Vatican City, Sep 21, 2004 (CNA) - In an address to a meeting at the United Nations yesterday in New York, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican Secretary of State, expressed the Vatican's support for an initiative proposed by the president of Brazil to fight hunger and poverty around the world.
After expressing "the personal adherence of Pope John Paul II to this important initiative," the cardinal noted the "vast humanitarian action of the many Catholic institutions in the world, especially in missions and in the poorest countries," saying that "the Holy See has always supported the many personal and collective initiatives that have been proposed to solve the drama" of hunger in the world.
The Cardinal mentioned the support of the Holy See for previous initiatives by U.N. bodies to alleviate poverty and hunger such as the 1996 Report of the World Food Summit and the 2000 U.N. Millennium Declaration, and, referring to a speech he made in 1996, outlined the principles that inspire Holy See action: human dignity, solidarity, the universal destination of the goods of the earth and the promotion of peace.
Notwithstanding a world alliance against hunger and poverty, he stated, "it was discovered bit by bit that there were not sufficient funds to finance a program of world food security."
Acknowledging that although there have been emergencies in recent years that have drawn funds away from these initiatives, Cardinal Sodano said that "the problem [of hunger] is far greater."
"The fight against hunger," he continued, "and I would also say against thirst, goes beyond mere emergencies; this fight must face a series of complex factors such as, for example, the need to invest in the human capital of the local populations (in the fields of health and education) and to ask for the transfer of appropriate technologies and the guarantee of equality in international trade."
Cardinal Sodano also reminded "donor countries of their commitment to underwrite public aid for development equal to 0.7 percent of the GNP of each State."
Tucson, Ariz., Sep 21, 2004 (CNA) - The Diocese of Tucson filed for bankruptcy yesterday, becoming the second U.S. diocese to seek court protection in recent history. The Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon was the first, July 6.
The filing is a result of the high number of sexual-abuse claims. Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas told parishioners in a letter that filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy offered "the best opportunity for healing and for the just and fair compensation of those who suffered sexual abuse by workers for the Church in our diocese."
The Tucson Diocese settled 11 abuse lawsuits filed by 16 plaintiffs for an undisclosed sum two years ago. Since then, 22 more molestation claims with 34 plaintiffs have been brought against the diocese, reported The Associated Press.
A plaintiffs' attorney said the diocese was going into bankruptcy partly as a public relations move aimed at making victims appear overly aggressive.
But Bishop Kicanas said his diocese would continue working toward settlements in the cases against it, despite the filing.
According to its financial statement, the diocese had $4.65 million in long-term debt and a $7-million deficit in unrestricted net assets as of June 30, reported AP.
The reorganization plan under the filing calls for most creditors to be paid through the diocese's regular operation. Plaintiffs in sex-abuse cases, however, would be paid from a special pool, which would include $3.2 million from the diocese and money from insurance companies, reported the AP.
Quebec City, Canada, Sep 21, 2004 (CNA) - Late-term abortions should not be made available in Quebec, said the Assembly of Quebec Bishops in a statement Sept. 16. The bishops issued the statement after Quebec’s Ministry of Health announced Sept. 10 that it hopes a newly trained doctor will set up a practice in the province and provide late-term abortions next year.
The procedure, which entails aborting a child after 22 weeks gestation, is one, which Canadian doctors have avoided for ethical reasons. Up until now, Canadian women have been traveling to Kansas, Colorado or Washington to obtain late-term abortions, and the various provincial governments have been paying for it at a cost of $5,000 US per woman. Last year, 30 Quebec women obtained late-term abortions in the U.S.
In its statement, the Assembly of Quebec Bishops (AEQ) noted the absence of an abortion law in Canada. “This judicial void is not synonymous with an ethical void, for all our actions have ethical significance. Abortion illustrates this well,” reads the AEQ statement.
The bishops underlined that most countries recognize the need to protect embryos and have enacted legislation that bans the creation of human embryos for research purposes. They also pointed out the apparent contradiction in Canadian law, which recognizes the need to protect the human embryo regarding reproductive technologies and yet allows for abortion.
The Quebec bishops said there is a need to develop a mentality that favors adoption rather than abortion in the province. They issued an invitation to all Christian communities to develop alternatives to abortion, such as counseling and adoption services, and help-centres for pregnant women. They also urged educators to teach values and the importance of the meaning of life.
About 106,000 abortions are performed each year in Canada, 31,000 of them in Quebec.
Winnipeg, Canada, Sep 21, 2004 (CNA) - The fifth Canadian jurisdiction legalized same-sex marriage last week. Manitoba follows Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and the Yukon Territory in redefining marriage as the union of two persons rather than as the union of a man and a woman.
The lack of legal opposition helped push the case, which was filed by three lesbian couples, through the court in a little more than three weeks, reported the Winnipeg Free Press. The Manitoba case was also the first time the federal government did not present legal opposition.
Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Douglas Yard said he reviewed the case in light of the precedents set by the four cases in the other provinces and territories. He said the cumulative effect of the four decisions meant restricting marriage to a man and a woman in Canada is unconstitutional, reported the Free Press.
The Atlantic province of Nova Scotia is set to make a decision on the issue within the next three weeks.
The federal government asked the Supreme Court of Canada to review draft legislation that would alter the definition of marriage to include same sex couples. The review is scheduled to take place next month.
The Archdiocese of Winnipeg said the court’s decision was regrettable and that marriage should be recognized only as the union of one man and one woman with the aim of procreation and the raising of children.
Rome, Italy, Sep 21, 2004 (CNA) - Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said this week the possible entry of Turkey into the European Union would be “anti-historical” and that it would be better for the country to remain as a bridge between Europe and the Arab world or to form a “cultural continent” together with that world.
According to the ANSA agency, Cardinal Ratzinger said that culturally and historically Turkey has little in common with Europe, and therefore, “with all due respect,” it would be a “grave error” to grant the country EU membership.
The Cardinal made his statements during a gathering with religious educators in Velletri, south of Rome.
Asunción, Paraguay, Sep 21, 2004 (CNA) - Archbishop Pastor Cuquejo of Asuncion, Paraguay, encouraged young people this week to defend life, saying those who argue that “overpopulation” is the cause of poverty are simply wrong.
“Life is a value which we should promote and you are the ones who should defend this immense gift of God,” the Archbishop said, reminding young people that they are between two worlds: the old world, dominated by corruption and lies, and the new world, which seeks to bring fulfillment and fullness to the human person.
Archbishop Cuquejo stated that “everyday you are challenged to choose between one world or the other.”
Likewise, he explained, “Today we are almost drowned in the depths of misery because of corruption. Those who rob are the ones who create poverty and ensure that there are poor people,” despite the fact that the “higher-ups” in the world want to convince people that the problem is not corruption but overpopulation.
“Life itself suffers the consequences of this dishonesty. The evil people who mismanage their own lives tell us today: ‘we must kill in order for there to be less people; we must kill the unborn so that we have enough food to eat’. This is a fallacy, a corruption of the mind and the heart,” the Archbishop said, adding that the morning after pill is abortifacient and causes harm to women.
Archbishop Cuquejo criticized the campaign that is promoting the use of the pill. “We know it is abortifacient, that it causes harm; nevertheless, we hear these discourses that are full of fallacies, and science has proven the opposite. Yes, pseudoscience tries to deceive us by saying it is not abortifacient” he stated.
Therefore, he went on, “when they lie to us and their speeches do not reflect the truth, they are dishonest. Honesty is based on justice, and those who do not impart justice as they should are dishonest people.”
Over 5,000 young people participated this past weekend in the Jubilee of Young People, which took place at the Archdiocesan seminary and culminated in a pilgrimage to the Cathedral where the Archbishop of Asuncion presided at Mass.
Mexico City, Mexico, Sep 21, 2004 (CNA) - In an editorial this week in the Archdiocesan newspaper, the Archdiocese of Mexico issued a new call to Mexicans to increase their efforts to bring about national reconciliation.
According to the editorial, more than a truce, the country needs to enter into the dynamism of reconciliation in order to ward off threats of social unrest. It also argued there is still time to overcome discord, and it exhorted Mexicans to show they have the will and the capacity to handle democracy.
“It’s not enough to say ‘Long live Mexico,’ we must demonstrate our patriotism through responsibility, with personal and collective work that brings about better development,” said the article.
Likewise, the editorial issued a call to “overcome the authoritarianism and populism which have done us so much wrong, and to seek consensus and to respect agreements, but above all to bring dignity back to political life. ”
The editorial also underscored that disappointment and discouragement “regarding our young democracy should teach us that we cannot put all of our hope in any one system.”
It added that elections teach us that the responsibility of Mexicans does not end at the ballot box, that the great structural problems are not magically solved, but above all that the country is not only built by the politicians, but by the citizens as well.
, Sep 21, 2004 (CNA) - Bishop Tulio Duque Gutierrez of Pereira, Colombia, has lent his support to President Alvaro Uribe’s ultimatum against militias in the province of Meta, after a giant cocaine laboratory associated with the United Self-Defenses of Colombia was found.
Bishop Duque said the militias “are not helping the country” and that therefore the President “is right in getting upset and demanding acts of good will.”
The bishop lamented that “the coffee-producing region is experiencing these problems” and he encouraged authorities “to continue combating the drug trafficking associated with illegally armed groups” that “are enclosing themselves in various municipalities of my ecclesiastical jurisdiction.”
Denver, Colo., Sep 21, 2004 (CNA) - Catholic political leaders have left a flawed legacy, which instructs politicians that it is okay to be personally opposed to abortion and not “impose” that view on the nation, says Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver.
It is a legacy that says a Catholic can be in the public service as long as he or she is willing to abandon what is “inconveniently Catholic,” adds the archbishop.
What these politicians pitch as a compromise between personal and public interest is actually “a deal with the devil, and it has a balloon payment no nation, no public servant and no voter can afford,” says the archbishop in his column, published today, in the Denver Catholic Register.
In his column, Archbishop Chaput reflects on the legacy of Catholic politicians who severed their public identity from their faith and rationalized that it was okay to maintain personal beliefs and not “impose” them on the nation through federal legislation. He focuses in particular on President John F. Kennedy and New York Governor Mario Cuomo.
He refers to John F. Kennedy’s speech in 1960 to the Houston Ministerial Association, in which he said he would not let the Pope or the Church dictate his actions and decisions if he were elected president.
“In pledging to put the ‘national interest’ above ‘religious pressures or dictates,’ Kennedy created a template for a generation of Catholic candidates: Be American first; be Catholic second,” the archbishop said.
“The Kennedy compromise seemed to work pretty well as long as the ‘religious pressures’ faced by Catholic elected officials involved issues like divorce, federal aid to Catholic schools or diplomatic relations with the Holy See,” said the archbishop, but it doesn’t work with the “jugular” issue of abortion.
After the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973, Catholic elected officials had to face a choice, said the archbishop: Either work to change permissive abortion laws or “abandon the unborn and look for a way to morally sanitize their decision.”
In a speech in 1984, New York Governor Mario Cuomo rationalized the perspective that a Catholic politician could privately oppose abortion but had no right to "impose" that belief on others, says the archbishop.
The archbishop calls Cuomo's speech “a tour de force of articulate misdirection”, which “refuses to acknowledge the teaching and formative power of the law” and “implicitly equates unequal types of issues.”
Cuomo also argued that "approval or rejection of legal restrictions on abortion should not be the exclusive litmus test of Catholic loyalty."
“With those words,” said the archibishop, “he wrote the alibi for every ‘pro-choice’ Catholic who has held public office since.”
Vatican City, Sep 21, 2004 (CNA) - On receiving the Letters of Credence of the new ambassador of Portugal to the Holy See, Joao Alberto Bacelar da Rocha Paris, this morning, Pope John Paul II took the opportunity to express his appreciation to the Potuguese government for "highlighting the Christian identity of Europe" in the new European constitution.
The Pope also expressed the desire that "the convictions that come from this [Christian] identity be affirmed in every national and international sphere."
"In this sense," he continued: "the signing of the new Concordat between the Holy See and Portugal is the great expression of a mature consensus to reinforce the presence of this Christian 'soul' founded on the 'deep historical relations between the Catholic Church and Portugal, according to mutual responsibilities that bind the parties, in the sphere of religious freedom in order to continue with its service to the common good and to collaborate in building up a society that promotes the dignity of the human person, justice and peace."
The Holy Father expressed his hope that Portugal will be a country that is "always open to the new challenges of our society and one that knows that the Almighty will not leave those who trust in His ways with empty hands."
Referring to challenges in modern society, the Holy Father emphasized that the "intensification of regional, cultural and economic differences, the desire to safeguard peace," natural disasters as well as "the disparity between rich and poor with the consequent lack of respect for human rights, are, among other things, a reason for great concern for every leader."
The Pope indicated that these challenges can be better presented to the public "if they are part of a project of development in which the vital forces in local society make up a substantial, unified effort. Associating citizens with projects in society and giving them confidence in government leaders and in their nation is the foundation for peaceful coexistence in societies."


