The P.R.I.D.E. Program
Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education
About P.R.I.D.E.
P.R.I.D.E. Research
Office of Child Development
University of Pittsburgh School of Education
Pop Up Mini Art Festivals
Parent Village
Teacher Cohort
In My Skin Podcast
Helping Black children understand race
and embrace their ethnicity and heritage
Through a blend of interactive professional development for educators, classes with parents, dynamic arts festivals, and community engagement, the P.R.I.D.E. program fosters positive racial identity in Black children, aged 3 to 8, in the city of Pittsburgh.
Helping parents and caregivers engage children in conversations about race
Presenting captivating discussions about race and young children
Celebrating Africana culture through arts activities designed for Black children
Providing educators with knowledge and skills to support a child's positive racial identity
The P.R.I.D.E. Program was born out of the 2016 study entitled “Positive Racial identity Development in Early Education: Understanding P.R.I.D.E. in Pittsburgh.” The report details the scholarship supporting positive racial identity. But that’s just where our research began. We have since conducted our own research while continually learning and incorporating new research into our work.
Listen to In My Skin
A podcast about race and childhood
P.R.I.D.E. Pillars
The Parent Village parent-child curriculum is based on core child development needs. It helps parents understand race, culture, racial identity, and socialization and that supports them in building positive racial identity in their children.
Our Pop Up Mini Art Festivals are part arts festival, part block party. The festivals are one of the only events in the country to specifically target young Black children with art, music, and dance that celebrates Africana history and culture.
By bringing in leaders in the subjects of education, race, and early childhood, the P.R.I.D.E. Speaker Series raises awareness around issues of race and young children. Click the microphone above to listen to previous speakers, like Dr. Valerie Kinloch and Dr. Erin Winkler.
The P.R.I.D.E. team conducts Professional Development sessions tailored to meet the specific needs of programs and organizations. P.R.I.D.E. also supports a year-long Teacher Cohort group through trainings, readings, and ongoing communication and support.
FURTHERING SCHOLARSHIP
P.R.I.D.E. is committed to the evaluation of positive racial identity development practice and the development of a measure of P.R.I.D.E. activity and practices, sharing additional findings and Research, and inspiring future P.R.I.D.E. efforts.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Henry L. Hillman Foundation
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Email RacePRIDE@pitt.edu
How does impilict bias affect children?
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT 2030
A Strategy For A Strong, Responsive, Well-Governed Local Government Sector
What is LG 2030?
The Local Government 2030 Strategy, or LG2030, articulates a long term vision for a strong, responsive, well-governed local government sector and the pathway to getting there.
Who is driving LG 2030?
The concept of LG2030 originated at the November 2019 LGANT conference. It was developed further with local government elected members, CEOs and LGANT. The then Department of Local Government, Housing and Community Development, and now Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet partnered with LGANT in this work. Development of the strategy is being guided by a Steering Committee of local government nominees, supported by LGANT and the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet. The Strategy is driven by the local government sector and a draft strategy will be circulated for comment from November 2021 to February 2022.
Why do we need LG 2030?
Local Government is the government closest to the community and councils play a broad and evolving role in promoting the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of their local communities. The sector in the NT faces many challenges including limited own source revenue, lack of economies of scale, inadequate infrastructure, the tyranny of distance and workforce skill, recruitment and retention challenges. There are many immediate issues that are being worked on. At the same time, the Strategy is intended to provide a longer term, strategic pathway forward to develop, grow and sustain the sector.
What is the background to LG 2030?
The project was initiated at the LGANT meeting in November 2019. A Steering Committee of local government representatives was convened and a project plan was approved by LGANT and the then Minister for Local Government in December 2019. Progress was interrupted by COVID 19. The current Minister for Local Government approved the continuation of the plan in October 2020. The project was reactivated in April 2021 with the formal commitment of the new LGANT executive. The Steering Group reconvened in July 2021 and released a draft strategy for initial consultation. A second round of consultation is now being undertaken involving new councils formed by the recent local government elections.
Who are the stakeholders in LG 2030?
LG 2030 is driven by the local government sector. However there are many stakeholders that have an interest in a strong, sustainable, well-governed sector. The Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet regulates the sector and LGANT represents and advocates for the sector and both are involved in supporting LG2030. Cooperation and coordination between the three spheres of government has been identified as a key issue in supporting community outcomes; the Northern Territory Government and the Australian Government are also key stakeholders and participants in this work. It is intended that other peak bodies, Land Councils, key Aboriginal organisations, and community organisations will be provided the opportunity for input in developing the Strategy.
How can I provide input to the strategy?
A consultation draft will be released at the LGANT November Conference in Alice Springs. Each council is invited to provide feedback, and engage its community and stakeholders as it considers appropriate. Feedback will be coordinated by LGANT and CM&C, who will also consult across government and with NT wide stakeholders. Comments can be provided to Linda.weatherhead@nt.gov.au and joann.beckwith@lgant.asn.au.
