign launched their first Spanish ad a $775,000 ad buy that played in Spanish stations in Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Overall, the campaign has released four ads targeting Latino voters since Harris became the Democratic candidate. U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and U.S. representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) visit Cocina Adamex in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., August 9, 2024. Harris also held a rally in Phoenix after announcing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate where the two dropped into a Mexican restaurant and met with the owners and some supporters. Earlier this month, the campaign put on a press conference with local elected officials and small business owners in Reno that was intended to bring attention to Harris proposed $50,000 tax break for startups. But the pressure on the Harris campaign is coming down to the wire. In key battlegrounds like Pennsylvania, the Trump campaign believes it can compete for Latino supporters by focusing on their economic anxieties. Trump also secured the endorsement of Puerto Rican reggaeton star Anuel AA a move to appeal to young Latino men, who lean more conservative. I see the problem that we've been facing right now with the economy and everything, and I think he might do better work, said Mario Peralta, an artist in Allentown who supports Trump. The most important issue for me is the cost of life. The new ad by the Harris campaign is an effort to alleviate some of those concerns saying that Harris will take on the companies that are causing high prices. Trump has a long history of anti-immigrant rhetoric and hardline immigration policies as president. On the campaign trail, Trump has warned his base that immigrants are "poisoning the blood" of the nation and has promised a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. But Peralta, a 54-year-old Dominican immigrant who has lived in Allentown for 20 years, said Trumps rhetoric does not concern him. There are borders, and there is law you have to respect, Peralta said. If youre not respecting that, then you should be punished. If you want to come to this country, you should come through the right way. Lujan Grisham, one the highest ranking Latino officials in the country, said Harris is introducing herself to voters highlighting her immigrant background while also contrasting herself with Trumps extreme rhetoric. You have to do both, Lujan Grisham said, adding that Harris needs to make sure that Trump isnt defining her, before adding: People want to know people's personal stories. I want to know who you are. I'm interested in that. Still, Harris' last-minute campaign for the presidency is trying to find ways to make up ground with Latino voters. I hope they do, Lujan Grisham said of zeroing in on Latinos in battleground states. Campaigns wait too long to talk to Hispanic voters. I dont know what it is, every candidate. I don't believe that they are ignoring this strategy. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Kamala Harris needs Latino voters to win the 2024 election WILKES BARRE, Penn. Vice President Kamala Harris said she will cut college degree requirements for certain federal jobs if elected president as the Democratic presidential candidate and her Republican rival woo veters with economic pledges. Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump are in a tight race for the Nov. 5 U.S. elections. Harris has previously said she will aim to pass a middle class tax cut, while Trump has advocated for cutting taxes on overtime pay. Both candidates have supported eliminating taxes on tips. "As president, I will get rid of the unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs to increase jobs for folks without a four-year degree," Harris on Friday in her speech in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. More than 62% of Americans age 25 or older did not hold a bachelor's degree, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau in early 2023. Americans without college degrees made up three out of five voters in 2020. More: Inside Trump's and Harris' starkly different visions for the economy Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris gestures as she speaks during a campaign event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, September 13, 2024. The Democratic presidential candidate said on Friday the U.S. should recognize the value of paths to success beyond a college degree, like apprenticeships and technical programs. A degree does not necessarily indicate a person's skills, Harris said. She added: "And I will challenge the private sector to do the same." A survey by Gallup and Lumina Foundation released earlier this year found that many Americans are skeptical about the value and cost of college. Over half of U.S. adults who have never been enrolled or once were enrolled said the cost of education was a "very important" reason for them to not sign up or return to college. More: Is college worth it? The answer for half of Americans is striking. Harris tells Gaza protesters: 'I am speaking' Harris' speech faced some interruption from protesters opposing U.S. support for Israel's war in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis. Demonstrators have for months demanded an end to the war and restrictions on shipments of weapons to Israel. Harris reiterated her support for a ceasefire and hostage rescue deal. "Now is the time to get a hostage deal and ceasefire," Harris said when interrupted. "I respect your voice, but right now, I am speaking," she added. Harris has pledged support for Israel. Observers have said that if pro-Palestinian Americans including activists as well as Muslims and Arabs, who overwhelmingly voted for the Democrats in the last presidential election, withhold their vote, it may hurt Harris' chances. While those groups are unlikely to tilt toward Trump, some activists have pledged support to third party candidates. More: These Democrats are challenging state legislators who rejected 2020 election results The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered last Oct. 7 when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed enclave has killed over 41,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, while displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations at the World Court that Israel denies. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Harris says she'll cut degree requirements for some federal jobs Kamala Harris, in an interview with Brian Taff of Philadelphias 6abc Action News, re-emphasized many of the points she made in Tuesdays debate and throughout her brief campaign, including her stance on guns. In the 11-minute interview aired by the ABC affiliate on Friday, the Democratic nominee for president spoke about gun control, unity among Americans, and her goal of creating an opportunity economy. Most Americans want a leader who brings us together as Americans and not somehow who professes to be a leader who is trying to have us point fingers at each other, Harris said in response to a question about how she would reach out to Trump voters. I think people are exhausted with that approach. The interviews airing came as Donald Trump visited Harriss home state of California, where he held a news conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, a coastal city about 30 miles south-west of Los Angeles. Later in the day, Trump travelled north for a fundraiser hosted by Tom Siebel, the billionaire cousin of Jennifer Siebel-Newsom, wife of California governor Gavin Newsom. Harris also reiterated that she and Walz are gun owners and believe that they can respect the second amendment while pushing for and implementing long-asked-for policies like a ban on so-called assault weapons and universal background checks on gun purchases. We are not taking anybodys guns away, she said. I feel very strongly that its consistent with the second amendment to say we need an assault weapons ban. Theyre literally tools of war they were literally designed to kill a lot of people quickly. Related: 2024 US presidential polls tracker: Trump v Harris latest national averages Harris also promoted her economic plan, which she says is heavily based on her middle-class upbringing. We have ambitions and aspirations, but not everyone necessarily has access to the resources that help them fuel the aspirations and ambitions, she said. Harris says that if elected, she will expand the child tax credit and offer parents $6,000 for the first year of their childs life, raise the tax break for small businesses from $5,000 to $50,000 and give first-time homebuyers $25,000 in assistance. In Pennsylvania, a state that has received a lot of attention from both candidates, Harris held a rally in Wilkes-Barre, 20 miles from Scranton, Joe Bidens home town. Pennsylvania is a tight race for Harris and Trump, as 538s presidential polling average shows less than a percentage point between the two as of Friday afternoon. Harris also paid a visit to the cafe and bookshop Classic Elements, where she told reporters: I am feeling very good about Pennsylvania, because there are a lot of people in Pennsylvania who deserve to be seen and heard. During Friday evenings rally, Harris was interrupted at least three times by protesters, including people speaking out about the war in Gaza. Harris also announced a new policy that would do away with college degree requirements for some federal jobs. As president, I will get rid of the unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs and increase jobs for folks without a four-year degree, understanding that requiring a certain degree does not necessarily talk about ones skills, she told the crowd. We recently compiled a list of the 20 Worst Performing AI Stocks of Last Week. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) stands against the other AI stocks. US Stocks in September This September saw a sluggish start for most US stocks, and large-cap technology stocks were no exception to this trend. The main driving factors for this development include concerns over the health of the American economy resurfacing, particularly in light of the August jobs report. The report underscored the labor market's weakness in the US, which has not left investors feeling all that secure about the state of the economy. On the stock side, many investor favorites in the artificial intelligence (AI) space have been doing poorly so far in September, with losses ranging from around 4% to even over 20% for the first week of September. The primary reason for this decline seems to be that investors are just not satisfied with the growth demonstrated by major AI companies at present. While growth is definitely present, it's continuing to fall short of investor expectations, which have increased exponentially in light of the hype cycle created around AI stocks. Are We Really In An AI Bubble? The first week of September was actually the worst week for chip stocks recorded in over two years. Many investors are now beginning to wonder whether AI is worth the amount of money being poured into it, resulting in corporate spending on AI coming under greater scrutiny than ever before. The greater scrutiny is predominantly because of investors and analysts now thinking that many AI stocks are overhyped and overvalued and don't have the means to justify this hype and valuation - essentially, the main concern is that we're in an AI bubble that's on the brink of bursting. However, as with any high-tension market situation, there are diverging opinions as well. In his September 6 interview on CNBC's "Closing Bell Overtime," Deepwater Asset Management's managing partner, Gene Munster, emphatically stated that we are not in an AI bubble. For him, the bigger problem in the AI space is that every other company today is trying to talk about AI and say that it's working towards AI incorporation in its operations - something that's leading to a lot of noise in the market, which is drowning out the voices of companies offering real substance in this space. He thus noted that it's important for investors to be careful not to invest in just any company that says it's working with AI and instead to focus on the better, perhaps more boring, options in the market. According to Munster, the main players to keep your money in are predominantly big tech names, as these are the only companies that are poised to deliver substantial growth instead of just generating noise. However, investors are still confused about whether AI is a good place to invest in even today, which is why we've compiled a list of the worst performing AI stocks in September so far and explained whether these stocks are worth picking up or if they're just temporary beneficiaries of the hype around AI. Our Methodology We compiled our list by screening for AI stocks that have seen declines of 10% or above in the first week of September, and then ranked the stocks based on their weekly decline as of Friday, September 6. We have also mentioned the number of hedge funds holding stakes in each stock. 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 close-up of a circuit board with components depicting the intricate electronic componentry products the company produces. Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) Weekly Decline: 19.71% Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 38 Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) is an information technology company based in Toronto, Canada. It provides supply chain solutions to tech firms and has been benefitting immensely from the growing demand for AI-related hardware. The company is a leading provider of connectivity products for data centers and is renowned for its 400G and 800G switches. Like other AI stocks, Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) has seen a shocking decline in the first week of September. As a result, the stock has gotten caught up in a global sell-off of highly appreciated AI stocks, which is making many investors still sticking with Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) consider exiting their positions. Additionally, recent fears surrounding the American economy have also instilled concern among Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) shareholders. Since this company's business is highly cyclical and volatile, considering the fact that its growth is dependent on customer demand, many investors are worried about falling customer demand forecasts and what this may mean for Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS). The only position that might work with this stock is if you buy and hold on to it long-term since only then would you be able to generate a meaningful return on your investment. Otherwise, Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) is not looking too attractive for short-term investors. We saw 38 hedge funds long Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) in the second quarter, with a total stake value of $843.9 million. Overall CLS ranks 2nd on our list of the worst performing AI stocks last week. While we acknowledge the potential of CLS as an investment, we believe that AI stocks hold promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CLS but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Kansas City is seeking proposals from contractors who can complete key portions of a downtown park over Interstate 670 before the city hosts the mens FIFA World Cup soccer tournament in June and July of 2026. The project includes capping the south freeway loop from Wyandotte Street to Grand Boulevard and building a multi-use park on those 5.5 acres. I am excited to review strong and creative proposals reflecting the South Loop Park we all dream of, transforming our downtown and eliminating a long-time barrier to opportunity and community gathering space, Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a Friday news release announcing that proposals are being sought from construction management and general construction firms. A rendering on display at a 2023 meeting on the South Loop project shows how downtown would gain four more blocks of park space if a lid is put over Interstate 670. Proposals are due Oct. 22, and the city intends to give the winning bidder a notice to proceed with the project on Dec.. 13 following City Council approval, according to the 194-page request for proposals. The roughly $200 million project is being financed with federal, state and local tax dollars along with private donations. The freeway trench was dug in the 1960s, separating downtown from the Crossroads area. It is patterned after a similar park in Dallas that is a tourist draw and host community events. KEARNS, Utah (ABC4) A Kearns man was indicted Wednesday by a grand jury after a shooting near the Utah Olympic Oval injured one person during a birthday party. Colby Neil Hawkins, 20, of West Valley City was charged on three counts of felony discharge of a firearm. Hawkins is accused of shooting a man in the face and shoulder. One in custody after gunfight during party at Kearns park According to the charging documents, detectives believe that Hawkins was at one of two parties that took place at Oquirrh Park on Sept. 1, according to Sgt. Aymee Race of Unified Police. Documents state that another male, identified as Carlos Chavez was in the bathroom when Hawkins approached and began socializing with Julian Moreno, a friend of Chavez. Charging documents say the interaction started with jokes and eventually turned into an argument. Thats when Chavez came out of the bathroom asking if there was a problem. Hawkins allegedly pulled out a handgun and shot Chavez twice in the right side of the face and once in the shoulder. When officers arrived and searched the park, they found a key fob to a car, a black Mercedes, which was registered to Hawkins. A magazine of a handgun was found in the same area. Police also received surveillance video from a nearby house which shows a male running by, who can be heard saying he was worried about being jumped. The car that the fob activated matched the description Moreno gave to police. Hawkins allegedly told police he was meeting with a person at the park to give them money he owed. He was arrested and is in Salt Lake County jail. He is due in court on Sept. 17. 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. KENOSHA, Wis. - A dump truck struck a person who was mowing their lawn in Trevor on Friday morning, Sept. 13. The crash happened around 10 a.m. on State Highway 83 near 126th Place. Kenosha County sheriff's deputies and multiple fire departments responded to the scene. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Flight for Life was called to fly the person to a hospital with serious injuries. The sheriff's department said those injuries are not expected to be life-threatening. Flight for Life responds after dump truck strikes person who was mowing lawn in Trevor (Courtesy: Kenosha County Scanner) The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but the sheriff's department suspects a truck equipment malfunction is to blame. The Wisconsin State Patrol will conduct an inspection. We Energies technicians also responded to fix a power line that was damaged as a result of this crash. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is made up of 16 colleges across Kentucky. Its headquarters, above, is in Versailles. (KCTCS photo) Under scrutiny from Republican lawmakers pushing to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in higher education, Kentuckys two-year college system on Friday announced it is launching an internal review. The goal is to make sure that our offices and titles correctly reflect our mission of student success for all students, said Ryan Quarles, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). In an interview with the Kentucky Lantern, Quarles, a former state lawmaker and two-term agriculture commissioner who became the systems president this year, emphasized the diverse student population served by KCTCS which touts itself as the most diverse institution in the state. As KCTCS president, I want to assure our lawmakers and taxpayers and policymakers that we have an environment at our community colleges that is open to anyone and we welcome Kentuckians of all backgrounds and that when we offer support and services and programs that theyre open for every single student, Quarles told the Lantern. The review comes as two Kentucky public universities the University of Kentucky and Northern Kentucky University have closed their diversity offices amid pressure from Republican lawmakers. Two bills targeting DEI in higher education failed to pass the GOP-controlled General Assembly earlier this year, but the anti-DEI efforts are expected to be renewed when the legislature convenes in January. In an announcement released Friday afternoon, KCTCS said its review will begin in coming weeks with the goal of ensuring all programs, offices and goals align with our commitment to success for all students. KCTCS has 16 colleges across the state and serves more than 100,000 students. According to its website, the system has Diversity Peer Team contacts at individual campuses. Quarles said KCTCS delivers education not only on its campuses but also in prisons and addiction recovery centers. He added that more than half of GEDs awarded in Kentucky are awarded through KCTCS. When we talk about diversity, sometimes people tend to focus on race, but at KCTCS, we truly are an open access college for all Kentuckians, he said. When asked if he thought it was appropriate for the General Assembly to take action on DEI in higher education, Quarles said he would defer to current lawmakers on that. Next week, the Interim Joint Committee on Education will hear from five university presidents on DEI programs within their institutions. Morehead State University and Northern Kentucky University have already made their presentations. Quarles said he is scheduled for a November presentation. Quarles said a goal of the review is to ensure consistency across KCTCS and to provide a better awareness of resources available to all students. That means that all of our programs are inclusive, meaning that no programs exclude people, Quarles said. And we also want to make sure that our faculty and staff, who work really hard every day to get students across the finish line, that their titles and offices reflect the fact that they support all students. The students that we serve at our community colleges sometimes need a little extra help, including wraparound services such as mental health support, child care, etc., Quarles said. This is going to give us an opportunity to perhaps uncover some best practices to help all students achieve their college dream. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Kherson resident dies in hospital due to serious injuries suffered in Russian attack The writing on the wall saying "I love Kherson". Stock photo: Anadolu via Getty Images A resident of Kherson was killed in a Russian attack on Saturday; he was seriously injured and later died in hospital. Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast State Administration, on Telegram Quote: "Unfortunately, a resident of Kherson died due to a Russian attack. A man, 60, who was seriously injured this afternoon died in hospital. Doctors did everything possible to save his life." Support UP or become our patron! A Minnesota man convicted last month of shooting and killing a trans woman in the head only moments after she completed a sex act on him was sentenced to over 30 years in jail on Wednesday, local NBC affiliate KARE reported. Damarean Kaylon Bible, 25, was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Savannah Ryan Williams, 38. Her lifeless body was found in a Minneapolis courtyard around 9 a.m. on November 29, 2023, with a single gunshot wound to the head, according to court documents. On Wednesday, Fourth Judicial District Judge Juan Hoyos sentenced Bible to 367 months in prison, with at least two-thirds of that sentence served before he becomes eligible for parole. This senseless act of violence against a Native and Cuban transgender woman has left a family without a daughter, a partner without their person, and a community without the vibrant light that Savannah uniquely brought to every room she was in, Mary Moriarty, Hennepin County Attorney, said at a press conference on Wednesday, KARE reported. Moriarty said prosecutors investigated the case as a hate crime, but did not feel they had the evidence to secure a conviction. The case shocked the local transgender community. Witnesses told police they heard a gunshot at 5:45 a.m. on the day she was murdered in the courtyard where her body was found. They also reported seeing a man walk away from the scene around the same time. Using a photo from the surveillance footage, Bible was identified to police by building management and taken into custody. Police say a subsequent search of his apartment turned up multiple firearms, including a handgun with no serial number and a rifle. Bible at first denied involvement in the killing, but investigators say he confessed after they showed him the surveillance footage. Bible reportedly told investigators he was walking past a bus shelter where Williams was seated when she propositioned him for a sex act. He agreed and the two moved to the courtyard where Williams performed oral sex on Bible. During the act, though, Bible reportedly told police he became suspicious of Williams, and that he shot her in the head from a few inches away immediately after the act had been completed. In a phone call with his parents that was recorded by authorities, Bible also reportedly confessed to the crime, saying he had just murdered someone and he was sorry and knew he was not god but that he had to do it. Despite his confession, Bible went to trial and was convicted by a jury on August 27. On Wednesday, Bible apologized to Williams's family. I completely apologize, Bible said before sentencing, according to Minnesota Public Radio. I feel like I do need to sit down and do some time. BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) Video of the man accused of the King Soopers mass shooting was played in court Friday at the Boulder County Justice Center. Ahmad Alissa was seen talking to forensic psychologists trying to determine his mental state on the day of the shooting. At one point, Alissa said he planned to die the day he killed 10 people at that grocery store in Boulder. Trump promises mass deportations, starting in Aurora Alissa could be seen in that video answering some of the questions. He was also seen fidgeting and looking at the ceiling. A jury is trying to decide if Alissa was sane on the day of the shooting. The steps Ahmad Alissa took in the months, weeks and days before the shooting were detailed in testimony by witnesses. Investigator Sarah Cantu said Alissa had made a number of purchases online to prepare for the shooting. He also spent time researching weapons with various searches by typing in questions like what is the most deadly type of round bullet and where to buy ammo, Cantu said. Pictures of the 10 victims of a mass shooting in a King Soopers grocery store are posted on a cement barrier, April 23, 2021, outside the supermarket Jury to decide whether mass shooter was sane A forensic psychologist who interviewed Alissa, trying to determine his mental state, also testified. Dr. B. Thomas Gray said Alissa had been hearing voices in his head for some time before the shooting. He said it (the voice) was indistinct and that they were just screaming or yelling, and he couldnt discern specific words, Gray said. A key question in this trial is not whether Alissa carried out the shooting, but instead whether he knew right from wrong that day. Several clips of an interview were played in court Friday of Alissa being questioned as to whether he knew what he was doing that day He readily conceded that he knew this behavior was illegal, Gray said. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Alissa rarely looked at his interview as the video played in the courtroom. In the interview, he was wearing a purple sweatshirt and fidgeted most of the time, and he looked up at the ceiling. He answered some of the questions and told the interviewers he knew the shooting could cost his life. At one point Friday afternoon, one of the jurors leaned forward in his chair to see the interview. The forensic psychologist said there was no evidence the voices in Alissas head played a role in the shooting. Alissas defense attorney said at one point he did not know why he was being held in the state hospital and that the voices in his head played a role in the massacre. This trial resumes Monday morning. 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. What to know about the new Shreveport Downtown Development Authority director Former Shreveport Mayor, Cedric Glover has been voted to be the new executive director of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), according to KSLA. Glover was sworn in as the 47th Mayor of Shreveport in 2006 and served until 2014. He was the first black mayor and was voted in with 65 percent of the vote in 2006. Following his service to Shreveport he went on to serve as the Louisiana House Representative for District 4. Glover is a Caddo Magnet High School graduate and attended both Grambling State University and Louisiana State University. He was the regional president for Professional Temporaries USA. The decision to move forward with Glover was made Friday, Sept. 13, during a DDA special meeting. According to KSLA, Glover was one of the top two finalist. The DDA Board voted to hire a national hiring agency to enhance the search for its executive director at its April 24 meeting. In prior reporting, Chairman Michael Corbin of the DDA Board said, ""I think at this point, we're doing our due diligence." A start date has not been set-- the board is awaiting an employee contract. More: Shreveport DDA executive director position narrowed down to two candidates Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Is there a new executive director of the DDA? Here is what we know KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) Some Knoxville firefighters were called to help a kitten that found itself in a hairy situation at Worlds Fair Park on Saturday. Knoxville Fire Department shared about the Operation Kitty Saver rescue at Worlds Fair Park on social media. TDOT: The Dragon remains closed for fire response, may reopen Sunday This feline got into a little jam, so HQ A shift sprang into action to help, Knoxville Fire Department wrote. (Knoxville Fire Department) (Knoxville Fire Department) (Knoxville Fire Department) (Knoxville Fire Department) (Knoxville Fire Department) Chick-fil-A in Hardin Valley set for grand opening Pictures shared by KFD show two A shift crew members working to get the kitten out of the storm drain, and giving the tiny black kitten some well deserved affection. 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 WATE 6 On Your Side. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) A Knoxville man is facing up to 30 years in prison after he was convicted of sexually abusing a child for four years. According to the Knox County District Attorneys Office, Jonathan C. Young, 31, was convicted of rape, sexual battery by an authority figure, and continuous sexual abuse of a child. The DAs office said the judge issued a warrant for Youngs arrest after he failed to appear in court for closing arguments. His sentencing has been scheduled for October 25. Alcoa Police looking for two people who tried to set fire to home During the four-day trial, prosecutors told the jury that on April 12, 2019, a 16-year-old victim went to UT Medical Center to report that they had been raped by Young. Before being examined, the victim left the hospital because their mother repeatedly texted the victim telling them to blame someone other than Young, the DAs office said. The release continued to explain that the victim later went to a sexual assault nurse examiner and DNA was recovered that matched Young. The Knoxville Police Department led the investigation, and during a forensic interview at ChildHelp, the victim disclosed that there had been additional instances of sexual assault committed by young dating back to when the victim was 12. This victim suffered for years, but hopefully, with the verdict in this case, she can find some measure of peace, said DA Allen. Kenneth DeHart case: State to pursue death penalty At sentencing, the DAs office said prosecutors would seek consecutive sentences given the seriousness of the crimes. Continuous rape of a child and rape are Class B felonies that carry a punishment between eight and 12 years, and sexual battery is a Class C felony that carries a sentence between three and six years. If the judge gives the maximum sentence on each count to be served consecutively, Young could be sentenced to 30 years in prison. 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 WATE 6 On Your Side. by Liu Qiyu BEIJING, Sept. 13 (China Economic Net) - Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity", the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) kicked off with fanfare in Beijing on September 12. This years fair sees a strong turnout, with 85 countries and international organizations represented, alongside over 450 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders. The spotlight is firmly on Chinas commitment to collaborating with the world to seize fresh opportunities in a rapidly globalizing economy. Australia Eyes a Leading Role in 2025 Marking its third year at CIFTIS, Australia is already looking ahead to next years event, where it will take center stage as the guest country of honor. Dominic Trindade, Minister (Commercial) at the Australian Embassy in Beijing, revealed that Australia is gearing up for an even bigger presence at CIFTIS 2025. Were not just here for this years eventwere preparing for the next 12 months with a range of initiatives designed to deepen trade in services between Australia and China, Trindade told China Economic Net. He emphasized how vital trade in services has become to strengthening the bilateral relationship, supported by the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement and an increasing number of high-level visits between the two countries. Trindade also pointed out the boost in people-to-people exchanges thanks to Australias inclusion in Chinas visa-waiver program. These interactions will help both nations recover economically and strengthen our ties, he noted. Portugal Welcomes Investment with Open Arms Portugal, with its National Pavilion launched at CIFTIS for the first time, is rolling out red carpet for foreign investment, according to Nuno Lima Leite, Managing Director for China and Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Portuguese Embassy in Beijing. Leite emphasized Portugals openness to investors from around the world, as long as they meet national standards. Our doors are open to all, whether the investment is Chinese, American, or from elsewhere. What matters is that it meets our criteria, said Leite, stressing Portugals reputation as a non-discriminatory destination. With its strategic location in Europe and membership in the European Union, Portugal has long been a magnet for international investment, particularly in renewable energy, infrastructure, and tech sectors. Leite highlighted growing interest from Chinese companies, especially in the energy and automotive industries. He sees CIFTIS as a springboard for even deeper collaboration in key sectors like green energy and digital services. Were looking for partnerships that align with our vision for innovation and sustainable development, he added. Cyprus Highlights Deepening Ties with China For Cyprus, the focus is on solidifying long-standing trade and educational ties with China. Petros Petrou, Commercial Counsellor of the Cyprus Embassy in Beijing, underscored the depth of the relationship between the two nations, noting the strong foundation of regular diplomatic exchanges and expanding trade cooperation. Cyprus has been actively participating in Chinas major trade fairs these years, Petrou said in an interview with China Economic Net. This event is an excellent opportunity for us to showcase a wide range of Cypriot products and services, and weve seen significant growth in our trade with China as a result. CIFTIS Driving Global Economic Growth Since its debut in 2012, CIFTIS has grown into a leading platform for international trade in services, drawing more than 900,000 attendees from 197 countries and regions over the past decade. As the 2024 event gets underway, it continues to be a key force in driving global economic growth. With countries from all over the world fully engaged, CIFTIS underscores the growing importance of service trade in fostering global prosperity and unlocking new investment opportunities worldwide. Chinese Premier Li Qiang returned from his visit to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates on Friday after forging closer ties with both Gulf states. Pledges for closer cooperation included the new energy sector, described by a Chinese analyst as "crucial" to the Middle Eastern economy. Li travelled to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday evening after wrapping up a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia. He met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the capital Abu Dhabi the following day, with both leaders pledging to enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership between their countries. 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. According to a readout from the Chinese foreign ministry, Li called for deeper cooperation in new energy, electric vehicles, high-end manufacturing, biomedicine, digital economy and other fields, and for reinforcing collaboration in investment and traditional sectors like oil and gas. "The two countries should jointly make a forward-looking layout of emerging industries and future industries, and cultivate more new economic growth points," Li was quoted as saying during what was his first visit to the UAE since taking office. His trip came three months after Sheikh Mohamed's state visit to China and meeting with President Xi Jinping, when both sides vowed closer cooperation, including in cutting-edge technologies. Cooperation between China and the UAE, a US ally, has reached unprecedented heights in fields ranging from trade and investment to sensitive technology and defence, despite growing scrutiny from Washington. According to Chinese foreign ministry data, bilateral trade volume reached a record US$50 billion in the first half of this year. Li began his Middle East trip with a visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Wednesday. Li called for closer collaboration in traditional sectors such as petrochemicals and infrastructure construction, while broadening cooperation in emerging fields such as new energy, information and communications, and the digital and green economies. Middle East affairs specialist Wen Shaobiao at the Shanghai International Studies University said that Li's visit was focused on strengthening economic relations with two wealthy Gulf nations. "China hopes that deeper economic cooperation between China and these two Gulf states can catalyse and drive such collaborations between China and the Middle East region," Wen said. Story continues "The expansion of cooperation on electric vehicles (EVs) would capitalise on China's production strengths and expand its burgeoning EV industry chain further into the Middle East." China's leading EV companies such as BYD and Nio have already entered the UAE market. And last year, the UAE set up the world's largest single-site solar power plant - a flagship project under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative. China has a marked trade surplus with the UAE, but growing Chinese investments are narrowing the gap. Last year, China's investments in the UAE increased by more than 16 per cent to US$1.3 billion. This came as the UAE saw investments in China grow by 120 per cent, accounting for 90 per cent of Arab states' investments in the country. The UAE has largely been seen as the first destination in the Middle East for China's new energy market - a booming industry that has been accused of "overcapacity" and targeted for tariffs by the West. Li's trip to Saudi Arabia also touched upon cooperation on new energy, a promising area described by Wen as "crucial" to the regional economy. "Cooperation in new and green energy is crucial, particularly for the sustainable development and energy transition of Middle Eastern countries. China, which leads in the green energy sector with an extensive industry chain, would bring substantial benefits to the region," Wen said. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Xinhua alt=Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo: Xinhua> China has been actively working to strengthen its influence and solidify relationships in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) - made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE - while seeking to secure a foothold through a free-trade agreement that has been in talks for years. Li's trip to Saudi Arabia included a meeting with GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi. According to a Chinese foreign ministry statement, Albudaiwi said he looked forward to reaching an agreement on the China-GCC free trade agreement "as soon as possible". Wen said there were significant motivations for both China and the Gulf countries to conclude the deal. The Gulf nations aim to diversify their economies beyond reliance on fossil fuels, while the free trade deal with China could be an exemplary project to illustrate the high quality of China's belt and road strategy, Wen said. "Given these incentives, it is likely that the trade negotiations will pick up pace soon." Addressing a UAE-China business forum during his visit to Abu Dhabi, Li called on both sides to seize the moment to boost the quality of bilateral trade and economic cooperation. "Companies from both nations should ... capitalise on the robust, mutual commitment to bilateral cooperation by engaging in new opportunities brought by the construction of high-quality [belt and road projects]," Li said. "This will further integrate both countries into the global industrial and supply chains. Additionally, by leveraging the close alignment of bilateral development strategies, businesses can identify potential areas for future collaborations." 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. HONOLULU (KHON2) The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), in collaboration with Generations Magazine, hosted the Senior Citizens Fun Walk on Friday, September 13, at Pearlridge Center Wai Makai. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The event began at 10 a.m. Participants of all ages enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the shopping center, which featured a stimulating scavenger hunt. After the walk, attendees visited an informational fair with various booths before continuing to explore the shopping center. DOE gets grants to expand world language programs Free registration took place at 10 a.m. in the downstairs lobby near Longs Drugs, with the walk starting at 10:30 a.m. While the event was aimed at keeping older adults mentally and physically active, it was open to everyone who wanted to join in and visit the informational booths. The Senior Citizens Fun Walk has been a popular annual event for over 20 years, previously held at locations such as Ala Moana Regional Park and Kakaako Waterfront Park. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news For more details on senior clubs and future events, visit the City and County of Honolulu 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 KHON2. A Kentucky crematorium that was operating without a license has been fined $580,000 for performing nearly 300 illegal cremations, the Kentucky Attorney Generals Office announced on Friday. A Breckinridge Circuit Court judge levied the maximum civil penalty against Cloverport Funeral Home and Kentuckiana Funeral Service, ordering them to pay $2,000 for each of the 290 cremations performed, according to a news release from the attorney generals office and court records. Cloverport is in Western Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Indiana. In January, the AGs office filed a civil lawsuit against Cloverport Funeral Home; its owner, Anthony Oxendine; Kentuckiana Funeral Service, of New Albany, Ind.; and unknown owners of Cloverport Funeral Home, arguing that they were providing cremation services without a license, as is required. Oxendine is the registered agent for Kentuckiana Funeral Service, according to court documents filed by the attorney general. The crematorium has been closed since a temporary restraining order was issued in January, according to the attorney general. The defendants did not respond to the lawsuit, and the judge ruled against them Wednesday, court records show. The attorney generals office said it is continuing litigation against Oxendine. No family should be taken advantage of during their time of grief, Attorney General Russell Coleman said in a news release Friday. In August, the family of one man, Ira Ison, filed suit against Oxendine, along with J.B. Ratterman & Sons and Tony Ratterman, stating that they worked with Ratterman & Sons for cremation of Isons remains last year. Ison died Dec. 5, and the family understood that his body would be cremated in Louisville. Instead, their lawsuit says the body was taken to the Cloverport facility. Afterward, the family says the defendants could not account for the location of the body and could not provide the body or cremains for the purpose of final disposition and funeral and memorial service, the lawsuit states. The cremains have never been recovered or positively identified, according to the suit. Indeed, the cremains that eventually were presented as those of the decedent needed to be taken into possession of the Attorney Generals lab for verification that such were human remains, but the question of the identity of the remains lingers permanently. In its lawsuit against Cloverport Funeral Home, the AGs office says it received concerning information Jan. 2 about Isons cremation and then learned that the crematorium was operating without a license. Oxendine is also the former owner of Spring Valley Funeral & Cremation Services, a New Albany funeral home that has recently been under investigation by the Indiana Attorney Generals Office. The cremated remains of 15 people who died before this year were found during an inspection of the facility June 28, WHAS reported Aug. 21, after the funeral homes license was suspended by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Oxendine, a former Louisville mayoral candidate, told the television station he did not know anything about the investigation. Minutes from a June 28 meeting of the Kentucky Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors indicate that the board voted not to renew Oxendines funeral director and embalmers license, Cloverport Funeral Homes license or the license of Spring Valley Funeral Home, which also has a location in Louisville. Coleman said the AGs Office of Consumer Protection is constantly on the lookout for scams and fraud that target Kentuckians, and he urged people who think they have been scammed or victimized by illegal business practices to reach out. Kyiv initially asked US for ATACMS strikes on Russian air bases but then changed targets Reuters Ukraine initially asked the United States to let it use long-range ATACMS missiles to hit Russian airfields, but now potential targets for Ukraine's long-range strikes include Russian military command centres, fuel and weapons depots and troop concentrations. Source: Reuters, with reference to sources Details: Two European diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Ukraine has given the US and UK a list of potential targets in Russia that could be hit by Western long-range weapons if allowed. The officials say that the Ukrainians initially wanted to use US long-range ATACMS missiles to hit Russian air bases. However, the Pentagon has said that 90% of Russian aircraft that launch glide bombs, one of the main threats to Ukraine, are based at airfields at least 300 kilometres from Ukrainian-controlled territory. This puts them out of range of ATACMS systems. The officials say that Ukraine now wants to use the missiles to strike Russian military command centres, fuel and weapons depots and troop concentrations. In addition to the US-supplied ATACMS, Kyiv wants to strike Russia from afar using UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles and the French SCALP missiles, which are virtually equivalent to the Storm Shadows. Although the UK is expected to seek US approval before lifting the restrictions on Storm Shadow missiles, a French diplomatic source said Paris does not need Washington's permission for Ukraine to use French missiles, the publication said. Reuters writes that while the US and the UK are discussing the possibility of allowing Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike deep into Russia, some US officials are deeply sceptical that this will have a significant impact on Kyiv's fight against Russia. U.S. officials noted that Ukraine already has the capability to strike targets in Russia using drones. The US long-range ATACMS missiles could enhance this capability, but they are too expensive and limited in number to change the dynamic, they said. In addition, the Kremlin has largely removed perhaps the most immediate threat Russian aircraft carrying glide bombs from the range of U.S. missiles, U.S. officials said. They also assumed Kyiv should focus on stopping the Russian offensive on Ukraines east. Background: On 31 August, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov confirmed that during a meeting with senior US officials, he had handed over a list of targets that Kyiv wants to hit with US long-range ATACMS missiles. On 12 September, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin said that allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with Western missiles would mean direct involvement of NATO and European countries in the war in Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies stand at attention during the inspection portion of their graduation ceremony on October 27, 2017. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)) Nearly a month after a tense hour-long hearing at the Hall of Justice to decide the fate of a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department sergeant accused of spreading "rumors and/or gossip, the agency decided this week to demote the woman despite her claims she was attempting to call out misconduct. The punishment for Rosa Gonzalez, now a deputy, came after she shared copies of a 2021 grievance she wrote alleging that department officials had discriminated against women, a person with possible autism and another whistleblower like herself. As The Times previously reported , Gonzalez initially laid out her allegations in a 2022 lawsuit accusing department officials of transferring her to a less desirable position immediately after she filed her grievance. Data shows demotions are not common, and her case has sparked controversy within the ranks of the department. This week Gonzalez told The Times she plans to appeal to the L.A. County Civil Service Commission. My actions in 2021 were made in good faith, she said. The investigation against me was a complete fraud based on reporting LASD management of illegal employment practices and corruption. She framed her case as proof of a need for more oversight of the department, and said punishing her now for three-year-old conduct is barred by statutes of limitations for police discipline. The Sheriffs Department did not offer any comment on this weeks decision, but previously told The Times that it investigates all allegations of misconduct and has policies in place to protect individuals from any form of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and inappropriate conduct. Gonzalez also sued the department in 2015, claiming an alleged deputy gang known as the Banditos was operating out of the East L.A. sheriff's station and had created a culture of misogyny there. She said shed been the victim of sexual harassment and gender discrimination, and that Banditos members had withheld backup on dangerous calls. When she filed a grievance about it, she alleged, the department retaliated by transferring her to a less-desirable station. The county denied her allegations, but in 2019 settled the case for $1 million . In 2021 Gonzalez - by then a sergeant - was assigned to the Personnel Administration Bureau, which deals with hiring, promotions and transfers. While there, she said she noticed troubling practices. In one instance, as she later alleged in her 2022 lawsuit, bureau leaders forced a woman to transfer because they said she was not young. They also allegedly hired an applicant because he was attractive and male and later refused to hire another applicant because he was possibly autistic, the suit says. Gonzalez accused the bureaus leaders of committing time card fraud, misusing donated money and conspiring to allow a rising lieutenant to cheat on a promotional exam. In October 2021, she filed a lengthy grievance accusing the bureaus leaders of illegal hiring practices, retaliation and several other problems. After consulting with her union representative, Gonzalez sent copies of the grievance to the alleged victims shed mentioned in it. Several weeks later, Gonzalez found out she was being investigated by the departments Internal Affairs Bureau. In early 2022, she filed her lawsuit accusing the department of retaliating against her for raising concerns. Captain Yvonne OBrien who was in charge of the personnel bureau at the time previously declined to comment, citing pending litigation. Former Sgt. Carmen Arballo, who was OBriens number two at the time and has since retired, pointed out that the department deemed the allegations Gonzalez raised in her grievance to be unfounded. Earlier this year, the department sent Gonzalez a letter announcing its intent to demote her because shed spread rumors and/or gossip when she shared her grievance containing personal information and factors not related to unfair hiring practices. She was accused of violating some of the same equity policies those banned harassment based on sex, age and disabilities that shed originally accused her superiors of flouting. Gonzalez pushed back, arguing her case at last months hearing. This week the department informed her of the outcome in a five-page letter, and Gonzalez said she has since be reassigned to work the overnight shift at the sheriffs station in Cerritos. To Vince Miller, the attorney representing Gonzalez in her 2022 lawsuit, which remains pending, its a troubling development. Its going to send a chilling message to other whistleblowers, he told The Times. Part of why theyre doing this to her is because they know how widely respected she is and I think this is a message to all whistleblowers that this is whats going to happen if you speak up. 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. The Countryside Alliance said Nottingham City Council should not be siding with animal rights fanatics - Historic England Archive/Heritage Images/Getty Images A Labour-run local authority has announced a ban on non-vegan food and drink in meetings. Nottingham City Council announced this week that it will only serve plant-based food and drink at internal meetings from the end of September. The councils decision followed lobbying by Plant-Based Councils, an offshoot of Animal Rising the animal rights protest group which is itself an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion. The activist group claims that councils have a duty to lead the way in normalising plant-based food, which it says is necessary to tackle the climate emergency. The councils decision followed lobbying by Plant-Based Councils, an offshoot of Animal Rising - Orlando Britain/Alamy Stock Photo Nottingham City Councils decision means cows milk will no longer be served with tea and coffee, and biscuits made using milk, butter or chocolate will not be offered. Cllr Andrew Rule, an independent opposition councillor, said that the decision had been steamrollered through and that councillors had not been given the chance to vote on the matter. It is not something I support, I have to say, he said. I think it goes against freedom of choice, if Im honest. Ive never been particularly agreeable with people forcing their viewpoint on others and not offering a choice. Ive seen no formal consultative documents in relation to it and theres been no vote at full council. It very much appears to have been steamrollered through. Activists had claimed that failing to ban food and drink from internal meetings would make it harder for the authority to meet its target of net zero carbon emissions by 2028. In a written question calling on the council to impose the change, Ruby Mucenieks, a local supporter of Plant-Based Councils, said: The science is clear that meat and dairy are major contributors to the climate and ecological emergencies. Absolutely the wrong approach But Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external policy for the Countryside Alliance, criticised the move as absolutely the wrong approach. Nottingham City Council should be sourcing its produce from local farmers and growers, not siding with animal rights fanatics, he said. This attempt at grandstanding represents an attack on freedom of choice and the custodians of our countryside who work incredibly hard to produce sustainable food for the nation, while protecting and enhancing our countryside. This decision presents challenging questions for the wider Labour Party and I hope the government distances itself from this appalling move against our livestock farming community. Cllr Sam Lux, the local authoritys executive member for carbon reduction, leisure and culture, told a full council meeting that non-vegan food and drink would be banned because of the high-carbon impact of meat and dairy products. Our internal catering budget these days is actually really small given the financial constraints that we are faced with, she said. So its largely just teas and coffees and light refreshments. But I am really happy to say that after discussing with officers at the end of last week, I can confirm now that from Monday 30 September, we will only have plant-based internal catering. So this will include plant-based milks, biscuits and other foods, and we will also plan a week of promotion of dairy milk alternatives in October for staff to try plant-based milk in their drinks from the coffee bar at Loxley [House, one of the councils offices], substituting for all drinks unless specifically requested otherwise. This obviously is to encourage our employees to try these alternatives and to actually increase their uptake. In July, Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council in West Yorkshire committed to introduce completely plant-based catering and Dacorum Borough Council in Hertfordshire pledged to introduce vegetarian internal catering by next year. Nottingham City Council was approached 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. Who is Laura Loomer? What to know about the 9/11 conspiracy theorist in Donald Trump's circle WASHINGTON Far-right media figure Laura Loomer has long been a bomb-thrower in conservative media circles. Now she has the ear of former President Donald Trump, who repeated a conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants eating dogs and cats in Ohio during his first debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, which was widely mocked online. She also has a history of pushing the falsehood that 9/11 was an ''inside job," and has peddled racist comments this past week about Harris' Indian heritage. These viral moments have sparked concerns among GOP operatives that Trumps relationship with Loomer may impact his ability to appeal to the moderates necessary to win the presidential election in November. It also sparked internal feuds, turning key members of his cohort against each other. Heres what you need to know about the far-right provocateur spending time with Trump on the campaign trail. Laura Loomer addresses the crowd of voters as they wait to cast their votes and maybe a glimpse of President Trump as he arrives at the early voting polling station located at The Palm Beach County Library on Summit Blvd. in West Palm Beach. How she got her start Loomer first grabbed headlines a decade ago as a college student at Barry University in Miami, when she told far-right website Gateway Pundit that an imam was coming to a memorial on campus for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. She was later suspended after she filmed a video of her asking the university to let her start a pro-ISIS student group that Project Veritas picked up. She also worked with Project Veritas founder James OKeefe for years afterward. Loomer quickly became a social media influencer in right-wing circles, where she repeated Islamophobic claims and other conspiracy theories. She has called herself a proud Islamophobe and called Islam a cancer on society. In 2017, she left Project Veritas and joined far-right Canadian media outlet Rebel Media. Her media credentials were revoked in 2018 when she confronted the widow and domestic violence survivor of the Pulse nightclub shooter, who was on trial for aiding her former husband. She was acquitted of all charges. Loomer was banned from Twitter in 2018 for violating its rules against hate speech, though her account was reinstated when Elon Musk purchased the platform now known as X. An unsuccessful political career Loomer has run for Congress in Florida twice. In 2019, she ran for Floridas 21st Congressional District, a Democratic seat also home to Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel defeated her by 20 points. In 2022, she ran for a different congressional seat against Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., on a platform of severely limiting immigration. Webster defeated her in the primary by seven points. Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump reacts at a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 13, 2024. She has supported Trump since he started his political career and actively opposed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis challenge against him in the presidential primary. Trump has called her amazing. Laura Loomer's history with a 9/11 conspiracy theory Loomer has called the 9/11 attacks an ''inside job'', a false claim about that suggests the American government was behind the attacked that killed 2,996 people. That history with baseless 9/11 conspiracy theories raised eyebrows when Loomer traveled with Trump this week to the 9/11 memorial ceremony at Ground Zero. Laura Loomer doubles down on racist joke about Kamala Harris Despite criticism from prominent leaders in the GOP, Loomer has stuck with her racist joke about Harris. You have no idea how many people have messaged me and told me they support me and that they thought what I said about Kamala Harris was funny," she said on X. "People like people who say things they are thinking but are too scared to say out loud themselves." What Trump says about Loomer Trump was asked repeatedly about his relationship with Loomer during a press conference on Friday. I dont control Laura, he said. Laura has to say what she wants. Shes a free spirit. He said she has been a supporter of mine, and when pressed on whether he knew about her conspiracy theories, Trump said: I dont know much about it. But in a later Truth Social post, he wrote: I disagree with the statements she made but, like the many millions of people who support me, she is tired of watching the Radical Left Marxists and Fascists violently attack and smear me. Loomers spat with MTG A few days before the presidential debate, Loomer posted on X, formerly Twitter, with a series of racist remarks about Harris Indian ancestry, including saying that if she won, the White House will smell like curry & White House speeches will be facilitated via a call center. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., another staunch supporter and confidant of Trumps, replied, calling it appalling and extremely racist. It does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA. This does not represent President Trump. This type of behavior should not be tolerated ever. It kicked off a torrent of attacks from Loomer against Greene, including bringing up Greenes own former conspiracy theories and calling her a raging anti-semite. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Laura Loomer? Far-right activist has the ear of Donald Trump WASHINGTON Members of Congress are on edge about the possibility of more violence in this years presidential election, less than four years after a mob of Donald Trump supporters ransacked the U.S. Capitol seeking to prevent the certification of President Joe Bidens win in the 2020 contest. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are anticipating that Trump, who faces felony charges for working to overturn the results of the last election, will again sow chaos and challenge the election results if he loses to Vice President Kamala Harris. If for some reason he were to lose, he will contest the validity of the election, just like he did last time, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) told HuffPost this week, warning that the former president is liable to invent a reason to do so. If he were to lose particularly if he were to lose by a small margin of course, he will contest it... and there could well be disruption if that were the case, Romney said. Im worried about another January 6 scenario because former President Trump is acting like he did when he lost the last time, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said. I mean, you dont have to be a mind reader to know what their game plan is theyre saying the silent part out loud. Trumps lies about voter fraud in the last election incited the violent Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, where more than 140 police officers sustained injuries while defending the building. Five people died after the riot, and the attack on Congress caused about $2.7 billion in damages, according to the Government Accountability Office. This time around, Trump and his Republican allies are attempting to stir fears about noncitizen voting, something that is illegal and rarely happens. The former president has refused to commit to accepting Novembers election results, and last month, he told supporters the only way he can lose is if the Democrats cheat. Earlier this week, Trump reprised his lies about the stolen 2020 election during a debate with Harris in Philadelphia. No, I dont acknowledge that at all, the GOP presidential nominee said when asked if he was finally admitting that he lost the White House race four years ago. Trump has also threatened jail time for his opponents if he wins the presidency again. WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED in 2020 or 2024 will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences, he wrote last week on his platform Truth Social. Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. The chances of another violent Jan. 6-like event occurring at the Capitol this time around seem smaller. The federal government this week took steps to increase security in Washington ahead of and on Jan. 6, 2025, the date of the next electoral certification in Congress, designating the vote counting a National Special Security Event. Itll also be more difficult for members of Congress to successfully challenge any states electoral vote and force a lengthy debate on the Senate floor. The Electoral Count Reform Act, passed in 2022, raised the threshold to lodge an objection to electors to at least one-fifth of members of both the House and the Senate. (In 2021, the support of only one senator was required to lodge an objection to electors.) My hope is that that critically needed update to the Electoral Count Act will make another January 6 unlikely, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), an author of the bill, told HuffPost. Sen. Chris Muphy (D-Conn.), meanwhile, said the reforms to the process make it harder to use the Senate or the House as a mechanism to promote a conspiracy theory, but it doesnt eliminate that threat, and it certainly doesnt eliminate the prospect of violence if Trump tries to rally a mob again. Some Republicans could try and challenge the electoral vote in the event of a Trump loss anyway, despite the higher threshold required to lodge an objection. Asked if he could see himself objecting to the electoral vote again, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who is one of eight GOP senators who challenged the 2020 election results, told HuffPost: Not unless theres widespread voter fraud. He said his objection to Pennsylvanias electors was based on voting changes in that election. I hope we would not see anything like that again, ever, Hawley said. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who also challenged the 2020 election results, declined to answer when asked if he would do so again, calling the question a hypothetical. I hope Trump wins by a landslide so there wont be any issues, Scott said. Asked what he would do if there were issues with the coming election, the senator responded: I hope not. Its not good for the country. More than 30 House members, including half a dozen Republicans, have signed a bipartisan pledge to uphold the results of the 2024 election, according to Politico. None of the six Republicans who signed the pledge, however, objected to the results last time. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who objected to the 2020 electoral vote alongside 138 other Republicans when he served in the House, refused to commit to upholding the results of the 2024 election in an interview on CNN. Its hard to say what youre going to do and what youre not, Mullin said. Im not going to sit here and tell you what Im going to do and not going to do until I can see the results. Related... Lawrence County Sheriff warns citizens to turn around, dont drown in severe flooding LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) The Lawrence County Sheriffs Office is warning residents to use caution when experiencing flooding Saturday. Lawrence County Sheriff Max Sanders asked citizens to exercise extreme caution when roads are flooded. Chief Deputy Brian Covington told News 19 around 7 a.m., the department got a call about two people trapped inside a home on Main Street in Moulton due to severe flooding. LCSO said the Swift Water Rescue team worked with the local fire department and local police to get the residents out. Around 7:39 a.m., the department said the residents were rescued and no one was injured. The department also posted that Highway 24 West at intersection 168 was completely underwater. News 19 Meteorologist Aaron Ayers went to Moulton to see high water impacts from constant rainfall. Sheriff Sanders said to turn around, dont drown. 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. Lawsuit against former 19 Kids and Counting star claims he lied about having contractors license BENTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) A former reality TV star is accused in a lawsuit of pretending to have a contractors license and not doing work on a Benton County mans home. The lawsuit was filed on September 10 by Fayetteville attorney Andrew Myers against Madison Holding and Jason Duggar. Duggar is Jim Bob and Michelle Duggars son and was featured in TLC shows 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On. The client, Mark Thompson, entered into a contract to buy a home in Bella Vista from Madison Holding with Duggar as the contractor. The complaint said Duggar reported he had a contractors license, however, it argues the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board did not have one on file. The contract required 22 items to be repaired within 30 days, but after 11 months, most of the repairs were not completed, the complaint said. Duggar is accused of not completing work in the master bedroom and bathroom, and the sod was not fully installed. Crown molding in the upstairs portion of the home needed to be repaired, roofing issues were supposed to be fixed and other various problems were also included in the complaint. Sebastian County Jail and health provider agree to $6 million settlement over detainees 2021 death The complaint said Duggar acknowledged the roofing issues in April or May and said they would be addressed. In late May, Duggar said Thompson should pay someone else to make the repairs instead of him continuing to do so. Text messages between Duggar and Thompson are included in the lawsuit. Mark, I have a question for you. Instead of us coming back several times and you getting upset with me and me getting upset with you, what if I cut you a final check for however much you think its gonna cost to get these things? You sign a contract saying we are no longer responsible for any additional fixes on the home inspection repair list, Duggar said in a text message. Duggar and Madison Holding are accused of fraud, negligence, and breach of contract and breach of warranties in the lawsuit. Thompson is seeking monetary damages to be determined at trial, which includes the cost to make the repairs, along with Thompsons attorney costs and fees. Court records show that as of September 13, Duggar and Madison Holdings have yet to respond to the lawsuit. 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. NOTE: A lawsuit represents only one side of a story. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) A recent court filing by lawyers representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints investment arm Ensign Peak Advisors claimed the plaintiffs did not provide sufficient proof of fraud related to the use of tithing donations and the defense is seeking to have the case dismissed. The lawyers filed the motion and memorandum in Utahs District Court on Sept. 10, saying the court should dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, which means the plaintiffs would be unable to refile the same claim in court. The LDS church filed a motion to dismiss the case simultaneously, according to documents. PREVIOUS STORY: LDS Church and its financial arm face second lawsuit over use of donated funds and tithes The LDS church and Ensign Peak are at the center of several lawsuits, with one recently being filed in Jan. 2024. According to the Sept. 10 filing, the churchs lawyers seek to dismiss a lawsuit filed at the end of Oct. 2023 by Daniel Chappell, Masen Christensen, and John Oaks. The motion to dismiss argued the plaintiffs were improperly disparaging the Church and Ensign Peak without any viable claim against the Church or Ensign Peak. The plaintiffs claimed the LDS church defrauded them by not immediately using their tithing donations for religion or charity, but instead investing their donations in Ensign Peak and hoarding, according to the filing. Holding and investing the Churchs reserve fund is a charitable function the law explicitly approves, the filing argued. The defense is arguing against each of the plaintiffs claims of fraud or fiduciary duty, noting the suit does not show a relationship between the plaintiffs and Ensign Peak. The plaintiffs filed their suit after Utahs three-year statute of limitations for fraud cases, according to the motion. The court is also unable to determine materiality without violating the First Amendment, the defense said. Background on the case The plaintiffs argued that Ensign Peak breached a common law fiduciary duty it allegedly owed them, according to the Sept. 10 filing. Furthermore, the plaintiffs argued Ensign Peak helped the LDS church breach its fiduciary duty to the plaintiffs. When someone has a fiduciary duty to someone else, the person with the duty must act in a way that will benefit someone else financially, Cornell Law School explained. Against the plaintiffs claiming a breach of fiduciary duty, the defense argued that the plaintiffs had no relationship with Ensign Peak much less a fiduciary one, the filing said. The defense further argued that the LDS church does not owe its members a fiduciary duty. The plaintiffs claimed fraudulent inducement against Ensign Peak, meaning one party was tricked into a disadvantageous agreement through fraudulent representations and statements, according to Cornell. The Sept. 10 filing said the plaintiffs argued Ensign Peak did not fulfill its mission for the LDS church, but rather collected donations without using them for charity. The defense argued the plaintiffs failed to present the necessary factual allegations to plead fraud, because the plaintiffs reportedly did not identify any statements made to the plaintiffs by Ensign Peak. Instead, the plaintiffs opted to quote Ensign Peaks articles of incorporation. The motion to dismiss the case also said Ensign Peak operates solely to invest the reserve funds for the Church. The third cause of action the plaintiffs argued was fraudulent concealment, arguing the LDS church and Ensign Peak had the duty to inform donors of the churchs reserve fund. The defense argued Ensign Peak did not have a duty of disclosure, and that the plaintiffs did not plead materiality. The defense also argued that a judge or jury cannot assess materially without violating the First Amendment and the Church Autonomy Doctrine. The plaintiffs also made a claim for fraudulent misrepresentation, saying they were assured their tithing donations would not be used for City Creek Center, a mall in Salt Lake City. The defense argued the plaintiffs did not plead that Ensign Peak made any statements regarding the funding for City Creek in their fraudulent misrepresentation claim. The defense said the claim should be dismissed with prejudice. The plaintiffs claimed unjust enrichment against Ensign Peak, but the defense said the plaintiffs do not allege that they conferred any benefit upon Ensign Peak. The plaintiffs also made allegations about Ensign Peaks IRS and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings. However, the defense argued the plaintiffs were unaware of the disclosures until a 2019 letter to the IRS or later, and were unable to plead a viable claim against the Church or Ensign Peak. Finally, the defense said the plaintiffs claims were barred by the three-year statute of limitations that applies to all claims grounded in fraud, saying the plaintiffs did not identify information that was not available at least three years before they filed suit. The defense also argued the plaintiffs said they were not aware of Ensign Peaks existence until 2019, and ultimately said all the claims against Ensign Peak should be dismissed without prejudice. The motion to dismiss the lawsuit can be read in its entirety below: CHAPPELL-ET-AL-VS-LDS-CHURCH-Motion-to-DismissDownload 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. Palantir (NYSE: PLTR) has emerged as one of the stock market's artificial intelligence (AI) darlings. The tech company is known for its complex data analytics platforms. It got its start in the aftermath of 9/11 by providing software to federal intelligence agencies that helped them sift through mountains of data and make connections that could help them prevent further terrorist attacks. Today, it's considered a leader in AI software with the Palantir Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), which allows users to build AI apps to expedite workflows or to assist with processes like inventory management or procurement. Palantir stock is up by more than 400% since the start of 2023, making it one of the top-performing AI stocks since the launch of ChatGPT. That bull run was recently capped off by news that the company would be added to the S&P 500. In the wake of the stock's surge, investors might be wondering if it's too late to buy Palantir. Could the AI company still deliver returns from here that could make you a millionaire? Image source: Getty Images. The Palantir growth story Some AI stocks such as Nvidia have put up blockbuster growth, but Palantir's emergence has been slower. The company was founded in 2003 and went public in 2020. It's on track to earn $2.75 billion in revenue this year. In the second quarter, its revenue grew 27% to $678.1 million, and the company is now highly profitable, with an adjusted operating margin of 37% in the quarter, or a 16% margin on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis. Profits have surged because the company's business model is highly scalable -- its operating expenses rose just 7% in the quarter. Historically, Palantir's business has largely come from federal government contracts, but it is diversifying its customer base with strong growth in the commercial division. In the second quarter, its commercial revenue jumped by 33% to $307 million -- 45% of Palantir's total revenue -- and its commercial customer count jumped by 83% to 295. Overall, its recent results have been virtually flawless, with steady growth, growing profitability, improved guidance, and a diversifying customer base. Palantir's performance is especially impressive in an environment where software stocks have struggled, and a large number are trading well below their pandemic-era peaks. CEO Alex Karp characterized the company's growth as "driven by an unrelenting wave of demand from customers for artificial intelligence systems that go beyond the merely performative and academic." Story continues Can Palantir make you a millionaire? Palantir's share price growth from the all-time low it hit in late December 2022 has already helped some investors take significant steps toward millionaire status. While the business is firing on all cylinders, there are some legitimate concerns about its valuation. Currently, the stock trades at a price-to-sales ratio of 82.6 and a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 205, though considering its growth expectations, that ratio should come down reasonably quickly. Other AI stocks like Nvidia seem to have plateaued for now as investors are concerned that cloud infrastructure companies are overspending on AI and that stock prices have gotten ahead of the growth in the underlying businesses. As a software company, Palantir doesn't really face that concern. Demand for its products is separate from the rest of the generative AI sector, but slowing growth could spark similar concerns. Palantir is at risk of being affected by headwinds in the broader economy, as its customers and potential customers could pull back on spending on a new technology. Palantir also now has a market cap near $80 billion, so multibagger growth will be more difficult from here, but the company's competitive advantages should ensure its continued growth. If you're looking for AI stocks or growth stocks to drive your portfolio toward $1 million, then investing in Palantir makes sense. However, making that position part of a portfolio diversified with other AI stocks seems like a better course of action. Additionally, buying Palantir opportunistically if it pulls back could deliver handsome rewards. Overall, based on its recent results and the stock's performance, Palantir has earned a place in any AI-focused growth stock portfolio. Should you invest $1,000 in Palantir Technologies right now? Before you buy stock in Palantir Technologies, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Palantir Technologies wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $729,857!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of September 9, 2024 Jeremy Bowman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Could Palantir Stock Help You Become a Millionaire? was originally published by The Motley Fool After learning of $533K loss in Gregg Township, residents are still waiting for answers After Gregg Township residents learned last month that nearly $533,000 had been lost from township accounts, theyre still waiting for answers about who will be held accountable. A criminal investigation is ongoing, state police at Rockview told the CDT on Friday, a day after dozens of residents filled a meeting room in the Old Gregg School to hear an update from the board of supervisors. Township officials have not shared over what time period the money was lost and said at a June meeting that its prior secretary appears to have been involved in a series of transactions that resulted in large amounts of money being spent from Township accounts. In emails obtained by the CDT through a Right-to-Know request, township solicitor David Gaines requested a draft of the 2021 township audit and wrote that the former secretarys activities existed in 2021 and possibly before. Last month, officials estimated that the loss came to nearly $533,000. That total came from an investigation carried out by tax accountant John Corman, according to Gaines. The townships former secretary is currently suspended indefinitely without pay. Officials did not use the former secretarys name during Thursdays meeting and the CDT does not typically name suspects unless they are charged. Gaines said Thursday that while no charges have been filed, the township has received updates from law enforcement. They do not necessarily tell us what theyre doing, but they assure us that they are proceeding, Gaines said of the police investigation. The bonding companys investigation is also ongoing, Gaines told the CDT. Officials said last month that they expected to be repaid, as the estimated amount falls within the townships bond limits. Responding to questions during public comment, supervisor Ben Haupt said that if the criminal investigation comes back with evidence against the former secretary, the township does intend on prosecuting. Resident Lisa Bierlein called for the supervisors to continue to be transparent with its posting of minutes and updates to the public throughout this process, after a resident at last months meeting called the minutes from Junes township meeting vague. Last month, the board hired a new township secretary and treasurer and voted to have each of its supervisors subjected to an annual state police background check. The next Gregg Township meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m on Thursday, Oct. 10. At least 3 dead after overnight shooting in Antioch NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Three people were found dead at a home in Antioch Friday night. Officers arrived at a residence on Bart Drive just after 11:11 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13 when they discovered a man dead on the front porch. When they entered the house, two additional men were found dead inside the home. Officials told News 2 that two of the victims and a woman were seen on nearby surveillance camera arriving at the house around 10:35 p.m. Friday in a white Honda with a Georgia temporary license plate. Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) (Courtesy: Metro Nashville Police Department) About an hour later, Metro police reported several suspects approached the house on foot, armed with weapons. The shooting reportedly lasted about a minute before the suspects fled back down the street. Investigators believe there may have been a getaway vehicle waiting nearby. Officials said the woman who arrived with the victims may have ran away from the shooting scene. On Monday, Sept. 16, police positively identified two out of the three victims, who are all believed to be from the Atlanta area. One of the victims was identified as 22-year-old Jesus Gallardo-Ramirez and the other was only identified as a 48-year-old man. According to MNPD, efforts are underway to notify his family. In addition, officers reported that a 911 call was made more than 30 minutes after the gunfire. The caller allegedly told dispatch that he was calling from Atlanta on behalf on a Spanish-speaking friend and wanted officers to respond to the Bart Drive home for a fight. An anonymous witness in the neighborhood told News 2 they were in their living room watching television when they heard the gunshots. CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime-related reports from across Middle Tennessee I heard about like eight to 10 gunshots. I just peeked outside the house, and I look up the street, and I see about six dudes just running across the street right after the gunshots, they said. The witness said the shooting was a shock to the community. I was on my computer and I heard maybe like 10 or 15 gun shots neighbor Aaron Jaden told News 2. About six or so people ran to the car and they just drove off. A short time later, officers were called to Wallace Drive where a victim claimed to have been shot while riding a bicycle near Bart Drive. That victim was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Detectives have not yet been able to speak with him to confirm that due to his medical condition. An investigation is underway to determine if the incidents are connected. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com The motive for the shooting is unknown at this time. Officials initially said four victims were found deceased on the scene. MNPD Public Information Officer, Don Aaron, later clarified to News 2 that there were three deceased victims. This is an extreme occurrence from last night, Aaron added. Thats not something that we typically see in Nashville. Homicide detectives are pursuing leads and said they are in contact with authorities in the Atlanta area. Anyone with information is asked to contact Nashville 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. At least five injured in Ukrainian attack on Russia's Belgorod region At least five people have been injured in a Ukrainian attack on the southern Russian region of Belgorod, according to Governor Vyakheslav Gladkov on Saturday. Gladkov said several grenades hit a section of road between Belgorod and Shebekino, injuring four people and damaging several vehicles. In the nearby village of Voznesenkovka, a woman was reportedly injured when a drone struck a residence, though the information could not be independently verified. The Ukrainian army has started using artillery and drones to target sites across the border in the southern Russian region of Belgorod, after Moscow's forces launched an offensive against the north-eastern city of Kharkiv in the summer. Russia also regularly targets civilian sites in Ukraine, with Kharkiv among the cities most frequently subject to shelling, just 30 kilometres from the border. Kiev repels Russian drone attacks Earlier, Russia again launched overnight drone attacks at targets across Ukraine, deploying some 70 unmanned aerial vehicles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram on Saturday. The areas of Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Kherson, Kharkiv and Donetsk as well as the greater Kiev area were targeted in the attacks, most of which were repelled, he said. The Ukrainian Air Force reported having shot down 72 of 76 Russian drones launched overnight, without providing details on possible damages or casualties. Significant damage was mainly reported from the Black Sea region of Odessa. In a suburb of the regional capital, several buildings, including a residential building, were damaged by drone debris, military governor Oleh Kiper wrote on Telegram. In the district of Izmail, a hub for grain shipments, storage buildings were hit. A municipal company was hit by falling debris in Kiev, but a fire did not break out, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion for more than two and a half year, relying heavily on military aid supplied by Western partners. The government in Kiev has repeatedly called on Western allies to increase support and send more air defence systems to protect Ukrainian cities and infrastructure against the constant Russian bombardment. Russian, Ukrainian prisoners exchanged Russia and Ukraine also held a major exchange of prisoners, with both sides swapping more than 100 captured soldiers. The Russian Defence Ministry said 103 of its military personnel were in Belarus to receive "necessary psychological and medical assistance" before returning home. Moscow thanked the United Arab Emirates for mediating in the case. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram that 82 soldiers and 21 officers were released by Russia, including members of the country's army, border guards and police officers. According to Zelensky, many of the Russian prisoners had been captured during Ukraine's surprise cross-border offensive in Kursk. The latest exchange came one day after Zelensky announced a further swap involving 49 Ukrainians. Ukraine and Russia have exchanged prisoners of war on more than 50 occasions since Moscow launched its invasion in February 2022. Floods in Romania kill at least four people as rain batters central Europe Floods in Romania kill at least four people as rain batters central Europe By Luiza Ilie and Radovan Stoklasa VISNOVA, Czech Republic (Reuters) -At least four people died and thousands of homes were damaged by flooding in eastern Romania on Saturday, officials said, as surging river levels put authorities on alert in much of central and eastern Europe following days of torrential rain. Tens of thousands of households were left without power in Romania and the Czech Republic, where more rainfall is forecast in the coming days. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, southern Germany and parts of Austria are also expected to see more heavy rain. Residents of some towns along the Czech-Polish border were evacuated as rivers rose past alert levels while the Czech capital, Prague, which suffered catastrophic floods in 2002, put preventative anti-flood measures in place. In Romania, flooding affected eight counties, the country's emergency unit said, and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu visited hard-hit Galati county, where the four people were found dead, about 5,000 homes were damaged and 25,000 were without power. Television images from the area showed streets flooded with muddy water, silt and debris as rescuers led residents to safety. "The priority is obviously to save lives. At this moment we have all the necessary logistics to intervene quickly," Ciolacu said. EVACUATIONS, BLACKOUTS In the Czech Republic, northern and northeastern areas bore the brunt of the deluge and 51,000 households had their electricity supply cut off, the CTK news agency said. Forecasters warned that some parts of the country could see more than a third of average annual rainfall by Sunday, with Environment Minister Petr Hladik urging people in the worst-hit areas to prepare to leave their homes. In the village of Visnova, 140 km (87 miles) north of Prague, local resident Roman Christof said his cottage had escaped damage because it was built on higher land. Others were less fortunate, he added. "I feel sorry for the neighbours," he said as he surveyed the floodwaters. In Prague, a city of more than 1.3 million people that sits on the banks of the Vltava river spanned by the picturesque 14th century Charles Bridge, flood barriers were put in place. The city heavily invested into preventive measures after the 2002 floods, which swept into the subway system and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes. Prague Zoo, which is located along the Vltava, was closed to visitors and Czech Railways said services on dozens of routes were disrupted. In the country's second-biggest city, Brno, a hospital evacuated patients as a precaution. 'CRITICAL NIGHT' AHEAD In Glucholazy, a historic town in southwestern Poland near the Czech border, firefighters piled hundreds of sandbags alongside a swollen river and some residents were evacuated. Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said weather forecasts looked unfavourable, with very heavy rainfall to fall around the Czech border area over the next 24 hours, feeding rivers into Poland. "We are facing a critical night, full mobilisation is required," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on the X platform. Officials in neighbouring Slovakia warned of the threat of flooding in the capital, Bratislava, from the swollen Danube, while Hungary expects the river to near record-high levels in the coming days. In Austria, emergency services were working with district governors and municipalities to prepare for evacuations. Chancellor Karl Nehammer said all federal states were affected and the situation was deteriorating, particularly in the northeastern state of Lower Austria. "The coming days will still be extremely difficult and challenging for the affected population and the emergency services," Nehammer said on X. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie in Bucharest, Jason Hovet in Prague, Marek Strzelecki in Warsaw, Krisztina Than in Budapest and Maria Martinez in Berlin;Editing by Helen Popper and Ros Russell) At least ten Palestinians killed in Gaza strike, Israel says targeted Hamas commander JERUSALEM At least 10 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Saturday, Palestinian media reported, and the Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas commander as the devastating war stretched into its 11th month. The strike hit a residential housing unit in the Al Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza City, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa. The Israeli military said it "struck the commander of a Hamas terrorist cell ... who was involved in the planning and execution of terrorist activities." More: More than 40 dead, dozens injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza tent camp, agency says More: Biden and Harris condemn killing of American citizen by Israeli troops in West Bank It said it was aware of reports that several civilians were killed in the strike. Two others were killed by Israeli shelling on Gaza City and Jabalia in the north, and three in al-Mawasi in the south, the report said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ten killed in Israeli strike on Hamas commander Is it legal to take a selfie with your voting ballot? Heres what Washington law says Editors note: This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org. The 2024 presidential election is right around the corner which means it is almost that time when your social media feed is filled with pictures of the I voted sticker and maybe even selfies with ballots. But is it legal to take a selfie with your ballot and post it to your social media accounts? That depends on which state you live in. The right to a secret ballot has been a feature that has helped prevent voter coercion, and while some states argue that ballot selfies could lead to vote buying, other states claim ballot selfies are a form of protected political expression that should be allowed under the First Amendments free speech protections, according to the Free Speech Center. Heres what Washington State law says about ballot selfies. Is it legal to take a selfie with your ballot in WA? There arent any laws in the state of Washington that explicitly ban ballot selfies, according to the Washington Secretary of States Office. The state of Washington does not directly prohibit ballot selfies. However, it is illegal to view anothers ballot for a purpose prohibited by law, such as vote buying, according to the Secretary of State website. Ballot selfie laws in other states In addition to Washington state, the following states also allow ballot selfies, according to the Lawyers for Good Government website: California Oregon Idaho Montana Wyoming Utah Colorado North Dakota Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Michigan Indiana Kentucky Alabama Hawaii Virginia Connecticut Maine Vermont New Hampshire Rhode Island Arizona - absentee ballots only Texas - absentee ballots only Tennessee - absentee ballots only Philadelphia -absentee ballots only West Virginia - absentee ballots only Maryland - absentee ballots only Delaware - absentee ballots only The following states do not allow ballot selfies, according to the Lawyers for Good Government website: Alaska Nevada South Dakota Missouri Illinois Mississippi Florida South Carolina North Carolina New York Ohio Massachusetts New Jersey According to the Lawyers for Good Government website, it is unclear if the following states allow ballot selfies: New Mexico Louisiana Minnesota Wisconsin Georgia District of Columbia Consultants and planners agree that Johnson County needs a homeless shelter. They call the project their highest priority, and zoning officials acknowledge the urgency in Lenexa, a city within the target area. People support action. Yet once conversations turn from abstract to specific, they can get squeamish. They like the idea of a safety net for their neighbors in crisis, as long as development does not occur nearby. The outcome is predictable: Once everyone agrees a shelter should go somewhere else, it goes nowhere. Zoning officials raise vague concerns usually without evidence about density, public safety or community character. Policymakers respond by forming study groups and gathering testimony. But in the end they do nothing. Similar tactics can kill all types of affordable housing. But Lenexa has a chance to break the pattern. ReStart, a charity that provides housing and related services for individuals in need, has agreed to open a 50-bed shelter just like Johnson County wanted when it issued a request for proposals in 2023. The planned facility would not go in anyones backyard. Instead, reStart would convert and renovate a run-down hotel, the La Quinta Inn off Interstate 35 and 95th Street. The area, already zoned for a shelter, borders an industrial park, big-box retailers, restaurants and other businesses. An abandoned restaurant building on the lot would provide storage and future office space for the shelter. Lenexa should celebrate. Yet city planners want to fight the project instead. They recommended denial of a special use permit at a public hearing in August. The matter now goes to City Council on Sept. 17. Before any vote occurs, council members should consider the case of the Catherine H. Barber Memorial Homeless Shelter in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Zoning officials did everything they could to stop the grand opening of this facility. The local Board of Adjustment said the shelter satisfied all zoning requirements. But the city denied a conditional use permit anyway, citing hypothetical concerns about traffic and safety. Rather than go away quietly, the shelter sued for violation of its property rights. Our public interest law firm, the Institute for Justice, represented the charity and helped it score a legal victory on Dec. 20, 2021, at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. The Board apparently believes incorrectly that it can say the magic words traffic and safety and this Court will rubber stamp the classification no matter the facts, the judge wrote. Similar issues apply in Lenexa. Cities have authority to regulate development. But they cannot block projects without good reason, and the Lenexa Planning Commission has testimony affirming the legality of the proposed shelter. The project is consistent with current zoning regulations and will not create detrimental effects on nearby properties, shelter proponents have said. They also assert a public benefit: The center will address a critical need in our community, improve public safety, and contribute to the overall well-being of our residents. These are important points. Yet Lenexa zoning officials want to override them by saying magic words like neighborhood suitability. Other cities call it character, stability, desirability or harmony. Connecticut requires local governments to define terms like these, but most cities give themselves a blank check. They use catchall phrases as euphemisms to justify exclusionary zoning laws. The goal, rarely spoken aloud, is to keep undesirable people out. Opponents of affordable housing called them riff raff in Calhoun, Georgia. Yet individuals without homes need somewhere to go. Johnson County planners say a shelter could function as a front door to housing stabilization services. Lenexa should respond with a truly magical word: Yes. Suranjan Sen is a senior attorney for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Institute for Justice in Arlington, Virginia. He co-authored this with Institute for Justice writer Daryl James. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey is urging the Labour government to invest more in the NHS or accept continued decline. Sir Ed is calling for a budget for the NHS in October, with more investment in hospitals and training doctors, nurses and dentists. The party says the NHS needs 3.7bn a year extra in day-to-day spending, and a further 1.1bn a year for investment. The NHS and social care are the main focuses of the partys autumn conference in Brighton. The conference comes in the week a report by surgeon and independent peer Lord Darzi described the NHS as a broken system that was in serious trouble. The former Labour minister's report said the NHS had been starved of funding for hospital repairs and faced a shortfall of 37bn of investment. In response, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer promised a 10-year plan for the NHS, but he said there would be no extra funding without reform. The Lib Dem leader is using his partys conference to say reform on its own will not be enough, ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves's autumn budget. We need to see a budget for the NHS, with investment to fix our crumbling hospitals, replace ageing equipment and ensure people can see a GP or dentist when they need to, Sir Ed said. The government can only deliver the improvements that patients urgently need with additional investment in the NHS alongside reform. The government faces a stark choice: invest more in the NHS or accept continued decline. Sir Ed told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that addressing social care was "the most important part" of health care reform. "I don't believe you can sort out some of the problems in our hospitals where people can't get discharged, where people keep going back, and there's a revolving door, unless you sort out social care," he said. "And that means better care homes, more care staff, better domiciliary care services, paying care workers more." Dividing lines The Lib Dems were in a sunny mood befitting of the weather in Brighton, as they celebrated winning 72 seats - their most-ever MPs - in Julys general election. Sir Ed - who carried out a series of daring stunts during the election campaign - opened the conference in eye-catching fashion, by riding a jet ski through Brighton Marina. Now the third-largest party in the House of Commons, the Lib Dems are positioning themselves as a constructive opposition. But this conference is also about carving out dividing lines with Labour, which won a huge majority in the general election. Sir Ed told the BBC the Lib Dems "absolutely will challenge the government where we disagree with them" and pledged to be a "better opposition than the Conservatives". At a fringe event, the new MP for Cheadle, Tom Morrison, said empowering communities and pushing for reform of social care were ways the party could distinguish itself from Labour. Another newly elected Lib Dem MP, Paul Kohler, said his party needed to challenge the authoritarian side of Labour and propose progressive solutions to problems, such as the overcrowding crisis in prisons. But they all agreed the Conservatives were still their main opponents in most election battlegrounds. Sir Ed rode into Brighton Marina on a jet ski [Getty Images] In a speech on day one of the conference, chief whip Wendy Chamberlain claimed the Liberal Democrats were the party of the NHS and care. The MP said the Lib Dems will use their boosted numbers in Parliament to call for urgent improvement to NHS services. The Lib Dems put the NHS and social care at the heart of its election manifesto. When asked how they would pay for their policies, the party said the extra 1.1bn of capital investment would come from borrowing. The additional 3.7bn a year on day-to-day spending would be raised through closing loopholes in capital gains tax, the party said. The Lib Dems claim only 0.1% of the population would see a tax rise under their plans to fund this spending top-up. In her speech, Chamberlain was critical of the Conservatives, who the Lib Dems took most of their seats from in the general election. But she also lambasted the SNP, who she accused of taking voters in Scotland for granted and using its platform in Parliament to grandstand. The SNP has pursued a decade of division and the people of Scotland have paid the price, she said. She said the Lib Dems have a chance to kick the SNP out of power at the next set of elections to the Scottish Parliament in 2026. On Sunday, the Lib Dems turned their focus to education, with education spokesperson Munira Wilson giving a speech calling for an expansion of free school meals to all children in poverty. The conference will continue in Brighton until Tuesday, when Sir Ed will make a speech to the party faithful. WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) Vice President Kamala Harris made a campaign stop in Wilkes-Barre Friday ahead of the 2024 Presidential Election. Recent polling shows Harris and former President Donald Trump are in a virtual dead heat nationally and here in PA. Vice presidents overall message Friday night was: that its time to move forward and that America will not go back. Vice President Kamala Harris received a rousing welcome at the McHale Athletic Center at Wilkes University Friday evening. A crowd estimated to be around 4,000 people was here to support her. Harris says its time to bring people together. Traffic delays during Vice President Kamala Harris Wilkes-Barre rally In the midst of this moment where people are trying to divide us as a nation, trying to make people feel small and feel alone there are moments like this that remind all of us that we are all in this together as one loving community, said VP Harris. She also talked about the debate Tuesday with former President Trump. You remember that night I talked about issues that matter to families across America bringing down the cost of living investing in Americas small business protecting reproductive freedoms and keeping our nation safe and secure, stated VP Harris. She says that is a big contrast to what she says America heard from the former president. Protestors come out for Vice President Harris visit to Wilkes-Barre It was the same old show the same tired playbook weve heard for years with no plan. No plan on how he would address the needs of the American people. Well folks its time to turn the page, says VP Harris. Throughout the half-hour speech, she repeated a major theme of her campaign. We are not going back because we are not going back because America is ready for a new way forward, mentioned VP Harris. 28/22 News talked with several people as they left the rally. All said they were pleased with what they heard. But they also said they wanted to hear more from the Vice President about what she would do to address the problems at the southern border, which is one of the big issues that former President Trump talks about at his rallies. Pointing the finger of blame for much of those problems at the Vice President. You can watch Vice President Harris full speech in the video player 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 PAhomepage.com. AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) The Mercy Health Foundation hosted its Man Up Mahoning Valley Fuel the Fight Car Show on Saturday in Austintown. Hundreds of collector cars and trucks were lined up at Hollywood Gaming to raise awareness for prostate cancer prevention and detection. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in men in the Mahoning Valley. Steven Burbrink, a committee member for Man Up Mahoning Valley, is a two-time prostate cancer survivor. He said the event was created to educate men about the need for early detection. We want to keep the fight. Thats why we do this show every year. We try to do these events so we encourage guys to go to the doctor, Bubrink said. He said men should get a prostate exam every year starting at age 40. Tino DiCenso contributed to this report. 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 WKBN.com. By Aditya Kalra NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Samsung, Xiaomi and other smartphone companies colluded with Amazon and Walmart's Flipkart to exclusively launch products on the e-commerce firms' Indian websites in breach of antitrust laws, according to regulatory reports seen by Reuters. Antitrust investigations conducted by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) have found that Amazon and Flipkart violated local competition laws by giving preference to select sellers, prioritising certain listings, and steeply discounting products, hurting other companies, Reuters reported last week. The CCI's 1,027-page report on Amazon also said the Indian units of five companies - Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola, Realme and OnePlus - were "involved in the practice of exclusive" phone launches in "collusion" with Amazon and its affiliates, breaking competition law. In Flipkart's case, a 1,696-page CCI report said the Indian units of Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola, Vivo, Lenovo and Realme conducted similar practices. The inclusion of smartphone makers like Samsung and Xiaomi in the case could increase their legal and compliance headaches. "Exclusivity in business is anathema. Not only is it against free and fair competition but also against the interest of consumers," CCI's additional director general G.V. Siva Prasad wrote in the Amazon and Flipkart reports, in identical findings. Reuters is first to report the smartphone companies have been accused of anticompetitive behavior in the CCI's reports which are dated Aug. 9 and are not public. Xiaomi declined to comment, while the other smartphone makers did not respond to requests for comment. Amazon, Flipkart and the CCI did not respond, and have not so far commented on the reports' findings. Both the CCI reports said that during investigations Amazon and Flipkart "deliberately downplayed" allegations of exclusive launches, but officials found the practice was "rampant". Counterpoint Research data shows that South Korea's Samsung and China's Xiaomi are two of India's biggest smartphone players, together holding an almost 36% market share, with China's Vivo on 19%. India's e-retail market is set to exceed $160 billion by 2028, up from $57-60 billion in 2023, consultancy firm Bain estimates. The investigation findings are a major setback for Amazon and Flipkart in a key growth market where they have faced the ire of small retailers for years for hurting their offline businesses. The CCI has also said both companies used their foreign investments to provide subsidised rates for services like warehousing and marketing to a select number of sellers. Story continues ONLINE SALES BOOM Some of the smartphone companies - Xiaomi, Samsung, OnePlus, Realme and Motorola - have been ordered to submit their financial statements for three fiscal years to 2024, certified by their auditor, to the CCI, according to an internal CCI document dated Aug. 28, also seen by Reuters. The investigation into Amazon, Flipkart and their sellers was triggered in 2020 by a complaint from an affiliate of the country's biggest retailer association, the Confederation of All India Traders, which has 80 million members. The CCI will in coming weeks review any objections to its findings from Amazon, Flipkart, the retailer association, and the smartphone companies, and could potentially impose fines along with mandating companies to change their business practices, people familiar with the matter said. Indian retailers have repeatedly accused Amazon and Flipkart, and smartphone companies, of exclusive phone launches online, saying shopkeepers suffered as they didn't get the latest models and customers looked for them on the shopping websites. "Exclusive launches had not only severely affected the ordinary sellers on the platform but also the brick-and-mortar retailers who were provided mobile phones at a much later date," both CCI reports said, citing analyses of data from smartphone companies. Indian research firm Datum Intelligence estimates that 50% of phone sales were online last year, up from 14.5% in 2013. Flipkart had a 55% share in online phone sales in 2023, and Amazon 35%. (Reporting by Aditya KalraEditing by Mark Potter) Locals taking action after lawsuit leads to veteran banner takedown in Union City (WJET/WFXP) After a lawsuit led to a takedown of banners honoring veterans in Union City, local residents are stepping up to lend a helping hand. The nonprofit Union City Hometown Heroes Project pays tribute to local veterans, living and deceased with 225 banners recognizing their service along the areas roadways. But after a motor home was damaged by one of the banners, the driver Lance Greer, from Union City sued the Hometown Heroes Project for $6,700 and won. Beverly Ballog, treasurer for the nonprofit, told JET 24/FOX 66 that this ruling sets a precedence the small organization cannot afford. Lawsuit could end Hometown Hero banners honoring veterans in Union City Well, we dont have $6,700, so what well have to do is close the entity and take the banners down. Well probably be one of the only towns in Pennsylvania that doesnt have Hometown Heroes, said Ballog. So far, only 27 banners along Route 19 have been taken down at this time. However, the group held a meeting to discuss the issue Friday night where they received many offers from local residents to pay the legal fees and appeal the lawsuit against Greer. As of this time, the nonprofit has decided to hold off taking down any more until further notice. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. LORDSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) Apple cider lovers looking for fun can make their way to Lordstown for its Apple Cider Festival this weekend. Its on the Lordstown school grounds at the corner of State Route 45 and Salt Springs Road. It opened Friday and runs from 9 a.m. to midnight Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Admission and parking is free. The festival features rides, live music and crafts shows. A parade will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday. According to its Facebook, Lordstown Apple Cider Festival is a nonprofit organization that gives back to the community and is sponsored by several local businesses. Tino DiCenso contributed to this report. 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 WKBN.com. Earlier this summer a Pay What You Want food truck ambled through Los Angeles handing out hot slices of pizza. The teal green mobile kitchen was sent around the country by Newmans Own, the non-profit food company started by the late actor Paul Newman to raise funds for their foundation and gauge the generosity of customers. After studying the findings of their new "Generosity Index," the company has declared Los Angeles to be most generous city in America. Customers visiting the truck, which made stops from downtown to Venice in July, paid an average of $5.54 per slice, almost three times more than pizza lovers in New York, which took the number ten spot on the list. Customers in Chicago paid about half of L.A. prices. Diners in Silicon Valley were near the bottom of the list, paying $2.07 per slice. One customer in Downtown Los Angeles donated $100 for one piece. The company also compared the generosity of three of Americas top music fandoms and notes that fans of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and BTS were the most generous. Baby Boomers and Gen X paid the most, at an average of $3.34 a slice, while Gen Zers kicked in $2.61 a slice. The Newman's Own pizza truck in L.A. this summer Photo courtesy Newman's Own "Taking the Newmans Own pizza truck across the country as a social experiment on peoples generosity was an insightful experience, Peter Kaye of Newman's Own, Inc. said in a statement. "While the results were entertaining and sometimes surprising, they confirmed what we already knewAmericans are generous people who love Newmans Own pizza! Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward were part of a new wave of naturalistic actors, along with James Dean and Marlon Brando, that emerged from New Yorks Actors Studio after World War II. The celebrity couple were known for their homebody lifestyle while living in Beverly Hills during the 1960s. Woodward was awarded one of the first batch of 8 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the couple lived here until relocating to a farmhouse in Connecticut where Newman teamed up with neighbor A. E. Hotchner to start bottling salad dressing to give away as gifts. The pair created an entire line of dressings, cookies and other food products and Newmans Own Foundation has been donating to children's charities like SeriousFun Childrens Network and FoodCorps since 1982. HOLYOKE, Mass (WWLP) Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll along with Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago greeted the staff and veterans at the Veterans Home in Holyoke today while also checking on the progress of the construction of the new building. This is just the beginning of the Healey-Driscoll administrations support for veterans across the Commonwealth but particularly in Western Mass said Veterans Services Secretary, Jon Santiago. After the COVID-19 pandemic, reform and investment were needed for veteran care in the state and the Healey-Driscoll administration took action. To see this building going up, rising and going to be able to provide long term care for veterans who need it and an adult day component, just really warms my heart and I am really proud of these investments said Massachusetts Lientenant Governor Kim Driscoll. Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll said she comes from a military family so work like this is important for her. I mean it is so critical, individuals who have sacrificed for this country to have a place that they can be well cared for with dignity and respect said Lt. Gov. Driscoll. Not only will the new building be able to house over 100 more veterans, but the staffing will also increase by 35%. Its the type of investment that you are proud of if you live in Massachusetts said Lt. Gov. Driscoll. The Healey-Driscoll Administration and Veteran Services Secretary Santiago were able to secure $263.5 million in federal funding for the new state-of-the-art veterans home in Holyoke, only one of two in the state. Santiago served in the military himself, so he is using his personal experience and what he needed to help others. When I took the job, I really thought about my own service, as a physician, as a legislator, as a veteran and I said if I can do anything to support my veterans, my fellow brothers and sisters in military service, I would do it said Santiago. The new building will have 234 long-term care beds, 30 beds in the memory care unit and an adult day health program. Construction started in August of 2023 and is currently ahead of schedule. The project is slated to finish in late 2026. 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 WWLP. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) A Luttrell man was sentenced to three decades in prison after he pleaded guilty to drug charges and the attempted murder of two Tennessee Highway Patrol Troopers. According to the Department of Justice, Cody Andrew Seals, 27, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, discharging a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and the attempted murder of two THP Troopers who were assisting federal law enforcement agencies. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison on September 13. $3K in thank you gifts to Farragut coaches investigated by TN comptroller The DOJ states that federal law enforcement agents and task force officers were investigating a Mexican drug trafficking cartel that was distributing hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine into East Tennessee and elsewhere when the crimes Seals pleaded guilty to happened. On January 9, 2020, officers conducting surveillance saw Seals driving up to a hotel to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin, the DOJ said. The officers then followed Seals and requested assistance from THP to stop Seals vehicle. The DOJ explained that when the two THP troopers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Seals pick up on Highway 27 north of Chattanooga, Seals fled at a high rate of speed and fired a handgun at the Troopers. The chase lasted several minutes, ending with the THP troopers forcing Seals truck to a stop on the highway. The DOJ stated that Seals then got out of his truck and began firing a rifle at both Troopers, striking one of them in the leg. The Troopers returned fire and struck Seals. Seals then stopped shooting and was arrested. Knoxville man convicted of sexually abusing child for four years According to the DOJ, when officers searched Seals truck, they found 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, 500 grams of heroin, and several firearms. The law enforcement agencies that participated in the joint investigation that led to the indictment against Seals include Homeland Security Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessees 9th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia State Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. 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 WATE 6 On Your Side. A judge in another county is expected to preside over a lawsuit filed by the Macomb County prosecutor against the county's top attorney and ethics board after Macomb's chief circuit judge disqualified himself from the case Friday. Macomb Chief Circuit Judge James Biernat signed an order of disqualification/reassignment in Prosecutor Peter Lucido's suit against Corporation Counsel John Schapka and the ethics board. Biernat indicated "my continued assignment would create an appearance of impropriety." No additional reasons were given. Judge James Biernat at the Macomb County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens on Thursday, June 1, 2023, listens to victim impact statements before handing down a sentence of life in prison without parole for Arthur Williamson for the killing of WWJ-AM overnight anchor Jim Matthews and crimes against Matthews' girlfriend and the couple's two children in September 2022. The request for reassignment will be forwarded to the State Court Administrative Office. This isn't the first time a judge or judges in the Macomb Circuit Court have recused themselves from a case involving an elected official in the county. A St. Clair County Circuit judge handled a case involving ousted Macomb County Clerk Karen Spranger and an Oakland County Circuit judge handled a criminal case involving former Prosecutor Eric Smith. Biernat's order came less than a month after Circuit Judge James Maceroni decided to not disqualify himself from the case, per Lucido's request, after Lucido raised concerns about a campaign contribution linked to Maceroni that Lucido argued created an appearance of impropriety as it related to the lawsuit. Maceroni's decision was expected to be reviewed by Biernat and a hearing was scheduled for Sept. 16, but it was adjourned without a date because of "out of county assignment," per online court records. Other matters scheduled in the case also are adjourned without dates. "It's disappointing that this matter has dragged on and on and on, and everyone involved needs some closure," Schapka told the Free Press on Friday. Lucido's attorney, Todd Perkins, wrote in an email Friday: "Clearly, Judge Biernat sees the entire landscape and not from a myopic view. Even I argued this case seeking a different Macomb jurist, but Judge Biernat's order takes the precaution and preserves all appearances of appropriateness for the entire bench. The people involved in this litigation are so entrenched into the fabric of the community that the possibility of finding a jurist who is untethered to a particular side, even if that association is casual, is improbable." The Macomb County Circuit Court is at left. Perkins, representing the Republican prosecutor, filed a motion Aug. 12 after he discovered Maceroni had contributed to the campaign of Christina Hines, the Democratic candidate for county prosecutor in the upcoming November general election. The date of the campaign contribution was more than seven months before the June 28 filing of Lucido's lawsuit, which was in Maceroni's court. Perkins argued the $100 political contribution made to Hines' campaign on Nov. 15, 2023, is "not about the money, but a bias, the perception of what could be impropriety." Maceroni decided that no evidence had been presented as to a connection resulting in the alleged appearance of impropriety between the contribution and the decision before the court in the lawsuit, according to his opinion and order, which detailed many points behind his reasoning. Mark Brewer, a former Michigan Democratic Party chairman, filed his first of two complaints against Lucido with the ethics board in February. Lucido's motion to disqualify Maceroni indicated Brewer is the leader and/or adviser for Hines' political campaign. The ethics board dismissed one of Brewer's complaints and voted to forward the other to a public hearing. The remaining complaint alleges Lucido used county property, buildings and offices to create a photo of himself for political campaign purposes. Perkins has disputed the allegation. The public hearing has not been held. Perkins wrote in his email Friday that Lucido has suffered politically-motivated attacks by Brewer, that Schapka is reluctant to advise the ethics board on the "basic precepts of the law" and there is "acrimony" against Lucido by the executive branch. He wrote that what has happened to Lucido "has just been plain wrong." Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lawsuit against Macomb county attorney, ethics board gets new judge By late afternoon Friday, most of the paint appeared to have been wiped off the mural. Ihsan Atta, who owns the building where the mural is displayed, was surprised and unaware that someone had cleaned it. A majority of Milwaukee's Common Council on Saturday condemned a new mural in the city's Harambee neighborhood that equated a swastika with the Star of David, calling its messaging "hurtful and divisive." The mural is on private property at the corner of East Locust and North Holton streets and depicts a swastika superimposed on the image of the Star of David. Inscribed around the image are the words: "The irony of becoming what you once hated," in all capital letters, suggesting that Jewish people were causing a new Holocaust in the Israel-Hamas war. A woman vandalized the mural with black paint on Friday, but by the afternoon, most of the paint had been wiped away. Milwaukee council members called for the building owner to remove the image. "While calling on all to respect private property and First Amendment rights, it is also important to call out those who import symbols of division, hatred and violence to our community, and then act surprised when they are not welcomed with open arms," according to the statement issued Saturday. "To see (the image of the swastika) displayed on the streets of our city is sad, distressing, and disheartening," the statement added. Ald. Milele Coggs, who represents the area where the mural is located, was one of the 14 council members who signed the statement. District 5 Alderman Lamont Westmoreland was the only council member who did not co-sign the statement. In an email to the Journal Sentinel, Westmoreland said he had not been given the opportunity to have input on the joint statement and issued a statement of his own on Saturday night. "I'll never serve as a rubber-stamp for the words of others," he said. "My attempt to have input was disregarded. ... If my perspective isn't asked for or included, count me out." "That said this issue is simple. The mural ... has offended many, opened up mental wounds for some, and created division and hatred within our community. As such, it as no place being displayed as it currently is." "While I don't believe the intention was to upset or offend, it has done just that." Westmoreland urged the building owner to offer a different version of the sign. Ihsan Atta, who owns the building hosting the mural, has defended the image in previous interviews with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The mural replaced a well-known painting of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by Louisville police. Atta, who is a Palestinian-American, told the Journal Sentinel he wanted to raise awareness about Israel's devastation in Gaza, which he considers to be genocidal and akin to the Holocaust. He said he filed a police report after Friday's vandalism. A woman named Sara Ninham was interviewed by WITI-TV (Channel 6) on Friday and said she had vandalized the mural because she did not like seeing the image of a swastika. The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation released a statement Friday stating that the mural was the latest in a "staggering uptick in antisemitic rhetoric and misinformation." Drake Bentley of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee council members decry mural equating swastika, Star of David Man killed in weekend shooting near Dayton storefront IDd by coroner DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) The man killed in a shooting in West Dayton Saturday afternoon has been identified. According to the Montgomery County Coroners Office, a shooting in the 2900 block of West Third Street left Jason Marshall, 52, dead. The shooting reportedly occurred near Delphos Carryout around 12:45 p.m. Saturday. More than half a dozen police cars and crime scene tape has been spotted in the area. One person killed in Springfield shooting, police investigating When police arrived in the area, they discovered the adult male later identified as Marshall nearby on Shoop Avenue. Investigators also received reports of a second gunshot victim, who had fled to another residence. That subject was found and transported to the hospital for their non-life-threatening injuries. Dayton police confirm the two reports were related. Detectives were called to the scene to investigate, and are now compiling suspect information. Officials say the incident was isolate and there is If anyone witnessed or has information regarding this incident, you are asked to contract Dayton Police to speak with a detective. 2 NEWS is working to learn more information. 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 WDTN.com. Man, 23, fatally shot in head at Queens home nabes second deadly shooting in a week A 23-year-old Queens man was shot to death at his home, police said Saturday. It was the second fatal shooting in the bucolic section of Queens covered by the NYPDs 115th Precinct this week, officials said. Cops were called to victim Jean Pierre Rengifo-Arteagas home on 96th St. near 34th Ave. in North Corona about 7:20 p.m. Friday on a report of an assault in progress at the two-family home. When they arrived, they found the victim outside the place, shot in the head, right forearm and stomach, cops said. The gunman had fled. EMS rushed Rengifo-Arteaga to Elmhurst Hospital but he couldnt be saved. Police did not disclose a motive for the shooting. No arrests have been made. Cops were scouring the area for surveillance footage that may help them identify the shooter. On Wednesday, Carlos Solano, 43, was shot and killed during an argument with another man on Humphreys St. and 25th Ave. in East Elmhurst, less than a mile from where Rengifo-Arteaga was killed. Solano was also shot in the head, cops said. The incident is being investigated as a domestic dispute. The afternoon shooting erupted just hours before Solanoto accompany his mother, Enerolisa Castro, 65, to see the Tribute in Light commemoration that fills the lower Manhattan sky with blue beams at dusk every Sept. 11. On Thursday, Castro told the Daily News the already sad anniversary has now become unbearable. Yesterday he called me and he said, Mom, Im gonna go out with you tonight, she said a day after the shooting. Castro, a nurse, recounted they also planned to go out to dinner after seeing the awe-inspiring lights. I said, OK, Ill be ready by 5,' she recalled. But her son never came to pick her up. Instead, she got a call from police saying Solano had been shot a half hour before they were scheduled to meet. Why would you take somebody that is so special to me? Castro who lost three co-workers, also nurses, on 9/11 said of the killer. Why did you take my diamond? My diamond in my life. I feel destroyed. I still cannot accept that hes dead. 9/11 now, for me its forever. The two killings had not been linked by Saturday. The bloody week brought the 115th Precincts homicide count to four, double what the precinct investigated last year, cops said. Anyone with information regarding either homicide is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. AUSTIN (KXAN) A man was arrested Thursday in connection with a July 2021 homicide, according to the U.S. Marshals office. The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrested 22-year-old Mithovar Christopher Antoine Jr., who was accused of murder related to an incident in the 2000 block of South Interstate 35. PAST COVERAGE: Injured man found on ground at southeast Austin gas station dies On July 23, 2021, the victim contacted police saying he had been stabbed. First responders arrived, found the victim on the ground in front of a convenience store, and performed life-saving measures. However, the man died at the scene. Following a continued investigation, Antoine had a warrant issued on Sept. 11 for his arrest. Antoine was arrested by the task force in the 200 block of W. Avenue G in Temple, Texas, according to a release. He was then taken to the Bell County Jail to wait for further judicial proceedings and extradition. 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. We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Fintech Stocks To Buy in 2024. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN) stands against the other fintech stocks. A Breakdown of the Global Fintech Industry Based on a collaboration between the World Economic Forum and the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, a report revealed that the global fintech industry has been strong post-pandemic with the average global customer growth rates above 50% from 2021 to 2022. In this growing market, fintechs are bringing tailored financial services and products to underserved segments of the population. These segments make up a sizeable portion of the consumer base of fintech firms operating in both advanced economies and in emerging markets and developing economies. For the second year in a row as reported by CNBC, payments serve as the largest individual industry segment with a 24% share, although it is really fragmented with many firms moving money across the globe. Alternate finance which encompasses crowd-funding apps and online lenders follows with a 16% share. Other segments and their relative shares include 14% of neo-banking, 12% of wealth technology, 10% of business process solutions, 10% of banking solutions, 8% of financial planning, and 6% of digital assets. Country-wise, the US serves as the single biggest fintech market which hosts 46% of the top 250 fintech companies. Meanwhile, the UK hosts 12% while India is home to 4% of these companies. India has replaced both Germany and France due to its rapidly increasing digital adoption. Current Landscape for Fintechs In the prevailing industry landscape, fintech companies that are on the lower end appear to be better off. Previously, Bank of America's CEO mentioned the consumer to be very stable and not getting worse. On the contrary, JP Morgan Chase COO Daniel Pinto warned that net interest income is going to be challenging next year with the expected Fed rate cuts just on the horizon. Ally Financial CFO talked about worse conditions as its borrowers are facing job market weakness as an increasing concern other than inflation. In an interview with CNBC, Dan Dolev, senior analyst in fintech equity research at Mizuho, emphasized the rising consumer credit concerns. In his opinion, the fintech players with more exposure to the lower income consumers are doing better. He mentioned that low-end consumers had a lot of steamy money that they spent beyond their means. These consumers have pulled back on their spending to pay back their loans after depleting their savings 6 or 12 months ago. Meanwhile, the prime consumers are now facing the same pressure subprime consumers faced several months ago. Our Methodology: In order to compile a list of the 10 best fintech stocks to buy in 2024, we first used stock screeners and relevant ETFs to make an extended list of the relevant companies with the highest market caps. Moving on, we shortlisted the top 10 stocks from our list which had the highest number of hedge fund holders. The 10 best fintech stocks to buy in 2024 have been arranged in ascending order of their hedge fund holders, as of Q2 2024. At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with 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 payment terminal in action with customers apart of the experience. Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN) Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 66 Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN) is a financial technology company that offers payment technology and software solutions to its customers globally. The firm empowers simple, fast, and secure payments for which it has built a worldwide commerce ecosystem comprising 4.6 million merchant accounts, 4,000 tech partners, 1500 financial institutions, and over 100 industries. Global Payments delivers seamless payments for every business, leading software for specific industries, single-source employer solutions, and better processes for buyers and suppliers. The firm is headquartered in Georgia and has 27,000 team members globally. Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN) is a Fortune 500 company and has a reach extending across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The company claims to lead the industry in innovation, scale, and service. It has a powerful ecosystem of brands across various verticals, including globalpayments, Heartland, greatergiving, AdvancedMD, ECSI, and touchnet among others. As a leading global payments technology company, the firm is currently streamlining its operations and simplifying its portfolio to provide product-led customer-centric solutions. This move is expected to increase the companys share while freeing up capital to invest in innovation. Against the uncertain macro environment, Global Payments is diversified enough in terms of geography, vertical markets, and revenue streams. As the worldwide partner of choice for commerce solutions, Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN) shows a consistently strong performance. The company recently closed its second quarter with high single-digit adjusted net revenue growth and double-digit adjusted earnings per share growth. Adjusted net revenues rose 6% to $2.32 billion while adjusted earnings per share climbed 12% to $2.93. Merchant Solutions saw single-digit organic growth due to the firms differentiated capabilities across its integrated software and point-of-sale businesses. The integrated business witnessed double-digit growth with strong booking trends while the vertical markets businesses had a double-digit growth in software bookings. During the month of August, the firm appointed Robert Bob Cortopassi as its new president and chief operating officer. Under the new growth-oriented leader who has a solid 12-year experience at the company, the firm is poised to grow. As of Q2, the company is held by 66 hedge funds thereby ranking on our list of the best fintech stocks to buy in 2024. Pzena Investment Management is the largest shareholder in the company. Overall GPN ranks 8th on our list of the best fintech stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of GPN as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some deeply undervalued AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for a deeply undervalued AI stock that is more promising than GPN but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A man was arrested after allegedly attempting to rob a bank in Tillamook early Friday afternoon. Just after noon, Tillamook 911 received notice from an alarm company alerting them to a robbery in progress at a Wells Fargo Bank. Man dead after armed standoff with Linn County SWAT Team Officers, as well as Oregon State Police troopers and TCSO deputies then responded to the scene. On arrival, they arrested Philip L. Rees for the attempted bank robbery and booked him into the Tillamook County Jail. Officials say Rees is houseless and not a resident of the area. As the investigation is ongoing, Tillamook police are encouraging anyone with information on the incident 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 KOIN.com. Azali Assoumani served as African Union president between 2023 and 2024 [AFP] The man who was arrested for attacking the Comoros president with a knife on Friday has been found dead in prison, the authorities there say. The attack took place during a funeral for a well-known religious leader and injured President Azali Assoumani's hand. National prosecutor Ali Mohamed Djounaid said that after being arrested the attacker had been isolated in a cell to calm him down. He said a lifeless body was found lying on the floor of the cell on Saturday morning. "A doctor declared him dead. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of his death," Mr Djounaid told a press conference in the Indian Ocean archipelago's capital, Moroni. As for the 65-year-old president, he was "doing well. He has no health problems, he is out of danger. A few stitches were given," energy minister Aboubacar Said Anli is quoted by the AFP news agency as saying. He was also at the press conference, which was attended by almost all government ministers. The motive for Friday's afternoon's attack is not clear but the authorities are looking into it. They have identified the knifeman as a 24-year-old soldier called Ahmed Abdou, AFP reports. Witnesses told AFP they saw the man in the room where well-wishers were paying their respects to the deceased. They say the attacker injured the president's hand in the stabbing, before being stopped by one of the mourners. President Azali first came to power in a military coup in 1999. After a decade out of office, he won a disputed election in 2016 and was re-elected last January. The vote was marred by allegations of ballot stuffing and was followed by two days of deadly protests. Azali has been accused of growing authoritarianism. He served as president of the African Union between 2023 and 2024. More BBC stories on Comoros: [Getty Images/BBC] Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts "More common sense" should have been used when implementing Wales' default 20mph speed limit, the man behind the controversial policy has said. Lee Waters, who resigned as transport minister in March, said it was quite clear that the policy had reduced speeds and saved lives. But asked what he would do differently, he said he would apply more common sense on some roads where 20mph doesnt pass the sniff test. The Welsh government said it recognised some roads should revert to 30mph and "that will happen as a result of our review". The policy - introduced last September - made 20mph, rather than 30mph, the default speed limit in built up areas, with local councils able to make exceptions. It has led to a significant public backlash, with a review of its guidelines under way after a petition against the policy gathered just under half a million signatures and road signs were defaced. But recent figures suggested injuries on 20mph and 30mph roads fell by a third in the final quarter of last year. First Minister Eluned Morgan recently admitted the implementation of Wales' controversial 20mph law created problems. Waters said he believed the "whole government didn't get behind it" in the way they did with other policies, citing reforms on organ donation as an example. "If you think how much advertising and talking about that in advance, there wasn't half as much around the 20mph which was a bigger change to everyday people's lives," he told the BBC. "So I think that's a mistake and I think everyone, including me, has to hold their hand up to that," he added. Waters also said that some councils were "reluctant to move beyond the absolute letter of the guidance when they had flexibility". Road signs were defaced as the policy was coming into place [BBC] Waters also spoke of opposition to the policy, acknowledging it had been "greater and lasted longer than what we anticipated". "I don't think we prepared the ground enough and don't think people anticipated on what a big change this will be," he said, adding it could "take time" for people to accept the policy. It took a long time for people to get used to seatbelts, took a long time for people to get used to [a ban on] smoking in public places - but we havent gone backwards on any of those policies, and I dont think well go backwards on this. Waters also said the government should have done "far more to make people realise how big of a change this was and how it would apply in their communities". He added he was confident the data and evidence shows that it will save lives, and in time it will settle down. The Welsh government said collisions on local roads had "reduced significantly." We will continue to monitor the long term trend but things are heading in the right direction." It added it recognised some roads should revert back to 30mph and "that will happen as a result of our review". On Sunday, the first minister thanked the public for engaging with councils and highlighting, for example, that through roads with 20mph limits had been causing "most frustration". "But let's not forget that central to this is safety and... the number of collisions has seen a significant reduction," she told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement. Morgan said it was now for councils to "respond to those local concerns" and take action. Welsh Conservative transport spokeswoman Natasha Asghar said: "Labour politicians have now admitted on countless occasions after listening exercises that their 20mph policy is unpopular, but refuse to end it. "The only common sense approach would be to follow what the Welsh Conservatives have said since day one - scrap the 33m scheme altogether and get Wales moving again." SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) A man has been convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend in San Francisco in 2019, the San Francisco District Attorneys Office said. The victim was a 21-year-old student at San Francisco State University named Valeria Villagomez. Jose Dejesus Rodriguez, 25, fatally shot the victim at her home in the Outer Sunset on the afternoon of Oct. 24, 2019, the DAs office said. Officers arrived to find Rodriguez at the scene. Motorcyclist killed in San Joses 36th fatal crash of 2024 He made the 9-1-1 call after shooting the victim but did not tell police anything about the shooting. Police found a gun nearby, and he denied knowing anything about it. He had a history of violent, controlling and jealous behavior towards the victim, according to her journal and testimony from her friends. The defendants callous act of violence extinguished the life of a kind, smart and beautiful woman, said Assistant District Attorney Leigh Frazier. Rodriguez has been in custody since he was arrested on the day of the killing. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and resisting an officer with removal or attempted removal of a weapon. 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. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A man was killed after an armed standoff with a SWAT Team in rural Linn County early Saturday morning. Just after 12:30 a.m., Linn County Sheriffs deputies responded to an area near Scio on a report of a man hit by a vehicle. Two Oregon men arrested in California after $1.3M worth of cocaine found in car Oregon State Police troopers assisting on the call found the vehicle on Shimanek Bridge Drive with an armed man in the drivers seat. Authorities say that after the man refused to cooperate with officers, resulting in a standoff in which the man fired his gun. This prompted response from the Linn County Regional SWAT Team and a Crisis Negotiation Team. According to LCSO, investigators attempted to diffuse the situation by phone. However, due to the suspects actions, he was shot and killed, said LCSO. Suspected kidnapper shot by Salem officers early Friday morning identified: Oregon State Police No law enforcement personnel were injured. Officials say the SWAT Team Member who shot the suspect is with the Benton County Sheriffs Office. Both Lincoln and Benton County Sheriffs requested OSP further investigate the incident. No further information has been released at this time. 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. Man found floating in Lake Murray identified, coroner says. He was involved in a car crash The Lexington County Coroners Office has identified a man whose body was found in Lake Murray. Deputies with the Lexington County Sheriffs Department began a death investigation after a body was found floating in Lake Murray near the dam near Irmo about 10 a.m. Friday. According to the sheriff, crime scene investigators and major crimes detectives were involved. Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher identified the person as Darius Marshe Dendy, 34, of Columbia. Fisher did not say how Dendy died. Further investigation revealed that Dendy had been involved in a car crash on Wednesday. His car was found in Lake Murray and later retrieved. By Friday afternoon, the sheriffs department handed over the investigation to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The incident remains under investigation by the coroners office and the highway patrol. Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix is sharing new details about a shooting near the county courthouse that left one person dead and another injured. The sheriff did not release the victims names but identified them as Mr. and Mrs. Mallory. He says the couple were leaving the courthouse after a hearing when they got into separate cars. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Dix says Mrs. Mallory got in her car and Mr. Mallory drove by and stopped beside her car and fired several shots through his passenger window and into her car. She did not survive her injuries. Officers tried pulling Mr. Mallorys car over, but he did not stop initially. Eventually, he stopped and shot himself in the head. The sheriff says he is still alive. The sheriff says he is sharing the details because of rumors on social media claiming Mrs. Mallory asked a deputy to escort her to her car and was denied. He says that is not true and video surveillance from the courthouse shows her walking through the lobby and to her car without talking to deputies. He says she did ask clerks in the Magistrate Court, but did not ask a deputy. TRENDING STORIES: He says there have been several cases where deputies were called to the Mallorys home, even describing their relationship as toxic. In most of those cases, Dix says it could not be determined who was the primary aggressor and no one was arrested. On one occasion, Mr. Mallory was arrested but posted bond. No one is blaming Mrs. Mallory for what happened to her. We have to take facts and evidence and weigh them against the law in order to act. This is a horrible thing that happened and people are emotional and angry about it, the sheriff wrote in a lengthy Facebook post. There is no word on the severity of Mr. Mallorys injuries or what charges he will face. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: A general view of the Dortmund stadium. The man who climbed under the roof of the Dortmund stadium during Germany's Euro 2024 last-16 win over Denmark has been fined, the Dortmund public prosecutor's office has said. Marcus Brandt/dpa The man who climbed under the roof of the Dortmund stadium during Germany's Euro 2024 last-16 win over Denmark has been fined, the Dortmund public prosecutor's office has said. The 21-year-old had been fined 1,050 ($1,164) over the June 30 incident, the office said. The man from Osnabruck was spotted climbing on the beams under the roof during the match. Police kept him under surveillance until the end of the match, when a special task force removed and arrested him. The day after the incident, police announced that the man had only wanted to take photographs from the unusual vantage point. Media had speculated over a major security breach given he was masked and carrying a rucksack, but police said the bag contained camera equipment. Man who pulled a gun on driver arrested after 6 pounds of marijuana found: police (KRON) Two firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and six pounds of marijuana were located by the Santa Rosa Police Department after a man vandalized a car, the department announced on its social media. At 9:40 p.m. on Wednesday, Santa Rosa PD responded to the 1600 block of Sendero Lane. Police were informed of a male suspect who was kicking and breaking the windows of a vehicle. The suspect subsequently took a firearm out of his white GMC pick-up and pointed it at the driver. The suspect fled in his pickup truck. Police learned the license plate number of the assailant. Officers located the truck and conducted a traffic stop. The driver was identified as 40-year-old Santa Rosa resident Francisco Javier Palomino Alvarez. Robbery suspect threw rocks at store manager, steals multiple tools from store: police Image provided by the Santa Rosa Police Department Police noticed a Glock 40 near the right front passenger seat within Alvarezs reach. A search of the vehicle also yielded an extended magazine capable of holding 30 rounds of ammunition, an additional firearm with more than a hundred rounds of ammunition, multiple bottles of open alcoholic beverages and approximately six pounds of packaged marijuana. Alvarez is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition due to a prior conviction, according to police. After an evaluation, Alvarez was found to be under the influence of alcohol, according to Santa Rosa PD. Employees claim DA Price uses mob boss tactics and threats, she claims innocence Alvarez was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail for the following charges: Assault with a deadly weapon, specifically a firearm Vandalism with damage greater than $400 Felon in possession of a firearm Felon in possession of ammunition Possession of a firearm in a vehicle Possession of an extended magazine Driving under the influence Driving under the influence with a blood alcohol level of .08% or greater Possession of marijuana for sale Due to the nature of the incident, the identity of the victim will remain anonymous, police 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. Man sentenced to life in prison for 2023 Portland double murder of incredible individuals PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A man was sentenced to life in prison for a 2023 double murder in Portland, authorities said. Bennet Miller, 25, was sentenced for two counts of first-degree murder after accepting a plea deal, the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office said. Young girl dies in NE Portland, fentanyl suspected The two homicide victims were Fortressen Oriakhi and Isidahomen Ikhuoria, described in a release from the DAs office as bright lights in this world. Fortressen Oriakhi (Left) and Isidahomen Ikhuoria (Right) were both killed in a shooting on June 23, 2023 (PPB) The shooting happened in Northeast Portlands Hollywood District in the early morning hours of June 23, 2023. The investigation began when Portland police responded to reports of several shots fired. When they arrived at the scene, near Northeast Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Northeast Sandy Boulevard, they found a car crashed into a telephone pole. Both occupants had multiple gunshot wounds. The driver and car owner, Oriakhi, was found dead. The passenger, Ikhuoria, was hospitalized with injuries but passed away one week later. Car goes into river near Sauvie Island early Friday According to the DAs office, the Portland Police Bureau investigation determined Miller was driving a 2018 Toyota Camry that he co-owned, matching witnesses descriptions. He pulled up alongside Oriakhi and Ikhuoria in another car near Northeast Halsey Street and Northeast Cesar Chavez Boulevard, fired 10 shots at them, then fled. The DAs office said Miller later confessed to a friend to killing the two victims because he mistook them for individuals with whom he had issues. During the course of this investigation, we learned that these two young men were incredible individuals and immense bright lights in this world, the DAs office said in a release. We extend our condolences to those still grieving the losses of their loved ones and express our appreciation for all who contributed to the resolution of this case. Miller was transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections and will have the ability to request parole after serving the 32-year minimum, officials 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 KOIN.com. When we invest, we're generally looking for stocks that outperform the market average. And while active stock picking involves risks (and requires diversification) it can also provide excess returns. For example, long term HiTech Group Australia Limited (ASX:HIT) shareholders have enjoyed a 72% share price rise over the last half decade, well in excess of the market return of around 19% (not including dividends). However, more recent returns haven't been as impressive as that, with the stock returning just 7.3% in the last year, including dividends. So let's investigate and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress. See our latest analysis for HiTech Group Australia While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Over half a decade, HiTech Group Australia managed to grow its earnings per share at 13% a year. This EPS growth is reasonably close to the 11% average annual increase in the share price. Therefore one could conclude that sentiment towards the shares hasn't morphed very much. In fact, the share price seems to largely reflect the EPS growth. You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on HiTech Group Australia's earnings, revenue and cash flow. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. 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 HiTech Group Australia, it has a TSR of 126% 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 HiTech Group Australia provided a TSR of 7.3% over the last twelve months. But that was short of the market average. If we look back over five years, the returns are even better, coming in at 18% per year for five years. It may well be that this is a business worth popping on the watching, given the continuing positive reception, over time, from the market. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand HiTech Group Australia better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for HiTech Group Australia that you should be aware of. Story continues Of course HiTech Group Australia 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 Australian 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. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said a man was shot and killed in Northeast D.C. on Saturday morning. Commanders fans gear up for first home game of the season MPD said that at about 5 a.m., it was dispatched to the 2200 block of Adams Place for a shooting. When police arrived at the scene, they found a man who had been shot. He died there. 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. Atlanta police responded to a shooting at The Verge apartment complex on Milton Avenue SE. ATLANTA - A Friday night party ended in gunfire in southeast Atlanta. Atlanta police responded to the Verge Apartments on Milton Avenue SE at 1:30 a.m. where a 22-year-old man was shot during a party inside one of the units. He was rushed to a local hospital by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries. The shooter was said to have fled the scene before they arrived. FOX 5 Atlanta is still working to learn more about this incident. Editors note: A previous version of this story featured an incorrect photo. We apologize for the error. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A man who led police on a high-speed chase and then shot a San Diego police officer was sentenced Friday to 47 years-to-life in state prison. Andrew Joseph Garcia, 22, pleaded guilty last month to premeditated and deliberate attempted murder on a peace officer, assault with a semi-automatic firearm on a peace officer, shooting at an inhabited dwelling and unlawful driving of a stolen vehicle, according to a release Friday from the office of San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan. $44.2 million worth of cocaine captured, brought to San Diego: Coast Guard He also pleaded guilty to felony reckless evading and felon in possession of a firearm, the release continued. Garcia was chased by police for more than an hour for driving a stolen car in December 2022, authorities said. The chase happened on and off freeways at speeds upwards to 90 miles per hour, the release stated. Gang members suspected of extorting Barrio Logan businesses into paying for protection After fleeing the car and running into an apartment complex in Mountain View, Garcia opened fire on officers with a ghost gun, firing multiple rounds, according to authorities. In doing so, he hit one of the officers in the chest and arm. During a standoff in a vacant building, authorities said Garcia overdosed on drugs and had to be revived by officers using Narcan before being placed under arrest. Garcias sentence included guilty pleas on a separate gang-related case from April 2022. During the incident, authorities said he got out of a vehicle and shot at two people who were eating burritos on the sidewalk because he mistook them to be rival gang members. 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. PEKIN, Ill. (WMBD) A man was arrested after he allegedly attacked members of his family in Pekin on Friday. According to Police Chief Seth Ranney, officers initially responded to a home near Charlotte and Second Streets after a report of a neighbor attacking their family members. The family members fled the residence and were given medical aid when police arrived on the scene. Police tried to make contact with the man who remained in the residence, 41-year-old Clement Kobischka, but he would not respond. Pekin police barricaded portion of neighborhood after wanted man refused arrest Officers said Kobischka allegedly used illegal drugs and had access to guns. Officers decided to arrest Kobischka and obtained an arrest warrant. The Central Illinois Emergency Response Team was called to assist with the arrest. After the speakers in the armored vehicle announced to Kobischka that he was under arrest, he eventually left the residence and surrendered to police. He was arrested for two counts of aggravated battery, but other charges are anticipated. 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 CIProud.com. Man tries to meet minor for sex, arrested, Fresno County deputies say FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) A man has been arrested after being caught attempting to meet with a minor for sexual purposes, the Fresno County Sheriffs Office said on Friday. Deputies say detectives with the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested 28-year-old Derian Gutierrez of Armona in connection with several charges related to meeting a minor for sexual purposes. Registered sex offender gesturing to girls in Kingsburg, police say The Sheriffs Office says Gutierrezs arrest is part of a proactive investigation to combat the problem of people seeking out sexual relationships with children, in which detectives would pose as teenagers and use technology to identify would-be predators. During the investigation, deputies say the suspect expressed his sexual desires and agreed to a meeting place with the detective posing as a child. Gutierrez arrived at the location and was subsequently arrested by officers. No actual children were harmed or put in danger in this situation. Derian Gutierrez According to deputies, Gutierrez was booked into the Fresno County Jail on multiple charges related to meeting a minor for sexual purposes. His bail was set at $10,000, but he has since posted bond and been released with a court date. Anyone with information regarding potential predators is encouraged to contact the Sheriffs Office at 559-600-3111. 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. HARTFORD, Ohio (WKBN) If youre looking for some fall decorations, an upscale vendor market in Trumbull County may be just the place to shop. The Wooden Barn Shops Fall in the Woods is happening this weekend at Hartford Hill Winery. Its the fifth year for the event and the second at the winery. Organizers say there will be nearly 100 specialty vendors at the winery for the upscale market. Honestly, youre supporting the small businesses but more importantly is that we all want to save some money. I will tell you here at Wooden Barn Shop, we are always told we have the best prices around so you can come and decorate for your fall season at a very reasonable price, said Donna Helmick. The cost to get in is $2 a person. Fall in the Woods runs from 10 a.m. 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. 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 WKBN.com. PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) In an event to celebrate a new era Panama City residents were eager to soak up the history one last time at the Martin Theatre. Panama City held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday evening. The Martin Theatre is our greatest symbol of the rebirth of our town after a hurricane like this. And so its been a long time coming since that storm. But the groundbreaking for the construction project, we wanted to celebrate because its the beginning of a whole new chapter for Panama City. Nothing symbolizes us like the martin. Nothing is a core part of our story like the Martin, Director of Red Fish Foundation Kevin Elliot said. While the restorations will honor the past they also embrace change as renovations include the new Tennessee House and the Ritz. The new additions will provide a space for everyone. My family owned the Tennessee house so I love, love, love this place. I mean, my parents came here, my grandparents came here, my great-grandparents came here. Just amazing. And now my kids get to experience it, Anima Arts Morgan Godwin said. The project will bring in modern technology while preserving the historic nature of the theatre. The renovations are now projected to be finished in about 2 and a half years at a price tag of at least $32 million. 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 mypanhandle.com. BALTIMORE With under 60 days to go before the Nov. 5 election, several local jurisdictions across central Maryland are still in need of volunteers to serve as election judges. The need is greatest in Baltimore City, where city Election Director Armstead Jones said he could use another 2,000 judges. Baltimore typically requires about 2,500 judges to staff Election Day, but many of the people who sign up dont show, Jones said. The citys reserves were not enough to properly staff all positions for the May 14 primary when about 600 judges did not come to work, he said. The city is seeking extra judges, so it has a sufficient bench this fall. Election judges in Baltimore are paid $50 for training and $250 on Election Day. Chief judges receive $325. Baltimore County Election Director Ruie Lavoie said she still needs about 600 judges to ensure she has the 3,400 required for Election Day. The county is particularly in need of Republican judges, she said. More are needed to staff polling places in the western part of the county which is more heavily Democratic. Democratic judges are needed to staff locations in the northern part of the county which trends Republican, she said. Baltimore County pays $250 for election judges, $300 to staffers who manage same-day voter registration and $350 for chief judges. Returning judges get a $100 bonus, Lavoie said. Election judges in Maryland must be 16 or older, be a registered voter, be willing to work outside their home precinct and able to speak, read and write in English. Judges must also be able to work a 15-hour day and be able to sit and stand for an extended period. Lavoie said shes gearing up for high turnout this fall with the presidential race on the ballot. Republican former President Donald Trump faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Races for U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives will be decided, as well as local races in Baltimore City. Im expecting a historical turnout, Lavoie said. Im deploying every piece of equipment I have. Election directors in Harford and Howard counties reported having a full complement of judges. Guy Mickley, Howard Countys director, said he needs 1,200 judges for Election Day and is fully staffed. Some judges are expected to drop out, however, so the county is still taking applications. Its always harder to get Republicans than Democrats, but well take anyone that would like to be a judge, he said. Harford County officials said they already have a waiting list to staff the countys 840 positions and do not need additional volunteers. Rich Siejack, deputy director of elections for Anne Arundel County, said he will need 2,200 to 2,300 judges for Election Day and is on target with the applications that have been received so far to meet that number. Still, Anne Arundel County will continue accepting applications to make sure backup judges are available. Judges in Anne Arundel are paid between $250 and $350, depending on their position. Judges also receive $50 for training and $25 for mandatory pre-Election Day setup. In August 2022, a plume of orange, silt-laden water covers much of Marylands lower Gunpowder River. Aerial photos taken in summer 2023 and 2024 showed similar plumes. (Submitted photo) By Tim Wheeler Chesapeake Bay Journal Acting after years of complaints from residents, Maryland authorities have filed suit against the developer and builders of a Harford County housing project, accusing them of polluting the Gunpowder River and one of its tributaries by failing to control muddy runoff from the construction site. More than 30 inspections since May 2022 of the 388-home Ridgelys Reserve development and a related sewer line project in the Joppa area found numerous violations of state sediment pollution and nontidal wetlands laws, according to the 94-page complaint filed Sept. 6 in Harford County Circuit Court. The attorney generals office, on behalf of the Maryland Department of the Environment, is seeking penalties against Texas-based homebuilder D.R. Horton, its development subsidiary Forestar Real Estate Group and York, Pennsylvania, contractor Kinsley Construction. The repeated violations at Ridgelys Reserve demonstrate a blatant disregard for our environmental laws and the welfare of Marylanders, Attorney General Anthony Brown said. In addition to fines of up to $25,000 per day per violation, the states complaint seeks a court order requiring that the defendants repair the damage done by the pollution to the Gunpowder and its tributary, Foster Branch. Sediment pollution is a major threat to the ecological health of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Rainfall and snow melt can wash clay, silt and sand off exposed soil. The muddy runoff turns streams and rivers murky, smothering fish eggs and bottom-dwelling aquatic life. It also blocks sunlight that underwater grasses need to grow. Aerial surveys have found marked declines in submerged aquatic vegetation in the Gunpowder over the last two years, even as grass beds providing critical habitat for fish and crabs have increased elsewhere in the Bay. Inspection after inspection has documented problems with this project, and this pollution has caused real harm to our waterways, MDE Secretary Serena McIlwain said in a release announcing the lawsuit. It is past time for this pollution to stop. We are asking the court to not only impose a financial penalty but also require that the affected waterways be restored. The three companies did not respond to emails seeking comment on the lawsuit. The states lawsuit comes a month after the Gunpowder Riverkeeper formally notified the same companies that it intended to file a federal lawsuit against them for ongoing and continuous Clean Water Act violations at the Joppa construction site. Residents have been complaining for more than two years that muddy runoff from the 121-acre development was turning Foster Branch and the Gunpowder murky shades of orange and brown. They have collected about 1,000 signatures on a petition demanding action that was posted on a website titled Mad about Mud. In the news release announcing the lawsuit, MDE acknowledged that it began inspecting Ridgelys Reserve and its sewer construction sites in response to complaints from residents and the riverkeeper. Each inspection found repeated violations, including failing silt fences, bare soil that during rainstorms could become muddy runoff into Foster Branch and the Gunpowder downstream. Although the sewer line project is finished, the lawsuit says the construction site still needs to be stabilized to prevent muddy runoff. Work continues at the housing development, though most of the homes have been built and some sold, according to MDEs lawsuit. A Harford County spokesman said county officials welcomed the states lawsuit, noting that County Executive Bob Cassilly had walked the construction site and discussed it with the MDE secretary. The county levied $20,000 in fines against the developer and stopped work at the site seven times over the past two years to require repairs to runoff controls. MDE inspections continued to find violations, most recently in July. Bill Temmink, a Joppatowne resident who has filed multiple complaints with the county and state over muddy runoff from Ridgelys Reserve and the sewer project, lodged another complaint the day MDE filed its lawsuit. He contended that the housing development still has a large area of bare ground that could erode away in a rainstorm. Temmink and some other local residents whove complained about the muddy runoff welcomed the state lawsuit. Gunpowder Riverkeeper Theaux Le Gardeur likewise said he was encouraged. He urged the state to insist on restoration of the damaged waterways as the focus of any resolution of its lawsuit. Thats low-hanging fruit, he said, noting that the county has a pre-existing watershed restoration plan for Foster Branch. But Jack Whisted, a retired engineer who lives along Foster Branch, said it was too little too late for him. The Gunpowder has been brown all summer. I feel the damage is irreparable, he said by email. My disappointment over this has made me extremely sad, Whisted added, and makes me want to move away to better water. HONOLULU (KHON2) The Maui Police Departments Cold Case Unit is asking for the publics help in identifying a man found deceased in the waters off Kahului Harbor breakwater on September 25, 1996. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The man, described as a Caucasian in his late 30s, stood about 5-foot-9 and weighed approximately 230 pounds. He was discovered shirtless, wearing gray gym shorts, with a yellow mesh dive bag floating nearby. Authorities estimate he had been in the water for less than 24 hours before being found. No trial for man accused of beating wife to death A forensic sketch of the deceased is available for reference. Anyone with information about this individual is urged to contact the Maui Police Departments non-emergency number at (808) 244-6400, or reach out directly to the Cold Case Unit at (808) 270-5575 or via email at coldcase@mpd.net. Please refer to MPD report number 96-57460. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news They say every bit of information, no matter how small, could be crucial to solving 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 KHON2. If you buy and hold a stock for many years, you'd hope to be making a profit. Furthermore, you'd generally like to see the share price rise faster than the market. But Fortis Inc. (TSE:FTS) has fallen short of that second goal, with a share price rise of 11% over five years, which is below the market return. Zooming in, the stock is up a respectable 9.5% in the last year. So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 5 years and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns. View our latest analysis for Fortis In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). During five years of share price growth, Fortis actually saw its EPS drop 2.9% per year. Since EPS is down a bit, and the share price is up, it's probably that the market previously had some concerns about the company, but the reality has been better than feared. Having said that, if the EPS falls continue we'd be surprised to see a sustained increase in share price. The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers). We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Fortis' earnings, revenue and cash flow. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Fortis the TSR over the last 5 years was 34%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective Fortis provided a TSR of 14% over the last twelve months. But that was short of the market average. The silver lining is that the gain was actually better than the average annual return of 6% per year over five year. It is possible that returns will improve along with the business fundamentals. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Fortis better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Fortis (1 can't be ignored) that you should be aware of. Story continues There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of undervalued small cap companies that insiders are buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Canadian 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. This article was originally published in Kentucky Lantern. A Western Kentucky University student has a confirmed case of measles and may have exposed others, according to the Barren River Health District and the Kentucky Department for Public Health. The student is unvaccinated against the highly contagious disease, the health departments said. The student, whose name, gender and other identifying information were not released, recently traveled internationally. This is where they are presumed to have been exposed to measles. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Upon returning, and while infectious with measles, the student attended public events on Aug. 28, 29 and 30, the health department said. People who were at the following locations may have been exposed: The Commons at Helm Library (WKU) 1906 College Heights Blvd #11067 in Bowling Green Wednesday Aug. 28, 2024, (7:45 a.m. 10 am and 8 p.m. 10:30 p.m.) Thursday Aug. 29, 2024, (7:45 a.m. 10 a.m.) Friday Aug. 30, 2024, (7:45 a.m. 10 a.m.) WKU student union Starbucks 1906 College Heights Blvd in Bowling Green Wednesday Aug. 28, 2024, 6:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. Simply Ramen restaurant trivia night 801 Campbell Lane in Bowling Green Thursday Aug. 29, 2024, (7 p.m. 11:00 p.m.) Measles spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, according to the World Health Organization. It can cause serious complications and death, according to WHO, which reported most deaths from measles in 2022 were in unvaccinated children. Vaccination is the best defense against measles, WHO says. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a first dose of MMR vaccine for children 1215 months and a second dose between ages 46. Teens and adults should also stay up-to-date on this vaccine, the CDC says, which is generally available at pharmacies. Symptoms of measles are fever, cough, watery eyes, runny nose and rash. If you have questions about exposure or your risk, call your healthcare provider or the Barren River District Health Department at 833-551-0953. Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network 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. WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) Theres now another medical company interested in buying a part of what Steward Health planned on closing in Trumbull County. Insight Health System has been following the Steward bankruptcy since the start but it wasnt until the past week that it considered buying Trumbull and Hillside. Insight is a physician-led organization that started in Flint, Michigan, in 2008 and has since grown to six hospitals, six surgery centers and 28 clinics. Most recently it bought Chicagos Mercy Hospital. What Insight is looking to buy locally is primarily Trumbull Regional Medical Center. You know one of the things for us that I think is unique is that we have taken on challenges like this whether it be in Flint or in the South Side of Chicago, said Dr. Rany Aburashed. Insight has carved out a niche in the healthcare industry. Its known for assuming ownership of distressed hospitals and turning them around. Our goals for Trumbull are to set this institution up for success for generations to come as an acute healthcare facility of the highest nature. We have a pathway towards ownership at Trumbull and we also recognize the importance of Hillside as well although the legal pathways are a bit more winding with that, Aburashed said. Insight is not currently looking to buy any of Stewards satellite operations in Austintown or Bazetta township. In a statement this afternoon, Western Reserve Health Education and Warren City Hospital expressed optimism about Insights plans. Both organizations agree having Insight take over increases the likelihood that the hospitals stay open and survive. Insight officials spent Wednesday touring the hospitals and they were impressed. We realized there was really a potential jeopardy here for this hospital to truly close. I think it was at this stage that we became much more engaged, Aburashed said. The administration was really caring about making sure were doing this correctly and that this place stands. The clinicians, all the physicians that we met last night were just incredible to sort of see them come together. 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 WKBN.com. GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) A Measles case has been reported for the first time in North Carolina since 2018 as it happened near Charlotte Monday. The case was reported by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and health officials at ECU said the disease is one of the most contagious viruses around and is an airborne disease. Another concern is that a person is contagious about four days before they start to show symptoms. They said making sure your child has the Measles vaccine is a significant part of making sure the virus doesnt spread. Problem is, with Measles, you really have to have well over 95 percent of your community immunized to really prevent it, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at ECU Brody School of Medicine Alex Dalzell said. And so, were well below that number in the county, let alone North Carolina. So there is a risk in our community for measles to occur. And so, its going to most likely hit kids who either have not been immunized or who may have been immunized, but they have an immuno-compromising condition. He also said that having Measles doesnt have just short-term effects but can cause pneumonia and other health complications. Medical professionals said children should get their first dose of the vaccine at 12-15 months old and their second dose at 4-6 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 WNCT. Hampton Roads community groups are hosting debates and forums with candidates ahead of the Nov. 5 elections. Heres a list of events scheduled for Sept. 15-21. Newport News The Womans Club of Newport News is hosting a forum to meet City Council candidates. The event starts at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 and will be held at the Hilton Christian Church, 100 James River Road in Newport News. Candidates will introduce themselves and answer questions from community members. Norfolk The League of Women Voters of South Hampton Roads is hosting a candidate meet and greet from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at MacArthur Center. Candidates running for mayor, City Council superwards 6 and 7 and the school board will be in attendance. The event takes place at 757 Creative Reuse Center on the second floor of MacArthur Center, located at 300 Monticello Ave. in Norfolk. Related Articles Portsmouth American Legion Post 190 will host a forum for candidates running for Portsmouth mayor and City Council. The event is 5 p.m. Sept. 16. at 2711 Peach St. in Portsmouth. Williamsburg The League of Women Voters of Williamsburg Area and the York-James City-Williamsburg NAACP are sponsoring a forum to meet the candidates for Williamsburg City Council. The event is 7 to 8 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Williamsburg Regional Library auditorium. Attendees will be able to submit questions that will be asked by the moderator. If you are a group hosting a candidate debate or forum and would like to publicize it in The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press, please send details to government and politics editor Andrea Noble at andrea.noble@virginiamedia.com. SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WPRI) Georgiana may be a little dog, but she has a big heart. Just ask her owner Sheri Lough, who brings her pup to work three days a week. Lough, an occupational therapist at Saint Philip School, launched Cardinal CARES (Canine Assisted Resources for Emotional and Educational Skills Support) in an effort to meet the needs of her students. Georgiana, or Georgi, is a 4-year-old Cavachon therapy dog whos hypoallergenic and temperament tested, according to Lough. Lough believes Georgi provides something that everyone needs comfort and unconditional love. Its a sense of connection and the human-animal bond that really transcends anybodys challenges, she explained. Georgi is part of the fabric of our community. Georgi meets with more than two dozen students weekly. She even has her own office where students can pop by to decompress. Georgi is embedded in the fabric of our community, Lough said. She breaks down barriers to help [students] be successful. Lough said its heartwarming to watch Georgi break down those barriers. She remembers an instance where a student who kept mostly to herself underwent a complete transformation after meeting Georgi. There was a select few that this one child would interact with, Lough recalled. By the end of the year, she was talking with every classmate and every teacher. Keith Kline, principal of Saint Philip School and a licensed occupational therapist himself, told 12 News that Cardinal C.A.R.E.S. is a proactive effort to ensure students thrive. Kline said having Georgi at the school is such a gift. In order for kids to learn, theyve got to be in the right place to learn, Kline explained. [Georgi] really helps their social and emotional skills so they can learn and be successful. Kline joked that Georgis first visit of the day is always to his office. She has to come in see me so I can get my Georgi fix, he said with a chuckle. Kline said Georgi has had a positive impact on students and staff. She is such a blessing, he said. So, how did Georgi wind up at Saint Philip School? Kline said the town provided the school with the funding necessary to launch Cardinal C.A.R.E.S. He told 12 News he will do whatever it takes to keep her there once that money runs out. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This Week in Good News 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 WPRI.com. PLEASANTON, CA Patch reached out to all candidates for the PUSD Board of Trustees with identical questions about their background and their vision for Pleasanton schools. Here are the responses from Kelly Mokashi, the incumbent candidate for Area 3. Responses have not been altered. 1. What is your personal, educational, and professional background? I am a mother of 3 Pleasanton students (MS, and High School). Educator for 29 years, including as a teacher, consultant, PD trainer, curriculum writer/eLearning facilitator, content developer. Employed currently at Fremont USD as a Community School Coordinator to implement a 5 year education grant at an elementary school. Former Executive Director for a non-profit and former President of Board of Directors for another non-profit. 2. How long have you lived in Pleasanton? Seven years since Fall 2017. 3. What brought you here? Children's fathers employment in the Bio-Tech Industry (Roche, Thermo Fisher) 4. How have you been involved in the community? Advocate for Pleasanton residents for conservative building (Downtown Specific Plan), former Adult member of the Pleasanton Youth Commission, volunteer for Troop 911 5. What do you feel are some of the biggest challenges facing PUSD? Deficit spending /budget cuts up to 13 M for 2025/2026 year needed to balance the budget, disproportionately of our students of color and Hispanic students, under-served students (students with disabilities and multilingual learners), labor union negotiations, special education services, and long-term effects of Covid pandemis (SEL of our students), and hiring a full time, experienced superintendent to meet the future needs of our PUSD community. 6. What are your plans for addressing them? Tighter fiscal and BOND oversight, increase collaboration with all educational partners (teachers, classified staff, community, families, unions), continue to lobby at the local and state level for local/state policy changes, improve transparency across all departments within all departments and with the community, partner with district personnel and community partners to identify redundancies and improve overall efficiency of operations to serve our students. 7. What makes you the best candidate? I have the educational experience and 4 years of experience as an incumbent- elected trustee. For example, I have served on many district committees (i.e. curriculum, policy, special education, city-district liaison committee, Economic Vitality and facilities) to improve district practices for the benefit of our PUSD students. I understand the long-term needs for PUSD and how to support collaborative/shared leadership to make long-term strategic changes and how to make the policy changes (i.e. I helped lobby for the state bill for dyslexia screener for our struggling readers, as I am an elected trustee leader at the state school board level). Experience matters and my leadership capacity has shown that I work to hold the district accountable for strategic-data informed decisions, which is essential moving forward. I have extensive experience working with superintendents and other educational leaders, both professionally and as an elected trustee. My proven track record has demonstrated my expertise to serve in my role as a trustee with a solid commitment to continue to serve in the best interest of our students and our PUSD community. 8. Outside of politics, what do you enjoy doing? I love to travel and spend time with my children. 9. Any other comments? I would be honored to be re-elected to serve our Pleasanton students and school community and take my role and responisiblities very seriously! Meet Kelly Mokashi, Candidate For Pleasanton School Board originally appeared on the Pleasanton Patch Former first lady Melania Trump blasted the FBIs 2022 raid of Mar-a-Lago in a video posted on social media Saturday morning, cautioning that the rights and freedoms of Americans have to be respected. The video, promoting her forthcoming memoir, presents the words of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution set to music, and then features images of the Trumps Florida estate, while she slams the federal agencys raid. I never imagined my privacy would be invaded by the government here in America, she said in the video. The FBI raided my home in Florida and searched through my personal belongings. This is not just my story, it serves as a warning to all Americans, a reminder that our freedom and rights must be respected. Melania Trumps video ended with an image of her upcoming book, Melania, which comes out Oct. 1. Former President Trump has criticized the FBIs raid of Mar-a-Lago as politically motivated. The agents recovered over 100 classified documents and folders. Trump was facing 40 charges related to his alleged mishandling of classified records and attempts to obstruct the governments attempt to return them. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in July dismissed the case, ruling special counsel Jack Smith was not lawfully appointed. Smith shortly after appealed the ruling. The ex-president said in late 2022 that Melania Trump felt very violated after the FBI executed the search of their home. She felt very violated. I mean, this is a terrible thing, he said. They go into her closet, they go through her dresses, and who knows what else, and it wasnt left the way it they found 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 The Hill. Memorial service to be held for SDPD officer killed in Clairemont crash SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) A memorial service will be held in honor of the San Diego police officer who died in a deadly crash in Clairemont last month. Austin Machitar, a 30-year-old five-and-a-half-year veteran of the department, was killed after a vehicle involved in a police pursuit on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard collided with his patrol car on Aug. 26. RELATED: First responders hold procession for SDPD officer killed in Clairemont crash The collision occurred around 11:30 p.m. after officers observed the suspect vehicle traveling down Clairemont Mesa Boulevard at a high rate of speed, according to SDPD. A pursuit was initiated after the driver failed to yield. The pursuit was later called off by supervising sergeants. Shortly thereafter, the suspect vehicle crashed into Machitars patrol car laterally at the roadways intersection with Doliva Drive, authorities said. The suspect, identified as 16-year-old Edgar Oviedo, was also killed in the crash. Meanwhile, Machitars patrol partner, 27-year-old Officer Zachary Martinez, sustained critical injuries. He was released from the hospital last Tuesday and is continuing his recovery at home. UC San Diego Health posted a video Tuesday on Facebook of Martinez being discharged from the hospitals regional burn center after being treated there for nearly a week following his transfer from Sharp Memorial Hospital. Next Saturday, Sept. 21, processions for Machitar will begin at 7:45 a.m. at Snapdragon Stadium and continue south on Interstate 15 and Interstate 8. The funeral procession will conclude at the Shadow Mountain Community Church, located at 2100 Greenfield Dr. in El Cajon, where the memorial service will be held. The service is open to the public. 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. (Reuters) - Mexican authorities logged seven homicides in the western state of Sinaloa on Friday, the latest violence to plague an area where increasingly frequent shootouts are fueling fears of the possible start of an intra-cartel war. The deaths bring the number of killings within the week to 19, after 12 killings were registered between Monday and Thursday. The Sinaloa prosecutor's office in a statement late on Friday said the latest victims were found in four separate locations. Two people were killed in the capital of Culiacan, and five in the municipality of Concordia, both of which the statement described as places "where violent events have occurred between criminal groups." Sinaloa, on the Pacific Coast, is the home base of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, a drug gang once led by kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who is now serving a life sentence in the U.S. The July arrest of another veteran gang leader, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, has stoked fears of infighting and turf battles. The prosecutor's office also said on Friday it received eight reports in Culiacan of men who had been kidnapped. In Culiacan, businesses have closed, public transportation has been cut back and Independence Day festivities have been canceled due to the worsening violence. (Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; editing by Diane Craft) Michaela DePrince performs Giselle with the English National ballet at the Coliseum on January 13, 2017 in London | Photo: Ian Gavan/Getty Images Michaela DePrince, the renowned ballerina, who was highly respected for her talent and her work as a humanitarian, has died at age 29. A spokesperson announced the sad news via DePrinces Instagram page on Friday. With pain in our hearts, we share the loss of star ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond, the statement began. It continued, Her life was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength. Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us. She stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Michaela Mabinty DePrince (@michaeladeprince) DePrince, who grew up as an orphan in Sierra Leone, found inspiration when she stumbled upon an image of a ballet dancer in a magazine. All I remember is she looked really, really happy, DePrince told the Associated Press in 2012, adding that she wanted to become this exact person. The star ballerina also opened up about the challenges she faced as an orphan. I lost both my parents, so I was there (the orphanage) for about a year and I wasnt treated very well because I had vitiligo, she told the AP. We were ranked as numbers and number 27 was the least favorite and that was my number, so I got the least amount of food, the least amount of clothes and what not. Adopted by a New Jersey couple, DePrince officially moved to the U.S. at 4 years old, according to NBC Philadelphia. DePrince attended Phillys prestigious Rock School for Dance Education. During her training, she often experienced racism. DePrince said she was once told Americas not ready for a black girl ballerina while rehearsing for The Nutcracker. Then, at 9 years old, a teacher reportedly said to her family, I dont like to put money into black dancers because they grow up and end up having big boobs and big hips. Still, DePrince persevered, graduating from high school, followed by the American Ballet Theatres Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. She worked at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she made history as the companys youngest principal dancer. You may even recognize her from Beyonces musical film Lemonade. As a humanitarian, DePrince often spoke up for children impacted by violence. Per NBC Philadelphia, she worked as an ambassador of War Child Holland, which is an independent non-governmental organization that works to ensure children have access to protection, education and psychosocial support. DePrinces cause of death is unknown at this time. By Tim Kelly and Katya Golubkova TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and the United States should avoid confrontation about the steel industry and work together amid competition from China, the world's top steelmaker, leading prime ministerial candidate Shinjiro Koizumi said on Saturday. Sources told Reuters on Friday that a powerful U.S. national security panel reviewing Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel faces a Sept. 23 deadline to recommend whether the White House should block the deal. Koizumi, Japan's former environment minister, said at a debate on Saturday that Japan and the U.S. should not confront each other when it comes to the steel industry but to face together the 'shared challenge' coming from China's steel industry. "If China, producing cheap steel without renewable or clean energy, floods the global market, it will most adversely affect us, the democratic countries playing by fair market rules," Koizumi said. Nippon Steel's key negotiator on the deal, Vice Chairman Takahiro Mori, said last month that his company and other Japanese steelmakers were urging Tokyo to consider curbing cheap steel imports coming from China to protect the local market. On Sunday, Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden about their deal, as Biden, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump have all opposed the merger. "We are also in the midst of elections, just like the U.S., and during elections, various ideas may arise. Overreacting to each of these would, in my view, call into question diplomatic judgment," Koizumi said when asked about the deal. Sanae Takaichi, Japan's minister in charge of economic security and another prime ministerial candidate, also defended the deal during the same debate attended by eight other Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) leadership contenders on Saturday. "It appears they are using (the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) CFIUS to frame this as an economic security issue," she said. "However, Japan and the U.S. are allies, and the steel industry is about strengthening our combined resilience." The 43-year-old son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, the junior Koizumi, is seen as a leading contender in the Sept. 27 race to pick the LDP's new leader, who will become the next prime minister due to the party's control of parliament. Koizumi said on Saturday that he would seek a dialogue with the North Korean leadership to resolve the issue over the abduction of Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s. Story continues "We want to explore new opportunities for dialogue between people of the same generation, without being bound by conventional approaches, and without preconditions," Koizumi said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is 40 years old. (Reporting by Tim Kelly and Katya Golubkova; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) Pitch Dreck While projecting an image of sustainability, Microsoft has secretly been selling bespoke AI services to fossil fuel giants and claiming it can help them make even more money while killing the climate. As The Atlantic's Karen Hao reports, whistleblowers say that the tech giant has been pitching all manner of wild promises to oil companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron and working to hide that fact from the public. After reviewing troves of documents and speaking to dozens of former and current Microsoft employees, Hao found that Microsoft is providing oil companies with AI algorithms designed to help them "maximize" their potential by predicting where best to drill. In a 2022 pitch deck the reporter acquired, for instance, Microsoft claimed that its AI tools could help ExxonMobil increase its annual revenue by $1.4 billion. Of that figure, $600 million of that slated revenue would come from so-called "sustainable production," which purportedly allows for fossil fuel drilling that uses less energy. While making these lofty pitches, the AI-bullish tech monstrosity also ambitiously pledged since 2020 to become "carbon negative" by the year 2030, and has since championed its AI as being a driving force for sustainability. Announcements of Microsoft's partnerships with oil and gas companies since have left out that the tech giant is helping some of these polluters streamline their drilling processes. Neg Off Microsoft repeatedly insisted that its goal of corporate carbon negativity is not at odds with the work its oil and gas clients do because its algorithms supposedly help them drill more efficiently. As Hao notes, the claim that Microsoft's AI can help increase production while reducing emissions became something of a mantra in company materials and interviews with the tech corporation and its clients. Obviously, that logic is flawed: one cannot claim to be a climate champion while also helping oil companies drill for finite combustible resources that are very plainly destroying the planet, regardless of what greenwashing talking points Microsoft's salespeople use. Indeed, some employees, including an environmentalist ex-Microsofter who now lobbies against her former employer, suggested to Hao that the idea was preposterous. "All of Microsofts public statements and publications paint a beautiful picture of the uses of AI for sustainability," Holly Alpine, a former Microsoft sustainability program manager who left the company earlier this year after nearly a decade, told The Atlantic. "But this focus on the positives is hiding the whole story, which is much darker." After pushing back against the company's tacit support for fossil fuel extraction for years, Alpine eventually became disillusioned enough to leave the software giant. Microsoft, meanwhile, has "not committed to a timeline" to cutting ties with its oil clients, according to a spokesperson who spoke with The Atlantic. More on Microsoft: Microsoft Is Losing a Staggering Amount of Money on AI ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) West Rowan Middle School was threatened Thursday night, according to the Rowan County Sheriffs Office. Around 9:34 p.m. on September 12, the Sheriffs Office was told through the Say Something Crisis Center that a student threatened to shoot a staff member and others at the school. A parent also called to report the threats. Morganton teen charged with making violent threats toward Caldwell County high school Deputies say they quickly identified the student responsible and visited the juveniles family. The student denies being involved. No weapons were found in his room or in his possession. Authorities do not believe there is a threat to students and staff. The investigation into the incident is still ongoing. We take these threats to our students and school staff very seriously and investigate them to the fullest extent, the Sheriffs Office wrote in a statement. Parents and students should understand that these type threats are a violation of law and will not be tolerated. Communicating a threat of mass violence on school property is a class H-Felony. 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. Critics have offered a fact-check on Vice President Kamala Harris claim that the U.S. has "not one member of the United States military who is on active duty" in a combat zone "for the first time this century," indicating that the statement is misleading. Harris made the claim in Tuesday's debate with former President Trump. While her phrasing left room for interpretation, it is clear that there are U.S. troops in harm's way around the globe. "As of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is on active duty in a combat zone in any war zone around the world, the first time this century," Harris said during the Presidential Debate on ABC. The Pentagon told Fox News Digital service that members are stationed in various dangerous locations but noted that those deployments are made by the Executive Branch and not due to wars declared by Congress. "An aspect of military service includes serving in locations where hostile actions may occur," a Defense Official said. "Those locations are designated by executive order and/or the Secretary of Defense." I BELIEVE PENNSYLVANIA WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN 2024 ELECTION: REP: MADELEINE DEAN READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "However, its important to note that just because a service member is in one of these locations does not mean they are engaged in war," the official added. "The U.S. is not currently engaged in a war and does not have troops fighting in active war zones anywhere in the world." Vice President Kamala Harris went viral with her response to a question about how she would bring down prices, in an interview with Philadelphia's 6 ABC anchor Brian Taff. Mark Montgomery, a retired rear admiral and senior director for the Center on Cyber and Tech Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracy, told Fox News Digital that the U.S. has "quietly shut down designations of war zones over the past few years." "I would ask: Is anyone getting combat-related hazardous duty pay?" Montgomery added. "The answer is yes," and noted Syria as an example. JESUS MARQUEZ ON TRUMP'S CHANCES IN BATTLEGROUND STATE: ABSOLUTELY WE CAN TAKE NEVADA The Pentagon did not comment on whether troops in countries such as Syria, Jordan or Iraq or on other bases around the Middle East have received hazardous duty pay over the past 10 months as Iran has backed proxies including the Houthis and Hezbollah. A transfer case is unloaded during the dignified transfer ceremony of the remains of three U.S. service members killed in the drone attack on the U.S. military outpost in Jordan, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, on February 2, 2024. Hazardous Duty Pay is distributed at a monthly rate of $225 and is payable to a member who is subjected to hostile fire, explosion of hostile mines or other hostile action while performing duty in a hostile fire area, exposed to a hostile fire event or killed, injured or wounded by hostile fire or explosion, according to Military.com. Military members serving in Lebanon have been eligible for hazardous duty pay since 1983, while those in Syria have been eligible since 2003 and 2014 for land and air combat, respectively. Iraq has remained an eligible region since 1990. Robert Greenway, combat veteran of the U.S. Special Forces and former senior director for the National Security Council (NSC) during the Trump administration, noted that the U.S. has "continuously" deployed troops to combat zones since the 1991 Gulf War. HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN: GOP CHAIR VOWS WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO WIN IN NOVEMBER "The assertion is especially egregious, as she is the current VP and should know that we recently conducted a raid in Syria killing a senior ISIS commander, several U.S. troops had to be medically evacuated after another raid against ISIS in Syria," Greenway told Fox News Digital. "Several servicemembers were wounded in Iraq when Al Asad Airbase was attacked by Iranian sponsored terrorists less than a month ago, and our ships are under near-daily attack in the Red Sea." This picture taken on January 4, 2024, shows a view of the headquarters of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) paramilitaries in Baghdad, which was targeted on the same day by a U.S. strike. "A current VP unaware of our military operations in combat overseas is a dereliction of duty," Greenway added. The U.S. has roughly 2,500 troops in Iraq alone, although Iraqi officials this week revealed that they have worked out a tentative plan for the U.S. to withdraw most of its troops by 2025 and leave a residual force, The Washington Post reported. "The first phase will begin this year and continue until 2025, while the second phase will conclude in 2026," Iraqi Defense Minister Thabit al-Abbasi said during an appearance on television. Original article source: Military experts reject Harris' claim of 'no US soldiers in combat zones' as misleading ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Elections officials are making changes to Minnesotas automatic voter registration system after finding some potentially problematic entries, but they say they are not aware of anyone ineligible who has been registered to vote via the system. The Secretary of States Office said this week that more than 90,000 people have been registered or pre-registered since April, when Minnesota's new system went live. Residents who apply for and receive state-issued IDs such as driver's licenses are now automatically registered to vote without having to opt in if they meet legal criteria. And 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote once they turn 18. Around 1 percent of those automatic registrations have been flagged for potential problems, said Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson, whose department issues driver's licenses and other official identification cards, Minnesota Public Radio reported. Secretary of State Steve Simon said those roughly 1,000 voter registrations will be kept inactive until the names, addresses and citizenship status are confirmed. He also said additional checks will be made to ensure that voters registered through the system meet the eligibility criteria. Flagged individuals will be notified that, if they are eligible, they will need to register to online, at their local election office, or in-person at their polling place on Election Day. Republican legislators raised questions about the automatic voter registration system earlier this month. Jacobson told them in a letter on Thursday that he is not aware of any instances of Minnesotans being registered to vote who are ineligible to cast a ballot, but that the process improvements they are making will strengthen the verification system. Republicans House and Senate leaders responded Friday saying they still have questions. They said 1 percent of registrants could work out to around 1,000 people. They asked for the actual number, and pressed for confirmation on whether any were allowed to vote in the August primary election. The election is 52 days away, and early voting begins on September 20. Minnesotans want to trust our elections are secure and fair, they said in a statement. While Minnesota grants driver's licenses to residents regardless of immigration status, officials say the identification document requirements provide sufficient safeguards against illegal voting. In Oregon, which has a similar automatic registration system, officials acknowledged Friday that the state has mistakenly registered more than 300 non-citizens as voters since 2021 in what they described as a data entry issue that happened when people applied for drivers licenses. An initial analysis by the Oregon Department of Transportation revealed that 306 non-citizens were registered to vote, spokesperson Kevin Glenn said. Of those, two have voted in elections since 2021. State and federal laws prohibit non-citizens from voting in national and local elections. WASHINGTON, Mo. The commander for a VFW Post in Washington, Missouri, says the state raided their post, searching for unregulated hemp-infused products. Missouri officials say the raid label is misleading, though tell FOX 2 that some workers arrived to the Post on Wednesday following an anonymous complaint. In August, Missouri filed an executive order to ban several unregulated hemp-infused products, including delta-8 THC and similar compounds. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft rejected emergency rules to enforce the order, though the state has since formed a task force on the issue and has reviewed complaints over unregulated products. Jason Stanfield, commander of VFW Post 2661, says he was caught by surprise when two state inspectors arrived since the Post does not sell products targeted through the executive order. On Facebook, the Post noted that an adult beverage in compliance with state statutes was questioned. Texas Brown Tarantulas on the move in Missouri What to do if you spot one Were not breaking any laws or anything. We are just providing our members with an alternative to alcohol, said Stanfield in an interview Friday with FOX 2. Lisa Cox, communications director for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, tells FOX 2 that two DHSS inspectors visited the Post on Wednesday and that the visit was solely based on an anonymous complaint DHSS received on Sept. 5 regarding this establishments available products. Cox says the two inspectors were let inside upon request and did not find any cause for concern. She says the two left without any products embargoed or destroyed. Stanfield says the state found two delta-9 THC beverages, neither in violation of the executive order. They said they needed to enforce the governors embargo on hemp-derived THC drinks that were listed on this embargo. They said they were adulterated, said Stanfield. The Post has kept the beverages in stock since July, when members voted to sell it. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Weve got vets who are on a lot of medications that interact with alcohol. We are more than a bar. We offer these drinks for people who are more cannabis consumers, said Annie Stanfield, Junior Vice Commander of VFW 2661. Jason Stanfield says he was confused with the response of Missouri DHSS and also frustrated with the timing. Were all over 21 that are in here, said Stanfield. We know that the embargo was set to protect children, according to the governor. Theres not a whole lot of children that are VFW members. Stanfield says the inspectors arrived after he lowered a flag half-staffed in remembrance of service members and civilians who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the date. The VFWs Facebook post added, We are not sure that raiding a Veterans of Foreign Wars Post on September 11th immediately after lowering our flag to half-staff in remembrance was the best or most respectful time to do it. Meanwhile, Cox says Missouri DHSS has received more than 100 complaints or tips since Gov. Mike Parson announced the executive order of unregulated hemp products on Aug. 1 and says enforcement work around the VFW complaint had occurred nearly two weeks prior to the states new task force. 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. Mobile phones have been banned at 44 schools in England over concerns for pupils health and learning. A national academy chain is thought to be the first of its kind to impose a blanket mobile phone ban for a total of 35,000 pupils. The Ormiston Academies Trust, which operates 44 state schools including 32 secondary schools, said there was a responsibility for society to respond to the scourge of mobile phones and social media fuelling self-harm and destructive behaviour. Tom Rees, Ormistons chief executive, told The Guardian: We are seeing huge and real concerns around mental health, post-pandemicWere seeing a clear correlation between that and mobile phone and social media use, in particular. Not all mobile phone use is equal and the relationship between that and adolescent mental health, we think, is overwhelming. Tom Rees, Ormistons chief executive, spoke of the mental health concerns surrounding mobile phones New policies on phones will be introduced at eight of the trusts 32 secondary schools this term, with the remaining academies following suit after liaising with parents. Mr Rees said pupils access to phones was already banned at Ormistons primary, special needs and alternative provision schools. He added: Learning cant happen without attention. A lot of this is about a battle for attention, a battle for focus and concentration. Its not just about having your phone out and using it, its the mere presence of the phone. Theres evidence that tells us that even if your phone is in the same room, it could be in your bag or pocket, your brain is leaking attention, still thinking about it and being drawn to it, wondering if there has been a notification on it and what it might be. Australia bands younger children from using social media It comes as British ministers said they were looking very closely at the Australian governments decision to ban younger children from using social media. Peter Kyle, the Technology Secretary, said he was really interested in Australias promise to set a minimum age for children to access platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Mr Kyle said there was considerable evidence social media was harming vulnerable young people and added he was going to keep everything, including a ban, on the table. On Tuesday, the Australian government promised to introduce legislation this year to enforce a minimum age for children to access social media. Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, said the government would soon trial age verification technology with a view to banning children from opening social media accounts. The line would be drawn between the ages of 14 and 16. The UKs Online Safety Act, which was inspired by The Telegraphs Duty of Care campaign, has yet to be fully implemented. It places a legal duty on social media companies to prevent children from accessing content that is harmful or age-inappropriate including pornography, self-harm and eating disorders. This can be achieved by either removing it from the platform or using age verification tools to restrict under-aged viewing. In February, the Department for Education (DfE) issued guidance that said: We owe it to our children to do what we can to remove distractions and enable them to be fully present and engaged in the classroom. Gillian Keegan, then education secretary, said: We also owe it to our pupils to keep them safe at school, adding one in five pupils had experienced bullying online while one in three said phones are used in the majority of lessons without permission. 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. A former senior officer has urged the forthcoming defence review to consider opening a dedicated military hospital to treat wounded troops - Cpl Aaron J Stone/Army Defence chiefs have been forced to spend 12 million on private healthcare for 10,000 soldiers to avoid long NHS wait times. Between 2022 and 2024, more than 10,600 military personnel received private health care at a cost of more than 12 million, figures released following a freedom of information request showed. This is up from a spend of 5.6 million between 2020 and 2021, according to earlier separate figures. Details of the cost can be revealed just days after Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, claimed that the NHS was broken. The disclosure has led to calls by one former senior officer for the forthcoming defence review to consider opening a dedicated military hospital to treat wounded troops. The MoD figures from January 2022 to April 2024 show that 1,471 troops underwent spinal and orthopaedic surgery after being injured during military training or on operations. The MoD also had to pay 2.3m for 7,812 personnel needing MRI scans and X-rays taken at private clinics. It can also be revealed that the Ministry of Defence spent almost 4.15m in just two years treating more than 400 troops with mental health issues in private clinics. Since the closure of all military hospitals by the government in the 1990s, troops requiring operations are supposed to be treated in NHS hospitals. All troops requiring medical operations are now treated by military personnel in eight NHS trusts located to provide assessment, stabilisation and treatment close to either the service persons unit or home, according to the MoD. From January 2022 to April 2024, 1,471 troops underwent spinal and orthopaedic surgery after being injured during training or on operations - Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Troops healthcare is provided by the Defence Medical Services, which has a staff of around 6,900, including doctors, surgeons, psychiatrists, dentists, nurses and physiotherapists. The MoD says it will pay for private healthcare based on regional availability of NHS services, while balancing how long treatment will take with getting troops back on to deployment. It says opting for private care is assessed on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. Col Philip Ingram, a former Army intelligence officer, said: With the MoD having to rely on the NHS, troops that need treatment are subject to the same waiting lists and lack of flexibility everyone experiences. This is not good for maintaining a fit and healthy fighting force. While 12 million may seem a lot to spend on private healthcare it allows troops to be treated and get back to their operational duties much more quickly. The defence review should look at reopening military hospitals and then sell spare capacity to the private healthcare providers or the NHS, which would ensure our fighting men and women get the best care as quickly as possible. Prof Philip Banfield, BMA council chairman, and Dr Sandy Wood, BMA Armed Forces committee chairman, said: We have no concerns about military patients being treated in the private sector when it will speed up their return to front-line activity, however moving forward we would welcome increased NHS capacity to keep up with demand for health services in the military. Bed shortages in the NHS are the result of chronic underfunding and resources not keeping up with demand. The reduction in military medical facilities in the UK was predicated on appropriate and timely access to civilian services. This country has a covenant with its Armed Service personnel to look after them when they have looked after us. Private medicine has a role to play in a modern healthcare system, but it is generally more expensive, and it would be foolhardy for the NHS to rely on private medicine to solve the capacity issues that are leaving all patients with lengthy waits for diagnosis and treatment. A government spokesman said: We have a duty to provide the best possible care to our service personnel and their families. But this just proves that the NHS is broken, and taxpayers are forced to shell out so our Armed Forces can be treated on time. This Government will reform the NHS so it can be there for our nations heroes and all of us when we need it. 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. Modesto awarded $8.5M grant in March 2020 to remake a park. Why is work starting only now? The remaking of west Modestos Cesar Chavez Park is expected to start in November, some four and a half years after the state awarded the city an $8.5 million grant to pay for it. And the project will cost twice as much as initially expected. City officials say the pandemic is behind the cost increases and the projects extended timeline. The project also was stalled by a lack of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhoods staff and challenges with some of the renovations design features. But officials say the improvements including an aquatic center with swimming pool, basketball court and soccer field will transform the roughly 6.25-acre park. PRN Director Jeremy Rogers told City Council members Tuesday, Sept. 10, that the remade park will be amazing and that its grand opening in June 2026 will be a great day and exciting day for the city. The renovations include expanding the Maddux Youth Center, a lighted picnic pavilion, a vandal-resistant restroom, a lighted skate plaza, walking paths, security cameras and additional trees and benches. Once the renovation is completed, Chavez will be the only park among the citys more than 70 to have a swimming pool. (Graceada Park has a childrens wading pool.) Modesto once had pools at about two dozen of its parks but started closing them because of budget cuts, a trend it accelerated in the Great Recession of more than a dozen years ago. And the Chavez skate park will the second one at a city park. Council members unanimously approved a construction contract of as much as $14.98 million with Hilmar-based Harris Construction and a construction management and inspection services contract of as much as $917,111 with Lathrop-based TRC Engineering for the Chavez Park project. These amounts include about $920,000 in contingency funding if needed. Several council members said the improved park will be a great addition. The $8.5 million state grant targets underserved communities, and west Modesto is a primarily low-income community. Councilman Eric Alvarez, whose district includes west Modesto, said at the council meeting that hed heard nothing but good things from residents about the renovation, but also frustration about how long the project has taken. Cesar E. Chavez Park in Modesto, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. Alverez said residents also are frustrated about the delays in renovating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, which is in his district and which also was awarded an $8.5 million grant from the same state program in December 2021. Modesto is shifting some funding from the MLK Park project to pay for Chavez Park. But Rogers told council members the MLK renovation will be fully funded when construction starts in June 2025. Alverez asked how the city will keep residents informed about the developments at MLK, and Rogers said the city already is working on meeting with the residents who use the park. Cesar E. Chavez Park in Modesto, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. The Chavez Parks total cost will be as much as $17.1 million, according to a presentation at Tuesdays council meeting. Besides the roughly $15.8 million for construction and construction management, the costs include $1 million for design work and roughly $200,000 in city staff time. Modesto is paying for the park with the $8.5 million state grant, $2.5 million from Measure H the 1% sales tax increase voters approved in 2022 $600,000 in what are called community facility fees and nearly $5.5 million in pandemic relief funding the city received from the federal government. HONOLULU (KHON2) Congratulations are in order for the 116th recruit class of the Honolulu Fire Department after recruits completed more than 1,200 hours of training to call themselves firefighters. Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Recruits celebrated their accomplishments on Friday afternoon at the Hawaii Okinawa Centers Legacy Ballroom. Honolulu Fire Department promotes 84 employees, including new Battalion Chiefs The 116th class consisted of 33 firefighter recruits, five of which will join the State of Hawaiis Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting unit. Training began in late January when FFR recruits completed 1,296 hours of instruction over 24 weeks. The Training and Research Bureau, HFD divisions, fire suppression forces and other third-party evaluators facilitated the instruction to provide a broad spectrum of fire service education and training. The following awards were also presented to the following FFRs: Superior Performance in Drills: Mason Isa Excellence in Scholastic Achievement: Aubrey Huey Most Inspirational FFR: Dan Nagaji Outstanding FFR: Darren Garvey Reports said the 33 FFRs are certified to the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress Fire Fighter I and II and the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. Check out more news from around Hawaii Fire Fighter Recruits are also certified in hazardous materials awareness, operations levels and basic driving skills. 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 KHON2. Two hospitals in Springfield, Ohio, were sent into lockdown after bomb threats, police said on Saturday, marking the fourth such case in as many days that appears linked to false claims circulating among the far right that Haitian immigrants there are eating domestic pets and wildlife. Saturdays threats came even after the woman who started the rumors acknowledged to NBC News that they were unfounded and publicly apologized. Kettering Health Springfield was one of the medical facilities targeted, with officials later saying they found nothing suspicious during a search. Another hospital, Mercy Healths Springfield regional medical center, received a similar threat. A spokesperson with Mercy Health said the hospital had continued to operate and thanked Springfield police as well as hospital staff for their swift, efficient and caring response. The bomb threats on Saturday came after others had been called in to government buildings Thursday, forcing their closure and causing local schools to be evacuated. We recognize that the past few days have been particularly challenging for everyone in our community, Springfield police said in a statement. Police added we remain fully committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of each and every person. On Friday, a Springfield woman, Erika Lee, apologized for rumors about Haitian immigrants eating pets that resulted from a post she wrote on Facebook claiming that the friend of a neighbors daughter lost her cat and then found the animal strung up outside the home of a Haitian family. Lee now says she had no firsthand knowledge of the claim. The neighbor referenced in the post, Kimberly Newton, revealed that she also had heard the story from an acquaintance and not her daughter. Lee said she was filled with regret and insists she never intended to put a target on the backs of the Haitian community. It just exploded into something I didnt mean to happen, Lee told NBC News on Friday. Local authorities in Springfield had already debunked the lies even before Donald Trump made the allegation that Haitian immigrants were eating pets during the debate with Kamala Harris on Tuesday. Lee told the outlet she never imagined her social media post would become fodder for conspiracy theories and hate aimed at the Haitian community in Springfield. Im not a racist, Lee said, adding that her daughter is half-Black and she herself is mixed race as well as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Everybody seems to be turning it into that and that was not my intent. The city of Springfield believes the rumors may also have arisen from a case in Canton, Ohio, where an American with no known connection to Haiti was arrested in August for allegedly stomping a cat to death and eating the animal. Separately, an explanation for a viral photo of a man carrying two geese in Columbus, Ohio, has been made, although it also helped set off the now-discredited rumors about pet-eating in nearby Springfield. The Ohio state division of wildlife told TMZ that the man had been picking up the two geese that had been hit by a car. The agency also reported that there was no evidence that the man was Haitian, an immigrant or that he intended to eat the geese. About 15,000 Haitian immigrants began trickling into Springfield a city of 60,000 to work in local produce packaging and machining factories in 2017. They have been in demand at Springfields Dole Fresh Vegetables and at automotive machining plants whose owners grappled with a labor shortage in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Jeff Bezos former neighbor said his broker cheated him out of millions when the Amazon founder bought his house in Miamis Billionaire Bunkerand legal experts say he has a case. Although the $79 million that Bezos paid last year for his neighbors Indian Creek Island house was no pittance, it was $6 million below the asking price of his neighbor, Leo Kryss. Having seen the news that Bezos had bought the house next door, Kryss asked agents for his broker Douglas Elliman if Bezos was the one trying to buy his house anonymously, according to a lawsuit filed in the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County. Bezos bought his first house on the exclusive Indian Creek Island in June 2023 for $68 million after announcing that he would move to Miami from his long-time home in Seattle, where Amazons HQ is based. He later bought Kryss house next door, and earlier this year, the second-richest man bought a third adjacent property for $90 million. Kryss, the cofounder of Brazilian toy and electronics company Tectoy, said he wouldve charged more if Jay Parker, the CEO of Douglas Ellimans Florida region, hadnt directly told him that Bezos was not behind the sale and that the potential buyer, who Parker assured him was not Bezos, would pay no more than $79 million, according to the lawsuit. The fact that Douglas Ellimans CEO of the Florida region called Kryss to tell him directly that it was not Bezos making the $79 million offer gives his case good standing, New York-based corporate lawyer Alton Harmon told Fortune. The problem comes when you actually say something along the lines of this is not Bezos, that broker never should have said that, because at that point, there is the possibility for negligent misrepresentation, Harmon said. Douglas Elliman declined to comment to Fortune. Adding another wrinkle to the case, Parker told Kryss that the mayor of Indian Creek, Benny Klepach, had said someone in his family made the offer on Kryss house, according to an email attached to the lawsuit. Klepachs daughter, Celine Klepach, had joined Douglas Elliman as a sales associate just weeks before the sale went through and received a commission for the sale. She no longer works for the broker, the Wall Street Journal reported. Because Douglas Elliman was working as a transaction broker, it had no fiduciary duty to Kryss; under Florida law, the broker still had to use skill, care, and diligence in the transaction, and disclose any and all facts that materially affect the value of the property and are not readily observable to the buyer. Story continues Parker had a responsibility to check whether what he was allegedly told by Klepach was correct or not, said Harmon. Although the responsibility to disclose material facts usually applies to things having to do with the property, such as whether there was recent flooding that affected the home, by asking directly about whether Bezos was behind the offer, Harmon said it could be argued that his involvement was material. By asking that very, very specific question, 'Is this Jeff Bezos, because I know he bought the property next door?' I do believe it became a material fact that affected the value of the property. So I think that it's a creative way to approach this, he said. Anat Alon-Beck, a law professor who teaches corporate law and contracts at Case Western Reserve University, told Fortune that knowing Bezos was behind the sale could have led Kryss to offer the property at a higher price, because the Amazon founder valued it more. A price is always what it means to the buyerhow much are you willing to pay for something? But the seller, not having full disclosure on who the buyer is, didn't really get to fully negotiate that, said Alon-Beck. Kryss is suing Douglas Elliman for damages in excess of $750,000, claiming the broker breached its contractual duties and duties under Florida law. Kryss also wants Douglas Elliman to forfeit the $3.16 million commission it received as part of the deal. Bezos was not named as a defendant in the suit. While Kryss is asking for a jury trial, Douglas Elliman has filed a motion to dismiss the suit. Ultimately, Alon-Beck said that the parties are likely to settle the lawsuit out of court. Douglas Elliman failed to fulfill their duties to our client. The facts, as set forth in our complaint, speak for themselves; they knew or should have known who the ultimate beneficial purchaser was and misrepresented that very important fact to our client. We have no further comments beyond what is set forth in the complaint that we filed on behalf of our client, Kryss lawyer said in a statement. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) Two more school districts in Central Illinois are coming out with statements to say they too received threats this week or to address the trend that impacted several schools throughout the region. Tip Reedy, Superintendent of the Williamsville-Sherman CUSD, said on Facebook Friday that the districts offices fielded communications regarding concerns for student safety that morning. He added that there has been a conversation floating around the community that the schools are unsafe and have been on soft lockdowns. Central IL police investigating string of recent school threats These conversations are unfounded, Reedy said and the rumors are not true. Anytime a potential threat is communicated to our schools, the building administration and local police departments aggressively and thoroughly investigate, Reedy said. We do have daily police presence from the Williamsville Police Department and Sherman Police Department at all our schools. Tim Condron, Superintendent of the Mattoon CUSD, also published a statement regarding the threats. He said to his knowledge, the district wasnt aware of any threats toward them specifically, but he did say administrators were taking the situation very seriously and implementing extra precautions. 13-year-old arrested in Jacksonville for statements implying gun at school We encourage anyone who sees or hears anything that could pose a potential school safety issue to immediately notify a teacher, staff member, administrator, or local law enforcement, Condron said. Please note that any threats that are made against our schools whether it occurs on social media, in conversation, or any other format carry serious legal and disciplinary consequences. As a district, we handle all incidents in collaboration with the Mattoon Police Department. Condron added that if any threat received, they will provide families with as much information as 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 WCIA.com. Michele Morrow and Mo Green are running to bvecome NC's next Superintendent of Public Instruction (File photos) North Carolinas candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Republican Michele Morrow and Democrat Mo Green, took to the virtual stage on Thursday for their first debate. The event was hosted by Best NC, a nonprofit group of business leaders that seeks to improve the states education system via policy and advocacy. Two very different candidates The superintendent is responsible for leading the Department of Public Instruction and guiding North Carolinas public schools. The two candidates bring dramatically different backgrounds and visions for public schools to the contest. Green is an attorney who spent several years helping to lead two of the states largest school systems in Mecklenburg and Guilford Counties the latter as superintendent. From 2016 to 2023 he served as the executive director of one of the states largest philanthropic nonprofits, the Winston-Salem-based Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. He is the father of two adult children who both attended and graduated from North Carolina public schools. This is his first campaign for public office. Greens campaign platform emphasizes better funding for public schools, better supporting teachers, as well as celebrating public schools and returning them to the center of community life. Morrow is a homeschool teacher and nurse whose children do not attend public school. In sharp contrast to Green, her campaign has emphasized what she has said are the many failures and weaknesses of public education. She was defeated in run for the Wake County school board in 2022. Morrow is also a conservative culture warrior who has attacked efforts to teach students about race and racism and derided public schools as indoctrination centers. Perhaps most infamously, Morrow posted online statements in and around the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol insurrection from a Washington, DC hotel room in which she called on then-President Donald Trump to put the Constitution to the side and use the military to stay in power. In 2020, she tweeted a call for former President Barack Obama to be executed by firing squad in a televised pay-per-view event. Democrats have also made efforts to tie Morrow to Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican gubernatorial nominee who has been struggling in polls. Though Morrows controversial stances have dominated much of the news coverage surrounding the race, they played only a small role in Thursdays debate. In response to Green condemning her endorsements of violence and suspending the Constitution, Morrow dismissed the attack by claiming Green has paid people to examine personal things that Ive stated and take them out of context. Differing on the issues Most of the rest of the debate was revolved around the discussion of substantive education issues. Morrow cited her experience teaching biology, chemistry, Spanish, and civics, as well as homeschooling her own children. She painted herself as an outsider whos able to offer a fresh perspective. We need somebody thats outside of the current system because while its nice to talk about all of the accolades of being in administration, we can clearly see the decline of the last 20 years, and its time for us to not be focused on funding the system, but be focused on the student outcome, Morrow said. Green, in contrast, emphasized his former role as the superintendent in Guilford County. He said this experience would provide him with an advantage and leg up in leading the statewide system. I believe that I certainly have background, having served as superintendent of Guilford County Schools for seven and a half years, and what comes with that is then a vision for our public schools, Green said. Over the course of an hour, the pair addressed questions on teacher pay, teacher and principal recruitment and retention, early literacy, school performance grades, attainment, school choice, and parent engagement. Morrow said that the states challenges in recruiting and retaining teachers could be addressed if administrators create an environment where students are excited to learn and show up to school every day. Our teachers dont need to feel like theyre in a silo, and that their class is only their responsibility, she said. Green did to disagree with the sentiment but emphasized the need to provide more and better resources and support for teachers so that they have more time to focus on teaching. One issue on which the candidates sharply disagreed was the states Opportunity Scholarships program that provides vouchers to fund private school education. Republicans in the state Senate voted to fully fund the plan on Monday with a mini-budget set to eliminate a waitlist of around 54,000 students from families of all income levels seeking private school vouchers. Morrow endorsed the program and said she supports having a variety of education options for parents and students to select. Right now, it is absolutely necessary that we have healthy competition in the free market system, she said. Competition creates the best product at the best price, and our public school system should be raising the bar so that we can keep everybody in our schools, and we can make people want to be there and to stay. Green said that while he supports school choice, he opposes using public funds for private school vouchers. Public dollars should go into supporting public schools, that would be traditional public schools and charter schools, he said. Lets be abundantly clear, youre talking about hundreds of millions of dollars, which will turn into billions of dollars, through this taxpayer-funded private school voucher program, that are being drained away from our public schools, leaving our public schools with not enough resources to do what is called upon to do. MANSFIELD, Mass. (WPRI) An investigation is underway after a motorcyclist was critically injured in a crash Friday evening. Massachusetts State Police troopers were called to I-1945 North in Mansfield for reports of a crash involving a motorcycle. The motorcyclist, who has not been identified, was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The circumstances surrounding the crash are unclear at this time. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News 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 WPRI.com. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Jean-Denis JOUBERT via Getty Images The land around a strange volcano in Tanzania is bulging, suggesting magma may be accumulating in a shallow reservoir beneath the surface. The movement could be a precursor to an eruption, researchers say. Ol Doinyo Lengai is an active volcano that erupts the runniest lava on Earth. Satellite data indicate that a magma reservoir about 1.4 miles (2.3 kilometers) beneath the crater began swelling in March 2022, suddenly stretching Earth's crust above it. This rapid uplift continued at a steady rate until December 2022, and then gave way to a period of slower uplift that lasted through to August 2023, according to a new study. Periods of uplift can be signs of an impending eruption, study lead author Ntambila Daud , a doctoral student at Virginia Tech's Geodesy and Tectonophysics Laboratory, said in a statement . There are records of Ol Doinyo Lengai eruptions going back to the 1880s, and the volcano has been periodically active ever since. "This research could help Tanzanian authorities have a better idea of what is happening with the volcano," Daud said. It is the only volcano in the world that expels carbonatite lava, which is extremely thin and saturated with alkali elements such as calcium and sodium. Ol Doinyo Lengai, which in the Maasai language translates to "mountain of God," spurts mainly lava flows that turn bone white when they dry. This is due to calcium and carbon dioxide in the lava combining to form calcite and other carbonate minerals that break down quickly in the presence of water or humidity. Related: Antarctica is covered in volcanoes, could they erupt? Researchers use satellite data to measure land deformation around volcanoes. In 2016, geoscientists at Virginia Tech installed satellite-connected sensors on the flanks of Ol Doinyo Lengai to monitor the periodic rise and fall of the crust, as well as a seismometer to detect earthquakes. Previous research used satellite data to characterize activity at Ol Doinyo Lengai, but that study, which was published in June, found the volcano has been sinking for the past 10 years . It's unclear what effect the more recent bulge has had on the overall sinking trend. For the new study, Daud and colleagues built computer models that pulled out volcanic signals from the satellite data of Ol Doinyo Lengai. The models revealed clear differences between patterns of uplift in 2022 and 2023, with the former showing much faster rates of land deformation than the latter. RELATED STORIES Record-shattering Tonga volcanic eruption wasn't triggered by what we thought, new study suggests Underwater volcano eruption 7,300 years ago is the largest in recorded history Scientists may have accidentally found mystery magma reservoir in volcanoless region of Alaska "This signal may indicate magma accumulation in a shallow magma source or pressurization of a magmatic conduit beneath the vent of the active volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai," the researchers wrote in the study, which was published July 9 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters . Magma rising close to the surface suggests the volcano could erupt soon, the researchers wrote. Eruptions are a threat to people that live around the volcano, and they compromise tourism and air traffic in the area, according to the statement. Reports indicate lava flows erupted from the summit of Ol Doinyo Lengai as recently as 2021. "The approach that Daud used in this paper provided important steps forward in our understanding of the dynamic magma plumbing system of Ol Doinyo Lengai," study co-author Sarah Stamps , an associate professor of geophysics at Virginia Tech, said in the statement. The mural at the corner of East Locust and North Holton streets read, "The irony of becoming what you once hated" in capital letters. It was defaced Friday. A woman on Friday smeared black paint over a new mural on a prominent street corner that blended the Star of David with a swastika. Bearing the words, "The irony of becoming what you once hated," in all capital letters, the mural suggested Jewish people were carrying out a new Holocaust in the Israel-Hamas war. On Thursday Milwaukee Jewish leaders called it "horribly antisemitic" and said it held all Jews responsible for the actions of the Israeli government. They also said it was particularly hurtful and dehumanizing to make any connection to the Holocaust, a systematic, state-sponsored execution of 6 million Jews. WITI-TV (Channel 6) interviewed a woman named Sara Ninham midday Friday who said she vandalized the mural because she didn't like seeing a swastika. She did not mention the Israel-Hamas war or express any religious or political stances in the interview. "The hate. Who puts a swastika (up)?" Ninham told the reporter. "To me, this is just promoting more violence. I get trying to raise awareness, but we've got kids that play over here. In such a short time, this was the fastest that I could try to get rid of it." On her Facebook page, the woman posted a video holding up her hand covered in black paint. "No the (expletive) they didn't just put a swastika on the corner of my block. I (expletive) handled it," she said in the video. Ihsan Atta, who owns the building at East Locust and North Holton streets where the mural is displayed, said he expected vandalism. He is Palestinian-American and wanted to raise awareness about Israel's devastation in Gaza, which he considers to be geocidal and akin to the Holocaust. He defended the image to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Thursday, arguing the swastika is "equivalent" to the Star of David because, he said, the star is used not only as a religious symbol, but a political symbol. After some news coverage Thursday, Atta thought that would be all. He took satisfaction in getting more news coverage Friday because the mural was defaced. "The whole point is to have exposure, to bring awareness, and she helped with that, so I appreciate her for that," he said. By late afternoon Friday, most of the paint appeared to have been wiped off the mural. Ihsan Atta, who owns the building where the mural is displayed, said he was surprised and unaware that someone had cleaned it. Atta said security footage shows Ninham squirting black paint over the mural then smearing it around with her hands. He has filed a police report against her alleging vandalism and property destruction. The artists who made the mural will work on cleaning and repairing the mural in the coming days, he said. But by late afternoon Friday, the black paint already appeared to be mostly wiped off the mural. The pro-Palestinian mural replaced a well-known mural of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by Louisville police. Prior to the defacing of the mural, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation released a statement Friday saying the mural was the latest in a "staggering uptick in antisemitic rhetoric and misinformation." The council said a recent public discussion hosted by the federation on "Civility in our Times" was targeted. Non-Jewish panel members, the council said, were sent emails with misinformation and antisemitic tropes. And participants found fliers on their cars claiming the federation and council were Islamaphobic and considered students who participated in spring protests "terrorists." In Friday's statement, the council said neither it, nor the Jewish Federation, makes Islamaphobic comments. Sophie Carson is a general assignment reporter who reports on religion and faith, immigrants and refugees and more. Contact her at scarson@gannett.com or 920-323-5758. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee mural with swastika, Star of David vandalized with paint Man charged with murder of woman in east Belfast Police said a 21-year-old man has been charged with murder [Pacemaker ] A 21-year-old man has been charged with murder after the discovery of a woman's body in east Belfast on Friday night. The woman has been named as 43-year-old Rachel Simpson. Ms Simpson's body was discovered in a garage beside a property in the Castlereagh Road area. The man is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on Monday. Severe flooding has hit Myanmar after Typhoon Yagi, with more than 230,000 people forced to flee their homes, according to officials. The country's ruling junta has requested foreign aid to mitigate the impact, the state-run media report. The capital Naypyidaw is among the areas worst hit. The floods have killed at least 33 people, the country's military says. State-run daily New Light of Myanmar says some temporary relief camps have been set up for victims made homeless. Asia's most powerful storm this year, Typhoon Yagi, has already swept Vietnam, the Chinese island of Hainan and the Philippines. Junta chief Gen Min Aung Hlaing and other Burmese officials have visited areas of heavy flooding and inspected the rescue and relief efforts, the state-run media say. Reports by Radio Free Asia suggest the death toll is much higher, with the US-backed broadcaster saying at least 160 people were killed in floods and landslides. A rescue worker in Taungoo told BBC Burmese on Saturday more than 300 people were trapped by flooding on the east bank of the Sittaung river. "There aren't enough boats to rescue us," the rescue worker said. Scientists say typhoons and hurricanes are becoming stronger and more frequent with climate change. Warmer ocean waters mean storms pick up more energy, which leads to higher wind speeds. A warmer atmosphere also holds more moisture, which can lead to more intense rainfall. Much of Myanmar's population has been suffering dislocation because of a three-year civil war that has killed thousands and displaced more than 2.6 million people, according to the UN. [Getty Images] According to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), some 18.6 million people are now estimated to be in humanitarian need. In an update on the ongoing humanitarian situation earlier this week, the International Red Cross (ICRC) said many families in Myanmar have limited access to clean water and sanitation, and are going without basic medicines and health care. "They live with the fear of armed conflict and violence. The disruption of livelihoods is leaving countless people without the means to sustain themselves," the ICRC's president, Mirjana Spoljaric, said on Wednesday. [EPA] Myanmar junta makes rare request for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods Floods and landslides have killed almost 300 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi (Sai Aung MAIN) (Sai Aung MAIN/AFP/AFP) Myanmar's junta chief made a rare request Saturday for foreign aid to cope with deadly floods that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people who have endured three years of war. Floods and landslides have killed almost 300 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which dumped a colossal deluge of rain when it hit the region last weekend. In Myanmar more than 235,000 people have been forced from their homes by floods, the junta said Friday, piling further misery on the country where war has raged since the military seized power in 2021. "Officials from the government need to contact foreign countries to receive rescue and relief aid to be provided to the victims," Min Aung Hlaing said on Friday, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper. "It is necessary to manage rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures as quickly as possible," he was quoted as saying. The junta gave a death toll on Friday of 33, while earlier in the day the country's fire department said rescuers had recovered 36 bodies. A military spokesman said it had lost contact with some areas of the country and was investigating reports that dozens had been buried in landslides in a gold-mining area in the central Mandalay region. - Aid restrictions - Myanmar's military has previously blocked or frustrated humanitarian assistance from abroad. Last year it suspended travel authorisations for aid groups trying to reach around a million victims of powerful Cyclone Mocha that hit the west of the country. At the time the United Nations slammed that decision as "unfathomable." AFP has contacted a spokesperson for the UN in Myanmar for comment. After cyclone Nargis killed at least 138,000 people in Myanmar in 2008, the then-junta was accused of blocking emergency aid and initially refusing to grant access to humanitarian workers and supplies. Military trucks carried small rescue boats to flood-hit areas around the military-built capital Naypyidaw on Saturday, AFP reporters said. On Friday hundreds of villagers waded or swam through chin-high waters to safety following floods around the capital. Some told AFP they had sheltered in trees overnight to escape the raging flood waters below. State media said flooding in the area around the capital had caused landslides and destroyed electricity towers, buildings, roads, bridges and houses. More than 2.7 million people were already displaced in Myanmar by conflict triggered by the junta's 2021 coup. rma/mca A patient in Missouri who was hospitalized after an infection with bird flu had the H5N1 strain of the virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Friday. The viral sequence was uploaded Friday to the GISAID database, which makes genetic sequences of viruses publicly available for research and study. It shows that the virus is closely related to the strain that has been infecting dairy cattle in 14 states this year. How the person caught the virus is still under investigation. Thirteen other human infections have been reported in the US this year, all in people who had close contact with infected animals. The person who tested positive in Missouri late last month, however, had no contact with wild birds, poultry, cats, or cattle, and they reported no consumption of raw dairy products. The same was also true for their close contacts, according to Lisa Cox, communications director for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. In an email, Cox said the patient didnt have any pets. She said she was unsure if the person had consumed pasteurized dairy products. Cox said blood tests to look for antibodies to their virus in the patient and their close contacts are being considered. The significance of this infection is an open question. On one hand, experts say its concerning that the person was infected without any apparent contact with infected animals, which seems to deviate from the pattern. All the other human infections of H5N1 reported this year have been mild and what infectious disease experts call dead-end infections: Theres been no evidence that any of the people spread the infection to others. It is reassuring, however, that monitoring of the persons close contacts has not found any confirmed onward transmission, suggesting that this was not a virus with any new abilities. That observation seems to be supported by the genetic sequence of the virus. Scientists said they didnt see any changes that would indicate it might be more easily spread or cause more severe disease, according to the CDC. The virus did, however, have mutations that could affect the development of candidate vaccine viruses, flu viruses prepared by the CDC that manufacturers can use to create vaccines in the event of a disease outbreak. Further information posted about the Missouri case Friday in the CDCs weekly FluView report revealed that a close household contact of the infected person got sick the same day, had similar symptoms but was never tested. Both people have since recovered. The simultaneous development of symptoms does not support person-to-person spread but suggests a common exposure, according to the CDC. A second close contact, a health-care worker, developed mild symptoms but tested negative for flu. A 10-day follow-up period has passed, and no additional cases have been found, the CDC reported. The confirmed patient in Missouri was an adult who had multiple underlying medical conditions. They became ill the week ending August 24, according to the FluView report. Dr. Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the CDC, said at a news briefing Thursday that the patient went to the hospital with chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and weakness. Shah said the person was hospitalized because of their underlying conditions. While in the hospital, the patient tested positive for an influenza A virus. The state of Missouri is routinely conducting additional testing on all specimens that test positive for influenza A, and this testing determined that the person had an H5 virus, which is unusual. The sample was forwarded to the CDC for confirmation. Asked Thursday whether the CDC considered the flu infection to be incidental to the patients hospitalization in other words, something that had not necessarily played a role in the reason they needed to be in the hospital but was spotted while there Shah said, no, were not describing it as incidental. That was a question that was on our minds. But no, it was not incidental there. Shah declined to offer more information about the case, saying it could compromise the patients confidentiality. CDC scientists said the patient sample they received contained a low concentration of the virus, and they cautioned that they may not be able to sequence all eight of the virus segments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Mystery riverfront goats rounded up by KC Pet Project, still no owner KANSAS CITY, Mo. KC Pet Project announced Friday, that the mystery goats roaming Kansas Citys riverfront have been rounded up in a social media post. KC Pet Project says that early Wednesday morning, a team worked along the Riverfront Heritage Trail where the goats had made their new home. The team was joined by goat expert Margaret Chamas. Jackson County man charged after getting arrested while paying taxes The team used portable fences, vehicles, and wooden pallets to create a barrier and herd the animals to safety. KC Pet Project claims that officers pushed through thick vegetation on the steep river bank and after several hours, all seven of the remaining loose goats had been loaded onto a trailer at around 10 a.m. The goats were then transported to the KC Pet Project campus, where theyre now in an outdoor livestock barn. The mysterious herd first made an appearance on the KC riverfront in early August after a program to contain vegetation had come to an end. However, while all the goats hired for the grazing were located and accounted for, 10 additional goats were still running wild. Still, no owner has come forward, despite extensive efforts to form an explanation from the community and local organizations. The goats will stay with the KC Pet Project for five days. If no owner is found, theyll be looking for new homes. 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. Lazada's key advantage in Southeast Asia amid rising competition from new entrants such as PDD Holdings' Temu and ByteDance's TikTok lies in technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and logistics, Lazada Thailand CEO Varitha Kiatpinyochai said on Friday. "With Lazada being part of the Alibaba Group, we can really leverage the best-in-class technology and ecosystem of the group," Kiatpinyochai, who took over Lazada Thailand this year, said in an interview on the sidelines of the Hong Kong-Asean Summit, where she spoke on Southeast Asia's e-commerce landscape. "The big advantage is how we leverage technology, especially AI, in the app throughout the consumer purchasing journey. I think AI has really been a game-changer for us." The Asean Summit is organised by the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba Group Holding. 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. Lazada staff members working in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 21, 2019. Photo: Xinhua alt=Lazada staff members working in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 21, 2019. Photo: Xinhua> Kiatpinyochai, Lazada's youngest executive at 32 years old, pointed to how Lazada is using AI in different areas to better engage consumers, especially more tech-savvy consumers in Thailand. One of the latest developments includes LazzieChat, a chatbot that uses OpenAI's GPT model rather than Alibaba's own Tongyi Qianwen models. Generative AI has been a key part of Lazada's localisation efforts, with LazzieChat now available in the languages of Bahasa in Indonesia, Thai and Vietnamese. Competition has recently been heating up in the global e-commerce space, as companies like Temu and Shein use relationships with Chinese manufacturers to engage in aggressive price competition. Temu, a sister company of Pinduoduo, has recently been expanding in Southeast Asia, but not without challenges. The app entered Thailand in July only to immediately face pushback from authorities, who are exploring tightened regulations on imports. In Indonesia, officials have warned that Temu would have to comply with regulations requiring an intermediary or distributor. Kiatpinyochai welcomed the competition, saying that ultimately it is the consumers who win. "At the end of the day, it's a healthy competition, and all the benefits and advantages go to the consumers who enjoy the best deals, best prices ... and also a better and better customer experience," she said. Story continues Other technologies that are having a big impact on consumer engagement include gamification and augmented reality, according to the executive. Games on Lazada's platform have "increased stickiness", she said, and the ability to virtually try on products like lipstick or see how furniture might look in a flat has been proven to drive sales. "It's not only a gimmick," Kiatpinyochai said. "[For] users who adopt these virtual try-on features, conversion increased by three times." Logistics is another critical component of Lazada's competitive advantage, according to Kiatpinyochai. She noted that the company has the second-largest supply chain network in the region, with fulfilment centres in 17 cities and collaboration with more than 400 warehouse facilities and rotation centres. This is before accounting for the help that Lazada gets from Alibaba logistics arm Cainiao for cross-border e-commerce, an increasingly important area of the business as Chinese brands expand overseas amid a slowing domestic economy. Revenue in Southeast Asia's e-commerce market is projected to surpass US$116 billion this year, and reach more than US$190 billion by 2029, according to data analytics firm Statista. 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. North Korean state media showed leader Kim Jong Un (R) meeting with Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu at an undisclosed location (STR) (STR/KCNA VIA KNS/AFP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to deepen ties with Russia as he held talks with visiting security chief Sergei Shoigu, state media reported Saturday. Western powers have accused cash-strapped North Korea of selling ammunition to Russia in defiance of sanctions over the more than 30-month war in Ukraine. North Korea has recently bolstered military ties with Russia, with President Vladimir Putin making a rare visit to Pyongyang in June, where he signed a mutual defence agreement with Kim. Pictures in North Korean state media showed Kim and Shoigu hugging and smiling at the end of their visit, with the North Korean leader "wishing the respected President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin good health and success in his work". The pair were described as having had "constructive" talks in "a friendly and trustworthy, warm atmosphere". The exact location of their meeting was not disclosed, but experts suspect it was the Kumsusan Guest Palace in Pyongyang, which has hosted both Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. "There was a wide exchange of views on the issues of steadily deepening the strategic dialogue between the two countries and strengthening cooperation to defend the mutual security interests and on the regional and international situation," North Korean state media said. Kim "affirmed that the DPRK government would further expand cooperation and collaboration" with Russia based on the treaty they signed in June, it added, using the countrys official name. Russia's security council said on its website that Shoigu's meeting with Kim will "make an important contribution to the implementation" of the defence pact. Shoigu heads Russia's Security Council after stepping down as defence minister in May. He last met with Kim in July 2023, during a celebration in Pyongyang for the 70th anniversary of the 1953 Korean War armistice. Their latest meeting comes two days after North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into waters east of the Korean peninsula. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the testing spree was possibly of weapons meant "for export to Russia". On Friday, North Korea released images of its uranium enrichment facility for the first time, and Kim stressed "the need to further augment the number of centrifuges in order to exponentially increase the nuclear weapons for self-defence". The United States and South Korea have accused North Korea of supplying ammunition and missiles for Russia's war effort, a claim Pyongyang has called "absurd". A Conflict Armament Research report this week used debris analysis to show "that missiles produced this year in North Korea are being used in Ukraine". Russia, a historical ally of North Korea, is one of a handful of nations with which Pyongyang maintains friendly relations. Ties have warmed since the 2022 start of the Ukraine war ruptured Russia's relations with the West. hs/lb NATO Secretary General says Russia lied at meeting with NATO shortly before invading Ukraine Jens Stoltenberg, the outgoing NATO Secretary General, has revealed details surrounding his last meetings with the Russian side before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Source: Stoltenberg in an interview with the German media outlet FAS, as reported by European Pravda Details: Stoltenberg said that the last meeting of the NATO-Russia Council under his chairmanship took place in January 2022. Back then, he recalls, Russia demanded that all NATO troops be withdrawn from the eastern territory of the Alliance. "This was completely unacceptable to us, but I believe in dialogue. That is why we sat down with them again," Stoltenberg said. He added that the meeting was attended by two Russian deputy foreign and defence ministers. The NATO Secretary General noted that Russia had claimed there were no military plans on their part and that the country was supposedly under threat from Ukraine. "They presented maps, likely to demonstrate that Russia was surrounded by NATO. However, even these maps were incorrect. Denmark, for instance, was not marked as NATO territory at all. It was unbelievable," Stoltenberg said. He remains unsure whether it was a case of poor preparation or a deliberate act. Background: In addition, Stoltenberg admitted that the Alliance could have done more to prevent a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Jens Stoltenberg has been NATO's Secretary General since 2014. He will be replaced by former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on 1 October. Politico reported that Stoltenberg, upon stepping down from his NATO role, will become the head of the Munich Security Conference. Support UP or become our patron! New NC absentee schedule released after removal of We The People party from presidential race RALEIGH, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) After North Carolina counties were ordered to reprint their absentee ballots without Robert Kennedy Jr. Monday, the plan to get them out has been released by the state Board of Elections. All 100 county BOEs must send their general election ballots to eligible military and overseas citizens on Sept. 20, and to all other voters who requested them on Sept. 24, including those who use the Visually Impaired Portal. Reprinting absentee ballots in NC could be costly for some counties State election officials say this schedule ensures that North Carolina will meet the federal law requirement to distribute ballots to voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) by the 45th day before the election Sept. 21. County boards were prepared to send absentee ballots out on Sept. 6, the deadline for absentee ballots to be sent under state law. However, rulings by the N.C. Court of Appeals and N.C. Supreme Court required the removal of the We The People party line from the presidential contest on the ballot, including the partys presidential nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and running mate, Nicole Shanahan. The state BOE previously estimated the total cost of reprinting the ballots to be around $1 million. Gaston County was expecting a $31,000 hit. Due to the timelines for the printing, delivery, and assembly of all absentee ballots in every county, the State Board concluded that the only way to meet the federal deadline for military and overseas citizens was to establish separate dates for distributing absentee ballots. Currently, about 8% of 2024 absentee requests are from military and overseas citizen voters. Here are key dates and deadlines for the 2024 election: Sept. 20: Ballots distributed to military and overseas citizen voters who have requested them. Sept. 24: Absentee ballots distributed to all other voters who have requested them. Oct. 11: Voter registration deadline (5 p.m.). Oct. 17: In-person early voting begins; same-day registration available. Oct. 29: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.). Nov. 2: In-person early voting ends (3 p.m.). Nov. 5: General Election Day. Nov. 5: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30 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 Queen City News. NC driver ran over a police officer after threat to kill childs mother, police say A driver who threatened to kill the mother of his child and who ran over a police officer shot himself after a police pursuit Friday morning, Monroe Police Chief Bryan Gilliard said. The officer was hospitalized with leg injuries and was later released, according to a police statement. The driver, 29-year-old Jamil Hall of Lilesville, was hospitalized in critical condition, police said. Police on Saturday provided no update on his condition. Police havent named the injured officer but said the officer is expected to fully recover. At 10:45 a.m. Friday, a woman in the Brooks Farm subdivision on Lancaster Avenue called 911 to say the father of her child was on his way to her home and said he would kill her. She believed he had a gun, according to the police statement. Police stopped the driver at the subdivision entrance, but he drove away, prompting a pursuit. The driver tried to run over an officer on Sunset Drive and ran over an officer on East Roosevelt Boulevard (Highway 74) near Secrest Avenue, police said. The officer on East Roosevelt Boulevard was putting out tire-deflation devices. The pursuit ended in Marshville, where the driver spun around and hit a patrol car. Officers heard a gunshot and ran to Halls vehicle, where they applied first aid before taking him to a hospital. Our officers intercepted an armed and dangerous individual who was intent to cause harm to innocent people, Gilliard said in a statement. They acted courageously and put themselves in harms way to try and end this situation peacefully. Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey thanked officers for their swift response to the incident. This is a developing story that will be updated. The two candidates hoping to become North Carolinas new superintendent of public instruction accused each other Saturday of being too radical to lead the states public schools. During Saturdays candidate forum, Democratic nominee Mo Green pointed to GOP nominee Michele Morrows past social media posts about killing Democrats such as former President Barack Obama and encouraging President Donald Trump to use the military to stay in power in 2021. This is a person whos called for the executions of many, many folks, listing certainly President (Joe) Biden ... and Governor (Roy) Cooper and President Barack Obama, Green said. I call upon folks is this the kind of character we want next to our children? Morrow accused Green of supporting defund-the-police groups that were part of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Green is former executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, a group that funds progressive causes. As a lawyer, he helped people get out on bail within 24 hours so they could go on to the next city of destruction, Morrow said. So he can talk a good game, but I want you to know what is at stake. Green responded with a wow, saying Morrow is the same person that puts out all kinds of crazy QAnon conspiracy theories, Twix and witchcraft, celebrities drinking blood of children. Race has national attention Saturdays forum at N.C. States McKimmon Center in Raleigh was organized by Public Schools First NC and the NC PTA. The event was closed to the media and public. Only a limited number of guests attended. It was streamed online by WRAL. The superintendents race has gained national attention due to Morrows past social media posts, which she has said were taken out of context. Morrow is a homeschool parent, conservative activist, registered nurse and former Christian missionary who upset incumbent Catherine Truitt in the March Republican primary for state superintendent. She is running against Green, the former superintendent of Guilford County Schools. The candidates presented very different visions for public education. Morrow says shell cut CRT, DEI and SEL Morrow accused public schools of focusing on activism instead of academics. Morrow said if elected her administration is going to cut things like CRT (Critical Race Theory), DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and SEL (social-emotional learning). Morrow called for having at least two school resource officers in every school and removing students from classrooms when theyre out of control. She said schools shouldnt be deciding whether to correct students based on the color of their skin. We should not be telling our white teachers that you need to apologize for your whiteness, Morrow said. We should not be telling our teachers that our minority students cannot perform because you have inherent racism. Its time for us to recognize that this social, this politically charged, this racially divisive, and this sexually inappropriate content is destroying our children, is destroying their future, and it is using the time that should be spent on academic excellence. Public schools have denied teaching Critical Race Theory. But schools have given training on things such as implicit bias, citing the need to consider the changing demographics of school populations. Morrow said an outsider like herself is needed now to be superintendent. Green says Morrow would be frightening Green said he, unlike Morrow, has the experience needed to be the chief administrative officer of the states public schools. Green pointed to increases in the number of Guilford County students graduating from high school and taking advanced courses during his seven and a half years leading the states third-largest district. The soul of public education in North Carolina is at stake, according to Green. Green said hes shown that he believes in public schools by having educated his children there. Morrow homeschools her children. Nothing at all against homeschooling, if thats what you choose to do, Green said. But to then go around and talk about our public schools, (that) theyre indoctrination centers and taken over by Satan and cesspools of evil, lies and deception, and calling our teachers groomers. To think that this person would be the chief administrative officer and chief advocacy officer for the state of North Carolinas public schools is frightening. Split over private school voucher funding The candidates also differed on the Opportunity Scholarship program, which helps some families pay for tuition at private schools Republican state lawmakers just approved spending an additional $463.5 million to clear the 50,000-student waitlist of families who are seeking a private school voucher. Applications surged this year when the state removed income eligibility limits These are public dollars, and so they should be in our public schools, Green said. This is deeply troubling when you think about now the wealthiest of the wealthy, those who can already afford to send their child to a private school, already have their child in a private school, can now get government assistance. Green said the additional $463.5 million for vouchers could go instead to needs in public schools like teacher raises and hiring more teacher assistants. But Morrow said public schools already have the money they need. Instead, Morrow said the focus on the voucher bill should be about parents feeling that public schools arent providing their children with the resources and training they need. If you cant afford right now to pay for a private school, this is a short-term solution, Morrow said. The money should be following the student. Is school resegregation a problem? Morrow was also less concerned than Green about whether schools are resegregating. A report released in May said North Carolinas public schools are now more racially segregated than they were in the late 1980s. Both candidates were asked whats driving the trend of school resegregation. Segregation is a legal term, and there is no law on the books that I know of that is telling kids that you can or cannot go to a certain school, Morrow said. I think what we might be seeing is the fact that we do not have a quality education across the board, so parents are probably choosing to send their kids to another school and frantically trying to get them somewhere else where their kids are going to be able to learn and theyre going to be safe and theyre going to be able to reach their highest potential. But Green said resegregation is being driven by factors such as neighborhoods and how charter schools are not required to provide transportation or school meals. Theres certainly policy decisions that have been made over the course of time that weve moved away from in our state and in our country, with regards to saying that having desegregated schools is a vitally important thing that can help in the education of all children, Green said. Support for higher teacher pay There were some areas of agreement, including looking at restricting the use of smartphones in class, giving calendar flexibility to school districts and raising teacher pay. The state provides a base starting salary of $41,000 for beginning teachers. School districts often supplement the state base pay. The National Education Association ranks the state 42nd in beginning teacher pay. Morrow suggested raising the base salary for beginning teachers to $50,000 to $55,000 a year. Green proposed beginning teachers get between $55,000 and $60,000 a year. Neither candidate supported setting a ceiling limiting how much teachers could be paid. LAURINBURG, N.C. (WNCN) An employee at a Waffle House in Scotland County was killed after police say a customer fired shots into the business after receiving his food. According to the Laurinburg Police Department, officers responded to a shots fired call the Waffle House located at 1302 Scotland Crossing Drive around 12:42 a.m. Friday. Once on scene, police found a male employee suffering from a gunshot wound. CRIME TRACKER Sign up for CBS 17s newsletter with the latest in local crime The employee, identified as 18-year-old Burlie Dawson Locklear of Red Springs, was taken to Scotland Memorial Hospital, where he later died from his injury. Laurinburg Police said the suspect in the shooting arrived at the Waffle House and ordered food, but became more agitated and verbally abusive toward the employees as it was being prepared. Once he was given his food, police said the suspect walked toward his car, turned, and fired two shots in the direction of the Waffle House, hitting Locklear. According to police, the suspect then left on Scotland Crossing Drive, heading toward West Boulevard. Laurinburg police are looking for a man they say shot and killed a Waffle House employee early Friday morning. (Laurinburg Police Department) Laurinburg police are looking for a man they say shot and killed a Waffle House employee early Friday morning. (Laurinburg Police Department) The suspect is driving a dark gray car, police said, possibly a 2014 model Chevrolet. He is described as being about 58 to 510 and approximately 140 to 180 pounds with long dreads, a beard, and a mustache. According to police, he was last seen wearing a dark blue pullover with a hood, blue jeans, and white shoes. The investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information that may help investigators is asked to call Laurinburg Police Department Lt. J. White at (910) 276-3211. Anonymous tips can also be sent to Scotland CrimeStoppers at (910) 266-8146, through the online tip sheet at www.scotlandcountycs.com, or via the free P3Tips app available for Apple and Android devices. 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. OCEANSIDE, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) Around 2,000 San Diego Gas & Electric customers were reported to be without power in North County Saturday morning due to outages. The earliest outage was reported at 8:29 a.m. in Oceanside, according to SDG&Es outage map. As of 9:30 a.m., a total of 1,922 customers remained without service in this community, particularly areas like San Luis Rey and Ocean Hills. 5 things to do in San Diego this weekend The estimated restoration time was originally slated for 11 a.m. By that time, only 569 customers remained without power. The new restoration time for those still affected was then noted as 2 p.m. All power has since been restored in Oceanside. Check SDG&Es regional power outage map for real-time updates. The cause for the outages has not been determined at this time. The electric company is working to assess the issue. For tips on what to do during a power outage, watch the video 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 FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Protesters at an abortion rights rally in front of the state Capitol in Lincoln, Neb., on July 4, 2022. The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Friday that dueling constitutional amendments can appear on state ballots this fall. One of the ballot measures, known as Protect the Right to Abortion, would amend the states constitution and stipulate that all persons shall have a fundamental right to abortion until fetal viability, or when needed to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient. The other, called Protect Women and Children, would ban abortions in the second and third trimesters, except in the case of a medical emergency or when the pregnancy is a result of sexual assault or incest. Nebraska law prohibits abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest and saving the mothers life. The pro-abortion rights measure would effectively undo that law, while the other measure would essentially codify it in the states constitution. Abortion rights opponents had argued in a pair of lawsuits that the amendment to expand abortion rights violated a state rule that says a ballot proposal must only address one subject. The state Supreme Court ruled Friday that the measure was not in violation of the single-subject rule. The Nebraska secretary of state will host hearings in October on the two ballot measures, as well as four other unrelated ones, the secretary of states office said Friday. Matt Heffron, a senior counsel for a firm that argued against allowing the abortion rights initiative to stay on the ballot, slammed the high courts ruling. We are deeply concerned that the Nebraska Supreme Court has allowed this intentionally deceptive initiative to go before Nebraskans for a confusing vote, said Heffron, who works at the Chicago-based Thomas More Society, an organization that backs anti-abortion rights positions. Allie Berry, the campaign manager for the group Protect Our Rights, called the courts decision a victory for all Nebraskans. The group backs the abortion rights initiative. The competing ballot initiative does nothing to help these patients, making the current ban permanent and leaving the door open for a total abortion ban in the state. A vote for Protect Our Rights will end the current harmful abortion ban and stop political interference in the future, Berry said. Nebraskas branch of the American Civil Liberties Union celebrated the courts ruling, saying in a post on X that Nebraskans would be able to vote to end our current ban, make sure Nebraskans can get the care they need, and ensure that decisions about pregnancy and abortion rest with patients not politicians. Nebraska is one of 10 states where constitutional amendments that would protect or expand abortion rights are set to appear on ballots this fall. Many of those states lean conservative, including Montana, South Dakota, Missouri and Florida. Colorado, New York and Maryland are the liberal-leaning states with abortion ballot measures. Arizona and Nevada two key battleground states in the presidential election also have abortion ballot initiatives. Abortion rights advocates have consistently scored wins when such initiatives are put to a vote, even in red-leaning states like Ohio, Kansas and Kentucky. Ohio voters last year added the right to abortion care access to the states constitution. In 2022, Kentucky voters rejected a ballot proposal that would have changed the state constitution to say it does not protect the right to abortion. That same year, Kansas voters cast ballots against a proposed amendment that would have removed language guaranteeing abortion rights in the state. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com BAY COUNTY, FL. (WMBB) A dispute involving two neighbors and a camper quickly turned into a city-wide controversy. One man filed a Panama City code enforcement complaint against his neighbor for parking his camper in the driveway. Russell Reynolds has lived in Panama Citys Forest Park neighborhood since 2020. His neighbor moved next door in 2022. Reynolds says his camper has been parked in his driveway for years, but his neighbor recently took issue with it. New official portrait unvieled honoring legacy of Richard Jackson The neighbor complained that my camper blocked the view of him watching his child, a six-year-old, ride her bicycle down the sidewalk, that hes unable to sit in his living room and watch her out the windows, and that he has to get up and come outside, Panama City local Russel Reynolds said. Panama City code ordinances state residents cannot park recreational vehicles or boats in the front yard or driveway unless its under a carport, in a garage, or behind approved fencing. The neighbor complained to code enforcement in May. Reynolds received a citation in July. He argues he cant move his camper to his backyard because he has a pool. He also says if he moved his fence, storm gutters, and trees, and parked his camper farther into his yard, it would still violate the code because the fence wouldnt fully hide it. Im going to be putting forward the expense to do all of this and still not be in compliance, Reynolds said. Boats and campers are such a common sight, many people dont know theyre in-violation. If a neighbor complains, code enforcement has to enforce the code. Well, that kind of puts our citizens in kind of an awkward situation to where its selectively enforced here and there, and thats not exactly how we want to move forward with this, Panama City Commissioner Brian Grainger said. After the controversy blew up on social media, Grainger felt the city needed to address the problem. Enjoy a wide variety of art at Gulf Coast State College I brought it forward to the commission, and the commission agreed to put it back to staff and say staff, look at this issue, give us some background on it as to why it was put into place way back when, and give us some second and third order effects of changing this, and then also look at alternatives to it, Grainger said. The code is over 25 years old, which means the code was enacted in the nineties. Its 2024. Its time to update this code, Reynolds added. Reynolds has a magistrate hearing next Thursday. Hes encouraging residents to attend and give their opinions. 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 mypanhandle.com. Happy Saturday! Heres another edition of my weekend column for WPRI.com as always, send your takes, tips and trial balloons to tnesi@wpri.com and follow me on Twitter, Threads and Facebook. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Nesi's Notes 1. Rhode Islanders have been feeling pretty gloomy for most of this century. Over and over, pollsters have found the states voters are significantly more dissatisfied and pessimistic than their neighbors in Massachusetts. Just look at the most recent UNH Survey Center polls of both states 49% of Massachusetts voters say their state is headed in the right direction, but only 27% of Rhode Island voters say the same. With all that in mind, youd think this would be a tough environment for an incumbent. But youd be wrong. What was remarkable about Tuesdays statewide primary was the overwhelming dominance of incumbents, who won up and down the ballot, often by lopsided margins. Granted, with voter turnout barely cracking 10%, Tuesday wasnt a representative sample of the full electorate. And many candidates ran unopposed, leaving relatively few contested races. But that only adds to the curiosity you might think a state where people say theyre dissatisfied would see more challenges to current officeholders, thus bringing out more voters. John Marion, longtime executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, points out that the states political institutions were designed for a different era, with two competitive political parties; the national Republican brand is now so damaged here that, practically speaking, the Democratic primary is usually the decisive contest. (The same is true, in reverse, in places like Missouri.) That helps explain why some are suggesting a fundamental change to Rhode Islands electoral system, like a top-two primary or ranked-choice voting. But in the meantime, Marion says he doesnt expect much to change. Partisanship is a powerful drug, he said. It can blind people to a lot of problems. 2. In the end, Cranstons bitter battle between Ken Hopkins and Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung didnt turn out to be much of a battle at all. Nearly 60% of Republican primary voters backed the incumbent, putting the wind at Hopkins back as he heads into the November election contest against Democratic nominee Robert Ferri. Fenton-Fungs loss means that come January, she and husband Allan Fung will both be out of office in Cranston for only the second time in two decades. There had already been some indication that the Fung brand was no longer as strong in Cranston as it once was; he won the city by fewer than 1,000 votes in his close 2022 congressional campaign against Seth Magaziner. What will the Fungs do next? Fenton-Fung didnt immediately endorse Hopkins, saying she remains concerned about the lawsuit alleging Hopkins took a car without payment, but if she sits out the race or endorses Ferri she might harm her chances for a comeback in GOP politics. Its also worth pondering the road not taken for Allan Fung, who was preparing to run for treasurer in 2022 until Jim Langevins unexpected retirement led him to switch to a much harder run for Congress. Many political observers think Fung might have defeated James Diossa, the eventual victor in the treasurers race, who only managed a single-digit win against GOP newcomer Jim Lahtrop. 3. More on the municipal races in Woonsocket, City Council President John Ward topped incumbent Chris Beauchamp in the first round for mayor in Warwick, nearly 200 Democrats turned out for mayoral candidate Leah Hazelwoods fundraiser Thursday in support of her bid to oust independent incumbent Frank Picozzi in Cumberland, The Valley Breezes Ethan Shorey investigated residency questions surrounding mayoral challenger Brad Dean. 4. Of course, just because it was a sleepy primary season overall doesnt mean there werent some hard-fought campaigns if you looked in the right places. A tough victory was won by Cranston City Councilor Lammis Vargas, who fended off four opponents to win the Democratic primary to succeed retiring state Sen. Josh Miller. Unlike many outgoing Assembly incumbents, Miller stayed neutral in the race to replace him, creating a truly open contest in and around Edgewood. Vargas topped second-place finisher Darrell Brown by 136 votes mostly due to mail ballots, which is usually a sign of an organized campaign. Meantime, a number of incumbent representatives seen as potentially in danger Grace Diaz, Enrique Sanchez, Sam Azzinaro, Cherie Cruz, Charlene Lima all won their primaries. And Senate President Dominick Ruggerio showed he still knows how to win in North Providence, crushing Lenny Cioe with 70% of the vote despite being unable to campaign door-to-door due to health problems. 5. On Thursday, just two days after she ran unopposed in the state primary, Pawtucket state Sen. Sandra Cano confirmed rumors that she would quit to take a new job. What timing: Cano managed to make her announcement during the very narrow three-day window when party leaders are allowed to install a handpicked replacement nominee post-primary, rather than effectively forfeiting the seat. The Democratic Party quickly settled on their new candidate for Senate District 8: Lori Urso, a former Westerly Town Council member. Urso is no stranger to Pawtucket powerbrokers. She was the campaign manager for Mayor Don Grebien who is Canos current boss. She served as a staffer to Treasurer James Diossa who is Canos long-term partner. And the five-member committee that picked Urso included not only Grebiens wife but also a Diossa staffer who used to work for Grebien. A tight web of relationships, to say the least, and the backroom machinations drew criticism across the political spectrum. This decision undermines the will of the voters in one of the states most diverse districts, argued Harrison Tuttle, president of the Black Lives Matter PAC. Its especially frustrating that the Rhode Island Democratic Party, which champions diversity and representation, has selected a non-person-of-color to represent a district where over 45% of the population consists of people of color. Tuttle was echoed by Cathy Palocsik, the independent candidate who was running against Cano and likely would have won the seat if Democratic leaders hadnt moved to swap in Urso. It is unfortunate that a political party machine, which regularly declares that defending democracy is a top priority of the party, has opted to bypass democratic norms and the proper nomination process for the great people of Pawtucket, Palocsik said. 6. When Patricia Morgan failed to secure the state GOP endorsement at the party convention in June, it left some doubt about whether she would defeat opponent Ray McKay for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. On Tuesday, though, Morgan easily dispatched McKay in a primary decided by just 19,000 voters. Now she faces a much harder task: finding a way to unseat Democratic incumbent Sheldon Whitehouse, who has millions of dollars in the bank and will benefit from high presidential-year turnout. Whitehouses advisers were pleased to see him increase his support in the Democratic primary to over 80%, giving him an even bigger landslide than he managed six years ago. Whitehouse has already agreed to Morgans call for a debate, though the details are yet to be confirmed. (Stay tuned.) Meantime, Whitehouse will be back on the campaign trail this weekend in Florida. He is scheduled to speak at campaign events for both Kamala Harris and U.S. Senate nominee Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, discussing how climate change is increasing the cost of home insurance, a topic he has also tackled in the Senate. 7. Candidates wont be the only ones mounting campaigns in Rhode Island this fall. There will be five ballot measures for voters to decide: four bond referendums plus the decennial constitutional convention question. The campaigns for those bond questions are starting to ramp up. The Rhode Island Ports Coalition will premiere a new TV ad during this Sundays Patriots game making the case for Question 4, the $53 million so-called Green Bond that includes funding for both environmental projects and infrastructure at Quonset. Governor McKee and former Congressman Jim Langevin will headline a kickoff event Tuesday for a Yes on 2 campaign promoting the $160.5 million higher education bond. (Langevins new cybersecurity institute at RIC is slated to get $73 million of the proceeds.) Additionally, the Rhode Island Foundation has committed to funding a campaign on behalf of the $120 million housing bond, with the Mayforth Group and Expedition Consulting leading the effort. No word yet on whether there will be an organized campaign for the $10 million arts bond. Also unclear is how many mixed messages Rhode Island voters will see on the airwaves as campaigns also take place regarding the four Massachusetts questions: auditing the legislature, eliminating the MCAS requirement, unionizing ride-share drivers, and legalizing psychedelic drugs. 8. Gina Raimondo turned heads by showing up to Dan McKees D.C. fundraiser this week. 9. Eye on Congress the National Parents Union touted a bipartisan resolution introduced by Jack Reed and Louisianas Bill Cassidy calling for action on the nations literacy crisis Sheldon Whitehouse chaired a hearing on how to restore Social Securitys solvency Seth Magaziner spearheaded a statement from all 24 Jewish House Democrats decrying Tucker Carlsons interview with a Holocaust revisionist Gabe Amo met with new U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the British ambassadors residence in Washington Jake Auchincloss and Bill Keating both worked to up the pressure on President Biden to let Ukraine use western-made weapons to strike locations inside Russia. 10. People in the news Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos was at the White House on Friday for the first-ever Brunch in Celebration of Black Excellence; also attending were Congressman Amo and former R.I. Democratic Party executive director T. Kevin Olasanoye AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Patrick Crowley is poised to replace George Nee as the unions president at an Oct. 21 meeting Jessica David, cofounder of the Rhode Island Community Investment Cooperative, announced the group is raising $3.5 million for a Local Return Diversified Community Investment Fund Cumulus Media has brought Kim Zandy back to the 92 PRO-FM morning show PublicAffairs has set a Feb. 18 publication date for Why Nothing Works, the new book by Browns Mark Dunkelman (of Vanishing Neighbor fame) Voxs Zack Beauchamp will headline the first installment of URIs new Democracy in Peril series of honors colloquium lectures Brown trustee Joseph Edelman resigned over the upcoming Israel divestment vote former ABC6 reporter Brooke Taylor has a new gig on Fox News education philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein is dead at age 93. 11. If youre a regular listener to the popular Criminal podcast from Vox Media, youll recognize a familiar voice on their latest episode. The show features our own Tim White, along with retired Projo scribe Wayne Worcester, discussing Providences notorious 1975 Bonded Vault heist. You can listen to the podcast here, and you can get their book on the heist here. Speaking of organized crime, Tim also had a big scoop Thursday about the former president of the local Hells Angels club landing back in prison after attending a mob wake. 12. Seasonal sounds: Marc Myers shares 10 versions of the jazz classic Early Autumn. 13. Set your DVRs: This week on Newsmakers a political roundtable breaks down the state primary and looks ahead to the November election. Watch Sunday at 5:30 a.m. on WPRI 12 and 10 a.m. on Fox Providence, or listen on the radio Sunday at 6 p.m. on WPRO. You can also subscribe to Newsmakers as a podcast via Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you back here next Saturday. Ted Nesi (tnesi@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesis Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter, Threads and Facebook. An earlier version of this column incorrectly said the Fungs will be out of office for the first time in two decades; its the second time, along with 2007-08. 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 WPRI.com. JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE / Shutterstock / JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE / Shutterstock Medical debt is a major financial burden for many Americans so much so that they are forced to cut spending on essentials like food and clothing just to pay it down. A report published earlier this year by the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker revealed that 20 million U.S. adults owed some kind of medical debt as of 2021. Their combined debt was at least $220 billion, and roughly 3 million Americans owed more than $10,000. The reasons for all this debt are many and varied, though most are tied to a combination of high healthcare costs and inadequate health insurance. Making healthcare more affordable and accessible is a big talking point during election years, and 2024 is no exception. Among those who have addressed the topic is ex-President Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term this year. Explore More: Trump-Era Tax Cuts Are Expiring How Changes Will Impact Retirees Read Next: 9 Things You Must Do To Grow Your Wealth in 2024 Heres how the ex-presidents election win could affect medical debt. Earning passive income doesn't need to be difficult. You can start this week. Trumps Actions Regarding Healthcare Much of Trumps current talk centers on his vow not to touch Medicare or Social Security benefits. But during his first run for office in 2016, he took it a step further by pushing for wider healthcare coverage, Forbes recently reported. Everybodys got to be covered, Trump said at the time. This is an un-Republican thing for me to say, but I am going to take care of everybody. I dont care if it costs me votes or not. In a May 2019 White House press release, the Trump administration outlined several proposals to reduce healthcare costs and help people avoid medical debt. Among the highlights: Patients receiving emergency care should not be forced to shoulder extra costs billed by a care provider but not covered by their insurer. Patients receiving scheduled care should have information about whether providers are in or out of their network and what costs they may face. Patients should not receive surprise bills from out-of-network providers they did not choose. Federal healthcare expenditures should not increase. As president, Trump did take some steps to lower healthcare costs. He approved rules allowing the importation of cheaper drugs from Canada and other countries, NPR reported. The problem was that not many countries were willing to sell their drugs here. More successful was another law under Trump, called the No Surprises Act, that aimed to protect patients from exorbitant emergency room bills. It was later implemented by President Joe Biden. Story continues In addition, Trump signed the Right to Try Act, which was designed to make it easier for patients with terminal diseases to access drugs or treatments not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But as KFF Health News noted, it is not clear how many patients were able to get treatment using the law because the FDA has traditionally granted requests for compassionate use of not-yet-approved drugs, anyway. The stumbling block, which the law does not address, is getting drug companies to release doses of medicines that are still being tested and may be in short supply, KFF Health News Julie Rovner wrote earlier this year. Check Out: 8 Myths About Debt That Boomers Must Stop Believing Before They Retire How a Trump Win Could Affect Your Medical Debt Should Trump win a second term this year in his matchup with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, some economists and other healthcare experts harbor doubts about his ability to lower medical debt. Thats mainly because his opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka Obamacare, could lead to more uninsured Americans. According to a recent analysis conducted by Capital & Main and Thomas Data Consulting, during the first three years of Donald Trumps presidency, the U.S. saw an increase of 2.3 million uninsured people. The primary reason was Trumps repeated undermining of the ACA, which made it harder for Americans to get health insurance, according to Jeremy Lindenfeld, who wrote the Capital & Main report. Trump cut the enrollment period in half, canceled outreach programs, slashed the ACAs $100 million advertising budget by 90%, and removed the penalty for not having insurance, Lindenfeld said in comments shared with GOBankingRates. A month before Trump eliminated the penalty, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that doing so would raise premiums and result in millions more uninsured people, Capital & Main reported. ACA marketplace open enrollment fell every year from 2016 to 2020. In contrast, during President Joe Bidens first two years in office, there was an increase of 3.3 million people with insurance. David Kass, a clinical professor of finance at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business, shared similar concerns during a recent conversation with GBR. He raised the prospect that health insurance could become more costly should Trump win re-election. That in turn could lead to a rise in medical debt. During his first term, President Donald Trump attempted to repeal the ACA, an effort that is likely to be repeated during a second term, said Kass, who previously held senior positions in the federal government. If the ACA is repealed or weakened, the likely result would be higher insurance premiums for the middle class. It could also lead to reduced protections for those with pre-existing conditions. And as Lindenfeld told GBR, a rise in uninsured Americans will only exacerbate a medical debt problem that is already bad enough. People with health insurance are less likely to be burdened by medical debt, but it isnt a silver bullet, he said. People with insurance still do go into medical debt; its just not as bad as it is for folks without insurance. Editors note on election coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im an Economist: How a Trump Win Could Affect Your Medical Debt Sometimes its in the turn of phrase. On Wednesday, the BBCs World Affairs Editor John Simpson who has defended the corporations refusal to label Hamas terrorists praised a certain Corbynite activist and childrens writer for his penetrating understanding of Middle Eastern geopolitics. The magnificent Michael Rosen defends the BBCs coverage of Israel/Gaza by pointing out that no one accuses the Israeli newspaper Haaretz of anti-Semitism when it reports honestly and objectively about Netanyahu and his war, he tweeted. Thank you, Michael. His war. Netanyahus war. Really? What about Hamas butchering, raping and mutilating Israelis before dragging 251 innocents into Gaza last year? If it was your daughter sitting in her own filth in a dungeon underground, would you be making daisy chains and joining Amnesty? Israeli society which had suspended its infighting after the pogroms is now once again in full argument mode over Benjamin Netanyahu, who is now blamed by the Left for the execution of the six captives last month, as if he had pulled the trigger himself. The West has lapped it up. Show me a subversive Israeli narrative and Ill show you an eager press pack. Portrayals of Israeli prime ministers often include post-Medieval iconography. Here is Benjamin Netanyahu building a wall with dead babies. Here we find the man with devil horns and tail; here holding a Star-of-David trident. Here is former leader Ariel Sharon biting the head off an infant. Here is little William of Norwich, crucified by rumour on Easter 1144; here the small Arab corpses. (As I write, the IDF has facilitated polio vaccinations for more than 560,000 children in Gaza.) True, Netanyahu has become a toxic leader, presiding over a repellent and divisive governing coalition. But the world is hardly short of toxic leaders, even in democracies like Israel. We demand the right to have our own villains, exactly as other people have them, wrote Zeev Jabotinsky, one of the fathers of the Jewish republic, in 1911. So much for that. These days, Netanyahu has joined Zionists as a cipher for the Jews, an argot of anti-Semitism that allows a bigot to express hatred without censure. He is hardly a blameless figure. But is he really that warmongering demon of Jerusalem, with a disturbing appetite for young blood? Is he not merely a flawed politician fighting against a deadly terrorist group? Funny how it all makes sense when you read Netanyahu as a proxy for the Jews. Who is the greater criminal, him or Hamas? The hesitation belies the brainwashing. As the French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy argues in his upcoming book Israel Alone: Can one imagine a western neighbour of Giorgia Melonis Italy using as a pretext her Mussolini-like leanings [for] launching a murderous assault? Im not accusing Simpson of being a Jew-hater. His tweet which dropped on the anniversary of the 9/11 atrocity, met with dancing in the streets of Ramallah at the time was simply a reflection of misunderstandings held by those obsessed with Israels current war of self-defence. Hamas are not labelled as terrorists. And so we find Netanyahu and Hamas fingered in unison by the International Criminal Court, and the erasure of jihadi agency in the conflict, with the blame for a stalled deal placed purely on the shoulders of the Israeli leader.In return for hostages, Hamas wants the IDF to withdraw from the smuggling territory it requires to rearm. Even if Netanyahu complied, there would likely be further deceptions, further executed hostages. But one mustnt think of Hamas without thinking of the context. We are facing, as Henri put it, the beast unchained and with its muzzle bared, hungry for Jewish flesh which is to say, human flesh. Feed it and it will come for your children. 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. The Nevada Green Party on Friday asked the Supreme Court for an emergency intervention so its candidates can appear on the states general election ballot in November. Nevadas top court in a 5-2 ruling last week excluded the partys candidates because it used the wrong form when collecting signatures to gain ballot access. The ruling handed a win to the Nevada State Democratic Party, which challenged the signatures that wouldve enabled Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein to go before voters. By filing an emergency appeal at the Supreme Court, the Green Party thrusts the justices into another election-related dispute in a key swing state that could help decide the presidential contest. The lower courts action preventing Applicant ballot access was extraordinary, denying Applicant both due process and equal protection under the federal Constitution, the Green Party wrote in its application. Given the timing of the lower courts actions, emergency relief in this Court is the only relief available that prevents an ongoing and irreparable harm to Applicants exercise of one of Americans most sacred rights, it continued. Neither former President Trumps campaign nor the state Republican Party is involved in the lawsuit. The Green Party is being represented by Jay Sekulow, who was an attorney for Trump at his first of two impeachment trials and is lead counsel at American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative legal organization, which has cast Democrats lawsuit as a way to clear the way for Vice President Harris. The Hill has reached out to the Nevada State Democratic Party for comment. The court set a deadline for Tuesday for the Nevada State Democratic Party and Nevadas secretary of states office to respond. The Green Party says it used the wrong form in collecting signatures based on guidance from officials in the Nevada secretary of states office. The states top court found that wasnt a sufficient excuse. The Secretary of States office was involved in this case by necessity, and took no position on the legal sufficiency of the petition under Nevada law, the office said in a statement, adding that it is working with counties to carry out last weeks ruling. The challenge to the Green Partys ballot access in Nevada comes amid a series of legal battles in swing states over whether to grant Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s request to remove his name from ballots now that he has suspended his campaign. None of those challenges have reached the Supreme 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 The Hill. PETAL, Miss. (WHLT) This week marks 31 years since 17-year-old Angela Freeman, of Petal, disappeared. She is believed to have been killed. Freeman was last seen in the early morning hours of Friday, September 10, 1993, at the old Pizza Hut in Petal. She was four months pregnant at the time of her disappearance and was reported missing after she failed to show up for work. Freemans car was later found at the Mahned Bridge in Perry County. Perry County deputies and Petal police worked the case, finding a puddle of Freemans blood, her shoes and other items containing her DNA near the bridge. Freeman was never found. One injured during storm clean up in Mississippi In 2006, a cold case unit at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) began working on the case. Their findings were turned over to the 12th Circuit Court District Attorney, who said the case is still open, but they lack enough evidence to pursue charges. We were able to develop a suspect, and we turned that case into the Forrest and Perry County District, and his office a couple of years ago. The case we made, we feel good about that case. The district attorney, you know, of course, has their opinion on what evidence they need to prosecute. But anybody can come forward if they have information, said USM Police Chief Rusty Keys. I will never give up. They might give up, but Im not. Because God is going to put this together. People might think Im crazy, but its going to be put together one day. And thats my heart, you know? And I, I need to know what happened to her. I need to get peace in my heart, said Debra Freeman, Angela Freemans mother. There is a $15,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest in the disappearance of Freeman. Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers at 601-582-STOP. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 WJTV. President Joe Biden said he didnt remember his own name and briefly wore a Trump 2024 hat during a playful exchange at a Pennsylvania fire station. Biden was in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Wednesday to mark 23 years since the attacks on 9/11. Shanksville is where Flight 93 crashed after a group of passengers stopped four al-Qaida hijackers from flying the plane into a federal building in Washington, D.C. Video by Mikaylah Sines shows Biden joking with the crowd at one point, offering to trade a cap with the presidential seal on it for a red Trump cap. He found a taker, who then joked with Biden about being old and asked Biden to autograph the presidents cap. Initially, Biden said "I aint going that far" when he was asked to wear the Trump hat, but he ended up putting it on briefly with a big smile. As Biden was wrapping up his visit, he reminded the crowd, "Remember: No eating dogs or cats," taking a shot at former President Donald Trump. During Tuesdays debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump repeated false and inflammatory claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, alleging they are responsible for eating pets in the community. RELATED: Trump falsely claims migrants in Ohio are eating pets "In Springfield, theyre eating the dogs. The people that came in, theyre eating the cats," Trump said during the debate. This claim has been thoroughly debunked by local officials, who have found no evidence to support such accusations. The baseless rumors were originally spread through social media posts and gained traction after being amplified by Trumps campaign and other Republican figures, including Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance. No new pledge on Ukraine missiles after Starmer-Biden talks UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has held "productive" talks with US President Joe Biden about Ukraine but he did not signal any decision on allowing Kyiv to fire long-range missiles into Russia. Sir Keir said the talks in Washington concentrated on "strategy", rather than a "particular step or tactic". The White House said the pair had also expressed "deep concern about Iran and North Korea's provision of lethal weapons to Russia". Early on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had launched over 70 Iranian-made drones across Ukraine overnight, and that his country needed more air defence and long-range capabilities "to protect life and our people". "We are working on this with all Ukrainian partners," he said. Ahead of the talks at the White House, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Western nations not to let Ukraine fire long-range missiles at Russia. Putin said such a move would represent Nato's "direct participation" in the Ukraine war. But former UK defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Nato should let Ukraine fire long-range missiles in Russia in spite of Putin's threats, adding that wrangling was just benefiting the Russian president. "I'm just disappointed that it's yet again another tug of war around another capability," the former Conservative MP said. Kurt Volker, former US special representative for Ukraine negotiations said Putin's comments were made to prevent further Western action. "The reason Putin says those things is to achieve the result of deterring us from doing things - not that it has any bearing on what he's really going to do or really thinks," he told the Today programme. Commenting on the debate over long-range missiles, he said the US "overplays the sense that this is a new red line that this would be so provocative to Russia that it would create some kind of new escalation". Addressing reporters ahead of his meeting with Sir Keir at the White House, Biden said: "I don't think much about Vladimir Putin." To date, the US and UK have not given Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles against targets inside Russia, for fear of escalation. However, Zelensky has repeatedly called on Kyiv's Western allies to authorise such use, saying it is the only way to bring about an end to the war. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian cities and front lines have been under daily bombardment from Russia. Many of the missiles and glide bombs that hit Ukraine's military positions, blocks of flats, energy facilities and hospitals are launched by Russian aircraft deep inside Russia. Kyiv says not being allowed to hit the bases from which these attacks are launched hinders its ability to defend itself. The UK previously said Ukraine had a "clear right" to use British-provided weapons for "self-defence" which "does not preclude operations inside Russia", following Kyiv's surprise cross-border incursion last month. However, this excludes the use of long-range Storm Shadow missiles in territory outside Ukraine's internationally recognised borders. The US provided long-range missiles to Ukraine earlier this year, but like Kyiv's other Western allies these have not been authorised for use on targets deep inside Russia. [BBC] Asked if he was intimidated by Putin's threats of a potential war with Nato, Sir Keir said "the quickest way to resolve" the war in Ukraine "lies through what Putin actually does". Sir Keir said the White House meeting with Biden was an opportunity to discuss the strategy in relation to Ukraine, "not just a particular step or tactic". The pair also discussed the situation in the Middle East, where the Israel-Gaza war has been raging for nearly a year, and "other areas across the world", Sir Keir added. He told reporters they would get another opportunity to discuss these issues at the United Nations General Assembly next week. In a separate briefing on Friday, ahead of the two leaders' meeting, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Washington was not planning any change in the limits it has placed on Ukraine's use of US-made weapons to hit Russian territory. Earlier on Friday, Moscow expelled six British diplomats, revoking their accreditation and accusing them of spying. The country's security service, the FSB, said in a statement it had received documents indicating Britain's involvement in inflicting "a strategic defeat" on Russia. The accusations were dismissed by the UK Foreign Office as "completely baseless". In an interview with the BBC, UK defence analyst Justin Crump said Putin was testing the new Labour government and the outgoing Biden administration. "Ultimately Russia already supplies weapons to the UK's adversaries, and is already engaged in 'active measures' such as subversion, espionage, sabotage, and information/cyber operations against Nato members' interests. "This may all accelerate, but picking a fight against all of Nato is not something Russia can afford given how hard they're struggling against just Ukraine," Mr Crump added. Also on Friday, the US announced new sanctions against the Russian media channel RT, accusing it of being a "de facto arm of Russia's intelligence apparatus". The top US diplomat, Antony Blinken, told reporters RT is part of a network of Russian-backed media outlets, which have sought to covertly "undermine democracy in the United States". In response to US allegations that RT had sought to influence elections, the broadcaster's editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan - who was sanctioned by the US last week - said they were excellent teachers, adding that many RT staff had studied in the US, and with US funding. Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said there should be a "new profession" in the US, of specialist in sanctions imposed on Russia. A year after a wildfire, the U.S. Forest Service assesses the damage to figure out how many trees need to be planted to restore the forest. But research shows that much more time is needed to calculate tree mortality. (Oregon Department of Forestry/Flickr) One year after a wildfire burns in a forest, the U.S. Forest Service assesses the damage. What the agency finds at this one-year mark informs its post-fire restoration efforts, including how many trees foresters are required to plant to replace ones that died due to the fire. But according to a growing body of research, one year just isnt enough time to determine how many trees have died following a wildfire. Two recent studies, created independently of each other, that examined the effects of wildfires in Oregon, Washington as well as other parts of the West, found that trees scorched by fire can continue to die for as long as five years after a wildfire. While there is as yet no scientific consensus about what these findings mean for post-fire restoration, the implication, according to some scientists, is that the ecological damage caused by wildfires has been underestimated and restoration efforts are not keeping up. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The amount of climate-warming carbon lost to the atmosphere when trees die likely has also been underestimated, according to one of the two studies, implying that the current carbon-absorbing power of some forests has been overestimated. The phenomenon being investigated is called post-fire delayed tree mortality. What were finding is fire effects are not static, theyre dynamic, (tree) mortality continues to happen for years, hence the word delayed, said Andres Holz, associate professor at Portland State University, director of the universitys Global Environmental Change Lab and coauthor of one of the studies. The research potentially has wide implications: Though scientists do not know how many acres have been affected by post-fire mortality, wildfires burn millions of acres of forest a year. Last year, 56,580 wildfires burned in the U.S., scorching nearly 2.7 million acres (over 4,200 square miles), and in 2022, nearly 68,990 fires burned more than 7.5 million acres (over 11,800 square miles), according to the National Interagency Fire Center based in Boise, Idaho. The center coordinates fire resources nationwide. Previous field research has shown that trees continue to die for years after wildfires. Holz and his colleagues research is some of the first to use satellite imagery to study the phenomenon remotely. Wildfires in Cascades Holzs study, published in April in the journal Ecosphere, examined the effects of delayed tree mortality following wildfires in the Cascades and the northern and southern Rocky Mountains. To do this, Holz and his coauthors compared images of forests burned by wildfires taken one-year post-fire to images of the same forests taken five-years post-fire. The analysis revealed that many forest sections that had previously shown up as green pixels in satellite images taken one year after a fire were no longer green by year five, suggesting that trees had continued to die over the four-year period. This one-to-five-year comparison was done in areas burned by 30 wildfires. The studys lead author, Sebastian Busby, said the research was inspired by fieldwork he did in the Cascade Mountains as a Portland State University graduate student working with Holz. Busby is now a forest carbon analyst for the nonprofit Nature Conservancy. While in the Cascades, Busby said he used GPS data and fire severity maps created one year after a fire to locate where a fire perimeter should have stopped only to find that the reach of the dead trees had surpassed the perimeter. That was also reflected in the comparisons of the satellite imagery. By year five, delayed mortality led to a decline in tree cover at the examined fire perimeters from 5% to 25%, according to the study. Busby said its likely that trees that previously had been lightly burned but were still living one year after a fire had been weakened enough by the flames to later die from other causes, including drought and insect attacks. The study also looked at fire refugia, or patches of trees in a wildfire area that experience low-intensity fire or no fire and continue to survive. The way I always think about (fire refugia) is theyre islands within an ocean, and the ocean is a severely burned forest, said Busby. These living islands provide the seeds that forests use to naturally regenerate. Busby and Holz found that while some fire refugia remained unchanged by year five, others shrank in size or disappeared entirely. Trees continue to die over time and sometimes at high magnitudes, said Busby. So, if you actually look further out in time, theres less and less seed source available. The problem, Busby said, is most forest management agencies stop assessing fire damage one year after a fire. This means they are likely overestimating the number of surviving trees and the quantity of seeds they provide. According to Holz, this suggests the U.S. Forest Service is likely underestimating the number of trees it needs to replant. Researchers disagree Matthew Reilly, a U.S. Forest Service research forester and lead author of the second paper, also used satellite imagery to study post-fire tree mortality. His study, published last year in the journal Fire Ecology, examined tree mortality following six fires in Oregon, Washington and California. The study also found that trees in a wildfire zone can die up to five years later, with islands of surviving trees shrinking in the years that followed. The big thing that we found very consistently is that fire refugia are essentially being cut in half in terms of their area, Reilly said. Theyre not only cut in half, but they are now more fragmented. The study found that post-fire tree mortality occurred on 14% of the total area examined in the study. This amounted to 7,725 hectares, or over 29 square miles. The total area impacted by post-fire mortality in the Western U.S. remains unknown. However, Holz, Busby and Reilly said the methods they developed in their two studies could be used to determine that number in the future. They agree the number is likely to be very large. Because delayed mortality is a known problem, but nobody knows how big that problem really is, Reilly refers to it as sizing up the elephant in the room. But he disagreed that his agency and other land managers arent planting enough trees post fire though he said the findings could help inform strategies related to the agencys restoration practices. Reilly said his study also suggests that by underestimating tree death scientists have also overestimated the amount of carbon thats stored by trees, which helps fight climate change. We know that theyre underestimating it, but we dont quite know by how much yet, he said. 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. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and X. Yahoo Finance After China announced broad measures to rescue its economy, Chinese stocks surged, our Chart of the Week shows. It's not the first time the country has attempted to get out of the recent doldrums, but the market's reaction says this time might be different. NEW YORK (PIX11) A Bronx man will spend five years in prison for sexually assaulting an asylum seeker inside of a Federal building, The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York announced Friday. While working as an armed guard at 26 Federal Plaza, 45-year-old Jimmy Arias Solano demanded a male asylum seeker perform sexual acts on him, according to court documents. More Local News Jimmy Solano-Arias used his position as an armed security officer at a federal building to sexually assault a vulnerable asylum seeker, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. In so doing, Solano-Arias abused a person he was charged with protecting and then lied to cover up his crime. Officials said the defendant, Solano-Arias, was employed as an armed guard for a security company contracted through the federal government. The firm provided services at 26 Federal Plaza. In May 2023, while the defendant was on duty, the victim went to the building to submit an Asylum application. Solano-Arias allegedly offered to assist the victim with his asylum paperwork. The defendant took the victim to a second-floor office, where he secluded the victim and locked the door. The defendant demanded the victim perform sexual acts on him, court documents said. The victim refused at first, but Solano-Arias reached for his employed-issued firearm. According to documents, the victim, fearing that Solano-Arias would harm him, performed the sexual act the defendant demanded. After the assault, the victim reported the sexual assault to law enforcement officials. The following morning, Solano-Arias returned to the building for his shift. FBI agents asked to speak with the defendant. During an interview, Solano-Arias lied to federal agents, denying the abuse had happened, and then stated sexual acts happened, but the acts were consensual. Solano-Arias was arrested after the interview and later pleaded guilty before a federal judge, according to court documents. 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. New York City police shot and killed a knife-wielding suspect in Brooklyn on Friday, saying the man was suspected of three murders. Officers with the Brooklyn Warrant Squad were attempting to arrest Vilmond Jean-Baptiste, 38, on Friday evening when he allegedly charged them with a knife, police say. Police say they found Baptiste hiding fully-clothed in a bathtub as they searched a Brooklyn apartment. NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey says officers ordered Baptiste to get out of the bathtub and noticed that he was holding a knife. Police ordered him to drop the weapon, but he instead advanced on the officers, police say. One officer attempted to stop Baptiste with a stun gun, but police said it was ineffective. Maddrey says at least three of the officers then opened fire on Baptiste. Medics rushed him to the hospital, where he died of his injuries. STAFFER FOR NYC MAYOR FIRED AMID EXTORTION REPORTS AFTER NYPD COMISSIONER RESIGNED New York City police shot and killed Vilmond Jean-Baptiste while serving a warrant for his arrest on Friday night. (Peter Gerber) A crowd soon gathered around the scene as police wheeled Baptiste into an ambulance. One man could be heard shouting, "He shot my brother. He killed my brother for nothing," according to the New York Daily News. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows crowds shouting and throwing objects at police. NYPD BOSS RESIGNS AS DEM MAYOR'S INNER CIRCLE FACES POSSIBLE CORRUPTION PROBE Baptiste was wanted in relation to three murders. One case involved a 54-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man whose bodies were found in the city in July. Both victims were stabbed to death. Another case involved Claudette Jones, 66, who was found stabbed to death inside her apartment in late August. HOUSE GOP PRESSES HOCHUL ON ALLEGED CCP AGENT'S INFLUENCE IN NEW YORK, INCLUDING SECRET CHINESE POLICE STATION Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told the Daily Mail that Baptiste was romantically involved with both female victims. Johnny Jean-Baptiste, 44, the suspect's older brother, said the pair's mother was in the home when police shot and killed him, according to the Daily News. A bystander shouts at police at the scene of the shooting. (Peter Gerber) "My brother didnt have a gun," the elder brother said. "They could have dealt with him differently. I want to see the body camera to see what really happened." When asked about the murder cases Baptiste was suspected in, his brother reportedly replied, "Nobodys perfect." Original article source: NYPD shoot knife-wielding suspect wanted in 3 murder investigations OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) Just as they were making strides to break ground on the Oak Ridge Airport Project, the City paused its development. The City paused the project to make way for a proposed uranium enrichment facility, Orano the City calling it one of the largest economic investments in the state of Tennessee. Oak Ridge city manager Randy Hermann said the pause does not mean the project is dead, but it will set back their timeline. Hemann explained that the proposed facility highlights the growth of nuclear industry in Oak Ridge. To me this says we need an airport more than ever, so we will be looking for alternate sites in the area. said Hemann. However, residents say an airport is unnecessary, citing nearby airports and the impact it could have on their city or their pocketbooks. For the most part, it really doesnt impact a resident. And theres, you know, going to be a lot of detailed study on any noise that comes from this, you know, well make sure that theres no, no great noise impact, and no financial impact on residents, said Hemann. One concerned resident told 6 News they were concerned the airport might be used for commercial traffic, but the city manager said that is not so. It will support industry, in general would also support those folks that are just doing general aviation, in the area, but its mainly for industry purpose, and as I said, to relieve some traffic from, the Knoxville airport, said Hemann. Although some residents say government funding should be spent elsewhere, Hemann said the airport could boost their economy. We will have nuclear related businesses that need those services. So thats really what its all about, is it becomes another reason for people to move here and for us to be really the center for new nuclear development in the United States and, and hopefully the world, he said. Now, Hemann said the project will take more time. It will take the City up to six to eight months to find a new location for the airport, but Hermann explained that they were happy to pause the project while assessments are made regarding approval for the uranium enrichment facility. 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 WATE 6 On Your Side. HANGZHOU -- The third Global Digital Trade Expo, scheduled from Sept 25 to 29 in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, will be powered entirely by green electricity. The expo venue, the Hangzhou Grand Convention and Exhibition Center, has completed the purchase of 2,350 green certificates, which correspond to 2.35 million kilowatt-hours of clean green electricity, equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by more than 1,500 tonnes, according to local electricity authorities. In addition to the photovoltaic power purchased from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the expo venue has also adopted building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) technology. The 3,356 cadmium telluride solar panels installed on its roof can generate 730,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, equivalent to the total annual electricity consumption for lighting in the basement and above-ground offices of the exhibition center. Green electricity refers to electricity with zero or near-zero carbon dioxide emissions during its production process. This is crucial for a company's journey to achieving carbon neutrality, and for the transformation and upgrading of the entire industry. Buyers of green electricity also obtain green certificates. Launched in 2022, the expo will feature Kazakhstan and Thailand as guests of honor this year. Industrial activities related to artificial intelligence, low-altitude economy and digital healthcare will be included in the expo. The simplest way to benefit from a rising market is to buy an index fund. Active investors aim to buy stocks that vastly outperform the market - but in the process, they risk under-performance. For example, the Nufarm Limited (ASX:NUF) share price is down 20% in the last year. That's disappointing when you consider the market returned 16%. However, the longer term returns haven't been so bad, with the stock down 11% in the last three years. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 19% in the last three months. With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies. Check out our latest analysis for Nufarm Nufarm wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, it is unlikely we'll see a strong correlation between its share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Arguably revenue is our next best option. 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. In just one year Nufarm saw its revenue fall by 7.8%. That looks pretty grim, at a glance. The stock price has languished lately, falling 20% in a year. That seems pretty reasonable given the lack of both profits and revenue growth. It's hard to escape the conclusion that buyers must envision either growth down the track, cost cutting, or both. You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. If you are thinking of buying or selling Nufarm stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts. A Different Perspective Investors in Nufarm had a tough year, with a total loss of 18% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 16%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 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. 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Nufarm . Story continues There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of undervalued small cap companies that insiders are buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Australian 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. OAKLAND (KRON) The city of Oakland is suing its own school district, alleging the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is refusing to pay at least $1.5 million in election-related costs, a lawsuit filed by Oakland City Attorney Barbara J. Parker on Friday states. Parker claims her office has been attempting to work in good faith with OUSD for over a year but filed the lawsuit due to OUSDs refusal to acknowledge its basic legal responsibility. Girl, 15, arrested for North Bay school shooting threat According to Parker, the most recent 2023 election held to fill the OUSD District 5 vacancy cost upwards of $600,000 alone. Parker says these elections cost so much because the OUSD Board of Education did not appoint a provisional board member and instead chose to proceed by special election. Parker claims the Oakland City Council had no role in calling the District 5 elections and that there is no basis for the city to be responsible for covering those costs. The law is clear that OUSD is responsible for paying the costs of the 2023 special election that it called to fill a vacancy on the OUSD Board, and for paying its fair share of other election costs, Parker said. Despite California law stating school districts must pay their share of election costs for school board offices and other ballot measures, the complaint alleges OUSD refused to pay for its proportionate share of election costs for recent school board director elections in 2022 and 2020. Parkers office estimates OUSD is responsible for paying approximately $860,700 for the 2022 elections and about $679,000 for 2020. The City always strives to resolve issues without resorting to litigation. Unfortunately, after nearly a year of attempting to work in good faith with OUSD to resolve this dispute, OUSD has remained steadfast in its refusal to acknowledge its basic legal responsibility. Accordingly, seeking relief in court is the Citys only option to recover the money OUSD indisputably owes and to ensure it will pay its fair share of election costs going forward, Oakland CIty Attorney Barbara J. Parker FINAL-OUSD-Election-Costs-Complaint-2024.09.12Download KRON4 has contacted OUSD for comment, but the school district said they do not comment on pending litigation. 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. WASHINGTON Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, along with former first lady Michelle Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are preparing to lend their political star power to Vice President Kamala Harris campaign in the final stretch of the election, according to four people familiar with their plans. The high-profile surrogates all felt energized by their roles in the Democratic National Convention last month and have offered to help the Harris team in any way that would be most helpful, these people said. Barack Obama is expected to headline a fundraiser for Harris in Los Angeles next Friday and then hold larger campaign events next month, while Michelle Obama will focus on encouraging voter registration and turnout for Harris, the people familiar with the Obamas plans said. In addition to traveling for Harris, the former president will also sign his name to fundraising materials and will record candidate-specific ads and robocalls for Democrats running in down-ballot races, as he has done in past cycles, according to a person familiar with the effort. His strategy this fall will be driven by where he can move the needle with Democrats and persuadable voters, especially in states with key races, senior Obama adviser Eric Schultz said. Obama will also engage in traditional and creative tactics to reach voters digitally by working with content creators and influencers to push young people to IWillVote.com, Schultz said. While she is likely to hold fewer campaign events than her husband, Michelle Obama is even more energized to help this election cycle now that its Harris, not President Joe Biden, on the Democratic ticket, people familiar with her plans said. The overall strategy and schedule are still being finalized for the Obamas, the people familiar with their plans said, and they will take their direction from the Harris campaign about whats needed on the campaign trail. During Michelle Obamas speech at the DNC in Chicago, she implored Democrats to not just support Harris this November but do something to help her win. The Obamas "are both extremely energized by Harris candidacy, enjoyed their time at the convention and theyre looking forward to being helpful in any way they can in the course of her campaign, a former senior adviser to Obama said. The Obamas and Clintons would have had some role in the home stretch of the Biden campaign had it continued. One person close to the planning said now they can help with different constituencies Harris needs to win over in November. For instance, Bill Clinton will likely target more rural areas, with possible events in places like the Rust Belt and Georgia, two people familiar with his plans said. Hes eager to get out on the trail and was described as a Dalmatian at a firehouse by one person close to him. Former President Clinton may also make an appeal to Latino voters specifically since he did better with that key demographic when he was in office than his successors, an additional source said. He will also likely be tapped to speak about economic issues, given his role as the explainer-in-chief on that topic in 2012, this person said, with his travel for Harris likely beginning sometime in October. Hillary Clinton, for her part, is expected to focus on women and LGBTQ voters during her campaign events, two people familiar with her schedule said, with dates still being discussed. She will also likely be a key messenger on reproductive freedom which could be an effective way of reaching suburban women, whom the campaign also views as critical. She plans to help with fundraising efforts, these sources said, in between stops on her latest book tour, which kicks off next week. Hillary Clinton has at least one luncheon with donors scheduled for next Friday, separate from Barack Obamas event. Both the Obamas and the Clintons have been in frequent touch with Harris since she took over the top of the ticket, with Hillary Clinton offering debate strategy and perspective ahead of the vice presidents showdown with former President Donald Trump in Philadelphia this week. For his part, Biden will continue to travel to battleground states to tout what the White House views as the top Biden-Harris accomplishments of their term in office. The president will travel to Philadelphia on Monday in his official capacity but is expected to continue stumping for Harris wherever he goes and will do more joint events with the vice president in the final sprint to Election Day as well, according to officials in both of their offices. Biden in particular can help shore up older white voters, who are not at the heart of the Harris coalition, these people said. First lady Jill Biden has also pledged to campaign for Harris in the fall, with a possible focus on education. Beyond the Bidens, Obamas and Clintons, Democratic governors like Pennsylvanias Josh Shapiro and Californias Gavin Newsom will serve as key surrogates in the next seven weeks, along with Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., according to a source familiar with their plans. The Harris team has had a steady stream of celebrity backers out on the trail on the vice presidents behalf as well, which is only expected to ramp up in the coming weeks, but the campaign is also working to engage digital surrogates more directly than in past cycles. It hopes to leverage the massive followings of online content creators to its benefit, without necessarily having to plan in-person events for them, the source said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com New official portrait unvieled honoring legacy of Richard Jackson BAY COUNTY, FL. (WMBB) Panama City Beach officials are honoring the legacy of former City Manager Richard Jackson. The city presented his official portrait on Thursday. Jackson died earlier this year. He started his career with the city as public works director before being promoted to city manager in 1979, a position he kept until he retired in 2012. His family and friends were emotional as Panama City Beach Mayor Stuart Tettemer unveiled the portrait and spoke on Jacksons contributions to the city. The painting will be on display in the City Hall lobby. 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 mypanhandle.com. Officials issue PSA after spotting highly invasive species capable of wiping out entire forests: 'The most destructive defoliators in North America' An invasive species of caterpillar has been seen occasionally in the United States over the last couple of decades, but scientists have only just discovered the scale of devastation they can wreak on a native moth. What's happening? As Newsweek detailed, the spongy moth caterpillar is native to Europe but has been feasting on U.S. trees for around 20 years. They are known to strip trees of their leaves, and large populations have the capability to cause untold damage to forest areas. "They're the most destructive defoliators in North America," entomology professor emeritus at the University of WisconsinMadison Rick Lindroth told Newsweek. "And they can strip hundreds of square miles of forest bare." After witnessing a huge mass of spongy moth eggs in the forest while attempting to conduct research, the University of Wisconsin-Madison research team decided to change tack, choosing instead to investigate how these caterpillars can affect a native species of moth. When defoliated aspen trees produced new leaves, those leaves were found to have eight times more defensive compounds in them than the previous batch. These compounds are toxic to insects, and researchers fed the leaves to native caterpillars of the polyphemus moth to see how they'd react. Only 18% of the caterpillars survived, with the rate of survival being considerably higher for those feeding on non-infected leaves. Why is this concerning? The polyphemus moth is the second-largest moth species in North America, according to Newsweek. Lindroth noted that despite the two insects never meeting each other, the spongy moth caterpillars can still be deadly for polyphemus moths. "We're seeing an invasive species harm a native speciesa cherished, charismatic, beautiful mothby changing the quality of its food plant," Lindroth said. But it's not only the polyphemus moth that's at risk. The spongy moth caterpillar has a large number of suitable host plants compared to other moth species, meaning its destructive path is not limited to just one or two types of plant. The spongy moth caterpillar's feeding habits can also affect other insects and mammals, while it can also have a notable impact on a forest's ability to absorb planet-warming pollution from the air because of stunted growth among infected trees. "In every breath that you take, there are molecules of oxygen that were produced by aspen trees," Lindroth added. "It's a very important forest species, and to see the effect of an invasive insect ripple out into the forest community through changing the toxicity of the food landscape is astounding." What can be done about the spongy moth caterpillars? You can report the presence of invasive insect species to your state regulator, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture can help you find the appropriate contact details. Meanwhile, the department calls for vigilance because the spongy moth caterpillar is a known "hitchhiker," with people unknowingly spreading the egg masses when they move items located outdoors. Keep an eye out for any egg masses if you live in a quarantine area, and dispose of them in hot, soapy water, or in a sealed plastic bag that should then be left in the sun. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. OG&E restores power for thousands in Louisiana following landfall of Hurricane Francine OG&E restores power for thousands in Louisiana following landfall of Hurricane Francine BATON ROUGE, La. (KFOR) A crew of 150 line workers and support personnel with Oklahoma Gas and Electric left for Louisiana on Wednesday to help restore power to areas affected by Hurricane Francine. Hurricane Francine made landfall on Wednesday in Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: OG&E crews leave for Louisiana ahead of Hurricane Francine OG&E crews were able to arrive safely and started working in Gonzales, Louisiana, on Thursday, where heavy flooding and damage from winds affected the area. Focus was directed to repairing broken poles and cross arms, replacing broken transformers, and repairing downed power lines. Tree trimming crews also helped clear out downed trees and branches. OG&E help restore power to thousands in Louisiana following Hurricane Francine. OG&E help restore power to thousands in Louisiana following Hurricane Francine. OG&E help restore power to thousands in Louisiana following Hurricane Francine. OG&E help restore power to thousands in Louisiana following Hurricane Francine. OG&E help restore power to thousands in Louisiana following Hurricane Francine. OG&E help restore power to thousands in Louisiana following Hurricane Francine. OG&E crews have been able to restore approximately 3,800 Entergy Louisiana customers and will continue to work on getting more power back on for homes and businesses in the area. We know there are many still without power, and we are working to make sure we can get it back on as quickly and safely as possible, said Chad Guthrie, OG&E Director of Distribution Construction. Im grateful to our crews on the ground who are bringing their work ethic and expertise to help the community in Louisiana. According to officials, Entergy Louisiana requested support before the arrival of Hurricane Francine. Crews with OG&E left on Wednesday, expecting widespread power outages in the south and southeast parts of Louisiana. OG&E crews from Oklahoma City, Enid, Ardmore, Muskogee, Kellyville, and Fort Smith, Arkansas will continue to work on restoring power until Entergy Louisiana is able to release crews. Additional personnel may be rotated in by OG&E if more assistance is needed. Our crews were prepared to provide their support and expertise to the Louisiana communities affected by Hurricane Francine, said Andrea Dennis, OG&E Vice President of Transmission & Distribution Operations. Im inspired by our crews commitment and willingness to help our neighbors. Were energized by the opportunity to restore power in challenging conditions and help communities recover in the wake of the hurricane. 