Aaron Ramseyâ€™s rapid transition from Championship youngster to Premier League starlet was made at the perfect time, according to ArsÃ¨ne Wenger. Arsenalâ€™s summer signing has made 15 appearances this season, including eight starts, and helped himself to his first Arsenal goal in the Gunnersâ€™ 5-2 victory against Fenerbahce in October. Wenger believes that he was right to pluck the Welshman from Cardiff at such a young age, describing his development as â€œahead of planâ€. â€œI believe that itâ€™s better to make the step at that age than five or six years later,â€ the manager told the Official Arsenal Magazine. â€œHe has not only made the step up from the Championship to the Premier League, but also to a Premier League team that wants to be at the top and who fights in the Champions League, and that means itâ€™s a massive difference at such a young age. â€œI believe he did extremely well because he has drive and he can push the team forward. He is always available, he wants the ball and he is very dynamic in his play. â€œOverall Iâ€™m very pleased with his progress because I must say that he is ahead of where I planned for him to be in January. You have to remember though that he is still only just 18 years of age and you need to be a little bit patient with him. â€œHe has shown that every time weâ€™ve picked him, he has responded in a very positive way.â€ This is an extract from the full-length ArsÃ¨ne Wenger interview which features in the February issue of the Official Arsenal Magazine, now available. To subscribe, 12 issues for £33 (UK), call the hotline on 0845 88 00 445.


According to insiders, Mel B is “seriously ill” and is being treated in a private hospital.
“She is in hospital and is seriously ill,” a friend told the Mirror. “We are awaiting the result of tests and then we will know exactly what is wrong.
“If I had to predict it, having seen her, I don’t think she will be able to do the show.”
It’s believed producers are now looking for a replacement to stand in for the former Spice Girl on the show tomorrow night.
Yesterday Mel wasn’t able to attend the show’s press conference but no one at the event seemed to know what was wrong with her.
We will keep you updated on as this develops.


By all accounts, snow removal efforts in the city of Harrisburg during the recent twin dumps has been hailed as a job well done. That's good news for Mayor Linda Thompson, since popular wisdom has it that snow removal and garbage pickup are some of the basic services by which a city leader is judged.
Unfortunately, that is just popular wisdom. No snow dump can cover the scope and depth of the real problems facing Harrisburg. And no amount of good feedback on snow removal can be misconstrued as management ability to oversee the resolution of the city's massive debt load.
On Tuesday, Moody's dropped the city's bond rating. It was dropped from
a watch list for a possible downgrade and a negative outlook has been
"The final city payment on its outstanding 1995 (bond) is due on April 1, 2010,'' Moody's said.
"The downgrade to B2 reflects the city's weak plan to address the significant guaranteed debt service obligations to the (Harrisburg Authority) in 2010, which may result in the city's non-payment ...''
The city's bond rating was already junk, but the symbolism of this move is no less startling.
Last week, a workout group from Assured Guaranty met with Mayor Thompson and officials from Dauphin County, which is the third guarantor of some of the incinerator debt. Sources say that Thompson began the meeting by berating the bond insurance representatives for meeting first with Dauphin County officials the previous week.
Instead of a session to begin hammering out potential rescheduling of debt payment, the bond insurers are said to be back in New York, contemplating its options. The bond insurers are on the hook for the debt, too.
This is a big story, at least in financial circles. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News are updating Harrisburg's march toward a fiscal emergency. They're calling this one of the the biggest municipal failures in Pennsylvania history, which is pretty odd coming from a state where Gov. Ed Rendell recently praised former Mayor Stephen R. Reed as the greatest mayor in the state.
Hyperbole can be a dangerous thing. So can handing the keys of a big business like Harrisburg to a person or bodies not qualified or too politically conflicted.
That's why news that Thompson will try and push a budget vote tonight that sticks $68 million in debt on the backs of city taxpayers should be met with raised eyebrows, if not alarm.
This fiscal crisis is three decades in the making. It is such that the newly reconstituted City Council is in no position to manage, not when this very dire debt crisis was created when, in 2003 and 2007, City Council and Harrisburg Authority board members signed off on incinerator bond deals cobbled together in desperation by lawyers, bond counselors and former Mayor Stephen R. Reed.
"No, we are not in a position to handle the city's financial problems,'' City Council member Wanda Williams said. "We are only getting our information from one firm.''
Indeed, the city's future rests in the hands of Thompson and the Ohio-based consulting firm whose emergency financial plan does not offer a workable time line for the city's escape from insolvency nor does it offer appraisals of the city's assets it says should be sold to cover debt.
City residents who aren't sure whether the current mayor or council members are worth betting the city's future on should ask again: Where was the performance bond for the 2003 incinerator deal?
Why did the Harrisburg Authority chairman and board agree to extend this city-sinking debt crisis until 2010, when the incinerator debt was a political football in 2007?
These two boondoggle bond deals are at the core of the city's problems. And the Harrisburg Authority's mysterious use of water, sewer and bond funds are, too.
Harrisburg Authority chair James Ellison and the mayor he helped get elected won the political battle by using the incinerator and Harrisburg Authority to their advantage. Now they want city taxpayers and residents to sell off city assets to clear the debt-laden ground onto which they'll rebuild Harrisburg in their image.
The danger is, however, that without a full vetting of the Harrisburg Authority, to whom this $288 million in debt belongs, any resolution to the city's financial crisis is incomplete.
If Thompson was serious about demonstrating that the way forward must be done without regard to politics and what the ways of the past, she would request the resignation of Ellison as chairman of the Harrisburg Authority.
Likewise, for the city to be able to demonstrate to residents and outside interests that it is undertaking the smartest and the most politics-free path back from the fiscal brink, it must consider the appointment of a special, outside counsel.
This special counsel could negotiate on behalf of the city and its creditors.
The other question is at what point does the trustee for the 2003 bond deal, which is now operating as Metro Bank, come to the table and take control of the Harrisburg Authority?
There are constructive steps to be taken before City Council signs off on a debt-laden budget that seeks to sell its assets in a fire sale.