When will consultations close?
The first round of consultations will close on Friday 17 December 2021. A further draft will be released for consultation early in 2021 with consultations to close on Friday 25 February 2022. However, the Strategy is intended to be a living document and will be reviewed regularly.
Once the strategy is finalised, what happens next?
All feedback will be considered and the Strategy finalised through the Steering Committee. The final draft will be provided to the sector for a shorter period for final feedback before it is considered by LGANT and the Minister for Local Government. It is intended that a final strategy will be launched at the LGANT April meeting.
How will we evaluate the strategy and what it has achieved?
An initial 3 year plan will be developed to guide actions under the strategy and progress will be evaluated with a review at the end of three years. A second stage implementation plan will be developed and reviewed at the end of a further three years. A final review will occur in the last 12 months of the Strategy with the intention of informing the development of a new strategy.
Read the Local Government 2030 Consultation Report
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Posted in Asia-Pacific, North America, Social Movements, Socialism/Communism, Socialist Opinion Shapers
Chinese Embassy In San Francisco Still Open, Why?
By: Denise Simon | Founders Code
Primer: The Chinese consulate in San Francisco is harboring a biology researcher who falsely denied connections to the Chinese military to obtain a visa and gain access to the country, according to court documents filed by the FBI.
The filing came as part of a document that cited a slew of other episodes in which Chinese nationals allegedly lied on their visa applications by hiding their military connections. More details.
Axios:
Every country spies. And many countries — including the U.S. — use their diplomatic outposts to do it. But for years, China has used its embassies and consulates to do far more than that.
Why it matters: The Trump administration’s recent hardline stance against China’s illicit consular activities is a public acknowledgment of real problems, but it comes at a time when U.S.-China relations are already dangerously tense.
Driving the news: Last week, the U.S. demanded that China close its Houston consulate in order to “protect American intellectual property and Americans’ private information,” White House National Security Council spokesperson John Ullyot said in a statement.
In response, the Chinese government ordered the closure of the U.S. consulate in Chengdu, a facility nestled in China’s more remote inland region that served primarily as a visa-issuing office for Chinese hoping to visit the U.S., and was not a major hub for U.S. intelligence activity.
Yes, but: The Houston consulate wasn’t China’s most important espionage hub.
“San Francisco is the real gem but the U.S. won’t close it,” a former U.S. intelligence official told Axios.
It indicates the Trump administration is likely making an example of the Houston consulate in a bid to achieve its goal of a reduction in Chinese espionage activities without taking an even harsher measure, such as closing the San Francisco or New York consulates.
The Chinese government has long used its embassy and consulates in the U.S. to exert control over student groups, collect information on Uighurs and Chinese dissident groups, and coordinate local and state-level political influence activities.
Surveilling Uighurs: Leaked classified Chinese government documents have revealed that Chinese embassies and consulates are complicit in the ongoing cultural and demographic genocide against Uighurs.
The CCP has sought to track down Uighurs who have left China and force them to return, with orders to place them in mass internment camps “the moment they cross the border.”
China’s embassies and consulates have also collected information on Uighurs abroad and submitted that information to Xinjiang police.
Consular officials have frequently refused to renew Uighur passports, telling them they must return to China in order to obtain new documents — only to be disappeared into camps as soon as they do.
Controlling Chinese students: The Chinese embassy and consulates keep close tabs on Chinese students in the U.S., occasionally sending them political directives and quietly organizing demonstrations.
The Chinese embassy and consulates have paid students to demonstrate in support of visiting Chinese leaders, instructing them to crowd out anti-CCP protesters. They have also asked Chinese Students and Scholars Associations (CSSA) presidents to hold study sessions on party thought and to send back photos of the sessions to ensure compliance.
“I feel like the tendency is that the consulate tries to control CSSAs more and more,” one CSSA president told me in 2018.
Supporting United Front organizations: Chinese diplomatic officials regularly meet with leaders of U.S.-based organizations tied to the United Front Work Department, the political influence arm of the CCP, and preside over the ceremonies and banquets held by these organizations.
One such organization, the National Association for China’s Peaceful Unification, has branches in more than 30 U.S. cities. Its members issued statements in support of China’s official foreign policy positions, and the Chinese embassy and consular officials encourage them to engage in local U.S. politics.
The bottom line: Dealing with bad behavior by diplomats is a highly sensitive geopolitical issue that can easily result in damaged relations.
Go deeper … Mapped: Where U.S. and Chinese embassies and consulates are located
In part, how big a problem does the U.S. have regarding Chinese spies around the nation?
