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Who benefited from PPP loans by fintech lenders?
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In the previous post, we discussed inequalities in access to credit from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), showing that, although fintech lenders had a small share of total PPP loan volumes, they provided important support for underserved borrowers. In this post, we ask whether smaller firms received the amount of PPP credit that they requested, and whether loans went to the hardest-hit areas and mitigated job losses. Our results indicate that fintech providers were a key channel in reaching minority-owned firms, the smallest of small businesses, and borrowers most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. A request for a small dollar loandefined as $25,000 or less in the Federal Reserves Small Business Credit Surveymay indicate credit demand by smaller firms that find such loans better suited to their business needs. In support of this interpretation, we find that firms with fewer employees, lower annual revenues, and women owners were more likely to apply for small loans, consistent with prior research that women-owned firms are smaller, on average, than those owned by men. For example, the median amount requested by nonemployer firms (those with no employees other than the owner) was just $12,000. Nonemployer firms were also more likely to apply to fintech lenders, perhaps because banks have higher fixed costs of processing small dollar loans than fintech firms. Since the PPP lender fees are a percentage of loan size (for example, 5 percent for loans of no more than $350,000), banks may have insufficient incentives to provide small PPP loans. Among participants in the Small Business Credit Survey with between one and 499 employees, the median amount of PPP funds sought by those applying to fintech lenders was $32,000, compared to about $60,000 for bank applicants (see chart below). Fintech lenders approved loans with a median size of $20,000 (about 63 percent of the amount applied for) while banks approved loans with a median size of $50,000 (about 83 percent of the amount applied for). The lower shares of requested amounts that were approved for applicants to fintech lenders may reflect the smaller size of such firms, and their lesser familiarity with PPP rules. For example, the smallest businesses were less aware of PPP and less likely to apply to it, and, if they applied, they were more likely to apply late and face longer processing times. This seems unlikely since applicants requested smaller loans. Historically, fintech firms have provided small dollar loans but at high interest rates, perhaps incentivizing applicants to request smaller loans. However, since rates are fixed in PPP, this incentive seems absent. The survey results are corroborated with the PPP loan data. The chart below shows that fintech loans were concentrated in small loan sizes, especially those below $25,000. Fintech lenders share of loan volumes during Wave 1 of the PPP (April 3-16, 2020) was about 7 percent and 1 percent for loan sizes below $25,000 and above $1 million, respectively, and increased to 29 percent and 4 percent, respectively, during Wave 2 (April 27-August 8, 2020). The shares of small loans for large and small banks were 30 percent and 57 percent, respectively, during Wave 1 and 36 percent and 29 percent during Wave 2. In other words, the increase in fintech lending during Wave 2 mostly occurred in the smallest loan sizes. While all lenders increased their share of small loans from Wave 1 to Wave 2, the relative increase was greater for fintech lenders than banks. Prior research had also noted a substitution between fintech lenders and banks but not that this occurred for small sized loans. Some design features of the PPP program and the importance of pre-existing banking relationships may have prevented PPP lenders from reaching borrowers most affected by the pandemic, at least during Wave 1, but smaller banks did better than large banks. To answer this question, we regress a lenders loans in a county as a share of its loans in the state on the share of a race or ethnic group residing in the county and measures of county characteristics (such as its education and income levels relative to the state). We find that fintech lenders provided more small loans (less than $25,000) in counties with higher fractions of Black residents during Wave 1. By comparison, small loans by banks during Wave 1 had a negative or no correlation with the fraction of Black residents in the county. These results highlight the outsized impact of the few fintech lenders that were authorized to provide PPP loans during Wave 1. In the regressions, we include an additional explanatory variable: the countys death rate from COVID-19 on May 4, 2020 (for Wave 1) and May 27, 2020 (for Wave 2). The dates were selected to account for the fact that COVID-19 deaths lag the incidence of the disease. We find that fintech lenders provided more small loans (less than $25,000) in counties with higher death rates. This is illustrated in the scatter diagram below where the difference in death rates between the highest and lowest death rate counties in a state is plotted against the difference in fintech lenders share of small loans for those same counties. Fintech firms small loan shares have high correlation with death rates, especially in states with large geographical dispersion in death rates. For example, in New York, fintech lenders share of small loans was almost twice as large in the counties with the highest death rates as compared to counties with the lowest death rates. By comparison, bank loan shares were statistically uncorrelated with death rates during Wave 1. During Wave 2, loans of all lenders had a similar correlation with death rates, consistent with other research. Firms that applied for emergency assistance (PPP or other government programs like the EIDL) were more adversely affected by the pandemic than those that did not. Half of firms that completed an application had reduced their workforce, as compared to about 27 percent for firms that did not apply for emergency assistance. This was particularly true for Black-owned firms. About two-thirds of Black-owned firms that applied for emergency assistance had reduced their workforce while less than half of white-owned firms had done so. When applicant firms received PPP loans, they were then more likely to rehire employees. More than three-fourths of firms that received PPP funds took actions to rehire employees compared to just over half of firms that did not apply for or receive PPP funds. Black-owned firms that received PPP were as likely as white-owned firms to have attempted to rehire their employees. However, among firms that did not receive PPP funds (either because they did not apply or they applied but were not approved), Black-owned firms were less likely than white-owned firms to attempt to rehire. Our results do not establish that PPP loans caused more rehires since we do not account for credit demand effects. Nor can our data speak to the magnitude of job loss preventions, but prior research has found that the PPP had modest employment effects. However, it may have helped in other waysfor example, to enable firms to meet non-PPP loans and other non-payroll obligations and to improve their chances of survival. Final Words While fintech lenders accounted for a small share of total PPP loan volumes, they played an important role in serving minority owners and businesses that needed small loans but were less likely to receive them from other sources. These smallest of small establishments are critical in supporting vibrant commercial districts and have higher shares of female and minority entrepreneurs. Reflecting this, special efforts were made in the most recent round of PPP funding to make the program more attractive to sole proprietors, independent contractors, and the self-employed. Source: Liberty Street Economics
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http://www.tynmagazine.com/who-benefited-from-ppp-loans-by-fintech-lenders/
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Who will win 2021-22 Premier League title?
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Reuters Victory for Manchester City over Chelsea in the Champions League final in Porto on Saturday could have an impact well beyond sporting pride. A first ever title in Europe's premier club competition would complete City's rise from Manchester's "second club" to England's top team and experts believe that could be the missing element in creating a truly global brand. "The biggest trophy in club football is the Champions League and winning that would certainly have an impact on their brand, that is why you see clubs chasing it so hard, like Paris St Germain," says Hugo Hensley, head of sports services at Brand Finance.
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https://sports.yahoo.com/win-2021-22-premier-league-200351775.html?src=rss
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Has Australia's gas-fired recovery run out of steam before it even began?
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Good news and bad luck have at least one thing in common. They both run in threes. Last week, three entirely separate but vitally connected events sent shockwaves in quick succession through the fossil fuel industry that are likely to have a lasting long-term impact. Two were international. One was local. On Tuesday, one of four generating units at the Callide C power station, near Biloela in Central Queensland, exploded and caught fire, damaging the other three units and plunging much of Queensland and almost half a million customers into a blackout. Then, on Thursday night, monumental rulings one by a Dutch court, the other by global investors threatened to change the course of three of the world's biggest fossil fuel suppliers. A court in The Hague ordered Royal Dutch Shell to drastically cut its emission reduction targets. It also held the company responsible for the emissions of its consumers. The ruling, which Shell plans to appeal, was unprecedented with the judge dismissing Shell's argument that governments alone were responsible for meeting the Paris Agreement targets. Across the Atlantic later that very same night, shareholders in two of the world's biggest petroleum groups forced management to step up action on climate change. Exxon Mobil was stunned when investors voted two representatives of a small activist hedge fund to the board of the energy giant, vowing to force the company to diversify away from fossil fuels. In a separate move, an overwhelming majority of Chevron investors voted in favour of setting emissions reductions targets for the company. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 2 minutes 57 seconds 2 m 57 s Why the new Hunter Valley gas-fired power station may not stack up Just a fortnight after the federal government strengthened its resolve for a "gas powered" recovery by committing $600 million to a gas-fired electricity generator in the NSW Hunter Valley, the global case for investment in hydrocarbons and fossil fuels has lurched into reverse. The Callide C explosion was an accident. There were unconfirmed reports that a rotor blade broke through its casing, which caused the explosion and the subsequent fire. But no findings have been made and human error and other causes are being explored. Built at the turn of the century, the plant, which uses a more efficient "supercritical boiler technology" is relatively new and in the normal course of events should have at least another three decades of life. But these times are far from normal. With most of the ageing east coast fleet of coal-fired generators becoming increasingly prone to breakdowns, shutdowns and forced maintenance, outages are likely to become common unless they are quickly replaced. Until now, politics and ideology have overwhelmed the science of climate change and, until recently, battled with the economics. While renewables are demonstrably cheaper to build and operate than starting from scratch with a coal-fired generator, governments have been loath to formulate a sensible energy policy and stuck with coal. As a result, fossil fuels will remain in the mix for the medium term until battery storage becomes cheaper. Below is the scheduled shutdown of our coal-fired fleet. Many, however, are being retired early as energy companies see no future in the vast outlay to keep them operational, let alone investing $5 billion-plus in coal-fired plants that are likely to be obsolete within a decade. Coal-fired power stations are set to shut progressively over the next 30 years. ( Supplied: Grattan Institute It's interesting to contrast the reaction from our leaders last week with the 2016 blackouts across South Australia when a fierce storm took out towers, forcing most windfarms shut down and an outcry from coal lobbyists. Oddly, there's been little if any talk this time of the unreliability of coal-fired generation. Instead, there have been calls for more of what is known as "baseload" power. Baseload, however, is not a virtue. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the minimum required amount of electricity to keep the lights on. It's the opposite. It instead describes one of the fundamental shortcomings of coal-fired electricity generators and the inflexibility of steam engines. You can only turn them down to a certain point the baseload beyond which, you have to shut them down. They then take weeks to fire back up. As a result, you had to build enough coal-fired generators to supply just enough electricity, usually at night, when they were powered right down to baseload. Bear that in mind the next time you hear a politician extol the need for more baseload power. What is required is dispatchable energy, that can easily be switched on and off. Renewables fit that bill. So too does gas. But it has become too expensive. And even though it has less emissions than coal, the shift towards an accelerated reduction in emissions is likely to leave it with little future. You can no longer be sure of Shell The landmark case against Royal Dutch Shell, brought by Friends of the Earth Netherlands, could have a lasting impact on Australia and our gas export industry. It holds large interests in some of our biggest natural gas projects off the coast of Western Australia including the North West Shelf (16.7 per cent), Gorgon (25 per cent), Browse (27 per cent) and the southern Queensland development Arrow (50 per cent). The latest ruling adds to a trend from courts in developed nations to switch the onus for action on climate change to corporations. Last week's decision compels Shell to cut emissions by 45 per cent by 2030, almost double the company's plans. While Dutch law doesn't extend to Australia, the size of Shell's Australian interests virtually guarantee that it will be closely examining its operations. Even if the ruling is overturned on appeal, actions of this kind are likely to ramp up, ensuring most major corporations either accelerate their exit from fossil fuels or, at the very least, deploy future investment funds in clean energy. Global leaders may have turned climate change from a scientific study into a political issue for their own ends. But courts, shareholders and insurance companies are now in the ascendancy, transforming the crisis into a legal and financial issue. Exxon and Chevron out of gas Few had ever heard of Engine No 1 until last week. But the tiny hedge fund has been waging a battle against the chief executive of ExxonMobil, Darren Woods, and the board for most of this year. Formed late last year by tech investor Chris James, its interests primarily are focussed on improving returns for its investors while trying to save the planet. Unlike the altruistic motives of Friends of the Earth, however, Engine No 1 is fighting climate change on behalf of capitalists. Its successful attack against Exxon was focussed on the company's poor financial performance and its failure to adapt to a decarbonised world. Last week, it managed to gain two board seats and, with the battle ongoing, could end up with as many as four in a humiliating defeat for Mr Woods. It began the fight with just 0.02 per cent of the shares in Exxon last December. But its arguments about performance and Exxon's sad history of misinformation and lobbying when it comes to climate change, clearly resonated with shareholders. Meanwhile, more than 60 per cent of Chevron investors voted to set targets to reducing emissions, including those of customers. Like Shell, ExxonMobil has an interest in the massive Gorgon gas project off the coast of Western Australia while Chevron has interests in Gorgon and the North West Shelf. Each company ranks among our biggest gas exporters. Gas always was considered a transition fuel; the short stop between coal and renewables. With three major multinationals now under pressure to exit or at least scale back, the transition may have become far more transitory. And the gas-fired recovery may well run out of steam before it even starts.
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-31/has-the-gas-fired-recovery-run-out-of-steam/100177438
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Has China's Propaganda Machinery Taken Over Global Media?
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Even today, when India faces Chinese aggression in full blow, the compromised scholarship finds it painful to target China without reservations When one compares the media coverage given to human rights violations in Gaza, Baluchistan, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Myanmar and the other partly imagined and partly real issues of intolerance and minority rights in India with the horrors of Tibet and Xinjiang, one finds that some of the top-level global mainstream media houses enjoying immense credibility and holding a significant market-share refrain from reporting objectively and sufficiently on Tibet and Xinjiang. This essay takes a dive into the motivations, compulsions, and intentions of the China-sympathetic voices in some parts of the media. In 2013, with the onset of Chinas belt and road project, the phase of sitting by a fence and biding time was over, and Beijing unravelled its revisionist designs to challenge and upturn the liberal world order. Having realised that the dominant norms and values of liberal world order would raise questions on its credibility, especially in human rights and free domo f speech, the CCP leadership began a massive propaganda effort to control the narrative. Hence, with Xis 2016 call to tell Chinas better story to the world began Chinas unique and less known experiment to influence the global media and shape the discourse in its favour. Over the last five years, China has offered hundreds of fellowships to foreign journalists from India, Bangladesh, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Such fellowships include ten months of fully paid stay in Beijings posh diplomatic areas, free and guided tours to Chinas provinces, a degree in international relations from a Chinese university, and most importantly, a handsome stipend (5,000 yuan). Also, they get invitations to the events of the National Peoples Congress and access to senior Chinese officials for choreographed interviews. Interestingly, these fellowship programs are managed by Chinas foreign ministry and public diplomacy division. The most conspicuous aspect of the fellowship program is that they are as opaque as the CCP. There is no formal selection process; usually, the suitable candidates are approached by the Chinese embassy. Reportedly, the fellows from across the world are subtly indicated that if they wished to complete the fellowship, they must refrain from discussing sensitive issues like the South China Sea, Tibet, and Uyghurs. Such subtle or gross intimidation has always been a Chinese tactic while dealing with international students, journalists and scholars. A senior journalist informed this author that the Chinese embassy agreed to give an interview only on the condition of not discussing the so-called sensitive issues. A group of Indian students studying in a prominent Wuhan-based university informed the author that they could not ask uncomfortable questions to their professors or post anything on Wechat that is critical of Chinese systems, if they wished to complete their studies program successfully. The repercussions of non-compliance can result in poor grades, allotment of poor housing and reduction in the fellowship funding. Also, they said that the classes are like propaganda sessions where the instructors sole aim is to justify China and question the US-led world order, be it WTO, intellectual property rights, democracy, and human rights. Further, students are also lured to work with CGTN and CRI (China Radio International) with lucrative monetary incentives, for their quality English communication skills. However, once the addiction of a regular salary and comfortable life sets in, they are subtly forced to publish half-truths and one-sided stories about China and about the countries that are the targets of such state-owned outlets. In a case of intimidation, several Indian social media handles, critical of China over its cover-up job in the coronavirus investigation and Ladakh stand-off, were approached by Chinese companies with lucrative monetary and job offers. Most of them refused to be identified for this piece. Over the last five years, several journalists from reputed and credible mainstream media houses availed Chinese fellowship programs. Interestingly, now is the time to reap rich dividends. Not just scientists but journalists in different countries, after their extended stays in China, are in effect now doing a PR job for China. Having realised that it is not entirely possible to exonerate China in the Covid-19 lab leak theory, they are doing a fine job of projecting a narrative that gives benefit of doubt to the PRC. Nicholas Wades ground-breaking essay comes as a Cold War concoction to them. It seems Beijing has successfully inculcated them with Confucian loyalties. Further, even today, when India faces Chinese aggression in full blow, the compromised scholarship finds it painful to target China without reservations. Though they criticise the government for mishandling and not showing enough muscle against China, they are disappointed with India banning Chinese apps, oppose warming up ties with the US and strengthening Quad, and are upset at GoI rejecting Chinese proposals for installing5G technology in India. Further, amidst deep-rooted distrust and suspicion for China-dependent supply lines, technology, and business entities, they mince no words in trashing the idea of economic decoupling by emphasizing Indias economic dependence on China. Interestingly, compromised scholarship and media reporting on China-related issues have a long history in Indias case. A section of scholars, including prominent voices like AG Noorani always blamed India for aggression in 1962. A high-profile journalist well-known for close ties with the Chinese establishment, declared Dalai Lamas movement a separatist, revanchist and backward-driven agenda to bring moth-eaten theocracy. In those days, the pro-China leanings came from the ideological affinity towards Chinas communist state. However, Indias present generation of China-sympathetic intellectuals, media professionals, and think tanks are primarily the products of Chinas complex and refined influence operations, following from its fundamental strategic doctrine of winning wars without firing a single bullet. Such proxy assets give China an easy pass in the narrow geopolitical straits. Their devout commitment is evident when they turn a blind eye to brutalities in Tibet, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang, CCPs involvement in organ harvesting, secretly supplying nuclear and advanced surveillance technology to rogue regimes, defending terrorists in multilateral platforms, and silencing the dissident voices. More recently, such proxy forces are whitewashing lab-leak theories of Covid-19 by hiding the flaws of the WHO investigation report and presenting it as an epitome of honest investigation. Further, many in global media are exonerating China by cleverly shifting the dominant discourse towards Chinas global supply of vaccines and PPE kits. Behind these soft-power gimmicks lies a devious government in the same league as South Africas apartheid regime and the Nazi regime. Bent on altering global norms and cartography, it continues to escape from needed global scrutiny of its heinous actions. As a country with strong democratic values and openness, India has always supported the interaction and exchanges of its intellectuals and journalistic voices with foreign bodies. If not, then its reasonable to argue that Beijing's regime is abusing Indias democratic freedoms to sabotage its national security. Ethical considerations and self-imposed moral restraints are needed in dealing with China and questions must be asked about its practices instead of giving space to CCPs lies and propaganda.
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http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2021/05/has-chinas-propaganda-machinery-taken.html
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Can a Debit Card Be Used as a Credit Card?
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When you use your debit card to pay for purchases, youre often given a choice to use your debit card When you use your debit card to pay for purchases, youre often given a choice to use your debit card as credit. It might sound like you get to use your debit card as a credit card, but this isnt the case. Choosing between debit and credit at the payment terminal has more to do with how the payment is processed. Lets take a look at the details , and youll see what I mean. How to decide if you should choose debit or credit. A debit card is linked to a bank account, such as a checking account, and you can use the card for purchases. Some consumers prefer to use their debit card as a budgeting tool since you generally cant spend money you dont have. If you select the debit option when youre at the payment terminal, youre asked to enter your personal identification number, or PIN. If its the correct code and you have enough in your account to cover the purchase, your payment will be approved. The amount of your purchase is deducted from your account. [Read: Best Rewards Credit Cards.] Most banks dont charge a fee for using the PIN option. But check with your banks disclosure statements to see whether theres a fee for it, so you dont get stuck with unexpected costs. Opting for debit means the transaction happens right away. But if you choose credit, the transaction is handled differently. If you select credit, this doesnt mean youre buying the items on credit and that theres a grace period. It does mean, however, that theres a lag time before the funds leave your account. It takes longer because the transaction doesnt happen in real time. It can take up to two or three days because now the merchants credit card processor and the payment gateway (e.g., Mastercard or Visa) are involved. But dont assume that you can spend money you dont have because theres basically a float time. If you dont have enough money in the account, your transaction may be denied during the verification process. Even if you slide through that checkpoint, you run the risk of having insufficient funds when the transaction hits your account. You could always set up overdraft protection, but I dont recommend that. Its better to have your card denied than to buy something you cant afford at that moment. It will be uncomfortable, but I promise that you wont die of embarrassment! [Read: Best 0% APR Credit Cards.] Ill be really clear about this: You cant build credit with a debit card. When you use your debit card, youre spending your own money even if you choose credit at the payment terminal. You might see a Mastercard or Visa logo, for example. This logo can make it confusing because we associate a company, such as Visa, with credit cards. But the logo on your debit card just represents the payment gateway used by your bank. With a credit card, you usually have a grace period between 21 and 25 days. The items you purchased are in your possession, so youre using credit to pay for them. As long as you pay the bill in full and by the due date, you effectively get an interest-free loan on your purchases. Using a credit card responsibly also helps you build a great credit score. An excellent score helps you save money in many areas of your life. But a debit card doesnt help your credit status. How to Decide If You Should Choose Debit or Credit For those who use their debit cards as budgeting tools, selecting debit can make tracking your money a little easier. A debit transaction deducts funds from your account before you leave the store. So, when you check your account that night, youre seeing an updated version that reflects your true balance. The decision to select credit stretches out the transaction for a few days. But choosing credit at the payment terminal might be wise if youre in a crowded store and you feel uneasy about punching in your PIN. [Read: Best Cash Back Credit Cards.] If youre trying to support small businesses, using your debit card as a debit transaction is less costly to the merchant. A credit transaction adds layers to the process, and there are fees along the way for the merchant. The choice is yours. As long as you understand that pressing credit doesnt magically turn your debit card into a credit card, youll be fine. originally appeared on usnews.com
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https://wtop.com/news/2021/05/can-a-debit-card-be-used-as-a-credit-card/
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What Is a SEP IRA?
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If you own a business and want to save for retirement, consider setting up a simplified employee pension individual retirement If you own a business and want to save for retirement, consider setting up a simplified employee pension individual retirement account. A SEP IRA can help both you and your employees set aside funds for the future. However, make sure your company and your long-term goals are a good match for this type of account. There are several factors youll want to consider before opening a SEP IRA: Contribution limits. How to invest your SEP IRA. Tax benefits. Find out if a SEP IRA is a good fit. How to open a SEP IRA. Rules for providing SEP IRA contributions to employees. The deadline for making contributions. Heres an overview of what to expect with a SEP IRA and how to open this type of account. This type of retirement account is designed for small business owners. If you work for yourself or have several employees, you may be eligible for a SEP IRA. Similar to a traditional IRA, SEPs are retirement accounts in which business owners can make tax-deductible contributions toward their retirement, says Kevin Dugan, senior partner at Dugan Brown, a retirement planning firm in Dublin, Ohio. The invested funds grow tax-free until they are withdrawn in retirement. When distributions are made, they are considered taxable income. [Read: Retirement Plan Options for the Self-Employed.] How to Open a SEP IRA To start a SEP IRA, youll want to follow a number of steps. These include: 1. Work with an advisor to help establish the account with a custodian. 2. Create a formal agreement using IRS Form 5305-SEP. 3. Provide information to employees who are eligible for the plan. 4. Set up accounts for yourself and employees. 5. Make contributions to the accounts. SEP IRA Contribution Limits An employer can contribute up to $58,000 or 25% of compensation to a SEP IRA in 2021, whichever is lower. Contributions can only be calculated on up to $290,000 of compensation. The contribution limits for a SEP IRA are significantly higher than the $6,000 to $7,000 limit for traditional and Roth IRA contributions. There is no requirement to contribute every year, says Todd Scorzafava, a principal and partner with Eagle Rock Wealth Management in East Hanover, New Jersey. SEP IRA Contribution Deadline Typically, any funds you want to place in a SEP IRA will need to be contributed by the time your business files taxes for that year. This is generally April 15 of the following year. For instance, the deadline to contribute to a SEP IRA in 2021 would generally be April 15, 2022. [Read: IRA Contribution Limits for 2021.] SEP IRA Rules Before offering a SEP IRA to workers, youll want to check if they meet certain criteria. To be eligible for the account, employees must be at least age 21 and have earned at least $650 in compensation during the current year. They also need to have performed services for the company during three of the previous five calendar years. As an employer, you can choose to be less restrictive on the eligibility, but youre not allowed to create requirements that are more restrictive. If your employees meet the criteria, youll need to have an account for them. If they arent eligible and you still choose to include them in the plan, you may do so. Contributions must be made without discrimination. Employers must make equal percentage-based contributions to their employees accounts as they contribute to their own account, which can be expensive, Dugan says. If you have three employees who are eligible and decide to make contributions, youll need to put funds into all three accounts as well as your own. For instance, if you, as the company owner, contribute 5% of your income to a SEP IRA, youll need to contribute that same percentage of income for each employee. If your income is $100,000 and you contribute 5%, or $5,000 of your income to a SEP IRA, youll need to contribute the same proportion of income for each employee. If an employee earns $10,000, youll need to contribute 5%, or $500, to the employees account. Vesting also happens immediately, Dugan says. For a company that has many employees, a SEP IRA may not be the best choice. The plans could quickly become costly if the company grows in terms of staff members. However, if your company has a high turnover rate, you may not need to create an account for many employees. [Read: How to Open a Roth IRA.] How to Invest Your SEP IRA Funds that are placed in a SEP IRA can be invested in different ways. You might opt for stocks, bonds, and other options such as real estate and annuities. Not all investments are permissible, says Robbin E. Caruso, a certified public accountant and partner in the tax department of Prager Metis in Cranbury, New Jersey. For instance, youre not allowed to invest in collectibles, art, stamps or alcoholic beverages. Distributions can be taken from the account starting at age 59 1/2. If funds are taken out before then, there is usually a penalty that will need to be paid for early withdrawal. Required minimum distributions must be taken after age 72. originally appeared on usnews.com Update 05/26/21: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
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https://wtop.com/news/2021/05/what-is-a-sep-ira-2/
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Are men being heard or do they need a listening ear?
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By Diana Elinam and Leila Ikusura I was talking to my best friend who got married 2 years ago, congratulating him on his wedding and catching up and all of a sudden, he said he wanted out. I was in shock, remained calm and I asked him, why would he want to end a marriage so prematurely but before he got to answer this question his wife arrived. The three of us ordered our meal and to be polite, I did not bring the matter up. By observation everything was okay, his wife always a ball of joy, was talking and sharing and we were all laughing. His food arrived way earlier than ours and his wife went at it and they were all smiles. One thing I did notice though my best friend was actually communicating but in a calmer manner. They were moments of awkwardness; ones I wouldnt have observed had he not dropped the bomb. I would see many times his wife would finish his sentences abruptly and often shut him down when he spoke his opinions on any subject at the table. Although my best friend did not verbally defend his points, I couldnt help noticing the facial expressions he displayed and I kept wondering if his wife saw them as well but she was either oblivious or blatantly ignored his non-verbal communication. Advertisement Upon returning home, I started assessing the men around me. My first subjects were my brothers and cousin. The male members of my family are quiet by nature and talk mostly when its one on one conversation or when it is on family matters. Guiltily, I started reminiscing on my sibling battles with my younger brother and I started seeing how many times he would silently walk out of our arguments. I often thought I had won the battle but unfortunately, I started seeing I lost so many times because situations tend to be repeated and we would often argue about the same thing. Infuriating to me, I would observe that most of the time when my mother would speak to him, which is usually when they are doing something alone, it will be in a quiet manner and sometimes accompanied with laughter and my brother would listen and adhere. Its natural that even the most overworked donkey dies early. We might say men lead in everything and so have a say in anything but this could be the source of the problem. A study from Harvard Review shows that many times men are penalized for seeking for assistance, expressing emotions and behaving in modesty. These positive attributes are grouped as indicators for weaknesses. Leila Ikusura The most important human need I have come to discover is validation. To be accepted which include being heard, seen and understood without shame, guilt or judgment. For many people this is something that lacks and the reason being validation is very much a personal internal experience as much as many believe its an external experience. To be validated means you belong and that you matter this is a need all humans have since we are all social beings and are designed to live and thrive as part of a society. One of the issues that the current society is learning to understand and manage is mental health. Why it is a crucial part of life and how to manage it in ways that are sustainable and practical for our individuals and communities. Part of the mental health management mechanism is the need to be heard and validated. Because for the different members in the community it is believed we have different needs. It would seem like an un reasonable and unnecessary question to ask considering the fact that we live in a patriarchal culture where men are seen as the decision makers and they run the families and community at large. What we are addressing in this article is the individual voice which entails their concerns, fears, thoughts, desires and feelings. Many men do not talk about their feelings and may even refuse to acknowledge their emotions because our society has deemed this type of expression a female habit and that men do not possess this trait. According to science all humans (men and women) experience a wide range emotion and are able to express these. This is because most men have been conditioned from their childhood to believe that expressing emotions is a weakness and men cannot be weak and as such men refute and suppress their emotional experiences. The dynamics of life require that one knows what, how and when to express the mind and heart and this is done via emotions and thoughts. When a man is unaware of his emotional state and bottles things up, the likelihood of a breakdown is large. Many men suffer from mental health issues such as stress, depression (many are functional depressants), anxiety and many more mental illnesses. This has led to untimely deaths due to heart problems, strokes and even suicide. In relationships communication and comprehension allow for a peaceful and harmonious environment. The parties involved need to be able to both articulate their inner most desires, needs and boundaries in a healthy manner while also being able to hold space for one another with open minds and hearts with the goal to seek understanding and offer due support where needed or wanted. For many this is where the problem is. Most people grow up not knowing effective communication styles and battle this in their relational spaces. Learning individual communication styles is the first step to learning effective communication. This is done by being honest with ourselves about our needs, desires and boundaries. This can only happen if we take the time to know who we are. Self-awareness bridges the gap between us and others. Many people lack self-awareness. They assume that others will fulfill their needs because that is what we have all been taught. This miseducation has created an array of issues in all of us. Make no mistake, in life what happens to us may not be our fault or our doing but it is each individuals personal responsibility to learn ways to manage our own lives. Your healing is your own work! Men must remember no one will advocate for you but you. You must do your work to first validate yourself, communicate your needs, desires and boundaries and be accountable for your actions in all your endeavors. The rest of us in the society need to learn to hold space for others (men included). Listen to understand and refrain from judging or shaming men when they express their concerns. For those raising boys, it is imperative to teach them that emotions make them human and expressing is part of the package of being human. Mental health is as important as physical health. There are tools and systems put in place to help and support those who suffer with mental illnesses yet all of us need to learn and adopt mechanisms that help us regulate and manage lifes stresses in healthy ways. A healthy mind equates a healthy life. Conclusively I think men and women need to have more open dialogues about issues pertaining to our mental health. We all need to use the tools available to us to address, cope and manage the challenges we face. Men and women must learn how to effectively communicate as well comprehend one another. We all make our society so it is not another persons job to correct what is wrong, it is our job together. I invite both men and women to refuse to be complacent in this, instead actively pursue your personal healing, be accountable for your part and become responsible for your needs and desires. Contributors comments Lincoln Mbowe in Moshi Town: Lincoln says most men in committed relationships remain silent and do not express their views, opinions and concerns due to the fact that the women do not listen to understand and will always shut a man down if what is being said makes the woman feel any discomfort. He says that theres an invisible line between communication and chaos. From his personal experience he sees that many women enter relationships with a lot of baggage from all the things they endure since childhood and the way women have been treated in our society as second class citizens. So these experiences are a defense mechanism that build up and do affect all areas of their lives. Hence this baggage hinders women from seeing their men accurately and even hearing them when they speak. Thus, when dialogue is opened its like flying daggers and men are afraid of that and tend to run. Lincoln also thinks that parents do not equip boys with the right tools and skills of how to be fathers and husbands nor how to communicate effectively. Cuthbert Mbowe in Dar es Salaam: Cuthbert says he sincerely thinks that men are heard but are ignored in the sense that they are present when needed then afterwards are treated like a vase in a room. He says men want to speak about finances, relationships and expectations but not open up emotionally. Men struggle emotionally to express themselves. When living without being heard or feeling like they are not being listened, to some men lash out in bursts of anger and frustration. Some make immature decisions and others shut down completely. Most men binge on alcohol as a coping mechanism while others binge on porn and some have a lot sexual encounters with different women as a means to numb their pain and frustrations. Professionals comments Michael Baruti: A mental health advocate and host of Men. Men. Men - The Podcast Michael Baruti says, I dont think men are unheard, I just think men need to be better communicators and that comes with a better understanding of emotional intelligence as well as understanding why it is important to be a good communicator. Most of us do not possess the emotional intelligence nor the skills of being a good communicator and thats where most of our challenges begin I think that for most part, men feel like they are misunderstood and are not given a safe space for them to express themselves freely without being judged by the society or the community they reside in. I think the society should provide a safe space or should be a safe space whereby men can simply express themselves without being worried about being judged or without risking being seen as less of men he adds. The impact of men not speaking out, results into things like toxic masculinity, which rears men who do not see the importance of having a good emotional intelligence. The bigger impact is things like gender-based violence, intimate partner violence and even domestic violence. Educational Psychologist Modesta Kimonga, agrees that men do need a listening ear. Since they were naturally created superior and strong, they tend to show the following signs: silence, overreacting, going MIA (Missing in action) or leaving the environment they feel unheard in. They do believe that being out of the crowd can help she explains. Modesta advises that, the proper way to go about this situation is by getting to know them well and mostly the application of attentive listening and adhering to their wishes will be very helpful.
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https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/magazines/sound-living/are-men-being-heard-or-do-they-need-a-listening-ear--3419290
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Can Asparagus Prevent Hangovers?