Coronavirus Shutdown: Georgina launches $250K emergency fund for businesses
Grants ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 administered through South Lake Community Futures
April 30, 2020
Local businesses will soon be able to apply for the new Emergency Response Benefit established by the town.
The $250,000 Emergency Response Benefit is to support local businesses that have seen a 30 per cent reduction in revenue.
The grant, ranging from $2,500 to a maximum of $7,500, will be administered through South Lake Community Futures, an arm's-length organization.
“As a result of the Ontario government’s mandatory closure of all non-essential businesses, many throughout our community are experiencing financial strain and hardship,” said Mayor Margaret Quirk.
According to the 2019 Employment Survey conducted by York Region, Georgina is home to more than 800 businesses. Of those local business, more than 85 per cent employ fewer than 10 people -- the importance of the small business community to Georgina’s economy can’t be underestimated.
“Town staff have been working to get targeted programs to support [the] local economy now and into the recovery period,” Quirk said.
The Georgina grant, along with other federal and provincial business funding programs, provide short-term financial assistance to the business community, with the hope of additional programs to support longer term recovery efforts.
Funding for the business grant program came from the town’s tax rate stabilization reserve and is modelled after similar financial assistance programs launched in the County of Wellington and Bradford West Gwillimbury.
Eligibility criteria for the Georgina Emergency Response Benefit include:
Ineligible businesses include:
The town is also considering modifications to several existing grant programs including the Development Application Rebate and Community Improvement Plan programs.
Applications are still being finalized and will be available online at southlakefutures.ca


Lakewood Ranch no. 1 in the nation for housing starts in second quarter
Lakewood Ranch, located on Florida’s west coast, led the nation in housing starts for the second quarter of 2019, according to Metrostudy, a leading research and consulting firm specializing in U.S. residential markets. The Ranch’s 1,561 new home starts exceeded those of other top-selling communities in Florida, Texas, Nevada and California.
"With a broad offering of new homes for every stage of your life coupled with a long standing reputation for amenities and lifestyle, Lakewood Ranch became the ‘Most Active Community’ in the United States for new housing starts as of 2Q 2019, surpassing The Villages for top spot," said Tony Polito, director of the Tampa/Central Florida region of Metrostudy.
Earlier in the month, Lakewood Ranch was named the second fastest-selling community in the nation (first multi-generational community), according to Maryland-based real estate consulting firm RCLCO’s 2019 Mid-Year Ranking.
“Lakewood Ranch’s sales – and subsequent starts success – is a result of its exceptional location, multi-generational approach, and diversity of neighborhoods, as well as an ever-growing list of daily conveniences and social engagement opportunities,” said Laura Cole, senior vice president, LWR Communities, LLC.
Lakewood Ranch is being developed by Schroeder-Manatee Ranch (SMR). Since the early 1900s, the Uihlein family, one of the original owners of the Schlitz Brewery, has owned the 31,000-acre property, with previous ranch activities including cattle ranching and citrus, tree and turf farming, and aggregate mining.
SMR transitioned into community development in February of 1994, and, today Lakewood Ranch is home to more than 15,000 households (including rentals) with an estimated population in excess of 36,000 residents. Last year, 1,482 new homes were sold in Lakewood Ranch, ranking it the country’s best-selling multi-generational community by John Burns Consulting and RCLCO.
Lakewood Ranch is Sarasota/Bradenton’s economic development hub with approximately 5.6 million square feet of non-residential, mixed-use space constructed since 1997. This includes two major office parks, Lakewood Ranch Hospital, three hotels, five grocery-anchored shopping centers, Main Street and The Green lifestyle centers (with Waterside Place opening soon), and numerous smaller neighborhood shopping centers. More than 1,500 large and small businesses call Lakewood Ranch home and over 16,000 people work in the community.
Lakewood Ranch’s recreational opportunities include miles of trails, six community parks, and the Lakewood Ranch Golf & Country Club featuring 54 holes of golf, two clubhouses, tennis center, fitness center and related amenities. In addition, there are 18-hole golf courses at both The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club and the Legacy Golf Club.
Home prices in The Ranch range from $200K to more than $1 million, providing a multitude of options for buyers, including condominiums, paired villas, and single-family homes.
Sales in Lakewood Ranch continue to come from throughout Florida, as well as from high tax markets in the Northeast, specifically New York and New Jersey. There has been growing activity from the Mid-Atlantic, including Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland, as well as from California.
Metrostudy is the leading provider of primary and secondary market information to the housing and related industries nationwide. In addition to providing information, the company is recognized for its consulting expertise on development, marketing and economic issues, and is a key source of research studies evaluating the feasibility of residential and commercial real estate projects. Services are offered through an extensive network of offices strategically located in major metropolitan areas throughout the country.
# # #
Lakewood Ranch is the 31,000-acre award-winning master-planned community in Sarasota and Manatee counties on the West Coast of Florida. Just minutes from the Gulf Coast beaches and cultural assets in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch is already home to more than 36,000 residents and features A-rated schools, the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, the Sarasota Polo Club, the 75-acre Premier Sports Campus, its own Main Street with theaters, shopping and dining, and more than four million square feet of commercial property, including CORE, a life science business campus that focuses on research, health, and education. For more information visit www.lakewoodranch.com.


[Expert commentary] There appears to be a concerted, well-funded campaign out there spreading the myth that Congressional GSE reform is bad for small lenders. As a small-to-midsize lender myself, I promise you that this idea is false. In fact, the single biggest risk to small lenders is that Congress doesn’t act and the GSEs are allowed to recapitalize and are released from conservatorship without first being reformed.
In the wake of the financial crisis, nonbank lenders and servicers have witnessed a significant emergence in the mortgage business. In fact, independent mortgage banks are heavily dominating the single-family market. Yet misperceptions persist about the capacity of these IMBs and other nonbanks.
[Subscribers only] Multigenerational living, where two or more adult generations live under the same roof, is becoming a growing trend in the U.S. Currently about 19% of Americans now live in a multigenerational household, the highest level since 1950. That amounts to about 60.6 million adults in 2014, up from 57 million adults in 2012. And homebuilders have taken notice, designing houses specifically catered to this segment.
Would-be homeowners are inundated with picture-perfect examples of new and remodeled homes brimming with upgrades. But in the real world, homebuilders and investors must calculate the rate of return on these sometimes fleeting trends, weighing what buyers want with what they can actually afford. This feature looks at which features buyers of different age demographics consider the most important, and what that means for sellers.
We’ve found that the handling and posting of payments during bankruptcy has been a widespread issue in our testing environment. Specifically, there is increased risk exposure in pre-and post-petition payment application and treatment, both inside and outside of the bankruptcy plan. Servicers and sub-servicers have created manual workflow workarounds to address the issue, however, it does open the servicer up to more exposure to calculation errors.


The Delhi High Court handed down the judgment in the National Herald case, dismissing the petition of Congress to not appear in front of the Patiala Court. News from the High Court is that the Congress is rushing to the Supreme Court to file an appeal. Otherwise Rahul and Sonia would have to appear in person in the Patiala District Court.
It has been observed in the past that the Supreme Court rarely overturns the ruling of 2 lower courts unless there is compelling evidence to the contrary.
With this the stature of Dr. Subramanian Swamy will rise significantly as a crusader of just causes. The complete judgment is given below:
Delhi High Court Judgment on NH.pdf
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SPARKS will be flying on Saturday, November 7, when Wilmslow Round Table stages its annual bonfire and firework display.
Always a sellout the bonfire party at Carnival Field promises to be the biggest and best with extra entertainment for families this year.
Fairground rides for the children and tents selling hot and cold food and drink, including mulled wine complete the programme which starts at 5.30 for juniors followed by the main display at 7.30pm. The big bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm.
There is a free park and ride scheme running from Broadway Meadow Car Park (next to The Leisure Centre).
A major event on the fundraising calendar for Wilmslow Round Table, last year more than £8,000 was raised for local charities, including Christie’s Hospital and Francis House appeals.
Gates open at 5.30pm, and the cost of tickets has been held at 2007 prices.
Tickets booked in advance can be bought at a discount at local schools or at shops including Chocolate Whirl, Wilmslow, Jackson’s Supper Bar, Wilmslow, Mark Rogers Shoe Repairs, Wilmslow, and Rick Green Cycles, Handforth.
For more information contact Paul Barney, Mobile: 07767 311427, email: firstname.lastname@example.org .