Economic Espionage
To achieve its goals and surpass America, China recognizes it needs to make leaps in cutting-edge technologies. But the sad fact is that instead of engaging in the hard slog of innovation, China often steals American intellectual property and then uses it to compete against the very American companies it victimized—in effect, cheating twice over. They’re targeting research on everything from military equipment to wind turbines to rice and corn seeds.
Through its talent recruitment programs, like the so-called Thousand Talents Program, the Chinese government tries to entice scientists to secretly bring our knowledge and innovation back to China—even if that means stealing proprietary information or violating our export controls and conflict-of-interest rules.
Take the case of scientist Hongjin Tan, for example, a Chinese national and American lawful permanent resident. He applied to China’s Thousand Talents Program and stole more than $1 billion—that’s with a “b”—worth of trade secrets from his former employer, an Oklahoma-based petroleum company, and got caught. A few months ago, he was convicted and sent to prison.
Or there’s the case of Shan Shi, a Texas-based scientist, also sentenced to prison earlier this year. Shi stole trade secrets regarding syntactic foam, an important naval technology used in submarines. Shi, too, had applied to China’s Thousand Talents Program and specifically pledged to “digest” and “absorb” the relevant technology in the United States. He did this on behalf of Chinese state-owned enterprises, which ultimately planned to put the American company out of business and take over the market.
In one of the more galling and egregious aspects of the scheme, the conspirators actually patented in China the very manufacturing process they’d stolen and then offered their victim American company a joint venture using its own stolen technology. We’re talking about an American company that spent years and millions of dollars developing that technology, and China couldn’t replicate it—so, instead, it paid to have it stolen.
And just two weeks ago, Hao Zhang was convicted of economic espionage, theft of trade secrets, and conspiracy for stealing proprietary information about wireless devices from two U.S. companies. One of those companies had spent over 20 years developing the technology Zhang stole.
These cases were among more than a thousand investigations the FBI has into China’s actual and attempted theft of American technology—which is to say nothing of over a thousand more ongoing counterintelligence investigations of other kinds related to China. We’re conducting these kinds of investigations in all 56 of our field offices. And over the past decade, we’ve seen economic espionage cases with a link to China increase by approximately 1,300 percent.
The stakes could not be higher, and the potential economic harm to American businesses and the economy as a whole almost defies calculation. More details here.
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Middlebury in the News
Home » Newsroom » News Stories » 2020 News » Professor Jeff Munroe to Lead 5-Year National Science Foundation Project
Geology professor Jeff Munroe will lead a team of principal investigators in a 5-year National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded study starting this fall.
Ray, Sarah C.
ray@middlebury.edu
Professor Jeff Munroe to Lead 5-Year National Science Foundation Project
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a major five-year grant to a research team led by Jeff Munroe, the Philip Battell Stewart and Sarah Frances Cowles Stewart Professor of Geology. Six scientists representing five different institutions will study how mineral dust from deserts in the southwestern U.S. is transported through the atmosphere to locations hundreds of miles away and the impacts of the exported dust on a variety of environmental and health issues.
The team will focus their work on the small particles of weathered rock and soil that are picked up in one place by the wind, transported through the atmosphere by air currents, and deposited somewhere else.
“Studies on the ground, instruments carried by airplanes, and observations from satellites in space over the past several decades have shown conclusively that this process, insignificant as it may seem, collectively is of enormous importance for moving nutrients, and sometimes contaminants, around the world,” said Munroe.
The scientists have established a cluster of sites in eastern Nevada and throughout Utah from which to conduct their work. They’ll examine the critical zone, a term used to describe the slice of the Earth from the treetops down to the bottom of the soil. Munroe describes it as the thin skin where geology, chemistry, biology, ecology, hydrology, climate, and human society all interact.
Earth's Critical Zone. Illustration by Critical Zone Observatories (CZO) based on a figure in Chorover et. al. 2007.
“It’s not a stretch to say that what happens here, in this zone only a few hundred feet thick, is of more relevance to society than what happens in the hundred miles of atmosphere farther up, or in the thousands of miles of rock farther down,” said Munroe. “Think soils growing food, forests cleaning the air and generating oxygen for us to breathe, rain turning to stream- and groundwater, etc.”
Munroe’s team will include Kevin Perry, associate professor at the University of Utah, who will lead a project focused on dust-emitting landscapes, including seasonality and interannual variability of dust emission, the formation and effects of soil crusts, and modeling of dust transport; Maura Hahnenberger, assistant professor at Salt Lake Community College, who will investigate spatial, temporal, and meteorological aspects of dust transport from the Great Basin to the Rocky Mountains; Greg Carling, associate professor at Brigham Young University, who will focus on the geochemical properties of surface materials in dust source regions, the properties of dust deposited in the mountains, and effects on mountain watersheds; S. McKenzie Skiles, assistant professor at the University of Utah, who will lead an effort studying the effects of dust deposition on snowpack in the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City; and Janice Brahney, assistant professor at Utah State University, who will study the effects of dust deposition on the nutrient status of mountain ecosystems.