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It is unknown whether eating asparagus in its natural form before, after, or while drinking alcohol will help soothe a hangover, and if so, to what extent. The study was not conducted on humans nor did it use asparagus in its natural form. A study published in 2009 found that asparagus extract helped to alleviate effects of alcohol in cultured human cells not actual humans. These findings suggested that consuming asparagus could possibly help alleviate the effects of an alcohol hangover and protect the liver against some toxins. However... From hangover-free liquor to eating dry yeast, the internet has tried to help fight hangovers for decades. And yet another hangover cure went viral in May 2021 after a Twitter user shared a photo of an asparagus bunch on May 22. A tag attached to the vegetable bundle told consumers, Eating asparagus before you start drinking can help protect your liver. Its minerals and amino acids not only protect the liver from toxins, the enzymes in asparagus can help break down the alcohol and alleviate hangovers. That claim can be traced back to a 2009 study published in the Journal of Food Science by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a forum of science and food professionals. Based on the evidence presented in the research, we determined this claim to be a mixture due to the fact that the scientists found that asparagus extract helped to alleviate the effects of alcohol in cultured human cells not actual humans. While these findings suggested that consuming asparagus could help alleviate the effects of an alcohol hangover and protect the liver against some toxins, it is unknown whether eating asparagus in its pure form before, after, or while drinking alcohol will immediately help soothe a hangover, and if so, to what extent. The researchers credit Asparagus officinalis, the species of asparagus they used in the 2009 study, for anti-cancer effects, as well as antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic properties. Its roots and shoots consist of health-promoting plant compounds like flavonoids, carbohydrates known as oligosaccharides, and protein-building amino acid derivatives. To determine whether A. officinalis might also be considered a supplement for the alleviation of alcohol hangover, researchers at the Institute of Medical Science and Jeju National University in Korea analyzed components of young asparagus shoots and leaves to compare the biochemical effect on human and rat liver cells not humans. The researchers collected asparagus from several different farms in Korea, air-dried the shoots and leaves from young plants and then extracted their compounds and injected them into rat and human cells that had been cultured in Petri dishes (known as HepG2), some of which contained the key chemical found in alcohol, ethanol. (For comparison, the asparagus extract was also compared with two commercial hangover drinks available on the market at the time, Condition and Dawn808, for controls.) Chronic alcohol use can cause oxidative stress on the liver, which is responsible for metabolizing ethanol through two key enzymes, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase. Higher concentrations of a metabolite of ADH called acetate can cause toxic effects of alcohol also known as hangover symptoms. But when treated with asparagus extract, these two enzymes worked nearly twice as effectively to essentially detoxify the liver cells. Cellular toxicities were significantly alleviated in response to treatment with the extracts of asparagus leaves and shoots, said lead researcher B.Y. Kim in a news release at the time of the study. These results provide evidence of how the biological functions of asparagus can help alleviate alcohol hangover and protect liver cells. Although the scientists did not compare other species of asparagus, they note that the antioxidant activity of A. officinalis observed in this study was potent enough to provide biochemical evidence that asparagus may alleviate alcohol hangover and protect liver cells against toxins. They also noted that asparagus leaves, which are normally chucked out, contain higher levels of amino acids and inorganic mineral contents that could also be therapeutically beneficial. Snopes contacted the IFT to determine if there have been additional or more recent studies regarding whether asparagus can help to alleviate the effects of a hangover. However, we did not hear back from the organization. In short, a 2009 study held promise for treating hangovers, but it did not necessarily provide conclusive evidence that eating asparagus will cure or prevent hangovers. Health experts recommend staying hydrated, replacing lost vitamins and, unfortunately, just waiting it out.
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https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/asparagus-prevents-hangover/
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Does Microscopic Image Show Smiley Faces in a Blade of Grass?
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This is a genuine image of a cross section of grass leaf under a microscope. No part of the leaf is "smiling" in any literal sense, of course, but the round features known as "vascular bundles" do resemble "smiley faces" when viewed from above. An image that appears to show a bunch of little smiley faces peering out at the viewer from under a microscope has been circulating on the internet for years. In a meme that has been shared by social media users since May 2021, the image is accompanied by a caption that reads, This is what a blade of grass looks like under a microscope. Next time you take a walk outside, know that the grass is happy to see you. Although we were unable to find the original source of the above image, we did locate other microscopic images of grass with similar features. A discussion about the image cropped up in 2015 on the question-and-answer site StackExchange, where a user with an anonymous profile pointed to a similar image on a science stock photo website that was captioned: Marram grass leaf. Light micrograph of a cross section through a closed (unravelled) leaf of Marram grass, Ammophila arenaria. The deeply grooved leaf is thrown into folds (seen here) and it uncurls when mature so that the folds do not face the centre. The folds conserve water and withstand salt, and prevent excessive evaporation. Round vascular bundles are visible inside each fold, serving to transport food and water through the leaf. Spines on the surface discourage animals from eating the leaf. Marram grass is important in coastal ecology, since it is one of the commonest grass species in Britain to stabilize sand dunes. Magnification: x22 at 35mm size. Maria Morrow, assistant professor of botany and environmental science at College of the Redwoods, pointed out that the smiley faces are in fact vascular bundles typical in plants called monocots plants that are only composed of one leaf, like grass. So although the above image does depict the components of a real leaf cross section under a microscope, its safe to say that the image doesnt in any literal sense show a leaf smiling or happy to see you. In fact, describing these characteristics as smiley faces is a subjective call. Looking at the image included in Morrows article, one could argue the leaf is actually screaming at you: In other words, the smiley faces are just an illusion created by viewing a slice of the leafs round vascular bundles from above, through a microscope lens.
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https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/grass-smiling-microscope/
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Did a Megalodon Stalk a Cruise Ship?
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An authentic video was captured in the Atlantic Ocean showing what one expert told Snopes was likely a female white shark not a megalodon. A video shared to the social media platform TikTok on May 25, 2021, showed what appeared to be an extremely large shark perhaps the now-extinct supergiant megalodon circling a ship. Originally uploaded by musician Alex Albrecht, the video was said to have been captured while sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. At the time of this writing, the video had been liked more than 4.8 million times. @.alex.albrecht Sailed six weeks in the atlantic saw this big fucking shark original sound Alex Albrecht The magnitude of the sharks size was made visible by its comparison to the people standing along the deck of the ship, prompting some users to suggest the seemingly impossible: that the animal in question was a now-extinct marine giant that once swam the ancient seas, a megalodon. Nicknamed The Meg by a 2018 science-fiction flick of the same name, the megalodon clocks in as the worlds largest shark. Megalodon fossils date back to 20 million years ago, and not only was the megalodon (scientific name Otodus megalodon) the largest shark on Earth, but the Natural History Museum reported that it was also one of the largest fish to ever exist measuring up to 36 feet in length and three times longer than the white shark. It is important to note that estimates of megalodon size are not definitive, as a complete fossil specimen has never been found. The megalodon went extinct around 3.8 million years ago. As such, other TikTok users suggested that the shark in the video may have been a basking shark, the second largest fish in the world, second only to the whale shark, according to the oceanic conservation group Oceana. Snopes spoke with John McCosker, the chairman of aquatic biology at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, who said that the animal in the TikTok was indeed a big shark, but was likely not a basking shark. It is probably a white shark (to call it a great white shark is just hyperbolic), which exists in those waters. I suspect that it is as large as 18 feet, but there is no way to calculate accurately from that photo, said McCosker. A look through the scientific literature confirmed what McCosker said. The white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, can weigh up to 6,600 pounds and grow to a maximum size of around 20 feet in length, noted Oceana. (However, the Smithsonian Institute reports that average female measures around 16 feet long, while males typically reach about 13 feet.) Great white sharks are opportunistic predators, feeding from the oceans surface to the seafloor. As great white sharks grow in size, so does the range of their prey, said Oceana. Smaller great whites prey on fish, rays, and crustaceans and when they are larger also eat seals, sea lions, dolphins, seabirds, marine turtles, rays, and other sharks. What remains unclear is why the shark was circling the ship in the first place. Snopes contacted the original poster of the video, Albrecht, to receive more information about where the video was taken but did not receive a response in time for publication. We will update the article accordingly if we hear back.
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https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/megalodon-stalk-a-cruise-ship/
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Did Pennsylvania Lawmakers Vote to Fine Women Who Have a Miscarriage?
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Pennsylvania House Bill 118 of 2021 would fine women who have a miscarriage, or force them to pay for a fetal death certificate. However, Pennsylvania law does not require patients themselves to register fetal deaths, or file, obtain or pay for a fetal death certificate, and it does not fine them for having a miscarriage. The bill would not introduce such legal requirements. The bill could greatly expand the obligation on healthcare providers to file fetal death certificates. In order to fully discharge that legal obligation, healthcare providers would, in many cases, have to consult with patients about the details of the fetal death, even if the patients would strongly prefer not to discuss fetal death certificates and similar considerations. Thus, the bill was likely to multiply the trauma suffered by patients who undergo an abortion or miscarriage in Pennsylvania. In May 2021, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from Pennsylvania posted a widely shared condemnation of state lawmakers who she claimed had voted to fine women who miscarry, as well as forcing them to apply for a fetal death certificate: Val Arkoosh, chairwoman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and one of several Democratic candidates seeking to replace retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, posted the same message to Facebook on May 25, and offered further details in a short Instagram video, in which she said the bill in question: effectively fines patients for having a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy or an abortion, by forcing them to get a $20 death certificate a completely unnecessary requirement for families experiencing tremendous loss. This is outrageous. Arkoosh did not stipulate the legislation to which she was referring and did not respond to an inquiry from Snopes, but she appears to have had in mind Pennsylvania House Bill 118, which was one of three pieces of legislation voted through by a Republican majority on the House Health Committee earlier that day. HB 118 did not introduce a fine for women who have a miscarriage, nor did it introduce a requirement for them to pay for, or obtain, a fetal death certificate. The specific claims made by Arkoosh, in her widely shared tweet, were therefore inaccurate. However, the legislation did propose introducing new requirements and expanding existing ones for healthcare providers. If implemented, HB 118 could require healthcare providers to bury or cremate any and all fetal remains after a miscarriage or abortion, no matter how early in the pregnancy, and to file a fetal death certificate with the state of Pennsylvania, on penalty of a fine or even imprisonment. The process of filing a fetal death certificate is very likely to involve consultation and discussion with women who may strongly prefer not to take any part in discussions about such arrangements, and therefore HB 118 was likely, if implemented, to multiply the trauma inflicted on such women, in the state of Pennsylvania. Obligations on Healthcare Providers and Patients Under existing Pennsylvania law, specifically Article V of the Vital Statistics Law of 1953, healthcare providers are required to take a number of actions in the event of a fetal death, whether through miscarriage, abortion, or ectopic pregnancy. Firstly, they must file a fetal death certificate within four business days. Secondly, after the death is officially registered, they must apply for a permit for disposal and dispose of the remains. If an adult has died, these steps are typically taken by a funeral director, in collaboration with family members. But in the event of a fetal death, its a healthcare provider who typically registers the death and disposes of the fetal remains. Pennsylvania law does not require patients to file a fetal death certificate or obtain a copy of one. Thats where Arkooshs tweet was mistaken. However, the process for a healthcare provider to take those steps is likely to require the involvement of the patient, and could well be traumatizing for her. For example, Section 501 of the Vital Statistics Law states that, in the context of preparing and filing a fetal death certificate: Personal information concerning the deceased or the fetal death shall be supplied by the person best acquainted with the facts. The person best acquainted with the facts is likely, in many cases, to be the patient herself, meaning healthcare providers in order to discharge their own legal obligations as best they can are realistically obliged to consult the patient and discuss the fetal death with her. So while its not accurate to say women who have a miscarriage or abortion are forced to fill out a fetal death certificate application, as Arkoosh claimed, they are effectively forced to take part in the filling out of a fetal death certificate. For reasons we will outline, HB 118 could greatly increase the prevalence of that involuntary participation in completing fetal death certificates. Expansion of Obligations Importantly, the Vital Statistics Law defines fetal death as follows: The expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception after sixteen (16) weeks gestation, which shows no evidence of life after such expulsion or extraction. [Emphasis is added]. Therefore, under existing Pennsylvania law, the certification and disposal requirements associated with a fetal death do not apply where the loss of pregnancy takes place before 16 weeks gestation. By contrast, HB 118, sponsored by State Rep. Francis Ryan, a Republican, removes that gestational age parameter from its definition of fetal death, as follows: Fetal death. The expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception which shows no evidence of life after the expulsion or extraction. By removing the 16-week threshold from the definition of fetal death, HB 118 appears to require healthcare providers to file a fetal death certificate for any and all fetal remains, no matter how early in the pregnancy. Most abortions take place early in pregnancies. In Pennsylvania in 2019, for example, almost 29,000 of the 31,000 abortions in the state that year (92%) happened before 14 weeks gestational age. Furthermore, it is estimated that around 80% of miscarriages take place within the first 12 weeks of a pregnancy (although some women undergo miscarriages at home rather than in a healthcare setting). For these reasons, it is fair to assume that HB 118 would, if implemented, quite significantly increase the administrative burdens on healthcare providers involved in pregnancy loss, in the state of Pennsylvania. Furthermore, given the fact that filing a fetal death certificate is likely to require discussion and consultation with patients, as outlined above, it is also reasonable to assume that HB 118 would, if implemented, significantly multiply the trauma inflicted upon women who undergo a miscarriage or abortion, and do not wish to take part in fetal death registration or related discussions. The Definition of Fetal Death A measure of confusion exists over the wording of HB 118, and its consequences. HB 118 does not explicitly amend the existing definition of fetal death in the Vital Statistics Law, so its not clear which definition would take precedence the existing one, which relates only to fetal deaths after 16 weeks gestational age, or the new one, which has no gestational age parameters and would expand the certification requirements from a minority of cases to all fetal deaths. In a news release, Ryans office insisted that HB 118 does not require a death certificate and suggested that the 16-week rule stemmed from the federal U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as follows: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires hospitals to record all fetal deaths occurring after 16 weeks gestation for statistical purposes. Ryans legislation would have no impact of the CDCs definition of fetal death. This is inaccurate. The CDC does not require recording of fetal deaths after 16 weeks, and such recording requirements vary from state to state. It is particularly unusual that Ryan would attribute the 16-week rule to the CDC, when the definition of fetal death in his own legislation clearly appears to have been taken from the definition found in the Vital Statistics Law the wording is almost identical, but with the phrase after sixteen (16) weeks gestation removed. Snopes asked a spokesperson for Ryan about this, and asked whether he supported keeping the 16-week floor for fetal death certificates and disposal requirements, but we did not receive a response. Given that Ryans definition of fetal death has almost the exact same wording as the one found in the Vital Statistics Law, the new definition appears to be an amendment of the old one, in all but name. Burial or Cremation HB 118 would introduce a new requirement for healthcare providers to either bury or cremate fetal remains, no matter how early the pregnancy loss takes place, and no matter the cause. Under existing law, healthcare providers are obliged to obtain a disposal permit after 16 weeks gestational age, but there is no specific requirement for the manner in which a healthcare provider disposes of fetal remains (provided the disposal is otherwise lawful), and such remains are sometimes disposed of as medical waste. Specific requirements do exist, in the context of abortions, for the examination and disposal of tissue extracted during first and second-trimester abortions. HB 118 would change that. In Section 3(b), the bill lists the obligations it would place on health care facilities. Among them is Cremate or inter the fetal remains. Because HB 118 defines fetal remains as the fetus expelled or extracted in a fetal death, it would include cases of miscarriage. So Ryans bill would take Pennsylvania law from requiring certain protocols for the examination and disposal of tissue after abortions, including disposal as medical waste, to now requiring burial or cremation for all fetal remains, at any gestational age, no matter the cause. This burial/cremation requirement follows similar laws recently introduced in several other states, including Indiana, whose 2016 legislation was signed into law by then-Gov. Mike Pence. In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Indianas fetal remains law, after a challenge from Planned Parenthood and others. Burial Rule and Death Certificates Importantly, the burial/cremation rule in HB 118 would also appear to trigger a requirement to file a death certificate for all fetal remains. Heres how: HB 118 defines fetal remains as The fetus expelled or extracted in the case of a fetal death In turn, HB 118 defines fetal death as The expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception which shows no evidence of life after the expulsion or extraction (That is, without any gestational age parameters) HB 118 would require healthcare providers to Cremate or inter the fetal remains Thus, HB 118 creates an obligation to bury or cremate all fetal remains, no matter the gestational age or cause of death. In order to bury or dispose of fetal remains, a healthcare provider/funeral director must first obtain a a permit for interment or other disposition In order to get that permit, they must first file a fetal death certificate. (In every instance, the certificate shall be filed prior to the issuance of a permit for interment or other disposition of the dead body or fetal remains. Vital Statistics Law of 1953, Section 501). Therefore, HB 118 would appear to indirectly trigger a requirement for a fetal death certificate to be filed for every fetal death. So, if Ryans new, all-inclusive definition of fetal death is used or takes precedence, HB 118 would require a fetal death certificate for all fetal deaths in two ways: Directly because existing state law requires a fetal death certificate be filed within four business days of any fetal death Indirectly because HB 118 also requires burial/cremation for all fetal remains, and existing state law requires a fetal death certificate be filed in order to obtain a permit to bury or otherwise dispose of fetal remains. However, while the requirement to bury or cremate any and all fetal remains comes from HB 118, the requirement to file a death certificate in order to get a burial permit comes from the Vital Statistics Law and, as we have already outlined, that particular legislation defines fetal death as only including fetal deaths after 16 weeks gestation. So again we are faced with the discrepancy between the existing definition of fetal death and the new one proposed in HB 118. Finally, HB 118 would also introduce new criminal penalties for healthcare providers. Section 4 of the bill states that: A person who violates the provisions of this act shall be subject to the penalties imposed under Article IX of the Vital Statistics Law of 1953. Article IX of that law states, in turn, that: Any person who violates any of the provisions of this act shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50) and not more than three hundred dollars ($300), together with costs, and in default of payment of the fine and costs, to be imprisoned in the county jail for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days. So, under HB 118, a healthcare provider who fails to properly certify a fetal death, or disposes of fetal remains in any way other than burial or cremation, could face fines of up to $300, and if they dont pay those fines, they could in principle be sent to jail for up to one month. On May 25, members of the House Health Committee voted 15-10, along party lines, to pass HB 118 and report it for consideration by the entire General Assembly. The bill is opposed by various pro-choice groups including the ACLU, Womens Law Project, and Planned Parenthood.
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https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/pennsylvania-miscarriage-fine/
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What are the swarms of black bugs taking over Albertas Pigeon Lake?
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Send this page to someone via email They look like mosquitoes, they sound like mosquitoes, but alas, theyre not mosquitoes. Visitors around Pigeon Lake, Alta., have recently noticed swarms of mosquito-like black bugs taking over the area southwest of Edmonton. I think Ive eaten four already, said Travis Reid, who was enjoying a beach day on Sunday. I dont remember it being like this years ago. If you look up, its all you can see just clouds of them. Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If you look up, it's all you can see just clouds of them." Marjorey Buges arrived at the lake around 9:30 a.m. Sunday. She said shes been to the area several times over the past few years but the bugs have never been this bad. We were swarmed, she said. Its pretty bad and the bug spray doesnt help. Theyll land in your mouth and your eyes, so thats the annoying part about it. Story continues below advertisement Both beachgoers admitted they eventually got used to the bugs and were still able to enjoy their days. The first thing you might think when you saw it is, Woah! Thats a lot of mosquitoes! But it isnt. Mosquitoes can hurt you and these ones cant hurt you at all, said entomologist Janet Sperling. This happens to be a swarm of chironomid midges. Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This happens to be a swarm of chironomid midges." View image in full screen Swarms of chironomid midges have taken over Pigeon Lake, Alta. Pictures were taken Sunday, May 30, 2021. Global News The chironomids look like mosquitoes but they dont have mouthparts, so they cant bite, Sperling explained. They are basically fish food. All the mother fish are out there saying, This is a superb year, because we have a whole lot of chironomids, Sperling said with a smile. Story continues below advertisement Sperling said the larvae live under the ice and come out after it melts. She said the swarms were seeing this year are a great sign of a healthy lake. Fish love them and theyre actually an indicator too of a healthy lake. If you didnt have chironomids, youd have to worry that maybe there was some kind of pollution in the lake, she said. To have this kind of mass outburst of chironomids is actually a good thing. It says that we have a nice, healthy lake. While the bugs may be a nuisance to those trying to get outside to enjoy the nice weather, Sperling stressed that the insects are not harmful. People dont need to use bug spray to repel them because they dont bite, she added. Because chironomids come out in swarms, Sperling encouraged people to wear their face masks to keep the bugs from flying into their mouths. Sperling expects the insects to be around for the next few weeks. Whats fun about this is theres that particular chironomid and then theres another species and another species and another species, she explained. Story continues below advertisement So were going to have this for a while. Were going to have the little ones and the bigger ones. But again, since none of them are going to bite you like a mosquito, its really not a problem. You can take the kids out, take a look at this really cool fish food and know that they were lucky that they happen to be here. This was a great year; 2021 was a great year for these particular chironomid midges. She said the insects are a sight to be seen, and everyone should get out and experience the perfect storm of chironomids. It is a little bit like going to Africa and seeing the wildebeest on the Serengeti because we can go to Pigeon Lake and I know that the people of the Village of Pigeon Lake would love to see you, Sperling said. Its going to be a beautiful weekend, and you can go and you can check out this amazing Alberta, kind-of-Serengeti thing when you get hundreds of them. We have cool things here too and many of them are insects. Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We have cool things here too and many of them are insects." Sperling said June 8 is National Insect Appreciation Day. The Entomological Society of Alberta is encouraging people to get out and take pictures of the cool insects they see in their communities. Story continues below advertisement
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https://globalnews.ca/news/7906201/bugs-alberta-pigeon-lake/
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Should I use GoDaddy for my domain provider?
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Honestly I would stay away from GoDaddy. If you are getting a domain, there are cheaper alternatives (and pretty much any provider is fine for the domain name part of things). If you are talking about web hosting, I would go with a host like BlueHost or Siteground. They can be a bit more pricy compared to others, but their services is bar none some of the best I have seen. If you are really tech savy and want to really get your hands dirty, you could even setup a website on something like AWS and be your own host. The advantage here is that you can tweak everything and install whatever you want. But just shop around for your host and pick one that fits your needs. As for the actual domain registrar, you can go with anyone really.
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https://www.sitepoint.com/community/t/should-i-use-godaddy-for-my-domain-provider/368412/2
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What next for Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat?
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The Miami Heat are the first team to be eliminated from the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks outplayed the Heat and swept them in four games. Jimmy Butler and his team were abysmal with shooting and were lackadaisical on the defensive end. Their tame exit was particularly surprising as they made the NBA Finals just last year. The Miami Heat now face some serious questions in the offseason. Their exit was quite concerning as they couldn't even salvage one game. Not only did Butler and Bam Adebayo perform atrociously, but even the younger players were not in their element. The Heat getting swept has led to fans and analysts questioning whether last season's playoff run was a fluke due to the fan-less Orlando bubble. Miami Heat's major areas of concern Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat The Miami Heat getting swept has exposed some major flaws in their game. To begin with, the team lacks in the rebounding department. They ranked 29th in the league in rebounding this season. Miami was outrebounded by the Milwaukee Bucks in all four games of the series by drastic margins. In the four games, the rebounding difference was 51-64, 36-61, 42-55, and 40-56. A lack of offensive boards and second chance opportunities eventually hurt them and led to their demise. Bucks already with six offensive rebounds, and four came on that possession. Heat has one offensive rebound. Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) May 28, 2021 There has been chatter about moving Bam Adebayo into the power forward position. He was listed at the 'four' spot last season, and at 6-foot-9, he will make a better power forward than a center. Adebayo gets easily bullied by other big men in the paint and he cannot muscle his way against some of the stronger centers in the league. Getting a bonafide center should be a priority for the Miami Heat. The Miami Heat also lacked shooting. Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson couldn't handle the playoff pressure in front of a crowd and didn't show signs of their performances from last season's playoffs. They had one amazing shooting night in Game 1 and shot 30% from the three point line in the final three games. Most importantly, their star player Jimmy Butler was just a shell of himself. He shot just 29.7% from the field in the series and 26.7% from the three point line. In the minutes he played, the Miami Heat were outscored every time. Moreover, he had the worst +/- of any player in the NBA playoffs with a -86. Butler made 32-of-62 FG attempts in 2020. True shooting percentage of 68.2% Butler made 19-of-64 FG attempts in 2021. True shooting percentage of 39.4% Miami was outscored by 86 points (!!) in the 154 minutes Jimmy Butler was on the floor in the Bucks 4-game sweep Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) May 30, 2021 Miami Heat's priorities in the offseason Milwaukee Bucks v Miami Heat - Game Three With Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler playing like shells of themselves, coach Eric Spoelstra took the blame for not implementing the right strategies and getting them in their comfort zone. The Miami Heat severely lacked a third option as the rest of the roster was unable to buy a bucket. Famous Miami Heat writer Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel spoke about the Heat's offseason goals and how they need to get another player, "...for Bam, he is 23. What the Heat paid for is continued growth. They have gotten that and will continue to get that...There were similar questions about a foundation of Giannis and Middleton, and then Jrue Holiday came along. What will define Bam and Jimmy going forward may well be the Heats third wheel." Victor Oladipo's injury history makes him an unreliable piece for the roster. Although he is talented enough to be the third wheel missing on this team, we will have to wait until next season. The Miami Heat are expected to be active in the 2021 NBA free agency market. If Kawhi Leonard's postseason run with the LA Clippers ends in an early exit, he is expected to consider his final year player option. According to reports, Butler and Leonard's friendship is expected to incline the latter towards Miami. Miami Heat Should 'Aggressively Pursue' Kawhi Leonard In 2021 Free Agencyhttps://t.co/1BexGrtwqM The Inquisitr (@theinquisitr) May 13, 2021 However, a point of concern for the Miami Heat is star forward Jimmy Butler. As mentioned earlier, he had the worst postseason run of any player in the 2021 NBA playoffs. He had the worst +/- in the league and averaged 14.3 points per game on 29% shooting. The Heat front office has a decision to make regarding his contract extension and whether they are ready to commit to another multi-million deal for an added four years, well into Butler's late-30s. Heat face a potential $181 million decision this offseason on locking in Jimmy Butler through age 36. https://t.co/9OMT3bpIUn Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) May 30, 2021 Reason to be optimistic and what to expect next season Miami Heat Despite this early playoff exit, the Miami Heat, as presently constructed, are close to a championship run. Adebayo is 23 years old, Herro is 21, Kendrick Nunn is 25 and Robinson is 27. They have a host of young players developing at a good pace and they certainly have a bright future. The Heat also have a bunch of veterans like Butler, Udonis Haslem, Andre Iguodala and Goran Dragic who have guided this team quite well. If the Miami Heat make the necessary additions in the offseason, we should expect a great campaign from them next season. Given the situation in the Eastern Conference, it is unlikely that they will end up in the top 4 of the playoff bracket but will certainly make the playoffs at least. Bam Adebayo has addressed concerns regarding his shooting and has acknowledged that he will work on his three-point shot. Butler is certainly expected to be motivated next year and come out a much better player. Herro, Nunn and Robinson are also improving with every passing season and will have significant experience under their belt next year. Also Read: NBA Free Agency 2021: 5 Teams that can target Kawhi Leonard in the upcoming offseason
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https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/what-next-jimmy-butler-miami-heat
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Who is Chris Sheng?
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CHRIS Sheng is a businessman who is engaged to model and reality star Courtney Stodden. Stodden showed off a giant diamond engagement ring as she announced the news on Instagram on May 30, 2021. Chris Sheng is an entrepreneur who has been dating Courtney Stodden for four years. Also a producer and director, Sheng was born on August 15, 1979, in Chicago. Director and writer credits include the 2011 horror film Knock Knock 2. The 26-year-old Stodden, who uses they/them pronouns, gained notoriety when they married The Green Mile actor Doug Hutchison when they were 16. Hutchison was 51 at the time. 3 Courtney Stodden in 2019 Credit: Getty Their divorce was finalized in March of 2020 after their relationship went through multiple ups-and-down. Stodden and Hutchison appeared together on VH1's Couples Therapy as they tried to work things out. Courtney has also appeared on such shows as Celebrity Big Brother and the self-titled Courtney. Stodden began dating Sheng in 2017, but their relationship has been an on-and-off one. 3 Courtney Stodden says she is engaged to Chris Sheng Credit: Social Media - Refer to Source Courtney told Us Weekly in 2020 that things were firmly on, saying: "I've been dating the same guy for three years, Chris [Sheng]." They added: "It isn't easy to believe in love. It's hard for me to completely open up to him and trust. "I'm constantly pulling back and criticizing everything about everything." The couple was pictured getting coffee together in Los Angeles in May of 2021. Demi slammed for 'promoting diet soda' after ripping 'sugar-free cookies' TEEN MOM TWINS! Stodden was in the headlines earlier in 2021 when they claimed Chrissy Teigen cyber-bullied them in 2011. While talking about the mom-of-two, Courtney told The Daily Beast: "She wouldn't just publicly tweet about wanting me to take 'a dirt nap' but would privately DM me and tell me to kill myself. Things like, I can't wait for you to die. Since making the claims, Chrissy's cravings cookware line has been dropped by Bloomingdales. It was also removed by Macy's.
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https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/2985454/chris-sheng-fiance-courtney-stodden-engagement-ring/
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Who was Joe Lara and what was his net worth?
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JOE Lara's life was cut short at 58 years old after the small private jet he was on crashed into a lake in Tennessee on May 29, 2021. Authorities said that no one on board survived. Joe Lara--real name William Joseph Lara--was born in San Diego, California, on October 2, 1962. In the early 1990s, he was cast to play Tarzan in TV series Tarzan: The Epic Adventures. The show only ran for one season. Joe had also taken the lead role in the television movie Tarzan In Manhattan. he actor, who was also a martial artist, also appeared in the 1993 movie American Cyborg: Steel Warrior and follow up flick Steel Frontier in 1995. His net worth was estimated between $1million and $5million. 5 Credit: Alamy On August 18, 2018, Joe married Gwen Shamblin. Joe was among seven people presumed dead after a private jet crashed into a Tennessee lake. The actor, 58, was said to have been traveling on the Cessna 501 with his diet guru wife Gwen Shamblin when the plane plunged into Percy Priest Lake, TMZ has said. 5 Gwen and her husband Joe Lara Credit: Facebook Gwen Shamblin Lara - a mother of two - was a Christian diet guru who founded the Remnant Fellowship Church in 1999. She was born in February of 1955 in Memphis. Her husband of three years, actor Joe Lara, also perished in the plane crash. She is the author of The Weigh Down Diet, "a groundbreaking approach to weight loss," according to the book's description. 5 Gwen Shamblin Lara Credit: gwenshamblinlara/Instagram "People who have known no end to their hunger and who have no control over their late-night binges have learned through the Weigh Down Workshop that they can remove the irresistible desire for food," according to the Amazon summary. "This is not a diet like others, because it is not food-focused." The Remnant Fellowship Church is located in Brentwood, Tennessee. More than three decades ago Gwen had launched the Weigh Down Workshop - a Bible study series that "directed hurting, imprisoned souls how to turn away from destructive vices and unwanted behaviors and emotions - such as overeating, alcohol indulgence, anger and depression - and point them to a genuine relationship with God." Her book - and the creation of the Remnant Fellowship Church - would later follow. Joe Lara was one of seven people killed in a plane crash in May of 2021. A Cessna C501 crashed into Percy Priest Lake near Smyrna, Tennessee, after taking off from a nearby airport about 11 am on May 29. 5 Gwen Shamblin Lara and Joe Lara Credit: gwenshamblinlara/Instagram Our efforts have transitioned from a rescue effort to that of a recovery effort. ... We are no longer ... looking for live victims at this point, said Rutherford County Fire Rescue Captain Joshua Sanders. The seven killed were Brandon Hannah, Gwen and Joe Lara, David L. Martin, Jennifer J. Martin, Jessica Walters and Jonathan Walters. The small plane was reportedly bound for Palm Beach International Airport in Florida. The plane was registered to JL&GL Productions LP, which the Laras owned together, according to WTVF. US security monitoring two Iranian warships 'heading to Venezuela' LIVES CUT SHORT Gwen Shamblin Lara's net worth revealed 'DISGUSTING DISRESPECT' Harris blasted for tone deaf 'enjoy the weekend' Memorial Day tweet Gwen's daughter Elizabeth Hannah reportedly sent out a text message to Remnant church members asking for prayers. She said that the plane had to go down "for a controlled, quick landing," according to the outlet. Hannah said that the Laras were on the plane with other church leaders.
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https://www.the-sun.com/news/2985414/joe-lara-tarzan-plane-crash-tennessee-lake/
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When should motorists report a roadside fire?
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A grass fire burning along a north Minneapolis freeway on a recent Saturday caught the attention and curiosity of passing motorists as flames danced through the vegetation and smoke wafted over the traffic lanes. One driver on adjacent N. Washington Avenue shot video of the small blaze on the embankment of westbound Interstate 94 in the vicinity of N. Dowling Avenue and wondered if it had been set intentionally. The Minnesota Department of Transportation sometimes conducts prescribed burns to prevent weed infestations, control erosion, protect water quality and clear sightlines. This spring, the agency has carried out about 24 controlled burns, in which "we light the fire and it goes where we want to go," said Nate Johnson, a roadside vegetation specialist with MnDOT's Office of Environmental Stewardship. That was not the case on May 22, when fire was spotted on I-94 about 7:30 p.m. Several small, sporadic fires popped up between W. Broadway and Dowling that night and created "lots of smoke but minimal area of damage and area burned," said Melanie Rucker, an assistant fire chief with the Minneapolis Fire Department. The causes were undetermined, she said. Yes, but not if it's a prescribed burn. Here is how drivers can tell the difference: MnDOT will post signs alerting drivers about the fires and smoke that may be drifting over the road. Additionally, crews in orange or yellow vests will be on the scene. In high traffic areas, MnDOT may close off a traffic lane next to a ditch where a burn is occurring. Motorists passing a controlled burn should treat the area like a construction zone. In other words, slow down and pay attention, but don't stop, Johnson said. "Once somebody stops, there is the potential for an accident," he said. "That can make it hard to do our job." MnDOT conducts prescribed burns in the spring and fall, and primarily outside the metro area another way drivers in the metro will know whether to report a roadside fire. Johnson said MnDOT is looking to conduct a burn along Interstate 35E south of downtown St. Paul in 2022. Fires MnDOT sets help kill weeds and promote growth of native grasses and flowers that in winter trap blowing snow and prevent it from drifting across the road, Johnson said. Seat belt campaign Minnesotans buckle up at a pretty good clip, with 93.4% of drivers complying with state law, according to the 2019 Minnesota Seat Belt Use Survey. Drivers who don't are paying a high price. Preliminary data for the first five months of the year show a 44% increase in fatalities of unbelted motorists involved in a crash. That amounts to 39 fatalities, compared with 27 at this time last year, according to the state's Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The state recorded 112 deaths involving unbelted motorists in 2020, a significant rise from 73 in 2019. Deaths of unbelted motorists ages 15 to 19 were the highest in more than a decade and the most for ages 25 to 39 in the past eight years, according to OTS. State law requires drivers and passengers in all seating positions to wear seat belts or be in a correct child restraint. To encourage compliance, law enforcement is running a statewide "Click It or Ticket" campaign through June 6. Follow news about traffic and commuting at The Drive on startribune.com. E-mail [email protected], tweet @stribdrive or call Tim Harlow at 612-673-7768.