After a full year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Charlotte magazine’s Greg Lacour asked healthcare professionals what they’ve learned. Tryon CEO Dr. Dale Owen shared his thoughts, looking back at the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, how Tryon quickly pivoted to put a plan in place and what’s in the future (hint: it’s not over yet).
Below are highlights from Dr. Owen’s answers. Read the entire Charlotte magazine article published March 11, 2021.
What are the most important lessons you and your team have learned in the past year?
Owen: “A historical perspective of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic was critical. I have had a keen interest in infectious disease since residency and have read dissertations on the pandemic. We still have trouble listening now to what they said then: ‘Wear your masks and don’t open your schools.’ What happened here with COVID-19 was very predictable based on our country’s response to the 1918 Spanish flu. We made the same mistakes and didn’t learn from history.”
How differently would you approach an outbreak of lethal disease based on what you’ve learned since March 2020?
Owen: “The worst thing we can do is assume it’s over when this particular pandemic is under better control. The mechanisms we have put in place to fight coronavirus cannot become extinct; otherwise, we will continue to make the same mistakes again. That level of preparedness has to always be there. We should never have to build from scratch again.”
Where do you think you and your team’s response was strongest? Where do you think it’s most in need of adjustment? Why?
Owen: “Our team was nimble and pivoted quickly before the pandemic. Well before the national emergency was declared, Tryon Medical Partners’ Coronavirus Task Force had a plan in place for everything from ramping up virtual visits to setting up satellite COVID testing clinics. This strategy was accomplished and put into place in five days. We didn’t have to form 16 committees to discuss and decide. We just did it. Establishing our practice in 2018 taught us how to move from strategy to operation very quickly. Tryon Medical Partners’ whole response to COVID-19 has been strong, and this practice will remain ready because history has taught us that a similar crisis is going to happen again.”
What advice would you have now for local, state, and federal public health agencies that would help in a response to another epidemic?
Owen: “I was asked to consult with the Biden Administration transition team on this issue. Here’s what I said:
1. We have to have a coordinated national plan, and I personally believe it should not be left up to interpretation by 50 different states and their counties.
2. We need to be able to source all testing material components from inside the United States, which guarantees supply chain. This is how, throughout the pandemic, Tryon Medical Partners was able to maintain a one- to two-day turnaround on COVID-19 testing results.
3. Federal and state systems need to stop relying on outdated means to deliver health care. Relying solely on hospitals and health departments to roll out the COVID-19 vaccine is taking too long. Smaller, more nimble organizations like ours don’t rely on the status quo. We need to get these vaccines out sooner to prevent mutations that will render these vaccines ineffective. The phased rollout has been too slow to accomplish this goal.”
Anything else you’d like to add?
Owen: “We’ve been here before. Don’t forget.”


Dean Foods Co. said it appointed Eric Beringause president and CEO and a member of the board of directors, effective July 29, 2019. Beringause succeeds Ralph Scozzafava, who stepped down as CEO and resigned from his position on the board.
Beringause brings to Dallas-based Dean Foods more than 30 years of transformational leadership and operational experience at a broad range of blue-chip brands in the food, beverage and consumer products industries, including expertise in food processing and branded and contract manufacturing. Most recently, he served as CEO of Gehl Foods LLC, a producer of dairy-based beverages and food products, Dean Foods said. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Advanced Refreshment LLC, one of the largest U.S. producers of private label bottled water and water-based beverages, and as CEO of Sturm Foods Inc., a producer of private label food products, specialty food brands and contract manufactured products.
Earlier in his career, Beringause held various business development, finance and sales and marketing roles at Alcoa Consumer Products, Gerber Infant & Baby Products, ConAgra, Inc./Grist Mill, Nestle Inc., Nabisco Brands and The Pillsbury Co., Dean Foods said.
“We believe Eric is the right leader to drive the transformation of the business as the company continues to execute on its enterprise-wide cost productivity plan and its previously announced exploration of strategic alternatives,” said Jim Turner, non-executive chairman of the Dean Foods board. “He has a long track record of creating value in dairy and consumer products companies, as well as a unique combination of turnaround and operational expertise.”
Beringause said he is honored to join the company.
“Dean Foods is the nation’s largest dairy processor and a leader in the industry, and I am excited to work with the board and management team to leverage our scale and substantial assets to realize the significant opportunities available to transform our company,” he said. “My top priority will be to ensure we have the right footprint and strategies in place to drive sustainable growth and profitability for the benefit of our shareholders, employees, customers and other stakeholders.”


(LAWRENCE CO.) – Local residents have formed the Lawrence County Independent Schools following the North Lawrence Community Schools Corporation vote to consolidate.
According to Albert Cross, a group of local residents toured several charter schools around the state to see how their schools got started and operated. Those included schools in Dugger, Graysville, and Pike County. Organizers also talked with a charter school in Rush County.
“The decision by the North Lawrence Community Schools has already been made. However, in the State of Indiana, the choices for education and school choice remain with the parents,” said Cross.
“Following any consolidation over the years in Lawrence County, you look at the communities of Huron, Tunnelton, and Williams and you see what a negative effect it had on those communities,” added Cross.
“We hope to keep the sense of rural community alive, especially after the fire that destroyed at the old Springville gym. We want to keep our community alive and keep our local school operating,” said Cross.
After visiting the charter schools, the group approached Perry Township Trustee Bob Phillips and the advisory board to see if they were interested in trying to acquire the Springville School.
“Perry Township Trustee Bob Phillips and the advisory board took their time in making that decision. And they finally agreed to help us with acquiring the Springville Elementary School,” explained Cross.
Fayetteville and Springville are unique in that the two schools came from township property and the school corporation must first offer the property back to the township.
At this time, the Indian Creek Township Trustee has not expressed interest in trying to acquiring the school property, according to Cross.
Springville Elementary school sits in the middle of both Indian Creek and Marshall Townships with an increasing population between Oolitic and Bloomington.
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population is between 2,700-2,800 in Indian Creek Township, between 4,600-4,700 in Marshall Township, and between 2,300-2,400 in Perry Township.
The newly formed school has a board of directors of nine people with Albert Cross serving as Chairman of the Board. The board members are from Indian Creek, Perry, and Spice Valley North townships.
Lawrence County Independent Schools released the following press release:
“Lawrence County Independent Schools is a state-authorized, not-for-profit organization which came into being in March of 2020 with the stated purpose of providing public education options for students in northwestern Lawrence County, as well as any other area student looking for additional choices in education.
Lawrence County Independent Schools is working with Perry Township to obtain access to the former Springville Elementary School building and open a K-8 elementary and middle school in the fall of 2021.
The group had hoped to open this fall to provide a seamless transition for those students whose schools were closing this year, but necessary approvals were delayed by the coronavirus crisis, forcing a delay in opening.
The mission of Lawrence County Independent Schools is to inspire each student to reach his or her greatest potential personally and academically in a peaceful rural school learning environment by providing a challenging and life-focused curriculum.
Students enrolled in Lawrence County Independent Schools will develop essential life-long skills, critical thinking skills, character building skills, and knowledge to ensure that they will be adequately prepared to achieve success in high school and in an ever-advancing global society.
Lawrence County Independent Schools can be found on Facebook; postal inquiries may be submitted to P.O. Box 27 Springville, Indiana 47462. For more information contact Lawrence County Independent Schools at firstname.lastname@example.org.


— Cindy Long, USDA Administrator for the Food and Nutrition Service
ROUND ROCK, TX, USA, April 19, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — The National CACFP Sponsors Association (NCA) is honored to present the award this year to the Administrator of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Cindy Long, on April 19, 2022 at the National Child Nutrition Virtual Conference.
The Friend of CACFP Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to supporting and improving the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) through leadership and initiative. In the past, this award has been presented to Congressman David Trone, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Congressman Bobby Scott, Congressman James McGovern, Senator Robert Casey, Representative Marcia Fudge, Senator Debbie Stabenow and Senator Amy Klobuchar. These individuals have made significant and demonstrable contributions to the CACFP through advocacy, legislation, education or professional endeavors that exemplify a positive impact or advancement of the national child nutrition programs.
In September of 2021, Ms. Long was appointed Administrator for the Food and Nutrition Service. She most recently served as Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Acting Administrator, and has had extensive experience with FNS, including serving as Deputy Administrator for Child Nutrition Programs. In this role, she led FNS’ implementation of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act, the most significant restructuring of these programs in decades and a legislative centerpiece of the Obama-Biden Administration’s nutrition initiatives. Previously, she held various other program management and research positions in FNS.
Ms. Long is pleased to accept the Friend of CACFP Award commenting, “It is an honor and a privilege to partner with these child nutrition ambassadors through my role at Food and Nutrition Service as we work together to combat hunger, improve nutrition, and lift up families for a better tomorrow. Thanks to the passion and dedication of the CACFP community, millions of our nation’s children have greater access to healthy meals and snacks that set them up to thrive.”
NCA appreciates Ms. Long’s diligent work to protect and strengthen child nutrition programs in our country. Without her commitment, support, and leadership, CACFP would not be the program it is today.
The National Child Nutrition Conference will be held in New Orleans, LA, from April 18-22, 2022 where over 1,800 members of the child nutrition community will gather in person and virtually for an incredible few days of training. For 36 years, NCA has hosted this conference in order to provide unparalleled education and networking opportunities specific to the child nutrition community.
Since 1986, the NCA is the leading national organization for sponsors who administer the CACFP. NCA provides education and support to thousands of members in the CACFP community and to sponsors of all sizes from across the country. NCA strives to improve communication between families, caregivers, sponsors and their supervising government agencies.
National CACFP Sponsors Association
email us here


