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Did JuJu Castaneda Get Married This Weekend?
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MadameNoire Featured Video For many of us Juliette JuJu Castaneda is closely associated with Dipset rapper Camron. After all, the two did date for nine years and we witnessed the ups and downs of their love affair on an installment of Love & Hip Hop. The two were engaged for the last four years of their union and there were times when JuJu even alluded to attempting to have a child with him. But the days of Castaneda fighting for that relationship are over. She and CamRon officially split in 2017 and after this weekend, its crystal clear that shes moved on. According to several media posts, it seems that JuJu tied the knot over the holiday weekend in Las Vegas. The speculation began when JuJu posted a picture from her hotel room in Vegas with the word Forever and a ring emoji in her Instagram stories. Later, friends and family members showed JuJu and her beau walking down the aisle at Little Church of the West and being pronounced man and wife in what appears to be an impromptu ceremony. Both JuJu and her man, who goes by the name @ceo22wayz on Instagram, appear to be wearing beach attire as they walk down the aisle together. The impromptu nature of it all and even their attire has people questioning whether its real or not. You can watch the whole ceremony, recorded by a friend, in the video below. If the two are actually together, there is something to be said about being so overcome by love that you get married on a whim. Whatever the arrangement, were wishing these two the best.
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https://madamenoire.com/1230268/did-juju-castaneda-get-married-this-weekend/
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Have LaToya Ali And Von Rhe Ended Their Relationship?
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MadameNoire Featured Video Although the two seemed very much together just yesterday in posts The Real Housewives of Atlanta star LaToya Ali shared on her social media, a post uploaded by personal trainer Von Rhe just hours ago seemingly implies that the two have ended their romantic relationship. As much as I cared for this relationship to work sometimes the universe has its own way of shifting people in ways we dont understand, Von said on his Instagram Stories earlier today (June 1). As a man, I can humbly say this was the first time I ever gave a relationship my all. I was 100% always honest and pure but no matter how much happiness I gave some insecurities only [the] self can manage. I wish you nothing but love, peace, and happiness @latoyaforever. If you recall, the two have been dating for quite some time now. In fact, LaToya made headlines back in April when she addressed her estranged husband Adam Alis claims that Von was a gay man despite the latter and hers relationship which had been months along at that point. While chatting on RHOA co-star Kandi Burruss YouTube series Speak On It, LaToya had firmly stated, First of all Von trained Jeffree Star. He is in the LGBTQ community, Von trains many gay people. He also has many gay friends. I dont understand theres no problem with that. Thats something that I have to deal with, not you or anybody else and in fact I would be okay with [that] because Von and I have an amazing connection. Around that same time, she and Von even documented themselves getting matching BAESTIE tattoos a combination of bae and bestie on their joint YouTube channel. Vons post about the seeming breakup follows posts LaToya made on her Instagram stories yesterday (May 31) with the two of them bood up on Memorial Day. She simply captioned one of the clips of them together, Happiness at its finest.
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https://madamenoire.com/1230300/latoya-ali-von-rhe-2/
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Will Florida produce election controversy in 2020?
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FILE In this June 23, 2020, file photo voting stations are set up in the South Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center for voters to cast their ballot in the Kentucky primary in Louisville, Ky. The November election is coming with a big price tag as America faces the coronavirus pandemic. The demand for mail-in ballots is surging, election workers are in need of training and polling booths might have to be outfitted with protective shields. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File) This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Florida is known by many for its beaches. But in politics, it sometimes is known for being the butt of a joke. Tuesdays primary may provide clues. TUESDAYS PRIMARY While Tuesdays primary does not involve presidential politics in Florida, a number of races impacting the state legislature, Congress and local governments are taking place. HISTORY OF ISSUES Floridas issues with elections goes all the way back to 1876. The presidential election was still undecided with Florida being unsure how to award its 4 Electoral College votes. Florida wasnt alone. South Carolina and Louisiana were also unsure. As a result, Congress had to step in and resolve the issue with Rutherford B. Hayes eventually becoming President. Most Americans know Florida because of the issues in 2000. With another presidential election hanging in the balance, Al Gore and George W. Bush battled for votes during a 36-day recount. Palm Beach Countys butterfly ballot, with confusing placement of names for some voters, likely resulted in 2,800 votes for Pat Buchanan instead of Gore. Hanging Chads in the state became a household phrase nationwide to describe ballots with paper fragments still hanging from them. Ballots that year were hole punch style for many voters. Like in 2000 and 2016, Florida has long been an important state for nominees to win. It has helped choose the winning presidential candidate every election since 1992. RECENT ISSUES Issues in Floridas Elections have continued in recent years. In Broward County, nearly 1,000 uncounted ballots were found in a warehouse in 2012. In 2018, 22 ballots were counted that were supposed to be rejected. THIS YEAR Election officials have recommitted themselves to making sure Florida controversy is limited this year. However, time will tell. Stay tuned.
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https://www.pix11.com/sitemap.xml/news/election-2020/will-florida-produce-election-controversy-in-2020
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Where did the money from the $10 million dollar bond go?
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It's been three years since the Guilford County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $10 million dollar bond for school safety & security. GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. We first told you about the classroom brawl involving one parent at Southern Guilford High School last week. The Guilford County Sheriff's Office said eight people stormed a class and attacked a 14 year old girl. Three of the students who planned the attack, go to Southern. The others included one GCS mom and students from other GCS schools according to SRO Captain Brian Hall. Since the assault and trespassing incident, parents have had lots of questions about safety & security. "My first question is how in the world did this happen, and my second question is what are we going to do about it?" Southern parent Misty Reagan questioned. "We need to focus on where the money has gone that was given to the county, to the district, specifically for safety and security upgrades." Reagan is referencing that bond Guilford county commissioners unanimously approved for the district three years ago. "We were in some budget discussions early in 2018 and it was right after the tragedy down in Florida at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School," Commissioner Justin Conrad explained. "We made a statement in our community that security of our kids, our most precious resource was the most important thing we could do." Conrad said about half of the bond money went to communications projects, so first responders could better handle school emergencies. "We ended up putting about 4.5 million dollars into communications with the schools," he said. "My fellow commissioners Alan Perdue, who spent many years in emergency services, brought up the fact that first responders need to be able to effectively communicate in any type of serious situation regarding our schools." Another $600,000 was spent on a study researching where the rest of the approximate 4 million should go. Then Conrad said in 2020, GCS made a request. "The last quarter of 2020 we were asked to move some of the money to HVAC systems, some windows, and also a card scan system." A GCS spokesman said they haven't gotten 'anywhere near' the full $10 million yet, but said they are working to compile a list to share on where some of the money has been invested so far.
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https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/after-school-fight-at-southern-guilford-parents-question-where-10-million-dollar-security-bond-went/83-443ac5b2-4fbe-4fec-bee1-59e1f2be7c33
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Did Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Already Hint At A Possible Baby Name?
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are set to welcome their second child together this summer. Speculation surrounding what names the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have chosen for their daughter has been mounting ever since Meghan shared that she was expecting a girl during the couple's interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired back on March 7. According to People magazine, oddsmakers believe that the name Philippa could be a strong contender, as it would be a sweet nod to Harry's grandfather, Prince Philip, who died on April 9. Other strong names with high odds include Diana, after Harry's late mother, Elizabeth, after Harry's grandmother the queen, and some more traditional options including Alexandria, Alice, and Victoria. Keep in mind, the names that oddsmakers had chosen for the couple's first child didn't pan out the name Archie wasn't among the prop bets offered back in 2019. Fans have also speculated that Meghan and Harry have chosen the name Poppy for their little one, and that Meghan wore a dress featuring the flower during her appearance on "Vax Live," according to Us Weekly. As it turns out, Meghan and Harry may have hinted at some of the girl names they like when they were expecting Archie. Keep reading to find out more.
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https://www.nickiswift.com/425601/did-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-already-hint-at-a-possible-baby-name/
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Did Travis Barker Just Side-Eye Amelia Hamlin?
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We may not know what Travis Barker thinks about Amelia Gray Hamlin as a person, but it seems like we might have been given a hint regarding what he thinks about her relationship with Scott Disick. Well, it might have to do with the age difference between Scott and Amelia. According to Us Weekly, the situation started when the KardashianVideo fan Instagram account posted about Kourtney Kardashian having dinner with the duo. In response, one social media user reportedly wrote, "It's so odd to me. I know that dinner was awkward as hell." Well, per Us Weekly, he apparently liked the comment (or whoever runs his social media account did), which seems to suggest that he agrees with the sentiment. If you're curious (and we know you are because who wouldn't be?! ), Travis is 45 years old as of writing, while Kourtney is 42. Scott is 38 and Amelia is 19. Yes, 19, meaning that he's twice Scott's age and almost 20 years younger than her boyfriend. Travis seems to think so. Or at least, his like button does.
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https://www.nickiswift.com/425640/did-travis-barker-just-side-eye-amelia-hamlin/
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What's Really Going On With Sammi 'Sweetheart' Giancola's Engagement?
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Fans will remember Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola's relationship with Ronnie Ortiz-Magro on "Jersey Shore," but after leaving the show after Season 4 (and ending things with Ronnie), she kept a low profile. Until March 2019, that is, when she was back in the news for announcing her engagement to boyfriend Christian Biscardi. Sam was thrilled to get a ring from her boyfriend of nearly two years, writing on Instagram at the time, "I'm completely overwhelmed with happiness. Yesterday was the best day of my life! I get to marry my other half, best friend and soulmate. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you @_biscardi I love you!!" She previously opened up to In Touch Weekly about their relationship, saying, "It's kind of exciting. He's no one in the business, it's just somebody. I'm learning to keep my relationship stuff a little more private so that's all I'm gonna say about it." Biscardi even got the stamp of approval from her former cast mate, JWoww! "We've met him, and he is such a sweet guy. He makes Sammi happy, so he's good in my book," she said. Although the couple seemed very much in love, it appears their engagement has now hit a roadblock. Keep reading for more details.
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https://www.nickiswift.com/425657/whats-really-going-on-with-sammi-sweetheart-giancolas-engagement/
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Do empty malls hold the solution to California's housing crisis?
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California state lawmakers are grappling with a particularly 21st-century problem: What to do with the growing number of shopping malls and big box retail stores left empty by consumers shifting their purchases to the web. A possible answer in crowded California cities is to build housing on these sites, which already have ample parking and are close to existing neighborhoods. But local zoning laws often dont allow housing at these locations. Changing the zoning is such a hassle that many developers dont bother trying. And its often not worth it for local governments to change the designations. They would prefer to find new retailers because sales taxes produce more revenue than residential property taxes. However, with a stubborn housing shortage pushing prices to all-time highs, state lawmakers are moving to pass new laws to get around those barriers. A bill that cleared the state Senate last week would let developers build houses on most commercial sites without changing the zoning. Another proposal would pay local governments to change the zoning to let developers build affordable housing. There has always been an incentive to chase retail and a disincentive to build housing, said Sen. Anthony Portantino, a Los Angeles-area Democrat who authored the bill to pay local governments. There is more dormant and vacant retail than ever. If successful, its believed California would be the first state to allow multi-family housing on commercial sites statewide, said Eric Phillips, vice president of policy and legislation for the California chapter of the American Planning Association. Developers who use the law still would have to obey locally approved design standards. But Mr. Phillips said the law would limit local governments ability to reject the projects. Thats why some local leaders oppose the bill, arguing it undermines their authority. City leaders have the requisite local knowledge to discern when and which sites are appropriate for repurposing and which are not, wrote Mike Griffiths, member of the Torrance City Council and founder of California Cities for Local Control, a group of 427 mayors and council members. Its a familiar battle in California. While nearly everyone agrees there is an affordable housing shortage, state and local leaders face different political pressures that often derail ambitious proposals. Last year, a bill that would have overridden local zoning laws to let developers build small apartment buildings in neighborhoods reserved for single-family homes died in the state Senate. Sen. Anna Caballero, a Democrat from Salinas and author of this years zoning proposal, said her bill is not a mandate. Developers could choose to use the bill or not. The Senate approved the measure 32-2, sending it to the state Assembly for consideration. Its always a challenge when youre trying to do affordable housing, because there are entrenched interests that dont want to negotiate and compromise, and were working really hard to try to break through that, she said. Im trying to give maximum flexibility to local government because the more that you start telling them how they have to do it, the harder it becomes for them to actually do it. Even before the pandemic, big-box retail stores were struggling to adapt as more people began buying things online. In 2019, after purchasing Sears and Kmart, Transformco closed 96 stores across the country including 29 in California. The pandemic, of course, accelerated this trend, prompting major retailers like J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus, and J. Crew to file for bankruptcy protection. An analysis by the investment firm UBS shows online shopping will grow to 25% of all retail sales by 2025. The analysis predicted that up to 100,000 stores across the country could close. Local governments and developers in California are already trying to redevelop some retail sites. In Salinas, a city of about 150,000 people near the Monterey Peninsula, city officials are working to rezone a closed Kmart. In San Francisco, developers recently announced plans to build nearly 3,000 homes in the parking lot that surrounds Stonestown Mall a sprawling, 40-acre site that has lost some anchor retail tenants in recent years. Still, the idea of repurposing shopping centers has divided labor unions and affordable housing advocates, putting one of the Democratic Partys core base of supporters against backers of one of their top policy goals. Housing advocates love the idea, but they dont like how Democrats want to do it. Both proposals in the Legislature would require developers to use a skilled and trained workforce to build the housing. That means a certain percentage of workers must either be enrolled or have completed a state-approved apprenticeship program. Developers have said while there are plenty of trained workers available in areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles, those workers are scarce in more rural parts of the state, potentially delaying projects in those areas. California needs to build about 180,000 new housing units per year to keep up with demand, according to the states latest housing assessment. But its only managed about 80,000 per year for the past decade. Thats one reason the states median sales price for single-family homes hit a record-high $758,990 in March. At a time when were trying to increase production, we dont believe we should be limiting who can do the work, said Ray Pearl, executive director of the California Housing Consortium, a group that includes affordable housing developers. Robbie Hunter, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, dismissed that argument as just greedy developers trying to maximize their profits. He said there is no construction project in California that has been delayed because of a lack of workers, adding: We man every job. When there is a demand for workers, we rise with the demand, Mr. Hunter said. Get the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox. Your email address By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Labor unions appear to be winning. A bill in the state Assembly that did not initially require a skilled and trained workforce stalled in committee because it did not have enough support. This story was reported by The Associated Press.
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https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2021/0601/Do-empty-malls-hold-the-solution-to-California-s-housing-crisis?icid=rss
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How much do UFC gloves weigh?
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Typical UFC gloves weigh 4 ounces (110gms). Gloves that weigh up to 6 ounces (170gms) are also allowed in the UFC for fighters that require larger-sized gloves. The purpose of UFC gloves is to protect both the wearer and the opponent. UFC gloves protect the fists of the wearer and allow them to throw punches with more strength, inflicting more damage on the opponent. Secondly, the gloves are intended to reduce the brain damage caused to the opponent's brain by repeated impact on the head. The extent to which UFC gloves reduce brain damage is a topic of debate. The human brain floats in the cerebrospinal fluid which protects it from trauma. Brain damage is caused when the brain hits the wall of the skull after a high-impact collision causes the head and neck to jolt. No particular glove design can warrant reduced movement of the brain inside the skull unless the gloves become impractically heavy. However, the gloves significantly reduce the lacerations and damage to the facial expression lines. Since MMA involves grappling, the design of UFC gloves has open fingers to enable grabbing hold of an opponent. However, the design of UFC gloves has been heavily criticized as it forces the fighters to keep an open palm during fights. As a result, more incidents of accidental eye poke are observed in the UFC than in any other major MMA organization. Daniel Cormier vs Stipe Miocic 3 and Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad are the two most recent fights in which accidental eye pokes affected the outcome. Got to feel for Belal Muhammad, who worked his way into his first UFC main event, only to have it ended by an accidental eye poke. pic.twitter.com/0jDWiVFbA1 ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 14, 2021 Trevor Wittman explains why the UFC gloves cause more eye pokes Famed MMA coach Trevor Wittman has been a vocal advocate of revolutionizing MMA equipment. Apart from being a coach, Wittman is also an equipment designer who has pursued the UFC to adopt his glove design that forces the wearer to keep a closed fist. During his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Trevor Wittman explained the mechanics of UFC gloves that cause fighters to keep an open palm: "So this is what happens with fighters and everyone who has wore and fought in these UFC gloves. They also have a hand-wrap underneath them. What happens is when you make a fist, it starts to put a lot of pressure in between your fingers and that's a huge thing that fighters feel... It's also hard to make a grip because it's tough... you have to constantly use your forearm strength to keep a closed fist," Trevor Wittman said. Please spend 30 seconds answering this survey so that we can better understand how to serve your MMA needs.
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https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-what-typical-ufc-gloves-weight
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Is Nintendo planning to do E3 Direct?
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With E3 approaching mid-June, many fans are wondering if Nintendo will be hosting a special Nintendo Direct in addition to the usual onslaught of game news. Nintendo has abandoned the usual blockbuster press conference to focus on pre-recorded direct, but knows that Nintendo will be attending an E3 event somewhere between June 12th and 15th. Masu. This is because, unlike Sony, Nintendo is still an official partner of ESA, meaning that it will participate in events taking place during that period. Again, Im not sure if Nintendo will be hosting a direct, but I know Ill do something during that time, so keep an eye on it. You should be able to check out the fictional Direct here at GameSpot, or check out Nintendos official social media channels on Twitch and YouTube. Nintendo did not do E3 2020 Direct due to the influence of the coronavirus, but its E3 2019 Direct took place on June 11, the first day of the conference. In terms of what to expect from Direct, rumors and analysis suggest that the company may announce Switch Pro or other new hardware revisions of successful consoles as a major headline. The report suggests that Switch Pro may even be announced before E3 begins. You may also see footage of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. This is probably the most anticipated game on Switch. For more information on the E3 2021, check out the official schedule and list of participants, as well as a guide to the games and announcements you really want to see this year. Watch live streams, videos and more of GameSpots summer events.check it out 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/957767/
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What time is the Victoria COVID-19 press conference today with an update lockdown extension?
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Victoria looks likely to learn on Wednesday morning that the circuit breaker lockdown due to end at 11.59pm on Thursday will, in fact, be extended. Entering day six of the statewide shutdown, alarm bells are ringing after a newly identified COVID-19 case travelled between Victoria and NSW and mounting evidence of stranger-to-stranger transmission. Victorias health authorities are expected to provide a COVID-19 update on Wednesday. This article will be updated with a time as soon as its confirmed. Click here to watch the press conference LIVE. Victorian health officials notified NSW Health of the confirmed case who visited Jervis Bay, Goulburn, Hyams Beach and Vincentia. The person reported the onset of symptoms on May 25 and was tested on Monday having driven back to Melbourne on May 24. Victoria is in a circuit breaker lockdown with 54 active infections after three new cases were reported on Tuesday. COVID-19 testing commander Jeroen Weimar said there were four to five instances in the states latest outbreak of people contracting the virus from fleeting contact. They do not know each others names and that is very different from what we have seen before, Mr Weimar told reporters on Tuesday. Stranger-to-stranger transmission of COVID threatens to keep Victoria in lockdown longer. Credit: AAP Health Minister Martin Foley said the Indian variants heightened infectiousness and faster spread would factor into the decision to extend the seven-day lockdown beyond Thursday or not. That is one of a range of pieces of evidence the chief health officer (Brett Sutton) and his team will weigh carefully, he said. Professor Suttons public health team was strongly leaning toward recommending a lockdown extension, according to media reports, as senior government ministers met to receive a high-level briefing on Tuesday night. Fleeting COVID transmission between strangers could prompt a lockdown extension for Victoria. Credit: 7NEWS Digital/Getty A state government spokeswoman declined to confirm details to AAP but a final call could be ticked off as early as Wednesday morning. The Herald Sun reports tough restrictions are likely to last until at least early next week. There are now more than 320 exposure sites across the state and 4800 primary close contacts, with 75 per cent of those returning a negative test.
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https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/what-time-is-the-victoria-covid-19-press-conference-today-with-an-update-lockdown-extension-c-2992162
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What is the Best fighter jet for Pakistan Navy Aviation?
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abbasniazi said: I agree to those who say pakistan navy won't have seperate aviation wing in near future, but i disagree to TOPGUN sir, sir what did u exactly meant by "Never" , in my opinion this "never" will end as soon as we have a stable and robust economy, i appreciate ur realism sir but sometimes i feel u become over realistic and rule out the possibility of bright future for pakistan, pardon me if i took u wrong but thats the feeling i get from some of ur posts, now i'll put my suggestion, i think PAF should establish a specialized aviation wing for Pakistan Navy's support, this should be a permanent dedicated wing, further developments to this wing will be a step forward to establishing PN's seperate aviation arm, and when we have enough funds we should seperate this wing and develop it as an independent Air arm under the command of PN. Click to expand... Bro iam sorry that you don't like my realizm but these are facts of life i can tell you first hand with most other members would agree that if not never atleast for a very long time to come PN will NOT have there own fighter wing! hence, & read carefully brother you said PAF would have a seperate /dedicated wing well the mirage sq now that PAF provides is solly for that purpose! and in the near future inshallah the navy will have perhaps 1 or 2 more sq's thunders i would think iam all for it but wat is reality is such i don't dream nor expect something out of wat i think and hear won't happen ! my father is a x PN capt proudly served i still have family in the navy and in the army and af i think i know a little bit from wat they tell me or wat i read or gain my knowledge on ! the navy has lacked for years and now finially is getting back on its feet do you even think the have the funds for these fighter wings you and other s speak of NOOO they dont ! they are more on the suface fleet which is small and old or leased ships ! anyhow again iam all with the plan for air wing support for the PN but again it will happen through PAF unless a mircale happensand before i end this if you don't like my post or my 2 cents here plzz feel free to not read them cuz it seems as i don't know anything have a good day brother no hard feelings !
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https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/what-is-the-best-fighter-jet-for-pakistan-navy-aviation.31095/
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Will 'textgate' hurt Denis Coderre's bid to become mayor again?
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Most people aren't buying his explanation that he simply picked up the phone after it fell out of its holder in his car. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf / Montreal Gazette Article content The municipal election campaign hasnt even started, but mayoral candidate Denis Coderre is already mired in controversy for denying that he texted while driving. On the weekend, the Journal de Montral published a photo taken by someone showing Coderre at the wheel of his car, looking down at his cellphone with his two thumbs on it. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Back to video In two TV interviews Monday, a testy Coderre insisted he had not been texting while driving on Robert-Bourassa Blvd. near Ren-Lvesque Blvd. on Friday morning. He had simply picked up the phone after it fell out of its holder and checked to see if it was OK before replacing it, he said. But most people werent buying the explanation. Plenty of people text while theyre at a red light, but lying about it makes it even worse. Just say youve done it and you shouldnt have, said poll analyst Philippe J. Fournier of the Qc125 blog. La Presse columnist Mario Girard said Tuesday that Coderres explanation didnt convince me at all. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Commentators also asked why Coderre waited 48 hours to respond. In an interview Monday with Radio-Canadas Patrice Roy, an angry Coderre lashed out at the photo as intrusive, charging that it was preventing him from talking about the real issues, like gunfire in the Old Port on the weekend and the citys budget. This has to stop, said Coderre, pointing to his 40-year political career. Such incidents discourage people from entering politics, he charged. The kerfuffle shows Denis Coderre has not really changed despite his personal makeover after losing the 2017 municipal election, Fournier said. Coderre shed more than 100 pounds through dieting, boxing and cycling after his defeat to Valrie Plante. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Montreal Gazette Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Montreal Gazette, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Montreal Gazette Headline News will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Trending
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https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/will-textgate-hurt-coderre
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Can opposition parties change into ruling bloc?
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The current system cannot support good governance no matter which political party rules said Prof Bakar Mohammed of the University of Dar es Salaam. Dar es Salaam. Unless fundamental changes in the countrys laws and constitution are carried out to ensure uncompromising relations between the government and the people areharmonized , experts in the field of public administration and political science have warned that even what today seems to be revolutionary can tomorrow turn into reactionary. The current system cannot support good governance no matter which political party rules said Prof Bakar Mohammed of the University of Dar es Salaam. The countrys revolutionary opposition has been relentlessly waging war against corruption, respect for human rights, inclusive governance and respect of democratic principles. In overall, their efforts seems good things to citizens and some of them have finally agrred to the crackdown on corruption that has gained support from the government where President John Magufuli has singled out corruption as one of his priorities. This has led to the belief that once opposition takes over and consequently has an opportunity to form a government it will be easy to implement all what they are currently advocating for including what they term as police brutality against their leaders and members. However, political experts who on different occasions spoke to the Political Platform pointed out that the dream will only be guaranteed if deliberate efforts are taken to ensure that the underlying governing system of the country supports these principles instead of counting on partys grace to offer them. Prof Mohammed says that there should be no guarantee of positive changes of any kind in the change of a ruling party no matter how ideologically and philosophically different it is with the successor. Advertisement Considering the fact that both the formers and current rulers are the same Tanzanians who grew up within the same system, he explicitly discourages the tendencies of members of opposition thinking that the country will turn to be a heaven for them to practice their rights and freedoms. Aware of the likely possible scenario of power to corrupt he who holds it, he notes the only thing that the public should count on is institutions and mechanisms in place that will draw the lines between them and the government so that the latter cannot infringe the rights and freedoms of the former. Giving an example of what happened during the reintroduction of the multiparty democracy in the country, Prof Mohammed says: A foundation that would support the system would have been laid first before even practicing it. The change in the constitution and other legal frameworks which would reflect multiparty democratic principles and good governance would be key changes to me made to make the multiparty democracy compatible with the existing laws, he suggests. Because that was, and has never been, the case, Prof Mohammed says it suffice to explain the source of current ongoing clashes within the ruling party and the opposition in the country. No efforts were taken to make the level playing field, he says. Mr Hamad Salim, a political science lecturer at the Open University of Tanzania said that all political parties have something very common. This ranges from the ways they ran their activities as parties to how they address social issues. He says not only that a political party strives to take over the state but also to maintain it by any means possible. Several mechanisms should be put in play but the commonest of all include the restriction of freedom of expression, the repression of political space and excessive control of the press. Unless a system to protect the rights and freedoms of the citizenry is in place nothing should be expected from any political party which will have an accessibility to form a government, he identified. What worries Mr Salim and makes him reaches to such conclusion is what is going on within the political parties themselves highlighting dictatorial tendencies of some parties leaders who are more powerful than their parties and constitutions. Other concerns stems from the absence of well-defined ideologies and the absence of communities engagement where political parties engage with people in grassroots helping them solve their problems. Mr Salim is skeptic that if party leaders dont respect their own respective partys constitutions how can they be counted on that they will respect the constitution of the united republic of Tanzania which guarantees citizens rights and freedom. These are institutional issues which every single party which competes to form a government must deal and clear themselves with, he opines. Without redefining their ideologies and philosophies, it will be unlikely for the opposition parties to convince people that they can practically stand for what they currently fight for once they are in the government. But Prof Mohammed says that in multiparty politics, the opposition serves various other significant roles if backed up institutionally. He points out for the government f day to be accountable to the people there is a need for government in waiting to be formed by a strong opposition party or an amalgamation of various opposition political parties. Considering the legal and other bureaucratic frameworks in the country the formation of a strong government in waiting is obstructed by the fusion of the ruling party and the state. He says its hard to differentiate the states and the ruling partys apparatuses like police force, the national electoral commission and the office of the Registrar of Political Parties which have been several times of favoring the ruling party CCM and oppressing the opposition. This is the strongest weakness on the way we practice our democracy, he says. Prof Mohammed passionately points out that for the countrys democracy to function well a need to prepare an environment where theres always the government in waiting is indispensable. This, he thinks, can come by integrating within the legal and constitutional system laws and principles that would ultimately do away with the oppression of the opposition which is currently witnessed. When asked if they would abandon some of the principles they are currently championing CUF Acting Deputy Director for Information, Publicity and Public Relation, Mbarala Maharagande dismissed the claims on baseless grounds. He said that its not true that they will turn enemies of their sentiments pointing out that the local governments they head can provide a good model of the national government they will form once the people consent them. Determination and commitment are our shields, said Maharagande adding that you cannot be afraid to fire an unfaithful employee just by thinking that all employees are unfaithful. The power belongs to the people, he said.
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https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/1765046-1765046-view-asFeed-hiqag9/null/magazine/politicalreforms/Can-opposition-parties-change-into-ruling-bloc-/1843776-4258266-146jc0gz/index.html
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Was bringt der Einsatz in Mali?
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Berlin. Der Bundeswehreinsatz in Mali ist politisch angreifbarer denn je. Die Linke hat sich schon immer gefragt, wessen Interessen die Bundeswehr in Afrika verteidigt. Nach dem zweiten Militrputsch binnen eines Jahres werden inzwischen aber auch im Regierungslager Zweifel laut, bei den Auenpolitikern von Union und SPD. AdUnit urban-intext1 Am Montagabend hatte Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) nach dem deutsch-franzsischen Ministerrat noch gemeinsam mit Frankreichs Prsident Emmanuel Macron erklrt, wir glauben, dass unsere Prsenz vor Ort weiterhin wichtig ist. Und dass sich an der Frage der Ausbildungsmission fr Mali und auch der ,Minusma-Aufgaben nichts gendert hat. Grundstzlich hat sich tatschlich wenig gendert. Im westafrikanischen Staat sind Islamisten aktiv. Gleichzeitig verlaufen Migrationsrouten durch das Land. Mali sich selbst zu berlassen, knnte sich rchen. Macron und Merkel haben die Wahl zwischen zwei beln immer werden die falschen Krfte gestrkt oder toleriert, mal die Putschisten, mal die Islamisten. Ein Stabilittsanker und Ordnungsfaktor ist Frankreich, die frhere Kolonialmacht. Solange die Franzosen Verantwortung bernehmen und bleiben wollen, kommt ein Abzug der Bundeswehr fr die Bundesregierung nicht infrage. Aus Solidaritt. Es wird aber immer schwerer, die zwei Einstze der Bundeswehr in der Krisenregion offensiv zu vertreten. Erst strzten Offiziere im Sommer 2020 den demokratisch gewhlten Prsidenten Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Vor einer Woche nahmen Militrs dann auch die Spitze der seither herrschenden bergangsregierung fest, Prsident Bah NDaw und Regierungschef Moctar Ouane. AdUnit urban-intext2 Die Frage ist, ob es bei den fr Februar 2022 geplanten Wahlen bleibt und ob die Militrs im Kampf gegen islamistische Krfte in der Region Kurs halten. Das sind in den Augen von Macron und Merkel die roten Linien. Sie entsprechen auch der Position der westafrikanischen Staats- und Regierungschefs. Diese haben die sofortige Einsetzung eines zivilen Regierungschefs, die Freilassung der abgesetzten bergangsregierung und ebenfalls Wahlen angemahnt. Die Westafrikanische Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft (Ecowas) hatte das Mitglied Mali zudem suspendiert. Weder Frankreich noch seine Partner werden sich engagieren, wenn die Forderungen der Ecowas nicht respektiert werden, sagte Macron. Um den Forderungen Nachdruck zu verleihen, hat Frankreich mit Abzug gedroht. Fr die Regierung in Paris steht viel auf dem Spiel. Die Franzosen haben immerhin 5100 Soldaten in der Region stationiert fnfmal sie viel wie die Bundeswehr. AdUnit urban-intext3 Zwei Mandate Es gibt zwei Mandate. Da ist zunchst eine Trainingsmission (EUTM) im Auftrag der EU. Momentan sind knapp 100 deutsche Soldaten vor Ort. Ihre Obergrenze sollte aber von bisher 450 auf 600 steigen, weil ein neues Trainingszentrum fr die malischen Streitkrfte wesentlich von Deutschland initiiert starten soll und weil die Bundeswehr im zweiten Halbjahr erneut den Kommandeur der EU-Mission stellen wird. Da ist zum anderen die UN-Mission Minusma, die als der gefhrlichste Militreinsatz der Vereinten Nationen gilt. Seit acht Jahren versucht sie, ein Abrutschen des westafrikanischen Landes ins Chaos zu verhindern. AdUnit urban-intext4 ber 900 deutsche Soldaten untersttzen mit Frachtflgen die malische Armee bei der Versorgung und sammeln am Boden und in der Luft Informationen ber die Sicherheitslage. Beide Missionen waren gerade im Mai vom Bundestag um ein weiteres Jahr verlngert worden vor dem jngsten Putsch. Wenn die unter anderem von Deutschland ausgebildeten Offiziere zu Putschisten wrden und zur Zusammenarbeit mit Islamisten bereit sein sollten, wird unsere Ausbildungsmission als Teil des Anti-Terror-Kampfes zur Farce, sagte der Vorsitzende des Auswrtigen Ausschusses, der CDU-Politiker Norbert Rttgen. Ein einfaches Weiter-so kann es nach dem erneuten Putsch in Mali nicht geben, wie sich das die Bundeskanzlerin und der franzsische Prsident vorstellen. Diese htte dann umfassend ihre Legitimation verloren, meint auch die Auenpolitikerin und SPD-Fraktionsvizechefin Gabriela Heinrich. Das falsche Signal Das ist das falsche politische Signal an die Putschisten in Mali und potenzielle Nachahmer in anderen Lndern, sagte sie unserer Redaktion. Deutschland und die EU mssten umgehend die Lieferung von Rstungsgtern im Rahmen der deutschen und europischen Ertchtigungsinitiativen einfrieren. Auch bei der Ausbildungsmission ,EUTM Mali kann es kein Business-as-usual geben, erklrte sie und forderte, die Ausweitung der Mission mit dem Bau des neuen Ausbildungszentrums einzustellen. Die politische Lage in der ehemaligen franzsischen Kolonie ist seit Jahren nicht stabil. Mali ein Wstenstaat dreieinhalb Mal so gro wie Deutschland hatte 1960 die Unabhngigkeit erlangt. 2013 schlug erst ein massiver Militreinsatz der frheren Kolonialmacht den Vormarsch islamistischen Terrorgruppen auf Bamako zurck. Einige dieser Gruppen haben dem Islamischen Staat (IS) oder Al-Kaida die Treue geschworen. mit dpa
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https://www.mannheimer-morgen.de/politik_artikel,-politik-was-bringt-der-einsatz-in-mali-_arid,1804318.html
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Who was Wahlburgers star Henry Nacho Laun and how did he die?