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. Ohio Issue 1: How other states have dealt with redistricting and what Ohio can learn This fall, Ohioans will vote on whether to remove politicians from the redistricting process and replace them with citizen mapmakers. Ohio isn't the first state to try a citizen commission for drawing congressional and state legislative districts. While each state's approach is a little different, the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau looked at three states' commissions to examine what worked and what didn't. Ohio Issue 1 2024: What is it? Would it stop gerrymandering? Michigan: Racial gerrymandering, a lawsuit and a fix In 2018, Michigan voters approved a 13-member independent citizen redistricting commission of four Democrats, four Republicans and five independents. The commission approved congressional and statehouse maps in late 2021 its first big test. That test drive included some bumps along the road. Michigan's Republican chairman called for two independent commission members to resign, saying they were, in fact, Democrats, according to the Detroit Free Press. He pointed to one's pro-Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders post on social media and another's small donations to EMILYs List, a pro-abortion access group. But both remained on the commission. Later, a trio of federal judges ruled that more than a dozen Detroit-area legislative districts were racial gerrymanders that violated Black residents' rights. The commission fixed the maps, and the judges signed off on them in March 2024. The main thing that went wrong is that the commission, with all its intent of trying to achieve fair outcomes for everybody, ended up drawing two legislative maps that were racial gerrymanders," said Jon Eguia, an economics professor at Michigan State University who studied Michigans redistricting model. Its a failure of outcome and its a failure of process that leads to that outcome. But the commission corrected its failure, which Eguia attributed to an overreliance on one expert, because of a transparent process that made clear exactly where the commission went wrong. Citizens make mistakes, too, but at least theyre not set deliberately to give us something biased," Eguia said. "At least theyre trying to do it right. Arizona: A powerful, independent chair In 2000, Arizona voters created a five-member Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission to draw congressional and statehouse districts to replace the state Legislature drawing maps. The commission includes two Republicans, two Democrats and one independent who leads the group. The structure puts pressure on the sole independent to be truly independent. Democrats raised concerns about the commission's most recent chair, who had previously registered as a Republican and donated to the state's then-GOP Gov. Doug Ducey, said Arizona Sen. Priya Sundareshan, a member of Arizona Senate's elections committee. The GOP and Ducey, frustrated with how redistricting went in 2011, packed the group that selects the independent redistricting commission with Republicans, the Arizona Republic reported. Arizonas experience has not been perfect, but it really has benefited our representation in the state," said Sundareshan during the Democratic National Convention. She pointed to the power of a single chair as one flaw. Theres absolutely opportunity to remedy and reform this process to try to take out any additional partisan influence. New York: Gridlock without independents In 2014, New York voters approved a constitutional amendment crafted by state lawmakers to create a 10-member redistricting commission. The commission includes five Democrats and five Republicans with no independents. New York's measure didn't remove lawmakers from the process. Legislators select eight of the 10 members. All maps must be approved by the state Legislature, which also had the power to draw its own maps after rejecting two commission proposals, according to a Brennan Center for Justice analysis of what went wrong. The commission gridlocked, leaving the Democratic-controlled Legislature to draw its own maps, which judges rejected as gerrymandered and replaced with ones drawn by a special master for 2022. It was impossible for us to come to an agreement," said David Imamura, an attorney who chaired the New York State Independent Redistricting Commission. New York eventually approved maps for 2024, but the saga did little to instill confidence in the system. The process is at best chaotic and at worse undermines faith in democracy with voters. Jessie Balmert covers state government and politics 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 Cincinnati Enquirer: Will Ohio Issue 1 work to fight gerrymandering? SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno took aim at the Biden administration, arguing that the issues faced by residents of this city can be traced back to policies in Washington, D.C. Moreno, who is trying to unseat Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown, spoke at an event in the city that has recently been thrust into the center of the national immigration debate. Residents say the federal government's decision to settle as many as 20,000 Haitian immigrants in the city of 60,000 has caused widespread problems. "What's going on in this community is a total disgrace," Moreno said. "Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, with the help of their number one ally in the United States Senate, Sherrod Brown, have absolutely corrupted our immigration laws to allow a mass, uncontrolled amount of immigration to come to a community like Springfield." The Buckeye State's other senator, JD Vance, who is running for vice president, has also spoken out about the issue since former President Donald Trump raised it during his debate earlier this week against Vice President Kamala Harris. "Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn't be in this country," Vance wrote in a post on X this week. "Where is our border czar?" HAITIAN REFUGEES DONT UNDERSTAND THE LAWS, FORMER LAWMAKER SAYS AMID FATAL WRECK, CULTURAL CLASHES READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "They're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats," Trump said during a response to a question about immigration. "They're eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what's happening in our country, and it's a shame." While the claims made by Trump and Vance have not been proven, there is little dispute about Springfield struggling to absorb the influx of Haitian migrants. According to former Ohio State Rep. Kyle Koehler, that has caused some issues in the community. "Weve got an influx of folks that have come in, and I think we were a little bit shocked that it was close to 20,000 people in a community of 60,000, and thats caused some issues between the folks that live here and the folks that are coming in," Koehler, a Republican now running for state senate, told Fox News Digital. Koehler noted that many of the issues can be chalked up to differences in culture, which have been hard to overcome when new people have been coming into Springfield at such a high rate. However, the Republican also noted some other issues faced by the community, including a dramatic spike in traffic accidents. SPRINGFIELD PASTORS SPEAK OUT ON HAITIAN REFUGEE CHALLENGES: 'THE SUFFERING IS REAL' "We do have a really abnormal number of car accidents that are happening," Koehler said. "And its not only the number, but the severity of them. When you go on a street that is a 35-mile-an-hour speed limit, and theres a car sitting on its hood, and Im not talking about one, Im talking about five or six accidents a week like that, you begin to wonder." Moreno highlighted other issues faced by the community during his Saturday event, pointing to schools that have struggled to handle the surge of new students who don't speak English. "No country on earth would allow to happen what's happening here," Moreno said. The Senate candidate vowed to help fix the immigration system if elected, promising that he would work to end the Temporary Protection Status program, which has been the primary driver of migration to Springfield, by letting it expire in 2026 while putting a new program with more strict requirements in place. "Our leaders have failed to address it," Moreno said, responding to comments by Brown that accused Republicans of using the situation in Springfield for political gain. "Where is Sherrod Brown by the way? . . . Where is he helping the citizens of Springfield resolve this problem?" Moreno also argued that it wasn't the fault of migrants or local leaders in Springfield that the situation in the town has reached this point, instead pointing to Democrats in Washington. "They didn't cause this problem. It wasn't a fair problem," Moreno said. "This was dumped on them by corrupt federal elected leaders that weren't looking out for the people in Springfield." Original article source: Ohio town's migrant crisis caused by Biden-Harris: Moreno The Omaha, Nebraska, police department has suspended the use of some no-knock search warrants, after a SWAT team officer fatally shot an unarmed Black man in August during one such raid. The department plans to suspend its use of standard entry (limited penetration) no-knock raids, in which police breach a door without warning and then make loud verbal announcements about a search, pending a full review and assessment of best practices. My feeling is, there will be times where a limited penetration is necessary, just because of the extreme circumstances, but were going to look at whether we can do other methods on certain cases to try to bring that risk down, deputy police chief Scott Gray said on Friday, according to the Omaha World-Herald. I dont think that means that (standard entry warrants) are going to completely go away, but maybe we use one of the other tactics. Or maybe we develop something new that is going to work better. Omaha police officer Adam Vail shot and killed Cameron Ford, 37, as officers served a no-knock warrant on August 28 while investigating Ford for allegedly selling fentanyl. After being inside Fords home for about 12 seconds, and making repeated announcements about the search, Vail said Ford came charging at him without his hands visible. Vail was wearing a body camera, but footage of the encounter was obscured by the officers ballistic shield. No-knock warrants came to national attention in 2020, when officers in Louisville killed Breonna Taylor, an unarmed Black woman who wasnt accused of any crimes, during a raid on her boyfriends apartment. Taylors killing, alongside the murder of George Floyd and other deaths of Black people at the hands of police, helped inspire nationwide Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. After Taylors killing, the Omaha PD made changes to its no-knock warrant policies, requiring such warrants to get the approval of a captain or deputy chief, as well as be served by a SWAT team once above a certain threat level. Earlier this month, the Douglas County attorney declined to charge Vail, who told investigators he feared for his life. Critics have called for an independent investigation into the shooting and an end to no-knock warrants. The use of no-knock warrants has too often led to avoidable violence and heart-wrenching loss, Wayne Brown, president and CEO of the Urban League of Nebraska, told the Associated Press on Saturday. It is time to reevaluate these tactics and replace them with strategies that prioritize the well-being of both the officer and the residents. Is one of the worlds deadliest mushrooms found in Utah? SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) A recent post on Reddit claimed a user had found one of the worlds deadliest mushrooms in various parts of Salt Lake City. Specifically, the user said they had found a mushroom commonly called a destroying angel and Bryn Dentinger, an associate professor in the plant biology department at the University of Utah, told ABC4 that a destroying angel is one of the deadliest types of mushrooms in the world. Family of Utahn sentenced to death in Congo speaks out So should Utahns be worried about finding a deadly mushroom in their yard or around Utah cities? Dentinger said no. At the moment, there is no record of destroying angels in Utah, Dentinger said. Dentinger said the user who posted about the mushroom incorrectly identified the mushroom as a destroying angel what the user found was actually a mushroom more commonly known as smooth lepiota or white dapperling. An image of Leucoagaricus leucothites (commonly known as smooth lepiota or white dapperling). The mushroom has visual similarities to a toxic mushroom, but white dapperlings are not toxic. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger) An image of Amanita virosa (commonly known as a destroying angel). The mushroom has visual similarities to a benign mushroom, but destroying angels are among the deadliest mushrooms in the world. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger) An image of Leucoagaricus leucothites (commonly known as smooth lepiota or white dapperling). The mushroom has visual similarities to a toxic mushroom, but white dapperlings are not toxic. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger) An image of Amanita virosa (commonly known as a destroying angel). The mushroom has visual similarities to a benign mushroom, but destroying angels are among the deadliest mushrooms in the world. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger) Dentinger provided photos of white dapperlings (or Leucoagaricus leucothites) and destroying angels (identified in the photos as Amanita virosa). Dentinger said theres not much of a visual difference between the mushrooms. The most obvious distinction is the fact that a destroying angel (and other mushrooms of the Amanita family) would have a cup at the base. While there are no current reports of destroying angels in Utah or any other deadly mushrooms in the Amanita family like the death cap Dentinger said its not impossible for them to show up. Should I be worried about poisonous mushrooms in my yard? There are very few poisonous mushrooms in Utah that grow in peoples lawns, Dentinger said. Dentinger said if you find a mushroom and think it might be deadly, you should reach out to the Mushroom Society of Utah or use other online resources such as iNaturalist or Mushroom Observer for help identifying the mushroom. While some people on the online forum expressed concerns about children or pets eating potentially poisonous mushrooms, Dentinger advised parents and owners to keep a closer eye on those populations. If you are concerned about the mushrooms in your yard, you can go pick them and remove them thats not going to take the fungus out of the soil, because the mushroom is really just like a flower or a fruit, Dentinger said. Dentinger also said getting rid of mushrooms is hard without the use of harsh chemicals, which he advised against. He said some types of mushrooms are in the sod and help enrich the soil by decomposing dead roots and other dead plant material. Plus, Dentinger said he would not recommend eating mushrooms that grow in the city for several reasons - including the fact that mushrooms absorb herbicides and pesticides, and even heavy metals. Are there poisonous mushrooms in Utah? Dentinger said there are, in fact, mushrooms in Utah that could have the same poisonous effects as a destroying angel or death cap mushroom. If consumed, destroying angel mushrooms can cause dysfunction of the kidney or the liver before causing death, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. One of the mushrooms in Utah that can cause similar effects is called Galerina autumnalis, and Dentinger provided an example of what that mushroom may look like (seen in the photo below). An image of the mushroom Galerina autumnalis, which is a deadly mushroom found in Utah. (Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger) While these deadly mushrooms are found in the Beehive State, Dentinger said those mushrooms are something that people are unlikely to collect and eat. 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. Students and staff at a Sacramento-area high school were ordered to shelter in place on Friday and two other students in the region were arrested this week as police and school district officials grappled with a nationwide wave of social media threats of campus violence. The Natomas Unified School District issued the order to restrict access at Inderkum High School from mid-morning until about 1 p.m., as law enforcement agencies investigated the threat, district spokeswoman Deidre Powell said. Authorities said the threats may have originated in Tennessee on the platform Snapchat and have plagued school districts across the nation as social media users have reposted them, adding the names of local schools in a flood of activity. Parents took to social media to share threats of violence targeting other schools across the capital region and elsewhere while districts sent notices to parents to inform them and allay fears of a possible incident. This is actually part of a trend thats been going around social media nationwide, said Sacramento County Sheriffs Office spokesman Sgt. Amar Gandhi. Regionally, it seems to have started in Placer County ... and now seeped more into Sacramento County, and I would expect it to continue. The postings come on the heels of a deadly school shooting in Georgia on Sept. 4, and bomb threats this week that triggered school cancellations for two days in Springfield, Ohio. The latter threats were targeted in the wake of Tuesdays presidential debate in which former President Donald Trump claimed, without evidence, that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were eating pets. The social media threats have so far not been found to be credible, multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Sheriffs Office, said. Even so, threats against schools and staff have resulted in the arrests of two teens in separate incidents. In one, a 13-year-old was arrested in Roseville after police said they came across threatening posts while investigating a separate instance of menacing verbal language. In another, a 16-year-old student at Del Oro High School in Loomis was arrested for making a threat toward a campus staffer, said Placer County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Elise Soviar. But she said that the teen, who was arrested Thursday on suspicion of making a criminal threat, was not part of the wave of social media activity targeting schools. It was a specific threat to a staff member, not made on social media, she said. Numerous schools targeted So far the social media threats most of them crudely replicated from prior postings with the name of a new school added on have targeted four schools in the San Juan Unified School District, one in Placer Union High School District and an undisclosed number in Natomas Unified and Sacramento City Unified school districts, according to officials. There are so many different versions at this point each listing and tagging different schools across the region, said Raj Rai, a spokeswoman for San Juan Unified. Obviously, this has caused some disruptions and concerns within our school communities. In that district spread across the capitals eastern suburbs the messages targeted Del Campo, Mesa Verde and Rio Americano high schools, as well as Andrew Carnegie Middle School, Rai said. As in other districts, many of the postings appeared to have been passed on by students and others, leading officials to ask parents to monitor students smartphone usage. In SCUSD, threats were received but found to be not credible, said spokeswoman Nicole Kangas. She did not say how many threats were received or which schools were targeted, though parents said on social media that John F. Kennedy and Hiram Johnson high schools were among those named. The school district notified parents about the postings this week, she said. All of the school districts contacted by The Sacramento Bee said they had sent messages to parents about the threats. We are aware of a nationwide social media trend referencing potential violence at schools that has become a local concern for schools in the Sacramento region, including Elk Grove Unified, began one such letter from the Elk Grove Unified School District, Northern Californias largest district. EGUSD has alerted our Safety and Security team, as well as local law enforcement, who are investigating the source of the threats. Parents and students online said Valley High in south Sacramento was among the Elk Grove Unified schools mentioned in posts. Like other districts, Elk Grove officials said that local law enforcement has determined the threats were not credible, and warned students that threats against a school would be taken seriously. Sacramento police, meanwhile, said they investigated the threat at Inderkum High School and found it to be not credible as well, said Powell of the Natomas district and officials from the Police Department. The parent company of Snapchat, which has more than 800 million users worldwide, said it was actively looking into these reports and would continue to work closely with law enforcement to support their investigations. Snap Inc. has a safety operations team that works to escalate threatening activity on the platform, including any imminent threats to life such as school shootings, bomb threats and missing persons cases, the company said. Protecting the safety and well-being of young people on Snapchat is a top priority, the Santa Monica-based company said in a statement. And this type of activity has no place on Snapchat. OnlyFans Beats Apple, Google, Netflix, And Other Big Tech Companies In Revenue Per Employee: Here's The Down Low Content-sharing platform OnlyFans has come out on top against big tech companies like Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc.'s Google, Netflix Inc., and others in terms of revenue generation per employee. What Happened: OnlyFans reported revenue of $1.3 billion for the financial year 2023. While its revenue is a fraction of that of big tech companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, its revenue per employee is magnitudes higher than these tech giants, as pointed out by Trung Phan. Dont Miss: Are you rich? Heres what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. Can you guess how many retire with a $5,000,000 nest egg? How does it compare to the average? Company Revenue No. Of Employees Revenue Per Employee OnlyFans $1.3 billion 42 $30.95 million Craigslist* $0.694 billion 50 $13.88 million Netflix $33.7 billion 13,000 $2.59 million Apple $383 billion 161,000 $2.38 million Meta Platforms $134 billion 67,317 $1.99 million Google $305 billion 182,502 $1.67 million Microsoft $245 billion 221,000 $1.1 million Source: Company reports | *Craigslist's revenue is from 2022, as data for 2023 was not immediately available On average, each OnlyFans employee contributed to nearly $31 million to the company's top line, while Microsoft's average revenue per employee was the lowest in this last at just $1.1 million almost 28 times lower than that of OnlyFans. For context, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta are four of the five most valuable companies in the world in terms of market capitalization. See Also: Founder of Personal Capital and ex-CEO of PayPal re-engineers traditional banking with this new high-yield account start saving better today. Craigslist, a privately held classifieds platform, continued to remain among the top companies in terms of revenue per employee. Although its revenue has shrunk from its peak of $1 billion in the late 2010s, its revenue per employee remains among the highest in the list due to its relatively small team. The story is completely different, however, for tech giants who have thousands of employees on their payrolls. While their revenue is also several magnitudes higher than OnlyFans and Craigslist, the significantly higher number of employees brings down the average revenue to single digits. Read Next: Photo courtesy: Shutterstock Story continues UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article OnlyFans Beats Apple, Google, Netflix, And Other Big Tech Companies In Revenue Per Employee: Here's The Down Low originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) The Odessa Police Department welcomed its newest batch of officers at Fridays graduation ceremony, celebrating seven newly badged officers who will now be serving the community. Those seven included six police officers and one fire investigator. This is the 27th graduation of our Odessa Police Department Police Academy. So, we had six police officers graduate that come to work for the Odessa Police Department and one fire investigator that goes to work for OFR. Seven that graduated today, really a hand-picked bunch. Theyre very qualified, very well vetted, thorough backgrounds. They go through a lot to get to this point, said OPD Chief Michael Gerke. OPD Lieutenant graduates from FBI National Academy Congratulations to the following graduates: Officer Aaron Acosta Officer Alejando Alvarado Officer Abel Bustamante Officer Christopher E. Gonzales, Jr. Officer Stephen Lujan Investigator Andres Menchaca Officer Calistro P. Pequeno 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 Yourbasin. America has a billionaire problem. If we keep dancing around it, our democracy will die and our way of life will die along with it. The vast majority of Americans would never call for class war. They have no issue with heart surgeons, for example, making $1 million a year and enjoying luxuries earned from their outsized contributions to our society. Wealth is not a moral failing, and Americans have long revered the entrepreneurial spirit that animates small business owners to build a modest fortune for themselves and their families. But a growing class of malignant oligarchs has initiated a campaign to exert unchallenged control over our democratic institutions and our economy. The war has already started, and the billionaires have a significant head start. These individuals are hoarding unfathomably large amounts of wealth and are now wielding it to suppress critical media, co-opt our politics and defang our justice system. They have rigged our tax system so that they pay dramatically lower tax effective rates compared to working people. They have consolidated corporate power to shield themselves from scrutiny. We must either rise up and resist or cede what little political self-determination remains to a handful of oligarchs. Like a cancer, billionaire control is metastasizing in every facet of Americas socio-political and socio-economic system. They control newspapers, television stations and every major social media platform. Last year, we learned the extent of oligarchical control over our judiciary when it was revealed that a handful of billionaires were showering Supreme Court justices with lavish vacations and obscenely inappropriate gifts. They use their wealth to overwhelm the campaign finance system. In May, Americans for Tax Fairness reported that 50 billionaire families have already injected over $600 million into 2024 election campaigns. But that figure didnt include what billionaires recently committed to Donald Trumps presidential campaign. Physician and political donor Miriam Adelson, for example, reportedly plans to contribute over $90 million to a super PAC supporting Trump. We must not be naive. These contributions are quid pro quos. Billionaires expect and get things in exchange for those contributions. In return for her munificence, Adelson reportedly seeks Trumps support for Israels annexation of the West Bank. Last month, Trump proposed a deal to oil company executives: If they contribute $1 billion to his campaign, hell reverse Bidens environmental policies they dont like. The deal, according to The Guardian, would be worth $110 billion in tax breaks to the industry. A huge chunk of that $110 billion, of course, would land in the pockets of billionaires. Most commonly, however, the political price of billionaire support is lower taxes. At a fundraising dinner at the home of a billionaire hedge fund investor, which netted him $50.5 million in contributions, Trump promised to renew and expand his 2017 tax cuts. In a single tax year, just one of the many giveaways in Trumps tax package allowed four billionaires to escape a total of $170 million in tax. Heres how bad it gets: In 2021, we learned that PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel had used a Roth IRA to avoid tax on $5 billion in gains. The next year, Thiel, who has openly stated that he doesnt believe democracy and freedom are compatible, employed about two percent of the taxes he dodged to almost single-handedly buy a Senate seat for Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who now is the GOPs candidate for vice president. It strains credulity to think Vance would ever cast a vote against his benefactor, Peter Thiel. Its a vicious circle. Billionaires spend millions to sponsor politicians, who support tax policies that enrich their billionaire sponsors, who then have even more excess wealth available to sponsor politicians. Meanwhile, the reduced tax revenues are invoked to justify austerity policies that place health care, education and a comfortable retirement out of reach for average Americans. While billionaires use wealth to gain power and power to increase wealth, and as the arrival of Americas first trillionaire approaches, most of us are hanging on by our fingernails. Over half of Americans say they lack the cash to cover a $1,000 unexpected emergency expense. But billionaires use the corporations they control to fleece the American public. Another few years of shrinkflation, drip pricing and dynamic pricing, and even a $200 expense will be a challenge for most of us. Power, Frederick Douglass warned us, concedes nothing without a demand. Let us be clear-eyed: Oligarchs are embedding themselves into every facet of our system, across our economy and our democracy. Checking their power will not be easy. But the first step is simple: We demand a tax system that prevents the accumulation of billion-dollar fortunes and whittles away the billion-dollar fortunes that already exist. The danger of this moment is not class conflict, but failing to realize that a political conflict pitting billionaires against everyone else has already begun. If we ignore it, it will evolve into something uglier and more violent something that could well undo the democratic promise of America. Bob Lord, an Institute for Policy Studies associate fellow, currently serves as senior advisor on Tax Policy at the Patriotic Millionaires. 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. On Tuesday, Kamala Harris delivered the performance of her political life, schooling Donald Trump before 67 million viewers. To top it off, she garnered the endorsement of Pennsylvania native Taylor Swift and swung the prediction markets her way. Still, the Harris-Walz campaign is just breaking even in Swifts home stateand only narrowly ahead in Michigan and Wisconsin. Democrats trail badly among voters without a four-year degree. A replay of 2020 looms. How to Know Who Won and Who Lost the Trump-Harris Debate In hindsight, Harris selection of Tim Walz as VP may yet prove costly, even decisive. In early August, she could have gone a long way to locking down the Keystone State and its 19 electoral votes, had she picked its governor, Josh Shapiro. Instead, the vice-president went with someone who wouldnt outshine her. (Some contend that Harris was scared off Shapiro by her partys progressive wing.) Confident politicians recognize that boldness can yield outsized rewards. John F. Kennedy in 1960 and Ronald Reagan, 20 years later, discounted chemistry and opted for their rival. Both knew that only thing matteredwinning. Kennedy forged a Boston-Austin axis when he went with Lyndon B. Johnson, even after LBJ had challenged him for the nomination and dominated the Senate. Reagan selected George H.W. Bush, an ex-CIA director and congressman who had notched a string of victories during the GOP presidential primariesand repeatedly stung Reagan with the phrase voodoo economics. Pragmatism ruled; interest groups, not necessarily. Senator Kennedy overrode protests by labor and Northern liberals in the surprise move in naming the Senate majority leader for Vice President, the New York Times reported back in the day of LBJ joining the Democratic ticket. Kennedy, a Roman Catholic, moved boldly to win party unity and new strength below the Mason-Dixon Line by choosing the Texan, a Protestant, for his running mate. The gambit paid off. Johnsons presence put enough Texans at ease that, on Election Day, the Democrats narrowly carried the state and its 24 electoral votes. Four years earlier, Texas had gone Republican by double-digits; nationally, Kennedys margin over Richard Nixon was an infinitesimal one-sixth of 1 percent. Two decades later, history repeated itself. Reagan tapped Bush for a team that was a study in contradictions. More importantly, it worked. Sure, the Sunbelt-minded ideological right never cottoned to the Yale Skull and Bonesman. But once in office, Reagan made the most of Bushor at least his talent. He layered his administration with Bush campaign veterans. James Baker, Bushs campaign chairman, emerged as Reagans first White House chief of staff. Many other top appointeesincluding Richard Darman, a Baker deputy and Harvard alumwere more Bush Establishment than Reagan Revolutionary. Back to the present. Walz puts a smile on the face of the Democratic base, but few others. He is likeable and familiar, yet questions about his military service undercut possible broader appeal. These are nuances that Team Harris, more attuned to the vagaries of political correctness than military folkways, perhaps failed to appreciate during the vetting process. Tim Walzs Students Still Remember How He Comforted Them on 9/11 Unlike JD Vance, Walz does normal. He doesnt trash single women, harangue the childless or parrot Kremlin-issued talking points about Ukraine. He also doesnt defend Tucker Carlson. At the same time, however, his victory in the veepstakes reinforced the perception that Harris is incapable of bridging Americas cultural and demographic gaps. In his home state of Minnesota, Walz has shown little strength beyond traditional Democratic turf. He won re-election in 2022 by a smaller margin than he had in 2018. Indeed, his totals were in line with Joe Bidens performance in 2020. By contrast, in 2022 Pennsylvanians elected Shapiro governor by double-digits, 56-42. And Pennsylvania is the swingiest of swing states. The polls signal other difficulties for Harris. Another warning sign for Democrats, according to a New York Times/Siena poll published on Sept. 8, 47 percent of likely voters viewed Ms. Harris as too liberal, compared with 32 percent who saw Mr. Trump as too conservative. To put that another way, by a 15-point margin, Americans see Harris as further from the political middle than Trump. In that sense, Walz reminds voters of Harris difficulty in tacking to the center. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, attend a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Aug. 20, 2024. Marco Bello/Reuters Recent endorsements by Liz and Dick Cheney speak to the threat the 45th president poses to U.S. democracy, a major concern of the high end. But to a sizable mass of voters, Harris needs to grapple with a broader range of issues. Tuesday was a start. In the run-up to the debate in Philadelphia, Team Harris had camped out in Pittsburgh. Once on stage, Harris framed her positions with an eye toward Pennsylvania. She expressly reminded the states 800,000 Polish-Americans of the threat Vladimir Putin poses to their ancestral homeland. Harris also reiterated her opposition to a fracking ban with the state on her mind. Lets talk about fracking because were here in Pennsylvania, she said at another point. I made that very clear in 2020. I will not ban fracking. Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between, James Carville, Bill Clintons campaign guru, wisecracked in 1991. Had Gov. Shapiro been on the ticket, navigating that terrain would be much easier. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts. That famous line from Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) remains a virtual mantra for politicians and pundits. Yet, judging from the presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, we have officially entered the post-truth political era. ABC News has been widely criticized for the bias of the two moderators Linsey Davis and David Muir. Even liberal outlets acknowledged that the two journalists seemed inclined to fact check only Trump. In the meantime, they allowed clearly false statements from Harris go unchallenged. Three of the unchecked claims are being widely disseminated by supporters, including some in the media. Here are three legal facts that are being repeated despite being clearly untrue. Crime is down under the Biden-Harris administration. One of the most notable slap downs by ABC followed Trump commenting that crime rates have drastically risen during the Biden-Harris administration. Muir immediately balked and declared: As you know, the FBI says overall violent crime is coming down in this country. Harris and her allies have been repeating the claim by ABC. But the actual statistics show that Trump was right. The Justice Departments released survey found that, under the Biden administration, there has been a significant increase in crime. Violent crime was up 37 percent from 2020 to 2023, rape is up 42 percent, robbery is up 63 percent and stranger violence is up 61 percent. Other reports had shown startling increases such as a doubling of carjackings in D.C. in 2023. Harris has not supported transgender operations for undocumented migrants. Some of the greatest mocking in the media concerned Trumps statement that Harris has supported transgender conversion treatment for undocumented persons. New Yorker staff writer Susan Glasser immediately wrote What the hell was he talking about? No one knows, which was, of course, exactly Harriss point. On CNN, Wolf Blitzer declared how outlandish it was for Trump to make such a claim. But its true. In 2019, Harris told the ACLU that she not only supported such operations but actively worked for at least one such procedure to take place. When it was reported by Andrew Kaczynski on CNN, host Erin Burnett was gobsmacked by the notion of taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries for detained migrants. She actually supported that? Burnett exclaimed. Even the New York Times later admitted that the wildest sounding attack line from Trump was basically true. Harris does not support the right to abortion in the final three months of a pregnancy. Trump also hit Harris on her no-limits position on abortion rights, allowing women the right to abort a baby up to the moment of birth. Trump said Harris supports laws allowing abortions in the seventh month, the eighth month, [and] the ninth month, to which Harris retorted: Cmon, no, and thats not true, The hosts again said that Trump was making up his criticism of late-term abortions, including the risk of babies being born but allowed to die. But in fact, many states, including Minnesota under Gov. Tim Walz (D), protect the right of a woman to abort a baby into the ninth month. While it is often said that this is left to the mother and her doctor, the law gives the decision to the mother. Late-term abortions are relatively rare, but they do occur. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report estimated in 2019 that about 4,882 abortions were performed that year at least 21 weeks or later into pregnancy. More than a dozen states, in fact, allow on-demand abortions after a baby is viable and can even survive outside of the womb. Nine of those states permit abortions throughout the entirety of pregnancy. Harris has supported these state laws and certainly did not answer the question on what limits she would support, other than saying that she supports Roe v. Wade. To be sure, Trump did not help himself with his wilder claims. These included debunked accounts of Haitian migrants eating peoples pets in Ohio, which Ohios Republican governor, Mike Dewine, has denied. The issue is not fact-checking, but the failure to do so equally and accurately. ABC actually disseminated false information under the mantle of fact-checking, and thats a real problem. Moderator Linsey Davis admitted later that ABC did not want a repeat of what had happened in the last debate, wherein Trump was given free rein and the moderators limited themselves to asking questions and enforcing time limits. CNN was praised in that debate across the political spectrum for being even-handed. What is most striking about this election is that none of this seems to matter. Indeed, even the debate did not matter. While Trump can legitimately object to a three-against-one debate format, Harriss victory was clear not dependent on bad calls by the refs. However, there has been little overall movement in the polls, even though 67 million people were watching. The era of post-truth politics is evident in Harris repeating false claims about Trumps support for Project 2025 and debunked claims regarding his comments about an extreme-right Charlottesville rally in 2017. Leading Democrats continue to make these false claims, in some cases despite knowing that they are false. On the other side, Trump is making promises he has to know can never be fulfilled. For example, he has pledged to make flag-burning a federal crime with a penalty of two years incarceration. The Supreme Court, including conservatives like the late Justice Antonin Scalia, has ruled that flag burning is protected speech under the First Amendment. Neither a president nor Congress can change the meaning of the Constitution without amending it. With the help of the media, we have reduced our election to a political Slurpee. Its all sugar rush and no nutritional value. We now have pundits supporting the idea of no further debates and even arguing that Harris shouldnt give any interviews because its too risky. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) explained that Harris should avoid one-on-one media interviews because sometimes, you drill down into a question until theres a word thats uttered that can be used in a negative way. I suppose, as president, she will need to insist on meeting foreign leaders only in CNN town hall events. If you do not say anything, there are no facts to check. The election then becomes a vote over whether you are for or against joy. What is clear from the ABC debate is that citizens are on their own in the election to find actual facts and substance in the super-sized Slurpee of the 2024 election. Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage (Simon & Schuster). 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 Americans havent heard of the post-liberal right, the small but influential group of conservative, mostly Catholic men who have declared that liberal democracy, the animating principle of Americas founding, has failed and want to bring about a new social order where there is no separation of church and state and men and a hyperconservative Catholicism reign supreme. They are disdainful of secularism and individual liberty. Just like Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump illustrated during Tuesday nights debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, these men idolize the authoritarian Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary. Theyre also nostalgic for Spain as it was run by the dictator Franco and see Orbans government and Francos as potential models for the kind of regime they wish to install in the United States. The groups political priorities which include restricting access to contraception and divorce and banning marriage equality and pornography are wildly unpopular. And yet the Republican nominee for vice president, my former friend JD Vance, is a prominent voice of this fringe movement, as so many of his regrettable podcast interviews have demonstrated. To repeat, I once considered Vance a friend. We were in the same class at Yale Law School, he knew me as an openly trans person, and we remained in communication until 2021. Thats the year that he announced he would be running in the U.S. Senate race in Ohio the next year. Before running in post-liberal and neoreactionary circles, Vance was far less angry and extreme. He was also, as everybody will remember, riding the attention from his memoir Hillbilly Elegy and was a vocal and unambiguous critic of Trump, using words like idiot to describe Trump and reprehensible to describe his views on Immigrants, Muslims, etc. Sofia Nelson. Despite the time we spent as friends, I have no real insights (other than political expediency) into what drew him to post-liberal men like the academic Patrick Deneen, columnist Sohrab Ahmari, legal scholar Adrian Vermeule and expat journalist and author Rod Dreher, who was present for Vances baptism into the Catholic Church in 2019. What I do know is that Vance used to condemn Trumps racism and be empathetic to how such rhetoric made Americans feel unwelcome in their own country. But these men have had an obvious and heartbreaking effect on Vances worldview. The leaders in the post-liberal movement are elites steeped in classical and Catholic philosophy who fancy themselves warriors for the average man. Vermeule, for example, is explicitly against the separation of church and state, and believes the Catholic Church should have ultimate control over all moral questions. (Well, maybe not the church as its run by Pope Francis.) Vance and his intellectual mentors like Deneen are benefiting from the conflation of MAGA and post-liberalism, because if Americans truly understood post-liberalism, theyd realize it seeks to strip them of individual freedom. There is some policy overlap between MAGA and post-liberalism in their shared opposition, for example, to immigration and transgender rights. But the ideological overlap between the groups is a shared affinity for authoritarianism. The post-liberal right, which has goals that even MAGA Republicans would find extreme, is attempting to hijack the MAGA movement to push its own agenda. Consider: Trump, who has been married three times and divorced two times, proudly appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine. He was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records in a case that prosecutors successfully argued was about him trying to cover up an adulterous affair he had with an adult film star. He is not exactly an exemplar of Christian morality. More importantly, Trumps positions change with the tides of public opinion. They arent rooted in any religious or ideological convictions. ABC News Linsey Davis, a moderator at Tuesday nights presidential debate, pointed out that, according to Vance, Trump explicitly said hed veto a national abortion ban. Thats after Trump suggested in March that hed support such a ban. But not only did Trump not state a clear position at the debate, he said, I didnt discuss it with JD. This comes on the heels of him first indicating he would vote in favor of an abortion rights ballot initiative in Florida, only to say he would vote against it the next day. Unlike the MAGA movement, which is led by a candidate who is defiantly amoral, post-liberalism is steeped in a revolutionary religiosity. Its goals include replacing our social and political power structures with a new social order rooted in a misogynist understanding of gender, sexuality, marriage and reproduction closely tethered to Catholic social teachings. This is reflected in Vances obsession with birth rates and the way he belittles women without children. Some of the post-liberal rights priorities are reflected in Project 2025, but not even the Heritage Foundation, which is behind that project, has set its sights on trapping people in violent marriages by repealing no-fault divorce, as Vance and the post-liberal right seek to do. Post-liberalism, unlike MAGA, has no grassroots following. Most Americans arent Catholic, and most Catholics support the separation of church and state. But post-liberalism, despite its ideological and moral disdain for Trump, needs MAGA. To accomplish any of its goals, it must leech off of a populist movement. The movement needs to exploit Trumps popularity for its own unpopular aims. This may explain why Vance, who had more integrity when I knew him, abruptly flipped from calling Trump cultural heroin to the greatest president of his lifetime. Prior to MAGA gaining control of the Republican Party, the leaders of this movement, most notably Vance, were staunchly anti-Trump. And while the post-liberal right is excited one of its own has quickly risen through MAGAs ranks most leaders of post-liberalism still arent Trump fans. But they understand that its more feasible for them to co-opt the MAGA base than to organically organize a political base of their own. MAGA is far from a majority of the country, 42% of self-identified Republicans or roughly 14% of the county, but its a larger political force than post-liberalism could ever hope to build on its own given the unpopularity of its policy priorities. Post-liberalism further seeks to confuse the American people through its rhetorical support for labor unions, a definite break from mainstream Republican orthodoxy. However, Vance was booed by a group of union firefighters when he stated he sought to be part of the most pro-worker Republican ticket in history. Nobody whos pro-worker, as Vance claims to be, would team up with Trump, the candidate who laughed with Elon Musk about union busting. Nor would he oppose the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would expand the right to organize. Hardworking union firefighters recognize Vances support for organized labor for what it is: hollow political rhetoric. A post-liberal devotee like Vance knows how to talk a populist game, but, like Trump, he has no interest in delivering for working people. His real devotion is to the culture wars. Instead of persuading Americans to support their ideas, leaders of the post-liberal right are covertly positioning themselves within MAGA to be the heirs of Trumps political base when hes off the scene. They seek to transform the GOP into a pro-theocracy party willing to ignore the Constitution and democratic norms. Those of us who dont want to live in a theocracy must look beyond just defeating Trump and must also seek to vanquish a post-liberal right. That also means defeating the ambitions of a classmate whom I once considered a friend. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Four years ago, many Americans were outraged to learn that the U.S. Postal Service was cutting services, even as Donald Trump was making baseless claims about vote-by-mail. Genuine concerns among Democrats over the possibility of mail ballots being rejected for late delivery began to bleed into conspiracy theories about Trump-appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a North Carolina businessman who donated more than $685,000 to help put on the 2020 Republican National Convention. In the end, the Postal Service performed admirably, despite the surge in mail voting and the difficult circumstances. DeJoy was not, as some feared, a Trump lackey looking to tear down your local post office in order to hand the election to his favored candidate but more of a run-of-the-mill Republican appointee with an obsession for cutting costs and a tin ear for politics. As if to underline the point, he resurfaced in August to reassure voters that the Postal Service is ready to handle mail ballots in this year's presidential election. A reporter with The Associated Press asked whether he had learned anything from overseeing the crush of mail ballots in 2020, and his response was so tone-deaf he'd be kicked off "America's Got Talent" if he were singing it. Echoing every clueless executive trying to explain something away, DeJoy said the Postal Service needed to be bolder in its messaging. We have to be louder than the noise in communicating how well were going to do and that things are going to be OK. Things are going to be good. Were in a better operating position than we ever have been, he said. To be fair, DeJoy has a point. The Postal Service is on more solid financial footing than it's been in years, thanks in part to his helping shepherd an overhaul through Congress. And vote-by-mail remains a great way to cast your ballot, especially if you work long hours or take care of young children and might find it difficult to get to a polling place on Election Day. But a Postal Service watchdog and a bipartisan group of state elections officials have recently raised concerns about how the agency is training workers in handling mail ballots. These are legitimate concerns raised by serious people definitely not "noise" that can be addressed by being "louder." And DeJoy should respond by making an immediate, agencywide push to address them and reassure the public. First, in July, the Postal Service inspector general released an audit of its "election mail readiness" for the November election, which found inconsistent training and handling of mail ballots that could lead to some ballots' being rejected. To be clear, the report found that 97% of election and political mail was processed on time, so we're not talking about undermining democracy here. But this is an area where the goal should be 100%. No one should have their ballots thrown out because the local mail carrier didn't read the employee handbook closely. Then, on Wednesday, the National Association of Secretaries of State, a nonpartisan group of top state elections officials, sent DeJoy a six-page letter saying they had "serious questions" about lost or delayed election mail that could lead to some ballots' not being counted in November. We implore you to take immediate and tangible corrective action to address the ongoing performance issues," they wrote. It's important to understand the broader context here. One of the issues raised by the inspector general's report was that some postal workers didn't know that they were supposed to postmark mail ballots, which are handled differently from regular mail. But a number of states won't accept mail ballots that don't have legible postmarks, which is considered proof that the ballots were sent before Election Day. And in a close election, you can bet that some enterprising Trump supporter will raise conspiracy theories about unpostmarked ballots and sue to try to get them thrown out. The worst-case scenario is that an election is decided by whether or not those ballots are counted. But even in the best-case scenario, the fight needlessly undermines trust in the election and hurts the Postal Service's reputation. The Postal Service is just a piece of this puzzle. American elections would be better served if lawmakers didnt set unnecessarily restrictive rules for perceived political advantage, candidates didn't spread conspiracy theories, lawyers didn't try to get legitimate ballots thrown out for spurious reasons and postal workers were all trained in how to handle mail ballots properly. If you're a voter, you can do your part by casting your mail ballot early (don't wait until the final week before Election Day!) and carefully (make sure to sign the envelope!) or using a ballot drop box where available. But in the absence of all of that, DeJoy should make sure that the Postal Service is doing everything it can to get mail ballots delivered on time. Talking louder isn't enough. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Tucker Carlson may have reached a disturbingly new low when he hosted a two-hour podcast with Darryl Cooper, a Nazi apologist whom he called the best and most honest popular historian in the United States. Coopers audacious claims that Winston Churchill, not Adolf Hitler, was the chief villain of the Second World War and that the Holocaust was essentially an accident prompted widespread indignation on the establishment right. National Review Executive Editor Mark Antonio Wright declared, No, Winston Churchill was not the chief villain of the Second World War, while Liz Cheney observed, No serious or honorable person would support or endorse this type of garbage. Others, such as Bari Weiss, have pointed to Pat Buchanan and his 2008 book Churchill, Hitler, and The Unnecessary War as the origin of conservatives revisionism about World War II and the Holocaust. Carlsons decision to wade into such murky waters shouldnt be a total shock. Over the past few years, Carlson, like others on the right, have embraced a populist-nationalist streak that has courted some of the darkest forces in American politics. This interview comes only a few months after top MAGA influencer Candace Owens declared that Israel was supplying arms for a Christian Holocaust; and two years ago, Donald Trump had dinner at Mar-a-Lago with the white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, though he later said he was unaware of Fuentes identity. But the mounting attraction of todays America First movement to antisemitism and Holocaust denial has much deeper roots than the rise of Trump or his ideological predecessor Buchanan. It connects to a strain of the radical right that has been present for many decades, one that has nourished hostility to defending democracy at home and abroad. Throughout, a key element of this strain of thinking has been to depict liberals as communists a tradition many in the GOP continue to follow even if they dont all understand its radical roots. As Trump inveighs against Comrade Kamala Harris, he fits snugly into this tradition. The effort to sanitize the Nazis began in the late 1930s, when many on the right supported the America First movement, opposing not only entry into World War II but also any aid to Great Britain. The famous aviator Charles Lindbergh led the America First movement and was not simply an isolationist but pro-fascist. Politicians such as Herbert Hoover, who addressed the 1940 Republican convention, lauded Hitler as a force for stability in Central Europe. They claimed that Franklin Roosevelts New Deal, not the Third Reich, was the actual totalitarian threat to America. After World War II, leading journalists, businessmen and politicians on the right continued their war on democracy and liberalism by other means. Rather than accept that they had been dead wrong about World War II, they went on to soft-pedal Nazi war crimes, arguing that America should never have battled the Nazis and should have instead focused on combating communism, a left-wing threat. The real fascists, they said, were the treacherous liberals in the Roosevelt and Truman administrations who had handed over Eastern Europe to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin at Yalta in 1945 and were now intent on turning America into a socialist superstate. Only a week after the end of World War II, congressional Republicans such as Wisconsins Frank Bateman Keefe decried a basic fact sheet that the U.S. Army issued in March 1945 to warn soldiers about the dangers of fascism at home and abroad. I am fearful, Keefe said, that a new political gangsterism has been developed in this country which seeks to include as Fascists all individuals or organizations who dare to express dissent from the existing New Deal Order. Liberals, he said, backed true fascism. One target of their ire was the Nuremberg war crimes trials. The isolationist Ohio GOP Sen. Robert A. Taft, who criticized American entry into World War II four months after Pearl Harbor and was known as Mr. Republican, said that Nuremberg was a miscarriage of justice and that the hanging of 11 Nazis was a blot on the American record that we shall soon regret. Lurking behind this persuasion was not simply indignation at meting out retribution against Germans but also the belief that all along liberals not Nazis represented a clear and present danger to the republic. Antisemitism was easy to find amid the rhetoric. Like more than a few conservatives at the time, the influential activist and New York businessman Merwin K. Hart saw Jews and communists as synonymous, particularly those serving in the Roosevelt and Truman administrations. Appearing before the Free Enterprise Society at Harvard in 1948, he denounced the international Jewish group which controls our foreign policy and declared that Americas European allies were simply socialist moochers who refused to fend for themselves. Hart, who was a mentor to the conservative icon William F. Buckley Jr. and met regularly with Republican congressmen and senators, believed Zionists had Mr. Trumans administration in the hollow of their hand. The newspaper baron and staunch isolationist Colonel Robert R. McCormick, too, complained in 1946 about international Bankers in New York who were too influential in politics. He also published essays in the Chicago Tribune by John T. Flynn, who had helped found the American First Committee and who claimed that Roosevelt had lured the Japanese into attacking America at Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Similar themes preoccupied the publisher Henry Regnery, who had spent several years studying in Nazi Germany in the mid-1930s but found nothing amiss even as the Nuremberg Race Laws were passed and universities were purged of Jewish professors and students. In 1947, Regnery founded an eponymous publishing house. There he helped to pioneer Holocaust denial, drawing on the aid of the prominent historian Harry Elmer Barnes whom Deborah Lipstadt, the State Departments special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, has called the most direct link between the first generation of World War I revisionists and the Holocaust deniers that followed in their path. Regnery published books with titles such as What Price Israel? and The High Cost of Vengeance. In the latter, Freda Utley, a former British Marxist who had lived in Stalins Soviet Union during the 1930s, rehearsed the dogma that communism, not Nazism, was always the real peril confronting the West. She lamented that in occupying Germany, the Western allies had reduced the defeated enemy country to the status of an African colony. She went on to ask, Were the German gas chambers really a greater crime against humanity than our attacks on such nonmilitary objectives as Dresden? For good measure, she condemned the U.S. Army for its prosecution of members of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler a unit that began as Hitlers personal bodyguard unit which had murdered 84 American POWs at Malmedy, Belgium, in December 1944 during Hitlers last military offensive in the Battle of the Bulge. A crucial figure in purveying these ideas to a wider public was Utleys friend and patron Sen. Joe McCarthy, the demagogic red baiter. In 1945, McCarthy had already expressed his concern about what he called the abuse of the Clearly innocent GI Joes of the German army. Whats more, McCarthys main financial backer as he ran for the Senate for the first time in 1946 was a German American businessman named Walter Harnischfeger who said the Nuremberg war crimes trials were worse than anything Hitler did. It beats Dachau. McCarthy, who was a skeptic of aiding the British before World War II, seized upon the Malmedy case to castigate the American military for defaming the Nazi defendants. In essence, McCarthy accused the U.S. military of conducting a witch hunt. When Maryland Sen. Millard E. Tydings, the chair of the Armed Services Committee, convened subcommittee hearings on Malmedy in March 1949, McCarthy attended them. The hearings, his biographer Ted Morgan wrote, provided a revealing glimpse of what McCarthy would later become in his anti-Red crusade. McCarthy suggested, for one thing, that the interrogators and judges at Malmedy had been Jews thirsting for revenge against the Nazis. Unscrupulous Jewish investigators, he suggested, had extracted confessions of German atrocities from the innocent SS soldiers by beating and torturing them. These non-Aryan refugees, he said, intensely hated the German people as a race. He inquired of one witness, If you were a German would you feel that you would be willing to have a matter of life and death decided by this man Rosenfeld? In the end, the subcommittee, to McCarthys indignation, decided that the verdicts convicting the Nazis of war crimes were indeed justified. Ultimately, the most pro-fascist and antisemitic sentiments were relegated to the conservative fringe, especially after Buckley purged the John Birch Society from the ranks of polite conservative society, though he did periodically have to squash renegades such as Joseph Sobran who wrote about the diabolization of Hitler. Defending Hitler or denying the Holocaust became beyond the pale among mainstream conservatives. Still, conservatives have remained happy to point to instances of what they view as liberal fascism. In 2015, for instance, Kevin Williamson, writing in the National Review, complained that Sen. Bernie Sanders was leading a national-socialist movement. More recently, the libertarian website Fusion published a defense of Joe McCarthy, suggesting that addled liberals have always refused to comprehend his righteous anti-communist crusade. Now, Carlson is taking trolling the libs a step further by attacking the taboos surrounding Nazism that formed the foundation of the postwar era in the West. He and others are reviving the affection for authoritarianism and the worst isolationist sentiments that percolated in the 1930s, including hostility to immigration and contempt for democratic governments. It offers a reminder that such sentiments have long festered on the right and that they are being fostered, or at least sanctioned, by key figures in the Republican Party, including Trumps running mate, JD Vance. The Ohio senator recently refused to criticize Carlsons willingness to reexamine the Holocaust, adding that while he doesnt share the views of Carlsons guest, Republicans want to promote free speech and debate rather than censorship. He will appear with Carlson at a campaign event in Pennsylvania later this month. In 2022, Illinois voters approved what they likely thought was an innocuous ballot measure, the Illinois Workers Rights Amendment, also called Amendment One. Little did Illinoisians know, this constitutional amendment was being tested as a blueprint for unscrupulous union executives to consolidate power nationwide. Passed with 59 percent support, Amendment One codified the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively in the Illinois Constitution. Moreover, the amendment explicitly prohibits any new law that interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively over their wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment and work place safety. If you think this language seems broad and easily abused, youre right: The ambiguity is a feature, not a bug. By codifying an expansive fundamental right to collective bargaining, Amendment One gives unions carte blanche to expand and solidify their power and influence. Amendment One constitutionalizes virtually every union activity and allows collective bargaining agreements to override anything passed by the state legislature. Amendment One thus undermines democracy, shielding the right to collective bargaining from lawmakers and the voters who elected them. As a result, unions are, in the euphemistic language of Harvards Center for Labor and a Just Economy, less vulnerable to the political whims of changing legislatures. So without legal guardrails, unaccountable union bosses are now more powerful than elected Illinois lawmakers. And Amendment One also threatens worker protections that keep unions in check, such as the right to refrain from union activities. Though lauded as a victory for all workers, Amendment One offers few genuine benefits, especially to workers in the private sector. The National Labor Relations Act covers most private-sector unions already, and supersedes any conflicting state-level laws or constitutional amendments. So Amendment One is mostly redundant for trade unions. For government unions, however, Amendment One is a gloves-are-off boost. This measure affords them immeasurable power beyond traditional union activities, such as negotiating for increased wages and benefits for their members, to include the right to demand virtually anything in negotiations. And it preserves their right to strike and shut down government services to meet union demands. Illinois government unions have seized the opportunity to demand more than pay increases. The Chicago Teachers Union, described as one of the most powerful and progressive teachers unions in the country, has already made, to paraphrase its president, Stacy Davis Gates, audacious demands. In negotiating a new contract, the union has demanded $50 billion in provisions that have nothing to do with education, the workplace or their members compensation everything from carbon neutrality, installation of solar panels on schools, funding abortion, and building 10,000 affordable housing units. Unfortunately, this absurdity isnt limited to Illinois; union bosses have exported this amendments broad language to other states as well. In 2023, union-friendly Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced a bill proposing to add a right to collective bargaining to their state constitution. A nod to Amendment One, the Pennsylvania initiative was a word-for-word carbon copy of Illinoiss far-reaching measure. Though the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, narrowly controlled by Democrats, passed HB 950, the bill never gained traction in the state Senate. Similar legislation has appeared in California, Iowa, Minnesota and Vermont. Thus far, these copycat amendments have not become law, but more of them will surely surface nationwide because of Amendment Ones relative success. Meanwhile, one lawsuit may reveal the amendments limits. Legislative staffers for Democratic Illinois Speaker of the House Chris Welch, who supported Amendment One, filed suit against him in June, claiming the lawmaker refuses to honor Amendment One by not collectively bargaining with them. Welch has argued that state law prohibits legislative staff from unionizing and prevents collective bargaining for staffers. Welch claims that lawmakers must amend the law before his staff has union rights. This suit could be the first test of how broadly Illinois courts interpret the amendments creation of a fundamental right to unionize. Voters and lawmakers nationwide must remain vigilant to contain the pernicious legal language of Amendment One from spreading and infecting their own state constitutions. If not, this harmful amendment opens a door for union dominance that we cannot easily close. David R. Osborne is senior fellow of labor policy with the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvanias free-market think tank. Mailee Smith is senior director of labor policy and staff attorney at Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois free-market think tank. 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. An Orange County teacher who allegedly fathered a child with a teenage student decades ago has been placed on administrative leave as police investigate allegations of sexual abuse against him, authorities said. Reiko Wright, a former student at Loara High School, took to social media on Monday to share her allegations against Steve Graves who she said abused and impregnated her in the late 1980s. Steve Graves' photo on the Lexington Junior High School website. The school is part of the Anaheim Union High School District. (Lexington Junior High School / Anaheim Union High School District) Another of Graves' former students, Helen Lowney, also wrote on social media that she was sexually abused in 1987, when she was 16. Graves, now 61, would have been in his mid-20s at the time. Graves did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Friday evening. A call to a number listed for him also was not returned. Anaheim police spokesperson Sgt. Matt Sutter said Wright and Lowney were friends at Loara High at the time of the alleged abuse. Both intend to pursue legal action against Graves if possible, he said. "While you saw him as the beacon of guidance and faith, I knew him as the predator who stole my innocence, impregnated me as a teenager, and left scars that run deeper than time," Wright wrote on Instagram. Read more: L.A. Unified to pay $24 million to three elementary students allegedly molested by teacher Wright alleged that Graves groomed her while she was a student at Loara High and used his position as a teacher and church leader in the community to grow closer to her. Wright later transferred to Gilbert High School in Anaheim, where she endured shaming from her classmates as she completed her senior year while pregnant. "He was the teacher who lingered at your child's desk a moment too long, the church leader who offered whispered condolences cloaked in concern," she wrote. Graves, most recently the band director at Lexington Junior High School, was placed on administrative leave by the Anaheim Union High School District on Aug. 29. The district said it is taking steps to fire him and notified Lexington families of the investigation Wednesday, according to a statement. The district's statement also said that the allegations had "revealed that paternity tests concluded that Graves had fathered a child with one of the students." "Keeping our students safe is a high priority on all of our campuses," the district said. "The sexual misconduct revealed in the social media posts is reprehensible. It violates the districts core values and fails to meet the high expectations we have for professional behavior by our staff." Read more: California 'Teacher of the Year' faces 14 charges in child sexual abuse case Graves also previously taught at Ball Junior High School. No other victims have come forward since detectives began investigating, Sutter said. We are working with [the] D.A.s office to see if we can file any charges, he said. At the same time, we are giving time to see if witnesses come forward or additional victims." Graves taught music in the Anaheim Union High School District for more than 20 years and worked as the band director at Lexington Junior High for more than a decade, according to a district webpage. He has received three "Teacher of the Year" awards from the district, the webpage said, as well as multiple honorary service awards from the Parent Teacher Assn. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Anaheim police at (714) 765-1623 or Orange County Crime Stoppers (855) TIP-OCCS. 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. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles is responding to reports saying they erroneously registered more than 300 people to vote despite them not providing the proper proof of citizenship to do so. Young girl dies in NE Portland, fentanyl suspected The errors were first reported in Willamette Week. According to the report, 306 potential non-citizens were registered to vote through the Oregon DMV since 2021. In a statement, Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Administrator Amy Joyce said in part that of the list of people improperly registered, two have voted. Oregon DMV said that the two people who voted werent necessarily non-citizens when they voted but that they did not show proof of citizenship when they registered. The DMV is working with the Oregon Secretary of States Office to determine whether or not they were citizens when they voted. In Oregon, for those 16 and older, people who apply for or renew a state-issued drivers license, permit, or ID card are automatically registered to vote if they provide the appropriate documentation proving U.S. citizenship. 33K OR, WA Boeing workers begin strike The DMV said the error possibly happened when DMV staff inadvertently selected non-U.S. citizen IDs as proof of citizenship, such as a foreign passport or foreign birth certificate. Because having a U.S. version of either of those documents means a person is a citizen, the system included them in the file DMV sent to the Elections Division for the next step in the voter registration process, Joyce said. The error was spotted when the DMV was proactively analyzing this system in advance of the 2024 election. To prevent this unlikely error from occurring again, DMV immediately instituted a prompt in the data entry screen to ensure front desk staff accurately enter citizenship information and the agency has developed a third step (daily auditing of all transactions, after a two-step verification during the transaction) to verify materials are accurate before forwarding them to the Elections Division, Joyce said. The DMV said they completed an analysis of passport-based registrations, which were identified as being the most at-risk for the error. An effort by the DMV is also underway to verify birth certificate-based registrations, which could take up to two weeks to complete, officials said. UW: Covid lockdowns prematurely aged teen brains U.S. Rep. Andreas Salinas (D-Ore.) released the following statement asking for an investigation into the Oregon DMVs failure in order to protect elections integrity: Todays announcement from the Secretary of State that noncitizens were mistakenly added to Oregons voter rolls is disturbing. This is total malpractice on the part of the Department of Motor Vehicles and is completely unacceptable. I am calling on the state to act quickly to remove these individuals from the rolls, conduct a full and transparent investigation into how this occurred, and provide concrete steps they are taking to remedy this issue and prevent it from happening again. However, I want to emphasize that this was a bureaucratic error by the Oregon DMV and not a systemic attempt to cheat the system by organizations or individuals. The entire statement by Motor Vehicle Services Administrator Amy Joyce is below: In Oregon, people 16 years and older who apply for or renew a state-issued drivers license, permit, or ID card and provide appropriate documentation proving U.S. citizenship have their information sent to Oregons Secretary of State to complete the automatic voter registration process. The Oregon Motor Voter System at DMV includes a two-step review process by officials to verify registrants identity and residence and confirm their eligibility to vote. While proactively analyzing this system in advance of the 2024 election, DMV identified possible, though unlikely, causes for error. One example was DMV staff inadvertently selecting U.S. passport when the document was a foreign passport. The other example was inadvertently selecting U.S. birth certificate when the document was a foreign birth certificate. Because having a U.S. version of either of those documents means a person is a citizen, the system included them in the file DMV sent to the Elections Division for the next step in the voter registration process. DMV has completed an analysis of the passport-based registrations identified above as these appeared to be subject to the biggest risk for error. This analysis shows around .01% of the total universe of registered Oregonians were identified as incorrectly sent by DMV to the Elections Division at Secretary of State for Automatic Voter Registration. Initial analysis by the Oregon Secretary of State has identified that of the people on that list, two have voted. Importantly, this does not mean those individuals were not U.S. citizens at the time they voted just that they failed to provide proof of citizenship to DMV. The SOS office is working through that now. To prevent this unlikely error from occurring again, DMV immediately instituted a prompt in the data entry screen to ensure front desk staff accurately enter citizenship information and the agency has developed a third step (daily auditing of all transactions, after a two-step verification during the transaction) to verify materials are accurate before forwarding them to the Elections Division. Efforts to verify the birth-certificate based registrations remain ongoing and will likely take up to two weeks to complete. This analysis will be completed well before ballots are sent in Oregon. As a partner to Oregons Secretary of State, Oregon DMV is proud of the role it plays in helping U.S. citizens engage in our elections. While we regret this situation occurred, we moved swiftly to correct the issue, and we remain committed to strengthening the accessibility and reliability of our elections. 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. After officially taking the helm at Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) earlier this month, new CEO Brian Niccol laid out his plans to help turn around the struggling coffee shop operator in an open letter to customers, employees, and shareholders. Nothing Niccol laid out was particularly groundbreaking, but it is the plan's simplicity that I predict will help Starbucks get back on track and help boost its stock over the long run. Back to its roots In his open letter, Niccol said that under his leadership, Starbucks would focus on four main areas. His initial plan is to first concentrate on its U.S. business and help turn that around. The first area that Niccol said Starbucks will focus on is empowering its baristas to take care of its customers. He said this includes giving them the right tools to consistently make great drinks, while delivering them personally. Next, he said the company must get the morning right by delivering high-quality food and drinks in a timely manner, every time. Third, he wants Starbucks to go back to being a community coffee house by elevating the customer experience. And finally, he wants Starbucks to go back to telling its story. Ultimately, these four things are all aimed at improving both the employee and customer experience. While Starbucks obviously sells coffee and food, it has also long sold an experience. However, the experience part of its business has been lacking in the past few years under its prior leadership. This appears to stem from understaffed stores and overworked and unhappy baristas. Understaffed stores take out the personalized side of the experience, as workers rush to just fill orders as quickly as possible with little customer interaction. It also generally makes workers unhappy, which negatively affects the customer experience as well. This also created long wait times, which caused customer frustration. In past quarters, Starbucks has noted that it saw customers cancel online orders placed in the morning due to wait times. In his letter, Niccol said the company will be making investments in technology and its supply chain to help enhance the employee and customer experience, and improve its app and mobile ordering system. He'll also spend time in stores and customer support centers during his first hundred days. While not directly stated, it wouldn't be surprising if the company will need to also invest in more baristas, as technology alone likely will not completely solve its issues. And if Niccol wants Starbucks to return to the coffee house experience, it needs properly staffed stores. Equipment to help speed up the drink-making process, and better staffing management solutions, can also help, but the company still needs enough workers to give that personalized experience. Story continues After tackling its issues in the U.S. first, Niccol said he then will look toward improving international markets. China, Starbucks' second-largest market, is a priority. He said the company needs to capitalize on its strengths in the market and begin to understand the path to capture growth in the country. Image source: Getty Images. Is it time to buy the stock? Niccol hit on most of the big points of what I think is needed to help fix Starbucks, outside of investing in more baristas. Given that, along with his track record as CEO at Chipotle Mexican Grill, I believe his plan to fix the U.S. business will work and that the stock will benefit nicely from it in the years ahead. Bringing back the Starbucks experience, and fixing its mobile ordering issues, were the top two things needed to help revive the company's struggling U.S. business. China could be trickier given the competitive dynamics in the country, but Niccol needs to fix the U.S. business first. It also wouldn't be surprising to see him spin off the China business, much the way Yum! Brands did with Yum China. SBUX PE Ratio (Forward 1y) Chart While Starbucks' stock has bounced higher following the hiring of Niccol, at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 24 based on next year's analyst estimates, the stock is still trading below where it has often traded over the past few years. With Starbucks now having a solid plan, I would be a buyer at current levels before signs of a turnaround take hold and take this restaurant stock even higher. Should you invest $1,000 in Starbucks right now? Before you buy stock in Starbucks, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Starbucks wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $730,103!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of September 9, 2024 Geoffrey Seiler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short September 2024 $52 puts on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Prediction: The New Starbucks CEO's Turnaround Plan Will Boost the Stock was originally published by The Motley Fool (Getty Images) The Oregon agency that issues drivers licenses erroneously registered more than 300 non-citizens to vote, though state officials say only two people actually cast ballots. State Elections Director Molly Woon told the Capital Chronicle that she received a call late Thursday afternoon from the administrator of the Driver and Motor Vehicle Services division of the Oregon Department of Transportation, telling her that DMV staff caught a data entry error that led to the division wrongly classifying some noncitizens as citizens. State election officials spent Friday reviewing that information and working with county clerks to ensure those people wont receive ballots unless and until they prove theyre eligible to vote. The error is not large enough to impact the outcome of the states elections more than 3 million people are registered to vote in Oregon, and the 306 cases identified by state officials are 0.01% of the states voters. Ben Morris, chief of staff to Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, said the DMV is continuing to investigate whether there are any more issues, and there is time to rectify any additional mistakes. Ballots wont be mailed to voters for another month. We can say that this error will not impact the 2024 election, and I want to emphasize that point as much as possible. This error will not impact the 2024 election, he said. The error, first reported by Willamette Week, resulted from DMV staff erroneously marking noncitizens who obtained drivers licenses as citizens, such as by miscategorizing foreign birth certificates as U.S. birth certificates and foreign passports as U.S. passports. Since January 2016, Oregon has automatically registered citizens to vote when they obtain or renew drivers licenses, permits or nonoperating IDs. A 2019 state law, meanwhile, eliminated a requirement that applicants prove theyre citizens or legal residents when obtaining a drivers license. People applying for drivers licenses need to bring proof of their identity like a birth certificate, passport, naturalization documents or visa as well as proof of an Oregon address, such as a utility bill or rental agreement. Only applicants who provide documents that prove citizenship, like a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport or certificate of naturalization, are supposed to be registered to vote. DMV administrator Amy Joyce said in a statement that the DMV discovered the error while proactively analyzing its system ahead of the 2024 election. The erroneous registrations it identified were based on foreign passports being entered as U.S. passports. The department is continuing to go through registrations tied to birth certificates, and that may take another two weeks, she said. The DMV added a new prompt on its data entry screen to ensure front desk staff accurately enter citizenship information and has begun daily auditing of all transactions to verify materials are accurate before sending them to the Elections Division, Joyce added. Woon said the secretary of states office is continuing to look into the two people who were not citizens when they were automatically registered to vote and will forward the issue to the start Department of Justice if it appears they violated the law. I want to emphasize that these folks were registered by no fault of their own, she said. I think that will certainly be taken into consideration. The first order of business, however, will be to see if the citizenship status of these people has changed. Because these records date from 2021 to today, its possible that their status has changed, and perhaps they are citizens, and thats why they have a voter record. Well need to do a little bit more digging to sort that out first. Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement that she has been fully briefed on the situation and will continue to closely monitor it. She noted that it would affect 0.01% of the states registered voters and will not impact the 2024 election in any way. Oregons electoral system is one of the most secure, effective and accessible in the nation, Kotek said. The error in data entry which may have affected the voter eligibility of some Oregonians voter registration was discovered because the Oregon DMV and the secretary of state were doing their due diligence ahead of the 2024 election. Griffin-Valade said safeguarding the integrity of elections is her top priority, while praising automatic voter registration. When my office was made aware of this error, we moved quickly to update the voter rolls, she said. I am also personally calling on the DMV to take immediate action to improve its processes to ensure this doesnt happen again. Automatic voter registration has been hugely beneficial for thousands of eligible Oregon voters to ensure access to our democracy. Im confident the DMV is rectifying this error and improving their process, so it doesnt happen again. State Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas and the Democratic nominee for the 5th Congressional District, called for a full-scale investigation into the reports. Any errors in this process are unacceptable, and the office of the Secretary of State must be held responsible for any such lapses. I will relentlessly defend our laws and safeguard the integrity of our elections, she said. This article was first published by the Oregon Capital Chronicle, part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and X. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) With so many state leaders attempting to ditch Daylight Saving Time in the Oregon legislature, many residents are left wondering: Will Oregon still fall back this year? Senate Bill 1548 would have let Oregonians living in the Pacific Time Zone stay on Standard Time for all 12 months of the year by permanently booting Daylight Saving Time, which is already a practice in Hawaii and Arizona. How can we expect La Nina to impact Oregons winter in 2024? After amending the bill to require California and Washingtons agreement, the bill made its way to the Senate and passed. However, when it made its way to the House, it lost momentum. That means Oregon will still set the clocks back an hour on Sunday, Nov. 3 just two days before Election Day. When to expect fall foliage in the Pacific Northwest in 2024 Since March 10, most U.S. residents have had their clocks sprung forward to allow the sun to rise and set later in the day than the rest of the year. However, if SB 1548 were to reach an agreement in the Oregon House in the future, this practice would end. Back in 2019, another attempt to make Oregon switch to a permanent Daylight Saving Time was held up when it required that California and Washington make the same decision by 2029. However, that bill did not hold up when it reached a federal level. 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. (KRON) The victim in a fatal shooting in Orinda Thursday has been identified. Scott Decker, a 50-year-old resident or Orinda and Truckee, was shot and killed in the area of Las Vegas Road and La Espiral shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday. Kamala Harris destroyed San Francisco, Trump claims Officers detained another individual at the scene who has only been identified as an Orinda resident. That person has been interviewed and is no longer being detained, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office. They did not specify whether that person was a suspect or a witness. Shootings of this nature are extremely rare in Orinda. On Thursday, residents told KRON4.com that the neighborhood was typically quiet. Some neighbors said they heard tires squealing, yelling, and something that sounded like gunshots around the time of the incident. The Orinda Police Department and the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office are continuing to investigate the incident. 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. OSWEGO, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) The Oswego County Board of Elections (BOE) wants to remind residents to make sure they are registered to vote ahead of this years November election. To vote in person or by mail in the 2024 General Election or local elections people in New York State must be registered to vote by the October 26, deadline. This year Oswego County BOEs office staff and volunteers will be hosting additional hours to make it easier to sign up to vote. Latest local news The BOE will hold a voter registration day runs from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the following two locations: Oswego County Board of Elections, 185 E. Seneca St., Oswego Oswego Town Hall, 2320 Co. Rte. 7, Oswego The BOE will also be holding a second voter registration day that runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10 at the same locations. To learn more about voter registration, where to go to vote, or how to vote early by mail, go to the Board of Elections 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 WSYR. A river otter dragged a child from a marina dock before pulling him underwater and biting him in a rare attack. The boy and his mother were walking along the dock at the Bremerton Marina in Washington State on Thursday when the animal attacked. The young boy was dragged underwater, resurfacing after a few moments. As his mother lifted him out of the water, the otter continued to attack and bit her on the arm. The otter then continued to pursue the family as they left the marina, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The child was scratched and bitten on the top of his head, face and legs and was treated for his injuries in hospital. A river otter was trapped at the scene and was due to be taken to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for further evaluation, including testing for rabies. We are grateful the victim only sustained minor injuries, due to the mothers quick actions and childs resiliency, said WDFW Sergeant, Ken Balazs. We would also like to thank the Port of Bremerton for their quick coordination and communication to their marina tenants. River otters can be found in fresh, brackish or saltwater habitats and are common throughout Washington. The animal is classified as a furbearer in the state, meaning they are a game species which can be trapped. The animals can be territorial and unpredictable. The US Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services works to trap and lethally remove river otters from the marina, the fish and wildlife agency said. There have been six documented incidents between humans and river otters in Washington in the last decade, according to WDFW. Three women were attacked in 2023 by an otter while floating down a river in Montana. One of the women had more serious injuries and was airlifted to hospital. While attacks from otters are rare, otters can be protective of themselves and their young, especially at close distances. They give birth to their young in April and can later be seen with their young in the water during the summer, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said at the time. They may also be protective of food resources, especially when those resources are scarce. 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. MARIPOSA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Over 3,800 marijuana plants were found in Mariposa County on Tuesday after law enforcement executed search warrants on eight illegal growing operations, according to the Mariposa County Sheriffs Office. According to the Mariposa County Sheriffs Office, 3,822 plants were discovered and one man was apprehended. That these are not just our local citizens, wrote the Sheriffs Office on social media. These grows are sophisticated cartel drug trafficking organizations bringing criminals to our community and damaging properties. Deputies say one of the properties has been searched three times this year alone, and several of the properties have been visited multiple times over the past several years. These illegal operations are growing year round. They keep us busy, added the Sheriffs Office on social media. Someday these drug trafficking operations will get the hint that theyre not welcome in Mariposa County. Until then, our teams will continue weed whacking. Mariposa County Sheriffs Offices Marijuana Enforcement Team, the Mariposa County Probation Department, and the California Fish and Wildlife Officers worked together on Tuesdays operation. 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. This article is made possible through Spotlight PAs collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. Sign up for Votebeats free newsletters here. HARRISBURG Pennsylvanians who vote by mail must write a proper date on their ballot envelopes for their votes to be counted, the state Supreme Court said in a decision Friday that could affect thousands of voters this November. The decision voids an Aug. 30 Commonwealth Court ruling that enforcing the requirement on ballot dating violated voters rights under the state constitution. The state Supreme Courts 4-3 decision was based on whether the lower court had jurisdiction in the case, not on the merits of the underlying claim, meaning that the constitutional argument could be made again in court. Republicans who appealed the lower courts decision argued to the state Supreme Court last week that the petitioners failed to include all counties as parties to the case, among other claims. The original suit, brought by the ACLU of Pennsylvania and the Public Interest Law Center on behalf of a coalition of voting rights groups, targeted the Pennsylvania Department of State, Allegheny County, and Philadelphia. The Commonwealth Court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to review the matter given the failure to name the county boards of elections of all 67 counties, the state Supreme Court wrote in its order Friday. The inclusion of Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt as a named party was not enough to give Commonwealth Court jurisdiction in the case, the order said. Adam Bonin, a Philadelphia-based election lawyer who was not part of this case but has represented Democrats in other lawsuits challenging the dating requirement, said that, barring another ruling, voters will need to write a date on their ballot return envelope in order for their ballots to be counted. In a statement to Votebeat and Spotlight PA, Gov. Josh Shapiro said it was unfortunate the court did not side with voters. It should be clear that voters who make an inconsequential dating error deserve to still have their valid vote counted, he said. One of the groups that appealed the Commonwealth Court ruling called the decision a victory for election integrity in a critical swing state. This is a huge win to protect the vote in Pennsylvania that will protect commonsense mail ballot safeguards and help voters cast their ballots with confidence, RNC Chair Michael Whatley said in a statement. Justice David Wecht dissented with the majority, and called for the state Supreme Court to address the constitutional claims directly and quickly, given the fast-approaching Nov. 5 election. The court should exercise its kings bench authority to bypass the normal judicial process and have the parties submit briefs on the issue directly to the high court, Wecht said. He was joined in his dissent by Chief Justice Debra Todd and Justice Christine Donohue. Steve Loney, senior supervising attorney for the ACLU of Pennsylvania, said his group would continue its fight on behalf of the voting rights groups that brought the case. These eligible voters who got their ballots in on time should have their votes counted and voices heard, he said in a statement. The fundamental right to vote is among the most precious rights we enjoy as Pennsylvanians, and it should take more than a trivial paperwork error to take it away. A spokesperson for the ACLU said the groups involved had not decided what their next move would be or whether to seek a direct ruling on the constitutional claim from the state Supreme Court. Federal judges have gone back and forth over whether enforcing the dating requirement violated federal voting law. The current case is the first to directly challenge this requirement under the state constitution. Its the latest of several challenges to the dating requirement since the state implemented its mail voting law, Act 77, in 2020. Act 77 required voters to sign and date the outer return envelope of their mail ballots, and return the ballot in a secrecy envelope, in order for them to be counted. Thousands of ballots are rejected each election for dating issues. During the April primary, counties rejected roughly 8,500 ballots, or 1.22% of those returned, for lacking a signature or date, or for being returned without a secrecy envelope, according to an analysis of Pennsylvania Department of State data. More than 4,400 of those were rejected for dating issues. The ACLU and the Public Interest Law Center initiated the challenge earlier this summer on behalf of a coalition of civil rights groups, arguing that enforcing the date requirement violated the free and equal elections clause of the state constitution. That clause says that no power, civil or military, shall at any time interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage. In August, a majority of a five-member panel of Commonwealth Court judges agreed with them. The refusal to count undated or incorrectly dated but timely mail ballots submitted by otherwise eligible voters because of meaningless and inconsequential paperwork errors violates the fundamental right to vote recognized in the free and equal elections clause, Judge Ellen Ceisler wrote for the 4-1 majority. The state Supreme Courts ruling means the requirement is back in place, Bonin said. Bonin noted that the challenges to the date requirement are still active on multiple tracks. An NAACP challenge to the requirement under federal law could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, he said, and he is also representing clients challenging the requirement in a separate case. The Pennsylvania Department of State was named as a defendant in the latest case, but did not defend the date requirement. In a statement, the agency said the decision was disappointing and left an important question unanswered. The Department hopes that this question is answered as soon as possible, for the sake of the voters and our county election administrators preparing for the upcoming presidential election, the statement said. BEFORE YOU GO If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A Facebook post from a nonprofit organization connected to a North Carolina pastor arrested in Las Vegas appeared to deny reporting about his arrest on weapons and drug charges, saying Thursday: The truth will all come out in due season. As the 8 News Now Investigators first reported last week, Metro police arrested David McGee, 61, an evangelical pastor, for allegedly having guns and drugs in a hotel room in an incident that initially sparked a counter-terrorism response. McGee faces drug and gun-related charges, all felonies, connected to his Aug. 20 arrest at the Strat Hotel Casino & Tower, records said. McGee was the senior pastor at the closed The Bridge Fellowship, outside Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Though its building shuttered in 2023, the evangelical ministry continues online and through radio programs. A Facebook page connected to McGees work and the church with more than 24,000 followers includes posts that appear to be posted by McGee and others. On Aug. 20, drug and counter-terrorism detectives responded to the hotel after McGee reported a piece of property missing, documents said. McGee told police he was visiting Las Vegas from North Carolina and had arrived in a private jet to find his daughter. When officers asked McGee if he had any weapons in his room, he reportedly replied, Yes, I have a gun in my guitar case, documents said. Hotel employees had previously warned McGee about the policy after he allegedly brought a shotgun to his room days earlier. The discovery of the firearms, including an AR-15 with a scope, prompted responding officers to suspect McGee was planning a 1 October-style shooting, documents said. Since the 2017 mass shooting, Metro police have investigated suspicious situations where multiple firearms are located inside hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, police said. Inside the hotel room, police said they found suspected fentanyl pills and powder, they said. In the days before his trip to Las Vegas, McGee posted on the Facebook page that he was traveling to find his daughter who he believed was living in a flood control tunnel. McGee and his wife have not responded to repeated requests for comment. McGee has not posted since Aug. 20. Records said that he did not appear for his probable cause hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court on Aug. 21 due to medical records. A judge did not set bail in the case as prosecutors had not filed a criminal complaint. McGee was due to return to court on Dec. 19. Metro police did not take a booking photo of McGee when they brought him to the Clark County Detention Center. In the days before his trip to Las Vegas, McGee posted on a public Facebook page that he was traveling to find his daughter who he believed was living in a flood control tunnel. (Facebook) You may have read and/or heard some disturbing news recently, a post on Facebook posted Thursday said. Please understand that there is much incorrect, misleading, and incomplete information and implications in what is being reported. The truth will all come out in due season. Be patient, kind and loving. Love God, love people. Sensational headlines sell newspapers, increase clicks, and drive-up ad revenue. None of the money flowing to those publishing these stories will go towards rescuing Pastor Davids daughter, or any of the other 2,000 people every year that go to Las Vegas and end up dead, not to mention destitute. Such stories, however, will be used to try to tear down the good work of building Gods kingdom. It was not clear who posted the message on the page Thursday. In the days after the 8 News Now Investigators reporting, several current and current church members inquired with 8 News Now about McGees arrest. 8 News Now Investigator David Charns can be reached at dcharns@8newsnow.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. A growing number of liberal states have passed paid sick leave laws in recent years, assuring workers get paid time off to care for themselves or their loved ones when theyre ill. Now some conservative states might be getting in on the act, too. Campaigns in Nebraska, Missouri and Alaska have secured enough signatures to put sick leave measures on their ballots this November. If voters approve them, the laws would let workers start accruing one hour of paid sick time for every 30 they work, capped at 56 hours per year at large employers and 40 at small ones. More than a dozen states have similar mandates on their books, according to A Better Balance, a nonprofit advocate for fair and supportive workplaces. But none of those states are as red as Nebraska, Missouri or Alaska, all of which former President Donald Trump won handily in 2016 and 2020. If the ballot measures succeed, it would demonstrate just how popular paid sick days are among the general public. What weve realized in talking to thousands of Nebraskans is that this is a really commonsense issue, said Jo Giles, director of the Womens Fund of Omaha, one of the advocacy groups backing the initiative in Nebraska. Most people have been sick at some point in their working lives and have needed to take time off. Giles said the typical voter sympathizes with someone who has to choose between a days pay and taking care of a child whos home sick from school. The campaign, called Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans, includes small-business owners who havent balked at the idea of a new mandate, she added. What weve realized in talking to thousands of Nebraskans is that this is a really commonsense issue.Jo Giles, director of the Womens Fund of Omaha The U.S. is an outlier among wealthy countries in not guaranteeing workers sick leave or other paid time off. The lack of a federal mandate means employers dont have to offer any paid time off unless there is a state or local ordinance dictating otherwise. (The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 guarantees extended leave under certain circumstances, but it doesnt have to be compensated.) About 80% of workers have access to paid sick days, meaning 1 in 5 dont, according to estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And those who lack them fall disproportionately near the low end of the pay scale: Only 40% of workers in the bottom decile of wages can call out sick and still get paid. Richard von Glahn, a spokesperson for the Missouri campaign, called Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages, said the people who need the mandate most are those who were referred to as essential throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: child care workers, restaurant workers, retail workers, etc. Access to paid sick days is definitely something that has a class element to it, said von Glahn, whos also political director at the worker center Missouri Jobs With Justice. For people who are making over $100,000 a year, its very common. But its not as common for frontline workers who really drive the economy. Lower-wage workers, like those in restaurants, are the least likely to have access to paid sick days. Kobus Louw via Getty Images Polling shows that voters tend to really like the idea of requiring employers to provide workers with paid leave and that support for the policy tends to cross party lines, much like boosting the minimum wage. A majority of states, including some red ones, now mandate a higher minimum wage than the federal level of $7.25 per hour, thanks in large part to statewide referendums. This years sick leave initiatives in Missouri and Alaska pair the proposals with minimum wage hikes that would send the state rates to $15 per hour within a few years. The current state rates are $12.30 in Missouri and $11.73 in Alaska. Using ballot measures makes a lot of sense for paid leave advocates since the strategy provides a way around Republican-dominated statehouses that wont advance paid leave legislation. Such proposals have fared well when put directly to voters in other states, though not all states allow referendums. Backers of the Nebraska and Missouri initiatives have been frustrated by how little traction paid-leave bills have gained in their legislatures, typically withering away in committees without debate. Republicans control both statehouses and tend not to put new mandates on businesses, even if the concepts might be popular. Our legislature just turns a blind eye to the bills that really are about peoples day-to-day struggles and what they need, von Glahn said. Thats why weve had to turn to the ballot initiative process. The paid-leave proposals have received backing not just from labor groups but from faith and public-health groups as well. The Missouri campaign says it has received endorsements from the Missouri Psychological Association, the states Episcopal diocese and the March of Dimes, among dozens of other entities. Access to paid sick days is definitely something that has a class element to it.... Its not as common for frontline workers who really drive the economy.Richard von Glahn, spokesperson for Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages So far, there have been no organized public campaigns against the initiatives in Nebraska, Missouri or Alaska. Businesses still have nearly two months to mobilize, but, given the polling, they may find it to be a losing battle not worth spending money on. I do expect once we see the outcome of these elections that there will be more interest in other states, said Jared Make, vice president of A Better Balance, which advocates for paid leave. Democrats have been pushing unsuccessfully for a federal paid leave law for years. Their latest proposal, the Healthy Families Act, would enable most workers to earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 worked, capped at 56 hours per year. But the legislation is unlikely to go anywhere so long as the GOP controls the House or can filibuster in the Senate. The Senate version of the bill has 43 Democratic co-sponsors but not a single Republican. Make said so long as such roadblocks exist in Washington, advocates will continue pushing referendums and legislation on the state level. While were continuing to work for nationwide action, we also cant wait, he said. Too many workers dont have this basic right. Related... Palestinians stand in the courtyard of a school after an Israeli attack at the school of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) at Nuseirat Refugee Camp. Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Palestinian doctors on Saturday said at least 11 people have been killed in Gaza City after an Israeli airstrike hit a family house. Among the victims were four children and three women, medics in a Gaza hospital said. The strike reportedly hit a house in the Tuffah neighbourhood. The information cannot be independently verified, and the Israeli military is yet to comment on the incident. Palestinian figures suggest more than 41,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Israel launched its assault on the territory in response to the October 7 attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. By Gleb Bryanski, Darya Korsunskaya and Gleb Stolyarov MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian officials and managers are perplexed by President Vladimir Putin's surprise threat to limit exports of strategic commodities in response to Western sanctions, and wonder if it can be realised without hurting Russia more than the West. Putin made the suggestion 23 minutes into a routine government meeting on Wednesday, asking Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to come up with some ideas that would not harm Russia's interests. Yet many of Russia's commodities such as oil, gas, nickel, titanium, gold and diamonds are already subject to various levels of voluntary or mandatory import restrictions or even bans imposed by the West itself. Russian government officials and company executives were caught off guard. "Everyone is in a state of shock," said a source in one of the affected companies, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of appearing to criticise the president. "This initiative came really out of the blue." Another company source said: "It's like shooting yourself in the foot." Cutting exports of uranium, nickel and titanium - which Putin mentioned explicitly - would cut the foreign currency earnings of Russia's biggest firms including state-owned industrial conglomerate Rostec, state nuclear monopoly Rosatom and Nornickel, the world's top producer of refined nickel. Together, they employ about a million people, and their revenues have already been affected by Western sanctions. Nornickel's first-half profit fell by 22% as it tries to pivot its exports to Asia. It has described the combination of low nickel prices and Western sanctions as a "perfect storm". The global market price of nickel did blip upwards on Putin's comments - but the current wealth of supply means it is far below historic highs. A Russian government source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said any ban should spare so-called "friendly" countries including China, Russia's major trading partner. URANIUM RESTRICTIONS COULD HURT WEST The source stressed that it would take some time for the government to develop the plan - and that an order from the president to do so had yet to reach the government. Another source close to the government added that Putin had "asked for a plan to be worked out, not implemented". Major Russian commodities producers declined to comment. Russia and the West are entering a new level of confrontation over the Ukraine war and Russia is pondering ways to respond to what it says is almost certain Western approval for Ukraine to strike deep into Russia using Western weapons. Story continues Putin said that if Russia went ahead, the measure would not be limited to uranium, nickel and titanium. He noted that Russia has 22% of the world's natural gas reserves, 23% of gold reserves, and 55% of global diamond reserves. Uranium may be the one commodity where restrictions could genuinely hurt the West. Russia accounted for 27% of the enriched uranium supplied to U.S. commercial nuclear reactors last year. While the U.S. has in theory banned imports of the fuel from Russia, it also provided for waivers through 2027 as it expands its own enrichment facilities. Yet Europe has largely weaned itself off the Russian gas it used to depend on. Group of Seven and European Union bans on imports of Russian-origin diamonds forced Moscow to buy up diamonds from its sanctions-hit producer, Alrosa. And all Russia's major gold producers are already under Western sanctions. Meanwhile, Russia's largest titanium sponge maker VSMPO-AVISMA, partly owned by Rostec, has been struggling to find replacements for supplies of titanium concentrate from Ukraine, with which Russia is at war. Putin himself emphasised that restrictions would not happen "tomorrow", and that they must not harm Russia's interests. On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed the as-yet hypothetical nature of the idea. "There are no specifics yet, it was a proposal to think about it without harming ourselves, without damaging our own interests," he said. "They (the government) will consider it." (This story has been refiled to remove extraneous text, in paragraph 2) (Reporting by Gleb Bryanski, Dasha Korsunskaya, Gleb Stolyarov; writing by Gleb Bryanski; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Kevin Liffey) A paramedic who was convicted in the 2019 death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain has been released from prison after a judge reduced his sentence on Friday. Peter Cichuniec, 51, was accused of administering an excessive amount of ketamine to sedate McClain after an encounter with police in August 2019 in Aurora, Colorado. He was found guilty in December 2023 of assault in the second degree for the unlawful administration of drugs and criminally negligent homicide. Judge Mark Warner sentenced Cichuniec in March to five years in prison for the assault conviction, the minimum possible, and one year on the criminally negligent homicide conviction, to run concurrently. He had faced upward of 16 years behind bars. On Friday, Warner reduced the sentence, converting it to four years of probation, according to The Associated Press. PHOTO: Lawyers console paramedic Peter Cichuniec after his sentence is read, March 1, 2024, in Brighton, Colo. (Colorado State Court via AP) A spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Corrections confirmed to ABC News Friday evening that Cichuniec is no longer in their custody. Warner said during a hearing Friday that there are "unusual and extenuating circumstances and they are truly exceptional in this particular case," according to The Denver Post. ABC News has reached out to Cichuniec's defense attorneys for comment. The ruling comes after the defense filed a motion to modify Cichuniec's sentence under a provision in state law that allows a court to modify a mandatory sentence after the defendant has served at least 119 days in prison. At his sentencing, Cichuniec was granted 70 days of confinement credit for time already served. MORE: Paramedic sentenced to 5 years in prison in connection with Elijah McClain's death Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser, whose office prosecuted the case, had opposed the modification, arguing in part in court filings that a sentence modification would undermine the jury's verdict and that Cichuniec had admitted in court to knowingly overdosing McClain. The state noted in its response to the defense's motion that McClain's mother objected to any modification of the sentence, which Weiser previously said, "sends a strong message that no profession, whether a paramedic, a nurse, a police officer, an elected official, or a CEO should be immune from criminal prosecution for actions that violate the law and harm people." The Colorado Attorney General's Office said Friday that they are "disappointed" in the reduced sentence "but we respect the court's decision." The head of the International Association of Fire Fighters, which had spoken out in support of Cichuniec throughout the case, said he was "relieved" by the judge's decision on Friday. "Peter Cichuniec did not belong behind bars," General President Edward Kelly said in a statement. "The IAFF will always prioritize and advocate for the public's safety and our members' ability to do their jobs without fear of ill-conceived criminal prosecution." McClain's case gained national attention months following his death amid protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. Cichuniec was one of five people charged in connection with McClain's death. He received the longest sentence among the three convicted. His co-defendant, paramedic Jeremy Cooper, was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to four years of probation. Former police officer Randy Roedema was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and assault in the third degree in McClain's death and sentenced to 14 months in the county jail. Two other officers, Jason Rosenblatt and Nathan Woodyard, were found not guilty on charges of reckless manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. Rosenblatt was also acquitted on charges of assault in the second degree. McClain was confronted by police while walking home from a convenience store on Aug. 24, 2019, after a 911 caller told authorities they had seen someone "sketchy" in the area. McClain was unarmed and wearing a ski mask at the time. His family says he had anemia, a blood condition that can make people feel cold more easily. When officers arrived on the scene, they told McClain they had a right to stop him because he was "being suspicious." PHOTO: Elijah McClain in an undated photo. (McClain family photo) Woodyard placed McClain in a carotid hold and he and the other two officers on the scene moved McClain by force to the grass and restrained him, according to investigators. When EMTs arrived at the scene, McClain was given a shot of 500 milligrams of ketamine for "rapid tranquilization in order to minimize time struggling," according to department policy, and was loaded into an ambulance where he had a heart attack, according to investigators. McClain died on Aug. 30, 2019, three days after doctors pronounced him brain dead and he was removed from life support, officials said. MORE: What happened to Elijah McClain? Protests help bring new attention to his death McClain's cause of death, which was previously listed as "undetermined," was listed in an amended autopsy report as "complications of ketamine administration following forcible restraint." The manner of death remained listed as "undetermined" as it was in the initial report. McClain weighed 143 pounds but was given a higher dose of ketamine than recommended for someone his size and overdosed, according to Adams County coroner's office pathologist Stephen Cina. The prosecution argued during the trial that Cichuniec and Cooper failed to give McClain adequate medical assessments before administering the ketamine when they arrived at the scene. Prosecutors also criticized the paramedics for waiting six minutes before checking McClain for a pulse after administering the ketamine. Cichuniec's attorney, Michael Lowe, told the jury that the reason the paramedics didn't check his vitals again until he was on the gurney was because of protocol. ABC News' Kiara Alfonseca and Tesfaye Negussie contributed to this report. Paramedic convicted in Elijah McClain's death freed after judge reduces sentence originally appeared on abcnews.go.com SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Lex Leonard is the proud parent of two students at Truman Elementary. She says Thursday afternoon was stressful, to say the least. I work just down the street and from my job I watched an officer fly by, had no idea, did not assume it was my kids school. About 10 minutes later, Im pulling up to the school to get my kids and I have a few different friends who have kids there who are messaging me about some things happening that there are cops there, but no one knows whats going on, but someone read something about a gun, Leonard said. So we are all absolutely panicked. We are terrified that every parents worst nightmare is what we were about to live through. It was revealed later that a person in the school pick-up lane had accidentally shot themselves in the leg that afternoon. Its just unfathomable that one, someone had a gun on school premises and two, that it was anywhere accessible or that there was any chance that something could have gone wrong, Leonard said. Honestly, it is a blessing that it only got him in the leg and it didnt go through the car and get a child or a teacher or anybody else. She says she and other parents have frustrations about the schools response. I think the way that the school handled it was so inappropriate. I am grateful for our teachers. They were amazing, but I am very upset with the principal, the superintendent, and whoever made the judgment call to not lock our children down the moment a gun that the firearm was discharged, Leonard said. [When the gun went off, that] very moment should have been when they locked down our kids. I am so frustrated that the teachers were not made aware until the man was taken away by ambulance. Our teachers should have been on the front line. They should have known first. They should have been able to be fully aware and protect our children. Leonard says she wont name the teachers who allegedly told her they werent made aware. I know that there are several [parents] who are furious with the way its handled. I know theres tons of parents who also feel this way, and it takes a lot of trust to send your children to other people to care for them. I assumed that my children and all the other childrens safety would be the first priority in an instance like this, and it wasnt. Truman dropped the ball, Leonard said. I feel like its standard for kids to go on lockdown, even if theres mention of a gun, but the fact that there was one and it had been discharged, theres no reason that they werent put down on lockdown. OzarksFirst reached out to Springfield Schools with questions about the decisions made Thursday. They responded with a statement saying, In follow-up to your question about a lockdown status, it is important to remind the public that we keep all exterior doors locked at Truman with a secure front entrance just as we do at all SPS facilities. When a situation arises like yesterday, we have emergency protocols that are put into place. Immediately upon notification of the incident yesterday, we received direction and guidance from emergency personnel and law enforcement. Additional measures that are in place to make our school safe include: Teachers and staff have received training that they follow in the event of an emergency, which includes various responses depending upon the specifics of the situation. Security film has been installed on all ground floor windows and doors of our school to help prevent anyone from gaining unauthorized entry into the building. While SPS says any firearm is not allowed on school grounds, Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson says the man may not face any criminal action. Missouri law, specifically provides that while you typically cant take a firearm into a school without violating the unlawful use of a weapon statute, if you have it in your vehicle while youre picking up the child at a school, as long as it is not brandished and doesnt leave the vehicle, that is not a criminal offense by itself, Patterson said. I think this incident is a great reminder of the great responsibility that comes with gun ownership and possession in terms of security and handling of a firearm, in terms of the law. Leonard says she hopes the situation never happens again, but if it does, she wants it handled differently. You dont play with guns are not toys, you know, and the fact that it could have easily gone through the car and gotten someone that wasnt himself is not okay. Something should absolutely be done, Leonard said. I know several parents who chose not to send their kids today and I dont blame 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 KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. Parents ask Supreme Court to take up case to restore opt-outs for instruction on gender and sexuality A group of Muslim, Jewish and Christian parents from a Maryland school district are asking the United States Supreme Court to protect their right to opt their kids out of a gender and sexuality curriculum that they believe is not age-appropriate, according to an appeal filed Thursday. The Montgomery County Board of Education removed parental notices and opt-outs for instruction on books that discuss gender transitions, pride parades and pronoun preferences with kids as young as three and four last year. Now, some of the district's parents are continuing their legal fight, asking the Supreme Court to restore the curriculum opt-out after the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to do so in Mahmoud v. Taylor. Becket which represents the parents, announced the news Friday, arguing that the parents' inability to opt-out is a violation of Maryland law, the Boards policies and the advice of its own elementary school principals. MONTGOMERY COUNTRY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHARGES PARENTAL RIGHTS GROUP $18K TO FULFILL PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST Montgomery County Public Schools William Haun, senior counsel at Becket, told Fox News Digital that Montgomery County has a "long tradition" of letting parents, not the government, introduce their kids to sensitive issues about gender and sexuality. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "The School Boards decision to cut parents out of these discussions flouts that enduring tradition and common sense," he said. "We're asking the Justices to restore notice and opt-outs, and allow parents to raise their children according to their beliefs." In 2022, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) introduced the new "inclusivity" books to the pre-K through fifth grade student curriculum. For example, one book titled "Pride Puppy" asks three and four-year-olds to find images based on a word bank that includes "intersex flag," "drag queen," "underwear," "leather," as well as the name of a celebrated LGBTQ activist and sex worker, as Fox News Digital previously reported. In another book, teachers are instructed to say doctors only "guess" when identifying a newborns sex. MONTGOMERY COUNTRY SCHOOLS AWARDED $450,000 CONTRACT TO DIVERSITY CONSULTANCY FOR ANTI-RACISM SYSTEM AUDIT One book titled, "Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope," promotes what Becket calls "a child-knows-best approach" to gender transitioning. In one part, a mother tells her children that the decision to transition doesnt have to "make sense." Later in the book, when a child explains their chosen gender to the teacher, the teacher describes herself as the student, learning from the child's experience. Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has unveiled its new LGBTQ-inclusive book list for elementary schools, which is mandatory reading and teaches words like "intersex" and "drag queen" to children as young as 4. MCPS told Fox News Digital that since the case is still pending litigation, they did not have a statement to share on the matter. Grace Morrison, board member of Kids First, an association of parents and teachers advocating for notice and opt-outs in Montgomery County Schools previously told Fox News Digital that she is fighting against the district's policy that no longer gives parents the choice to opt their child out of the curriculum because the content would rob her 10-year-old daughter of her innocence. MARYLAND COUNTY TO TRANSFORM SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM TO STRENGTHEN KIDS' SENSE OF RACIAL IDENTITY "The School Board is pushing a controversial ideology that has been rejected by governments around the world and has even been criticized by the Boards own principals as inappropriate for the intended age group," Morrison said Friday of the Supreme Court appeal. "Children deserve a period of innocence. The Supreme Court should take this case, restore the opt-out, and let parents decide how and when to introduce their own elementary school kids to these sensitive topics." Eric Baxter, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, said parents shouldnt have to take a back seat when it comes to introducing their children to complex and sensitive issues regarding gender and sexuality. "Nearly every state requires parental consent before high schoolers can attend sex-ed," he said. "Parents should have the right to excuse their elementary school children when related instruction is introduced during story hour." The Supreme Court will decide whether to hear the case this fall. Original article source: Parents ask Supreme Court to take up case to restore opt-outs for instruction on gender and sexuality Parents said some children were not allowed to attend lessons if their uniforms did not comply [Supplied] Parents were "disgusted" with how staff treated pupils with incorrect uniform on their first day back to school. The Sir Harry Smith Community College in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, sent pupils who did not comply with the uniform policy to the hall, rather than lessons. Some parents said their children felt "humiliated and singled out" with one mum "brought to tears" over the situation. The school said it had tightened its rules and had reminded parents and carers during the summer term. A parent meeting has been organised for 12:00 BST on Saturday at The George Hotel to discuss how the situation was handled. On her grandsons first day of school, Emma said he was sent to the hall as his shoes "looked too much like trainers". She requested the school let him attend lessons so he was not "treated differently on his first day" and they would find more appropriate shoes over the weekend. "My daughter had already spent 500 on logo uniform over the summer and said she had no spare money for new shoes right now," she said. "She was very upset and brought to tears...she felt poor shamed in front of other children her son and staff, she felt she had let her son down. "We felt he was humiliated and singled out in front of his friends as they went into school without him on his first day." Emma said while she got the need for uniform policies, she didn't like how it was being implemented. "It is not the application of their policies I have a problem with - I think the uniform certainly needed to be addressed, it was the attitude and how we were treated that was the problem. "And how children and parents have continued to be treated - I am disgusted with the lack of education because of the fabric of a skirt or that it is 1 inch above the knee." Other parents said they had difficulty finding the 'correct' uniform, while another added only one of her two sons was sent to the hall for inappropriate shoes, even though they both wore the same footwear. "Some of us cant afford to replace uniform again and again because they do not have the correct uniform for us to purchase," said Hannah. "My daughter is being refused education because she has a nose stud in or because her school shoes have a logo on them." Some children, who did not attend regular classes because of their uniform, were sent to the hall and given worksheets. Emilia said it took her daughter less than half an hour to complete the work "despite school assurance she will be provided with appropriate school work". School principal, Dawn White, said they had high expectations of their students. "Our uniform policy has been tightened up and parents/carers were regularly reminded of this during the summer term in preparation for our return in September," she said. "The consequences for attending school in incorrect uniform were also clearly communicated to parents/ carers. "The vast majority of students have returned to school in the correct uniform and prepared for the new academic year." Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk. More like this story Related internet links PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) A student from Parkersburg High School was arrested Friday in connection to a threat made toward the school. According to a release from the Parkersburg Police Department, at about 2 p.m., officers were contacted by the Wood County Board of Education in regard to a threat against Parkersburg High School received on the countys See Something Send Something app. Officers said the threat alluded to an act of significant school violence at the school, leading law enforcement to take immediate action to secure the safety of the schools students and faculty. Juvenile suspect in Preston school threat case could face adult charges The suspect in the threat is a 15-year-old student at Parkersburg High School who was not in attendance Friday, officers said. Through an investigation, officers with the Parkersburg and Vienna Police Departments were able to locate the juvenile suspect at a home in Vienna, W.Va. The juvenile was then detained and taken to the Parkersburg Police Department for an interview. The juvenile was then placed at the Lorri Yeager Juvenile Detention Center and is awaiting a detention hearing in Wood County Circuit Court, which will be held at a later date. The Parkersburg Police Department said there are no other suspects, persons of interest or further threats involved in this incident, and no evidence was discovered that would have allowed the juvenile to carry out the threat insinuated. This juvenile joins several others across the state who have been arrested for allegedly issuing threats of violence toward schools and school districts across West Virginia, including Preston High School and Preston County Schools. 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 WBOY.com. Paso Robles police called for high school student chasing person with gun. It was bear mace A high school student was arrested in Paso Robles after reportedly chasing another juvenile with bear mace Friday afternoon though witnesses at first thought the spray was a handgun. Around 1:14 p.m., officers responded to a report of one juvenile chasing another with a small black handgun int he area of Niblick Road and Country Club Drive, Paso Robles Police Department said in a news release. A school resource officer located the juvenile and identified them as a Liberty High School student, the agency said. The juvenile was cooperative with the investigation, according to the release. It turned out what was first thought to be a gun was actually a large canister of bear mace, police said. The student was arrested on suspicion of minor in possession of OC spray, also known as pepper spray, the agency said. The other fled the scene prior to officer arrival, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call the agency at 805-237-6464 or call Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous at 805-549-STOP (7867) or text SLOTIPS with your message to CRIMES (274637). Paul Lisnek on campaign stops, presidential endorsements & more Paul Lisnek on campaign stops, presidential endorsements & more CHICAGO WGN Political Analyst Paul Lisnek joined WGN Evening News to discuss several big stories from the week. The topics include Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trumps campaign stops in the days after the debate, Taylor Swifts endorsement of Harris, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnsons administration, and more. Tune in on Sundays for WGN-TV Political Report with Paul Lisnek. 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. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (WTAJ) With the new school year in full swing, Penn State is seeing some big changes across its campuses thanks to a new initiative and the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP). PSU President Neeli Bendapudi says she wants to focus on a new regional leadership model, saying it will help the campuses work together and better suit the needs of their areas. Penn State completes West Campus expansion with new building What we are trying to do is make sure that we are extremely sensitive to the ambitions, the aspirations, the goals of our student body, Bendapudi said. Another big change comes from the VSIP, where around 10% of PSUs workforce chose to leave with the promise of a years salary and other benefits while they search for another job. Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters. The long-term effects of this change are still not known, but Bendapudi says that they do not anticipate another round of the VSIP or layoffs in the future. 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 WTAJ - www.wtaj.com. From Pensacola to Oklahoma: How one family reunited with their missing dog of 2 years PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) Reunited at last. One Pensacola couple traveled nearly 900 miles to pick up their dog who was missing for over two years. Brenna Denmark and her husband received a call Friday night that their 4-year-old pitbull, Andora, had been found roughly 890 miles away in Enid, Oklahoma. WATCH: Carnival cruise ship, from Mobile, hits chunk of ice during Alaskan trek They were like, Great, were so glad we found the owner, and I asked them where they were, and they told me Enid, and I had never heard of that before, Denmark said. And they told me they were in Oklahoma, and our hearts sank because we were like, Theres no way we can make that trip.' Yet Denmark knew her family had to once again be with Andora. The couple pooled what they could to rent a car Saturday morning and made the 13-hour drive to Enid, OK, in one day where they were reunited with Andora before bringing her back home to Pensacola on Sunday. Denmark and her husband reunited with Andora on Saturday night in Enid, Oklahoma. (Courtesy of Brenna Denmark) Victim addresses man who terrorized her in Pensacola Beach: Im strong. You didnt break me Denmark shared how exciting Andoras reunion was with her three children and their seven other dogs. I mean, I really loved it, Denmark said. I thought she wouldnt remember us, and that made me really upset. But as soon as we saw her, she jumped into, like my arms, and wanted me to hold her. Denmark now laughs at their initial search for their family dog years ago, knowing just how far she would end up from her home. I mean searching for her was, I guess, pointless because we couldnt find her, but it was heartbreaking to know that she was gone, and I couldnt find her, Denmark recalled. Baldwin County Public Schools superintendent: false information going around on Foley High School lockdown Although shes friendly as ever, the family said Andora is still reacclimating to her life in Pensacola and becoming comfortable again around other dogs. The couple has started a GoFundMe page to help with the expenses of the trip and for Andoras future vet visit. 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. People complained, so this Pierce County city took down artwork that promotes diversity Bonney Lake city leaders took down artwork from the Justice and Municipal Center this week that showed hands spelling out the word diversity in American Sign Language, following complaints. The copy of the painting, called D I V E R S I T Y, was offered to courts across the state and across the United States. More than 100 copies are on public display artist Anthony David Gipe told The News Tribune last month. Gipe is a Kent Municipal Court judge and Washington State Minority and Justice Commission member. Bonney Lake isnt one of those places as of this week, City Administrator John Vodopich told The News Tribune via email Thursday. He said the city removed the artwork from the lobby of the citys Justice and Municipal Center on Tuesday. Asked who made the decision, Vodopich later clarified that he and Mayor Terry Carter are responsible for administration of the citys art-display policy. The Mayor asked that I respond to your inquiry, Vodopich wrote. The city rotates various art displays in city hall. This art piece in question was displayed in our lobby for a short period of time, and during that time the city received several complaints about the print. The citys goal in choosing art displays is to bring the community together to share beauty. Displays that create division are contrary to the goals of the city art program. Therefore, the city opted to remove the artwork from public display. D I V E R S I T Y by Anthony David Gipe Courtesy of the Washington State Minority & Justice Commission Vodopich said the city returned the artwork to Bonney Lake Municipal Court Judge Joanna Daniels. Initially, the artwork was a gift from the Minority and Justice Commission, and Daniels hung it in her courtroom, which doubles as the City Council chambers. Then the city moved it to the lobby of the Justice and Municipal Center, and Carter told The News Tribune Aug. 29 that conversations about the citys art policy were ongoing. Public controversy about the painting started when Council member Gwendolyn Fullerton raised concerns during the councils Aug. 27 meeting. One of the hands in the painting has a ring that says BLM. Fullerton said the artwork was biased and political. Gipe told The News Tribune last month that the painting is meant to bring people together, not divide them. Ive never heard anyone express that belief about it, Gipe said about Fullertons take on the painting. Inclusion is for everyone, even if we dont agree with them. Its disappointing Now the print is hanging in Daniels office, the judge told The News Tribune on Thursday. Asked if she thinks that will be its permanent home, she said: If theres no place else for it to hang, yes, Ill hang it in there. I certainly enjoy looking at it. Does she think the city will find a new public space to display it? Based on the general attitude, I dont foresee that, Daniels said. At least not in the foreseeable future. It just doesnt seem like thats something that they want to do. Thats my impression. She learned of the decision to remove it from public display Tuesday afternoon, she said. The mayor came down to my office to let me know that it had been decided that the picture was going to come down from the lobby, and basically he said it was his decision, she told The News Tribune. The two discussed it, Daniels said, adding: I understand the position, and so be it. Asked about her takeaway from what happened, Daniels said: I guess maybe I didnt have as much of a feel for the community as I thought. ... Its disappointing. She said what happened doesnt change her approach to her role as the citys judge. It doesnt affect my ability to do my job, Daniels said. It doesnt affect my ability to be an effective municipal court judge and to represent the community appropriately in the courtroom and with regard to justice. She said theres no artwork on the walls of the courtroom. There are logos hanging for Bonney Lakes Community Court and Sumners Community Court. Those programs take people accused of crimes and try to address the underlying reasons that they got involved in the justice system, such as substance abuse, unemployment and mental health challenges. The goal is to help them overcome those challenges and ultimately become productive members of the community, Daniels said. Asked about the role art plays in courtrooms, Daniels said shes seen many courtrooms with images of nature, such as mountains or birds. Those who have to go to court are very nervous, she said. Its a stressful experience, and she said art can make the setting a bit more tranquil. She said shes also seen many courtrooms with images such as the Gettysburg Address, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. Constitution. I think it just sets the tone for the courtroom that this is a place where people come to be heard and to be treated fairly, she said. She thought Gipes piece would do that. Clearly other people didnt feel that way, she said. Americans on average save 6% or less of their income for retirement, MassMutual found. - Getty Images There are a lot of numbers when it comes to retirement, and many of them are daunting or confusing. The overcomplication of retirement savings rates and target investing amounts leaves many people overwhelmed and less likely to save. Almost half (48%) of Americans who are not yet retired say they dont have enough saved to allow them to retire when they want to, according to a new study by insurance company MassMutual. Among working Americans who are contributing to retirement accounts, half are putting 6% or less of their income toward retirement, MassMutual found. Most Read from MarketWatch Why are people stuck at this number? And how much should they actually be saving? If you ask different financial experts, youll get different answers which only adds to the confusion. The optimal amount will vary from person to person. It varies on how old you are, when you want to retire, how youre investing, how long you think you may live, what lifestyle you live. There are a lot of unique factors, said Katherine Tierney, senior strategist for retirement at Edward Jones. The minimum amount you should be investing is to set aside [enough] to earn at least the full employer match. MassMutual found that 55% of nonretired Americans say they contribute enough to their employer retirement plan to maximize their employer match. And while thats a good start, its probably not nearly as much as they should be saving. All the complicated factors aside, Tierney said investors should set aside 10% to 15% of gross income, including their employer match. Other experts had slightly different numbers. Theyre going to be falling short. People need to save at least 15% of their income for retirement, or theyll be significantly underfunding their later years., said Bruce Tannahill, director of estate and business planning at MassMutual. It will impact what kind of retirement you can have and what you can do in retirement. A lot of people will almost surely be behind the eight ball. But its understandable that many people arent in a great position, he said: Younger people dont save enough for retirement because many are dealing with massive student loans, housing costs, the cost of living. Even squeezing out 6% is quite difficult. Meanwhile, Fidelity Investments recommends saving 15% of annual income, including an employer match. That assumes a person saves for retirement from age 25 through age 67. About 40% of America is going to run out of money before they die. The No. 1 fear in America is running out of money feared more than dying, said Joshua Gotbaum, a guest scholar in the economic studies program at the Brookings Institution. The ideal percentage savings should be higher than it is right now. But the thing about financial advice is most people never get it and never take it, Gotbaum said. Every firm has a savings calculator, and theyre all well intentioned and theyre all ignored by 90% of the population. Gotbaum has an easy solution to the overcomplication of retirement-industry advice: Count your figures and invest that much. Ten fingers, 10% savings rate. The trick to this is that if its not simple, its not done. Unless you have a rule thats simple enough to use, theyre not going to do it, he said. Read: The new math of saving for retirement may boil down to this one, absurdly simple rule Gotbaum explained why so many people are stuck at the seemingly random 6% savings rate. Theres a reason for that rate. The typical employer match says well match 50% up to 6%, so thats the number thats in peoples minds 6%, Gotbaum said. If you do a 50% match for 6%, your total is 9%. Everyone agrees thats too low. So the count your fingers and set aside that effort is to get people to aim higher for 10%. A simple rule is better than a complicated rule. A simple rule has a good chance of being followed, and a complicated rule has no chance of being followed, Gotbaum said. But the reasons people dont contribute as much as they should toward their retirement are varied, Tierney said. Lack of access to a 401(k) plan plays a huge role for many, Tierney said. Nearly 57 million working Americans do not have access to a retirement plan at work, according to AARP. Inertia plays a part. It takes time and work to set aside money for retirement, and many people are not comfortable with investing and making those choices, Tierney said. And then theres the reality that a lot of people are balancing a lot of financial goals. She added: Getting started is really the most important thing, and getting that time in the market. Whether its $25 or $50 a month to start, just get started. The minimum amount needed to receive the employer match is a good place to start, and then workers can increase the amount they save by 1% or 2% a year, throughout their career, in step with pay raises. Once people get to a certain point in their personal life and career, a lot of people save more money, but theyve lost the benefit of starting early and compound interest, Tannahill said. People see that theyre falling short and take more risk take too much risk with their retirement investments. And thats not good either. Most Read from MarketWatch Sharon Cony shared her experiences of poverty and social housing to help form the plans [Jon Wright/BBC] People with lived experienced of poverty have been using their stories to help a council form new policies. Suffolk County Council commissioned the Tackling Poverty Together report in September 2022. The initiative is based on the Poverty Truth Commission model, which brings people with experience of financial hardship together with decision-makers in areas of civic life, such as councils, health professionals and police. The authority said it hoped to use the recommendations in the report, which was produced by Healthwatch Suffolk, to shape future policy. Sharon Cony, from Felixstowe, who contributed to the report, said: "This project is crucial for the future of people with needs." The Reverend Sally Gaze and Romanian community worker Romeo Mustata spoke about the importance of volunteering [Jon Wright/BBC] She added: "I've been through quite a lot of different situations. I've been a single mum, I've suffered [with] mental health, suffered physical disabilities, had problems with housing," she said. The report, which was presented on Thursday at an event at Copdock Village Hall in Copdock, Ipswich, has made recommendations in three key areas: Housing : It highlighted issues with the online system for applying for social housing, authorities removing carpets at the end of a tenancy so the new occupants have to buy new ones and inconsistency across different housing providers Volunteering : It recommended the promotion of volunteering opportunities in the area and greater awareness that being a volunteer does not impact any benefits an individual might receive. Also the need to engage further with different communities, such as the Romanian community in Ipswich Community hub: It said a priority was the creation of a new community hub to support the area holistically. The report said: "This space should be inclusive, approachable, and safe, offering the public a central location to access various services" Jay Hornsby was asked to be part of the initiative after he experienced homelessness and now runs his own outreach project [Jon Wright/BBC] Jay Hornsby, who contributed to the report, was previously homeless and lived with addiction and mental health problems. He now runs Adventures in Outreach, which helps people who are sleeping on the streets around Suffolk. "[Homelessness] is something that we can tackle together," he said. "We've got to get information [about the support available] out there, so it's not just coming from services, but friends, neighbours and strangers. "It's making sure that everyone has the knowledge, knows where to go, and everyone can access services fairly." Community and civic partners involved in the project gathered at Copdock Village Hall for the launch of the report [Jon Wright/BBC] Andy Yacoub, the CEO of Healthwatch Suffolk, said: "This is a milestone event, the next steps are really key. "Gavin Talbot, [from Suffolk County Council] is going to be involved in the tackling poverty group which pre-existed before us, and they're going to be responsible for taking on the recommendations and making the change happen. "We'll run another event [next year] to look back and see what has happened, what's changed, what has not changed, and then we take it on further." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Elsewhere on the internet One person drowned in Salmon Bay in Seattles Ballard neighborhood, Seattle Fire confirmed. Seattle Fire received reports of a person struggling in water who needed help just after 2 a.m. Friday. A water rescue team was dispatched, with rescue swimmers entering the water near the 24th Avenue Public Dock. The team found the person and brought them to shore. More local drownings: 68-year-old man sucked into drain pipe, drowns in Tacoma lagoon That person was declared dead at the scene by paramedics. Unfortunately, the person was declared deceased. Turning scene over to Seattle Police. All units are returning to service, Seattle Fire wrote on Twitter. More WA drownings: 26-year-old man drowns in Renton beach, body found by friends Seattle Police are continuing the investigation. No information has been released about the victim, as of this reporting. This is a developing story, check back for updates Contributing: KIRO 7 Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here. The coffin of former president Alberto Fujimori receives state honors in front of the Presidential Palace in Lima on September 14, 2024 (ANDRES VALLE) (ANDRES VALLE/Peruvian Presidency/AFP) Peru bid an emotional farewell on Saturday to its divisive ex-president Alberto Fujimori after three days of national mourning marked by expressions of nostalgia for his iron-fisted rule. Fujimori was revered by many in Peru for crushing a bloody leftist insurgency and helping shore up the economy while in office from 1990 to 2000. He "had the guts to fight terrorism," said Edgar Grados, a 43-year-old businessman, who traveled more than 100 kilometers to attend the funeral. "Fujimorism never dies," he told AFP. But for others Fujimori was a power-hungry autocrat, who signed off on gross human rights abuses, for which he spent 16 years in prison. The 86-year-old died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer. "You are finally free from hatred and revenge," his daughter Keiko told his packed funeral mass in Lima's 1,500-capacity National Theatre, denouncing "16 years of unjust imprisonment." Mourners clapped and chanted "Chino, Chino," Fujimori's nickname which was a nod to his Asian heritage, although his family was originally from Japan. A large portrait of the late leader wearing his presidential sash stood on the altar, next to his coffin, which was draped in the Peruvian flag. Outside, hundreds of people, many carrying Fujimori dolls and pictures, followed the proceedings on a giant screen. After the funeral his coffin was received with state honors at the presidential palace in a ceremony led by President Dina Boluarte. He was buried afterwards at Huachipa ceremony east of Lima. While nearly a quarter of a century has passed since he dramatically faxed in his resignation from Japan in the midst of a corruption scandal, Fujimori loomed large over public life in Peru right up until his death. Thousands of people queued for hours on Thursday and Friday to view him lying in state in an open casket at the culture ministry. "We're very nostalgic," 30-year-old Jesus Neyra told AFP on Friday night as he waited in line. "A president who brought peace, economic stability, freedom and democracy to the country is gone. He left a great legacy." But relatives of the victims of army massacres carried out on his watch lamented that he went to the grave without showing remorse for their deaths. "He left without asking forgiveness from their families, he made a mockery of us," Gladys Rubina, the sister of one of the civilian victims, told AFP. - Crimes against humanity - An engineer by training, Fujimori worked as a university math professor before entering politics. In 1990, he defeated writer Mario Vargas Llosa to win the presidency -- a surprise result. His neoliberal economic policies won him the support of the ruling class and international financial institutions. He also won praise for crushing a brutal insurgency by Shining Path and Tupac Amaru leftist rebels in a conflict that left more than 69,000 people dead and 21,000 missing between 1980 and 2000, according to a government truth commission. But the brutal tactics employed by the military saw him spend his twilight years in jail. In 2009, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison over two massacres of civilians by an army death squad tasked with fighting the Shining Path -- one at a house party, the other in a university dormitory. In all 25 people were killed. As recently as July, Fujimori had been considering a comeback attempt in the 2026 election, according to his daughter Keiko, also a politician. But his health took a turn for the worse as he battled tongue cancer. - Hostage crisis - One of the most dramatic episodes of his presidency was a four-month hostage ordeal at the Japanese embassy in Lima in late 1996 and early 1997. It ended with him sending in special forces, who saved nearly all 72 hostages and killed the 14 rebel hostage-takers. His downfall began in 2000 after his spy chief was exposed for corruption. Fujimori fled to Japan and sent a fax announcing his resignation. Congress voted to sack him instead. He was eventually arrested when he set foot in Chile and was extradited to Peru, where he was put on trial and jailed. In December 2017, then-president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski pardoned him on health grounds. The Supreme Court later annulled the pardon and in 2019 he was returned to jail before finally being released nearly five years later. cm/cb/acb Remains of Perus former President Alberto Fujimori are exhibited for a posthumous tribute, in Lima By Marco Aquino LIMA (Reuters) - Hero? Murderer? Savior? Villain? As Peru buries former president Alberto Fujimori on Saturday, the Andean country is grappling with the complex legacy of its most powerful - and most divisive - political leader in recent decades, who died this week at the age of 86. Many Peruvians still revere Fujimori for pulling the country out of a severe economic crisis in the 1990s and defeating the Shining Path terrorist group. Others say his authoritarian rule was to blame for clandestine military killings. He spent some 16 years behind bars for human rights abuses. "Thanks to him, terrorism is over," said Felicita Ruiz, who came from the Andean region of Ayacucho, birthplace of the Maoist Shining Path, to pay respects to the former president. The conflict with the rebel group left 69,000 civilians and military dead or missing, according to a Truth Commission. The shadow of that conflict casts a pall over Peru to this day. But while thousands like Ruiz lined up to give the son of Japanese immigrants to Peru a hero's sendoff, carrying photos and figurines of the former leader who gained the nickname "Chino", others protested against him and criticized his human rights record. Killings committed by secret military groups during his government in the 1990s, and allegations of corruption, hurt Fujimori badly. He fled to Japan in 2000 after the release of videos showing advisors giving bundles of money to legislators, businessmen and judges to support his government. Fujimori was sentenced in 2009 to 25 years in prison for human rights abuses as the "indirect author" in the killing of 25 people, including a child. He was released from prison last December after a controversial pardon. "This tribute is an insult," said Maria Carbajal, who said she was one of thousands of women sterilized as part of a Fujimori government program to reduce poverty in poor, rural regions of Peru. Some 300,000 women were sterilized in the national campaign. Human rights groups and thousands of the women allege they were coerced. Fujimori always said the operations were consensual. 'I HOPED HE WOULD BE PRESIDENT AGAIN' Peru has been in national mourning for three days since Fujimori's death on Wednesday, his body lying in state. Fujimori is credited - in a similar way to former military dictator Augusto Pinochet in Chile - with setting Peru on a free-market economic course, which did help make the copper-rich country one of the most stable economies in Latin America. But Peru's reputation has come under pressure recently, with six presidents in seven years and political unrest weighing on investment in copper mining, the country's main economic driver. That has in some ways burnished the memory of Fujimori further. "I hoped he would become president again," said a sobbing Yusi Canchari, after she traveled for hours from Peru's interior to see his body. Fujimori's politician daughter Keiko had in July said he could run for election again. "I just want to thank President Fujimori for everything he did for our country," Canchari added. "He achieved peace. I remember he built my little school, built roads, gave us uniforms, shoes and food." Keiko, herself a defeated presidential candidate, and current unpopular President Dina Boluarte, both attended the wake on Thursday. "It's a shame because they're recognizing someone who was convicted and sentenced by the state itself for serious crimes," Gisela Ortiz, sister of a student killed during the Fujimori era, told local radio station Exitosa. Fujimori's death, in an odd coincidence, came exactly three years to the day after his fierce enemy, Shining Path leader Abimael Guzman, who died in prison also aged 86. Lima resident Angel Taboada felt divided about Fujimori, and unsure how to remember him. "The former president did good things; he fought terrorism. But he also did bad things, like the massacres at La Cantuta, Barrios Altos and Pativilca," he said, referring to three of the most notorious military killings in the 1990s. Fujimori supporter Mabel Rojas had no such doubts. "I feel devastated," she said. "I met him once and asked him, 'What would you do with all this (current) crisis? What would you do?' And he had all the solutions. He had them because his mind was brilliant." (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Additional reporting by Carlos Valdez; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Daniel Wallis) During an appearance on CNN Thursday night, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg , appearing in his personal capacity, condemned recent false claims by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, regarding Haitian immigrants allegedly abducting pets for food in the Ohio town of Springfield. The bizarre accusation, first amplified by Trump during Tuesdays debate and repeated on the campaign trail in Arizona , has been widely debunked by officials. In a conversation with CNNs Kaitlan Collins, Buttigieg dismissed Trumps allegations as part of a larger strategy to distract the public from his administrations failures. This is a strategy to get us talking about the latest crazy thing that he did, Buttigieg said. The last thing he wants us to do is to talk about his record or his agenda. So what he wants us talking about is whatever crazy nonsense he can thrust into the center of the internet and the media conversation, which this week happens to be this stuff about eating cats or dogs or geese or whatever. (@) Trumps inflammatory claim suggested that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were stealing pets, including geese, from local parks, a story officials have repeatedly said has no basis in reality. Nonetheless, Trump escalated the rhetoric by claiming the immigrants were also eating the animals. According to Buttigieg, this narrative serves a dual purposestoking fear of immigrants while diverting attention from issues like the loss of jobs under Trumps leadership. He doesnt want us talking about the fact that we lost manufacturing jobs on his watch even before Covid, which is why the United Auto Workers are against him. He doesnt want us talking about the fact that his main economic policy promise he actually kept was to cut taxes for the rich. He doesnt want us talking about how he demolished the right to choose in this country, that hes the reason that even IVF could be banned in many places in this country, Buttigieg said. Collins noted the real-world consequences of Trumps baseless rhetoric, pointing out that the city hall in Springfield had to be evacuated due to a bomb threat related to the false claims. Buttigieg agreed that these tactics have a dangerous impact, particularly on immigrant communities, and contribute to an ongoing pattern of demonization. Buttigieg also referenced Vances remarks following the debate, in which the Ohio senator doubled down on the unsubstantiated claims, saying his office had received numerous reports of immigrants stealing pets. Vance defended the falsehood, even acknowledging that the story might not be true, but argued that it still brought attention to immigration issues in Springfield. This is a country of 300 million people, Buttigieg said, adding, Theyll probably sooner or later find some case where somebody somewhere did something weird to a cat and try to make that into a reason to prolong this so that we could be talking about anything but Donald Trumps track record of destroying jobs in this country and destroying the right to choose, and the fact that if given the chance to do so again, thats what he would double down on. He also touched on the strategic manipulation of immigration fears, noting that Trump blocked a bipartisan border bill earlier this year, a measure Harris has pledged to sign if it reaches her desk. Most Americans disagree with Donald Trumps decision to kill the bipartisan border bill, Buttigieg said. When Collins pressed Buttigieg on whether Harris needs to provide more details about her own immigration policies, Buttigieg argued that the vice president has been clear about what she would do differently. He added that Harriss record on issues like lowering the cost of insulin and advancing climate legislation speaks to her commitment to practical solutions, as opposed to Trumps focus on inflammatory distractions. Every election is about the future, Buttigieg said. Kamala Harris [is] talking about the future, [while] Donald Trumps talking about the past. Buttigieg encouraged voters to stay focused on the facts and avoid being misled by Trumps provocative tactics. He wants us talking about people allegedly eating cats, which is not happening, Buttigieg said. Pfizer researchers say they are developing a drug that might counteract a condition that leads to the death of cancer patients within a year of its diagnosis. Photo by Stephanie Lecocq/EPA-EFE Sept. 14 (UPI) -- A drug that could reduce the risk of death in cancer patients is showing good promise during its second phase of clinical tests, drugmaker Pfizer announced Saturday. The experimental drug ponsegromab is a monoclonal antibody that treats the growth factor that leads to the growth of cancer cells, which is called cachexia, Pfizer said in a news release Saturday. "Cachexia is a common condition in cancer patients associated with weight loss, functional decline and, ultimately, poor outcomes," said Dr. Jeffrey Crawford, principal investigator and George Barth Geller professor for research at the Duke Cancer Institute. "This study showed us those who received ponsegromab had improvement in body weight, muscle mass, quality of life and physical function," Crawford said. "These findings offer hope that a breakthrough in targeted treatment is potentially on the horizon for our patients." Cachexia is a common cancer complication that increases the risk of death, according to the Pfizer study published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Cachexia commonly causes growth of cancer cells while causing weight loss, appetite suppression and energy loss in people stricken with cancer. It affects about 9 million people globally and causes the death of about 80% of cancer patients within a year of the diagnosis of cachexia. The second phase of clinical studies involved 187 patients, 74 with non-small-cell lung cancer, 59 with pancreatic cancer and 54 with colorectal cancer. Patients were given ponsegromab or a placebo, and those given the experimental drug showed significantly better weight gain, increased appetite and improved physical activity. Patients given the drug had three different doses at four-week intervals. In all doses, they gained weight. "These results provide strong evidence that we have unlocked a mechanism to interrupt a critical driver of cachexia," Charlotte Allerton, head of Discovery and Early Development at Pfizer, said. Allerton said ponsegromab "has the potential to impact patients with [the] cancer cachexia and other life-threatening conditions." Given the promising results of the second phase ponsegromab testing, Pfizer officials said they intend to start registration-enabling studies in 2025. They also are looking into a second-phase study of the drug for possibly treating patients with heart failure and elevated concentrations of the growth factor that causes cachexia and other health complications. By Michael Erman NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer is trying to increase doctor awareness of and testing for a rare lung cancer mutation to help boost use of its drug Braftovi, which the pharmaceutical maker anticipates could grow to become the standard of care. The company presented three-year follow-up data from a Phase 2 study on Saturday looking at patients with BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who received Braftovi and another Pfizer drug, Mektovi, as a first treatment. The study showed they had a median of over two-and-a-half years of progression-free survival, a measure of how long treated patients live before their cancer gets worse. Chris Boshoff, Pfizer's Chief Oncology Officer, said the new data supports the use of the drug as standard of care for that group and said it expects to get market penetration of up to 60% in lung cancer patients with the mutation. He said approximately 2% to 3% of lung cancers have the mutation in question. Standard of care for such patients is currently an immunotherapy paired with chemotherapy, Boshoff said. The combination of Braftovi and Mektovi has been approved for patients with non-small cell lung cancer with the mutation since last year. "All patients with lung cancer should be tested for BRAF mutations, and that could be done with a simple blood test," he said. "It's a relatively easy test to identify these patients who clearly would benefit significantly from having a targeted therapy." He said that fewer than 50% of lung cancer patients in the U.S. are currently tested for the mutation. That number is even lower globally. "This is a space where Pfizer is particularly well equipped, not just in the US, but globally, to encourage testing and to help educate physicians, pathologists, patients, and patient advocate groups," Boshoff said. He said the test is covered by insurance in the U.S. Pfizer sold close to $400 million of Braftovi and Mektovi last year, but analysts are not currently forecasting significant growth for the drugs, according to LSEG data. One area where Boshoff said Braftovi could expand its market is in colorectal cancer, where BRAF-mutated cancers make up 10% of the cancers. Data from the company's late-stage study in colorectal cancer is expected to be announced by the end of the year, he said. (Reporting by Michael Erman, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) Schools across the Valley saw a surge in threats of violence this week, not long after the Sept. 5 shooting at a Georgia high school that claimed four lives. Many of the calls stemmed from a Snapchat post listing several Arizona schools that would be shot up, according to education officials. Police dont believe the threat to be credible but are continuing to investigate the posts origin. Threats targeted schools in Buckeye Union, Chandler, Dysart, Kyrene, Osborn, Phoenix Union and Tempe Union, among other districts, according to the Arizona Education Association, which is the state's largest teachers union. Some parents opted to keep their kids home from school to be safe. "The constant threat of gun violence is a huge disruption to learning and creates so much fear and anxiety," said Marisol Garcia, the association's president. "For way too many Arizona students, families and educators, this whole week was overshadowed by worries about possible gun violence at school." Heres what to know. Buckeye police make arrest: 2 teens apprehended in connection with school threats School shooting threats not believed to be credible, police say The Mesa Police Department received a number of reports about online threats this week and has investigated each one with heads of security at local districts, according to spokesperson Brandi Myers. Out of caution, patrol officers have dropped by the schools in their areas at random to walk the campuses and provide extra security. But so far, police dont believe any of the threats are credible, Myers said. Families and staff at Mesa Unified School District have had a challenging few days as theyve grappled with a variety of threats and unusual behaviors, Superintendent Andi Fourlis said in a message to families on Friday. As you can imagine, this is disrupting our schools and causing fear. As a result, we have experienced increased student absences in some schools, Fourlis said. I want to make it clear that we take every threat seriously, even those that appear to be pranks. Scottsdale and Phoenix police said they also received multiple calls this week. Sgt. Allison Sempsis with the Scottsdale Police Department said they received four calls relating to school threats. All were investigated and found not credible. In central Phoenix, Osborn School District Superintendent Michael Robert emailed parents on Thursday saying there were threats against Phoenix-area schools every day this week. Twice, that involved an Osborn school. It is very sad what the state of affairs is when it comes to individuals who would realistically or falsely make threats towards any campus. Yet that is the reality we are currently facing, Robert said. Unfortunately, it stokes a lot of unnecessary fear. I wish so much there was more I could do to make the fear go away. Report, dont repost threats Authorities ask students, staff and parents to report all threats to police. When those threats happen online, report them, dont repost them. A letter from the Phoenix Elementary School District encouraged parents on Thursday to talk to their children about the importance of sharing with a trusted adult if they see something concerning on social media. We also ask our families to please help us by talking to your students about the seriousness when it comes to threats and sharing them, the letter reads. Fourlis, the Mesa superintendent, said her districts investigations found an uptick in students making illegitimate threats as a joke. Students who make these threats will face discipline and could be charged by law enforcement, she told parents. In the West Valley, a 14-year-old boy was arrested for making online threats against his high school, Surprise police said on Monday. Police said he admitted to making threats against Valley Vista High School as part of a dare and was booked into the Durango Juvenile Detention Center on one count of making a terroristic threat, which is a felony, and on disorderly conduct. Then, on Thursday, Buckeye police arrested two teens for posting threats against Buckeye-area schools and making false reports of a student in possession of a gun, police said. Neither threat was credible. Both teenagers were booked into the Durango Juvenile Detention Center and faced criminal charges along with possible discipline from their respective schools, according to a Thursday news release. Buckeye police received more than 300 reports of shooting threats at local schools since Monday, according to the news release. Reach the reporter at nicholas.sullivan@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Challenging few days': Phoenix-area schools roiled by threats PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) A World War II soldier from Oregon who was missing for over 80 years was officially laid to rest in a memorial service in Hillsboro Friday afternoon. With full military honors by the Oregon Army National Guard Funeral Honor Guard team, the remains of U.S. Army Pvt. William Billy Calkins were buried near his mothers grave at Fir Lawn Memorial Park after 82 years since his death in November 1942. Calkins was captured by Japanese forces and died in a prisoner of war camp in the Philippines at the age of 20 after surviving the Bataan Death March earlier that year, the Department of Defense said last month. Framed family photos, Military Awards and tributes rest on a remembrance table for U.S. Army Private Billy E. Calkins at the Fir Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Hillsboro, Oregon on Sept. 13, 2024. Calkins remains were return to Oregon 82 years after his death in the Philippines where he served with the 31st Infantry Regiment, Company B, and died at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on Nov. 1, 1942 when he as 17 years old. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs) Oregon Army National Guard Funeral Honors members carry the remains of U.S. Army Private Billy E. Calkins during his memorial service at Fir Lawn Cemetery, in Hillsboro, Oregon on Sept. 13, 2024. Calkins remains were return to Oregon 82 years after his death in the Philippines where he served with the 31st Infantry Regiment, Company B, and died at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on Nov. 1, 1942 when he as 17 years old. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs) Oregon Army National Guard Chaplain (Col). Jacob Scott, Oregon National Guard State Chaplain officiates the memorial service for U.S. Army Private Billy E. Calkins at the Fir Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Hillsboro, Oregon on Sept. 13, 2024. Calkins remains were return to Oregon 82 years after his death in the Philippines where he served with the 31st Infantry Regiment, Company B, and died at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on Nov. 1, 1942 when he as 17 years old. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs) Oregon Army National Guard Funeral Honors members conduct a flag folding ceremony to honor U.S. Army Private Billy E. Calkins during his memorial service at Fir Lawn Cemetery, in Hillsboro, Oregon on Sept. 13, 2024. Calkins remains were return to Oregon 82 years after his death in the Philippines where he served with the 31st Infantry Regiment, Company B, and died at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on Nov. 1, 1942 when he as 17 years old. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs) Oregon Army National Guard Funeral Honors members carry the remains of U.S. Army Private Billy E. Calkins during his memorial service at Fir Lawn Cemetery, in Hillsboro, Oregon on Sept. 13, 2024. Calkins remains were return to Oregon 82 years after his death in the Philippines where he served with the 31st Infantry Regiment, Company B, and died at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on Nov. 1, 1942 when he as 17 years old. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs) An Oregon Army National Guard Funeral Honor Guard member presents the American Flag to family members of U.S. Army Private Billy E. Calkins during his memorial service at Fir Lawn Cemetery, in Hillsboro, Oregon on Sept. 13, 2024. Calkins remains were return to Oregon 82 years after his death in the Philippines where he served with the 31st Infantry Regiment, Company B, and died at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on Nov. 1, 1942 when he as 17 years old. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs) An Oregon Army National Guard Funeral Honor Guard member presents the American Flag to family members of U.S. Army Private Billy E. Calkins during his memorial service at Fir Lawn Cemetery, in Hillsboro, Oregon on Sept. 13, 2024. Calkins remains were return to Oregon 82 years after his death in the Philippines where he served with the 31st Infantry Regiment, Company B, and died at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on Nov. 1, 1942 when he as 17 years old. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs) Family members and others in the Hillsboro, Oregon community attend the memorial service for U.S. Army Private Billy E. Calkins at the Fir Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Hillsboro, Oregon on Sept. 13, 2024. Calkins remains were return to Oregon 82 years after his death in the Philippines where he served with the 31st Infantry Regiment, Company B, and died at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on Nov. 1, 1942 when he as 17 years old. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs) A funeral procession for U.S. Army Private Billy E. Calkins at the Fir Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Hillsboro, Oregon on Sept. 13, 2024. Calkins remains were return to Oregon 82 years after his death in the Philippines where he served with the 31st Infantry Regiment, Company B, and died at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on Nov. 1, 1942 when he as 17 years old. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs) His remains were identified earlier this year after being exhumed along with other unknown soldiers buried at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. The effort to identify the remains of the unknown soldiers associated with Common Grave 704 began in 2018 when the Department of Defenses POW/MIA Accounting Agency sent them to a lab for DNA testing. Immediately after the war, the remains were exhumed from the camp, along with the other unknown soldiers, and stored at the Manila American Cemetery at the Philippine capital as unknown. On Sept. 6, Calkins remains were brought home to his Oregon relatives with planeside honors at the Portland International Airport, the Oregon Military Department said. While family and community members gathered to honor Calkins on Friday, Oregon Army National Guard Chaplain Col. Jacob Scott, who officiated the memorial, offered up some words of remembrance. The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines occupies 152 acres on a prominent plateau in the capital city. In the center of those peaceful grounds stands a beautiful white marble memorial chapel. A limestone hemisphere monument features the tablets of the missing, and contains 36,286 names, Scott said. Billys name is permanently inscribed on those tablets. But from now on, his name will forever be adorned with a Brass Rosette, signifying that Billys remains will now rest in a known grave. 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. Pittsburgh police find missing woman last seen in Homewood UPDATE: Police say Michelle Walker has been found safe. Pittsburgh police are asking for help from the public in the search for a missing woman. Officials say Special Victims Unit Detectives are searching for Michelle Walker, 53, who was last seen walking from her home in Homewood towards Brushton Avenue around 3 p.m. on Sept. 13. Walker stands 5 feet tall and weighs around 130 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black spaghetti-strap tank top covered with a black shawl, blue jeans, and black high heels. Her hair was in a bun wrapped in a black scarf, and she wore a nose ring chain connecting to her ear. Walker may be driving a white Chrysler Pacifica with Pennsylvania plates LCK-9590 and could be in the Murrysville area. Anyone with information on Walkers location should contact police by calling 412-323-7141 or 911. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Woman accused of killing and eating a cat in Ohio is not an immigrant, was born in Canton SKYLIGHTS 2024: Week 3 high school football final scores We just want our stuff back: Thousands of dollars of merchandise stolen from Pittsburgh business VIDEO: Parents still have questions after Carmalt Elementary School evacuated due to masked man in building DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts We recently compiled a list of the 10 Unstoppable Dividend Stocks to Buy. In this article, we will have a look at where Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:TRGP) ranks among other unstoppable dividend stocks to buy. Its undeniable that dividends have played a key role in the markets returns over the past year. While they hit a rough patch for a bit, these stocks still have plenty of room to grow. Their rising significance is tied to the fact that US companies are boosting their dividend payouts, thanks to strong cash flow. Many US firms, particularly in the tech sector, have substantial cash reserves on their balance sheets. Due to this, several major tech companies have introduced dividend policies this year, sparking renewed interest in dividend stocks. In addition, with the market shifting away from top-performing stocks and the Federal Reserve likely to reduce interest rates, dividend stocks remain a valuable option for investors seeking solid returns. Dan Lefkovitz, a strategist for Morningstar Indexes, also supported investing in dividend stocks this year. Here are some comments from the analyst: Investing in dividend-paying stocks is a good way to participate in equities over the long term. There have been long stretches when the dividend-paying section of the market has outperformed. Eventually, theyll come back into favor. When it comes to dividend stock investing, the attention is often split between high yields and dividend growth. Analysts tend to favor dividend growth, as it offers a more reliable income stream. In contrast, high yields can sometimes be misleading, hinting at potential financial difficulties. A report from RBC Wealth Management highlights that high-yield stocks have been lagging behind those with lower yields this year. By July 2024, stocks yielding less than 1% delivered an average return of 18%, significantly outperforming the 0.9% average return of stocks yielding over 3%. The report also mentioned that the Dividend Aristocrats, companies that have raised their payouts for at least 25 consecutive years, have historically performed well both during and after economic downturns. Their success is built on appealing valuations relative to the broader market and business models that have proven durable in the face of economic uncertainty. Currently, these equities are trading at a trailing twelve-month P/E of 24.95, which indicates confidence in the stability and growth of these companies. Several reports have highlighted that while dividend growth companies might not deliver instant gratification, they provide significant long-term advantages. Nuveen, an Illinois-based financial planning firm, also expressed a positive view on dividend growth strategies this year, noting their strong historical track record. The report emphasized that companies focused on growing their dividends possess qualities that pave the way for solid performance in the future. Over the long haul, companies that consistently boost or introduce dividends have outpaced other market segments, achieving higher annualized returns with less volatility. While they may not always shine in every market condition, their steady, risk-adjusted returns over time make them a cornerstone for any equity portfoliotruly a case of slow and steady wins the race. With that, we will take a look at unstoppable stocks that pay dividends. Our Methodology: For this article, we first used a stock screener to identify stocks that have reported positive returns in 2024 so far. From this selection, we chose dividend stocks with year-to-date (YTD) gains of at least 30%, as of the close of September 9. The stocks were then arranged in ascending order of their YTD gains. We also measured hedge fund sentiment around each stock according to Insider Monkeys database of 912 funds as of Q2 2024. 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 That Produce the Most Natural Gas Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:TRGP) Year-to-Date Return as of September 9: 67.8% Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:TRGP) is a Texas-based midstream energy infrastructure company that mainly delivers natural gas and natural gas liquids in the US. The company saw gains from increased NGL supplies, both from its gathering and processing systems and from third-party sources. Additionally, the recent expansion of its LPG system and better market conditions contributed to its performance. The stock has delivered a 67.8% return to shareholders year-to-date. Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:TRGP) expects a substantial increase in free cash flow for 2025, driven by the completion of upcoming expansion projects. As a result, the pipeline stock may have the momentum to sustain its upward trend. In the second quarter of 2024, the company posted an operating cash flow of $808.5 million, up from $622 million in the prior year period. Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:TRGP) has consistently maintained its dividend performance. The company has raised its dividend significantly in the past years. In the most recent quarter, it returned $164 million to investors through dividends. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.75 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.09%, as of September 9. Its dividend is likely to keep increasing rapidly in the years ahead. The companys free cash flow is expected to receive a significant boost in 2025, as multiple expansion projects currently underway start operating and capital expenditures decrease. At the end of June 2024, 39 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owned stakes in Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:TRGP), up from 38 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a total value of $702 million. Overall, TRGP ranks 2nd on our list. While we acknowledge the potential for TRGP to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some 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 NVDA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Plaques that commemorate royal ribbon cutting are a feature of many British institutions. Now, however, a Belfast hospital has been left with an empty space on its wall after a tablet marking Prince Andrews role in formally opening Belfast City Hospital in 1986 was ripped off the wall by disgruntled staff. Despite an internal investigation, which not only recovered the plaque but also identified and disciplined the staff responsible, the plaque has been left in storage rather than being reinstated. The plaque was removed in reaction to accusations of sexual assault made against Andrew in a U.S. courtroom. Belfast lawmaker Colin McGrath told the BBC it was outrageous that staff had been disciplined for removing the plaque, saying they had done the hospital a favor adding, Either back your staff or back a commemorative display for Prince Andrew. I know which side I would be on. One group of people who will be looking enviously at Belfast City Hospitals simple solution to their Prince Andrew problem are those citizens of the British city of York who have said they would prefer their towns good name not to be connected with an alleged sexual predator. In 2022, York lawmaker Rachael Maskell sought to have Andrew stripped of the title Duke of York after polls showed that 80 percent of the citys citizens wanted to be freed of their link with the shamed royal. Andrew was given the title as a wedding present from the queen in 1986, and has retained it. Andrew paid a reputed $14 million to settle with Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, who claimed Andrew raped her three times when she was a teenager. A new Amazon film about Andrew, A Very Royal Scandal, is due to be released next week. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Three people, including two Arlington students, were arrested in connection to school threats made in the past two days, according to Arlington police. Authorities said threats had been circulating on social media. We want to assure parents that we take every threat that gets reported very seriously, we thoroughly investigate each one, and well always take decisive and appropriate action to ensure the safety of our school campuses, said Arlington police in a Facebook post. The first arrest came Thursday after Arlington High School administrators notified school resource officers of a potential threat posted online, according to police. Authorities believe this threat was inspired by other threatening posts that were widely shared in the past week, the post says. Investigators determined 18-year-old Kevin Martinez-Molina, who is not a student, created the post. When apprehended by officers, he said he created the post as a prank, according to police. He was taken to the Arlington City Jail. That same day, Arlington police also took a Gunn Junior High student into custody after they made a verbal threat against the school. The threat was reported by multiple people who were extremely concerned about what they heard, Arlington police wrote in the Facebook post. On Saturday morning, officers arrested a Lamar High School student who sent a message threatening violence against a staff member, according to police. Both students were transported to the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Center. Their names are being withheld due to their age. All three each face a charge of terroristic threat. The Arlington Police Department will not tolerate any behavior that disrupts students ability to learn or places them in fear, authorities said in the post. New police commissioner Tom Donlon meets with NYPD brass as he takes over for Edward Caban NEW YORK New York Police Department brass welcomed the citys new top cop Tom Donlon at 1 Police Plaza on Friday. Interim Police Commissioner Donlon entered the departments headquarters in Lower Manhattan around 4:30 p.m. for a meeting with more than a dozen police executives, including Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, Chief of Patrol John Chell and Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. Donlon succeeds Edward Caban, who resigned Thursday amid a federal corruption investigation. Donlon, an FBI agent who investigated numerous high-profile terrorist attacks, including the 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, will be sworn in by NYPD Chief of Personnel John Benoit before leaving 1PP Friday. Once the new commissioner is sworn in, the department will remove images of former commissioner Edward Caban, which are hung at 1 Police Plaza and every precinct station house in the city. Its unclear if Mayor Eric Adams, sick with COVID-19, spoke with Donlon on Friday before his meeting with police brass. Rank-and-file patrolmen and women of the department are taking the change in leadership in stride, according to Assistant Commissioner Carlos Nieves Although there may be a change in leadership, the cops and detectives will be out there protecting the citizens of New York and our visitors, said Nieves. Donlons appointment as interim police commissioner comes amid multiple federal corruption probes that have involved raids on members of the NYPD and the upper echelons of Adams administration. Cabans twin brother, former NYPD Officer James Caban, also had his phones confiscated, as did several senior police officials, with sources saying the feds are investigating whether the commissioners sibling sold security favors to nightclubs. The former commissioner will stay on the citys payroll for another 30 days before officially stepping down next month. TWO RIVERS, Wis. (WFRV) In a news conference on Friday evening, police confirmed the skeletal remains found on Sept. 7 belong to Elijah Vue, a 3-year-old Wisconsin boy who was reported missing in February. Vues remains were found on private property by a person getting his land ready for the hunting season. The location was not on Manitou Girl Scout Camp property in Two Rivers, about 37 miles southeast of Green Bay, but rather a thick-wooded area with heavy underbrush. WATCH: Full news conference to update community on the search for Elijah Vue The remains were found three miles northwest of where Vue was initially reported missing, and authorities have searched the area several times. After the remains were discovered, they were taken to the Wisconsin Crime Lab for DNA testing, where they eventually came back with an identification of Elijah Vue. It is with a heavy heart that I announce to you today those remains were identified as Elijah Vue, said Two Rivers Police Chief Ben Meinnert. With that news and following this briefing, the AMBER Alert will be canceled. Police Chief Meinnert, visibly shaken up by the discovery, continued to say he never personally met Elijah, but he watched him bring out the best in the Two Rivers community. I cant thank the public and our businesses enough, Meinnert said before pausing to take a moment. Thank you to DCI for continuing to lead this investigation, the FBI for their support, and our local, state, and federal law enforcement and fire departments, as well as numerous neighboring agencies. Authorities have confirmed that what started as a missing person investigation has now transitioned to a death investigation. The Two Rivers Police Department says theyll continue to provide updates as they can but are asking the public to remain patient as the investigation will take significant time. Now that we know the location where Elijah was located off of Christy Bob Lane and Manitou Drive, we ask that anybody with any information, if you havent previously provided it or you think it may be useful in this investigation, to please contact us, concluded Police Chief Meinnert. Vue, who was 3 years old when he went missing on Feb. 20, was last seen in the 3900 block of Mishicot Rd. in Two Rivers by Jesse Vang, the boyfriend of Elijah Vues mother, Katrina Bauer. Vang, who was taking care of Elijah on the day he disappeared, told authorities that he fell asleep at one point and woke up to find the toddler gone. A criminal complaint obtained by Nexstars WFRV says that Bauer left Elijah with Vang, who she allegedly described as the enforcer of rules, to correct some of the boys bad behaviors and teach him to be a man. Vang and Baur have been formally charged in the Wisconsin Circuit Court system. Vang faces one count of chronic neglect of a child as a party to a crime. Baur faces one count of chronic neglect of a child as a party to a crime, as well as two counts of resisting or obstructing an officer and one count of neglecting a child. With the death of Vue confirmed, Baur and Vang could face additional charges. Baur initially told law enforcement that she was not in Manitowoc County from Feb. 12 to the 20th, but the criminal complaint states that she returned on February 16. According to phone data and witness accounts, Vang and Baur drove around Manitowoc together in the early hours of February 17. Vang entered a bar while Baur went to a Kwik Trip convenience store. On March 4, officers with the Two Rivers Police Department revealed a vehicle of interest and asked the public to check any surveillance footage captured between 2 and 9 p.m. on Feb. 19. The vehicle of interest, currently in law enforcements possession, is described as a 1997, four-door Nissan Altima, beige in color, bearing a Wisconsin license plate beginning with A and ending with 0. Officers also clarified that Jesse Vang and Katrina Baur are not the vehicle owners. Universities of Wisconsin adopt viewpoint-neutral policy for college leaders On March 18, authorities confirmed a blanket found earlier in the investigation belonged to Vue. The blanket was located 3.7 miles from where he was last seen. Local, state and federal law enforcement searched Manitowoc County and the surrounding areas for months, only finding small clues. As of Friday afternoon, no charges have been filed in the disappearance and death of Elijah Vue. 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. SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WDTN) One person was shot in Springfield on Saturday morning. According to a sergeant with Springfield Police Division, crews are on scene of a shooting that took place in the 1200 block of W. Cedarview Drive. The initial call came in just before 10 a.m. Springfield hospitals lock down due to bomb threats Police say at least one person was shot in the incident. That person was taken to the hospital for their injuries. Their condition is unknown at this time. Officials on scene couldnt confirm if a suspect was in custody, but assured there is no threat to the public currently. Police on scene confirmed to 2 NEWS that this incident is unrelated to the unrest going on throughout the city. Police are asking that anyone with information on this incident call 937-328-2560 and ask to speak with a Springfield officer. 2 NEWS is working to learn more information. 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 WDTN.com. Police looking into allegations made against volunteer in McKeesport band booster club A new investigation is underway in the McKeesport Area School District. According to the district solicitor, police are looking into allegations made against a volunteer in the marching band booster club. The volunteer has not been named and, so far, has not been charged. This follows a sex scandal in the school district involving a school security guard who is facing charges after allegedly having a sexual relationship with a student. >> Security guard at local school accused of having relationship with student resulting in a child Investigative documents show it took employees days to report the alleged relationship. The superintendent ended up resigning. >> McKeesport Area school board meets after superintendent resigns amid security guard sex scandal Thursday night, Channel 11 learned three other employees are on unpaid leave. >> 3 McKeesport Area School District employees placed on unpaid leave amid security guard sex scandal Another employee has been reinstated after a disciplinary hearing. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Woman accused of killing and eating a cat in Ohio is not an immigrant, was born in Canton Boars Head plant at center of deadly listeria outbreak to close We just want our stuff back: Thousands of dollars of merchandise stolen from Pittsburgh business VIDEO: $2.3M worth of heroin found in Pittsburghs Fineview neighborhood DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts DEKALB, Ill. (WTVO) DeKalb Police arrested Ezequiel Hernandez, 28, for allegedly stabbing a male victim in the stomach. On September 13th, around 2 a.m., officials responded to the 100 block of South 1st Street for a call that a person had been stabbed. Police said upon arrival, the victim had a laceration to his abdomen and was bleeding. The victim was taken to an area hospital for emergency medical care and needed surgery for his injuries. A witness told authorities that the victim and several offenders engaged in an altercation, which led to the victim being stabbed. The witness said the suspects fled the scene in a red vehicle, according to reports. Authorities stopped the red vehicle and learned Hernandez stabbed the victim, according to a police statement. Hernandez is charged with first-degree murder and is being held at the DeKalb County Sheriffs Office. 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 MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports. Police search for man who attempted to kidnap 6-year-old girl near park on Far South Side Police search for man who attempted to kidnap 6-year-old girl near park on Far South Side CHICAGO Authorities in Chicago are asking for help identifying a man wanted in connection with an attempted abduction of a six-year-old girl on the citys Far South Side. According to Chicago police, the incident happened near Ada Park, in the 11200 block of South Ada Street, on Friday. Officers said the individual allegedly followed and approached a group of children in the area before he touched a 6-year-old girl and attempted to abduct her. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Officers said the individual also allegedly invited the children to his home. On Saturday morning, officers shared photos of the person believed to have been responsible for the incident. Authorities in Chicago are asking for help identifying a man wanted in connection with an attempted abduction of a six-year-old girl on the city's Far South Side. Authorities in Chicago are asking for help identifying a man wanted in connection with an attempted abduction of a six-year-old girl on the city's Far South Side. Officers described him as a a man who is believed to be between 25 and 35 years of age, who stands between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10 and weighs between 160 and 180 pounds. Police said he also had close-shaven black hair, a beard and brown eyes. According to officers, the man was spotted wearing a light-colored long-sleeved shirt and green pants that were pulled up to his knees, and black Crocs-style shoes. Police said he also had close-shaven black hair, a beard and brown eyes. Officers warn the public to maintain an awareness of their surroundings and urge anyone who may witness a similar event not to approach the subjects and to instead note any unique details or characteristics about the offenders to provide the information to the police. LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland Those who witness any suspicious people or activity are advised to call 911. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the CPD Special Investigations Unit at 312-492-3810 or dial 911. Those with information that could help detectives in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously. 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. Police searching for missing 18-year-old girl out of Kansas City KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Kansas City Police Department is searching for a missing 18-year-old girl who disappeared on foot early Saturday morning. According to KCPD, Gabrielle Staples was last seen at about 5 a.m. on Saturday leaving the area of Independence and Topping Avenues, which are located near a Price Chopper. Two juveniles with airsoft guns arrested outside Pleasant Hill school Police said Staples was wearing a grey sweatshirt and black shorts. She weighs approximately 115 pounds and stands at about 5-foot-2. Her family is concerned for her well-being, and police ask that if you see Staples or hear anything about her whereabouts, you call 911 immediately. 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. EMERY COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) Officers seized a large amount of marijuana and cash during a traffic stop in Emery County on Friday, according to Helper Police. On Sept. 13, officers with Helper Police, Wellington Police, and the Emery County Sheriffs Office were assisting Utah Highway Patrol with a checkpoint on SR-6 at mile marker 266 in Emery County. During the checkpoint, an officer approached a vehicle with two individuals inside, identified as Taylor Tarazon, 40, of Texas, and Annette Bonner, of Texas. The officer told them that there was an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, and that officers were going to conduct a search. Family of Utahn sentenced to death in Congo speaks out Tarazon and Bonner adamantly stated that the officer was not allowed to search the vehicle, according to a probable cause statement. Police conducted a search and found a trash bag full of marijuana in the back seat. Due to the amount that was found, police placed Tarazon and Bonner into custody and had the vehicle towed for a more thorough search. Upon searching further, police found $10,000 cash, 84 pounds of a green leafy substance suspected to be marijuana, 2.5 pounds of green bricks suspected to be Hash, several smaller bags of a green leafy substance suspected to be marijuana, empty vacuum seal bags, a vacuum seal machine, and a red grinder with a green residue suspected to be marijuana in it. There was reportedly a total of 84 vacuum sealed bags, each containing about one pound of marijuana. Both Tarazon and Bonner were booked into Emery County Jail on charges of money laundering (second-degree felony), distribution of a controlled substance (third-degree felony), possession of marijuana (class B misdemeanor), and possession of drug paraphernalia (class B misdemeanor). Neither Tarazon nor Bonner have criminal histories, according to the affidavit. 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. We recently compiled a list of the 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks That Will Ride A $30 Trillion Opportunity According To Morgan Stanley. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Tenaris S.A. (NYSE:TS) stands against the other humanoid robot stocks. Over the course of the last century, the makeup of modern day society and the world as we know it has significantly changed. Humans living in the first quarter of the 20th century were just starting to get used to automobiles and long distance air travel was still a distant dream for most people. Now, with the age of artificial intelligence seemingly upon us, the world has changed. AI, a technology exclusive to science fiction in just the past decade, is now a reality even though its highest firm, i.e. artificial general intelligence, is far from being a reality. Similarly, while factories in the 20th century had to rely on workers for most of their production, now, automation is in full swing. No where is the impact of this clearer than in the factories of Elon Musk's car company. The electric vehicle billionaire has often described his attempts at establishing a viable production base for electric vehicles as "hell," and now, he believes that the future of the world lies in the hands of humanoid robots. So much so that Musk believes that by selling $1 trillion of humanoid robots annually, his company can reach an unbelievable market value of $25 trillion. Right now, it's valued at $708.7 billion after having lost 8.96% year to date, and the combined value of the S&P 500 is $45.7 trillion. Musk aims to have the first version of his firm's Optimus humanoid robot in small scale production early next year and start selling the humanoid robot to other companies in 2026. A simple humanoid isn't what one of the world's richest men is talking about though, since the key to his plan of selling robots is autonomy. This is the key valuation driver, believes Musk, as he shared during the Q2 2024 earnings call: And it takes the valuation, I think, to some pretty crazy number. ARK Invest thinks, on the order of $5 trillion, I think they are probably not wrong. And long-term Optimus, I think, it achieves a valuation several times that number. Ark Invest, Cathie Wood's hedge fund which filed $11.2 billion of investments with the SEC for Q2 2024, is also quite bullish on humanoid robots. Calling humanoid robots as generalizable robots, Wood's firm believes that they represent a $24 trillion revenue opportunity. This opportunity is split even between household and manufacturing robots, with the investment firm outlining that even a 50% take rate coupled with a 50% productivity boost could lead to a $7.1 trillion revenue opportunity for humanoid robots. Looking ahead, Ark Invest believes that humanoid robots will "have grown to 10% of the number of humans in the manufacturing workforce" by 2030 - in an era where cheap "robots in human form-factors have begun to populate households" to "address a third of household chores" and be an attractive purchase because of the time that they help people save. Story continues Cathie Wood and Elon Musk aren't the only ones who are convinced about the potential that humanoid robots offer. Another big believer is the investment bank, Morgan Stanley. It believes that the biggest potential of humanoid robots is the cost savings that they can offer. As per analyst Adam Jonas' estimates, these robots can "bring about cost savings of roughly $500,000 to $1 million per human worker over 20 years." These savings will come at a hairline of a fraction of the cost, with the bank's estimates sharing that they could cost anywhere between $10,000 to $30,000 to manufacture. The investment bank's estimates also believe that by 2030, America could have as many as 40,000 humanoid robots helping humans. Talking about overall usage, the industrial and other uses of humanoids could lead to a wage impact of $1 billion. These wage impacts grow as we move further down the future, and peak in 2050 when the bank believes that the humanoid population will be at an unbelievable 68 million for a wage impact of a whopping $3 trillion. Of course, the robots that the bank has envisioned aren't your everyday run of the mill equipment. These will use artificial intelligence, which naturally expands the investment options for investors looking to profit from this potential growth. As per analyst Ed Stanley, the list of potential contenders for investment as humanoid robot stocks includes "companies making the generative AI that will power the robots brains, the mechanics that make their bodies run, and the battery storage needed to power them. Further development in those three areas will be key to achieving humanoid commercialization.." If you thought that we were done with trillion dollar estimates for the humanoid robot industry, you'd be wrong. Another such estimate comes from the management consulting firm Roland Berger. It believes that if the sector scales according to optimistic projections, then by 2050, 50 million humanoid robots could generate $1.5 trillion in revenue. However, the firm does caution that this optimism is contingent on "heavily dependent on technological progress and the regulatory environment" as regulatory scrutiny of humanoids is benign right now as the majority of them are currently prototypes. Our Methodology We used Morgan Stanleys Humanoid 66 stock list. for our list of the biggest beneficiaries of the humanoid robot race. This list is divided into three categories, humanoid enablers and beneficiaries, enablers, and beneficiaries. From these three, we selected the top stocks from the beneficiaries list. If you're interested in the other two categories, be sure to check out $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley. For these stocks, we also mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. 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 close-up of an oil rig showing the precision engineering required to extract oil and gas. Tenaris S.A. (NYSE:TS) Number of Hedge Fund Investors in Q1 2024: 22 Tenaris S.A. (NYSE:TS) is a Luxembourg based specialty steel company that sells heavy duty products such as steel pipes and casings to the oil drilling industry. It also sells pipes used in car manufacturing and other industries. The nature of its products and manufacturing operations means that Tenaris S.A. (NYSE:TS) is particularly suited to benefit from humanoids due to the robots' weight lifting strengths and no susceptibility to injury when compared to humans. On the business front, Tenaris S.A. (NYSE:TS)'s exclusive focus on the oil industry means that its fortunes are also tied to the health of the sector. Additionally, any competition from cheap steel products can hurt its market share, and for investors, the key way to gain visibility into Tenaris S.A. (NYSE:TS)'s business is to check its backlogs. Its industrial products necessitate long lead times, and the resulting backlogs mean that the firm benefits from cash flow visibility. Tenaris S.A. (NYSE:TS) also benefits from long term contracts. On this front, here's what management shared during the Q2 2024 earnings call: "This quarter we renewed our long-term contract for Shell operation in the Gulf of Mexico, and have been selected by ExxonMobil for their upcoming operation in Angola. We were also awarded the supply of casing and offshore line pipe and coatings by Woodside for Trion project in May. In the second half, we will begin deliveries of coated line pipe for Equinor Orion [ph] project in Brazil and we have an extensive backlog of order for offshore projects going into 2025. Today however, as we look towards the second half we see that our sale will be lower than the sale in the first semester, affected mainly by three factors in the United States a record level of oil and gas production are being sustained even if drilling activity decreased, reduced overall demand for pipes." Overall TS ranks 12th on our list of the best humanoid robot stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of TS as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some 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 TS but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. By Olena Harmash KYIV (Reuters) - European governments should halt welfare benefits to Ukrainian men of military age who are living in their countries, Poland's foreign minister said, a measure he said would help Ukraine call up more troops to fight Russian forces. Following a meeting in Kyiv with his Ukrainian counterpart, Poland's Radoslaw Sikorski said ending social benefits for Ukrainian male refugees would also benefit state finances in host countries in Western Europe. More than 4.1 million Ukrainians had temporary protection status in European Union countries as of July this year, and about 22% of them were adult men, according to data from the EU statistics office, Eurostat. "Stop paying those social security payments for people who are eligible for the Ukrainian draft. There should be no financial incentives for avoiding the draft in Ukraine," Sikorski said at a conference of international leaders in Kyiv. "It's not a human right to be paid to avoid the draft, to defend your country. We in Poland don't do it." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed Sikorski's call. "It's time really to raise the question of the European Union developing programmes to return Ukrainians home. Certainly, appropriate conditions should be created for this. But this should be on the agenda. And I support the idea of Minister Sikorski," Sybiha said. Nearly 31 months into the war against Russia and with Moscow's forces slowly but steadily advancing in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv needs more soldiers to maintain its defence lines, rotate out exhausted troops and make up for losses. Russia has a significant advantage in staff numbers and weapons on the battlefield. Earlier this year, Ukraine adopted new legislation and implemented other measures, including lowering the call-up age for combat duty to 25 from 27 to increase the pace of mobilisation into the army. Under the new law, Kyiv ordered Ukrainian men living abroad to renew their military draft information online and encouraged them to return to Ukraine and join the fight. Ukraine imposed martial law at the start of Russia's invasion in February 2022, banning men aged 18 to 60 from travelling abroad without special permission and beginning a rolling mobilisation of civilian men into the armed forces. But many men of military age have still fled abroad to avoid the draft amid reports of corruption in the army recruitment system, allowing some men to bribe their way out of army service. (Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Helen Popper) Poll asking which school to shoot up circulates in Fresno County Poll asking which school to shoot up circulates in Fresno County FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) An elementary school student in Fresno County was identified as the source of a poll that circulated on social media Thursday night asking people to vote on which school to shoot up, according to the Fowler Police Department. Police say the social media poll had various schools on it, including schools in Selma, Fowler, and elsewhere in Fresno County. According to Fowler Police, no specific school site in Fowler was identified in the post. Officers began coordinating with other law enforcement agencies to find out the source of the post. Officials say a student at a rural elementary school in Fresno County was identified Friday morning as the person responsible. Officers say it is believed that this student posted the poll from his phone as a joke. According to officials, it did not appear that the student had access to weapons and that the threat was not a credible threat of violence. This is an ongoing investigation. No other information was released by law enforcement. 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. Pope Francis says U.S. voters must choose between "evils": Harris and Trump Pope Francis is warning American Catholic voters that they will have to make a choice between two evils in Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, arguing that each of their platforms stand against life. The Catholic leader, speaking from the papal plane on Friday, framed the choice as between lesser of two evils, but conceded that you have to vote. One must choose the lesser of two evils. Who is the lesser of two evils? That lady or that gentleman? I dont know, Pope Francis said. The Holy See went on to attack Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoric and plans as sinful, as consistently argued since Trump first ran for office. Earlier this year, Francis denounced efforts to close the southern border, saying Catholic doctrine rejected anti-immigrant sentiments. To send migrants away, to leave them wherever you want, to leave them its something terrible, there is evil there, the Pope said about Trumps plan for the bloody mass deportation of tens of millions of people. Pope Francis, who was called out earlier this year for his repeated use of homophobic slurs, denounced Harriss plan to restore abortion access to Americans, too. To send away a child from the womb of the mother is an assassination, because there is life. We must speak about these things clearly, Francis said. American Catholics in 2020 voted 50% for Catholic Biden and 49% for Trump, per Pew Research. FILE-Pope Francis attends his weekly General Audience at the Paul VI Hall on August 09, 2023 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images) Pope Francis criticized Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump for what he called anti-life policies on abortion and immigration. He is also advising American Catholics to choose between the presidential candidate they believe is the "lesser evil" in the November election. According to the Associated Press, Francis was asked to offer counsel to American Catholic voters on a flight home from Asia Friday as he emphasized that he is not an American and will not vote. RELATED: Immigration and Border Security: Harris vs. Trump Francis shared his thoughts on abortion and immigration, two of the key issues in the U.S. election, and topics that are concerns of the Catholic Church. He has made the struggle of migrants a priority in his speeches, while supporting church stances forbidding abortion. Here's where Harris and Trump stand on the issues of abortion and immigration. Abortion What Harris has said Kamala Harris is pushing Congress to pass legislation guaranteeing in federal law abortion access, a right that stood for almost 50 years before it was overturned by the Supreme Court. The vice president has criticized abortion bans in Republican-controlled states and promised as president to block any potential U.S. ban should one clear a future GOP-run Congress. RELATED: Debate recap: How Trump, Harris addressed key issues Harris has promoted the Biden administration's efforts short of federal law including steps to protect women who travel to access the procedure and limit how law enforcement collects medical records. What Trump has said Donald Trump has talked about appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade. After avoiding questions about when, in pregnancy, he believes the procedure should be restricted, the former president announced in 2023 that decisions on access and cutoffs should be left to the states. Trump said he would not sign a national abortion ban into law and recently said he would not attempt to block access to abortion medication. The Republican presidential candidate told Time magazine that it should also be left up to states to determine whether to prosecute women for abortions or to monitor their pregnancies. Trump added that if he wins, he wants to make IVF treatment free for women. Immigration What Trump has said Trump has promised to launch the largest domestic deportation in U.S. history an operation that could involve detention camps and the National Guard. According to the AP, he has discussed bringing back policies he put in place during his first term as president, including the Remain in Mexico program and Title 42, which placed curbs on migrants on public health grounds. Trump would also restore and expand the travel ban that targeted citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries. Trump would also attempt to deport individuals in the U.S. legally but harbor "jihadist sympathies." The AP noted that he would seek to end birthright citizenship for people born in the U.S. whose parents are both in the country illegally. What Harris has said Donald Trump and top Republicans are blaming Kamala Harris for a situation at the U.S.-Mexico border that they claim is out of control due to policies by the Biden administration that were too lenient. The vice president contends that Trump made the situation worse by stopping a bipartisan Senate compromise that would have included tougher asylum standards and hiring more border agents, immigration judges and asylum officers. Harris said she would bring back that bill and sign that law, saying that Trump "talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk" on immigration. She has also supported comprehensive immigration reform, seeking pathways to citizenship for immigrants in the U.S. without legal status, with a faster track for young immigrants living in the country illegally who arrived as children. MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) A lockdown was in effect at Minarets High School in Madera County after deputies were made aware of a potential threat on campus Friday afternoon, the Madera County Sheriffs Office said. According to the Sheriffs Office, deputies responded to the Minarets High School for a potential threat to staff and students at about 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Upon arrival, deputies say they did a thorough sweep of the campus and did not locate evidence of any potential threat. At about 4 p.m. Friday, deputies announced the lockdown at the school was lifted. This is at least the sixth threat reported in Central Valley schools in the past week: The Sheriffs Office says they will continue to patrol in the area through Friday evening. They also wanted to reassure parents and residents of the area that there was no threat to public safety. 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. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) The contract for building service workers at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was not approved. SEIU Local 73 announced in a Friday afternoon release that food service and building service workers voted against the latest contract proposal. The union and university have been negotiating for eight months. Melody Decker, the chapter president, said in a release management is unwilling to offer 30 more cents in raises over three years. We are severely short staffed and the wages UIUC is offering do not go far enough to recruit and retain workers, said Dena Gary, a head cook and a member of the unions bargaining team. Decatur custodians approve union agreement with school district The union can strike as soon later this month, but union officials said they hope to continue negotiations for an equitable agreement. However, since we have already delivered the legally required strike notification, our members are prepared to strike at any time if necessary to secure a fair contract, Joseph Richert, SEIU Local 73s Secretary-Treasurer said. A University of Illinois spokesperson provided the following statement. The university values our building and food service workers and their contributions to our mission, Robin Kaler, the Associate Chancellor for Strategic Communication and Marketing, said. We reached a good-faith agreement with the SEIU Local 73 bargaining team on two separate occasions. The agreement is consistent with the market, and we are disappointed union members chose not to ratify it. We are preparing for a possible strike that could happen as early as September 22. 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. FILE - Comoros' President Azali Assoumani waves as he is escorted by Chinese officials upon arrival at the Beijing Capital International Airport, in Beijing, on Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, Pool, File) MORONI, Comoros (AP) The president of the Indian Ocean island nation of Comoros was "slightly injured" in a knife attack while attending the funeral of a religious leader on Friday, his office said. The suspect, who was identified as a 24-year-old male soldier, was then found dead in a police cell on Saturday. President Azali Assoumani's injuries were not serious and he had returned to his home, his office said in a statement. It said the attacker was arrested by security forces and was taken into custody, but authorities said he had been discovered a day later unresponsive in a cell where he was being held and was declared dead. The suspect was identified as Ahmed Abdou. Public prosecutor Ali Mohamed Djounaid said Abdou had attacked Assoumani with a kitchen knife at the funeral. A civilian was also injured during the attack while attempting to protect the president, government minister Aboubacar Said Anli said. The attack happened in the town of Salimani on the outskirts of the capital Moroni. "The presidents security agents immediately subdued the young man and handed him over to investigators, public prosecutor Djounaid told reporters. He said an investigation was underway into the attacker's motive and the circumstances of his death while in custody. Assoumani was reelected as president of Comoros in January in a vote denounced by opposition parties as fraudulent. At least one person died in unrest following the election. The country, which is made up of an archipelago of islands off the east coast of Africa, has experienced more than a dozen coups or attempted coups since independence from France in 1975. Assoumani, 65, is a former military officer who first came to power in a coup in 1999. He served a first term as president from 2002 - 2006 and was elected again in 2016. He has been the leader since and extended his presidency into a fourth term this year after changing the constitution to remove term limits and abolishing a system that saw the presidency rotated between Comoros' three main islands. He has been accused of cracking down on dissent and banning peaceful protests. ___ AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa "Pages of history" features excerpts from The News Journal archives including the Wilmington Morning News and the Evening Journal. Sept. 17, 2003, The News Journal Aid sought for New Castle County flooding victims Gov. Ruth Ann Minner will declare flood-damaged communities of New Castle County disaster areas today, the first step to getting federal disaster assistance. ... Glenville was the area hardest hit by the floods on Monday. New Castle County building inspectors declared 149 of 195 homes in the community uninhabitable. Residents of the Stanton-area community spent Tuesday evening cleaning up the damage. ... The front page of The News Journal from Sept. 17, 2003. Other areas cleaning up Tuesday included Yorklyn and an area near Hockessin where the historic Wooddale Covered Bridge was destroyed by floodwaters, cutting off 15 families from their homes on Foxhill Lane and Wooddale Road. ... Employees at the NVF plant on Yorklyn Road were digging through debris and waiting for the electricity to be turned on. Bill Campbell, executive vice president of the company, said windows of the plant were destroyed by the force of the currents and the first floor was washed out. ... The torrential rains that lingered over areas of Delaware and Pennsylvania caused a dramatic surge in all four of the states major streams, especially along Red Clay Creek. ... Mondays sudden jump in creek levels caught residents and forecasters by surprise. Federal monitors show the Red Clay rose nearly 7 feet in two hours Monday morning at Kennett Square, Pa., just north of the Delaware line. ... Near-record flooding was reported along Brandywine Creek, White Clay Creek and the Christina River near Newark. ... Recent flooding news: After 2 ocean breaches, state uses riprap to fortify dune by Indian River Inlet bridge Sept. 18, 1893, Evening Journal All Washington alive with processions, music and singing; Capitol centennial celebrated One hundred years ago today, with all the ceremonies which the period would allow, the corner stone of the Capitol building was laid by President George Washington, and today the citizens of the magnificent city that has grown about the site selected for the structure, together with the highest officials of the nation and the public men from all sections of the land, celebrated the centennial anniversary of the event with exercises so impressive in character as to fitly mark an epoch in the history of this splendid building. Front page of the Evening Journal from Sept. 18, 1893. First with a military and civic pageant, then with oratory and music, the event was commemorated. The participants were the representatives of all the branches of the government, including President Cleveland and his Cabinet and the members of both houses of Congress and the highest judicial officers of the country, together with thousands of the people themselves. ... Recent news about U.S. Capitol: Wilmington man pleads guilty to felony for participation in Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot Sept. 19, 1975, The Morning News Patty Hearst, SLA trio nabbed in San Francisco Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst and her three fugitive companions were captured without a fight in San Francisco yesterday, ending one of the longest and most bizarre manhunts in American history. ... The sudden and unspectacular apprehension by FBI agents and San Francisco police provided a whimper ending to the violent history of the Symbionese Liberation Army. Miss Hearst, the 21-year-old daughter of Randolph A. Hearst, president of the San Francisco Examiner, was held on a total of $500,000 bail on criminal charges in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Her attorney, Terence Hallinan, said her family would seek to provide the money. ... Front page of The Morning News from Sept. 19, 1975. Among the others arrested, William Harris and his wife, Emily, are avowed members of the SLA, the small terrorist band that claimed credit for the assassination of Marcus Foster, the black school superintendent in Oakland, Calif., and later kidnapped Miss Hearst from her Berkeley apartment Feb. 4, 1974. ... The Hearst case caught the nations fancy from the beginning. Miss Hearst, scion of a publishing fortune, had been taken from her Berkeley apartment in the dead of night. A nation of television viewers watched her parents ordeal, their pleas that she be set free and later, after the bombshell of her claimed conversion to the terrorism of the SLA their pleadings that she give herself up. Miss Hearst, in one of many tape-recorded messages sent to a radio station, announced April 3, 1974 two months after her abduction that she was renouncing her family. ... Sept. 20, 1881, Every Evening President Garfield dead President Garfield died at 10:35 last night, thus ending his long sufferings. ... Mrs. Garfield bore the trying ordeal with great fortitude and exhibited unprecedented courage after her husband was shot more than two months ago. ... Front page of the Every Evening from Sept. 20, 1881. Soon after 9 oclock on the morning of Saturday, July 2, the President entered the station of the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad at Washington, in company with Secretary of State Blaine, being about to join his wife at Long Branch for an extended trip through the Northern States. The President was well advanced into the room when suddenly two pistol shots were heard and Mr. Garfield was seen to stagger. At the same moment the unknown assassin attempted to escape. Mr. Blaine rushed out to grapple with him but in an instant the miscreant was seized by half a dozen men, and soon after, amid the threats of the excited and bewildered crowd, conveyed to jail. Meanwhile the wounded President sank upon the floor and several physicians were called. A hasty examination showed that one shot had taken effect, that entered upon the right side, striking the 11th rib, and burying itself. Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: News Journal archives Sept. 15-21: Garfield dies, New Castle flooding PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) The Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD) said a person was shot on Saturday afternoon. In a post on X just after 4 p.m., the department said officers were dispatched to the 14100 block of Richmond Highway to investigate a shooting. Small plane with 3 people on board crashes off runway at BWI Airport Officers said one person was injured. The extent of their injuries is unknown. In an update at 4:53 p.m., the PWCPD said one person is in custody. Police said residents should expect a heavy police presence in the area as the investigation continues. 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. Prince William and Princess Kate have stepped in to help a London food bank recently targeted by thieves. Last Sunday, a Southwark food bank in Peckham was raided completely, leaving their shelves empty and volunteers heartbroken. The impact of the raid left dozens of families without supplies, and a hefty bill for the food bank to cover damages done to the property in addition to the 3,000 ($3,325) worth of products stolen. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Luckily, the Prince and Princess have come to the rescue. According to BBC, the royal couple privately made a donation to the center to fully replace the items stolen. Pecan chief executive Peter Edward told the publication: "This surprise donation by the Prince and Princess of Walesfollowing such a difficult spell for their familyunderlines their kindness and decency. After serious ill health, their first thought was of how to help others." Chris Jackson/Getty Images Noting the couple pledged 3,500 ($3,879) he added: "Their generosity will inspire staff and volunteers to redouble Pecan's efforts to alleviate poverty in London." The food bank had already experienced a surge in donations following the event, and now with the contribution of the Prince and Princess, their shelves are fully restocked. Edwards took the opportunity to express gratitude for the generosity of all who donated. Samir Hussein/WireImage "We thank them all for their support at the end of a very tough week. We are delighted that after such a difficult time for their own family, the Waleses' thought of us and the people of the community in need across Southwark, and that's testament to their decency and compassion." This is definitely a sign for all of us to go out and do something this weekend that makes somebodys day a little brighter. Stay up-to-date on every breaking royal family story by subscribing here. Prince William Captured in Striking New Black-and-White Photo as He Stands Alone in Military Uniform Why You Should Trust Us PureWow's editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringerall to help you determine which are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series (where we rank items on a 100-point scale) to our painstakingly curated lists of fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family picks, you can trust that our recommendations have been thoroughly vetted for function, aesthetics and innovation. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or womens walking shoes that wont hurt your feet, weve got you covered. We recently compiled a list of the 10 Unstoppable Dividend Stocks to Buy. In this article, we will have a look at where Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) ranks among other unstoppable dividend stocks to buy. Its undeniable that dividends have played a key role in the markets returns over the past year. While they hit a rough patch for a bit, these stocks still have plenty of room to grow. Their rising significance is tied to the fact that US companies are boosting their dividend payouts, thanks to strong cash flow. Many US firms, particularly in the tech sector, have substantial cash reserves on their balance sheets. Due to this, several major tech companies have introduced dividend policies this year, sparking renewed interest in dividend stocks. In addition, with the market shifting away from top-performing stocks and the Federal Reserve likely to reduce interest rates, dividend stocks remain a valuable option for investors seeking solid returns. Dan Lefkovitz, a strategist for Morningstar Indexes, also supported investing in dividend stocks this year. Here are some comments from the analyst: Investing in dividend-paying stocks is a good way to participate in equities over the long term. There have been long stretches when the dividend-paying section of the market has outperformed. Eventually, theyll come back into favor. When it comes to dividend stock investing, the attention is often split between high yields and dividend growth. Analysts tend to favor dividend growth, as it offers a more reliable income stream. In contrast, high yields can sometimes be misleading, hinting at potential financial difficulties. A report from RBC Wealth Management highlights that high-yield stocks have been lagging behind those with lower yields this year. By July 2024, stocks yielding less than 1% delivered an average return of 18%, significantly outperforming the 0.9% average return of stocks yielding over 3%. The report also mentioned that the Dividend Aristocrats, companies that have raised their payouts for at least 25 consecutive years, have historically performed well both during and after economic downturns. Their success is built on appealing valuations relative to the broader market and business models that have proven durable in the face of economic uncertainty. Currently, these equities are trading at a trailing twelve-month P/E of 24.95, which indicates confidence in the stability and growth of these companies. Several reports have highlighted that while dividend growth companies might not deliver instant gratification, they provide significant long-term advantages. Nuveen, an Illinois-based financial planning firm, also expressed a positive view on dividend growth strategies this year, noting their strong historical track record. The report emphasized that companies focused on growing their dividends possess qualities that pave the way for solid performance in the future. Over the long haul, companies that consistently boost or introduce dividends have outpaced other market segments, achieving higher annualized returns with less volatility. While they may not always shine in every market condition, their steady, risk-adjusted returns over time make them a cornerstone for any equity portfoliotruly a case of slow and steady wins the race. With that, we will take a look at unstoppable stocks that pay dividends. Our Methodology: For this article, we first used a stock screener to identify stocks that have reported positive returns in 2024 so far. From this selection, we chose dividend stocks with year-to-date (YTD) gains of at least 30%, as of the close of September 9. The stocks were then arranged in ascending order of their YTD gains. We also measured hedge fund sentiment around each stock according to Insider Monkeys database of 912 funds as of Q2 2024. 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). Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) Year-to-Date Return as of September 9: 61.4% Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) ranks fourth on our list of the best unstoppable stocks that pay dividends. The Ohio-based company provides critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions. It is reaping the rewards from the swift growth of data centers specifically designed for artificial intelligence. The stock has surged by over 61% in 2024 so far. Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) continues to witness the growing expansion of AI deployment and has the necessary capacity to capitalize on this crucial opportunity while maintaining its focus on future investments. The company acts as the link between IT and facilities in data centers and is only starting to unlock the vast potential of its unique industry position. By utilizing the most comprehensive portfolio of critical digital infrastructure solutions across the entire range of thermal and power technologies, and backed by a global team of over 3,750 field service engineers, it is well-positioned to assist customers in navigating this increasingly complex landscape. This was also mentioned by Baron Funds in its Q2 2024 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say: Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) a leading provider of critical digital infrastructure for data centers, contributed during the quarter. As an industry leader in data center cooling and power management, Vertiv is poised to benefit from AI-driven growth in data center spend. The NVIDIA partner network, strong industry relationships, and broad product portfolio that Vertiv maintains enables its participation in the creation of the technology roadmap for the future of the data center. In addition, Vertiv is investing in its capacity to serve this growing end market more effectively. The company also has an extensive global service network to aid customers as they grow. We believe the company has durable competitive advantages and a flexible balance sheet to benefit from the expected significant capital investment in data centers for years to come. Vertiv reported very strong results for the March quarter, with orders up 60%, which highlighted the strong demand it is seeing for its products. We sold some of our position into strength after the runup from the positive report, but still hold a major position in the Fund as we see considerable upside in the shares over time. In the second quarter of 2024, Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) reported revenue of $1.9 billion, up 13% from the same period last year. The companys cash position was also strong as it generated $378 million in operating cash flow during the quarter, showing an increase of $125 million from the same period last year. Its adjusted free cash flow was $333 million, an increase of $106 million from Q2 2023. The cash flow was the result of increased adjusted operating profit and better management of working capital. Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) started paying dividends in 2020 and has paid regular dividends since then. The company currently offers a quarterly dividend of $0.025 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.13%, as of September 9. According to Insider Monkeys database of Q2 2024, 92 hedge funds owned stakes in Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT), growing from 85 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a total value of over $3 billion. Among these hedge funds, Coatue Management was the companys leading stakeholder in Q2. Overall, VRT ranks 4th on our list. While we acknowledge the potential for VRT to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some 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 NVDA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. The Prince of Wales has revealed he wants a return to flying - Julian Simmonds/Julian Simmonds The Prince of Wales made a private visit to a helicopter base, just days after revealing he would love to make a return to the skies. Prince William, 42, surprised staff when he turned up at the official opening of the new Airbus Helicopters headquarters at Oxford Airport on Friday. His low-key appearance was not announced in advance and Kensington Palace said he was there in a private capacity. It is understood that he was invited by Airbus because of his connection with London Air Ambulance, of which he is patron. Dressed down in a blue jumper, the Prince chatted informally with staff and was seen studying the tail rotor of a new H160 helicopter. He was also shown around a newly delivered Airbus H135, bound for London Air Ambulance, which was on display in the hangar and of particular personal interest. The helicopter is an updated version of the model the Prince flew during his two years as a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance between March 2015 until July 2017. Prince William meets Airbus workers during his private trip - Julian Simmonds/Julian Simmonds The visit came as it emerged that Prince George looks set to follow in his fathers footsteps, having taken his first flying lesson. Watched by his parents earlier this month, the 11 year-old flew in a single-engine Piper PA-28 with dual controls an aircraft specifically designed for flight training at the White Waltham Airfield near Maidenhead, Berks. The Prince of Wales is believed to have flown to the new 50 million Airbus HQ from Windsor by helicopter, and slipped into the facility with no fanfare. He appeared to enjoy talking shop with Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus, as well as a handful of engineers with the base largely operating as a servicing and maintenance facility for helicopters flown by the emergency services. On a visit to the Wales Air Ambulance headquarters In Llanelli, South Wales, he said: Id love to fly again, I could volunteer for a weekend to make a comeback. The heir to the throne chatted with the pilots and crew of the 8.5 million Airbus H145S chopper, which he is still qualified to fly, revealing that there were plans in the pipeline for him to fly with the team from its base in Cardiff Bay. The Prince completed an intensive four-month flying course at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire in April 2008, receiving his wings from his father. He faced criticism that month after he was allowed to practise landing a Chinook helicopter in a field behind the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, Berks, and also fly himself and his brother, Prince Harry, to a stag do on the Isle of Wight. The Prince of Wales dressed down for the event in a blue jumper and shirt - JULIAN SIMMONDS FOR THE TELEGRAPH The Ministry of Defence defended the move, insisting that the flights formed part of his training. The Prince, known as Flt Lt Wales. went on to complete a one-year advanced helicopter training course at RAF Shawbury in Shropshire, before training as a search and rescue helicopter pilot at RAF Valley in Anglesey, North Wales. He qualified in September 2010 and immediately began operational service as co-pilot of a Sea King Mk3 helicopter, working as part of a four-person crew. His active service ended three years later, having conducted 156 search and rescue operations and helped rescue 149 people. The Prince has made no secret of how much he relished his time flying helicopters, both with the air ambulance and the RAF, and has maintained a close interest in the industry. In 2016, he said: Its rewarding when I come here to do this job and I really look forward to coming here every day, whether its at 5.30am or going to bed at two in the morning. The shift work is still exciting and challenging for its variety more than anything and the fact that I love working in a team. And thats something that my other job doesnt necessarily do. Youre more out there on your own a little bit. 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. Editors note: This story was updated to correct the month of Peter Cichuniecs initial sentencing. DENVER (KDVR) Peter Cichuniec, one of the paramedics convicted in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, has had his sentence reduced. Cichuniec, along with fellow former Aurora Fire Rescue paramedic Jeremy Cooper, was found guilty in December 2023 of criminally negligent homicide. Cichuniec was also found guilty of second-degree assault for unlawfully administering ketamine without consent. In March, he received a 5-year sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections for the second-degree assault charge, to be followed by a three-year parole term. He was also given a one-year concurrent sentence for the criminally negligent homicide charge. FOX31 obtained court documents showing that on Aug. 22, Cichuniec requested that the court modify and reduce his sentences to concurrent probationary sentences with no further punitive sanctions. On Friday, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser told FOX31 in a statement that Cichuniecs sentence has been reduced. After considering the evidence, a statewide grand jury indicted Cichuniec, and a jury of his peers found him guilty of his criminal acts that led to the death of Elijah McClain. We are disappointed the court reduced his sentence today, but we respect the courts decision, Weiser said. The Colorado Department of Corrections told FOX31 that Cichuniec was released on Friday. FOX31 has reached out to Cichuniecs attorney for comment. This article will be updated. FOX31s Kasia Kerridge checked in with a civil rights activist who worked to bring justice to McClains family. The judge gave this guy five years, and now all of a sudden they overturned the five years That is wrong, Alvertis Simmons said. What you said to us is a Black life doesnt matter. Black life doesnt matter. Thats not right. All around the world is watching Aurora, Colorado. Look what you do. What are you going to do, Aurora? You going to keep on letting these guys get away with murder? Because thats what youre doing. Youre letting them get away with murder. What happened to Elijah McClain? McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, was walking home from a convenience store the night of Aug. 24, 2019, when someone reported him as suspicious and police stopped him. Officers put him in a neck hold and pinned him down while the paramedics injected the sedative ketamine. He died six days after the incident, and the coroner later determined he died due to ketamine administration after forcible restraint. Others also convicted in McClains death Cooper, the paramedic who administered the ketamine, was not found guilty on second-degree assault charges and was sentenced to four years of probation for criminally negligent homicide. Three officers also stood trial for their alleged roles in McClains death. One officer was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault. The two other officers were acquitted of all charges, and one has returned to work as a police officer. 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. Dave Ratcliffe said it was a privilege to be a part of the commemorate event [Emma Baugh/BBC] A pilot said it was a "privilege" to be a part of the biggest air show of the year at an imperial war museum. The Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show event in Cambridgeshire will take place from 08:00 BST to 18:00 on Saturday and Sunday to commemorate the World War Two military campaign. Spitfires, Hurricanes and other warbirds will take to the air as music, dance, living history groups and activities from the era take place back on the ground. Pilot, Dave Ratcliffe, known as Rats, said: "You have to pinch yourself, it's a fantastic thing to do...a huge privilege to fly these." Tickets for the event must be bought in advance, entry is free to children under 15 [Emma Baugh/BBC] IWM Duxford celebrated its 50th anniversary of hosting air shows last year. Head of commercial services for the museum, Adam Kendall, said he had been involved for about 21 years and never tired of seeing the aircrafts fly. He said many World War Two veterans were "unfortunately no longer with us" so it was important to "tell their stories now that they can't". "It's a really good opportunity to understand more about what took place during World War Two, and what people went through...the whole site is just such a historic treasure trove," he said. "It is an experience to see these incredible aircrafts being flown expertly around the site." The Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show will take place at the former RAF site that played a leading role in some dramatic days in 20th century history. It served as a base for many of the Spitfire and Hurricane pilots during World War Two. Mr Ratcliffe said: "It's absolutely fabulous, a great privilege and they are great to fly, full of history. "The Battle of Britain was a momentous turning point in history...we have to commemorate it every year. We need to remember." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Related internet links Related internet links Public encouraged to weigh in on property tax estimates at local level The North Dakota Capitol looms over a sea of new residential developments in north Bismarck. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor) North Dakota residents with questions or concerns about their property tax estimates have a few weeks to say their piece before local governments finalize their budgets. County treasurers are required by law to send the tax estimates to property owners with anticipated property taxes of $100 or more by the end of August each year. The treasurers prepare those estimates based on local governments budget proposals. Local governments hold public hearings on their proposed budgets and tax plans between Sept. 7 and Oct. 7. Each property tax estimate includes information for residents on when and where their local public hearings are happening, so taxpayers have an opportunity to weigh in. Rep. Mike Motschenbacher, R-Bismarck, said the local level is usually the best place for residents to direct concerns about property tax increases. I tell people all the time, You got to go to your county commission meetings, you got to go to your city commission meetings, you got to go to your park district meetings, he said. Those are the ones that actually levy the taxes. The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead reported that only one speaker attended the Sept. 10 public hearing for Fargo Public Schools proposed property tax levy. The property tax estimates include basic information like the propertys assessed value, as well as listing the mill levy applied to the property. The mill levy is part of the equation that assessors use to determine property taxes. While its sometimes criticized as a confusing way of calculating property taxes, it can help property owners identify how their taxes have changed. The tax estimates also include a line item of how much legislative tax relief a taxpayer has received a part of the notice thats often overlooked, said Motschenbacher, a member of the Legislatures interim Taxation Committee. Motschenbacher said he started carrying his property tax statement with him everywhere he goes so he can help constituents better understand how their property taxes are calculated and which governing bodies their taxes support. While most property tax decisions are made locally, residents should also feel free to talk to lawmakers, too. Dont be afraid to call and talk to your legislators, he said. But also, dont be afraid to go sit in front of a city commissioner or county commission meeting and let them know your grievances. Theyre gonna listen. North Dakota voters will soon decide on a proposal that, if approved, would drastically change the states property tax system. The November ballot includes a measure to eliminate property taxes based on property valuation. It would require the state to reimburse local governments by an amount equal to the property taxes they levy for the 2024 tax year. Lawmakers recently approved a cost estimate that ballparked the financial impact of the measure at roughly $3.15 billion for the 2025-2027 biennium. Native Vote 2024. During the monthly meeting, the All Pueblo Council of Governors (APCG), formally endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for vice president of the United States through Resolution on August 22. The APCG represents the 20 Pueblos of New Mexico and Texas. The Pueblo Governors believe a Harris-Walz administration will put forth a responsive, equitable approach that supports tribal sovereignty, addresses tribal administrative needs, sustains, and supports self-determination and preserves Indigenous languages and cultures, all vital to the future of Pueblo Nations and Indigenous communities across the country. 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. Governor Arden Kucate of Zuni Pueblo and Secretary of APCG explained that protecting sacred sites is one of the big issues facing the Pueblos. Our cultural heritage, our traditions, and our languages must be preserved, along with protecting our tribal homelands and sacred sites. These contribute to our unique place in American history. Kucate said. Vice President Harris has consistently supported our vision for the futureone which upholds our rights as sovereign nations. Her leadership will ensure that the voices of our people will be heard and respected at the highest levels of government. According to the APCG, the Biden-Harris Administration has made great strides for Indian Country. President Biden appointed the first Native woman as Secretary of Interior where significant strides were made in promoting Indigenous rights, safeguarding sacred lands, such as the protection of Chaco Canyon. Both Vice President Harris and Governor Walz respect and understand the importance of cultural preservation, added Governor Randall Vicente, Pueblo of Acoma. Preserving our languages and cultural practices is directly tied to the strength of our survival as Americas First People. We believe that under a Harris-Walz administration our vision for the future will be one where our children grow up speaking their ancestral languages and practicing their cultural beliefs and traditions, free from the threat of assimilation. APCG has issued a formal invitation to Vice President Harris, Governor Walz, and the campaign to engage with leadership, and meet with Pueblo elders, parents, and children ahead of Election Day, November 5, 2024. Pueblo of Jemez Governor, Peter Madalena urged tribal communities to make their voices heard. Our identity as Pueblo People and our connection to the land will be severely threatened if Vice President Harris and Governor Walz do not get elected. We need our Pueblo People and all tribal citizens to vote in this coming General Election. It is critical that we exercise this important right because its not just about preserving the past, but its also about securing our future so our cultural way of life will continue to thrive for generations to come. About the Author: "Neely Bardwell (descendant of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indian) is a staff reporter for Native News Online. Bardwell is also a student at Michigan State University where she is majoring in policy and minoring in Native American studies. " Contact: neely@nativenewsonline.net There is a pawsitive update to a story KIRO 7 News first reported in August. A missing cat found in Monroe, Washington has returned home to Minnesota. This week, Finn flew home with the help of his newfound friends. Stephanie Miotke, who found Finn this summer, says a man named Hal Henning saw Finns story and offered to transport him on his next visit to see his daughter. Unfortunately a flight delay pushed things back, but it did give Finn a lot of time to hang out with Hals fellow flight attendant friends and put some smiles on a few other passengers faces, Miotke told KIRO 7. Once landed, a rental car of a fancy nature was acquired, and Finn was able to ride in the literal lap of luxury to Hals daughters house, where he spent the night until Lea could meet up with them this morning. Finn the cat disappeared from Middle River in early July. Finn was found in a very industrial part of Monroe where we were not really sure how he ended up there, Miotke told KIRO 7. A scan of his microchip helped Miotke get in touch with his owner, Lea Hasbargen. I was just so happy he was alive, and you know, someone found him until she was like, Oh, hes in Washington. I was like, wait what, Hasbargen said. Miotke says she doted on Finn regularly until they could arrange him a safe flight home. I apologize if hes a little spoiled, Miotke joked. Editors note: A version of this story appeared in CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. Some chapters of human history are more poignant to revisit than others. The Battle of Waterloo ended a 23-year war, but thousands were killed on June 18, 1815, when allied armies led by the Duke of Wellington and Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher defeated Napoleon Bonaparte and his forces south of Brussels. Paintings, books and eyewitness accounts have preserved details of the conflict more than two centuries later. Until recently, only two complete skeletons from the battle had been found, leaving gaps in the somber tale of what horrors unfolded during and after the clash. Now, archaeologists and military veterans have found the remains of amputated limbs and horses at the site that help tell the story of what happened in the battles aftermath. But other chapters, like those describing the loss of our ancient ancestors, are harder to recover as time passes. A chance finding of bones in a cave is revealing clues of a much older tragic mystery. We are family Archaeologists discovered the remains of a Neanderthal, nicknamed Thorin, in Grotte Mandrin in 2015. - Courtesy Ludovic Slimak Five teeth uncovered in a rock shelter in Frances Rhone Valley in 2015 could explain why Neanderthals disappeared from the face of Earth 40,000 years ago. The once-in-a-lifetime find, nicknamed Thorin after a character in The Hobbit, has puzzled researchers for nearly a decade. While genetics suggested the Neanderthal was 105,000 years old, archaeological context indicated he lived 40,000 to 50,000 years ago. New research found that Thorin belonged to a Neanderthal lineage isolated from other groups that unexpectedly lived nearby for 50,000 years, which made his DNA seem older than it was. That isolation put Neanderthals at an evolutionary disadvantage and could have led to their demise. Fantastic creatures When scientists observed dark sleeper fish gulping down young Japanese eels, some of the eels were able to hatch an escape through the predators gills in a matter of minutes. To get an inside look, researchers used an X-ray video system and observed the eels breaking free from within the fishs stomach. Before capturing the first X-ray footage, we never imagined that eels could escape from the stomach of a predatory fish, said Yuha Hasegawa, an assistant professor at Japans Nagasaki University. Witnessing the eels desperate escape from the predators stomach to the gills was truly astonishing for us. Across the universe The Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition named US photographer Ryan Imperio overall winner for his photo depicting distorted shadows of the moons surface created by an eclipse. - Ryan Imperio Colorful auroras over the mountains of New Zealand, the glittering Dolphin Head nebula and a sunlit silhouette of the International Space Station are just some of the winners of the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. The overall winner of the competition was photographer Ryan Imperio for his photo taken during the October 2023 annular solar eclipse. The image captured the progression of Bailys beads. The phenomenon is visible for brief moments during an eclipse when sunlight shines through the moons valleys and craters, creating glowing drops of light. Separately, SpaceXs Polaris Dawn crew made history this week after acing the first commercial spacewalk and setting other space exploration records ahead of its expected return in the coming days. Force of nature The worlds most devastating mass extinction wiped out more than 90% of all life on the planet about 252 million years ago and now, scientists think they have discovered a climate phenomenon that played a pivotal role. Previously, scientists thought carbon dioxide belched out by volcanic activity triggered a sudden warming of the planet, acid rain and ocean acidification. But an intense, prolonged El Nino event that lasted years and originated from an ancient body of water much larger than todays Pacific Ocean would have enhanced the effects of the volcanism. Together, the two phenomena could have caused the Great Dying, and the catastrophic extinctions began on land before occurring in the ocean. A long time ago Rapa Nui, located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, is known for its hundreds of carved moai, or giant stone head sculptures. - Zhu Yubo/Xinhua/Sipa USA Some scientists have long believed that the population of Rapa Nui faced a ruinous decline hundreds of years ago. Also called Easter Island, its known for its hundreds of carved stone statues. But a new analysis of ancient DNA from 15 of the islands former residents who lived there within the past 400 years tells a different story. The genetic analysis suggests that the islands small population actually increased in size until the 1860s and that the islands inhabitants reached the Americas in the 1300s, long before Christopher Columbus in 1492. Meanwhile, the search for the origin of Stonehenges mysterious central Altar Stone is intensifying, and researchers have ruled out a seemingly likely ancient site as the source of the monolith. Explorations Take a closer look at these new findings: A physics breakthrough means that scientists are closer than ever to creating a nuclear clock, which ticks so steadily that it wont lose a second even if it functions for 1 billion years. Lab-grown cocoa and fermented fava beans could be used to create the guilt-free chocolate of the future to avoid rising cocoa prices and the detrimental effects of cocoa farms. Rare, newly discovered fossils revealed that some species of massive ancient flying reptiles called pterosaurs soared like vultures, while others had a different flight style. NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore believes he and fellow astronaut Suni Williams could have returned to Earth aboard Boeings Starliner capsule, which returned empty last week, but we just simply ran out of time, he said. Like what youve read? Oh, but theres more. Sign up here to receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers Ashley Strickland and Katie Hunt. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Racial tensions in Springfield have simmered for months. Trumps rhetoric now has Haitians there in a full-blown panic After Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance helped supercharge a false, racist rumor that Haitian refugees in small-town Ohio were stealing and consuming peoples household pets, the fiction was duly parrotted by running mate Donald Trump during a nationally televised debate against Democratic opponent Kamala Harris. In Springfield, theyre eating the dogs, the former president insisted , wildly, at the Tuesday evening event. The people that came in. Theyre eating the cats. Theyre eating, theyre eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is whats happening in our country, and its a shame. A day earlier, the Trump-Vance campaign issued a press release baselessly accusing unvetted Haitians of consuming not only domestic animals, but hunting and eating local wildlife, such as ducks and geese, as well. The compounding myths, which the leader of notorious neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe gleefully took credit for having helped popularize , were swiftly debunked by, among others, the Springfield mayor, city manager, and police department. But the claims have not only inflamed existing tensions in Springfield, they have also managed to further traumatize a group of people who fled civil war and ceaseless gang violence for the sleepy Rust Belt town of 58,000. Its creating so much panic in the community, Springfield resident Viles Dorsainvil told The Independent. ... The words that come out of their mouths matter. They are looking for the highest office in America. They have the obligation to do better, because words are powerful. In Springfield, theyre eating the dogs, Trump angrily and falsely claimed at this weeks presidential debate, painting Haitian refugees as unwelcome invaders (AP) Dorsainvil, 38, emigrated to the US from Haiti in 2020 and moved to Springfield in 2021. He works for the county, processing peoples applications for public assistance, and last year founded the Haitian Community Help and Support Center, a tiny all-volunteer nonprofit, as a resource for new arrivals. In the days since Vance and Trump seized upon the false narrative about Haitians feasting on cats and dogs, Dorsainvil said he has heard from parents afraid to send their children to school, new homeowners who want to sell and move out of state, and people too frightened to leave their residences. One Haitian-born business owner in Springfield told a local reporter that her landlord was now trying to evict her from her commercial space, chalking the effort up to anti-Haitian sentiment. They call the center to know how it is out there, if it is safe for them to come out, Dorsainvil said. And we let them know, when they are going out, to be careful. Simmering hostilities toward Springfields Haitians boiled over last August, when a Haitian man driving without a valid license crashed into a school bus, killing 11-year-old Aiden Clark. The driver, who was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident, was subsequently sentenced to a minimum of nine years in prison, on charges of involuntary manslaughter and vehicular homicide. In December 2023, 22-year-old Springfield resident Izaye Eubanks, who is Black, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for hate crimes against at least eight Haitians in the area. Trumps running mate JD Vance touched off the anti-Haitian vitriol with inflammatory remarks on social media (REUTERS) In August, a dozen masked neo-Nazis from Blood Tribe marched through Springfields downtown, carrying assault-style rifles and swastika flags. Angry residents appeared at a town council meeting two weeks later to loudly decry the new stresses the rapid addition of up to 20,000 Haitians over the past three to four years very quickly boosting the citys population by as much as one-third has placed upon schools, healthcare providers, and social services. They aired grievances about the federal government dumping immigrants on them, claiming, without any evidence, that Haitians are bringing crime and scaring the females here in town. One man, who the mayor had removed from the premises following his remarks, said he was a Blood Tribe member and that he had come to bring a word of warning. Stop what youre doing, before its too late, said the man, who identified himself using a pseudonym. Crime and savagery will only increase with every Haitian you bring in. On Thursday morning, Springfield City Hall and other locations in the area were evacuated following a bomb threat sent to multiple city agencies and media outlets. On Friday, a pair of emailed bomb threats forced evacuations at two elementary schools and a middle school, which shut down for the day. No explosives were found at the schools or at any of the other locations listed in the threat, which included City Hall, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and a third elementary school, Springfield authorities said in a news release. All of this rhetoric needs to stop immediately Springfields Haitian residents, almost all of whom are in Springfield legally, in various immigration categories, feel a mixture of sadness and surprise about having become targets of the outrage , according to Springfield NAACP President Denise Williams. I want JD Vance to hear my voice I need him to apologize to the city of Springfield, Ohio, Williams told The Independent. It is absolutely racist, up close and personal. That comment should have never been made at that level, without investigating it first Please put this in bold letters, with quotation marks around it: All of this rhetoric needs to stop immediately. Ohio Lt. Gov. John Husted, who in January endorsed Trumps bid to retake the White House, squarely blamed the Biden-Harris administration for the overwhelming influx of immigrants into the Buckeye State over the past four years. In 2019, Ohio governor Mike DeWine wrote to Mike Pompeo, Donald Trumps secretary of state, asking him to send more refugees (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) How did they get here? Husted mused earlier this week in a series of posts on X. In fact, it was his boss, Gov. Mike DeWine his own 2022 re-election endorsed personally by Trump who invited them. Dear Secretary Pompeo: The State of Ohio has a long and successful history of welcoming and assimilating refugees from all corners of the globe, DeWine wrote in a December 2019 letter to Mike Pompeo, Trumps then-secretary of state, as he and Husted wrapped up their first year in office. Ohio also has a well-developed support network to welcome and assimilate refugees, primarily lead [sic] by our faith-based communities. Given our ability to successfully welcome and assimilate legitimate refugees, and the administrations stringent vetting process, I consent to the placement and/or resettlement of refugees within the State of Ohio, DeWines letter concluded. Five years prior, Welcome Springfield, a program helmed by an evangelical pastor and lifelong conservative Republican named Carl Ruby , was launched. It was an attempt to breathe new life into the city, and included a resolution declaring Springfield a community welcoming of immigrants, and immigrant-owned businesses. In the aftermath of Trumps wild claims, Springfield has endured bomb threats, targeting schools, city buildings, and other local institutions (REUTERS) Initially, the new residents were mostly South Americans, Ruby told The Independent. Haitians began arriving in significant numbers around 2019 or 2020, he said. The population of Clark County peaked in 1971, and has been on the decline ever since. Businesses in Springfield closed, factories shuttered, and home prices cratered. The opioid epidemic hit the region particularly hard. Young adults moved elsewhere for opportunity, further depressing Springfields economy, according to Kathleen Kersh, an attorney at the nonprofit Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) in nearby Dayton. According to the most recent figures available, immigrants make up 5.1 percent of Ohios Congressional District 8, which includes Springfield, as compared to the national average of 13.6 percent . When you hear rhetoric that the people who are coming here are coming from mental institutions and jails, the people I meet with on literally a weekly, if not semi-weekly basis, are electricians, are doctors, are attorneys, are teachers, are human rights activists, are successful businesspeople, Kersh, who provides free legal services to Springfields Haitian community, told The Independent. Springfield city manager Bryan Heck (left), seen here with mayor Rob Rue, promised this week to oversee construction of 2,000 new residential housing units (REUTERS) There are also many blue-collar Haitian immigrants equally important to Springfield, according to Kersh, who pointed to a number of farms that have gone under in recent years because of the difficulty in attracting workers to do these really difficult, strenuous jobs. To support the population increase, and to counterbalance the commensurate increase in the cost of housing, Springfield is now working with developers to increase its supply of residential stock, a trend not seen in decades, Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck said in a video address on Wednesday . Over the next few years, Heck went on, Springfield plans to add some 2,000 new residential units. While we are experiencing challenges related to the rapid growth of our immigrant population, these challenges are primarily due to the pace of the growth, rather than the rumors being reported, Heck contended. The city has appealed to the Biden administration for financial aid. At the same time, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced he has directed his office to research legal avenues to stop the federal government from sending an unlimited number of migrants to Ohio communities. Immigration has helped spur revitalization in Springfield, which had been withering for years (AP) A coalition of community providers have monthly brainstorming sessions about how best to coordinate their efforts, Kersh said. Faith-based groups, as DeWine noted in his 2019 letter to Mike Pompeo, and as evidenced by Rubys efforts, are a large piece of the puzzle. Orchard Alliance, a Christian nonprofit headquartered in Colorado Springs, last year helped finance a move to a new facility for a Haitian church in Springfield. These Haitian immigrants face an uphill battle, often receiving public criticism for their presence in the city and accusations of criminal behavior despite employers and city leaders acknowledging them as kind-hearted, hard-working members of the community, Orchard Alliance exec Peter Burgo told The Independent. A spokesman for the Springfield Police Department said he found it sad that opportunists had seized upon outright falsities to spread hate and spread fear. We get these reports the Haitians are killing ducks in a lot of our parks or the Haitians are eating vegetables right out of the aisle at the grocery store, Officer Jason Via told NPR . And we havent really seen any of that. Its really frustrating. As a community, its not helpful as we try to move forward. Nathan Clark, whose 11-year-old son died when a Haitian driver crashed into his school bus, spoke out following Vances and Trumps comments, telling local politicians that the intense hatred now aimed at Haitians made him wish the driver involved had instead been a 60-year-old white man. (AP) Basil Fett, who retired last year as choral director for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, has lived in town since 1977 and said he felt Republicans were exploiting the Haitian community for political gain. If they can get these people whipped up and all fearful, they can maybe get people to vote for them, Fett told Cleveland.com . Instead of, Ive got answers for your problems, no, all theyre offering is fear, fear, fear. And Nathan Clark, whose son died in last years bus crash, spoke out following Vances and Trumps comments, telling local politicians that the intense hatred now aimed at Haitians made him wish the driver involved had instead been a 60-year-old white man. Using Aiden as a political tool is, to say the least, reprehensible for any political purpose, Clark said at a recent City Commission meeting. They can vomit all the hate they want about illegal immigrants, the border crisis and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed, to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio. On Thursday, Carl Ruby and a group of fellow pastors held a press conference to call for unity and to denounce racism and bigotry, which Dorsainvil said he found heartening. All that we can do is, lets stay in solidarity, Dorsainvil told The Independent. Lets work together. Lets pray for each other. Lets walk with each other. Lets listen to each other. Lets have good and meaningful conversation. Lets raise our voice on behalf of the minority and the vulnerable. If we conjugate our force, our strength, and keep moving forward, that would be very great. RAFAH, Gaza Strip It was once home to an estimated 1.4 million people, over half of the population of Gaza, many of them displaced from the north of the enclave after Israel launched its military offensive following Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attacks. Today, Rafah is uninhabitable, its buildings crumbled and blackened. Mounds of concrete and bent metal are all that remain. The destruction is absolute. When NBC News was invited into Gaza's southernmost city by the Israel Defense Forces on Friday, there were no civilians to be seen, just a few cats. Sporadic gunfire and the odd drone overhead punctuated the eerie silence. Israeli soldiers inspect Rafah's destroyed buildings. The Israeli military says the reason for so much destruction is that all of Rafah is honeycombed with Hamas tunnels, some of which sit on top of each other and some are more than 160 feet deep. The drills they use to find open spaces beneath the earth's surface lie several feet apart. Calling the destruction a tragedy, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Hamas created a very, very sophisticated tunnel system underneath the city and the military has tried to demolish it with minimum damage to the city. He added that some of the buildings had been booby-trapped with explosives and some of the destruction had been caused in battles with Hamas. In the Tal Al Sultan neighborhood lies the tunnel where the bodies of six hostages including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, were found late last month. The IDF made some videos of the structure public on Tuesday. They said it showed how the tunnel was dug below a childs bedroom that had paintings of Mickey Mouse and Snow White on the walls. An Israeli soldier stands near the entrance to a tunnel in Rafah. Citing postmortem examinations of the bodies, the IDF added that Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sgt. Ori Danino were killed on the evening of Aug. 29. Its believed separate guns were used to kill them, the IDF said. Hagari said Friday the investigation into their deaths was ongoing. Before they died he said the conditions had been very, very hard in a tunnel where there is humidity, in a very narrow tunnel where you cannot stand, where you have no toilets. To the south of Rafah, another tunnel lay near the border area with Egypt, known as the Philadelphi corridor, a narrow strip of land just under 9 miles in length and around 100 yards wide that runs along the Gaza side of the coastal enclaves border with Egypt. Wide enough for a car, it had been used for smuggling and to fire rockets into Israel, the IDF said. Hamas placed it there, believing that Israel would not strike back for fear of hitting Egyptian territory. The Philadelphi corridor has emerged as a sticking point in the cease-fire deal that would end the monthslong war in Gaza and secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages still held in the enclave. Israeli soldiers near the entrance to a tunnel near the Philadelphi corridor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel must maintain a military presence in the corridor, also known as the Salah al-Din axis, which Hamas has rejected. Set up as a buffer zone in accordance with the 1978 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, it aimed to control movement in and out of Gaza and prevent arms smuggling between the Egyptian Sinai and the Palestinian enclave. Israel controlled the area until it withdrew from Gaza in 2005, prior to which Israel and Egypt signed the Philadelphi Accord, which allowed Egypt to send hundreds of border guards to patrol the corridors borders. It still includes the key Rafah border crossing, long considered a lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza as it allows crucial supplies of food, medicine and other aid to get into the strip and enables people to move in and out of the enclave. But Egypt shuttered the crossing to most shortly after the start of the war last year, and since Israel seized control of the Gaza side in May, it has remained closed. The Israeli military said in a statement Thursday that it had dismantled Hamas brigade in Gazas southernmost city of Rafah and killed more than 2,000 of its fighters in the process. It added that it had destroyed around 8 miles of underground tunnel routes used by the militant group and was continuing to demolish more of them. But asked Friday whether Israel would leave the city, which had a prewar population of around 250,000, Hagari said Israel had several plans for the war, but the decision would be made by the Israeli government. The IDF has previously re-entered parts of Gaza after Hamas regrouped in areas it said it had cleared. After Israel sealed off much of northern Gaza shortly after the start of the war, bloody fighting erupted in the refugee camps of Jabaliya, Shejaiya and Gaza City earlier this year, underlining the difficulties Netanyahu faces in meeting his promise to crush the militant group. Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas after militants killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in a cross-border assault on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Israeli tallies. The death toll in Gaza in Israels retaliatory offensive since then has reached more than 41,000, according to health officials in the enclave. The first mission, and main mission, besides the defeat of Hamas, is to bring back the hostages in all means, back home, Hagari said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Rain is on its way to Merced. Heres when to expect showers and cooler temperatures Merced will finally get a break from hot summer weather when a storm moves into the area next week, according to the National Weather Service. The city could see some rain on Monday, along with cooler temperatures. The rain will probably start right around sunrise, said Carlos Molina, meteorologist with the weather services Hanford office. A second storm will arrive on Wednesday, bringing more rain and thunderstorms. High temperatures next week will be in the 70s, the weather service said, while overnight low temperatures will be in the mid- to upper 50s. According to the agency, the last time it rained in Merced was on April 26 and the city only saw a trace of precipitation. Motorists drive south along M Street during a short rain and hail storm in Merced, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. Whats in the weather forecast for Merced? Merced was expected to be sunny on Friday with a high temperature near 91 degrees and winds up to 5 mph on the afternoon, according to the weather services seven-day forecast Friday night will be mostly clear with an overnight low temperature around 60 degrees and winds up to 5 mph, the weather service said. More sunny weather is expected on Saturday, when the high will be near 92 and the low will be around 60 degrees. Sunday will be sunny with a high near 82 and an overnight low around 55. There will be wind gusts as high as 15 mph on Sunday night. When will the rain arrive? On Monday morning, there is a 50% to 60% chance of rain, the weather service said. Temperatures are expected to reach a high near 71 degrees during the day before dropping down to 52 at night. Molina said the Merced area will likely record half of a hundredth of an inch of rain on Monday. By Monday night, the storm will move out, he said. According to the weather service, skies will clear on Tuesday with a high near 78 degrees, a low around 57 and winds up to 5 mph. Are more showers coming to Merced? The rain is set to return on Wednesday when a storm rolls into the region from the Pacific Northwest, according to Molina. There is a 40% percent chance of rain and thunderstorms on Wednesday during the day, and a 20% chance of rain at night. The high will be near 73 while the low will be around 56. Winds will get up to 10 mph Wednesday night. Merced residents have a much better chance of actually seeing sprinkles on Wednesday, Molina said, adding that theres a good chance precipitation will measure a hundredth of an inch. On Thursday, Merced will see sunny weather once more with a high near 78. WASHINGTON (AP) Walgreens has agreed to pay $106 million to settle lawsuits that alleged the pharmacy chain submitted false payment claims with government health care programs for prescriptions that were never dispensed. The settlement announced on Friday resolves lawsuits filed in New Mexico, Texas and Florida on behalf of three people who had worked in Walgreens pharmacy operation. The lawsuits were filed under a whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act that lets private parties file case on behalf of the United States government and share in the recovery of money, the U.S. Justice Department said. The pharmacy chain was accused of submitting false payment claims to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs between 2009 and 2020 for prescriptions that were processed but never picked up. Settlement documents say Walgreens cooperated in the investigation and has improved its electronic management system to prevent such problems from occurring again. In a statement, Walgreens said that because of a software error, the chain inadvertently billed some government programs for a relatively small number of prescriptions that patients submitted but never picked up. We corrected the error, reported the issue to the government and voluntarily refunded all overpayments, the statement by Walgreens said. In reaching the settlement, the chain didnt acknowledge legal liability in the cases. ____ This story has been corrected to say the lawsuits were filed by private parties, not by the U.S. Justice Department. Rare copy of U.S. Constitution is up for auction. It could sell for millions. Treasures long forgotten by history have been uncovered beneath the surface in underground digs or hidden away in attics or storage spaces. In the case of a rare document nearly 237 years old, it was in a nondescript squat metal filing cabinet that had been sitting discarded and gathering dust in an eastern North Carolina home for who knows how long. Two years ago, a property was being cleared out in Edenton, North Carolina when a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution was found. The rare piece of American history the only U.S. Constitution of its kind thought to be in private hands will go up for auction by Brunk Auctions on Sept. 28 in Asheville, North Carolina. The minimum bid for the auction of $1 million has already been made and it is expected to go for a much higher price tag. The uncovering of history The copy up for auction was discovered at Hayes Farm, an 184-acre plantation in Edenton once owned by Samuel Johnston. He was the governor of North Carolina from 1787 to 1789 and oversaw the state convention that ratified the Constitution. "There's been a long period where this house and library have been recognized as a very important repository for history and historic documents and objects," Brunk said. In the 1980s, most of the books, documents and artifacts from the home some going back to Johnston were donated to the state of North Carolina and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. A 1787 copy of the U.S. Constitution that will be put up for auction was found inside this filing cabinet in Edenton, N.C. / Credit: Brunk Auctions Seth Kaller, a historical document appraiser and collector, said while going through the house's contents in 1983, the family found a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence that was sold at auction for a then-record price of $412,500. The filing cabinet, for some reason, was not sorted through, and the U.S. Constitution remained unseen for another four decades. In 2022, while the property was being cleared out and sold to North Carolina, which is converting it into a public historic site. The history behind it On Sept. 18, 1787, the drafted proposal for what would be the framework of the U.S. Constitution was sent to the Confederation Congress for discussion and approval. After a heated debate at the site of what today is the Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City, Congress resolved to send it to the states for ratification. Charles Thomas, the secretary of that Congress, ordered 100 copies printed and only signed a fraction of them. Of those that he signed, only a handful are known to still be in existence. This copy of the U.S. Constitution is one of those handful he signed. Historians believe Thompson likely signed two copies for each of the original 13 states, essentially certifying them. These were set to special ratifying conventions where representatives would then wrangle for months before accepting the framework of the U.S. government that continues today. "This is the point of connection between government and people, and it's the moment when the idea of 'we the people' really takes hold," auctioneer Andrew Brunk said of the document, adding: "This is the moment the government is asking the people to empower the government and create, you know, the essential government, but it's the will of the people that you know they're waiting for it. That's what this document captures." Along with the Constitution on the broadsheet printed front and back is a letter from Washington asking for ratification. He acknowledged there would have to be compromise and that rights the states enjoyed would have to be given up for the nation's long-term health. A 1787 copy of the U.S. Constitution that will be put up for auction is seen in this photo. / Credit: Brunk Auctions "To secure all rights of independent sovereignty to each and yet provide for the interest and safety for all individuals entering into society must give up a share of liberty to preserve the rest," wrote the man who would become the first U.S. president. "What's really incredible about the Constitution is that they didn't write a plan of government just for them based on what they knew, but they wrote a plan of government that was forward-looking, and that was the first time a government's being invented with the idea that it's going to need to be amended and change," Kaller said. Brunk said he isn't sure what the document might go for because there is so little to compare it to. The last copy of the Constitution like this sold was for $400 in 1891. In 2021, Sotheby's of New York sold one of only 14 remaining copies of the Constitution printed for the Continental Congress and delegates to the Constitutional Convention for a record $43.2 million. Other items up for auction While the Constitution is the main attraction, there are other items up for auction in Asheville including a 1776 first draft of the Articles of Confederation and a 1788 Journal of the Convention of North Carolina at Hillsborough where representatives spent two weeks debating if ratifying the Constitution would put too much power with the nation instead of the states. Kaller said the draft of the Articles of Confederation is presumed to have been owned by Joseph Hewes, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence who was known to have stayed in Johnston's home. The word "Confederation" is inked in the back of the document in the hand of Hewes. There is also a reproduction of Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze's 1851 version of his famous painting, Washington Crossing the Delaware. It is believed to be a 19th-century German copy of the painting. Saturday Sessions: The Heavy Heavy performs "Because You're Mine" Saturday Sessions: The Heavy Heavy performs "Happiness" Saturday Sessions: The Heavy Heavy performs "Cherry" This was a rare situation. Wildlife officials say child was attacked by a river otter in Bremerton Warning signs about aggressive wildlife are posted at Bremerton Marina after a river otter attacked a mother and her young child Thursday morning. This was a rare situation one that we dont see a lot, said Matt Blankenship with the Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). The mother and child were walking down the dock when the otter somehow got a hold of the youngster, dragging them under the water. The mom pulled her kid out as the otter continued to attack, chasing the two as they got off the dock. The child was taken to the hospital with bites and scratches. In most cases, otters tend to shy away from people. They have a lot of energy and power that they can actually grab a hold of somebody and pull underwater like that. Its either showing a sign of being territorial or protective of pups. Thats the reason wed see that type of behavior from an otter, said Blankenship. Friday morning, WDFW reported it trapped and killed an otter in the area and the animal is now being tested for rabies. You see wildlife on the dock. Ive seen the otters at times, you see seals, and most of the time they kind of are a little skittish and stay away. I would not imagine theyd ever attack me, said Samuel Hilbert, a boater. Work continues to trap and remove otters from the area around the marina, where access is now limited to boaters and maintenance crews. Were taking direction from Department of Fish & Wildlife, so when they say go ahead its a safer environment, we will return back to normal. But right now, everybodys on alert just to make sure we have a safe dock in this area, said James Weaver, Port of Bremerton Facilities Director. WDFW says there have only been six documented otter attacks against humans in Washington in the last decade. The Public Square is a Viewpoints feature that seeks engagement from readers to questions on various issues of the day. Follow The Oklahoman on Facebook and on Twitter @TheOklahoman_ for weekly prompts for The Public Square. The Freedom Caucus, a national far-right Republican group, says it plans to be active in pushing the Oklahoma legislature to even more conservative policies. More on the Freedom Caucus: Does Oklahoma really need the Freedom Caucus? Keeping member list secret hints at chaos to come We asked readers to share their thoughts about the caucus and its intended role in Oklahoma policy. Here are those responses: Totally unnecessary and grandstanding noise. We need good government, not headlines. Martin Hartmann, Edmond Freedom for whom? Its fun to just apply terms like freedom, patriot, or Christian to causes that have nothing to do with any of those things. It doesnt make it accurate. Its merely a way to propagandize that the other side isnt that. MAGA has been amazingly empowering to a certain portion of the party, and very damaging to the intellectual and stabilizing portion of the party. I think in some parts of the country this will get better, but in our neck of the woods, it will likely get worse. Id like to see every political debate begin with an understanding and shared recognition that human beings will be impacted by most political decisions. That these human beings have value, and should be treated with dignity and respect. These are Christian values at their deepest core. (See the greatest commandment, and observe who Jesus describes as a neighbor.) The freedom caucus doesnt understand Christian values. They dont understand patriotism except in the ways other white power groups have utilized the flag to their advantage, claiming it for themselves but denying it to others. They do not understand freedom. However, this is the reality that we live in today, they vote, they rally in churches on Sundays, and they organize. Until Oklahomans are willing to work harder than these groups, they will continue to grow in influence. Jeremy Norwood, Oklahoma City They are moving me more and more to the middle. Geneva Chaney, Edmond Far Right groups are definitely a threat to healthy discussion of policy and proposed legislation. Far Right is as dangerous (as) a Far Left neither are open to discussions that do not automatically accept their "solutions" that push extremist agendas. I am a 31-year Army veteran and a retired university professor who is very skeptical of groups with some secret memberships and are a threat to honest debate of issues. Michael McEwen, Edmond This is a push in the wrong direction. No thank you. Currently, Oklahoma trails almost all states in virtually any positive category (eg., education) and leads the other states in negative lists (i.e., spousal abuse and number of incarcerated women). When will Oklahomans wake up to the sad fact that our far-right leadership is marching us off the edge of a cliff? Camilla Clymer, Oklahoma City As a Christian, this scares me. The right is getting too far right in my opinion. They are destroying the very Christian principles they claim to stand on. I feel like the right is spreading more hate, more control, creating more division and not caring for basic Christian principles (take care of the poor, sick, widows, weak). Instead, they are completely opposite ... and stripping away women's rights and minorities. ... Oklahoma, I feel like is ground zero, or a testing ground to all these political fanatics! Scary! Rachel Hulse, Tulsa This is not good for Oklahoma. We are already a one-party-rule state and pushing the state even farther to the right is a horrible thing. We do not need any more Ryan Walters wannabes. Glenn Gore, Taloga Very concerned. I hope that Oklahomans will recognize the manipulative nature of their politics. As Oklahoma continues to struggle to provide adequate basic education to our children, the last thing we need is a fascist government! Becky Knight, Yukon Any group that believes there is only one way to achieve public policy doesn't understand American History. The United States was born through compromise and our greatest achievements as a nation resulted from compromise. Oklahoma needs to move to an open primary system without regard to party which will produce victories for pragmatic, common sense candidates. Donald Barton, Ada One question. Was the decision of the formation group based on what the voters of Oklahoma want? Tiffany Black, Oklahoma City If the contextual use of far right means white Christian nationalism they have named their group incorrectly. Requiring people to follow laws based on anyones religious beliefs is the opposite of freedom. We do not want any group here that intends to further diminish our freedoms. Julia Skinner, Harrah Oklahoma is a conservative state. Oklahomans are a conservative people. There should be little disagreement with that assessment. I am, by way of a big contrast, a decided social and political liberal. I often feel somewhat of misfit in a state in which I have resided for almost fifty years of my life. Yet, I do like Oklahoma and I especially like most Oklahomans. These are a truly decent people in a good state. So, what does it mean to me to consider whether this state and its people are sufficiently far-right? Legislative caucuses and political alignments come and go frequently. The newly expanded Oklahoma legislative Freedom Caucus wants to define the freedoms available to all Oklahomans. But what freedoms make up their envisioned agenda? They are not what I consider important. As described by the caucus chair, Senator Shane Jett, of Shawnee, the agenda seems to focus on limited government, personal responsibility, and lower taxation and state regulation. At first glance, this agenda is a traditional Republican party one with shades of the ideas of the traditional family and national life that many believed existed in 1950s America. It does, however, seem to go radically beyond that more traditional stance. This is not an agenda I want to see enacted here. I do not believe this is an agenda which will either support or advance the real and basic interests and needs of most Oklahomans. Moving to the far-right politically, as represented by the ideas of the national Freedom Caucus Network, will hurt most Oklahomans and Oklahoma families. Only a favored few will likely benefit. I believe most Oklahomans want an education; a good job paying a living wage; a place to live; adequate health care for themselves and their families; and the ability to prepare for a decent and comfortable retirement. This is an agenda that reflects both conservative and progressive ideals. For all too many Oklahomans, these are as yet unattained goals. They are not, however, new ideas. They were first described in President Franklin D. Roosevelts 1944 State of the Union address to Congress. He called them a Second Bill of Rights. Others have defined them as an economic Bill of Rights for the 21st century. My preferred social agenda will require the active support and work of a positive Oklahoma state government. The Oklahoma Legislature is a critical partner in reaching those goals. Some of it will require the careful planning and participation of the states responsible private sector. Meeting this positive agenda will not make Oklahoma a far-right state. It certainly will not appeal to the most extreme activists in our state. It will, however, make Oklahoma a more humane state and a decent place for all Oklahomans to live and raise good and healthy families. That is the Oklahoma I want to live in. Jerry Edward Stephens, Edmond Leave Oklahoma alone. They are already having to deal with Stitt & Walters. Robin Long, Missouri City, TX This is not good. Ethan Miller, Peidmont This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What do readers think about the far-right Freedom Caucus in Oklahoma Red Cross says it has suspended operations at Dnipro office following attack that killed, injured employees A spokesperson for the Ukrainian delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross says that the organization has suspended operations at its Dnipro office after three of its employees were killed in a strike on Sept. 12. Russian forces attacked the village of Viroliubivka near Kostiantynivka, hitting the territory of the enterprise, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin said. The attack destroyed a truck with humanitarian aid and a car, killing three employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross mission and injuring two others. "For now, our Dnipro office has suspended operations for some time," Spokesperson Oleksandr Vlasenko said following the attack. Vlasenko did not specify when the office is expected to reopen. Although the attack did not target the office, regular Russian attacks on the region have continued to pose a serious risk to Red Cross employees stationed along the front line. In a statement, the Red Cross said that its team was preparing to distribute firewood and fuel briquettes north of Donetsk to residents when the attack occurred. Had the employees been actively distributing the materials when the attack occurred, "there could have been much more casualties," Vlasenko said. The Red Cross has not pointed the blame on Russia for the attack, with Vlasenko adding that the organization "does not know exactly" who has committed the attack. In response to the Red Cross' hesitation to directly blame Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was "disappointing to see that the Red Cross, in its official communication afraid to even say it was a Russian strike." "This is our life, but its their face. And this is not just the truth its a Russian strike - it is Russian terror," Zelensky added. Russia has regularly attacked the regions lying on Ukraine's easter front with missile, guided bomb, and drones. Earlier on the day on Sept. 12, Russian forces attacked the Kostiantynivka community in Donetsk Oblast and the village of Borova in Kharkiv Oblast, killing five people and injuring at least nine, local authorities reported. Read also: 3 Red Cross employees killed, 2 injured in Russian attack on Donetsk Oblast Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Remains of Elijah Vue, 3, found in Wisconsin; missing since February The FBI's Milwaukee office issued a $15,000 reward for information leading to the discovery of missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue. Photo by the FBI's Milwaukee Office Sept. 14 (UPI) -- The remains of missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue were found on private property in Two Rivers, Wisc., and identified as the missing boy's, local police announced. The child had been missing since February until his skeletal remains were found on Sept. 7 in a wooded area after a search that lasted for seven months. A hunter getting ready for Wisconsin's annual deer season found the boy's remains in a "thick wooded area," Two Rivers Police Chief Benjamin Meinnert told media during a news conference Friday. Meinnert said Vue's remains were found about 3 miles northwest of where he last was seen in an area that had been searched many times. The Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office said the boy's remains were located near Camp Manitou and a quarry on privately owned land. The Wisconsin Crime Lab used DNA testing to confirm the toddler's identity. "The family is devastated," Meinnert said. "We're devastated. The community is devastated." Meinnert said the investigation has turned into a death investigation led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and an Amber Alert issued for the boy has been canceled. Jesse Vang, the boyfriend of Vue's mother, Katrina Baur, reported the boy missing from their Two Rivers home on Feb. 20 while caring for the child. Vang had taken a nap when the boy went missing. Vang and Baur are charged with felony child neglect and other alleged offenses before Vue went missing. Both have pleaded not guilty. The boy's red and white plaid blanket was found in March about 3.7 miles from where he went missing. This child's skull and bones were among the remains eventually found. "I never met Elijah," Meinnert told media Friday. "But I watched that 3-year-old boy bring out the best in this community." The FBI's Milwaukee office had issued a $15,000 reward for information leading to the boy's discovery. Two Rivers is along the Lake Michigan shore about 90 miles north of Milwaukee. It had a population was 11,166 in 2022. THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres is demanding New York City do more to combat drug addiction in the South Bronx. The congressman said the Bronx has become ground zero for the fentanyl crisis and that the borough is entitled to the same public health and public safety as the rest of the city. More Local News Drug users could be seen Friday afternoon on Melrose Avenue, between East 149th and 150th streets. One Bronx resident expressed dismay at the thought of children seeing the needles and said something should be done about it. PIX11 News walked around the vibrant neighborhood and observed people injecting themselves with what appeared to be illegal substances. Others were seemingly unconscious. Prostitution on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens is getting worse, residents say An open-air drug market right here in the hub, which is the economic beating heart of the South Bronx, Torres said. Earlier this week, Torres sent a letter to Mayor Eric Adams calling on the city to do something. If we were in the Upper East Side or Upper West Side of Manhattan, the city of New York would never allow an open-air drug market to flourish, so why should we in the Bronx be treated any differently? Torres said. Business owners like Ali are also feeling the impact. He said customers are afraid to come in. He shared pictures of what he claims he deals with on a regular basis outside of his clothing store. We called 911 many times. They come up, they kick them. After the police leave, 5-10 minutes, they just come back. I think they need to have somebody here just to stay, dont let them back in, said Ali. Most of us in the Bronx have compassion for drug users who are struggling with fentanyl addiction. But there is nothing remotely compassionate or progressive about allowing those drugs users to languish and die on the streets. Thats not compassion, thats cruelty, and it is cruel to them and to the rest of us subject to those conditions, said Torres. PIX11 News asked Torres if he has heard back from the mayor. He said the response he got was, We look forward to working with the congressman and partnering with him. Torres concluded: What we need is not partnership. What we need is leadership. He is the mayor. He has the authority to deploy health and police officials to dismantle this open-air drug market and connect these drug users to critically needed anti-addiction services. 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. TechCrunch News broke this weekend that China-backed hackers have compromised the wiretap systems of several U.S. telecom and internet providers, likely in an effort to gather intelligence on Americans. The wiretap systems, as mandated under a 30-year-old U.S. federal law, are some of the most sensitive in a telecom or internet provider's network, typically granting a select few employees nearly unfettered access to information about their customers, including their internet traffic and browsing histories. "I think it absolutely was inevitable," Matt Blaze, a professor at Georgetown Law and expert on secure systems, told TechCrunch regarding the latest compromises of telecom and internet providers. WASHINGTON CITY, Utah (ABC4) A 37-year-old St. George man employed at a behavioral health facility was indicted on sex crimes with a minor on Friday, according to documents filed in the Fifth District Court. Sean Michael Stanley was charged by a grand jury Friday after being arrested Thursday. He is charged with two counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, one count of sexual abuse of a minor, and providing a minor with tobacco, e-cig, or nicotine product. Provo mother charged with 44 felony counts of child sex crimes involving 10-year-old daughter According to the affidavit of probable cause, the investigation into Stanley began back in February when Washington City Police received a child abuse and neglect report expressing concerns about the sexual abuse of a 15-year-old female. The affidavit of probable cause and the indictment did not name the facility in question. The probable cause statement says the teenager was a patient at the residential treatment facility. The victim allegedly reported the worker for incidents where she and Stanley engaged in sexual acts. After the concerns were reported, the victim stated in an interview at the county childrens justice center that Stanley allegedly took her to a secluded part of the neighborhood near the facility where the two engaged in sexual acts in Stanleys car. The probable cause statement says the victim also spoke about another encounter that happened with Stanley the following day. This time with Stanley initiating the encounter, the teen was taken aback by the request of Stanley. In a follow-up with the facility, authorities were given various documents regarding the staff and victim. There were two documents that police say corroborated the victims statements. Police say in the probable cause statement that they followed up with several staff members who reportedly worked with the victim and Stanley. The staffs general opinion of Stanley was that he was overly friendly with other staff and clients and would hang out in the female housing area despite being assigned elsewhere. When approached by authorities on the matter, the probable cause statement says Stanley denied wrongdoing. After a review from police, they arrested Stanley on the aforementioned charges and booked him into Washington County Jail. ABC4 is efforting more information on the story. 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. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) With views of Narragansett Bay and towering wind turbines, Rhode Island leaders gathered at Save the Bays Providence campus Friday to call on voters to approve Ballot Question 4 in November. The $53 million referendum, known as the green bond, would go toward climate infrastructure and protecting the states natural resources. The largest infusion of cash, $15 million, would be invested in Quonset Port. Gavin Black, the president of the R.I. Ports Coalition, said the money will be used to make infrastructure upgrades. Quonset needs to reinforce the piers and invest in its shoreside capacity in order to capture more offshore wind cargo, Black said. Thats really been a boon to the Rhode Island economy the past two years. Director of Environmental Management Terrence Gray said the green bond would also go to other projects across the state, including $3 million for the Newport Cliff Walk and $10 million to help communities make their infrastructure more resilient against the effects of climate change. ALSO READ: Newport repairs sink hole, reopens part of Cliff Walk Sea levels rise, [there are] more intense storms, more frequent storms, he said. Weve all seen this happen. Sue Cienki, the national committeewoman for the Rhode Island GOP, is asking voters to reject the ballot question on November 5. Cienki said the state should not be investing in offshore wind after a turbine blade broke at the Vineyard Wind site off the coast of Nantucket this summer. READ MORE: Vineyard Wind working to clean up debris from damaged turbine People are more aware of the impacts that these wind turbines can have, she said. They fall apart. Look at the dead whales and the dead dolphins that are coming up. According to NOAA, there are no known links between large whale deaths and ongoing offshore wind activities. At Fridays news conference, Gray said the green bond money would also go toward investing in the states parks, forests, and farmland. Kate Wilkinson (kwilkinson@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Nesi's Notes 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 WPRI.com. A river otter attacked a child at a marina in Bremerton, Washington, pulling the boy underwater and biting him before he was rescued by his mother. The rare attack happened Thursday morning as the child and his mother were walking on a dock at the Bremerton Marina in Kitsap County, the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) said in a news release. The child sustained scratches and bites to the top of his head, face and legs and was treated at a local hospital. The mother told authorities that the river otter pulled her son into the water and dragged him underneath. He resurfaced after a few moments, WDFW said. "The childs mother was able to lift the child out of the water while the otter continued to attack and was subsequently bit in the arm. The river otter continued to pursue the family as they left the dock," the agency said. Ken Balazs, with WDFW, said the child sustained minor injuries "due to the mothers quick actions and childs resiliency." The otter was captured and taken to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for further evaluation and testing for rabies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services works to "trap and lethally remove" river otters from the marina, the fish and wildlife agency said. The animals are relatively common in Washington and can be found in fresh, brackish, or saltwater habitats, the agency said. Encounters with them are rare but they can be" territorial and, like any wildlife, are inherently unpredictable." Six other human-river otter incidents have been documented in the state in the last decade, according to the agency. Last year, a rabid otter bit a man and a dog in Jupiter, Florida, and in Montana three women were injured when an otter attacked them as they floated on inner tubes on a river. One woman had severe bites on her face and arms and was flown to the hospital via helicopter. In California, Matt Leffers said he was swimming at Serene Lakes in Placer County last September when otters bit him at least 12 times. He told NBC News affiliate KCRA 3 that he feared for his life and the animals were so "aggressive that, literally, I felt like they wanted to kill me." His wife had to rescue him on a paddleboat before taking him to the hospital. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com In one sense, there's no such thing as easy money. However, once you have money accumulated to invest, it can be easy to make more. That's the key to generating passive income. Some investment options require constant monitoring. You might not be able to hang onto them for long. However, others are excellent long-term picks. Want decades of passive income? Here are three stocks to buy now and hold forever. 1. AbbVie AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) is one of the biggest biopharmaceutical companies in the world with its market cap hovering around $345 billion. Its product lineup includes four blockbuster drugs and several others with the potential to generate sales of $1 billion or more. You might not be overly impressed by AbbVie's forward dividend yield of 3.17%. However, the company's dividend track record is impressive. AbbVie has increased its dividend for 52 consecutive years, making it a member of the elite group of stocks known as Dividend Kings. The main knock against AbbVie is that its revenue and earnings have fallen due to biosimilar competition for its top-selling drug Humira. Investors have nothing to worry about, though. AbbVie expects to quickly return to growth thanks to other rising stars in its lineup, including the two successors to Humira -- Rinvoq and Skyrizi. I would even argue that AbbVie's handling of the loss of patent exclusivity for Humira underscores why this is a great stock to generate passive income over the long term. The company's strategy to extend Humira's marketplace dominance while it invested in developing new drugs and made shrewd acquisitions shows that it should be able to successfully navigate future patent cliffs. 2. Brookfield Infrastructure Brookfield Infrastructure's (NYSE: BIP) (NYSE: BIPC) name sums up its business: infrastructure. The company owns cell towers, data centers, electricity transmission lines, pipelines, rail, semiconductor manufacturing foundries, toll roads, and more. Because of its roots as a limited partnership (LP), Brookfield Infrastructure pays distributions instead of dividends. Whatever you call them, they're attractive. The forward distribution yield for the LP (which trades under the BEP ticker) is 5.12%, while the yield for the corporate entity (which trades under the BEPC ticker) is 4.04%. Those distributions are highly dependable, too. Brookfield Infrastructure has increased its distributions for 15 consecutive years. The company expects to keep that trend going with annual distribution growth of between 5% and 9%. Brookfield Infrastructure also has a solid, repeatable strategy for long-term growth. The company acquires infrastructure assets that are attractively valued. It then enhances the businesses' value using its operational expertise. Finally, the company sells mature assets with limited growth potential to fund new investments. Story continues 3. Verizon Communications Most Americans are likely at least somewhat familiar with Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ). The company is one of the largest telecommunications providers in the world. Verizon offers a forward dividend yield of 6.27%, the highest of the three stocks on this list. The telecom giant has increased its dividend for 18 consecutive years. With Verizon's improving free cash flow, I expect this streak of dividend hikes will continue. Income investors aren't the only ones who have something to like with Verizon. The stock should also appeal to value investors with its low forward price-to-earnings ratio of 9.3. Admittedly, Verizon probably won't deliver sizzling organic growth. However, the company is well positioned to grow via acquisitions. As a case in point, Verizon plans to buy Frontier Communications for $20 billion in an all-cash transaction. This deal will greatly expand Verizon's fiber footprint in the U.S. Should you invest $1,000 in AbbVie right now? Before you buy stock in AbbVie, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and AbbVie wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $730,103!* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of September 9, 2024 Keith Speights has positions in AbbVie, Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, and Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool recommends Brookfield Infrastructure Partners and Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Want Decades of Passive Income? 3 Stocks to Buy Now and Hold Forever was originally published by The Motley Fool A child walking down a dock with their mother was snatched by a river otter and pulled underwater in a harrowing encounter in Bremerton, Washington. A moment later, when the child resurfaced, the mother grabbed the child and lifted them out of the water as the river otter continued to attack, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The frightening incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the Bremerton Marina, located west of Seattle. The mother was bitten in the arm, and the child sustained scratches and bites to the top of the head, face and legs. The river otter continued to pursue them as they left the dock. The child, whose name and gender were not released, was treated at St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale, the Kitsap Sun reported. We are grateful the victim only sustained minor injuries, due to the mothers quick actions and childs resiliency, WDFW Sergeant Ken Balazs said. We would also like to thank the Port of Bremerton for their quick coordination and communication to their marina tenants. Also on FTW Outdoors: Whale tosses snorkeler out of the water in scary encounter The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services was called in by fish and wildlife officers to trap and lethally remove river otters from the marina. One river otter was trapped at the scene and was transported to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for further evaluation, including testing for rabies. More from the WDFW: River otters (Lontra canadensis) are relatively common throughout Washington and can be found in fresh, brackish, or saltwater habitats. The species is mostly aquatic, though they can spend considerable time out of water. River otters are classified as a furbearer in Washington, meaning they are a game species that can be trapped. Although encounters with river otters are rare, they can be territorial and, like any wildlife, are inherently unpredictable. There have been six documented human-river otter incidents in Washington in the last decade. Heather Pugh, founder of the Bremerton Marina Tenants Group, told the Kitsap Sun that The Bremerton Marina is located in the Puget Sound marine environment, and occasionally will see harbor seals, salmon, otters, and even Orca that have been in the waters nearby or adjacent to the marina. The natural wildlife often travel following the shoreline currents or seeking schools of small fish in the shallow waters. The marina has not experienced any incident like this with river otters. This article originally appeared on For The Win: River otter pulls child off dock and underwater in harrowing attack Rod Stewart made an intervention in the race for the White House on Friday with a plea for aid for Ukraineand by implication an attack on Donald Trump. The veteran British singer used an appearance at a stadium concert in Cleveland, Ohio, to call explicitly for continued support for Ukraine, calling the Russian invasion evil and displaying pictures of the toll it has taken on the countrys people. Stewart, 79, has rarely spoken on political issues in publicbut has recently become a Trump critic, ending a friendship of many years with his Palm Beach neighbor and saying his wife had called the former president a disgrace. In August, he mocked Trump for turning orange, a reference to the former president claiming his rival, Kamala Harris, had turned Black. Rod Stewart offers support to Ukraine during a concert in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 13, 2024. Hugh Dougherty Going so explicitly political, however, is a new departure. At a joint concert with Billy Joel, Stewart changed outfits between songs and emerged on stage in bright blue pants and shirt, and a bright yellow jacket. These are the colors of a flagthe flag of Ukraine, he told a crowd of about 40,000. Theres an evil war going on in Ukraine. Russia has invaded Ukraine. This song is for Ukraine, for its soldiers. For [Volodymyr] Zelensky. And whoever is next in the White Housedont stop helping Ukraine, Stewart added. He then sang his hit Sailing in front of images of the war in Ukraine and, at the final chorus, a picture of Zelensky. The message of support amid the war, delivered in a city with one of the largest Ukrainian-American communities in the country, puts Stewart directly at odds with Trump. While Democratic candidate Harris used Tuesday nights presidential debate to pledge unwavering support for Zelensky and his countrys war effort, Trump has offered no such promise. Instead, he claimed that he would end the war before he even re-entered office, suggesting he would be able to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop. Kremlin Joy as Trump Sucks Up to Controversial Russian Tough Guys While he did not say how, he heavily criticized President Joe Bidens refusal to speak to or negotiate with Putinwhich critics have argued means he would force Ukraine to surrender territory and its aspirations for NATO membership. Harris seized on these comments Tuesday as evidence that he would roll over to strongmen and dictators. Trump has also declined to commit to continuing the massive flow of military aid from U.S. stocks which Zelensky says has been crucial to the countrys continued ability to hold off Russian troopsand needs to be stepped up to prevent more Ukrainian losses. Among the American materiel now in use on the battlefield are medium-distance HIMAR missiles, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, the Patriot missile defense system, and, in recent weeks, F-16 fighters, which Ukrainians have long requested to combat Russian air superiority. Rather than committing to aid at the debate, Trump suggested that Harris and Biden had failed to get Europeans to pay enough toward the war effort. Zelensky has lobbied Republicans to commit to continued military aid but has had little success persuading much of the partys MAGA wing. Earlier this month, the Ukrainian president hosted South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham in Kyiv. Graham is a rare member of the hawkish Republican foreign policy establishment who is close to Trump, and the move was seen as an attempt to secure an advocate in the White House in the event Trump returns to the Oval Office. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Editors note: changes to this article reflect updated information from police. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) The Rochester Police Department requested the publics help Friday night as they searched for a missing girl from Rochester. According to police as of 10:15 p.m., she was found safe and unharmed. Officers thanked the community for their help. 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 RochesterFirst. Runner Dies At Finish Line | Trail Of Deadly Snacks Left For Dogs CALIFORNIA On the weekend, we present a week in review of the top stories and headlines from all across California. Here's a roundup of some of the most-read stories across the state. You can also find your local Patch and catch up on those stories by clicking here. Other notable stories this week include: Police worked across five counties to arrest 205 people connected to online child sex crimes in a less-than-week span, authorities said. A homeless man is in custody after entering a sleeping Santa Monica woman's home and exposing himself to her, police said. A lottery for qualified applicants will be held for 3 levels of income: moderate, low and very-low. The two victims were taken to the hospital. Firefighters worked through the night to attack the quick-moving flames after the cause of fire was ruled to be "unintentional." The CHP said a dangerous maneuver caused a chain-reaction crash that claimed five lives Monday in unincorporated Lakeview. The Line Fire grew by nearly 1,000 acres overnight, but officials said better weather Thursday was already making a difference. Mosquito Spraying Planned In Campbell, San Jose The pesticide spraying will take place in 5 zip codes in response to West Nile Virus-positive mosquitoes. One person has already died in the county this year from WNV. Laguna Beach detectives are looking for the public's help in identifying suspects wanted for detonating an explosive device. South Bay Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi introduced the anti-book ban bill that now awaits Governor Gavin Newsom's signature. The San Diego area saw one of the largest consumer price index changes from two months ago. More than 100,000 homes remain in danger, but firefighters are confident they can make progress battling three major wildfires Thursday. The quake was centered in Malibu, and the shaking could be felt across the Southland Thursday morning. The 34-year-old resident was arrested Tuesday and booked on suspicion of arson. Fall means pumpkin spice season. But those fatigued by the iconic flavor can try these alternatives instead. A man applied for $65 million in pandemic relief for his agriculture business. But the Beverly Hills farm doesn't exist, prosecutors said. Runner Dies At Finish Line | Trail Of Deadly Snacks Left For Dogs originally appeared on the Los Angeles Patch Russia will have to deploy more troops to Kursk to counterattack ISW Russian troops continue to counterattack through the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast, but the Russian military may have to redeploy additional units from other parts of the theatre to Kursk Oblast to create a force grouping capable of conducting a sustained counteroffensive. Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Quote: "ISW continues to track observable Russian counterattacks in Kursk Oblast but has not yet observed large-scale combat operations indicating that Russian forces have started a large-scale concerted counteroffensive operation aimed at completely expelling Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast." Details: On 13 September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Russian forces had begun counteroffensive operations in Kursk Oblast. A day earlier, on 12 September, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder indicated that the US had observed Russian units making attempts to launch what he described as a "marginal" counteroffensive. Ukrainian military observer Kostiantyn Mashovets said there were an estimated 33,000 to 35,000 Russian troops stationed in Kursk Oblast as of 13 September. Zelenskyy also mentioned that the Russian military leadership intends to concentrate between 60,000 and 70,000 soldiers in the oblast significantly exceeding the 50,000 troops that US officials estimate Russia would need to drive Ukrainian forces out of the oblast. Up to this point, Russian authorities have predominantly relied on inadequately trained and poorly equipped conscripts, supported by smaller units of regular and irregular troops, to counter Ukraines advances in Kursk. It is unlikely that the bulk of the current Russian forces in the oblast consist of experienced combat troops. A successful Russian counteroffensive to retake Kursk Oblast would almost certainly require even more manpower and resources than those already deployed particularly considering that many of the units already in the area lack sufficient combat experience. Russian airborne forces recently moved to Kursk Oblast from the front lines in Ukraine and are currently responsible for spearheading counterattacks in the oblast. This suggests that the Russian military leadership may intend to deploy units considered more "elite" or capable of recapturing territory. The Russian military will undoubtedly be forced to redeploy units already engaged in offensive operations or operational reserves from Ukraine to Kursk Oblast to form the combat-ready units needed to conduct a major counteroffensive operation and then guard the border against incursion. To quote the ISW's Key Takeaways on 13 September: The Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast has reportedly spoiled planned Russian offensive operations along the international border area that likely aimed to expand the area of active combat operations across a broader front in northeastern Ukraine. Russian forces continue to counterattack throughout the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast, but the Russian military will likely have to redeploy additional elements from elsewhere in the theatre to Kursk Oblast to establish a force grouping capable of pursuing a sustained counteroffensive operation. Russian forces appear to be testing more effective mechanised assault tactics west of the city of Donetsk, although Russian armoured vehicles remain vulnerable to Ukrainian strike and drone capabilities. Ukraine and Russia conducted their second prisoner of war (POW) exchange since the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast on 13 September. Russia continues efforts to strengthen strategic military ties with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), North Korea, and Iran to support its war effort in Ukraine. Russian and Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Kursk Oblast amid continued Russian and Ukrainian assaults in the area on 13 September. Russian forces recently marginally advanced near Kupiansk, Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk. Russian authorities continue attempts to coerce minorities and Ukrainian youth living in occupied Ukraine to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to avoid conducting a wider mobilisation. Support UP or become our patron! More than a month after Ukraine first invaded Russias Kursk Oblast, Moscows forces have mounted a counteroffensive to try and take back the hundreds of square miles they lost. Just how effective it has been so far is not quite clear, but indications are that Russia is making a serious bid to kick Ukraine out. The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) claims its Units of the North forces had reclaimed 10 settlements in two days in the area around Snagost, according to the BBC. That town is on the western flank of Ukraines salient. That is roughly in line with the dynamic control map produced by the Ukrainian DeepState open-source intelligence group. The map shows Russian forces have knifed through the salient, moving about six kilometers south from Korenevo to Snagost. The area in the blue is controled by Ukraine north of the border in Kursk Oblast. The area in the gray is contested. (DeepState screencap) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged that Russian forces have launched a rapid counterattack but havent achieved serious success, according to the Kyiv Independent. In the Kursk direction, the Russians have started their rapid offensive, and they want to use about 60,000-70,000 people there, Zelensky said, according to the publication. He also said the counteroffensive is going in line with our Ukrainian plan, the BBC noted. One Ukrainian officer told the BBC that the fighting is very tough and the situation is not in our favor as of now. An indication of the ferocity of battle can be seen in the video below shot from the Russian perspective. Russians are fighting a battle in Sergeevka, Kursk, against Ukrainian troops Yesterday, I published photos and videos corroborating an attempt to flank Russian counterattack in Kursk by Ukraine across the border. See the village of Kubalki, which is east from Sergeevka https://t.co/rdLBqop4ufpic.twitter.com/TeeCgmfq1R PS01 (@PStyle0ne1) September 12, 2024 Initially, Kursk was lightly defended, allowing Ukraine to capture about 500 square miles of territory. However, Russia began moving more troops and equipment into the region. The units included the 56th Air Assault Regiment to the west, the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade to the north, the 11th Separate Assault Brigade to the east, and the 488th Motor Rifle Regiment and 155th Separate Brigade of Marines to the southeast, according to DeepState. Russia also increased its airstrikes. The fighting grew more fierce and has turned into a full-blown counteroffensive. Ukraine is not entirely on its heels, according to the Institute for The Study of War (ISW) and at least one of its military units fighting there. Russian forces continued counterattacking throughout the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast on September 12 but made only marginal gains, likely due to continued Ukrainian offensive operations and defensive counterattacks in the area, ISW reported in its latest assessment. Ukrainian special forces @SOF_UKR conducted a successful ambush in Russias #Kurskregion. This video filmed in Kursk region is one of the few opportunities to see from the inside how Ukrainian combat teams work on the Russian territory. #StandWithUkrainepic.twitter.com/B9yIpePbWk Iuliia Mendel (@IuliiaMendel) September 13, 2024 In addition to mounting local attacks on advancing Russian troops, Ukraine has opened up a new front, pushing across the border into the Russian town of Tetkino, ISW stated. As we noted nearly a month ago, Ukraine wants to move east through Tetkino and thousands of Russian troops are estimated to be stuck south of the Seim River thanks to a campaign of attacks on bridges. Those strikes continue as Russia attempts to build pontoon bridges across the River. HIMARS covers with ATACMS cluster missiles hit the f Russian infantry and equipment at the moment of crossing the Seim River in Kursk region Ai upscaled 150% + dehalo + compression reverse + 30 to 60 FPS + Stabilization https://t.co/r5xIfbrFsF pic.twitter.com/rZ8TqThxwb Dariusz Zawadzki (@Military_oO) September 12, 2024 Russian sources reported that a small unit of Ukrainian troops and armor was also pushing west toward that pocket of troops. The operational and combat situation remains difficult, the Russian Senior Border Guard Telegram channel claimed on Friday. Yesterday, the enemy managed to consolidate its position in the area of the village of Novy Put. After which the enemy made a dash towards the settlement of Veselove consisting of a tank and two armored fighting vehicles, the first attack was repelled. By evening, the enemy began to dig in near Veseloye, continuing the attacks. The enemy is actively destroying our UAVs, which complicates the reconnaissance and adjustment of our artillery. Border guards, together with units of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, are repelling enemy attacks. Heavy fighting is underway. The Ukrainian presence in Veseloe, almost 12 miles west of Ukrainian-held territory in Kursk, was geolocated by an attack on one of its armored vehicles there. Ukraines Khorne Group military unit said it is on the offensive in Kursk. We penetrated into a new place for kilometers into Russia.. a group of Russian conscripts of more than one thousand people under the threat of encirclement, Khorne Group claimed on Telegram. Khorne group published footage of the Ukrainian breach of the Russian border 20 miles from the Kursk salient, which they say is more impactful than described by Western media: "Any media nonsense, especially German experts and Forbes, are either hysterics who lack information or pic.twitter.com/tA1Vwqkltr WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) September 13, 2024 The War Zone cannot independently verify any of these claims, but it was inevitable that Russia would hit back hard against an invasion of its territory. The Kursk invasion was launched in large measure to try to draw Russian troops from eastern Ukraine, where they are within a few kilometers of taking several key towns. However, that advance continues, albeit at a much slower pace as Ukrainian forces too have dug in and reinforced their positions. More on that later. Even before the counterattack, things were getting difficult in Kursk, Ukrainian troops said. Three days before it was launched, CNN spoke with 14 Ukrainian soldiers from five different units who were deployed to Kursk as part of the incursion. All 14 said the Kursk invasion was a difficult operation with casualty rates on par with other parts of the frontlines. They said it was getting tougher, five weeks in, and some even questioned the decision to launch the incursion at a time when Ukraine was struggling to defend key towns and cities in the east of the country. It will get more and more difficult, one soldier said. There will be more artillery fire, more soldiers, and there will be very big and difficult battles, but we must do everything we can that improves our position. Ukraine, said the soldier, wants peace, but peace when we win, not when we lose. Russia is sending a lot of troops and artillery (to Kursk). We have a lot of guys who have been killed and we have a lot of destroyed hardware. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his troops to retake territory lost in Kursk by Oct. 1, a deadline that will be challenging to meet. Zelensky, meanwhile, has indicated he has no intention of a rapid withdrawal from Kursk. He has sent some of his best troops and equipment into Russia even as the eastern part of his nation buckled under a withering Russian advance. The coming days should provide a better indication of whether Ukraines push into Russia was a bet worth making at such a critical time in the conflict. The Latest In the heavily contested eastern part of Ukraine, Russian troops are continuing their advance toward Pokrovsk. As we have frequently noted, the city is a key logistics hub for this region. It is nestled by important roads and bisected by a major rail line. Just a little under six miles from the city, Russia is pushing westward toward it, but there are indications that the massive offensive has slowed a bit. Over the past 24 hours Russian troops have occupied the village of Lisivka and pushed closer to Pokrovsk, about 10 kilometers distant, Politico reported. As we can see, the Russians put everything in the direction of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian army spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy told the news outlet.They dont have enough resources to conduct a massive offensive on several fronts at once, and this has been evident for the past few months. Still, that town is in trouble and the Donetsk Oblast governor urged the remaining civilians to leave. The situation is difficult and will not get better soon, Vadym Filashkin said on Facebook Thursday. Thats why I urge you again: evacuate! Evacuation is the only right choice for civilians! Russian troops pushing toward Pokrovsk say the offensive force ranges from well-organized modern military units to undertrained troops sent out on assaults with minimal artillery support, no armor or aviation, and are heavily targeted by Ukrainian drones. Russian serviceman from Pokrovsk direction reports on the duality among the Russian offensive force: some brigades equipped by volunteers are described as well-organised, modern military units with advanced technology. Others are sent to assault with minimal artillery support, no pic.twitter.com/oSmNF2K7Yn WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) September 12, 2024 Ukraines 46th Airmobile Brigade claimed a new record for Russian equipment destroyed in a single attack in the Kurakhove sector of the Donetsk region, about 20 miles south of Pokrovsk. On September 12 Four waves of assaults from 5:45 a.m. to noon on the positions of the battalions of our brigade should, according to the enemys plan, break through the defense of the Ukrainian paratroopers, the unit claimed on Telegram. Tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, infantry on motorcycles a total of 46 units of armored and not so armored vehicles fell on us. And the record was set! Such a number of destroyed and damaged enemy equipment in one day in the direction of responsibility of the 46th brigade has never really happened. The War Zone cannot independently verify this claim, but the video below, first published by the unit, shows the intensity of that battle. A massive russian attack failed! 46 russian armored vehicles were advancing at the positions of the 46th Airomobile Brigade. warriors destroyed 26 of them, including 20 IFVs. pic.twitter.com/fdXmeR9f1g Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 13, 2024 Though U.S. President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minster Keir Starmer met in Washington today to discuss among other topics the granting of permission for Ukraine to use long-range weapons in Russia, the results of that meeting may not be publicly known for a while. There is no change to our view on the provision of long-range strike capabilities for Ukraine to use inside Russia, and I wouldnt expect any sort of major announcement in that regard coming out of the discussions, certainly not from our side, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday. I also leave it to the Prime Minister to decide what he wants to talk about. While there have been increasing indications that the U.S. will allow Ukraine to uses its Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missiles inside Russia and the U.K. will do the same with its Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles, those permissions have yet to be granted. In an exclusive interview with CNN, Ukrainian President Volodymry Zelensky continued pushing for the. U.S., the U.K. and allies to allow the use of those long-range fires inside Russia. Everybody is looking [for] the decision of the United States, everybodys waiting for sides decisions, after that, they make decisions, he said. And so, we wanted very much to use this weapon and just to attack these jets on the military bases, not civilians, infrastructure. Military bases. Zelensky said he had meetings with U.S. officials and told them we waited too long. Now Russia [has begun] to move their jets from 100, 150km, 300 to 500km. After that, I will tell you. And that now we need more permissions. But now you will tell me, maybe we will give you 100 or 200, but for what? To destroy what if they began to move? So were again, like with the packages, slow decisions and again, we cant win in such circumstances. CNNs Fareed Zakaria sat down for an exclusive interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (CNN) Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the United States and its allies not to lift restrictions on the use of these long-range weapons. We are not talking about allowing or not allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons, Putin said Thursday in comments to propagandist Pavel Zarubin, according to NBC News. We are talking about deciding whether NATO countries are directly involved in the military conflict or not. Putin said that the use of Western long-range precision weapons against Russia by Ukraine would signal direct NATO involvement in the war in Ukraine. He added that Ukraine uses data and intelligence from NATO countries to coordinate strikes because they don't have such data pic.twitter.com/CKvkFCd4MT NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) September 12, 2024 While the U.S. and U.K. are mulling over whether to allow Ukraine to use donated weapons on Russian soil, Poland became the latest nation to say there are no such restrictions. We shall continue supplying Ukraine with advanced air defense and antimissile defense systems and lift the ban on using long-range weapons, Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski said at the joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday. "We shall continue supplying Ukraine with advanced air defense and antimissiles defense systems and lift the ban on using long-range weapons," Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw @sikorskiradek Sikorski at the joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony @SecBlinken pic.twitter.com/4XZUb7fjmk Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) September 13, 2024 Without an extension authorized by Congress, the Pentagon has 17 days to spend nearly $6 billion on military equipment for Ukraine before the funds disappear with the change of the Fiscal Year on Sept. 30. We have $5.9 billion left in Ukraine Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA); all but $100 million of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement Friday. The department will continue to provide drawdown packages in the near future and is working with Congress to seek an extension of PDA authorities beyond the end of the fiscal year. So far, the U.S. has committed more than $56.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration, including approximately $55.9 billion since the beginning of Russias all-out invasion on February 24, 2024, according to the Pentagon. (DoD) Russian drones attacking Ukraine have frequently landed on or crossed over the airspace of several nations. However, to date, only Russian client state Belarus has shot one down, an irony Zelensky chided NATO allies about. Only Belarus has distinguished itself by shooting down Russian drones, Zelensky complained. I think its simply humiliating for the strong democratic world. Zelensky criticized NATO, pointing out that so far only Belarus has managed to shoot down "Shahed" drones. "Only Belarus has distinguished itself by shooting down Russian drones. I think it's simply humiliating for the strong democratic world." pic.twitter.com/9z0toM1t4Z KyivPost (@KyivPost) September 13, 2024 The U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine lashed out at Russia for attacking a civilian vessel traveling in the Black Sea with a load of grain bound for Egypt. We strongly condemn Russias attack on a commercial cargo ship in the Black Sea last night, Bridget A. Brink said on Twitter. This escalatory attack is a blatant violation of international law that threatens global food security. A Kh-22 supersonic cruise missile fired by a Russian Tu-22M3 Backfire bomber slammed into the port side of the bulk carrier MV Aya on Sept. 11 in a morning strike, according to the Kiyv Post. Reportedly, the weapon was one of three launched by a trio of bombers flying over the Black Sea shortly after 11 a.m. The Belize-owned, Turkey-operated Aya was carrying Ukrainian grain loaded in the port Chornomorsk and was en route to Egypt. At the time the Russian missile struck her, the Aya was in international waters some 15-20 nautical miles off shore. She had been travelling in convoy with other cargo vessels. It was the first time a missile has struck a civilian vessel transporting grains at sea since the start of Moscows invasion in February 2022, according to Reuters. Some vessels have been damaged during Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports where they were moored. We strongly condemn Russias attack on a commercial cargo ship in the Black Sea last night. This escalatory attack is a blatant violation of international law that threatens global food security. pic.twitter.com/yJ2vs77Viz Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) September 12, 2024 Ukrainian pilots arrived in Romania a few days ago and have already started training to fly F-16 Vipers, according to Euromaidan Press. Ukraines Defense Minister Rustem Umerov previously announced the start of training for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s in Romania after a conversation with his Romanian counterpart Angel Tilvar, the publication reported. It marks the first time Ukrainian pilots will train on Western jets in Romania. The Ukrainians are expected to begin flight training by October 2024. At the latest count, around 85 F-16AM/BMs have now been committed to Ukraine. These comprise 24 from the Netherlands, 19 from Denmark, and 12 from Norway (with the same country providing 10 more that will be used for spare parts), while Belgium says it will supply 30. Greece has also since been suggested as a possible source of more of the fighters, of the F-16C/D Block 30 version. Ukrainian pilots have commenced training on F-16 fighter jets in Romania. The training is taking place at the Fetesti Air Base and the Borcea Air Base in Romania. Ukraine is set to receive a total of approximately 85 F-16 fighter jets from various NATO allies, with a total of pic.twitter.com/9UiPydWFPm Clash Report (@clashreport) September 13, 2024 The Pentagon is spending $1.2 billion in a contract modification for a new batch of AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAM. Those are among the munitions that can be fired by Vipers. This modification adds additional production of the AMRAAM missiles, AMRAAM telemetry system, initial and field spares, and other production engineering support hardware and activities, it states on its website. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to Bahrain, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, Ukraine, and United Kingdom. The U.S. Department of Defense announced that the Pentagon is allocating ~$1.2 billion for the production of medium-range AMRAAM missiles for sales to countries including Ukraine. These advanced missiles have a range of up to 160 km and use inertial guidance with an active radar pic.twitter.com/pMFUMvBkpd NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) September 12, 2024 Last year, Russia started producing a new long-range attack drone called the Garpiya-A1 using Chinese engines and parts, Reuters reported. The drones have been used Ukraine the publication said, citing two sources from a European intelligence agency and documents seen by Reuters. The intelligence which included a production contract for the new drone, company correspondence on the manufacturing process and financial documents indicated that IEMZ Kupol, a subsidiary of Russian state-owned weapons maker Almaz-Antey, produced more than 2,500 Garpiyas from July 2023 to July 2024, Reuters stated. "Russia started producing a new long-range attack drone called the Garpiya-A1 last year using Chinese engines and parts, which it has deployed in the war in Ukraine, according to two sources from a European intelligence agency and documents seen by Reuters. The intelligence pic.twitter.com/fgjili6eBo Rob Lee (@RALee85) September 13, 2024 Ukrainian forces struck an ammunition dump in the occupied Azov Sea town of Mariupol, according to an advisor to the citys mayor. Arrival in Mariupol district. The attack has been going on for half an hour, Russian air defense is not capable, Petro Andriushchenko wrote on Telegram. Detonation is present immediately after impact. Video emerged on social media purporting to show the aftermath of that attack, with several large fires burning and explosives cooking off. Early this evening, Ukrainian forces successfully struck a Russian ammunition dump outside of Mariupol. Multiple large fires and secondary explosions could be seen from nearby as the dump cooked off. pic.twitter.com/3Kr1nU05r7 OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 11, 2024 Three train cars filled with oil near Chernivhiv in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast caught fire after being hit by Ukrainian drones, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Zaporizhia Region said Friday on Telegram. Dozens of first responders, using 18 pieces of equipment and a fire train quickly extinguished the fire and prevented it from spreading to other tanks, the ministry said. Fortunately, there were no casualties. Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the temporarily occupied Chernihiv district in Zaporizhzhia region, report local channels. The target was a freight railroad train with fuel tanks. Russian emergency officials reported that 3 fuel tanks were completely burned out. Follow pic.twitter.com/xM4V9ONdbJ BLYSKAVKA (@blyskavka_ua) September 13, 2024 There was another attack on Russian rail transport, a key to their logistics. In the video below, you can see an unmanned ground vehicle laden with explosives from Ukraines 25th Airborne Brigade trying to blow up train tracks in Novohrodivka in Donetsk Oblast. That area is about seven miles southeast of the embattled city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. A kamikaze ground drone from the Ukrainian 25th Airborne Brigade is attempting to destroy a railway north of Novohrodivka. pic.twitter.com/fPDagvek9X NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) September 12, 2024 In a joint operation, Ukraines Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) and special operations forces (SSO) blew up a section of railway in Russias Belgorod Oblast, Ukrinform reported. The publication cited an informed source in intelligence circles. As a result of a successful operation, a freight train that covered the logistical needs of the aggressor states army was derailed, the publication reported. After the explosion on the railway track, 11 rail cars and the locomotive of the freight train derailed. The train in the Belgorod region was derailed due to a joint operation by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) and special forces (SSO). On September 10, explosives were planted and detonated on the "Stary Oskol Valuyki" railway line. The operation successfully derailed a https://t.co/RDWAkIkSls pic.twitter.com/BPCXlbUkgq NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) September 12, 2024 Meanwhile, as Russia continues to press forward toward Pokrovsk, it struck a bridge in Myrnohrad over railroad tracks on the key TO-504 highway. Thats a vital supply route in the eastern part of Ukraine between Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka about 30 miles to the east. Russia struck a bridge between Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, completely destroying it, according to regional authorities. They also disrupted the water supply to Pokrovsk. Officials describe the situation as extremely difficult. pic.twitter.com/OXDeQLVe3h NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) September 12, 2024 The ubiquity of drones on the battlefield from both sides has made supplying frontline troops a challenge. However, drones are part of the solution, too. With trucks and trains getting hit, Russia has resorted to drones to drop bottles of water to its troops. The following video shows them loading up water bottles encased in polyurethane foam to ensure they survive being dropped. Ukrainian FPV drones attack every Russian vehicle and every visible soldier within their range, making forward resupply a desperate business. Bottles of water are encased in polyurethane foam to survive dropping by drones to Russian forward positions. https://t.co/K7vYoiCSXn pic.twitter.com/ik9ZLBlejo Roy (@GrandpaRoy2) September 13, 2024 A Russian attack destroyed a 112-year-old Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) building in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the regional diocese reported. On September 12, as a result of Russian mortar fire the UOC church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God Znamenia was destroyed, the Kryvyi Rih Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) reported on Telegram. The church was hit around 10 in the morning, during the Divine Liturgy, the diocese said. During the singing of the Cherubim Song at the Divine Liturgy, a projectile hit the roof of the church, as a result of which a fire started. Despite the efforts of the fire rescuers who arrived at the scene of the fire, the church roof, the dome part and the internal decoration of the church were completely destroyed. The following video shows smoke billowing out of the building and firefighters working to douse the flames. Russians hit a Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) in Nikopol. The attack damaged the church's roof, dome, and interior, which was built in 1912. Fortunately, no one was injured. pic.twitter.com/YLaxdhBYRh NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) September 13, 2024 A Russian soldier is seen tossing a Molotov cocktail at a U.S.-donated M1 Abrams tank, with the motor still running. It is unclear whether it was abandoned and the video cuts out before we can see the results of this attack. Russian soldier throws molotov at Ukrainian Abrams tank with running engine, likely abandoned. The footage also cuts before the molotov hits. pic.twitter.com/y6IiFRm169 Clash Report (@clashreport) September 12, 2024 Dmitry Lysakovsky, better known as Goodwin, was a well-known Russian drone operator much beloved by his comrades. However, after criticizing his leaders over their conduct of the war, he was sent to the front lines, where he was killed, the Russian Falcoln Telegram channel noted Friday. He and several other people who were objectionable to the regiment commander were disbanded from the UAV detachment into an assault detachment and sent to the front lines without support, in fact, simply to die. Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Gritsai, who recorded a dying video, died with him. "Legendary" Russian drone operator Dmitry "Goodwin" Lysakovsky was allegedly sent on a high-risk assault mission where he was killed after criticizing the command. He was a commander of aerial reconnaissance for the self-proclaimed "DNR" (Donetsk People's Republic). pic.twitter.com/BuPrEkHMvb Clash Report (@clashreport) September 13, 2024 All the information we provided about enemy targets reconnoitered by UAVs was slowed down at the level of the regiment commander and chief of staff and did not go higher so that the Ukrainian armys targets would not be destroyed, Gritsai said in that video, according to Falcon. So that they would continue to destroy our fighters. So that they would continue to strike at the territory of the Russian Federation. And as soon as it became clear that we had the ability to distribute information higher, the order came: Lets bury Ernest, Goodwin, and everyone else involved in this. And if we dont come back, this recording will be proof that we were right. If you are fighting for your Motherland, fight for your Motherland, not for your own pocket. And we are going to storm an oath, a duty. An interesting situation is emerging, Falcon cautioned. The regiment commander sends people he doesnt like to death, taking away all their equipment and depriving them of support in advance. In his video, Goodwin also accused the commander of drug trafficking and sabotage. There are no words to describe the people they are destroying Earlier this year, we wrote about how the Ukrainian military was testing out a new so-called soft recoil artillery piece. Now an image has emerged of the system a soft recoil 105mm, the Hawkeye Mobile Howitzer System (MHS), mounted on an up-armored M1152 two-door cargo truck version of the 44 Humvee (sometimes referred to as a 2-CT type). The weapon could give Ukraines forces a useful new shoot-and-scoot artillery capability. How the self-propelled 105mm low-recoil howitzer performs in Ukraine might have impacts beyond the battlefields there, especially for the U.S. Army, which has had an on-again-off-again interest in weapons of this type. You can read more about that in our deep dive here. A Hawkeye 105 mm self-propelled howitzer undergoing evaluation on a training range in Ukraine earlier this year in alt text. https://t.co/EfGoHzES7Npic.twitter.com/65agpfyZfF John Ridge (@John_A_Ridge) September 13, 2024 Images have emerged of another Ukrainian decoy, this one designed to look like a U.S.-made HAWK surface-to-air missile system, which you can read more about here. Ukraine has frequently used elaborate mockups to great effect. Late last year we reported on how a remarkably accurate (non-inflatable) decoy of a Ukrainian Su-25 Frogfoot ground-attack aircraft was destroyed on the ground by a Russian Lancet loitering munition. So accurate was this decoy that Russia claimed it had successfully hit the real thing. Overall, Ukrainian decoy-makers have revealed themselves to be notably skilled practitioners of this craft, with various mock-ups of armored vehicles, multiple launch rocket systems, air defense systems, and other items of equipment having appeared. On many occasions, these have succeeded in drawing attacks from the Russian side, each of which increases the chances of the real piece of hardware surviving to fight another day. Ukrainian decoys of HAWK air defense system https://t.co/wlbWJA5AkC pic.twitter.com/lL2EAsyShs Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) September 12, 2024 And finally, a Russian soldier unsuccessfully sought refuge from an FPV drone in an outhouse. The video shows him being spotted and ducking into it. However, he could not hide and the outhouse was blown apart. Flush Away Your Worries! Experience the ultimate comfort with our state-of-the-art toilet. Designed for elegance and efficiency, it's the perfect addition to any modern bathroom. Say goodbye to ordinary and hello to extraordinary hygiene and style. Upgrade your throne today! pic.twitter.com/yUvHPsgZeP Slava (@Heroiam_Slava) September 13, 2024 Thats it for now. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com Russian officials threatened the West on Saturday with an uncontrolled escalation of war and Ukraine with the destruction of Kyiv as Western leaders discussed whether to allow Ukraine to use their weapons for strikes deep into Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said late on Friday that his plan to achieve victory depended on Washington's decision, a clear reference to the authorisation for long-range strikes that Kyiv has long sought from NATO allies. Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskiy's office, said on the Telegram messaging app on Saturday: "Strong decisions are needed. Terror can be stopped by destroying the military facilities where it originates." A war crimes prosecutor works at a site of a Russian drone attack, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, on the outskirts of Lviv, Ukraine on June 19, 2024. More: 'Leave our president alone': Kremlin slams Harris-Trump kerfuffle over who Putin will eat for lunch Kyiv has said such strikes are critical for its efforts to restrict Moscow's ability to attack Ukraine, but allies have so far been reluctant to permit them, citing fears Moscow will treat them as an escalation and doubting their efficiency. While no official decision on the matter has been announced so far, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov alleged it had already been made and communicated to Kyiv, and that Moscow would have to respond with actions of its own. "The decision has been made, the carte blanche and all indulgences have been given (to Kyiv), so we are ready for everything," the RIA news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying. "And we will react in a way that will not be pretty." 'MELTED SPOT' Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chairman of the country's security council, said the West was testing Russia's patience but it was not limitless. Medvedev said Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region, which Zelenskiy described as a successful operation slowing Russia's advance, already gave Russia formal grounds to use its nuclear arsenal. More: Russia expels six British diplomats as tensions rise over Ukraine missiles He said that Moscow could either resort to nuclear weapons in the end, or use some of its non-nuclear but still deadly novel weapons for a large-scale attack. "And that would be it. A giant, grey, melted spot instead of 'the mother of Russian cities'," he wrote on the Telegram messaging app, referring to Kyiv. Ukraine's Yermak, in turn, said of Russian President Vladimir Putin: "Loud threats of Putin's regime testify only to his fear that terror may come to an end." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Russia threatens Ukraine, West as long-range strikes decision looms Moscow and Kyiv swapped 103 prisoners of war each on Saturday in a UAE-brokered deal, a rare moment of coordination between the warring sides as Russia pushes ahead in east Ukraine. The Russians released in the swap were captured during Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region, Moscow said, while some of the Ukrainians freed had been held prisoner since Moscow seized the Azovstal steel plant in May 2022. "Another 103 soldiers were returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram. Among the freed were 82 privates and sergeants as well as 21 officers, Zelensky said. Russia confirmed it had "handed over" 103 Ukrainian army prisoners, and received 103 Russian servicemen captured by Kyiv in its Kursk offensive in return. "All Russian servicemen are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are being provided with the necessary psychological and medical assistance, as well as an opportunity to contact their relatives," the Russian defence ministry said. Despite ongoing hostilities, Russia and Ukraine have managed to swap hundreds of prisoners throughout the two-and-half-year conflict -- often in deals brokered by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia or Turkey. The announcement comes a day after Zelensky said 49 Ukrainian POWs had been returned from Russia, and three weeks ago both sides swapped 115 prisoners each in a deal also mediated by the UAE. The UAE's foreign ministry hailed the deal as a "success" and thanked both sides for their cooperation on Saturday. - Russian advances - The prisoner swap came as Russia pushed ahead in east Ukraine, where it claims to have captured a string of villages in recent weeks. The Russian defence ministry said in a daily briefing it had "liberated" the village of Zhelanne Pershe, less than 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the key Ukrainian-held logistics hub of Pokrovsk. Pokrovsk lies on the intersection of a key road that supplies Ukrainian troops and towns across the eastern front and has long been a target for Moscow's army. More than half of the city's 60,000 residents have fled since the invasion began in February 2022, with evacuations ramping up in recent weeks as Moscow's army closes in. Ukraine had hoped its major cross-border incursion into the Kursk region last month would slow down Russia's advances in the east. On Friday, Zelensky said Moscow had been slowed down somewhat but conceded the situation on the eastern front was "very difficult". Russia meanwhile claimed this week to have clawed back a swath of territory in the Kursk region, as it mounted what appeared to be a counter-offensive. - Missile spat - Tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict reached dire levels this week over UK and US discussions about letting Ukraine use longer-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia. The discussions came after a visit to Kyiv by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British counterpart David Lammy. President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Thursday that green-lighting the use of the long-range weapons deep inside Russia would put the NATO military alliance "at war" with Moscow. "This would in a significant way change the very nature of the conflict," Putin told a state television reporter. "It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia," he added. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden on Friday delayed a decision on the move. Biden will meet Zelensky in late September at the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss aid to Ukraine, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Saturday. Speaking remotely to a forum in Kyiv, Sullivan said "difficult and complicated" logistics -- rather than unwillingness -- was delaying aid to Ukraine. "It's not a matter of political will," Sullivan said. "But given what Ukraine is up against, we've got to do more, and we've got to do better." He said Biden would use the remaining four months of his term "to put Ukraine in the best possible position to prevail." Speaking at the same forum, Ukraine's intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said that of all of Russia's allies, North Korea's assistance is the most damaging because of the large quantities of ammunition it provides. bur-cad/gv/imm Russian attacks against Ukraine kill at least 6, injure 25 over past day Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least six people and injured at least 25 over the past day, regional authorities reported on Sept. 14. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 72 of the 76 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. A Russian airstrike against the village of Yampil in Sumy Oblast on the morning of Sept. 13 killed two civilians and injured six, including a 4-year-old child, regional authorities reported. Russian forces targeted the Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, overnight and on Sept. 13, Governor Serhii Lysak said. Two women aged 54 and 63 were injured, as well as a 60-year-old man. Russian attacks against Donetsk Oblast killed three people and injured four over the past day, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin. Russian attacks against Kharkiv Oblast injured five people over the past day, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. A 30-year-old woman was injured by a Russian FPV drone in Kupiansk, while a 64-year-old man was injured in a ballistic missile attack on a bread factory. Three other men were injured during shelling across the oblast. In Kherson Oblast, one person was killed and seven injured over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. An educational institution, two high-rise buildings, six houses, a bus, and cars were damaged. No casualties were reported in Mykolaiv Oblast, Governor Vitalii Kim said, but Russian artillery fire and drones were active. Read also: Ukraines long-range missile strike hopes on hold once again but encouraging signs remain Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russians attack Kharkiv Oblast, killing one person and injuring two A woman has been killed, and two other civilians have been injured as a result of a Russian attack on the village of Pisky-Radkivski, Kharkiv Oblast. Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast State Administration, on Telegram Quote: "At 12:15, the occupiers attacked the village of Pisky-Radkivski, Izium district, with Tornado-S MLRS. Sadly, a 72-year-old woman was killed as a result of Russian aggression, and her body was removed from under the rubble by rescue workers. Two civilians, a man and a woman, were hospitalised." Support UP or become our patron! On the morning of September 13th, the 2024 Anhui Internet Culture Innovation and Development Forum was held in Huangshan. In order to comprehensively build a modern and beautiful Anhui and promote high-quality development, culture is not only an important content and symbol, but also a vital support and force. As one of the events of the 2024 Anhui Internet Civilization Conference, this forum adopted "Gathering Wisdom of Anhui Charm, Cultural Heritage Inheritance" as its theme. It ingeniously integrates the "Great Yellow Mountain" super IP to jointly explore the path of innovative development for internet culture. During the keynote speech session, experts, scholars, and industry leaders discussed industry concepts, shared development ideas, and sparked brilliant ideas through intellectual exchanges. In the digital age, the prosperity of digital culture also provides a powerful impetus for activating the soft power of culture and tourism. Guests discussed in depth around the theme of "Exploring the Social Code of the 'Great Yellow Mountain' Super IP," offering suggestions for promoting high-quality economic development in the southern Anhui region and building a prosperous and powerful cultural province. Source: anhuinews.com Legendary investor Warren Buffett has often described his investment philosophy as buying great businesses for cheap prices. However, a shareholder at Berkshire Hathaways 1996 annual meeting wanted to know which of these factors was more important. If you had three great companies, wonderful businessesis it better to wait a year or two to see if the company stumbles? the shareholder asked. Don't miss Commercial real estate has beaten the stock market for 25 years but only the super rich could buy in. Here's how even ordinary investors can become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger Car insurance premiums in America are through the roof and only getting worse. But 5 minutes could have you paying as little as $29/month These 5 magic money moves will boost you up America's net worth ladder in 2024 and you can complete each step within minutes. Here's how Buffett responded clearly: I think its better just to own them. After all, anticipating a companys missteps or a market crash without any solid evidence of poor performance may leave you waiting forever. To sit there and hope that you buy them in the throes of some panic, that you would take the attitude of a mortician waiting for a flu epidemic, Im not sure that will be a great technique, he said. Heres why Buffett believes waiting for the market to crash is a futile strategy. Dont wait for accidental success Buffett explained that finding a good, investment-worthy business can be tricky enough. But to find such a business at precisely the right time, while you have plenty of cash and the market is down, is too much to count on. You never get the benefit of those extremes anyway unless you come into some accidental sum of money at some time, he said. And Buffetts sentiments were previously echoed by another renowned investor, Peter Lynch, in his 1996 book Learn to Earn. In his work, Lynch digs into historical returns from 1965 onward and shows that someone who invested during the market's peak every year had only underperformed someone who invested at the bottom of the market every year by 1.1%. In other words, perfect timing was overrated. Far more money has been lost by investors trying to anticipate corrections than has been lost in all the corrections combined, he says in the book. Its also a mistake to sit on your cash and wait for the upcoming correction before you invest in stocks. In trying to time the market to sidestep the bears people often miss out on the chance to run with the bulls. Recent data suggests theres a better approach for investors trying to maximize performance over the long term. Story continues Read more: Dont leave your family unprotected find life insurance coverage up to $2 million with no medical exam or blood test Time in the market Investors are often better off implementing a consistent strategy over extended periods instead of waiting for home runs, since predicting the market is notoriously difficult. Digital fund management company WisdomTree compiled a list of annual market predictions from major investment banks and asset managers at the end of 2022. These estimates for the S&P 500 ranged from -4.3% to 17.2%. By the end of 2023, the S&P 500 had delivered a 24.2% gain beating all 16 forecasts. Meanwhile, a 2023 Wealthfront analysis revealed that the probability of losing money was 25.2% if an investor stayed invested in the stock market for one year. It dropped to just 0.3% if they stayed invested for 15 years and 0% if the time horizon was stretched to 20 years. Put simply, time in the market is better than timing the market. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. A total of 16 Russian ships have been deployed in the Black Sea as of the morning of 14 September, including 7 missile carriers equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, with a total firing capacity of up to 48 missiles. Source: Ukrainian Navy Details: There are no Russian ships present in the Azov Sea. The Ukrainian Navy reported that the following ships passed through the Kerch Strait over the past 24 hours: The Black Sea: three ships, all of which continued towards the Bosphorus; The Azov Sea: eight ships, five of which were moving from the Bosphorus. Why its important: Russia has deployed up to four or five ships in the Black Sea in recent months. The last time over 10 ships were deployed was at the beginning of February 2024. Support UP or become our patron! The Sacramento City Council will start the process of declaring a state of emergency over a road safety crisis that has left at least 20 people dead in traffic collisions so far this year Councilwoman Caity Maple, the vice mayor, shared in a social media post Friday evening her plan to introduce the proposal with Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Councilwoman Karina Talamantes. Maple noted that the announcement came the day after a crash left a woman whod been crossing Sutterville Road gravely injured. Sacramento has previously identified Sutterville Road as part of its high-injury network those city streets where the highest numbers of fatal and severe crashes occur. Thursdays crash happened on the boundary of Maples district with that of Rick Jennings district. The Sacramento Police Department said Friday night that the 48-year-old woman remained in critical condition at the hospital. A bystander provided The Sacramento Bee a video from the scene of the crash which showed her lying motionless on the road, halfway underneath an SUV. A state of emergency would make it easier for the city to draw in state and federal dollars to address the road safety crisis. Councilwoman Lisa Kaplan has previously called for a bond measure to fund infrastructure improvements, but Sacramento leaders have thus far directed little funding toward the problem. In May, Steinberg called road improvements a top, top priority, but the council subsequently opted not to include $10 million in the budget to fund the Active Transportation Commissions nine recommendations for improving city streets. The state of emergency declaration could also enable Sacramento to go outside its standard contracts process for solutions to help curb deaths and injuries. Research as well as other cities and countries have demonstrated that the vast majority of traffic deaths are preventable with changes to infrastructure. Following that research, Sacramento leaders made a Vision Zero promise in 2017 to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2027. But the death toll on city streets has continued to rise. This year, The Bee has reported on crashes that killed Mattie Nicholson, 56, Kate Johnston, 55, Jeffrey Blain, 59, Aaron Ward, 40, Michael Kennedy, 40, Federico Zacarias Cambrano, 28, Marvin Moran, 22, Sam Dent, 41, Daniel Morris, 38, Terry Lane, 55, David Rink, 51, Tyler Vandehei, 32, James Lind, 54, Jose Valladolid Ramirez, 36, Larry Winters, 76, Sau Voong, 84, Jose Luis Silva, Geohaira Geo Sosa, 32, Kaylee Xiong, 18, and Muhammad Saddique, 64, who was killed Sept. 9 walking through the same Natomas intersection where Voong was fatally struck on his morning bike ride June 11. Of the dead, 13 were pedestrians or cyclists and two were riding electric scooters. The other five were motorists. Sacramento could get faster road safety fixes The city council proposal, Maple said, would direct staff to expedite safety projects. Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela has pushed for the Department of Public Works to start a quick-build program which could respond urgently to safety concerns. Earlier this month, city spokeswoman Gabby Miller said that staff were still reviewing consultant proposals for the program, but would need to identify funding to implement. Currently, the city rarely responds with urgency to make safety improvements in the wake of severe or fatal crashes. A crash in January 2018 killed a grandmother and left her grandson, Jian Hao Kuang, then 6, with profound disabilities including severe permanent brain damage. The city settled a lawsuit with the boys family and has adopted a plan to move toward safer infrastructure on Freeport Boulevard. It had removed the crosswalk shortly before the fatal collision, telling The Bee in 2018 that the intersection was dangerous for pedestrians. Six and a half years later, the intersection remains unchanged. Mary Murigi the mother of teenager Michelle Murigi, who died in January 2012 while walking across Fruitridge Road in south Sacramento at an event to activate a new traffic signal at the intersection. City of Sacramento and the Sacramento City Unified School District celebrated the operation of a new traffic signal at a West Campus High School press conference in Sacramento, Calif., on Tuesday, May 9, 2014. Hundreds of West Campus High School students along with local officials and friends and family walked to Fruitridge Road and witness the new traffic lights being turned on. Last fall, after student activism and a petition drive led by high school senior Siena Antolin - a friend of Michelle - the city and school district agreed to share the $400,000 cost of installing traffic signals at the busy corner. Police unsafe drivers while deadly speeds are legal? Maple who represents Oak Park, Hollywood Park and the Parkway said part of the proposal would direct City Manager Howard Chan to work with the Sacramento Police Department to ramp up enforcement of traffic laws that protect pedestrians, including speed limit enforcement, crosswalk violations, and distracted driving, especially in high-injury corridors. Shortly after Silva, a former Marine sergeant, was fatally struck Aug. 25 while riding a motorcycle through the intersection of J and 24 streets, police conducted a sting operation at the same junction. The city reported that in just one day, the undercover action led to 55 citations, many of them for failing to yield to the plainclothes police officer acting as a pedestrian. However, Sacramento has many streets where drivers are legally permitted to travel at speeds considered lethal. In June, Alena Wong, now 16, said that she was almost killed at the age of 12 when she was hit by a driver traveling 35 mph, the speed limit on Sutterville Road. A study in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention found that when a car traveling just 32.5 mph strikes a pedestrian, the average risk that the pedestrian will die is 25%. When a cars speed reaches 40.6 mph, the risk that the pedestrian will die is 50%. The World Health Organization and the United Nations have jointly said that 20 mph should be the maximum speed limit in urban centers. One participant in reaching that agreement, activist Zoleka Mandela, said anything faster is a death sentence. MILWAUKEE - The man accused of killing and dismembering Sade Robinson appeared before a judge on Friday, Sept. 13 for a pre-trial and motion hearing. During the hearing, the court denied the defense's motion to sever the arson charge from the homicide charge and have it tried separately. That means that going forward, Maxwell will be tried on all three charges (1st-Degree Intentional Homicide, Mutilating a Corpse, Arson of Property Other than a Building) in the same trial. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Additionally, the defense requested an adjournment for the final pre-trial due to incoming discovery and that state's witness list needing to be reviewed. The court granted that request and a new final pre-trial date has been set for Oct. 23. Maxwell Anderson is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and arson of property other than a building. He is accused of killing Robinson after a date and then dismembering her before dumping her body parts across Milwaukee. Anderson is scheduled to go to trial in December. Maxwell Anderson Surveillance images Images show Maxwell Anderson and Sade Robinson showing up at a Menomonee Valley bar and restaurant for a date. The two sit at the bar and later leave together. Filings say the two went to a Water Street bar that night April 1. It was the last time Robinson's family and friends heard from Sade. On April 3, someone found a severed leg on the bluff at Warnimont Park. Anderson was pulled over the next day a detective noticed a possible blood stain in the car. New court documents say an autopsy shows Robinson's leg was severed "with a sharp instrument." Robinson's foot later appeared near 30th and Galena a couple blocks away from where Robinson's burned out car was found. Surveillance stills show a man investigators believe is Anderson walking away from the area. He was later seen on a bus heading back to his home on the city's south side. When police searched Anderson's home, filings say investigators collected swabs of stains and women's clothing some hidden in the basement. Search Warrant A search warrant shows prosecutors believe Maxwell Anderson tried to cover up the death of Sade Robinson with a text message. The search warrant shows Anderson sent Robinson a text message the morning after prosecutors said he killed her. The warrant says it appears to be an attempt to cover up what he had done. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan during a visit to Tottenham Hale Village, north London, where he was joined by a neighbourhood policing team on patrol Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, is always bursting with ingenious new policy ideas. But this latest scheme may be his most inspired yet. He wants to let criminals jump the housing queue. Apparently, the Mayor believes that prioritising former prisoners will make them so grateful, they wont reoffend thus cutting crime. A flawless plan. Well, almost. Unfortunately, I fear that law-abiding Londoners may be a tiny bit miffed at being bumped to the back of the housing queue, just to appease convicted criminals. And so, to get to the front, theyll turn to crime themselves. Thanks to Labours helpful new early release programme, it should be pretty painless. Commit crime, spend couple of days in cell, collect keys to new flat from Mayor. Job done. Obviously theyll need to avoid any crimes that would carry a lengthy sentence. For example, going on social media to post their opinions on asylum policy. Still, they should be fine if they just do something minor. Dealing Class A drugs, say. That should see them out of jail and into a new house in no time. I was sorry to read, incidentally, that Diana Johnson, the minister for crime prevention, had her purse stolen this week at a conference on policing. Happily, I hear that Mr Khan has thought of a way to get it back. Hes going to announce that, if the thief returns the purse, he or she will be given a penthouse in Chelsea. Leave Oxbridge alone The privately educated are hugely overrepresented at Oxbridge and other top British universities. So says Born to Rule, a new book written by two leading academics. Thankfully, theyve worked out how to remedy this appalling injustice. At our finest universities, they argue, the intake of students who attended independent schools should be capped at just 10 per cent. This, the authors believe, would be fair, because it would reflect the prevalence of the privately educated in the UK population as a whole. To progressives, at least, such a proposal no doubt sounds perfectly reasonable. Unfortunately, though, I think that Ive spotted a problem. Put it like this. What would happen if we were to apply the same logic to other areas of public life? Take broadcasting. The Creative Diversity Network, an organisation that promotes inclusivity in the British broadcasting industry, has just published a report, recording the representation of various minority groups on TV. Page 28 features a chart headed on-screen contributions by sexual orientation. And it shows that, between August 1, 2022 and July 31, 2023, 17.1 per cent of on-screen contributions on British TV were made by people who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. But hang on a moment. The results of the latest census tell us that people who are gay, lesbian or bisexual account for only 3.2 per cent of the UK population. In response to this report, therefore, will leading academics argue that gay people are hugely overrepresented on TV? Will they claim that gay people are denying opportunities in TV to heterosexual people? And if so, will they declare that, to remedy this, there should be far fewer gay people on TV and call for a cap of 3.2 per cent? On the whole, something tells me that this prospect is unlikely. But, if were going to impose a cap on one statistically overrepresented group, then logically we should impose caps on others, too. That, however, could cause the most terrible uproar and controversy. So, to avoid this, I think perhaps it would be wisest not to bother with caps, and instead leave our institutions from broadcasters to universities to select as they see fit. The real problem with reparations The clamour is growing. During a visit to London this week, politicians from three African countries argued that their peoples should be paid reparations for the transatlantic slave trade. According to the Guardian, Shirley Botchwey, the foreign minister of Ghana, said: Financial reparations is good. No reasonable person could possibly deny that the slave trade was barbaric. When politicians demand reparations, however, theres a question they tend to overlook. Which is: how exactly did European slave traders acquire these African slaves in the first place? The answer is somewhat awkward. They often bought them from Africans. As rarely seems to be mentioned when the slave trade is discussed nowadays, slavery existed in Africa long before the Europeans turned up. But when they did, African ruling elites were only too delighted to offer their slaves for sale. Such an arrangement made these elites all the richer and more powerful. Which is why, when Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807, the king of Bonny (which today is part of Nigeria) wrote to Parliament to complain. Among the African elites to profit from the slave trade, as it happens, were those who lived in the Ashanti Empire which, these days, is a region of Ghana. As in, the country whose foreign minister says that financial reparations is good. So, if African politicians think that the people of today should be made to stump up for wrongs perpetrated hundreds of years ago by their fellow countrymen, perhaps they should demand reparations from themselves. Way of the World is a twice-weekly satirical look at the headlines aiming to mock the absurdities of the modern world. It is published at 7am every Tuesday and Saturday 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. SALEM, Ohio (WKBN) An ice cream shop in Salem is now serving breakfast. Totally 80s Ice Ice Cream Shoppe inside the Courtyard Square on State Street will now offer hot coffee, and a variety of bagels and bagel sandwiches. Saturday morning was the grand opening for Courtyard Perk at Totally 80s. With the new addition, the shop will now be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Madison Wolfe, the coffee house general manager, says adding breakfast items will benefit the business. I think that it is going to add an extra set of clients and customers to us, and given that we are open in the morning, it will provide people another alternative, she said. As a small business, Wolfe said they want to help the community in every way possible. The shop will be adding iced coffee within the next few days. Andrew Peterson contributed to this report. 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 WKBN.com. Same-sex marriage was on a roll in Asia. Not anymore Rainbow flags rippled in the wind as gay and lesbian couples walked hand in hand down a makeshift aisle in Bangkoks busy Siam shopping district. Thailands Senate had just passed a marriage equality bill, and the local LGBTQ+ community was in the mood to celebrate. While the ceremonies were symbolic enactments of same-sex weddings, the real thing could be just around the corner. When I was young, people said people like us couldnt have a family, cant have children, so marriage was impossible, Bangkok resident Pokpong Jitjaiyai told CNN on the day the bill was passed. Now I can freely say that I am gay, said Pokpong, who cant wait to marry his partner Watit Benjamonkolchai. The law, passed in June, still requires the thumbs-up from the king, but that is expected soon, clearing the way for Thailand to become the first jurisdiction in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and Asias third after Taiwan in 2019 and Nepal last year. But the recent flurry of progress for marriage equality in Asia could stop there, with no other government in the region looking likely to follow suit anytime soon. The truth is not a lot of governments are moving as proactively as the one in Thailand, Suen Yiu-tung, associate professor of gender studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told CNN. The winning formula More than 30 jurisdictions worldwide now recognize same-sex marriage, according to the Pew Research Center. Since the first same-sex marriage law was passed in the Netherlands in 2001, progress has been made mostly in Europe, the Americas and Australasia. Just across Thailands borders, homosexuality is illegal in Myanmar and Malaysia. Bans also exist in Sri Lanka, Brunei, Bangladesh and Indonesias ultraconservative province of Aceh. Maximum penalties range from lengthy jail terms to caning, according to the Human Dignity Trust, a United Kingdom-based body that supports strategic litigation worldwide against laws prejudicing the LGBTQ+ community. Despite some historic wins in the region the human rights of LGBTI people across Asia continue to be denied, said Nadia Rahman, policy advisor at Amnesty Internationals Global Gender, Racial Justice, Refugees and Migrants Rights Programme. She added that people from these communities face criminalization, threats of arrest, discrimination, digital surveillance, harassment, online abuse, stigma and violence. While liberalization in Thailand, Nepal and Taiwan was propelled by those places unique cultures and socio-political circumstances, scholars and activists said, most other Asian governments are held back by conservative social attitudes, influential religious groups and the lack of robust democratic systems. Gay couples cut a wedding cake in Amsterdam on April 1, 2001 after the first same-sex marriage law was passed in the Netherlands. - Marcel Antonisse/ANP/AFP/Getty Images Campaigners and academics in Asia say Nepal has long had a liberal judiciary willing to side with the LGBTQ+ community, while its deeply embedded culture of third-gender hijras laid the groundwork for liberal changes. In Thailand and Taiwan, many attribute progress to a combination of democratic development and a robust civil society. Assistant professor Kangwan Fongkaew, who researches LGBTQ+ issues at Burapha University, said despite political instability in recent decades, Thailands political system was functional enough to channel popular demands into legislation. The majority of people in Thailand want marriage equality, Kangwan said. And now its time for Thailand to have that, he added, calling it the victory of the people. Unlike in mainland China where LGBTQ+ activism is taboo and can draw backlash from authorities the movement has thrived in Taiwan. Campaigner Jennifer Lu, director of gay rights advocacy Outright International in Taiwan, noted the importance of the islands functional democratic system in the process of liberalization. This kind of democratic practice really creates the foundation of this progressive vibe, Lu said. Acceptance of non-traditional gender identities has grown stronger since. In May, Taiwans then President Tsai Ing-wen invited homegrown drag queen Nymphia Wind to perform at the Presidential Office to celebrate her win on hit TV talent show RuPauls Drag Race. Activists and members of the LGBTQ+ community parade in Kathmandu, Nepal on June 10, 2023. - Sanjit Pariyar/NurPhoto/Getty Images Members of the LGBTQ+ community celebrate after the Thai parliament passed the final senatorial vote on the same-sex marriage bill, in Bangkok on June 18, 2024. - Chanakarn Laosarakham/AFP/Getty Images People hold posters as they gather outside Taiwan's parliament ahead of a vote on legalizing same-sex marriage on May 17, 2019 in Taipei, Taiwan. - Carl Court/Getty Images Asias next best bets While other Asian jurisdictions have the potential to be the fourth to allow LGBTQ+ couples to marry, according to experts, they are not convinced changes will come anytime soon. India is also a democracy, and like neighboring Nepal has laws protecting transgender people, so is a legitimate contender. But campaigners there say authorities are lukewarm on the need for change. Activist Anish Gawande, who co-founded Pink List India, a group tracking politicians stance on LGBTQ+ issues, said understanding for sexual minorities is growing in the worlds most populous nation. He has recently been appointed the first openly gay national spokesman of a political party. But he said the government refuses to do more than it needs to please the international community. LGBTQ+ activists petitioned Indias highest court for the right to marry, only to be told it should be decided by the government. The government, run by Indias third term Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has set up a committee to look into the issue, but without any notable outcome, Gawande said, adding that with neither New Delhi nor the courts taking the lead on the issue there was a stalemate for LGBTQ+ rights in the country. Officials said experts had provided suggestions. CNN has reached out to the committee for comment. Plaintiffs and supporters react in front of the Tokyo District Court on November 30, 2022, following a ruling in a lawsuit filed by same-sex couples seeking damages from the government. - Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images Japan the only G7 country that does not recognize same-sex relationships has seen piecemeal victories for LGBTQ+ rights through multiple court cases and at the prefecture level. In early July, Hiroshimas high court approved a trans womans request to alter her birth gender status without undergoing gender-affirming surgery. And some local governments, including Tokyo, have issued certificates to honor de facto same-sex relationships for administrative purposes, such as housing subsidies. But on the national level, Japan does not recognize same-sex marriage and local courts have returned conflicting verdicts on the issue. Polls suggest popular backing. Up to 68% of Japans adults support same-sex marriage, the highest share in Asia, according to the Pew Research Center. But in a country where the government takes pride in traditional values, change can be slow. And in neighboring South Korea, traditionally conservative views on sexuality persist. Scuffles broke out last year in the city of Daegu as local officials led by the mayor clashed with police during a protest against an LGBTQ festival. Organizers of the flagship Seoul Queer Culture Festival also lost their venue last year to a Christian youth concert. There have been some progressive successes, however. The countrys Supreme Court ruled last month that same-sex partners should be entitled to spousal benefits from national health insurance. Professor Andrew Kim, from Korea Universitys College of International Studies, said religious groups are influential in the country. The missionaries who came to Korea from the US they are largely conservative protestant missionaries, he said. Supporters attend the annual "Pink Dot" event in a show of support for the LGBTQ+ community in Singapore on June 18, 2022. - Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images Uncertainties in the region One argument for legalizing same-sex marriage is the economic advantages of doing so, especially if neighboring economies arent. Multinational companies need to move their staff around including those who arent heterosexual and have been lobbying for changes in financial hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong, which would both like to attract and retain major company HQs. If youre a country that welcomes these high-tech companies with very liberal policies, yet the rest of the society is repressive, like Singapore for example, where same-sex partners cannot get visas, the governments will have to think about how it manages these things, said Shawna Tang, senior gender studies lecturer at the University of Sydney. But even in the face of such pressure, neither Hong Kongs nor Singapores government seems particularly keen to liberalize. Singapores parliament decriminalized sex between men in 2022, but amended the constitution to effectively block court challenges that could lead to same-sex marriage. In Hong Kong, the Court of Final Appeal ordered the citys government last September to create a legal framework to recognize the rights of same-sex couples. But months have lapsed, and the government has not yet responded. The court also stopped short of granting same-sex marriage, meaning this could be as far as the efforts get. And with Beijing tightening its grip on the city in recent years, activists said, the political space needed to facilitate change is shrinking. Professor Peter Newman, from the University of Torontos Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, said while things are improving in Asia, progress has been extremely uneven. In at least six Asian countries, same-sex intimacy and relationships remain criminalized, as well as the gender expression of transgender people, with punishments on the books from eight years and 100 lashes in Indonesia and Malaysia, to life imprisonment in Bangladesh, he said. Even in places where same-sex marriage has been legalized, widespread challenges persist from school to workplace bullying to stigma in health care services, he said. But Suen, from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said across Asia, public discussions have bloomed, and that Thailands move to legalize same-sex marriage was an encouraging sign. The outlook is positive, but its going to take a while, Suen said. CNNs Samra Zulfaqar, Yoonjung Seo and Aishwarya Iyer contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (NEXSTAR) How bad is work-life balance in the City by the Bay? Pretty bad, according to a new analysis by personal finance outlet FinanceBuzz. In fact, San Francisco ranked ninth in the rankings of most overworked U.S. cities. To figure this out, FinanceBuzz ranked over 75 of the U.S. biggest cities based on six data points including average number of hours working/commuting, percentage of workers working 50+ weeks per year, percentage of active workers over the age of 65, and more. Most popular baby names in California, according to Social Security Administration FinanceBuzz analysts said the amount of time San Francisco residents spend working or commuting to work each week (44.92 hours) deeply impacted its Overworked score. All-in-all, San Francisco received an Overworked score of 61.7 out of 100, with some of its highest scores coming from percentage of workers who work 50+ weeks per year and volume of searches for side hustles or side jobs. City Overworked score Average work + commute time Workers who work 50+ weeks per year Dual job households Workers with 2 jobs Google Trends search volume for side hustle jobs San Francisco 61.7 44.92 (weekly) 86.4% 62.8% 4.4% 63.5 While San Francisco earned some favor for its relatively low percentage of workers with two jobs, the time spent working and commuting each week negatively impacts its overall score. Additionally, FinanceBuzz found that SF had a higher percentage of dual-worker households than even the top most-overworked city in the U.S. Though Denver placed atop the national list of overworked cities, San Franciscos dual-worker households percentage is 0.9% higher. Heres how much PG&E customers monthly bills will increase In April, San Francisco also ranked eighth in a WalletHub study that attempted to find the hardest-working cities in the U.S. Analysts weighed workweek hours, share of workers not using vacation time, commute time and share of workers with multiple jobs. On the other end of the scale, Detroit was found to be least overworked city in America by FinanceBuzz. Analysts found that Detroits percentage of senior citizen workers is the lowest of any U.S. city (13.5%) and the lowest percentage of workers that work more than 50 weeks per year (77.1%). You can find the full study at FinanceBuzz. 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. CHICAGO Chicago police are issuing a warning about a scam targeting elderly Chinese residents. The cases were reported in several neighborhoods, including Chinatown, between May and late August. In some cases, WGN News was told the victims were allegedly scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars, a pattern that has elected officials and activists concerned about some of the most vulnerable residents being targeted. We dont know how many people theyve actually deceived, but the stories weve heard are devastating, said Grace Chan McKibben, executive director of the Coalition for a better Chinese American Community. Potential renters fall prey to rental scam through fake Facebook post So far, CPD said theyve received five reports of elderly members of the Chinese community being preyed on. According to police, the suspects described as two-to-three Asian women between 30 and 40 years of age are earning their victims trust to carry out confidence scams. They came up to these elderly people, making up stories like, Im looking for directions. Im trying to find this miracle doctor,' McKibben said. Businesses shared photos of the suspects believed to be involved with the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community. Alderwoman Nicole Lee of the 11th Ward said the crimes are especially concerning to her. It was so culturally specific and it was committed by other Chinese people, so it was very alarming and disappointing all at the same time, Lee said. According to McKibben, several victims have shared stories of the suspects working in a calculated way, often convincing their victims to walk with them and find the so-called miracle doctor as they solicit personal information. QR code scams are hidden in plain sight. Heres how to spot them According to police, at some point the victims were convinced to participate in a blessing or cleansing ceremony, but were told their belongings must be bagged up and that they were not allowed to look at them for days or tell family members about it. In several instances, they were able to go back to the homes of these elderly people to get the money and the jewelry, McKibben said. The victims told the coalition they had between $20,00-$30,000 and jewelry stolen from them. In once case, a victim was reportedly saving up little by little for dental work, which according to McKibben, is why she had $20,000 of cash in her apartment. Police said the victims were targeted in Chinatown, Bridgeport, South Loop and Armour Square. Lee added its important for people to talk to their families, especially the elderly, about scams. Anyone who becomes a victim should report their situation to police immediately. Chicago woman claims she lost $100K in online romance scam If police dont have a record of it, its as if it didnt happen, even though we know it did because it happened to real people, Lee said. Police said there have not been any new reports filed in the last few weeks. The coalition, meanwhile, believes the suspects may have moved on to another citys Chinatown neighborhood. No arrests have been made. The public is reminded to be careful before taking part in any financial transactions. 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. A scathing report from the Secret Service details failures by agents in the hours leading up to the shooting of Donald Trump -including breakdowns in communication and haphazard securing of the site. The findings are part of a Secret Service probe into the July 13 shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooting wounded Trump in the ear. It also left one spectator dead and two more hurt. Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to climb onto the roof of a building only a few hundred yards away and fire at Trump with an AR-style rifle. Crooks was shot dead by snipers, but not before wounding the Republican nominee for president. The attempted assassination led to outrage over the Secret Services handling of the event and the agencys response. It was learned soon after the local police had flagged Crooks as a person of interest. But while searching for him, he was able to get onto the roof and open fire. The fallout from the shooting and a slow investigation led to the resignation of then-director Kimberly Cheatle. This week, Congressional leaders were briefed behind closed doors about the shooting. Details from a Secret Service investigation show communication breakdowns in the moments before former president Donald Trump was shot during a rally in Bulter, Pennsylvania. (AP) Now, the Washington Post has detailed some of the Secret Services findings, according to sources. That report stated that agents had discussed using flags and heavy equipment to obstruct the view between the building where Crooks fired from and the stage. However, when agents arrived on July 13, they found that the trucks and flags had not been deployed in a way that blocked the line of sight from the roof. Secret Service officials also found weaknesses in the communication system for candidate-centric events - compared to those used when the president or vice president speaks. In Butler, the Secret Service radio room had no way to get real-time alerts from local police surveillance of the crowd or outer perimeter, according to the Post. Local police had alerted about a suspicious man before Trump arrived, but it was not broadcast widely on the Secret Service radio. Instead, local snipers were told to send a picture of the man - which turned out to be Crooks - to just one Secret Service official. Finally, Secret Service agents never heard local police radios about trying to track down the man after Trump began speaking. The report detailed how the gunman was able to get to a roof and fire, despite being flagged by local police. Their concerns were not widely distributed to Secret Service agents. (REUTERS) The Secret Service was also slow in beefing up security for Trump as he began campaigning, even after intelligence indicated there was an Iranian plot to kill or harm political candidates, according to the Post. Officials with the Secret Service have already made improvements in the shootings wake including housing its agents and local police in the same command center for appearances by presidential candidates. Still, it hasnt slowed the fervor from those in congress over the shooting. Following this weeks Congressional briefing , several spoke out in dismay over what they were told. A public hearing is scheduled for later this month. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), said that lawmakers "will have a report very, very soon that I think will absolutely shock the American people about the lapses and lags in protection that was afforded that day and the breakdown in communication, failure and responsibility, according to Fox News. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz drives a purely electrically powered Liebherr excavator during a visit to the Liebherr company in the Europarc industrial estate. Christophe Gateau/dpa German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expects the negotiations over shares of the Russian state company Rosneft in the Brandenburg PCK oil refinery to be concluded by the end of the year, he told the public at a local event in Prenzlau near Berlin on Saturday. The refinery supplies north-eastern Germany with petrol, diesel, heating oil and other products and until 2022, processed only Russian oil. However, after the Kremlin started the war againt Ukraine, Germany hastened to find other sources of energy and lessen its heavy dependence on Russian supplies. Germany halted Russian oil imports and took control of the refinery, which is majority owned by subsidiaries of Russian state oil company Rosneft, leaving the future of the refinery uncertain. Two German subsidiaries of Rosneft own around 54% of the refinery, a major industrial facility in the state of Brandenburg. They are currently under trust management but are due to be sold, though the question of what will happen to the Russian shares has lingered for years. The negotiations are ongoing which is why the government has repeatedly extended its trust management, Scholz said. "We hope and assume that everything will be clear by the end of the year so that the subsequent time can be used to wrap things up." Meanwhile the facility continues to operate at a lower capacity than before the switch. It began processing from other sources in 2023, and partly sources crude oil from Kazakhstan. Scholz is due to visit Central Asia in the coming days, with a stop planned in Kazakhstan, where he will hold talks on the economy, energy, climate and the environment. Speaking to the gathering in Brandenburg, Scholz referred to his upcoming trip, promising to address the issue of the refinery with Central Asian oil. "I have many things to discuss but this issue also plays a role," he said. In this article, we will look at the Top 11 Luxury Clothing Stocks to Invest in Now. In this article, we will look at where Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) stands against other top luxury clothing stocks to invest in now. Overall View of Trends in the Luxury Sector The luxury segment in retail has been a prominent driver of growth in the industry. It is primarily considered a status symbol, driving discretionary spending among customers with high purchasing power. According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the luxury retail sector has a market size of $110.13 billion as of 2024, and is expected to grow to $151.32 billion by 2029, at a compound annual growth rate of 6.56%. While the Asia-Pacific region is the fastest-growing market in the luxury retail domain, the largest market remains concentrated in Europe. According to McKinseys The State of Fashion 2024 report, the global apparel industry is expected to experience top-line growth of 2%- 4% in 2024, with variations possible in countries and regions. Quite like in previous years, the luxury segment is anticipated to generate the most significant economic profit. However, companies in the sector may experience a tough economic environment. Growth is anticipated to slow down to 3%- 5% in 2024 compared to 5%- 7% in 2023 as the post-pandemic shopping rush slows down. However, these growth trends are likely to be contrasting in Europe and the US. While growth is set to slow in China and Europe, it is expected to pick up speed in the US after a relatively weak 2023. Distribution of luxury apparel and improved supply chains are some of the industrys significant growth drivers. For example, Saudi Arabias General Authority for Competition approved the joint venture between G Distribution B.V. and Al Rubaiyat Co. for Industry & Trade Holding in December 2021 to sell and distribute Gucci products in the country. Digital media and digital marketing are also increasing the popularity of luxury clothing among millennials, which is, in turn, driving market growth. A Slow First Half of 2024 for Luxury Retailers Several luxury retailers experienced substantial profit drops in the first half of 2024. The overall market is experiencing widespread struggles, primarily because luxury brands have traditionally relied heavily on Chinese consumers. With the slowing Chinese economy and a cautious consumer base, this heavy reliance is proving unprofitable, as people are reducing their spending on luxury goods. The economic slowdown in China is attributed to factors such as lower land sales, an aging population, and decreased exports. Despite the challenges, some brands made significant strides, such as the Italian high-fashion womens clothing and accessory brand Miu Miu, which saw nearly 60% growth last year and 90% growth in the first quarter of this year. This helped its parent company, Prada Group, increase its sales as well. The luxury market has historically bounced back from downturns, and many in the industry hope the current challenges are temporary. Luxury brands are comparatively less affected by economic conditions as most of their purchases are made by a very small group of elite consumers. Our Methodology For this article, we made a list of nearly 20 luxury stocks with positive analyst upside potential and used that as our primary metric to rank the list. We chose the top 11 stocks with the highest average analyst price target as of September 12, 2024. We manually calculated analyst upsides for stocks not listed on American exchanges. We have also considered the hedge fund sentiment around each stock as a secondary metric, and sourced data from Insider Monkey's database of over 900 elite hedge funds as of Q2 2024. 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 newsletter's 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). Top 11 Luxury Clothing Stocks to Invest in Now Top 11 Luxury Clothing Stocks to Invest in Now Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) Analyst Upside Potential as of September 12, 2024: 11.16% No. of Hedge Funds as of Q2 2024: 36 Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) specializes in designing, marketing, and selling luxury lifestyle products, including apparel, footwear, accessories, fragrances, home, and hospitality. Its brands are spread across North America, Europe, and Asia. Its brand portfolio includes Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Double RL, and others. Apart from manufacturing luxury items for men, women, and children, the companys hospitality segment includes restaurants like New York Citys The Polo Bar and Chicagos RL Restaurant. Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) is functioning on financial stability. Q1 fiscal 2025 results exceeded analyst expectations, with total revenue surpassing guidance by 3%. To continue positive growth trends, the company is investing in its strategic priorities, including digital capabilities, marketing, and ecosystem expansion. These investments, along with Ralph Laurens (NYSE:RL) increased efficiencies and culture of operating discipline, are expected to enable the company to drive its long-term sustainability growth. Q1 fiscal 2025 saw continued growth across the companys three strategic pillars. These pillars include elevating and revamping its lifestyle brand, winning key cities via its consumer ecosystem, and driving the core while expanding for more. As part of efforts to revamp its lifestyle brand, Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) has undertaken activities in London, Milan, New York, and across China, increasing its social media following in the process. It has also managed campaigns across key demographics and geographics, such as the womens collection runway show in New York City in April and the Only Polo campaign. Local activations were also delivered across SoHo in New York, Dubai, Miamis Design District, L.A.s Sunset Boulevard, Roppongi in Tokyo, and Seoul. These efforts are helping the company leverage longer-term brand building while focusing on new customer acquisition and high-quality sales. The stock is currently trading at a forward P/E of 15.52, at a 1.74% discount to its sector. It recently got a Buy rating from Evercore ISI, Barclays, Jefferies, and Telsey Advisory. Ralph Laurens (NYSE:RL) current price target of $179 implies an upside of 11.16% from current levels. It takes the tenth spot on our list of the top luxury clothing stocks. Overall, RL ranks tenth among the top 11 luxury clothing stocks to invest in now. While we acknowledge the potential of luxury clothing companies, 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 RL but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland. Disclosure: None. Insider Monkey focuses on uncovering the best investment ideas of hedge funds and insiders. Please subscribe to our free daily e-newsletter to get the latest investment ideas from hedge funds investor letters by entering your email address below. Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz holds a press conference with Kenya President William Samoei Ruto (not in picture) in the Chancellery. Germany and Kenya sign a migration agreement. Kay Nietfeld/dpa German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has ruled out the delivery of long-range precision weapons to Ukraine in the future, regardless of decisions made by alliance partners. At a citizens' dialogue in Prenzlau in the eastern German state of Brandenburg on Saturday, Scholz reiterated his no to the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles, stating that this would entail "a great risk of escalation" of the Ukraine conflict. The Taurus cruise missiles, with a range of around 500 kilometres, would put targets in Moscow within Ukraine's sights. "I said no to that," Scholz asserted. "And of course that also applies to other weapons, if we had supplied them, which could reach this long distance." "That remains the case," Scholz said, adding: "Even if other countries decide differently." President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pressing Ukraine's allies for long-range weapons in order to be able to attack Russian logistics and military airfields of the air force far behind the front line, even on Russian territory. The longest-range weapon supplied by Germany is the Mars II rocket launcher, which can hit targets 84 kilometres away. NATO partners the US, Britain and France have supplied cruise missiles with ranges of up to 300 kilometres. A discussion is currently underway as to whether the use of these weapons against targets on Russian territory should be authorised in principle. Scholz says he won't allow Ukraine to strike Russia, regardless of other countries' decisions German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that he will not allow Ukraine to strike at Russia using German weapons, even if other countries give such permission. Source: Scholz during a meeting with the public in Prenzlau, Brandenburg, as reported by Welt Details: The chancellor stressed that whatever happened, he would stand by his refusal to allow Ukraine to use German long-range weapons to attack targets deep inside Russia. Quote: "This remains in effect. That is why I will stick to my position, even if other countries decide otherwise... I won't do it because I think it's a problem. More details: Commenting on reports that the US may lift existing restrictions, Scholz also said that not all speculation is true. Previously: On 13 September, politicians from the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens, which are part of the federal coalition, once again called for an end to Germanys refusal to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine for long-range strikes against Russia. Although the US, the UK and France have provided Kyiv with their own long-range missiles, Germany still opposes providing Ukraine with Tauruses for fear of escalation from Moscow. Background: Earlier, the media reported that the US and the UK had agreed, along with other allies, to allow Ukraine to strike military targets in Russia with Storm Shadow missiles a long-standing request by Kyiv. However, the White House later said that the US would not make any announcements about a change in its policy on allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles after US President Joe Biden's meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. On 12 September, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin said that allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with Western missiles would imply the direct involvement of NATO and European countries in the war in Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Rolf Mutzenich, the leader of the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD or Social Democratic Party of Germany) in the Bundestag, has suggested the creation of an international contact group for a peace initiative on Russia's war against Ukraine. Source: Tagesschau, German TV news service; European Pravda Details: Rolf Mutzenich says German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "agree that now is the time to intensify efforts to hold peace talks and that Russia should also be present at the next Peace Summit". Quote from Rolf Mutzenich: "This will also give other countries the opportunity to take a more active part in ending the fighting." In his opinion, China, India, Turkiye and Brazil could become possible contact group members. Scholz himself recently proposed holding another Peace Summit with the participation of Russia. These statements caused sharp criticism from some other German politicians, especially from the centre-right opposition Christian Democrats, who accused Scholz of backing down from his support for Ukraine and trying to put pressure on Kyiv to force it to negotiate. At the same time, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is sceptical about the "peace talks" with Vladimir Putin. Support UP or become our patron! BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) What happens when a threat is called into a public area? If an identity is proven, that person can be charged with a terroristic threats crime. Neither adults nor juveniles are immune to the charge within West Virginia. These threats are common around the start of the school season according to the Beckley Police Department. Those with the department say juveniles are more likely to threaten schools while adults tend to target hospitals or businesses. New school attendance policy in effect in West Virginia Sadly, it is common now and its for various reasons that sometimes we know, sometimes we never figure out, said Jason McDaniel, Lieutenant Beckley Police Department. The time of the year can often determine if more juveniles or adults make threats to public areas. McDaniel said juveniles usually make more threats as compared to adults at the beginning of school season. 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. Lower Manhattan, N.Y. (PIX11) The head of New York Citys Public School system is making his first extended comments since his home was raided by the FBI last week. Schools Chancellor David Banks said he is not a target of the federal investigation, and is not sure what the investigation is all about. More Local News Banks also said federal agents still have his cell phones after seizing them last Wednesday. They wanted my personal phone and work phone, Banks said during a press conference. Outside of that I dont know very much. I would not describe what happened as a raid. Banks shares his home in Harlem with his partner who is First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. She has also said she is fully cooperating and did nothing wrong. Banks brothers Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks and Terence Banks, who runs a consulting firm were also paid visits by the FBI. Chancellor Banks said he has hired an attorney who confirmed with the feds that he personally is not a target of this probe. I have always lived my life with integrity, every day of my life, and anybody who knows me knows that, Banks said. NYPD Commissioner Caban resigns amid investigation Still, the Chancellor is another of Mayor Eric Adams high ranking officials under the microscope. Thursday, the Mayor had to replace his Police Commissioner Edward Caban who resigned because he and other top leaders at the NYPD are facing a federal investigation involving the handling of night clubs. It is unclear if the police probe is linked to the Banks brothers. The Chancellor refused to answer several specific questions the FBI investigation hes involved with, but did have these words for students and parents with concerns. They will see someone who holds his head high, who walks with confidence, who leads with integrity, Banks said But even when you do that, it doesnt mean there wont be challenges, but I will demonstrate every single day how I was raised and how I live my life. 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. Neptune's Wrath Last September, scientists the world over detected an inexplicable seismic vibration that shook the planet for nine days straight too long to be a mere earthquake. The detection was so unprecedented that at the time, some scientists believed there was something wrong with their instruments. Now, after a year-long international collaboration, we know what caused it. That September day, at a fjord in Greenland, a melting glacier cascaded into a landslide, dumping unimaginable quantities of material into the sea. The resulting mega-tsunami boasted waves up to a staggering 650 feet tall enough to swallow some skyscrapers, and making it one of the tallest on record. These findings, published as a study in the journal Science, also paint a stark picture of the monumental effects of climate change. In this case, the seismic aftermath of the tsunami was literally felt globally. "No one had ever seen anything like this," study lead author Kristian Svennevig, a geologist with the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, told NBC News. Making Waves The mega-tsunami was spectacular, but the big splash on its own couldn't account for the over-a-week-long seismic vibrations. When the landslide crashed into the sea, the initial, six hundred foot wave was trapped inside the narrow fjord which is an inlet of sea water bounded by steep cliffs. With nowhere else to go, the awesome tsunami continued to tumble back and forth within the length of the valley, stabilizing into a roughly 23 foot tall wave that would last for days. This phenomenon an oscillating standing wave in an enclosed body of water is known as a seiche, and until now, no one knew it was possible that they could last this long. "Had I suggested a year ago that a seiche could persist for nine days, people would shake their heads and say that's impossible," Svennevig told CNN. Sea Change Piecing all of this together wasn't easy it took roughly a year, with the efforts of 68 scientists from institutions around the globe. They used satellite and ground-based imagery in conjunction with an analysis of the seismic waves to determine the unraveling of the epic landslide that set it all into motion, while computer simulations were created to model the tsunami and the ensuing seiche. But the ultimate cause, researchers said, was climate change, with warm temperatures weakening the glacier that triggered the landslide. It's "an alarming signal" of what's to come, according to Paula Snook, a geologist at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, who was not involved in the study. "We are thawing ground which has been in a cold, frozen state for many thousands of years," she told CNN. "It's a sign that climate change is pushing these systems into uncharted waters," Svennevig added. More on glacial events: Scientists Discover Ancient Viruses Frozen in Glacier GEORGETOWN, Ky. (FOX 56) Its an issue that seems to be all too familiar: safety concerns at school. On Friday, Scott County High School and Great Crossing High School were evacuated this morning after receiving a bomb threat. LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS: The threat was vague, so thats why we went ahead and evacuated both high schools. Just because we want to be better safe than sorry, Assistant Chief Josh Nash of Georgetown Police Department said. The threat was later determined to be a hoax, but its because of the quick and thorough response from law enforcement that the issue was resolved. Our 911 providers, the dispatch, everyone did an amazing job with this. Staff did an amazing job with this. Administrators did an amazing job, students were calm. It could not have gone off any better given what it was, Billy Parker, superintendent of Scott County Schools, said. Recently, at least a dozen counties here in Kentucky have faced disruptions because of threats. LATEST KENTUCKY LISTS AND RANKINGS: Parker calls it unprecedented, and there must be a change. It cant be put on schools to say, weve got to figure this out. We cant figure this out alone. We have to have the help of society helping us figure this out. And I dont have all of the answers, but I do know that at the end of the day, 100%, our students do deserve better than what were seeing right now, Parker said. In Kentucky, threats of violence toward schools are classified as first-degree terroristic threatening and can carry a punishment of up to 5-10 years in prison. Todays threat is being handled as just that. I can promise the families of Scott County this, that when we have situations, we are going to prosecute these issues to the fullest extent of the law because this is not good for students, Parker 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 FOX 56 News. Seattle activist killed in Israeli gunfire buried in Turkey as tensions rise A Turkish-American activist from Seattle, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, was laid to rest in her hometown of Didim, Turkey, after being killed by Israeli fire during a protest in the West Bank. Thousands lined the streets on Saturday to pay their respects as anti-Israeli sentiments continue to grow in the region. Eygi, 26, was shot dead on September 6 by an Israeli soldier during a demonstration against Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Eyewitnesses, including an Israeli protester, confirmed that she was shot while participating in the protest. Her funeral procession in Didim saw her body carried in a Turkish-flag-draped coffin, with a portrait of her in a graduation gown displayed nearby. The Turkish government has condemned the killing and announced it will conduct its own investigation, with Numan Kurtulmus, Speaker of Turkeys Parliament, vowing to hold those responsible accountable. We are not going to leave our daughters blood on the ground, he said at the funeral. An autopsy revealed that Eygi was struck by a bullet that hit the back of her head. The Israeli military responded, stating that the shooting was likely indirect and unintentional. Eygis death has drawn international condemnation, including from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as the United States, Egypt, and Qatar continue efforts to negotiate a cease-fire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which has raged for 11 months. The situation remains tense, with continued airstrikes in Gaza and calls for peace amid the widespread devastation. Israeli forces have ordered evacuations from northern Gaza neighborhoods as they continue their military operations. At the same time, the World Health Organization has completed the first phase of a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza. This story was written from material provided by the Associated Press. Seattle Police: Two men hospitalized after getting caught in the crossfire of a shootout Seattle Police say two men are in the hospital, in serious condition, after they were shot Friday night. It happened on Rainier Avenue South and South Thistle Street. Police say the two were caught in the crossfire during a shootout between vehicles. Both men were taken to Harborview Medical Center. Circumstance leading up to the shooting remain under investigation. Police say they dont have any suspects at this time. A Seattle school, which specializes in working with students who cannot hear or have hearing loss, could close under the school districts proposals. On Wednesday, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) released its System of Well-Resourced Schools initiative, which includes two options that aim to address the issues. Option A would close 21 schools and save the district around $31.5 million. Fifty-two schools would remain open. Option B is a little different. The proposal would keep 56 schools open and shut down 17 schools. This plan would save Seattle Public Schools around $25.5 million. Seattle Public Schools is considering closing at least 17 schools next year as it grapples with low enrollment & a $100 M deficit. Option A would save it over $31 M, while Option B would save over $25 M. Details on possible layoffs & student-to-teacher ratio on @KIRO7Seattle at 5 pic.twitter.com/OVzMNQnw7y Louie Tran (@louie_tran) September 12, 2024 The plans have been in the works for at least a year and a half, however, the district has been discussing this topic for almost two decades, said Marni Campbell, Well-Resourced School officer for SPS. TOPS K-8 at Seward School, which specializes in working with students who cant hear or have hearing loss, is listed in Option A. Taryn and Chris Longhursts eight-year-old son attends the school after he had spent the previous years at their neighborhood school in West Seattle. We spent four years in our neighborhood school not getting his needs met. So now Seattle Public Schools is going to take away the only deaf and hard-of-hearing program they offer and send us back to the neighborhood where we just spent four years not getting his needs met, Taryn, mother, said. Think about the deaf kids who only speak in ASL (American Sign Language), and youre going to send them to a community school where theyre the only person? What kind of a community are they going to have? How isolating is that? The parents said the program at TOPS allows many kids like their son a chance to learn in an inclusive environment where they feel seen and heard by teachers, faculty and staff members, who have specialized training. To have people understand your needs, to look like you, to sound like you, to sign like you. That means so much to these kids. Im worried that they will be lost to the system if theyre sent into local schools with the best intentions, but theres no one like them. Theres no one there that speaks their language, said Chris, father, said. According to the school districts website, SPS will ensure that all special education services and the full continuum of pathways will be available to all students who qualify. For many students, the services and pathways will be available at their neighborhood school. If a student is assigned to a pathway not available at their neighborhood school, they will be assigned to a school that has the appropriate pathway as close as possible to their residence. KIRO 7 News reached out to the school district to get more details about the services, and if it will include the program at TOPS. Were still waiting for the information as of Friday. While some parents are speaking against the school districts proposal, others are supporting it, including Jai Bryant, whose eight-year-old son attends Rainier View Elementary. Bryant told KIRO 7 News that several schools within the district have fewer resources than others. She believes the consolidated schools will have more programs, allowing many underserved students to gain access to opportunities that can improve their lives. Even with some of the displacements, the kids are going to get what they need in their local neighborhood schools. Theres going to be more resources for brown and Black children, who previously didnt have access to these programs, she said. Bryant added, It is a game changer because we know that education is the great equalizer. If you want kids of color, any underserved child, if you want them to continue to compete in this world, us as Americans, to continue in the global economy, we must educate our children. Bryant, a SPS alumnus, said the closure would bring different communities together that can benefit students of all backgrounds. Diversity is the key. Every culture brings something different, she said. KIRO 7 News reached out to the school district to understand what resources would be available at the consolidated schools. Were still waiting for those details. The districts school board is expected to vote on a possible decision by the end of the year. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested a second 18-year-old man for a fatal shooting that happened in April. Around 12:30 a.m. on April 25, MPD officers responded to the 4500 block of Sheriff Rd., NE for a reported shooting. Police found 38-year-old Ricky Canty of Temple Hills, Md., who had been shot. First responders took Canty to the hospital, where he later died. DCPS: Elementary school students divided into groups by race for discussion; staff member used racial slur On Aug. 14, 2024, police arrested the first suspect, who was a minor at the time of the murder. MPD said that the suspect, who is from Northwest, D.C. and now 18, is charged as an adult for first-degree murder while armed. On Friday, officers arrested the second suspect, 18-year-old Lawrence Bradshaw of Southeast, D.C. He was also charged with first-degree murder while armed. 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. A Secret Service investigation has exposed new security breakdowns prior to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump that left two people critically injured and one person dead at a Pennsylvania campaign rally in July. According to senior government officials, who spoke to the Washington Post on condition of anonymity, the probe found that agents from Secret Service headquarters and the Pittsburgh field office had an inadequate strategy to block a clear sight of the former president at the July 13 event. The internal investigation also found that agents did not instruct local police to secure the roof used by the gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks. Sources added that agents tasked with securing the rally discussed using heavy equipment and flags to block the line of sight to the event stage from the building used by Crooks, but supervisors found these measures were not deployed successfully. Reporter: What I Learned When Trump Let Me Inspect His Ear The details of the internal review, according to the Post, may be released to the public next week. On Thursday, acting director of the Secret Service Ron Rowe shared a summary of findings to the Senate Homeland Security Committee and a House investigative task force. He is said to have told lawmakers that he has already ordered multiple changes in security plans to address the noted issues, including a protocol that places Secret Service agents and local police in the same command center for public appearances of presidential candidates. Following the closed-door meeting, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told Fox News I think the American people are going to be shocked, astonished, and appalled by what we will report to them about the failures by the Secret Service in this assassination attempt on the former president. Rowe acknowledged that the report found numerous errors for which the Secret Service should be held responsible, but that improvements and solutions would cost money. The Secret Service cannot operate under the paradox of zero fail mission while also making our special agents and uniformed division officers execute a very critical national security mission by doing more with less, he said in a statement. New Secret Service Director Says Hes Ashamed by Trump Rally Failures The agencys investigation echoes findings of the FBIs Butler Investigation, which detailed myriad weaknesses, notably in the agencys communication system, so that local police alerts about a suspicious man at the rally prior to Trumps arrival were not broadcast adequately on Secret Service radio. Feds also revealed that the agency was slow to bolster Trumps security, despite having obtained information about an Iranian state plot to kill or harm political candidates. Several senior Secret Service agents have announced their retirements ahead of the public release of the internal probe including Mike Plati, assistant director of the Office of Protective Operations, and John Buckley, a senior executive who helps delegate assets used to secure public events. Sources also claim that a senior agent in the Pittsburgh field office, which created the security plan, has hinted at a plan to retire. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen announces the finalization and certification of the candidates and issues that will be advanced to voters at the Nov. 5, 2024, general election. Sept. 13, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN Secretary of State Bob Evnen has officially finalized Nebraskas fall 2024 ballot with six ballot measures advancing to the Nov. 5 general election. Evnen said county election officials faced upwards of 600,000 signatures to verify this summer across six different petitions, each garnering enough valid signatures by Fridays final deadline. We have met that time frame because our counties put the pedal to the metal and did a great job confirming these signatures, Evnen said at an afternoon news conference. The certification also confirms candidates for various offices U.S. president, members of Congress, Nebraska Legislature, State Board of Education, University of Nebraska Board of Regents, Public Service Commission, community college governing boards, natural resources districts, public power districts, educational service units and reclamation districts. It also confirms the list of judges and justices up for retention. Medical cannabis signatures An investigation continues, as announced Friday by Attorney General Mike Hilgers, into what he and Evnen said were infirmities or irregularities in the signature-gathering process for two ballot measures related to medical cannabis. Evnen declined to specify what irregularities might exist, and Hilgers did not outline them. Hall County officials charged a Grand Island man, who was a paid circulator for those efforts, with a felony for allegedly falsifying at least 200 signatures across the two petitions. Evnen said his office will continue to cooperate with Hilgers. Evnen said that even though the ballot is certified, the Nebraska Supreme Court could take up a challenge to the marijuana-related petitions, or any others. Hes said that happened in Nebraska history up to four days before an election, as well as after voters had weighed in, that invalidated ballot measures. The fact that we had a hard stop and certified the ballot today doesnt mean that nothing further is going to happen with respect to the investigation of the signatures in the medical cannabis initiatives, Evnen said. Evnen also confirmed what the Nebraska Examiner reported earlier in the day from Hall County Election Commissioner Tracy Overstreet that any invalid signatures, including those from the man charged with a felony, were tossed. They were flagged as fraudulent and rejected and not counted toward those totals from the get-go, Overstreet said Friday morning. Evnen said there may be irregularities in other counties. But when asked by reporters whether he had heard from county election officials other than Overstreet, Evnen said he had not. The medical cannabis petitions are also being targeted in a separate lawsuit from John Kuehn, a former state senator and former State Board of Health member. The case in Lancaster County District Court has not been scheduled. Other legal challenges Three other ballot measures also faced legal challenges but the Nebraska Supreme Court rejected them Friday morning. Those measures were on two separate constitutional amendments related to abortion and a partial repeal of a state-funded program to cover private K-12 school costs. Evnen said he doesnt expect further signature-related challenges on those. Evnen celebrated the courts speed and dispatch in delivering decisions for cases filed before the court within just the past few weeks. Multiple justices had questioned whether the court could take legal challenges sooner in the process, not just after Evnen had certified the measures for the ballot. Some of those deadlines are set by federal or state law, and others are constitutional in nature. The secretary said he is looking at whether there can be a way to ease up the timeline. Currently, signatures are due four months before an election and counties must verify the petitions within 40 days of receiving them. The ballot must be finalized 50 days before the election. Evnen said he also intends to follow the advice from Chief Justice Mike Heavican and Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman, the courts two longest serving members, that once a secretary of state determines the legal sufficiency of a measure, it cant be rescinded. Hilgers, on Evnens behalf, said Evnen had changed his mind but would respect the courts decision but might decertify the measure if the court tossed the lawsuit on a technicality. The opinions that the court handed down today are well reasoned and well articulated, Evnen said. 2024 ballot measures Evnen certified six ballot measures for the Nov. 5 general election ballot, which were assigned a measure number between 434 and 439 at random. Protect Women and Children Prohibit abortions after the first trimester or pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, in the Nebraska Constitution. Future restrictions would be allowed. (Measure 434) Private Education Scholarship Partial Repeal (Legislative Bill 1402) Repeal the $10 million scholarship program, enacted earlier this year, that the state treasurer oversees to distribute to students to attend K-12 private schools. (Measure 435) Paid Sick Leave Enact a new state law that would require businesses with 20 or fewer employees to fund at least five paid sick days each year for full-time employees. Larger businesses would need to annually fund at least seven sick days per full-time employee. An hour of sick leave would be earned after every 30 hours worked. (Measure 436) Nebraska Medical Cannabis Regulation Define cannabis; legalize possessing, manufacturing, distributing, delivering and dispensing cannabis for medical purposes; and create the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to oversee the new state law. (Measure 437) Nebraska Medical Cannabis Patient Protection Set an allowable amount of medical cannabis at five ounces; exempt patients and caregivers from using or assisting someone else in using the cannabis; and require a written recommendation from a health care practitioner prior to prescription. (Measure 438) Protect the Right to Abortion Codify a right to abortion in the Nebraska Constitution until fetal viability as determined by a health care provider, with a later exception for the mothers health. (Measure 439) SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Senator Peter Welch and other local leaders trekked up the Richmond Mountain Trails Friday to celebrate the states newest accessible bike path. All four miles of accessible trail opened in August. To celebrate, Senator Welch hiked part of the trail with a group on September 13. The trail, called The Driving Range, is a winding, mountain-biking extravaganza thats fully accessible to those on two and three-wheeled adaptive bikes. Welch said he thinks the new trail is a win for Vermont. People who are coming here to hike are going to shop, people who are coming here to hike are staying at a BnB, people who are coming here to hike are going to restaurants, and its synergistic to what I really admire about Vermont and the outdoor recreation industry and hospitality industry its an appreciation of how it all works together. Mountain bikers within the hiking group seemed to share Welchs excitement and appreciation. Kelly Brush, namesake and board member of the Kelley Brush Foundation, said I think thats one of the keys with this network [of trails] in particular, is that we wanted to show that you can do really hard trails. Representatives from Vermonts tourism department, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, and more joined Senator Welch to speak about their success. They also discussed how local tourism could move forward in the face of flooding. Other concerns, like an over-reliance on volunteers, and keeping the balance between hospitality and outdoor recreation, were also brought up. The backs, or the support for so much of that, in this outdoor recreational economy, falls on volunteers, non-profit trail stewardship organizations, somewhere in the neighborhood of 70-75% of public access trails are on private land, said Vermont Mountain Bike Association Executive Director Nick Bennette. Organizers hope to see an influx of people on the trail this fall. They also hope that this path will become a trail-blazer for accessible mountain biking across Vermont and beyond. 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 ABC22 & FOX44. U.S. Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock and Sen. Jon Ossoff announced theyd secured more than $60 million to fund a variety of improvement projects for airports across Georgia. Grant awards from the Federal Aviation Administrations Airport Improvement Program will provide funding to the Columbus Airport, DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, Dalton Municipal Airport, Polk County Airport, Southwest Georgia Regional Airport, Augusta Regional Airport, Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport and the Georgia Department of Transportation, according to Warnocks office. Georgia is one of the most important aviation states in the nation, and as a member of the committee responsible for aviation policy, I will continue working to strengthen Georgias transportation infrastructure, Warnock said in a statement. This latest investment will continue to take Georgias aviation economy to new heights. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks TRENDING STORIES: Warnock, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, said in the announcement that he and his fellow Georgia senator had gotten $63.65 million to fund projects at the airports in a move to upgrade the airports and provide for new jobs. Georgias airports are a key driver of job creation and economic competitiveness. Alongside Senator Reverend Warnock, I am pleased to announce the bipartisan infrastructure law will deliver more airport upgrades across the State of Georgia. Our bipartisan infrastructure law will continue to deliver long-overdue upgrades to Georgias infrastructure for years to come, Ossoff said. Heres how the funds will be split up among the airports and GDOT. Columbus Airport: $24,472,527 for Runway Reconstruction Dalton Municipal Airport: $2.4 million for Runway Upgrades DeKalb-Peachtree Airport: $8,585,711 for Runway Upgrades Polk County Airport: $3.95 million for Runway Upgrades Southwest Georgia Regional Airport: $3,764,809 for Infrastructure Upgrades Augusta Regional Airport: $8,008,660 for Taxiway Construction and Upgrades Savannah/HHI Airport: $11,465,048 for Taxiway Construction GDOT: $1 million for Planning Funds [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: (FOX40.COM) Several Northern California law enforcement agencies are on high alert after a series of threats were made against schools throughout the state this week. They said the threats are part of a nationwide trend. Police did not specify the type of threats made, however, FOX40.com reporters reviewed multiple social media screenshots of messages that depicted gun violence at local schools. Law enforcement agencies said the threats are not credible, but they are taking them seriously. Some of the schools threatened include campuses in Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin, Fairfield, and El Dorado County. Del Oro High School student arrested for vague threat made against staff member A 13-year-old has been arrested today and will be booked into Juvenile Hall for making terrorist threats, The Roseville Police Department said on Wednesday. We take every mention of a threat seriously and will act to protect our community. RPD said the teen created fake social media accounts to spread false threats to create fear and arrested him. Officers said they also worked with Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District to investigate a threat at Silverado Middle School, however, there were no credible threats to students or staff. Teen arrested in connection to threats made at Roseville school Sacramento law enforcement is also responding to the threats. The Sacramento Police Department is aware of a nationwide social media trend related to school threats, the agency said in a statement. It appears to be screenshot posts that are shared with different schools names on it. Our department is working in conjunction with the School Districts in our community to ensure the safety of all students and faculty. Some Sacramento parents in the area have chosen to keep their kids out of school until the situation is resolved. In El Dorado County, another teen was identified by the El Dorado County Sheriffs Office as another person responsible for making threats to several schools in the area. Deputies said the juvenile suspect was contacted, however, the threat was not credible and the incident is still under investigation. Users on social media have expressed frustration with the threats being deemed as not credible. They need to be prosecuted at the fullest extent of the law to make a statement. Anything less is a failure, said Ben Lyon, a parent, on social media. Today was a scary day for the parents, students, and teachers. My son called me hysterical. We shouldnt have to put up with this. The Fairfield Police Department and Rocklin Police Department shared similar sentiments as other law enforcement agencies. We are also aware of other social media messages that have been circulated through Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and other platforms threatening violence for today at a number of school campuses in this region and throughout the nation, Rocklin PD said on Friday. Even though it is believed to be a hoax with no credible threat involving any of our schools, we will continue to monitor social media activity, investigate real and potential threats, and take every step necessary to ensure a safe school environment. 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. A Russian Shahed flew into Belarus on the night of 13-14 September, and Belarusian Air Force fighter jets were scrambled. Source: Belaruski Hajun, an independent Belarusian military monitoring media outlet Details: At 04:10, the kamikaze drone crossed the border with Belarus near Loyew, Gomel Oblast, and spent about 30 minutes in the country's airspace. The drone was flying on a westerly course, then turned southeast and returned to the territory of Ukraine. Belaruski Hajun reports indicate that it flew to the area of Slavutych, where it was spotted at 05:05. At the time of the Shahed's approach, a fighter jet of the Belarusian Air Force was on duty in the sky over Gomel Oblast, which took off from the Baranovichi airfield at around 03:40. Background: Ukrainian air defence downed 72 out of 76 Russian strike drones on the night of 13-14 September; two more returned to Russia. Support UP or become our patron! Walking into court each day with her head held high, the ex-wife of a Frenchman on trial for orchestrating her mass rape in her own bed for almost a decade has become a feminist icon. With her now trademark auburn bob and dark glasses, 71-year-old Gisele Pelicot has become a figurehead in the battle against the use of drugs to commit sexual abuse. Her life was shattered in 2020 when she discovered that her partner of five decades had for years been secretly administering her large doses of tranquilisers to rape her and invite dozens of strangers to join him. But she has decided not to hide and demanded the trial of Dominique Pelicot, 71, and 50 co-defendants since September 2 be open to the public because, as she has said through one of her lawyers, it should be up to her alleged abusers -- not her -- to be ashamed. "It's a way of saying... shame must change sides," her attorney Stephane Babonneau said as the trial opened. Since then, feminist activists have used her stylised portrait by Belgian artist Aline Dessine, daubed with the words "Shame is changing sides", to show support and call for protests. The artist with 2.5 million followers on TikTok has given up all rights to the image. - 'Very brave' - Outside the courtroom in the southern town of Avignon on Friday, protester Nadege Peneau said she was full of admiration for the trial's main plaintiff. "What she's doing is very brave," she said. "She's speaking up for so many children and women, and even men" who have been abused, she added. Gisele Pelicot in August obtained a divorce from her husband, who has confessed to the abuse after meticulously documenting it with photos and videos. She has moved away from the southern town of Mazan where, in her own words, for years he treated her like "a piece of meat" or a "rag doll". She now uses her maiden name, but during the trial has asked the media to use her former name as a married woman. Her lawyer Antoine Camus said she had transformed from a devoted wife and retiree, who loved walks and choir singing, into a woman in the seventies ready for a battle. "I will have to fight till the end," she told the press on September 5, in her only public statement outside court in the first days of the four-month trial. "Obviously it's not an easy exercise and I can feel attempts to trap me with certain questions," she added calmly. - 'Not in vain' - The daughter of a member of the military, Gisele Pelicot was born on December 7, 1952 in Germany, returning to France with her family when she was five. When she was only nine, her mother, aged just 35, died of cancer. "In my head, I was already 15, I was already a little woman," she said, describing growing up "without much love". Her older brother Michel died of a heart attack aged 43, before her 20th birthday. She has said she was never one to publicly show emotions. "In the family, we hide tears and we share laughter," one of her lawyers had reported her as saying. She met Dominique Pelicot, her future husband and rapist, in 1971. She had dreamt of becoming a hairdresser but instead studied to be a typist. After a few years temping, she joined France's national electricity company EDF, ending her career in a logistics service for its nuclear power plants. At home, she looked after her three children, then seven grandchildren, and did a little gymnastics. Only when the police caught her husband filming up women's skirts in a supermarket in 2020 did she find out the true reason behind her troubling memory lapses. Camus, her lawyer, said his client "never wanted to be a role model". "She just wants all this not to be in vain," he said. ol-vid/ah/rox ATLANTA - Atlanta police are searching for a gunman after two people were shot near a Fulton County District Attorney's Office annex, just off Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in southwest Atlanta on Friday. Around 5 p.m., officers swarmed Gordon Plaza, which is located on the corner of Peyton Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. For hours, the parking lot of the plaza was taped off. On the other side of the crime scene tape, a car with a shattered window, bullets on the pavement, and investigators going in and out of the T&K Package Store. Police say a man wearing a ski mask and armed with a rifle opened fire in the parking lot. Two men were struck by bullets, both in the chest. Initially, the Atlanta Police Department reported three people were shot, but later corrected that stating only two males were injured. Both were rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, one of whom was in critical condition at the time. Investigators say one of the men appears to have been targeted, the other had just come from behind the building. "There was an individual back there who was one of the victims who was shot. It appears he was not the intended victim," said Atlanta Police Lt. Andrew Smith. The family of Coviseea Dowell says they were told he was the one who was targeted. He's in critical condition. "He just got robbed last week and now he's shot today, we're just trying to make sure he's alive," said Stephanie Dowell. Police say they'll be reviewing surveillance video to get a better description of the masked gunman, when they have that description, they will release more information. CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The victim in a Clarksville shooting earlier this month has died, prompting authorities to arrest one person on homicide charges. PREVIOUS: Shooting victim found in Clarksville neighborhood The Clarksville Police Department said that the victim, 18-year-old Lebanon resident Carlos Wills, was taken off life support. An investigation identified ZaKwon Jaterrion Holiday of Clarksville as the suspect. Clarksville authorities secured a homicide warrant for his arrest. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) assisted Clarksville police and Holliday was apprehended during a traffic stop in Nashville on Friday evening. This was an isolated incident and at no time did law enforcement believe there to be an active threat to the public at large, Clarksville police said. Clarksville police searching for suspect who scammed woman out of $160K Police added that they wish to speak with Clarksville resident Davontay Tyrek Spencer, 19, who was present at the time of the shooting. Anyone with information on Spencers whereabouts has been asked to contact the Clarksville Police Department. 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. For at least the third time this week, an area student has been accused of making an online threat against an area school or student. The latest incident was discovered Thursday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. after the Fredericksburg 911 center received a tip regarding an online threat made against Walker-Grant Middle School in the city. City police spokeswoman Jessica Carter said the threat was a general one and didnt specify any individuals. City police immediately began an investigation and linked the Internet Protocol address of the offending TikTok account to a residence in the city. School officials informed police that two city school students live at the home, including the middle school student suspected of posting the threat. After speaking with the juvenile and a parent, a referral for charges was sent to juvenile intake. The student has since been charged with a felony offense of making a threat of death or bodily harm to persons on school property. The child is being held in the Rappahannock Juvenile Detention Center. Carter said school officials were informed of the police findings and have taken appropriate action. [City police] want to reassure [the community] that this threat has been resolved, Carter wrote. Parents are urged to monitor their childrens social media accounts and have regular conversations with them about safe habits. If you see something, say something. On Tuesday, a 15-year-old student at Brooke Point High School in Stafford County was taken into custody after allegedly making an online threat against another student at the school. While investigating that incident, police recovered a rifle at the students home that had been stolen from a deputys cruiser earlier this month. That same day, parents of King George Middle School students were notified about a potential threat against the school. The student suspected of making the threat was identified, and the threat was later deemed not credible by the county Sheriffs Office. Showcase held at ICC for the future of agriculture and technology EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) The future of agriculture and technology were able to explore their options at Illinois Central College Friday. Over 400 Students from high schools all over Central Illinois were given hands-on career exploration in agriculture, diesel and horticulture careers. Workplaces set up tents for students to visit and discuss their future careers. Officials with ICC said students had an opportunity to get a prize while making their rounds. We actually give them a little task of getting a passport stamped so that they have to go around to all the employers, said Dana King, dean of agriculture and industrial technology at ICC. They win a prize at the end if their name is drawn. But it really is about them creating their future. Illinois Central College trustees implement new bond to update outdated software Participants in the showcase said the careers represented at the showcase are vital to everyday life. Agriculture is never going away, were always need food to eat, said Illini Central senior Macy McLaughlin. But even more than food, the agribusiness side of things is such a growing industry. Were always gonna need people to drive trucks. Were always gonna need people to plant stuff and marketing and advertising. Its not going away. If anything, its just growing. Students who attended the showcase were also able to lay bricks, build walls and start a tractor engine. 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 CIProud.com. DISCLAIMER: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) A Shreveport man has been arrested after police named the violent altercation a neighborly dispute in the 3500 block of Pleasant Drive on September 12th around 2 p.m. Shreveport Police said upon arrival, they found a man suffering from a large laceration to the head and significant swelling to his arm. Officers stated that the victim had been involved in a dispute, during which 37-year-old Demetrius Thomas struck the victim in the head with a large rock and then allegedly beat him with a stick across the arms. WATCH: Our Docuseries, Beyond the Headlines: Firearms Impact & Responsibility According to the news release, the victim was transported to a local hospital, where he is expected to recover. Shreveport Police Patrol officers subsequently arrested Thomas, who has been charged with one count of aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon. Officers note, In Louisiana, aggravated battery is defined as a battery committed with a dangerous weapon and can carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. 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 KTALnews.com. SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) A Sioux City mental health counselor was arrested for allegedly providing false medical codes on patients bills. According to a press release from the Iowa Insurance Division, Amy Hecht was arrested on Sept 9 on multiple charges of fraudulent billing. Court documents state that Hecht was a licensed mental health counselor and owner of Foundation Mental Health Center in Sioux City. The Iowa Insurance Divisions Fraud Bureau said it and the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensings Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted a joint investigation on Hecht. They reported that Hecht allegedly provided false medical codes on patients bills to provide additional reimbursement she was not entitled. Court documents state that Hecht frequently used a specific billing code than typically seen by other providers. The code was one to be used for when when additional needs or work or complications occur during treatment for a patient. Employees allegedly notice the code being added to their treatment notes and the billing when they never added the coding. Former U of I employee charged with theft, officials say he stole nearly $1 million Documents add that there was no evidence to support adding the billing code being used fraudulently 218 times between 13 patients, resulting in Hecht fraudulently receiving $5,372.50 from the insurance agency Blue Cross and BlueShield. Invvestigators also found 261 false entries into patients medical recrds between Aug. 10, 2021 and Nov. 8, 2023. This resulted in $1,062.12 being paid to Hecht through Medicaid. When confronted, Hecht allegedly admitted that they were not far off in their belief that they would find more records of her adding the code to patient billing and documentation. Hecht has been charged with twelve counts of fraudulent submission, a class D felony; one count of second-degree theft, a class D felony, one count of third-degree fraudulent practice, an aggravated misdemeanor; and tampering with records, an aggravated misdemeanor. Hecht was released on bond on the same day of her arrest. Her next court appearance will be on Sept. 18. 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 SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) A Sioux Falls parent is voicing his concerns over the arrest this week of a 15-year-old who had a gun outside a school. Hes not satisfied with how the school district communicated with parents. Julian Beaudion runs a non-profit that helps small business owners get started. He is also the father of three, including a middle schooler. On Wednesday, police arrested a 15-year-old for having a gun outside the Axtel Park School building. The boy was taken into juvenile custody but later escaped. Police caught up with him and arrested him again on Thursday morning, shortly after police announced they were looking for him. Beaudion says as a parent he would have liked to have known all this was taking place especially after seeing posts on social media. of course the first concern is your own daughter, your own kids. Once I found out it was another school, it was Axtel, then your concern switched to now that I know my child is safe. What about the other students? said Beaudion. 15-year-old boy charged with weapon outside Axtell Park We requested an interview with a School District official today, the districted acknowledged our request in an email but after that there was no word from them. On Thursday, they sent us a statement, saying that after the escape additional safety precautions were taken. Beaudion plans to contact school officials and says he is speaking out in hopes of improving communication in the future. We need to figure out together as a community, with the school district hand in hand with parents teachers and administrators how we make this better how we make this better for our students and how we make this a safer place, said Beaudion. 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 KELOLAND.com. PHOENIX - From the latest on a wildfire burning near the East Valley to a burning surprise people in one Valley neighborhood woke up to, here's a look at some of the top stories on FOX10Phoenix.com for Friday, September 13, 2024. 1. Siphon Fire continues to burn The fire, per estimates by fire officials Friday afternoon, has burned 15,876 acres of land. The fire is believed to be human-caused. Read More 2. Truck drops garbage load due to fire (Courtesy: Davis Chappins) Residents in one Phoenix neighborhood woke up to a rather fiery surprise, after a garbage truck had to drop a heap of burning trash coin the middle of the street. Read More 3. Latest on the presidential race (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) Its been three days since Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took part in their first debate, and there's new polling data on what the race is looking like now. Read More 4. School threats take toll on students, educators As schools in the Phoenix area receive hundreds of threats in recent days, safety is on the minds of many, including students who say they would rather not have them happen so often. Read More 5. Sad update in Phoenix drive-by shooting The shooting, which happened on Sept. 5, sent a victim to the hospital, where he has passed away from his injuries. Police identified the victim on Friday. Read More A look at freeway closures this weekend Also, your weather forecast for tonight For months, an unusual monument sat in an oak-lined square at the heart of Tasmania's capital: a pair of severed bronze feet. A statue of renowned surgeon-turned-premier William Crowther had loomed over the park in Hobart for more than a century. But one evening in May, it was chopped down at the ankles and the words "what goes around" graffitied on its sandstone base. It was a throwback to another night more than 150 years ago, when Crowther allegedly broke into a morgue, sliced open an Aboriginal leaders head and stole his skull - triggering a grim tussle over the remaining body parts. Tasmania had become the centre of coloniser efforts to eradicate Aboriginal people in Australia. And the sailor on the slab - William Lanne - was touted as the last man on the island, making his remains a twisted trophy for white physicians. Some see Crowther as an unfairly maligned man of his time, and his effigy as an important part of the states history, warts and all. But for Lannes descendants, it represents colonial brutality, the dehumanising myth that Tasmanian Aboriginal people are extinct, and the whitewashing of the island's past. "You walk around the city anywhere and you'd never know Aborigines were here," Aboriginal activist Nala Mansell says. Now the dismembered statue has become a symbol of a city - and a nation - struggling to reckon with its darkest chapters. The extinction lie Few places encapsulate the issue quite like Risdon Cove called piyura kitina by the Palawa Aboriginal people. Tucked beside a creek, a monument proudly marks it as the first British settlement on what was then called Van Diemens Land. Nala says piyura kitina evokes complicated feelings for the Palawa [BBC/Andrew Wilson] For Tasmanian Aboriginal people, though, this hillside on the outskirts of Hobart is "ground zero for invasion". "It's the first landing and not coincidentally the first massacre [of our people]," Nunami Sculthorpe-Green tells the BBC one overcast afternoon. Startled from their reverie, flurries of native hens - which piyura kitina is named after - scatter over the mossy grass as we arrive. A wallaby hastily bounds towards sparse gum trees. Its from that direction that Mumirimina men, women and children would have come down the slope on 3 May 1804, singing as they hunted kangaroos. They were met with muskets and cannons. The events of that day - and the death toll - are disputed. What is not contested is that this marked the start of a determined effort by British settlers to get rid of the original Tasmanians, nine nations of up to 15,000 people. War broke out and Aboriginal people were hunted across the island, the survivors rounded up and sent to what have been described as death camps. "If that happened anywhere in the world today, it would be referred to as ethnic cleansing," says Greg Lehman, a Palawa professor of history. Warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers: this article contains images of someone who has died. Ripped from his homelands as a child, Lanne survived two of those camps before living out his final years as a shipmate and beloved advocate for his people. Even before he died of disease in 1869, aged only 34, letters show that powerful men in Hobart had begun scheming. "There's no way that that young man was going to be allowed to lie in a grave. No way," historian Cassandra Pybus tells the BBC. The theft of Aboriginal remains had long been normalised, she says, but reached a fever pitch in Tasmania as the number of its original inhabitants dwindled. Lannes skull was sought to prove since-discredited theories about Tasmanian Aboriginal people - that they were the missing link between humans and Neanderthals, a distinct race so primitive they didnt even know how to make fire. Before he was buried, his hands and feet would also be cut off and pocketed by physicians. Some historians say his grave was robbed as well, and every bone in his body taken. Crowther always denied any involvement in stealing Lannes remains - his backers called the allegations a witch hunt - but the town was horrified, and he was suspended from his honorary position at the hospital. For First Nations people, who believe their spirits can only rest once returned to their land, what happened was especially distressing. But within two weeks, Crowther was elected to state parliament, and he'd soon rise to be Tasmanias premier for an unremarkable six months. By contrast, Lanne's skull appears to have wound up on the other side of the globe at a UK university, and his people were soon declared extinct. William Lanne was photographed by Scot JW Beattie before his death [National Library of Australia/J. W. Beattie] Except they were not. Todays Palawa people trace their ancestry to a dozen women who survived, while other groups - which some do not recognise as Aboriginal - also say they descend from a handful of people who managed to evade capture in the 1800s. Yet, for the past 150 years, Tasmanian Aboriginal people say they have been fighting to be visible, in the history pages and in everyday life. The lie that they were extinct is largely blamed on outdated views about ethnic identity. But others say it was also a strategic decision - to deny Tasmanian Aboriginal people rights, and to snuff out their culture. The impact has been devastating. Many Palawa people speak of being persecuted for their Indigenous blood in one breath and denied their identity because of their white ancestry in the next. Even now, many feel there are huge swathes of their history missing - or wilfully ignored. Nala points out all she was taught about Tasmanian Aboriginal culture and history at her Hobart school was a brief lesson on boomerangs and didgeridoos - although her people used neither. And aside from a walking track named after Truganini - Lannes wife and a leader in her own right - there are no sites celebrating Aboriginal people around the city. "The way they tell stories about Aboriginal people they want you to think that it's somewhere really far away from where you are, and that it's something that happened a really long time ago," Nunami says. Unimpressed, the 30-year-old history graduate started Black Led Tours to fill the gap. "I realised that I was walking to work the exact same way Truganini used to walk her dogs. And I realised that my parents met at the pub where William Lanne died. I also realised that the Crowther statue was right next to my bus stop. "And I thought: does everybody know that this is right here, where we live and where we work?" A disputed legacy When unveiling the effigy in 1889, the then-premier said Crowther was not "a perfect man", but one who spent his time doing good. His scandal overlooked, until recently he was remembered for offering free health care to the poor. That rankles Tasmanian Aboriginal people like Nala: "It's just a kick in the guts." As spokeswoman for the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, she led a renewed campaign to take down the memorial. "To us, it would be no different to having a statue of Martin Bryant," she says, referring to the gunman who massacred 35 people at nearby Port Arthur in 1996. But some, like Jeff Briscoe - who lost the legal case to prevent the statues removal - believe the sculpture has priceless heritage value as the only memorial in the state "funded totally by the public". "At the time, it was a significant memorial and everyone was proud of it. In 2024, should the perceptions of a few people override all that? "It's not as if he was going around shooting people he maybe had been involved in the mutilation of a body, but they all were. "Theyre bringing the bar down so low that no memorial from colonial times will be safe in Australia." Jeff Briscoe standing in front of the now-boxed-up statue plinth [BBC/Andrew Wilson] Cassandra Pybus says there is no doubt that Crowther did mutilate Lanne, citing letters he wrote. However, she had argued, like Mr Briscoe, that taking down the statue would set a dangerous precedent, because "everybody was racist". She had wanted it to remain so the site could be used to educate people about how the first Tasmanians were treated. The statues fate divided even Crowthers living descendants, with some publicly supporting the calls for removal, and others distressed by them. Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds says the council voted to remove the statue in 2022 "as a commitment to telling the truth of our city's history, and as an act of reconciliation with the Aboriginal community" - the first decision of its kind in Australia. They did it after a rigorous consultation and with the support of the "silent majority", she adds. Ultimately, she says, the statue is a sign of how desperate Crowther was to repair his reputation, not his significance to the state: "[Hes] not that important." But while the council worked through red tape, some grew impatient and took it down themselves. The vandals filmed themselves taking a power tool to the statue's legs [ABC News/Luke Bowden] For Lannes descendants, their relief at the long-awaited fall of the statue is tinged with pain. They feel Lanne has been reduced to his death. "He had a whole life... and just as he advocated for our people's rights, we will advocate for his story to be remembered and him to be respected for who he was," Nunami says. Time for 'truth-telling'? The Crowther statue is not unique. Countless similar landmarks or monuments - which joke about massacres, include racial slurs or celebrate alleged killers - are still standing across Australia. Many, like Greg, believe removing or renaming them could be a natural starting point for the "truth-telling" the country needs, to reconcile with its First Peoples, the oldest living culture on the planet. "Youd think that it was just a bunch of happy free settlers and not-so-happy convicts who jumped off the First Fleet... and bingo, there you've got modern Australia," he says. "For Australia to have an honest and powerful relationship with itself, it must have an honest relationship with the past." But after a proposal for an Indigenous political advisory body was defeated at a referendum last year, any movement towards a national truth-telling inquiry has stalled - though many states are setting up their own. There are still many, like Jeff Briscoe, who believe a "truth-telling" process would be a divisive and unnecessary rehashing of the past views echoed by a bloc of conservative politicians who also oppose a treaty. "Nowadays people want Aborigines to stand in front of them and say welcome to our country. They want us to dance for them. They want us to teach them our language. They don't mind if we put some of our paintings in the mall," Nala says. "But if you talk about any type of benefit for the Aboriginal community, or taking back anything that was stolen from us, it's a completely different ballgame." However she is among those who feel like the tide is slowly turning. "The Crowther statue is the first time I've ever thought, Wow, white people - they're starting to get it'," Nala says. Nunami hopes the Crowther debate prompts more conversations about other Hobart landmarks [Blak Led Tours Tasmania/Jillian Mundy] The council was still deciding what should replace the sculpture when it met its unexpected end. But many wanted the severed feet to remain in the square - as is - arguing they made a wryly "funny" and "profound" statement. However earlier this week, the council plucked the ankles from their perch, to reunite them with the rest of the effigy, citing heritage law requirements. But Nunami says even the now empty plinth illustrates the story of Crowther and Lanne far better than the statue ever did. "We get to say we, as the public, learnt, we grew, and we changed the narrative of this place Look here, we cut that down." Read more of our Australia coverage A Florida mother who police say was fatally stabbed by her 17-year-old son on Sunday posted lyrics online taken from Taylor Swifts song "Its Time to Go" in a haunting final message just hours before she was killed. Catherine Griffith, 39, uploaded an image of a remote footbridge leading into a forest captioned with the lyrics to the song the day before she was killed in the vicious knife attack in Auburndale. Witnesses say she and her son, who reportedly has a history of mental health issues, had gotten into an argument outside his grandmothers home. He then dragged her by the hair into the residence, and she could be heard pleading with her son to "let me go," the Polk County Sheriff's Office said. MOTHER OF PARKLAND SCHOOL SHOOTING VICTIM PUSHES FOR BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION AFTER GEORGIA MASS SHOOTING Catherine Griffith pictured with her son. Thats when Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a Wednesday press conference that the 17-year-old "stabbed his mother in the neck so hard that the knife went all the way through." Judd went on to label the teen as a "psychopath." The teen told police that he and his mother had gotten into a physical fight and that she fell on the knife. The teen has been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and violation of a no-contact order. Judd is pushing for him to be tried as an adult, but the local attorney generals office tells Fox News Digital that it cannot comment on the matter until next week. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The deadly incident came 19 months after the teen was charged with shooting his father in Oklahoma, although those charges were later dropped. Griffiths post may have suggested that she was not in a good place in the lead up to her death. "That old familiar body ache, the snaps from the same little breaks in your soul," the posted Taylor Swift lyrics read. "You know when its time to go Sometimes, givin up is the strong thing." Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is pushing for Griffith to be tried as an adult, he said at a Wednesday press conference. Griffiths Instagram page is filled with images of happier times with her son, including the two of them on a cruise, in front of the U.S. Capitol on July 4 and a picture of them together with her son dressed in academic regalia for his graduation. Another image shows him sitting on the front of a 2024 Volkswagen Jetta, which Griffith writes was an early graduation present for her son. But the relationship between the pair was apparently not always smooth sailing. The teen's grandmother, who was not present during the altercation, told WFLA that the teen had been verbally and physically confrontational with his mother on several occasions. GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT'S MOM DEFENDS HER SON IN MESSAGE TO VICTIM'S FAMILIES Judd said that as investigators started "to peel back the layer of this onion," they "[found] out that this is not just a singular event." Last year, the teen's father also died by his hand. "On Feb. 14, 2023, Valentines Day, in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, [he] said his dad pulled a knife on him, and he shot and killed his dad," Judd said. "He shot him once in the chest and once in the head, and he claimed self-defense." Oklahoma authorities dropped charges against the teen less than a month after the shooting because they could not disprove his "assertion of self-defense," Judd said. The teen's mother paid $50,000 to bail him out of jail, the New York Post reported. Then he moved into her Charlotte County, Florida, home and was involuntarily committed to a hospital for mental health reasons within a month. Around this time, Judd said, he made a threatening statement: "I'll kill myself, or I'll kill my mother by shooting or stabbing her." In November 2023, the teen "pushed [his mother] to the ground and ... stomped on her" after she took away his video game privileges, Judd said. He was arrested and claimed self-defense again, but the argument failed that time, and he spent time behind bars, the sheriff said. Catherine Griffith pictured with her son who is accused of stabbing her to death. After another argument with his mother in February of this year, the teen fled to his grandmother's house in Auburndale. The teen's mother and grandmother both contacted the sheriff's office around that time and said they felt unsafe around him, Judd said, and at that point, the teen was turned over to family services. But despite making more threats to kill his mother, the teen was ultimately reunited with his family despite making threats to kill his mother again just two weeks later, Judd said. According to the sheriff, the teen got into "an argument about home chores" that led him to "flee from his mother's house and [go to] his grandmother's house" on Sept. 6. The suspect's mother drove to the grandmother's house the next day, which is when she and the teenager got into the altercation that cost her life. The teen initially told 911 dispatchers that his mother "fell into a knife" after a "very long fight" on Sunday, Judd said. Deputies who arrived at The Hamptons a 55-and-older community in Auburndale about 50 miles east of Tampa, where the teen's grandmother is a resident found him "calm, cool, collected and he had blood on him," Judd said. The murder weapon. The 17-year-old reportedly became "uncooperative," showed "zero remorse" and had no sense of urgency about his gravely wounded mom. "He looked the deputy in the eye and said, 'I know my rights, I want an attorney,'" Judd said. Despite the teen's claims of a protracted fight with his mother before her death, the home was "neat and clean [with] no evidence of any kind of long fight," Judd said. "When you look at this, you see a kid," Judd said. "When I look at him, I see a psychopath. I see totally erratic behavior to the point that hes already, at 17 years of age, shot and killed his father and got away with it and stabbed his mother in the neck so hard that the knife went all the way through." "Now hes killed two people and killed his mother and father, and I can assure you beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt based upon his conduct, had he gone to live with his grandmother at the end of this, and she crossed him, she would be next," Judd added. Judd said he will share any information uncovered in his department's investigation that could incriminate the teen in his father's death with authorities in Oklahoma. Original article source: Slain Florida mom posts Taylor Swift lyrics in haunting message before knife attack involving son Russia has imprisoned hundreds for protesting or speaking out against the Ukraine campaign (Alexander NEMENOV) (Alexander NEMENOV/AFP/AFP) When Russians started being arrested for opposing the Ukraine offensive, Maria felt the same kind of fear she guessed her ancestors, victims of repression under Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, must have lived through. Now two and a half years into its military offensive, Russia has imprisoned hundreds for protesting or speaking out against the campaign -- even in private -- in a crackdown that has paralysed the Kremlin's domestic critics. "It's not normal when you start behaving like your ancestors did. Twitching every time the phone rings... thinking all the time about who you are talking with and what you are talking about," Maria, a 47-year-old from Moscow, told AFP. "My fear is growing." Leafing through a book with photos of victims of Stalin's purges, Maria pointed to her great-grandfather. Of Polish origin, he was declared an "enemy of the people" and executed in 1938 for "spying". He was posthumously rehabilitated after Stalin's death in 1953. His wife was also targeted, spending four years in the Gulag, the Soviet network of harsh prison labour camps. Maria's grandmother, who had to live with the stigma of her parents being dubbed "enemies of the people", constantly worried she too would be arrested. Maria now feels a similar fear, concerned she could be labelled a "foreign agent" -- a modern-day label with Stalin-era connotations that is used to marginalise critics of President Vladimir Putin's regime. - Self-censorship - Putin's Russia also has harsher legal tools at its disposal to target its opponents. Under military censorship laws, people can be convicted for up to 15 years for spreading "false information" about the military campaign in Ukraine. In such a climate, Maria, an English professor at a university, is cautious about how she behaves and what she says in public. Outside her circle of close friends, she hides her pacifist convictions and her fondness for Ukrainian culture. She doesn't discuss politics with her colleagues, and lives in fear that somebody could denounce her for reading Western news or social media sites blocked in Russia that she accesses through a VPN. English itself is now considered an "enemy language" that raises suspicions, said Maria, who asked for her surname to be withheld. When she is reading news articles on her phone on public transport, she said she "immediately closes" the page and starts playing a game "if I realise there is a person next to me not reading anything but just looking around". Fearing her phone will be searched at passport control, she cleanses it before travelling of any chats where the fighting in Ukraine might have been mentioned. She is also afraid to wear her vyshyvanka, a traditional stitched Ukrainian shirt, in public, and shuns combining yellow and blue clothes -- the colours of the Ukrainian flag. - 'Do not dare' - After a brief eruption of anti-conflict rallies in February 2022, the Kremlin has since stymied almost all shows of public opposition. "People do not dare to protest, do not dare to speak out," said Svetlana Gannushkina, a prominent Russian rights activist who has been labelled a "foreign agent". Heavy sentences for regime critics along with harsh treatment of prisoners has scared many into silence, she said. Gannushkina pointed to what she called a "historical, maybe even genetic, fear" in a country that has seen multiple bouts of political repression -- from serfdom in the Russian Empire, the Bolsheviks' "Red Terror" after the 1917 Revolution and the 1930s purges under Stalin. Her Memorial group worked to preserve the memory of victims of Communist repression and campaigned against modern rights violations until Russian authorities shut it down in 2021. Through history, repression has repeatedly "divided society into those who were ready to submit and those who did not want to, understood that resistance leads to nothing, and left", Gannushkina told AFP. "History has made a kind of natural selection... And now we've got a whole generation of people who are not ready to resist." - 'Slave to fear' - For Soviet dissident Alexander Podrabinek, 71, fear "is not an ethnic, national or genetic peculiarity" specific to Russia. "I have visited several totalitarian countries besides the Soviet Union and the situation is basically the same everywhere," he told AFP. "Fear is the main obstacle to a normal life in our country... Fear demoralises people, deprives them of their freedom." "Someone who is afraid is no longer free. They become a slave to their fear, living without being able to realise their potential," he added. Podrabinek was exiled to Russia's Siberia in 1978 and then imprisoned in 1981 after writing a book on punitive psychiatry in the USSR. Despite pressure from the KGB security services, he refused to leave the country. "The only thing that can overcome fear," he said, "is the conviction that you are right." bur/gil/smw WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) Local LGBTQ activists are speaking out against a recent change disallowing ID holders from changing their sex markers. In late August, Sheri Gipson with Texas State Health Services sent an email to employees notifying them that court orders were no longer acceptable documents for sex change on drivers licenses. Though it was uncovered weeks ago, confronting what Opal Center Treasurer Zachary Zoet calls government overreach is always applicable. I think any Texan should be disquieted and alarmed by this process because what we have is a government agency effectively overruling the courts, overruling precedents, and quietly rolling out a process where they are denying persons the right to have the correct documentation, he said. And, for trans individuals like Metropolitan Community Church Pastor Mel Martinez, having an unaligned sex marked on IDs can usher in mistreatment. Lets say I presented more masculine, and I had my ID, and it has the F on me, and the person whos receiving it has some opinions, Martinez said. Then Ive opened myself up to verbal abuse, possible physical abuse, certainly harassment. The statement, released to KUT News, states changes will only be made to sex markers in matters of clerical issues, saying: The validity of such documents is currently under review by office of the director to ensure that all state and federal guidelines are being met. for current DL/ID holders, the sex established at the time of original application and listed in the driver record will not be changed unless there was a clerical error. However, Gipson said no changes will be made to the renewal process, stating: This does not mean we will deny the issuance of or renewal of the DL/ID. The issuance can proceed with documentation on file, and this decision will be left up to the customer. If a first-time applicant presents conflicting documents, such as a birth certificate with a court order requiring a sex change, the sex listed on the original birth certificate will take precedence to record the sex. According to KUT, the statement also requests sex change court orders be reported. The last time I recall the United States making a list of certain kinds of persons was the McCarthy era, Martinez said. I dont want to go back there. I would hope that our country would not want to go back there. This is a slippery slope. And in Texoma, the pair said it will affect our neighbors negatively if it already hasnt. We have members of our trans community in town that identify as Conservatives and vote Conservatively, Zoet said. This is an issue that cuts across political parties. Its an issue of government overreach. Its an issue of infringing personal liberties. My focus is finding the polling stations that are going to be safe. Ive already been received a heads up from someone who at the last election, Martinez said. She was accosted, assaulted at the polling station. I fear were going to see a lot more of that. So, because I dont like to be a person whos afraid, I am working on ways to make sure that doesnt happen. Zoet said that if youre struggling with gender dysphoria or any LGBTQ-related issues, the Opal Center offers free and low-cost mental health counseling. For more information, call their office at (940) 247-4344. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 Texomashomepage.com. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) A Birmingham-based nonprofit organization is hosting a fundraiser next week featuring live storytelling performances. On Sept. 19, Small Magic will host their annual Storytime fundraising event. Alongside performances, the event will feature an interactive installation illustrating the importance of early learning and its impact on Birmingham families. In collaboration with Thank You Books, the event will also feature a book fair for grown-ups. Visitors will have the chance to fill a custom tote bag with new books. The event will last from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Lumi on 2202 2nd Avenue South. James Jones, longtime Alabama journalist who led Selma Times-Journal as managing editor, dies We are thrilled to invite the community to our second annual Storytime event, said Ruth Ann Moss, Executive Director of Small Magic. Last years event was a success, celebrating both the power of stories and the generosity of our community. Were grateful to our incredible partners and sponsors for making it a reality. This year, we hope to continue that tradition and create an unforgettable night that highlights the importance of early literacy and the role Small Magic plays in our community. The theme of the event is Chapter 2: Surprises. It will feature guests such as Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley Jones, Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame member Jose Carr, City Councilor J.T. Moore and others. Small Magic is focused on maximizing childrens school readiness and future economic mobility. They utilize community-centered and evidence-based approaches to ensure that local children have the future they deserve. 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 CBS 42. A Spotsylvania man who fractured the skull and rib of his infant daughter earlier this year was ordered Friday to serve 12 years in prison. Timothy Scott Pitzer, 37, pleaded guilty in Spotsylvania Circuit Court to two counts of child abuse and two counts of child endangerment. He was sentenced to a total of 30 years with 20 years suspended on those convictions. He received an additional two years for a probation violation conviction stemming from a prior child abuse case in Spotsylvania in 2021. Judge William Glovers sentence was well above the recommended state sentencing guidelines, which called for a maximum sentence of just over three years. Prosecutor Crystal Montague- Holland said the extra time is merited, claiming that this was the fourth time Pitzer has caused injuries to infants that required a hospital visit. The latest investigation began on May 23, when a Spotsylvania detective and a Child Protective Services worker went to Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center to investigate an unexplained skull fracture on a 2-month-old girl. The childs mother told authorities that the baby had been extra fuzzy for about a week, but she was trying to wait until an upcoming wellness visit to have her seen by a doctor. A doctor requested an X-ray after finding a soft spot on the babys head. He also discovered a healing rib fracture that the doctor determined was not a recent injury. Court records state that Pitzer, the childs father, eventually admitted hitting the childs head on a rocking chair while rocking her. He also admitted squeezing the baby too hard in April, causing the broken rib. Detective Matthew Coerpers investigation also included a phone sting between Pitzer and the babys mother. During that call, he admitted being arrested in Pennsylvania for punching another infant who he is no longer allowed to have contact with. Pitzer explained that he meant to punch the bed, but hit the child instead. He added that he sometimes gets very upset when dealing with his children and had trouble venting his frustrations. Attorney Libby Baughan represented Pitzer. Smiling Lib Dems plan to make the most of election success Sir Ed Davey celebrated with supporters on election night as the party won a record number of MPs [PA Media] Liberal Democrat smiles will be so broad in the next few days they will stretch from the end of Brighton Pier to the northern French coast. The party is gathering for its autumn conference at the Sussex seaside and it seems reasonable to forecast an incoming tide of jubilance. A party pulverised to smithereens after its years in coalition with the Conservatives is back and back big time - and they cant quite believe it. A few months back you could get all their MPs in a minibus. Now - with 72 of them - you would need a double decker at least. The 2024 general election was their best performance since the present day party was established in 1988. And, more than that, it saw the highest number of seats won by a Liberal party for more than a century. Speaking to some of the partys senior figures, they are already talking about the next general election. Their plan, as one put it to me, is to "finish the job". By that they mean, if not quite wiping out the Conservatives, chipping away yet further at what had long seemed impermeable Tory territory primarily in southern England. A splash of hubris, I wonder? Maybe, but then again some Conservatives privately are already fretting about how hard it may prove to dislodge recently victorious Lib Dems. The party has a reputation at Westminster for their capacity to dig themselves into constituencies and build strong local reputations. And, come the next general election, unlike Labour, they wont have a governing record to defend. But lets not get ahead of ourselves. For now, their new MPs are still finding their feet and their voice - as their leader Sir Ed Davey revels in his new-found prominence: a guaranteed spot at Prime Ministers Questions every week and miles more media attention. So what can we expect from this conference? Plenty of celebration, yes, plus an attempt to cement a reputation as the party of hope. The tone of politics is something Sir Ed has given considerable thought to, after his mix of wild capers, bungee jump included, and profound personal reflection - a party political broadcast that focused on the loss of his parents as a child and his disabled son - appeared to contribute to their election success. The prime minister acknowledged to me the other day that what some see as his miserabilist tone, talk of things getting worse before they get better, has been cast as doom and gloom, and I get that". Combine this with the angry, noisy politics of recent years and Sir Ed hopes he can colonise a gap in the political market for those who want a more positive tone. And what about policy? Expect them to double down on the NHS and social care. They believe this brought clarity and dividends at the election. The leadership has no desire to be a flotilla of small causes. Speaking to some of their new MPs I do wonder how long some may be able to resist talking about Brexit. Once unabashedly bashing of Brexit, the Lib Dems managed to pretty much avoid talking about it during the election. How long might that last, particularly if sluggish economic growth persists allowing pro-Europeans to point to analysis such as this from the Office for Budget Responsibility about the economic impact of the UKs departure from the European Union? What does Liberal Democrat success look like? For me, this is the most intriguing question for the party. What does it do in this parliament, how does it make an impact? An avowedly anti-Conservative party now confronts a Labour government with an imperious majority. How can or should it get noticed and effect change? This is a big, open and not-immediately-obvious-to-answer conundrum. But for now, for them, it is a nice conundrum to have, after a near decade of near irrelevance. They will make the most of this moment and perhaps little wonder. In the last 15 years, the four biggest parties in UK politics have all experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Labour went from their biggest defeat since 1935 in 2019, to a stonking majority in July. The Conservatives went from a huge win in 2019 to the worst in its parliamentary history. The Scottish National Party had 56 MPs in 2015, every seat bar three in Scotland. They now have nine. And the Liberal Democrats went from coalition government in 2010, to near wipe out in 2015, to Himalayan political altitude now. Who knows what is around the corner for any of them. They all conclude its worth smiling when you can. A January 1973 photo of Daniel Ellsberg, left, addressing the media outside the Federal Building in Los Angeles during the Pentagon Papers trial. (Jim Trageser) Hunkered over a Xerox machine at an ad agency above a flower shop on Melrose Avenue, Daniel Ellsberg began the laborious process of photocopying the smuggled documents that he hoped would end the Vietnam War. Earlier that day in Octobert 1969, he had opened the safe in his office at Rand in Santa Monica, where he worked as an analyst, and removed the first batch of top-secret papers. He had walked past the lobby guards with his briefcase, waving casually. I took it for granted that what I was doing violated some law, Ellsberg wrote in his 2002 book "Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers." His conscience had been eating him for years. He had been a Marine, a dedicated Cold Warrior and a Pentagon consultant advising the architects of the Vietnam War, accepting the premise that it might thwart a Stalinist dictatorship and promote democracy. At 38, he had become disillusioned with what he called a hopeless and interminable war, one built as he hoped the public would grasp from the papers on decades of lies. There were 47 volumes, consisting of 7,000 pages documenting American military decisions across two decades. They showed that optimistic speeches about the war masked much grimmer behind-the-scenes assessments, and that keeping American presidents from the stigma of humiliating defeat was a dominant aim of continuing the war. The papers showed repetitive patterns of internal pessimism and of desperate escalation and deception of the public in the face of what was, realistically, hopeless stalemate, as Ellsberg put it in his book. Anthony Russo enters a courtroom in Los Angeles where he acknowledged he had "broke the rules" in duplicating the top-secret documents. "It was my duty as an American citizen," he said. (Bettmann Archive) A former Rand colleague, Anthony Russo, had encouraged Ellsberg to leak the papers to the media. Russo's girlfriend ran an ad agency and offered the use of her Xerox machine. Ellsberg made copies after hours, sometimes bringing his 13-year-old son to help. If the government locked him up, as seemed plausible, he would be unable to support his kids. But he viewed the stakes as larger than me, or even my own family. Ellsberg slipped the papers to the New York Times, which began publishing them in June 1971. Other newspapers followed, despite fury from the Nixon administration, and the U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming the media's right to publish became a 1st Amendment landmark. Steven Spielberg made a movie about it. Less remembered was the criminal prosecution that followed in Los Angeles. The panic engulfing the Nixon White House and its loathing for Ellsberg would be captured in Oval Office tapes. To the presidents advisers, Ellsberg was a traitor responsible for an attack on the whole integrity of government and a devastating security breach of the greatest magnitude. Enraged to see Ellsberg portrayed as a national hero, Nixon vowed to destroy him, declaring: Weve got to get this son of a bitch." The Justice Department indicted Ellsberg under the Espionage Act, and he faced a possible 115 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy, espionage and theft of government property. When he and co-defendant Russo went on trial in downtown Los Angeles in 1972, the questions were large: Had the disclosures jeopardized national security? Were there circumstances in which the governments zeal for secrecy could be overridden in the public interest? Daniel Ellsberg, former Defense Department researcher who leaked the top-secret Pentagon Papers to the press, testifies before an unofficial House panel investigating the significance of the documents in 1971. (Associated Press) Mark Rosenbaum was a Harvard Law School student when he took a leave of absence to assist the defense team. This is, to my knowledge, the first trial in the history of the country that really examined the manner in which the government lied to its people, Rosenbaum, a longtime public interest attorney in Los Angeles, recently told The Times. Most people took what the government said as the truth. This trial blew that open. In 2024, its hard to remember how radical and revelatory that was. On trial was not just American foreign policy but the whole system for classifying documents, Rosenbaum said. We showed that what was classified as secret or top secret was really an attempt to [suppress] politically embarrassing material. The defense team believed that Nixons DOJ wanted the trial to take place on the West Coast in hopes of finding favorable jurors from the aerospace industry, which was heavily dependent on the Defense Department. Rosenbaum recalled that the jury was picked from a lot of retired government employees who seemed hellbent on conviction. You could feel the bad vibes, he said. But appellate arguments caused a months-long delay, and a new jury was picked that seemed friendlier to Ellsbergs side. There was little disagreement on the facts. No one disputed that Ellsberg had taken the papers and photocopied them. But the defense argued that the disclosure did not imperil national defense, that the documents dealt with past presidential administrations, and that much of the material had been in the public domain anyway, albeit in scattered form. And before giving the papers to reporters, Ellsberg had tried unsuccessfully to make them public by slipping them to members of Congress. Daniel Ellsberg, chief defendant in the Pentagon Papers case, addresses a crowd in Harrisburg, Pa., in 1972 after an antiwar parade that ended at the state Capitol. (Rusty Kennedy / Associated Press) But Congress was in the grip of a stranglehold by the executive branch, defense attorney Charles Nesson told the judge, adding: There was no way other than the one defendants chose. In a recent interview with The Times, Nesson, now 85, said another thrust of the defense was that Ellsberg had not actually stolen government property. He had photocopied documents and returned the originals. What he had done was divulge information but "the government doesn't own information." In late April 1973, deep into the trial, U.S. District Judge Matt Byrne handed Ellsbergs attorneys startling reports he had received from the Justice Department. The White House-directed team of operatives known as the plumbers had broken into the Beverly Hills office of Ellsbergs psychiatrist, looking for compromising material. Late one night, Rosenbaum said, he and another young attorney drove to the small East Los Angeles home of a woman who had cleaned the psychiatrists office and seen the burglars. The lawyers had an issue of Time magazine featuring a photo of Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy. The cleaning lady identified him as one of the burglars, Rosenbaum said. That began to break things open, Rosenbaum said. In another revelation damning to the government, the FBI admitted it had captured Ellsbergs voice on wiretap surveillance years earlier and that the transcripts had vanished. But what finally derailed the case was the Nixon administration's unseemly overtures to the judge. The defense team learned that Judge Byrne had visited the presidents San Clemente home mid-trial, and that Nixon had offered him the job of running the FBI. It amounted to Nixon "trying to bribe the judge to somehow get a conviction," Nesson said. It was "a kind of capstone to the misbehavior that Ellsberg was disclosing." The judge acknowledged the San Clemente meeting but said he rejected the FBI job. Shortly afterward, Nesson said, he got a call that the judge had been spotted in a park with Nixon aide John Ehrlichman. "I knew that was a killer," Nesson said. "The judge was finally cornered." Defense lawyers debated whether to spring the information on the judge in court or inform him privately. Nesson opted to call his chambers. "I've never really regretted the professional courtesy involved in putting him on notice that he was about to get killed, effectively," Nesson said. In May 1973, Byrne declared a mistrial and dismissed all charges against Ellsberg and Russo on the basis of government misconduct, saying: The bizarre events have incurably infected the prosecution of this case. Daniel Ellsberg is all smiles with his wife Pat as they emerge from the Federal Building in Los Angeles on May 11, 1973, shortly after the judge in the Pentagon Papers case dismissed all espionage, theft and conspiracy charges against Ellsberg and his co-defendant, Anthony Russo. (Associated Press) Jurors came by the office that defense attorneys had established in downtown L.A. It was clear that many had been in favor of acquittal. The leaked papers and the resulting trial fueled a distrust and cynicism about government that only intensified as the Watergate scandal played out. Did Ellsberg's leak help end the war? As Ellsberg argued in his book, fighting the Watergate scandal prevented Nixon from blocking a congressional resolution to halt bombing. And Nixon's attempt to cover up the criminal capers of White House operatives such as the break-in at the office of Ellsberg's psychiatrist would figure largely in his disgrace and resignation. With stricter laws about the release of government secrets, Rosenbaum said the Ellsberg defense would stand little chance in court today. Today it would be open and shut in favor of the government, Rosenbaum said, since now the sole burden on the government is to prove the document is classified, and thats the end of it. Was the document classified? Yes. Done. 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. CENTRAL TEXAS - Students were not far into the semester when school threats were made to several districts in the Austin area. In one week, several social media posts resulted in the arrests of around half a dozen children in Central Texas. Adults and students were caught posting threats online. In only a matter of days, the false reports popped up in districts throughout the state. Charles Upshaw told FOX 7 how he felt about the threat made to his children's elementary school. "Pretty scared," said Charles Upshaw. "It's something that every parent worries about these days." MORE STORIES: According to the press release from Hays CISD, they have detained and arrested three sixth graders for two incidents this week. One of the online posts specifically mentioned a shooting threat at Simon Middle School and the student, along with her friend who attended Wallace Middle School. Both students were charged with the equivalent of a state jail felony for the false alarm. "I don't understand it," said Upshaw. "It's not funny at all. If people are doing it as a joke, it is extremely terrifying and saddening." The other incident at Hays CISD was made on Thursday by a sixth grader from McCormick Middle School. That student was charged with making a terroristic threat, which is equivalent to a third-degree felony. The district stated the student did not have the means to carry out this threat but did admit to making one. Tim Giskin lives across the street from Hill Elementary School and was surprised to hear about the threat. Although his children are grown now, they used to go to class there. "It's kind of baffling why anybody would threaten the school, honestly, or the kids who go here," said Tim Giskin. The troubling trend has school districts on alert across the state, forcing them to ramp up police presence on campuses, including Hill Elementary School in Northwest Austin. "I think they handled it pretty well," said Upshaw. "Yeah, I appreciate that. They were very proactive in their communication and that they had, you know, additional law enforcement on site even though the person was already arrested." Avery Young, 29. Avery Young, 29, was arrested on Thursday for the threat made to the Austin ISD elementary school. He is charged with terroristic threat and held on a $100,000 bond. "This is such a good school or quiet area, no problems ever," said Giskin. "My kids just crossed the street when they weren't here." Marble Falls ISD also received an online threat on Thursday and has since increased its police presence on campus. Additionally, districts were put on alert in Johnson City, Cedar Park, and other Hill Country communities. Marble Falls ISD's letter to parents encouraged them to have these conversations with their children about the repercussions of making false threats and how important it is to report anything they see that is suspicious online. Solo travel is my secret to a healthy marriage. Spending time apart reminds me of why we got married. The author says that being away from her husband reminds her why they wanted to get married in the first place. Courtesy of the author I've been married for 12 years but travel by myself often. A coworker even asked me once if I was in an open marriage because of my solo travels. We recognize our dreams as a couple, but also as individuals. "Do you have an open marriage?" Perplexed by my coworker's question, I responded with a blank stare. "You're always solo traveling, but you're married. Do you have an open marriage?" he asked again. If you look at my social media, you will see that I have frequently solo traveled throughout my 12-year marriage. I've hiked through Patagonia, slept in a treehouse in the Amazon in Peru, rode elephants in Jaipur, India, and taken a road trip in a motorcycle sidecar from Beijing to the Great Wall of China. Whenever I share these travel stories, it's only a matter of time before someone inquires, "Did your husband go with you?" While solo travel is seen as unconventional for most long-term relationships, it has established trust, a greater sense of self, and strengthened the strong bond between my husband and me. Solo travel is my secret to a healthy marriage. Maintaining a sense of autonomy in our relationship In 2010, I was a broke college student who was determined to travel as much as financially possible using my hard-earned tips from a bartending gig. That year, I decided to visit a place that had long been on my travel list: San Francisco. The timing of the trip wasn't great. As a student, I could only manage to travel during the December holidays, which are among the most expensive times to travel. As I began to consider canceling my trip, a friend of mine encouraged me to try CouchSurfing. The following week, I found myself at the corner of 18th Street and Lexington in San Francisco's Mission District to meet my Couchsurfing host, Matt. I never would have guessed that 16 months after meeting, we'd be married. Throughout our relationship, we have always recognized that we have dreams as a couple, but we also have individual dreams that shouldn't be put on the back burner. Those individual dreams give us a sense of joy and personal accomplishment that enables us to be our best selves within our relationship. Maintaining this sense of autonomy within our marriage has helped us to avoid any resentment. I needed to prioritize self-care In the years that followed our 2012 wedding, life could best be described as often being very busy and loud. I worked in television for five years and co-own a summer camp with my husband. My phone had become my constant companion; the sounds of its rings and constant pings were the soundtrack of daily life. Solo travel allows me to slow down and remove the power that life's demands can have. I often travel to remote places that have limited access to Wi-Fi or cell service, so I'm forced to unplug from the world. When I travel solo, I am forced to sit with myself and examine things that are boiling under the surface. In 2022, I took solitude in Peru's Amazon rainforest. I used this time to dissect the deep unhappiness I had been experiencing and realized my job was eating me alive. I return from my solo travels relaxed, grounded, and in tune with what I want out of life leading me to be my authentic self and creating a deeper connection with my husband. Spending time apart reminds me of why we married The old saying is true, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." As co-owners of a summer camp, our relationship is intertwined personally and professionally. It's easy to lose sight of your partnership's romantic side when managing a business together. Spending time apart reminds us of the reasons we got together in the first place and the qualities each of us brings to our relationship. Missing each other is good for the heart those butterflies from your dating days begin to flutter again. It could also be said that we have both developed new love languages thanks to solo travel; it has created new ways for us to connect. My travels give me new stories to share with my husband, and I often return home to letters he has written to me while I've been away. I'm always sure to find some international delicacies to bring home to my husband, who is a big foodie hot sauces from Colombia, ramen noodles kits from Japan, and coffee from Guatemala. When I say solo travel has changed my life, I mean it literally. A chance encounter that led to marriage would have never happened if I had chickened out on that winter day in 2010 and not shown up at those San Francisco cross streets. Doing things that social conventions frown upon has led to a life of continued self-growth and mindfulness and, in turn, a kind of deep happiness that makes you pinch yourself. Rather than fend off questions like my coworker's, I smile to myself because solo travel is my secret to a happy marriage. Read the original article on Business Insider As Democrats continue to snatch back the mantle of freedom, some younger Black voters feel that the message rings a little bit hollow. Yes, theyre enthusiastic that Vice President Kamala Harris is at the top of a major political partys ticket. But theyre also concerned that the partys calls for freedom and a more inclusive democracy are too narrow that they ignore the plight of Palestinians. This friction contributes to a generational divide. One pollster, per The New York Times, observed an almost 30-point gap in support for Democrats between Black voters from the ages of 18 through 49 and Black voters 50 and over. Closing this gap will require Democrats to engage more intentionally and directly with frustrated voters, or else they might sit out the election altogether. Seeing a Black woman on the cusp of making history is so exciting, and it makes me excited to be a part of this work, Briana Thomas, the development and operations manager at the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition, a grassroots collective of Black, brown, LGBTQ, and working class students and their allies, told Capital B. Still, Thomas continued, some younger Black voters definitely want to see Democrats adopt a more muscular approach to ending conflicts abroad, for instance by pushing to restrict arms sales to Israel. Since the Israel-Hamas war began nearly a year ago, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territorys Health Ministry. This devastation has displaced around 90% of Gazas population. Read More: Beyonce, Democrats, and the Fight for Freedom The far-reaching human rights vision thats especially common among younger Black voters was on full display at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundations annual legislative conference in Washington, D.C., this week. In a jam-packed room at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Deyona Burton, the national programs director for the College Democrats of America, said that her mother often asks her why she cares so much about whats going on elsewhere in the world to communities that dont involve her. Her response? Its mostly because I see [the violence] almost every single day, Burton told an audience made up of younger and older Black voters alike. I open up my feed, and even if Im looking for a laugh or trying to find a meme or a reel, I always see something about whats happening in Gaza. Her comments, delivered during a panel that focused on Black youth advocacy, were consistent with what Kenya Cummings, the executive director of the South Carolina Housing Justice Network, a Charleston-based tenants rights organization, told Capital B earlier this year. Cummings explained that an entire generation of younger people has learned what mass death and complicity mean because of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. They added that theres a lot of Black and brown solidarity with Palestinians, particularly when it comes to understanding the impact of being the target of state-sanctioned violence. In fact, that kinship was the theme of a separate panel that featured U.S. Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Georgia state Rep. Ruwa Romman, the scholar Marc Lamont Hill, and the journalist Mehdi Hasan. We need to be thinking globally, Romman, the first Palestinian American elected to any office in Georgia, declared in a room that was so crowded that people had to stand in the hallway and crane their necks to view the stage. Fueled by their abiding compassion for Palestinians, some younger Black voters have found it difficult to get fully on board with Democrats, who are reluctant to break the countrys long-standing alliance with Israel and jeopardize their ability to govern. We need to question people in power How might Democrats improve their relationship with younger Black voters? For starters, by talking about the issues that they actually want to talk about. To an extent, Harris has done a better job of this than President Joe Biden. Recall how, ahead of a campaign stop in Detroit last month, she met briefly with Abbas Alawieh and Layla Elabed, two leaders of the uncommitted movement, who expressed their anger with Democrats over their refusal to impose an arms embargo on Israel and asked to meet to discuss U.S. foreign policy. Alawieh and Elabed were hopeful that Democrats, with a new standard-bearer, would be more open to having tough conversations about the bombing of Gaza. They said to Mother Jones that Harris empathy toward them and her comprehension of human suffering did feel genuine. But weeks later, a setback: No Palestinian American was granted a speaking slot at the four-day Democratic National Convention. To party leaders, this was probably a way to avoid potentially squandering their newfound competitiveness in the presidential race or angering certain organizations, such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. AIPAC is an influential pro-Israel lobbying group that has demonstrated that it has the power to dash political ambitions. Days after the DNC, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who often clashes with AIPAC, laid out the challenges of walking this tightrope: Its not enough to be right. We need to be right and WIN, she noted on social media. I believe that we have a moral obligation to be EFFECTIVE in addition to having a just stance, otherwise who are we doing this for? To others, the exclusion of a Palestinian American voice was an unforced error one that exemplified the partys tendency to evade grappling with the politically fraught topic. With the younger generation, theres a lot more questioning which is good, Tristan St. John, a senior at Morehouse College who also works with the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition, told Capital B. I feel as though we need to question people in power these politicians and make sure that our demands are being met. Read More: Can Kamala Harris Recreate the Political Momentum of 2008? And of course, location matters, too. Burton, during her panel, emphasized the importance of Democrats seeking out areas where younger Black voters are likely to be, or sending trusted messengers on their behalf. Its nothing for me to go into these barbershops or hair salons in my community and speak with people about the issues I care about because I am the people, she said. Were even talking about doing voter registration in the club because you have to go where the people are. (After that remark, Niccara Campbell Wallace, the panels moderator and the executive director of the Rolling Sea Action Fund, a Black mobilization organization, quipped, We can blow hookah smoke and register to vote. I know thats right.) Burtons broader point was a significant one: Possessing a desire to have a dialogue with younger Black voters about Gaza or any of the other issues animating them is meaningful only if Democrats know where they are, and can forge bonds with them there. Or as she put it, You cant engage the community without knowing the community. And we have something to say. Staff writer Aallyah Wright contributed to this report. The post We Have Something to Say: Younger Black Voters Want Attention on Gaza appeared first on Capital B News. The opening day of Africa Oil Week and Green Energy Africa Summit in Cape Town (Reuters) - South Africa's Deputy President Paul Mashatile was fine after having struggled with the heat while giving a speech on Saturday afternoon, the premier of Limpopo province told state broadcaster SABC. Mashatile collapsed while addressing a gathering commemorating the inauguration of a local traditional leader in Tzaneen, Limpopo province, 412 kilometres (256 miles) north east of Johannensburg, SABC reported. Limpopo's provincial premier Phophi Ramathuba, a medical doctor, told the the broadcaster Mashatile was not in danger, having struggled with the heat towards the end of his speech. "The deputy president is fine, he is with his medical team. I was with them, he's ok and there's no need to worry," Ramathuba said. (Reporting by Nelson Banya; Editing by Peter Graff) SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) South County Health leaders are working to reassure the public that South County Hospital is in good shape, despite recent backlash over alleged management issues. During a press conference Friday, South County Health addressed the ongoing controversies after a two-day investigation found no deficient practice at the hospital. The team had no concerns. All the services were confirmed to be operational and there are no current or anticipated gaps that were identified in patient care, service quality or safety, said Deborah Randall, assistant vice president of quality and regulatory compliance. MORE: South County Hospital patients demand action amid uncertainty The reassurance comes amid calls from patients for state intervention and the removal of the hospitals top executives, including CEO Aaron Robinson, Board of Trustees Chairman Joseph Matthews, and Chief Medical Officer Keven Charpentier. Nearly the entire oncology department resigned in August, citing irreconcilable differences with management in a letter addressed to the Board of Trustees. During a recent interview, Robinson told Target 12 these issues stem from underfunding and that some difficult decisions were necessary to keep the hospital financially viable. Patients, part of Save South County Hospital 2024, expressed their concerns on Thursday, after learning that three of the four current oncologists will leave by the end of October. To hear that this wonderful oncology team has resigned and other crucial doctors are leaving is heartbreaking, South County Hospital patient Christine Siravo said. Meanwhile, Charpentier said the hospital is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for oncology patients. The executive leadership team and the senior leadership team at South County Health have worked tirelessly in efforts to make the upcoming transition for our oncology patients from one physician to another as smooth as reasonably possible, he said, adding that despite the anxiety and concerns, there will be no lapse in care during this period. TARGET 12: South County Hospital leaders defend record as open letter calls for new management Save South County Hospital responded to Fridays briefing by stating, The hospitals effort seems to be to combat and refute the public outcry. They asked federal legislators for a fact-check to ensure the DHHS form, which stated there was no deficient practice, covered every concern raised in their initial letter. Additionally, they asked State Health Director Jerome Larkin for the full report on the hospital, an explanation as to why they were not informed at the same time as the hospital, and proof that each issue was examined. We call on Governor McKee and Attorney General Neronha to examine this practice and relationship regarding information supplied to the public complaining to state officials, and help to save this community hospital from mismanagement to ensure its survival in capable hands in a vastly changing health landscape, the group said in a release. The group believes the hospital is in crisis, but emphasized they are not claiming care is inadequate, only that managements decisions may begin to jeopardize it. AHEAD: Thundermist Health Center lays off 124 employees Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup 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 WPRI.com. (Bloomberg) -- South Sudan postponed elections that were due in December for two years, extending the mandate of the nations transition government. Most Read from Bloomberg The delay will allow for the implementation of critical remaining protocols agreed under a 2018 peace accord to end a civil war in the East African nation, President Salva Kiirs office said in a Sept. 13 statement. These include the drafting of a permanent constitution, a census, and the registration of political parties, it said. The extension is in response to the recommendations from both electoral institutions and the security sector, the office said. South Sudan has been beset by conflict since it seceded from its northern neighbor, Sudan, in 2011. The civil war that erupted in 2013 caused almost 400,000 excess deaths, according to a US State Department-funded study. The United Nations warned in March that the country needs to manage the election carefully to ensure chaos doesnt ensue after the vote. South Sudan has faced intensified fights over resources, high unemployment, political competition among the ruling elite, increased inter-communal clashes and the added strain of returnees and refugees escaping the conflict in neighboring Sudan, the UN said in July. If elections arent managed carefully, there is a potential for violence with disastrous consequences for an already fragile country and the wider region, it added. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Authorities in Ventura are investigating a hazmat situation involving an irritant being released in a grocery store. According to the Ventura City Fire Department, fire and medical units were dispatched to the WinCo Foods on Telephone Road around 9:15 p.m. Friday on calls of a reported hazard with multiple victims stating they had eye, throat and nasal irritation. Firefighters arrived within five minutes of dispatch to find a large grocery store with approximately 40 to 50 people outside and dispersing, fire officials said in a statement. The store was shut down immediately and all customers and employees were advised to leave. Video: Man punches suspected DUI driver after crashing into food truck, injuring customer Fire crews checked the store for hazardous materials using air monitoring devices while paramedics evaluated the customers and employees in the stores parking lot. No one was hospitalized, officials said, and the store was deemed safe and able to reopen within an hour. A suspect appeared to have left the area after releasing the irritant in a large area, fire officials added. No description surrounding the suspect was released. The Ventura Police Department is investigating the incident. 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. A firefighter sprays a mixture of water and foam during a demonstration of a soy-based firefighting foam on Sept. 10, 2024, in West Fargo, North Dakota. (Photo by Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor) In the search for a more eco-friendly firefighting foam, soybeans may be the answer to moving away from forever chemicals. Forever chemicals has become the common term for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. The Environmental Protection Agency calls them widely used, long-lasting chemicals that break down very slowly over time. They also have been a common ingredient in foam used to fight fires and have been linked to high rates of cancer among firefighters. While PFAS contamination is bad and something that were sorting through, its very effective as a firefighting foam. And folks whose lives have been saved by it likely appreciate that, Adam Driscoll of Minneapolis-based Barr Engineering told a North Dakota conference of the Air and Waste Management Association in Bismarck last week. Thats the difficult decision that folks are wrestling with at the moment. But one alternative may be a foam based out of soybeans that is completely biodegradable. Cross Plains Solutions demonstrated its firefighting foam at the Big Iron Farm and Construction Show in West Fargo this week. The company launched its product in April with the help of investment from the United Soybean Board, and state groups, including North Dakota. The groups are funded through a checkoff, a fraction of the price of each bushel of soybeans sold that is used to pay for things such as research and development of new products, such as the firefighting foam. What better way to use checkoff dollars and funding something that, not only our farmers receive benefit from, but also those that are out there fighting fires, said Cindy Pulskamp of Hillsboro, a member of the United Soybean Board. John Hejl is both a soybean farmer and a firefighter. He farms near Casselton, west of Fargo, and is the chief of the Casselton Volunteer Fire Department, which serves a large rural area. He said he had been looking for an alternative to PFAS foams and has been impressed with the Cross Plains Solutions product. He said the foam reduces the amount of water firefighters need to put out a fire. During the demonstration, firefighters set fire to diesel fuel contained within a barrel that had been cut in half. Foam was sprayed around the fire to prevent it from spreading and then used to douse the fire. The foams ability to create a barrier could have applications in prescribed burns, such as forests. Hejl said if it was a railcar full of diesel on fire, it would take hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to put it out without using foam. So by the time you put it out, its flowed into every ditch and stream and waterway for miles. If we can cover it with a blanket of foam and keep it in the ditch, then weve protected the lake and the river and the stream, Hejl said. Karolin Jappe is the emergency manager for McKenzie County, in the heart of North Dakotas Bakken oilfield. She said when volunteer firefighters respond to a fire at an oil facility, the company will sometimes ask if there is PFAS in the firefighting foam. The reason for the question is that, when the smoke clears, cleaning up the PFAS requires taking it to a special landfill, making the cleanup more expensive. There is no prohibition against it, Driscoll said of the PFAS foams. But then, once its used, it has to be dealt with. There are no prohibitions against disposing of PFAS in landfills in North Dakota, but landfills can reject any load, according to Ivana Striebel in the Department of Environmental Qualitys Hazardous Waste Program. If no municipal landfill in North Dakota would accept the contaminated soil, then the load could go to one of the states two industrial landfills. If the soil was rejected there, then the soil would have to be shipped out of state and most likely be disposed of as hazardous. Streibel said North Dakota has no hazardous materials dump sites. But with the biodegradable foam, there is no hazardous materials risk, unless whatever was burning was a hazardous substance. Alan Snipes, CEO of Cross Plains Solutions, said the companys product, SoyFoam, is the only biodegradable firefighting foam on the market and sits about mid-range on price compared to other foams. The product is manufactured in Georgia but Snipes said the company has identified other sites that can produce the foam if demand increases. SoyFoam represents a potential new market for soybeans, which can be used for many non-food products, including tires and shoes. Until recent months, most of the soybeans grown in North Dakota had been shipped to markets in Asia. The opening of two soybean crushing plants at Spritwood and Casselton means that North Dakota can process about half the soybeans it grows. Crushing separates the beans into oil, meal and hulls. The oil can be used in the food industry and heavy industry, for products such as renewable diesel. Soybean meal is largely used for livestock feed but can also be processed into flour that is the basis for the foam. We have more meal than we know what to do with, Hejl said. Dave Garlie is the primary developer of the Cross Plains Solutions SoyFoam product. Garlie, who did his graduate research in chemistry at North Dakota State University, lives in Wisconsin but the company is based in Georgia. He said one of the biggest challenges for the company is that different states and government agencies have different standards for firefighting foam. That means performing many different tests to prove that the product meets those standards. He said federal agencies such as the Department of Defense and the U.S. Forest Service have a huge need for biodegradable firefighting foam but each have a different certification process. He said the public has become more aware of the dangers of PFAS in firefighting and the company wants to demonstrate how safe its product is. What were trying to do is rebuild community confidence, Garlie said. Thats why were here at these farm technology shows. This story was originally published by North Dakota Monitor. Like Maine Morning Star, North Dakota Monitor is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. North Dakota Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Amy Dalrymple for questions: info@northdakotamonitor.com. Follow North Dakota Monitor on Facebook and X. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said that his country is "supporting" all ceasefire efforts by Qatar, Egypt and the United States to end the ongoing violence in Gaza. Albares's comments came after the Spanish government held a meeting with the Arab-Islamic contact group and European officials to discuss a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The meeting, hosted by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the Moncloa Palace, brought together the Foreign Ministers of Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Norway, Turkey, and Egypt. The Secretary-General of the Arab League, the Minister of State for Qatar, and EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell were also present. United around the two-state solution Speaking to journalists, Albares emphasised that the contact group is currently "united in implementing the two-state solution." "The states gathered here formed a group that is not limited by geography, but united by a common goal to push for collective action by the international community," he said. He also called for the release of Israeli hostages and stressed the urgent need for "massive, immediate, and unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid" into the Gaza Strip. Spain, along with Norway and Ireland formally recognised a Palestinian state in May, a decision that sparked a strong reaction from Israel. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) A Springdale woman arrested in connection with a drug ring bust that led to five other arrests, pleaded not guilty earlier this week, according to court documents. Win Sin, 30 (Courtesy: Washington County Jail) Win Sin, 30, was arrested on August 23 by the 4th Judicial Drug Task Force on one count of accomplice to trafficking methamphetamine. Sin pleaded not guilty during her arraignment on September 11. Antwaine Jackson Sr., 43, Antwain Jackson Jr., 24, Marquesha Young, 32, Crystal Kitt, 37, and Shawn Williams, 50 were also arrested in connection with the bust. Jackson Sr. was reportedly identified as a multiple-pound distributor of methamphetamine in the Northwest Arkansas area and the focus of the investigation, according to preliminary police reports. Former Rogers youth pastor accused of sex crimes pleads guilty to reduced charge Detectives with the 4th Judicial Drug Task Force learned that Jackson Sr. would be receiving a shipment of meth from south Arkansas on August 23. Detectives surveilled Jacksons home, where they saw a vehicle driven by Williams and Young. Jackson Sr. and Sin, his wife, left the home in separate cars and went to a nearby storage unit. The report said he was seen entering a unit with a bag and leaving with a white box before returning to his home. Jackson Sr. and his wife returned home where Young left with a backpack and got into another vehicle with Jackson Sr. The report said police approached the vehicle and the two fled at a high speed before driving through multiple residential yards and crashing into a ditch. Both fled and were later apprehended. Police served a search warrant on the storage unit and found 7.5 pounds of marijuana inside. The report said Jackson Sr. threw six hydrocodone pills under the vehicle as he was being arrested and had nearly $1,400 in cash on him. Marijuana and a drug ledger were found in the vehicle and the backpack contained more than $5,000 and 12 ounces of marijuana. More than four pounds of meth and a small amount of cocaine were also found in a car registered to Sin. Huntsville man accused of shooting, injuring teen pleads not guilty Jackson Sr. spoke with police and said he had sold one to two pounds of meth a week for several months and Young provided him with the meth in exchange for marijuana and cash. Sin allegedly allowed Jackson Sr. to use her vehicle for drug deals and transferred money to an El Dorado man, later identified as the middleman, to buy meth. She also allowed transfers of money Jackson received during deals to be sent to one of her accounts, according to the report. Jackson Jr. was also part of the investigation. He was arrested after he attempted to flee from police at a Fayetteville Walmart. Police found two loaded firearms after searching his home, one of which was reportedly stolen out of the Fayetteville Police Department, and one pound of marijuana. Kitt was also arrested for her alleged involvement in the ring. Jackson Sr., Jackson Jr., Williams, Young, and Kitt are set to appear in court on September 18. Sins trial date was set for 8 a.m. on October 22. 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. Springfield hospitals lock down due to bomb threats SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WDTN) Bomb threats were made toward two medical centers in Springfield, sending both facilities into lockdown. On the morning of Saturday, Sept. 14, the Springfield Police Division was alerted to bomb threat against two hospitals in the city. Kettering Health Springfield, located on North Limestone Street, was one of the alleged targets. According to Kettering Health, police notified the hospitals security team, who put the hospital under temporary lockdown. Police officers and the hospital security team worked together to search the premises and did not find anything suspicious. Kettering Health says the lockdown has since been lifted. The safety protocols we have in place for these instances allow us to work quickly with local law enforcement to investigate threats thoroughly and ensure the safety of our patients and staff, Kettering Health said in a statement. Mercy Healths Springfield Regional Medical Center, located at 100 Medical Center Drive, was also sent into a temporary lockdown after officials heard of the alleged bomb threat around 6 a.m. Police and security on site searched and found nothing, determining the threat to be not credible at this location as well. A spokesperson with Mercy Health says the hospital continued to operate during this time. One of our most important responsibilities is the safety and security of our patients, visitors, associates and physicians, the spokesperson said. We would like to thank the Springfield Police Department as well as our onsite teams for their swift, efficient and caring response. These incidents come after multiple government buildings and schools were evacuated and closed this week due to bomb threats and safety concerns. Springfield Police Division posted to social media, reminding citizens of their commitment to ensuring safety for everyone. We recognize that the past few days have been particularly challenging for everyone in our community. Please know that we remain fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of each and every person, the statement reads. We take any and all threats to our communitys safety very seriously and continue to work diligently to address them. Springfield officials say these false threats throughout the week have continued to not be credible and may be indicative of swatting. Springfield is working with the Dayton office of the FBI to investigate and trace the origin of these threats. 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 WDTN.com. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Springfield Public Schools notifying parents that there is an increase of online threats toward schools. This increase is on a national and state level, SPS Chief Communications Officer Stephen Hall saying there is no threat to any Springfield Schools. We wanted them to be aware of the national trend, to thank them for letting us know that they had observed the posts we wanted them to know, says Hall. We were aware we were investigating. And then at this time, we do not believe there is a credible threat in Springfield. Sara Barry has kids in elementary school, she says that when she read the SPS email it didnt shock her. Its awful to say I wasnt even surprised because its been happening all over the country, people that I know in different cities have been experiencing and dealing with this all week, says Barry. Now Springfield School Police are investigating any potentially threatening posts. They analyze those posts. They work with their law enforcement partners. They have very close relationships with Greene County Sheriffs Office, Springfield Police Department and others. And so when they look into that many times, theyre able to identify the source of the information, explains Hall. Barry says while she does not live in fear her childrens safety at school is always on her mind Probably at least once a week I look in the rearview mirror when my kids are off and think you know, could this be the day this something happens, says Barry. The email from SPS to parents included the Springfield School Police Dispatch number, 417-523-2911, and the anonymous tip line number, 417-319-2901. Hall says anyone with information on online threats can call these numbers. 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 KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. St. John the Apostle Catholic School cancels classes two days in a row due to threats VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) St. John the Apostle Catholic School cancelled classes two days in a row due to threats of violence. The school initially closed on Thursday after receiving a threatening email. In a letter, Superintendent of Catholic Schools Diocese of Richmond, Michael Riley told families the threat originated from someone outside of Virginia Beach who has no affiliation with the school. Riley also stated the threat was sent in response to news coverage the individual saw related to the schools recent disciplinary decision. Earlier this week, WAVY and other media outlets reported about the schools decision to suspend an 11-year-old boy who alerted his principal about another student brought a bullet to class. Boy suspended after reporting student with bullet at VB school Additionally, Riley informed school families that the school has temporarily hired a private security firm staffed with retired law enforcement. When we resume normal school activities next week, as an added measure of caution, we will have an increased security presence on site to ensure a smooth and safe return, wrote Riley. 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. ST. LOUIS After the feeling of a lack of transparency in how ARPA funds are awarded and granted, the St. Louis City comptroller is calling on the St. Louis Development Corporation for more integrity within the process. Comptroller Darlene Green mailed a letter to Neal Richardson, the SLDC CEO and President. According to a release, Green has expressed worries surrounding the funding process within the program that have led to a loss in trust from the public. She has also voiced that if there is a failure to comply by a federal deadline, the city could lose millions of dollars. The letter from Green to Richardson reads, in part: As comptroller, I urge you to remove all doubts concerning the integrity of the grant and award process, fix any problems, and immediately address the glaring questions about the appearance of improprieties and lack of transparency regarding the process. I strongly support Mayor Jones intention to target this $37 million in ARPA funding to help uplift long-distressed areas of north St. Louis City, which have suffered from disinvestment and economic exclusion for decades. I call on you to be open and transparent about the process by revealing the details of how it was determined that those particular final grant awards, in question, were selected to then be presented to a selection committee for approval of the federal fundsfailing to respect these deadlines will result in the loss of federal funding for this program and may impact future funding opportunities as well. Green disclosed that this informational request must be obligated by Dec. 31 of this year, and must be liquidated by Dec. 31, 2026. 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Authorities responded to a stabbing call in downtown Nashville just before 8 p.m. on Friday night. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Officers were called to the 200 block of Union Street and found that one person had been stabbed while at Public Square Park. Metro Dispatch confirmed that one person was taken to an area hospital. Officers on scene told News 2 that there were no witnesses to this reported stabbing. The victim was stabbed in the torso, but their injuries are not critical. No suspects have been taken into custody in relation to this case at this time. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. 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. 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. New state bill could allow San Diego City College to offer bachelors in nursing SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) As a bill allowing California community colleges to offer bachelors degrees in nursing awaits its fate on Gov. Gavin Newsoms desk, San Diego City College is preparing for the possibility that it could be among the first to introduce the expanded program. Senate Bill 895, introduced by state Sen. Richard Roth (D-Riverside), builds off a law passed two years ago that opened up the door for state community colleges to offer bachelors programs, granted they are not duplicative of existing programs at the states public four-year universities. Under the new bill, this stipulation barring repetition of public colleges baccalaureate programs would be amended to allow a handful of community colleges with existing associates in nursing the ability to expand it to add a full bachelors. San Diego City College, which was one of the first schools to introduce a bachelors degree with the previous change for community colleges, is hopeful it will again be able to lead the charge on the expansion into baccalaureate nursing programs, should Newsom sign SB 895. California bill to rein in hate littering heads to Newsoms desk Proponents of the bill laud it as a potential gamechanger for nursing education, making it more accessible to low-income students while bolstering the number of working nurses at local hospitals in an effort to address longstanding staffing shortages. For San Diego City College, when they gain their associates degree, they are prepared to be safe, novice, entry-level nurses, Dr. Erelyn Binegas, chair of the nursing department, said in an interview with FOX 5/KUSI. When they do get back, they go back for their leadership and public health license or certificate so they can actually work in the community as public health nurses, she continued. That opens up a lot of opportunities for them. However, opponents, including the California State University system, argue it could create unnecessary competition between existing public nursing programs and place constrains on their resources, such as faculty and clinical placements. Community colleges lack the infrastructure needed to administer baccalaureate nursing degree programs, the California Association of Colleges of Nursing wrote to the legislature opposing SB 895, adding that it could strain the already limited resources available for nursing programs. CACN believes that we can increase the number of nursing students in our state faster by partnering with our community colleges and not duplicating efforts, the association continued. Nursing as an educational route is currently one of the most expensive and impacted degrees at universities across California. State-imposed restrictions on class sizes often complicate community college students efforts to make the jump from their associate degree program. Given limited spaces in public universities nursing programs, many nursing students are forced to turn to the higher-cost programs at private or independent instructions educational settings that charge significantly more in tuition, pricing out lower-income students. As CalMatters reported last year, private institutions on average cost nursing students about $130,000, compared to about $39,000 at CSU or University of California schools. A community college bachelors degree would be an even smaller fraction of that cost. My wife is a nurse, said Julius Lozada, a second-year nursing student at City College. She graduated with the ADN but she had to go through a private college [to get her BSN], which is an exorbitant amount of money. And yet holding a bachelors degree in nursing has become a growing necessity for local nursing students, especially if they want to remain in San Diego. While registered nurses are not legally required to hold a degree and those who go through associate programs leave with their license, a number of health care facilities have also begun to prioritize hiring nurses that have or are in pursuit of a bachelors a prerequisite typically enforced to obtain and maintain Magnet Recognition. The hiring process has changed, said Chris Crane, associate professor of nursing at City College. Crane is also an alumni of the colleges nursing program. It is required at this point that these students obtain a BSN. When I graduated with my ADN, I was unable to get a hospital job because the local hospitals were prioritizing BSN-prepared, registered nurses even though we take the same exam and we are capable, Crane continued. This program, if were allowed to implement it, would allow these students to quickly and easily transition into that BSN role. Student looks at manikin patient during a course at San Diego City College. (Courtesy of San Diego City College) This streamlined process, supporters say, could create a more feasible pathway for students to obtain a bachelors, find a nursing job and hit the ground running at a time when the healthcare industry is facing significant staffing shortages. Some estimates put this shortfall at about 36,000 licensed nurses across the state, but it is expected do grow even more by 2030. Having more nurses that are able to get their bachelors degree, especially at an affordable rate compared to the CSU options, thats just going to overall increase the amount of nurses that are in the pool, said Joelle Chavez, another second-year nursing student at City College. Whether SB 895 creates more competition for programs remains an open question. While it could create some short-term resource pressures, proponents say SB 895 could ultimately boost the number of clinical placements and qualified nursing faculty. I feel like we are partners. Were working together, were working collegially to expand this nursing shortage, said Dr. Dometrives Armstrong, associate dean of nursing at City College. Were supposed to be partners and we still work together as a team. Thats what nurses do. City College also argues the bill would not result in community colleges siphoning off students who would otherwise prefer to attend a four-year public university. UCs and CSUs support or provide education to different students and community colleges, City College public information officer Cesar Gumapas said. We serve our underrepresented, underserved students in our communities. City of San Diego launches second year of child care benefits for employees Gov. Newsom has until Oct. 30 to either sign or veto the bill. Should it sign it into law, there would be an application process for community colleges to participate in the program. If City College is selected, the earliest it would be able to welcome bachelors of nursing students would be in the fall of 2025, Armstrong said. Before then, the curriculum would need to be worked out and the school would need to secure resources for the program. The schools brand-new cyber defense and analysis degree, the schools first bachelors program in its over 110-year history, would serve as a roadmap for expanding its nursing program. I do think that it is a blueprint for us, so were not going in blind. We have something that has already been built, Crane said. I know that it will be a wonderful resource for us as we build our program. 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. State board of elections to make deadline for absentee ballots The North Carolina State Board of Elections officials said they will meet the federal deadline to send mail ballots to military and overseas voters. PAST COVERAGE: Officials worry NC might not meet its absentee ballot distribution deadline The ballots for those voters will go out by Sept. 20, election officials said. The state said boards will mail ballots to everyone else who requested one by Sept. 24. As of Thursday, 133,000 people in North Carolina have requested mail ballots, which includes more than 13,000 military and overseas voters. State to use Eagle tree for holiday at the Capitol EAGLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLNS) Its 103 days until Christmas, but the Michigan official Christmas tree has already been selected. Itll be harvested off a property in Eagle Township on November 1st and will arrive at the capitol on the 2nd. Albertson and Dorcas Albertson are donating the now 60-foot-tall tree, which has been a staple of their front lawn since it was about head height when they moved in 27 years ago. He says it will be missed; It holds down yknow the dust, its shade in the summertime the suns over there, and yea were gonna miss it quite a bit its gonna be a lot different Michigans 2024 Holiday Tree is being harvested from a property in Eagle Township. (WLNS) He says the process began over a year ago when a tree from Onaway was selected above his. Now its his turn, and although hes known about the plans for a while, he couldnt let the cat out of the bag right away. He goes are you serious about that tree I said yea and he goes well itll go this year but he says you cant tell anybody Albertson said while chuckling. Well, now the news is out, and Albertson is happy to see his tree go to good use The favorite thing would be it will be decorated again, yknow, like when it was little. Its Michigans 38th official Christmas tree, the 14th from the Lower Peninsula and the 2nd from Clinton County. 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. NEW YORK (PIX11) City Hall is facing major turmoil as the FBI continues investigating top members of Mayor Eric Adams administration for alleged corruption. Homes were raided, and the phones of high-ranking officials were seized. NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban stepped down Thursday amid the investigations. Former FBI official Tom Donlon was appointed as the interim NYPD commissioner. More Local News Amid the commotion in City Hall, New York State Senator Jessica Ramos officially launched her 2025 New York City mayoral election campaign. Ramos sat down with PIX on Politics host Dan Mannarino to discuss why she is running and share her perspective on the investigations. I didnt know there would be so much news this week, but it is the perfect time to talk about the mismanagement at City Hall that weve seen. Im very sad that Commissioner Caban had to do the responsible thing of resigning, given that hes under investigation, but hes not the only one under investigation. I think that an example is being made of him when, quite frankly, all of the others under investigation should be asked to resign as well, said Ramos. Mayor Adams addresses investigation into members of his administration Ramos also addressed whether Adams should also consider resigning. Right now, hes not at the center of the investigation that we know of. I have full confidence that the feds are doing their job; they always do. When the wrongdoing comes to light, there should be justice, and people should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Watch the video player for the full interview. 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. BOSTON (WWLP) This week at the State House in Boston, the Healey administration dominated headlines. From an international leadership meeting to 9/11 remembrance ceremonies to a surprising budget billthe governor had a full slate of public appearances this week. Early in the week, Governor Healey met with New England governors and Eastern Canadian premieres to discuss the regions future plans for clean energy. Our close ties as a region create a unique opportunity and platform for executing, for implementing a planned vision for clean energy, said Healey at a press event following the conference. On Wednesday, the governor presented Jillian Smith from Wales with a civilian bravery award for saving her elderly neighbors from a house fire at a 9/11 remembrance ceremony. You always want a helping hand or just a kind-hearted person down the road to help you in your time of need, said Smith, when asked what she wants her neighbors to know. And I would just hope that someone would help if they had to. On Wednesday, Governor Healey filed a closeout budget bill that includes some clean energy siting and permitting reform policy. House and Senate versions of this reform have been stuck in negotiation since the end of the legislative session. The senate negotiation lead, Senator Michael Barrett, said Governor Healey is taking sides. The governor is all but killing the negotiations, Barrett told State House News Service. You cant create an altogether second track that gives one side almost everything it seeks and still claim to be interested in a true compromise. Also this week, the treasurer fired the chair of the Cannabis Control Commission after a year-long legal battle. 22News will have continuing coverage on commission leadership and other issues that matter to you on weeknights and on Statehouse Spotlight. Local News Headlines WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.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 WWLP. Stoltenberg admits NATO could have done more to prevent Russia's invasion NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes the Alliance could have done more to prevent Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Source: FAS; European Pravda Details: Stoltenberg said that NATO could have provided Ukraine with more military aid earlier to prevent the full-scale war. Quote: "Now we are providing military equipment for the war back then, we could have provided military equipment to prevent the war." He pointed to the reluctance of NATO countries to supply Ukraine with the weapons it requested before the invasion due to concerns about escalating tensions with Russia. Stoltenberg also emphasised that the war in Ukraine can only be ended through negotiations. Quote: "To end this war, at some point, dialogue with Russia will have to resume. But it must be based on Ukrainian strength," he added. Background: Jens Stoltenberg has been NATO's Secretary General since 2014. He will be replaced by former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on 1 October. Politico reported that Stoltenberg, upon stepping down from his NATO role, will become the head of the Munich Security Conference. Support UP or become our patron! "This has to stop": Biden condemns Trump's lies about Haitian immigrants President Joe Biden strongly condemned former President Donald Trumps continued racist attacks on Haitian immigrants in an Ohio town, calling the smears simply wrong. Outside the White House on Friday, in remarks before a brunch celebrating Black excellene, Biden defended the Haitian-American community including White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and denounced the incendiary comments comments from Trump. I want to take a moment to say something. So many Americans, like Karine [Jean-Pierre], as you point out, is a proud Haitian American, a community thats under attack in our country right now. Its simply wrong, Biden said. This has to stop, what hes doing. It has to stop. Biden points out that Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is "a proud Haitian-American" and says Trump's attacks on the community "have to stop" pic.twitter.com/IZsOSIbKe5 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 13, 2024 Trump has repeatedly accused Haitian immigrants in the town of Springfield, Ohio of eating local pets. The white nationalist rumor spread quickly after being boosted by Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk and Sen. Ted Cruz. The attacks against Haitian immigrants from Trump and running mate JD Vance have motivated bomb threats at schools in Springfield. On Friday, Trump refused to back down from the bigoted rhetoric, instead promising to deport Haitian immigrants, despite their legal status. We will do large deportations from Springfield, Ohio. Large deportations. Were gonna get these people out, Trump said. The Harris campaign has also denounced the bigoted remarks, with vice presidential nominee Tim Walz shutting down chants of we dont eat cats in Michigan on Thursday, saying it would be funnier, too, if it wasnt so dangerous. GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) WesternSlopeNow got several calls Friday afternoon about an object in the sky. It appears from the backyard of the station to be a balloon of some sort. WesternSlopeNow reached out to the National Weather Service to learn more about the object and was told they had also been receiving calls, with one caller saying the balloon was part of a search and rescue operation. Knowing the Mesa County Sheriffs Office might be involved in the operation, WesternSlopeNow called MCSO for information. They responded saying they were not involved. Still, with no sure answer, WesternSlopeNow contacted the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and was told they were unaware of anything in the sky. Although a definitive answer for the object has not been given, one thing is for certain, it is a unique sight for this Friday the 13th. 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. Stuck-in-space astronauts reflect on being left behind and adjusting to life in orbit Stuck-in-space astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams said Friday its been tough dealing with their Boeing ride leaving without them and the prospect of spending several extra months in orbit. It was their first public comments since last weeks return of the Boeing Starliner capsule that took them to the International Space Station in June. They remained behind after NASA determined the problem-plagued capsule posed too much risk for them to ride back in. Their eight-day mission is now expected to last more than eight months. It was trying at times. There were some tough times all the way through, Wilmore said from 260 miles (420 kilometers) up. As spacecraft pilots, you dont want to see it go off without you, but thats where we wound up. Williams, who is from Needham, said she missed her family, walking her dogs, and seeing her friends. It would be nice if somebody put a New England apple in a space craft coming up here, Williams joked. While they never expected to be up there nearly a year, as Starliners first test pilots, they knew there could be problems that might delay their return. Thats how things go in this business, Williams said. Wilmore and Williams are now full-fledged station crew members, chipping in on routine maintenance and experiments. Williams will take over command of the space station in a few more weeks, Wilmore told reporters during a news conference only their second since blasting off from Florida on June 5. The duo, along with seven others on board, welcomed a Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russians and an American earlier this week, temporarily raising the station population to 12, a near record. And two more astronauts will fly up on SpaceX later this month; two capsule seats will be left empty for Wilmore and Williams for the return leg. The transition to station life was not that hard since both had previous stints there, said Williams, who logged two long space station stays years ago. This is my happy place. I love being up here in space, she said. Wilmore noted that if his adjustment wasnt instantaneous, it was pretty close. The astronauts said they appreciate all the prayers and well wishes from strangers back home, and that its helped them cope with everything theyll miss out on back home. Williams couldnt help but fret for a while over losing precious face-to-face time with her mother. Wilmore wont be around for his youngest daughters final year of high school. He just requested an absentee ballot on Friday so he can vote in the November election from orbit. Both stressed the importance of carrying out their civic duties as their mission goes on. Their Starliner capsule marked the first Boeing spaceflight with astronauts. It endured a series of thruster failures and helium leaks before arriving at the space station on June 6. It landed safely in the New Mexico desert earlier this month, but Boeings path forward in NASAs commercial crew program remains uncertain. The space agency hired SpaceX and Boeing as an orbital taxi service a decade ago after the shuttles retired. SpaceX has been flying astronauts since 2020. Williams said shes excited to fly two different spacecraft on the same mission. Were testers, thats what we do, she said. We wanted to take Starliner to the completion and land it back on land at home, she added. But you have to turn the page and look at the next opportunity. For now, Wilmore says hes leaning on his faith, and both are relying on a little humor to see them through. One thing about space flight thats wonderful, your joints dont ache, Wilmore said of the zero-gravity environment. Theres no pressure on them. I know the Boston crowd is cheering us on, Williams said, adding in a thick New England accent, Well find a better place to park the car next time. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Pistols are displayed in a New Jersey gun shop on Feb. 11, 2023. A new study finds the prevalence of firearms in the United States, not mental illness, is the driving force in the number of firearm-related deaths. (Aristide Economopoulos for New Jersey Monitor) This story originally appeared on Oregon Capital Chronicle. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for free, immediate support 24/7. The prevalence of firearms in the U.S. not mental illness is driving the surge in gun deaths across the country, a new study concludes. The research led by an Oregon Health & Science University professor looked at mental health conditions and firearm deaths in the U.S. and 40 other countries. It found the U.S. had 20 times more deaths by firearms than the other countries even when rates of mental illness were the same. We have the same degree of mental health issues as other countries, but our firearm death rate is far greater and continuing to increase, said Dr. Archie Bleyer, a clinical research professor at OHSU and lead author of the study. In most of the countries, firearms deaths are decreasing. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Other researchers have looked at mental illness and gun ownership but this study is the first to include this many other countries, according to Erik Robinson, a spokesman for OHSU. Bleyers findings, which were published in the journal PLOS One, challenge the common assumption that mental health disorders are to blame for the high rate of firearm deaths in the U.S., which have risen 23% since 2000 while dropping 27% in other countries. Bleyer, a pediatric oncologist, dug into the issue after when his 12-year-old grandsons classmate died by a firearm. He said he knew the boys mother and her son left a note and used the gun, but didnt need to die because he had a bad day. Suicides account for most firearm deaths in Oregon, and young people often are the victims. In 2022, 488 people died from suicide by firearm in Oregon, according to Oregon Health Authority statistics. Of those, 127 of them were people under age 35. Another 161 people died in firearm-related homicides. Overall, 674 people died of firearms in Oregon in 2022, including accidents and interactions with police. The study found that policies on gun ownership can reduce firearm deaths. It said that countries with policies that decrease the the number of guns owned by residents, including Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Israel, reduced their firearm death rates. In Australia, the government drove down the rate of gun ownership with a government program that purchased firearms from gun owners. Other countries take steps like limit the number of firearms an individual can own or ban assault weapons. Congress has struggled to enact legislation cracking down on gun ownership, with strong resistance from gun rights activists and many Republicans. Two years ago, following the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 21 people dead, including 19 students, Congress passed a law to expand background checks for gun buyers. And last month a law banning ghost guns, which are untraceable, took effect in Oregon. Bleyer said efforts that decrease the number of firearms in the country are critical to stemming gun deaths. He noted that the U.S. has 4% of the worlds population, but almost one-quarter of the worlds firearms, and half of all non-military assault weapons are in the U.S. Actions that reduce the level of gun ownership will help reduce the deaths that are linked to suicides and accidents, he said. By reducing prevalence, we should be able to reduce the firearm death rate, he said. Another issue is the ease of access to firearms, especially for households with children. He and other experts recommend safe storage devices that can deter people. Even though parents more often than not think their gun is locked and their children do not know where it is or how to unlock it, theyre usually wrong, Bleyer said. More often than not, when tested, their children know where it is, how to get into it and they often will play with it when their parents are gone. At the same time, Bleyer stressed his study doesnt change the mental health crisis and lack of treatment that plagues Oregon and other states. We do have significant mental health problems, there is no doubt about that, he said. We dont have enough mental health providers, facilities, treatments. Its the way that we have facilitated killing ourselves that leads to death with firearms where we take this to the extreme. Other contributors to this study are Dr. Stuart Siegel, of the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California; Dr. Jaime Estrada, of Texas Doctors for Social Responsibility; and Dr. Charles R. Thomas Jr. of Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and previous chair of the Department of Radiation Medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine. 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. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lynne Terry for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com. Follow Oregon Capital Chronicle on Facebook and X. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The UN says famine conditions have been confirmed in Zam Zam camp for internally displaced people, shown in 2015, near El-Fasher in Sudan's Darfur region (ASHRAF SHAZLY) (ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP/AFP) Heavy fighting on Saturday shook a Sudanese city besieged by paramilitaries, witnesses told AFP, as US researchers reported unprecedented and escalating combat in the North Darfur state capital. El-Fasher is one of five state capitals in Sudan's western Darfur region and the only one not in the hands of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have been battling the regular army since April 2023. The United Nations says the war across much of Sudan has created the world's largest displacement crisis, with millions uprooted, and has led to famine at a displacement camp near El-Fasher. Darfur has seen some of the war's worst atrocities, and the RSF has besieged El-Fasher since May. "Neighbourhoods are completely deserted and all you can hear are explosions and missiles," Ibrahim Ishaq, 52, told AFP. "The central market area has become unliveable because of the intensity of the explosions," said Ishaq, who fled westward from the city on Friday. Witnesses reported army bombardment south and east of the city on Saturday and said they heard air-defence batteries firing. The Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab said in a report Friday that its analysis confirmed "unprecedented large-scale combat operations" in El-Fasher within the previous 10 days, "with significant escalation in the past 36 hours" involving both the army and the paramilitaries. It cited reports that describe "a major multidirectional RSF attack from the northern, eastern, and southern directions" on Thursday. - 'Reduce to rubble' - Darfur governor Mini Minawi had on Thursday said on social media platform X that the army had repelled "a large attack" by the RSF. The paramilitaries, however, said they seized military sites in El-Fasher. Using satellite imagery and other data, the Yale researchers said they found munition impacts "likely related to high-tempo aerial bombardment" from the regular army, but said other structural damage resulted from "RSF bombardment" and combat activity by both sides. Whatever the battle's ultimate outcome, current levels of fighting "are likely to effectively reduce what is left of El-Fasher to rubble", the Yale study said. The United States special envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, on Saturday said on X: "We are extremely concerned about the RSF's renewed attacks." He urged the RSF "to stop its assault". It was not immediately possible to determine the number of victims. Sudan's war has already killed tens of thousands of people, with some estimates as high as 150,000, according to Perriello. In the capital Khartoum on Saturday, around 800 kilometres (500 miles) from El-Fasher, witnesses reported heavy explosions and strikes to the city's south. Independent UN experts earlier this month appealed for deployment of an "impartial force" to be urgently deployed in Sudan for civilian protection. Sudan's foreign ministry, loyal to the army, rejected the idea. bur-cgo/hme/it/ami When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A partial lunar eclipse observed in Sangju, South of Seoul on Nov. 19, 2021. . | Credit: Seung-il Ryu/NurPhoto via Getty Images Editor's note: The Harvest Moon Supermoon delighted skywatchers worldwide on Sept. 17. You can read our wrap story here and marvel at some of the incredible photos that captured the lunar scene last night. A partial lunar eclipse of September's Harvest Moon Supermoon is happening tonight, and you can watch it online for free. On Tuesday (Sept. 17), the Full Harvest Moon will experience a partial lunar eclipse that will be visible for North and South America (except for Alaska), Europe, most of Africa, western Asia, and parts of Antarctica. This eclipse will take place during a "supermoon," which will make the moon appear slightly larger in the night sky. This occurs when the moon is slightly closer to Earth, which happens because the moon's orbit is slightly elliptical, or oval-shaped. If you can't watch the eclipse in person for any reason, there are luckily a number of livestreams available online for you to take in the Super Harvest Moon lunar eclipse. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Product photo of the Celestron StarSense Explorer 130 AZ Looking for a telescope to see the moon up close? We recommend the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ as the best for basic astronomy in our best beginner's telescope guide. Lunar eclipses occur when the sun, Earth and the moon are lined up so that Earth casts its shadow on our natural satellite. This lunar eclipse will be only a slight one, with just the top 8.7% of the moon covered by the darkest part of Earth's shadow. Still, a lunar eclipse is a celestial spectacle worth watching any time it occurs. For the Eastern time zone of the U.S., the eclipse will begin around 8:40 p.m. EDT on Sept. 17 and will peak around 10:44 p.m. EDT. Europe and Africa, meanwhile, will see the eclipse during the pre-dawn hours on Sept. 18. For London, the eclipse will appear greatest around 3:45 a.m. BST on Sept. 18. a diagram showing the sun on one side, earth in the middle, and the moon on the far side Livestreams of the partial lunar eclipse of the Super Harvest Moon are below. Watch them here on Space.com courtesy of the channels listed: Time and Date TimeAndDate.com will host a livestream of the partial lunar eclipse beginning at 9 p.m. ET on Sept. 17 (0100 GMT on Sept 18). TimeAndDate offers a number of helpful resources for the eclipse, including interactive maps and times based on your location. The Virtual Telescope Project Astronomer Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project in Manciano, Italy will also host a livestream of the Super Harvest Moon lunar eclipse. The project's livestream will begin at 8:30 p.m. EDT on Sept. 17 (0030 GMT on Sept. 18) and will feature live telescope views of the moon throughout the stages of the eclipse. Adler Planetarium The Adler Planetarium in Chicago will also host a lunar eclipse livestream beginning at 10 p.m. EDT , or 9 p.m. CDT local time (0100 GMT on Sept. 18). Adler Planetarium's livestream will feature astronomy educators offering live commentary on the eclipse as well as helpful tips for viewing the event yourself. Viewing the moon RELATED STORIES: September full moon 2024 guide: The Super Harvest Moon gets eclipsed Partial lunar eclipse of the Harvest Moon: Everything you need to know 'International Observe the Moon Night' is Sept. 14. Here's how to participate Whether there is a lunar eclipse or not, the moon is always a beautiful sight seen up close. If you want to see craters and "seas" on the moon during lunar eclipses or at any other time, be sure to take a look at our guides to the best telescopes and best binoculars. And if you want to try your hand at taking your own photos of the moon, we have a guide for how to photograph the moon, as well as lists of the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography. Be sure not to miss our night sky tonight page and monthly skywatching calendar for more celestial events to take in! Editor's note: If you get a great picture of the moon during September's partial lunar eclipse, and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com. An air fleet has increased the chances of combating the Siphon Fire, which continues to burn in the Superstition Mountains. The fire, which ignited Tuesday at about 1 p.m., has burned 15,786 acres with 0% containment as of Friday afternoon. The rugged terrain has made it challenging for ground crews to access much of the affected area. "Super Scooper Planes" Deployed to Combat Siphon Fire The deployment of "super scoopers" brought hope for containment, according to several social media posts from officials, including Pinal County Government and the USDA Tonto National Forest Service. The USDA Forest Service expressed appreciation for the "super scooper planes," which began actively combating the Siphon Fire late Friday. The "super scooper," or CL 415 plane, is highly effective at extinguishing fires, capable of carrying and dropping 1,400 to 1,600 gallons of water on a fire within minutes. Fires: Potato Barn in Scottsdale damaged by fire after solar panel malfunction According to the USDA Forest Service, the planes water tank can be refilled in approximately 12 seconds. A Type 2 initial attack crew, a suppression module, 13 engines, and 2 Type 1 helicopters were deployed alongside the two super scoopers. Evacuations were ordered Friday for parts of the Tonto National Forest and the Apache Junction area. Tortilla Flat, Canyon Lake Marina, and SR 88 (Apache Trail) have been closed beyond Lost Dutchman State Park. A "Go" status was issued Thursday for Tortilla Flat and Canyon Lake area. A "Set" status remains in effect for parts of Apache Junction in Pinal County, particularly for residents east of Mountain View Road and west of the Tonto National Forest, between Broadway Road and Lost Dutchman State Park. No alerts have been issued in Maricopa County. Residents in Cave Creek, Carefree, and Northeast Phoenix were informed that they might see smoke, but it is coming from hotspots within the interior of the fire. Tonto National Forest ascertained that the fire was human caused, but the investigation as to specific intent or error is still ongoing. Wildfire map: Arizona wildfires 2024 map: Where fires are burning now (azcentral.com) This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Fleet of super scooper planes used to fight Siphon Fire Survey says most Americans plan to get flu shot, but not COVID booster Survey says most Americans plan to get flu shot, but not COVID booster A majority of respondents to a poll released Thursday said they have gotten or plan to get this years flu vaccine, while less than half said the same about the 2024 COVID-19 booster. Thirty-seven percent in the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center survey said they have gotten vaccines in the past but do not plan to again. Some 56 percent said they will get or have already received the flu shot, but only 43 percent have gotten or plan to get the coronavirus vaccine. Were at the start of respiratory virus season when you have the triple threat of flu, COVID-19 and RSV. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about vaccinations, but the reality is that they are safe and highly effective in preventing serious illness and death, Nora Colburn, medical director of clinical epidemiology at Ohio States Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, said in a statement. Older adults, people with certain chronic medical conditions and those who are pregnant are especially at risk during respiratory virus season, Colburn added. Doctors recommend that everyone receive updated COVID vaccines outside of infants under 6 months of age, and that children over the age of 6 receive updated flu shots annually. According to Colburn, Vaccinations play a critical role in helping keep individuals and communities healthy. Other things you can do is to stay home when sick, avoid those who are sick and wear a mask if youre not feeling well and going out of your home. All of these things can help prevent you from getting sick and spreading it to others. The survey was conducted on behalf of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center by SSRS from Aug. 16-18 among 1,006 respondents. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. 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. Susan Smith is serving a life sentence for drowning her two sons in 1994 but is eligible for parole in November Dave Martin/AP; South Carolina Department of Corrections Susan Smith Three decades after his ex-wife Susan Smith drowned their two sons in 1994, David Smith is discussing whether he forgives the convicted murderer who is serving a life sentence for the killings but is eligible for parole in November. In an exclusive interview with Court TV that aired on Friday, Sept. 13, David said he has forgiven Susan but that it doesnt make the pain of losing their sons any easier. Yes, I have forgiven her but again that goes to my faith in God and that's the way I was raised. That we have to forgive, David told Court TV anchor Julie Grant. But it sure doesn't take away the act of what she did. It doesn't make it any less, it doesn't make it any easier. But I have forgiven her for what she did. After being convicted of two counts of murder in 1995, Susan was sentenced to life in prison. Shes currently being held at Leath Correctional Institution in Greenwood, S.C. On Nov. 4, 2024, Susan will be eligible for parole for the first time making the possibility of the two coming face to face a reality. Ruth Fremson/AP David Smith holding a photo of his two sons in 1995. Related: Years After She Killed Their Kids, Susan Smith's Husband Reveals What He'd Say to Her if They Came Face to Face I would just tell her that you have no idea of how much damage you have done to so many people, David said. I would tell her that in my capabilities I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you stay behind bars. At the time of the murders, on Oct. 25, 1994, then 23 year old Susan told police that she had been carjacked by a Black man who had taken off with her two young sons still in her car. For nine days, she made tearful pleas on national television for their safe return. But it was all a lie. 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. As her story began to unravel, Susan admitted that there was no carjacker, and that she had let her car roll into a lake with Michael, 3, and Alex, 14 months, still strapped into their car seats. Authorities said she committed the murders because she was secretly dating a man who didn't want children. Following a series of disciplinary infractions behind bars for self-mutilation, drug use and possession of narcotics or marijuana, Susan defended herself in a public letter claiming she has been misunderstood. Mr. Cahill, I am not the monster society thinks I am," she wrote in 2015 to Harrison Cahill, a reporter for The State, a South Carolina newspaper. "I am far from it." If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of a 17-year-old Long Beach girl. Troy Lamar Fox, 34, is accused of shooting and killing Briana Soto as she was walking home from work on March 26. On that night, Soto was walking near the intersection of 11th Street and Lewis Avenue at around 8:30 p.m. Police said she was speaking with her mother on the phone and was just steps away from her house when the suspect shot her. The teens family heard the gunshots outside. Soto was rushed to the hospital where she died three days later. It was her siblings who found her with their mother, so I couldnt even imagine what they had to go through seeing her on the ground like that, said Michelle Fierro, a neighbor. Moments after the murder, the suspect ran away and security cameras captured him removing pieces of his clothing. The motive behind the deadly shooting remains unclear. Troy Lamar Fox, 34, is seen in a photo from the Long Beach Police Department. / Briana Soto, 17, seen in a family photo. Briana Soto, 17, seen in a family photo. The Long Beach Police Department released surveillance footage of the suspected shooter in a March 26, 2024, murder. The Long Beach Police Department released surveillance footage of the suspected shooter in a March 26, 2024, murder. The street where Briana Soto was fatally shot on March 26, 2024, (KTLA) The Long Beach Police Department released surveillance footage of the suspected shooter in a March 26, 2024, murder. The Long Beach Police Department released surveillance footage of the suspected shooter in a March 26, 2024, murder. Briana Soto, 17, seen in a family photo. Troy Lamar Fox, 34, is seen in a photo from the Long Beach Police Department. After investigating several leads, including DNA, video and cell phone evidence, detectives identified Fox as the suspect. He was in custody for an unrelated weapons violation at the time. He is also believed to be involved in two other incidents on April 9 and July 7. On April 9, Fox was accused of shooting at a vehicle containing three juveniles and an adult. On July 7, officers responded to the area of 14th Street and Pine Avenue on a report of firearms seen inside a car. Officers located Fox and a juvenile suspect and learned they were both prohibited from possessing firearms. Two firearms were found on the suspects and four firearms were found inside their vehicle. Fox also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest at the time. On Sept. 11, detectives presented evidence to a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge to obtain an arrest warrant for Fox in connection with Sotos murder and the attempted murder on April 9. On Sept. 13, officers took custody of Fox from the L.A. County Sheriffs Department and booked him into the Long Beach City Jail where he is being held on $2 million bail. Briana Soto was just 17 years old when she was tragically taken away from her family by a violent individual willing to commit such a reprehensible and brazen act of violence, said Wally Hebeish, Long Beach Chief of Police. Brianas death has left her family devastated and has impacted our department immensely. This suspect has demonstrated a willingness to inflict harm on others and we will be working closely with our partners throughout the criminal justice system to ensure Briana and her family receive the justice they deserve. Detectives will present their case to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office for filing consideration in the coming days, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives Ethan Shear or Chasen Contreras at 562-570-7244. Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.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 KTLA. A suspect has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old Long Beach girl who was killed while walking home. The suspect was identified as 34-year-old Troy Lamar Fox of Long Beach, who is accused of killing Briana Soto in March, authorities said. Authorities said they pursued DNA, video and cellphone evidence to identify Fox, who they discovered was already in Los Angeles County sheriff's custody on an unrelated weapons violation. According to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Soto had been walking home the night of March 26 while talking to her mother on the phone. She was shot shortly after hanging up and just steps away from her door near 11th Street and Lewis Avenue, the paper quoted police as saying. Briana Soto was just 17 years old when she was tragically taken away from her family, Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish said in a statement Friday. "We will be working closely with our partners throughout the criminal justice system to ensure Briana and her family receive the justice they deserve. In comments to local TV stations, those who knew Soto described her as sweet and a hard worker. In addition to being arrested in the killing of Soto, Fox was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in a separate shooting that occurred in April near the 1300 block of Pine Avenue. 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. The battle over early voting locations in Tarrant County is a window into how government should work and how it shouldnt. Deciding where to place polling sites is a matter best left to election professionals, based on data about voting and population patterns, community needs and factors such as available locations, transportation, parking and cost. County commissioners oversee elections, but they need not micromanage them. If they have concerns about their precincts, they should raise them. Instead, what weve seen for weeks is the spectacle of commissioners debating individual sites all over the county, with politics a driving factor. Worse, though, was the attempt to ram through a significant change while the two Democratic commissioners were out of town Thursday for a long-planned trip. County Judge Tim OHare insisted he was not aware they would be absent when he requested the special meeting, but he could have postponed it once he found out. Tarrant County Commissioner Alissa Simmons addresses Tarrant County Election Administrator Clint Ludwig during a special meeting at the Tarrant County Commissioners Court on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. Its the kind of hardball that weve come to expect from OHare, needless confrontation in an era of political one-upmanship. And yet, commissioners ultimately handed OHare a lopsided loss. The Southlake Republican was the only vote against the slate of early voting sites originally presented by Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig. Democrats Roy Brooks of Fort Worth and Alissa Simmons of Arlington participated by video. Whether the treatment of the Democratic commissioners who represent half the county was a factor, we cant say. But let it stand as a blow for fair play and cooperation on an increasingly divided Commissioners Court. The main flashpoint of the debate over early voting sites, as so often happens with the most divisive partisan issues, was overblown. Democrats and Republicans alike went to the mats over whether to have a polling place at the University of Texas at Arlington and several Tarrant County College campuses. Were glad the college sites were maintained. Theres no harm in making voting easier for populations with transportation issues, including older, poorer residents who have used the TCC sites. But with two weeks of early voting at 50 sites, absentee ballots available for many and hundreds of polling places open on Election Day, its not voter suppression to move a few locations. Tarrant County Judge Tim OHare tells the attendees of the court room to silence their unsolicited comments during the public comment portion of a special meeting at the Tarrant County Commissioners Court in the Tarrant County Administration Building in Fort Worth on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. Some Republicans seem to think that when it comes to voting, though, convenience is the opposite of security. Its as if they see virtue in standing in long lines and scorn any effort to help more-vulnerable people exercise their rights. The countys decisions to no longer help fund rides to the polls through Trinity Metro or to allow voter registration drives in government buildings are petty and betray a lack of confidence from a few that they can win elections with robust turnout. The real news out of the whole early voting debate, though, is Ludwigs lament that his department sees the need for about 20% more sites. Even in a large county, its a challenge to find churches, schools and other facilities that are useful locations with ample parking. And given the tension around our elections these days, fewer managers of such facilities want to participate. Some are probably even fearful of violence as poll watchers, convinced theres fraud in every ballot box, confront harried election workers. Finding those workers is increasingly difficult, too. So, while the county comes up short of the ideal early voting capacity, county commissioners argue about the merits of a few locations. Ideally, elected partisans would step back and let the elections staff use data on population, voting patterns and obstacles for groups such as for seniors and, yes, college students. The county is constantly growing, and needs will change. These are not decisions that should be made over partisanship, emotion or nostalgia. Commissioners should exercise oversight, of course. But the best way to do it is to let professionals do their jobs, give them as much of what they ask for as possible, and then get out of the way. Do you have an opinion on this topic? Tell us! We love to hear from Texans with opinions on the news and to publish those views in the Opinion section. Letters should be no more than 150 words. Writers should submit letters only once every 30 days. Include your name, address (including city of residence), phone number and email address, so we can contact you if we have questions. You can submit a letter to the editor two ways: Email letters@star-telegram.com (preferred). Fill out this online form. Please note: Letters will be edited for style and clarity. Publication is not guaranteed. The best letters are focused on one topic. RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) If American Swifties are willing to travel across the globe for her, what will they do for Taylor Swift back here at home? Swift is unlike any celebrity on the planet and her fans listen. And yeah, we think we know how celebrity endorsements work and we think they have a very minimal impact at best. But Im very open to the possibility that, hey, things are different now that Taylor Swift is different, that social media supercharges things in a way. Especially for a public figure like Taylor Swift, said N.C. State political scientist Steven Greene. An AI generated photo of Swift was used to try and convince people she had endorsed Donald Trump for president. Just after Tuesdays debate she denounced that, urged people to register to vote and endorsed Kamala Harris. Since then her post on Instagram has been shared 1.5 million times and liked by 10 million people in just 48 hours. Taylor Swift endorsement was Google searched by more than one million people in two days. Professor Greene is keeping tabs on whether any of this will matter. After all, younger voters dont always show up. Am I going to suggest that Taylor Swift is going to lead Kamala Harris to a landslide? No, obviously not. But is it possible that she could have more of an impact as a celebrity endorser than weve seen in the past? I think thats certainly possible, he said. This isnt to say that Swifts endorsement didnt upset some of her conservative fans. But, those voters were likely to vote for Donald Trump anyway. That factor may or may not be enough to counter-balance younger people inspired by Swift to register and vote for Harris. It all comes down to just how close the election may be, particularly in swing states like North Carolina. In a very close election do you want Taylor Swift telling your supporters to make sure to register and get out and vote and could that make the difference? Absolutely. Weve seen states in recent elections decided by 10-thousand, 20-thousand, 30-thousand votes. Could Taylor Swift be responsible for that level of votes in a state? I think thats entirely reasonable, said Green. 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. Teen accused of killing groom-to-be in wrong-way crash in NYC, police say Teen accused of killing groom-to-be in wrong-way crash in NYC, police say NEW YORK (PIX11) A 17-year-old was arrested and faces multiple charges in connection with the death of a groom-to-be a day before his wedding, police say. The teen was taken into custody just before midnight on Friday and was charged with second degree vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. More Local News Kirk Walker, 38, and his cousin Rob McLaurin, 40, were killed when a wrong way driver ran into them on the Henry Hudson Parkway on Aug. 24, officials previously reported. The incident happening just a day before Walkers wedding in New Jersey, his family says. The 17-year-old was allegedly driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, with a 21-year-old passenger, just before 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 24. He slammed head on into Walkers Dodge Challenger near West 165th Street, according to authorities. More Manhattan News The pickup truck burst into flames while the 17-year-old ran from the scene, police say. Sources tell PIX11 News the teen also hit the personal vehicle of an off-duty NYPD officer before the deadly crash. New York City Mayor Eric Adams previously pledged $1,000 of his own money, towards helping to find and arrest the wrong way driver. Police are still continuing to investigate the accident to see if any additional parties would be charged in connection with the crash. 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The Tennessee Sheriffs Association released a letter stating that they will not tolerate anyone making threats and inciting fear within our schools and community in light of a recent increase in school threat calls. The joint statement, released on Friday, was signed by association president and Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy. The joint statement said that the goal of an elected sheriff is to provide public safety and help citizens feel secure. Tennessee teen suspended, charged with felony for pointing finger gun on school bus We urge parents to monitor what their child is posting on social media platforms and to talk to them about the seriousness of making or even sharing threatening posts, the joint statement reads, in part. As always, we continue to urge the community to report anything suspicious or potentially threatening in nature toward schools or any public building. The letter comes after News 2 reported on multiple false school threats made across several Middle Tennessee school districts. Cannon County, Franklin County, Humphreys County, Warren County and Macon County responded to threats last week. Tullahoma and Nashville also responded to threat calls. Multiple arrests were made. Wilson County Schools share how they communicate with parents after several school threats In Wilson County, school officials and law enforcement investigated multiple false threats, leading to the arrest of a teenage girl. On Wednesday, an anonymous tip about a threat circulating on snapchat prompted a soft lockdown. We understand the frustration, stress, and fear communities across our state are dealing with, and we will continue to investigate every threat received in an effort to ensure the safety of our schools and all citizens, the joint statement 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 WKRN News 2. Texas AMBER Alert: Ingram boy found; at least 8 kids still missing over past 20 years An AMBER Alert has been issued for Kameron Parrish, 6, who is missing from Ingram, TX. An AMBER Alert for a missing 6-year-old from Ingram, Texas, was discontinued late Friday night. Kameron Parrish was found after being reported missing at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 125 Brave Run in Ingram. The Ingram Police Department was also looking for Talaya Graham and Joseph Graham in connection to the child's abduction. Law enforcement officials believed Parrish was in grave or immediate danger. AMBER Alerts: At least 8 Texas children still missing over past 20 years The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says most alerts for missing children are resolved within a few hours. However, dozens of kids across the U.S. are still missing, including at least eight from Texas spanning back to 2004. Below is a list of names, locations and when they went missing: Jesus Alvarado Martinez: Last seen near his home in Houston on Oct. 20, 2004. Now 24 years old, he may be accompanied by his father, Avelino Martinez, who should be considered armed and dangerous. Kendrick T. Jackson : Last seen at his home in Houston on April 7, 2006. He was wearing a white T-shirt and pajama shorts with baseball and football designs. He is now 21 years old. Elian Amilcar Majano : Last seen at a park in Irving on June 21, 2006. He was wearing floral print shorts, a white T-shirt, and Spiderman sandals. He is now 20 years old. Danielle Jimenez : Last seen at her home in Channelview on July 31, 2006. She may be in the company of her father, Leandro Jimenez, who was issued a felony warrant for homicide on Aug. 1, 2006. They may be traveling to Del Rio or Mexico in a silver 2004 Chevrolet pickup with Texas license plate 9NGH92. She is now 21 years old. Daisja Weaver : Last seen at her home in Dallas on June 10, 2009, under suspicious circumstances. She is now 16 years old. Armaidre Antwan Marquie Argumon : Last seen at his home in Wells on Sept. 18, 2020, wearing a diaper. He is now 4 years old. Lina Sardar Khil : Last seen in San Antonio on Dec. 20, 2021. She was wearing a red dress and a black jacket. She is now 6 years old. Noel Angel Rodriguez-Alvarez: Last seen in Everman on March 24, 2023. He is now 7 years old. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas AMBER Alert: Ingram boy found; 8 kids still missing since 2004 Texas woman convicted of car theft after borrowing co-workers car for 5 months SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) A Texas woman was found guilty and sentenced for vehicle theft in Caddo Parish on Friday. According to a news release, Roneisha Hogan, 27, from Irving, Texas, was convicted by a jury after testimony proved that a coworker allowed her to borrow her car, which Hogan promised to return in three days. Man guilty of attempted manslaughter of Shreveport police officer The owner of the vehicle waited a week before reporting it stolen. Five months later, Hogan was arrested in Dallas with the car. Hogan was sentenced to a five-year suspended sentence, three years of active probation, and 240 hours of community 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 KTALnews.com. Drivers wrongly issued with ultra low emission zone (Ulez) charges due to vandalised enforcement cameras will have their penalties cancelled, Transport for London (TfL) has pledged. Two Ulez cameras in Chingford in north-east London, had been twisted the wrong way so that they were facing roads outside the Ulez boundary. It meant non-compliant vehicles were being captured by the cameras and incorrectly charged 12.50 per day. Emma Best, a Tory member of the London Assembly, said dozens of residents had contacted her after being fined. 'Vandalism will not stop Ulez' TfL have continually shown that they have completely lost control of the administration of fees and fines, and are not even able to correctly identify the zone," she said. Dozens of residents contacted me after being fined for driving outside the zone and subsequently having their appeals rejected by TfL. For those with auto-pay, they have discovered there is no way to challenge a charge on their account. Its absolutely ridiculous. A TfL spokesperson said: We are aware that some cameras at the Ulez boundary in Chingford became misaligned through acts of vandalism to point outside the boundary. "The cameras have since been fixed and realigned, and any penalty charges issued incorrectly during this short period will be cancelled. Camera vandalism will not stop the Ulez operating London-wide. All vandalised cameras are repaired or replaced as soon as possible. The Ulez was expanded in August 2023 to cover the whole of London. The charge of 12.50 a day for vehicles that did not meet emissions standards was introduced for inner London in 2019. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk Related Internet Links Two hospitals in Springfield, Ohio went into lockdown on Saturday morning, as bomb threats plagued the town for a third day. Officials at Kettering Health Springfield and Mercy Healths Springfield Regional Medical Center placed the two healthcare facilities on lockdown after they became aware of bomb threats made early on Saturday morning, prompting a search of the premises before they could re-open. Bomb threats shuttered schools and government buildings, including City Hall and DMV offices, on Thursday and Friday, with evacuations and closures disrupting town life. The threats come amid an onslaught of racist smears against a community of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, promoted by Trump, his running mate JD Vance and other far-right figures. Haitian Americans across the country have warned that the rhetoric is leading to threats of violence against their community, an assertion Trump shook off on Friday. Representatives for at least one of the hospitals, Kettering, confirmed that they were able to re-open later on Saturday. The Springfield Police Department issued a statement on Saturday, alerting residents to the continued threats and promising safety as threats against the Haitian community accelerate. We recognize that the past few days have been particularly challenging for everyone in our community. Please know that we remain fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of each and every person, the statement read. We take any and all threats to our communitys safety very seriously and continue to work diligently to address them. BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) The 39th Spartan Invitational was held at Boardman High School Saturday morning, with thousands of runners racing. Its one of the biggest cross-country meets in the entire country, said Boardman High School Assistant Director Rick Sybert. Were going to see about 5,000 runners. Races started at 9 a.m and end in the late afternoon. Organizers say the event usually has anywhere from 15,000 to 22,000 fans. For any athletes in high school, its the last step before you go to state, Sybert said. Weve been working hard for weeks to get this thing ready. Runners grade levels range from middle school to high school and they come from all across Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Its a sense of pride. We get a lot of local businesses and a lot of corporate sponsors involved with the invitational, Sybert said. Its a lot of pride, it gives us an opportunity to show off all of our grounds and all the wonderful things that we have here at Boardman. Next year, Sybert says they hope to be USA Track & Field (USATF) certified so any runner from across the country can come and compete at the event. 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 WKBN.com. Supporters of Honduran President Xiomara Castro rally in the capital Tegucigalpa (Orlando SIERRA) (Orlando SIERRA/AFP/AFP) Thousands of Hondurans took to the streets Saturday to show their support for embattled President Xiomara Castro, after a video emerged allegedly showing her brother-in-law meeting drug traffickers. "Xiomara is not alone!" supporters chanted in front of the presidential palace. The video, which appeared to reveal brother-in-law Carlos Zelaya seeking funding from the traffickers for Castro's 2013 campaign, came to light days after Castro declared the end of an extradition treaty with the United States. Making the surprise announcement on August 28, Castro said she feared the agreement would be used to stage a "coup." She repeated those claims in an address to supporters, who travelled to the capital from across the country by bus. Flanked by her husband Manuel Zelaya and cabinet members, Castro declared: "I will not allow them to stage a new coup." Zelaya, a former president, was overthrown in 2009 in a military coup supported by business elites and the political right. The opposition has accused Castro of ending the extradition treaty and inventing conspiracies to protect members of her government and family. Carlos Zelaya resigned as a lawmaker after the video emerged. Shortly afterwards, Castro's nephew Jose Manuel Zelaya quit as defense minister. Last week, thousands of people attended a torch-lit rally in Tegucigalpa against the scrapping of the extradition treaty, under which 50 Hondurans accused of drug trafficking have been sent to the United States to face trial over the past decade. They include former president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was sentenced in June in New York to 45 years in prison. nl-hma/cb-dr/sst Thousands rally in Tunisia in run-up to presidential vote People take part in a protest from Republic Square towards Habib Bourghiba Avenue in central Tunis ahead of the upcoming presidential elections. Demonstrators called for rejected candidates to be allowed to stand in the 6th October presidential elections. Hasan Mrad/IMAGESLIVE via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Thousands of Tunisians have taken to the streets to protest against suppression of dissent and the exclusion of serious challengers in the North African country's upcoming presidential election. The October 6 polls are pitting incumbent President Kais Saied against only two rivals, one of whom is in detention. The electoral commission recently refused to reinstate three more presidential hopefuls who won court appeals to run for president. Critics have accused the panel of lacking in independence and clearing the way for Saied to win a second term, accusations that the commission has denied. Protesters converged on the centre of the capital Tunis on Friday evening decrying "authoritarianism." Some demonstrators chanted, "No fear. No intimidation. Power is in people's hands." Others chanted, "The people want the regime's fall," a slogan reminiscent of a 2010 uprising that ended long-time dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's rule. Some observers are sceptical that the upcoming vote will be held according to democratic rules. "There are indications that really threaten to blow up the course of elections," said Ramadan Ben Omar from non-governmental think tank Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights. "The atmosphere and measures do not reflect a political will to hold free and honest elections," he told dpa. The vote will take place against a backdrop of "increased repression of dissent, muzzling of the media and continued attacks on judicial independence," Human Rights Watch said earlier this month. "Holding elections amid such repression makes a mockery of Tunisians' right to participate in free and fair elections," Bassam Khawaja, the watchdog's deputy director for Middle East and North Africa, said. Since 2021, Saied has consolidated his power by dissolving the parliament and calling early elections, steps that the opposition has branded a "coup." Saied also held a controversial constitutional referendum, which granted him wider powers. Dozens have since been arrested, including opposition politicians and journalists, over alleged corruption and conspiracy against the state security. Saied, who took office in 2019, has repeatedly defended his moves, saying they were in line with the constitution. Once hailed as the sole democratic success story of the 2010-11 Arab Spring revolts, Tunisia has seen a significant decline in public confidence amid political turmoil and economic woes. People take part in a protest from Republic Square towards Habib Bourghiba Avenue in central Tunis ahead of the upcoming presidential elections. Demonstrators called for rejected candidates to be allowed to stand in the 6th October presidential elections. Hasan Mrad/IMAGESLIVE via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa Three civilians killed in Russian strike on agricultural facility in Zaporizhzhia Oblast Three employees of an agricultural facility have been killed in a Russian attack on Huliaipole hromada in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories ed.] Source: Ivan Fedorov, Head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast State Administration, on Telegram Quote: "The Russians have struck the oblast yet again. They bombarded Huliaipole hromada this time. They hit the premises of an agricultural company. Three people have been killed. All the deceased were employees of this facility." Support UP or become our patron! What we know about the triple homicide in an Antioch residential neighborhood Friday night Three people died in an Antioch shooting on Friday night. One woman fled from the scene unharmed, and a fourth man who police believe is connected to the case was shot in the area, according to Nashville police. The Metro Nashville Police Department received a call requesting officers to Bart Drive at 11:11 p.m., according to the police dispatch log. A short time after, officers arrived at the residential neighborhood and found three unidentified men dead at the home. One man's body was on the front porch, and the other two were inside. Three men were shot and killed inside of this house in Antioch Friday night, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department Officials said an unidentified woman was also present in the house during the shooting, and she "managed to run away." MNPD has not located the woman. Police released a statement urging her to contact police and offering resources to help ensure her safety. Based on neighborhood surveillance footage, MNPD determined that the woman arrived at the Bart Drive house with two of the male victims around 10:35 p.m. Friday night in a white Honda Civic with a temporary Georgia tag. Minutes after the three people entered the house, multiple other individuals approached the house on foot, and shots were fired. "Several suspects parked down the street and approached the house," MNPD said in a statement on social media. "They shot the victims and fled." Police said suspects returned to their vehicles and drove off before law enforcement was called to the scene at 11:11 p.m. A fourth man who police say is connected to the case was found at an apartment complex on Wallace Road with a gunshot wound to his hip. He is being treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, but he had not spoken with police as of 12:11 p.m. "It was initially reported that he was shot while riding a bicycle Friday night in the area of Bart Drive," an MNPD statement said on Saturday afternoon. "Detectives have not yet been able to speak with him to confirm that due to his medical condition." Law enforcement said the motive for the shooting is unclear, and police did not release any information about the potential suspects. Police encourage anyone with information about the shooting to call Crime Stoppers at (615)742-7463, where community members can leave anonymous crime tips. Hadley Hitson covers trending business, dining and health care for The Tennessean. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work, subscribe to The Tennessean. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Three people dead in overnight Antioch shooting, Nashville police say Tim Walz to visit Georgia next week, campaign says SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Waltz will visit Georgia next week, the Harris-Walz campaign announced Saturday. According to the campaign, on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 17, Walz will deliver brief remarks at a political event in Macon. On Tuesday afternoon, the campaign says Walz will fly into Atlanta to participate in political events. Prior to heading to Georgia, Walz will be in North Carolina on Sunday, Sept. 15, to deliver remarks at a Harris-Walz campaign rally in Asheville. Last month, Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz, campaigned in Georgia, a critical battleground state, state that Democrats narrowly won four years ago. With just several weeks to go till the 2024 Presidential Election, Georgia is among a handful of battleground states that Harris and former President Donald Trump want to capture, as Trumps campaign makes their visit to Savannah on Saturday to hold a town hall event. 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 WSAV-TV. WAUSAU Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz made the Harris-Walz campaign's first high-profile visit to central Wisconsin on Friday, launching a battleground state push in the final weeks of the presidential campaign. Walz, the governor of Minnesota, met with Democratic volunteers in Wausau following stops in Grand Rapids and Lansing, Michigan. On Saturday, Walz planned to hold a rally at the University of Wisconsin-Superior in northwestern Wisconsin. The stops are part of what the campaign says is a "more aggressive phase on the campaign trail" following Vice President Kamala Harris' debate performance against former President Donald Trump on Tuesday night. That strategy, the campaign said in a memo, involves "stumping across battleground states" as Harris seeks to build post-debate momentum. Trump rallied in nearby Mosinee last week. The area is part of Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District that has voted heavily for Trump in the past two elections. Walz meets with Ukrainian refugees in Wausau Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez make an off-record visit to local bakery Just Right: Cakes, Gifts, Coffee and chat with owners Anton Chystiukhin and Anastasiia Chystiukhina in Wausau on Friday. Walz's first stop in Wausau was Just Right: Cakes, Coffee, Gifts, where Walz and his daughter, Hope, met with Anastasiia Chystiukhina and Anton Chystiukhin, and their son, Mark. The family settled in Wausau in 2022 and opened the store in 2023. The family fled Ukraine after Russia invaded the country. During his stop, Walz acknowledged the struggle and told Anastasiia and Anton "the Russian aggression can't stand." During his visit, he bought two pieces of cake, one called "Black Sea" and the other "Heart of Ukraine." When Walz asked his daughter if she wanted anything else. "We can share," she said, to laughs from the owners. At his next stop, Walz also addressed the ongoing conflict in the country and committed to supporting residents. "The answer is simple: Ukraine must win the war," he said later at Whitewater Music Hall. Volunteers urged to talk to family and neighbors about voting this fall Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz speaks at a voter appreciation event at Whitewater Music Hall in Wausau on Friday. Walz, along with Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, rallied volunteers and voters during his stop at Whitewater Music Hall in Wausau's downtown, urging them to have "difficult conversations" with family and friends to boost the Harris-Walz campaign in Wausau. "You've got to have those difficult conversations. I live here. I've got some relatives and some neighbors that may not have voted for me, but I don't ask them, because I'd like to have them over for Thanksgiving," she said. "But these are the kind of conversations that we're going to need to have. They need to know what is on the line." Walz said America can't be "that frog in that slowly rising water temperature." "What we know is the way to put an end to that is to simply work our butts off, call our neighbors, get people to the ballot box, win this election and let him go complain for however long he wants," he said. With only 53 days left until the election this fall, Walz said in places like Wausau a few votes can make the difference in whether Wisconsin elects Harris or Trump. "A couple thousand votes in a county like this, the way our system is set up, is worth more than 20,000 votes in California," he said. "Just imagine the first time you're going to get the opportunity to say, Madam President," he said to raucous applause. Walz highlights Harris' debate performance Walz said some people were surprised by Harris' performance during Tuesday's debate. "Why were you surprised? She was the prosecutor, county attorney, attorney general of California, a United States senator and the Vice President of the United States," he said. As for Trump: "All the other Democratic leaders have no respect for him," he said of U.S. allies. "They know where he's at. He continues to brag about being friends with the dictators." Trump campaign hits back at Walz The Trump campaign painted Walz's tenure as Minnesota governor as far left. Tim Walz, the Radical Leftist Governor of Minnesota, is now attempting to bring his failed policies to Wisconsin, a move that should concern every Wisconsinite.," said Jacob Fischer, the Trump campaign's Wisconsin press secretary, who said Walz advanced a "socialist agenda" as governor. "In stark contrast, President Donald J. Trump will fight to restore safety, security, and prosperity to every corner of the nation," Fischer said. Polling shows Harris and ahead of Trump in Wisconsin A Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday showed Walz was the only candidate on either ticket with a net positive favorability rating. Walz is viewed favorably by 43% of registered voters in Wisconsin and unfavorably by 37%, the poll found. Ohio Republican Sen. JD Vance, Trump's running mate, is viewed favorably by 37% and unfavorably by 47%. More: JD Vance heading back to Wisconsin Wednesday for campaign stop in Eau Claire The poll showed Harris with a 4-point lead over Trump in Wisconsin, within the poll's margin of error. The Harris campaign said Thursday it plans to launch "a suite of new TV and digital ads" in addition to the visits featuring clips from Tuesday's debate. In Wisconsin, Harris and Democrats have out-dueled Trump and Republicans on the airwaves in Wisconsin's main media markets. Advertising data showed Democrats have spent more on ads so far this cycle and have more TV ad space reserved than Republicans in the weeks until Nov. 5. Walz will face off with Vance in a vice presidential debate on Oct. 1. Journal Sentinel reporter Jessie Opoien contributed. Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X at @SchulteLaura. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tim Walz visits a Ukrainian bakery, rallies volunteers in Wausau TN Most Wanted fugitive found and taken into custody NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said that a fugitive wanted out of Maury County for homicide has been found and taken into custody. PREVIOUS: Man wanted for homicide in Maury County, considered armed and dangerous Michael Van Dobbs was taken into custody on Friday, according to a social media post from the TBI. He was accused of killing 37-year-old Harold BJ Grisham III. Michael Van Dobbs (Courtesy: Maury County Sheriffs Department) Based on documents from the Maury County Sheriffs Department, Dobbs criminal history there started in 2002. Records show a total of 44 charges against Dobbs in the span of 21 years, including theft, burglary, drug-related offenses, child endangerment, and assault. The Williamson County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post that he was taken into custody around 7 p.m. near the Garrison Creek Trail Head and the Natchez Trace Scenic Trail. A tip from an alert citizen who recognized Dobbs in the area and immediately notified law enforcement enabled deputies to locate and apprehend Dobbs without incident, the post added. RELATED: Family mourns mans death in Maury County as search continues for homicide suspect He had been considered armed and dangerous and was placed on Tennessees Most Wanted list of fugitives. 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. Clouds gather over the South Dakota Capitol building in Pierre on Sept. 17, 2022. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) As the nation celebrates Democracy Day, its a good time to be thankful for the freedoms that we have but also be wary of the threats that democracy faces. Those threats arent limited to Washington, D.C. They exist in the statehouse and the local courthouse as well. Democracy is threatened whenever government at any level wants to keep the public in the dark. In July, South Dakota Searchlight reported on one such government official who prefers to stay away from the prying eyes of the public, Department of Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko. The secretary was speaking to the Legislatures Government Operations and Audit Committee after two bouts of violence at two different prisons. According to Wasko, the less said in public about those incidents, the better. At issue was her relationship with the states Corrections Commission. The citizen commission is bound by law to weigh in on criminal justice issues as well as sign off on funding requests for prison industries. Commission members complained that they were kept in the dark about the violent incidents at the prisons. This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org. Wasko said she would prefer to answer to lawmakers because Corrections Commission meetings are open to the public. Wasko said she would feel better about talking to legislators if they could close the door and get into the nitty-gritty. She actually said close the door on what should be public business. However, If Wasko wants to keep the public in the dark, shes in the right place: state government. Twice during the 2021 session, legislators brought bills designed to unearth the cost of protecting Gov. Kristi Noem. The much-traveled governor was a rising star in the Republican Party, often accompanied by two Highway Patrol troopers. Lawmakers, who were under the impression that they held the purse strings for state government, wanted an accounting. The response from the Noem administration: Youre not getting one. There would be no accounting for the governors protection detail, lawmakers were told, because anyone who posed a threat could use those figures to determine how well the governor was protected. The administration would not even allow a lump sum to be released. It seems bad guys have an algorithm that could take that figure to deduce how well the governor is protected, whether shes in Pierpont or Paris. Majority Republicans, in the same party as the governor and, in 2021, getting along with her better than they have of late, accepted the premise that the budget for protecting Noem needed to be kept secret. Thats because Republican lawmakers have secrecy penciled into their daily schedule during the legislative session. Each day before the afternoon session, the super majority Republicans in the House and Senate are squirreled away for caucuses that shut out the public. Not only do they meet in secret, away from the prying eyes of the public they serve, they do so in the Capitol, a public building. That means the very people who are being shut out of the meeting get to pay the cost of the heat, lights and furnishings, not to mention the payroll for the people they employ to make their laws. Thats a chore many of us thought they were supposed to do in public. Occasionally, during legislative sessions, a bill comes along to tweak the states weak executive session law. That law is used whenever local governments city, school, county want to go into closed session away from public view for various reasons: personnel, student expulsion, attorney consultation, contract negotiation. While executive session bills appear infrequently, their committee hearings are filled with irony as Republican lawmakers extoll the virtues of openness in government all the while knowing that after lunch they will head into a caucus that slams the door on the public. Democracy works best when the public is informed. Its the role of citizens to show up at the voting booth, at public meetings and at candidate forums to let elected officials know that someone is watching. For their part, officers holders and those charged with running our government have to do so in the light of day. Whenever they close the door on the public, they damage the democratic ideals of this nation. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX TOPEKA (KSNT) A Topeka Police Department officer has filed a second federal lawsuit against the city accusing the police department of discriminating against female officers and creating a hostile work environment. The filing comes just days before the start of the federal trial of on a 2023 discrimination case against the City of Topeka and former Topeka Police Chief Bryan Wheeles. In this latest lawsuit, filed on Sept. 13, Topeka Police Captain Jennifer Cross claimed the officers who filed the original discrimination case have been retaliated against since that filing. She continued to allege female officers in the Topeka Police Department are treated negatively in such a way that is discriminatory and creates a hostile work environment. Cross was one of three female administrators who filed the initial discrimination case. In August, U.S. District Judge John Broomes wrote the plaintiffs failed to provide evidence they were not promoted because of their sex and that Wheeles is entitled to qualified immunity on those claims. In this new lawsuit, Cross detailed allegations of discrimination she said she faced during an investigation into her alleged workplace bullying of a subordinate officer. She claimed the investigation was conducted in a way to ensure its outcome. Cross said the selection of witnesses, duration of the investigation, lack of communication and inconsistent treatment of the parties involved were retaliatory in nature. Cross claimed the lieutenant who accused her of workplace bullying and another lieutenant involved in the investigation lied to ensure the grievance against her would be substantiated. She also accused Wheeles and now Interim Police Chief Jamey Haltom of turning a blind eye to evidence she did not violate policy or bully the subordinate officer. Cross reiterated and added to claims made in the 2023 lawsuit that the police department discriminates against female officers and creates a hostile work environment. She accused the City of Topeka of violating Title VII by allowing officers to retaliate against her and other female administrators following the filing of the 2023 lawsuit. She also filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Cross asked that this latest lawsuit be taken to trial. The federal jury trial in the 2023 discrimination lawsuit is set to begin on Sept. 16. KSNT 27 News has reached out to the City of Topeka for comment but had not yet received a response by the time this report was filed. For more crime 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. FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) Florence man Jeffrey Leibowitz was bitten by the most venomous snake in the world the inland taipan, in his home on Sept. 6, according to city police, and a lifelong snake keeper was flabbergasted at the way Leibowitz handled the snakes. After seeing various posts of Leibowitzs videos on Facebook, Al Coritz said Leibowitz was not handling or caring for them properly in his Marion Street home. On Friday, Leibowitz posted a video on Facebook, confirming he was bit by the inland taipan. Coritz said the plastic containers shown in Leibowitzs posts are not suitable for snakes over a long period of time as they can easily slither through the cracks. He also said that handling them freely without a snake hook or tongs made it only a matter of time before the snake would strike back. Theres no predicting these animals, Coritz said. I think I was totally flabbergasted when I was watching him handle the little taipan and I saw its little tail wagging, which means that Im very upset. Dont bother me. I dont want you to touch me.' Having owned a variety of 67 venomous snake species since 1973 and an important permit to purchase some of his snakes, Coritz said he has loved the unique reptiles since he was young and grew a passion for educating people about the venomous creatures he owns. Some of the snakes he owned have consisted of a blue insular pit viper, water cobras and even a taipan himself. This has been a lifelong passion. I first started keeping nonvenomous snakes when I was a teenager and acquired my first venomous snakes in probably 1973, Coritz said. I had my own passion towards these very specialized animals that have modified over the centuries. Certain components available inside their bodies, turning them into toxins and developing a delivery system for these toxins, primarily for predation, he continued. So Ive always been very interested in that, you know, a biologist pretty much by training. So naturally this all all fell into place. Having invested so much time and passion into learning about his pet snakes, Coritz said having antivenom on-hand should be a necessity for all venomous snake owners. Though Coritz said it can be very expensive, some upwards of $4,000 a vile its worth it. Leibowitz is having his antivenom flown in from another state. This one happens to be a polyvalent, which means it will neutralize the venom of many of the Australian snakes all in one bottle, he said. Its like, you live 10 hours from the nearest firehouse and your house catches fire. Whats going to be left in your house in 10 hours when the fire department finally arrives? Not much. So, this is having your own local fire department in your house. As many in the reptile community purchase their nonvenomous and venomous snakes from reptile shows, owner of the Ultimate Reptile show, Maria Marinopoulos, said that their show travels across the U.S and was at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center last month. She said each state has different laws and regulations, but that Leibowitz did not get his from their show. It wasnt sold at our show. It was delivered to the show, she said. It had nothing to do with the show. It was a deal that was made over Facebook and another vendor that was a friend of the person that sold the snake. They delivered it for Jeff. She said although the Ultimate Reptile Show holds no liability toward Leibowitzs situation, their staff will continue to go through protocols with snake vendors and implement new safety measures in the near future. Coritz said that the venomous snake community should come together and practice safe handling, wishing Leibowitz a safe recovery. * * * Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read 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 WBTW. Alexis McGill Johnson, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, talks with Alex Wagner about the effectiveness of Kamala Harris on the campaign trail discussing the personal health stories of women in need of abortion care, and the steady awakening of Republicans to the reality of women's health. View comments It was 'tough on China' week in Congress, one of the few issues both parties agree on BEIJING From drones to drugs, House lawmakers sought to portray themselves as tough on China as they returned to work this week, taking up more than two dozen measures aimed at countering Beijings technological, political and economic influence. The blitz of 28 mostly Republican-led bills during China Week has been criticized by Democrats as a ploy to make Republicans look stronger against China, a key foreign policy issue, in the final weeks before the November election. But many of the measures passed with bipartisan support at a time when viewing the worlds second-largest economy primarily as a geopolitical rival is one of the few issues both Republicans and Democrats can agree on. Members now see little downside risk in adopting a tougher stance on China, said Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a think tank based in Washington. China says the legislation could strain what both countries have called one of the worlds most important bilateral relationships, even as Beijing and Washington take steps to improve ties. It has vowed to take strong and effective measures in response. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson at the Capitol in Washington on Thursday. All legislation must also be passed by the Senate before it can be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. It is unclear how many of the measures will make it that far given the limited number of days the Senate is in session for the rest of the year. But their success in the House could pave the way for even stronger regulatory moves in the next Congress, Singleton said. Here are some of the most notable measures that were approved: Biotech companies One of the first bills to pass, the Biosecure Act, would prohibit federal contracts with several Chinese biotech companies and those that do business with them, with supporters saying the measure is necessary to protect Americans genetic and other health data from Beijing. The Chinese companies, whose work includes cancer research and manufacturing for American drugmakers, say data privacy is not at risk and that the measure will limit competition. We are disappointed that the U.S. legislative process is being used to pick winners and losers, Shenzhen-based BGI Group said in a statement. A spokesperson for WuXi AppTec, another of the targeted companies, said it was deeply concerned about the legislations impact on U.S. leadership in biotechnology innovation, drug development and patient care. Hong Kong Lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill that could lead to the closure of Hong Kongs economic and trade offices in Washington, New York and San Francisco if they are found not to be running with a high degree of autonomy from China. Authorities have cracked down on dissent in the Chinese territory, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under the principle of one country, two systems, since mass anti-government protests in 2019. The Hong Kong government criticized the bill on Wednesday as politically motivated, saying that normal functioning of the trade offices is mutually beneficial to both places and that their closure would ultimately harm the interests of the U.S. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing had lodged stern representations with the U.S. A DJI drone shop in Shanghai in July. Drones Another bill would bar new drones from the Chinese manufacturer DJI from operating on U.S. communications infrastructure, citing national security risks that the company has rejected. DJI, which sells more than half of all drones in the U.S., said in May that lawmakers had amplified xenophobic narratives in a quest to support local drone manufacturers and eliminate market competition. It added that the move would hurt not just American hobbyists but also a broad ecosystem of operators, businesses and public safety agencies. China said the U.S. should stop suppressing Chinese companies under various pretexts. A new China Initiative Lawmakers were more divided over an effort to revive the Justice Departments China Initiative, a Trump-era national security program meant to counter intellectual property theft at universities and research institutions. Asian American advocacy groups said the program unfairly targeted ethnic Chinese scientists and upended their lives, and it ended in 2022 after a string of failed prosecutions. The measure passed in the House 237-180. Foreign farmland purchases Another bill that raised discrimination concerns would limit the sale of agricultural land to foreign nationals from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. Supporters said it would improve oversight of foreign farmland purchases, including those near sensitive sites. A review by NBC News found that the total amount of U.S. agricultural land owned by Chinese interests is less than three-hundredths of 1%. Electric vehicles Lawmakers narrowly passed a measure that would tighten the definition of Chinese components that disqualify vehicles from receiving U.S. EV tax credits. Opponents argued that it would slow U.S. efforts to get more EVs on its roads as part of the broader transition to green technology. Though China is a world leader in the manufacture of electric vehicles and dominates the supply chain for EV batteries, very few of its EVs are sold in the U.S. In May, Biden announced that the tariff on Chinese EVs would increase from 27.5% to 100%. Scientific cooperation Lawmakers passed a bill that would require congressional notification before the renewal or extension of the Science and Technology Agreement (STA) or the creation, renewal or extension of any similar agreement with China. For too long, the Chinese Communist Party has exploited these partnerships to gain access to sensitive technologies that could threaten our national security, Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., said after the bills passage. The STA, the first accord between the U.S. and China after they normalized diplomatic relations in 1979, expired on Aug. 27 after two six-month extensions. Supporters say the pacts lapse would hinder academic cooperation and could imperil U.S.-China government collaboration in areas such as climate change and public health. Janis Mackey Frayer reported from Beijing, and Mithil Aggarwal and Peter Guo reported from Hong Kong. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Town to get public defibrillators in ad displays One of the displays will be located outside Broad Street Mall [JCDecaux ] Life-saving defibrillators built in to digital advertising displays could be installed in Reading town centre. Advertising multinational JCDecaux UK has applied for planning permission for the digital technology in at least four locations in the Berkshire town, including St Marys Butts and Friar Street. They are part of a national campaign in partnership with the Community Heartbeat Trust charity. Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are designed to be used by anyone, without training, in the event of someone suffering a cardiac arrest. People are advised to call 999 before using the AED device, which gives clear voice commands to the user. It checks the heart rhythm and gives a high-energy shock to the heart to restore normal rhythm, but only if needed. Defibrillators are used for people suffering a cardiac arrest and not a heart attack. JCDecaux said the project has already seen more than 180 AEDs installed in towns and cities across the UK, describing them as "life-saving street furniture". The outdoor advertiser said they had been used 500 times so far. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. See also Related Links New treatment for common but deadly heart condition now available in Fresno FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) A new way to repair a common but deadly heart valve disease is now available in the Central Valley, according to the Saint Agnes Medical Center. According to the American Heart Association, tricuspid regurgitation occurs when the heart valves do not close properly. The disease affects 5% to 20% of U.S. adults. Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno says past therapies have had little effect on treating the disease, and traditional surgeries are rarely performed due to significant operative risk. Heart procedure improves patients life The hospital says they now have a low-risk non-surgical treatment option to help repair leaky valves and improve the quality of life of those suffering from severe tricuspid regurgitation. On Aug. 15, Fresnos Saint Agnes Medical Center successfully performed the first Abbott TriClip Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair operation in the Central Valley. Individuals who are candidates for TriClip are really sick with an elevated risk for surgery meaning if they were to undergo open heart surgery they would likely not survive, said Dr. Usman Javed, who performed the first TEER surgery in the Central Valley. This procedure helps them improve quality of life, functionality and decrease their need for future hospitalizations. Doctors say the TriClip is delivered to the heart with a catheter that is inserted through the femoral vein in the leg and works by clipping together a portion of the leaflets of the tricuspid valve to reduce the backflow of blood. Saint Agnes first in Central Valley to use FARAPULSE for heart treatments Before this, we felt that a lot of heart patients had no option but to travel up north or down south for care, said Dr. Javed. These are sick patients and for many, travel is not an option. To have this technology in Fresno and keep patients where they like to be and let them be treated so close to home is huge. According to the Mayo Clinic, tricuspid regurgitation can occur silently. Doctors from Penn Medicine recommend those experiencing unusual fatigue, abnormal heart rhythms, pulsing in the neck, shortness of breath, or swelling in the abdomen, legs, or neck veins, get checked by their primary care provider. 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. RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) The trial for the Rankin County teenager accused of killing her mother will begin on Monday, September 16 with jury selection. Earlier this week, the court denied a motion to transfer Carly Greggs case to Youth Court. The state said Gregg cannot plead insanity because of voluntary intoxication. They said she admitted she used marijuana just days before her mother was killed. During a court appearance in August, Gregg rejected a plea deal in which she would be sentenced to 40 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC). The case will now go to trial, and Gregg faces up to life in prison. A grand jury previously indicted Gregg on the counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder and tampering with evidence. Motion to move Carly Greggs trial to Youth Court denied The shooting happened just after 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19 in the 200 block of Ashton Way. When deputies arrived at the location, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the shoulder. The man told deputies that he arrived home and found his wife, who was identified as 40-year-old Ashley Smylie, deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. He claimed his 14-year-old step-daughter was armed with a pistol. According to Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, the victim stated Gregg shot him in the shoulder. The man was able to take the weapon from the teenager, who then ran into the backyard and jumped over a fence. Carly Madison Gregg (Courtesy: Rankin County Sheriffs Office) Ashley Smylie (Courtesy: Rankin County School District) Bailey said additional deputies responded to the scene, along with the Mississippi Highway Patrols (MHP) helicopter. Just after 5:30 p.m., Gregg was located not far from the residence and taken into custody without incident. During her initial court appearance, Gregg pled not guilty to the charges. Her bond was set at $1 million. She is being held in the Rankin County Adult Detention Center. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 WJTV. Decision to progressively raise retirement age unveiled 08:22, September 14, 2024 By Cheng Si ( China Daily China will progressively raise the statutory retirement age in next 15 years starting from 2025, after conducting thorough research of the nation's current population structure and people's health condition, with the move aiming to facilitate more reasonable and better use of human resources. The 11th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress, which concluded on Friday, approved a decision to raise the retirement age of male workers to 63, and females to 55 or 58, depending on their jobs or occupations. The current retirement age for men in urban areas is 60, and women 50 or 55 depending on their jobs which is among the world's lowest for major economies. It's the nation's first adjustment of retirement ages since the current system was launched in the 1950s. The changes will take effect from Jan 1, 2025, and are based on a proposed policy by the State Council, China's Cabinet. The new policy also stresses "being voluntary and flexible", giving people greater latitude to plan or choose their own retirement. Under the new policy, for male employees who originally retired at the age of 60 and females who left the workforce at 55, the retirement age will be adjusted accordingly to facilitate compliance with the new system. The government launched retirement age calculating services on official websites and WeChat mini programs at the official account of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. People will be allowed to voluntarily retire no more than three years in advance after reaching the minimum year of pension contributions, which will gradually rise from 15 to 20 years from 2030. However, they are not permitted to retire earlier than the previous statutory age. Also, people can voluntarily postpone their retirement age for no more than three years after reaching the new statuary retirement and reaching an agreement with their employers. Employers should not force employees to choose retirement ages against their will. Wang Xiaoping, minister of human resources and social security, said that the retirement policy has become more flexible compared with the previous "one-size-fits-all" approach. Wang said that the adjustment is based on the current population structure, people's improving health conditions, and the public's concerns about a relative lack of flexibility in arranging their working and retiring lives. "Chinese people's average life expectancy rose to 78.6 years in 2023 from around just 40 in the 1950s. Years of schooling also increased from eight years in the late 1970s and early 1980s, to currently 14 years, thus postponing people's time for landing their first job," she said. The new policy will also help ease the decline in the working-age population, address the aging problem, and maintain vibrant economic growth and social development, she added. "The number of people in China aged 60 and above reached 297 million by the end of 2023, accounting for 21.1 percent of the nation's total population. Among them, the number of those ages 65 and over was 217 million," she said. "Meanwhile, the working-age population saw continuous decreases from 2012 at a rate of 3 million per year, and the fall may intensify in the future." The new policy also highlights employment support for youths and workers at older ages, and encourages local authorities to tighten prevention of age-related job discrimination while prompting employers to hire more senior candidates. Under the new policy, employers who hire workers older than the statuary retirement age should give such new employees basic working benefits related to income, right to rest, safety, and job-related injury insurance. Li Zhong, vice-minister of human resources and social security, said that the new retirement policy will be implemented steadily and at a modest pace, and positions vacated by new retirees may not be that suitable for youths, so the changes will likely have a mild impact on youth employment. Li said the nation will continue to prioritize youth employment to let it grow at a reasonable rate and with higher quality. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) More men have come forward to the BBC accusing the former chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch and his British partner of sexual exploitation. Some allege they were abused, and some that they were injected with drugs. Luke says he was shocked as he was guided into Mike Jeffries presidential suite in a hotel in Spain. "It was like a movie set of an Abercrombie store," he recalls of the event in 2011. "And I thought we were going to do a photoshoot." He says the room was dimly lit with erotic photos of mens abs adorning the dark walls. In the middle, a group of assistants dressed in Abercrombie & Fitch uniforms - polos, blue jeans and flip-flops - were casually folding clothes on a table, pretending to be shop workers, he says. Then aged 20, Luke says he had been offered the chance of being in a company advert if he flew from his home in Los Angeles to Madrid to meet the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F). Luke says the proposal had come via a modelling website from a man who said he worked as a talent scout and executive assistant for Mr Jeffries - then head of the billion-dollar teen retailer. Warning: This story contains accounts of sexual violence In the suite, he says Mr Jeffries' assistants began engaging in role-play, encouraging him to act as a shirtless greeter, a hallmark of A&F stores at the time. Luke says he remembers the talent scout saying: "Now I have two very important guests, and these are going to be the customers that you need to impress and entertain because they're going to be buying a lot of clothes from you." Luke says he thought he was meeting Mike Jeffries for a modelling job [BBC] At that moment, he says Mr Jeffries and his life partner, Matthew Smith, came out of a corner of the room. They immediately started touching him and Mr Jeffries forcibly kissed him, he says. "I was trying to avoid the whole situation as much as I could, but Michael was very aggressive." He says the Abercrombie boss then performed oral sex on him. I tried to say no repeatedly. And then I just got kind of convinced to do something. But I constantly was saying no, and I wanted to go. ___ Luke (not his real name) is one of eight more men who have spoken to the BBC in the past year since we revealed allegations of sexual exploitation at events hosted by Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith. The FBI launched an investigation following the BBCs reporting, and 20 men in total have now told us they attended or helped organise these events. As well as Lukes allegation, the new witnesses reveal fresh details about the scale of the events, which took place from at least 2009 until 2015 while Mr Jeffries was chief executive. The BBC previously found there had been a sophisticated operation involving a middleman tasked with finding men for these events, but the new testimonies detail additional recruitment methods. The men also raise new questions about the role of Mr Jeffries' assistants - a select group of young men in A&F uniforms who travelled around the world with him and supervised these sex events. According to multiple men, Mr Jeffries' assistants injected some attendees in the penis with what they were told was liquid Viagra. Mr Smith, left, and Mr Jeffries hosted events with men recruited by middleman James Jacobson, right [Getty Images / Handout] Chris, not his real name, told the BBC he felt he was "going to die" after one of these injections caused an extreme reaction during an event at one of Mr Jeffries' New York homes. Feeling "hot, dizzy" and in shock, he said nobody called for an ambulance. Still disorientated, he said Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith, who had been waiting in another room, then tried to have sex with him. Former model Keith Milkie, 31, says one of Mr Jeffries' assistants had also "bragged" about having done some work for Abercrombie & Fitch at the same time as working at these sex events. He says this assistant was named on an event itinerary and the BBC found he also had an A&F company email. While personal assistants of Mr Jeffries were often dressed in A&F uniforms, this is the first claim that a member of A&F staff was involved in the running of Mr Jeffries' sex events. When the BBC asked the company about this, it declined to answer, saying it does not comment on legal matters. [BBC] World Of Secrets - The Abercrombie Guys Hear two new episodes on BBC Sounds or here if you are outside the UK Mr Jeffries, 80, Mr Smith, 61, and A&F - which also owns the brand Hollister - are facing a civil lawsuit alleging the retailer funded a sex-trafficking operation over the two decades he had been in charge. Mr Smith and Mr Jeffries did not respond to requests for comment. However, their lawyers have previously said they deny allegations of wrongdoing, adding: "The courtroom is where we will deal with this matter." A roster of attendees One former attendee, Diego Guillen, who says he has been interviewed by the FBI, told the BBC he was paid $500 (380) every Saturday to make wake-up calls to men expected to attend these sex events in 2011. He estimated he made about 80 calls over seven months. Mr Guillen, 42, says there was also a roster of attendees. Other sources have said this "database" could have as many as 60 different men on it at any given time, revealing a snapshot of the scale of those recruited. He says he had initially attended sex events at Mr Jeffries' former New York homes after being recruited on the street by the couples middleman, James Jacobson. Mr Guillen, now a lawyer and real estate broker who runs his own firm, says he had never had sex for money before, but at the time he was unemployed and homeless, sleeping in a friends office. Despite his circumstances then, he says he did not feel exploited. After the FBI turned up at his door, Mr Guillen says he contacted Mr Jeffries' lawyer who sent a private investigator to interview him to help build their legal defence. Mr Guillen says the other men present at the events he attended had been "under no obligation, under zero pressure" and "paid quite well". "Michael and Matthew are high profile gay men and liked having sex with young, handsome men. And being older, they knew that the real way to get this done was to be generous," he says. "But with full consent and making sure that the [men] wanted it and liked it. And that's it." 'An immense amount of shame' Unlike other men who were recruited by the middleman, Luke says his initial contact was an assistant working for Mr Jeffries family office - a private company run by Mr Smith, which managed the then-CEOs wealth and properties. Luke says this assistant interviewed him over Skype, telling him to expect to be topless for the Madrid hotel photoshoot, but there were no obvious red flags. This man then organised his travel and accommodation, he says. "It didn't seem like anything too out of the ordinary for me because even working at an Abercrombie store when I was younger, there was guys who would stand outside shirtless. That was like a trademark thing," says Luke. Leaked travel plans show Mr Jeffries was scheduled to be in Madrid several times in 2011 ahead of opening a real A&F store. The night before the event, Luke says he was paid 3,500 (2,950) in cash, which he believed was "general spending money" for the three days he was in Madrid. But he says the assistant was "vague" about the plan. He says in the hotel suite, Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith began having sex with two slightly older men - one he thought was in his 30s and the other in his 40s - present for the same event. Luke says Mr Jeffries' then started kissing him. Soon after, he says Mr Jeffries performed oral sex on him and Mr Smith attempted to do the same. He says he tried to perform "some sort of oral" sex on Mr Jeffries, but "couldn't". "I'm getting fired because I didn't do what this guy wanted," Luke remembers thinking, believing he was about to lose his chance of a modelling job. "I could have just ran out of that room, but I didn't even know how I would have gotten out." Luke says he felt unable to leave as Mr Jeffries' assistants - whom he perceived as security staff - were "watching exits". Luke says Mr Jeffries' hotel suite was made to resemble an A&F store, like this one in New York [Getty Images] Back home in the US, he says he felt unable to report what happened because of the non-disclosure agreement he had signed prior to the event. "There's an immense amount of shame associated with this idea that you're not a masculine man if you've been molested or taken advantage of by another man," says Luke, who identifies as straight. "My whole life I've struggled with people thinking that I'm gay and I got bullied in high school because I have a soft voice. The last thing on earth I was going to do is say something emasculating, like, I got molested and orally raped by a guy." Luke says what happened in Madrid was "rocket fuel" for a drug addiction he later developed. In 2016, he was arrested for selling drugs and served six months in a correctional boot camp. He now runs his own business alongside helping people with addictions. 'It was like fantasy land' Keith Milkie says he attended numerous events hosted by Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith between 2012 and 2014. He says he understood these events would be sexual but that nothing Mr Jacobson said could "prepare you for what's going to happen" next. Then aged about 20, Mr Milkie says he had been struggling to pay his rent after being invited to move to New York by an agent, who ran a house full of aspiring models. He says a housemate soon introduced the idea of escorting, and a contact later introduced him to Mr Jacobson. Mr Milkie, who identified as straight at the time, says he found some of the events "uncomfortable" and "painful". On one occasion, in Paris, he says Mr Jeffries instructed him to have sex with another man, which he "did not want or enjoy". During another, he says he was verbally abused by Mr Jeffries after saying "no" to a risky sexual act while on board the Queen Mary 2, an ocean liner which sails from England to New York. He says Mr Jeffries was drunk and tried to insert a "bleeding finger" into him. "I was in the bed putting on a fake smile, crying on the inside," he says. "Here I am in the middle of the ocean having this person four times my age in that position of power and influence belittle me to death and literally call me worthless simply because I said no to something." He says Mr Jacobson paid him about $24,000 (18,400) in cash for the seven-night cruise. Mr Milkie says he was berated and called worthless when he said "no" to Mr Jeffries [Keith Milkie] According to his event itineraries, which had been sent by Mr Jacobson, another of these sex events was just days after it had been publicly announced Mr Jeffries was stepping down as CEO of A&F in December 2014. Mr Milkie believes that final meeting marked the end of these events. "The personification of Mike Jeffries is Abercrombie. He had the hair plugs, the plastic surgery, he wore the clothes, he wore the flip-flops. I mean, you talk about power. He projected his image on the entire country. His places where he lived were literally an Abercrombie store. It was like fantasy land," he says. "Without that sort of power, that sort of fear and influence, I imagine it's just like a lot harder to keep people quiet, which is why years later people are talking about it." After the BBCs initial investigation was published last year, A&F announced it was opening an independent investigation into the allegations raised. When we recently asked when this report will be completed - and if the findings would be made public - the company declined to answer. Like Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith, the brand has been trying to get the civil lawsuit against it dismissed, arguing it had no knowledge of "the supposed sex-trafficking venture" led by its former CEO - which it has been accused of having funded. Earlier this year, a US court ruled that A&F must cover the cost of Mike Jeffries' legal defence as he continues to fight the civil allegations of sex-trafficking and rape. The judge ruled the allegations were tied to his corporate role after he sued the brand for refusing to pay his legal fees. The brand said it does not comment on legal matters. However, in its defence submitted to court, A&F said its current leadership team was "previously unaware of" the allegations until the BBC contacted it, adding the company "abhors sexual abuse and condemns the alleged conduct" by Mr Jeffries and others. Mr Jacobson - the middleman - previously said in a statement through his lawyer that he took offence at the suggestion of "any coercive, deceptive or forceful behaviour on my part" and had "no knowledge of any such conduct by others". MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) The Trinity School in Midland teamed up with the West Texas Food Bank on Friday, in honor of Hunger Action Month. Students ran a cereal drive and celebrated the collection with a domino effect display, made from those boxes to show the impact these events can have on a community as they gain more attention. Trinity School said more than 1,500 cereal boxes were collected and turned into a domino chain that spanned across the campus. We know that theres a need of kids who dont have enough to eat even in our own community. On Monday we started, we kicked this off with the idea of collecting cereal, having really no idea of how many we would get. On Tuesday our count was 238 and then today we end, and you can see behind me, with over 1,500 boxes of cereal that will go out to families and children of need in our community through our helpers at the West Texas Food Bank. West Texas Food Bank sees longest line for food since pandemic I think what was really great about today was being able to witness the joy and the excitement and truly put that connection together that little, that they had this huge project and they all came together and they truly are making a large impact. Hunger Action Month brings awareness to the issue of food insecurity across the nation. 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 Yourbasin. Why Donald Trumps plan to target non-voters could open the door to the White House The Trump campaign is targeting non-voters in battleground states in the hope they can secure his return to the White House. Volunteers known as Trump Force Captains are being tasked with knocking on the doors of low propensity voters - those who do not cast a ballot every election. The Republican nominees campaign is focusing on infrequent voters in the critical battleground states where just tens of thousands of votes could decide the election. Analysts have warned that it is a risky move to funnel the campaigns limited resources into voters who are traditionally difficult to mobilise - but it is one that could pay off in spades. The deadline to register to vote is fast approaching, and while each state has a different cut off, many - including the key state of Pennsylvania - are in mid-October. A recent New York Times/Siena College survey showed that while Trump held a slight lead on Kamala Harris among all likely voters polled, 48 per cent to 47 per cent, he was ahead of her by 9 percentage points, 49 per cent to 40 per cent, among those who did not vote in 2020. Trump campaign training materials obtained by Axios show how it is prioritising contacting hard-to-reach, low-propensity voters who might be sympathetic to Trump but arent likely to vote. The volunteers are given a list of 25 such voters and told to visit at least 10 in person. They are incentivised by the promise of prizes ranging from expedited entry to rallies, to invitations to an exclusive party at Mar-a-Lago if they contact dozens of voters and bag the title Trump Force Precinct Caption. Volunteer Rachel Gottberg, 34, said the strategy is definitely a new focus that wasnt the case in 2020. Michael Berkman, a political science professor at Pennsylvania State University, told The Telegraph that it does seem clear from polling... that people who are less committed to voting are more likely to support Trump, so hes relying upon a [larger] pool of lower propensity voters than she is. Prof Berkman said Trump often fares worse in polling because pollsters are trying to weed people out by propensity to vote and many of Trumps supporters are lower propensity voters. But, he added, while the incentive techniques for volunteers might be novel, the concept does not appear to be particularly original. Risky strategy for Trump Amy Koch, a Republican strategist, said both the campaigns have to find every vote they can and when you find these like lower propensity voters, sort of independent, they maybe are a little bit more Trump-minded. I think thats a strategy that can work for Trump, but it is also risky in that it is hard and time consuming to do, for not as much return as, say, driving out your base that always votes, that always loves you.... You just have to make sure to remind them, did you vote? I think, in this race that is going to be razor thin close... its not a bad strategy, but its also a very risky strategy and were down to the last two months. While Trump is targeting unlikely voters, the Harris campaign is using a broader approach, largely helped by the Democratic candidates finances and manpower. Ms Harris received a near $50 million boost in fundraising after Tuesdays debate, adding to $361 million raised by the campaign and its allies in August, nearly three times as much as Trump. The Trump campaign has said it has around 27,000 top volunteers and hundreds of thousands more in other roles in battleground states. The Harris campaign claims to have 60,000 volunteers in Pennsylvania alone, according to Axios. When you break down the numbers, you realise theres 300,000 low-propensity, conservative-leaning votes in Arizona alone, said Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Turning Point Action, a pro-Trump group helping to mobilise these voters. When youre losing these states by 10,000 ballots or 20,000 ballots, you realise just how much potential there is if we do the work of engaging these voters beforehand, he added. 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. Trump loses 'Electric Avenue' lawsuit as judge finds he has zero defense for tweeting the song Trump loses 'Electric Avenue' lawsuit as judge finds he has zero defense for tweeting the song A federal judge in Manhattan found Trump liable for damages in the "Electric Avenue" copyright case. Trump has zero defense for a 2020 tweet that included 40 seconds of the dance hit, the judge found. Now all that remains is for damages to be set, either with or without a jury's help. A federal judge in Manhattan has found former president Donald Trump liable for damages in a hotly-contested copyright battle over Eddy Grant's '80s dance hit "Electric Avenue." In a 30-page decision, the judge on Friday delivered a one-two blow that essentially ends the case pretrial, with nothing now left to determine but damages. In the first legal blow, the judge found that the song was properly copyrighted. And in the second blow, the judge threw out the only defense offered in the case: a claim that Trump had made "fair use" of the song. "It's everything we asked for," Grant attorney Brett Van Benthysen told Business Insider. "One-hundred percent." Grant, a UK citizen who lives in Barbados, has been told of the decision, said another of his lawyers, Brian Caplan. "Mr. Grant believes that the ruling will help other artists and owners of copyrights defend against similar infringement," Caplan said. "This is a complete victory for Plaintiffs as to liability. Plaintiffs will be seeking attorney's fees in the subsequent damages phase," he added. It remained unclear Friday night if the parties would agree to damages among themselves, or go to trial and let a jury pick a number. "There will either be a trial just on damages, assumedly before a jury, or we could agree to a number without a trial," Van Benthysen said. Grant's lawsuit demanded that Trump pay him $300,000, though that could rise if the former president must also pay the thousands of dollars in legal fees the artist has spent during four years of litigation. Both Eddy Grant and Trump were forced by subpoena to give dueling depositions in the case, and former Trump adviser Dan Scavino was also deposed. Grant had sued Trump in 2020, over a campaign tweet a crudely-drawn, 55-second animation that showed then-presidential candidate Joe Biden feebly puttering along a railroad track in a push cart while a high-speed "Trump-Pence" train zoomed past. About 40 seconds of "Electric Avenue" plays as part of the soundtrack. In summarizing the history of the case in his decision, US District Judge John G. Koeltl revealed that it was Scavino Trump's director of social media and deputy chief of staff for communications at the time who uploaded the video to Trump's personal Twitter account on August 12, 2020. "Scavino testified that he saw the video on a Trump supporter's social media page either on the same day or the day before he posted the tweet," the judge wrote Friday. "Scavino also testified that he spoke with former President Trump before posting the tweet and that former President Trump 'let [him] go with [his] instinct on it and post it,'" the judge wrote. The video was viewed more than 13.7 million times, was liked more than 350,000 times, and was retweeted more than 139,000 times, the judge wrote. Grant's lawyers immediately sent Trump's lawyers a cease and desist letter, but it wasn't until Grant sued on September 1, 2020 that the video was taken down. In rejecting Trump's claim that Grant had never properly secured a copyright for the Electric Avenue sound recording, the judge said it was enough that Grant held the copyright for a compilation record that included the song. Decisions in multiple prior legal cases support that finding, the judge said. Trump, meanwhile, was unable to cite a single supporting case, the judge said. And in rejecting Trump's claim that the animation was a "fair use" of the song, the judge went methodically in his decision through the four-factor standard for fair-use exemptions to copyright. The first factor looks at how the copyrighted work was used. In Trump's case, Electric Avenue was used for a commercial purpose, not for an allowable non-profit, research, or educational purpose, the judge wrote. The second factor looks at whether the copyrighted work was "creative" or "factual." "It is clear that "Electric Avenue is a creative work and therefore is closer to the core of copyright protection," the judge wrote. The third factor weighs how much of the copyrighted work was taken for an unauthorized use. Here the judge found that "the song plays for the majority of the animation; the excerpt is of central importance." The final factor asks "whether, if the challenged use becomes widespread, it will adversely affect the potential market for the copyrighted work," the judge wrote. "In this case, there is no public benefit as a result of the defendants' use of 'Electric Avenue'" the judge wrote. "As the plaintiffs correctly argue, the defendants 'could have used any song, created a new song, or used no song at all, to convey the same political message in the Infringing video.'" But the damage to Grant could be significant if the copyright to his songs was not strictly enforced, the judge noted. "Widespread, uncompensated use of Grant's music in promotional videos political or otherwise would embolden would-be infringers and undermine Grant's ability to obtain compensation in exchange for licensing his music," the judge wrote. An attorney for Trump did not immediately return a request for comment. This embedded content is not available in your region. Read the original article on Business Insider Donald Trump made a feeble attempt to fend off bipartisan outrage over his association this week with Laura Loomer, the far-right social media activist and failed congressional candidate. As he tried to distance himself somewhat from her controversial opinions, Trump said she is not connected to his campaign and that he disagrees with her statements. Laura Loomer doesnt work for the Campaign. Shes a private citizen and longtime supporter, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Friday afternoon. I disagree with the statements she made but, like the many millions of people who support me, she is tired of watching the Radical Left Marxists and Fascists violently attack and smear me, even to the point of doing anything to stop their Political Opponent, ME! Trump did not say specifically which of Loomers statements he disagreed with, but he has plenty to choose from. Loomer, 31, has a long history of making racist, offensive statements: She has called herself a proud Islamophobe, cheered the death of thousands of migrants, said 9/11 was an inside job, spread conspiracy theories about mass shootings and, more recently, posted a racist attack against Vice President Kamala Harris. Loomer accompanied Trump to Tuesdays debate and then to Sept. 11 memorial services the next day, which sparked especially intense criticism, given her past comments about 9/11. Trumps fraternizing with Loomer this week caused such a stir that even Republicans Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Sen. Lindsey Graham have publicly urged him to disavow her. Trumps allies have long regarded the far-right provocateur as a liability, according to NBC News. But the former presidents affinity for Loomer is not new. He endorsed her in 2020 during the first of two failed runs for Congress. He has called her a terrific person and talked glowingly of her support for him. And The New York Times reported last year that Trump wanted to hire Loomer for a role in his campaign. Now, Loomers high-profile appearances alongside Trump this week suggest that cracks may be widening in his campaign, NBC News reports, as his aides and advisers struggle to keep him away from people who encourage his worst political instincts. Amid the backlash to her proximity, Trump has tried to walk a line between defending his association with Loomer and distancing himself from her beliefs. He told reporters on Friday that he does not control her and described her as a free spirit. Yet when asked about her conspiracy theories, he has pleaded ignorance, saying, I dont know that much about it. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com Trump rally at The Expo at World Market Center on Sept. 13, 2024. (Photo: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current) Between attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris and haranguing the media for what he saw as a rigged primetime debate, former President Donald Trump used much of his Las Vegas rally on Friday night to stoke fears about immigrants. The Republican nominee for president repeatedly claimed that under the Biden-Harris administration hyperbolic numbers of immigrants have poured into the United States to take American jobs, rape and murder women and children, get transgender surgery, vote in elections, take over whole apartment buildings to house their gangs, and conquer our country. We have thousands and thousands and thousands of terrorists coming into our country, Trump declared. He claimed immigrants are coming from other countries prisons, jails, mental institutions, and insane asylums. Kamala would be the president of invasion, said Trump, and I will be the president of making this country stronger, better, more beautiful, bigger, more powerful, wealthier, safer than ever before. He promised that, if given a second term, there will be mass deportations. Parts of the country including Aurora, Colorado need to be liberated from migrant gangs that have taken over, he said. The Trump campaign estimated 6,000 supporters attended the rally at The Expo at World Market Center in downtown Las Vegas. It marked Trumps first public event in Nevada since Harris replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee. (A visit to a Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas three weeks ago was closed to the public.) Anti-immigrant rhetoric came up repeatedly during his remarks, which stretched longer than an hour. At one point, Trump recited The Snake, a song whose lyrics tell a fable of a tender woman who helps a half-frozen snake only to get bitten by the poisonous creature. In the lyrics, the woman asks the snake why it bit her when shed saved it, and the snake replies, You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in! Trump has spun the song into a warning about immigration, telling the crowd in Las Vegas it was very accurate to what is happening in this country. The Snake was a staple of his rallies during his first presidential campaign in 2016. On video screens flanking the stage, the campaign displayed images connecting immigrants to crime. In one, labeled The Harris plan for sex traffickers, a red carpet leads to open gates at the U.S. border. Another read no one is safe with Kamalas open borders and featured a man with a weapon lurking behind a woman in a dark alley. A third showed a group of tattooed Latino men and read your new apartment managers if Kamalas re-elected. Trump referenced real crimes involving immigrants, including an alleged abduction in Virginia earlier this month. He also made reference to Springfield, Ohio a community that was thrust into the spotlight during the presidential debate earlier in the week when Trump falsely claimed that Haitian immigrants are eating the pets of the people that live there. Trump criticized the moderators of the debate, who had fact checked him in real time and pointed out that city leaders in Springfield have said there are no credible claims of pets being eaten by immigrants. (Trumps response to the fact check was that he saw it on tv.) He also repeated a false claim that has circulated online suggesting Harris wore an earpiece and might have been fed answers. At one point, Trump paused his speech to air a video clip of Harris happily laughing and saying thank you repeatedly to a crowd of her supporters, calling her behavior weird. Before Trump went on stage, video screens at the venue displayed a screenshot of a 2017 headline referencing Harris as the first Indian-American to serve in the U.S. Senate. (Harris is Black and Indian American.) Trump brought out on stage with him Sam Brown, the Republican challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen. Trump praised Brown, saying he was committed to being a border senator to his border president. Brown gave Trump a copy of his memoir. Other Trump supporters who spoke at the event included Nevada Republican Party chair Michael McDonald, Clark County Republican Party chair Jesse Law, right-wing radio personality Wayne Allen Root, Pawn Stars personality Rick Harrison, UFC fighter and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo, and Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic representative from Hawaii. WASHINGTON - Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump capped off a rough week on Friday with a West Coast press conference that featured frequent rants against Vice President Kamala Harris, defense of his friendship with volatile conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer and protests about the news coverage of his problematic debate with his Democratic rival. "I've been right about everything," Trump said at one point during the 65-minute event at his oceanside golf course near Los Angeles. Trump's remarks came a week after he took no questions from reporters while spending a nearly 50-minute "news conference" in New York airing his grievances about a range of topics, including the attacks he was facing from Democrats and the many legal actions brought against him. With the Pacific Ocean in the background, Trump rambled for nearly 40 minutes before taking questions. Some takeaways: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump addresses journalists at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles on Sept. 13, 2024, in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. Spinning the debate From the moment he stepped off the stage on Tuesday, Trump - and his allies - have tried to persuade people that he really did win the debate, despite all the evidence to the contrary. "Polls have gone way up since the debate," Trump said at one point on Friday, although the non-Internet, scientific surveys favor Harris. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Thursday showed Harris leading the election over Trump by 47% to 42% in the wake of the debate. Reuters also reported that "among voters who said they had heard at least something about Tuesday's debate, 53% said Harris won and 24% said Trump won, with the rest saying neither had or not answering." In one question, Trump simply rejected comments by some fellow Republicans that his angry and divisive debate performance - including false claims that migrants are eating dogs and cats - was a missed opportunity to appeal to moderate voters. Trump said most Republicans told him he did great, although "some said I could have been tougher." Doubling down on immigration - without cats & dogs The former president did not repeat the lie he spread during the debate about Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, eating dogs and cats, but Trump did say that they could be subject to deportation - never mind that the vast majority of the migrants in Springfield are in the country legally. Continuing to argue that migrants are dangerous, Trump maintained: "I will be your border president." The false claims about pets have led to intense criticism of Springfield residents, including evacuations of city hall and schools because of bomb threats. Trump dismissed the incidents, saying "the real threat is what's happening at our border." Laura Loomer arrives ahead of former U.S. President Donald Trump's debate with Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 10, 2024. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Laura Loomer? Barely know her Trump during Friday's Los Angeles event also defended his association with Loomer, part of his entourage to the debate in Philadelphia and a 9/11 memorial service at Ground Zero in New York - the latter despite the fact that she has described the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as an "inside job." The former president in his remarks claimed he does not know what Loomer said about 9/11, and that she is one of her many backers. "Laura's a supporter," Trump said. "I don't control Laura. Laura has to say what she wants ... She's a free spirit." During the news conference, Loomer - a self-described investigative reporter who has made racist attacks on Harris and others - mixed it up with a prominent Republican, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who suggested that Loomer is a double agent for the Democratic National Committee. "Laura Loomer is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans," Tillis said on social media site X. "A DNC plant couldn't do a better job than she is doing to hurt President Trump's chances of winning re-election. Enough." Responding on X, Loomer said Tillis is a "RINO" - Republican In Name Only - "who attacked President Trump after January 6 and called for all of the January 6 political prisoners to remain in jail. Thom Thillis IS the DNC Plant he accuses me of being." PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 10: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris debate for the first time during the presidential election campaign at The National Constitution Center on September 10, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After earning the Democratic Party nomination following President Joe Biden's decision to leave the race, Harris faced off with Trump in what may be the only debate of the 2024 race for the White House. The Harris team also talks about the debate Trump said he called the news conference to blame California's problems on Harris, a former San Francisco district attorney, state attorney general, and U.S. senator. His list included crime and immigration, everything from gang violence to the quality of a public toilet in San Francisco. "And it's not even nice," he said. "I saw pictures of it." While Trump tried to spin the debate while out in California, the Harris campaign promoted her performance and disdained that of Trump. In one statement, the Harris campaign cited five "massively toxic" positions Trump took during the debate that will haunt him until Election Day on Nov. 5. Trump refused to say whether he would veto a national abortion ban, wouldn't admit he lost the 2020 election, associated himself with Jan. 6 rioters (using the term "we"), said he had the "concepts of a plan" to change health care, and declined to say whether Ukraine should win the war against Russian invasion, the Harris campaign said in a statement. Others Democrats, such as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Trump's bombast is designed to distract from his other problems. In an interview on CNN, Buttigieg said: "This is a strategy to get us talking about the latest crazy thing that he did, whatever urban legend he amplifies right now. It's about people eating cats or geese or whatever because he cannot afford for us to be talking about his record." On Thursday, Trump said he would not debate Harris again. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump defends debate performance and friendship with Laura Loomer Former President Trump said ABC News David Muir , one of the co-moderators of Tuesdays presidential debate, should have fact-checked Vice President Kamala Harris after she claimed the GOP nominee said there would be a "bloodbath" if he doesnt win the election. Trump joined Fox News host Trace Gallagher on Friday for an exclusive interview on "Fox News @ Night." "Donald Trump, the candidate, has said, in this election, there will be a bloodbath if this and the outcome of this election is not to his liking. Lets turn the page on this. Lets not go back. Lets chart a course for the future and not go backwards to the past," Harris said onstage at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Trump tried to explain his comments on "Fox News @ Night." US Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and former US President Donald Trump during the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. ABC DEBATE MODERATORS SPARK FURY FOR AGGRESSIVE FACT-CHECKING OF TRUMP, EASY TREATMENT OF HARRIS "They say anything they can say bad. You know, when she went over those points, all of those points, like the bloodshed -- that was referring to the car industry, it's going to, you know, it's a bloodbath," Trump said. He maintains that the "bloodbath" comment he made at a rally in Ohio earlier this year was about what would happen to the auto industry if he isnt elected in November. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "If youre listening, President Xi and you and I are friends but he understands the way I deal. Those big monster car manufacturing plants that youre building in Mexico right now youre going to not hire Americans and youre going to sell the cars to us, no. Were going to put a 100% tariff on every single car that comes across the line, and youre not going to be able to sell those cars if I get elected," Trump said in March. "Now, if I dont get elected, its going to be a bloodbath for the whole thats gonna be the least of it. Its going to be a bloodbath for the country. That will be the least of it. But theyre not going to sell those cars. Theyre building massive factories." Trump told Gallagher that he believed Harris should have been fact-checked for her claims about his comments on the auto industry and the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017. "Every one of them should have been questioned by David Muir, who I've lost a lot of respect for. Everyone's lost respect for him because it was so... Such a one-sided It was one against three. And I had a great debate because my poll numbers are all up very substantially after the debates. The people... So... but look, these are lying people. These are very bad people," he said. Gallagher also asked Trump in the "Fox News @ Night" exclusive about the remarks he made about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. SPRINGFIELD RESIDENT SAYS ROADS ARE LIKE ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK AFTER HAITIAN MIGRANTS OVERRUN RURAL TOWN Trump falsely claimed Haitian immigrants were eating the dogs, cats and pets of local residents. Officials said there have been no credible or detailed reports about the claims. A Springfield police spokesperson addressed Trumps remarks, saying in a statement to Reuters : "In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community." Trump spoke about the impact tens of thousands of Haitian immigrants have on the population of Springfield, a city of roughly 59,000 people . "If you go to Ohio, you know, there they're talking about 25 to 30,000 people coming in from Haiti. And this is a town that is small, beautiful, no problems, no crime, no nothing. And I heard this morning there was 31,000 people coming in. Nobody can do that," Trump said. "And it's a bad criminal element, too. A bad criminal element. This is a town with no crime at all, Springfield. It's got no crime. It's got no problems. And now they have 31,000 people that just came down on them. This is not survivable. We're going to have the largest deportation effort in the history of our country." The Associated Press reported some 15,000 Haitian immigrants have arrived in Springfield since 2020 under the Temporary Protected Status program. Springfields government website notes that Haitian immigrants are in the country legally under the Immigration Parole Program. "Once here, immigrants are then eligible to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Haiti is designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security for TPS. Current TPS is granted through February 3, 2026," the website stated. Tune in to watch more of the exclusive interview with former President Trump on "Fox News @ Night" on Monday at 11 pm ET! Original article source: Trump talks ABC News Presidential Debate, what's happening in Springfield, Ohio, in FOX News interview The crypto lobby has been pouring boatloads of cash into the latest presidential campaign of former president Donald Trump, who has entirely abandoned his once-hardline stance against digital currencies as the campaign money has rolled in. Now, on the back of recent promises to make America the "crypto capital of the world," Trump is prepping to publicly roll out a wildly dubious and ethically fraught new crypto project started by none other than his sons Eric and Donald Trump, Jr. The project is called World Liberty Financial (WLFI), and it centers on "stablecoins," or coins that creators claim are pegged to stable commodities or government currencies. In an X-formerly-Twitter thread posted last week, the WLFI team claimed their stablecoin would be pegged to the US dollar. "For too long, the average American has been squeezed by the big banks and financial elites," Trump, a financial elite whose penthouse is caked in gold, said in a Thursday X-formerly-Twitter video promoting the forthcoming crypto venture. "It's time we take a stand together." But while stablecoins sound like they should be stable, they've historically been disastrous for investors and economies. The collapse of the so-called stablecoin Terra-Luna was central to the 2022 crypto crash that wiped nearly $2 trillion from the market, resulting not only in the catastrophic fall of billion-dollar crypto ventures like FTX but in people's entire life savings vanishing into thin air. What's more, as The Wall Street Journal reported last year, stablecoins are also a favorite financing tool of organized crime and terror groups, who use the sleazy digital currencies to launder cash, traffic drugs, and even buy and sell humans. And on top of all that, there are too many conflicts of interest to count. If elected, Trump has already promised to slash crypto regulations and bring digital currency into the mainstream American economic fold. WLFI would capitalize on those pro-crypto regulatory shifts, thus putting a sitting president in the position of supporting a possibly lucrative family business through the powers of the federal government. And like Trump's Truth Social meme stock, WLFI would also offer obvious new inroads to currying Trump family favor, as wealthy operators looking to suck up could simply pour investments into the Trump sons' stablecoins. Some of the non-Trump family characters reportedly involved in the project are too seedy to even make up. As Bloomberg News reports, a key WLFI "dealmaker" is a person named Chase Herro, a former colon cleanse salesman who stated in a 2018 YouTube video while driving around in a Rolls-Royce that "you can literally sell shit in a can, wrapped in piss, covered in human skin, for a billion dollars if the story's right, because people will buy it." "I'm not going to question the right and wrong of all that," Herro added. Clearly the kind of guy you'd want to be entangled in the American economy. WLFI defended its stablecoin effort in an X post this month as a means of ensuring the "dominance" of the US dollar and maintaining America's financial leadership on the international stage. In the same thread, the company claimed without evidence that the US dollar is actively under attack by unnamed "foreign-nation states." But economic experts overwhelmingly agree that fearmongering claims around the allegedly imminent downfall of the American dollar are exaggerated and that knocking the US dollar out of its top spot would likely take decades. Through one lens, Trump's very public backing for WLFI is just the latest example of the former president using his campaign to promote a personal or family business. In addition to standard campaign merch, he's selling less-conventional golden sneakers for nearly $500, as well as a $299 pair of "Trump Crypto President" low-tops in the shade "Bitcoin Orange"; $99 NFTs of himself; a $59.99 "patriotic" take on the Bible; and a recently-published coffee table book in which he threatens to jail Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, which is available for $99 (though you can get a signed version for $499.) But the implications of WLFI are far more serious than expensive Bibles and random junk. In addition to being used to fund illicit activities around the world, stablecoins have proven to be anything but stable. Coupled with the clear risk of corruption that the Trump family's involvement in the crypto world would pose should the former president retake the Oval Office, and everything about WLFI's scheme is as dangerous as it is bankrupt. More on Trump and crypto: After Calling Crypto a "Scam," Donald Trump Now Owns Millions in Crypto In scenes out of a comedy sketch, like Yes, Minister or The Thick of It, Dame Diana Johnson, the Policing Minister, had her purse stolen whilst attending a police conference to give a speech and talk about an epidemic of theft. What does it say about modern Britain that someone at the four-star hotel sandwiched in the countryside between Kenilworth and Warwick thought they could get away with stealing in the vicinity of hundreds of cops? The fact that the senior officers present were in civilian clothes wouldnt have helped deter any would-be thieves. Little wonder too that so little importance is placed on uniform standards when senior officers seem all too happy much like prison governors to ditch their uniform at any opportunity. But it also reveals the reality that criminals feel and know that the chances of being caught are at record-lows and that, even if unfortunate enough to be apprehended, the consequences will be little more than a minor inconvenience. As it happens, an investigation subsequently took place and an individual was arrested though many will be left wondering whether the response would have been as convincing had the victim not been the Policing Minister. The last statement to the press revealed the arrested person had been bailed. The beneficiaries of the status quo are criminals. From the nearly 2,000 prisoners being released early this week, to the thieves and knife-wielding teenagers and adults we see going viral in clips on social media, something is increasingly clear. Westminster and Whitehall seem determined to favour the criminal over the law-abiding, just as they favour political correctness over public safety. Why else would they permit groups to gather and pop open the champagne on prison grounds when thousands of individuals are being released early from prison? What else explains the fact that the manifesto commitment in 2019 to introduce new targeted stop and search powers to tackle those already convicted of carrying weapons, ended up as a watered-down series of pilots in just four police forces aimed only at adults? Why else would we have, over decades, consistently failed to adequately expand the prison system and failed to ensure that the prison regimes themselves were built on a foundation of control and order? The simple truth that needs to be rammed home is that our political elites have, for decades, failed to properly value and prioritise public safety. From my own time in policing, I know that very often the only thing that is going to stop a criminal today, tomorrow, next week, or next month is a confident, proactive police officer and a charge, remand, and prison sentence. Thats not to say we must lock up every criminal but we certainly need to get real and get serious about the need to ensure we are locking up the recidivists, the prolifics and the dangerous. As it stands, too many Westminster MPs and more than a few police leaders have been far too quick to subscribe to naive ideas that you can tackle crime without locking people up or having the capacity to do so. Its a reality that is obvious to those who joined the police for the right reasons: to make Britain safer by using their unique powers to prevent and detect crime. For most of those who joined to be social workers or to play dress up until they could get off the streets, the realities of crime-fighting are rarely grasped and often rapidly forgotten. Labour has undoubtedly inherited a mess, but theres no sign yet that they have a plan to make it better rather than worse. Based on recent events, Labour can expect to experience what happens when governments go even softer on crime. As this week shows, the consequences can be personal. 