Kamil Sarah, GNA
Tamale, Aug. 30, GNA – Mr Mustapha Sanah,
Executive Chairman of Northern Ghana Aid (NOGAID) has congratulated Dr Daniel
Asare,the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Korle-Bu
He said the criteria of competence, capacity
to deliver, experience in hospital management and flexibility to adjust to new
people as basis for his qualifications to the position was heartwarming.
Mr Sanah was speaking to the Press at the
sidelines of a day’s workshop on good governance in Tamale, organised by NOGAID
for some selected Unit Committee and Assembly members in the Northern Region.
The workshop was aimed at deepening the
understanding of qualitative local governance, inclusive and participatory
democracy of the Unit Committee and Assembly members.
He praised Dr Okoe Boye, Member of Parliament
for Ledzokuku Krowor led Board for their bold decision to engage Dr Asare,
indicating that the future Board of the Teaching Teaching Hospital (TTH) must
emulate this shining example.
“I know Dr Boye and he is very tough. Our
nation’s leadership must rest in the hands of people who can make good
decisions for the entire benefit of all Ghanaians” he said.
The NOGAID Boss caution the New Patriotic
Party’s activists in the Northern
Regions, especially, those attacking the
THH to be very circumspect, adding,
“the leaders of Tamale are getting worried about the negative behavior of
our youth irrespective of their political affiliations. NDC youth did it and
NPP youth are now doing it. Whichever party is voted into office, their youth
think they have a blank cheque for lawlessness, we shall work with the security
agencies and government to deal with this lawlessness.”
He said Korle-Bu was the nation’s final
referral hospital and was happy that facility was getting back to work and
praised Dr Boye for his remarkable leadership.
“TTH feed cases into Korle-Bu so we need equal
level of leadership at the TTH to address the plethora of challenges at the
facility,” he said.
According to Mr Sanah, the Eminent Leaders of
Tamale were ready to support government to make the hospital work again,
indicating that healthcare delivery was the place to make politicking since
sickness is no respecter of party colouration.


Thailand logged 4,000 new Covid-19 cases and 22 new fatalities during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Monday morning.
On Sunday, 6,450 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering from the coronavirus.
Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 2,145,241 Covid-19 cases, with 2,055,265 complete recoveries so far. The accumulated death toll stood at 20,966.
The vast majority of coronavirus cases and deaths have occurred since the third wave of the coronavirus began on April 1.
The kingdom’s all-time 24-hour high of Covid-19 fatalities was 312 recorded on Aug 18. The highest number of cases was 23,418 on Aug 13.


Oakdale voters sent a message on Tuesday, Nov. 4 with a resounding "Yes" in approving Measure Y, the continuation of a local half-cent sales tax, passing it by a 70 to 30 percent margin.
Veterans' Day now looks a bit different to Oakdale mothers Emmy McDaniel and Alicia London than it did two years ago. Both are now parents to sons who are on active duty in the military. That's a fact which prompted them both to become pro-active with Mid-Cal Blue Star Moms, a congressionally chartered Veteran Service Organization.
A Sconza Candy Company employee has filed federal charges against a local bakers union and her employer for a litany of rights violations regarding mandatory union membership and a subsequent suspension she received for not joining the union in a timely manner.
Extreme weather conditions have led to abnormally high pollution conditions rarely seen in the Valley this time of year.
The most prominent figure in sports to retire this year not named Derek Jeter lives right here in Oakdale.
With little fanfare and no public comment, the Oakdale Irrigation District raised the price of water for its 2,900 agricultural customers Tuesday. Later, board members moved to soften the financial impact of higher rates by supporting a proposal to help farmers pay for projects to improve irrigation efficiency.
Oakdale voters overwhelmingly approved continuation of a half-cent sales tax in voting on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Longtime Escalon Unified School District board member John Largent was returned to the board by an overwhelming majority in the Tuesday election.
In response to this growing incidence of distracted driving, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has launched a yearlong, Adult Distracted Driving traffic safety campaign in partnership with the Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A minimum of 80 distracted driving enforcement operations and at least 500 traffic safety presentations will be completed statewide by the end of September 2015.
Riverbank Police and Emergency crews responded to a report of a pedestrian struck by an Amtrak train around 9:13 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 31 near the area of Terminal Avenue and Claribel Road.
Costumes, jack-'o-lanterns, haunted houses and scary ghost stories mark this time of year as all kids of all ages enjoy the spirit of Halloween. But if precautions aren't taken, scary things can happen. Decorations that ignited are the reported cause in 900 home fires nationwide each year. Two of every five of those were started by a candle.
While in the ag-rich Central Valley during a break from politicking in Washington D.C., Congressman Jeff Denham stopped by the offices of The Oakdale Leader to discuss certain federal issues that are affecting Central Valley residents he represents in California's 10th Congressional District.
The Zombie train rolled into Oakdale earlier this year and is now reaching a fever pitch, as we near the conclusion of the Halloween season.
Oakdale voters will be voting for mayor, two open city council seats and determining whether or not to extend a half-cent sales tax assessment on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Court papers filed shortly after a sexual assault complaint was made against a local pizzeria owner give insight to the circumstances surrounding his Oct. 20 arrest by Oakdale Police.
For the second time the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office has asked the court to grant them more time to decide if they will pursue criminal charges against a Turlock man accused of sexually assaulting an employee at his Oakdale pizzeria.


Kim Clijsters is getting into baseball with her two sons while she’s preparing for a delayed comeback in July.
The four-time Grand Slam champion Clijsters was supposed to compete at the Miami Open and the Volvo Car Open as a wildcard, but opted out of playing because of lack of physical preparation.
The 37-year-old Clijsters had ended an eight-year absence from competitive tennis last year, but she has played just three matches since. In October 2020, Clijsters underwent a right knee surgery to repair damage that accumulated through the course of her long career. The rehab progressed well, but in January 2021 she was diagnosed with COVID-19 and even though the symptoms were mild, the disease disrupted her training schedule, so she postponed her comeback.
Posting a photo of the catcher’s box, the Belgian tennis ace revealed that she’s getting into baseball with her sons Jack and Blake:
It’s a different kind of clay and grass for me this year. It’s been a busy time with the family – I’m event learning a new sport with my boys!
In the social media post, Clijsters also said that her recovery continues and she’s planning a return in July. Her first stop will be an exhibition in Atlanta where she’ll face fellow former US Open champion Sloane Stephens. They will open a week celebrating the return of live professional tennis to Midtown Atlanta and Atlantic Station at the 2021 Truist Atlanta Open that runs from July 24 to August 1. The Clijsters vs. Stephens women’s exhibition will take place on July 25, 7 p.m.


Andrew Wiggins isn’t wasting any time. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ No. 1 pick from Thursday’s NBA Draft has already made a quick pitch to unrestricted free agent LeBron James about teaming up with him.
From the New York Times:
"“I want to win,” Wiggins said. “If he wants to win, we’d be good together.”"
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The Cavaliers are expected to be major contenders to land James, who spent seven seasons with Cleveland before heading to Miami in 2010. ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported on Wednesday that the Cavs are the Heat’s biggest threat in re-signing LeBron this offseason.
One would think snagging Wiggins certainly isn’t going to hurt their chances. The 19-year-old is among the best draft prospects we’ve seen in recent years. He averaged 17.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game last season for Kansas, and has the type of elite athleticism that could make him an NBA star someday.
Still, prying James away from Miami won’t be easy, considering all the winning he’s done there throughout past four seasons and the Heat possessing one of the best coaching and upper management situations in the league.
And unfortunately for Wiggins and Cleveland fans hoping to see their once-favorite son return, LeBron made it clear his favorite prospect Thursday was taken by Miami in Connecticut point guard Shabazz Napier.
Teaming up with the 22-year-old Kyrie Irving and Wiggins in Cleveland is sure to entice James, but the most likely option remains that the King stays in South Beach.


The interface will help BNP Paribas's custody clients to manage their migration to DLT without having to adapt their global operating platform.
JP Morgan Securities Services and BlackRock are the first two organisations to use the new electronic messaging solution provided by IHS Markit’s ClearPar.
Operational cost-cutting takes a back-seat for the buy-side in favour of expanding investment capabilities
New buy-side survey shows operational strategy priorities for the next two years, along with attitudes towards new technologies.
Deploying ‘futuristic technology’ to clearing and settlement will achieve a ‘medieval result’, new report claims
Report says DLT cannot replace clearing and settlement entirely, without imposing the very costs it was designed to reduce.
Messaging system Symphony has raised more than $460 million in capital to date since it was established in 2014.
Technology, regulation, diversity, Brexit, T2S, the role of the network manager and much more discussed at the annual event, this year held in Athens.
Custody industry is lagging behind the rest of the financial services sector for open source projects, according to industry experts.
JP Morgan’s securities services division goes live with post-trade FinTech firm’s transaction status solution
The bank’s securities services division has been developing a single end-to-end data integration framework aiming to break down the barriers in the post-trade lifecycle
Roman Regelman continues to build out digital team with hire of transformation expert with experience across the media and entertainment business along with financial services.
It is also planning a series of process enhancements in order to support both institutional intermediaries for global proxy voting.