In his own study, Munroe will focus on dust deposition in the mountains and will expand and maintain a network of dust collectors in various mountain ranges across Utah and Nevada. The original dust collector network was established in part with a Gladstone Excellence in Teaching Award from Middlebury. As the overall director of the entire effort, Munroe will also coordinate the work of his five colleagues, unifying the data management strategies, arranging outreach efforts, and connecting with other researchers who will build projects of their own into the infrastructure.
The multiyear project will provide myriad opportunities for Middlebury undergraduates, says Munroe. For those interested in a field experience, there will be twice-annual trips to Utah and Nevada to empty the dust collectors. For those more interested in geochemistry, undergraduate researchers will assist in analyzing the dust samples with a variety of high-tech equipment, providing students with hands-on experience in sophisticated analytical techniques.
Some of the analysis—studying rare isotopes of some elements that can serve as a fingerprint to clarify where the dust came from, for instance—will be done in the Department of Geoscience at the University of Wisconsin, and Middlebury students will get to travel there to participate in those measurements.
“Because many of my colleagues participating in this project work at institutions with graduate programs, the Middlebury undergraduates who take part in this project will get to interact with and learn from master’s and PhD students,” said Munroe. “This will give them great insight into what graduate school is like, as well as a network of students to connect with for advice and ideas.”
The collection of connected projects also contains numerous outreach initiatives, including programs designed to increase the involvement of traditionally underrepresented demographics in field and lab science. Outreach programs are also planned with public high schools and middle schools in northern Utah.
Munroe’s project is one of 10 major initiatives the NSF is launching this fall aimed at understanding the connections among different places on the Earth’s surface. He says he’s looking forward to seeing what the other teams discover and how his team might interact with them.
“My main point is that ‘it’s all connected,’ said Munroe. “The Earth is one big system, and nothing exists in isolation from everything else. Dust is a great example of how processes in one location can affect the environment somewhere far away. We need more knowledge about those connections so that we can understand how the decisions we make locally will affect other places, other environments, and other people.”
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Dag Haugland
E-mailDag.Haugland@uib.no
Phone+47 55 58 40 33
HIB - Thormøhlens gate 55
Show author(s) (2020). Optimization of reliable cyclic cable layouts in offshore wind farms. Engineering optimization (Print). 258-276.
Show author(s) (2019). On offshore wind farm maintenance scheduling for decision support on vessel fleet composition. European Journal of Operational Research. 124-131.
Show author(s) (2019). Integer programming formulations for the shared multicast tree problem. Journal of combinatorial optimization. 927-956.
Show author(s) (2018). Minimizing the tracking error of cardinality constrained portfolios. Computers & Operations Research. 33-41.
Show author(s) (2017). Strategic optimization of offshore wind farm installation. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). 285-299.
Show author(s) (2017). Obstacle-aware optimization of offshore wind farm cable layouts. Annals of Operations Research. 373-388.
Show author(s) (2017). A model for optimal fleet composition of vessels for offshore wind farm maintenance. Procedia Computer Science. 1512-1521.
Show author(s) (2016). The computational complexity of the pooling problem. Journal of Global Optimization. 199-215.
Show author(s) (2016). Pooling problems with polynomial-time algorithms. Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications. 591-615.
Show author(s) (2015). On a pooling problem with fixed network size. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). 328-342.
Show author(s) (2014). A cost minimization heuristic for the pooling problem. Annals of Operations Research. 73-87.
Show author(s) (2013). Strong formulations for the pooling problem. Journal of Global Optimization. 897-916.
Show author(s) (2013). Optimization methods for pipeline transportation of natural gas with variable specific gravity and compressibility. TOP - An Official Journal of the Spanish Society of Statistics and Operations Research. 524-541.
Show author(s) (2013). A multi-commodity flow formulation for the generalized pooling problem. Journal of Global Optimization. 917-937.
Show author(s) (2012). Dual decomposition for computational optimization of minimum-power shared broadcast tree in wireless networks. IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing. 2008-2019.
Show author(s) (2011). The maximum flow problem with minimum lot sizes. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). 170-182.
Show author(s) (2011). Minimizing fuel cost in gas transmission networks by dynamic programming and adaptive discretization. Computers & industrial engineering. 364-372.
Show author(s) (2011). Local search heuristics for the probabilistic dial-a-ride problem. OR Spectrum: quantitative approaches in management. 961-988.
Show author(s) (2010). Feasibility Testing for Dial-a-Ride Problems. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). 170-179.