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. Tucson voters to decide on half-cent sales tax in March. What would it pay for? TUCSON The city's residents will decide in March whether they want to approve a half-cent sales tax for 10 years to help compensate for a $400 million loss in state revenue over the next decade. The City Council voted Wednesday to bring the tax proposal before voters in a special election March 11 over opposition by some community groups over how much of tax revenue would be earmarked for police. The tax was estimated to bring $80 million annually in revenue. It would fund community investments such as the citys Housing First Program as well as additional Fire Department personnel, police officers, police vehicles, operators for the city's 311 citizens hotline and more projects and programs outlined in the citys Safe and Vibrant City Initiative plan. About two-thirds of the money would be earmarked for public safety-related used. Tucson faces a $27 million cut this year and a $400 million loss in state-shared revenue over the next 10 fiscal years after changes to state-shared revenues including the states income tax, transaction privilege tax and highway user revenue. City officials said the new tax revenue would add $13.4 million to neighborhood and community programs, $14 million to funds for affordable housing and shelter, $24.6 million for police and fire vehicles and other equipment, $18.2 million for emergency response including additional police and fire personnel and $9 million in technology investments in crime response, from police body cameras and radios and a fixed-wing aircraft for police surveillance support. The funds also would contribute to youth workforce development, early childhood education, incentivizing affordable housing projects and low-barrier housing efforts. If approved, the sales tax rate in Tucson would rise to 9.2%. The current minimum sales tax rate in Tucson is 8.7%: The state sales tax rate is 5.6%; the Pima County rate, 0.5%; and the city tax rate, 2.6%. The Tucson City Council voted Wednesday to bring a hlaf-cent sales tax proposal before voters in a special election March 11, 2025. Funds for police, police equipment come under scrutiny With about 65% of the revenue from the tax earmarked for police, police vehicles and other first responder investments, many community members who spoke at the council meeting criticized proposed allocations. Some of the frustration stemmed from a survey sent in April, in which residents were asked to rank community safety initiative priorities. Many people felt the city did not listen to their priorities. Enrique Olivares-Pelayo, a community organizer with Just Communities Arizona, said at the meeting he noticed alarming discrepancies between the actual feedback the city has received, and the budget allotments proposed. The results of the survey showed the top priority for Tucson residents was expanding mental health services, followed by investing in a mobile health and wellness unit. Next, the community prioritized expanding community safety and housing navigators, followed by an increase in professional staffing in the Tucson Police Department. Although Pelayo applauded the proposals investment in housing, workforce development and community-based violence reduction, among other programs, he said it was unclear why the additional police expenditures including $6 million for patrol vehicles and $5.6 million for sworn officers were necessary, especially after seeing the list of needs prioritized by Tucson residents. Others reiterated similar concerns and vowed not to pass the tax. The plan does not reflect what the community continues to beg and demand we will make sure this ballot measure will be a no vote, Xavier Martinez said at the meeting. City officials say they're aiming for 'holistic' approach City Manager Tim Thomure said the city has received mixed feedback about the tax. Some has been positive, primarily from city staff and labor groups, while others have expressed concerns about the burden of a new city tax. While two-thirds of the funding goes to public safety and one-third to housing and other community investments, all the funding areas are interrelated, Thomure said. For example, the proposed additional funding allocated to the 311 operation would help community safety programs succeed. The plan allocates $700,000 for 10 additional 311 operators. Thomure said additional materials would be available at a future date to address concerns and provide more information about how the holistic approach would work. In addition, a citizen oversight commission would be created to guide the program over the 10 years. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero introduces second gentleman Doug Emhoff on Sept. 12, 2024, at a rally in Tucson. Mayor Regina Romero said the tax is just one part of a plan to improve life in Tucson and listed a range of other programs the City Council has launched, including the Housing First program, the Community Safety, Health & Wellness program, 311, and the addition of housing navigators. This initiative is not the cure-all. It is a continuation of investing in a holistic and comprehensive approach to community safety, quality of life, and a safe and vibrant city, she said. This is not the end; it's just a part of the puzzle. Reach the reporter at sarah.lapidus@gannett.com. The Republics coverage of southern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Residents push back against Tucson sales tax proposal Tunisian fisherwoman Sara Souissi, 43, defied men who believed she had no place at sea (Mohamed KHALIL) (Mohamed KHALIL/AFP/AFP) Off a quiet Tunisian island, Sara Souissi readies her small fishing boat. As a woman in the male-dominated trade, she rows against entrenched patriarchy but also environmental threats to her livelihood. Souissi began fishing as a teenager in a family of fishers off their native Kerkennah Islands near the city of Sfax, defying men who believed she had no place at sea. "Our society didn't accept that a woman would fish," she said, hauling a catch onto her turquoise-coloured boat. "But I persisted, because I love fishing and I love the sea," said Souissi, 43, who is married to a fisherman and is a mother of one. A substantial portion of Tunisia is coastal or near the coast, making the sea an essential component of everyday life. Seafood, a staple in Tunisian cuisine, is also a major export commodity for the North African country, with Italy, Spain and Malta top buyers, and revenues nearing 900 million dinars ($295 million) last year, according to official figures. Tunisian women have long played a major role in this vital sector. But their work has been undervalued and unsupported, a recent study by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found. The study said that while women were actively involved throughout the fishing value chain, they remained "generally not considered as an actual worker" by their male counterparts. Fisherwomen also have less access to administrative benefits, training and banking services, where they are viewed as "high-risk borrowers" compared to men, the study said. As a result, many don't own their own boats, and those working with male relatives are "considered as family help and therefore not remunerated", it added. - Under the table - In Raoued, a coastal town on the edge of the capital Tunis, the Tunisian Society for Sustainable Fishing launched a workshop in June for women's integration into the trade. But most of the women attending the training told AFP they were only there to help male relatives. "I want to help develop this field. Women can make fish nets," said Safa Ben Khalifa, a participant. There are currently no official numbers for fisherwomen in Tunisia. Although Souissi is formally registered in her trade, many Tunisian women can work only under the table -- the World Economic Forum estimates 60 percent of workers in informal sectors are women. "We want to create additional resources amid climate change, a decrease in marine resources, and poor fishing practices," said Ryma Moussaoui, the Raoued workshop coordinator. Last month, the Mediterranean Sea reached its highest temperature on record at a daily median of 28.9 degrees Celsius (84 Fahrenheit), Spain's leading institute of marine sciences said. The strain on sea life and resources has been compounded in countries like Tunisia by pollution and overfishing. Rising temperatures make the waters uninhabitable for various species, and unsustainable fishing like trawling or using plastic traps indiscriminately sweeps up the dwindling sea life and exacerbates pollution. "They don't respect the rules," Souissi said about fishers using those methods. "They catch anything they can, even off-season." - 'Unfavourable environment' - In 2017 in Skhira, a port town on the Gulf of Gabes, 40 women clam collectors formed an association to enhance their income -- only to see their hard-won gains later erased by pollution. Before its formation, the women earned about a tenth of the clams' final selling price in Europe, said its president, Houda Mansour. By cutting out "exploitative middlemen", the association helped boost their earnings, she added. In 2020, however, the government issued a ban on clam collecting due to a severe drop in shellfish populations, leaving the women unemployed. "They don't have diplomas and can't do other jobs," Mansour, now a baker, explained. In hotter, polluted waters, clams struggle to build strong shells and survive. Industrial waste discharged into the Gulf of Gabes for decades has contributed to the problem. It has also forced other species out, said Emna Benkahla, a fishing economics researcher at the University of Tunis El Manar. "The water became an unfavourable environment for them to live and reproduce," undermining the fishers' revenue, she said. "Because they couldn't fish anymore, some sold their boats to migrants looking to cross the Mediterranean illegally," she added, calling for more sustainable practices. Souissi, who only uses relatively small nets with no motor on her boat, said she and others should fish responsibly in order to survive. "Otherwise, what else can I do?" she said, rowing her boat back to shore. "Staying at home and cleaning? No, I want to keep fishing." bou/it/smw An undated handout picture of an Islamic State militant after he was arrested in istanbul ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have arrested an Islamic State militant believed to be involved in planning an attack on the Santa Maria Italian Church in Istanbul earlier this year, the country's intelligence agency said on Saturday. The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) said the suspect, whom it identified as Viskhan Soltamatov, was believed to be the key figure behind the Jan. 28, 2024 attack. He was detained by MIT and police during a joint operation in Istanbul, the agency said. MIT said Soltamatov was also believed to have supplied the weapon used in the assault. One Turkish citizen was killed by two Islamic State gunmen at the Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church in Istanbul in January. The church attack was orchestrated by IS-linked operatives from the group's Khorasan Province (ISKP), a faction active in Afghanistan. In April, Turkey had arrested 48 people believed to be linked to the attack. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Alex Richardson) Some mourners have already attended a prayer ceremony in memory of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi at a mosque in Istanbul (Yasin AKGUL) (Yasin AKGUL/AFP/AFP) Mourners will gather in southwest Turkey Saturday for the funeral of a US-Turkish activist shot dead while protesting Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The killing last week of 26-year-old Aysenur Ezgi Eygi has sparked international condemnation and infuriated Turkey, further escalating tensions over the war in Gaza that began with Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel. Eygi's body, wrapped in the Turkish flag, arrived at its final resting place in the Aegean town of Didim on Friday following a martyrs' ceremony at Istanbul's airport. Eygi was a frequent visitor to the seaside resort. The family wanted Eygi to be buried in Didim, where her grandfather lives and her grandmother has been laid to rest. Ankara said this week it was probing her death and pressed the United Nations for an independent inquiry. Turkey is also planning to issue international arrest warrants for those responsible for Eygi's death depending on the findings of its investigation. The Israeli military has said it was likely Eygi was hit "unintentionally" by forces while they were responding to a "violent riot". A large crowd is expected at the funeral, including members of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted AKP party, as well as activists advocating the Palestinian cause. The burial is scheduled to take place after midday prayers. - 'Seek justice'- The young woman's body arrived in Istanbul on Friday morning before being transferred to Turkey's third-biggest city Izmir, where an autopsy was carried out. Turkish officials said the findings from the autopsy would be used as evidence for Turkey's own probe. Eygi was shot in the head while taking part in a demonstration on September 6 in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, near Nablus. Her mother Rabia Birden on Friday urged Turkish officials to pursue justice. "The only thing I ask of our state is to seek justice for my daughter," she was quoted as saying by Anadolu news agency. Erdogan, dedicated to the Palestinian cause, has vowed to ensure "that Aysenur Ezgi's death does not go unpunished". The United Nations said Eygi had been taking part in a "peaceful anti-settlement protest" in Beita, the scene of weekly demonstrations. Israeli settlements, where about 490,000 people live in the West Bank, are illegal under international law. US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for Israel to provide "full accountability" for Eygi's death. The Israeli army has acknowledged opening fire in the area and has said it is looking into the case. An autopsy carried out by three Palestinian doctors pointed to a direct hit that passed through the victim's skull. "Aysenur was a very special person. She was sensitive to human rights, to nature, to everything," said her father Mehmet Suat Eygi, on Thursday outside the family home in Didim. fo/rlp/smw Two arrested in connection with deadly hotel shooting in the Midlands, SC police say Two Wedgefield men have been arrested in connection with a hotel shooting that left two people dead last month, the Sumter Police Department announced Friday. At about 4:30 a.m. on Aug. 18, a police officer responded to a call about a shooting, according to a news release. Two men later identified as Saquan Logan, 20, and Tyriq Demari Spann, 19 were found dead outside the Sleep Inn at 2510 Broad St. in Sumter, an area packed with hotels and restaurants. The investigation led police to charge Tavion Melki Mickens, 19, with possession of a weapon during a violent crime and two counts of murder. Mickens was later located in a Georgia jail where he had been stopped for speeding and also charged with possession of a weapon. He was extradited to Sumter and booked at the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center on Sept. 7. Before Mickens arrest, police had also said Toney Williams Jr., 23, was involved in the incident. Williams allegedly helped Mickens cover up evidence and elude police. He was charged with accessory after the fact of murder and booked at the detention center on Aug. 27. Sumter police ask anyone with additional information about the shooting to contact them at 803-436-2700. The department is offering a reward up to $5,000 for information that leads to additional arrests in the case. Tips can also be shared with Crime Stoppers by calling 1-888-CRIME-SC, visiting P3tips.com or downloading the Crime Stoppers app. Two arrested in connection with shoplifting incident in Back Bay Two people have been arrested in connection with a shoplifting incident in Back Bay. On September 13th, officers were assigned to patrol the Prudential Mall due to an increase in larceny and shoplifting incidents. Officers were advised that there was a repeat shoplifter inside the Lululemon. Upon arrival, police observed two females leave the store together without paying for merchandise. Police were able to stop the two suspects, recover $758 in stolen merchandise, and arrest them. The suspects, identified as Kiara Ragland, 19, of Boston, and Jacarie Allen, 20, of Roxbury are facing larceny charges. Officers also determined that Allen had four active warrants for various shoplifting, larceny, and assault and battery charges. Ragland and Allen are expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court. 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 KANSAS CITY, Mo. Police confirmed that two juveniles with airsoft guns were arrested on Friday outside of Pleasant Hill High School. According to law enforcement, the high school received information earlier in the day that two people, who appeared to be armed, were in the parking lot and may have had intentions of entering the building. Local parents react to school threats across the Kansas City metro Police said this led the high school to activate ALICE an active shooter drill that stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate as Pleasant Hill police started investigating. As police searched the property, they found and arrested two homeschooled students with airsoft guns. According to law enforcement, the students were not a part of the Pleasant Hill R-III School District. After Pleasant Hill police gave the high school more information, the ALICE alert was canceled, and the district was placed under lockdown. De Soto student arrested after threatening to kill classmate online: sheriffs office We are very appreciative of the Pleasant Hill Police Department, Cass County Sheriffs Department, and our building administrators for taking quick action to keep our students and staff safe, the Pleasant Hill Police Department said. We are pleased that all individuals are safe. Our staff and students followed all the procedures and did a phenomenal job. The students did an amazing job of following directions. Thank you to our community for your patience as we gathered and communicated factual information. 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. Two Oklahoma schools make second, third school threats in same week OKLAHOMA (KFDX/KJTL) Two schools in southwestern Oklahoma are impacted by threats following a threat to City View ISD. Waurika Public Schools in Jefferson County closed Friday due to threats made on social media that morning. School officials said the Waurika Police Department was notified of the threat around 6 a.m. and immediately opened an investigation. RELATED: City View student charged with terroristic threat The district later posted on Facebook, After an intense investigation, the threat was determined as non-viable by the authorities, and school would resume on Monday. Then, just north of Waurika, Duncan Public Schools in Stephens County released a statement saying the district there had received threats through statements and photos online Thursday night. Duncan PD immediately began investigating the posts and announced Friday morning that they were unable to identify any credible threat. Duncan public schools remained open Friday, but the district increased the police and security presence on all school campuses as a precaution. This is a developing story. Stick with Texomas Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 Texomashomepage.com. Two publications that distribute news to prisoners in Missouri and beyond say the state Department of Corrections is blocking access to information. Paul Wright, editor of Prison Legal News, and Erin Eife, a volunteer with Prison Health News, said both publications have faced challenges under a policy implemented by the Missouri Department of Corrections in September 2023. The more restrictive policy prevents people from sending reading materials to prisoners. Instead, friends, family and others are required to add funds to a prisoners account for them to order books, magazines and other reading materials through the correction departments approved vendor. The agency said they made the change in an effort to prevent drugs from getting into facilities. Wright said Prison Legal News, an organization covering legal developments impacting prisons and jails, gained subscribers in Missouri prisons soon after the publication was established in 1990. There werent any problems until late 2018 when the Department of Corrections began returning the publications mailings. That included monthly editions of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News. They filed a lawsuit in August 2023 alleging First Amendment and due process violations. The case remains ongoing in federal court. Wright said now the publication is also having problems getting its books to prisoners under the new policy, and they are planning to file a second lawsuit in the the next month. Prisoners have a right to receive publications and information through the mail, and as publishers, we also have a right to send it to prisoners, he said. He noted that the prison system already censors what books are available. The last thing you want is an informed and educated prison population, he said. Karen Pojmann, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Corrections, said a publications newsletter may have to be distributed electronically or mailed to a center that scans in letters and sends them electronically to prisoners tablets. She said that prisoners have free access to more than 220,000 books, magazines and other publications through the prisons libraries. They can also purchase periodical subscriptions through an ordering process. Antwann Johnson, a prisoner at Jefferson City Correctional Center, said he wants to further his knowledge on topics including religion and the law. But the DOCs policy has made it difficult to access materials. Now I cant get the things that used to give me a sense of peace, he told The Star. When a family member adds money to a prisoners account for a book, he said, that money can be diverted to pay restitution costs. He said the DOC keeps chipping away at the small things that help prisoners feel human, which makes them lose hope and turn to drugs. Taking, taking, taking, its not solving anything, Johnson said. Benjamin Cope, a prisoner at Crossroads Correctional Center, about an hour north of Kansas City, said ordering books now is a hassle. Eife said that Prison Health News, which was founded in 2003, is exploring various legal options after their newsletters began getting rejected by Missouri prisons shortly before the new policy went into effect last year. The newsletters contain information about health issues that impact people who are incarcerated and answer questions sent in by prisoners. In August 2023, 20 of the 32 copies they sent to Missouri prisoners were returned. That number grew with the winter 2023 and the spring 2024 editions. It also spread from one institution to seven of the states prisons. My understanding is that this is happening because of this new policy, Eife said. She noted that the newsletters are sent directly from the printing press, so there is no way they are being laced with drugs. The work that we do is to help people and nothing that we send would be something that questions or weakens the security of the system or creates any kind of risk for the people that are incarcerated, the people that work in the prisons, or the security of the system in general, she said. She also said that it was important for prisoners to get health information because of the challenges they face with the quality of health care within prisons, to learn about preventative health measures and because of the unique circumstances incarceration presents when it comes to things like communicable diseases. Following this week's debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, Colorado's Democratic and Republican party chairs shared their reactions with Colorado Politics, opining on who won and more importantly if their nominee accomplished what they needed to in what could be the last pivotal event before votes are counted. Sudan has been plagued by civil war, with soldiers of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army involved in the nearly two-decade-long conflict in 1983 - ALBERT GONZALEZ FARRAN/AFP The United Arab Emirates has used Russias notorious Wagner mercenary group to ship arms to rebels in Sudans civil war, experts and a paramilitary group say. The Kremlin-funded military contractor used the neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR) to smuggle weapons to Sudans Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fighting against the Sudanese army. Rebels fighting the CAR government told an investigation by SourceMaterial that they had captured Wagner-escorted consignments of weapons supplied by the UAE and destined for the RSF. Shipments continued until at least April 2024, the rebels said, with diplomatic sources believing they have now tailed off as Moscow has tilted away from the RSF and towards the Sudanese armed forces (SAF). As many as 150,000 people have been killed in Sudan and more than 10 million people have fled their homes since the simmering rivalry between the army and RSF last year erupted into war. Both sides are accused of atrocities. The conflict has set off one of the planets worst humanitarian crises and triggered the worlds first formal declaration of famine in seven years. Wagner mercenaries are said to be heavily involved in the neighbouring CAR - COORDINATION OF AZAWAD MOVEMENTS/REUTERS United Nations investigators this week accused the RSF of horrific ethnically-driven assaults against non-Arab Sudanese in the Darfur region. The UAE, traditionally one of Britains closest allies in the Gulf, has long-standing dealings with the RSF and has repeatedly been accused of ferrying weapons to them. It strongly denies all involvement though UN experts have called previous accusations credible. The Emirati government declined to comment on the latest allegations. Russia has also emerged as a key participant as the war has become a tangled global battlefield, waged by competing opportunistic powers. Moscow has been playing both sides of the bloodshed, analysts say, in hopes that it will be rewarded with access to gold mines and a strategic Red Sea port. Wagner mercenaries are heavily involved in the neighbouring CAR, bolstering the government against opposition rebels and have used the country as a conduit for weapons bound for the RSF. A rebel leader claims Wagner forces have been transporting arms into South Darfur - AP A rebel leader said Wagner forces now rebranded Africa Corps after the failed uprising by Yevgeny Prighozin had been ferrying arms across the border crossing at Um Dafog into South Darfur. Abdu Buda, a spokesman for the Coalition of Patriots for Change, said the paramilitary group had intercepted two shipments, the most recent in April, and also captured Russian Wagner mercenaries. He said two were dead and two still in captivity. He said: These shipments were transported by Wagner mercenaries who are fighting against our forces, controlling the gold and diamond mining area and backing the government in Bangui. We arrested fighters from the Russian mercenaries of Wagner during the battles between us and the CAR government forces... We arrested them with weapons coming from UAE to CAR. During the investigation with the Wagner captives they told us that they have coordination with UAE and the CAR government to send the weapons to RSF. The Coalition of Patriots for Change rebel group says it captured consignments of UAE weapons escorted by Wagner mercenaries - SOURCE MATERIAL Wagners smuggling route passes through Bangui, the capital, to Birao near the Sudanese border, said Nathalia Dukhan, a Central Africa specialist at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime. Local sources mentioned planes, which they believe were Emirati, arriving in Bangui at night with military equipment, she said. Wagner collected the shipments, transported them via helicopters and military aeroplanes to Birao, and then transferred them to the RSF in Sudan. Diplomatic sources said supplies to the RSF appeared to have slowed earlier this year, after Kremlin relations with the Sudanese army warmed. Wagner and the UAE had already worked together closely elsewhere in Africa, notably in Libya. Strategic alignment of interest Andreas Krieg, a Kings College London academic who studies the conflict, said: The story of Wagner in the African continent starts in the UAE, they gave them the seed funding to found their base in Libya. There is a strategic alignment of interest between Russia and UAE because oppose political Islam and civil society more generally. The CAR shipments have been just part of an arsenal of UAE weapons being transferred to the RSF, the Sudanese military alleges. The rebel militia has committed violations and atrocities with unlimited support from the UAE, according to a leaked 78-page dossier of allegations, compiled by Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, Sudans permanent representative to the UN. His letter to the Security Council, dated March 28, lists 43 flights from the UAE and to an airport in Chad on the Sudanese border between July 2023 and March 2024. Many of the flights were allegedly carrying cargoes of weapons. The letter includes photos, allegedly taken at Amdjarass airport in Chad, one of which shows a crate of Kalashnikovs rifles offloaded from a UAE plane. Mohamed Abushahab, the UAEs ambassador to the UN, this week told the Security Council that Sudans claims it was supplying the RSF were a cynical attempt to deflect attention from the failings of the Sudanese Armed Forces. Russia, like the UAE, has been heavily involved in Sudan since long before the current war. Mohamed Abushahab has disputed Sudans claims it was supplying shipments to the RSF - PACIFIC PRESS/LIGHT ROCKET In 2017, Omar al-Bashir, Sudans then president, signed deals in Moscow, agreeing for Russia to set up a naval base in Port Sudan and granting concessions on gold mining to Wagner front companies. Jonas Horner, former Horn of Africa senior analyst for Crisis Group, said: By having Wagner/Africa Corps retain ties with the RSF and the Kremlin provide support to SAF, Russia has been able to fudge this parallel support. Equally, short on friends internationally, neither of the belligerents in Sudan felt able to alienate Moscow by cutting ties. While the RSF has made gains in much of the country, the army appears difficult to dislodge from the north east coast, leaving it still crucial to Moscows dreams of a naval base. Mr Horner said: I would surmise that for Russia, the equation has become that SAF on the Red Sea are looking fairly comfortable in their defence of that north eastern corner of the country, aided by the delivery of Iranian weaponry. That may become the sovereign corner of Sudan as we know it under a SAF-controlled government, regardless of their control of the rest of the country, making close relations with SAF the shortest route for Moscow to procure a Red Sea base. 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. LONDON - Britain is facing a free speech crisis as the new left-wing government, overzealous police and courts crackdown on freedom of expression. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the leader of the ruling Labour Party, and his government of barely two months have been accused of rolling back free speech protections on safety grounds and failing to root out selective enforcement of laws. "Every Brit fundamentally has the right to free speech, but for several years now, weve seen a growing trend," Lois McLatchie Miller, Senior Legal Communications Officer for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) U.K., told Fox News Digital. "Its only now becoming widely recognized that certain groups, depending on their beliefs, seem to have their free speech curtailed much more easily than others with different viewpoints." NEW ONLINE 'MISINFORMATION' BILL SLAMMED AS 'BIGGEST ATTACK' ON FREEDOMS IN AUSTRALIA Widespread riots in the streets of England last month and a heavy-handed approach in response to the social unrest reignited the debate about free speech. The U.K. has been grappling with harsh policing of online speech for years. In 2019, ex-police officer Harry Miller was investigated over social media posts deemed transphobic for questioning whether transgender women were real women. Millers posts were recorded by the police as a "non-crime hate incident," prompting him to challenge the designation in court. In 2020, the U.K. court ruled in Millers favor but stopped short of changing the guidelines that allow police to pursue people over comments made online. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP During a speech to parliament, Reform Party leader Nigel Farage complained of the double standards in applying the law evenly. Farage wrote on X "Establishment MPs can heckle me all they like, but the British people are angry that we are living through a two-tier policing and justice system." Last month, the government issued a direct reminder of such laws and warned its citizens to be mindful of posting content deemed offensive and threatening with imprisonment. The Crown Prosecution Service posted a warning to social media platform X, which was amplified by the governments official social media accounts, warning citizens, "Think before you post!" "Content that incites violence or hatred isn't just harmful it can be illegal," the agency wrote. "The CPS takes online violence seriously and will prosecute when the legal test is met. Remind those close to you to share responsibly or face the consequences." The post added: "The British government is cracking down on people who share social media posts about the U.K. riots that it judges are 'likely to start racial hatred.'" The government simultaneously began working on measures to force social media companies to suppress perceived "fake news" and legal content deemed harmful, to avoid fueling social unrest. The new measures would expand the scope of Britains Online Safety Act by targeting and making social media companies liable for "legal but harmful" content. UK LOOKS TO TREAT MISOGYNY AS EXTREMIST VIOLENCE, RAISING FREE SPEECH CRACKDOWN CONCERNS Anti-Israel protesters gather in central London for a march to the Israeli Embassy in London, United Kingdom on September 7, 2024. London Mayor Sadiq Khan encouraged the Stammer government to swiftly implement changes to the online safety law, saying that currently, "its not fit for purpose." "I think very swiftly the government has realized there needs to be amendments to the Online Safety Act," Khan said in an interview with the Guardian. "I think what the government should do very quickly is check if it is fit for purpose. I think its not fit for purpose." But concerns over free speech in the U.K. extend beyond online, with double standards applied to different viewpoints and political protests. Last weekend, two pro-Israel counter-protesters, Mark Birbeck and Niyak Ghorbani, carrying a "Hamas is terrorist" sign, were arrested during the pro-Hamas march in London on suspicion of breach of peace. The counter-protesters presence allegedly led to the march being paused, and they were arrested following a struggle with police officers. Ghorbani is a well-known anti-Hamas Iranian dissident whom Londons Metropolitan Police tried to ban from attending future anti-Israel protests as part of his bail conditions after he was arrested for opposing the protests. A court rebuked the force and ruled in April that such bail conditions were neither proportionate nor necessary. The moniker Two-tier Kier is how some on social media have responded to the new prime minister's policies. UK POLICE COMMISSIONER THREATENS TO EXTRADITE, JAIL US CITIZENS OVER ONLINE POSTS: WELL COME AFTER YOU "On one hand, we see groups like environmental protesters, such as Stop Oil activists, or pro-Palestinian, and even in some cases, pro-Hamas protesters being given a wide berth to express their beliefs, sometimes using very violent language," Lois said. "Yet, when we consider different types of protests, for example, Christians going out to pray near places of worship, they often face much stricter restrictions." For example, Dia Moodley, a Christian pastor who occasionally engages in street evangelism, was forced to sue the local police after the force forbade him from "passing comments on any other religion or comparing them to Christianity" and "passing comments on beliefs held by Atheists or those who believe in evolution." Moodley won in court earlier this year, and the police admitted that the restrictions on free speech imposed on Moodley were "disproportionate." Adam Smith-Connor, a Christian military veteran, meanwhile, is set to appear in court next week after being fined and criminally prosecuted over praying silently near an abortion facility. Local authorities alleged that Smith-Connors silent prayer violated the so-called "buffer zone," a designated area where individuals are allowed to express approval or disapproval of abortion. "Silent prayer is not, and can never be, a crime. Yet, the prosecution of Adam Smith-Connor who served in Afghanistan to uphold fundamental freedoms for everyone shows an authoritarian move towards thought-policing in the U.K. This isn't 1984, but 2024. And yet, the determination of the state to clamp down hard on even silent Christian beliefs while protecting the free expression of others with different views is clearly exposed," said McLatchie Miller. Yet, there is a growing backlash against the governments anti-free speech stance, particularly the decision to pause the implementation and potentially scrap entirely the free speech law in higher education over safety concerns. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Over 600 academics and intellectuals, including seven Nobel laureates, signed a letter urging the government to reconsider the decision to shelve the law, the Times of London reported. The law was a flagship policy passed by the previous Conservative government to protect students' and academics free speech rights on campus. "The decision to halt [the act] appears to reflect the view, widespread among opponents, that there is no free speech problem in U.K. universities. Nothing could be more false. Hundreds of academics and students have been hounded, censured, silenced or even sacked over the last 20 years for the expression of legal opinions," the letter read. Original article source: UK government accused of cracking down on free speech: 'Think before you post' UK Defence Intelligence has revealed satellite images showing how the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to destroy bridges across the Seym River in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Source: UK Defence Intelligence review dated 14 September, as reported by European Pravda Details: The intelligence said that Ukrainian forces are targeting Russian military logistics in the region. Quote: "Ukraine continue to hamper Russian logistics in the Kursk region in a series of strikes which destroyed road and pontoon bridges over the Seym river," the statement reads. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 14 September 2024. Ukraine continue to hamper Russian logistics in the Kursk region in a series of strikes which destroyed road and pontoon bridges over the Seym river.#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/C8VgcAHmXQ Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 14, 2024 Background: Estonia's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur expressed the opinion that Ukraine's operations in Kursk Oblast could give it better negotiating leverage with Russia. In addition, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted that Ukraine has achieved "a lot" during its operations in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Support UP or become our patron! UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that a final decision on the use of Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russian territory has not yet been made but hinted that further developments are possible. Source: Politico, as reported by European Pravda Details: Starmer's statement came after his meeting with US President Joe Biden. He noted that there has been no final decision on whether to allow long-range strikes for Ukraine, but at the same time hinted that further developments could take place at a meeting of the UN General Assembly later this month. "We'll obviously pick up again in UNGA in just a few days time with a wider group of individuals," the UK Prime Minister said. Starmer emphasised that "this wasnt a meeting about a particular capability" but added: "Weve come to a strong position". Background: Earlier, the media reported that the US and the UK had agreed, along with other allies, to allow Ukraine to strike military targets in Russia with Storm Shadow missiles, a long-standing demand by Kyiv. However, the White House later said that the US would not make any announcements about changing its policy on allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles after Biden's meeting with Starmer. Support UP or become our patron! A group of exchanged soldiers standing together after their release from captivity. Photo: Zelenskyy on Telegram Ukraine brought back 103 soldiers from Russian captivity on 14 September. Source: Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Telegram; Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War Details: The president said that the group includes 82 privates and sergeants, as well as 21 officers. Quote: "These are the defenders of Kyiv, Donetsk, Mariupol, and Azovstal [steel plant in Mariupol ed.], as well as those from Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv oblasts. Soldiers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, border guards and police. I thank our team handling prisoner exchanges for bringing such good news to Ukraine." Details: The exchange was mediated by the UAE, with both Moscow and Kyiv exchanging 103 soldiers each. Ukraine handed over Russian soldiers who had been captured in Kursk Oblast. The exact location of the exchange remains undisclosed, but the exchanged Russian soldiers are currently in Belarus. The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War clarifies that this time, 38 National Guardsmen were freed. The exchange included 28 Ukrainian servicemen: two from the Kraken special unit, two from the International Legion, three from the Special Operations Forces and one from the Territorial Defence Forces. Eight border guards, four police officers, 21 naval personnel, three representatives of the State Special Transport Service, and one from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine are heading home. All those released this time are men: 82 privates and sergeants, and 21 are officers. The freed servicemen had participated in defending the city of Mariupol from the Russians, including 69 people from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Kyiv oblasts (including 31 defenders of Azovstal). There are also two Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant guards among them. Quote: "Most of them have sustained severe injuries or health issues and require urgent medical care. Ukraine has worked for a long time to organise the exchange of these citizens. Ukraine expresses its gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for their assistance in arranging this exchange." Background: On 13 September, Ukraine brought back 49 more military and civilians from Russian captivity, including 23 women for the first time in a long time. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine already produces its own 155 mm artillery ammunition, said Alexander Kamyshin, newly appointed by President Zelensky as external adviser for strategic issues. Kamyshin, who resigned from his post as Strategic Industries Minister during the biggest wartime government reshuffle on Sept. 4, told Norwegian media Nettavisen that Ukraine's production of defense material doubled under his leadership. "By the end of the year, it will have tripled. We continue to drive on," Kamyshin added. Ukraine has long tried to ramp up domestic ammunition production to become more independent from Western partners. In the summer of 2023, Ukroboronprom said that it had already mastered the production of 82 mm mortar mines, 122 mm, and 152 mm artillery rounds, as well as 125 mm tank shells. Earlier media reports cited Ukrainian officials hoping to begin producing "desperately needed" NATO-standard 155 mm artillery rounds in the 'second half' of 2024 at the earliest. "This is a very complicated process. This is something that Ukraine has never done before," Kamyshin said, adding that he "can't say much" on the matter. Despite domestic efforts, the Ukrainian army still mainly depends on supplying 155 mm shells from partners, as European countries join forces to buy the rounds outside Europe. The U.S. also opened a new factory last May to produce 155 mm munitions for Ukraine and significantly increased production in some existing factories. Read also: ATACMS restrictions subject of intense consultations between Ukraine and allies, Sullivan says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. PRAGUE (Reuters) - Ukraine would have a good military reason to strike deeper into Russia using Western weapons, a senior NATO military official said on Saturday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday as Ukraine's allies discuss whether to give a go-ahead for Kyiv to use long-range missiles against targets in Russia. President Vladimir Putin has said the West would be directly fighting Russia if it allowed Ukraine to strike with Western-made long-range missiles. At a meeting in Prague of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Military Committee - the alliance's highest military authority - its chairman Admiral Rob Bauer said the law on armed conflict gave a nation the right to defend itself and that did not stop at its border. At the same time, he said, nations providing weapons also had a right to place limitations on their use. He said: "In military terms, you do (those attacks) because you want to weaken the enemy that attacks you in order to not only fight the arrows that come your way, but also attack the archer. "So, militarily, there is a good reason to do that; to weaken the enemy, to weaken its logistics lines, fuel, ammunition that comes to the front." The other side of the discussion was political, he said, as nations supplying weapons may feel responsible for them, and those political talks continue. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been asking allies to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles, including long-range U.S. ATACMS and British Storm Shadows, deep into Russian territory to limit Moscow's ability to launch attacks. Putin said on Thursday the actual programming of the missiles' flight paths would have to be done by NATO military personnel, because Kyiv did not have the capabilities itself. (Reporting by Jason Hovet) President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that 103 Ukrainian POWs were returned from Russian captivity on Sept. 14. "Our people are home," he said in a post on social media. In a separate post, the Azov Angels charity fund said 23 of those released were Azov fighters, returning "after more than two years of captivity." Azov fighters became a symbol of Ukraine's resistance through their tenacious defense of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol in the first three months of the all-out war. Russian forces eventually occupied Mariupol in May 2022, capturing the remaining defenders. Our people are home. We have successfully brought back another 103 warriors from Russian captivity to Ukraine. 82 privates and sergeants. 21 officers. Defenders of the Kyiv and Donetsk regions, Mariupol and Azovstal, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions. Warriors of the pic.twitter.com/M9YsZjpFct Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) September 14, 2024 Zelensky said the released POWs consisted of 82 privates and sergeants, and 21 officers, adding they were "defenders of Kyiv and Donetsk oblasts, Mariupol and Azovstal, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv oblasts. Warriors of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, border guards, and police officers." "The vast majority of those released are people who had been held (in captivity) since the first days of the war, said Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets in a statement. Lubinets stressed that people who returned need serious rehabilitation, as their health has deteriorated severely during captivity. Previously, the United Nations commission published several reports describing the torture of Ukrainian POWs as widespread and systematic, and the conditions of their detention as "shocking." Some Ukrainian POWs died in captivity from causes such as "blunt force trauma". This is the 57th prisoner exchange since the outbreak of the full-scale war, and the second exchange carried out in the last two days. Earlier on Sept. 13, 49 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were released from Russian captivity. They included personnel of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the National Police, and border guards. A total of 3,672 Ukrainians have been brought back from Russian captivity. Kyiv aims to conduct an all-for-all prisoner exchange, which was one of the subjects at Ukraine's peace summit in Switzerland in mid-June. Read also: Is Russians at War propaganda? We asked 7 people in film who saw it Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Dozens of Russian drones were launched overnight in an attack targeting regions throughout Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Seventy-two of the 76 Shahed drones that were launched were destroyed by Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses, the Ukrainian air force said. The drones targeted regions throughout Ukraine, including Kyiv, the capital, officials said. At least two regions in Russia were also targeted overnight by Ukrainian drones, the Russian Ministry of Defense said early Saturday. "Ten UAVs were destroyed over the territory of the Kursk region and nine over the territory of the Belgorod region by air defense systems on duty," the ministry said on Telegram. PHOTO: The Spasskaya tower of the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral are seen at the sunset in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Pavel Bednyakov/AP) The overnight launches between Ukraine and Russia followed talks on Friday in Washington, where President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed possibly lifting restrictions on the use of some Western weapons that could be used by Ukraine to strike deeper within Russia. MORE: UK's Starmer, Biden discuss Ukraine's use of deep-strike missiles inside Russia A decision on whether to ease those restrictions, which Starmer described as a "particular tactical strategy," was not announced following the meeting. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said allowing such long-range strikes would amount to NATO forces becoming "directly involved" in the war. "If this decision is made, it will mean nothing short of direct involvement -- it will mean that NATO countries, the United States and European countries are parties to the war in Ukraine," Putin said, according to a transcript published by the Kremlin. "This will mean their direct involvement in the conflict, and it will clearly change the very essence, the very nature of the conflict dramatically." Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials have long been pressing the U.S. and Western allies for permission to conduct strikes deeper in Russia with long-range U.S.-made weapons. PHOTO: People walk across a pedestrian bridge in city center of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) MORE: Ukraine war enters volatile phase after offensive into Russia "We need more air-shield, air-defense and long-range capabilities to continue to protect life and our people," Zelenskyy said in a message in Ukrainian on Saturday on the messaging app Telegram. The U.S. State Department said Saturday on its official Russian-language social media channels that America's "goal is to make sure that Ukrainians resist Russian aggression as effectively as possible," adding, "Putin will continue to suffer strategic failures in Ukraine." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy traveled to Kyiv this week to discuss those long-range capabilities, among other topics, with Ukrainian leadership. MORE: No decision made on long-range missiles during Blinken visit to Kyiv: Zelenskyy adviser "We have adjusted and adapted as needs have changed, as the battlefield has changed, and I have no doubt that we'll continue to do that as this evolves," Blinken said on Wednesday. The two diplomats briefed Biden and Starmer during their White House meeting, according to Downing Street. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday said he had "no doubt" that the decision "was taken long ago" to lift restrictions on long-range weapons. "[A]nd now they are only trying to find the most suitable, acceptable and elegant way of presenting it to the public," he said in remarks in Moscow. ABC News' Will Gretsky, Michelle Stoddart, Molly Nagle, Anne Flaherty, David Brennan, Meredith Deliso and Oleksiy Pshemyskiy contributed to this report. Ukraine and Russia trade overnight drone attacks, military officials say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com On September 12, a memorial service was held in Kyiv for Anton Samborskyi, the adopted son of Ukraine's Chief Rabbi Moshe Azman, who was killed in combat. Samborskyi, 32, had been missing since late July, with his death confirmed weeks later. Rabbi Azman, who adopted Samborskyi when he was 10, expressed his sorrow, recalling their last conversation and noting that Samborskyi had recently become a father before being drafted into the army. The service at the Central Synagogue of Kyiv was attended by servicemen, veterans, and others, and Samborskyi was buried in the citys Jewish cemetery afterward. Rabbi Azman expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming support he received after the passing of his son on X. Friends, I am grateful to each of you, he wrote on X. Your warm words, coming from the heart, fill me with confidence in our victory over evil. He also announced a fundraising campaign in memory of his son, to support those affected by the war, including refugees, the elderly, widows, and orphans. Read also: Jewish pilgrims warned against travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine's foreign minister believes EU should be ready to regard Ukraine as member state The European Union needs to change its vision of Ukraine and prepare to perceive it as a member state. Source: Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, at the annual Yalta European Strategy (YES) meeting, as reported by European Pravda Quote from Sybiha: "We are a country of the European Union this is the logic that should be followed [by European institutions ed.] today." Details: An example of this logic is the preparation of the EU budget for the next seven-year period, which will take effect from 2027. Quote: "The next seven-year EU budget must reflect the logic of enlargement and Ukraine's membership." However, this logic also imposes additional obligations on Ukraine. Quote: "Ukraine must support all the EU's statements and be 100 percent in line with the EU's position." Sybiha hopes that Poland's presidency in the first half of next year will help change the EU's vision of Ukraine. Quote: "We also hope that Poland will support the parallel opening of clusters not step by step, but parallel and we need the support of our allies in the EU on this." [Ukraine's EU membership negotiations are being conducted in line with the 33 chapters of the acquis. The chapters are grouped into six clusters. Ukraine is insisting that all these clusters be considered simultaneously rather than consecutively ed.] Background: Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has stated that Ukraines goal is to be ready for EU accession no later than the end of 2025. Shmyhal said in March that Ukraine could join the EU after winning the war and would complete its "homework" in two years. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has urged states that did not attend the first Peace Summit in Switzerland to join the next summit, as the Peace Formula proposed by Kyiv is the only way to achieve a just peace in Ukraine. Source: Sybiha on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Quote: "The Peace Formula has no alternatives and is the only path toward a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace. We invite every state, leader, and organisation that truly wishes peace to be restored to join the Peace Formula efforts alongside already a hundred global participants." Details: Sybiha stressed that the Russo-Ukrainian war cannot be seen as a conflict between two states, as it is a colonial war of aggression waged by one country against another. "This war must end fairly in order to preserve international peace. We need a global diplomatic front to force the aggressor to peace," he stressed. Sybiha noted that the declaration of the first summit had been signed by 94 states and preparations for the next one were underway. "We invite everyone to join our peace efforts," he tweeted. Background: Earlier, Andrii Yermak, Head of the Ukrainian President's Office, said that the invitation to the second Peace Summit for a Russian representative should not be interpreted as the start of negotiations with Russia. He also stressed that Ukraine wants to hold the second Peace Summit no sooner than the preparation of a joint plan to implement each point of the Peace Formula is completed. President Zelenskyy expressed hope that the preparatory document for the second Peace Summit would be ready by November. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine's long-range missile strike hopes on hold once again but encouraging signs remain Ukraine's hopes of being allowed to use Western-supplied long range missiles to strike deep inside Russian territory were put on hold once again on Sept. 13, after the leaders of the U.S. and U.K. stopped short of making the announcement Kyiv wanted. Anticipation had been high ahead of meetings between President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington, but the White House dampened expectations even before the pair had finished talks. "There is no change to our view on the provision of long-range strike capabilities for Ukraine to use inside of Russia," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. Ukraine was hoping for permission to use two Western-supplied long range missiles that it already possesses to strike military targets such as airfields located deep inside Russian territory. With the bans in place, Kyiv says it cannot effectively defend Ukrainian cities from intensifying aerial attacks. The two missiles are the U.S.-supplied ATACMS, a short-range supersonic tactical ballistic missile, and the U.K.-France-supplied Storm Shadow. Both Storm Shadows and ATACMS were initially given to Kyiv on the provision that they only be used to strike Russian targets within Ukraine or in Russian-occupied parts of the country. Western fears of escalating the war with Russia have been behind the restrictions. The tide began to shift after Russias renewed offensive in Kharkiv Oblast in May, when the U.S. and other Western allies eased restrictions, allowing Ukraine to strike targets with Western weapons in a defensive fashion inside Russia. In the lead up to Starmer and Biden meeting on Sept. 13, multiple media reports suggested both countries might be on the verge of allowing Kyiv to use their long-range weapons to strike targets deep in Russian territory. According to Politico, on Sept. 11, Biden was said to be finalizing the details of a plan to lift some restrictions. On the same day, the Guardian reported that the U.K. had already privately decided to allow Ukraine to use its British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for long-range strikes, though no public announcement had been made at the time. Hopes were understandably high that an announcement would come after the meeting between Biden and Starmer. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Starmer said the meeting with Biden had been a "wide-ranging discussion about strategy" rather than a decision-making process about "a particular capability." "Weve had a long and productive discussion on a number of problems, including Ukraine, as youd expect, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific, talking strategically about tactical decisions," he said. According to reports, the U.K. has already decided to grant Ukraine permission to use Storm Shadows to strike targets deep inside Russia. The White House said the meeting between the two leaders was called at the request of the U.K., and according to The New York Times (NYT), Britain wants explicit permission from Biden so a coordinated strategy can be presented. While Kirby was very clear that a decision was not coming on Sept, 13, he didn't rule out that one could be made in the near future. According to the Guardian, Starmer suggested the plan would be further discussed "with a wider group of individuals" at the UN general assembly in New York later this month. The NYT reported that it's likely a decision will be made about Storm Shadows before one is reached over ATACMS. While Ukraine has been pleading for permission for months, it's understood the stance of Western nations has changed in light of Iran supplying Russia with ballistic missiles. "We've now seen this action of Russia acquiring ballistic missiles from Iran, which will further empower their aggression in Ukraine. So if anyone is taking escalatory action, it would appear to be Mr. Putin and Russia," U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, said while visiting Kyiv earlier this week. Lammy added that the Iran supplying ballistic missiles to Russia "clearly changes the debate" around the issue, as it allows the Kremlin to gain "further penetration into Ukraine." Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have upped their saber-rattling in response, claiming that the move would mean NATO is directly at war with Russia. "I do not think much about Vladimir Putin," Biden said when asked on Sept. 13 what he thought about the Russian president's remarks. Read also: The long-range missiles Ukraine could soon be firing deep into Russia Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's spy chief said on Saturday that Russia's increased production of guided bombs as well as artillery ammunition deliveries from North Korea present major problems for Ukrainian forces on the battlefield. The head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency GUR, Kyrylo Budanov, said North Korean military aid to Russia presented the biggest concern compared to support provided by Moscow's other allies. "They supply huge amounts of artillery ammunition, which is critical for Russia," he said, pointing to the ramp up in the battlefield hostilities following such deliveries. Ukraine and the United States, among other countries and independent analysts, say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is helping Russia in the war against Ukraine by supplying missiles and ammunition in return for economic and other military assistance from Moscow. Russia's boost in the production of guided bombs also presented a "huge problem for the frontline", Budanov said at the Yalta European Strategy conference organised by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in Kyiv. Ukraine's forces are stretched thin more than 30 months into the full-scale invasion, working to stave off Russian advance toward key towns in the country's east. Ukrainian forces have also made an incursion into the western Russian region of Kursk. A ramp up in the production of the Iskander-type missiles has resulted in Russia's "massive use" of weapons to attack Ukraine, Budanov said. This year's strikes on Ukraine's critical infrastructure have caused significant damage to the country's power grid, leading to power cuts. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has renewed pleas for air defence support from Ukraine's allies. Budanov said Russian internal planning showed that Moscow will face a recruitment crunch in the middle of next year. "During this period (summer 2025) they will face a dilemma: either to declare mobilisation or to somehow reduce the intensity of hostilities, which may ultimately be critical for them," Budanov said. (Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Ros Russell) A Russian armoured vehicle being destroyed. Photo: Screenshot from video by Ukraine's Air Assault Forces The Russians deployed 14 pieces of military equipment to storm the positions of Ukrainian airborne forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast on Friday. Ukrainian troops crushed them in a several-hour battle. Source: Ukraine's Air Assault Forces Details: The Russians used 2 tanks, 11 airborne infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and one armoured personnel carrier (APC) belonging to a unit from Russia's Airborne Forces. Quote: "This attempt to break through the defensive positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces failed: Ukrainian paratroopers proved in a heavy battle that lasted several hours that they are better at military affairs, having mastered the science of winning with flying colours. Ultimately, five airborne IFVs, an enemy tank and an APC [have been destroyed] and several dozens of Russians [have been killed]. The rest of the surviving Russian troops fled." Support UP or become our patron! Nine shahed drones were downed. Infographic: Ukrainian Navy The Ukrainian Navy downed nine Shahed kamikaze drones over Odesa Oblast during a Russian air attack on the night of 13-14 September. Source: Ukrainian Navy Details: Russia attacked Odesa Oblast with Shahed drones from the Black Sea. Air defence systems were responding at around 02:00 and explosions were heard in the oblast. Support UP or become our patron! Ukrainians warn of being surrounded as Russia advances in east Ukrainian troops are now at risk of encirclement on the front line near Pokrovsk [Reuters] The situation is critical, a Ukrainian military officer in the east told the BBC near the front line south of Pokrovsk. Russias military strategy now appears to be surrounding the city, which is a key transportation hub in the region. The officer, who preferred to stay anonymous, said his military leadership want to hold their positions at all costs, often leading to the loss of troops and resources. That approach, he says, was resulting in a number of cauldrons, large territories surrounded by the Russian forces. One of them is south of Pokrovsk - between Nevelske, Hirnyk and Krasnohorivka. We are not planning to advance towards the city of Donetsk any time soon, so why are we holding positions near Nevelske when were losing Hirnyk? said the officer. Far better to retreat to Hirnyk, he believes, with a minimum loss of resources and hold those positions. When your enemy has more people and resources than you do, this strategy is reckless, the Ukrainian officer added. Look at the Donetsk region, it looks like a squid. [To defend all the] tentacles, you need a far bigger number of positions, observation posts. You need to hold back far bigger assault groups because the Russians are trying to attack from all sides." So, instead of withdrawing and reduce the length of the line they need to defend, the officer says, brigades get wiped out fighting along the entire perimeter of the "cauldron" simply because the main criteria of success for generals is to hold positions. [BBC] Roman Pohorily, an analyst and co-founder of the Deep State map that monitors the latest frontline developments in Ukraine, says Ukrainian troops have now pulled back from the village of Nevelske to avoid an encirclement. That means the threat of being trapped is less acute, but the military officer at the front says pulling back should have been done long before. Lives and resources have been wasted on something that they couldnt hold anyway, he argues. Russian troops are now advancing towards Kurakhove, a city 35km (21 miles) south of Pokrovsk. Ukrainian forces in that area confirm the fighting in their sectors has intensified lately. This development is also reflected in the daily briefings of Ukraines General Staff. On Thursday they reported that there were 32 clashes in the Pokrovsk direction and 48 in the Kurakhove direction. Theyre trying to strengthen their flanks so that they can get closer to Pokrovsk, half encircle it and then start erasing the city to the ground, says Maj Serhiy Tsekhotsky from the 59th Brigade. Civilians are fleeing the area as Russian forces approach [Getty Images] Lt Col Oleh Demyanenko, who commands a tank battalion of the 110th brigade, also says that Russian forces are now pushing along the sides, in addition to a direct assault on Pokrovsk. However, he claims that the Russians are now focusing mostly on the southern flank thats the Kurakhove direction. Russian troops assault Ukrainian positions with small groups and often theyre not accompanied by armoured vehicles, soldiers say. They send two or three people who try to reach a certain point in the field," explains Maj Tsekhotsky. Then others try to get to that point as well. And when they have 10-15 people, they try to attack us. What makes the Kurakhove area challenging both to defend and to advance is that its flat, says Nazar Voytenkov from the 33rd Brigade. We constantly shell fields. Russians lose their vehicles and people. He says his brigade is successfully holding its position on the front line. Ukraine is fighting hard to repel the Russian invaders, but they are slowly making gains [Getty Images] Kurakhove is linked to Pokrovsk with roads that are part of the infrastructure to move troops and supplies on the front line. If the Russians take that city, then they can go north to attack Pokrovsk from a new direction, says analyst Roman Pohorily. Another possibility is that they might attack Ukrainian troops in Vuhledar from behind, he adds. Thats a city on the southern part of the Donbas frontline that the Russians have been trying to seize since the beginning of their full-scale invasion. Strategic mistakes made in the past mean that there is only one way left to defend Pokrovsk and stop the Russians seizing the entire Donetsk region, according to the officer on the front line. "To have another Bakhmut, in his words, referring to the city in eastern Ukraine that Kyiv defended for nearly a year before retreating, with the city in ruins. [They] will throw a lot of people and let them die there. UN official says staff fear they are 'a target' as Israel hits Gaza shelters Palestinians inspect the damage at Al-Jawni School in central Gaza after an Israeli strike on the school turned shelter on Wednesday killed 18 people, including six UN staff (Eyad BABA) (Eyad BABA/AFP/AFP) A senior UN official said Saturday that teachers and other UN staff working in Gaza fear they are now targets after an Israeli air strike hit a school-turned-shelter in the territory this week. Wednesday's strike on the UN-run Al-Jawni School in central Gaza, which is housing displaced Palestinians, killed 18 people. including six employees of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). It was the deadliest single incident for the agency in more than 11 months of war and drew international condemnation. "One colleague said that they're not wearing the UNRWA vest anymore because they feel that that turns them into a target," UNRWA senior deputy director Sam Rose told AFP on Saturday after visiting the shelter in Nuseirat. "Another one said that that morning, their children had stopped them from coming into the shelter," he said in an online interview from Gaza. The colleagues were gathering for a post-work meal in a classroom when the strike flattened part of the building, leaving only a charred heap of rebar and concrete. "A son of one of the staff had brought a meal into the building," Rose said, adding the group then debated whether to eat it in the principal's office before settling on what appeared to be a classroom decorated with pictures of scientists. "They were eating when the bomb hit." The Israeli military said it had conducted a "precise strike" on Hamas militants within the school grounds and had taken steps to reduce the risk to civilians. - 'Bereft and desperate' - The Israeli military published what it said was a list of nine militants killed in the Nuseirat strike, including three it said were employees of UNRWA. An Israeli government spokesman said the school had become "a legitimate target" because it was used by Hamas to launch attacks. Rose said such statements further battered morale among UN staffers still at the school, where thousands have sought shelter from a war that has displaced nearly all of Gaza's 2.4 million population at least once. "They were particularly angry by the allegations that had been made as to the involvement of their colleagues in extremist and terrorist activities," Rose said. "They felt that this really was a stain on the memory of dear colleagues, dear friends," he added, describing the mood as "bereft" and "desperate". UNRWA has said at least 220 members of the agency's staff have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7. The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. The militants also seized 251 hostages, 97 of whom are still in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliation has killed at least 41,182 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. On Friday, UNRWA announced one of its employees was killed during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank, the first such death in the territory in more than a decade. UNRWA has more than 30,000 employees in the Palestinian territories and elsewhere. It has been in crisis since Israel accused a dozen of its employees of being involved in the October 7 attack. The UN immediately fired the implicated staff members, and a probe found some "neutrality related issues" but stressed Israel had not provided evidence for its main allegations. rcb/jd/kir CNN - A United Nations staff member was among 10 people killed during an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military and the UN said on Friday. Sufyan Jaber Abed Jawwad, who worked as a sanitation worker in El Fara Camp in the West Bank, was shot and killed on the roof of his home by a sniper during an overnight Israeli military operation in the early morning of September 12, the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) said in a statement. Jawwad received three shots in the chest while on the roof of his house having a coffee, Juliette Touma, the agencys communications director, also told CNN on Friday. But the Israeli military has accused Jawwad and the others killed of being terrorists. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), confirmed Friday that Jawwad was killed in an operation in the West Banks Fara area and alleged that he was hurling explosive devices that posed a threat to the forces operating in the area. IDF troops opened fire toward him to remove said threat, and he was killed, Shoshani said. He added that Jawwad was known to Israeli security forces and he had been complicit in additional terrorist activities. The IDF said in an earlier statement on Friday that its troops had located and dismantled a vehicle rigged with explosives, explosives laboratories, operational communications rooms, and weapons during the operation that killed Jawwad. CNN has reached out to UNRWA for a comment on the IDFs claims. Jawwad the first UNRWA staffer to be killed in the West Bank in more than 10 years is survived by his wife and five children, according to UNRWA. In Gaza, at least 220 staff have been killed since October 7, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on X on Wednesday. Jordans Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Jawwads killing in a statement on Friday, calling it a heinous crime. The IDF has voiced distrust of some UNRWA staffers before. In January, it accused several UNRWA members in Gaza of direct involvement in the Hamas-led October 7 terror attack on Israel. A UN investigation in August found that nine UNRWA employees may have been involved in the October 7 attack and no longer work at the agency. The other people killed in the Israeli operation over the past 48 hours were killed in the areas of Tulkarem, Nur Shams and Tubas, according to the IDF. Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, said the five killed in Tubas were members of the Tubas Battalion in the West Bank who were preparing ambushes and explosive devices against Israeli forces. Operations in the West Bank The death comes amid increasing Israeli military action in the West Bank. Recent Israeli operations have had a heavy impact on humanitarian resources in the area, leaving the refugee camps of El Fara, Tulkarem, Nur Shams and Jenin especially affected and destroying basic infrastructure including water and electricity, UNRWA said. The agency said it had been forced to suspend its services to refugees in the area because of the unacceptable risk posed to both staffers and aid recipients by Israeli and Palestinian groups, including the danger posed by improvised explosive devices by Palestinian armed actors. Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for fundamental changes to the way Israeli forces operate in the occupied West Bank after the killing of American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi at a protest last week. The sharply worded rebuke came after the IDF said on Tuesday that it was highly likely that Eygi was hit indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire. Nearly 700 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah and the UN. The figures do not distinguish between militants and civilians. CNNs Mounira Elsamra contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com We who believe in freedom can not rest until it comes Bernice Johnson Reagon, Sweet Honey in the Rock There are places we share, Independence Hall, Gettysburg, Pearl Harbor, Dealey Plaza, Lorraine Motel, Ground Zero, Stoystown, that merge with times July 4th, Dec. 7, Nov. 22, April 4, 9/11 to create the sacred. Anointed by the sacrifice of martyrs. We gather together in community to renew the covenant that makes us all Americans. Most of the young students on Penn States campus were not born when our country was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001 and 3,000 of our people were killed. Most of the victims died unknowingly and unwillingly. But a few consciously gave their lives for the common good. Early that morning I had parked in downtown Manhattan to follow the pick-up van to the bowling alley set in New Jersey. I was playing a judge on the sitcom Ed starring Tom Cavanagh and Julie Bowen, who became famous on Modern Family. The first scene we shot was in my courtroom. Afterward some people told us that a World Trade Center tower had been accidentally hit by a plane. Only one news channel was available, a Spanish language station, which we watched on a small TV at the guards post. As we watched, another plane crashed into the second tower. We immediately knew this was no accident. Our world had been forever transformed by multiple terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D.C. and PA. With the support of most of our allies the U.S. invaded Afghanistan to flush out the culprits. Later that year while on a Fulbright Fellowship in South Africa, I wrote a play based on the experiences of some people who lived and died on that day called 9/11 A Day in the Life of a People for the Capetown diplomatic community, sponsored by the U.S. Consulate. Months later, the play was the first to be presented in the new Penn State Downtown Theatre, State College. The play was selected presentation at The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on the 10th anniversary of the tragedy and was produced somewhere every year on the anniversary for 20 years. This year on the 23rd anniversary College Republicans at Penn State placed 2,997 flags on Old Main Lawn to commemorate our lost sisters and brothers. Stoystown was where the passengers and crew of Flight 93 knowingly sacrificed their lives to prevent terrorists from destroying the U.S. Capitol or the White House. At the commemorative ceremony Wednesday, several hundred of us watched as President Biden, Vice President Harris, Governor Shapiro and Lt. Governor Davis, along with relatives of the 40 victims who died on Flight 93, laid a wreath at their memorial. Later in the day former President Trump also appeared to honor them. The country is in the midst of a heated presidential campaign none of the candidates made a speech. All recognized that we were on sacred ground. Rather we consoled and comforted each other, remembering a time when giants walked the Earth and ordinary folks became heroes. We hope in these contentious times that we who believe in freedom will not rest. Also last week, a redwood fell in the forest. James Earl Jones, my mentor, neighbor and friend has joined the ancestors. I believe he was the finest, most versatile actor of our times. He was an EGOT winner with a Broadway theater named for him. Known as the voice of Darth Vader and CNN, he played Othello six times, and the Lion Kings father. In 1962 the first play I saw in New York was Genets The Blacks, which featured Jimmy and Cicely Tyson. Ironically one of the last Broadway shows I saw was Gin Game, a two hander with Jimmy and Cicely. Our world is diminished by their passing. Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Partys nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He was the 2022 Lions Paw Awardee and Living Legend honoree of the National Black Theatre Festival. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College. The Montana State Capitol pictured on Feb. 6, 2023. (Photo by Nicole Girten/Daily Montanan) The Republicans on the Legislative Audit Committee voted not to acknowledge receipt of a two-year audit of the Judicial Standards Commission presented Wednesday by the Legislative Audit Division, but not because of issues with the audit itself. Rather, they did so because of the way proposed JSC rule changes based in part on the audits results were written. As Audit Division Director Angus Maciver told the committee, the vote not to acknowledge the report meant little, as he had already publicly released it last week in accordance with the law. I dont want to call it symbolic, but essentially thats what it is, Maciver said. The committee composed of six Republicans and six Democrats had spent the day hearing audit reports from division staff on many of the state governments agencies contained in the Single Audit Report. The audit of the Judicial Standards Commission, which handles complaints and discipline for Montana judges, was the last item on the committees agenda but was a key one. Audit Committee Chairperson Jason Ellsworth, the Hamilton Republican and Senate president, had last week grilled members of the commission on the proposed rule changes in a day-long meeting in the other committee he chairs, the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform. Legislators, especially Republicans, have been critical of what they say is a lack of transparency surrounding what information comes out of the commission about discipline for judges. Ellsworth formed the oversight committee because he has been unhappy with court decisions that struck down bills passed by the legislature. Tina Chamberlain, a performance auditor with the Legislative Audit Division, spent nearly two years going through every complaint filed with the JSC against a judge over the past 11 years, 656 of them, to analyze how the commission functioned, how often it was doling out punishment for ethical violations, and whether the commission was transparent enough about its work. The Daily Montanan reported the findings of auditors and their six recommendations last Friday. Supreme Court Administrator Beth McLaughlin, representing the judicial branch because Chief Justice Mike McGrath had an excused absence, said Chamberlain did an excellent job and that the judiciary and JSC had agreed to the recommendations. Last summer, she lived in a dark office in our office and did nothing but look at complaints, and we appreciate her dedication to trying to get this right, McLaughlin told the committee. We very much appreciate her recommendations and what she came up with, and we concurred with all of them. Committee told new transparency measures unique to Montana McLaughlin answered most of the questions from lawmakers about the report, the audit, and the proposed changes to the Judicial Standards Commission rules, which commissioners told lawmakers last week were being made in direct response to the audit and Senate Bill 313 from last year, for nearly an hour before Ellsworth launched back into arguments he made last week that he believes the commission is not following the law or constitution. Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Mike Menahan, who is the chairperson of the Judicial Standards Commission, said the rule changes are also being made in response to SB 313, which he told Ellsworth made Montana unique in that it is now the only state that must release the names of every judge against whom a complaint was filed, no matter how frivolous. Personally, I think, as a matter of policy, that is a terrible idea. There are reasons why judicial standards around the country have not adopted that. The judges are in a difficult position. They make difficult decisions, and they are not in a position to defend themselves when somebody files a complaint against them, Menahan said. But were complying because this is what the legislature passed, and the governor signed. Keith Fisher, a distinguished fellow at the National Judicial College and an expert on judicial ethics who consulted with the audit division on the report, said auditors did a superb job. He also commented on the transparency changes mandated by last years legislature. Fisher explained that when a frivolous complaint against a judge is allowed to be publicized, people can use that to negatively affect the reputation of the judge and the entire judiciary. He said complaints found to have merit should be publicized to be sure all laundry gets aired. But Im not aware of any other state in which the mere submissions of a complaint would trigger any kind of public disclosure, because as weve said, in most states, over 90% of the complaints that are filed lack any merit whatsoever, Fisher said. So, its kind of unfair, as well as injurious, to the institution of the judiciary in your state, and it undermines its ability and the ability of the judges to perform the functions that are so vital to that branch of government. Republicans vote to not acknowledge report because of JSC rule change process Rep. Emma Kerr-Carpenter, D-Billings, made the standard motion that the committee had agreed upon all day for the rest of the audits: I move that the committee acknowledge receipt of the audit report and that it was reviewed by the committee, filed, and that copies of the audit report be distributed in accordance with law. Ellsworth made an alternate motion, which he said was non-debatable: Were doing the opposite, which is were not accepting it and not acknowledging it, Ellsworth explained. Kerr-Carpenter asked several times for a parliamentarian to clarify what such a motion would mean, which Ellsworth attempted to shut down, saying discussing what the motion even meant would constitute debate. Maciver eventually stepped in and recommended the committee vote on the standard motion, explaining that it doesnt mean the committee accepts the report because he already issued the report last week. Just to be clear for everybody, a legislative committee cannot countermand state law. And in fact, the Legislative Audit Act has already required me to release this report, and it has been released to the relevant bodies. Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, asked Ellsworth why were going down this road. Ellsworth said he was still upset that a court attorney wrote the rule changes for the Judicial Standards Commission and that voting not to receive the report was a way for us to go, Were not happy. So thats the purpose; its to show a level of dissatisfaction. It is not anything other than that, because guess what? Its already been released. It is public. We cant unwind that clock, Ellsworth said. Maciver said hed like it on the record that the proposed rules changes were distinct from the audit report from his staff. Rep. Fiona Nave, R-Columbus, said she was not sure the origin of the JSC rules was something the auditors could do anything about. I am concerned that a vote on this motion, mostly its going to disparage the auditors who did a good job, and its not going to reflect where you want it to, she said. Im wondering if theres another way that we could do this instead. Flowers said he felt that no one had asked Audit Division staff to look at the Judicial Standards Commissions jurisdiction. I dont think that we should criticize our own staff by not approving this or in any way kind of besmirch their work because theres a disagreement over constitutional interpretation, Flowers said. Ellsworth said that was not how he wanted audit staff to feel and said he was instead offering the standard motion as well to receive the report. If thats how people are perceiving this, then lets just make the motion as we do in our standard, and then I can come up with something after the fact, he said. Sen. Flowers, I think you make a valid point. We certainly dont want our staff to think their work was bad, because their work was actually what got our eyes open, right? Or at least mine. The committee took a roll call vote in which all Republicans voted against the standard motion and all Democrats voted for it, meaning the motion failed in the 6-6 tie and the committee did not acknowledge receipt of the audit report. MANOA, Hawaii (KHON2) Honolulu police are investigating the death of an unidentified body that was found on Dole Street. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Honolulu police were called to the scene shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday on the 2600 block of Dole Street. Maui Police seek publics help in identifying 1996 cold case victim HFD firefighters were called to assist just before 4 p.m. to help locate and retrieve the body from a storm drain. In a social media post, HPD said investigators are still at the scene. 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 KHON2. Union Berlin caused a stir on social media with a joke about a Dresden bridge collapse - but apologized later. A section of the Carola Bridge over the Elbe river collapsed in Dresden early on Wednesday but nobody was injured. On Friday, another section collapsed during demolition work. Dresden is in the same state - Saxony - as RB Leipzig. Union drew 0-0 there on Saturday. "Half an hour gone. Defensively more stable than any Saxon bridge. Keep it up, lads!" Union wrote on X. Almost two hours later, the Berliners apologized to the city of Dresden, explaining that the comment had been "a bit over the top in the heat of the moment." Fans of Union - seen as a traditional German club - have a beef with Leipzig because of their Red Bull backing and surge up the league pyramid having been formed in 2009. Editor's note: This story about the Navy Reserve Center Amarillo's ombudsman Laura Schulze was submitted ahead of recognition of Sept. 14 being National Ombudsman Appreciation Day. When Boatswain's Mate First Class Dustin Schulze joined the Navy, his wife Laura never anticipated making an impact as significant as his. Yet, as the Ombudsman at Navy Reserve Center (NRC) Amarillo, Laura has become a vital support for sailors and their families. A Hereford native with a biology degree from West Texas A&M University, Laura conducts genomic research on cattle. Amid balancing her professional work, homeschooling their children, and supporting her husbands Navy career, she became the commands Ombudsman in February 2023 motivated by her own experiences as a military spouse. When my husband was deployed, especially with young children, I wished for someone in this role to support us, Laura shared. I saw an opportunity to help others facing similar challenges and decided to step up. Mrs. Laura Schulze, Ombudsman for the Navy Reserve Center Amarillo in Texas, poses for the camera in a courtesy photo. Since taking on the role, Laura has assisted nearly 50 sailors with benefits and immediate aid. Her dedication was evident when she helped a sailor and his wife who were involved in a severe car accident on their way to a new duty station. Even though they werent attached to NRC Amarillo, I felt it was my duty to help, Laura said. She notarized documents and secured $42,000 to prevent foreclosure, facilitating $65,000 in aid. My goal is to ensure sailors can focus on their deployments without added stress from unresolved issues at home, she explained. Cmdr. Dustin Hoskins, the commanding officer of NRC Amarillo, praised Lauras extraordinary impact, saying, Laura has made a profound and positive impact on the lives of many NRC Amarillo Sailors. Whether it is finding financial assistance for a sailor traversing difficult times or advocating for a sailors education, in my 22 years of service, I have never experienced an ombudsman that has been as willing and engaged as Laura is. She leads with her heart and truly demonstrates that it is better to give than receive. This not only teaches the sailors that they must advocate for themselves, but it also demonstrates the importance of relationships, communication, and why it is necessary for NRCs to have an ombudsman. Ombudsmans are just as critical to reserve as active duty units. Hoskins said ombudsmans provide a safe place and someone to confide in. Lauras expertise has not only helped to address these difficult situations, but she is assisting in the development of Sailors and providing them with relief and an opportunity to refocus, said Hoskins. This directly impacts mobilization readiness, a positive culture, and meeting the needs of the Navy when called upon. The profound impact of Lauras work is evident in the testimonials from those she has helped. One junior Sailor shared, I was struggling with my mothers citizenship issues while in college. When I reached out to my local Ombudsman, Laura immediately assured me and helped me develop a plan. Her support was crucial. Lauras dedication is exemplified by another story from a sailor who needed help at Texas Tech University. Mrs. Schulze was there before we even arrived, guiding us through every step of the process, the sailor recounted. She stayed with us from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., ensuring we received the best financial aid possible. Her commitment was extraordinary. Without her, we would have struggled to secure the support we needed from the school. Reflecting on her role, Laura said, It means peace. When the world is sideways and nothing is going right for a sailor, I have the honor of helping to give them peace. Military life presents confounding difficulties, and amidst all that, I get to offer help and ultimately a moment of peace. Becoming a safe harbor is the ultimate gift. Lauras dedication and selflessness have made her a cornerstone of the NRC Amarillo community. Her tireless efforts provide immediate relief and lasting support, profoundly impacting many lives. She and her fellow ombudsmen around the fleet are true unsung heroes, deeply valued by the Navy Reserve family. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: The unsung hero of NRC Amarillo - Laura Schulze The University of North Texas Police Department is investigating reports that someone took dozens of photos of women without their knowledge working out in the campus gym and posted them on a lewd website. Police at the Denton university said in an online statement Wednesday that they learned about the potentially improper photography Sept. 1 and have taken reports from some of the people identified in the photos. One UNT student, Kate, told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV that she found photos of more than 50 women, including her own, taken at the Pohl Recreation Center. She has since switched gyms but is still concerned someone might be watching her. Kate, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect her privacy, said the photos were still available Friday on Google Images, even though the poster appears to have deactivated their account, WFAA reported. Its awful because its out there on the internet, and its not going to go away, Kate told WFAA. Claire, another UNT student, told the Dallas Observer that she found more than 20 photos of herself and nearly 60 of her roommate, all taken without their knowledge at the Pohl Recreation Center. Shes taken to wearing sweat pants and other baggy clothes when she works out. I go to the gym to feel comfortable with my body and be confident, Claire said to the Observer. Now I cant do that because theres a creep taking photos of my girlfriends and I. Up until 2015, the Texas Penal Code made it illegal to take photos, video or otherwise record someone without their consent and with the intention of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of any person in locations that were not bathrooms or private dressing rooms. The law has since been changed to make photography illegal only in bathrooms or changing rooms. UNT police said in the statement that the reports theyve received so far indicate the photos were taken in public spaces. However, we are working to identify the subject(s) taking the photos so we can evaluate the situation further. Kate told WFAA that the state law might need to change to prevent something like this from happening again. Just because somethings legal does not make it OK, she said to WFAA. More top stories from our newsroom: See how your school did in Fort Worth ISD A-F scores Public calls for firing of officer who shot driver after hit-and-run Candidates threaten to sue Tarrant County over voter access [Get our breaking news alerts.] The US Army put on a sudden show of force out on the far edge of Alaska to send the message it can as Russia and China partner in the Pacific The US Army quickly deployed assets to Alaska's Aleutian Islands amid Russia and China's Pacific naval drills. The 11th Airborne Division led the event, which included long-range artillery and counter fire radars. The move sends a clear message to US adversaries, the division's commander said. The US Army rapidly deployed weapons and soldiers out to the far tip of Alaska in a sudden show of force. The force projection event, which began this week in the North Pacific, sends a message to American adversaries at a time when key rivals Russia and China are conducting joint naval drills in the Pacific. In an exclusive interview with Business Insider, the Army's 11th Airborne Division commander Maj. Gen. Joseph Hilbert said that the event demonstrates US Army Pacific's ability to move assets adeptly and with little notice into even the most remote locations. "The Army looks at us to be Arctic experts," Hilbert said, and as a part of US Army Pacific,"we've got to be ready to operate in the region as a part of the land power there." 11th Airborne Division soldiers orient a Q-53 Radar on Shemya Island on September 13, 2024. US Army photo by Spc. Brandon Vasquez) For the event, the 11th Airborne Division pulled together a range of capabilities from across the US Army, including a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System platoon from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, communications equipment from Hawaii, and a target acquisition radar and an infantry security force from the 11th Airborne Division. The number of soldiers deployed was around 130 for this exercise. The Alaska Air National Guard and the Air Force transported the various weapons and assets. "Bringing these forces together," Hilbert explained, "demonstrates to any adversary that we can deploy anywhere with little notice. We can suddenly create a dilemma," he said, "and we can do that with significant firepower, and we can do it as a joint force." 1st Multi-Domain Task Force soldiers set up communication systems for the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System on Shemya Island on September 12, 2024. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Brandon Vasquez Hilbert said the deployment of the HIMARS speaks to the importance of long-range fires in force projection and deterrence, something that's also been evident in the war in Ukraine. The exercise, which will continue into next week, is also highly visible to US friends and foes alike. There is a lot of discussion around the need to conceal the signatures of forces and weapons and hide them within the electromagnetic spectrum. That wasn't done here, as the event was purposefully overt. The Army wasn't hiding this. The intended aim was to show that these capabilities are readily deployable, even in unexpected places. It's also a signal of readiness to US allies and partners, Hilbert said. 11th Airborne Division soldiers board a Alaska Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III ahead of the force projection event on Shemya Island on Sept. 11, 2024. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hunter Hites The Army exercise is being carried out in the Aleutian Islands, an island chain extending from Alaska's southernmost edge out into the Bering Sea and Northern Pacific Ocean. More specifically, the exercise is being held on Shemya Island. Alaska is a large, complex, and challenging environment that requires soldiers to develop various Arctic warfare skills. 11th Airborne Division soldiers previously told BI that the difficulties of fighting in the unforgiving Arctic prompt them to adapt and innovate in real time. Soldiers regularly train and carry out exercises across the state and in the broader region, remaining flexible for different situations. US Army Pacific has made combat in the Arctic a major priority, and 11th Airborne forces work with the larger network both USARPAC and US Pacific allies and partners to maintain readiness. An 11th Airborne Division soldier connects an antenna to a Light Mobile Terrain Vehicle on Shemya Island, Alaska, on Sept. 13, 2024. US Army photo by Spc. Brandon Vasquez At the US Army Pacific's Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness exercise in Alaska in February, USARPAC commander Gen. Charles A. Flynn told BI that amid an increase in "aggressive, insidious" moves from China and other adversaries in the Indo-Pacific region, US allies and partners were working closer with the US Army on strengthening ground forces and their connections. The latest exercise comes amid Russia's largest naval drills since the Cold War, stretching across the Pacific, Mediterranean Sea, and Arctic Ocean to test combat readiness. The large exercise involves over 400 ships, submarines, and support vessels, along with air assets and well over 90,000 troops, the Kremlin said earlier this week. 11th Airborne Division soldiers load a Q-53 radar system onto a C-17 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska on September 11, 2024. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hunter Hites Prior to the launch of the drills, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the US of provoking "an arms race" and "disregarding the security interests of its European and Asian allies" by engaging in military action in the Indo-Pacific region. "This lays the groundwork for a dangerous crisis in Europe, as well as in the Asia-Pacific Region," he added, painting his exercise as a challenge to the US. China, another US rival, joined these exercises as Beijing and Moscow increasingly partner to confront the US-led world order. The timing of USARPAC's force projection demonstration is "not a coincidence," Hilbert said, pointing to the Army and larger joint force's goal of showing the strength and flexibility of US capabilities in the region. "This is a capability that USARPAC has that we could use anywhere, and this was the right time to use this capability," the 11th Airborne commander said. Read the original article on Business Insider US historian leads charity run in Kyiv to highlight the plight of Ukrainian POWs In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena, center, pose for photo with US actor and UN ambassador Michael Douglas, right, and his son Dylan, left, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) U.S. historian and author Timothy Snyder on Saturday led a charity run in Kyiv to raise awareness of the conditions under which Ukrainian prisoners of war are held in Russia as the conflict approaches a third winter. The race came following a recent escalation in Russian missile and drone attacks, largely aimed at Ukraine's electricity infrastructure. People clapped and cheered after Snyder, a 55-year-old Yale University professor who has written extensively on eastern Europe and the global resurgence of authoritarian regimes and is much admired in Ukarine, addressed the nearly thousand runners. He then joined a workout and participated in the run. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers are illegally held in captivity during an illegal war, Snyder told The Associated Press just ahead of the run. This race is about reminding everyone of that and expressing solidarity with Ukrainians and giving Ukrainians a chance to do something together, he said. The 5 and 10-kilometer runs took place around a sprawling park in the Ukrainian capital created out of a renovated Soviet-era exhibition center. The runners included members of the public, servicepeople and veterans, as well as wives of the POWs. Among them was 27-year-old Anastasia Ofyl, whose husband Oleksandr was captured by the Russians. We have to fight for him, she said. Thats why Im running. Ukrainian soldiers often give harrowing accounts of their conditions in Russian captivity when they return home as part of regular prisoner exchanges. In a report issued in July, a United Nations human rights agency said it continued to document the widespread use of torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, against civilians and Ukrainian prisoners of war held by the Russian Federation. Snyder, who has organized fundraisers as part of the countrys war-relief effort, enjoys near-celebrity status in Ukraine. On Tuesday, he visited President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked him for his charity work. The Ukrainian head of state also received former UK prime minister Boris Johnson, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and the American actor Michael Douglas this week. After Saturdays race, Snyder was surrounded by admirers, many of whom waited in line for autographs and selfies. Some asked the historian to sign translated copies of his widely-read books on Ukraine, Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin and The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America. Saturdays race was organized by the Kyiv School of Economics charity foundation which, according to its website, has been raising funds for charitable assistance for Ukrainians since the start of the Russian invasion. ___ Alex Babenko and Dmytro Zhyhinas in Kyiv, Ukraine contributed. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine The U.S.-Iraq joint military operation in Western Iraq killed four ISIS leaders last month, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed in a statement on Friday. The partnered raid, which took place on Aug. 29, left 14 ISIS operatives dead, including four ISIS leaders: Ahmad Hamid Husayn Abd-al-Jalil al-Ithawi, Abu Hammam, Abu-Ali al-Tunisi and Shakir Abud Ahmad al-Issawi. The operation left seven U.S. troops hurt. Five troops were injured in the raid while two suffered injuries from falls that happened during the operation. This operation targeted ISIS leaders and served to disrupt and degrade ISIS ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond, CENTCOM said in a statement. Following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, threats from terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State, have gone up. ISIS has claimed responsibility for an array of attacks around the world, ranging from Iran, Turkey and Russia. ISIS-affiliated actors took responsibility for astabbing attack in Germany last month and also threatened to kill thousands of people at a Taylor Swift concert. During a raid in 2022, the U.S. military killed Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, then-leader of ISIS. The terrorist group was previously led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who was killed in 2019. CENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS, who continues to threaten the United States, our allies and partners, and regional stability, Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, Commander, U.S. Central Command, 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 The Hill. People visit a mural ahead of the one year anniversary of Elijah McClain's death By Brad Brooks LONGMONT, Colorado (Reuters) -A Colorado judge on Friday reduced to probation the prison sentence of a paramedic convicted in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a young Black man who died after police put him in a chokehold, a court official said. Judge Mark Warner, who oversaw three trials concerning the death of McClain, who died after paramedics injected him with a powerful sedative, reduced the sentence of emergency medical worker Peter Cichuniec during a hearing to four years probation, said Suzanne Karrer, a spokesperson for the Colorado judicial branch. Warner in March had sentenced the paramedic to five years in prison, the longest sentence of any of the police and paramedics put on trial for McClain's death. It was not immediately clear when Cichuniec would be released. "The court finds, really, there are unusual and extenuating circumstances and they are truly exceptional in this particular case," Warner said during a brief hearing, according to the Denver Post. After hours requests for comment were not returned from the Colorado attorney general's office, which prosecuted the McClain cases, or lawyers for Cichuniec. Jurors in December found Cichuniec, 51, guilty of criminally negligent homicide and also of assault in the second degree in a rare trial of paramedics in such a case. Cichuniec's partner, Jeremy Cooper, 49, was also found guilty of criminally negligent homicide, and was sentenced to 14 months of work release. Their joint trial was the last of three stemming from the death of McClain, 23, who was not alleged to have committed any crime when officers stopped him. One police officer was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to 14 months in jail. Two other police officers were acquitted. Local prosecutors initially declined to file charges in the McClain case. That changed following the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died at the hands of Minneapolis police. (Reporting by Brad Brooks in Longmont, Colorado; editing by Miral Fahmy) Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor, does not think peace in Ukraine can be achieved if the White House starts implementing the plan proposed by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance after the election. Source: Jake Sullivan at a panel discussion during the annual meeting of the Yalta European Strategy (YES) on 14 September in Kyiv, reports European Pravda Details: Sullivan stressed during the discussion that he was commenting on US-Ukrainian policy on a non-partisan basis, while considering the specifics of his position. This is why he only provided an unclear answer about Trump's position on Ukraine and avoided criticising it. However, Sullivan did comment directly on JD Vance's plan to end the war in Ukraine, which was unveiled this week. He criticised it and expressed his belief that such an approach would not lead to the fulfilment of the agreements. Quote from Jake Sullivan: "Any plan that basically aims to dictate peace conditions on Ukraine . is not sustainable." Sullivan emphasised the importance of the principle of "nothing [will be decided] about Ukraine without Ukraine". He also expressed a principled position on easing the sanctions pressure on Russia; in his opinion, this decision can only be made in consultations with Ukraine. Quote from Jake Sullivan: "We will not discuss the easing of sanctions without agreeing that this coincides with Ukraine's vision." Background: JD Vance proposed a plan that included a ceasefire along the current line of contact, the creation of a "demilitarised zone" on Ukrainian territory, and Ukraine's rejection of NATO membership. Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that, if elected, he will end the war immediately after winning the election even before his term officially begins. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed a desire to present his plan for Ukraine's victory to his American counterpart Joe Biden, as well as to US presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Support UP or become our patron! FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Zelenskiy speaks to the media in a front of an F-16 fighter jet on the Day of the Ukrainian Air Forces at an undisclosed location in Ukraine By Phil Stewart, Jonathan Landay and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the U.S. and Britain discuss allowing Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike deep within Russia, some U.S. officials are deeply skeptical that doing so would make a significant difference in Kyiv's battle against Russian invaders. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Washington on Friday to discuss with U.S. President Joe Biden whether to give Ukraine approval to use NATO-supplied weapons to hit targets far beyond Ukraine's borders, something the U.S. administration has so far not been willing to allow in the 2-1/2-year-old conflict. U.S. officials noted that Ukraine already has the capability to hit targets in Russia using drones. U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles would enhance that capability, but they are too costly and limited in number to reshape the dynamic, they said. Moreover, the Kremlin has largely moved perhaps the most immediate threat -- Russian warplanes launching glide bombs -- beyond the range of the U.S. missiles, the U.S. officials said. They also believe Kyiv should focus on halting a Russian advance in Ukraine's east. For Biden, the decision is not just tactical. It raises questions about whether authorizing such strikes might risk a direct war between NATO and Russia. Russia warned at the United Nations on Friday that authorizing Ukraine to fire missiles far into Russia would turn NATO into "a direct party to hostilities against a nuclear power," and Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that such a move would alter the scope of the conflict. White House spokesman John Kirby said on Friday the United States took such threats seriously, even as he acknowledged there was nothing new in Putin's rhetoric. Democratic U.S. Representative Jason Crow, a member of the House intelligence and foreign affairs committees, downplayed the threat of Putin attacking Poland or other NATO members in retaliation. "I don't believe there's any indication that Vladimir Putin has an interest in picking a fight with NATO," he told Reuters, pointing to Russia's massive losses of men and armor in Ukraine. "To the contrary, I think he is avoiding a NATO confrontation." WHAT WOULD UKRAINE STRIKE IN RUSSIA? Speaking at Ramstein Air Base in Germany a week ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the United States and its allies to ignore Russia's red lines and give permission for long-range strikes into Russia as a way to pressure Moscow. "We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on Russian territory ... so that Russia is motivated to seek peace," Zelenskiy said. Two European diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Ukraine has submitted to the U.S. and Britain a list of potential targets inside Russia that could be hit if allowed. The discussion about whether to ease restrictions on Ukraine echoes prior debates about Kyiv's pleas for other capabilities it hoped would give it an edge against Russian forces, from F-16 fighter jets to Abrams tanks. "You've heard this (debate) before," said one U.S. official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity. Ukrainians initially wanted to use U.S.-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles to hit Russian airbases, officials said. But the Pentagon has said 90% of Russian aircraft launching glide bombs, one of the top threats for Ukraine, are at airfields at least 300 kilometers (186 miles) away from Ukrainian-controlled territory. That puts them out of range of the ATACMS. Ukraine now wants to use the missiles to strike Russian military command and control hubs, fuel and weapons depots and troop concentrations, officials said. In addition to U.S. ATACMS, Kyiv wants to carry out long-range strikes into Russia using Storm Shadow missiles provided by Britain and the nearly identical French SCALP missiles. Although Britain is expected to seek U.S. approval before lifting its restrictions on Storm Shadow missiles, a French diplomatic source said Paris did not need authorization from Washington for Ukraine to use French missiles. FOCUS ON GROUND WAR Another U.S. concern is that focusing on long-range strikes downplays what could be a bigger immediate threat: Russia's advances on the ground inside Ukrainian territory toward the strategic city of Pokrovsk. U.S. officials believe the loss of the city would deal a significant blow. Analysts said Russia has many response options, short of direct war with NATO, if the United States or its allies allow Ukraine to unleash strikes deep into Russia. In June, Putin spoke of possibly arming the West's enemies with Russian weapons to strike Western targets abroad, and of deploying conventional missiles within striking distance of the United States and its European allies. Ulrich Kuehn, an arms expert at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy in Hamburg, said he did not rule out Putin choosing to send some kind of nuclear message - for example testing a nuclear weapon in an effort to cow the West. Still, Crow, the U.S. lawmaker, argued that Putin was in a weaker position after the Ukraine invasion, and any major response from Moscow created risks for him. "Vladimir Putin is not 10-feet tall. We have seen that repeatedly over the last couple of years. He's very vulnerable, and frankly, he's in a position of significant weakness, said Crow. (Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris, Elizabeth Piper, Mark Trevelyan and Andrew Osborn in London; Editing by Don Durfee and Cynthia Osterman) (The Hill) The American-made M1 Abrams is considered one of the worlds premier tanks, yet has still proven vulnerable to Russian drones and explosives on the battlefield in Ukraine, which had sidelined the armored behemoth. But Ukraine has now improved the Abrams, better protecting it through a relatively simple method: steel cages wrapped around the frame. Ukrainian officials behind the effort tell The Hill that the retrofit has worked extraordinarily well at protecting not just the Abrams but also other U.S. armored fighting vehicles like Bradleys. For the $10 million apiece Abrams, the relatively crude fix has helped keep the tanks on the battlefield. Ukraines 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade, an elite unit that has been fighting on the frontlines, said in a statement to The Hill that protective screens for combat vehicles such as Abrams and Bradleys are essential to preserve not only expensive equipment, but also the lives of soldiers on the battlefield. Although the Abrams is considered one of the best tanks, it is not invulnerable to threats such as anti-tank missiles and drones, they said. The development of additional protective structures is an important step to reduce the risk of damage from modern threats, including drones and explosives. MOSCOW, RUSSIA 2024/05/01: A destroyed US-made M1A1 Abrams tank is seen at a newly opened exhibition of trophy military equipment in Moscow. The posters read Victory. An exhibition of trophy military equipment captured by Russian servicemen during the Russian-Ukraine war, known as the special military operation in Russia, opened in the Victory Park in Moscow on May 1, 2024. Damaged, destroyed, and captured military equipment of NATO countries and Ukraine are exhibited to the Russian public. The Russian-Ukraine war began on February 24, 2024. Since then the NATO countries have been supplying the Ukraine army with weapons. (Photo by Vlad Karkov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Olexander Myronenko is the chief operating officer of Metinvest, one of the businesses supporting the Steel Front initiative, the project behind the steel cages that was started by the Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov to provide equipment for the military. Myronenko told The Hill that the screens can take one strike before they need to be replaced, but they are very effective at protecting the tanks by absorbing the hit and increase survivability by around 35 percent. The drones usually [try to] stop the machine, to stop the armored vehicle, so they try to hit the engine [or] the turret of the tank to block it, he said. And when the tank is blocked or stopped on the battlefield its just like a sitting duck for the artillery or another type of drone. Thats why this protection is necessary, to not allow the drone to do such damage, Myrononeko added. Ukraine began pushing for the Abrams tanks not long after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but the plea became more urgent at the beginning of 2023. The U.S. faced pressure from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials in Kyiv to give them the tanks, and soon top lawmakers in Congress were joining the calls. The Biden administration agreed to send 31 Abrams tanks in January 2023, and the decision also unlocked the ability for Germany to send its prized Leopard tanks. The first Abrams arrived in September 2023, and by October, all 31 of the tanks were in place. But just a few months later, reports began to circulate that the Abrams were being taken off the battlefield under assault from Russian drones. The Associated Press reported in April that five of the tanks had been lost to Russian drones and were taken off the frontlines. Because it received just a limited number of tanks, Ukraine is likely to have already been predisposed to closely guard its Abrams. But the Russian drones proved there was a serious weakness in the prized tanks. When you think about the way the fight has evolved, massed armor in an environment where unmanned aerial systems are ubiquitous can be at risk, Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Adm. Christopher Grady told the AP in April. Grady said the U.S. would be working with Ukraine on the issue. The Pentagon and the manufacturer behind the Abrams, General Dynamics, did not respond to requests for comment on this story. Creating steel cages, or slat armor, is not a new idea, with German and Soviet forces similarly armoring their vehicles in World War II. And U.S. servicemembers did something similar during the Iraq war for armored Strykers to protect against rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) threats. Still, Dan Grazier, senior fellow for the National Security Reform Program at the Stimson Center, who served in an Abrams tank unit in Iraq, said the Ukrainian steel cage design was ingenious. The idea of using a cage like that is to create some space so a round fired at it will hit that cage that will trigger the fuse below the main charge, he said. And instead of that main charge going directly into the armor, theres that little bit of space that will kind of blunt some of the energy. On both sides of the war in Ukraine, drones have been crucial, showing for the first time how these unmanned systems are changing warfare. Russias drones have menaced Ukraine, particularly in the past year-and-a-half after the fighting shifted to the 600-mile frontline across eastern Ukraine. Russian forces are tracking armor with surveillance and bombarding them with cheap, small, kamikaze-style, explosive drones called first-person view (FPV) drones that can even fly into a tank hatch before going off. The Ukrainian military approached Steel Front for a solution as they sought to get their sidelined armor back onto the frontlines, knowing the initiative had worked on similar efforts before. Steel Front, which has also made cages for Soviet T-72 and Ukrainian T-64 tanks, said one major shortcoming of the Abrams was that it had no fortification against Russias FPV drones. That made the Abrams unideal for use during the wars current state, Steel Front said in a press release provided to The Hill. So Steel Front, along with military engineers, analyzed the vulnerabilities on the tank that were typically damaged by FPV strikes to come up with the steel cages. Myronenko said an initial solution was first tested on Soviet tanks. The main thing is, there is a space between a protective screen and the main armor of the machine. And when the drone hits, it hits the protective screen [and] this explosion is not damaging the main armor, he said. The steel structures are wrapped around the hatch, turret and center-top of the tank, though crews can still easily exit it. There is also additional armor covering the tracks, which if hit can completely halt the tank. The primary armament, a 120mm Smooth Bore gun, is still freed up in the modification. The steel screens cost some $20,000 to make for an Abrams tank, according to Myronenko, but they are provided for free to the Ukrainian military. Each screen is made specifically for each type of tank. They cost a bit less for Bradleys. With this new technology, the Abrams tanks are nearly invulnerable to attacks from Russian drones, Steel Front said in the press release. But the steel screens are heavy: some 900 pounds. Steel Front says they are designed to not limit the operability of the tanks. Grazier said one drawback to the steel cages is that they increase the load of the Abrams, which is designed to carry the weight of the tank, around 70 tons. Its a very robust suspension system, but if you do start adding a bunch of weight to it beyond its design, then you could potentially have some mobility issues, he said. The mobility problem that you have when you start adding weight [will] increase the wear and tear on the components of the suspension. So far, 25 Abrams have steel cages, while 100 Soviet tanks and 75 Bradleys have received the upgrade, Myronenko said. The first orders of steel cages were completed in May and rolled out around June, according to Myronenko. They were built in a factory in Ukraine (sources did not disclose its location for security reasons). Steel Front said it has 10 to 12 specialists working on the tanks, which can take up to 12 hours to be equipped with a steel screen. The first modified tanks came just weeks before Ukraines August incursion into Russia, which used combined arms warfare to make a surprise blitz into the Kursk region. Ukraine has now taken in Kursk some 500 square miles of territory, captured around 100 settlements and imprisoned hundreds of Russian troops. The outfitted vehicles have made a difference on the battlefield, Myronenko said. When the tanks get hit by the shell or RPG or drone, they have more chance to stay alive and to save the machine, he said. Most of the feedback are requests to continue this production. 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. MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) United Way of Midland is partnering with several local businesses to host its Week of Caring Food Drive from Monday, September 16 to Friday, September 20. United Way said the project aims to support small local food pantries in need by collecting non-perishable food items for distribution throughout the community. During the food drive, members of the community will be able to drop off food at designated collection points throughout Midland. These locations include: United Way of Midland 1209 West Wall Street Blue Sky 3001 Loop 250 Frontage Road City of Midland 300 North Loraine (Lobby of City Hall) Kendra Scott 2900 West Loop 250 North APT 135 (Receive 20% off your KS purchase when dropping off donated items) Market Street 4706 North Midkiff Road Midland College 3600 North Garfield St. (HR Office, Student Services, Cowden Dining Hall) United Supermarkets 1002 Andrews Highway United Supermarkets 3317 Midland Drive New study calculates the potential price tag of living in Midland, Odessa Requested items include peanut butter, canned vegetables, canned soup, canned fruit, canned meat, cooking oils, beans, pasta, and juice. You can learn more about United Way of Midland and the Week of Caring Food Drive on the United Way of Midland 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 Yourbasin. VERMILLION COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) The Vermillion County Fairgrounds was filled with 5th and 6th grade students as it was the countys annual Conservation Day. Our 5th and 6th graders are our future leaders, said Vermillion County Purdue Extension Educator, Phil Cox. We need to teach them about our natural resources that need to be conserved. On Friday, the fairgrounds was jammed packed with different topics and activities for the students to do. State agencies such as Duke Energy, and Indiana Department of Natural Resources were in attendance to help educate students on the important of resource and energy conservation. We have 14 different topics we are presenting on about conservation, said Cox. Just to kind of get the youth of the county interested in all the different types of conservation. WTWOs very own Jesse Walker was in attendance, teaching 5th and 6th graders about weather and how it impacts us everyday. Students also had the opportunity to have hands on-experience with animals and learned the different types of resources they provide to us. You can only learn so much on the internet, off the screen in front of you, or even books but to go outside and actually get hands on experience and see things up close and personal is the best way to learn, said Purdue Extension Educator Phil Cox. This past week, both Vigo and Vermillion counties has put on conservation days, and taught over a thousand students across both counties and school corporations. 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 MyWabashValley.com. VERNON (KFDX/KJTL) After losing his life in a fatal accident on Thursday, Sept. 12, community officials are mourning the loss of an important figure in the Vernon community. Several people have posted their fond memories and goodbyes for Irl on Facebook on Thursday and Friday, expressing condolences for the loss of such a beloved figure. Among the tributes to Irl, Vernon ISD spokeswoman Kathy McClellan said, Irl loved children and he loved watching them grow and learn. His entire career was spent helping our students and working to give them the best education possible. Vernon College President Dusty Johnson expressed his support, saying, Irl Holt was an incredible gentleman with a great history of commitment to family, friends, community, and God. He was an inspiration to me personally and one of my heroes for how he lived his life. PREVIOUS STORY: Elderly man dead following two-car crash in Vernon Holt served 34 years at Vernon ISD as a counselor and principal at three different schools: McCord Elementary, Hawkins Elementary and Intermediate, which is now the Vernon Middle School. He spent 50 years serving his community as a reverend at Vernons Fargo United Methodist Church. When speaking on his retirement back in 2021, he said his favorite part of serving in the church was seeing people come from all over to worship. Weve had people from Altus, Oklahoma, coming over and joining us, Holt said. One lady whose husband was in the Air Force came several times. So, we just enjoy having people come out. Holts footprint extended beyond the church and the school district. He was also a longtime member of the Lions Club. Kenneth Baxter, a Lions Club member and a friend of Holt, spoke highly of his character and infectious enthusiasm for the clubs cause. Hes a great friend I guarantee you, Baxter said. I got him in Lions Club, and he has me putting the flag out, and he bounces off the tailgate faster than I do. But I mean, were just Hes kind of like an adopted dad or parent. One of Holts more recent efforts with the community came through the Lions Club Spot Vision Program. They were trying to acquire a $10,000 camera, and Holt footed over half the camera bill before anyone asked for help. His presence in the community solidifies Holts status as a man with a heart of gold now and forever. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News 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 Texomashomepage.com. VETERAN, N.Y. (WETM) A man from the town of Veteran has been sentenced to serve time in state prison after pleading guilty for his role in an incident of child sex abuse in 2022. According to the Chemung County District Attorneys Office, Joseph D. Storch, 44, was sentenced on Thursday, Sept. 12, to a minimum of three and a half years and a maximum of 10 years for the crime of use of a child in a sexual performance, a class C felony. Storch pleaded guilty to the crime on June 3, 2024. Two men arrested following sex trafficking charges in Chemung County Storch was charged for his role in the series of incidents that occurred in 2022 where he authorized a 14-year-old girl to participate in oral sex with 68-year-old Edward Wheaton. Wheaton was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison on July 31 for the crime of predatory sexual assault against a child, a class A-II felony. 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 WETM - MyTwinTiers.com. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) Stand Down 2024 at the Rochester Public Market is where veterans can connect with health care providers, employment opportunities, benefits, and more. The name of the fair Stand Down comes from the military term describing soldiers who are no longer in combat. Every year the Veterans Outreach Center, in collaboration with community partners like the VA, set-up this fair with the hope that no veteran is left without the services and resources they need to live full and healthy lives. Hundreds of veterans attend annually, taking advantage of what the fair has to offer. Its a great event we provide lunch and the va is here with a tremendous stock of clothing and supplies that are designed to get veterans through the cold weather thats coming down the pipe and provide just an astonishingly apropo amount of service to them in that process. Veterans are encouraged to reach out at any time to the V-O-C for information and assistance if they couldnt attend the fair 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 RochesterFirst. Rhonda Woods is a 71-year-old retired nurse who has voted across party lines her entire life. She cast ballots for Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush twice, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. This year, she said, voting for Trump is not an option something she felt even more sure about when the Republican presidential nominee tapped Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate. "I think it is important that we get somebody in office that can take over," said Woods, who lives in the battleground state of Michigan. "It's kind of stupid to think that a vice president isnt important, right?" More: Who won the debate? Harris' forceful performance rattles a defensive Trump. Vice presidential candidates have often been seen as understudies, silver medalists or the forgotten middle child. This year could be different. Voters like Woods say they are indeed paying close attention to Vance and his Democratic rival, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, during this truncated general election cycle as the candidates barnstorm the swing states. It's a spotlight that is likely to intensify as their Oct. 1 debate approaches in New York City. Recent polling from USA TODAY and Suffolk University found that when pitted against one another, Walz is more favored than Vance. And while Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will be atop the nation's presidential ballots and therefore top of mind for voters, observers say their running mates could help tip the scales in an election that may come down to the narrowest of margins in any one critical battleground. Interest in this year's vice presidential candidates has been top of mind for much of the campaign cycle. The COVID pandemic, the ages of both Biden (81) and Trump (78) and the assassination attempt against the former Republican president serve as stark reminders that every chief executive needs a capable No. 2, just in case. "I think they matter, but on the margins," said University of Dayton professor Christopher Devine, who's studied the impact of vice presidential candidates. "If this is an election decided on the margins, we could look back and say that was consequential." Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance (R-Ohio) walks off the stage on Sept. 5, 2024, at Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. VP resumes, gaffes dominate headlines For both VP candidates, the attention hasn't slowed down since they each secured their party's nomination this summer. Reporting by the Associated Press and New York Times highlighted Vance's connections to the people behind the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, a policy blueprint for a future Republican administration which both the Ohio senator and Trump have sought to distance themselves from. Harris' campaign resurfaced Vance's past remarks about women and families, including his criticism of "childless cat ladies" and suggestion that women who focus on their careers are on a "path to misery." Democrats have accused Vance of fixating on childlessness. It's literally part of what first inspired Walz to brand Vance as "weird" before Harris had even picked the governor as her running mate. Vance's debut also invoked comparisons to Sarah Palin, the little-known former Alaska GOP governor who some believe cost John McCain the presidency in 2008 for her tendency to invite scandal and go rogue once she'd made the national spotlight as his running mate. "That kind of s---'s just bizarre, and that could peel away some Republicans," said Chris Redfern, former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. "You're not going to gain Republican support from JD Vance, but you could certainly lose thousands of votes in a state like Michigan." More: 'He seems real to me': Tim Walz leads JD Vance on favorability in exclusive poll Criticism of Vance isn't limited to his policy ideas. Social media users have been quick to mock his interactions on the campaign trail, including an awkward stop at a Georgia donut shop that went viral. But allies of Vance and Trump say they've been impressed with the Ohio senator's media savvy and willingness to face his detractors head on. Walz, meanwhile, has received renewed scrutiny for his resume as governor and congressman. GOP leaders have attacked Walz's progressive policy actions as governor, such as making menstrual products available in boys' and girls' school bathrooms and protecting reproductive rights. Vance went after Walz's military record and accused the governor of stolen valor, which angered some veterans and Republicans alike. Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz makes a campaign stop at the Mesa Convention Center on Sept. 10, 2024. Walz's response to the violence following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, as well as his administrations oversight of the nation's largest pandemic fraud scheme, has painted a complicated picture of his actions during his tenure as governor and whether hes fit to serve as No. 2. Walz and his administration's responses to his actions during the civil unrest in 2020 have remained vague. A public records non-profit recently sued the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) for information and transcripts of interviews done with Walz's staff and possibly himself to learn more about how the administration handled the violence that resulted in an estimated $2 billion in damages. The non-profit requested a jury trial and is waiting for an answer from the state. What do voters think of Vance, Walz? Will the good, bad and ugly publicity be enough to sway voters? Trump in one recent interview said he doesn't seem to think so. "Historically, the choice of a vice president makes no difference," Trump said during the National Association of Black Journalists Conference in July. "You're voting for the president. You can have a vice president who's outstanding in every way, and I think JD is. I think that all of them would have been. But you're not voting that way. You're voting for the president, you're voting for me." Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz greet supporters during a campaign rally at Temple University on August 6, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harris ended weeks of speculation about who her running mate would be, selecting the 60-year-old midwestern governor over other candidates. Washington state resident and lawyer Erik Thacker, 35, disagrees. He believes vice presidential picks matter, and they were a part of why he voted for Biden in 2020. Thacker saw Harris as a more progressive version of Biden, who he described as an "establishment Democrat" to USA TODAY. "I was like, 'I'm on board with this,' (picking her as running mate) made me more likely to vote for him," he said. Thacker, a self-described independent, voted for Obama, then Mitt Romney, in 2016 he wrote in a third-party candidate, and in 2020 he voted for Biden. "When I was younger, I sort of thought VPs didnt really do anything at all," Thacker said. "I do feel like they've taken on more responsibility, we've at least sort of increased scrutiny of them in the public eye. I think were talking about them more." Thacker said he'll vote for Harris this year. Choosing Walz as her running mate wasn't necessarily the deciding factor, but a solidification that Thacker is making the right choice for himself. "I like a fair amount of Walzs policies from Minnesota," he said. I thought (his picking) was a little bit of signal that (Harris) might be breaking from the more centrist administration of Joe Biden." Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump campaigns for the first time with his chosen running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, in Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 20, 2024. Republican Roxanne Hoben is also heartened by her preferred candidate's running mate. The 55-year-old Pennsylvania resident was all in on Trump from the beginning and she initially hoped the former president would choose South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott as his No. 2. But the more she learns about Vance, the more she likes. "I like that he was in the Marines," Hoben said. "He has that disciplined mindset about him. I think he has family, God and country foremost in his mind, so that's a big plus. Hes very personable. I could listen to him for hours. He doesn't get on my nerves, if you know what I mean." More: Donald Trump missteps stir growing Republican worry, campaign seeks Vance reset While Trump's choice ultimately didn't affect her decision for November, Hoben said the assassination attempt against him in July underscored the need for him to choose the right running mate. "If he would've had his head turned slightly more, he would've been gone," she said. "Youre going to need somebody who's going to step right into his shoes." Woods, the retired nurse, isn't sold on either vice presidential pick yet. Vance is just a younger Trump, she told USA TODAY, "worse in a way." On the flip side, Walz being "one heartbeat away from being president of the United States" isn't reassuring to her either. "Walz is a nice guy," Woods said. "Can I see him being president? I dont know." Sam Woodward is the Minnesota elections reporting fellow for USA TODAY focusing on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's candidacy. You can reach her at swoodward@gannett.com, on X @woodyreports, and on Threads @samjowoody. She reported from Minneapolis. Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. She reported from Cincinnati. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How JD Vance, Tim Walz could shape 2024 presidential election Both vice presidential candidates, Republican Senator J.D. Vance and Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, will pay the Peach State a visit next week. Vance, who is running alongside former President Donald Trump, will headline the Georgia Faith & Freedom Coalitions annual dinner in Cobb County. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Monday night gala will also feature Governor and first lady Brian and Marty Kemp, Alabama Senator Katie Britt and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. This will mark Vances third stop in Georgia after being named Trumps running mate. He spoke at an Atlanta Trump rally last month and traveled to Valdosta a few weeks later. TRENDING STORIES: On Monday night, Walz, current Vice President Kamala Harris running mate, is expected to fly into Macon. The governor will speak at a campaign event the next morning in Macon before flying up to Atlanta, the Harris campaign announced on Saturday. Hell spend the afternoon at political events in Atlanta before heading to Asheville, North Carolina. There is no word yet on what events Walz will be participating in. He and Harris visited the Savannah area late last month as part of their bus tour, even dropping in on a high school band practice. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) The Vincennes Police Department put out a statement Friday evening in reference to the school violence threats. The following is the statement in its entirety. The Vincennes Police Department, along with all Vincennes schools, is aware of the recent threats of school violence that have been circulating nationally and locally on social media. As screenshots and snapchats get forwarded it becomes difficult to locate the origin of the post or statement. The Vincennes Police Department understands the seriousness of any type of threat to our schools, even though it may be vague and trending across the country on social media, we want the community to know that we are aware and taking necessary precautions. The Vincennes Police Department has increased our police presence in and around our schools and are vigilant in protecting our community and children. To help ensure safety in our schools we are asking for parents to talk to their children about the importance of social media responsibility and accountability. Please monitor your childs social media and discuss the dangers and potential consequences of posting, and spreading, serious statements such as threatening gun violence in our schools. Thank you for partnering with us to help keep our community safe. As of this press release, there is no current threat involving any Vincennes schools. 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 MyWabashValley.com. I visited airport lounges by AmEx and Chase. Both are great, but Centurion is better for 2 key reasons. Chase Sapphire Reserve credit cardholders can use special Chase-branded airport lounges. The six lounges compete with American Express' well-established Centurion Lounge network. Both are great lounges, and Chase is slowly catching up to the superior Centurion network. I've been a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card loyalist for years. I fly frequently for my job and invest the $550 annual fee for its comforts, like trip protection, free Global Entry, and airport lounge access. The latter includes Priority Pass and the Chase-owned airport lounges that have been popping up since 2023. However, I recently toured an American Express Centurion Lounge for the first time and realized what I've been missing out on. AmEx was the first credit card company to open a branded lounge at an airport when it launched Centurion in Las Vegas in 2013. Since pioneering the trend, AmEx has expanded its Centurion collection to about 30 locations worldwide, far exceeding Chase's six. The Centurion concept changed how people experience travel by making lounge access dependent on owning a specific credit card rather than on airline loyalty. Only those with an AmEx Platinum, AmEx Business Platinum, AmEx Centurion, Delta SkyMiles Reserve, or Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business credit card can enter Centurion. Centurion and Chase only compete domestically in New York City, and I've now experienced both locations at LaGuardia Airport. I liked Chase's unique amenities, but AmEx has an overall better airport lounge network. Given my travel habits, Centurion access alone would be worth having both Chase and AmEx in my wallet. Centurion and Chase are neighbors at LaGuardia. The entrance to the Chase lounge at LaGuardia is to the left of Centurion. Taylor Rains/Business Insider Chase's "Sapphire Lounge by The Club" is next door to AmEx's Centurion Lounge in LaGuardia's Terminal B. Chase also has lounges in Austin, Boston, Hong Kong, and Washington Dulles and plans to open new ones in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and San Diego. AmEx, by comparison, has 15 lounges in the US and 11 abroad, with two more planned in Salt Lake City and New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport. Chase's lounge is twice the size of Centurion. The first (top) and second (bottom) floors in the Chase Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia. Taylor Rains/Business Insider The 21,850-square-foot Chase lounge has two levels connected by a central staircase. The giant space has a dining room, a circular bar, an arcade, a playroom, a fireplace, and several separate sitting rooms, both upstairs and downstairs. I didn't mind the smaller Centurion. Inside the LaGuardia Centurion Lounge. Taylor Rains/Business Insider By comparison, AmEx's 10,000-square-foot lounge takes up one floor and has two main living rooms, a business center, a playroom, a dining room, and a bar area. I accessed the Centurion lounge thanks to an invite from AmEx since I don't have an AmEx Platinum credit card. Both had ample seating across several rooms. LaGuardia's Chase Sapphire Lounge (pictured) was spacious with more sitting room than Centurion. Taylor Rains/Business Insider The lounges felt spacious, with high ceilings and plenty of seats, loungers, and couches, though Chase's obviously had more sitting rooms. Although the smaller Centurion Lounge was busy during my early afternoon visit, I didn't feel cramped or crowded. During my visit to Chase, I found the upstairs area a good place to escape the crowds, as the downstairs was filling up by late morning. Chase has an arcade, a playroom, and a spa. AmEx's playroom is the bottom right photo, the rest are Chase. Joey Hadden, Taylor Rains/Business Insider Chase's lounge arcade, complete with a pinball machine and a shuffleboard game, was a surprise. I loved the retro theming, and I imagine it'd be an easy way to pass the time before a flight. Chase lounge-goers can also take advantage of free spa treatments from an on-site aesthetician before their flight. These include free 30-minute facials, which are largely aimed at relieving travel-related stress. AmEx had a designated playroom like Chase but no spa at its LaGuardia location. However, travelers can find the beauty service at the Centurion Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport. You can reserve a wellness room at the Sapphire Lounge. The rest pods at Chase LaGuardia. Joey Hadden/Business Insider Across from the Chase spa is a wellness room with large loungers for meditation, rest, or sleep. Guests can book one of the two pods for free. AmEx's LaGuardia location doesn't have a wellness center, but guests can find wellness-inspired offerings in many of its other global locations, such as Seattle, Houston, and London Heathrow. I personally wouldn't use a spa or other beauty service, as it's not my thing, so this practice at lounges goes largely unnoticed by me. However, BI's Joey Hadden enjoyed her pampering at Chase's LaGuardia lounge in February. Guests can pay extra for Chase's 'Retreat Suite.' BI's Joey Hadden toured the suites during an exclusive visit in February. Joey Hadden/Business Insider Chase's LaGuardia location has a special offering called the "Retreat Suite," which can be pre-booked for up to eight people for a fee starting at a steep $2,200. It is a private space away from the main lounge to work or relax, and its the lounge's only available shower. LaGuardia's Centurion Lounge doesn't offer the same luxury (though it has one bookable shower suite), but high-paying Centurion "Black Card" members can reserve a private room tucked away in the back of the business center. The LaGuardia version was small, roped off, and without a door. It was nothing particularly special except for the better alcohol offerings, though other lounges have larger and better Black Card-only spaces. The food at Centurion was better. Examples of the food and buffet at Chase (top) and Centurion (bottom). Taylor Rains/Business Insider The buffet food at both locations was good, but the Centurion food lived up to its reputation as being among the best lounge culinary experiences in the US. I liked the selection of lunch options available during my visit, like chicken, pasta, and mashed potatoes. I was also offered a few delicious experimental dishes the chef is crafting. Chase's buffet had simpler meals by comparison, but likely because it was serving breakfast at the time of my visit. Still, I can see room for heartier options in a true buffet style rather than small portions served in a little bowl. Chase had an a-la-carte menu. The a-la-carte options at both the New York-JFK and LaGuardia locations, including JFK's salmon (top left) and bao (bottom) and LaGuardia's omelet (top right). Taylor Rains/Business Insider Chase's a-la-carte menu is small, and I ordered an egg omelet in LaGuardia. At Chase's New York-JFK location, which I visited in July, I had salmon benedict and breakfast bao. All were simple but good. Other menu options included egg polenta and a tofu spinach wrap, among other options. Some of AmEx's other lounges, like in Mexico City and Mumbai, have a-la-carte dining, too. Both have a nice-sized bar. The Chase (top) and Centurion (bottom) bars. Taylor Rains/Business Insider, American Express The bar area at Centurion is less grandiose than Chase's circular-style one, but I thought the specialty cocktails were a nice touch. Still, guests will find a good selection of spirits, wines, and beers at both lounges. Besides alcohol, I didn't see much distinction as both had coffee, juice, tea, and soda, too. The service at Centurion was among the best. People eat in the dining room at the Centurion Lounge. Taylor Rains/Business Insider I loved the service at the Centurion Lounge. The employees were extremely attentive and friendly, and many people were on duty to help guests and keep the lounge clean. Chase has good service, too, but Centurion's simply stood out. I liked Centurion's separate business center. The business center had plenty of private nooks for working. Taylor Rains/Business Insider, American Express The business-specific room in the Centurion Lounge has several quiet and private places to work, including quiet rooms. There is also a large meeting table in the center of the room. Chase has similarly spacious meeting areas and little nooks to work or rest away from others. I loved the cabin-like ambiance of both. I liked the wood-like finishings and cabin-like decor in Chase (top) and Centurion (bottom). Both lounges have a lot of natural light. Taylor Rains/Business Insider The Chase lounge is big, with a lot of greenery, a fireplace, and cleverly placed trees to create a cabin-in-the-woods atmosphere. The color scheme is a little dull, but the colorful paintings and decor brighten it up. AmEx has a similarly cozy cabin vibe, with travel-inspired decor on the televisions and wood-like walls, though it is less in-your-face. Centurion also has intentional AmEx-branded decor, like pillows and artwork. I loved how the staple blue and white color palettes popped. Chase doesn't have the same branding, and I don't think it'd be obvious that it's a Chase-owned lounge just sitting inside. LaGuardia's Centurion Lounge just scratches the surface. BI visited AmEx's Denver Centurion Lounge after it opened in 2021. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider While LaGuardia's Centurion Lounge doesn't have the same high-end amenities as Chase, likely due to space constraints, AmEx's other lounges do and then some. For example, the Denver Centurion Lounge has a pool table, a game room with jumbo Connect Four and Checkers, a craft beer bar, and a live cooking station. The new giant Centurion Lounge in Atlanta has three outdoor terraces, while the Los Angeles location has "sunrise and moonrise" rooms to help ease jetlag. At New York-JFK, guests can find a two-story Centurion Lounge, complete with a speakeasy. Chase again sits next door to Centurion at that airport, but the roles are essentially reversed as AmEx offers spa services but not at Chase. Chase's Austin location has a terrace, but the food and drinks offered there aren't nearly as good as those at AmEx. Its Boston location, however, has the same luxe amenities as LaGuardia. I think AmEx has an overall better network. I visited an AmEx Centurion Lounge for the first time this month and was impressed. Taylor Rains/Business Insider The main thing I like about the Centurion Lounge network is that it covers most of the airports I regularly travel through. This was particuarly evident in places like Las Vegas and and Atlanta, where the Priority Pass lounges , which I get through my Chase credit card, are commonly crowded and underwhelming. Some busy airports like Los Angeles and New Jersey's Newark Liberty don't even have Priority Pass but LAX has Centurion, and Newark is getting one in 2026. Chase's network is a good start, and I'm hoping for international growth. I visited the Austin location in October 2023, which is exclusive to Reserve cardholders and not in the Priority Pass network. Taylor Rains/Business Insider Chase is playing catch-up with its six existing and four planned branded airport lounges, though its overseas footprint is lacking. Chase has a Sapphire Lounge in Hong Kong, but no other international locations. That compares to the nearly dozen global Centurion lounges across Brazil, Mexico, China, Argentina, Sweden, India, Australia, and the UK. I'd pay for both AmEx and Chase. I am seriously considering getting an AmEx Platinum card, but I won't give up Chase. Taylor Rains/Business Insider The $550-a-year Chase Sapphire Reserve and the $695-a-year AmEx Platinum are arguably the best travel credit cards available, but their hefty annual fees add up to $1,245. That's lowered to $745 and less once you factor in the travel credits, discounts on ride-shares and delivery apps, and freebies like TSA PreCheck. I personally see the benefits of having both Chase and AmEx for my frequent travel lifestyle, especially since I'd also gain Delta SkyClub access. AmEx would be beneficial for the Centurion network, which, when combined with Chase, would almost always guarantee me lounge access regardless of the airport. Plus, busy airports like Los Angeles, Denver, and Philadelphia don't have Priority Pass but they have a Centurion. Meanwhile, Chase is vital because of its Hyatt redemptions. I've earned status with Hyatt by only booking free rooms with points plus, I've found some stupid good deals. The Hyatt Place on Hawaii's Waikiki Beach I booked for my honeymoon in November, for example, cost $2,000 at face value, but I only spent 72,000 points. Read the original article on Business Insider RENTON, Wash. - As Boeing machinists hit the picket lines on Friday, local businesses near the manufacturing plant are already feeling the financial strain. Pickets appeared across the area from Renton to Everett after workers voted against a new contract, and the impact on nearby businesses is becoming increasingly evident. One such business is Carniceria Los Compadres 3, a meat market and convenience store that's been serving the community for eight years. Owner Maria Vargas Soto reflects on how the strike has affected her business. "At the beginning, it was, you know, like any business," Vargas Soto said. "But then throughout, we've actually had a good outcome. COVID hit, and it was bad. But then, after that, it picked up." Workers with picket signs outside the Boeing Co. manufacturing facility during a strike in Everett, Washington, US, on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Boeing Co. factory workers walked off the job for the first time in 16 years, halting manufacturing across the planemaker's Seattle hub after members of its largest union voted overwhelmingly to reject a contract offer and go on strike. Photographer: M. Scott Brauer/Bloomberg via Getty Images However, in the last week, she has noticed a significant slowdown. Vargas Soto attributed the initial slowdown to rising prices, but the strike has compounded the issue. "Usually, its the morning, lunchtime, Id say too, because we used to get a lot of workers, they would come in to get pops or, you know, like the essentials to eat," Vargas Soto said. "But weve noticed that its really slow." The quiet inside her store contrasts sharply with its usual busy atmosphere. The hum of the refrigerators is louder in the silence, and the shelves, though stocked, remain largely untouched. Maria observes the downturn with concern, acknowledging the substantial financial impact. "A lot of loss, I think, you know, its like, this is like part of our, you know, what brings food to the table for us," Vargas Soto said. The strike has left many local business owners, including Maria, caught in the crossfire. With revenue down about 50% since the strike began, Vargas Soto underscores the importance of each sale. The situation is further compounded by ongoing financial pressures. "The bills dont stop. Regardless of your situation, you have to be open for whoever comes in," Vargas Soto said. "Electricity bills and water bills and all that, they dont stop." As the Boeing strike continues, local businesses like Carniceria Los Compadres 3 hope for a swift resolution. "I would definitely want that to end," Vargas Soto said. Workers with picket signs outside the Boeing Co. manufacturing facility during a strike in Everett, Washington, US, on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Boeing Co. factory workers walked off the job for the first time in 16 years, halting manufacturing across the planemaker's Seattle hub after members of its largest union voted overwhelmingly to reject a contract offer and go on strike. Photographer: M. Scott Brauer/Bloomberg via Getty Images In response to the strike, Boeings Chief Financial Officer has stated that the company is actively working on an agreement to address the machinists' concerns. Local business owners and community members alike hope for a resolution that will bring relief to all affected. For now, the faint glow of the "OPEN" sign at *Carniceria Los Compadres 3* stands as a symbol of resilience, as Vargas Soto and other local businesses navigate the challenges posed by the ongoing strike. MORE NEWS FROM FOX SEATTLE Green River Killer Gary Ridgway booked into King County Jail River otter pulls young child into WA water, attacks family at marina How much does it really cost to go to the WA State Fair? We found out 30-year mortgage rates hit lowest level in 19 months, Seattle rents rise Seattle market sees rise in home listings, higher prices To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle newsletter. Walgreens will pay $106.8 million to settle federal cases arising from charging the federal government for prescriptions that were filled but patients did not pick up. File Photo by Brett Hondow/Pixabay Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Walgreens will pay $106.8 million to resolve alleged False Claims Act and state violations for billing federal health care programs for prescriptions that people did not pick up. Officials for Walgreens Boots Alliance and Walgreen Co. dba Walgreens agreed to pay the fine to resolve federal claims against the retail pharmacy that is the nation's largest, the Justice Department announced in a news release Friday. The DOJ says Walgreens submitted false claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs from 2009 to 2020 for prescriptions that the pharmacy processed but that patients never picked up. "As a result, Walgreens received tens of millions of dollars for prescriptions that it never actually provided to healthcare beneficiaries," the DOJ said in a news release Friday. Walgreens previously refunded $66.32 million and implemented changes to its electronic pharmacy management system to prevent future false billings. "Millions of Americans rely on the promise of federal healthcare through programs like Medicare and Medicaid," U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez of New Mexico said. "Fraudulently billing for prescriptions which are never dispensed endangers the integrity of these critical programs." The settlement ends three federal cases against Walgreens in New Mexico, Texas and Florida. "Due to a software error, we inadvertently billed some government health care programs for a relatively small number of prescriptions our patients submitted but never picked up," a Walgreens spokesperson said in a statement to Fox Business. "We corrected the error, reported the issue to the government and voluntarily refunded all overpayments. We appreciate the government acknowledged our compliance efforts as part of resolving this matter." Former Walgreens pharmacy manager Steven Turck initiated a federal investigation by filing a qui tam lawsuit in Texas and will get $14.92 million. Former Walgreens district pharmacy supervisor Andrew Bustos will get $1.62 million for initiating a federal investigation in New Mexico. We want whats fair: Boeing workers on strike in Washington take to the picket lines Boeing machinists take to the picket line in front of Boeings Paine Field facility as thousands of IAM District 751 workers begin their strike over unfair labor practices on Friday, Sep. 13, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry/Washington State Stadnard) Standing on the picket line outside Boeings Everett plant on Friday, Phil Westburg said not much has improved for aircraft machinists in the Puget Sound region since 2008, the last time he and other members of his union walked off the job. Were paying more now for a doctors visit and we lost our pension, said Westburg, who was among roughly 33,000 International Association of Machinists workers who went on strike after voting to reject a Boeing contract offer on Thursday. What theyve offered us now, if youre asking my opinion, was really a poor attempt to get us to accept the contract. We would like to get our pension back, said Westburg, who worked on the 787 production line before switching roles due to a workplace injury. They have to make money in order for us to have a job here, but we want whats fair to us a better pay increase. The failed tentative agreement reached by union and company leaders last weekend contained a 25% wage increase over four years, improved health care benefits, plus a commitment to make the companys next commercial airplane in the Puget Sound region. Workers sought 40% and argued that a provision eliminating annual bonuses ate into the wage hike. On Friday, a federal mediator stepped in. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service said it would convene with the two sides, with meetings early next week. FMCS has been in contact with both IAM and Boeing to support their return to the negotiation table and commends the parties on their willingness to meet and work towards a mutually acceptable resolution, the federal agency said in a statement on Friday. The strike comes as the aerospace giant is on slippery footing. The company is faced with mounting debt, scrutiny over its safety record after a door plug blew out of a 737 Max earlier this year, and hundreds of millions of dollars in fines over deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019. Boeing Chief Financial Officer Brian West told attendees of a Morgan Stanley investor conference in California on Friday that, in the near term, the company would be laser-like focused on actions to conserve cash and cautioned that the strike will impact production and deliveries and operations and will jeopardize our recovery. Weve got a very complex situation that were solving, he said, adding that financial impacts will be dictated by the duration of the work stoppage. A strong union and a strong Boeing Political leaders responding to the strike Friday signaled support for the workers without casting aspersions on the terms in the latest contract offer. The machinists action reflects both long simmering tensions and the real desire for recognition that workers have carried Boeing on their backs during the last several years of missteps and failures, said U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, whose congressional district includes the companys assembly plant in Everett. He encouraged the two sides to resume negotiating. The community wants both a strong union and a strong Boeing, Larsen said. Those two things have been hand in hand for years despite their differences. Support for the strike was decisive. The union said 94.6% of voting members rejected the contract and 96% voted in favor of the strike. Most of the workers covered by the contract are in Washington, but some are based in Oregon and California. This is about respect, this is about addressing the past and this is about fighting for our future, IAM District 751 President Jon Holden said Thursday before announcing the strike vote tally. Holden accused Boeing of labor practice misconduct leading up to the vote, including coercive questioning, unlawful surveillance and unlawful promises of benefits. Boeing has to stop breaking the law, it has to bargain in good faith, he said. Boeing noted Thursday ahead of the vote that average annual machinist pay wouldve climbed during the four-year contract to $106,350 from $75,608. That sum did not include earnings from overtime or a zoom increase to maximum pay that machinists receive after six years. The message was clear that the tentative agreement we reached with IAM leadership was not acceptable to the members, the company said in a statement following the strike vote. We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union and we are ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement. For Boeing, the strike means a major disruption in production. The company says it has more employees in Washington than anywhere else in the world. The strike idled multiple facilities and fabrication sites around the Northwest, including those in Renton, Everett, Auburn and Frederickson in Washington, and Gresham and Portland in Oregon. Work paused on three commercial airplanes, the 737 Max, 767 and 777, and three military aircraft, the KC 46A Pegasus refueling tanker, P-8 Poseidon patrol plane, and the E-7 Wedgetail, an early warning and reconnaissance plane. The companys facility in Everett is the citys largest employer and a major economic driver in Snohomish County. I hope it doesnt turn into a prolonged strike because it can have a devastating impact on working families and the local economy, said state Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett. Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, a Democrat, echoed that view. We know a long strike will be hard on workers, the company, and the regions economy, he said, adding that he supports whatever brings about a fair and quick resolution. Somers said he hopes the pledge to build the companys next airliner in the region makes it into a final contract. Enough is enough U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., who has been in touch with parties on both sides, wrote in a social media post that striking machinists decided they need more to continue powering our world-class aerospace industry. Its my hope that union leadership and Boeing will be able to address members concerns and reach a stronger, more acceptable contract offer that all parties can support, she added. When the machinists last went on strike in 2008 the walkout lasted about eight weeks and cost the company an estimated $100 million a day. This time, the halt in airplane production comes as Boeing posted a quarterly loss of more than $1.4 billion in the second three months of the year and saw its debt rise to nearly $58 billion from $48 billion during that time. In July, the company reached a plea deal with the federal government over plane crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. The agreement called for the company to pay a fine of at least $243.6 million and to invest $455 million in safety, quality, and compliance programs. Wigberto Bello, an aircraft painter for nine years at Boeing who was on the picket line Friday in Everett, said workers are under pressure to meet production schedules. The schedule seems to take precedence over quality at times and so were just done, were pretty much finished with that, he said. Enough is enough. We want to put quality out, we know what it takes to get quality out while still satisfying the customer. Despite what some of the leaders may say, he added, were the ones who are turning the wrenches, putting the paint on, staying up late and working the hours. Warriors to Washington started in 2014 as a way to celebrate post-9/11 veterans who have served. Joe Pfadt, president of the organization, said he wanted to provide an unexpected thank you and a trip to the nations capital made the most sense to honor the sacrifices made. Its a way to take those veterans and we take a veteran and their guest to Washington D.C. and we show them the sights that are there everything from the United States Capitol, the White House, said Pfadt. Pfadt explained a highlight of the trip is conducting a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. New nurse liaison program to extend healthcare services for PA veterans This years group includes veterans from the post-9/11 era and also the Vietnam era. We may be strangers when we get on the bus but by the time we get off the bus, were no longer strangers. Veterans always look after other veterans, said Rick Carr, paratrooper veteran A woman who has taken the trip several times told us this is her husbands first year attending and she is looking forward to him having a different perspective alongside his fellow veterans. Its an honor. Ive tried to go before and unfortunately couldnt make it. Finally, after about seven years, its going to work out, said Keith Sweet, retired Air Force veteran. Union City officially becomes part of the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail project Sweet says this will be a bittersweet trip for him as he remembers fallen comrades. Ive lost somebodies its an honor to go down there. Obviously, I wont be able to get to their grave but its an honor to go down and see where their final resting spot is, Sweet said. Its a way to give back. Its a way from one group of veterans to give to another group of veterans, said Pfadt. 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 WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com. WASHINGTON COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) The Washington County Office of Emergency Management is asking residents to conserve water after a water main broke on Saturday. The water main broke on Virginia Avenue near the I-70 overpass. As a result, the entire surrounding area is without water, and Route 11 is closed in both directions as of Saturday afternoon. Officials are advising drivers to avoid the area due to high water levels. The Washington County Office of Emergency Management said residents in the affected area should conserve water until further notice to ensure that available water supplies can be preserved and prioritized for essential services, including emergency response. Residents are asked to: Limit the use of dishwashers and washing machines. Take shorter showers and avoid baths. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving. Postpone activities such as car washing or lawn watering. Fix leaks and dripping faucets promptly. Two separate water main breaks impact customers in Arlington Bottled water is also available for residents of Van Lear and Tammany Manor. Affected residents can pick up bottled water at the Halfway Fire Department, located at 11114 Lincoln Ave. in Hagerstown. According to the emergency management office, water service for residents in Van Lear and Tammany Manor is expected to be fully restored around midnight. All other residents outside of these areas should start seeing their water service return to normal. 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. Walking out of an Idaho highway rest stop so filthy it presented a health hazard, I received on my phone an advertisement from the state of Idaho bragging about $4.6 billion in tax cuts since 2019, more than any other state per capita. I wish we had kept a few hundred dollars of this money to clean that highway restroom. The states failure to provide basic services such as clean public restrooms while peddling tax cuts signals the mismatch between what is and what is needed. Idaho needs school funding, realistic public criminal defense budgets, health care monies, etc., all makings of the glue that binds societies together. The current disquiet over water scarcity in eastern Idaho is the billboard advertising the states failure to effectively deploy its tax revenues. The Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer (ESPA) underlies approximately 10,800 square miles of the Snake River Plain in eastern to south-central Idaho. The ESPA stretches about 170 miles from Ashton in the northeast to Twin Falls and King Hill in the southwest. The water levels of the ESPA have steadily fallen since the early 1950s. An increase in irrigation pumping from the aquifer following the development of deep-well pumps, which could lift water from deep levels and power sprinkler systems, directly reduced water levels in the aquifer. Sprinklers further reduced aquifer levels because a well-adjusted sprinkler system sends water down only to the root zone of crops rather than seeping all the way into the aquifer to replenish and recharge it as traditional irrigation systems historically did. In sum, since the early 1950s, we took out more and put back less. In Idaho, the first person to use water the senior user has the right to use that water source before someone who seeks to put that water to use at a later time the junior user. This is called the prior appropriation doctrine, or first in time, first in right. When a water user applies to the State of Idaho for a water right, the user must show not only will the water be put to use, but that the new proposed use will not injure older water rights. For years since the early 1950s, the State issued many new irrigation pumping rights without careful anticipation of the effect these new rights would have on older existing rights. Finally, in 1992, the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) issued a moratorium on new irrigation rights in the depleted Eastern Snake River Plain and the underlying aquifer. This moratorium did not occur, however, before the state handed out more water rights than available water. Giving out more water rights than available water results in some junior users going without, or being curtailed, especially in a drier year of scarce water. A junior water user can avoid curtailment by providing water to the senior users if the junior can obtain water by buying water or water rights. The water user world calls this practice mitigation. In 2015, the junior water users and the senior water users on the Eastern Snake River Plain struck an agreement in which the juniors agreed to mitigate by changing the water budget on the ESPA by 240,000 acre-feet of water by either reducing junior use or providing water to the senior users. The juniors did not perform this agreement. As a result, the IDWR Director ordered the juniors dry up 330,000 acres of ground. This meant a massive loss of agricultural revenues to the state. Thankfully, the interested parties agreed to delay this enforcement for the 2024 crop year, seeking to negotiate a new way forward. Some in state government have suggested discovery of the path forward rests solely with water users. Further input from this state sector has focused on the senior water users lining canals or converting from traditional irrigation methods to sprinkler irrigation. Of course, as soon as the canals are lined or conversion to more sprinkler irrigation happens, there will be less recharge of water to the ESPA, speeding the current decline of the aquifer. Another obvious solution stares us in the face, a case of what is needed rather than what is. Remember the state handed out more water rights than there is available water, triggering some primary responsibility in the state actor for too much demand on too little water. Because we cannot make more water, the solution is reducing that demand, which the State can do. To reduce demand, the state can purchase water, water rights, or water storage and canal systems, or any combination of these measures. Such an action would permanently reduce demand to provide stability and certainty at the beginning of each irrigation season. Further, the State would have actual water to dispatch to lessen the difference between what is needed and what is available. If the states purchases cause reduced agricultural revenue, the overall outcome would be much less than drying up 330,000 acres. Further, depending upon how the state went about its business, it may only reduce water use on some acres rather than dry up acres altogether. For example, many acres have both natural flow rights and storage rights. While the State might purchase the storage, the natural flow would keep the acres active with reduced production. And these acres would not only be paid for their storage water, but could continue to use the storage water in years of plenty. Idaho should take responsibility and move to develop a long-term plan to reduce demand for limited water supplies. Tom Arkoosh is a former prosecuting attorney of Gem County, a long-time Idaho legal practitioner and former candidate for attorney general of Idaho. Assistant Chief Shawn Cate, right, and his crew with the Mount Baldy Fire Department survey the damage to homes from the Bridge fire along Bear Canyon Road on Thursday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Cooling weather gave firefighters a boost Saturday in their battle against three large Southern California wildfires that have scorched more than 100,000 acres, displaced thousands of residents in mountain communities and burned dozens of homes. The largest of the blazes, the week-old Bridge fire, forced thousands to flee as it ripped through Mount Baldy Village and Mountain High ski resort, consuming nearly 53,000 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. At least 33 homes were destroyed. Evacuations largely remain in effect. Farther east and south, firefighters were gaining more control. Evacuation orders were beginning to lift for the arson-sparked Line fire, which has chewed through 38,000 acres in the San Bernardino Mountains between Highland and Big Bear Lake. The Airport fire swept through 23,000 acres in Orange and Riverside counties and destroyed 89 homes and two businesses. "The cooler weather and higher relative humidity are allowing firefighters to increase these containment lines," said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi, who was working the Airport fire. "We are making significant progress. We do not believe the fire will get any bigger." An incoming cold front and cloudy weather this weekend are expected to bring more reprieve, officials said Saturday. Much of Southern California saw temperatures ranging from the high 60s to mid-70s throughout the day. Many parts of the region are expected to see a double-digit drop in temperatures, extensive cloud cover and a chance for light rain over the next few days, according to the National Weather Service. In one of the most drastic swings, downtown Los Angeles is forecast to see high temperatures in the low 70s, a nearly 40-degree drop from its high of 112 degrees Sept. 6. There is even a slight chance for light rain Wednesday and Thursday. These milder conditions along with increased humidity are also expected to extend farther inland near the wildfires. "As we've seen the last few days, there's been a pretty good cooling trend from the excessive heat wave that we saw persist for almost a week," National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Lewis said. "This provides some really nice relief, especially after these fires have been going out of control." The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection credited high moisture levels with slowing the Line fire, which was 29% contained as of Saturday but continued to creep into dry vegetation while making occasional runs along slopes. Favorable wind conditions also helped keep the Bridge fire the largest active wildfire in California within its current footprint, but it remained only 5% contained Saturday. The Airport fire was only 19% contained. Patchy fog and drizzling rain could help firefighters in these hot spots as well. "We're calling it more of a drizzle to light rain," Lewis said. "That'll likely impact these lower-elevation areas. It'll help dampen the fuels and potentially help put out some of the smaller spot fires." Meanwhile, communities stretching from the San Gabriel Mountains to Lake Elsinore remain under a smoke advisory from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The air district has encouraged residents to take precautions to protect themselves from dangerous levels of air pollution, including remaining indoors and keeping windows closed as wildfires have released large plumes of smoke and ash, which continue to hover over nearby communities. Last week, several air monitors in the Inland Empire detected fine-particulate pollution levels above the federal health limits, including Riverside, Ontario and Fontana. An air monitor in Big Bear City recorded the highest level with a daily average of 372 parts per million, more than 10 times higher than the federal health standard. The pollution has eased in many areas. However, communities in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains were still experiencing unhealthful air quality, according to the air district. 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. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) A Wenonah High School student was arrested after making threats towards his school on Friday morning, police report. Birmingham Police Department states that around 10:30 a.m., school resource officers were alerted about a threat made by a student. A 16-year-old male was in class when several classmates made a joke about him that he didnt like, according to the report. 1 shot, killed in Birminghams Collegeville neighborhood In response, the student said he was going to carry out a shooting at the school on Monday. Several students and a teacher were present when the suspect made the verbal threat. The student was arrested and the SROs presented case information to a Jefferson County Family Court magistrate. A juvenile petition was signed on the allegation of a second-degree charge of making a terrorist threat. This announcement marks the fifth high school in the Birmingham City School System that received threats this week, following arrests at Carver, Parker, Woodlawn and Huffman. 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 CBS 42. West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found in 2022 that Quantez Burks death was a homicide West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found in 2022 that Quantez Burks death was a homicide BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) The West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled in April 2022 that the death of a 37year-old man who died at Southern Regional Jail in March 2022 was a homicide. The information contradicts records West Virginia Department of Homeland Security provided to the public on November 15, 2022, in which Burks death is listed as a natural death. 59News became aware of the discrepancy in early September, after obtaining a copy of Burks autopsy report. Eight former Southern Regional Jail employees officers Andrew Fleshman, Nicholas Wimmer, Ashley Toney, Jacob Boothe, Mark Holdren, Cory Snyder and Johnathan Walters, and Lt. Chad Lester have been charged in connection with Burks death. Federal prosecutors allege a group of officers handcuffed Burks and led him to unmonitored rooms around the facility to beat him while he was handcuffed and then conspired with one another to falsify officials records and lie to federal investigators to cover up the death. Quantez Burks mother and fiancee react to plea deals offered to two officers charged in his death Four of the officers have entered guilty pleas to various charges, including conspiracy and watching officers beat Burks without intervening to help him. On Burks autopsy report, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner W. Ashton Ennis, M.D. wrote that the cause of Burks death was due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease, hardening arteries, obesity and blunt impact injury. The death followed blunt impact injuries to the head, torso, and extremities, which occurred during a confrontation with correctional facility guards in the setting of abundant natural disease, Ennis stated, ruling Burks death a homicide. Family of man who died at Southern Regional Jail release photos showing injuries 59News filed a federal Freedom of Information Act request with West Virginia Department of Homeland Security on Nov. 2, 2022, asking for records of inmates who had died at Southern Regional Jail between 2018 and November 2022, including the cause and manner of death. On November 15, 2022, 59News received an emailed response, with the official seals of West Virginia Division of Corrections Interim Commissioner Brad Douglas and West Virginia Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeff Sandy, along with a list which purported to show data from the requested records. The records provided to 59News showed one death at Southern Regional on March 1, 2022, the day Burks died. Criminal investigation underway into the death of SRJ inmate WVDHRS records showed the cause of death was heart disease and listed the manner of death as natural. Governor Jim Justice fired Douglas in 2023, along with WVDHS general counsel Phil Sword, after Southern District of West Virginia Magistrate Judge Omar Aboulhosn wrote in court documents in October 2023 that their handling of records in a civil suit regarding inhumane conditions at Southern Regional Jail was a dereliction of duty. The WVDHS paralegal who provided the Southern Regional records to 59News under the FOIA request in 2022 declined to be interviewed on Friday, September 13, 2024, and said that she is not a spokesperson for WVDHS. She said that she receives records from agencies and prepares responses to FOIA requests but does not prepare the records kept by the agencies. West Virginia Division of Corrections is a sub-agency of WVDHS. West Virginia Department of Homeland Security officials had not immediately responded to a request for comment by Friday afternoon. Quantez Burks family speaks out on charges against Southern Regional Jail officers An attorney for the Burks family, Stephen P. New of Beckley, said on Friday, My only comment is that DHS should not have commented a natural death when the autopsy report shows homicide.' Another section of Burks autopsy, titled Circumstances of Death, states that Beckley Police Department officers had called the jail on Feb. 28, 2022, the day Burks was arrested, to state they were bringing a {sic} uncooperative male in. The section states that Burks was cooperative with Southern Regional staff when being booked and details that Burks had high blood pressure and was seen at the on-site jail medical center, which was contracted by Prime Care Medical West Virginia in 2022. During the time {Burks} was being treated by the medical staff, he stated that the Beckley Police Officers whooped him pretty good the day before, officials stated in the autopsy report. In the section, officials wrote that Burks had hallucinations the next morning and became uncooperative with corrections officers, who struggled with him. Steven Robinsons mother questions policies at Southern Regional Jail after son reportedly overdoses in jail Officials wrote in the section that Burks then declined medical care when Southern Regional officers took him to the medical center and that he went limp as officers walked him to a lock down room, that guards kept him from falling and that he collapsed after walking about 50 feet. The section notes that Burks had swelling to his head, contusions and multiple other injuries but states, SRJ staff had no record if the contusions was {sic} there before todays incident. The account in Burks autopsy contradicts the official public statement of West Virginia Department of Homeland Security officials released on March 1, 2022, hours after Burks had died. WVDHS officials told the public on March 1, 2022, that Burks was combative both during the admission process and later that evening on Feb. 28, 2022. He was again combative around 10 a.m. the following morning, assaulting multiple staff while attempting to force his way out of the section, WVDHS officials stated on the day Burks died. Beckley Police Department staff released video of Burks arrest to 59News in May 2023. Officers appeared to struggle briefly with Burks, who did not want to be placed in handcuffs or in the police car. Later, Burks quietly walked, handcuffed, from a police car into Southern Regional Jail and did not appear to be injured. Matthew Harman, a Georgia attorney for the Burks family, said in 2023 that it was highly unlikely that interaction with BPD officers had caused serious injuries to Burks. Attorney New has said medical records show Burks should have been transferred to a local hospital for treatment of extremely high blood pressure, first when he was admitted and, later, after Prime Care staff checked his blood pressure several times and noted it was dangerously high. Burks family members have said Burks was calling for medical help when he used an intercom button and tried to exit a section of the jail, prompting the alleged beatings by jail staff. Civil rights attorney calls on Governor Justice to release Southern Regional Jail video New has alleged in a civil lawsuit that Prime Care nurses conspired with corrections officers to help cover up Burks death and that they did not provide medical care, did not alert officers of Burks condition, did not file a mandatory form to report the use of force by officers on a patient and that one nurse suggested Burks be injected with insulin as a way of explaining his death. The nurse has denied the allegation. 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. With the threat of devastating wildfires looming over the Cheyenne Mountain community, hundreds of students, parents and first responders gathered outside The Broadmoor World Arena Friday morning to run through a new emergency response plan. About 250 Cheyenne Mountain School District 12 students waited patiently on one side of the arena as school staff coordinated with the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management, Colorado Springs Police Department, Colorado Springs Fire Department and other local school districts on a new wildland fire emergency evacuation exercise. Because of its location at the bottom of the namesake mountain, along with other distinctions, D-12 recently determined wildland fires to be the "most impactful" kind of emergency it could face and developed a plan and procedure in the event this should occur. "Obviously, we constantly think about all the potential safety risks to the district, and wildland fire kept coming to the top," D-12 Superintendent David Peak said. Peak added that the district already has smaller-scale emergency procedures in place, but nothing that involved mass evacuations. D-12's security personnel began developing the plan this spring with PPROEM, and the district informed parents of the initial exercise last month in advance. Additionally, because of the district's smaller size of about 3,700 students, narrow neighborhood streets and close school locations, the district has opted over the years to only utilize bus transportation for its special needs students and school activities with students typically walking, biking and carpooling to school. This exacerbated the district's ability to evacuate in the case of an emergency. Featured Local Savings As a solution to the lack of transportation, D-12 collaborated with neighboring school districts Harrison D-2 and Colorado Springs D-11 to provide additional school buses and personnel in the event of an evacuation. The arena was selected as the drop-off/pick-up location because of its size and manageable location. Following a monthly fire drill, students across the district's schools were dropped off at the outside of the arena as they waited for their notified parents to pick them up. Parents were notified throughout the process via Thrillshare, an online tool that updates parents via text, email and voice messages. It was good; it was easy, said D-12 parent Rob Bogojevich said of the whole process. Im glad theyre doing this and that theyre doing this now before, you know, something happens. Students were bused to one area of the arena while perimeters and areas were set up for parents to sign in, students to reunite with their parents one by one and media personnel to gather outside of operations. We want to try and keep everybody separated as we get everybody transported, in the event of the typical traffic we might see around here, Peak said. Following the completion of the exercise, the various parties met for a debrief to discuss options to improve operations going forward. Most families agreed that the trial run was relatively smooth. No, I think it went pretty well, parent Britanny Vanderburg said when asked if she had any recommendations. Id say, maybe, just find a way to keep them out of the sun going forward. The property of a western North Carolina camp where a 12-year-old boy died is now up for sale. All children removed from Trails Carolina amid death investigation The 32-acre Trails Carolina property in Transylvania County is listed for $3.2 million, ABC affiliate WLOS reported. The boy died of asphyxia due to smothering at the wilderness therapy camp in February, according to an autopsy report released in June. It also said the manner of death was homicide. No charges have been filed in the case. The sheriff is in talks with the district attorney about the next step, WLOS reports. VIDEO: Nurses hike through wilderness at night to provide life saving blood transfusion PROVIDENCE - The hammering an uneven chain of concussive metallic thuds begins most nights around 10 p.m., just when residents at the southern tip of Fox Point are thinking about getting to sleep. And it continues until dawn, when workers tearing down the derelict westbound Washington Bridge reopen Gano Street and turn to quieter, less intrusive demolition work. This nocturnal construction schedule wasn't what residents of the neighborhood were expecting when they heard the bridge would be torn down and some probably would have objected had the demolition contractor or state Department of Transportation reached out and told them about it. "Before this project started, they were supposed to consult and talk to the local community about some of the challenges with demolition, and they didn't do any of that. It was a total surprise," Lanre Akinsiku, who lives a few hundred yards from the bridge said Thursday at the corner of Wickenden and Wade streets. "My wife's eight months pregnant. There's a kid that lives at the end of the street. There's a school right up here. All kinds of vulnerable people and they've been totally uncommunicative." An emergency bridge teardown in the middle of the capital city was never going to be painless. But when a consortium led by Aetna Bridge Company submitted the winning bid for a $45.8 million demolition contract, it proposed community outreach and a "Project Public Involvement Plan" to help mitigate disruption. Here's who is in the crosshairs: State files sweeping lawsuit over Washington Bridge shutdown "Details about construction communication will be described in the Project Public Involvement Plan developed at the onset of the program and informed by community knowledge," the Aetna Joint Venture bid said. "Whether it be noise, dust, or concerns about traffic impacts, we recognize this issue and have been evaluating ways to ease the burden on pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists and those living adjacent to the project." The contractor also said it would attend "up to four" coordination meetings "with the State and other stakeholders," and take meeting minutes. And it would "assume one presentation and two meetings" for "interested neighborhood groups, businesses, professional groups, and other organizations." So far, there has been no indication any of those things were done. The Journal requested a copy of the Project Public Involvement Plan Thursday from the state Department of Transportation and any meeting minutes, but so far hasn't heard back. Lawmakers want answers House Majority Leader Christopher Blazejewski and Sen. Sam Zurier, who represent residents near the demolition site, are also trying to find out what happened to community outreach and noise reduction efforts the DOT promised before work began. In an Aug. 22 response to the lawmakers' questions to DOT Director Peter Alviti Jr. about what outreach would happen, DOT Director of Project Management Lori Fisette listed all the public the items in Aetna's bid, including the"meetings with stakeholders," "meetings for interested neighborhood groups and businesses" and the "Project Public Improvement Plan." Under the heading "noise," the letter said: "The loudest noise and concussive generating activity is expected to be the use of excavator mounted hydraulic demolition hammers. As best as possible, we will schedule the use of this equipment during the daytime hours." On Wednesday, Blazejewski and Zurier wrote to Alviti and Fisette with a list of concerns, among them that instead of through advance notice, they had only learned about the start of demolition via news release and constituent complaints about a week after crews had begun ripping up concrete around Memorial Day weekend. "In your August 22 response letter, you indicated that RIDOT would be taking several steps related to mitigating the negative effects on residents in the surrounding area and address their concerns," they wrote. "Based on information received from our neighbors, none of this public outreach from RIDOT has occurred." The lawmakers also questioned why the DOT had told them hydraulic hammering would be used during daytime hours when the opposite was true. "Would you please let us know when you plan on addressing these issues related to public outreach and impact mitigation in a timely manner," they wrote. Frank McMahon, spokesman for Aetna, referred all questions about public outreach and noise mitigation to the DOT. More: Grant program opens for businesses with Washington Bridge losses. Here's who is eligible. Traffic trumps noise concerns It's not clear exactly when the decision was made, but DOT spokesman Charles St. Martin Wednesday told the Journal that the state ordered overnight hammering, and accompanying closure of Gano Street, to avoid traffic backups during the day. "While RIDOT typically attempts to conduct demolition during the day, in this instance we chose to conduct demolition at night, as daytime work would have necessitated a daytime closure of Gano Street that would have caused extensive congestion and delay on city streets," St. Martin wrote. "This decision was made in concert with the City of Providence." St. Martin said there have been no change orders to the Aetna joint venture demolition contract. What does Providence Mayor Brett Smiley think? "We know that this demolition will unfortunately have a temporary negative impact on our neighbors in this area but we also know that if the necessary construction taking place on the bridge was conducted during the day our community would be faced with even more significant traffic congestion in this neighborhood as it would necessitate the closure of Gano Street," Smiley spokesman Josh Estrella wrote. "When the city was made aware of this construction, we communicated it out via our channels to residents wherever possible." On Friday, the DOT announced that demolition is set to begin on the East Providence side of the bridge Tuesday with the closure of Waterfront Drive. In contrast to the Providence waterfront, in East Providence, "Demolition activities using jackhammers will be limited to daytime hours only," the DOT news release said. Is this about incentive payments? When the DOT went out to bid for a demolition contractor, it prioritized a fast wrecking plan and is offering a $3-million bonus if the old structure is down by next March. There was one other bidder whose price proposal was lower, but the Aetna joint venture plans to have the bridge down by January to qualify for the bonus with time to spare, but trying to satisfy neighborhood demands is the kind of thing that could slow a project down. The total cost of the demolition project, including contingency and other things not included in Aetna's contract, is $58.2 million according to the DOT's latest monthly "snapshot" report. There is also a question of why the state is still willing to pay an incentive for speed when there is no design, no contractor or even bidding process in place for a replacement span. With every month that goes by without a new request for proposal to rebuild the bridge, it becomes more likely the old bridge will be gone before anyone is ready to start work on new construction. The DOT has said it is still reviewing the responses it received Aug. 1 to a confidential construction industry sounding board effort after an initial reconstruction procurement got no responses. What's being done: Will Washington Bridge lawsuit documents be publicly available? So when does the noise stop? "We expect to complete the loud, jackhammering demolition during nighttime hours soon, by the middle of next week," St. Martin said. "We will continue to do other demolition activities, but the noise will be reduced dramatically. All of the jackhammering associated with demolition will switch to daytime hours after the middle of next week." Back in Fox point, Akinsiku, a Brown University professor, said he would have liked to have seen consideration of having the demolition work start after the afternoon commute perhaps 7 p.m. instead of 10 p.m. and then stop at 1 or 2 a.m. so people could get at least a little sleep. He's also concerned there is no scientific monitoring of the air quality for dust and particulate matter on his street. "None of this is hard and none of it takes much thought," he said. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Washington Bridge: Neighbors want answers about noisy, late-night work Luxury watch dealers and jewellers have been targeted by anonymous messagers demanding payment to unblock their accounts Luxury watch dealers and jewellers who ply their trade on WhatsApp are being targeted by an army of scammers who threaten to get them banned from the platform unless they pay thousands of pounds in ransom. Small business owners told The Telegraph that their WhatsApp accounts had been banned without explanation. They said that both before and after the bans they had been contacted by anonymous accounts demanding payment in cryptocurrency, either to leave the victims alone or restore access. Thanks to its privacy and ease of use, the Meta-owned messaging app has been adopted by a legion of entrepreneurs who use it to market expensive watches, chains and other jewellery, contact customers, conduct details and store records. With prices for some watches reaching into the tens of thousands of pounds, having their account disabled for a matter of weeks can result in a significant amount of lost income. The businesses say Meta is doing little to help, leaving their operations hamstrung while they rack up losses and fall behind competitors. It has also emerged that the contact form for businesses on WhatsApps help page is broken, making it harder for them to report problems. When the issue was brought to Metas attention by The Telegraph, the company said it had flagged the issue internally. Tony Singh, who runs Asian Wealth Jewellers, a luxury watch and jewellery dealership that trades in the UK and Canada, received messages in early August from a scammer threatening to have his WhatsApp account banned unless he paid a ransom. Mr Singh refused, and woke up the next day to find his account out of action. He said: I was in limbo. It really affected me, personally, business and financially. During the time he was banned, Mr Singh communicated with numerous social media accounts claiming to be able to unban his account for a fee. Many of these viewed by The Telegraph appear to originate from India. He said: Theres a huge network of people that use Meta for business, whether its Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, its used as part of our daily lives. When you take them away ... what do you do? [If you] start again you lose everything that youve got. It comes after another luxury watch dealer, Tom Bolt, suffered a major hit to his income in August when he too was inexplicably banned from WhatsApp. He told The Telegraph earlier this month: My loss of earnings was significant. If they can just randomly cut people off, then everyone who is using the service and others such as Facebook and Instagram to try and earn a living is at risk. Mr Singh added: Its caused me such an effect, where people have stopped contacting me, offering me watches and jewellery because Im unavailable via WhatsApp. In both cases, their accounts were restored this week after The Telegraph questioned Meta over the ban. However, in both cases Meta refused to say why the account had been banned in the first place or why attempts to appeal had been unsuccessful. Immediately after Mr Singhs account was unbanned, a scammer claiming to be a Meta representative who he had spoken to while banned, got in touch and took credit for the removal of the ban and asked for payment. You have to pay 1.2k$ for unban and 2k$ for putting shield on it, the person said. Mr Singh said: Now theyre saying they want more money, they want to shield my number, [so it] doesnt happen again. What do I do now? A third watch dealer was contacted over WhatsApp and asked to pay 1,500 or they would have their account and Instagram profile banned. Both Mr Singh and Mr Bolt say they struggled to get in contact with Meta while they were banned. They are still in the dark as to how and why their accounts were banned in the first place. Mr Singh said he believed scammers were targeting luxury goods dealers specifically because of their reliance on WhatsApp as a platform. A watch dealers business is basically running group chats, communicating with one another, buying and selling for one another. Its a very secret, trusting group. The scammers claim to be able to get WhatsApp and Instagram accounts banned, unbanned and shielded, which they claim means they will never be able to be banned again. Meta said shielding accounts is not possible. Several accounts reviewed by The Telegraph advertise their services using the messaging app Telegram. One person who said he ran a service for banning and unbanning users, said it was trivial to report accounts and have them suspended. They will check but not very well, the account claimed. Instagram and his team is not working their work perfectly. The person claimed they could un-ban accounts through individuals who have access to parent company Metas systems, a claim that The Telegraph could not verify. Beyond issues with scammers, frustration is growing at the number of unexplained bans being handed out by the social media giant, despite it simultaneously advertising its WhatsApp business platform to entrepreneurs. A WhatsApp spokesman said: We are always working to stay ahead of bad actors trying to abuse our service and we work to ban their accounts to help keep people safe. Sometimes we get this wrong and so well fix it as quickly as possible to get people back to chatting. Weve seen the rumours that somehow our staff is intentionally banning the wrong people and this is entirely untrue. 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. Where is Dennis Bowman, subject of 'Into the Fire', now? A new Netflix documentary, Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter, tells the tragic story of Aundria Bowman, who was murdered by her adoptive father, Dennis Bowman, when she was 14. Aundria vanished from her adoptive familys house in Hamilton, Michigan, in March 1989. For decades, her adoptive father supported the narrative that she had run away from home. However, the cold case of Aundrias disappearance took a turn when the late teens biological mother, Cathy Terkanian, learned in 2010 that her daughter had gone missing. Over the next decade, Terkanian went on an incredible quest to discover what had happened to her child. "Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter" follows Cathy Terkanian quest to discover what happened to Aundria. In 2019, there was a major breakthrough in the case when Dennis Bowman was imprisoned for a different crime, the 1980 rape and murder of a 25-year-old woman, Kathleen Doyle, in Virginia. Facing charges related to Doyles murder, Dennis Bowman confessed to killing Aundria. He pleaded guilty to both murders and is now imprisoned. Read on to learn more about what Dennis Bowman did and where he is now. More 'Into the Fire' Cathy Terkanian, the mom in 'Into the Fire' talks about her heartbreaking search for justice What did Dennis Bowman do to his adoptive daughter Aundria Bowman? Before she died, Aundria was allegedly physically and emotionally abused by Dennis Bowman, multiple people who knew her as a teenager said in the documentary. Brenda Bowman testified that Aundria had confided in her that Dennis Bowman had molested her. She then told Aundria these allegations were a lie, according to an excerpt of her recorded testimony shared in the documentary and also by Fox 17. Aundria later recanted her testimony, Brenda Bowman said. After Aundria vanished in 1989, Dennis Bowman maintained for decades that Aundria had run away and was missing. However, he later confessed to murdering his adoptive daughter. He confessed to killing her in a conversation with his wife when he was already in prison for the rape and murder of Kathleen Doyle. In the conversation with Brenda Bowman, which was filmed and shared in Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter, Dennis Bowman said the day Aundria went missing, he encountered her at their family home, and she said she was leaving. We got into an argument and I said, No, youre not leaving, youre not going anywhere. And she said, Well, Ill just tell the counselors again that you molested me. And I said, No, you wont, and I hit her, Bowman said. Aundria Bowman was murdered by her adoptive father, Dennis Bowman. Bowman said Aundria fell backwards down the stairwell, and he said that when he checked on her, she wasnt breathing and didnt have a pulse. He told his wife that he moved Aundrias body to a barn on their property, then called the police and said she was missing. Bowman said Aundrias body laid out there for a couple days. He then said he dismembered her body so that it would fit into a cardboard barrel. That story, however, was not true. The police said they intercepted a letter to Brenda Bowman in which he confessed to burying Aundria in their backyard. The documentary also plays footage of the police speaking to Dennis Bowman about Aundrias bodys whereabouts. Eventually, Dennis Bowman revealed the location of Aundria's body during a phone call with his wife. When they moved to a new house in 1990, a year after Aundria's death, Dennis Bowman took the barrel containing her remains and buried it in their new backyard. I dug the hole, and I put the barrel in, he said. Shes been right there the whole time. Her remains were recovered in a shallow grave at their home in Monterey, Michigan, per Michigans WWMT. TODAY.com has reached out to Brenda Bowman for comment. The Netflix documentary showed detective Jon Smith interrogating Bowman. What was Dennis Bowman convicted of? In 2020, Dennis Bowman was charged with open murder, felony murder, first-degree child abuse and mutilation of a body, per Michigans WWMT. He pleaded no contest to second-degree murder for the killing of his adoptive daughter in 2022, according to a press conference about his sentencing in Allegan County, Michigan. At the time of his sentencing, he was already serving two life sentences, plus 20 years, for the rape and murder of Kathleen Doyle, along with a burglary charge related to those crimes. He was sentenced to 35 to 50 years for Aundria Bowmans murder, according to Michigans WWMT. Dennis Bowman had previously served five years in prison in the early 80s after he was convicted of assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, according to court documents shown in the documentary. Where is Dennis Bowman now? Dennis Bowman, who is now 75, is currently an inmate at the River North Correctional Center in Independence, Virginia, according to what appears to be his inmate record from the Virginia Department of Corrections. He will spend the rest of his days in prison. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Where Is Susan Smith Now? A Look At Her Life in Prison 30 Years After Drowning Her Sons Susan Smith was served a life sentence after the 1994 murder of her sons. Now, she's eligible for parole in November 2024 Brooks Kraft LLC/Sygma/Getty Legal identity photograph of Susan Smith In October 1994, Susan Smith captured national attention with a terrifying tale: The young South Carolina mother, who was 23 at the time, claimed a Black man had carjacked her, and that he had taken off with her two toddlers in the car. The truth, however, was even more devastating. After nine days of tearful pleas for her sons safe return, Smith confessed that there had been no carjacking. In reality, she had driven her car to a local boat ramp and let it roll into a lake with her sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander, strapped inside. Smiths alleged motive for the murders was that she was secretly dating a local businessman, Tom Findlay, who didnt want children. In an effort to save their relationship, Smith drowned her two young sons. But Smith who has been serving a life sentence for the killings since 1995 insists that she is misunderstood. I am not the monster society thinks I am, she wrote in a 2015 letter to The State, a South Carolina newspaper. I am far from it. She continued: Something went very wrong that night. I was not myself. I was a good mother and I loved my boys. There was no motive as it was not even a planned event. I was not in my right mind. Now, after nearly 30 years behind bars, Smith is set to be eligible for parole on Nov. 4, 2024. From her life behind bars to her upcoming parole date, heres everything to know about where Susan Smith is now. She has been serving a life sentence since July 1995 Dave Martin/AP Murder defendent Susan Smith departs the Union County Courthouse in Union, S.C., on Wednesday, July 19, 1995 Smith came clean about killing her two children nine days after their murder, and on Nov. 4, 1994, their bodies were recovered. Smiths murder trial began in July 1995. The prosecution sought the death penalty and alleged that it was Smiths desire for a relationship with Findlay who did not want children that led her to kill her two sons. The defense, however, portrayed Smith as a woman with mental illness who intended to kill herself and her children on the night of Oct. 25, 1994 but saved herself at the last moment, according to The New York Times. The trial lasted less than a week, and the jury took less than two and a half hours to find Smith guilty on two counts of first-degree murder, The New York Times reported. However, the jury declined to give Smith the death penalty instead sentencing her to life in prison. Smith, who was 23 at the time, would be eligible for parole 30 years later, in 2024, according to The Washington Post. We all felt like Susan was a really disturbed person, juror Deborah Benvenuti told reporters. And we all felt that giving her the death penalty wouldnt serve justice. However, the boys father, David Smith, told reporters at the courthouse that he did not feel justice had been served. Ill never forget what Susan has done and Ill never forget Michael and Alex. Me and my family of course are disappointed that the death penalty wasnt the verdict, he said. Two prison guards were charged with having sex with Smith Smith began her life sentence at the Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution in Columbia, S.C. During her time at that prison, she received two infractions for having sex with prison guards. The incidents were discovered in 2000, when Smith was 28. According to UPI, 50-year-old prison guard Houston Cagle had had sex with Smith at least four times. An investigator discovered the affair while looking into tabloid claims that Smith had been beaten. Cagle pleaded guilty and was fired. He spent three months in jail, and Smith was disciplined. In September 2000, a prison captain named Alfred Rowe was arrested for having sex with Smith, according to ABC News. Their encounter came to light after Smith told investigators she had sex with them, and he confessed. A year later, Rowe pleaded guilty and received five years probation. As a result of the sexual infractions, Smith was transferred to the Leath Correctional Institution in Greenwood, S.C. Prison guards there took special precautions with Smith in light of her past, never allowing her to be alone with one of them and often transporting extra prisoners with her. No one trusts her to be alone with a guard, a prison source told PEOPLE. She spends most of her time in her cell or working her job, but when shes being transported, there are always two guards with her, preferably a male and a female. She has been in trouble for drug use and self-mutilation while in prison South Carolina Department of Corrections Susan Smith in prison Smiths disciplinary issues continued at Leath Correctional Institute. Jailhouse records show that Smith was disciplined at least five times between 2010 and 2017 for infractions including self-mutilation, drug use and possession of narcotics or marijuana. Punishment for her infractions involved the loss of visitation, canteen and telephone privileges. She was disciplined on drug charges twice in 2010 and once in 2015 and lost privileges for more than a year as a result. Rowe, one of the prison guards who had sex with Smith, claimed that her drug use escalated when she was transferred to Leath. She could no longer get the male attention that she used as a drug, he claimed in an episode of Lifetime's Cellmate Secrets in July 2021. Christie Smith, Smiths former cellmate, revealed that her main purpose was to bring her her pills. Ive seen Susan do everything, she alleged, in reference to Smiths drug use. Snort, booty bump, swallow, shoot. I've seen her do it all." She had a long distance boyfriend from behind bars In March 2022, PEOPLE learned that Smith who was then 50 years old and had spent more than half her life in prison had been sending romantic correspondence to a man outside of the jail for over a year. The long distance romance began after the man (who was divorced, in his mid-40s and had two adult children) saw a documentary about Smith on television. He wrote her a letter, and their correspondence eventually grew to a few letters per week, a source told PEOPLE. They write letters all the time, a family member of Smiths told PEOPLE. Handwritten letters about what their future will be. Shes very romantic like that, always wanting to find a happily ever after. Smith wrote about wanting to start fresh with her boyfriend if she were ever freed from jail. Were going to have amazing chemistry in person, she wrote in one letter seen by PEOPLE. I cant wait to build a life with you. Leave the past mistakes behind and start fresh, just you and me. A relative of Smiths told PEOPLE that the couple were even discussing marriage if she got parole in 2024. She's imagining the normalcy of a married life, the relative told PEOPLE. She wants everything in life that she believes has passed her by. So yeah, she is talking marriage with him and thinking that she can spend the last part of her life as a wife and stepmother. By October 2022, however, the relationship had fizzled out. A Smith family member told PEOPLE, They are no longer corresponding. Its over. She is eligible for parole in November 2024 Dave Martin/AP Susan Smith looks toward an unidentified law enforcement officer as she departs the Union County Courthouse in Union, SC., on Friday, July 14, 1995. Smith has reportedly been focusing on turning around her behavior in prison, with the hopes of being granted parole in November 2024. A prison source who had known Smith for several years told PEOPLE in 2020 that Smith was following prison rules to help better her chances at release. She's behaving herself these days, the source said. She knows that her parole date is four years away and she cant get parole if she isn't being good. However, Smiths disciplinary history which includes her infractions for drug use, self-mutilation and sexual contact with a guard will also factor into the parole boards decision. I dont think shes got a snowballs chance in hell of getting paroled in 2024, a family member of Smiths told PEOPLE in 2022. Shes exactly where she needs to be. Her ex-husband David said he will do "everything in my power" to keep her behind bars Before she had murdered their children, Smith had already filed for divorce from David in September 1994. A judge granted their divorce in May 1995, a couple of months before her trial began. Now, two months ahead of her parole hearing, Smith's ex-husband David shared on Court TV in September 2024 what he would say to his former wife if they came face to face. I would just tell her that you have no idea of how much damage you have done to so many people, he said. I would tell her that in my capabilities I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you stay behind bars. David has since moved on from the relationship, welcoming two more children, Savannah and Nicolas, in relationships with other women in 2001 and 2003, respectively, per Go Upstate. "I've said before, I admit being a lousy husband," David told the outlet in a June 2004 interview. "But I've always been a good father to my kids. I enjoy being a father very much. I mean there's no greater love in the world than loving a child." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Why the 1955 murder of Emmett Till still remains shrouded in racism and mystery Why the 1955 murder of Emmett Till still remains shrouded in racism and mystery In 2020, author and journalist Wright Thompson traveled to Drew, Miss., for a private tour of a barn with a bloody and tragic history that many in the Mississippi Delta would like to forget. The barn is where, on Aug. 28, 1955, a 14-year-old Black boy named Emmett Till was brutally beaten and killed by two (and allegedly more) white men, who murdered him for the sin of allegedly having whistled at a white woman at a nearby grocery store. The barn and surrounding property was purchased in the 1990s by a dentist named Jeff Andrews, who despite growing up in the area insisted to Thompson that he knew nothing of its history before buying it. Even more surprisingly, he wasnt concerned with his barns grim legacy. Emmett Till, the young African-American boy killed in 1955 for allegedly offending a white woman is the subject of a new book. Bettmann Archive Emmett Tills gravesite at the Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. Getty Images Its in the past, he told the author, as Thompson recounts in his new book, The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi (Penguin Press), out Sept. 24. In fact, Andrews was convinced they could walk into any elementary school in the Delta and ask kids about Emmett Till and 95% of them would have no idea who he was. Today, Emmett Till is a civil rights icon. When Americans gather to protest racial violence, Thompson writes, someone almost certainly carries his picture, held high like a cross, no name needed. But in the Delta, Tills murder has been pushed almost completely from the local collective memory. Thompson knows this firsthand. He grew up in Clarksdale, Miss., 30 miles north of Drew, and hed never heard about the barn until meeting Patrick Weems, who runs the nearby Emmett Till Interpretive Center. As Weems explained to Thompson, If you go through Drew and stop and ask somebody, Do you know where Emmett Till was murdered? I think nine out of ten people will say, What are you talking about? And its not just the white population trying to suppress the areas sordid past. Carl Watson, a black landowner who was born four years after the killing, just down the road from the barn, didnt know the story of Emmett Till until his dad told him in the late 1980s. Till was just 14 years old when he was killed during the height of Jim Crow. Bettmann Archive Several generations grew up seeing the barn every day and were never told about it, Thompson writes. White mothers and fathers in this part of Sunflower County didnt talk about it. Black mothers and fathers didnt either. For almost half a century, the official story of the lynching came from journalist William Bradford Huie. He sat with Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam who were acquitted by an all-white jury in 1955 of killing Till, and thus protected by double-jeopardy laws and published their confessions in Life magazine a few months later. Their version of events left out any mention of the barn, possibly to protect other accomplices, including the barns owner, Leslie Milam. The Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner, Mississippi. Emmett Till Interpretive Center Over the years, attempts to preserve Tills story, even the censored version, have met with fierce resistance. Jesse Gresham, a local pastor in Drew, told the author he once discovered a locked school board office full of history books about the civil rights movement, where theyd been hidden for decades. They dont want to think about what their own parents and grandparents did, Gresham said. They didnt want future generations to know they were snakes. Weems shared a story about a teacher at the now-defunct Strider Academy named after the sheriff who helped secure acquittals for Tills killers who assigned her students to do research on Tills murder. The kids came home and said, Tell me about Emmett Till, Weems said. The erasure over the years has been blunt and brutally effective, writes Thompson. The only copy of the trial transcript has long since disappeared. The gin fan used to sink Tills body in the Tallahatchie River was kept by a lawyer in Sumner as a trophy but he eventually threw it into a landfill. Pres. Biden with Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr., one of the few remaining members of Emmett Tills family before signed a proclamation to establish the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. Bloomberg via Getty Images The gun used to murder Till isnt melted down or in a museum but is owned by a white crop duster pilot, whose father was gifted the murder weapon by Sheriff Strider. It still fires. The grocery store in Money, Miss., where Till allegedly whistled at a white woman, Carolyn Bryant Donham, is now owned by Harry Ray Tribble and his siblings, children of one of the deceased jurors from the 1955 murder trial. He continues to insist that Till wasnt actually murdered and the body was planted by the NAACP to make Mississippi look bad and further a communist agenda hell-bent on tearing down freedom, writes Thompson. The gas station next door, also owned by a Tribble, was renovated in 2014 as a visitors center for visiting civil rights tourists. It was meant to represent what life actually looked like back in Tills time, but it actually revels in the fictional nostalgia of a racially harmonious Delta, writes Thompson. TV producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes announced last year that she was making a big donation to the Emmett Till Interpretive Center to help buy the barn from Andrews and turn it into a monument to Till. Getty Images There are no segregated bathrooms, but a jukebox where white and Black people came together to share the communion of music. There is no mention whatsoever of Emmett Till. Sometimes even allies, those trying to keep Tills memory alive, can misrepresent history. Wheeler Parker, 85, Tills cousin and the last living eyewitness, once sat on a college panel devoted to Emmett Till. He listened to scholars pontificate about his dead relative. When it was his turn to speak, Parker said, I dont think I know this guy you guys are talking about. It was beautiful but it wasnt accurate. These people were taking the story and using it, Thompson writes. Often for good, but using it all the same. Changing details, fudging details, moving things around, making Emmett look better, or Carolyn (the white woman Whitt whistled at) look better, exaggerations, justifications, white lies, mistakes. In 2008, the Emmett Till Memorial Commission erected a historical marker next to the river where Tills body was found. It was replaced at least nine times, after the signs were stolen, or thrown in the river, or covered in hundreds of bullet holes. It was a tug-of-war in the shadows, Thompson writes, with some people trying to preserve a memory and others trying, with guns, to erase it. The tragedy of humankind, author Wright Thompson writes, is that the rest of us . . . never learn the lesson that hate grows stronger and more resistant when its pushed underground. Evan France The Barn is written by Wright Thompson. A bullet-proof marker was erected in 2019, and the bullet-riddled sign was donated to the Smithsonians National Museum of American History. Plans for some sort of memorial at the barn have been longer in coming. Annual ceremonies have been held there every summer since 2022. And last December, TV producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes, known for hit shows like Bridgerton and Scandal, announced that she was making a big donation to the Emmett Till Interpretive Center to help buy the barn from Andrews and turn it into a monument to Till. A monument would force a new conversation, Thompson writes. There is no heroism to remember here. No defiance. Nobody burst through the door in the nick of time, or risked their life for another, nobody stood up to evil, no one stopped the torture. Its an uncomfortable reminder of our countrys shameful and violent past, but thats exactly why this site needs to be preserved. The tragedy of humankind isnt that sometimes a few depraved individuals do what the rest of us could never do, Thompson writes. Its that the rest of us . . . never learn the lesson that hate grows stronger and more resistant when its pushed underground. The Gender Liberation March in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 14, 2024. Credit - Alexa B Wilkinson For Lizette Trujillo, there were multiple reasons it was worth making the 2,000 mile-trip from Tucson, Ariz. to the nations capital for the Gender Liberation March to fight for bodily autonomy. It's really important because, yes, I'm the mother of a transgender child, but I [also] had an abortion at 22, had a miscarriage at 40. Having bodily autonomy and access to care that is widely necessary for you is really, really important, says Trujillo, 44. And the thought of my child, my son, not having access to the care that's necessary for him, is something that is terrifying. Trujillo is one of some 2,000 people who gathered in Washington, D.C. on Saturday in a march uniting activists for both abortion rights and transgender rights. The march comes as more than 650 anti-trans bills have been introduced across local legislatures in 2024, according to the trans legislation tracker, and amid a recorded rise in anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes. At the same time, abortion rights have been curtailed in multiple states since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Some 14 states currently have a total abortion ban in place, and the issue is set to be on the ballot in 10 states come November. Our abortion stories and our trans stories are connected and intertwined. We cannot liberate abortion without trans justice, Renee Bracey Sherman, executive director of We Testify, a nonprofit that shares abortion stories, said in a speech Saturday. For the organizers of the march, linking the two issues was an intentional strategy. The idea was to bring together the energy stoked in the fight for abortion access and reproductive justice after the Dobbs [v. Jackson Womens Health] decision, and also the energy put into fighting for queer and trans folks who are facing attacks on access to health care, Raquel Willis, a transgender activist and co-organizer of the march, told TIME in an interview ahead of the march. Eliel Cruz, a co-organizer, argues limiting access to abortion and gender-affirming care are part of a larger connected push to reinforce gender binaries and discriminate against people based on their identity. That connection is already on the path to being codified in the courts. Both the government and the other entities that are defending government restrictions on medical care are using, in this moment, Dobbs in particular to justify attacks on gender-affirming medical care, and then use an expansive reading of the Court's decision in Dobbs in order to open the door to more restrictions on bodily autonomy more generally, says Chase Strangio, Deputy Director for Transgender Justice at the ACLUs LGBT & HIV Project. Strangio will argue before the Supreme Court this fall in one such case: U.S. v. Skrmetti, which concerns a Tennessee law barring access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Daniel Trujillo, Lizettes 17-year-old son and the organizer behind the Trans Youth Prom, says at the march Saturday that hes excited to reunite with other trans teens and families. But hes also fearful of what the upcoming Supreme Court case could mean for him; he and his mom are involved in an ACLU awareness campaign launched ahead of the case. It makes it scary when it comes to trying to think about my college, things that are just in the near future, he says. What does that all look like? With this national backdrop, the march felt like a safe space for some and an opportunity to rally with people who accept their existence. Jair Codines, a 28-year-old resident of North Carolina who recently started their transition, says that they traveled to Washington, D.C. to fight for their ability to continue that transition. I will always fight for justice, for the truth, and for our rights, Codines, who arrived at the march with a group of 20 mostly Latina women, says in Spanish. At the march, attendees mingled in designated areas for trans youth to gather and perused tents handing out banned books. Hundredsif not moreof pride and trans flags were drawn on posters, banners, pins, and t-shirts. Trujillos spouse painted a scene of iconic transgender figureheadsCecilia Gentili, Nex Benedict, Monica Roberts, and Lorena Borjaspositioned next to the center stage to honor the activists that came before this generation. Trans rights are human rights, marchers clad in white chanted as they walked near the Supreme Court and the headquarters of the Heritage Foundation. Liberation for my sister, liberation for my brother. The all white outfits were an homage to previous protests against anti-Black violence such as the 1917 NAACP Silent parade, and Saturdays marchers also wore purple, pink, and white flower crowns as a callback to transgender-rights advocate Marsha P. Johnson. The mood of the day was determined yet optimistic. This is another glimpse into the future, says Daniel Trujillo. We're all going to live and be celebrated and thrive together in public life and schools and bathrooms and our homes safely. Contact us at letters@time.com. Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville holds up a pocket copy of the Declaration of Independence during an election event in Layton at Faith Baptist Church on Friday, March 15, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville recently resorted to his previously tried and tested strategy of military blockades. This time, he was protesting the military promotion of an aide to Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III. President Joe Biden tapped the aide, Army Lt. Gen. Ronald P. Clark, for a promotion to be the four-star commander of all U.S. Army forces in the Pacific, according to The Washington Post, which first reported Tubervilles block on approval of the promotion. Tubervilles more than 10-months-long hold on roughly 450 senior military promotions ended in December last year. In 2023, Tuberville opposed the Pentagons abortion-related policy that allows active-duty service members to receive a reimbursement for abortion-related travel, and blocked nominations as a form of protest. This time, Tuberville has taken issue with Clark in particular. Why is Sen. Tuberville blocking a military nomination? Upon the defense secretarys hospitalization on Jan. 1, following complications from surgery in December, Austins office, including Clark, did not disclose the information to the White House or Congress until days later. Austins doctors later revealed he was being treated for cancer, according to CNN. The Alabama senator told Politico that he wants to learn more about Clarks involvement at the time of Austins hospitalization. Everybody wants information on why, Tuberville said. We need a full understanding of why he did what he did, and not inform the commander-in-chief of the problem. This is not just one person. I mean this is, Democrat and Republican wanting to know what the heck happened here, he said. And the American people need the truth here. Why did we not have full disclosure of what happened? And so once we get that, well be good. A spokesperson from Tubervilles office said the senator is awaiting the release of a review from the office of the Pentagons inspector general. As a senior commissioned officer, Lt. Gen. Clarks oath requires him to notify (the president) when the chain of command is compromised, the spokesperson added, as per Axios. What is the Pentagon saying about Sen. Tubervilles blockade? The Defense Departments unclassified 30-day review found Austins military assistants agreed to initial a transfer of authorities to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks. Although Deputy Secretary Hicks, when informed of the transfer of authority to her, was not notified of Secretary Austins hospitalization, she was at all times positioned to perform all the functions and duties of the Secretary, the review stated. As CNN reported, James Adams, a Pentagon spokesman, defended Clark, saying he is highly qualified for the promotion and was nominated for this critical position because of his experience and strategic expertise. Clark has previously served as commander of U.S. Army Central, the Armys 25th Infantry Division, and chief of staff for U.S. Army Pacific, the report added. We urge the Senate to confirm all of our qualified nominees, Adams said. These holds undermine our military readiness. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) A judge in Sedgwick County has sentenced a Wichita father for the fentanyl death of his son. Brijin McCullough, 32, was sentenced to 438 months (36 years and six months) in prison on Friday. The Sedgwick County District Attorneys Office said McCullough pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and other felonies on July 9. How to watch Kansas State take on Arizona on Friday The sentencing comes after McCulloughs son, Kaiden, was found unresponsive at a grocery store near Pawnee and Broadway on Oct. 31, 2023. EMS tried to revive the baby and rushed him to the hospital, but he died. An autopsy report says Kaiden died from the toxic effects of fentanyl. Another defendant, Wilma Presley, was sentenced on Sept. 11 to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to distributing a controlled substance causing death and aggravated endangering a child, along with other drug crimes, on July 12. 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. Skeletal remains found last weekend in Wisconsin were those of a missing 3-year-old boy who vanished in February, police said Friday. The Two Rivers Police Department confirmed the remains were those of Elijah Vue, who was the subject of an Amber Alert when he went missing. "The family's devastated. We're devastated. Our community is devastated," said Two Rivers Police Chief Benjamin Meinnert. "I never met Elijah, but I watched that 3-year-old boy bring out the best in this community." SOUTH CAROLINA POLICE FIND BODY OF MASSACHUSETTS MAN WHO VANISHED FROM HILTON HEAD FAMILY VACATION Elijah Vue, 3, went missing in February. His remains were found recently in a wooded area, police said. The alert was canceled Friday. "What started out as a search for a missing boy is now a death investigation," the chief said. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The remains, a skull and bones, were found by a deer hunter in a wooded area on private land in Two Rivers Sept. 7, authorities said. The area had been searched several times by authorities and the landowner by foot and air, police said. The Wisconsin Crime Lab conducted DNA testing on the remains. Police said Vue's family was identified as soon as the test revealed an identity, police said. Two Rivers Police Chief Benjamin Meinnert talks to reporters about Elijah Vue's remains being found. Vue went missing in February from his Two Rivers home. His mother, Katrina Baur, and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang were both charged with child neglect, though they were not directly linked to his disappearance, Fox Milwaukee reported. Original article source: Wisconsin police confirm remains found are those of missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) The ALS community was brought together at Ontario Beach Park to for a community walk and fundraiser in support of fighting ALS. Walk to Defeat ALS is an event designed to honor family members, friends, caregiver, and others impacted by ALS. Despite there not being a known cure for the disease, WNY is rallying together to do whatever it takes to change that. ALS, often called Lou Gehrigs disease, is a progressive motor neuron disease that gradually takes individuals ability to walk, talk, swallow and eventually breathe. This years walk also featured an Ice Bucket Challenge station, giving people the opportunity to donate and take a cold plunge for the 10th anniversary of the challenge. Sasha Kourbotova, this years Rochester Walk Ambassador, spoke of her experience living with ALS and how the ALS Association has supported her and her family. Sashas strength in dealing with ALS, alongside her familys support, is genuinely inspiring. Her journey reflects a deep resilience that will be evident when she speaks at the walk. Her words, filled with compassion and courage, will resonate with everyone and highlight the remarkable way she and her family handle each day with grace and strength, WNY Care Service Coordinator Laura Pelow said. Last years event raised more than $175,000 with nearly 520 total walkers. All of todays participants who raised over $100 also received a commemorative t-shirt. Event registration began at 9:30 a.m. before kicking off the walk at 11:00 a.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 RochesterFirst. Woman Arrested for Allegedly Strangling Cat in Apartment Lobby: It Was Very, Very Shocking Police said the woman was arrested on animal cruelty charges and the cat was sent to a nearby humane society Vancouver Police USA/X.com Vancouver Police share a photo of Apollo the cat, who was sent to the humane society. A woman in Washington was arrested after police allegedly found her abusing a cat in an apartment complex. In a statement shared on social media on Thursday, Sept. 12, the Vancouver Police Department said the woman had been detained after she was allegedly seen strangling a cat. The department said that detectives with its domestic violence unit had gone to a residential complex for an unrelated call for service" when an apartment manager informed them about a tenant who was seen in the lobby strangling a cat. Detectives said they were eventually able to locate the woman, and they arrested her on charges of animal cruelty. The cat, whose name is Apollo, is fortunately okay and was transported to a local humane society, police said. Related: Owner of Rescue Organization Charged with Animal Cruelty After Authorities Find 12 Animal Carcasses According to a police report obtained by KPTV, the woman arrested for the incident was identified as 34-year-old Amanda Nichole Blanco. A bystander who lives at the apartment building told the outlet that she and others contacted Vancouver police after witnessing what happened. 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. It was very, very shocking, one witness who did not want to identify herself told KPTV. I didn't wake up expecting to witness that. Regardless of where you find yourself, if you see any type of animal abuse, you should report it. Detectives said in the police report, which was also obtained by KATU, that Blanco appeared to be under the influence of drugs. Authorities added, per the report, that they observed her holding the cat by the neck as she walked around, the outlet said. Related: 27 Animals Found Dead at a Virginia Zoo Amid Animal Cruelty Investigation, Bengal Tiger Euthanized Blanco also allegedly appeared to shake the animal and squeeze the neck of the cat with both hands, the police report said, per KPTV and KATU. The woman told officers, according to the outlets, that the cat had been her emotional support animal. Sam Ellingson, a spokesperson for Humane Society for Southwest Washington, where the Apollo was sent, told KPTV in a statement, Any instance of pet cruelty is heartbreaking. Were grateful to have the opportunity to provide the care and support this cat needs and deserves, he continued. If anyone in our community witnesses a pet being abused or neglected, they should contact their local animal control or protection service. The Humane Society for Southwest Washington and the Vancouver Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. How woman with coconut placard was tracked down, taken to court - and acquitted Marieha Hussain had marched for three hours with her family, and the children with them were getting tired. We opened some snacks to keep them going, she said. They were part of a 300,000-strong group at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London on 11 November 2023. Then, somebody from my side of the street where I was standing called out and asked: Can I take a picture of your placard? This wasnt the first time shed been asked for a picture. Her familys placards, she said, had drawn a lot of attention. On one side of the placard was a cartoon of Suella Braverman, then the Home Secretary, dressed like Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians. Ms Hussain held up the sign and posed. The voice called out, no, not that one, can you turn it around please? and I did. And that was it. Her account was told to Westminster Magistrates Court this week during her two-day trial on a charge of a racially aggravated public order offence. She was accused of this offence of which she was found not guilty on Friday because of what was on the other side of that placard. It was a drawing of a palm tree with coconuts falling off it; pasted over two of those coconuts were the faces of Ms Braverman and of the then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. At the heart of this case was the word coconut - and whether it could be considered racially abusive. The photo of Ms Hussain holding her placard was posted online by an anonymous blog [Metropolitan Police] Ms Hussain told the court that on the drive home from the demonstration, a family friend messaged to tell her that her photo had been posted by an anonymous right-wing blog called Harrys Place and that it was going viral on X (it has since been viewed more than four million times). It doesnt get more racist than this, the post said. Among anti-racists you get the worst racists of them all. Underneath she then saw a reply from the Metropolitan Police, saying that they were actively looking for her. Chris Humphreys, a member of Metropolitan Police staff working in the forces communications team that day, saw the post after the Met was tagged in it. The account that posted it typically generates a significant response, Mr Humphreys told the court. He was called to give evidence on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service. In the 10 months since that day, anonymous accounts on social media called her a racist while tabloid newspapers published details of her family and the cost of her parents home. Ms Hussain, 37, also lost her job as a secondary school teacher. After the Metropolitan Police posted that they wished to identify Ms Hussain, she consulted with solicitors and voluntarily attended a police station three days later, on 14 November, she told the court. There, she gave them a prepared statement outlining who she was, what had happened that day, and her reasons for making the sign. I am a teacher of almost 10 years standing with an academic background in psychology, she wrote in the statement. It is exceptionally difficult to convey complex, serious political statements in a nutshell, and we did our best. She was not formally charged until six months later, in May this year. She found out she was charged from a journalist working for Al Jazeera, she told the court. At this point, the support for Ms Hussain from activists and campaigners grew increasingly vocal. When she first appeared at the magistrates court in June visibly pregnant to enter her not guilty plea, protesters stood outside the court held copycat coconut placards. This is our language The term "coconut" is instantly recognisable to many people from black and Asian communities in the UK. It is a word with a generally negative meaning and can range from light-hearted banter to more severe criticism or insults. What the court had to contend with was whether, on Ms Hussains placard, it could be considered racially abusive. Prosecutor Jonathan Bryan argued coconut was a well-known racial slur. "[It has] a very clear meaning you may be brown on the outside, but you are white on the inside, Mr Bryan told the court. In other words, youre a race traitor youre less brown or black than you should be. Mr Bryan said that Ms Hussain had crossed the line from legitimate political expression to racial insult. This was not the first time the term coconut has come before the courts: in 2009 Shirley Brown, the first black Liberal Democrat elected to Bristol City Council, used the term to describe Conservative councillor Jay Jethwa during a heated debate about funding for the councils Legacy Commission. The following year, in 2010, Ms Brown was convicted of racial harassment for the comment. She was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay 620 in costs. Mr Bryan referenced Ms Browns case during this week's trial. For Ms Hussain, one of those whos been particularly fervent in his support is the writer and anti-racism campaigner Nels Abbey. The word coconut didnt fall out of a coconut tree, to quote Kamala Harriss mum, Mr Abbey told me after the trials first day, adding that the word fell out of our experience as former colonised people. The term emerged as a way of critiquing those who collaborated with our oppressors, he said. This is our language, he said. We share this language because we share a history, we share origins and share a community You cannot criminalise peoples history, and the language that emerged from that. In court, this was echoed by two academic experts in racism who gave evidence in support of Ms Hussain Prof Gus John and Prof Gargi Bhattacharyya. They quoted postcolonial theorist Frantz Fanon, Black liberation activist Marcus Garvey, the late poet Benjamin Zephaniah, and comedian Romesh Ranganathan, who has frequently joked that his mum calls him a coconut for not speaking Tamil. These were citations more commonly heard in a university lecture hall than a courtroom. The court heard that the investigating team had also contacted three experts in racism to give evidence for the prosecution, but they had all refused. One of those, Black Studies specialist Prof Kehinde Andrews, sent quite a lengthy response saying the word was not a racial slur, and asked that this be shared with the CPS. Prof John told the court he was disappointed that the CPS hadnt called any experts to support their case. Id have wanted to be informed and educated on when coconut is a racist slur, he said. I would have loved to see the evidence of that. Im not aware of that at all. Ms Hussain wrote in her statement that coconut was common language, particularly in our culture. Asked by her barrister Mr Menon what she meant by that, she answered that she had grown up hearing the word used among South Asians. If Im truly honest, sometimes, when I was younger, my own dad called me a coconut, she said, prompting laughter from the public gallery. 'Political satire' Ms Hussain also argued that her use of the term was a form of political critique against what she said were "politicians in high office who perpetuate and push racist policies". On Friday afternoon, District Judge Vanessa Lloyd ruled that the placard was "part of the genre of political satire", and that the prosecution had "not proved to a criminal standard that it was abusive". As the verdict was read out, cheers and whooping erupted from the public gallery while Ms Hussain burst into tears. Outside the court she said: The damage done to my reputation and image can never be undone. The laws on hate speech must serve to protect us more, but this trial shows that these rules are being weaponised to target ethnic minorities. "It goes without saying that this ordeal has been agonising for my family and I. Instead of enjoying my pregnancy Ive been vilified by the media, Ive lost my career, Ive been dragged through the court system." But, she said, "Im more determined than ever to continue using my voice" for Palestinians. Woman whose post ignited false Springfield cat claim says it was based on rumor Woman whose post ignited false Springfield cat claim says it was based on rumor The woman whose social media post helped ignite false claims of pets being eaten in Springfield, Ohio, said Friday the post was based on a rumor and that she feels remorse for the Haitian immigrants. Erika Lee, a Springfield resident, recently authored a post on Facebook, saying that her neighbors cat was lost and she was told it was because the pet was attacked by a Haitian immigrant. Kimberly Newton, Lees neighbor, acknowledged this week to NewsGuard, I dont actually know the person who lost the cat. Newton added that the cats owner was an acquaintance of a friend. Now, Lee, has said she was sorry about the way the events unfolded, with the unfounded conspiracy theories about Haitian immigrants amplified by both former President Trump and his vice presidential pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance (R). It just exploded into something I didnt mean to happen, Lee said in an interview with NBC News on Friday. Lee, whose Facebook post has been deleted, stated she did not expect that local gossip would spiral into a national story. Im not a racist, she said. Everybody seems to be turning it into that, and that was not my intent. Lee said she is mixed race and her daughter is half Black. I feel for the Haitian community, Lee told NBC. If I was in the Haitians position, Id be terrified, too, worried that somebodys going to come after me because they think Im hurting something that they love and that, again, thats not what I was trying to do. Besides Lees post, other viral social media posts have also fueled the false accusations. Springfield officials debunked this weeks rumors that Haitian migrants were eating peoples cats and dogs. The city is still tussling with the fallout of the unfounded conspiracy theories. The Springfield City School District closed one middle school and evacuated two elementary schools Friday. Just a day prior, Springfield City Hall was evacuated after a bomb threat was issued to multiple facilities. 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. By waiving her anonymity Gisele Pelicot has become a symbol of resilience and courage [REUTERS/Manon Cruz] When she walks into the courthouse in the French city of Avignon, flanked by her children and a team of lawyers, Gisele Pelicot cuts an unassuming figure. The 72-year-old mother and grandmother, her hair styled into a neat bob, wears colourful dresses and Breton tops. She looks down as she passes the dozens of journalists gathered by the entrance, her eyes hidden by round-framed sunglasses. Behind them, as she has put it, lies a "field of ruins". Nearly every day since 2 September, Gisele Pelicot has been at the centre of a trial in which 51 men are accused of raping her, including the man she was married to for 50 years. As her story has rippled through France since the trial began, she has become a symbol of courage and resilience. "I was sacrificed on the altar of vice," she said, explaining how she had learned that Dominique Pelicot had drugged her to sleep and recruited men to treat her "like a rag doll" for over 10 years. The trial, due to run until December, has so far heard evidence from lawyers, police, psychiatrists, and from another woman whose husband drugged and raped her following instructions by Dominique. Gisele Pelicot's daughter Caroline (C) gave evidence about seeing photos of herself taken when she was unconscious [CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP] The Pelicots daughter, Caroline, who believes her father abused her when she was unconscious, has also taken the stand. Dominique Pelicot has admitted the charges against him, although he denies abusing his daughter. Unsettling details of the defendants' pasts, psyches and alleged crimes have filled the airwaves, news websites and social networks. This kind of access has only become possible because Gisele has waived her right to anonymity. In a case of such magnitude it is an unusual decision, not least because it means thousands of videos of the alleged rapes filmed by Dominique Pelicot - in some cases surreptitiously - will eventually be played in open court. Gisele's only request was that her children be allowed to leave the room when that happens. Protests have taken place outside the court in Avignon, but wider actions are planned across France [Christophe SIMON / AFP] Her legal team said opening up the trial would shift the "shame" back on to the accused. Above all, the case has ignited a painful and often uncomfortable discussion about rape that many in France say is long overdue. Protests are due to be held across the country on Saturday "in support of Gisele Pelicot and of all rape victims". When Gisele gave evidence that she had to "start over from scratch" and was now only living off a small pension, an influencer set up an online collection that made 40,000 (33,700) in under a day. It was quickly shut down following a request from Gisele's legal team, who saw it as a possible distraction. One key issue this case has thrown up is the little-discussed phenomenon of chemical submission drug-induced assault in the home. In 2022, 1,229 people in France suspected they had been drugged without their knowledge, according to Leila Chaouachi, a pharmacist at the Paris addiction monitoring centre and an expert on drug rape. That number is probably only the tip of the iceberg, she believes. Victims often hesitate to file legal complaints because they know the assailant, they might be ashamed, or they have hazy memories of what happened. Complaints also need to be filed before the substances disappear from the body, which is not always possible. For the 10 years her husband was drugging her, Gisele Pelicot had unexplained neurological symptoms as well as gynaecological issues, and yet no-one put the clues together. It points to a lack of awareness of chemical submission as a phenomenon. Dr Chaouachi says training healthcare professionals and police is important, because the key to stemming the issue lies in recognising that there are others out there besides Gisele. We have the right to be shocked, but we also need to recognise that these aren't isolated cases, she says. When we only focus on the justice system and investigators, we're hiding behind them in some way. I think it's a broader societal issue, and therefore it's societal change that we need. Judging from opinions voiced on the streets of Paris, that view is not universally accepted. In all, 51 men are on trial, but dozens more have not been identified [Christophe SIMON/AFP] It's a private affair, said one man, who thought the case was awful but still an isolated event and not one for public debate. I don't understand why the media are making such a big deal about it. It is because people like drama, gossip. A friend agreed: If you hadnt asked the question, we wouldve never discussed this." But a female companion said they were both wrong: It's important this case is public... it raises a broader issue and raising awareness of it is necessary for change. What has shocked so many in France is the sheer number of men involved in the case. Police were only able to identify 50 suspects out of the 83 that appeared in Dominique Pelicots videos. Their ages range from 26 to 68 and they hail from all walks of life - firefighters, pharmacists, labourers and journalists. Many are fathers and husbands. Of the other men accused, 15 admit rape, but all the others admit only to taking part in sexual acts. What shocked me even more is that so many men could have done this - more than 50 normal men, who all lived nearby," said Caroline, a 43-year-old doctor from Paris. "[Pelicot] didn't even have to look very far for them. It really scares me because it is a reflection of society. It's not the norm, but there are too many. Many of the defendants came from the same area as the Pelicots, who lived in the pretty village of Mazan [BBC] Celine Piques of feminist organisation Osez le Feminisme hopes the fact that the accused come from ordinary backgrounds and all kinds of professions will mean that this trial has a lasting impact. "It demolishes the myth of the rapist who is a psychopath... they raped because they were sure of their impunity." Another concern that has not escaped the large numbers of women across France who are following the Pelicot case is that many other men knew and did nothing. Dominique Pelicot had invited men to have sex with his wife without her knowledge in a post on the Coco.gg website, which was shut down only last June. Last year it counted 500,000 visitors a month. One hundred per cent of these people... never made a phone call to stop this abuse, says Celine Piques. Not one man thought about informing the police of these criminal facts. The Avignon trial is also dredging up questions over the language surrounding rape. The defence of many of the accused hinges on the premise they did not know they were raping Gisele - in other words, that they thought they were having consensual intercourse with her. Some have accused Dominique Pelicot of manipulating them into believing they were taking part in an erotic game in which Gisele was only pretending to be asleep because she was shy. At least two of the defendants stated they did not feel they had raped Gisele because she had been offered to them by her own husband, and one man said he did not consider his actions rape because "for me, rape is when you grab someone off the street". "I don't have the heart of a rapist," he added. Gisele Pelicot's decision to waive her anonymity has prompted France to reassess its legal definition of rape [REUTERS/Manon Cruz] Summing up this line of defence earlier this week, Guillaume De Palma, a lawyer for six of the defendants, caused outrage when he said that rape is not always rape, and argued that without the intention of committing rape, there is no rape". In French law, rape is sexual penetration obtained by constraint, violence or surprise and Gisele Pelicots lawyers are expected to argue that surprise covers the case of a sedated or unconscious woman. But the comments caused outrage and dismay in the courtroom and beyond. Gisele's daughter Caroline stormed out of the trial exclaiming I am ashamed of the justice system, while the president of the court suspended the session amid a mood that reporters described as extremely tense. Other lawyers reportedly distanced themselves from De Palmas comments. With the trial due to run for three more months, Frances soul searching will continue. It has shown how far behind we are at all levels, said Sandrine Josso, an MP who was the victim of an attempted drug rape by a senator in 2023. Thanks to Gisele Pelicot, she said we lift the veil, and we discover a lot of things. The ordinary nature of the couple at the centre of the trial middle-class pensioners and grandparents has made it easy for observers to identify with the story. I thought it could be my mother, my sister and my father, said Charley, a 35-year-old man living in Paris. For me, it's the trial of the century, he added. There will be a before and there will be an after. Additional reporting by Eva Van Dam SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)Louisiana Goes to College will host an enrollment workshop to help students navigate the college application process, which can be incredibly challenging for families who have never experienced it. Kesha M. Simmons, a former high school guidance counselor, founded Louisiana Goes to College after discovering a startling fact about college enrollment. Louisiana Goes to College enrollment workshop (Source: Louisiana Goes to College via Kesha M Simmons Facebook) What we found in looking at the data was the federal Louisiana had among the worst current retention rates in the nation, with only 50 percent of students graduating from college, Simmons said. And as we go deeper, we found that first-generation college students and students with disabilities were due to multiple groups of students were dropping out. So that is where our work began at Louisiana Goes to College to work specifically with first-generation college students. Botched college financial aid causes delays with student enrollment plans Simmons says the retention rate has jumped to 67 percent, which she attributes to Louisiana Goes to Colleges focus on college readiness and mentorship for first-generation students. Simmons said the workshop would benefit sophomores, juniors, and seniors as they decide their futures. On Saturday, September 21, the organization will host the first of many enrollment workshops geared toward helping families manage applications, deadlines, and even changes to the FAFSA. Interested high school students should register for the workshop by filling out the Google form or scanning the QR Code on the flyer. The event will be held at the Broadmoor Branch of Shreve Memorial Library, 1212 Captain Shreve Dr., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about Louisiana Goes to College, visit YouToo, Inc. Tune in to KTAL News Now on Tuesday at 1 p.m. to watch the full interview. 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 KTALnews.com. RICHMOND HILL, Ga. (WSAV) When a storm begins to churn, all of Georgias emergency personnel, in cities and counties alike, begin to watch and pull out their planning documents. Many local governments supply these public documents on their websites called Hazard Mitigation Plans, defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as: A proactive effort to identify actions that can be taken to reduce the dangers to life and property from natural hazard events. These long-term strategies include planning, policy and regulation changes, educational programs, infrastructure projects, and other activities. This is copy of Bryan Countys Hazard Mitigation Plan, which the City of Richmond Hill Adopted on February 4, 2020. Bryan-County-Hazard-Mitigation-PlanDownload Richmond-Hill-Hazard-Mitigation-AdoptionDownload In 2000, the federal government required the adoption of these pre-planning documents for all 50 states in order to qualify for federal assistance after a disaster strikes. Essentially, a hazard mitigation plan helps communities identify weak spots to either man-made or natural disasters and allows officials to come up with and adopt strategies to eliminate or reduce those weak spots. When a threat is imminent, a community begins to complete a task list in preparation for the storm. This plan is not much different that what homeowners do to prepare for storms or other disasters. WSAV Investigates: Pembroke reports $104,000 in Tropical Storm Debby damage Some tasks include: Making sure there is enough gas, making sure ditches are cleaned out, confirming that all communications systems work and telling emergency personnel they are now on call and expected to respond. The city of Richmond Hill, along with Pembroke and Bryan County, began going through this plan in their respective areas while Tropical Storm Debby was still deciding where it was going to go and how strong it was going to be. You can see just how well the city of Richmond Hill worked in lock-step to make sure they battened down the hatches or prepared when going through the dozens of emails supplied to WSAV via Open Records requests. Richmond-Hill-Open-Records-1Download Richmond-Hill-Open-Records-2Download The carrying out of the Hazard Mitigation Plan all changes when one person makes one declaration; the governor declares a state of emergency, which is what Gov. Brian Kemp issued on Aug. 3 in response to Tropical Storm Debby. Georgia Prepares for Tropical Storm Debby; SOE Declared | Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency The emergency declaration allows for the state of Georgia to activate state resources. It activates the National Guard, which is what is commonly understood by citizens. But the declaration does more than that, it is a signal to all Georgia counties that they are now, essentially, part of the states emergency response team and may be called upon to help another county. The county EMA director becomes personnel of the state in their respective location, even in counties not impacted. GEMA-County-Disaster-SOGDownload According to the Georgia Emergency Management Agencys (GEMA) County Disaster Logistics Standard Operating Guide: The logistics response to a disaster is most effective when each level of government federal, state and county, is knowledgeable and prepared to execute its role in the logistics system. The intent of this SOG is to help ensure County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Directors are aware of how the State Resource Request (RR) System functions, of key county logistics responsibilities, and to provide or direct them to key tools to aid in preparedness efforts. To this end, this SOG is written specifically to aid the County EMA Director. For the most simple of examples: If county X needs five dump trucks, but can only get two (either using their own or via a contract already signed), those other three need to come from somewhere else. The EMA director, as part of GEMA, initiates that request through a portal called WebEOC, which puts out the call to other Georgia counties that have dump trucks and arent using them currently. This declaration also tells Georgia EMA directors to: Set up its Emergency Operations Center Activate its PODs or Points of Distribution (which is where residents would go to get needed supplies) Activate any contracts with local entities that would assist in providing shelter. As part of the Office of the Governor, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency collaborates with local, state and federal governments in partnership with private sector and non-governmental organizations to protect life and property against man-made and natural emergencies. GEMA County Disaster SOG Page 1, 2.1 Richmond Hill, through all the work within its own government, communicated regularly with each other as shown in the open records request. It did not, however, begin to include Bryan County EMA in its discussions, request for information or request for resources, despite the governors emergency declaration on on Aug. 3. The outcome wasnt affected by anything anyone did: Richmond Hill details Tropical Storm Debby response In Richmond Hills Municipal Emergency Document published prior to Aug. 1, the concept of operations section says: This is an integrated Municipal Emergency Operations Management Plan based on the principle that local government bears the initial responsibility for mitigation, emergency preparedness, response and recovery. Only after local resources are depleted or prove to be inadequate should the city request relief from the next level of government which would be Bryan County. Additionally, state assistance is supplied as deemed appropriate by the Governor and as provided in the State Emergency Management Plan. Page 5, III A. RH-Municipal-Disaster-PlanDownload Bryan Countys Emergency Operations communications began after the governors declaration around midnight on Aug. 4 when interim EMA director, Anthony Van Es, invited all local government representatives, large corporations, the school system, the sheriffs office and state agencies to a web conference call to discuss the storm, National Weather Service updates and next steps. Aug-4-Van-Es-TS-Debby-UpdateDownload An opening of the Emergency Operations Centers physical location a day later, on Aug. 5, began providing emergency support functions as defined by GEMAs Logistics Management Plan. This location, according to GEMA, is expected to have everything from restrooms and food to a helicopter landing area and a place to provide vehicle maintenance. GEMA-Logistics-PlanDownload The Emergency Operations Center is also expected to have local agency representation to help relay information from their various areas to the EMA director for input into the states WebEOC system. All supporting governmental agencies, NGOs, and VOADs shall cooperate fully with GEMA/HS, by providing any personnel, equipment, information, or any other assistance that may be requested by the Governor, the Director of GEMA/HS, or Head of a Supporting Agency to coordinate all response and recovery efforts. GEMA SOG Page 2, 2.1 Bryan County Administrator Ben Taylor provided answers to WSAVs Open Records Request in the public forum of the Sept. 10 county commission meeting. Bryan County releases timeline of Debby response; 264 homes impacted WSAV asked for a list of who was inside the EOC once it opened, and Richmond Hill had no representative there Aug. 5 or 6, according to Taylors presentation. There were also no requests from Richmond Hill for assistance or resources. Richmond Hills Municipal Emergency Response Plan says, The Mayor/City Manager will assume the duties of incident Commander and if the County EOC is activated, a city presentative is assigned (sic) to the County EOC. Page 7, OPCON 2 RH-Municipal-Disaster-Plan-1Download According to GEMAs Logistics Operations Guide, the EMA director is expected to request all resources not available from local sources into GEMAs WebEOC so that resources can be re-located to the incident location. Es did not request through WebEOC a personnel resource to stand in for the city of Richmond Hill once the citys absence was recorded. GEMA-Logistics-Plan-1Download A County EMA Director identifies a need for a resource. The county tries to fill the need from existing resources, county rental/purchase, private citizen loan/donation, VOAD or via their established intrastate mutual aid agreements. If this is not possible, the County EMA Director submits a resource request via WebEOC or calling 1-800-TRY-GEMA and speaking to an SOC Action Officer. Page 12 5.7.1 On Aug. 10, the city of Richmond Hill opened its own Emergency Operations Center, communicating with its residents via Facebook to inform where they could retrieve sandbags, warning of a power shut off and information on how to volunteer and that if the city needs a specific need it will come from an official City of Richmond Hill source. Communications between Richmond Hill and Bryan County EMA began on Aug. 10 with a request for sandbags and support from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia National Guard. Bryan County activated a POD, or Point of Distribution, with a trailer set up at Kroger. According to Open Record Request results from Richmond Hill, Bryan County did not inform Richmond Hill city officials of its POD via any form of written communication. On Aug. 12, Richmond Hill provided representation inside the EMAs EOC from police and fire department personnel. The city of Richmond Hill began requesting aid supplies from the community on Aug. 12 via Facebook. On Aug. 13, Fire Chief Brendon Greene reached out to Bryan County EMA requesting food, shelter and transportation, which began official communication between the two governments. The governors declaration of emergency expired on Aug. 20, resulting in all operations going back to normal. Debris pick-up commenced in Richmond Hill flooded areas on Aug. 22; in open records requests from Richmond Hill and Bryan County, the two governments tried to work together to speed up the clean up process. Bryan County offered assistance on Aug. 28, but according to Richmond Hill City Manager Chris Lovell, additional debris removal resources had already been obtained to assist in the cleanup. Volunteers have continued to operate the resource center at the community house along with area nonprofits to help those impacted by the flood. Organizations from around the country arrived to lend a helping hand to residents stuck in their homes, clean out damaged homes and be a resource for families who have no home to return to. Those organizations, along with other city and county residents, continue to work together to help their neighbors. Communication is rock solid between all of them. The absence of Richmond Hill representation inside the Emergency Operations Center and the failure to have one appointed created was some people call, operating in two different universes. Communication, a key player in having what the state calls COG, or continuity of government, broke down between the city of Richmond Hill and its County leadership. 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 WSAV-TV. Detectives with the Redmond Police Department say they arrested a camp counselor this week, who is accused of molesting two children during a YMCA summer camp. Detectives say the assaults occurred between July 8 and August 23 at Redmond schools. 18-year-old Leonardo Louie was arrested Wednesday and has been charged with two counts of child molestation in the first degree. Detectives say if other victims have not come forward, they should give the Redmond Police Department a call at (425) 556-2500. We encourage parents to have conversations with their children about inappropriate actions by adults and remind them to tell a trusted adult immediately if unwanted contact occurs, said Chief Darrell Lowe in a news release. Conversations about sexual assault can be difficult. Additional resources can be found at the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center at (888) 998-6423 as well as on their website at www.kcsarc.org. QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) The streets of Queens will be closed for The Moon Festival Parade on Saturday, according to the New York Department of Transportation. The Moon Festival will be held in Flushing, celebrating the important Mid-Autumn Festival for the Asian community. More Local News Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is the second most important festival besides Lunar New Year in many Asian countries, such as China, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, read the shops at Skyview. Its a reunion time for families, just like Thanksgiving. People celebrate it by gathering for dinners, doing barbeque outdoors, enjoying the full moon, and eating mooncakes. The Queens community will celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with Asian ribbon and feather dancing and various foods such as mooncakes, snacks, and teas. The following streets will be closed for the Moon Festival Parade: Formation begins on: 38th Avenue between Price Street and Main Street Parade route: Main Street between 38th Avenue and Elder Avenue Parade dispersal: Elder Avenue between Main Street and Colden Street 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. YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. The calendar still says summer, but winter is coming early to parts of Californias Sierra Nevada this week, including Yosemite National Park. A trough of low pressure diving out of the Pacific Northwest is swinging southeast through Northern and Central California on Monday, bringing a pool of cool air and moisture along for the ride. Snow levels will drop to 8,000 feet, likely bringing measurable snow to parts of the Sierra Nevada. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for a swath of the mountains, including those inside Yosemite National Park. Tioga Pass and Tuolumne Meadows could see up to 3 inches of snow, with even some measurable snow as low Yosemites Badger Pass by Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford, California. Cooler temperatures and scattered rain showers will push into the lower elevations, bringing a respite from what has been a relentlessly hot summer in the San Joaquin Valley. Highs are expected to drop below 90 degrees. While this initial dollop of mountain snow will taper off by late Monday, another trough of low pressure may bring another blanket of mountain snow in the middle of the week. Original article source: Yosemite National Park areas to see measurable snow on Monday YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) Members of the Ohio Legislature joined local officials Friday evening at Youngstown State University for whats believed to be a first of its kind event for the Mahoning Valley. The event took place at the Presidents house on the Youngstown State campus which has been occupied by Bill Johnson since he became President in January. President Johnson hosted members of the Ohio Legislature from all across the state from both the House and the Senate. They were joined by local politicians and business leaders as an informal way to learn about what each wants. President Johnson spoke earlier Friday about what he expected to accomplish. Because we get a third of our funding from the state, we need to be seamlessly integrated with the local community in order to manage the workforce product, the skilled students that were putting out here with a quality education. So this is a collaborative event designed to help our region, Johnson said. The evening started informally on the patio of the Presidents house. Johnson wanted to show state lawmakers whats being done at YSU where enrollment was up this year. It was also a chance to tell them the success stories of the Mahoning Valley. I think we need to further the relationships that we have with our state legislators so that they understand the opportunities the Mahoning Valley has at its fingertips, Chamber President Guy Coviello said. Were just the furthest away from the state capitol which is why its so important to make concerted efforts like this to make sure that Columbus remembers Youngstown is here, said State Representative Lauren McNally. McNally invited everyone at the gathering to come downtown afterward to not only enjoy the nightlife but also see whats still needed after the Realty Tower explosion. 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 WKBN.com. When David Matuszak looks out over Live Oak Canyon from his four-acre horse ranch, he has a sweeping view of farm fields and grazing cattle. For nearly 40 years, hes been riding equestrian trails dotted with coastal oaks, chamise and buckwheat and flanked by the snow-capped mountains of the San Gorgonio Wilderness. Its one of the most scenic areas of Southern California, said the author and retired high school teacher who also serves as president of Friends of Live Oak Canyon, which he describes as a grassroots environmental homeowners association. But Matuszak and others fear that could change if the city of Yucaipa green-lights the construction of two massive warehouses in an undeveloped area about a mile from Matuszaks ranch. They say the project would spoil natural spaces and undermine the towns rural character, bringing increased traffic congestion and air pollution. They fear its part of a push by city officials to remake Yucaipa into yet another Inland Empire logistics hub dominated by giant fulfillment centers and rumbling diesel trucks. Thats exactly what were worried about, that were the next Fontana, Ontario or San Bernardino, said Kathy Sellers, a retired San Bernardino courts reporter whos lived in Yucaipa for 38 years. Thats why we all live out here, to get away from that. Jurupa Hills High School borders multiple large warehouses in Fontana. Some Yucaipa residents are protesting the planned construction of a massive warehouse facility there, saying that Fontana and other communities have suffered amid the spread of logistical warehouses. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) San Bernardino and Riverside counties are already home to an estimated 4,000 warehouses that span some 37 square miles the largest contiguous cluster on the planet, according to a report released by environmental groups last year. The sprawling area east of Los Angeles sits near freeways and rail spurs that ferry goods to and from the busy ports of L.A. and Long Beach. Demand for the logistics centers was further driven by an explosion in e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth in warehouse development has raised concerns about poor air quality, increased cancer risk and the destruction of green areas that act as natural carbon sinks. More than 60 organizations, including Friends of Live Oak Canyon, signed a letter calling the surge one of the most critical environmental justice issues facing the region and urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency over its public health implications. Already, studies consistently rank the Inland Empire as having among the worst air quality in the nation. The region is forced to contend with high levels of diesel particulate matter, said Timothy Mullins, who moved to Yucaipa 25 years ago to escape development in Redlands. By this project going in, we're going to be even more burdened, and the health of the community is going to be degraded, he said. Read more: Why a bill to regulate California warehouse development is generating sweeping opposition Until recently, Yucaipa had largely been spared from this type of development. Now, a 363,000-foot warehouse near the border with Calimesa is slated for completion in the next couple months. And the project currently being considered dubbed the Pacific Oaks Commerce Center would consist of two buildings of roughly 1 million square feet each and generate some 1,100 daily truck trips, according to a traffic study. The project would be a financial boon to the city, which has struggled with a growing budget deficit that has officials planning cuts to public safety and community services should voters fail to pass a November ballot measure that would raise the sales tax. Developers would pay roughly $14 million in impact fees and invest millions more in infrastructure improvements, including building a water line and widening a portion of Live Oak Canyon Road, said Benjamin Matlock, Yucaipa city planner and deputy director of community development. That would help the city attract other projects to the area, including badly needed housing, he said. The developers have also agreed to provide funding for an aerial ladder truck for the Yucaipa Fire Department, he said. An aerial view of the site where developers hope to build two 1-million-square-foot warehouses in the Live Oak Canyon area of Yucaipa. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The infrastructure upgrades would total more than $37 million, financed without using taxpayer dollars or bonds, according to Dan Floriani, co-founder of project developer Pacific Industrial. The project would include 96 acres of permanent open space with a trail accessible to the public. An economic benefits analysis by a third-party consultant estimates it would create 1,200 to 1,600 permanent jobs, he wrote in an email. Edward Timmons, whose children are fifth-generation Yucaipa residents, once worked as a manager at a large fulfillment center in Rialto. He said the work was dominated by low-paying, low-skilled jobs with high rates of attrition. Your average employee would stay there about three months; average manager, four to six months, he said. Its not a place where you build a career. Its a place that fills in the gaps until you find a better place to work. He also questioned whether the project would provide the long-term economic benefits the city is hoping for. The local logistics industry has cooled since the pandemic, with warehousing and storage jobs shrinking for the first time in more than two decades and industrial building vacancies rising, according to an L.A. Times report published earlier this year. Timmons, who now works as a real estate broker and mortgage loan originator, pulled listings within a 30-mile radius of Yucaipa and tallied about 27 million square feet of vacant warehouse space when it comes to warehouses over 250,000 square feet. Read more: 'Who's going to live here?' What happens when an e-commerce warehouse takes out your neighborhood Timmons and other residents said that, while talks between the city and developers have been taking place for four years, many locals didnt become aware of the proposal until it went before the planning commission in June. In July, the commission voted 3-2 not to recommend the project. Nobody wants this, Timmons said. In order for the project to go forward, Yucaipas City Council must both approve it and update a 2008 plan that specifies how the citys freeway corridor a 1,200-acre area bisected by Interstate 10 should be developed. The council is expected to vote Sept. 23. Some residents say a proposal to build a massive shipping warehouse in Yucaipa threatens to turn the rural area into an Inland Empire logistics hub. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The 2008 plan already permits warehouses in certain areas, said Matlock, the city planner. The proposed update would reconfigure where those warehouses could be built, from an area closer to the freeway to a more discrete location, he said. The developers went through an exhaustive effort to design the site to be adjacent to a wastewater treatment facility and tucked behind hills, he added. Kristine Mohler, who was on the committee that drafted the 2008 freeway corridor plan during two years of meetings, said the choice to zone retail, commercial and industrial activity next to the freeway was deliberate, so that people would go on and off the freeway and shop and do those type of things and not have such a tremendous impact on housing areas and the land. The original plan earmarked the internal portion of the corridor for housing and open space, whereas under the proposed update, the warehouse project would be at its core, with housing around it, she said. Thats just absurd for that area," she said. "So what we originally planned, which we thought was very efficient, as non-invasive as possible, has turned into a huge warehouse hub. And thats just not what we had in mind." Read more: Warehouse boom transformed Inland Empire. Are jobs worth the environmental degradation? Although the warehouse complex wouldnt be visible from the freeway, it would be visible from nearby trails and open spaces, said Sherli Leonard, president of the Redlands Conservancy. The nonprofit manages a 341-acre preserve thats about a half-mile from the proposed complex and another 70 acres thats nearby. The views are lovely, she said. And its not just that theyre lovely but they actually benefit the human psyche. Look at car commercials: they don't ever show someone driving through a warehouse district or even a neighborhood. The land earmarked for the complex is privately owned and not open to the public. However, she said it is a wildlife corridor for mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and the occasional bear. It would cause significant damage to that environment, to that habitat, and also open the door for more such things thats from a conservationist standpoint, she said. From anybodys standpoint, it will introduce 18-wheelers to a freeway offramp that is already seriously congested at many times of the day and there isnt any way to mitigate that, you just have to deal with it. Read more: California city approves development project near Earth's oldest living oak tree When Matuszak moved to Yucaipa in 1977 to teach exercise science and biomechanics at the local high school, the nearby communities of San Bernardino and Redlands were dominated by orange groves and open fields where farmers grew strawberries and onions, he said. Now, there are miles and miles of these warehouses and its concrete concrete roofs, concrete walls, parking lots and so forth, he said. That's created a heat island effect that's raised local temperatures by several degrees on top of global warming, he said. Were seeing the beginnings of that same push to extend what they're calling the logistics capital of the world all the way out into our neck of the woods, he said. And were just furious about it. Were going to do everything we can to stop that from happening. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. ZANESVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) A Zanesville man who was found guilty of multiple drug trafficking and possession charges will serve over two decades in prison, while another man arrested during the investigation will serve at least 15 years behind bars for vehicular homicide. According to the Muskingum County Prosecutors Office, Nicholas Schilling was sentenced to 22 years for multiple counts of drug possession and trafficking of a fentanyl-related compound, methamphetamine, and methylphenidate. Schilling was also found guilty of illegal assembly of chemicals to manufacture drugs and felonious assault involving the use of a firearm. He was found not guilty on two counts of aggravated robbery. The charges stem from reports of gunfire on May 12, and police receiving a tip the next day that Schilling was the shooter. On May 14, police began to stake out the home and noticed that Colt Lightfoot, wanted for a fatal crash in which he reportedly fatally struck a motorcyclist while under the influence of illegal drugs and fled the scene, had entered the home. A probable cause search warrant was issued and police found a large bag of narcotics, drug paraphernalia, items used to manufacture drugs, bags filled with white crystals, digital scales and several guns. A second search warrant uncovered a large bag filled with pink powder, believed to be fentanyl. Also found were bags filled with unknown pills, strips of suboxone, known as a drug used as treatment for opioid addiction, and more bags of crystal-like substances as well as more pink powder, later identified as methamphetamine and fentanyl. Police eventually found the shooting victim, and although he refused to cooperate with detectives, text messages between the victim and Schilling connected the two regarding the shooting. Additional text messages tied Schilling with his drug trafficking activities with numerous people. Nicholas Schilling (Courtesy/Muskingum County Prosecutors Office) Schilling, who was also ordered to pay $30,000 in fines and surrender all firearms, has requested a court appointed appeal attorney and filed a motion for grounds for a new trial. Lightfoot, who served prison time in three other theft and burglary cases as far back as 2002, was arrested, tried and convicted for vehicular homicide. He was sentenced to 11 to 16 1/2 years in prison. He was also found guilty of two counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle, burglary, receiving stolen property and breaking and entering. For those charges he was sentenced to three terms of 18 months, one term of 12 months and one term of four years. Those sentences are to run concurrently, but consecutively when paired with his vehicular homicide conviction. Lightfoots total sentence, therefore, is 15 to 20 1/2 years in prison. The shooting victim identified in Schillings case has a record for drug related offenses in Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas, but he was not charged in this incident. 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. Zelensky reveals details of July call with Trump, says he claimed to be 'very supportive' President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed Donald Trump told him during a call in July he is "very supportive," and would do "everything to strengthen Ukraine" if elected president. In a preview clip of an interview with CNN to be aired on Sept. 15, Zelensky said Trump also told him "he understands how difficult it is to survive during the war." The comments are at odds with Trump's previous public statements on Ukraine. During the presidential debate on Sept. 10, the former president reiterated earlier statements that his primary concern was ending the war which he has previously claimed he could do in 24 hours but refrained from providing any concrete details. Media reports indicated that Trump privately suggested he would end Russias war by pressuring Ukraine to cede occupied Crimea and Donbas to Moscow. He voiced strong criticism of American aid to Ukraine at a campaign rally in Detroit on June 15, describing Zelensky as "maybe the greatest salesman of any politician that's ever lived" for securing substantial financial support from the U.S. The U.S. has provided historic levels of foreign aid to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, sending over $100 billion in military assistance and budget support critical to fighting off Russia and helping the government continue to operate. During the debate, Trump also refused to answer whether Ukraine being victorious was in the best interests of the U.S., instead insisting that it was in Americas best interest to get this war finished and negotiate a deal." Trump's vice-presidential running mate Sen. J.D. Vance said in an interview on Sept. 12 that Donald Trump's plan to end Russia's war could include the establishment of a special demilitarized zone between Ukraine and Russia, among other arrangements. When asked by CNN's Fareed Zakaria how Zelensky understands Trump's comments that he would end the war in 24 hours, Zelensky dismissed the comments as "election messages," that may not reflect what his actual policies will be if he is elected president. "I can't understand it for today because I don't know the details what he means and what does it mean," Zelensky said, referring to Trump's alleged plan. "My position is that the election period and election messages are election messages. Sometimes they are not very real," Zelensky said during a clip of the interview, which is set to be fully published on Sept. 15. Zelensky did however acknowledge that Trump's statements have made some Ukrainians "nervous." Zelensky will visit the U.S. later this month to present President Joe Biden with a victory plan, which he told CNN would also be presented to Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump, ahead of the upcoming November presidential election. Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky, have stressed that Kyiv will continue to cooperate productively with any U.S. administration, regardless of the outcome of the November election. Read also: Is Russians at War propaganda? We asked 7 people in film who saw it Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed details of a conversation he had with US presidential candidate Donald Trump two months ago, saying that Trump was very supportive and understood the challenges of surviving during a war. Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with CNN journalist Fareed Zakaria Details: Zelenskyy also mentioned that he would first share his peace plan with US President Joe Biden. He added that it would be fair and proper to share the plan with both presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Additionally, since many decisions depend on the US Congress, the president plans to present the peace plan there as well. Afterwards, the peace plan will be revealed to the public. Commenting on Trump's recent statements, Zelenskyy said he didn't fully understand them because he wasn't sure what Trump meant. Quote: "My position [is] that election period and election messages are election messages. Sometimes they are not very real and thats why I think these messages can make us nervous, all of our people, of course. But I had a phone call with Donald Trump and he said he is very supportive and we had a good conversation. It was, I think, two months ago. He understands how it is difficult to survive during the war. Thats why I want to share this plan. To hear his reaction." More details: The full interview will be aired on the show Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN on 15 September. Background: During a recent US presidential debate, Donald Trump twice avoided directly answering whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war, stating instead that it was in the interest of the US for the war to end. Support UP or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the United States to implement agreements on the supply of military aid without delay. Source: Zelenskyys evening address Quote: "I met with a delegation of members of the US Congress. It is important to keep our partners fully informed about our needs and our positions at all levels. It is critically important that everyone, especially countries like the United States, implement our agreements promptly. This should be felt on the battlefield. Every delay in [the supply of] military packages has negative consequences at the front. Every genuinely timely, fast delivery has a positive impact. I briefed the members of Congress on the current situation and prospects. We are also preparing for meetings in the United States." Details: Zelenskyy later posted a video of the meeting with the Congressmen. "I told them that in the near future, I plan to personally present a plan for Ukraine's victory to Joe Biden and the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates," he said. Support UP or become our patron! Apple Intelligence will be blocked for almost two billion people and we don't know for how long When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Apple iPhone 16 preorders have opened, and Apple fans worldwide are heading in their thousands to the companys online store to secure an iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, or iPhone 16 Pro Max. This years biggest upgrade is Apple Intelligence, the forthcoming suite of advanced AI features coming to iPhone, iPad, and Mac. However, two regions with a combined population of nearly two billion people are set to lose out on Apple Intelligence entirely. Apple wont be bringing Apple Intelligence to the EU, and we can now confirm that Apple Intelligence wont be available on iPhones sold in mainland China either. Apple refers to this region as China mainland, which we gather does not include the territories controlled by the Republic of China, most notably Taiwan, nor the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The EU The situation for Apple Intelligence in the EU is complex to say the least. As we previously reported, Apple wont bring Apple Intelligence to the EU because of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a piece of EU legislation designed to protect competition and prevent monopolies. Apple has begrudgingly adhered to the DMA through EU-exclusive features like app sideloading, without offering the same to the rest of the world. Apple told us in June that the DMA has created regulatory uncertanties that make launching Apple Intelligence in the EU unfeasible due to the regulatory uncertainties brought about by the Digital Markets Act (DMA), we do not believe that we will be able to roll out [] Apple Intelligence to our EU users this year Apple Intelligence will not be available while physically in the EU so long as your Apple ID country/region is also within the EU. Both of these conditions need to be satisfied for Apple Intelligence to be blocked. This means that visitors to the EU, who have their Apple ID country/region set outside the EU, will be able to use Apple Intelligence during their visit, though we havent been able to test this yet. And EU-bought iPhones with EU Apple ID addresses are perfectly capable of using Apple Intelligence elsewhere, so long as the device language and Siri language are set to a supported language (currently only US English). Users can change their iPhone device language in the Settings app, by going to General > Language & Region > Add Language. Changing Siri's language can be done in the Settings app also, by going to Siri & Search > Language. Changing your Apple ID region temporarily isn't a viable workaround either, as this requires you to cancel any subscriptions and revokes access to apps purchased in the previous regions app store. As MacRumors reported in August, at least one beta version of iOS 18.1 has allowed users in the EU to test out Apple Intelligence. Mainland China The situation in mainland China is stricter. Currently, iPhones purchased in mainland China are unable to use Apple Intelligence in any part of the world, and iPhones purchased elsewhere are unable to access Apple Intelligence while in mainland China. According to Reuters, the Chinese government mandates that generative-AI chatbots which will soon describe Siri need to be vetted before release. And as the South China Morning Post reports, the 188 large language models currently approved by the Peoples Republic of China all originate from within the country. There are no signs yet of when, or if, Apple Intelligence will be allowed to function in mainland China. Apple clearly anticipates that Apple Intelligence will come to both the EU and mainland China eventually. The company has confirmed that, once available, supported iPhone models in the EU and mainland China will be able to activate and use Apple Intelligence. For the latest updates on Apples upcoming AI feature set, check out our Apple Intelligence coverage and be sure to check out our iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max hubs for all you need to know about Apples new iPhone lineup. You might also like When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: ASML ASML, the world's only maker of EUV lithography chipmaking tools, has never shipped an EUV tool to its primary Chinese customers due to the Wassenaar arrangement and the most recent export regulations, it doesn't mean that Chinese makers will never be able to build their own EUV chipmaking tools. This week, it turned out that Shanghai Microelectronics Equipment (SMEE) had applied for a patent covering an EUV lithography machine, reports the South China Morning Post. The patent, which was submitted by SMEE in March 2023, focuses on 'extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation generators and lithography equipment.' Based on the SCMP's description, SMEE is attempting to patent the key set of components of an EUV tool: a laser-produced plasma (LPP) EUV source. An LPP EUV source comprises a CO2 light source that is applied to tiny tin droplets around 30 microns in diameter in a special chamber to create ionized gas plasma at electron temperatures of several tens of electron volts, which is then collected with a special mirror coated with several layers of molybdenum and silicon to selectively reflect the of 13.5 nm EUV light. Shanghai Microelectronics Equipment (SMEE) is China's leading producer of lithography equipment. For now, the company supplies customers in China with its most advanced litho tool, the SSX600, which can be used to make chips on 90nm, 110nm, and 280nm process technologies. Last year, the company said it was on track to demonstrate a 28nm-capable system in 2023, though it is unclear whether it started mass production of this tool. EUV lithography is used to make chips on advanced process technologies, such as 7nm, 6nm, 5nm, 4nm, and 3nm. Currently, SMIC produces processors on its 2nd Generation 7nm-class process technologies using immersion DUV lithography and multi-patterning, which is inefficient from a production cycle point of view and poses many risks in terms of yields. However, SMIC and its partner Huawei have no choice but to keep using DUV lithography with multi-patterning for 7nm and then for 5nm and maybe even 3nm-class production nodes. SMEE's patent filing represents a significant step forward in China's efforts to develop its own EUV lithography tools. Though it is hard to say when the company will build at least one production EUV system that can be used to make chips in high volumes, it is evident that it is making strides towards EUV litho tools. Shanghai Microelectronics Equipment is not the only company in China that has filed a patent concerning EUV lithography. Huawei filed an EUV system-related patent in China back in 2022. These patents mark an important milestone in China's push to develop independent semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. If SMEE ever produces advanced DUV and EUV tools, it will help China reduce its reliance on foreign firms like ASML and strengthen its position in the global semiconductor market. It should be kept in mind that in many cases, patents are filed well before commercialization. An EUV lithography tool is an ultra-complex machine that uses dozens of high-tech breakthroughs made over three decades. Could SMEE make the same breakthroughs in just several years? Time will tell. If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules: Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party. 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. The Regional Center for Border Health will receive $7.5 million in reimbursement for providi Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Eid-e-Milad-Un-Nabi 2024 will be celebrated from the evening of September 15 to the evening of September 16. This day marks the birth and passing of Prophet Muhammad. Eid-e-Milad-Un-Nabi, also called Eid-e-Milad, is a significant event in Islam that honors the birth and passing of Prophet Muhammad. It is observed in the third month of the Islamic calendar, Rabi' al-awwal, and is celebrated with prayers, gatherings, and various religious activities. In 2024, Eid-e-Milad will take place from the evening of September 15 to the evening of September 16. Eid-e-Milad in 2024 Since the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, the date of Eid-e-Milad changes annually. In 2024, the celebration will start on the evening of Sunday, September 15, and end on the evening of Monday, September 16. History of Eid-e-Milad-Un-Nabi Prophet Muhammad is thought to have been born around 570 AD in Mecca, with Sunni scholars marking his birth on the 12th day of Rabi' al-awwal, while Shia scholars believe it occurred on the 17th. This day is observed both to celebrate his birth and to mourn his passing in 632 AD. The first large-scale celebration of Eid-e-Milad was recorded nearly 600 years after the Prophets death, primarily in Egypt during the Fatimid dynasty, though some suggest that the tradition may have originated in Syria or Iraq as well. Significance of Eid-e-Milad-Un-Nabi Eid-e-Milad is a time for reflection, prayers, and gathering with loved ones. Muslims around the world come together to express gratitude, pray, and share greetings. Many mark the occasion by wearing new clothes, preparing special meals, and visiting shrines, mosques, or dargahs. However, certain Islamic traditions like Wahhabism, Deobandism, and Ahl-i Hadith view Eid-e-Milad as a religious innovation (bid'ah) not rooted in early Islamic teachings. As a result, countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar do not observe the day. New Delhi: Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought equities in the Indian stock market worth Rs 16,800 crore this week, taking the total buying to Rs 27,856 crore this month (till September 13). As per NSDL data, FPIs were buyers of equity in the cash market on all days of the week. Industry watchers said that it is significant to note that unlike in previous weeks when FIIs were buyers through the primary market, this week, they were buyers through the exchanges. There are two reasons why FPIs have changed their strategy from selling to buying. There is a consensus now that the Fed will start cutting rates from this month onwards pushing the US yields down, facilitating fund flows from the US to emerging markets. Also, the Indian market is extremely resilient with strong momentum and missing out on the Indian market would be a bad strategy for FPIs. In 2024, the total investments by FPIs now stand at Rs 70,737 crore to date. According to Manoj Purohit, Partner and leader, FS Tax, Tax and Regulatory Services, BDO India, the month of September came with a full swing from the FPI fraternity which made a substantial infusion in the Indian equity market, recording the second highest single-day purchase of 2024. This shift in the investment wave is largely attributable to the Indian equity market reaching new all-time highs. The robust inflows are due to underlying factors such as global confidence in India's economic outlook and the governments commitment to drive a long term growth story, Purohit mentioned. FPIs are encashing at the right time to tab the Indian market amidst positive market sentiments, political stability, contributing to the rally. This incursion not only mirrors the growing attractiveness of Indian equities but also emphasises the confidence foreign participants have shown in India's financial markets historically as well during geopolitical crises and other macro factors. Also, due to the market regulators timely actions on easing business norms, rolling out consultation papers on industry issues, being agile to accept and inculcate global best practices to make India a competitive and one of the most preferred destination for imbedding funds to get better returns as compared to other developing economies, said experts. New Delhi: India has announced a 20 percentage point increase in the basic import tax on both crude and refined edible oils, the government said on Friday. This move aims to safeguard domestic farmers who are struggling with lower oilseed prices. As the world's largest importer of edible oils, India is taking this step to support its agricultural sector and ensure fair pricing for its farmers. This decision is likely to drive up the prices of edible oils which could lead to a decrease in demand and a reduction in imports of palm oil, soyoil, and sunflower oil. Following the announcement of the tax increase, soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade continued to decline, dropping by more than 2 per cent. New Delhi announced on Friday that a 20 per cent basic customs duty will be applied to crude palm oil, crude soyoil, and crude sunflower oil, starting from September 14, according to the official notification. It will effectively increase the total import duty on the three oils to 27.5% from 5.5% as they are also subject to India's Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess and Social Welfare Surcharge. Imports of refined palm oil, refined soyoil and refined sunflower oil will attract 35.75% import duty against the earlier duty of 13.75%. Reuters reported in late August that India was considering an increase in import taxes on vegetable oils to help soybean growers ahead of regional elections due in Maharashtra later this year. "After a long time, the government has been attempting to balance the interests of both consumers and farmers," said Sandeep Bajoria, CEO of Sunvin Group, a vegetable oil brokerage. The move has increased the likelihood of farmers receiving the minimum support price set by the government for their soybean and rapeseed harvests, he said. Domestic soybean prices are around 4,600 rupees ($54.84) per 100 kg, lower than the state-fixed support price of 4,892 rupees. India meets more than 70% of its vegetable oil demand through imports. It buys palm oil mainly from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, while it imports soyoil and sunflower oil from Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Ukraine. "India's edible oil imports consist of more than 50% palm oil, so it's obvious that the Indian duty hike is going to have a negative impact on palm oil prices next week," said a New Delhi-based dealer with a global trade house. (With Reuters Input) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed a mega rally in Jammu and Kashmirs Doda district. The Prime Ministers address was to gather support for the Bharatiya Janata Party faction for the upcoming Assembly elections. While addressing the crowd at the rally, PM said, "I will repay this love and blessings of yours by working twice and thrice as hard for you and the country. Hinting at the Congress party, NC and PDP, Modi said, Three families schemed you... these families supported Corruption and land mafia...only those close to the three families got government jobs. PM alleged that NC, PDP and Congress want to bring back Article 370, which will snatch reservation. He questioned, "Will you allow them to bring back an old era of fear?" #WATCH | Doda, J&K: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says "This time the elections of Jammu Kashmir is going to decide the fate of J&K. Since independence, our beloved J&K has been targeted by foreign powers. After this, 'pariwarwad' started hollowing this beautiful state. The pic.twitter.com/8tZdtBl5Ni ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2024 In a sharp attack on political rivals ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir elections, PM Modi claimed the upcoming polls will "decide the fate" of the region. He alleged that foreign powers have long targeted J&K, and following independence, the rise of "pariwarwad" (dynastic politics) had begun to undermine the states integrity. "Those political parties you trusted did not care about your children," Modi stated, accusing them of promoting only their own family members while ignoring the needs of the youth, who have been grappling with terrorism. He further added that these parties deliberately prevented new leadership from emerging in the region and pointed out that no panchayat elections were held after 2000, depriving the local population of democratic representation. Polling in Jammu and Kashmir is set to take place in three phases, scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting all 43 Assembly seats in the Jammu division, with the vote counting slated for October 8. This will be Jammu and Kashmirs first Assembly election in a decade, and the first since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. The BJP, which secured all 25 seats in the Jammu region during the 2014 Assembly polls, is looking to solidify its stronghold. Last weekend, Home Minister Amit Shah held a rally in Jammu, followed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressing voters in Ramban district on Sunday. Asias largest soundproof bridge, constructed in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district on National Highway 44 has been severely damaged after continuous rainfall. The bridge was constructed with a massive budget of Rs 960 crores by a private company. As per multiple reports, the repair work is currently underway, causing frequent traffic disruptions on the highway, which connects Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The bridge, located near the Pench Tiger Reserve on the Seoni-Nagpur route, was designed to minimize noise pollution and includes light reducers and 14 wildlife underpasses. Constructed by private firm Dilip Buildcon at a cost of 960 crores, the bridge spans 29 kilometers. Despite a 10-year guarantee, the structure began showing signs of damage just five years after completion, with cracks and broken sections reported following heavy rainfall. Traffic on the highway has been partially halted as the company responsible for its construction undertakes repair efforts. The early deterioration raises concerns about the bridge's durability and the effectiveness of the engineering, given the significant investment involved. Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal was released from prison on Friday after being granted bail in the CBI's excise policy case. While the AAP declared him fully empowered, the Supreme Court's bail order comes with certain restrictions. According to the apex court, Kejriwal is barred from visiting his office or the Delhi Secretariat. Media reports also suggest he is prohibited from signing any official files. Can Kejriwal Sign Files Many media reports suggested that Arvind Kejriwal cannot sign any file, however, Senior lawyer and Arvind Kejriwal's counsel in the liquor policy case, Abhishek Manu Singhvi has clarified thats not the case. "There is misinformation going on that he (Arvind Kejriwal) cannot sign any files. Today's order doesn't add a comma or a full stop to the order already passed on July 12 in the PMLA case, India Today quoted Singhvi. He added that the order states that Kejriwal does not hold any portfolio and does not sign any files, except for those that need to be sent to the Lieutenant Governor, which he is required to sign. Shall Not Make Any Public Comments Over The bail order prohibits Arvind Kejriwal from making any public statements regarding the details of the CBI case. "The appellant shall not make any public comments on the merits of the CBI case, it being sub judice before the trial court. This condition is necessitated to dissuade a recent tendency of building a self-serving narrative on public platforms, the SCs order said. The bench explained that these conditions imposed do not stop the appellant from presenting all his arguments before the trial court. What Are Additional Conditions According to the Supreme Court's ruling, Arvind Kejriwal is required to be present at every hearing before the trial court and must fully cooperate to ensure the swift conclusion of the trial proceedings. Additionally, the terms and conditions set by a coordinate bench in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case will apply to this case with necessary modifications. The terms and conditions imposed by a coordinate bench of this court vide orders dated May 10, 2024 and July 12, 2024, are mutatis mutandis (with the necessary changes) in the present case," the bench said. In a significant move to support the youth of Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the state cabinet has approved financial aid for over 25,000 beneficiaries under the CMAAA scheme. He highlighted that each selected beneficiary will receive a total of Rs 2 lakh, comprising Rs 1 lakh as a subsidy and Rs 1 lakh as an interest-free loan for five years. After the cabinet meeting, Assam CM addressed a press meeting and spoke about the key decisions of the cabinet. He revealed that the distribution of these funds will commence on November 3. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says, "Today's cabinet has approved 25,238 beneficiaries under the CMAAA scheme and they will get Rs 2 lakh each, they will not have to return Rs 1 lakh (Subsidy) and Rs 1 lakh (an interest-free loan for 5 years). From November 3 we will https://t.co/nkcFnAN5ZW pic.twitter.com/MKIsHO6PL4 ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2024 Sarma also informed that the cabinet has also approved substantial funds for infrastructure development. Rs 107 crore has been approved for the construction of a new stadium in Kokrajhar and Rs 111 crore for the construction of a new flyover in Guwahati." On Friday, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced key decisions for the state, including the transfer of illegal trading scam cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), partnering with Dassault to develop skilled professionals in aerospace, and launching a fresh recruitment drive for teachers, among other initiatives. Haryana Assembly Polls: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been released from Tihar Jail just ahead of the crucial assembly elections in Haryana. While the opposition parties including Congress were quick to welcome the Supreme Court's decision, the BJP taunted that the 'Jail CM' has now become 'Bail CM'. While Kejriwal's release has infused the AAP workers and leaders with a renewed enthusiasm, it has caused tension to its rivals. With the elections approaching, Kejriwals focus will now be entirely on the Haryana polls, which could increase the challenges for other political parties. It may be noted that despite Rahul Gandhi's eagerness to forge an alliance with the AAP, the Congress could not do it due to opposition from some Haryana leaders and lack of agreement over seat-sharing issue. AAP sensed that Congress is deploying delaying tactics and thus it went ahead to announced candidates on all the 90 seats. AAP and Congress had contested the recent Lok Sabha elections together in Haryana and Delhi but failed to reach an agreement for the Haryana Assembly elections. Now, the AAP is one of the contenders besides regional parties like JJP, INLD and ASP. Most of the times, voting trends have shown that the AAP ends up eating into the Congress party's vote share. AAP came to existence opposing the Congress and it has been considered a rival by the Congress leaders. This is one of the reason that Congress leaders did not cede space for AAP in Haryana. In the Haryana Lok Sabha polls, both parties contested together as Congress fielded candidates on 9 seats, and AAP on 1. As a result, BJP lost 5 seats compared to previous elections, securing only 5 seats. Congress, which had failed to win any seats in the 2019 elections, managed to win 5. However, AAP, which contested from Kurukshetra, lost its seat. In the last 5 years, AAPs vote share in Haryana has increased. If this trend continues in the upcoming assembly elections, both Congress and BJP could suffer. However, the major dent may be on the Congress party's side. It is worth noting that voting for all 90 seats of the Haryana Assembly will take place in a single phase on October 5, and results will be declared on October 8. Jammu and Kashmir Chunav: The Vice President of National Conference, Omar Abdullah, coutered Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to acknowledge the current security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. "Today, while PM Modi is just a few kilometers away in Doda, we mourn the loss of two brave soldiers, including an officer, in a terrorist attack in the neighboring district of Kishtwar. Instead of focusing on political rhetoric, he should speak about this tragedy," Abdullah urged. He added, "Its now been five years since Article 370 was revoked. How will they explain the current situation? We lost soldiers in Kishtwar, and an encounter is ongoing in Baramulla." Abdullah also responded to Prime Minister Modi's remarks about the alleged destruction of Jammu and Kashmir by dynasty politics. He said, "Instead of targeting us and talking about family politics, the Prime Minister should address the pressing issue of security, particularly the tragic loss of two soldiers in the Kishtwar terrorist attack." Omar further criticized the BJP, stating, "In the past, the BJP formed alliances with the PDP because it suited them at the time. Were we responsible for any destruction then? I was a minister in the BJP government, but at that time, we were not considered bad." Abdullah urged people to remember the promises made in the National Conference manifesto as they head to the polls. "Help us safeguard the rights of Jammu and Kashmir, which were taken from us five years ago," he appealed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to sound the poll boggle in a mega rally in Jammu and Kashmirs Doda district on Saturday. This marks the first visit to Doda in 42 years by any Prime Minister. Tight security measures have been put in place across the Doda and Kishtwar regions, especially following Fridays encounter in Kishtwar, which claimed the lives of two army officers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming rally is expected to boost BJP cadres and candidates in the Chenab Valley, where voting for eight Assembly seats in Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban districts is slated for September 18. Modi last addressed a BJP rally in Kishtwar during the 2014 Assembly elections, and since then, residents of Doda have been eagerly awaiting his return, a party leader said, reported PTI. No Prime Minister has visited Doda in the past 50 years. But after the visit of PM Modi, a message will go that PM Modi has worked a lot, bringing remote areas on par with developed areas," Union Minister Jitendra Singh said while speaking to ANI. Singh noted that this will be the first visit by a Prime Minister to Doda in nearly 50 years. Polling dates are scheduled in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting on all 43 Assembly seats in the Jammu division. The results and counting of votes are slated for October 8. Jammu and Kashmir is set to witness its first Assembly election in a decade, and the first since the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A. The BJP, which dominated the Jammu region by securing all 25 seats in the 2014 Assembly polls, is aiming to maintain its stronghold in the upcoming elections. Last weekend, Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a rally in Jammu, followed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holding a poll rally in Ramban district on Sunday. Kolkata Blast: A blast occurred at the busy intersection of Blochmann Street and S N Banerjee Road in Kolkata at approximately 13:45 hrs today, leaving one person, identified as a rag picker, injured. The injured individual sustained a serious injury to his right wrist and was immediately rushed to NRS Medical College and Hospital for treatment, according to Kolkata Police. An eyewitness, who was near the scene at the time, recounted, "We were standing nearby when the explosion took place. The sound was very loud. We rushed over and saw that the injured person, a rag picker, was lying on the ground with a wounded wrist. Fortunately, no one else was injured." #WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: A person who claims to be the eyewitness, says, "We were standing nearby when the explosion took place...We immediately ran to the spot and saw that one person who was a rag picker was lying by. The person sustained an injury on his right wrist. The https://t.co/g83wPjpqUH pic.twitter.com/cgUPkrs7ie ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2024 Kolkata Police officers, led by the Officer-in-Charge of Taltala Police Station, promptly responded to the incident. The area was quickly cordoned off with security tape to prevent any further accidents, and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) was called in to examine the scene. Upon arrival, BDDS personnel thoroughly checked the rag picker's bag and the surrounding vicinity for any additional threats. After a detailed inspection, the squad cleared the area, confirming there were no further explosives present. Following the clearance, traffic movement on the busy intersection was restored. The police are continuing their investigation into the cause of the explosion, and further updates are awaited. Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: In a development that could spell further trouble for former RG Kar Medical College Principal Sandip Ghosh, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested him and added charges of rape and murder in connection with the rape-murder case of a trainee doctor. The incident occurred on August 9, when an on-duty doctor was raped and murdered at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Ghosh, who is already in judicial custody for a corruption case, now faces additional serious charges. A policeman has also been arrested in connection with the rape and murder, according to officials. The CBI also accused Ghosh and the cop for allegedly misleading investigators and trying to hide evidence. Former principal Sandip Ghosh and a police officer allegedly attempted to obstruct the investigation into the rape and murder case, which had caused nationwide outrage. The arrests were made shortly after protesting doctors left Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence without meeting her, following her refusal to allow the live-streaming of their discussion. On September 10, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court sent Sandip Ghosh and three others to judicial custody until September 23 in connection with the financial irregularities case at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Ghosh, the former principal, was arrested by the CBI's Anti-Corruption Branch on September 2. He was being investigated for alleged corruption and financial misconduct at the institution, following an order from a single bench of the Calcutta High Court that directed the CBI to look into the matter. On August 24, following the orders of the Calcutta High Court, an official FIR was registered by the CBI against Ghosh in the alleged corruption case. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) of Kolkata also suspended the membership of former Sandip Ghosh amid a CBI probe into the corruption case. Kerala Lottery Results Saturday 14-09-2024 LIVE: The Kerala Lottery Department, on behalf of the Keralan government, announces the "KARUNYA KR-671" Lucky Draw Result today Karunya Kr-671, September 14, 2024. The draw will be held at Gorky Bhavan near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Lottery Result 2024 for "Karunya KR-671" will feature 12 series, with changes in series possible each week. A total of 108 lakh tickets are available for purchase weekly. The ticket prices may vary. Check the Karunya KR-671 results right here to see if youre the first-place winner of 80 Lakhs. Stay tuned to this website for the live update of Kerala Lottery Karunya KR-671 results today. Kerala Lottery Result 14-09-2024 Sep: FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR KARUNYA KR-671 Draw LUCKY NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE OF RS 80 LAKHS IS: KS 475528 LUCKY NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE OF RS 5 LAKHS IS: KN 337567 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE OF RS 1 Lakh ARE: KN 242358 KO 866223 KP 950193 KR 405005 KS 932550 KT 728495 KU 259335 KV 177981 KW 464029 KX 201062 KY 805243 KZ 924841 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE OF RS 8,000 ARE: KN 475528 KO 475528 KP 475528 KR 475528 KT 475528 KU 475528 KV 475528 KW 475528 KX 475528 KY 475528 KZ 475528 (For The Tickets Ending with The Following Numbers below) LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE OF RS 5,000 ARE: 0028 1211 1281 2269 3063 4074 4099 4100 4483 5225 5265 6743 8040 8156 9398 9617 9746 9831 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE OF RS 2,000 ARE: 0035 0712 1788 3374 5496 5849 7365 8827 9131 9733 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE OF RS 1,000 ARE: 1348 1618 1769 2367 2516 2656 3316 3951 3988 6402 6920 8432 9279 9607 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE OF RS 500 ARE: 0646 0659 0722 0771 0811 0879 0952 1037 1041 1147 1205 1258 1372 1394 1495 1749 1810 1842 1877 2075 2281 2315 2324 2335 2375 2703 2797 2974 3000 3116 3381 3796 3834 4000 4243 4266 4438 4677 4905 5041 5201 5228 5301 5395 5432 5535 5543 5827 6092 6164 6200 6204 6228 6603 6866 7513 7577 7648 7866 7901 8030 8170 8273 8280 8353 8354 8373 8586 8611 8697 8715 9098 9195 9239 9387 9672 9829 9847 9853 9992 LUCKY NUMBERS FOR 8TH PRIZE OF RS 100 ARE: 6707 9208 5322 8321 5296 8678 2832 1831 6051 9534 0629 1445 7137 4180 7940 3649 6013 5410 4676 2568 5606 3836 3598 8243 8729 5839 3028 2420 5459 3012 8038 3279 6629 6410 8525 4429 1321 7617 2758 3632 1329 4665 3847 7190 5835 4217 8419 6519 5192 6359 6825 8294 3645 7210 8625 7442 6217 0944 4696 2551 5675 8292 0668 5046 4480 4644 7767 3306 9039 5368 1982 9094 6228 6167 9576 7013 0023 4902 7678 5313 9929 2561 7423 0084 6976 6929 2631 4740 2453 7090 9877 6159 9393 4048 0414 7655 1856 3094 7469 5695 5365 0774 2920 9730 3730 9800 7195 KERALA LOTTERY RESULT 14-09-2024 September TODAY: KARUNYA KR-671 LOTTERY PRIZE DETAILS 1st Prize: Rs 80 Lakhs 2nd Prize: Rs. 5 lakhs 3rd Prize: Rs. 1 Lakh 4th Prize: Rs. 5,000 5th Prize: Rs. 2,000 6th Prize: Rs. 1,000 7th Prize: Rs. 500 8th Prize: Rs. 100 Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000 (NOTE: Lottery can be addictive and should be played responsibly. The data provided on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice or encouragement. Zee News does not promote the lottery in any way.) A 30-year-old woman from Mumbai, who is alleged to be a recruitment agent, has been arrested by Telangana Polices cybercrime wing in connection with an international job scam. Reportedly, Priyanka Shivkumar Siddu, a 30-year-old woman from Chembur, Mumbai, has been accused of trafficking job seekers to Cambodia. There they were allegedly coerced into engaging in cybercriminal activities under harsh conditions, according to the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB). Officials allege that after working at a now-defunct job processing agency, she started her own unlicensed agency, deceiving job seekers with promises of legitimate employment visas. As per the reports, the Siddu scheme involved collaboration with Narayana, who is the other agent who had connections with Jithender Shah, also known as Amer Khan, the director of a Chinese-owned company in Cambodia. She also travelled to Cambodia to consider job opportunities and was offered a commission of around 42,000 for each candidate she recruited. Upon returning to India, she began processing visas for her nephew, Akshay Vaidhya, and his friend, Danish Khan, who became the first victims of her scam, police said, India Today reported. The Telangana Cyber Crime Police have charged Siddu with several offenses, including human trafficking and cybercrime violations. The investigation is ongoing as authorities strive to reveal the full scope of her criminal network and the extent of the harm inflicted on her victims. New Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi paid tribute to CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury at the CPI office in Delhi on Saturday. Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken, Rajeev Shukla, and several CPI (M) leaders and workers arrived at the CPI (M) office in Delhi to pay tribute to Yechury. His mortal remains were taken to the party's office from his residence in Vasant Kunj here. Yechury passed away on September 12 at AIIMS Hospital after suffering from a respiratory tract infection. Speaking to ANI, Kerala Minister P Rajeev said that his demise has created a big vacuum in the national politics. Speaking to ANI, Rajeev said, "The sad demise of Sitaram Yechury has created a big vacuum in the national politics. I got the opportunity to work with him as a deputy leader when he was the leader of the CPI (M) in Rajya Sabha. He was the most acceptable person in the party and everyone came to him to make decisions on every issue. It is a big loss to the party, the left and the country." On Friday, Union Minister and BJP national President JP Nadda paid floral tribute to him at his residence. Remembering Yechury, Nadda said that he maintained relationships with those whose views differed from his own. "Paid floral tribute to the mortal remains of Former Rajya Sabha MP and General Secretary of the CPI (M) late Shri Sitaram Yechury ji. We both had different ideologies. He was a person more inclined towards ideas, but at the same time, he maintained relationships with those whose views differed from his own. He believed in agreeing to disagree and often said that this is the beauty of democracy," Nadda wrote in a post on X. "May God grant him eternal peace and give his family the strength to endure this pain," he added. Reflecting on his memories of the late CPI(M) leader, Nadda said he was very firm in his ideas and he devoted his whole life to propagating those ideas but being a social person, we can never forget his personal relationship and humanistic approach. "My friend Sitaram Yechury is no more among us... Sitaram Yechury used to come to Himachal from JNU to propagate his ideology and I have known him since then. We both belonged to different ideologies. He was very firm in his ideas and he devoted his whole life to propagate those ideas but being a social person we can never forget his personal relationship, humanistic approach. So I can say that he was a person who was more inclined towards ideas but at the same time, he also maintained relations with those people of the society who were different from his ideology. He believed that we agree to disagree and he used to say that this is the beauty of democracy. May God give him a place in his feet and give strength to all the members of his family to bear this grief," Nadda told ANI. Three terrorist was killed on Saturday in an active encounter with security officials in Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla. Security forces and terrorists engaged in an encounter in the Chak Tapper Kreeri Pattan area of Baramulla district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Friday night, officials reported. In a separate operation on Friday, troops from the Army's Rising Star Corps neutralized two terrorists in Kathua. Earlier the same day, two Army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed and two others injured during an encounter with terrorists in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. "Encounter has started at Chak Tapper Kreeri Pattan area of Baramulla. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow," the Kashmir Zone Police wrote in a post on X. A joint team of police and army conducted a cordon and search operation in the area yesterday. When the forces approached the suspected location, the militants hiding there opened fire, prompting a retaliatory exchange of gunfire. Every year on September 14th, India celebrates Hindi Diwas to honor the adoption of Hindi as one of the official languages of the country in 1949. While the day is a tribute to the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of Hindi, BollywoodIndias vibrant film industryhas played a crucial role in shaping the languages modern identity and expanding its reach, both nationally and globally. The Rise of Hindi Cinema and Its Cultural Influence Bollywood, since its inception in the early 20th century, has been a powerful vehicle for promoting Hindi. Starting with the first talkie, Alam Ara (1931), Bollywood used Hindi and its variants as the primary language of communication and storytelling. As the industry grew, so did the influence of Hindi cinema in shaping cultural norms, fashion, music, and language. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Golden Age of Hindi cinema produced iconic films such as 'Mother India' (1957), 'Mughal-e-Azam' (1960), and 'Shree 420' (1955), which became not just blockbusters but also cultural phenomena. Bollywood as a Language Equalizer One of the most significant impacts of Bollywood on the popularity of Hindi is its role as a linguistic equalizer. From Kolkata to Kerala and Gujarat to Assam, Bollywood has brought Hindi into homes where it otherwise might not have been spoken. Even in southern states where regional languages dominate, Hindi films are widely consumed, and songs and dialogues often become part of popular culture. This has helped in making Hindi more accessible and fostering a pan-Indian identity. The Global Reach of Hindi Through Bollywood In recent decades, Bollywood has not just promoted Hindi in India but has become a global ambassador for the language. Indian films, especially Hindi-language ones, are watched by millions worldwide, including in countries with large Indian diasporas such as the USA, UK, Canada, and the Middle East. Popular stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Deepika Padukone have international fan followings, and their films contribute significantly to the global recognition of Hindi. Bollywoods fusion of Hindi with vibrant music, compelling stories, and glamorous aesthetics has made the language appealing to non-native speakers. Platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime have further amplified Bollywoods global reach. Bollywood and Hinglish: A Modern Twist on Hindi One of the more recent developments in the impact of Bollywood on Hindi is the rise of 'Hinglish'a blend of Hindi and English. While traditional Hindi still holds sway, many modern Bollywood films, especially post-2000, frequently mix Hindi with English. Films like 'Dil Chahta Hai' (2001), 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' (2011), and 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' (2013) showcase urban, modern characters who switch between Hindi and English effortlessly. The Role of Music and Dialogues in Popularizing Hindi Beyond the films themselves, Bollywood's music and dialogues have had an indelible effect on the popularity of Hindi. Hindi film songs are enjoyed not only in India but across the world, making them a key component of Indian identity abroad. Legendary lyricists like Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, and Anand Bakshi have penned unforgettable lyrics in Hindi that have resonated across generations. From romantic ballads to energetic dance numbers, Bollywood music is a genre in itself. Bollywood as Hindi's Global Voice On Hindi Diwas 2024, it is important to recognize Bollywoods immeasurable contribution to the popularity of the Hindi language. From making Hindi accessible across linguistic barriers within India to elevating it on the global stage, Bollywood continues to shape how Hindi is perceived, spoken, and celebrated. New Delhi: Shabana Azmi, a towering figure in Indian cinema, is set to celebrate a monumental milestone as she marks 50 years in the film industry. The International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA) Toronto 2024 will pay homage to Azmi during its 13th edition, recognizing her remarkable contributions to cinema over five decades. Azmis cinematic journey began in 1974 with the groundbreaking film 'Ankur', a seminal work in Indian parallel cinema known for its socially conscious themes and neo-realism. Her powerful performance in this film catapulted her into the limelight, establishing her as a leading actress in this influential genre and setting the stage for a career defined by remarkable versatility and critical acclaim. Throughout her illustrious career, Shabana Azmi has garnered numerous accolades, cementing her status as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema. Her exceptional talent has earned her five National Film Awards for Best Actressan unparalleled achievementas well as five Filmfare Awards and several international honors. In 1988, Azmi was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors, in recognition of her contributions to Indian cinema. The tribute at IFFSA Toronto 2024 will be a highlight of the festival, celebrating Azmis enduring impact on both Indian and global cinema. As one of North America's largest South Asian film festivals, IFFSA Toronto provides a fitting platform to honor Azmis half-century journey and her significant influence on the film industry. New Delhi: Tamil cinemas celebrated superstar Vijay is poised to embark on a new chapter in his life as he transitions into politics. Before diving fully into his new role with his recently established political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, Vijay is set to make a final cinematic appearance. Today, KVN Productions, the Bengaluru-based distribution house, has officially announced that Vijay's 69th film will be titled 'Thalapathy 69' KVN Productions, a Bengaluru-based distribution house, revealed the news via the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The announcement expressed the companys enthusiasm: We are beyond proud & excited to announce that our first Tamil film is #Thalapathy69, directed by the visionary #HVinoth with music by the sensational Rockstar @anirudhofficial. Super happy to collaborate with the one and only #Thalapathy @actorvijay. The torchbearer of democracy is arriving on October 2025. We are beyond proud & excited to announce that our first Tamil film is #Thalapathy69, directed by the visionary #HVinoth, with music by the sensational Rockstar @anirudhofficial Super happy to collaborate with the one and only #Thalapathy @actorvijay The torch bearer of pic.twitter.com/Q2lEq7Lhfa September 14, 2024 In anticipation of this landmark event, KVN Productions previously released a touching montage on YouTube titled The Love for Thalapathy | Thalapathy 69 Announcement. The video reflects on Vijays distinguished three-decade career and his deep connection with fans, with the caption: We all grew up with your films & youve been a part of our lives every step of the way. Thankyou Thalapathy for entertaining us more than 30 years. The films release is scheduled for October 2025, marking a poignant end to Vijays illustrious acting career. The announcement has generated considerable excitement among fans and industry insiders, who eagerly await the final cinematic offering from the celebrated actor, directed by H. Vinoth and featuring music by Anirudh Ravichander. Gemini Live Free: Tech giant Google is rolling out its Gemini Live AI-powered assistant to all Android users for free. This AI-powered assistant allows users to have natural conversations with the chatbot on their phone. Earlier, Gemini Live was exclusively available to users with a Gemini Advanced subscription, priced at Rs 1,950 per month following a one-month free trial. This subscription also grants access to Gemini 1.5 Pro, Google's most advanced AI model. Google introduced the assistant with the Google Pixel 9 series last month with several new AI features which include the Pixel Studio, enhanced Magic Eraser, and Gemini Live. Notably, this new AI-powered assistant or Google Live chatbot was only available to Gemini Advanced subscribers. Gemini Live AI Availability The free version of the Gemini Live chatbot is currently available only for Android users through the Gemini app and exclusively in English. iPhone users, who can access Gemini Live via the Google app on iOS, are not able to use the free version at this time. Android users eager to try Gemini Live without subscribing can explore the free version once it's released. Google is also expected to introduce the free version of Gemini Live in additional languages and expand its availability to other platforms, including iOS. How To Access Gemini Live Step 1: Open the Gemini app on your phone and locate the new feature by tapping on the "new circular waveform with a sparkle icon" in the bottom right corner of the app or overlay. Step 2: After tapping the icon, a fullscreen window will appear, displaying "Hold" and "End" buttons at the bottom of the screen. Step 3: Users Interact with Gemini by holding the "Hold" button to engage in a conversation. Step 4: If needed, exit the fullscreen interface to multitask and continue using your phone while the conversation with Gemini remains active. Step 5: To end the session, tap on the notification or simply say "Stop" to disable Gemini Live. What Gemini Live Subscription Model Offers The subscription model includes Gemini support for Google services such as Gmail and Docs, along with Python code access for developers, and offers priority access to new features. With Gemini Advanced, users get 2TB of Google One storage, which can be utilized across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. This storage also serves as a backup for devices, functioning similarly to other Google One plans. Viral Video: In a disturbing and shocking incident from the Loni area of Ghaziabad, a juice vendor was caught allegedly mixing human urine into fruit juices and serving it to customers. The horrifying revelation came to light when local customers noticed an odd taste in their drinks and raised an alarm. The incident occurred at a juice shop in the Indirapuri area, where outraged locals confronted the shop owner. Upon discovering the disgusting practice, they caught the vendor red-handed and proceeded to physically assault him before contacting the authorities. Locals Reported The Incident During a search of the juice shop, police found a bottle filled with human urine. Local residents filmed the entire episode and alerted the police, who arrived on the scene promptly. Two individuals, including the shop owner, were taken into custody. Samples of the juice and urine were collected and sent for forensic examination. Police Statement On The Incident Ghaziabad police arrested a 29-year-old juice vendor from the Loni Border area on allegations of mixing human urine into fruit juices, while a 15-year-old accomplice was also detained. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bhaskar Verma of the Ankur Vihar region, the arrest was made following complaints from the public. Locals claimed that the vendor had been serving contaminated juice to unsuspecting customers. Urine-Filled Plastic Container Recovered Police identified the vendor as Amir (29), and during a search of his juice cart, a plastic container filled with urine was recovered. Despite questioning, Amir was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation. The ACP confirmed that Amir has been arrested and his juvenile accomplice has been detained. Legal proceedings are ongoing in the case. This shocking discovery has left the local community in disbelief, and the authorities are investigating the matter further. If your body were exposed to the vacuum of space without a spacesuit, here's what would happen. A vacuum means a space that has no air, gas, or any other matter. In space, a vacuum is an area with no atmosphere or air pressure. The first thing to understand is that many Hollywood portrayals of this situation are exaggerated.They often show people without helmets or spacesuits either exploding or freezing to death immediately.In reality, the same things would happen, but they wouldnt be as extreme. An astronaut floating in space without a suit wouldnt survive, but death would occur in minutes rather than seconds. It would be a brutal process, with body fluids boiling and their nose and mouth freezing. Space is an empty vacuum with no air, which means theres no atmosphere and no air pressure like we have on Earth. Air pressure affects the temperature at which liquids boil and become gas. When the air pressure outside a liquid is high, like it is at sea level on Earth, it becomes more difficult for gas bubbles to form, move up to the top, and escape. In space, where there is almost no air pressure, liquids boil at much lower temperatures. This means that even at cooler temperatures, liquids can start to boil quickly in space. Dr. Kris Lehnhardt, a scientist for NASA's Human Research Program, explained to Live Science that this is a big issue because about 60% of the human body is made up of water. Without pressure, the liquid water in our bodies would start to boil and quickly turn into gas."In other words, all the water-containing tissues in your body would begin to swell," he said. Some people have actually been exposed to almost no air pressure and have lived to share their experiences. In 1966, NASA aerospace engineer Jim LeBlanc was testing spacesuit prototypes in a large vacuum chamber. During the testing, the hose that was supplying air to his suit got disconnected."I remember stepping backward and feeling the saliva on my tongue starting to bubble just before I passed out, which means right before I lost consciousness. That was the last thing I recalled," he shared in the 2008 documentary series "Moon Machines" episode about the spacesuit. The formation of gas bubbles in bodily fluids, called ebullism, can also happen to deep-water scuba divers who come up too quickly. This is because they move from an area with high pressure underwater to a low-pressure environment at the surface. In high pressure, the gases in the body stay dissolved in the fluids. When they rise quickly and pressure drops, those gases can suddenly form bubbles, which can be dangerous. For astronauts without suits, the blood in their veins boils more slowly than the water in their tissues because the circulatory system has its own internal pressure. However, the body's tissues would still experience a lot of bubbling, known as ebullism, very quickly. A 2013 study published in the journal Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance examined past cases of animals and humans exposed to vacuums. It found that they lost consciousness in less than 10 seconds. Some of them couldn't control their bladder and bowel movements, and the swelling in their muscles blocked blood flow to their hearts and brains. This happened because their muscles expanded and acted like a vapor lock. Vapor lock refers to a condition where the flow of liquid is obstructed due to the formation of vapor or gas in the system, causing a blockage. Lehnhardt stated that it is impossible for a person to survive this, and death is probable in less than two minutes. As per information from NASA's bioastronautics data book, the lack of pressure in space would draw the air out of your lungs, leading to suffocation in just a few minutes. This happens because in the vacuum of space, there is no air pressure to keep the air in your lungs, causing it to be pulled out rapidly, making it impossible to breathe. Once the first rush of air escapes, the vacuum of space would keep pulling gas and water vapor from your body through your air passages. This means that in the absence of pressure, the air and moisture inside your body would be continuously pulled out, making it impossible for you to breathe or survive in space. The ongoing boiling of water in your body would create a cooling effect. As water molecules evaporate, they would take heat energy from your body, causing the areas around your nose and mouth to almost freeze. The rest of your body would also get colder, but this would happen at a slower pace since there would be less evaporation occurring. (Girish Linganna is a Defence and Aerospace Analyst based out of Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. The views expressed in this article are of the author only.) It has been four years since the Galwan Valley clash, during which relations between India and China soured significantly. China had maintained a strong military presence in the Galwan Valley since then, but the tensions are now gradually easing. After four years, China has ordered its troops to withdraw from the region. The question arises: what has changed after these four years that prompted China to pull back its forces? Lets dive into the details. On Friday, September 13, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that troops have been withdrawn from four locations, including the Galwan Valley, in Eastern Ladakh. The ministry mentioned that during a meeting in Russia, both India and China agreed to work together to create a conducive environment for improving bilateral relations. According to a press release issued by Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks on Thursday on the sidelines of a high-level BRICS meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia. During this meeting, both sides discussed recent progress in their deliberations on border issues. A spokesperson from Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "In recent years, the forward-deployed forces of both countries have completed the withdrawal process from four points along the western sector of the China-India border, including the Galwan Valley. The situation along the China-India border is generally stable and under control." This statement followed Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankars remarks in Geneva, where he mentioned that about 75% of the issues related to troop withdrawal with China have been resolved, though the increasing militarization along the border remains a significant concern. Ajit Doval and Wang Yi, as special representatives for the India-China border negotiations, discussed the future of relations between the two nations. In a detailed press release, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that both sides believe the stability of India-China relations is in the fundamental and long-term interest of their people and contributes to regional peace and development. According to a report by Chinas official news agency Xinhua, Wang Yi, a member of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee Political Bureau, emphasized that in the face of a turbulent world, as two ancient Eastern civilizations and emerging developing nations, China and India should remain steadfast in their independence, choose unity and cooperation, and avoid harming each other. Wang expressed hope that both sides would adopt a pragmatic approach to resolve differences appropriately, find a suitable way to work together, and bring India-China relations back onto a healthy, stable, and sustainable development path. ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE: Pope Francis on Friday slammed both U.S. presidential candidates for what he called anti-life policies on abortion and migration, and he advised American Catholics to choose who they think is the lesser evil in the upcoming U.S. elections. Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies, Francis said. The Argentine Jesuit was asked to provide counsel to American Catholic voters during an airborne news conference while he flew back to Rome from his four-nation tour through Asia. Francis stressed that he is not an American and would not be voting. Neither Republican candidate Donald Trump nor the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, was mentioned by name. But Francis nevertheless expressed himself in stark terms when asked to weigh in on their positions on two hot-button issues in the U.S. election abortion and migration that are also of major concern to the Catholic Church. Francis has made the plight of migrants a priority of his pontificate and speaks out emphatically and frequently about it. While strongly upholding church teaching forbidding abortion, Francis has not emphasized church doctrine as much as his predecessors. Francis said migration is a right described in Scripture and that anyone who does not follow the Biblical call to welcome the stranger is committing a grave sin. He was also blunt in speaking about abortion. To have an abortion is to kill a human being. You may like the word or not, but its killing, he said. We have to see this clearly. Asked what voters should do at the polls, Francis recalled the civic duty to vote. One should vote, and choose the lesser evil, he said. Who is the lesser evil, the woman or man? I dont know. Everyone in their conscience should think and do it, he said. The Harris and Trump campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. U.S. President Joe Biden, an observant Catholic, shares Harris strong support for abortion rights, a stance that prompted some Catholic bishops and other conservatives to call for him to be denied access to Communion. After meeting Francis in person at the Vatican in October 2021, Biden came away saying the pope told him he was a good Catholic and should continue receiving Communion. Francis, asked on previous occasions about some U.S. bishops who want to deny Communion to Biden over his support for abortion rights, has said bishops should be pastors, not politicians. Friday's news conference was not the first time Francis has weighed in on a U.S. election. In the run-up to the 2016 election, Francis was asked about Trumps plan to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. Francis declared then that anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants is not Christian. In responding Friday, Francis recalled that he celebrated Mass at the U.S.-Mexico border and there were so many shoes of the migrants who ended up badly there. Trump pledges massive deportations, just as he did in his first White House bid, when there was a vast gulf between his ambitions and the legal, financial and political realities of such an undertaking. The U.S. bishops conference, for its part, has called abortion the preeminent priority for American Catholics in its published voter advice. Harris has strongly defended abortion rights and has emphasized support for reinstating a federal right to abortion. In his comments, the pope added: On abortion, science says that a month from conception, all the organs of a human being are already there, all of them. Performing an abortion is killing a human being. Whether you like the word or not, this is killing. You cant say the church is closed because it does not allow abortion. The church does not allow abortion because its killing. It is murder. However, cells are only beginning the process of developing into organs in the earliest weeks of pregnancy. For example, cardiac tissue starts to form in the first two months initially a tube that only later evolves into the four chambers that define a heart. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that by 13 weeks, all major organs have formed. In other comments, Francis: denied a French media report that he would travel to Paris for the December inauguration of the restored Notre Dame Cathedral, saying flat-out he would not be there. But he confirmed he would like to go to the Canary Islands to highlight the plight of migrants. tamped down renewed speculation that he might finally return to Argentina later this year, saying he wants to go but that nothing had been decided. He added: There are various things to resolve first. Francis has not been home since before the 2013 conclave that elected him pope. declared that China was a promise and a hope for the Catholic Church and hoped to one day visit. called sexual abuse demonic and weighed on the latest revelations of assault against a legendary French priest, Abbe Pierre. NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams, along with Butch Willmore, expressed their desire to vote in the upcoming US presidential elections this November. During a live press conference on Friday night, from 250 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station, Williams said that she is in her happy place and loves being in space. "This is my happy place. I love being up here in space... A test flight means that we're probably going to find some stuff." she said, ANI reported. The astronauts said that they have requested a ballot to vote in the upcoming U.S. elections, emphasising the "important role" that citizens play in the democratic process. "I sent down my request for a ballot today, as a matter of fact, and they should get it to us in a couple of weeks," Wilmore said, as per the ANI reports. A decision was made to return the Starliner spacecraft to Earth without its crew, and it successfully landed on September 6 after spending over three months in space. The spacecraft made a safe landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. Both astronauts will stay on the International Space Station as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew and are expected to return in February 2025. They will return aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members as part of NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission. On June 5, the pair launched aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft for its inaugural crewed flight and arrived at the space station on June 6. CORVALLIS, OR - Our beloved Josette was a blessing and a joy to all of her family and friends. We remember Josette as a playful and loving family member who made us laugh and encouraged us to be compassionate. She made numerous friends and acquaintances over the course of her life in Corvallis, Hood River, Albuquerque and many other cities. Josette was a world traveler. She loved cultures and languages. She was fluent in Spanish and French and studied Portuguese and Japanese. Josette spent a year in France with her family while in middle school. She also worked in the foreign exchange student program at Oregon State University, and studied abroad in Quito, Ecuador and Puebla, Mexico. She earned undergraduate degrees from Oregon State University and a Master's degree from the University of New Mexico in Urban Planning. Josette was hired as a county planner in Hood River, Oregon, working there for fifteen years before to returning to Corvallis where she worked at Stover, Evey and Jackson. She enjoyed her jobs and coworkers. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 It was billed that it was going to be a debate for the ages. As I pulled up my recliner and a bowl of popcorn, I'm expecting Lincoln-Douglas level combat oratory that would answer every question about candidate beliefs and plans for America that could ever come up. What it turned out to be was a carnie sideshow that was selling the value equivalent of a late night infomercial hawking RONCO spray on hair in a can, or the inimitable Billy Mays shilling me to order Oxi-Clean guaranteeing that all of my blood soaked T-shirts would once again be brilliant white. What a waste of the time and the money it took to bring that circus to town. Every party involved, from the talent (candidates) to those lurking behind the scenes, failed at whatever it was they were trying to accomplish. Hey, I remember high school debate team, and that was not even close. It was all-star "rassling" from the 1960s that should have been broadcast in black and white. As I drive around town, any town, I see bouquets of campaign signs: Red as Roses, indicating that homeowner is either a) all in for Donald Trump, or b) absolutely, positively, never voting for, and wishing every possible misfortune to befall Kamala Harris. If the bouquet of campaign signs are blue as a bed of delphiniums, that indicates that homeowner is either A), all in for Kamala Harris, or B) absolutely, positively, never voting for, and wishing every possible misfortune to befall Donald Trump. Nine out of 10 voters fall into one or the other of these categories, many times planting their opposite campaign sign bouquets, next door to each other. You want to talk about the potential for gun violence; I am honestly surprised that there are not more instances of weapons being brandished by neighbors on neighbors. Not just roses on delphiniums, but also and as equally possible, delphiniums on roses. As a side note, when I once asked my step-dad, Bob Wilson who was in business of some sort or another in North Iowa for 65 years, why he did not post campaign signs in his store fronts or at home for candidates and issues he supported, he said, without blinking, "Why would I want to piss off half of my customers?" But I digress. In raw numbers, of the 162 million votes that will be legally cast on Nov. 5, 153.9 million have, and did so, long before any debate, cast their undying allegiance and commitment, to either Blue Delphiniums or Red Roses. Nothing can change their minds. That leaves undecided voters of 16.2 million who will, as they are always tasked to do, resolve this mess. The 2024 election cycle will see spending for advertising buys alone reaching $16 billion times five if you add in all of the ancillary costs. From talking heads all the way down to bellhops, from security, travel, venue rental, and transportation to geeks salting social media, the total election costs will exceed $75 billion. Nearly $5,000 will be lit on fire and burned for each undecided vote available. But that is not really the complete picture. Of $75 billion spent, an amount that is over 8 times the total annual budget of the entire State of Iowa, nearly all of it will go to "preaching to the choir." Reds burn money on reds; and Blues burn money on blues. In the vernacular of these idiotic times, that money is spent on "shoring up the base." I'm a simple person and maybe simple minded, but blues spending money to "shore up" blues, and reds spending money to "shore up" reds, when both blues and reds have already drunk their respective Kool-Aid, makes about as much sense as a screen door on a submarine. How do we everyday citizens of the United States continue to condone and justify this nonsense? If somebody schedules another "debate," I'm going to lose it. A new reign begins for Decatur's Gyro King The Gyro King has relinquished his crown. Its just time to retire, Chris Droukas, 79, said. At my age, I can't do it no more. The new king is Decatur native Vasilios Chiligiris, who took over the long-time Gyro King food truck three weeks ago. I just wanted to keep the tradition alive, Chiligiris said. The Gyro King was one of the first food trucks to have a daily parking spot in Decatur. For more than 40 years the popular Greek food has been a favorite among lunch time diners. For years the trailer was parked at the southeast corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Pershing Road. In April, Droukas moved the Gyro King food truck to the Ashley Furniture Outlet parking lot on Pershing Road, where it remains with the new owner. The Chiligiris and Droukas families arrived together in Central Illinois 50 years ago. The family friends started up their own businesses shortly afterwards. When he was younger, Chiligiris, now 32, was often found working in the Gyro King trailer during Saturday shifts. The food truck hours will remain the same, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Next year were probably going to try to open on Saturday again, Chiligiris said. Gyro King will continue serving food until at least the end of October. And Im going to try and stay open through November if I can, Chiligiris said. Droukas plans to stick around Illinois, including Chicago as well as Decatur. Then Im going to go back home in the summertime, he said about his native Greece. Its different there in the summertime and wintertime. Chiligiris took four months to train, according to Droukas. I showed him all kinds of details, Droukas said. Its a big deal. Carol Stillwell is a regular Gyro King customer. Ive been coming to him since 2003, she said. He has the best. To keep the customers happy, Chiligiris will leave much of the food as well as the food truck the same. I think people are going to like everything staying traditional, he said. A lot of people told us not to change anything. Right, Stillwell added. WASHINGTON Heres a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week. Along with this weeks roll call votes, the House also passed these measures: the Confirmation Of Congressional Observer Access Act (H.R. 6513), to confirm the requirement that states allow access to designated congressional election observers to observe the election administration procedures in Congressional elections; the Subterranean Border Defense Act (H.R. 7404), to require annual reports on counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations; the No Russian Tunnel to Crimea Act (H.R. 7701), to require sanctions on any foreigner who knowingly participates in the construction, maintenance, or repair of a tunnel or bridge that connects the Russian mainland with the Crimean peninsula; and the Economic Espionage Prevention Act (H.R. 8361), to impose sanctions with respect to economic or industrial espionage by foreign adversarial companies. House votes COMPETITION WITH CHINA: The House has passed the Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund Authorization Act (H.R. 1157), sponsored by Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., to authorize $325 million of annual spending, for the next 3 years, on government actions against Chinas attempts at malign influence on the U.S. and its allies. Barr said the bill sought to direct those scarce taxpayer resources effectively so that they actually do the job that the taxpayers deserve and we actually win this fight with China. The vote, on Sept. 9, was 351 yeas to 36 nays. NOT VOTING: McHenry R-NC (10th) YEAS: Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Adams D-NC (12th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th) CONTRACTS WITH CHINESE BIOTECHNOLOGY FIRMS: The House has passed the BIOSECURE Act (H.R. 8333), sponsored by Rep. Brad R. Wenstrup, R-Ohio, to bar federal government agencies from reaching contracts with, or sending grant funds to, any of five different China-based biotechnology companies that have been deemed to be a risk to U.S. national security. Wenstrup said the ban will help protect the biologic data of American patients and make sure that their data does not fall into the hands of our adversaries. A bill opponent, Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Mass., cited a lack of due process and transparency for determining which companies to ban, as well as the political nature of the ban. The vote, on Sept. 9, was 306 yeas to 81 nays. NOT VOTING: McHenry R-NC (10th) YEAS: Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Adams D-NC (12th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th) NAYS: Foushee D-NC (4th) HONG KONG GOVERNANCE: The House has passed the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) Certification Act (H.R. 1103), sponsored by Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J. The bill would require the removal of various forms of special treatment for the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices should China impair Hong Kongs autonomy. Smith said these offices serve as Beijings propaganda arm in the United States, defending and dismantling the freedom of Hong Kong and obscuring the truth. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 413 yeas to 3 nays. NOT VOTING: McHenry R-NC (10th) YEAS: Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Adams D-NC (12th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th) REPORT ON COLLEGE TIES TO CHINA: The House has approved an amendment sponsored by Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., to the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act (H.R. 1516). The amendment would require a Homeland Security Department report to Congress on colleges and universities that have ties to a Confucius Institute or other Chinese groups deemed national security threats. Cline said of the need for a report: Congress has a duty to conduct oversight of institutes of higher education that value their relationships with Communist China over national security for the American people. An amendment opponent, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., said it would drain Homeland Security resources and could lead to punishing U.S. colleges for innocent ties with Chinese colleges. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 253 yeas to 151 nays. YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st) NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Nickel D-NC (13th), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th) CONFUCIUS INSTITUTES AND COLLEGES: The House has passed the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act (H.R. 1516), sponsored by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas. The bill would bar certain types of Homeland Security Department funding for U.S. colleges and universities that have established ties to Confucius Institutes, which are cultural organizations linked to Chinas government. Pfluger said the institutes were part of an adversarial campaign from China, and that we cannot allow any of these malign activities or actions to continue to undermine the United States. An opponent, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., said the bills overly broad funding ban denies critical homeland security funding to U.S. universities, puts American students at risk, and harms our national security. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 249 yeas to 161 nays. YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st) NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Nickel D-NC (13th), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th) TAIWAN AND THE WHO: The House has passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Andrew Ogles, R-Tenn., to the No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act (H.R. 1425). The amendment would voice unequivocal U.S. support for Taiwans full participation in the World Health Organization. Ogles said of the need for full participation: Because the world allowed the PRCs [Chinas] pressure campaign against Taiwan to succeed, no one listened when Taiwan tried to warn the World Health Organization of possible human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus on December 31, 2019. The vote, on Sept. 11, was unanimous with 403 yeas. NOT VOTING: McHenry R-NC (10th) YEAS: Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Adams D-NC (12th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Edwards R-NC (11th), Nickel D-NC (13th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th) APPROVING PANDEMICS TREATY: The House has passed the No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act (H.R. 1425), sponsored by Rep. Thomas P. Tiffany, R-Wis., to require Senate approval of U.S. involvement in any pandemic-related international agreement involving the World Health Assembly. Tiffany said Senate review of the draft pandemic treaty currently proposed by the World Health Organization was needed because the draft treaty shreds intellectual property rights. It also contains certain provisions that may police our First Amendment rights. An opponent, Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, D-N.Y., said this bill only serves to undermine diplomatic efforts seeking to strengthen global health security. The vote, on Sept. 11, was 219 yeas to 199 nays. YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st) NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Nickel D-NC (13th), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th) NOT VOTING: Edwards R-NC (11th) ANTI-CHINA INITIATIVE: The House has passed the Protect Americas Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act (H.R. 1398), sponsored by Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas. The bill would re-establish the China Initiative at the Justice Department, and rename it the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Initiative. The Initiative, which began in 2018 and was halted in 2022, aimed to counter threats from China, including spying and economic espionage. Gooden said: The rollback of the China Initiative left us lacking a dedicated approach and no oversight on issues of critical national interest. A bill opponent, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said the Initiative produced little more than a series of unsupportable cases against Chinese academics at the height of their careers that left their reputations in tatters. The vote, on Sept. 11, was 237 yeas to 180 nays. YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st) NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Nickel D-NC (13th), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th) FARMLAND SALES AND NATIONAL SECURITY: The House has passed the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act (H.R. 9456), sponsored by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., to require the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. to determine whether to make a national security review of potential sales of agricultural land to certain foreign parties, including Russian or Chinese nationals. Newhouse said: This legislation strengthens the safety of our supply chains and opens a door to new reporting mechanisms that USDA [Agriculture Department] can use to keep us safe from this threat. An opponent, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said: The bills broad-brush approach of targeting individuals from China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran amounts to racial profiling. The vote, on Sept. 11, was 269 yeas to 149 nays. YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Manning D-NC (6th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th) NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Nickel D-NC (13th), Foushee D-NC (4th) ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES AND TAXES: The House has passed the End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act (H.R. 7980), sponsored by Rep. Carol D. Miller, R-W.Va. The bill would bar electric vehicles that use batteries sourced from certain companies in China and other foreign countries from eligibility for the federal new clean vehicle tax credit. Miller said: This legislation will close the Chinese billionaire loophole that currently allows those entities owned by billionaires from countries of concern to benefit from the electric vehicle subsidies. A bill opponent, Rep. Daniel T. Kildee, D-Mich., said it imposed unworkable, unclear restrictions on electric vehicle makers that would lead the auto industry and battery manufacturers to pull back their U.S. investments and to pull back on investing in manufacturing for those critical elements right here in the United States and from friendly countries and to, instead, go back to relying on China. The vote, on Sept. 12, was 217 yeas to 192 nays. YEAS: McHenry R-NC (10th), Foxx R-NC (5th), Hudson R-NC (9th), Murphy R-NC (3rd), Rouzer R-NC (7th), Bishop (NC) R-NC (8th), Edwards R-NC (11th), Davis (NC) D-NC (1st) NAYS: Adams D-NC (12th), Manning D-NC (6th), Ross D-NC (2nd), Nickel D-NC (13th), Foushee D-NC (4th), Jackson (NC) D-NC (14th) Senate votes MARYLAND JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Adam Abelson to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Maryland. Abelson was a lawyer at a Baltimore law firm before, in 2023, being named a magistrate judge on the Maryland court. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 53 yeas to 43 nays. NAYS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC NEW YORK JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Jeannette Vargas to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. A staffer in the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District since 2002, Vargas has been the deputy chief of its civil division since 2016. The vote, on Sept. 10, was 51 yeas to 43 nays. NAYS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC VERMONT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Mary Kay Lanthier to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Vermont. A public defender for a Vermont county since 2007, Lanthier was previously a private practice lawyer and a public defender. A supporter, Sen. Bernie Sanders, ID-Vt., said: I am confident that she will treat everyone in her courtroom with the compassion, respect, and dignity that they deserve. The vote, on Sept. 11, was 55 yeas to 42 nays. YEAS: Tillis R-NC NAYS: Budd R-NC MINNESOTA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Laura Margarete Provinzino to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for Minnesota. Provinzino, a prosecutor for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the district since 2010, was previously a lawyer in Minneapolis. A supporter, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said: Through her devotion to justice and the rule of law, she has earned the respect and support of attorneys and law enforcement across our state. The vote, on Sept. 12, was 54 yeas to 41 nays. NAYS: Tillis R-NC, Budd R-NC Today, Lincolns Block 67 houses three buildings, two commercial enterprises and a large church, although most Lincolnites will easily remember a point in history, not so long ago, when there were at least five structures standing. Today only two physical remnants remain of the earliest structures, one still plainly visible, the other total invisible but patiently waiting resurrection. In 1866, the year before the village of Lancaster became the city of Lincoln, the only structure in the entire community south of todays N Street sat roughly in what today is Block 67, bounded by M, N, 11th and 12th streets. That building, Valentine Brothers' Lumberyard, disappeared almost immediately in 1867 when the east half of Section 26, which originally belonged to Jacob and Editha Dawson, was platted and sold at auction by the State of Nebraska with the creation of the State of Nebraskas first capital. The Nebraska Capital Commission gave lots 10, 11 and 12 in the southeast corner of Block 67 to First Methodist Episcopal Church, todays St. Paul United Methodist Church. 1873 saw a second building constructed north of the church as the office of John Butler Architect and Builder. In the mid-1870s the northwest quarter of the block was purchased for $800, platted as Ballentines Addition but sold, undeveloped, at a later sheriffs sale for $30. Within two years, the northwest corner lots became the double-fronted Billingsley-Montgomery building. Sometime before 1884 a one-story building appeared at 226 South 11th Street, directly across the street east from the Lincoln fire departments engine house and joined a manse/parsonage directly north of the Methodist Church with the Webster Block and Masonic Temple. Timothy W. Townsend was born in a Quaker family turned Methodist, in 1844 in Ohio living in a house which was a stop on the Underground Railroad. In 1866 the family moved to Iowa, again living in a home which served as a station on the Underground Railroad, while Timothy operated photo studios in Des Moines and Iowa City. Son Alva was born in Iowa City in 1872 and Charles in 1874. Although Timothy briefly operated a photo studio in Hastings, in 1888, the family moved to Lincoln that same year. That year the one-story building at 226 South 11th was either enlarged or replaced, as a two-story masonry building. The upper served as their residence which was accessed via separate entrance stairs at 228 South 11th. The ground floor became Townsends Elite Photo Studio until simply being known as Townsends after 1895. Timothy and his wife moved to California in 1898, with the photo studio turned over to Alva. They then returned to Des Moines in 1900 where Timothy died in 1912. On Sept. 16, 1899, a fire exploded out of the back of Jacob North Printing, which was almost instantly spotted by the fire headquarters to the west. The fire quickly spread to the Masonic Hall while the church was ignored, being of stone and thought fireproof. Unfortunately, the fire caught the wooden rafter-ends, spreading, unseen, into the church. Within minutes the 14-year-old, $45,000, supposedly fireproof building, burned from the inside out and nearly an entire half block was destroyed with only the Webster Block and Townsend Studio surviving. In 1901 the extant St. Paul United Methodist Church was dedicated. By 1965 the west half of the block retained the single-story Christiansen Appliance store on the Masonic Temple site, a single-story auto supply, Townsend Studio and the Billingsley-Montgomery building, which housed the Army & Navy Store, with the upper floors nearly vacant. In the early 1970s Billingsley-Montgomery and the auto supply store were razed for the new Lincoln Federal Savings & Loan building. The Townsend building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 with the building becoming the House of Flowers four years later. The Smith family, of Speedway Properties, who then owned the Townsend building, donated the site to St. Paul Methodist in 1996 but salvaged the stone facade in September of 1997 before razing the balance of the building. In 1945 Alva Townsend sold the photo studio to Ben Meyer who in turn sold it to James Clark in 1970, turning it over to his son Bradford who still operates the business. Townsend Studios still owns the large archive of glass plate and acetate negatives going back to 1888 with many prints archived at the Nebraska State Historical Society. Some of the churchs pre-fire stained-glass windows survive on the north side of the current church which was almost seamlessly extended to the west over the old Townsend site whose stone facade and 1888 datestone patiently waits in a Speedway Properties warehouse, perhaps for reuse in the Historic Haymarket. Nebraska's federal court judges have chosen a state judge to join the court as a United States magistrate judge. In a press release, Chief Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. said they have selected Buffalo County District Judge Ryan C. Carson. Carson will take the United States magistrate judge bench on Nov. 1, filling the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Susan M. Bazis as U.S. District Judge, who was based in Omaha. "Nebraska's federal court, and the people it serves, are very fortunate to welcome such a highly qualified individual to our bench," Rossiter said. He said the district judges are grateful to the Merit Selection Panel for its "conscientious work, helping to ensure the selection of the new magistrate judge with outstanding experience, intellect, work ethic, temperament, and commitment to justice. The district judges are equally grateful to each of the extremely well-qualified candidates who took the time to apply for this important position." Carson is a cum laude graduate of California State University, Fullerton, and a cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School. Prior to his state judgeship, Carson was in private practice focusing primarily on product liability defense, insurance defense and civil and commercial litigation. He was a partner with Jacobsen, Orr, Lindstrom & Holbrook in Kearney, and Taylor | Anderson LLP in Denver. Nebraska has three United States magistrate judge positions, two with chambers in Omaha and one in Lincoln. Magistrate judges are independent judicial officers, serving terms of eight years with potential for renewal. They are responsible for the management of most pretrial proceedings in federal civil and criminal matters, the trial of misdemeanor cases, and may preside over civil trials with the consent of the parties. Magistrate judge nominees are subject to FBI and IRS background checks before taking office. The current salary for the position is $223,836. Top Journal Star photos for September 2024 By Huang Fang, Wu Jiaju The 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," is being held at the China National Convention Center and the Shougang Park in Beijing from September 12 to 16, featuring participation from over 80 countries and international organizations. What impressions does the 2024 CIFTIS leave on participants? And what are the event's highlights that have won widespread praise from them? Kazakhminister:service tradebecomesa key driver of global economy Arman Shakkaliyev, Kazakhstan's minister of Trade and Integration, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the national pavilion of Kazakhstan at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, on Sep. 12, 2024. (Photo provided by the interviewee) "Kazakhstan places great importance on opportunities to discuss service trade, as it is becoming one of the key drivers of the global economy," said Arman Shakkaliyev, Kazakhstan's minister of Trade and Integration. He highlighted the broad scope of the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and China, where services play a special role. "Both countries have achieved significant success in sectors such as transportation, logistics, information technology, education, healthcare, and tourism," Shakkaliyev noted, adding that transportation and logistics have become the foundation for success of many other industries. He also emphasized the potential for growth and cooperation in digital services and artificial intelligence. "We are keen to exchange experiences with China and are ready to collaborate on various initiatives and projects." Additionally, Shakkaliyev also expressed interest in the education and tourism sectors, noting their role in strengthening multinational culture exchanges. Italian governor: Western people should experience China's development firsthand Dott. Maurizio Rasero, the governor of Province Asti, Italy, talks to China News Network at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, on Sep. 12, 2024. (Photo: China News Network / Wu Jiaju) "I hope to have enough time to attend all the forums at CIFTIS," said Dott. Maurizio Rasero, the governor of Province Asti, Italy. After attending the conference organized by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), a key forum at the 2024 CIFTIS, Rasero remarked that the conferences mission aligns closely with Asti Provinces plans for cultural and tourism development. Having visited nearly 30 cities in China, Rasero emphasized the unique culture of each one and expressed admiration for the diligence and indomitable spirit of the Chinese people. "I hope that more Western politicians and citizens will come to China and experience its development firsthand," Rasero added. Zimbabwean diplomat: China's development is astounding Thuresi Ndarama, a Third Secretary at the Zimbabwean Embassy in Beijing, gives an interview with China News Network at the Shougang Park in Beijing, on Sep. 12, 2024. (Photo: China News Network / Huang Fang) "China is an amazing country with amazing people who are very friendly!" said Thuresi Ndarama, a Third Secretary at Zimbabwe's Embassy. At the Belt and Road Initiative cultural showcase in Shougang Park, the Zimbabwe Embassys pavilion featured an array of animal-shaped handicrafts. "This is a colorful world, and it is nice to meet so many people at CIFTIS," said Ndarama, expressing her hope for more Chinese people to visit Zimbabwe to further economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Slovak diplomat:shared prosperity fosters understanding and cooperation Tomas Kudlacak, a Third Secretary at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Beijing, talks to China News Network at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, on Sep. 12, 2024. (Photo: China News Network / Huang Fang) Commenting on CIFTIS' theme, Tomas Kudlacak, a Third Secretary at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Beijing, emphasized that despite the cultural differences, efforts to understand each other help overcome obstacles. "When you want to communicate, you just do what you can. If somebody wants to understand, then he will understand," he said. Kudlacak highlighted efforts to promote cultural exchanges between the people of Slovakia and China, noting that it was an honor to experience diverse cultures while working at the embassy. International exhibitors praise CIFTISasan excellent exchange platform Rwandan exhibitor Mutijima Emma participates in an interview with China News Network at the Shougang Park in Beijing, on Sep. 12, 2024. (Photo: China News Network / Huang Fang) "CIFTIS is the world's largest comprehensive fair and a good platform for exchanging experience and business ideas, showcasing our countrys goods, and facilitating cultural exchanges," said the Yemeni exhibitor Al-Hababi Rashad Ali Hussein at the Yemen Embassys pavilion in Shougang Park. Thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, Yemeni economy is progressing steadily, and cultural exchanges between Yemen and China are increasing, further deepening bilateral relations, he noted. Rwandan exhibitor Mutijima Emma, who has lived in China for seven years, remarked on the country's rapid development. "China is a country that has been developing so fast. I think a group of countries should learn from China and cooperate with China," Emma said. Photos by Avery Aiken () Did you know that metro stations in South Korea have express trains? Well, I didnt. And unfortunately for me, I learned that while stuck on one. My husband, Corey, and I had been trying get to Pyeongtaek Jije Station, but the metro we were on raced passed Jije and continued for another 15 minutes. We didnt have 15 minutes to waste. We had a bullet train to catch; one that left in half an hour. As we stood on the wrong platform in the wrong city, I started to cry. By miscalculating the train route, we had turned our early arrival at Jije into a missed connection to Busan. I felt so defeated. How were we going to make it back to the right station on time? Answer: we probably werent. We had suitcases slowing us down. On top of that, I was wearing a skirt that didnt make sprinting to the taxi pick-up zone very practical. And even once we made it into a taxi, a car can only go so fast. When our driver entered Jije Station into Naver Map, I realized the 15 minutes we had spent zooming farther and farther from Jije on the metro was going to take 30 minutes of racing through traffic to undo. Our train to Busan left in 5 minutes. We were defeated. I had spent weeks planning this trip, a whole afternoon getting our bullet train tickets, and a couple of hours mapping the route from our apartment to Jije Station, which is where the bullet train leaves from. An express tutorial All that effort seemed like enough to get it right. But I didnt know about the express train, and it foiled my plans. So, let me take a moment to explain it for you so that you dont end up crying in the middle of train station like me. To begin, most metro lines have an express train which runs the same route as the normal metro train. However, the express train stops at significantly fewer stations. If youre using the KakaoMetro app to map your travels, look to see if there is a gray train symbol above your intended destination. If there is, then you can get on the Line 1 express train at Pyeongtaek Station and start your journey seamlessly. The gray symbol indicates which stops the express train will make. Additionally, youll know if youre getting on an express train because (1) Naver Map annotates them by putting an E next to the name of whichever line youre supposed to be on, and (2) as the train approaches the platform, there is an announcement over the loudspeaker which literally says the express train to [X] is approaching. So yeah, that was embarrassing to learn. But Im glad that I did. Also, when youre using Naver Map to route your trip, pay attention to the time the app says your designated train is supposed to be arriving. You might be on the right platform and it might have signs that are pointing in the right direction, but if Naver says your train isnt supposed to be there until 9:38 and a train arrives at 9:32, its not your train. At least, not when youre riding the metro. Learn from me. Dont get on an express train when youre supposed to be on the regular one. And dont get on the regular train when youre supposed to be on an express train. It will add a ton of time to your journey. I made that mistake too, and it turned a 30-minute return trip into an hour-and-a-half meander through Gyeonggido. Man behind the counter Anyways, back to my story. Im crying in the back of the taxi. Corey is squeezing my hand and already thinking of perfectly good solutions that, in my disappointment, I refuse to consider. And our taxi driver is weaving between buses and delivery drivers like were in a video game. Finally, we arrive at Jije Station. Corey hops out of the car with renewed optimism and begins to unload our bags while I finish paying our driver. We ride the long escalator up into Jije and walk over to the ticket counter. I have stopped crying at this point. We hand our ticket printouts to the man working the counter. Its pretty impossible to buy bullet train tickets online without a Korean credit card. And we dont have one. Which means the only way we could buy tickets in advance was to go to the Discover Seoul office on Camp Humphreys and pay in cash. That is why we have printouts instead of an email or some sort of high-tech ticket. That is also why I was very concerned about catching this one particular bullet train to Busan. I tell the man that we missed our train. He reads the tickets: 12:50 departure. He turns to look at the large red numbers on the digital clock behind him: 13:09. He kindly confirms that we did, in fact, miss our train. We nod, our eyes widening to look like a puppy dogs. Without a word, he pulls up the train schedule. The next one departs at 13:21. He asks if we want to reschedule our tickets. We nod, our faces bright with hopeful smiles. His computer screen is mirrored on a screen facing into the station lobby, so we can see what hes seeing. He clicks on the only ticket that seems to be listed. Miraculously, that ticket is on the next train to Busan, but there are no more tickets listed for the rest of the day. I keep thinking that hes going to break the news to us, but instead he clicks the single ticket to claim it and then refreshes the screen. Nothing. He refreshes it again. Nothing, again. He keeps refreshing it, again and again and again, his index finger jamming enter on his keyboard probably 20 times every minute. The time is passing and were getting closer to that 13:21 departure time. I am holding my breath, sure that this man is going to give up on us. But he doesnt. He calls someone over to assist the people who get in line behind us. He wont stop looking for our second ticket. Never in my life have I had someone work so hard to correct my mistake for me. But this man is determined to save our weekend. Its now 13:18, and I am pretty sure were going to have to start seeing if there are any tickets to Busan for tomorrow. Its too late to cancel the first night at our hotel, but that seems like the least of our concerns right now. Just as Im about to voice my surrender, a ticket appears. It leaves an hour after the 13:21 train. The man asks if were okay going on two different trains. We nod, our heads moving so fast that my sunglasses fall off the top of my head. He smiles, claims the second ticket for us, and starts processing our payment. We decide Corey will go first. The clock hits 13:20 and he tells Corey to run to the train. We yell our goodbyes, and I collect the receipt. An hour later, as Im standing on the platform waiting to board, I see the man who saved our trip. Hes helping people find their seats and lift their bags up the trains steps. With a smile, he walks to me, gives me a playful nudge, and exclaims that now its my turn to start the vacation. I must repeat, never in my life have I had a total stranger invest so deeply into helping me fix my travel mistake. Not a gate agent at the airport or a taxi driver in any city Ive ever visited. And certainly not someone at a train stations ticket counter. Last time I was in Boston, I had the wrong tickets for the commuter rail and when I asked for help getting the right tickets, the ticket agent told me it would probably be fine as she gulped down a Dunkin latte. For the entire two-hour ride to Busan, I kept my eyes glued to the window and said little prayers of thankfulness in my head for the Korean ticket agent who got me a seat, who fixed my mistake, who saved the day. Traveling in Korea might be filled with firsts and hard-learned lessons, but the kindheartedness of Koreans makes it a lot easier to learn those lessons. And once you do, you can sit back and enjoy picturesque views on the bullet train to Busan. People from both sides of the Taiwan Strait gathered in Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian province, on Sept 12, 2024 to celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. [Photo by Wen Linxiang/For chinadaily.com.cn] Ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday that symbolizes family reunions and falls on Tuesday this year, more than 200 people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait gathered in Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian province, to call for peaceful development. Song Tao, head of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, stressed upholding the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus as well as resolutely opposing "Taiwan independence" while meeting with Taiwan guests attending the event on Thursday. "It is a tradition for Chinese people to reunite with the whole family and celebrate the festival," Song said, adding that the Chinese mainland will actively boost the cross-Strait flow of personnel as well as exchanges and cooperation in various areas, and continue deepening integrated development across the Strait. Hsia Li-yan, vice-chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang, said, "People from both the mainland and Taiwan are all Chinese and close as family." The activity featured snacks, cultural performances and exhibitions by Taiwan firms. Guests from both sides, as well as children dressed in hanfu attire, joined hands to light lanterns, hoping together for a better future across the Strait. The event was co-hosted by Fuzhou and Matsu an island off the coast of Fujian and administered by Taiwan, which has become a frontier for interactions between Taiwan and the mainland. In April, the mainland announced the resumption of permitting Fujian residents to travel to Matsu, after suspension for several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Weng Ying-min, executive vice-chairman of the Fuzhou Taiwan-funded Enterprises Association, said, "Local residents have a deep longing for mainland residents to visit Matsu and Kinmen for tourism, which would greatly benefit the local economies." Chen Yi-ting, a member of the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots, said: "It was particularly meaningful because compatriots from both sides gathered to celebrate the festival of reunion. Such moments are especially precious. In Taiwan, we also like to find a place to enjoy the fun of barbecuing together." Wang Chenye and Wen Linxiangcontributed to this story. EUSTIS On Tuesday, Sept. 10, the old gymnasium at Eustis-Farnam Elementary School was filled with enthusiastic elementary school teachers, students, bank employees and members of the Eustis Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of a new student branch of Waypoint Bank in Eustis. The initiative aims to provide children at Eustis-Farnam Elementary School with a foundational understanding of money management and savings. This program is designed to prepare students for better financial planning as they grow older. Before the ceremony, sixth-grade students received training from Waypoint Bank employees. The goal was to equip them with the skills to assist younger students in learning basic banking principles. These older students will act as peer educators, sharing the financial skills theyve acquired with their younger counterparts. Waypoint Bank Assistant Vice President Tristan Newcomb said the partnership between the bank and the school emerged from her previous work with older students. Part of Newcombs role includes visiting fourth-grade classes and high schools to teach banking fundamentals. Eustis-Farnam Elementary School Principal Taylor Jenner proposed introducing similar financial education programs to elementary-age students. This proposal ultimately led to a collaborative partnership between Eustis-Farnam Elementary School, Waypoint Bank and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The result was the launch of the student bank branch under the School Savings Program initiative. Newcomb highlighted the type of training the sixth graders received, explaining that they were taught essential banking skills, including how to act as a teller, handle deposits and develop professional relationships with customers. This hands-on experience provided these students with a deeper understanding of banking operations. Banking and finance are part of everyones everyday lives, she said. Its something everybody needs to know. Newcomb stressed the importance of starting financial education early. We want to start teaching it at a young age so the kids can be prepared as they get older and are experienced when they have to deal with major financial duties in their lives, she said. While the program is geared toward teaching students the value of saving and managing money, some students may still struggle to fully grasp the long-term importance of financial literacy. To address this, Newcomb offered advice to parents, encouraging them to consistently communicate with their children about the value of money and financial planning outside the classroom. Teaching kids how important money is will lead to success in their lives, Newcomb said. Depending on what they want to buy in the future, whether its a car or a house, maybe theyll have enough cash saved up to make a purchase outright, rather than relying on multiple loans. Newcomb expressed her excitement about the future of the program and the opportunities it provides for students. Were really excited to get this branch going. Banking is a big passion of mine, and we just want the kids to be prepared for everyday life and the banking world, and to understand how important it is to save up, she said. The U.S. is divided when it comes to state and federal marijuana policy, but recent political developments could move the country toward a greater acceptance of cannabis. Both major presidential candidates signaled support for a federal policy change to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, and voters in several additional states will get a say this fall on legalization. Though still illegal under federal law, public approval of marijuana grew significantly and so has the number of states where it's legally sold in stores. What does the law say? Possessing marijuana is a federal crime punishable by fines and prison time. Selling or cultivating marijuana is a more serious federal crime, punishable by prison sentences of five years to life, depending on the quantity of the drug. But many states abolished their own marijuana penalties. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia representing 53% of the U.S. population legalized marijuana and now tax and regulate sales, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, which supports legalizing cannabis. An additional seven states removed jail sentences for possessing small amounts of marijuana. The District of Columbia and 38 states have laws that allow the medical use of marijuana. What's happening in Washington? The Justice Department in May proposed to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a less dangerous Schedule III drug, which includes such things as ketamine and some anabolic steroids. That switch involves a lengthy process. The Drug Enforcement Administration set a Dec. 2 hearing to take comment on the proposal. That means a final decision could come after Democratic President Joe Biden leaves office in January. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, backs decriminalization and said it's "absurd" that marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, also signaled support for the policy change. He posted on social media that he would "continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug" and said he would vote "yes" on a Florida ballot proposal to legalize recreational marijuana. What's on the ballot? The Florida initiative would allow recreational sales to people over 21 from existing medical marijuana dispensaries, with the potential for the Legislature to license additional retailers. The proposal needs at least a 60% vote to pass and would take effect six months after voter approval. The campaign was the costliest of nearly 160 measures on state ballots this year, attracting tens of millions of dollars of contributions primarily from supporters, according to the election tracking organization Ballotpedia. Among the opponents are the Florida Republican Party and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said it would reduce quality of life. Voters in North and South Dakota will be asked for the third time whether to legalize marijuana beyond medical use. The measures need a simple majority to pass. Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen said initiatives to legalize and regulate medical marijuana appear to have enough petition signatures to qualify for a statewide vote. He faced a Friday deadline to certify measures for the ballot. What are people saying? About 70% of American adults said marijuana should be legal in a Gallup poll last year, the highest level recorded by the polling firm since it first asked about marijuana policy in 1969. By contrast, only about one-third of respondents supported marijuana legalization 20 years ago. Last year's Gallup poll showed the highest support for marijuana among young voters, a key demographic in seven presidential battleground states. An analysis of national survey data published earlier this year found an estimated 17.7 million people reported using marijuana daily or near-daily in 2022 up dramatically from less than 1 million people in 1992. What's happening with similar drugs? Some state officials are battling the sale of unregulated products derived from hemp, which is federally classified as distinct from marijuana. Some states banned or restricted synthetic hemp products, including South Dakota and Wyoming, where new laws took effect July 1. Indiana authorities warned stores to remove products that contain delta-8 THC, a synthesized form of CBD that's prevalent in hemp, that they say also contain illegal amounts of the psychoactive delta-9 THC found in marijuana. In Missouri, where marijuana was legalized in 2022, Republican Gov. Mike Parson raised concerns that certain hemp-derived products are being marketed to children and ordered a crackdown by the state health department. He joined with Attorney General Andrew Bailey this month to announce a task force focused on unregulated psychoactive cannabis products. ___ 'Behind the 8 ball': How research is trying to catch up on cannabis and kids 'Behind the 8 ball': How research is trying to catch up on cannabis and kids 'Behind the 8 ball': How research is trying to catch up on cannabis and kids Azerbaijan's Azercosmos took part in the 5th Space Economy Leaders Meeting, held from September 11-13 during the G20 Summit hosted by Brazil, Azernews reports. The global summit focused on the development of the space economy, touching on its commercial, scientific, and political dimensions. The event aimed to unite leaders from governments, space agencies, and the private sector to foster dialogue on the expansion of the space economy. Under the theme "Space Economy and Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities," discussions centered on the growing role of space technology in tackling climate change and advancing sustainable development goals. Dunay Badirkhanov, Vice-Chairman of Azercosmos, delivered a speech during the Heads of Space Agencies Session. He discussed the growth of Azerbaijan's space sector, the significance of hosting the International Astronautical Congress in Baku, and the role of space technologies in addressing climate change. He also highlighted Azerbaijan's program for Small Island Developing States and invited the space community to attend the upcoming COP29 conference in Baku this November. In addition to G20 nations, the summit was attended by representatives from various countries and organizations, including space agencies, the World Bank, the International Astronautical Federation, and the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. Azerbaijani embassy officials in Brazil were also present at the event. PORTAGE Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde signaled support for former President Donald Trumps proposal to end taxes on overtime wages at a campaign event Friday in Portage. He also expressed some dissatisfaction with the GOP presidential nominees performance in Tuesdays debate and said he hopes to see another, despite Trumps refusal so far to agree to a rematch with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Hovde is set to meet incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin in a debate Oct. 18. Hovde was accompanied at Wieser Concrete Products by South Dakota Sen. John Thune. Hovde, Thune and several employees joined the companys president, Mark Wieser, on a tour of the facility. You are what makes this country great, the men and women that get up every single day and go work and build and create the economic engine that America has, Hovde told employees during an address that focused mainly on the high cost of living and the crisis at the southern border. After remarks from Hovde and Thune, Hovde took questions from his audience. One employee asked whether Hovde would support ending taxes on overtime pay, as proposed by Trump at a Thursday rally in Arizona. He also asked if Hovde would support previous appeals by Trump to working-class voters, such as removing taxes on tips and Social Security benefits. Im very amenable to not having a tax on overtime, Hovde said. I just heard about this and Id have to think through it, but to me it has such a limited impact on the federal deficit and revenue and expenses. Another employee, who said he agreed with Hovdes call to stop illegal border crossings, asked about steps the candidate would take to fix Americas legal immigration system. Hovde agreed that the countrys legal immigration system is a mess and proposed moving the country toward a point-based immigration system similar to Canadas Comprehensive Ranking System, which assigns a merit-based score to candidates applying for permanent residency. For example, we have a shortage right now of doctors and nurses in this country, Hovde said. Under a points-based immigration system, he said, doctors and nurses would be granted residency on a quicker timeline. He also used the question as an opportunity to double down on his criticisms of Democrats handling of illegal border crossings. Once they open the southern border, its not just good people wanting to come here. Its every bad person as well, he said. They allowed (Nicolas) Maduro and Venezuela to essentially empty their jail cells into our country. More questions Concerned about an increased cost of living, another Wieser employee asked about Hovdes plans to bring down reckless government spending. Hovde proposed reducing government spending to pre-pandemic levels and decreasing business regulations. Almost every single businessperson I talk to talks about how regulations are hampering, he said. Farmers always talk about it. We need to get business activity growing in a much more robust way. Another worker asked if Hovde believes in term limits, saying he is fed up with old kooks in office who prioritize their own interests over those of their constituents. The candidate said he 100 percent believes in term limits and pointed to a term limit pledge he signed during his 2012 Senate campaign. Debate feedback Hovde, who is set to meet Baldwin on the debate stage on Oct. 18, has repeatedly called on his opponent to agree to more than one debate. But Hovde excused Trumps refusal to debate Harris a second time, saying Trump has already served as president and gives frequent press conferences and so voters already know enough about him. Still, Hovde said, he hopes they end up having another debate, though it is less important at the presidential level because candidates have more access to the people and the press. Overall, while he was not thrilled with Trumps performance on Tuesday, Hovde said he was more concerned with Harris shortcomings. Look, would I have liked to have seen a better performance by President Trump? Of course, Hovde said. But do I think Harris did well? No, she never addressed anything. Tim Eiseles column in the Wisconsin State Journal last Sunday, Hunting cranes wont fix problem, doesnt tell the whole story. Eisele suggested avoiding a hunting season by shifting the cost of agricultural damage from Wisconsins rapidly growing sandhill crane population to the taxpayer. A state legislative study committee is now examining issues posed by our surging crane population. The committee is comprised of bipartisan legislators, farmers, birders and hunters. My organization, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, is represented by that last group. After years of study, our conclusion is that crane hunting as occurs in one-third of the states is ethical and would suppress future damage to crops. Eisele questioned whether a crane hunt in Aldo Leopolds home state of Wisconsin is appropriate. But this is a shallow argument, especially because Leopold was a hunter. For generations, waterfowlers have embraced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services science-based management of migratory game birds such as ducks, geese and cranes. Thanks to fact-based management and hunter funding for habitat, waterfowl gamebirds are up a remarkable 56% in the past 50 years, according to a 2019 Journal Science report. Meanwhile, the backyard birds we feed are collectively down 3 billion. Hunters put their money where their heart is, contributing billions of dollars to wildlife habitat. Besides licenses, stamps and excise taxes on our equipment, waterfowlers make voluntary contributions organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and my own Wisconsin Waterfowl Association. Waterfowl benefit, and so do communities surrounding Wisconsins hundreds of thousands of acres of restored wetland. The crane populations visiting Wisconsin grew 650% in those 50 years. At 111,000 birds, its nearly four times the federal requirement to support a hunt. It continues to grow at 4% annually, according to the latest annual bird count. That growth exacts an expanding toll from farmers who plant corn, potatoes and other crops. Last year, Wisconsin farmers reported $1.9 million in crop damage, spending an additional $2 million to apply a chemical that deters cranes to 200,000 acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thats the tip of the iceberg. The USDA says 2.8 million Wisconsin acres are at risk. At $10 to $15 an acre, the liability that farmers not bird watchers could be $28 million to $45 million per year. Farmers can get federal permits to protect crops by killing marauding cranes. In the past decade, 10,000 were killed in Wisconsin, which under those permits must be left to rot. Curiously, no birding group came forward to offset the chemical treatment costs to reduce that number. Meanwhile, because the crane is not hunted here, hunter-supplied dollars for depredation remain unavailable to farmers to offset crane damage, now reserved for geese, turkeys and bear. How large will the crane population grow in the next decade is anyones guess. But even the International Crane Foundation says todays population sustains a hunt. Further, its research suggests hunting can constrain the population, limiting future farmer-absorbed damage. Establishing a hunt under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services successful management will sustain the health of the crane population, expand field-to-table hunting opportunities, help offset farmer losses and constrain future agricultural damage. Lets hope the study committee gets past superficial anti-hunting rhetoric to reach conclusions that serve all state interests. The 10th International United Cultures Forum has come to an end in St. Petersburg, Russia. The final session of the event saw the participation of a delegation from Azerbaijan led by Minister of Culture Adil Karimli, Azernews reports. The session was moderated by Mikhail Gusman, Deputy General Director of TASS agency. Tatyana Golikova, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, highlighted the significance of the forum, emphasizing its role in fostering development and cooperation based on traditional values. She noted that the event, titled United Cultures, has become an important platform for intercultural exchange, bringing together representatives from various countries to discuss global issues. Azerbaijans Ambassador to Russia, Polad Bulbuloglu, also spoke at the forum. He praised the productive meetings held by the Azerbaijani delegation and proposed expanding the CIS Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund to include participants from a wider range of countries beyond the CIS. His proposal received support from Tatyana Golikova, who thanked him for his work and extended her best wishes. Two lifelong friends embarked on a remarkable journey that combined the artistic traditions of the Philippines and Indonesia. Inspired by the beauty of Indonesian batik, they began a quest to blend it with the delicate Philippine fabric Jusi. Through perseverance and experimentation, Freddy Mercado Jr. and Thelma Victorio created Barong Batika stunning fusion that revolutionized both the Philippine barong and Indonesian batik. Each piece, meticulously hand-drawn by skilled artisans, is a unique work of art, a showcase of cultural collaboration and the pursuit of beauty. - Advertisement - Their story began in 2006, not as a grand business plan, but as an experiment rooted in curiosity and artistic passion. Mercado, an artist himself, was captivated by the intricate process of batik creation he witnessed in a bustling Indonesian mall. I saw an old lady doing the batik process with a kettle of hot oil, painting on a white cloth, and I immediately thought of why not on our jusi, Mercado recalls. This sparked a quest to find batik artisans in Central Java, leading them to the heart of batik artistry in Pekalongan. It took over a year of experimentation to perfect the process of applying batik to jusi, ensuring the colors wouldnt bleed and the fabric would retain its elegance. We usually travel back and forth to Manila, and when we had the chance we brought the jusi with us to Jakarta and the artisans tried to sample the process using our fabric. It took time for the batik artisans to master the technique. After more than a year of experimentation, we brought the textile back to Manila to have it made into barong, Victorio says. Modernizing tradition The Barong Batik made its debut at a Philippine Embassy reception in Jakarta in 2010. Mercados creation sparked immediate interest among the Filipino expat community. They were drawn to the vibrant colors and modern designs, a departure from the traditional dark hues of batik. Mercado and Victorio both realized that their accomplishments in the mid-2000s marked the start of a fashion revolution. Barong Batik modernized the traditional Philippine barong and Indonesian batik, creating a unique fusion of cultures that appealed to a sophisticated clientele including Indonesian and Philippine dignitaries, the Philippine expat community, government officials, businessmen, and individuals looking to make a statement. Piece of wearable art The process begins with Philippine jusi transported to Pekalongan, where skilled batik artisans meticulously hand-draw intricate patterns using the traditional wax-resist technique. Each cut takes about four to six weeks to complete for Jaab Batik and eight months for Batik Tulis. Despite receiving offers from major retailers like SMs Kultura and renowned barong maker Onesimus to expand the reach of Barong Batik, Mercado and Victorio opted to maintain their exclusive market positioning. The decision stemmed from the high cost associated with both the intricate fabric and the specialized production process involved in creating these unique garments. What we are selling is a piece of art. Barong Batik is more than just clothing; its a statement of individuality and cultural appreciation. Its niche market comprises those seeking something truly special for lifes significant moments, from ballroom galas to business conferences, Victorio says. Global presence While based in Jakarta, Barong Batik has expanded its reach, with showrooms in the Philippines and collaborations with prominent figures in the Filipino business community, such as that with Filipiniana maverick designer Patis Tesoro. Their commitment to quality and artistry has garnered attention from those seeking to incorporate Barong Batik into various fashion and lifestyle products. The product speaks for itself as it is a timeless fashion statement. Every person wants to be recognized. Donning Barong Batik truly elevates both the Philippines and Indonesias creativity to global recognition, Mercado says. Its a celebration of two nations artistic traditions, woven together into a unique and timeless fashion statement. From its humble beginnings to its global recognition, Barong Batik represents the enduring spirit of friendship, innovation and the pursuit of beauty. Ministers from Muslim and European countries along with the European Unions foreign affairs chief gathered Friday in Madrid to discuss how to advance a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Together, we want to identify the concrete actions that will enable us to make progress towards this objective, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on social network X. - Advertisement - The international community must take a decisive step towards a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, the Socialist premier added. Sanchez welcomed participants at his official residence before the start of the meeting at the foreign ministry in central Madrid, hosted by his top diplomat Jose Manuel Albares. The implementation of the two-state solution is the only way to ensure a just and lasting peace in the region through the peaceful and secure coexistence of the state of Palestine and the state of Israel, Albares told a news conference. In attendance were Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey all members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza as well as the heads of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The European Union was represented by its foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell as well as the foreign ministers of Ireland, Norway and Slovenia in addition to Spain. EU nations have different positions on whether to recognise Palestine as a state but there is undoubtedly unanimity in the union on the need to support the solution based on the construction of the Palestinian state, because the state of Israel already exists, Borrell told a separate press conference after the end of the meeting. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz blasted Borrell for taking part in the gathering, writing on social network X that Borrell supports establishing a Palestinian terror state controlled by Iran, and the axis of evil against Israel, moderate Arab states, and Europe. This is Borrells legacy - anti-Semitism and hatred towards Israel, he added. Tragic dimension Asked about Katzs comments, Borrell said that accusing those who disagree with a governments position of anti-Semitism makes no sense. There have unfortunately been examples in history of what it means to be anti-Semitic, and I dont think we should play with big words that have had a tragic dimension in history, he added. Calls for a two-state solution have grown since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, which began with Hamass October 7 attack on Israel. That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. The militants also seized 251 hostages, 97 of whom are still in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel has responded with an offensive that has killed at least 41,118 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The UN rights office says most of the dead are women and children. Sanchez has been one of the staunchest critics in Europe of Israels Gaza offensive since the start of the conflict. Under his watch, Spain on May 28 along with Ireland and Norway formally recognised a Palestinian state comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Earlier this month he announced that the first bilateral summit between Spain and Palestine would be held before the end of the year. He said he expected several collaboration agreements between the two states to be signed. The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has officially transferred the management of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to its new private operator, New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC), for the planned rehabilitation of the countrys premier airport. Facing the challenge of modernizing the airports facade, capacity, operations, and maintenance, NNIC will now be responsible for raising NAIA to international standards. - Advertisement - NNIC chairman Ramon Ang described the concession agreement as an investment in the Philippines future, stating it will contribute to the countrys economy. A world-class airport means more jobs, more tourists, and a much stronger and more prosperous Philippines, Ang said during the handover ceremony at NAIA Terminal 3. The baton has been passed, and now it is our turn at NNIC to carry it forward to the finish line, NNIC General Manager Lito Alvarez said. Transportation Undersecretary for Aviation Roberto Cecilio Lim expressed support for NNIC, adding the takeover will pave the way for a world-class and modernized NAIA. Today, we celebrate the competitive spirit of the winning consortium, which brings financial strength, management expertise, and the technical operations strength and experience of Incheon Airport, Lim said. Peru will on Saturday lay to rest polarizing former president Alberto Fujimori, who ruled with an iron fist in the 1990s and later spent 16 years in prison for crimes against humanity. Fujimori, who had Japanese heritage, was revered by many for crushing leftist guerrillas and for boosting the economy, but reviled by others as an autocrat who signed off on brutal human rights abuses. - Advertisement - He died on Wednesday, aged 86, after a long battle with cancer. After lying in state for three days he will be buried on Saturday following a state funeral. The death of the ex-leader, who loomed large over Peruvian politics long after he faxed in his resignation from exile in Japan in 2000, triggered a vigorous debate on social media over his legacy. Thousands of admirers queued at the National Museum in Lima on Thursday and Friday to pay their respects at his open casket. He defeated terrorism and in reality was the best president Peru could have had, Jackeline Vilchez, from a family of self-described fujimoristas, said outside the former leaders residence, where she came to pay her respects. But relatives of the victims of army massacres carried out on his watch lamented that he went to the grave without showing remorse for their deaths. He left without asking forgiveness from their families, he made a mockery of us, Gladys Rubina, the sister of one of the civilian victims, told AFP, sobbing. Fujimori, an engineer by training, worked as a university maths professor before entering politics. In 1990, he caused a surprise by defeating acclaimed writer Mario Vargas Llosa to win the presidency. His neoliberal economic policies won him the support of the ruling class and international financial institutions. He also won praise for crushing a brutal insurgency by Shining Path and Tupac Amaru leftist rebels in a conflict that left more than 69,000 people dead and 21,000 missing between 1980 and 2000, according to a government truth commission. But the brutal tactics employed by the military saw him spend his twilight years in jail. In 2009, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for crimes against humanity over two massacres carried out in the name of Perus so-called war on terror one at a house party, the other in a university dormitory that left 25 people dead. As recently as July, Fujimori had been considering a comeback attempt in 2026 elections, according to his daughter Keiko, also a politician. But he was dogged by ill health and had only recently completed treatment for tongue cancer. Nigeria counts the losses from a dam collapse that killed at least 37 people, destroyed thousands of homes and affected 1 million others in the state of Borno, according to authorities. The flash flood occurred when a dam overflowed, engulfing a zoo and sweeping animals including crocodiles and snakes into communities. In Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, schools, hospitals, government offices, worship centers, banks, markets, and commercial areas were submerged. The dam collapse would worsen the refugee crisis in the state of Borno where the government is battling an Islamist insurgency led by terrorist group Boko Haram. BoKo Haram insurgency has spilled across borders around Lake Chad killing more than 35,000 people, displaced 2.6 million others in the countrys north-east region 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: Boar's Head announced Friday that its Jarratt, Va. deli meat manufacturing plant, found to be the source of a deadly outbreak of listeria infections, will be closed indefinitely. Boar's Head added that it also believes it has located the source of contamination. "Our investigation has identified the root cause of the contamination as a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst. With this discovery, we have decided to permanently discontinue liverwurst," the company said in a statement released Friday. As of Aug. 28, the death toll from listeria linked to tainted Boar's Head deli meats had risen to nine, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update. Deaths have now occurred in Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Fifty-seven people have been hospitalized with severe listeria illness tied to the outbreak. It's now the largest listeria outbreak reported in the United States since one linked to tainted cantaloupes in 2011, the CDC noted. The expanded recall now includes 71 products made between May 10 and July 29 under the Boar's Head and Old Country brand names. Some of the suspect product could still be in family refrigerators, since some of the products had sell dates stretching into October. "Everyone should check their homes for any remaining recalled Boar's Head products since they can have long a shelf-life," the CDC said. "Look for 'EST. 12612' or 'P-12612' inside the USDA mark of inspection on the product labels." The closure of the Jarratt plant comes after numerous citations from the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service over the past two years. On July 30, the recall of Boars Head deli meats broadened to include an additional 7 million pounds of products, because they may also have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. In a letter from FSIS to Boars Head dated July 31, the agency said it was ordering the suspension of operations at the Jarratt plant due to repeat failures by the company "to maintain sanitary conditions." "Product may have been prepared, packed or held under unsanitary conditions, whereby product may have become contaminated with filth or whereby product may have been rendered injurious to health," the FSIS letter states. According to CBS News, records released by FSIS showed 69 instances of "noncompliance" noted by the agency at the Jarratt plant over the past year. Mold and mildew were found at sinks used by plant employees to wash their hands, on the outside of steel vats, and in holding coolers between the site's smokehouses. In other spots around the plant, pooling or leaking water was seen, including one puddle with "a green algal growth" and condensation found to be "dripping over product being held," CBS News reported. Beyond that, in February FSIS inspectors noted "ample amounts of blood in puddles on the floor" and a "rancid smell" in a cooler used at the plant. Insect infestations -- flies, "gnat-like insects" and "ants traveling down the wall," a beetle and a cockroach -- were all observed by inspectors at the Jarratt plant in June. In its Friday statement, Boar's Head said that, "in response to the inspection records and noncompliance reports at the Jarratt plant, we will not make excuses." "Given the seriousness of the outbreak, and the fact that it originated at Jarratt, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely close this location, which has not been operational since late July 2024," the company said. "This is a dark moment in our company's history, but we intend to use this as an opportunity to enhance food safety programs not just for our company, but for the entire industry." Boar's Head said it plans to take steps to better ensure product quality and safety. These include hiring a Chief Food Safety & Quality Assurance Officer (CFSO) who will report directly to the Boar's Head president; appointing a "Food Safety Council" made up of independent industry-leading food safety experts; and creating a companywide food safety and quality assurance program. According to the CDC, "Listeria is especially harmful to people who are pregnant, aged 65 or older or with weakened immune systems," the agency said in a news release. "[The] CDC always recommends people at higher risk for listeriosis avoid eating meats sliced at the deli or heat them to an internal temperature of 165F or until steaming hot before eating." Besides the liverwurst products, some of the other Boar's Head meats that have been included in the recall include certain lots of Virginia Ham/Old Fashioned Ham, Italian Cappy Style Ham, various types of bologna and beef salami, among others. If consumers find they have any of the recalled products in their fridges, they should discard them or return them to the place of purchase. "Consumers who have purchased these products are also urged to clean refrigerators thoroughly to prevent the risk of cross-contamination," FSIS added. Deli owners who find they have the products "should clean and sanitize all food and non-food surfaces and discard any open meats and cheeses in the deli," the agency added. Listeria bacteria can cause listeriosis, the third-leading cause of death from food-borne illness in the United States. Symptoms typically include a fever, muscle aches and fatigue. Infection may also cause a headache, a stiff neck, confusion or seizures. Pregnant women may experience pregnancy loss or premature birth. More information: Find out more about listeriosis at the CDC. SOURCE: Boar's Head, announcement, Sept. 13, 2024; USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, letter, July 31, 2024; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, news release, Aug. 29 and Aug. 8, 2024 ; U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), news release, July 30, 2024; CBS News Copyright 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved. 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: Susannah Johnston, of Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., walks her dog Ellie on Sept. 8, 2024 in Norfolk, Conn. Johnston, a fit yoga instructor and strength trainer, has been injured three times in incidents involving walking her dog. Credit: Vincent Cohan via AP The cuddles. The loyalty. The worshipful eyes. There's a lot of joy in having a dog, not the least of which is heading out for a brisk walk. And therein lies a peril some dog people should pay more attention to. Over the past 20 years, injuries related to dog walking have been on the rise among adults and children in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University researchers. Fractures, sprains and head trauma are among the most common. From 2001 to 2020, the estimated number of adults seen at emergency departments for dog-walking injuries increased significantly, from 7,300 to 32,300 a year, lead researcher Ridge Maxson told The Associated Press. Most patients were women (75%). Adults overall between ages 40 and 64 amounted to 47%. And that's just emergency room visits. "We know that a significant number of people might seek treatment at primary care, specialty or urgent care clinics for their injuries," Maxson said. Dog ownership has become increasingly common, he noted, with about half of U.S. households having at least one dog. The pandemic contributed to the spike. How to protect yourself Staying safe when walking a leashed dog takes diligence, focus and, in inclement weather, extra precautions. Multitasking can be hazardous. Put your phone away. "You can't really afford to relax when you walk a powerfully built dog with the torque of a small tractor. You have to pay attention," said Noel Holston, a dog owner in Athens, Georgia. In the early 2000s, Holston was walking his 65-pound (29.4-kilogram) pit bull in a park near home when a goose flapped and squawked. The dog bolted down an embankment, jerking the now 76-year-old Holston off the sidewalk. "Off balance and struggling to keep my footing, I stepped into a hole and heard my left ankle snap. The pain was so intense. I almost passed out. My wife, Marty, had to hail a jogger to help get me back to our car. My left foot was dangling like a big wet noodle," he said. Susannah Johnston, 64, is a yoga instructor who runs a 40,000-member Facebook group for women aimed at improving balance, strength and a body's ability to absorb impact. She's been injured three times while dog walking over the years. About five years ago, her 50-pound (22.6-kilogram) lab mix went after a squirrel while Johnston was kneeling to tuck a sweatshirt into her backpack, the leash wrapped around one hand. She fractured a finger. "That was the worst because it was twisted and pulled and I had to have surgery and rehab and everything else," said Johnston, who lives in New York's Croton-on-Hudson. Running with a leashed dog is another hazard no matter how well trained you think a dog is. It's especially dangerous with a dog that's easily spooked, very young or prone to the zoomies. That's what happened to Robert Godosky in Manhattan. "We used to be in a routine of sort of running the last block home," he said. "There was a section of sidewalk that had scaffolding up. My dog is a rescue dog and was relatively new to us. He got spooked and got in front of me, and I went flying over the dog and smacked into the scaffolding. I ended up breaking two ribs." There are other hazards in rural areas, said Steven Haywood, an ER doctor in Corinth, Mississippi. A dog walker checks a mobile device while guiding dogs in Washington Park in Denver on Feb. 21, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File " Getting struck by vehicles," he said. "That's definitely the most life-threatening injury when people are walking their dogs." Areas like his have many roads without sidewalks or wide shoulders. That's especially hazardous when people wear dark clothes with no reflectors or lights on human or animal. "It's something we see on a regular basis," Haywood said. The right shoes, leashes and more In addition to lights and reflectors, there is other gear that can minimize dog-walking risks: Wear appropriate footwear with decent treads in snow and ice. Consider wearing footwear with spikes or studs. Maxson suggests using a non-retractable leash of 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters). "Longer leashes are more likely to get tangled around your legs and cause falls. Retractable leashes can sometimes make your dog more difficult to control." In San Francisco, dog trainer Shoshi Parks recommends a no-pull harness with a leash clipped to a dog's chest rather than their back, she said. It gives the walker more control and puts less strain on the dog. Parks suggests holding a leash at your center of gravity, near your torso, hip or thigh. Slip your hand through the loop of a leash and grab it a little lower down to hold on. She calls retractable leashes a "no go." Period. They can cause burns when held too close to the body if they lengthen or retract quickly. Dog walkers and dog trainers For people with mobility or balance issues, experts suggest seeking help walking a dog, especially in inclement weather. A neighbor, an older child or a professional dog walker, for instance. Johnston, Haywood and Maxson agreed that balance and strength-training exercises, especially for older adults, can help decrease the risk of falls and fractures. And they said working with a dog trainer helps not only the dog but the walker, who can learn to read their pet's body language better. "Even young, healthy, strong people may have difficulty controlling larger breeds that aren't used to walking on a leash. Any exercise to give strength, give balance, is going to help," Haywood said. "Make sure you can control the dog that you're walking." 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. 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: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain We may think of air pollution as an outdoor problem, made up of car exhaust and smog. But if the air inside our homes is polluted, this can also affect our health. In Australia, around 12% of childhood asthma can be attributed to gas stoves and the toxic chemicals they release into the air. And while there's a growing push to phase out gas indoors, some 38% of Australian households rely on natural gas for cooking. Recommended interventionssuch as replacing a gas stove with electricmay not be possible for those who are renting or struggling with the cost of living. This is important because, as our research shows, childhood asthma is more common in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. If you're living with gas, here's how it can affect you or your child's asthma, and what you can do to improve air quality. What is asthma? Asthma is the most common chronic condition in Australian children. The respiratory condition affects almost 400,000 of those aged 14 and underclose to 9% of that age group. Asthma narrows the airways and obstructs airflow, making it hard to breathe. Many people manage the condition with inhalers and asthma action plans. But it can be serious and even fatal. Australian emergency departments saw 56,600 presentations for asthma in 2020-21. While there is no single cause for asthma, both indoor and outdoor air pollution play a significant role. Being exposed to small airborne particles increases your risk of getting asthma, and can aggravate symptoms if you already have it. Gas stoves release nitrogen dioxide The gas stoves commonly found in Australian homes release toxic chemicals into the air. They include carbon monoxide (CO), PM 2.5 (small particles, often from smoke), benzene, formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ). All are harmful, but nitrogen dioxide in particular is associated with asthma developing and getting worse. Gas heaters can also produce nitrogen dioxide. As nitrogen dioxide is a tasteless, invisible gas, it's difficult to know how much is in your air at home unless you have an air monitor. However, one US study showed houses with gas stoves can have nitrogen dioxide levels three times higher than houses with electric stoves. This is particularly concerning for households with children, given children tend to spend most of their time indoors. Banning gas There is a growing push across Australia to replace gas stoves with electric stoves, which are more energy efficient and can reduce indoor air pollution. Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory have announced bans on gas connections in new homes from 2024. Sydney's Waverley council recently made a similar move. But until a ban on using household gas appliances is implemented across the country, the problem persists for children who are currently living in old homes or rented properties with gas stoves. Do exhaust fans in the kitchen help? Using a high-efficiency exhaust hood placed over an existing gas cooktop can be effective. They can capture more than 75% of air pollutants and direct them outside. Cooking on the back burnerrather than the front burnercan also improve their efficiency. However, exhaust hoods with lower flow rates, or hoods that don't vent the air outside, are less effective. And an exhaust hood only improves air quality if you use it. One study in Melbourne found more than 40% of people didn't use an exhaust hood regularly while cooking. For many people, installing high-efficiency exhaust hoods will not be practicalespecially for those renting or experiencing socio-economic disadvantages. Natural ventilation There is a free way to ventilate your home. Keeping windows open during and after cooking will increase air flow and evidence shows this can improve overall air quality. However, this is not always possible, especially during cooler months of the year, which can be especially chilly in places such as Victoria and Tasmania. Unfortunately, people are also more likely to use gas heaters during those cooler months. What about heaters? There are two kinds of gas heaters, flued and unflued. Like cooking with gas, unflued gas heaters release air pollutants including nitrogen dioxide directly into the home. Flued heaters are better for air quality because they use a chimney, or "flue," to send emissions outside. If you can, replacing your unflued gas heater with a flued oneor even better, an electric heatercan significantly alleviate asthma symptoms. If you can't replace your unflued gas heater, do not use it overnight in the room where you or your children sleep. Asthma can't be cured, but its symptoms can be controlled by managing triggersand this may be easier to do indoors than out. Improving air quality, even in a rented or old property, can help people with asthma breathe more easily. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. 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: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Every time you are prescribed medicine in hospital, a computer will prompt your doctor about the appropriateness of the medicine and its dose. Every time health professionals update patient records on the computer, they need to fill in the appropriate information in the correct spot, or choose an option from a drop-down menu. But as a growing body of research shows, these electronic systems are not perfect. Our new study shows how often these technology-related errors occur and what they mean for patient safety. Often they occur due to programming errors or poor design and are less to do with the health workers using the system. What did we look at? What did we find? Our team reviewed more than 35,000 medication orders at a major metropolitan hospital to understand how frequently technology-related errors occur. We focused on errors made when medications are prescribed or ordered via a computer-based system. In many hospitals, these systems have replaced the clipboard that used to hang at the end of a patient's bed. Our research showed that as many as one in three medication errors are technology-related. That is, the design or functionality of the electronic medical system facilitated the error. We also examined how technology-related errors changed over time by reviewing rates of errors at three time points: in the first 12 weeks of using the system, and at one and four years after it was implemented. We may expect technology-related errors to become less frequent over time as health professionals become more familiar with systems. However, our research showed that although there is an early "learning curve", technology-related errors continued to be an issue for many years after electronic systems are implemented. In our study, the rate of technology-related errors was the same four years after the system went in as it was in the first year of use. How could errors happen? Errors can happen for a number of reasons. For instance, prescribers can be confronted with a long list of possible dose options for a medication and accidentally choose the wrong one. This can lead to a dose less than, or more than, the one intended. In our study, we found high-risk medications were frequently associated with technology-related errors. These included oxycodone, fentanyl and insulin, all of which can have serious adverse effects if prescribed incorrectly. Technology-related errors can also happen at any point in a patient's care when a computer is used. One case in the United States involved a nurse accessing and administering the wrong medicine. She obtained the medicine from a computer-controlled dispensing cabinet (known as an automated dispensing cabinet), which is used to store, dispense and track medicines. Through poor design, the cabinet allowed the nurse to search for a medicine by entering just two letters. A good design would not have displayed any medication options with only two letters. The nurse selected and administered the wrong drug to the patient, causing cardiac arrest and the nurse faced a criminal trial. Automated dispensing cabinets are being increasingly rolled out in Australian hospitals. Earlier this year we heard of an error in South Australia's electronic medical record system. This miscalculated the due date for more than 1,700 pregnant women, possibly prompting premature inductions of labor. We produce a series of safety bulletins for the health system that describe and address specific examples of poor system design we have identified during our research or others working in the system have brought to our attention. These include a drop-down menu that allows prescribing of a medicine via injection into the spine. This particular medicine would be fatal if administered this way. Another shows an in-built calculator that rounds up or down the doses for medication according to set rules. But this may lead to incorrect doses in very young or lower-weight children. For each example, we include recommendations to optimize the systems. Organizations can then use these specific examples to test their systems and take action. What else would improve safety? With increasing digitization in our hospitals and health services, the risk of technology-related errors increases. And that's even before we talk about the potential for error in artificial intelligence used in our health systems. We're not calling for a return to paper-based records. But until we commit to the task of making computer-based systems safe, we will never fully benefit from the enormous potential digital systems could deliver in health care. Systems need to be continually monitored and updated, to make them easier and safer to use and to prevent issues from becoming catastrophic. Health IT managers and developers need to understand errors and recognize when system design is suboptimal. Since clinicians are often the first to notice issues, there should also be mechanisms to investigate and address their concerns promptly, supported by systematic data on technology-related errors. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum took place in the capital city of the People's Republic of China, with a delegation led by Agil Gurbanov, Deputy Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan, participating in the event, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. During the visit, the delegation first paid respects at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in China, where they honored the memory of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev by laying flowers at his bust. At the forum, attended by ministers and officials from over 100 countries and regional and international organizations, Gurbanov met with Admiral Dong Jun, Minister of National Defense of China. Gurbanov expressed his gratitude for the invitation. Additionally, Gurbanov held meetings with the head of the Central Military Council's Department of Cooperation on Weapons, Military Equipment, and Technology, as well as leaders from companies within the State Defense Industrial Complex. Discussions focused on the current state and future prospects of military-technical cooperation between Azerbaijan and China. The 41-count case of professional misconduct against Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen will proceed, the commission that governs lawyer conduct said this week. Knudsen, who is up for re-election this year, argued his dispute with the state Supreme Court in recent years gave him ammunition to criticize justices and his position as an elected official gave him latitude to spar with another branch of government. The attorney general is accused of attempting to undermine the court's credibility along the way of that dispute. The commission, however, said this was in fact not a political matter, nor had anything to do with Knudsen's stature in government. "Under (Knudsen)'s theory, he is not answerable at all to the courts for any conduct as long as it fits his definition of 'official,'" the commission wrote in its order on Tuesday. The Attorney General's Office on Friday countered the commission had not fully considered Knudsen's arguments. "Were disappointed the commission outright ignored many of our substantive arguments on the case," spokesperson Emilee Cantrell said in an email. "The full facts will come to light at the upcoming hearing." The Daily Montanan first reported on the commission's decision this week. Special counsel with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel last year submitted the case against Knudsen to the Commission on Practice, the professional board appointed by the Supreme Court, alleging a series of violations of professional rules of conduct related to Knudsen and his office's sharp criticisms of the nonpartisan judicial branch. Knudsen is scheduled to face a trial on the complaint in mid-October, weeks before the general election. On the most severe end of potential discipline, Knudsen could be disbarred. The complaint hangs largely on statements Knudsen or his office made during a high-voltage separation of powers dispute in 2021 while he was representing the Legislature as it sought to wrest records from the judicial branch. The crux of the complaint alleges Knudsen violated the Montana Rules of Professional Conduct intended to preserve public confidence in the fairness and impartiality of the state's judicial system. In August, attorneys for Knudsen argued the commission's complaint ran afoul of the separation of powers because the attorney general was exercising his duties by representing the legislative and executive branches in a dispute with the judiciary. The commission's order this week reminded Knudsen that, to become licensed to practice law in Montana, he took an oath maintain the respect due to the courts. Knudsen, the commission wrote, did not establish that his duties as attorney general preclude him from abiding by that oath and the professional conduct rules required of all attorneys. "In the control of litigation, the attorney general, like every other attorney, has the duty to conform his conduct to the rules of professional ethics," the order reads. " There is no basis for the contention that any part of this process has been 'weaponized,' a charge that seems a current popular label for public relations rather than substantive." Napa County and the Napa Communities Firewise Foundation have completed a hazardous fuel reduction project on Sanitarium Road in Deer Park. According to a news release issued Friday, the project significantly enhances evacuation routes, improves year-round access to the Adventist Health St. Helena hospital, and establishes a vital fuel break in a historically fire-prone and populated area that was damaged by the 2020 Glass Fire. In 2023, Napa County invested in treating county roads to improve evacuations routes and access for hundreds of residents across 200 miles of Napa County. Each project was prioritized through a partnership between Napa County, the Firewise foundation and Napa County Fire/Cal Fire, based on factors such as resident population, historical fire activity and project impact. The Sanitarium Road project involved reducing hazardous fuels up to 110 feet from the road's center line, creating a buffer zone designed to slow or stop the spread of wildfires. The work is particularly impactful for residents of Deer Park and Angwin, who depend on Sanitarium Road as their primary evacuation route. The project also benefits first responders and patients requiring emergency transport to Adventist Health St. Helena, as well as Upvalley residents and visitors using the hospital for routine medical needs. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Napa County and Napa Firewise for their leadership and support in the recent roadside work on Sanitarium Road, said Dr. Steven Herber, the hospital president. This project, fully funded by the county and expertly managed by Napa Firewise, has significantly improved safety by addressing critical hazards and ensuring reliable, year-round access to both our hospital and the Deer Park community. From identifying the need to coordinating efforts with our forester and vendors, Napa Firewise played a pivotal role in making this project a success. In collaboration with the county and Napa County Fire/Cal Fire, Sanitarium Road was prioritized as a crucial evacuation route and fuel break, reinforcing safety for all, and for that we are thankful for this partnership. "Projects like the one on Sanitarium Road are essential to our mission of enhancing fire safety across Napa County, said Napa County Fire Administrator David Shew. By reducing hazardous fuels and strengthening evacuation routes, we are not only protecting our communities today but also laying the groundwork for a more resilient future. Napa County is proud to partner with Napa Firewise, Cal Fire, and local residents to ensure that our county is better prepared to face the increasing threat of wildfires." For more information on wildfire mitigation projects happening or completed around Napa County, visit Napa Firewises project dashboard at napafirewise.org. Residents can use the dashboard to filter projects by funding source, treatment type and year. Photos: The Glass Fire's aftermath in Deer Park Deer Park after Glass Fire Deer Park after Glass Fire Deer Park after Glass Fire Deer Park after Glass Fire Deer Park after Glass Fire Deer Park after Glass Fire Deer Park after Glass Fire Deer Park after Glass Fire Deer Park after Glass Fire The meeting was organized on Friday in Hyderabad by Ministry of Labour & Employment in collaboration with Employees' Provident Fund Organisation. The session aimed at creating awareness about three schemes framed as part of ELI Scheme and its benefit to employers and employees in order to boost employment in manufacturing and job creation in formal sectors. The ELI Scheme launched in Union Budget this year aims to create more than 2 crore jobs in the country over a period of 2 years in sectors that significantly contribute in increasing employment opportunities and enhancing livelihood. Setting the context of the session, Secretary Sumita Dawra, emphasized about drivers of employment as evidenced by growth in employment in sectors such as trade, manufacturing, services and construction sectors. She said, "Government data such as PLFS, KLEMS shows employment growth and at the same time, quality of employment is of equal focus." She further highlighted the need to generate new employment, including by MSMEs, that should scale up to generate employment as well. A brief presentation on ELI scheme, including the PM's package of 5 schemes on employment, skilling and internships, was followed by interactive session. The ministry stated that several constructive suggestions were received from industry participants for formulation of feasible practical scheme. In her closing remarks, the secretary highlighted that this scheme represents a significant step towards the shared goal of creating a more prosperous and inclusive India. She further stated that such interactive sessions shall continue to be held in future in the course of finalization of the ELI Scheme before it is implemented. The session was attended by official representatives from Union Labour Ministry, EPFO, Industry Leaders from sectors like Pharma, Construction, PSU, Manufacturing, Finance, etc. and MSME representatives. (ANI) The delegation was headed by Deputy Chief Executive Officer Nisha Biswal and it also included U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti and Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch. As per the ministry of finance during the meeting held on Friday, discussions were centred on strengthening economic cooperation between India and the US, with a particular focus on investment opportunities in India. "Union Finance Minister Smt.@nsitharaman interacted with a delegation from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation @DFCgov with Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Ms.@NishaBiswal; US DFC @DFCgov shared that India offers good opportunities and is one of their key geographies for #investment" stated a social media post on 'X' by the Ministry of Finance yesterday. During the interaction, representatives from DFC acknowledged India's significant potential as a key geography for investment. They highlighted the favourable opportunities in various sectors and expressed their commitment to further expanding their investment footprint in the country. DFC has been an active player in India, supporting development initiatives across sectors like infrastructure, clean energy, healthcare, and technology. Finance Minister Sitharaman also emphasized the broad-based and multi-sectoral cooperation between India and the US, noting that recent reforms and the country's evolving investment climate have created a conducive environment for growth. She highlighted India's potential for increased economic cooperation, particularly in sectors crucial to sustainable development and innovation. Recently, the US International Development Finance Corporation has announced new investments of USD 70 million in India's private sector. These investments aim to advance key priorities of the US and Indian governments, including strengthening health systems, particularly vaccines, expanding access to affordable housing, and increasing support for small businesses. (ANI) Senior Chinese military official meets foreign guests attending Beijing Xiangshan Forum Xinhua) 08:23, September 14, 2024 BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- He Weidong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Friday met with foreign guests from Myanmar, South Africa and Pakistan, who are in Beijing for the ongoing 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum. While meeting with Tin Aung San, Myanmar's deputy prime minister and union minister for defense, He said that the Chinese military is willing to work with the Myanmar side to enhance pragmatic cooperation and safeguard the security and stability of the two countries' border areas. During his meeting with Angie Motshekga, South Africa's minister of defense and military veterans, He said that the two countries' militaries should engage in deeper, more solid cooperation and work together to protect global fairness and justice. When meeting Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Army, he pledged to work with Pakistan to shield the two countries' strategic interests, as well as regional peace and stability. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) The 11th Xiangshan Forum, held in Beijing under the theme "Promoting Peace for a Common Future," brought together officials and experts from over 100 countries and international organizations. Azernews reports that the event was jointly organized by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense and the Military Science Association. Chinese Defense Minister Don Jun emphasized the right of every nation to protect its own security and stressed the need for global cooperation to ensure a safe world. He highlighted the importance of all countries participating in the creation of a multipolar world built on equal and orderly foundations. The forum featured discussions on various global and regional security issues, including "Security Cooperation and Progress and Stability in the Asia-Pacific Region" and "Multipolarity and the Changing International Order." The Xiangshan Forum, established in 2006, provides a platform for addressing security challenges with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Unlike Western-dominated security forums, the Xiangshan Forum also addresses the concerns of developing and smaller countries. Topics covered included artificial intelligence, ongoing conflicts, space and maritime security, security evolution in Europe, Middle East peace, international arms control, and counter-terrorism. The three-day forum facilitated discussions on South-South cooperation and North-South joint activities, contributing to a fair international order. NewsVoir Agartala (Tripura) [India], September 14: The Government of Tripura, in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and the Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC), announced the launch of the STAR-NCD program, aimed at improving the prevention, diagnosis, and management of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) across the state. Strengthening Ambulatory Care for Non - Communicable Diseases in India (STAR-NCD) is a National Health Research Priority (NHRP) initiative by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). This initiative will strengthen out-patient care services, especially for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. The program was launched by the Chief Minister of Tripura, Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha, who emphasized the state's commitment to addressing the growing burden of NCDs. "Tripura is dedicated to improving healthcare services, and the STAR-NCD program will play a pivotal role in reducing the impact of chronic diseases. By integrating advanced technologies and focusing on primary care, we aim to ensure better health outcomes for our citizens," said Prof. Saha. The Secretary of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of Tripura, also highlighted the importance of the initiative, stating, "This program marks a significant milestone in our healthcare system. By strengthening the capabilities of our health facilities, we are building a future where quality healthcare is accessible to all, especially those in rural and hard-to-reach areas." Prof. Nikhil Tandon of AIIMS, New Delhi, further stressed the collaborative efforts, "The STAR-NCD program is designed to enhance the capacity of our healthcare workers and introduce cutting-edge clinical decision support systems (CDSS) to improve diagnosis and treatment pathways. Our partnership with the Government of Tripura will serve as a model for other states." Prof. D. Prabhakaran, Executive Director of CCDC, added, "NCDs are a major challenge to public health, and we are excited to work closely with the state of Tripura to bring evidence-based solutions that address the unique healthcare needs of the region. The STAR-NCD project will empower health systems with tools and data to improve patient outcomes." The STAR-NCD program will be rolled out across various districts, starting with Gomati District, and aims to benefit millions by strengthening the state's healthcare infrastructure and integrating digital health platforms. (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) VMPL Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 14: Ramky Estates & Farms Limited, a distinguished leader in the Indian real estate sector, proudly marks 29 years of unparalleled excellence. As Hyderabad's foremost real estate titan with a commanding presence across South India, Ramky Estates stands as a beacon of quality, reliability and visionary development. With a robust portfolio spanning across Bengaluru, Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Warangal, Ramky Estates has masterfully delivered over 10 million sq. ft. of premium residential and commercial spaces. Currently, 15 million sq. ft. of residential projects are under strategic development, with an additional 10 million sq. ft. poised for imminent launch, solidifying Ramky Estates' legacy as the architect of South India's skyline. Since its inception in 1995, Ramky Estates & Farms Limited has pioneered the Indian real estate landscape with unparalleled service and iconic developments like Ramky Towers. With relentless pursuit of excellence and a vision to build an enduring legacy, Ramky Estates has expanded its asset base into a billion-dollar portfolio in south India. Over the past 29 years, Ramky Estates has consistently demonstrated its mastery across the entire real estate spectrum namely, residential, commercial and integrated townships. Distinguished by their visionary approach, Ramky's projects are meticulously designed to break away from conventional norms, introducing contemporary aesthetics and execution that set new benchmarks in the industry. Nanda Kishore, Managing Director of Ramky Estates expressed his thoughts, saying, "It is truly heartwarming to enter the third decade as leaders in the real estate industry. The company's unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction is evident through the 9000+ happy families we have served. Ramky Estates has solidified its reputation as a trusted name in the residential properties market, building a legacy of success as the only real estate developer with a significant footprint across South India. We are proud to be recognized as the finest in what we do, making a meaningful difference in people's lives by helping them build a better tomorrow." For nearly three decades, Ramky Estates has been a formidable force in driving the nation's economic growth, marking milestones of remarkable progress. With 35 completed projects and 18 more in various stages of development, Ramky's total project portfolio stands at 53. With a portfolio that caters to a broad spectrum of buyers, their units are priced between Rs55 lakh and Rs3.5 crore. Ramky Estates stands as the definitive authority in real estate, providing comprehensive solutions that encompass every aspect of property development. Distinguished by its unwavering commitment to excellence, Ramky Estates has set the benchmark in delivering superior quality, unparalleled customer experiences, and ethical business practices, all while ensuring robust returns for its stakeholders. "It gives us immense pleasure to celebrate 29 years of success at Ramky Estates. Throughout this journey, we have remained focused on sustainable growth and prudent financial management, establishing a strong foundation of excellence and innovation. As Indian real estate continues to be a driving force in empowering the nation's economy, we are proud to be a significant contributor to this progress. Our commitment to delivering high-quality, innovative projects has helped us build a legacy of trust while continuing to shape the future of real estate in India. Ramky Estates remains dedicated to fostering growth and prosperity for the communities we serve." said NS Rao, CFO, Ramky Group. Ramky Estates has spent decades crafting iconic projects that set the standard for innovation, sustainability, and excellence in real estate. With over 29 years of legacy and trust, Ramky leads in luxury and theme-based developments, using cutting-edge design and technology to deliver premium, lasting homes. Achieving a remarkable 42% CAGR over the past five years, Ramky's success is driven by a customer-centric approach and pioneering 'Community Living' initiatives. Their deep understanding of lifestyle fuels growth, with 25% of sales from repeat customers and referrals. Strengthening its leadership in Hyderabad, Ramky Estates has launched flagship projects like Ramky Nextown, Ramky One Orion, Ramky One Odyssey, Ramky One Symphony, Ramky One Genext, Ramky One Astra plotted venture Ramky Bliss to name a few. These, along with other key developments, embody Ramky's commitment to 'building with heart and building it smart.' Ramky integrates modern design and state-of-the-art amenities into every project, reinforcing their dedication to vibrant, socially enriched living environments. Ramky Estates, a premier real estate company, has led the Indian realty sector for 29 years, delivering 50 top-quality projects across 10 million sq. ft. With visionary leadership and a team of over 200 exceptional professionals, the company specializes in developing premier residential and commercial spaces. As a part of the esteemed RAMKY Group--a multinational conglomerate valued at 2 billion USD--Ramky Estates & Farms Limited has cemented its reputation as a trusted market leader. Offering residential projects priced between Rs55 lakhs and Rs3.5 crores, Ramky Estates stands as the sole Hyderabad-based developer catering to diverse customer needs across South India, including Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, and Warangal. The company's dedication to customer satisfaction is underscored by its service to over 9,000 satisfied families, emphasizing community living and technology integration. Ramky Estates has garnered a wealth of accolades, including "Emerging Developer of the Year" at the Construction Week India Awards 2019, "Integrated Township Project of the Year" at the 10th Realty + Excellence Awards 2018 South, and "Excellence in Delivering High Quality Construction" at the ET Excellence Telangana 2024 edition, underscoring its industry leadership. For more details: https://www.ramkyestates.com/ For media queries, contact: Adfactors PRNaveen Kumar | M: 93969 81816 | E: Naveen.janapalli@adfactorspr.com Kalasapati Rasagna|M:7013935591|E: kalasapati.rasagna@adfactorspr.com (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) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin, on Saturday returned from America, said that during his US tour, 19 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 7,618 crore were signed for the State. Through these MoUs, 11,516 jobs will be created in the State, said the Chief Minister, addressing reporters at the Chennai Airport. "I have completed my official visit to America. This was a successful visit. 19 MoUs have been signed. I got an investment of Rs 7618 crore for the state. 11,516 people will get new jobs. Factories will be set up in Trichy, Madurai, Coimbatore, Chennai, Krishnagiri, and other districts. There are many companies that have expressed to invest in Tamil Nadu. Ford, which stopped its production has said that they will start their production again in Chennai," Stalin said. On September 13, the US carmaker Ford Motor Company has announced that it would restart operations at its closed manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu.The decision follows several high-level discussions between Ford and the Tamil Nadu government, including a recent meeting between Hart and Stalin during the latter's visit to the United States.The state Sovernment claim to have secured a significant investment of Rs 2000 crore at the Tiruchirapalli which will create around 5000 jobs in the district. During his visit, an MoU was signed between RGBSI and the Tamil Nadu government to establish an advanced electronics and telematics manufacturing unit in Hosur with an investment of Rs 100 crore.Additionally, the Chief Minister met with top executives of several leading global companies and invited them to invest in Tamil Nadu. Rockwell Automation, a company in the industrial automation sector will expand its manufacturing with a Rs 666 crore investment in Kanchipuram which will bring around 365 jobs. Stalin also held a discussion with the officials of 'BNY Mellon' for potential investment opportunities in AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the State. Earlier on September 6, Stalin said that Tamil Nadu has secured MOUs (memorandum of understanding), worth Rs 850 crores with US-based companies Lincoln Electric, Vishay Precision, and Visteon. Tamil Nadu also signed a Rs 2000 crore Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Trilliant to establish a manufacturing unit as well as create their Development and Global Support Centre in the state. Stalin signed MOUs with Eaton, a multinational power management company, for Rs 200 crore R&D and engineering centre expansion in Chennai. Earlier in August the State signed an agreement with Ohmium for a new factory in Chengalpattu district for producing electrolysers and green hydrogen. The plant will have an investment of Rs 400 crores and create 500 job opportunities. An MoU was also signed with Google to set up artificial intelligence (AI) labs in Tamil Nadu. During Stalin's US visit, in San Francisco, MoUs were signed with six leading global companies--Nokia, PayPal, Yield Engineering Services, Microchip, Infinx Healthcare, and Applied Materials--for an investment of Rs 900 crores to create 4,100 job opportunities. (ANI) Ethan Slater and Lily Jay finalized their divorce on Thursday, after nearly five years of marriage, according to a report from TMZ. The former couple had been together since 2012 and married in November 2018. They share one child, a son, who was born in August 2022. The Spamalot actor and Jay filed for divorce in New York, with the terms of their settlement sealed. Ethan Slater made headlines earlier this year when he began dating his 'Wicked' co-star Ariana Grande after separating from Jay. Slater filed for divorce in New York City on July 26, but the reason for their split was not disclosed. Earlier the actor often shared posts about his family on his Instagram account. On Mother's Day, he posted a heartfelt message for Jay, calling her the "most loving, caring, and wonderful mom/person in the world," a post that was liked by Ariana Grande. He had also celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary, referring to Jay as his "best friend" and marking the milestone with the message, "4 years married, 10 years together. And this is easily the best (and most bizarre) year yet." Ariana Grande, 30, also went through her own separation from ex-husband Dalton Gomez in July 2023, after nearly two years of marriage. The two settled their divorce in early October 2023. According to a source who spoke to PEOPLE, Grande and Gomez have been "working on their friendship" since the split. As for Slater and Grande, the couple has been keeping their relationship out of the spotlight. A source told PEOPLE in September 2023, "They are just trying to navigate their new relationship in private." (ANI) William Zabka, famed for his role in 'The Karate Kid,' has fond memories of his friend and co-star, Chad McQueen who passed away recently. McQueen's family, on Thursday, confirmed his death, sharing that the actor and race car driver died on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in Palm Springs at the age of 63. Taking to his Instagram account on Saturday, the actor shared pictures from their time together on The Karate Kid set. McQueen played Dutch, a member of the Cobra Kai in the original 1984 film and its 1986 sequel, The Karate Kid Part II. In his post, Zabka shared both behind-the-scenes photos and group shots of McQueen with other cast members. One photo shows McQueen, Zabka, Rob Garrison, Ron Thomas, Tony O'Dell, and the late Pat Morita (who played Mr. Miyagi) enjoying ice cream together. Along with the pictures Zabka added a heartfelt caption that read, "Sadly, we lost the legendary Chad McQueen yesterday. I have so many great memories of him when we were filming the 'Karate Kid'. He was truly one of kind. He marched to the beat of his own drum and always made me laugh. We would caravan to set everyday -- him in his silver Porsche, music blasting, and me in my badass Honda Accord. He was the baddest of the OG Cobra's in the most fun and entertaining way." https://www.instagram.com/p/C_4D66jv7Ba/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link "I'm so thankful I had the chance to reconnect with him over the past few years. It was like no time had gone by at all. My love and deepest sympathies to his wife and family. RIP Chadwick -- my dear friend & Cobra Kai brother 4 ever," his post further read. Zabka and McQueen's Karate Kid co-star Ron Thomas also commented on Zabka's post, saying, " The brotherhood we share. The memories. The stories -- like the one with a certain sock . R.I.P. brother Chad." Chad McQueen was the son of Hollywood legend Steve McQueen. Following in his father's footsteps, Chad became both an actor and a professional race car driver. He appeared in films like Death Ring, Firepower, and Red Line before focusing on car racing in the 1990s. His last movie appearance was in 2001's Fall: The Price of Silence. (ANI) Rebel Wilson's directorial debut 'The Deb' premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival amid legal trouble, reported People. Rebel is currently involved in legal trouble with three of its producers, who filed a defamation lawsuit against her in July. At the red carpet event, she shared that this is not an "ideal" situation. Wilson had earlier accused the producers of trying to block the film from screening at TIFF. She added, "obviously there was a struggle to have the movie play." However, she tries to focus on the positives, "At the end of the day, I'm so proud the fact that [TIFF CEO] Cameron Bailey chose this to play at the festival. And the honor to be chosen for TIFF and again, as a first-time female director, it's just huge." On the question that she can place the legal issue behind, she shared, "Yeah, I feel very confident that... Yeah, because the movie speaks for itself. It's so good and it's so original and so unique and it's just going to, the movie will shine." Wilson had intended to direct 'The Deb' but agreed to perform in the film to gain financing. She portrays Janette, a salon worker and mother of the local teen bully, Annabelle (Stevie Jean "The defamation suit from two of The Deb's producers, Amanda Ghost and Gregor Cameron, as well as executive producer Vince Holden, came in response to Wilson's Instagram video on July 10 in which she accused the group of "bad behavior" on set. Wilson claimed she was met "with absolute viciousness and retaliatory behavior" after reporting their alleged actions" Ghost, Cameron, and Holden refuted Wilson's allegations that they embezzled monies and levelled their own accusations about her behaviour during the filming process. They attempted to stop the premiere of 'The Deb' in Toronto. The producers wrote in the document that they "had to consider carefully whether to proceed with marketing the Film while it was embroiled in numerous credit and licensing disputes" with Wilson. They shared that 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." Wilson later wrote on Instagram, "It's not defamation if it's the TRUTH" saying that the legal move was a "bogus PR stunt." Wilson shared on Instagram handle that 'The Deb' would close the 2024 edition of TIFF, reported People. (ANI) Several visuals from Dubai surfaced online in which the mother-daughter jodi can be seen receiving a warm welcome. Earlier, on Friday, actor Mrunal Thakur was also spotted arriving in Dubai. SIIMA awards are currently underway. Many stars including Rana Daggubati and Pranita Subhash have already reached the venue, marking stylish presence on the red carpet. Have a look at the pictures of the celebrities who attended the SIIMA Awards so far Wearing a blue gown, Pranitha stole the attention of the paps with her ethereal look. Rana arrived at the venue donning a teal blue blazer. Simran Choudhary attended the event in a stunning black saree. The 12th Edition of the South Indian International Movie Awards will take place till September 15. Telugu film Dasara, Tamil film Jailer, Kannada film Kaatera and the Malayalam film 2018 bagged the most nominations. Srikanth Odela's Dasara, starring Nani and Keerthy Suresh bagged 11 nominations, with Souryuv's Nani, Mrunal Thakur's Hi Nanna following closely with 10. Now it is to be seen who will take the trophies home. (ANI) Junior doctors in Kolkata continue their protest for the fourth consecutive night amid heavy rain at Swasthya Bhawan in the Salt Lake area, demanding justice in the RG Kar medical college rape and murder case of a trainee doctor. In an effort to monitor the situation and ensure security, the Kolkata Police have installed CCTV cameras at the protest site and surrounding areas. The move comes as the junior doctors maintain their stand, demanding justice and calling for enhanced safety measures at medical institutions, even after the Supreme Court set a deadline for doctors to resume work on Tuesday. Earlier on September 13, junior doctors in Kolkata criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for rejecting their request to live telecast a meeting and for not meeting with them.They argued that their request was reasonable, given that parliamentary discussions and many administrative meetings are broadcast live. The doctors expressed frustration over being asked to leave electronic gadgets outside the meeting hall, which prevented them from recording the proceedings.Speaking to the media, Anustup Mukherjee, one of the doctors, said that they tried to negotiate for live telecasting the meeting with the state government, but that issue remained non-negotiable."If all parliamentary discussions can be live telecast, if even the Chief Minister herself encourages live telecast of all her administrative meetings, then perhaps our request was not unjustified. Also, as we are headed towards the discussion regarding our demands of justice and not any subjudice matter, we did not find any breach of code of law in our request for live telecast. We are also asked to leave all our electronic gadgets outside of meeting hall, which negates any chance of video recording from our side. But unfortunately, this issue remained non negotiable," Mukherjee told reporters. Earlier, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee urged the protesting doctors to return to work, adding that she has no greed for her CM post, but is more concerned about justice for the RG Kar rape-murder victim and treatment for ordinary citizens. Addressing a press conference, Mamata Banerjee said, "I am ready to resign from the Chief Minister of West Bengal. I am not concerned about the post. I want justice for the victim, I am only concerned about ordinary people getting medical service."The second-year postgraduate medical student was raped and murdered inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9. (ANI) Following the release of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from Tihar jail on bail, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday said that the decision of the Court has shown the government that the truth can't be suppressed. The Maharashtra Congress chief further suggested that the BJP government should stop the "politics of fear." "This decision by the Court has shown the Modi government that the truth can't be suppressed. The way false allegations were put on him, they got exposed and Arvind Kejriwal got the bail on that basis. I think the Modi government should stop this kind of politics of fear," Patole told reporters on Friday. On Friday evening, Arvind Kejriwal was released from Tihar jail hours after the Supreme Court granted him bail. Kejriwal held a roadshow from Chandgiram Akhara to his official residence after being released from the Tihar jail and said, "The prison walls have increased my courage 100 times. My life is dedicated to the country. Every drop of my blood is dedicated to my country. God has always supported me. Why did God support me? Because I was truthful, I was right; I served the people; I fought for the country; that is why God is with me." Kejriwal's lawyers furnished surety bonds for his release before the special CBI judge, citing the Supreme Court ruling. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with the case. On May 10, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail till June 1 in the money laundering case registered by the ED in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy. However, the court ordered that he should not visit the Office of the Chief Minister or the Delhi Secretariat. In compliance with this directive, he surrendered on June 2. On June 26, he was arrested by the CBI while in ED custody in the excise case. On July 12, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in the ED case, but Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court extended his CBI custody. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended greetings to the people on the occasion of Hindi Diwas. "Many best wishes to all the countrymen on Hindi Diwas," PM Modi posted on X. Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah extended his heartfelt wishes to people on the occasion of Hindi Diwas and said that all Indian languages are our pride and heritage, and without enriching them, we cannot move forward. "All Indian languages are our pride and heritage, without enriching them we cannot move forward. Official language Hindi has an unbreakable relationship with every Indian language. This year Hindi has completed 75 years of public communication and national unity as the official language of the country. I am confident that by taking all Indian languages together, official language Hindi will continue to contribute towards realizing the resolution of a developed India," Amit Shah posted on X in Hindi. In a video message, the Union Minister also said, "This year's 'Hindi Diwas' is very important for all of us because on 14th September 1946, the Constituent Assembly of India accepted Hindi as the official language. It is completing its 75th year and we are going to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the official language this year. Hindi has been very important for the official language and for the languages of all our states. Hindi has seen many ups and downs. But today, I can say with certainty that there is no competition between Hindi and any local language," Shah said. Amit Shah said that Hindi is a friend of all the local languages. "Whether it is Gujarati, Marathi or Telugu, every language gives strength to Hindi and Hindi gives strength to every language...In the last 10 years, a lot of work has been done under the leadership of PM Modi to strengthen Hindi and local languages. PM Modi has put forth the importance of Hindi in front of the world by giving speeches in Hindi on many international forums and has also increased the interest towards our languages in our country," the Union Home Minister added. "In the coming days, the Department of Official Language is also bringing a portal for translation from Hindi to all the languages of the Eighth Schedule, through which, whether it is a letter or a speech, we will be able to translate it into all languages in a very short time using Artificial Intelligence," he said. Hindi Diwas is observed annually on September 14 to commemorate the decision to adopt Hindi as one of the nation's official languages. (ANI) On Friday, Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Ambassador Serdar K?l?c, Special Representative for the normalization process between Turkiye and Armenia, during his visit to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. The talks centered on the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process, regional post-conflict dynamics, and negotiations between Turkiye and Armenia regarding normalization efforts. Minister Bayramov provided an overview of the challenges facing the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, emphasizing concerns over Armenia's territorial claims, as reflected in its constitution, and the destabilizing impact of military support from third countries. The meeting also covered broader topics of regional and international security, alongside bilateral cooperation and engagement within international organizations. Both parties shared views on issues of mutual interest, reinforcing their commitment to regional stability and cooperation. As part of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, a unique Ganesh idol, decorated with currency notes worth Rs 1.10 crore, has been put on display at the Ambedkar Centre in Paloncha Mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem district. The idol, set up by the Kapu community, has been drawing a large number of devotees. Organiser NP Naidu stated that they have been installing the Ganesh idol at this location for the past 28 years and this year they decorated it with Rs 1.10 crore in notes. Naidu told ANI, "We have been setting up the Ganesh idol here for the past 28 years. This year, we've decorated Lord Ganesh with Rs 1.10 crore in notes. We're thrilled to see so many people coming here and receiving the blessings of Lord Ganesh." A devotee named Krishna told ANI that he was enchanted by the idol and mentioned that he had never seen anything like this anywhere. "I have never seen anything like this anywhere. The Ganesh idol, decorated with Rs 1.10 crore in notes by the Kapu community, is truly unique. I don't think anyone else in Telangana has done something like this. This (Ganesh idol) is mesmerising," he said. Another devotee expressed her delight at the sight of the Lord Ganesh idol. "All our family has come to see the decoration of Ganesh Ji at the Ambedkar Centre. We are delighted to see this decoration," she said. Ganesh Chaturthi, a 10-day festival, will continue until Anantha Chaturdashi. This festival is also known as Vinayak Chaturthi or Vinayak Chavithi. During Ganesh Chaturthi, Lord Ganesha is worshipped as the god of new beginnings and the remover of obstacles. Devotees across India and abroad celebrate Lord Ganesha's wisdom and intelligence. Homes and pandals are adorned with elaborate decorations, and the air is filled with prayers, music, and festive chants. The streets come all over with vibrant processions and traditional rituals as people prepare delicious offerings and visit the beautifully decorated pandals. (ANI) Taking to social media X, Gehlot wrote that the sudden demise of the leader was a matter of great sorrow. "The demise of senior Congress leader and MLA Shri Zuber Khan is a matter of great sorrow for all of us. Shri Zuber Khan was fully committed to the development of his area and remained engaged in public service till his last breath. His demise is an irreparable loss. I pray to God to give peace to the departed soul and courage to the family members," the post read. Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde also expressed his deep condolences on the demise. Bagde prayed peace for the virtuous soul and expressed his condolences to the family to bear the loss. (ANI) The deceased has been identified as Anand Kashyap. According to the Delhi Fire Service, the incident occurred on Friday night at about 9.20 PM when a part of the balcony fell on Anand Kashyap. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, the Delhi Fire Service said. Earlier on Friday, one person died and two other persons suffered injuries after a portion of a building collapsed in Delhi's Nabi Karim area, an official said. Incessant rainfall across Delhi and its adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) for the past few days led to waterlogging and heavy traffic jams across many areas. On Friday, intermittent downpours continued throughout the day, causing widespread flooding and hampering vehicular movement across the region. (ANI) Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi paid tribute to CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury at the CPI office in Delhi on Saturday. Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken, Rajeev Shukla, and several CPI (M) leaders and workers arrived at the CPI (M) office in Delhi to pay tribute to Yechury. His mortal remains were taken to the party's office from his residence in Vasant Kunj here. Yechury passed away on September 12 at AIIMS Hospital after suffering from a respiratory tract infection. Speaking to ANI, Kerala Minister P Rajeev said that his demise has created a big vacuum in the national politics. Speaking to ANI, Rajeev said, "The sad demise of Sitaram Yechury has created a big vacuum in the national politics. I got the opportunity to work with him as a deputy leader when he was the leader of the CPI (M) in Rajya Sabha. He was the most acceptable person in the party and everyone came to him to make decisions on every issue. It is a big loss to the party, the left and the country." On Friday, Union Minister and BJP national President JP Nadda paid floral tribute to him at his residence. Remembering Yechury, Nadda said that he maintained relationships with those whose views differed from his own. "Paid floral tribute to the mortal remains of Former Rajya Sabha MP and General Secretary of the CPI (M) late Shri Sitaram Yechury ji. We both had different ideologies. He was a person more inclined towards ideas, but at the same time, he maintained relationships with those whose views differed from his own. He believed in agreeing to disagree and often said that this is the beauty of democracy," Nadda wrote in a post on X. "May God grant him eternal peace and give his family the strength to endure this pain," he added. Reflecting on his memories of the late CPI(M) leader, Nadda said he was very firm in his ideas and he devoted his whole life to propagating those ideas but being a social person, we can never forget his personal relationship and humanistic approach. "My friend Sitaram Yechury is no more among us... Sitaram Yechury used to come to Himachal from JNU to propagate his ideology and I have known him since then. We both belonged to different ideologies. He was very firm in his ideas and he devoted his whole life to propagate those ideas but being a social person we can never forget his personal relationship, humanistic approach. So I can say that he was a person who was more inclined towards ideas but at the same time, he also maintained relations with those people of the society who were different from his ideology. He believed that we agree to disagree and he used to say that this is the beauty of democracy. May God give him a place in his feet and give strength to all the members of his family to bear this grief," Nadda told ANI. (ANI) Welcoming the change of name of Port Blair to 'Sri Vijaya Puram', Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on Saturday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his promise to remove all signs of slavery. Speaking to ANI, the minister said, "When PM Modi gave his speech in the Central Hall when his third term began, he had said that we will remove all the signs of slavery. This is also a step in that direction. I thank PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah...". On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the renaming of Port Blair, the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to Sri Vijaya Puram reflects the government's commitment to break free from the colonial mindset. In a post on X, PM Modi said that the name Sri Vijaya Puram honours the rich history and heroic people of Andaman and Nicobar islands. "It also reflects our commitment to break free from the colonial mindset and celebrate our heritage," he added. Earlier on Friday, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale welcomed the Centre's decision to rename Port Blair as Sri Vijaya Puram and said it is a tribute to the freedom struggle. "Port Blair was the colonial name...The new name Sri Vijaya Puram is to commemorate the freedom struggle. This decision by Amit Shah is a welcome step...We support this step...," Athawale told ANI. Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the renaming through a post on X, calling it a move inspired by PM Modi's vision to free the nation from the colonial imprints. Shah also highlighted the historic importance of the UT and said that it has an "unparalleled place" in freedom struggle and history. "While the earlier name had a colonial legacy, Sri Vijaya Puram symbolises the victory achieved in our freedom struggle and the A&N Islands' unique role in the same," Shah wrote in his post. "The island territory that once served as the naval base of the Chola Empire is today poised to be the critical base for our strategic and development aspirations. It is also the place that hosted the first unfurling of our Tiranga by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Ji and also the cellular jail in which Veer Savarkar Ji and other freedom fighters struggled for an independent nation," he added. (ANI) In a post on X, PRO, Defence, Guwahati said, "DRDO successfully conducted developmental field trials of Indian Light Tank, Zorawar. The collaboration with Indian industry aids in the growth of the domestic manufacturing ecosystem." The first phase of developmental field firing trials of Indian light tank 'Zorawar' was conducted by DRDO on Friday. "Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), on September 13, 2024, successfully conducted the preliminary automotive trials of the Indian light Tank, Zorawar, a highly versatile platform capable of deployment in high-altitude areas," as per a press release from the Ministry of Defence. During the field trials conducted in the desert terrain, the Light Tank demonstrated exceptional performance, efficiently meeting all the intended objectives. In the initial phase, the tank's firing performance was rigorously evaluated and it achieved the required accuracy on designated targets, the Defence Ministry stated. Zorawar has been successfully developed by the Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE), a unit of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T). "Numerous Indian industries, including Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), contributed to the development of various sub-systems, showcasing the strength of indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities within the country," Ministry of Defence stated in the release. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded DRDO, the Indian Army, and all associated industry partners for the successful trials of the Indian Light Tank. He described the achievement as a significant milestone towards India's goal of self-reliance in critical defence systems and technologies, as per the Ministry of Defence. Learning from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, DRDO and L&T have integrated USV and loitering munition in the Zoravar tank. Initially, 59 tanks will be given to the army. Weighing 25 tonnes, this tank can move at high speed in mountain valleys and two tanks can be transported at a time by the Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft. (ANI) Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday highlighted several measures taken by the Union government aimed at benefiting farmers and promoting agricultural development and their welfare. In a post on X, Chouhan said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a farmer-friendly Prime Minister. Agriculture and farmer welfare are his top priorities. For farmer brothers and sisters, the Modi government has taken some big decisions in their interest." The central government has decided to increase the basic duty on refined oil to 32.5 percent. This move is expected to boost the demand for crops like mustard, sunflower, and groundnut used in refining, Chouhan said. He added that this increase will help farmers get better prices for these crops and encourage the establishment of more refineries in small and rural areas, thereby creating more employment opportunities. In addition, the export duty on onions has been reduced from 40 percent to 20 percent. According to Chouhan, this reduction will provide onion-producing farmers with better prices and enhance onion exports. He said, "The Modi government, committed to the progress of farmers, has reduced the export duty on onions from 40% to 20%." Chouhan further explained that this decision would benefit not only farmers but also other sectors related to onions. Another major decision is the removal of the minimum export duty on Basmati rice. This policy change is intended to ensure fair prices for Basmati-producing farmers and increase the demand for Basmati rice exports. Chouhan stated, "The Modi government, sensitive towards farmer welfare, has decided to remove the minimum export duty on Basmati rice." He expressed gratitude for this move, highlighting its positive impact on both farmers and the export sector. Additionally, the import duty on edible oils has been increased from 0 to 20 percent, with the total effective duty reaching 27.5 percent after considering other measures. This change is expected to raise soybean crop prices and encourage edible oil manufacturers to purchase more from domestic farmers. Chouhan also added, "This decision will increase the production of soyabean and it will be exported. Along with this, other sectors related to soya will also benefit." The Union Agriculture Minister concluded by expressing heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for these important decisions. "Thanks to respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji for this important decision," he said. (ANI) The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has formalised a Memorandum of Agreements (MoAs) with multiple sponsors under its Network of Phase 1 Clinical Trials. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the agreements mark a ground-breaking entry into First-in-Human Clinical Trials for four promising molecules. These include collaborative research over a small molecule for multiple myeloma with Aurigene Oncology Limited, partnering for Zika vaccine development with Indian Immunologicals Limited, coordinating a seasonal Influenza virus vaccine trial with Mynvax Private Limited, and a CAR-T cell therapy advancement study for a new indication of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with ImmunoACT, the Ministry said on Saturday. This initiative is a crucial step towards establishing India as a leader in the clinical development of pharmaceutical agents. Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda, commended the strategic collaboration between ICMR and prominent industry and academic partners, emphasising it as a key milestone in the pursuit of affordable and accessible cutting-edge treatments for all citizens. He noted that this initiative positions India to emerge as a global leader in healthcare innovation. Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, of the Department of Health Research and Director General, ICMR, emphasised the transformative potential of the project, stating, "This collaboration reflects our commitment to advancing clinical research in India through strategic public-private partnerships. Establishing Phase 1 clinical trial infrastructure is a key component in fostering the development of indigenous molecules and cutting-edge treatments. Our vision is to expand this network further, ensuring that India continues to lead in the development of innovative and affordable healthcare solutions." Dr Bahl also highlighted the broader impact of ICMR's initiatives, such as the Network for Phase 1 Clinical Trials, INTENT Network, and MedTech Mitra, aligning with the government's vision of a "Viksit Bharat". He cited ICMR's pivotal role in the development of Covaxin in collaboration with Bharat Biotech as a testament to the organization's commitment to affordable and accessible healthcare for all. The ICMR Network for Phase 1 Clinical Trials comprises four strategically located institutions across India--KEMH & GSMC, Mumbai; ACTREC, Navi Mumbai; SRM MCH&RC, Kattankulathur; and PGIMER, Chandigarh--supported by a Central Coordinating Unit at ICMR Headquarters, New Delhi. "This network is designed to build and enhance India's capacity to conduct early-phase clinical trials, supported by robust infrastructure and dedicated manpower at each trial site, ensuring smooth and effective operations," the ministry added. The signing of these agreements reinforces the strong partnerships ICMR has cultivated with key industry players. It underscores the institute's dedication to building a robust clinical trial ecosystem in India, fostering capacity to develop new drugs from early-phase trials through to marketing, thereby reducing dependency on international resources, and ultimately driving the mission of affordable, high-quality healthcare for all. (ANI) Veteran hotelier late PRS Oberoi's daughter Anastasia Oberoi, has filed a suit in the Delhi High Court against her brother Vikramjit Oberoi, sister Natasha Oberoi, and cousin Arjun Oberoi. In her lawsuit, she alleged that Vikramjit and Arjun, in conspiracy with the executors appointed by their late father, were attempting to obstruct the execution of his will. On September 12, 2024, the bench of Justice Navin Chawla of Delhi High Court, after a detailed hearing, issued an interim order in favour of Anastasia Oberoi along with the other plaintiffs to protect the subject matter of the lawsuit. The court ordered an injunction in connection with the shares held by PRS Oberoi, and protected Anastasia's and her mother's continued possession of their family home. While passing the interim order, Justice Chawla said, there is sufficient material placed on record by the plaintiffs (Anastasia Oberoi and others) to demonstrate the prima facie reliability of the Will and the Codicil of the Testator propounded by them. Justice Chawla also stated that "I find that the plaintiffs have been able to make out a good prima facie case in their favour. The balance of convenience is also in favour of the plaintiffs and against the defendants. The plaintiffs are likely to suffer grave irreparable harm in case the subject matter of the lawsuit, that is the shares and properties, are alienated during the pendency of the lawsuit and before the defendants file their response and the same is considered by this Court." This order comes amid a legal dispute between Anastasia and her brother Vikramjit Oberoi, sister Natasha Oberoi, and cousin Arjun Oberoi, regarding the estate of PRS Oberoi and his will. The case revolves around the control of the family's substantial holdings in EIH Limited, which manages the Oberoi and Trident hotel chains. The Delhi High Court, in its order, also stated that the interests of justice and the plaintiffs (Anastasia Oberoi and two others) can be safeguarded by restraining defendants Rajaraman Shankar, Daniel Lee Farrugia, Natasha Devi Oberoi (executors of the will of the late PRS Oberoi) and defendants EIH Limited, Oberoi Hotels Pvt. Ltd and Oberoi Properties Pvt. Ltd., from transferring or transmitting any shares held by the late PRS Oberoi in defendant companies. An exception was made for the transmission of one Class-A share in defendants Oberoi Hotels Pvt. Ltd. and Oberoi Properties Pvt. Ltd. to defendant Rajaraman Shankar (COO Oberoi Hotel Groups). However, the court clarified that while Rajaraman Shankar may exercise his voting rights only for the purpose of ensuring statutory compliance and filing statutory reports, he is restricted from exercising those rights on any other agenda items. Through the lawsuit, Plaintiffs sought direction to declare that Plaintiffs are entitled to own, hold, enjoy and exercise all rights in 1600 A class shares and 62,075 B Class shares of Oberoi Hotels Pvt. Ltd. and 100 A Class shares and 2,600 B Class shares of Oberoi Properties Pvt. Ltd. and 46 percent capital contribution in Aravali Polymers LLP by virtue of the Will dated October 25 2021 read with Codicil dated August 27 2022 of the late PRS Oberoi. The suit also sought direction to grant a decree of permanent injunction against Rajaraman Shankar, Daniel Lee Farrugia, Natasha Devi Oberoi and Oberoi Hotels Pvt. Ltd and Oberoi Properties Pvt. Ltd., from registering any transfer or transmission of shares held by Late PRS Oberoi in Defendant Oberoi Hotels Pvt. Ltd and Oberoi Properties Pvt. Ltd. Other than in favour of the legatees under the last will dated October 25 2021 read with Codicil dated August 27 2022 of Late PRS Oberoi. On the other hand, the counsel appearing for the Vikramjit Singh Oberoi and Arjun Singh Oberoi, contended that apart from the suit not being maintainable, in terms of the settlement that had been arrived at between the Testator and his father-Rai Bahadur MS Oberoi, the shares of Oberoi Hotels Pvt. Ltd and Oberoi Properties Pvt. Ltd were held by the Testator in trust for the defendants Vikramjit and Arjun and were to devolve upon the death of the Testator on the said defendants. Further, to give effect to such an oral understanding, the Testator also executed a Will dated 20.03.1992 in terms thereof. Anastasia Oberoi and other plaintiffs were represented by Senior Advocates Sandeep Sethi, Arvind Nigam, Arun Kathpalia and Jayant Mehta instructed by Advocates Swapnil Gupta, Shivambika Sinha and Nimita Kaul, Partners of Capital Law Chambers LLP and Advocate Aadil Singh Boparai and his chamber. The defendants were represented by Senior Advocates Neeraj Kishan Kaul, Amit Sibal, Rajiv Nayar along with Advocates Aseem Chaturvedi, Aakash Bajaj, Shivank Diddi, Shankh Sengupta, Ribi V.Garg, Shreyash Sharma, Preorna Banerjee, Sania Abbasi and others. (ANI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with his wife Sunita Kejriwal, offered prayers at the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place on Saturday, a day after he came out of Tihar jail. Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP MP Sanjay Singh also offered prayers at the Hanuman temple with Kejriwal. The Supreme Court on Friday, granted Kejriwal bail in the Delhi excise policy case. The apex court, however, also set certain limitations, like barring him from entering the CM office and signing files. Kejriwal's lawyer, Rishikesh Kumar, while speaking to ANI, listed out the bail condition set by SC. "Conditions given are the furnishing of a surety bond of Rs 10 lakh each has to be submitted. This is being done. The second condition imposed is that he will join the trial on each date unless an exemption is moved by him." He further added that some other conditions imposed by the court are similar to those when he was granted bail in ED arrest. "Other conditions are similar to the conditions that have been imposed in the ED matter. That signing of the document and working as the CM is not allowed." Arvind Kejriwal will have to move an application if he wants to modify the conditions imposed by CM, "considering that SC may modify those conditions which have been imposed in ED matter," Advocate Kumar said. To summarise the conditions applied by SC, Delhi CM has to submit a surety bond of Rs 10 lakh. He cannot make any comments about the Delhi excise policy case. Kejriwal cannot enter the CM office and sign official documents unless absolutely necessary to obtain the Lieutenant Governor's sanctions. He can't enter the CM office or Delhi secretariat. The Chief Minister will have to be present for trial unless exempted by the court. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, 2024, in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22. On June 26, 2024, Kejriwal was arrested by CBI while he was in custody of the Enforcement Directorate in the excise case. (ANI) The Armenian government has requested India's assistance in modernizing its Air Force to meet contemporary standards, Azernews reports. According to an article published by "The Print," Yerevan has formally appealed to New Delhi to upgrade its Su-30 military aircraft, including the integration of air-to-ground missiles. The report indicates that the 272 Su-30 MKI fighters currently in the Armenian Air Force require significant updates to align with modern operational requirements. Note that since the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Armenia has become a big defence export destination for India and has, in the past, bought several systems, including artillery guns besides certain kinds of missiles, mortars, radars, small arms and sight systems. Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh on Saturday paid tribute to CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, who passed away on Thursday, at the CPI (M) party office in the natioanl capital. Sisodia said that Yechury was a very prominent leader and no one can replace him. "Sitaram Yechury was a very big leader for the whole nation... He had always been a source of inspiration for all of us... No one can take his place," the AAP leader said. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi also visited the CPI(M) office in Delhi to pay her respects to the departed leader. Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken, Rajeev Shukla, and several CPI (M) leaders and workers were also among those who paid their tributes to Yechury. His mortal remains were taken to the party's office from his residence in Vasant Kunj here. Yechury passed away on September 12 at AIIMS Hospital after suffering from a respiratory tract infection. Speaking to ANI, Kerala Minister P Rajeev said that his demise has created a big vacuum in national politics. Rajeev said, "The sad demise of Sitaram Yechury has created a big vacuum in the national politics. I got the opportunity to work with him as a deputy leader when he was the leader of the CPI (M) in Rajya Sabha. He was the most acceptable person in the party and everyone came to him to make decisions on every issue. It is a big loss to the party, the left and the country." On Friday, Union Minister and BJP national President JP Nadda had paid floral tribute to the departed leader at his residence. Remembering Yechury, Nadda said that he maintained relationships with those whose views differed from his own. In a post on X, Nadda said, "Paid floral tribute to the mortal remains of Former Rajya Sabha MP and General Secretary of the CPI (M) late Shri Sitaram Yechury ji. We both had different ideologies. He was a person more inclined towards ideas, but at the same time, he maintained relationships with those whose views differed from his own. He believed in agreeing to disagree and often said that this is the beauty of democracy." (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be a fight between "three dynasties" and the youth of the union territory. He named Congress, National Conference (NC) and People's Democratic Party (PDP) as the three dynasties whose corrupt practices "hollowed out" and "destroyed" Jammu and Kashmir. "This year, the elections to Jammu Kashmir assembly are going to be held between th dynasties and the youth of Jammu and Kashmir," PM Modi said in his first rally in the election bound erstwhile State. "These three families are responsible for the dire state that J-K was in for decades. They indulged in corruption and made you struggle for your basic needs. These families laid the foundation for terrorism and extremism in the valley. They provided a safe haven for the propagation of terrorism for personal gains," the Prime Minister said. "On one side, there are these three dynasties and on the other, my sons and daughters of Jammu and Kashmir. These three dynasties are - the Congress, the National Conference and the PDP. What these three dynasties have together done with you all is nothing less than a sin. These three families prepared the necessary ground for separatism and terrorism here. Who benefitted from it? The enemies of the nation. They were harbouring terrorism so that their shops of millions continue to prosper. They are responsible for ruining Jammu and Kashmir for decades," PM modi said. The Prime Minister pledged that his government would make a prosperous Jammu and Kashmir, stating that it was "Modi Ki Guarantee." "I can see that our sisters and daughters have come here in big numbers to bless us. I am thankful to you all. I will repay this love and blessings of yours by working twice and thrice as hard for you and the country. Together we will build a safe and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir and this is Modi's guarantee," PM Modi said. The Prime Minister further stated that the assembly elections of Jammu and Kashmir would decide the fate of the Union Territory. "This time the elections of Jammu and Kashmir is going to decide the fate of J-K. Since independence, our beloved J-K has been targeted by foreign powers. After this, 'pariwarwad' started hollowing this beautiful state. The political parties you trusted here did not care about your children. Those political parties only promoted their own children. The youth of J&K have been suffering with terrorism and the parties promoting 'pariwarwad' were having fun by misleading you. These people have never allowed new leaders to emerge anywhere in J-K. You also know that panchayat elections were not held here after 2000," PM Modi said. He further said that "'Pariwarwad' did not allow the youth to come forward and that is why, after coming to power in 2014, I have tried to bring forward the new leadership of the youth in Jammu and Kashmir." "In 2018, panchayat elections were held here. In 2019, BDC elections were held and in 2020, DDC elections were held for the first time. Why were these elections held? So that democracy reaches the grassroots level in Jammu and Kashmir," he said. The Prime Minister referred to the remark by then Congress' Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in which he said that he was scared to visit Lal Chowk "There was a time when there used to be an undeclared curfew after evening. The situation was such that the Union Home Minister used to be scared to visit Lal Chowk," he said. PM Modi referred to the changing situation in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years and said that terrorism is at its last breath in Jammu and Kashmir and pointed to the changing scenario of stone pelting incidents and said that the time has arrived for the development of the region. "Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is now breathing its last. The changes seen here in the last 10 years are nothing short of a dream. The stones that were once picked up to be thrown at the police and army are now being used to build a new Jammu and Kashmir," he said. The Prime Minister further said that he wants every child in Jammu and Kashmir to have access to a good education. "Over the past few years, the BJP government has inaugurated various schools and colleges in J&K for the betterment of the youth. The long-standing demand for a medical college in Doda was also fulfilled recently by the BJP government," he said. He further said that the BJP's resolution and support can bring peace, prosperity and security to Jammu and Kashmir. "Make our candidates win with a huge mandate and ensure a brighter future for everyone in the valley. Any citizen of Jammu and Kashmir, regardless of his religion, region and cultural affiliation, is a priority for the BJP government. I guarantee to safeguard your rights. It's only the BJP that can reinforce statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, people cheered for PM Modi and gave him a rousing welcome upon his arrival in Doda amidst heightened security. The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1, with counting set for October 8. The Assembly elections are going to be held on 8 Assembly seats in three districts, Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban, in the first phase, voting for which will be held on 18 September. Jammu and Kashmir will witness elections after a gap of ten years, as the last assembly election was held in 2014. Jammu and Kashmir has 90 Assembly constituencies, including 7 reserved for SCs and 9 reserved for STs. According to the Election Commission of India, Jammu and Kashmir has 88.06 lakh eligible voters. In the previous Assembly elections, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 25, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) won 15, and the Congress won 12. The PDP-BJP coalition government fell in June 2018 when the latter withdrew support to the then-Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti. These upcoming elections will be the first in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. (ANI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested four persons from Pallipattu in Tamil Nadu in a case related to the cyber fraud of Rs 2.6 crore by a cyber criminal posing as a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer. The accused, identified as Tamilarasan Kuppan, 29, Prakash, 26, Aravindan I, 23, and Ajith, 28, were arrested on September 13. As per the ED, all four accused were involved in the incorporation of shell companies and the opening of bank accounts, through which Proceeds of Crime generated from the cyber scam were laundered. A Special Court in Bengaluru has granted ED custody of four days to these accused persons. Further, the agency said it has frozen the Rs 2.8 crore proceeds of crime in the bank account of a shell company, Cyberforest Technology Private Limited. ED initiated an investigation on the basis of several FIRs registered by various State police all over the country, including FIR No. 330 dated September 3, 2024, registered by the Special Offences and Cyber Crime Police in Jaipur. The victim in the FIR No. 330 in Jaipur received a call from a mobile number wherein a person claimed to be calling from Mumbai Custom Office and communicated to the victim that illegal goods were being sent abroad under the victim's name. The victim was then instructed to make a "fund legalisation" payment as a security to ensure that no money had been illegally earned by the victim. A total amount of Rs 2.16 crore was asked to be transferred by the fraudsters in three separate instalments into three different accounts provided by the caller, under the guise of "fund legalisation". Subsequently, the ED said, an individual who claimed to be a CBI officer contacted the victim over mobile phone. "The fraudster continued to assert that he was a CBI officer. Furthermore, a call was received by the victim from someone who claimed to be DCP Delhi Police, to verify the authenticity of the so-called CBI officer. On the insistence of so-called government officials, the victim was pressurised and extorted of his entire life savings and investments, amounting to Rs 2.16 crore," said the federal agency. By way of swift action by ED, POC to the tune of Rs 2.8 crore have been frozen in a Bandhan Bank account of the shell company Cyberforest Technology Private Limited on September 12, in which the proceeds were transferred by the victim, said the agency. "The whole process and activities related to transactions in the bank accounts of these shell companies were done through a WhatsApp group where Tamilarasan, Ajith, Aravindan, Prakash,, along with Chinese scammers were members." Investigation has revealed that Tamilarasan, one of the arrested persons, was in contact with Chinese cyber fraudsters for syphoning off the amount of Rs 2.8 crore frozen in Bandhan Bank. "It has also been revealed that Tamilarasan, Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan were actively involved in the incorporation of shell companies and the opening of bank accounts of these shell companies, which were used to launder the proceeds of crime generated from various cyber frauds," said the ED. "Tamilarasan, in active assistance with Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan, ran a syndicate to assist cyber fraudsters in arranging dummy directors, addresses and documents for incorporation of shell companies and liasoning with bank personnel for opening of accounts through which proceeds of crime generated from cyberfrauds were laundered," added the agency. Earlier, ED had arrested four persons, namely Shashi Kumar M, Sachin M, Kiran S K, and Charan Raj C, on August 15 and August 21 this year in Bengaluru. They are currently in judicial custody. So far, 17 searches have been conducted at various premises, which led to the seizure of various incriminating material, including mobile phones and other digital devices and the freezing of Rs 2.8 crore in the bank account. Investigation under PMLA, 2002 has, so far, identified POC of more than Rs 28 crore generated from a cyber scam. (ANI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, party leader Ajay Maken and Partap Singh Bajwa as AICC senior observers for the upcoming Haryana Assembly election, said an official release of the party. After failing to reach a seat-sharing arrangement with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Congress has fielded candidates for 89 seats out of 90 in the Assembly election. The party has left one seat for the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Haryana is expected to witness a triangular fight between the ruling BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party. The BJP has been in power in the state for the last ten years, winning the last two consecutive Assembly elections. But this time the party is facing a tough fight from the Congress. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP and the Congress won five seats each out of 10 seats in the state. A total of 1561 candidates have filed their nominations for the Assembly elections that are scheduled to be held on October 5. Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said on Friday that 1561 candidates from different political parties and independent candidates have filed 1747 nomination papers, which have been scrutinised. Agarwal said that candidates who have filed nominations for the elections can withdraw their nominations until September 16. After this date, the final list of candidates for the 90 assembly constituencies of the state will be published, and on the same day, the election symbols will also be allotted by the concerned returning officers, he added. In the 2014 Haryana Assembly elections, 1351 candidates had contested, whereas in the 2019 Assembly elections, this number was 961. Voting for the 90-member legislative assembly in Haryana will be held on October 5. Votes will be counted on October 8 along with that in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI) Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday paid his last respects to CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury who passed away in the national capital recently stating that people like hime "gave their lives for others." Speaking to the mediapersons , Sibal said, "In this country, most of all the politicians only think about their benefi and when they would be able to come to power. Only people like Sitaram Yechury gave their lives for other people and not for themselves. He knew he would never come to power." Further, Sibal added, "He was a very dear friend of mine. We have spent time together in politics and the Rajya Sabha. He used to mesmerise the Parliament with his interventions. The breadth of knowledge, the empathy for the ordinary people that he had is present in very less people. His demise is a very big loss for the nation." Earlier today, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi paid tribute to late Yechury at the CPI office. Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken, Rajeev Shukla, and several CPI (M) leaders and workers arrived at the CPI (M) office in Delhi to pay their last respects. The mortal remains of the late CPI(M) leader were taken to the party's office from his residence in Vasant Kunj here. Yechury passed away on September 12 at AIIMS Hospital after suffering from a respiratory tract infection. Speaking to ANI, Kerala Minister P Rajeev said that his demise has created a big vacuum in the national politics. Speaking to ANI, Rajeev said, "The sad demise of Sitaram Yechury has created a big vacuum in the national politics. I got the opportunity to work with him as a deputy leader when he was the leader of the CPI (M) in Rajya Sabha. He was the most acceptable person in the party and everyone came to him to make decisions on every issue. It is a big loss to the party, the left and the country." On Friday, Union Minister and BJP national President JP Nadda paid floral tribute to him at his residence. Remembering Yechury, Nadda said that he maintained relationships with those whose views differed from his own. (ANI) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday attended the donation camp on the event of the 43rd Foundation Day at Mahanam Agan in Banamalipur. "I always appeal to the people to keep the balance of the blood units in the banks full. During elections, this becomes a problem. I am aware of the four blood groups but if we include the RS blood group, it is eight. In situations like road accidents and diseases, the blood banks should not fall short. There are 14 state government blood banks in Tripura. This is the 13th blood bank here," he said. Further, he added that if people start donating even 16 ml, then the state will have surplus blood present in the banks. "The women require around 27 ml of blood in their body. If people start donating even 16 ml, the needy will benefit. I appeal to the people to start donating their blood," he added. Earlier today, the Government of Tripura, in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and the Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC), announced the launch of the STAR-NCD programme, aimed at improving the prevention, diagnosis, and management of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) across the state. Strengthening Ambulatory Care for Non-Communicable Diseases in India (STAR-NCD) is a National Health Research Priority (NHRP) initiative by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). This initiative will strengthen outpatient care services, especially for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. The program was launched by the Chief Minister of Tripura, Manik Saha, who emphasized the State's commitment to addressing the growing burden of NCDs. "Tripura is dedicated to improving healthcare services, and the STAR-NCD program will play a pivotal role in reducing the impact of chronic diseases. By integrating advanced technologies and focusing on primary care, we aim to ensure better health outcomes for our citizens," said Saha. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Saturday that the majority of the people in the country recognise Hindi as the language that connects India. "A practical language to connect this country, which I and the majority of the population of this country believe, recognise and understand, is the language Hindi," Adityanath said while speaking at the international seminar on 'Contribution of Nath Panth in building a harmonious society' here. "We have to keep in mind that the relation of Hindi with this world, the words that Indians have expressed about this language, the development of language is the root of all progress. I think that this sentiment even today attracts the attention of all of us. If our sentiments and our languages are not our own, then it will hinder our progress at every level," he added. His remarks were made on the occassion of Hindi Diwas on Saturday. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to the people on the occasion of Hindi Diwas. "Many best wishes to all the countrymen on Hindi Diwas," PM Modi posted on X. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also extended his heartfelt wishes to people on the occasion of Hindi Diwas and said, "All Indian languages are our pride and heritage, and without enriching them, we cannot move forward." "All Indian languages are our pride and heritage, without enriching them, we cannot move forward. Official language Hindi has an unbreakable relationship with every Indian language. This year, Hindi has completed 75 years of public communication and national unity as the official language of the country. I am confident that by taking all Indian languages together, official language Hindi will continue to contribute towards realising the resolution of a developed India," Amit Shah posted on X in Hindi. In a video message, the Union Minister also said, "This year's 'Hindi Diwas' is very important for all of us because on 14th September 1946, the Constituent Assembly of India accepted Hindi as the official language. It is completing its 75th year and we are going to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the official language this year. Hindi has been very important for the official language and for the languages of all our states. Hindi has seen many ups and downs. But today, I can say with certainty that there is no competition between Hindi and any local language," Shah said. Hindi Diwas is observed annually on September 14 to commemorate the decision to adopt Hindi as one of the nation's official languages. (ANI) National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Prime Minister's comments on political dynasties during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir's Doda ahead of the Assembly elections. Speaking to ANI on Friday, the former J-K Chief Minister referred to a recent militant attack that claimed the lives of two soldiers and ongoing encounters in the Union Territory, accusing the Prime Minister of using the issue of political families to divert attention from more pressing concerns. "When the BJP needed help from these families (Abdullah and Mufti), we were not blamed for the destruction of J&K. They had no issues with the PDP when they were in alliance with them in J&K. Yet, during elections, they find everything wrong with us. Tomorrow, if the BJP falls short of numbers and the PDP steps in to help, they'll again find no fault with the PDP. It's all about timing. PM Narendra Modi should have addressed this," Abdullah said while campaigning in Kulgam. Abdullah is contesting the Ganderbal assembly constituency in the upcoming elections. "Two Army personnel were killed in a militant attack, and an encounter is currently ongoing in North Kashmir. The Prime Minister talks about families to divert people's attention from real issues. It's been five years since the abrogation of Article 370, and yet we still hear about encounters," he added. Earlier, while addressing an election rally in Doda, PM Modi stated that the forthcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be a battle between "three dynasties" and the youth of the Union Territory. He named Congress, the National Conference (NC), and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) as the dynasties whose corrupt practices had "hollowed out" and "destroyed" Jammu and Kashmir. "This year, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections will be fought between the dynasties and the youth of the region. These three families are responsible for the dire state J&K was in for decades. They indulged in corruption and made you struggle for your basic needs. They laid the groundwork for terrorism and extremism in the valley, providing a safe haven for the spread of terrorism for personal gain," the Prime Minister said. "These three dynasties--the Congress, the National Conference, and the PDP--have committed a grave wrong. Together, they laid the foundation for separatism and terrorism here. Who benefitted? The enemies of the nation. They fostered terrorism so that their personal fortunes could flourish. They are responsible for the decades-long ruin of Jammu and Kashmir," PM Modi remarked. (ANI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an alleged cybercriminal from Mumbai for defrauding a US citizen of USD 453,953 by posing as technical support, according to a press release on Saturday. The accused has been identified as Vishnu Rathi. As part of the ongoing Operation CHAKRA-III, the CBI has taken action to dismantle a sophisticated cybercrime network supported by virtual assets and bullion that has been targeting victims in foreign countries since 2022. This operation was carried out in close coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (USA). The International Operations Division of the CBI registered a case on September 9, 2024, against the accused, including Vishnu Rathi, under sections 120-B and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as Section 66D read with 75 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and launched an investigation. It is alleged that between June and August 2022, the accused conspired to target a US citizen by gaining unauthorised remote access to the victim's computer and bank account. Under the pretext of offering tech support services, they falsely informed the victim that her bank account had been compromised. They allegedly manipulated her into transferring USD 453,953 to cryptocurrency wallets controlled by them. Following the registration of the case, the CBI swiftly conducted extensive searches at multiple locations linked to the accused, recovering substantial incriminating evidence. The searches, conducted by the CBI at seven locations across Mumbai and Kolkata on September 12 and 13, revealed that the transnational cyber-enabled financial crime network was channelling proceeds of crime through virtual assets and bullion. During a search of Vishnu Rathi's residence, 57 gold bars of 100 gm each, Rs. 16,00,000 in cash, a mobile phone, a laptop used to manage cryptocurrencies, details of lockers, and other incriminating documents were recovered. Further operations are ongoing to identify additional victims and recover further proceeds of crime. The CBI is coordinating with the FBI and law enforcement agencies in multiple countries through INTERPOL to follow up on leads. Operation CHAKRA-III has been launched by the CBI to combat and dismantle organised cyber-enabled financial crime networks through a globally coordinated law enforcement response using INTERPOL channels. (ANI) The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has arrested Harsh Yadav in connection with taking illegal possession of an immovable property worth Rs. 85.60 Lakh attached by ED located in Gurugram. The arrest was made on September 11. According to the ED, Harsh Yadav was fully aware of the fact that the property is direct Proceeds of Crime (POC) generated from the scheduled offence of illicit drug trafficking run by Amit Kumar, Archana Sharma and others. The Court of Additional Sessions Judge, Gurugram, has granted his ED custody for five days. ED initiated an investigation on the basis of a criminal complaint and chargesheet filed by Narcotics Control Bureau, Delhi, under various sections of the NDPS Act of 1985 against Amit Kumar, Sanjay Singh, Archana Sharma, Zatak Softech Pvt. Ltd. (ZSPL) and others. As per the ED, the investigation revealed that Amit Kumar of ZSPL was running an internet based pharmacy that was exporting narcotics drugs and psychotropic medicines abroad, i.e., the USA, destined to various countries on behalf of his other firm, namely Farma Glow. So far in this case, authorities have seized narcotics drugs and psychotropic medicines in huge quantities, 17 forged rubber stamps of different authorities, and incriminating documents including a list of 57 websites and one order list of psychotropic substances. Total POC in this case is Rs. 23.32 crore. The POC obtained from criminal activities involving the sale of narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances were used by Amit Kumar to acquire various real estate properties. ED has so far attached seven such properties valued at Rs. 5.73 Crore, including the one at 343, Tower-B3, 3rd Floor, Spaze-I, Tech Park, Sector-49, Gurugram, Haryana. The ED had seized and taken possession of this property. However, the property, which had been sealed by the ED, was unlawfully unsealed and taken over by Harsh Yadav. He then rented out the property to another individual, falsely claiming ownership. Harsh Yadav knowingly benefitted from the illegal proceeds by creating a rental agreement in his mother's name, Babita Yadav, for the property seized by the ED. A search was also conducted by ED at the residence of Harsh Yadav, which led to the recovery of various incriminating evidence, including documents that prima facie appear to be forged. During the investigation, it was also found that another FIR has been filed against Harsh Yadav by the Gurugram Police, involving offences such as forgery, counterfeiting of coins, currency, and government stamps. (ANI) Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday that his country has been "showing patience" when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons but warned that "any patience comes to an end", Azernews reports. Medvedev stated that Western leaders, whom he called "pompous Anglo-Saxon imbeciles," think that Moscow is only talking about nuclear weapons but "will not cross the line" amid threats of Ukraine attacking deep into Russian territory. The Russian official acknowledged that a decision on a nuclear strike is "an extremely difficult decision with irreversible consequences," but warned the West that if Moscow's patience ends, KIev will become "a giant gray melted spot on the site of the mother city of Russia." Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is holding a padyatra from Leh to Delhi, said on Saturday that they are on a mission to remind the government to fulfil the promise it made five years ago. Wangchuk, along with other 'padyatris', reached Himachal Pradesh and said that they received immense support in all the villages and valleys. "As soon as we entered Himachal Pradesh, we received immense support in all the villages and valleys. We aim to take the message of conservation of the Himalayas to everyone. People are coming together with us and we have received immense support from the government as well, be it medical support and security... When we set off from Ladakh, there were 100 of us, but the elderly faced some trouble on the high passes so they stayed back and 75 of us reached here. With people coming along, our group has grown to 150-200," Wangchuk said. "We are on a mission to remind the government to fulfil the promise it made to us 5 years ago," he added. He further asserted that their second aim is to remind the people about the importance of the upper Himalayas, which are home to glaciers that provide water to all of North India. "The Himalayas, and especially the upper Himalayas, are home to glaciers that provide water to all of North India and if these glaciers are lost, everyone will face a water shortage. Our second aim is to make the people aware of this," he said. Wangchuk has been demanding statehood and inclusion under the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which grants special rights to tribal communities, and stronger ecological protections for Ladakh. Earlier, Sonam Wangchuk ended in Leh his nine-day fast, that he had initiated to to draw the attention of the authorities to the importance of safeguarding Ladakh's fragile mountain ecology and indigenous people. After the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was split into two Union Territories--Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh. (ANI) Rajasthan's Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister, Diya Kumari, stated on Saturday that Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's visits to Japan and South Korea were highly successful. She added that he is set to return to Jaipur today. She highlighted the significance of these trips in the context of the upcoming "Rising Rajasthan Investor Meet" and described the Chief Minister's visit to Japan, the "Land of the Rising Sun," and South Korea as a positive step forward. The Deputy CM said, "The investor meet will attract crucial investments to the state, which are vital for its development, while also generating employment opportunities for the people of Rajasthan." Diya Kumari further noted, "There are strong possibilities for significant investments in the tourism sector, which would bolster the state's economy. We are all preparing for it." In addition to the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to be signed during the event, the government will ensure their swift implementation on the ground. Speaking to ANI, the Finance Minister added, "The Chief Minister's visit to Japan and South Korea was a success, with several MoUs signed during his meetings with top company representatives from both countries. The investor summit, scheduled for December, will not only attract investments but also create more employment opportunities." She continued, "Sectors such as tourism will receive a boost, while industrialisation and manufacturing in Rajasthan will also accelerate. We are grateful to the CM for taking these steps within the first year of his tenure, and we are eagerly looking forward to the upcoming investor meet." She concluded by stating that Bhajan Lal Sharma is expected to return to Jaipur on Saturday after concluding his visit. (ANI) The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has arrested four persons from Pallipattu, Tamil Nadu, in a case related to cyber fraud of Rs 2.6 crore by a fraudster posing as a CBI officer. The accused were identified as Tamilarasan Kuppan (29), Prakash (26), Aravindan I (23) and Ajith (28) and the arrest was made on September 13. According to ED, all four accused were involved in incorporation of shell companies and opening of bank accounts, through which Proceeds of Crime (PoC) generated from cyber scam were laundered. The Special Court, Bengaluru, has granted ED custody of four days to these 4 accused persons. Further, ED has frozen PoC of Rs 2.8 crore in the bank account of a shell company, Cyberforest Technology Private Limited. ED initiated an investigation on the basis of several FIRs registered by various state police all over the country, including FIR No. 330 dated September 3, registered by the Special Offences and Cyber Crime Police, Jaipur. The victim in the FIR No. 330 received a call from a mobile number wherein a person was claiming to be calling from Bombay Custom Office. During the call, it was communicated to the victim that illegal goods were being sent abroad under the victim's name. Then the victim was instructed to make a 'fund legalisation' payment as a security to ensure that no money had been illegally earned by the victim. A total amount of Rs. 2.16 crore (approx.) was asked to be transferred by the fraudsters in three separate instalments into three different accounts provided by the caller, under the guise of 'fund legalisation'. Subsequently, an individual who claimed to be a CBI officer contacted the victim over a mobile phone. The fraudster continued to assert that he was a CBI officer. Furthermore, a call was received by the victim from someone who claimed to be DCP Delhi Police to verify the authenticity of the so-called CBI officer. On the insistence of so-called government officials, the victim was pressurised and extorted of his entire life savings and investments, amounting to Rs. 2.16 crore (approx.). By way of swift action by ED, POC to the tune of Rs 2.8 crore has been frozen in a Bandhan Bank account of the shell company Cyberforest Technology Private Limited on September 12, in which the proceeds were transferred by the victim. The whole process and activities related to transactions in the bank accounts of these shell companies were done through a WhatsApp group where Tamilarasan, Ajith, Aravindan, and Prakash, along with Chinese scammers, were members. Investigation has revealed that Tamilarasan, one of the arrested persons, was in contact with Chinese cyber fraudsters for syphoning off the amount of Rs. 2.8 crore frozen in Bandhan Bank. As per the ED, it has also been revealed that Tamilarasan, Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan were actively involved in the incorporation of shell companies and the opening of bank accounts of these shell companies, which were used to launder the proceeds of crime generated from various cyber frauds. Tamilarasan, in active assistance with Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan, ran a syndicate to assist cyber fraudsters in arranging dummy directors, addresses and documents for incorporation of shell companies and liasoning with bank personnel for opening accounts through which proceeds of crime generated from cyberfrauds were laundered. Earlier, ED had arrested four persons, namely Shashi Kumar M, Sachin M, Kiran S K, and Charan Raj C, on August 15 and 21 in Bengaluru. They are currently in judicial custody. So far, 17 searches have been conducted at various premises, which led to seizure of various incriminating material, including mobile phones and other digital devices and freezing of Rs. 2.8 crore in the bank account. Investigation under PMLA, 2002 has, so far, identified POC of more than Rs 28 crore generated from the cyber scam. (ANI) Traders in the towns of Sunni, Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Kangra, and several other parts of Himachal Pradesh staged protests on Saturday over the Sanjauli mosque controversy. They demanded police verification of all hawkers coming from outside the state to conduct business. Markets in Sunni and Kullu were shut down as the Sunni Vyapar Mandal called for a 'Bandh' in response to the Sanjauli mosque issue. Members of the Sunni Vyapar Mandal gathered in the markets to protest. Protesters recited the 'Hanuman Chalisa' as part of their demonstration against the Sanjauli mosque controversy in Kullu. One protesting trader said, "This 'Bandh' has been called by the Sunni Vyapar Mandal. We are supporting the strike, which lasted from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. It is a peaceful protest. Our demand is that all those coming here for business or other work from outside should be properly verified. The number of such unknown individuals is increasing in the state. Many of those running open stalls have no documentation and are involved in illegal activities." Protesters emphasised that their demand for police verification applied to all hawkers, regardless of their religion. Another local protester noted that the demonstration was also a response to the use of water cannons and lathi charges by security forces on Wednesday against those demanding the demolition of the allegedly illegally constructed Sanjauli mosque. Earlier, on Friday, Shimla police renewed their appeal for calm as protests continued over the Sanjauli mosque issue. Shimla Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Kumar told ANI, "We had previously appealed to everyone to maintain peace regarding the Sanjauli case. However, following the recent incident of stone pelting, in which two of our officers were seriously injured, a thorough investigation is underway." SP Kumar confirmed that they are working to identify those responsible for the violence. He added, "From our investigation, it appears the entire incident was premeditated. We are in the process of identifying the individuals involved and determining on whose orders it was carried out." "A total of eight cases have been registered in connection with the incident, all of which are under investigation," he said. Meanwhile, Hindu organisations staged a protest in Mandi on Friday over another allegedly illegally constructed mosque in the city. As the crowd attempted to breach the barricades, police fired water cannons to disperse them. The protests, organised by Hindu groups, took place even though mosque authorities had already demolished parts of the complex that were allegedly unauthorised. Large crowds gathered along Jail Road in Mandi, shouting slogans against the state government and demanding action over the alleged illegal construction. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for their decision to raise the basic duty on refined oil to 32 percent in the interest of farmers. Speaking to ANI, CM Yadav said, "I would like to thank PM Modi on behalf of the state government for taking another important decision to increase the basic duty on refined oil to 32 percent. This will boost demand for oilseeds such as mustard, sunflower, groundnut, and soybeans. Coming from a region with the highest production of soybeans, this will greatly benefit our crops." "I also thank PM Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for their decision, which aligns with the interests of farmers. The Madhya Pradesh Government had anticipated such measures from the Central government to support farmers. With the increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for soybean crops, we will reap significant benefits," he added. The Chief Minister further stated that with increased irrigation capacity in Madhya Pradesh, onion production has risen significantly. The Modi government has reduced the export duty on onions from 40 percent to 20 percent, which will boost onion exports from the state, benefiting local farmers. "These decisions have made PM Modi popular among the public. I thank both PM Modi and the Union Agriculture Minister for their efforts. These are indeed significant decisions in the interest of farmers," he concluded. Madhya Pradesh is the largest soybean-producing state, accounting for about 60% of India's total production. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasised the central government's decision to remove the minimum export price on onions and said that the government is boosting exports to ensure farmers receive a fair price for their crops. In a post on X, Shah stated that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has made the decision keeping the welfare of farmers paramount. "Modi government is increasing exports to ensure fair price to the farmers for their crops so that farmers can get maximum price for their crops. Keeping the interests of farmers paramount, the Modi government has taken three important decisions. The Modi government has decided to remove the Minimum Export Price (MEP) on onions and reduce the export duty from 40 per cent to 20 per cent. This will increase onion exports, resulting in a rise in income for onion-producing farmers. The government has also decided to remove the MEP on Basmati rice, enabling Basmati rice-producing farmers to export and earn higher profits. Additionally, the Modi government has decided to increase the duty on the import of crude palm, soyabean, and sunflower oils from 12.5 per cent to 32.5 per cent and on their refined oils from 13.75 per cent to 35.75 per cent. This will ensure that Indian soybean farmers receive better prices for their crops, thus increasing their income," Shah said. A Ministry of Commerce and Industry release on September 13 announced the amendments made in the export policy conditions of onions. As per the release, the Minimum Export Price (MEP) condition on export onions is removed with immediate effect and until further orders. The decision comes on the heels of robust kharif crop production prospects and favourable monsoons, coupled with stable market conditions both at the market and retail levels. Earlier, the government lifted the onion export prohibition on May 4, 2024, and allowed the export with the minimum export price (MEP) of USD 550 per tonne and an export duty of 40 per cent. (ANI) Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has condoled the demise of Sepoy Arvind Singh who lost his life during an encounter with terrorists on Friday in Baramula of Jammu and Kashmir. Arvind Singh hailed from Hathol Khas village in Kangoo of Nadaun assembly constituency, district Hamirpur. The Chief Minister said that it was deeply painful to lose a brave heart and said that he would live forever in the hearts of the people of India. He also expressed deep condolences to the grief-stricken family members. He prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed soul and give strength to the family and friends to bear this irreparable loss.CM Sukhu said that the State Government was standing firm with the family of the soldier and would provide all possible help in this hour of distress. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri has also expressed deep sorrow over the demise of the soldier and said that the people of India are indebted to him for his selfless service to the nation. His supreme sacrifice would be remembered forever. He offered deep condolences to the grief-stricken family members and prayed to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the family members to bear this irreparable loss. (ANI) Union Minister and West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President, Sukanta Majumdar, has written to Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting a thorough investigation into the blast incident in central Kolkata. In his letter to the Home Minister, Majumdar stated, "I write to you with grave concern regarding the tragic incident that occurred today in central Kolkata, where a blast claimed the life of a 58-year-old ragpicker near Blochmann Street and SN Banerjee Road." "The incident, which took place around 1:45 pm, has caused significant alarm among citizens and demands immediate attention," the letter read. "According to reports, the area was promptly cordoned off by local authorities, and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) was deployed to the site. While traffic in the vicinity has resumed following a preliminary inspection, the cause and nature of the explosion remain under forensic investigation," it added. The WB BJP chief further called for a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause of the explosion. "Given the seriousness of the incident and its potential implications for public safety, I respectfully request that the Ministry of Home Affairs initiate a thorough investigation, considering the local police's limited capacity to handle the situation comprehensively," the letter stated. "I urge you to consider a detailed investigation by the NIA or another central agency to ensure a thorough examination of all possible angles related to the incident. Swift action will help restore public confidence and ensure that those responsible for any malicious activities are brought to justice," Majumdar added. The WB BJP chief also emphasised that the Centre's attention to the matter is crucial in maintaining law and order and ensuring the safety of citizens in West Bengal. Majumdar also criticised the state government over the explosion and called it a total failure of law and order under the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government. Speaking to ANI, Majumdar said, "The explosion is of grave concern. It must be investigated thoroughly. I believe an investigation by the NIA is necessary. I don't think the police possess the professionalism required to investigate this incident properly. Moreover, it highlights the failure of Mamata Banerjee as Home Minister." "If this is the state of law and order, the Home Minister should resign. That's why the BJP is calling for her resignation. It is a complete failure of law and order," Majumdar stated. A ragpicker was injured in a blast at the intersection of Blochmann Street and SN Banerjee Road in central Kolkata on Saturday afternoon. The injured man was identified as Bapi Das (58). According to Kolkata Police, "At around 1:45 pm, police received reports of a blast at the intersection of Blochmann Street and SN Banerjee Road. A ragpicker was injured in the explosion." The officer-in-charge of Taltala police station arrived at the scene and discovered that the injured person had been taken to NRS Hospital with a wrist injury. Police said that a plastic gunny bag was also found at the scene. A team from BDDS checked the bag and the vicinity. After their clearance, traffic was allowed to resume. Police stated that the injured ragpicker disclosed his name as Bapi Das at the hospital and revealed that he had been living on the footpath of SN Banerjee Road. Police added that the injured man is undergoing treatment, and a statement has not yet been recorded as the patient needs time to recover. (ANI) On Friday, a Special Cell team arrested four suspects, identified as Nitlesh Tiwari, Vishal Verma, Akash Yadav, and Naveen Balayan. The fifth suspect has been identified as Sajid. The police presented all of them in court, where they were remanded in police custody for 10 days. However, the main shooter remains at large, according to the police. A CCTV camera captured the chilling moment when a shooter opened fire on a busy road in the upscale Greater Kailash-1 colony. "He was immediately rushed to the hospital by his friends but was declared dead. A case has been registered under relevant sections, and further investigation is underway," the Delhi police stated. "At around 10:45 PM, we received a PCR call reporting a shooting incident. We were informed about the firing in the E-block of GK (Greater Kailash). The victim was identified as Nadir Shah, a gym co-owner. Around 7-8 rounds were fired," said DCP (South) Ankit Chauhan. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reaffirmed the central government's commitment to empowering India's agricultural community, announcing a series of initiatives aimed at bolstering the livelihoods of farmers. In a post on X, PM Modi said that the recent policy decisions, including reduced export duty on onions and increased import duty on edible oils, will benefit the food producers, citing increased income and employment opportunities in rural areas. The Prime Minister also attached the post of Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan with his post. "We are leaving no stone unturned in the interest of our farmer brothers and sisters who work day and night for the food security of the country. Whether it is reducing the export duty on onions or increasing the import duty on edible oils, many such decisions are going to greatly benefit our food producers. While these will increase their income, employment opportunities will also increase in rural areas," PM Modi said. Meanwhile, Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday highlighted several measures taken by the Union government aimed at benefiting farmers and promoting agricultural development and their welfare. In a post on X, Chouhan said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a farmer-friendly Prime Minister. Agriculture and farmer welfare are his top priorities. For farmer brothers and sisters, the Modi government has taken some big decisions in their interest." The central government has decided to increase the basic duty on refined oil to 32.5 percent. This move is expected to boost the demand for crops like mustard, sunflower, and groundnut used in refining, Chouhan said. He added that this increase will help farmers get better prices for these crops and encourage the establishment of more refineries in small and rural areas, thereby creating more employment opportunities. In addition, the export duty on onions has been reduced from 40 percent to 20 percent. According to Chouhan, this reduction will provide onion-producing farmers with better prices and enhance onion exports. He said, "The Modi government, committed to the progress of farmers, has reduced the export duty on onions from 40 per cent to 20 per cent." Chouhan further explained that this decision would benefit not only farmers but also other sectors related to onions. Another major decision is the removal of the minimum export duty on Basmati rice. This policy change is intended to ensure fair prices for Basmati-producing farmers and increase the demand for Basmati rice exports. Chouhan stated, "The Modi government, sensitive towards farmer welfare, has decided to remove the minimum export duty on Basmati rice." He expressed gratitude for this move, highlighting its positive impact on both farmers and the export sector. Additionally, the import duty on edible oils has been increased from 0 to 20 percent, with the total effective duty reaching 27.5 percent after considering other measures. This change is expected to raise soybean crop prices and encourage edible oil manufacturers to purchase more from domestic farmers. Chouhan also added, "This decision will increase the production of soyabean and it will be exported. Along with this, other sectors related to soya will also benefit." The Union Agriculture Minister concluded by expressing heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for these important decisions. "Thanks to respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji for this important decision," he said. (ANI) Three American citizens have been sentenced to death in Congo after being convicted on charges of participating in a coup attempt, with one telling a court that his father who led the failed effort "had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders," Azernews reports citing FoxNews. A lawyer representing 21-year-olds Marcel Malanga and Tyler Thompson Jr. and 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, is now planning to appeal the verdict following the botched attack orchestrated by Malangas father, Christian Malanga, in May that targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi. "We have seen that a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced a number of defendants, including U.S. citizens, to death for alleged involvement in the May 19th attacks against the government," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Friday. "We understand that the legal process in the DRC allows for defendants to appeal the court's decision. Embassy staff have been attending these proceedings ... We'll continue to attend the proceedings and follow the developments closely." When asked if he thought the court process was fair, Miller responded, "I don't want to pass judgment on the proceedings so far, because we are still in the middle of the legal process." The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi has praised the family of late CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury for their noble decision to donate his entire body for medical research. Yechury passed away on September 12, and his mortal remains were brought to AIIMS on Saturday. Professor incharge of media and prof in the Department of Anatomy AIIMS Delhi, Dr Rima Dada said that Sitaram Yechury's family has donated his entire body for medical research and it is very noble act. Dr Rima Dada said, "Sitaram Yechury's family has donated his entire body (for medical research). Body donation is a very noble deed. Under this, the entire body is donated which is used in research and teaching of medical students. Firstly, the body is embalmed, in which some fluids are injected into the body to preserve it for teaching to MBBS students. Even senior medical students practice on the body before doing any major surgery. She further said that the body has been donated for medical research and any particular organ has not been donated. "We keep 50 to 60 bodies in our tanks, out of which 10-12 bodies are taken out every year for teaching the medical students. We allow the family members to see the body for two to three days after embalmed and then further permission is not given to see the body. After being used for research and teaching, the bodies are cremated with full rituals at Nigam Bodh Ghat," she added. Earlier Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav paid tribute to Sitaram Yechury at the party office in Delhi on Saturday. He said that Yechury was one of the great leaders of the country, who worked to build bridges between different ideologies in the country. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "Sitaram Yechury was one of the great leaders of the country, who worked to build bridges between ideologies in the country. Sitaram Yechury struggled throughout his life, he dedicated his entire life to spreading his ideology to the people. Sitaram Yechury will always be remembered and he was the leader of that generation of leaders who saw many ups and downs in politics. The country has lost a mature leader." Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot paid tribute to CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury. Ashok Gehlot said, "Sitaram Yechury's personality was very unique and it had a special place in the politics of the country. Leaders across various parties were influenced by his thoughts...May God give his family strength in this difficult time." Congress leader Sachin Pilot also paid tributes to CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury at the party office on Saturday. Sachin Pilot said, "His passing away is a big loss to not just his party but the entire nation. He was a fine thinker and an excellent human being. My deepest condolences to all his admirers and family members." Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha paid homage to the departed leader. He said, "Sitaram Yechury will always be remembered whenever voices of poor and deprived will be raised for their rights. I also had an opportunity to work with him and I learned a lot from him in the last 10 years when the INDIA bloc was formed and even before that. I pay my tribute to him." (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday vowed to establish a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing tourism development in the Union Territory. He further mentioned that the BJP's J-K unit has announced the Pandit Premnath Dogra Rozgar Yojana, under which lakhs of new employment opportunities will be created. "There was a time when the youth here were forced to go to other states of the country for better education. Today, be it medical college, AIIMS or IIT, the seats in Jammu and Kashmir have grown manifold. Now, our BJP J-K unit has announced the Pandit Premnath Dogra Rozgar Yojana. Under this, lakhs of new employment opportunities will be created here if a BJP government is formed in the state," the Prime Minister said. "The youth going to college here will also be given a travelling allowance. The BJP is going to make such a J-K that will be terror-free and will be a paradise for tourists. The BJP government at the centre is also strengthening connectivity here so that tourism can expand further and it becomes easier for you people to travel," he added. The Prime Minister Modi further assured that the Bharatiya Janata Party government will also provide full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the BJP's resolve and your support will make J-K peaceful, safe and prosperous. "Therefore, on 18th September, you have to send all the BJP candidates to the Assembly by making them win by a huge majority," he urged the people to vote for BJP. The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1, with counting set for October 8. The Assembly elections are going to be held on 8 Assembly seats in three districts, Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban, in the first phase, voting for which will be held on 18 September. (ANI) It is suspected that the arrested person is involved in various sabotage activities covering Manipur and bordering areas of Assam. Based on secret information and on the direction of the IGP(STF), a team of STF, Assam on Saturday evening carried out an operation at the Beltola area under Basistha police station, Guwahati.Partha Sarathi Mahanta, IGP (STF) told ANI that, during the operation, the STF team apprehended one person from Manipur who had been found involved in various sabotage activities against the state. "The apprehended person was identified as LS Yosef Chongloi (34 years old) of Churachandpur, Manipur, a self-styled Finance Secretary of UKNA (United Kuki National Army) who is suspected to be involved in various sabotage activities covering Manipur and bordering areas of Assam and includes recent bomb blast that destroyed Sapermaina bridge at NH-2 and the armed attack at an IOCL convoy at Tamenglang in Manipur," the IGP (STF), Assam said. Mahanta further said that the self-styled Finance Secretary of the UKNA cadre was arrested in connection with anti-national activities at the Assam and Manipur border. "The self-styled Finance Secretary of UKNA cadre is arrested in connection with STF police station Case No. 15/2024 u/s 147/148/149/150 BNS r/w sec 16/17/18/20 UA(P) Act and investigation is on," he further added. (ANI) Targeting National Conference (NC) Chief Farooq Abdullah, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said on Saturday that the former should accept that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are not with him. He added that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks about development, Farooq is aligned with terrorists. Bhandari stated, "Farooq Abdullah should accept that the people of J&K are not with him. PM Modi has led J&K on a path of development over the last 10 years. This is evident from the historic surge in tourism and the announcement of programs worth more than Rs 30,000 crores for the region." He further asserted that neither Farooq Abdullah nor his future generations would ever succeed in reinstating Article 370. "He knows that the BJP will form the government in J&K. On one side, PM Modi is focused on development and transforming J&K into an investment hub. On the other hand, Farooq Abdullah stands with terrorists and stone pelters. J&K will choose development," Bhandari added. Earlier, while addressing an election rally in Doda, PM Modi remarked that the upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir would be a contest between "three dynasties" and the youth of the Union Territory. He named Congress, the National Conference (NC), and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) as the dynasties whose corrupt practices had "hollowed out" and "destroyed" Jammu and Kashmir. "These three dynasties--the Congress, the National Conference, and the PDP--have committed grave wrongs. Together, they laid the foundation for separatism and terrorism. Who benefitted? The enemies of the nation. They promoted terrorism to advance their personal fortunes. They are responsible for the decades-long devastation of Jammu and Kashmir," PM Modi said. National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Prime Minister's comments on political dynasties. The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1, with the results set to be announced on October 8. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) In-charge of J&K and National General Secretary, Tarun Chugh, expressed confidence that voters in all three constituencies of Poonch district trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will support the BJP's development agenda. On Saturday, Chugh stated, "People in all three constituencies of Poonch district have faith in PM Modi. They are fed up with the three families--the Abdullah, Mufti, and Gandhi-Nehru families. These families have taken over Jammu and Kashmir's democracy and turned it into a family-run enterprise. Democracy, as such, doesn't exist under their rule. Their aim is simply to pass on leadership within their families. The people of Jammu and Kashmir despise them and will reject them in this election." He further alleged that these dynastic parties formed the Gupkar alliance and, in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Gandhi-Nehru family was unable to secure any seats. He added that the Abdullah family's leader lost in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and that the people of Jammu and Kashmir dislike those with separatist ideologies. Chugh also said, "The National Conference and Congress are attempting to take away reservations, but we will not allow that to happen. Rahul Gandhi goes abroad, speaks against reservations, and opposes Sikh unity, but we will prevent him from taking reservations away. PM Modi has granted ST status to the Pahari, Gujjar, and Bakerwal communities, and we will protect this status. Both parties are struggling to decide on which constituencies the NC and Congress will contest. Their manifesto for the J&K elections seems like it was written by the ISI." The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1, with counting on October 8. The Assembly elections will be held in eight constituencies across the three districts of Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban in the first phase, with voting on September 18. (ANI) The officer-in-charge of Tala police station Abhijit Mondal, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday, was brought to BR Singh Hospital in Kolkata for a medical test. Abhijit Mondal, along with Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital were arrested by the CBI in connection with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. Meanwhile, junior doctors protesting at the Swasthya Bhavan celebrated the arrest and could be seen singing at the protest site. Speaking about the arrests, a junior doctor told ANI, "We have been demanding the arrest of the former principal of the college, Sandip Ghosh and Abhijit Mondal, officer-in-charge of Tala police station, for their involvement in tampering with the evidence. We are very happy as the CBI has arrested them. The CBI should arrest others who have tampered with the evidence." Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the request for 'live streaming' of her meeting with the protesting doctors could not be met due to the ongoing legal proceedings of the RG Kar Medical College Hospital rape and murder case in the Supreme Court. The West Bengal Chief Minister further requested the doctors to cooperate and assured them of providing them with a recording of the meeting. "I assure you that whatever recording will be done, it will be given to you. Accept my request and join the meeting. If you people do not want to come to the meeting, then please come inside the residence, have tea and then proceed to leave," said Banerjee. The second-year postgraduate medical student was raped and murdered inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9. (ANI) The United States Department of State has hit Russian state media and RT with new sanctions, accusing it of playing key role in carrying out 'covert influence activities' aimed at undermining American elections and democracies. The State Department said it is starting a diplomatic campaign to alert nations about the risks associated with RT activities and disclosed declassified US intelligence findings suggesting RT is completely integrated with Russia's intelligence operations worldwide. "We took these steps based on our conclusion that Rossiya Segodnya and these five subsidiaries are no longer merely firehoses of Russian Government propaganda and disinformation; they are engaged in covert influence activities aimed at undermining American elections and democracies, functioning like a de facto arm of Russia's intelligence apparatus," the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said on Friday. Blinken alleged that the leaders of RT oversaw an online crowdfunding project to provide military gear to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, in addition to their covert influence operations. According to Blinken, Russian forces engaged in combat in Ukraine received "sniper rifles, suppressors, body armour, night vision equipment, drones, radio equipment, personal weapon sights, and diesel generators" as a result of the crowdfunding campaign, reported CNN. "Thanks to new information, much of which originates from RT employees, we know that RT possessed cyber capabilities and engaged in covert information and influence operations and military procurement," Blinken said. The announcement by the US State Department comes as part of a larger US government initiative to reduce RT's influence around the world, according to CNN. "We're taking steps to hold accountable those who weaponise disinformation to undermine our democracy. That's what we did just last week when the State Department, the Justice Department, the Treasury Department, and the FBI took a series of coordinated actions to counter Russian influence and interference in our elections and in our democracy," Blinken said. "In addition to imposing sanctions, visa restrictions, and other measures, the State Department also designated the Russian state-funded and directed media company Rossiya Segodnya and five of its subsidiaries, including RT, under the Foreign Missions Act. As a result, these actors are now required to notify the State Department of all personnel working in the United States as well as their property," he added. Notably, the announcement of sanctions comes just a week after federal prosecutors declared that two RT staff members would face criminal charges for surreptitiously transferring about USD 10 million to a US business in order to produce and promote programming that favoured Russian interests. (ANI) The traders, in a staunch response, refused to pay any sort of 'advance tax' and warned the FBR team that they would not pay even a single rupee to them. The shopkeepers flatly refused to pay the tax, threatening to kick the FBR team out of the market. The information indicates that the FBR crew faced resistance when attempting to collect an advance tax of PKR 1,000 from each trader, according to ARY News. The traders advised the FBR team to leave the market or face the consequences. A few days had passed since notifications were sent to traders in several Pakistani cities before this occurrence. It is pertinent to note that the Pakistani trade community has rejected the Federal Board of Revenue's (FBR) recent 'Tajir Dost Scheme', which was introduced in an attempt to tax local vendors. The nation's business community has expressed dissatisfaction, claiming that the introduction of the system was "completely inappropriate" and deviates from accepted practices. (ANI) Speaking at the G20 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting in Mato Grosso, Brazil, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu stressed the need for sustainable growth in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors to meet rising global food demand and address nutritional deficiencies, particularly in developing countries. "The FAO Blue Transformation strategy aims to ensure aquatic food systems continue feeding the world's growing population," he said. The G20 Agriculture Working Group Ministerial Declaration, agreed upon this week, officially recognised FAO's Blue Transformation Roadmap 2022-2030 as a key framework for achieving long-term sustainability in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. The declaration also highlighted important FAO instruments, such as the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture, the Guidelines for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries, and the Agreement on Port State Measures. Aquatic foods currently provide more than 3.3 billion people with at least 20 percent of their average per capita animal protein intake, along with critical bioavailable micronutrients. Aquaculture is also the world's fastest-growing food production sector. Aquatic foods support around 600 million livelihoods, and the total first stale value of the sector was a record USD 472 billion in 2022. "FAO looks forward to working with G20 members in a Blue Transformation and in the lead-up to the 2025 UN Oceans Conference," he added. (ANI/WAM) The two top diplomats explored ways to bolstering cooperation and partnership across various sectors, including the economic, trade, energy, and climate fields, in support of the developmental goals and shared interests of both nations. They also exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East. (ANI/WAM) Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova slammed the United States on Saturday for targeting Russian journalists with sanctions, calling the move "terrorist," Azernews reports. "Yesterday, Russian journalists were subjected to aggression from the United States of America. They were subjected to a real terrorist information attack as a corporation, as well as in their personal capacity," Zakharova stated in remarks at the BRICS Media Summit. On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Washington will target three entities and two individuals with sanctions after finding that outlets Rossiya Segodnya, RIA Novosti, RT, TV-Novosti, Ruptly, and Sputnik "engaged in covert influence activities aimed at undermining American elections and democracies." India and Argentina held the seventh round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) on Friday in Buenos Aires, where the two sides discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and the key areas of cooperation between the two countries. The FOCs were co-chaired by MEA Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar and Argentina's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Leopoldo Francisco Sahores. The last round of FOCs was held in November 2021, in New Delhi. "Both sides engaged in comprehensive discussions covering the entire gamut of their relationship. Besides political, trade and economic relations, the two delegations reviewed other key areas of cooperation including Healthcare and Pharma, Energy, Mining, Defence, Railways, Nuclear, Space, Agriculture, culture and Consular issues," the Ministry stated. "Secretary @JaideepMazumder of @MEAIndia & Secretary Leopoldo Sahores of @Cancilleria_Ar held 7th Foreign Office Consultations at Buenos Aires. @dineshbhatia," the Indian Embassy in Argentina stated in a post on X. https://x.com/Indembarg/status/1834660673239806344 The two sides also exchanged views on various regional and global issues of common interest. India and Argentina agreed to enhance the exchange of high-level visits. It was also agreed to hold the next round of FOCs at a mutually convenient date in New Delhi. The consultations provided an opportunity to take stock of the bilateral engagements before the forthcoming visit of Argentina's Foreign Minister Minister to India, the MEA added. The Argentina's Foreign Ministry said the FOCs were an opportunity to review topics on the bilateral agenda Buenos Aires termed India a "very important partner" for Argentina, a growing economy and a vibrant democracy, adding that it aspires to have a deeper and more intense relationship with New Delhi. https://x.com/Cancilleria_Ar/status/1834699053613068684 "Political Consultations with India. Vice Foreign Minister Leopoldo Sahores and Secretary Jaideep Mazumdar of the Ministry of External Affairs of India chaired the 7th Round of Political Consultations in Buenos Aires at the San Martin Palace," the Argentina's Foreign Ministry stated in a post on X. "It was an opportunity to review topics on the bilateral agenda, identify areas of interest, cooperation projects, exchange information on the political situation in the region and global issues. India is a very important partner for Argentina, a growing economy and a vibrant democracy. We aspire to have a deeper and more intense relationship with India," it added. (ANI) China is among those countries that retaliates against people for engaging with the United Nations and tries hard to silence its critics, Voice of America reported, citing a report by Sophie Richardson, an expert on human rights in China. "These [UN] mechanisms are some of the only ones available to people inside China, at least on paper, to provide any modicum of redress or justice for the human rights abuses either they've endured or the communities they work with have endured," Richardson said. "That's why you see the Chinese government go to extraordinary lengths to silence people who are simply trying to take reports to some of these human rights experts or bodies," he added Richardson is a former China director at Human Rights Watch, and is currently a visiting scholar at Stanford University. The annual report highlights government retaliation against people for engaging with the UN. "In my perfect world, governments that get referenced in these reprisals reports shouldn't be members of the Human Rights Council," said Richardson, who is based in Washington. China is a current member of the council in Geneva. A major incident included in the report's China section is harassment against two members of the international legal team supporting Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy publisher, VOA reported. Lai is on trial in Hong Kong on national security charges that are widely viewed as 'politically motivated.' The 76-year-old is in prison following convictions in other cases that supporters also view as "sham cases." According to the report, the members of Lai's legal team have faced death and rape threats, as well as attempts by unknown sources to hack their email and bank accounts. Sebastien Lai thanked the UN for shedding light on his father's case. "These intimidation tactics will not succeed. I will not rest until my father is freed," he said in a statement. Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, a barrister leading Jimmy's international legal team, also condemned the attacks, as reported by the VOA. The reprisals "are personally unpleasant and distressing," Gallagher said in a statement. "But they are also an attack on the legal profession and on the international human rights system." The reprisals make it harder for Jimmy Lai to use UN mechanisms to achieve justice in his case, he further said. Hong Kong's government has tried to argue that the legal team interfered in Hong Kong's judicial process by bringing his case to UN human rights mechanisms, the report added. "It's just so nakedly in tension with its obligations under international law," Richardson said. Earlier this week, Lai's international legal team submitted an urgent appeal to the UN special rapporteur on torture. The appeal raised several concerns, including that the elderly publisher has been in solitary confinement since late 2020 and that the British national has been denied access to independent medical care, according to a statement from his legal team, as reported by VOA. Lai's trial began in December 2023. It was initially expected to last around 80 days but now is expected to resume in November. Several press freedom groups have called the trial a sham, and the US and British governments have called for his immediate release. However, Hong Kong officials, have claimed he will receive a fair trial. Other incidents cited in the UN report include the case of Cao Shunli, a Beijing-based human rights defender who was arrested following an attempt to engage in a universal periodic review of China's human rights record at the Human Rights Council. Cao died in custody in 2014. Another case is that of the Beijing-based activists, Li Wenzu and Wang Quanzhang, who are married. The couple have faced significant retaliation, including police surveillance and evictions, and their son is unable to enrol in school due to pressure from state authorities, the report said. "If one reads these cases, you get a sense of what risks -- what unbelievable risks -- people are taking to do this kind of work," Richardson said. The report doesn't mention specific incidents involving Uyghurs or Tibetans, but Richardson says their absence underscores how difficult it is for some groups to access UN mechanisms in the first place, as well as how some people may be too scared to report such incidents to the UN, VOA reported. The Chinese government has engaged in severe human rights abuses against both ethnic groups, according to myriad reports. Multiple governments and international human rights organizations have accused Beijing of committing genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs, which the Chinese government rejects. (ANI) Foreign missions in India have extended their greetings on 'Hindi Diwas' and their diplomats celebrated the occasion in style. Hindi Diwas is observed annually on September 14 to commemorate the decision to adopt Hindi as one of the nation's official languages. The Australian High Commission in India, shared a video of a Hindi-speaking diplomat who shared instances where being acquainted with Hindi helped him in his stay in India. "Namaste! My name is Tom and I am Hindi-language diplomat at the Australian High Commission in Delhi. Knowing regional language has helped me a lot in my work in India," the diplomat said in the video. https://x.com/aushcindia/status/1834815504025805224?s=48 The video showed Tom, requesting a meeting between the Australian High Commissioner with Union Minister. The Australian envoy hummed a Hindi song. He was also seen interacting with the canteen staff and auto driver in Hindi. The French Embassy in India, shared a video of their new spokesperson, Orlic. He is learning Hindi to better connect with people and also praised India's rich and unique cultural diversity. https://x.com/FranceinIndia/status/1834766387803234307 "Namaste! I am the new spokesperson of French Embassy in India and also the head of Press and Communication department of the French Embassy in India. I wish all Hindi speaking people on the occasion of Hindi Diwas," Orlic said in the video. "I look forward to meeting and interacting with you virtually and in person. I have started to learn Hindi to better connect with you., but we will also communicate in other Indian languages in celebration of India's rich and unique cultural diversity. "A tres bientot (see you again). Namaste," he added. The Israeli Embassy also shared a video of their diplomats conversing with some famous dialogues from Hindi movies and series. Some of the dialogues featured in the meeting were "Bol wo rahe hain, par shabd humare hain" from '3 Idiots', "Rehne do tumse nah ho payega" from 'Gangs of Wasseypur' and "Wo Stree hai kuch bhi kar sakti hai" from 'Stree'. https://x.com/israelinindia/status/1834808846361281004?s=48&t=sc_az-8wyGjTyQuCcQ0x0g The British High Commission in India also extended greetings on the occasionof 'Hindi Diwas'. "UK and India relations are important. Did you know that you can read all the latest news highlighting the UK-India bilateral relations and milestones achieved in Hindi on our website?" the post on X read. (ANI) As per the report, a total of five individuals have recently been 'forcibly disappeared' from Quetta. This includes two young lawyers, namely, Advocate Fida Ahmed Dashti and Advocate Salahuddin Mengal. The report further highlighted that Fida Ahmed Dashti was reportedly taken from his home by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and other unidentified masked armed men on Thursday night. Similarly, Advocate Salahuddin, the son of Muhammad Ayub Mengal from the Naag area of Washuk, was allegedly abducted near Goli Mar Chowk in Quetta around midnight. Eyewitnesses claimed that Salahuddin's abduction involved personnel from the forces and intelligence agencies travelling in three Vigo vehicles, Balochistan Post reported. In a related incident, Pakistani forces are said to have detained and forcibly disappeared three individuals in Kech district, Balochistan. The missing persons have been identified as Akram, Abdul Malik, and Salahuddin. Balochistan Post reported citing local sources that these individuals were forcibly taken into custody during a raid by Pakistani security forces in the Chab area of Kech district on September 6, 2024. Since then, their whereabouts have remained unclear. The violence has also extended to protests, with reports of violent crackdowns in Gwadar and Mastung, where security forces have used live ammunition, resulting in multiple casualties and injuries. Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented these abuses, focusing on extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Despite these reports, the Pakistani government continues to deny any involvement, maintaining its stance amid mounting international criticism. The persistence of 'enforced disappearances' in Balochistan remains a critical human rights concern, with substantial evidence indicating widespread and systematic abuse by Pakistani security forces. The people of Balochistan have been demanding urgent international attention and intervention to address these grave human rights violations. (ANI) Jamil Maqsood the president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) has condemned the rising numbers of extrajudicial killings of Kashmiri people from Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Maqsood strongly condemned the continued and unabated killing of innocent Kashmiris in Pakistan. The latest of these incidents occurred in Rawalpindi. He claimed that these heinous crimes committed by the police is a stark reminder of the "lawlessness, oppression, and human rights abuses" that Kashmiris are being subjected to in the regions controlled by Pakistan. According to Maqsood, these incidents show the very institutions tasked with protecting civilians in Pakistan are committing acts of brutality, with no accountability or recourse for justice. "The failure of the Pakistani government to uphold the rule of law and ensure the safety and security of its citizens, particularly Kashmiris, is not just a sign of incompetence, but a willful disregard for human rights. This grave negligence has fostered an environment of impunity where law enforcement agencies operate with blatant disregard for the sanctity of life," Maqsood said. "The people of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) have endured decades of suffering under oppressive conditions, and this latest incident is yet another example of the Pakistani state's failure to protect the rights of its most vulnerable communities. The systematic targeting of Kashmiris underlines the deep-rooted structural issues within Pakistan's governance, where political expediency takes precedence over justice and fairness" he added. The activist also urged international human rights organizations like the United Nations and other global powers to take notice of these ongoing violations and hold Pakistan accountable for the blatant disregard of international human rights obligations. "The international community cannot stand idly by while Pakistan continues to allow these heinous crimes against Kashmiris to occur under its watch," he claimed. "I demand an immediate and thorough investigation into this murder (Rawalpindi incident), and all those responsible, including members of law enforcement, must be brought to justice. The Pakistani state must cease its oppressive tactics and engage in meaningful reforms that prioritize the rule of law and the protection of all its citizens, including Kashmiris" Maqsood added. The activist further claimed that the UKPNP will continue to raise its voice against these atrocities and advocate for the rights and dignity of the Kashmiri people. "We will not be silenced until justice is served, and those responsible for these barbaric acts are held accountable in a court of law. We urge the global community to stand with us in condemning these acts of violence and to take concrete steps to ensure that Pakistan upholds its responsibilities under international human rights law. Kashmiris have the right to live in peace, without fear of persecution, and we will continue our struggle until these fundamental human rights are secured" Maqsood said. (ANI) The first edition of Annual East Turkistan Lobby Day was convened on Friday by the members of East Turkistan Government in Exile, East Turkistan National Movement, East Turkistan National Fund, and East Turkistan Parliament in Exile, as well as the delegates and representatives from 13 US congressional offices. The US representatives that participated in the event included members of the US House Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, and Intelligence Committees and the Senate Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Intelligence Committees, and the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. In a post on 'X,' the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) stated to have put forward the swift passage of key legislative measures, such as the Uyghur Policy Act of 2023, Uyghur Genocide Intelligence Review Act, the Uyghur Genocide Sanctions and Accountability Act, and the Uyghur Forced Labour Disclosure Act. https://x.com/etexilegov/status/1834683310338937084?s=46&t=nbusnwoIYo9hUrDuoWfhwQ The statement by the ETGE denoted these steps as essential for confronting the ongoing atrocities being committed against the Uyghur community of East Turkistani people. "We urged the US Congress to treat East Turkistan on par with Tibet, by rejecting the Chinese colonial and degrading term "Xinjiang" and instead recognising our country by its rightful name, East Turkistan. Furthermore, we called on Congress to introduce a resolution formally recognising East Turkistan as an Occupied Country, underscoring that the genocide against the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples is rooted in China's over seven decades of colonisation and brutal occupation of our homeland," the ETGE statement read. The members of the East Turkistani community implored the US Congress to support the East Turkistani people's right to external self-determination. "Restoring East Turkistan's independence is not just a moral imperative, but also the only viable solution to ensure the very survival, freedom, and human rights of the #Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples. The world cannot stand idly by as genocide unfolds before our eyes, and we reaffirm the East Turkistani people's unwavering desire to reclaim their independence, liberty, and dignity," the statement added. The ETGE further called upon the US Congress, the State Department, and all defenders of liberty from around the world to take decisive action against the atrocities inflicted by China upon the East Turkistani community. "The time for empty promises has passed; now is the time for meaningful support and tangible results. The future of an entire people depends on it" it stated. (ANI) Dhaka [Bangladesh], September 14 (ANI) Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamic political party in Bangladesh, has said that Dhaka and New Delhi must work together in a congenial manner to ensure peace and tranquillity prevails in the region. Speaking exclusively to ANI in Dhaka, Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Deputy Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami said that Bangladesh has always been sincere in this regard. "Nobody has the choice of changing its neighbour. That is why all the neighbours should maintain a congenial positive attitude and atmosphere so that peace and tranquillity may prevail between the neighbouring countries," the Bangladesh party leader said. In 2013, The Jamaat-e-Islami was prevented from contesting elections after its registration was revoked in by the Bangladesh High Commission after a High Court order. The Jamaat had appealed against the order but the Supreme Court of Bangladesh upheld the order in 2023. On August 1 this year, the Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliated organisations were banned by Sheikh Hasina, four days before she stepped down as premier and fled to India. Her government banned the party through an executive order accussing the Jamaat of being involved in violent protests across the country. Bangladesh's interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus lifted the ban on the party. The party's deputy Ameer says it favours good relations with India. "Bangladesh is always willing to maintain an equal and respectful relationship with all the neighbours specially the biggest one India on the basis of equality, equity and self-determination and self-respect", he said. The Jamaat has also lent support to a reported meeting that is likely to be held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Muhammad Yunus in the United States. The Deputy Ameer of the Jamaat Mohammad Taher said, "The meeting should be on sincerity basis and from the core of the heart". A month ago, a student-led movement ousted Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, after weeks of protests and clashes that killed over 600 people. Hasina, 76, fled to India on August 5 and an interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed. The interim authority in Bangladesh has set up a special court to try Hasina for her alleged crimes. The Jamaat says it appeals to the Indian government to repatriate Seikh Hasina to Bangladesh. "Hasina should be brought Bangladesh back and she should face the judgement. So, we ask the Indian government to send her back to face the courts," Muhammad Taher said. The Deputy Ameer of the Jamaat also denied reports of the minority Hindu community being the target of violent attacks during the student led uprising against Sheikh Hasina. The Jamaat leader said that Jamaat had always believed in safeguarding minorities. "Most of the incidents were more political than communal. Jamaat-E-Islami is always against these types of heinous activities and Jamaat never believes in communal disharmony," Taher said. "This time, Jamaat immediately sent their workers to guard the Hindu temples and shops and houses of the minority people. Jamaat leadership also visited Hindu temples and had meeting with the Hindu leaderships from Centre Dhaka up to the periphery level," he said. Earlier on August 30, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said that India must find a ground of mutual interest with Bangladesh and India would deal with "the government of the day.". "Since Bangladesh's independence, our relationship has gone up and down, and it is natural that we will deal with the government of the day. But we also have to recognise that there are political changes, and they can be disruptive. And clearly here we have to look for mutuality of interest," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said. (ANI) Amnesty International has condemned the controversial 'Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill' to which the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari has given his assent and was passed by both houses of the Pakistan Parliament to 'regulate' public gatherings in Islamabad. A statement released by Amnesty International said that this Act was a continuation of a crackdown on peaceful protests in Pakistan. The law was finalised last week in Pakistan and the process of being presented to the Senate to approval by the President came in less than a week. Babu Ram Pant, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, said, "The Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024 is yet another attack on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Pakistan which has a long history of enacting draconian legislation to criminalize peaceful protest and suppress the expression of dissent". "Rather than attempting to bring the existing restrictive legal framework in line with international human rights law and standards, the Government of Pakistan has shown inordinate speed in ensuring the passage of the new bill by both houses of Parliament and in obtaining Presidential assent within a week of it being tabled. The law expands the power of the authorities to restrict or ban assemblies in Islamabad on overbroad grounds, including the 'disruption of daily activities', and significantly increases the maximum penalty for taking part in an 'unlawful assembly' from six months to three years' imprisonment," he added. The statement said that the government of Pakistan must immediately repeal the Act and amend other laws that allow for bans on assemblies and impose restrictive requirements which are in flagrant violation of the country's international human rights obligations. Any restrictions that are imposed must strictly comply with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality. (ANI) "They have been abducted to press the PTI's parliamentarian to become part of the unconstitutional amendment," Gul told ARY News. She said that Aurangzeb Khan Khichi has been missing for last three days. "The PML-N resorting to every tactic for the unconstitutional amendment, which is not permissible under the constitution," she told ARY News. Gul stated that she will resist the legislation at every place. PTI Chairperson Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said that such bills could not come suddenly. "No member of our party will cast vote, if he vote under duress, it won't be acceptable under the court's decision," he told ARY News. "No member of our party could go with the government, if anyone do so, will commit violation of the party's rules. We had disclosed names of our five members yesterday, which have been under the immense," Sunni Ittehad Council's Hamid Raza has said. A highly anticipated "Constitutional Package" that aims to -- among other things -- fix the tenure of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) at three years, Pakistan-based daily, Dawn reported. Earlier on Friday, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has chosen not to back the government's proposed constitutional amendments regarding Pakistan's judiciary, ARY News reported. The party has directed its senators to abstain from voting in the Senate unless they have specific approval from their leadership. Sources indicate that Senator Atta-ur-Rehman, the party's parliamentary leader, sent a policy letter to his fellow senators, including Kamran Murtaza, Maulana Abdul Wasey, Abdul Shakoor Khan, and Ahmed Khan. The letter emphasised that senators must not vote on any constitutional amendments unless they have written authorisation from the party's leadership. The JUI-F leadership cautioned that senators who vote without proper authorisation could face disqualification, ARY reported. (ANI) 19 fishermen who were released from the custody of Sri Lanka reached Chennai, a statement by Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka said. The statement came on Friday as fishermen community and the villagers in Tharuvaikulam of Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district staged a one-day hunger strike on Monday demanding the release of 22 fishermen "arrested" by the Sri Lankan Navy. In a post on X, Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka stated, "Returning home to India! 19 Indian fishermen have been safely repatriated from Sri Lanka and are on their way back to Chennai." https://x.com/IndiainSL/status/1834588304353988766 Speaking to ANI, Murugan, one of the protestors, urged the central and state governments to cancel the fine imposed by the court on the fishermen and facilitate the recovery of two powerboats seized by the Sri Lankan Navy along with the release of 22 fishermen. "The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 22 fishermen who had gone fishing in two boats last month from Tharuvaikulam, Tuticorin district, claiming that they had entered Sri Lankan territory. The 22 fishermen were then handed over to the Kalpiti Fisheries Department. They were produced before the Puttalam District Kalpitiya Tourism Court later and have been lodged in the Wariyapola Jail. The trial is underway in the court there," Murugan said. According to the protestors, the Sri Lankan court has asked 12 fishermen aboard one of the boats to pay a fine of Rs 42 lakh (Rs 1.5 crore in Sri Lankan currency) and given them a six-month sentence in default of payment. The protestors have demanded relief from this fine. Earlier, as per a letter written by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on September 7, 14 fishermen from Pudukkottai District along with their three mechanised fishing boats were taken into custody by the Sri Lankan Navy. (ANI) Outgoing NATO Secretary General told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) in an interview published on Saturday that the war in Ukraine cannot end without talks with Russia "at some point", Azernews reports. "To end this war there will have to be a dialogue with Russia at some point. But it has to see Ukraine in a strong position," Stoltenberg insisted. Stoltenberg also stressed that this would have possibly dissuaded Russia from invading the country, but that it is "impossible to say" if that would have been the case. "For a long time, the US did not want to supply Ukraine with anti-tank missiles so as not to provoke Russia. In the end, they did supply some, but we could all have done more. Now we are arming Ukraine in a war, back then we could have equipped Ukraine to prevent a war," Stoltenberg said. Held at the Nepal-India Library, the event featured Prof Ramdayal Rakesh, a distinguished scholar in Nepali and Hindi literature, as the chief guest. The Indian Embassy tweeted about the event, stating, "The Embassy of India, Kathmandu organized a function at the Nepal-India Library on the occasion of Hindi Diwas. Prof Ramdayal Rakesh, one of the leading scholars in the comparative study of Nepali and Hindi literature, was present as the chief guest at the event." https://x.com/IndiaInNepal/status/1834934489069281746 The tweets continued, "Other scholars also presented their views on this occasion. Apart from this, a Hindi poetry recitation was also organized for the students of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kathmandu. Hindi students, writers, poets, and Hindi lovers were present in the program." https://x.com/IndiaInNepal/status/1834934603091443746 Hindi Diwas, celebrated annually on September 14, marks the adoption of Hindi as one of India's official languages. The day highlights the language's role in bridging diverse linguistic and cultural communities across India. In addition to the Kathmandu event, notable figures in India also recognized Hindi Diwas. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath remarked that Hindi serves as a key unifying language, stating, "A practical language to connect this country, which I and the majority of the population of this country believe, recognize and understand, is the language Hindi." He emphasised that the language's development is vital for national progress and unity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings for Hindi Diwas, posting, "Many best wishes to all the countrymen on Hindi Diwas." Union Home Minister Amit Shah also celebrated the occasion, noting, "All Indian languages are our pride and heritage, and without enriching them, we cannot move forward." Shah highlighted that Hindi has completed 75 years as the official language, underscoring its continued importance in fostering national unity and development. Hindi Diwas serves as a reminder of Hindi's significant role in India's cultural and linguistic landscape, reflecting its contribution to national identity and unity. (ANI) A Chinese national will be transferred to law authorities for investigation, as he tried to enter Taiwan illegally, Focus Taiwan reported, citing a statement by Taiwan government. The man was found on a rubber dinghy in waters near the northern city of New Taipei on Saturday, Focus Taiwan stated. An official from Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said that they got information at 6:30am (local time) by the New Taipei Fire Department that a person was spotted near the Houkeng River estuary in New Taipei's Linkou District, which is along a coastal expressway. The official said that on reaching the spot, they discovered a rubber dinghy about 100 meters from the shore, Focus Taiwan reported. Around 7am, CGA personnel, along with New Taipei firefighters, brought the 30-year-old Chinese man, Wang, to the shore from the dinghy. He was sent to the hospital as he was suffering from severe dehydration, Focus Taiwan quoted the CGA official as saying. Wang said that he came to Taiwan to start a new life as he was heavily in debt back home in China. A preliminary investigation found that he came to Taiwan on a 3.6m-long rubber dinghy, Focus Taiwan stated. It is believed that he departed from Niuweitang Beach in Ningbo, Zhejiang province in China, the CGA said. Meanwhile, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) told Focus Taiwan that the incident is currently being handled by the CGA and will later be transferred to law authorities for further investigation. The MAC added that according to Article 10 of the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, "No people of the Mainland Area may enter into the Taiwan Area without permission of the competent authorities." Citing the Immigration Act, the MAC stated that anyone entering Taiwan without permission will be sentenced to imprisonment for up to five years and/or be fined up to New Taiwan Dollar 5,00,000, Focus Taiwan reported. As per Focus Taiwan report, CGA said the rubber dinghy was relatively small and moved at a slow speed or by drifting, which made it undetectable by radar. (ANI) The cabinet had a one-point agenda- to consider the contentious constitutional amendments in the meeting scheduled on 11am (local time) on Sunday, ARY News reported. After the federal cabinet passes the amendment, they will be presented before the Senate and the National Assembly. The amendment seeks to fix the chief justice of Pakistan's (CJP) tenure for three years among other things, as per ARY News. Earlier, the federal government claimed that they secured two-third majority required to make constitutional amendments. Senators and Members of National Assembly of the treasury benches have been asked to remain in Islamabad as it is planning to devise a strategy for constitutional amendments, as per ARY News report. Earlier in the day, Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Zartaj Gul alleged that party member Saadullah Baloch's family members have been kidnapped, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. "They have been abducted to press the PTI's parliamentarian to become part of the unconstitutional amendment," Gul told ARY News. She said that Aurangzeb Khan Khichi has been missing for last three days. "The PML-N resorting to every tactic for the unconstitutional amendment, which is not permissible under the constitution," she told ARY News. Gul stated that she will resist the legislation at every place. On Friday, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has chosen not to back the government's proposed constitutional amendments regarding Pakistan's judiciary, ARY News reported. The party has directed its senators to abstain from voting in the Senate unless they have specific approval from their leadership. Sources indicate that Senator Atta-ur-Rehman, the party's parliamentary leader, sent a policy letter to his fellow senators, including Kamran Murtaza, Maulana Abdul Wasey, Abdul Shakoor Khan, and Ahmed Khan. (ANI) PTA Director Law Ali Akbar informed the SHC that a miscommunication led to its counsel's September 12 statement about the notification's withdrawal. "Another case is also being heard in the same bench, in which the notification regarding the establishment of the Steering Committee has been withdrawn," Ali Akbar added. It was sought that the SHC either revoke or amend its previous written order. Ahsan Imam, the PTA's attorney, told the court earlier on Friday that the body had withheld its notice of the suspension of X services (previously Twitter) in Pakistan, reported ARY News. Once SHC enquired about the authority's position on the X ban in Pakistan, the PTA attorney filed the response. The hearing was postponed for two weeks by the SHCt after the PTA attorney's response. On April 17, the SHCt ordered the Ministry of Interior to retract the letter it had sent regarding Twitter's suspension within a week. (ANI) Qatar has long promoted preventive diplomacy and mediation as the only path to resolving conflicts. For more than two decades, these critical efforts have centered on acting as an honest broker and building trust and understanding between conflicting parties. In our role as an experienced international mediator, Qatar tries to ensure that our mediation efforts are recognized as genuine and free of hidden agendas. It is against this backdrop that The Hill published an opinion piece that made false statements about Qatar, its mediation role between Israel and Hamas and its strong counterterror cooperation with the U.S. government. As the war in Gaza enters its 12th month, Qatar, the U.S., Egypt and other partners continue to mediate tirelessly to end the bloodshed and secure the release of Israelis held hostage by Hamas. Our role has involved relentless shuttle-diplomacy across the region, relaying messages between the conflicting sides and working to bridge existing gaps to try to secure a cease-fire agreement. Qatar has also mediated between the powers of the region, using its contacts to try to prevent a wider regional spillover. Over the last year, Qatar has been accused by certain nefarious actors of sponsoring Hamas and engaging in terror financing. These accusations focus on the presence of Hamass political leaders in Qatar but ignore the fact that this was a decision made in coordination with the U.S. over a decade ago. The objective has always been to provide a communication channel with Hamas, to resolve conflicts and manage humanitarian assistance to the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza. Multiple U.S. administrations have relied on this channel, and during the current Gaza crisis, it has often been the only means of communication with Hamas making it possible to secure the release of more than 100 hostages so far. Similarly, the delivery of all Qatari aid to civilians in Gaza prior to the current war was always fully coordinated with the U.S. and Israeli governments. Qatari aid to Gaza was delivered directly to Palestinian families in need of essential supplies such as food and medicine, while additional Qatari funding provided electricity to power the homes of the Palestinian population. The current instability in our neighborhood is especially significant because of the serious repercussions it could have beyond our region. Working together with the U.S., we believe that a negotiated peace is the only humane path forward both to stop the violence and to prevent future global instability. To that end, Qatar has taken some of the strictest measures to combat terror financing in the region and globally. In 2023, the Financial Action Task Force mutually evaluated Qatar, giving it one of the highest global ratings for technical compliance with the task forces anti-money-laundering and counterterrorism financing requirements. Meanwhile, the latest U.S. Country Report on Terrorism affirms that the United States and Qatar have continued to increase counterterrorism cooperation, building on progress made after the U.S. Secretary of State and the Qatari Foreign Minister signed a counterterrorism [Memorandum of Understanding] in 2017. Building on this historic agreement, in 2019 Qatar introduced a new anti-money-laundering and counterterrorism financing framework that strengthened national legislation and expanded the definition of possible offenses. Qatar has also implemented stronger sanctions to deter potential violators and has increased coordination with its international counterparts to combat cross-border threats. Qatar and the U.S. remain strong strategic allies and partners in the fight against terrorism financing. Last month, the CIA awarded the prestigious George Tenet Medal to Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, the head of Qatars State Security Agency, for his efforts in strengthening intelligence cooperation between the United States and Qatar. The award comes at a time when Qatar-U.S. security cooperation has reached an all-time high, following years of close coordination through Republican- and Democrat-led administrations, across issues of shared interest including the evacuation of over 100,000 people from Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, the ongoing war in Gaza and the threat of a wider regional conflict. The war in Gaza has shattered too many families and claimed too many innocent civilian lives on all sides. In Qatar, we view our mediator role not only as a political obligation but as a moral duty to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable people and to advance global security. Our joint work with the U.S. and dozens of allies around the world has become more urgent than ever, and we vow to do whatever we can to stop the bloodshed, get hostages home and end these cycles of violence once and for all. Ali Al-Ansari is Qatars media attache in the United States, based in Washington. 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. Lynchburg City Schools will host a community conversation next week on cellphone and social media use which features First Lady of Virginia Suzanne Youngkin. The community conversation will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. inside of E.C. Glass High Schools auditorium with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. A live broadcast will be viewed of a fireside chat between Youngkin and Jonathan Haidt, an award-winning social psychologist, author and researcher. According to a release from LCS, the two will discuss the findings of Haidts book The Anxious Generation, which discusses how limiting social media and cellphone use can help restore childhood; and there will be an interactive community conversation to follow. LCS is one of many school divisions around the state participating in the fireside chat as the division, along with other surrounding localities, have revisited their current cellphone policy prior to the school year. On July 9, the Lynchburg City School Board updated its cellphone policy, only allowing the use of such devices at the high schools during students lunch periods. In July, Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order aimed at establishing cell phone-free education in the states K-12 public schools, pointing to an increasing impact cellphone and social media has on education and youths mental health. According to its website, the Virginia Department of Education will issue final guidance on Monday and school divisions will adopt policies and procedures by Jan. 1. For more information on the livestream, visit the Virginia Department of Educations website. Lynchburg officials want to make it easier for city residents and people who live in surrounding counties to bow hunt within city limits as a way to decrease the citys large deer population. City officials receive regular complaints from residents about deer damaging plants and trees, and causing a nuisance by defecating in yards. Deer also bring health hazards that include tickborne diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Alpha Gal Syndrome and Lyme disease, city staff said Tuesday. For city councils next meeting on Sept. 24, staff was instructed to develop new rules that will promote urban archery and allow bow hunting on certain city-owned properties to reduce the deer population while ensuring public safety. City council is expected then to vote on the proposed new rules. At a city council work session on Tuesday, Lynchburg Chief Animal Warden Ryan Ball gave a rough estimate of 10,000 deer living in Lynchburg. In his presentation, Ball outlined options for controlling the citys deer population. One option is giving the city the ability to levy civil penalties on residents who feed deer. When we are feeding deer or anybody in our neighborhoods is feeding deer, it habituates the deer to be around our houses, to be around people and not to be fearful of them, Ball told city council members. Ball recalled a recent visit to a property off Fort Avenue in the Sandusky neighborhood where a woman was feeding all sorts of wildlife. I literally went back there and it was like a scene from Doctor Doolittle, he said. Ball said the woman told him she was unhappy that the food she was putting out was also attracting coyotes, which were then preying on many of the animals that had come to eat the food. The coyotes are coming because they not only get the food she is putting out, but the coyotes get to hunt in one central area, Ball said. Ward III Councilman Jeff Helgeson welcomed most of the recommendations from city staff for controlling the deer population. But he expressed opposition to the idea of assessing civil fines on people who feed deer. He said going out to investigate whether residents are feeding deer could distract the animal wardens office from taking more effective steps to reduce the deer population. Lynchburg Animal Control currently has three animal wardens who report to Ball. The office has one animal warden vacancy. The City of Lynchburg currently allows bow hunting on private property for seven months annually, with no cost for hunting permits. Property owners must apply to allow for bow hunting of deer on their property. There is no minimum acreage for where bow-hunting can occur. But the animal warden will only grant a property owner a permit if he determines bow hunting will not harm nearby residents and if the tree stand is in an elevated position at least 12 feet above the ground. Hunters must apply for a license from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to bow hunt for deer in Lynchburg and across the state. Under the proposed new rules, the 12-foot deer stand rule for larger properties of 10 acres or more would be eliminated. Shotgun hunting of deer is allowed in Lynchburg but only during firearms season and only on private property of 25 acres or more. Under the proposed rules, the city would encourage citizens with deer-related damage to receive kill permits for deer during off-hunting season. Lynchburg City Manager Wynter Benda told councilmembers that staff will work on having the proposed rules for reducing the citys deer population ready for review by the next meeting. CHIBA, Sep 14 (News On Japan) - Three large male dogs, including a Doberman, that went missing from a yard in Yotsukaido City, Chiba Prefecture, have been found. All three returned to the yard where they were kept. The dogs, a Doberman, a Shepherd, and a Rottweiler, all adult males, had been missing since the early hours of the 13th in Yoshioka, Yotsukaido City. The police had mobilized about 20 officers to search for the animals. At around 5:30 p.m., all three dogs returned to the yard and were secured by an employee. The dogs were reported to be uninjured, and there were no signs of any changes in their health. Additionally, there have been no reports of anyone being bitten or harmed by the dogs in the surrounding area. All three dogs had already received rabies vaccinations. The police are investigating the circumstances of the dogs' escape, questioning the yard's owner about their care and the situation that led to their disappearance. Source: ANN Elon Musks social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is expected to avoid being subjected to the European Union's landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA), Azernews reports citing Bloomberg. EU regulators are nearing the end of their investigation into X and are likely to conclude that the platform does not meet the criteria to fall under the DMA, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The decision is based on the platform's current market impact and revenue levels, which do not meet the thresholds set by the DMA. The Digital Markets Act imposes stringent rules on major tech firms, including Alphabet Inc.'s Google Search, Apple Inc.'s Safari, Amazon.com Inc., and Meta Platforms Inc.'s Facebook. These rules are designed to prevent anti-competitive practices and include significant penalties for violations, up to 10% of global revenue, or 20% for repeated breaches. The DMA targets companies with annual EU sales of at least 7.5 billion euros ($8.3 billion) or a market capitalization of 75 billion euros or more. Additionally, it applies to platform services with over 45 million monthly active end-users and more than 10,000 yearly active business users in the EU. The European Commission is expected to release its findings on X's regulatory status in October. BEIJING, Sep 14 (News On Japan) - Japanese food businesses are intensifying their expansion efforts in China, where consumption has stagnated due to rising food prices. We investigate the factors driving these Japanese companies to accelerate their operations in the Chinese market. 'Tenpura Ebino-ya,' a tempura restaurant from Osaka, recently celebrated its first anniversary after opening in downtown Shanghai. Its freshly made tempura bowls are a big hit among locals. During our lunchtime visit, all 80 seats were filled, demonstrating its popularity. In the kitchen, skilled chefs prepare the tempura, with the most popular dish being the Two Shrimp Tempura Bowl, which includes two shrimp, squid, and white fish, priced at around 1,000 yen. Why has tempura gained such popularity? Xie Min, Deputy General Manager at Fujio Food, Shanghai branch, said, "Many Chinese people have traveled to Japan and remember the taste of the tempura bowls they had there. Theyre thrilled to find the exact same flavor here in Shanghai." The restaurants appeal isnt limited to taste. A customer commented, "I think its affordable. Prices are generally high in this area, so I'm happy with this price." As Chinas economy stagnates and the desire to save increases, affordability has become a significant draw. Japanese food chains are adopting a low-price strategy, leading to a series of new store openings. Last month, conveyor belt sushi chain Sushiro opened its first location in Beijing. On its opening day, more than 600 groups visited the store, with some customers waiting up to 10 hours, demonstrating the restaurant's popularity. One customer remarked, "Tuna is expensive in Beijing, so I ordered a lot." Tuna is the most popular item, with one plate priced at around 200 yen. Kazuo Aratani, Executive Officer of F&LC, stated, "Our commitment is to serve delicious food at affordable prices. We want customers to be pleasantly surprised by how tasty the sushi is at this price point." In Shanghai, new restaurant openings continue. On the first of this month, 'Yama-Ushi,' a beef bowl restaurant, opened its first store in Shanghai. The restaurant is operated by Toridoll Holdings, the company behind Marugame Seimen. Though Marugame Seimen once expanded to around 50 locations in mainland China, it was forced to close its stores two years ago due to the pandemic. This marks the company's second attempt to break into the Chinese market. This time, they are focusing on rice bowls. Their signature dish, the charcoal-grilled beef short rib bowl, is priced at around 500 yen. Leveraging the experience and expertise gained in Japan, they aim to attract customers with affordable prices. Takashi Sugiyama, Vice President of Toridoll Holdings, commented, "We are aligning our business with the current consumption needs in China, aiming for significant growth." Japanese companies entering China are not limited to the food industry. According to data released by Teikoku Databank last month, the number of Japanese companies with local subsidiaries or production facilities in China stands at approximately 13,000. This represents an increase of about 300 companies compared to two years ago, when many businesses were withdrawing or downsizing their Chinese operations due to the pandemic. In addition to the growing popularity of Japanese restaurants, there is an expected increase in companies entering sectors such as elderly care services, as China continues to face demographic challenges like an aging population and declining birthrate. Kei Nakajima, an expert on China, commented, Japan is becoming somewhat of a brand in China. While Japanese cuisine used to be exclusive to the ultra-wealthy, it has become more accessible. However, Chinese consumers tend to lose interest quickly. Without constant menu innovation, it will be difficult to survive in this market." Source: ANN Saitama, Sep 14 (News On Japan) - Starbucks has revamped one of its stores inside a shopping mall to be more welcoming to customers with children, including bench-style seating and wider aisles to make it easier to accommodate strollers, as well as locating next to a children's play area. For the first time in Japan, a space has been set up where children can select their favorite sauces to create their own Frappuccino. The drink sizes have also been tailored so that children can finish them comfortably. Customer: "It looks like well be visiting more often. We usually get takeout since we can't relax at most places, but here, we can take our time." Starbucks plans to analyze customer feedback and consider expanding the number of these family-friendly stores across Japan. Source: ANN Sep 13 (NHK) - Japan's government plans to streamline entry procedures for overseas visitors at Narita and Haneda airports, which serve Tokyo, and Kansai Airport in Osaka. The changes are expected before the end of the current fiscal year ending in March. Japan is experiencing a boom in overseas tourism, and the number of arrivals in expected to grow. Foreign travelers are currently required to have their photograph taken and present their passport at separate checkpoints. The government plans to integrate the two processes for people who register online in advance. Haneda Airport began testing the system earlier this year. A government survey on about 13,000 passengers found arrival procedures were shortened by about two minutes. A German student at Haneda said the system was convenient because all she needed to do was scan a code. An Immigration Services Agency official expressed hope about improving efficiency while maintaining strict border controls. Do you live in an oil-rich state or area? Have you ever thought there could be oil or natural gas on your land? Alternatively, is it possible youve inherited mineral rights from a relative? Many Americans are sitting on a fortune in oil and natural gas but are uncertain how to best capitalize on them. Thats where Phoenix Capital Group Holdings, LLC comes in. Phoenix Capital Group is a one-of-a-kind enterprise that not only identifies people who own important mineral rights but also helps them turn those resources into ready money. Whats more, Phoenix Capital Group monetizes mineral rights in ways that maximize land and mineral rights owners financial stability long into the future. How Phoenix Capital Group assesses mineral rights Phoenix Capital Group specializes in working with landowners and mineral rights owners to help them get the value they are entitled to from their property. Sometimes, however, mineral rights can be shared by dozens or even hundreds of people, such as when land has been passed down through multiple generations. Thats why Phoenix Capital Groups team of experts pours through title records to locate the appropriate owners for mineral rights at a given location. Occasionally, Phoenix Capital Groups representatives are even the first people to notify heirs that they possess such a valuable commodity. The experts at Phoenix Capital Group also use advanced, proprietary technology to assess the value of the relevant oil and gas minerals. Utilizing our proprietary technology, we collect and store data that updates in real-time, explains Adam Ferrari, CEO of Phoenix Capital Group. For example, when new activity occurs, we capture those results and value accordingly giving us the ability to execute quickly and the confidence that we are putting capital to work in the right areas. Based on this assessment, the team at Phoenix Capital Group determines the fair market value of the mineral rights and presents the owner with an offer to buy these rights. How Phoenix Capital Group empowers landowners Every landowner or mineral rights owner has different priorities. Phoenix Capital Group takes the time to understand each owners goals and help them turn their mineral rights into financial security and even generational wealth. Phoenix Capital Group emphasizes transparency and openness at every step of the way. Thats one of the reasons mineral rights owners Thomas E. and Ann Beaver from Williams County, North Dakota, chose to sell their mineral rights to Phoenix Capital Group. The company is above board and professional, they said. Tom Wulf was wonderful to work with. He displayed patience with our questions as he guided us through the sales process. Additionally, Phoenix Capital Group offered them a higher price than other companies. I received a much better price than my relatives, who sold their oil leases at a later date, Thomas said. Phoenix Capital Group, with direction from Tom Wulf, made an additional payment to make up the difference between what my relatives received and what I had received. Thats going out of your way to be more than fair to a customer. Even after completing the transaction, Phoenix Capital Group continues supporting landowners with valuable education and advice. The company views landowners as its long-term partners and empowers them to navigate the oil and natural gas industry as advantageously as possible. Investing in Phoenix Capital Group In an industry full of major corporations and large financial institutions, Phoenix Capital Group stands out as a fast-growing, family-run business that uplifts ordinary people. Along with assisting landowners with their mineral rights, Phoenix Capital Group enables regular investors to invest directly in the company itself, rather than just as a commodity. How? Phoenix Capital Group offers an unlimited number of Regulation D bonds for accredited investors, as well as a limited number of Regulation A+ bonds, which are currently fully subscribed due to their periodic availability qualified by the SEC. The company offers 9-13% bonds and has historically met its monthly payment obligations to investors. Phoenix Capital Group has maintained its impressive track record of success by leveraging different revenue streams. The first of these is the companys production of oil itself through its Phoenix Operating branch. Operating directly, rather than outsourcing this aspect, means we can mitigate some of the uncertainties that come with third-party partnerships, including unexpected cost overruns and production delays, Ferrari explains. We plan to have a greater level of control over the income we need to fulfill the fixed-yield payments to bondholders each month as we have done in the past, although past performance should not be an indicator of future results. Take advantage of Phoenix Capital Groups exciting opportunities Whether you own mineral rights or are an investor, Phoenix Capital Group offers exciting opportunities for you. To investigate the value of your land, contact them today. To explore investment opportunities, sign up for a free Phoenix Capital Group Webinar, which takes place every day of the week. Disclaimer: Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. The sale of any securities is subject to investor qualification and minimum investment. Private placements are speculative and illiquid. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Important information, disclaimers, and risks can be found at PHXOffering.com. As part of the effort of his administration to grow the states economy from $4.4bn to $30bn and ensure food security, tractors needed for farming in Enugu State will be produced in the state before the end of the year, governor of the state, Dr. Peter Mbah has announced. The governor stated this when he received the newly elected president of the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, Dr. Ifeanyi Okoye, and other leaders of the association at the Government House, Enugu, at the weekend. He reiterated his administrations commitment to creating a business-friendly environment and helping to de-risk investment in the state, calling on investors to key into the growing investment revolution in the state. We are ready for business and we are open for business. You could not make a better choice than Enugu when you are thinking about where to invest or where to grow your wealth because you are dealing with a government that is business-friendly and we do not only think about creating the environment for businesses to thrive, we are also interested in working with you collaboratively either as a Joint Venture (JV) or Private Public Sector Partnership (PPP) or even helping you to de-risk the investment flow. We are interested in listening to you, knowing what areas that would make it possible for you to invest. We have just signed an order with a Danish company that is coming here to manufacture their tractors. So, our target is that before the end of the year, we would have been able to assemble over 300 tractors. Our ultimate target in the medium term is to get up to 1,000 tractors before the end of next year. What this means is that you would not have to import the machinery and the implements you need to be able to farm in Enugu State. Again, we are interested in value addition and processing too. We are building a Special Processing Zone where we expect that as we plan to scale up our production in the agricultural space, we also have produce cities where those things can be processed. It is not just producing and exporting them raw. We are planning to add value, create and capture those values, Mbah said. He added that the government was taking measures to ensure the availability of the necessary infrastructure, ranging from urban roads to access roads to farm, power, and water, while also making huge investments in security and collaborating with security agencies to sustain and strengthen the relative security attained by the state in the last 15 months. In the area of roads, our target is to make sure that all our streets, all our roads in the city are paved and we are already achieving that. Just recently, we completed the 71 roads we awarded last October and we again awarded another 141 roads. We are also making sure that we also get our rural roads paved, most importantly the access road to the farmlands because we have some ambitious target in our agricultural sector where we now have over 300,000 hectares of land in our landbank, he said. Mbah congratulated Dr. Okoye, who is also the Managing Director of Juhel Nigeria Limited, on his emergence as NECA President, assuring of his administrations readiness to collaborate with NECA to create more economic opportunities in the state. Speaking earlier, the NECA leadership pledged unwavering commitment to fostering partnerships that will catalayse socio-economic development in Enugu State and the South East, having observed the governors vision and business-minded approach to governance. We have closely observed your outstanding leadership, coupled with your clear vision for the transformation of Enugu State. Your administrations focus on economic diversification, infrastructure development, and human capital enhancement aligns perfectly with NECAs objectives. We believe that through strong collaboration between the public and private sectors, we can collectively drive growth, create jobs, and improve the overall well-being of the citizens, the NECA president stated. At Pella Corporation, innovation isnt just a buzzword its woven deeply into the companys culture, earning it a place among Fast Companys 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2024 and a spot on Fast Companys top workplaces for innovators within manufacturing. We are honored to be recognized once again by Fast Company as a top workplace for innovators, John Bollman, chief human resources officer of Pella Corporation, said in a news release. "This recognition is a testament to our culture where imagination knows no bounds and every team member is empowered to redefine whats possible; to consistently strive to bring bold ideas to life and deliver real solutions for our customers." Fast Company's 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators honors businesses that have developed and sustained cultures of innovation. The list is based on a rigorous assessment of companies innovation practices, from internal processes and policies to tangible outcomes, such as new products, services and patents. Pella stood out for its latest game-changing innovation, Steady Set the industrys first interior installation system for new construction and the companys commitment to enhancing team member well-being by leveraging technology to modernize its manufacturing processes, according to the release. "This award is not just about the innovative products and services we create," Bollman said in the release. "Its about the culture we cultivate that encourages every team member to care deeply, learn continuously, and achieve results that go beyond our customers' expectations. We believe that investing in our people, our customers and our communities enables transformative growth and innovation. The recognition by Fast Company follows several other workplace accolades for Pella this year, including recognition as a Best-In-State Employer for the third consecutive year by Forbes. This is the second time Pella has been recognized as a top Workplace for Innovators by Fast Company. As the company looks ahead, it remains dedicated to driving innovation, investing in its people, and making a positive impact in the communities where team members and customers live and work. Pella employs more than 10,000 people nationwide, with over 4,100 in Iowa. The company operates across multiple locations, including its headquarters in Pella, Iowa, and manufacturing facilities in Sioux Center, Carroll, Shenandoah and Pella. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. The 4th International Conference on Public Health in Africa, initially scheduled to take place in Morocco next November will be postponement, due to the current epidemiological situation on the continent. The announcement was made by Director General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya, at a news conference after talks in Rabat Friday with Moroccan Minister of Health, Khalid Ait Taleb. As the epidemic is developing in a rather dangerous way, and given that this epidemic requires us to focus all our energy on it, I have officially asked the Moroccan government () to postpone the organization of the conference, said Kaseya. The Moroccan government agreed to postpone the conference to prioritize addressing the MPOX crisis, the Health Ministry said, reaffirming Moroccos commitment to strengthening health cooperation with African countries and international partners to support efforts to combat health crises and achieve health sovereignty on the continent. The new date for the conference will be announced in coordination with the African Union and the African CDC. The Africa CDC chief insisted that all efforts across the continent need to focus on combating the Mpox epidemic. We are currently examining all possible means of stopping this epidemic, he said. My energy today is focused on the fight against this epidemic, he insisted The Africa CDC head also praised Moroccos solidarity with the rest of the African countries in the fight against the Mpox epidemic. Morocco is, first and foremost, an African country () that is fully committed to solidarity. It is also a country of innovation, contributing to all efforts to equip the countries of the continent with the means to stop this epidemic, he stressed. Kaseya highlighted the importance of local manufacturing of vaccines and medicines to combat epidemics and health crises on the African continent, calling this a priority. IFC has granted a 100 million loan to OCP Group, contributing thus to complete the desalinated water pipeline to connect Jorf Lasfar to Khouribga, whose construction is progressing well and is expected to be completed soon. The loan will support the construction of a 219 km pipeline and a new pumping station The infrastructure will transport desalinated water from OCP Groups existing and planned desalination plants in Jorf Lasfar to the production sites in Khouribga, central Morocco. In order to increase sustainable water supply for fertilizer production, farmers, and households in Morocco, IFC announced today a 100 million loan (approximately $108 million) to OCP Group, a global leader in plant nutrition solutions and phosphate fertilizers, stated a joint press release from the two entities, published on Friday, September 13 in Washington. This pipeline will have a total annual capacity of 80 million cubic meters, according to the statement, which explained that the project will provide OCP Group with a sustainable and reliable water source while freeing up water for farmers, businesses, and consumers in Khouribga and surrounding areas. This project demonstrates OCP Groups commitment to sustainable development and innovation, OCP Chairman and CEO, Mostafa Terrab, was quoted in the press release as saying. By securing a reliable source of desalinated water, we are not only enabling the continued growth of our operations but also providing essential resources to local communities, he added, noting that this initiative aligns perfectly with the Groups vision of strengthening resilience and food security across Africa. For his part, IFCs Managing Director, Makhtar Diop, stated that this innovative project by OCP Group shows how companies can develop solutions to address complex development challenges. By supporting the construction of this pipeline, IFC allows OCP Group to meet its own water needs, provide vital water resources to communities, and support the production of high-value crops, thus contributing to a more resilient and food-secure future for Africa, highlighted Makhtar Diop. The pipeline is part of OCP Groups water program, implemented by its specialized subsidiary, OCP Green Water, which aims to supply the Group with 100% non-conventional water by the end of 2024, according to the press release. By 2027, through investments totaling $611 million, OCP Group plans to achieve a production capacity of 560 million m/year of desalinated water and 60 million m/year of treated wastewater. Combined with new technologies to reduce the water needs of the worlds number one phosphate producer, this will not only ensure the supply for its industrial operations but also provide excess capacity to local communities, thereby strengthening their resilience to climate change. While supporting Moroccos priority of sustainable development, the project aligns with the World Banks strategy in Morocco, which focuses particularly on climate. By 2030, the pipeline is expected to be fully powered by renewable sources, improving access to sustainable water resources and enhancing resilience to climate shocks. The US State Department has approved the sale of dozens of F-35 fighter jets to its NATO ally Romania, a deal worth $7.2 billion, Azernews informs referring to AFP. The contract, which must still be approved by the US Congress, covers Bucharest's purchase of 32 F-35A aircraft and related equipment, produced by the US aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin. "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe," a State Department statement said. The contract announcement comes as Ukrainian pilots began training this week at a special center in Romania on F-16s, US-made fighter jets that Washington has approved Kyiv to use to repel Russia's invasion. Romania occupies a strategic position at the gateway to Ukraine and the Black Sea, and aims to become an international hub for F-16 training. It inaugurated an F-16 training center at its Fetesti air base in November 2023, pledging to also train Ukrainians there. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Romanian counterpart Luminita Odobescu on Thursday, thanking Bucharest for delivering a Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine. The State Department also announced the approval on Friday of a $4.1 billion sale to Japan of a KC-46A aerial refueling tanker. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images At Tuesdays presidential debate, Donald Trump launched into a rant about Haitian immigrants kidnapping and eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. Theyre eating the dogs! he bellowed. The people that came in, theyre eating the cats! Theyre eating the pets of the people that live there! No spectators were allowed inside the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, where the debate was held, which meant Trumps live audience consisted primarily of Kamala Harris, two stone-faced moderators from ABC News, and the cavernous silence of the auditorium. He looked and sounded unwell, like a man who had totally lost control of himself. Observers were quick to assume that Trump had fallen for a right-wing conspiracy theory that began as a rumor simmering in the bowels of Facebook and was later pushed by, among others, his own vice-presidential candidate, J.D. Vance. But that impression was somewhat misleading. Though Trump had spent much of the evening spiraling off-topic, his rant about Haitians was made at least partially by design. The point was not whether the claims were true or false but to snatch at any excuse to proclaim that brown and Black immigrants should be ostracized and to use a cadre of conservative influencers and memelords to encourage a conspiratorial frenzy that could easily spill into violence. It was Vance who first brought the Springfield rumor to Trumps attention. Since the pandemic, the city has attracted as many as 20,000 Haitian immigrants with promises of warehouse jobs and manufacturing work. Last year, one of them veered a minivan into oncoming traffic and struck a school bus, killing an 11-year-old boy. The boys father has since insisted his sons death was an accident and implored people not to exploit it for hateful ends, but that is precisely what happened. There remains no evidence that Haitian migrants have been killing and eating pets a fact that has been confirmed by both the police and countless reporters who have investigated the rumor. Yet on Monday, the day before the debate, Vance posted about it on X: Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldnt be in this country. The post soon began percolating throughout the conservative web. Ted Cruz and Elon Musk posted memes of kittens begging to be saved from Haitian dinner plates, racking up hundreds of thousands of reposts. Even after local authorities had confirmed the claim was baseless, Vance was undeterred, inviting his followers to keep the cat memes flowing anyway. CNNs Kaitlan Collins asked him, Why push something thats not true? Vance replied with a slight smirk, Whether those exact rumors turn out to be mostly true, somewhat true, whatever the case may be, this town has been ravaged by 20,000 migrants coming in. When Trump boosted the story at the debate, the reverberations were felt instantly. A so-called social-media war room that included the notorious conspiracy theorists Laura Loomer, Jack Posobiec, and Chaya Raichik spammed the web with defenses of Trump and attacks on Springfields Haitian population. Google Trends reported that the top search in 49 states during the debate was abortion except in Ohio, where it was immigration. The day after the debate, Musk responded to Taylor Swifts endorsement of Kamala Harris on X by pledging to give her a child and guard her cats. On Thursday, bomb threats in Springfield containing what the citys mayor, Rob Rue, described to the Washington Post as hateful language towards immigrants and Haitians prompted the evacuations of City Hall, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Springfield Drivers Exam Station, an Ohio License Bureau, and two schools the Springfield Academy of Excellence and Fulton Elementary. We want to move forward together, Rue told the New York Times of the unwanted attention Trumps rant has brought to his city, and it just makes it more difficult to do that when we have violent actions and threats. The chaos continued on Friday, when police announced they had received unspecified information that led them to close an additional middle school and evacuate two more elementary schools. At a press conference in California, Trump said mass deportations of immigrants could begin in Springfield if he is elected president. It was all emblematic of the former presidents ability to turn whole communities upside down with just a few words. For all the ways Trump has declined of late, he remains masterful at reading and cultivating his base, which wants stories about immigrants so grotesque that their xenophobic paranoias feel not only sane but righteous. Somewhat new are the droves of conservative influencers descending on Springfield and spreading viral videos of residents calling immigrants sand monkeys. Its worth remembering that weve seen Trump make this play before. His lies about endemic migrant crime date back to his campaign announcement in 2015 when he characterized all Mexican immigrants as rapists. Ahead of both the 2018 midterms and the 2020 general election, the then-president induced panic about invading migrant caravans that abruptly disappeared from his rhetoric after votes were cast. Haiti itself has made a previous appearance on Trumps reported list of shithole countries whose denizens he sought to deny immigration protections. Trumps brand of conspiratorial lying transformed his unfounded claims of election theft in 2020 into a rabid mob that descended on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Now, the question of whether Trumps lies lead to actual violent behavior is no longer conjectural. And as Vance helpfully articulated, the point of the lying is to capture and channel a desired mood, a rallying cause that motivates people to action. The Republican tickets exploitation of that mood has now sent hundreds of Springfield children fleeing from their schools, led to the terrorization of countless city employees, reopened the psychic wounds of a grieving father, and placed a target on the backs of a migrant minority that was already regarded with suspicion. It reaffirms that Trumps vision for returning to power will likely require an indiscriminate range of casualties. What we saw onstage on Tuesday was not merely a meltdown but a vision of the future: an angry man howling at hordes of disciples he does not see, who await his signal to spring into action. Photo: Jay L. Clendenin/The Washington Post/Getty Images At Tuesday nights debate, seemingly stung by Kamala Harriss assertion that IVF treatments have been curtailed under Donald Trumps abortion bans, the former Republican president declared, I have been a leader on IVF, which is fertilization. The IVF I have been a leader. To show exactly how much he knew about the reproductive technology, he repeated the word fertilization a few moments later. It is true that Trump came out against the Alabama State Supreme Court decision, in February, restricting access to IVF, and that in late August he said he would make the procedure free. Under the Trump administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment, Trump told NBC News. Were going to be mandating that the insurance company pay. You might call this offhand proposal half-baked. (Trump surprised his own advisers with the comment, NBC later reported, and his campaign has refused to provide more detail. A person close to the campaign said there may not actually be a plan.) You might also notice that his remarks were totally contrary to his prior opposition to similar health-care-coverage mandates, and to his partys refusal to vote for analogous measures in Congress. Trump is aware that most Americans are deeply unhappy with the right-wing drive to ban or limit IVF, which is currently most accessible to wealthier, whiter people people who could plausibly vote Republican. The fact that the proposal faces opposition from his own party and no conceivable path to being enacted was, of course, beside the point. As with his waffling abortion stance, the protests of social conservatives on IVF may even serve to make him look more independent, when they dont make him look incoherent. But in the wake of this latest apostasy positioning himself as a champion of fertilization its been illuminating to listen to what, exactly, normally loyal elements of the right have objected to, and to observe these responses alongside newly resurfaced comments from Trumps chosen running mate, J.D. Vance. Its clear that the socially conservative wing of the party opposes the freedom that IVF allows, especially for those whose life choices do not fit the right-wing ideal. The Alabama court decision last winter left plenty of people scratching their heads about why the party lamenting the declining birth rate would oppose something that leads to more babies. That courts reasoning, citing state law as well as the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe, was that frozen embryos were extrauterine children, subject to the same protections and compensations of children walking the Earth, thus putting common IVF practices of freezing, storing, and disposal at risk. Anti-abortion activists had long quietly opposed IVF, largely on the same grounds, but as long as Roe v. Wade stood, there was little will or capacity to do much about it. But since Trump has thrown his nominal support behind access to IVF, a new variety of opposition has come to light. Opponents of the treatment have made clear, directly and indirectly, through both open statements and calculated omission, that they reject the technology because it could make it easier for women to resist their preferred social script: having babies early and in the context of a heterosexual marriage. In a tweet to J.D. Vance following Trumps IVF proposal, Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins, an influential voice in the anti-abortion movement, wrote: It makes zero sense for the GOP to be encouraging families to delay childbirth by trying to promote an IVF mandate in healthcare insurance plans. (Hawkins also opposes contraception and abortion.) Conservative author and self-described child advocate Katy Faust was even less euphemistic. When she recently catalogued her objections to IVF on X she is opposed to the intentional and unintentional destruction of embryos, as well as surrogacy someone replied that the right needed to find the root cause for infertility in America. Faust responded: The vast majority of people who are infertile spent their peak fertility on careers, travel, and finding themselves. In other words, female selfishness was the culprit. And, by extension, IVF, for providing a false sense of security. Inability to conceive due to factors unrelated to age, such as endometriosis, male infertility, or prior medical treatments, such as chemotherapy, are simply ignored, presumably as collateral damage. Of course, in addition to allowing more options for heterosexual couples, increased access to IVF could mean more children for queer people and single women. Patrick Brown, fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, argued in Compact magazine, in response to Trumps suggested mandate, that the policy would place the federal government firmly on the side of viewing parenthood as an individual right, rather than as something properly existing within the context of a couple. IVF, he claimed, wasnt a solution to declining birth rates, but rather a contributor: The increased availability of IVF has coincided with accelerated declines in global birth rates, not their revivification. Indeed, the technology can lead some women to assume they can delay marriage and parenthood until their late 30s or early 40s with little problem only to find out too late they were wrong. Of course some women do find out its too late for them, but Brown implied that the entire enterprise was a sham. Sean Tipton, a spokesman for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, translated this approach: What they do here is take a little kernel of biological reality, and they twist it for their own ideological purpose. Not long after Trumps IVF announcement, reporters unearthed some adjacent comments from J.D. Vance, who seems to have spent a lot of time in the last few years talking about whether women are fecund and if they arent, what purpose they could possibly serve to society. (These conversations rarely involve an actual living human woman with a speaking role.) Republicans used to occupy themselves with criticizing the easier-to-attack reproductive decisions of low income women of color welfare queens producing crack babies, to use their noxious shorthand. But Vance is unafraid to go after the presumed life choices of educated, affluent women, using the vocabulary of the manosphere. In these resurfaced interviews, Vance states that the whole purpose of the postmenopausal female is to care for grandchildren, and that whats wrong with journalism and elite society can be explained by miserable infertile people who passed the biological period of fertility. One of the weird lies the elites have been told is that its very easy to start a family when youre 45, he said in a 2021 podcast interview retrieved by Media Matters. Well, human biology God says otherwise. Its of course true that starting a family at 45 is not very easy assuming any human on Earth has ever actually been told that it was. But Vance is uninterested in making it easier for any person facing infertility to have access to care: In June, he voted against the Right to IVF Act, a suite of bills that would, among other provisions, mandate coverage for IVF in private and public plans. Vances game, on IVF, has often been to leave the technology out of the story altogether, presenting a picture of womens lives in which it doesnt exist and in which delaying having children is riskier while voting to keep it fairly inaccessible. Paired with Vances disapproval of the sexual revolution for encouraging people to end even abusive marriages, his elision of IVF adds up to a not-so-subtle coercion aimed at women: Marry the first schmuck wholl have you and reproduce as early as you can, without access to contraception or abortion, lest you end up a childless cat lady. Should women be choosy, or unlucky, or pursue meaning through avenues other than parenthood, theyll be cautionary tales rather than medical success stories. Needless to say, American women do not need to be told that fertility is fleeting. The backlash to feminism in the 1980s and early 90s made the phrase biological clock so ubiquitous that it was a tagline in an Oscar-winning performance, and though its transmogrified, the panic is still with us. (Millennials like me came of age reading about the pained fertility journeys of Gen-Xers; I know more than one person who thought they had to have a baby by 30 or else never.) The public conversation is also replete with accounts of the heartache of infertility: Michelle Obama recounts the experience in her memoir and told Good Morning America, The biological clock is real because egg production is limited. And I realized that as I was 34 and 35. Happily for the Obamas, they had options: We had to do IVF. Did Senator Tammy Duckworth have to say it any more plainly, or prominently, than when she declared from the stage at the Democratic National Convention this year, My struggle with infertility was more painful than any wound I earned on the battlefield? The woman is a double amputee from grenade fire, for Gods sake. The full array of assisted reproductive technology, including IVF, is rarely covered by insurance, is stressful and time consuming, and though success rates have risen over time, does not provide any sort of guarantee of a healthy pregnancy or baby. As Barbara Collura, president of RESOLVE, which advocates for infertility coverage, told me, No little girl is growing up wishing to build her family through IVF. For those who end up needing it, it is a lifeline. In 2022, about 2.5 percent of all births were a result of assisted reproductive technology, adding up to just over 91,000 babies. That number might be quite a bit higher if more people had access, free of disapproval of how they got to that point. Sean Tipton, a spokesman for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said: We dont ask people questions like how did your nose get broken? We just cover it and treat it. Somehow for reproductive medicine everyone gets to judge how the patient got where they are. Often there is no clear answer. Tipton could point to no comprehensive data on the reasons, or even just underlying diagnoses, people seek fertility treatment, but theres at least one clue in the qualitative work of anthropologist Marcia C. Inhorn. In Motherhood on Ice, she interviewed over 150 well-educated women about why they froze their eggs in hope of future parenting. What she found was that most of them hadnt yet found a male partner who was equally ready and willing to parent when they were. Maybe if their male peers had spent a little less time on careers, travel, and finding themselves. On Thursday, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would bring back the Right to IVF Act back to the floor. Last time around, the only Republicans to vote for it were Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. Perhaps Trump will step up and be a leader on fertilization by urging his party to support bills that would do exactly what he promised, making IVF not only legal but accessible through insurance. Probably not. In the meantime, his willingness to say anything for power has gotten a lot of people to say what they really think. The best gift he (and the rest of the royal family) could ever give me would be to please go away. Reply Thread Link "(Exclusive)" Always cracks me up when it comes from them. Reply Thread Link Anyone notice lately the very positive Prince Harry and Meghan Daily Mail articles and negative Prince William and Kate? What gives? Edited at 2024-09-14 12:08 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link lol DailyMail has no agenda other than "stirring shit and getting clicks". Reply Parent Thread Link They live for chaos and chaos only. Reply Parent Thread Link as dumb as they are, i do hope that they have a happy family life. Reply Thread Link I mean, kids is probably the RIGHT answer. But like. With a rich family, he's probably gotten some cool shit over the years. I wanna know more about that. Reply Thread Link Yeah but it was always the norm that he's get cool shit. It meant nothing to him to be gifted like an island or some fancy car. It was expected bc of his status. So he doesn't think it's cool at all. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah but that doesn't satisfy my curiosity!! Reply Parent Thread Link They remind me so much of Brangelina with their ~activism, `the importance of their kids in their brand. I wonder how long it will take for Harry and Meghan to implode, like Brange Reply Thread Link Pitt was always fake with his activism, but Jolie has been all over the world and has spoken up for so many people. And her kids do seem like her entire life, not just a brand. Their relationship imploded because he beat his wife and at least one child. Comparing the two couples feels so weird. Reply Parent Thread Link People romanticize them just like they did Brangelina. We don't know how Harry and Meghan will implode. Nobody expected Brad Pitt to be an abuser either. I don't expect Harry to be violent, but i wouldn't be surprised by some scandal when the divorce eventually happens Reply Parent Thread Link Mte, Angie is such a humanitarian at heart. Even way earlier in her career I think she was piloting planes and flying aid to places. Edited at 2024-09-14 03:42 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link i knew he was going to say his kids after reading the headline. these people are so cheesy. imagine running to people magazine just to share that Reply Thread Link It's funny that they try to portray themselves as like these important world leaders or just very important people but they're acting like c-list celebs telling the entertainment and fashion magazines their day to day business to stay relevant. Reply Parent Thread Link He's not even 40 yet??? He looks like shit. Reply Thread Link can meghan can tell what he's thinking when she looks at the back of his head? Reply Parent Thread Link It's like the entire history of colonialism by his family just hit him with a bat in revenge Reply Parent Thread Link Hes British, white, and part of the royal family. Hes got a lot stacked against him, genetically. Reply Parent Thread Link The Sussex squad will have you know that he is looking extra sexy these days. Most importantly, they way the sun hits his head blinds you, making you unaware hes holding on to 3 single hair strands for dear life. Reply Parent Thread Link His ginger genes came through and he is a proud papa. He also inherits a shit ton of money from the Queen on his birthday, a cool 7-8 million dollars. I want that. Reply Thread Link Montecito?! Reply Thread Link The Polo documentary will be boring but he really found his niche with the Invictus Games and I think thats nice Reply Thread Link Hes only 40???!! Reply Thread Link A Polo Documentary? How thrilling. Reply Thread Link While Latin America and the Caribbean have shown the slowest growth in terms of energy transition in the last decade, Brazil and Chile performed extremely well, ranking in the top 20 performers worldwide, according to the World Economic Forums 2024 Fostering Effective Energy Transition Report. Both Latin American countries now have a diverse energy mix, with renewable sources contributing significantly to their energy demand. Further growth is expected to be seen in the coming years as both countries continue to develop their renewable energy capacity, with Brazil focusing on a gradual shift away from oil and gas production and Chile supporting the cleantech industry through lithium production. Brazil and Chile have approached the energy transition differently but have several overlapping achievements. They both sought to enhance energy security by investing in a diverse mix of energy sources, increase the share of renewable energy, introduce carbon pricing mechanisms, and establish regulatory environments to support an energy transition. The report showed that Brazil doubled down on its commitment to hydropower and biofuels to boost its renewable energy capacity, as well as introducing new wind and solar energy capacity. Renewable energy now contributes nearly half of Brazils energy demand. As the current president of the G20, Brazil is also supporting efforts to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors through the Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative. Meanwhile, Chile has increased its renewable energy capacity significantly in recent years, with solar and wind power now contributing around 35 percent of the countrys energy demand. Chiles clean energy agenda has helped drive projects forward, aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Policy Supporting Brazils Transition This September, the Senate voted in favour of the fuel of the future (combustivel do futuro) bill, which is expected to help accelerate Brazils green transition. The bill establishes national programmes for green diesel, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and biomethane, aimed at decarbonising hard-to-abate industries. Estimates suggest that the programme could help boost the annual demand for liquid biofuels by an additional 11.7Bl and biomethane by an extra 3.4Bm3, according to the consultancy firm Oliver Wyman. This could lead to an additional $10.4 billion of investment in the sector. In March, the government also approved the Paten energy transition programme, which will provide funds from tax and other credits owed to companies by the federal government. The programme will include funding for companies investing in green energy and clean tech. One of the main priorities of the programme will be the expansion of the production and transmission of solar, wind, biomass, biogas, natural gas, and hydroelectric plants of up to 50MW. In August, the government voted in favour of a new legal framework for low-carbon hydrogen in Brazil, establishing the National Low-Carbon Hydrogen Policy. It also saw the launch of the Brazilian Hydrogen Certification System and the Special Incentive Regime for Low-Carbon Hydrogen Production (Rehidro), a tax regime designed to encourage technological and industrial development. This is expected to support the deployment of production facilities for low-carbon hydrogen, renewable hydrogen, and green hydrogen. Chiles Transition and Challenges In Chile, the government has accelerated the energy transition through the establishment of a stable regulatory framework, the promotion of public-private partnerships, and strong climate policies. In addition to conventional renewable energy sources, Chile has committed to developing its non-traditional green energy sources. Chile plans to develop its longest power transmission line to further accelerate its green transition. The line will transport up to 3,000 MW of electricity between the northern province of Antofagasta and the capital city Santiago. Despite rapidly increasing its green energy capacity, Chiles transmission infrastructure has lagged in recent years. The Kimal-Lo Aguirre transmission project is expected to help connect more renewable energy projects to the grid. Chile still faces challenges in establishing greater stability in its renewable energy mix, as it experiences an unequal distribution of clean energy throughout the day. This forces Chile to continue relying on fossil fuels during the hours that renewable energy is not being produced. Ana Lia Rojas, the Executive Director of the Chilean Association of Renewable Energy and Storage (ACERA), explained, In Chile, we have a very high contribution of renewable energies during solar hours due to the large number of solar parks. Rojas added, The issue we must address is how to distribute this high percentage of renewable penetration in the rest of the hours of the day. One way in which Chile will tackle the power reliability issues is by developing its utility-scale battery storage capacity. In May, three utility-scale battery energy storage projects were announced, to be co-located with solar plants. Chile is now set to become the second-largest battery market in the Americas, after the U.S. In 2023, Chile opened 12 storage projects, with a total capacity of 1.3 GW. It currently has 85 energy storage projects, totalling 6.4 GW, in various stages of development. By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com After years of high oil prices and tight control of the market, the tide is turning for OPEC+, and Big Oil may be about to crumple under the weight of its own distribution. The Brent crude benchmark recently fell below $70 for the first time in three years, and this week the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced that they expect prices to keep on falling. Given the current weak demand and lots of oil coming from the non-Opec countries, mainly from America and others, we may well see downward pressure on the price, said Fatih Birol, the head of the EIA. Oil prices have been soaring since Russias invasion of Ukraine spurred sweeping energy sanctions, creating favorable conditions for a tight supply of global crude and considerable market control on the part of OPEC+. But now, the mood among traders and speculators has turned sharply in recent weeks on fears of weaker growth in China and the US, prompting Opec to delay a plan to start reversing more than 2mn barrels a day of cuts, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. According to Birol, the main culprit for the slowdown is the weakening of Chinese oil demand. In the last 10 years, around 60 per cent of global oil demand growth has come from China. Now the Chinese economy is slowing down, Birol said. Years of breakneck growth have peaked, and Beijing is now facing a protracted property crisis characterized by legions of unfinished housing, ballooning debts, weak consumption patterns, and blistering unemployment rates at the same time that the country is graduating its biggest cohort of students on record 11.9 million. This all poses a big problem for Big Oil. For the past three years, shareholders have been enjoying bumper payouts as oil supermajors went buyout crazy. Only this quarter, ExxonMobil Corp., Chevron Corp., Shell Plc, TotalEnergies SE and BP Plc plan to repurchase more than $16.5 billion of shares, Bloomberg reports. On an annualized basis, thats equal to $66 billion a year, or about 5.5% of Big Oils current combined market value. But now, investment banking firm Jefferies Financial Group Inc. is warning that this model is quickly becoming unsustainable as oil prices drop off, and that about half of international oil companies cant sustain their distribution without becoming increasingly indebted. Indeed, the turnaround will prove to be a stress test for many oil companies, which may not survive the downturn unscathed. It appears that the predominant boom-time OPEC+ strategy withholding supplies to juice prices and revenues for its 23 members is sustainable may be equally unsustainable. Recent attempts to boost the market by delaying supply increases have had virtually none of OPECs desired impact on oil prices, instead coinciding with the Brent benchmarks current three-year low. Wall Street is now wondering whether OPEC and its allies will make a complete pivot and reverse output curbs to try to kickstart a market-share war. India is strongly voicing its opinion that OPEC should do just that. India is the world's third biggest oil importer and consumer, and wants to lower prices at the pump while also meeting its own climbing demand. And Indias position holds increasing sway in oil markets as Chinas presence wanes. With China already falling behind its forecast trend, other Asian countries will become increasingly indispensable to growth in oil demand, the IEA says. However, OPEC remains far more optimistic about oil forecasts than the IEA. While the EIA forecasts that this years global oil demand will grow by 903,000 barrels a day, OPEC projects a growth rate of 2.03 million barrels a day this year and 1.74 million barrels a day next year. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com The NESO will play a crucial role in ensuring UK energy security, supporting the transition to net zero, and minimizing consumer bills. The ESO will transition to public ownership and become the National Energy System Operator (NESO) on 1 October. National Grid has agreed to sell its Electricity System Operator (ESO) to the UK government for 630m. National Grid has struck a deal to sell its Electricity System Operator (ESO) to the government for 630m, paving the way for the division to transition into public ownership. The FTSE 100 utility said on Friday that it expected the transaction to be completed on 1 October, when the government and regulator Ofgem aim to establish the National Energy System Operator (NESO). National Grids ESO operates the control room that balances power supply and demand in real time. Its sale comes after the passage of the Energy Act in October 2023, which will enable the ESO to become a public corporation that will act as the UKs independent system operator and planner. The government has said the NESO will play a vital role in supporting the UKs energy security, transition to net zero and minimising customers bills. The corporation is due to be chaired by Paul Golby, the former chief executive of E.ON UK. National Grid said the final value of the sale of its ESO would be subject to customary closing adjustments. The company operates energy networks on both sides of the Atlantic and earns the majority of its revenue from regulated settlements levied on energy bills. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said on Friday: Today marks a milestone for Britains energy system as we bring the system operator into public ownership to provide impartial, whole-system expertise on building a network that is fit for the future. The new National Energy System Operator has a huge role to play in delivering our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. This is another step forward by a government in a hurry to deliver for the British people. John Pettigrew, National Grids CEO, commented: We look forward to working together with NESO to continue to drive the UKs energy transition forward at pace; accelerating the decarbonisation of the energy system for the digital, electrified economies of the future. In May, National Grid announced a 7bn capital raise as part of efforts to double its capital spending over the five years to March 2029, ultimately expected to amount to 60bn. The announcement came alongside a set of full-year results in which the firm declared operating profit dipped eight per cent to 4.5bn, which it attributed to non-cash exceptional charges. By CityAM More Top Reads From Oilprice.com NEW YORK It's a practice that's about as American as apple pie accusing immigrant and minority communities of engaging in bizarre or disgusting behaviors when it comes to what and how they eat and drink, a kind of shorthand for saying they don't belong. The latest iteration came at Tuesday's presidential debate, when former President Donald Trump spotlighted a false online tempest around the Haitian immigrant community of Springfield, Ohio. He repeated the groundless claim previously spread by his running mate, JD Vance, that the immigrants were stealing dogs and cats, the precious pets of their American neighbors, and eating them. The furor got enough attention that officials had to step in to refute it, saying there was no credible evidence of any such thing. Such food-based accusations are not new. Food-related scorn and insults were hurled at immigrant Chinese communities on the West Coast in the late 1800s as they started coming to the U.S. in larger numbers, and in later decades spread to other Asian and Pacific Islander communities like Thai or Vietnamese. As recently as last year, a Thai restaurant in California was hit with the stereotype, which caused such an outpouring of undeserved vitriol that the owner had to close and move to another location. Behind it is the idea that "you're engaging in something that is not just a matter of taste, but a violation of what it is to be human," says Paul Freedman, a professor of history at Yale University. By tarring Chinese immigrants as those who would eat things Americans would refuse to, it made them the "other." Other communities were criticized for the perceived strangeness of what they were cooking when they were new arrivals, such as Italians using too much garlic or Indians too much curry powder. Minority groups with a longer presence in the country still face racist stereotypes think derogatory references to Mexicans and beans or insulting African Americans with remarks about fried chicken and watermelon. "There's a slur for almost every ethnicity based on some kind of food that they eat," says Amy Bentley, professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University. "And so that's a very good way of disparaging people." That's because food isn't just sustenance. Embedded in human eating habits are some of the very building blocks of culture things that make different peoples distinct and can be commandeered as fodder for ethnic hatred or political polemics. "We need it to survive, but it's also highly ritualized and highly symbolic. So the birthday cake, the anniversary, the things are commemorated and celebrated with food and drink," Bentley says. "It's just so highly integrated in all parts of our lives." Because "there's specific variations of how humans do those rituals, how they eat, how they have shaped their cuisines, how they eat their food," she adds, "It can be as a theme of commonality or it can be a form of distinct division." Insults can come from the how as well eating with hands or chopsticks instead of forks and knives, for example. It can be seen in class-based bias against poorer people who didn't have the same access to elaborate table settings or couldn't afford to eat the same way the rich did and used different, perhaps unfamiliar ingredients out of necessity. During the Second Gulf War, for example, Americans angry at France's opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq started calling french fries "freedom fries." A much-used insulting term in the U.S. for Germans during the world wars was "krauts" a slam on a culture where sauerkraut was a traditional food. "Just what was wrong with the way urban immigrants ate?" Donna R. Gabaccia wrote in her 1998 book, "We Are What We Eat: Ethnic Food and the Making of Americans." In reviewing attitudes of the early 20th century and its demands for "100% Americanism," she noted that "sauerkraut became 'victory cabbage'" and one account complained of an Italian family "still eating spaghetti, not yet assimilated." Such stereotypes persisted despite the fact that the American palate significantly expanded in recent decades, thanks in part to the influx of those immigrant communities, with grocery stores carrying a wealth of ingredients that would baffle previous generations. The rise of restaurant culture also introduced many diners to authentic examples of cuisines. After all, Bentley says, "when immigrants migrate to a different country, they bring their foodways with them and maintain them as they can. It's so reminiscent of family, community, home. They're just really material, multisensory manifestations of who we are." Haitian food is just one example of that. Communities like those found in New York City and south Florida added to the culinary landscape, using ingredients like goat, plantains and cassava. So when Trump said immigrants in Springfield whom he called "the people that came in" were eating dogs and cats and "the pets of the people that live there," the echoes of his remarks played into not just food but culture itself. The persistence of food stereotypes and outright insults, whether based in fact or completely made up shows that just because Americans eat more broadly, it doesn't mean that carries over into tolerance or nuance about other groups. "It's a fallacy to think that," Freedman says. "It's like the tourism fallacy that travel makes us more understanding of diversity. The best example right now is Mexican food. Lots and lots of people like Mexican food AND think that immigration needs to be stopped. There's no link between enjoyment of a foreigner's cuisine and that openness." More coverage: 15 formerly popular foods in America that are rarely eaten today 15 formerly popular foods in America that are rarely eaten today Robin pie Pickled herring Ambrosia salad Jello molds Salisbury steak TV dinners Malted milkshakes Ovaltine Fruitcake Necco wafers Orange drink Cheese in a can Olive loaf Succotash Ice cream sodas WASHINGTON President Joe Biden brushed off a threat from Russian leader Vladimir Putin about war against the West if Ukraine's allies allow it to use weapons deeper inside Russia. It's a shift that Kyiv has pleaded for. Ukraine and many of its supporters in the U.S. and Europe want Biden to lift restrictions on Western-provided long-range weapons, and there are signs Biden might shift the administration's policy. But the U.S., concerned about any step that could lead Russia to escalate the conflict, moved cautiously before granting a series of earlier requests from Ukraine for specific arms, including advanced tanks, missiles and rocket systems and F-16 fighter jets. Russian officials issued similar threats before many of those past decisions. Ukraine was a key topic for Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer who met Friday following this week's visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats, who came under fresh pressure to loosen weapons restrictions. So far, the U.S. allowed Ukraine to use American-provided weapons only in a limited area inside Russia's border with Ukraine. Two U.S. officials familiar with discussions said they believe Starmer would seek Biden's approval to allow Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow missiles for expanded strikes in Russia. Biden's approval may be needed because Storm Shadow components are made in the U.S. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share the status of private conversations, said they believed Biden would be amenable. No announcement was expected Friday, several U.S. officials said. Starmer said talks would continue when global leaders convene for the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering this month. This was a really important invitation from the president to have this level of discussion about those critical issues,'' he told reporters after the White House meeting. He added, Ukraine has a right to self-defense, and weve stood united. Putin said a day earlier that allowing long-range strikes "would mean that NATO countries, the United States and European countries, are at war with Russia." His remarks were in line with the narrative the Kremlin has promoted since early in the war, accusing NATO countries of de-facto participation in the conflict and threatening a response. Speaking to journalists shortly before the talks with Starmer, Biden said he wanted to make "clear that Putin will not prevail in this war." Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department announced new sanctions on Russian state media Friday, accusing a Kremlin news outlet of working with the Russian military and running fundraising campaigns to pay for equipment for soldiers fighting in Ukraine. While the outlet, RT, has previously been sanctioned for its work to spread Kremlin propaganda and disinformation, the new allegations suggest its role goes far beyond influence operations. Instead, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, RT is a key part of Russia's war machine and its efforts to undermine its democratic adversaries. RT wants its new covert intelligence capabilities, like its longstanding propaganda disinformation efforts, to remain hidden, Blinken told reporters. Our most powerful antidote to Russias lies is the truth. Its shining a bright light on what the Kremlin is trying to do under the cover of darkness. RT has also created websites posing as legitimate news sites to spread disinformation and propaganda in Europe, Africa, South America and elsewhere, officials said. They say the outlet has also expanded its use of cyber operations with a new unit with ties to Russian intelligence created last year. The developments came as Russia accused six British diplomats of spying Friday and said it decided to expel them. The U.K. said the completely baseless move came weeks ago and was linked to its action in May to revoke the credentials of an attache at the Russian Embassy and limit Moscows diplomatic activities in London. Russias Federal Security Service said it received documents indicating the diplomats were sent to Russia by a division of the U.K.'s Foreign Office whose main task is to inflict a strategic defeat on our country, and that they were involved in intelligence-gathering and subversive activities. The FSB warned that if other diplomats are found to be carrying out similar actions, it will demand early termination of their missions to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed the U.S. and other allies to allow his forces to use Western weapons to target Russian air bases and launch sites far from the border as Russia stepped up assaults on Ukraine's electricity grid and utilities before winter. "The war must become more difficult for Russia that is the only way to make them realize it must end," he posted Friday on social media. Zelenskyy's appeal garnered support in U.S. and European security and diplomatic circles, including from some former U.S. generals and diplomats, lawmakers and security analysts. They argue that Russia's previous threats of escalation against the West proved hollow and that the U.S. restrictions on weapons are making it impossible for Ukraine to gain the battlefield momentum it needs. Even a few Ukrainian strikes with heavier weapons on military targets deeper into Russia would put more strain on Russian logistics, troops and other resources, said George Barros, a security analyst for the Institute for the Study of War. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed Friday that decisions on what military support to provide Ukraine were complex, saying, "There is no silver bullet when it comes to things like this." DAKOTA CITY, Neb. A red 5-gallon gas can. Three spent .44-caliber shell casings and a live round of the same caliber. Cotton swabs used to collect DNA samples. Jurors in the Jason Jones murder trial were able to see and, in some cases, handle the bagged exhibits, among the dozens of items, photos and videos meticulously entered into evidence Friday during the second day of evidence and witness testimony. For nearly four hours, Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Sandra Allen presented photos and items to Nebraska State Patrol investigator Tim Doggett, who identified each of them and detailed how investigators collected and processed them from the interior and exterior of Michele Ebelings Laurel, Nebraska, home on Aug. 4, 2022. It had the smell of gasoline and burnt material, Doggett said of the homes interior, where photos were shown of a pattern on the carpet that Doggett said was a trail in which a fire accelerant had been poured. Near the trail was the gas can, which still contained more than a gallon of liquid when taken into evidence. Outside, Ebelings body had been placed in the grass and covered with a sheet. Photos showed burnt clothing on her body, and her left leg had a large burn. A spent .44-caliber shell casing was found stuck in her groin area. A similar shell casing was found at the back door. Gunshot wounds were observed on Ebelings upper chest and forehead, her body smelled of gasoline and her clothing was wet, Doggett said. Both gunshot wounds showed signs of stippling, or small burns from gunpowder, Nebraska State Patrol investigator Jeremy Hampton testified. Judging from the amount of stippling, he said, the gun had been fired approximately 2 feet from Ebeling. Jones, 44, has pleaded not guilty to four counts each of first-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony and two counts of first-degree arson for the shooting deaths of Ebeling, 53, in her home and Gene Twiford, 86, his wife, Janet Twiford, 85, and their daughter Dana Twiford, 55, in their home and setting both houses on fire. Much of Fridays proceedings focused on the investigation into the fire at Ebelings home, a small one-bedroom house at 209 Elm St. she shared with Brian Welch. A truck driver, Welch testified briefly Friday that he had been hauling a load of cattle at the time of Ebelings death. He had spoken with her on the phone hours before her death, ending the conversation at 1 a.m. on Aug. 4. Welch said neither he nor Ebeling knew Jones or his wife, Carrie, and he had spoken only once to Carrie Jones, who turned and walked away from him when he complimented her on her yard, Welch said. I didnt know their names. I didnt know anything about them, Welch said. Photos from the Ebeling homes interior showed burnt areas of carpet and paint in the living room and bedroom walls that had bubbled from the heat of the fire. A nightstand and its contents next to the bed were charred. In the laundry room near the back door, where firefighters had found Ebeling lying on her right side, a large pool of blood stained the floor. A spent shell casing was found on the steps outside the door, a live round near the body. Investigators zeroed in on a hole near the deadbolt lock on the wooden back door. Tests showed it lined up with a hole in a stack of boxes across the room from the door. Detectives moved the boxes and behind them found a spent shell casing and a hole in the wall from which they recovered a bullet. A hole in a second box also was discovered, and a second bullet was removed from a hole in the wall behind it. While investigators processed the scene, a similar one was beginning to play out three blocks away. Gail Curry had been called at about 9:30 a.m. and informed of a fire at the home of her parents, Gene and Janet Twiford. Curry testified she raced to the house at 503 Elm St. and walked to the back door, where exiting firefighters told her the fire was out. Authorities would not let Curry enter the house to check on her parents and sister, Dana, who lived with them. I would ask are they in there, and no one would respond, Curry testified. Later, Curry said, Laurel police chief Ron Lundahl informed her that her parents and sister were dead. The trial will resume Monday in Dakota County District Court, where it has been moved from Cedar County after a judge determined it would be hard for Jones to receive a fair trial there. Jones continues to be absent after his lawyer asked he be excused from appearing in person because he cant sit upright for long periods of time because of severe burn injuries he received the night of the shootings. He remains in custody in a state corrections facility in Lincoln. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Seyi Makinde, was declared the winner of the Oyo State governorship election that held on March 9. Mr Makinde won 28 out of the 33 local governments in the state, leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Adebayo Adelabu, with only five. The governor-elect received 515, 621 votes to defeat his closest rival from the APC, Mr Adelabu, who polled 357, 982 votes. The margin of defeat is 157,639 votes. Forty-two political parties contested the governorship election, even though many of them dropped their ambition at the last minute to align with either the PDP or the APC. Their names remained on the ballot, notwithstanding and they received votes. The defeat of the APC by the opposition was however not shocking for many Nigerians as the PDP earlier won the state in the February 23 presidential election. PREMIUM TIMES in this analysis reviews how the activities of the incumbent governor, Abiola Ajimobi, helped his party lose the polls. Background Mr Ajimobi contested in 2011 under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and was elected in a keenly contested election as the governor of the Oyo State. After his four-year first term, he contested for a second term in an election that took place on April 11, 2015, under the APC for re-election against two of his predecessors in office, Alao Akala and Rashidi Ladoja. He was re-elected and became the first person to occupy the seat twice in the state. This fetched Mr Ajimobi the nickname: Kosheleri (It has not happened before). After his re-election, many believed that Mr Ajimobi relaxed and felt too fulfilled to have broken a jinx. He allowed his re-election to enter his head. He believed he has done what no man can do again. He neglected pensioners and talked to elders anyhow. He left some projects abandoned and allowed school children to even dislike him, an octogenarian, Isiaka Alimi told PREMIUM TIMES. Also, Mr Ajimobi enjoyed the confidence of the partys national leadership to the extent of being entrusted with the reconciliation of members in other states. However, he failed in reconciling the crisis of APC within his state. This included the crisis between himself and the Ministry of Communications, Adebayo Shittu. Having noticed that Mr Ajimobi was losing his grip in the state, after the presidential election,a national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, made efforts to bring back those that left the party, including Alao-Akala, to strengthen APCs chances at the governorship election, but all efforts failed. The battle with Olubadan One of the straws that perhaps broke the camels back was the review of Olubadan Chieftaincy declaration by Mr Ajimobi. This pitched the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, against the governor and the royal family alongside with some core Ibadan indigenes are yet to forget the embarrassment. The throne is bigger than anybody. If the Governor believes he has constituted authority, we have seen now. The relationship between the palace and Ajimobi is like cat and mouse. He spoke recklessly, and now, he finds himself in the pit, a chief in the palace of Olubadan, who does not want his name on print said. This move was a plan to render Olubadan useless. The steps by Ajimobi was for a political reason, using the new kings to his advantage rather than having to rely on just the Olubadan. He also told our correspondent that Mr Adelabu did not offend anyone, but the fact that he was the anointed candidate of Mr Ajimobi made people withdraw their support for him. Adelabu did not offend anyone. He fought a good fight, and we are proud of how the race went. But you know that cattle that walk with the dog will eat faeces, he said in Yoruba. Battles on all fronts Mr Ajimobis perceived poor approach to issues affecting the state also affected the party. In 2018, the Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners filed a suit against Mr Ajimobi and others over unpaid N42.3 billion pensions and gratuities to its members. The first term of this government was rosy in term of the fund and 13th month was paid to workers. Such largesse was never extended to the pensioners. The alleged sin of these retired primary school teachers and council retirees is that they did not vote for this government in 2011 and 2015. Another election is coming in 2019, how do you persuade more than 16,000 retired primary school teachers and council retirees, and their dependants to vote for a government that had turned them into nonentities?, Gbadegesin Akande, the head of Oyo pensioners had said then. Also, workers of Oyo-owned schools and students have clashed with the APC led government in the state. For several months, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (a school co-owned Oyo and Osun) was shut due to the inability of the government to fund the school. This was also obtainable in the states colleges of education and polytechnics. In 2016, secondary school students in Oyo state protested over the new educational policy in the state which aimed at privatising school ownership. Some protesting students destroyed a billboard of the state governor. Also, LAUTECH students played a major role in the fall of APC in Oyo State, many opined. In 2017 while LAUTECH was shut, a video of Mr Ajimobi went viral where he rudely addressed protesting students. Ajimobis arrogance is so disturbing. You will recall how he displayed a lack of empathy when students protested eight months of closure of their school. Ajimobi said the students did not respect constituted authority and told us to do our worst. Now, we have done our worst, and APC government is out of the state, Kazeem Adefarati, a student leader in LAUTECH told PREMIUM TIMES. How can a governor say to protesters, Go and do your worst. Am I the person that closed your school? The state lacks responsible and responsive leadership in Oyo, and if APC continues, there may be more problems. After the protest, Mr Ajimobi demanded an apology from the students saying they were rude to him. The example of what happened in Oyo is fast happening everywhere even in Kwara, Mr Adefarati said. Battle with Ayefele, others The demolition of Yinka Ayefele fresh FM also ignited the fire of hatred people have for APC government. You could remember that Seyi Makinde went to music house, consoled Ayefele over the incident, Ajayi Aliu said. Even though they later reconciled and built the music house, his arrogance and approach to issues did not save him and his party. Another voter, Funke Ogunrounmu who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES said: You dare not talk to him while seated except he asked you to do so. There are lots of issues that left to his defeat. Imagine, asking parents of protesting pupils in 2016 to apologise before opening their school. He is no God. I can tell you for free that Ajimobi attitude of Imperial Majesty-ship brought the APC in Oyo to where they are today. More reactions Funsho Soremekun, a public affairs analyst, told PREMIUM TIMES that the Oyo State election shows that strength belongs to the people. What happened in Oyo shows that strength belongs to the people. They maintain the right to elect and remove. That should send a signal to other government officials that they are being examined by people and if they fail, they will be removed, he said. Also, another, Sodiya Waheed said: Not just Oyo but in all parts of the country. People have spoken, and failed leaders are being thrown out. It is, however, a shame that they use their failure to affect that of their party candidates, he said. EFCC has re-arraigned Abdullahi Babalele, a son-in-law of the former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, in the 2019 general elections, Atiku Abubakar. Babalele was re-arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on a 2 count charge bordering on allegations of money laundering. According to the charge signed on behalf of the EFCC by its prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, Mr Babalele committed the offence in February 2019. When the charges were read to him, Babalele pleaded not guilty. Then his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) argued his application seeking the permission of the court for the release of his international passport to enable him to travel abroad for medical treatment. The EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, raised objections to the request insisting that there was no materials placed before the court to warrant the application being granted. Oyedepo also insisted that there is no evidence that the defendant cannot be treated in the country. He asked the court to dismiss the application and instead order for an accelerated trial. Justice Aneke has fixed Oct 11 for his ruling. Babalele was first arraigned before Justice Nicolas Oweibo during the courts annual vacation and was granted bail in the sum of N20m. Justice Nicholas Oweibo admitted Babalele to bail in the sum of N20million with one surety in like sum. The judge said the surety must be resident in Lagos and must produce evidence of means through an affidavit. Babalele was also directed to deposit his passport, which has been with the EFCC, with the court. The two counts against Abdullahi reads; COUNT 1: That you Abdullahi Babalele on or about the 20th day of February 2019 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court. procured Bashir Mohammed to make a cash payment of the sum of $140,000. 00 (One Hundred and Forty Thousand United State Dollars) without going through a financial institution, which sum exceeded the amount authorized by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(c) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act. Count 2: That you Abdullahi Babalele on or about the 20th day of February 2019 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, aided Bashir Mohammed to make a cash payment of the sum of $140,000. 00 (One Hundred and Forty Thousand United State Dollars) without going through financial institution, which sum exceeded the amount authorized by Law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act. BLOOMINGTON The Bloomington-Normal NAACP has announced the awardees for its Freedom Fund Banquet, as well as the keynote speaker for the event on Saturday, Sept. 21. State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, will be the keynote speaker for the evening, which is themed "All In!" According to a Friday news release, the local branch of the NAACP will recognize four people for their help with the needy and work for a more inclusive community. Dorothy S. Brooks will receive the 2024 Mr. Roy Wilkins Award for her help coordinating the Back 2 School Alliance, which helps thousands of students and families each year get school supplies for free. She has been honored in the past for her work with local chapters of Historic Black Fraternities and Sororities like Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Shaun Harden will receive the 2024 Mr. Harry Hightower Award for his work in the Black Student Union at University High School fighting racism and discrimination and for his current position as first vice president of the B-N NAACP's Youth Council. Doris Houston will receive the 2024 Mr. Merlin Kennedy Community Service Award. Houston holds a Ph.D. in human development and family studies and served several years as chief equity and inclusion officer at Illinois State University, where she still teaches. Takesha Stokes will be named the 2024 Woman of the Year. Stokes received the Mr. Roy Wilkins Award in 2015 and is a lifelong member of the B-N NAACP. She is also heavily involved with Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church and its food pantry, working to keep it open and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Imane Badarou, a student in the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University, will receive the NAACP-AMVET Nursing Scholarship. Friday's press release said awarding Badarou the scholarship helps African Americans succeed in health care. "The NAACP desires to assist African Americans in the healthcare field of study to minimize racial and ethnic disparities" in medicine, the release said. The Freedom Fund Banquet will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 10 Brickyard Drive, Bloomington. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the banquet will run from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased until noon on Wednesday, Sept. 18, by following this link: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/42ea5532-fd77-4e02-abb5-cb9ec4f6ee11 For more information, contact Willie Holton Halbert at dime54@aol.com or 309-287-1954 Close Gamma Phi Circus performer Avery Byrd flies through the air and punches through a paper hoop during the circus group's first show on Sunday for the Sweet Corn Circus in Normal. Gamma Phi Circus performers juggle clubs during the Illinois State University circus group's show Sunday for the Sweet Corn Circus in Normal. From right, Gamma Phi Circus clowns Samantha Skinner as Officer Sydney Sluthy dances and high kicks with Miles Maxwell as Bippy during a Sweet Corn Circus show Sunday in Normal. Gamma Phi Circus performers run unicycle-mounted stunts Sunday for one of their shows at the Sweet Corn Circus in Normal. Gamma Phi Circus performers run line-dance numbers during a show finale Sunday in Uptown Normal during the Sweet Corn Circus festival. Photos: Gamma Phi Circus performs make big stunts and gags at sweet corn fest Big crowds filled uptown Saturday and Sunday for the annual Sweet Corn Circus in Uptown Normal. Gamma Phi Circus at ISU put on stunt-filled shows for all ages. Gamma Phi Circus performer Avery Byrd flies through the air and punches through a paper hoop during the circus group's first show on Sunday for the Sweet Corn Circus in Normal. Gamma Phi Circus performers juggle clubs during the Illinois State University circus group's show Sunday for the Sweet Corn Circus in Normal. From right, Gamma Phi Circus clowns Samantha Skinner as Officer Sydney Sluthy dances and high kicks with Miles Maxwell as Bippy during a Sweet Corn Circus show Sunday in Normal. Gamma Phi Circus performers run unicycle-mounted stunts Sunday for one of their shows at the Sweet Corn Circus in Normal. Gamma Phi Circus performers run line-dance numbers during a show finale Sunday in Uptown Normal during the Sweet Corn Circus festival. Cultural vibes favored by tourists in upcoming holiday 08:23, September 14, 2024 By Cheng Si ( China Daily Based on the buying trends of Chinese travelers who will embrace the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from Sunday, tourism service providers have found that short-distance tours with loose schedules are gaining in popularity. Dating back thousands of years, the annual holiday is one of China's most traditional festivals and falls on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar. It is normally celebrated with family reunions, worshiping the full moon, and praying for a good harvest and happiness. Travel portal Fliggy said that as of Sept 4, tour bookings including hotel, car rental services and tickets for tourism attractions have experienced double-digit growth on its platform in the recent week, when compared to pre-COVID-19 levels. Allowing for the short duration of the holiday from Sunday to Tuesday with Saturday for work in lieu of the day off on Monday, this year short-distance tours to places near one's working or living cities are favored, Fliggy said. Tourism attractions with strong Chinese cultural vibes and folk activities such as temple fairs and rabbit-shaped lanterns, common traditions during this particular holiday, have received an increase in bookings for the festival. Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen are the top five destinations this year, said Fliggy, which attributes their high popularity to the rich number of tourism resources both in the city centers and outskirts, as well as the abundance of convenient transportation options within the cities and to neighboring towns and tourist attractions. Fliggy found its users are also focusing more on enjoying traditional rituals to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, with searches for tours concerning temple fairs, as well as moon and lantern appreciation surging on the platform by an average of 60 percent. Customers have also shown a greater interest in taking photos wearing hanfu traditional Chinese clothing during their trips. Li Qing, 33, from Shanghai, said: "I've planned a family trip with my parents, husband and little daughter to Suzhou, in Jiangsu province, as the city is very close to Shanghai roughly half an hour by high-speed train. The holiday is short and we just need a place to chill and relax." Suzhou is Li's mother's hometown, so it's "a meaningful trip for the family to get some old-world memories during the holiday carrying meanings of reunion," she said. Online travel agency Tuniu said travel bookings to Shanxi and Gansu provinces, which boast cultural relics of temples and Buddhist grottos with a history of thousands of years, are experiencing remarkable growth. The company said that the surge in bookings to these destinations is mainly driven by the recent hit video game Black Myth: Wukong, which is based on the Chinese traditional novel Journey to the West, as well as people's increasing desire for experiencing cultural vibes during the holiday. Travel agencies said many customers plan to have a longer vacation of five or even eight days by asking for several days off work following the holiday, eyeing destinations farther afield or even overseas trips. Fliggy confirmed that overseas travel bookings for the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday this year surpassed levels during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival in June, and short-distance overseas destinations including Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand remain the top choices. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) The outgoing President of the Ghana Bar Association, Yaw Acheampong Boafo, has called for a revision of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy to ensure that students from wealthier backgrounds pay fees. He called for the use of the National Identification Authority data for a means-tested system to prevent the rich from exploiting the system, while fully supporting students from vulnerable and poor backgrounds. Students from comfortable backgrounds who attended expensive basic schools must pay fees at the senior high school level so that resources are freed to fully cater for the poor and vulnerable, Mr Boafo said. He was speaking last Monday at the Annual Conference of the Ghana Bar Association in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi. The conference attracted a large number of legal practitioners, the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo; the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, and other ministers of state; the Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Rita Akosua Dickson; clergymen, members of the Council of State, chiefs and queen mothers. The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, also attended the conference. Basic education Mr Boafo highlighted the importance of prioritizing the improvement of basic education, such as eliminating schools under trees and providing sanitary products for girls in need, over-subsidizing secondary education for those who could afford it. He also referenced recent concerns about the school feeding programme revealed by the Auditor General, calling for a review and improvements to better serve the programmes intended beneficiaries from poorer backgrounds. As a nation, our security is threatened when a chasm develops between the rich and the poor, the urban dweller and the rural dweller, he said. Mr Boafo also called on the government and successive governments to implement policies that would improve and make public school education at the basic level both accessible to the poor and marginalised in society while ensuring quality. In my opinion, the award of government scholarships should be only what it is, that is, informed by real merit, economic and financial need of beneficiaries, especially those from poor backgrounds, and relevance to specific critical areas of study and research, especially when such critical areas of study and research, particularly in science, technology and research programmes that are not offered by local universities. I find it immoral and troubling that government scholarships are given or awarded to persons with political connections and who are already from privileged and rich backgrounds at the expense of brilliant, truly needed individuals and students, Mr Boafo said. Source: graphiconline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video China will "gradually raise" its retirement age for the first time since the 1950s, as the country confronts an ageing population and a dwindling pension budget. The top legislative body on Friday approved proposals to raise the statutory retirement age from 50 to 55 for women in blue-collar jobs, and from 55 to 58 for females in white-collar jobs. Men will see an increase from 60 to 63. China's current retirement age is among the lowest in the world. According to the plan passed on Friday, the change will set in from 1 January 2025, with the respective retirement ages raised every few months over the next 15 years, said Chinese state media. Retiring before the statutory age will not be allowed, state news agency Xinhua reported, although people can delay their retirement by no more than three years. Starting 2030, employees will also have to make more contributions to the social security system in order to receive pensions. By 2039, they would have to clock 20 years of contributions to access their pensions. The state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said in 2019 that the country's main state pension fund will run out of money by 2035 - and that was an estimate before the Covid-19 pandemic, which hit China's economy hard. The plan to raise retirement ages and adjust the pension policy was based on "a comprehensive assessment of the average life expectancy, health conditions, the population structure, the level of education and workforce supply in China," Xinhua reported. But the announcement has drawn some scepticism and discontent on the Chinese internet. "In the next 10 years, there will be another bill that will delay retirement until we are 80," one user wrote on a Chinese social media site Weibo. "What a miserable year! Middle-aged workers are faced with pay cuts and raised retirement ages. Those who are unemployed find it increasingly difficult to get jobs," another chimed in. Others said they had anticipated the announcement. "This was expected, there isn't much to discuss. "Men in most European countries retire when they are 65 or 67, while women do at 60. This is going to be the trend in our country as well," one Weibo user said. China's huge population has fallen for a second consecutive year in 2023 as its birth rate continues to decline. Meanwhile, its average life expectancy has risen to 78.2 years, officials said earlier this year. According to the World Health Organization, almost a third of China's population - about 402 million people - will be aged over 60 by 2040, up from 254 million in 2019. A demographic crisis unfolding A slowing economy, shrinking government benefits and a decades-long one-child policy have created a creeping demographic crisis in China, our China correspondent Laura Bicker wrote earlier this year. China's pension pot is running dry and the country is running out of time to build enough of a fund to care for the growing number of elderly. Over the next decade, about 300 million people, who are currently aged 50 to 60, are set to leave the Chinese workforce. This is the country's largest age group, nearly equivalent to the size of the US population. So who will look after them? The answer depends on where you go and who you ask. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has congratulated Efua Ghartey on her historic election as the first female President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA). According to him, For over a century, the legal profession in Ghana has been dominated by men, but this moment marks a turning point. Efua Ghartey made history when she was elected as the first female president of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), marking a significant achievement in Ghanas legal profession. In a message on his Facebook page on September 13, President Akufo Addo wrote: "A hearty congratulations to Mrs. Efua Ghartey and Mrs. Victoria Osei-Bonsu Barth on their remarkable victories in this years Ghana Bar Association elections! Mrs. Gharteys determination and perseverance have finally been rewarded as she becomes the first female National President of the Bar Council after three attempts. As a member of the Bar, I am elated to live to see this day when the Bar is led by a woman. As President of the Republic, this victory is even more significant as it coincides with the recent passage of the Affirmative Action Act, making it an even more powerful statement in the journey towards gender equality. "Mrs. Ghartey and Mrs. Barth have shattered the glass ceiling, and in doing so, they have paved the way for many more young women to believe in their dreams and rise to the highest levels of leadership. Their victory is more than a personal triumph; it is a beacon of hope for every woman and girl aspiring to take up space in traditionally male-dominated fields. The cycle has indeed been broken, and the future is bright. Bravo to these two exceptional womenyour achievements will inspire future generations! I wish you and the other National Executives of the Bar Council of the Ghana Bar Association the very best in fulfilling your mandate". Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Institute of Progressive Governance (IPG), has noted that for the country to be successful in dealing with illegal mining popularly called galamsey, the approach must be collective. In a statement issued by IPG in the media, the think tank believes if the galamsey fight is left for only the party in power to deal with, little progress would be made. Over the years, the fight against galamsey has been left for only the party in power. Opposition parties have not been part of the fight, and this is the main reason behind the failures witnessed in this fight the statement said. IPG noted that when government or the party in power is determined to root out galamsey, the opposition takes advantage of it and campaigns against the ruling party, thereby affecting the measures put in place to fight the menace. The think tank also used the opportunity to chastise the former president and flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama and his party for frustrating the fight against galamsey. While the government might have not gotten everything right in its efforts to root out galamsey, we must also cite the flagbearer of the opposition NDC, John Mahama, for contributing to the mess we see today. His pronouncements in the run-up to the 2020 elections have promoted illegal mining activities. One can say that these miners have been emboldened by the assurance John Mahama gave to them that even if caught and jailed, he would free them. Thats an irresponsible statement to make by anyone who seeks to lead the country the statement further explained. This is what the former president said to the jailed galamseyers when he was campaigning in 2020. WHEN WE COME, WE SHALL GRANT ALL THOSE ARRESTED AND JAILED AMNESTY. THEY WILL COME BACK TO THEIR HOMES AND WORK. How can any fight, irrespective of its scale, achieve any tangible results when the main opposition leader is preaching like this to the very people who are engaging in the massive destruction of our environment? IPG asked. The statement also zeroed in on the roles some key members of the opposition NDC played during the 2020 electioneering campaign. IPG describes it as shocking the intense campaign the NDC embarked on to assure illegal miners of their unflinching support. It is horrifying watching videos of key NDC functionaries assuring illegal miners of unrestrained access to mine in water bodies and forest areas should they vote for Mahama. It was more than shocking to see such influential persons in the NDC supporting the devastation of our environment The think tank further noted that, as a human institution, the party in power would be hesitant in fighting galamsey looking at how the party suffered at the polls in areas where illegal mining activities are rampant. The NPP waged a war against galamsey but lost almost all the seats it occupied in the constituencies where galamsey is rampant due to the NDC assuring those illegal miners of their support, and their promise to them of a return to ply their illegal mining operations should John Mahama win the 2020 elections. With the benefit of hindsight, the party in government would be hesitant in decisively dealing with galamsey at this material moment for fear of losing seats in these constituencies While IPG believes that the calls from organized labour, the clergy and all other groups on President Akufo-Addo to ban mining activities in all its forms may not be bad, it also believes a different approach must be adopted in the fight against galamsey now. The calls on President Akufo-Addo to ban mining activities in all their forms may not be bad, but that is not the best way to handle it. The fight must be collective. It must be nationalistic. It should involve the flagbearer of the NDC and the leadership of the party to commit to the fight by signing a pact, to be supervised by all these groups calling on the government to ban mining. That is the only way we shall have a true sense of purpose and commitment to fight galamsey According to IPG, all hands must be on deck if the country is to be able to fight and root out galamsey. Source: Peacefmonline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of mining, George Mireku Duker has clapped back at Organized Labour for their call to ban mining activities in Ghana following the increasing rate of illegal mining activities. According to him, their call cannot be taken. Organized Labour has added their voice to the increasing calls from groups and individuals to ban mining activities by the government and even threatened to go on strike if the government fails to heed to their call. However, the Tarkwa Nsuaem Legislator, George Mireku Duker has said Organized Labours call to ban mining is misdirected and cannot be taken. Speaking at the commissioning of a community mining at Meretweso in the Upper Denkyira East Municipality of the Central Region, George Mireku Duker questioned the role and concerns by Organized Labour when former President John Mahama promised illegal miners of their support when voted into power. "I believe the NDC is behind the numerous calls to ban mining," he added He said the Akufo-Addo led administration has put number of measures in place to fight galamsey by introducing operation vanguard where security forces were deployed to protect water bodies and forest reserves. Government cannot ban mining because of illegal mining but is committed to put pragmatic measures in place to ensure water resources and forest reserves are protected from these illegal activities. "Do we ban animal farming whenever there is an outbreak of swine flu or any animal related diseases? No, We just put down measures to mitigate or eliminate them. Same thing is been applied to mining," he added. Hon. Mireku Duker said the concerns raised by Organized Labour is genuine due to the negative impact on water bodies and environment. However, banning mining is not the solution and is therefore calling on all Ghanaians to come together and support the government in the fight against galamsey. Source: Prince Kwadwo Boadu/Hello FM Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The woes of teachers and students of the Brofoyedru primary school in the Atwima Kwanwoma district of the Ashanti Region will soon come to an end. Over the years, teachers and students have to cross the main street linking the school and the community to access potable drinking water and also attend to nature's call. This according to the headmaster of the school Asare Bediako has hampered teaching and learning. Speaking at a short ceremony organized by the Rotary Club of Kumasi to kickstart the construction of 12 Boreholes and 75 Micro Flush Toilets for some selected schools in Kumasi and Obuasi, the headmaster of Brofoyedru D/A primary school commended the Rotary Club of Kumasi and their partners for coming to their aid to put up a washroom facility and a borehole for the school. The Rotary Club of Kumasi and the Calgary Stampede Rotary Club of Canada have teamed up to construct 12 boreholes and 75 micro flush toilet facilities for some schools in the Ashanti Region at the cost of USD 70,000. The initiative as explained by the club President Nana Afia Osei Asamoah aligns with Rotary Internationals focus on water and sanitation, one of its seven key areas of engagement with communities worldwide under the theme "Magic of Rotary" for the 2024/25 Rotary year. She said they were motivated by a request from the authorities of the school to come to their aid to fix the challenges they were grappling with. "As a club, we are always willing to support humanity. We decided to offer support to the school after they submitted their request which was consistent with the objectives of Rotary such as the provision of WASH facilities, economic empowerment, child health, etc", the President added. She revealed that the project is scheduled to be completed in a year, within which it will be handed over to authorities of the school. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video As part of commitments towards healthcare promotion and accessibility, Obuasi Rotarians have chalked a huge feet in providing support to their counterparts in Chesapeake to equip their Regional Healthcare Centre with a Mobile Medical Van to service the health needs of communities in the Southeastern of Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. No appointment or insurance is required by this service. This demonstrates effective partnerships amongst Rotary clubs in finding innovative solutions to the continuous call for healthcare support around the world. Rotarians around the world are People of Action and their activities are consistently impacting many lives through good health support, clean water and sanitation, maternal and child-care, promoting local economies, peacebuilding and conflict resolutions, support for our environment, basic education and literacy. The mobile medical van, estimated at $328,000 was financed jointly by the Chesapeake Regional Health Centre, The Rotary Foundation, Rotary International Districts 9104 and 7600, represented by Obuasi and Chesapeake clubs respectively. Funding takes care of equipment purchase, training of skilled personnel to manage the fleet and installation of specialized units for optimal offsite health delivery. Dr. Clare Mundy, director for the mobile medical unit is optimistic that the facility will gain build trust and serve the aged in its joining cities. The clinic will provide needed healthcare services to low-income families that currently do not have access to healthcare on regular basis. Families with limited health insurance and often do not have access to transportation will also be served under this intervention. Immediate Past President, Godfrey Mwachande of Obuasi Rotary Club emphasized the need for joint action as defined in Rotarys 5 avenues of service which are vocational service, community service, club service, international service and youth service. This year, Rotary International seeks to share the Magic of Rotary to the world. District Governor for Rotary District 9104(Ghana) , Florence Maame Hagan is optimistic that in unity we can strengthen our collective arms of giving and bring lasting solutions to our troubled planet. This she affirmed during a visit to fellowship with Rotary clubs of Obuasi and Dunkwa assisted by Assistant Governors Nana Esi Adade Amankwah and Patricia Effah. Globally Rotarians are changing the narrative with their impactful service projects living by the mantra of the Rotary Four-Way Test Of the things we think, say or do, Is it the TRUTH, is it FAIR to all concerned, will it bring GOODWILL AND BETTER FRIENDSHIP, will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned. Florence Maame Hagan, District Governor for Rotary International District 9104, Ghana continues to inspire her members in the seven areas of focus where Rotary activities are defined. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Pressure group Fixing The Country Movement and Patriotic Troopers in a joint statement says they will hit the streets to demonstrate against the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for continuously bastardizing the Electoral Commission (EC). According to them, there will be a Mass Action on September 17, 2024, against NDC after urging all Ghanaians to join. They believed the NDC was inciting the masses against the EC with their false claims that the commission was working to rig the December 7, election for the New Patriotic Party (NPP). In light of the above, Fixing the Country Movement and Patriotic Troopers are organising a counter-demonstration on September 17, to drum home the point that the EC is being targeted by the NDC unfairly and unduly. A portion of their statement said. Read the full statement below Notice of Mass Action on September 17, 2024, against NDC bastardization of the EC --------- Fixing the Country Movement and Patriotic Troopers of Ghana are appalled at the manner the Electoral Commission (EC) has come under attack in recent times. These attacks emanating from the stables of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) suggest that the EC is on a mission to rig the 2024 general elections in favour of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). When Johnson Asiedu Nkentiah stood on an NDC campaign platform and called on his partisan followers to go out on the street and demonstrate against the electoral commission on September 17, he was making a mockery of our democracy. And when the NDC flagbearer, John Mahama reiterated this call by urging his party membership to go and demonstrate at the offices of the EC, he was being disingenuous and dishonourable. It is quite clear that the call by the NDC for forensic examination of the voter roll is borne out of the partys attempt to bastardize the commission. Of course, the propaganda machinery of the opposition NDC has devolved into a pointless internecine politics of attrition. So much that, even the inquisitiveness of our traditional party politics has been circumscribed by the unwarranted presumption that propaganda is the way out. It is therefore no wonder to have woken up to yet another dose of NDCs mind management tactic of creating a discursive regime of the inevitability of its propagandist politics with this clear attempt to destabilise the EC. In light of the above, Fixing the Country Movement and Patriotic Troopers are organising a counter-demonstration on September 17, to drum home the point that the EC is being targeted by the NDC unfairly and unduly. We're by this public statement issuing a notice of public action on the same day that the NDC is organising theirs - we are leading a citizens coalition for mass action to condemn the NDC's Communist tactics. We also call on peace-loving Ghanaians to join hands with the Fixing the Country Movement and Patriotic Troopers to send a clear message to the NDC that enough is enough. As trusting citizens, it is our collective responsibility to put the country first and stand up against saboteurs. It is truly beyond comprehension that the NDC is so poorly led that Mahama can get away with such loose talks and disrespect for our institutions of democracy. Truly, the NDC has a notoriety for black propaganda and this is one of their antiquated antics. Indeed, this latest propaganda could very well amount to dancing themselves lame in rehearsals for a dancing contest they may not eventually take part in. The NDC and Mahama remain a clear and present danger to our democracy. The NDCs desperate bid to grab power using subterfuge is the reason they are targeting the EC. They have been at it, and it has been ineffective over time, and yet they have failed to learn the right lessons. They have been employing lies and dirty propaganda as well as well-rehearsed jaundiced strategies to win elections but it has always ended in absolute turmoil. Mahama and his enablers have not changed one bit. Given the chance, they'll roll back decades of progress made on diversity in our political system and its reflective of the kinds of limited perspectives and experiences they welcome on everyday public conversations. Let's speak out against Mahama's demonstrated danger to our democracy. We have to stop this group of ideologues who have nothing to offer this country. Ghanaians must be weary of Mahama and his silly little idealistic weirdos who want to turn this country into a 21st-century Communist State. Signed: Ernest Kofi Owusu-Bempah Bonsu (Convener - Fixing the Country Movement) Moses Abbor - Convener- (Patriotic Troopers, Ghana) 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. Featured Video 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: Research showing that pigeons can be used to guide missiles was awarded one of this year's Ig Nobel prizes. Mammals that can breathe through their backsides, homing pigeons that can guide missiles and sober worms that outpace drunk ones: these are some of the strange scientific discoveries that won this year's Ig Nobels, the quirky alternative to the Nobel prizes. The annual awards "for achievements that first make people laugh, then make them think", were handed out at a rowdy ceremony at MIT in the United States on Thursday evening. Here are the 10 winners of the 34th edition, held a month before the real Nobel prizes. Bad breath The physiology prize went to Japanese and US researchers for discovering that many mammals can breathe through their anuses in emergencies. They were inspired by loach fishes, which are capable of "intestinal air breathing", according to their 2021 study. This can also be done by mice, pigs and rats, the researchers found, suggesting that guts could be repurposed as an "accessory breathing organ". They even suggested this could be a way to deliver emergency oxygen to patients when there is a ventilator shortage, such as during the COVID pandemic. Homing pigeon missiles The peace Ig Nobel went to the late US psychologist B.F. Skinner, for putting trained pigeons in the nose of missiles to guide them during World War II. Project Pigeon was called off in 1944 despite a seemingly successful test on a target in New Jersey. "Call it a crackpot idea if you will; it is one in which I have never lost faith," Skinner wrote in 1960. The loach fish's ability to breathe through its anus inspired researchers to win the physiology Ig Nobel. Plastic plant envy The botany prize was awarded for research which found that some real plants imitate the shapes of nearby plastic plants. Prize-winner Felipe Yamashita of Germany's Bonn University said their hypothesis is that the Boquila plant they studied "has some sort of eye that can see". "How they do that, we have no idea," he said to laughter at the ceremony. "I need a job," he added. Flip off The probability prize was awarded to researchers who tossed 350,757 coins. Inspired by a magician, the researchers found that the side facing upwards before being flipped won around 50.8 percent of the time. Over 81 work days' worth of flipping, the team had to employ massage guns to soothe sore shoulders. Lead researcher Frantisek Bartos told AFP the team was excited to become Ig Nobel laureates. "Although it's a 'parody' prize, it is very nice to have your research highlighted," he said. "And hopefully it amuses and maybe even inspires a new generation of scientists." Heads or tails? Researchers tossed 350,757 coins to find a small bias. The true key to longevity The demography prize was awarded for detective work which discovered that many of the people famous for living the longest happened to live in places with "lousy birth-and-death recordkeeping," the Ig Nobel website said. Australian researcher Saul Justin Newman read out a poem at the ceremony which concluded that the real way to longevity is to "move where birth certificates are rare, teach your kids pension fraud and start lying". Drunk worm race The chemistry prize went to a team which used a complex analysis called chromatography to separate drunk and sober worms. The researchers demonstrated the study by re-enacting a race on stage between a sober worm that had been dyed red, and a blue worm they got drunk. The sober worm won. Out of this whorl The anatomy prize went to a team of French and Chilean researchers which found that the hair whorls of most people swirl clockwisehowever in the southern hemisphere, counter-clockwise whorls are more common. The physics prize was awarded for "demonstrating and explaining the swimming abilities" of a dead fish. Make placebos hurt The medicine Ig Nobel went to European researchers who demonstrated that fake medicine which causes painful side effects can work better than fake medicine that does not. Dead fish swimming The physics prize was awarded to US-based scientist James Liao for "demonstrating and explaining the swimming abilities of a dead trout". "I discovered that a live fish moves more than a dead fish," Liao said as he accepted the prize. Scaredy cat on cow The biology prize went to the late US-based researchers Fordyce Ely and William E. Petersen for a particularly strange experiment in 1941. They exploded a paper bag next to a cat that was standing on the back of a cow, to "explore how and when cows spew their milk". 2024 AFP 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 great whodunnit of the human family is exactly what caused Neanderthals to suddenly die off 40,000 years ago. A new study posits a very surprising answer to one of history's great mysterieswhat killed off the Neanderthals? Could it be that they were unadventurous, insular homebodies who never strayed far enough from home? Scientists studying the remains of a Neanderthal found in France said Wednesday that these human relatives were socially isolated from each other for tens of thousands of years, which could have fatally reduced their genetic diversity. Up to now, the main theories for their demise were climate change, a disease outbreak, and even violenceor interbreedingwith Homo Sapiens. Neanderthals populated Europe and Asia for a long timeincluding a decent stint living alongside early modern humansuntil they abruptly died off 40,000 years ago. That was the last moment when more than one species of human coexisted on Earth, French archaeologist Ludovic Slimak told AFP. It was a "profoundly enigmatic moment, because we do not know how an entire humanity, which existed from Spain to Siberia, could suddenly go extinct," he said. Slimak is the lead author of a new study in the journal Cell Genomics, which looked at the fossilized remains of a Neanderthal discovered in France's Rhone Valley in 2015. The remains were found in Mandrin cave, which is known to have been home to both Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens over time. The Neanderthal, dubbed Thorin in reference to the dwarf in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit", is a rare find. Thorin is the first Neanderthal unearthed in France since 1978and one of only roughly 40 discovered in all of Eurasia. French archaeologist Ludovic Slimak, author of the book "The Naked Neanderthal", who led the new research. 50,000 years alone The archaeologists had spent a decade unsuccessfully trying to recover DNA from Mandrin cave when they found Thorin, Slimak said. "As soon as the body came out of the ground," they sent a piece of molar to geneticists in Copenhagen for analysis, he added. When the results came back, the team was stunned. Archaeological data had suggested the body was 40,000 to 45,000 years old, but the genomic analysis found it was from 105,000 years ago. "One of the teams must have gotten it wrong," Slimak said. It took seven years to get the story straight. Analyzing isotopes from Thorin's bones and teeth showed that he lived in an extremely cold climate, which matched an ice age only experienced by later Neanderthals around 40,000 years ago. But Thorin's genome did not match those of previously discovered European Neanderthals at that time. Instead it resembled the genome of Neanderthals some 100,000 years ago, which had caused the confusion. It turned out that Thorin was a member of an isolated and previously unknown community that had descended from some of Europe's earliest Neanderthal populations, the researchers said. "The lineage leading to Thorin would have separated from the lineage leading to the other late Neanderthals around 105,000 years ago," senior study author Martin Sikora of the University of Copenhagen said in a statement. This other lineage then spent a massive 50,000 years "without any genetic exchange with classic European Neanderthals," including some that only lived a two-week walk away, Slimak said. The fossilised jaw of the Neanderthal found in France. Dangers of inbreeding This kind of extended social isolation is unimaginable for the Neanderthals' cousins, the Homo Sapiens, particularly because the Rhone Valley then was a great migration corridor between northern Europe and the Mediterranean Sea. Archaeological finds have long suggested that Neanderthals lived in a small area, ranging just a few dozen kilometers from their home. Homo Sapiens, in comparison, had "infinitely larger" social circles, spreading over tens of thousands of square kilometers, Slimak said. Neanderthals were also known to have lived in small groupsso not venturing far likely meant there were not many options for a mate outside of their own family. This kind of inbreeding reduces the genetic diversity in a species, which can spell doom over the long term. Rather than single-handedly killing off the Neanderthals, their lack of intermingling could have made them more vulnerable to some of the other popular theories for their demise. "When you are isolated for a long time, you limit the genetic variation that you have, which means you have less ability to adapt to changing climates and pathogens," said study co-author Tharsika Vimala, a population geneticist at the University of Copenhagen. "It also limits you socially because you're not sharing knowledge or evolving as a population," she said. 2024 AFP 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: This 2021 handout image released by Indonesia's environment ministry shows one of two rare Javan rhino calves that were caught on video in Ujung Kulon National Park. This week, a billionaire made a spacewalk, archaeologists found a new, isolated Neanderthal lineage and the James Webb Space Telescope revealed the extreme outskirts of the Milky Way. And a few other things happened: Rumble elucidated If you're super-sensitive to longitudinal P-wave seismic frequencies, you may have noticed a rumbling under your feet in 2023 that reverberated through the entire Earth for nine straight days. "What is that?" you might have wondered as scientists hooked up electrodes to your body to study your seismologically weird, earthquake-detecting physiology. An international team has been studying this mystery and landed on a likely solution: A mountaintop in an East Greenland fjord collapsed into the sea, triggering a mega-tsunami with 200-meter-high waves that echoed back and forth for nine days within the fjord and generated seismic waves that reverberated throughout the earth. Seismologists at the time thought it was pretty weird. And like most catastrophic phenomena these days, it was caused by climate change, according to the new study. The warming climate melted the glacier at the foot of the Dickson Fjord mountain, which destabilized 33 million cubic yards of rock and ice, which plunged into the sea. "Climate change is shifting what is typical on Earth, and it can set unusual events into motion," said seismologist Alice Gabriel of UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography in what can only be described as a seismic understatement. Baby cute, endangered Officials at an Indonesian national park announced the sighting of a young Javan rhino calf in the wild, evidence that the endangered species is still viably reproducing. The female calf, named Iris, appears to be between three and five months old. A camera trap caught the baby Rhinoceros sondaicus walking with her mother, totally chill, no big deal, just an adorable and highly endangered animal coming through. Ujung Kulon National Park, the only existing refuge for the species, announced the sighting of two other calves in the park earlier this year. Despite the good news, the species is still endangered by rampant poaching and natural disasters. According to the International Rhino Foundation, there are only 80 living Javan rhinos globally. Study objectively terrifying There are few things as unsettling, or as likely to send me spiraling into a dissociative fugue, as the widespread scientific consensus that the mass extinction of the Permian-Triassic period 252 million years ago was caused by an accumulation of carbon dioxide emissions from volcanoes saturating the atmosphere, resulting in climate change and the collapse of terrestrial and marine ecosystems. However, the linked decline in normally resilient insect and plant life has remained a mysterygenerally, when temperatures in the tropics rise, plants and insects spread to cooler climates. Now, researchers at the University of Bristol and China University of Geosciences have published a paper arguing that the effects of rapid climate change were so devastating due to prolonged El Nino events compared to those today. During these decades-spanning events, weather and climate variability were extreme, and temperature gradients collapsedessentially, it was too hot everywhere. The lengthy El Nino that caused the June 2024 heat wave raised temperatures globally by around 1.24 degrees Celsius higher than normal. Paul Wignall, professor of paleoenvironments at the University of Leeds, says, "Fortunately, such events so far have only lasted one to two years at a time. During the Permian-Triassic crisis, El Nino persisted for much longer, resulting in a decade of widespread drought, followed by years of flooding. Basically, the climate was all over the place, and that makes it very hard for any species to adapt." 2024 Science X Network 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: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain This summer was the hottest on record worldwide, outpacing even last year's blistering temperatures, according to a new report by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. "During the past three months of 2024, the globe has experienced the hottest June and August, the hottest day on record, and the hottest boreal summer on record. This string of record temperatures is increasing the likelihood of 2024 being the hottest year on record," said the climate service's deputy director Samantha Burgess in a statement last week. While the Texas summer was slightly cooler this year because of rainfall from storms like Hurricane Beryl, it is still on track to be the state's sixth-hottest on record, said John Nielsen-Gammon, the state's climatologist and a professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University. This year will also likely be the state's sixth-hottest on record. "Temperatures every season have been going up a little bit more than a half degree Fahrenheit per decade in Texas, at least for the past half-century, and it's been a fairly steady increase," he said. In the new report by Copernicus, the average temperature in the Northern hemisphere in June, July and August was 16.8 degrees Celsius (or 62.24 degrees Fahrenheit). This puts the summer of 2024 at 0.03 degrees Celsius (0.05 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than the summer of 2023, which was the second-hottest on record for Texas and third-hottest for Dallas-Fort Worth. While this July and last July were nearly tied, temperature-wise, this June and August were the hottest on record worldwide. The average temperature in August was 0.71 degrees Celsius (1.28 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1991 to 2020 average for the month, Copernicus found. The global average temperature for the past 12 monthsbetween September 2023 and August 2024is the highest on record for any 12-month period: 0.76 degrees Celsius (1.4 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1991 to 2020 average and 1.64 degrees Celsius (nearly 3 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, Copernicus also found. The climate monitoring service's dataset goes back to 1940. But records from the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan dating back to the mid-19th century suggest that the past decade has been the hottest in about 120,000 years. Temperatures are expected to rise more dramatically in Texas compared to the rest of the world, according to Nielsen-Gammon. "The general expectation, based on historical trends, climate model simulations and our physical understanding [of the environment], is that Texas temperatures should increase faster than global temperatures by about 20% to 30%," he said. That's partly because global temperatures take into account the Earth's oceans, which don't warm as quickly as land. Also affecting temperatures is the urban heat island effect, where cities like Dallas experience higher temperatures because urban surfaces absorb and emit more heat, Nielsen-Gammon said. The news comes at a time when heat-related deaths in the United States are on the rise. A recent study found that these deaths have doubled over the past 24 years, with about 48% occurring in four southwestern states, including Texas, the paper's lead author Jeffrey Howard, an associate professor in public health at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told The New York Times in August. Last year in Texas, 365 people died directly due to heat and 562 people died when heat was a contributing cause, according to an analysis of state records by The Texas Tribune . The report added that heat-related deaths are almost certainly undercounted in Texas and nationwide. Rising temperatures are especially threatening for older adults, young children, pregnant people and people with certain medical conditions. The rise in temperatures is also concerning for infrastructures like the state's power grid, which can be heavily strained by energy demands during heat waves. "The temperature-related extreme events witnessed this summer will only become more intense," Burgess of the Copernicus Climate Change Service said, "with more devastating consequences for people and the planet unless we take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions." 2024 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. WILDWOOD Thousands of firefighters from across the state gathered in the city Friday for the 147th annual New Jersey State Firemens Convention to hear updates from the State Firemens Association and to voice their concerns with the organization. Sometimes it seems like firefighters arent appreciated, Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. said at the start of the convention. But I can guarantee each and every one of you are more than appreciated. If you look around, youll notice that we are starting to thin out a little bit, and that is a shame. I see a lot of heroes out here who make sure their communities are safe and protected. Were extremely grateful for that. Attendees heard remarks from guest speakers before each member of the association provided committee reports and concluded the two-hour-long meeting with public comments and a benediction. Gov. Phil Murphy is normally invited to the event, but the association was unable to get him as a speaker this year due to scheduling issues, according to association President Rob Ordway. A memorial service honoring members of the association who died featured the Wildwood Fire Department Honor Guard and the Bergen County Firefighters Pipes and Drums, who played as the names of each fallen firefighter scrolled across two TV screens. Whatever is going on outside cant affect what happens inside our departments, Wildwood Fire Chief Ernie Troiano III said. We have to continue to look out for each other because no one knows what we go through better than your fellow brothers and sisters. At the end of the meeting, several firefighters took to the microphone to address the association and while some praised the organization, some voiced concerns. On Saturday, members will vote on four resolutions, including one that could allow for Wildwood to host the convention as far out as 2029. Atlantic City remembers 9/11 terrorist attacks 23 years later Atlantic City officials joined first responders and hundreds of members of the public on Jackson Avenue Tuesday morning for the citys annual Saracini-ONeill Sept. 11 memorial ceremony. Anthony Mazzarella, of Middlesex County, asked members to vote no as he believes the association should explore other opportunities. There are some concerns, and we feel the state should form a committee, address the concerns and look at opportunities to improve the convention before we move forward, Mazzarella said. I encourage other counties to vote no because things have changed down here and we need to address them first. Outside the convention, the annual fire expo, hosted by the Five Mile Beach Volunteer Fire Association, took place in the Wildwoods Convention Center parking lot, along Ocean Avenue and in Fox Park. Vendors were set up throughout the area showcasing the latest in firefighting equipment and technology. New emergency lights, firetrucks, safety equipment, hoses, boats and compressors were among some of the items on display. Robert Simonsen, 68, of Wildwood Crest, is not a firefighter, but his 6-year-old grandson, Aidan, saw multiple firetrucks on display in the convention center parking lot and wanted to get a closer look. We took a walk on the Boardwalk this morning, and he was really eager to see the firetrucks, Simonsen said. He tugged on my arm and was pointing at them, so of course I couldnt say no. Even though Ive never been a firefighter, it was neat to look at all of the heavy equipment they use and learn about how some of those pieces function. The convention continues at 2 p.m. Saturday with the Firemens Memorial Parade through the Wildwoods, where cash prizes and trophies will be given out across 30 categories. Rock Island-Milan schools were assigned extra police presence Friday in response to social media threats circulating nationwide. It marks the third such response by area law enforcement this week, though authorities have deemed there to be no direct connection or threat to QC schools so far. Deputy Rock Island Police Chief James Morris said multiple police departments received information about a social media post circulating among local students. He told the Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus on Friday that the post indicated there would be a shooting at a middle school, but did not name a specific school. "The post was eventually traced back to a school district in Ohio that originated on Tuesday," Morris said. "It was determined that there was no danger to our local schools but as a precautionary measure, additional police presence was assigned." Rock Island-Milan officials sent the following statement Friday evening in response to the situation: "Staff and scholar safety is, and will always be, a top priority for Rock Island-Milan Schools. Thursday night, district staff were made aware of a social media threat mentioning one of our schools. This threat has not been found to be legitimate, but out of an abundance of caution, we placed more support inside our schools on Friday to ensure the safety of all of our stakeholders." As previously reported, Moline police took the same precautions Wednesday at John Deere Middle School, and Eldridge police are investigating threatening social media comments made by a high schooler re-posting another out of state post. Glenview Middle School in East Moline also had increased police presence Wednesday following the social media threats stemming from Ohio. "Please know that law enforcement has been notified. We are grateful for our partnership with the East Moline Police Department and will continue to prioritize the safety of all students and staff," East Moline school officials said in a message to families Wednesday afternoon. "In keeping everyone safe, the EMPD will have an increased presence throughout the school day." Local media outlets nationwide including in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas reported school districts upped security measures this week due to social media threats. Earlier this month, two students and two teachers were killed in a school shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Photos: Shop with Rock Island Police and Firefighters Enrollment at South Dakota Mines has risen by 3.4% for the 2024-2025 academic year, with a total of 2,579 students compared to 2,492 in fall 2023, according to a recent university announcement. The increase in enrollment is accompanied by a 3.1% rise in the number of credit hours being taken, totaling 31,202 credit hours for fall 2024. We pride ourselves on being a first-choice STEM university and are thrilled so many students and families continue to see the quality and value of a Mines education, said Interim President Lance Roberts, Ph.D. We are attracting talented innovators who seek a world-class education and will continue to be leaders in science and engineering. South Dakota Mines graduates are sought after by employers due to the university's curriculum, which integrates hands-on experiences through labs, industry-funded projects, research opportunities, co-ops and internships. The practical learning opportunities help students gain relevant skills and experience in their fields of study. The percentage of graduates staying in South Dakota after earning their bachelors degree has increased to over 40%. Mines was also recently recognized in the Wall Street Journals 2025 Best Colleges in the United States rankings. As a hub for technology-driven economic growth, South Dakota Mines plays a key role in the Black Hills regions economic development. The university collaborates with organizations like Elevate Rapid City, the Sanford Underground Research Facility, and Ellsworth Air Force Base to foster an economic ecosystem that is boosting the number of high-paying STEM jobs in the area and across the state. The most recent graduates from South Dakota Mines reported an average starting salary of $73,547 and a 97% placement rate in their field of study or graduate school. Students who completed internships saw even greater success, with a 100% placement rate and an average starting salary of $75,449. Across South Dakota, the Board of Regents reported a six-year high in student enrollment, driven by growth at nearly all state universities and a strong incoming freshman class. In 1903, legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley found herself ensnared in a scandal that threatened to tarnish her reputation a false accusation of drug use. This incident stands as a testament to the power of sensationalism in the media and the lengths to which Oakley went to defend her honor. Annie Oakley, born Phoebe Ann Mosey in 1860, was already a household name by the turn of the 20th century. Known for her incredible marksmanship, Oakley had gained fame through her performances with Buffalo Bills Wild West show, where she amazed audiences by hitting targets with pinpoint accuracy, even while riding on horseback or aiming backward using a mirror. Her reputation was not only built on her unparalleled shooting skills but also on her persona as a wholesome, all-American woman who upheld Victorian values of propriety and decency. In August 1903, the Chicago Tribune published a story that would disrupt Oakleys life. The headline claimed that "Annie Oakley," a famous vaudeville performer, had been arrested in Chicago for stealing to support a cocaine habit. This shocking story painted a picture of a fallen star, ravaged by drug addiction, who had resorted to theft to feed her addiction. The woman in question had allegedly been caught trying to steal a man's trousers to sell for money to buy drugs. However, there was one major problem with the story: the woman arrested was not Annie Oakley. The real culprit was a burlesque performer named Maude Fontenella, who had used Oakleys name when she was arrested. Despite the inaccuracy, the false story was quickly picked up by dozens of newspapers across the United States, many of which embellished the details, creating a sensational narrative that tarnished Oakleys reputation overnight. The publics belief in the story was bolstered by the fact that cocaine use was a growing concern in the early 1900s. At the time, many Americans were becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of drug addiction, and stories about celebrities falling victim to such vices were particularly titillating. Oakleys pristine image made the story even more shocking, and many readers were all too willing to believe that even a figure as seemingly virtuous as Annie Oakley could succumb to the pitfalls of addiction. Upon hearing of the accusations, Oakley was devastated. The story not only threatened her livelihood but also her carefully cultivated image. For a woman who had spent her life defying the odds and proving herself in a male-dominated field, this false accusation was an affront to everything she had worked for. Oakley was determined to clear her name and embarked on a crusade to seek justice. Oakley filed lawsuits against the newspapers that had published the defamatory articles. In total, she brought 55 libel suits against the press, marking one of the earliest and most extensive legal battles involving a public figure and the media. Over the next six years, she appeared in courtrooms across the country, fighting for her reputation. Oakley won 54 of these cases, with some newspapers being ordered to pay significant damages. However, the legal battles took a toll on her both financially and emotionally. The damages she was awarded did not fully cover her legal expenses. Despite the personal cost, Oakleys victory in these lawsuits was significant. Her successful defense against the false accusations helped restore her reputation and demonstrated that even in the face of widespread public opinion, the truth could prevail. The Roanoke Valley pulled in record tourism spending in 2023, after a push to draw visitors from Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., by Visit Virginias Blue Ridge, the regional tourism development and marketing office. According to data released Wednesday by VVBR, visitors to the Roanoke Valley directly spent $882 million in 2023, a 6.6% increase over 2022. In total, the money spent generated $43 million in local taxes for the cities of Roanoke and Salem, as well as Botetourt, Franklin and Roanoke counties. Kathryn Lucas, the public relations director for Visit Virginias Blue Ridge, credits much of the success to an increased push for tourism from Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. The tourism office paid for advertising at Union Station in D.C., as well as cars and buses with wraparound ads promoting the region. 11.3% of visitors in 2023 came from Washington, D.C., and the Northern Virginia area, Lucas said. A 7% increase over the previous year. Lucas said that much of the VVBRs marketing is based around outdoor recreation, pitching the region as a place to explore the Blue Ridge Mountains, without leaving city amenities behind in quite the same way as traveling to West Virginia. Several businesses in Roanoke and the surrounding area have reported an uptick in out-of-town visitors, including Book No Further, an independent bookstore located near Center in the Square in downtown Roanoke. Book No Further has seen a definite uptick in the proportion of out-of-town visitors among our customers in the last year and especially this spring and summer. Roanoke Valley residents may be unaware how many people outside the area view the region as a destination thanks to the efforts of Visit Virginias Blue Ridge, Doloris Vest, the owner of Book No Further, said. Lucas said that, traditionally, visitors to Roanoke and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains come from Washington, D.C., and Richmond, with lesser numbers coming from other large cities like Norfolk or Charlotte, North Carolina. On average, visitors to Roanoke and the surrounding area spent $127-per-day during their stay, according to data from Virginias Blue Ridge. SIOUX CITY Retirement, Jack Berger says, means you sit around and don't do anything. By his definition, Berger is not retired. And, at age 91, he doesn't intend to be anytime soon. He plans to keep cutting hair, just as he has since he graduated from barber school in 1957. "I keep going to keep going because in life today, if you sit too much, you're going to be doing a lot of sitting. A lot of sitting," Berger said. Barber Jack Berger Barber Jack Berger cuts Jamie Lockmiller's hair at Rock-N-Lokz Salon and Barber in Sioux City. Berger, 91, still cuts hair at the shop several Berger leaves the sitting to his loyal customers, many of whom have been coming to him for decades, who plop down in a barber chair before him at Rock-N-Lokz, 816 W. Eighth St. He keeps no set hours and doesn't take appointments, instead taking calls from clients asking if he's available to cut their hair. He always has the time. On a recent day, it was Jamie Lockmiller, who was 4 years old the first time Berger cut his hair. That was 40 years ago. "He was pretty young when I started cutting his hair. I was pretty young then, too," Berger said, making one of the frequent jokes he'll snap off during a conversation. Barber Jack Berger Barber Jack Berger cuts client Jamie Lockmiller's hair at Rock-N-Lokz Salon and Barber in Sioux City. Berger, 91, has cut hair in Sioux City s Another of Berger's regulars was a high school junior when he began seeing Berger. He's 81 now. That loyalty is matched by Berger, who's been dedicated to his job through good times and bad, such as the downturn in barbering in the 1970s, when many men began wearing their hair long and no longer got frequent haircuts. With five children and wife Sandy (who he's been married to for 60 years), at home, Berger took extra work cutting hair at Holy Spirit Retirement Home, something he did for 37 years until age 75. He also was a member of the Iowa Air Guard, retiring from the military with 20 years of service. No matter what, he showed up day after day. "I never, ever hated to come to work. I looked forward to it every day," Berger said. It's an attitude that began at age 9, when Berger began shining shoes for 10 cents a pair at a barber shop in his native Emmetsburg, Iowa. He later moved on to work at a grocery store and washing cars. Drafted into the Army, he served from 1953-55 and, after his discharge, took a job at a Spencer, Iowa, gas station while deciding on a career. He found his calling while getting his hair cut and chatting with his barber. "I told him I wanted to use the G.I. Bill, but I didn't really want to go to college. He said, 'Why don't you go to barber school then?'" Berger said. Barber Jack Berger Barber Jack Berger talks about his barbering career after giving a haircut at Rock-N-Lokz Salon and Barber in Sioux City. Berger, 91, owned an So he did, enrolling at Sioux City Barber School on what's now Historic Fourth Street in 1956 and graduating the following year, when the price of a haircut had just been raised to $1.50. (A shave was $1.25, but don't ask Berger why it was cheaper, because shaves take longer than haircuts.) He worked more than seven years at Sanitary Barbers at 521 Nebraska St. before partnering with Harold Erichsen to own his own shop, Villa Avenue Barbers, at the corner of Villa Avenue and George Street, in the building that's now California Bakery. Berger operated the shop for 41 years until closing in 2005. He partnered with a woman at another shop before meeting Rock-N-Lokz owner Amber Krana, who he's worked with for the past 20 years. Berger has reduced his hours over the years, but he still comes to the shop almost daily to drink coffee and crack a few jokes. "He comes and checks on us every single day. It's his social hour is what we call it," Krana said. Barber Jack Berger Barber Jack Berger shakes out his cape after cutting a client's hair at Rock-N-Lokz Salon and Barber in Sioux City. Berger, 91, still cuts hai His presence is more than social. Krana said his work ethic has been an example for her and younger stylists, who have learned from Berger the value of showing up for work on time, arriving early and staying late. "We consider him like a legend because he's been in the field so many years. He's shown us a lot," Krana said. There will always be a chair for Berger at her salon, she said. Berger intends to hold her to that offer as long as he remains steady with the clippers. "My hands are still pretty darn good or I probably couldn't still do this," he said. His feet and legs may protest his ongoing work habits now and then, but he's not ready to sit down. Sitting is for retirees. Hello and welcome back to the Surge, Slates weekly roundup of the newsmaking-est figures in U.S. politics! Im Ben Mathis-Lilley, filling in for Jim Newell, who has been deployed to far-northern Norway to investigate Russian sabotage attacks and is currently attempting to attach a surveillance device to a walrus. Careful with the whiskers, Jim! This week, well, it was all about the debate. The debate was pretty big, as a political event, this week. Unfortunately, there were only two participants in the debate and the Surge requires seven entries. How will we get from two people to seven people? Youll have to keep reading to see! (The Surge heard somewhere that a good piece of writing begins by subtly introducing a question into readers minds. Did it work? Was it too subtle?) https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/china-africa-forum-africa-is-not-alone-anymore-1120143381.html China-Africa Forum: 'Africa is Not Alone Anymore' China-Africa Forum: 'Africa is Not Alone Anymore' Sputnik International The ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing highlighted Chinas continued efforts to partner up with the continent, Chatham House reported. 2024-09-14T05:44+0000 2024-09-14T05:44+0000 2024-09-14T05:44+0000 analysis vladimir putin china burkina faso focac africa insight east africa central africa north africa sub-saharan africa https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/0e/1120145007_0:37:3072:1765_1920x0_80_0_0_5682d12b1446a1d09ee5db99bf677ad7.jpg The ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing highlighted Chinas continued efforts to partner up with the continent, Chatham House reported. Fifty-one African heads of state were present for the summit on September 6, which Chatham noted was many more than are scheduled to speak at the UN General Assembly this month.Koffi Kouakou, an African analyst and research fellow at the Center for African China Studies at the University of Johannesburg, joined Sputniks Fault Lines to discuss the growing partnership between China and the second-largest continent in the world. Kouakou noted that Africa is mattering due to the overwhelming interest that foreign countries - especially countries in the West - have shown the oftentimes overlooked continent.Stopping short of offering broad-based debt relief at the Summit, China instead pledged $50.7 billion in credit lines and funding for the next three years, with an emphasis on trade and investment partnerships. Chatham noted that Chinas reluctance to offer the continent debt cancellation most likely reflects domestic financial constraints and global economic uncertainty. However, the article notes that this could be a more sustainable as well as mutually beneficial strategy.Prof. Alexis Habiyaremye from the University of Johannesburg spoke to Sputnik about the summit, and suggested that China has become the major, if not the main, trading partner for the majority of African countries thanks to the actual win-win outcomes of the Sino-African trade as opposed to exploitative trade with Western trade partners that established monopolies over natural resources in secret military cooperation arrangements with former colonial powers.The professor then suggested that trade between African countries and the West is usually structured as extractive monopolies intended to keep Africa down and unable to produce anything else than raw materials for Western corporations. And added that China can also offer more affordable products with a higher value-for-money ratio....it also plays into the geopolitical logic that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are not alone anymore. And, President Putin of Russia has made it clear, anybody who touches these three countries will touch him. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240907/china-africa-trade-yields-win-win-outcomes-while-west-only-seeks-to-exploit-continent-1120069571.html china burkina faso east africa central africa north africa sub-saharan africa south africa west africa Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg focac, china-africa, multipolar world, brics, china-africa cooperation, china-africa partnership, russia-africa cooperation, russia-africa forum, china-africa forum, dedollarization, china-africa trade, china-africa project https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/leaked-uk-foreign-office-docs-britain-launched-propaganda-war-to-demonize-russia-years-ago--1120152700.html Leaked UK Foreign Office Docs: Britain Launched Propaganda War to Demonize Russia Years Ago Leaked UK Foreign Office Docs: Britain Launched Propaganda War to Demonize Russia Years Ago Sputnik International Leaked British Foreign Office documents, marked "Official-Sensitive FCDO-only" claim to offer an insight into the British governments multi-pronged information war targeting Russia. 2024-09-14T15:28+0000 2024-09-14T15:28+0000 2024-09-14T15:28+0000 world united kingdom (uk) british foreign office russian federal security service (fsb) russia mi6 https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/0e/1120153738_0:112:3245:1937_1920x0_80_0_0_1ba32c4fd0555062a54be565f7749385.jpg Newly-leaked internal documents of the British Foreign Office, marked "Official-Sensitive FCDO-only" have been published by the Underside portal. They claim to offer an insight into the British governments multi-pronged information war targeting Russia.The documents reveal: The British propaganda machine swung into action after Downig Streets National Security Council (NSC) recognized the presence of a sustained and significant threat from Russia to the UK and its allies in 2020. The London-based Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate (EECAD) oversaw the NSCs global anti-Russian operation launched in 2016. Codenamed the Counter Disinformation & Media Development Program (CDMD), its subversive work was geared to promote regime change in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Reuters, the BBC, Bellingcat, Meduza* and the Pussy Riot-founded Mediazona*, as well as YouTubers in Russia and Central Asia were paid to promote pro-NATO narratives. All covert EECAD operations are concentrated in the HMG Russia Unit. Set up in 2017 and attached to the Foreign Office, it was tasked with coordinating propaganda campaigns against Russia. All its employees are active MI6 officers. The unit implemented large-scale projects to demonize Russia, including the fabricated Skripal poisoning case." There is information that Russia Unit oversees operations of the 72nd Psychological and Information Warfare Center a unit of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces. It also reportedly provides information support for Ukraine's Nazi Azov** Battalion. The same unit is allegedly behind staged chemical attacks in Syria and the Ukrainian Bucha massacre provocation. EECADs Subversive Anti-Russia Activity During NATOs Proxy War in UkraineAfter the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022, departments were created within EECAD to organize subversive activities against Russia. EECAD departments oversee NGO operations to boost financial assistance to Ukraine, coordinate subversive activities and monitor military actions in real time. A special Ukraine Campaign Unit set up in February 2023 supports political-military engagement in Ukraine. Special EECAD sections run subversive activities in former Soviet republics in Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Belarus and Moldova.Senior civil servants including prime ministerial national security advisor Tim Barrow, British Foreign Office permanent undersecretary Philip Barton, Deputy Head of Russia Policy Christopher Joyce, and James Beer and Mark Diamond, heads of the HMG Russia Unit, are all central figures in this extensive network.*Recognized as foreign agents in Russia.**Banned in Russia for terrorism and extremism. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240913/russias-security-service-received-evidence-of-uks-coordination-of-escalation-of-global-situation-1120130682.html united kingdom (uk) russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko leaked british foreign office documents, what do leaked british foreign office documents reveal, russia's security service, uk's coordination of escalation of global situation, uk foreign office https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/navy-faces-breakdown-in-discipline-effectiveness-as-us-military-stretched-thin-1120143759.html Navy Faces Breakdown in Discipline, Effectiveness as US Military Stretched Thin Navy Faces Breakdown in Discipline, Effectiveness as US Military Stretched Thin Sputnik International Author and 30-year veteran of the US Defense Department Michael Maloof joined Sputniks Political Misfits program Friday to discuss the breakdown in discipline and effectiveness of the US Navy. 2024-09-14T05:02+0000 2024-09-14T05:02+0000 2024-09-14T05:07+0000 military & intelligence michael maloof joe biden yemen united kingdom (uk) navy pentagon wi-fi us military us armed forces https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/0e/1120144589_75:0:3716:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_7c6c02a93b75fc2d484b43cac7ae6bac.jpg Are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they gonna continue? Yes.Such was President Joe Bidens response earlier this year when asked about the effectiveness of the US Navys strikes on Ansar Allah in the Red Sea.The armed group, which maintains control of a slice of western Yemen, has blocked Israeli ships from the crucial sea route since late last year in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The United States along with its British ally has since attempted to defeat the Houthis blockade, causing the group to expand it to US and UK-flagged ships as well.Biden is well known for his tendency towards verbal gaffes but the comment made headlines as a particularly poignant encapsulation of the futile US effort. Reports indicate that the use of drones, as elsewhere, has upended conventional wisdom, with the United States expensive equipment outmaneuvered via low-cost unmanned aircraft.But the US Navys failure to adapt to the modern realities of asymmetric warfare is not the only way it is falling short, according to numerous critics. Author and 30-year veteran of the US Defense Department Michael Maloof joined Sputniks Political Misfits program Friday to discuss the breakdown in discipline and effectiveness of the service.In August USNI, the US Naval Institute News, reported that the military sealift command, which operates the logistics ships that refuel and supply naval ships, might have to sideline 17 support ships for a lack of manpower, noted host Michell Witte. It is not clear what this would do to the Navy's readiness, but I don't think our official position is that these are 17 totally superfluous ships.A lack of manpower is increasingly causing problems across the US armed forces, with most services failing to meet recruiting goals for several years. The crisis has spurred the US to respond in a number of ways, primarily by loosening requirements for Americans to enlist. Military planners are seeking to reduce the manpower ostensibly required across a number of positions amid a major restructuring of the armed forces to fight an anticipated war with Russia and China in the Pacific region.But the Navy has also been plagued by disciplinary problems, with an embarrassing story emerging recently about the commander of a destroyer who was relieved of duty after displaying a rifle with a backwards-mounted scope on Instagram. The image brought the Navy considerable ridicule on social media, noted one report.Meanwhile the Navy Times reported a story earlier this month about more than a dozen chiefs and senior chiefs conspiring to install an unauthorized Wi-Fi system on a littoral combat ship a serious security risk.It's a sign of an overall breakdown of discipline and focus and attention, said Maloof. It also shows a very serious lack of strategic thinking and a breakdown in discipline, as I said, for those [routers] to be put on that ship. It was really a security breach and the chief, whoever she was that was involved in and responsible for that, should not have been downgraded, she should have been fired.During the Reagan administration we had a 600-ship Navy, the analyst noted. As of May of 2024 the Navy is down to 296 battleforce ships and it's only by 2030 they hope to come back up to 300, which is only half of what we had during the Reagan years in the 80s Consider that we have actually increased our commitments around the world. In fact, they haven't diminished, they've increased and we're now fighting multi-front conflicts all at once now.We need better strategic thinking on just what our priorities really are in this world, Maloof concluded. Because we're fighting everybody's wars now and we're depleting our own supplies by providing weapons to proxies and it's affecting our own readiness as a consequence. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240908/houthis-shot-down-eighth-us-drone-mq-9-reaper-1120073624.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240808/which-us-navy-warships-are-deployed-in-middle-eastern-hot-spots--1119683142.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240228/world-war-iii-watch-us-army-restructuring-to-focus-on-large-scale-combat-1117030444.html yemen united kingdom (uk) Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg us navy breakdown, us navy discipline, us navy recruitment crisis, us navy manpower shortage, us navy effectiveness, us navy crisis, us navy, us ship, us marines, us soldiers, navy seals, us power, us force, maritime forces, naval forces, us warship https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/russia-ukraine-exchange-103-prisoners-of-war-each---mod-1120149979.html Russia, Ukraine Exchange 103 POWs Each - MoD Russia, Ukraine Exchange 103 POWs Each - MoD Sputnik International Moscow and Kiev have exchanged 103 prisoners of war each, while the Russian servicemen are currently receiving assistance in Belarus, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday. 2024-09-14T11:03+0000 2024-09-14T11:03+0000 2024-09-14T17:40+0000 russia ukraine kiev russian defense ministry prisoner swap prisoner exchange russia's special operation in ukraine https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107674/72/1076747252_0:166:3053:1883_1920x0_80_0_0_894c850f9fb25ecbbecb4c8816bc9f81.jpg As a result of the negotiation process, 103 Russian servicemen who were taken prisoner in Kursk region have been returned from the territory controlled by the Kiev regime on 14 September 2024. In exchange, 103 Ukrainian POWs have been transferred, the ministry said on Saturday. All the exchanged Russian soldiers are currently in Belarus where they are provided the necessary assistance, the defense ministry added. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240824/russia-ukraine-swap-230-prisoners-after-uae-mediation-1119895196.html russia ukraine kiev Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International exchanged prisoners, russia, ukraine exchange, russian defense ministry https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/russian-forces-find-map-of-us-base-in-captured-ukrainian-bradley---sputnik-reporter-1120145530.html Russian Forces Find Map of US Base in Captured Ukrainian Bradley - Sputnik Reporter Russian Forces Find Map of US Base in Captured Ukrainian Bradley - Sputnik Reporter Sputnik International Russian soldiers have discovered a map of the US military base at Fort Irwin, which the US military forgot in one of its Bradley fighting vehicles that it transferred to Ukraine. 2024-09-14T07:55+0000 2024-09-14T07:55+0000 2024-09-14T09:01+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine russia ukraine us arms for ukraine m2 bradley infantry fighting vehicle nato kiev https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0c/19/1115793462_0:0:1001:563_1920x0_80_0_0_7d560b472a82ba0eafa2956c191626df.jpg Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the US has supplied Kiev with more than 300 Bradley vehicles. A significant number of them have been destroyed by the Russian forces on the battlefield in Ukraine.Sputnik has found online ads seeking Russian-speaking individuals for the Fort Irwin training center. The Check Defense company is looking for "role-play professionals," who can replicate cultural nuances and assist the US Defense Department.Applicants must have excellent oral and written skills in both English and Russian. Roles include local authorities, national security forces, refugees and hostile combatants. The ads also invite candidates fluent in Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Korean and Pashto.The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict. In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO countries on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240707/russian-forces-capture-electronic-warfare-system-from-us-bradley-vehicle-1119275460.html russia ukraine kiev Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian soldiers, bradley fighting vehicles, map of the us military base, transferred to ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/russian-foreign-ministry-calls-us-sanctions-against-russian-media-extraordinary-situation-1120147720.html Russian Foreign Ministry Calls US Sanctions Against Russian Media Extraordinary Situation Russian Foreign Ministry Calls US Sanctions Against Russian Media Extraordinary Situation Sputnik International New sanctions imposed by the US against Russian media constitute an extraordinary situation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday. 2024-09-14T09:29+0000 2024-09-14T09:29+0000 2024-09-14T11:01+0000 world russian media maria zakharova antony blinken russian foreign ministry us media brics https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/08/01/1097987754_0:0:3314:1864_1920x0_80_0_0_6fed9bb091cdee1f2c1966c274bd50ab.jpg "Today the situation is extraordinary. Yesterday, Russian journalists in the US were subjected to aggression. They were subjected to a real terrorist information attack, both as corporations and in their personal capacity," Zakharova told a BRICS media summit. Zakharova also characterized the US sanctions as "an attack on freedom of speech." On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States imposed new sanctions against three entities and two individuals for their alleged disinformation campaign on Russias behalf. The Treasury Department then issued a general license authorizing wind-down transactions with Russias Rossiya Segodnya and TV Novosti through November 13 after it imposed full blocking sanctions against the two entities. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240908/rt-editor-in-chief-cites-broadcasters-success-as-one-of-reasons-for-us-sanctions-1120081089.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian foreign ministry, united states, russian media constitute an extraordinary situation https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/trudeau-statement-on-use-of-long-range-weapons-against-russia-unsurprising---ambassador-1120144870.html Trudeau Statement on Use of Long-Range Weapons Against Russia Unsurprising - Ambassador Trudeau Statement on Use of Long-Range Weapons Against Russia Unsurprising - Ambassador Sputnik International The statement made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Canada supports Ukraines ability to strike deep inside Russia with western-supplied long-range weapons "comes as no surprise," Russian Ambassador in Ottawa Oleg Stepanov told Sputnik on Friday. 2024-09-14T06:04+0000 2024-09-14T06:04+0000 2024-09-14T06:04+0000 justin trudeau world ukraine crisis ukrainian crisis oleg stepanov vladimir putin russia canada ukraine us arms for ukraine https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/05/12/1095615891_0:0:3003:1690_1920x0_80_0_0_4b5d2a28c2b77dc3bcb6ed98102e40a7.jpg Earlier in the day, Trudeau told reporters Canada was unequivocal that Ukraine must defeat Russia on the battlefield and that it fully supports Ukraine using long-range weapons to prevent and interdict Russia's ability to degrade Ukrainian infrastructure. The Russian ambassador said that Canada is continuing on this path, which is an emblematic feature of the countrys foreign policy to anticipate the intentions of its "mentors" - the United States and the United Kingdom. The ambassador pointed out that the Canadian government falls short to have in practical and diplomatic terms any sort of impact on the outcome of Russias special military operation in Ukraine. Ottawa can only repeatedly display flashy Russophobic rhetoric as a means to offset its political impotence, Stepanov said. Trudeaus remarks are highly unlikely to be worth of Moscows attention, he added. Stepanov said Moscow will consider the wording of Trudeaus statement in the context of current and future Russia-Canada bilateral ties development. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the NATO member states are not just discussing the possible use of Western long-range weapons by Kiev deep inside Russia but are also deciding whether to get directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict. Such direct involvement by the West changes the nature of the Ukrainian conflict and Russia will be forced to make decisions based on the threats created for it, Putin added. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240220/canada-to-supply-over-800-drones-worth-95mln-to-ukraine---govt-1116884722.html russia canada ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International justin trudeau, canada-ukraine support, russia-canada relations, russia-canada war, russia-canada conflict, support russia, long-range weapons, ukraine crisis, no money for ukraine, us arms for ukraine, us assistance to ukraine, aid allocations for ukraine, ukraine aid, money for ukraine, canada for ukraine, canadian weapons for ukraine, canadian aid to ukraine, canadian funding for ukraine, canadian involvement https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/trump-rejects-second-debate-with-harris-as-election-approaches-1120138301.html Trump Rejects Second Debate With Harris as Election Approaches Trump Rejects Second Debate With Harris as Election Approaches Sputnik International On this edition of The Final Countdown, hosts Ted Rall and Steve Gill discussed several topics from around the world, including the U.S. Congress' attempt to avoid a government shutdown. 2024-09-14T04:10+0000 2024-09-14T04:10+0000 2024-09-25T10:37+0000 the final countdown radio budget shutdown migrants uhuru movement ukraine donald trump joe biden kamala harris https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/0d/1120138111_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_d94d91156d7682b28aa74d26d4b7f1fd.jpg Trump Rejects Second Debate With Harris as Election Approaches Sputnik International On this edition of The Final Countdown, hosts Ted Rall and Steve Gill discussed several topics from around the world, including the U.S. Congress' attempt to avoid a government shutdown. In the opening segment, Ted and Steve were joined by lawyer and political commentator Tyler Nixon, who discussed presidential candidate Donald Trump's refusal to debate Democratic candidate Kamala Harris again.Next, The Final Countdown team spoke to Jeremy Kuzmarov, managing editor of Covert Action Magazine. Jeremy walks us through the conviction of the Uhuru group for conspiracy in St. Petersburg, Florida.At the top of the second hour, the team speaks to Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett about the ongoing budget battle in Washington. Is a shutdown possible?The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comCatch us in the US at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ted Rall https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125340_0:0:360:360_100x100_80_0_0_1ed1a3494a53cde87e19521c3658fe92.jpg Ted Rall https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125340_0:0:360:360_100x100_80_0_0_1ed1a3494a53cde87e19521c3658fe92.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Ted Rall https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125340_0:0:360:360_100x100_80_0_0_1ed1a3494a53cde87e19521c3658fe92.jpg tyler nixon, donald trump's refusal to debate, jeremy kuzmarov, uhuru group for conspiracy in st. petersburg, tennessee congressman tim burchett about, budget battle in washington https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/uk-us-provocative-actions-on-ukraine-not-promoting-peace-in-europe---tory-peer-1120145786.html UK, US Provocative Actions on Ukraine Not Promoting Peace in Europe - Tory Peer UK, US Provocative Actions on Ukraine Not Promoting Peace in Europe - Tory Peer Sputnik International The widely discussed plans by the United Kingdom and the United States to lift all restrictions on the use of Western-supplied weapons by Ukraine against Russia's internationally recognized territory are not promoting peace in Europe, Lord Richard Balfe, a Conservative member of the UK Parliament's House of Lords, told Sputnik. 2024-09-14T06:24+0000 2024-09-14T06:24+0000 2024-09-14T06:24+0000 world antony blinken joe biden united kingdom (uk) ukraine russia parliament house of lords https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/03/1d/1117631646_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_93d5b2e1204871191d976f48e8dfa6cc.jpg "As for the reasons behind the UK decision, I am not sure what it is, but they certainly do not seem to be considering the wider questions of promoting peace in Europe. The fact of the matter is that the USA and UK indulged in very unwise and provocative behavior in Ukraine for many years, including the refusal to pressure Ukraine to honor the Minsk accords," Lord Balfe said. The Minsk Agreements were a complex series of measures negotiated by Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine - a quartet known as the Normandy format - in 2014-2015 in a bid to put an end to the armed conflict between the Kiev authorities and the breakaway eastern region of Donbas. Moscow repeatedly stated that Kiev was not fulfilling the deal, including by not granting autonomy to the predominantly Russian-speaking Donbass.UK media reported on Wednesday, citing government sources, that the UK had decided to allow Kiev to use Storm Shadow missiles against targets in Russia. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on the same day that he had discussed long-range strikes with Ukrainian officials and would bring the matter back to US President Joe Biden for further consideration. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240821/us-uk-poland-took-part-in-preparing-ukraines-operation-in-kursk---russian-foreign-intel-1119855186.html united kingdom (uk) ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International uk, us provocative actions, actions on ukraine, peace in europe https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/us-at-mercy-of-neoconservative-death-wish-amid-dearth-of-responsible-leadership-1120143114.html US at Mercy of Neoconservative Death Wish Amid Dearth of Responsible Leadership US at Mercy of Neoconservative Death Wish Amid Dearth of Responsible Leadership Sputnik International Peter Kuznick, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University, joined Sputniks Fault Lines program Friday to discuss prospects for peace as the US backs military operations in Ukraine and Gaza. 2024-09-14T03:14+0000 2024-09-14T03:14+0000 2024-09-14T03:14+0000 analysis us peter kuznick joe biden kamala harris russia ukraine democratic party white house fault lines https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/07/0b/1119334944_0:0:2689:1514_1920x0_80_0_0_17bbbb6f7ed2e3ab3ba4653e546adea3.jpg US Vice President Kamala Harris raised eyebrows last week when her 2024 presidential campaign received one highly unusual vote of confidence.Former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, often considered the hawkish power behind the throne during George W. Bushs stint in the White House, revealed he would be voting for Harris in November in an announcement made by his daughter, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney.The unexpected cross-party endorsement unthinkable during the highly-partisan early 2000s represented the latest sign that Harris is consolidating support from the neoconservative wing of the Republican Party. Cheney joins hawkish figures such as Cindy McCain and Iraq War architect Bill Kristol who have thrown their lot in with the Democrats in recent years amid former President Donald Trumps chaotic leadership of the GOP.The development promises to boost Harriss support from moderate Republicans but also speaks to the lack of ideological diversity among Americas foreign policy establishment argues Peter Kuznick, a professor of history and director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University. Kuznick joined Sputniks Fault Lines program Friday to discuss prospects for peace as the United States backs military operations in Ukraine and Palestines Gaza Strip.But Kennedy and Khrushchev did everything they could, and they still realized that they had lost control, which is why right after the Cuban Missile Crisis ended, largely by luck, Khrushchev wrote a letter to Kennedy and said, from evil, some good must come, Kuznick highlighted.The good is that now people have felt more tangibly the burning flames of thermonuclear war and have a more clear realization of the threat looming over them if the arms race is not stopped, wrote the Soviet leader in his famous missive to the young US president. Khrushchev proposed disarmament, a nonaggression treaty between NATO and the Warsaw Pact and the elimination of everything in our relations capable of generating a new crisis.Kennedy, although not willing to go so far, still understood the world had only narrowly avoided nuclear armageddon. He took steps to permanently reduce tensions, establishing new channels of communication between the US and Russia and declaring that the two world superpowers must never again allow tensions to escalate in such fashion.Khrushchev said, what difference would it make if we're communist or capitalist or Christians or Jews or Muslims or Buddhists? Kuznick noted. What difference would it make if there's a war? Who could tell us apart after we're all dead?It looks like we have a collective death wish for the human species right now, the historian lamented. It's, to me, horrifying. The world rests in the hands, in many senses, of Biden, who's really not all there and has very hawkish instincts. He's an old cold warrior and initially denies every new weapon system that the Ukrainians ask for but then caves into the pressure. And it looks like he's already caved into the pressure again on using the ATACMS missiles to strike deep inside of Russia.Its part of a lesson which is why we have to wake people up and mobilize because this is just too dangerous, too precarious a situation to allow this to keep going the way it's going. https://sputnikglobe.com/20220925/liz-cheney-says-she-is-willing-to-campaign-for-democrats-1101215462.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240912/will-insane-biden-provoke-world-war-iii-before-november-election-1120114630.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240725/bidens-bitter-legacy-signals-culmination-of-betrayal-of-post-cold-war-hopes-for-peace-1119505408.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg peter kuznick, ukraine, peter kuznick biden, biden kennedy, joe biden hawk, joe biden neoconservative, democrats dick cheney, dick cheney kamala harris endorsement, us 2024 presidential election, cold war, russia-us war, world war iii, world war 3, us-ussr war, cuban crisis, 1962 crisis https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/us-sanctions-on-russian-media-reveal-fear-insecurity-of-dying-empire--ex-cia-analyst-1120141022.html US Sanctions on Russian Media Reveal Fear, Insecurity of Dying Empire Ex-CIA Analyst US Sanctions on Russian Media Reveal Fear, Insecurity of Dying Empire Ex-CIA Analyst Sputnik International Former US State Department official and retired CIA intelligence officer Larry Johnson spoke with Sputnik about the new sanctions against Russian media announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken Friday. 2024-09-14T00:35+0000 2024-09-14T00:35+0000 2024-09-14T00:35+0000 analysis larry johnson us karen kwiatkowski antony blinken russia sputnik cia defense department rt https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/09/0e/1120142048_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_71c81c08439fff1d78f4a8d581ab05fd.png Former US State Department official and retired CIA intelligence officer Larry Johnson spoke with Sputnik about the new sanctions against Russian media announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken Friday.This really is divorced from reality, he continued, questioning the influence of the Russian-sponsored television network which ceased operations in the United States in 2022. Other observers such as ex-US Defense Department analyst Karen Kwiatkowski have suggested the move is intended to ramp up Russiagate hysteria leading up to Novembers election.They are hoping to make a greater enemy of Russia so that they can point the finger at their opponent, which is Donald Trump, and say that Russia wants him, said Kwiatkowski in an interview with Sputnik. They are creating news and media coverage of something that very much fits into their narrative, which is an anti-Russian narrative which is related to the campaign.The US Treasury Department and US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced similar measures just one week ago. Last month the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided the homes of two prominent US dissidents who have offered commentary for RT and Sputnik.Never during the height of the Cold War did the United States ever take such drastic measures with respect to entities like Pravda and Tass, Johnson claimed, referring to the two famous news outlets that operated from the Soviet Union. Back then the United States had enough confidence in its own power of personal freedom that they didn't have to worry about [that], they weren't so insecure. What this reflects is just one more symptom of a dying empire where they have to go out and attack others.It's irrational. And again, I think it's a symptom of a weakness on the part of the United States. Weakness and fear. That's where this originates the United States is acknowledging that what it can't handle is the truth.We are not allowed to speak freely about American foreign policy, Kwiatkowski warned. We see it in terms of the demonstrations across the country in support of Gaza, trying to end that genocide. We are not allowed in this country to criticize the American neoconservative foreign policy. That is a done deal. We do not have freedom of speech in that area at all.The official death toll of Israels US-backed campaign in Gaza inched past 41,118 as Blinken spoke Friday morning. A previous study published by respected British medical journal The Lancet estimated the likely ultimate death toll at around 186,000, while author and political activist Ralph Nader recently placed the number at over 200,000. Thousands of bodies remain unrecoverable underneath the rubble produced by heavy Israeli bombardment of the territory, one of the most densely-populated locations on Earth. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240815/zombie-russiagate-conspiracy-persists-as-us-stokes-fear-hatred-of-moscow-1119775472.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240823/beyond-mccarthyism-fbi-promises-continued-crackdown-on-us-journalists-dissidents-1119879025.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240905/a-unique-kind-of-fascism-us-continues-clampdown-on-alternative-media-1120022422.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 US Can't Handle the Truth Larry Johnson Sputnik International US Can't Handle the Truth Larry Johnson 2024-09-14T00:35+0000 true PT3M07S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg us dying empire, us russian media sanctions, us measures against russian media, us russian media censorship, us media censorship, russiagate, russian interference, russia interfered in elections, russia stole elections, us hegemony, us media, media censorship, police state, brave new world, authoritarian state, not a democracy, no freedom of speech, freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of thoughts, social media censorship, media censorship https://sputnikglobe.com/20240914/what-problems-are-britains-armed-forces-grappling-with--1120147092.html What Problems are Britains Armed Forces Grappling With? What Problems are Britains Armed Forces Grappling With? Sputnik International UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has not ruled out allowing Ukraine to use long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles on targets inside Russia. Meanwhile, the UKs own armed forces are mired in crisis. 2024-09-14T09:44+0000 2024-09-14T09:44+0000 2024-09-14T09:44+0000 military military & intelligence united kingdom (uk) keir starmer national audit office (nao) raf (uk) royal navy https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/104819/28/1048192823_0:0:2048:1153_1920x0_80_0_0_eb1e26f6c33fe03e850cf8b10d1d5979.jpg UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has not ruled out allowing Ukraine to use long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles on targets inside Russia. Yet the UKs warmongering bravado comes as its own armed forces are mired in crisis. Lack of ManpowerBritains armed forces are stretched thin, figures show. The intake of recruits in the 12 months to March 2023 dropped by 22.1% in the Royal Navy, almost 17% in the RAF, and nearly 15% in the army, according to official statistics. The professional ranks of the British Army currently number 75,166 regular forces personnel, compared with around 100,000 in 2010.A manpower crisis in the Royal Navy reportedly prompted the decommissioning of a number of ships. Technical Issues The Royal Navys flagship aircraft carriers the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales have faced some technical issues, as the former was forced to pull out from NATOs Exercise Steadfast Defender drills in February 2024 after a malfunction. Commissioning new Type 26 frigates has been postponed, with initial operational capability anticipated from 2028.Januarys failed HMS Vanguard sea-launch test of the UKs nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) system, the Trident II D-5, was the second successive failure, following one in 2016 involving the HMS Vengeance. Lack of Money & Surplus of BureaucracyThe UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) is facing a 16.9 billion ($22.17 billion) deficit, the National Audit Office (NAO) revealed in 2023. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warned that the actual deficit could be closer to 29 billion ($38.05 billion) in a March 2024 report.The MoD's procurement and delivery processes are mired in delays. Just two of its 46 equipment programs are "highly likely" to be delivered to time, budget, and quality, British MPs warned earlier this year. Successful delivery of five Government Major Projects Portfolio schemes, including nuclear submarine reactors, was determined unachievable by a House of Commons Committee report in March. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240804/british-troops-living-in-moldy-rat-plagued-homes-as-top-brass-sits-on-multi-million-pound-pensions-1119635298.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240221/uk-navy-carries-out-unsuccessful-launch-of-trident-ii-ballistic-missile-1116898840.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/uks-seapower-sags-facing-recruitment-nightmare--naval-vessel-cutback-1116073739.html united kingdom (uk) Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rossiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko what is the state of the british military, is the british army strong, what does the british military spend its money on, is there a recruitment problem in the uk army, why does the uk army lack manpower, is the uk army shrinking, how strong is the uk army, what are the problems facing the uk army, british royal navy, type 23 class frigates, type 26 class frigates, uk defense ministry, type 45 class destroyers, royal navy recruitment decline, royal navy fleet reductions, uk navy operational challenges. After kicking off his career with a victory in the opening leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series earlier this summer, Pierre In Paris grabbed his second victory in the provincial program as the regular season came to a close for the two-year-old trotting colts and geldings on Friday, Sept. 13 at Grand River Raceway. Pierre In Paris opened the Friday evening card winning the fastest of four $20,000 Grassroots divisions in a career-best 1:56.3 for trainer Scott McEneny, who also shares ownership with Aristi Varsakis, Martwest Racing and Cantucky Farm. The winning time equalled the Canadian record for a two-year-old trotting gelding on a five-eighths mile track, co-held by Dream Nation (2018, Georgian Downs) and You Got It Kemp (2024, Grand River Raceway). After testing Gold and Grand Circuit competition since his successful July 12 debut at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Pierre In Paris returned to the Grassroots level for a fifth-leg victory over the Elora oval. Driven by Trevor Henry, the even-money favourite re-took the lead after a :28 first quarter and cruised uncontested through middle splits of :57.3 and 1:27.4 en route to the five-length victory. The Archangel-French Doll gelding improved his career record to three-for-seven. After a brief appearance on the lead during the first panel, HP Lucas followed in second with Captain Suzuki shooting up the inside to secure the third-place honours. Henry doubled up in OSS action as Cousin Halifax earned his second straight Grassroots triumph with a 1:59.4 front-end effort as the overwhelming favourite for trainer David Menary and owner W. J. Donovan. The Trixton-Ms Mischief gelding has finished no worse than second in his five career starts, with three wins. First-over challenger The Bear A Cuda finished 1-1/4 lengths behind with early trailer The Governor grabbing third prize. First Class Rule was also a repeat winner in the Grassroots Series as he turned back a challenge from the divisional point leader, Hay Dad, with that one fading to fourth. Driven by Todd Ratchford for trainer Matt Bax, the winning son of Muscle Mass-Ruling Class stopped the clock in a new mark of 1:57.2 with a margin of four lengths on his foes. He paid $13.60 for the mild upset, with another top-ranked pair in Alimony Mike and Wendell Blue Chip rounding out the triactor ticket. First Class Rule, now two-for-seven, is owned by Bax Stable, Glengate Farms, Gaelic Stable and Ronald Van Noort. The other division was won by the Dustin Jones-trained and reined Mr Pasadena, who looped the early leader by the quarter pole and held off favourite Go Blue for a maiden-breaking victory in 1:58.1 by half a length, paying $14 for the mild upset, with A Fine Bordeaux third. A seven-time starter, the Green Manalishi S-Winnie The Who colt is owned by Dustin Jones Stables, Hebert Horses, Sjoblom Racing and Todd Coleman. The top point earners in the Grassroots Series will face off at Mohawk in the divisional finals on Sept. 28 and the consolations on Sept. 27. Friday's card also included the first round of a Pop-Up Series for pacing fillies and mares not averaging $650 per start this year with a minimum of 10 starts. The winners of the two $6,500 divisions took new lifetime marks with Miss Sophia Rose ($10.90) and driver Jason Ryan scoring in 1:56.1 for trainer Mark Goddard and Snake Eyes Hanover ($11.50) winning a 1:53.2 duel in rein to Austin Sorrie for trainer Riley Simpson. To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Grand River Raceway. (Standardbred Canada) Boeing Machinists union members voted Thursday by an overwhelming majority to reject managements contract offer and go on strike. Boeings 33,000 blue-collar workers were instructed to walk out at 12:01 a.m. Friday and stay out indefinitely. International Association of Machinists District 751 President Jon Holden, who on Sunday urged members to accept the deal, announced the result to raucous cheers and chants of Strike! Strike! Strike! to about 80 Machinists late Thursday at the union headquarters in South Park. This is about respect, this is about addressing the past and this is about fighting for our future, Holden told the crowd. We strike at midnight. He said 94.6% voted to reject the contract and 96% voted to strike, more than the two-thirds majority required by union rules to authorize a walkout. At a news conference after the announcement, Holden said Im proud of our members, proud of them for standing up and fighting for more, for each other, for their families, for the community. Were going to get back to the table as quickly as we can, he said, Well certainly engage so that we can try to resolve the issues and address what the members needs are. Boeing did not immediately offer comment on the vote. After the announcement, Jon-Paul, a Seattle-based Machinist who asked to be identified only by his first name to protect his job, said he wasnt sure until the vote count was announced if his colleagues would approve a strike. I always wondered if wed walk together and think alike, he said. It feels good to know. Holden said union members will be staffing the picket lines tonight, and well be there 24/7 all across Puget Sound and Portland and the other locations. Our members are ready, and so well take it in stride, he said. Even before Holden delivered the result, a team of union officials outside was busily cutting holes in large metal barrels, carving the initials IAM into the side of each and adding a cylindrical chimney on top. Theyll be used as burn barrels, with fires lit inside to keep pickets warm in the nights and days ahead. Inside the hall, buckets were filled with premade On Strike signs. Votes were tallied from polling places across the Puget Sound region, as well as in Moses Lake, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Victorville, California; and Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California. The result was anticipated. Machinists have demonstrated and marched inside the local factories for days, loudly protesting Sundays contract offer. The main reason workers interviewed gave for rejecting the contract was that the wage increase was far short of what they wanted. They did not even accept that Boeings stated wage increase was really 25% over four years as the company presented it, since the Machinists at the same time lost their annual bonus, which might have been worth around 4% each of those years. Brandon Phelps, 35, a former U.S. Air Force mechanic who installed weapons systems on Boeing F-15s in Afghanistan and is now a team lead in the Renton, Washington, 737 assembly plant, said the increase is just over 10% over four years once that takeaway is considered. He said he loves working at Boeing, where he finds the same camaraderie as in the military, but backs a strike because the lower-paid, entry-level workers on his team cannot live on their wage. At Panda Express, theyre making as much as a grade-three mechanic, Phelps said. Bryan Schroeder, an electrician based in Everett, Washington, said Thursday outside the polling place that he initially thought the proposed contract was pretty good when he read it on Sunday. But after talking through the details with colleagues the next day, he decided Boeing had misled workers about the wage increases in the offer. Its just a matter of them trying to make things look better than they are, Schroeder said. I realized it was smoke and mirrors. Relaxed and unified entering a strike The last Machinists strike, in 2008, was unfortunately timed. Lehman Brothers bank collapsed, initiating a meltdown in global financial markets, just days after the strike was called. The Machinists returned to work with limited gains after 57 days on strike. Yet on Thursday 16 years later and 10 years after Boeing forced another bitterly resented contract on the union by threatening to build the new 777X jet elsewhere when a strike wasnt an option the atmosphere was relaxed and unified as a steady stream of Machinists of all ages and ethnicities voted at polling places near their worksites. Union members greeted colleagues as they walked into polling locations spread across the Puget Sound region and huddled in groups as they walked back out to discuss their votes. Workers asked one another if they voted no on the contract and yes on the strike. In Everett, where workers split up to vote at a community park and a tech skills center near an area high school, machinists trickled in on breaks or before their shifts to cast their votes. Outside Kasch Park, one pickup kept a loudspeaker going with the chant strike, strike, strike. Silay Chindavong, who has worked at the Everett widebody jet plant for the past year-and-a-half, came to cast her vote with a T-shirt that read Out The Door in 24. Rossie Binet, a longtime Boeing contractor who recently joined as a full-time employee, stepped off the bus brandishing a Rosie the Riveter sign. Binet and her husband, a longtime Boeing employee who was there for the 2008 strike, were prepared to make the necessary sacrifices, she said Thursday. I hope it goes all the way. We need a fair contract. Yves Diirell and Elizabeth Sheridan, both longtime Boeing employees, said they werent returning to work after casting their vote to strike Thursday morning. Diirell, who has worked at Boeing since 1997, said this years momentum is stronger than in 2008. This vote is not just about us, he said. This vote is for the people that come after us. At the Renton union hall, workers interviewed were similarly solid on voting to strike and seemed unfazed by the prospect of losing their paychecks. Jacquelyn Vaden, 57, who has worked at Boeing for more than 36 years and is now a team lead in Everett at the facility that makes insulation blankets for the fuselage, has been through three strikes. The eight-week 2008 strike wasnt so tough, she said. You prepare for it. You save. You are careful with how you spend your money. Vaden said she has saved again for this one and wont look for another job. Ill utilize every day to get some rest and get stuff done for my dad. Zachary Haley, 37, with almost five years at the company and a quality inspector in Renton, is a third-generation Boeing employee. I have to work stupid amounts of overtime to get enough of a paycheck to survive. Were not making microwaves in there; were making planes that fly around the world, Haley said. He says hes not worried if a strike is extended. I got a brain, he said. I can get jobs elsewhere. Younger Machinists back the strike too Workers who are relatively new to Boeing earn far lower wages, and one might expect more worry about how theyd make ends meet in the event of a long-term strike. That didnt stop recent hires from voting to walk out Thursday. One of those was Calvin, 24, who has worked on final assembly in Renton for just over a year and asked that only his first name be publicized for fear of retaliation. Hes been pursuing a masters degree in business part time. On strike, hell just focus on that. Hes saved enough to last for three months, he said. Calvin added that hes not worried about a strike harming the company. Boeing is Americas baby, he said. They wont let that baby sink. Two workers who started in Everett this year, and also asked to remain anonymous to protect their jobs, said they were prepared to strike for one month. After that, they would need to look for seasonal work. Both had children at home, mortgages to pay and families that were asking what a strike would mean for them. But they didnt hesitate to cast their vote, the workers said Thursday. Solidarity is the most important thing to be a union member, one said. Another relatively new Renton employee, Myra Mercer, 29, is a third-generation Boeing employee with her mom and stepdad currently at Boeing. Mercer said she loves the environment at Boeing and the people are great. However, she said the contract offer doesnt reflect how hard people work and the importance of what they do building machines that carry people around the world. Unmoved by the tide At the Machinists union headquarters in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle, close to Boeing Field but not the large assembly plants, a smaller flow of machinists came to vote Thursday, including some from Boeings Military Delivery Center at Boeing Field. Among those was Michael Rizza, an eight-year U.S. Army veteran, who steadfastly took a different stand. Opposed to a strike, he said he likely wont go out despite the vote. I did not vote to strike, Rizza said. I think its a fair deal. Rizza, 32, joined Boeing just about a year ago. He had done aviation flight-line mechanic work for six years previously and now maintains KC-46 tankers for the Air Force. He said about 90% of the workers at the center are ex-military and most of the vets over there are happy with the offer and think its a good deal, he said, adding that he thinks the union is being unrealistic about the contract. He currently earns $38 an hour and in addition to the raises in the offer, hell get an extra $2 an hour because he has security clearance, he said. Rizza said he respects the union, but I personally cannot strike. I have a little baby on the way, and my daughter has to have surgery. Its not realistic to go find another job. If a strike is called, he said before votes were counted, Ill probably come to work. Strikes often inflame passions as union members suffering the loss of income resent anyone going to work through picket lines. That sometimes draws heated abuse from members on strike. Yet Rizza is firm that hell do whats right for him and his family. Im not afraid. Why should I be afraid? People are entitled to their opinion. They dont know me or my story, Rizza said. They wont force their opinion on me. Thats 100% not what this country stands for. Whats next? The longer this strike goes on, the more damage will be done to the company, the Machinists and the regions economy. The vote was emphatic but what comes next is unpredictable. Theres no telling how long the strike might last. Many Machinists say that if it lasts until Thanksgiving, Boeing considering that the plants always close over the Christmas break may just let the workers stay out until the new year. But such speculation conjures an immensely damaging strike of more than 100 days, longer than any Machinist strike since the first one in 1948 that lasted 140 days. Boeing Commercial Airplane CEO Stephanie Pope told employees in a message Tuesday that management gave all it could in the negotiations, and we did not hold back with an eye on a second vote. At some point though, there must be a way to get people back to work, a difficult challenge for Boeings new CEO Kelly Ortberg. Holden on Thursday night said Ortberg was in a tough position coming in not too long ago. Its hard to make up for 16 years. This isnt necessarily a reflection of him. He said the federal mediation service will likely be involved to help bridge the gap between union and management. Broderick Conway, 29, a Renton quality inspector with just a year-and-a-half at Boeing, said the contract offer was so far from what the union wanted that management will have to come up with something big to get us back. Wildlife feeding is now formally off-limits in parts of Spokane County under a new rule announced Thursday as part of the states fight against chronic wasting disease. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has finalized an emergency rule banning the feeding of elk, moose and deer in three hunting districts surrounding Spokane. Its already illegal to feed carnivores like bears, and wildlife officials have long discouraged feeding wildlife, but the rule announced Thursday marks the first time the agency has prohibited feeding the three antlered species. The prohibition is one of several measures the agency has put in place to limit the spread of CWD, an always-fatal condition that was discovered in a deer in north Spokane this summer. Washington was the 35th state to detect the disease, which attacks the nervous systems of deer, elk and moose. It is not known to infect humans, though health officials advise against eating meat from infected animals. Left unchecked, it has the potential to do major damage to cervid populations. There is no cure, so combatting the disease means trying to limit or slow its spread. Last month, the WDFW announced a suite of emergency rules in response to the detection, including a ban on hunting with bait and mandatory CWD testing for hunters near where the infected deer was found. The agency also put restrictions on transporting dead animal parts from eastern Washington to other parts of the state. A prohibition on feeding wildlife seeks to keep people from encouraging animals to congregate in large numbers. CWD spreads through bodily fluids like saliva and urine, and drawing animals together over hay or grain can encourage its spread. The ban applies to game management units 124, 127 and 130. The infected deer was found in the Fairwood area of north Spokane, which is in unit 124. The borders of the other two units are within 10 miles of where the deer was found. Combined, the three units include the entirety of Spokane and stretch to the Idaho border in the east and the town of Sprague in the west. Agricultural practices are not affected by the feeding ban, WDFW said in a news release. Many states prohibit feeding wildlife. In the past, Washington lawmakers have proposed a statewide ban. Some cities have local ordinances banning wildlife feeding, such as Medical Lake. WDFW says feeding wildlife is often well-intentioned but can have detrimental effects even beyond the spread of CWD. It can habituate animals to people or cause them to show aggressive behavior to people or pets. It could also cause them to cross roads and get hit by cars. Staci Lehman, a WDFW spokesperson, said the agency would consider making the rule permanent and applying it statewide during a formal rulemaking process. Doing so would force the agency to confront its own role in feeding wildlife. Each winter, WDFW staff feed elk at the Oak Creek Wildlife Area northwest of Yakima. Lehman said that operation has gone on for decades, and originally began as a way to ease the pressure elk were putting on agricultural producers in the area. She said the practice is something the agency will have to take a long look at. Alger Mid Cap 40 ETF (NYSEARCA:FRTY Get Free Report) shares were up 1.2% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $16.01 and last traded at $16.01. Approximately 4,085 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 73% from the average daily volume of 15,393 shares. The stock had previously closed at $15.83. Alger Mid Cap 40 ETF Price Performance The stock has a market capitalization of $35.02 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.83 and a beta of 1.39. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $15.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.93. Alger Mid Cap 40 ETF Company Profile (Get Free Report) The Alger Mid Cap 40 ETF (FRTY) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Russell Midcap Growth index. The fund is an actively-managed, non-transparent ETF that provides exposure to US mid-cap companies with growth characteristics. The fund utilizes the Precidian non-transparent model. FRTY was launched on Feb 26, 2021 and is managed by Alger. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Alger Mid Cap 40 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alger Mid Cap 40 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank Hapoalim B.M. (OTCMKTS:BKHYY Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $49.75 and last traded at $49.75, with a volume of 2 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $49.75. Bank Hapoalim B.M. Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.92. The company has a market capitalization of $13.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.54 and a beta of 1.06. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $47.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.09. Get Bank Hapoalim B.M. alerts: Bank Hapoalim B.M. (OTCMKTS:BKHYY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 14th. The bank reported $2.24 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter. Bank Hapoalim B.M. had a net margin of 19.42% and a return on equity of 14.22%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Bank Hapoalim B.M. will post 6.72 EPS for the current fiscal year. Bank Hapoalim B.M. Cuts Dividend Bank Hapoalim B.M. Company Profile The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 26th will be given a dividend of $0.4711 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 26th. Bank Hapoalim B.M.s dividend payout ratio is currently 25.20%. (Get Free Report) Bank Hapoalim B.M., together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking and financial products and services in Israel and internationally. It operates through Household, Private Banking, Small businesses and micro businesses, Mid-sized businesses, Large businesses, Institutional entities, and Financial management segments. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Bank Hapoalim B.M. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank Hapoalim B.M. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Barclays PLC (NYSE:BCS) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,090,000 shares, a growth of 80.9% from the August 15th total of 3,920,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 13,450,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.5 days. Approximately 0.2% of the companys shares are sold short. Barclays Stock Up 1.6 % Shares of BCS stock traded up $0.18 on Friday, hitting $11.74. The stock had a trading volume of 24,018,932 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,394,604. Barclays has a 52-week low of $6.23 and a 52-week high of $12.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.98, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.76, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.43. The stocks 50 day moving average is $11.68 and its 200-day moving average is $10.65. Get Barclays alerts: Barclays (NYSE:BCS Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The financial services provider reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $7.98 billion for the quarter. Barclays had a net margin of 16.83% and a return on equity of 5.94%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.43 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Barclays will post 1.68 earnings per share for the current year. Barclays Increases Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th will be paid a $0.2684 dividend. This represents a yield of 3.6%. This is an increase from Barclayss previous semi-annual dividend of $0.27. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. Barclayss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.64%. BCS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Kepler Capital Markets started coverage on Barclays in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Barclays from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Barclays currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy. Get Our Latest Report on BCS Institutional Trading of Barclays Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BCS. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Barclays in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,090,000. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky increased its stake in Barclays by 29.8% during the second quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 1,990,600 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $21,319,000 after purchasing an additional 457,000 shares during the last quarter. Senator Investment Group LP acquired a new stake in shares of Barclays during the second quarter worth $738,000. Creative Planning lifted its position in shares of Barclays by 13.0% in the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 277,928 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,977,000 after buying an additional 31,987 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kathmere Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Barclays by 10.2% in the 2nd quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 35,153 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $376,000 after buying an additional 3,241 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.39% of the companys stock. About Barclays (Get Free Report) Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK and Barclays International division segments. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Barclays Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Barclays and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cambridge Cognition Holdings Plc (LON:COG Get Free Report)s stock price passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 46.92 ($0.61) and traded as low as GBX 45.66 ($0.60). Cambridge Cognition shares last traded at GBX 46 ($0.60), with a volume of 10,738 shares trading hands. Cambridge Cognition Stock Up 1.3 % The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 92.53. The stock has a market capitalization of 16.36 million, a PE ratio of -975.00 and a beta of 0.72. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is GBX 43.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 46.86. About Cambridge Cognition (Get Free Report) Cambridge Cognition Holdings Plc, a neuroscience technology company, develops and markets near-patient cognitive testing techniques in the United States, United Kingdom, the European Union, and internationally. The company offers CANTAB digital cognitive assessment platform for drug development by enabling pharmaceutical companies to take new therapeutics from preclinical consultancy to pivotal studies and approval, as well as supports sponsors to enhance recruitment, develop safe and effective treatments, and enhance research and development efficiency. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Cambridge Cognition Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cambridge Cognition and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Decisive Dividend Co. (OTCMKTS:DEDVF Get Free Report) traded down 1.3% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $4.44 and last traded at $4.44. 500 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 78% from the average session volume of 2,237 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.50. Decisive Dividend Price Performance The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $4.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $6.02. Decisive Dividend Company Profile (Get Free Report) Decisive Dividend Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells wood burning stoves, fireplace inserts, and gas fireplaces in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Finished Product and Component Manufacturing. The company also designs, manufactures, and markets air blast sprayers for use in agricultural industry under the Turbo Mist brand; and wastewater evaporator systems that are used in mining, oil and gas, and waste management industries. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Decisive Dividend Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Decisive Dividend and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fresh Vine Wine, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:VINE Get Free Report) shares traded up 6% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $0.54 and last traded at $0.53. 186,052 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 7% from the average session volume of 200,241 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.50. Fresh Vine Wine Trading Up 7.2 % The firm has a market capitalization of $9.06 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.94 and a beta of 2.01. Get Fresh Vine Wine alerts: Fresh Vine Wine (NYSEAMERICAN:VINE Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter. Fresh Vine Wine had a negative net margin of 498.73% and a negative return on equity of 6,301.44%. The business had revenue of $0.07 million during the quarter. Fresh Vine Wine Company Profile Fresh Vine Wine, Inc produces and sells low-carb and low-calorie wines in the United States and Puerto Rico. Its wine varietals include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling Rose, and Reserve Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. The company sells its products through wholesale, retail, and direct-to-consumer channels. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Fresh Vine Wine Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fresh Vine Wine and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Insight Select Income Fund (NYSE:INSI Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,400 shares, a growth of 69.2% from the August 15th total of 2,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 9,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.5 days. Insight Select Income Fund Price Performance Shares of INSI stock traded up $0.21 on Friday, reaching $17.25. 19,917 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,479. The company has a 50-day moving average of $16.74 and a 200-day moving average of $16.32. Insight Select Income Fund has a one year low of $14.28 and a one year high of $17.60. Get Insight Select Income Fund alerts: Insight Select Income Fund Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 10th were issued a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 10th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.64%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Insight Select Income Fund About Insight Select Income Fund A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in INSI. Karpus Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Insight Select Income Fund by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. Karpus Management Inc. now owns 531,853 shares of the companys stock worth $8,494,000 after acquiring an additional 36,835 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its stake in Insight Select Income Fund by 13.0% in the 1st quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 26,632 shares of the companys stock valued at $439,000 after buying an additional 3,065 shares during the last quarter. Riverbridge Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Insight Select Income Fund in the 1st quarter valued at about $447,000. SeaBridge Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Insight Select Income Fund by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. SeaBridge Investment Advisors LLC now owns 148,853 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,455,000 after buying an additional 7,159 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wolverine Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Insight Select Income Fund in the 2nd quarter valued at about $156,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.32% of the companys stock. (Get Free Report) Insight Select Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Cutwater Asset Management Corp. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It primarily invests in short-term and long-term debt securities. The fund invests in the securities rated within the highest four grades by Moody's or Standard & Poor's, obligations of the U.S. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Insight Select Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Insight Select Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report issued on Friday. A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the company. B. Riley reissued a buy rating and issued a $30.00 target price on shares of International Game Technology in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on International Game Technology from $40.00 to $33.00 and set a positive rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of International Game Technology from $26.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, International Game Technology currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $28.67. Get International Game Technology alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on IGT International Game Technology Trading Up 0.7 % Shares of NYSE IGT traded up $0.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $21.68. 494,420 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,169,617. The companys 50-day moving average is $21.59 and its 200-day moving average is $21.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.57, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.65 and a beta of 1.96. International Game Technology has a 52-week low of $18.90 and a 52-week high of $33.48. International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. International Game Technology had a net margin of 4.89% and a return on equity of 19.95%. International Game Technologys revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.45 earnings per share. Analysts expect that International Game Technology will post 1.48 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of IGT. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group acquired a new position in International Game Technology in the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of International Game Technology during the second quarter worth approximately $44,000. General Partner Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of International Game Technology during the first quarter worth $45,000. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC grew its position in International Game Technology by 1,633.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,219 shares of the companys stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 2,091 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC increased its stake in International Game Technology by 156.7% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,321 shares of the companys stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 1,417 shares during the period. 44.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. International Game Technology Company Profile (Get Free Report) International Game Technology PLC operates and provides gaming technology products and services in the United States, Canada, Italy, The United Kingdom, rest of Europe, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Global Lottery, Global Gaming, and PlayDigital. The company designs, sells, operates, and leases a suite of point-of-sale machines that reconciles lottery funds between the retailer and lottery authority; provides online lottery transaction processing systems; produces instant ticket games; and offers printing services, such as instant ticket marketing plans and graphic design, programming, packaging, shipping, and delivery services, as well as iLottery solutions and services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for International Game Technology Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Game Technology and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:NAZ Get Free Report)s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $11.14 and traded as high as $11.95. Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund shares last traded at $11.92, with a volume of 36,441 shares changing hands. Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund Stock Down 0.2 % The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $11.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $11.15. Get Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund alerts: Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a dividend of $0.0725 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.35%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund Company Profile Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 99,843 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $1,114,000 after purchasing an additional 1,072 shares in the last quarter. Whitebox Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund in the second quarter worth approximately $405,000. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund in the second quarter worth approximately $34,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its position in Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund by 4.1% during the second quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 26,762 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $299,000 after acquiring an additional 1,052 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund by 1.5% during the first quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 94,537 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $1,038,000 after acquiring an additional 1,372 shares in the last quarter. 15.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. (Get Free Report) Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc The fund is managed by Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of Arizona. The fund invests in municipal securities and other related investments the income, exempt from regular federal and Arizona income taxes that are rated Baa or BBB or better and having an average maturity of 18.66 years. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PCCW Limited (OTCMKTS:PCCWY Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 200 shares, a drop of 95.6% from the August 15th total of 4,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 4,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.0 days. PCCW Price Performance Shares of PCCWY stock traded up $0.55 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $5.61. 311 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,798. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $5.37 and its 200 day simple moving average is $5.19. PCCW has a 12 month low of $4.30 and a 12 month high of $6.01. Get PCCW alerts: PCCW Cuts Dividend The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a dividend of $0.1051 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. PCCW Company Profile PCCW Limited provides telecommunications and related services in Hong Kong, Mainland and other parts of China, Singapore, and internationally. The company's services include local telephony, local data and broadband, mobile, enterprise solutions, international telecommunications, and satellite-based and network-based telecommunications services; outsourcing, consulting, and contact center services; and technical consulting and engineering services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for PCCW Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PCCW and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of The Scottish American Investment Company P.L.C. (LON:SAIN Get Free Report) shot up 0.4% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as GBX 503 ($6.58) and last traded at GBX 500.27 ($6.54). 367,383 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 43% from the average session volume of 256,720 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 498.50 ($6.52). Scottish American Investment Stock Performance The company has a quick ratio of 3.87, a current ratio of 4.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.75. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 511.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 507.86. The stock has a market capitalization of 902.30 million, a P/E ratio of 1,012.00 and a beta of 0.65. Get Scottish American Investment alerts: Scottish American Investment Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 19th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 8th will be paid a dividend of GBX 3.55 ($0.05) per share. This is an increase from Scottish American Investments previous dividend of $3.45. This represents a dividend yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 8th. Scottish American Investments payout ratio is currently 2,800.00%. About Scottish American Investment The Scottish American Investment Company P.L.C. is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Baillie Gifford & Co Ltd. The fund is co-managed by Baillie Gifford & Co and OLIM Property Limited. It invests in public equity markets across the globe. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Scottish American Investment Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Scottish American Investment and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wilmar International Limited (OTCMKTS:WLMIY Get Free Report) shares passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $23.66 and traded as high as $24.67. Wilmar International shares last traded at $24.57, with a volume of 56,812 shares trading hands. Wilmar International Price Performance The company has a 50-day moving average of $23.70 and a 200-day moving average of $24.07. Get Wilmar International alerts: Wilmar International Cuts Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Investors of record on Friday, August 23rd will be given a $0.4044 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 23rd. About Wilmar International Wilmar International Limited operates as an agribusiness company in Singapore, South East Asia, the People's Republic of China, India, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Africa, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Food Products, Feed and Industrial Products, Plantation and Sugar Milling, and Others. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Wilmar International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wilmar International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (OTCMKTS:AVIFY Get Free Report) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a decline of 99.4% from the August 15th total of 17,300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days. Advanced Info Service Public Price Performance Advanced Info Service Public stock remained flat at $7.85 during trading on Friday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $6.71 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5.99. Advanced Info Service Public has a fifty-two week low of $5.10 and a fifty-two week high of $7.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Get Advanced Info Service Public alerts: Advanced Info Service Public (OTCMKTS:AVIFY Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The technology company reported $0.08 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $1.40 billion during the quarter. Advanced Info Service Public had a return on equity of 36.20% and a net margin of 15.93%. Advanced Info Service Public Increases Dividend About Advanced Info Service Public The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 20th were paid a $0.1094 dividend. This is a positive change from Advanced Info Service Publics previous dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 20th. Advanced Info Service Publics dividend payout ratio is presently 76.67%. (Get Free Report) Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited, together its subsidiaries, provides communication products and services primarily in Thailand. It is involved in the operation of cellular telephone networks, networks, and telecommunication and internet services. The company also distributes handsets; cash cards and electronic payment services; and internet equipment. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Advanced Info Service Public Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Advanced Info Service Public and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of AGF Management Limited (TSE:AGF.B Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the six analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$10.96. Several research firms have commented on AGF.B. Desjardins set a C$12.00 price objective on shares of AGF Management and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday. Scotiabank set a C$10.75 price target on shares of AGF Management and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Get AGF Management alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on AGF Management AGF Management Stock Performance Insider Activity at AGF Management AGF Management stock opened at C$7.91 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average price is C$8.02 and its 200-day moving average price is C$8.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.60. The company has a market cap of C$508.53 million, a PE ratio of 5.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.71. AGF Management has a twelve month low of C$6.30 and a twelve month high of C$9.05. In related news, Director Laura Lee Dottori-Attanasio purchased 12,500 shares of AGF Management stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of C$7.99 per share, with a total value of C$99,833.75. In other news, Director Cybele Negris bought 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$8.15 per share, for a total transaction of C$48,900.00. Also, Director Laura Lee Dottori-Attanasio purchased 12,500 shares of AGF Management stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of C$7.99 per share, for a total transaction of C$99,833.75. Insiders have acquired a total of 54,185 shares of company stock valued at $432,663 over the last ninety days. 18.69% of the stock is owned by company insiders. AGF Management Company Profile (Get Free Report AGF Management Limited is one of Canada's premier investment management companies with offices across Canada and subsidiaries around the world. 2007 marks AGF's 50th anniversary ofproviding Canadians with innovative investment solutions across the wealth continuum. AGF's products and services include a diversified family of more than 50 mutual funds, the evolutionary AGF Elements portfolios, the Harmony asset management program, AGF Private Investment Management, Institutional Account Services and AGF Trust GICs, loans and mortgages. See Also Receive News & Ratings for AGF Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AGF Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Alamos Gold (NYSE:AGI Free Report) (TSE:AGI) had its price target lifted by Royal Bank of Canada from $20.00 to $23.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the basic materials companys stock. A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on AGI. National Bank Financial downgraded shares of Alamos Gold from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Sunday, September 8th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Alamos Gold from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Alamos Gold from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a sector outperform rating in a research report on Monday, August 19th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Alamos Gold from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, May 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $23.81. Get Alamos Gold alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on AGI Alamos Gold Stock Up 3.1 % Alamos Gold stock opened at $20.69 on Tuesday. Alamos Gold has a 52 week low of $10.78 and a 52 week high of $20.90. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $18.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.69 billion, a PE ratio of 39.79, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.18. Alamos Gold (NYSE:AGI Get Free Report) (TSE:AGI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $332.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $282.78 million. Alamos Gold had a net margin of 17.73% and a return on equity of 8.52%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 27.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.15 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Alamos Gold will post 0.75 EPS for the current fiscal year. Alamos Gold Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.025 per share. This represents a $0.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.48%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 12th. Alamos Golds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.23%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alamos Gold Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co boosted its stake in shares of Alamos Gold by 131.6% during the 1st quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 97,403 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,434,000 after buying an additional 55,352 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI raised its position in shares of Alamos Gold by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 1,394,930 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $21,824,000 after purchasing an additional 45,412 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Alamos Gold by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,419,042 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $194,224,000 after purchasing an additional 216,280 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in Alamos Gold by 71.9% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,588,581 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $97,183,000 after purchasing an additional 2,756,759 shares during the period. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Alamos Gold by 66.2% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 191,746 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $2,829,000 after buying an additional 76,379 shares during the period. 64.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Alamos Gold (Get Free Report) Alamos Gold Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and extraction of precious metals in Canada and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold deposits. It holds 100% interest in the Young-Davidson mine and Island Gold mine located in the Ontario, Canada; Mulatos mine located in the Sonora, Mexico; and Lynn Lake project situated in the Manitoba, Canada. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Alamos Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alamos Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shore Capital restated their sell rating on shares of ASOS (LON:ASC Free Report) in a research report released on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. Separately, Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a buy rating and set a GBX 490 ($6.41) price target on shares of ASOS in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 417.50 ($5.46). Get ASOS alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on ASC ASOS Stock Performance About ASOS Shares of ASC opened at GBX 435 ($5.69) on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 158.84. The stock has a market capitalization of 518.13 million, a P/E ratio of -218.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -1.26 and a beta of 2.86. The firms fifty day simple moving average is GBX 370.52 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 362.81. ASOS has a 12 month low of GBX 328.84 ($4.30) and a 12 month high of GBX 453.80 ($5.93). (Get Free Report) ASOS Plc operates as an online fashion retailer in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, and internationally. It offers womenswear and menswear products. The company sells its products under the ASOS Design, ASOS Edition, ASOS Luxe, ASOS 4505, Collusion, Reclaimed Vintage, Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, HIIT, AsYou, Dark Future, UNRVLLD/SPPLY, Crooked Tongues, Daysocial, Actual, and Weekend Collective brands, as well as through third-party brands. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for ASOS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ASOS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB Free Report) in a research report released on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat reports. The firm issued an outperform rating and a $250.00 target price on the real estate investment trusts stock. Several other research analysts have also weighed in on AVB. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $218.00 to $229.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $203.00 to $209.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on AvalonBay Communities from $213.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on AvalonBay Communities from $194.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, June 17th. Finally, Zelman & Associates raised AvalonBay Communities to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $218.94. Get AvalonBay Communities alerts: View Our Latest Report on AvalonBay Communities AvalonBay Communities Price Performance NYSE AVB opened at $234.75 on Wednesday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $214.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $199.23. The company has a current ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a market cap of $33.38 billion, a PE ratio of 34.93, a PEG ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 0.97. AvalonBay Communities has a 1 year low of $160.45 and a 1 year high of $234.80. AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The real estate investment trust reported $1.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.71 by ($0.93). The company had revenue of $726.04 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $718.49 million. AvalonBay Communities had a return on equity of 7.16% and a net margin of 29.61%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.66 EPS. On average, analysts predict that AvalonBay Communities will post 11.01 EPS for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, SVP Keri A. Shea sold 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.17, for a total transaction of $414,340.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 4,383 shares in the company, valued at $908,026.11. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CIO Matthew H. Birenbaum sold 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.90, for a total transaction of $1,044,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive now owns 65,967 shares of the companys stock, valued at $13,780,506.30. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Keri A. Shea sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.17, for a total value of $414,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 4,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $908,026.11. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.42% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On AvalonBay Communities Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities during the second quarter worth about $32,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in AvalonBay Communities by 1,877.8% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 178 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 169 shares during the period. BROOKFIELD Corp ON bought a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities in the 1st quarter valued at $39,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. grew its position in AvalonBay Communities by 50.0% during the 1st quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 225 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its holdings in AvalonBay Communities by 38.8% during the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 261 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. 92.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. AvalonBay Communities Company Profile (Get Free Report) As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 299 apartment communities containing 90,669 apartment homes in 12 states and the District of Columbia, of which 18 communities were under development. The Company is an equity REIT in the business of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing apartment communities in leading metropolitan areas in New England, the New York/New Jersey Metro area, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and Northern and Southern California, as well as in the Company's expansion regions of Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina, Southeast Florida, Dallas and Austin, Texas, and Denver, Colorado. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for AvalonBay Communities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AvalonBay Communities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BankUnited (NYSE:BKU Free Report) had its price target trimmed by Citigroup from $42.00 to $39.00 in a research note published on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the financial services providers stock. A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on BKU. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of BankUnited from $32.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of BankUnited from $29.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Hovde Group raised their target price on shares of BankUnited from $33.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Wedbush raised their target price on shares of BankUnited from $30.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of BankUnited from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, BankUnited currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $35.00. Get BankUnited alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on BKU BankUnited Price Performance NYSE:BKU opened at $36.03 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $35.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $30.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.53 and a beta of 1.33. BankUnited has a 12-month low of $20.84 and a 12-month high of $39.51. BankUnited (NYSE:BKU Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $250.20 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $243.65 million. BankUnited had a return on equity of 7.76% and a net margin of 8.41%. The companys revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.78 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that BankUnited will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current year. BankUnited Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 12th were given a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 12th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.22%. BankUniteds payout ratio is currently 50.00%. Insider Activity at BankUnited In related news, Director Douglas J. Pauls sold 3,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.50, for a total value of $127,750.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 43,654 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,593,371. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other BankUnited news, Director William S. Rubenstein sold 7,864 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.57, for a total transaction of $303,314.48. Following the sale, the director now owns 10,282 shares in the company, valued at approximately $396,576.74. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Douglas J. Pauls sold 3,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.50, for a total value of $127,750.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 43,654 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,593,371. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 21,507 shares of company stock valued at $802,400. Insiders own 1.19% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On BankUnited Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of BankUnited by 307.6% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,928 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 1,455 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in BankUnited in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of BankUnited during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $74,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of BankUnited during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $169,000. Finally, Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of BankUnited during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $175,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.70% of the companys stock. About BankUnited (Get Free Report) BankUnited, Inc operates as the bank holding company for BankUnited, a national banking association that provides a range of banking services in the United States. The company offers deposit products, such as checking, money market deposit, and savings accounts; certificates of deposit; and treasury, commercial payment, and cash management services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for BankUnited Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BankUnited and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC cut its holdings in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras (NYSE:PBR Free Report) by 59.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,627 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock after selling 18,216 shares during the quarter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLCs holdings in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras were worth $183,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership acquired a new position in shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $218,758,000. Artemis Investment Management LLP boosted its position in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras by 27.7% during the 1st quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 6,278,919 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock worth $95,452,000 after acquiring an additional 1,362,108 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras by 38.4% during the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,745,895 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock worth $54,278,000 after acquiring an additional 1,039,700 shares during the last quarter. Perpetual Ltd acquired a new position in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras during the 1st quarter worth approximately $56,337,000. Finally, Earnest Partners LLC boosted its position in Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 3,276,414 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock worth $49,834,000 after acquiring an additional 151,056 shares during the last quarter. Get Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras alerts: Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras Stock Performance Shares of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras stock opened at $14.53 on Friday. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras has a 12-month low of $12.90 and a 12-month high of $17.91. The businesss 50 day moving average is $14.74 and its 200-day moving average is $15.21. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras Increases Dividend Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras ( NYSE:PBR Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.47. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras had a return on equity of 28.42% and a net margin of 16.17%. The business had revenue of $23.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $24.22 billion. On average, equities research analysts predict that Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras will post 3.14 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a Variable dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 29th. Investors of record on Friday, August 23rd will be paid a $0.165 dividend. This represents a yield of 15.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 23rd. This is a boost from Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobrass previous Variable dividend of $0.03. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobrass dividend payout ratio is 25.00%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras from $19.30 to $16.70 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras from $19.40 to $18.10 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 19th. Morgan Stanley raised Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and upped their price target for the stock from $18.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Monday, August 26th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $16.80 to $17.90 in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $18.07. View Our Latest Report on PBR About Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras (Free Report) Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras explores, produces, and sells oil and gas in Brazil and internationally. The company operates through Exploration and Production; Refining, Transportation and Marketing; and Gas and Power. It also engages in prospecting, drilling, refining, processing, trading, and transporting crude oil from producing onshore and offshore oil fields, and shale or other rocks, as well as oil products, natural gas, and other liquid hydrocarbons. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC cut its stake in Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON Free Report) by 5.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,139 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 423 shares during the period. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLCs holdings in Sonoco Products were worth $362,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wedmont Private Capital raised its position in Sonoco Products by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 6,541 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $382,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Sonoco Products by 5.7% in the first quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 3,345 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $193,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Curbstone Financial Management Corp lifted its stake in Sonoco Products by 0.7% in the first quarter. Curbstone Financial Management Corp now owns 27,750 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,605,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Sonoco Products by 78.8% during the 1st quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 490 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sterling Investment Counsel LLC raised its holdings in shares of Sonoco Products by 5.2% in the 1st quarter. Sterling Investment Counsel LLC now owns 5,460 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $316,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.69% of the companys stock. Get Sonoco Products alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth SON has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Sonoco Products from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $54.00 to $52.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. StockNews.com cut Sonoco Products from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Citigroup reduced their price target on Sonoco Products from $64.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Finally, Raymond James began coverage on Sonoco Products in a research report on Friday, July 19th. They set an outperform rating and a $62.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Sonoco Products presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $58.00. Sonoco Products Price Performance Shares of SON opened at $55.07 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $52.12 and a two-hundred day moving average of $55.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Sonoco Products has a twelve month low of $52.76 and a twelve month high of $55.57. The company has a market cap of $5.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.68. Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The industrial products company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.26 by $0.02. Sonoco Products had a return on equity of 20.10% and a net margin of 5.57%. The firm had revenue of $1.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.69 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.38 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Sonoco Products will post 5.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Sonoco Products Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th were issued a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.78%. Sonoco Productss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 52.53%. About Sonoco Products (Free Report) Sonoco Products Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells various engineered and sustainable packaging products in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company operates Consumer Packaging and Industrial Paper Packaging segments. The Consumer Packaging segment offers round and shaped rigid paper, steel, and plastic containers; metal and peelable membrane ends, closures, and components; thermoformed plastic trays and enclosures; and high-barrier flexible packaging products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Sonoco Products Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sonoco Products and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. JBF Capital Inc. grew its position in Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ Free Report) (TSE:CNQ) by 101.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 512,198 shares of the oil and gas producers stock after acquiring an additional 257,549 shares during the period. Canadian Natural Resources accounts for 2.8% of JBF Capital Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. JBF Capital Inc.s holdings in Canadian Natural Resources were worth $18,234,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Canadian Natural Resources in the second quarter worth about $464,000. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Canadian Natural Resources by 139.4% during the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 8,532 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $304,000 after buying an additional 4,968 shares in the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Canadian Natural Resources by 99.7% in the 2nd quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 13,404 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $477,000 after buying an additional 6,692 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its position in shares of Canadian Natural Resources by 157.4% during the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 8,352 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $297,000 after acquiring an additional 5,107 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale lifted its stake in shares of Canadian Natural Resources by 161.1% during the second quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 3,657,665 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $130,467,000 after acquiring an additional 2,257,049 shares during the period. 74.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Canadian Natural Resources alerts: Canadian Natural Resources Trading Down 0.9 % CNQ opened at $31.97 on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average is $35.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.46. The firm has a market cap of $67.86 billion, a PE ratio of 12.74 and a beta of 1.51. Canadian Natural Resources Limited has a twelve month low of $29.45 and a twelve month high of $41.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.88. Canadian Natural Resources Cuts Dividend Canadian Natural Resources ( NYSE:CNQ Get Free Report ) (TSE:CNQ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The oil and gas producer reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.26. Canadian Natural Resources had a return on equity of 22.09% and a net margin of 18.05%. The firm had revenue of $7.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.43 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Canadian Natural Resources Limited will post 2.49 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 4th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a $0.384 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.80%. Canadian Natural Resourcess dividend payout ratio is presently 61.35%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In CNQ has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com lowered Canadian Natural Resources from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Scotiabank reissued a sector perform rating on shares of Canadian Natural Resources in a research note on Tuesday, June 11th. Raymond James raised shares of Canadian Natural Resources to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 28th. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on Canadian Natural Resources in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. They issued a peer perform rating on the stock. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $49.50. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Canadian Natural Resources About Canadian Natural Resources (Free Report) Canadian Natural Resources Limited acquires, explores for, develops, produces, markets, and sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The company offers light and medium crude oil, primary heavy crude oil, Pelican Lake heavy crude oil, bitumen (thermal oil), and synthetic crude oil (SCO). Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Natural Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Natural Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Central African Gold Inc. (BANC.V) (CVE:BANC Get Free Report)s stock price shot up 8.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as C$0.32 and last traded at C$0.32. 80,972 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 230% from the average session volume of 24,545 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.30. Central African Gold Inc. (BANC.V) Stock Up 8.5 % The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.17, a current ratio of 0.01 and a quick ratio of 0.01. The stock has a market capitalization of C$11.23 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.91. The firms fifty day moving average is C$0.32 and its 200-day moving average is C$0.32. About Central African Gold Inc. (BANC.V) (Get Free Report) Bankers Cobalt Corp., a natural resource company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of cobalt and copper mineral projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia. The company explores for nickel, gold, platinum, and palladium deposits. It holds 100% interest in six concessions located in Namibia. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Central African Gold Inc. (BANC.V) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Central African Gold Inc. (BANC.V) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Central Japan Railway (OTCMKTS:CJPRY Get Free Report) crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $11.26 and traded as high as $11.97. Central Japan Railway shares last traded at $11.79, with a volume of 191,095 shares changing hands. Central Japan Railway Price Performance The company has a fifty day moving average of $11.28 and a 200-day moving average of $11.50. The firm has a market cap of $23.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.94 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 4.16 and a quick ratio of 4.09. Get Central Japan Railway alerts: Central Japan Railway (OTCMKTS:CJPRY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Central Japan Railway will post 1.27 EPS for the current fiscal year. Central Japan Railway Company Profile Central Japan Railway Company engages in the railway and related businesses in Japan. The company operates through Transportation, Merchandise and Other, Real Estate, and Other segments. It primarily operates Tokaido Shinkansen, a transportation artery that links metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, as well as a network of 12 conventional lines centered on the Nagoya and Shizuoka areas. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Central Japan Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Central Japan Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of China Pharma (NYSE:CPHI Free Report) in a research report report published on Wednesday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock. China Pharma Stock Performance Shares of CPHI stock opened at $0.23 on Wednesday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $0.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $0.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. China Pharma has a 1-year low of $0.17 and a 1-year high of $1.21. Get China Pharma alerts: China Pharma (NYSE:CPHI Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share for the quarter. China Pharma had a negative return on equity of 60.19% and a negative net margin of 70.47%. The company had revenue of $0.93 million for the quarter. China Pharma Company Profile China Pharma Holdings, Inc develops, manufactures, and markets generic and branded pharmaceutical, and biochemical products to hospitals and private retailers in the People's Republic of China. The company provides products in the form of dry powder injectables, liquid injectables, tablets, capsules, and cephalosporin oral solutions. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for China Pharma Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Pharma and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR Free Report) (NYSE:CNI) had its price objective trimmed by CIBC from C$170.00 to C$160.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$180.00 to C$176.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$202.00 to C$189.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$169.00 to C$160.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Stephens upgraded shares of Canadian National Railway to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, TD Securities dropped their price target on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$185.00 to C$180.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$174.93. Get Canadian National Railway alerts: View Our Latest Report on CNR Canadian National Railway Trading Down 0.5 % TSE:CNR opened at C$161.44 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of C$101.63 billion, a PE ratio of 19.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.65. The businesss 50 day moving average is C$158.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$167.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 107.62. Canadian National Railway has a 52 week low of C$143.13 and a 52 week high of C$181.34. Canadian National Railway (TSE:CNR Get Free Report) (NYSE:CNI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported C$1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$1.93 by C($0.09). The business had revenue of C$4.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$4.40 billion. Canadian National Railway had a return on equity of 27.41% and a net margin of 32.02%. On average, analysts predict that Canadian National Railway will post 8.8716518 EPS for the current year. Canadian National Railway Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 27th will be paid a $0.845 dividend. This represents a $3.38 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.09%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. Canadian National Railways payout ratio is presently 40.14%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Shauneen Elizabeth Bruder acquired 544 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 25th. The stock was acquired at an average price of C$160.21 per share, with a total value of C$87,156.42. In other Canadian National Railway news, Director Shauneen Elizabeth Bruder bought 544 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 25th. The shares were acquired at an average price of C$160.21 per share, with a total value of C$87,156.42. Also, Director Josephine Ann Marie Depass Olsovsky bought 2,610 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 26th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$115.29 per share, for a total transaction of C$300,906.90. Company insiders own 1.69% of the companys stock. About Canadian National Railway (Get Free Report) Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail, intermodal, trucking, and marine transportation and logistics business in Canada and the United States. The company provides rail services, which include equipment, custom brokerage services, transloading and distribution, business development and real estate, and private car storage services; and intermodal services, such as temperature controlled cargo, port partnerships, and logistics parks. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Canadian National Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian National Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Command Security Co. (NYSEAMERICAN:MOC Get Free Report) traded up 1.1% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $2.85 and last traded at $2.85. 51,100 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 474% from the average session volume of 8,909 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.82. Command Security Stock Up 1.1 % About Command Security (Get Free Report) Command Security Corporation provides uniformed security officers and aviation security services in the United States. It operates through Security and Aviation Safeguards divisions. The Security division offers armed and unarmed uniformed security personnel for access control, loss prevention, mobile patrols, traffic control, security console/system operators, and fire safety directors, as well as personnel for reception, concierge, and front desk/doorman operations. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Command Security Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Command Security and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Comstock (NYSE:LODE Free Report) in a report published on Friday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the stock. Separately, Noble Financial raised Comstock from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $2.60 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Get Comstock alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on Comstock Comstock Trading Down 5.5 % Comstock stock opened at $0.32 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $55.83 million, a PE ratio of 3.98 and a beta of 1.91. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $0.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $0.25. Comstock has a 52 week low of $0.13 and a 52 week high of $0.63. The company has a current ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Comstock (NYSE:LODE Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $0.43 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $0.57 million. Comstock had a net margin of 230.15% and a negative return on equity of 8.67%. Equities research analysts predict that Comstock will post -0.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity In other news, Director Leo M. Drozdoff purchased 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $0.15 per share, for a total transaction of $30,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 600,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $90,000. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 8.50% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Comstock A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Comstock stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in shares of Comstock Inc. (NYSE:LODE Free Report) by 137.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,868,334 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,662,524 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned about 2.07% of Comstock worth $470,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 7.96% of the companys stock. About Comstock (Get Free Report) Comstock Inc engages in the systemic decarbonization business in Nevada and internationally. It operates through Renewable Energy, Mining, and Strategic and Other Investments segments. It will develop technology for the deploying of extraction and refining facilities that convert wasted and unused biomass and other natural resources; and a demonstration system to extract black mass containing lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, manganese, copper, aluminum, and other metals from up to lithium-ion batteries. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Comstock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Comstock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Cencora, Inc. (NYSE:COR Free Report) by 8.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 80,665 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 6,015 shares during the quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltds holdings in Cencora were worth $18,174,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of COR. Vanguard Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Cencora during the 4th quarter worth $4,212,508,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD bought a new position in shares of Cencora during the 1st quarter valued at about $2,183,619,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new position in shares of Cencora during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,199,695,000. Boston Partners purchased a new stake in Cencora in the first quarter worth approximately $1,001,269,000. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors bought a new position in Cencora during the first quarter valued at approximately $650,424,000. 97.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Cencora alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Cencora In related news, EVP Silvana Battaglia sold 1,473 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $242.69, for a total transaction of $357,482.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,948 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,656,970.12. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Cencora news, CEO Steven H. Collis sold 10,755 shares of Cencora stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.12, for a total value of $2,388,900.60. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 285,088 shares in the company, valued at $63,323,746.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Silvana Battaglia sold 1,473 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.69, for a total value of $357,482.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 10,948 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,656,970.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,450,399 shares of company stock worth $1,070,392,799 in the last ninety days. 15.80% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on COR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Cencora from $280.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on Cencora from $287.00 to $283.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 6th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Cencora from $236.00 to $249.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Leerink Partners reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $275.00 price target on shares of Cencora in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Cencora from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $258.13. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on COR Cencora Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:COR opened at $239.88 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.93, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.89. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $233.92 and its 200-day simple moving average is $233.28. The firm has a market cap of $47.27 billion, a PE ratio of 26.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.44. Cencora, Inc. has a one year low of $175.50 and a one year high of $247.66. Cencora (NYSE:COR Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.34 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $74.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $73.32 billion. Cencora had a net margin of 0.65% and a return on equity of 266.60%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.92 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Cencora, Inc. will post 13.63 EPS for the current year. Cencora Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th were paid a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 9th. Cencoras dividend payout ratio is currently 22.32%. Cencora Company Profile (Free Report) Cencora, Inc sources and distributes pharmaceutical products. The company's U.S. Healthcare Solutions segment distributes pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, and other customers; provides pharmacy management, staffing, and other consulting services; supply management software to retail and institutional healthcare providers; packaging solutions to various institutional and retail healthcare providers; clinical trial support, product post-approval, and commercialization support services; data analytics, outcomes research, and additional services for biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturers; pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, micro feed ingredients, and other products to the companion animal and production animal markets; and sales force services to manufacturers. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Cencora Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cencora and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. B. Riley assumed coverage on shares of e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF Free Report) in a research report released on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm issued a buy rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on ELF. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their target price on e.l.f. Beauty from $214.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, June 18th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $260.00 price target on shares of e.l.f. Beauty in a report on Monday, August 26th. Truist Financial raised their price target on e.l.f. Beauty from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on e.l.f. Beauty from $224.00 to $207.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $223.00 price target on shares of e.l.f. Beauty in a report on Thursday, August 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, e.l.f. Beauty has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $205.33. Get e.l.f. Beauty alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on ELF e.l.f. Beauty Price Performance Shares of ELF stock opened at $116.62 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $162.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $177.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.77, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. e.l.f. Beauty has a 12 month low of $88.47 and a 12 month high of $221.83. The company has a market capitalization of $6.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.44. e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.20. e.l.f. Beauty had a return on equity of 23.30% and a net margin of 10.80%. The business had revenue of $324.48 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $303.60 million. As a group, equities analysts expect that e.l.f. Beauty will post 2.88 EPS for the current year. Insider Activity In other news, CEO Tarang Amin sold 548 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total value of $95,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 214,507 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,538,725. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Tarang Amin sold 548 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total value of $95,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 214,507 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,538,725. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Joshua Allen Franks sold 3,370 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.28, for a total value of $678,313.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 71,986 shares in the company, valued at $14,489,342.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 19,304 shares of company stock valued at $3,864,492. Company insiders own 5.20% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in e.l.f. Beauty during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Matrix Trust Co bought a new position in e.l.f. Beauty during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new position in e.l.f. Beauty during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC bought a new position in e.l.f. Beauty during the first quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its holdings in e.l.f. Beauty by 405.9% during the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 172 shares of the companys stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. 92.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. e.l.f. Beauty Company Profile (Get Free Report) e.l.f. Beauty, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides cosmetic and skin care products under the e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. Skin, Well People, and Keys Soulcare brand names worldwide. The company offers eye, lip, face, face, paw, and skin care products. It sells its products through national and international retailers and direct-to-consumer channels, which include e-commerce platforms in the United States, and internationally primarily through distributors. Read More Receive News & Ratings for e.l.f. Beauty Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for e.l.f. Beauty and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG Free Report) by 57.4% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 26,597,234 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 9,697,657 shares during the quarter. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF makes up about 0.9% of Envestnet Asset Management Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. owned about 0.23% of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF worth $2,720,897,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. LifeSteps Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 44.6% during the first quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 389 shares of the companys stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. Finally, Janiczek Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the first quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Get iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF alerts: iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Trading Up 0.1 % BATS EFG opened at $104.60 on Friday. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has a 1 year low of $67.58 and a 1 year high of $85.81. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $103.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $102.86. The company has a market cap of $12.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.36 and a beta of 0.97. About iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Growth Index (the Index). The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EFG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR Free Report) in a research report released on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage issued an outperform rating and a $83.00 price target on the real estate investment trusts stock. EQR has been the subject of a number of other reports. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Equity Residential from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a report on Monday, September 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Equity Residential in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. They issued a neutral rating and a $81.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Equity Residential from $66.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, June 17th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Equity Residential from $68.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 14th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Equity Residential from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $74.62. Get Equity Residential alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on EQR Equity Residential Stock Up 0.9 % EQR opened at $78.08 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.21 and a quick ratio of 0.21. Equity Residential has a 12 month low of $52.57 and a 12 month high of $78.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.40, a P/E/G ratio of 4.27 and a beta of 0.89. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $71.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $67.04. Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.96 by ($0.49). Equity Residential had a net margin of 32.83% and a return on equity of 8.53%. The business had revenue of $734.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $735.26 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.94 EPS. Equity Residentials revenue was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Equity Residential will post 3.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Equity Residential Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 12th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 1st were paid a $0.675 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 1st. This represents a $2.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.46%. Equity Residentials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 112.03%. Insider Activity at Equity Residential In other Equity Residential news, CFO Robert Garechana sold 6,357 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.08, for a total value of $439,141.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 14,576 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,006,910.08. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Equity Residential Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Equity Residential in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Equity Residential during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its position in shares of Equity Residential by 41.9% during the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 525 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Equity Residential by 146.6% in the second quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 550 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 327 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Richardson Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in Equity Residential in the first quarter valued at $41,000. 92.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Equity Residential Company Profile (Get Free Report) Equity Residential is committed to creating communities where people thrive. The Company, a member of the S&P 500, is focused on the acquisition, development and management of residential properties located in and around dynamic cities that attract affluent long-term renters. Equity Residential owns or has investments in 305 properties consisting of 80,683 apartment units, with an established presence in Boston, New York, Washington, DC, Seattle, San Francisco and Southern California, and an expanding presence in Denver, Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Equity Residential Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equity Residential and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Evolution Petroleum (NYSEAMERICAN:EPM Free Report) to a sell rating in a research note released on Wednesday. Evolution Petroleum Stock Performance Shares of NYSEAMERICAN EPM opened at $5.39 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. Evolution Petroleum has a one year low of $4.59 and a one year high of $7.26. The stock has a market cap of $179.81 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 70.26 and a beta of 0.81. Get Evolution Petroleum alerts: Evolution Petroleum (NYSEAMERICAN:EPM Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, September 10th. The energy company reported $0.03 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.06 by ($0.03). Evolution Petroleum had a return on equity of 5.30% and a net margin of 4.75%. The company had revenue of $21.23 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.44 million. As a group, analysts anticipate that Evolution Petroleum will post 0.42 earnings per share for the current year. Evolution Petroleum Dividend Announcement Institutional Investors Weigh In On Evolution Petroleum The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 20th. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.91%. Evolution Petroleums dividend payout ratio is 600.08%. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Register Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in Evolution Petroleum by 1.5% during the second quarter. Register Financial Advisors LLC now owns 280,449 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $1,478,000 after acquiring an additional 4,044 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in shares of Evolution Petroleum by 10.0% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 47,523 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $250,000 after purchasing an additional 4,310 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its stake in shares of Evolution Petroleum by 10.1% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 55,472 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $341,000 after purchasing an additional 5,084 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Evolution Petroleum by 0.4% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,336,348 shares of the energy companys stock worth $7,043,000 after purchasing an additional 5,250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Connors Investor Services Inc. increased its position in Evolution Petroleum by 19.9% during the first quarter. Connors Investor Services Inc. now owns 48,300 shares of the energy companys stock worth $297,000 after buying an additional 8,000 shares during the last quarter. 60.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Evolution Petroleum Company Profile (Get Free Report) Evolution Petroleum Corporation, an energy company, engages in the development, production, ownership, and exploitation of onshore oil and gas properties in the United States. The company holds interests in a CO2 enhanced oil recovery project in Louisiana's Delhi field. Its Delhi Holt-Bryant Unit covers an area of approximately 13,636 acres located in Northeast Louisiana. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Evolution Petroleum Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Evolution Petroleum and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. FalconStor Software (OTCMKTS:FALC Get Free Report) and Salesforce (NYSE:CRM Get Free Report) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, risk, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership and analyst recommendations. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current ratings for FalconStor Software and Salesforce, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Get FalconStor Software alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score FalconStor Software 0 0 0 0 N/A Salesforce 0 9 26 3 2.84 Salesforce has a consensus target price of $304.41, suggesting a potential upside of 19.58%. Given Salesforces higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Salesforce is more favorable than FalconStor Software. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets FalconStor Software 14.90% -9.90% 15.87% Salesforce 15.44% 12.01% 7.45% Valuation & Earnings This table compares FalconStor Software and Salesforces net margins, return on equity and return on assets. This table compares FalconStor Software and Salesforces top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio FalconStor Software $11.60 million 0.85 $980,000.00 ($0.06) -23.00 Salesforce $36.47 billion 6.76 $4.14 billion $5.56 45.79 Salesforce has higher revenue and earnings than FalconStor Software. FalconStor Software is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Salesforce, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Institutional and Insider Ownership 9.5% of FalconStor Software shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 80.4% of Salesforce shares are owned by institutional investors. 52.8% of FalconStor Software shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 3.2% of Salesforce shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Risk & Volatility FalconStor Software has a beta of 2.16, meaning that its stock price is 116% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Salesforce has a beta of 1.29, meaning that its stock price is 29% more volatile than the S&P 500. Summary Salesforce beats FalconStor Software on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. About FalconStor Software (Get Free Report) FalconStor Software, Inc., a storage software company, enables enterprise customers and managed service providers to secure, migrate, and protect their data worldwide. It offers FalconStor Virtual Tape Library, a software that emulates and replaces cumbersome physical tape libraries for archive related data preservation without being replacing their enterprise backup and archive software and associated processes; FalconStor StorSafe, a long-term archive data management software; FalconStor Continuous Data Protector delivers instant data availability, and reliable recovery; and FalconStor Network Storage Server for data storage virtualization and business continuity in heterogeneous environments. The company also provides FalconStor StorSigh, a long-term archive and business continuity driven data replication from one centralized management point; FalconStor RecoverTrac Disaster Recovery Technology that streamlines the implementation, testing, and execution of disaster recovery operations; and FalconStor MicroScanTM Technology, which minimizes the amount of data transferred during replication by eliminating inefficiencies at the application and file system layer. It sells its products through authorized partners, value-added resellers, solution providers, system integrators, direct market resellers, distributors, managed service providers, cloud service providers, and original equipment manufacturers, as well as directly to customers. The company was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. About Salesforce (Get Free Report) Salesforce, Inc. provides Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology that brings companies and customers together worldwide. The company's service includes sales to store data, monitor leads and progress, forecast opportunities, gain insights through analytics and artificial intelligence, and deliver quotes, contracts, and invoices; and service that enables companies to deliver trusted and highly personalized customer support at scale. In addition, its platform offering comprise a flexible platform that enables companies of various sizes, locations, and industries to build business workflow and apps with customer; online learning platform that allows anyone to learn in-demand Salesforce skills; and Slack, an intelligent productivity platform. The company's marketing services enables companies to plan, personalize, automate, and optimize customer marketing journey, connecting interaction, and connected products; and commerce services, which empowers shopping experience across various customer touchpoint, such as mobile, web, social, and stores and provides click-to-code tools that offers customers to build and deploy solutions. Further, its analytics offering includes Tableau, an end-to-end analytics solution for range of enterprise use cases and intelligent analytics with AI models, spot trends, predict outcomes, creates summaries, timely recommendations, and take action from any device; and integration service including MuleSoft, which provides building blocks to deliver end-to-end and connected experiences. Additionally, the company provides data cloud, a hyperscale data engine native to Salesforce; vertical services to meet the needs of customers in industries, such as financial services, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing and automotive and government; and offers salesforce starter for small and medium-sized businesses. Salesforce, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Receive News & Ratings for FalconStor Software Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for FalconStor Software and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Federated Hermes Inc. lowered its position in shares of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI Free Report) by 4.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,269,763 shares of the companys stock after selling 114,547 shares during the quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. owned 0.10% of British American Tobacco worth $70,204,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. 1832 Asset Management L.P. lifted its stake in British American Tobacco by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 8,969 shares of the companys stock worth $274,000 after acquiring an additional 363 shares in the last quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 3.8% during the first quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC now owns 11,100 shares of the companys stock worth $339,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares during the period. Dearborn Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 5.0% during the first quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC now owns 8,853 shares of the companys stock worth $270,000 after purchasing an additional 425 shares during the period. Moody National Bank Trust Division boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 6.3% during the first quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 7,802 shares of the companys stock worth $238,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares during the period. Finally, MADDEN SECURITIES Corp boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 1.7% during the second quarter. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp now owns 30,535 shares of the companys stock worth $944,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 21.44% of the companys stock. Get British American Tobacco alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com cut shares of British American Tobacco from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Sunday, August 11th. British American Tobacco Stock Up 0.6 % NYSE BTI opened at $39.16 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $35.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $32.22. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a 12-month low of $28.25 and a 12-month high of $39.25. British American Tobacco Company Profile (Free Report) British American Tobacco p.l.c. engages in the provision of tobacco and nicotine products to consumers worldwide. It also offers vapour, heated, and modern oral nicotine products; combustible cigarettes; and traditional oral products, such as snus and moist snuff. The company offers its products under the Vuse, glo, Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Camel, Natural American Spirit, Newport, Vogue, Viceroy, Kool, Peter Stuyvesant, Craven A, State Express 555 and Shuang Xi brands. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for British American Tobacco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for British American Tobacco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET Get Free Report) and New Concept Energy (NYSE:GBR Get Free Report) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends and analyst recommendations. Profitability This table compares Vermilion Energy and New Concept Energys net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Vermilion Energy alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Vermilion Energy -41.33% 5.99% 2.94% New Concept Energy -18.62% -0.59% -0.58% Volatility and Risk Vermilion Energy has a beta of 2, indicating that its stock price is 100% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, New Concept Energy has a beta of 0.3, indicating that its stock price is 70% less volatile than the S&P 500. Analyst Ratings Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Vermilion Energy 0 0 3 0 3.00 New Concept Energy 0 0 0 0 N/A This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Vermilion Energy and New Concept Energy, as reported by MarketBeat. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Vermilion Energy and New Concept Energys revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Vermilion Energy $1.49 billion 0.98 -$176.01 million ($2.78) -3.32 New Concept Energy $150,000.00 N/A -$20,000.00 ($0.03) -40.17 New Concept Energy has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Vermilion Energy. New Concept Energy is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Vermilion Energy, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Insider and Institutional Ownership 31.9% of Vermilion Energy shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.6% of Vermilion Energy shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 2.1% of New Concept Energy shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Summary Vermilion Energy beats New Concept Energy on 8 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks. About Vermilion Energy (Get Free Report) Vermilion Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas. The company has properties in West Central Alberta, southeast Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and West Pembina in Canada; Wyoming in the United States; southwest Bordeaux and Paris Basin in France; the Netherlands; Germany; Ireland; Croatia; Slovakia; and Australia. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. About New Concept Energy (Get Free Report) New Concept Energy, Inc. engages in real estate rental business. The company owns approximately 190 acres of land located in Parkersburg West Virginia. It also provides advisory and management services for an independent oil and gas company. The company was formerly known as CabelTel International Corporation and changed its name to New Concept Energy, Inc. in May 2008. New Concept Energy, Inc. is based in Dallas, Texas. Receive News & Ratings for Vermilion Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vermilion Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its position in Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE Free Report) by 3.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,120 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 1,161 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc.s holdings in Intercontinental Exchange were worth $4,534,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Annapolis Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in Intercontinental Exchange by 1,018.8% in the 1st quarter. Annapolis Financial Services LLC now owns 179 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. New Millennium Group LLC purchased a new position in Intercontinental Exchange in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Intercontinental Exchange in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Intercontinental Exchange during the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Intercontinental Exchange during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. 89.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Intercontinental Exchange alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Intercontinental Exchange In other Intercontinental Exchange news, CTO Mayur Kapani sold 395 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.13, for a total value of $55,746.35. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer now owns 64,471 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,098,792.23. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, CTO Mayur Kapani sold 395 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.13, for a total transaction of $55,746.35. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer now owns 64,471 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,098,792.23. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, General Counsel Andrew J. Surdykowski sold 1,898 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.66, for a total transaction of $259,380.68. Following the sale, the general counsel now directly owns 46,815 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,397,737.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 67,096 shares of company stock valued at $9,593,983 over the last 90 days. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Intercontinental Exchange Trading Up 0.1 % NYSE ICE opened at $161.36 on Friday. Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has a one year low of $104.49 and a one year high of $163.71. The companys 50 day moving average price is $154.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $141.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 0.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $92.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.01, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.08. Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The financial services provider reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.03. Intercontinental Exchange had a net margin of 21.43% and a return on equity of 12.70%. The company had revenue of $2.32 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.31 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.43 earnings per share. Intercontinental Exchanges revenue for the quarter was up 22.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. will post 6.04 EPS for the current year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ICE shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated an outperform rating and set a $168.00 price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $152.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $159.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange from $160.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Finally, Argus reiterated a buy rating and set a $153.00 price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a report on Tuesday, May 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $154.93. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Intercontinental Exchange About Intercontinental Exchange (Free Report) Intercontinental Exchange, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of market infrastructure, data services, and technology solutions for financial institutions, corporations, and government entities in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Singapore, India, Abu Dhabi, Israel, and Canada. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ICE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Intercontinental Exchange Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Intercontinental Exchange and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Grupo Simec (NYSEAMERICAN:SIM Free Report) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Wednesday morning. Grupo Simec Price Performance Shares of NYSEAMERICAN SIM opened at $27.71 on Wednesday. Grupo Simec has a twelve month low of $26.00 and a twelve month high of $35.81. The company has a market capitalization of $4.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.07 and a beta of 0.29. Get Grupo Simec alerts: Grupo Simec (NYSEAMERICAN:SIM Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 22nd. The basic materials company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter. Grupo Simec had a net margin of 24.90% and a return on equity of 16.68%. The company had revenue of $487.42 million during the quarter. Grupo Simec Company Profile Grupo Simec, SAB. de C.V. manufactures, processes, and distributes special bar quality (SBQ) steel and steel alloys products in Mexico, the United States, Brazil, Canada, Latin America, and internationally. The company produces I-beams, channels, structural and commercial angles, hot rolled bars, flat bars, rebars, cold-finished bars, electro-welded wire mesh and mesh panels, and wire rods, as well as semi-finished tube rounds and other semi-finished trade products. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Simec Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Simec and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (NYSE:TV Get Free Report) fell 3.9% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $1.82 and last traded at $1.85. 2,375,097 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 68% from the average session volume of 1,417,305 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.92. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from $3.30 to $2.90 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 5th. StockNews.com upgraded Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $5.16. Get Grupo Televisa S.A.B. alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. Trading Up 1.6 % Institutional Trading of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. The company has a fifty day moving average of $2.13 and a 200-day moving average of $2.71. The company has a current ratio of 2.31, a quick ratio of 2.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The company has a market capitalization of $1.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.14, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.88. Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its position in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 25.7% during the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 14,618,608 shares of the companys stock worth $46,780,000 after acquiring an additional 2,984,705 shares during the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its holdings in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 162.4% during the 4th quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 3,093,800 shares of the companys stock worth $10,333,000 after purchasing an additional 1,914,800 shares during the last quarter. GFS Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 210.3% in the first quarter. GFS Advisors LLC now owns 1,768,590 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,659,000 after purchasing an additional 1,198,590 shares in the last quarter. Discovery Capital Management LLC CT increased its holdings in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 6.2% in the second quarter. Discovery Capital Management LLC CT now owns 16,944,935 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,937,000 after purchasing an additional 993,295 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC lifted its position in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 14.9% during the first quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 7,042,600 shares of the companys stock worth $22,536,000 after buying an additional 914,500 shares in the last quarter. 55.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (Get Free Report) Grupo Televisa, SAB., together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates cable companies and provides direct-to-home satellite pay television system in Mexico and the United States. It operates through three segments: Cable, Sky, and Other Businesses. The Cable segment operates cable multiple system that provides basic and premium television subscription, pay-per-view, installation, Internet subscription, and telephone and mobile services subscription, as well as local and national advertising services; and telecommunication facilities, which offers data and long-distance services solutions to carriers and other telecommunications service providers through its fiber-optic network. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Televisa S.A.B. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Televisa S.A.B. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:PINE Free Report) by 4.3% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 45,681 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,882 shares during the quarter. Guardian Wealth Management Inc.s holdings in Alpine Income Property Trust were worth $711,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in PINE. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of Alpine Income Property Trust by 8.0% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 17,197 shares of the companys stock worth $268,000 after buying an additional 1,272 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its stake in Alpine Income Property Trust by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 19,466 shares of the companys stock worth $297,000 after purchasing an additional 1,064 shares in the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Alpine Income Property Trust in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $352,000. ClariVest Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Alpine Income Property Trust by 2.9% in the 2nd quarter. ClariVest Asset Management LLC now owns 54,299 shares of the companys stock worth $845,000 after purchasing an additional 1,516 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Carlson Capital L P purchased a new stake in Alpine Income Property Trust in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,202,000. Institutional investors own 60.50% of the companys stock. Get Alpine Income Property Trust alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms have issued reports on PINE. Raymond James increased their target price on shares of Alpine Income Property Trust from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Alpine Income Property Trust from $16.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Alpine Income Property Trust from $18.00 to $19.25 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Finally, B. Riley reiterated a buy rating and issued a $20.00 target price (up from $19.50) on shares of Alpine Income Property Trust in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alpine Income Property Trust has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $18.89. Alpine Income Property Trust Trading Up 0.2 % Shares of PINE opened at $18.35 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $249.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -458.75, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.88. Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $14.25 and a fifty-two week high of $19.42. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $17.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $16.07. Alpine Income Property Trust (NYSE:PINE Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by ($0.38). The firm had revenue of $12.49 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.10 million. Alpine Income Property Trust had a negative return on equity of 0.20% and a negative net margin of 1.16%. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.37 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc. will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current year. Alpine Income Property Trust Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 12th will be issued a $0.28 dividend. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 12th. This is a positive change from Alpine Income Property Trusts previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Alpine Income Property Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -2,800.00%. Insider Activity In related news, major shareholder Cto Realty Growth, Inc. bought 7,959 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 27th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $14.97 per share, with a total value of $119,146.23. Following the purchase, the insider now owns 190,094 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,845,707.18. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 20,783 shares of company stock valued at $311,441. Corporate insiders own 0.74% of the companys stock. About Alpine Income Property Trust (Free Report) Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc (NYSE: PINE) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that seeks to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns and dependable cash dividends by investing in, owning and operating a portfolio of single tenant net leased properties that are predominately leased to high-quality publicly traded and credit-rated tenants. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PINE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE:PINE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Alpine Income Property Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alpine Income Property Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TELUS International (Cda) Inc. (TSE:TIXT Get Free Report) insider TELUS Corporation bought 100,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of C$4.98 per share, for a total transaction of C$497,700.00. TELUS Corporation also recently made the following trade(s): Get TELUS International (Cda) alerts: On Monday, September 9th, TELUS Corporation acquired 100,000 shares of TELUS International (Cda) stock. The shares were bought at an average price of C$5.00 per share, with a total value of C$500,230.00. On Thursday, August 29th, TELUS Corporation purchased 100,000 shares of TELUS International (Cda) stock. The shares were bought at an average price of C$4.87 per share, with a total value of C$486,600.00. On Monday, August 26th, TELUS Corporation bought 30,798 shares of TELUS International (Cda) stock. The shares were purchased at an average cost of C$4.96 per share, with a total value of C$152,662.61. On Friday, August 23rd, TELUS Corporation acquired 100,000 shares of TELUS International (Cda) stock. The stock was purchased at an average cost of C$4.82 per share, with a total value of C$481,970.00. On Friday, August 16th, TELUS Corporation acquired 200,000 shares of TELUS International (Cda) stock. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$4.75 per share, for a total transaction of C$950,240.00. On Friday, August 9th, TELUS Corporation purchased 416,400 shares of TELUS International (Cda) stock. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$4.09 per share, for a total transaction of C$1,703,325.84. TELUS International (Cda) Stock Down 0.6 % Shares of TSE TIXT opened at C$4.95 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of C$549.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.08 and a beta of 0.68. The companys 50-day simple moving average is C$6.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$8.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 80.53. TELUS International has a 52-week low of C$3.90 and a 52-week high of C$15.56. TELUS International (Cda) Company Profile TELUS International (Cda) Inc design, builds, and delivers digital solutions for customer experience (CX) in the Asia-Pacific, the Central America, Europe, Africa, North America, and internationally. The company provides digital experience solutions, such as AI and bots, omnichannel CX, enterprise mobility solutions, cloud contact center, big data analytics, platform transformation, and UX/UI design; and customer experience solutions, including work anywhere/work from home, contact center outsourcing, technical support, sales growth and customer retention, healthcare/patient experience, and debt collection. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for TELUS International (Cda) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TELUS International (Cda) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Perpetua Resources Corp. (TSE:PPTA Get Free Report) Director Chris Dail sold 8,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$11.44, for a total transaction of C$91,498.62. Perpetua Resources Stock Performance Shares of PPTA stock opened at C$12.21 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average is C$9.93 and its 200 day moving average is C$8.23. Perpetua Resources Corp. has a one year low of C$3.65 and a one year high of C$13.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 3.44 and a current ratio of 1.53. The company has a market capitalization of C$788.77 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -43.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.66 and a beta of 1.28. Get Perpetua Resources alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, National Bankshares set a C$19.00 price objective on Perpetua Resources and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, September 6th. About Perpetua Resources (Get Free Report) Perpetua Resources Corp. engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in the United States. The company primarily explores for gold, silver, and antimony deposits. Its principal asset is the 100% owned Stibnite Gold project, which includes 1,672 unpatented lode claims, mill sites, and patented land holdings covering an area of approximately 11,548 hectares located in Valley County, Idaho. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Perpetua Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Perpetua Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. U.S. travel agent delegation savors China's rich culture, modern convenience Xinhua) 08:40, September 14, 2024 A member of a delegation of over 10 Los Angeles-based travel agents takes selfies at Tiantan Park (Temple of Heaven) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Chenjie) BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- On her maiden trip to China, Janet Melendez, along with other U.S. travel agents, enjoyed Beijing duck, learned Tai Chi, and visited historical sites and scenic spots in Beijing, capturing photos along the way. From Sept. 10 to 12, a delegation of over 10 Los Angeles-based travel agents, many visiting China for the first time, explored the Chinese capital, immersing themselves in the city's vibrant culture, inclusiveness, warm hospitality and convenient lifestyle. "It is amazing to see the Forbidden City and the Great Wall as if we have gone back to hundreds of years ago," said Melendez, founder of Festival International Travel. "Many American tourists are interested in Chinese culture. I hope to let more people learn and explore China." Gregory Cattoni, manager of Rancho Travel, noted that Beijing is both a city steeped in history and a thriving international metropolis. "We can not only taste Beijing duck in the city but also eat KFC, McDonald's and steakhouses in streets and alleys," said Cattoni, expressing delight at how visitors like him can savor local specialties while also enjoying familiar foods. He added that the United States and China need cooperation and communication, and that tourism can significantly enhance mutual understanding between people from both countries. Recently, "China Travel" has gained massive traction on global social media platforms, fueled by China's expansion of the list of visa-free countries, increased international flights, and a series of measures aimed at facilitating inbound tourism. In the first half of this year, over 5 million inbound travelers used mobile payment, marking a fourfold increase compared with the same period in 2023, while over 90 million transactions were recorded, totaling more than 14 billion yuan (about 2 billion U.S. dollars), with both figures marking a sevenfold increase compared with the same period in the previous year. Joey Sy, manager of Hyssop Travel, who has visited China three times and organized numerous trips for his clients, noted that China is safe as always and has become more convenient and comfortable for foreign tourists. "Before this trip, I already added a U.S. credit card to Alipay and WeChat Pay. I bought clothes through mobile payment in a big shopping mall next to the hotel where I am staying in Beijing. It is convenient," he said. Praising China's 144-hour visa-free transit policy, Sy said that it would be very advantageous for American travelers seeking short visits to China. "The policy can reduce the cost and simplify procedures for visa application. It should be promoted to more travel agents and we will develop corresponding travel routes." In the first seven months of this year, the number of foreign visitors to China soared 129.9 percent year on year to 17.25 million, according to the National Immigration Administration. Bo Lin, a staffer with CTG Travel, said the tour aims to boost travel from the United States to China and reinforce the outcomes of the 14th China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit held in Xi'an in May. CTG Travel is one of the organizers of the trip. "We hope to promote people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, and invite more friends to visit China and experience its culture," Bo said. After concluding their visit to Beijing, the delegation headed to Xi'an and will subsequently travel to the Three Gorges and Shanghai. Their itinerary includes exploring accommodation, dining options, scenic spots, transportation facilities, and inbound tourism facilitation measures in China. A member of a delegation of over 10 Los Angeles-based travel agents takes selfies at the Summer Palace in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 11, 2024 (Xinhua/Zhao Chenjie) Members of a delegation of over 10 Los Angeles-based travel agents learn Tai Chi in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Chenjie) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Inspire Medical Systems (NYSE:INSP Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by Leerink Partners from $167.00 to $197.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a market perform rating on the stock. A number of other equities research analysts have also commented on INSP. KeyCorp decreased their price objective on shares of Inspire Medical Systems from $278.00 to $236.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Inspire Medical Systems from $250.00 to $210.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 15th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Inspire Medical Systems from $225.00 to $185.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 3rd. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Inspire Medical Systems from $280.00 to $217.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 16th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $260.00 target price on shares of Inspire Medical Systems in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $214.85. Get Inspire Medical Systems alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on INSP Inspire Medical Systems Stock Performance INSP opened at $203.99 on Tuesday. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $168.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $181.09. Inspire Medical Systems has a twelve month low of $123.00 and a twelve month high of $257.40. The firm has a market cap of $6.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -370.89 and a beta of 1.33. Inspire Medical Systems (NYSE:INSP Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.14) by $0.46. Inspire Medical Systems had a net margin of 0.85% and a return on equity of 1.03%. The firm had revenue of $195.89 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $189.08 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.41) EPS. The companys revenue was up 29.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Inspire Medical Systems will post 0.75 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity at Inspire Medical Systems In related news, insider Randy Ban sold 4,861 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.55, for a total value of $916,541.55. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,056 shares in the company, valued at approximately $576,208.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Inspire Medical Systems news, Director Shawn Mccormick sold 800 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $176,000.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 23,140 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,090,800. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Randy Ban sold 4,861 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.55, for a total transaction of $916,541.55. Following the sale, the insider now owns 3,056 shares in the company, valued at $576,208.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 5,692 shares of company stock worth $1,099,207 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 4.10% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Inspire Medical Systems Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in shares of Inspire Medical Systems by 7.5% during the 2nd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,029 shares of the companys stock worth $138,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank grew its stake in shares of Inspire Medical Systems by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 2,005 shares of the companys stock worth $268,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its stake in shares of Inspire Medical Systems by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 21,193 shares of the companys stock worth $2,836,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Inspire Medical Systems by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 8,475 shares of the companys stock worth $1,820,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its stake in shares of Inspire Medical Systems by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 12,750 shares of the companys stock worth $2,594,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. 94.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Inspire Medical Systems (Get Free Report) Inspire Medical Systems, Inc, a medical technology company, focuses on the development and commercialization of minimally invasive solutions for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the United States and internationally. The company offers Inspire system, a neurostimulation technology that provides a safe and effective treatment for moderate to severe OSA. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Inspire Medical Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Inspire Medical Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Inspire Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV Free Report) by 17.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 44,168 shares of the companys stock after selling 9,537 shares during the quarter. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF makes up 0.5% of Inspire Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Inspire Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF were worth $3,708,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 16,095,735 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,351,398,000 after buying an additional 146,632 shares in the last quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp lifted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp now owns 3,947,820 shares of the companys stock worth $329,959,000 after acquiring an additional 167,538 shares during the period. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 5.2% in the second quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,658,707 shares of the companys stock valued at $307,185,000 after acquiring an additional 182,050 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 1.0% during the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,202,043 shares of the companys stock valued at $268,843,000 after acquiring an additional 31,625 shares during the period. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers raised its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 270.9% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 1,895,974 shares of the companys stock worth $158,465,000 after purchasing an additional 1,384,833 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Price Performance USMV opened at $91.34 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $87.88 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $84.37. The company has a market capitalization of $26.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.30 and a beta of 0.59. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF has a 1-year low of $47.44 and a 1-year high of $55.45. About iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of US-listed firms selected and weighted to create a low-volatility portfolio subject to various constraints. USMV was launched on Oct 18, 2011 and is managed by BlackRock. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding USMV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lowered its stake in Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J Free Report) by 1.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 45,886 shares of the companys stock after selling 547 shares during the period. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.s holdings in Jacobs Solutions were worth $6,411,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Jacobs Solutions in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC raised its position in Jacobs Solutions by 427.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 211 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Jacobs Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Union Savings Bank increased its holdings in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 78.1% in the 4th quarter. Union Savings Bank now owns 285 shares of the companys stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP increased its holdings in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 108.9% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 305 shares of the companys stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.65% of the companys stock. Get Jacobs Solutions alerts: Jacobs Solutions Trading Up 1.0 % NYSE:J opened at $143.96 on Friday. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $145.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $144.14. The company has a market capitalization of $18.03 billion, a PE ratio of 27.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Jacobs Solutions Inc. has a 52-week low of $120.71 and a 52-week high of $154.50. Jacobs Solutions Announces Dividend Jacobs Solutions ( NYSE:J Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $1.96. Jacobs Solutions had a return on equity of 14.76% and a net margin of 3.72%. The firm had revenue of $4.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.39 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.82 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Jacobs Solutions Inc. will post 7.97 EPS for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 26th were paid a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 26th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.81%. Jacobs Solutionss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.39%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have recently commented on J. Truist Financial reiterated a hold rating and issued a $158.00 price objective (up previously from $153.00) on shares of Jacobs Solutions in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Jacobs Solutions from $161.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Jacobs Solutions from $161.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Jacobs Solutions from $163.00 to $160.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Jacobs Solutions from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $160.40. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Jacobs Solutions Insider Buying and Selling at Jacobs Solutions In other Jacobs Solutions news, insider Steven J. Demetriou sold 7,000 shares of Jacobs Solutions stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.94, for a total value of $979,580.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 534,138 shares in the company, valued at approximately $74,747,271.72. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, insider Steven J. Demetriou sold 7,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.94, for a total value of $979,580.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 534,138 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $74,747,271.72. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP William B. Allen, Jr. sold 1,451 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.51, for a total value of $212,586.01. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 26,699 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,911,670.49. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 21,516 shares of company stock worth $3,132,273. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. About Jacobs Solutions (Free Report) Jacobs Solutions Inc provides consulting, technical, engineering, scientific, and project delivery services for the government and private sectors in the United States, Europe, Canada, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through Critical Mission Solutions, People & Places Solutions, Divergent Solutions, and PA Consulting segments. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding J? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Jacobs Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Jacobs Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Skeena Resources Limited (TSE:SKE Get Free Report) Senior Officer Justin Reed Himmelright sold 7,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$10.99, for a total transaction of C$82,395.00. Justin Reed Himmelright also recently made the following trade(s): Get Skeena Resources alerts: On Friday, July 19th, Justin Reed Himmelright sold 8,000 shares of Skeena Resources stock. The shares were sold at an average price of C$8.52, for a total value of C$68,136.00. Skeena Resources Stock Performance SKE opened at C$11.95 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of C$1.27 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.81 and a beta of 1.65. The businesss fifty day moving average is C$9.61 and its 200-day moving average is C$7.44. Skeena Resources Limited has a 52-week low of C$4.20 and a 52-week high of C$12.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.23, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 2.88. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Skeena Resources ( TSE:SKE Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported C($0.38) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C($0.08) by C($0.30). Sell-side analysts expect that Skeena Resources Limited will post -0.4862973 EPS for the current fiscal year. SKE has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Scotiabank upped their price objective on Skeena Resources from C$12.00 to C$13.50 in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Skeena Resources from C$15.00 to C$17.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price objective on shares of Skeena Resources from C$17.00 to C$17.25 in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Skeena Resources from C$18.00 to C$20.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Finally, Desjardins boosted their price target on Skeena Resources from C$19.75 to C$20.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Skeena Resources has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of C$16.96. Read Our Latest Analysis on SKE Skeena Resources Company Profile (Get Free Report) Skeena Resources Limited explores for and develops mineral properties in Canada. The company explores for gold, silver, copper, and other precious metal deposits. It holds 100% interests in the Snip gold mine comprising one mining lease and nine mineral tenures that covers an area of approximately 4,724 hectares; and the Eskay Creek gold mine that consists of eight mineral leases, two surface leases, and various unpatented mining claims comprising 7,666 hectares located in British Columbia, Canada. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Skeena Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Skeena Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kikkoman Co. (OTCMKTS:KIKOY Get Free Report) shares were down 3.5% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $22.00 and last traded at $22.00. Approximately 130 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 1,377 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.80. Kikkoman Stock Performance The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $23.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $20.09. About Kikkoman (Get Free Report) Kikkoman Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells food products in Japan and internationally. It offers soy sauces, soy sauce soup bases, dipping and marinade sauces, and Del Monte seasonings; soy milk and Del Monte beverages; mirin and wines. The company also manufactures and sells canned fruits, corn products, and tomato ketchup; health foods; and purchases and sells oriental food products, as well as other products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Kikkoman Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kikkoman and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC decreased its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark Co. (NYSE:KMB Free Report) by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,757 shares of the companys stock after selling 103 shares during the period. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Kimberly-Clark were worth $381,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KMB. CX Institutional boosted its holdings in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 5,968 shares of the companys stock worth $825,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Capital Investment Counsel Inc raised its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 0.8% during the first quarter. Capital Investment Counsel Inc now owns 10,019 shares of the companys stock worth $1,296,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,755 shares of the companys stock worth $227,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. boosted its stake in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 9,066 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,253,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. grew its position in shares of Kimberly-Clark by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. now owns 5,093 shares of the companys stock worth $659,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. 76.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Kimberly-Clark alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have commented on the stock. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They set a buy rating and a $161.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and issued a $165.00 target price on shares of Kimberly-Clark in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. BNP Paribas began coverage on Kimberly-Clark in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They issued a neutral rating and a $146.00 price target for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Kimberly-Clark from $139.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of Kimberly-Clark from an underperform rating to a buy rating and increased their target price for the stock from $115.00 to $160.00 in a report on Thursday, June 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $145.67. Kimberly-Clark Price Performance NYSE KMB opened at $143.52 on Friday. Kimberly-Clark Co. has a 12-month low of $116.32 and a 12-month high of $149.30. The firms 50 day moving average is $142.18 and its 200-day moving average is $135.33. The company has a market capitalization of $48.34 billion, a PE ratio of 26.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.04 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.59. Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.25. The company had revenue of $5.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.10 billion. Kimberly-Clark had a net margin of 11.28% and a return on equity of 223.55%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.65 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Kimberly-Clark Co. will post 7.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Kimberly-Clark Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be issued a $1.22 dividend. This represents a $4.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 6th. Kimberly-Clarks payout ratio is presently 89.71%. Insider Activity at Kimberly-Clark In other Kimberly-Clark news, insider Jeffrey P. Melucci sold 37,699 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.42, for a total transaction of $5,331,392.58. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 19,935 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,819,207.70. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Gonzalo Uribe sold 1,780 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.84, for a total transaction of $250,695.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 7,377 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,038,976.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Jeffrey P. Melucci sold 37,699 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.42, for a total transaction of $5,331,392.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 19,935 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,819,207.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.62% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Kimberly-Clark Company Profile (Free Report) Kimberly-Clark Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets personal care and consumer tissue products in the United States. It operates through three segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, and K-C Professional. The companys Personal Care segment offers disposable diapers, training and youth pants, swimpants, baby wipes, feminine and incontinence care products, reusable underwear, and other related products under the Huggies, Pull-Ups, Little Swimmers, GoodNites, DryNites, Sweety, Kotex, U by Kotex, Intimus, Thinx, Poise, Depend, Plenitud, Softex, and other brand names. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KMB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Kimberly-Clark Co. (NYSE:KMB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Kimberly-Clark Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kimberly-Clark and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. trimmed its position in shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW Free Report) by 70.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 872 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 2,039 shares during the quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc.s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $787,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 17.4% during the 1st quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 1,148,051 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,167,913,000 after buying an additional 169,897 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 689,090 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $571,042,000 after buying an additional 11,460 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 4th quarter valued at $392,470,000. FIL Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of W.W. Grainger by 21.4% during the 4th quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 240,856 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $199,595,000 after buying an additional 42,395 shares during the period. Finally, Swedbank AB bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter valued at $159,365,000. 80.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get W.W. Grainger alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on GWW shares. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on W.W. Grainger from $978.00 to $972.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Baird R W cut W.W. Grainger from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, June 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley began coverage on W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, September 6th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $990.00 target price on the stock. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $1,014.11. W.W. Grainger Trading Down 0.3 % Shares of GWW stock opened at $993.82 on Friday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $674.41 and a 52-week high of $1,034.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.53 billion, a PE ratio of 27.44, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.16. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $959.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $954.95. W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $9.58 by $0.18. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 53.25% and a net margin of 10.86%. The business had revenue of $4.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.35 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $9.28 EPS. W.W. Graingers revenue for the quarter was up 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 38.75 EPS for the current fiscal year. W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a $2.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $8.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.83%. W.W. Graingers payout ratio is presently 22.64%. Insider Activity In other news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total transaction of $467,667.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,848 shares in the company, valued at $1,691,289.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 9.50% of the companys stock. About W.W. Grainger (Free Report) W.W. Grainger, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services primarily in North America, Japan, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety, security, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance, and metalworking and hand tools. Read More Receive News & Ratings for W.W. Grainger Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for W.W. Grainger and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. decreased its position in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report) by 90.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,061 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 49,576 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Pfizer were worth $142,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in PFE. Olistico Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pfizer during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Pfizer in the second quarter worth about $29,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Pfizer during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC raised its stake in Pfizer by 100.0% during the 1st quarter. Trivant Custom Portfolio Group LLC now owns 1,200 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. bought a new position in Pfizer in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.36% of the companys stock. Get Pfizer alerts: Pfizer Stock Up 0.4 % NYSE:PFE opened at $29.27 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $29.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $28.11. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The company has a market cap of $165.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -487.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.68. Pfizer Inc. has a twelve month low of $25.20 and a twelve month high of $34.42. Pfizer Dividend Announcement Pfizer ( NYSE:PFE Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $13.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.96 billion. Pfizer had a negative net margin of 4.66% and a positive return on equity of 8.42%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.67 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.66 EPS for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 26th were given a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 26th. Pfizers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -2,799.53%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have recently issued reports on PFE. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an overweight rating and set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Monday, September 9th. Barclays boosted their target price on Pfizer from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. StockNews.com raised Pfizer from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Pfizer from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Daiwa America raised Pfizer from a moderate buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $34.54. Read Our Latest Report on PFE Pfizer Profile (Free Report) Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, Zavzpret, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Abrysvo, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PFE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated their sector perform rating on shares of M&G (LON:MNG Free Report) in a research note released on Wednesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a GBX 220 ($2.88) target price on the stock. Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Berenberg Bank reiterated a hold rating and set a GBX 225 ($2.94) target price on shares of M&G in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating and set a GBX 240 ($3.14) price objective on shares of M&G in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, M&G currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 223.33 ($2.92). Get M&G alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on M&G M&G Stock Performance M&G Cuts Dividend Shares of MNG stock opened at GBX 206.90 ($2.71) on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 207.54. M&G has a 12-month low of GBX 188.85 ($2.47) and a 12-month high of GBX 241.10 ($3.15). The businesss 50 day moving average is GBX 208.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 209.47. The company has a market capitalization of 4.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,724.17, a P/E/G ratio of -2.76 and a beta of 1.47. The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 12th will be paid a dividend of GBX 6.60 ($0.09) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 12th. This represents a yield of 3.05%. M&Gs dividend payout ratio is presently 16,666.67%. Insider Buying and Selling at M&G In related news, insider Edward Braham bought 24,600 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 19th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 204 ($2.67) per share, for a total transaction of 50,184 ($65,625.74). 1.74% of the stock is owned by insiders. About M&G (Get Free Report) M&G plc, through its subsidiaries, engages in savings and investment businesses in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Asset Management, Life, and Wealth. It offers retirement, savings, and investment management solutions. The company also provides individual and corporate pensions, retirement, annuities, life, savings, and investment products, such as equities, fixed income, multi-asset and real estate. See Also Receive News & Ratings for M&G Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for M&G and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lowered its stake in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC Free Report) by 87.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,160 shares of the railroad operators stock after selling 28,082 shares during the quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Norfolk Southern were worth $893,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 17.3% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,356,590 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $720,626,000 after purchasing an additional 496,088 shares in the last quarter. Linscomb Wealth Inc. grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Linscomb Wealth Inc. now owns 40,482 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $8,691,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,056 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC grew its stake in Norfolk Southern by 17.9% during the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 244,274 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $52,443,000 after purchasing an additional 37,146 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Carson Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in Norfolk Southern during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $231,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.10% of the companys stock. Get Norfolk Southern alerts: Norfolk Southern Stock Down 3.5 % Shares of Norfolk Southern stock opened at $245.80 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $240.36 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $238.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The company has a market capitalization of $55.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.58, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.31. Norfolk Southern Co. has a 1-year low of $183.09 and a 1-year high of $263.66. Norfolk Southern Announces Dividend Norfolk Southern ( NYSE:NSC Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $3.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.04 billion. Norfolk Southern had a return on equity of 19.64% and a net margin of 14.85%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.95 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 11.8 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 2nd were paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 2nd. Norfolk Southerns payout ratio is currently 86.96%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on NSC shares. Susquehanna raised their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $245.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on Norfolk Southern from $270.00 to $267.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 26th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $251.00 to $253.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Norfolk Southern from $239.00 to $241.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Norfolk Southern currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $264.24. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on NSC Insider Buying and Selling at Norfolk Southern In other news, EVP Nabanita C. Nag sold 355 shares of Norfolk Southern stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total transaction of $88,529.90. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,488 shares in the company, valued at approximately $371,077.44. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Sameh Fahmy purchased 700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 1st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $245.15 per share, for a total transaction of $171,605.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 7,700 shares in the company, valued at $1,887,655. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Nabanita C. Nag sold 355 shares of Norfolk Southern stock in a transaction on Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $249.38, for a total value of $88,529.90. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 1,488 shares in the company, valued at $371,077.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.19% of the stock is owned by company insiders. About Norfolk Southern (Free Report) Norfolk Southern Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods in the United States. The company transports agriculture, forest, and consumer products comprising soybeans, wheat, corn, fertilizers, livestock and poultry feed, food products, food oils, flour, sweeteners, ethanol, lumber and wood products, pulp board and paper products, wood fibers, wood pulp, beverages, and canned goods; chemicals consist of sulfur and related chemicals, petroleum products comprising crude oil, chlorine and bleaching compounds, plastics, rubber, industrial chemicals, chemical wastes, sand, and natural gas liquids; metals and construction materials, such as steel, aluminum products, machinery, scrap metals, cement, aggregates, minerals, clay, transportation equipment, and military-related products; and automotive, including finished motor vehicles and automotive parts, as well as coal. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Norfolk Southern Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Norfolk Southern and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC increased its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report) by 22.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,300 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 611 shares during the period. Main Street Financial Solutions LLCs holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $471,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 38.1% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 94,544 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,781,000 after buying an additional 26,067 shares during the period. Bank of New Hampshire boosted its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 1,356.8% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New Hampshire now owns 13,257 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,702,000 after purchasing an additional 12,347 shares during the period. Cim LLC acquired a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 4th quarter valued at about $23,547,000. Burford Brothers Inc. acquired a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,045,000. Finally, Mark Asset Management LP acquired a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,035,000. 11.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Up 0.2 % NYSE NVO opened at $137.00 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $134.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $132.87. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 12 month low of $86.96 and a 12 month high of $148.15. The company has a market capitalization of $614.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.24, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.42. Novo Nordisk A/S Cuts Dividend Novo Nordisk A/S ( NYSE:NVO Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by ($0.06). Novo Nordisk A/S had a return on equity of 87.43% and a net margin of 34.86%. The business had revenue of $9.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.91 billion. Equities research analysts expect that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 16th were issued a dividend of $0.5126 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 16th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.7%. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio is currently 24.83%. Analyst Ratings Changes NVO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $156.00 target price for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an overweight rating and set a $160.00 target price on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Monday, September 9th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Finally, Argus upped their price target on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $125.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $145.17. Read Our Latest Research Report on NVO About Novo Nordisk A/S (Free Report) Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oxford Industries (NYSE:OXM Free Report) had its price target trimmed by Citigroup from $92.00 to $65.00 in a report published on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a sell rating on the textile makers stock. OXM has been the subject of a number of other research reports. UBS Group reduced their target price on Oxford Industries from $101.00 to $91.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 5th. Telsey Advisory Group reduced their target price on Oxford Industries from $110.00 to $86.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a report on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Oxford Industries presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $90.40. Get Oxford Industries alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on OXM Oxford Industries Stock Performance NYSE OXM opened at $85.15 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.47 and a beta of 1.53. Oxford Industries has a twelve month low of $74.95 and a twelve month high of $113.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $92.74 and a 200 day moving average of $100.84. Oxford Industries (NYSE:OXM Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, September 11th. The textile maker reported $2.77 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.00 by ($0.23). The business had revenue of $419.89 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $438.16 million. Oxford Industries had a return on equity of 22.19% and a net margin of 1.92%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.45 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Oxford Industries will post 8.8 EPS for the current fiscal year. Oxford Industries Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 18th will be given a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 18th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.15%. Oxford Industriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 108.50%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oxford Industries A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its position in shares of Oxford Industries by 1.4% in the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 7,400 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $741,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Oxford Industries by 2.0% in the second quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 7,253 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $726,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its position in shares of Oxford Industries by 4.7% in the second quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 3,359 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $336,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp grew its position in shares of Oxford Industries by 1.3% in the first quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 12,854 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $1,445,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Oxford Industries by 7.4% in the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 3,012 shares of the textile makers stock valued at $339,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. 91.16% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Oxford Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) Oxford Industries, Inc, an apparel company, designs, sources, markets, and distributes products of lifestyle and other brands worldwide. The company offers men's and women's sportswear and related products under the Tommy Bahama brand; and women's and girl's dresses and sportswear, scarves, bags, jewelry, and belts, as well as children's apparel, swim, footwear, and licensed products under the Lilly Pulitzer brand. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Oxford Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Oxford Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG Get Free Report)s stock price traded down 0.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $172.51 and last traded at $172.59. 795,732 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 6,557,726 shares. The stock had previously closed at $173.92. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. TD Cowen began coverage on Procter & Gamble in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a buy rating and a $189.00 target price for the company. Dbs Bank cut shares of Procter & Gamble from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $157.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $157.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They issued an outperform rating and a $187.00 price objective for the company. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $175.79. Get Procter & Gamble alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on PG Procter & Gamble Price Performance The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The firms 50-day moving average price is $169.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $165.17. The stock has a market cap of $410.85 billion, a PE ratio of 28.44, a PEG ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 0.41. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $20.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.69 billion. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 33.46% and a net margin of 17.71%. Procter & Gambles revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.37 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Friday, July 19th were given a dividend of $1.0065 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 19th. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.31%. Procter & Gambles payout ratio is 65.85%. Insider Transactions at Procter & Gamble In related news, CEO Ma. Fatima Francisco sold 96,000 shares of Procter & Gamble stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $16,320,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 13,721 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,332,570. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Jon R. Moeller sold 87,979 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.40, for a total value of $14,991,621.60. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 300,777 shares in the company, valued at $51,252,400.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Ma. Fatima Francisco sold 96,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $16,320,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 13,721 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,332,570. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 375,553 shares of company stock valued at $63,829,141 in the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Procter & Gamble Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in Procter & Gamble during the second quarter worth $28,000. Fairway Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 64.7% in the 1st quarter. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. now owns 196 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. Finally, POM Investment Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble during the second quarter worth approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.77% of the companys stock. About Procter & Gamble (Get Free Report) The Procter & Gamble Company provides branded consumer packaged goods worldwide. It operates through five segments: Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment offers conditioners, shampoos, styling aids, and treatments under the Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Pantene, and Rejoice brands; and antiperspirants and deodorants, personal cleansing, and skin care products under the Olay, Old Spice, Safeguard, Secret, and SK-II brands. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Procter & Gamble Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Procter & Gamble and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC reduced its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (BATS:QUAL Free Report) by 30.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,128 shares of the companys stock after selling 5,345 shares during the period. Prosperity Consulting Group LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF were worth $2,071,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of QUAL. Inspire Advisors LLC raised its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 61.4% in the 2nd quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 2,745 shares of the companys stock worth $469,000 after purchasing an additional 1,044 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 3.7% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 28,038,014 shares of the companys stock worth $4,787,771,000 after buying an additional 999,735 shares in the last quarter. TMD Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 0.6% in the second quarter. TMD Wealth Management LLC now owns 244,979 shares of the companys stock worth $41,833,000 after buying an additional 1,547 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,695,000. Finally, SYM FINANCIAL Corp raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 111.9% in the 2nd quarter. SYM FINANCIAL Corp now owns 2,672 shares of the companys stock worth $456,000 after acquiring an additional 1,411 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Stock Up 0.4 % BATS QUAL opened at $176.80 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.66 billion, a PE ratio of 23.03 and a beta of 1.03. The stocks 50 day moving average is $172.57 and its 200 day moving average is $167.20. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF has a twelve month low of $71.96 and a twelve month high of $88.63. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Profile The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality index. The fund tracks an index of US large- and mid-cap stocks, selected and weighted by high ROE, stable earnings growth and low debt\u002Fequity, relative to peers in each sector. See Also Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC reduced its position in shares of iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF (NYSEARCA:ISCV Free Report) by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 48,297 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,550 shares during the period. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC owned approximately 0.69% of iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF worth $2,797,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Essex Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF by 28.9% during the 2nd quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 6,004 shares of the companys stock worth $348,000 after purchasing an additional 1,347 shares during the last quarter. VAUGHAN & Co SECURITIES INC. increased its stake in iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. VAUGHAN & Co SECURITIES INC. now owns 262,778 shares of the companys stock worth $15,218,000 after acquiring an additional 8,110 shares during the period. Key Financial Inc increased its stake in iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF by 243.1% during the 2nd quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 6,491 shares of the companys stock worth $376,000 after acquiring an additional 4,599 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its stake in iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 33,412 shares of the companys stock worth $1,935,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 9,447 shares of the companys stock worth $547,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. Get iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF alerts: iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF Stock Performance Shares of ISCV opened at $62.01 on Friday. iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF has a 52-week low of $47.64 and a 52-week high of $64.79. The businesss fifty day moving average is $61.09 and its 200-day moving average is $59.48. The firm has a market cap of $430.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.10 and a beta of 1.14. iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF Company Profile The iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF (ISCV) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in small-cap stocks. The fund tracks a market-cap-weighted index of US small-cap value stocks. The index selects stocks from 90-99.5% of market cap that fall into Morningstars value style categorization. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ISCV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF (NYSEARCA:ISCV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Value ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Publix Super Markets, Inc (OTCMKTS:PUSH Get Free Report) rose 0% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $50.44 and last traded at $50.44. Approximately 80 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 20% from the average daily volume of 100 shares. The stock had previously closed at $50.42. Publix Super Markets Stock Performance The company has a fifty day moving average of $50.35 and a 200 day moving average of $31.59. Get Publix Super Markets alerts: Publix Super Markets Cuts Dividend The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 1st were paid a $0.1974 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 1st. Publix Super Markets Company Profile Publix Super Markets, Inc engages in the operations of retail food supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina. It sells grocery products, including dairy, deli, bakery, meat and seafood; health and beauty care; general merchandise; pharmaceutical; and other products. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Publix Super Markets Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Publix Super Markets and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Galway Metals Inc. (CVE:GWM Get Free Report) Director Robert Hinchcliffe bought 26,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 11th. The shares were bought at an average price of C$0.59 per share, for a total transaction of C$15,379.00. Robert Hinchcliffe also recently made the following trade(s): Get Galway Metals alerts: On Wednesday, September 4th, Robert Hinchcliffe purchased 10,000 shares of Galway Metals stock. The stock was purchased at an average price of C$0.55 per share, for a total transaction of C$5,500.00. On Friday, August 30th, Robert Hinchcliffe purchased 45,000 shares of Galway Metals stock. The stock was purchased at an average price of C$0.54 per share, with a total value of C$24,250.50. On Tuesday, August 27th, Robert Hinchcliffe bought 10,000 shares of Galway Metals stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of C$0.60 per share, with a total value of C$6,000.00. On Wednesday, August 21st, Robert Hinchcliffe acquired 40,000 shares of Galway Metals stock. The shares were acquired at an average cost of C$0.61 per share, with a total value of C$24,400.00. On Monday, August 19th, Robert Hinchcliffe purchased 10,000 shares of Galway Metals stock. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$0.67 per share, with a total value of C$6,698.00. On Wednesday, August 14th, Robert Hinchcliffe bought 25,000 shares of Galway Metals stock. The stock was purchased at an average price of C$0.54 per share, for a total transaction of C$13,387.50. On Monday, August 12th, Robert Hinchcliffe acquired 10,000 shares of Galway Metals stock. The shares were purchased at an average cost of C$0.52 per share, for a total transaction of C$5,160.00. On Thursday, August 8th, Robert Hinchcliffe acquired 40,500 shares of Galway Metals stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of C$0.46 per share, for a total transaction of C$18,634.05. On Tuesday, August 6th, Robert Hinchcliffe purchased 30,000 shares of Galway Metals stock. The stock was acquired at an average cost of C$0.43 per share, for a total transaction of C$12,900.00. On Tuesday, July 30th, Robert Hinchcliffe acquired 10,000 shares of Galway Metals stock. The shares were bought at an average cost of C$0.45 per share, with a total value of C$4,500.00. Galway Metals Stock Up 14.5 % Shares of GWM opened at C$0.79 on Friday. Galway Metals Inc. has a fifty-two week low of C$0.23 and a fifty-two week high of C$0.80. The companys fifty day moving average is C$0.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$0.41. The firm has a market cap of C$67.72 million, a PE ratio of -15.80 and a beta of 1.76. The company has a quick ratio of 4.81, a current ratio of 3.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00. About Galway Metals Galway Metals Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral resource properties in Canada. The company primarily explores for gold, zinc, copper, silver, and lead deposits. It holds a 100% interest in the Clarence Stream project located in southwest New Brunswick, Canada; and Estrades mine, related Newiska concessions, and adjacent Casa Berardi claims located in western Quebec, Canada. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Galway Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Galway Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated their hold rating on shares of SES AI (NYSE:SES Free Report) in a research note published on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has a $1.50 price target on the stock. Separately, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on SES AI in a report on Thursday, September 5th. They set an underperform rating and a $1.00 target price for the company. Get SES AI alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on SES AI SES AI Stock Up 1.0 % Shares of NYSE:SES opened at $1.05 on Tuesday. SES AI has a 52-week low of $0.81 and a 52-week high of $2.66. The stock has a market cap of $375.42 million, a P/E ratio of -6.56 and a beta of 2.43. The businesss 50 day moving average is $1.09 and its 200 day moving average is $1.30. SES AI (NYSE:SES Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 29th. The company reported ($0.06) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by ($0.02). During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.04) earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that SES AI will post -0.23 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insiders Place Their Bets In other SES AI news, CFO Jing Nealis sold 50,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.05, for a total transaction of $52,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 1,979,422 shares in the company, valued at $2,078,393.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, insider Hong Gan sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.17, for a total transaction of $29,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 825,506 shares in the company, valued at approximately $965,842.02. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Jing Nealis sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.05, for a total value of $52,500.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 1,979,422 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,078,393.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 79,276 shares of company stock worth $85,214 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 15.07% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of SES AI Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of SES AI by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 11,830,407 shares of the companys stock valued at $19,875,000 after purchasing an additional 82,245 shares during the last quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of SES AI during the 1st quarter valued at $88,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in SES AI by 62.8% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 121,300 shares of the companys stock worth $152,000 after acquiring an additional 46,800 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its stake in SES AI by 1,039.9% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 246,964 shares of the companys stock worth $309,000 after acquiring an additional 225,299 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in SES AI by 20.2% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 427,944 shares of the companys stock worth $535,000 after acquiring an additional 71,794 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 29.78% of the companys stock. About SES AI (Get Free Report) SES AI Corporation engages in the development and production of high-performance Lithium-metal rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, electric vehicle take-off and landing, and other applications. The company was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts. See Also Receive News & Ratings for SES AI Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SES AI and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SilverCrest Metals Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:SILV Get Free Report) was up 4.4% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $8.64 and last traded at $8.52. Approximately 156,732 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 90% from the average daily volume of 1,502,394 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.16. SilverCrest Metals Trading Up 6.6 % The stock has a market capitalization of $1.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.19 and a beta of 1.22. Get SilverCrest Metals alerts: SilverCrest Metals (NYSEAMERICAN:SILV Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.17 by ($0.13). SilverCrest Metals had a return on equity of 33.11% and a net margin of 47.62%. The company had revenue of $72.74 million for the quarter. On average, analysts forecast that SilverCrest Metals Inc. will post 0.54 EPS for the current year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows About SilverCrest Metals Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SILV. Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new position in SilverCrest Metals in the 4th quarter valued at about $86,000. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of SilverCrest Metals during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of SilverCrest Metals during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,799,000. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its stake in shares of SilverCrest Metals by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 189,825 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,249,000 after acquiring an additional 3,186 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 44.75% of the companys stock. (Get Free Report) SilverCrest Metals Inc engages in the acquiring, exploration, and development of precious metal properties in Mexico. The company primarily explores for silver and gold properties. Its focuses on principal property the Las Chispas Mine that consists of 28 concessions totaling of approximately 1,401 hectares located in Sonora, Mexico, as well as operates a portfolio of El Picacho, Cruz de Mayo, and Angel de Plata properties in Sonora Mexico. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for SilverCrest Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SilverCrest Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Scotiabank assumed coverage on shares of SolarWinds (NYSE:SWI Free Report) in a research report released on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm issued a sector perform rating and a $13.00 target price on the software makers stock. Separately, Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on SolarWinds from $15.00 to $14.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat, SolarWinds presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $13.80. Get SolarWinds alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on SolarWinds SolarWinds Stock Performance Shares of SWI opened at $12.49 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.62. SolarWinds has a 1 year low of $8.83 and a 1 year high of $13.43. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $12.18 and a 200-day moving average of $11.91. The company has a market cap of $2.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 178.36 and a beta of 0.97. SolarWinds (NYSE:SWI Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The software maker reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $193.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $188.67 million. SolarWinds had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 7.14%. SolarWindss quarterly revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.12 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that SolarWinds will post 0.71 earnings per share for the current year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On SolarWinds Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. nVerses Capital LLC bought a new position in SolarWinds during the second quarter valued at about $41,000. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. bought a new position in shares of SolarWinds during the 2nd quarter valued at about $58,000. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. acquired a new position in shares of SolarWinds in the 1st quarter worth approximately $62,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in SolarWinds in the second quarter worth approximately $79,000. Finally, CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of SolarWinds by 282.6% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 8,980 shares of the software makers stock worth $108,000 after acquiring an additional 6,633 shares during the last quarter. 93.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. SolarWinds Company Profile (Get Free Report) SolarWinds Corporation provides information technology (IT) management software products in the United States and internationally. It provides a suite of network management software that offers real-time visibility into network utilization and bandwidth, as well as the ability to detect, diagnose, and resolve network performance problems; and a suite of infrastructure management products, which monitors and analyzes the performance of applications and their supporting infrastructure, including servers, physical, virtual and cloud infrastructure, storage, and databases. See Also Receive News & Ratings for SolarWinds Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SolarWinds and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com cut shares of STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning. Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of STMicroelectronics from a sell rating to a neutral rating and increased their price objective for the company from $35.50 to $45.80 in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. Craig Hallum dropped their price objective on shares of STMicroelectronics from $48.00 to $42.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price objective on shares of STMicroelectronics from $54.00 to $41.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of STMicroelectronics from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of STMicroelectronics from $50.00 to $40.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, STMicroelectronics currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $43.13. Get STMicroelectronics alerts: View Our Latest Report on STM STMicroelectronics Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:STM opened at $28.58 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $25.82 billion, a PE ratio of 7.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 1.58. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $33.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.33. STMicroelectronics has a one year low of $27.44 and a one year high of $51.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 2.56 and a current ratio of 3.35. STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The semiconductor producer reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.04. STMicroelectronics had a net margin of 19.68% and a return on equity of 18.18%. The firm had revenue of $3.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.55 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.06 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down 25.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that STMicroelectronics will post 1.66 EPS for the current year. STMicroelectronics Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.09 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 17th. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.26%. STMicroelectronicss payout ratio is currently 7.95%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On STMicroelectronics Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of STMicroelectronics during the second quarter worth $2,280,000. Creative Planning lifted its stake in shares of STMicroelectronics by 36.6% during the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 59,604 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $2,341,000 after buying an additional 15,985 shares during the period. Scientech Research LLC acquired a new stake in shares of STMicroelectronics during the second quarter worth $381,000. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of STMicroelectronics by 25.0% during the second quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC now owns 50,000 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $1,975,000 after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in shares of STMicroelectronics by 50.3% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 47,425 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $1,903,000 after purchasing an additional 15,870 shares during the last quarter. 5.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About STMicroelectronics (Get Free Report) STMicroelectronics N.V., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells semiconductor products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Automotive and Discrete Group; Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group; and Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group segments. See Also Receive News & Ratings for STMicroelectronics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for STMicroelectronics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Phoenix New Media (NYSE:FENG Free Report) in a report published on Wednesday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the information services providers stock. Phoenix New Media Trading Up 1.7 % NYSE:FENG opened at $2.99 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.86 and a quick ratio of 2.86. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $3.25 and a 200-day moving average of $2.48. The company has a market cap of $36.15 million, a PE ratio of -3.69 and a beta of 0.75. Phoenix New Media has a one year low of $1.10 and a one year high of $4.15. Get Phoenix New Media alerts: Phoenix New Media (NYSE:FENG Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The information services provider reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $23.16 million for the quarter. Phoenix New Media had a negative return on equity of 3.95% and a negative net margin of 6.60%. About Phoenix New Media Phoenix New Media Limited provides content on an integrated Internet platform in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through two segments, Net Advertising Services and Paid Services. It offers content and services through PC channel, mobile channel, and telecom operators, as well as transmits content to TV viewers, primarily through Phoenix TV. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Phoenix New Media Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Phoenix New Media and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SYM FINANCIAL Corp acquired a new position in Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 871 shares of the aerospace companys stock, valued at approximately $215,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of HII. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. American National Bank bought a new position in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries in the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new position in Huntington Ingalls Industries during the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Huntington Ingalls Industries during the first quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 158.5% in the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 106 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. 90.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Huntington Ingalls Industries alerts: Huntington Ingalls Industries Trading Up 1.3 % NYSE:HII opened at $261.55 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $10.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.74, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The companys 50 day moving average price is $266.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $266.84. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. has a 52 week low of $199.11 and a 52 week high of $299.50. Huntington Ingalls Industries Announces Dividend Huntington Ingalls Industries ( NYSE:HII Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The aerospace company reported $4.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.61 by $0.77. Huntington Ingalls Industries had a return on equity of 18.55% and a net margin of 6.35%. The business had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.27 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. will post 16.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th were paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 30th. Huntington Ingalls Industriess dividend payout ratio is currently 29.31%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and lifted their target price for the company from $280.00 to $285.00 in a report on Monday, September 9th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Huntington Ingalls Industries in a research note on Monday, May 20th. They set a buy rating and a $310.00 price objective for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $275.50. View Our Latest Stock Report on HII Huntington Ingalls Industries Profile (Free Report) Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc designs, builds, overhauls, and repairs military ships in the United States. It operates through three segments: Ingalls, Newport News, and Mission Technologies. The company is involved in the design and construction of non-nuclear ships comprising amphibious assault ships; expeditionary warfare ships; surface combatants; and national security cutters for the U.S. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HII? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Huntington Ingalls Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Huntington Ingalls Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AirBoss of America (TSE:BOS Free Report) had its price target boosted by TD Securities from C$7.00 to C$8.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have a buy rating on the stock. BOS has been the subject of several other reports. National Bankshares reduced their target price on AirBoss of America from C$6.25 to C$5.75 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. CIBC reduced their price objective on AirBoss of America from C$5.75 to C$4.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, AirBoss of America presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of C$5.75. Get AirBoss of America alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on AirBoss of America AirBoss of America Trading Up 2.7 % Shares of TSE BOS opened at C$5.52 on Wednesday. AirBoss of America has a twelve month low of C$3.65 and a twelve month high of C$6.31. The company has a current ratio of 2.17, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 92.36. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of C$4.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$5.36. The stock has a market capitalization of C$149.62 million, a PE ratio of -2.00, a PEG ratio of -550.53 and a beta of 2.03. AirBoss of America (TSE:BOS Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported C($0.14) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C($0.06) by C($0.08). AirBoss of America had a negative return on equity of 33.87% and a negative net margin of 13.99%. The company had revenue of C$130.48 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$142.42 million. On average, equities analysts forecast that AirBoss of America will post 0.1014931 earnings per share for the current year. AirBoss of America Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.035 per share. This represents a $0.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. AirBoss of Americas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -5.07%. AirBoss of America Company Profile (Get Free Report) AirBoss of America Corp., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells rubber-based products in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through AirBoss Rubber Solutions and AirBoss Manufactured Products segments. The AirBoss Rubber Solutions segment involves in the manufacture and distribution of rubber compounds and rubber compounding related chemicals for various application in automotive, heavy industry, rollers, conveyor belting, defense, construction and infrastructure, mining, transportation, and oil and gas industries. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for AirBoss of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AirBoss of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Telsey Advisory Group reissued their outperform rating on shares of Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $190.00 price target on the apparel retailers stock. Several other analysts have also issued reports on ANF. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $167.00 to $194.00 in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Citigroup upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $190.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, August 30th. UBS Group cut their price objective on Abercrombie & Fitch from $193.00 to $165.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Argus lowered Abercrombie & Fitch from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Abercrombie & Fitch from $155.00 to $147.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $176.57. Get Abercrombie & Fitch alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on Abercrombie & Fitch Abercrombie & Fitch Stock Up 3.3 % Insiders Place Their Bets Shares of NYSE:ANF opened at $142.03 on Wednesday. The companys fifty day moving average is $152.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $146.35. Abercrombie & Fitch has a 12-month low of $49.24 and a 12-month high of $196.99. The company has a market cap of $7.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.67 and a beta of 1.50. In related news, Director Helen Mccluskey sold 3,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.38, for a total transaction of $487,830.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 37,470 shares in the company, valued at $5,222,568.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Abercrombie & Fitch news, EVP Samir Desai sold 19,041 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.36, for a total value of $2,501,225.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 27,985 shares in the company, valued at $3,676,109.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Helen Mccluskey sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.38, for a total value of $487,830.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 37,470 shares in the company, valued at $5,222,568.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,541 shares of company stock worth $4,310,256. Company insiders own 3.77% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Abercrombie & Fitch A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ANF. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky increased its position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 9.6% during the 2nd quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 29,523 shares of the apparel retailers stock valued at $5,250,000 after purchasing an additional 2,579 shares during the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $908,000. Quarry LP increased its position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch by 156.0% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 279 shares of the apparel retailers stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Invst LLC bought a new position in shares of Abercrombie & Fitch during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $523,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in Abercrombie & Fitch by 8,914.3% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 631 shares of the apparel retailers stock valued at $112,000 after acquiring an additional 624 shares during the last quarter. About Abercrombie & Fitch (Get Free Report) Abercrombie & Fitch Co, through its subsidiaries, operates as an omnichannel retailer in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and internationally. The company offers an assortment of apparel, personal care products, and accessories for men, women, and kids under the Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister, and Gilly Hicks brands. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Abercrombie & Fitch Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abercrombie & Fitch and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd lowered its holdings in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report) by 4.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,478 shares of the investment management companys stock after selling 1,446 shares during the quarter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltds holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $13,786,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in GS. First Personal Financial Services purchased a new stake in The Goldman Sachs Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. POM Investment Strategies LLC acquired a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in The Goldman Sachs Group during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 106.3% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 66 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 103.3% in the second quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 61 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. 71.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get The Goldman Sachs Group alerts: The Goldman Sachs Group Trading Up 1.0 % NYSE GS opened at $478.99 on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $289.36 and a 52 week high of $517.26. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $490.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $450.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $154.46 billion, a PE ratio of 18.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.36. The Goldman Sachs Group Increases Dividend The Goldman Sachs Group ( NYSE:GS Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 15th. The investment management company reported $8.62 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $8.52 by $0.10. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 9.36% and a return on equity of 10.56%. The firm had revenue of $12.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.60 billion. As a group, research analysts expect that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 35.5 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $3.00 dividend. This is a positive change from The Goldman Sachs Groups previous quarterly dividend of $2.75. This represents a $12.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.51%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 46.86%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts recently issued reports on GS shares. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $490.00 to $535.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and set a $500.00 price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Oppenheimer raised their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $504.00 to $559.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $360.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $475.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $496.44. Get Our Latest Report on The Goldman Sachs Group Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Thomas K. Montag sold 10,000 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.04, for a total transaction of $5,050,400.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 12,450 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,287,748. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Thomas K. Montag sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.04, for a total value of $5,050,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 12,450 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,287,748. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Brian J. Lee sold 3,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.99, for a total value of $1,770,965.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 12,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,119,949.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.54% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. About The Goldman Sachs Group (Free Report) The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in financing under securities to resale agreements. See Also Receive News & Ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Third Point Investors Limited (LON:TPOU Get Free Report)s share price rose 0.7% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as GBX 22.10 ($0.29) and last traded at GBX 22 ($0.29). Approximately 24,334 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 8% from the average daily volume of 26,538 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 21.85 ($0.29). Third Point Investors Stock Up 0.7 % The stocks 50-day moving average price is GBX 21.76 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 22.02. The company has a current ratio of 13.38, a quick ratio of 20.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 22.39. The stock has a market cap of 5.32 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.51 and a beta of 0.55. Third Point Investors Company Profile (Get Free Report) Third Point Offshore Investors Limited is a close ended feeder fund launched and managed by Third Point LLC. The fund invests its entire corpus in Third Point Offshore Fund Ltd. It seeks to benchmark the performance of its portfolio against the S&P 500 TR USD. The fund was formed on July 20, 2007 and is domiciled in Guernsey, Channel Islands. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Third Point Investors Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Third Point Investors and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM Free Report) by 32.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,432 shares of the CRM providers stock after buying an additional 5,981 shares during the quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLCs holdings in Salesforce were worth $6,281,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Spartan Planning & Wealth Management raised its stake in Salesforce by 66.3% during the 4th quarter. Spartan Planning & Wealth Management now owns 1,567 shares of the CRM providers stock valued at $412,000 after purchasing an additional 625 shares during the period. Parnassus Investments LLC grew its holdings in Salesforce by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Parnassus Investments LLC now owns 5,951,415 shares of the CRM providers stock valued at $1,566,055,000 after buying an additional 18,397 shares in the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in Salesforce by 32.6% during the 4th quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 789,525 shares of the CRM providers stock valued at $207,756,000 after buying an additional 194,224 shares in the last quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Salesforce by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 7,160 shares of the CRM providers stock worth $1,983,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Finally, M&G Plc purchased a new position in shares of Salesforce in the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,178,000. Institutional investors own 80.43% of the companys stock. Get Salesforce alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CAO Sundeep G. Reddy sold 413 shares of Salesforce stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.78, for a total transaction of $105,637.14. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 6,431 shares in the company, valued at $1,644,921.18. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Salesforce news, CAO Sundeep G. Reddy sold 413 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $255.78, for a total transaction of $105,637.14. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 6,431 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,644,921.18. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Parker Harris sold 4,200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $262.97, for a total value of $1,104,474.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 117,581 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $30,920,275.57. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 62,376 shares of company stock worth $15,878,005. 3.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Salesforce Stock Performance Shares of CRM stock opened at $254.57 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $246.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.29. The businesss 50 day moving average is $253.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $268.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. Salesforce, Inc. has a 12-month low of $193.68 and a 12-month high of $318.71. Salesforce (NYSE:CRM Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 28th. The CRM provider reported $2.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.36 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $9.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.22 billion. Salesforce had a return on equity of 12.01% and a net margin of 15.44%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.63 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Salesforce, Inc. will post 7.55 EPS for the current fiscal year. Salesforce Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 18th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 18th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.63%. Salesforces payout ratio is 28.78%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms recently issued reports on CRM. Needham & Company LLC restated a buy rating and set a $345.00 price objective on shares of Salesforce in a report on Friday, September 6th. Loop Capital lifted their target price on Salesforce from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 29th. Erste Group Bank restated a hold rating on shares of Salesforce in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group upped their price objective on Salesforce from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price target on Salesforce from $345.00 to $300.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-seven have given a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $304.41. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Salesforce Salesforce Company Profile (Free Report) Salesforce, Inc provides Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology that brings companies and customers together worldwide. The company's service includes sales to store data, monitor leads and progress, forecast opportunities, gain insights through analytics and artificial intelligence, and deliver quotes, contracts, and invoices; and service that enables companies to deliver trusted and highly personalized customer support at scale. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CRM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Salesforce Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Salesforce and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vest Financial LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER Free Report) by 4.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,651 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock after selling 155 shares during the quarter. Vest Financial LLCs holdings in Uber Technologies were worth $265,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Capital Wealth Advisors boosted its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 16.1% in the second quarter. Vanguard Capital Wealth Advisors now owns 11,200 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $814,000 after acquiring an additional 1,550 shares during the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its stake in Uber Technologies by 27.8% during the second quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 2,851 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $208,000 after purchasing an additional 620 shares during the period. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Uber Technologies by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 79,520 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $5,780,000 after purchasing an additional 3,190 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of Uber Technologies by 14.8% during the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 1,564,380 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $113,699,000 after buying an additional 201,331 shares during the period. Finally, HHM Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Uber Technologies by 7.9% during the 2nd quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 22,616 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $1,644,000 after buying an additional 1,661 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.24% of the companys stock. Get Uber Technologies alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sold 500,000 shares of Uber Technologies stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.91, for a total transaction of $35,955,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,266,114 shares in the company, valued at $91,046,257.74. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.84% of the companys stock. Uber Technologies Trading Up 6.4 % Shares of NYSE:UBER opened at $72.48 on Friday. Uber Technologies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $40.09 and a twelve month high of $82.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market cap of $152.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 116.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a 50 day moving average of $69.41 and a 200-day moving average of $70.99. Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The ride-sharing company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $10.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.57 billion. Uber Technologies had a net margin of 5.02% and a return on equity of 17.06%. Uber Technologiess revenue for the quarter was up 15.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.18 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Uber Technologies, Inc. will post 1.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have recently issued reports on UBER shares. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an overweight rating and set a $97.00 target price on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Friday. Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of Uber Technologies from $86.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. JMP Securities upped their price target on shares of Uber Technologies from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a market outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Uber Technologies in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. They issued an outperform rating and a $90.00 price target for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on Uber Technologies in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. They set an overweight rating and a $90.00 price objective on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirty-one have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Uber Technologies presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $87.60. Read Our Latest Stock Report on UBER Uber Technologies Company Profile (Free Report) Uber Technologies, Inc develops and operates proprietary technology applications in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia excluding China and Southeast Asia. It operates through three segments: Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. The Mobility segment connects consumers with a range of transportation modalities, such as ridesharing, carsharing, micromobility, rentals, public transit, taxis, and other modalities; and offers riders in a variety of vehicle types, as well as financial partnerships products and advertising services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Uber Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Uber Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd increased its holdings in Union Pacific Co. (NYSE:UNP Free Report) by 44.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 39,378 shares of the railroad operators stock after buying an additional 12,091 shares during the period. Dai ichi Life Insurance Company Ltds holdings in Union Pacific were worth $8,910,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of UNP. 1ST Source Bank raised its position in shares of Union Pacific by 6.7% during the 2nd quarter. 1ST Source Bank now owns 8,017 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $1,814,000 after buying an additional 504 shares in the last quarter. SYM FINANCIAL Corp bought a new stake in Union Pacific during the second quarter worth approximately $218,000. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its position in Union Pacific by 3,524.7% in the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 112,292 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $25,407,000 after purchasing an additional 109,194 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Union Pacific by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 1,206 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $273,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Union Pacific by 31.2% during the 2nd quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 10,968 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $2,482,000 after purchasing an additional 2,609 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.38% of the companys stock. Get Union Pacific alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts recently commented on UNP shares. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $275.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Union Pacific from $267.00 to $265.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on Union Pacific from $290.00 to $273.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Benchmark restated a buy rating and set a $266.00 price objective on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 26th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Union Pacific has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $258.79. Union Pacific Trading Up 0.1 % UNP opened at $249.12 on Friday. Union Pacific Co. has a 12 month low of $199.33 and a 12 month high of $258.66. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $243.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $239.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $151.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 1.05. Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The railroad operator reported $2.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.05 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 42.62% and a net margin of 26.90%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.57 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Union Pacific Co. will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year. Union Pacific Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. This is an increase from Union Pacifics previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.15%. Union Pacifics payout ratio is 51.15%. Insider Buying and Selling at Union Pacific In related news, President Elizabeth F. Whited sold 3,552 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $246.59, for a total transaction of $875,887.68. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 64,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,014,787.55. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock. About Union Pacific (Free Report) Union Pacific Corporation, through its subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad Company, operates in the railroad business in the United States. The company offers transportation services for grain and grain products, fertilizers, food and refrigerated products, and coal and renewables to grain processors, animal feeders, ethanol producers, renewable biofuel producers, and other agricultural users; and construction products, industrial chemicals, plastics, forest products, specialized products, metals and ores, petroleum, liquid petroleum gases, soda ash, and sand, as well as finished automobiles, automotive parts, and merchandise in intermodal containers. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Union Pacific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Union Pacific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Lennar Co. (NYSE:LEN Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 250 shares of the construction companys stock, valued at approximately $37,000. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of LEN. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its holdings in Lennar by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,760,729 shares of the construction companys stock worth $303,585,000 after buying an additional 60,713 shares in the last quarter. Bamco Inc. NY boosted its holdings in shares of Lennar by 3.8% in the first quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 648,867 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $111,592,000 after acquiring an additional 23,483 shares during the period. TCW Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Lennar by 15.9% in the 2nd quarter. TCW Group Inc. now owns 610,549 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $91,503,000 after acquiring an additional 83,896 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. raised its position in Lennar by 157.5% in the 1st quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 575,003 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $98,889,000 after purchasing an additional 351,698 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI acquired a new stake in shares of Lennar during the first quarter worth $61,807,000. 81.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Lennar alerts: Lennar Trading Up 2.5 % NYSE:LEN opened at $185.91 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 4.93 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $172.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $162.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $51.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.61. Lennar Co. has a 12-month low of $102.90 and a 12-month high of $186.60. Lennar Announces Dividend Lennar ( NYSE:LEN Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, June 17th. The construction company reported $3.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.20 by $0.18. Lennar had a net margin of 11.58% and a return on equity of 15.93%. The business had revenue of $8.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.57 billion. Equities research analysts predict that Lennar Co. will post 14.16 EPS for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 19th. Investors of record on Friday, July 5th were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 5th. Lennars payout ratio is 13.60%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts have commented on LEN shares. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Lennar from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $180.00 to $174.00 in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. BTIG Research cut their price objective on Lennar from $177.00 to $175.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 20th. Argus increased their price target on Lennar from $175.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Lennar from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, September 9th. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a market outperform rating and issued a $170.00 price objective on shares of Lennar in a research report on Thursday, June 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $172.69. Get Our Latest Research Report on Lennar Lennar Profile (Free Report) Lennar Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a homebuilder primarily under the Lennar brand in the United States. It operates through Homebuilding East, Homebuilding Central, Homebuilding Texas, Homebuilding West, Financial Services, Multifamily, and Lennar Other segments. The company's homebuilding operations include the construction and sale of single-family attached and detached homes, as well as the purchase, development, and sale of residential land; and development, construction, and management of multifamily rental properties. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Lennar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lennar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Co. (NYSE:WAB Get Free Report)s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $157.27 and traded as high as $167.82. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies shares last traded at $167.73, with a volume of 847,878 shares. Analysts Set New Price Targets WAB has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Bank of America boosted their target price on Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies from $183.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies from $160.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $163.90. Get Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on WAB Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Price Performance The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $161.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $157.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.00, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 1.38. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (NYSE:WAB Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The transportation company reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.88 by $0.08. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies had a return on equity of 12.05% and a net margin of 9.94%. The company had revenue of $2.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.64 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.41 EPS. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologiess revenue for the quarter was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Co. will post 7.46 EPS for the current fiscal year. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 14th were paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 14th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.47%. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologiess payout ratio is presently 15.63%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies news, insider Alicia Hammersmith sold 4,169 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.54, for a total value of $690,136.26. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 5,606 shares in the company, valued at approximately $928,017.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, CTO Eric Gebhardt sold 7,422 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.32, for a total transaction of $1,160,207.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer now owns 22,411 shares in the company, valued at $3,503,287.52. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Alicia Hammersmith sold 4,169 shares of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $165.54, for a total value of $690,136.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 5,606 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $928,017.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 17,392 shares of company stock worth $2,754,390. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its stake in Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies by 26.2% in the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 568 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $90,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust lifted its stake in Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies by 4.3% in the first quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 3,201 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $466,000 after purchasing an additional 133 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies by 3.4% in the second quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 4,701 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $743,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. First Hawaiian Bank lifted its stake in Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies by 4.4% in the first quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 3,699 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $539,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Plato Investment Management Ltd lifted its stake in Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies by 2.3% in the second quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 11,522 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,821,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.69% of the companys stock. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Company Profile (Get Free Report) Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides technology-based locomotives, equipment, systems, and services for the freight rail and passenger transit industries worldwide. It offers diesel-electric, battery, and liquid natural gas-powered locomotives; engines, electric motors, and propulsion systems; and marine and mining products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Whitecap Resources Inc. (OTCMKTS:SPGYF Get Free Report) passed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $7.44 and traded as low as $7.10. Whitecap Resources shares last traded at $7.31, with a volume of 57,513 shares. Whitecap Resources Stock Performance The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $7.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $7.45. Get Whitecap Resources alerts: Whitecap Resources Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 2nd will be issued a $0.0444 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a dividend yield of 7.1%. Whitecap Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.33%. Whitecap Resources Company Profile Whitecap Resources Inc, an oil and gas company, focuses on the acquisition, development, and production of oil and gas assets in Western Canada. The company's primary areas of focus of its development programs are in Northern Alberta and British Columbia, Central Alberta, and Saskatchewan. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Whitecap Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Whitecap Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nearly 20% of Malaysias population classified as obese By Vietnam News Agency Sat, September 14, 2024 | 10:38 am GMT+7 Obesity is one of the most pressing health concerns in Malaysia, with nearly 20% of its population classified as obese. An obese person in Malaysia. Photo courtesy of nst.com.my. The World Obesity Atlas projects that this number could increase to 41% by 2035, stressing the urgent need for comprehensive prevention and treatment strategies. This concerning trend comes alongside the already alarming increase in chronic diseases, rooted from whats commonly known as the "Three Highs" high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Over half a million Malaysian adults are currently living with all four conditions. According to the countrys Ministry of Health, Malaysia has one of the highest rates of diabetes globally, with over 3.6 million people diagnosed with diabetes in 2019. This figure is projected to double by 2025. Even more concerning, many Malaysians are unaware that they have diabetes statistics reveal that 40% of adults and 84% of young adults aged 18-29 in the country are unaware they have the disease. According to doctors, obesity leads to insulin resistance, causing the pancreas to work harder to produce more insulin to overcome the resistance, which results in hyperinsulinemia. This compensatory mechanism can eventually progress to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Doctors at MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown have implanted their 800th WATCHMAN, a device that can prevent strokes in patients with an irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation. WATCHMAN device Doctors can implant WATCHMAN devices in people with atrial fibrillation in about 15 minutes. The milestone is cause for celebration, said L. Garrison Morgan, M.D. He directs the Structural Heart Disease program and serves as associate director of the Claude W. Smith School of Cardiovascular Technology at MUSC Health in Columbia. Get The Times and Democrat app today Local news has never been this personal. Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. We are a high-volume center that does exceptionally good work, and we have very good outcomes. The more of these procedures that you do, the better you are. We're to the point now where we can put the entire device in in about 15 minutes. And patients only have to be on bed rest for about two hours, and they can go home, Morgan said. Dr. Garrison Morgan Dr. Garrison Morgan points at an implanted WATCHMAN device in Columbia. He explained what happens in people with atrial fibrillation, or A-fib. The problem is the underlying rhythm in the patient's heart called atrial fibrillation. It makes the top chambers of the heart quiver instead of contracting to push the blood around in that top chamber. It just so happens that this top chamber on the left side of the heart, the side that pumps to the brain, has a small pocket called the left atrial appendage. It forms an eddy where the fluid kind of just swirls around, and it can make a blood clot. And 90% of all strokes that happen in patients that have atrial fibrillation originate from a blood clot in that little appendage. For years, blood thinners were the go-to to prevent those clots. Blood thinners are really good at preventing clots that cause strokes, but they're also really good at preventing clots that stop bleeding. And so they make patients bleed easily, which can be a problem for patients who are unsteady and frequently fall or have a history of bleeding problems, Morgan explained. The WATCHMAN solves that issue, he said. Its basically a small plug. It sits in the opening of that little pocket on that top chamber of the heart, and it seals off that pocket forever. So there's no pocket. There's nowhere for a blood clot to form. And if there's nowhere for a blood clot to form, there's no reason for them to be on a blood thinner. So that little device gives them stroke prevention, just like their blood thinner would, for the rest of their lives, and they never take another blood thinner ever again. He said the WATCHMAN is going from being a mainstream procedure to becoming, hopefully, the gold standard for atrial fibrillation. There are clinical trials that we were part of that are finishing up right now that are essentially giving patients the option of having a WATCHMAN device as first-line therapy. It's very safe. It's effective. It's quick. And it gives the patient a lifetime worth of stroke prevention from one simple procedure. Morgan said there are risks associated with any heart procedure, and patients should speak with their doctors about those risks and compare them with the benefits of coming off blood thinners. But he also said the risk of a complication from an appendage close procedure is exceedingly rare. In his experience, procedures to implant Watchmen usually go extremely smoothly. In fact, over the last six years, weve had a 99.5% success rate for implants and no major complications at all. His team has a new goal with a deadline of next summer. We want to be the first program in South Carolina to do 1,000 implants. Defendants in a defamation case brought by Buster Murdaugh against national media companies that allegedly accused him of killing a gay teen have removed the case from Murdaughs home county of Hampton to federal court in Charleston. APTOPIX Murdaugh Killings Buster Murdaugh, the son of Alex Murdaugh, listens as Alex Murdaugh's verdict is read at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro on March Buster Murdaugh is the son of ex-lawyer and convicted killer Alex Murdaugh. The case is now before U.S. Judge Richard Gergel in the Charleston Division in South Carolina federal courts. Get The Times and Democrat app today Local news has never been this personal. Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. The removal, unless reversed by Judge Gergel, by Netflix, Warner Brothers Discovery Inc. and others, means that Buster Murdaugh wont have a presumably friendly hometown jury at the Hampton County Courthouse hearing his case. Instead, jurors if the case were to go to trial in Charleston federal court would be chosen from a multi-county Lowcountry region. Buster Murdaugh sues Netflix, others over reporting on Stephen Smiths death Buster Murdaugh files libel lawsuit against documentary producers and media company, claiming false implications of killing gay teen in 2015. Shaun Kent, Buster Murdaughs lawyer, was not immediately available for comment. He has the right to object to the companies position and ask Judge Gergel to transfer the case back to Hampton County. Alex Murdaugh appeals 40-year financial fraud sentence, saying it is cruel and unusual Convicted murderer and fraudster Alex Murdaugh is challenging the 40-year sentence for financial fraud that he received in April from a federal judge, calling it cruel and unusual punishment. In a brief filed Thursday with the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Murdaughs attorneys wrote that the 40-year financial fraud sentence handed down by U.S. Judge Richard Gergel in April is grossly ... For years, the Murdaughs a four-generation family of lawyers based in Hampton County have had the reputation of enjoying friendly juries when their cases came to trial on their home turf. In June, Buster Murdaugh filed suit in Hampton County, alleging three separate documentaries by well-known media companies had defamed him by falsely suggesting that he murdered, or helped murder, a local gay man, Stephen Smith, 19, nine years ago. Smiths body was found with fatal head injuries on a rural Hampton County road in July 2015. Baseless rumors began to swirl on social media that the Murdaugh family and Buster, in particular, had a hand in Smiths death. For years, the State Law Enforcement Division and numerous journalists have investigated the case, but no one ever found any evidence that Buster Murdaugh was involved in Smiths death. Buster Murdaugh issued a statement denying involvement. The death remains unsolved and no suspects have been named by law enforcement. Despite the fact no evidence is known to exist to link Buster Murdaugh to Smiths death, various media companies broadcast documentaries in which they falsely, to one degree or another, suggested that Buster was involved in Smiths death, according to the lawsuit filed in Hampton County state court. The documentaries were Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty, Low Country: The Murdaugh Dynasty, and Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal. They were viewed by millions on such platforms as HBO Max, Netflix and Discovery+, Buster Murdaughs lawsuit said. Local newspaper editor also sued The only non-documentary defendant in Buster Murdaughs lawsuit was Michael DeWitt, the longtime editor of the Hampton County Guardian and author of the book, The Fall of the House of Murdaugh. The lawsuit alleged that DeWitt had made alleged defamatory statements when he appeared on a Netflix documentary about Buster Murdaughs alleged involvement in Smiths death. It is clear that Mr. DeWitt is falsely accusing [Buster] of being involved in the murder of Stephen Smith, Buster Murdaugh said in his lawsuit. Mr. DeWitts false statements defamed the plaintiff and damaged his reputation. But in their notice of removal to federal court, the defendants asserted that DeWitts statements were not defamatory, were in fact true and were within the bounds of free speech. It is clear from the context that DeWitt was not stating any facts of which he had personal knowledge, but rather, speaking as a local expert about what he had learned about the law enforcement investigation [into Smiths death] and heard from others in the community. Both DeWitts comments and the Series as a whole are focused on the power and influence of the Murdaugh family and how that may have impacted the course of justice in multiple situations, not making factual claims about who actually killed Stephen Smith, the companies said in their federal filing. The defendants asked that DeWitt be dropped as a defendant since everything he said was true and protected by the First Amendment. DeWitt has declined to comment. The defendants also said the only reason that DeWitt was included in Buster Murdaughs lawsuit was to make sure the lawsuit would be tried in Hampton County. Since all the defendants except DeWitt are out-of-state, the proper and lawful place for a legal action against them by a South Carolinian such as Buster Murdaugh is in the federal courts, Netflix and the other companies said in their notice of removal to federal court. This case arises from three documentary series that reported on historical events and official investigations involving a well-known and influential family, the Murdaughs, that for years have been the subject of discussion, debate, and speculation by the populace of Hampton County, South Carolina, and that have been extensively covered in the local, state, and national news media, the documentary companies said in their notice of removal. Busters father, Alex Murdaugh, is serving two consecutive life sentences in state prison for the 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and his younger son, Paul, Busters brother. Alex Murdaugh has also been convicted in state and federal court of massive fraud involving millions of dollars against his clients, his former law firm and others. The Murdaugh saga has for several years attracted swarms of media, documentary companies and journalists. At least nine books have been written about it, and documentaries are still in production. Lawyers representing the documentary companies include John T. Lay, Marguerite Willis, Cheryl Shoun, Jessica Laffitte, David Dukes and Merritt Abney, according to federal court records. (TBTCO) - Tong cuc Thue cho biet, tinh tu khi trien khai en het ngay 17/9/2024, so luong hoa on ien tu co quan thue a tiep nhan va xu ly khoang 10,1 ty hoa on, trong o hoa on co ma la 2,5 ty hoa on; hoa on khong ma la 6,7 ty hoa on; hoa on tung lan phat sinh va hoa on khoi tao tu may tinh tien la 0,9 ty hoa on. ac biet, sau hon 2 nam trien khai, Chuong trinh Hoa on may man a thu uoc ket qua tich cuc, mang lai loi ich kep cho ca nguoi nop thue va co quan quan ly thue. Net international reserves of the UAEs banking sector increased by 8.1% during the first half of the year , reaching AED1.238 trillion ($337 billion) at the end of June, compared to AED1.145 trillion at the end of the same period last year. The Central Bank accounted for AED769.7 billion of the sectors net international reserves at the end of June, marking a 14.3% increase compared to its balance of AED673.42 billion at the end of last year, while the net international reserves of banks operating in the country reached AED468.13 billion by the end of June, said CBUAE in its June statistical bulletin. According to the bulletin, the Central Banks gold reserves grew by 22.1% year-on-year, reaching AED20.467 billion by the end of June, compared to AED16.768 billion in June 2023. During the first half of this year, its gold reserves grew by 12.8%, compared to AED18.147 billion at the end of last year. Gold is included among the Central Banks diversified assets, which also encompass liquid funds, certificates of deposit, and securities held to maturity. The Central Banks gold reserves have grown significantly in recent years, rising to AED12.862 billion at the end of 2020, compared to AED4.04 billion at the end of 2019, and AED1.134 billion at the end of 2018. The bulletin also highlighted that the number of employees in the UAEs banking sector rose to 37,811 by the end of June, compared to 36,737 employees in June 2023, an increase of 1,074 new employees over the course of 12 months. The distribution of banking employees showed that national banks employed 31,628 people at the end of June, an increase of 2,051 employees compared to 29,577 in June 2023. Foreign banks operating in the UAE employed 6,183 people during the same period. The number of employees in the UAEs banking sector has seen a notable rise in recent years, growing from 33,444 at the end of 2020 to 33,491 at the end of 2021, and reaching 35,830 by the end of 2022. In a related context, the Central Bank noted that the number of licensed commercial banks in the UAE reached 61 in the first half of this year, comprising 23 national banks and 38 foreign banks. The number of bank branches stood at 554, with national banks accounting for 482 branches, and foreign banks for 72 branches. The number of e-banking service units affiliated with national banks reached 46 units by the end of the first half of this year, while the number of exchange offices reached 21. Meanwhile, the number of e-banking service units of foreign banks remained at 21. Banking operations statistics released by the Central Bank today showed that the value of transactions processed through the UAE Funds Transfer System (UAEFTS) exceeded AED9.32 trillion during the first half of this year, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 16%, compared to transfers amounting to AED8.01 trillion during the same period in 2023. According to the statistics, transfers during the first half were distributed as AED5.829 trillion in interbank transfers and AED3.49 trillion in customer transfers. The value of transfers reached AED1.512 trillion in January, AED1.449 trillion in February, AED1.565 trillion in March, AED1.592 trillion in April, AED1.78 trillion in May, and AED1.42 trillion in June 2024. It is worth noting that the UAEFTS, which has been operated by the Central Bank since August 2001, facilitates real-time money transfers among entities registered in the system. The Central Banks statistics also revealed that the value of cleared cheques using their images amounted to AED646.6 billion, distributed across 11.03 million cheques during the first half of this year. Cheque clearances, using their images, were distributed as follows: AED109.4 billion for approximately 1.965 million cheques in January, AED106.7 billion for 1.837 million cheques in February, AED112.6 billion for 1.855 million cheques in March, AED92.9 billion for 1.66 million cheques in April, AED122.7 billion for 2.01 million cheques in May, and AED102.17 billion for 1.689 million cheques in June. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has called for a concerted global effort to achieve sustainable food security through long-term strategic shifts and enhanced international cooperation. In a speech at the Group of Twenty (G20) agriculture ministers' meeting in Brazil, Saudi Environment, Water, and Agriculture Minister Abdulrahman AlFadley emphasized the need for innovative solutions and practical measures to address growing food needs. AlFadley acknowledged the progress made in technology and innovation but stressed the continued need for investment in agriculture to increase productivity and build resilience in food systems, reported SPA. He also highlighted the importance of improving access to sustainable financing for agricultural development. According to him, Saudi Arabia has actively encouraged domestic and foreign investments in its agricultural sector, resulting in a significant increase in agricultural loans and a 35% growth in the sector's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP). AlFadley called for addressing supply-chain and input issues to stabilize prices and maintain efficient food markets, urging countries to avoid trade restrictions that can negatively impact global food security. The minister emphasized the importance of stakeholder engagement, including the private sector and civil society, to achieve common goals for sustainable food systems. He also commended Brazil's Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty initiative and highlighted the King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Center's (KSrelief's) efforts to support food-security projects in 78 countries, said the SPA report. The minister also addressed the One Health approach, emphasizing the need to address antimicrobial resistance to protect food systems. He later invited participants to the fourth Global High-Level Ministerial Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has launched the One Million Saudi in AI initiative, aimed at empowering one million citizens in artificial intelligence, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The national initiative, a largest of its kind in the kingdom, was launched by Minister of Education Yousef bin Abdullah Al Benyan and Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) President Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development during the third Global AI Summit (GAIN Summit 2024), held at the King Abdulaziz International Convention Centre in Riyadh. It is aimed at empowering a million Saudis to interact with a world led by AI, ensuring the building of a better future that enhances human capabilities, stated the report. It will allow a million male and female citizens to understand AI, its uses, ethics, and to train on the skills and tools necessary to integrate AI into business and daily life effectively and safely, it added. THE topic of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley being replaced as political leader of the Peoples National Movement (PNM) is not an issue currently up for consideration, said Foster Cummings, Member of Parliament (MP) for La Horquetta/Talparo yesterday. There are strong processes in the PNM. There is a leader in office in the PNM. That is the leader that we support and who will take us into the next general election, he said. Before her fifth birthday, Rainy had experienced a lifetime of trauma. As an infant, she witnessed violence at home before child welfare authorities intervened and her parents were incarcerated. Night terrors followed. Then, she endured the death of her great uncle who had taken on the role of dad. She didnt speak until she was nearly 5. Any separation from her great aunt-turned-adoptive mother, Lisa Enas, triggered panic attacks, and reminders of her great uncles death left her nearly inconsolable. With counseling, however, Rainy, now age 7, with a long, thick braid and a bright smile, grew more joyful and independent. She could hold conversations and spend time away from Enas without panicking. She was selected for her schools gifted and talented program. Home life on the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, where her bedroom walls were lined with stuffed animals and family photos, steadied. But that progress came to a halt last October, after a spiraling Medicaid scandal that targeted thousands of Native Americans exploded into public view. Arizona officials announced they were investigating a massive fraud scheme in which people had been lured into fake substance abuse treatment programs, where providers exorbitantly billed Medicaid for treatments they did not deliver. Some were alleged to have kidnapped patients and held them against their will. The fraud has cost the state as much as $2.5 billion since 2019, state officials said. In response, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or AHCCCS, terminated contracts with scores of facilities as authorities investigated them. The agency also swiftly suspended Medicaid reimbursements to hundreds of other providers that it accused mostly of overbilling or paperwork errors. Among those suspended was Desert Rain Behavioral Health Services, the Tempe provider that was treating Rainy and 260 other patients, all insured by the state Medicaid agencys American Indian Health Program. AHCCCS accused Desert Rain of overbilling and failing to have the license needed to treat children allegations that the clinic would eventually resolve, but not before its ability to care for patients was disrupted. When AHCCCS launched its investigation, officials said their top priority was the safety of patients like Rainy. Yet even as the agency says it considered whether people would lose behavioral health services before it took action, its efforts left hundreds without treatment or counseling, the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting and ProPublica have found. The agency told the very behavioral health providers it accused of fraud that it was their responsibility to ensure patients continued to receive treatment despite halting their reimbursements. Some closed. Others scaled back services or paid out of their own pocket while they challenged the allegations against them. For patients, the state established a hotline to connect them to treatment, housing or transportation back to their communities. But it too has fallen short in addressing the fallout from the crisis. AHCCCS said it had no record of what happened to the majority of the hotlines 11,400 callers, largely because after six months, it stopped tracking outcomes for people who did not stay in a hotel at the states expense. Of 4,100 people who received temporary lodging after calling the hotline, the state said only about 150 requested referrals to behavioral health centers. According to call data obtained by the news organizations, more than 575 ended up unsheltered, increasing their chances of relapse or even death. In an interview, Marcus Johnson, AHCCCS deputy director of community engagement and regulatory affairs, said AHCCCS conducted outreach to make sure patients knew about the hotline. Yet advocates say far more people were unaware of the hotline or could not call it because they did not have phones. Theres always opportunity for us as an agency to improve, Johnson said. But like I said, weve done a great amount of outreach to try to get the word out as much as possible, not only to victims and our members, but also to all of the providers. Enas, Rainys adoptive mother, said no one ever told her about it as she struggled to find counseling for her daughter. (AZCIR and ProPublica are identifying Rainy, who does not share a last name with Enas, by her nickname to protect her privacy.) Thirty behavioral health providers that AHCCCS has accused of fraud since the spring of 2023 have been cleared to again receive Medicaid reimbursements, though the agency cautioned providers that it could pursue further actions against them amid ongoing investigations. Most reached settlement agreements or proposed corrective action plans, according to records provided to the news organizations by AHCCCS. Desert Rain, however, was among a handful of providers that did not have to compensate the state or rectify their practice, according to documents. After a four-month suspension, Desert Rain was informed in a February letter that it could resume receiving payments from the state because it had addressed the accusations. AZCIR and ProPublica spoke to six of the 30 facilities that had their suspensions lifted. The suspensions, delayed payments and enhanced billing requirements resulting from the state crackdown have jeopardized their ability to stay in business, they said. Almost everyone who operated behavioral health facilities and spoke to the news organizations asked to remain anonymous out of concern they would be targeted by AHCCCS for criticizing the agency. AHCCCS has maintained that its actions were necessary and appropriate to ensure bad actors could no longer exploit Medicaid. It also told the news organizations that it is always willing to help patients find providers. Desert Rain owner Alexis James said that since the clinic was cleared, the state has largely denied or not processed its claims for patients insured by the American Indian Health Program. As a result, she is unable to serve her former patients. She said she is concerned many people from the Gila River Indian Community and other Indigenous communities have gone months without treatment because so many facilities have shut down or are not accepting new American Indian Health Program patients due to financial uncertainty. There are no providers available to see these clients who are higher risk, who are suicidal, who are high trauma, James said. What makes me so angry is its not anyone but the Indigenous population. Enas said she recognizes the state had to stem the widespread fraud but regrets it came at such a high cost. Rainy regressed without counseling, while Enas unsuccessfully sought help from AHCCCS and the local hospital. The grief Rainy was learning to manage now overwhelms her more frequently. On a recent afternoon, within a matter of minutes, Rainy turned from chattering happily about her school day to sobbing as she looked over a favorite photo collage of her late adoptive father. I miss him so much, Rainy cried. Why did he have to die when I was 3? Enas held Rainy until the wave of sadness eventually passed. When they sat down at the dinner table, where Rainy announced she was joining the school color guard, Enas looked on with a mixture of pride, exhaustion and worry. I need to know, who is gonna actually help me? Enas said. Whos going to actually listen to me? Whos going to help my child? Because Im fighting for her. A crisis goes undetected As early as 2020, state data showed a spike in billings for behavioral health care covered by the American Indian Health Program. AHCCCS contracts with managed care organizations, like Mercy Care and UnitedHealthcare, use fixed rates for Medicaid reimbursement. But the American Indian Health Program available only to American Indians and Alaska Natives was different. Federal requirements led AHCCCS to structure the program under a fee-for-service model, which allowed health clinics and other providers to set their own rates and directly bill the agency. It also broadened access in areas not served by the network of insurance companies for a population that has historically faced significant barriers to health care. But it left the program vulnerable to fraud, experts say, much like other fee-for-service plans offered at the federal level. It was a claims shop, AHCCCS Johnson said, noting the plan lacked safeguards used by managed care organizations to prevent waste, fraud and abuse. One behavioral health clinic collected more than $200,000 a day on average through the American Indian Health Program, according to an audit of AHCCCS. The flood of cash spurred predatory recruitment of new Native American patients from across the country just as the federal governments COVID-19 public health emergency allowed Medicaid programs to relax enrollment and screening requirements. Will Humble, a former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, said AHCCCS failure to monitor its management of Medicaid billing and reimbursements allowed the American Indian Health Program to completely detonate. Reva Stewart, a community advocate in Phoenix who is Navajo, was, in the fall of 2022, among the first to sound the alarm on social media about providers recruitment efforts in the city and on reservations. For months, she had observed white vans pull up to city parks in search of new patients. She learned fraudulent providers were also sending vans to reservations across Arizona, New Mexico and Montana in search of patients. Newly elected Gov. Katie Hobbs announced an initial wave of provider suspensions in May 2023. As the agency continued reviewing billing records for irregularities, more followed. Community members, patients and employees of licensed behavioral health providers had alerted authorities to the suspected fraud, said AHCCCS Director Carmen Heredia. When suspended providers ignored the agencys calls to ensure ongoing care, the agency said it sent demand letters and threatened legal action. AHCCCS has not pursued any provider for failing to transition patients care, saying it hasnt needed to take that step. When our legal office has reached out to providers in this situation, they have complied, Johnson said. They have worked with us to transition care for their members. Thousands call asking for help State housing officials warned AHCCCS leadership nearly a year before it began suspending providers that reforms could trigger a surge in homelessness, according to emails reviewed by AZCIR and ProPublica. Indeed, many people faced homelessness as the state suspended behavioral health payments because some unscrupulous providers had housed patients just so they could bill for them, advocates say. Patients in the roughly 25 suspended facilities outside the Phoenix area had few options for assistance once AHCCCS took action; the state hotlines offer of temporary housing was limited to three hotels in the metro area. Stewart said the states response has been inadequate for such a massive crisis that has rendered people homeless. She and other advocates, organized under the name Stolen People, Stolen Benefits, regularly traverse the Phoenix metro area with meals and sanitary kits to assist unhoused people who havent been helped. Many contact her directly. Raquel Moody, who is from the Fort Apache Reservation in northeastern Arizona, recounted how at the height of the crisis she bounced from one fraudulent treatment home to the next. She had achieved sobriety in the past, before relapsing, and such treatment programs had helped her, including Another Level of Community Service, which served people just released from prison. (Another Level of Community Service is one of the 30 behavioral health providers that had its suspension lifted by AHCCCS after a monthslong investigation.) From December 2022 to the end of 2023, Moody spent time in more than a half-dozen programs in the Phoenix area that promised, but never provided, treatment. Soon after arriving at each new facility, she realized legitimate treatment classes would not be offered. When she spoke up about it, the operators would kick her out. Not only was there no treatment, she said, but lax operators made it more challenging to get sober. The owners of one facility downplayed her complaint that alcohol was being consumed in the house, claiming the drinking wasnt harming other residents. They asked her to leave. Once, providers left her for days in an unfurnished home with nothing to do, which she described as a nightmare scenario for someone trying to overcome addiction. Some of us, we were looking for the right programs, she said. But during this whole scheme and everything, it was really hard. It was really hard to get sober. After the final home she was in was suspended in December 2023, no one from the state stepped in to help, she said. Shes now in recovery and conducts homeless outreach with Stewart. Following Desert Rains suspension in September 2023, James, the clinics owner, said she continued serving patients for as long as she could. The clinic was roughly two years into treating Rainy, who had been diagnosed with prolonged grief, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It was a two-hour round trip to each appointment, but her progress made the drives worth it, Enas said. Desert Rain, which opened 13 years ago, was one of several clinics that AHCCCS accused of treating children without the necessary state health department license. The Medicaid agency also said the treatment center had billed for some patients after their deaths and overbilled for certain mental health assessments and rehabilitation services. As she fought the allegations, James laid off all but three of her 35 employees and coordinated with Gila River case managers to transfer most of the facilitys 260 patients to other providers. Many of the patients found that nearby facilities were also facing fraud allegations from the state and couldnt treat them. James offered limited services at no cost to roughly half a dozen high-need clients, including Rainy. Nearly every provider who spoke with AZCIR and ProPublica and had resolved their fraud allegations said they tried to serve clients for as long as they could without Medicaid reimbursements. James said she almost went bankrupt. She drew on personal funds to cover Medicaid patients treatment and took out high-interest loans that left her in financial peril. State records show James cleared the allegations by providing evidence of an active license to work with kids and documentation explaining the handful of claims that were inadvertently submitted after a patients death during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it often took days for word of a patients passing to reach outside the reservations hospital. The agency also imposed a moratorium on new provider enrollments and enacted administrative reforms that included capping reimbursement rates for intensive outpatient treatment, and fingerprinting and background checks for more behavioral health providers under contract with AHCCCS. The agency also adopted more stringent billing procedures and revamped its process for reviewing claims. Since the agency implemented the reforms, spending on American Indian Health Program services has declined by two-thirds, according to data released by AHCCCS in July. While there is still work to be done, this data reflects that our efforts to combat fraud are working, Heredia said in a news release. We have transformed AHCCCS into a new agency that puts our members first, and always strives to get them the help they need. This abrupt decrease in payments to providers also reflects the inability of patients like Rainy to get treatment. In February, AHCCCS paid Desert Rain more than $140,000 for care provided prior to the suspension. But the agency has not reimbursed the clinic for any services billed under the American Indian Health Program since its reinstatement, according to James. Im still being punished and not paid, James said. Essentially, were still suspended. Records reviewed by AZCIR and ProPublica showed that AHCCCS repeatedly pressed the facility to submit additional documentation required for claims to be approved. The agency also arranged a meeting to discuss the billing process. AHCCCS did not respond to questions about the agencys billing decisions. In a survey of 229 providers by the Arizona Behavioral Health Providers Association, an industry trade group, half of respondents reported anonymously this spring that they were close to shutting down due to issues with AHCCCS since the spring of 2023, including delayed reimbursements. Another 20% reported they had either already closed or were filing for bankruptcy. The data was presented to AHCCCS earlier this year. Lynn Janson, a co-founder and CEO of the treatment center Milestone Recovery, described to lawmakers this year how a suspension had threatened the business she and her husband opened in 2021 with help from their daughter, a licensed clinician. Jansons son had struggled with a methamphetamine addiction, she said, and it had been difficult to find a treatment program that would help him address childhood trauma that fueled his drug use. She opened the business to fill that void for others. My husband and I decided to move forward by creating a space focused on treating the trauma that is the root cause of addiction, she said. Fraud was never a motivating factor for us to enter this field. This spring, the state lifted Milestones suspension. Twenty providers, not including Milestone, have filed notices of claim precursors to lawsuits against AHCCCS and state officials for wrongful suspension or termination. Four families have sued the Medicaid agency since April over the deaths of their loved ones while they were in the care of treatment centers. The state has denied culpability, saying state agencies, including AHCCCS, responded appropriately to past concerns about patient safety based on the information they had. AHCCCS declined to comment about the lawsuits. In April, James paused Rainys therapy altogether. She could no longer afford to provide counseling without reimbursement. When AHCCCS learned that James was no longer providing care to Rainy, the agency sent a message reminding her that agency policy prohibits providers from turning away patients based on their enrollment in the American Indian Health Program. James replied, saying that she and her staff wanted to accept new patient referrals but couldnt without payment. She never heard back. To stay in business, James began accepting patients insured by plans other than the American Indian Health Program. Claims were promptly reviewed and reimbursed, James said, including by other Medicaid plans. Only AHCCCS American Indian Health Program has not reimbursed her claims. The transition to working with patients outside of the Gila River community was bittersweet, James said, especially knowing that many of her former patients like Rainy were still searching for reliable treatment. When I hear about the constant need that is still going on out there, its just really frustrating, she said. Enas said it has been painful to watch Rainys grief and trauma resurface over the past 10 months. She has tried her best to help Rainy process her emotions but said she isnt equipped to address her daughters behavioral health challenges on her own. Its like shes never even been to counseling, she said. Rainys night terrors returned, with recurring dreams of her adoptive father dying. She continued to excel at school, but her teachers noticed worsening mood swings. On a visit to her adoptive fathers grave to bring him offerings of flowers and home-cooked food, Rainy lay by his headstone for hours, until dark. Unwilling to leave, Rainy cried and asked Enas how she could die so she could be with him again. Enas tried everything she could think of to find care for her daughter. She contacted lawmakers, AHCCCS officials, health care administrators, school caseworkers and providers. At one point, a patient advocate with the Gila River hospital in Sacaton, on the reservation, encouraged Enas to disenroll Rainy from the American Indian Health Program. The idea was that by switching to insurance provided by managed care organizations, Enas and Rainy would avoid issues related to AHCCCS handling of the insurance plan. But changing her daughters insurance would be tedious and have broader repercussions. Enas would have to find a new allergist and primary care doctor because those providers, based on the reservation, accept only the American Indian Health Program. Switching back and forth also was not feasible when a single afternoon could involve juggling appointments or calls with multiple health care providers. We shouldnt have to switch our plans so that way our kids can get the service that they need. Thats not right, she said. Enas and Rainys search has led back to where it began: Desert Rain. Recent income from privately insured patients has given James enough cushion to resume providing some services for free. In mid-August, Rainy returned for grief counseling sessions with James. Rainys other mental health disorders remain largely untreated. Desert Rain is the best place for Rainy, Enas said, but she doesnt know how long the treatment will last. Alexis is going to carry her for a little bit, and then shes going to have to drop her again, because shes not getting paid, said Enas. Digital connectivity and green economy emerged as the focus of this years Belt and Road Summit, which was held in Hong Kong on September 11-12, with delegates at the event highlighting the importance of innovation and sustainability in fostering cooperation among partners. The summit, themed Building a Connected, Innovative and Green Belt and Road and co-organized by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, took place as global tensions from Ukraine to the Middle East are causing major supply chain disruptions. Tech, green growth solutions for supply chain The summit, bringing together over 90 policymakers and business leaders from Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries and regions, aligns with the eight major steps Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in 2023 to support the development of the initiative. These wide-ranging steps span from supporting an open world economy and enhancing infrastructural connectivity networks, to promoting green development and advancing scientific and technological innovation, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (Lee Ka-chiu) said in the opening remarks. This years summit also introduced a new Green Chapter, which is in line with the theme, featuring breakout sessions on green infrastructure, innovation and finance. According to Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee, BRI economies accounted for more than 43 percent of Hong Kong's external trade with the rest of the world other than mainland China, compared with less than one-third in 2013. However, there have been worries that global conflicts, such as in Ukraine and the Middle East, would disrupt global supply chains including that of the BRI, forcing Hong Kong and the mainland to find solutions. Chinas strategy prioritizes not only the expansion of physical infrastructure but also the strengthening of digital connectivity to mitigate future risks, according to Prof. Julien Chaisse, an award-winning expert in international economic law at the City University of Hong Kong School of Law. Digital trade and e-commerce are increasingly viewed as essential tools to offset physical supply chain disruptions. In addition, the growing focus on green finance and renewable energy infrastructure within the BRI offers a method to reduce reliance on unstable regions and resources, he told Tuoi Tre News. Bolstering cooperation with Vietnam, ASEAN, and beyond Among BRI countries, Southeast Asia emerged as a focus in the summits discussions. As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) becomes more attractive to investment flows, new technology initiatives, and sustainable development, Southeast Asian countries are also important partners for Hong Kong. Prior to the summit, the HKTDC delegation led by Lee visited Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Participants talk on the sidelines of the 9th Belt and Road Summit, which took place on September 11, 2024 in Hong Kong. Photo: Nhat Dang / Tuoi Tre News The visit yielded 55 MoUs with the three ASEAN states, covering a wide range of areas, from business and investment to culture, education and more, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong said. Speaking to Tuoi Tre News, Commissioner for Belt and Road in Hong Kong Nicholas Ho said that Hong Kong is currently making efforts to foster comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN instead of focusing only on trade - an area where there is already a Hong Kong - ASEAN free trade agreement. He noted that Vietnam - Hong Kong trade and connectivity have been growing in the past decades, and Vietnam now ranks second in Hong Kong's trade with ASEAN economies And coming in the next 12 months, more and more flights will be opened between Vietnam and Hong Kong and multiple cities, he said. Expanding trade routes and partnerships, particularly through increased engagement with ASEAN, is seen as crucial for strengthening supply chain resilience. Vietnams expanding role in global supply chains and its strategic importance within the BRI demonstrate how countries with advantageous geographic and economic positions can attract investment and emerge as key points in this evolving network. "The development of green infrastructure and a focus on innovation will further reinforce these supply chains, providing more sustainable and resilient solutions to global partners, said Prof. Chaisse. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Nguyen Van Nen, Politburo member and secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, had a meeting with General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith on Thursday in the southern Vietnamese city. Nen extended congratulations to the Party, state, and people of Laos on their remarkable achievements over the past time, including political stability, economic development, strengthened national defense, and expansion in international relations, which have enhanced the countrys global standing. The Vietnamese official expressed his confidence that under the leadership of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party led by General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, Laos will achieve further success. Nen also briefed the top Lao leader on the citys recent accomplishments in socioeconomic development; shared the citys experience in socioeconomic growth and Party building; as well as thanked Laos for its support in the development journey of the southern hub. The citys Party chief affirmed that Ho Chi Minh City is committed to advancing the high-level agreements between the leaders of both nations, promoting cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, and tightening ties between the city and Lao localities, especially in the fields of trade, tourism, investment, agriculture, human resource development, and cultural exchange. He also expressed his hope that General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith would continue to encourage Lao ministries, agencies, and localities to bolster cooperation with the city. Nguyen Van Nen (R), Politburo member and secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, shakes hands with General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith in Ho Chi Minh City, September 12, 2024. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre The top Lao official congratulated the city on its major milestones in economic growth and social security, voicing his belief that the city would reap more fruitful results in the upcoming period. He emphasized that the Lao Party and state attach significance to the consolidation and enhancement of the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam. He commended the growing relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and Lao localities. Party leader and President Thongloun encouraged Ho Chi Minh City to keep promoting cooperation with Lao ministries and localities, and offering support to Lao provinces. He added that Lao ministries and local administration would work closely with Ho Chi Minh City to effectively implement the agreements between the two nations' high-ranking leaders, making contributions to the Vietnam - Laos partnership. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The U.S. expresses sincere condolences to the people of Vietnam suffering the devastating consequences of typhoon Yagi, while affirming U.S. support for the Southeast Asian country, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in a press statement posted on the U.S. Department of States official website on Thursday (U.S. time). Blinken referred to an announcement previously made by the U.S. Mission in Vietnam, which stated that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing humanitarian aid to support Vietnams efforts to respond to Yagis impacts. This aid will include financial support, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene assistance, and other essential items. With more heavy rain forecast in the coming days, he emphasized that USAIDs disaster experts will continue close coordination with local emergency authorities and partners on the ground. The U.S. will continue to work with partners, including through the Quad, to support the people of Vietnam at this challenging time. The Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) is a strategic partnership between four countries: the U.S., India, Japan, and Australia. The top U.S. diplomat also expressed condolences over the tragic loss of life and damage in other typhoon-stricken countries, including China, Thailand, Laos, Burma, and the Philippines, affirming the U.S. readiness to provide assistance to those in need. On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper announced that the U.S. Mission to Vietnam, through the USAID, will provide US$1 million in immediate humanitarian aid to support Vietnams efforts to respond to the devastating impacts of typhoon Yagi. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese and Indonesian top leaders have agreed to raise two-way trade to US$18 billion by 2028 while expanding cooperation in all fields to further bring into play the strategic partnership between the two countries. The agreement was reached on Friday between Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who arrived in Hanoi on the same day for a two-day working visit. Highly appreciating Subiantos visit, Lam congratulated Indonesia on its 79th National Day (August 17) and praised the countrys recent achievements in socio-economic development as well as its contributions to peace and cooperation in the region and the world. President-elect Prabowo Subianto thanked the warm welcome and congratulated Vietnam on its significant accomplishments in economic development and enhancing its position in the international arena. He also shared his deep sympathy for the great losses and damages caused by Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam. Subianto affirmed that Indonesia always attaches importance to the traditional friendship and cooperation with Vietnam the only strategic partner of Indonesia in ASEAN, and wished to take stronger measures to deepen and substantiate the relationship. Currently, Indonesia is Vietnam's third largest trade partner and Vietnam is Indonesia's fourth largest trade partner in ASEAN, with trade between the two countries increasing by nearly four times over the past 10 years. The two leaders affirmed their determination to bring two-way trade to $18 billion by 2028 through trade promotion activities, support for trade between businesses of both countries, and remove barriers to the bilateral trade. Lam and Subianto agreed to continue to encourage and facilitate both countries' businesses to invest in each other's markets, especially in new areas including digital economy, green economy, energy transition, and electric vehicle ecosystem development. Lam affirmed that Vietnam is ready to join hands with Indonesia to ensure food security and called on Indonesia to facilitate Vietnam's farm produce and Halal products to further penetrate the Indonesian market. They discussed a number of directions to boost cooperation in other fields besides trade to bring the bilateral relationship to a new height. Both sides expressed pleasure that the Vietnam - Indonesia strategic partnership has been relentlessly developed in recent times through exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts, including the state visit of President Joko Widodo to Vietnam in January this year. Cooperation in security and defense, maritime, culture, tourism, and transportation, have been effectively promoted, while people-to-people exchange and local connections have been strengthened, the host and guest commented. The two sides agreed to continue strengthening cooperation in defense and security and coordination in preventing transnational crimes and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Regarding regional and international issues of mutual concern, the two sides agreed to continue to coordinate and support each other at regional and international forums and organizations, including ASEAN, the United Nations, and the Non-Aligned Movement. The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of peace, stability, safety, security, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Vietnam Sea; maintain ASEAN's solidarity and common stance on the East Vietnam Sea issue; and promote substantive and effective negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the waters in line with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Lam asked Indonesia to support and send high-level representatives to the ASEAN Future Forum 2025 and the ASEAN Future Forum 2025 and the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit to be held in Vietnam. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department confirmed on Friday that it had released 27 wild animals, including a Burmese python weighing approximately 50 kilograms, back into the wild in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam. These animals, mostly voluntarily handed over by local residents to the department, belong to 10 different species such as Burmese python, leopard cat, pig-tailed macaque, clouded monitor, water monitor, yellow-headed temple turtle, snail-eating turtle, elongated tortoise, Asian box turtle, and giant Asian pond turtle. After receiving care at a wildlife rescue station in the citys Cu Chi District for a while, they were relocated to Dong Nai for release into the Dong Nai Nature and Cultural Reserve. Among them, the 50kg Burmese python, known scientifically as Python bivittatus, is classified as a rare and endangered animal. The python had been voluntarily handed over to the department by a local resident in June this year. A screenshot from a video shows a forest ranger releasing turtles into their natural habitat at the Dong Nai Nature and Cultural Reserve in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam A clouded monitor, whose scientific name is Varanus nebulosus and weight is about seven kilograms, is also on the list of rare and endangered species. Truong Van Thuong, hailing from Binh Chanh District, and his family members spotted the clouded monitor in their home. After learning that it is a rare species, Thuong gave it to the citys forest rangers in June for further care, rehabilitation, and release back into nature. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Check out the latest news in Vietnam today: Politics -- Indonesia's President-elect Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to pay a working visit to Vietnam from Friday to Saturday, according to an announcement from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. -- The U.S. expresses sincere condolences to the people of Vietnam suffering the devastating consequences of typhoon Yagi, adding that the U.S. Agency for International Development is providing humanitarian aid to support Vietnams efforts to respond to Yagis impacts, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in a press statement posted on the U.S. Department of States official website on Thursday (U.S. time). Business -- The management authority of Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam reopened tourist boat services in the bay from Friday after suspending the services to cope with the devastating typhoon Yagi, the third storm to strike Vietnam this year. Society -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has donated one million water purification tablets to protect the health of hundreds of thousands of people across northern Vietnam following the tragic devastation of typhoon Yagi, WHO said in a press release issued on Friday. -- Le Thi Thu Hang, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, handed over more than VND600 million (US$24,400) to Do Van Chien, chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front on Friday. This contribution came from Vietnamese communities in Laos, Japan, and Russia to support those impacted by Typhoon Yagi. -- The Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department confirmed on Friday that it had released 27 wild animals, including a Burmese python weighing approximately 50 kilograms, into the Dong Nai Nature and Cultural Reserve, located in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam. -- Two-thirds of the relief supplies from the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management to support Vietnamese citizens affected by typhoon Yagi landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Friday evening, the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, confirmed the same day. World News -- Water shortages in Cuba are increasingly flaring tempers, including in capital Havana, as problems mount for hundreds of thousands of residents already ragged from shortfalls in food, fuel and electricity, Reuters reported. -- South America is being ravaged by fire from Brazil's Amazon rainforest through the world's largest wetlands to dry forests in Bolivia, breaking a previous record for the number of blazes seen in a year up to September 11, according to Reuters. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! From September 12, donations for those affected by typhoon Yagi, the third storm to hit Vietnam this year, can be made at nearly 2,000 FPT Long Chau drugstores nationwide. To make donations, FPT Long Chau customers scan QR codes at these stores to transfer funds to an account run by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper at the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank) branch 3, Ho Chi Minh City under account number 113000006100. Those who wish to donate should note Cung Tuoi Tre va FPT Long Chau se chia voi nguoi dan bao so 3 (Joining hands with Tuoi Tre and FPT Long Chau to support people affected by storm No. 3). Nguyen Do Quyen, COO of FPT Long Chau, told Tuoi Tre that the pharmacy chain is doing its best to help victims of the typhoon in northern Vietnam, particularly as flooding and downpours over the past several days continue to inflict damage across the region. With nearly 2,000 drugstores in 63 localities across the country, FPT Long Chau is in a strong position to serve as a bridge between those in need and those who can help. This current campaign is the result of a partnership between Tuoi Tre and FPT Long Chau. Banners are currently placed at the chains 2,000 drugstores informing customers of the fundraising campaign. The chain has also sent a message to customers via Zalo, a notification via the FPT Long Chau app, and announced the fundraising campaign on its Facebook page. A QR code for customers to scan to make donations for victims of typhoon Yagi in northern Vietnam. Photo: FPT Long Chau Contributions can also be made in person at the Tuoi Tre newspaper headquarters at 60A Hoang Van Thu Street, Ward 9, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, or at Tuoi Tre representative offices nationwide. For domestic money transfers: Please send donations in Vietnamese dong to the Tuoi Tre newspaper account at VietinBank branch 3, Ho Chi Minh City. Account number: 113000006100. Please specify: Ung ho dong bao bi anh huong boi con bao so 3 (Support for people affected by storm No. 3) For international donations: Please transfer funds to Tuoi Tres USD account: 007.137.0195.845 at the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) in Ho Chi Minh City, or EUR account: 007.114.0373.054 at the same bank. SWIFT code: BFTVVNVX007. Please specify: Ung ho dong bao bi anh huong boi con bao so 3 (Support for people affected by storm No. 3) Tuoi Tre will work with local authorities in affected areas to ensure that all contributions reach those who have suffered significant damage from the storm and subsequent floods. Typhoon Yagi, the strongest to have struck the East Vietnam Sea in 30 years, made landfall in Vietnam on Saturday last week. The death toll in Vietnam from typhoon Yagi and the landslides and flash floods it triggered rose to 233 as of 7:00 am on Friday, according to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Two-thirds of the relief supplies from the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Center), intended to support Vietnamese citizens affected by Typhoon Yagi, landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Friday evening. The Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, confirmed the arrival of the relief supplies on the same day. The first and second flights carrying the supplies landed at Noi Bai International Airport at 4:45 am and 2:15 pm on Friday, respectively. Representatives from the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority received the supplies at Noi Bai. The third flight is scheduled to arrive at 1:50 pm on Saturday. The AHA Centers cargoes includes household tool kits, home repair tool kits, kitchen tool kits, and personal hygiene tool kits, with a total value of approximately US$254,091. This aid is intended for delivery to the landslide-and-flood-stricken Yen Bai and Lao Cai Provinces. The relief supplies from the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management are loaded onto trucks at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi for transport to the landslide-and-flood-stricken Yen Bai and Lao Cai Provinces, September 13, 2024. Photo: Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority Earlier, on Wednesday, Australia transported the first batch of emergency relief goods to Hanoi. This included 264 personal hygiene items, 120 kitchen utensils, 600 blankets, 264 home repair tools, 600 sleeping mats, 522 tarpaulins, and 360 mosquito nets. Upon receiving the Australian aid at Noi Bai, the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority coordinated the transportation and distribution of these items to Yen Bai Province for distribution to people in need. In addition to the support from Australia and the AHA Center, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has pledged to provide 40 portable water purifiers, which include pump filters and ceramic filters with a filtration speed of four liters per minute and a maximum capacity of 100,000 liters. JICA will also contribute 200 multi-purpose HDPE plastic tarpaulins measuring 50x4 meters. JICAs aid is expected to arrive at Noi Bai International Airport around Monday and Tuesday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered urgent relief supplies, including one million water purification tablets and 500 water containers, to northern Vietnam that has been severely impacted by landslides, flash floods, and heavy inundation induced by typhoon Yagi. The donation is aimed at protecting the health of hundreds of thousands of people across northern Vietnam following the tragic devastation of typhoon Yagi, WHO said in its news release on Friday. We are deeply saddened that the death toll continues to rise and that many people remain at risk, said WHO Representative in Vietnam Dr Angela Pratt. In support of the Vietnamese governments response to the destructive typhoon, WHO on Thursday swiftly handed over the supplies to the Ministry of Health, which will oversee their distribution to the hardest-hit areas. The assistance will provide 15 million liters of purified water for safe household drinking and use in health care facilities in the eight most affected provinces such as Bac Giang, Cao Bang, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen, and Yen Bai. Clean water is critical to help prevent food and waterborne disease, and for maintaining safe care and operations at health care facilities, whether it is for people injured in the typhoon and or those needing urgent routine health care, Dr Pratt said. WHO is working closely with the government and committed to providing ongoing support for the response and recovery in any way we can, she added. The World Health Organizations assistance will provide 15 million liters of clean water for households and healthcare facilities in the eight most affected provinces in northern Vietnam. Photo: World Health Organization Duong Duc Thien, chief of Cabinet Office of the Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control and Rescue at the Ministry of Health, said that the devastation of typhoon Yagi prompted the health ministry to request for international assistance. We are grateful to have the support of trusted partners like WHO to aid our immediate response and longer-term recovery work, Thien said. WHO has joined other United Nations agencies on joint assessment teams deployed in coordination with the Vietnamese government to understand the extent of damage, assess needs and ensure targeted assistance is made available. WHO is also working closely with local and national authorities to monitor and make best efforts to prevent food and waterborne diseases, and other infectious diseases, over the coming weeks and months, and will continue to support the government of Vietnam in mobilizing any additional resources needed. In addition, with support from USAID, WHO is working with government partners to broadcast safety messages in several ethnic minority languages through local radio and community loudspeakers to help ensure ethnic minority communities, especially in more remote areas, receive important health safety information. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! More detail on Blueys commission at ABC was revealed at Australian Content in the Streaming Era Symposium this week. Mary-Ellen Mullane Acting Head of Childrens and Family Content recalled how ABC was instrumental in the projects life, but only with the minimum input required. That was a tiny little project that was pitched into the ABC. At the time it was a very unknown team, she explained. The person who was in the commissioning job at the time said, Why dont we give it a licence fee only? which is just the smallest amount of money you can put into a project. Because, we wanted to help the filmmakers, but you know, we (didnt) see its huge potential that it turned out to be. So there you go. This is a risky business. So that project got going. It was actually kind of a quiet little project, and it got picked up by the BBC commercial arm, called BBC Studios. They picked it up as the distributor, and they sold it to Disney internationally. So everywhere else in the world, Disneys got the footprint. Ludio Studios producer Daley Pearson previously told TV Tonight, At that time, there was a real hero with ABC called Michael Carrington. He was running Kids at the time and gave us the licence fee, to then unlock Screen Australia finance, which hadnt been done for a long time in Kids. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Arrogance, Disrespect: LoP Rahul joins anger over TN hoteliers apology to Sitharaman Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi called arrogance and disrespect the alleged forced apology of Srinivasan, owner of the popular hotel chain Annapurna, to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Sunday September 15, 2024 10:43 AM , ummid.com News Network New Delhi: Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi called arrogance and disrespect the alleged forced apology of Srinivasan, owner of the popular hotel chain Annapurna, to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. When the owner of a small business, like Annapoorna restaurant in Coimbatore, asks our public servants for a simplified GST regime, his request is met with arrogance and outright disrespect, Rahul Gandhi wrote on X. Annapoorna hotel owner, Srinivasan, had requested Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to make Goods and Service Tax (GST) simplified. The varying GST on different items not only upsets customers but sometimes even fails computers, he said at an event. I just request you to make it simpler, Srinivasan said. He is Coimbatores pride Annapurna Group Head Srinivasan. Yesterday he was forced to apologise to FM Nirmala Sitharaman on camera. His crime? To ask a genuine question on GST from FM during an event. This not only exposes BJP leaders arrogance but is also an insult of the pic.twitter.com/MJ6sRj6wyD Ankit Mayank (@mr_mayank) September 13, 2024 However, what sparked outrage is a video, interestingly released by Tamil Nadu Unit of BJP, which shows Srinivasan seeking apology from Union Minister Sitharaman. It is alleged that Srinivasan was forced to apologize to the Union Finance Minister. While slamming the treatment meted to Annapoorna restaurant owner, Rahul Gandhi brought to the fore the soft corner PM Modi show towards his corporate friends. When a billionaire friend seeks to bend the rules, change the laws, or acquire national assets, Modi Ji rolls out the red carpet, he said. Rahul Gandhi, a known critic of GST who used to call it Gabbar Singh Tax, reiterated his demand to make single and uniform tax across the country. When the owner of a small business, like Annapoorna restaurant in Coimbatore, asks our public servants for a simplified GST regime, his request is met with arrogance and outright disrespect. Yet, when a billionaire friend seeks to bend the rules, change the laws, or acquire Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 13, 2024 Our small business owners have already endured the blows of demonetisation, an inaccessible banking system, tax extortion and a disastrous GST. The last thing they deserve is further humiliation. But when the fragile egos of those in power are hurt, it seems humiliation is exactly what theyll deliver. MSMEs have been asking for relief for years. If this arrogant government would listen to the people they would understand that a simplified GST with a single tax rate would solve the problems of lakhs of businesses, Rahul said. TN BJP Chief apologises Following the uproar, Tamil Nadu BJP Chief apologized for what he called the inadvertent release of the video wherein Srinivasan is seen with Nirmala Sitharaman in a "private conversation". On behalf of Tamil Nadu BJP, I sincerely apologise for the actions of our functionaries who shared a private conversation between a respected business owner and the Finance Minister. I spoke with Thiru Srinivasan Avl, the esteemed owner of the Annapoorna chain of restaurants, to express regret for this unintended breach of privacy. Annapoorna Srinivasan Anna is a pillar of Tamil Nadus business community, contributing significantly to the states and nations economic growth. I request everyone to lay the matter to rest with due respect, TN BJP Chief K.Annamalai said. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Watch: Fintech billionaire leads1st ever private spacewalk Fintech billionaire Jared Isaacman Thursday Septemebr 12, 2024 succesfully led the first-ever walk of non-professional private astronauts to space. Saturday September 14, 2024 12:21 PM , ummid.com Science Desk Fintech billionaire Jared Isaacman Thursday Septemebr 12, 2024 succesfully led the first-ever walk of non-professional private astronauts to space. The Polaris Dawn crew succesfully attempted the world's first commercial spacewalk from the SpaceX Dragon capsule Resilience. Jared Isaacman climbed partway out of a SpaceX Dragon capsule located nearly 740 kilometers above Earth early Thursday morning, making a giant leap into spaceflight history. "Early Thursday morning at 7:58 a.m. ET, the Polaris Dawn crew successfully completed the worlds first spacewalk also known as an extravehicular activity (EVA) from Dragon at 732.2 km above Earth", the mission said in a statement. Polaris Dawn Crew The crew in the Polaris Dawn consisted of four people including Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Isaacman, US Air Force Pilot Scott Poteet and Engineers from SpaceX, Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. Jared Isaacman, the 41-year-old billionaire with a net worth of $1.9bn, bankrolled the Polaris Dawn mission and is also the mission commander, according to BBC. In 1999, he founded the payment processing company Shift4 Payments, which according to Forbes handles payments for a third of America's restaurants and hotels. While in space, the Polaris Dawn crew will conduct as many as 40 science and research experiments that will provide valuable data regarding human health in space ahead of future long-duration space missions. Join the Polaris Dawn crew to learn details behind some of the ~40 science and research experiments being conducted during the mission. Many of these experiments will provide valuable data regarding human health in space ahead of future long-duration space missions pic.twitter.com/yw89eGf11U Polaris (@PolarisProgram) September 13, 2024 First capsule spacewalk in 59 Years According to CNN, the crew completed a 5-day journey around the orbit of earth and they were depressurized when exposed to the vacuum of space. Shortly after arriving in space on Tuesday, the crew began a two-day pre-breathe process, designed to prevent decompression sickness while also preparing the crew for the environment inside the EVA suits by gradually lowering Dragons cabin pressure and increasing the oxygen concentration. SpaceX and the Polaris Dawn crew have completed the first commercial spacewalk! SpaceX, back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world. Mission Commander @rookisaacman during Dragon egress and seeing our planet from ~738 km pic.twitter.com/lRczSv5i4k Polaris (@PolarisProgram) September 12, 2024 Then on Thursday, the crew donned their suits and initiated Dragon seat rotation, suit tare, and the heads-up display and helmet camera checkouts. "The 106-minute spacewalk officially began at 6:12 a.m. ET when suit pressurization started, the nitrogen purge was initiated, and pure oxygen (O2) was flowing into the suits. A secondary flow of oxygen primarily helped provide cooling to the suits, which would come in handy during the spacewalk", Polaris Dawn mission said. This is the first capsule spacewalk in 59 Years. The last time a US spacewalk was conducted from a capsule, before the Polaris Dawn mission, was during NASA's Gemini 4 mission in 1965, when astronaut Ed White perform the first American spacewalk. Polaris Dawn mission however had a distinction of being the first live-streamed, first-person view of Earth from space, made possible with the help of the cameras in the astronauts' helmets. The Polaris Dawn crew are wearing new EVA suits designed for comfort, flexibility, and theyll be the first to test Starlink's laser-based communications in space. Polaris Dawn Return Jared Isaacman will return to Earth in two days' time, either splashing down off Floridas west coast in the Gulf of Mexico, or east coast in the Atlantic Ocean. One of two recovery vessels, either Shannon or Megan (as they are known), will recover the capsule. From there, the crew will breathe fresh air for the first time since leaving Earth on Tuesday, according to BBC. On Wednesday just hours after launch, Polaris Dawn also marked its first historic milestone when it fired Dragons thrusters to raise the spacecrafts swooping elliptical orbit and reached more than 1,400 kilometers in altitude at its peak. Thats the farthest from Earth any human has ventured since the 1970s, when the last of the Apollo lunar missions left the entire planet in the rearview on the way to the moon. "Polaris Dawn and Dragon at 1,400 km above Earth the farthest humans have traveled since the Apollo program over 50 years ago", SapceX said. After the success of the first ever privately-funded spacewalk, Polaris Dawn is now planning Mission II and Mission III. "Mission II will build upon it to expand the boundaries of future human spaceflight missions, in-space communications, and scientific research", SpaceX said. "The final mission, Mission III, will be "the first-human spaceflight on Starship the worlds first fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond," Elon Musk owned space giant said. Follow ummid.com WhatsApp Channel for all the latest updates. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Viet Nam is discussing the establishment of a centre for raw materials to support the textile, leather and footwear industries, signalling a bold effort for the billion-US-dollar sectors to enhance sustainability and climb higher up the global value chain. According to the latest updates from the General Statistics Office, leather and footwear exports totalled US$17.67 billion in the first eight months of this year, or a rise of around 10 per cent over the same period last year. The Viet Nam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso) reported an export value of $15.2 billion from January to July. Of this, footwear exports reached $12.8 billion, up 10.1 per cent, while handbag exports rose to $2.35 billion, up 7.9 per cent year-on-year. The leather footwear industry has been gradually recovering since the end of 2023, with clear improvements in recent months, Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, deputy president and general secretary of Lefaso, said. Many enterprises in the industry have secured contracts until the end of 2024, and the sector is expected to reach a total export value target of $27 billion for the year. However, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) said that despite the sector's significant contribution to Viet Nams total export earnings, the added value of domestic producers remained limited. This was primarily because Viet Nam mainly engaged in contract manufacturing and relied heavily on raw materials imported from China, South Korea, and ASEAN countries. Statistics from the General Department of Customs show that Viet Nam spent $13.42 billion importing raw materials for the garment and footwear industries in the first half of this year, up 14.11 per cent year-on-year. The heavy dependence on imported raw materials could negatively affect the overall development of the industry, especially as many countries push for net zero emissions by 2050 and impose stricter import requirements, Xuan said. This emphasised the need for a domestic raw materials centre to boost the local procurement rate, she added. Xuan further highlighted the industry's challenge in meeting new demands from importing countries, focusing on sustainability in production and social responsibility. Previously, sustainability was encouraged by customers, but now it is being enforced by policies in major importing countries, Xuan said. For example, since March, the EU Viet Nam's second-largest importer of leather and footwear products had introduced policies related to ecological requirements, traceability, supply chain transparency, and carbon emissions. "While these policies aim to improve quality and promote circular economy principles, they pose significant challenges for producers throughout the supply chain," Xuan said. As the worlds second-largest exporter of leather and footwear, Viet Nam must urgently enhance its supply chain, from raw materials to sustainable production, with a focus on circular economy practices and social and environmental responsibility. Gerwin Leppink from the Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) programme noted that expanding export to markets like the US and EU required compliance with regulations, particularly those focused on sustainability, which are impacting both importers and producers. Viet Nams leather and footwear industry is identified as a key export sector, with a goal of reaching an export value of $38-40 billion by 2030, according to the industrys development strategy approved in late 2022. The strategy also aims to develop the industry sustainably following the circular economy model by 2035, improving the domestic value chain, and integrating further into the global value chain. However, the global trend toward greening industries is putting pressure on leather and footwear production, which is still regarded as a polluting sector, according to Lefasos President Nguyen uc Thuan. For Viet Nam, which accounts for 7.3 per cent of the global market, second only to China, this presents both significant opportunities and challenges. "The application of automation, artificial intelligence, and green transition is essential for companies that want to stay competitive and climb higher in the global value chain," Thuan said. How to ensure success The proposal to establish a raw materials centre for the garment and footwear industries was a hot topic at a recent meeting of MoIT. Truong Van Cam, deputy president and general secretary of the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association, said that the idea had been raised several times before, but successful models had yet to be realised. Past attempts to develop such centres in Ha Noi and HCM City in 2004 failed due to various reasons, including lack of support and coordination among relevant stakeholders. Cam emphasised that the key to success lay in mechanisms and support from the government, as well as close coordination between ministries and local authorities. Truong Thi Thuy Lien, deputy president of the Binh Duong Province Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association, pointed out that contract manufacturing, which dominates the industry, made it difficult for suppliers to engage in domestic raw material centres. Pham Tuan Anh, deputy director of the Industry Department at MoIT, said the ministry was working with industry associations to finalise plans for the centre, learning from the experiences of other countries to ensure success. We should have built suchlike centre long ago, but for various reasons, it hasnt happened. We need to act immediately so that the centre can be operational by 2025, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang said. The centre would not only support the domestic industry but also help Viet Nam reduce its dependence on imported materials, ensuring compliance with stricter environmental regulations, she added. The centre marks a bold step towards sustainability and enhancing the competitiveness of Viet Nams leather and footwear industry. It is expected to be funded by the private sector and will serve as a hub for both domestic and foreign suppliers, ensuring traceability, quality, and the latest developments in the fashion industry. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked authorities at all levels to ensure supplies of food and essential goods for households affected by super Typhoon Yagi. On late Friday he issued an official document, detailing measures to be taken by chairs of provinces and market management authorities in the northern region to support people in need, especially those that have been isolated by floods and landslides. He asked for the prices of food, petrol and essential items to be monitored carefully to avoid goods hoarding, which might lead to a decrease in supplies and price hikes. The essential items include medicines, hygiene items, textbooks, school supplies, plant seeds, animal feed, and biological products used in farming. The PM also asked local authorities to repair houses, schools, and hospitals, remove uprooted trees from roads, ensure electricity and water supplies, and maintain telecommunication services for the people. He asked the Minister of Industry and Trade to collaborate with the military, transport, and health forces to deliver essential goods to isolated areas. The ministry is also tasked with stabilising prices in the market, identifying those who take advantage of the situation to make illegal profit, and working with Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to make sure pumping stations work properly. PM Chinh asked the Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development to guide and help farmers to resume agricultural production. They need to drain floodwater out of the fields as quickly as possible to minimise damage to rice and fruit crops, and switch to other production plans if needed. He also asked the Minister of Finance to work with the General Department of State Reserves to review and identify the needs of affected localities, and supply food, essential items, and disinfectants to support them. Deputy Ministers Bui Thanh Son, Le Thanh Long, Ho uc Phoc are tasked with directing and monitoring the relief efforts. VNS QUANG NINH - Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh, one of the localities hardest hit by Typhoon Yagi, officially resumed normal operation of tourist boats on September 13, nearly a week after being ravaged by the typhoon. Tourism activities have gradually returned to normal in Ha Long thanks to efforts by the local authorities and residents during a 7-day campaign to address the aftermaths of the typhoon. With the spirit of cooperation and unity, local residents and functional forces have proactively cleaned up the environment and beautified the urban area. Tourist boats have been maintained and repaired to ensure safety standards for restoring operations as soon as possible. Nearly all the 80 vessels of this kind are ready to welcome guests again starting September 13. Tourism service businesses in Ha Long city also focus on preparing infrastructure and personnel conditions to welcome tourists back. After the super storm, many groups have chosen Ha Long as their destination, especially international tourists. The Ha Long international passenger port reopened to welcome international visitors to the bay from September 10. It received over 70 vessels with more than 1,500 tourists from China and the Republic of Korea (RoK). However, to ensure absolute safety for tourism activities on the bay, tourist pick-up activities at the port were temporarily suspended to conduct safety inspections. Nguyen Thai Hung, General Director of the Saigon Ha Long Hotel, said the establishment has promptly implemented all necessary measures to meet safety requirements for tourists. Ha Long aims to attract over 9.5 million visitors in 2024. - VNA/VNS HA NOI National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man on September 14 hosted a reception for Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who is on a working visit to Viet Nam from September 13-14. The top legislator congratulated Subianto on his election and said he believes that the Indonesian guest will lead the nation to carve out further achievements, develop prosperously, rise in international stature, and realise its set target of becoming a developed country by 2045 its 100th independence anniversary. Man stressed that Viet Nam always wants to deepen its strategic partnership with Indonesia towards elevating the ties to a comprehensive strategic one in 2025 when they will celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations. He also spoke highly of the outcomes of the extensive and substantive talks between Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and the Indonesian President-elect, which, he said, outlined major orientations for the bilateral relations. Subianto, for his part, offered his sympathy with Viet Nam over the severe human and asset loss caused by Typhoon Yagi. Laying stress on the similarities in history between the two nations, he expressed his confidence that the Viet Nam Indonesia cooperation will continue developing in all areas for the best benefits of the people of both sides. He committed to consolidating the win-win collaboration between the two countries, and took the occasion to thank Viet Nam for supporting Indonesia during its ASEAN chairmanship last year, underlining that the bilateral cooperation will result in a more effective voice for peace in the region and the world. At the event, the two leaders concurred that it is necessary to step up cooperation in the domains of defence, security, prevention of transnational crimes to protect the citizens and national integrity of each nation, and in the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. They reaffirmed the significance of peace, stability, safety, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea (internatioonally known as South China Sea), and agreed to maintain solidarity, common stance, and the results that ASEAN has attained on the East Sea issue, while promoting negotiations for a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the waters in accordance with international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982. Hailing the cooperation between the two legislative bodies over the past time, especially after the signing of the cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese NA and Indonesian House of Representatives in August last year, Man said both sides have exchanged delegations, and shared law building experience to facilitate cooperation in areas with global significance such as green, circular and digital economies, energy transition, and semiconductor. He said he hopes that Subianto will support collaboration between the two legislative bodies regarding delegation exchanges and experience sharing. He suggested the two sides should join hands to supervise the implementation of cooperation agreements between the two countries, create favourable conditions for comprehensive collaboration, including connection of economies, localities and enterprises, and people-to-people exchange, while working closely with each other at multilateral forums like the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, Inter-Parliamentary Union, and Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum. VNS GENEVA Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations (UN), World Trade Organisation, and other international organisations in Geneva, has recently delivered a speech at a general debate on UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turks Global Update on the human rights situation, held within the framework of the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council. Dung highly valued the active role and efforts of the UN High Commissioner in advancing the work of the UNHRC, while affirming Viet Nam's support for the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner in promoting and protecting human rights amidst ongoing conflicts and crises around the world. He highlighted Viet Nam's development policy, which places people at the centre, and views them as not only the subject but also the goal and the driving force of development towards achieving sustainable development goals. The ambassador stressed the need to promote initiatives and actions at national, regional, and international levels to address the negative impacts of global challenges such as climate change and food insecurity, which are threatening the enjoyment of human rights for people worldwide, especially vulnerable groups, as well as the ability to achieve sustainable development goals. He reaffirmed Viet Nam's commitment to fostering practical dialogue and effective cooperation with all UN member states and human rights mechanisms. Dung also expressed regret over the fact that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and some countries have mentioned Viet Nam based on one-sided, inaccurate, and unverified information. He clarified that Viet Nam supports fundamental principles of universality, fairness, objectivity, non-selectivity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of nations. On September 11, Ambassador Dung attended and delivered a speech at a panel discussion on promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities. He highlighted the importance of timely international cooperation, given that many countries are facing significant challenges in advancing and protecting economic, social, and cultural rights, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and economic instability; and many are struggling to ensure that vulnerable and disadvantaged groups have access to basic services such as healthcare, education, and social protection. As for Viet Nam, the diplomat emphasised significant progress in poverty reduction, expanding universal healthcare, and improving access to education through comprehensive development policies and international cooperation. He also noted challenges, particularly in ensuring that rapid economic growth does not leave anyone behind, especially in rural and remote areas. At the UNHRCs 57th session, held in Geneva from September 9 to October 11, Viet Nam continues to work actively as a member of the Council for the 2023-25 term. During this session, the Council will adopt Viet Nams report of the fourth-cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group. VNS HAVANA Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla has reasserted the solidarity, special friendship, and fraternal bond between the peoples of Cuba and Viet Nam while receiving Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Quang Long. At their meeting on September 13, Bruno Rodriguez highlighted the strong bilateral political exchange at the highest leadership level. He once again extended his condolences to the Vietnamese people on the passing of late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who made significant contributions to the bilateral relations. The minister also expressed his sympathies to the Vietnamese Government and people for human and asset losses caused by Typhoon Yagi. Long, on behalf of the Vietnamese Party and Government, thanked Cuban leaders for their sympathy as well as for Cubas timely assistance during natural disasters. He affirmed that this noble gesture demonstrates the special Viet Nam-Cuba relationship. The diplomat reiterated Viet Nam's steadfast position in calling on the US to lift its embargo against Cuba, affirming that the Vietnamese Government remains ready to promote investment and trade with, and support Cuba in food production. He also pledged to do his utmost to nurture the friendship and cooperation between the two countries. VNS HA NOI The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on September 13 handed 700 gender- and disability-sensitive household kits to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to support communities in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai, which has been severely affected by Typhoon Yagi. This initial donation is part of UNDPs ongoing efforts to assist the Vietnamese Government and people to recover from the most powerful typhoon hitting the nation in three decades. The kits contain items thoroughly selected to alleviate the hardships faced by the most vulnerable population in Yen Bai, responding to the specific needs of affected communities who lost their belongings and providing them with immediate relief in the early stages of response. These kits include water buckets, rain boots for adults and children, blankets, medicine, sanitary pads, whistles, and other essential supplies. UNDP Resident Representative Ramla Khalidi extended her deepest condolences to the Government of Viet Nam and all those affected by the devastation caused by Typhoon Yagi. She acknowledged the profound loss and suffering that the typhoon has inflicted upon communities across the northern mountainous region and the Red River Delta, praising the spirit of unity and solidarity displayed by the nation as it faced the typhoon. She said UNDP stands ready to support Viet Nam in undertaking intersectoral needs assessment, emergency relief, as well as early recovery planning, and long-term resilience building. Meanwhile, Swiss Ambassador to Viet Nam Thomas Gass extended his sympathy to Viet Nam over the damage caused by the typhoon, while committing to assisting the nations recovery efforts at a meeting with the MARDs Viet Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority in Ha Noi on September 14. Accordingly, eight Swiss experts in the areas of clean water, hygiene, and safe house will go to Yen Bai, one of the localities hard hit by the typhoon, to study the provinces situation and put forth appropriate reconstruction measures. The European country also sent relief supplies, which will arrive in Viet Nam on September 16. On September 13, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed an official dispatch, ordering sufficient essential supplies for localities suffering severe damage from Typhoon Yagi and its subsequent landslides and floods. Accordingly, chairpersons of Peoples Committees of cities and provinces are required to direct competent authorities to provide food, medicine and other essential items for affected households, particularly those in areas that are isolated and hard to reach. Market management and supervision over the distribution of essential goods like food, fuels, and other necessities must be enhanced to ensure that there are no hoarding and unreasonable price hikes. Strict punishment must be meted out to any violations, according to the dispatch. PM Chinh also ordered the immediate repair of houses, schools and hospitals damaged by the typhoon, clearance of fallen trees, quick resumption of the supply of electricity, clean water and telecommunications services, among others, to ensure the continuity of production and business activities, and implementation of disease prevention measures after the storm. VNS by Nguyen My Ha It is deeply disappointing to all who cherish peace and believe in justice for the Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange [a chemical herbicide and defoliant] that a Paris court on August 22 dismissed the appeal of a French-Vietnamese citizen seeking to hold the chemical companies that produced Agent Orange accountable. War correspondent-turned-justice-seeker Tran To Nga has been fighting for justice for herself and other Agent Orange victims since 2014, when she launched a lawsuit in Paris against 14 companies that allegedly produced the chemicals used by the US military in its "defoliation" campaign in South Viet Nam between 1961 and 1971. These companies included giants like Dow Chemical and Monsanto, now owned by the German multinational Bayer. The irony is that after Monsanto changed ownership, victims of the chemicals Monsanto produced now find themselves seeking justice from one of the worlds largest healthcare providers, which has marketed itself since 2023 as a company that provides "health for all, hunger for none". This legal battle is truly an unequal one, akin to the Vietnamese saying "Chau chau a voi," meaning "A grasshopper trying to kick an elephant." It seems hopeless. The Paris Court of Appeals decision on August 22 mirrored an earlier ruling from 2021 by the Evry Court, located in a Parisian suburb, which claimed it did not have jurisdiction over the case. The court cited the legal immunity of the companies involved, as they were operating under the orders of a sovereign government, specifically the US government. Madame Ngas efforts aim to hold these companies accountable for the devastating health impacts that have affected up to the fourth generation, according to the Viet Nam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA). In Paris, where hundreds of thousands of tourists visit landmarks every day, especially in the weeks following the Olympics, only two hundred people turned out to support Madame Ngas casea modest number. Yet she shows no signs of giving up, even at the age of 83, while suffering from health conditions she believes are a result of her years working as a war reporter in jungles sprayed with Agent Orange. Madame Nga currently suffers from "recurrent tuberculosis, cancer, and type II diabetes," according to Vietnam Dioxin, a collective fighting for the rights of Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange. Her legal representation in Paris comes from William Bourdon and Associates. On August 22, Bertrand Repolt reportedly told the media that the court's decision was not final and that they would bring the case to the Court of Cassation, Frances highest appeals court. Before this ruling in France, all attempts by other Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange to seek justice in US courts were rejected. Critics argued there was insufficient scientific evidence to link dioxin to the health issues claimed. However, the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) published a paper in Volume 104, No 10 titled "Agent Orange in Vietnam", reporting data from scientists who collected samples to measure dioxin levels in breast milk, adipose tissue, and blood from Vietnamese citizens. Despite funding challenges and issues with sample collection, a significant difference was observed between people living in unsprayed (northern) and sprayed (southern and central) areas of Viet Nam. "The mean 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) blood level is six times higher in the southern/central group than in the northern group," the report stated. The report also noted that this large discrepancy is not found in other specific congeners of the higher chlorinated dioxins or furans, although these congeners are generally higher in concentration in sprayed areas. "Since the TCDD was the major dioxin-like contaminant in Agent Orange, these findings suggest that the TCDD in 2,4,5-T may have entered the food chain in some areas of Viet Nam," the AJPH reported. Could the high TCDD levels in southern Viet Nam be caused by other sources? The report noted that "the mean TCDD level in adipose tissue of 15 parts per trillion (ppt) in the southern samples is three times higher than the 5ppt found in an epidemiologic study of samples in the US. The blood levels also exceeded those reported for US samples by threefold". "Given the current theory that environmental TCDD results primarily from industrial processes, it is difficult to identify a plausible alternative source of TCDD in the environment of southern Viet Nam that would produce levels exceeding those in the US," the report concluded. More research is urgently needed to trace the pathology from TCDD to human deformities and diseases, but ironically, the resources and modern labs required to support such findings lie only in the hands of the very corporations involved. This August marks the Remembrance Month for Agent Orange/Dioxin victims in Viet Nam. Last year, as many as 5,000 people took to the streets of Ho Chi Minh City to rally behind the victims, helping them seek justice for suffering that goes beyond human endurance. Although Madame Nga now lives in France, she has the support of many Vietnamese back home. A public exhibition on Ho Chi Minh Citys Book Street titled "One Plaintiff, Millions of Victims" started in 2021 to showcase the long and painful process of filing the lawsuit in French court and to support Madame Nga. The 83-year-old is not alone. People from all walks of life in her birth country are ready to carry the torch once she is gone. Elsewhere in the world, people of conscience not only show their support but also contribute funds to help her cover the legal fees imposed by the Paris court 1,500 euros for each company she is challenging. This court decision is not just disappointing; it is unfair, unjust, and immoral. VNS The initiative will allow Vietnamese patients to significantly reduce their financial burden by not having to travel to Singapore. FV collaborates with O2 Healthcare Group to establish a Regional Thoracic Surgery Centre The announcement follows a prior collaboration between FV and O2 Healthcare Group, a renowned lung specialist group based in Singapore and a member of OUE Healthcare Limited, that established a regional thoracic surgery centre on August 15. The FV Thoracic Surgery Centre specialises in treating thoracic conditions, particularly lung cancer, one of the most dangerous and difficult-to-treat diseases today. Melvin Heng, CEO, Thomson Medical Group, and Julie Mc Caughan, COO, OUE Healthcare Limited after signing the agreement to establish FV Thoracic Surgery Centre Dr. Su Jang Wen, a well-known thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon from Singapore and a member of O2 Healthcare Group, will join the team at the centre, led by Luong Ngoc Trung. According to Julie McCaughan, COO of OUE Healthcare Limited, Sus high-level skills and advanced treatment techniques will contribute to many successful treatments of lung cancer patients in Vietnam. "We believe this is the foundation for long-term collaboration that will benefit Vietnamese patients," said McCaughan. Dr. Jean-Marcel Guillon, CEO of FV Hospital, said, "Su is one of the top thoracic surgeons in Asia, so we decided his input on a centre for patients with thoracic conditions would be key. Lung cancer is a major public health problem in Vietnam and diagnosing it early is key to survival, so the priority of our centre is to detect and treat lung cancer at the early stages." Melvin Heng, CEO of Thomson Medical Group (with microphone) Singaporean healthcare organisations plan to bring top surgeons to FV Melvin Heng, CEO of Thomson Medical Group, revealed that the collaboration with O2 Healthcare Group is only the beginning, with many more projects planned, and that Thomson Medical Group and FV Hospital are currently planning comprehensive healthcare training. "Vietnamese doctors can learn from Singaporean doctors and vice versa. This exchange of expertise is a great opportunity for both sides to develop and elevate their skills. We believe FV Hospital is one of the best hospitals in Vietnam, but our goal is to turn it into one of the best hospitals in the region," said Heng. Besides O2 Healthcare Group, Heng mentioned that another 10 major healthcare organisations in Singapore wish to send some of their top surgeons to FV to treat complex conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular interventions, general surgery, pelvic surgery, head and neck surgery, and liver disease treatment, among others. Singaporean healthcare specialists are aware of FV Hospital's reputation for having high standards of treatment from a team of highly skilled doctors, with FV Hospital three times achieving Joint Commission International (JCI) quality accreditation. FV Hospital has been accredited by JCI three times in a row The wave of Singaporean doctors coming to work at FV will contribute to the exchange of expertise and technology transfer, giving Vietnamese doctors the opportunity to enhance their professional skills. This also benefits patients by reducing treatment costs. Vietnamese people reportedly spend $2-3 billion annually on medical treatment abroad. Bringing Singaporean doctors and advanced treatment technologies to Vietnam will help reduce that number, while also attracting foreigners to Vietnam for medical care. "Many Vietnamese patients have been going to Singapore for treatment for many years, but now we can offer comparable healthcare services right here," said Heng. Experts estimate that the scheme can save patients up to 40 per cent on medical costs, not to mention travel and accommodation expenses. Moreover, patients will be closer to their family while undergoing treatment. The Ministry of Health reportedly favours the initiative as it supports its goal of developing high-tech services that respond to the increasing demand for complex healthcare solutions in Vietnam, with the country ideally becoming a destination for healthcare tourism in the future. The arrival of Singaporean doctors to work at FV is not only a positive sign for the hospital's development but also for Vietnam's healthcare regional as a whole. This is a golden opportunity for Vietnam to enhance the quality of its healthcare services, while also asserting its position on the regional and global healthcare map. ASEAN could gain from Singaporean retail advances The retail outlook for ASEAN and Singapore in particular is optimistic for this year, with possible benefits for the regions retail property sector as companies springboard beyond the city-state. Singaporean M&As hold wide promise Singapore dealmakers continue to set sights on dealmaking in Vietnam, with transactions in fields ranging from renewable energy to real estate. Researchers with the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management are keeping a watchful eye on American alligator nests to shed light on the potential impacts of feral hog predation and to understand how these reptiles use habitat across an ever-changing Texas landscape. While American alligator populations in the U.S. are healthy overall, some fare better than others regionally. Researchers are working to answer the many questions that can help guide management actions and ensure healthy populations into the future, said John Tomecek, associate professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management. Data collection To help answer some of these questions, Tomeceks graduate student, Alyssa Freeman, has been collecting copious amounts of data. Freeman, who is pursuing a masters degree in rangeland, wildlife and fisheries management, spent the last two summers equipping active alligator nests with game cameras at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Departments 25,852-acre J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area, documenting instances of nest predation and the species responsible. In addition to nest monitoring, Freeman and biologists attached GPS transmitters to breeding-size male and female alligators to monitor their movement and habitat usage. Aside from longer-term changes in climate and habitat, human modification of coastal marshes and wetlands can change the dynamics of alligator nest selection sites, potentially exposing nests to increased rates of predation, Freeman said. The GPS transmitters send location readings every hour of the day to Freemans computer, allowing her to remotely monitor and map the animals fine-scale movements. This data will provide Freeman and Tomecek with key insights into habitat use and nesting site selection. From nest predation to habitat use and selection, this project is looking at a wide array of factors that will enable us to better manage alligators now and into the future, Tomecek said. Feral hog impact During her two summers of data collection, Freeman monitored 28 active alligator nests throughout the WMA. Her initial assessment indicated that roughly half were predated by feral hogs. Although alligators evolved alongside native nest predators, such as raccoons, this additional pressure from a non-native species is an added threat to an already low nest survival rate, Freeman said. Freeman said a 2012 survey of licensed alligator farmers from Louisiana found that over half of the farmers reported losing alligator nests to feral hogs the previous year. Roughly 590 nests were damaged or destroyed on 36 separate properties across the state. Even if the feral hogs dont eat the eggs, the nest disturbance and exposure to warmer ambient temperatures can alter the sexual composition of the remaining clutch. Alligators experience temperature-dependent sex determination, meaning the incubation temperature directly affects whether the animal will hatch as a male or female, Tomecek said. While eggs incubated at roughly 86 degrees and below result in female hatchlings, eggs exposed to warmer temperatures result in males. Tomecek said this is a serious concern for conservationists considering the ripple effects it could have on reproduction and healthy alligator populations in the future. Conservation success While the Southeastern U.S. now supports robust populations of the American alligator, these prehistoric reptiles came perilously close to joining the ranks of the hundreds of wildlife species that have gone extinct since the turn of the 20th century. Unregulated hunting, driven largely by a demand for exotic, luxury products, led to a precipitous decline in alligator populations across their native range. This, coupled with habitat loss, brought the species to the brink of extinction by the mid-1960s. American alligators first received federal protection under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, a predecessor to the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Tomecek said state and federal partnerships, as well as restocking contributions from alligator farms, enabled the population to recover over roughly two decades. Currently, alligator population estimates range from 400,000 to 500,000 in Texas, with the majority located in the southern and eastern portions of the state. Freeman said alligators are currently listed as a species of least conservation concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. But proactive research like this is important as scientists continue to better understand and monitor the species as it faces urbanization, changing sea and salinity levels in coastal wetlands, invasive species pressure and more. We assume alligators are fine because we recovered them from historic overharvest, but they may be facing different challenges now that are harder to see, Tomecek said. Alyssa is working to untangle some key questions. We have to figure out how we can better manage these animals to ensure healthy populations into the future. Living alongside alligators While American alligators are apex predators and should never be approached, both Tomecek and Freeman said they typically try to avoid human interactions and are much less aggressive than their evolutionary relative the saltwater crocodile. Although documented alligator attacks in Texas are extremely rare, situational awareness and proper precautions when recreating in and around alligator habitat are important. If you know alligators frequent a certain area, do not swim there, Freeman said. Additionally, do not allow your dog or small children to go near the water because they resemble common prey animals for alligators. Additional precautions include: Acknowledge and obey signage warning of the presence of alligators. If fishing, avoid disposing of harvest scraps in the water or along the bank, as this can attract alligators. Never feed alligators. This can result in food conditioning, where wild animals begin to associate humans with food. In some cases, this can lead to aggression and danger for both humans and the animal. More Texans may see alligators as communities expand along habitats such as bayous or community reservoirs, but Tomecek said a sighting doesnt necessarily equate to a safety issue. It is important for folks to understand that just because they see an alligator out and about, it doesnt mean that its a threat to anyone, Tomecek said. Before calling authorities, people should ask themselves if the animal is truly causing a safety issue. Theyre valuable to our ecosystem and are an iconic part of the Southeastern U.S. Theyre something to be proud of. DES MOINES The Wounded Warriors Project named Eastern Iowa Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks its Legislator of the Year in the U.S. House for 2024, the group announced. According to the advocacy group for wounded and ill veterans, the award annually recognizes outstanding legislative effort and achievement to improve the lives of post-9/11 wounded, ill and injured veterans. According to Wounded Warriors, the group honored Miller-Meeks for using her position as chair of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health to hold hearings and spotlight veterans issues like substance use disorders, care coordination, emerging mental health therapies and more. Miller-Meeks also has sponsored legislation that would improve veterans access to residential rehabilitation programs, expand long-term care options and increase non-opioid pain medications, the group said. Rep. Miller-Meeks is a veteran herself, having served 24 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, so its only natural she would be such a strong supporter of the veteran community, Wounded Warrior Project Chief Executive Officer and retired Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt said in a statement. But her service and commitment have gone above and beyond, time and time again, and her willingness to lead on important health issues will benefit thousands of veterans now and into the future. In the news release, Miller-Meeks, who faces re-election this fall, highlighted her work on legislation designed to, in her words, improve the effectiveness of the Veterans Affairs department, provide flexibility for veterans care and ensure the VA provides mammogram screening for female veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic environments. Supporting our veterans is both a duty and a privilege. As a veteran now serving in Congress Ive worked to make the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system more accessible and accountable and to improve VA services, Miller-Meeks said in a statement. I remain committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those who have served our nation. PUBLIC TRANSIT PROJECTS: Funds for the new public transit vehicles came through a Federal Transit Administration grant program and the Federal Highway Administrations Carbon Reduction program. The 39 new vehicles are spread across 11 public transit systems, including four buses in Cedar Rapids and one in Iowa City. Funding also went to help the purchase of buses in Atlantic, Davenport, Mason City, Muscatine, Dubuque, Sioux City and Waterloo. The public transit projects receiving funding which came from state funds were $600,000 for infrastructure upgrades in Sioux City, bus storage in Ames, a parking garage and indoor storage in Mason City and bus storage in Davenport. SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN: The Iowa Department of Educations updated state plan for school accountability and support, under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, has been approved by the U.S. Department of Education, the state department said. The states plan, according to an Iowa Department of Education news release, uses a streamlined set of core indicators, including proficiency results in English language arts, math and science; student academic growth; chronic absenteeism; graduation rates; and postsecondary readiness. The Iowa Department of Education consulted with superintendents, curriculum leaders, the state Board of Education, Area Education Agencies and leadership in major education associations in developing the plan, the department said. Thousands of Iowans participating in the Departments consultation process helped build our transparent, world-class accountability system to support continuous improvement and celebrate school success, Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow said in a statement. Together, we will implement Iowas new school accountability system, reflecting high expectations for all students, incentivizing evidence-based instructional practices, and prioritizing partnership with schools most in need of support. Photos: 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks SGR operator, Kenyan university partner to host Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations Xinhua) 08:50, September 14, 2024 Kenyan students learn to make moon cakes during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) NAIROBI, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. The event brought together more than 200 participants and featured activities, including traditional Chinese music, dances, drama, and poetry, as well as the preparation of moon cakes and jigsaw puzzle competitions. Wang Xinyu, a lecturer at the Confucius Institute, said the event was organized to promote cultural integration between the two countries. "Through sharing cultural festivals, China and Kenya will enhance understanding of each other." The Mid-Autumn Festival, taking place annually on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, will be observed on Sept. 17 this year. It is a time for families to get together, share moon cakes, and watch the full moon. Nelson Asienwa, head of corporate and culture at the Afristar, said there is growing awareness among Kenyans of Chinese festivals due to deeper commercial and cultural ties between the two countries. Asienwa added that Kenyans really enjoy celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival because it centers on giving thanks for harvests collected by farmers, which is also a common practice among African communities. Alexander Mwaniki, a student at the Confucius Institute, said the celebration helped him gain a deeper understanding of the Chinese language and culture that he learned in class. Joseph Njane, training officer at Afristar, who entertained the audience with Chinese songs together with other colleagues, said he enjoys music from the Asian country because they are rich in melody while spreading messages of social harmony. Damaris Mutinda, a construction dispatcher at Afristar, said there is rising popularity of the Chinese language among Kenyans because Chinese investments have created numerous job opportunities for locals. Students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi perform during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) People do a jigsaw puzzle during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Kenyan students learn to make moon cakes during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi sing a traditional Chinese song during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) A student from the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi sings a Chinese song during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi perform during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept. 13, 2024. Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), the operator of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest university, on Friday partnered to host the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Nonprofit organization Don't Eat Friends launched a charity art sale on Thursday in Beijing, in collaboration with artist Ji Yali, to raise funds and awareness for animal welfare. The Chinese nonprofit animal protection organization frequently hosts art events, including concerts and exhibitions, to promote its message of protecting animals. Ji Yali, an ambassador for the organization, has been actively involved in urban stray animal rescue efforts since 2009 and is known for her animal-inspired paintings. In 2022, she published an illustrated book titled Guesthouse No.11 and donated all royalties to animal protection organizations. For this charity event, Ji contributed her paintings and related merchandise for sale. All proceeds will be donated to the charity organization to fund medical treatment and sterilization for stray dogs and cats. The initiative also aims to raise public awareness about stray animals and encourage more people to engage in animal welfare efforts. Recreational marijuana is almost ready for its 2025 debut in Minnesota. Before droves of eager buyers cross the border from Wisconsin, officials in towns along the Mississippi are planning out what it means for their communities. In 2023, Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana for people 21 years and older. Licenses and permits will begin rolling out January 2025 if the state stays on schedule. The newly-established Office of Cannabis Management has drafted guidelines to help municipalities craft their own rules on how businesses can set up shop. Cities and villages along the river have varied approaches to the departments guidance so far, with some considering more restrictions than others. Towns are not allowed to ban marijuana businesses entirely, but they can create rules on distance from public areas, hours of operation and application processes. Local governments may limit the number of retailers and businesses allowed as long as there is at least one retail location per 12,500 residents. Municipalities can also impose retail registrations and fees, but cannot alter the states tax revenue structure. The Cannabis Tax is 10% of gross receipts from taxable cannabis products sold in retail. From this tax, 20% goes to local governments and the rest to the state. Since Illinois started collecting cannabis taxes in 2020, it has collected just over $1 billion in revenue. Illinois holds a 10% for low-potency products (lower than 35% THC), 20% for cannabis infused products and a 25% tax on high-potency products (higher than 35% THC.) I still want my piece of the pie out of this for the city, La Crescent city council member Dale Williams said in a council meeting. I think that theres going to be some revenue thats going to be generated off of this for the time being, until Wisconsin decides to do something, or Iowa. Border towns take pause Some border towns have imposed temporary moratoriums on zoning decisions. With a moratorium in place, towns block cannabis businesses from applying for zoning until the states general application opens in early January. One of the main concerns for border towns is traffic. Officials in other parts of the country separating legal sales and use from prohibited states said they saw a influx of traffic when marijuana sales became legal in one of the states. This incursion poses some risks to border towns. A continued spike in traffic to unprepared areas could inhibit regular commutes, disrupt neighborhoods and increase crashes. Council members in La Crescent even worry that some will cross into Minnesota, consume their legally purchased THC products and attempt to drive back to Wisconsin under the influence. Some people are concerned about the long-term and health effects that go farther out, what that means for our community morally, said La Crescent mayor Mike Poellinger. On the philosophical side, as a city, we cant get involved in that, the morality. Other council members saw the business as similar to the alcohol industry. Liquor stores in La Crescent already offer low-potency hemp-derived cannabis products made legal under a federal farm bill. Caledonia city officials skipped the moratorium period and instead finalized cannabis rules in February 2023. Caledonia elected to approve businesses that are 500 feet away from schools and in one fixed location. Cannabis trucks or mobile stands are not allowed. THC products are not allowed to be sold after 10 p.m. or before 8 a.m. When I was 18, it was the reverse. See, Wisconsin, the legal age to buy alcohol was 18. So, we had Minnesota people going over the line all the time, Poellinger said. I think well definitely see the flip side of that happening here. Its a commodity and people will travel for it. Border jumping The state of Illinois sold $32.6 million in adult-use cannabis to out-of-state residents in June 2024. This made up 23% of total adult-use sales in the state that month. Sales from out-of-state residents have plateaued since April 2021, hovering around $35-$45 million each month. However, sales from in-state residents keep rising. In April 2021, in-state sales generated $79.9 million in revenue. In June 2024, the state brought in $109 million. Businesses in Minnesota and Wisconsin are gearing up for Minnesotas turn. While the dust settled in Illinois, theres a chance for Minnesota businesses to cement themselves into local markets and establish a place for regular tourism. Of course well see people jumping the border, so to speak, said Tree Huggers Cannabis co-owner Dillon Beyer. We have a lot of people tell us about the relief of not getting busted in the parking lot for buying cannabis for their health. Its a big deal for a lot of people to have normal access to this. Without a cemented date for Minnesota cannabis access, business owners are not jumping the gun to prepare for a license they might not get as early as they thought. Beyer is confident having shops set up in both Wisconsin and Minnesota gives the business an opportunity to be flexible and reach two unique markets. His greatest curiosity is around Minnesotas potential regulations on cannabis delivery businesses. According to the Office of Cannabis Management, 10 licenses for delivery companies will be considered in the preapproval round. Businesses work with hazy timeline Applications for pre-approved licenses closed Aug. 12. The Office of Cannabis Management set aside a process for businesses owned by veterans, people affected by previous cannabis laws, people in high poverty areas and smaller cannabis business owners. The process was intended to let disadvantaged people break into the industry before larger corporations set up shop. State officials received about 1,800 submissions for pre-approval. More than half of the applications came from outside of Minnesota. The department will have to narrow down the applicants to 282 before general applications can begin. Tree Huggers Cannabis recently applied for a pre-approved cannabis license. Beyer said the timeline is a bit hazy right now. The process theyre starting now with applications, it shouldve started a year ago, Beyer said. Were thinking the general application process will actually open closer to March 2025. The pre-approval lottery will go through a lot of discretion. Applications are dozens of pages long, and the state is working to verify information. With many applications coming from outside the state, officials got their work cut out for them in weeding out businesses that legitimately qualify for pre-approval versus larger entities looking to sneak in under false guises. Low-potency hemp-derived cannabis is already widely available across Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Winona Planning Commission reported 26 businesses are permitted to sell hemp-derived cannabis products in the city. Beverage companies such as La Crosse-based Sensi have exploded in the last year, and the product is even sold in 30 Kwik Trips around Wisconsin. The company regularly sells 15,000 cans of its popular orange cream soda in a week. Winonas inspections and police departments have reported zero cannabis-related complaints with the businesses since they arrived. Winona officials are also working to write zoning rules in preparation for cannabis licensing. The planning commission has identified schools, playgrounds, day cares and residential treatment centers as areas where cannabis businesses may not locate. Rapid changes New changes to the rules for current hemp licenses and future cannabis licenses are happening frequently in preparation for the full rollout of adult-use cannabis. Presently, hemp-derived products sold in Minnesota are required to have less THC than products sold in Wisconsin. Hemp business owners say theyre getting a lot of hurry up and wait direction from Minnesotas Office of Cannabis Management. Hemp businesses in Minnesota are no longer allowed to sell flower products until the licensing process takes off in January. Retailers looking to sell hemp flower will need to apply for different licenses. Other businesses arent following the rules as they come out, Beyer said. Itll get them cash in the short-term, but they can not expect to get a full license when the time comes. Were in it for a long haul. Many hemp businesses will need to change the looks of their storefronts if they are granted more expansive cannabis licenses. Windows need to be obscured, package labels need to add more warnings and security must be beefed up for retailers looking to add adult-use cannabis. The changes are already affecting prospective business owners such as former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. With his long career in wrestling, Ventura planned to use his likeness to promote his Jesse Ventura Farms line of cannabis products. The state ruled against this and said his wrestling persona and likeness will not be allowed in his marketing. Ventura broke into the low-potency cannabis business mid-March with hopes of expanding into adult-use cannabis once licenses in Minnesota roll out. The former governor has been a long-time proponent of cannabis legalization and was present when Gov. Tim Walz signed the bill in 2023. Were gonna make all the money that you get on fireworks, Ventura told the La Crosse Tribune in a June 15 interview. All the money we waste over there and give you on fireworks, were gonna recoup on cannabis. Will Wisconsin legalize it? By the end of the year, Wisconsin will share borders with three states that have fully legalized recreational cannabis. Iowa still criminalizes possession, but has legalized medical marijuana since 2014. Marijuana is still illegal medically and recreationally in Wisconsin. Cannabis businesses have made headway in Wisconsin since the federal 2018 Farm Bill was passed. The amended bill allowed for the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabis below 0.3% THC. The hemp plant is largely similar to marijuana, just with much less THC chemicals that are known for intoxicating marijuana users. By growing larger amounts of hemp and distilling the small amounts of THC into consumable products, businesses can create THC derivatives without growing the illegal marijuana plant. Some cannabis businesses have found success despite the tight constraints. An amendment to the Farm Bill could put an end to what some have called a loophole in the law. U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R- Illinois, introduced a Farm Bill amendment that would make all cannabis products, regardless of potency or plant-base, illegal in states that have not established their own hemp and cannabis laws. Sensi President Dan Schmidtknecht said a change in the Farm Bill would limit what cannabis businesses and retailers can produce. I hear mixed reviews, but I think a lot will depend on just how the elections go this fall, Schmidtknecht said regarding the legalization of marijuana in Wisconsin. For now, were following the regulations as best we can. Wisconsin did not set up its own hemp department or regulator after the 2018 Farm Bill passed. Instead, state officials informed cannabis businesses to test their products with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It still feels like were still, you know, three, four years away. But I hope its less. It seems silly when all the states around you go recreational and you dont, Schmidtknecht added. With a timeline for Minnesota licenses still not nailed down, the potential for a cannabis boom is still on the horizon. What wont change is the eagerness cannabis businesses along the Mississippi River have got set up and their capitalizing on a model that has produced billions in revenue for similar businesses in other states. What a terrific year for movies worth a grownups time! From theological horror to Vatican drama, besties plumbing the real meaning of friendship on a road trip to old friends facing mortality, the movies at this years Toronto International Film Festival are about discovery and transformation. Get ready to watch the latest, greatest films starring Ralph Fiennes, 61, Will Ferrell, 57, Jude Law, 51, Demi Moore, 61, Amy Adams, 50, and more. Here are the top 10 best 2024 films at TIFF in order of excellence: Members only Coco Van Oppens Photo 1. Dont Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight (release date to be announced) Schindlers List costar Embeth Davidtz, 59, directs, writes and costars as Nicola, the sexy, alcoholic mother of 8-year-old Bobo (Lexi Venter), a wild child growing up as a white farmers daughter in Rhodesia on the eve of a political upheaval and the countrys transformation to the Black-run Zimbabwe. With a whiff of Isak Dinesens Out of Africa, the drama adapted from Amanda Fullers bestselling memoir tells the moving, often comical, complicated story of social change and individual turmoil from a childs view. As the irresistible, cigarette-sneaking scamp Bobo, Venter delivers a career-launching performance that recalls those of child stars Tatum ONeal, now 60, Jodie Foster, 61, and Anna Paquin. 2. Will and Harper (in select theaters Sept. 13, on Netflix Sept. 27) To quote the song that Kristen Wiig, 51, wrote for her pals Will Ferrell, 57, and Harper Steele, 63, A friend is a friend is a friend. Ferrell and former Saturday Night Live head writer Steele were friends from Ferrells first day on the show in 1995. When Steele, a father of two, came out as trans at 61 in a moving letter to Ferrell, the pair decided to take a road trip together. Heading west from New York, they stop at the Grand Canyon, a dusty Oklahoma dive bar, a pro basketball game and a hostile Texas steakhouse. Along the way, they reconnect after a long absence in the pandemic, with Steele giving Ferrell a free pass to ask any question he wants about the transition of his friend. With cameos from Will Forte, 54, Molly Shannon, 59, Seth Meyers, 50, Fred Armisen, 57, Tina Fey, 54 and more, the road documentary has many surprises. Ferrell is truly open-hearted, and Steeles greatest transformation is one from self-hate to acceptance. Funny, heartfelt and unexpected, this film is a journey into understanding. 3. The Apprentice (in theaters Oct. 11) No ones opinion about Donald Trump will be changed by this juicy film thats pretty much ripped from 1980s New York Post and New York magazine headlines. All politics aside, Sebastian Stan rises to a new level of excellence as the films version of Trump, portrayed as a germophobic, arrogant opportunist haunted by his father Freds disapproval and his own callousness to his alcoholic, suicidal older brother. Jeremy Strong is superb as his Svengali, Roy Cohn, a lawyer who disregards the law and utterly lacks compassion which comes back to haunt Cohn when hes dying of AIDS and his now more powerful mentee stops taking his calls. Trump fans will likely loathe the film, and even foes may agree that it could have used a script with more overall tension and suspense. But what performances! As announced at a media conference in Beijing on Thursday, the upcoming 3rd Chinese Documentary Film Festival is set to take place from Oct 24 to 26 in Zhuhai, Guangdong province. The festival will be hosted by China Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio (Group), China Film Association, and the publicity department of Zhuhai. Cao Jun, deputy secretary-general of China Film Association, said in his speech that the annual film festival has become an important platform for Chinese-language documentary filmmakers from home and abroad to come together and seek common development. "It is my hope that the festival's third edition will create a grand cinematic event with Chinese characteristics, international vision and a sense of humanism, and become a spiritual home for Chinese-language documentary filmmakers to progress together, so that more excellent works will be seen, recognized and loved, contributing to telling Chinese stories well and enhancing the soft power of Chinese culture," Cao said. According to Zhu Qinxiao, deputy general manager of the China Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio (Group), this year's festival will expand its scope to incorporate stage productions, provide a showcase platform for more documentary films, and feature innovative activities to bring documentaries closer to the public. The festival has announced a diverse program of events, including an opening ceremony and keynote forum, a call for submissions of Chinese-language documentaries, a series of film screenings, panel discussions, new film promotions and gala ceremonies. This year's call for submissions officially opened on Thursday, and will run until Sept 30, inviting Chinese-language documentary production companies and filmmakers to submit works completed between Jan 1, 2022, and Sept 30, 2024. The festival also launched a short video and screenplay event that calls for entries on social media platforms from individuals and organizations. The submission event's promotional video, along with the festival's main poster and promotional videos, were released at the media conference. Rupneet Singh serves as the PMO Lead for Studio X INSWA, managing critical projects and ensuring seamless operations across the INSWA region. With a focus on efficiency, strategy, and execution, Rupneet plays a pivotal role in driving Studio Xs success within the dynamic and fast-paced industry. In conversation with Adgully, Rupneet Singh, PMO Lead for Studio X INSWA, speaks about the importance of strategic project management, operational efficiency, and innovation in driving success within creative industries. He highlights the role of leadership in fostering collaboration and adaptability, especially in fast-evolving sectors like media and advertising, optimizing processes to deliver high-quality results while meeting the unique demands of the industry, and more. How do you balance your diverse roles at Hogarth, and what are the key challenges that you face in juggling these responsibilities? Balancing my diverse roles at Hogarth involves a strategic approach that prioritizes effective communication, collaboration, and clear role definitions. Heres how I manage these responsibilities and address key challenges: Clear Role Definitions and Guardrails: To avoid overlap and confusion, I ensure that each role and responsibility is clearly defined. I establish guardrails and processes specific to each capability, which helps in maintaining clarity and efficiency in a cross-functional environment. To avoid overlap and confusion, I ensure that each role and responsibility is clearly defined. I establish guardrails and processes specific to each capability, which helps in maintaining clarity and efficiency in a cross-functional environment. Effective Communication Channels: Open communication is crucial for a smooth workflow. I address challenges related to communication by setting up regular check-ins and establishing structured communication channels. This ensures that all team members are aligned and can collaborate effectively, enhancing overall work quality. Open communication is crucial for a smooth workflow. I address challenges related to communication by setting up regular check-ins and establishing structured communication channels. This ensures that all team members are aligned and can collaborate effectively, enhancing overall work quality. Fostering Collaboration: Efficient work is often hindered by a lack of collaboration. To overcome this, I engage in proactive and sometimes challenging conversations to ensure that every team member is contributing effectively. Building strong relationships across the board is also essential for garnering support and improving collaborative By implementing these strategies, I effectively balance my diverse roles and navigate the challenges associated with managing multiple responsibilities. What does a typical day look like for you? Could you share the 5 to 7 key activities you prioritize in your daily routine? A typical day for me involves a structured approach to planning, coordinating, and overseeing tasks to ensure timely delivery. Here are the 5 to 7 key activities I prioritize in my daily routine: Daily Scrum Meetings: I lead daily scrum meetings with the team to plan and prioritize tasks based on client expectations and project requirements. Reviewing Priorities: I start my day by reviewing emails, checking project statuses, addressing pending requests, and handling any urgent tasks to ensure all priorities are aligned. Stakeholder Communication: I maintain clear and consistent communication with stakeholders, providing updates on planned work, key highlights, potential risks, and any changes to timelines. Cross-Functional Meetings: I coordinate and participate in meetings with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and collaboration across various aspects of the project. Team Support: I provide guidance and support to project managers within my team, assisting them with strategies, tools, and methodologies to facilitate effective project management. By focusing on these activities, I ensure that all aspects of the projects are well-managed and that the team remains on track to meet our goals. What inspired you to pursue a career in project management? How did you prepare for this field alongside your other occupations, and what motivated you to choose this path? My inspiration to pursue a career in project management stems from a fascination with orchestrating diverse elements to achieve successful outcomes. I began my journey in project management as an intern, where I was exposed to the dynamic nature of the role and developed a keen interest in managing projects, teams, and processes. The challenges and opportunities presented by project management captivated me and fueled my passion for this field. To prepare for a career in project management while balancing other responsibilities, I focused on building a strong foundation of skills and knowledge. This involved pursuing relevant certifications, participating in industry workshops, and gaining hands-on experience through various roles. I also made a concerted effort to understand and implement effective processes, which enhanced my ability to manage projects efficiently. The motivation to choose this path was driven by my enthusiasm for executing work through well-defined processes and seeing projects come to fruition. The ability to guide a project from inception to completion, while navigating its inherent twists and turns, aligns perfectly with my professional goals and interests. Did you have any mentors or icons who have guided you in your career? How did they influence your journey? Rather than having a traditional mentor, I deeply engaged with the work of Dr Harold Kerzner, a renowned expert in project management. His influential books, including Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, have provided me with invaluable insights and strategies. Dr Kerzners approach to project management and his comprehensive understanding of planning and controlling have greatly shaped my career, offering guidance and enhancing my skills in managing complex projects effectively. How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance? What practices do you rely on to manage stress and ensure personal well-being? Achieving a healthy work-life balance is crucial, though it has not always been straightforward for me. What has proven beneficial is adopting a daily approach and dedicating time each day to plan effectively. This planning encompasses managing work tasks, practicing mindful eating, and adhering to a workout routine. I ensure I exercise at least four times a week. Recognizing that different strategies work for different individuals, I prioritize a solid eight hours of sleep, engage in occasional gaming, and enjoy peaceful drives to maintain my personal well-being. Could you share some key milestones or achievements in your career so far? How have these accomplishments shaped your professional path? As one of the youngest project managers at Builder.ai, I have successfully led multiple projects and managed a team of 20, while also engaging with various stakeholders. I have supported the business team in closing numerous deals and securing valuable clients, contributing to the firms revenue at prominent global events such as GITEX (Dubai), SLUSH (Finland), and Comex (Oman). I received notable recognition as the Fresh Force of the Year here at Hogarth and was highlighted as an outstanding performer by the brand, which significantly boosted my confidence and motivated me to perform at an elevated level. These experiences have demonstrated thatmy skills extend beyond traditional project management. I have leveraged my expertise in business development and people management, and consistent appreciation from leadership and clients has driven me to continually enhance my performance. How do you stay informed and updated in your role? Are there any specific resources or strategies that you rely on to keep up with industry trends? To stay informed and updated in my role, I prioritize structured learning and continuous professional development. This includes pursuing certifications such as Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and ongoing Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. I also actively engage in networking events and leverage platforms like LinkedIn to connect with industry professionals and stay abreast of emerging trends. Additionally, I follow relevant industry blogs on social media and read insightful self-help books, such as Atomic Habits, to enhance my personal and professional growth. At Hogarth, the culture of continuous learning is supported through internal training programs and a robust knowledge-sharing platform, which further contributes to my professional development. By integrating these resources and strategies into my routine, I ensure that I remain well-informed and adaptable to the ever-evolving landscape of my industry. What drives your passion for the diverse roles you hold, and how do you continue to grow and evolve, ensuring you remain relevant and successful in your field? My passion for the diverse roles I hold is driven by a deep commitment to continuous growth and a genuine interest in exploring various aspects of my field. Engaging with different challenges and responsibilities keeps me motivated and broadens my skill set and perspective. I believe that remaining in ones comfort zone can limit growth, so I actively seek opportunities to step outside of it. For example, transitioning from a technology-based industry to the advertising sector allowed me to expand my knowledge and discover new capabilities in process implementation and people management. This willingness to embrace new challenges and adapt to different environments helps me stay relevant and successful in my field. Also Read: Adobe Express launches feature updates in 8 Indian languages In Delhis political history, for the first time a sitting Chief Minister has gone to prison and has been released on bail. However, charges against him havent been dropped. This is not a matter of celebration, expressed BJP member Smriti Irani on Arvind Kejriwal being granted bail from the Honble Supreme Court. She was speaking at the ABP News' Shikhar Sammelan Haryana. I also believe that the facts brought forward in court based on which the agency has filed the case against him are shocking. It is ironical that when Arvind Kejriwal entered politics he came in as activist and had promised clean politics, Smriti Irani added Speaking about a recent controversy, Smriti Irani said, Daily a new trap is being created by the opposition. Yesterday, it was on Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending prayers for Lord Ganesha with the Chief Justice of India, so it meant that the Chief Justice carries a question mark. These are the same people who are today pleased with the decision of the Judiciary in Kejriwals case. Smriti Irani further remarked on Kejriwal, saying, As he climbed the political ladder, one never imagined that he would begin looting the countrys treasury. I feel that the ongoing investigation and the courts final decision will write the history of Arvind Kejriwals political contributions. With the bugle (bigul) of Haryana Vidhan Sabha elections sounded, the polity and politics of the state has warmed-up. Separating the meaningful from chaos, ABP News hosted the Shikhar Sammelan Haryana ahead of the upcoming State Legislative Elections 2024. The Shikar Sammelan features key political figures and thought leaders for insightful debates on the current political landscape of the region. With a focus on administrative challenges and prospects for growth, ABP News aims to provide a platform that promotes collaborative problem-solving among influential leaders. The discussions at the Shikhar Sammelan are aimed to shape the future direction of leadership and policies in Haryana. As a longstanding advocate for accountability and transparency in governance, ABP News continues to empower citizens with knowledge and insights through initiatives like Shikhar Sammelan, ensuring informed electoral decisions ahead of this important state election. Halder Group, a legacy manufacturer in the rice and edible oil industry, from West Bengal announced a rebranding initiative for its edible oil brand Odaana on the occasion of their centenary year. This initiative is in alignment with the brands philosophy of not compromising with the quality of the product and establishing a strong presence in the domestic market. The rebranding not only refreshes the brands image but also highlights the purity and wholesomeness that Odaana offers. The new packaging features the vowel "O" as a symbol of purity, tradition, and authenticity, aligning with the brand's ethos of delivering nutritious food to everyone while reflecting their commitment to QPP (Quality, Price, and Packaging). The packaging is designed to meet international quality standards, combining traditional aesthetics with a sleek, visually appealing look. It incorporates a QR Code for direct access to the companys website, ensuring a seamless digital experience. The company has introduced new retail pack sizes bottles and pouches of 450 gms and 850 gms to shake things up while complementing the existing formats like 1 L bottles, 500 ml bottles, pouches, and 15 kgs tins. Speaking on the rebranding initiative, Keshab Kumar Halder, MD & CEO of Halder Group, stated, As a part of our centenary year, we successfully launched the Odaana branded soyabean oil and sunflower oil in the Indian market. This marks a crucial step in our journey to diversify our product portfolio and cater to the evolving needs of health-conscious consumers. Our refinery facility in Siuri, Birbhum, West Bengal ensures we deliver the highest standards of quality and perfection, envisioning a Better India through the collective betterment of its people. We are dedicated to fostering a spirit of unity and prosperity, building a Better India for generations to come. The brand is currently rolling out its product in phases across East India. Marking their presence in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities like Guwahati, Silchar, Shillong, Hazaribhag, Burdwan, Malda, Bolpur, and others. Simultaneously, it is planning to expand in more cities across the nation in the coming months. With the Halder Group celebrating its centenary year, it is undergoing significant changes, shifting from a legacy manufacturing company to making its debut in the retail landscape. They have recently unveiled a new company brand logo, which highlights key elements of the brands DNA, such as innovation, a forward-thinking vision, and a commitment to excellence. This logo rebranding conveys that the brand is not static but dynamic and adaptable, continuously evolving with the times. Congress Slams Noida District Magistrate Over 'Pappu' Remark on Rahul Gandhi 2 The Congress on Friday condemned an unacceptable comment directed at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, which appeared on the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate. The party demanded immediate action against the officer responsible for the post. Later, District Magistrate Manish Verma issued a statement through his X handle, claiming that his account had been misused by anti-social elements who posted the offensive comment. Taking this matter seriously, an FIR has been registered, and legal action is underway. The cyber cell is investigating the inappropriate tweet/comment, the statement read. A copy of the FIR was also posted on the X handle. Earlier, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, called out the post, describing it as completely inappropriate and unacceptable. He expressed concern over the growing politicization of Indias bureaucracy over the last decade. This is not new; over the past 10 years, Indias civil service and other non-political officials have become increasingly politicized, Ramesh wrote on X. There is a concerted effort to weaken the civil service, which Sardar Patel once called the steel frame of India. This incident is yet another example of that trend, he added, demanding swift action against the officer. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also shared her disapproval on X. She posted a clip from a conversation with a historian, in which she remarked, History is made and cannot be changed. Narendra Modi knows how history will remember him, and thats why he is worried. In response, a now-deleted post from the official X handle of the Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate said in Hindi, You should think about yourself and your Pappu. Shrinate later shared a screenshot of the deleted post, stating, This is the DM of Noida, responsible for the entire district. His language and thoughts about the countrys opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, are concerning. She further claimed, It is evident that the administrative staff is full of Sanghis, spreading hatred while occupying constitutional positions. Congress leader Pawan Khera also criticized the post, questioning if IAS officers had been directed to make such political comments under the BJP government. He tagged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the Ministry of Home Affairs in his tweet. The post came from an X handle that is not verified, though it claims to be the official handle of the Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate. Congress has called for a thorough investigation into the incident and demanded accountability for the misuse of the official platform. The picture shows a view of the People's Bank of China. [Photo/Xinhua] China's central bank said Friday that it will maintain its monetary policy support to contribute to economic growth, as financial data continued to show steady growth in August, according to a statement published on the website of the People's Bank of China. The central bank said the growth rate of M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, has been relatively stable, with a 6.3 percent year-on-year growth to reach 305.05 trillion yuan (about 43 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of August. According to the data released by the central bank, the outstanding balance of social financing reached 398.56 trillion yuan by the end of last month, growing by 8.1 percent year on year. During the period, outstanding yuan loans totaled 252.02 trillion yuan, marking an increase of 8.5 percent year on year. The central bank said the steady growth momentum of the data has formed solid support for the real economy. The credit structure has continued to improve, with loans increasingly flowing toward major strategies, key areas and weak links, the central bank said, noting that this has effectively supported the acceleration of economic structural optimization. In the next step, the central bank will introduce more flexible and targeted monetary policies, while strengthening the intensity of regulation. Favorable policies will be introduced to further reduce enterprises' financing costs and residents' loan costs, and maintain a reasonably ample level of liquidity, the central bank said. How Crucial Is the Waqf Board Amendment Bill 2024? 2 The Waqf Board Amendment Bill 2024 is a significant step towards improving the efficiency and transparency of Waqf management in India. It introduces key reforms, including the adoption of digital technology for enhanced record-keeping, streamlining the appointment process for Waqf board members, and implementing strict penalties for violations to ensure greater accountability. By strengthening governance and modernizing operations, the bill aims to protect Waqf properties from encroachment, boost revenue generation, and ultimately benefit the Muslim community by ensuring that Waqf assets are managed more effectively and transparently. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 8, 2024, amends the Waqf Act, 1995, which governs Waqf property in India. Waqf refers to the endowment of property for pious, religious, or charitable purposes under Muslim law. The bill renames the Act to the United Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act, 1995. It states that any government property identified as Waqf will no longer be considered as such, with the areas Collector determining ownership in case of doubt. The bill also removes the Waqf Boards authority to inquire and decide if a property is Waqf. The amendment introduces stricter regulations on managing Waqf properties to ensure they are used appropriately for their intended charitable or religious purposes. It aims to address issues of misuse or illegal encroachment, preventing exploitation for personal gain. By tightening control, the bill seeks to clarify legal ambiguities related to Waqf properties, making dispute resolution simpler and ensuring uniform application of the law across regions. If provisions for modernization, such as allowing commercial use under specific conditions, are included, the amendment could generate new revenue streams to support charitable causes. The Act allows the creation of Waqf through: (i) declaration, (ii) long-term use (Waqf by user), or (iii) endowment after the succession line ends (Waqf-alal-aulad). The bill amends this by stating that only a person practicing Islam for at least five years and owning the property may declare a Waqf. It removes Waqf by user and ensures Waqf-alal-aulad does not deny inheritance rights, including those of women heirs. The bill transfers the responsibility for Waqf surveys from Survey Commissioners to Collectors, with pending surveys to be conducted under state revenue laws. The Central Waqf Council, which advises governments and Waqf Boards, remains chaired by the Union Minister for Waqf. While the current Act requires all Council members to be Muslims, with at least two women, the bill mandates that two members must be non-Muslims. MPs, former judges, and eminent appointees no longer need to be Muslims, though Muslim representatives must include (i) Muslim organizations, (ii) scholars in Islamic law, and (iii) chairpersons of Waqf Boards, with two women among them. The Act provides for the election of up to two members from electoral colleges of Muslim MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and Bar Council members to the Waqf Board. However, the bill empowers the state government to nominate one person from each of these categories to the Board, and they need not be Muslims. Additionally, the Board must include: (i) two non-Muslim members, (ii) representation from Shias, Sunnis, and Backward classes of Muslims, and (iii) members from Bohra and Agakhani communities if applicable in the state. The requirement for two Muslim women members remains. Regarding Tribunal composition, the bill modifies the Acts provisions. Instead of including a Muslim law expert, the Tribunal will consist of: (i) a current or former District Court judge as chairman, and (ii) a current or former state officer of joint secretary rank. The bill also allows appeals on Tribunal orders to the High Court within 90 days, whereas the Act prohibits appeals and provides finality to Tribunal decisions. Further, the bill gives the central government the authority to make rules for Waqf registration, accounts, and board proceedings, and to audit Waqf accounts through the CAG. It also allows the establishment of separate Waqf Boards for Bohra and Agakhani sects, in addition to Sunni and Shia boards. The opposition is criticizing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill for interfering in religious affairs, arguing that it imposes unnecessary bureaucratic control over Waqf Boards. The bills provisions, which limit the boards ability to manage themselves independently, are seen as an encroachment on religious autonomy. Critics argue that the amendments, particularly the governments increased role in appointments and audits, undermine the boards self-governance and infringe on the freedom to manage religious endowments without external interference. This has sparked concerns about excessive government oversight in matters traditionally handled within the community. Indian Immunologicals Signs Pact for Clinical Development of Zika Vaccine 2 Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a leading vaccine manufacturer, has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for the clinical development of a Zika virus vaccine. According to the agreement, ICMR will fund the Phase I clinical trials, covering expenses related to the trials conduct, investigations, and monitoring. These trials will take place at ICMR network sites across India. Dr. K Anand Kumar, Managing Director of IIL, expressed pride in the collaboration with ICMR, highlighting IILs significant role in helping India achieve self-sufficiency in vaccine production. He emphasized the importance of developing affordable, safe, and effective vaccines to protect people from emerging diseases. Dr. Kumar also noted that IILs work on novel vaccine platforms, including codon de-optimized viral vaccines, is progressing well. ICMR Director General Dr. Rajiv Bahl praised the collaboration as an important step towards Indias goal of becoming self-reliant in healthcare (Atmanirbhar Bharat) and advancing towards a developed nation (Viksit Bharat). Dr. Bahl emphasized the value of ICMRs Phase I trial network, launched in 2023, which enables early-stage safety studies for innovative and affordable medical technologies in India. The network includes four fully operational Phase-I trial sites: ACTREC Mumbai, KEM Hospital Mumbai, SRM Chennai, and PGIMER Chandigarh. Dr. Priyabrata Pattnaik, Deputy Managing Director of IIL, said that the company is actively working on vaccines for several emerging viral diseases, including Zika, Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), Chikungunya, and a SARS-CoV-2 intranasal booster. He mentioned that IIL partnered with Griffith University in Australia to develop a codon de-optimized live-attenuated Zika vaccine, which has completed pre-clinical evaluations. The vaccine has also received permission from Indian regulatory authorities to proceed with clinical development. Zika virus is primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes but can also be spread during pregnancy, through sexual contact, blood transfusions, and organ transplants. While the disease is usually mild and does not require specific treatment, it can cause serious complications if contracted during pregnancy, including microcephaly and other birth defects. Additionally, some cases may result in Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological disorder. As of July 22, 2024, India has reported 537 Zika cases across multiple states. Currently, no vaccine is available for the prevention of Zika virus. Maharashtra Shifts Eid-e-Milad Holiday in Mumbai to Prevent Overlap with Ganpati Immersion 2 The Maharashtra government has shifted the Eid-e-Milad holiday in Mumbai, moving it from September 16 to September 18. This decision, revealed through an official notice on Friday, came after requests from Muslim MLAs and organizations who wanted to prevent any overlap with Ganpati immersion ceremonies. The notification said, Among the 24 public holidays declared by the State Government, Eid-e-Milad was originally set for Monday, September 16, 2024. Eid-e-Milad is a significant Muslim festival, often celebrated with processions. As the Hindu festival of Anant Chaturdashi falls on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, the Muslim community has chosen to hold their procession on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. As a result, the public holiday for Eid-e-Milad is now scheduled for Wednesday, September 18, 2024, instead of Monday, September 16, 2024. In areas outside Mumbai, district collectors will decide whether to keep the holiday on September 16 or shift it to September 18, depending on local circumstances. The goal of this change is to preserve peace and social harmony during the coinciding festivals. Typhoon Yagi Leaves 254 Dead, 82 Missing in Vietnam 2 Typhoon Yagi, along with resulting landslides and floods, has claimed the lives of 254 people, with 82 still missing in Vietnams northern region, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The provinces of Lao Cai, Cao Bang, and Yen Bai have been the most severely affected, with fatalities reaching 111, 43, and 49, respectively, as reported by Xinhua News Agency on Friday. In Hanoi, the floodwater levels of the Red River have dropped below the first alert level, out of three, according to the citys Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention, Control, Search, and Rescue. Evacuated residents have started returning to their homes, and clean-up efforts have begun in flood-affected areas. The northeastern province of Quang Ninh has launched a three-day clean-up campaign to restore the storm-damaged UNESCO World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay. The heritage site resumed normal tourist boat operations on Friday, almost a week after being severely impacted by the typhoon, as reported by the Vietnam News Agency. The Vietnam Fatherland Front announced that as of Friday noon, its relief fund had received 775.5 billion VND ($31.5 million) in donations from people across the country to assist those affected by Typhoon Yagi. The UN childrens agency, UNICEF, warned that hundreds of thousands of children have lost their homes and lack access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare. Nearly two million children have been left without access to education, psychosocial support, or school meal programs, as schools have been damaged and are facing power and water shortages, the agency added. West Bengal CM Steps In to Resolve RG Kar Medical College Standoff 2 The West Bengal government has invited 15 representatives of junior doctors for a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her residence on Saturday at 6 pm. The meeting aims to address and resolve the ongoing standoff at RG Kar Medical College. The invitation was extended through a letter written by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, emphasizing the need to address the challenges faced by the junior doctors. This decision to hold discussions comes shortly after CM Banerjee made a surprise visit to the demonstrators at Swasthya Bhavan, the state health departments headquarters. Sometimes when youre really hungry, nothing hits the spot like a sandwich. Thats why This is Alabama recently asked the followers on its Facebook page to tell them about which sandwich shop is their go-to when the craving hits. They got responses from all over the state ranging from shops offering Southern favorite to deli classics and everything in-between. You can read about 12 of the sandwich shops mentioned below, and you can read all of the replies (and share yours) on the This is Alabama Facebook page. A muffaletta served at Diplomat Deli in Vestavia Hills, Ala. (Photo provided by Diplomat Deli)(Photo provided by Diplomat Deli) Diplomat Deli Vestavia Hills The Diplomat Deli has been serving up a wide selection of classic and unique sandwiches to the Birmingham area since 1982, and its accrued quite the following in the process. Open for lunch everyday and dinner on weekdays, The Diplomat Deli in Vestavia Hills offers a full menu of sandwiches ranging from a pimento cheese BLT to a muffulettas, Philly cheese steaks, clubs and more. Theres even a classic peanut butter and jelly up for grabs. Wildwood Deli Athens At Wildwood Deli, you can score fresh, made-to-order specialty sandwiches and traditional deli fare in the heart of downtown Athens. Some of its menu selections include Southern favorites like chicken salad, BLTs and pimento cheese sandwiches as well as signature offerings like The Wild One sandwich, which consists of your choice of ham, turkey, pastrami or corned beef topped with sauteed bell peppers and onions, banana peppers, pepper jack cheese, mayo and spicy brown mustard. You can also find salads, soups and delicious desserts, like classic strawberry pretzel salad, on their menu as well. The Mill Street Deli in Boaz, Ala., is known for its wide selection of sandwiches. (Photo provided by The Mill Street Deli)(Photo provided by The Mill Street Deli) The Mill Street Deli Boaz In business since 1986, The Mill Street Deli in Boaz knows how to make a good sandwich. Whether youre craving a classic Reuben, French dip roast beef, BLT, chicken salad, pimento cheese or something else entirely, theres a good chance youre going to find it on their menu. If you cant decide, we suggest you go for The Mill Street Club. Served on three pieces of toasted white bread with turkey, ham and bacon alongside Swiss and American cheese, mayo, honey mustard, lettuce and tomato, itll definitely fill you up. 5 Points Deli & Grill Montgomery In Montgomery, Five Points Deli and Grill has garnered a reputation for its massive handcrafted burgers, but theres plenty of other offerings on their menu worth trying too. In addition to its many specialty burgers, the deli has lots of one-of-a-kind sandwiches starring their smoked meats. One such sandwich is The Ziggy, which consists of smoked ham and shredded prime chuck roll on grilled sourdough bread before being topped with spicy sweet dill pickles, Swiss cheese, mustard and cracked black pepper horseradish sauce. Feeling hungry yet? The Butchers Daughter Bakeshop & Market in Enterprise, Ala., is a favorite sandwich shoppe for many. (Photo provided by The Butchers Daughter Bakeshop & Market)The Butchers Daughter Bakeshop & Market The Butchers Daughter Bakeshop & Market Enterprise When This is Alabama asked their followers about their favorite sandwich shops, The Butchers Daughter Bakeshop & Market came up early and often, and with one look at their menu, its pretty easy to see why. The Enterprise eatery offers up a wide range of signature sandwiches, like the Hal sandwich pictured above that features Cajun turkey, capicola, mortadella, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, garlic aioli and its Da Dip sauce, in addition to classics like Cubans, Philly cheese steaks, chicken salad, Banh Mi and more. Bates House of Turkey Greenville Bates House of Turkey in Greenville has been in business since 1969 and is known for being a popular stop for travelers and locals alike. Its menu has an array of unique dishes featuring fresh turkey from their free-range farm, and the sandwiches are certainly included in that. Whether youre craving barbecue turkey, an all turkey club, turkey salad, roasted turkey or their famous hickory smoked turkey sandwich, youre bound to leave filling full and happy. Plus, when youre not in the mood for sandwiches, theyve got plenty of other selections, from gumbo to a full Thanksgiving spread. Kool Korner Sandwiches Vestavia Hills For sandwich lovers in the Birmingham area and beyond, Kool Korner Sandwiches in Vestavia Hills is an institution. Open for lunch Monday through Saturday, the popular eaterys classic Cuban sandwich, which consists of pork roasted Cuban-style, ham, Swiss cheese, mayo, mustard and dill pickles on Cuban-style bread, was named the best sandwich in Alabama on Yelp last month. In addition, youll also find plenty of other noteworthy sandwiches, soups, tamales, empanada and more on its menu. READ MORE: This is Alabamas best sandwich, according to Yelp The pizza sub from Stanlieo's Sub Villa. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)Matt Wake Stanlieos Sub Villa Huntsville Open since 1971 and with two locations in Huntsville, Stanlieos has become a favorite for those days when a sandwich craving hits. Their menu offers a wide selection of sub sandwiches featuring everything from a meatball sub to a turkey and Swiss, but the most popular pick is the kitchen sink sub, which comes topped with seven different types of meat and three different kinds of cheese dressed with Stanlieos signature onions, pickles, and tomatoes with their crushed pepper mix on the side. Payne's Soda Fountain & Sandwich Shop, which celebrates its 150th year in business in 2019, began as the W.H. Payne Drug Co. in 1869. (Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com) Paynes Soda Fountain & Sandwich Shop Scottsboro Many sandwich shops and delis in Alabama have a long history, but youre unlikely to find one thats been in business 150 years -- except for, of course, Paynes Sandwich Shop and Soda Fountain in Scottsboro. Among its menu offers are plenty of classic like pimento cheese, BLTs, wraps and more as well as signature items like the massive Broad Street Dagwood, which comes with roast beef, turkey, ham, bacon, Swiss and American cheeses on three pieces of white bread ad topped with lettuce, tomato, mayo and pickle. Whatever you order, just be sure to save room for dessert too. READ MORE: 150 years of memories at Alabamas oldest soda fountain A hot dog "all the way" with mustard, onion, kraut and Sam's special sauce at Sam's Super Samwiches in Homewood, Ala.(Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com) Sams Super Samwiches Homewood For more than 50 years, Sams Super Samwiches in Homewood has been serving up its take on hot dogs and hamburgers as well as breakfast and specialty sandwiches to hungry diners in the Birmingham area, and many of them have kept coming back for seconds (and thirds). Regardless of whether youre craving a Philly cheese steak, club, cheeseburger or one of their special hot dogs that comes with ground beef, mustard, onion, sauerkraut and sauce, theyve got it covered. READ MORE: Alabamas best hot dogs Scott Street Deli, which dates to the early 1900s, is one of the oldest businesses in Montgomery, Ala.(Bob Carlton/bcarlton@al.com) Scott Street Deli Montgomery The Scott Street Deli is an institution in Montgomery and a must-stop when it comes to lunch. Included on its menu is the delis take on old favorites on freshly-made bread, like a Reuben, chicken salad, bologna and cheese, corned beef, tuna salad, turkey, ham and many other fully-loaded sandwiches. One of its most popular sandwiches at the deli, which is only open on weekdays for lunch, is the Italian, consists of Genoa salami, pepperoni, ham and Provolone cheese on French bread. READ MORE: The little Alabama deli where everybody knows your name The pork chop sandwich from RC Street Eats in Lineville, Ala. (Photo provided by RC Street Eats)RC Street Eats RC Street Eats Lineville In Linevile, RC Street Eats and Coffee Shop is a great spot to stop when youre feeling hungry thanks to the wide array of sandwiches and more youll find on its menu. Among some of the popular picks out of the food trucks lunch offerings are the pork chop and smoked brisket sandwich, but theres also plenty other dishes -- from salads to chicken and waffles, cheeseburgers, Philly cheesesteaks, barbecue and so much more -- up for grabs too. Plus, theres often hearty breakfast items, like gravy-smothered porkchops and biscuits, to pair with your coffee in the mornings. Tropical Storm Ileana made landfall on the coast of the Mexican state of Sinaloa Saturday a day after it pounded the resort-studded Los Cabos. The tropical storm formed Thursday off Mexicos Pacific coast and was packing winds of of 40 mph (65 kph) as it moved ashore Saturday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. It made landfall near the coastal city of Topolobampo and was moving north at 6 mph (9 kph). Forecasters say Ileana will churn over the coastal region of northern Sinaloa during the next several hours, weakening into a tropical depression, and then move over the Gulf of California roughly parallel to the coast on Sunday. On Friday, a warning had been in effect for portions of the Baja California Peninsula, including Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Juan Manuel Arce Ortega, from Los Cabos Civil Protection, said the municipalities of La Paz and Los Cabos had suspended classes in schools due to the storm. Authorities prepared 20 temporary shelters in San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, according to Los Cabos Civil Protection. At the Hacienda Beach Club and Residences in Cabo San Lucas, valet worker Alan Galvan said the rain arrived late Thursday night and has been constant. The rain isnt very strong right now, but the waves are choppy, he said. The guests are very calm and already came down for coffee, Galvan said. Theres some flights canceled but everything is ok at the moment. The rain remained consistent through Los Cabos Friday afternoon, with several roads flooded and some resorts stacking up sandbags on their perimeters. Some people were still walking around boat docks with their umbrellas. The priority has to be safety, starting with the workers. We always have to check on our colleagues who live in risk areas, said Lyzzette Liceaga, a tour operator at Los Cabos. Ileana was the only active tropical storm in the National Weather Services Eastern Pacific basin on Friday. In the Atlantic basin, post-tropical cyclone Francine was bringing heavy rain to parts of the southern United States, and Tropical Storm Gordon formed on Friday in the Atlantic Ocean, with forecasters saying it is expected to remain over open water for several days. This is a guest opinion column During campaign season, most state legislatures are out of session, allowing our elected leaders to meet with their constituents and conduct their re-election campaigns. Meanwhile, back at the statehouse, staff can plan for next years legislative session, meeting with business leaders and other interested parties to get a jump on the new year. Frequently, these unofficial gatherings are where the real work gets done. Such was the case recently in Montgomery, where an unofficial legislative study group met in late August to discuss prescription drug costs. Some feathers were ruffled by those not on the invite list, of course, but you can guarantee that the interests of the big pharmaceutical companies were well-represented. That is terrible news for all Alabamans. Big Pharma casts a wide net to protect its bottom line, both in Alabama and at the national level. No meeting is too small or legislator too unimportant for them to engage, knowing that their relentless effortsand generous campaign donationswill get them the access they need. All this work is done for one reason to increase their profits. One constant thorn in Big Pharmas side has been Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), entities contracted by businesses of all sizes to negotiate lower drug prices. PBMs use bulk pricing discounts on behalf of multiple employers to force drug companies to lower prescription drug costs for their clients, including the health plan that my business employs. However, lower prices are just one benefit that PBMs offer. PBMs also create and empower retail pharmacy networks, help my employees maximize prescription drug benefits, develop lists of covered medications, and our process all pharmacy claims. These critical healthcare intermediaries are a one-stop shop, simplifying a confusing and time-consuming process. The leverage PBMs have produce actual savings for the consumer and helps small businessmen like me offer my employees a broader package of benefits. Significant studies, including one by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, have confirmed the value of PBMs in saving money on needed prescription drugs. Some estimates predict PBMs will save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade. With the cost of healthcare spiraling out of control, that is real money. Of course, with that type of money on the line, Big Pharma is working hands in glove with our lawmakers to eliminate PBMs. The drug companies are fanning out to our state capital and to our congressional representatives offices in Washington, D.C., to protect and enhance their profits. That is why the Alabama statehouse introduced HB 238 in February. This bill, strongly supported by Big Pharma, would have imposed burdensome regulations on the operation of PBMs in Alabama, including an absurd $10 tax per prescription filled, which would cause prices to rise and businesses like mine to have no choice but to cut employee benefits. Commendably, the statehouse rejected this bill. It knew that it was nothing more than an effort to help Big Pharma laugh all the way to the bank at our expense. But with the legislative sponsor of the legislation participating in last months healthcare legislative study group, its likely that the bill will make a comeback next year. We cant have this. Healthcare is a concern for all Alabamans. Forbes ranked the Yellowhammer State as having the second-worst healthcare system in the country. Keeping costs competitive should be a greater priority than trying to increase drug company profits. With so much at stake for the future of our state, our elected leaders need to tell Big Pharma to stand aside and ensure that the voices of those who want to keep healthcare affordable are heard loud and clear. As the famous saying goes, if youre not at the table, then youre on the menu. Holding down the cost of prescription medication should be at the table, not on the menu for Big Pharma to feast on. Frank Granberry is owner and operator of Granberry Farms, located in Henry County, Alabama. The inauguration ceremony of the United Arab Emirates Pavilion at 2024 CIFTIS, Beijing, Sept. 13, 2024. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] At the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), currently underway in Beijing, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to explore new cooperation opportunities and celebrate four decades of prosperous relations with China. CIFTIS is the largest global exhibition of its kind in the world, and the event serves as a key platform to accelerate global trade, enhance international commercial and economic cooperation, and strengthen trade and economic relations. The UAE's participation included the inauguration of its national pavilion, attended by Khaled Al Shehhi, charge d'affaires at the UAE Embassy in Beijing; Abdulrahman Al Muaini, assistant undersecretary for Intellectual Property at the Ministry of Economy; Guo Huaigang, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Beijing; the UAE Delegation; as well as leaders from departments in Beijing, alongside representatives from relevant institutions and enterprises. On the sideline of CIFTIS, during the UAE-Beijing Economic Forum under the theme "Forty Years of Prosperity," Al Shehhi, said, "This event represents an important platform to deepen our bilateral relations and explore new areas of cooperation. The UAE remains committed to working closely with China to strengthen our shared economic interests and solidify the cultural and social ties between our peoples. We are confident that this partnership will continue to grow and thrive, bringing more progress and prosperity to both nations." Khaled Al Shehhi, charge d'affaires of the UAE Embassy in Beijing, speaks at the UAE-Beijing Economic Forum, Sept. 13, 2024. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] The forum attracted more than 120 participants from various industries, along with experts and prominent figures who delivered keynote speeches during the event. He added, "As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UAE and the People's Republic of China this year, our participation in the CIFTIS reaffirms our deep commitment to developing strong and sustainable economic partnerships. Our national pavilion reflects the UAE's ambition to enhance its role as a bridge for international cooperation, showcasing our capabilities in key sectors and seeking to develop new commercial relationships that contribute to mutual prosperity." The UAE Pavilion features a wide variety of sectors, including business, communications, manufacturing, finance, aviation, culture and tourism, reflecting the dynamic and diverse nature of the country's economy. Notable participants include the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Al Foah, Halawa, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Yahsat, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), Borouge, Mubadala and First Abu Dhabi Bank. The UAE's participation in CIFTIS underscores its commitment to strengthening international trade relations and highlights its strong and growing partnership with China, which is the UAE's largest trading partner globally. The UAE and China have continued to expand their cooperation within the framework of their comprehensive strategic partnership. The UAE is now China's largest non-oil trading partner in the Middle East and North Africa region, with non-oil trade reaching $82 billion in 2023. The trade volume has grown approximately 800-fold since diplomatic relations were established, with the goal of reaching $200 billion by 2030. Another indication of the strong and thriving partnership between the two countries is the high degree of bilateral investment. At present, the UAE accounts for 47.7% of China's total investments in the Arab world, while UAE investments represent 33% of total Arab investments in China. A longtime state resident born in Florida and naturalized citizens are among the victims of Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allens effort to remove noncitizens from the voter rolls, according to a lawsuit they and others filed Friday in federal court in Birmingham. Allen announced last month that 3,251 registered voters were issued noncitizen identification numbers, prompting him to tell boards of registrars in Alabamas 67 counties to immediately take steps to remove any non-citizens from the voting rolls. It is illegal for people who are not citizens to register to vote in Alabama. A federal law enacted in 1996 makes it a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections. Allen sent the list of registered voters who received a non-citizen identification number to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall -- who is also being sued by the plaintiffs -- for further investigation and possible criminal prosecution. Allen said the U.S. government declined his repeated requests for a list of non-citizens currently living in Alabama. The Campaign Legal Center, Fair Elections Center, and Southern Poverty Law Center filed the lawsuit on behalf of James Stroop, who was born in Melbourne, Florida and has lived in Alabama since 1978; Roald Hazelhoff, a native of the Netherlands who became a legal permanent resident roughly 10 years ago and became a U.S. citizen in 2022; Carmel Michelle Coe, a native of England who moved to the United States after marrying her American husband in 1979 and became a U.S. citizen in 2021; and Emily Asplund Jortner, a Canadian-born woman who first came to the United States on a student visa in 1992 and became a U.S. citizen in 2022. The plaintiffs, which refer to Allens plan as the Purge Program, say the effort is burdensome, unnecessary, and discriminatory. It subjects registered, eligible voters identified under the Purge Program to intimidation in the form of a letter threatening them with unjustified criminal 61 prosecution and requires them to re-register under the Re-Registration Process in order to vote and be on the voter rolls, the suit alleges. The lawsuit accuses Allen of violating the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause. No American citizen should be denied their freedom to vote, and all Americans have the same freedom to vote regardless of where they were born. Instead of protecting Americans freedom to vote in the November election, Alabama is shamefully intimidating naturalized citizens and illegally purging qualified Americans from voter rolls, Campaign Legal Center Senior Vice President said in a statement. Our local election officials work hard to make sure only American citizens can vote. In practice, voter purges like what we are seeing in Alabama target naturalized citizens and prevent qualified Americans from exercising their right to vote. Our democracy works best when every American can participate without fear, and CLC will continue to fight for Americans freedom to vote. A spokeswoman for Allen said the office had not been served with the lawsuit as of Friday night. As a rule, the office does not comment on pending litigation where the secretary is a named defendant, she said. Stroop and Hazelhoff, the lawsuit claimed, received letters from Allens office that their voting registrations were deactivated and placed on a path for removal from the statewide voter list because they were previously issued noncitizen identification numbers. In Stroops case, according to the suit, he was never issued such a number; while filing for unemployment assistance in 2021, he accidentally checked a box indicating he was a noncitizen. When the state Labor Department mailed him a letter about the form, he gave them a copy of his birth certificate to correct the error. In 2022, the department told Stroop the error was corrected. As instructed by Allens letter, Stroop reapplied to vote since he was a U.S. citizen, but he has doubts whether his vote will be counted in November, according to the suit. While he was told verbally by the Marshall County Board of Registrars that his voter status is currently active, in light of the ongoing confusion over his citizenship and voter registration statusdespite assurance years ago from the state of Alabama that the error regarding his citizenship status had been correctedPlaintiff Stroop remains uncertain that he will be registered to vote on Election Day, the lawsuit stated. Plaintiff Stroop has received no written confirmation that he is an active registered voter in the State of Alabama or that the error regarding his citizenship status has been resolved. In Hazelhoffs case, he also filed for unemployment in 2018 or 2019 while legally working in Alabama -- before he was a U.S. citizen. According to the lawsuit, Hazlehoffs citizenship status was not updated. Plaintiff Hazelhoff intends to vote in the 2024 general election. Although he is presently listed as active on the voter registration rolls, he remains uncertain whether he will be able to vote on November 5, 2024, the suit contends. Plaintiff Hazelhoff is further concerned and worried by Secretary Allens referral of him to the Attorney General for criminal investigation despite the fact that he has not violated the law. Coe and Jortner have not received a letter from Allen but will likely be targeted by the Purge Program because they have previously received a noncitizen identification number, the suit says. In addition to the individual plaintiffs, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, and the League of Women Voters of Alabama. Secretary Allens actions are not making our elections any safer; instead, they are inactivating lawfully registered voters from the rolls and unnecessarily causing fear and intimidation, said Kathy Jones, president of the League of Women Voters of Alabama, in a statement. Alabama voters need to know that the League is here to fight for them and is committed to ensuring all voters have the opportunity and accurate information to exercise their right to vote. Bernard Simelton, president of the Alabama NAACP, said the organization is again dismayed by the Alabama Secretary of State efforts to disenfranchise voters. We know that this is a nation wide effort to provide excuses for certain candidates to use if they lose the elections on November 5, he said in a statement. We are committed to doing all that we can to ensure that every voter votes and that every vote is counted despite what obstacles are put in our path. English News China works to better protect global bird migration routes Alwihda Info | Par People's Daily - 14 Septembre 2024 How can people effectively manage the ecosystems around them, like protecting and managing the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, by utilizing their own wisdom and proactivity? When we can successfully address this question, we will be able to tackle many global ecological issues. The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China provides us with a unique platform for such practical endeavors. By Wen Cheng Five nominated sites of the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) were included as a serial extension of the property of the same name already listed on the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The decision was made during the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India. The newly admitted five sites were an estuarine wetland in Chongming, Shanghai; the Yellow River estuary in Dongying, Shandong province; a wetland area in Cangzhou, Hebei province; a national-level nature reserve in Dalian, Liaoning province as well as the Yalu River estuary in Dandong, Liaoning. The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China is located in the world's largest intertidal wetland, serving as an important habitat for migratory birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. This migration route stretches from Siberia-Alaska, passing East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia before reaching all the way to Oceania. Spanning 22 countries, it's the flyway with the richest bird diversity and the highest proportion of endangered species in the world. It provides indispensable breeding grounds, resting places, and wintering grounds for tens of millions of waterbirds. Since the application to inscribe the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China on the World Heritage List was made, the populations of several endangered bird species that use this region for seasonal stopover or breeding have remained stable or increased. In particular, species such as the Siberian crane, oriental white stork, black-headed Gull, and Chinese crested tern, which heavily depend on habitats within China during certain stages of their life cycle, have almost doubled in numbers during this period. The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China is located in a region along the Chinese coast that is economically developed and densely populated. It is surrounded by vast farmland and fish ponds, emerging towns, busy international waterways, and significant green energy infrastructure. It can be said that this is a World Heritage Site where humans and wildlife live side by side, and where the connection between humans and birds is palpable. In 2021, a project aiming to restore bird habitats conducted in the first phase of the migratory bird sanctuaries in Yancheng, east China's Jiangsu province was listed as one of the "100+ Biodiversity Positive Practices and Actions Around the World" together with other 18 initiatives at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15). In 2022, the 2nd Cycle of UNESCO World Heritage & Sustainable Tourism Programme - Chinese Pilot Studies was launched in Badou village located in the Tiaozini wetland of Phase I sanctuaries in Yancheng. Badou village was thus recognized as a base for coordinated world natural heritage conservation and community development. The Phase I sanctuaries in Yancheng are currently leveraging ecological governance, study tours, and sustainable agriculture to organically integrate the ecological system within the heritage site and the socio-ecological system outside of it. This, in turn, will promote harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, based on the foundation of sustainable socio-economic development. The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China will likely become a platform for shaping a new paradigm in the relationship between humans and nature. Traditionally, most natural heritage sites were located in the upper reaches of water systems, where the inhabitants primarily played the role of guardians. However, the Phase I sanctuaries in Yancheng and the three estuary-type heritage sites included in the second phase of the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China are all situated at the terminus of water systems. Water systems are like veins, and freely flying birds are like cells. They closely connect heritage sites with surrounding farmland, fish ponds, and towns. From an ecological perspective, even those strictly protected core areas form an organic "community of life" with the broader systems upstream of heritage sites. In this kind of relationship, heritage conservation is not just the responsibility of a small group of "guardians," but rather an obligation of the broader community in the region - ideally, it should also become a way of life for the people. This means that more people will have the opportunity and necessity to participate in the conservation of heritage sites. The pilot and demonstration projects already initiated in Yancheng will provide valuable experiences for other regions. How can people effectively manage the ecosystems around them, like protecting and managing the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, by utilizing their own wisdom and proactivity? When we can successfully address this question, we will be able to tackle many global ecological issues. The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China provides us with a unique platform for such practical endeavors. (Wen Cheng is a member of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration's World Heritage Expert Committee. He has been offering technical support for the application to inscribe the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China on the World Heritage List since 2016.) Dans la meme rubrique : < > Immersive cultural, tourism activities on the rise across China Fruit trade between China, ASEAN thrives The Development of Islamic Finance in USA: A Journey of Growth and Opportunity Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) English News Chinese robot industry strides toward high-quality development Alwihda Info | Par People's Daily - 10 Septembre 2024 The application of large language models and multimodal models is accelerating the evolution of humanoid robots, but a general-purpose large model is necessary for these robots to be integrated into industrial and services sectors, Wang explained. "I am optimistic and believe that this time frame will not exceed 5 years." By Wang Zheng, Liu Wenxin, People's Daily The 2024 World Robot Conference was recently held in Beijing. Nearly 170 Chinese and foreign robot enterprises joined the 2024 World Robot Expo, part of the World Robot Conference, unveiling more than 600 innovative products, including 27 humanoid robots. In recent years, the Chinese robot industry has experienced rapid growth, integrating deeply into people's daily work and life. China has become the world's largest market and producer of robots. Recently, humanoid robot Walker S Lite developed by UBTECH Robotics Corp., Ltd., a leading robotics firm based in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, completed training at the 5G smart factory of Chinese electric vehicle brand Zeekr in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang province, after working three weeks alongside its human counterparts. With a maximum load of 15 kilograms, it can assist workers in carrying work bins. According to Zhao Chunlin, head of the 5G smart factory, Walker S Lite has become the first humanoid robot in China to perform the entire process of moving cargo boxes, showcasing exceptional task completion and difficulty levels that ranked at the forefront of the industry. To meet the growing individualized demands, the Chinese manufacturing industry is transitioning from high automation to comprehensive intelligentization. "Humanoid robots enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) possess multimodal perception and autonomous decision-making capabilities. They have a competitive advantage when facing complex and changing work environments, showing great potential and broad prospects in intelligent manufacturing," Zhao noted. According to the latest statistics from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the country's newly added robot installations accounted for more than half of the global market over the past three years, and the number of robots per 10,000 workers in China's manufacturing sector reached 470, surging 19 fold in the past decade. Service robots have been widely applied in areas such as family services and medical care, while specialized robots play a crucial role in areas such as air and sea exploration and emergency rescue. Apart from the growing size, China's robot industry has seen a continuous increase in technological capabilities, marked by constant breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies such as multi-sensor fusion perception and natural human-machine interaction, increasingly sophisticated key components like reducers, controllers, and servo systems, and enhanced performance and safety levels of industrial robots engaged in welding and spraying and service robots for surgery and logistics. As of July 2024, China boasted over 190,000 effective robot-related patents, accounting for about two-thirds of the global total. At the same time, governance and regulation of China's robot industry are becoming increasingly comprehensive. The Chinese government has implemented effective policies and measures, such as a development plan for the robotics industry, a "Robot +" action plan, and industry norms for industrial robots. China has participated in the revision of 26 international robot standards, established the World Robot Cooperation Organization, issued the Shanghai Declaration on Global AI Governance, and promoted international cooperation in robot ethics research, regulation and governance. At the opening ceremony of the 2024 World Robot Conference, the upgraded TianGong 1.2MAX humanoid robot was unveiled by the Beijing Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center, China's first innovation center focused on core technologies, product development and application ecosystems for humanoid robots. Standing 173 centimeters tall and weighing 60 kilograms, the robot featured 42 degrees of freedom. It carried the emblem of the conference and placed it precisely on a launch pad in the center of the stage. This marked the first time that a humanoid robot demonstrated long-range task capabilities. "TianGong 1.2MAX is equipped with multiple visual perception sensors, six-dimensional force sensors, an inertial measurement unit, and 3D vision sensors, which allow it to perform 550 trillion calculations per second," said Xiong Youjun, the center's general manager. Twenty-seven humanoid robots made their debut at the 2024 World Robot Conference, attracting considerable attention. When will these products be available for mass production? "The humanoid robot G1, launched in May this year with a starting price of 99,000 yuan ($13,922), is close to completing the design modifications for mass production, and is expected to be mass-produced by the end of the year," said Wang Xingxing, founder, chief executive officer, and chief financial officer of Unitree Robotics, a Hangzhou-based robotics startup. The application of large language models and multimodal models is accelerating the evolution of humanoid robots, but a general-purpose large model is necessary for these robots to be integrated into industrial and services sectors, Wang explained. "I am optimistic and believe that this time frame will not exceed 5 years." "If we follow the order of development, the primary areas where humanoid robots may be first deployed are production lines and special positions such as inspection and maintenance, followed by household chores, elderly care, and other services scenarios," said Ren Lei, co-founder of a Chinese humanoid robot developer and a professor at Jilin University. Wang He, assistant professor in the Center on Frontiers of Computing Studies (CFCS) at Peking University (PKU) and head of PKU-Galbot Joint Lab of Embodied AI, predicted that the ability of humanoid robots to grasp, position, and move can be utilized in multiple scenarios such as factories, retail, and services sector, with the potential to achieve rapid growth from hundreds to thousands of units in the next two years. "In the next 15 years, humanoid robots will definitely grow into a trillion-yuan market," he said. Dans la meme rubrique : < > Immersive cultural, tourism activities on the rise across China Fruit trade between China, ASEAN thrives The Development of Islamic Finance in USA: A Journey of Growth and Opportunity Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) Urged on by senior Hamas official Khaled Mashal, U.S. students have resumed the disorderly anti-Israel demonstrations that wreaked havoc on so many college and university campuses last spring. Cornell, Columbia, NYU, George Washington University, the University of Michigan, and other schools around the country have seen some combination of demonstrations, confrontations with police, destruction of university property, and hate-filled threats of violence leveled against Jewish students and teachers. The surge of open and frequently violent antisemitism since October 7 has had a devastating effect on the sense of community, respectful civility, and commitment to free speech that ought to characterize academic life. On many campuses, Jews conceal their Jewish identity, fear for their physical safety, and feel abandoned by their universities. And, according to a national poll, a majority of all students do not feel comfortable even discussing the conflict between Hamas and Israel. The response of many university administrators to these outrageous developments has been disturbingly limited. Expressing a desire to balance the right to protest with the need to protect student safety, many administrators have been content simply to tweak their policies and procedures governing what are often referred to as expressive activities. Harvard now requires protesters to get advance approval to use bullhorns. The University of Pennsylvania now requires protesters to take down their posters and banners two weeks after putting them up. Indiana University now requires protesters to suspend their demonstrations each day at 11.00 pm. Despite the extremely limited nature of the new requirements, the American Association of University Professors has denounced them as overly restrictive policies, saying that colleges and universities should encourage, not suppress, open and vigorous dialogue and debate even on the most deeply held beliefs. The message to protesters is clear. In the name of free speech, universities will continue to support campus protests, at least when the demonstrations are on behalf of a cause like this one that enjoys support within the academy. This message is clearly wrong. The moral and intellectual muddle that confuses dialogue and debate with mob action and deeply held beliefs with racist antisemitism threatens the very existence of our institutions of higher education. The university is an institution of the Enlightenment. Its purpose, its only legitimizing purpose, is to further knowledge and understanding of the world around us and to transmit that knowledge and understanding across generations. To fulfill its purpose and maintain its legitimacy a university must, first and foremost, maintain the safe, secure, peaceful campus environment that is essential for academic endeavors. Each university must, of course, comply with all laws that apply to it, including civil rights laws, and effectively protect the members of its community from unlawful discrimination, intimidation, and threats of physical violence. Each university must also enact and vigorously enforce the codes of conduct needed to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of every member of its academic community. Time at university is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to broaden their awareness and deepen their understanding of the world around them, a severely time-limited opportunity for them to develop the intellectual capabilities they will need to succeed in their chosen careers and to lead a fulfilling life. Time at university is a time to perfect literacy and numeracy, to develop the capability to engage effectively in empirical, deductive, inductive, and abductive reasoning, to learn research skills, to learn to write and speak clearly, and to discuss and debate in a civil manner, ever mindful of the opportunity to learn from others. Disruptive activities that conflict with these vitally important intellectual endeavors have no place at a university. Disruptive activities that seek to substitute partisan political activism for open-minded scholarship have no place at a university. And disruptive activities that seek to intimidate, threaten violence, and violate the law or official codes of conduct have absolutely no place at a university. Students who engage in such disruptive activities betray the trust of their academic communities. They should be subject to consequential discipline including suspension and expulsion. Faculty and staff who engage in such disruptive activities, or foment them, betray the trust of their academic communities and should also be subject to consequential discipline, including suspension and termination. Those who say that universities must carefully balance the right to protest with the need to protect student safety are profoundly mistaken. Students, and all citizens, have a constitutional First Amendment right to peacefully assemble and protest in public spaces, but not on the campuses of private colleges and universities. The law allows private property owners wide latitude to implement and enforce rules of conduct appropriate for the activities on their property that define their enterprise. And even public educational institutions have a recognized right under law to prohibit disruptive activities by protesters that substantially interfere with the orderly operation of the institution and threaten the rights of others. Speech is not action. And action is not speech even if its called expressive activities. Universities must draw a well-defined distinction between the two and make clear that they offer students and teachers a place where they can come to better understand the world, and most certainly not a place where they can come to try to change the world through the on-campus application of activism and agitation. Students and faculty with positions on the Middle East, or any subject, should be judged by the depth of their knowledge and the intellectual force of their presentations in formally established venues that demand intellectual rigor and respectfully civility. They should not be judged by the decibel levels of their mindlessly chanted sloganeering, even if they got prior approval for the use of their bullhorns. J. Kennerly Davis, Jr. is a graduate of Cornell University and Harvard Law School, and a former Deputy Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia. He can be reached by email: j.kendavis@verizon.net Image: Ted Eytan The radical lefts rainbow symbolism obscures the implicit tensions within its Utopian mysticism, reflected in a prism of constant conflicts that pit former social justice allies into bitter division. A recent display of this irreconcilable intersectionality was exhibited by gay rights advocates in Vermont divided over Palestine. The Pride Center of Vermont has celebrated gay culture since 1983, but it shifted mission in December 2023 via a controversial, one-sided endorsement of a Palestinian state and condemnation of Israel for the ongoing assault on Palestine. There was no criticism of the October attacks against Israeli civilians, or of calls to eliminate the State of Israel entirely. Three of the Pride Center of Vermonts seven board members, themselves gay Jews, subsequently resigned, and a prominent founder alleged that she and a contingent of queer Jews ... have been ignored, silenced and sidelined by the Burlington-based nonprofit. A 40-year mission to celebrate, educate, and advocate with and for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Vermonters has morphed into a woke catch-basin for simplistic opposition against ubiquitous oppressors, including dreaded Zionists. The organizations kaleidoscope statement chirped with Leninite vitriol: Our commitment to anti-oppression extends to all corners of the world and to all people being harmed by the myriad manifestations of the violence of colonialism and white supremacy[.] One of those myriad oppressions is genocidal maniacs calling for the annihilation of Jews and the Jewish state, often fashioned in the call to reclaim Palestine from the river to the sea. Vermonts gay group became the oppose white and Jewish people for their race and ethnicity group, overnight. Small wonder shocked gay Jews recoiled in disgust. These fractures extend throughout identity politics and its self-immolating ideology. When a liberal Burlington newspaper named Seven Days reported complaints against the Pride Center, there was no retraction or more balanced position proffered (e.g., all genocide is bad) by the Pride Center regarding Israel. Instead, the gay advocacy facility threw Jewish gays under the Palestinian bus, elevating the Middle East conflict above a historic focus on AIDS and homophobia. The sister cabal of confused reactionaries lashed out in bizarre support of the Pride Center not for gays, but against Zionists. The Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation (VCPL) issued a sharp rebuke of Seven Days for [ giving ] Zionists a platform to defame the Pride Centers statement as antisemitic, portrayed the Palestinian struggle as part of queer and collective liberation, and praised the Pride Center for [ upholding ] the tradition of queer internationalism. Apparently, queer internationalism is not collective when gay Jews are at the table. In its scathing diatribe, VCPL displayed the racist antisemitic toxicity that is shattering gay unity at the Pride Center in the name of collective opposition to Israel, or anti-Zionism: Each Zionist repeats the false allegation that criticizing Israel, even as it commits genocide, is anti-semitic[.] ... Only Zionists whether they are Jewish, secular, or Christian (Christians are in fact the vast majority of Zionists) support Israel, its apartheid state, and its genocidal war. Supporting or opposing Israel is a political position and not one that can be equated with an entire religious or racial group. The Zionists base all their slanderous accusations against the Pride Center on pinkwashing, on painting Israel as a beacon of gay liberation in a sea of Middle Eastern homophobia. But, in reality, Israel is a homophobic society like all societies throughout the world. No society has ended homophobia and no society has a monopoly on that prejudice. The kaleidoscope cultural-Marxist eyes are spinning red here. Supporting or opposing Israel is political and not to be equated with an entire religious group, but Christians are in fact the vast majority of Zionists. The gay Jewish critics in Burlington did not base all their slanderous accusations ... on pinkwashing; they felt marginalized and racially excluded and complained that the Pride Center was one-sided in its position. Neither the Pride Center nor VCPL denounces the hostage-taking of Israeli civilians on October 7. VCPL demands the release of all Palestinian prisoners, including proven criminals, but not Jewish civilian hostages being used as shields by terrorist Hamas. VCPL joins Muslim extremist Hamas in calling for the eradication of the State of Israel and the ejection (genocide?) of Jews, not a two-state solution. Such extremist, indefensible positions have nothing to do with pinkwashing. The fractious absurdity of these mindless groups is a harbinger of future splinterings within social justice alliances. Identity politics faces a fatal ideological cancer: it seeks to employ statist totalitarianism to impose absolute individual liberty (for sexual perversions, fantasy pronouns, and criminality, at least). Yet it stifles critical and thus individual thought, once considered an important aspect of, say, gay liberation or the battle for free speech and equal rights. (Such things as the colonialist, white supremacist Bill of Rights must not intrude on the great Utopian mission!) VCPL is a hodgepodge of hateful lost souls, including the Central Vermont Democratic Socialists of America, the Champlain Valley Democratic Socialists of America, the Party for Socialism and Liberation Vermont, the Tempest Collective (a revolutionary socialist collective), and a bizarre coven of wrinkled white shame-mongers self-identified as Lost River Racial Justice: We recognize that all indigenous peoples in the occupied land-base known as the United States have the right to self-determination and access to clean and safe land and water. Those of us who are descendants of white settler-colonialism must work to unlearn and dismantle the ongoing colonialist practices of exploitation, domination, entitlement, and individualism that foster disconnection from each other and the land. Kamala Harris burns with jealousy at this marvelous, head-spinning word salad. The white-people Lost River collective exploits invisibilized indigenous people to advance wealth transfers for people of color and will magically ensure rights to clean and safe water. It also apparently supports Palestine, and gay people. The social justice milieu clouds further with every rally, statement, and virtue-signaling rant. This monster eats its own, every time. This is the downside of intersectionality not all interests intersect. As the bizarre magnetism of gripes and whining extends beyond sexual identities and the confused-crowd question-mark alphabet, the endless horizon of revolutionary theories expands. Racist caste systems, hatred of Jews, climate alarmism, and every trendy cause celebre in the crazy-coot arsenal of weaponized grievances gather. Chaos ensues as the impossibility of this irreconcilable intersectionality atomizes common sense, giving way to anarchy and entropy, deconstructing everything in its radioactive path. Attorney-farmer John Klar hosts the Small Farm Republic Substack and podcast from his Vermont farm. His recent book is Small Farm Republic: Why Conservatives Must Embrace Local Agriculture, Reject Climate Alarmism, and Lead an Environmental Revival. Image: hendricjabs via Pixabay, Pixabay License. On Sept. 7, 2024, CBS News reported on statements by a national security spokesman for Vice President Kamala Harris campaign about former President Donald Trumps agreement with the Taliban regarding troop withdrawals and President Joe Biden and Harris subsequent withdrawal from Afghanistan: The campaign argues that Trumps deal created a virtually impossible deadline and left the Biden-Harris administration with zero plans for an orderly withdrawal only a dangerous, costly mess. Trump shamelessly attacks the vice president because he hopes he can trick the country into forgetting that his own actions put troops in harms way, Harris campaign national security spokesperson Morgan Finkelstein told CBS News. Trump wanted to bring the Taliban to Camp David just days before September 11ththink about that. He cut a bad deal with the very same people who violently took over Afghanistan and led to the collapse of the Afghan government. Apparently unmentioned by the Harris campaign to CBS News, and unreported in CBSs article is that the agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban was not a Treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate. Therefore, it had no legal force as to President Joe Biden, as reported by the Associated Press in August 2021: But Biden can go only so far in claiming the agreement boxed him in. It had an escape clause: The U.S. could have withdrawn from the accord if Afghan peace talks failed. They did, but Biden chose to stay in it, although he delayed the complete pullout from May to September. Chris Miller, acting defense secretary in the final months of the Trump administration, chafed at the idea that Biden was handcuffed by the agreement. If he thought the deal was bad, he could have renegotiated. He had plenty of opportunity to do that if he so desired, Miller, a top Pentagon counterterrorism official at the time the Doha deal was signed, said in an interview. The AP further reported: U.S. officials made clear at the time that the agreement was conditions-based and the failure of intra-Afghan peace talks to reach a negotiated settlement would have nullified the requirement to withdraw. One day before the Doha deal, a top aide to chief U.S. negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad said the agreement was not irreversible, and there is no obligation for the United States to withdraw troops if the Afghan parties are unable to reach agreement or if the Taliban show bad faith during negotiations. Just as Trump was able to get out of President Barack Obamas Iran Deal, Biden was not bound by Trumps deal with the Taliban. Biden was free to do the right thing, but he did the wrong thing. He did it with Harris support, as she explained to CNN at the time at 5:35 in this interview. The agreement Trump made with the Taliban was conditional on the Taliban acting in a particular manner. Part 1, subsection B of the agreement states: With the commitment and action on the obligations of the Taliban, the U.S. will withdraw. On page 3 of the agreement in Part 2, the obligations of the Taliban were set forth. The most important are item 1 in Part 2, which states that the Taliban will not allow any of its members, other individuals or groups, including al-Qaida, to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies, and item 3 in Part 2, which states that the Taliban will prevent any group or individual in Afghanistan from threatening the security of the United States and its allies . . . . With its violence against the United States military and the Afghanistan government, the Taliban violated these provisions, thereby releasing the United States from performing its obligation of withdrawal. Two of Trumps officials who helped negotiate this deal wrote about it here and here. On Sept. 8, 2024, the Republican majority on the House Foreign Affairs Committee released a report that states on page 19: Warnings were issued from Ambassador Wilson, Embassy Kabuls regional security officer (RSO), Embassy diplomats, senior State Department officials in Washington, D.C., and senior U.S. military officials that the Taliban were actively violating the Doha Agreement. Yet, the decision to withdraw was made anyway. The Biden-Harris administration had clear and undisputable authority to pause the withdrawal pursuant to the Doha Agreement, but instead used it as pretext to justify their political aims. As State Department Spokesperson Ned Price admitted to the committee, the Talibans adherence to the Doha Agreement was immaterial to the administrations decision to withdraw. If the Taliban did not act as stated in the agreement, Trump did not have to follow the agreement. Likewise, assuming that Biden was bound by the agreement, which he was not, Biden did not have to follow the agreement if the Taliban did not perform its end of the bargain. Even if Biden was legally bound to withdraw, which he was not, there was nothing in Trumps agreement with the Taliban that required Biden to withdraw the United States military before withdrawing all United States civilian citizens and Afghans who helped the U.S. The National Desk reported in March of this year that former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley testified Ill be candid I dont know the exact number of Americans that were left behind because the starting number was never clear. The National Desk further reported: Milley also revealed he lacked information on the number of Afghans who served with U.S. forces. Some of these individuals, he believed, were killed in some pretty brutal ways. Nor was there anything in the agreement that required Biden to leave behind over $7 billion in military equipment for the Taliban. Given Trumps history as a businessman and as President, it is highly unlikely that he would leave $7 billion of anything behind for the Taliban to use or sell. Biden and Harris are not content with only abandoning people and weapons to the Taliban. As revealed on PDF page 2 of the January 2024 report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, under Biden/Harris the U.S. has given over $1 billion to Afghanistan while it is under Taliban control: Since August 2021, the UN has purchased, transported, and transferred at least $2.9 billion to Afghanistan using international donor contributions. The U.S. is the largest international donor, having provided about $2.6 billion in funding for the UN, other PIOs, and NGOs operating in Afghanistan since August 2021. More than $1.7 billion of that funding came from State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to support humanitarian activities implemented by PIOs and NGOs, including the UN, the World Bank, and the Colombo Plan. However, SIGAR found that donors make contributions to pooled UN accounts, and individual donorsincluding State and USAIDcannot determine how much of their contributions are used to purchase and transport cash for use in Afghanistan. As of this writing, there is no indication that Harris has rebuked her spokesman for his deception. Nor is there any indication that Harris has apologized to the families of those American soldiers who were murdered during the Biden/Harris botched withdrawal, as they suffer further emotional injury from the Harris campaigns deceptive attempt to evade blame for Harris support of a policy that caused these needless deaths. Allan J. Favish is an attorney in Los Angeles. His website is allanfavish.com. In 2010 James Fernald and Mr. Favish co-authored a book about what might happen if the government ran Disneyland, entitled "Fireworks! If the Government Ran the Fairest Kingdom of Them All (A Very Unauthorized Fantasy). Image: Screen shot from CBS8 video, via YouTube Globalists are doing everything they can to destroy America in order to usher in a one-world government that puts us all into a digital concentration camp. They have made progress because their intentions have been hiding in plain sight. However, that is changing. Victory against the evil globalists is highly dependent upon whistleblowers and warriors who are committed to fight for right and freedom. You likely are asking, Dont we have a military to do that? The answer is yes, we do. However, like most of the federal government, the higher ranks of the military have been neutered and weaponized against patriots resisting the globalist tyranny. Sadly, the result has been a military that is no longer an effective fighting force. Look at our last debacle in Afghanistan, where we spent 20 years to replace the Taliban...with the Taliban. Our military now does an excellent job at complying with the globalists, capitulating to what it knows is wrong, and ignoring its oath. I am highly critical of the military today, and especially the Marine Corps, because I am biased and of the cloth! All of this should be clear to everyone paying attention, especially now that the World Economic Forum (WEF) admitted that the COVID pandemic was a test of our compliance with its desired New World Order. As Leo Hohmann writes in his article on the subject, [t]hey wanted to know how many people would comply with a complete re-ordering of their lives based on no science at all, just random orders, some of which bordered on absurdity. The pandemic may have been a test, but the mandated COVID vaccine in this experiment has caused irreparable harm and death to millions around the globe! In October 2023, the commandant of the Marine Corps, General Eric Smith, suffered a heart attack and barely survived. In August 2024, retired Marine general William Mullen died of a blood clot. Both men were 59, were super-fit, ate well, and were extremely healthy. This is not a mere coincidence. The secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, mandated the COVID vaccine, even though young, healthy people in the military population had no issues with the virus. These generals did what they were told. They took the vaccine and pushed it on their troops, even though at that time the data were clear: the COVID vaccine was killing and maiming countless people around the world. They are now viewed as accomplices to the mass COVID vaccination effort pushed by Big Pharma, which paid off politicians and government officials worldwide. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) whistleblower, Lt. Ted Macie, in March 2023 released a trove of data from a Pentagon medical database showing a spike in myocarditis cases in the military in 2021, following the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Senator Johnson from Wisconsin had several hearings on the dangers of the COVID vaccine. One such hearing had three military doctor whistleblowers, and they showed that there was a massive spike in incidences of heart issues, cancers, miscarriages, infertility, and much more. There are extensive data from multiple sources that show that the COVID vaccine was never safe or effective. Rather, it is clear four years later that the vaccines were a bio-weapon designed to cull the herd, to reduce the population. Here is just a snapshot of our Marine Corps, with two of its finest. One was murdered by the vaccine and the other maimed, along with thousands of other Marines who have suffered, doing nothing other than what they were told by the traitors in our own government who have submitted to the globalist agenda. What good is a military and Marine Corps if they do not win wars, if they ignore traitors in our government (including the White House), if they allow a coordinated bio-weapon attack by unelected technocrats on themselves (and the entire country), if they allow destructive social policies and a full-scale invasion to take place on our southern border in plain sight? The honor of our military has been tainted. Let us pray that it does something to get that luster back. Get Some! Image: Triggermouse via Pixabay, Pixabay License. Does San Diego have a 'Hamas' problem? No, not the ignorant student protestors at universities being directed by Hamas's proxies. No, not the terrorists rolling into the area from Joe Biden's and Kamala Harris's open border. They may be seeing actual tunnels, dug by Hamas itself or its clients the Mexican cartels, coming in through Mexico. The U.S. Border Patrol has discovered more than 200 of them since 2003, according to the Department of Customs & Border Protection. The most recent one found, that there's any news on, at least, was a 2022 Tijuana-to-San Diego tunnel, complete with air conditioning, electricity and rail lines within, stretching a mile. They are getting sophisticated. Investigative reporter Todd Bensman thought the report, taken from an Israel Defense Forces colonel on reserve, made sense. Wow . This is interesting and also plausible. Who are about the worlds best tunnel diggers these days? Hamas@jaeson_jones https://t.co/1ojiQeZTEA Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) September 13, 2024 The original tweet reads: JERUSALEM NewsMax correspondent JAESON JONES interviewed Israeli Defense Forces Colonel (Res.) Dr. DANY TIRZA, who was responsible for planning the security infrastructure in the West Bank. As we know, directly from Palestinians in Gaza Strip, there is a group of Hamas that works with the syndicates in Tijuana to dig tunnels toward San Diego, Tirza told Jones. According to Tirza, Hamas engineers have a special technology that allows them to work and dig in sandy areas that the Mexicans [do not] have. And therefore they need people from Hamas in order to be able to construct tunnels in the sandy terrain. Hamas are making a lot of money by helping the cartels with their tunnel-digging know-how, Tirza said. That's bad news for the city, meaning, probably the best in battle-tested technology is being transferred to Mexico's cartels to help it along in its "business" of smuggling drugs and aliens into the U.S. And Hamas being what it is, we probably shouldn't dismiss that they could construct tunnels of their own for terrorism purposes, or as a subcontractor to Iran. That's a creepy development if the colonel is right. Because alongside the Hamas report, there's also this, from San Diego's most conservative county supervisor, Jim Desmond: San Diego is leading the nationand not in a good way. We account for 85% of all "Special Interest Aliens"individuals with known ties to terrorismwho have been arrested, charged, or convicted of crimes related to terrorism by U.S. or foreign authorities. This isnt just a pic.twitter.com/klgRQKq8Va Supervisor Jim Desmond (@jim_desmond) September 12, 2024 That so many are coming into San Diego over other places suggests well-developed networks of criminals, which of course, could include narcoterrorist groups like Hamas. Seems there's a lot of complementarities between Hamas and the Mexican cartels, particularly since they have found each other. While information remains sparse, it's unfortunate it remains sparse based on media silence. One can only hope that we don't hear more of these terrorists based on "events" as the border remains open under the wretched and venal team in the White House. They were happy to see San Diego polluted by Mexican sewage in the case of Imperial Beach because of their political interests. One can only hope that that doesn't extend to Hamas terrorists and Mexican cartels, too. Image: Twitter screen shot Most people who communicate via email know that, when sending a message to a large group, careful use of the bcc (blind carbon copy) feature is mandatory. In addition, the reply all feature must be used cautiously. Recently, State Department spokesman John Kirby mistakenly hit reply all on an email. Oops! He accidentally included Fox News in that reply, thinking he was emailing just State Department co-workers. Embarrasingly for Kirby, the reply all message appeared to disparage four veterans (including a member of Congress) who objected to the Afghanistan withdrawal chaos, during which thirteen Americans died. Two weeks ago, a national political campaign workers failure to use bcc recently exposed my personal email address to 156 random strangers. The only thing we apparently had in common was our uncommon email suffix following the @ symbol. Soon my inbox filled with some of the 156 who hit reply all with demands to take my name off your list! as if the other 155 of us could do that. Other reply all messages asked, Why am I on this email? One replied to all to say, You are scum. Then at least ten people hit reply all, saying, Quit hitting Reply All! Others chimed in with Dont tell us not to Reply All when you yourself hit Reply All. Another wrote, This is a riot. If all of you who are asking to stop replying to all, would stop replying to all, this would stop. Duh!!! But then some people decided to take a more lighthearted approach. One person noted our common email suffix. Soon, one cheerful soul named George said, I think were becoming good friends. BBQ at my place next Tuesday. BYOB. Please dont RSVP. Kelly said, George, how gracious of you. What can we all bring? Katy said, It would be great if we could all get together. Joe asked, Where is the BBQ? Im in northern CA. Thanks for hosting, George. Very kind. Youre the best. Another wrote, Ive been throwing these away with no response. But now that theres a BBQ, I want to come. I dont cook but Ill bring whatevers needed. Jenna wrote, Where is this party? What do you want me to bring? One crab called us all fools after he, of course, hit reply all. Then came offers to bring tequila, potato salad, beer, and more to the BBQ. Janine added, Im in for a BBQ. This may be the best email thread Ive read in a long time. In these serious times, its good to have a little harmless fun with strangers. Thank you to the campaign worker who forgot to use bcc. Barbara Kalbfleisch is retired. She enjoys photography and is an accredited Shutterstock contributor, specializing in editorial photography. Pexels. " captext=" Pexels " src="https://images.americanthinker.com/imported/2023-11/250143_640.jpeg" /> Image via Pexels. During the September 10 debate with Donald Trump, Kamala Harris said shes not taking anyones guns, and she and Tim Walz, her vice-presidential pick, are gun owners. Well. That certainly settles things, doesnt it? Not so much. Consider this from 2019, during Kamalas first, utterly disastrous, run for the White House: Graphic: Twitter Screenshot And this, specifically about her desire not only to ban assault weapons, but to confiscate them through a mandatory gun buy-back: Harris reiterated her support for the mandatory buyback of assault weapons, joining Beto ORourke and fellow Sen. Cory Booker in backing the approach from the forum stage. We have to have a buyback program, and I support a mandatory gun buyback program, she said. Its got to be smart, we got to do it the right way. But there are 5 million [assault weapons] at least, some estimate as many as 10 million, and were going to have to have smart public policy thats about taking those off the streets, but doing it the right way. Keep in mind doing it the right way came in response to an interviewer asking her about the Second Amendment, as in isnt what youre suggesting in violation of the Second Amendment? Why no, Kalama replied. Well have to do it the right'smartway. In other words, of course its unconstitutional, but well do it anyway. Also keep in mind Kamala Harris is the number two moveror puppet if you preferin the Administration resolutely attacking the First Amendment like no other in history. It is the Second Amendment that was designed by the Founders to protect the rest. Oh, Democrats/socialist/communists like Harris absolutely hate it when anyone actually quotes the writings of the Founders, not only from the Federalist Papers, but other accounts of their proceedings. The Second Amendment is based in the common law right to self-defense, but it primarily exists to allow Normal Americans, if necessary, to overthrow a tyrannical government. Would-be tyrants really, really hate anyone to know that little bit of essential American history, because theyll be the recipients of the application of the Founders intent and wisdom. People like Harris scornfully sneer that if the Founders knew about assault weapons, they never would have written the Second Amendment. Joe Bidendidnt he used to be president or something?keeps saying only government was allowed to own cannon back then. Not only is Joe entirely wrong, so are Harris and her fellow travelers. The principles behind the Second Amendment do not change with time, because human nature does not change, and as always, absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Founders were content that the common man own the most powerful military weapons of their time, including cannon. They would have been delighted by AR-15s. What then are we to make of Kamalas new promise not to take anyones guns? Didnt her campaign handlers say, not a week or so ago, she still wanted to ban assault weapons, but just didnt want to confiscate them anymore? Why yes, they did. So now were to believe Harris doesnt want to ban any class of firearm, including non-existent assault weapons? Or she does want to ban them, just wont confiscate them? So you can keep the guns you already have, but no new ones, and thats only until Kamala or her handlers change their positions? And she said she owns guns, so she wouldnt want to take anyone elses guns? Or maybe shes lying about that to make us think she wouldnt? Kamala isnt saying, neither are her handlers, and its not any of your business anyway, Deplorable. Has Kamala suddenly, for apparently the first time in a political life lived as a California Marxist, developed new respect for the Second Amendment, for the Constitution? But she owns guns! So did past Senator Dianne Feinstein, who had one of the very few concealed carry permits in California, as well as a Chinese spy as a driver and go-fer for some two decades. That gun didnt keep her from being one of the most dedicated anti-liberty/gun cracktivists in history, and Harris has always been the same. As a senator, Harris was infamous for being the most leftist in the Senate, to the left even of Bernie Sanders, a man who honeymooned in the Soviet Union. Let him have the last word: No, I don't think she's abandoning her ideals. I think she's trying to be pragmatic and doing what she thinks is right in order to win the election. Translation: Her newly found policies are miraculous election year conversions. Shes lying. She really does want to ban and confiscate Americans guns, though if shes telling the truth about owning some, shell keep hers. Shes important, youre not, and her values really havent changed. Thats the only honest thing shes said in years. Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor. He Weidong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Friday met with foreign guests from Myanmar, South Africa and Pakistan, who are in Beijing for the ongoing 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum. While meeting with Tin Aung San, Myanmar's deputy prime minister and union minister for defense, He said that the Chinese military is willing to work with the Myanmar side to enhance pragmatic cooperation and safeguard the security and stability of the two countries' border areas. During his meeting with Angie Motshekga, South Africa's minister of defense and military veterans, He said that the two countries' militaries should engage in deeper, more solid cooperation and work together to protect global fairness and justice. When meeting Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Army, he pledged to work with Pakistan to shield the two countries' strategic interests, as well as regional peace and stability. Does something stink of Joe Biden's politics here in San Diego? Amy Reichert, a conservative local political figure who specializes in exposing the seedy underbelly of San Diego's political scene, thinks so. This tweet video summing up the issue is an absolute must-see: Joe Biden turned off the Trump Pumps and has been poisoning Americans for the past 1000 days. pic.twitter.com/sT8wwdfgPZ Amy Reichert (@amyforsandiego) September 12, 2024 She is describing America's Other Border Problem, the fact that San Diego is has been the recipient of Tijuana's raw, untreated sewage flowing onto its beaches, particularly those in the southern part of the county just north of the Mexican border, such as Imperial Beach. For that reason, Imperial Beach recently took the crown from Surfrider Foundation as the nation's filthiest beach. I wrote about that here. It's been going on like this for more than 1,000 days, shutting those beaches down. Lately, really gross rotten-egg-smelling sulfur-based chemicals, and even hyper-toxic cyanide-based chemicals, which is used in weapons of war, is rolling in from Mexican factories, mixed in with the raw Mexican toilet sewage already coming in creating intolerable conditions on this side of the border. A few days ago, the Centers for Disease Control announced that it would be surveying residents for health effects of breathing the stench from raw sewage all day long. By coincidence, the awfulness has happened for the duration of the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration. Turns out that's not a coincidence. Now that election time is approaching, suddenly, they've got the problem solved with the appearance of some pumps on the TJ side that somehow got shut down earlier. Turns out President Trump actually solved the problem years ago, Reichert notes, when he bought those pumps to be built on the Mexican side of the border so that Mexico could keep its own sewage. When Joe Biden took office, the pumps were mysteriously turned off and the sewage flowed into San Diego County, making a lot of people sick, forcing Navy SEALs up north to swim in it, Border Patrol agents to come into contact with it, and property owners to take the hit to the value of their properties as the giant Mexican toilet flowed northward. Why were those pumped turned off? Reichert says in her video to follow the money. From what I got from it, it's likely federal funds were to flow so long as the beaches stayed filthy and a lot of Biden and Newsom cronies were to be made rich. Reichert charges that the Biden administration actually colluded with the Mexicans to create the problem, allowed it to go on (in a bid to shake out federal cleanup funds), and were actually sitting on the solution all along. Besides money, which is the most likely reason, the other possible reason could have been that since Trump purchased the pumps, they didn't want those pumps running because Trump bought them and he might get credit for them, never mind the sewage flowing in. That was their apparent logic on dismantling the border wall -- Kamala is now all for it, but her administration sold off its materials at scrap metal prices, costing the federal government billions. Up until now, that has been the status quo. Now it's "fixed," at least temporarily with those Trump pumps going. That's weird stuff because California's green-leader governor, Gavin Newsom, as well as Harris and Biden, did nothing at all about the toxic, stinking sewage from Mexico spilling in until now. That puzzled a lot of people, except that now Reichert has made it clearer. Election time is on, so suddenly problems are getting 'solved,' at least temporarily. A few days ago, a $300 million lawsuit was filed against Veolia, which runs one of the treatment plants on the U.S. side, by Imperial Beach residents for loss of value of their property. In another development, university researchers contradicted the County San Diego's own claims that the sewage was not that bad. Maybe these developments triggered the sudden appearance of the "Trump pumps" again, which stopped the flow of the Mexican sewage. Because the big problem has always been Mexico, which has been pumping out 50 million gallons of raw sewage daily right into San Diego's beachsides, and California's and Biden's unwillingness to do anything about it. On July 5, I wrote this: Recent news reports say that while blue-city mayors have pleaded for the state and federal governments to do something about Tijuana's shameless release of raw sewage onto San Diego's famous beaches, California's governor, Gavin Newsom, has resisted declaring an emergency as the sewage continues to pour in and close the beaches, claiming it's Joe Biden's job to do it and he won't ask for it. A Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, he is not. But it's pretty outrageous, given Newsom's fondness for every other kind of federal aid as well as his claims to have turned the state 'green.' ... Officials say the problem is being repaired incrementally from the Mexican side, but will "take time." Now the U.S. and Mexico have restored the Trump pumps, the sudden cooperation from Mexican authorities rather strongly resembles the secret border deal that investigative reporter Todd Bensmann reported earlier -- that Biden and Mexico's president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador apparently had a secret deal in place to reduce the border flow until election time, and after that, would turn the spigots back on. Could the sudden appearance of the Trump pumps be the same kind of deal, to be turned off again once the federal cash is to be had? Listen to Reichert's video, and decide for yourself. Image: Screen shot from ABC 10 News video, via YouTube. Whether he liked it or not, Pope Francis unwittingly endorsed Donald Trump for president of the U.S.: In a press conference on his return home from his trip to Southeast Asia, he fumbled around with his position, attempting to equivocate abortion with sending an illegal alien back to his homeland, claiming one was as bad as the other.. According to the Catholic Herald: Referring to pro-choice candidates and anti-migrant candidates, the Pope said: Both of them are against life, both the one who throws out migrants and the one who kills children. To not welcome migrants is a sin, he said, speaking on his Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore to Rome, saying, the Old Testament of the bible offers a clear model of who should be welcomed: the orphan, the widow, and the stranger. They are the ones that the people of Israel had to protect. Those who dont protect the migrant are lacking, its a sin. Its also a sin against the life of those people, he said, recalling how during his visit to the United States in 2015 he celebrated Mass in El Paso, near the US-Mexico border. Francis said he saw the shoes of many migrants who attempted to cross into the United States, but whose journey ended badly there. Today there is a migration flow inside Central America who at times is treated like slaves, because they are profited from. Immigration is a right, a right that is in sacred scripture, he said. On abortion, the Pope said science proves that within a month after conception, a foetus has all of the organs contained in the human body. To have an abortion is to kill a human being. You like the word, or you dont like it, but it is to kill, he said, saying the Churchs position against abortion does not mean that it is closed but rather: The Church does not allow an abortion because it is to kill, its an assassination, its an assassination, and we must have things clear on this. To send migrants away, he said, is something terrible, there is evil there. To send away a child from the womb of the mother is an assassination, because there is life. We must speak about these things clearly, he said, saying there are no buts involved. The difference, of course, is one of these people dies and gets cut up and sold for parts, while the other remains alive and free to apply to migrate legally to the United States or a plethora of other countries from his place of citizenship. The U.S. takes in 1 million legal migrants each year so to claim that all the U.S. does is deport migrants is nonsense. He might consider the Vatican's immigration policy, or actually, any other nation's, if he wants get into comparisons about who's stingy about letting migrants in. To equivocate a grisly death behind closed doors for profit with getting sent back to Honduras after breaking the laws of the country one insists on living in is kind of a no-brainer for voters, which is why a new Pew Research poll shows a majority of church-going Catholics favor Donald Trump for president. He also conflates the terrible fates migrants meet at the hands of smugglers and human trafficking rackets with rule-of-law actions to stop illegal immigration. That's nonsense, given that open borders are what's causing the carnage among migrants, not border walls and strict deportation policies for lawbreakers. In that regard, President Trump's policies, not Kamala Harris's, are far more humane and pro-life. If people know they can't get in by migrating illegally, they will focus on migrating legally or else staying at home and improving their countries. That is pro-life. Fact is, there is no such thing as an open border, actually. If the U.S. under the Biden-Harris regime doesn't want to guard its border, Mexico's evil drug cartels will -- and will only permit passage for a price, with the failure to pay, of course, death. The pope's muddly uncertainty, though, saying he "didn't know" which was worse, was kind of unbecoming of a pope. On whether it can ever be morally licit for a Catholic to vote for a pro-choice candidate, Pope Francis urged Catholics to vote no matter what. In political morality, in general they say that if you dont vote, its not good, its bad. You have to vote, and you have to choose the lesser evil. What is the lesser evil? That woman, or that man? I dont know. Each one, in their conscience, must think, he said. Well, we Catholics have thought about it in our consciences, and sure enough, most of us think that being killed and cut up and sold for parts by Planned Parenthood is a lot worse than having to live in the country of one's birth in a non-war setting with democratic voting rights to change one's government if one doesn't like it. Is being deported to live in some place like Peru or Ghana or Turkey after trying to cut the line to enter the U.S. really a death sentence, no different from being aborted? Millions of people live in these places, yet somehow the pope thinks it's a death sentence, no different from being aborted and tossed into a bloody bucket as "medical waste." Seems a little extreme. Maybe he can ask the locals in those countries, now that he's out doing international trips, whether life in their countries is the same as a death sentence based on life there not including U.S. green cards. Like it or not, the answer to the rest of us is pretty clear. Choose the lesser evil, he says. Thanks for that Trump endorsement, Pope Francis. Image: Screen shot from Forbes Breaking News video, via YouTube In a hushed Georgia courtroom, father and son faced justice for a devastating murderous act that shook a community to its core. Fourteen-year-old Colt Gray sat before the judge, accused of snuffing out four lives at Apalachee High School. Grieving families watched silently as the teen faced four counts of first-degree murder, with the possibility of life in prison. Colin Gray, 54, followed his son into the courtroom, charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and child cruelty. If convicted, Colin faces up to 180 years behind bars. As cameras captured the proceedings, father and son were assigned public defenders. After a brief recess, the teenage shooter was summoned back to the courtroom. The judge, realizing the need for clarification, formally advised the teenager that state law prohibits the death penalty for juveniles. So now the legal stage is set, and its anyones guess how the case will proceed. There are many factors to consider, beginning with whether the father and son will plead guilty or will fight the charges. If the latter path is pursued, will the defense focus on Colts mental health history, the mothers drug addiction and rap sheet, or the domestic abuse surrounding the father? In the case of the father, will the defense focus on a barely literate man trying to raise a teenage son with limited financial and emotional resources? Its anyones guess. What is certain, though, if this case is like the others before it, is that the public will be lucky to be provided with the mental health data of everyone involved. It is certain that the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services is already in a heightened defensive mode, as many questions will surround the state agencys oversight of this family, especially fourteen-year-old Colt. The mental health history, including prescription medications, of the accused is key to understanding the dynamics of this broken family. Unfortunately, too often, the prosecution, and even the defense, minimize the importance of the shooters mental health history and the adverse effects associated with the prescribed drugs. In the case of Nikolas Cruz, the shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, he pleaded guilty and, therefore, was afforded only state courtappointed representation during his sentencing hearing. Even though the State of Florida Department of Children and Families had provided mental health services to Cruz since he was seven years old, the court apparently didnt consider this a serious conflict of interest. Sadly, Cruzs defense team had little understanding of the mind-altering psychiatric drug cocktails that were prescribed to Cruz, and therefore, no importance was attached to the devastating role the drugs may have played in his violent behavior. In the Gray case, there are other factions that could not care less about mental health histories and will solidly focus on attacking the gun lobby and manufacturers. This worked well for the Sandy Hook shooting victims families, who were successful in winning a suit against gun maker Remington to the tune of $73 million. In Tennessee, where Audrey Hale shot and killed six at the Covenant School, the legal landscape regarding psychiatric treatment records is evolving, with recent challenges focusing on copyright claims. This emerging strategy appears to offer a new layer of protection for behavioral health providers and pharmaceutical companies. By asserting copyright over treatment notes and drug formulations, these entities are creating additional barriers to accessing sensitive mental health information and proprietary drug data. This approach has sparked debate over the balance between patient rights, medical transparency, and corporate interests in the mental health sector. On the other hand, in the case of father and son Gray, there are other entities that may be key in revealing how the system failed this family and, especially, this fourteen-year-old. An in-depth examination of the roles of family services and law enforcement adds new dynamics. Consider that the Georgia police and FBI were in contact with the father and son just a year earlier, when accusations were made that the then-thirteen-year-old made threats about carrying out a shooting at an undisclosed middle school. The FBI was unable to substantiate the accusations, apparently made online in 2023. However, the FBI should have completed a Threat Triage and Data Collection form, which is comprehensive, including information about the suspects mental health history and prescribed medications. Having the FBI make this threat assessment publicly available would go a long way toward understanding why the federal agency failed to act in 2023. Given the ever-increasing numbers of children being prescribed mind-altering psychiatric drugs as treatment by state family services, it is an obvious target to glean any and all information about what role the State of Georgias Division of Family Services played in response to the obvious neglect within this family. How exactly did Family Services handle the Gray family, and what state behavioral health interventions were utilized on the childrens behalf? Did Family Services ever suggest that the kids be removed from the broken home, and did any of the states behavioral health experts that dealt with the family ever consider fourteen-year-old Colt to be a risk to himself or others? Were warning signs ignored or overlooked that may have contributed to this tragedy? If Colt has a competent attorney, the mental health information should come out during the trial. Although it may not be enough to keep the shooter from spending the rest of his life in prison, it is mitigating information that must be considered. But the hurdle is making mental health records and psychiatric drug information publicly available. The defense will have its hands full with the pharmaceutical and behavioral health industries that would prefer that this information never see the light of day. Image via Pexels. Having never been to Springfield, Ohio, I cant really say if Haitian refugees are dining on felines. The media says its fake news. Local residents attest theyve seen it. Who should one believe? These days, it is always good to fall back on facts and the essentials of an issue. Facts are stubborn things, especially it seems for Democrat progressives. Concerning the matter of Haitians and Springfield, the indisputable fact is that someone (the federal government?) saw fit to insert 20,000 Haitians into a town of 60,000 people. That doesnt seem a good testimonial to the Deep States ability to address community repercussions such as health care, schooling, policing, heck, even sewer and trash. But the Deep State did it nonetheless. I dont recall if the citizens of Springfield ever voted in a referendum to bring in the Haitians, either. It seems not. How, then, do those on the left say that Trumps return to the presidency would be a Threat to Democracy. Or is this just another example of the Left accusing others of what it itself does? Image by AI. I used the verb insert to describe the placement of the Haitians in the town of Springfield, but what comes to mind is the term colonization. The estimable Barack Hussein Obama was certainly no friend of colonialism. Still, here, his cadre actually colonized southern Ohio with a population of folks whose culture bears little resemblance to the in-place population. Actually, one might go so far as to say that the Obama/Biden/Holder/Harris Deep State is, in fact, replacing the indigenous population of whites and (American) blacks with the Haitians. Well, if your intended goal is to transform America, this is as good a way as any. Just ask Michiganders, one of whose elected representatives is Ilhan Omar. Or does Ilhan represent Mogadishu? Its murky. History has a very good example of forced colonization, which isnt pretty. In the 1650s, the also estimable Oliver Cromwell decided to colonize northeastern Ireland (Ulster) with tens of thousands of very passionate (and passionately anti-Catholic) Protestants, promising them land and other goodies. Sound any way familiar? That little chess move resulted in 400 years of brutal sectarian strife and death that is still ongoing. Does this sound like a sound plan? Does anyone actually think that the welfare of the people being shoved overor that of the people being insertedis a big consideration for the self-styled elite? In an irony of ironies of ironies (for the Obama/Harris elite), there is another example as well. Ignoring the fact that Jews have occupied the land of Israel non-stop for 3,800 years, leftists love to castigate Jews as colonizers whove been relying on the sob story of the Holocaust to steal land from the Palestinians. Weve seen how this narrative has played out. Yet now we see the irony (hypocrisy?) of our ruling elite in all this, as they trash the Israelis but show gushing sympathy for the Haitians who have no ties to North American land. Getting back to the Haitians, they are perhaps one the most lamentable, abused peoples on Earth. Their plight is sad in the extreme. But in the Dem lefts playbook of Two Wrongs Solve the Trick, one cannot help but be struck by the careless, callous disregard for Ohios existing (lower middle class) population. One is driven to ask why werent these poor people settled in Marthas Vineyard, La Jolla, suburban Philadelphia, or the Upper East Side? Or Georgetown? Thats a trick question. We know the answer, and its why the left needs to be driven utterly from office (and from our culture) this November. They are driven by sneering hypocrisy and indifference to the welfare of no-name Americans (Deplorables?), no matter their color or sex. The latest Android 15 QPR1 Beta update has correctly enabled the setting to limit battery charging to 80%. This setting allows users to prolong battery life. Android 15 QPR1 Charging optimization menu now works to set an 80% battery limit Google has been refining the Android 15 OS update for several weeks. The search giant has released two beta versions of Android 15 QPR1 builds so far. The latest beta version of Android 15, tagged as Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2, includes a new desktop windowing feature. Interestingly, the Beta 1 version introduced a notification about enabling a new charge limit. However, among other broken things, users were unable to change this battery charging limiter setting correctly. Google has addressed the issue with the setting in the Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2. The company states that it fixed an issue that prevented the 80% device charge limit from being disabled (Issue #363170385). Google has been including several features and functions in Android 15 that help users gain more out of their Android devices. The battery saver feature alone could help significantly prolong the batterys longevity. How does the new Battery Saver feature work? Google introduced a new Charging optimization setting in Android 14. It allows users to switch on Adaptive Charging. This function ensures battery charging pauses at 80% and finishes at 100% an hour before you usually unplug. Google has added another setting in the Settings > Battery section. Called Limit to 80% completely pauses charging once the battery reaches 80% charge. In other words, any Android 15 device with this setting turned on, wont charge the battery beyond 80%. In the latest Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 when users activate this setting, a shield icon appears on top of the battery in the status bar. If thats not clear enough, the battery widget, lock-screen, and Always-On Display (AOD) state the phone is Done charging. The Done Charging notification seems a lot better than the Plugged-in, Not Charging notification on Windows laptops. And it is reportedly similar to the Pixel Tablet and Charging Speaker Dock experience. Numerous studies have indicated that limiting the battery to 80% charge helps prolong its service life. Several Android smartphone users had to experiment with rooting their devices to set this limit. It seems Google has listened to these Android users and implemented the feature. TikTok and its parent company ByteDance are gearing up for a court hearing on Monday. The insanely popular social media platform will try to avoid, stall, or delay its nationwide ban in the US. ByteDance still facing a nationwide ban in the US TikTok has been facing an uncertain future in the US. The viral social media platform could be banned in the country from 2025. However, TikToks parent company ByteDance hasnt given up, and will reportedly try to reverse or at least stall the administrative action. TikTok and ByteDance are set for a court hearing on Monday. It could prove to be a crucial day for the social media platform that is actively used by over 170 million Americans. As per recent court proceedings, ByteDance may have to shut down TikTok in America or heavily divest from the social media platform. A new law that the current US President Joe Biden signed in this year, gave ByteDance until January 19 to decide. Needless to say, ByteDance prefers neither of the options. Hence, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear oral arguments on the legal challenge on Monday. How will ByteDance try to keep TikTok operational at the upcoming court hearing? The US Administration has stressed that it does not want to kill TikTok. The platform is extremely popular with Republican candidate Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Both candidates are actively using TikTok to try and connect with young American voters. The Biden administration insists it wants to end the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over TikTok for national security reasons. ByteDance, on the other hand, is accusing the US Government of infringing free speech. Specifically speaking, ByteDance may continue to argue that the impending nationwide ban on TikTok in the US is unconstitutional. The company could reiterate that such laws try and stifle free speech, a constitutional right that America takes very seriously. ByteDance could also ask the US court to ensure it supports the concept of an open internet. Verizon is currently in the midst of a cost-cutting and internal reorganization strategy that includes the layoff of approximately 5,000 employees in the coming months. However, many of them will leave the company soon. The company is looking to make its operations more efficient and profitable than they are now. The carrier also recently confirmed its intention to acquire Frontier. In February, Verizon had about 105,400 full-time employees, of which 84% reside in the US. In June, Verizon began a voluntary separation program with incentive payments to encourage employees in certain sections to leave the company. The carrier wants to achieve a reduction of 4,800 employees, which represents 4.5% of its full-time workforce. Verizon to begin the layoff of about 5,000 employees this month Of the almost 5,000 employees laid off, half will leave the company in September, while the rest will leave their positions in March 2025. Verizon reportedly estimates that it will face charges of between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion in severity payments from the voluntary separation program. That translates to between $1.3 billion and $1.4 billion after taxes. This big charge corresponds only to Q3 2024, for the payouts of staff leaving the company this month, so you can expect a similar one next March. In addition to the layoffs, the companys cost-cutting strategy includes leaving non-strategic portions of certain businesses. However, Verizon did not offer more specific details on which businesses are considered non-strategic. The mobile carrier is also undergoing an internal reorganization (or business rationalization). The latter will result in an additional charge of $230 million to $380 million ($170 million to $290 million after-tax) for Q3 2024. Verizons stock growth fell short of expectations S&P 500 estimates had called for 16% growth in Verizons stock for this year. However, the company has fallen slightly short of expectations with 15% year-to-date. In comparison, T-Mobile and AT&T stocks are up 25.1% and 25.2% over the same period, respectively. Verizons reported earnings for Q3 2024 are $1.08 per share on sales of $33.3 billion. Its noteworthy that this will be a busy time for telecom companies and the mobile tech industry in general. The iPhone 16 series will hit stores on September 20, so thousands of customers are already contacting their carriers to secure a unit. You are here: China China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Friday activated a Level-IV emergency response to drought in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. Since the beginning of August, most of Chongqing has seen continuous high temperatures and little rain, with many districts and counties experiencing different degrees of drought, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management. Rainfall in Chongqing is forecast to remain low and the drought is expected to develop further, said the ministry. The headquarters has sent a work team to Chongqing to assist and guide the work of drought relief and disaster reduction. China has a four-tier drought-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe. UK men say they feel pressure from romantic partners and social media to look and act a certain way. (Getty Images) (Getty Images) British men are at a crossroads when it comes to figuring out what masculinity means in modern society. While the scope of masculinity is more inclusive than ever, traditional expectations of men still linger, leaving many men confused. A new report by dating website eharmony sheds light on how modern masculinity, with all its pressures on men to look and act a certain way, is impacting the dating world. The data uncovers some of the complexities when it comes to what men expect of themselves and what is expected of them, across a variety of areas including dating and sex. We take a closer look at how ideas around modern men are affecting the way people date and form relationships. Men are getting mixed messages Despite social media being full of dating trends that welcome men who have not historically been seen as the "masculine ideal", expectations of men appear to be more traditional in real terms. The New Leading Man report by eharmony found that 18% of British men have felt pressure from a romantic partner to change how they dress. An additional 16% said they felt like they had to change their attitude. UK men also felt pressured by their partner to change their emotions (15%), friends (14%) and weight (13%). When asked to define masculinity in their own words, British men were most likely to say that strength (both physical and mental), physical traits such as facial hair, and personality traits such as confidence and feeling secure were masculine ideals. Conflicting expectations of men can lead to confusion and a reluctance to be vulnerable with others. (Getty Images) (Getty Images) Nearly half (45%) of UK men believe protecting their loved ones is a main trait of masculinity, followed by physical strength (39%) and being the main provider for their loved ones (37%). Todd Baratz LMHC, eharmony relationship expert, said: "These conflicting expectations make it tough for men to navigate dating vulnerably. When men face these mixed messages, it can lead to confusion and insecurity, making it challenging to approach relationships with confidence and authenticity. "This often results in a lack of vulnerability, preventing genuine connections from developing, or creating barriers and guardedness that hinder the establishment of safety and trust in relationships." Appearance-based dealbreakers prevail Short kings had their moment over the summer when social media declared that negativity around smaller statures when it comes to men should be done away with, giving confidence to those who lack in height. However, eharmonys report found this to be short-lived. In fact, the number one deal breaker for people who date men was height, with 43% of Gen Z respondents and 40% of Millennials saying they wont date a man who is shorter than them. Laurel House, eharmony relationship expert, warns that daters who "maintain a small spectrum of whats considered attractive" may be "missing out". "By opening and expanding the spectrum of what is attractive, daters are dramatically increasing their options and opportunities for connection, relationships and love," she adds. "Whats interesting is that oftentimes men who have historically been viewed as less attractive because of these superficial physical attributes like height tend to be more attentive, aware, and purposeful with their partners." Mental health remains a hurdle for men Conversations around mental health are more open, honest and transparent than ever, with plenty of high-profile figures like celebrities and athletes opening up about their struggles. Among the male respondents to the survey, 20% listed mental health as the top struggle they face. However, less than a third (24%) said they were open to having conversations about it. The reluctance to talk about mental health is impacting the love lives of UK men. Majority (69%) of Gen Z and Millennials who date men believe its important for men to know that emotional intimacy is just as important as physical. Dr Lalitaa Suglani, eharmony relationship expert, weighs in: "While there are many reasons men struggle with mental health, its no secret that todays dating environment is difficult to navigate, often impacting self-confidence and emotions. "The pressure of constant scrolling is intensified by societys narrow perceptions of masculinity, which can box men into rigid roles and expectations. Talking to friends, family members, partners and even professionals is one way to break down these supposed barriers and understand that masculinity doesnt have to be rigid it can take many forms." People who date men believe it's important for men to talk about their mental health. (Getty Images) (Getty Images) Baratz adds: "Being open about your mental health not only strengthens your bond with your partner but is also an essential act of self-care. The better we care for ourselves, the better we can care for others. "When men embrace emotional vulnerability, it fosters trust and intimacy, allowing both partners to feel understood and supported. This openness creates a safe space for both individuals to share their struggles and triumphs, ultimately leading to a deeper, more meaningful relationship." Read more about sex and relationships: Eddie Howe has urged Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon to maximise every moment after announcing himself in earnest as a senior England international. The 23-year-old started and played significant parts in both of his countrys Nations League victories over the Republic of Ireland and Finland under interim boss Lee Carsley, having been cast largely in the role of spectator in Gareth Southgates squad at the Euro 2024 finals. Gordon, a 45million signing from Everton in January 2023, was a huge hit on Tyneside last season, but returned from Germany having featured for only a few minutes as a substitute in a 0-0 Group C draw with Slovenia. Asked if he had had to raise the players spirits on his return, Magpies head coach Howe said: I wouldnt say to raise his spirits, but of course I spoke with him and we had many conversations over the summer. I think its re-aligning thought processes, its being positive about the next stage of your career. Sometimes you can have a hangover from something negative not that Anthony was in that position, but its always about your next challenge, moment and how youre going to start the season and take all of the momentum that he built last season into this one. This is a big season for him in his career. You dont get many second chances in your career the years go so quickly, and I can vouch for that. Newcastle striker Alexander Isak scored three times for Sweden during the international break (Owen Humphreys/PA) Hes still young and developing, but he needs to maximise every moment. He is the type of character that wants to do that. Hes very committed to his next dream and aim and thats to have a great season with us. Gordon has eased his way into the new domestic season and while his endeavour or commitment could never be questioned, he is yet to return fully to the club form which propelled him into the England squad, something he will hope to do at Wolves on Sunday. Striker Alexander Isak is another whose full sharpness had eluded him during the early weeks of the campaign, but his winning goal against Tottenham last time out sent him away with Sweden on a high, and he returned having scored twice in a 3-1 win in Azerbaijan and once in a 3-0 victory over Estonia. Asked if the 63million frontman was now arguably his most important player, Howe said: Hes one of (them), for sure. I dont think there is just one, I think theres always a group that are really important to the team and when they play well, the team plays better. Alex is certainly one of those players, he has all the qualities that we need. But ultimately we need to get him absolutely at his best because when he is, hes a game-changer. The phenomenal Erling Haaland took his Manchester City goal tally to 99 as the champions recovered from a first-minute setback to beat Brentford 2-1 on Saturday. Haaland struck twice and was the width of the post away from becoming the first player in Premier League history to score hat-tricks in three successive games as City recorded their fourth straight win. Pep Guardiolas men were stunned by a goal from Yoane Wissa after just 22 seconds but Haaland, who now has nine for the season, turned the game around with a first-half double. A thread of players to have scored nine goals in the first four games of a @premierleague season:@ErlingHaaland pic.twitter.com/yqFns4Jszn Manchester City (@ManCity) September 14, 2024 The striker had been a doubt for the game following the death of a close family friend but his performance was as good as ever. The victory underlined Citys strong start to their latest title defence. It may be a difficult time off the field with their long-awaited hearing into alleged breaches of financial rules due to begin next week, but on it all looks in fine order. Brentford were the last away team to win at Etihad Stadium in November 2022 and, after a sensational start, they may have eyed an unlikely repeat. The game had barely kicked off when Thomas Franks side claimed the lead. Kristoffer Ajer clipped a cross into the City box and Keane Lewis-Potter headed back across goal. John Stones got into a muddle with Ederson and his sliced clearance looped up for Wissa to head into an empty net. Yoane Wissa opened the scoring (Nick Potts/PA) The setback initially appeared to rattle City and things could quickly have got worse. Rico Lewis needed to scramble clear after Bryan Mbeumo got behind the defence and City had another let-off when the same player failed to connect with an overhead kick. Nathan Collins then forced a save from Ederson from a corner, with the keeper also needing to rush out of goal to break up another attack. City eventually settled and levelled when Kevin De Bruynes pass was deflected into the path of Haaland. The Norwegian turned and fired past Mark Flekken, with the aid of a ricochet off Ethan Pinnock. Erling Haaland (right) soon levelled (Nick Potts/PA) City turned up the pressure and, although Pinnock headed just over, De Bruyne almost put the hosts ahead with a fierce low drive. Their second came just after the hour as Haaland raced onto a long ball from Ederson. He checked his run slightly as Pinnock chased back and, after the defender bumped into him, he then accelerated away and clipped casually over Flekken. City immediately wanted more and Jack Grealish forced Christian Norgaard to clear over his own bar. To their credit, Brentford battled on and Lewis-Potter tested Ederson after cutting inside but lost Wissa to injury before the break. Rodri (left) returned for the defending champions (Nick Potts/PA) City welcomed back Rodri for the first time this season in the second half and summer signing Savinho blasted over before Flekken made a good one-handed save from Grealish. Further chances came as Flekken palmed away from Haaland and then denied Savinho at close range after Kyle Walker had shot over. Haaland had three chances in quick succession to complete his treble and his first City ton but saw one effort rebound off the post before his follow-up was blocked and Flekken saved another shot soon after. City switched off in the closing stages and substitute Yehor Yarmolyuk almost snatched an unexpected stoppage-time equaliser when he dragged a shot wide. If you're an autumn-obsessed soul like I am, you can probably feel yourself coming back to life as summer's final traces fade away. Even though trees have barely started losing their leaves, there are plenty of excited folks like me who are getting in the spooky spirit. We're drinking pumpkin spice lattes, decorating for Halloween, and getting our furry friends in on the fun, too! One precious Italian Greyhound named Granola is a pro when it comes to posing for her dad's camera, so she knew just what to do when the duo tried the viral ghost costume trend. The idea is as simple and as classic as a Halloween costume can get, but the little dog's adorable face and ears make it paw-sitively adorable. Combine all this with a few iconic landmarks in Portland, Oregon, and you've got the recipe for a memorable photoshoot! OMG--just look at her. Granola--or Nola, as some call her, is a Halloween pup through and through! She may share a nickname with The Big Easy (AKA New Orleans), but she looks like the Halloween Queen of Portland in these spooky shots. The cloudy weather and low light add to the haunted energy of these locations, but the landmarks themselves have plenty of eerie vibes to go around. Related: Police K9 Doing the Ghost Photoshoot Trend Is the Best Good Boy Ghost Ever As someone who was born in Portland and has spent many cloudy mornings visiting these exact spots, I can confirm that they're the perfect places for a Halloween-inspired shoot. The vantage point beneath St. John's Bridge is like a movie scene, and Forest Park's path looks like home to many outdoor enthusiasts, including this canine hiker. Pittock Mansion looks even spookier in the fog--but if you ask me, the scariest thing about these pictures is the scary little ghost! Nola posed so identically in each of these photos that she really does look like something from another plane. It's like she transported herself from place to place without moving a muscle! Now that's spooky. Photographing Your Dog This Italian Greyhound is the perfect canine model for her dad, but dog owners know that taking pictures of a dog isn't usually this easy. Having a treat motivated buddy will help, however, as they can usually be enticed with treats to sit or lie still while you capture the perfect shot. For non-treat-motivated dogs who can't seem to stay in one place, try taking pictures after a walk or play session. You can squeak a toy or make a noise to draw their attention, but practicing ahead of time is the best way to ensure a quick and seamless photo op. It can be as simple as mastering the commands 'sit' and 'stay' while you pretend to snap a picture. By the time you take the real photo, your pup will know exactly what to do! Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. Lando Norris does not expect a magical Azerbaijan Grand Prix result after the McLaren driver qualified 17th in a major blow to his title hopes. The 24-year-old was caught out by yellow flags down the long final straight, backing off and being unable to improve his time, meaning he was knocked out of Q1. Norris arrived in the Land of Fire bidding to turn up the heat on championship leader Max Verstappen, having taken 16 points out of the three-time world champions title lead across the last two races. But the Briton will start 16th on the grid, 10 places behind his championship rival, as Ferraris Charles Leclerc, who harbours distant title hopes of his own, claimed pole in Baku for the fourth year in a row. Simply unbeatable today Pole in Baku AGAIN by 0.3 seconds #F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/BZYcWOPcyk Formula 1 (@F1) September 14, 2024 While the street circuit on the shores of the Caspian Sea is known for its unpredictability, Norris is not expecting a glorious fightback on Sunday. We will hope for the best but I dont expect anything magical unless strategy comes into play, Norris said. I dont know (what can be done in the race). We will try and go forwards and overtake but it is not as simple as saying it. Everything is going to have to be done with strategy because you cant overtake, there are plenty of cars at the back that take lots of wing off and hope for the best and that makes it impossible to overtake them. But the car is quick. I hope that that can come into our hands and at some point I can get clean air but on a street circuit everything gets backed up so much you kind of get forced into a position and you cant do a lot at times. Lando Norris was caught out by yellow flags on his final lap in Q1 (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) Asked how he reflected on the result in the context of his title challenge, Norris said: It doesnt make a difference for me. Norris, 62 points behind Red Bulls Verstappen, had appeared off the pace for most of the weekend also finishing 17th in second practice on Friday. He turned it around to finish third in final practice but the McLaren man was running in the elimination zone in Q1 when he ran wide at the final corner and was greeted by yellow flags due to a slow-moving Esteban Ocon ahead of him. Norris aborted his lap, heading into the pit lane knowing he was out of qualifying. We werent really on the back foot. The guy ahead of me crashed and there was a yellow flag, I was feeling good, Norris said. When you have a 2km straight and you have to lift off at the beginning, there is nothing I can do. Of course we are disappointed and frustrated but there is nothing I can change. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was unhappy with the deployment of the yellow flags, telling Sky Sports: (It) was a situation that ideally, and I think by the regulations, shouldnt have happened. We paid the price. Norris team-mate Oscar Piastri will start from second, ahead of Ferraris Carlos Sainz and Verstappens team-mate Sergio Perez. A sixth-placed finish for Verstappen, without a win in six races, should have been an opportunity for Norris in the title race. Instead, it handed the Dutchman breathing room despite again complaining of issues with his Red Bull. I still want to do good myself and today was a bad day, Verstappen said. Charles Leclerc took pole in Baku for the fourth year in a row (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) As soon as I went out in Q1 I felt the car had taken a step back. We made some changes and the car just became unpredictable and difficult because of the changes we made. I am a bit disappointed with that. You try to optimise things and make it better but unfortunately I think we just tipped it over the edge. Leclerc had no such issues, following his glorious home win for Ferrari at Monza a fortnight ago with another blistering pole in Baku over three tenths clear of Piastri. It is one of my favourite tracks. Everything felt great and it is amazing to be on pole, said Leclerc, who trails Verstappen by 86 points. George Russell qualified fifth with Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton seventh, while British teenager Ollie Bearman was 11th for Haas on his first full weekend in F1. US president Joe Biden, second left, and UK prime minister Keir Starmer, far right, hold talks in Washington on Friday. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/Reuters Britain and the US have raised fears that Russia has shared nuclear secrets with Iran in return for Tehran supplying Moscow with ballistic missiles to bomb Ukraine. During their summit in Washington DC on Friday, Keir Starmer and US president Joe Biden acknowledged that the two countries were tightening military cooperation at a time when Iran is in the process of enriching enough uranium to complete its long-held goal to build a nuclear bomb. Related: If Starmer is on a US charm offensive, he must meet Trump as well as Harris British sources indicated that concerns were aired about Irans trade for nuclear technology, part of a deepening alliance between Tehran and Moscow. Related: Keir Starmer meets with Joe Biden at White House as Putin warns Nato against letting Ukraine send long-range missiles as it happened On Tuesday last week, Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, made a similar warning on a visit to London for a summit with his British counterpart, David Lammy, though it received little attention, as the focus then was the US announcement of Irans missile supply to Moscow. For its part, Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks this is a two-way street including on nuclear issues as well as some space information, Blinken said, accusing the two countries of engaging in destabilising activities that sow even greater insecurity around the world. Britain, France and Germany jointly warned last week that Irans stockpile of highly enriched uranium had continued to grow significantly, without any credible civilian justification and that it had accumulated four significant quantities that each could be used to make a nuclear bomb. But it is not clear how much technical knowhow Tehran has to build a nuclear weapon at this stage, or how quickly it could do so. Working with experienced Russian specialists or using Russian knowledge would help speed up the manufacturing process, however though Iran denies that it is trying to make a nuclear bomb. Iran had struck a deal in 2015 to halt making nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief with the US and other western nations only for the agreement to be abandoned in 2018 by then US president and current Republican nominee Donald Trump. Iran responded by breaching agreed limits on the quantity of enriched uranium it could hold. Western concern that Iran is close to being able to make a nuclear weapon has been circulating for months, contributing to tensions in the Middle East, already at a high pitch because of Israels continuing assault on Hamas and Gaza. Iran and its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, are supporters of Hamas and Tehrans nuclear development is therefore viewed as a direct threat by Jerusalem. Soon after Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Iran began supplying Shahed delta winged drones to Moscow and helped Russia build a factory to make more to bomb targets across Ukraine. In April this year, Iran launched a Russian-style missile and drone attack aimed at Israel, though it was essentially prevented and stopped with the help of the US and UK. Russia and Iran, though not historically allies, have become increasingly united in their opposition to the west, part of a wider axis of upheaval that also includes to varying degrees China and North Korea, reflecting a return to an era of state competition reminiscent of the cold war. Last week in London, Blinken said that US intelligence had concluded that the first batch of high-speed Iranian Fath-360 ballistic missiles, with a range of up to 75 miles (120km), had been delivered to Russia. Able to strike already bombarded frontline Ukrainian cities, the missiles prompted a dramatic reassessment in western thinking as well as fresh economic sanctions. Starmer flew to Washington late on Thursday to hold a special foreign policy summit with Biden at the White House on Friday, beginning with a short one on one in the outgoing presidents Oval Office followed by a 70-minute-long meeting with both sides top foreign policy teams in the residences Blue Room. The leaders and their aides discussed the war in Ukraine, the crisis in the Middle East, Iran and the emerging competition with China. Starmer brought along with him Lammy, Downing Streets chief of staff, Sue Gray, and the UKs national security adviser, Tim Barrow; while Biden was accompanied by Blinken and Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, among others. Prior to the meeting, UK sources indicated that the two countries had agreed in principle to allow Ukraine to fire long-range Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for the first time. But Biden appeared to suggest the topic was one of the reasons for the face-to-face, saying to reporters: Were going to discuss that now, as the meeting began. There was no update after the meeting, partly to keep the Kremlin guessing. Any use of the missiles is expected to be part of a wider war plan on the part of Ukraine aimed at using them to target airbases, missile launch sites and other locations used by Russia to bomb Ukraine. Britain needs the White Houses permission to allow Ukraine to use the missiles in Russia because they use components manufactured in the US. Protocol dictated that Biden and Starmer the only two present without printed-out name cards did most of the talking, while the other politicians and officials present only spoke when introduced by the president or the prime minister. Lammy was asked by Starmer to update those present on his and Blinkens trip to Kyiv on Thursday to meet Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Shortly after the meeting, Starmer said the two sides had had a wide ranging discussion about strategy. People at airport, Britain, immigration, border, concept image This has been the week that the Governments fiscal watchdog let the immigration cat out of the Treasury bag. A report on the long-term outlook for the public finances from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) confirms what people have long suspected: mass low-skilled migration is a financial disaster for Britain. In past modelling exercises, the OBR varied the level of net migration (immigration minus emigration). The issue is not just overall numbers, though that obviously does matter, but who exactly they are. This time, the OBR assumes net migration of around 400,000 a year for the next 50 years and instead varies the composition of those who arrive. One of the variables it tweaks is earnings, modelling three different types of legal immigrants. The migrant in the middle is like the average Briton: they have the same average earnings, pay the same amount of tax and use the same public services. This type of migrant, it says, represents a decent deal for the taxpayer. They arrive aged around 25, so we havent had to pay for their education or upkeep. As such, they contribute to the economy for decades. And while they cost us money in the long run, they dont become overall net recipients until they are very old. Next, there are what the OBR calls high-wage migrant workers, on 30 per cent more than the UK average. Their numbers look much better: by the time theyre 81 (the average life expectancy for a 25-year-old), they will have paid in 767,000 net. So its clear that welcoming such people is good for the public finances. Then the OBR models the fiscal profile of a low-wage migrant worker, on 50 per cent less than the UK average. This migrant is a net fiscal drain from the moment they enter the country. By the time they reach 81, they will have cost the taxpayer 465,000. This is a striking admission. For years, economic orthodoxy has held that all migrant workers are contributors, which suggests that the more migrants Britain admits, the richer it will be. Still, the negative net cost only applies to one group. Its hard to argue this is a total repudiation of Treasury thinking unless the blend of migration we actually have skews overwhelmingly towards being low-skilled. Some academics like to claim that the average migrant is pretty close to the average worker, in terms of salary. But the data we have casts severe doubt. A recent Centre for Policy Studies report looked at how many visas were issued in 2022-23 for different job types on skilled worker routes and compared them with the salary data for those occupations. This analysis suggested that around 72 per cent were likely to be earning less than the average UK salary. Fully 54 per cent were probably on just half of the average salary the OBRs low-wage migrant. Given another chunk were likely on around 40 per cent of the average salary, it appears that roughly three-fifths of workers on skilled worker visas are destined to be net recipients. If we extrapolate these figures, then 242,000 skilled worker visas went to low-wage migrants in recent years and just 91,000 to high-wage, with another 115,000 spread in between. By the age of 81, for every 1 contributed to HMRC by the high-wage migrant group, the larger low-wage migrant group will have taken out 1.60. The forecast becomes gloomier when you consider that the OBR has excluded dependents overwhelmingly more likely to be a drain on public finances from their analysis entirely. More dependents have been brought into Britain under skilled visa schemes than workers. If there are so many issues with the skilled visa route, where a small minority seem to actually be net contributors, what about the larger picture? Of 3.6 million visas issued in recent years, just 12 per cent went to workers on the skilled route. Around three-fifths of those are probably in the lower wage bracket. This overall leaves 5 per cent of visas going to higher skilled migrants who may be net contributors. The foundation for so many arguments in favour of mass migration crumbles away. Yes, Britain gets more scientists and engineers, but they make up only 0.6 per cent of granted visas. The NHS is indeed reliant on skilled overseas doctors, but they are just 0.8 per cent. Even the most basic consideration will a new entrant overall contribute more to the countrys finances than they take out is only true in 1 in 20 cases. As things stand, this is deeply worrying. The massive post-2020 immigration wave net two million and counting could leave fiscal scarring that will last for generations. Indeed, you can see this in the OBRs calculations. In its baseline scenario of average-wage migration, the UKs debt-to-GDP ratio rises to 274 per cent by 2074 a dire prospect. But in its alternative low-wage migration scenario, that debt figure reaches 351 per cent of GDP. And given our actual migration mix, we are much closer to that even more catastrophic trajectory. Belated changes made by the last government will help improve the migrant mix. But to make migration work better for Britain, we need to do far more to phase out low-wage, low-skill migration and shift towards a smaller number of higher-skill, higher-wage arrivals. Were unlikely to see any changes under the Labour Government, which remains ideologically committed to mass migration. Perhaps someone should point out that even the official long-term costs of low-skilled visas will dwarf Rachel Reeves supposed 22 billion black hole. Clover Moore celebrating at the ArtHouse hotel in Sydney. Photograph: Steven Markham/AAP Clover Moore has claimed a historic sixth term as the Sydney lord mayor despite a swing against her in a campaign she described as the toughest of her career. The longtime independent secured another four years in the top job on Saturday evening, declaring victory in front of supporters at the Arthouse hotel in Sydneys CBD. There were 10 candidates on the mayoral ballot. Moore, 78, said the final result could still be some time off but declared that she was winning in every booth before claiming outright success to the Guardian a short time later. Moore said: What a campaign it has been I think the toughest campaign Ive ever had. There was a really concerted campaign to try and get rid of me. She thanked the community for the support, notwithstanding all the misinformation, all the awful things that happened on this campaign. The lord mayor said she would focus on climate change, affordable housing and revitalising Chinatown and Oxford Street in her sixth term. Asked on Sunday if she would stand for another term, Moore told reporters: I dont think there will be Ive just won this one, so let me enjoy it. Related: Theyre all desperate: Clover Moore on defying News Corp, ageism and sexism to seek a record sixth term Voters across New South Wales headed to the polls for the local government elections on Saturday. The votes were being closely watched after the polls made national headlines when the state Liberal party disastrously failed to nominate 140 candidates in 16 councils. About a quarter of eligible residents voted in pre-polling. Counting began at 6pm when the polls closed. By 10pm on Saturday, Moore had 36% of the primary vote, down from almost 43% in 2021. She said that, based on preference flows from previous elections, she was expected to win. The Sydney MP Alex Greenwich stood beside Moore and her independent team as she addressed the crowd after keeping supporters across the results as they rolled in throughout the evening. He thanked volunteers who copped negatively from random weirdos while monitoring the booths. Despite the sizeable swing, Moore comfortably beat her opponents. Labors Zann Maxwell was sitting on about 17% of the primary on Saturday evening, followed by the Greens candidate Sylvie Ellsmore who enjoyed a swing of about 6% from the last election. Ellsmore said: Its clear that the people of the city of Sydney want our council to step up and start using their wealth and influence to deliver more affordable and accessible housing for our community. She will return to the council with the Greens hoping to secure a second spot in Town Hall. Related:Conspiracists and people linked to anti-lockdown campaigner among 120 fringe candidates in NSW council elections Moore was among 37 mayors up for election on Saturday. The Liberals bungling of nominations will likely result in Penrith, Camden, Northern Beaches, Lane Cove, Wollongong and Blue Mountains councils shifting to the left although the Liberals could win seats in Parramatta. Labor had a clear majority in Penrith with the Libertarian Party picking up enough votes to secure up to two seats in the absence of the Liberals. If those numbers stay steady, Labors going to get a clear majority, but theres going be just as many Libertarians on the council as Liberals, election analyst Ben Raue said. Early counting in Parramatta indicated the Liberals could pick up at least five seats and Our Local Community had been wiped out, Raue said. In Sydneys fast-growing south-west, voters in the Liverpool council looked to have backed incumbent Liberal mayor Ned Mannoun following a well-publicised fight with the Labor state government. Related: When they go low: Clover Moore apologises as volunteer caught allegedly pulling down Indigenous rivals corflutes Labor had attempted to address alleged serious maladministration and dysfunction in the council and defer elections, only to run out of time due to the mayors legal challenges. Earlier on Saturday, Moore apologised to her Indigenous political opponent Yvonne Weldon after one of Moores volunteers was accused of removing corflutes outside the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern. Weldon posted a video recorded by one of her team members of a man who had allegedly taken down the corflutes to make way for Moores banners. Moore apologised and said it should not have happened. Shortly before polls closed, Weldon said she was proud of the positive and community-led campaign she ran. She was on track for about 11% of the primary vote. The acting NSW electoral commissioner, Dr Matthew Phillips, said: Our staff will have a very long day today after starting early and are about to start a long night of counting. Additional reporting by AAP Marius Borg Hoiby and Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, his mother. Mr Borg Hoiby denies contacting his former girlfriend - Khakon Mosvold Larsen/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The Crown Princess of Norways eldest son has been arrested for allegedly violating a restraining order imposed after he allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend. Marius Borg Hoibys lawyer said the 27-year-old was accused of contacting the victim once using a hidden phone number after police announced the arrest on Saturday. Police now also suspect Mr Hoiby of crimes against three other victims domestic abuse of two women and threats to another person which he denies. Mr Hoiby is the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who was a single mother when she met the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon, who has raised his stepson since he was three. Mr Hoiby, who has never held a royal title, was first arrested on Aug 4 at the womans apartment in Oslo. They were in a relationship at the time. He is accused of causing her bodily harm, which can carry a sentence of up to a year in jail, and she was discharged from hospital the next day after being diagnosed with a concussion. Local media said police found a knife stuck into one of the walls of the womans bedroom at the time. Mr Hoiby was arrested on Friday at a cabin in the municipality of Gusdal, where he was on a hunting trip with friends. He was released on Saturday. Marius Borg Hoiby was arrested on Friday at a cabin in the municipality of Gusdal, where he was on a hunting trip with friends - Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty At the beginning of September, police received information that Marius Borg Hoiby had, on several occasions, made unwanted contact with the woman, who has the status of victim in the incident, police said on Saturday. They filed a report for reckless behaviour and imposed a restraining order on Hoiby, it said. They subsequently received information that Hoiby had violated the restraining order and he was rearrested late on Friday owing to the risk of recurrence. Oyvind Bratlien, Mr Hoibys lawyer, said his client denied the allegations and that he should never have been arrested. In my 17 years as a defence lawyer, I have never experienced or heard of an arrest on such a flimsy factual and legal basis, Mr Bratlien told broadcaster NRK. Hoiby was arrested because he allegedly contacted the victim once on Saturday Sept 7, despite the restraining order, from a hidden telephone number, Mr Bratlien told Aftenposten. Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. They raised Mr Hoiby with his step-siblings Princess Ingrid Alexandra, 20, and Prince Sverre Magnus, 18. He would make public appearances with his mother, stepfather and siblings before stepping back from public life in 2017, when he was 20, because he wanted privacy. A police review in 2022 found that only 40% of reports of police perpetrated domestic abuse (PPDA) resulted in a misconduct investigation. Photograph: darrensp/Getty Images/iStockphoto Paula was married to a Metropolitan police officer for more than a decade, during which time, she says, he attacked her with a knife, exhibited coercive and controlling behaviour and filmed her covertly in her own home 24 hours a day for several years. Hed provoke me and I would shout back while he sat there calmly because he knew the cameras were on. He wouldnt let me sleep at night, so at times I was irritable with my child. He edited my worst moments on film into a montage and had me arrested for child cruelty, Paula says. Soon after, I reported him for domestic abuse. While I spent the night in a police cell, he was allowed to continue in his job in surveillance. When I told the desk sergeant about the coercive behaviour, voyeurism and attacks, he said hed call my then husband in for a chat. My abuser was not arrested and footage of him assaulting me was not seized. The differences between how the police investigated me and how they investigated him are like night and day. My abuser was not arrested the difference in how police investigated me and how they investigated him is like night and day Paula For months, Paula was only allowed to see her child twice a week with supervised access until cleared of the charge. The officer investigating the case of child cruelty against her had made representations to the magistrates in the criminal case and in the custody case about the seriousness of the video. She subsequently admitted she had not viewed it. Three years on, Paula is still embroiled in a custody battle. Her ex-husband and more than 20 of his police colleagues are under investigation to determine whether a charge of discreditable conduct proceedings is actioned. It is a long drawn-out process, Paula says, about which she has received little information and in which she has no confidence. On Wednesday, the legal charity the Centre for Womens Justice (CWJ) will publish a damning report, titled Police Perpetrated Domestic Abuse. Has Anything Really Changed since the 2020 Super-Complaint? A super-complaint is a mechanism to identify and address systemic issues in policing. In 2020, the super-complaint, largely upheld, drew on the experiences of 19 women spanning 15 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales that now employ around 150,000 officers. Common themes then included failures to investigate complaints, workplace victimisation of women who were themselves police officers and victims arrested when the abuser made a counter claim. A police review in 2022 found that only 40% of reports of police perpetrated domestic abuse (PPDA) resulted in a misconduct investigation and only eight cases out of 122 were referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Criminal charges occurred in only 9% of cases. Following the super-complaint, reforms were promised. So, almost five years later, is PPDA now properly recorded, investigated, addressed and monitored to ensure justice for victim-survivors and to restore trust in the police? Change is slow and making it happen is a giant enterprise, says Harriet Wistrich, the founder and director of CWJ . Each force is led by a chief constable with his or her own priorities. A few forces are really trying but others arent doing very much at all. Many of the women, caught in a horrendous web, are experiencing exactly the same problems as we first encountered in 2020. Since then, more than 200 women married to police officers (45% of them serving officers themselves) subjected to PPDA, have contacted the CWJ. Their cases are shocking. Rose, a police officer, tried to report her ex-husband, a fellow officer, for controlling and coercive behaviour, excessive drinking and emotional cruelty to their children. Her inspector said no record would be made because the force couldnt be seen to be taking sides. Lorraine said her abuser had two separate rape allegations against him from two women with no prior knowledge of each other. He was promoted to chief inspector. Another police employee said that she had made a complaint of rape and controlling and coercive behaviour against her police partner. She learned his previous partner had also made a complaint of rape. The man had retired but was rehired by the force as a civilian investigator, incredibly, in its professional standards department. Wistrich says that in 2024, as in 2020, the lack of accurate data on PPDA means that the scale of the problem is still unknown. Safeguards to ensure that the officer investigating a PPDA complaint doesnt have links with the accused have been introduced, but are they effective? In one case, the investigator was also the accused officers mentor. The CWJ wants a bespoke reporting channel, with women able to make a complaint directly to the IOPC; PPDA investigations handled by an external force; and legal reforms to ensure every allegation of PPDA is recorded, investigated and reported to the IOPC. Wistrich says: We are also concerned that the voices of women impacted by PPDA are not being heard to inform what changes are needed, which reforms are working and where issues remain. Another major concern is the defective system of vetting that permitted rapist Met officers Wayne Couzens and David Carrick to remain in their jobs in spite of multiple horrific complaints. In one period surveyed in the Met police, 500 officers had been investigated for misconduct including sexual and domestic abuse between three and five times. Only 13 with more than one misconduct case had been dismissed. Operation Onyx is now retrospectively reviewing 1,636 previously concluded cases of sexual offending and/or domestic abuse over a decade and has a new Met vetting policy. Nationally, although vetting has been improved, instances of misogyny, domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour are frequently not triggers for a review of vetting. When a police officer has committed any act of VAWG [violence against women and girls], that information should automatically result in a review, Wistrich says. She also says coercive and controlling behaviour is not properly understood by investigators. It is too often seen as unpleasant behaviour and part of an officers private life and therefore not a criminal matter. Some women have told the CWJ that their ex-partners had been promoted into senior roles working directly with victim-survivors of domestic abuse despite having been the recipients of such allegations themselves. Wistrich says: Abuse of power and exploitation of vulnerability in the home should be recognised as significant risk factors for policing outside of the home too. What has clearly changed since 2020 is the priority policing now gives to tackling VAWG. A tidal wave of frameworks, guidelines, training and reviews by the IOPC, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing recognises that VAWG is a national emergency for policing. The Labour government has promised to half the rate of VAWG in a decade. Deputy chief constable Maggie Blyth, the NPCCs first lead for VAWG and deputy CEO of the College of Policing, told the Observer: How policing deals with officers accused of VAWG is under the microscope, and rightly so. We know change hasnt been quick enough and much more needs to be done. We must foster a policing culture which ends criminal behaviour and misconduct and also calls out acts of misogyny and sexism, which are systemic within policing and undermine our high standards. We want officers to be upstanders, not bystanders, and call out bad behaviour. Victims must be at the heart of every investigation Changing the way we respond is crucial We are fully committed to honouring the findings of the CWJs super-complaint. Wistrich says: A significant gap still exists between police commitment and actual change. It may be that something more radical is needed. One major issue is that while there are various oversight mechanisms such as the NPCC, it can only recommend and not enforce. Is it time to ask for a tougher system nationally to hold police to account? According to the police, one in 20 people is a perpetrator of VAWG. If that one in 20 is also a serving police officer, currently he has little reason to fear the law. Security at the main entrance of the hall were seen collecting banned flags in a clear plastic box Concert-goers had EU flags confiscated at the Last Night of the Proms. Last month, the Royal Albert Hall released guidance banning flags including those from proscribed groups, flags related to protest, hatred from the patriotic Proms finale. The venue has previously stated that their policy on banned items has not changed, and that new wording has simply been introduced to make its rules clear. But this stance does not appear consistent as there appeared to be little agreement among security staff, on the ground on Saturday, as to how the rules should be enforced, and some had flags removed from them by door staff. Some ticket-holders had their EU flags confiscated, while others entered the auditorium carrying the yellow-starred blue flags without any difficulty. The policy even caused concern among patriotic Union flag waving concert-goers, who feared being stripped of their flags by security staff. The last night has previously seen anti-Brexit campaigners waving EU flags, as part of a campaign by a pro-Europe group. Craig Amey, 35, from Leicester arrived draped in Union Flags - Julian Simmonds/Julian Simmonds It is tradition to wave a flags on the final evening, which always features a rendition of the national anthem. Craig Amey, 35, a council worker from Leicester, arrived at the Proms wearing a full Union flag suit complete with bucket hat. Kick me out if you want to but you are not going to take my suit off, he told The Telegraph, adding that, The music should take priority. Guidance released last month stated: Flags are permitted at the Proms and are traditionally part of the Last Night celebrations provided they do not interfere with the smooth running of the concert. It adds that some flags will not be allowed in the auditorium, including those from proscribed groups, flags related to protest, hatred. It also sets out size limits for the size of flags. An additional PDF document has been provided online clearly setting out restricted items. This states that flags related to protest may be confiscated. At the venue last night, staff had been given guidance specifying that all national flags would be allowed inside. Initially a member of the security staff advised this newspaper that EU flags would be permitted in the auditorium. But this was later contradicted by a second member of staff, who stated that neither EU nor Palestinian flags would be permitted. This second security guard was then witnessed telling a concert goer that his modestly-sized EU flag was not allowed inside the auditorium. Campaigners and musicians performed Beethovens Ode to Joy on the steps outside the Albert Hall in protest at the lack of post-Brexit agreement for touring arts - WIKTOR SZYMANOWICZ/FUTURE PUBLISHING The attendee was however permitted to keep the flag and wait in the cafe instead. Jingoistic celebration of Brexit During the patriotic Last Night, which includes renditions of Land of Hope and Glory, Rule Britannia and Jerusalem, the auditorium is typically filled with audience members carrying the Union Jack. But the venues clear statement that certain flags are unacceptable came after public concern over the increasing number of audience members waving the EU flag instead of the Union Jack at the Last Night. Yesterday campaigners from the pro-EU group Thank EU for the Music campaign group were distributing EU flags outside the venue. The group is motivated by concern that the event would be hijacked and used as a jingoistic celebration of Brexit. Charlie Rome, 40, from south London, helped organise Thank EU for the Musics demonstration at this years Proms. Mr Rome, who is a part time tenor that has sung at the BBC Proms this year, said: We are Proms lovers, we dont want to spoil it. We are not trying to make a mess of things. I sing here, I dont want to get banned. But you have to make as loud a noise as you can. It is understood that the Royal Albert Halls official position is that only flags larger than 1m x 0.5m would be confiscated. The only exception to this would be if someone attempted to bring in a large box of flags to distribute inside the Hall and in this scenario they would also have their flags removed. But on Saturday it was not clear that this policy was being adhered to. At one point two security guards were seen confiscating EU flags from multiple ticket-holders as they passed through the back check area. A clear plastic box containing confiscated EU flags could be seen at the side of their table. Staff suggested these flags were being taken from people carrying two or more EU flags they did not appear to be only removing flags from those attempting to bring in boxes of them. Steve Bray, 55, an anti-Brexit activist from Port Talbot told The Telegraph: Music should not be brought into politics. I know that sounds rich coming from me. Sam Hollings, 36-year-old amateur dancer, said: We need to make Europe less of a dirty word. Duke of Sussex is celebrating his 40th birthday When the Duke of Sussex heads off into the mountains with a handful of his closest friends to celebrate his 40th birthday, he will have plenty of time to reflect. Having spent his actual birthday on Sunday with his wife and children, he will mark the transition to his fifth decade with fresh air and, it is hoped, wise counsel. He will have much to think about. His 40th birthday could hardly look more different to his 30th, when he was still a bachelor on the London nightclub scene, fresh out of the Army and celebrating with a party thrown by his brother at his fathers house. Now, as hardly needs repeating, he is on the other side of the world. His life of Royal duty is over, his palace residence swapped for a Californian mansion complete with swimming pool and mortgage, and his accent distinctly Americanised. He is wholly estranged from Prince William and on difficult terms with his father, with whom he shares some contact but whom he is thought to have seen only once this year after learning he had cancer. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their recent visit to Colombia - ERIC CHARBONNEAU/GETTY IMAGES Prince Harry is, he has said, excited to be 40. He will have a party with the Duchess, their children and friends at home, Hello! magazine reports, before heading away for what has been called a boys weekend in the mountains. Sir Elton John, The Sun claims, has sent orchids. If the Duke is given to introspection, which the existence of his memoir suggests he is, the milestone birthday is a moment to take stock of all that has happened in the past decade, and make plans for the next. He is undoubtedly at a turning point in his working life, in which he can do almost anything he wants outside the confines of palace life as long as it pays his new bills. The rest of this year lays out something approaching a blueprint. Having dabbled in various paid roles (an impact partnership with investment firm Ethic; Chief Impact Officer of mental health company Better Up) and in showbiz (the now-ended Spotify deal; Netflix) he will next week return to a programme that could have come straight from his days as a working royal. In a trip to New York from Sept 23, he will attend events with The Diana Award, The Halo Trust, his ecotourism company Travalyst, and African Parks. He is expected to make an appearance of sorts for the annual Wellchild Awards, for seriously unwell children and their families, and there are whispers of the Sussexes third tour of the year to Botswana or Lesotho. He is set on working in the realm of online safety and social media harm. December, more unexpectedly, will bring his documentary Polo, about the so-called sport of kings for Netflix. It has been a short while since he has given an interview about his family back in Britain, with criticism of his Royal life recorded for ever in memoir Spare, an Oprah interview and a six-part television series, but appearing to peter out. There is still much to resolve. Prince Harry is still in a battle against some of the UK tabloid media over phone hacking, and appealing a decision over his taxpayer-funded security when he travels to Britain. The security issue, those who know him have said, is his central preoccupation, after he claimed he could not currently bring his wife and children to his birth country. His childrens relationship with their paternal side of the family is limited, with no sign that they will visit Britain, their grandfather the King, or their Wales cousins any time soon. His contact with William is said to be non-existent. He has been seeking a new chief of staff, having parted ways with the last after a trial period. In the week leading up to his birthday, the influential American trade magazine Hollywood Reporter published an unflattering report of the Sussexes staffing issues entitled Why Hollywood Keeps Quitting on Harry and Meghan. In happier news, seeming to counter the narrative that the Duke and Duchess are not seen out and about much in the area they now call home, they have been photographed at the celebrity launch of their local bookshop. As it stands, and unlikely to change, is Prince Harrys dedication to his favourite role: that of father. In emailed statements to US celebrity magazine People and the BBC this week, he put his role as a dad into the limelight as one of lifes greatest joys [which] has only made me more driven and more committed to making this world a better place. On the topic of birthday presents, he added: The best gift Ive ever been given is, without doubt, my kids. I enjoy watching them grow every single day and love being their dad. Aside from his exercise habits, dog walks and school runs for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the details of Prince Harrys day-to-day new life are limited just as he likes it. As he draws a line under his first memoir, deciding not to update it for the paperback despite the huge sales that would guarantee, he is said to be seeking to look forward rather than back. Whatever the age, my mission is to continue showing up and doing good in the world, he said. If his 30s saw Prince Harry find freedom, perhaps his 40s are the decade to finally find peace. Pal Hermann was 42 years old when the Nazis sent him to a death camp - it is not known where he died - Kate Kennedy A Holocaust survivor will be reunited with her fathers cello more than eighty years after the renowned Jewish composer was murdered by the Nazis. Pal Hermann, the distinguished Hungarian-born cellist and composer, fled his home in Berlin to hiding in France but was found by secret police and sent to a death camp in 1944, aged 42. His daughter, Cornelia Hermann, who was just seven years old when he died, never lost hope of finding the instrument which the family had stolen back after his capture, but were later forced to sell when they fell on hard times. According to a new book by Dr Kate Kennedy, the instrument was the nearest she could get to glimpsing her father and hearing his voice. Hermann had been given the 18th-century cello by a wealthy Dutch couple after he damaged his own in an act of flamboyance, using it as a dance partner at his patrons London townhouse in 1928. The replacement cello, made by Nicolo Gagliano, an Italian luthier, was rescued in a daredevil burglary by Hermanns relatives after his capture, but was later sold when the family needed money for Cornelias studies. Sam Lucas played the lost cello at a competition, unaware of it history - YouTube Dr Kennedy discovered that it had been played by a Carl Herzbruch in Cologne in the 1960s but subsequently disappeared. The author came across Hermanns story when writing her book Cello: A Journey Through Silence to Sound, and issued an appeal on social media for help. She noted that the cello was recognisable by the burnt Latin inscription on its ribs which reads: Ego Sum Anima Musica [I am the soul of music]. She wrote that she would love to have his concerto performed on it, and its owner know its true identity. Chance rediscovery Jian Wang, a cellist, read the book and happened to recognise Hermanns cello from his time on the Queen Elizabeth cello competition jury, when he had seen young musician Sam Lucas play the instrument in 2022. Mr Wang tracked the cello to the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Dusseldorf, where it had been loaned to star student Mr Lucas, who was unaware of the instruments history. Ms Hermann, 92, is said to be delighted that the cello has been located. She will have the opportunity to see the instrument being played at the Wigmore Hall in London on Sept 29. A few years ago, Ms Hermann found a manuscript of a cello concerto written by her father among family papers. It has now been edited, recorded and a section of it will be played by Mr Lucas on the very cello on which it was composed. Hermann was born in Budapest to middle-class Jewish parents in 1902. His family rarely attended synagogue and encouraged him to pursue his career as a cellist. In her book, Kennedy wrote: Jews were so integrated in his home town of Budapest that singling them out as different would have been absurd. And yet, Pals Jewishness would come to define him. Hermann made his breakthrough performing Kodalys Sonata for Solo Cello in Vienna at the invitation of the eminent composer Arnold Schoenberg, and moved to Berlin in 1923 to pursue music. Critics at the time had labelled him the already world-famous Hungarian cello genius and he had attracted comparisons to Pablo Casals. Patrons in London It was in London in 1928 that Jaap de Graaff and Louise Bachiene, arts philanthropists, took a shine to Hermann. The Dutch couple replaced his wrecked cello with the Gagliano through an extended loan agreement, though both parties knew he would not be able to pay it back. When Hermann embarked on a recital tour of the Netherlands, the couple encouraged their musical niece, Ada Weevers, to hear him play in Amsterdam. Pal Hermann was hailed as an international star by the time he was 21 - Kate Kennedy The pair fell in love and married in Amersfoort, near Utrecht, in 1931, before moving to Berlin where they lived a fulfilled life among kindred spirits. Ms Hermann, the couples daughter, was born in 1932, but the family fled to the Netherlands a year later when Hitler came to power. Ms Weevers died suddenly aged just 25 after reportedly becoming trapped in a gully while swimming in the North Sea. Hiding in south of France Ms Hermann was left with her non-Jewish family while Mr Hermann moved first to Brussels and then Paris before hiding in the south of France in 1939. By then, he had changed his name to De Cotigny and evaded the Nazis by living inconspicuously in a farmhouse owned by the Graaff-Bachiene family near Toulouse. Becoming restless and needing income, Mr Hermann moved to the city where he taught music and played in concerts before he was rounded up by a street razzia in Toulouse in February 1944. He was held at Drancy internment camp before being herded into cattle trucks as part of Convoy 73 on May 15 1944. Dr Kennedy said the train was destined for the Fort of Death near Kaunas in Lithuania a place of mass murder of Jews from around Europe and no record has been found of Hermanns fate. She added: If the facts of his life had been different, his work would be well known, programmed in chamber music festivals and recitals alongside Bartok or Kodaly. But instead, his work is only now being rediscovered, after a seventy-year silence. Jack White - Scott Legato At 9pm sharp at the 890-capacity Islington Assembly Hall, Jack White laid out his terms and conditions. Anybody who stands still and doesnt move their bodies tonight will be arrested, he declared while stalking the stage like a caged animal. What followed was less a concert and more a prolonged assault. The momentum was so sustained that Whites three-piece band continued playing between songs. At the end of the night, a walloping version of Steady, As She Goes his first song with previous outfit The Raconteurs sounded like an explosion in a Led Zeppelin factory. Despite having decoupled from previous bands, the taste-making 2000s duo The White Stripes, as well as The Raconteurs and Dead Weather, as a solo artist, Jack White remains a reliably popular draw both on record and onstage. In north London, his towering presence, fizzing with mania, provided a welcome sight. After all, what is rock and roll without its genuine rock stars? Naturally, it was sensational stuff. If the halls cream and maroon walls and its wooden stage gave the impression of a school theatre, the sight of Jack White tearing through any number of guitar solos put me in mind of Marty McFly, in Back To The Future, inventing rock and roll by running wild through Chuck Berrys Johnny B. Goode. Elsewhere, when referencing his hometown of Detroit, the 49-year-old was like a reincarnated Wayne Kramer, the late great lead guitarist from the MC5. Throughout, much that is good about loud and organic music seemed to have been amassed under one roof. With his percussive technique setting the tempo, White combined the roles of frontman and bandleader with frenetic aplomb. The sight of him whispering, or yelling, in the ears of his pummelling ensemble suggested on-the-fly jams and improvisations that gave the performance an air of electric unpredictability. The filthy blues-style shuffle of Archbishop Harold Holmes, from the recent No Name album, sounded like the soundtrack to an orgy in a swamp. White Stripes bangers such as Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, Fell in Love with a Girl and Seven Nation Army saw those downstairs bouncing on the balls of their feet. In the pronounced heat, at least one person fainted. Perhaps one shouldnt expect anything less from a man who looked like hed come to rock and roll all night. As the evening entered its final throws, White spoke with disdain of the constraints of a curfew that must surely have been anticipated in a venue affixed to a town hall. He decried decibel restrictions without which an audience of 1,400 people would likely have gone deaf. The nights most telling moment, though, came in the thick of the action. This is not the kind of rock and roll you get at Wembley Stadium for 400, White announced in something approaching a scream. Well, no, it is not. While erstwhile peoples bands such as AC/DC, Green Day and Oasis have bought into the video-screens and three-figure-ticket-price racket, Jack White appeared to be waging a one-person campaign for the soul of rock and roll (and for the rather reasonable sum of 55 quid a head, at that). This war, of course, may not be one he can win, but on the strength of his showing in north London, hell die trying. Jack White plays the Liverpool O2 Academy tonight and Brighton Chalk on Sunday. Channel 5 show Jay Blades: The West End Through Time was no longer available on My 5 Jay Bladess Channel 5 show appears to have been taken off the broadcasters streaming site following his prosecution for alleged controlling or coercive behaviour towards his wife. Jay Blades: The West End Through Time was not available on My 5 on Saturday. It comes after the BBC dropped a repeat from Fridays schedule of David & Jays Touring Toolshed, a programme combining Blades and Sir David Jason. The 54 year-old appeared at Kidderminster magistrates court on Friday having been charged by West Mercia Police. The charge relates to his estranged wife Lisa Zbozen, according to court documents. He made his name fronting the prime-time BBC show The Repair Shop, episodes of which and other shows he presents remained on the BBC iPlayer as of Saturday. Jay Blades made his name presenting the prime-time BBC show The Repair Shop - Guy Levy The BBC has refused to comment on the legal case or on the presenters future at the corporation. Since news of Bladess prosecution became public, Buckinghamshire New University revealed that he had resigned from his role as its chancellor with immediate effect. A two-part series, Jay Blades: The West End Through Time explores the origins of Londons theatreland, featuring interviews with both historians and people who currently work there. The furniture restorer was made an MBE for services to craft in 2022. Blades married Lisa Zbozen, a fitness instructor, at a beachfront villa in Barbados in 2013 He married Lisa Zbozen at a beachfront villa in Barbados in November of the same year. She shared a news article revealing that Blades had been charged with controlling or coercive behaviour. The presenter, who was granted bail on Friday, is next due to appear in court at Worcester Crown Court on Oct 11. The Repair Shop was last aired on Wednesday. Last year, it won the award for the best daytime show at the National Television Awards, and received a nomination this year but did not win. It is understood that the BBC is reviewing its scheduling. Channel 5s parent company, Paramount Global, has been approached for comment. Laura Loomer - AP/Matt Rourke Laura Loomer got her start as a truth-telling Right-wing activist by slipping into the background. She used hidden cameras and microphones to try and record embarrassing conversations with woke university officials or else members of the Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign. Once describing herself as a proud Islamophobe, she was banned from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. These days, the 31-year-old is very much front-of-stage as an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, travelling on his private plane and showing up at events such as the 9/11 memorial ceremony. And some commentators have made reference to this apparent closeness to speculate, without hard proof, that her relationship with the former president may be more than platonic. Laura Loomer on her phone in West Palm Beach in the aftermath of the second assassination attempt on Donald Trumps life - AP/Terry Renna The television host Bill Maher suggested Ms Loomer and Mr Trump were involved in a arranged relationship. Ms Loomer was quick to reject similar claims made online, again without evidence. I should sue Bill Maher for Defamation. This is beyond the pale and its a complete and blatant lie, she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. I have never in my life seen such a coordinated attack by the mainstream media, the White House and leftist personalities to target a private citizen and investigative journalist simply because I flew on a plane and I support Donald Trump. She added: And its a full blown lie and incredibly disrespectful to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. Its very obvious some type of memo went out because the reaction to what I said is completely overblown and its a full blown character assassination campaign. The 78-year-old Mr Trump, who has frequently been photographed with his arm around Ms Loomer, has been warned of the potential danger of associating too closely with her by allies such as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senator Lindsay Graham. Laura Loomer (left in striped top) takes a photograph of Donald Trump - AP/Matt Rourke This is such an important election. I dont think that she has the experience or the right mentality to advise, Ms Greene said. I do know this, that her rhetoric and her tone does not match the base, it does not match MAGA. The pair were attacked on social media in no uncertain terms by Ms Loomer for doing so. Trump defends his ally Laura Loomer On Friday, Mr Trump defended his association with her when she held a press conference in California. Lauras been a supporter of mine. She speaks positively of the campaign, Mr Trump said. I dont control Laura. Shes a free spirit. But Mr Trump later wrote on social media that he disagreed with the statement Ms Loomer had made about Ms Harris, appearing to distance himself from his cheerleader. He added: But, like the many millions of people who support me, she is tired of watching the Radical Left Marxists and Fascists violently attack and smear me, even to the point of doing anything to stop their Political Opponent, ME! Ms Loomer, writing on X, formerly Twitter, thanked someone who had applauded her activism. Thank you. I am a very tough person, she wrote. You cant be involved in investigating political corruption unless you have tough skin. The White House will smell like curry Last weekend, Ms Loomer said if Ms Harris - who is of Indian and Jamaican heritage - won the election the the White House will smell like curry. Mr Graham, the senator from South Carolina, denounced the remarks as abhorrent. But its deeper than that, he said. Some of the things shes said about Republicans and others is disturbing. Asked about such comments, Mr Trump said: Shes a strong person. Shes got strong opinions, and I dont know what she said, but thats not up to me. Shes a supporter. He added: I do know that she may have said something based on what youre telling me, but I dont know what she said, but Ill go take a look and Ill put out a statement later on. Earlier this year the New York Times reported Ms Loomer was being hired by the Trump campaign, though it was strongly denied. Laura Loomer arrives ahead of the Trump-Harris TV debate in Philadelphia - Reuters/Eduardo Munoz What appears certain is that Ms Loomer has become increasingly close to Mr Trumps campaign, and was seen departing his plane when he landed in Philadelphia for Tuesdays debate. She was seen with other members of the campaign team and was in the media spin room afterwards. Her presence comes just weeks after several former campaign staff from 2016 and 2020, have returned to his campaign team. Among them is former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, best known for telling colleagues: Let Trump be Trump. Loomer insists 9/11 was an inside job The day after the debate Ms Loomer, joined Mr Trump in New York and Pennsylvania as he and others commemorated the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks even though last year she had posted on social media that 9/11 was an inside job. HAPPENING NOW: President Trump just visited the Shanksville Fire Department after visiting the memorial site of United Flight 93 and meeting with family members of 9/11 terrorist attack victims in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, she posted on X on Wednesday afternoon. NEVER FORGET! Some of the 9/11 survivors and people who lost loved ones that day questioned her presence. Its baffling to me that anyone within Trumps orbit would believe the inside job theory when Trump himself declared that Saudi Arabia was responsible for the attacks of 9/11, Sharon Premoli, who was on the 80th floor of the North Tower when it was struck but somehow survived, told The Telegraph. If Laura Loomer has unambiguous and indisputable proof of this old conspiracy theory that has never been proven thus far, the public would like to see it. Ms Loomer has also posted false claims about Haitian migrants in Ohio eating family pets. Mr Trump repeated the allegation himself during the debate, something that triggered alarm from his allies and led the moderators to say there was no evidence to support the claims. Two students and two teachers were killed in the shooting at Apalachee High School earlier this month - GETTY IMAGES Officials in Georgia have released the audio and records of emergency 911 calls received in the moments after a deadly high school shooting in which a police officer is heard to say: Active shooter! In one clip, the dispatcher repeats the words back to the officer. Another officer this time is heard to reply: Correct. We have an active shooter at Apalachee High School. Later in the audio, an officer is heard a little out of breath, as he says a suspect is in custody and he tells the dispatcher: Roll EMS. She tells the officer that emergency medical services have been dispatched to the school, located 50 miles east of Atlanta. Two students and two teachers were killed in the incident on Sept 4, and a 14-year-old pupil, Colt Gray, has been charged with four counts of murder. The teenagers father, Colin Gray, was also arrested and charged with several offences, including second-degree murder, after officials learned he had given his son the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle used in the incident as a gift. In another emergency call, a father calls the dispatcher about her daughter, the school psychologist, who is hiding in a trailer with students but cannot lock the door. My daughter just called, shes in a trailer, the father said. Shes trying to hide behind a desk with the kid that she has in there with her... but shes upset because she cant get the door locked. In another emergency call made public on Friday, a person tells the dispatcher her daughter has just called from the school. My daughter calling me crying. Somebody go boom, boom, boom, boom, the caller tells the dispatcher. The dispatcher replies: Maam we have officers out there, OK? The woman says: Oh yes, please at Apalachee High School. Some of the calls were picked up by neighbouring Gwinnett County dispatchers given the high call volume. Barrow County 911, what is your emergency, the dispatcher says. The Gwinnett dispatcher says: Hey, Barrow, this is Gwinnett, we have a caller on the line who said he got a call from his girlfriend advising of an active shooter at Apalachee High School. The dispatcher from Barrow says: I have units on the scene there, I cannot confirm or deny what is going on there. The teenager is to be tried as an adult. However, officials have said he will not be eligible for the death penalty if found guilty. The teenagers mother, Marcee Gray, had called the school before the shooting began and asked administrators to check on her son after he texted her saying: Im sorry, mom. The exchange took place at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. The number of captives exchanged through UAE mediation is now 1,994. Photograph: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Reuters More than 100 Ukrainian prisoners of war will be able to return to their families after an exchange of captured members of the Russian and Ukrainian armed forces. The prisoner swap on Saturday, mediated by the United Arab Emirates, involved 206 military personnel from both countries. Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said that of the 103 Ukrainian warriors who were released, 82 were soldiers and privates and 21 were officers, including police officers and border guards. Later, he said that his forces incursion into Kursk had helped bring about the prisoner exchange. In his nightly video address Zelenskiy thanked his forces for their work on the prisoner exchanges, and added: In particular, our operation in the Kursk region gave a necessary boost. Photographers captured the moment that the smiling and emotional Ukrainians, wrapped in their countrys flag, embraced their fellow soldiers after being swapped at an unknown location in Ukraine. They looked pale and thin, and all of the men released had shaved heads. One kneeled on the ground, his national flag draped around his shoulders, and stared down at his homeland as he made an emotional phone call. In return for their freedom, Ukraine has handed over 103 Russian military personnel taken prisoner in the Kursk border region when Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion in August. The Russian defence ministry said in a statement that all these Russians were now in Belarus, where they are being provided with the necessary psychological and medical assistance, as well as an opportunity to contact their relatives. It is the second such swap since Ukraines incursion into the Kursk region, and occurred after mediated negotiations between the two countries. UAE officials said that the number of captives exchanged through its mediation efforts now stood at 1,994. On Saturday, Ukraine made a new call on the west to allow it to strike deeper into Russia, after a meeting on Friday between Joe Biden and Keir Starmer failed to produce a visible shift in British and US policies on the use of long-range weapons. Zelenskiy has been pushing for months to use British Storm Shadow missiles, which can strike targets at least 190 miles (300km) away, to bomb airbases, missile sites and other military targets inside Russia. So far, the US has only allowed Kyiv to use American-provided weapons to strike within a limited area inside Russias border with Ukraine. Russian terror begins at weapons depots, airfields and military bases inside the Russian Federation, the Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak said on Saturday. Permission to strike deep into Russia will speed up the solution. On Thursday, Vladimir Putin warned western leaders that allowing Ukraine to use western-made long-range missiles would amount to Nato being at war with Russia. At Fridays foreign policy summit with Starmer at the White House, Biden said he did not accept that and then told reporters: I do not think much about Vladimir Putin. On Saturday, a senior Nato military official said Ukraine would have a good reason to strike deeper into Russia using western weapons. Adm Rob Bauer said the law on armed conflict gave a nation the right to defend itself and that did not stop at its border. He said: In military terms, you do (those attacks) because you want to weaken the enemy that attacks you in order to not only fight the arrows that come your way, but also attack the archer. So, militarily, there is a good reason to do that; to weaken the enemy, to weaken its logistics lines, fuel, ammunition that comes to the front. The survivors are seeking $2m per claim. Photograph: Gerald Herbert/AP With a self-imposed deadline looming to file a plan to reorganize New Orleans bankrupt Roman Catholic archdiocese, a committee representing about 500 survivors of clergy sexual abuse in south-east Louisiana on Friday proposed that the organization, its affiliated churches, ministries, schools and their insurers should pay more than $1bn to settle their claims. The archdiocese quickly answered with its counter-proposal: $62.5m, or more than $900m less. Looking at it another way, the survivors are seeking $2m per claim the church is offering $125,000 on average. Related: Gotta save lives: Louisiana nurse saves motorist during Hurricane Francine The vast majority of the money in the abuse claimants proposal roughly $800m should come from insurance companies, according to the plan filed on Friday in US bankruptcy court by a negotiating committee representing the abuse creditors. Meanwhile, the archdiocese should pay $84m and its affiliates known as apostolates should chip in $133m. In the churchs competing plan, the archdiocese was prepared to offer $50m and its apostolates $12.5m. Nothing additional would come from the archdioceses insurers. The churchs proposal includes non-monetary considerations, but it did not immediately file any of those details. New Orleanss archbishop, Gregory Aymond, has said he planned to disclose documents on clergy abusers that the church has long fought to keep secret. In a letter to Catholics in the region, Aymond said the church was negotiating actions that we publicly pledge to take to continue our commitment to ensuring our parishes, schools, and ministries are safe places for all to grow in faith, be educated, and to participate in ministry. The archdiocese has already paid about $40m in legal and professional fees to go through the bankruptcy process so far well over the $7m that the church initially claimed that the proceeding could cost. And none of those costs will be paid by insurance, church officials have told WWL Louisiana, a CBS affiliate. Any final settlement plan would have to be approved by the majority of abuse survivor claimants. The San Diego archdioceses 2007 bankruptcy settlement was the most lucrative for abuse claimants, with the church and its insurers paying more than $198m to 144 victims an average of $1.4m per claim. San Diegos archdiocese declared bankruptcy again in June. James Adams, an abuse survivor, former president of the New Orleans archdioceses fundraising board and ex-member of the creditors committee, said the victims initial offer is more than fair. Adams alluded to how Aymond, early in the proceeding, informed the Vatican in writing that insurance would cover the vast majority of the bankruptcy and that is the case in Fridays proposal from abuse victims. He noted how the archdiocese is embarking on a $75m restoration project for its Saint Louis Cathedral, which is $12.5m more than what the church was offering victims to settle the bankruptcy. Is a soul less valuable than a building? Adams said. Archbishop Aymonds long-awaited plan gives his answer loud and clear. One of Adams attorneys, Soren Giselson, echoed him, saying in a statement that the survivors committees proposed plan would fairly compensate more than 500 people were abused as children by pedophile clergy enabled by the archdiocese. The creditors plan also lays out exactly how each abuse claim would be valued by a neutral reviewer. It proposes using a score of one to 100 for each claimant based on the severity, duration and frequency of the abuse they allegedly suffered, how many church officials allegedly abused them, and how they were affected for the rest of their childhood and through adulthood. The creditors proposal also would require the church to change the way it reports and responds to child molestation allegations, which, for decades, were handled internally without being reported to police. The proposal would require the archdiocese to report to law enforcement all abuse whether or not the abuser is dead, the victim is now an adult and no matter how many years have passed since the crime, which is the opposite of how the church dealt with such claims during the decades-old clergy molestation crisis that preceded the archdioceses bankruptcy. This is just the opening public salvo in the negotiations for a settlement. It comes after more than four and a half years of expensive legal wrangling, marked by acrimony, secrecy and even a criminal investigation into cover-ups with sworn police statements describing an alleged child sex ring at the archdiocese. US bankruptcy judge Meredith Grabill has recently put the first public pressure on the two sides to reach an agreement or pull the plug on chapter 11 reorganization. She assigned a business turnaround expert to determine whether it was viable for the churchs bankruptcy to be resolved successfully, with a public report on the question due on 23 October. One reason for the difference of opinion in the value of the proposed settlements was the Louisiana supreme courts decision to uphold a 2021 law allowing child-molestation victims to pursue monetary damages over long-ago abuse. Church institutions have consistently argued that it is unconstitutional to force them to potentially pay damages on abuse allegations that were filed in court too late while abuse victims advocates say the upholding of the law has considerably driven up the potential value of their claims. In August, attorneys for the archdiocese and the creditors promised Grabill that the two sides would present their dueling reorganization plans to the court by Monday. Aymond, who is the corporate leader of the archdiocese and each of the churchs 188 apostolates, announced that affiliated parishes and schools would also have to share in the cost of settling the bankruptcy. One of the apostolates on the hook for a portion of the settlement is Christopher Homes, about a dozen apartment complexes the church owns and operates as low-income and senior housing. A major Boston-based real estate investment firm, Hayden Glade, made an offer shortly after the start of the archdiocese bankruptcy case to purchase Christopher Homes for $150m. Sources tell WWL the deal would have let the church pay off the businesss debts and clear about $75m. Hayden Glade managing partner Elliott White, himself a survivor of child sexual abuse, said the archdiocese dismissed his offer out of hand. But he has not given up hope that the church might ultimately accept his offer, which would cover more than half of the total amount survivors are demanding from all of the archdioceses affiliates. I made an offer, and to move forward, [the church said] Id have to release what Im guessing would be several million dollars to the church, but without having a purchase contract, White said. We didnt have the opportunity to say we need to see this money go to aid the victims. We just were sort of told no. drone textbook Russia has published a drone studies textbook for 14- and 15-year-olds, part of a Kremlin project to produce a new generation of drone specialists. The Prosveshchenie publishing house teamed up with Russian drone manufacturer Geoscan to produce the textbook, which contains 34 hours of tuition for an exam. Mikhail Lutsky, author of the textbook and head of educational projects at Geoscan, said: The manual will be of interest not only to teachers of Labour (technology) studies, but also to teachers of related disciplines, such as computer science, physics, the basics of security and defence of the motherland. Russian schools started teaching a compulsory Labour (technology) course on Sept 1 designed to introduce drone studies into classrooms. The full-colour illustrated textbook teaches children the classification of different drones, how they are built, the electrical components included in drones, the basics of flying a drone and how they are programmed to fly on autopilot. Prosveshchenie, which means enlightenment, is controlled by the Kremlin and is one of Russias biggest and oldest publishing houses. Drone studies textbooks are being given to schoolchildren in Russia The Kremlin uses school textbooks to push its propaganda and manipulate children. Shortly after the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it ordered Prosveshchenie to remove inappropriate references to Kyiv and Ukraine in textbooks. Prosveshchenie said on its website that the new textbook was part of a Kremlin project to teach skills for working with drones in selected schools across Russia. This is the first educational publication on unmanned technologies, created for the implementation of the federal project: Personnel for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, it said. By 2030, about one million specialists in unmanned aviation will be trained in the country. Drones have become an important part of the Kremlins arsenal for its war in Ukraine. It has imported thousands of Shahed drones from Iran and built a drone factory in Kazan, central Russia. Many of the workers building the drones at the new factory are students from a nearby technical college. Vladimir Putin has ordered military and nationalistic lessons at schools to push his propaganda and to normalise his invasion of Ukraine and Russias war footing. Click here to view this content. These buns are forbidden, one Islamic advice site opined - chris brignell / Alamy Theres a useful website IslamQA.org that aggregates answers to questions about Islamic practice. Are KP Skips Prawn Cocktail crisps now halal as they are labelled suitable for vegetarians? that sort of thing. Such detailed casuistry is, I think, also familiar to practising Jews. Plenty of questions on IslamQA.org regard crosses. The answers rely on the authority of the legal experts quoted. Is the embroidery stitching technique called cross-stitch forbidden in Islam? (Answer: No.) What are views about eating hot cross buns? Answer: It is impermissible to buy and eat hot cross buns, as there is resemblance with the disbelievers and it promotes their false ideology and views. There are many halal foods in the market, some of which are tastier than the hot cross bun. I have a Christian colleague and a few days ago, he said that his computer was dead, and I jokingly said Rest in peace and made a cross on my chest, like Christians do... I did istighfar [sought forgiveness] and reiterated kalimah [prayer professing faith]. Did this action make me leave the folds of Islam? Do I need to get my nikah [marriage contract] done again? Please reply in detail as I am really worried. Answer: As a matter of precaution, it was correct of you to reiterate the kalimah and it will be advisable for you to renew your nikah. It is well to be aware of such opinions. Otherwise one risks tempting believers to go against their consciences all for the sake of a bun. Crosses pervade British culture. They are in place names: Charing Cross, Kings Cross. The royal cypher on pillar boxes has a cross on the little crown; the Union flag has several crosses. The British Red Cross declares: The red cross emblem has no intentional religious meaning, but since 1876, some countries have used a red crescent emblem. From an Islamic point of view, the Cross is a powerful symbol of Christian belief. Islam reveres Jesus as a prophet, but does not accept that he died on the Cross. In the fourth surah of the Koran, a reply is given to those who say: We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah. The reply is: But they neither killed nor crucified him it was only made to appear so. To Christians, saying that Jesus did not die on the Cross is contrary to their central belief, which is that Jesus rose from the dead. The heresy called docetism taught that Jesus only appeared to have a human body. That is not the belief of Muslims, who are certain that he had a human body. The Islamic belief is that Jesus was taken up into heaven. Of course, Muslims strongly deny that Jesus is God. Christians are widely seen by Muslims as worshippers of the Cross. This would be a sin of shirk associating a creature with God, who is alone to be worshipped. Today is the Christian feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Historically, it marked the restoration to Jerusalem in 629 of the relic of the Cross of Christ, which had been captured by the Sasanian Empire of the Persians, a pre-Islamic state. Catholic and Orthodox Christians worship the Cross with reference to the One who died upon it: they kiss it and bow before it. Anglicans of a sacramentalist outlook agree. Avowed Protestants disagree, but treat crosses with reverence. Buns are generally acceptable to Christians, except on Good Friday for those fasting. Oh, and prawn-flavoured crisps with no prawns in, advertised as suitable for vegetarians, were judged halal. A building damaged by the Israeli army in el Far'a refugee camp, northern West Bank, on 29 August 2024. Photograph: Xinhua/Rex/Shutterstock A sniper killed a UN worker on the roof of his home in the northern West Bank, the UN has said, as friends and family gathered in Turkey to bury a US-Turkish activist who had been killed by the Israeli military at a protest six days earlier and around 30km away. Sufyan Jaber Abed Jawwad, a sanitation worker with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, was the first Unrwa employee killed in the West Bank in more than a decade. Shot in the early hours of Thursday morning in el Fara camp, he left behind a wife and five children. The war in Gaza has overshadowed spiralling conflict in the West Bank, which has seen weeks of Israeli military operations and violence has reached unprecedented levels, placing communities at risk, Unrwa said. Civilian infrastructure, including water and electricity networks, have been destroyed, with precarious access for communities to basic supplies, the agency said in a statement about Jawwads death. Unrwa has been forced to suspend services to refugees because of the unacceptable risk to staff and beneficiaries. The violence was thrown into the international spotlight last week when an Israeli soldier killed 26 year-old US-Turkish activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi at a protest in Beita. She was in the town with International Solidarity Movement, a group dedicated to bringing observers trained in non-violent methods to protests. On Saturday hundreds of people gathered for her burial in the Turkish coastal town of Didim, where her coffin was carried by an honour guard from the Turkish military. Many in the crowd carried Palestinian flags, and photos of Eygi. Eyewitness Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli protester, said she posed no threat to troops when she was killed and that the shooting came during a moment of calm, following clashes between stone-throwing protesters and Israelis firing tear gas and bullets. The Israeli military said she was shot indirectly and unintentionally by one of its soldiers who were targeting violent protestors. Her family have called for an investigation and the shooting drew criticism from US officials including president Joe Biden, who said he was outraged and deeply saddened. The refugee camps of the northern West Bank, including Tulkaram, Jenin, Nur Shams and el Fara, where Unrwa employee Jawwad was killed, have been a particular focus over weeks of Israeli military operations. The Israeli military said Jawwad was killed by a sniper during an operation in the camp. It said he was throwing explosive devices at its troops from his home, without providing evidence. It was found that the terrorist was known to Israeli security forces and he had been complicit in additional terrorist activities, spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said in a statement. UNWRA regularly provides lists of all staff members in Gaza and the West Bank to the Israeli government, and was not informed of any concerns about Jawwad before he was killed. Staff learned about the Israeli allegation from a statement on the social media site X. The killing came days after Israeli airstrikes on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza killed six UNWRA staff members, bringing the total number of agency employees killed in this war to at least 220. Israels military said three of the dead Unrwa workers were Hamas employees, without providing evidence. An independent review of previous Israeli claims that Unrwa staff were members of terrorist organisations found that the country was yet to provide any supporting evidence. It was led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna. Britains Sonay Kartal reached the first WTA Tour final of her career when opponent Eva Lys retired through illness at the Jasmin Open Tunisia. Kartal came through qualifying in Monastir and has enjoyed a career-best week, which could culminate in her maiden main tour title when she takes on Rebecca Sramkova in the final on Sunday. Kartal, a former junior rival of Emma Raducanu, was only on court for 24 minutes before German Lys called it a day trailing 5-1. Get well soon, Eva Sonay Kartal advances into the final after @evalys_ retires due to illness. Final score: 5-1. #JasminOpenByLilas pic.twitter.com/ciYOcHI3NS wta (@WTA) September 14, 2024 The 22-year-old from Brighton will now aim to join Katie Boulter as a British WTA Tour winner this season, while victory would see Kartal break into the top 100 for the first time. Obviously no-one wants to win a match like that, said Kartal. Shes a super nice girl, which makes it even tougher. Obviously Im happy to be in the final but its definitely not the way I would have liked to have won today. It will also be a first WTA Tour final for Slovakian Sramkova, and Kartal added: Im sure were both going to be feeling a bit heavy, were both going to be a bit nervous, but ultimately it will be who can put on the best performance on the big stage. It has been a standout summer for Kartal, who reached the third round of Wimbledon as a qualifier before winning two lower-tier tournaments in the UK and making the final round of qualifying at the US Open. Jadon Sancho stepped off the bench to inspire Chelsea to a 1-0 victory at Bournemouth as he set up Christopher Nkunkus 86th-minute winner on the south coast. Sancho had not featured in the Premier League for 12 months after a spat with Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag last season and despite settling the rift this summer, he joined the Blues on loan on transfer deadline day. Enzo Maresca had watched Chelsea initially struggle at Vitality Stadium with only a Robert Sanchez penalty save from Evanilson after 38 minutes able to keep it scoreless at the break. Maresca turned to Sancho during the interval before he sent on Nkunku and the pair linked up late on when the French forward slotted home to earn the new Blues manager a narrow second Premier League win. Cole Palmer was fit enough to start after he missed international duty with England, but Enzo Fernandez was ill which meant Moises Caicedo was made captain. Bournemouth were without Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga one of 25 players to leave the west London club this summer due to the terms of his loan, but he was present and witnessed an action-packed start. Marcus Tavernier smashed a dipping effort from 25 yards against the crossbar after four minutes before Noni Madueke had a shot deflected wide down the other end. Cherries record-signing Evanilson headed off-target soon after as the hosts got plenty of joy down Chelseas right-side with Axel Disasi used as a makeshift full-back. After Tavernier squandered a decent opening, the Bournemouth left winger got in again midway through the half and found Evanilson, who teed up Justin Kluivert but his half-volley was impressively saved by Sanchez. Chelsea had struggled to fashion chances with Palmer tightly marked and yet Jackson should have scored in the 34th minute when Levi Colwill played him in, but he fired straight at Mark Travers. Unfortunately, Eva sees his spot-kick saved. Keep going lads https://t.co/Wj6dn0gnbr AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) September 14, 2024 It looked costly 60 seconds later when Bournemouth were awarded a penalty after Evanilson raced on to Wesley Fofanas poor back pass and was brought down by Sanchez. However, the blushes of Fofana were spared when Evanilson saw his low shot pushed wide by Sanchez to continue his goal drought since a 40million move from Porto. Lewis Cook and Milos Kerkez had pot shots for Bournemouth before half-time and Maresca had seen enough with Sancho sent on for his Chelsea debut in place of the anonymous Pedro Neto. Sancho was immediately involved as he found Marc Cucurella inside the area, but his cutback evaded Madueke. Another chance was created by the Manchester United exile soon after when he teed up Jackson, who curled wide before Sancho became the latest player to be booked by referee Anthony Taylor for dissent. Kluivert had forced Sanchez into another good save by this point but Chelsea were in the ascendancy and Maresca introduced Joao Felix in place of the frustrated Madueke with 28 minutes left. Jackson went close again after another marauding run by Cucurella but fresh from a new nine-year contract, the Chelsea forward watched his low effort get deflected wide. The final roll of the dice by Maresca was to bring on Nkunku, who produced the goods with four minutes left. Sancho made space on the left and brilliantly threaded a pass through to Nkunku, who got in between Marcos Senesi and Illia Zabarnyi too easily and fired into the corner to put Chelsea ahead. There was still time for referee Taylor to book Felix and Antoine Semenyo in stoppage time, which set a new Premier League record after 14 players in total were shown yellow cards at Vitality Stadium. theallergenfreekitchen.com Top Tips for Allergy Friendly School Lunches Many parents struggle with school lunches when their kids have multiple food allergies. The information may also help with conditions such as coeliacs disease or Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE). There is so much to consider when sending lunches.What do we send? How can we make the kids feel the same as their friends? How to keep food warm for lunch. Check out our tips and tricks for sending leftovers for school lunches. Find out how we pack our kids soups and warm meals. IPGGutenbergUKLtd/Istockphoto Seeking a Medical Accommodation Plan with the School There are lots of different accomodations that can be requested. They may include access to hot water of a microwave. Where the kids will eat their lunch, allowing extra time are others. Being allowed to have access to water throughout the day are all things that may be allowable as accessibility items. Accommodations the school can make for kids with allergies and food restrictions for medical reasons. Some conditions such as EoE are considered disabilities in some states or areas. There is usually a duty to accommodate by the school. Private schools without public funding may fall under different regulations depending on where you live. All medical accomodations should be done in partnership with the school and your medical team. In our experince, usually medical substantiation is needed from the treating doctor. Drazen Zigic/Istockphoto Why Ask for Accomodations? Those accommodations could be allowing extra time for your child to eat, especially if they are undergoing feeding therapy, have dysphagia, or esophageal constriction. One thing we have added in ours is that the parents need to be contacted 2 weeks before any class parties involving food or fun lunch days. This is so we sort out what we will be sending or if it is a high risk food we can figure out other options with the school. Another reason to ask for the accomdations is to make sure a medical plan is in place if your child has an allergic reaction or food impaction. Signs and symptoms should be listed ,as well as what to do, and steps to follow after the reaction or impaction has subsided. Our Experience There was one class where ice cream was being made in plastic bags by shaking cream, sugar, ice and rock salt. The teacher informed us the dairy usually ends up all over the desks and kids so we had to decide with our kids medical team if it was even safe for them to attend that day or not, if alternative activities couldnt be planned. In the end the teacher was excellent and switched to a safe activity but the forewarning allowed the time to change what was used in class. It was through great communicaton with our kids' teachers that we came to a suitable alternative. gpointstudio/Istockphoto Back-up Snacks We also send a bag of treats that are safe for when there are class treats that are unexpected. Usually parents in our schools are advised not to send food for the class for birthdays but it does happen every now and again and we are prepared. monkeybusinessimages/Istockphoto What Can be Requested? Some parents request microwave access for their kids in the nurses room. It could include such requests as a staff member assisting the child with the microwave and helping them clean out the surfaces before use to reduce cross contacts. What each school can provide and will provide may change based on where you are located and the accommodation laws where you live. monkeybusinessimages/Istockphoto How to Handle Fun Lunch Days Twice a month our schools do what they call Fun Lunches. The parents go online and order lunch from a set restaurant that delivers the whole schools orders and each child is matched up to their order. Why We Don't Do the School's Fun Lunch The cross contact risk for our kids at this particular school with the set procedure is too much of a risk for our kids. Our medical team and us have made the decision that the kids dont eat food that is prepared outside the home. It works for us, but your medical team and comfort level may be different than ours. If one child could have a fun lunch and one cannot, it would be up to you to decide what works best for your family. Instead of ordering from the restaurant for those meals we are notified at least 2 weeks before the Fun Lunch date with all the parents as to the restaurant and options. Rob and I then brainstorm what we can send that is our own version of the food being offered. This has helped our kids feel included and fit in. KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Istockphoto How We handle Fun Lunches It was a lot of work at first but now we pop it in our weekly meal plan every two weeks. Sometimes dinners are specifically planned so the leftovers can be used. One example is tacos are made the night before and a bit of meat, fillings, and a corn tortilla are put aside and saved for lunches for each child for a taco bell lunch day. The next morning we would send the kids with a homemade taco so their lunch is just like their friends. The kids often can order juice boxes so we send ones from home and if a dessert is offered we grab whatever is closest from our freezer. We make cupcakes, cookies, and other baked goods and freeze them just for days like this. Enjoy Life, Partake, and Made Good all make top allergen friendly cookies that may be suitable as a treat to save time. This works really well for our kids and hope it does for yours too, if you give it a go. rez-art/Istockphoto Top Tips for Allergy Friendly School Lunches -10 Lunch Ideas Soups Our kids eat soup often for lunch. It is one of our go to meals. They have everything from German Eintopf, Split Pea and Ham, Chicken Noodle, Chicken Tortilla, Potato and Leek, and so much more. There is a a full list of soups on our site. jabiru/Istockphoto Allergen Friendly Lunchables As kids this was THE food that was eaten. It was what everyone had to have. While they are not as common now the kids still love them and they are super easy to make. An allergen friendly cracker like Laiki Rice Crackers or Made Good Stars in one part of a bento box. Dairy free cheese slices like Daiya or Violife in another. All topped off with allergen friendly meat - either slices from the leftover roast beef we had for dinner or Applegate Slices. monkeybusinessimages/Istockphoto Subs A Gluten and top allergen friendly hot dog bun, such as Little Northern Bakehouse, with whichever veggies and dressing the kids would like. Sliced meats like in a French dip or chicken salad with vegan mayo, even meatballs in tomato sauce are always great for subs. Isaac Lee/Istockphoto Pizza and Pizza Rolls A couple slices of leftover homemade pizza, or Daiya pizza are always a hit. Sometimes we send a Little Northern Bakehouse bagel with pizza or marinara sauce on it topped with dairy free cheese shreds and all toasted in the oven until the dairy free cheese is slightly melty and sent for lunch. The same dough we make the pizzas from is also used in these rolls. We put whichever fillings the kids would like inside. We have this recipe for Allergen Friendly Pizza Rolls. Olgaorly/Istockphoto Wraps and Sandwiches The wraps tend to be burritos, tacos, or chicken and lettuce with a vegan caesar salad dressing all wrapped up. We usually wrap a bit of parchment around them to keep them wrapped before they are put in the bento box. The options are endless for sandwiches from chicken salad to sunflower butter and jam. These are a pretty standard fare for our kids. The older ones like some of their sandwiches with the tomatoes on the side and they assemble them at lunch so the bread doesnt get soggy when they have BLTs. Plateresca/istockphoto Mac and Cheese Served in a preheated insulated container like we would soup we sometimes send daiya mac and cheese or a homemade dairy and gluten free mac and cheese. OksanaKiian/Istockphoto Pancakes, French Toast, or Waffles Sending a couple of pancakes, apple or pear sauce and yoghurt is one of our favourite treat lunches. We use toppings like bananas or berries to bring a lot of flavour to the kid's meal. This meal is great as it can be eaten cold from the lunch kit or microwaved at school. The one big thing we do is skip the syrup or the kids will make a sticky mess trying to pour it. If they must have syrup, put the syrup on the pancakes at home so it soaks into them instead of in a side container. Send loads of wet wipes if syrup is a must. OlgaMiltsova/istockphoto Chicken Nuggets In the insulated container homemade chicken strips or nuggets are always a lunch our kids look forward to. Natthaphon Thanaruethai/Istockphoto Poutine This Canadian staple is one we have sent in an insulated container for Fun lunches. It is homemade fries reheated in the air fryer topped with Dairy free cheese shreds and smothered in gravy. It is supposed to be curds but we havent found any that are safe for the kids. DronG/istockphoto Salads Older kids love this kind of meal. We use leftovers to make fun salads that we send with the older kids for lunch. Their favourites are Taco Salads and Dairy Free Cobb Salad. These are great when no reheating facilities can be accessed. We send the lettuce base in a larger container and a small bento box or smaller ingredient containers in the large container and the kids assemble the salad themselves. We do this so some ingredients don't go soggy, like gluten free croutons. graletta/Istockphoto How to Pack Hot Foods so They Will Still be Warm at Lunch We LOVE to send our kids to school with hot lunches but we do not have access for them to a microwave. It just isnt feasible at their school so we send everything that needs to be warm in an insulated container, like a Thermos. This is one of our biggest our top tips for allergy friendly school lunches everything from leftovers to soups are sent with our kids. Over half the school year is cold here in our part of Canada so we like them to have a warming lunch. OKrasyuk/Istockphoto Pre warm the container The trick to keeping the food warm is to pre-heat the insulated container with warm water. It shouldnt be boiling water but warm. Boiling water can make the container too hot and the food will be too hot for the kids to eat. Loosely place the lid over the container opening so the heat stays in the container to warm it up. While the warm water is in the container this is the perfect time to heat up the food. medusaphotography/istockphoto Heat the Food Up Heat the leftovers or food up as per the recipe reheating instructions but if there are microwave and stove top or oven instructions, skip the microwave ones. We find that the food cools faster when heated in the microwave and put in an insulated container and can be cold by the time the kids go to eat it. Make sure the food is properly reheated following food safety guidelines. lithiumcloud/istockphoto Fill the container When the food is ready to pop in the container, carefully dump out the water. Dry out the container, if needed, we recommend this for items like fries or chicken fingers. Layer in the food, if it is leftover dinner like mashed potatoes, peas, and turkey topped with gravy. Leave a bit of room at the top, this is especially important for liquids like soup, so they are less likely to splash or spill. Put the lid on so the container doesn't leak. Put the container and utensils in the kids lunch kit. puhimec/istockphoto Opening it at school Make sure the kids can safely open the containers on their own without the lunchroom supervisor help, if needed. They should also be able to safely open the container and that the contents will not burn anyone if the contents are spilt. Hazal Ak/Istockphoto What About Lead and Insulated Containers? Some double walled water bottles have a bead of lead solder to seal it. In many products it is painted over to seal it and keep the harmful metal away from those using the bottle. With wear and tear this seal or cover may become exposed over time. We recommend to always check ANY item over before use to make sure it is safe for you. Checking the item, checking websites like LEAD SAFE MAMA to find lead free containers and water bottles, and figuring out what works for you are all important pieces to the puzzle of what you deem safe for your family. The blog 3 Little Plums also has recommendatons and discusses the topic of if the meal containers contain the same lead solder. Check out the 3 Little Plums findings HERE and which meal containers they recommend for kids lunches. ddukang/Istockphoto The Deal with Compostable Straws and Cutlery There is quite a bit of controversy over the glue used and the materials in some of the more eco-friendly utensils and straws. There are some products that use the shaft of the wheat, not the grain. Other products like some paper straws that use glue that some parents question. With Regards to Gluten Most of the questions come from the coeliac community who has been bringing up the safety for those who cannot tolerate gluten and the utensils made from wheat and the glue on paper straws. At the time of publishing Celiac Canada has this break down of types of straws it deems safe: "Here is a breakdown of some commonly used straws and their safety for the celiac and gluten-free community: Paper Straws . SAFE. Single use. There is no evidence to suggest that these straws contain any gluten. Bamboo Straws . SAFE. Reusable. Made from a sustainable ingredient. Good for hot and cold liquids. Silicone Straws. SAFE. Reusable. Good for multiple time use. Great for kids and come in fun colours! Stainless Steele Straws . SAFE. Reusable. Easy to clean. Pasta Straws. UNSAFE. Pasta straws are just that, tubular lengths of uncooked pasta that do contain gluten. We have found some gluten-free pasta straws, but these would be special order on-line, and unlikely to be served in a restaurant or other food establishment." Halfpoint/Istockphoto What About For Wheat Allergies? This does not however address if the straws and other products are safe for those with wheat allergies. An allergy to wheat is generally to the protein in the wheat and not the gluten. They are two different parts of the wheat. This is why Coeliacs may be able to consume de-glutened wheat starch but those with an allergy cannot. It is incredibly difficult to find information if these products are safe for wheat allergy sufferers. If you do use them it is best to discuss this with your medical team and determine the risks and safety for your family before use. We prefer to avoid them at this time with our kids, that is our personal choice. As we do not eat from restaurants, at this time we can avoid most of these products and for utensils, straws, and plates or bowls we use our own. Hasan Ashari/Istockphoto What Do We Use Instead of Compostable Utensils? Generally we avoid wood and pressed utensils as they can trap allergens if they are accidentally put into contact with our kids allergens. Instead we send plastic childrens utensils to school with our kids. A trick we use with multiple kids is we colour code them to the kids. Each always has the same utensils that are from their colour set. We also have soy free silicone straws for each child that are only for them. As more information and testing is done on the wheat based utensils we will reassess what we send with our kids. For now this works and we can ensure our kids are safe. In addition to packing a set of utensils in their lunch box we also have a sealed plastic bag with an extra set, in case they lose their other set. It is up to each person to determine what they are comfotable with, just like any product used to make the food this extends to what is used to eat it. IKEA Products We Love For Packing Lunch Utensils We love the Ikea utensils. They are sturdy and can be put through the dishwasher many times. The KALAS is made from polypropylene rather than wheat, bamboo or corn. HydroFlask Insulated Containers That Keep Food Hot The HydroFlask is a fabulous one but there are other really great containers that will keep your food warm. (See lead safe mama for lead free options) These are the holy grail in our lunch making endeavours. DragonImages/istockphoto Hot Bags/ Stay Warm Lunch Kits We have had other allergy parents tell us that heated lunch kits are one of the products that make their lives easier when making lunches. We have not tried one yet and do note that if you are travelling on an airplane with one to check if they are accepted for use on your carriers. Kenishirotie/Istockphoto Bento Boxes Our kids love being able to have fun foods. Some of our kids are pickier than others and they hate it when one of their foods touches another food. We send their meals in bento boxes to help encourage them to eat as much as they can. Charles Ellinwood /istockphoto Sauce Containers Dips are something that get sent a lot for our kids as we often need to get more food into them due to their small size and eating aversions. It is also the easiest way for us to get our kids to eat veggies, other than hiding them in other dishes. The containers need to be as leakproof as possible. These ones work well for us. Andrey Zhuravlev/Istockphoto Microwavable Containers A few great sealing microwavable containers are always on our back to school shopping list. We make sure nothing that cannot go in the microwave isn't packed in them. We also get a couple for each child in case they forget one at school or lose it. winterling/istockphoto Ice Packs In the summer months and to keep items chilled we use reusable ice packs in the lunch kits. For foods such as coconut based dairy free yoghurt cold packs work well. Just dont use an ice pack with a hot meal or they get colder quicker. Tatiana/istockphoto Freezer Pop Bags Sealing freezer bags are the best way to send make your own dairy and nut free yoghurt tubes they are also great as we find it cheaper to buy tubs of yoghurt and portion them out ourselves. Use a wider funnel to helo make the packing of the tubes mess free. We also freeze the yoghurt in the uber skinny bags for a two in one lunch kit cooler/food. SolStock/istockphoto Top Tips for Allergy Friendly School Lunches Tip 1 Send everyday use plastic utensils, like Ikeas Kalas instead of wheat based utensils or dispoasble ones. Tip 2 Practice opening and closing the food storage containers with the kids. Lunchroom supervisors are often overworked. They may not be able to open the containers everyday with time to spare for the kids to eat. The supervisors may also have just finished opening another childs container. They may not have time to wash their hands before opening allergen friendly containers. Using containers that keep the food warm and ones the kids can open themselves are a huge bonus. Tip 3 Request to be put on the fun lunch email list so you can plan lunches to match. Tip 4 Freeze treats when baking so there are always some on hand for birthdays and special lunch days. We have a section of our freezer with cupcakes, iced, frozen and in individual containers ready to be popped in the lunch bag on celebration days. Tip 5 Having a couple of sets of microwave safe containers in case the kids forget them at school or lose them. Tip 6 Teach the kids how to use a microwave and what NOT to ever put in them. Tip 7 Dont send items that can be difficult for children with EoE to swallow or easy to choke on. This will change with each child. shironosov/Istockphoto Putting it all together We hope these top tips for allergy friendly school lunches make the daily task of packing lunch for your allergy kids less of a chore and a lot easier. Use what works for you, not all of it will work for every family but some bits may help make lunches a bit more bareable. With a few accommodations at school, making your own mock fun lunches and using the right containers lunch can go from a battle to something you both look forward to. We like to say to our kids that they can eat just about everything their friends eat but with different ingredients that are safe for them. This article originally appeared on Theallergenfreekitchen.