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HENRY "Nacho" Laun passed away on Tuesday after being put on life support for several weeks. The reality TV star was one of Mark Wahlburg's closest friends. Nacho was a childhood friend of the Wahlberg brothers and often appeared on their reality TV show Wahlburgers. He first met the brothers when his family moved to Dorchester in the mid-1980s and Mark picked a fight with him. Since then, he has remained part of Mark's entourage occasionally being hired as a driver or additional security on film sets. On the show, he was known for taking on every extreme eating challenge thrown his way. Sticking to his mantra "Cash is King", Nacho would eat anything for the right price including whole lobsters in the shell, golf divots, sour milk, and pint-sized bottles of hot sauce to name a few. Henry "Nacho" Laun died on Tuesday at the age of 54. This comes after he was found unconscious at a gas station last month while on a road trip from Boston to Cape Cod. He passed away at a Massachusetts hospital after being placed on life support. The cause of his medical troubles still remains unclear as he remained unresponsive and unable to breathe on his own. In April, the matriarch of the Wahlberg family passed away after battling dementia. Alma Wahlberg also appeared on the A&E series "working as a greeter and hostess at her sons restaurants where she shares her infectious laugh and sense of humor with everyone who comes to dine" according to the show's site. The sweet woman raised Mark, Donnie, Paul, Robert, Jim, Arthur, Tracey, Michelle, and Debbie in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Announcing her death, Mark posted a photo of his mother on Instagram with the caption: "My angel. Rest in peace." Donnie shared a video compilation of fond memories with Alma, including footage of her rollerblading and being honored in a speech at a black-tie event with the caption: Most read in Celebrity REALITY STAR GONE Wahlburgers star Henry 'Nacho' Laun 'dead at 54 after medical emergency LOYAL GIRLFRIEND! JoJo Siwa reveals she's trying to get kissing scene with man removed Exclusive DEFENDING ELLIE Ellie Kemper's Veiled Prophet Ball is NOT racist, employee insists 'speak up!' Khloe fans ask 'what happened to your face?' after shocking new video "My mom Almas joy for life, love and people combined with a pride in her humble beginnings and refusal to forget where she came from undoubtedly shaped me into the man that I am." "Ive often said, if you like anything about me, I got it from Alma. I say that, because its true." "She was, without a doubt, the most loving human being Ive ever known. I love you, miss you, thank you, and will celebrate you, today and always." "Forever your Baby Donnie."
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https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/2997971/who-wahlburgers-star-henry-nacho-laun-how-die/
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Who Is Heidi Klums Husband?
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Heidi Klum and her husband, Tom Kaulitz, have been married since 2019, secretly tying the knot in February of that year, according to TMZ. The no frills affair was held at a courthouse in Beverly Hills. Klum, 48, is 16 years older than her hubby, who will turn 32 in September 2021. In a July 2018 interview with InStyle magazine, Klum addressed the age gap. Lately, Im being reminded more about my age by people other than myself. My boyfriend is many years younger than me, and lots of people are questioning that and asking about it. Thats really the only time when age seems to be shoved in my face and I have to give an answer for it, she told the outlet, adding I dont really think about it that much otherwise. You have to just live a happy life without worrying too much about what people think because worrying is only going to give you more wrinkles. The couple met at a friends party back in 2018. At the time, Klum recalls being wildly attracted to Kaulitz. It was to the point so bad when I couldnt even look at him You know when youre attracted to someone so badly youre like, Oh my gosh, I cant even look at him,' she told Ellen DeGeneres in the January 2, 2019, episode of her talkshow. Klum was previously married to Ric Pipino and Seal, the latter of whom she shares four children with. Meanwhile, this is Kaulitzs second marriage. He was previously married to German model Ria Sommerfeld, but they did not have any children together. Heres what you need to know: Hes in the Band Tokio Hotel With His Identical Twin Brother If Kaulitz looks familiar to you, it could be because hes in a popular band. He is a founding member of Tokio Hotel along with singer Bill Kaulitz, drummer Gustav Schfer, and bassist Georg Listing. Kaulitz has been the bands guitarist since 2001. Bill is Toms identical twin brother. Tokio Hotel has six studio albums to date. Their most recent album, Dream Machine, was released in 2017. The band has won several awards, mostly in Europe. In 2008, Tokio Hotel won the MTV VMA Music Award for Best New Artist. Interestingly, Klum is close to Bill, and has appeared in photos with him on his Instagram page quite frequently. Meanwhile, Tom has an Instagram, but he doesnt use it. His account has 129,000 followers, but no posts not even a profile photo! Klum tends to post all kinds of photos and videos with her husband and with his brother. They all seem to get along swimmingly. He Gave Klum a Very Special Gift for Birthday Heidi Klum & Jimmy Kimmel Train to Walk in High Heels with Raw EggsHeidi talks about being sick at the beginning of the pandemic, thinking she had COVID, Howie Mandel being worried, the weirdest talent she has seen on Americas Got Talent, marrying a fellow German, him gifting her with part of the Berlin Wall, the first time she ever walked on a runway in 1992, the second 2021-05-12T07:30:02Z Just ahead of Klums June 1, 2021, birthday, her husband gifted her something fairly extraordinary; a piece of the Berlin Wall. During a sit-down with Jimmy Kimmel, Klum showed a photo of the wall, which was placed in her garden by a crane. Its the German wall! Its the Berlin German Wall. My husband was actually born in East Berlin, and Ive been there many, many times. Obviously, I love Germany. This is where Im from even though Ive been here longer than Ive been in Germany. So he gave this to me for my birthday, she shared. I loved it. Its beautiful. I mean its beautiful that its broken and its not standing there anymore doing what they intended it to do, so I love it as an art piece in the garden, she added. Back in April 2018, a source told Us Weekly that Klum and Kaulitz really bonded over their shared nationality. Hes German [too], so its been fun and easy for Heidi. Tom is a breath of fresh air for her. They fell into an easy rhythm really quickly, the source said. READ NEXT: Kelly Ripa Looks Unrecognizable in Makeup-Free Selfie
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https://heavy.com/entertainment/agt/heidi-klum-husband-married-tom-kaulitz/
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Is Simon Cowell Back for AGT 2021?
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Thats the question on everyones mind after the AGT creator broke his back in August 2020 while testing out an electric bike at his Malibu home, USA Today reported. As a result, the British TV personality missed out on the second half of season 15. Comedian Kenan Thompson (of Saturday Night Live) filled in as a guest judge for the remainder of the season while Cowell recovered. But now its one year later, and actress Sofia Vergara, model Heidi Klum, and comedian Howie Mandel will all return as judges, alongside host Terry Crews (per NBC). Cowell is returning to the judges panel for Season 16. Its a big step for the longtime AGT judge, who broke his back in an electric bike accident in August 2020, according to USA Today, an injury that forced him to miss half of season 15. Cowell was in surgery for six hours and had a metal rod placed in his back. After months of recovery and physical therapy, Cowell told ET that his injury couldve been a lot worse. If you saw the scan, I mean, I was like a millimeter away from just completely cutting my back in half. So I consider myself lucky, he explained to the outlet prior to the season 16 premiere Tuesday. Cowell said physical therapy forced him to exercise more, and as a result, he feels stronger than he did a year ago. The star judge is more than ready for the new season and to rejoin his fellow judges. Both Heidi and Sofia are actually very, very funny, Cowell told ET about his co-stars. People always ask me, What are [they] like in real life? And I always say that youre both very funny. You make me laugh. Heres When Americas Got Talent Airs & How to Watch The long-running NBC hit will air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern starting on June 1. According to Newsweek, Americas Got Talent will air auditions now through July. The live shows are scheduled for August, which means fans will be able to vote for their favorite acts then. The finale is scheduled for sometime in September, and thats when a winner will be named. A Las Vegas show and $1 million. Americas Got Talent is available to stream on Peacock and Hulu (per Newsweek). Episodes will also be available on the NBC app and website. A Live Audience Will Return to the NBC Show Season 16 of Americas Got Talent is welcoming back a live audience. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show couldnt shoot with an audience during season 15, which aired in the summer of 2020. Mandel told PEOPLE ahead of the 2021 premiere that this season will feature a limited audience. It was wonderful its like youve been lost forever, and now you feel like, Im home, Mandel told the outlet about taping auditions for the new season. He added: Just to hear a reaction behind you, just to hear anybody be behind you and, kind of, affirm that what you just heard or what you just saw or how you just judged theyre either in agreement with [you], or theyre totally opposed to what you just said. Americas Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC. READ NEXT: NBC Announces Major The Voice Schedule Change
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https://heavy.com/entertainment/agt/is-simon-cowell-back-for-agt-2021/
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What is the Coachella 2022 lineup?
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MUSIC festivals are slowly easing their way back as pandemic regulations become less restrictive. The highly anticipated California festival, Coachella, announced its dates for 2022 after having to reschedule four times. Coachella has yet to release their 2022 lineup. However, organizers are reportedly trying to bring back the artists that were originally set to perform in the 2020 festival, which include Travis Scott, Rage Against the Machine, and Frank Ocean. It is unclear if they have agreed to perform in the 2022 festival. For updates regarding the lineup, fans are encouraged to follow the festival on Twitter and Instagram for future updates. Coachella 2022 will take place for two weekends. The official dates are April 15-17 and April 22-24, 2022. It will be held in Indio, California at the Empire Polo Club: 81-800 Avenue 51, Indio, CA 92201. According to the Coachella organizers, the festival will continue to monitor health regulations closer to the date. They released a statement on their website, saying: Its too early to tell exactly what precautions will be in place at the festival. However, your health and safety remain our top priority, and we continue to monitor the evolving health regulations and are working closely with state and health officials to develop COVID-19 protocols for the festival. 4 Coachella might have special precautions in place due to coronavirus, though it is too soon to tell Credit: Getty We will follow all COVID-19 related mandates applicable to the festival and will provide more information as the festival approaches so you know what to expect. Organizers also suggest that the festival will recommend face coverings, vaccinations, or receive a negative PCP test at least 72 hours before attending the event. Advance sale tickets for Coachella 2022 will be available for purchase on Friday, June 10, 2021, at 10am PT through its website. Those who bought tickets for the canceled 2020 festival will get their tickets honored or can get a refund by logging into their ticket purchase account by 5pm on June 11, 2021.
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https://www.the-sun.com/news/2998256/what-is-coachella-2022-lineup/
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Is Alibaba a Good Stock to Buy Now After the Recent Underperformance?
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Alibaba stock is down over 8% so far in 2021 and is underperforming the S&P 500. The stock has looked weak over the last six months due to multiple reasons. To begin with, lets understand why Alibaba stock has underperformed the markets as well as other e-commerce companies over the last six months. Alibaba is facing multiple challenges which include the almost witch hunt by the Chinese government, a sell-off in growth names, rising competition, and deterioration in US-China relations. Lets discuss these in detail. China slapped a $2.8 billion fine on Alibaba While China has targeted its tech giants, it has been particularly severe on Alibaba ever since the companys co-founder Jack Ma criticized the countrys financial system and regulators. Earlier this year, the communist country imposed a $2.8 billion fine on Alibaba as part of the anti-trust probe. Because of the fine, the company reported its first operating loss in the March quarter ever since it became a publicly-traded company. Incidentally, Alibaba stock had risen after the record fine as markets saw it as a sign that relations between Chinas biggest e-commerce company and the regulators are normalizing. However, China has continued with the crackdown on tech stocks even as they dont seem much directed at Alibaba now. Chinas tech crackdown The country has also cracked down on the booming online education sector and Alibaba-backed Zuoyebang might miss the IPO this year. The future of Alibaba-backed fintech company Ant Financial has also been uncertain. Ant Financial was set to be the biggest IPO of all time before it was stalled by the Chinese authorities. Secondly, Alibaba is facing higher competition across the business verticals from established companies as well as startup companies. During the fiscal fourth quarter 2021 earnings call, the management also admitted to higher competition. Thirdly, tech stocks have anyways been out of favor with investors who have instead preferred reopening and value stocks which seem more promising as the US economy reopens. The threat of delisting in the US Finally, there is always a hanging sword of a possible delisting in the US for Alibaba as well as other Chinese companies. While the delisting does not look like a realistic possibility considering the disruption it could cause for US investors, one cant totally rule that out given the souring US-China relations. Meanwhile, while there are obvious risks for Alibaba investors, there are also significant opportunities. Firstly, the worst might be over for the company when it comes to relations with the Chinese authorities. There are still chances that Ant Financial IPO might be back sometime this year which would help in value unlocking for Alibaba which holds a third of the fintech company. Why Alibaba stock is a good buying opportunity Secondly, Alibabas business has been growing fast and in the fiscal year 2021 that ended on 31 March 2021, its revenues increased 41% year-over-year. Even if we adjust for the revenues of Sun Art which Alibaba acquired, the organic revenue growth was a handsome 32%. Total active consumers of the Alibaba ecosystem crossed 1 billion in the last fiscal year. Out of these 891 million consumers are based in China while 240 million consumers are located outside the country. Alibaba expects its annual active users in China to increase by over 100 million this fiscal year and top 1 billion. Alibaba is growing fast For the fiscal year 2022, Alibaba has given a revenue guidance of 930 billion yuan as compared to 717 billion yuan in the previous fiscal year. This would mean a year-over-year growth of just under 30%. Thats healthy growth considering the massive scale for Alibaba. Also, the companys cloud operations posted positive EBITDA in the last two quarters which is a healthy sign. Notably, for Amazon, cloud is the most profitable business vertical followed by its US e-commerce operations. Analysts on Alibaba stock After Alibaba reported its fiscal fourth-quarter 2021 earnings, several brokerages revised down their target prices. Truist, Baird, Citigroup, Benchmark, and Keycorp are among the brokerages that lowered Alibabas target price after its earnings miss in the March quarter. Overall, Alibaba has a target price of $304.55 which is a premium of 42% over current prices. Its highest and lowest target prices are $350 and $270 respectively. Of the 26 analysts covering the shares, only one rates them as a hold while the remaining 25 have a buy rating. While Wall Street analysts have lowered their target prices, they look overweeningly bullish in the shares. Jim Cramer, the host of the Mad Money show on CNBC is also optimistic about the Chinese company This stock has come down a lot, Alibaba, and I do like it here very much. I think you should buy it and put it away, said Cramer. Stock valuation looks reasonable Alibaba stock trades at an NTM (next-12 months) PE multiple of 20.8x which is almost the lowest since it went public in 2014. The multiple has averaged 28.2x since the company went public and hit a high of 46.3x in January 2015. While Alibaba is a growth stock, it trades at the kind of valuations that one associates with value stock. The stock looks attractive at these valuation multiples which are way above other e-commerce companies. To be sure, there are risks that we discussed which are dampening the sentiments. However, the stock looks a good buy at these prices with a favorable risk-reward ratio. Charlie Munger, Warren Buffetts right-hand man, and vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway also seem bullish on the stock. Munger is the chairman of the Daily Journal Corporation and the company disclosed that Alibaba accounted for 19% of its equity portfolio valued at $37 million. While the investment might not be much in absolute dollar terms, it is quite high looking at the percentages. Mungers investment in the company could be another stamp of approval for those who follow the legendary investor. Since Alibaba trades on the US markets, you can buy it with any of the good online stock brokers. You can also invest in the Chinese market indices through binary options. There is a list of some of the best binary options brokers.
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https://learnbonds.com/is-alibaba-a-good-stock-to-buy-now-after-the-recent-underperformance/
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What Happened To The Cast Of The Original Starsky And Hutch?
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When it comes to horror, there are few names as iconic as Stephen King. The horror novelist has been entertaining audiences with terrifying tales of killer clowns and haunted hotels for decades now. Naturally, it takes a lot to scare the guy who literally wrote the book on horror. As it turns out, there was one movie that King saw which he could not sit through on account of how scary it was. The found-footage classic, The Blair Witch Project. In an interview reported by Dread Central, King admitted he had to turn the film off mid-way because it was too much for him.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264035236937/what-happened-to-the-cast-of-the-original-starsky-and-hutch
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Why are Covid cases up after swearing-in?
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By Tonny Abet More by this Author The government has reported a threefold increase in Covid-19 infections after the swearing-in of President Museveni and other elected leaders, which happened between May 12 and May 28, Daily Monitor has established. At the swearing-in of Mr Museveni on May 12, the country had registered a total of 42,674 cases of Covid-19, but the numbers rose to 45,931 as of May 27. This means up to 3,357 cases were reported between May 12 and 27 compared to 908 cases that were reported in the previous 16 days stretching from April 26 to May 11. The swearing-in of MPs and local councillors happened between May 13 and May 28. The dramatic increase in infections has left some sceptics questioning the authenticity of the data on Covid-19 infections being reported by the government. A section of the public thinks the reported spike is a ploy by some people in government to lockdown the country again. Theres a wave of flu countrywide, luckily you [Ministry of Health] must be reporting it as Covid surge, Mr Kenneth Niwamanya tweeted on May 26. He was reacting to a tweet by the Ministry of Health spokesperson, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, on the spike in Covid-19 cases. But Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the outgoing State Minister for Primary Health care, said the rise is real as confirmed by the increasing number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals. Dr Moriku said although the swearing-in could have contributed to the spike in infections, environment and complacency in observing the Covid-19 preventive measures were the main drivers. All over the country, there has been swearing-in for local councillors and Members of Parliament. Although most events were held outdoors, observing other Covid-19 preventive measures such as the appropriate wearing of facemasks and social distancing were ignored, she said. The huge gathering at the swearing-in of leaders might have attracted infections. Other leaders organised huge thanksgiving parties. This was very unrealistic. The celebrants forget about the preventive measures, the minister added. Dr Moriku also observed that environmental factors such as the rainy season increased the infections. Previous studies show that the prevalence of the viruses which cause flu-like infections are very high in rainy season unlike in dry season. She added: If you study the trend of Covid-19 cases in the country for last year, cases started rising from August and it peaked around December during the rainy season. By January 2021, when the dry season was setting in, we had reduction in Covid-19 cases up to March and April. Dr Moriku also said during the dry season, there is sunshine, and people get a lot of Vitamin D, which is important in immunity. Advertisement Weather factor Dr Monica Musenero, an epidemiologist and senior presidential adviser on epidemics, told Daily Monitor earlier that cold weather increases risk of infections. When people get a lot of cold due to change in weather, the cold represses the respiratory system and causes it to secrete stress hormones that increase ones susceptibility to viral infections such as the coronavirus, Dr Musenero said. In dry seasons, when one talks, the saliva droplets [which has the coronavirus] dry up immediately and so doesnt go very far to spread infections. Even survival on surfaces will be reduced, she added.
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https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/why-are-covid-cases-up-after-swearing-in--3422084
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What does it take to be a good remote worker?
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With the number of all-remote companies climbing, and hybrid workplaces becoming the new normal in the wake of the pandemic, more people will be working from home than ever before. In fact, more than half of employers are planning to offer a mix of in-person and remote work, according to a new survey by the employment law firm Littler Mendelson. As desirable as working from home can be the seconds-long commute, the lack of coworker interruptions, the sweatpants it isnt for everyone. Advertisement The question is of great interest to employers as they start throwing open their office doors this summer. Employees ability to be productive at home has been firmly established during the pandemic, yet several chief executives have recently voiced downright hostility toward the concept. The head of WeWork said those most comfortable working from home are the least engaged with their jobs; Jamie Dimond, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase & Co., said telecommuting doesnt work for those who want to hustle. But remote work is wildly popular with workers 81 percent of employees want to retain the ability to work from anywhere in some form, and 27 percent want to do it full time, according to a recent Harvard Business School Online survey. And companies are grappling with how to make it all come together. After seeing a huge uptick in interest from clients interested in hiring remote workers, the Cambridge company Cangrade which produces AI-based hiring assessments to help companies predict job candidates success, pinpointed a handful of abilities that indicate an aptitude for hunkering down at home. Follow-through, establishing tasks to regulate day-to-day work, and monitoring ones own performance are key, Cangrade found. Advertisement If youre not strong at these three things, then no matter how wonderful or smart a human you are, youre probably not going to succeed at remote work, said Liana Epstein, Cangrades chief operating and analytics officer. Some people love it and thrive, and some people flounder and miss the office desperately . . . Its a pain point that all of our current clients really struggled with in the past year. This struggle has led to Cangrade roughly doubling its business over the past year, the company said, as new customers look to manage and hire remote workers for the first time and current clients form new off-site roles. More than 30 companies use Cangrades assessments, including those hiring remote workers in information technology, retail, insurance, hospitality, and banking. Cangrade has also identified two personality traits crucial for remote workers: grit and competitiveness. Grit is critical because it requires a degree of perseverance to sit in a room by yourself all day, every day amidst all the noise and distractions that all of us have at home, and stay completely focused and immersed in your work, Epstein said. Its almost like a meditative state youve got to put yourself in. Competitiveness is basically the idea that you care about how you look compared to your colleagues, she added. But there is much debate about how individual attributes play into a remote workers ability to thrive. Advertisement The worker isnt changing, the environment is, noted Chelsea LeNoble, a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, specializing in industrial and organizational psychology. Their supervisor, for instance. Some bosses have a tendency to become more micromanagey when their employees are off-site, LeNoble said, which is a sure way to deplete trust and demoralize an otherwise highly self-regulated worker. LeNoble is convinced that personal attributes alone are unlikely to prevent anyone from mastering office-less-ness provided they have the right support and surroundings. If so, working at home may be beneficial. But seeking out people whose traits and soft skills seem to align with remote work could mean missing out on qualified employees, LeNoble said, such as people with executive dysfunction (an underlying condition affecting self-regulation in those with ADHD, autism, and depression) who may just need extra support. Tsedal Neeley, a Harvard Business School professor and author of the new book Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding From Anywhere, who has been researching the subject obsessively for 20 years, agreed that selecting workers by personality traits is a dangerous game. If we begin to say this personality vs. that personality, were going to be creating exclusionary environments, and when we do that, we lose, she said. Neeley, who also developed her own remote work assessment, has no doubt that anyone can learn to be successful working beyond the confines of an office even the roughly 15 percent of the population who say they dont like working remotely provided they have the right resources. Being part of a connected, in-sync remote team is crucial, for instance, especially considering the physical and psychological distance of working apart, she said. Advertisement As work continues to evolve into more virtual territory, including an increased reliance on artificial intelligence, companies will have to let go of the traditional concept of work and prepare for a digital revolution, she said: Were going to be working with AI Bob as part of our team soon. Robert Glazer wasnt planning for his marketing agency Acceleration Partners to be remote forever. But after hiring talent from all over the country when he launched it in 2007 from his Newton home, he realized establishing a physical headquarters wasnt necessary. And in the years since, hes learned a lot about what type of people shine beyond the confines of an office so much so, in fact, that Glazer released a book this week called How to Thrive in the Virtual World. In interviews, he likes to ask people who have previously worked remotely how they managed their time. If the candidate has a clear system setting their alarm, establishing boundaries so theyre not bringing their laptop to bed they tend to fare better than those who just muddle through, he said. People who truly value having flexibility, whether its a parent who wants to attend their childrens soccer games or a competitive athlete who needs time to train, are also often more prone for virtual success, he said. Advertisement On the other hand, social butterflies who get their energy from being around other people may struggle, as could recent college graduates who live in cramped quarters. If you are a 22-year-old in your first job in a 300-square-foot studio apartment in New York City, you probably want to go into the office, he said. Frank Weishaupt, chief executive of the Boston video conference company Owl Labs, who like many people was thrown into the world of remote work full time last year, has found that working successfully while miles apart can require a much more assertive communication style: being unafraid to chime in to a Slack discussion even when he doesnt know the answers, and being humble enough not to mind people realizing it. But he knows this doesnt come easy for some. If youre an individual contributor thats just starting out a new company, Im sure its incredibly intimidating and difficult, he said. For plenty of people, however, especially those with attributes and duties conducive to remote work, the shift to working from home hasnt been all that disruptive. Before the pandemic, Danielle Brown, Owl Labs director of global supply chain, went to the office in Somerville every day, for no particular reason other than that she lived close by. Now she lives 3,000 miles away in Northern California, where she grew up, and her work experience has stayed pretty much the same. Its sunnier and warmer in California, she said, but really nothing changed. Katie Johnston can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @ktkjohnston.
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https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/01/business/what-does-it-take-be-good-remote-worker/
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Is The Terminal a True Story? Is the Movie Based on Real Life?
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Directed by Steven Spielberg and led by a brilliant cast with the charming charisma of Tom Hanks at the forefront, the comedy-drama film The Terminal is a story of human struggle and human resilience under bizarre circumstances. The story depicts the woes of an Eastern European who gets stuck in an airport due to international bureaucracy. What unfolds is a tale of immense impact, fraught with bittersweet moments of human interaction. If, after watching the film, you were made to wonder whether the story is tethered to reality, let us be your ally. No, The Terminal is not based on a true story. Yes, we know the legend surrounding the movie, but no official confirmation has been given by the studio about the basis of the story. Having said that, the film is directed by American maestro Steven Spielberg from a screenplay penned by Sacha Gervasi and Jeff Nathanson. One could argue that the screenplay, in part, may have been inspired by an autobiographical account called The Terminal Man, written by Mehran Karimi Nasseri and Andrew Donkin. The film tells the tragicomic story of Viktor Navorski, who hails from the fictional Eastern European country of Krakozhia as he reaches John. F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. However, upon reaching, he finds out that his identity papers and passport are no longer valid since the United States does not recognize the country to which he belongs. Moreover, he cannot get back to his home country in Krakozhia, which has been subjected to a military coup. Therefore, Victor finds himself in a state of statelessness, inhabiting the interstitial space of a terminal. The result is a compelling drama full of awkward conversations, comic jinks, and romantic flares. The story seems to have been inspired, in part, by the true accounts of a person named Mehran Karimi Nasseri. Nasseri was an Iranian who found himself in the same state of statelessness, but Spielberg morphs the story to an extent to bring out the cinematic potential of the material. Mehrans story began in 1973 when he went to the UK to enroll himself in a course in Yugoslav Studies at a reputed university. According to Nasseri, he was exiled from his home country in Iran for protesting against the tyrannical regime of Mohammad Reza Shah. However, Nasseris allegations have been refuted, and it has been alleged that he was never exiled from Iran in the first place. He had a mother who was a nurse and Scottish by origin, and therefore, Nasseri chose to take refuge in the UK. What happened then was that he boarded a flight to England via Paris, but according to his account, his passport and immigration papers were stolen en route. He claimed that his briefcase was stolen en route on the flight, but what actually transpired is up for debate. Upon reaching London, he could not produce identity papers for the officials and was promptly sent back to the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. In Paris, it turned out that his entry to the country was not illegal per se. Now, without any valid identity and without a home to head back to, he had to make a home in the in-between space of the airport terminus. And thus began Nasseris fight with the international bureaucracy that lasted for eighteen years. A French court ruled that his stay in Paris was legal since his entrance to the country did not violate any immigration law. However, he was not granted permission to enter the country. Belgium rose to the occasion to grant Nasseri citizenship, but that could only be made possible if he would present himself in person before the Belgian state authorities. In 1995, he was permitted to travel to Belgium, albeit with a clause. The clause was that he would have to stay under the supervision of a social worker appointed by the state. Nasseri declined this offer since he originally intended to travel to the United Kingdom due to his partial British origin. Nasseri even gave himself the moniker of Sir Alfred Mehran eventually. After Belgium, France tried to endow him with valid citizenship, but in the immigration papers that they sent Nasseri to sign, he was apparently designated as an Iranian, which reportedly hurt his sentiments. Nasseris family was also reached out to by many, but the family was of the impression that Nasseri was living his dream life in Europe. In 2006, he was hospitalized due to his adverse living conditions, and that marked his 18 years stay in Terminal One. In 2008, Nasseri secured a place in a shelter in Paris, and he has lived there ever since. In 2003, Steven Spielbergs production company DreamWorks bought the rights to Nasseris story, but the final film deviated much from the original story. In fact, as per reports, even though Spielberg bought the rights, he never based The Terminal on this story. Nonetheless, there are quite a few similarities between the two tales. It would appear as though Nasseris 18 years worth of struggle was compressed into a manageable nine months duration, and driven by the charisma of Tom Hanks, the story was given a compelling makeover to win the hearts of the audience. Moreover, the destination was changed from Paris to New York, and much of the specifics of the story were changed. However, Nasseri, like Viktor, made friends with the employees in the airport and occasionally received food from them. Like the film version, the real-life character also spent his time reading. All things considered, The Terminal does seem to imbibe some of the struggle of a man without identity, albeit seen through Spielberg-tinted glasses. Yet, for all intents and purposes, the story is a fictional one.
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https://thecinemaholic.com/is-the-terminal-based-on-a-true-story/
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Which Cincinnati boys volleyball players were named to OBSVCA All-Ohio teams?
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The Ohio Boys Scholastic Volleyball Coaches Association released its All-State teams, including a Cincinnati sweep for Coach of the Year and Player of the Year honors in Division II. The release comes just before the boys volleyball state tournament kicks off on June 5 with the finals on June 6. Division I Player of the Year: Jonah Gilbert, Hilliard Bradley Coach of the Year: Brian Lawless, Thomas Worthington First team Jonah Gilbert, Hilliard Bradley; JJ Beckelhimer, Moeller; Ethan Stuart, Centerville; Henry Kastner, St. Xavier; Sam Etter, Massillon Jackson; Drew Maune, Elder; Cole Young, Olentangy Liberty. Second team Tyler Nutting, Dublin Jerome; Ben Carmosino, St. Xavier; Sam Little, Beavercreek; Owen Vogelpohl, Walnut Hills; Luke Little, Olentangy Orange; Mitchell Adkins, Hudson; Logan Burrell, Gahanna Lincoln. Honorable mention Matthew Reinhold, Moeller; Mitch Kaplan, Kettering Fairmont; Josh Culpper, Beavercreek; Dominic Smith; Northmont; Carson Junker, Massillon Jackson; Ben Albers, Elder; McCord Riegler, Gahanna Lincoln; Hondo Gray, New Albany; Brendon Buis, Fairfield; James Thoma, St. Ignatius; Grant Hubbard, Lakota East; Andrew Pugh, Olentangy Liberty; Jack Carroll, Moeller; Caleb Lipscomb, Walnut Hills. Division II Player of the Year: John Luers, Fenwick Coach of the Year: Anitra Brockman, Badin First team John Luers, Fenwick; Will Hortz, Worthington Kilbourne; Andrew Larkin, Badin; Will Heeney, Walsh Jesuit; Nick Bennison, St. Charles; Cannon Tucker, Carroll; Will Richards, Fenwick. Second team Michael Bowler, Brecksville-Broadview Heights; Jake Maziarz, Bishop Watterson; Ryan Bollhauer, La Salle; Michael Schweinefuss, Badin; Michael Cavanaugh, St. Francis DeSales; James Darnieder, Alter; Monty Peterson, Briggs. Honorable mention Sam Kaylor, Olentangy; Sam Marchio, St. Francis DeSales; Tanner McKown, Kent Roosevelt; Zack Mowery, Carroll; Ben Luers, Fenwick; Sean Stepanek, Walsh Jesuit; Luke Wilson, Alter; Mang Sian, Northland; Miller Kuntz, Bishop Hartley; Aiden Novotny, Worthington Kilbourne; Will Stasser, Taylor; Hayden Cutright, Chillicothe; Cameron Hoying, St. Francis DeSales.
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https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/high-school/high-school-sports/2021/06/01/obsvca-announces-ohio-boys-volleyball-all-state-awards/7497598002/
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Was Ellie Kemper a KKK Princess?
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Ellie Kemper was trending yesterday on Twitter, but not because people were having a flare-up of nostalgia for The Office or Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. No, she was trending because news surfaced that Kemper had once been crowned Queen of Love and Beauty at the Veiled Prophet Ball an exclusive St. Louis party hosted by an organization that has historically been accused of upholding racist power structures. The Veiled Prophet Organization, which hosts the event, has no overt ties to the KKK, but that didn't stop Twitter users from losing their minds over Kemper's involvement. It all began when a user posted a photo of Kemper from when she won the pageant in 1999. "So was no one gonna tell me Ellie Kemper aka Kimmy Schmidt was crowned KKK queen in 1999?" the user wrote. The Veiled Prophet has been around since 1870. According to the St. Louis government's website, "Created in 1878 by white male community leaders, the Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophet of the Enchanted Realm sought to recreate the Mardi Gras type of community-wide celebration. The traditional VP celebration has represented for St. Louisans a perceived link between different components of the community in a holiday celebration, while also reinforcing the notion of a benevolent cultural elite." According to an Atlantic article by Scott Beauchamp, the organization was founded by Charles Slayback, a Confederate military veteran who became a grain industry executive. It was founded, in large part, as a response to organized labor movements of the era, which St. Louis's wealthy elite saw as threats to corporate power. "The primary goal of the VP events was to take back the public stage from populist demands for social and economic justice," continues Beauchamp. Its annual parade was specifically designed to interrupt parades held by trade unions. The organization also worked to disrupt union power by creating a spectacle of mystery based on the idea of a "Veiled Prophet," a man who wears a white hood and whose identity is hidden. The original images of the Veiled Prophet do resemble a Ku Klux Klansman . To this day, the Veiled Prophet still appears at the yearly balls and events and selects a Queen of Love and Beauty, typically a daughter of one of the more influential families present, with whom he dances with and offers a (typically quite expensive) gift. "The ball was aimed at reassuring the city's elite of their exclusive status," writes Harry Levins, while also instilling a sense of awe and intimidation in the people watching from the outside. In its early years, the Veiled Prophet's parades were often criticized for racist depictions of Black people, Jews, and other groups. The criticism has not stopped, and the event has been the subject of many protests over the years. In 1978, in a protest organized by local civil rights groups helmed by leader Percy Green, an activist named Gena Scott interrupted a ball by sliding down a power cable and unmasking the year's prophet. (It turned out to be Tom K. Smith, ex-president of energy corporation Monsanto). The organization opened up to Black people in 1979 and changed its name to the St. Louis Fair in the late 1990s, but it has never been able to shake its associations with classism and racism. Perhaps that's why finding out Ellie Kemper had such a big part in the spectacle was so shocking to so many people. Apparently, Kemper who most people know for her charming and quirky sitcom roles comes from one of the wealthiest families in Missouri. Her father is David Kemper, who is a descendant of William Thornton Kemper Sr., developer of Commerce Bankshares and the United Missouri Bank. Kemper has not yet acknowledged the controversy. While some people considered her canceled, others defended her, with someone writing, "People who think Ellie Kemper is a racist because of participating in racist traditions as a child have never stepped even a toe in the Midwest I guess." Others argued that 19 is technically an adult, and Kemper was a student at Princeton at the time she was crowned. Still others brought up probably the most accurate summation of the situation, ironically a Titus Andromedon quote from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Regardless of Kemper's involvement and personal culpability, the organization's peculiar history is worth studying. Its existence is an example of how the wealthy elite preserves their power at the expense of workers' rights by creating spectacles based on pomp and circumstance that actually work to preserve a foundation of racism and exclusivity.