Show author(s) (2010). Center-oriented algorithms for the minimum energy broad and multicast problem in wireless ad hoc networks. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications. 228-236.
Show author(s) (2010). An Overview of Models and Solution Methods for Pooling Problems. Energy Systems. 459-469.
Show author(s) (2009). New results on the time complexity and approximation ratio of the Broadcast Incremental Power algorithm. Information Processing Letters. 615-619.
Show author(s) (2009). A fast local search method for minimum energy broadcast in wireless ad hoc networks. Operations Research Letters. 75-79.
Show author(s) (2008). Wiretapping Based on Node Corruption over Secure Network Coding: Analysis and Optimization. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). 154-162.
Show author(s) (2008). Minimum-energy broadcast and multicast in wireless networks: An integer programming approach and improved heuristic algorithms. Ad hoc networks. 696-717.
Show author(s) (2008). Improved Time Complexities of Algorithms for the Directional Minimum Energy Broadcast Problem. Communications in Computer and Information Science. 488-496.
Show author(s) (2008). Analysis and computational study of several integer programming formulations for minimum-energy multicasting in wireless ad hoc networks. Networks. 57-68.
Show author(s) (2007). Designing delivery districts for the vehicle routing problem with stochastic demands. European Journal of Operational Research. 997-1010.
Show author(s) (2007). A Bidirectional Greedy Heuristic for the Subspace Selection Problem. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). 162-176.
Show author(s) (2006). Local search methods for l(1)-minimization in frame based signal compression. Optimization and Engineering. 81-96.
Show author(s) (2004). A tabu search heuristic for the vehicle routing problem with time windows and split deliveries. Computers & Operations Research. 1947-1964.
Show author(s) (2005). Analysis and Computational Study of Flow-based Formulations for Minimum-Energy Multicasting in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks. 305. 305. .
Show author(s) (2004). An Integer Programming Approach for Performance Evaluation of Minimum-Energy Broadcasting and Multicasting in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks. 288. 288. .
Show author(s) (2003). Designing delivery districts for the vehicle routing problem with stochastic demands. 260. 260. .
Show author(s) (2002). Proceedings of Nordic MPS'02 - The Eighth Meeting of the Nordic Section of the Mathematical Programming Society. 237. 237. .
Show author(s) (2002). Optimal adjustment of surfaces to point sets. 236. 236. .
Show author(s) (2002). Local search methods for l_1-minimization in a data compression problem. 235. 235. .
Show author(s) (2002). A Tabu Search Heuristic for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows and Split Deliveries. 234. 234. .
Show author(s) (2002). 23. D.Haugland and S.Storøy: A Combinatorial Optimization Model for Vector Selection in Frame Based Signal Representation, Report in Informatics, no. 221, Dept. of Informatics, University of Bergen, 2001. 235. 235. .
Show author(s) (2018). A savings procedure based construction heuristic for the offshore wind cable layout optimization problem.
Show author(s) (2009). A Tree Decomposition Algorithm for Minimizing Fuel Cost in Gas Transmission Networks.
Show author(s) (2011). Parallel algorithms for the maximum flow problem with minimum lot sizes.
Show author(s) (2010). Strong formulations for the pooling problem.
Show author(s) (2010). Solving the Pooling Problem with LMI Relaxations.
Show author(s) (2008). The Hamiltonian Monte Carlo algorithm in parameter estimation and uncertainty quantification.
Show author(s) (2007). Flow and Cut Models for the Minimum Energy Broadcasting Problem in Ad Hoc Wireless Networks.
Show author(s) (2007). Flow Models in Pipeline Transportation Networks for Natural Gas.
Show author(s) (2006). Approximation Algorithms for the Minimum Energy Broadcast Problem.
Show author(s) (2005). Cut and Steiner Tree Formulations for Minimum-Energy Problems in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks.
Show author(s) (2004). Heuristics for the subspace selection problem.
Show author(s) (2004). Heuristics for the Probabilistic Dial-a-Ride Problem.
Show author(s) (2003). Local search methods for the subset selection problem with minimum unit norm.
Show author(s) (2003). Designing routing zones for vehicle routing problems with stochastic demands.
Show author(s) (2003). Designing routing zones for VRP with stochastic demands.
Show author(s) (2003). A Tabu Search Heuristic for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows and Split Deliveries.
Show author(s) (2002). Node coloring with minimum edge weights.
Show author(s) (2002). Local search methods for l1-minimization in data compression.
Show author(s) (2001). An edge-traversal algorithm for the subspace selection problem.
Academic anthology/Conference proceedings
Show author(s) (2011). Norsk Informatikkonferanse NIK 2011. Tapir Akademisk Forlag.
Show author(s) (2009). Norsk informatikkonferanse : NIK 2009 : Institutt for datateknikk og informasjonsvitenskap, NTNU, 23.-25. november 2009. Tapir Akademisk Forlag.