Organizers of the “Protect Texas from Radioactive Waste Tour” plan to travel to five Texas cities over the next week in protest of a proposed plan to store used nuclear materials in West Texas.
Several Texas organizations gathered in Houston on Tuesday to kick off their “Protect Texas from Radioactive Waste Tour,” the beginning of a renewed push to block a proposal to transport used nuclear fuel by train through Texas and store it in West Texas.
The tour’s organizers said they want to make people aware of the “high risk” implications of a proposal to build and operate a facility for 40,000 metric tons of irradiated fuel rods at an existing site in Andrews County.
If approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the project by Interim Storage Partners, a joint venture between Waste Control Specialists and Orano USA, would transport nuclear waste from around the country to the consolidated site in Texas and store it until a long-term storage site becomes available, according to the venture’s website.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in an August letter it would begin reviewing Interim Storage Partners’ license application and that its safety, security and environmental reviews of the proposal could conclude as early as August 2020.
Interim Storage Partners did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the tour, but on its website, it emphasizes the safety of its operations.
“Since 1965, more than 2,700 shipments of used fuel have been safely transported nearly 2 million miles across the United States — and there has never been a radiological release caused by a transportation accident,” Interim Storage Partners’ website said.
The website adds that “the transport cask surrounding the canister is specifically engineered with multiple barriers, including containment boundary, structural shell, gamma shielding material, and solid neutron shield,” and that the canister is sealed in thick-walled concrete when it arrives at the storage facility.
Smith said that after the news conference, the organizations planned to ask the Houston City Council to adopt a resolution against the proposed transportation of the nuclear material. He added that commissioners in San Antonio and Midland have already adopted similar resolutions.
“We’re trying to raise awareness because a lot of people don’t know this is planned,” Hadden said. She also said she hopes the tour will encourage people to submit comments on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s website before the Oct. 19 deadline.
Smith and Hadden said they have gone on nuclear waste tours before, one in West Texas last year and another this year for a separate proposed nuclear site in New Mexico. Over the next week, the current tour will continue at outdoor locations near railroads in San Antonio, Dallas, El Paso, Midland and Andrews, Smith said.
Interim Storage Partners’ license application, which proposes a 40-year lease, is the second filed by the company. The first was submitted in April 2016, but its review was halted after Waste Control Specialists struggled to find the funds needed to continue with the application.
“We look forward to an energized and timely process and continuing to provide high-quality responses to any NRC requests for additional information,” Interim Storage Partners said in a written statement last month.
Federal lawmakers are mulling an amendment to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 that could accelerate the development of nuclear material storage sites. The amendment would require the Department of Energy to start its own program “to consolidate and temporarily store commercial spent nuclear fuel during the development, construction, and operation of a permanent nuclear waste repository.”
This story was originally published in the Texas Tribune.


The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the health sector to address the menacing brain drain.
It noted that while most doctors are competent and patriotic, the poor working environment, welfare, insecurity, among others, pushed many to seek greener pastures abroad.
The union insisted on at least a 200 per cent increment in the basic salary of its members, with the additional allowances, as contained in the letter it sent to the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health on July 7, 2022.
The NARD expressed shock over the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products, following the removal of subsidy, saying this would propel an increased inflation rate and cost of living.
The union urged the government to put measures in place to cushion the effect of subsidy removal on poor Nigerians.
The statement by NARD President, Dr. Emeka Orji, reads: “We call on the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to, as a matter of urgency, declare a state of emergency in the Nigerian health sector as the era of paying lip service to the monster called ‘brain drain’ should be over.
“We urge the government to set up a high-powered panel to review and harmonise the reports from the former President Obasanjo Health Agenda for Nigeria Committee and the former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo-led Health Sector Reform Committee in order to generate a plan of action in the Health sector for the President Tinubu-led administration.
“We insist on the demand for at least 200 per cent increment in the CONMESS salary structure and the associated allowances, as contained in our letter to the government, dated July 7, 2022. We have resolved to give the new government some time to quickly resolve this issue which is at the root of the current spate of massive brain drain in the sector.”
NARD added: “We call on Governors Adedapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Alex Otti of Abia State, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara State and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to urgently look into the situation in the Health sector in their states since these are capable of breaking down the industrial peace in their states.
“We call on the management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and the Lagos State Governor to discontinue the demand for bench fees as this contravenes the decision of the National Council on Establishment to abolish the fees.
“We call on the West African Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians to immediately discontinue the practice of charging our members using parallel market exchange rates.
“We call on the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to stop the downgrading of the membership certificate as this is not the practice in sister African countries that share the same certificate.”


AMF Pensionsforsakring AB Has $55.35 Million Holdings in Schlumberger Limited. (SLB)
AMF Pensionsforsakring AB raised its position in Schlumberger Limited. (NYSE:SLB) by 9.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,534,070 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 128,131 shares during the period. AMF Pensionsforsakring AB’s holdings in Schlumberger were worth $55,349,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of SLB. Capital International Investors increased its stake in Schlumberger by 62.5% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 33,296,194 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,028,404,000 after buying an additional 12,810,020 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Schlumberger by 8.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 29,461,493 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,974,805,000 after buying an additional 2,188,823 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Schlumberger by 20.1% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 10,218,188 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $622,492,000 after buying an additional 1,707,050 shares during the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group increased its stake in Schlumberger by 31.5% in the 3rd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 4,303,769 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $262,185,000 after buying an additional 1,030,579 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sound Shore Management Inc. CT purchased a new stake in Schlumberger in the 3rd quarter valued at about $61,845,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.85% of the company’s stock.
Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. HSBC upgraded shares of Schlumberger from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, December 2nd. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price objective on shares of Schlumberger from $82.00 to $71.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 22nd. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Schlumberger from $92.00 to $75.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 22nd. Barclays set a $58.00 price objective on shares of Schlumberger and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 10th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Schlumberger from $57.00 to $54.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Schlumberger presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $66.65.
Schlumberger stock opened at $42.78 on Friday. Schlumberger Limited. has a twelve month low of $34.99 and a twelve month high of $75.43. The company has a market cap of $60.10 billion, a PE ratio of 26.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40.
Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 18th. The oil and gas company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.36. Schlumberger had a net margin of 6.51% and a return on equity of 6.12%. The firm had revenue of $8.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.48 EPS. The company’s revenue was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Schlumberger Limited. will post 1.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 12th. Schlumberger’s dividend payout ratio is currently 123.46%.
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: “AMF Pensionsforsakring AB Has $55.35 Million Holdings in Schlumberger Limited. (SLB)” was first reported by Daily Political and is the sole property of of Daily Political. If you are reading this article on another site, it was illegally copied and reposted in violation of U.S. and international copyright and trademark legislation. The correct version of this article can be viewed at https://www.dailypolitical.com/2019/02/10/amf-pensionsforsakring-ab-has-55-35-million-holdings-in-schlumberger-limited-slb.html.
Schlumberger Limited supplies technology products and services to the oil and gas exploration and production industry worldwide. The company's Reservoir Characterization Group segment provides reservoir interpretation and data processing services; open and cased-hole services; slickline services; exploration and production pressure and flow-rate measurement services at the surface and downhole; software integrated solutions, such as software, consulting, information management, and IT infrastructure services; consulting services for reservoir characterization, field development planning, and production enhancement; and petrotechnical data services and training solutions, as well as integrated management services.
See Also: Short Selling Stocks, A Beginner’s Guide
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SLB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Schlumberger Limited. (NYSE:SLB).
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Lake Macquarie council CEO Morven Cameron has defended the refurbishment of the Speers Point administration centre and how the project has been communicated to ratepayers.
Ms Cameron said yesterday it had "not been put under the radar" and was a "stock-standard piece of business" that would help attract "high-quality" staff.
"All we've done is maintain the building since the 1970s," she said.
"Workplaces are very different [now].
"We have to have facilities for our workforce that recognise a modern way of working.
"If I don't build a workplace where younger generations want to come and work, in five or six years' time I won't be able to deliver the services that this community needs because I won't be able to get employees - they'll be looking to go and work in modern environments."
As reported Wednesday, the council has called for tenders to gut and refurbish three floors of workspace.
The renovation is considered an operational activity and has not been discussed in an open council meeting.
It was briefly listed in the 2020/21 budget which shows the council plans to spend $17.8 million on the project over the next three years.
It is also budgeting to spend $12 million on IT infrastructure and $2.7 million on computer workstations over the next four years.
But these costs were disputed in a staff memo to councillors yesterday, who were told they were "not related" to the refurbishment and would "be funded irrespective" of it going ahead.
Ms Cameron said the "entire cost of the refurbishment, including the IT, is included in the [$17.8 million] budget line for the project".
Stan Kiaos, a Boolaroo business owner, said the project had been "hidden from the community" and should have been "on the first page of the budget, not page 87".
"They claim to be transparent, but they're not," he said.
"This should be major news as far as the community is concerned.
"At the end of the day, we will be the one that is funding it so we really need to be alerted it's happening."
Asked why the project had not been promoted to the community, Ms Cameron said she preferred to promote projects after they had been delivered.
"You deliver and then say you've done it," she said.
The Herald approached mayor Kay Fraser and the 12 councillors yesterday for their thoughts on the project.
The mayor did not return calls and only two councillors were willing to comment.
Cr Jason Pauling (LIB) said a refurbishment was appropriate given the building's age and there was "no appetite whatsoever" of "building Taj Mahal somewhere else".
But he acknowledged a lack of transparency, saying there had been a "missed opportunity" to tell "a good news story" that the council was not "wasting money building something brand new with penthouses, but patching something up and making it more functional".
"Fair cop, we didn't flag [with] ratepayers we're going to refurb the building. From a transparency view, it could have been better," he said.
"But that admin building ... it's certainly due for a refurb, there's no doubt about that."
Cr Barney Langford (ALP) said he was "comfortable with the way things have gone" and the project was part of "ongoing maintenance or asset management".
Cr Adam Shultz directed the Herald's questions to the CEO and mayor.
MORE COUNCIL NEWS