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https://www.popdust.com/ellie-kemper-2653198870.html
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Which restaurants should debut a chicken sandwich next?
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The spicy KFC Chicken Sandwich had great breast meat, but got worse as it cooled off. Photo : Marnie Shure The new Chilis Chicken Sandwich dropped today and will be available for a limited time only. Like all other chains that took a bit longer to release chicken sandwiches in the wake of Popeyes success, Chilis is playing the worth the wait card. Per the press release: We didnt want to create just another chicken sandwich. Were all about food perfection and wanted to create the best chicken sandwich. And that takes time, said Michael Breed, vice president of marketing at Chilis. Weve been testing a chicken sandwich and our new Secret Sauce for over a year to ensure we give our Guests the perfect bite a bite thats full of flavor and makes you want another bite and another and weve done just that with the Chilis Chicken Sandwich. Advertisement Youll recall that when Burger King said something similar to explain away its own sandwichs tardiness, the chain really did end up producing a menu item worth waiting for. Well let you know as soon as we know. We impatiently await the Taco Bell Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco, of course, but there are all sorts of restaurants that could probably pull off a hand-breaded chicken breast on a brioche bun with pickles and spicy sauce. Personally, I encourage Starbucks to give it a try. The coffee chain released an Impossible Breakfast Sandwich last summer and that thing is at least as delicious as some of the lower-rung chicken sandwiches weve tasted, if not more so. When I put my faith in Starbucks, good things happen. I say this not because I want to taste Subways take on a spicy crispy chicken sandwichnothing could be further from the truth. But I do think its exactly the sort of marketing gimmick that might help lift Subway out of the financial turmoil thats causing it to screw over franchisees. Plus, a chicken sandwich might be less hazardous for employees to assemble than a cheese melt. There are no wrong answers here, folks.
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https://thetakeout.com/which-restaurants-should-sell-crispy-chicken-sandwiches-1847010562
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What Comes After Christian Pulisics Historic Champions League Title?
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After Chelseas in-house shot-missing expert Timo Werner spent the first hour of this past weekends Champions League final missing shots, Christian Pulisic took over Werners spot up front, in doing so once again making U.S. mens national team history as the teams first player to participate in a UCL final. Pulisics young career is full of similar firsts: youngest hat-trick scorer in Chelsea history, Borussia Dortmunds youngest Champions League goalscorer, youngest player to captain the USMNT, and now, the first ever American man to sing a Spice Girls song while dancing with the most coveted trophy in club soccer. Pulisics season was inconsistent and his final was relatively uneventfulthe best highlight is a two-way tie between the incredible run shown below and the post-win moment when his father made sure everyone could see the U.S. Soccer crest during celebrationsbut nothing can cheapen the significance of what he accomplished. American soccer fans eagerly following the ups and downs of mens players in Europe over the years have had to sustain ourselves on scattered moments of relative insignificance outside of the American soccer bubble. But Pulisic winning the Champions League while playing a vital role for his club is a pinnacle anyone would be proud of. His quality as a player has been obvious since he started getting first team minutes at Dortmund four years ago, and a UCL trophy serves as validation of his talent. Whatever qualifiers you want to slap on Pulisic, he will always be a Champions League winner. CHRISTIAN PULISIC WITH A CHANCE TO DOUBLE CHELSEA'S LEAD pic.twitter.com/9RbDepUqXS CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021 Pulisic is the talisman of this generation of young Americans, though hes far from the only dude to lift silverware at the end of this season. One year after Pulisics goal in an FA Cup final defeat was the high water mark for the USMNTs collective European trophy quest, a healthy chunk of the Europe-based American player pool finished the year with a winners medal hanging from their necks. Sergio Dest won the Copa del Rey with Barcelona; Weston McKennie played the entirety of Juventuss Coppa Italia final win over Atalanta as well as their Supercoppa Italiana win over Napoli; Gio Reyna won the DFB-Pokal with Dortmund; Zac Steffen won the Premier League and League Cup with Manchester City; Tim Weah helped Lille unseat PSG as Ligue 1 champions; Brendan Aaronson thrived throughout RB Salzburgs Austrian Bundesliga triumph (and already might be their best attacker heading into next season); Ethan Horvath won the Belgian Pro League with Brugge; Jordan Siebatcheu helped Young Boys run away with the Swiss Super League crown; and Mark McKenzies Genk won the Belgian Cup. If you want to count the near-misses and the ones who qualified for next seasons Champions League, the list is even longer. The 2020-21 season was a breakthrough campaign for the USMNTs growing European cadre, and a UCL trophy is the best capstone you could ask for. What matters now is whether or not this years achievements can be built upon, whether even more American players can achieve an even more success going forward. It is worth celebrating this title bounty, and to reduce these achievements solely to what they potentially mean for the United States World Cup chances would be to miss out on the most enjoyable part of the process. But the hard part of the U.S. finally growing into its own as a soccer nation is moving from firsts to a sustained level of greatness. We can look to both of the United States neighbors here for instructive examples: Alphonso Daviess 2020 UCL win did not suddenly make Canada the best team in CONCACAF, and the Mexican national teams European presence has been steadily declining throughout the recent past. Nothing is guaranteed. It is therefore necessary to triangulate this years suite of impressive performances with how they carry on into next year. Ethan Horvath, for example, has played in just four games for Brugge over the past two campaigns, and hes leaving the club this summer. McKennies scissor-kick goal against Barcelona was magnificent, though he was playing in unsuspectedly ideal conditions last season, which might not carry into the new season with a new coach. The U.S.s forward picture is clearer than it was late last year, though Josh Sargents Werder Bremen was relegated and Daryl Dike came up just short in his heroic quest to get Barnsley into the Premier League. One (extremely) good year doesnt necessarily mean good things for every player in the pool, in the same way it doesnt mean consistent improvement. The good news is, a majority of the non-title winning USMNT players seem headed for bigger roles or clubs next season. Reggie Cannon, Sargent, and Dike look likely to be headed to bigger clubs; Julian Green is in the midst of what appears to be a jaw-dropping redemption arc with a return to the Bundesliga next season; and former Bayern player Chris Richards delivered on his promise as a top-tier defender prospect once he got to Hoffenheim. And then there is the next class of youngsters. Justin Che is the latest American teenager headed to Bayern Munich, and he has all the makings of an extremely promising young player. MLS is replete with high-achieving teenagers, like Leipzig-bound Caden Clark, San Joses Cade Cowell, and Gianluca Busio, who just smacked this wondergoal this past weekend. Also, FC Dallas seems to exist at this point primarily as a factory farm of elite American talent, as just about every one of its young players is either linked with a big European club or in the process of joining one. Nothing at the highest level is guaranteed for any young player, no matter their pedigree. But with this many youngsters knocking on the door, the odds are strong that a couple of them will develop into very good players and thus allow the U.S. to take that next step forward. The goal should be to arrive at a future where Pulisics heroics arent the oasis in a desert, and even if getting there will not necessarily be a smooth path, theres reason to hope.
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https://defector.com/what-comes-after-christian-pulisics-historic-champions-league-title/
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Can I travel to Jersey right now?
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When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up fornow and never miss the top Royal stories again. Jersey is a British Crown Dependency and is the largest of the Channel Islands. Known for its beautiful surroundings and warm weather, Jersey is a vacation hotspot. But due to the pandemic, there are currently some restrictions in place on travel to the region. Over the May bank holiday weekend, more than 10,000 people travelled in and out of Jersey. Under England's travel guidelines, people do not need to take a COVID-19 test or quarantine on arrival in England if they are travelling within the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, (the Common Travel Area), and they have not been outside of the Common Travel Area in the previous 10 days. People in England are currently permitted to travel to Jersey. However, Jersey has introduced a number of restrictions on travel at the current time. READ MORE: Travel like a royal: Kate Middleton's tricks for packing luggage
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https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1444180/can-i-travel-to-jersey-right-now-UK-travel-rules-evg
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What is in the code of conduct?
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Key areas covered in the code of conduct for fair tenancy include: 1. CONDUCT AND SPIRIT OF NEGOTIATIONS Landlords and tenants must adopt a consensual approach to negotiate in good faith, which includes acting honestly and fairly, having regard to the legitimate interests of the other party, and observing accepted or reasonable commercial standards of fair dealing in the performance of identified obligations. They must not attempt to unfairly profit or take unfair advantage of each other. 2. LEASING PRINCIPLES FOR KEY TENANCY TERMS The code sets out the leasing principles for landlords and tenants under 11 key tenancy terms. These include exclusivity, pre-termination by landlords due to landlord's redevelopment works, sales performance and pre-termination by tenants. 3. DATA TRANSPARENCY Landlords must share sales data metrics by trade category - such as total monthly sales and total floor area - on a one-on-one basis with the tenant before the signing of the lease agreement. They must share the data with existing tenants on a biannual basis if they collect sales data from tenants as part of the gross turnover rent structure. 4. DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND ENFORCEMENT Parties can report non-compliant cases to the Fair Tenancy Industry Committee (FTIC). All lease agreements must be accompanied by a checklist of clauses within the code of conduct, and all clauses which deviate from the code must be flagged by the landlord for the tenant's attention. For clauses where the code of conduct allows for deviation, a joint declaration of deviation shall be filed with FTIC within 14 days of signing the lease agreement. Should there be a dispute, either party may escalate the matter to the Singapore Mediation Centre.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/economy/what-is-in-the-code-of-conduct
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Where was coverage of Memorial Day event?
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To the editor: Well congratulations, Register and Bee. Another year has passed without a single word or article about one of the most important annual events we have, to honor and celebrate the sacrifices made by our deceased military service men and women in global conflicts and wars. The annual Memorial Day Service, which is held at the National Cemetery on Lee Street every year, should be important as a history lesson and opportunity for our community to honor our dead heroes. Yet, the absence of advance advertising and actual coverage of this event has the effect of denying our local citizens from knowing when and where the event will take place, the names of local veterans and community leaders who each year participate in this memorial service and thus discourages local participation in the memorial tribute for those who are buried in the National Cemetery. It would be nice if this very important event were to be given the coverage it deserves. I doubt that the oversight concerning this event is deliberate or intentional, yet in my humble opinion, if I were the publisher, I would feel embarrassed. I might add, that this important event is an opportunity to help bring pride and unity to our community. If you wish to foster and encourage patriotism, there must be an honest effort that allows participation.
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https://godanriver.com/news/local/where-was-coverage-of-memorial-day-event/article_24033b4a-c2cb-11eb-a693-fbfbe5fe963b.html
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Was ist Schmerz?
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"Unangenehmes Sinnes- und Gefhlserlebnis" Wir suchen in der Medizin immer nach ganz klaren Definitionen. Wir htten immer gerne etwas Messbares: den Blutzuckerspiegel oder einen Blutdruckwert, um darauf mit einem Medikament reagieren zu knnen. Schmerz ist nach internationaler Definition "ein unangenehmes Sinnes- und Gefhlserlebnis". Es kommt darauf an, was man mit dieser Sinnesinformation macht und sich z.B. die Frage stellt, wie viel Angst das macht. "Schmerz ist immer subjektiv" In der internationalen Definition ist auch folgende Formulierung enthalten: "Schmerz ist immer subjektiv." Das bedeutet, dass man von auen niemals beurteilen kann, welche Schmerzen ein Mensch hat. Das ist die wesentliche Kernbotschaft: Was mir ein Patient rckmeldet, das hat er! Das darf ich als Arzt nicht anzweifeln, denn sonst kann ich keine wirksame therapeutische Beziehung zu dem Patienten aufbauen.
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https://www.swr.de/wissen/1000-antworten/gesundheit/was-ist-schmerz-100.html
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Whats nature worth?
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THE BIG IDEA Harvesting palm oil in Kuala Lumpur. Biodiversity is setting up to be the next big fight in sustainable investing, as financial companies, regulators and environmentalists act to protect natural landscapes on a global scale. Following in the footsteps of greenhouse gas activism, which has countries and corporations mapping carbon footprints and trying to put the brakes on global warming, global leaders are redoubling efforts to stem plant and animal extinction that could upset ecosystems vital to clean air, water and raw materials. While world attention is laser-focused on Novembers climate meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, G-7 climate and environment ministers are planning a big push for biodiversity at a summit in China in October, with a 10-year goal of conserving at least 30 percent of the worlds land and oceans. It took business leaders decades to join the climate fight, but now that theyre on board with clean air, it might be easier to bring them on board with biodiversity protections. We are where climate was five to six years ago, said Chris Hart, a senior sustainable finance associate at environmental group Global Canopy. People are seeing connections between the destruction of nature and how that might have a material impact on investments and lending. This is where we run up against a dead end. Frances BNP Paribas Asset Management is partnering with reporting alliance CDP to develop biodiversity disclosure metrics for corporations. And the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures, or TNFD, a group that organized last June with the backing of the U.N., is aiming to put a value on nature so capital can be channeled to companies and investments that protect it. Biodiversity isnt a new thing. Whats new is the attention being paid. World leaders set goals a decade ago under the Convention on Biological Diversity, or CBD, but none were met by the deadline of 2020. The pandemic has underscored the problems urgency. Biodiversity loss and climate change are interlinked crises that have made humans more vulnerable to emerging diseases such Covid-19, scientists say. Any new framework will need strong accountability measures to track countries that are or arent making progress in industries driving biodiversity loss, such as fishing, agriculture, mining and construction. What the CBD lacks is implementation and resources, as in finance and capacity building and human resources, said Li Shuo, a climate and energy campaigner at Greenpeace China. It tells the world where it needs to be, but without answering how we actually get there. Li wants China to take the lead on thorny political issues, such as helping persuade wealthy countries to help biodiversity efforts in developing nations such as Brazil and Argentina. A rights-based approach for indigenous peoples who manage much of the worlds forests and waterways also is key, said Guido Broekhoven, head of policy research and development at the nonprofit World Wildlife Fund. But the U.S. isn't a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Congress never ratified it. A State Department official said the U.S. is very engaged and working closely with Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and other allies. President Joe Bidens plan to conserve 30 percent of U.S. land and water by 2030 is the administrations way of showing commitment to biodiversity, the official said. While negotiators negotiate, analysts are getting ahead of policy. They want to pinpoint private-sector contributions to biodiversity loss and how it could affect profits. Its a nascent effort. YOU TELL US The 17-year cicadas are giving Washington a little taste of biodiversity this spring. Write us at [email protected] and [email protected]. Were on Twitter at @ceboudreau and @Woellert. Subscribe to The Long Game. THE MINI Q&A Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson. | Lucid Motors TAX BREAKS AND GAS-GUZZLING EVS Its a punchy ride (zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds) with a range of more than 500 miles per charge. With a price tag of $131,500 after tax credits, the battery-powered Lucid Air Grand Touring sedan will have a limited audience when it hits the market this year, but it might have the potential to commoditize electric vehicles. The Air will be the fastest-charging EV offered and promises 4.5 miles per kilowatt hour. Learn that metric. Miles-per-kWh is the new miles-per-gallon and an important tool for enabling the mass production of electric cars. More efficient batteries deliver range in smaller packages, saving cost, weight and space. Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson said his ultimate goal is to mass-industrialize the electric car. I can't emphasize this enough that the electric car hasn't been fully accomplished yet, he said. It was impossible back in 1935 to see where it would be with air bags and technology and crumple zones and seat belts. The EV is not done, it's not commoditized yet. The Air began production in Arizona this year and will range in price from $69,900 to more than $161,500 after tax credits. Rawlinson was in Washington last week, where he gave Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) a spin in the Air and spoke to The Long Game about whats next. Here are highlights, edited for length and clarity. LG: Youve said you want to license your technology. PR: The greatest paradox is this is a super-expensive car, but we've got very affordable technology in it. That's the last thing anyone would expect. ... I have been approached by a number of car companies just this year, and we are in discussions. I don't know if they're going to lead anywhere. It sounds fantastic. Oh, it is real. LG: Unlike your old company, Tesla, which uses a proprietary charging network, Lucid uses the combined charging system, or CCS, the high-speed standard. PR: Imagine if you've got a gasoline car, and you can only fill it at certain gas stations. How infuriating that would be, that is completely nutty. We've partnered with Electrify America. That network is 1,000 volts, compared with Tesla's 400 volts, which is based upon 2010 technology. That network goes up to 350-kilowatt fast charge and our car can use 300 kilowatts. LG: Biden wants to build out the charging network. PR: I do think there's a psychological barrier about fast charging. You really only need fast charging when you're on an extended trip. Most charging is done at home overnight, 90 percent or more, but that is still an issue, because many people don't have access to a garage. They live in an urban environment. ... So I do think that there's perhaps an over-emphasis on the fast charging stations. I think that's really important to really accelerate the growth. That's going to have to come from municipal, local governments and maybe there's got to be federal oversight. LG: Theres lots of talk about where to go next with EV tax incentives. The Senate Finance Committee just approved a bill to increase the tax credit, but only for certain vehicles that cost less than $80,000. PR: Suppose we went back 120 years and most people are riding horses, and this new automobile comes along. We want to incentivize people into gasoline cars, but gasoline is a very scarce and valuable commodity of national significance. ... We want to efficiently incentivize efficient gasoline cars, not gas guzzlers. So now we've got a car which has a high-end price point. But it's super-efficient, it does 4.5 miles per kilowatt hour. There are other cars which are lower technology, which are more affordable, which don't do as much. ... Instead of the construct of the $80,000 cutoff for that incentive, the much more noble construct would be if the car is inefficient, you don't get your incentive, independent of the cost. LG: That could divide the auto lobby. PR: We tend to grade gasoline cars. ... But we tend to then group all EVs together. Psychologically, oh, they're all good. Theyre not. I've got to cite the Humvee as an example. ... It has a 350-mile range and its battery pack is 200 kilowatt hours. That thing does 1.75 miles per kilowatt hour, whereas the Lucid Air will do 4.5 miles per kilowatt hour. You could say, well, that doesn't matter because the energy is being sustainably harvested from wind turbines, hydroelectric, solar. But it's not. A percentage of that is going to come on the grid from coal-burning power stations. You can have a gas-guzzling, CO2-emitting electric car because that's using so much more energy. Sustainable Finance INSURANCE WATCH A report from the nonprofit group ShareAction found that many of the world's biggest insurers arent tackling ESG risks and gave almost half of the worlds 70 largest insurance firms a failing grade. U.S. and Asian companies did worse than those based in Europe, where the European Commissions Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation requires certain companies to report on ESG risk. ShareAction for the first time asked insurers about biodiversity. Only a third said they engage with their portfolio companies on the subject, and even fewer raise nature-related concerns with clients. None have published a comprehensive strategy for measuring impact and dependency on biodiversity. OILS NO GOOD, VERY BAD WEEK, PART 2 U.S. gasoline prices surged going into the Memorial Day weekend as shareholders put Big Oil on the ropes. But for the first time in decades, companies arent rushing to increase production to chase rising prices, World Oil reports. U.S. crude production has flatlined since July 2020. We see a shift from stigmatization toward criminalization of investing in higher oil production, said Bob McNally, president of consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official. AROUND THE WORLD A MINIMUM GLOBAL TAX It could really be a thing. Finance ministers from G-7 countries will meet in London this week to hammer out a global taxation framework that could pave the way for a political deal to be reached at the G20 in Venice in July. Global talks on harmonized global taxation of multinationals and tech giants accelerated this spring, when the Biden administration proposed that the worlds largest 100 companies those with revenues of at least $20 billion pay taxes in countries where they sell their goods or services. The minimum corporate tax rate could be fixed at 15 percent. THE DREADED K The OECDs latest economic report has good news for the global recovery its coming on stronger than first expected but the bad news is its here for only some of us. The 38-nation think tank expects global GDP to grow at 5.8 percent this year, compared with the 4.2 percent it projected in December, an improvement led by stimulus spending in the U.S. and rising vaccination rates. But increased debt and slow vaccine rollouts, especially in emerging economies, means the recovery will be uneven. It is very disturbing that not enough vaccines are reaching emerging and low-income economies, the OECD writes. This is exposing these economies to a fundamental threat because they have less policy capacity to support activity than advanced economies. WHAT WE'RE CLICKING China will allow couples to have three children. An aging population is putting the countrys economic ambitions at risk. AP has the story. President Vladimir Putin is spending more than $10 billion on railroad upgrades to boost coal exports. And hell use prisoners to do it. The ultimate ESG fail. Mining Weekly has the details via Bloomberg. Follow us on Twitter Catherine Boudreau @ceboudreau Lorraine Woellert @Woellert Follow Us
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https://www.politico.com/newsletters/the-long-game/2021/06/01/whats-nature-worth-493071
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Will Tulsas Greenwood ever be fully restored?
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Presented by Intel With help from Rishika Dugyala, Ximena Bustillo, Eugene Daniels and Teresa Wiltz People hold candles during a vigil for the centennial commemorations of the Tulsa Race Massacre in the historic Greenwood neighborhood on Monday. | John Locher/AP Photo What up, Recast family! We hope you had a restful and reflective Memorial Day holiday. Today, we focus on a brutal racial attack the nation went to great lengths to forget: The Tulsa race massacre of 1921. Lets jump right in. On this day a century ago in Tulsa, Okla., the scope of the destruction of an heinous act of racial terror was just beginning to become clear. The near obliteration of the once-flourishing Greenwood neighborhood, a haven for Black people seeking prosperity and a reprieve from the oppression of post-slavery America, reverberates to the present day. This is not just because, remarkably, there are survivors who can recount their haunting memories of seeing white mobs execute as many as 300 residents and destroy more than 35 square blocks of the area commonly referred to as Black Wall Street. A Black Wall Street Memorial is shown in the Greenwood district during commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre on Monday. | Brandon Bell/Getty Images Its because those survivors and the descendants of the estimated 10,000 residents who were left homeless when their residences and businesses were pillaged have spent a century hoping for acknowledgment and restitution. Ill never forget the violence of the white mob, 107-year-old Viola Fletcher told members of Congress last month during a hearing on the Tulsa massacre. I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke. I still see Black businesses being burned. I live through the massacre every day, she added. Her younger brother Hughes Van Ellis, 100, told lawmakers the legal system never provided closure for the survivors. You may have been taught that when something is stolen from you, you can go to the courts to be made whole. You can go to the courts to get justice. This wasnt the case for us, Van Ellis said. On the campaign trail, President Joe Biden was called out for being out of touch on matters of race. But since winning the nomination and being sworn into office, he has made racial equity a centerpiece of his administration. He travels to Tulsa today to deliver remarks commemorating the tragedy and meet with the survivors and families of the 1921 victims. Hes also expected to unveil a set of policies aimed at shrinking the wealth gap between Black and white Americans, including designating $10 billion in infrastructure funds to go toward revitalising distressed communities. On a background call with reporters Monday evening, administration officials acknowledged that while neighborhoods like Greenwood are free to apply for the federal grants, there would be no funds set aside specifically for Tulsa. When asked if the president supports reparations for the families and the survivors of the Greenwood massacre, White House officials reiterated that Biden supports the establishment of a commission to study reparations. A measure to set up such a committee, H.R. 40, was passed by the House Judiciary Committee in April and is still awaiting a vote by the full House. (Biden has not said whether he supports HR 40.) People raise up their arms during the dedication of a prayer wall in the Greenwood neighborhood during the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre. | John Locher/AP Photo While the president is traveling to Tulsa as sympathizer-in-chief , it's important to remember not only the initial brutal act, but also the systemic cover-up of the attack. For decades the history of the Tulsa massacre was rarely spoken about in the city, let alone the rest of the country. In fact, just a few weeks ago, the Oklahoma City Council formally condemned the decades-long effort to obscure the truth and shield the white community, especially state and local officials, from accountability, The Oklahoman reports. As mayor, I hold our local government to the highest standard. Tulsas city government failed to protect Black Tulsans from murder and arson on the night of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, and from discrimination in subsequent decades, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said in a Facebook post . Many of the hundreds of massacre victims remain unknown, as evidenced by the mass graves in the city-owned Oaklawn Cemetery, where scientists discovered unmarked coffins last fall. The city of Tulsa begins a full excavation and analysis of the cemetery today. All the best, The Recast Team Power dynamics are changing. With The Recast, you'll get a twice-weekly breakdown of how race and identity are the DNA of American politics and policy. Stay tuned for fresh analysis, scoops and new voices. Subscribe to the newsletter here. ON THE GROUND People walk by a mural for Black Wall Street in the Greenwood district during centennial commemorations of the Tulsa Race Massacre. | John Locher/AP Photo Walking the streets of what used to be the Greenwood District, its hard to imagine the bustling all-Black community that made up Black Wall Street a century ago, reports POLITICOS Eugene Daniels. Storefronts are more modern. Its a lot more diverse. Theres a huge highway that cuts through the middle of it. In the days leading up to the Centennial, during events and parties, every person has a story of what they imagined it was like or what their grandmother told them it was like. Talking to people here, you get a sense of a community proud of what Black Wall Street was and angry about the white mob that took it from them. But theres also a sense of celebration, here, too: a delight in the fact their ancestors were able to rebuild in the years afterward. Until, that is, gentrification and that highway took it again. The community is also very protective of the three remaining survivors. Of their space, of their legacies and their futures. Theyve raised $100,000 for each survivor. Theres a huge push for some form of reparations for them and the descendants of those who have already died. A message from Intel: Intel is advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion by advocating for public policies and laws that combat social inequality. Listen to What That Means with Camille Morhardt, as she discusses this commitment and the new era of corporate purpose with Intel's Head of Social Equity Policies & Engagement, Rhonda Foxx, and Head of Cybersecurity, Data & Privacy Legal for EMEA, Monica Mahay. Tune-in here. When President Biden gets here today, he will enter a city determined to make America remember what happened here, what the people who lived here were like and, more importantly, what they want and need to keep its history in the lexicon. Read more from Eugene here. FIRST LOOK Evanston, Ill., got a lot of press this year when its city council agreed to set up a $10 million fund to atone for a long history of housing discrimination against Black residents. It was hailed by social justice activists as a milestone on the much longer march toward broader reparations for chattel slavery, POLITICOs Shia Kapos writes in a report running Wednesday as part of The Fifty, our series exploring how local governments are tackling big issues. But the success of Evanstons program is likely to be measured by its followers and emulators. Just as Evanston, a suburban college town north of Chicago, greenlit its program, the debate over reparations flared up and quickly stalled on Capitol Hill this year. Marchers at a 1964 protest for fair housing in Evanston, Ill. | Courtesy of Shorefront archives Still, Amherst, Mass. ; Asheville, N.C.; Providence, R.I.; Detroit, Mich.; and Burlington, Vt. are all testing the water on reparations. It can be the model for other cities that want to step into the national debate, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza said in an interview about the Evanston program. Race relations in this country has been a divisive issue since the Constitutional Convention and ... as a country, its something weve never fully addressed head-on. THE PLIGHT OF BLACK FARMERS Farmers of color who have outstanding loans with the Agriculture Department will have that debt canceled in a historic move by Congress and the Biden administration beginning this month, reports POLITICOs Ximena Bustillo. No surprise this program has attracted its fair share of critics ... and lawsuits, like the one filed by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who argues the governments actions amount to discrimination against white farmers. The loan forgiveness program is worth billions of dollars. Farmers of color have long claimed USDA has discriminated against them in the form of unfair loan denials, providing misinformation on how to access government programs and outright instances of violence. The recent Covid-19 relief package signed into law by Biden included an estimated $4 billion in debt relief payments, a key provision that sparked the backlash from Republicans and lawsuits from white farmers claiming reverse discrimination. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has pointed to the distribution of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program as a reason these payments are not only long overdue, but a part of pandemic aid. CFAP was put in place by the Trump administration to help offset farmers lost profits as they were forced to discard their crops and products as supply chains crumbled. However, less than one percent of all funding went to any farmer of color and Black farmers received the least. This is not new. Black farmers owned 14 percent of all farms in 1920. Today, they own 1.6 percent of all farms, according to the U.S. Agricultural Census. While farms across the board have dwindled, Black farmers saw the sharpest decline in ownership. In 1999 the Pigford v. Glickman ruling found Black farmers had been discriminated agains, awarding $2 billion in settlements. But advocates claim the settlements didnt reach many farmers, who couldnt meet deadlines and gather the paperwork to prove discrimination. Well keep you updated on these payments and the fallout from the legal challenges. ICYMI Demonstrators wave the Palestinian flag during a march ahead of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2016. | Adrees Latif via Reuters The political influence of Black Lives Matter has had a profound impact on the national conversation on racial reckoning in the U.S. There is a renewed push among activists to extend that clout to sway public opinion in the Israel-Palestian conflict. Read more from POLITICO Magazine author Sam Klug, who writes: Well-known Black public figures, from Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving to actress Viola Davis, have been outspoken in support of Palestinians. Black Lives Matter activists have played an active role organizing and promoting pro-Palestinian protests all over the country. Next to some Covid-related stories. It's not all bad news. Cocktails to go. At-home weed deliveries. Virtual doctor visits. Before Covid these lockdown luxuries were largely unavailable to the masses. But with the pandemic on the decline in the U.S., these creature comforts appear to items many cant do without. POLITICOs Dan Goldberg and Sam Sutton report on the lobbying push to make services that became legal through state pandemic-emergency orders permanent. Travelers line up to go through a TSA checkpoint at Orlando International Airport before the Memorial Day weekend. | John Raoux/AP Photo Strong signs of a return to normalcy were everywhere over the Memorial Day weekend, including the TSA reporting the highest number of passengers screened at the nations airports since the start of the pandemic. Thats largely thanks to more than half of all Americans receiving at least one Covid-19 vaccination, according to the CDC . While vaccines are available for children as young as 12, two groups facing challenges in getting the vaccine are foster children in the U.S. and unaccompanied migrant teens at the nations southern border, POLITICOs Sarah Owermohle reports. The biggest hurdle, she explains, is the labyrinth of federal and state consent laws. Read more here . THE RECAST RECOMMENDS As the nation commemorates the 100th anniversary of the bloodshed in Tulsa, take some time to sit with an interactive visual investigation of what the Greenwood neighborhood may have looked like by The New York Times . It used census data, local directories and survivor testimony to piece together a three-dimensional model of Black Wall Street. In Californias nearly all-white, rural Sierra County, a push to rename a street that is less than a mile long has ignited debate over cancel culture and an attempt to move past our dark racist history. That street name: Jim Crow Road. More here from the Los Angeles Times . A message from Intel: "We are doubling down on our commitment to being responsible, inclusive, and sustainable because it's the right thing to do, and it's the business imperative as well." Rhonda Foxx, Intel's Head of Social Equity Policies & Engagement In May 2020, Intel outlined new 2030 corporate responsibility goals to accelerate responsible, inclusive, and sustainable practices and innovative approaches in our business, operations, and supply chain. In an episode of What That Means with Camille Morhardt, Rhonda Foxx, Intel's Head of Social Equity Policies & Engagement, and Monica Mahay, Intel's Head of Cybersecurity, Data & Privacy Legal for EMEA, discuss how Intel is meeting these goals and honoring its corporate purpose to be world-changing and enrich the lives of every person. Listen to the full episode here. The El Paso Times reports on the plight of forgotten military veterans: those who are alive, served in the U.S. armed forces, but are not citizens and therefore have been deported. While many attempt to reenter the country legally, the paper notes the surest way for a deported veteran to legally return is after they die and are repatriated for their military funeral. Its the Tuesday after Memorial Day, which means its sort of like Monday. If, like us, you need a little something to get you going today, check out Febem, the artist whos bringing what Remezcla calls a new wave of Brazilian hip-hop . Novelist Tom Lim makes his debut with The Thousand Lives of Ming Tsu , a trippy Western that upends notions that the Wild Wild West was white, white, white. Watch Netflixs High on the Hog , a docuseries exploring the role Black Americans played in establishing this countrys culinary bona fides. Lots of fascinating history. Lots of sumptuous food. You might want to eat dinner first. Comedian and former MTV VJ Bill Bellamy took to social media over the weekend to share a story about how rapper-turned-actor Ice T saved him from catching a beatdown in the early 1990s by the Grape Street Crips in Los Angeles. Bellamys story strained credulity. Until, that is, Ice T himself co-signed with a tweet : Facts. TikTok of the week. We're all about a cultural exchange: Follow us on Twitter Brakkton Booker @brakktonbooker Rishika Dugyala @rishikadugyala Teresa Wiltz @teresawiltz
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https://www.politico.com/newsletters/the-recast/2021/06/01/tulsa-race-massacre-survivors-100-years-493072
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Can the GOP pick up Haaland's seat in New Mexico?
| ERROR: type should be string, got "https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2021/06/01/can-the-gop-pick-up-haalands-seat-in-new-mexico-n393755 Ed mentioned this race earlier today as part of an analysis of how the Democrats stubborn addiction to gun control legislation might be playing as we move toward the midterms. And the race to replace Deb Haaland, who is now working in the Biden administration, may definitely turn out to be a canary in the coal mine in that regard. But todays race for New Mexicos First Congressional District may turn out to ride on more than that one issue and predicting the finish (even now while voting is still taking place) could be trickier than it might seem at first glance. Democrats seem to be acting pretty confident about holding the seat, and they definitely have reason to be feeling that way. They hold a roughly 2:1 advantage in early voting by party registration, though there are another 11,000 independent votes to figure out. Halland held her seat last November by a significant margin, so this district definitely wasnt Trump country, nor is it now. But that was seven months ago and it feels like that could have been a century in political timekeeping. (NBC News) At stake in this contest between Democratic state Rep. Melanie Stansbury and Republican state Sen. Mark Moores is the Democrats narrow House majority (219-211), as well as a test of how potent the issue of crime might still be for the GOP. Mr. Moores has spotlighted the rising murder rate in Albuquerque and assailed Ms. Stansbury as soft on crime for supporting a little-known proposal in Congress that would cut funding for local police departments, the New York Times Jonathan Martin writes. More: In an interview, Ms. Stansbury offered no regrets for her support of the measure, the so-called BREATHE Act, an expansive criminal justice proposal pushed by racial justice activists. If theres anyone out there thinking this will wind up being a slam dunk for Mark Moores, Id like a double-shot of whatever theyre drinking, please. And yet, not only might this race not be entirely out of reach but it could carry some potent implications even if Moores comes up short. Bear with me for a moment. First, here are a few factors that could generate some serious headwinds for the Democrat. Stansbury doesnt have the benefit of running against Donald Trump, which animated a lot of voters last November who might not have been inclined to show up at the polls or even to be vocal supporters of the Democratic agenda. Nor does this race have the same nail-biting energy of the Georgia special elections when control of the Senate (and any chance of moving Joe Bidens agenda forward) was on the line and the entire nation was on the edge of its seat. Winning or losing this race wont flip the House majority or make more than a 0.5% difference in its size. Add all of that together and you have a formula for a lower turnout. And one thing that hasnt changed in American politics recently is the fact that low turnout elections without massive amounts of money poured into them tend to feature a higher percentage turnout among older, more conservative voters. Moores isnt running on Donald Trumps coattails. But he is running as the law and order candidate when that is increasingly on peoples minds across the country. Hes also promising to fight for tighter immigration control in a state that bears a fair portion of the brunt of Joe Bidens failed border policies. Meanwhile, Stansbury is standing by her support of a bill aimed at defunding the police, backed by the squad. Those independent voters I mentioned earlier might not be such big fans of a furthest-left agenda given everything thats going on today. Theres no way we could honestly say that in advance because its still a steep hill to climb. But even if he loses, the Democrats are going to be watching this race nervously to see what the margin winds up being. Its really not hard to argue that any result where Stansbury carries a smaller margin than Joe Biden took in November (a 23% spread) is bad news for the Democrats next November. Moores isnt just running against Melanie Stansbury. Hes running against Joe Bidens entire agenda and Stansbury is left to carry the torch for Uncle Joe. If she ends up squeaking past the finish line with a victory margin in single digits after Haaland carried it by almost 24% only seven months ago, that will tell us a lot about how many persuadable voters are already having buyers remorse and where they think the country is heading right now. Share this: Twitter Facebook" |
https://clarion.causeaction.com/2021/06/01/can-the-gop-pick-up-haalands-seat-in-new-mexico/
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Will the latest Bachelorette find love in New Mexico?