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org. Doucefleur / iStock More from MediaFeed A small SUV against a green background Image source: Upsplash/The Motley Fool I once bought a used Nissan Altima for just $5,000 and drove it for 10 years, racking up over 200,000 miles on the odometer. The car was exceptionally easy to maintain, with just a few minor repairs and one major fix over that period. In addition to its low maintenance costs, the car's low value allowed me to get cheap car insurance -- a win-win for me. Unfortunately, not all cars are as reliable as my Altima was. If you're in the market for a car that'll go the distance -- both in fuel economy and with the fewest repairs -- here are five that could save you thousands of dollars over the coming years. These vehicles could save you thousands Some cars have an above-average miles per gallon (MPG) rating, but the vehicle brand has less-than-stellar reliability ratings -- and vice versa. So, I've narrowed down this list of cars based on the brand's low maintenance and repair costs and a high combined (city and highway) MPG. I also chose different brands for this list so there'd be a variety of vehicles (and not just Toyotas!). All of the vehicle brands on this list will cost less than $3,000 in maintenance and repairs over a six- to 10-year period, according to Consumer Reports, and they're all more fuel efficient than the 24.4 MPG for the average car. 1. 2024 Toyota Prius LE The latest Prius LE hybrid is far ahead of its predecessor in styling but hasn't abandoned its fuel efficiency streak. The compact sedan gets up to a combined 57 MPG and starts at $27,950. Meanwhile, maintenance costs for Toyotas are estimated to be just $2,290 over a six- to 10-year time frame, the lowest of any automotive brand. 2. 2024 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Another compact sedan takes one of the leading spots on this list, thanks to the hybrid Elantra's combined 58 MPG rating and Hyundai's above-average reliability. The cost to maintain this car brand for up to 10 years will set you back just $2,655. You can snag a 2024 Elantra for $26,250 -- far below the average price of a new car at $47,218. 3. 2025 Honda Civic Sport Hybrid New styling and updated hybrid options for the latest Honda Civic make this compact sedan a great choice if you're looking for efficiency and reliability. The Civic Sport Hybrid model gets up to 50 MPG combined, and Honda's reputation for reliability pays off, with the average Honda costing just $2,580 over a six- to 10-year span. The starting price of the Civic Sport Hybrid model will cost you $28,750. 4. 2025 Lexus ES 300h As the only luxury vehicle on this list, the Lexus ES 300h's price tag is a bit steeper at $44,615. You'll get more bells and whistles at that price, as well as a larger midsize sedan and an impressive combined fuel economy of up to 44 MPG. And with a Lexus, your average cost of maintenance and repairs for up to 10 years is an estimated $2,850. 5. 2024 Nissan Versa S CVT Last but not least, is the Versa S CVT, which has a shockingly low starting price of just $18,350 and a combined MPG of 35. That mileage isn't as impressive as that of other cars on this list, but it's still far above average. The cost to maintain most Nissans is also low, at just $2,730 over a six- to 10-year period. Shop for this before you buy Saving money with a fuel-efficient vehicle that's cheap to maintain is a smart move, but you could be throwing some of that money away if you don't do one important thing before you buy: Shop around for the best car insurance. Hybrid models can cost up to 7% more to insure than their gas-powered counterparts, which means it's a good idea to do a little comparison shopping for coverage once you're ready to buy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to see if I can convince my wife that spending money on a new car can save us money. Alert: highest cash back card we've seen now has 0% intro APR until nearly 2026 This credit card is not just good it's so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee! Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes. 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.Chris Neiger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Family members of students and staff at Apalachee High School called 911 to find out about their loved ones after a mass shooting that left four dead unfolded on Sept. 4, newly released audio reveals. The 911 call center in Barrow County was inundated after the shooting began at about 10:20 a.m. when authorities say 14-year-old Colt Gray began his rampage. Some callers were met with an automated message that there was "high call volume," according to the audio reviewed by USA TODAY. "Sir, my daughter goes to the school next door to Apalachee. Is there a school shooter?" one caller said. "We do have an active situation at Apalachee High School right now. We have a lot of calls coming in and we do have units on scene," a 911 operator responded. Authorities also released audio of communications between officers on the scene as they cleared classrooms and discovered injured and deceased victims. In one recording, an officer describes applying a tourniquet to an injured female victim. "She's gonna need to get out of here pretty quick," he says. Barrow County officials told USA TODAY that some 911 calls are exempt from being disclosed as public records if they contain the voices or cries of children. "What is going on at the high school, at Apalachee High School," one man asked a 911 operator who said she could not confirm any information. "My son just texted me. He's a student in there right now, he says people are dying." A man told a 911 operator that his daughter worked as a school psychologist at Apalachee and was working with a student in a trailer "next to where the shooting was happening." The man said his daughter tried to hide behind a desk with the student but "shes upset because she cant get the door locked." "I want them to be aware that shes in a trailer and she cant lock the door and if they can check on the trailers... hopefully, they can check it and get her out," he said. NEW DETAILS REVEALED: Apalachee High School suspect kept gun in backpack, hid in bathroom, officials say Over an hour after the shooting started, one call came from a woman who identified herself as Gray's aunt and said she was calling from Florida. My mom just called me and said that Colt texted his mom my sister and his dad that he was sorry, and they called the school and told the counselor to go get him immediately, the woman said through tears. She said she saw that theres been a shooting, and Im just worried it was him. According to an earlier report from The Washington Post, the teen's mother told her sister that she called the school half an hour before the shooting began and said there was an "extreme emergency" with her son. Gray is being charged with murder for the deaths of students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and teachers Ricky Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53. Eight other students and one teacher were injured. Gray's father, Colin Gray, also faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree murder and cruelty to children. The release of the 911 calls comes amid ongoing services for some of the victims planned for Saturday. A memorial service for Schermerhorn, a ninth grader who "loved Disney World and LEGOs," was scheduled for Saturday afternoon at a civic center and attendees were asked to wear his favorite color, red. Cristina Irimie, a math teacher and pillar of her tight-knit Romanian Orthodox community, was set to be remembered at a separate service in the afternoon. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Apalachee High School shooting 911 calls released A coalition of voting rights groups on Friday sued the Alabama secretary of state and attorney general over a policy they say illegally targets naturalized citizens to keep them from voting in the upcoming November election. The lawsuit alleges that a recent policy intended to remove noncitizens from Alabama's voter rolls "undermines the fundamental right to vote" by relying on faulty information that discriminates against naturalized citizens, disenfranchises eligible voters, and wrongly refers cases for criminal prosecution. "Alabama is targeting its growing immigrant population through a voter purge intended to intimidate and disenfranchise naturalized citizens," the lawsuit said. MORE: DOJ task force, formed in 2021 to fight election threats, has brought only 20 cases The lawsuit centers on a policy initiated last month by Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, whose office began the process of removing 3,251 people from the state's voter rolls because they had previously been issued noncitizen identification numbers. His office also referred the list of registered voters to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall for potential criminal prosecution on the grounds that federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in national elections. "I have been clear that I will not tolerate the participation of noncitizens in our elections," Allen said in a statement announcing the purge of voters. The lawsuit alleges that the purge of voters wrongly included naturalized citizens who were once issued noncitizen identification numbers before gaining their citizenship. PHOTO: A voter enters a polling place to cast their ballot in the state's primary, March 5, 2024, in Mountain Brook, Ala. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images, FILE) In announcing the policy last month, Secretary of State Allen acknowledged the possibility that some of the voters included in the purge may have since become citizens, and said that those voters could re-register to vote ahead of the election. Plaintiffs alleged that the policy is "designed to target naturalized citizens for removal" and unfairly burdens eligible voters with re-registering to vote. People born outside of the United States can become naturalized citizens by meeting requirements that include being a lawful permanent resident for five years or marrying a U.S. citizen, as well as demonstrating proficiency in English and passing a civics test. Famous naturalized citizens include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ryan Reynolds, and Melania Trump. Roald Hazelhoff, a naturalized citizen who moved to the United States from the Netherlands in 1977, joined the lawsuit after he received notice that his voting registration had been inactivated following the purge. Despite attempting to fix his registration status, Hazelhoff is unsure if he will be able to vote in the upcoming election, the lawsuit said. "It intimidates naturalized citizens and discourages them from voting by suggesting that by registering to vote, they are committing a crime and will be referred for criminal investigation," Kate Huddleston, senior legal counsel at Campaign Legal Center, told ABC News. The plaintiffs asked a federal court in Alabama to issue an injunction to stop the policy because it violates the Constitution, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Voting Rights Act. MORE: Election officials continue to face threats, harassment ahead of November A spokesperson for the Alabama secretary of state, when asked for comment by ABC News, declined to comment on active litigation. The lawsuit is being brought by a group of advocacy groups -- including the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, League of Women Voters of Alabama, and League of Women Voters of Alabama Education Fund -- as well as four individual plaintiffs who allege their voting rights have been threatened by the policy. The suit names Secretary of State Allen and Attorney General Marshall as defendants, as well as the chairs of the board of registrars in Elmore, Jefferson, Lee, and Marshall counties. "We are committed to doing all that we can to ensure that every voter votes and that every vote is counted despite what obstacles are put in our path," said Benard Simelton, president of the Alabama NAACP. The lawsuit comes amid a nationwide push by Republican lawmakers to tighten voting requirements ahead of the November election. Last month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that over one million ineligible voters had been removed from his state's voter rolls, including 6,500 noncitizens, while Tennessee officials in June asked over 14,000 residents to provide proof of their citizenship to remain on voter rolls. Despite heightened concerns about illegal voting, research has suggested that actual instances of noncitizens voting are exceeding rare. A 2017 report prepared by the nonprofit Brennan Center for Justice found that there were only around 30 incidents of noncitizen voting across the 23.5 million votes that were studied -- a rate of 0.0001%. "Secretary Allen implemented the Purge Program as part of a nationwide, bad-faith effort falsely claiming that noncitizen voting is prevalent in American elections," the lawsuit said. "[E]vidence overwhelmingly shows that noncitizen voting is vanishingly rare in the United States and that voter purges aimed at alleged noncitizens primarily prevent eligible naturalized citizens from casting ballots." Alabama officials sued for allegedly suppressing new citizens' voting rights originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Fall baking is about to get so much better. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios There are more than 7,500 types of apples grown worldwide, according to Washington State University. While orchards and grocery stores narrow down that selection, it can still feel daunting to know which kind of apple to stock up on. The best apple for snacking is a simple choice: whichever type you enjoy the flavor and texture of most. But the choice is not quite as straightforward when you want to cook the apples. So we turned to the folks who know best to help us find the ultimate apples for baking. Below are tips from two farmers who collectively grow 43 types of apples and a produce inspector who lives in a city that some call the apple capital of the world. Meet the Farmers Randy Davidson, a Wenatchee, Washington-based produce field inspector for Whole Foods Market Angie Eckert, vice president of retail operations at Eckerts Family Farms in Belleville, Illinois Rob Shenot, a sixth-generation apple farmer and the owner/operator of Shenots Farm & Market in Wexford, Pennsylvania Qualities of the Best Baking Apples The classification of baking and eating apples is arbitrary, because literally any apple could be used for either use depending on the preferences, says Shenot, a sixth-generation apple farmer. Still, our expert panel agrees that two details make apples really shine in baked goods, including: Tart flavor. According to Shenot, the most important quality for baking apples is the level of tartness. Apple desserts like pies, tarts, crisps, crumbles, and even apple butter and applesauce all call for some type of sweetener, so a naturally tart quality in baking apples is ideal. In tandem with the sugar (or honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, or other featured sweetener), this combination creates a dynamic flavor profile that enhances the richness of baked goods. explains Eckert. The Goldilocks texture. When cooked or baked, some apples turn to mush, and others stay too crunchy. The best baking apples are firm with a crisp texture that stand up to heat without turning mushy, says Davidson. The fruit should be firm when fresh, then soften just enough when baked, Eckert adds. The Best Apples for Baking, According to Farmers Peter Dazeley/Getty Images Shenot concedes that choosing just one best apple variety for baking is challenging. Eckert echoes that sentiment, noting that each variety brings its own unique qualities to the table. However, if Eckert had to pick just one best apple for baking, regardless of whether the fruit is destined for pies, crisps, quick breads, or other fall treats, shed select a type of apple that Shenot is also sweet on: Jonathan. Jonathan apples have the right amount of tartness to complement the sweetness of desserts, and their texture holds up well but softens beautifully in the oven, providing a tender bite without losing its shape. This is an ideal choice for baked goods where you want the apple to retain some structure, Eckert says. Shenot recommends a blend of varieties for apple-infused baked goods, especially when making applesauce or pies, he tells us. To lend a smooth texture and a little more sweetness that plays nicely with Jonathans tartness, Shenot and Eckert love mixing Golden Delicious with those Jonathans. Golden Delicious apples are a reliable and versatile baking apple due to their ability to maintain their shape while still softening in a pleasant way. As for the second best, Id go with the Golden Delicious as the second-best baking apple, Eckert says. It becomes tender during baking, offering a melt-in-your-mouth texture thats perfect for pies, cakes, and other desserts. The natural sweetness of the Golden Delicious also adds a mellow flavor to baked goods, allowing you to use less sugar in your recipes. If you cant findor dont love those types of applesyou can build your own signature baking blend that showcases the tartness level and texture you enjoy most. Consider any of these farmer-approved baking-friendly apples, depending on your exact use and personal preference. Smoother and Sweeter Idared McIntosh Pink Lady Firmer and More Tart Stayman Melrose Granny Smith Honeycrisp The Worst Apples for Baking Due to their firm texture, there are certain apples that are best reserved for snacking or featuring in salads, fruit salsas, slaws, and other raw preparations, the farmers explain. These include: Gala Fuji Evercrisp And theres one apple variety that could qualify as the worst apple for baking, if you ask Shenot: I dont recommend Red Delicious for anything really. I use them to balance out a tart blend of cider. Otherwise, theyre useless in my opinion. Read the original article on All Recipes. Full Frame Shot Of Tarot Cards (Tatana Maramygina / EyeEm / Getty Images ) Chances are, youve encountered someone pulling tarot cards on TikTok or Instagram. Tarot, which began as a game of playing cards in 15th century Europe, has seen a cultural resurgence of late, one made evident on social media. Most often, tarot is used as a form of cartomancy in which practitioners draw cards to gain insight around a situation. The 78 cards in the deck each represent a different energy. Through interpreting the cards that arise in a reading, people can make predictions or simply tell a story. But tarots uses are more versatile than pop culture makes it seem. The cards can be used as a companion for therapy, a springboard for journaling, or a storytelling resource. Essentially, they can be anything you want them to be. While you can certainly visit a tarot practitioner for a reading, you can also learn to read your own tarot cards. That way, you can define your relationship with them and determine how they can fit into your life. Becoming acquainted with all 78 cards can be daunting and challenging, especially in the beginning. The deck is separated into 22 Major Arcana cards, which are thematically significant, and then 56 cards split up into four suits, each with a different energy. Each card has a different interpretation, and takes on new meaning when pulled in conjunction with other cards. Hearing advice from professional readers can help guide your journey because everyone has their own tips. As a professional astrologer and tarot reader, I find that taking notes in a journal of all the cards youre pulling on a regular basis is helpful. My great grandmother, who read tarot during the Great Depression, taught me that if you are seeing similar cards over and over that they are trying to tell you a message. Keeping track of your tarot pulls can help you see the patterns and themes to pay attention to. Below, we spoke to prominent and skilled tarot readers for must-know tips for beginners and experts alike. First, clear your mind and awaken your intuition Tarot is reliant on your intuition. When shuffling and pulling cards, youll stop at the cards that feel right, and then give interpretations based on what strikes you. Trusting yourself is essential. So, before you start, make sure you feel relaxed and in tune with yourself. Consider meditating or taking a few deep breaths before beginning to shuffle. A scented candle could also transport you into the right mindset. Mariah Oller, Charlotte-based Tarot reader and creator of the Tarot of Life deck, explained the importance of getting grounded. Grounding gives you the space to ask the questions you want answered and to receive clear guidance from the reading. Oller said. Grounding helps us be present. It allows us to articulate our questions and take action towards our goals. Start with an effective question Tarot cards are often used to provide insight on a subject matter. When approaching the cards with a question, its best to ask something open-ended question, rather than a yes or no. This way, the cards can be the start of a story, rather than a closed door. For example, instead of asking, Will I ever find love? you can ask, How can I attract a partner? or What obstacles stand in between me and opening myself up? You can also ask general tarot card questions, like the following: What should I be focusing on? How are my mind, body, and spirit doing? What do I need to know? Shuffle the cards with a question in mind Tarot reader Caitlin McGarry, who resides in Mallorca, recommends keeping your intention or question in mind while shuffling and choosing cards. Let the energy transcend between your fingers and the cards. When you feel as though you are done shuffling, then you can start choosing cards or cut different piles to place them in and pick one, McCarry said. McGarry recommended starting with one-card readings before diving into spreads. In spreads, each placement has a different significance; the cards, put together, tell a story. Choose a beginner-friendly spread to guide your reading You can use a "spread" to guide your reading. A spread assigns each card that is dealt a different meaning. For example, a "past, present, future" spread designates the first card pulled corresponds to the past, the second with the present, and the third with the future. Tarot reader Kerry Ward recommends beginners try three-card readings. She provided some ideas for three-card readings, and encourages you to swap out questions. Figuring out a relationship Their true feelings for me? What we need to talk about? Potential of this relationship in the future? Seeking career direction The talent/strength I need to build my career around? The purpose I serve in this world? My next step towards this pathway? Personal development goals What does the universe want me to know about myself? What challenge would help me grow and thrive? How can I be of service to others? Before looking up the meanings, decide on one yourself So, youve shuffled and pulled a few cards. Whats next? Before reaching for the tarot book or looking up a meaning online, try defining the cards yourself. Close your eyes and meditate on the significance of the card. What images do you see from the card? What thoughts are coming to you? Consider how the images make you feel, Sarah Potter, a New York-based tarot reader and author of The Cosmo Tarot, said. For Potter, this exercise is a reminder that there is no correct way to interpret the cards. We relate and connect to the tarot and cards on an individualistic basis. There is not one meaning but our own relationship to it, she said. Pick a deck that speaks to you There are countless tarot decks available for purchase. The artwork on each deck provides a different interpretation of the energies and stories associated with each tarot card. Many decks are in conversation with the images created by Pamela Colman Smith for the Rider Smith Waite tarot deck, which was created in 1909 and remains a popular option. When youre in the market for a tarot deck, Bay Area tarot reader Staci Luna said simply put to go with the one you like, with art that speaks to you. A tarot deck that tells a visual story, the clearer the imagery on the card, the less you need to memorize, Luna said. Make sure you love your tarot deck," Kerry Ward, author of the Good Karma Tarot, said. "If you dont resonate with those cards, get excited when you see them, and have a connection to the pics, then its not going to happen. Rachel True actor and author of True Heart Intuitive Tarot, Guidebook And Deck said she always shuffles through the cards before purchasing. I like to first see how the cards art resonates for me on a visceral level, then I note which emotions are coming up and which part of the imagery Ive focused on. This is usually a big key into what your subconscious is trying to tell you, she said. Luna dispelled one lingering myth: You can totally buy your own deck, and ignore superstitious beliefs that you must be given a deck. When should you read your own tarot cards? Ward said that it's always the right time to consult the cards but it's worth coming up with a ritual so you can track your progress. "Maybe you make a ritual of doing a reading at New Year, your birthday, the start of each season, the 1st of the month, every New Moon ... whatever date resonates. And, of course, when you feel youve got an unanswered question or issue, or a big decision to make, or a heartache to heal," she said. Look up your birth card Birth cards are the cards associated with different aspects of your natal chart specifically your sun sign, your ruling planet, and your most dominant element. Check out our guide to finding your birth card and why it's worth taking a deep dive into the cards that may speak to you. tarot card birth chart (Courtesy Kerry Ward ) Check out a few of the tarot books While creating on your own interpretations of the cards is important, you may find it helpful to read books about tarot in addition to the guidebook accompanying most decks. A few of our suggestions for tarot books? "Modern Tarot" by Michelle Tea, which blends memoir and personal experience for each card. "Tarot for Change" by Jessica Dore, pairing insights from psychology with tarot cards. "Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom" by Rachel Pollack, considered by many to be the ultimate tarot authority. "The Easiest Way to Learn the Tarot Ever!!" by Dusty White, an interactive and frankly hilarious workbook that makes tarot accessible "Tarot Masterclass" by Paul Fenton Smith, which offers detailed breakdowns of each card's meaning as well as tips for becoming a professional tarot reader. Create a ritual for caring for your cards As you begin to use tarot cards, youll develop rituals that work for you. Many readers like to practice spiritual hygiene on the cards, resetting them and ridding them of energies from a reading. Astrologer and spiritualist Shawnte Cato, whos based in San Diego, says that its important to cleanse tarot cards in between readings because certain energy could still be hanging around influencing the cards themselves, or even your own energetic environment. Just as theres no one right way to read the cards, theres no right way to reset them, either. Tarot reader, astrologer and author Theresa Reed (who also goes by The Tarot Lady on social media and is based in Milwaukee) recommends the following tip to cleansing tarot cards. One of my favorite ways to cleanse a tarot deck is what I call the crystal sandwich. I place my deck on a large, flat crystal. Then, I place selenite wands on top of the deck. After 24 hours, my deck is cleansed and ready to go, Reed said. Another hack Reed suggested is to put the cards in the deck back in its original order from the Fool all the way to the King of Pentacles. Make sure every card is right side up. Then, shuffle the deck. This wakes my deck up every time, she said. Cato uses the lunar phases to restore energy. Place the deck near the window under a new or full moon along with dried lavender to bring vitality back to the cards. Keep in mind that none of these practices are necessary. As you forge your own relationship with the cards, youll discern whats necessary for you. Sleep on it, literally New York-based tarot reader Aerinn Hodges offered a unique (and dreamy) way of understanding the cards. An alternative to meditating on your daily draw is sleeping on it literally! Sometimes Ill place a card under the bed where my head rests. When Im ready to drift off to sleep, I imagine myself descending into the image on the card and inviting its spirits and energies into my dream life. The images and experiences that come up in my dreams will often illuminate new ways of understanding the card that my waking mind may not have realized," Hodges said. Think of tarot card reading as a journey As you build a tarot habit, take note of the cards you pull and the interpretations that come to you. Remember the cards are not set in stone, as New York-based tarot reader Mercedes Viera said. Just because you get a certain set of cards over a situation today, doesnt mean thats how theyll remain tomorrow. Energies shift and change, so do the cards, they said. North Carolina-based tarot reader Bronx, publicly known as Tarot by Bronx, urges new readers to create a comprehension of the tarot based on experiences and their own understanding. There are cards that can be more challenging to receive or more uplifting, but there arent just good or bad cards. Life and tarot arent black and white. Its up to you as a reader to acknowledge the in-between meanings. Bronx, adding that tarot is a tool to understand our subconscious desires and needs. We are given the information; its up to us to take it in and listen. Like everything, tarot takes time. But, you can develop a relationship with the tarot and cards through these tips. The most important thing is to forge a personal connection with each card and learn to trust yourself. As tarot reader Nancy Hayes, whos based in Colorado put it, Tarot is a journey, and and it takes time, trust and intuition. Be OK where you are starting and be open to learning. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Wind turbine blades await transport at a port in Yancheng, east China's Jiangsu province, on Sept. 8, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] The recent visits by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store to China highlight the growing potential for cooperation between Europe and China, especially in the area of clean energy and green transition. Their visits reflect the shared interest in stabilizing relations and deepening collaboration on sustainable development. By engaging in constructive dialogue, Spain and Norway demonstrated their will to facilitate green transition, a crucial pathway to addressing the global climate crisis. Trade disputes, not least those related to tariffs on Chinese EVs, need to be resolved without derailing broader efforts toward a green economy. Spain, one of Europe's largest EV producers, plays a crucial role in this dynamic. During his visit, Sanchez voiced Spain's readiness to expand collaboration with China in areas like cultural exchanges, trade and particularly EVs. Spain's position as a major player in the automotive industry, coupled with China's strength in EV production, presents significant opportunities for their win-win cooperation. Likewise, Norway, following talks between Chinese and Norwegian leaders, issued a joint statement with China on the establishment of dialogue on green transition. A leader in renewable energy and EV adoption, Norway has long been committed to reducing its carbon footprint. "We welcome cooperation and trade with China in a broad range of areas ... We want to cooperate on areas where we have overlapping interests with China, such as addressing climate change and the green industrial transition," the Norwegian prime minister told Xinhua ahead of his visit to China. Norway's strategic insight in the maritime and shipbuilding sectors, which also touch upon greener, more efficient transportation, aligns with China's expertise in green technologies, hence a mutually beneficial partnership. This collaboration on green economy, as widely deemed a win-win scenario, enables Europe and China to strengthen their positions in the global market thereby contributing to international climate goals. Rising up to challenges and braving headwinds, China and Europe are capable of forging meaningful partnerships that transcend political differences, especially when it comes to the shared goal of sustainability. Romania has set up displacement camps and launched rescue operations after floods killed at least four people and destroyed thousands of homes in the east of the country. Military boats and planes are being used to move people to safety, and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has said the priority now is to prevent further loss of life. Recent days have seen torrential rain sweep through central and eastern Europe, swelling rivers and triggering flood warnings in the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. The flood barriers in Czech capital Prague have been raised, while in parts of Poland residents have been evacuated. The four dead people were found in the southeastern Romanian region of Galati during a search and rescue operation, emergency services confirmed to the AFP news agency. "Dozens of people were rescued from their homes in 19 areas of the country," they added. Four southern provinces in Poland are among the areas at greatest risk [Polish Police] In Poland, interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak said there was a "difficult situation" in the areas surrounding four rivers. In the southwest, the River Biala has exceed safe levels by two meters, and there is particular concern about the nearby towns of Morow and Glucholazy. Glucholazy resident Piotr Jakubiec said he had prepared sandbags and pumps to divert the water but that it was "impossible to predict what's going to happen". "This is the second time in my life that I've seen such a phenomenon. It's a nightmare for the people who live here," he said. Another resident, Zofia Owsiaka, said that everyone in the town was "scared" and that there seemed to be "no hope of the rain stopping". "Of course I'm scared. Water is the most powerful force of nature. Everyone is scared," she said. In the town of Wroclaw, thousands of residents had to use the staircases of the high-rise blocks because the lifts were shut amid flooding fears, local media reported. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has sought to reassure the public that the forecasts are "not overly alarming" and that the threat does not extend across the whole country. Workers in Prague have been closing floodgates on the River Vltava [ MARTIN DIVISEK/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock] In the Czech Republic, the highest flood alert had been declared in 38 different locations. In Prague, flood barriers have been raised, embankments have been closed to the public, and the zoo has been closed. On Friday morning, a one-metre-thick steel gate was used to close off the so-called Devil's Canal or Certovka, which runs through the city. The gate is part of a nationwide network of flood defences installed to prevent a repeat of catastrophic damage caused by flooding in 1997 and 2002. Attention is focused this weekend on central and eastern parts of the country, especially North Moravia, where 50 people lost their lives in 1997. The Jeseniky mountains could receive some 400mm over the next three days, and that water will then cascade down the River Oder (Odra in Czech) and on towards Poland, passing a number of towns and villages on the way. The GeoSphere Austria weather map on Friday showed a large band of rain across Central Europe [GeoSphere Austria] In Austria, which officials say experienced its hottest August since records began, many regions are expecting 10-20cm of rain in a matter of days. In parts of the north, over 20cm is forecast. Storm warning centre UWZ said some parts will see previous records for the entire month of September "surpassed in just a few days". Manuel Kelemen, a forecaster for Puls24 TV, said that "what we're experiencing is extraordinary, if not unprecedented". Flooding and landslides are also possible, with gale force winds expected in capital Vienna, and heavy snowfall in the west has also caused travel disruption. Continuous heavy rain is also expected across the border in the German state of Bavaria. Extreme precipitation is becoming more likely in Europe, as across much of the world, due to climate change. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, which can lead to heavier rainfall. Chappell Roan is truly in nearly every way possible taking the world by storm. It's hard to miss the Missouri native, now queer pop icon. Her catchy hits "Pink Pony Club," "Hot To Go!" and "Good Luck, Babe" are continuously played on the radio with the latter ranked No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. On Wednesday night, she made her music awards show performance debut at the MTV Video Music Awards, also sweeping up the VMA for "Best New Artist." And in October, her star-studded face will grace the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. The cover story, which is already accessible on the Rolling Stone website, provides a raw, in-depth look into Roan's quick claim to fame, much of which has been overwhelming for her. Chappell Roan attends the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on Sept. 11, 2024 in New York. Since gaining more widespread attention earlier this year following the release of her album, "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess," Roan has been outspoken on issues that are important to her notably those involving the LGBTQ+ community. The popstar consistently works with local drag queens who open for her concerts, publicly declined an invitation to perform at the White House for Pride Month and next month, she's donating a portion of the proceeds from her concert in Rogers, Arkansas to The GLO Center in Springfield, Missouri. But last month, Roan's name was thrown into the public spotlight for a different type of speaking out. Chappell Roan accepts the Best New Artist award. Chappell Roan posted TikTok videos addressing 'predatory behavior' from fans On Aug. 19, Roan posted two videos to TikTok sporting a T-shirt and messy bun addressing individuals who have exhibited "predatory behavior" toward her. In the first of the two videos, Roan poses several questions: "If you saw a random woman on the street, would you yell at her from the car window? Would you harass her in public? Would you go up to a random lady and say, 'Can I get a photo with you?' and she's like, 'No, what the f**k?' and then you get mad at this random lady? Would you be offended if she says no to your time because she has her own time? Would you stalk her family? Would you follow her around? Would you try to dissect her life and bully her online? This is a lady you don't know and she doesn't know you at all. Would you assume that she's a good person, assume she's a bad person? Would you assume everything you read about her online is true? I'm a random b***h. You're a random b***h. Just think about that for a second, okay?" She goes on, in the second video, to explain that even though these exhibitions of predatory behavior may be seen as "normal" for celebrities, she won't tolerate them. "I don't care that this crazy type of behavior comes along the job, the career field I've chosen," she says in the video. "That does not make it okay. It doesn't mean I want it, doesn't mean that I like it. It's weird how people think that you know a person just because you see them online and then listen to the art they make. I'm allowed to say no to creepy behavior, okay?" As of Thursday, the two videos had more than 32 million views on TikTok, collectively. Within just a few hours, the videos began circulating on social media, with many fans concerned about just who Roan was talking about, with some suggesting the artist was ungrateful for her fan community's support. A few days later, Roan posted a statement on Instagram addressing the videos. "For the past 10 years, I've been going nonstop to build my project and it's come to the point that I need to draw lines and set boundaries," she opened the statement with. "I've been in too many nonconsensual physical and social interactions, and I just need to lay it out and remind you: women don't owe you sh**." Roan goes on to explain that when she is on stage, in drag, performing she is at work. But otherwise, she is not in "work mode" and doesn't owe people anything. "I am specifically talking about predatory behavior (disguised as 'superfan' behavior) that has become normalized because of the way women who are well-known have been treated in the past," Roan explains in the statement, clarifying the direction of her TikTok videos. Though Roan has spent more than a decade honing her craft, for many, she popped out of nowhere, rising to stardom "overnight." Chappell Roan is not alone in discomfort with fame, experts say Since Roan's various statements, several female musicians have stepped forward, showing their support for Roan, including Lady Gaga, Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams, Charli XCX and Billie Eilish. Elton John has also shown tremendous support to Roan, speaking with her in several interviews and playing her songs on his radio show, "Rocket Hour." Rebekah Moore, assistant professor of music at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, said unfortunately, Roan's recent outcry is "very familiar territory." "I can say without hesitation that every woman I have booked and had more than a causal conversation with has disclosed some form of harassment, abuse, sex assault, violence that she has experienced as a result of being on stage, as a result of being someone who is perceived as being more publicly accessible," Moore said. Throughout her career, Moore has worked in the live music production industry, often working directly with artists. Rebekah Moore is an assistant professor in the department of music at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. As a fan of Roan already, Moore said she really liked both the TikTok videos and following Instagram statement because of how direct Roan was. "I thought she was framing what had happened to her in terms that would get the attention it deserved, so being very blunt about her outrage and wanting to reestablish boundaries," Moore said. A notable and tragic story that has resurfaced following Roan's statements is that of pop-punk musician Christina Grimmie, who was assassinated at age 22 at a concert in 2016. Following her concert at The Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida, Grimmie met with fans for autographs and photos. As she prepared to go in for a hug with a man who she assumed was a fan, he shot her four times, before killing himself. She died later that evening. Singer Christina Grimmie attends a Macy's iHeartRadio rising star in-store performance on May 16, 2015, in Whitehall, Pennsylvania. One of the factors that has driven predatory "super fan" behavior in recent years is social media, Moore said. Social media breeds a new form of parasocial relationship "We are encouraged through the nature of social media, through the nature of fandom ... to perceive ourselves as being in some sort of relationship with artists whose music we love," Moore said. "Whether or not the songs are actually about them (artists), we interpret these songs as something that reflects their inner workings, their emotional realities, their relationship realities. We think we know them because of their art." This type of one-sided relationship, between a fan and a public figure, is known as a parasocial relationship. Holly Holladay, an associate professor of media, journalism and film at Missouri State University, has studied fan and celebrity parasocial relationships extensively. In 2013, she co-published a report dedicated to research on Lady Gaga's Little Monsters fan community. Holly Holladay is an associate professor of media, journalism and film at Missouri State University. Holladay said there are typically two categories into which fans fall in parasocial relationships. The first is the "obsessive loner," a fan with "86 Chappell Roan tattoos" who stalks the musician's every move online. The second is the "hysterical mob," who Roan was addressing in her public statements. These "fans" take direct action to more or less take advantage of a celebrity's lack of public boundaries. Social media has added another layer to this dynamic, allowing fans to feel even closer to those they admire. "Social media, and this is especially true for social media manned by the celebrity themselves, reduces that distance, reduces that barrier, so that intimacy and the feeling of knowingness is very much increased," Holladay said. "It used to be ... when you learn information about a star, you learn through these very carefully selected channels ... so like celebrity gossip magazines, interviews or press releases. Now, it's almost as if you have a much more direct contact with a celebrity." Chappell Roan In Roan's case, it appears she manages her own social media, especially when she posts videos like the two on TikTok featuring a more relaxed face and attire in comparison to her on-stage persona. Feeling a sense of hometown protection over Roan, Holladay said she feels sympathy for her. "I challenge any of us to imagine what it would be like to have everybody giving attention to you overnight," Holladay said. A 'non-manufactured' persona Perhaps one of the reasons why folks feel so connected to Roan is because of her authenticity, on and off stage. "She feels so non-manufactured and that's funny because her whole persona is drag, camp," Holladay said, adding that she believes Roan is "radically special" in the way she is representing the LGBTQ+ community. Moore echoed Holladay. "I think for rural queers, we didn't have a model quite like this," Moore said. Reading from her diary as she accepted her "Best New Artist" VMA on Wednesday night, Roan remained authentic to her audience. "For all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right now, I see you, I understand you because I'm one of you," Roan said during her acceptance speech. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chappell Roan wants privacy amid fame, 'predatory' fans. Here's why. A federal judge has blocked in five states the implementation of a Biden administration rule that aims to cut methane emissions and conserve natural gas produced on federal lands. Former President Trump appointee Judge Daniel Traynor granted the request from five states to temporarily block the rule from taking effect while their case against it plays out. The rule in question requires companies that drill for oil and gas on public lands to come up with a plan to reduce wasted gas and cut down on the release or burning of excess gas. It also makes companies implement programs to repair and detect methane leaks. Oil and gas can be co-occurring, and sometimes oil companies will release or burn off some of the gas which tends to be less valuable than oil that they produce. The main component of gas is methane, which is between 27 times and 30 times as potent as carbon dioxide when it comes to heating up the planet over a 100-year period. In their request for the rule to be blocked, North Dakota, Montana, Texas, Wyoming and Utah argued that the rule is an overreach, contending that regulating emissions and energy issues should be left to the states. In his ruling for the North Dakota district court, Traynor sided with the states, calling the rule a significant impingement on their rights. Interior Department spokesperson Giovanni Rocco said the department was reviewing the decision but did not provide further comment. When the rule was issued, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland described it as an effort to use modern technology and best practices to reduce natural gas waste. The rule mainly applied in the 10 states that are collectively responsible for 99 percent of oil produced on federal lands: Alaska, California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. 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. Alan Smith ran as a write-in Democratic candidate in 2022 because he wanted answers from his state senator, Jake Hoffman, one of the 11 Arizona Republicans who signed a fake electoral certificate declaring that Donald Trump had won the state in 2020 after President Biden won the state by 10,457 votes. "I did not want him unopposed. I wanted them to spend some money. I wanted him to have to put up a fight. I wanted him to try to explain himself," Smith said. He didn't get that satisfaction, in large part because Hoffman did not debate him, so in 2024 Smith, 70, of Mesa is running again as the official Democratic nominee in the deep-red Republican district. Smith is one of dozens of people across the country who are running longshot campaigns for local and state office in an effort to oust Republican elected officials who baselessly question the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, or who have interfered with certifying subsequent elections. Hoffman has since been indicted by a state grand jury for signing the fake electoral certificate, which was sent to former Vice President Mike Pence in order to sow doubt about the results of the Electoral College's vote to certify Joe Biden's victory. The "fake elector" scheme, which involved officials in several states, was intended to help Trump overturn his defeat in the 2020 election. Hoffman has pleaded not guilty and told the Arizona Republic the investigation was a "political witch hunt" and a "naked attempt to weaponize government and tamper with this November's presidential election." I've heard we don't stand any chance to win out here as Democrats in this district, but I am a firm believer that we need to contest every race, Smith said. He said the indictment improves his odds in the race. Hoffman is one of 18 people indicted by a state grand jury as part of the Arizona attorney general's ongoing investigation into the "fake elector" plan. Last month Arizona Superior Court Judge Bruce Cohen scheduled a Jan. 5, 2026, trial date for the defendants, who include former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Trump himself is listed in the indictment as an unindicted co-conspirator. Alan Smith is running for Arizona Senate One defendant has pleaded guilty, a second agreed to cooperate in exchange for having the charges dropped. Hoffman did not respond to attempts to reach him for comment. Smith gave a litany of other policy reasons for why he's challenging Hoffman, but the electoral certificate is the main driver, he said. "He didn't even care how the people of Arizona had voted. He was going to say that Trump had won this state, even though all of their court cases, all of them had been dismissed," Smith said. With Democrats down only one seat in the Arizona Senate, winning the historically Republican district, which includes part of Mesa and other suburbs east of Phoenix, could result in a tie between the parties in the chamber. Smith won 33,000 votes, or 35%, when he ran as a write-in candidate against Hoffman in 2022. Hoffman received 60,000 votes, or about 65%. Smith said that outcome, and the charges brought against the fake electors, makes him believe he has a chance. He's not just reaching out to Democrats and independents, but Republican voters as well, Smith said. "People are turned off by his fake elector scheme," Smith said. "Even the Republicans are turned off by Jake Hoffman here." Smith said because of his age he won't run again if he loses, but that local Democrats have built a bench of people who are interested in running for the seat in the future. Naming office holders who contest the election Smith and Banks are just two of the dozens of candidates who are challenging the 334 public officials from lieutenant governor to local boards that certify election results in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin who have denied election outcomes, tried to overturn an election or made statements to undermine an election. Public Wise, a left-leaning nonprofit group that advocates for representative democracy, identified the officials earlier this year. Several of the candidates USA TODAY spoke to acknowledged how unlikely it would be to win these seats, which are normally Republican-leaning, but they all said that challenging the incumbents is essential to hold them accountable. "Having these folks run against election deniers also checks the election deniers," said Lauren Gepford, executive director of Contest Every Race, a group that works to ensure Democrats are on the ballot in as many contests as possible, which recently endorsed several of them. "Our theory is that they're going to be more reluctant to promote conspiracy theories around election denying and that they'll see it more as a losing issue, rather than one that they'll promote to appeal to their base." In an effort to highlight the people challenging those local and state officials, earlier this month Contest Every Race endorsed 42 candidates in swing states who are challenging officials who dispute the results of the 2020 presidential election. "For our first endorsements, we really wanted to focus on where there'd be the biggest electoral consequences, and we're really focused on those who are running against election deniers or in seats that have been held by election deniers, because we believe allowing those folks to go unchecked leads to more extremism," Gepford told USA TODAY. Gepford, who was previously executive director of the Missouri Democratic Party, said Democrats had largely given up on difficult-to-win seats in order to focus resources on holding the seats they have and flipping easily winnable seats. Contest Every Race was created to counter that trend and build a bench of Democrats, and support, in difficult to win areas. The candidates they recruit to run at the local and state legislative levels get training, mentorship and financial support. If Democrats aren't challenging them just because they represent very red districts, then what they are saying is going unchallenged or might not even be widely known, Gepford said. "If you just think about what you've had on your ballot when somebody's running unopposed, do you hear about that election? No, not very much," she said. "But when there's two folks running, and there's actually a competition, there's going to be debate, articles, coverage, and the issues are so much more likely to come to light." Refusing to certify Joy Banks, 70, watched in horror when two Republican county supervisors in Cochise County, Arizona refused to certify the 2022 midterm election results despite the board of supervisors having no evidence of legitimate problems with the election count. The supervisors said they had concerns about the county's election equipment, which state officials had confirmed were tested and properly certified. "It was unbelievable, and attention was so huge that we felt so helpless here. We felt totally helpless, like, isn't someone going to stand up and do something?" Banks said. "This absolutely upset me to the core." After several weeks, a judge ordered Republican county supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd to certify the results. Both have been charged by Arizonas attorney general with conspiracy and interfering with an election officer. Crosby and Judd both pleaded not guilty and recently pushed to have the charges dropped. "The Republican Party in Cochise County has... just blew all the trust I ever had in them as actually being upright and able to follow the law," Banks said. Banks had already held a nonpartisan position on the Huachuca City Council, and had thought before about running for a more prominent position. As the southeastern Arizona county was thrust into the national spotlight, Banks said it felt like she had to run, even if it was "simply to make a statement, to be able to say the things that I have been able to say," in the campaign. Now she is the Democratic nominee for the traditionally Republican-held 3rd district County Supervisor seat against a Republican and two independents. One of the independents is a popular former sheriff, and Banks said she hopes his involvement will split the Republican vote. "My number one talking point, unfortunately, is, I'm going to obey the law," she said. Crosby declined to comment. Judd did not respond to a request for comment. More: Cochise County supervisors face a legal battle and possible fines. Who will pay for it? The sparsely populated county stretching along the U.S.'s southern border is majority-Republican. Banks knew it was a long shot, but with Democrats feeling "super charged" in 2024, she's hopeful about her chances. Even though Judd is not running for reelection, Crosby is expected to win reelection. Banks is vying for one of the other two positions. Joy Banks is running for a county supervisor position in Arizona Her opponent Frank Antenori told USA TODAY that the two Republican commissioners who tried to block certification might have caved to pressure in 2022, but it isn't right to paint him or all Republicans with the same broad brush. A former state senator, Antenori said he would follow the law. "Had I been on the board at the time, I would have certified the canvas. It's that simple. The reality is, the law requires that unless there's a rampant example, a tangible, provable example of fraud," he told USA TODAY. Jan. 6, 2021 High School civics teacher Cameron Schroy, 28, of Greencastle, Pa. grew increasing frustrated watching the actions of Doug Mastriano, the right-wing state senator who is known nationally for rejecting President Biden's 2020 victory in Pennsylvania. Cameron Schroy of Greencastle, Pa. is challenging state Sen. Doug Mastriano in 2024 Mastriano organized a lengthy public hearing on the accuracy of the election in 2020, which Trump's lawyers attended and Trump participated in remotely. He also helped organize the effort in Pennsylvania to send a fake slate of electors to Congress. The state senator also attended Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally on Jan. 6 2021, organized buses bringing rallygoers to Washington, and went to the Capitol during the hours rioters fought police for control of the Capitol building. He was scheduled to speak on the Capitol steps, but said the day after the riot that when it was apparent that this was no longer a peaceful protest, my wife and I left the area. This spring the Pennsylvania Senate ethics committee declined to investigate a complaint related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election brought against Mastriano by a fellow senator. Mastriano was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for governor in 2022, but he still serves in the state Senate, and Schroy decided he could no longer teach his students about democracy without running to defend it himself. "Being a civics teacher and someone who stands up and talks in front of students about democracy and the transition of power and the separation of powers, I couldn't stand idly by while the most dangerous member of the Pennsylvania State Senate went unchallenged," Schroy told USA TODAY. "He deserves to at least have his feet held to the fire and [be] held accountable for his actions on January 6." The Franklin County Democratic Committee chairman stepped up to challenge Mastriano for Pennsylvania Senate when no other Democrat raised their hand. "Systemic voter fraud is not an issue in the United States, and it's like you're protesting Santa Claus," Schroy said, of Trump and his allies disproved allegations that Biden benefited from illegal voting. More: Far-right candidates struggled in midterm election. Who's to blame? Experts say Trump, GOP Mastriano did not respond to attempts to reach him for comment. Democrats consistently run in the district, which includes part of Adams and Franklin Counties in south central Pennsylvania despite Republican voters holding a majority. And with local grumbling about Mastriano's repeated efforts to win higher office, Schroy said he saw an opportunity. "I think everyone in this country, whether it's an office for dog catcher up to the president of the United States, people deserve a choice on that ballot," Schroy said. Schroy said believing that the 2020 election was stolen, when there is no evidence of widespread fraud or malfeasance should be disqualifying because public officials must be able to distinguish fact from fiction. "If this is what you think about the election, when the facts are in front of you, what are you going to think about how to pay down the deficit?" Schroy said. "Are you just going to deny that tax revenues are too low and spending is too high? What are you going to do about all these other issues if you're just going to reject facts?" This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democrats try longshot bids to challenge 2020 election skeptics Erling Haaland scored a brace in Saturday match, falling just short of the historic hat trick. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images) (Naomi Baker via Getty Images) Erling Haaland might have fallen just short of more history on Saturday, but he is well on his way to making more. The 24-year-old sensation scored two first-half goals in Manchester City's 2-1 win over Brentford on Saturday. With the brace, Haaland has now racked up nine goals this season after just four games. Unfortunately, Haaland fell short of his third consecutive hat trick by a post, to be specific. A shot from Haaland in the 81st minute almost gave him the milestone, but it hit the left post and kept him at a brace. Time expired before Haaland was able to get another quality shot off. Even without the hat trick, Haaland is well on his way to breaking his own single-season Premier League scoring record, which he set in the 2022-2023 season. That year Haaland's first in the Premier League he scored 36 goals, breaking both the single-season record and the debut season record. If Haaland had been able to get that third goal, he would have joined an exclusive club, becoming just the fourth person (and the first person since 1946) to score three straight hat tricks. Still, this is not Haaland's first chance to achieve that milestone: He was in a similar situation at the start of the 2022 season, getting back-to-back hat tricks before only getting one goal in Man City's third game. Haaland was also originally questionable for Saturday's game, with Man City manager Pep Guardiola telling reporters on Friday that the Norwegian striker had lost a close family friend this week and might not be available for selection. Haaland posted on Instagram on Thursday, expressing his sadness of the loss of 59-year-old Ivar Eggja, who was an important part of the young striker's life. Despite the tragedy, Haaland showed out and put up the points to lift his team over Brentford. Man City sits firmly in first, with an aim to win the Premier League for the third straight season. LOYAL Three families were displaced by a fire that destroyed three buildings in downtown Loyal overnight. Crews were dispatched at 7:39 p.m. Thursday and worked to control the scene until about 8 a.m. Friday, according to Loyal Fire Chief Scott Radue. The cause of the fire is still being investigated. The three properties impacted are 226, 230 and 232 North Main Street. Each contained at least one apartment unit and a business or nonprofit organization. Those include a laundromat, a fitness center and a food pantry. Everyone in Loyal is devastated over the loss of these three buildings, but no one was hurt. I think thats just something that we can all be thankful for, said Mayor Carmen Englebretson. The displaced families are being assisted by the American Red Cross. Donations are welcome and can be dropped off at the Loyal Legion. The Loyal Fire Department was assisted at the scene by fire departments from the city of Greenwood, city of Thorp, village of Spencer, the town of Grant, the town of Chili and Central Fire & EMS District. The Loyal Police Department and Clark County Sheriff's Office also assisted at the scene. Its a small town Main Street. All your businesses are on Main Street or the streets around it. These buildings were 100 years old, Englebretson said. The older people in Loyal remember what they were 50-60 years ago. I worked in the grocery store that is the fitness center when I first moved to Loyal. My husband rented his tux out from the (food pantry) building. Theres a lot of memories in these old buildings, but no one was hurt. No life was lost. We made it out safe, Englebretson said. The buildings can be replaced, the people can find new homes, we can rebuild. Heres how you can help A fundraising account for displaced victims of the fire is set up at Citizens State Bank of Loyal called the Loyal Fire Fund. A Venmo account has been set up for donations with the account name @loyalfirefund. There is also an account at the bank for the Loyal Food Pantry to replace equipment lost in the fire. Donations of clothing, toiletries and food are welcomed in the first phase of donations. These things can be dropped off at Loyal American Legion until 8 p.m. Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and more dates and hours to be announced later. Details for clothing sizes and other needs can be found on the City of Loyal Facebook page. Local election news: Tim Walz visits a Ukrainian bakery, rallies volunteers in Wausau campaign stop Wood County inspections: See how favorite Marshfield & Wisconsin Rapids restaurants did 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 Marshfield News-Herald: Loyal fire displaces three families and destroys 3 downtown buildings Michaela Mabinty DePrince, a shining star in the ballet world who once danced in a Beyonce video, has died too soon at the age of 29. DePrince's family confirmed the news of her passing on social media, writing in a Friday post they were making the announcement with "profound sadness." DePrince's death was "sudden," but other details surrounding the circumstances of her death were not immediately available, according to the post. "The family thanks you for their privacy as they navigate this very difficult time. Services will be private," according to the post. Decades before DePrince became a world-renowned ballerina, she was living at an orphanage in Sierra Leone, hoping to be adopted, according to reporting by Glamour. And she was. She was raised by the DePrince family in New Jersey, where she began to take dance classes. DePrince competed and by age 14, won a prestigious scholarship to attend the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City, a pre-professional ballet training program at the American Ballet Theatre, Glamour reported. DePrince starred in "First Position," a 2011 documentary following six young dancers. She also released two books about her life "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" and "Ballerina Dreams." Michaela Mabinty DePrince danced in Beyonce's 'Freedom' music video DePrince was hand-picked by Beyonce to star in a music video for "Freedom," a track off of the singer's 2016 album "Lemonade," according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal. The then 21-year-old DePrince thought it was a joke when she heard that Beyonce wanted her to dance in the video, but reality quickly set in as she boarded a flight to New Orleans from Amsterdam, the Journal reported. DePrince even got to meet the pop star. She said I looked like I was a creature from another planet, DePrince told the Journal. "She walked up to me and said, Its such an honor to have you here. I was really cheesy and said, The honor is mine. I was on cloud nine. She also recalled interacting with Beyonce and Jay-Z's oldest daughter, Blue Ivy, who showed off moves she had just learned in ballet class to DePrince, the Journal reported. Beyonce's "Freedom" is currently being used as a campaign anthem by Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid for the presidency. Beyonce performs "Freedom" at the 2016 BET Awards in Los Angeles, California U.S. June 26, 2016. More about Michaela Mabinty DePrince DePrince landed gigs at a number of prestigious ballet companies over the years, including the Joburg Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dutch National Ballet and most recently the Boston Ballet. "Her life was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength. Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us," according to an online tribute posted by DePrince's team. "She stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places." The team acknowledged that while DePrince's time on Earth was "far too brief," her "brilliance and legacy will continue to shine in the hearts of all who were touched by her story, for generations to come." Michaela DePrince performs "Giselle" with the English National Ballet on Jan. 13, 2017. 'She will be truly missed,' sister says Mia DePrince shared some remarks about her sister, sharing in the social media post that she was in a "state of shock and deep sadness" following her sister's death. "My beautiful sister is no longer here. From the very beginning of our story back in Africa, sleeping on a shared mat in the orphanage, Michaela and I used to make up our own musical theater plays and act them out," Mia DePrince wrote. "We created our own ballets. She would choreograph, and I was the composer and conductor." Mia DePrince looks back on the years following her and her sister's adoption with fondness, writing that their parents "quickly poured into our dreams." And that the "beautiful, gracefully strong ballerina that so many of you knew her as today arose" because of them. "Whether she was leaping across the stage or getting on a plane and flying to third-world countries to provide orphans and children with dance classes, she was determined to conquer all her dreams in the arts and dance," according to Mia DePrince. "Michaela has left her footprints in the sand and on so many stages across the world. She will be truly missed. I love you, my beautiful Butterfly." Michaela DePrince is survived by her sisters Mia, Beelee, Jaye, Mariel, Amie, and her brothers Adam and Erik. How you can help The DePrince family has asked the public make donations to War Child, an organization that Michaela DePrince worked with closely, in lieu of flowers. "This work meant the world to her, and your donations will directly help other children who grew up in an environment of armed conflict. Thank you," according to the post. Boston Ballet also released a statement online, extending their love and support to Michaela DePrince's family. "We were so fortunate to know Mabinty; she was a beautiful person, a wonderful dancer, and she will be greatly missed by us all," they said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Renowned ballerina Michaela DePrince dies suddenly at 29 The Archdiocese of New York has stripped suspected crooked cleric Father Pawl Bielecki of his "priestly faculties," officials said. The world is not his cloister. The Archdiocese of New York has stripped suspected crooked cleric Father Pawl Bielecki of his priestly faculties, officials said. The conman known as Father Paul and dubbed Friar Tummy Tuck used at least $650,000 in phony charity donations to fund a lavish lifestyle and plastic surgery, according to the feds. Bielecki exploited his position as a friar to gain the trust of victims across the country and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from them, said Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, which collared the clergyman on Aug. 17 on charges of wire and mail fraud. Getty Images Bielecki claimed he ran medical clinics in war-torn Lebanon, but he was 5,600 miles away in Manhattan. For the past eight years, the priest preyed on the compassionate, soliciting donations on local radio shows and crowdfunding websites for the non-existent Lebanese hospitals and ambulances, authorities said. Bielecki is currently cooling his collar in Westchester County Jail after being deemed a flight risk, federal authorities confirmed. Adding to to his troubles, he can no longer function as a clergyman. His ordination gives him the ability to function as a priest and perform the sacraments, but removing his faculties takes away his permission to perform priestly ministry, said Mollie Fullington, a spokesperson for The Province of St. Mary of the Capuchin Order, which is headquartered in White Plains. The Province of St. Mary of the Capuchin Order is headquartered in White Plains. J.C. Rice He cannot hear confessions. He cannot celebrate Mass publicly. He cannot perform baptisms or funerals or weddings, and cannot engage in counseling or spiritual direction. At this point, he is still a priest, but he cannot perform these functions, Fullington said. The Province of St. Mary is working with its superiors in Rome to address Fr. Pauls status as a member of the Capuchin Order, the spokesperson said. Ralph Succar, a Brooklyn community leader who helped raise thousands at a 2018 Bay Ridge fundraiser to aid Christian refugees in the Middle East, underscored that his fellow members of the Verrazano Rotary and Salaam Club of New York gave with good intentions. Beginning in 2011 Bielecki became a guest of the Province of St. Mary, which covers New York and New England and is headquartered in White Plains. J.C. Rice We were taken. What he did [scamming the community] was absolutely wrong and he should be exposed, Succar said. Bielecki exploited his position as a friar to gain the trust of victims across the country and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from them, said Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, which collared the clergyman on Aug. 17 on charges of wire and mail fraud. The Polish-born Bielecki entered the order of Capuchin Franciscans in Krakow in 1994 ironically taking a vow of poverty, which required him to renounce material things and to not hold any property or bank accounts. We were taken. What he [Bielecki] did was absolutely wrong and he should be exposed, said Ralph Succar, a Brooklyn community leader who helped raise thousands of dollars at a 2018 Bay Ridge fundraiser to aid Christian refugees in the Middle East. Gabriella Bass The order provides friars with a monthly $250 stipend, as well as a credit card, for expenses. He was ordained a priest in 2001, church officials said. Beginning in 2011 he became a guest of the Province of St. Mary, which covers New York and New England and is headquartered in White Plains. Dogs are undoubtedly some of the sweetest creatures on earth, especially when they've begun bonding with someone they love. They'll follow you wherever you go, whether it's to the bathroom or to the end of the Earth, and they'll wag their tail the entire time. They never hesitate to show affection, appreciation, and joy, which can rub off on their family members, too. Pup parents aren't the only ones who are influenced by a dog's unwavering love, and Maui the Golden Retriever found the perfect way to prove it. He and his human brother have the sweetest bond, which their parents captured in a priceless September 4 TikTok video. This duo is taking their cuddle game to the next level, and it's such a beautiful thing to witness! OMG--could they get any cuter? Anyone who's cuddled with a dog knows just how blissful it can feel, especially with a fluffy dog like Maui. It's like a weighted blanket, a stuffed animal, and a BFF all in one! Related: Golden Retriever Puppy Overcome with Joy Upon Picking Up Brother From School "I once saw a Golden Retriever in person," commenter @idk8987 admitted, "and I cant believe how huge and fluffy they are." Although I have no idea what it's like to live in a place where Goldens aren't common, I know exactly what it's like to feel excited about a fluffy dog. I see my neighbor's fluffy, white Samoyed every day, but every day, I can hardly stop myself from giving him a hug! It's always reassuring to know that other canine fans are just as fond of dogs as I am. There are over 500 comments praising Maui and his relationship with his little brother, but the most liked comment is about "Maui's smile." It's impossible to ignore the love he has for his brother, and his face truly says it all. Why Are Goldens So Popular? Golden Retrievers like this Hawaiian-named pup have been at the top of the canine popularity list for many years, and it's easy to see why. These dogs are docile, loyal, and very loving! Scenes like the one in this TikTok video are normal in Goldens' households, and that's not going to change anytime soon. These large dogs are just big enough to feel like protectors for little kids and weighted blankets for owners of all ages. But they're also gentle enough not to knock over children, which makes them a great choice for families. In fact, easygoing Goldens would be a perfect fit in almost any home! Maui and his brother are the epitome of sweetness, and there's only more to come from this dynamic duo as they continue growing up together. It's a fairytale friendship! Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. You are here: World Flash China's Minister of National Defense Dong Jun on Friday called for joint efforts to safeguard world peace and stability, and to promote the development of a human community with a shared future. Dong made the remarks when respectively meeting with the defense ministers of Laos, Kyrgyzstan, Gabon, the United Arab Emirates and Cameroon, all of whom are in Beijing for the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum. He called for closer coordination, joint endeavors and mutual support for regional security and stability. The Chinese military is willing to synergize security strategies, deepen defense consultation, and advance exchange and cooperation with all sides, Dong said. During the meetings, the foreign defense ministers extended their congratulations on the opening of the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum and expressed their willingness to strengthen military cooperation. Avoid trick-or-treating problems with this etiquette guide for kids and adults. Halloween is more than collecting candy and dressing up it can be an etiquette trap for parents and children. Lots of kids are excited for Halloween, but some feel nervous about running through dark streets, ringing doorbells and asking strangers for candy. Being sensitive toward those who are braving Halloween for the first time or who have food allergies or disabilities, is important. Although kids may change their costume plans a lot before Halloween, some rules regarding etiquette are carved in pumpkin. Heres how to master the most common challenges on Halloween. When you're the one greeting trick-or-treaters If you or your child doesnt understand someones look, theres a kind way to ask about it. Don't say, "What are you?" or the dreaded, "So, what are you supposed to be?" According to Dr. Ali Griffith, an audiologist and speech pathologist, that's important when talking to kids with sensory problems whose costumes may have been adapted to their comfort. Say, Tell me about your costume instead of asking, What are you? Sheryl Ziegler, a psychologist and author of Mommy Burnout, tells TODAY.com. You don't want to indicate that you have no idea what a kid's costume is because they may have made it themselves. Instead, just ask them to talk about it. Kids are proud to talk about their costumes. When you're out trick-or-treating Trick-or-treating can be an exercise in good manners as well. Saying Trick or treat and Thank you makes people feel good, Ziegler notes. Those giving candy are in the Halloween spirit and look forward to making small talk. Its not a race. Older kids shouldnt step around or trample littles in line. Teach them patience now so theyll know how to conduct themselves when they eventually trick-or-treat without adults, she says. "The weeks leading to Halloween are thrilling, however the holiday itself can be stressful for many children and families," Francyne Zeltser, the clinical director of psychology, training and special projects at Manhattan Psychology Group, tells TODAY.com. "Unmet expectations can lead to disappointment and negative feelings." When it's your first time trick-or-treating A child's first trick-or-treating experience is a big deal, so prepare them by visiting fall festivals, decorating pumpkins, reading books about trick-or-treating or watching videos about Halloween, suggests Zeltser. Or, practice trick-or-treating. "Have your kid knock on your front door and say, 'Trick or treat' and 'Thank you for the candy,'" Zeltser tells TODAY.com, adding that doing so in costume will help identify any sensory issues early. If your child is spooked by decorations, drive or walk by some adorned homes during the day. "You can explain that the decor is just a machine or doll," she says. Then, on Halloween, trick-or-treat in a local area (around your block or within the school zone, for example) and limit the number of homes you visit: Zeltser suggests about five for a first-timer. If you're passing out candy to trick-or-treaters, your child can help answer the door. "Even if they stand behind you or watch from the window, they can still experience trick-or-treating," says Zeltser. When a child is neurodivergent "For children who are anxious or on the autism spectrum, Halloween can be intimidating," Renae Beaumont, assistant professor of psychology at Cornell University, tells TODAY.com. "There are too many unknowns." Costumes, for example, can be confusing, especially if your child has trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality, says Beaumont. If you're meeting up with other families to trick-or-treat, Beaumont suggests asking others to remove their masks when greeting your child so he or she clearly understands the costume isn't real. If you're answering the door for trick-or-treaters, consider wearing a tamer costume or posting warning signs if your decor has bright lights or spooky sounds. "It ruins the element of surprise, but you can still have a laugh without scaring children," Beaumont points out. Some children have trouble understanding the viewpoint of others when sharing their thoughts, says Beaumont. If you're worried they won't accept candy graciously, write out a script. Here's one she suggests if they don't like the candy offered. "For example, 'Thank you, I will save this for my friend' instead of 'Ew,'" says Beaumont. According to Griffith, Halloween could be difficult for children who are nonverbal and cannot say, "Trick of treat" or "Thank you" or for kids with developmental delays that may seem younger than their age. A child with poor fine motor skills may not be able to grab a piece of candy, for example. So people answering the door on Halloween may want to drop candy into children's hands or buckets instead of offering the bowl. "Being observant and having an open heart can change how we look at people," Griffith tells TODAY.com. When a child has a food allergy Show that your home is conscious of food allergies by participating in The Teal Pumpkin Project. Teal-colored pumpkins signal that a home is giving out non-edible treats like stickers or toys along with candy. Dr. Clifford W. Bassett, author of "The New Allergy Solution," suggests families make a plan for trick-or-treaters with food allergies. Bassett says kids should accept candy in original packaging on which ingredients are listed. Don't eat the candy out on the street, tempting as it may be: Wait until you're home so adults can examine it first. And take labels seriously, he added, especially language like, "may contain nuts" or "made in a facility that contains nuts." "Kids with allergies can also travel with safe snacks," he says. That way, parents can replenish their stash if they run out of options. Griffith says some children may get disappointed while trick-or-treating when presented with items they can't eat. If people giving out candy want to give safer treats, theres always nut-free or dairy-free candy or another prize like stickers. When your teen wants to trick-or-treat unsupervised Halloween is an opportunity for responsible teens to trick-or-treat with their friends, instead of parents. "It's a night for kids to have autonomy," Emily Kline, a Boston-based psychologist and author of the book "The School of Hard Talks," tells TODAY.com. Kline recommends asking teens, "Where are you trick-or-treating?" "Who will you be with?" "What's your buddy system?" "What time are you coming home?" and importantly, "What are you most looking forward to?" "You'll get the most leverage with your kid if you're excited as opposed to anxious," she explains. Kline challenges parents to not check in with teens throughout the night, especially if they've already agreed on a plan. "When kids reach an appropriate age to trick-or-treat alone, they've likely walked around the neighborhood alone during the day," Kline notes. If they're allowed to use their judgement, theyll become good at it." When is a costume cultural appropriation? Not every Halloween costume is a treat: Don't choose clothing that stereotypes or mocks someone's culture, traditions or race. And if you see a costume that crosses boundaries? "Give that person the benefit of the doubt," says Ziegler. "They may not be trying to offend." Parents need to be aware of how their child's costume could seem to others. If your kid's choice gives you a funny feeling, explore why. "You can also see if your child has a back-up idea," she suggests. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Feature Jenna Bush Hager Details Reasons for Setting Up Hoda Kotb and Lenny Kravitz Jenna Bush Hager is once again trying to set up Today cohost Hoda Kotb with the perfect partner, this time setting her sights on rock icon Lenny Kravitz. During the Thursday, September 12, episode of Today With Hoda and Jenna, the two broadcasters gushed over Kravitzs performance on an earlier edition of the morning show. Is he not the epitome of all the things? Kotb, 60, asked. Bush Hager, 42, then rattled off a few of Kravitzs dreamy characteristics. Everything Hoda Kotb Has Said About Dating, Relationships and Breakups Through the Years Well, hes so kind and hes very hot, Bush Hager gushed. [And] talented. After Kotb then pointed out that Kravitz, 60, likes to make music, meditate and walk around his house in the Bahamas barefoot, Bush Hager had an idea. I know someone else who meditates and wears leather, Bush Hager quipped. [She] doesnt live in the Bahamas, but would love to! Kotb, who held hands with Kravitz during a Today interview earlier on Thursday, laughed off her friends matchmaking attempt. Youre so, Kotb said before trailing off and moving onto a discussion about his performance at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. Bush Hager subsequently accused Kotb of trying to ignore [her] attempts. Uh huh, Kotb quipped affirmatively. Kotb has been single since 2022 when she and ex-fiance Joel Schiffman called off their engagement. (The exes still coparent their two daughters, Haley and Hope.) We have a really great working relationship, Kotb exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2022, specifically referring to the holiday season. We speak a lot and we make sure that we divvy it up so that it is great for him and great for us. The ultimate goal is when your girls are happy. Thats what we both say, Happy girls, thats all we want. And thats what we have. Since the breakup, Kotb has detailed her dating experience on Today and Bush Hager has been able to chime in with her own thoughts. The two women are not only colleagues, but close friends. Stars Who Played Matchmaker for Their Friends: Taylor Swift, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Nicole Richie and More We really respect each other. We really love each other. I feel so incredibly lucky that I get to spend my time with her because she's so joyful, Bush Hager exclusively told Us in August. She's so positive. We all have things going on in our personal lives and to show up and choose joy, even when there's harder things in the world and in our lives and all of the things, it's like to have a partner that does that so effortlessly makes it fun, makes work so much fun. Kravitz, for his part, is also single. (He was briefly married to actress Lisa Bonet, with whom he shares daughter Zoe Kravitz.) nortonrsx/istockphoto Why we know so little about womens health Throughout history, doctors have considered womens bodies atypical and mens bodies the norm, despite women accounting for nearly half the global population and outnumbering men in the United States since 1946. Though policy and social changes in the 1990s have helped turn the tide, women remain underrepresented in research, sometimes grossly so. Many medical researchers even avoid conducting studies on female mice due to greater costs associated with purchasing and housing both genders and concerns that the fluctuating hormones and reproductive systems of female mice might confound the study results. Historical bias, policies designed to shield unborn children from exposure to drugs and treatments, and ongoing challenges to recruiting and retaining women in clinical trials and medical research limit the understanding of how women, and particularly women of color, experience disease and how best to treat them for many conditions. This may contribute to health care disparities, as biological gender can play a role in physiological, metabolic, hormonal, and even cellular differences that can influence how diseases present and the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Failure to study medications and other interventions in a broad sampling of women has contributed to women experiencing adverse effects from medications at twice the rate of men. One 2013 study found that women with metal hip replacements were 29% more likely than men to experience implant failure, possibly due to anatomical differences and inadequate testing in women. And, despite heart disease being the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women, the medical field only recognized that women experience different symptoms of the disease than men when the American Heart Association published a Guide to Preventive Cardiology for Women in 1999. Separate from biological gender differences, women also are less likely to receive appropriate prevention and management of heart disease due to gender bias. Theres still science that we dont know, says Barbara Bierer, MD, a hematologist/oncologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, as well as the faculty director of the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center of Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School (MRCT Center), a research and policy group focused on improving clinical trials. These are issues that are very important that do affect a products safety and effectiveness. Women shouldnt be put in a special populations category, adds Martha Gulati, MD, a cardiologist at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, and director of prevention and associate director of the Barbra Streisand Womens Heart Center and president of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology. Its important to study women to find out how to care for [51%] of the population. We are the majority of the population. So, although women are special, we are not a special population. SeventyFour/istockphoto A timeline of women in clinical trials Women were already poorly represented in medical research before the 1970s, but progress in researching drugs and medical devices in women was further set back in 1977, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) created a policy to exclude women of reproductive potential from Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials unless they had a life-threatening condition, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Womens Health. This was in reaction to a tragedy in the previous decade when a drug called thalidomide, which thousands of pregnant European and Australian women took for morning sickness, was found to cause severe birth defects and sometimes death for their babies. The drug had been tested and approved in Europe and Australia for its sedative effects, though it was never approved in the United States. Nevertheless, the FDAs policy to exclude women of reproductive potential from most clinical trials was interpreted broadly, excluding nearly all premenopausal women, including those who were on birth control, had sterile partners, or abstained from gender. It was not until nearly a decade later, in 1986, that the policy to exclude women from clinical research was revisited. And in 1993, the U.S. Congress passed a law requiring the inclusion of women in clinical research. As recently as 2019, women accounted for roughly 40% of participants in clinical trials for three of the diseases that most affect women cancer, cardiovascular disease, and psychiatric disorders despite representing 51% of the U.S. population, according to a 2022 study by researchers at Harvard Medical School. Concerns also persist about the lack of information about medications and other interventions during pregnancy, since pregnant people are even more commonly excluded from trials. The picture is even more bleak for women of color. The MRCT Center published an article in 2022 pointing out that often clinical trial data do not report the intersection of biological gender and race, and that some systematic reviews of clinical trials that report such information show significant underrepresentation of women of color. Given the number of people who are seen and [the amount of] products that are prescribed annually, we should be able to develop a better way of accessing real world data, Bierer, one of the study authors, says. For many reasons, people are now much more alert to the need to include different populations that have been historically underrepresented in clinical trials both for social justice reasons and for the scientific insights we can glean, which we hope in time will reduce health disparities. That will require a rethinking of how researchers recruit and retain participants, says Danielle Mitchell, CEO and founder of Black Women in Clinical Research, an organization focused on furthering the inclusion of Black women working in the field. Mitchells mission is to bridge the gap between Black communities and the clinical research field. She talks about clinical research at churches and hair salons. She hopes that the people leading clinical research will do their part by broadening their scope when it comes to hiring people at their research sites, from the receptionists to the coordinators to the principal investigators. When people go into a clinic, often times they dont see anyone who looks like them, Mitchell says, explaining that this creates missed opportunities to build trust and educate about clinical trials. From my perspective, we need to have those tough conversations with people about what happened in the past for people to consider clinical trials as a health care option." Grandbrothers/Istockphoto women in clinical trials timeline 1962: After thalidomide, a medication sometimes used for morning sickness in Europe and Australia, results in more than 10,000 deaths and birth defects in babies, the United States strengthens the authority of the FDA. 1977: The FDA creates a guideline to exclude women of reproductive potential from participating in early phase clinical research, except for life-threatening conditions. This is broadly applied and essentially excludes most women of childbearing age from medical research. 1986: An NIH advisory committee recommends that women be included in medical research studies. 1990: The NIH establishes the Office of Research on Womens Health, which leads a variety of programs aimed at advancing research into womens health and increasing representation of women as both participants and investigators in clinical research. 1991: Bernadine Healy, MD, is appointed the first female director of the NIH. 1993: The FDA reverses its 1977 guidance, officially mandating the inclusion of women in research unless there is a justification for exclusion (for example, if the disease only affects men). 1993: The U.S. Congress passes a law requiring inclusion of women in NIH-sponsored clinical trials. 1994: The FDA establishes the Office of Womens Health, which is charged with promoting the inclusion of women in clinical trials and the advancement of womens health care. 2001: The Institute of Medicine releases a report that demonstrates how gender difference influences biology and should be studied as a variable in clinical research. 2022: A Harvard Medical School study finds that women, as of 2019, were still substantially underrepresented in clinical trials for leading diseases. Jacob Wackerhausen/istockphoto Making progress Despite the late start in studying many aspects of womens health, there has been progress in increasing the inclusion of women in medical research, says Maria Brooks, PhD, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics and co-director of the Epidemiology Data Center at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. Brooks leads several national, large-scale studies, including one focused on menopause. Ive been working in the field for a long time, and Ive seen clear progress over these last 30 years, she says. Theres an emphasis on including women, and a focus on health conditions that everybody has but [that] might manifest differently in women than in men. However, when it comes to understanding and properly treating disease, there is still ground to cover in order to achieve equity between men and women, and particularly women of color. Experts say these strategies could help move the needle: Attract and retain a diverse group of women in leadership roles for medical and clinical research. Celina Yong, MD, the director of Interventional Cardiology at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center and an associate professor at Stanford University, conducted a study analyzing the gender of principal investigators for cardiovascular clinical trials and found that just 18% of the trials were led by women, but those led by women enrolled more female participants. For a long time, the field of cardiology has been male-dominated, Yong says. But more and more, were seeing women pursue the field, which is changing the pipeline for future leadership. gorodenkoff/Istockphoto Incorporate how biological gender differences affect medical care into medical education. Gulati, who gives lectures at medical schools about gender differences in the heart and in cardiology care, says many students tell her that they are learning about these differences for the first time from her lectures. Often, she says, male biology is still taught as the default, and learning about how female biology is different from organ systems to hormones to cellular differences is considered special interest. I think thats where we can try to solve things, she says. In medical education, [students] need to be educated on gender differences, not just about heart disease, [but for] every organ system, there should be a component about what is the same, what differs, and what is unknown. Students need to leave medical school understanding these differences. Jacob Wackerhausen/Istockphoto More robust and inclusive research and data collection. Just eight years ago, in 2016, the NIH instituted a policy that requires researchers with NIH funding to collect data on biological gender differences in preclinical research and animal testing, analyze the data, and report on differences in the findings. According to the policy, Appropriate analysis and transparent reporting of data by gender may therefore enhance the rigor and applicability of preclinical biomedical research. Still, Gulati says there is a lack of accountability when researchers dont follow through on their commitment to enroll a certain percentage of women in their clinical trials. Though the NIHs policies have helped move the needle, she thinks there should be measures in place to further progress, such as requiring a pause in the research until the pre-specified number of women are enrolled. Researchers can make further progress in recruiting women from other underrepresented in research groups (such as those with low socioeconomic status, older women, or those living in rural areas), by designing trials in a way that makes them more flexible and accessible for people with caretaking responsibilities or transportation issues, Brooks says. Its a challenge she hopes the field will embrace. I feel hopeful and confident that, in general, the research community has become aware and is quite dedicated to ensuring that we enroll and retain a broader group of research participants. This article originally appeared on Aamc.org and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org catinsyrup / iStock More from MediaFeed Some people really do leave money to their pets. And its legal. In June 2019, designer Karl Lagerfeld passed away. A chunk of his fortune, amassed after decades of helming the fashion house Chanel, was left to his cat, Choupette. There is no marriage, yet, for human beings and animals, he told CNN in 2013. I never thought I would fall in love like this with a cat. If the bequest seems unusual, its not. Estate attorneys told CNN theyre seeing more incidences of people making financial plans for their pets after they die. Some of the bequests are quite generous. Twenty-nine states have enacted pet trust laws since 2008, and now every state, plus Washington, DC, has some form of guidelines, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Its a twisty money matter, though. Pet bequests have been known to be challenged in court, sometimes successfully, by disinherited heirs. And since pets are considered, in all US states, property, you cant actually leave them money. But there are, increasingly, ways around that and pet owners-slash-parents who want to find them. Leona Helmsley, right, is shown in this July 4, 2000 photo with her dog Trouble during her 80th birthday celebration at her estate in Greenwich, Conn. - Helen Neafsey/Greenwich Time/AP Keeping a pet at home An animal cant inherit a house. However, if a person names a guardian for their pet, they can leave money and property to that person. And they can request that the guardian uses those assets to care for the pet, even in the deceaseds home. But there is no guarantee the guardian will follow those desires and, in many case, they arent legally bound to honor the requests. If a person favors pets over family, attorneys caution the reasons for disinheritance must be made clear. Sometimes people leave their children or grandchildren nothing out of anger and disappointment document incidents so the court upholds your wishes. In 2008, a New York probate court overruled controversial real estate mogul Leona Helmsleys $12-million bequest to her beloved Maltese, Trouble, knocking down the dogs share of her estate to $2 million. The judge also awarded $6 million to two grandchildren she had disinherited for reasons known to them, wrote Helmsley. It made headlines across Asia early this year when one elderly Shanghai mother announced she was leaving her $2.8 million estate, through a veterinary clinic, to her cats and dogs because her children never visited her. Setting up a trust So if a person wants to set aside money for their pets care with a legally binding obligation that its used only for the pets benefit, then they usually need to establish a trust. That was the route Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, actress and widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, took. Before her death in 2009 at the age of 76, she set up $4 million trust for the couples dogs, and allocated an additional $1 million for an employee to care for them. (The arrangement triggered headlines Star Trek fortune goes to the dogs.) Karl Lagefeld at a viewing for his photo calender 'Corsa Karl and Choupette' at the Palazzo Italia in Berlin, Germany, February 3, 2015. Lagerfeld took the pictures of his cat Choupette for the calendar. - dpa/picture alliance/Eventpress/Sipa Florida attorney Peggy Hoyt, author of All My Children Wear Fur Coats, told CNN she urges her clients to leave comprehensive instructions for pet caretakers. They should have access to your home, care and feeding instructions for your pet, the name and contact information for your veterinarian and written instructions for the long-term or permanent care of your pet, she said. If a pet outlives its caregiver, state laws differ about who must take responsibility for the animal (The ASPCA offers an online guide, state-by-state.) Leslie Ann Mandel, widow of science-fiction author Arthur Herzog III, thought of pretty much everything for her cat, dog and more than two-dozen cockatiels, each bird identified by name, in her will. Specifically, a trustee was awarded $100,000 and access to additional funds, but the birds had to be allowed to remain living in the aviary of Mandels Wainscott, Hamptons home after her death (in 2015). Her chief demand: no cages. When things go wrong What could go wrong? A lot. Estate attorneys recommend people who want to add their animals to their wills set up a separate trustee for the trust who is not also the pets caretaker. Its far more likely that their wishes will being carried out if there is more than one person administering the terms of the trust. If hit with a layoff or slew of medical bills, even a well-meaning caretaker may be tempted to divert funds towards their own needs. A simpler solution is to leave a sum of money to an animal protection group. A handful of them, such as the Associated Humane Societies, run shelters throughout New Jersey which will care for cats and dogs after their owners have passed on. We require a $10,000 minimum donation for future care of the animal, said Director of Development Danielle Mania. But we dont want them to have to live out their lives in a shelter. We try to find them a new forever home. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell vowed to "continue to work to prevent" the execution of a man he does not believe is the likely killer Marcellus Williams' Legal Team Marcellus Williams. A county prosecutor in Missouri says he is immensely disappointed that a circuit judge has denied his petition to vacate the conviction of a man on death row, who is set to be executed later this month and who he believes may be innocent. The Thursday, Sept. 12 order and judgment is the latest in Marcellus Williams years-long legal battle following his murder conviction in connection with the 1998 stabbing of St. Louis Post-Dispatch journalist Felicia Gayle. Williams is slated for execution on Sept. 24. In a statement following the decision, St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell noted the detailed and well-documented concerns regarding the integrity of the case. I believe that those who are convicted of committing crimes should be brought to justice, he said. And, for something as consequential as the death penalty, the evidence must prove the defendant to be guilty without a shadow of a doubt. He said the decision to move forward with the execution goes against Gayles familys own wishes. Missouri Department of Corrections via AP; Missouri Department of Corrections Marcellus Williams in mugshots taken in 2014 and 2023 during his more than 20-year incarceration. Related: Evidence of Marcellus Williamss Potential Innocence Came to Light in 2017. He is Slated for Execution in 26 Days At a hearing Aug. 28, St. Louis County prosecutors and Tricia Rojo Bushnell of the Innocence Project introduced DNA evidence which had been available for seven years but never heard by a court. At the hearing, the Missouri Attorney General's Office argued for his execution. In the county prosecutors motion to vacate, which was filed in January and led to the August hearing, Bell outlined key factors in the case, among them: bloody fingerprints and footprints, as well as hairs clutched in Gayles hands that did not match Williams'. County prosecutors, who noted in the filing that Williams had ineffective counsel and that prosecutors peremptorily struck multiple Black people from the jury based on race, have also acknowledged what Chris King of the prosecutors office called in an email to PEOPLE improper handling of evidence. DNA on the knife may have belonged to the lead prosecutor and an investigator on the case, supporting the allegation of mishandled evidence, per a DNA report and expert testimony referenced in the judges 24-page order and judgment reviewed by 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. That evidence was provided to a Board of Inquiry in 2017 but never before ruled upon. Last year, Governor Mike Parsons dissolved the board before they published their findings. Attorney General Andrew Bailey whose office did not respond to PEOPLEs request for comment soon after called for the new execution date. AP Photo/David A. Lieb Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey (left) with Gov. Mike Parson (right). Judge Bruce F. Hilton said in his order that such DNA evidence did not rule Williams out as the killer, since a crime scene investigator testified that the killer likely wore gloves. Hilton further noted that he believed the former lead prosecutor on the case had a good faith basis and reasons for handling the knife without gloves, which led to his DNA getting on the murder weapon because he did not understand trace DNA in 2001. The judge also said he was unconvinced of Williams claim of actual innocence in the first-degree murder charge and characterized the work of Williams lead defense lawyer, Joseph L. Green, who is now an associate circuit judge, as exemplary. Green testified in August that he believes Williams did not get our best, per a transcription of his testimony quoted in Hiltons decision. The Innocence Project confirms they have filed a pending clemency petition. We will continue pursuing every possible option to prevent Mr. Williams wrongful execution, Bushnell said in a statement. There is still time for the courts or Governor Parson to ensure that Missouri does not commit the irreparable injustice of executing an innocent person. In an email to PEOPLE, Johnathan Shiflett of the governors office said that following standard practice for a death row case he would consider clemency typically at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled execution date. Shiflett further noted that Parson has not said Mr. Williams should or should not be executed the Courts, in following state law, decide that. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Maya, an 8-year-old Pitbull mix, was found unconscious and lying on top of her disabled owner as a fire ravaged their house in the suburban Sacramento city of Roseville last month, according to Nicole Orlando, director of the Veterinary Specialty Hospital. A California woman is lucky to be alive after officials believe her dedicated dog helped protect her during a house fire. Firefighters found Maya, an 8-year-old Pitbull mix, unconscious and lying on top of her disabled owner as a fire ravaged their house in the suburban Sacramento city of Citrus Heights last month, according to Nicole Orlando, director of the Veterinary Specialty Hospital in nearby Roseville. The entire house was engulfed in thick smoke and flames with no escape route, Orlando told USA TODAY this week. Firefighters, who broke a window to reach Maya and her owner, used an oxygen mask on the dog for 15 minutes to revive her, after which she was rushed to the vet, Orlando said, adding that all her treatment was free. Maya remained at the hospital for two days as she was treated for smoke inhalation. She's still being treated for burn marks, including one on her tongue. "(She's) a very, happy sweet dog," Orlando said. The Veterinary Specialty Hospital said in a Facebook on Tuesday that Maya "hasn't lost her spirit." The hospital also had a small ceremony to honor Maya, her family and the firefighters who braved the flames to save them. "In a beautiful celebration of bravery, loyalty, and community, we all gathered to reflect on Mayas incredible act of protecting her mom, who is also on the mend," the hospital said, sharing pictures of Maya with the firefighters. Maya with the firefighters who helped save her and her family. What happened to Maya's family? Maya and her owners' house caught fire on Aug. 15, according to a GoFundMe page set up by the owners' daughter, Allison Hoffman. Although Maya saved her mother's life, the family lost a beloved kitten, Misty, in the fire and her mother suffered third-degree burns on more than 60% of her body and was being treated at the UC Davis Burn Center. "Although the structure still stands, my family lost everything," Hoffman said. "Our mother will need numerous skin grafts, rehab, and months of medical therapy." Melissa, who is Maya's owner, was wheelchair-bound after a stroke left her immobile, the GoFundMe said. She was unable to get out of house at the time of the fire but Maya remained with her throughout the ordeal. Melissa's husband, David Hoffman, told KCRA-TV that his wife did not receive any burn marks on her chest likely due to the dog lying on top of her. "It saved her life, Hoffman told station. David attempted to run inside and save his wife but the "fire was too big and too fierce," and he was unable to make it to her, the GoFundMe said. In an update on Aug. 24, Allison said Melissa was recovering and was taken off the ventilator and was awake and talking a little. The family's two other pet cats, Molly and Boots, survived and made it out safely. Dr. Jenny Jones making up "magic milk" for Maya. She ran to the store to buy all the additional supplies needed out of her own pocket. 'Unbelievable accident' "Times are hard right now and none of us are going to pretend like everything is going to be OK," Allison said. "Our hopes are one day we can make it to some sort of normal and move on from this absolutely unbelievable accident." While the total loss is estimated to be over $380,000, the GoFundMe account has a target of $10,000. As of Friday afternoon, more than $7,600 had been raised. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California woman survives house fire after Maya the dog lies on her Michaela DePrince performing Giselle with the English National Ballet in January 2017 (Ian Gavan/Getty Images) Michaela DePrince, one of the ballet worlds brightest stars, has died. She was 29. An orphan of war in Sierra Leone, DePrince moved to the United States while still an infant and went on to perform with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Dutch National Ballet and the Boston Ballet. She rose to fame after being featured in the 2011 documentary First Position, and was also known for appearing in Beyonces visual album Lemonade and performing on Dancing with the Stars. Her death was announced in a statement from her team on her official Instagram page. With pain in our hearts, we share the loss of star ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond, it read. Her life was one defined by grace, purpose, and strength. Her unwavering commitment to her art, her humanitarian efforts, and her courage in overcoming unimaginable challenges will forever inspire us. She stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places. No cause of death has yet been announced. Michaela DePrince attending the American Ballet Theatre Gala in New York in June 2022 (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for American Ballet Theatre) DePrince was born Mabinty Bangura in Kenema, Sierra Leone on January 6, 1995. She grew up as an orphan from the age of three after her father was reportedly shot and killed by the Revolutionary United Front and her mother starved to death. At the age of four she was adopted by an American couple, Elaine and Charles DePrince, and moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey. DePrince went on to study classical ballet in the US, and was one of the stars of the 2011 documentary First Position, which followed six young dancers as they competed for a place at an elite ballet school. She made history by becoming the youngest principal dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, before moving to the Netherlands to dance with the Dutch National Ballet. She then returned to the United States to dance with Boston Ballet. In 2012 she appeared on Dancing with the Stars, and in 2016 she choreographed her own dance moves to accompany the song Freedom on Beyonces visual album Lemonade. She said I looked like I was a creature from another planet, DePrince told the Wall Street Journal about meeting the pop superstar. She walked up to me and said, Its such an honor to have you here. I was really cheesy and said, The honor is mine. I was on cloud nine. Her 2014 memoir, Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina, which she co-authored with her adoptive mother has been published in 12 countries. In 2018 it was announced that Madonna was attached to direct a film adaptation. Boston Ballet paid tribute to DePrince following her death. Were sending our love and support to the family of Michaela Mabinty DePrince at this time of loss, said their statement. We were so fortunate to know Mabinty; she was a beautiful person, a wonderful dancer, and she will be greatly missed by us all. Three American citizens have been sentenced to death in Congo after being convicted on charges of participating in a coup attempt, with one telling a court that his father who led the failed effort "had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders." A lawyer representing 21-year-olds Marcel Malanga and Tyler Thompson Jr. and 36-year-old Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, is now planning to appeal the verdict following the botched attack orchestrated by Malangas father, Christian Malanga, in May that targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi. "We have seen that a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced a number of defendants, including U.S. citizens, to death for alleged involvement in the May 19th attacks against the government," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Friday. "We understand that the legal process in the DRC allows for defendants to appeal the court's decision. Embassy staff have been attending these proceedings ... We'll continue to attend the proceedings and follow the developments closely." When asked if he thought the court process was fair, Miller responded, "I don't want to pass judgment on the proceedings so far, because we are still in the middle of the legal process." AMERICANS IN ALLEGED CONGO COUP PLOT FORMED AN UNLIKELY BAND Six people were killed during the botched coup attempt, including Christian Malanga, who was fatally shot while resisting arrest soon after live-streaming the attack on his social media, the Congolese army said. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Marcel Malanga, who is a U.S. citizen, told a court during the case that his father had forced him and his high school friend to take part in the attack, according to The Associated Press. "Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders," Marcel Malanga reportedly said. Other members of the ragtag militia recounted similar threats from the elder Malanga, and some described being duped into believing they were working for a volunteer organization, the AP adds. Marcel's mother, Brittney Sawyer, maintains that her son is innocent and was simply following his father, who considered himself president of a shadow government in exile. FLASHBACK: CONGO HASNT ALLOWED US ACCESS TO AMERICANS ARRESTED IN COUP ATTEMPT, EMBASSY SAYS Thompson Jr. flew to Africa from Utah with the younger Malanga for what his family believed was a free vacation, and Zalman-Polun is reported to have known Christian Malanga through a gold mining company. Thompsons family says he had no knowledge of the elder Malangas intentions, no plans for political activism and didnt even plan to enter Congo. He and the Malangas were meant to travel only to South Africa and Eswatini, his stepmother, Miranda Thompson, told the AP. "We urge all who have supported Tyler and the family throughout this process to write to your congressmen and request their assistance in bringing him home," their lawyer in Utah, Skye Lazaro, said to the news agency, adding that the family is heartbroken over the verdict. Sen. Mike Lee and a spokesperson for Sen. Mitt Romney said they are both engaged with the State Department over the matter. Weapons and military uniforms used by the accused of a failed alleged coup attempt are displayed at the first hearing of the trial at the Ndolo Prison in Kinshasa on June 7, 2024. In addition to the three Americans, a Briton, a Belgian and a Canadian were sentenced to death after being convicted of participating in the plot, along with 27 others. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: 3 Americans in Congo sentenced to death after coup attempt [Rocio Chacon / Ed Cross Gallery] One day when struggling to get to grips with a spreadsheet to calculate his annual budget for art supplies, an idea popped into the mind of Ghanaian visual artist Joseph Awuah-Darko. He could use the database to track his bipolar disorder, a mental illness that causes huge swings in a person's moods, energy and concentration levels. I'm a visual learner and I thought: 'Why don't I use colour as a language?' Awuah-Darko told the BBC. "Colour allows me to express things that I can't really capture in words. The 28-year-old started allocating to every hour a colour that represented how he was feeling at that point in time - with red being the most depressive state, and pastel blue the most positive. It became something that became addictive - and cathartic. And an interesting way of monitoring my life. One of Joseph Awuah-Darko's spreadsheets logging his emotions hour by hour [Joseph Awuah-Darko] Out of those meticulous digital records, the artist has also created a series of abstract oil paintings - portraits of his days. His first UK solo exhibition, Hows Your Day Going?, makes exterior his struggles with bipolar disorder, with which he was diagnosed at the age of 16 when he had a breakdown at school. Some days are better than others, as the blocks of colour in his worksheets show. He uses oil sticks to create vertical linear stripes on the canvas - in blacks, browns, reds, oranges, yellows, blues and greens. Red represents Joseph Awuah-Darko's most depressive state [Rocio Chacon / Ed Cross Gallery] Some paintings are almost as neat and precise as the coloured spreadsheet cells - others are less ordered. The artist does not wait for one paint to dry before he applies the next colour - and as the wet paints run into each other, new colours are created. "It's beautiful to see how, even though I have given these strict schematic colour assignments to my moods, emotions aren't sanitised. They are messy, and they flow into each other"", Source: Artist Joseph Awuah-Darko, Source description: , Image: Joseph Awuah-Darko This mixing, says Awuah-Darko, reflects the nuances and complexities of his own emotions. "It's beautiful to see how, even though I have given these strict schematic colour assignments to my moods, emotions aren't sanitised, he says. They are messy, and they flow into each other, he says. Awuah-Darko was born in London to Ghanaian parents, but he grew up in Ghana, has travelled a lot and now lives in the Belgian capital, Brussels. This was the first painting done for the Hows Your Day Going? series [Rocio Chacon / Ed Cross Gallery] The colours he uses to capture his emotions depend on where he is in the world - and partly reflects the nature of what I feel about the environment I'm in. The deep, warm blue-green of teal is a colour that he most associates with Brussels. Teal covers a whole range of emotions and energies that he feels - somewhere in the middle between the deep, disruptive depression of red and the positivity of lighter blues. He often paints while in a state of teal. I'm deep in thought and lost in the void of my own imaginations, he says. Im not exactly bursting with joy, he laughs, but I am engaging my mind and my hands in a way that I feel is productive. Joseph Awuah-Darko left Ghana as he wanted to live openly as a gay man [Rocio Chacon / Ed Cross Gallery] Yellow is what Awuah-Darko describes as a nuanced state of anxiety. It could be a moment of disappointment or rejection. "It's not an absolute negative, he says, but it is something that could break you down - if you chose to allow it to. The first painting Awuah-Darko created in the Hows Your Day Going? series is entitled June 15 PM. The date is the day recorded in the spreadsheet - and PM reflects that he finished the painting at night. The image holds particular emotional gravitas for the artist because he says it is when he accepted that his life was going to be based for the foreseeable future in Brussels - not Accra, Ghanas capital. This reflects Joseph Awuah-Darko's day on 17 June 2024 [Rocio Chacon / Ed Cross Gallery] Awuah-Darko left Ghana because he wanted to live openly as a gay man - and he felt he could not do that because of restrictive legislation passed by Ghanas parliament in February 2024. The bill - which is yet to be signed into law by the president - imposes heavy sentences on gay, lesbian and bisexual people, anyone who identifies as transgender, as well as those seen as allies. I created June 15th at a time when I was really reconciling with what it meant to be an immigrant. That was daunting, heavy, beautiful and exciting. Awuah-Darko was inspired to transform the spreadsheet diaries into paintings by a two-month artist residency he attended earlier this year at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in the US. The late German-born American artist Josef Albers put colour at the centre of his work and has inspired generations of artists. Sometimes Awuah-Darko uses a slightly different pallet to reflect moods - this records days on a trip to New York [Joseph Awuah-Darko] "At the residency, I learned about the power of colour as language, as vocabulary, and it really enhanced my ability to capture that in my abstract painting. Awuah-Darko also pays homage in his art to the bold and colourful work of Atta Kwami - one of Ghanas most respected artists who came from Kumasi but spent many years in the UK where he died in 2021. There's such an honesty about his painting and such a reverence for the colours he uses, which are so linked to his upbringing in Ghana and to how he viewed the world through lines and spaces. Another influence is Anni Albers, one of the worlds leading textile designers and printmakers, and wife of Josef Albers, who blurred the lines between the ancient craft of hand-weaving and modern art. Awuah-Darko drew on Albers' work for his most recent paintings - and also his own heritage. Joseph Awuah-Darko draws inspiration from his ancestral home - the birthplace of kente cloth [Rocio Chacon / Ed Cross Gallery] He comes from an influential family of financiers and chiefs in the south-central Ashanti region of Ghana. The ancestral home is very close to Bonwire, the birthplace of the world-famous kente fabric, and the artist grew up wearing the traditional multi-coloured cloth. He also learned how to weave it using a hand loom, stripe by stripe, colour by colour - a process that he finds cathartic and meditative. His paintings are reminiscent of kente cloth, and the process has, he says, been almost like weaving with paint. "Its super interesting to see how my heritage has manifested itself in my work beyond the way in which it obviously addresses my battle with depression. The exhibition Hows Your Day Going? by Joseph Awuah-Darko is on at Ed Cross Fine Art in London until 19 October 2024. You can find out more about bipolar disorder here You may also be interested in: [Getty Images/BBC] Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Beijing welcomes the world at 2024 CIFTIS, opening new doors for global trade 09:08, September 14, 2024 By Liu Qiyu ( People's Daily Online BEIJING, Sept. 13 (China Economic Net) - Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity", the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) kicked off with fanfare in Beijing on September 12. This years fair sees a strong turnout, with 85 countries and international organizations represented, alongside over 450 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders. The spotlight is firmly on Chinas commitment to collaborating with the world to seize fresh opportunities in a rapidly globalizing economy. Australia Eyes a Leading Role in 2025 Marking its third year at CIFTIS, Australia is already looking ahead to next years event, where it will take center stage as the guest country of honor. Dominic Trindade, Minister (Commercial) at the Australian Embassy in Beijing, revealed that Australia is gearing up for an even bigger presence at CIFTIS 2025. Were not just here for this years eventwere preparing for the next 12 months with a range of initiatives designed to deepen trade in services between Australia and China, Trindade told China Economic Net. He emphasized how vital trade in services has become to strengthening the bilateral relationship, supported by the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement and an increasing number of high-level visits between the two countries. Trindade also pointed out the boost in people-to-people exchanges thanks to Australias inclusion in Chinas visa-waiver program. These interactions will help both nations recover economically and strengthen our ties, he noted. Portugal Welcomes Investment with Open Arms Portugal, with its National Pavilion launched at CIFTIS for the first time, is rolling out red carpet for foreign investment, according to Nuno Lima Leite, Managing Director for China and Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Portuguese Embassy in Beijing. Leite emphasized Portugals openness to investors from around the world, as long as they meet national standards. Our doors are open to all, whether the investment is Chinese, American, or from elsewhere. What matters is that it meets our criteria, said Leite, stressing Portugals reputation as a non-discriminatory destination. With its strategic location in Europe and membership in the European Union, Portugal has long been a magnet for international investment, particularly in renewable energy, infrastructure, and tech sectors. Leite highlighted growing interest from Chinese companies, especially in the energy and automotive industries. He sees CIFTIS as a springboard for even deeper collaboration in key sectors like green energy and digital services. Were looking for partnerships that align with our vision for innovation and sustainable development, he added. Cyprus Highlights Deepening Ties with China For Cyprus, the focus is on solidifying long-standing trade and educational ties with China. Petros Petrou, Commercial Counsellor of the Cyprus Embassy in Beijing, underscored the depth of the relationship between the two nations, noting the strong foundation of regular diplomatic exchanges and expanding trade cooperation. Cyprus has been actively participating in Chinas major trade fairs these years, Petrou said in an interview with China Economic Net. This event is an excellent opportunity for us to showcase a wide range of Cypriot products and services, and weve seen significant growth in our trade with China as a result. CIFTIS Driving Global Economic Growth Since its debut in 2012, CIFTIS has grown into a leading platform for international trade in services, drawing more than 900,000 attendees from 197 countries and regions over the past decade. As the 2024 event gets underway, it continues to be a key force in driving global economic growth. With countries from all over the world fully engaged, CIFTIS underscores the growing importance of service trade in fostering global prosperity and unlocking new investment opportunities worldwide. (Source: CE.cn) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Flash Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, Sept. 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] With bilateral trade flourishing across various sectors, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are making concerted efforts to explore new paths for cooperation, aiming for further win-win outcomes and strengthening their comprehensive strategic partnership. This focus was underscored during Chinese Premier Li Qiang's visit to the UAE, which concluded on Friday. In meetings with UAE leaders and business representatives, both sides expressed a strong will and offered valuable suggestions to enhance economic and trade collaboration while marking 40 years of diplomatic relations. While meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Thursday, Li noted that China is willing to further expand the scale of bilateral trade with the UAE and explore cooperation in new energy, electric vehicles, high-end manufacturing, biomedicine, digital economy and other fields. He hoped that the two countries could jointly make a forward-looking layout of emerging and future industries to cultivate more new economic growth points. For his part, Mohamed said the UAE looks forward to closer exchanges at all levels with China, giving full play to the mechanism of the high-level committee on China-UAE investment and cooperation, deepening practical cooperation in economy, trade, investment, energy, health, education, and other fields. Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds talks with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Sept. 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] During talks with the UAE's Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Li pointed out that China and the UAE are good partners on the path of common development. It is in the fundamental interests of both sides to strengthen cooperation and help each other succeed. Li said China is willing to share development opportunities with the UAE for better mutual benefit, welcoming more UAE investment in China and encouraging Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in the UAE. Also on the premier's visit agenda was the UAE-China Business Forum, which was held in Dubai on Thursday. Over 200 representatives from the governments, chambers of commerce, and businesses of both countries attended. While addressing the forum, Li said bilateral ties have matured over the past 40 years, and economic and trade cooperation has yielded strong results. China has been the UAE's largest trading partner for many years. The UAE is China's largest export market and second-largest trading partner in the Middle East. Official data showed bilateral trade between China and the UAE reached 94.98 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. In the first half of 2024, the figure reached nearly 50.11 billion dollars. Behind such success lies a profound inevitability, Li noted. As China-UAE economic and trade exchanges have spanned over a millennium, both countries have actively embraced economic globalization and worked together to create development miracles through opening-up. The premier called on enterprises from both countries to seize the new opportunities of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and identify more areas of shared interests and opportunities for collaboration from the intersection of their strategic priorities. He also urged both sides to jointly seize the burgeoning opportunities in technological and industrial innovation, and harness innovation as a driving force. UAE business representatives spoke highly of China's development dynamism and market potential at the forum, expressing their eagerness to increase investment in China and expand cooperation with their Chinese partners. In his speech, Chairman of Dubai Chambers Abdul Aziz Abdulla Al Ghurair hailed China as a crucial market for the UAE business community and a preferred partner for UAE enterprises. Recognizing the growing significance of the Chinese market, the Dubai International Chamber has opened three overseas offices in China: Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong, the highest number of offices in any single country. UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri shared recent data highlighting the vibrancy of economic exchanges: The UAE is now home to about 15,500 Chinese businesses, and the number of flights between the two countries operated by the UAE's national carriers has reached 44 per week, he noted. The minister invited Chinese enterprises to fully explore the growing opportunities brought by the UAE's increasingly favorable business environment to scale up investments, particularly in emerging industries. "We are confident that our shared visions and strategies to expand cooperation into new economic sectors will further strengthen and elevate our economic and investment relations," Al Marri said. By Simon Lewis WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Countries should treat the activities of Russian state broadcaster RT as they do covert intelligence operations, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday as he unveiled new sanctions aimed at alleged Russian overseas influence campaigns. The United States last week filed money-laundering charges against two employees of RT and imposed sanctions on Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan over what officials said was a scheme to hire an American company to produce online content to influence the 2024 U.S. election. Blinken told reporters at the State Department that Russian media entities were "functioning like a de facto arm of Russia's intelligence apparatus." RT had moved beyond being a media outlet to possess cyber capabilities and conduct covert information and influence operations overseas as well, he said, citing new information, much of which he said came from RT employees. "Today, we're announcing that these Kremlin-backed media outlets are not only playing this covert influence role to undermine democracy in the United States, but also to meddle in the sovereign affairs of countries around the world," Blinken said. The war in Ukraine has sunk U.S.-Russian relations to new lows since President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion in 2022 and the Biden administration responded by arming Kyiv and rallying a broad international sanctions campaign against Moscow. RT has mocked the U.S. actions. Simonyan has said Washington is trying to prevent the broadcaster from operating as a journalistic organization and has vowed to get around sanctions to continue that work. Russia's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.S., Britain and Canada would cooperate on a diplomatic campaign to inform other countries of the Russian efforts, including by sharing evidence. "Each government, of course, is going to decide how it responds to this threat, but we urge every ally, every partner, to start by treating RTs activities as they do other intelligence activities by Russia within their border," Blinken said. UNACKNOWLEDGED NEWS OUTLETS The Biden administration on Friday was imposing sanctions on three Russian entity and two individuals linked to RT and to what it calls a "malign influence campaign" in Moldova, according to a State Department fact sheet. Moldova, which borders Ukraine, has become a key location for the tussle between Moscow and the West. The U.S. and allies in June accused Russia of carrying out a plot to sway the outcome of presidential elections in the country next month. Blinken said RT will almost certainly coordinate with Russian intelligence services to try to manipulate the poll. The department also identified news outlets secretly run by RT: website African Stream and Berlin-based English language platform Red. RT also hired a Paris-based journalist to run influence projects targeting French speakers, it said, without identifying the journalist. Russia was also conducting operations aimed at destabilizing the government of Argentina and escalating tensions with Argentina's neighbors, it said. "We expect that the Russian government will leverage RT, its affiliates, and its overall covert playbook in pursuit of these malign efforts," the fact sheet said. (Reporting by Simon Lewis; additional reporting by David Ljunggren and Chris BingEditing by Alistair Bell) By Jan Strupczewski BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Nine European countries protested on Friday against the International Monetary Fund's plans to resume missions to Russia, saying it would damage the reputation of the Fund to resume dialogue with a country that has invaded another. After Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the IMF stopped its annual consultations with Russia, which the Washington-based lender of last resort does for all its members. But on Sept 2, the IMF's Russian executive director Aleksei Mozhin told Reuters the Fund would re-start online consultations on Sept. 16, and continue with an IMF delegation visit to Moscow for meetings with Russian officials until Oct. 1. "We would like to express our strong dissatisfaction with such IMF plans," the finance ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Poland said in a letter to IMF head Kristalina Georgieva, seen by Reuters. Georgieva is attending a meeting of EU finance ministers and central bankers in Budapest and they will ask her about the IMF's plans there, EU officials said. "What recommendations does the IMF want to give Russia at the end of the consultation? How to better run a war economy?" one senior euro zone official said. The letter said that as an aggressor country, Russia should not get the benefit of IMF advice and noted that if the IMF went through with its plans, it would diminish the willingness of donor countries to support Ukraine through IMF initiatives, because it would undermine trust in the IMF. "Donors can choose other institutions like the World Bank or the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development," the senior official said. The letter also said any data Russia would provide the IMF would be censored to show the country's economy was allegedly doing well and resisting Western sanctions, making the IMF's assessment inaccurate. Moscow would also use mission for its own propaganda purposes and it would damage the IMF's reputation, it said. "We thus call on the IMF not to resume cooperation with Russia and to remain committed to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," the nine countries said. "We urge all international financial institutions, including the IMF and its management, to continue refraining from the activities involving the aggressor state and not to resume dialogue as long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine," the letter said. The IMF said on Thursday its planned visit to Russia was in line with its regular obligations as well as those of Russia as a member country. The IMF's last annual mission visited Russia in November 2019, before the start of the COVID pandemic. There have been no IMF missions to Russia since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine. Many Western nations raised the possibility of Russias expulsion from the IMF in the aftermath of the Ukraine invasion, but that proved difficult because of reluctance from other members with large voting quotas such as China and India. (Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; editing by Philippa Fletcher) Alex Male was on the National Crime Agency's most wanted list [NCA] A man named as one of the UK's most wanted has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and ketamine, and to money laundering. Alex Male, 32, from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, appeared at Exeter Crown Court on Friday. He pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to acquire a weapon and ammunition. Male is due to appear back in court for sentencing on 18 October. The group he was part of supplied more than 130kg of cocaine worth 4.5m across the south west, including in Portsmouth, Trowbridge, Bristol and Bridgwater. Male was detained in Morocco on 21 January, after trying to enter the country using a fake passport and was extradited to England. Following his initial arrest by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) in June 2020, Mr Male broke his bail conditions and went on the run. He was thought to be living in Spain and later Portugal. He was added to the National Crime Agency's (NCA) most wanted list in January 2022 and was arrested four months later in Lisbon after arriving on a flight from Turkey. But his release was authorised in October 2022 after the custody time limit expired. 'Significant jail term' DCI Adam Smith from the SWROCU said: Male has repeatedly tried to avoid facing justice for the serious offences he committed, but today he finally pleaded guilty to his role in organising the supply of huge amounts of class A and B drugs and laundering the cash they made. Alex Male led a group who were funding luxury lifestyles by exploiting the drug use of vulnerable people. "Having already spent several months in prison in Morocco, he knows he can expect a significant jail term when he is sentenced next month." Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Related Internet Links By Nellie Peyton PRETORIA (Reuters) -South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa defended the durability of his unity government on Friday, after a row over a contentious education bill exposed tensions between his ANC and its main coalition partner. Ramaphosa was addressing the media hours after enacting the bill, which has angered the African National Congress' (ANC) partner the Democratic Alliance (DA), amid a debate centering on the integration of schools that teach in Afrikaans. "We come from different histories ... and are driven by different ideological outlooks but ... the government of national unity is durable," Ramaphosa said, dismissing concerns it could collapse over disagreements. "I have confidence in the durability of the GNU because anything else is just too ghastly to contemplate," he said. Part of the controversial education bill gives the relevant department the power to approve school boards' language policies, which aim to prevent discrimination. The ANC says that students are being excluded from some schools because of the language they speak, which it says has been used as a proxy for racial exclusion - a veiled reference to Afrikaans, the tongue of South Africa's first white settlers, which was promoted by its white minority rulers under apartheid. The DA says the bill violates what they say is South Africans' right to teach and learn in their mother tongue. The party has struggled to shake off the image of a party of the white minority, many of whom speak Afrikaans as their first language. Earlier Ramaphosa said the bill would "resolve longstanding challenges in our education system," but the DA promised to fight it in court. Earlier this week it said the bill went against the principle of consensus-building of the government of national unity and threatened the coalition. "Primarily it's about the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction, which is seen as an attempt to exclude people that are not able to speak Afrikaans," Andre Duvenhage, a politics professor at North-West University, told Reuters. "In a way the ... legislation is an attempt at opening up these schools for all people," he told Reuters. The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill also makes one year of pre-primary school mandatory, reinforces a ban on corporal punishment in schools and regulates home-schooling. Ramaphosa said he would allow for three months of consultation on the most controversial sections of the bill and if a solution was not reached then implementation would go ahead. (Reporting by Nellie Peyton; Additional Reporting by Tannur Anders; Editing by Tim Cocks and Hugh Lawson) Paramedic Peter Cichuniec and his wife make their way to the courtroom after a lunch break on Dec. 1, 2023, at the Adams County Courthouse in Brighton, Colo. A judge in Colorado on Friday modified the five-year prison sentence for a paramedic who was convicted in the death of Elijah McClain to four years' probation. McClain was given a lethal dose of ketamine in 2019 after a confrontation with police. Peter Cichuniec, 51, was sentenced earlier this year after he was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the death of the Black pedestrian. Cichuniec was also found guilty of second-degree assault. Judge Mark Warner ordered the sentence reduction Friday, saying, "The court finds really there are unusual and extenuating circumstances and they are truly exceptional in this particular case, according to The Denver Post. Elijah McClain. Attorney General Philip Weiser argued in a court filing against the reduced sentence, that not only did the decision to reduce Cichuniecs sentence undermine the jurys verdict, but unlike other codefendants, Cichuniec, who was the highest-ranked paramedic on scene, knew he was injecting McClain with a lethal dose of ketamine. No other codefendant admitted to knowingly overdosing the victim for an improper purpose, and no other codefendant was convicted of second-degree assault as a crime of violence, a filing opposing the modification said. The filing also indicated McClains mother was against the move. A lawyer representing Cichuniec did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday night. Police confronted McClain, 23, in Aurora on Aug. 24, 2019, after someone reported a suspicious person wearing a ski mask which McClains family said he regularly wore because of a blood condition that made him feel cold. Officers tackled McClain, and paramedics injected him with ketamine. After he was injected, McClain had no pulse in the ambulance, and he went into cardiac arrest and died six days later. A second paramedic, Jeremy Cooper, was also found guilty of criminally negligent homicide. He was sentenced in April to four years' probation for his role in McClain's death. Colorado's attorney general said he was disappointed that the judge had modified Cichuniec's sentence to probation. After considering the evidence, a statewide grand jury indicted Cichuniec and a jury of his peers found him guilty of his criminal acts that led to the death of Elijah McClain," Weiser said in a statement Friday. "We are disappointed the court reduced his sentence today, but we respect the courts decision. When Cichuniec was sentenced March 1, Sheneen McClain, Elijah's mother, said that the paramedic should be held responsible for her sons death. She left the courthouse after he was sentenced to five years in prison with her fist in the air. Im not OK. I never will be, she said then, adding that the paramedics "had the opportunity to save him." According to the AG's filing, a state law allows a reduced sentence after a prisoner has spent at least 119 days in the Department of Corrections. The provision, sometimes referred to as the escape hatch, had been used only 203 times to modify sentences between 1977 and June 2024. The law was deemed exceptionally rare and had only been used 22 times since its inception in Adams County, the attorney general said. A river otter. A river otter attacked a child at a marina in Bremerton, Washington, pulling the boy underwater and biting him before he was rescued by his mother. The rare attack happened Thursday morning as the child and his mother were walking on a dock at the Bremerton Marina in Kitsap County, the state's Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) said in a news release. The child sustained scratches and bites to the top of his head, face and legs and was treated at a local hospital. The mother told authorities that the river otter pulled her son into the water and dragged him underneath. He resurfaced after a few moments, WDFW said. "The childs mother was able to lift the child out of the water while the otter continued to attack and was subsequently bit in the arm. The river otter continued to pursue the family as they left the dock," the agency said. Ken Balazs, with WDFW, said the child sustained minor injuries "due to the mothers quick actions and childs resiliency." The otter was captured and taken to the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab for further evaluation and testing for rabies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services works to "trap and lethally remove" river otters from the marina, the fish and wildlife agency said. The animals are relatively common in Washington and can be found in fresh, brackish, or saltwater habitats, the agency said. Encounters with them are rare but they can be" territorial and, like any wildlife, are inherently unpredictable." Six other human-river otter incidents have been documented in the state in the last decade, according to the agency. Last year, a rabid otter bit a man and a dog in Jupiter, Florida, and in Montana three women were injured when an otter attacked them as they floated on inner tubes on a river. One woman had severe bites on her face and arms and was flown to the hospital via helicopter. In California, Matt Leffers said he was swimming at Serene Lakes in Placer County last September when otters bit him at least 12 times. He told NBC News affiliate KCRA 3 that he feared for his life and the animals were so "aggressive that, literally, I felt like they wanted to kill me." His wife had to rescue him on a paddleboat before taking him to the hospital. A Russian counteroffensive to recover parts of Kursk lost to Ukrainian forces following a surprise, cross-border attack is underway but is yet to gain momentum. Ukraine launched its assault last month, capturing scores of settlements, a move that stunned even Kyivs allies. But from the beginning observers have said it was unlikely that it would be able to hold on to its gains. Geolocated video shows that Russian units have retaken a couple of villages, but the situation remains fluid. Both the quality and number of Russian troops committed to the region are hazy, and reliable frontline accounts are few and far between. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged the start of Russias counteoffensive and says it intends to deploy 60,000 70,000 troops in the Kursk region. But he said Friday that the Russians have not yet had any serious success. Our heroic soldiers are holding on. The US has assessed that Russia would need up to 20 brigades about 50,000 men to expel Ukrainian forces from Kursk, but Defense Department spokesman Major Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday that Russian actions so far were marginal and analysts have not seen the sort of mass or quality that would quickly drive out the much smaller Ukrainian force. Some high-caliber units do appear to be involved in the Russian counter-offensive geolocated video showed elements of the elite 51st Airborne Regiment involved in an assault on Thursday. But the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assesses that little of the Russian grouping in Kursk is comprised of combat experienced units. Initial indications are that Russian forces may try to cut off Ukrainian troops near the town of Korenevo before beginning a larger-scale counteroffensive operation. A Ukrainian officer taking part in the Kursk operation told CNN Friday that the Russians had taken about two kilometers (an assessment shared by Russian military bloggers) on the western edge of the zone seized by the Ukrainians last month. The officer said poor communications were hampering their operations. An armed Ukrainian soldier stands on the street on September 10, 2024 in Sudzha, Kursk Region, Russia. - Oleg Palchyk/Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images Video surfaced of the Russian flag and incidentally, the flag of the Wagner private military company being raised in the village of Snahost. But the officer said the situation had stabilized and there was fierce fighting in another nearby village. There are also signs that Ukrainian units may be developing a new assault route into a different part of Kursk, near the town of Veseloe. This might be intended to distract Russian forces. By launching surprise offensives across the thinly defended border, Ukraine can pursue operational-level guerrilla warfare to support an overall strategy of exhaustion, says Robert Rose of the Modern War Institute at West Point. Despite the gathering Russian counterattack in Kursk, and mounting Ukrainian losses, Zelensky insists the incursion into Kursk is necessary and valuable, and has slowed Russian advances in eastern Donetsk, where the city of Pokrovsk is under immediate threat. Russias President Vladimir Putin is seeking to fully capture four eastern Ukrainian regions he already partly controls, and most of the fighting in the war has focused on this area. Zelensky told a panel in Kyiv Friday moderated by CNNs Fareed Zakaria that Russias advantage in artillery ammunition in the Pokrovsk area had been cut from 12-to-1 to 2.5-to-1, which he attributed to the success of the Kursk campaign. The speed [of the Russian advance] in the Donetsk sector was even faster before the Kursk operation. And not only in Donetsk [sector], but in the whole of the east, Zelensky said. While Russian momentum slowed in the first week of September, no significant units were withdrawn to fight in Kursk, although some were redeployed from less contested areas along the 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) front line. The Kremlin appears to prioritize the goal of progress in Donetsk over retrieving lost Russian territory for now. The Ukrainians have offered several reasons for the Kursk operation that it would force Russia to redeploy troops currently committed on the front-lines in Ukraine; that it would provide Ukraine with land to trade in any negotiations; that it would make a mockery of Putins red lines; and that it would provide a pool of prisoners-of-war to exchange (which it already has.) Zelensky claims that the Kursk operation has shown Putins warnings about the consequences of escalation to be hollow. Zelensky has now added another justification for the Kursk offensive: that it forestalled a Russian plan to take a large swathe of northern Ukraine as a buffer zone, a plan that would have swallowed regional centers. He told the Kyiv panel that information from our partners indicated that the Russians intended to create security zones deep inside Ukraine. The ISW, a think-tank in Washington DC, said Friday that the Russian military command may have intended additional offensive operations along a wider and more continuous front in northeastern Ukraine to significantly stretch Ukrainian forces. For now, such Russian ambitions are on hold. They still hold the advantage in firepower and men along most of the existing frontlines and will continue to use the tactic of intense bombardment - followed by infantry advances through the ruins of what has been destroyed - as a way of grinding down the enemy. The Ukrainians have several immediate priorities: creating and strengthening defensive lines in the east and accelerating the formation of new units. They are developing longer-range strike capabilities to degrade Russian infrastructure such as airfields and fuel depots. And they are demanding greater freedom to use precision western missiles in strikes deep inside Russian territory. War-displaced people spend time in a centre for displaced people in undisclosed location in Kursk region on August 29, 2024, following Ukraine's cross-border offensive into Russia's western Kursk region. - Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP/Getty Images Zelensky told Fareed Zakaria Friday that Russias guided aerial bombs, known as FABs, were responsible for 80% of destroyed infrastructure and Ukraine urgently needed to hit the airfields from which they are launched. This appeal appears to be gaining traction. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at his meeting Friday with US President Joe Biden that the next few weeks and months could be crucial very, very important that we support Ukraine in this vital war of freedom. But the Biden Administration is wary of the consequences of what the Kremlin sees as an escalation that would bring NATO directly into the conflict. The Kursk incursion may encourage Ukraine to develop another tool that could fundamentally change Ukraines approach to fighting, according to Rose at the Modern War Institute. Ukraine cannot use manoeuvre to achieve a decisive victory over Russia. What it can do is use manoeuvre to exploit vulnerabilities, force Russia to over-extend, create chaos, encircle Russian forces, and capture Russian equipment. The crux, according to Matthew Schmidt, University of New Haven Associate Professor of National Security, is how Ukraine changes Putins decision-making, whether in Kursk or by much deeper strikes inside Russia, or both. Does it make him negotiate? Does it cause him to pull back or pause in Donetsk? Kursk may have succeeded in persuading Biden and other western allies to approve deeper strikes, Schmidt says - and If follow-on attacks can sustain the war deep inside Russia, so it affects Russians and then affects the Kremlins decision making. That would define it as a success. But we need to ask the bigger question, as the US eventually did in Iraq, says Schmidt. How does this end? For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Getty Images "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Rachel Silverman* (22 at the time) hunched over in agony and curled up in a ball on her soft, well-worn couch. While many women her age were out socializing with friends and partners after work, her plans revolved around treating bursts of intense abdominal pain, which began in college with a bout of infectious colitis (inflammation in the colon due to, in Silvermans case, bacteria). Though antibiotics resolved that infection in the short term, she didnt know that a lifelong battle with her stomach lay ahead. The intense pain continued even after her illness subsided. She missed birthdays, had to work from home some days instead of going into the office, and routinely canceled plans due to stabbing stomach cramps. Silverman even spent an entire day of a brief trip to Spain in the hotel instead of seeing the sights due to a flare-up. Looking for answers, doctors ran tests (an MRI, endoscopy, colonoscopy, blood work, etc.) over a period of five years. Ultimately, they said she had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)...a relief, in one way, to have a diagnosisand also disheartening, as there is no cure. IBS is a disorder known to cause abdominal pain and/or discomfort, and changed bathroom habits (patients may experience diarrhea, constipation, or even both). It affects people of all ages, according to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD), which also states that around 5-10% of the worlds population has the disorderand 25 to 45 million in the United States alone. Even more, about two in three people with IBS identify as female. An IFFGD survey of nearly 2,000 people with the condition revealed that it took more than six-and-a-half years after symptoms began to receive a diagnosis of IBS. For Silverman, a diagnosis came sooner than others, thanks mostly to the fact that her father is a gastroenterologist. A lot of my patients will hear things, unfortunately, like the colonoscopy is negative, the CT scans are negative. Its just IBS; youll be fine. Its minimalized. But when you start digging into it, I tell my patients that disorders of gut-brain interaction, like IBS, can be the most complex of GI disorders. And the reason its minimalized is because we dont fully understand why they happen; so we dont explain them well, says Xiao Jing (Iris) Wang, M.D., gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, and author of Boo Cant Poo . To make matters more complicated, IBS, its causes, and its symptoms often differ from person to person. With this in mind, and due to the various contributing factors of IBS, treatment tends to focus on symptom management rather than a cure. IFFGD states that the condition is a major womens health issue, leading to an increased risk of unnecessary surgery for extra-abdominal and abdominal surgery in women with IBS. Take hysterectomies and ovarian surgeries as examplesthe IFFGD says that these surgeries have been reported in patients with IBS as much as 47% to 55% and have been performed more often in the group than in other cohorts. Silvermans path to relief Luckily for Silverman, the now-29-year-old lawyer, her father (dad-doctor as she jokingly calls him) suggested she try hypnotherapy as a treatment not long after her diagnosis. When my dad told me I should try hypnosis, I was like, You are out of your mind. What do you mean I should be hypnotized? Silverman recalls of the 2023 conversation. I was almostnot offended because obviously, hes a doctor, he knows what hes talking about. But what makes you think a breathing exercise is going to help my stomach issues that literally nothing else has been able to help? She says the idea of trying hypnosis made her feel like her IBS was being painted as a psychological issue. What I learned was that really, everything is connected. Dr. Wang says this reaction is all too common. Its been a bit of a fringe practice until fairly recently. The reason for that really is that its hypnosis. People hear that youre going to do hypnosis, and theyre like: What are you talking about? This isnt real science. This is not real medicine, etc., she says. Perhaps hesitation around the practice has been spurred by pop culture depicting it as a pocket watch swinging back and forth and the person being told to squawk like a chicken. But this isnt the reality of the practice, and practitioners (and phone applications) are working to dispel this concept. In fact, hypnosis is not new; a variation of the practice dates back to the 1700s with Franz Mesmer, who used it with patients. Though he was later discredited due to his misguided notion that hypnotism used a type of occult force, scientists of the time saw promise in the practice. It eventually piqued the interest of Sigmund Freud, and ultimately it was used in WWI and WWII to tackle post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Within the last 10 years or so, theres been an uptick with hypnotherapy for IBS. More than IBS, pain, Dr. Wang says. A part of this is due to having more research behind the practice. Theres data thats being generated within the psychogastroenterology community, Dr. Wang says. People have wider access to hypnosis thanks to phone applications and growing practitioners of the therapy, per the Cleveland Clinic , and more research on the topic is being performed, leading to a wider acceptance. Its become more accepted, more standardized, and has made it into more guidelines, and with that, it will become more accessible, explains Dr. Wang. Silvermans desperation for relief from the Russian roulette-style days of stomach pain outweighed her skepticism. So, at her fathers suggestion, she paid for a phone application called Nerva that led her through a hypnosis session specifically for IBS. The program that I did had a six-week, do it everyday type of thing. Every day there was a hypnosis sequence to listen to, Silverman says. She explains it as a type of guided meditation done through an app (though it can be led by practitioners in real life). Each session explains what happens in your body when performing hypnosis for IBS, helping tap into that gut-brain connection. Each session is 15 minutes; which doesnt sound like a lot, but when youre trying to fit it into a work dayits hard to find 15 minutes where you can just sit still and not do anything, she says. But she made the timeeither while working from home or even sitting in her officeand to her surprise (and delight), it worked. She went nearly six months without a flare-up. Glenn Rottmann, C.Ht ., a certified hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner who discovered self-hypnosis in high school via The Silva Mind Control Method (which aims to take readers on a self-improvement journey via self-hypnosis), says the therapy for IBS works by using the subconscious mind to create a changed response. We can work with the subconscious mind to lessen the bodys physical reaction to issues such as IBS. Through guided imagery and different techniques, we can change the bodys response to many irritants, he says. While Rottmann says that repeated practice has its benefits, Dr. Wang says some see relief for years after a single session. Rottmann believes in the powers of hypnotherapy so much he created a collection of videos on the subject, and created a course to instruct others on hypnosis and the link between the body and mind. Getty Images The gut-brain connection behind hypnosis The key to how hypnosis for IBS (and pain in general) works, lies in the link between the mind and body. Though the gut-brain connection is incredibly complex, Dr. Wang says its something that research is more recently focused on as ways to understand it develops. Its this incredibly complex interaction of the central nervous system with the enteric nervous system. And the enteric nervous system is something that not a lot of people know exists. Its an entire nervous system in your GI tract that actually runs on its own. It doesnt need input from your brain in order to digest your food or push forward your stool. She says that interstitial cells (called the interstitial cells of Cajal) fire and tell your muscles what to do all on their own. But just because it can function on cruise control, doesnt mean your brain cant interfere. But your gut is connected to the central nervous system, largely via the vagus nerve. With that vagus nerve integration, it speeds up your bowel or slows it down and kind of sends extra signals to modulate those internal pacemakers, is usually what we call them, she says. As its the same nervous system thats in the gut, thats in the brain, Dr. Wang says sometimes antidepressants may help patients with IBS for this very reason. But the gut-brain connection is difficult to regulate. Anyone whos tried to meditate or deep breathe, its really hard to turn off your stress response. You need to teach your vagus nerve how to regulate on its own again. Thats what we think about when we use hypnotherapy. How are we regulating this gut-brain interaction? Dr. Wang says many issues she, as a professional, sees these days stem from chronic stress impacting bodily functions. Were constantly diverting blood and resources away from our gut and that constant kind of lack of regular input; your gut just kind of goes haywire and does its own thing. Because it still needs to move and youre not giving it your input. To make matters even more complicated, your brain can actually exacerbate problems in your gut. My doctors told me that my IBS was pretty much directly correlated with stress, Silverman says. Which makes sense. It would always flare up doing law school finals; when I have important things happening at work. But I didnt really understand the actual connection between your brain and the IBS symptoms and how all of that functions in one unit ultimately causing my excruciating pain. That said, the gut-brain connection isnt only about nerves or your nervous system, Dr. Wang clarifies. Its also about the microbiome....what bacteria populations grow and wane in your gut actually change. Research has shown that people with IBS experience changes in their gut microbiome, which can lead to intestinal inflammation and pain, according to IFFGD . Getty Images How hypnosis for IBS works Though it may feel odd to look to one organ to treat pain in another, it makes sense to address the issue in the area where pain is processed: the brain. Certified hypnotists can work with the subconscious mind to lessen the bodys physical reaction to issues such as IBS, Rottmann says. Through guided imagery and different techniques, we can change the bodys response to many irritants, he explains. Some irritants may include stress and certain foods, per the Mayo Clinic . Dr. Wang says hypnosis helps by trying to decrease the amount of sensation that goes from your gut to your brain. With IBS and a lot of these disorders with gut-brain interaction (DGBI) issues, is that not only does the nerve fire too much but that the signal gets amplified. Theres increased myelination on those neurons that go from your gut to your brain. So instead of traveling down a dirt road, your signals are now traveling on a super-highway. It gets louder. It gets faster. We want to turn that signal down and thats the big goal of hypnosis. Its regulatory but its really how do we decrease the hypersensitivity response that has developed? Ultimately, she says, the goal is to turn down the volume of pain signals. Dr. Wang says this can be done in a few ways (medication, hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy, maybe even virtual reality one day). But the overall idea of those are actually very similar. We are using our own bodys brain imagery, mechanisms, and reactions to reverse some of the attention that our brain is paying to our gut. This is a little bit of a learned response, but its not volitional, Dr. Wang explains. My patients are not doing this to themselves. This is not their fault. This is not something we are asking them to use behavior to fix because they did it. Were asking them to use their behavior to fix something that has been done to them. That is so, so key. I dont want them thinking this is their fault. And, its a treatment option that can be done via app right from the get-go, or in-person, without side effects for most people, Dr. Wang says. The only group of people she advises to proceed with caution when undergoing hypnosis are those with a trauma history. If they have major psychiatric conditions, Id want to make sure they have a professional in the room at least for a couple of sessions to make sure they are tolerating it well, she says. Once in a while, in hypnosis, you can have an adverse reaction, bringing you to a state where youre reliving a past trauma or some fear or other kind of feeling that is difficult to control. Its not going to induce psychosis if you dont already have an issue with that. Its not going to bring on trauma if you dont have an existing issue with that. Rottmann also notes that we dont always get the result were looking for right away, but he says sometimes people find relief in as little as one session. However, everyone is different, and sometimes its a process of repetition to achieve the desired result that we want. There are many factors that influence this. The clients receptivity, the issue itself, and how much emotion and identity is attached to that issue. Getty Images What a hypnosis for IBS session may look like Rottmann says he begins each session with a progressive relaxation that starts by listening and focusing on what your hypnotist is saying. Then once I get them relaxed, we go into their imagination and do certain visualization techniques, Rottmann explains. Next, we do whats called a hypnotic induction. This is to get them relaxed and into their imagination. Once were there, I use different techniques, a combination of visualizations, direct suggestions, and reflection, to connect the mind and body. Dr. Wang says the trance state is nothing mysterious, and its something that everyone experiences. She says that a variety of mechanisms can bring you into that state. The trance state is the state that if you were driving along the highway and all of a sudden five exits passed and then youre like how did I get here? But, you were aware, you were awake. If someone cut you off you would be able to react, but your mind was so focused on what you were doing. Everybody has been there at some point, Dr. Wang says. Its a state that can be achieved as long as you are allowing the hypnosis to happen. Next up, deepening the trance state, in a way that you become more and more focused on what Im telling you. And its not like meditation, where youre trying to blank out your mind. Hypnosis is focused attention on what youre being told. So it is a lot easier for people who have trouble with meditation because youre not supposed to blank out your mind. Youre supposed to be listening, Dr. Wang says. Then, the therapy begins. So you just follow along and let things happen. Were kind of using those techniques that induce hypnosis to deepen the trance. Im basically drawing you into a deep enough stage, we give suggestions to your brain to basically stop paying attention to the pain. To turn down the pain signals. Thats why a recording on an app can work so well. Its guided imagery in this trance state that makes your brain more susceptible to rewiring. We put in a lot of suggestions to help even beyond the hypnosis session, and this will continue to help you heal, Dr. Wang says. She says, The behavior changes can help live with IBS, and in living with the IBS it actually gets better. Silverman says that the phone application she used would involve a recorded voice telling her to envision a clear colon. Each session places you in a different location, Silverman says the app puts her in a different location in her mind (like at the library, in a field, or even at the pharmacy). The voice then calms you down, Silverman says. She says it feels like meditation, and not necessarily like shes asleep. Then you are told to literally picture your stomach being fine. A situation where your colon is 100% normal, for lack of a better word. Where its clear and you have no pain and no anxiety about leaving because youre afraid youre going to be in pain, or something like that. Then they bring you back to real life and you can wake up. Finally, the patient is guided out of the trance state. Then they bring you back to real life and you can wake up, Silverman says. However, its important to note that the patient is not asleep during hypnosis; the person is conscious, aware, and works alongside the hypnotist throughout the treatment. The bottom line Professionals in both the healthcare and hypnosis communities think practicing the technique could help people with all sorts of conditions. I had a client with very severe rheumatoid arthritis pain in her hands. I used a pain management hypnotherapy technique with her, when she opened her eyes, the pain was gone, explains Rottmann. She started immediately crying out of the relief that she felt for the first time in years. To this day, the pain still has not returned. It may help those with neurological disorders as well. I had a client with a constant dry cough, almost like a tick, Rottmann says. She had this for years, after the first session it was 75% gone. We did one follow-up session and it has not returned since. More studies need to be done before your general practitioner recommends hypnotherapy as a treatment for other conditions. But, for now, the data is promising. The number of trained hypnotherapists is low, and the number that do trained gut hypnotherapy is even lower, though increasing more and more. But there are still not enough providers to treat everybody who needs their care. Thats why app-based hypnotherapy has become a thing. If you have an app, it doesnt matter if youre living in rural America, a big city, or a small suburb. These are going to be huge in terms of access. Right now this service is all out of pocket, so that limits who can use them. But a lot of apps are going through the FDA to get approved and we hope that eventually they will be covered by insurance, Dr. Wang says. That way, the apps (like Nerva and MetaMes Regulora ), will help a good percentage of standard IBS patients, and then those who are a bit more complex are the people who need in-person, she explains. You can also ask your gastroenterologist for recommendations, or the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders suggests checking out ibshypnosis.com to find a provider in your area. Dr. Wang says there are certain patients who will respond well to the therapy (mostly those who are willing to consider it and believe in the process of hypnotherapy), and she recommends it right off the bat, while others (say, who are not open to being hypnotized) she knows may not be eager to try it. I want to make sure that this isnt a salvage, or backup, therapy. This is an option that works really well and its more a matter of if youre a good candidate for it and willing to give it a shot, Dr. Wang says. Ultimately, Silverman feels optimistic about her future with the condition now that shes learned the benefits of hypnosis. She says shes more aware of things she can do to help prevent or reduce flare-ups. Continuing to meditate and do hypnosis sessions, doing things that calm my anxiety and manage stress. Its even helped me during flare-ups because I do the breathing exercises that I was taught. It doesnt get rid of the pain, but the breathing helps manage it, she says. As for those wondering if it really works: Dont knock it til you try it, Silverman says. Ultimately, it might not help everyone, but theres a very high possibility that it will help you at least a little. And when youre dealing with something that isnt really treatable, I say anything that might help is worth a shot. *Name has been changed for anonymity. You Might Also Like Shein and Temu have taken U.S. consumers by storm with their ultra-low prices and their ability to rapidly churn out trending styles far faster than competitors can. Key points Prices on Shein and Temu could rise by as much as 20% if the Biden administration successfully closes the so-called de minimis loophole. The loophole allows packages valued under $800 to avoid import duties and scrutiny at the border. Shein and Temu have said their low prices arent related to the de minimis exemption and instead, their innovative business models. The bottom of the barrel prices that have made Chinese-linked e-tailers Shein and Temu so popular with American consumers could soon rise if the Biden administration curtails their use of a trade law loophole. The companies, known for their $5 T-shirts and $10 sweaters, could see prices rise by at least 20% if the so-called de minimis provision is changed, a spokesperson for the Republican majority of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party told CNBC. The committee made the estimate after launching investigations into Shein and Temu more than a year ago. Neil Saunders, a retail analyst and the managing director of GlobalData, agreed the policy change would likely increase prices, but couldnt say by how much. If the de minimis exemption is removed, then the cost of products from marketplaces like Shein and Temu will rise. They will still be cheap marketplaces but they wont have quite the competitive edge on price that they do now, Saunders told CNBC in an email. That may lose them some market share or slow their growth, but they will likely respond by pushing into some higher-priced items to balance out their propositions. On Friday morning, the Biden administration announced plans to bar overseas shipments of products that are subject to U.S.-China tariffs from being eligible for the de minimis exemption. An obscure tariff law loophole thats been around since the 1930s, the exemption allows packages with a value of less than $800 to enter the United States without the shippers paying import duties and with less scrutiny than larger containers. The announcement comes after more than a year of scrutiny into the companies from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and in particular, the House Select Committee on the CCP. Both Shein and Temu declined to tell CNBC if they will raise prices due the proposed changes. The companies also disputed that their low prices are driven by the de minimis exemption and said their business models allow them to offer their ultra-affordable rates. A spokesperson for Shein noted that the company supports de minimis reform and was recently accepted into a voluntary, pilot program with U.S. Customs and Border Protection where it agreed to provide additional data about packages and shipments. A risk to their competitive edge Over the last couple of years, the two companies have taken U.S. consumers by storm with their ultra-low prices and their ability to rapidly churn out trending styles far faster than competitors can. Shein is estimated to take in more than $30 billion in revenue annually, but its unclear what Temus sales are. Its parent company, PDD Holdings, saw $34.9 billion in revenue in fiscal 2023 a 90% increase from the year ago period. As the companies have become go-to shopping destinations, theyve taken market share from rivals that cater to similar consumer segments, such as H&M, Zara, Target, Walmart and Amazon. If Sheins prices were to rise by 20%, it would put its assortment closer in line with those competitors, which could make it harder for it to compete. For example, the average price of a dress on Shein was $28.51 as of June 1, according to data from Edited, a London-based research firm that analyzed the companys pricing strategy and shared metrics with Reuters. At the time, that price was well below the average cost for dresses at H&M and Zara, which were $40.97 and $79.69, respectively, according to Editeds data. However, if costs were to rise by 20%, that would make the average dress price on Shein $34.21 far closer to H&Ms average price. Theres no guarantee prices would rise 20% if the Biden administrations proposal takes effect. Still, taken together with the companys long shipping times, a smaller discount relative to Sheins rivals may lead some consumers to opt for retailers that are closer to home. Ultimately, while reforming the de minimis rules makes for a fairer and more level playing field, like any tariff it will end up costing consumers more, said Saunders. Scrutiny of a digital darling Last year, the committee began investigating Shein and Temu for slave labor in their supply chains and zeroed in on their use of the de minimis exemption, claiming in a June 2023 report that both companies didnt pay any import duties in 2022. Shein disputed that claim and said the company paid millions of import duties in 2022 and 2023. It has, however, acknowledged that cotton from banned regions has been found in its supply chain and said its working to rectify the issue. Temu didnt respond to inquiries about slave labor in its supply chain. As the Select Committees investigation into Shein and Temu revealed, the majority of products from Shein and Temu fall under the de minimis exception. This allows them to dodge U.S. Customs and evade the scrutiny other retailers face. The U.S. must urgently curb these shipments and force these companies to correct their anemic compliance practices, a spokesperson for the committee told CNBC. The spokesperson added that Congress must urgently make de minimis reform law. As scrutiny of Shein intensified, its hopes of pulling off a long awaited U.S. public offering dwindled. Lawmakers, eager to curtail the influence that Chinese-linked retailers were having on the U.S. economy and take steps they said would level the playing field for American companies, were unlikely to propose an outright ban of Shein and Temu, similar to what was done with social media company TikTok. Instead, numerous lawmakers called for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to block Sheins IPO and targeted the de minimis exemption as the best way to curtail the companys growth. Now, more than a year into those efforts and Sheins own sputtering charm offensive, its plans for a New York IPO are all but dead and it has turned to London in hopes of finding a friendlier reception. In June, CNBC reported that Shein had confidentially filed for a public listing in London as it faced backlash in the U.S. Its unclear what impact the proposed de minimis changes will have on Sheins IPO plans. People surround two passenger trains which collided in Egypt's Nile Delta city of Zagazig, the provincial capital of Sharqiya province, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo) CAIRO (AP) Two passenger trains collided in Egypts Nile Delta on Saturday, killing at least three people, two of them children, authorities said. The crash happened in the city of Zagazig, the capital of Sharqiya province, the country's railway authority said in a statement. Egypt's Health Ministry said the collision injured at least 40 others. Train derailments and crashes are common in Egypt, where an aging railway system has also been plagued by mismanagement. In recent years, the government announced initiatives to improve its railways. In 2018, President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said some 250 billion Egyptian pounds, or $8.13 billion, would be needed to properly overhaul the North African countrys neglected rail network. Video from the site of the crash showed a train car crumpled by the impact, surrounded by crowds. Men tried to lift the injured through the windows of a passenger car. Last month, a train crashed into a truck crossing the train tracks in the Mediterranean province of Alexandria, killing two people. Flash Patients who caught mpox and their family are seen at a mpox treatment center on the outskirts of Bukavu, the South Kivu province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), on Aug. 31, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for further strengthening mpox detection and surveillance measures as the total number of cases in Africa climbed to 26,543, including 5,732 confirmed cases and 724 deaths, since the start of 2024. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya, while addressing a special online media briefing on the multi-country mpox outbreak in Africa Thursday evening, said the African continent reported 3,160 new cases during the past week alone, including 434 confirmed cases and 107 deaths, eventually bringing the total number of cases reported this year to 26,543. Noting that there has been an upward trend in the number of mpox cases since May, Kaseya said the recent upsurge in cases is mainly attributed to the increasing mpox detection capacity of African Union (AU) members. "With improved surveillance, community awareness, and disease management, we are beginning to detect more cases, which has resulted in a declining trend in the fatality rate," Kaseya told reporters. Data from the AU's specialized healthcare agency show that the cases were reported from 15 African countries across all five regions of the continent, with a case fatality rate of 2.73 percent. It said children under 15 years of age accounted for 41 percent of all confirmed mpox cases reported on the African continent so far, and males account for 63 percent of all confirmed cases. Noting that Eastern and Northern Africa regions are yet to report mpox-related deaths so far, the Africa CDC, in its latest mpox outbreak report issued Friday, said Morocco is the first country in the northern Africa region to report a confirmed case. Central Africa is the most affected region with 23,761 cases, including 5,588 confirmed cases and 720 deaths, while Eastern African countries have reported 1,644 cases, of which 19 were confirmed. Noting the rapid spread of the virus since May, mainly among countries neighboring the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country that has emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak, Kaseya underscored the need to further strengthen cross-border surveillance measures across the affected countries. In mid-August, the Africa CDC declared the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS). Soon after the Africa CDC declared PHECS, the World Health Organization (WHO) also declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, activating its highest level of global alert for mpox for the second time in two years. On Friday, the Africa CDC disclosed the launch of a joint continental response plan with the WHO. The six-month plan, running from September 2024 to February 2025, has an estimated budget of nearly 600 million U.S. dollars. Of this, 55 percent is allocated to mpox response efforts in affected countries, while the remaining 45 percent is directed toward operational and technical support through partner organizations. Pedestrians look toward a Waymo autonomous self-driving taxi stopped at a red light on March 14 in Los Angeles. Uber announced Friday it is expanding its partnership with Alphabets Waymo to offer robotaxi rides in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta beginning in early 2025. Shares of Uber jumped 5% on the news while Alphabet rose about 1%. Uber riders in those cities can be matched with a driverless Waymo car for some trips, according to the companies. The rides will only be available through Ubers app, unlike in San Francisco and Los Angeles where riders book through the Waymo app. A Waymo spokesperson said it had no plans to partner with Uber in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The expansion comes as Uber faces investor pressure to step up its autonomous vehicle strategy, especially ahead of Teslas planned robotaxi event slated for Oct. 10. Shares of Uber have fallen 9% since the Tesla event was announced and are off 17% from their 52-week highs. It may also slow Waymo encroachment into Ubers market share. An analysis from Bernstein estimated that, as of May 2024, Waymos 50,000 weekly paid rides made up approximately 2% of ride-sharing usage in San Francisco. Since then, Waymo has doubled its paid robotaxi trips to 100,000 a week, the company announced. Were thrilled to build on our successful partnership with Waymo, which has already powered fully autonomous trips for tens of thousands of riders in Phoenix, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a release. Ubers initial agreement with Waymo in Phoenix also included autonomous Uber Eats deliveries in the city. The expansion into Austin and Atlanta wont include Uber Eats at first, according to the Waymo spokesperson, but theyre exploring that possibility for the future. Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said, Weve been delighted at the positive feedback from our Waymo One riders to date, and we cant wait to bring the comfort, convenience, and safety of the Waymo Driver to these cities in partnership with Uber. The expansion into two more cities is another step in Ubers advancement into the robotaxi space, after struggling to get a foothold and selling off its own self-driving division in 2020, now relying on partnerships with companies including Waymo, GMs Cruise and the SoftBank-backed U.K. startup Wayve to gain ground. Uber shares dipped in August after the company announced a multiyear partnership with Cruise to offer autonomous rides through its app next year. Wells Fargo analyst Ken Gawrelski cited Cruises previous safety challenges as a part of the investor skepticism, along with now-fulfilled hopes for a partnership with Waymo instead. Waymo has rapidly made strides in the self-driving race. It currently offers robotaxi services to the public in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix. It has logged more than 22 million miles through June of this year, and last week, it released a report that argued its vehicles are safer than human drivers. It began testing driverless cars on Bay Area freeways with Google employees in August. Some analysts were more hopeful for a potential Uber and Waymo expansion into San Francisco. But Atlanta and Austin, where Waymo has already begun testing, may still help sentiment. by Stefano Caprio Trying not to limit himself to the usual statements of state propaganda amid the universal conflict between Russia and the West, the Patriarch of Moscow spoke a few days ago in St Petersburg using philosophical and literary arguments to further explain the reasons why Russia today feels called to spread the great values that universal society has seemingly abandoned. The Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill (Gundyayev) spoke at the 10th Forum of "Unitary Cultures" in St Petersburg, in the solemn hall of the Mariinsky Palace, home to the city's Legislative Assembly, centred on Culture in the 21st century: sovereignty or globalism?" to reiterate the fundamental theses of the mission of the "Russian world" in our age. Trying not to limit himself to repeating the usual statements of state propaganda in the context of the universal conflict between Russia and the West, the patriarch sought to further develop philosophical and literary arguments of why Russia today feels called to spread the great values that universal society appears to abandon. It is, in some way, a matter of rediscovering the fundamental role of the Orthodox Church in militarist Russia, a role that Kirill had to yield to Putin in the phase of wars of the last 20 years, starting with the war with Georgia, the annexation of Crimea, and eventually the invasion of Ukraine. The patriarch did not initially back the president in his radical confrontation, but in the last two and a half years of war he could not (or did not want) to do anything but support the justifications of the conflict in the defence of traditional values, which the degraded West would like to erase from the conscience of Ukrainians, Russians, and all peoples historically linked to the "spiritual beacon" of super-Orthodox Moscow. The patriarchate has inspired this ideological line since the late 1990s, and now perhaps realises that it has gone too far in its claims to a global definition of religious and cultural truth. It is no coincidence that Kirill began his speech by emphasising the identity of St Petersburg, whereby "the small homeland always remains the city on the Neva", which represents the westernmost part of the Russian identity, culturally even more than geographically. The people of St Petersburg, according to the patriarch, "have never lost their inner spiritual, cultural and intellectual bond with the city". Unlike Kirill, President Vladimir Putin, who hails from Russias northern capital, represents the less evolved and erudite segment of the city, as Putin himself often claims, defining himself as a "man of the people" and certainly not as an intellectual from the aristocratic elites. Thus, Kirill's speech takes on deeper and more courtly tones, stating that "a serious reasoning on culture must always be axiological, that is, about values", elevating the definition that concerns precisely "traditional values", reiterated by Putin and all Russian politicians almost without real content to the point of boredom. Instead, "culture is what carries values within itself," explains the patriarch, otherwise, "without values no culture is preserved, which dissolves into dust... We know these cataclysms that have destroyed entire civilisations." This is the challenge Russian Orthodoxy wants to throw at the whole world, namely the preservation of tradition as a guarantee of the survival of true civilisation, the mechanism of transmission of values. Through a series of erudite quotes, Kirill comments on the very origin of the term "culture" starting from the concept of "cult", which justifies the axiological approach: What has value is what is holy for society in its historical development. The prevalence of religion over philosophy itself is a theme very dear to Kirill, who in his argumentation criticises the main theorists of Western rationalism, from August Comte and Ludwig Feuerbach to Karl Marx, who is well-known to us Russians. The patriarch has often linked this "positivist tendency" with the legacy of Latin scholasticism, a classic topic of theological polemics between Catholics and Orthodox, but now he is trying to go further, since "in our times this claim of philosophical superiority over religion is now recognised as inconsistent, especially after the end of the tragedy of humanist atheism of the twentieth century." Today's challenge, according to Kirill, is to find a new meaning of life in world societies, dried up from the sources of true spirituality. Marxist philosophy stated that man lives for future generations, but this is absurd, so what value can ones personal life have? If man is only a "transmission belt", even those who come after us will live without giving any meaning to existence. This is "a destructive relationship with the human personality, with the rational being that God has destined for high purposes", says the patriarch. There is a need for a new paideia, a process of education and rearing of man, the Greek term that gives rise to the very meaning of "culture". Today's world is no longer capable of rearing, it does not even transmit "physical culture and the aesthetic sense"; instead, it is necessary today "to make every effort to defend and protect the very foundations of culture, like a farmer who does not forget the seeds in the ground, which would end up smothered by wild nature. This is precisely the image that the patriarch wants to promote, comparing the Russian care for values with the "uncultured forest" of the West and, in general, of universal society, in what he calls the raskulturivanie (), the de-culturisation of the world. The Paris Olympics are an example of this degradation, with its irreverent symbolism and its gender diatribes. When I looked at the images of the inaugural processions on the Seine, the patriarch said, I said to myself: You cannot offend God this way! This is an incredible regression of Western civilisation, which seeks to smother all other cultures. People today, according to Kirill, "continue to use common words and follow habits, without asking themselves anything about their origin and meaning. To say thank you, Russians use the word Spasibo (), which derives from Spasi Bog ( ), "God save. There are many examples that the patriarch cites to indicate the roots of the sense of shared life, which must be found to avoid raskulturivanie, de-culturisation, and prevent it from becoming raschelovechivaniye (), dehumanisation in which culture loses its soul. The patriarch notes that "Christianity has never been the property of a single culture; it belongs to the whole world," and goes far beyond the concept of the "Christian world" because it values every national culture as a treasure of the whole world. Russian culture is no exception, but having gone through particularly hard trials, "which it has been able to face with courage", it is today the culture that can "enrich the whole world" and counter globalism that cancels and flattens different cultures, trying to make all men equal... These men will not be able to transmit values to future generations, in cancel culture, the culture of the click in which everything is allowed. Ultimately, Patriarch Kirill asks the question that divides the whole world today: Should the culture of the twenty-first century be sovereign or global? On a deeper level, should it be a culture, or an anti-culture? It is a question of "what man must be today", and the answer he proposes is podvig (, feat), the monastic term that indicates the sacrifice a person makes for the common good. Finally, turning to Pavel Florensky, martyr to Stalinist communism in the camps on Solovki Islands, he cites the words of the great Russian theologian: Do nothing that does not have a true taste for life, because just doing things can make you lose the meaning of everything. Taking up the thoughts of other Orthodox ideologues, the Russian patriarch tries to avoid excessively trite and radical syntheses, turning to thinkers like the theologian and political scientist Aleksandr Shchipkov, whose recently published essay on the "Crisis of the theory and practice of actions to defend human rights" focuses on the problem of conceptualising liberal (interpretations of) rights and the crisis of humanitarian institutions." Russians insist on highlighting the weakness of the Western conception of freedom, which has been transformed into a "dogmatic doctrine", a "false metaphysics", that makes it impossible to regain the true freedom of the "values" for which Russia is fighting today. There is a military war and an information war, but the Russian war is foremost a war of principles, calling for answers to the deepest questions in the contemporary world. RUSSIAN WORLD IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO RUSSIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY SATURDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE. Francis reiterated his wish to visit Beijing, answering a question during the press conference on the return flight from his trip to Southeast Asia and Oceania. In his answers he gave his impressions of the four countries he visited: Singapore, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia. On the war in Gaza, he lamented, I do not think they are taking steps to make peace. Speaking about the US presidential elections, Francis stressed that abortion and rejecting migrants are both against life, telling voters that one must choose the lesser evil. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis held a press conference during the long flight last night that took him back to Rome after a twelve-day trip to Asia and Oceania. In response to a question about the provisional agreement on episcopal appointments between the Holy See and China, which expires at the end of the month, the pontiff assessed the situation. Im pleased with the dialogues with China, he said. The results are good. Even for the appointment of bishops, things are progressing with goodwill. Asked also about his dream of visiting Beijing, Francis said, I believe China is a promise and a hope for the Church. Collaboration is possible, and certainly for conflicts. [. . .] I see China as an aspiration, meaning I would like to visit China. Its a great country, and I admire and respect China. Its a country with an ancient culture, a capacity for dialogue to understand each other that goes beyond the different systems of government it has had. I believe China is a promise and a hope for the Church. As for Beijing's possible contribution to conflict resolution in wars that stain the world, Francis cited the mission he entrusted to Card Matteo Zuppi, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Italy, who is working in this area, and has contacts with China. The press conference was an opportunity to answer questions from journalists from some of the countries the pope visited over the past few days. To those from Singapore, he confided his amazement at what he saw, a developed, clean country with polite people, tall skyscrapers, and a great religious culture. The interreligious meeting I had was a model of fraternity. The pontiff saw clean, well-built skyscrapers for workers, which I appreciated. [. . .] The last day I was struck by that culture. And then Singapores international role. He noted, however, that he saw few children in Singapore, unlike East Timor. Perhaps thats something to learn The future lies with children. To those who pointed out that he did not mention the death penalty in Singapore, which is being enforced after a hiatus during the pandemic, the pope replied that it did not occur to him. The death penalty doesn't work. We need to eliminate it, slowly. Many countries have the law but do not carry out the sentence. A journalist from East Timor asked him whether he referred to sects, which are growing in the country, when, at the end of the Mass at Taci Tolu, he spoke of crocodiles threatening the local culture. I was not speaking about that, Francis said, but its possible. Because all religions must be respected, but there is a distinction between religion and sect. Religion is universal, whatever it may be. A sect is restrictive; it is a small group that always has a different agenda. Speaking about Papua New Guinea, he praised its arts, dances, and other poetic expressions. This struck me a lot. The missionaries I visited are in the forest, they go into the forest to work." To an Indonesian journalist who raised the issue of the exploitation of natural resources, which too often benefits narrow oligarchies, Francis replied that, This is a common problem in developing nations. Perhaps one of the things that need to be developed is social relations. I enjoyed my visit to your country. As for countries that do not respect the Paris Agreement on climate change, the pontiff lamented that on the environmental crisis "we talk, we talk but we don't do it. This is my impression." On the war in Gaza, with the never-ending news of brutal massacres, Francis said: When you see the bodies of children killed, when you see that assuming that some of the guerrillas are there, you bomb a school: This is horrible. I am sorry for saying this, but sometimes I don't see steps being taken toward peace. Regarding the presidential elections in the United States, a journalist asked him what advice he would give to Catholic voters who have to decide between a candidate who is in favour of abortion and another who would like to deport 11 million migrants. "Both are against life, the one that throws away migrants and the one that kills children," Pope Francis replied. In terms of political morality, it is generally said that not voting is ugly: You have to vote. And one must choose the lesser evil. Who the lesser evil is, I don't know; each person must think and decide according to their own conscience. Finally, came a question about sexual abuse in the Church, in the wake of the latest revelations in France about the Abbe Pierre, but also about former Archbishop of Dili, Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo, whom many thought of when the pontiff referred to the issue in East Timor. Good people, people who do good and then, with so much good they have done, you see that they are ugly sinners," Francis said. This is our human condition. We must not say, 'let's cover up, let's cover up, so that it is not seen'. Public sins are public and must be condemned. "Working against abuse is something we all need to do, but not only against sexual abuse, against all kinds of abuse: social abuse, educational abuse, changing people's mindset, taking away freedom. [. . .] Abuse is a demonic thing because it destroys the dignity of the person, it seeks to destroy what we all are: the image of God. I am happy when these cases come out. by Nirmala Carvalho At a public commemoration, the governor attacked the educational work carried out under British rule, claiming that it sought to destroy Indias identity". In its reply, the local Bishops' Conference described the governors remarks as a gross distortion of history and a divisive rhetoric that undermines Indias unity. Chennai (AsiaNews) The Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council (TNBC) and the Tamil Latin Rite Bishops Nadu Council (TNLBC) have issued a "strong condemnation" of Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi for spreading false propaganda at a recent event. The latter is the commemoration a week ago, 7 September, of the 50th anniversary of the Mylapore Education Group in Chennai, which Governor Ravi praised for contributing to the rise of a new Bharat (Indian nation) and promoting education in Sanskrit (the sacred language of Hindus). His speech included, however, contemptuous comments about the educational work of missionaries under British rule, which, according to the TNBC, are both historically inaccurate and deeply "offensive. The governors remarks are a gross distortion of history, suggesting that Christians were allied with the British in efforts to undermine India. This is an absolute falsehood, the TNBC said. For Governor Ravi, Christian missionaries stole Indias riches and artistic treasures, creating a false identity for the people of the country, wrongly manipulating history. For Tamil Nadu bishops, this divisive rhetoric [is] aimed at the Christian community". Governor Ravis speech was not only hateful but a clear attempt to incite communal tensions, Archbishop George Anthonysamy of Mylapore said. The prelate stressed that Christians in India have been deeply attached to the country's traditions, values, and culture for a long time and are committed to its development. He called on the governor to stop promoting a policy of hatred and urged him to fulfil his constitutional duties and focus on unity among the people. Already in March of this year, Governor Ravi had lashed out at A Comparative Grammar of Dravidian or South-Indian Family of Languages", a work of linguistics written by a missionary, Robert Caldwell, in 1856, sparking an angry reaction from the Church of South India, which brings together Anglican, Presbyterian, and Methodist communities. Flash Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), met with visiting Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council Sergei Shoigu on Friday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Saturday. During the talks, they had a wide exchange of views on the issues of steadily deepening the strategic dialogue between the two countries and strengthening cooperation to defend the mutual security interests and on the regional and international situation, and reached a consensus on the issues discussed, the KCNA said. Kim expressed his appreciation for the development of bilateral ties in all fields including politics, economy and culture, and said that the DPRK government would further expand cooperation and collaboration with Russia in the spirit of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the future, it added. The DPRK leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the treaty in Pyongyang in June of this year. Flash China has always opposed the UK's so-called "six-monthly report" which makes irresponsible comments on Hong Kong affairs, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday. On Sept. 12, the UK government issued the so-called "Six-monthly report on Hong Kong: January to June 2024." In response to a related query, spokesperson Mao Ning told a press briefing that since the return of Hong Kong, "one country, two systems" has been a success in Hong Kong, which is widely recognized. The national security law in Hong Kong and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, as well as the improved electoral system, have enabled Hong Kong to enter a new stage in which it has restored order and is set to thrive, its security, democracy and people's freedoms and rights are under better protection, and it enjoys more promising prospects for development, Mao said. Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. It's been 27 years since Hong Kong's return and the UK must respect that fact and stop pointing fingers at Hong Kong affairs, Mao said. 14 September 2024 08:30 (UTC+04:00) By Farman Aydin, AzerNEWS Revanchism and irredentism are the ideologies that form the basis of Armenian society. This ideology always makes Armenianism monotonous in human society. This is an unchangeable principle for the existence of Armenians. Because this society spread over centuries as an ethnic community tried to present itself as either Caucasian or Middle Eastern peoples by usurping territories. It is interesting that the former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Louis Moreno Ocampo, whose name is known for corruption, has recently expanded his activities in the promotion of Armenians and crusading for Armenian separatism. He said that he would use the global reputation of the COP29 event to be held in Baku to make a claim against Azerbaijan regarding the release of criminals. Although Ocampo practices law, it turns out that he has no real understanding of international law. He grossly violated the integrity of the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan, calling Garabagh artsakh and demanding the release of leaders of separatist and terrorist groups from prison. Perhaps this demand could one day become a weapon against Ocampo himself or make him guilty of acquitting criminals before an international court - of course, if international law is fair. Since his arrival in Yerevan, Ocampo is still in the headlines of the Armenian media. He plays the role of the saviour of the separatist Armenians, but in front of Baku, his claims are like playing Russian roulette. Although the stakes are high for Ocampo, he promised Armenians that the separatist leaders imprisoned in Baku would be released until the COP29 event. Therefore, the retired Argentinian lawyer prefers to devote the rest of his life to the promotion of Armenianism rather than his own ambitions. Or he injects so much pathos into his speech under the weight of the bribe that he received, that the influence of his words could affect the Armenian lobby spread around the world. After all, the main thing is to be able to say the word, standing behind the world is the next thing, or it is possible not to stand at all. Has the Armenian leadership stood behind its promise so far let alone Ocampo can keep a word bigger than his courage? Therefore, the main thing for those who come to Yerevan is to discharge words. Because empty words can feed the hungry stomach of the separatist remnants obsessed with empty dreams. So, listen to him, your saviour - believe that Ocampo will save you, build an 'artsakh' for you, and moreover, release your hooligan separatist leaders in Baku prison. Believe him so that one day you can see in your dream... --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 September 2024 09:30 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more On past Friday, Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, hosted an event titled "COP29: Promoting Solidarity and Unity in Addressing the Challenges of Climate Change through Enhancing Ambition and Enabling Action." The event took place on the sidelines of the 31st Economic and Environmental Forum of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Azernews reports. Organized by Azerbaijans Permanent Representation to the OSCE and moderated by Florian Raunig, Austrias Permanent Representative to the OSCE, the event featured remarks by Yalchin Rafiyev, Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister and COP29 Lead Negotiator. Rafiyev emphasized the global challenges posed by climate change and highlighted the upcoming 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, set to be hosted by Azerbaijan. He also outlined 14 initiatives proposed by Azerbaijan and detailed the country's ongoing efforts in climate policy and energy transition. Azerbaijan aims to promote inclusivity and cooperation on climate action during its COP29 presidency. Bakyt Dzhusupov, OSCE Coordinator on Economic and Environmental Activities, also addressed the event, which forms part of the broader Economic and Environmental Foruman annual event designed to foster dialogue on economic and environmental issues linked to security within the OSCE framework. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 September 2024 14:28 (UTC+04:00) It is commendable that the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) has focused on providing targeted support for small island states, Azernews reports. This sentiment was shared during the "Climate Change and Diplomacy" panel at the Commonwealth of Nations headquarters in London, part of a training event for young Commonwealth diplomats. Azerbaijan's Ambassador to the UK, Elin Suleymanov, discussed Azerbaijans preparations for COP29, emphasizing the nation's key objectives and initiatives for the event. He highlighted Azerbaijans commitment to supporting small island states and developing nations, particularly through the Action Fund for Climate Finance. Other speakers, including Karen Mae Hill, High Commissioner of Antigua and Barbuda, Johnston Busingye, High Commissioner of Rwanda, Xiaohong Yang from the Asian Development Bank, and UN representatives, praised Azerbaijans role in assisting small island states as the host of COP29. They underscored the importance of raising public awareness on climate change and advancing international climate goals, while also sharing success stories and positive developments in climate action. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 September 2024 18:51 (UTC+04:00) On September 14, Chairperson of the Organization of War, Labor and Armed Forces Veterans of Azerbaijan, World War II Veteran Fatma Sattarova was buried in the Second Alley of Shahids (Martyrs). Employees of the Defense Ministry, relatives of the deceased, family members, and public representatives took part in the funeral. Chief of the Department for Ideological Work and Moral-Psychological Support, Colonel Elshad Abilov expressed his condolences on behalf of the Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov. The participants of the ceremony were informed about the dedication of the late Fatma Sattarova, a recipient of the Istiqlal Order and a Presidential pensioner, to the Motherland, the people, and the nation, and about her voluntary departure to the front as a nurse in the first months of the World War ll. It was also emphasized that F.Sattarova reached Berlin in the ranks of the Soviet Army in the fight against fascism. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 September 2024 12:12 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to reaffirm the importance of a durable and dignified peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, according to a statement by Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, Azernews reports. In the written statement, Miller noted that Secretary Blinken welcomed the recent progress between Armenia and Azerbaijan, particularly the agreement on border delimitation. During the conversation, Blinken and Pashinyan also discussed the expanding US-Armenia relationship, touching on cooperation in areas such as energy, trade, investment, and education. "Secretary Blinken welcomed recent progress between the parties, including an agreement on a border delimitation regulation. Secretary Blinken and Prime Minister Pashinyan discussed the expanding US-Armenia relationship, including cooperation on energy, trade and investment, and education," he added. It should be noted that, according to the information released by the Armenian government, Blinken and Pashinyan also discussed the bilateral agenda and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz You are here: World Flash Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on Saturday called for continuous efforts to enhance defense and security cooperation, and inject more positive energy into regional peace and stability. Dong made the remarks while meeting separately with Fijian Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Pio Tikoduadua, and Stergomena Lawrence Tax, Tanzania's minister of defense and national service. The two guests are in Beijing to attend the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which opened on Friday. 14 September 2024 10:31 (UTC+04:00) The European Commission is seeking to extend the freezing period of the Bank of Russia's (Central Bank) assets for up to five years, according to a report by Reuters, as cited by Azernews. This proposal is aimed at supporting a $50 billion loan that the G7 nations plan to provide to Ukraine. The asset freeze extension would play a crucial role in securing financial assistance for Ukraine amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 September 2024 13:55 (UTC+04:00) President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family and relatives of Fatma Sattarova, the Chairman of the Organization of War, Labor, and Armed Forces Veterans and a participant in the Second World War. Fatma Sattarova, who was awarded the Order of Independence for her long-standing contributions to the public life of Azerbaijan, passed away recently. Azernews reports that President Aliyev highlighted Fatma Sattarovas devoted service to the Motherland, emphasizing her exemplary life as a model for the youth and future generations. "We are extremely saddened by the news of the death of Fatma Sattarova, chairman of the Organization of War, Labor, and Armed Forces Veterans of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a participant in the Second World War, who was awarded the Order of Independence for her long-term effective activity in the public life of our country. I share your pain in these difficult moments, I offer my deepest condolences to all members of your family on behalf of me and Mehriban Khanum. May her soul rest in peace." Ilham Aliyev,President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 14 September 2024 17:55 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The Armenian government has requested India's assistance in modernizing its Air Force to meet contemporary standards, Azernews reports. According to an article published by "The Print," Yerevan has formally appealed to New Delhi to upgrade its Su-30 military aircraft, including the integration of air-to-ground missiles. The report indicates that the 272 Su-30 MKI fighters currently in the Armenian Air Force require significant updates to align with modern operational requirements. Note that since the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Armenia has become a big defence export destination for India and has, in the past, bought several systems, including artillery guns besides certain kinds of missiles, mortars, radars, small arms and sight systems. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 September 2024 18:21 (UTC+04:00) by Dr Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan The most recently held 23rd Meeting of Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Member States responsible for Foreign Economic and Trade Activities in Islamabad yesterday vividly reflecting the golden principles of Shanghai Spirit comprising openness, inclusiveness, mutual trust, political cooperation and last but not least economic cooperation among the SCO member countries. Going forward, all members countries should jointly persuade develop common strategies to mitigate the socio-economic consequences of looming threats of US FED constant tight monetary policies, ongoing trade war, technology sanctions, disruptions of trade in international waters, deflation, economic stagnation and last but not least, non-state actors mainly climate change, terrorism, human & drugs migration, labour and economic vulnerabilities in the region and beyond. In this regard, the Chinese President Xis policies of openness, transparency, modernization, digitalization, artificial intelligence, qualitative industrialization and last but not least green transformation must be followed and implemented in order to make the SCO an economically vibrant, industrially diversified, technologically innovative, ecologically green and last but not least, financially integrated to set-up there on banking & financial system with their own currency and payment system to mitigate ongoing economic, financial sanctions and energy payments in which the role of China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Iran would be game changer in the days to come. The policy makers of SCO should also study the Ten Policies of Shavkat Mirziyoyev which may be a value addition in greater regional connectivity, socio-economic integration, banking & financial cooperation and last but not least, green transformation among the SCO countries. Moreover, Kassym-Jomart Tokayevs socio-economic transformative and green technologies translating policies should also be studied and followed for enhancing the greater role of the SCO. BRI, CPEC and Gwadar would be a new winning horse for easy and smooth promotion and development of regionalism, e-commerce, industrial productivity, economic integration, connectivity and trade boom breaking the geographic impediments of the SCO member countries of Central Asia into caravans of greater connectivity and integration in the days to come. It is good omen that the SCO member states have decided to establish a Database of Economic Preferences (DEPs) for the SCO region, which will act as a comprehensive resource for the member states to access information on economic incentives and preferences within the bloc, fostering a more cohesive business environment. While delivering a keynote speech in the opening session the Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Jam Kamal Khan, reiterated Pakistans commitment to the aims and objective of the SCO to promote peace and prosperity in the region. While acknowledging the global economic challenges facing the region, he emphasised the vital role of the SCO in addressing these issues through cooperation and constructive engagement. He conveyed Pakistans strong commitment and readiness to contribute to and collaborate with all Member States to achieve shared goals. Additionally, the inauguration of the Business and Investment Conference in Islamabad witnessed participation from senior ministers, senior government officials, foreign diplomats, representatives from SCO member states, and leaders from Pakistans business community, underscoring Pakistans commitment to enhancing trade and economic cooperation within the region. According to various official data, over the past 5 years, mutual trade between the SCO countries increased 1.5-fold from US$336 billion in 2019 to US$490 billion in 2023.The main trading partners in the region are China with 64.6 percent of all mutual trade and Russia with 26.2 percent. Kazakhstan's share is 3.3 percent. It is good omen that the SCO has successfully emerged as a driving force in shaping regional stability and global cooperation, with China playing a central role in fostering its development and goals. The SCO's evolution underscores a commitment to enhancing peace, security and mutual prosperity among its member states and beyond. China, as the second-largest economy in the world and a staunch advocate for multilateralism, has played a leading role in shaping the SCO's economic agenda and fostering befitting and win-win cooperation among member states. China's vision emphasizes mutual respect, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation for its further economic strengthening, geographic integration, industrial productivity moving from geopolitics to grand geo-economics through prioritizing collective prosperity over individual gain. In summary, the golden principles of Shanghai Spirit comprising openness, inclusiveness, mutual trust, political cooperation and last but not least economic cooperation among the SCO member countries should be the way forward. Persuasion of common strategies is a must to mitigate the socio-economic consequences of looming threats of climate change, terrorism and national capacity building hurdles in some of the member countries. It is suggested that the SCO states should jointly work to form a development, FDI, vaccine, SMEs and industrial SCO Bank catering the requirements of the community based socio-economic development. It is pertinent to mention that forming of the Green SCO Bank would be a giant step towards the green transformation in the family. Moreover, SCO Common Energy & Food Market and SCO Common Stock & Commodity Exchanges, SCO Digitized Bank, SCO Metal & Mining Bank, SCO Lithium Battery Bank and the last but not the least, SCO AI Bank would further expedite notions of regionalism and economic integration. Pooling of resources to build various ports, integrated railways systems and gearing of pending trans-regional mega projects of the connectivity especially, Pakistan-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan trilateral rail project, TAPI, promotion of cluster & container trading patterns between Pakistan and Central Asian countries and last but not the least Pakistans Wahkhan Corridor with Tajikistan would further strengthen the SCO connectivity, economic and trading potential in the days to come. Furthermore, SCO member states hold one-tenth of the world's oil reserves, a quarter of natural gas reserves and 40 percent of coal reserves. In 2022, SCO countries accounted for 42 percent of the world's cereals production, and 31 percent of meat production. It has a considerable share of global food exports, taking up nearly half of world rice exports and 22 percent of wheat exports. Thus formation of a SCO Agriculture Bank would be an innovative idea creating immense win-win cooperation. Deepening cooperation in areas such as cybersecurity, public health sustainable development, disaster management, space & science, AI, digitalization, and green technologies may be useful for the SCO. Last but not least, the SCO should not be a debating club of mere innovative ideas and media of high philosophies and policies but must be a regulating body for greater socio-economic integration, trade & commerce cooperation and operationalization and channelization of its RATS neutralizing all the emerging security threats within the SCO. Author is President of Pak-China Corridor of Knowledge, and the Executive Director of The Center of South Asia & International Studies (CSAIS) --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 September 2024 19:30 (UTC+04:00) Military cooperation between Turkiye and Bosnia and Herzegovina will be strengthened. Azernews reports that President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced this at a press conference he held with Chairman of the Presidential Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Becirovic. Erdogan mentioned that the parties discussed this issue extensively during their meeting. He also stated that in the near future, Turkish citizens will be able to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina using just an ID card. Additionally, Erdogan expressed confidence that the volume of bilateral trade will reach $1 billion by the end of the year. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 14 September 2024 23:30 (UTC+04:00) The US State Department has approved the sale of dozens of F-35 fighter jets to its NATO ally Romania, a deal worth $7.2 billion, Azernews informs referring to AFP. The contract, which must still be approved by the US Congress, covers Bucharest's purchase of 32 F-35A aircraft and related equipment, produced by the US aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin. "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe," a State Department statement said. The contract announcement comes as Ukrainian pilots began training this week at a special center in Romania on F-16s, US-made fighter jets that Washington has approved Kyiv to use to repel Russia's invasion. Romania occupies a strategic position at the gateway to Ukraine and the Black Sea, and aims to become an international hub for F-16 training. It inaugurated an F-16 training center at its Fetesti air base in November 2023, pledging to also train Ukrainians there. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Romanian counterpart Luminita Odobescu on Thursday, thanking Bucharest for delivering a Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine. The State Department also announced the approval on Friday of a $4.1 billion sale to Japan of a KC-46A aerial refueling tanker. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A former director of the Immigration and Customs Service (ICE) for Colorado has warned that Colorado and America are on the verge of a major gang war from the violent Venezuelan crime gang Tren de Aragua (TdA). This comes hard on the heels of a leaked report from the US Army revealing that TdA has become embedded across America. TdA has been based in its country of origin, Venezuela until recently, when it moved its headquarters just across the Rio Grande River from the United States, In the last few weeks, they have been engated in armed takeovers of apartment complexes in Colorado and Illinois and a hotel in Texas. John Fabbicatore, former ICE director, calls TdA "MS13 on steriods" compared to the existing very violent El Salvador crime gang. Thousands of TdA gangsters have poured across the Biden-Harris open borders, sometimes using the unaccompanied minor loophole, sometimes the Biden-Harris asylum mobile app, and sometimes the Biden-Harris parole pipeline.. Some existing American crime gangs including the Crips and the Bloods, operate near the new TdA turf in Colorado, and clashes between them are regarded as likely. A more direct chalenge was posed by Hell's Angels, which posted a video of one of its heavily tatooed members in front on one of the apartment complexes taken over by TdA telling them to get out and ominously warning "we invented gang violence". Meanwhile, citizens are caught in the middle of this gang activity. This is the America of Biden and Harris. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/us-border-crisis/article-13845311/Tren-Aragua-shooting-Colorado-apartments-gangs-future-plans-Aurora.html https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/former-ice-official-warns-venezuelan-prison-gang-preparing-big-gang-war- ASC leaders and physicians continuously vent their frustrations over stalled negotiations with payers, as facilities face declining reimbursement from CMS and private payers alike. "Payers tend to only want to talk to you if you're a part of or affiliated with a health system," Kristopher Kitz, CEO of Wyatt Surgery Center in Tucson, Ariz., told Becker's. "If you're not, payers typically will try to not talk to you or offer only really bad rates. Mr. Kitz is also CEO of Eye Associates of Tucson and Tucson Ambulatory Anesthesia, all of which are connected through ownership.. Previously, WSC was privately owned by a single physician. "Right now, we are renegotiating our payer contract because our rates are so low and we added service lines to the center," he said. "And the only reason why they will speak with us and even entertain materially better rates is because we have a health system affiliation." The challenges for ASCs' like WSC start when the payers realize the relatively low bargaining position of these facilities. Mr. Kitz's first line of defense has been to purchase market data, allowing him to see the rates that private payers offer to other health system-affiliated ASCs or hospitals. "Even with that, their argument is, 'we can't make a jump that big in one year.' Even when you make the argument that the surgeons who just bought into this place are bringing cases they currently do in the hospital to the ASC,so it's in their best interestthey being the payers' best interesteven then, they still push back," he said. "I'm not sure if they don't understand or if they just don't care." That being said, Mr. Kitz still advocates using market data as a tool that can give those negotiating rates for ASCs more transparency in their talks with payers. "You can't have one ASC in our region getting paid 50% less than another one, because then they're not competitive, and they can't reinvest, and then it just doesn't work," he said. He noted that the strain in these conversations often comes down to individual negotiators on the payer side, who are often disincentivized to award higher reimbursements. "I think it's more a function of that you're negotiating with an individual person whose annual targets, are based on a certain percent of increases in negotiating contracts," Mr. Kitz said. "So they are incentivized to not give increases, even though, overall, the health plan would save money." This amounts to a deeply frustrating situation for smaller or independent facilities looking to grow. While not possible for all ASCs, Mr. Kitz also recommends "leaning on" health systems or hospital affiliates if a center has them. Beyond that, the only other leverage that Mr. Kitz sees for ASCs in this situation is to shift procedures back to hospital settings in hopes that payers notice how much more expensive these procedures are in the hospital setting than the ASC. "But is that in the best interest of the patient or the community? No, not at all," he said. "So no one wants to do that, but it's frustrating because they have so much power over what they will and will not do, and it's not even rational. [W]hat we're proposing makes so much sense for everyone, from a patient-care perspective and from a financial perspective." Continuing down this road of stalled negotiations will ultimately lead to increased consolidation, Mr. Kitz said, as ASC and private practice owners and physicians hit their limit. Increased leverage with payers is a top reason that physicians have migrated to employed settings over the last several years. "If you can't get a sustainable rate in your surgery center, then you have no choice, right?" he said. "And that's why USPI and SCA [Health] and the other consolidators in the market are growing so quickly. It's because they come in and say, 'We have these amazing payer rates''if you sell us 51% of your ASC, then you'll get these too.' You'll lose control. And sure, a big for-profit corporation will be in charge, but the center will get higher rates. [I]f you're struggling, that can be really tempting. Cambridge, Mass.-based Beth Israel Lahey Health has postponed the closure of Exeter (N.H.) Hospital's advanced life support paramedic intercept program after intervention from the New Hampshire attorney general's office, ABC affiliate WMUR reported Sept. 13. Exeter Hospital had planned to shutter the program Sept. 20 due to financial challenges and changing care demands. The service entails dispatching specially trained hospital paramedics to help respond to community-based medical emergencies in collaboration with local emergency medical services. Hospital and state officials met Sept. 12 to discuss a plan for shuttering the service, which the hospital provides to nearby cities and towns under contract, according to the report. As the contracts include a clause requiring a 90-day notice of termination, Exeter Hospital will now maintain the service through at least Dec. 20. "After working with the attorney general's office, we have reached an agreement to extend the closure date of the Paramedic Intercept Program," a spokesperson for the hospital told WMUR. This program has served as a resource for many communities, and we will work with the impacted departments, state and local officials during the transition period." Beth Israel Lahey Health took over operations of Exeter Hospital in July 2023 through its affiliation with Exeter Health Resources, the hospital's parent company. EMS leaders say the closure poses challenges for local agencies that rely on the service amid a statewide paramedic shortage, prompting some to explore alternative care options, including developing their own paramedic programs. Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine has named Nadia Hansel, MD, physician-in-chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital. She has also been appointed director of the Department of Medicine, making her the first woman to hold that position in the department's 131-year history. Dr. Hansel, a pulmonary and critical care physician, is also the William Osler Professor of Medicine, according to a Sept. 12 news release from the health system. She previously served as director of the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the hospital and as associate dean of research at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates is under investigation after allegations that it tried to pressure its personnel to retrieve organs from a hospital patient who was awake and later left the facility alive, The Wall Street Journal reported Sept. 11. The allegations were presented during a House subcommittee hearing on the U.S. organ-transplant system by Nyckoletta Martin, a former employee of the group. She said workers were ordered by a supervisor to find another surgeon who would take out the organs, but declined. She later quit her job. "What is clear to me from my time at KODA is that the [organ procurement organization] does not operate in patients' interests, and regularly engages in unethical activities for the sole purpose of trying to keep its lucrative government contract," Ms. Martin wrote in a letter to the committee. A KODA spokesperson told Becker's that the organization "strictly adheres" to all laws and national guidelines set by regulatory bodies. "Our commitment to ethical practices means that we follow rigorous protocols to ensure patient safety and integrity throughout the organ donation process," KODA said in a statement. "Organ donation only proceeds after a patient has been declared deceased by independent clinicians from the treating hospital, and we have clear procedures to follow if a patient's condition changes. We do not make determinations of death, nor do we compromise ethical standards for organ donation." The Kentucky Attorney General's Office is investigating the allegations with law enforcement. Ms. Martin was one of several who said procurement groups in various states have pushed surgeons to secure organs from living patients. The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, which represents groups nationally, said they are recovering enough organs to prevent anyone from dying on the waitlist and it wasn't invited to offer testimony at the hearing. It criticized lawmakers for discussing "false, misleading and unsupported allegations. There are about 56 nonprofit organ procurement organizations across the country. They are paid by Medicare and transplant centers to collect organs from deceased donors and provide them to recipients. Accountable care organizations, or ACOs, are physician- and health system-led groups that ascertain and apply savings in healthcare delivery. These organizations often work in partnership with Medicare programs, while also providing care for private insurance patients. Each year, ACOs save patients and health systems alike millions of dollars. Ultimately, their goal is to provide excellent patient care at a lower cost. Many of the listed ACOs are among the first adopters of the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Note: This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of included ACOs. ACOs cannot pay for inclusion on this list. ACOs are presented in alphabetical order. We extend a special thank you to Rhoda Weiss for her contributions to this list. Contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with questions or comments. AdvantagePoint Health Alliance (Brentwood, Tenn.). AdvantagePoint Health Alliance, a clinically integrated network led by providers in tandem with Lifepoint Health, drives value-based care initiatives. The organization now boasts eight networks across the nation, more than doubling since 2019. The ACO has transitioned from an arbitrage model to the utilization of data- and analytics-based targeted resources. In addition, the organization applies a dedicated RN model for Medicare annual wellness visits, offers pre- and post-encounter clinical documentation integrity support for ambulatory care, and has expanded its high-functioning post-acute networks. In the coming year, the ACO plans to deploy clinical documentation integrity resources across remaining networks, implement point-of-care support questionnaires to streamline provider workflow, begin offering post-encounter reviews for diagnostic accuracy, earn shared savings through care coordination, and much more. Advocate Health (Charlotte, N.C.). Advocate Health's ACOs earned a No. 1 spot among integrated delivery networks participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, collectively producing $128.2 million in total savings through the program in 2022. Since joining the program in 2012, the ACOs have saved taxpayers nearly a billion dollars and provided top-tier patient care. Advocate Health has six ACOs: Advocate Physician Partners ACO, Aurora ACO, Carolinas Physician Alliance, TC2, CHESS Innovation and CHESS Value. Arkansas Health Network (Little Rock). Arkansas Health Network is a physician-driven, clinically integrated network serving more than 138,000 patients. The ACO was established in 2013 as part of Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health. The ACO, committed to value-based care, is a major driver of quality, health and financial improvement for patients and providers. Since 2014, the ACO has saved Medicare over $58 million in medical spending, with $4.7 million in earned Medicare Shared Savings Program savings in 2021. In March 2023, the organization earned dual accreditation in clinical integration and employer based population health, making it the first clinically integrated network in the industry to do so. Atlantic Accountable Care Organization (Morristown, N.J.). As one of the first ACOs established from the inception of the Medicare Shared Savings Program, the Atlantic ACO has consistently saved Medicare money each year. It is composed of over 2,000 associated physicians across five participating hospitals. Looking to the future, the ACO aims to expand its behavioral health programs. Banner Health Network (Phoenix). Beneficiaries of Banner Health Network receive quality care and preventive medicine, resulting in less cost to Medicare. Serving over 400,000 members and beneficiaries, the ACO has saved millions of dollars since its inception. Banner Health Network consists of 5,000 affiliated physicians and advanced practice providers across 15 hospitals, eight health centers and multiple other medical facilities. The ACO aims to use technology to continue improving the patient and provider experience. Baptist Physician Partners (Jacksonville, Fla.). Since its inception in 2014, Baptist Physician Partners has generated just over $125 million in total savings via its value-based agreements. The organization first became an ACO through the Medicare Shared Savings Program in 2018. By 2021, it was ranked in the 4% for total savings as compared to all participating ACOs. Since then, the program has recruited 1,150 physician members and garnered 88,000 covered lives. The ACO has also enhanced and broadened its home-based care model, set in place a leadership structure for its palliative care initiative, created a population health transformation team, shifted care coordination to a regional model, launched a remote monitoring strategy for patients with diabetes and hypertension, moved Baptist Health system to Epic EHR and much more. Moving forward, the ACO aims to expand the nine enhanced home-based models, broaden the serious illness management and advocacy program, increase the scope of the skilled nursing facility at home model, and develop a standardized model aimed at enhancing patient experience across 50 primary care offices. BayCare Physician Partners (Clearwater, Fla.). BayCare Physician Partners is BayCare Health System's ACO. Over the past two years, the ACO has attained an overall quality score of 84.8%, earning it a spot in the top 33% of ACOs nationwide. The network also earned a savings rate of 6.21%, making it one of the top 25% of all ACOs. Overall, the ACO has brought about more than over $31 million in shared savings for Medicare. In the coming year, the ACO wants to implement a population health analytics platform, improve the accuracy and completeness of clinical documentation, and shift the care management process from reactive to proactive, among other goals. The ACO is led by Xavier Sevilla, MD, who also serves as chief medical officer of population health at BayCare Health System. Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance (Dallas). Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance is an ACO as well as a clinically integrated network affiliated with Baylor Scott & White Health. It serves more than 1 million members and is committed to delivering its patients the highest quality, cost-effective care possible. The Alliance's provider network is composed of more than 6,000 physicians, 50 hospitals, 95 post-acute care facilities and other healthcare stakeholders. Boston Accountable Care Organization. A part of Boston Medical Center Health System, Boston Accountable Care Organization manages coordinated care for 200,000 patients, Medicaid, Medicare and commercial payers. Throughout the past two years, the ACO has launched initiatives to expand virtual consult services, enhance primary care, and support those with nutritional and housing needs. In 2022 alone, the ACO was able to reach more than 2,100 patients via 1,300 nutritional support services and over 250 housing-specific support services. The ACO takes a data-driven approach to care, factoring in key social factors to improve overall health equity and outcomes. Between 2018 and 2023, BACO increased health-related social needs screenings by 80%. They increased screening for depression and follow up planning by 19% and saw a 38% increase in depression remission or treatment response amongst patients. In addition, the ACO partnered with Sprinter Health to develop at-home testing programs and implemented text-messaging programs to benefit patients. CVS Accountable Care (Woonsocket, R.I.). CVS Accountable Care includes nine ACOs across Medicare Shared Savings Program and ACO REACH programs. The organization has over 230 partners and more than 1 million attributed Medicare lives. The organization boasts over $585 million in total savings to Medicare. In addition, 100% of its ACOs met quality threshold to earn shared savings. Community Care of Brooklyn (N.Y.) IPA. Community Care of Brooklyn IPA connects clinical networks with managed care and community-based service providers in order to offer comprehensive health and social care. The network, founded in 2018, features almost 100 organizations serving more than 85,000 beneficiaries. Community Care of Brooklyn comprises seven hospitals, five federally qualified health centers, primary care physicians, behavioral health providers, and various other healthcare entities all seeking to advance health equity and reduce total costs. The ACO is now aiming to embed care management into participating practices, expand Medicaid recipient access to social care services, connect patients to existing care provision networks and infrastructure, improve clinical outcomes through increased rates of annual wellness visits and preventative screenings, and much more. Covenant ACO (Lubbock, Texas). Covenant ACO serves upwards of 13,000 Medicare beneficiaries, and features nearly 600 physicians and advanced practice providers. The ACO, established in 2014, saves money via coordinated, consistent care. In 2022, the ACO generated nearly $11 million in savings to the Medicare Shared Savings Program, making 2022 the third consecutive year that they outdid their previous year's financial performance. HMH ACO (Edison, N.J.). Hackensack Meridian Health's three ACOs, HackensackAlliance ACO, JFK Health ACO and Meridian Health ACO, combined in 2023 to form HMH ACO. The organization currently has over 1,300 providers providing care for almost 60,000 beneficiaries. The three ACOs, before combining into HMH ACO, had gleaned $247 million in combined total savings from 2012 to 2021. This year, the ACO is trying to reduce the per capita cost of healthcare via improved care outcomes, experience and access. The ACO executive for HMH ACO is William Oser, MD. Health Connect Partners (Renton, Wash.). Founded in 2014, Providences Health Connect Partners, a Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO, serves more than 119,000 beneficiaries in the Western U.S and is the seventh largest MSSP ACO in the country. In 2022, HCP generated more than $98 million in savings to the CMS, more than any other MSSP in the same year. Since its inception, HCP steadily improved performance, delivering increasing CMS savings in multiple years including 2017, and 2019 through 2022. This success is largely attributed to HCP leveraging the high quality and efficient work of physicians within the Providence family of organizations, maximizing outcomes for both patient care, and CMS and Medicare savings. Healthier Communities ACO (Suffern, N.Y.). Founded in 2020, Healthier Communities ACO aims to assist providers in meeting quality and efficiency requirements and making the most of the incentives. The ACO was created by Westchester Medical Center Health Network and its Bon Secours Medical Group to provide high quality, coordinated care and reduce costs to Medicare fee-for-service patients. The ACO is currently under a five-year renewable contract with CMS and is led by Michele Muldoon. Ilumed (Jupiter, Fla.). Ilumed is an ACO REACH organization dedicated to caring for 74,000-plus Medicare beneficiaries spanning 14 states. The organization, run by CEO Debra Finnel, has implemented a new data-tracking system for the member-outreach team in order to execute 72-hour hospital discharge follow-ups. These check-ins have been crucial in preventing readmissions and ultimately led to over $2.6 million in savings. Over the past two years, an AI platform partnership has been launched to help the clinical team analyze patients' claims data. According to a study looking at the impact of this partnership, Ilumed has saved about $3 million a year from prevented escalations and admissions. In 2022, CMS ranked Ilumed in the top ten for cost savings of all companies in the DCE/ACO REACH program. Looking to the future, the program wants to address food insecurity in underserved communities and increase partnerships with independent physicians. Innovation Care Partners (Scottsdale, Ariz.). Innovation Care Partners is both an ACO and a clinically integrated network, owned by HonorHealth. The organization, established in 2012, provides value-based care to over 175,000 patients via more than 2,000 physician members. The ACO benefits its patients by upping the quality of care, tailoring care to individual patients, eliminating unnecessary testing, utilizing care coordinators to assist patients in maneuvering the healthcare system, and more. Keystone ACO (Danville, Pa.). Keystone ACO works with physicians, hospitals and various other healthcare providers to offer improved, coordinated patient care. The network comprises nine hospitals in the area, as well as 18 physician practices. The ACO was established in 2013 and features over 4,500 doctors and providers. The organization serves 78,000 Medicare beneficiaries, offering better and more affordable care services to improve population health. The ACO coordinates with primary care doctors, nurse case managers, pharmacists and specialists to offer patients the best possible care. LTC ACO (Kennett Square, Pa.). LTC ACO, the first ACO to serve Medicare beneficiaries living in long-stay care facilities, prioritizes the needs of older individuals, those living with Alzheimers disease or dementia, depression, amputations, disabilities, renal failure, or chronic diseases and complications. The organization offers value-based care rooted in actionable data and insights that improve quality and affordability. Uniquely, the program's partner practices have no downside risk and do not need capital contribution to participate. Loudoun Medical Group (Leesburg, Va.). Loudoun Medical Group aspires to provide high quality, cost efficient care to its patients while growing as an independent group practice. Throughout the past two years, the organization has established advanced imaging services to provide affordable, accredited computed tomography services outside of the hospital setting. In addition, the organization has reduced costs for more than 422,000 patients. Loudoun Medical Group also partnered to launch The Williams Center for Wellness and Recovery to enhance mental health and reduce the burden of care on primary care providers. The organization also recently opened LMG Family Medicine, LMG Internal Medicine, LMG Interventional Radiology and Stone Springs MedSpa by LMG, among other services. Mass General Brigham ACO (Somerville, Mass.). Mass General Brigham ACO was established in April 2023. Since then, it has onboarded more than 140,000 members. An integrated plan was put in place during the transition, ensuring that resources were available to those at risk of losing Medicaid coverage. The ACO has enrolled 70% of ACO membership in a secure electronic portal to guarantee connectivity and effective communication. Using a coordinated care model, the ACO has focused not only on physical health but also mental health outreach. The organization looks to support an approved federal waiver to expand continuous eligibility for certain Medicaid populations, with a focus on health-related social needs and health equity efforts. Mayo Clinic Community ACO (Rochester, Minn.). Founded in July 2019, Mayo Clinic Community ACO includes Mayo Clinic's flagship campus and all Mayo Clinic Health System locations throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. Mayo, already an early adopter of value-based care, was well-suited to participate in transformative ACO initiatives that are moving the industry towards pay for value and Medicare sustainability. The ACO is led by ACO executive Kristin Johnson. MemorialCare Medical Foundation (Fountain Valley, Calif.). With more than 2,000 employed and contracted physicians, MemorialCare Medical Foundation provides HMO, PPO and direct-to-employer services to approximately 56,000 beneficiaries in its contracting with several ACO arrangements. These include Aetna, Blue Shield, Primary Care First, Centivo and The Boeing Company. Its multi-year successful direct-to-employer relationship with Boeing stands as California's first significant direct-to-employer population health management model, demonstrating continued cost savings and exceeding clinical and patient satisfaction benchmarks. Mercy ACO (Chesterfield, Mo.). Mercy's Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO has saved CMS beneficiaries over $125 million over the span of the past two years. During the same timeframe, the ACO achieved top decile performance in quality measures, including management of complex conditions, access to primary, specialty and acute care, and patient satisfaction measures. In the 2022 calendar year, the ACO reached the highest level of quality outcomes as compared to the top 15 ACOs across the country, based on total attributed beneficiaries. The ACO is overseen by a multi-discipline Mercy ACO board comprising caregivers, a Medicare beneficiary and operational leaders. The program is committed to optimal quality, optimal cost performance and best-in-class patient experience. Mercy Health Select (Cincinnati). Boasting over 107,000 Medicare beneficiaries and 6,000 providers, Mercy Health Select has recently added 1,400 new providers and 30,000 new beneficiaries. With over $85.6 million in savings for CMS and earned shared savings of $62.9 million, the ACO was one of the top 10 ACOs for earned shared savings in both 2021 and 2022. It was one of just a few ACOs able to successfully submit electronic clinical quality measures for 2023 quality reporting. This year, the ACO is working to improve patient outcomes, experience and cost through the optimization of progressive programs like skilled nursing facilities network development, remote patient monitoring expansion, chronic condition pathway implementation, and annual wellness visit completion rate enhancement. New York Medical Partners ACO (New York City). New York Medical Partners ACO, managed by the Mount Sinai Health System, is designed to meet quality and cost goals for the management of about 50,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Through participation in the ACO, Mount Sinai Health System has integrated innovative programs, pooled resources, and developed new methods for streamlining care across a range of services, including chronic disease management, specialty care, complex procedures, and prevention and wellness programs. It has also achieved more than $28 million in savings according to data released in 2021. Northeast Medical Group ACO (Stratford, Conn.). Northeast Medical Group ACO is Yale New Haven Healths nonprofit multispecialty medical foundation. Established in 2010, the ACO serves more than 25,000 lives and focuses on providing compassionate, comprehensive primary, specialty, inpatient, outpatient, rehabilitative and preventative care. Since 2018, the ACO has scored among the highest in the northeast region for quality. The organization allows patients to access a provider network of almost 1,500 clinicians across five affiliated hospitals and over 130 community practices. In 2023, Northeast Medical Group managed more than 3.9 million patient encounters. Looking ahead, the ACO is investing in a unified ambulatory risk adjustment operational program, focusing on annual wellness visits and improving metric quality scores. OSF HealthCare ACO (Peoria, Ill.). Launched in 2012, OSF HealthCare ACO was one of the nation's first ACOs. It then transitioned to one of the original 18 Next Generation ACOs. Since 2017, OSF has participated in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. During 2020 and 2021, OSF saved CMS over $52 million. The OSF HealthCare accountable care set goals for 2023 that included initiating a region-specific, targeted outreach campaign for beneficiaries of the MSSP, continuation of care management for high-risk beneficiaries, and leveraging technology to assist with a scalable expansion to a systemwide, integrated approach to social drivers of health. Ochsner Accountable Care Network (New Orleans). Ochsner Accountable Care Network has achieved its seventh consecutive year of top-ranking results in both clinical performance and healthcare savings for the Medicare population in its care. In 2022, the ACO's participating physicians and providers lowered expected cost of care by more than $27 million for more than 52,000 Medicare beneficiaries. Recent ACO accomplishments include increasing annual wellness visits by 10%, increasing primary care services by 27.7% and reducing unplanned admission by 10% since 2021. Optimus Healthcare Partners (Summit, N.J.). Optimus Healthcare was one of the first ACOs established from the inception of the Medicare Shared Savings Program. The program takes a holistic approach that prioritizes the patient at every step of the healthcare system. It has saved more than $10 million by achieving high quality and cost savings targets in ACO contracts. Optimus also developed a cloud-based, analytic reporting platform that allowed for the aggregation of patient data sources, data master capabilities and the ability to better care for the patients it serves. The ACO is led by Scott Maron, MD. Orlando Health Network (Winter Park, Fla.). The Orlando Health Network was created in 2013 and has since generated $165 million in savings to patients, payers, employers and taxpayers. In 2023, the ACO implemented several initiatives to ensure that its almost 300,000 patients receive timely, efficient and effective medical care from over 5,500 providers. Their most impressive accomplishments include the development of customized care pathways for chronic care management, bundled payment programs, refinement of post-acute care networks, the establishment of the new Orlando Health support team for aftercare and resources outpatient centers, the expansion of direct-to-employer models, and the formation of a provider-led network performance committee. For the future, the ACO aims to reduce all-cause 30-day hospitals readmissions, improve its physician support services, increase efforts to reconcile medications and promote medication adherence, and much more. Palm Beach ACO (Palm Springs, Fla.). Palm Beach ACO strives to improve patient experience and population health while decreasing per capita healthcare costs. The organization features more than 275 PCPs and 175 specialist physician members. It also serves more than 79,000 Medicare beneficiaries. The ACO has been successfully treating patients for over six years. Physician Partners of Western Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh). Physician Partners of Western Pennsylvania became an ACO in 2017, sponsored by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The organization is a Track 1 ACO, offering patients the right care at the right time in the most accurate manner possible. Physicians at the ACO hold 75% of voting board positions on the board of managers, lead board committees, drive decision making and more. The organization aims to engender clinical excellence, partnership, transparency and innovation amongst physicians and hospital systems. Privia Quality Network (Arlington, Va.). Privia Quality Network is a physician-led ACO aimed at making healthcare delivery more efficient via a multifaceted approach that touches upon quality, coordination and affordability. The ACO boasts over 1.2 million attributed lives, a 93% average quality score, $937 million-plus in total generated savings and 360,000 Medicare beneficiaries. Privia Health delivered more than $131.7 million in shared savings through the 2022 MSSP. The Queens Health System Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO (Honolulu). Queen's entered the Medicare Shared Savings Program with its ACO in 2017. Led by Whitney Limm, MD, the ACO is looking to enhance quality, coordinate care and lower costs. In 2021, the organization earned a 98% score for exceptional performance. The network covers nearly 16,000 Medicare beneficiaries and realized more than $5 million in cost reductions. The ACO also earned a savings bonus of more than $2 million, which was shared between the health system and its participating providers. Rainier Health Network, Franciscan Northwest Physicians Health Network (Tacoma, Wash.). Rainier Health Network is an ACO with the goal of delivering high-quality healthcare and driving down costs with an innovative approach to care. The network, first formed in January 2013, is transforming healthcare delivery via physician-led and patient-centric care. The network includes over 7,000 healthcare providers in the area. Southwestern Health Resources (Farmers Branch, Texas). Southwestern Health Resources is the clinically integrated network formed between Southwestern Medical Center and Texas Health Resources. In 2023, the ACO was one of three in the country to earn the "Leaders in Quality Excellence" award from the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations in recognition of its efforts to improve care quality, patient safety and population health. The ACO was selected in part thanks to its ability to accurately identify patients most likely to incur a preventable event and intervene using a comprehensive care management program. Thanks to this, only 8% of identified patients had an unplanned hospital admission, compared to 34% who did not engage in care management. Earlier this year, Southwestern Health Resources was named among the highest performing ACO Medicare REACH programs in the country. The ACO also realized just over $55.2 million in gross savings to the Medicare Trust Fund. This year, the ACO plans to reduce 30-day all-cause readmissions by 3% and reduce unplanned admissions for patients with multiple chronic conditions by 3%. Steward National Care Network (Westwood, Mass.). The Steward National Care Network, a subsidiary of Steward Health Care, was established in 2008. The organization, which is rooted in community-based care and value-adds, stretches across nine states. The network encourages collaboration to ensure the best possible patient care. In addition, they handle managed care contracts, medical management services, quality improvement programs, data analysis and information services. Temple Care (Philadelphia). Led by Steven Carson, BSN, RN, Temple Care is a participant in CMS's ACO REACH, an alternative payment model program. The program transitioned from being a direct contracting entity in 2022. Temple Care collects patients' demographic and social needs data so that it can implement the most effective care strategies to achieve the best health outcomes for beneficiaries. Some of Temple Care's primary goals are to advance the health equity plan, support programmatic outcomes, expand community outreach programs and enhance quality programming for the sub-acute network. University Hospitals Coordinated Care Organization (Cleveland). Within the past two years, University Hospitals Coordinated Care Organization set a goal to improve patient experience by increasing patient satisfaction scores. The organization implemented a power business intelligence dashboard by mapping survey data to provider data, allowing it to identify trends that could be shared with providers and practices. Thus, the organization was able to show improvement across all measures from baseline data by the end of their first quarter. University Hospitals Coordinated Care Organization is continuing to focus on lowering hospitalizations, decreasing emergency department usage, and shortening lengths of stay. From 2019 to 2023, the ACO improved its outcome data for its attributed Medicare population for diabetes uncontrolled and hypertension controlled metrics. For the coming year, the ACO wants to optimize its provider network and clinical models of care to increase performance on all of its payer contracts. USMM Accountable Care Partners (Troy, Mich.). USMM Accountable Care Partners provides a wide array of services for over 30,000 patients across 11 states. The network comprises home-based primary care providers that bring top-tier care to the elderly across the nation, with an average patient age of 79 years. USMM earned a $27.9 million payment as part of the Medicare Shared Savings Program for the 2021 reporting period. Vytalize Health (Hoboken, N.J.). Vytalize Health was named a top performer in the 2022 REACH program. Vytalize partner providers achieved an average savings of $1,343 per beneficiary. Over the past two years, Vytalize Health has grown significantly, topping the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America for 2024. To date, the organization has raised more than $200 million in funding and now effectively manages $4 billion in healthcare services. Most recently, Vytalize Health announced it added key leaders to support continued excellence in value-based care, including a new CIO, CFO and senior vice president of clinical performance. Following a period of rapid growth, the ACO is refining operations with a sharp focus on efficiency. WellSense Boston Childrens ACO. WellSense Boston Childrens ACO is a partnership between WellSense Health Plan and Boston Childrens Health Accountable Care Organization participating in the MassHealth ACO program. WellSense Boston Childrens ACO provides high-quality healthcare for approximately 130,000 pediatric and young adult Medicaid members who are receiving primary care at Boston Childrens Hospital or at the pediatric physicians organization at Childrens. The participation of Boston Childrens Hospital and its affiliated specialists and primary care physicians, both in the hospital and in the community, in the MassHealth ACO Program is an important part of the partnerships shared commitment to providing the best care possible to all the children in the Commonwealth. WellSense Boston Childrens ACO focuses on the cost and quality of all medical and behavioral health services for the members, and includes efforts such as an integrated behavioral health program in primary care, care coordination for children with asthma and medical complexity, and support for children and families with health-related social needs. WellSpan Health's Medicare ACO (York, Pa.). WellSpan Health's Medicare ACO is dedicated to shifting towards value-based care, focusing on payment for outcomes over volume. Serving 67,205 members, the ACO ranks in the top 20% for quality and top 10% for savings. In addition, the WellSpan/Capital Blue Cross Medicare Advantage collaboration has expanded to include 9,700 members and four co-branded health plan products. The ACO also saw meaningful reductions in admissions for patients with various multiple chronic conditions. In 2022, the ACO's performance saved patients and the Medicare program $21.9 million. The program is one of 16 ACOS in the history of the MSSP program to distribute 100% of earned shared savings to ACO participants in all performance years, cumulatively giving more than $16 million to ACO participants thus far. The ACO has plans to double this in the 2023 and 2024 performance years. Tampa, Fla.-based Moffitt Cancer Center and drugmaker AstraZeneca are collaborating to accelerate the development of CAR-T cell and T cell receptor therapies. "We are excited to collaborate with AstraZeneca to push the boundaries of what's possible in cancer treatment," Patrick Hwu, MD, Moffitt's president and CEO, said in a Sept. 13 news release. "By combining our clinical expertise with AstraZeneca's innovative pipeline of investigational cell therapies, global footprint and leadership in oncology, we aim to bring potential new cell therapies to patients faster and more efficiently." The collaboration will focus on advancing clinical studies that investigate cell therapies in solid tumors. Since 2017, the FDA has approved six CAR T-cell therapies, all of which are for patients with blood cancers. University of Illinois Chicago's pharmacy school was gifted a $36 million endowment gift from the estate of late Chicago pharmacy owners Herbert and Carol Retzky, the Chicago Tribune reported Sept. 13. The pharmacy school, which will be renamed the Herbert M. and Carol H. Retskey College of Pharmacy, is the first college at the university to be named after a donor. The donation is the largest ever received by the pharmacy college. The income generated by the endowment will go toward scholarships for students and career development programs. Herbert Retsky died in 2017 and his wife, Carol Retsky, died in 2019, with both having previously donated $8 million to the college, the report said. Editor's note: This article was updated Sept. 16 at 1:20 p.m. to reflect the amount of the endowment gift. Remote employment is increasingly offered at health systems as a way to support telehealth visits, in-person caregivers and administrative work. Becker's has reported on three such systems this year, including Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, which has 40 virtual nurses working at 15 of its hospitals. "Brick and mortar cost a lot of money," HCA Chief Nursing Informatics Officer Sherri Hess, BSN, RN, told Becker's in April. "I think the future is working at home." This has allowed the system to hire nurses licensed in multiple states, which is helpful given HCA's coast-to-coast presence. Omaha, Neb.-based CHI Health and Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health have implemented their own virtual nursing program. It pairs virtual nurses and bedside nurses so the remote workers can provide support in the form of reviewing charts, coordinating with families and processing discharges. This allows bedside nurses more time to provide hands-on care, Tim Plante, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer at CommonSpirit Health Central Region, previously told Becker's. Cleveland Clinic also offers remote and hybrid roles, including in systems and financial analysis, human resources, scheduling, authorization and patient financial advocacy, a spokesperson previously told Becker's. The remote-work strategy was rolled out in June 2021, and as of December, more than 11,000 employees spent at least part of their work week remotely. But executive chair insists shipyard has credible future A group of Harland & Wolff shareholders fear the company could go into administration next week. It comes amid reports the east Belfast shipyard, best known for building the Titanic, is running out of cash. One union representing workers sent a memo to its members suggesting there is "only funding for the business until the end of this month. It has called for the government to step in. The memo was first reported by the BBC. Meanwhile, the GMB union stressed the seriousness of the firm's financial position in a letter sent to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Defence Secretary John Healey on Friday. It described the situation as "critical" and said time was "fast running out for the UK government to find a solution. The Harland & Wolff shareholder collective fears the shipyard may enter administration next week. The company is part of a consortium that has been contracted by the government to build new Fleet Solid Support (FSS) Ships for the Royal Navy. Harland & Wolff has said that delivering the project remains a priority and that it has built significant scale and capability in its yard in recent years to fulfil this and another programme. However, the shareholder collective fears the three FSS vessels will be fully built in Spain and the company will be sold off in a pre-pack administration deal. A spokesperson said it will have huge repercussions on many employees as well as shareholders. However, Harland & Wolffs executive chairman, who is working to find buyers for the companys four UK yards, told the BBC on Saturday the shipyard was still capable of delivering the order. Russell Downs said: "The yards together or separately have a credible future. "We have strong leadership in all of our yards. We have a strong business case around the work they are currently doing and the work they expect to do in the future. "They have a funding need in the near term but into the future they will be generating cash." It comes amid troubled times for the shipyard. Last month it emerged Harland & Wolff had suspended work on its 2023 accounts. Trading in the companys shares on the AIM (Alternative Investment Market) was suspended in July. It has been experiencing financial problems in recent months, which deteriorated when an application for a government guarantee for a 200m loan was definitively turned down. The Government said there was a very substantial risk that taxpayer money would be lost on such a guarantee. On Wednesday another senior boss stepped down from the board of Harland & Wolff. The company said Arun Raman, chief financial officer, had tendered his resignation and left the board with immediate effect. His departure came nearly a month after the plc announced that non-executive directors Malcolm Groat, Sir Jonathon Band and Katya Zotova had resigned from the board with immediate effect. Oasis fans who missed out in the original sale for the bands reunion shows are celebrating after securing coveted tickets in Saturdays invitation-only ballot. The Britpop band, which reformed with Liam and Noel Gallagher for a series of dates next year, added two shows at Londons Wembley Stadium in September 2025 to their original 17-date line-up, with people unlucky in the first sale given a second opportunity to buy tickets. Only eligible fans who were sent a ballot code were able to access the sale, with tickets sold on a first-come, first-served basis. The original sale on August 31 was mired in controversy after people battled website issues, were mislabelled as bots or were forced to wait in an online queue for hours. Many dropped out of the queues after prices more than doubled in Ticketmasters dynamic pricing, which has since prompted the Government and the UKs competition watchdog to pledge they will investigate. Colin Broadbent, 43, a fleet operations co-ordinator from Wolverhampton, was gutted to have missed out on pre-sale tickets for the original ballot, and said he tried for nine hours without success on August 31. However, he was successful in the latest ballot and on Saturday, after anxiously waiting, he managed to purchase two tickets for Wembley Stadium on September 27 2025 for him and his wife, Kate Broadbent, 46, for around 150. This time the process was much, much smoother, he added. As an Oasis fan, I thought the day would never happen when they would get back together now the stress will be hotel rooms when they are available to book in September 2025. Colin and Kate Broadbent were successful in getting tickets and spent around 150 (Colin Broadbent) Sam, 39, from Staffordshire, who works in marketing, told PA he spent around seven hours waiting in the queue for the original sale, and dropped out of buying tickets for Manchesters Heaton Park due to the inflated prices. He said: I saw sense and decided against it. I had a feeling theyd add more dates, so I never got too disheartened. Sam felt incredibly lucky to receive a code for these additional Wembley shows, and bought two seated tickets for September 25 2025 for 115.00 each on Saturday morning. He added: I do feel that if we hadnt (got tickets), Id have begun to feel like I was missing out. The band are in a precarious position. There is clearly demand for a seemingly endless number of concerts, but realistically theres only so much of this you can do in quick succession, which is true of any band. However, this is amplified and exacerbated for Oasis where there is potential for something explosive to happen at any moment. I know I dont want to see a version of Oasis that isnt giving 100%, so we really have to accept that supply is limited. Sam also said that aside from the controversy regarding ticket prices and the way that side of it was handled, the reunion feels like its sparked a bit of excitement as Oasis was such a constant when he was growing up. Other fans were not quite so lucky, however. Steve Barnes, who spent 10 hours trying to secure two tickets in the first sale, said he felt betrayed after not getting a ballot code for Saturdays sale. I feel angry and disappointed, the 36-year-old airport manager from Southampton told the PA news agency. (I) feel that my time has been wasted several times throughout this whole process. We abided by all the rules set by Ticketmaster, we all attempted for the same show, and only wanted two tickets. I have been waiting for the reunion since the split in Paris as the years went by and they found fame as single artists, I still kept the faith that the rift would heal and they would reform, every rumour and glimmer gave me further hope. It means the world to me, its the top of my bucket list to see them reunited on stage, but this whole thing has put me off, not just Oasis but going to see anything live. The hassle and headache just isnt worth it any more. Earlier in the week, Oasis ruled out returning to Knebworth Park in the future, along with any plans for more dates in the UK. Take five with model Anne Flanagan Anne Flanagan, the Belfast model who found viral fame after being discovered by the Model Strangers Instagram account, tells us about cooking for family, travelling to Italy, and her top culture picks. Favourite food Any food is best when its shared. I love cooking and Annies Kitchen is open every Sunday for my family. A favourite is spatchcocked roast chicken done in a basil or oregano marinade. Its a tasty twist on a traditional roast and the herbs give it a Mediterranean edge. If Im going out to eat, I love going to Coco Restaurant in Belfast. The chef does incredible things with locally sourced produce and the service is always terrific. Favourite city My favourite city is Rome. On my first visit when I was 20, I stayed with someone who lived there so I was lucky to experience it, not as a tourist but through the eyes of a local. Ive been back many times since and I just love that it oozes so much history, culture and wonderful food. No visit is complete without walking up the Aventine Hill, visiting the Basilica Santa Sabina and taking in one of the best views of the city. Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio in Aftersun Favourite film I love getting the opportunity to visit the Queens Film Theatre (QFT) , and I have seen some great films and documentaries there over the years. Some of my favourites over the last while include Aftersun (above) and Past Lives. I also love those classic, nostalgic movies that have been enjoyed by all generations in my family, including Its A Wonderful Life and Meet Me in St Louis. Read more Belfast mum lands career as a model at 70 after Instagram video goes viral Favourite song I love listening to all types of music, and could choose anything from Neil Diamond, Simon and Garfunkel to Mary Black. But Im going to choose something classical. There are many Ave Marias and my favourite is by Caccini. I find it hauntingly beautiful and expressive; I love the words. If I get the opportunity I enjoy going to concerts and was thrilled to see Ludovico Einaudi in concert in Dublin last year. Favourite book I enjoy reading novels as a means of relaxation and escapism. I have just finished Joseph OConnors My Fathers House, which had an added appeal of being set in Rome. I love anything by the Irish writer Niall Williams, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to be an extra in the recent film production of Four Letters of Love. Anne Flanagan will be seen gracing the stage at the iconic Grand Opera House for four nights across September 14-21. Cast in a non-singing role in Northern Ireland Operas magnificent production of Eugene Onegin, this special appearance will mark Annes stage debut. niopera.com/performances/eugene-onegin/ US pair, who have been stranded in Belfast since May, are expected to walk for five days Two friends from the US who met on a round-the-world cruise ship which has been docked in Belfast for the past three months are passing the time by walking from Belfast to Londonderry. Kit Cassingham and Dr Richard Namikas started off on the 70-mile trek which is expected to take them five days yesterday. Kit, who is originally from Colorado, and Richard, from Florida, have been sharing an apartment in Belfast with their spouses since May when the ship was beset with delays. Watch: Passengers from stranded Odyssey ship embark on 70 mile walk from Belfast to Londonderry Villa Vie Residences Odyssey arrived at Queens Island in Belfast to be outfitted before it was scheduled to leave on May 30 for the first leg of a three-year cruise. But the ship has still not left because of problems with its rudders and gearbox. Kit, who is no stranger to long distance walking, only decided on Wednesday that she would trek to Derry as a way to show how the cruise passengers are not stranded, as most people expect. She has previously walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain twice (once from France which was 500 miles and once from Portugal which was 250 miles), and recently walked from Rome to Assisi by herself. Kit hiking the Camino The whole idea of the Odyssey trip is this grand adventure for us, and so I simply decided to have another one while we are waiting, she said. This is probably the least Ive ever planned for a long-distance walk but sure its all about the adventure. We are hoping it will take us about five days, but we will just walk each day and then find somewhere to stay along the way. So far people have been lovely and stopping to chat to us to hear all about our story its a great conversation starter. Kit said people are intrigued to find out more about the ship people but wants to change perceptions that they are stranded. Kit and Richard set off on their five-day walk from the cruise ship. credit: Randy Cassingham via ResidentialCruising.com Thats one of the things about all the stranded publicity; the people of Belfast are well aware of us now all we need to say is were from the ship and they know who we are, she said. We have found on our walk more people stop to chat, rather than in the city, so its been great, and everyone has been so friendly. Sitting still all these days has been hard on us, but we signed up for an adventure to see the world so taking this walk is where we can get this adventure. We want to show people that we arent stuck, we can go anywhere we want. And for Rick and I thats Derry for a few days and then hopefully we can get back on the ship. Residents of the ship are not allowed on board but are living in apartments across Belfast, so Kit had to ask a member of staff for her hat and walking coat to pack appropriately for their hike. The staff were very nice and got all the things I needed because we didnt pack everything, when we left the ship back in May, we thought it would only be a couple of days, not a few months. Randy and Kit during their trip to Alaska Kit is set to celebrate her 70th birthday next month, and hopes she will be enjoying it in the Caribbean with her husband Randy. Last year the couple sold their home and vowed to live the rest of their lives at sea. Its also Randy and Is wedding anniversary next week which I hope to be sailing away from Belfast by, she said. We have seen a bit of Northern Ireland during our time here; the ship has put on a few tours for us where we went to Hillsborough Castle one day and then Randy and I have done a walking tour of the Troubles, but this hike will be a way for me to finally get to see some of the countryside. Asked what she likes most about long-distance walks, Kit said she enjoys the sense of adventure. I like the connection with nature a lot and I like the adventure of what will I experience; Im just like a sponge soaking up everything and I get the time to contemplate life and everything going on around me, she said. Watch: Stranded Odyssey cruise ship takes to the waters after three-month delay in Belfast Randy and Kit sold their home in the US and most of their possessions and even rehomed their cat so they could live permanently on board the Villa Vie Residences Odyssey. We had been on a few cruises before to the Caribbean and even to Alaska and just loved the lifestyle; ship people are adventurers and the best thing about it is that you can travel the world and come home every night, you never have to unpack, she explained. So, Im hoping within the next month things will start moving and we will be on our way. Community excavation at site just below historic fortifications unearth some interesting finds Ruairi O Baoill with coin from 1816 found during the archaeological dig (Picture Martin McKeown) The first archaeological dig in Derry city centre for more than a decade has unearthed finds from the 17th century. The week-long excavation funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund was organised by the Friends of the Derry Walls and led by a team from Queens Universitys Centre for Community Archaeology. Excavation director Ruairi OBaoill explained the dig took place at Nailors Row, a street that was adjacent to the walls right up to the 1970s. Weve been working together with the Friends of the Derry Walls as part of this community excavation to give people in the city a chance to look at their own archaeology, he said. Were trying to find out the history of the city for the first time for many people, especially the younger school groups that were coming in the mornings, and to get them involved in archaeological excavations. A dig at nearby Bishop Street car park in 2013 to commemorate 400 years of the city being incorporated uncovered material dating back to prehistoric, medieval and plantation times. Mr OBaoill added: We know that people have been living in Derry for thousands of years and this area close to the double bastion is close to an area thats shown on a map of the 1620s that shows a ditch that ran round the walled town. Some of the stone work uncovered during the excavation (Picture Martin McKeown) Our investigation was partly to see if we could encounter part of that defensive ditch. That ditch would have been part of the defensive feature of the plantation town. The walls were built in 1613 to 1619, but not only was the defence made up of the walls, it was this big, wide, deep ditch. We know from the end of the 1700s there were people living in terraced housing known as Nailors Row, shown on the original maps of the 1780s. The last houses were demolished in the 1970s. This is immediately linking back to people living in this city, so we were looking to see if there was any evidence of the more recent people living here. Fragments of late 17th century Staffordshire pottery discovered during the dig (Picture Martin McKeown) He acknowledged the dedication of Mark Lusby, a founding member of the Friends of the Derry Walls, in helping bring the project about, as well as the work of archaeologist Brian Lacey in 1977. Trenches dug during the excavation contained items from the last 200 years at Nailors Row, including a coin dating to 1816. Most of the archaeology we encountered has been to do with the people who lived in the city from the end of the 18th century up to modern times, Mr OBaoill said So were getting things like pottery, glass, slate, clay tobacco pipes, and more personal things like holy medals, marbles... things like that. Theres evidence that some of the house structures remain the walls, drains, cobbled surfaces its quite nice. And also were getting tantalising glimpses of the archaeology from earlier periods, again clay tobacco pipes and fragments of pottery from England that date back to the 17th century. Thats pottery from Staffordshire, pottery from Devon, pottery that would be very current in a plantation town 400 years ago. View from the walls of the archaeologists at work (Picture Martin McKeown) A bullet casing was also found that may be part of the contemporary history of the city. Older people who lived on Nailors Row have visited the site, which Mr OBaoill described as living history, and he was able to explain the house they lived in may not be visible above ground but its still here there are hundreds if not thousands of years of archaeology below our feet. Its been very exciting and rewarding, he added. Weve had a hugely positive reaction from people in the city because its not very often they get a chance to either engage or look at old Derry. We were not always as sensitive to the dangers posed to children by paedophiles as we are now The funeral of a teenager killed in a Co Londonderry crash will take place on Monday. Noah Karran (18) died after the single-vehicle accident on the Learmount Road on Thursday. A family notice described him as a precious son, loving brother, beautiful grandson and loving boyfriend. Requiem mass will take place at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Steelstown, at noon on Monday, with interment afterwards in the City Cemetery. Tributes have been paid to Mr Karran, including by his former school, St Patrick's & St Brigid's College in Claudy. It said: Our college community has been devastated to learn of the tragic death of former pupil Noah Karran, who was only 18 years old we will keep Noahs family and friends in our thoughts and prayers. Another friend described him as the most kind-hearted person Ive ever known. Foyle MLA Ciara Ferguson said the community was in shock. My immediate thoughts are with Noahs family and friends as they come to terms with this tremendous loss, she said. It is absolutely devastating that another young person from our city has died on our roads. Last month cousins Kian Dawson-Kirk (16) and Eoghan Dawson (20), also from Derry, died in an accident at Quigleys Point, Co Donegal. Some 71 people lost their lives on local roads in 2023 the highest number of deaths for eight years. This years death toll is currently 41. Earlier this week Infrastructure Minister John ODowd launched a new road safety strategy. The Road Safety Strategy for Northern Ireland to 2030 focuses on safe roads, safe vehicles and safe people. Mr ODowd said the strategy is aimed at ensuring zero road deaths by 2050, or a significant reduction in deaths by 2050. The victim has been named as 43-year old Rachel Simpson from east Belfast Forensic teams at the scene of the murder in east Belfast overnight. Photo: Kevin Scott Police at the scene of the murder in east Belfast overnight. Photo: Kevin Scott Police at the scene of the murder in east Belfast overnight. Photo: Kevin Scott Police at the scene on Saturday morning. Photo: Pacemaker Police at the scene in the Castlereagh Road area of east Belfast. Image: Pacemaker The scene of the incident in east Belfast today. A 21-year old man has been charged with murder following the discovery of a womans body in east Belfast. Earlier today, police said upon responding to an incident at a home in the Castlereagh Road area a womans body was discovered in the garage. The woman has been named as 43-year-old Rachel Simpson, from east Belfast. A 21-year-old man was then arrested on suspicion of murder and has now been charged. In a statement, a police spokesperson said: Detectives investigating the murder of 43-year-old Rachel Simpson in east Belfast on Friday night, 13th September, have charged a man to court. The man, aged 21, has been charged with murder and is expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates Court on Monday, 16th September. As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the PPS. Police at the scene of the murder in east Belfast overnight. Photo: Kevin Scott Police forensic teams in white suits were pictured at the scene from Friday evening to Saturday afternoon. Police at the scene of the murder in east Belfast overnight. Photo: Kevin Scott The red-brick semi-detached property has been sealed off by police tape. One local said: There is a lot of shock in the community today. East Belfast UUP MLA Andy Allen said he was deeply saddened the learn of the murder. "I am deeply saddened to learn of the murder of a woman in East Belfast, he said. My thoughts are with her family, friends and neighbours as they process this heartbreaking news. Alliance East Belfast MLA, Peter McReynolds also expressed his sympathies and said: I am deeply saddened to hear of the heartbreaking news of the death of Ms Simpson. My sympathies are with her family and loved ones. The whole community is completely shocked upon hearing of devastating news. This is yet another tragic loss of a female life in the East Belfast area. I urge anyone with relevant information that could help the police in their investigations to get in touch with them immediately. Emma Little-Pengelly said two of four Northern Ireland city and growth deals would be unaffected by a UK Government pause of funding (Gareth Chaney/PA) Two city and growth deals in Northern Ireland will not be affected by a UK Government pause on funding, Stormont leaders have said. It had been thought that all four deals in Northern Ireland would be impacted by the funding freeze ahead of the Budget at the end of October. However, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has said that the deals for the Belfast regions and Londonderry City and Strabane will be unaffected. This means that the Derry deal is now expected to be signed next week as originally intended. Clarification is being sought by ministers on the city and growth deals for Causeway Coast and Glens and Mid South West. Together the four deals, worth a total of 1.7 billion, cover the whole of Northern Ireland. The deals are bespoke funding arrangements between the Treasury, the Stormont Executive and local partners. After ministers had been told by the NIO on Friday that the funding for the deals was being paused, doubt had been cast over the future of a number of planned regeneration and digital projects. Providing an update on social media on Saturday night, Ms Little-Pengelly said: The Belfast city deal is unaffected by the Treasury pause. This includes all the projects including Bangor, Lagan Valley and beyond. The North West City deal is also unaffected and will proceed. I am seeking urgent clarity and pushing case on other two City Deals. Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle ONeill said a city and growth deal in Derry would go ahead (Gareth Chaney/PA) First Minister Michelle ONeill posted on X that the Derry and Strabane deal would go ahead. She said: I have spoken with the British Secretary of State and urged the same approach should be taken with the other city & growth deals, and projects like Casement Park. These will be major economic boosters for our local economy and should go ahead. Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald said she was continuing to press for funding for all the deals. She said: These are game-changers for regions across the north, creating jobs and boosting local economies. Foyle MP and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said: I am glad that we have made progress over the last 24 hours and have received confirmation that the Derry City deal will continue as planned. This is a good start and we have more work to do. Derry and the north west, in particular, needs this level of capital investment to kickstart our ambitions for greater regional balance and progress higher education provision. It should never have been placed in doubt. A Government spokesperson said: We understand the importance of the Derry City and Strabane deal, which is at a very advanced stage. The UK Government is committed to continuing to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on this deal, to enable it to deliver growth and opportunity. The UK Government has confirmed the City Deal for Derry and Strabane will proceed, just one day after NI Secretary said funding would be paused ahead of the Spending Review. We understand the importance of the Derry City and Strabane Deal, which is at a very advanced stage, a spokesperson told the Belfast Telegraph. "The UK government is committed to continuing to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on this Deal, to enable it to deliver growth and opportunity. Writing on social media, First Minister Michelle ONeill welcomed the news around Derry and Strabane. She said: The Derry and Strabane City Deal will go ahead. "I have spoken with the British Secretary of State and urged the same approach should be taken with the other city & growth deals, and projects like Casement Park. These will be major economic boosters for our local economy and should go ahead. In a separate post, Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald said she had received confirmation the deal for the area would still proceed. Confirmation tonight that Derry & Strabane City & Growth Deal WILL go ahead & deal signing hopefully take place as planned this week, she posted on X, formerly Twitter. I am continuing to press for the other deals, these are game-changers for regions across the north, creating jobs & boosting local economies. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly also said the Belfast Region City Deal is unaffected by the pause while welcoming the confirmation about the Derry and Strabane City Deal. The UK Government has been contacted for comment around the Belfast City Deal. On Friday afternoon, Stormonts leaders hit out after the Government confirmed it would be pausing funding on City Deals in Northern Ireland. The deals relate to a package of extra funding worth over 1bn and decision-making powers negotiated between central Government and local councils. There are currently four in Northern Ireland. These are the Belfast Region City Deal, the Derry City & Strabane District Council City Deal, the Causeway Coast & Glens Growth Deal and the Mid South West Growth Deal. City and Growth Deals are aimed at helping to harness additional investment, create new and higher-paid jobs, attract and retain talent and speed up inclusive economic growth at a local level with projects developed within each separate deal. Particularly criticism was levelled at the pausing of the Derry and Strabane City Deal as the council was set to hold an event to mark it next week. Earlier today, a spokesperson for the UK Government told the Belfast Telegraph: We are facing the challenge of a 22 billion black hole in the public finances that we have inherited. The UK Government continues to work closely with Deal partners and the Northern Ireland Executive on the City and Growth Deals programme. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood also welcomed the news funding for the area would not be paused. Since the announcement that funding for our City Deals was to be paused, I have engaged with senior British Government Ministers in the Treasury and the Northern Ireland Office to make the case for continued investment in the four regions, he said. "I am glad that we have made progress over the last 24 hours and have received confirmation that the Derry City Deal will continue as planned. This is a good start and we have more work to do. Derry and the North West, in particular, needs this level of capital investment to kickstart our ambitions for greater regional balance and progress higher education provision. It should never have been placed in doubt. Sinn Feins Sandra Duffy also said confirmation that the City and Growth Deal for Derry and Strabane will go ahead as planned will give clarity to those working to deliver vital regeneration projects. Its now confirmed that the City and Growth Deal for Derry and Strabane will go ahead as planned, she said. This decision will give clarity to all those who have been working hard on delivering these important projects. This is a historic investment in this region and will be a game-changer for the regeneration of communities, creating good jobs and helping to strengthen the north wests economy. The British Government must adopt a similar approach to all City and Growth Deals for communities across the north and immediately reverse the unacceptable decision to pause this funding. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, speak to the media outside the White House (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK and US have come to a strong position in their quest for a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine following his meeting with President Joe Biden. The Prime Minister described his discussions with Mr Biden as long and productive, but would not be drawn on what the pair had decided regarding Ukraines potential use of Western weaponry against Russian targets. At the beginning of their meeting in the Blue Room at the White House in Washington DC on Friday, Mr Biden said I dont think much about Vladimir Putin when asked about the Russian Presidents threat of war with Nato. Questioned on what they had decided in relation to Ukraines potential use of long-range missiles, Sir Keir told reporters: We had a wide-ranging discussion about strategy in Ukraine, of course, in the Middle East and other parts of the world. This wasnt a meeting about a particular capability. That wasnt why we got our heads down today. It was to allow ourselves the space, which we took, the time, which we took, to have a strategic discussion so that tactical decisions could be seen within the wider strategy. It was a really good invitation from the President, weve had a very productive (meeting) and weve come to a strong position. Im very pleased that weve had these discussions. Sir Keir Starmer and Joe Biden met in the Blue Room at the White House in Washington DC on Friday (Stefan Rousseau/PA) At the beginning of their talks, Sir Keir said the next weeks and months will be crucial in Ukraine and said it was important the two countries continued to support the eastern European nation in its fight against Russia. The meeting comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his frustration at the continued restrictions on the use of Western weaponry against Russian targets. In a lengthy statement posted on X, Mr Zelensky said after meeting with Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his US counterpart Antony Blinken earlier this week, there should be no unanswered questions about why Ukraine needs sufficient long-range capabilities. At the White House on Friday, Sir Keir told the US President: Historically, weve shown the strength of our relationship. We are strategically aligned and we have a common cause on these global issues. The PM denied that the need to weaken Mr Putin within months was because of the possibility of a victory for Donald Trump in Novembers presidential election. Questioned on whether Mr Trumps potential victory was a factor, he told reporters: No, I think if you look at both the Ukrainian situation and the Middle East, it is obvious that in the coming weeks and months there are really important potential developments, whatever timetables are going on in other countries. And thats why I wanted to have this opportunity to talk directly to the President about those decisions in the next few months, but to make sure that those decisions were, as it were, pitched in the wider strategic thinking that we share in relation to Ukraine, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. Donald Trump is vying to become US president again in Novembers election (John Locher/AP) Sir Keir said the quickest way to resolve the conflict in Ukraine lies through what Putin actually does. He said: Theres only one reason were having these discussions, and that is Putin has illegally invaded Ukraine, and the quickest way to resolve this obviously lies through what Putin actually does, because its for him to end this. Mr Lammy and Mr Blinken were pressed on the use of Western weaponry during their visit to Ukraine earlier this week, but said they had to report back to their bosses, the Prime Minister and US President. Mr Putin said allowing long-range strikes would mean that Nato countries, the United States, and European countries are at war with Russia if this is so, then, bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created for us. Joe Biden, second left, said I dont think much about Vladimir Putin when asked about the Russian presidents threat of war (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) Asked what he thought of Mr Putins threat of war, Mr Biden said: I dont think much about Vladimir Putin. Mr Biden thanked Sir Keir for his leadership during the Ukraine conflict, adding: Putin will not prevail in this war. He said: The United States is committed to standing with you to help Ukraine as it defends against Russias onslaught of aggression. Its clear that Putin will not prevail in this war. The people of Ukraine will prevail. The US President said the two leaders would talk about Ukraine, the need for a hostage and ceasefire deal in the Middle East, and about the Indo-Pacific region. He told the PM: Ive often said theres no issue of global consequence where the United States and UK cant work together and havent worked yet. Before the meeting began, a British reporter was told to be quiet while I speak by the US President as Mr Biden was asked about Mr Putins threat of war. Concern about escalation has been one of the reasons why permission has not yet been given to Kyiv for the unrestricted use of Western weapons. Iran has been hit with sanctions by the UK and US after the two countries formally accused Tehran of supplying ballistic missiles to Russia. Antony Blinken, left, and David Lammy announced further financial support for Ukraine (Leon Neal/PA) Mr Lammy and Mr Blinken announced further financial support for Ukraine, including a 600 million package from the UK and 717 million dollars (550 million) from the US to meet immediate humanitarian, energy and stabilisation needs. The UK package includes a reaffirmation of Rishi Sunaks pledge of 242 million, as well as 484 million dollars (371 million) worth of loan guarantees for World Bank lending before the end of the year, while the US package includes 325 million dollars (250 million) to support Ukraines energy needs. The PM and Mr Bidens first White House bilateral took place as the Sir Keir attended the Nato summit just days after Labour won the election. A Turkish-American activist who was killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank was laid to rest on Saturday in her hometown in Turkey with thousands lining the streets and anti-Israeli feelings in the country rising from a conflict that threatens to spread across the region. Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old woman from Seattle, was shot dead on September 6 by an Israeli soldier during a demonstration against Israeli West Bank settlements, according to an Israeli protester who witnessed the shooting. Thousands of people lined the streets in the Turkish coastal town of Didim on the Aegean Sea, as Ms Eygi was buried in a coffin draped in a Turkish flag, which was taken from her family home. A portrait of her wearing her graduation gown was propped against the coffin as people paid their respects. Turkish authorities carry the coffin of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi during a ceremony at Istanbul airport (IHA via AP) Her body was earlier brought from a hospital to her family home and Didims Central Mosque. Turkey has condemned the killing and announced it will conduct its own investigation into her death. We are not going to leave our daughters blood on the ground and we demand responsibility and accountability for this murder, Numan Kurtulmus, the speaker of Turkeys parliament told mourners at the funeral. On Friday, an autopsy had been carried out at Izmir Forensic Medicine Institute. Kurtulmus said the examination showed Ms Eygi was hit by a round that struck her in the back of the head below her left ear. The Israeli military said on Tuesday that Ms Eygi was likely shot indirectly and unintentionally by Israeli forces. Her death was condemned by US secretary of state Antony Blinken as the United States, Egypt and Qatar push for a cease-fire in the 11-month-long Israel-Hamas war and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Rescuers carry a woman in Pechea, Romania, after torrential rainstorms left scores of people stranded (Romanian Emergency Services ISU Galati via AP/PA) By Stephen McGrath and Andreea Alexandru, Associated Press By Stephen McGrath and Andreea Alexandru, Associated Press Four people have died in eastern Romania after torrential rainstorms left scores of people stranded in flooded areas, emergency authorities have said. Rescue services scrambled to save 95 people in the hard-hit eastern counties of Galati and Vaslui. The bodies of three elderly women and two men were found in the localities of Pechea, Draguseni, Costache Negri, and Corod, the Department for Emergency Situations said. Authorities added that it was determined that one of the people had been dead for two days and did not die due to the effects of the weather, but from other causes. Emergency authorities released video footage which showed a team of rescuers evacuating an elderly man on a small lifeboat before carrying him to safety. A rescuer carries a woman in Pechea, Romania (Romanian Emergency Services ISU Galati via AP/PA) A Black Hawk helicopter was deployed to Galati to help with the search-and-rescue missions. The storms battered 19 localities in eight counties in Romania, with strong winds downing dozens of trees that damaged cars and blocked roads and traffic. Authorities sent text message alerts to residents to warn them of adverse weather as emergency services rushed to remove floodwaters from homes. Some roads have also been closed. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu cancelled planned engagements on Saturday to travel to Galati county to assess the fallout. The Prime Minister will discuss with the local authorities the urgent intervention and support measures for the population and communities severely affected by the floods, his office said. The stormy weather comes as several central European nations anticipate severe flooding forecast to hit the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary over the weekend. In the Czech Republic, river waters reached dangerous levels in dozens of areas across the country on Saturday morning, flooding houses and roads in several towns and villages. Heavy rain and high winds left more than 63,000 households without power, the Czech power company CEZ said. Rescuers assist a local person on a flooded street in Pechea, Romania (Romanian Emergency Services ISU Galati via AP/PA) A hospital in the second-largest city of Brno was evacuated as well as dozens of citizens everywhere. A dozen rail lines were closed after being affected by fallen trees or flood waters. Heavy rain also hit Moldova on Saturday, where emergency workers pumped floodwater from dozens of peoples homes in several localities, authorities said. Meteorologists say a low-pressure system from northern Italy was predicted to dump much rainfall in most parts of the Czech Republic, including the capital and border regions with Austria and Germany in the south, and Poland in the north. We have to be ready for worst-case scenarios, Czech prime minister Petr Fiala said after the governments central crisis committee met. A tough weekend is ahead of us. In Poland, prime minister Donald Tusk also travelled on Friday to the south-western city of Wroclaw where floods are forecast. Authorities appealed to residents to stock up on food and to prepare for power outages by charging power banks. The weather change arrived following a hot start to September in the region, including in Romania. Scientists have documented Earths hottest summer, breaking a record set just one year ago. A hotter atmosphere, driven by human-caused climate change, can lead to more intense rainfall. A Belfast man accused of deliberately running over his six-month-old puppy bizarrely seems to have exaggerated his actions, a judge has said. Releasing Sean Norris on his own bail of 500 with a range of conditions, including not being allowed near any animal, District Judge Nigel Broderick commented that usually defendants who appear in front of me tend to minimise their actions during police interviews. OLD BENNINGTON The historic Old First Church on Monument Avenue in Old Bennington, the oldest church in all of Vermont, is in the midst of a once-in-a-hundred-year renovation, including painting, lead removal, interior and structural upgrades, handicapped access, a new slate roof, and the complete removal of the historic lantern for restoration sometime in the next two weeks. Skilled craftsmen specializing in historic structures could be seen Thursday high above the bell tower in a specialized boom platform, chipping away at a dome that initially housed the base of a decorative weathervane sitting on top of the lantern, an area sitting above the bell tower. The dome will be removed so workers can then remove the entire lantern section by crane. The structure will then be renovated in a craftsmans workshop using as much of the original timbers and hardware as possible. Jan Lewandowski, Vermonts go-to expert for historic steeple restoration, and a team of specialized craftsman will oversee the lanterns restoration. The 500-pound weathervane, a replacement for the original one taken down in 1984, was removed from above the dome two years ago after elders noted unsafe movement from severe instability of the wooden base, will be reinstalled after all repairs are completed. The historic original weathervane sits on display at the Bennington Museum. According to Wayne Kachmar, Chair of the Trustees of the Old First Church, the plan will be performed in three phases and funded mainly through community and member donations. The first phase, estimated to cost around $550,000, began in the spring with re-roofing the historic slate roof. A state historic preservation grant of $20,000 was acquired as well. Phase one also includes lead paint remediation, painting the front of the church, stabilizing the exterior columns holding the upper areas, and removing the lantern section for restoration. So far, the church has raised over $500,000 from the community and its members. They plan on further fundraising and applying for a historic federal restoration grant soon. It has been an outstanding outpouring of support for the initial phases because this work really could not wait, Kachmar said. Phase two will include handicapped access, restoration of the lantern onto the building, a handicap-accessible bathroom, work on the marble steps, and foundation work, which are complicated by the fact that colonial-era graves still exist under the building. Phase three will see the finishing of the exterior painting, historic window repair, inside painting, and wiring and fire upgrades. Kachmar is hoping to complete the first phase over the next six to eight weeks, depending on the weather. We would like to be able to do it before winter, Kachmar said. The church building, standing at the corner of Route 9 and Monument Avenue, was built between 1804 to 1806 on top of land that was originally a cemetery. Before the church building construction began, congregants gathered on the small green in front of the church in a Meeting House starting in 1762. The Old First Church is the oldest church in Vermont. It is on the United States National Historic Registry as well as the Vermont State Historic Registry. This church was designated in 1937 as Vermont's colonial shrine by the legislature, Kachmar said. It has a great deal of history. Robert Frost was in this church. He's buried in the cemetery right out here. The state's first four or five governors are also buried here. This was one of the very earliest churches of this type of design, done by Lavius Fillmore, and to a great extent, it is the quintessential New England church when you drive into town. This church is why the road is here. You could see this from a far distance. It's probably the most photographed church in Vermont. Famous Revolutionary War figures, including Ethan Allen, and many of the Green Mountain Boys, were also early members of the Church. Poet Robert Frost is buried at the adjoining church cemetery. Frosts grave is one of the most visited historic sites in Vermont. The Old First Church is still a functioning church. They have been meeting as a congregation since 1762. Then, starting in 1804, the congregants gathered inside its hallowed walls. The church hopes to keep going far into the future. The repairs we're doing now are not to satisfy us but to satisfy those sitting in these seats 50 or 100 years from now, Kachmar said. We are preserving one of the biggest pieces of history in Bennington. When asked what the significance is of the church to the greater Bennington community, Kachmar told us to just look at the history of what happened here. You need to recognize that people came to settle Bennington because they wanted religious freedom. This church allowed them to practice. It's a covenant-based church. It's an independent Congregational Church and has been since that time. There's a great deal of history that's related to the fact that this church was the standing stone for faith in this community, and it's one of the most recognizable buildings in Southern Vermont. This is your church. Its is the town's church. Many people have come here and said, I've never been in here, but this is my church, because their parents had been married here, and maybe they were married or baptized here. I think that's a wonderful way to look at it. Its everyones church. Repairs on all three phases are estimated to be completed sometime in 2028. For more information or to make a donation please visit: www.oldfirstchurchbenn.org If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Everyone knows not to discuss a persons religion or politics. When I lived in the nations capital in the 1970s, avoiding politics was hard because it was so central. More so now. I pride myself on my ability to converse, consume and imbibe with many species of political animal elephant, donkey, ostrich with head in sand. It is essential as a journalist. No one has a lock on best policy. Heaven help any party that would have me as a member. Religion is another cup of tea. That third rail has always been a shocker, evolving from the Scopes monkey trial in Dayton, Tenn., in 1925 to the 2022 knife attack in Chautauqua, N.Y., carrying out a fatwa on author Salman Rushdie. The obliteration of the World Trade Center thrust Islamism fully into the spotlight, with wars and destruction in its wake. With then-progress regarding womens and LGBTQ rights before the Supreme Court shuffled its chairs rightward Sharia law overseas presaged American echoes. Israel's identity crisis and the stumbling blocks to peace While Oct. 7, Israels 9/11, triggered the wholesale war on Gaza, Israels identity politics were baked into the nation from its inception in 1948. Christianity, Judaism and Islam all manifest variations on a permeable or entirely absent barrier between church and state. This duality is once again at the heart of conflict worldwide struggle, some would say, between centuries as well as cultures and dogmas. In America, the election has thrust Christian nationalist views on womens rights front and center. I wrote recently of the question, since Israels founding, of aspects of secular versus religious state. Israel is not alone in this existential hot zone; indeed, it is surrounded by hostile states with varying degrees of Sharia law, and one, Iran, close to nuclear. Some religions preach tolerance, others not so much, but ultimately there is not a lot of brotherly love to be seen out there. Flying at high altitude, a visitor to Earths orbit every millennium would be hard pressed to see a qualitative theological difference between today, the Dark Ages and the time of Christ. Time is not a straight line. Sharia law is divine guidance Muslims follow in order to live a righteous life. About half of Muslim countries have Sharia laws some not in their constitution but in family laws. It isnt one-size-fits-all. Professor Jan Michiel Otto of Leiden University in the Netherlands has done seminal work on the differences, identifying three variants of statist Sharia laws: those which apply to all citizens; others that do not make up the totality of the legal system; and some which are practiced by Muslims only. Weighing geopolitics, regional and international strife, it is worth sorting them out. In todays world, nothing stays domestic long. Nations under Sharia law typically include burqa or niqab veils for women, as well as restrictions on education and prohibitions regarding sexual preference which are incompatible with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. These nations include Afghanistan, Brunei, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates and Indonesias Aceh Province. Eleven of these 16 states do not recognize Israel. States with a mixed bag of Sharia and secular law include Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Oman, Syria and Palestine the last of which has had its territories occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War in 1967. Countries in which Muslim citizenry subscribe to Sharia law include Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Israel, Kenya, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda and the United Kingdom. Evidenced by including the U.K. in this list, Sharia law may coexist or conflict with national laws. The United States might not be as severe or obvious in its church-and-state identity wars, but the abortion issue alone demonstrates the manifestation of religious belief in secular life. In God We Trust has been the official motto of the U.S. since Congress adopted it in 1956. It replaced the Latin E pluribus unum out of many, one the deist motto that first appeared in 1748 in the Pennsylvania Gazette, citing the colors carried by Benjamin Franklins Pennsylvania militia. Among subsequent appearances, the motto turned up again in 1862 in the bunting of the 37th Arkansas Infantry Regiment of the Confederacy. Two years later, it was stamped on a 2-cent piece, solidifying its ascent. According to Pew Research Center, 28 percent of Americans have no organized religious belief. In the United Kingdom, a 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom shows 52 percent of its citizens espouse no religion, despite that Christianity is the U.K.s official religion. In America, freedom of religion and freedom from religion are not synonymous. In the Mideast, it will take diplomacy and willpower to move from terrorism and war to toleration of others. An Israel accepted by its neighbors might view Palestine differently. Can religious law find a way toward inclusion, and can religious and secular states coexist? There are lives in the balance all over this world. In Great Barrington, the bad news keeps rolling in over the bridges. In May, the state Department of Transportation deemed the Brookside Bridge unsafe and ordered it closed. In June, the DOT told the town it would take four years to fix the shuttered span thats rankling nearby residents. In July, Eagle public records requests revealed that Brookside Bridges significant structural issues were known to state and town officials half a decade before its closure when an engineer wrote a letter to the DOT stressing the need for repairs as soon as possible after a 2019 inspection. In August, the states estimate for the cost of fixing the bridge more than tripled from $3.5 million to $11.6 million. While the state will cover that, another new number was even more concerning: The project timeline doubled from four years to eight. And this month, more bad news by way of another structurally unsound town bridge: Repair plans for the Division Street bridge reduced to a one-lane span as a temporary solution since 2022 has mutated into a full replacement plan, nearly quadrupling the initial estimated cost with no slated completion date in sight. We know infrastructure maintenance is disproportionately difficult for rural communities like ours in the Berkshires, and weve consistently advocated for more serious assistance and attention from the powers that be in Boston and D.C. Yet this is not an excuse for municipal governments especially those on better financial footing than many of their regional peers to ignore the basic responsibility of maintaining critical community infrastructure. Another recent headline gets to the heart of the matter: Why did the cost of the Brookside Bridge project jump to $11.6 million? The span was too neglected to save. To be sure, Great Barrington is not the only Berkshire town to let preventive maintenance slide only to pay more down the road or in this case, over the bridge. Yet its particularly puzzling and disappointing in a town where the tax base is more robust than many other communities and yet residents face extraordinary decay of the structures that connect their community. Housing values are soaring in Great Barrington. Here's how that will affect residential property taxes The tax rate has continued to steadily fall since fiscal 2020 when the value of property began to sharply rise. Yes, it is momentarily inconvenient to budget for bracing bridges before they become unsafe and unusable rather than kicking the can down the road. Yes, it is politically expedient to lower tax rates in a relatively rich town rather than deal with the stark reality of crumbling critical infrastructure when it is wise to do so. But let it be known, in Great Barrington and beyond, that this lax attitude toward preventive maintenance comes with a steep price. Not all of it is measured in dollars and a handful of neighborhoods unfairly bear the burden of these intangible but impactful costs. The major inconvenience is one thing just ask those living near the Brookside Bridge who now face adding 19 minutes to every trip to town or school and the same on return. Then theres the impact to public safety, as ambulances and fire trucks need more time to respond to certain neighborhoods in situations where seconds count. Meanwhile, anyone trying to sell a home near a critical connector bridge that wont be fixed for eight years can unfortunately expect that condition to be reflected in the sale price. Of course, the cost is measured in dollars, too millions of them, in the case of each of these ailing Great Barrington bridges. As with all infrastructure, the longer preventive maintenance and needed repairs are put off, the bigger the bill will be to fix years of disrepair. The state is picking up the tab for both the Brookside and Division Street bridge projects, which might be fortuitous for Great Barringtons town budget but does nothing to allay all the above annoyance and anxiety for the years it will take the DOT to wrap these projects. And that state revenue, like local revenue, comes from Massachusetts taxpayers, including Great Barrington residents and property owners. The state bailing out the town on these projects just means the bill will be footed by taxpayers here and throughout the commonwealth, including those who have no meaningful connection or responsibility to bridges that have deteriorated on Great Barrington officials watch. Our Berkshire communities (rightly) resent getting the short end of the stick on state policy and spending priorities, but we should be able to turn that critique on ourselves when appropriate such as when one towns lax preventive maintenance paradigm becomes a burden for all Massachusetts taxpayers. To be sure, we have some hard questions for state leaders. Why the stark price hikes for these repair projects on relatively small bridges? Why the excruciating delays, which inevitably increase the already eye-watering costs? And if there were a broken bridge barely 150 feet long that complicated the House speakers commute to Beacon Hill or increased the emergency response time to the governors house, would the project really take eight years like this one slated for a small town in Western Massachusetts? These real concerns, however, do not detract from the great responsibility that Great Barrington and every municipality has to maintain critical community infrastructure. And so we have similarly sharp questions for Great Barrington officials amid this mess of busted bridges. Why were these weary spans allowed to wither under your watch to the point where the necessary repair projects are measured in eight-figure price tags and years-long timelines? And what will you do to revamp the municipal decision-making to ensure your constituents wont endure this sorry situation again in the future? BOSTON Six months later and $180 million lighter, lawmakers on Thursday returned to Gov. Maura Healey a spending bill that ratifies 38 collective bargaining agreements for state employees and approves millions in last-chance spending of federal pandemic dollars. Healey filed the supplemental budget March 18, saying the $534.7 million bill "targeted resources at our most time-sensitive deficiencies, using available federal reimbursements and other resources to minimize the net cost to the state." The compromise (H.5050) that House and Senate negotiators agreed on after several months and sent to Healey on Thursday was significantly slimmed down, with a bottom line of $362 million. The largest spending item that didn't make the cut: $175.5 million for supplemental payments to safety net hospitals through the Medical Assistance Trust Fund which would be wholly offset by federal reimbursements. Asked which health care centers would have benefited from those supplemental payments, a spokesperson for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services said the trust fund supports Medicaid payments to UMass Medical Center, Boston Medical Center and Cambridge Health Alliance. Those payments $505 million in total are eligible for federal matching funds. However, they missed out on that reimbursement for fiscal year 2024, meaning it will have to be applied in fiscal year 2025, HHS said. Sean Fitzgerald, a spokesperson for the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, said leaving out the $175.5 million is "more of an accounting and timing measure than anything" that "we thought more appropriate for a future supp." He said the committee plans to revisit it in the future, and is continuing conversations with the administration. In addition to the supplemental payments through the Medical Assistance Trust Fund, lawmakers also scrapped funding for struggling hospitals and community health centers in their compromise deal. The Senate's supplemental budget would have steered $45 million toward "fiscally strained" hospitals and $25 million toward "fiscally strained" community health centers. The House version did not include that health care funding, though both branches sought to invest in struggling hospitals through their stalled hospital oversight packages. While the compromise abandoned steering extra dollars towards struggling community health centers and hospitals, the state recently committed at least $417 million to help keep Steward Health Care hospitals open as they are sold and transition to new owners, in what the Healey administration and legislative leaders have repeatedly said is not a bail out of the for-profit bankrupt hospital system. The supplemental budget deal does, however, provide more than $61.1 million for the health and human services workforce. In her filing letter to the Legislature, Healey wrote that this funding for a so-called Critical Health and Human Services Workforce Reserve would "cover projected deficiencies in Fiscal Year 2024 related to our continued need for direct care staffing to respond to health needs in our nursing homes, group care settings, state hospitals, and Soldiers' Homes, as well as other patient health an safety supports." The budget also includes $228 million for programs designed for those who prefer to get long-term care services in their home or community, rather than in an institutional setting, and $20 million to support survivors of violent crimes as dollars from Washington have dried up in recent years both of which will be paid for fully by federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars. "This bill ensures that we are fully leveraging federal ARPA revenues by granting the administration additional flexibility to ensure that ARPA funds are spent before the looming federal deadlines. In doing so, we'll ensure Massachusetts does not return any ARPA funds to the federal government, maximizing our investments in the commonwealth," Sen. Michael Rodrigues, chair of Senate Ways and Means, said during Thursday's session. The state has less than $100 million left to obligate of the over $5 billion it received from the federal government in ARPA dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of that money is reversions, Rodrigues said, or appropriations the Legislature made that satisfied appropriations ARPA dollars had been earmarked for. With deadlines looming to use those dollars or return them to D.C. the main thrust of the supplemental budget was to use up that money while it's still in the Bay State, and to resolve 38 collective bargaining agreements for state employees, Fitzgerald said. It's the second year in a row scores of public employees had to wait months for the Legislature to approve the funding for agreements they had already negotiated. Many have an effective date of July 1 but some date back to 2023, including the contract for Massachusetts community college faculty and professional staff. The Massachusetts Community College Council, which represents employees on all 15 community college campuses, knocked the House and Senate earlier this month for not acting "in a timely manner." The council's unfunded contract would be retroactive to July 2023. "Paying negotiated wage hikes in a timely manner will be crucial to recruiting and retaining the professional staff and faculty we need to meet the growing demand for public higher education," said MCCC President Claudine Barnes, a Cape Cod Community College professor. The 38 collective bargaining agreements tied up in the supplemental budget encompass all currently before the Legislature, Fitzgerald said. "It did take us a while to finish the deliberations," Rodrigues said of the bill Thursday. "We had a little bit of rough waters going there for a few months, but we've stabled the ship." Other spending in the supplemental budget includes $5 million for the Healthy Incentives Program, $5.6 million for tax abatements for veterans, $29.7 million for an early education and care income-eligible child care program, and $2.1 million for the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition services program all level-funded compared to Healey's original recommendation in March. The House had included in its version of the bill a number of tourism initiatives having to do with the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. The anniversaries kicked off last year with the sesquicentennial of the Boston Tea Party, and next spring Lexington and Concord plan to welcome tourists for the anniversary of the start of the American Revolution. The House hoped to steer $26.5 million towards statewide programming for historical anniversaries coming up over the next several years, but according to an aide for House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, that funding did not make it into the final version of the bill. There is, however, some patriotic spending, with a $100,000 earmark for the Massachusetts Bay Council of the Navy League of the U.S. for activities related to the commissioning of the USS Nantucket. BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience.Legally, men in Ghana cannot be raped - Dr. Esther Yesutor claims
GTV Ghana (@GTV_Ghana) September 12, 2024
According to her, the current law in Ghana does not recognize men as potential rape victims, and she is calling for a revision to provide legal recourse for abused men.
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