Unison vote for MHS deal
Meat hygiene bosses have agreed a deal with union leaders over pay and terms of conditions. The Meat Hygiene Service said Unison members had voted to accept the deal, following a period of negotiation.
Steve McGrath, chief executive of the MHS, said: “I am very pleased that the ballot was positive. The deal reached increases the flexibility available to MHS operational managers while ensuring MHS staff receive a fair wage for the work undertaken.
“Notice periods for changing work patterns have been shortened considerably and there will no longer be a right for staff in the future to receive contractual overtime.
“This is a fair deal for MHS staff, management, industry and the tax payer.
“We will of course continue to work with industry to identify and implement further efficiencies in the delivery of official controls.”
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Awesome news about digital innovation, virtual reality and augmented reality.
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Samsung has unveiled its newest flagship-grade Exynos SoC that will power its next generation of flagship smartphones. Called the Exynos 9820, the chipset will power the upcoming Galaxy S10 flagship from the company. The new SoC features fourth-generation custom CPU cores as well as a 2Gbps LTE Advanced Pro Modem. It also comes with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), similar to what Huawei offers in the Kirin 970 and Kirin 980 chipsets. The chipset is manufactured using an 8nm LPP (Low Power Plus) FinFET process, which the company says can reduce power consumption by up to 10% as compared to 10nm LPP process. The Exynos 9820 chipset is expected to be in mass production by the end of this year.
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420Patients.com is accepting qualified medical marijuana patients and caregivers to join our network. We value every registered member and we hope to serve you in Arizona. This article brought to you by 420 community friends mmjbusinessdaily.com
The Montana Legislature is gearing up for a new session of lawmaking, and on tap already are up to 10 bills related to the medical cannabis industry.
According to the Missoulian, the measures vary from an outright overturn of Initiative 182 – which Montana voters approved in the election earlier this month – to pro-cannabis bills that would restore access for MMJ patients.
The legislature has immense power over the industry in Montana, given that I-182 is a state statute and not an amendment to the state constitution. That means legislators are free to adjust the


- Bloemfontein Celtic coach John Maduka says that the departure of Lehlohonolo Seema was not "good news" for the team.
- Maduka believes that the way the team operates will continue to be the same.
- Players are used to the changing of coaches in football, says the new Celtic coach.
New Bloemfontein Celtic coach John Maduka believes football players adapt quickly around administrative issues as he openly spoke about the departure of Lehlohonolo Seema to Chippa United.
The 49-year-old Maduka, who was recently named Phunya Sele Sele's new mentor, believes that despite the shock exit of the former Celtic coach, not much will change in the way the club operates as it will take time for him to instil his philosophy into the Free State side.
"We won't change," said Maduka during a virtual press conference ahead of their Nedbank Cup semi-final clash against Baroka FC at Orlando Stadium on Saturday.
"Whatever you saw in those games previously it will be more of the same thing. So, there won't be much change on what we have been doing.
"It's been working on us. So, why would you fiddle with something that is not broken?
"There will be a slight change, depending on who we will be playing against but most of the things will be the same."
He added: "Losing coach Seema, it was not good news for the team and the players. When you are used to working for somebody else, you want to continue with that particular person.
"At the same time players are professional and they do understand that it is one of those things in this industry there will be a time where the coach leaves and joins another team.
"It's something that is not new. We're not happy that he left but it is something that we expect in this industry.
"Life has to go on. One good thing is that it's not like Bloemfontein Celtic brought in a new person from somewhere else. I was around, I've been around."
The Premier Soccer League (PSL) will resume over the weekend following a nearly five-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Cup football will be first on the agenda as the Free State giants take on the Limpopo outfit, followed by Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits in the Gauteng bio-bubble which the PSL created to complete the 2019/20 campaign.
The Celtic and Baroka match will kick-off at 14:00.


On Wednesday night, verified Twitter was in the throes of a crisis.
After the Great Hack of 2020 made it look like Joe Biden and Elon Musk tweeted out extremely sketchy bitcoin donation links, Twitter blocked many verified accounts from tweeting.
For a few hours, all of your A-to-D-list celebrity faves couldn’t post — but they could retweet.
To communicate from beyond the virtual grave, they turned to the account @everyword.
Flashback to the days of the @everyword empire
If you’d heard of the account before this week, you’ve been on the internet longer than me.
@Everyword launched in 2007 with the goal of tweeting all of the words in the English dictionary, one at a time.
But on Wednesday, the account re-entered the mainstream — blue-check users started retweeting old @everyword posts, one at a time, to talk to their followers.
What were their all-important messages?
- The Ringer writer Shea Serrano used @everyword to spell out “I will not be silenced.”
- Video game developer Rami Ismail wrote “let me tweet again.”
- Nate Silver stuck with “poll shows democrat leading.”
The whole mess felt a lot like that scene from Arrival, where Amy Adams tries to communicate with an alien species using a sign that says “Human.”
Do you have a favorite weird or essential Twitter account you follow? Hit us up @TheHustle and we’ll make a list of ‘em.


A Wyoming man who kidnapped, raped and murdered a woman in 1988 and was convicted of the crimes more than a decade later could still be subject to the death penalty, according to a ruling from a federal appeals court in Denver.
Dale Wayne Eaton, 74, was Wyoming’s only death row inmate from his 2004 jury conviction on four felonies until 2014, when a federal judge in Cheyenne overturned the jury’s sentence of death. Judge Alan Johnson ruled that Eaton’s court-appointed defense lawyers had performed deficiently at sentencing and vacated his conviction but gave prosecutors the opportunity to again seek to sentence him to death.
In Eaton’s latest appeal, he had asked the Denver appeals court to deny prosecutors that option, but, in its July 23 opinion, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to do so.
Former Natrona County District Attorney Mike Blonigen, who tried Eaton in 2004, said Tuesday evening he was not largely surprised by any portion of the opinion. He said he expects any appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court before resentencing would likely not be heard. The trial prosecutor declined to say whether he would like to handle the sentencing hearing, saying that was a decision entirely up to Dan Itzen, who replaced him as district attorney in January. Itzen could not be reached by phone the evening of the decision.
Attorney General Bridget Hill, whose office handled the 10th Circuit appeal, typically does not comment on ongoing cases. She declined by email Tuesday to diverge from that policy.
Sean O’Brien, the Kansas City lawyer and law professor who led Eaton’s appeal, did not immediately respond to a late afternoon call for comment.
The case began more than 30 years ago, when authorities began investigating Lisa Marie Kimmell’s death. The Billings, Montana, woman’s body turned up in the North Platte River, but investigators hit a decade of dead ends.
In 1998, after Eaton was convicted of assault and sent to Wyoming State Penitentiary, authorities took his DNA and found it matched evidence found on Kimmell’s body. Investigators, however, did not immediately make the finding public. In 2002, authorities unearthed Kimmell’s car on Eaton’s property in Moneta, about an hour from Casper.
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In 2003, the Natrona County District Attorney’s Office charged Eaton with Kimmell’s death, and Blonigen took the case to trial in early 2004. After two weeks in the courtroom, jurors convicted him of every charge he faced — first-degree premeditated murder, felony murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery and first-degree sexual assault — and Eaton’s case went to sentencing. Days later, the jury found Eaton should be put to death.
The Wyoming State Public Defender’s Office appealed the case in 2005, beginning a series of post-conviction proceedings that have not yet been resolved.
Judges halted execution dates set for 2008 and for 2010, when Eaton appealed to the federal system. In 2014, Johnson, the Cheyenne judge, vacated Eaton’s sentence and gave prosecutors a 120-day deadline to seek a new sentencing hearing. Eaton asked Johnson to order the state court to sentence him to life without parole, but the judge declined to do so.
Eaton appealed to the 10th Circuit and the 120-day time frame expired. The federal district court ruled prosecutors, however, could still pursue a hearing to impose the death penalty. Eaton appealed the decision as well, and the 10th Circuit judges on Tuesday largely ruled against him on all four issues he brought.
In its 43-page ruling, a panel of three judges first considered a set of arguments born of an appeal to the Wyoming Supreme Court, where Eaton argued his lawyer had offered deficient representation at trial. The federal panel agreed with the state appeals court’s ruling, however, that because Eaton was mentally competent his trial lawyer could not be deficient when he did not contest competency. The opinion, penned by Judge Nancy Moritz, likewise denied an argument that Eaton should have been allowed on appeal to bring new evidence on the issue.
A second set of arguments state that Eaton’s constitutional rights were being denied when Johnson allowed a new penalty hearing. The federal panel, however, ruled the state-level sentence would be able to fairly incorporate whether and how the passage of time has prejudiced the sentencing hearing.
The 10th Circuit likewise rejected the final two arguments brought by Eaton’s lawyers. Although they had argued Johnson improperly determined that Eaton is still subject to the death penalty, the appellate panel ruled his arguments before the state court contradicted his federal arguments. In response to his final argument, that prosecutors suppressed evidence of their connection to a trial witness, the judges ruled the issue as appealed was irrelevant upon reversal of the sentencing decision.
Proceedings will pick up where they paused in Natrona County District Court upon appeal to the federal system.