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A New Mexico resort confirms it was the main filming location for the latest season of The Bachelorette. This is the 17th season of the show featuring Katie Thurston. According to a release from Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa the Sandoval County resort will be featured throughout the season. We are honored to serve as the backdrop for Katie Thurstons journey to find love on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette and represent the beautiful state of New Mexico, said Claudia Wattenberg, general manager at the resort. Thurston appeared on the 25th season of "The Bachelor" and since then, has been a leading voice in the fight against bullying and negativity within the shows history. You can catch "the most dramatic season yet" filmed right here in the Land of Enchantment when the new season starts on Monday, June 7. A New Mexico resort confirms it was the main filming location for the latest season of The Bachelorette. This is the 17th season of the show featuring Katie Thurston. Advertisement According to a release from Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa the Sandoval County resort will be featured throughout the season. We are honored to serve as the backdrop for Katie Thurstons journey to find love on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette and represent the beautiful state of New Mexico, said Claudia Wattenberg, general manager at the resort. Thurston appeared on the 25th season of "The Bachelor" and since then, has been a leading voice in the fight against bullying and negativity within the shows history. You can catch "the most dramatic season yet" filmed right here in the Land of Enchantment when the new season starts on Monday, June 7.
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https://www.koat.com/article/will-the-latest-bachelorette-find-love-in-new-mexico/36598863
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Is Flipped a True Story? Is the Movie Based on Real Life?
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Directed by Rob Reiner, Flipped is a romantic drama film that follows two teenagers, Bryce Loski and Juli Baker, who have lived across the street from each other since the two were naive second-graders. But ever since she first laid her eyes on Bryce, Juli knew she loved him with all her heart. Unfortunately, Bryce was not interested in her and did everything to get rid of Juli. Although they grew up around each other, they never truly got emotionally closer to one another until they were in the eighth grade. Some unexpected circumstances help them form a bond, and they finally get to know each other. Sadly, their conflicting worldview continues to be a huge hurdle as fate brings them together. The romantic drama film failed to be a commercial success, but it still made a lasting impression on its audience, who may wish to learn more about its origins. If you find yourself wondering whether Flipped is inspired by real-life incidents or not, we have got you covered. No, Flipped is not based on a true story. It takes inspiration from Wendelin Van Draanens young adult novel of the same name, which was published in 2001. Rob Reiner, along with Andrew Scheinman, also worked together on the screenplay for several months, and they did make a few changes to the plot, but overall they have been very true to the book. Wendelin, when asked about her inspiration for her book, said that most people, including herself, only think to look beneath the surface of a person later on in life. Even though she personally was able to avoid any life-altering mistakes because of this, she did say that this realization dawn on her late in life. She went on to explain that throughout her life, she often fell for looks. But it occurred to her much later in life that superficial traits were insignificant and what truly mattered at the end of the day was who people were instead of what they look like. Through her book, she wished to help and guide youngsters who may be struggling with similar dilemmas. Very few fans of the film know that Wendelin wanted a different ending based on the emails she received about her book. The writer wished that Juli and Bryce kiss at the end, but despite her requests, the director and screenwriter, Rob Reiner, decided to make the film according to the book. However, the story of the books adaptation to the screen is quite interesting. One of Nicks (Robs son) school assignments actually introduced the director to the story. He had to read the book for his homework, and thats when Rob went through the book. He was fascinated by how well it captured the emotions that one experiences while falling in love for the first time. It reminded him of the time when he was 12 years old and was going through similar experiences. Although the book is set in the 90s, the director decided to set the action in the late 50s and early 60s. It was around this time that he had gone through similar experiences as the main characters in the movie. Speaking about other changes in the story, Rob said that the only big change was the adaptation of the story to showcase the 50s and 60s. Almost everything else, including the character and the narrative, was the same. Having said that, some things were taken out because they were deemed to be too much, but at the end of the day, the integrity of the books plot was kept intact. So we can conclude that the movie that even though the author and the screenwriters have used examples from real life, the film is not based on a true story. Read More: Best Rom-Coms on Netflix
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https://thecinemaholic.com/is-flipped-a-true-story/
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Is Fools Rush In a True Story? Is the Movie Based on Real Life?
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Fools Rush In is a romantic comedy following the unlikely romance that results from a wild night out in Vegas. Unlike other what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas type stories, this one takes what happens in Vegas all over the country. As Alex and Isabel struggle to decide whether their initial encounter was something special or not, their love story travels cross-country and even into Mexico. Lets find out! Fools Rush In is partially based on a true story. The movie is based on the whirlwind romance, pregnancy, and subsequent marriage of Doug Draizin and Anna Maria Davis, who are also credited as the producer and co-producer of the film respectively. Multiple writers tried their hand at penning the story of how the couple met, which was initially slated to be more dramatic and less comedy-driven. However, through its long development process, Draizin and Davis realized that their story, being true, already had enough drama and would benefit from more comedy. The film is not a detailed re-enactment of events and instead follows Draizin and Davis story in broad strokes whilst retaining the central idea of deciding to build a life with someone you barely know. Therefore, unlike Matthew Perrys character Alex, who goes to Las Vegas on a work assignment, the person that Perrys character is based on actually moved to Southern California to pursue a career in show business. At the same time, Davis was studying at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Southern California, which is where the two met, and not in Las Vegas as portrayed. However, as portrayed in the movie, Isabels real-life inspiration, Davis, hails from Nevada. In fact, the whole incident of Isabel imploring Alex to meet her parents is based on the time Davis did the same with Draizin soon after the two decided to get married. Hence, Draizin actually drove down to Las Vegas. The scene in which Isabels brothers take Alex shooting is also based on real-life, and something very similar happened to Draizin when he met his future wifes brothers for the first time. The story for Fools Rush In came to be when Draizin, who was pitching ideas to Columbia Pictures, was asked if he had anything real, and he suggested his life. In reality, too, Draizin and Davis came from very different backgrounds, and 6 weeks after meeting for the first time, prompted by a pregnancy, they decided to get married. Unlike the movie, their child was not born on the Hoover Dam. The idea for it came from Davis, whose father had worked on the Dams electrical crew for 30 years and who had spent a lot of her younger days exploring it. Additionally, due to their sudden wedding, the couple was inundated with jokes from close family and friends, which helped them begin to phrase their story as a comedy film. So close is the film to the real-life love story of Draizin and Davis that they describe watching the filming and some scenes in particular as surreal. The two were known to leave the room during particular scenes because it evoked too many memories from the past. However, they have since divorced, but their romcom counterparts remain in peoples imaginations as a happily married couple that had a child on the Hoover Dam. As the films writer Katherine Reback told Davis, Fools Rush In was her chance to rewrite details from that section of her life and create the perfect fantasy impromptu-wedding tale based on her true-life story. Read More: Best Romantic Movies on Amazon Prime
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https://thecinemaholic.com/is-fools-rush-in-based-on-a-true-story/
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Will high vaccination rates remove need for contact tracing and testing?
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As Singapore plans for the new normal with Covid-19 as an endemic disease, top experts speak to The Straits Times' science correspondent Audrey Tan on how to live with the virus. A: Compared with the rest of the world, Singapore has been a lot more cautious, said Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. Last month, when Singapore was tightening responses due to another wave of community outbreaks here, other countries such as Britain and the United States were actually starting to lift many of their restrictions even though on a per capita basis - which is the number of cases compared with the population size of each country - Singapore's outbreak was actually 10 times less than in Britain and the US. "So, I don't think it is really a situation of Singapore being too relaxed," said Prof Teo. "But if you start to think about what could we have done better or if we made a mistake, I think it is important to remember that what has really changed is the coronavirus that we are dealing with right now that seems to have penetrated a lot of our defences." For instance, the new B1617 variant is far more transmissible, and infected people now have a much higher viral load. The incubation period now is also a lot more variable compared with the past, causing infections to slip past the nation's defences. "So, our defence layers now do need to be changed to cope with the changing dynamics of these new variants that are emerging." A: Most countries will avoid a lockdown if possible because lockdowns are economically very damaging. In Singapore's current phase of "circuit breaker lite", these economic effects have already been seen in sectors like food and beverage, said Prof Teo. But a lockdown becomes necessary when the situation within the community seems to be spiralling out of control very rapidly, to the point that the country's hospital resources start to get overwhelmed. "Because that is when people actually start to die from a preventable condition such as Covid-19. And that is when you need to tap on the brakes... so we can allow our healthcare system to breathe and to recuperate," said Prof Teo. Singapore has avoided a complete lockdown, instead entering sectoral lockdowns while ring-fencing affected areas and doing extensive testing there. Certain malls have been affected, such as Jem and Westgate, and these malls were locked down for a period of time for disinfection and to allow chains of transmission to be broken in these places. askST If you have a question, e-mail us at [email protected] "This is a way to allow the rest of society to continue without incurring economic damage. But otherwise, I would imagine every country would try to avoid a total lockdown, particularly when we talk about locking down schools as well because locking down schools has a long-term impact for an entire generation," Prof Teo said. A: There are several dynamics at play, said Dr Danny Soon, chief executive of the Consortium for Clinical Research and Innovation. There is certainly a concern that if there were no cases in the country, people may not feel as motivated to get vaccinated, so the uptick in cases has been a good reality check that the pandemic is far from over. On whether vaccinated people can still get infected - the data is that vaccinations do reduce the opportunity to get infected. However, it does not completely remove it. But vaccinations are very effective in reducing the severity of the disease, added Dr Soon. "Very few people who are vaccinated get very ill from the disease, very few people who are vaccinated die from the disease. This is many, many times more in the case of unvaccinated persons." Given that Singapore now has up to an eight-week wait for the second dose, and optimal protection occurs two weeks after every dose, this allows for a time lag of two to potentially 10 weeks before one is optimally protected by vaccination, said Prof Teo. He said that Singapore cannot wait for an outbreak to happen before people start getting vaccinated. A: In the short term, before Singapore has achieved that level of sufficient uptake of vaccines across the whole population, the country will still be relying on expanded testing and contact tracing to keep people safe, said Prof Teo. "But I do suspect that if our vaccination uptake is able to reach a sufficiently high level, then some of these requirements may be lifted, especially if the same happens worldwide as well." But given that this is a constantly moving space, much will also depend on the coronavirus, if present vaccines, perhaps with additional booster shots, work well to protect individuals and the community from hospitalisations or any long-term health impact if one is infected, Prof Teo added. If what is being dealt with is asymptomatic infections or very mild symptomatic infections - where the symptoms are like those of fever, flu or cold, that typically go away within a few days or a week - then there is hope that such protocols can be lifted.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/will-high-vaccination-rates-remove-need-for-contact-tracing-and-testing
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Can my work require a COVID vaccine?
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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said employers can require workers coming back into the workplace to get a COVID-19 vaccine. With a little more than half of the adult U.S. population being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, businesses are bringing more employees back into the workplace. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on May 28 updated its guidance related to COVID-19, vaccines and the workplace. As part of the guidance, the EEOC said federal Equal Employment Opportunity laws dont prevent employers from requiring workers physically entering the workplace to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as long as employers comply with other laws such as the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). THE SOURCES THE ANSWER Yes, a worker who had adverse effects to a COVID-19 vaccine mandated by their employer can file a workers compensation claim. However, there are several steps the employee must take to have their claim approved. WHAT WE FOUND The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says workers compensation was established to provide partial medical care and income protection to employees who are injured or become ill from their job. Joshua Higgins, who focuses his practice on workers compensation defense, and Sarah Mugmon, who has negotiated claims before the EEOC, said an employee could file a workers compensation claim for adverse effects to a COVID-19 vaccine if the employer required vaccination. If you get the COVID vaccine as mandated by your employer, and there are adverse effects, then you may be eligible for workers compensation, Mugmon said. One key to getting a claim approved is that the vaccine is mandated by the employer. Higgins and Mugmon said there are other situations, such as if the vaccine was encouraged by the employer and the employer partnered with a third-party vendor to offer the vaccine, in which getting a workers compensation claim approved would be less likely. Another key to filing a successful workers compensation claim is documentation. Higgins said its best for workers to get a medical professional to document the adverse effects to the vaccine as soon as possible. You still have to prove the causal connection, Higgins said. So, what's really important is if you start to experience adverse reactions to the vaccine, go see a medical professional, because a lot of these adverse reactions are temporary. They go away within a short period of time ... So, if you're not getting a medical opinion, and there's nothing to substantiate that you had these conditions or these adverse reactions, then you have nothing to back up your claim. Mugmon said workers can see a medical professional after the side effects have subsided, but it may be more difficult to prove the symptoms were caused by the vaccine. It's not to say that it's impossible to go back and share that with your medical provider, Mugmon said. But it is better and going to be a stronger argument in your favor when you can have contemporaneous documentation, and there is someone there to kind of assess what's going on and be able to report that accurately as it's occurring. She also said its important for the worker to have some form of documentation showing the vaccine was mandated by their employer. Higgins said people should also understand what they receive if they successfully file a workers compensation claim. So, a lot of people have misconceptions in terms of what a workers compensation claim is. It's not like a civil lawsuit where you get into a car accident, for instance, and there's pain and suffering, whether or not it's a negligence action, Higgins explained. Workers compensation, the primary goal is to get a worker back to work. So, what you're really getting in terms of a benefit in a workers compensation claim is medical benefits and indemnity benefits. He said medical benefits focus on helping the worker with the adverse effects they had, and indemnity benefits are a way to compensate the worker for lost time from work. Most claims related to people who missed work due to the side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine would generally be small because people typically only have symptoms for a few days, Higgins said. People with longstanding adverse reactions would likely get more.
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https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/verify/covid-vaccine-required-employer-workers-compensation/536-f84f59b8-a233-4a2a-ad1d-5735831dbcd3
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Is the labor shortage a crisis or an adjustment?
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Weve been talking a lot about the labor shortage happening in this economy. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said in a report released on Tuesday that we are in a a workforce crisis. The economy is experiencing an all-time high of 8.1 million job openings and there are not enough available workers able, or willing, to take those jobs as offered. The Chamber says this shortage started before the pandemic, but post-pandemic realities have exacerbated the issue. To compile the report, the Chamber of Commerce came up with what it calls a worker availability ratio, figuring out how many workers are available for every open position. Right now, their data show it stands at 1.4 workers per open position. Normally, that ratio is closer to 2.8 workers per vacant job. Some of that is due to skills gaps and immigration policy. However, the Chambers Executive Vice President Neil Bradley said: The pandemic and some of the pandemic responses have created new barriers for people to return to the workforce. He cited factors like remote learning, which keeps kids at home, or child care centers closing and a lack of before- and after-school care. And, said Bradley, those fields are struggling to hire as well, compounding the problem. The industries that need workers are also the industries that we need to recover to be able to help other people get back to work, he said. Many economists point to the quality of jobs and pay offered as additional reasons why workers may not be rushing to go back. According to Lily Roberts, managing director with the Center for American Progress: There are enough workers for the jobs. I think the thing that we have a shortage of is jobs that are good enough to take, right now. Many industries are raising wages and offering bonuses to lure applicants. But it is important to note, said Joyce Jacobsen, president at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an economics professor, that we are relatively early in the reopening after the pandemic. It seems like its been a fairly short time for us to be crying shortage. As opposed to that were still in the adjustment back to full opening, Jacobsen said. After all, vaccines were only recently made widely available, plus there are still millions of unemployed people. Jacobsen said there is one area with with a true labor shortage at the moment. In those traditional summer jobs, where, for a lot of the recent years, theyve been filled by people coming from abroad and, suddenly, traditional summer hotspots are finding that they actually need to hire American teenagers, she said.
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https://www.marketplace.org/2021/06/01/is-the-labor-shortage-a-crisis-or-an-adjustment/
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What does Super Tape do in Super Animal Royale?
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As you play Super Animal Royale, you will find yourself getting into plenty of scraps. It doesnt matter how much you dodge roll, how much ammunition you have, or if you stick with your squad at all times, you will eventually take damage. With 64 players in each game, it is just bound to happen. With that in mind, you are going to want to keep your inventory in top shape. With that in mind, here is what Super Tape does when you pick it up in the world. Super Tape is meant to be Super Animal Royales method for repairing armor. You can find armor scattered all over the place, but it will lose its effectiveness in reducing damage for you as you take damage in it. With that in mind, if you have Super Tape in your inventory (you can hold up to five at a time), you can repair one bar of armor at a time. The level armor you are wearing will equal how many bars it has. Screenshot by Gamepur Interestingly, using Super Tape has its own command. If playing on PC, press C. On Xbox, it is used by pressing B. It takes about three seconds to use one Super Tape to repair a bar of armor, so be sure to find yourself a safe spot and take the time to restore as much as you can. During this process, you are slowed and cannot use any other items and will be giving off a bit of noise, so be wary of any surrounding enemies.
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https://www.gamepur.com/guides/what-does-super-tape-do-in-super-animal-royale
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Did 'X-Factor' Creator Simon Cowell Bow Down to the Anti-Israel Left?
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Scores of people are asking if tough-talking British entertainer and contest show judge Simon Cowell caved to political pressure after he backed out of X-Factor Israel this past week without explanation. Cowell came to prominence in the early 2000s in the U.S. when he served as a judge on American Idol with fellow judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul. Hes since become a prominent judge and producer on shows such as Americas Got Talent and The-X Factor. Cowells blunt assessments of singers on Idol gave him a sort of tough-guy image in the U.S. as he breathlessly shredded people who didnt have what he viewed as the right stuff. Cowell said he was excited to evaluate Israels singers and performers in the upcoming season of X-Factor Israel. Last December, as The Hollywood Reported noted, Cowell said he could barely wait to see what the Israelis have to offer. Hell have to catch the singing competition on TV, now that he is no longer attached to the show, at least as a judge. His decision to pull out of the competition was reported by sources apparently close to his decisions to sit it out. Rumors Cowell was pulling out of the show began last week in the wake of renewed violence in the region between Israel and Hamas and with reports of confrontations between Jewish and Arab Israelis in the streets of the countrys cities, THR reported. We dont know, but it wouldnt be a surprise. Hollywood actress Gal Gadot, an Israeli-born veteran of the Israel Defense Forces, was targeted for cancelation last month over this benign statement: Look at the kind of feedback she received: Your country is not at war, @GalGadot. Your country is perpetuating war crimes, genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid. There are no both sides. There is only the violent, murderous settler-colonialism of Israel. #FREEPALESTINE #GazaUnderAttack #IsraelTerrorism https://t.co/Nvy4heTz0O Khairil Anuar (@KhairilAnuar) May 12, 2021 Where do I start?Gal Gadot has first hand served in the idf,seen the oppression Palestinians face, and yet continues to support the ethnic cleansing and genocide. Israel is a racist, terrorist not a victim.Wonder Woman would hate you #GazaUnderAttack #SavePalestine #FreePalestine https://t.co/QLS76JW7Qx # check rts! (@miriamshoh) May 12, 2021 Petition for @wbpictures @warnerbros to finally suspend gal gadot from her role in wonderwoman because that scum is previous member in the IDF!!! Means she literally KILLED people who were innocent!! Doesnt deserve the role at all #FREEPALESTINE . (@Holaitslola1997) May 27, 2021 Hollywood, music and the rest of entertainment largely sided with Hamas last month after the terror group fired thousands of rockets indiscriminately into Israeli cities. Israel of course responded with force as it should have. Cowell did not comment on the conflict and has issued no statement about his reported decision to leave the Israeli show. Cowell did recently have back surgery following a bicycle accident, according to Entertainment Tonight. The first four weeks were the hardest, Cowell told the show of his recovery after breaking his back in multiple places late last year. Because you feel kind of helpless, and it was the first time in my life Ive ever felt helpless Then youre bored and frustrated, and I was in so much pain, if Im being honest with you. But Cowell committed to X-Factor Israel after that interview, and hes currently judging Americas Got Talent on NBC. It certainly appears plausible that Cowell caved to pressure from the anti-Israel left, or caved to perceived pressure which likely would have come had he participated in X-Factor Israel. Its peculiar that Cowell pulled out of the show he created in the weeks following a backlash among many of his peers over Israels response to terrorism against its citizens citizens Cowell said he simply couldnt wait to see sing this summer. Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. Yes: 100% (2 Votes) No: 0% (0 Votes) Amid rumors of his cancellation last week, a Reshet representative told Variety that members of Cowells staff had reached out with legitimate concerns over his participation in the show after the recent violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, but that at the time he had made no final decision, Variety reported. Cowell has made a decision. If he made it out of fear of reprisals from leftist Hollywood, the veteran music producer and TV personality ought to schedule an appointment to see an orthopedist about a potential spine replacement surgery, now that hes on the mend following his accident. Folding to political pressure and bailing out on Israels singers, if that is indeed what occurred here, would be a cowardly move for a man who has spent decades intentionally saying things meant to rile people up. Standing with Israel after it was attacked by its enemies with rockets and later with words, might have been too much for the music producer and judge. Perhaps at some point, Cowell will address his decision to cancel on Israel. For now, all we can do is speculate about why he did it. Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction * Name * Email * Message * All fields are required. Success! We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
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https://www.westernjournal.com/x-factor-creator-simon-cowell-bow-anti-israel-left/
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What does justice for Sarah Halimi mean?
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There was a particularly nasty incident that was reported in the crime sections of the French press this week. It caught my eye because certain details were disturbingly reminiscent of the case of Sarah Halimi the 65-year-old Jewish woman brutally murdered in her Paris apartment in April 2017 by her anti-Semitic neighbor who, exactly four years later, was deemed to be criminally irresponsible for his act by Frances highest court, his consumption of marijuana on the night of the killing supposedly having eliminated his self-awareness. Mondays incident involved a 17-year-old girl and a 21-year-old man. As with the Halimi case, it occurred in the early hours of the morning, just before dawn, in a crowded inner-city neighborhood in eastern Paris. And again, as with the Halimi case, it was the harrowing screams of the female victim that woke up many of the residents of Place Jean-Ingres in Garges-ls-Gonesse, who then inundated the local police with emergency calls. Several of these residents who looked out of their windows, some holding cell-phone cameras, witnessed the man violently force the young woman to perform a sexual act. He punched and kicked his victim repeatedly, and then raped her as she lay helpless on the ground. Thankfully, and in marked contrast to their response in the Halimi case, police officers were reportedly on the scene within minutes of being alerted, and they acted immediately. They overpowered the male assailant, who by this time was naked from the waist down, and rushed his victim to hospital, where she presently remains alive but in severe shock. In the Halimi case, fearing that they were dealing with an armed Islamist terrorist, the police officers who arrived at the scene dithered outside her apartment while her accused killer, Kobili Traor, continued to beat his victim to death. The most striking overlap between the Halimi case and this one concerns the mental state of the assailant. Tests carried out by the police revealed that the accused rapist had just over 0.025 fluid ounces (0.75 grams) of alcohol in his blood a proportion that by American DUI law enforcement standards would be relatively low. Still, it was enough to indict the assailant on a charge of rape committed by a person in a state of obvious drunkenness. Nothing in the media reporting of this shocking episode suggests that the assailant will be able to take the path of drug-user Traor, whose chronic use of marijuana enabled him to cross the line drawn by the French penal code between intentional murder committed by the sane and unintentional murder committed by the insane. Police interviews with Traor, now 32, revealed that in his altered state, he had been traumatized by the sight of a menorah and Shabbat candles in Halimis apartment (Jewish symbols some called signs of the devil). As he beat Halimi before throwing her body out of a third-floor window, Traor screamed that she was Shaitan, Arabic for Satan. Using the same logic, the accused rapist described above should be able to make the same legal case. Our client was blind drunk, his lawyers might argue, and therefore not in control of his discernement (self-awareness). There was something about his victims dress or manner that traumatized him, they might add, and since he consumed one too many drinks that night (remember, Traors mindset was allegedly transformed by one acute delirious puff on a marijuana joint, according to the court ruling in the Halimi case), our client cannot be held criminally responsible for the appalling sexual abuse and physical violence which he visited upon the victim, as this exact behavior was brought on by a state of alcoholic delirium. At this point, they would offer a solemn apology to the victims family, just as Traors lawyers did with the relatives of Sarah Halimi. But in the wake of the Halimi travesty, there is less patience now in France with the idea that mental breakdown caused by alcohol or drug use excuses someone from a criminal trial. The French Senate has just adopted the first draft of a bill that would amend the penal code by closing down this escape route for offenders. But all that, of course, comes too late for Halimi and her family. Traor never has to worry about facing a criminal trial in France. At the discretion of his doctors, he will probably be discharged from psychiatric hospital sooner rather than later, having already been released from the secure psychiatric unit where he was originally held more than a year ago. So, when we hear the worthy slogan Justice for Sarah Halimi, we are compelled to consider whether, realistically, those words mean anything. Justice, in the strictly legal sense of that word, has already been denied to her in France. The only other possible judicial avenues at this point are the European Court of Human Rights, which is a long shot, or putting Traor on trial in Israel under the Jewish states own anti-Semitism law, as some people have rather hopefully suggested; however, the French categorically dont do extraditions. At a recent online rally for Sarah Halimi, her son, Yonatan, delivered a stark message to French Jews. My mother always taught us to take responsibility. It is very difficult for us that today, the justice system, the authorities did not assume their own responsibility, he stated, adding each of us should guarantee his own security because, unfortunately, security in France is not assured. Some might interpret that last line as a call for more communal self-defense; others might hear in it a cry for more aliyah to Israel; and still others might take it as a mere statement of fact. After all, less than a year after Sarah Halimi was murdered, another Jewish woman living alone in Paris 85-year-old Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll was robbed, stabbed to death and then burned by two young men who preyed on her based on the conviction that Jews, because they are rich and mean with their pennies, always have plenty of cash squirreled away in their homes. France is in no position to guarantee that another atrocity of this kind wont happen again. Neither, frankly, is any other European country. True, because of Sarah Halimis terrible ordeal, its unlikely that a future killer in France will be able to turn a drug habit into legal good fortune and that is to be welcomed. However, as far the law is concerned, that may be all the justice there is. Ben Cohen is a New York City-based journalist and author who writes a weekly column on Jewish and international affairs for JNS. Top read more of Cohens columns, visit cjn.org/cohen.
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https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/columnists/ben_cohen/what-does-justice-for-sarah-halimi-mean/article_fb479bd0-c30e-11eb-9dc3-fb482e786776.html
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Could these climate-friendly blimps be the future of flying?
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I never thought I would see things slowly come back to normal. Last year seemed to have dragged on for an eternity thanks to COVID 19. For a while, we all seemed to adjust to a new way of life - unfortunately, our favorite businesses shut down permanently, and most people were "handcuffed" at home. Needless to say, fewer vacations were taken, if any. This pretty much explains the emptiness airports all around the country experienced. Fortunately, the arrival of vaccination shots and mask-wearing became more common. The future is encouraging - AP News recently reported that in North Dakota "The states eight commercial service airports saw a significant increase in passenger numbers last month compared to April 2020". That is very encouraging news when you compare that to the recent past "Just 4,964 passengers traveled by air in April of last year during the pandemic. That was the lowest monthly total since record-keeping began four decades ago" AP News.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264023147903/could-these-climate-friendly-blimps-be-the-future-of-flying
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Why is it harder to diagnose disorders on non-white skin?
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After finding unexplained dark marks on her skin which she couldnt explain, BBC reporter Bree Johnson decided to investigate why it seems harder to diagnose skin conditions on non-white people. She speaks to Kanayo Dike-Oduah, who nearly died as a result of a rare skin disorder, and to Malone Mukwende, who wrote a guide to help medical professionals diagnose clinical signs on black and brown skin. Professor Colin Melville, director of education and standards at the General Medical Council, says: "We want to be active in driving change that is real and effective in support of black and minority ethnic students, trainees, doctors and patients in the UK".
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https://www.bbc.com/news/av/health-57170842
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Why are there so many text scams all of a sudden?
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A new fraud wave has been reported in the UK, targeting mobile phone users with texts that, at first glance, appear to be from delivery companies or government institutions. You may even have been targeted by the text scams yourself, which often ask you to pay missed delivery charges or tax fees and are sent from numbers that claim to belong to Royal Mail, Hermes or HMRC. While these scams are actually nothing new, there does appear to have been a sudden and dramatic increase in their volume in recent weeks, coming after the recent spike in coronavirus vaccine scams and scams targeting those seeking to buy a pet online during the pandemic. The resurgence of text scams in the spring of 2021 also appears to be taking advantage of circumstances brought about by the pandemic but learning more about them can help us to stamp them out. Increasing text scams To understand the apparent increase in text scams, we need to consider two key factors. The first is timing. Missed delivery charge scams are most often rolled out around the busy Christmas postal period, while tax scams are usually timed around April to coincide with the new financial year. The pandemic has extended the window of opportunity for fraudsters to successfully target people with both types of scam. More of us are expecting a parcel in the post after increasing our online shopping since March 2020, while novel financial measures related to the pandemic, such as the furlough scheme, may have given people the impression that HMRC has temporarily altered its operations. The second factor is volume. These types of scams are delivered en masse, and fraudsters only need to receive responses to a handful of the thousands of texts they send out to make significant sums of money. Thats not because of the money theyre asking people to send them which appears tiny in the case of a 1.43 delivery fee but because criminals can use the card details theyre provided to empty victims bank accounts. Other text scams, which prompt you to click on a link, are designed to infect your phone with malware that can help criminals steal your personal data. The increasing volume of these scams suggests that they do work. And because their success encourages copy cat scams, with new criminal groups experimenting with their own text scams, its difficult to stamp them out entirely, despite recent arrests. The best way to counter these scams is to reduce their success rate, and we can do this by making the public aware of how and why text scams work. Despite the apparent crudeness of these fraudulent messages, which often feature misspellings or incorrect grammar, they take advantage of timeworn techniques that exploit our psychological vulnerabilities. The aim is to encourage us to respond on impulse rather than thinking through whether we may be being scammed. Exploiting emotion is the main method used by scammers to achieve this. The delivery charge scam, for instance, often threatens a loss if you dont immediately pay for redelivery, with fraudsters issuing a tight deadline before they claim your parcel will be returned to its sender. Emotions such as fear, panic and anxiety can cause us to respond impulsively to scam messages. On the other hand, positive emotions, such as excitement or hope, can also bias our judgement and encourage impulsive behaviour. The HMRC tax refund scam is built on the promise of financial gain if you click on a link but instead of transferring you cash, the link is built to facilitate phishing that gives criminals access to your personal data or bank details. People are far more likely to fall for this scam if theyve already received a genuine communication from HMRC that theyre due a tax refund. Psychologists refer to this feeling as illusory correlation, which happens when we see events as linked when theyre not. Illusory correlation tends to confuse or relax our natural caution, making us more vulnerable to scams. Anyone can fall victim to scams. Contrary to popular opinion, older people are not more likely to be victims of text scams, partially because many older people may be less likely to bank and shop online, have dealings with HMRC, or even use mobile phones. Its the use of mobile devices for these text-based scams that may actually make younger people more susceptible. While were somewhat used to scam emails, scam texts are relatively new. Texts also feel more intimate we expect them to be from people we know, or from institutions weve trusted with our mobile number. And we often access texts on the go, when were busy or distracted and less likely to question their veracity. To avoid falling victim to text scams, we suggest you take a few simple steps before choosing to respond. First, make sure you take some time to properly look at the content of any message you receive. Any written message containing email addresses, phone numbers or language errors could help you spot a scam. If you cant spot any blatant errors, just wait even for a few minutes before responding. This will allow you time to think whether its normal for a company to communicate with you via text. For delivery scams in particular, which are currently surging in the UK, its well worth interrogating everything about the text you receive. Checking websites for the delivery companies they use, or even making a quick call to the delivery company the text claims to be from, can help clear things up. And at the end of the day, its better to miss your parcel than to lose thousands of pounds to scam artists.