Show author(s) (2007). NIK 2007. Tapir Akademisk Forlag.
Masters thesis
Show author(s) (2008). Improving efficiency in parameter estimation using the Hamiltonian Monte Carlo algorithm.
Show author(s) (2019). Optimization Problems in Communication Networks and Multi-Agent Path Finding.
Show author(s) (2019). Methods for Optimizing Turbine Locations and Cable Routes in Offshore Wind Farms.
Show author(s) (2010). Optimization Methods for Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas.
Show author(s) (1991). Optimization methods for blending models in oil rafinieries.
Show author(s) (2021). The unsuitable neighbourhood inequalities for the fixed cardinality stable set polytope. 10 pages.
Show author(s) (2019). Pooling Problems with Single-Flow Constraints. 6 pages.
Show author(s) (2018). Fast Methods for the Index Tracking Problem. 7 pages.
Show author(s) (2015). Optimal Intake and Routing of Floating Oil Rigs in the North Sea. 22 pages.
Show author(s) (2015). An integer programming model for branching cable layouts in offshore wind farms. 10 pages.
Show author(s) (2014). The hardness of the pooling problem. 4 pages.
Show author(s) (2012). Parallel algorithms for the maximum flow problem with minimum lot sizes. 6 pages.
Show author(s) (2012). Computing the Optimal Layout of a Wind Farm. 12 pages.
Show author(s) (2011). Comparison of discrete and continuous models for the pooling problem. 10 pages.
Show author(s) (2011). Compact Integer Programming Models for Power-optimal Trees in Ad Hoc Wireless Networks. 28 pages.
Show author(s) (2010). Power savings of cyclic network coding for multicast on wireless networks. 5 pages.
Show author(s) (2010). Methods for Flow Graph Selection in Integral Network Coding. 6 pages.
Show author(s) (2010). An Overview of Models and Solution Methods for Pooling Problems. 11 pages.
Show author(s) (2009). Parallel Solution of the Pooling Problem with Application to the Cell Broadband Engine Architecture. 6 pages.
Show author(s) (2009). Line pack management for improved regularity in pipeline gas transportation networks. 7 pages.
Show author(s) (2009). A Tree Decomposition Algorithm for Minimizing Fuel Cost in Gas Transmission Networks. 6 pages.
Show author(s) (2007). Flow Allocation in a Model for Regularity Analysis of Gas Transportation Systems. 7 pages.


SportFootballFA & League Cups
Luis Suarez 'enjoyed' his handball goal, says Mansfield chairman
Mansfield chairman says Liverpool are 'embarrassed' by their striker's controversial finish and his actions brought shame on club
Tuesday 08 January 2013 02:00
Mansfield Town’s chairman has launched an extraordinary attack on Luis Suarez
Mansfield Town's chairman has launched an extraordinary attack on Luis Suarez, declaring that Liverpool's directors were "embarrassed" by the handball goal that helped the club knock his non-league side out of the FA Cup on Sunday and claiming that the player gloated when he realised it would be allowed to stand.
John Radford's unabashed attack on the Uruguayan striker included the claim that Suarez "enjoyed" what he had done – by kissing the same wrist with which he had controlled the ball to steer in Liverpool's second goal. "It was like, 'Hang on, I can get away with this,'" Radford said. "The referees have a hard time but to do it deliberately and then celebrate is the hardest thing. To cheat, OK, but to cheat and then celebrate cheating, that is the worst thing you can do." Suarez's wrist celebration is actually a ritual he frequently uses.
There is sympathy within Anfield for manager Brendan Rodgers' view that Sunday's goal would not have created nearly as much of a stir had it been scored by any other player.
But the goal has taken the controversy around the Uruguayan to new levels, even more so after the broadcaster ESPN's decision to reprimand commentator Jon Champion for claiming Suarez had cheated. After Suarez scored the decisive goal and performed his post-goal celebration, Champion said: "That, I'm afraid, is the work of a cheat." The broadcaster has issued a public apology for Champion's comments – and by doing so added to the circus surrounding the goal.
A widespread view within football is that Champion was wrong on two counts to make his claim – because Suarez sought to withdraw his arm to prevent the ball hitting it and used his own trademark celebration in innocence having scored. But ESPN risks removing the best from its commentators, including the highly respected Champion, by publicly rebuking them for their opinions.
Even if Suarez had informed the referee Andre Marriner that he had handled, it would have made no difference because a free-kick could not have been awarded.
Yet Radford was incandescent. "They [Liverpool] have denied us a replay," he said. "I know that I'm big enough and daft enough to be able to stand up for the club and take it. [But] I'd like to take us forward. It's hurtful for the league we are in because we are playing at the likes of Luton and Grimsby and people like [Suarez] would [still do a thing like that]. I'm here for the passion, against Liverpool where it's all about business and that was a killer. It was a killer [that] a professional would do that sort of thing to a non-league team."