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https://www.startribune.com/should-drivers-report-roadside-fires/600062928/
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Who is Boris Johnsons wife Carrie Symonds?
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CARRIE SYMONDS is the third wife of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. They already have a son Wilfred who was born just months after the pair announced their engagement in February. Carrie Symonds is a 33-year-old PR guru who wed Boris Johnson on May 29, 2021. The communications and PR guru quit working for Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) in 2018. Her parents are Matthew Symonds, one of the founders of The Independent, and Josephine Mcaffee who was one of the paper's lawyers. Symonds grew up in East Sheen, south west London, and attended the prestigious Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith. The couple got married on May 29, 2021 at Westminster Cathedral, a Catholic church just 1.5 miles from their Downing Street home. Little is known about the service itself - although little Wilfred was one of the guests in attendance, along with the PM's father Stanley. Visiting tourists were unaware it was about to host an important wedding. But shortly after 1.30pm, the church was suddenly cleared out. Staff told visitors the building was going into lockdown. Carrie, 33, stepped out wearing a stunning long and flowing white dress. She chose not to wear a veil. Bride and groom walked down the aisle to classical music and shared a kiss after the reading their vows. Their year-old son Wilfred was there to see the happy occasion along with two official witnesses. One member of staff told The Sun: Carrie looked beautiful. She had a long white dress with no veil. She looked made up. He was extremely happy as you can imagine, he looked very smart, and was in a very dapper suit. She came down the aisle and he didnt take his eyes off her." Ms Symonds gave birth to a baby boy at 9am on April 29 at University College Hospital in London, the couple's first child. They named the baby Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas after relatives and the NHS doctors who saved the PM's life while he was stricken with coronavirus. The Prime Minister's spokesperson said that "mother and baby are doing very well." Downing Street said that Mr Johnson was present throughout the birth of his son, but was back at work that afternoon. The pair extended their gratitude to the NHS maternity staff. The pair's romance was confirmed beyond doubt when she appeared in public with him for the first time to support his leadership bid in June 2019. Sources say that on Valentine's Day 2018, Symonds was heard boasting to friends about spending the night with Boris in the Oxfordshire countryside, while BoJo is also reported to have wooed Symonds at the Rosewood Hotel in Holborn. BoJo, 55, vowed to "protect" Carrie and apologised for dragging her into the media storm, according to the Mirror. Carrie moved in with Boris Johnson at Downing Street when he became Prime Minister. They were the first unmarried couple to live at the Prime Minister's residence. The couple have taken the space above No11 Downing Street instead of the traditional residence at No10. A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said at the time:"The PM is officially moving in today [July 29, 2019] and, yes, his partner will be living there." And on September 2, 2019, Boris and Carrie moved in another flatmate - Dilyn, a rescued Jack Russell puppy. Ahead of Symonds move into No 10 she approached the wife of the former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron for advice and tips. A friend of the former PR guru told the Mail: Sam Cam has been giving Carrie some advice on living in No10. They're friends; she wants to help out. Carrie won't have any publicly funded staff working for her. The couple had previously been living in Carrie's flat in Camberwell, South London. Carrie works as a senior adviser at Oceana working to support the Bloomberg Foundations Vibrant Oceans Initiative. As part of her role, she works on communications related to Oceanas "Save the Oceans, Feed the World" Initiative and Oceanas campaign to reduce the use of plastics. She is also part of the international marketing communications team based in London. Described as a popular figure in Westminster, the young PR whizz regularly attended parliamentary bashes and Tory party events while working as the partys communications chief. Symonds worked for current Home Secretary Sajid Javid when he held the local government brief, as well as for John Whittingdale during his time as Culture Secretary. Following a brief spell as an adviser to Tory MP Zac Goldsmith, she was appointed to the strategic role of Conservative communications chief. During her eight years at CCHQ she worked alongside leading Tories including Michael Gove and Amber Rudd. The lucrative role led to her being named as the UKs second most powerful public relations professional by PR Week magazine. She quit in around August 2018, before starting at Bloomberg as PR for their Vibrant Oceans programme. Its sweet to see. Hes like a puppy dog around her and very solicitous but desperate to avoid messing it up. On February 29, 2020 Carrie announced she was engaged to the Prime Minister and expecting his child. In an Instagram post, she said: "We got engaged at the end of last year [2019] and we've got a baby hatching early summer. Feel incredibly blessed."
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11070424/carrie-symonds-boris-johnson-wife-married/
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What has changed in WV since George Floyds death?
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CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) On Inside West Virginia Politics, 13 News Reporter Moriah Davis shares Charlestons black communitys thoughts on what has changed what hasnt changed since the death of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer. Tuesday, May 25th marked the first anniversary of Floyds death. The horrible incident was caught on video and police body cameras, which lead to nationwide outrage demanding justice for police reform, including here in West Virginia. People in the community say they havent seen many changes within the city, but what has changed is how people fight for their rights behind the scenes. The death of George Floyd also sparked renewed calls for the removal of the Stonewall Jackson Statue from capitol grounds. 13 News Reporter Larisa Casillas spoke with activist James Cochran, who was in the thick of the efforts surrounding removing the Stonewall Jackson statue, organizing rallies, collecting thousands of signatures on a petition, and even fasting in front of it last year. However, the statue remains as the Governor and the State Capitol Grounds. Follow Mark Curtis on Facebook and Twitter for the latest local and breaking news.
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https://www.wowktv.com/news/inside-wv-politics/what-has-changed-in-wv-since-george-floyds-death/
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Will rain linger into Memorial Day?
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TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy with lingering isolated showers 30%. Low of 42 (40-45). Winds out of the northeast to northwest at 5-10 mph. MONDAY: Lingering spot shower 20% early. Partly to mostly sunny skies. Breezy at times. High of 66 (61-69). Winds out of the northwest at 8-15 mph. MONDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds overnight. Low of 47 (43-48). Light winds out of the west, southwest. FORECAST DISCUSSION: The low pressure that brought showers to the region is slowly moving off to the north and east. Showers will continue to linger overnight with a few spotty showers to start Memorial Day. Come the afternoon hours, skies will clear giving way to mostly sunny skies. Pleasant conditions will be in place for the evening as well making for great cookout conditions. Dry conditions will linger through much of Tuesday. More unsettled weather will move in by Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, rain showers will be on and off persisting through Friday.
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https://wbng.com/2021/05/30/will-rain-linger-into-memorial-day/
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Could Cineplex Stock Hit $30 by the End of 2021?
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Cineplex (TSX:CGX) stock just hit its highest price in nearly a year. Investors who missed the huge rally off the October lows wonder if the stock is still undervalued and if more big upside is on the way. Reopening play Cineplex is Canadas largest theatre chain with more than 160 locations across the country. In most major cities, the theatres remain closed, but progress is being made on COVID-19 vaccinations, and the provinces are starting to unveil their reopening schedules. Thats great news for movie fans who love the theatre experience. It is likely that Cineplex will see strong visitor numbers once theatres are allowed to reopen, as people head out in a bid to normalize their lives. As more announcements emerge of theatre openings, Cineplex stock could catch an additional tailwind. The share price bottomed out below $5 last fall. In recent weeks, its surged from $12 to the current price near $16. Cineplex traded for more than $33 per share before the pandemic, so investors might think the stock is headed back to that level when theatres finally move back to full capacity. Speculation could also drive the stock higher. The U.S. theatre chain AMC is a meme-stock favourite and just doubled in the past week. If traders move into Cineplex in the same way, the stock could soar. 5 TSX Stocks Under $5 Click here to learn more! Takeover potential Cineplex traded for around $24 per share in December 2019 before it announced an agreement to be acquired by U.K.-based Cineworld. The news sent Cineplex shares above $30 where they traded until the arrival of the pandemic. In June last year, Cineworld walked away from the agreement. Now that there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, a new suitor could emerge to buy Cineplex. The business churns out a lot of cash flow when theatres are full. Movie goers fork out big bucks to see blockbusters on the big screen, and they spend a lot of money on treats. Popcorn, soda pop, and candy bars are all high-margin items. Private equity, a major streaming company, or another theatre chain could all be potential buyers of Cineplex. In the event of a bidding war, the stock could potentially take a run at the pre-pandemic price. Risks Cineplex relies on movie studios to release popular films through theatres. The growth of streaming services in the past few years is one reason the stock lost half of its value before the deal with Cineworld. Today, people have even more streaming choices for movies. At the same time, studios are cutting the time they give theatres to have exclusive showings before releasing the new films online. In some cases, the movies get streamed at the same time as they hit the theatres. If the numbers work out that movie studios can generate more revenue by cutting out the theatre companies completely, the future for Cineplex and its peers could be bleak. Traders could still make some money on Cineplex stock. It wouldnt be a surprise to see it take a run at $20 in the coming weeks, and a surge back above $30 is certainly possible on a speculation frenzy. Buy-and-hold investors, however, might want to search for other opportunities. The stock has had a nice run off the pandemic lows, and the theatre business was already in trouble before the pandemic. Challenges facing the sector have only increased over the past year.
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https://www.fool.ca/2021/05/30/could-cineplex-stock-hit-30-by-the-end-of-2021/
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What does woke mean?
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Aside from being the past participle of wake, for decades, it meant conscious and aware but the slang word has come to represent an embrace of progressive activism, as well. Merriam-Webster added the word to its dictionary in 2017, defining it as, aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice). The Oxford dictionary adopted it the same year, defining it as originally: well-informed, up-to-date. Now chiefly: alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice. Woke is a slang term that is easing into the mainstream from some varieties of a dialect called African American Vernacular English (sometimes called AAVE), according to Merriam-Webster. In AAVE, awake is often rendered as woke, as in, I was sleeping, but now Im woke. The meaning appears to have shifted sometime after Erykah Badu repeatedly used the line I stay woke in her 2008 song, Master Teacher, which begins, I am known to stay awake. After the song came out, Stay woke became a watch word in parts of the Black community for those who were self-aware, questioning the dominant paradigm and striving for something better, according to Merriam-Webster. REP. CREWNSHAW, SEN. COTTON LAUNCH WHISTLEBLOWER EFFORT AGAINST MILITARY WOKE IDEOLOGY Then in 2013 and 2014, after Florida man George Zimmerman was acquitted in Trayvon Martins slaying and the police-involved death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., a wave of Black Lives Matter activism emerged around the country. The phrase went from Twitter hashtag to rallying cry. The word woke became entwined with the Black Lives Matter movement; instead of just being a word that signaled awareness of injustice or racial tension, it became a word of action, according to Merriam-Webster. Activists were woke and called on others to stay woke. In 2018, the rapper Meek Mill took the phrase as the top single on his album Legends of the Summer. The BLM-themed Stay Woke was his first song since getting out of prison in April of that year. DEMOCRATS GETTING INCREASINGLY NERVOUS ABOUT WOKE CULTURE How can I pledge allegiance to the flag, he raps in the final verse. When they killin all our sons, all our dads? But the meaning of woke evolved again with the rise of cancel culture as the two terms saw increased use, they became intertwined in the public conscious. Often, someone gets canceled after they say something insensitive something not woke. So an addition to meaning aware and progressive, many people now interpret woke to be a way to describe people who would rather silence their critics than listen to them. Thats entirely different than what the word meant when it first appeared in print. That was in a 1962 New York Times article about beatniks and pop culture absorbing jazz music and African American slang from Harlem, Oxford revealed in a June 2017 article about new words heading into the dictionary. That article, written by the Black New York City novelist William Melvin Kelley was titled, If youre woke, you dig it meaning if youre in the know, you understand. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP As he noted at the time, a lot of jazz-era idioms became mainstream speech, and words like cool and hip. But the slang was already evolving in meaning back then. At one time, the connotations of jive were all good, Kelley wrote. Now they are bad, or at least questionable. A decade later, in Barry Beckhams Garvey Lives! play about the Black Nationalist leader and publisher Marcus Garvey, a character named Strong vows that he wont go to sleep but instead will stay woke. I been sleeping all my life, he says. And now that Mr. Garvey done woke me up, Im gon stay woke. And Im gon help him wake up other Black folk. Now its not so much a racial term as an ideological one.
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https://1010wcsi.com/fox-news/what-does-woke-mean/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-does-woke-mean
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What's happened to Ariana Grande's butterfly tattoos?
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Ariana Grandes butterfly tattoos appear to have vanished from her arms (Picture: Rex) Eagle-eyed Ariana Grande fans have been left stumped after her butterfly tattoos mysteriously vanished from her arms. The singer, 27, has a number of prominent inkings, including the winged insects on her upper arms. The star recently got married to husband Dalton Gomez after getting engaged in December and, in pictures of the couple, her body art seems to have gone. Ariana wore a Vera Wang white dress on her big day which left her arms and shoulders on show. In addition to the butterflies, Arianas tattoo of the Pokemon character Eevee was also nowhere to be seen. Noting the missing tattoos on Instagram, one fan wrote: Yo! Ari!!! Where are the butterflies?, while another remarked: Where have your tattoos gone? Another fan added: Did arianas butterfly tattoos fly away or what? Ariana covering up her arm tattoos for her wedding really shows that all the money and fame in the world cant save you from the guilt trip of your Italian mother, someone else remarked. Some followers assumed she had covered up the markings with make-up but the quote from movie The Truman Show was still on her back. On Thursday night, Ari attended the iHeartRadio Music Awards where her tattoos were also nowhere to be seen. The warbler got debuted the butterflys at the Grammys in 2020 but she is yet to explain why theyve vanished. Ariana tied the knot on May 15 and confirmed the news afterwards on social media. She shared a picture of herself Dalton online, writing the date and a silver heart emoji in the caption. Her dress was a stunning floor length white gown with a dramatic low cut back, which she teamed with a cute, white veil that had a bow on the front. The couples venue had been decorated with flowers hanging down from the ceiling and candles dotted around as they shared their first dance. In one lovely shot Dalton picked up his bride in his arms and leaned in to kiss her neck as Ariana put her arms around him and smiled. The star was given away by her mum Joan and dad Ed, Vogue revealed, watched on by less than 20 guests and her rescue dog Toulouse. It comes after TMZ first shared that the Dangerous Woman singer, 27, married the realtor in a private ceremony. The stars rep then confirmed to People that the wedding was a small affair attended by their nearest and dearest. They said: They got married. It was tiny and intimate less than 20 people. The room was so happy and full of love. The couple and both families couldnt be happier. Ariana and Dalton were first spotted together at Bar Louie in Northridge, California in February last year. The couple went public with their romance last May, when Dalton made a surprise cameo in her music video to track Stuck With U a collaboration with Justin Bieber. Dalton was the second engagement for the superstar who was previously set to marry comedian Pete Davidson. If youve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page wed love to hear from you. For more stories like this, check our entertainment page. Follow Metro.co.uk Entertainment on Twitter and Facebook for the latest celeb and entertainment updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. MORE : Nicki Minaj shares adorable video of eight-month-old son attempting to walk on his own MORE : Ed Sheeran does the routine from Friends with Courteney Cox and smashes it
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https://metro.co.uk/2021/05/30/whats-happened-to-ariana-grandes-butterfly-tattoos-14677802/
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Was machen nachfolgende Generationen?
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Zum Artikel Plne fr Wohngebiet vorgestellt vom 6. Mai: AdUnit urban-intext1 Im Mannheimer Morgen vom 6. Mai wurden die Plne fr die Bebauung der Otto-Bauder-Anlage vorgestellt. Neben einer Reihe von Themen wurde auch dem Umweltschutz Prioritt eingerumt. Als unmittelbarer Anrainer kann man zu diesen Ausfhrungen hierber nur den Kopf schtteln. Die Aussage: Die meisten Bume wurden als erhaltenswert eingestuft, nicht zu den schtzenswerten Bumen und Struchern gehren unter anderem jene am stlichen Rand der Anlage. Ich meine, alle Bume und Strucher sind schtzenswert, insbesondere innerhalb der Stadtgrenzen. Die sogenannten nicht schtzenswerten Bume resultieren noch aus einer Zeit, als hier ein Kleintierzuchtverein mit viel Grn vorhanden war und die Bume nur durch Brgerproteste erhalten werden konnten. Derzeit haben wir hier auch infolge der nicht schtzenswerten Bume und Strucher eine sehr reichhaltige Vogelwelt, die es dann nicht vermutlich nicht mehr geben wird. Zeichen der Zeit nicht erkannt Auch eine viergeschossige Bauweise an der Feldrandlage drfte nicht unbedingt dem Umwelt- und Klimaschutz, insbesondere der Luftzirkulation, dienen. Bei der damaligen Verlegung des Kleintierzuchtvereins war die hufigste Vokabel des Grnflchenamtes abrumen, anscheinend hat man bei der Stadtverwaltung die Zeichen der Zeit immer noch nicht erkannt. AdUnit urban-intext2 Info: Originalartikel unter https://bit.ly/3yzXhTD
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https://www.mannheimer-morgen.de/meinung/leserbriefe_artikel,-leserbrief-was-machen-nachfolgende-generationen-_arid,1802580.html
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What is the Temple District of Nauvoo and why does it matter to Latter-day Saints?
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The western view across the Mississippi River from the bluff where William and Esther Gheen lived in Nauvoo, Illinois, in the 1840s must have been magnificent. Brilliant sunsets would have regularly painted the evening sky above the lush green landscape. Still, the couple built their house to face east away from the river. This family faced their house to the temple, said Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The view was not important. It was the ordinances of the temple that mattered most. Standing in the renovated Weeks home on May 29 while visiting the newly dedicated Navuoo Temple District, Elder Cook reflected on the Gheens and other faithful families who lived in the shadow of the original Nauvoo Illinois Temple. The Gheens ordinary life isnt recorded in major history books. But they are just as important, he said. William Gheen worked construction shifts and raised money for the temple; he died before the edifice was completed. Esther was endowed in the temple in December 1845. Six weeks later, she entered the temple again to be sealed to William. Elder Cook and his wife, Sister Mary G. Cook, walked the streets of the Navuoo Temple District a few hours before he dedicated the historic area, located just west of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple. The site is just opening to on-site visitors after 14 months of closures and limitations defined by the COVID-19 global pandemic. Since March 2020, Latter-day Saint missionaries gave 13,720 virtual tours, said Nauvoo Historic Sites President John Rizley. Elder Quentin L. Cook, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife Sister Mary Cook tour Historic Nauvoo in Nauvoo, Illinois on Saturday, May 29, 2021. Credit: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News The updated Temple District is a witness of the early members lives, priorities and testimonies. It includes: Three restored homes of early Latter-day Saints A reconstructed home A pavilion with an exhibit about the art of cutting stone for the original Nauvoo Temple A revitalized West Grove A wayside marker that honors a poem written by Eliza R. Snow while she lived in the Temple District in 1845 A new exhibit about the temple in the Nauvoo Visitors Center The home of Orson and Marinda Hyde, which is not part of the Temple District, was also rebuilt and dedicated by Elder Cook. In 1841, Joseph Smith sent Orson Hyde on a mission that took him through Europe and the Ottoman Empire to Palestine. On Oct. 24, 1841, he stood on the Mount of Olives and dedicated Jerusalem for the gathering of Israel in the last days. In 2016, Elder and Sister Cook were joined by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and his wife, Sister Patricia Holland and prominent Jewish leaders former U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman and Robert Adams, the former attorney general of New York to visit the site in Jerusalem. They met with the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, to share details about Elder Hydes historic dedication. The restored Hyde home built by Church members in Nauvoo with donated labor and supplies while Orson was away features his mission and the other missions of the early apostles of this dispensation. Missionary work is one of the prophetic priorities that occurred during the Nauvoo era, said Elder Cook. While missionaries were being sent across the world, the Nauvoo Temple was being built to provide sacred saving ordinances. Sister missionaries attend the historic Nauvoo Temple District dedication in Nauvoo, Illinois on Saturday, May 29, 2021. Credit: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News During their visit to the historic Temple District of Nauvoo, Elder and Sister Cook stopped inside the home of William and Caroline Weeks. An architect, William Weeks worked with the Prophet Joseph Smith on the design of the Nauvoo Temple. This is the place where the vision Joseph had for the temple became real, said Steven Olsen, a senior curator of the Churchs historic sites. Just down the road from the Weeks home, stands a reconstructed home of Edward and Ann Hunter Home. It was here, while in hiding on Sept. 6, 1842, that Joseph Smith wrote the letter that would become Doctrine and Covenants 128 and detail the doctrine of baptism for the dead. Edward Hunter was a bishop in Nauvoo, so the home also became a bishops storehouse where donated items could then be used to minister to the needs of Latter-day Saints. Today, trees are growing near the Hunter home that will become the West Grove. Because of the large Church membership then in Nauvoo, the West Grove was one place large groups of Latter-day Saints could gather. There Church members sat on split-log benches to listen to sermons from Joseph Smith and others. Throughout the Nauvoo Temple District, the temple is the focus, the temple is the backdrop, said Church Historian and Recorder Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. Historic sites and temples are the strongest material witnesses of the restoration the Church has, Olsen said. It is two-fold. One, it is a strong evidence of Joseph Smiths prophetic leadership. Two, it was in the Nauvoo temple where the covenants and associated ordinances were established that inaugurated the plan of exaltation. The Nauvoo Illinois Temple at sunset in Nauvoo, Illinois, on Saturday, May 29, 2021. Credit: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Elder Cook said there is something about Nauvoo that just really touches his heart. I love the history. I love the ancestors. I love the houses. I love everything about it, he said. But the temple is what really gives it the meaning doctrinally and is special. Noting how important the temple ordinances were to early Latter-day Saints, Elder Cook said Church records show in the two months before the temple was closed and the Saints were forced to vacate Nauvoo, some 6,000 members received saving ordinances. Those early members including Esther Gheen and others who built homes in the shadow of the Nauvoo temple did not have access to another temple until 1877. So the temple, then and now, is what is most impressive to me, said Elder Cook.
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https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2021-05-30/what-is-the-temple-district-of-nauvoo-elder-cook-dedication-215023
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Could Trains Ever Be Powered By Hydrogen?
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Last year was a strong one for green hydrogenat least in terms of media attention. Actual green hydrogen production did not change in any meaningful way, and theres a host of reasons for thatnot the least of which is cost. And yet, not all is lost for green hydrogen and not just because the EU is set on building 40 GW of production capacity, whatever the cost. Its because of trains. Frances Alstom first showcased its hydrogen fuel cell-powered train Coradia iLint back in 2016. Two years later, the first iLint train began operations in Germany. Last year, Alstom said that from next year, it will be launching 14 iLint trains to replace diesel-run trains. Now, Alstom does not say anywhere that the hydrogen it uses in the fuel cells of its iLint trains is green. But the fact that hydrogen trains are already in operation provides a glimmer of hope that even green hydrogen production will someday become commercially viable outside of optimistic forecasts by various energy consultancies. Railway transport appears to be the perfect testing ground for hydrogen technology, per a recent report by the Wall Street Journal. According to a report by Roland Berger, the WSJs Rochelle Toplensky wrote this week, the total lifetime cost of ownership for Alstoms hydrogen trains is already comparable with that of trains running on diesel or electricity. Again, the report does not specifically focus on green hydrogen, but its a start. Hydrogen faces a few substantial obstacles to joining the mainstream fuel flow, with cost chief among them, followed by a lack of infrastructure. As the WSJs Toplensky aptly puts it, this is a classic egg-or-chicken problem. It is very clearly visible in the hydrogen car industry. There are few hydrogen passenger car models, and despite their attractive characteristics, they remain unpopular, first because of the higher price and then because of the absence of a well-developed filling station network. If this sounds familiar, its because EVs have the same problem. But while the Biden administration in the U.S. and the European Union across the Atlantic are taking care of that with plans for building such networks, hydrogen is more or less on its own. Related: Colombias Oil Industry Is On The Brink Of Collapse The need for stations is another reason why railway transport is the perfect testingand adoptionground for hydrogen fuel cells. Trains dont need to fill up every two stations. They need several strategically placed filling stations. We want to focus on the big industrial bases and mobility corridors in order to build the infrastructure. Trains are a good base load and a good target for us, the WSJs Toplensky quotes the Vice President of Air Liquide, the French industrial gases major, as saying. We know when they start and arrive, go from point A to B, and the frequency. It is way easier to develop infrastructure for trains than for trucks. Electric trains are great for the environment, but they are not exactly the cheapest form of transportation. Without help from governments, electric trains would arguably go into oblivion under pressure from market forces. But hydrogen trains are cheaper than electric ones. This is one place where hydrogen fuel cell technology appears to be ready to shine and possibly incite more investor interest in hydrogen technology applicable to other segments of the transport sector at some point. How long until green hydrogen becomes viable even for trains is difficult to say. The technology needs some major scalingand much higher carbon pricesto even begin approaching the costs of blue or grey hydrogen. Yet green hydrogen is the endpoint in the hydrogen evolution, not the first step. The first step is finding a place where hydrogen can shine, and it seems that railway transport has found this place. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
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https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Could-Trains-Ever-Be-Powered-By-Hydrogen.html
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Where have all the Uber drivers gone?
| ERROR: type should be string, got "https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2021/05/30/where-have-all-the-uber-drivers-gone-n393483 If like me, you are someone who frequently relies on a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft to get around, you may be noticing an unpleasant development this spring as the country slowly reopens. Its getting increasingly difficult to hook up with a driver during some parts of the day and even when you do, the wait times before they arrive are increasing. This is particularly true in the more densely populated cities. The problem is particularly severe in Boston at the moment and the Boston Globe took a look at why this is happening. As it turns out, there are a couple of factors involved, but they may not be the obvious ones that jump to mind. As the newly vaccinated masses venture out into the world again, they have found readily available Ubers and Lyfts to be a pre-pandemic memory. Local riders and drivers alike agree that current demand far outpaces supply Nowhere is the problem more acute than in Boston. The average wait time for an Uber in Boston this spring is 40 percent longer than in Philadelphia and 147 percent longer than in New York City, according to a company spokesman. Lyft did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Extreme sports getting an Uber in Boston, wrote one Twitter user in mid-May. extreme sports- getting an Uber in Boston (@_kurlykay) May 17, 2021 It does appear that the wait times are longer in cities than in more suburban areas. I live in such a suburb and Ive still been able to get an Uber every time Ive needed one this year (on the rare occasions that I ventured out) but it definitely took longer than usual on most occasions. Boston does seem to be among the worst of the urban centers, though. Wait times in Beantown are nearly double what is being experienced in Philadelphia. But not all cities are being impacted equally. New York City is far larger than the two I just mentioned and the average wait times there are one-third whats being seen in Boston. The Globe starts by pointing to the obvious and its a simple question of math. There just arent enough drivers logging on to the app to keep up with the number of rides being requested. Uber reports that in the first three months of this year, the average number of drivers logging in to work in the United States was down 37.5 percent from the same period in 2020. Lyft is doing even worse, with a 42.3% drop in available drivers. That much should have been obvious, but the real mystery is why the drivers arent logging on. One factor is almost certainly the pandemic. Not everyone is ready to reemerge from isolation yet, or at least not until a lot more people are vaccinated. Older people are still the most at risk from the novel coronavirus and a large percentage of Ubers drivers are retired people who are driving to supplement their retirement income. But theres another factor at play here and it has more to do with government regulations than the plague. Boston is one of the cities that passed a law banning whats known as surge pricing among gig-economy companies. That allows ride-share rates to be raised during high-demand hours. Its a good system because it provides a greater incentive for drivers to log on, reducing wait times while allowing the drivers to earn more than they normally would. But Boston outlawed that, so some of the drivers are asking why they should bother working during the worst traffic conditions if theres nothing extra in it for them. One driver told the Globe that hes been making one-third less during peak hours since the law went into effect. The City Council originally claimed that they were passing the law to protect consumers from outrageous prices during peak demand hours. But in reality, as weve seen in so many other cities run by Democrats, they were doing whatever they could get away with to damage Ubers business model. This was done on behalf of the traditional taxi companies and their unions who provide plenty of donations to primarily Democratic political campaigns. At least in Boston, that strategy seems to be paying off. If they cant shut down Uber completely, theyll settle for making it harder and harder for the drivers to earn a living that way. The same goes for all of the Uber-busting laws passed in California, and similar effects are already being seen there. Share this: Twitter Facebook" |
https://clarion.causeaction.com/2021/05/30/where-have-all-the-uber-drivers-gone/
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Will GOP Performance In NM-1 Set Stage For Law And Order Campaign in '22?
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https://www.newsmax.com/politics/newmexicostansburymooreslawandorderIsrael/2021/05/30/id/1023224 On Tuesday, the results of the special U.S. House election in New Mexicos 1st District, Albuquerque, will be known and analyzed. The punditocracy will almost surely interpret the outcome of the race for the seat vacated by Democrat Deb Haaland to become secretary of the Interior as a referendum on President Bidens performance so far. That interpretation will almost certainly be positive, as the 1st District has been in Democratic hands since 2008. Last-minute polls give Democratic nominee and State Rep. Melanie Stansbury the lead, and the Democrat has raised more than $1.3 million, compared to $600,000 for Republican State Sen. Mark Moores. But a strong performance by Moores onetime football star at the University of New Mexico and owner of a laboratory that oversaw COVID-19 testing could well set the stage for a nationwide GOP campaign next year based on the issue of law and order. Stansbury supports a bill backed by far left Democrats in the House that would eliminate federal funding for policing. Moores, who is of Latino heritage, hit this hard, pointing out such a measure in unacceptable in Albuquerque because our crime rate is through the roof. Moores is also underscoring the difference with his opponent on Israel. In the wake of the recent flare-up between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Stansbury took a position that is endorsed by the J Street the left-of-center Israeli lobbying group that embraces a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. U.S. aid and funding [for Israel] must especially not be used to aid annexation in the West Bank, Stansbury told the Jewish Insider, I support restricting aid if it is indeed being used in any way that goes against U.S. interests and values, endangers Palestinian people or threatens the basic human rights of Palestinians. Moores takes a traditionally conservative, strong pro-Israel stand. Theres that unique relationship that goes back since the founding of Israel that is very important to us as a democracy and the relationship we have, Moores told JI, and I definitely will do all I can do to support that relationship. Normally not a major issue in House contests, the candidates differing positions on Israel took center stage during the recent violence. But the issue of law and order has been center stage in New Mexicos 1st District and how well Moores does may well determine how widely it will be deployed in 2022. John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now. Share this: Twitter Facebook
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https://clarion.causeaction.com/2021/05/30/will-gop-performance-in-nm-1-set-stage-for-law-and-order-campaign-in-22/
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When will the next Premier League season start and which teams will be involved?
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Manchester City were crowned Premier League champions in 2020-21 with three games to spare and their rivals are already plotting the overthrow of Pep Guardiola and Co. next season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United will have designs on glory, while the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool will be desperate to set things straight in 2021-22. It may be a few months between the end of the season and the start of a new one, but with Euro 2020 in between, it will surely fly for football fans. So, with the season ending and anticipation of the new one already building, Goal brings you everything you need to know. The Premier League 2021-22 season will begin on Saturday August 14, 2021. It will kick off roughly a month after the conclusion of Euro 2020, with the tournament final taking place on July 11, meaning some players will have a very short break before getting back into pre-season mode. Ordinarily, footballers have around two months of an off-season before returning for pre-season training a month before the season is due to commence. Scheduling has returned to normal following the disruption to the 2020-21 season caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the campaign start date moved back a month to September 2020. The 2021-22 Premier League season will conclude on Sunday May 22, 2022. All fixtures on that date will kick off simultaneously. Congratulations Man City! A total of 20 teams will compete in the 2021-22 Premier League season, with three promoted teams replacing the three that were relegated in 2020-21. Norwich City and Watford will compete in the 2021-22 Premier League having secured automatic promotion from the Championship. They will be joined by Brentford, the winner of the Championship play-offs. Club Stadium 2020-21 position Arsenal Emirates Stadium 8th Aston Villa Villa Park 11th Brentford Brentford Community Stadium Championship play-off winner Brighton Amex Stadium 16th Burnley Turf Moor 17th Chelsea Stamford Bridge 4th Crystal Palace Selhurst Park 14th Everton Goodison Park 10th Leeds United Elland Road 9th Leicester City King Power Stadium 5th Liverpool Anfield 3rd Manchester City Etihad Stadium 1st Manchester United Old Trafford 2nd Newcastle United St James' Park 12th Norwich City Carrow Road 1st Championship Southampton St Mary's Stadium 15th Tottenham Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 7th Watford Vicarage Road 2nd Championship West Ham London Stadium 6th Wolves Molineux Stadium 13th Sheffield United, West Brom and Fulham were relegated from the division and will not take part in 2021-22. They will instead be competing in the Championship in 2021-22. The likes of Brighton, Newcastle United and Burnley will once again play in the Premier League next season, having managed to avoid the drop. The fixtures for the Premier League 2021-22 will be released on Wednesday June 16, 2021. They will be available for everyone from 9am BST (5pm AEST) on that date. There will be 38 matchdays and a total of 380 fixtures will be confirmed on fixture release day, though they will be subject to change based on TV schedules and so forth.
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https://www.sportingnews.com/au/football/news/when-will-the-next-premier-league-season-start-and-which-teams-will-be-involved/etd043g9biw51bm5wx2kjmiu1
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Why did scientists take so long to accept that Covid may have escaped from the Wuhan virus lab?