Parents gathered in front of the Buddha monument in Zaisan on April 16 to raise public awareness about the measles outbreak and to collect donations to support families with children currently hospitalized. Members of a group for Mongolian mothers on Facebook organized the event, bringing boitog, traditional felt shoes for children, to represent the children who have contracted the highly contagious disease. The group’s members encouraged parents to bring diapers, food, and other helpful items for distribution to the parents of children being hospitalized for measles. According to the group’s members, one child had died of complications from measles Saturday evening, adding to the reported 59 children who have died from measles since the beginning of 2016. Some parents who lost children to measles attended the event. They implored politicians and policymakers to pay attention to addressing the measles outbreak rather than politics and the election. The caretakers of several children being hospitalized at the National Center for Communicable Diseases stressed that there was a shortage of medical equipment and talked about the difficult conditions being faced by the hospitalized children. “My child was diagnosed with measles within a week after being vaccinated. It’s time the ministry inspects the vaccines being injected into children’s bodies,” said one parent. Singer and parliamentary candidate M.Narantuya took part in the event and met with some parents of children being hospitalized at the National Center for Communicable Diseases to draw public attention to what she said is an issue that “shouldn’t be neglected”.
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Mogul, Jay-Z, just launched his full lifestyle website, Life + Times. The site covers everything from fashion, music, design, travel, and every other trapping that makes up your personal aspirations of becoming a more well-rounded person whose company is coveted at dinner parties.
We want to thank the brainchild behind this project, Shahendra Ohneswere, a long-time friend and collaborator. Congratulations on a beautifully curated site.
For the full GENTRY article with co-founder, Annie Imamura, CLICK HERE.


Robots. Artificial Intelligence. Automation. Machine Learning. All of these impact the modern supply chain.
For the cover story of Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s June 2020 issue, Brielle Jaekel spoke with industry executives for their insights about “emerging technologies that claim to help companies in the supply chain.” Logistyx President Ken Fleming was among those interviewed and quoted in the article:
Large-scale technology launches can take up to seven years. But, smaller scale activations are what companies look to launch quickly to help increase demand and keep employees safe. Some even say that those who have failed to implement large-scale technology deployments are already too late, since the transition period is so long.
“Many of the supply chain industry’s least desirable common practices are being replaced or circumvented with technology, but it’s almost too late for those that haven’t yet started planning for these transitions considering how long they can take,” says Ken Fleming, president of Logistyx. “With global retail holding companies mapping out 5- to 7-year transition plans and some of the most established U.S. retailers requiring as much as three years or more each time they update their warehouse management system, it’s easy to understand why organizations that haven’t already launched these initiatives would hesitate to go to such lengths to embrace new technologies, become more efficient and better serve customers.”
Going beyond tech adoption challenges, Ken also discusses success stories of adopting automation and technologies that speed up manual processes in both large and small operations, as well as the future role of artificial intelligence in data processing and analysis.
To read the full article, including Ken’s comments, visit Supply & Demand Chain Executive: https://www.sdcexec.com/software-technology/article/21133671/a-smart-supply-chain-is-an-efficient-one


Knock, knock: Gertler slams the door on fossil fuel divestment
On March 30, U of T President Meric Gertler released a 43-page report titled “Beyond Divestment: Taking Decisive Action on Climate Change”—in other words, after a three school year-long campaign, U of T 350’s call for the university to divest from the fossil fuel industry was rejected.
U of T’s decision not to divest should not come as an incredible surprise. While some universities like the University of Glasgow have fully or partially divested from fossil fuels, U of T’s Canadian peer institutions have not followed suit—UBC, the University of Calgary, Dalhousie, and most recently, McGill, have opted not to divest. McGill’s decision came roughly a week before U of T’s and proved particularly infuriating to 350 activists due to a McGill advisory brief claiming that the fossil fuel industry does not cause “ grave social injury.”
Yet, to many, Gertler’s announcement may still have come as a shock. His geography background had led to some casual speculation that he might be more environmentalist than other administrators. Despite his transcript and a recommendation from an expert ad-hoc committee that U of T should divest from at least some fossil fuel companies, the president firmly maintained the status-quo.
While the ad-hoc committee did not call for U of T to divest from fossil fuels entirely, it did call for divestment from fossil fuel companies it deemed socially injurious. It focused on companies working in tar sands and fracking industries and companies that lobby against environmentalist policy-making. Though praising the recommendation, 350 did call for Gertler to consider how all fossil fuel companies are socially injurious and how fossil fuel development affects indigenous land rights, when deciding what companies to divest from.
Amanda Harvey-Sanchez, a U of T 350 activist, expressed dismay with Gertler’s decision, saying: “The divestment campaign has the support of hundreds of faculty and alumni and thousands of students. The president’s own committee also recommended divestment. This makes the president’s decision all the more shameful, as it shows a disconnect from the broader U of T community and a disregard for the clear recommendation from his expert committee.”
Harvey-Sanchez added that Gertler made his decision based on the advice of working groups composed of unnamed members of his executive staff. She lamented his turning to these groups, which made decisions in three months, rather than following the recommendations of the visibly qualified ad-hoc committee, which researched its decision over the course of a year. She explained that over the three-year course of the divestment campaign, Gertler met with students only once and did not even give them the chance to hear and refute any arguments his advisors were making.
But 350’s critique of U of T governance goes even further. Shortly after Gertler’s decision was released, U of T 350’s Facebook page leaked images of emails in which an unknown author called for U of T’s Office of the President to be locked so that activists could not occupy the building like divestment protesters did at McGill.
Harvey-Sanchez speculated that Gertler’s decision ultimately came down to a fear of controversy. While Gertler has argued that supporting full divestment would be a breach of his fiduciary duty to U of T, Harvey-Sanchez, questioned the idea that fossil fuels represent a sound investment, citing a recent study that found U of T lost roughly $500 million over the past three years by not divesting from fossil fuels.
“[The administration] is aware that the president’s decision is inadequate,” Harvey-Sanchez argues. “We can gather dozens of groups on campus that support divestment to discuss ways to address this horrible decision…. [The administration] has good reason to close their doors.”
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A woman mustering cattle has had to be airlifted to hospital after a fall on Wednesday morning.
The Mount Isa-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter has airlifted a horse rider to hospital, after she fell and injured her neck, while moving cattle.
The chopper was called to a cattle station north-east of Mount Isa, around 9:30am this morning.
The aeromedical crew said workers on the property did a great job of keeping the woman still and reassuring her medical help was on its way.
When the chopper arrived, the Queensland Ambulance Service Flight Paramedic stabilised the woman, aged in her twenties.
She was then flown to the Mount Isa Hospital in a stable condition.
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21 June 2022.
Union government has banned the use of ‘single-use plastic’ from July 1, 2022.
- Gazette notification was issued by Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2021, and announced the ban.
- It has now defined a list of items that will be banned from July 2022.
About single-use plastic
- Single-Use plastic refers to plastic items which are used once and discarded.
- It makes the highest shares of plastic manufactured and used, ranging from packaging of items, to bottles, polythene bags, coffee cups, face masks, trash bags, cling film, food packaging etc.
Share of Single Use Plastic
- As per 2021 report of Minderoo Foundation of Australia, single-use plastics accounts for one-third of all plastic produced worldwide, with 98% are manufactured from fossil fuels.
- It also accounts for majority of plastic discarded worldwide in 2019 (130 million metric tonnes).
- If this trajectory is followed, single-use plastic could make up 5-10 % of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Single-use Plastic Waste Generation in India
- As per 2021 report of Minderoo Foundation, India is featured among top 100 countries of single-use plastic waste generation.
- It is ranked at rank 94.
- The top three countries are Singapore, Australia and Oman. Domestic production in India lies at 11.8 million metric tonnes annually.
- Net generation of single-use plastic waste in India stands at 5.6 MMT.
Which items will be banned in India?
- Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have announced to ban items like earbuds, candy, balloon sticks, and ice-cream sticks.
- Cutlery items including plates, glasses, cups, spoons, knives, forks, trays will also be banned.
- It has also notified to ban sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packs, PVC banners under 100 microns as well as polystyrene for decoration.
- Polythene bags under 75 microns was already banned in September 2021.
- From December 2022, polythene bags under 120 microns will also be banned.
- These items have been banned because they are “difficult to collection” making its recycling difficult.