If Mansfield had secured a draw and taken Liverpool back to Anfield, they would have secured a £62,000 payout from ITV or ESPN, had the replay been televised. They would also have collected 45 per cent of net gate receipts. If they had actually beaten Liverpool and progressed they would have earned a further £67,500 in prize-money.
Rodgers insisted that the 25-year-old Suarez's talents should be embraced and savoured while he is plying his trade in England. "He has had seven yellow cards this year, but he hasn't warranted all seven," Rodgers said. "Yesterday was a game he was up for because it was street football for him, he enjoys that type of game. But I can only talk about his talents. I always try to educate the players, with regard to every aspect of their life. As I've said, he's very receptive, and we go forward with him."
THE HONESTY BOX
While Suarez may not have owned up, we recount some examples of sportsmen who did admit their guilt…
Miroslav Klose
In September 2012, Lazio striker Miroslav Klose scored from a corner to give his side an early lead against Napoli. After initially celebrating, the German confessed to the referee that he had knocked the ball in with his hand. The referee, who had initially given the goal, then gave a Napoli free-kick. Klose was not booked, instead receiving a handshake from the official and congratulations from Napoli players.
Robbie Fowler
In March 1997, Liverpool forward Robbie Fowler won praise for asking referee Gerald Ashby not to allow a penalty given to his side in a Premier League match against Arsenal at Highbury. Despite Fowler telling Ashby he had not been fouled by Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman, the decision was not reversed. Fowler took the penalty and Seaman saved it, only for Jason McAteer to follow up to score.
Although Liverpool won 2-1, opposition manager Arsene Wenger said it was a "great gesture" by Fowler, who was later awarded a UEFA Fair Play award.
The Italian famously caught the ball after Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard injured himself as he rushed out of his box. As the ball was crossed Di Canio opted to catch the ball with the score at 0-0. His actions saw him awarded Fifa Fair Play award. Manager Harry Redknapp said at the time: "I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like that before. It was genuine sportsmanship; it's nice to know that it does still exist in the game. We could have done with the three points but I won't be throttling Di Canio."
Arsenal vs Sheffield United 1998
In an FA Cup fifth round tie, Sheffield United kicked the ball out of play after an injury, with an Arsenal player throwing the ball back to. Striker Nwankwo Kanu misinterpreted and squared the ball for Marc Overmars, who scored to make it 2-1. After the game Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger offered a replay, which Arsenal won 2-1.
Jan Vertonghen
Vertonghen accidentally scored when trying to kick the ball back to the opposition after an injury against Cambuur Leeuwarden in a Dutch cup game in 2006. He lobbed the goalkeeper unintentionally, but Ajax graciously allowed Cambuur to score in return.
Golf - Brian Davis
Brian Davis called a foul shot violation on himself and conceded victory in a final play off at Verizon Heritage against Jim Furyk in April 2010. In search of his first PGA tour win, Davis’ wayward approach shot nestled in some weeds, and after trying to dig the ball out, he caused the ball to move. He admitted to this, and told officials to check slow motion replays for clarification.
Cricket - Adam Gilchrist
The former Australian wicket-keeper was known for his honesty at the crease, walking back to the pavilion when he was sure he had made contact with a ball caught by the opposition. Sometimes he did this contrary to the umpire's decision, for example in the 2003 World Cup semi-final against Sri Lanka. Gilchrist suffered harsh words from some teammates who wanted to 'win at all costs', but he did not change his stance.
By Sam Weaver and Richard Browne
LiverpoolLiverpool FCLuis SuarezUruguay
1/1Luis Suarez 'enjoyed' his handball goal, says Mansfield chairman
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Home » News » Multi-million pound Tempest funding set to advance the UK’s future Combat Air Capability
Multi-million pound Tempest funding set to advance the UK’s future Combat Air Capability
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded a contract worth approximately £250m to progress the design and development of Tempest, the UK’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS). The contract, signed by BAE Systems, officially marks the start of the programme’s concept and assessment phase.
The programme is being delivered by Team Tempest, the combined expertise of MBDA UK, BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, Rolls-Royce and the UK MOD. Working with international partners, the team is leading progress towards a UK-led, internationally collaborative, Future Combat Air System that will ensure the Royal Air Force and its allies retain world-leading, independent military capability.
The concept and assessment phase contract will see the partners develop a range of digital concepts, embedding new tools and techniques to design, evaluate and shape the final design and capability requirements of Tempest.
Continued funding of Tempest underlines the UK Government’s confidence in the progress and maturity of the programme, which is set to deliver the military, industrial and economic requirements of the national combat air strategy.