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The Sun backed that possibility in April 2020 and we were far from first. Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest updates 3 The fact a well-funded lab where Covid originated was experimenting with such a virus was judged a coincidence only cranks like Trump took seriously Credit: AFP Yet the consensus then was that it was a theory advanced only by tinfoil-hatted lunatics who refused to accept the apparently unassailable truth of the bat-pangolin-human progression. The fact a well-funded lab in the exact area where Covid originated was experimenting with just such a virus was judged a coincidence only cranks like Donald Trump took seriously. Any suggestion Chinese negligence was to blame was rubbished. Anyone calling it the Chinese virus was racist. Now, everyone from President Biden down is belatedly wondering if they havent overlooked the obvious. Last week Dominic Cummings rightly railed against such groupthink. Because the same complacent science and public health consensus was behind virtually every mistake Britain made in the first six months. From bigging-up our woeful pandemic preparations to talking down masks, testing and border closures. Boris Johnson merely acted on that advice. It is crucial for politicians to challenge the groupthink, which is wrong so often. Had they done so earlier we might be far nearer to uncovering how this virus was unleashed and preventing a repeat. And it will be vital here soon if scientists, spooked by rising cases, insist we delay our June 21 unlocking even if severe illness and deaths remain rock-bottom. I thee Red CONGRATULATIONS to Carrie and Boris. And to those few Labour MPs adult enough to wish two newlyweds well without scoring puerile political points. 3 Keir Starmer hopes the newlyweds have a happy life 'whatever our political differences' Credit: Getty Keir Starmer hopes they have a happy life whatever our political differences. How sad that he felt forced to signal to the Left that he isnt a secret Tory. Extremist Jon Trickett MP decided the wedding was a ruse to bury bad news. Tonia Antoniazzi MP said it was an emergency marriage plan to deflect from negative press from his former Brex***t confidante. She asserted as fact that Boris will be out of office in a year. He still has huge poll leads, though. And no wonder, with such clowns on Starmers benches. Ugley scenes ETHAN Seaman might seem an unlikely individual to film others covertly for criminal purposes. He is, after all, only four. 3 Four-year old Ethan was reported to police by his nursery school for wearing a toy watch with a camera Credit: East News But Henham and Ugley Nursery in Herts reckons you cant be too careful. Which means not just confiscating his toy spy watch. It means phoning cops and recording a safeguarding incident. Wed like to report a massive loss of marbles. US security monitoring two Iranian warships 'heading to Venezuela'
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https://www.the-sun.com/news/2986149/sun-says-wuhan-lab-corona/
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Is Cruella the Future of Disney Villain Origin Movies?
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Emma Stone is Cruella Image : Disney As a young child, Ella (Tipper Seifert-Cleveland) was a two-toned hair-colored rebel who was born to give authority figures a hard time. Her mother, Catherine (Emily Beecham), encourages Ella to fight the urge to call herself Cruella and blend in with society as much as possible. Advertisement When tragedy strikes, Ella is left on the streets to grow up as a professional pickpocket who desperately wants to be a fashion designer. As an adult, when Ella (Emma Stone) gets a chance encounter with wealthy fashion designer The Baroness (Emma Thompson), she learns more about her past and her talents than she ever intended to. I certainly hope not. Its easy to tell where Disney is trying to go here. They want to produce grittier content that isnt necessarily for small children. You dont have to suck the color out of everything or add a two-hour runtime to do that, but its what Cruella is guilty of. Emma Stone dials the acting up to 11 to make sure shes believable Cruella De Vil. Her British accent is sometimes distracting, but overall the actress is fun to watch. However, the script by Dana Fox and Tony McNamara is the problem. Cruella is so unfocused. The film ushers the audience from one plot point to the next to get to the big reveal without giving us anything to latch on to. Imagine if the narrative followed one train of thought, then maybe the film wouldnt be over two hours long. Cruella and the Baroness are the only characters that see any development, and the rest are forgettable props that fade into the background. Whats the point of garnering sympathy when we know how she turns out later as a sociopathic, animal abusing socialite. Disney wants to give us anti-villains, people we can root for despite how horrible they are. It makes me think they forget why fans like some of these villains in the first place. We love them because we hate themthey dont need sympathy. I dont need her reasoning on why she hates Dalmatians! The template is quickly becoming tiresome. Not just from Disney, but the villain origin in general. Im over it. What I did like about Cruella is the costume design by Jenny Beavan, the production design by Fiona Crombie, and the work of the makeup/art design departments. Emma Stone wears Beavans Haute punk costumes with flair and pizazz. The scene where Cruella arrives at one of the Baroness parties with the future spray-painted on her face is a stroke of pure genius. Advertisement Emma Stone is Cruella De Vil Photo : Disney And while the sets are dimly lit, they are gorgeously designed to capture the seedy dankness of 1960s London. The cars, buildings, the fashionno detail is spared in ensuring maximum authenticity is achieved. It all meshes together so well, it all looks like an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of art. Advertisement Films need more than pretty costumes, they need a good story-and thats the missing ingredient in Cruella. For more, make sure youre following us on our Instagram @io9dotcom.
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https://gizmodo.com/is-cruella-the-future-of-villain-origin-movies-1847001845
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What exactly are LUTs?
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Perhaps youve heard the term LUT before, but arent really sure what it all means. Well, a LUT is short for a Lookup Table. It is basically a color grading tool, that takes a conversion profile that takes predefined color values and applies these to your images. In a way, its a little like a look or preset, but it goes further than that. A photographer can save loads of time by applying the same LUTs or collection of LUTs to their images. Instead of individual edits to your images, you can apply the same LUTs to color grade all your images. This helps give a cohesive feel to a series. In Photoshop you can even set them up as Actions. Where can you find LUTs In LuminarAI they are found in the Mood tool in the Creative Panel, whereas in Adobe Photoshop they are found in the Adjustment Layer section as Color Lookup. Both programs come with some pre-installed, but you can also buy them online and add them to your software. You can even purchase a particular look from your favorite movie or TV show. I have found that the basic LUTs that come with Photoshop are great and I can mix and match them for my needs. I must admit, I have never bought any others. Not exactly, but you can change the blending mode and transparency of the LUTs if they are a separate layer, especially in Photoshop. You can also stack multiple LUTs to give you different looks. Using LUTs in Luminar AI In Edit view, scroll down to the Creative panel and select Mood. You will see a little arrow allowing for selections. Choose your favorite look and apply it. You can preview different LUTs by hovering over the name. Then once selected you can alter amount, contrast and saturation. Finding LUTs in Luminar Adjusting LUTs in Luminar Using LUTs in Photoshop I must confess I adore using LUTs in Photoshop. In the adjustment layer, select Color Lookup, then you can select which LUT you wish to use. You do need to actually select it to see it, but they can easily be changed for another LUT. Selecting a LUT in Photoshop Applying a LUT in Photoshop The fact that you can add multiple LUTs on different layers, alter the blend mode and the opacity is a fantastic plus. You can even add a layer mask if you wish to. On the image above I used the Bleached Bypass LUT on Soft Light blend mode at 90%, and then the Night from Day LUT at Normal blend mode at 85%. Quick easy, and it makes such a difference. These can be also be terrific for adding color, tone and contrast to portraits. So now you know exactly what LUTs are consider using them in your next editing session!
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https://photofocus.com/software/what-exactly-are-luts/
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What is Oklahoma's most intriguing position battle entering 2021?
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There is immense intrigue surrounding Oklahomas running back room entering the 2021 season. With the departure of Rhamondre Stevenson to the NFL, TJ Pledger via the transfer portal and severed ties with Seth McGowan, the Sooners group will look quite different come the fall. Running backs coach DeMarco Murray will have some new weapons to work with including Kennedy Brooks, a 2020 opt out due to COVID health concerns, returning to the team. Eric Gray transferred to Norman from Tennessee and Mikey Henderson switched positions from h-back to running back. Competition in the position group will breed success on the field. Oklahomas depth certainly dwindled but Gray, Brooks and Henderson will have more opportunities with an increased workload. Marcus Major is also a rotational option to contribute. There is a lot of versatility in the room- a trait that Murray covets. In addition, he wants complementary skillsets to carve up defenses. I want to have different types of backs who compliment one another, Murray said. Dont want a lot of the same guys. Gray possesses mesmerizing speed and pass-catching ability out of the flat. He was dubbed the most natural catcher by Murray. He will no doubt elevate Oklahomas screen game with his dynamic skills. In two seasons with the Vols, Gray ran for 1,311 yards and eight touchdowns. He also accumulated 369 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. In total, Gray boasted five 100-yard games on the ground. During the spring game, he impressed with his elusiveness and playmaking ability. He is making a smooth transition to OUs offensive playbook. Brooks is the prototypical downhill runner through tackles. He bursts through holes with effortless precision and outstanding vision. Brooks is certainly the most experienced in the RB room and will have to work off the rust from time away from the game as he is integrated back into the mix. He has two 1,000-yard seasons in his OU resume. In 2018, he ranked third nationally with 8.9 yards per rush and eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in five games. In 2019 the production continued. He ranked ninth nationally and first in the Big 12 with 6.5 yards per carry and recorded four 100-yard rushing games. Brooks is poised to have another breakout year. Both Gray and Brooks have never worked with DeMarco Murray or Spencer Rattler. Henderson can say the same for Murray but he is familiar with Rattler as an h-back. Now he is moving rooms. In a Josh Norman-esque role, Henderson has contributed all over the field. With his skillset, he will do it all. A jack of all trades, if you will. He can run with the ball in his hands, block, can line up in the slot, and on the outside to create mismatches with linebackers and safeties. Henderson will be one to watch in 2021. With a crowded running back room, Majors carries have been limited but he makes plays when his number is called. Entering his third season with the Sooners, he provides a reliable backup option. He may not be the workhorse but he is the best pass blocker of the bunch. Each adds a unique piece to the puzzle. Oklahomas running back corps is primed to be one of the best in the nation. The talent has been replenished and Lincoln Riley will maximize their strengths in the ground game.
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https://soonerswire.usatoday.com/2021/05/30/what-is-oklahomas-most-intriguing-position-battle-entering-2021/
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Which Vehicle Has the Most Comfortable Seats?
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Humans seem to be more sedentary than ever, due to the proliferation of technology and sheer number of desk jobs. Our necks and backs take a lot of stress, and that translates to spine and health issues down the road. For those of us who drive a lot, having seats that cradle our bodies instead of strapping them to a thinly-covered piece of plastic molding is key. Im a big fan of manufacturers that put a little extra thought into seating ergonomics. And I dont mean airline-seat ergonomics that meet the bare minimum; Im talking about those that truly take into consideration the comfort of each person in the car not just for short distances but for long road trips, too. I have some favorites and Im curious to know how many of you factor in seat comfort when youre looking to buy a vehicle. Kristin Shaw It would be interesting to read a review that starts with this car has an x.0-liter engine with x horsepower and seats that earned a five out of five on our comfort scale! To me, the drivers seat has priority over the others and requires cushioning that is soft enough to support our bony backsides and firm enough that were snugged into place when we round the corners. Its not that we shouldn't care about passenger comfort, of course, but the driver is the one who has to sit upright in a fairly stationary position for the most amount of time. The new Escalade, for one, has big, plush seats that match the rest of the gigantic vehicle. The driving position is thoughtful and doesnt skimp on padding. My back thanks you, Cadillac. Chryslers Pacifica minivan in the Pinnacle trim takes it a step further with quilted pillows in the second row. Some might use one as lumbar support, but you should consider the safety ramifications of doing thatif you get in a crash, sitting on a pillow or using one behind your back changes your body geometry. Recaro
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https://www.thedrive.com/news/40858/which-vehicle-has-the-most-comfortable-seats
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Is change to funding scheme actually such a radical idea?
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Claire Dunn, left, and Sarah King have launched a petition calling for changes to the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, after struggling to meet the two-year deadline for applications for its funding With two founders from a financial services background, you might have thought that the fundraising process for we are radikl would be plain sailing. In fact, that wasnt the case for Sarah King and Claire Dunn, co-founders of the Nottingham-based business that runs accelerator programmes for women entrepreneurs, helping female-owned start-ups to get off the ground. They completed a seed funding round in January this year, only narrowly hitting the window to be eligible for the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, which was set up by the government in 2012 to fuel investment in start-ups by offering generous tax reliefs to investors. Sponsored It was a rollercoaster ride, particularly when, with a week to go, one of our investors had to pull out because Covid had impacted
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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/is-change-to-funding-scheme-actually-such-a-radical-idea-fdx3lm3kd
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Are Netanyahus days as PM numbered?
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Israel has held four elections in the past two years but all have failed to produce a clear majorityreports Asian Lite News Opponents of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to form a coalition in order to establish a new government ahead of a deadline which would otherwise mean new elections. Israel has held four elections in the past two years but all have failed to produce a clear majority, reports dpa news agency. Former Defence Minister Naftali Bennett of the pro-settler Yamina party has decided to opt for an alliance with opposition leader Jair Lapid of Yesh Atid, Israeli radio reported on Sunday. An official announcement is expected soon. Bennett was reportedly planning to inform party members on Sunday. He agreed with Bennett that the two would share the office of Prime Minister, with Bennett initially to take the role for two years, and then to be replaced by Lapid. Lapids centrist party came in second in the elections on March 23, behind Netanyahus right-wing Likud. After the March elections, Netanyahu had failed to form a government, so President Reuven Rivlin appointed Lapid to do so. Lapids pro-reform party planned to continue coalition talks Sunday with Gideon Saars right-leaning New Hope. Bennett at the pre-election foreign-policy debate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem(Wikipedia) It has already reached agreements with the left-liberal Meretz Party, the Labour Party and former Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermans nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party. Lapid is trying to ensure the support of several small parties that are far apart on the political spectrum, in order to form a minority government that would be acceptable to Arab deputies. They are united above all by their rejection of Netanyahu, who is currently being tried for corruption. However, the smaller parties have widely diverging political goals. Lapids mandate to form a government will run out on Wednesday midnight. If he succeeds, it would end bring an end to the era of Netanyahu, in office since 2009. He was also Prime Minister from 1996 to 1999. ALSO READ: Netanyahu stands firm on continuing war Advertisements
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https://asianlite.ae/2021/top-news/are-netanyahus-days-as-pm-numbered?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=are-netanyahus-days-as-pm-numbered
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Is There Any Salmon Fishing In Yemen?
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Fiction is pretty upset with always being dismissed as make-believe. It is always a first cousin to fantasy, booted down the road and never given a chance at reality. It's like junk mail, or a calorie counter, or sheets of return envelope addresses. Chuck direct into the recycle. Salmon Fishing In The Yemin is a good film, believable cast, great transition from London to the castle in Scotland, Yemen, and back and forth, never boring. And rumor is that the Ewan McGregor in the Yemen film performing as Alfred is not, could not, and never would be the same Ewan McGregor performing as Halston in the film series by that same name. Talk about fantasy! No way was that the same guy in both films. But this film seems to have the perfect recipe for growing and finally fishing for salmon in the desert. Emily Blunt did say the temperature ranges in Yemen fell as low as those in northern California in the winter, where they have salmon. Of course, theres a war going on in Yemen. War is easymore money in making war than in fishing. War isnt even hypothetical, like a man's mission to Mars. Just click your heels together three times and say: There is nothing like a war. And youve got a war. Which isn't a fish story. Read more by this author:
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https://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/entertainment-gossip/153101/is-there-any-salmon-fishing-in-yemen
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Who Took Trump To The Woodshed?
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No. A different kind of spanking, but a spanking. Twitter and Facebook booted Trump off their platforms, and no one hears from him anymore. Not that he was ever the voice written on stone. People reading his stuff acted as though Trump were dispensing the Ten Commandments like God to Moses, but in reality, it was just stuff and neither God nor Shakespeare. Reply: Okay. But in reality, it was neither God nor Mickey Mouse. So now Donald Trump is sending his message via his own podcasts like Meghan and Harry, but no one is watching or listening or quoting or seems to care. At least not as many as when he, Trump, was on Twitter and Facebook. So its like getting a spanking or being taken to the woodshed. Consequently, Donald Trump is in a boo-hoo mode blaming the fake news media (The Spoof) for shutting down his freedom of speech. Editors note: Way to go, THE SPOOF! Read more by this author:
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https://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/us/153099/who-took-trump-to-the-woodshed
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Is There Pressure on the 49ers to Acquire Julio Jones?
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Julio Jones to the 49ers would be a phenomenal sight. However, bringing Jones to the 49ers is going to force the 49ers into a bidding war. As it stands, the Falcons have held trade discussions with the Seahawks for Jones. Even Russell Wilson has gone as far as to speak to Jones about the possibility of him joining up, per Dianna Russini of ESPN. Trading for Jones should not be for Jimmy Garoppolo. It should be for Lance. With Jones in the fold, Lance will have a plethora of weapons to ensure he is molded into an elite-caliber player. It doesn't matter if he missed last season. With the talent at his disposal, he is sure to be brought along smoothly. Not to mention how the efficient run game will aid him and, of course, Shanahan scheming players open. Plus, it would behoove the 49ers to cut Garoppolo to fit Jones' salary into the cap without having to execute multiple restructures. This would be a perfect situation for Lance to walk into. Plenty of rookie quarterbacks have had to work with significantly less. It will not get much better for Lance if Jones is acquired for him to start. If Lance is not the purpose of acquiring Jones, then there is no pressure at all. The Seahawks adding another star wide receiver will be a boost to the offense, yet it does not give much help to their already depleted defense. Shanahan will not lose sleep over that. The 49ers must not act rashly over what the Seahawks or any other team in the NFC West does.
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https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/is-there-pressure-on-the-49ers-to-acquire-julio-jones
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Could the Bills create some major salary cap relief this week?
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When the post-June 1 designations kick in across the league, look for some noteworthy trades, releases and contract adjustments. Wide receiver Julio Jones may not make sense for the Buffalo Bills this year. But cornerback Steven Nelson might. Whatever happens with these players and a whole lot more probably won't go down until at least Tuesday, when the NFL allows teams to spread a certain amount of salary cap hits of released or traded players over two years instead of accelerating everything onto the current season. The post-June 1 designation also applies to contract extensions and adjustments. In the Bills' case, it means they can, say, add as much as $8.4 million in cap space by restructuring the contract of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, or gain $7.35 million more in relief by trading soon-to-be-33-year-old defensive end Jerry Hughes away from a room that suddenly became overcrowded following decisions to draft Gregory Rousseau in the first round and Boogie Basham in the second. The Bills might be able to afford taking a run at veteran free-agent cornerback Steven Nelson (22) starting on Tuesday. Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports All of their potential cost-cutting options and potential savings are documented concisely by Over the Cap. To be clear, we're not necessarily recommending that the Bills get rid of Hughes, only that it's something they might need to look at as they attempt to get quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds signed to long-term deals that also could give the Bills cap relief this year. And to acquire a veteran upgrade or two. The Bills loaded up so much at defensive end that they will have some tough decisions to make at the end of training camp, no matter what. In addition to Rousseau and Basham, they signed veteran Efe Obada away from Carolina, remain committed to youngster A.J. Epenesa and still jave veteran Mario Addison, whose contract is structured so they won't get nearly as much cap relief as they would by jettisoning Hughes. Left tackle Dion Dawkins, who just signed an extension last year but with no guaranteed salary beyond 2021, also could be a target. Restructuring his contract could save them as much as $4.9 million. An extension could net $5.428 million in savings. Dawkins is only 27 and signed through 2024. An extension for safety Jordan Poyer could see them get $4.32 million in savings. Poyer is signed to a team-friendly deal now that expires after next season but allows the Bills to cut or trade him after this season and save $6.7 million. So there are ways general manager Brandon Beane can create more than the $3.62 million in cap room that they're working with as of Sunday, according to the NFLPA. Suffice to say that Tuesday could be a big day for the Bills and definitely will be a big day for teams across the NFL. Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro.
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https://www.si.com/nfl/bills/news/bills-could-clear-a-lot-more-salary-cap-space-beginning-tuesday
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What is the GFG Alliance and what does it own?
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In May, the news of a fraud probe into GFG Alliance sent shockwaves of worry around the UK and the rest of the world. The Gupta Family Group Alliance (GFG) owns a collection of businesses in energy, steel and trading which spans the globe, employing around 35,000 people. Its high-profile executive chairman Sanjeev Gupta has become famous for buying troubled steelworks and factories, promising to keep them open and save jobs. He has been particularly active in the UK - starting his trading business, Liberty, from his room at Cambridge University. When steelworks in Yorkshire, Scotland and South Wales were put up for sale - and threatened with closure - GFG stepped in and bought them. However, GFG's main backer Greensill Capital collapsed in March, leaving the business scrambling for cash. A number of parts of the GFG empire are now being offered for sale to fill the hole in GFG's finances. And the future of many plants and their workers remains uncertain. Map of UK showing position of Liberty Steel facilities GFG's steel business in the UK ranges from the 150-year-old Dalzell plant in Motherwell, to a rolled steel plant in Newport, South Wales, which took Mr Gupta two years to reopen. The firm is selling two plants in South Yorkshire, at Stocksbridge and Brinsworth, and a third in West Bromwich, which makes speciality steel parts for the makers of planes and cars. GFG owns another, larger steelworks in Rotherham, as well as a plant in Scunthorpe, and a number of smaller factories in the West Midlands, South Wales, Hartlepool and Teesside. GFG Alliance has 5,000 employees in the UK, employed in a range of industries from banking and manufacturing, to steel, aluminium and renewable energy. The financial heart of the business is Liberty Commodities, which trades metals around the world, with a turnover of $6.4bn (5.3bn). Story continues It has trading offices in London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. GFG also owned its own bank, Wyelands, named after Sanjeev Gupta's 3m home in South Wales, though in May it announced that it would close down if it couldn't find new investors. Map of UK showing position of Alliance facilities excluding steel The firm owns the UK's last aluminium smelter, in Fort William, Scotland, where bauxite ore is turned into eight-tonne bars of pure metal, ready to be made into finished products. Smelting aluminium requires vast amounts of electricity, which is provided by a hydroelectric dam in the hills above the smelter. The dam came with 114,000 acres of land, in the highlands around Ben Nevis and further east at Glenshero, where GFG is planning a 39-turbine wind farm. Renewable energy projects like this are central to GFG's vision of a more environmentally friendly approach to metal production, which can often be highly polluting. Sanjeev Gupta has assembled a diverse collection of businesses around the world On top of this, GFG owns a 43% stake in SIMEC Atlantis Energy (SAE), which installed a turbine under the waters of the Pentland Firth, between John O'Groats and the Orkney Islands, to harness the power of the tide. Next to the steel plant in Newport, South Wales, stands the Uskmouth power plant - originally coal - which SAE is converting to produce energy by burning fuel derived from rubbish. As well as rescuing threatened steelworks, GFG has bought a number of engineering businesses, such as the century-old Covpress car parts factory in Coventry, which is now known as Liberty Pressing Solutions. It too is being sold. Liberty is also selling its aluminium manufacturing business, with factories in Witham in Essex, as well as Wednesbury and Kidderminster in the West Midlands. GFG's acquisitions have left it with a large property portfolio, which it has been starting to develop. In 2019 it sold a former factory site in West Bromwich to Persimmon Homes for 2.5m. The firm has been developing plans to build 100 homes on another former factory site in Dudley, and a hotel next to the Clydebridge steelworks. From Australia to South Carolina Sanjeev Gupta has repeated the same trick across the world, rescuing factories big and small from the threat of closure. In Australia, GFG owns the Whyalla steelworks in South Australia, and the nearby iron ore mines which feed it. And in Tasmania, it owns the Infrabuild steel manufacturer and distributor, and a manganese smelter, which it bought as recently as August 2020. In total, GFG employs around 6,500 people in Australia. Map of the world showing GFG companies outside the UK In 2019, the firm bought seven steel plants employing 14,000 people from ArcelorMittal - its biggest ever deal worth 740m, which made it one of the top ten steel producers in the world. Over in France, GFG owns Europe's largest aluminium smelter in Dunkirk, two more steel plants at Hayange and Ascoval, plus vehicle conversion business Durisotti, and an aluminium wheel plant. As for the US, the firm reopened steelworks in Georgetown, South Carolina that had been closed for three years. A total of 1,500 people work at this plant and others owned by GFG around the country. And in India, GFG owns steelworks in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Uncertain future While workers loved the man who brought new life to plants that seemed doomed, it was never clear how Mr Gupta was able to make money where the giants of the steel industry could not. And with the collapse of Greensill Capital in March, the financial engineering which made this extraordinary buying spree possible started to come apart. The lender, which employed the former prime minister David Cameron as an adviser, was lending GFG billions of dollars, and helped to fund many of its acquisitions. David Cameron was an adviser to Greensill Capital, the main financial backer of GFG The UK's Serious Fraud Office announced an investigation in May. GFG says it will co-operate fully. Tata, which sold some of its UK steel plants to GFG, is suing, alleging that bills have not been paid, and Credit Suisse, a lender, is also taking some group companies to court. How the crisis at the heart of GFG will affect workers in the factories remains unclear. The alliance is not organised in a conventional way, with one set of published accounts which cover the whole group. It's more of a network of interconnected businesses, which makes it very hard to gauge the group's overall levels of debt. Mr Gupta owns many of them, according to company filings, while some are owned by his father PK Gupta. However, aluminium and steel prices are currently high, and many of the plants are thought to be profitable. Throughout his buying spree, Mr Gupta has relied on support from politicians eager to keep strategically vital industries afloat. The political importance of those factories remains undiminished. In the UK, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has rejected a request for a 170m bailout from GFG Alliance. But he said that the UK government would consider 'all options' for saving the steel plants he owns.
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https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/gfg-alliance-does-own-230313967.html?src=rss
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Does Boris Johnsons plans for a flagship really signal a new dawn?
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Boris Johnson has announced a new national flagship or, as he says, the first vessel of its kind in the world, reflecting the UKs burgeoning status as a great, independent maritime trading nation. Although the ship may not be ready for another three to four years, it would be expected to be in service for around 30 years. It would be crewed by the royal navy. Labour has been swift to point out that the cost of the project which the prime minister has repeatedly thrown his support behind in recent years would be better spent on other elements of the economy. The shadow treasury chief secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said that the government needs to layout exactly how the ship will help boost trade. Some estimates have put the cost at up to 200m.
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https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/editors-letters/boris-johnson-ship-trade-brexit-b1856706.html
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Did Trump do the Palestinian cause a favor?
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In the political scene, events sometimes yield unexpected, indirect results. Of course, Donald Trump did not directly serve the Palestinian cause, but in the political sense he did it a favor, in an indirect way. This had to do with the extreme domestic policies he enacted to appease the white Protestant right wing, as a response to the growing white fear of people of color in the United States, which is has historical roots. Before World War II, black or yellow refugees were banned from entering the United States, in order to maintain a white majority. Trump revived this ban against certain religions and peoples. Only at times when the US economy was in need of a workforce was temporary immigration permitted, and over the decades ethnic and religious minorities and colors of people were formed and developed in the core of American society, minorities whose rights are often undermined. Perhaps Trumps battle cry is the last before people of color make up America's majority. Those policies over the four years of Trump's presidency pushed people of color across the spectrum in America to join forces and rush to elect Joe Biden, America's second Catholic president, Kamala Harris, a brown vice president of Indian origin. America's internal discourse from the Black Lives Matter revolution, which spread to include all people of color, has awakened among large swaths of the American public, especially young people, the demand for equality and universal human rights in the face of white supremacy. These people have become attuned to the violation of human rights occurring anywhere on the planet, including the human rights stolen from the Palestinians. On the other hand, the events that unfolded in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and the al-Aqsa Mosque, the rockets launched, the political activity of Israeli Arabs internally, the declaration of peaceful resistance from Ramallah, the number of Palestinians killed, many of whom were children, and the use of excessive and unequal force, all of this awakened a Palestinian national spirit, eliciting the response of large pro-human rights populations in the US. This forced the administration to move up the Palestine and Middle East issue, which was the least of its priorities, to the top of the list along with the Iranian issue. This change is spurred by the similarities between the demand for equality in American society, and the inequality in Israeli society, where Arabs Israelis were subjected to years of military rule, and then years of incomplete justice, while representing 20% of the population. This shift in American public opinion was not surprising. A number of Palestinian writers living in the US saw it coming a few months ago. Birzeit University organized a seminar on the issue and a suggestion was made at the time from the participants that it is necessary to consider this growing possibility. Recent events in Palestine thrust it back into the limelight of the American media, exposing the racist practices a country whose legitimacy lies in convincing others that its people were victims of fascism! The dilemma faced by observers is how to persuade locals, especially some leaders in Palestine and their sympathetic supporters, to gain insight from these events. What happened in recent weeks is a Palestinian national spirit, mostly carried by young people inside Israel and in the neighboring region, not directly related to what are known as "factions". It is dangerous for any faction in any Palestinian land to claim that it is the best placed to reap the fruits of that patriotism. The hardest part is yet to come, which is overall how to leverage that widespread sympathy around the world, led by Washington, to achieve political progress that is meaningful for the cause, not for the faction. Of course, the new awareness in American public opinion has its limits. Some experts talk of Hamas publications which do not recognize the possibility of coexistence in two states. The current US administration, even if it expresses a desire for a two-state solution, is against dealing with Hamas for the same reasons or any other faction that it deems to be militant among the Palestinian rift which must be healed in order to maximize the gains made in light of the current international political conditions. As for saying that a group should be the leader because it is the victor, that is a delusion among many that made the Palestinian cause a scramble for the highest bid. In the end, the price is paid by Palestinian citizens in blood, tears, poverty and oppression. This article was published in, and translated from, pan-Arab daily newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. Read more: Western public opinion in light of shocking images from Jerusalem to Gaza Yes to Palestine, no to Hamas Seizing the al-Aqsa Mosque minbar started the war!
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https://english.alarabiya.net/in-translation/2021/05/31/Did-Trump-do-the-Palestinian-cause-a-favor-
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What does Amazon buying MGM say about the future of streaming?
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Amazon's $8.45 million deal to acquire MGM gives it control of the pay cable channel Epix. "Ive already read speculation that Amazon doesnt have a need for a linear channel, and perhaps that is true," says Josef Adalian. Epix doesnt have a massive subscriber base the last estimate I saw of its size a few years ago was 15 million customers but it still generates revenue and could benefit from Amazons scale. As it is, the streaming version of Epix is available via the Amazon Channels subscription program. Or maybe the play is to just use the Epix name: I am pretty sure Amazon execs are looking to rebrand IMDb TV into something less awkward-sounding. Epix is currently a pay channel, but perhaps it becomes the name of Amazons main free TV service, with or without a cable component. (For that matter, the MGM Channel would also be a better name than IMDb TV.)" ALSO: Amazon could do to MGM what Disney did to Marvel with its 2009 acquisition.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264435783094/what-does-amazon-buying-mgm-say-about-the-future-of-streaming
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Why is hearing loss so common in diabetics?
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DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - Taylor Parker of Concept by Iowa Hearing comes back on TV6s Midday Medical to talk about the strong relationship between diabetes and hearing loss. Studies indicate that diabetics are twice as likely to develop hearing loss than those without blood glucose problems. Folks with pre-diabetes are 30% more likely to experience hearing loss, as well. High blood glucose levels cause damage to the small blood vessels in the inner ear. Watch the segment to learn more. Parker talks about how treating hearing loss is very important to a any persons overall health and wellbeing---especially those diagnosed with diabetes. Its best to contact a trusted provider like Concept by Iowa Hearing Aid Centers for FREE SCREENINGS to stay on top of any issues early on. Concept Quad-Cities | Davenport | 4009 E. 53rd St., Ste. 103 / Davenport, IA / 563.355.7155 Copyright 2021 KWQC. All rights reserved.
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https://www.kwqc.com/2021/05/29/why-is-hearing-loss-so-common-in-diabetics/
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What is the job of a paramedic and what are the requirements for certification?
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This story is part of Mind Yourself, a series on mental healthwhy so many men struggle with it, how institutions are addressing it, and practical ways to improve your own. A few years ago, Bob Surratt was working at his desk at San Diegos Balboa Public Library when he heard a disturbance in the stairwell of the building. As a branch manager whos worked at the library for two decades, he was used to commotions, but this one was a bit unusual: I came across a puddle of what appeared to be vomitit smelled strongly of vodka, he said. He soon tracked down the source of the puddle, a man who seemed severely intoxicated.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264450619795/what-is-the-job-of-a-paramedic-and-what-are-the-requirements-for-certification
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Where to go with the story?
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Asking for details about a scandal is ill-mannered, but far be it from me to be above sticking my nose in other peoples business. After all, that is the consumption of pop culture. Here on the front page, theres a blank space for Tracy Lord. The high-maintenance daughter of one of the oldest families in Pennsylvania and an established divorcee, Tracys relationship is at the plate again, ready to bat off the gossip following her soon-marriage with self-made man of the people George Kittredge. Pitching The Philadelphia Story is Spy magazine, and in the name of screwball scheming, her divorced husband C.K. Dexter Haven (a name that lurks in deviousness!) plans to sneak journalist Macaulay and photographer Elizabeth into the wedding. If thats not enough, Dexter notifies Tracy that if she doesnt let the story happen, Spy would then publish a sensational piece about her fathers affair with a dancer.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264462363019/where-to-go-with-the-story
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Can Leafs keep Canadiens from pouncing on their mistakes?