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https://theconversation.com/why-are-there-so-many-text-scams-all-of-a-sudden-161909
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What is Jacksonville's Zoo's IllumniZoo event?
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The IllumiZoo Summer Spectacle will begin at 6 p.m. every Friday night and continue until 10 p.m. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The Jacksonville Zoo will host a special nighttime event each Friday through the end of August for people to enjoy beautiful scenes under the stars. The IllumiZoo Summer Spectacle will begin at 6 p.m. every Friday night and continue until 10 p.m. Guests who arrive while there is still sunlight will get a chance to see the animals until 30 minutes before sunset. As the stars take over the sky, guests will be able to walk through illuminated scenes that include an enchanted fairy garden, an underwater world and a starry night. "See an amazing spatial of color, animation, and gardens with vibrant hues and rhythms," the zoo says in a press release. "Stilt walkers and fire spinners will mesmerize, as will musicsynchronized animal displays and animated motifs of moving light." There will also be live music, food, adult beverages and special gifts available.
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https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/jacksonville-zoo-announces-summer-illumizoo-event-friday/77-09383bed-71ce-4ace-8bd5-1f0f30acfc54
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What Happens to Cloudera Stock After the Buyout?
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Cloudera stock opened sharply higher on June 1 after KKR and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice agreed to acquire the company at $16 per share, which is a premium of 24 percent over the closing prices on May 28. Cloudera is valued at $5.3 billion in the all-cash transaction. The companys shareholders would receive $16 in cash for every Cloudera share that they hold. However, the transaction is subject to shareholder approval. That shouldn't be a problem since activist investor Carl Icahn, who holds an 18 percent stake in the company, supports the transaction. As for Cloudera stock, before the buyout is completed, it will trade near the $16 price level. In all likelihood, the stock should trade at a slight discount to the buyout price before shareholders approve the merger. In a buyout, the company that's being acquired ceases to exist as a publicly-traded company. After the Cloudera acquisition is completed, KKR and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice would take the company private. There's a possibility that in the future the private equity companies might again look at taking Cloudera public. There have been multiple such instances where private equity companies have again taken the company public. Asset sales, which were done at reasonable valuations, helped restore the sentiments. The stock is up sharply in 2021 and copper prices are near their all-time highs amid strong demand growth. Over time, Carl Icahn has built his reputation as an activist investor. He was instrumental in getting Freeport-McMoRan to sell some of its copper assets and repay its debt. In 2015, Freeport-McMoRan, the largest publicly traded copper miner, was reeling under the impact of low copper prices. The issues were amplified by its over $20 billion debt load. Cloudera stock has sagged since the IPO. Coming back to Cloudera, it hasnt added much shareholder wealth. The company priced its IPO at $15 per share in 2017. Before the buyout offer, it was trading below the IPO price. Even the buyout price is only $1 above the IPO price. Article continues below advertisement Intel paid $30.94 per share for Cloudera in 2014 and the IPO was eventually priced at less than half of what Intel paid. Cloudera has been plagued by weak financials and tepid growth. However, the financials have been improving. Source: TIKR Article continues below advertisement
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https://marketrealist.com/p/what-happens-to-cloudera-stock-after-buyout/
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How Long Does Immunity From the COVID Vaccines Last?
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If youre fully vaccinated against COVID-19, youve probably breathed a sigh of relief. The U.S. CDC has yet to hazard a guess as to the durability of post-vaccine immunity on their website, but a few studies have given us some clues. And so far, its mostly good news. A letter from a vaccine research group to the New England Journal of Medicine in April (you can think of these letters like mini studies) found that people still had strong protection six months after receiving their second dose of the Moderna vaccine. The group writes: Although the antibody titers and assays that best correlate with vaccine efficacy are not currently known, antibodies that were elicited by mRNA-1273 persisted through 6 months after the second dose, as detected by three distinct serologic assays. Pfizer also announced in April that it found people who had received the Pfizer vaccine still had strong protection six months after their second dose. These study results dont mean that protection only lasts six months, just that so far, at the six-month checkpoint, immunity is still going strong. Remember that both vaccines were authorised in December, so the vaccine has only been on the market for six months. Even vaccine trial subjects had an average of only two months of follow-up data at the time the vaccine makers applied for authorization, so theyre just a little bit ahead of the rest of us. Trials with booster shots have already begun, but so far it looks likely that it will be at least a year before anybody needs one, and possibly longer. Immunity is a complex thing, and scientists still havent nailed down a test that can tell the difference between someone who is protected against COVID-19 versus someone who is still susceptible. Well most likely learn more in the coming months, but for now, we can probably be secure in the knowledge our vaccines are good for at least six months, probably at least a year, and maybe longer.
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https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2021/06/how-long-does-immunity-from-the-covid-vaccines-last/
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Was Jack Nicklaus Bryson DeChambeau before Bryson DeChambeau?
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DUBLIN, Ohio In the first in-person press conference on the PGA Tour since the pandemic halted play last year, Jack Nicklaus covered a range of topics Tuesday at Muirfield Village, including Bryson DeChambeau and his ongoing attempt to transform the game. That was your question, Nicklaus laughed when DeChambeau was mentioned. Memorial Tournament: Full-field tee times | Full coverage Although it was a different era with vastly different thresholds, Nicklaus game was very much cut from the DeChambeau mold of longer drives and increasing returns. Bryson figured out that if he was going to miss, let's say he's going to miss 30 percent of the fairways and he's going to be playing 7-iron out of the rough, If he hit it 30 yards further, and missed 30 percent of the fairways, he's going to hit wedge out of the rough, Nicklaus said. He figured out that he would be better off with a wedge. Nicklaus, who ranked among the Tours longest players in his prime, didnt go through the same type of physical transformation as DeChambeau and modern equipment has also changed how the game is played, but the essential tenet of more speed and strength is timeless. I pretty much did that naturally. I had tree trunks for legs and so it allowed me to really just drive through any rough, he said.
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https://www.golfchannel.com/news/was-jack-nicklaus-bryson-dechambeau-bryson-dechambeau
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Can I get the second shot 2 weeks early? Can my young grandchild spend the night if Im vaccinated?
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DETROIT Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Dr. Frank McGeorge has been keeping viewers up-to-date and informed on all fronts. Hes been answering your questions about the vaccine, the vaccination process and more. None of the studies looked at getting the second dose earlier than recommended. In fact, more recent research suggests a delayed second shot might even lead to a higher response than the recommended interval. So, no, you should not get the second shot early. Vaccinated people would not have a reason to get tested, which will affect confirmed cases reported. You are technically correct. If we do not test asymptomatic vaccinated people they would not count as a positive case. Ad Similarly though we dont routinely test asymptomatically unvaccinated people unless they are part of a routine screening program. Big picture -- I see your point, but in terms of best use of testing -- because vaccinated people are so much less likely to be positive we wouldnt be missing a meaningful number of positives. If you are fully vaccinated your risk of becoming infected is definitely low. The 9-year-old is not eligible to be vaccinated so the question really becomes one of acceptable risk. If the grandmother doesnt have any risk for severe disease beyond age and the grandchild isnt sick and has no known recent exposures Id say thats the safest circumstance. An anti-vaxxer told me without information on where those claims came from. Ad Those claims are untrue and unsupported by any evidence. If someone cant give you the source of the claims theyre making thats generally a red flag. So far, the data points to the vaccines being very safe and effective. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that rather than use names tied to regions of the world, when a variant is important enough to be considered a concern it will be referred to by a designated Greek letter. This is to avoid stigmatizing the geographic reference. Ask Dr. McGeorge
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https://www.clickondetroit.com/health/2021/06/01/can-i-get-the-second-shot-2-weeks-early-can-my-young-grandchild-spend-the-night-if-im-vaccinated/
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Why isnt the prospect of long-term economic stagnation giving us nightmares?
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This is the first time in a generation that India is experiencing something like this. Instead of moving towards being a high middle income country, we will be relieved if we dont slip further down the global ladder. The GDP numbers, like the Covid numbers, have become the object of regular anxiety and contention. With both, there are now questions on what exactly we are measuring. There is relief, or official spin, if they turn out to be less worrisome than predicted. If the GDP growth is close to negative 7.3 per cent, there is a huge sigh of relief. It could, after all, have been negative 10 per cent. These are small mercies. But there is no denying the fact that the Indian economy has been amongst the worst performers, even in the South Asia region. So here is the big picture we need to keep our eyes on. India is staring at the prospect of slower growth, rising poverty, and a shrinking middle class. This is the first time in a generation that India is experiencing something like this. Instead of moving towards being a high middle income country, we will be relieved if we dont slip further down the global ladder. Everyone understands that Covid was a shock to the economy, and we will, at some point, emerge from this shock. But we are in completely uncharted territory in terms of our psychological orientation to the economy. In the first decade of this century, we were looking at an average of seven to eight per cent growth, steep drops in head count poverty numbers, and an expanding middle class. But all of these trends are now in reverse. Growth has slowed and it would be a brave economist who has any analytical basis for projecting what Indias trend growth rate will be over the next five to 10 years. We are on a wing and a prayer. We do not have authoritative consumption-based poverty figures since 2011. But Azim Premji Universitys State of Working India report, 2020, estimated that almost 230 million Indians had fallen back into poverty. For reference, the period of growth from 2000 to 2016 had seen roughly 270 million lifted out of poverty. A new Pew Research Centre Report, published before the second wave lockdown, suggested that the Indian middle class had shrunk by about 32 million people in 2020. And we dont have serious numbers on shrinking incomes or on the possible effects of long-term morbidity. This number could get worse. There are signs of this all around. The latest CMIE unemployment numbers put out by Mahesh Vyas are sobering reading. The unemployment rate is 14.5 per cent as of the end of May; the rural unemployment rate had crossed 7 per cent. Labour force participation has not increased. As Jean Dreze had prominently pointed out in these pages, it is unlikely that nutrition levels, employment wages had even recovered to pre-pandemic levels before the second wave struck; household savings have been generally on a downward trend. This big picture truth of economic worries can be easily obfuscated by the narrative wars. The Sensex is rising, fuelled by global free money. There is a lot of excitement about unicorns; they are certainly a testament to entrepreneurial dynamism and ingenuity. But the idea that they are the backbone of a thriving economy is exaggerated. There might be limited progress on the distribution of private public goods like gas and water. But these cannot take away from the fact that for the first time in a generation, young India is looking at a bleaker future than their parents did in terms of employment and income. It is a remarkable fact that this fundamental triad of slower growth prospects, potentially shrinking middle class and rising poverty has been kept out of public political consciousness. The poor in India were always invisible. But the degree of economic and ideological obfuscation is such that even the normally influential middle classs tale of economic uncertainty has become invisible. What should worry is not just the trends; but the fact that we are not worrying enough about the worrying trends. There is good reason to think that unless there is drastic change in national priorities, the very foundation of our future is being sapped. So even as we battle with Covid, we have to think about what will truly reverse this diminishing of our economic fortunes. There are the obvious things to do. An investment in health is an investment in the economy; but our health investment is still in catastrophe management mode. For example, we are still not investing enough in long-term surveillance of the disease or dealing with its secondary effects. The government has done the right thing by extending the free foodgrain programme, and creating credit facilities of various kinds. But there is still going to be a serious loss in nutrition gains in rural India. And it is hard to imagine that output declines, employment losses, and the adverse environment for small businesses will not warrant another round of income support of some kind. As Uday Kotak has argued, we need a major fiscal stimulus to support consumption. It is highly likely that in the pandemic India has probably slipped back on its education goals and targets. Other measures like regulatory reform and privatisation are underway, though how effective they will be is an open question. There will have to be a serious reconsideration of tax policy. This is not the place for technical details. There is no question that the range of investment in health, education, infrastructure, income support, that the Indian economy requires will need a new social contract. The top one per cent have benefited enormously from the current economy. Devesh Kapur has made the powerful point that taxing the super rich a bit more, those who have made extraordinary gains over the last two years, even if temporarily, to service the real needs of the economy more, should not be seen as an act of redistribution. So much of the money that is being made on the stock market, in real estate or in capital gains is because of the easy liquidity governments are providing; a little bit of payback as a gesture of solidarity or justice is not unwarranted. The spectre of our bad old days of socialism and 90 per cent marginal rates of taxation will be trotted out to obfuscate the basic fact: We need to invest in our future, and we cannot do so without more taxation. A million plus Covid deaths is an extraordinary catastrophe. But the prospect of long-term economic stagnation should also give us nightmares. We are in completely uncharted territory. The writer is Contributing Editor, The Indian Express
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https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/indian-economy-economic-growth-gdp-growth-rate-7340169/
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Should I get vaccinated if Ive had COVID? Should students learning virtually get vaccinated now?
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DETROIT Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Dr. Frank McGeorge has been keeping viewers up-to-date and informed on all fronts. Hes been answering your questions about the vaccine, the vaccination process and more. Anyone who is eligible for the vaccine should get vaccinated as soon as possible. There is no reason to put it off. You are correct that if we simply test fewer people we will find fewer positives. Thats why the percent positivity is really the number public health people watch. The percent of tests that are positive gives us an indication of how widespread an infection is. At its peak during the past wave the percent positivity was all the way up to 18.5% statewide. It has no trended down to 5%. The vaccines available in the United States cause a person to produce antibodies only to the spike protein of the coronavirus. A COVID infection results in antibodies to the spike protein and other proteins that are present on the coronavirus. In that sense, you might assume a natural infection covers more vases. The reason the vaccine is still valuable to people who have been infected is the added longer-term immunity, specifically to the spike protein, is more effective at preventing future infection since its the spike protein that allows the virus to enter our cells. Also, right now, its unclear how long natural immunity will last especially if someone had a mild infection. Ad There is one recent research paper published in the Journal Nature that suggests the combination of an natural infection and vaccination produces the strongest level of long-term protection. Ask Dr. McGeorge
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https://www.clickondetroit.com/health/2021/06/01/should-i-get-vaccinated-if-ive-had-covid-should-students-learning-virtually-get-vaccinated-now/
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Can California withstand a teacher retirement boom?
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California schools could be facing the largest number of teacher retirements ever, but factors like enrollment drops should take the sting out of it. CALIFORNIA, USA This story was originally published by CalMatters. Earlier this year, the California State Teachers Retirement System issued an ominous statement: teacher retirements in California are projected to hit nearly record-breaking heights in 2021. The statement, which came in the form of a February blog post, said that the numbers will be almost as bad as the year after the Great Recession when more than 16,000 teachers retired. While short-term effects are being felt in some areas, in many school districts the tsunami of retirements is barely registering as a ripple. While interviews with administrators, teachers, and union leaders do not paint a rosy picture of the situation, neither is it expected to be crippling. Fremont Unified reported no significant difference between the number of retirees this year compared to last. At Long Beach Unified, which has about 12,000 employees, retirements over the past two years rose from 95 to 113. At Elk Grove Unified, there have been fewer certificated retirements this year than the previous one. At Oakland Unified, departures are higher than they have been in recent years, but the district is rapidly filling vacancies. Were retaining more people than ever, said Sarah Glasband, director of talent development, recruitment and retention for Oakland Unified. Looking to the fall, Glasband said her district is recruiting aggressively to make sure schools are fully staffed, and theyve already filled the majority of open positions. Many more teachers could retire by the end of the school year. But the first surge already occurred in the second half of 2020, which saw a 26% increase in retirements over the same period from the previous year, according to CalSTRS. David Fisher, president of the Sacramento City Teachers Association, said his city normally has 60 to 70 retirements annually, but this year has already seen 110, and he expects more by the end of the school year. Fisher believes some educators bumped up their retirement timeline at the beginning of the pandemic when they realized it would be a brutal slog. From people weve talked to, theyd say, I was going to stick it out another couple of years but Im out of here, Fisher said. Its not worth that extra little bump on your pension if youre not physically or mentally well. Enrollment drops While districts generally havent experienced retirements as a serious problem this past year, several administrators said they were overwhelmed by the large number of teachers who resigned or transferred during the pandemic. San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Magee said some of her districts have been hit hard as many educators left to be closer to family. Burlingame, for example, had twice as many teachers leave during the pandemic than during an average year. However, record drops in enrollment have somewhat mitigated the retirement boom, she said. Such enrollment drops would normally result in staff layoffs, but the sheer number of retirements and resignations appears to be cancelling each other out. Unexpected resignations, coupled with routine and early retirements, have created staffing shortages in some districts, raising concerns about how schools will manage when they reopen in the fall. Magee said her districts are trying to plan what classes will look like next year but they still dont have guidance from the California Department of Public Health. More immediately, districts are scrambling to find teachers who have the energy to pitch in for summer school sessions. Educators are exhausted, and many of our districts are having trouble staffing summer school programs, Magee said. Theyre all making it happen to the best of their abilitybut theyve been on emergency hours and activities for nearly two years straight without a break. Fisher said Sacramento, following the lead of neighboring Elk Grove Unified, nearly doubled its normal summer rate to recruit teachers for summer sessions. Our normal summer school rate for teachers, its not a bad rate, its about $40 an hour, but they couldnt hire teachers (at that rate), Fisher said. One major concern with the rise in retirements is the effect it could have on teacher pensions. In an email, Rebecca Foree, a CalSTRS spokesperson, said the organization doesnt expect retirements to have a material impact on funding levels. Outside experts tend to agree with this assessment. In the scope of things, this is not that big of a number, said Paul Bruno, an assistant professor of education policy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He noted that CalSTRS outstanding unfunded liabilities dwarf the potential impact of an unusual number of retirements. As of the latest actuarial valuation report, CalSTRS has unfunded liabilities of $105.7 billion. California is a really big state with an awful lot of teachers who are already receiving benefits and paying into the system, so a small increase in retirements this year would not by itself be a big threat to the pension fund, he said. Administrators in California didnt express much surprise with the number of retirements during the pandemic. This is partly because teachers have to retire within a set age range to qualify for their pensions, so most districts can plan for their departure well in advance. Districts also incentivize teachers to give ample notice by offering financial bonuses for letting schools know of their plans by specific dates. Some districts are also able to rely on retirees as a source of labor. Xanthi Soriano, a spokesperson for Elk Grove Unified, said many of the districts retirees return to schools after they meet CalSTRS six-month separation-from-service requirement. We have a pretty robust substitute list, and a good number are retirees, Soriano said. Recruitment problems Recruitment is also a challenge at the leadership level. San Mateos Magee said its been difficult to find replacements for several long-term employees who left her office during the pandemic because recruiting firms are struggling to find candidates. Statewide, theyre seeing an unprecedented number of people either retiring or moving around, she said. So those agencies are really very overbooked right now. Several administrators said they were concerned that retirements and resignations may be exacerbating chronic staffing shortages for positions that were already difficult to fill before the pandemic, specifically special education. Christina Casas, a credentialed special education teacher, left her job at a charter school in Santa Ana earlier this year. She said the logistical challenges of organizing virtual special education classes while raising two children of her own was simply too much. She also felt like the district could have marshalled more resources for teachers who were struggling to manage virtual classes that were overflowing with 30 to 40 students when they were supposed to only have 20. While there was only one resignation at her school last year, she knows several people are planning to leave at the end of this term. Going forward, she said school districts should recruit more reading and math specialists to make sure students dont fall farther behind.
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https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/can-california-withstand-a-teacher-retirement-boom/509-c45da41e-8f28-4d86-91e2-2a87a190cb1d
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What is company capitilization?
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1 hour ago . This question was migrated from Law Stack Exchange because it can be answered on Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange. Migrated I was reading up on some investment agreements and I came upon the following paragraph from one of the agreements; "If there is a Coin or Token Sale before the expiration or termination of this Agreement, the Company must convert all or any part of the Purchase Amount to Common Stock at a conversion price equal to the Discount Percentage multiplied by the Companys valuation determined through mutual agreement or a 409A valuation from Carta.com or another party expressly approved by the Investor, divided by the Company Capitalization, before the commencement of the Token Sale." So I am trying to understand the paragraph by using examples and I actually don't understand what company capitilization would be in this case. I am using Purchase amount to be $100,000, Company valuation to be $7,000,000 and Discount percetange is 10%. With those numbers the formula come out to be (90% x 70M) / Company Capitilization.
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https://money.stackexchange.com/questions/141325/what-is-company-capitilization
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Can Iceland Become The Worlds First Green Hydrogen Economy?
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If there is one thing everyone knows about the tiny northern nation of Iceland, it is that it has plentiful geothermal resources. Europe's northernmost independent state satisfies a solid portion of its energy needs with local renewable geothermal power. And these resources could now help Iceland become the world's first fully green hydrogen economy. Geothermal, according to Iceland's National Energy Authority, accounts for a quarter of the country's power generation and as much as 66 percent of Iceland's total primary energy use. Geothermal is also used to heat 90 percent of Icelandic households. And it is renewable. Iceland is also ahead of other countries in utilizing hydrogen. With early plans to become oil- and gas-free by 2050, the country started using hydrogen buses in Reykjavik back in the early 2000s. Yet buses could be only the start of what could become the world's first hydrogen economy. It is worth noting that Iceland is unique, and if it succeeds with its net-zero plans with hydrogen, it will hardly be possible to replicate it anywhere else. For one thing, it has unlimited geothermal resources and also abundant hydropower resources. For another, it is a tiny nation of fewer than 300,000 people. This means a lot lower energy demand than other countries. So, a technology as expensive as green hydrogen production has a better chance of being commercially viable in Iceland than virtually anywhere else. "People say Iceland is a very small country and can't be copied. But it's a real society, with infrastructure similar to big societies," chemistry professor Bragi Arnason from the University of Iceland said back in 2005. "We can start in Iceland on a small scale," he added. Arnason has been called Professor Hydrogen for his work in the field. According to Arnason, when it comes to transport in particular, engine efficiency could offset the energy losses during the process of producing green hydrogen, thus offsetting part of the costs. Theoretically, all this sounds very promising. In truth, the first attempt of Iceland to introduce hydrogen buses was scrapped shortly after its start because the technology had yet to be developed enough to make hydrogen buses viable. It did develop eventually, and in 2018, the EU provided funds for Iceland to purchase a number of hydrogen buses for its public transport system. But hydrogen buses are only the start. In a 2009 paper for the International Association for Energy Economics, oil economist and consultant Mamdouh Salameh noted Professor Arnason's plan to make all vehicles and vessels in Iceland run on hydrogen, which can be produced locally at a cost considerably lower than in most other developed countries. He also noted a few challenges for the hydrogenization of the Icelandic economyand any other economy, for that matterchief among them which was cost. Related: IEA Backpedals, Says Oil Demand Will Soon Reach Pre-Crisis Levels Since 2009, the costs of producing most forms of renewable energy have fallen considerably, making them a lot more viable alternatives to fossil fuels than before. With hydrogen, however, things have moved more slowly because green hydrogen production is a picky technology that needs an optimal location for an electrolyzer near a water source and with good wind or solar energy generation potential. With Iceland, this would be easier than in most other countries, thanks to its geothermal and hydropower resources and its small population. But the country has bigger plans than just domestic supply. Last year, Icelandic media reported the national power utility, Landsvirkjun, and the port authorities of Rotterdam had inked a deal for cooperation on hydrogen-related matters to find ways to make exports of green hydrogen from Iceland to Europe a reality. While the agreement is quite general, it may be the latest indication that hydrogen, and especially green hydrogen, is moving nearer to becoming economical enough to produce on a large enough scale to export it. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
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https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Fuel-Cells/Can-Iceland-Become-The-Worlds-First-Green-Hydrogen-Economy.html
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Should Nigeria go back to 1963?
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By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Editor The analysis of the memoranda by many stakeholders to the National Assembly Committee on Constitution Review during the public hearings shows that Nigerians yearn for an amendment that will foster true federalism. If at the end of the amendment there is gap between the expectation and reality, the review will pale into tokenism; a hypocritical effort, piecemeal attempt and parliamentary window dressing that will ultimately dampen public hope. The residual class of founding fathers are re-echoing the 1947 solution canvassed by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in his book: Path to Nigerias Freedom. To them, federalism is non-negotiable. It is the key to unity in diversity. The last document that came close to their expectation was the 1963 Constitution. The lieutenants of these illustrious pathfinders-Zik, Awo and Bello-are full of nostalgia. They want Nigeria to return to the historic era characterised by regionalism and the practice of parliamentary system. They are of the view that cabinet system was less expensive to run. They have forgotten the friction that characterised relations between the ceremonial president and head of government. The men of the old order and some rights activists are also pushing for a national dialogue or conference to debate the basis for peaceful coexistence. Latter-day actors disagree with them, saying that todays circumstances may make regionalism impracticable since the four regions have become 36 states. Their major fear is that if the states cease to exist, it will herald a sort of backwardness and it may position the current crop of actions very far from political opportunities and state resources. However, these younger elements support theoretical regionalism to the extent that its elements are limited to inter-state cooperation in matters of mutual interest, based on common historical background and cultural affinity. Also, their mood cannot accommodate the Westminster model, having never experienced the workings and relative efficacy of the cabinet system from a close range in their adult life. The Republican Constitution of 1963 has its merits, and certain elements and provisions of the first Indigenous constitution can be replicated in the fashioning of a new document suitable for a highlg diverse or heterogeneous nation-state. There was the Federal Government headed by Prime Minister Abubakar Tarawa Balewa. The federal constitution acknowledged the existence of semi-autonomous four regions as component units that were coordinate with the federal, central or national government. The document played a unifying role through its exclusive jurisdiction over defence, immigration, ommunicstions, postal service, and currency. The West, Midwest, East and North existed independently of each other, but gave recognition to the powers of the Federal Government in the exercise of power and authority over the mutually agreed, but limited, exclusive items. The regions were administered based on the peculiarities of the ethnic clevages that threw them up. The systems of administration were slightly different across regions. The development priorities were also different. The West, for example, savoured its own constitution, symbols and coat of arms. The West had diplomatic missions abroad, with the late Chief Toye Coker, serving as Agent-General of Western Region in London. The four regions depended on their potentials and resources. Agriculture was the mainstream of the economy. While the North took pride in its groundnut pyramid, the West depended on its cocoa for revenue. The Midwest was the home of timber and rubber plantations. The coal belonged to the East. In those days, the regions only remitted taxes to the Federal Government, based on their earnings. The picture contracts with the monthly visit to Abuja by 36 finance commissioners, with caps in hands, begging for allocations. There was no distributive crisis. There was power devolution. The lands belonged to the regions. That was why many farm settlements sprang up for the development of agriculture. There was regional police for the maintenance of law and order. Unlike under the 1999 Constitution, the 1963 Constitution provided for a regional police that was answerable to the premier, who was the regional chief security officer. The Federal Government in 1963 never had anything to do with the local government. Councils were created by Regional Houses of Assembly as administrative units for ease of administration at the grassroots. The Premier of the North never bothered about the number of local governments in the West or East and vice versa. In fact, there was no uniformity of electoral system and election dates across regions. There was no special attraction to the centre, making Sir Ahmadu Bello, to contend with staying in the North as Premier, instead of coming to Lagos to serve as prime minister. An important element of the regional constitutions was the role of traditional rulers as the links between the government and the people. It is the third attempt at review. The 1999 Constitution has been in operation for 22 years. It is the longest in the history of Nigeria, second only to the Hugh Clifford Constitution of 1922-1946. Omo-Agege acknowledged that no other constitution has received as many and diverse criticisms as the 1999 Constitution. Unlike the 1963 and 1979 document, the 1999 Constitution was imposed by the military. Eminent lawyer Chief Rotimi Williams (SAN) said the constitution lied against itself by the prefix: We Nigerians. Thus, civil society groups, socio-cultural organisations, regional organisations, professional bodies, ethnic nationalities, pressure groups and individuals have kicked against it. They are unanimous that it is a unitary contraption masquerading as a federal constitution. But, the fundamental questions, which the 1963 Constitution were targeting, have increased in leaps and bounds. Omo-Agege disclosed that his committee inherited about 32-header 1999 Constitutional Alteration Bills, which were considered and streamlined to a 16-point frame of reference, to which memorands were requested. The issues are: ADVERTISEMENT Gender Equity/Increased participation of Women and Vulnerable groups in governance The Federal Structure in governance and Power Devolution Local Government Administration/Local Government autonomy Public Revenue, Fiscal Federalism and Revenue Allocation Constitutional provision for the establishment of State Police Judicial Reform Adjudication of election and pre-election matters and other justice delivery concerns. Electoral Reforms that will make INEC deliver transparent, credible, free and fair elections, Political parties, Independent candidature and election management Socio-economic rights as contained in Chapter II of the Constitution. Residency and indigeneship Immunity Removal of immunity in prima facie criminal cases Time-line for Assent of Bills and Passage of Appropriation Bill States and local government creation Strengthening the independence of institutions like the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Auditor-General of the Federation and Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation. F.C.T. Administration The Legislature and Legislative Bureaucracy Constitutional role for traditional rulers If these envisaged changes are trjly taken into consideration, the review will be meaningful. Indeed, there should be two additional issues. These are the review of the revenue allocation formula and distribution of federal appointments based on the criteria of equity, fairness and justice.
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https://thenationonlineng.net/should-nigeria-go-back-to-1963/
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Whats the plan for summer school in ND?
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Over the last year, students in North Dakota have been on an education roller coaster. Superintendent Kirsten Baesler says throughout the state, the subject of math took a bigger hit than reading. She also says younger kids were more affected than the older kids when keeping up with distant learning. With all that in mind and with summer school starting up, DPI has asked that schools expand class sizes this year. If last year they enrolled 25 students, this year look to enroll 50. Youre not going to need to have 50 student elementary schools in 3 years from now. But right now theres probably double the number of students that could use the additional help, explained Baesler. Out of the 200 schools across the state, 156 have been approved and are ready to go for summer school.
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https://www.kxnet.com/news/top-stories/whats-the-plan-for-summer-school-in-nd/
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How Does Oregons Offense in 2021 Stack Up Against 2014?
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2014 was the first year of the College Football Playoff, and Oregon was the first team to win a CFP semifinal game. The 2014 season was an incredible year for Oregon fans, as Marcus Mariota was the first Oregon player to win the Heisman, which he did while setting QB records not only for Oregon but for the entire conference. Today, we look at the offenses to determine which of those two Duck teams has the advantage. Quarterback This one is simple. No matter who the quarterback for Oregon is this year, no one is going to be as good as Mariota in 2014. Anthony Brown will do just fine if he holds onto the starting job. Just dont expect him to be putting up Mariota-like numbers. Ty Thompson, Jay Butterfield and Robby Ashford all have the potential to become breakout stars at Oregon, but even if one of them does win the starting job, it is highly unlikely they will be as polished as Mariota was in his final year at Oregon. However, the 2021 quarterback room for the Ducks is far deeper than it was in 2014, as Mariota did not have a reliable back-up. Advantage 2014 Ducks Craig Strobeck Running back This one is a bit odd because Royce Freeman was a freshman in 2014 and CJ Verdell is a junior heading into 2021. However, even as a freshman, Freeman was a force to be reckoned with, and his supporting cast at running back consisted of Thomas Tyner and Byron Marshall. The running back corps in 2014 was just better on the whole. Even though Travis Dye will have more receiving yards this year in Joe Moorheads offense, it is difficult to see him getting more yards as a receiver than Marshall, who surpassed 1,000 in 2014. There is, however, an opportunity for some of the young running backs coming into Oregon to get meaningful snaps. Trey Benson and Byron Cardwell are both bigger backs, and they could very well take over some of the carries from Verdell as the season progresses. Advantage 2014 Ducks Wide Receiver Heading into 2014, wide receiver was a big unknown for Oregon. The headliner was Bralon Addison, who was explosive and a threat anywhere on the field. He even gained some intriguing quarterback play in 2015 due to injuries. However, Addison was injured and missed the entire 2014 season. Devon Allen, Darren Carrington, Keenan Lowe, Charles Nelson and Dwayne Stanford would all make an impact throughout the season, and though Marshall was listed as a running back, he did surpass the 1,000 receiving yards in 2014, so he should really be counted as a receiver, as well. Kevin Cline Though this receiving corps was solid throughout most of the year, it was not deep. By the National Championship Game, Allen was injured and Carrington was suspended due to failing a drug test. The lack of depth showed, as Mariota struggled to find receivers at times against Ohio States defense. In 2021, the situation at wide receiver comes with far more certainty. Johnny Johnson III, Jaylon Redd, Mycah Pittman, Kris Hutson and Devon Williams are all returning, and the freshmen Troy Franklin and Donte Thornton look to be stars in the making. The mix of veterans and youth at wide receiver make it perhaps the greatest offensive position of strength. Advantage 2021 Ducks Tight End The 2014 Ducks featured tight end Pharaoh Brown, who was having an incredible season until he was critically injured against Utah. Johnny Mundt and Evan Baylis were serviceable, but neither had anywhere near the same ceiling as Brown. Oregons offense lacked a true tight end threat without Brown on the field. Brown was especially missed in the National Championship Game, where Oregon just lacked reliable receiving targets for Mariota. In 2021, however, Oregon has a plethora of tight ends with varying degrees of experience. Spencer Webb looks like he will be a consistent passing target, whereas DJ Johnson is a powerful blocker who also had some nice hands for some short range passes. Those who have yet to play a game, Patrick Herbert, Moliki Matavao and Terrance Ferguson, all showed flashes of potential during the Spring Game. The Ducks have a great amount of tight end depth, which will certainly come into play as the season wears on. Advantage 2021 Ducks Gary Breedlove Offensive Line The 2014 offensive line was on the whole pretty good, though they did suffer injuries throughout the year. Tyler Johnstone was one of Oregons starting lineman and was out before the season even began with a torn ACL. Jake Fisher was out for multiple games with an injury, which allowed freshman Tyrell Crosby to establish himself along the offensive line. Starting center Hroniss Grasu missed a few games later in the season after suffering an injury at Utah. It was a miracle that Oregon made it to the National Championship Game with all the injuries along the offensive line, and it was really the spectacular quarterback play by Mariota and the running back play by Freeman that hid the problems along the offensive line. The 2021 offensive line still has a lot to prove. They are physically bigger than the 2014 offensive line, but they havent proven their ability to create in the run game and their pass protection has at times been suspect. However, the 2020 season was a mess so it is difficult to make any real judgement as to their continued development. The Spring Game was also of little help in determining Oregons line capabilities because that would require us to have a complete understanding of the defensive line play, and the defensive line still has many questions, as well. But if this offensive line can simply live up to their potential, they will be a great, mauling offensive line. Advantage 2021 Ducks Conclusion The Oregon offense in 2021 has the potential to be great. The biggest advantage they have over their 2014 counterparts is depth. The 2021 offense should be able to take numerous injuries and maintain a high level of play, something that was difficult for the 2014 team. David Marsh Portland, Oregon Top Photo By: Craig Strobeck Andrew Mueller, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in higher education in Chicago, Illinois.