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Open this photo in gallery Jason Spezza #19 of the Toronto Maple Leafs shoots near Jeff Petry #26 of the Montreal Canadiens during the third period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre on May 29, 2021 in Montreal. Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images The Maple Leafs are on the verge of rewriting their torturous past or en route to a collapse so colossal that it may never be lived down. At this point, a victory over the Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on Monday in the deciding game of their postseason series would be met with more relief than jubilation. Thank God. They didnt blow it again. Toronto last won a round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2004. In the past three years, it has flubbed six chances to move on. This time it was up 3-1 on an undermanned Montreal team and yet here come the heebie-jeebies again. Story continues below advertisement You could almost hear the creepy music from a horror movie as an unhurried Mitch Marner panicked and lobbed a puck over the glass on Saturday at a most inopportune moment. Are those footsteps. It is actually quite easy to understand how this all happened. Through six games, Auston Matthews and Marner have combined to score one goal on 49 shots. Zach Hyman is 0 for 19; Ilya Mikheyev is 0 for 11. Much is made when Joe Thornton does something noteworthy, which is less often than not. After a so-so regular season, the likeable 41-year-old has one goal when it counts most. With the exception of William Nylander, Jason Spezza and Alex Kerfoot, the Maple Leafs forwards have played like they are stuck in quicksand. And the teams depth on defence has been exposed. Rasmus Sandin, a prized 21-year-old who is in the last pairing, made two slapstick errors that led to the Game 5 loss. Then Travis Dermott, brought in to replace him, fumbled the puck to precede the winning goal in Game 6. One person not to blame is Jack Campbell. He has been exemplary in goal but has somehow lost three games the past two in overtime. Although it does not seem that way, his save percentage (.937) is better than that of Carey Price (.926). The Canadiens goalie simply has made bigger saves at more crucial times. On Saturday, Toronto outshot Montreal 13-2 in overtime and still didnt win. Without Carey, we wouldnt be here now, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the 20-year-old centre who scored the winning goal, said afterward. He saved my butt more than once today, so I am really thankful. I think everyone can see he is carrying our team. Story continues below advertisement Unless it is Nylander, who has four goals, nobody in a blue and white sweater has taken charge. John Tavares, the teams injured captain, has been relegated to a cheerleaders role. Now Jake Muzzin, a rugged defenceman and another veteran clubhouse leader, is also hurt and may not play on Monday. The Canadiens have fought their way back into the series by pouncing on the Maple Leafs mistakes. There have been many, but Marners Buster Keaton moment was the worst. It gave the Canadiens a 5-on-3 advantage, with which they promptly scored. Montreal enters Game 7 without much pressure at all. Its death sentence has already been commuted twice. It has blown third-period leads in back-to-back games, and then escaped in extra time. There is no quit in this group, Shea Weber, the Canadiens captain, said late Saturday. Weve given ourselves a chance to play for the series and thats all we could ask. We have a belief [in ourselves] here, and now we are just going to go out and do it. If the Canadiens lose, their fans will laud a valiant effort. If they win and advance to a second-round series against Winnipeg on Wednesday, it will be the biggest upset of this postseason. They were the fourth-best team in the North Division, the weakest in the league. The Maple Leafs captured their first division title since 1990, and looked superior as they won three of the series first four games. Now none of that really matters. If they lose, their season will be considered a bust. It is difficult to botch a 3-1 lead. On Sunday, Torontos players said a lot of the same things they have all year. They talked about playing within a system and structure and improving their zone entries and other such hockey babble. At one point, Morgan Rielly commended Matthews and Marner, and called their production one goal between them in six games great. Story continues below advertisement While praising them for everything from showing up at the right rink and tying their own skates, Sheldon Keefe, the Maple Leafs coach, allowed that, They need to be difference makers on Monday night. He sees Game 7 as a great opportunity to wipe away years of disappointments. As much as it sucks how we got here and what we have been through the last couple of games and hate it, I really feel that we are right where we are supposed to be, Keefe said. We face a Game 7 situation, a difficult task, at a time when the other team has momentum, a time where you start to doubt and question yourself. You have got an opportunity to embrace that and meet it head on and push through it. We want to continue this. There is no shortage of motivation.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/article-can-leafs-keep-canadiens-from-pouncing-on-their-mistakes/
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Could Collin Sexton be trade candidate for Cavaliers?
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have a talented young core theyre trying to build around, but questions about whether they can coexist and whether the team can afford to keep all of them continue to loom. Much of the talk surrounds third-year guard Collin Sexton, the teams leading scorer in 2020-21. However, two figures within the NBA told Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer that they believe the Cavaliers should consider trading Sexton. There are a couple reasons why Sexton would make sense as a trade candidate. The expectation is that Sexton will eventually seek a max contract, and that may be impossible for the Cavaliers to accommodate if they sign restricted free agent Jarrett Allen long-term while also keeping Kevin Loves hefty deal on the books. There have also been longstanding concerns over whether Sexton, a ball-dominant guard, can coexist with point guard Darius Garland, who made significant strides this season. Plutos two sources liked the idea of a backcourt consisting of Garland and Isaac Okoro, Clevelands first-round pick in 2020 who is both stronger than Sexton defensively and less reliant on needing the ball. Sexton trade rumors arent new, but the time is coming for a decision to be made. Sexton will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2022, and will almost certainly demand a big salary increase. Add in the fact that Sexton doesnt seem to be fitting in with his teammates, and a trade may be the smart move for the organizations long-term future.
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https://larrybrownsports.com/basketball/collin-sexton-cavaliers-trade-candidate/579663
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Is carbon the crop of the future?
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Life on Earth depends on healthy soil. 95 % of global food production relies on soil. Soil is home to a quarter of all terrestrial species, and it plays a crucial role in nutrient cycling as well as in storing carbon and filtering water, which helps mitigate climate change and prevent flooding and droughts. Yet regardless of soils' fundamental role in the functioning of our planet's ecosystems, soils in Europe (and globally) are being degraded which is now starting to have far-reaching consequences, for food security and safety, the integrity of ecosystems and the services they provide to humanity. Urgent action is needed, especially as it takes considerable time to (re)generate soils and restore soil health.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264504400589/is-carbon-the-crop-of-the-future
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Are we eating healthier than our grandparents?
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Body+Soul investigates. From sausages and mash, a lamb stew or exotic! rissoles, to dishes created by the hottest new international chef exploring a culinary niche (complete with blowtorch, hibachi grill and sous-vide), Australias food landscape has changed remarkably in the past 50 years. Our diets may be different, but the jurys out on whether Australians are actually healthier these days. Sign up to our bodyandsoul.com.au newsletter for more stories like this. Meat and three vegetables every night for dinner was the popular healthy diet in our grandparents time, nutritionist Stephanie Malouf tells Body+Soul. Meals were mostly eaten in the home and made from scratch, with packaged-food consumption very minimal. But while that all sounds lovely and The Good Life-y... read on. They had a healthy diet in a sense that it was simple and unprocessed, seasonal and local but a lot less variety, says naturopath Belinda Kirkpatrick. Most people dont realise how much fresh food has changed, adds taste.com.au editorial director Brodee Myers-Cooke. Its impossible to imagine life without rocket, kiwifruit, limes, Lebanese cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and every other lettuce other than iceberg. But somehow we did. In fact, many of the standard fruit and veg on the weekly shopping list these days were a fantasy. It was slim pickings down the aisles as well. Rice was white. Pasta was spaghetti. And sauce was tomato. Aussie dads put Heinz tomato sauce on everything including scrambled eggs. Grandmother Judy Gray, 76, paints a picture for Body+Soul of how different things used to be. When I was little, we rarely had chicken only at Christmas when I went to the country, where my family is from, she says. My parents grew their own vegetables and shopped nearly every day at the local shops. Social commentator Bernard Salt tells Body+Soul that in the 50s and 60s, there was this insistence that our British heritage and that meat-and-three-veg meal was the way things should be. But it was Australias immigration boom, which saw Greeks, Italians and immigrants from Asian countries arrive, that transformed our tastebuds. There was a turning point in the late 70s, early 80s, where all of a sudden we realized their foods, palates, lifestyle and sophistication was really what we should be embracing, says Salt. Cue Australians love of lasagne, coffee and wine as well as a host of new ingredients and recipes that changed diets radically and have continued to do so ever since. Globalisation has meant we have access to a much wider variety of foods, says Malouf. Not only does this offer a more expanded nutrient profile, but it also keeps our food more interesting. The problem, however, is that as the world got smaller, our waistbands and health issues, well, didnt. The 1970s also saw a surge in the creation of processed foods that were perceived as easy and accessible, and so came a greater consumption of hidden fats, sugars and salt, Dr Sneha Wadhwani, co-founder of Gyn & Tonic womens health retreats, tells Body+Soul. By the 1980s the effects of this refined, processed diet began to appear with the increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Since then, Australians have fasted, quit sugar, tried low-carb and high-fat, and experimented with superfoods, but that processed and fast food is still a huge part of what were shovelling into our mouths. Overall, my Nanna would definitely eat more healthily than me, says Lily Evans, Grays granddaughter and our other day-on-a-plater. Shes more basic: a meat and three veg kind of person. Shes not the type to be ordering Uber Eats or going out to restaurants as much as me. Bill Stavreski, the general manager of Heart Health & Research at the National Heart Foundation, warns that the modern Australian diet is increasingly made up of discretionary foods. These unhealthy foods which include pies, pastries, cakes, chocolate, high-kilojoule takeaways, alcohol and soft drinks make up over one-third of an adults average kilojoule [energy] intake and more than 40 per cent of a days kilojoule intake for children. More than 90 per cent of Australian adults arent eating enough vegetables for good health. And since our grandparents days, portion sizes have increased, too. Malouf adds: Eating more energy-dense foods and moving less is the cause of the obesity epidemic were faced with today. Diabetes is more prevalent, too, and thats largely due to this rise in obesity. According to the National Health Survey conducted in 2017/18, two-thirds of Australian adults were overweight or obese, she adds. But while that sounds like a lot of bad news, Wadhwani says we know more about disease prevention and health promotion now. A greater understanding of the effect of diet on our disease risk and metabolism, as well as research into the causes of obesity in recent years has helped, she says. As for what well be eating in years to come, its a real, ahem, moveable feast though, ironically, it looks to our experts like we should be going back to basics. The diet we should be inspired by is the traditional Mediterranean diet, says Myers-Cooke. Its about embracing loads of veg, less meat and unprocessed grains... plus, in a nice twist, researchers have also proven it to be the best diet in the world for the health of the planet. However, Salt concludes, regardless of health implications or a sudden urge to pop #MeatAndThreeVeg on the Instagram grid, our undying love of all things exotic in the kitchen will never fully disappear, because, well, were Australia. Were very curious people, with very curious palates, he says. Initially, we dont like the idea of a new thing coming we dont know how to pronounce it or declare to the world how delicious it is... But its a bit like, Welcome to Australia, mate, what have you got to eat? Compare the pair Judy Gray, 76 My mother was an old-fashioned cook dinner was usually lamp chops or stew. She also made the most beautiful spaghetti bolognaise. And she always made dessert. I wouldnt have ever gone to a restaurant when I was a kid, except maybe the Woolies cafeteria in the city. We love sweet things, but my husbands just been diagnosed as borderline diabetic, so hes got to cut back now. Judys day on a plate: Breakfast : A piece of fruit and toast or fruit bread, plain muesli and a cup of green tea or coffee. : A piece of fruit and toast or fruit bread, plain muesli and a cup of green tea or coffee. Lunch : Usually a sandwich often peanut butter. Sometimes Lebanese bread or Vita-Weats with Vegemite, or a salad and soup. : Usually a sandwich often peanut butter. Sometimes Lebanese bread or Vita-Weats with Vegemite, or a salad and soup. Dinner: We have fish at least once a week ocean trout or salmon. We also have steak, chicken or veal with heaps of vegies. I make something like baked custard, or well have fruit for dessert. Lily Evans, 25 I dont have a lot of processed stuff, although I could definitely eat more fruit and vegies. On the weekends, I eat what I want, and we go out to restaurants, so the diet goes out the window. My mums a really good cook, and so is my Nanna, so we always had a wide variety of food, but my Nanna is more inclined to have a piece of cake as morning or afternoon tea, Lilys day on a plate:
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https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/nutrition/are-we-eating-healthier-than-our-grandparents/news-story/9f8f94d5091e6041f7e4ca44d7f272a1?nk=237b70b562e69b2b2382ea90621601e3-1622419987
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Can Horses Be Allergic to Stress?
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Q: The pandemic has been difficult for many, but for me, working remotely was like a vacation. I have been a bank executive for several years. Many people joke about working banker's hours, but it is silently stressful. When I work at the office, I have constant interruptions with phone calls and in-person meetings. COVID-19 allowed me to plan my work for days at home where I could work straight through and get everything done. I have an office that I set up at home, and I accomplish everything I need to do, regardless of the hours I keep. If I want to continue working until 10 p.m., I do so because I love the peace of my environment.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264392731017/can-horses-be-allergic-to-stress
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Is Publix Open on Memorial Day 2021?
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Publix rarely disappoints, and so we're not at all surprised that our favorite Southeastern grocer will open its doors on Memorial Day this year. You'll be able to pick up last-minute groceries, supplies, and ready-to-eat treats from Publix's deli and bakery. While many other businesses will be closed in observance of the holiday honoring those who have paid the highest sacrifice for our nation nearly all Publix locations are expected to operate on normal business hours in 2021. Some local stores scattered throughout Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Virginia have adopted new shopping hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most locations, however, will be open to shoppers for 12+ hours on the holiday opening at 7 a.m. and closing between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Monday. There's a chance that Publix pharmacies located within its grocery stores will be closed on Memorial Day, which may give you cause to call ahead for special prescriptions. But if you're on the hunt for a heaping bowl of potato salad or a jug of sweet tea to accompany your barbecue menu, you'll be in luck! And don't forget Publix subs are always available in case you burn the burgers (d'oh!). You'll be able to grab other essentials and treats at the following stores: Kroger: Hours vary based on location. Winn Dixie: Stores will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Whole Foods: Hours vary based on location. Trader Joe's: Hours vary based on location. Aldi: Most stores are open for limited hours. CVS: Most stores are open 24 hours. Please call ahead for the pharmacy's schedule. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
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https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/a36467213/publix-memorial-day-hours/
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Is UFC president Dana White married?
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Being one of the most high-profile personalities in the world of MMA today, Dana White has kept his personal life largely private. The UFC president doesn't open up about his family too often, which can be attributed to his massive media attention. In 1996, White tied the wedding knot with his longtime girlfriend, Anne White. Apparently, they met each other in middle school and that is when the sparks flew immediately between them. At the time, the duo lived in Vegas and White used to work as a boxing coach. A few years later, he got in touch with the Fertitta brothers and bought the UFC from the Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG). White was later instated as the president of the UFC, which is when his and Anne's lives took a turn for the good. Currently, White has a net worth of $500 million. Anne and Dana White are parents to three children. They have two sons, Dana III and Aidan, and daughter Savannah, who is also the youngest in the White family. While Dana III is trying his hand at American football, Aidan is a Muay Thai practitioner and an amateur boxer. For Aidan's 16th birthday, Dana White threw him a massive party that apparently cost him $1 million. Famous rapper Kendrick Lamar also performed at Aidan's birthday bash. Dana White's mother claimed her son has been unfaithful to Anne White Dana White shares a rough relationship with his mother, June White. She also wrote a book about his son, titled 'Dana White, King of MMA: Dana White an Unauthorized Biography'. In the book, June made bold claims about Dana White cheating on his wife. She also referred to her son as an "egotistical and self-centered" individual. It is difficult for me to see how, as the popularity of the UFC evolved, the person I once knew changed into someone who is egotistical, self-centered, arrogant, and cruel. Dana went from being a true friend, a good son, and a truly nice person to being a vindictive tyrant who lacks any feelings for how he treats others," said June. June also accused White of having a physical relationship with two of the UFC's ring girls and his sister-in-law. Theres two ring girls I know about, one was the Xyience girl, the other was Rachelle. She was trying to build a career, she was a Playboy girl. It was pretty obvious they had a relationship going on. He slept with his sister-in-law in my house, I was absolutely furious. Please spend 30 seconds to answer this survey so that we can better understand how to serve your MMA needs.
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https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-is-dana-white-married
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Will there be a new season? When does it come out?
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Space force Season 2 is officially in the works and we have a few updates on the Space Force Season 2 release date to share. Space force is a Netflix Original Series that premiered last year on the streaming platform and features the iconic Eternal Office actor Steve Carrell. Although the series did not bode well for critics, scoring 6.8 out of 10 on IMDb and a 38% on Rotten tomatoes, Space force received millions of views for its first season and achieved an audience score of 75%. There is currently only one season of Space force and you can currently broadcast the original seriesfirst season on Netflix. There are a total of 10 episodes, and each episode is approximately thirty minutes long. Yes it was ad In November 2020, the Netflix original series would return for another season, which means we can see a lot more space humor. While the cast has yet to be announced, we can expect most of the main cast to return for season two. The main cast includes Steve Carrell as General Mark Naird, Diana Silvers as Erin Naird, John Malkovich as Dr Adrian Mallory, Ben Schwartz as F. Tony and Tawny Newsome as Captain Angela. At this time, there is no news on the number of episodes for season 2, but we can predict that there could be a maximum of 10 episodes for the upcoming season. According to a report by Collider, Space force season 2 is finally in production. There has been a significant delay between the seasons of the Netflix original series. The actors and the team of Space force Season 2 began filming for the new season in May 2021. Ben Schwartz, who stars in the show, shared a photo taken in Vancouver, British Columbia. Production moved from Los Angeles in Season 1 to Vancouver for Season 2. Space Force season 2 release date Space Force Season 2 is coming to Netflix sometime in 2022, most likely. There is a chance that we can see the new season on Netflix by the end of the year, but with production starting so late in the year, they have to end by the end of summer, and probably a month and change before that, for the season. 2 to be released in 2021. Right now, were expecting a release date in the spring or summer of 2022. Theres a lot going on next season, and Netflix should give it the proper promotion it deserves. As soon as we know more about Space force season 2 including a release date and number of episodes, well be sure to let you know. The FanSided team contributed to this story. What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
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https://exbulletin.com/entertainment/952541/
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Are children getting the Covid vaccine? Why will Boris Johnson have to decide for himself?
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Boris Johnson himself may have to decide whether or not to extend the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine to children. The idea of vaccinating children against Covid is being considered very carefully, UK Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said today (May 30). The Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Joint Committee on Immunization and Immunization (JCVI) are looking closely at the issue. Mr Zahawi suggested the UK government would rely on the advice of experts, who should make sure the vaccine is incredibly safe before rolling it out to people under the age of 18. But he did not rule out doing so to protect the population as a whole from the continued spread of Covid-19. Despite the willingness to rely on scientific advice on the matter, it is likely our political leaders, like the Prime Minister himself, who must ultimately decide with many parents eagerly awaiting more details. Indeed, the JCVI is unlikely to pass a firm judgment, but simply exposes a range of possible options. JCVI vice-president Professor Anthony Harnden said on Saturday he is likely to present a range of options on childhood immunization, not a recommended choice. That would force Boris Johnson to make the thorny decision to extend the deployment himself, according to the Mirror. The revelation comes in a week that has seen the PM marry his partner, Carrie but also face criticism of his decision-making from former senior assistant Dominic Cummings. Prof Harnden said experts need to weigh ethical issues when considering options such as immunizing children on the basis of risk, for educational purposes or to protect other members of the population. He added that vaccines help in the transmission of Covid-19 but only to a certain extent, and therefore I dont think we will be able to immunize children to avoid huge amounts of transmission within the community. JCVI member Dr Maggie Wearmouth told LBC she had only recently received a written request from Health Secretary Matt Hancock to look into the issue of childhood immunizations. Professor Harnden may have pointed out that vaccines do not necessarily prevent the spread of Covid in the community. But the Vaccine Minister made it clear that this was the main reason jabs for children were being considered in his interviews on Sunday, May 30. Mr Zahawi explained that while some children may be infected or develop Covid in the long term, overall you are vaccinating to protect their families, their communities and the country. He added: Vaccines so must be incredibly safe before they are given to children. Mr Zahawi added: Our own regulatory body has yet to approve the administration of vaccines to children. You have to make sure the vaccines are incredibly safe before you give them to children. He said the infrastructure is in place to prick children in the UK if necessary, but that clinicians need to make that final decision. Regulators in the EU, US and Canada have approved the Pfizer jab for use on young people between the ages of 12 and 15. A government source told the Mirror officials are ready to make a decision in the near future on the part of JCVI. A source from Whitehall added: We took their advice all along, and I dont think that would change. But as Professor Harnden suggested, it might be up to the government to decide one way or the other between the different recommendations. The rollout of the vaccine in the UK is still going full steam ahead against the goal of delivering the first doses to all adults by July 31. The fall will then probably be devoted to administering second doses and preparing boosters for the most vulnerable. He understood that the government thinks it will have offered second doses to everyone over 50 and vulnerable adults by June 21 the date of the fourth stage of the roadmap. This is hardly surprising as they were already offered the first doses on March 31 and the 12 week gap between doses has been shortened.
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https://exbulletin.com/politics/952413/
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What time is the Victoria COVID-19 press conference today with an update on new coronavirus cases?
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Victorian health authorities are racing against the clock to contain a coronavirus spread after five new locally acquired COVID-19 cases were reported on Monday. It comes just a day after a COVID-positive worker became the states first mystery case of the outbreak. Victorias health authorities are expected to provide a COVID-19 update on Monday. This article will be update with the time as soon as its confirmed. Click here to watch the press conference LIVE. The Altona woman worked at Arcare Maidstone on Wednesday and Thursday and may have been infectious at the time. She sought testing as soon as she fell ill on Friday and was among five new locally-acquired cases reported in Victoria on Sunday. Victorias COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said health officials would work with residents families as they attempt to prevent the virus spreading. Im concerned at this point we dont have an original acquisition source, he told reporters. My understanding is at this particular site half the residents were vaccinated and around a third of the staff were vaccinated. Deputy Secretary for Community Engagement and Testing at the Department of Health and Human Services Jeroen Weimar. Credit: JAMES ROSS / AAPIMAGE Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed 53 of the 76 residents had consented to the jab and scheduled vaccinations at the facility were being brought forward from next week to Monday. We are encouraging all the residents and families of those who have not provided consent to reconsider and bring themselves forward, Hunt told reporters. Around the country, we have seen 85 per cent of residents in residential aged care facilities and 100 per cent of Victorian residential facilities, vaccinated so far. Lockdown: Day 4 There are 54 active cases in Victoria, with authorities uncovering 4000 primary close contacts to date. About 70 per cent of those people have tested negative so far. Most infections are currently linked to Melbournes City of Whittlesea cluster, with cases testing positive for the B1617 strain first identified in India. Acting Premier James Merlino again declined to comment on the status of the lockdown ending on Thursday night as planned, saying no decision has been made and no threshold exists to trigger such an extension. We are still in early days, he said. This is something that is evaluated every hour of every day. Health workers conduct testing at the Montague St centre in South Melbourne on Friday. Credit: LUIS ASCUI / AAPIMAGE Masks are mandatory and residents can only leave home to shop for essentials, provide or receive care, exercise, work or study or to get vaccinated. Wait times at state-run vaccination centres eased on Sunday after the technical issues crippled booking systems. Meanwhile, Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas announced a $250 million support package to help impacted businesses through the lockdown, which Treasury estimates will cost $700 million. Pallas lashed the federal government for declining to contribute. This idea that we are working hand in glove, when they have never put their hand in their pocket, is nothing short of a disgrace, he said. Watch the video below to see how long queues for COVID-19 vaccinations are expected to be in Melbourne.
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https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/what-time-is-the-victoria-covid-19-press-conference-today-with-an-update-on-new-coronavirus-cases-c-2974601
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What Time Does the Mare of Easttown Series Finale Premiere on HBO and HBO Max?
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Mare of Easttown Episode 7 Sacrament premieres on HBO and HBO Max tonight, finally shining a light on who really killed Erin McMenamin (Cailee Spaeny). Last weeks episode ended with Mare (Kate Winslet) zeroing in on Billy Ross (Robbie Tann) just as he and brother John (Joe Tippett) find themselves on a tense fishing trip. Meanwhile, back at the police station, Erins best friend Jess (Ruby Cruz) has just shown Chief Carter (John Douglas Thompson) a photo that has chilled him to the bone. Get Mare on the phone. ! Tonight all the secrets of Mare of Easttown will finally come to light. The Mare of Easttown series finale will premiere on HBO and HBO Max. Well learn who is in the photo Jess stole from Erins diaries and who killed the sweet teen mom. While all signs point to Billy Ross as the culprit, were not so sure. Mare of Easttown Episode 7 will premiere tonight! The series finale of Mare of Easttown will hit HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, May 30. So clear your calendar! Mare of Easttown Episode 7 Sacrament will premiere at 10 PM ET on both HBO and HBO Max. If you dont live on the East Coast, check your local listings for what time it will air on HBOs linear cable channel. However you can still watch it on HBO Max starting at 10 PM ET. The Mare of Easttown finale is super-sized, with a run time of 66 minutes. There are only seven (7) episodes total in Mare of Easttowns first and only season. That means that after tonight the story is over. Yes, indeed! All you need to do is download the HBO Max app and login using your HBO credentials. If you usually watch HBO through your cable account, simply use the same username and password associated with your cable login for HBO Max. If you are an HBO NOW subscriber, you can use your HBO NOW username and password for HBO Max. Easy peasy! You can stream HBO Max on several platforms including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Playstation 4, Samsung TV, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and desktop. If you are having trouble logging in or are new to HBO, you also apply directly for an HBO Max subscription. Pricing for HBO Max starts at $14.99/month, but HBO Max offers a free seven-day trial for new users. Where to stream Mare of Easttown
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https://decider.com/2021/05/30/mare-of-easttown-episode-7-premiere-date-time/
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How will Jets' draft picks fit in Jeff Ulbrich's defense?
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After spending their first four picks on offensive players, the Jets took six defensive players on the final day of the 2021 NFL draft. None of the six will be Week 1 starters, but all should play a role on the team and could develop into solid depth pieces in Jeff Ulbrichs defense given their skillsets and athleticism. The Jets switched to a 4-3 base scheme under Ulbrich and will have shades of both Robert Salehs 49ers defense and Pete Carrolls Seahawks defense. Saleh and Ulbrich coached together in Seattle. Here is a look at how all six of the Jets defensive draft picks should fit into that defense.
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https://jetswire.usatoday.com/lists/new-york-jets-2021-nfl-draft-class-fit-jeff-ulbrich-robert-saleh-defense/
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What Makes Ideal Electrical Suppliers Ideal?
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The eponymously named Ideal Electrical Suppliers explain that what makes them ideal is their outstanding customer service in the New Zealand electrical wholesale sector. Their mission that has evolved out of that is in supporting their customers around New Zealand by providing value to a broad range of electrical products with a focus on sustainability and technology. Today they are market leaders in their field, with an extensive nationwide branch network, servicing the electrical product needs of the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, and because of their history, experience, and expertise, they understand what you need to make your next project a success. Ideal Electricals 48 branches are in easy reach of all New Zealand cities and towns, and from Whangarei in the North to Invercargill in the deep South they have branches manned by their friendly, knowledgeable staff to help you with your project. With over 380 staff, including project managers, estimators, lighting specialists, and trade qualified personnel. Ideal Electrical have the expertise and resources to give your business what you need when you need it. To make life easier for their customers Ideal have joined forces with associated companies, with the services they provide including online ordering, estimators, Rexel lighting design and lighting solutions, national account management, project management, real-time stock availability, national distribution centres, customer accounting system integration and Rexel Lighting Design. Ideals are part of the Rexel International Group, which provides electrical solutions and equipment to more than 40 distribution networks worldwide. For more information on Ideal Electrical please go to https://www.ideal.co.nz .
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https://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?id=122270&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+infonews%252Fall+%2528infonews.co.nz+All+news%2529
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Did Media CENSOR Joe/Hunter Biden Corruption Report?
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Biden Shows True Colors Proposing Bigger War Department Budget than Trump President Joe Biden has shown his true colors, as this nation mis-celebrates Memorial Day Weekend by guzzling beer and other alcoholic drinks, racking up a typically epic death toll on the highways, and risking a new upsurge in the Coronavirus pandemic partying without masks, marking the date himself by proposing a record new military budget. Continue re [] Dave LIndorff Asparagus I grow asparagus While remote Arctic bases Sprout in the far north The conning towers Of submarines break through The ice like black plants They say We dont want War but we will defend our (fill in the blank) Keep your eye on them Keep your eye on yourself too Cross yourself We are In Continue reading "Asparagus" The post Asparagus appeared firs [] Gary Lindorff Biden Okays Program to Annually Build 80 Plutonium Pit H-Bomb Triggers Its hard to believe Im writing this, but the Biden administration, while unwinding or reversing a good many rules, regulations and programs of the Trump administration, is forging ahead with one particularly outrageous one: the ramping up of production of so-called plutonium pits. These cores of the man-made radioactive element plutonium, each weighing [] Dave LIndorff US Beyond Shameless in Decrying Belarus Forcing Down of Passenger Plane to Nab Journalist Critic The gold standard for shamelessness has long been the guy who murders his parents and then pleads for the mercy of the court because hes an orphan. The US, as well as the lickspittle NATO nations of Europe have pretty much topped this hypothetical example with a real one. They accomplished this by going Continue reading "US Beyond Shameless in Decr [] Dave LIndorff
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https://counterinformation.wordpress.com/2021/05/30/did-media-censor-joe-hunter-biden-corruption-report/
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Is Justin Jefferson already a top-5 WR?
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Former LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson came into the leauge last season without high expectations. Jefferson was selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, with the 22nd overall selection. Expectations for players drafted outside of the top-15 are much different than those drafted at the top of the draft, especially top-5. Many believed Jefferson could be a nice compliment to Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen and running back Dalvin Cook. After the Vikings traded Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills, a wide receiver was a need for them heading into last years draft. Related Coast to Coast Scouting: Derek Stingley Jr. Is Already CB1 Enter Justin Jefferson. Not only did Jefferson exceed expectations in year one, but he also ended up setting numerous Minnesota Vikings and NFL all-time records. In year two, the expectations for Jefferson will be much, much different. The league has now seen how talented a player Jefferson is. Defenders will challenge Jefferson in a new way, a more physically demanding way, and he will have to adjust accordingly. Judging from how hes approached the offseason, Id say hes up for the challenge. Justin Jefferson had an historic rookie season for the Vikings, and many would say itll be tough to top what he accomplished in year one. I think hes up for it.
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https://sports.yahoo.com/justin-jefferson-already-top-5-004256913.html?src=rss
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Is it Legalism or Is It Holiness?
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Pastor Butch Paugh The scriptures are extremely clear on the issue of living holy before God! In I Pet. 1:15-16 we are told to be holy, as He is holy. In Heb. 12:14 we are told that unless we live with holiness we shall not see God. The word holy and holiness appear in the Holy Bible, the 1611 KJV, over six hundred times. They must be very important words that need to be considered. Now, I would like to make this point abundantly clear! We are not made holy by our works no matter how well intended! We have been justified, cleansed of our sins and made holy by and through the grace, mercy and blood of Jesus Christ! ( Col 1:2, I Cor. 6:11, Eph 5:26 ) One of the most common statements I have had said to me when I preach or teach on holiness and obedience is that we are saved by grace through faith and that our holiness and righteousness isnt sufficient for salvation. Usually, this comment comes from the once saved, always saved crowd. Usually Baptists, who are half Calvinists. They seem to want to believe that an individual has to make a choice to be saved, but after that cant choose to turn away from God and go back into the world and lose their salvation, i.e., inheritance in Christ. Of course, this damnable doctrine of devils flies in the face of the truth of the Word of God in many places! Heb. 3:14, Heb. 10:26-27 and Rev. 22:19 to name a few. To live holy before God and the unsaved simply means that we have a great desire to please Him in every way that we can through obedience to His Word. Many will say, now preacher, you are putting us back under the law and you know that no man can keep the law for salvation! You have become a legalist! So says the unlearned who have been misled by false teachers and hypocrites! Christ clearly said that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments! John 14:15 As His body we are told to have good works before men. Mt. 5:16 If we place our Faith in Him, the proof will be in our works! James 2:14-26 makes this point very clearly! To say that you are saved by grace and you do not have the evidence of works through obedience to His commandments, you are deceiving yourselves! You obey the commandments of the one you love the most! ( Rom. 6:14-16, I John 2:5-6, John 14:23 ) Works, obedience to Gods laws is so important that He took the time to list both the works of the flesh and of the Spirit in Gal. 5:16-26 . We bare righteous fruit if we walk in His Spirit. Our love for God causes us to bare good fruit not by the burden of keeping His law, but rather by delighting in His Word and His commandments! ( Ps. 1:2, Ps. 40:8, Ps. 119:70, Romans 7:22 ) The ten commandments are not mere suggestions and optional for the church to keep! Lets us clarify another objection that comes up many times when holiness and obedience are preached. Col 2:14 says that Christ blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, that was contrary to us and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross. So, the unlearned or self-centered Christian will say, See preacher, Christ nailed the law to the cross! No , Col 2:14 does not say that! Read the next three verses and you plainly see these were ordinances and not laws that were being referred to! The two great commandments that Christ gave us in Mt. 22:37-40 tell us how to fulfill the whole law! The fact is, that ever since Eves being deceived by the serpent, (Satan) in the garden, mankind has had in their nature an innate spirit of rebellion and a desire to want to disobey authorities. Let me make clear that I am referring to righteous authority. From the authority of God, to Gods delegated authority to parents, law enforcement, church leadership and civil government. Again, I want to emphasize that I am referring to righteous authority. Unrighteous authority has no authority! Only force! It is up to each individual to decide when obeying these tyrants is right or wrong. You may need to read Acts chapter 5 for guidance on when we can and should comply in each circumstance. But seeing as it has been in mans fallen nature to not want to obey, many times even righteous authority, we need to discuss this issue briefly. Being a pastor for over forty years I have had the honor to perform several marriages. While I can say that as best as I can recall, I have only had one instance when the bride had a problem with the word obey being part of her vows before God and man. But I can state empathically that the word obey is one of the most hated and ignored words spoken today! Even in the church! It seems it smacks of a legalistic point of view. To make this final point as briefly as possible, we can simply state, That to not obey is to dis -obey! Most folks dont realize that when we dis -obey, we are showing disrespect. Dis or diss is an actual word meaning to disrespect, insult, taunt, malign, slap, slander, humiliate. So every time we disobey God, parents or any other righteous authority, we are committing a horrible act to disgrace that authority! Bear in mind that rebellion is witchcraft and disobedience brings the wrath of God! ( I Sam 15:23, Col 3:6 ) Its truly easy to understand. Holiness is not legalism! It is what a people that sincerely love God and are betrothed to His Son Jesus Christ are! That is o bedient to His Law and not rebellious to His Word! In Christs Service, 2021 Butch Paugh All Rights Reserved E-Mail Butch Paugh: [email protected]
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https://newswithviews.com/is-it-legalism-or-is-it-holiness/
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Was Warina Hussain asked to clear her Instagram account before the big announcement today?
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Trust Salman Khan to make the most dramatic announcements of them all. The actor took to his Twitter account today morning to announce the leading lady of his brother-in-law, Aayush Sharma's movie. But his announcement was intriguing enough. BollywoodLife was the first one to report the real reason behind his announcement and the actor later revealed her name too. Warina Hussain, who has earlier starred in a Cadbury advertisement, will romance Aayush in his debut movie, Loveratri. Though the movie will be her launchpad in Bollywood, she's already a known name and face on social media thanks to the chocolate commercial. She already has a fan page and that's the place where you can get hold of all her older pictures. Also Read: Salman Khan declares he has found a girl and Twitter is going crazy figuring out her name Also Read - Antim: Release date of the Salman Khan-Aayush Sharma starrer is pushed due to THIS reason It was surprising for us to realise that Warina, who has around 15.3k followers on Instagram already, has put up just five pictures till date. The last picture being posted on October 2017. Now, for someone who isn't a star kid or a well-known face, to have that many followers is a bit shocking. Unless there are a good amount of pictures to justify the number of followers. It was only after a bit of digging that we realised the possible reason for it. It was a comment from one of her admirers on a picture that solved the puzzle. The fan was curious to know the reason as to why she had deleted all her previous posts. So that explains it. If yes, we wonder what the posts were really! Also, surprisingly, Warina today follows only four people on Instagram and no extra points for guessing the names. She follows Salman Khan, Aayush Sharma, Arpita Khan and Loveratri director, Abhiraj Minawala. Also Read: Salman Khans find Warina Hussain has already made her acting debut! watch video Also Read - From Shah Rukh Khan to Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn here's the LATEST UPDATES on the projects of these 10 Bollywood stars Also Read - Eid 2021: When megastars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and others bonded on the occasion of this auspicious festival view pics With Warina entering Bollywood, she's all set to join the likes of actresses like Disha Patani, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif and many others who never really belonged to star families and had no B-town connections. Here's hoping she tastes similar success.
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https://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/was-warina-hussain-asked-to-clear-her-instagram-account-before-the-big-announcement-today-1153056/
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What's the endgame for Matt Patricia and the Patriots?
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originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston After three disastrous years in Detroit where he ran a mediocre Lions franchise onto the rocks, Matt Patricia is back with the Patriots. And his image is getting a vigorous buff-and-shine. Since returning in late January after going 13-29-1 as the Lions head coach (he was fired after Week 12 last season), Patricias been seen at the right hand of Bill Belichick during the draft and the left shoulder of Belichick for the first 30 minutes of the teams most recent OTA. Patricia was under contract with the Lions through 2022 so hes likely not making much if any with the Patriots this year for whatever work he does. But his presence and visibility has led to speculation that maybe hes wedging himself into the Patriots hierarchy. Patricia being the designated signee on the lions share of free agent contracts this spring prompted a Boston Globe story which wondered if Patricia is being groomed as Belichicks heir apparent as GM, head coach or both. Its a fair question. And Belichicks tire-pumping last week when asked about his former defensive coordinators current role made it even more reasonable. His advice and counsel and presence has been valuable for us in a lot of ways, Belichick said. So yeah, Im extremely glad that hes here and appreciate the contributions that he gives us on a daily basis. Its a fact that former Patriots Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio wore more hats than anyone in pro football. Scouting, coaching, contracts, cap management he had a hand in all of it. He wasnt a power-collector in an industry chock-full of them. He was just trusted by Belichick for his competency, loyalty and ability to deliver what Belichick wanted. Story continues With Caserio gone to Houston and Belichick consigliere Ernie Adams reducing his role, there are empty hats. If its the former, that makes sense. There are personnel people starting with Dave Ziegler with far more experience in New England both scouting and player personnel than Patricia. Zieglers been described as a rising star. He was deep in the running for the GM job with the Broncos in early January when Belichick convinced Ziegler to pull his name from consideration and return to the Patriots as de facto GM. Titles are vital in the NFL when it comes to advancement because they indicate the level of power/control an individual has in an organization. Generally, individuals are free to interview for and accept jobs which are promotions. Zieglers exact title hasnt been announced. But hes been the tip of the spear in personnel this offseason. Brian Smith, Steve Cargile and Matt Groh have also been in the Patriots scouting salt mines for years. Eliiot Wolf is also part of the personnel team who's seemingly played a big role. It seems unlikely Patricia leapfrogged Ziegler in the Patriots player personnel firmament after Belichick convinced Ziegler to stay. And while Ziegler is without a title, the one Patricia is carrying (or was when he was trotted out during the draft to announce the Patriots fifth-round pick) was Assistant to the Head Coach. Patricias visibility during the draft and the media access part of OTAs coupled with the Globe story and also Peter Kings Football Morning in America column last week surely does a little to rinse some of the Lions stink off of him. Suddenly, thinking in league circles could switch to, Hell, if Belichick the games biggest brain would take him back and give him a prominent role, well hell, maybe we could use him too? Which would be doing a major solid for Patricias future elsewhere. As Ben Volin wrote in Globe story: At minimum, Belichick is doing Patricia a huge favor by giving him front office experience. Patricias three-year tenure as Lions coach ended with a 13-29-1 record, but he would be a much more attractive candidate now that he has experience in contracts and salary-cap management. Patricia may be in Foxborough for at least two seasons, as he is still being paid by the Lions through 2022. This is great for Patricia, the former executive said. First, its worth remembering that decisions will ultimately be made not by Belichick but by somebody with the last name Kraft. Second, thats a chilling proposition. Because even though Belichick was a reclamation project by the Patriots back in 2000, his track record in Cleveland from 1991 to 1995 included a franchise rehab, a playoff appearance and then having to swallow his owner uprooting the team. That to put it gently was not the arc of success the Lions experienced under Patricia. But the notion that Patricia's stepped over and around everyone and sits not at the right hand of Belichick has gained great traction. Belichick may be legendarily taciturn with the media but nobody in America is savvier at using it for his purposes. Almost nothing is benign. Almost everything is calculated. And if Belichick wasnt down with the ongoing Patricia puffery, it would have quieted down before now. We'll see.
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https://sports.yahoo.com/whats-endgame-matt-patricia-patriots-000427718.html?src=rss
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Why Are Taylor Swift Fans Leaving Snake Emoji On Olivia Rodriguo's Instagram Post?
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Olivia Rodriguo has been gaining immense popularity with her new album Sour. It is not hidden that Olivia is a Swiftie. She is a big Taylor Swift fan and loves to shower love on the artist both personally and publicly. But seems like Olivia Rodriguo has landed herself in a problem with Swifties attacking her. Taylor Swift's fans have been commenting the snake emoji on Olivia's post after she sent her driver's license merch to Kim Kardashian. Taylor Swift fans not happy with Olivia Rodriguo Rodrigo recently released her debut album, Sour. She sent PR packages to quite a few celebrities in order to promote her album. One such celebrity was none other than Kim Kardashian. Kim Kardashian took to her Instagram story to thank Olivia for the merch and patches. I cant wait for her album. You guys know I love drivers license. ' The PR package included some Sour merch as well as a personal thank you note from Rodrigo. Kim, thank you so much for supporting my music! It means the absolute world. I just adore you & I wanted to give you a few goodies to celebrate the release of my 1st album SOUR. Sending you & ur fam so much love", the note read. Kim Kardashian shows off her SOUR promo package from Olivia Rodrigo saying she listens to drivers license all the time only to be outed by her daughter North West: You never listen to it. pic.twitter.com/6qRqnKJfFZ Pop Faction (@PopFactions) May 25, 2021 Seems like this didn't go well with the Swifties as everybody is aware of the feud between Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian. Now Taylor Swift's fans are attacking Olivia on her Instagram post by leaving the snake emoji in the comment section which is unofficially the symbol of the feud between Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian. Kinda glad Taylor didnt post about your album tbh, one person commented on Rodriguo's post. I love your work but that was the cheapest move ever", while most of them left snake emoticons in the comment section. Swifties flood Olivia Rodrigos comments on Instagram with hate and snake emojis after she sent Kim Kardashian a SOUR promo package. https://t.co/OkOEg3tLvP pic.twitter.com/MJbRiM7NjE Pop Faction (@PopFactions) May 25, 2021 Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian feud Taylor Swift does not share a good relationship with Kim's husband Kanye West since the time he interrupted her MTV Video Music Awards' speech in 2010. Later, Kanye wrote a derogatory line about Taylor in his 2016 song Famous. He claimed that he took Taylor's permission before writing the line however Taylor denied that she didn't know that Kanye would be calling her a b**** in his song. Later, Kim in an interview with GQ said that Taylor "totally knew" about the line and she pretended like she didn't to "play the victim again." Later, Kim even posted a video of Taylor and Kanye talking about the song on her Snapchat, to which Taylor responded, saying she was never made aware that Kanye was doing so. Eventually, in the spring of 2020, the full audio from the conversation got leaked which validated what Taylor had said from the beginning - Kanye called her about the song, but never mentioned the b*** word. Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment.
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https://www.republicworld.com/entertainment-news/hollywood-news/why-are-taylor-swift-fans-leaving-snake-emoji-on-olivia-rodriguos-instagram-post.html
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Did Buhari watch Chelseas incredible victory?
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Twas a spectacle with all the trappings of a full-fledged drama: conflict, timing, tension, rhythm, mood, language, sound, space, focus, contrast and a crushing climax. Twas the UEFA Champions League final played before 50,035 spectators on a 115x68m stage called Dragon Stadium in Porto, Portugals second largest city after Lisbon. Believe you me, the dragons that emerged within the stadium and afflicted the Manchester team wont be exorcised too soon. Its not only art that imitates life, sports do, too. And many a time, life, in its fitful drama, offers grapes instead of oranges and waxes bile instead of honey. For me, the outcome of the impending UEFA finale was as sure as death. Lightning doesnt strike at the same spot twice. Eewo orisa! Impossible abomination! But I was soon to discover the futility of this age-long belief even as science has proved that lightning strikes the 102-storey Empire State Building in Manhattan, New York, about 25 times every year. I had it all figured out, or so I thought. I had cast some catchy headlines and thought up some super storyline with twists and turns leading to the ultimate triumph of Manchester City FC in the UEFA final. But life is quicksand; after Chelseas lightning had struck Manchester City twice in England, it travelled an air distance of 1,812 kilometers to Portugal and struck City for the third time in six weeks! Chelsea FC put a grenade to my personal pot of fantasy and shattered the initial layout of this article. Ha! Usually, I write my column on Saturday morning but I delayed it till Saturday night after the epic final just to accommodate Manchester Citys anticipatory victory, hoping to use the triumph to rile my known and unknown football frenemies, who cut across countries and continents, online and offline. In England, for instance, I dislike Chelsea FC with passion and long draped it in the garb of an archenemy while in Spain, where I support the club that plays football like angels, FC Barcelona, my archfoe is (un)Real Madrid FC, which I do not dislike but hate for their dominance. When Chelsea came up against Madrid in the semifinals of the competition, I supported the London club but I silently prayed it never get past Manchester City in the finals. Worldwide, tit-for-tat aka gbas gbos is the language spoken in football fandom, where revenge is never cold, but served hot like the pounded yam of 20 years. In Porto, on Saturday, Chelseas cunning coach, Thomas Tuchel, exacted another pound of flesh from the greatest coach in club football today, Pep Guardiola, who had peppered Tuchel four times while they both coached Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund respectively. Before the UCL final, Guardiola had only lost in one of the 15 finals in his career while Tuchel had lost in his two finals only to come back a year later and win both titles. The mantra among Nigerian football supporters is the enemy of my friend is my enemy, and inter-club banters could spring from trivias such as jersey colour or coachs height, reinforcing the proverb which says an enemy never kills a big grasscutter, ota eni kii pa odu oya. To understand football fans psychology, a peep into Nigerian politics or polygamy will suffice. Except suspicion, envy and rivalry, nothing is cast in concrete in Nigerian politics or a typical polygamous home. What is sauce for the goose is never sauce for the gander: rules change like quicksilver, depending on the idiosyncrasies of who is at the driver and the convenience of the seat. For me, May is a month I won two battles but lost the war. One, my preferred team, Leicester defeated Chelsea 0-1 in the final of the English FA Cup. Two, Villareal, a Spanish team, defeated Manchester United in the final of the Europa League final 10-11 on penalties, but the biggest prize of all was lost to Chelseas never-say-die spirit and Guardiolas oversabi which is turning into an albatross over the years. Im still in shock as to why Guardiola, like its now becoming common to him in the knockout stages of the UCL to come up with questionable line-ups, decided to play without a natural striker and a defensive midfielder on the biggest stage of club football, and Chelsea punished his indiscretion when a Mason Mount intelligent pass split open Citys defence through the very middle for Kai Havertz to maroon goalkeeper Ederson Moraes, scoring the only goal of the match. Today, I neither intend to bemoan the twin bombs dropped on the city of Manchester by Villareal and Chelsea within three days apart, nor do I intend to count the countless teeth of Adepele, the hyperdontia that Nigerias political class has become. Now that the hurlyburlys done and the battle is won and lost, Chelsea, worthy Champions of Europe, deserve their time in the sun for Blue is the colour, football is the game. I doff my hat for Chelsea, whose fans, britannica.com describes as one of Englands most notorious gangs of football hooligans known as Headhunters, and have been responsible for organised violence in the stands since the 1970s. But as the euphoria of victory and the bitterness of defeat ebb, I guess its also time the Nigerian leadership looks in the mirror and takes lessons from the Chelsea triumph. I wish Nigerian President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, watched the match. I dont give a hoot if they oohed or aahed during the match. All I care about is that they both did not lose the lessons inherent in the Chelsea victory. I also wish the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, his deputy, Ovie Omo-Agege, and the leadership of the House of Representatives all watched the match, and not lose sight of the lessons in the exemplary leadership of Tuchel, who took Chelsea from the ninth position in January this year to the pinnacle of club football four months later. Tuchel, unlike the Buhari-Osinbajol-led regime, didnt whine about the players he inherited from Chelseas former coach, Frank Lampard, but settled down to work and turned an average team to Europes best. I wish Nigerian political leaders at all levels saw the economic stupidity in our love for foreign football and truly develop our local leagues to partake in the multi billion dollars venture football has become globally. As I said early on, this article is a salute to Chelseas indomitable spirit, and not a criticism of the inept Buhari-Osinbajo regime. Tuchel picked the best available legs for every game. He wasnt nepotistic like the Buhari-Osinbajo rudderless regime, which has never criticised killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen across the country. Tuchel understands the burden of leadership. He knows the goals of the board and the expectation of the clubs teeming supporters worldwide, and he rose to the occasion by constantly communicating with his players, never absented himself at critical moments, demonstrating compassion, exuding confidence and building trust virtues lacking in the Buhari-Osinbajo regime. Its Chelseas moment of joy, I wont spoil their fun by allowing what a popular ex-Edo lawmaker calls odoriferous saga cum gargantuan saga to take the shine of their victory. I wont allow the Buhari-Osinbajo regime to take the centre stage of this piece. May was a month of Chelsea triumph. It was also a month when Nigerias Defence Minister, Bashir Magashi, delivered a heartless speech at the funeral of former COAS, Lt.-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru. May was the month when the new Aide-de-Camp to the Aide-De-Camp of Governor Nasir El-Rufai was unveiled and the incoming First Lady got into a fresh thug of war. May was the month when the parents of kidnapped Greenfield University students paid N180m and bought many motorcycles to secure the release of their children from kidnappers. May Buhari and Osinbajo take the lessons of Chelsea victory beyond May. Up Blues! Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: [email protected]
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https://punchng.com/did-buhari-watch-chelseas-incredible-victory/
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Who bore brunt of income losses in CY20 as India battled coronavirus?
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Every economy in the world suffered economic/income losses in CY20. The sudden stop forced authorities to react with a quick, massive, and unconditional fiscal/monetary support last year. As in other crisis, however, these measures did not prevent losses, though they definitely helped mitigate them. Assuming that income growth in CY20 would have been the same as in CY19, my calculations suggest that total income losses incurred by Indian economy amounted to 10.6% of GDP (totaling $315b) in CY20. This was lower than losses worth 12.7% of GDP in Spain (ES) but almost double of that in Australia (5.8% of GDP) and the US (6% of GDP). This is vital because it helps us understand: a) if, and how, the situation is different in India vis--vis other major economies, b) how different fiscal responses led to varied implications for the private sector, and c) implications on the strength of recovery, as and when it happens. Lastly, this analysis also provides a key lesson to be avoided during the second wave. The estimation of distribution of income losses by different sectors in India (IN) is not an easy task. There are two ways of estimating such losses--either the national statistical agencies publish gross disposable income (GDI) data with details on a regular basis, and/or the government releases sectoral data on gross savings, which can then be added to consumption spending to arrive at GDI. For many advanced economies, data on both parameters are easily available. However, for India, neither income nor savings data by sectors is available on a regular basis. The Central Statistics Office (CSO), the data publishing arm of the Government of India, publishes sectoral income and savings data only on an annual basis, with a lag of 10 months. Thus, FY21 data will be available at the end of Jan22. In order to bridge this gap, I estimate sectoral savings on a quarterly basis for India, which is then added with final consumption expenditure to arrive at the disposable income for the three domestic economic participants. Please note, the methodology to estimate household income in India, as the sum of consumption and savings, is in contrast to the official methodology. Therefore, my estimates are only approximates and subject to change when more official data are available. However, the broad trends and conclusions are likely to stay intact. My calculations suggest that almost four-fifth of all income losses in CY20 were incurred by the private sector (household + corporate sector) in India, and the government bore only about a fifth of the losses (Exhibit 1). This is in stark contrast to Australia (AU), Canada (CA), and the US, where the government sector incurred all the losses and eventually ended up transferring net resources to the private sector last year. The private sector faced losses between 20% and 60% in large European nations France (FR), Germany (DE), Italy (IT), Spain (ES), and the UK covered in this study. The government sector incurred almost all losses in South Africa (SAf), the only other emerging & developing economy included in this analysis. Within the private sector, while the fiscal support made up for more than lost household (disposable) income in AU, CA, and the US, households in IN/SAf incurred 61%/68% of economic losses in CY20 (Exhibit 1). Household losses were restricted between 16% and 28% in five European nations covered in our study. The corporate sector in India also incurred about a fifth of all income losses last year. Since listed in India have performed very well in 2HCY20, with their profit-to-GDP ratio at 6-year high of 3.3% of GDP, it implies that almost the entire losses in the corporate sector were incurred by the very large unlisted sector. Going forward, as the government in almost all countries, including IN, will be taking a step back towards fiscal consolidation (hopefully only gradually) as COVID-19 subsides, the burden of stronger growth in subsequent year will fall entirely on the private sector. With INs private sector bearing such a large share of income losses (as much as four-fifth) in CY20, it is rather obvious to be skeptical of a strong rebound in growth, as and when it happens. At the same time, this study includes a major lesson. With India witnessing a much ferocious second COVID wave, although the income losses may be modest (say, 2-3% of GDP) compared to the first wave, the major lesson is for the government to loosen its purse strings, to support household income in the country. Without a strong household sector, the Indian economy may find it difficult to achieve a strong revival on a durable basis in a post-COVID era. (Nikhil Gupta is Economist, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd. Views expressed are personal.)
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https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/who-bore-brunt-of-income-losses-in-cy20-as-india-battled-coronavirus-121053100082_1.html
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Are snap lockdowns the best way to manage COVID-19 outbreaks?
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With snap lockdowns seemingly part of the ongoing COVID-19 landscape, advocates are calling for more support for affected small businesses, implemented more quickly and with less uncertainty in the mix. But one business owner says she would much rather see an alternative to lockdowns altogether. The debate comes amid Victorias latest seven-day lockdown an attempted to quash a COVID-19 outbreak that originated in the South Australian hotel quarantine system. Over the weekend, the Victorian state government announced a $250 million support package for small businesses, offering $2,500 to $3,500 grant payments for small businesses and sole traders affected by the snap lockdown. But, there has been a conspicuous lack of tailored support from the federal government something Victorias Acting Premier James Merlino is none too pleased about. At a press conference on Sunday, Merlino pulled no punches in his criticisms of the Morrison government, saying the state government asked multiple times for support for Victorian workers. The unrelenting answer has been no, he said. Victorian workers deserve more from the federal government, and I am beyond disappointed that the answer from the Prime Minister and from the Treasurer has been not to talk in further detail about the package, he added. For the Prime Minister and the federal Treasurer to say no is a disgrace and it should make every Victorian angry. Five new cases of COVID-19 were recorded on Monday, bringing the total number of active cases in Victoria to 54. The Acting Premier has not ruled out an extension of the lockdown measures. Beyond frustrating Melissa Glentis is the owner of Dilly Daly, a cafe based just off of Melbournes Chapel Street. Speaking to SmartCompany, Glentis says she has been forced to stand down her causal staff for the seven-day lockdown which is heartbreaking, she says. Her full-time team members are working as much as they can. But if this lockdown lasts any longer were going to start to see full-time employees being stood down with no pay as well. Thats something she doesnt want to put her team through. But it could also be damaging to her business. Employees may be forced to look for work elsewhere. Then, when she can reopen, it feels like starting from scratch, she says. Its absolutely beyond frustrating at this point. Just speaking to Glentis over the phone, that frustration is palpable. But, for the most part, its frustration with the state government not the federal government. For her, lockdowns feel like a knee-jerk reaction. And support for the small businesses affected seems to come as an afterthought. As a small business owner, she has contingency plans in place for all kinds of things. When it comes to supporting businesses like hers through snap lockdowns, the state government seems to have no such thing. Its a constant afterthought, she says. While things are made more difficult without JobKeeper, Gentis accepts that the federal government can only dish out so much. As a solution, the wage subsidy is not sustainable for our economy, she says. The Victorian government needs to take a good hard look at themselves and look at other ways of managing these outbreaks rather than just locking down the entire state and then asking for federal government support. No excuse Elsewhere, small business associations and advocates are calling for the state and federal government to work together to provide further support, and certainty, for small businesses. The hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit by COVID-19 lockdowns, Brendan Leeds, founder and chief of hospitality networking site Clipboard tells SmartCompany. With no certainty or security through these snap lockdowns, many businesses cafes, venues, restaurants will be forced to close their doors, he adds. That uncertainty is not only bad for business. Leeds is concerned about the serious effect on mental health, both for business owners and their staff members, who are often low-income earners. It is vital that the support measures are implemented quickly with a focus on providing security, he adds. The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) has called on the National Cabinet to work together to create a consistent support framework for small businesses affected by snap lockdowns. In New Zealand, for example, businesses placed into level-two restrictions or beyond for seven days become automatically eligible for financial support. Our friends across the Tasman are ahead of us in this area, COSBOA chief executive Peter Strong said in a statement. More than 12 months into the pandemic, we know snap lockdowns remain a real possibility for Australian cities, he said. Theres no excuse for not having a nationally consistent business support payment ready to be activated when a lockdown is called. Australian Retailers Association (ARA) chief executive Paul Zahra said in a statement that some small businesses are at a breaking point. While the Victorian support package is welcome, the grant funding available doesnt go far enough to cover the losses small businesses will incur over this lockdown period, he said. The virus remains an ongoing threat, Zahra said. Without a full vaccine rollout, we can still expect to see further lockdowns, not only in Victoria. With that being the case, we need to ensure government lifelines remain in place.
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https://www.smartcompany.com.au/coronavirus/covid-19-snap-lockdown-state-federal-government-small-business/
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What's in Victoria's $250 million business support package for SMEs?
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Victorian businesses in industries affected by the states seven-day lockdown will soon be able to apply for grants of up to $3,500 as part of a COVID-19 business support package. Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino announced the $250.7 million support package on Sunday, saying it will help 90,000 businesses affected by the restrictions that will remain in force until midnight Thursday June 3. This support will help businesses pay the bills and maintain their workforce as best they can, as we work together to get through this challenge, Merlino said. The package features three initiatives for small and medium businesses and sole traders. The Business Costs Assistance Program The Victorian government is spending $190 million to fund a second round of the Business Costs Assistance Program, which will offer eligible businesses grants of $2,500. Businesses and sole traders that are unable to operate under the restrictions and cant work remotely, such as restaurants and cafes, event suppliers, accommodation providers and non-essential retailers, will be able to apply for the grants. Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund The package also includes $40.7 million to fund a new round of the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund. As part of the fund, businesses holding an eligible liquor licence and food certificate will be able to apply for a $3,500 grant per premises. Victorian Events Support Package Businesses in the events industry will receive support through a $20 million package dedicated to operators that have incurred losses due to the restrictions. The value of the grants and application dates will be available on the business.vic.gov.au website shortly. Applications for the Business Costs Assistance Program and Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund will open on Wednesday June 2 and close after three weeks. Business can register their interest in the grants at business.vic.gov.au so they can be notified as soon as applications open. The state government has not confirmed when it will begin making the grant payments. However, Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas told The Age that he hopes the grants will begin to be paid by the end of this week. Business associations have welcomed the package but say more support needs to exist for businesses forced to close during lockdowns. Paul Zahra, chief executive of the Australian Retailers Association, said without the safety net of JobKeeper, the state and federal governments must work together to offer ongoing, targeted support. However, the federal government has so far refused to offer further assistance to Victorian businesses. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg declined the Victorian governments request for $250 million in funding in a move the acting premier described as disgraceful. In a Facebook post, Frydenberg wrote that the federal government didnt give extra support to businesses in Brisbane and Perth during their three-day lockdowns, which also took place after JobKeeper ended. For businesses that experience losses, the loss carry-back measure is available to boost cash-flow at the end of the financial year, Frydenberg said.
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https://www.smartcompany.com.au/coronavirus/stimulus/explained-whats-in-victorias-business-support-package/
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Can the US avoid another Trump?
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Former Obama adviser Ben Rhodes has travelled the world looking for clues to how the US came to elect Donald Trump and he found parallels everywhere. When Donald Trump won the US election in 2016 it upturned the assumptions of many in America about who was electable to the highest office in the land. It seemed obvious to many that Trump would lose to Hillary Clinton and yet he won a stunning victory. For the former Obama aide Ben Rhodes it was a moment to take stock and search for clues as to how it could have happened. He tells Anushka Asthana that his quest took him around the world to countries that had elected their own strongman leaders.
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https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2021/may/31/can-the-us-avoid-another-trump-podcast
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Are barangays now using surveys to push Saras presidential bid?
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Former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casio raised this issue on Twitter after sharing a photo of a supposed letter that a barangay chair had sent a Bulacan homeowners association, about a survey to determine if there was enough voter support for President Dutertes daughter. The May 27 letter, signed by Mark Anthony Velasquez, barangay chair, was addressed to the homeowners association of Camella Phase 1 and 2 in Barangay Pagala, Baliwag, Bulacan. The letter instructed village officials to determine how many people support the continuity of the advocacy of our President Rodrigo Dutertes movement, based on a survey form allegedly circulated at the behest of local officials. The form, now being shared over social media, stipulates that the respondents were willing to back Mayor Dutertes presidential candidacy. The former party list lawmaker wondered if the same survey was being done in other barangays. I see what you did there. Wonder how many barangays in the country are conducting this survey, Casio tweeted. Movement for president Guiguinto Mayor Ambrosio Cruz Jr., president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) in Bulacan, would not say if the group had initiated the survey, but said that during an LMP meeting on Friday, the Bulacan mayors joined a movement launched in Davao earlier to push Mayor Duterte to seek the presidency. The Bulacan provincial government has not confirmed the LMP drive. I need to confirm. Nothing official, said a text message from Tonet Constantino, Bulacan provincial administrator. Mayor Duterte declined to comment on the matter. According to the letter, the Sangguniang Barangay of Pagala received the forms from the municipality of Baliwag. Casios photograph of the letter showed a heading that read: Ipagpatuloy Ang Nasimulang Pagbabago ni Pangulong Duterte Movement. Below it are spaces for names, contact numbers and signatures. Almost all mayors are supporting the candidacy of Mayor Sara and there is now an ongoing signature campaign for her to run, Cruz said. It would be a waste to lose the gains made by President Duterte. No one can match his war on drugs, his war against the dumb, the arrogant and the corrupt. It is true a lot more needs to be done but if he will no longer be president, businessmen would remain fearful (for the countrys safety), the LMP Bulacan president said. This is still a good administration and Inday Sara will give us a better government. She is more subdued but she is disciplined and has empathy for the public, Cruz added. Sparking discussions Although details about the survey have not yet been released, it has sparked discussions among Duterte supporters in Bulacan. Luigi Reyes, a 30-year-old businessman who describes himself as a Sara supporter, said he had yet to receive the form but would readily endorse the Davao mayor because I dont want a return of the Aquinos. Reyes added: Also I am progovernment. I have high hopes (that Sara can) even surpass the dedication and service of her father, he said. The younger Duterte has not declared any intention to seek the presidency, with a report in April quoting her as saying that she has decided not to run for the post. Despite that avowal, several groups have been putting up posters and tarpaulins urging her to seek the top executive post. In 2015, President Duterte had repeatedly protested that he was not running for President, only to take over the slot of Martin Dio, a Pasay City mayoral candidate of the PDP-Laban party later in the year. Dio was widely seen as Dutertes placeholder in the 2016 national elections. INQ
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https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/380127/are-barangays-now-using-surveys-to-push-saras-presidential-bid
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Why Did Jess and Dylan Burn Erins Journals in Mare of Easttown?
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Mare of Easttown has shaped up to become one of the most popular murder mysteries of all time. What makes it so great is that in merely 7 episodes, a story has been spun that has kept us on our toes the whole while. Even as the answers seem to surface, a poignant twist awaits us. If youve kept up with the show, then you know exactly what Im talking about. So, if youre looking for clarification about the same, then were here to pan out the sequence of events for you. Mare of Easttown is the kind of show that makes you feel as if anyone in that small community could have been capable of murdering Erin McMenamin. While the teenage mother really did not have many people to rely on including her ex-boyfriend Dylan and her emotionally abusive father Kenny Erin could always count on Jess, her best friend. In fact, while initially, it seemed like no one really had a motive to kill Erin, Jess is the one who brings the truth to the surface Dylan is not DJs father. This move on Jess part means that someone in Easttown actually had a reason to kill Erin, and it gives the cops something to work with. Consequently, at various points in the show, one feels as if Dylan may have been behind the murder. But even then, Mare of Easttown does not give conclusive proof of this. It is merely a suspicion that hangs in the air. Hence, when in the latter half of the series, Jess and Dylan proceed to burn Erins journals, it really makes one wonder about their motivations for doing so, especially when Dylan essentially hunts Jess down after she lets the police know about the burnt notebooks and threatens her at gunpoint. Well, as Jess reveals to the Chief in episode 7, the reason that the pair does so is quite personal and emotional; there isnt a sinister intention behind it. It was actually Jess decision to burn the journals since she felt like she was protecting, and honoring, her dead friend. Jess was scared that even more sensational information could have been hidden in those pages, and she wants to, in essence, make sure that Erins privacy is respected. Basically, even though Jess is the one who comes forward with pertinent information that helps the cops make breakthroughs in the case, she still wants to ensure that Erin is remembered as the sweet, loving, and innocent teenager. As far as Dylan is concerned, he merely wanted his parents to have custody of DJ even though he is not the real father. Dylan had no idea that John Ross is DJs real father, especially since Jess hides the photo yes, that one from him when they are burning the diaries. No one in Easttown knows that DJ is the product of incest until John is arrested. But, they did know that Dylan was not the real father, and this would have led to a contentious custody battle if the real parent were to take charge of DJs life. Now, while there were more obvious reasons for Erin to lie about DJs parentage, from previous episodes, we also know that she cited Dylan as the father simply because she loved his family and how they treated DJ. This is further proved when Dylan is recovering in the hospital after Kenny shoots him, and his parents exhibit no changed behavior whilst continuing to love and care for DJ. Dylan himself has a hard time coming to terms with the fact that he is not DJs father, but even then, there is an emotional connection he has with DJ that Dylan cannot simply sever. So, it is clear that the Hincheys would have raised DJ in an amazing environment, and Dylan wants to make this their reality. For Dylan, it wasnt about doing what Erin wanted, it was more so about his own family. So, by burning the journals, he hoped to burn any evidence that would lead to an outright nasty custody battle over DJ.
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https://thecinemaholic.com/why-did-jess-and-dylan-burn-erin/
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Is Miles Teller Facing Potential Lawsuit Over Hawaii Assault?
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The men involved in Miles Teller's alleged Hawaii assault incident might be saying "not my tempo" after hearing the Whiplash actor and his wife's version of events. Teller was allegedly punched in the face by the husband of a wedding planner who claimed Teller and Keleigh Sperry Teller never paid for services performed at their 2019 wedding in Maui. The wedding planner and her husband reportedly hired a lawyer and might be considering suing Teller. "It is my understanding that the altercation was a dispute over money pertaining to the couple's wedding," lawyer Tre Lovell told TMZ. "We are currently evaluating my clients' legal claims that may exist surrounding the incident, statements made about the incident, and the parties' previous business dealings." Miles Teller Fumes After Being Punched In Face at Maui Restaurant https://t.co/J9s9TTfDqD TMZ (@TMZ) May 30, 2021 Sources told TMZ that Teller was confronted by a man who punched Teller in the face in a Maui restaurant bathroom on May 26. After the two left the bathroom, they continued arguing and Teller "screamed" at one point that he would press charges. The man allegedly accused Teller of not paying him $60,000 for helping plan his and Keleigh's wedding. One eyewitness told TMZ the man was complaining about never being paid. Later, Keleigh called TMZ's story "completely false." According to her, Teller was "jumped" by two men they had never seen before they "trapped" him in the bathroom. "It seems these same men have done this to many people and we appreciate your support Maui. This is now a criminal investigation," she wrote in an Instagram Story post. Teller, who doesn't have a public Instagram page, commented about the situation on Twitter. WWE commentator Pat McAfee attempted to joke about the situation by sharing a wrestling clip. "I got jumped by two guys in a bathroom. Never met them before in my life but ya cool wrestling segue bud," Teller responded. McAfee later apologized, writing that he did not know the full story. On Sunday, TMZ published a video filmed just after the alleged incident. Teller refers to multiple men trying to attack him, calling them "losers." The outlet clarified that one of the men who allegedly attacked Teller is married to the wedding planner, whose company Keleigh mentioned in a Vogue article about her wedding. The planner's husband spoke with the police and there is a criminal investigation underway, TMZ reported. This isn't the first time Teller has been at the center of a legal matter. Back in June 2019, a woman filed a lawsuit against Teller, Uber, and another woman for a car crash in Los Angeles in Dec. 2016. The crash ended with Teller's Chevy Bronco on its side, The Blast reports. Keleigh was in the car with Teller at the time of the accident. The Divergent Series actor blamed an Uber driver for the crash at the time. "This woman's irrational ignorant decision put our lives and her passengers in very real danger," he tweeted in 2016. In June 2017, TMZ reported Teller was arrested for public intoxication in San Deigo, but he said he was only detained and never arrested.