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https://fishduck.com/2021/05/how-does-oregons-offense-in-2021-stack-up-against-2014/
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Whats Oregons Biggest Reason for OPTIMISM in 2021?
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Oregon Ducks fans have plenty to be excited about in 2021. Mario Cristobal will likely field his most talented roster yet, the Pac-12 is ripe for the taking once again, and if the Ducks can manage a tricky road trip to Columbus, the rest of their schedule is very manageable. Plenty of exciting playmakers on both sides of the ball return. On defense, darkhorse Heisman candidate and NFL hopeful Kayvon Thibodeaux is ready to spend yet another season making a living in the opposing offenses backfield. Freshman All-American Noah Sewell flashed superstar potential last season, quickly emerging from his older brothers shadow. And former five-star prospects Justin Flowe and Dontae Manning both looked like future stars in their own right in Oregons spring game. Offensively, the Ducks will field one of the top backfields in the country, led by a pair of stars Travis Dye and CJ Verdell who are each capable of shouldering the load and making explosive plays. A talented offensive line remains entirely intact, bolstered by the addition of several high-profile recruits, including top-50 prospect Kingsley Suamataia. And a wide receiver group that has taken its lumps over the past few years looks to finally be a strength, with the emergence of speedster Kris Hutson, and the acquisitions of blue-chip recruits Troy Franklin and Donte Thornton. Expected starter Anthony Brown is solid in his own right, but fans are itching to see what the dazzling freshman Thompson brings to the table. Joshua Whitted Morgantown, West Virginia Top Photo by Kevin Cline
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https://fishduck.com/2021/06/whats-oregons-biggest-reason-for-optimism-in-2021/
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Who Was Sofia Vergaras First Husband?
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Americas Got Talent host Sofia Vergara is one of Hollywoods most beloved (and best-paid) stars. The actress said I do to her high school sweetheart Joe Gonzalez when she was just 18 years old. Vergara and Gonzalez have a 29-year-old son named Manola who was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. Manola is a model, actor, and director. Vergara was married to her first husband for just a few short years, divorcing in 1993 when their son was 2 years old. In 2011, Vergara talked to Parade about her relationship with Gonzalez. Were still close friends, the actress said, adding that her ex-husband even stays with her when he visits the United States. Although Gonzalez is still involved in his sons life, Vergara did much of the parenting herself and shes proud of that. Now that I look back, I never really needed the help of anyone, she told Harpers Bazaar in 2016. It does feel great to look back and know Ive done it all myself. Its rewarding. Vergara Also Broke off an Engagement After Joe Gonzalez and before Joe Manganiello, Vergara was engaged to actor and director, Nick Loeb. Vergara and Loeb ended their engagement in 2014. The Los Angeles Times reported that Vergara addressed the split on her no-longer-existent WhoSay page. Not that anyone should care, but in order to not give the press the chance to invent crazy and hurtful drama, I prefer to tell my fans personally that Nick and I have decided to be apart, the actress wrote. She added that we have been having too many problems with figuring out how to spend time together and because of my work and now his, its been getting worse and worse, not fun anymore. Loeb and Vergara Had a Legal Battle Over Frozen Embryos Although Vergara and Loeb broke it off in 2014, they were still enmeshed in a legal battle until earlier this year. NBC Los Angeles reported that on January 28, 2021, the Los Angeles Superior Court ruled to uphold an earlier contract that states neither Vergara nor Loeb is authorized to use pre-frozen embryos they created together without the written consent of the other person. The decision was the result of a lengthy legal battle in which Loeb claimed that Vergara verbally authorized him to implant the embryos in a surrogate. Loeb also alleged that he only signed the initial contract (which stated that he needed Vergaras written consent to bring the embryos to term) because she bullied him into it. Loeb appeared on The Today Show in 2015 to discuss the case. Loeb told host Hoda Kotb that although he signed legal papers, none of the forms really discussed what would happen in the event of a separation. In an op-ed written for The New York Times titled Our Frozen Embryos Have a Right to Live, Loeb argued that the issue at hand was the sanctity of life. Does one persons desire to avoid biological parenthood (free of any legal obligations) outweigh anothers religious beliefs in the sanctity of life and the desire to be a parent, Loeb wrote. In a statement obtained by People magazine, Loeb said its a shame that Sofia, a devout Catholic, would intentionally create babies just to kill them. Loeb co-wrote and directed a 2020 film called Roe v. Wade which explores the landmark 1973 Supreme Court case of the same name. Variety called the film, an atrocious anti-abortion propaganda piece. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Loeb said what I tried to do in the movie as a director is really showcase both sides. The New Season of Americas Got Talent Premieres Tonight Catch Sofia Vergara on the season 16 premiere of Americas Got Talent, June 1 at 8 pm ET on NBC. Vergara will judge contestants alongside Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Terry Crews. READ NEXT: The Good Witch Star Catherine Bell Got Divorced After 17 Years
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https://heavy.com/entertainment/agt/sofia-vergaras-ex-husband-joe-gonzalez/
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Could Kroger's high-tech Florida invasion bring stores to Sarasota-Bradenton?
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When a big name brand enters the market for the first time, it's realistic to expect a decent amount of fanfare. But in its entry to the Sunshine State, the largest grocery store chain in the entire U.S. is kind of flying under the radar. Kroger, the Ohio-based supermarket conglomerate and the biggest grocer in the U.S. by revenue, is slowly entering the state of Florida, without the usual pomp and circumstance one would expect from a retailer of its size. The company started grocery delivery in the Orlando and Tampa markets in May, it confirmed Tuesday. Kroger started serving central Florida customers May 12 through its 375,000-square-foot hub in Groveland, supported by a spoke location in Tampa. The company also said it plans to expand delivery to the Jacksonville area later this summer via another spoke location. "Florida is experiencing tremendous growth and the Groveland location is strategically located to provide quick access to several cities," Kroger spokeswoman Andrea Colby wrote in an email. As you may have inferred, this isn't an Instacart model, where third-party shoppers are dispatched to existing brick-and-mortar stores like Publix. This is a distribution center model, where goods come into a centralized facility and Kroger delivery drivers bring items directly to customers, according to company job postings. For all its brand awareness, Kroger was virtually nonexistent in Florida before this new delivery system, save for one Jacksonville-area Harris Teeter store. Kroger also got into Florida as the main financial backer of Lucky's Market, an organic grocery store known for prepared foods, fresh produce, specialty products and an apothecary section. Kroger was banking so big on Lucky's that it built an Orlando distribution center. Lucky's was not financially successful. After Kroger pulled out in late 2019, it wasn't too long before the company went bankrupt. It went from 21 stores in Florida to zero. But even before Lucky's failed, Kroger had something in the works for its flagship brand. In July 2019, the company broke ground in Groveland to build its second so-called "Customer Fulfillment Center." Kroger partnered with online grocery retailer Ocado to bring the facility to life. These centers, which are also called "sheds" by the company, are automated with digital and robotic capabilities. Inside the sheds, more than 1,000 bots whizz around giant 3D grids known as The Hive, according to Kroger. The grid contains totes with products and ready-to-deliver customer orders. The first shed officially opened in Monroe, Ohio, in April. Kroger has so far committed to building 20 of these facilities and has already announced plans for locations in Dallas, Texas; Forest Park, Georgia; Frederick, Maryland; Phoenix, Arizona; Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin and Romulus, Michigan, as well as in the Pacific northwest and western U.S. regions. Kroger has competition:First Aldi grocery store in Venice is a 'miracle,' shopper says In case you missed it:Publix, other national companies offer incentives for employee vaccination The company's delivery network allows for coverage of up to 90 miles from the hub location. That territory gets even bigger when spoke locations, like the one in Tampa, are integrated. It seems like Kroger is trying to dip its toes into the Florida market. Its business model, which seems to be very high-tech and focused on convenience, is unlike anything I've seen here before. The company is banking on its snowbird and transplant customers from places like the Midwest, hoping the brand recognition will be enough to boost business here. "While Florida is a new geography for Kroger, there are many residents who have relocated to the state who are familiar with the brand," Colby said. I get grocery delivery. I see why people take advantage of it, especially since COVID started. But I don't know how I feel about ordering online from a grocery store that I've never been to. If I'm using Instacart to order from Publix, for example, I've physically gone to Publix and had their berries enough times to the point where if I ordered them for delivery, I know what I'm getting. But I don't know if ordering groceries online from Kroger would be my first choice, especially since there are so many other stores out there that I'm already familiar with. That's just me, though. And there's still one question remaining. Kroger owns the former Albertsons grocery store building in Bradenton, at 75th Street and Manatee Avenue West. Since the company's purchase of the site in December, things have been radio silent. There hasn't been a single permit pulled in the city, or Manatee County, and there's nothing in Manatee public records. I asked Kroger about the Bradenton site specifically and my question was not answered. I'll make an educated guess here. I doubt that that store - which is in a highly visible commercial location - will be a distribution center. My guess is Kroger will either sell it, turn it into a store or maybe try something brand new, some sort of e-commerce/in-person grocery shopping hybrid. But what I do know is we will be watching. So, welcome to Florida, Kroger. Laura Finaldi, the Herald-Tribunes retail and tourism reporter, can be reached at 941-361-4951 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @lauraefinaldi. Join her Sarasota-Manatee Retail News page on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/sarasotamanateeretail/. Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald Tribune.
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/business/columns/2021/06/01/delivery-model-what-kroger-up-florida/5289246001/
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Who was the firefighter that was shot in the Agua Dulce Fire Station shooting?
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A FIREFIGHTER was fatally shot at the Agua Dulce Fire station in California on June 1, 2021. The suspect reportedly fled the scene in a white Toyota pickup truck to a home in Acton, California. A 44-year-old firefighter was reportedly shot and killed just before 11 am at Los Angeles County Fire Station No. 81. The identity of the firefighter has yet to be released. According to authorities, the firefighter had worked with the department for over 20 years. The motive of the shooting is still under investigation. 3 The identity of the firefighter has yet to be released Credit: AFP The Los Angeles County Fire Department released a statement regarding the firefighters death, saying: It is with heavy hearts that the LACoFD confirms that a tragic shooting occurred at approximately 10:55 a.m. today at FS 81 in Agua Dulce. The Dept. is still in the process of gathering additional information & are cooperating with law enf. throughout this ongoing incident. Adding: We will provide updated information when available. Fire Chief Daryl Osby also said that the stations fire captain sustained a gunshot wound and was in critical but stable condition. The 54-year-old was airlifted to Henry Mayo Hospital in Valencia. The Los Angeles Times revealed that the suspect was barricaded inside a home at West Bent Spur Drive, about 10 miles away from the scene of the shooting. The suspect was an off-duty firefighter. 3 The suspect barricaded himself inside his home and set it ablaze, according to a source Credit: AP Most read in US News RAPPER DEATH Rapper Lil Loaded dead at 20 after arrest for 18-year-old friends shooting Latest HEROES SHOT Cali firefighter shoots colleague dead before house blaze suicide MANSLAUGHTER RAP Lord Ashcrofts daughter-in-law CHARGED over Belize cop's shooting 'RECOVERY MISSION' Christian diet guru, husband & 6 others presumed dead after plane crash BELIEVE IT Obama says weapons will be stockpiled & religions may pop up if UFOs confirmed DEADLY MUTANT Vietnam's very dangerous new hybrid variant 'fuelling worst Covid outbreak' He was later found deceased, after locking himself in his home before setting the properly ablaze, a source told KABC. No further details have been provided. The Sun contacted the LA County Fire Department for comment on the afternoon of June 1 but a spokesperson said they were "not able to confirm [any details] at this time."
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https://www.the-sun.com/news/2998461/who-firefighter-shot-agua-dulce-fire-station-shooting/
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How will USMNT line up v Honduras in CONCACAF Nations League semi?
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The United States mens national team can achieve two firsts with a pair of wins in the next week by becoming the only winner of the CONCACAF Nations League while giving Gregg Berhalter his first trophy as USMNT boss. In order to do so the Yanks will have to first beat Honduras, something that proved difficult for the Olympic qualifying team but should not worry the U.S. that much barring a red card or series of early injuries. [ MORE: Three things we learned from Switzerland 2-1 USMNT ] This is not your fathers Honduras national team, which has played just four matches since the start of 2020 and not won once. Yes, 38-year-old Maynor Figueroa is still captaining the side and theres threat in Alberth Elis, Boniek Garcia, and Anthony Lozano, but to imagine Los Catrachos beating the U.S. is to watch the perceived lack of heart from Olympic qualifying infiltrate a senior national team full of European-based stars. Yes, the USMNT lost 2-1 to Switzerland (Three things learned) in its biggest test of the last three years in terms of opposition quality, but to shake your head at that result is to drastically overlook the Swiss in terms of system consistency and talent. In terms of Elo Ratings, an imperfect but favorable alternative to FIFAs flawed rankings, No. 15 Switzerland compares to the No. 30 U.S. and No. 57 Honduras. In terms of the differences between the three, the Swiss advantage over the U.S. is smaller than the Yanks advantage over Honduras. So, yes, the U.S. needs answers at center back next to John Brooks and must sort out its best option at center forward, but also hung tough with the Swiss in St. Gallen on a day the two sides were even in shots, shots on target, and passing percentage. Berhalter has already said that Christian Pulisic will be back in the Starting XI and the removals of John Brooks, Sebastian Lletget, and Jackson Yueill just after the hour mark in Switzerland say something about the coachs preferences with two more matches this week. Hed love to again take out Brooks after 60 minutes if the Honduras match is well-in-hand or maybe hes willing to bet the Yanks can handle Los Catrachos without taking the Wolfsburg man at all. Really, theres also little reason to read into Sundays lineup when the players are still used to the scheduled congestion of the seasons that just finished within the last week or two (excepting MLS-based players Lletget, Yueill, Kellyn Acosta, and David Ochoa). If not, what does that mean for the No. So lets take a look at how Pulisic and his inspirational countrymen could line up against Honduras. Steffen Dest McKenzie Miazga Robinson Adams McKennie Pulisic Lletget Reyna Sargent Follow @NicholasMendola
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https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2021/06/01/how-will-usmnt-line-up-v-honduras-in-concacaf-nations-league-semi/
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Is My Screenplay Big Enough to Be a Movie?
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The justification for making A Quiet Place Part II is simple: the first film was about what brave and strong parents Lee and Evelyn Abbott (real-life married couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt) were in the face of a world in which murderous alien monsters with extra-sensitive hearing had taken over everything and murdered most humans. The year-delayed sequel is about their childrenthe deaf young woman Regan (the outstanding Millicent Simmonds) and son Marcus (Noah Jupe from Honey Boy), who is still deeply shaken after [spoiler alert] just having seen his father sacrificing himself to save his kids (in the previous film). The new movie also seeks to expand the world beyond the Abbotts now-destroyed homestead, but that doesnt turn out to be nearly as interesting as what these children are up to.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263959716845/is-my-screenplay-big-enough-to-be-a-movie
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What Are SBOMs and What Do They Mean to Open-Source Software?
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The Threats Are Real The recent spate of high-profile cyberattacks amply demonstrates the knock-on effects of aggressive cyber incidents. The SolarWinds hack exposed their customers networks to the threat of compromise by the cybercriminals. The Codecov attack exposed their users continuous integration/continuous deployment environments to the threat actors. In both cases, the attack on the organizations cascaded downstream to others in that ecosystemthe customers. Attacks that paralyze critical infrastructure have a much wider impact. It isnt just customers of the affected organization or service that are impactedthe ripples extend outward into unrelated industries and wider society. The May 2021 ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline Company led to the shutdown of a 5,500-mile pipeline. Amongst other refined fuels, the pipeline delivers 45% of the gasoline supply2.5 million barrels per day of gasolineto the East Coast. The gasoline delivery simply stopped. Prices at the pumps skyrocketed and panic buying set in. Thousands of gas stations had to close due to the lack of supply. The Colonial Pipeline Company attack was financially motivated. It was a ransomware attack, a common form of digital extortion. Colonial Pipeline paid the cybercriminals a ransom of 75 Bitcoinsroughly $4.4 million, depending on exchange ratesto have their systems restored to them. But if this had been an act of cyberterrorism or cyberwarfare, there would have been no option to purchase the decryption program required to get the stricken systems back online. A nation-state with cyber-offensive capabilities can render another country unable to function internally through a campaign of strategic cyberattacks. Negotiate First Responding to the Threats On March 21, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order on improving the nations cybersecurity. It lays out a set of standards and requirements that all federal information systems must meet or exceed. Section 4 of the executive order deals with ways to enhance the security of the software supply chain. This places date-bound duties on government departments to provide guidance, standards, and procedures for many aspects of the development and procurement of software. Software vendors must meet the standards and follow the procedures in order to be eligible software suppliers to the government. Transparency is cited as a requirement. Software vendors must reveal any third-party components and libraries that were used in the development of their products. That requirement cascades down through the supply chain so that the providers of those libraries and components must in turn list any externally sourced software components that they have used in their products. Open-source software is mentioned specifically. The executive order talks about ensuring and attesting, to the extent practicable, to the integrity and provenance of open source software used within any portion of a product. This isnt surprising. A 2021 report on open-source security found that the average number of open-source components in non-trivial commercial projects is a staggering 528. Thats a 259% increase from five years ago when the average was 84 open-source components per project. RELATED: How to Safely Use Open Source Code in Your Project Open-Source as a Consumable Clearly, open-source projects must respond to the standards and procedures that will be enacted as a result of the executive order. At first thought, the transparency part ought to be easy. Open-source projects hang their source code out for any kind of scrutiny. But of course, open-source projects use other open-source components, which use other open-source components, and so on, nested like Russian dolls. Also, software applications have dependencies. They rely on other software packages to operate. By choosing to include a single open-source component into your own development project, you might unwittingly be including many other open-source products as dependencies. So having your source code available for review isnt enough. You need to provide a list of the software ingredients in your product, just like the list of foodstuff and chemical ingredients on a candy bar wrapper. In the software world, thats called a software bill of materials, or an SBOM. The Software Bill of Materials Security starts with knowledge. You need to know what you have in order to make sure that youve secured it. Thats why IT asset registers and data-processing registers are so important. An SBOMpronounced ess-bombis an application-specific document that lists all of the software elements that make up a software product. Thats valuable knowledge. Having it empowers the users of that software to make security decisions. If you know the component parts present in the software, the risk associated with each of them, and the severity of each risk, you can make considered and informed choices. You might read the list of ingredients on a candy bar wrapper and find that it contains something youre allergic to. With an SBOM, you can review the build versions, release numbers of the software ingredients, and decide whether to proceed or not. For example, you might flat-out refuse to use a product that incorporates (say) telnet, or one that uses a version of SSH that has a known vulnerability. Putting together a detailed SBOM isnt a five-minute task. But it must be accurate and sufficiently detailed, or it wont serve its purpose. As a minimum baseline, for each software component in a software project, an SBOM should contain a: Supplier Name : The vendor or people who wrote the software. : The vendor or people who wrote the software. Component Name : The name of the component. : The name of the component. Unique Identifier : A universally unique identifier (UUID). : A universally unique identifier (UUID). Version String : The build and version details of the component. : The build and version details of the component. Component Hash : A cryptographic hash of the component. This allows a recipient to verify, if they have suspicions, whether a binary they have been provided with has been modified. : A cryptographic hash of the component. This allows a recipient to verify, if they have suspicions, whether a binary they have been provided with has been modified. Relationship : The relationship between software components describes the dependencies between components and which components have been compiled and linked into other components. : The relationship between software components describes the dependencies between components and which components have been compiled and linked into other components. Licensing : The type of license that the software component is released under. : The type of license that the software component is released under. Author Name: The author of the SBOM. This is not necessarily the software supplier. If there is to be wide adoption of SBOMs, there must be a standard defining the data formats, data content, and accepted processes and norms. This is likely to appear as part of the guidance that the executive order has requested be created. There are several competing SBOM standards. The three front-runners in this space are Software Package Data Exchange (SPDX), the ISO standard 19770-5:2013 Software Identification (SWID), and CycloneDX. It will be interesting to see whether one of these is adopted by the federal government as their preferred standard. Automation Can Help Several classes of tools can help with the production and use of SBOMs. Software packages are available that can scan projects, determine dependencies, and generate SBOMsor almost complete SBOMs that you can drop some finishing details into. SBOMs will probably be made available either as downloads or as part of the packaged software, much like a readme file. Once youre in possession of someone elses SBOM, you need to review it. Thats going to take time. Each component will need to be checked to make sure that its permissible according to the criteria that your organization has set, and that the licensing of each component doesnt cause any conflicts for you. Software is available that can perform these checks for you. The most comprehensive packages list the known vulnerabilities for each component and the severity of those vulnerabilities. Security Starts with Knowledge The provenance of software packages and all of their component parts is going to become a vital tool for software consumers to appraise and make procurement decisions. It will also be a differentiator for software vendors and producers, whether they create software for other developers or for end-users to use.
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https://www.cloudsavvyit.com/11618/what-are-sboms-and-what-do-they-mean-to-open-source-software/
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What if the 2012 Reds had won game five against San Francisco?
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San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds MLB Pick Prediction 5/17/2021. Giants at RedsMLB pick is San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds to play over the total of eight runs. Starting for San Francisco will be Logan Webb. In his four starts away from his pitcher friendly home stadium in San Francisco, the righthander has allowed 16 earned runs with nine walks over 19 innings. Reds put up seven runs a game in their home stadium. Sonny Gray starts for the Reds. The righthander is in five starts has an ERA of 3.55 and WHIP of 1.46. He is backed by a Reds bullpen that has an ERA over five and averages four innings per game. Giants bullpen ERA away from their pitchers park at home is over five. Play San Francisco and Cincinnati over eight runs.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263985134415/what-if-the-2012-reds-had-won-game-five-against-san-francisco
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Is Devin Haney The Best Lightweight In The World?
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By: Steven Galeano WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney took a significant step toward divisional supremacy Saturday night after defeating former three-division world champion Jorge Linares. Haney faced adversity after being visibly hurt at the end of round 10, yet showed veteran tactics to survive and preserve a unanimous decision to defend his world title. The three judges scored the bout 116-112, 116-112, 115-113, all for Haney. No. Unified champion Teofimo Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) owns that notion, and many would not debate such a topic. Vasyl Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs), is still the second best lightweight, despite losing his world titles to Lopez in October of 2020. For whatever reason, Lomachenko is seemingly a forgotten man in the division, yet he is still second best after being number one since entering the division in 2018. Haney deservedly is number three after his big win over Linares (47-6, 29 KOs). Whether you consider Gervonta Davis (24-0, 23 KOs) a lightweight, definitely shakes up this list. With Davis last fight taking place at super featherweight, and his next fight taking place at super lightweight, he will currently be left out of the list. Haney proved himself to be a world-class operator, outclassing Linares in a way fans are not accustomed to seeing. The masterclass was largely overlooked by the end of round 10 when Linares badly hurt Haney before the bell rang, as Haney stumbled to the corner. Haney smartly held for the next two rounds, much to the dismay of fans. Most in the boxing world are clamoring to see Haney face-off with Lopez, largely to clear up the confusion regarding whether Lopez is truly undisputed. That is another topic to discuss separately. Haney firmly staked himself as the third best lightweight in the world and the Linares win only further justified his placement. The victory, however, was not nearly enough to place him higher than Lomachenko, considering Lomachenko knocked out a more formidable version of Linares in 10 rounds back in 2018. To place himself as number one or two, he will need to secure an opportunity against Lopez or Lomachenko, two fights that will cause great debates in regards to who will win. Haney defeating Linares was a great step, as boxing fans have been requesting Haney and promoter Eddie Hearn to step up his level of competition. His method of winning the WBC title was controversial, yet his victory over Linares was the sort of signature victory that erased all doubts of his championship mettle. Haney proved he is an elite talent, and the next step is simply to continue fighting the best possible contenders. The top fights in the division will not be easy to make, yet fans hope to see them come to fruition soon enough. As his profile continues to grow, fans will put more pressure to see the top fights happen before the appeal fades.
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https://www.boxinginsider.com/headlines/is-devin-haney-the-best-lightweight-in-the-world/
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Is NJ GOP candidate for governor Jack Ciattarelli a Never Trumper?
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NOT EXACTLY NEWS -New Jersey Republican and Gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli is being accused by many in the public and by his opponent, Hirsh Singh of being a Never Trumper, or somebody who did not support former President Donald J. Trump. Although Ciattarelli did attend the Presidents rally in Wildwood, New Jersey last year, he has been a very harsh critic of the former President, even calling Trump a charlatan who is unfit to be President. Ciattarelli has also confirmed that he did not vote for Donald Trump in the 2016 election. Enter Donald Trump. Instead of providing the kind of leadership that appeals to the better angels of our nature in calling us to meaningful and just action, Mr. Trump preys upon our worst instincts and fears. On important issues, he is a charlatan who is out of step with American values. He is a celebrity in his own political reality TV show. He is a Republican who is out of step with the Party of Lincoln. Jack Ciattarelli Jack Ciattarelli said Trump was an embarrassment to our country and not fit to be President of the United States. Sitting silently and allowing him to embarrass our country is unacceptable, Ciattarelli said. He is not fit to be president of the United States. Jack Ciattarelli In December 2015, Ciattarelli condemned Trump as a charlatan who was out of step with the Party of Lincoln and embarrassing the nation. Ciattarelli would then go even further, bluntly saying Trump preys upon our worst instincts and fears and that sitting silently and allowing him to embarrass our country is unacceptable. He is not fit to be President of the United States. Garden State Times Insider NJ called Ciattarelli a hypocrite for his reversal on Trump during the 2021 election cycle. Jack Ciattarelli Once Called Trump Not Fit to be President, Refused to Vote for Him. Hes Just Another #MAGA Republican Hypocrite. Insider NJ Tom Moran, a political correspondent for the Star Ledger called out Ciattarellis reversal on Trump during the 2021 campaign. In recent months, Ciattarelli has tried to rebrand himself as a Trump supporting candidate, but was called out for his actions by political analyst Tom Moran of the Star Ledger. Its heartbreaking, in the business of politics, to see a decent person like Jack Ciattarelli demean himself by saying and doing things he obviously doesnt believe. Ciattarelli, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, is now pretending to be a Trump loyalist. Hes trying to convince the Republican base that hes a hard-core MAGA man, something that he used to loathe. Tom Moran Star Ledger Jack Ciattarelli now says hes behind Trump, but in the NJ101.5 debate against his opponent Hirsh Singh, he refused to say he supports Trump, only that he supported his policies as President. Jack Ciattarelli is in fact a Never Trump who may or may not have had a change of heart, if only that change of heart was for political gain and to rally the support of Trump supporters. So far, hes not convincing many.
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https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2021/06/01/is-nj-gop-candidate-for-governor-jack-ciattarelli-a-never-trumper/
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Is it time for Dallas County to rethink its color-coded COVID warning system?
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Dallas County commissioners continued to grapple with their role in the coronavirus pandemic now that COVID-19 vaccines are widely available and federal authorities have eased most of the safety precautions for fully vaccinated Americans. On Tuesday, commissioners John Wiley Price and J.J. Koch renewed concerns that the public was getting mixed messages as the county continues to use a color-coded warning system that was created more than a year ago. At the time, the county was averaging a few hundred new cases a day about double the current average and a fraction compared to the spike the region saw earlier this year after the holidays. According to the countys system managed by the health department and a panel of medical experts who have consulted with Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins since nearly the beginning of the pandemic last March residents who are not vaccinated should use extreme caution and limit almost all activities outside of their homes. Weve been at extreme caution and holding, said Price, who represents southern Dallas County. Just from the optics or the psyche maybe no one is paying attention but us. Dallas County's COVID threat level changed to orange on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. That means the risk of eating in restaurants and going to salons is slightly less now than it was in May when the county created the color chart. (Dallas County) Dallas County was one of the first local governments in Texas and the U.S. to create a color-coded warning system to share the perceived risk of catching the virus especially before vaccines were developed and approved for emergency use. The county also produced a long list of activities to avoid based on the corresponding risk. For example, under the current threat level, residents should not eat indoors at restaurants, and they should avoid non-essential travel and gatherings outside the family. The guidance has not been updated even after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month eased its mask requirements and suggested fully vaccinated people can return to pre-pandemic lives without worry. Instead, the county has said the color-coded system and guidance only applies to people who are not fully vaccinated. The county unveiled the system last summer after Gov. Greg Abbott started to relax statewide rules meant to contain the pandemic. Since then, the threat level has shifted from red to orange twice. Dr. Philip Huang, Dallas County Health Department director, told commissioners he had hoped to announce a shift from orange to yellow or proceed carefully on Tuesday. However, goals set when the system was first established have not yet been met, he said. I hear you, Huang told the commissioners. But we dont want to move the goal post. Among the metrics the county hopes to hit soon to lower the threat level from orange to yellow: a positivity rate below 5% from hospital-administered COVID tests and fewer than five new cases per 100,000 people. Huang said Parklands positivity rate is above 7%, and the number of new cases averages to about 5.25 per 100,000 people. Koch, who represents northern Dallas County, likened the system to one created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Both outlived their usefulness because they were poorly managed, he said. This has to be seriously rethought if you want the public to take it seriously, Koch said, pointing out that the system was created when vaccines were thought to be a long way off. So far, more than 10 million Texans are fully vaccinated including more than 916,000 Dallas County residents. More than half of all eligible Dallas County residents over the age of 12 have received at least one shot, according to state data. The number of newly vaccinated residents continues to slow despite the CDC approving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children as young as 12. Jenkins said Friday that the countys Fair Park vaccine hub will close in August. The site is now open three days a week: Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Meanwhile, the county continues to open pop-up vaccine sites with mixed success. The county is expected to offer vaccines this weekend at the citys LGBTQ Pride celebration at Fair Park and later this month at DeSotos Juneteenth celebration.
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https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/2021/06/01/is-it-time-for-dallas-county-to-rethink-its-color-coded-covid-warning-system/
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Is Arizona copying a Nazi method for carrying out executions?
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According to documents obtained by the Guardian, the Arizona Department of Corrections has been busy restoring the states gas chamber to workable condition and has purchased the chemicals necessary to turn it into a proper killing machine. The Guardian reports that DOC has purchased a brick of potassium cyanide, sodium hydroxide pellets and sulfuric acid, which when used in the desired order create cyanide gas. The same lethal gas that was deployed at Auschwitz, the article says. The report about the DOCs actions was noted in the Jerusalem Post, which also pointed out that Arizona would be following Nazi methodology. Arizona is not good at killing people The problem is that while Arizona still has a death penalty the state has been really bad at killing people. As you may recall, the execution of Joseph Wood in 2014 was a cruelly bungled affair in which the executioner had to administer the (eventually) lethal dose of the drug midazolam 15 times before a hideously suffering Wood finally died. Back in 1992, when the state reinstituted the death penalty after a nearly 30-year hiatus, the first inmate executed, Donald Harding, died in the gas chamber that is now being refurbished. It took roughly 10 minutes to kill him. Witnesses reported that Harding took big gulps of the deadly gas, that his face got more and more red and that he slumped forward in his restraints and convulsed with tremors that rocked his upper body. There's also that pesky Eighth Amendment A television journalist who witnessed the execution said afterward, We put horses down more humanely It was not something you would want to see.'' Ive been told again and again that the murderers we condemn deserve as painful a death as their victims. I get that. Or, as Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, told the Guardian, You have to wonder what Arizona was thinking in believing that in 2021 it is acceptable to execute people in a gas chamber with cyanide gas. Did they have anybody study the history of the Holocaust? Reach Montini at [email protected]. For more opinions content, please subscribe.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2021/06/01/arizona-copying-nazi-execution-method-restored-gas-chamber/7491444002/
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Is een vulkaanuitbarsting de ramp te veel voor Noord-Kivu in Congo?
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Noord-Kivu in Congo wordt getroffen door de zoveelste humanitaire crisis. Deze keer heet de boosdoener Niyarangongo, een vulkaan. Ruim 400000 Congolezen zijn op de vlucht geslagen voor een vulkaanuitbarsting in Goma, in Noord-Kivu. De situatie dreigt helemaal uit de hand te lopen als een nieuwe vulkaanuitbarsting een dodelijke gasbel onder het nabijgelegen Kivumeer laat vrijkomen. [email protected] CREDITS Journalist Koen Vidal| Presentatie Alexander Lippeveld| Redactie Fien Dillen| Eindredactie Cathrine De Kock| Audioproductie Brecht Plasschaert| Muziek Brecht Plasschaert | Chef Podcast Bart Dobbelaere | Extra geluidsfragmenten Reuters JOURNALISTIEK OM NAAR TE LUISTEREN Dat zijn de podcasts van De Standaard. Elke weekdag praat een journalist u bij over een actuele kwestie.
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https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20210601_95348356
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Should Biden Have Forgiven Student Debt?
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Editors note: This weeks Future View asks whether President Biden should make student debt relief a priority. Students can click here to submit opinions of fewer than 250 words before June 15. The best responses will be published that night. A Good Way to Inflate Tuition Canceling student loan debt is a short-term solution that will only encourage universities to raise tuition. They wont lose applicants over cost increases. Parents who cant pay will expect the feds to step in. As a result, the next generation of students will be met with the same or worse debt problems, causing another student-loan cancellation initiative. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, every dollar in subsidized loans results in a 60-cent increase in the sticker price of college tuition. To break this vicious circle, the government needs to lower tuition costs by getting out of the credit market for student loans and developing a more cost-effective way for all Americans, regardless of income, to attend college. The government could promote community colleges and trade schools over the traditional university experience, for example. Then the discussion can begin on how to deal with existing student debt. Alex Blecker, Oglethorpe University, economics and politics Biden Abandons Young Voters President Biden has consistently demonstrated that the voters who put him into office arent his priority. Many young voters assumed that student-debt relief would be a given in a Democratic administration. Now that hes president, Mr. Biden has left those burdened by student debt hanging. In the midst of a pandemic, many students didnt even receive the first two stimulus checkswhich were meager anywayand faced an ever thinner job market as they and their parents tried to make ends meet. Debt relief was more vital than ever, but its evident this president doesnt care. The Democratic Party cant rely on us to stay loyal. New progressive coalitions are forming. Mr. Biden should reconsider keeping his promises or be prepared for a party realignment and a much less welcoming political climate in the coming years. Induja Kumar, Vanderbilt University, political science and philosophy Debt Relief Relieves Little Debt Politicians and activists promoting student debt relief ignore many of the financial burdens families take on so they can afford college. Families often take out loans for housing, transportation and living expenses so they can free up money to pay for tuition. Households also forgo consumption and pour their money into savings in the hopes of avoiding debt. Thomas Brodey, Amherst College, history Biden Must Have Checked the Price Tag It isnt difficult to understand why Mr. Biden, an ostensible fiscal moderate, opposes even the most modest student debt cancellation proposals: They are expensive. A report published in February by the Brookings Institution found that canceling all student debt would cost more than the government has spent on food stamps for the past 20 years. Even a watered-down proposal to forgive $10,000 would cost more than we have spent on the free school breakfast and lunch program since 2000. Forget bipartisan support from the right. Will moderate Democrats like Sens. Student debt is certainly a problem. Colleges are practically extorting the lower and middle classes to pay exorbitant tuition. Targeted policies such as increasing funding for Pell grants would help reduce the number of low-income students who have to take on debt to attend collegeand stand a chance of passing. Helping alleviate student debt is important, but lets be smart about it. Ethan Moon, Dartmouth College, economics and music Nonsensical Loans Student loans seem to be the only debt you can take on without giving real assurances that you can pay it back. When you obtain a car loan, the lender looks at your earnings to ensure payment is possible. Student loans for a four-year degree can run well over $100,000. Im all for students pursuing their passions, but at some point you have to consider a majors return on investment. If the Biden administration wants to help, it should focus more on the future financial health of students by encouraging colleges to adopt things like financial planning courses for freshman or regular discussions between students and financial aid advisers. Andrew Hipple, Pennsylvania State University, accounting and psychology Click here to submit a response to next weeks Future View.
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/should-biden-have-forgiven-student-debt-11622588577
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How Did 21 Runners Die in a Chinese Ultramarathon?
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I was not ready I didnt have trail shoes and my road shoes felt like slippers. I only wore a sweatshirt, t-shirt, and shorts. I didnt even have food and water, and the three people I was with graciously offered me gels, food, and water. But never during that ultramarathon-like effort did I doubt I would make it out okay unlike the recent ultramarathoners who participated in a trail race in northwest China. According to Jenni Marsh and Eric Cheung on CNN, on May 22, 21 ultramarathoners died due to extreme weather in the Huanghe Shilin Mountain Marathon in the Gansu Province. While the race started with sunny conditions, but in the afternoon, the conditions changed drastically there was freezing rain, hail, and gale winds. As a runner and a Chinese-American, the news bought chills to my body. The casualties were severe, and I can only imagine how much the runners suffered. Among the dead, according to CNN, was Liang Jing, one of the best ultramarathoners in China who won the Ultra Gobi three years ago, a 400-kilometer race through the Gobi Desert. According to the BBC, Liangs nicknames were Liang God and General Liang. Liang had only worn a thin jacket and shorts during the whole race. The BBC also notes Huang Guanjun, a high-profile hearing impaired marathoner, also died during the race. One friend noted Huang couldnt even ask for help because he was deaf and could not speak. One runner said the hail felt like bullets hitting the face, and many of the runners suffered from hypothermia. Many runners originally came to the event because of an incentive each runner who completed the event was offered 1,600 yuan ($248). Guan Cong and Timmy Shen at Nikkei Asia attribute the tragedy to the lack of safety standards in the trail cross country running world. While road races with very set expectations and requirements, the trail running world does not have the same standards, while navigating more treacherous terrain. Runners who ran the event said the race was not well-organized, and the organizers did not require windproof running jackets in compulsory gear. These standards do not age well in a sport that is gaining fast in popularity: Industry insiders tell Caixin that enthusiasm for the sport has outpaced careful planning and risk controlThere are no uniform standards, and in practice, organizers come up with different rules and standards based on a races difficulty level. Cong and Shen said. Trail runs often happen in rural areas with high elevations, and now, hundreds of companies organize such trail running events to bring sponsors and raise profile. The industry relies largely on sponsorships from tour groups, brands, and local governments. The costs of putting on such events are also expensive, with one veteran organizer saying they range from 300,000 yuan to 5 million yuan. The company that ran the event is called Shengjing Sports and Cultural Development Co. Ltd., who first started running the event in 2018. The executive team running the event was temporary and included many family members and friends of the company. Currently, authorities are investigating what happened, and the General Administration of Sport and the China Methodological Administration are involved in the investigation. Veteran race organizer Wang Yan said the tragedy was largely due to the inexperience of the company. The event has rocked the Chinese trail running community, with Shen and Cong saying over four races were canceled or postponed indefinitely. During the race, one shepherd named Zhu Keming heroically saved six trail runners from the weather, and arguably from death. According to Phillip Wang at CNN, Zhu was grazing sheep, but then the weather turned terrible. This kind of weather is really rare, in his words. Around 1 p.m., Zhu encountered a runner who could not run anymore and let him stay in the cave. Four other runners also stayed in the cave and Zhu carried one struggling runner into the cave. Fellow people from his village also aided in the research and rescue mission. Zhu became a viral social media sensation, but he said he did a normal, ordinary thing and he apologized for not saving more people from their death. In mountains, Helen Davidson says its not uncommon for the weather to turn extreme. Local reports said the National Early Warning Information Center issued a warning of hail and strong winds beforehand. 1,200 people came to search and rescue all 172 race participants, and many of those responders were heroes in their own right. And then I have to hold myself back. Im not saying no one should be held accountable, but there is a chance no one could have prepared for such a freak accident and the ultramarathon community, both in China and across the world is reeling from the tragedy. The lesson for all ultramarathon and even marathon events is to prepared for emergencies and the worst possible situations. I have run three marathons, and there were times in all three where I felt like I could barely move. Fortunately, they were all in cities and paved roads and I was not navigating mountains or adverse conditions, but I have what might be an unpopular opinion: This could have happened in any ultramarathon trail race. The tragedy is indicative of a systemic need to raise standards across the ultramarathon worldwide community. One trail runner said the whole industry needs to raise its compulsory equipment standards, stronger oversight, and more medical support. Perhaps it is crass and insensitive to urge people to reserve judgment on race organizers, but for long cross country race organizers around the world to prepare better to make sure something like this never happens again. Will Ford at Outside Magazine is intimately connected with the Chinese ultramarathon community and the question wasnt if a tragedy like that could happen, but when that kind of tragedy could happen. Many ultramarathoners told Ford they were lost at high elevations without medical support and volunteers. And how China is going has dealt with the tragedy, politically, is the utmost caution. Politicians originally saw marathons and ultramarathon as a moneymaker and a source of revenue for tourism. A growing Chinese middle class bought into the trend, but now the government is responding with a crackdown endurance and cross country events are being treated with restraint and being canceled. I love running but this is a lesson for the whole running community across the world. These races are not to be nonchalantly organized they can go terribly wrong and they must prepare for emergencies. Or else, human lives are at stake. Photo from watarukawa on Wikipedia Commons Originally published on Medium on May 26, 2021.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263930289316/how-did-21-runners-die-in-a-chinese-ultramarathon
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Do we dare leave the Union or risk staying in it?
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Cast your mind back to 2016. The UKs long-standing system of accountability still worked reasonably well. Ministers resigned or were sacked if they did wrong. MPs did not abuse their constituents. We have lost all this in what feels like the blink of an eye. Traditionally, if you dont like a government, you wait for democracy to bring along another. The result in Hartlepool last month showed the challenge Labour faces at the next general election. Sponsored Even if Labour gains power, alone or in a progressive alliance, who can say with confidence that it will be able or willing to deliver the electoral reform needed to prevent the UK from again being taken over by a minority
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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/do-we-dare-leave-the-union-or-risk-staying-in-it-qmvdtxfvf
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Where were the critics who could have stopped Johnson leading us to Covid tragedy?
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How convenient it would be for opponents of the Prime Minister if there was truth in the narrative that he had shown a cavalier attitude towards Covid 19, ignoring and over-ruling the cautions of his expert advisers. It isnt just Dominic Cummings who is trying to spin this tale. One current government insider was quoted anonymously on Sunday as saying: Its very clear that we should have closed the border to India earlier and that Boris did not do so because he didnt want to offend Modi. Typical of Labours response throughout the Covid crisis, the shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds jumped on the bandwagon, saying that the government should have closed down travel from India sooner. The message is: yes Boris deserves half a cheer for his vaccination programme, but look, here he is again riding roughshod over scientific evidence, and we are all now going to pay the price in more deaths and serious illness.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263933376664/where-were-the-critics-who-could-have-stopped-johnson-leading-us-to-covid-tragedy
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Why Hasn't Gleyber Torres Been Hitting For Power This Season?
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NEW YORK When Gleyber Torres mashed 38 home runs in his sophomore season, it looked like the shortstop was poised to be one of the biggest power threats in the Yankees' lineup for years to come. Since then, however, the 24-year-old has struggled in the power department. Torres has hit just two home runs in 2021 through the first third of the regular season. In fact, if you factor in last year's shortened campaign, Torres has homered only five times in his last 347 plate appearances (87 games). With the entire offense in a funk, Yankees hitting coach Marcus Thames was peppered with questions about cold spells from New York's lineup on Tuesday. When asked about Torres' lack of power, Thames had no trouble diagnosing the shortstop's biggest issue at the plate. "There have been some mechanical things that we've been looking at and he's trying to get that fixed and he's working hard at it," Thames explained. "He's just got to trust it once you get in the game." Thames said that he and the coaching staff have been trying to help Torres stay behind the baseball a little bit longer. By allowing pitches to travel for an additional split second, Torres would be able to barrel up the baseball more often, getting back to the pop we saw from him a few years ago. It's one thing to execute in the cage and on the field in batting practice, Thames added, but the real challenge is to get those adjustments to translate in game. To be fair, it hasn't been all bad for Torres this year. The phenom went on a hot stretch toward the end of May, hitting .611 (11-for-18) with a homer and eight RBI over five games. With that torrid stretch included, Torres is now batting .259 (43-for-166) on the year in 45 games played. Home run drought aside, Torres' advanced metrics are concerning. Torres has an average exit velocity of 85.3 mph. That puts him in the league's fourth percentile as only four other qualifying players have produced a lower average exit velo entering play on Tuesday. While Torres' chase rates have never been lower, and he's drawing his walks, he's rarely finding barrels (5.3 barrel %) and his xSLG (.390) is almost 100 points lower than it was in his mammoth 2018 campaign. Thames was confident that Torres can make the changes to explode in June and beyond. He can take all the swings in the world behind the scenes, but once he steps up to the plate, the shortstop has to trust his instincts and play the game. "We just got to make sure that he stays within himself and get the pitches that he's supposed to hit and hit it hard," Thames said. "But he's got to make sure in the beginning, clear his head and go out and play baseball." MORE: Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), on Facebook (also @MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
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https://www.si.com/mlb/yankees/news/why-new-york-yankees-shortstop-gleyber-torres-hasnt-hit-for-power-hitting-coach-marcus-thames
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Is Chicago Med season 7 coming in 2021?
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Voight (Jason Beghe), similarly as the surveillance unit, were gone facing with their most conspicuous nightmare in the season eight finale of NBCs Chicago PD when one of their own is gone and in the hold of a wanted individual. This season, Voight has been acting as well as could be expected, endeavoring to keep his gathering regularly on a legitimate method of living, yet that was all until Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) was thrown in the most dangerous situation conceivable. Burgess kidnapper had no intention of permitting her to survive, yet predetermination intervenes when the true criminal leader shows up and shoots both of them. Discussing the season finale, Beghe has some huge remarks about the episode.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263942772752/is-chicago-med-season-7-coming-in-2021
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When is A Quiet Place Part II coming to DVD and Blu-ray?
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Very rarely does a sequel of any genre, especially in horror, reach the heights of the original, but thats precisely what A Quiet Place Part II achieves. Writer-director John Krasinskis skillful, exhilarating storytelling from A Quiet Place is strongly carried in to this beyond satisfying second part, expanding the world the Abbott family is silently surviving in. This one picks up right where the first one left off as Evelyn (with her newborn), Regan, and Marcus leave their home and walk further into the unknown, past where their sandy trail ends. The monsters mystique has worn off, which tends to happen after seeing them and discovering their weakness back in 2018. Even so, that doesnt mean theyre still not scary as hell.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263946250126/when-is-a-quiet-place-part-ii-coming-to-dvd-and-blu-ray
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Why are we obsessed with prime ministers that never were?
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While Dominic Cummings revelations over the handling of the Covid crisis are all over the news, many have imagined who would have been an improvement on Boris Johnsons leadership. The usual rows have broken out over whether Jeremy Corbyn would have been worse, thanks to one of Cummingss comments, with the fans and antis in pitched battle as if the past 18 months had never happened. Get over it, hes gone. As is Cummings, and it doesnt matter now whether you think he was good or bad. Sponsored Before he withdrew from the London mayoral race, Rory Stewart made a TV appearance early in the pandemic saying what he would do if he were in charge. Deftly ignoring his desire in the same clip for bringing
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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/why-are-we-obsessed-with-prime-ministers-that-never-were-lhv03v27j
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What course will RBIs Monetary Policy Committee take in June?
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The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meets on 2-4 June against the backdrop of the second wave of the covid-19 pandemic and inflation. Its task: maintain the flexible inflation target and make sure economic revival is on track. Mint explains the basics and likely scenarios. The Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, was amended by the Finance Act, 2016, to set up the MPC in order to introduce transparency and accountability in the way monetary policy decisions are made. It has six membersthree central bank officials and three government nomineesheaded by the RBI governor. It has the responsibility for fixing key policy rates (interest rates) in the country. The MPC attempts to contain inflation and accordingly formulates monetary policy measures in order to influence interest rates. These policy review meetings are held at least four times a year. Inflation targeting, an explicit objective of the monetary policy, is based on the principle that long-term growth can be achieved by maintaining price stability. The flexible inflation targeting framework came into effect in 2016 in India. The RBI is responsible for achieving a Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation target of 4%, with a flexible band of (+/-) 2%. In April, the CPI stood at a comfortable 4.3%. However, Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation increased to 10.49%. This could bring cost pressures from rising commodity prices. The MPC decides key policy rates such as repo rate, reverse repo rate, marginal standing facility, cash reserve ratio and statutory liquidity ratio. At the meeting, the MPC will assess if the trend in the WPI is being transmitted to the CPI too. In such situations, traditionally, a tight monetary policy is adopted to contain inflationary pressures. The pandemic has led the RBI to focus on reviving the economy by going out of the way to keep interest rates low. Its focus has been on building the right environment for strengthening macroeconomic stabilityan anchor for economic recoveryand improving the investment climate. The priority is to move India back on the trajectory of economic growth. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development on Monday cut Indias growth forecast for FY22 to 9.9% from 12.6% estimated in March. Despite fears of the WPI trend transmitting to the CPI soon, the RBI may not go for inflation targeting. It is likely to keep the policy rate intactat this juncture, the MPC wouldnt want to be seen to be doing anything to upset economic revival. Though the RBI is an autonomous institution and is free to take policy decisions as per professional norms, it cant afford to be isolated during a national crisis such as the current second wave of the pandemic. Jagadish Shettigar and Pooja Misra are faculty members at BIMTECH. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now! !
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https://www.livemint.com/news/india/what-could-be-the-likely-signal-from-june-mpc-meet-11622569687722.html
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Is The Best Man a True Story? Is the Movie Based on Real Life?
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The Best Man is a comedy-drama film that follows a Chicago-based writer, Harper, and his friends, who are attending a wedding. When the word that Harpers new book is based on the carefree life of the bride-to-be begins to get out, chaos and hysterical situations follow. The movie stars Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Terrence Howard, Harold Perrineau, and Morris Chestnut in the lead roles. It marks the feature film debut of director Malcolm D. Lee, who also wrote the screenplay. Since its release in 1999, the film has developed a cult following and is considered to be amongst the best movies about African-American people ever made. Its fresh voice and humor have been positively received, and it resonates with audiences till today. If you are wondering whether any real-life incidents or real people inspired the timeless comedy film and/or its free-spirited and colorful characters, weve got you covered. Heres everything we know in that regard. No, The Best Man is not based on a true story. It is an original story from writer and director Malcolm D. Lee. In an interview, Lee spoke about what inspired him to write the screenplay for this movie. He said that while watching films of the time as an educated, middle-class black man, he felt unrepresented. He found the portrayals of black people in films and television shows of time unrecognizable. According to Lee, the black characters lacked cultural specificity and a sense of individualism in general. Lee felt that the black characters during the 90s followed a certain archetype or tropes. Lee was also very fond of movies about college friends and their reunions. He cited the film Waiting to Exhale as an inspiration and said that the movie drove him to craft a story about four extremely full-of-life, young, black men with different ideologies who are college friends. This story took on the shape of The Best Man. Although the film was conceptualized with the goal of creating recognizable on-screen representation for black people, especially the youth, it is important to recognize its overall impact. The films resonant themes of friendship, love, adulthood, responsibility, morality, etc., are universally resonant. They not only create a sense of realism around the films fictional story but also elevate the characters above their race-based classification. The Best Man allows audiences of different sex, race, age, and cultural background to emotionally connect with the story and see a little bit of themselves in the characters. The answer is no. Like the story, the characters are also completely fictional. However, actress Nia Long revealed that she drew inspiration from two of her friends to play the fast-talking Jordan. Likewise, actor Terrence Howard has said that he based his performance in the film on co-star Harold Perrineau. Despite playing characters completely rooted in fiction, the cast has incredible chemistry in real life that translated onto the screen. Actress Sanaa Lathan cited the casts chemistry as one of the reasons why the film resonates with the audience, and we couldnt agree more. Ultimately, The Best Man is a fictional story with a strong semblance to reality thanks to the directors vision of subverting stereotypes and the casts lively performances. It is because of the cast and directors phenomenal work that the movie rises beyond cultural or racial relevance and has remained an evergreen treasure trove of human emotions. Read More: Best African American Comedy Movies on Netflix
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https://thecinemaholic.com/is-the-best-man-a-true-story/
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Is Hyperspecific Wine Stemware Worth It?
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If you are a party enthusiast and storing wine has become an annoyance for you, then a wine cooler is a solution for you. The best wine coolers often have a large storage area for storing and cooling wine, usually stored in amber bottles. The wine fridge also prevent the wine from getting denatured by preventing them from coming in contact with direct sunlight or ultraviolet light. They also limit the wine bottles from having constant movements and enable the sediments of the wine to settle down properly. With this wine chiller storing and getting a perfect flavor, the wine is just very easy to achieve for its users.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264069600272/is-hyperspecific-wine-stemware-worth-it
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How Does Montana Prefer Their Steak Cooked?
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Lets face it. Montana loves their steak. We are a state who has a large chuck of the global cattle industry in our backyards. Finding good steak is easy and we take advantage of it every chance we get. But, just the quality of a steak is a small part of enjoying it. How it is prepared has been something that has been debated for centuries. I have had steaks cooked many different ways. I have had them pan fried, smoked, grilled, poached in butter and even deep fried while stuck on the end of a pitchfork. Regardless of how it is cooked, it all comes down to temperature. I prefer my steak rare. Not still "mooing," but just rare enough that it is slightly chill in the center. That is my preference.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264096595659/how-does-montana-prefer-their-steak-cooked
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What Does NFLs $208M Salary Cap Ceiling for 2022 Mean for Cowboys?
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Week 6 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers are likely the toughest opponent any team will face all season; and for the Eagles that is no different. While the Eagles have the luxury of facing the Bucs at Lincoln Financial Field, Eagles fans can be even more brutal than the fans of their opponents in the face of on-field struggles. This is specifically a tough matchup for Hurts, who will likely be asked to face off against a defense that managed to shut down former MVP Patrick Mahomes on footballs biggest stage.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264135730032/what-does-nfl-s-208m-salary-cap-ceiling-for-2022-mean-for-cowboys
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What is a deep fake?
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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Fake images and videos are not a new thing. For as long as photographs and film have existed, people have been fabricating forgeries designed to deceive or entertain, and this has only accelerated since the mass adoption of the internet. But now, rather than images simply being altered by editing software such as Photoshop or videos being deceptively edited, there's a new breed of machine-made fakes and they could eventually make it impossible for us to tell fact from fiction. Deep fakes are the most prominent form of whats being called synthetic media: images, sound and video that appear to have been created through traditional means but that have, in fact, been constructed by complex software. Deep fakes have been around for years and, even though their most common use to date has been transplanting the heads of celebrities onto the bodies of actors in pornographic videos, they have the potential to create convincing footage of any person doing anything, anywhere. You may have seen a story recently of a popular Twitter account featuring the adventures of a cute female motorcycle enthusiast, who turned out to be a 50-year-old man. Or a woman in the US who faced criminal charges when her daughters schoolmate accused her of constructing a deep fake of the girl vaping. The story was national news and the woman was abused on social media, but experts concluded the video was likely genuine and not a deep fake at all. Prosecutors dropped the accusation. Amy Adams in the film Man of Steel and the deepfake created by YouTube channel derpfakes that imposes actor Nicolas Cage's face over Adams'. Deep fakes are, in their most common form, videos where one persons face has been convincingly replaced by a computer-generated face, which often resembles a second person. They came to prominence in 2017 on the online community called r/deepfakes subreddit, whose members began sharing pornographic videos that appeared to feature popular female celebrities. It was clear the celebrities had no part in making the videos, but the techniques used meant they were much more convincing than traditional fakes that simply transposed the face from one video onto the body from another. Advertisement The "deep" in deep fake refers to "deep learning". It's this element, and the fact the faces are generated wholly by computer, that makes deep fakes different to and potentially more dangerous than fakes that have been manually created by humans. Deep learning is a method of teaching computers and software that is inspired by the way organic brains learn. It involves the systems processing certain tasks over and over again, sometimes totally unsupervised by humans, in order to learn the best way to turn certain inputs into a desired output. In deep fakes, this means changing one person's face into another's, in ways a human editor might not think of or would be unable to detect. After the swap, you should be left with a face that has the features specific to Cage, but with the original mannerisms of Adams. The reason face-swapping is the primary category of deep fake is that all faces share commonalities, even among people of very different appearances, and as long as those elements are consistent our brains tend to believe what they're seeing. If you were imposing Nicolas Cage's face over Amy Adams for example as in the example above the software would learn which parts of the original faces were specific to each actor and should be changed (the eye colour, the mouth shape), and which were part of the scene and should be kept (that the eyebrows raise and mouth opens). After the swap, you should be left with a face that has the features specific to Cage, but with the original mannerisms of Adams. There's nothing specifically stopping the creation of a deep fake engine that makes it look as though people had guns in their hands when they did not, or makes them look taller than they are, but that doesn't play to deep learning's strengths and would probably be more easily achieved through other means. It should also be pointed out that, although the technology is very impressive, the idea that a deep fake could literally be indistinguishable from real footage is still only theoretical. Examples such as the one above are clearly fake and incongruous, while an attempt to actually deceive using deep fakes would require incredibly advanced software, meticulous data and a way to imitate the subject's voice as well as their face. Advertisement For the most part, creating deep fakes requires a lot of facial data in the form of pictures and videos, so it's no surprise that almost all of them involve celebrities. In September 2019, Amsterdam-based company Deeptrace, an organisation "dedicated to researching deep fakes' evolving capabilities and threats", published a study into the almost 15,000 deep fakes circulating online at the time. It found that 96 per cent were pornographic, with 99 per cent of those featuring the faces of female celebrities. The study also found that the top four websites dedicated to deep fake pornography the earliest of which was launched in February 2018 had already attracted almost 135 million video views, highlighting an alarming demand for the non-consensual format. Advanced techniques promise to produce videos that are more convincing than ever, with even less effort. Most mainstream sites, including Reddit, have banned deep fake pornography, and several states in the US have already enacted laws outlawing deep fakes involving nudity that have been made without consent. Popular non-pornographic deep fakes involve recasting movies for fun, such as making it appear as though Nicolas Cage plays all the parts in every film. Since deep fakes typically don't change the voices and sounds of the video, it's also common to alter clips of comedians doing impressions, so they look like the person they're mimicking. Check out this video by impressionist Jim Meskimen and deep fake artist Sham00k: Advertisement Deep fakes or similar techniques have been used in movies. Recent Star Wars films have featured computer-generated versions of Carrie Fisher and Peter Cushing as they appeared in the original 1977 film, while several Marvel movies have de-aged actors including Michael Douglas and Robert Downey jnr. Traditional special effects techniques, such as motion capture, help make these much more consistent than your usual internet deep fake, though in some cases less believable. Typically, creating a convincing deep fake has required a lot of data and a lot of expensive computing power, although advances in technology have meant the techniques are becoming available to a much wider group of content creators than just enthusiasts and professionals. The short answer is, yes, it's difficult but it might not be in the future. One of the most popular techniques involves collecting video data of the two people you're swapping and processing it using a very powerful computer you either have physical access to or (more likely) rent using a cloud service. By comparing the different bits of video, the software attempts to learn how to reconstruct the face from all angles. Many deep fakes result in unconvincing videos where, for example, skin tones come out blotchy or there are clear elements of both people's faces at the same time. But an experienced faker can account for this by choosing specific people and videos. In the clip below, which is a failed out-take from YouTube channel AsArt, you can see actor Adam Driver's face hasn't quite blended with actor Alan Rickman's in this attempt to deep fake a Harry Potter movie. Notice how the top teeth are missing, and how the software doesn't appear to have noticed the mismatched forehead. In another clip from the same channel, this attempt to insert Meryl Streep into the movie has not gone well, potentially because of the moody lighting in the original clip. The software appears confused as to how Streep's face should be coloured. Advertisement But advanced techniques promise to produce videos that are more convincing than ever, with even less effort. Special two-part deep-learning systems called generative adversarial networks (GANs) have made headlines for being able to generate anything from original screenplays to paintings of completely invented landscapes. The system essentially plays a game against itself, criticising and evaluating its own output against what it thinks humans will accept as real. In deep fakes, this can make for synthetic videos with no discernible flaws. Loading Progress has also been made in creating general algorithms for deep fake production. This takes a huge amount of time and computing power but, once complete, an algorithm could potentially allow you to create an instant deep fake video by simply uploading two clips to an app or web browser. Of course, as with viruses and anti-viruses, any technology that can detect or prevent deep fake videos will likely only be temporary, especially since the forgeries are driven by AI that is designed to fool people's perception. Though many people have expressed concern about politicians being impersonated to fuel misinformation and sway elections, to date the most widely seen, non-pornographic examples have all been celebrity memes. In August 2019, a deep fake video was uploaded to the YouTube channel Ctrl-Shift-Face of actor Bill Hader on David Letterman's late-night TV show. Here's what he looked like in the original interview, impersonating Tom Cruise: Advertisement
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https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/what-is-the-difference-between-a-fake-and-a-deepfake-20200729-p55ghi.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_technology
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Why are dselimitation and demarcation of state boundaries between Armenia and Azerbaijan essential?
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On May 17, Armenias caretaker prime minister, Nikol Pashinian, convened a Security Council meeting to discuss the latest tense developments on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border (see EDM, May 18; see below). In addressing the participants, he rejected rumors about the so-called Zangezur corridor (which would stretch across Armenias southern Syunik region, linking mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave), asserting Armenia has never and will never discuss a corridor (Armenpress.am, May 17). His government has, indeed, denied claims about the planned establishment of a Zangezur corridor from the outset of the post-war negotiations. All along, Yerevan has stressed that the word corridor does not exist in the trilateral (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia) November 9, 2020, ceasefire document when referring to Armenias Syunik region, and it is not the subject of any ongoing talks (Armenpress.com, March 9).
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264140807313/why-are-dselimitation-and-demarcation-of-state-boundaries-between-armenia-and-azerbaijan-essential
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Whats going on with Oak Ridges new garbage contract?
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With the city of Oak Ridge's new solid waste contract (garbage) with Waste Connections about to roll out, here are some details on issues related to the new system and how to continue to get curbside pickup if you cannot move your garbage-filled cans to the curb. The city has announced various changes to its solid waste system, some of which, such as the increased price and additional steps to get curbside pickup, have raised concerns among customers. Beginning July 1, the citys 25-year solid waste contract will end, and the new contract will begin, a city news release stated. The residential waste and recycling fee will increase by $1.20 per month, from $14 to $15.20. New and larger, 95-gallon, trash bins will be provided at no additional cost. City Manager Mark Watson has said the new containers are intended to work better with Waste Connections new trucks. Under the new contract, the city will continue to offer backdoor pickup, meaning pickup not at the curb, to about 5% of its customers if they have a medical provider fill out a form, according to Lauren Gray, city communications specialist. The city stated this was the result of citizens ranking backdoor pickup as a lower priority on a recent survey, the results of which are available online on the city website. City Council member Chuck Hope has expressed doubts about this 5% estimate, and Gray told The Oak Ridger that Waste Connections is currently surveying all the houses on its route to get a better number. How to get backdoor pickup This limiting of backdoor pickup has led to letters to the editor at The Oak Ridger, and Gray said its led citizens to ask questions of the city as well. The backdoor pickup service will still be free for people who qualify. Residents desiring backdoor service must contact Oak Ridge Public Works at (865) 425-1875 to request a form that shows verification from a medical provider and certifies that a family member, friend, or neighbor cannot bring the person's garbage and recycling to the road. The form can also be found at bit.ly/ORbackdoorpickup and on the citys website at OakRidgeTN.gov/department/PublicWorks/Home, by clicking Apply for Backdoor Pickup under the dropdown menu for Household Trash & Recycling at the top of the page. To qualify, you must have a disability and/or physical limitations preventing you from being able to bring the bins to the curb AND have no co-habitant, family member, friend, or neighbor on whom you can rely to get the garbage/recycling to the street each week for collection, the form stated. Gray gave The Oak Ridger additional details on how these forms work. They dont need to say what their disability or physical limitation is, she explained regarding how people can qualify, explaining that its not limited to people of a certain age or condition. She encouraged citizens to call Public Works with any questions they have, especially if they are worried about the cost of getting the medical provider to fill out the form. Somebody will help them and make sure that they are taken care of, Gray said. Theres no deadline for filling out these forms. The need for backdoor pickup can change, so there is no deadline. When someone needs backdoor pickup, they can apply and be added into the rotation. If they no longer qualify for the service, they need to call Oak Ridge Public Works at 425-1875 to return to normal curbside pickup, she stated. Why the city staff recommended the contract City Council approved the rate increase and the new contract at the recommendation of city staff. The changes are because the citys 25-year solid waste contract is ending and the options offered today no longer include services like backdoor (pickup) for the same costs as they were two decades ago. To offer the same services today would cost more than $400,000 in our recent bid. Waste Connections had the lowest bid, and to keep backdoor service for everyone would have increased the monthly cost from the current $14/household/month to closer to $20/resident/month, which is approximately a 40% increase, Gray stated. Still, she credited the specifics of the plan to the city staff analyzing the survey to decide which services were the priorities rather than to Waste Connections. The changes were based on the list of services people said they wanted in the survey and then we looked at the costs of each service. The only request from Waste Connections was to have the convenience center closed at least one day to conduct machine maintenance, she stated. Brush pickup will continue to be conducted annually in the spring. After receiving feedback from residents that the annual fall leaf pickup was taking too long, the new contract will require the pickup to be completed within 60 days, the city stated. Household trash pickup will now be held twice a year: spring and fall, for appliances and furniture. The Warehouse Road Convenience Center will now be open on Sundays. Residents can use the center five days per week, Wednesday through Sunday. It will be closed on Monday and Tuesday to allow for staff to conduct maintenance on the machines and equipment. The new trucks and garbage containers will eliminate manual garbage collection and the need for residents to purchase multiple 32-gallon or larger containers to accommodate household waste. Many residents already participate in recycle and have been provided a cart that is taken to the curb. This service has not changed, but if you do not have a brown recycle cart, one will be provided to you upon request. This will also reduce the amount of litter in neighborhoods caused by open containers or torn bags and improve overall customer service to residents, Gray stated. At a special meeting last Tuesday, City Council approved on second reading the rate customers will pay for the contract, raising the rate from $14 to $15.20. Hope voted against the higher rate on second reading, while City Council members Kelly Callison, Jim Dodson, Derrick Hammond, Ellen Smith, Mayor Pro Tem Rick Chinn and Mayor Warren Gooch voted in favor of it. The meeting included a long discussion of various issues. Some of the Council members who approved the rate increase have said they have concerns or questions about the new service. Mayor Warren Gooch said he was worried about the new containers size. I will guarantee you that question was not put on the survey as to whether people would agree to this or be fine with it if they knew that was the size of the trash container, he said. Indeed the survey as reported does not ask about the size of the bins. I understand that it is state of the art and it helps keep the process moving, he said of the bins and the new contract. Im going to vote for this too, but we need to be prepared to get a lot of comments and complaints when people have an extra 95 gallon trash can, rolled up on their driveway with instructions that youve got to put it out every Friday morning between 6 and 8 (a.m.). Gray, in an interview with The Oak Ridger a week after those comments, said, Just because you have a bigger trash bin doesnt mean that youre going to fill it up all the way every time, adding the design has bigger wheels making them easier to move around. Hope explained in an interview that his vote had to do with the lack of information on how many customers would still be using backdoor pickup. The arbitrary number that the contract had in it wasnt adequately verified to understand what that number is, Hope said referring to an estimated 5% of customers who would still be using backdoor pickup. Ben Pounds is a staff reporter for The Oak Ridger. Call him at (865) 441-2317 and follow him on Twitter @Bpoundsjournal.
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https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/2021/06/01/whats-going-oak-ridges-new-garbage-contract/7495224002/
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Will West Pointer Be the Top Gun of Army Movies?