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https://popculture.com/celebrity/news/miles-teller-facing-potential-lawsuit-over-hawaii-assault/
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Can Fasting Improve Long-Term Memory?
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Health experts have said for years that we should all make a concerted effort to cut back on dairy, sugar, alcohol, and other fatty foods. Because eating too much of these types of foods can cause inflammation as well as lead to obesity and heart disease. A new study, which examined diet in both mice and humans, has found that eating high amounts of sugar and fat can cause damage to Paneth cells, which are the immune cells found in the gut that help to keep inflammation in check. When Paneth cells do not function properly, individuals may be at a heightened risk of inflammatory bowel disease.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264450648369/can-fasting-improve-long-term-memory
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Could Lamar Jackson become the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history?
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For the Baltimore Ravens, a big talking point of the 2021 offseason has been when a long-term contract with quarterback Lamar Jackson will get done. The fourth-year signal caller is under contract for two more years in Baltimore, but many are looking forward to seeing just how his new deal will look like with the Ravens, assuming the two parties can agree to something that works for both sides. Many are debating how much Jacksons contract will end up being worth, with some believing that his deal will be somewhere in between what Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (four years, $156 million) and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (six years, $240 million) got from their respective teams. However, there are a few who are in favor of Jackson surpassing the richest quarterback contract in NFL history, which currently belongs to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (10 years, $450 million). Sports Illustrateds Bill Enright believes that if Jackson were to say he wanted more money than Mahomes, Baltimore should absolutely give the quarterback whatever he wants. Lamar Jackson said he would love to be in Baltimore "forever." pic.twitter.com/s09aetUCG5 Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 27, 2021 With big contracts like Jackson is expected to get, there are plenty of particulars that need to be sorted out, including guarantees, salary escalators, clauses, incentives and more. Each contract can also have money spread out over years differently, so some players get money earlier in their deals while others have to wait. Teams who have a great understanding of the salary cap can fit big contracts into a small amount of cap space by using different workarounds and other methods. Story continues It seems like both Jackson and the Ravens want to get a deal done with each other. While its possible that Baltimores star could become the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history in some way, it seems unlikely at this point for a few reasons. For one, Jackson wants to win and values his teammates as well as the organization he plays for. It doesnt seem like hell go to management and demand to be the highest paid at his position, because doing so would cripple the Ravens cap space for a certain number of years and could mean that the team would have to let some of his pass catching weapons walk, including Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews. He could want to keep his teammates around and take a team-friendly deal because of it. Another reason is because at the moment Jackson doesnt have a Super Bowl title (or even appearance) to his name. Winning a Super Bowl championship makes the price of any quarterback contract go up considerably, as Baltimore figured out with Joe Flacco. At the end of the day, Jacksons contract will most likely fall somewhere in between what Watson and Prescott got from their organizations. It could even surpass those deals, as Jackson has more accolades and playoff appearances than both. However, unless Jackson absolutely demands surpassing Mahomes, it doesnt seem like his deal will be more than the Chiefs quarterback in terms of total money. If the salary cap continues to balloon and Jackson wins a Super Bowl before he signs his contract, a deal between the quarterback and the Ravens could have higher average annual value (AAV) than Mahomes contract ($45 million AAV). However right now, that doesnt seem likely. Nothing about the deal will be known until a contract is agreed to and the details are reported, so its all just speculation at this point. What is known is that Jackson is in line for a massive payday, and deserves every penny of whatever contract he signs.
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https://sports.yahoo.com/could-lamar-jackson-become-highest-021122692.html?src=rss
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Is Mienshao good in Pokmon Go?
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Not every Pokmon in Pokmon Go turns out to be an ideal choice for your roster. It all comes down to the Pokmons stats and moveset. Mienshao has some problems with its moveset, primarily its fast move, and the stats are alright. The big problem with it is the moveset, and that might change in the future. Right now, you cannot get Mienshaos shiny type, you can only capture its base form, Mienfoo, in the Battle League, and weve listed out the best moveset. While Mienshao doesnt become a heavy hitter in PvP, its an okay choice to see some use in specific Pokmon Go teams. Mienshao is a Fighting-type Pokmon. Its weak to Fairy, Flying, and Psychic-type moves, but its resistant to Bug, Dark, and Rock-type attacks. These typings are important to remember because of Mienshaos best moveset. Weve discovered that of all the moves it can learn, its fast move, poison jab, is the best option, whereas the best charged moves brick break and stone edge. Poison jab is a problematic fast move because its super effective against Fairy and Grass-types. The former is effective against Mienshao. The only alternative Mienshao has for a fast move is low kick, which is never a good choice, even if it is a Fighting-type and receives a STAB modifier for Mienshao. Its stuck in this weird place of having to use poison jab because theres no better alternative. Poison jab does 6 damage and generates 3.5 energy per turn, doing 3 damage per turn, and it completes the attack in 2 turns. Its a quick fast move, which is great, but the Poison-typing makes it an iffy option. Normally, as Fighting-type, you want to use Mienshao against Dark, Ice, Normal, Rock, or Steel-types, but you cant use it too often against Steel-types with its fast move. While its charged moves make up for it with brick break, the fast move can be critical in bringing down a Pokmon. If Mienshao receives another fast move to its attack pool, that might prove to be the big game changer for it. Still, its a mediocre Pokmon, even with the added buff Niantic gave poison jab during Battle League Season 8. We dont want to call Mienshao a bad Pokmon. Its not terrible. But the Poison-type fast move brings it into a weird space. We believe it could be used in extremely specific Pokmon Teams in the Battle League, so if you plan to use it, we recommend using Mienshao for particular Pokmon, such as Grass, Ice, Rock, Fire, or Bug-types.
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https://www.gamepur.com/guides/is-mienshao-good-in-pokemon-go
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How should companies decide on their ESG goals?
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Not a day goes by without companies being pressured to take a stance in political debates. Long gone are the days when chief executives could echo the economist Milton Friedman in saying the only social responsibility of business was to increase its profits. In the fourth-quarter earnings calls for 2020, more than one in four S&P 500 companies discussed environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives. There is a very simple answer: they should embrace these objectives whenever it is good for business. And when they would negatively affect the bottom line, companies should ask their shareholders how much of their profit to sacrifice and for which objectives. Friedman opposed any social responsibility that did not add to the bottom line, arguing that the ultimate cost was borne by shareholders and imposing it against their consent was tantamount to taxation without representation. If shareholders personally care about ESG, they can use their dividends to pursue them. Until recently, this separation principle maximise return and let shareholders do what they want with their money has dominated not only the corporate world but also the asset management industry. Luigi Zingales John Zich However, as Oliver Hart and I argue, there is a flaw in the argument: it is often cheaper for society as a whole not to pollute, for example, than to pollute and then clean up. This approach creates scope for corporate ESG engagement but also sets the boundaries of when intervention is justified: only when a company has a greater impact than the sum of its stakeholders acting in concert. That raises the question of how companies should make this decision. In a recent working paper, Eleonora Broccardo, Oliver Hart, and I analyse how stakeholders can use their exit option (boycotting and divesting) and their voice option (voting for corporate action) to influence corporate behaviour towards their social goals. We show that not only are boycotting and divesting unlikely to work; they are not even guaranteed to work in the right direction. A minority group can easily impose its will on the majority, pushing a company in an undesirable direction. By definition, this cannot happen if the decision is made through a vote. Paradoxically, the best decision maker the one most likely to produce a socially desirable outcome is the stakeholder with the least money at stake. A worker whose livelihood depends on a plant is less likely to prioritise the environmental damage it produces. A well-diversified shareholder is better positioned to resolve the options in the best way for society as a whole. The shareholder bears some of the cost, but such a minimal component that they trade it off against the benefits as a benevolent planner would. Yet most shareholders barely have the time to vote in national elections. Fortunately, there is an easy fix. Well-diversified shareholders do not own individual shares; they invest in mutual funds. If these funds differentiate themselves not just in their investment strategies but also in their voting behaviour, investors can vote with their feet. Environmentally conscious investors will put all their money into a green fund that commits to vote in favour of environmental proposals, while those less environmentally engaged will invest in the brown fund, which will vote against. For Pennsylvania-based Vanguard the worlds second largest asset manager after BlackRock the additional effort is trivial: just the cost of splitting the order on how votes are cast. The cost of putting a proposal on the ballot is small and many activist shareholders are already doing so. What they miss is investor support. Unfortunately, most investors today do not even know how their votes are cast. Even funds with an ESG label often vote systematically against shareholder proposals aimed at improving corporate ESG performance. If investors want to make a difference, they should instead demand that their mutual funds support ESG proposals in companies with a bad record. If mutual funds do not vote according to their preferences, investors should move their money to others that do. By voting with their feet, they can transmit their ESG preferences to the corporations in which their funds are invested, without spending time to learn about the policies of thousands of companies. One benefit of this idea is that it relieves corporate managers from making decisions for which they are not qualified. For example, Jamie Dimon was chosen as chief executive of JPMorgan Chase for his business acumen, rather than his political views. For him to take ESG decisions unguided would be anti-democratic, dangerous and destructive. It would be anti-democratic because he would have disproportionate political power, removing it from legitimate elected representatives. It would be dangerous because small activist groups could easily blackmail him into decisions that are not in the interest of the majority. And it would be destructive because, if he is known to yield that power, he would spend most of his time assaulted by vested interests, distracting him from the job for which he has been hired: to make money. Luigi Zingales is Robert C McCormack Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
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https://www.ft.com/content/2a7c06a9-a5bc-479e-9426-8098a383555a
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Can Silicon Slopes avoid becoming the next Silicon Valley?
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I had only recently moved back to my home state of Georgia this year when I met them: the Silicon Valley transplants. The three of them were an unlikely trio of former tech workers who had moved from Berkeley, California, to Atlanta after their startup was acquired. They brought with them a desire to build an intentional community here . . . where the tea is sweeter, the land is cheaper and the internet connections are about as good as anywhere. They werent alone in their thinking: New cities are emerging as tech hubs, a process hastened by the pandemic. Globally too, commerce capitals are shifting, with China losing some of its dominance and Africa rising. Join us on this trip through techs changing contours.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264372478609/can-silicon-slopes-avoid-becoming-the-next-silicon-valley
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Did Cleveland Indians get glimpse of the future in Sundays rapid-fire doubleheader?
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Baseball is the game that never ends with the schedule that never ends. Its the game that critics say is too boring, too slow and too long. The game that is driving young people away in droves because theres not enough action. Well, maybe, just maybe they should try watching a seven-inning doubleheader like the one the Indians and Blue Jays played on Sunday. And the one the Indians and White Sox will play on Monday. The Indians split a doubleheader on Sunday with the Jays at Progressive Field. The first game lasted 2 hours and 5 minutes. The second game lasted 2 hours and 8 minutes. Commissioner Rob Manfred and his pace of play acolytes will be smiling for a week when they check the game times on these two box scores. Before COVID, before the ghost runner appeared on second base from the 10th inning on, some doubleheaders would start in one month and end in another. They would just go on and on and on. Now the sport that gave you the 60-sprint into the teeth of the pandemic in 2020, has given you a seven-game sprint every time inclement weather causes a doubleheader to be scheduled. Starting pitchers talk about easing into a game. Finding your fastball the second time through the lineup and your slider or changeup the third time through. If a pitcher is waiting that long to find a pitch in a seven-inning game, hes going to be doing his waiting in the shower. It felt like both games went quicker, said left-hander Sam Hentges, who started Sundays second game for the Indians. It felt like as a team you had to show up and focus in from the first inning on. Some pitchers, of course, have already figured out a way to cope. Aaron Civale, who started the first game, looks at it like a math formula. A mind game, if you will. I approach it the same way, said Civale. The first inning becomes the third inning. You just go through it like that. You pretend its a zero-zero game starting in the third. Civale threw six innings in Sundays 4-1 loss. He went out for the seventh, but the first two Blue Jays reached on hits and he was removed. Starting pitchers are no long expected to go eight or nine innings. But they are expected to go five or six. In a seven-inning game, thats a winning recipe, if he has a lead. Then the manager can go to the backend of his bullpen with only an inning or two to cover. Offensively, the emphasis is on the quick strike. Score early, keep adding on, and before you know it the game is over. Every team is playing under the same rules, said Jose Ramirez, through translator Agustin Rivero. They want to make runs early. There is pressure to score (right away). The Indians, of course, followed a different path in their first experience with a seven-inning doubleheader. They scored only one run in losing the first game, 4-1. In the second game, they didnt score all all through the first five innings. They scored four times in the sixth to tie the score. They won it in the seventh, 6-5, on four straight walks and Ramirezs sacrifice fly. Hopefully not. Nine innings is the foundation of the game. But consider this, counting Mondays doubleheader, the Indians will have played five consecutive games that conceivably wont go past seven innings. It includes Fridays game that was postponed after 6 1/2 innings. The Blue Jays on Sunday became the first team in MLB history to play five straight games of less than nine innings. Necessity seems to rule the day here. Change and trends are easy to ignore when they dont produce benefits. But when they do, theyre just as hard to ignore. A variety of Cleveland Indians face masks available online today. (Fanatics.com) New Indians face masks for sale: Heres where you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All MLB proceeds donated to charity. Podcast Hitting Harold Ramirez making the most of his opportunity Francona records 700th win as Tribe manager Bieber looks like Shane Bieber again in 5-2 win over Tigers McKenzies one-night stand gets an encore Monday Organization gets a chance to make changes after Callaway case Pluto
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https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2021/05/did-cleveland-indians-get-glimpse-of-the-future-in-sundays-rapid-fire-doubleheader.html
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What Is P/E Ratio?
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When you buy stock, youre essentially buying a tiny piece of the company it represents. Understanding how profitable the company is in relation to its stock price can be an important consideration for investors. Support Small: Dont Miss Out on Nominating Your Favorite Small Business To Be Featured on GOBankingRates Ends May 31 The definition of the price-to-earnings ratio, usually called a P/E ratio, is the ratio between how much a stock costs and how much in profits that company is making. Investors can use P/E ratios to find affordable stocks when the market is expensive. Price-Earnings Ratio You find a P/E ratio by dividing a stocks share price by the earnings per share, or EPS, which is simply the total net profits from the last year divided by the total number of outstanding shares. So, if a company has a share price of $20 and an EPS of $0.50, that would give it a P/E ratio of 40. Looking at it simply, the number in a P/E ratio tells you how much you have to pay to get one dollar of underlying company profits. If a company has a share price of $20 and an EPS of $0.50, you need to spend $40 to get the equivalent of one dollar of earnings (two shares). Share prices change on a daily basis and new earnings figures are released every three months. As a result, a companys P/E ratio will change constantly. A lower P/E ratio is typically better because it means youre getting more bang for your buck, but there are many different factors to a good P/E ratio and a bad one. Different industries have different standards for what constitutes a good P/E ratio, and the size or age of a company can also play a major role in how the market will view a companys ratio of price to earnings. If youre trying to decide between buying stock in a massive, established investment bank and a plucky young biotech firm, just comparing their P/E ratios wont be very useful. Comparing a company to other similarly sized companies in the same type of business is the best way to judge what a good price-to-earnings ratio is. If a stock has a lower P/E ratio than its peers, thats generally a good sign. Read: The Best Robo-Advisors How To Use P/E Ratios When Picking Stocks Price-to-earnings ratios are one of the most valuable metrics when picking stocks, and investors can follow the practice of value investing. This means that you should invest in stocks with low P/E ratios, where youre getting good value for your investment dollar. Warren Buffett is one of the most notable value investors . P/E ratios can also paint an incomplete picture, however. Some companies might have high P/E ratios because theyre reinvesting all of their profits internally to become bigger, better companies. They might look expensive based solely on their earnings ratios, but if their lack of profits means theyre growing rapidly, theyre probably still going to be a strong investment in the long run. A company with a low P/E ratio could be an old company with an outdated business model thats on the decline. Investors commonly refer to this as a value trap. The company may still be profitable, but its prospects for the future are bleak, meaning it wouldnt be a smart stock to buy. A company that has taken on lots of debt to fund expansion will likely have a better P/E ratio than its peers as the money it is borrowing doesnt reduce earnings. This company might be a much weaker stock overall because of its larger debt load. See: The Top 10 Stocks for 2021 Do Your Homework You should always consider a stocks P/E ratio before investing, but remember the number is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. Any purchase of stock should involve carefully researching the company. Be sure that, in addition to knowing its P/E ratio, you also understand what the number means in the context of the underlying business.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264384268064/what-is-p-e-ratio
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Was schafft die GroKo noch?
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Zu dieser E-Mail-Adresse ist kein ZDF-Konto vorhanden oder das angegebene Passwort ist falsch. Bitte whle deine Anzeigename. Bitte whlen Sie einen Benutzernamen mit weniger als 256 Zeichen. Bitte trage eine E-Mail-Adresse ein. Diese Email-Adresse ist bereits bei uns bekannt. Mailadresse bereits bekannt, bitte mit bestehendem Account einloggen und Kinderprofil anlegen Diese E-Mail-Adresse scheint nicht korrekt zu sein sie muss ein @ beinhalten und eine existierende Domain (z.B. zdf.de) haben. Das Passwort muss mindestens 8 Zeichen lang sein. Das Passwort muss mindestens einen Grobuchstaben enthalten. Das Passwort muss mindestens einen Kleinbuchstaben enthalten. Das Passwort muss mindestens einen Kleinbuchstaben enthalten. Das Passwort muss mindestens 8 Zeichen lang sein und mindestens eine Zahl enthalten. Bitte stimme unseren Nutzungsbedingungen zu. Bitte stimme unserer Datenschutzerklrung zu. Bitte gib dein Einverstndnis. Bitte akzeptiere die Datenschutzbestimmungen. Leider hat die Registrierung nicht funktioniert. Bitte berprfe deine Angaben. Benutzername Das Passwort muss mindestens 8 Zeichen lang sein, einen Grobuchstaben und eine Ziffer enthalten. Ich akzeptiere die Nutzungsbedingungen des ZDF * Ich habe die Datenschutzerklrung zur Kenntnis genommen * Ich bin einverstanden, dass mein Kind 'Mein ZDFtivi' nutzt. * Ich akzeptiere die Datenschutzbestimmungen zur Nutzung von 'Mein ZDFtivi' * Pflichtfelder * Registrieren
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https://www.zdf.de/politik/berlin-direkt/berlin-direkt-clip-2-462.html
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What is Disk Utility on Mac and What functions can it perform?
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Apples macOS is extremely popular due to its intuitive interface and relative ease of use. In addition, Apple designs attractive hardware that consistently puts some of their options on our list of the best laptops you can buy. While your Mac likely runs well most of the time, theres the occasional need to troubleshoot potential problems. When you need to diagnose and repair issues with your hard drive or create a disk image, Disk Utility on Mac is the app for the job. Disk Utility is an app baked directly into macOS and located in the Utilities folder. The most common use of the Disk Utility app involves checking for errors on your disks or volumes. This tool is also helpful in repairing issues with your disks if any are found. Many users never explore Disk Utility beyond this simple use-case. As we will see, Disk Utility on Mac offers a plethora of other powerful tools. Check for and repair errors on your disks and volumes using Disk Utility Checking for errors within your disks and volumes is a breeze with Disk Utility. If youre experiencing multiple app crashes, corrupted files, or sudden reboots then this is a great option to explore. To check and repair a disk, you need to run First Aid on each volume and container on the storage device in turn, then run it on the storage device itself. After running First Aid on each volume and the disk itself, youll receive a report of any errors found. Typically, any issues found are automatically repaired. If you receive an error message, instructions are provided to either reformat the disk or replace your hard drive if it cannot be repaired. Format and manage volumes on physical storage devices using Disk Utility Before diving into this popular use of Disk Utility, its important to understand the difference between a disk and a volume. These words appear frequently in the Disk Utility menu. The term disk refers to the physical hard drive itself. A volume is merely a formatted portion of a disk. Since a volume is a subset of the disk, if you erase the disk then all volumes contained within it are also deleted. On the other hand, you may erase a particular volume without erasing the entire disk. In order to distinguish between the idea of erasing a volume and erasing a disk, we often say we are formatting the disk. This concept is important because Disk Utility offers the option to erase volumes and the ability to format a particular disk. If erasing a volume is what youre interested in, there are both basic and secure options. Formatting an entire disk takes longer than erasing a volume, but this option is also available in Disk Utility. Note that if you would like to format your Startup disk, then you must boot into macOS Recovery mode and choose Disk Utility from the menu. Create a disk image to encrypt folders using Disk Utility A disk image is a single file you can use to move files from one computer to another or to back up and archive your work. Disk Utility allows you to create new disk images for either purpose or even use the image to encrypt folders on your Mac. Creating a new disk image from a folder is already a menu option from within Disk Utility, making it very easy to use. Its worth keeping in mind that large folders can take quite a long time to encrypt, so dont be alarmed. After youve encrypted your folders, its easy to move these to an external storage device to free up space on your hard drive. Combine multiple hard disks into a RAID set that acts as a single disk The final popular use of Disk Utility is a bit more advanced. Using multiple hard disks in a RAID set can increase the performance, reliability, and storage capacity of your data storage system. Many power users prefer to maintain a RAID set to increase performance for multimedia applications like video editing. Implementing a RAID array can boost productivity performance and write speeds for creators when paired with a powerful 15 laptop. The ability to create and manage RAID arrays recently returned to macOS after being removed in OS X El Capitan. Within Disk Utility youll find the option to create and manage four popular RAID versions: RAID 0 (Striped) RAID 1 (Mirrored) RAID 10 (Mirrored set of Striped drives) JBOD (just a bunch of disks) Each of these configurations has pros and cons, but each is seamlessly managed within Disk Utility by default. Keep in mind that if you attempt a RAID configuration, the most important first step is to back up all of your data! If you are in need of a good external storage option for your Mac, check out our list of best Mac accessories. Disk Utility is one of the most useful native macOS apps for troubleshooting issues with your hard drive. In addition, you can perform several important backup and encryption tasks from within the application as well. If youre an advanced user or creator, you may also find the RAID creation and management tool incredibly useful for your workflow. Throughout the life of your Mac you wont need to repair issues too often, but knowing Disk Utility can help should put your mind at ease.
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https://www.xda-developers.com/disk-utility-mac/
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Should San Jose pay residents $50 to drop off unwanted appliances?
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Q: Its encouraging to hear that San Jose is planning on getting additional cameras and increasing fines to $10,000 for illegal dumping. Thats great. However, I am concerned that someone will protest that the high fines discriminate against low-income and poor individuals and issue forgiveness or even amnesty. Darlene Brannen, San Jose A: San Jose council members have expressed this same concern. In a report the city said it does not want to disproportionately impact low-income, underserved communities. However, it is evident that these same communities are already disproportionately impacted by the negative consequences of illegal dumping. Here are some ideas being kicked around: Consider paying residents to redeem big appliances, like in Delaware where municipalities offer as much as $50 for this. Placing junk collection bins across San Jose in underserved neighborhoods with chronic dumping problems. Eliminate the need for scheduling large item pick-ups to make it easier to dispose of junk. Place notices in several languages. Extend pickup hours to beyond 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Mary Franks, San Jose A: Unlikely. The metal redemption value on appliances has crashed from $20 to $30 per appliance to just $4 or $5. Its no longer worth it for a scrap metal hauler to drive around and pick up appliances. Q: It seems to me that a lot trash can be found near apartment buildings. Fran Castillo, San Jose A: That can be the case. A San Jose State study showed that while 85% of households in single-family dwellings predominantly homeowners knew about and used the free junk pick-up service, that number dropped to just 50% among renters. Q: I was glad to read that Governor Newsom wants to spend $1.5 billion to clean our freeways. But if takes 10 years to do this, well still be covered in litter and graffiti. Marcus Morales, Milpitas A: The state money would be allocated over the next three years. Q: Texas found that in order to get the litterers and dumpers and the rest of the population to buy in to a clean highways program, finding a compelling slogan was key. Their winning slogan was Dont Mess with Texas! thus appealing to a macho patriotic Texas sensibility. It was very effective. Joan Schwimmer A: We already have a slogan Dont Trash California. The campaigns target market in Texas was 18- to 35-year-old bubbas who were shown to be the most likely to litter. Join Gary Richards for an hourlong chat noon Wednesday at www.mercurynews.com/live-chats. Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow, or contact him at [email protected] or 408-920-5335.
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https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/05/30/should-san-jose-pay-residents-50-to-pick-up-discarded-appliances/
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Whats inside this weeks League Express Mon 31st May issue?
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Inside this weeks issue: Reports and pictures from all the weekends Betfred Super League, Championship and League 1 games, plus Womens Super League and NRL. News from across the Super League, Championship and League 1. Editor Martyn Sadler adds his support to those clubs challenging the RFLs decision to remove their elite Academy status and compares two clubs with contrasting fortunes at that level in Newcastle and Salford. Garry Schofield is not impressed by RFL chief Ralph Rimmers defence of the controversial decision to strip several clubs of elite Academy status and adds his thoughts on what should happen next. Gareth Walker looks ahead to the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup semi-finals this weekend. Our latest Rugby League Hero is former Great Britain star John Fieldhouse. Continuing coverage of the National Conference League. The latest news and results from the grassroots scene. Plus much more, as always. You can read selected highlights from League Express on TotalRL.com Premium from 8.30 pm on a Sunday night. For more info head here: https://www.totalrl.com/premium-subscription/ You can also get the full digital edition at from approx 9.30pm on Sunday night at https://pocketmags.com/league-express-magazine#60783c96ddc11 The print edition is on sale from newsagents in the UK on Monday morning, or you can order a single issue or a subscription from the TotalRL.com Shop
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https://www.totalrl.com/whats-inside-this-weeks-league-express-mon-31st-may-issue/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-inside-this-weeks-league-express-mon-31st-may-issue
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When Do Franchisee Actions Justify Termination? Can the Violations Be Cured?
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Imagine, if you will, it is 1996 and you are a newly minted lawyer. Its Friday night and you have tickets to go see The English Patient, which you dont really want to see, but your friend says its amazing and insists you go. But you may have to miss it because youve taken on the Herculean task of reviewing the then-massive document production of 10 boxes of paper that youve just received from your adversary. Knowing how important it is that you understand the content of the production as soon as possible, you turn up the volume on your CD player and dig into the production.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264436797882/when-do-franchisee-actions-justify-termination-can-the-violations-be-cured
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What Happened to Richard and Billy Ross on Mare of Easttown?
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Ever since its premiere, Mare of Easttown has kept everyone guessing just who was responsible for the murder of Erin McMenamin, a local, troubled teenager with a young son. After speculating for several weeks, we finally know all about the events that led to the gruesome incident. While the twist is unexpected, there is no denying that for a while there, we were all wondering what roles Richard and Billy play in the narrative, and now that we know, we cant help but wonder what lies next for them. If you, too, are curious about the futures of the author and the Ross sibling, then we can help with that. One could argue that Richard and Billy are some of the most understated characters on the show that really serve as red herrings in the larger picture. This holds true more so for Richard, especially since the ever so captivating Guy Pearce embodies this character. This particular choice of casting really made everyone feel that Richard would have a larger role to play in the narrative and that he would somehow be involved in the crime. However, that didnt out to be the case. Richard is a distraction, not just for Mare but also for the audience. You see, everyone kept thinking that since Pearce is (arguably) the biggest name in the line-up after his on-screen love interest Kate Winslet, then the imminent twist in the climax will somehow center around him. Despite his limited screen time, Richard actually serves two important roles in the narrative not only did his presence throw us a curveball and kept us guessing if he killed Erin, but he is also important for Mares personal development. After all, as an outsider who only moves to Easttown for work, Richard has a unique perspective on the happenings of the close-knit community. Mare takes him more seriously than some of the other characters in her life. This is seen when she takes his advice and talks to Carrie about the impending custody battle early in the series. The two obviously have undeniable chemistry, and at the same time, they have a mature bond. In fact, their relationship provides relief at various points in the show, especially when things get extremely hectic. So, when Richard is seen leaving Easttown and moving to another location for work, ones heart does break for Mare. In that final conversation, Richard tells Mare how the best things in his life had happened to him when he least expected it, and she is on that list. The two clearly have feelings for each other, and since Colins death, Mares romantic life essentially ends up sorting itself out. The two leave things very open-ended, and so what we infer from that is that they will let time, and their respective circumstances, guide them in the future. Just because they are not together in the same town, it doesnt mean that they cannot pursue a relationship. Given that Mare has finally started dealing with her emotional baggage and the loss of Kevin, she will be in a more emotionally vulnerable place. She may understand that she needs to move on from that period of her life and that Richard could just help her do that. He is charming, he is smart, he understands Mare, and he supports her. While Richard had made many foolish choices when he was young, he seemed to really have matured over time. The pair is really into each other, and it could be the real deal for both of them. Richard has also seen his fair share of grief in life, and so he would be able to understand a lot of Mares predicaments as well. Talking about this dynamic, Pearce said, He manages to sort of crack something open a little bit that she probably doesnt even know she needs at this point. Or she knows, but shes just not ready for it. So, it takes a bit of work, and theyre both older people. Thats what I liked about it. Theres something about an outsider that comes in, I suppose, that sees you for what you are, but theres still room for discovery. We cannot agree with his sentiments more. Also, we think he said it best when he stated, I mean, even people who are in their 70s and 80s who meet each other and have a bit of a spark with each other, theres something in that spark thats similar to 16-year-olds who meet each other. So while Richard does move away for work, they may end up pursuing a long-distance relationship later on, which will be aided by certain aged wisdom, and who knows, if there ever is a season 2 of Mare of Easttown, then the quasi-couple and their shenanigans may just feature prominently in that. The Rosses come up with an elaborate plot to cover up Ryans crime. This includes Billy, Ryans uncle. So, while Billy is not the one who fatally shot Erin (as episode 6 leads us to believe), he is responsible for hiding the details of the crime. In effect, we dont think that he would be spared from the legal system. Billy has hidden pertinent details about Erins murder, and for his involvement in this scheme, he is probably charged with obstructing a murder investigation, accessory after the fact, conspiracy, or some combination of these. In the United States, if a person is convicted of accessory after the fact of murder, then they are usually not subjected to more than half the prison sentence that has been awarded to the main culprit. Now, since the main culprit in this is Ryan, who has been sentenced to a juvenile facility, it is possible that Billy will be sentenced to a few years in prison and, maybe, a fairly hefty fine for staying mum. Given the nature of the murder, which essentially was more accidental than intentional, Billy may be up for parole faster than anticipated, and he may be able to go back to his old life after having paid his debt to society. Then, he may help Lori take care of DJ as well, since it seems like John may be behind for a while due to his incestuous and pedophilic relationship with the murder victim.
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https://thecinemaholic.com/what-happened-to-richard-and-billy-ross/
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What Happened to John Krasinski in A Quiet Place 2?
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Thats what some moviegoers are wondering, especially those not familiar with his fate in the first movie. (Warning: Spoilers ahead.) The sequel to the ever-so-eerily-silent movie, A Quiet Place, starts out with Krasinskis character Lee Abbott attending a youth baseball game with his wife Evelyn Abbott, played by Krasinskis real-life wife, Emily Blunt. They have kids in tow: An infant, a hearing-challenged daughter named Regan (Millicent Simmonds), and a young son named Marcus (Noah Jupe). Four-year-old Beau (Cade Woodward) is killed by the aliens. Its the perfect family outing on the perfect day in middle America, and the sounds of baseball a ball cracking against a bat, chatter among parents is soon, and abruptly, going to be a thing of the past. The aliens are monstrous creatures who are blind and can only track their human prey through sound. The daughter, in particular, will play a major role in defeating the aliens who descend out of the blow onto small town America. But then Krasinskis character just disappears from the film. The Movie Offers a Few Tantalizing Clues, But the Answer Is a Sad One A Quiet Place Part II (2020) "Bus" Clip Paramount PicturesFollowing the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that 2020-03-07T03:04:56Z If you saw the first movie, you probably already know the answer: Krasinskis character Lee Abbott is dead. He died in the first movie. In movie two, he appears only in the beginning, but its a flashback. Then, the movie speeds forward in time, picking up after the events of the first film. According to USA Today, A Quiet Place 2 picks up right after the events of the first movie when Lee was killed by an alien. Its a flashback. According to Ars Tecnica, the first movie started a month into the alien attack. The second movie shows what happens on the day they arrived. Blunt told EW: I think its quite a bold opening because youre just asking people to go along with the idea that this is a flashback, that youre really seeing the beginnings of this whole thing. What the opening sequence does is it grounds [the film]. It also is that nostalgic memory of how life was the all-American town. It re-centers you to look at what this family was before this happened. I think that was important because we meet the Abbotts in the first [movie] in the midst of it all, but its nice to see who they were before day 1. That was always really interesting to me. We get a clue that this is true when Blunts character goes foraging for pharmaceuticals in town and stops at a wooden cross in the middle of the road that is festooned with Krasinskis photos. She lovingly removes her wedding ring and leaves it on the cross. So, yes, unfortunately, Krasinskis lee is dead; he didnt survive the alien attack, although we see him trying valiantly to do so. Another survivor, Emmett, played Cillian Murphy, steps in as a father figure for Lee and Evelyns daughter, Regan, who is the heart-and-soul of movie 2. But then again, you never know whether he will pop up in a future sequel, somehow actually alive (we can hope, right?) Krasinski Directed the Movie in Real Life Krasinski talked about how real the stunts were, and he (we think, joked) that the one where an alien-infiltrated bus careened toward Blunt, put his real-life marriage on the line. Emilys (stunt) is so real, I think I put my marriage on the line when I put her in the car. Thats true. When I was explaining to her onset all of the things that were going to happen, and I said, Youre going to hit this stuntman, he told The Reel Blend podcast. That cars going to come three feet from you. And then this bus is actually going to clock at 40 miles an hour, her face fell and she went, But not really. And I went, No, no, the bus is coming at you at 40 miles. Thats a real bus. And that bus hits that car, and all that is totally real. READ NEXT: James Brian Chadwell Investigated as Possible Suspect in Notorious Delphi Murders of 2 Girls
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https://heavy.com/entertainment/john-krasinski-a-quiet-place-2-what-happened-dead-alive/
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What Will We Do Without "Mare Of Easttown"?
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Michele K. Short/HBO Kate Winslet as Mare Sheehan in Mare of Easttown On Sunday night, HBO crime drama Mare of Easttown came to an end. Boasting Kate Winslet in the title role, twisty plotlines, and breakneck pacing, the series earned fans aplenty over the course of its seven-episode run. Over at the BuzzFeed News culture desk, we miserably wondered what we would do on Sunday nights without our favorite show and decided to deal with our malaise by discussing everything about Mare, from the theories to the disappointments and that devastating ending. (Spoilers for the finale below.) (Also, I cant get over the show being called Mare of Easttown. Originally I thought it was going to be about some 1800s dame in England.) Scaachi Koul: I dont think I wouldve watched the show without seeing that Kate Winslet was in it. Mostly because I dont know how many dreary white-lady-goes-missing shows I can really tolerate. But I was interested in seeing Kate Winslet attempt an American accent. I mean, I guess I love murder. What can I say. Shannon Keating: I too am a big Kate fan and have been since I was a tiny lesbian. I have a lot of friends who are die-hard crime drama fans and will watch, like, every single British show about a grizzled detective solving murders on the seashore or whatever. Not typically my style, but HBO + Kate is all I needed to buy in here. Krystie Yandoli: A day or two before it started, I saw reviews and billboards around Los Angeles for a murder mystery starring Kate Winslet, and that was all I needed to know. Ill watch the pilot of anything, and I had a hunch that if Winslet had signed up to do an HBO small-town-murder limited series, it had to be worth my time in some regard. Luckily, I was right! Estelle: Kate Winslet isn't flashy in this, but its one of my favorite dramatic performances in a minute. Mare is so closed off and yet you can see she's fending off a hailstorm of emotions every minute. Shannon: Kate is marvelous; she truly is Mare. She disappears into this role! I saw a lot of talk about how bad her accent was, which turned me off at first, but it ended up not bothering me at all. Im sure it would bug me more if I were from Pennsylvania or more familiar with it. Krystie: Im not an expert on accents. Whoops. One of mine is Guy Pearce, a handsome red herring. Guy and Kate were in Mildred Pierce together. He told Entertainment Weekly, My lovely old friend Kate Winslet called me and said, Darling, darling, darling, I'm doing this show and you have to come and do it. I went, I'm in." Shannon: Swoon! That would have betrayed the theme of how all these people grew up together and ended up fucking each other up in various ways. That said, there was absolutely no reason for his character. Useless plotline. Scaachi: I love Guy in the pants department, but having him in the show makes no sense. I have no idea what his purpose is. Hes barely a love interest. Im also really struggling with how small this town is supposed to be and how big that book launch was. My book launch happened in Toronto, a city that seems much bigger than Easttown (which, also, I keep calling Eastwick in my head), and I had it at a dive bar, in the dark, and everyone had to fend for themselves. Clearly no one on the writing staff has released a book as an academic to minimal fanfare. In any case, if Guy said the word darling in my presence, I would immediately just lie down and allow my body to expire. There would be no purpose going forward. Krystie: I might be the only Mare head whos not obsessed with Guy Pearces character. Hes cute and I love that for Mare because god knows she deserves a break and some love in her life or even just some fun. But aside from Kate Winslets and Jean Smarts performances, my favorite thing is actually my own obsession with it. For the last seven weeks, Ive planned my entire Sunday around sitting down on my couch in time to watch the show so that nothing is spoiled for me. I pay attention to all the memes. I read Reddit threads, and every week Ive been convinced of a new theory about who the murderer is. I havent been this excited about a show in a very long time. Thats the thing Ive loved most about Mare: the general feeling of excitement and, dare I say, fandom. Shannon: I totally agree! It took me a while to get on board I think I only started watching live by episode 4 or 5 but it does feel like a Big TV Moment, which in our era of streaming and bingeing feels old-school and special. On Sundays Im normally wracked with existential dread, but now I can hang out with my buddy Mare! Krystie: A million percent yes, especially after a year and a half of pure hell and emotional chaos. Even though this isnt a lighthearted show by any means, having some fun appointment viewing to look forward to as we inch toward a reopening world is...nice! Sarah Shatz/HBO Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce, as Richard Ryan, in Mare of Easttown Estelle: We agree Kate was the draw, then we got hooked. I found the first episode slow and kept going out of sheer inertia because Im used to streaming disappointments. But I went from 0 to 100 midseason. The show played with crime tropes like the out-of-town guy, the priest with a shady past then dispatched them neatly. Thats a classic crime technique, of course, but Mare is hyperefficient; I always felt a bit off-balance trying to figure out who the killer was. Scaachi: Yeah, the first few episodes were really boring and kind of rote. I was worried we were going into a Girl on a Train in the Window Gone With the Dragon Tattoo situation. Krystie: I didnt mind, because everything had to be set up. And if you go back and watch the series from the first episode knowing what we now know, every detail feels so relevant; characters, dialogue, settings, small and big details have all been woven through so well and add up to this cohesive story. I was cautiously optimistic about the buildup paying off, and it did. Shannon: I love the small-town dynamics. Its very different, but they remind me a little of Winters Bone, Jennifer Lawrences breakout role working-class middle America, the destitution and desperation, but also all the love and resilience. Krystie: Oftentimes on TV, small-town dynamics can be romanticized and depicted in a positive light, but Mare shows just how complicated they can be. This is what it looks like when everyone knows your business, when you went to high school in the same town where youre now a police officer and you have to hold people you grew up with accountable, when you get a divorce and your husband gets engaged again and buys the house directly behind yours, when youre investigating a murder and you have to take all suspects into account, even when theyre people youve known for years. Casual stuff. Estelle: Mare of Easttown really got us vibing because of the theories. Mine was Zabel early on because of his chosen one introduction. I was obviously wrong about that. I thought Richard was too much of a red herring. OK, sure. But more importantly, he seemed designed to be Mares get out of jail free card. She could easily go along with his offer of a real, sexy, fun relationship, but she decides to confront her trauma first, for her own sake and everyone elses. Hes basically the manic pixie dream girl, but hot available writer guy, there to show Mare how she needs to develop. Shannon: Its fun to have a hot guy as that foil when weve seen the reverse 5 million times. Scaachi: Its nice to have a satisfying whodunit, especially after The Undoing was such an enormous disappointment. That whole show was like, Wow, it really looks like the husband did a murder and then it turned out that...he absolutely did. Shannon: I will be mad about The Undoing for the rest of my life. I have a feeling Im in the minority both in this conversation and generally among all the Mare heads out there, but I didnt really watch the show with an eye toward figuring out who did the murders. I was in it for the characters! Also I loved Mare and Zabels last moments together, even though I kind of dont get why everyone is in love with Mare. Scaachi: As a Mare archetype, I understand. Assholes deserve love too, SHANNON. Estelle: That does get at why the show is so popular: You can be highly invested in theories, or you can enjoy the top-notch performances, solid writing, pressure-cooker pace, and high stakes. Or why not both! Krystie: At first I was annoyed that Zabel was romantically interested in Mare. She has enough going on! Classic! But Zabel grew on me. In their last moments together I was sold on the two of them. Of course I was! Because then he had to go and get killed. Shannon: There is 0% chance that theyd actually work out. I probably should have seen it coming but was completely shocked when Zabel got killed. Though I do have to say the poor Silence of the Lambsy guy living in chaos with girls trapped in his basement trope has been more than a little overdone by now. Michele K. Short/HBO Evan Peters as Colin Zabel in Mare of Easttown
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https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/estelletang/mare-of-easttown-finale-season-1-review
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Whats the secret to defeating the Amazon?
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Shopify Inc (TSX: SHOP) (NYSE: SHOP) recently won a partnership with Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL). Through this partnership, the Shopify store will be promoted on Google Shopping and ShopPay will be integrated with Alphabets own merchant offering. Alphabet, more commonly known as Google, announced a partnership after a burning year of e-commerce, with online sales up 44% year-on-year. This was the largest annual sales surge in 20 years, almost three times the industrys 15% annual growth rate. By partnering with Shopify, Google aims to become Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), which is the most powerful in the e-commerce industry. Amazon is a leading e-commerce company, a growing force in digital advertising, Google bread and butter. Google is partnering with Shopify to capture some of Amazons actions. Shows how this is done. How this partnership works The Shopify-Google partnership includes a number of integrations between the two companies.These include: Allow Google sellers to use ShopPay for payments. Include the Shopify store in your Google Shopping results.And A new feature called a shopping graph. Bring together website, review, and advertising data to help consumers make better shopping decisions. By combining these features, you can increase your Shopify sales. It could also help Google establish a greater presence in e-commerce, which is currently a relatively minor player. Google Shopping already offers a great way for businesses to find in search results. Shopify integration gives them a better way to get paid as well. This could dig into one of Amazons major benefits Theres been a lot of talk in recent years that Shopify is the next Amazon, but Shopify lacks the discovery that is one of Amazons key benefits. Amazon has its own large online store and is currently ranked 11th in the world for web traffic. The Amazon website makes it easy to increase traffic to your order and vendor pages. This makes it one of the best discovery platforms in the world, allowing customers to find what they are looking for on Amazon. The story continues Shopify doesnt currently have this advantage. Rather than providing an online store, it provides a technical platform for vendors to set up on their own. Vendors selling on Shopify are responsible for coming up with their own traffic. You can advertise to Google and other third-party advertisers, but there is no built-in advertising platform like Amazon vendors. The Google-Shopify partnership could change that all. Amazons biggest advantage is that it provides an easy way to find your Shopify store. If you can find a Shopify vendors product as easily as a consumer finds it on Amazon, its going to be a game changer. Despite a large investment in digital marketing, Shopify hasnt been able to do that yet. But now that Google has promised to drive traffic to Shopifys order page, Amazon may be able to get rid of the chips at the biggest edge beyond that. If all this goes well, Shopify may eventually become the next Amazon. First appeared in The Motley Fool Canada. On the topic of tech stocks One Canadian Stock for Electric Car Boom There is a Canadian company in the dark horse that produces three times as many vehicles as Tesla, but its stake trades at about 1/25! The Canadian destroyer under this radar, whose Tesla size is less than 5%, was convinced that it could be one of the fastest growing stocks since 2021. Click here for more information on this Tesla of Canada stock and Stock Advisor Canada. Read more John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, a subsidiary of Amazon, is a member of the board of directors of Motorefools. Alphabet Executive Suzanne Frey is a member of The Motley Fools Board of Directors. A stupid contributor, Andrew Button, has no position in any of the shares mentioned. David Gardner owns Alphabet (A-shares), Alphabet (C-shares), and Amazon. Tom Gardner owns shares in Alphabet (A-shares), Alphabet (C-shares), and Shopify. Motley Fool owns and recommends Alphabet (A-shares), Alphabet (C-shares), Amazon, Shopify, and Shopify. We recommend the following options: There will be $ 1140 calls on Shopify in 2023 and $ 1940 calls on Amazon in January 2022. 2021 What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
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https://exbulletin.com/tech/952777/
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Does Trendelenburg belong in the EMS toolkit?
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Sunday started EMS Week 2021, and once again, it slipped up on me. Ive been an unrepentant EMS Week cynic for years. I snipe that EMS On the Hill Day is for legislators to get photo ops with EMTs theyre content to ignore the rest of the year; that EMS week cookouts always seem to be made from the leftovers from Nurses Week, and that none of the goodies are still around by the time the night shift comes on. I constantly make fun of the adrenaline-junkie, heroic EMS Week themes, and Ive even gone so far as to say that we should be advocating for EMS the other 51 weeks of the year, and suggest (only half-jokingly) that we all take a vacation for the third week in May, to let the public get a taste of what a week without EMS would be like. It all had an Ebenezer Scrooge-ish, Bah, humbug! kind of vibe.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264370545073/does-trendelenburg-belong-in-the-ems-toolkit
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Is Rouhani Seeking to 'Intimidate' Biden Via Venezuela?
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US security agencies are keep a close eye on two Iranian warships that may be headed toward Venezuela. An Iranian frigate and a former oil tanker known as the Makran are currently sailing south along the east coast of Africa, anonymous sources told Politico on Saturday. Intelligence officials remain mystified by Iran's motivations with the two vessels and they are unsure what kind of cargo they may be holding. However, if the ships do end up in Venezuela it could be a sign Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is trying to intimidate Washington. #BREAKING, US security agencies are monitoring two Iranian warships heading towards Venezuela pic.twitter.com/Kedu2z9lGD Alberto Allen (@albertoallen) May 30, 2021 The 755-foot long Makrtan was commissioned this year. Iranian officials have boasted of the its missile and weapons capabilities, and it can allegedly carry up to six helicopters. Both Iran and Venezuela are under heavy sanctions from the United States, and they have become closer allies in recent years. Iran has sent multiple fuel tankers to Venezuela as the country faces crippling gas shortages. Iran has also established both a car assembly plant and a huge cement factory in Venezuela. However, according to Politico, President Nicols Maduros government has 'been advised that welcoming the Iranian warships would be a mistake'. The presence of the Iranian vessels so close to the United States - less than 1,500 miles - could complicate Joe Biden's plans to begin negotiations with the Islamic country. Back in 2018, former President Trump abandoned the Iran Nuclear Deal that Obama struck with Tehran. Earlier this month, Senator Pat Toomey, a Republican, demanded Biden keep sanctions in place against Iran after the country's elite Revolutionary Guards released a chilling propaganda video which depicts the United States Capitol being blown up by a missile and its soldiers liberating Jerusalem. The Islamic Republics Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) broadcast the video on Iranian state-run television before a televised speech to the nation by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Toomey stated: 'The Biden admins priority should be ensuring Iran cannot carry out such an attack, not capitulating by removing sanctions.' This article has been adapted from its original source.
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https://www.albawaba.com/news/rouhani-seeking-intimidate-biden-venezuela-1430345
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Will DAs virtual rallies pay off?
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Eric Naki 'We have our eyes firmly set on a target, and that target is 27 October. Nothing will deter us,' Steenhuisen said. The Democratic Alliance (DA) is the first political party in South Africa to conduct its rally and elective congress on a virtual platform, which put it ahead of other political parties in preparations for the upcoming local government elections. The other two major parties, the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) relied mainly exploiting social media Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp to reach to their supporters. This as their traditional campaign methods of holding mass rallies and major gatherings in stadiums and huge indoor venues were hampered by Covid-19 restrictions. But this does not place the DA in a better position than the rest for the main opposition partys electoral performance has been dwindling. Whether virtual rallies will pay off for the DA remained to be seen. Despite the use of technology, the DA performed poorly in some wards at the recent by-elections in Tshwane and Johannesburg City metros, which indicated a continuing trend that began with its bad showing in the 2019 national elections. It decided not to contest the Tshwane black township wards while it lost two wards to the Patriotic Alliance in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, After holding two successful political events on a virtual platforms its elective federal congress where leader John Steenhuisen was elected and the recent political rally the party mastered the art of infusing modern technology into its political activities. With the Covid-19 pandemic projected to continue devastating SA, innovation is set to be the norm in political campaigning in political party system as leaders try to reach their voters. South Africa remains on lockdown, with restrictions making it impossible to hold regular mass rallies. But the DA found a way around the restrictions to the Blue Wave. It organised watching parties in Bloemfontein, Rustenburg, Upington, Lusikisiki, Richards Bay, Polokwane, Saldanha Bay and Soweto, with some members following the proceedings online at party provincial offices and at their homes. Steenhuisen boasted about his partys achievement. We innovate to find a way around, over or through, and then we get on with it. We know we have a big and urgent job to do, and there is no time to waste. We have our eyes firmly set on a target, and that target is 27 October. Nothing will deter us, Steenhuisen said. He said other parties were caught napping and unprepared to share this urgency and this eagerness to go to the polls. Our opponents are trying their best to wriggle their way out of it. Theyre either simply not prepared for this campaign, or they fear what voters might say to them on the day. They talk about postponing, and they make up excuses, but we will have none of that. The DA is ready for the challenge and the contest. We started our preparations a long time ago, when others were still asleep, and we are ready to take our message to South Africans in every community across the country, he said. [email protected]
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https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/politics/2508399/will-das-virtual-rallies-pay-off/
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What does PFF think of Northwestern in 2021?
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PFF, a partner of Rivals, has quickly become a respected authority in college football. So we decided to take a look at how PFF thinks Northwestern will fare in 2021. They don't paint a very rosy picture. Coming off of an AP Top 10 ranking on 2020, PFF has Northwestern ranked 42nd in the nation this season. That puts them eighth in the Big Ten and fourth in the Big Ten West, behind Iowa (9th in the nation), Wisconsin (14th) and Minnesota (36th). They project the defending Big Ten West division champions to win 6.8 games in 2021. Furthermore, they put the probability of Northwestern returning to the Big Ten championship game at just 9%, with a very slim 2% chance that the Wildcats will take home the conference title for the first time since 2000. "Northwestern made a solid run at a Big Ten Championship in 2020, but the team ultimately fell short," writes PFF. "The Wildcats likely won't see similar success in 2021, as their best offensive player, quarterback Peyton Ramsey, and best defensive player, cornerback Greg Newsome II, are no longer on the team." PFF's prediction doesn't come as much of a surprise, as the Wildcats lost several key players on both sides of the ball from a year ago. Offensively, they lost Ramsey, as well as their top four receivers (WRs Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman, Kyric McGowan and Riley Lees, and tight end John Raine). PFF does not think very highly of two of the quarterbacks vying to replace Ramsey. Transfer Ryan Hilinski, they note, posted a 60.8 PFF grade in his lone season as a starter at South Carolina in 2019, and "struggled to produce much downfield." Fifth-year senior Hunter Johnson recorded just a 44.6 grade in the five games he started for Northwestern in 2019. They still, however, like the Wildcats' defense, even if stalwarts like Paddy Fisher, JR Pace and Blake Gallagher are gone. "The defense should still be in good shape despite losing a first-round corner," says PFF, noting that Northwestern ranked No. 1 in the Power Five in expected points added allowed per pass play last season. "The Wildcats may not maintain that top spot, but their defense is likely going to remain near the top of the Big Ten." Here is Northwestern's 2021 schedule with opponent PFF rankings. vs. No. 70 Michigan State vs. NR Indiana State @ No. 93 Duke vs. No. 86 Ohio @ No. 51 Nebraska vs. No. 108 Rutgers @ No. 25 Michigan vs. No. 38 Minnesota vs. No. 9 Iowa @ No. 14 Wisconsin vs. No. 80 Purdue @ No. 82 Illinois The Wildcats rank higher than eight of their opponents, including unranked Indiana State from the FCS, but PFF doesn't see them winning more than seven games.
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https://northwestern.rivals.com/news/what-does-pff-think-of-northwestern-in-2021-
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Is it safe to get two different types of Covid-19 vaccine ?
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The vaccines currently approved for use in the UAE are Pfizer/BioNTech, Sputnik V, and Sinopharm. Although currently only Pfizer and Sinopharm are available at vaccination centres in Abu Dhabi residents in the UAE have benefited from the speed and efficiency with which authorities were able to acquire and mobilise the vaccines, with the country being placed at, or close to, the top in most Covid-19 vaccination rankings. As of today (May 30, 2021) a total of 12,756,630 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country. Thats well over one per head, and closing in on the double dose goal figure for all those eligible to receive the jabs (excluding the under 12s, those with supressed immune systems etc). With the fact there are three different jabs widely available, its only natural what if? thoughts turn to doubling up on protection. The short answer to most of the questions concerning safety is that we just dont know yet in principle, gathering antibodies as if they were Infinity Stones, is probably not the worst idea. However these jabs have only been around for the past 6 months, there is no long term research into any aspect of their efficacy, much less widespread studies of what happens when you treat your vaccine card like a child treats a Pic n Mix bag. With little research available, what would likely be marginal gains from adoption, and because of limited global supply most authorities around the world are currently choosing to err on the side of caution advocating for sticking to one manufacturer. And the UAE certainly falls under that category. The global pandemic is obviously an ongoing issue, with evolving fronts and new challenges arrising without warning. In situations like this, the best policy is a fluid one, adapting rules, regulations and recommendations in light of new evidence and new events. And if the suggestions on multi-jabbing change, well make sure we let you know. Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) The MOHAP website has a handy series of FAQ responses which include an answer to the question Is it safe to take more than one type of covid 19 vaccine? The answer provided is No, it is not safe to take different types of Covid 19 vaccine. National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) Like MOHAP, the Covoid-19 FAQ section on the NCEMA website currently states that it is not safe to take more than one type of Covid vaccine. Dubai Health Authority (DHA) We called the DHA to find out if they were accepting appointments for Pfizer from those that had already been innoculated by the Sinopharm vaccine (and vice versa). They responded with a confirmation that this is currently not permitted. Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) SEHA also said that at the moment, they are advising people not to mix Pfizer with Sinopharm. Images: Getty
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https://whatson.ae/2021/05/is-it-safe-to-get-two-different-types-of-covid-19-vaccine/
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What Should Penn State Do With Beaver Stadium?
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The nation's second-largest stadium is getting renovated. Penn State continues to step cautiously into the future of Beaver Stadium, a major centerpiece of its planned 20-year overhaul of campus sports facilities. Penn State continued to address those questions as it announced the next phase of its Beaver Stadium renovation plan. Penn State and Populous, the highly regarded architectural firm, announced in late May that they will partner on a concept study to review the scope of Beaver Stadium renovation plans. The study will evaluate current and future required maintenance projects, possible renovation options and amenity needs to support the 106,572-seat stadium. Penn State said the study is expected to last through this summer. "Our team is looking forward to the feedback from our user groups in order to create the roadmap for the necessary and desired renovations, as well as to maximize the value that Beaver Stadium brings to our campus and community," Athletics Director Sandy Barbour said. A 2017 image of the planned Beaver Stadium renovation. Penn State Athletics The study will continue Populous's extensive work with Penn State that began with the Athletics Facilities Master Plan announced in 2017. The sweeping, 20-year project touched more than two dozen venues, created a 45,000-square-foot Center of Excellence and planned a significant refresh of Beaver Stadium. But post-COVID, as Penn State addresses what it can spend on sports, an enormous Beaver Stadium project might not be feasible. Penn State officials have drawn parallels between their plans and the $485 million renovations Populous oversaw of Texas A&M's Kyle Field. A similarly ambitious renovation of Beaver Stadium easily would top $500 million. Here are some suggestions. Maintain a capacity above 100,000 Penn State officials said in 2017 that a planned expansion would lower the stadium's capacity to about 103,000, which is fine. Officials said then that 100,000 is an "important number for us" regarding capacity, calling it a competitive advantage. Penn State could reduce capacity easily by making more chairback seating options available (at a premium price) in the lower bowl. But Beaver Stadium shouldn't provide too much comfort, which could inhibit the atmosphere. Basically, the more comfortable fans are, the less likely they are to stand up and make noise. Penn State's atmosphere is at its best when the crowd is standing and loud. The 2019 Whiteout game against Michigan underscored that point. Fix what's broken The erector set that is Beaver Stadium needs infrastructure work. Gates, ramps and concourses need to be widened to smooth fan access to their seats. Students consistently fill their sections late partly because of choked entry points and clogged walkways. And the bathrooms... These are vital needs for Beaver Stadium that will improve the fan experience without altering the atmosphere. In fact, getting people in and out faster will enhance it. Concessions and Wifi Beaver Stadium needs better internet access, particularly since the athletic department plans to make mobile ticketing the norm this fall. More reliable wifi will make game statistics easier to follow and help Penn State employ its in-game social media promotions more effectively. And aside from kettle corn, Penn State's concessions mostly are forgettable. Upgrade them. Also, sell beer and wine stadium-wide. It's guaranteed revenue. Reconsider the fancy upgrades Penn State officials said in 2017 that planned stadium upgrades included more suites, loge boxes and club seats. These are important revenue drivers and were requested in fan surveys. And they are part of renovations coming to Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium in 2022. But Beaver Stadium doesn't need a new facade or a dramatic physical overhaul that would add nine figures to the renovation budget. Put that money into facilities that attract athletes instead. Beaver Stadium, built in 1960 and expanded seven times since, is an iconic U.S. facility that doesn't require a total overhaul. With the needed structural updates and some nods to the future, the stadium should serve Penn State football well for decades to come.
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https://www.si.com/college/pennstate/football/what-is-the-future-of-penn-states-beaver-stadium
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Is Birmingham becoming the new capital of beige buildings?
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Latest news email updates straight to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice It's almost 100 years since motor industry pioneer Henry Ford's autobiography reflected that his customers could have any colour of car as long as it was black. Now it seems that the colour of every other building going up in Birmingham is... beige. And I'm not calling your buff. While black has always been synonymous with design and chic - think of the little black dress and classic taxis - beige often seems to stand for boring, bland and benign. It's the colour homeowners choose when they don't want to offend - or to either risk making a statement or, worse still, a mistake. Perhaps the use of beige is the architects' equivalent of hiding their lamp under a bushel just to be on the safe side. Bu the effect can be startling as this collage illustrates. (Image: Google Maps / Graham Young BirminghamLive) On the left is the complex architecture of the former St Luke's Chuch on Bristol Street - mercilessly demolished in 2018 - and the new, comparatively featureless beige buildings now being built behind it off Hope Street. Browse through our photo story here to see if our new beige buildings are to your taste - it incudes more examples of the redevelopment off Bristol Street and how it is changing the character of the area. Leading city architect and urban designer Joe Holyoak had an altogether different view when I asked him about it. Joe said: "While red brick is visually hard-edged, buff brickwork can have a crumbly texture which suggests it can be eaten, like digestive biscuits." An interesting thought. But don't try that one at home! If you type the word "beige" online, the first definition says it's "A sandy, fawn shade, has a calm, neutral and relaxing effect, representing elegance, serenity, simplicity, warmth and softness. "It may also stand for dullness and monotony." (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive) Naturally, few designers are going to want to go the full hog and be brave enough to design a pink building like the ill-fated Public in West Bromwich (see photo story). But Birmingham's historic buildings are typically built with red / orange bricks which have stood the test of time. The School of Art and Midland Institute on Margaret Street and others on nearby Church Street still look brand new compared with many so-called 'modern buildings'. Catch the long ignored Methodist Central Hall on a sunny day and your eyes go 'Wow! What a building!' (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive) And the dark coloured engineering bricks of our incredible railway viaducts look like they could be as famous as the pyramids in 1,000 years when they will surely still be standing. Of course, the stone used to build such gems as the Birmingham City Council House, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and much of the Colmore Row facade could be described as 'beige', but here the materials transcend the colour. Such stonework is more like 'gold' than cheap-looking brickwork of the kind which has become horribly disfigured on the 20-year-old Bull Ring Indoor Market facing Pershore Street and Upper Dean Street in the city centre. (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive) Southside BID recently introduced a multi-coloured zebra crossing off Hurst Street - and beige wasn't represented by this bold and bright salute to Pride and the LGBT community. Just for fun, our picture story showcases the trend that seems to be sweeping across central Birmingham from Joseph Chamberlain College at the Highgate end of the A4540 middle ring road to the new Lansdowne apartment block at the point where Hagley Road meets Five Ways - with seemingly everything in between at B5 Central on both sides of Sherlock Street all looking decidedly, er, "beige". Just like the new Bromsgrove House on Bromsgrove Street and numbers 5 and 2 Brindleyplace, which perhaps helped to start the trend back in the 1990s. (Image: Graham Young, Birmingham Mail) Origins of the lighter coloured buildings From his base at The Custard Factory - where else! - Joe Holyoak says the urban landscape began to change in 2004 when architect Graham Morrison decried the habit of making "ordinary buildings distorted into unnecessarily complicated shapes". By creating a reaction against the post-modernist tendency to make every new building into a unique iconic statement, he paved the way for a reversion to traditional brickwork. Joe says: "This quality which might be called 'brickiness'. "It draws on the 18th century Georgian tradition of architecture and can be seen in Brindleyplace, where Graham Morrison's practice Allies and Morrison contributed two buildings on Brindleyplace Square, one in red brick, one in yellow brick." Joe says: "Most of the leading examples of the New Ordinariness have been by London architects, and built in London. "Therefore they tend to be built in London stock bricks, which are yellow / buff. (Image: Alan Williams / BirminghamLive) "Among these you might look at the housing designed by the architect Peter Barber. "His work, and others like it, have become very fashionable, and have influenced work elsewhere in places where London stock brick is not the traditional material. "The Birmingham Conservatoire is one local example, Glenn Howells' Southside housing another. "The quality of brickiness can be equally achieved in the red brick which is local to the West Midlands - Associated Architects' new building for UCB in Charlotte Street is an example - but I suggest that it is currently less appealing to the eye." (Image: Darren Quinton / Birmingham Live) Verdict You only have to see the before and after pictures above of the old and new Joseph Chamberlain College to realise that what matters most is the quality of design. And not the colour of the bricks. But get it right with red / orange as per so many of the 'redbrick' buildings at the University of Birmingham and the chances are that you'll be better placed to stand the test of time. The same could be said of the mix-and-match policy employed at Brindleyplace more than 20 years ago but the lessons there don't appear to have been learned in quite the way at Arena Central off Broad Street as you can see from the photo story above.
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https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-turning-itself-capital-beige-18872015
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Is beige brilliant or boring for new buildings in industrial Birmingham?
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When the designers of the new Grand Central shopping centre and the revamp of New Street Station wanted to make a statement, they didn't reach for the beige page in a Dulux colour chart book. They wrapped the entire exterior in a shiny steel finish. Similarly, the designers of the Radisson Blu Hotel / Beetham Tower went for a radical aqua colour that could have been inspired by a coral reef not Birmingham's all too frequent grey clouds. And, when the BT Tower was smartened up, it was given a purple streak. But so many new buildings are either light beige, dark beige or various shades of beige, you wonder if the colour will come to define us. City architect and urban designer Joe Holyoak says: "I don't necessarily support buff brickwork or any other material. "In general I am in favour of local regionalism, using what is native to the region, but you could argue that that realistically finished as soon as railways appeared, and materials could be economically transported to the ends of the country."
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https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/gallery/beige-brilliant-boring-new-buildings-19138157
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Is it Mango or no go this week?
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South African travellers may be in for another bout of Mango frustration as ticket holders for June may or may not fly this week. This is if Mangos website, where no flights are on sale after 31 May, can be taken as gospel. At the end of April, Mango was grounded for two days after the Airports Company of SA (Acsa) halted its operations due to non-payment of bills, leaving thousands of passengers stranded with the future of 749 employees remaining in limbo. Mangos Benediction Zubane says he would only be able to provide clarity today. A senior Mango... South African travellers may be in for another bout of Mango frustration as ticket holders for June may or may not fly this week. This is if Mangos website, where no flights are on sale after 31 May, can be taken as gospel. At the end of April, Mango was grounded for two days after the Airports Company of SA (Acsa) halted its operations due to non-payment of bills, leaving thousands of passengers stranded with the future of 749 employees remaining in limbo. Mangos Benediction Zubane says he would only be able to provide clarity today. A senior Mango employee told The Citizen yesterday: Once again passengers of Mango are left wondering what the future holds for June. Forward ticket sales from 1 June onwards remain suspended. Employees have been left in the dark about their future and have been told the minister and the board needed more time to come up with a short- and medium-term plan. The survival of SA Airways (SAA) subsidiaries Mango, SAA Technical and Airchefs is dependent on the bailout currently before parliament. An outcome is expected this week. The staffer questions whether Mango will see the much-needed funding materialise in time. Whether or not SAA fulfils its financial responsibilities to its subsidiaries remains to be seen. Time is running out and action needs to be taken. He adds that that the enormous sacrifices Mango staff have made over the last 14 months have ensured the airline stays airborne while it continues to wait for funding.
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https://citizen.co.za/premium/2508414/is-it-mango-or-no-go-this-week/
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Can COVID-19 bring back PTSD in veterans?
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Paul Sparks stopped and helped after a bad motorcycle accident last year. The experience brought his PTSD back to the forefront. May is military appreciation month -- and to honor the sacrifice of our veterans, we're putting a spotlight on a battle so many of them face: post-traumatic stress disorder. Between seven and eight percent of the population experience PTSD and that number is even higher for veterans. Paul Sparks, from northwest Ohio, is one of those veterans. After serving three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army medic, Sparks had seen a lot of action. It's why he didn't hesitate to help when he witnessed the aftermath of a motorcycle driver colliding with a car in Springfield Township just over one year ago. Even though I'm no longer in the military or no longer in the medical field, I had to stop and help a person, said Sparks. It doesn't matter who they were, I had to stop and help." Sparks spent years as an Army medic, and it was that experience and instinct that kicked in as he was driving by. "I'm a medic," recalled Sparks. "I'm that type of person and I saw it and ran and helped. Because I couldn't do anything else." The motorcycle driver didn't make it which brought back memories from a portion of Sparks' life that he thought he'd put behind him. Sparks ended up leaving the military because of PTSD. Now. ever since that day last spring, he's continued to face a past that haunts him. And because of COVID-19 isolation and a tense year in American politics, he says his depression, PTSD and anger have been magnified. "The whole government, the whole election," said Sparks. "I'm getting mad at everything and I've been seeing my counselor a lot more." The pandemic can create isolation for people - and for Sparks, he says that's not healthy for a war vet. "In the military we're taught to be self-sufficient and depend on your team," said Sparks. Now, he says being away from people has left him with a feeling of being out of his element. Forcing this veteran to rely on his training - and with the help of a therapist - look forward to a brighter future. "It's been rough. I miss my friends," said Sparks. "I'm getting tired of people seeing me with a mask everywhere." Armed not with a gun but with courage -- he's working toward a sense of normalcy and once again looks to help others. "Get help. See a counselor," is his advice for other veterans out there. "Don't be pig headed and think you can do it alone, because you can't." Sparks says a huge part in his decade-long recovery from PTSD is forgetting his memories of war. He's even thrown out all photos of his time in the service. Yet he says despite that - his connection to his past is strongest when he's helping others.
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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/former-army-medic-encourages-other-vets-to-seek-help-during-pandemic/512-73200bb9-db94-48ae-8e51-53931ab2d486
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