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Despite my misgivings about Zack Snyders filmography, I was excited for Army of the Dead. If theres one thing that that man can do is sell a movie the trailers are usually the best things about his work, and this is no different here Kenny Rogers The Gambler promises a rip-roaring heist movie set against the backdrop of a zombie-occupied Las Vegas. Not related to his prior zombie film, Dawn of the Dead, its always fun to see the director return to his pre-superhero roots and experiment in more original filmmaking not confined by the excessive regulations of a big-budget corporate blockbuster - especially as his debut remains his best work to date.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264283883697/will-west-pointer-be-the-top-gun-of-army-movies
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Is Bello-Koko Right Man for NPA?
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By Vanessa Obioha Following the suspension of former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman, as recommended by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Mohammed Bello-Koko, who is ranked next to her, was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in acting capacity pending an investigation into the activities of NPA. Bala-Usmans ouster followed unconfirmed allegations and reports of insubordination. As such, the question on many lips is if Bello-Koko is the right man for the job. The reason for this is not far fetched: maritime services are very essential to commerce and industry, so the appropriateness of the NPA MD would be of interest, because decisions, actions and inactions are capable of affecting chain of events and businesses. Bello-Kokos resume and profile however suggests that he is experienced to occupy the position. Until his latest appointment, the 51-year-old Kebbi State indigene served as the Executive Director (ED), Finance and Administration. He was appointed in 2016, and is not just one of the longest serving EDs, and member of the management team, but also, one, who has exemplified himself with his penchant for good corporate governance and best practices. He is equipped with about two decades of work experience in the banking sector. He started his working career with FSB International Bank Plc, Port Harcourt, as executive trainee-banking operations and was there between 1996 and 2004. He rose to various positions such as Banking Officer-Credit and later Senior Banking Officer, Senior Treasury Officer and later manager. He later joined Zenith Bank, where he became the Deputy General Manager, Zonal Head and member, Zenith Bank management team. Bello-Koko embarked on a leave of absence from the bank to take up his appointment as NPA Executive Director in 2016. With his appointment in July 2016 as the NPA ED Finance and Administration, his job, for which he is recognised to have done meritoriously well, was among others, to provide oversight for all divisions within the finance and administration directorate and ensure they operate at optimal levels and deliver quality services within defined service level agreements and to provide improved revenue collection measures. It was also his responsibility to provide measures that ensure blockage of revenue leakages with a view to improving revenue generation and collection, consolidate the preparation of the authoritys annual budget for presentation to the relevant authorities by the CEO, coordinate the budget implementation in the organisation and report same to the CEO and ensure that appropriate strategies were developed to achieve the organisations goals and objectives. Bello-Koko oversaw the automation of key port operations, thereby improving operational efficiency and plugging identified revenue leakages, embarked on periodic introduction of cost-cutting measures and prudent financial management strategies, and he worked in close collaboration with the external auditors to deliver audited accounts that are International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) compliant. His job description also encompassed the design and implementation of internal process improvement strategies and performance measurement techniques, ensuring the NPA human resource management practices are designed to promote manpower development, competence and high performance that will positively impact productivity and performance and overseeing the human capacity and manpower development processes in the organisation while ensuring the implementation of a strategic and well-designed annual staff training plan. The tasks of promoting staff welfare, interfacing with labour unions and ensuring prompt resolution of industrial conflicts as they may arise, overseeing the activities of the medical services division responsible for the provision of medical care services to both serving and retired employees, ensuring functionality and efficiency of the NPA medical facilities across the port locations, were also parts of his duties. Koko-Bello was also in charge of the management of NPAs superannuation funds and pension assets, ensured prompt payment of retirement benefits to all retiring employees and prompt payment of pension allowance to the retired employees on pension payroll, facilitated regular verification of the NPA pensioners and provision of medical welfare services. He also oversaw the activities of the Enterprise Risk Management Department responsible for insuring all the Authoritys assets, ensured prompt payment of premium and claims processing, ensured circularization and strict implementation of government policies across the organisation, presided over directorate meetings, and served as a member of the Executive Management Committee and Board of Directors. In his resume, Bello-Koko boasts that he possesses special skills such as strong communication skills (both oral and written), broad orientation in credit analysis, management, documentation, and training, broad-based exposure, competence in managing oil and gas relationships and profound knowledge of public sector business in Nigeria, including at local, state, and federal levels, with additional experience in the South-south region, strong negotiation skills and prudent financial management. He completed his secondary school education at the Federal Government College, Sokoto in 1986, and headed for the University of Sokoto, where he bagged a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Studies (B.Sc) in 1992 and Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto in 1995. He also obtained an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School, USA in 2019. Armed with all these qualification, experience and skills, expectations are high. Many industry stakeholders are of the view that he has all it takes to easily accomplish his new responsibility of overseeing the affairs of NPA and performing the functions of the CEO as provided in the act establishing the agency. Share this: Facebook Reddit Twitter Print Pinterest Email WhatsApp Skype LinkedIn Tumblr Pocket Telegram
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https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/05/29/is-bello-koko-right-man-for-npa/
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Are liberals (reformists & moderates) with the help of the US planning to provoke major instability after the presidential election?
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The basis for this hypothesis is summed up in two videos, which readers are invited to watch in full or in part:Second video: listen particularly from minutes 6 to 50.Generally speaking, we know from past experience that the liberals have shown themselves to be extremely sore losers at previous elections they lost (be it parliamentary or presidential ones). In such an event, liberals have quasi systematically started pointing fingers and crying "fraud". This culminated in the 2009 "Green movement" fitna launched by reformist leaders with the backing of Hashemi Rafsanjani, which compromised the very stability of the state.Now, we have Rohani indirectly threatening hazrate Agha and the Islamic Republic as a whole, by declaring that if people revolt against the IR and their demands are "legitimate" (according to him), then the army has to side with those revolting and not with the state, i.e. not with the commander-in-chief (in other terms the Supreme Leader). Knowing that this administration has proven capable of triggering unrest and then blaming the revolutionary camp and the IRGC, as it did with its 2019 fuel subsidies reform, which in a suspicious and abnormal manner, was implemented all of a sudden, without informing the public in advance, and thereby naturally pushing lower income groups to protest.It is in this context that Zarif's baseless characterization of shahid Soleimani as having been subservient to Russia (a talking point Zarif shares with the exiled opposition and the most caricatural brands of anti-Iran media), in the framework of his controversial "leaked" interview, gains a completely different dimension and can thus be scrutinized under a novel light: what if the leak was done by liberals with Zarif's knowledge after all, their goal however not being to muster support for a Zarif candidacy at the election, but much rather to initiate a creeping campaign to influence public opinion in such a way as to break a taboo by damaging and undercutting the political "sacrality" shahid Soleimani enjoyed even among liberal-leaning segments of the population, and thus prepare the grounds for a legitimization of the sordid idea of "Pasdar-koshi" in the minds of that same public?Another point that has me worried, is the relative silence observed by the liberals and their allies after the Guardian Council's vote on presidential candidates. You would have expected them to make a lot more noise, particularly due to Larijani's, and to a lesser extent Jahangiri's disqualification (Tajzadeh, who has had a security-related case running against him at the Judiciary, was a hopeless case). Could this passivity be hiding some bigger plans hatched in the background?This puzzling stance of domestic liberals is currently echoed by the newly inaugurated Democrat administration in Washington, whose head, Joseph Biden, was being portrayed by Iranian liberals as some sort of a boon. Much like the liberal current in Iran, the US regime is not one to give up without a serious fight. It would be surprising if Washington were to simply sit idle and watch as control over the government changes hands in Tehran and a revolutionary is elected president in late June, much to the detriment of zio-American imperial interests. What such a revolutionary Iranian government would imply for the enemy, Washington already got a hefty taste of in the ongoing Vienna nuclear talks, where the Americans and their EU cronies realized that the Iranian Leadership is going to stand firm against a lame duck president and categorically block the latter's last-ditch attempts to save the JCPoA on terms unfavorable to Iran.Also remember that the popularity of the liberal political camp in Iran is at an all time low, because of the Rohani administration's abysmal record over the past eight years. This as well as the Guardian Council's legitimate ruling mean that the two validated reformist candidates have little chances of getting elected. And liberal masterminds, the Hajjarians and Tajzadehs know this full well. Hence, the only way for them to turn the tables on the revolutionaries at this point would be to go all in and risk another major fitna. With the right signals and covert backing from Washington, the fifth column might be tempted to try the unthinkable this time around: namely, to provoke civil war and ruin Iran if they cannot get a swift "regime change" (which they know they can't), while blaming the IRGC and hazrate Agha for the consequences of their own mischievous scheme.In parallel to all these points, we witnessed in recent months the implementation by Iran's existential foreign enemies of renewed destabilization maneuvers in Iran's border provinces, whether in Sistan-Baluchestan or in Kordestan and Western Azarbaijan, while the social engineering of ethno-separatist deviation in Iranian society, initiated under the Khatami administration (which encouraged the multiplication of print media in local languages, media which instead of striking a patriotic tone quickly revealed themselves as being marred by a decidedly ethno-nationalist and cultural-separatist tone) and actively pursued by the zionist and NATO regimes' intelligence agencies, has reached intolerable levels. And even though these tendencies are and will always be in the minority among Iranians of various linguistic backgrounds, their nuisance potential is to be taken seriously; in conjunction with other socially destabilizing factors, they turn into outright existential threats for the survival of the Iranian nation.We also heard the news of smuggled Turkish-made pistols being seized by Iranian security forces. Pistols which are of little to no use in a situation of war, but which constitute a weapon of choice for false-flag saboteurs tasked with killing unarmed protesters in order to blame the security forces.Other suspicious circumstantial events include the recent power cuts and their timing. As explained by Heshmat Raisi in the second video shared above, power cuts are particularly prone to startle the masses. They also occurred just prior to the 1979 Revolution as a result of mismanagement, and were one of the multiple factors which led to the popular uprising against the shah regime. Could the recent power cuts have been a deliberate act by political saboteurs in preparation for another fitna against the Islamic Republic?May Allah s.w.t. keep gracing Islamic Iran with political stability and an incidentless governmental transition in the aftermath of the upcoming presidential election. May He not allow any new nefarious plots against the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation to come to fruition.
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https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/are-liberals-reformists-moderates-with-the-help-of-the-us-planning-to-provoke-major-instability-after-the-presidential-election.712962/
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How much of Spokane County has been vaccinated?
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The Spokane Regional Health District's map of vaccination rates by zip code in Spokane County shows several pockets where some areas barely reach 30 percent. SPOKANE, Wash Washington state can fully reopen on June 30 if at least 70 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, according to Governor Jay Inslee's reopening plan. The latest data from the Department of Health says as of May 26, only 52 percent of the state is fully vaccinated. The Spokane Regional Health District's map of vaccination rates by zip code in Spokane County shows several pockets where some areas barely reach 30 percent. 99009: 25.0% 99018: 25.9% 99012: 26.7% 99001: 28.3% 99006: 29.6% 99025: 29.6% 99030: 30.3% The Health District's immunization program coordinator Kayla Myers said these low rates are likely due to vaccination hesitancy. "What is happening right now is that we have vaccinated most of the people that want to be vaccinated right now," Myers said. "I don't know if access is the problem because just us, as one provider, we're doing over 20 clinics a week and they're all mobile. So, they're all out in the community." Myers adds in areas like Deer Park, there are four clinics or pharmacies offering vaccines that always have appointments available. She also noticed a pattern where zip codes with higher vaccinations rates have more pharmacies compared to areas with low vaccination rates. To address hesitancy in these areas, she suggests shifting efforts away from mass vaccination sites to conversations with your primary care provider. "If you're hesitant, you're not going to go to the arena and get a vaccination from a random provider," Myers said. "You need to talk to somebody that you trust and someone who you would take advice from. And that's not going to be a random person in a mobile vaccination unit." Transportation is another barrier for areas with low vaccination rates. But the state can help with that. Call 2-1-1 to register for a ride a clinic or pharmacy to get your vaccination. The Spokane Regional Health District is continuing to partner with businesses, organizations, and agencies to host pop-up vaccination clinics. On Wednesday, Spokane City Fire department will hold the first of its pop-up vaccination clinic series. It will be held at Station 8 at 1608 N. Rebecca Street.
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https://www.krem.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/some-areas-of-spokane-county-are-behind-on-vaccination-rates-heres-why/293-d8bd99e4-9504-4900-925a-fe5c21467826
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Which COVID-related health orders are being lifted Wednesday?
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WDTN) Governor Mike DeWine announced that the Ohio Department of Healths director, Stephanie McCloud, signed an order Tuesday to rescind the following COVID-19 health orders: The Directors Order to Limit Access to Ohios Jails and Detention Facilities The Directors Order to Release Protected Health Information to Ohios First Responders The Directors Order Requiring the Use of Facial Coverings in Child Education Settings The Directors Order for Retail and Business Compliance for Facial Coverings through the State of Ohio The Second Amended Directors Order on Adult Day Support Services and Vocational Habilitation Services The Third Amended Directors Order on the Opening of Senior Centers The Third Amended Directors Order on the Opening of Adult Day Services Centers As statewide mask mandates lift tomorrow, I'm reminding Ohioans of the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and for those who are not fully vaccinated to wear masks indoors. pic.twitter.com/SAWiVe8vUB Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) June 1, 2021 The orders will be rescinded as of 12:01 a.m. on June 2. Though many health orders are being lifted, the following ones will remain in effect: The Order to Require Screening for Admission to State Operated Psychiatric Hospitals or to Department of Youth Services Facilities. The Directors Order Designating The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center a Public Health Laboratory. The Directors Order to Facilities to Notify Residents, Guardians and Sponsor of Positive or Probable Cases of COVID-19. The Directors Order Requiring Reporting and Notification Regarding COVID-19 Cases in Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade. On March 4 the governor set the goal of 50 cases per 100,000 people as a benchmark for lifting health orders. However, DeWine revealed his decision to lift health orders without meeting that goal three weeks ago during a Wednesday coronavirus briefing.
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https://www.wdtn.com/community/health/coronavirus/which-covid-related-health-orders-are-being-lifted-wednesday/
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How Many People Died During the Pueblo Flood?
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Currently: A few thunderstorms have already developed across HWY 50 and the SE plains of Colorado. Expect intensification of thunderstorm cells through the early evening hours with the possibility of a few severe storms developing before 8pm. The strongest storms will produce strong outflow wind gusts and large hail over 1" in diameter. The best bet is that severe weather stays south and east of Colorado Springs tonight, but I cannot completely rule out the chance for a strong thunderstorm breaking out in El Paso County. Gradually these storms will push off to the east overnight with low temperatures down to 46 degrees in Colorado Springs and 51 in Pueblo. It's likely I'll be giving updates on the severe weather through Facebook live tonight, so that'll be the best way to follow the most recent developments.
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https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2264627567051/how-many-people-died-during-the-pueblo-flood
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Where Does the Maryland Online Gambling Bill Currently Stand?
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The internets newest invention allows gambler enthusiasts to enter an online world of gambling. And Maryland has its fair shares of gambler enthusiasts. Sports betting is undoubtedly one of the most popular forms of gambling in the world, and Maryland is no exception. Maryland has a very strong fan base for its local sports teams, and they are more than happy to hear that online sports betting will be available very soon. By now, you probably know that in April of 2021, the Senate and House set rules for sports betting in Maryland and voted to pass the bill HB940. And all Marylanders were waiting for Governor Larry Hogan to sign the bill. Well, in May of 2021, Governor Larry Hogan signed sports betting in MD into law. So sports enthusiasts can be happy to know that sports betting will launch in the next few months. Some of the sportsbooks that will most probably launch by the end of 2021 are: FanDuel DraftKings BetMGM If you are interested in a guide to Maryland online gambling, go to online-gambling.com where you will find all the necessary information on gambling laws in Maryland as well as what is currently legal and illegal in this state. Believe it or not, Maryland didnt even have any regular casinos up until a few years ago. Today, there are six casinos located around the state. And even though online gambling is growing in popularity each day, its difficult to say whether online casinos are more popular than regular casinos. However, if theres one thing that can be said with certainty, its that the impact of the sports betting bill can already be seen in Maryland. Some people even say that Marylands gambling laws are outdated , but it can be said that they are slowly but surely catching up with the rest of the world. If we look at all the benefits online casinos have, thats a good reason to believe they are more popular. The convenience that online casinos offer to their players is by far the number one reason for their extreme growth over the last couple of years. Besides that, the huge variety of games, as well as the variety of withdrawal options and 24/7 customer services, are just a few other benefits that the online casino industry has over the regular casino. If theres one thing that you should pay attention to when gambling online, its to ensure the safety of your personal information as well as make sure that you dont overspend. And that can be easily achieved by following these steps. First, you need to make sure that you put bets through reputable sites. There are many scams out there that want to trick you and then misuse your information. So its best to do a thorough research of the website you wish to make bets on. You can do that by entering the casinos homepage and looking for a license that should be displayed on any legitimate and legal online gambling site. Second, you need to make sure that you keep track of how much money you are spending. Online casinos are entertaining but at the same time very addictive. So its easy to get carried away both with money and time. Another way you can prevent spending crazy amounts of money is by only playing games that you know and understand. If you are eager to try out a new game, plenty of sites offer new and exciting games for free, so take advantage of that. Finally, if you want to ensure the safety of your data, its very important that you keep your account information private. Also, its recommended that you change your password from time to time. The Future of the Online Gambling World It seems like the online gambling industry will have to make some changes. The gambling commission announced some new restrictions for online operators, like banning features that speed up play or celebrate losses and wins. As far as the future of online gambling, there is a high chance that gamblers will be introduced into a new interactive world of gaming with virtual reality and augmented reality. Undoubtedly, thanks to technology, online gambling is slowly but surely transforming into a futuristic enterprise. Its both interesting and exciting to see what the future has in store. Like this: Like Loading...
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https://southernmarylandchronicle.com/2021/06/01/where-does-the-maryland-online-gambling-bill-currently-stand/
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Whats Ayades Political Net Worth?
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With Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayades defection to the ruling APC, the PDP needs to put on its thinking cap ahead of 2023, writes Bassey Inayng On May 20, 2021, the Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which he was elected in 2015, and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). The immediate consequence of Ayades dumping of the PDP, swiftly changed the roles of the parties in the polity of the state with the APC becoming the ruling party, and the PDP becoming the leading opposition party, after dominating political affairs of the state for 22 years, since 1999. The turn of fortunes for the PDP confirmed the threat issued by Ayade in March this year, when he warned that he would change the political configuration of the state, if one more injustice was done to him by the party. I cannot blind myself to the challenges of PDP and decide not to know what to do at the right time for their (Cross River States) sake. I know you are somebody that doesnt take injustice. One single injustice they will see a new Cross River State. And I say it as a warning, because it does appears that your party seems to celebrate people, who threaten and stress them, he said. It is not clear whether another injustice was done to him, before he made good his threat to change the political configuration of the state, at least for now, by ensuring that his former party became the main opposition party in Cross River State. Former governor Liyel Imoke appears set to prove Ayade wrong in due season. About three days after Ayade left, Imoke while addressing PDP stakeholders on Sunday night at Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, boasted that the PDP would be stronger without Ayade. I thought I have retired in politics. I was retiring in bits and handing over to some people, but I had to come back at this time. Our tradition in PDP was destroyed, so, we have to come back. Our politics is sweet; we dont play politics of fear. We dont play politics of intimidation, and we dont play politics of harassment. PDP is not dead in Cross River State. He left at his own volition, and his movement is divine, because those who made the PDP what it is at the grassroots in the state are still in the party and the party will be stronger without Ayade. The party does not belong to the governor. We are taking it back to the people. I wont talk much today, so we dont reveal our secrets. We are not going to reveal the secrets of our strategy. We are just putting everyone on notice that the PDP is back. For those who dont come from Cross River State, you will have to understand that Cross River State is a PDP state. The movement of one person does not change that fact. Even among those who have moved, plenty of them call me and say,Oga, e get as things be. Make we just move. We no join, we dey come. All things being equal, with Ayades defection, the state is set for an epic battle between political forces loyal to Ayade of the APC, and those loyal to the opposition party, the PDP in the state led by Ayades predecessor, and its defacto leader, Senator Liyel Imoke. The battle, which has just ensued es expected to peak in the 2023 general election, when both opposing forces fight for the elective positions. To the average politician, and politically exposed person in the state, Ayade isnt a very popular politician, perhaps, not as popular as Imoke, who literally made him governor in 2015, and certainly not as street-popular as Donald Duke, who was the governor between 1999 and 2007. This factor is largely responsible for the level of opposition he suffered in the hands of the PDP establishment in the state, represented by most of those, who funded the party in 1998, and some of the 10-member strong PDP caucus in the National Assembly. In September 2016, the PDP denied Ayade outright at the Supreme court and urged the court to declare the appellant Mr. Joe Agi, SAN, governor-elect of Cross River State, following a case of perjury instituted by the plaintiff, who came second to Ayade at the PDP governorship ahead of the 2015 general election. Ayade survived the Agi appeal, because the Supreme court rejected the plea of his party. Again, it is generally known that Ayade was literally forced to engage in trade-by-batter against some of those he favoured to fly the flag of the PDP, especially, for National Assembly seats during the 2019 polls. At an outing sometime in November 2018, after the primarily elections preparatory to the 2019 polls, Ayade, who is usually emotional, complained about the treatment meted out by the PDP to Chief Chris Agara, who was one of the leading senatorial aspirants for the central zone of the state before he was disqualified by the party. Speaking at the launch of the State Microfinace Bank, Ayade lamented: But God is strong. God has shamed them. If that is all we have achieved in this politics that blood is stronger than politics. That is what Chris Agara has demonstrated. That inspite of it all, he has spent more money than any other candidate in this state, a party that is so unfair and has got no conscience. A man came ready for election and you take out his name from the ballot. You take out his name because you know he is too powerful. When people use God-given opportunities to do injustice, injustice would wait for them. So for my brother, I asked you to be strong and abide in the faith of God, because it is Gods will. But for those who the devil has used to stop the instrumentality, challenge and direction of God at the fullness of time, Holy Ghost would visit them with their own mighty fire. The devil will rise, the demon will rise, but Jesus, when he rises, he would quench all of them and he has brought peace and calm; he has brought tranquility; he has restored brotherhood and in his own words, it has only deepened our brotherhood. We would put them to shame. He is going to direct the campaign, direct the politics, direct the future, and together, we would build a better Cross River State. Yet, despite declaring open frustration with the PDP, and hoping that a day would come for the emergence of a new Cross River State, the party supported him and ensured he got a second term. It was like empowering ones foe, if not future foe even when the signs were ominous. Ayades greatest political strength is his ability to make himself underrated by his opponents, until they are boxed into a tight conner where his support or lack of it would either lead to the political survival or destruction of his opponents. In 2015, Ayade from the blues, and even without a campaign secretariat or campaign poster became governor, mostly because the PDP establishment then, which was confronted by an implosion needed help desperately, and he provided the much needed help without hurting the main opponents of the establishment. In 2019, despite complaints from the sidelines and scheming to upstage and stop him from having a second term, Ayade triumphed again, because the PDP knew the implication of discarding a sitting governor while being confronted by no less a formidable opponent with federal might as the APC. It is obvious the PDP thought it wise and rightly so, not to fight from two fronts: one against a sitting governor, and against the APC, whoever their candidate would be. So, Ayade got his second term, and all the candidates of the PDP, except one the PDP candidate for Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency where Imokes homestead is located, won their elections. Besides, Ayades strength lay very much in the zoning formula for election of the governor since 1999, even though the most obvious zoning was done in 2015, when the major parties, the PDP and the APC presented candidates from the Northern senatorial district, where he hails from. The zoning formula helped Ayade to rally support across the state, especially, from the Southern Senatorial District, which believes it is their turn to produce governor in 2023, and the Northern Senatorial District, where he hails from. Of course, supporters of the zoning formula in the PDP even voted for him against Senator John Owan-Eno, who flew the governorship flag of the APC under very internally rancorous environment. The zoning formula would definitely play a serious factor between the PDP and the APC in 2023. Currently, more than 80 per cent of Ayades about 6,000 political appointees have defected with him to the APC and so also, the Deputy Governor, Professor Ivara Esu. At least, two House of Representatives members have joined him, a senator has joined him, and at least 18 members of the 25-member state House of Assembly, including the speaker and his deputy are now carrying the broom with Ayade. Almost all the elected councillors and the 18 local council chairmen have moved with Ayade to the APC. For now, the defection of these categories of people is a huge loss to the PDP, and a huge gain for Ayade and the APC, and the numbers could play a huge role in who emerges victorious in 2023. In Cross River State, since 1999, the power of incumbency, and financial war chest, usually at the disposal of the government in power, played a major role in the eventual winner of elections in the state. While the PDP was in control of these extremely important election enablers, they only lost a House of Assembly election for Obubra 2 constituency in 2011 to the defunct ACN; and the loss owed more to infighting within the PDP. The PDP is strong in the state as other states in the South-south region. It controlled power for 22 years in Cross River State, and can therefore not be wished away with the wave of the hand, just because a governor and some of his followers and supporters defected. The party can be likened to a religion with multitudes of followers, who have been informed or misinformed through religious and ethnic messages to hate everything and anything linked to President Muhammadu Buhari. But what matters the most is the ability of the PDP to keep the massive followership, amidst possible lack of sufficient funds to keep their support. Insinuations are already making the rounds that the PDP would largely be financed from Rivers State, which has more than a huge war chest to checkmate whatever the APC would boast of. And as often stated, all politics is local and the factors that influence every election differ. The fact is that the PDP in Cross River has lost members and would need to think out of the box to address that in a state, where most of the people, especially, those of the younger generation look up to the state government for food on their table. It is obvious that some of those, who defected with Ayade did so for their economic survival rather than convinction. Though Imoke said the PDP would not expose the strategy it intends to deploy to reclaim the state, he however declared further: Our people cannot go to a party, where there is disunity, fight, killings and all sorts of things. No, that is not the best for our state. We will work together as a team and as one to defeat them. The APC, as it appears today, is a complete parade of superstars of the politics of the state. They include Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Senator John Owan-Eno, Senator Prince Otu, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, Pastor Usani Usani, Professor Eyo Etim Nyong, Dr. Alex Egbonna, Mr. Jedy Agba, Mrs. Mary Ekpere Eta, and so many others. In 2019, the superstar composition wasnt much different, but the party lacked cohesion and direction,because it was leaderless. Ayade then of the PDP capitalised on that and further balkanised it to his advantage. Perhaps, the PDP would be looking out for any slip into confusion by the star-studded APC to capitalise on and defeat them as Ayade did in 2019, when he was in the PDP. However, with Ayade officially declared the leader of the APC in the state, the PDP would really need to put on their thinking cap to regain power in 2023. Share this: Facebook Reddit Twitter Print Pinterest Email WhatsApp Skype LinkedIn Tumblr Pocket Telegram
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https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/05/30/whats-ayades-political-net-worth/
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When Will Shell MD Mutiu Sunmonus Tenure End?
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When Lord Acton observed that Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely, he also stated that Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority Folks have begun to mull over Actons sentiments and are featuring former Shell MD Mutiu Sunmonu in their ruminations. The last time the tidings of former Shell MD and current Chairman of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Mutiu Sunmonu, crossed from industry and finance to society, it was all about his wedding to a former colleague. That news won peoples attention because Sunmonu had lost his first wife, Funmi, to cancer a few years prior, and it was assumed that no other woman could take her place. But Sunmonus aforementioned former colleague did, and so folks were willing to concoct stories around the affair. According to eyes in high places, Sunmonu has proved himself to be a man driven by his own interests. This is the conclusion to a saga about Sunmonus alleged betrayal of a friend and how the latter lost a well-thought-out plan and opportunity because he had confided in Sunmonu. Allegedly, this colleague and friend of Sunmonu informed him of his intention to acquire more Julius Berger shares and increase his fortune. Sunmonu then reportedly invited others to do the same, snatching the fruits, as it were, from his friend. And so, unexpectedly, their friendship broke apart. And folks got wind of it. Thus, folks have cast Mutiu Sunmonu as the emissary of disloyalty and so are very interested in the end of his tenure as Chairman of Julius Berger Nigeria. (All things being equal, Sunmonu will leave the chair this year.) Share this: Facebook Reddit Twitter Print Pinterest Email WhatsApp Skype LinkedIn Tumblr Pocket Telegram
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https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/05/30/when-will-shell-md-mutiu-sunmonus-tenure-end/
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Who is after Bayo Adelabu?
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It has become apparent that there are sources of mischief that do not recognise boundaries and care nothing for truth. This is the logical conclusion after the proliferation of a brief video showing Chief Adebayo Adelabu dancing with Madam Florence Ajimobi, wife of the late All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and former Governor of Oyo, Abiola Ajimobi. Negative insinuations were drawn out from the video, and so Adelabu has had to address the naysayers and set the record straight. The short video showing Dr Florence Ajimobi smiling and dancing with several people, most notably the former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Agbaakin Parakoyi of Ibadanland, Chief Bayo Adelabu, has stirred up a hornets nest. According to the source (who started a thread of forwarding the video on WhatsApp), Madam Ajimobis happy mood on the one-year anniversary of her husbands death proved that people should try to enjoy their own lives and not care too much about others, especially their immediate family members. However, Chief Adelabu has scored the insinuations as nothing but ill-intended mischief. He gave many reasons for the jovial mood of Madam Ajimobi and justified himself and every other person captured in the video. According to the Agbaakin Parakoyi of Ibadanland, the video had nothing to do with the anniversary of the late governors death; that the reception event was organised for Oyo ALGON members a few days after their victory at the Supreme Court. He explained that Madam Ajimobi had stood with the Oyo ALGON members and deserved to celebrate with them. Moreover, he stated, she had been mourning nonstop for almost a year now and should not continue in that spirit. Thus, he and a few others took it upon themselves to rid her of the pain of bereavement. Although Adelabus explanation has inspired some to sympathise with the Ajimobi, widow, others continue to strike at Adelabu, insinuating things that are better left unsaid. Evidently, the Agbaakin Parakoyi of Ibadanland is not the darling of all and sundry; a few people are after his downfall. Share this: Facebook Reddit Twitter Print Pinterest Email WhatsApp Skype LinkedIn Tumblr Pocket Telegram
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https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/05/30/who-is-after-bayo-adelabu/
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Why is the world obsessed with Japanese cars?
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So you grew up playing Gran Turismo and Need For Speed and now youre grown and you watch YouTube celebrities risking life and literal limb for tire smoke and views. Now that youre a responsible adult with some money saved up, you might think its finally time youre able to fulfil your childhood fantasy and get a flash Japanese car of your own. But if youve ever pulled up a Japanese domestic market (JDM) auction site youve probably been confused. There seems to be too many zeros on the price tags Your confusion is replaced with anger and subsequent reluctant acceptance. Maybe youll be able to afford and settle for a Kei car or worse, a Nissan Cube. Finding a decent rear-wheel-drive, manual sports car cheap enough to repeatedly smash into a concrete wall might have been a reasonable goal five years ago but its not now. Used Japanese cars are no longer guaranteed to depreciate. The writing is on the wall and gas-powered transportation as we know it is likely to become less and less common. Thanks Tesla. Now investors and companies are buying warehouses and filling them with old Nissan station wagons, waiting for the value to increase like wine connoisseurs. Riding the bubble Regardless of whether or not youre a tire-sniffing gearhead, its a good idea to be aware of this market trend because, instead of spending a certain amount of money on a basic commuter car, you could spend it on something that is just as good at commuting but also will hold value or even make you some money later down the line. If youre living in Japan, youve no doubt heard of the bubble economy of the late 80s and early 90s. The economic growth was unparalleled and salarymen made it rain with yen as if they were flower girls at weddings. Japans automotive industry was at an all-time high in just about every market at the time. Toyota founded Lexus and launched it overseas; Nissan was dominating international racing competitions, and Honda was hitting its stride on four wheels after stepping out of motorcycle exclusivity. With monetary excess comes creative freedom. When your company can afford to bite the financial bullet if it all goes south. This high-risk, high-reward business style led to a lot of unique cars shoutout to the Honda City which came with a matching fold-up motorbike in the back. All the kids with interest in cars growing up were playing video games that featured these cars, probably under their covers hiding from watchful parents until they fell asleep to dream about the day they might be able to own one. Bad news is, some countries like America never received those cool cars. Waiting for the green light When you sell a car in another countrys market, you have to meet all their restrictions. The car has to be crash tested to their standards, and meet all the pedestrian safety laws. This affects things as fundamental as build materials and the shape of the car. Theres also politics and lobbying that comes into play. Its a significant financial investment for a company, and if they arent going to see enough of a return, they may choose not to sell in a certain country. This is more or less what happened with, well, nearly all of the exciting cars coming out of Japan until 2017 or so. The ones sold in Japan were either just a little more special or completely unique. Often they had a special engine or special features and paint jobs that werent available for foreign market versions of the same car. Thats assuming the car was even offered to the foreign market. In 2011, you could buy a Nissan Skyline GT-R for 30,000 40,000. Now, theyre selling as high as 70,000 and can get up to 200,000 for special editions. Thats bitcoin levels of returns! The generation that grew up with fever dreams about cars that have all the pistons in a straight line can now afford to pay a little or a lot extra to make those dreams a reality. Now that the cars of that generation are mostly over 25 years old, many can be imported into America without regard for their original restrictions. This opens up a market of literally millions of potential buyers to cars that are only produced in the tens of thousands. Fueling the demand The past year has seen a marked increase in used car prices across the board, not just Japanese cars. Whether thats related to COVID-19 somehow or just a side effect of the rise of electric cars, the world is becoming increasingly unsure of the future of gas-powered enthusiasm and people are turning back to classics in the hopes of holding onto a slice of their childhood dreams. Now everyone wants a piece of the pie, and anything with a shred of historical relevance is fetching premium prices. The value of many of these cars seems to be scaling beyond their intrinsic value as a product. Its a complicated subject, but the answer is simple. Its supply and demand and demand is high. Elsewhere on Metropolis: From ancient Olympic superfood to fuwa-fuwa fandom Pleasure and prose in Killing Commendatore and other novels
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https://metropolisjapan.com/why-is-the-world-obsessed-with-japanese-cars/
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