Ben Wallace, UK Secretary of State for Defence, said:
“Today’s news is a momentous step towards designing and building a new combat air system which will boost our already world-leading industry and ultimately keep us safe for the rest of the century. The contract I’ve announced today spearheads a £2bn investment over four years and will see thousands of jobs sustained right across the UK.
“We will now be getting to work with our partners to get the concept right and get this incredibly exciting and ambitious project off the ground. Make no mistake: we are remaining at the top table when it comes to combat air.”
Mike Mew, MBDA UK’s Director for Sales and Business Development, and the company’s senior responsible officer for Team Tempest, added:
“The funding announced today is a critical milestone for the Tempest programme, and its future represent one of the most exciting periods in the history of our industry.
“As the Effects Domain lead in Team Tempest our role is to fully optimise the FCAS to operate both existing & future weapons. This contract demonstrates the importance of addressing this during the earliest phases of development, and our bold transformation to a digital first approach is delivering a step change in the time, complexity and cost of weapon systems integration.
“Together with our Team Tempest industry partners and the Ministry of Defence, this next phase will see us continue to transform the way we deliver, as well as define the technical and capability requirements to develop a concept that will bring Tempest to life.
“We are on track to deliver an ambitious programme that will deliver a highly advanced and sophisticated air defence capability, capable of countering future threats and safeguarding national security and defence.
“Not only that, the contract also means Tempest continues to offer an exciting opportunity to develop rewarding careers for the next generation of talent, and a chance for that generation to be part of something genuinely historic.”
Tempest will pioneer cutting-edge technologies, including those assisted by Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and autonomous systems to meet the capability requirements of future conflicts and be operational in the mid-2030s.
The design and production of Tempest demands a radically different approach and the Team Tempest partners are working with companies in their supply chain to drive digital transformation, embedding a digital enterprise through the ecosystem; embracing an agile approach that will deliver a combination of advanced technologies, efficiency, speed of production and lower costs.
Economic Contribution
Recent research conducted by PwC underlines how the Tempest programme is expected to deliver significant and wide-ranging benefits to all regions of the UK, stimulating vital investment, productivity, skills and innovation. The programme will make an estimated £26.2bn contribution to the UK economy, create high productivity employment – 78% higher than the UK national average – and will support an average of 21,000 jobs a year.
The programme is able to stimulate R&D in regions most in need and generate wider economic benefits for these areas, with 70% of the programme’s value to be generated in the North West, South West and East of England. This means the Tempest programme is well placed to support the UK Government’s levelling up priorities and contribute to the UK’s economic recovery and prosperity in the decades ahead.
Rewarding careers
Are you passionate about Tempest, the defence world and advanced technology? Would you like to develop your skills in a highly challenging environment? Do you want to work with dynamic people within an integrated international team? If so, find out more about MBDA UK’s rewarding careers here www.mbdacareers.co.uk/


Home / News / Economic Development / Organizers tout economic upside in World’s Fair bid
Former Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, chair of the Expo 2023 advisory committee, on Friday formally announced a campaign to bring the World’s Fair to Minnesota. (Staff photo: Bill Klotz)
By: Karlee Weinmann	April 10, 2015 2:55 pm
Lois Quam
Harry Melander
The committee hoping to bring the World’s Fair to Minnesota in 2023 officially announced its bid on Friday, touting the event as a long-term economic boon for the state.
By hosting the massive three-month event, expected to draw between 10 million and 15 million visitors in summer 2023, organizers said Minnesota would land in the global spotlight. But the impact would be bigger than the influx of tourism dollars, the business and local leaders said.
The Expo 2023 effort would put more momentum behind the state’s push to bill itself as a destination, organizers said, particularly to attract sought-after young professionals — a population seen as a huge value-add.
“We all know Minnesota has been gaining national and international recognition on a number of fronts,” said Marilyn Carlson Nelson, co-chair of the Expo 2023 advisory committee and former chair and CEO of the Carlson Cos. “This is going to be a nice complement for that.”
The expo, which would push a theme of health and wellness, would provide a platform for Minnesota companies to reach a broader audience, potentially inviting new trading partners and investors from beyond the state’s borders.
“I see trade and investment opportunities here having a very long tail,” said co-chair Lois Quam, singling out especially high potential for Minnesota companies that are already market leaders in the health, clean water and other industries. Quam, a former executive with Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group, is now chief operating officer of the Nature Conservancy.
Still, big logistics questions loom as the $1.5 million bid process kicks into high gear.
The committee needs to find a site big enough to accommodate 62-acre plans for the fair that gives attendees relatively easy access to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and other attractions, including sites in greater Minnesota.
The North American High Speed Rail Group is a founding supporter of the effort, and the fair bid puts momentum on what would be a landmark infrastructure project to help streamline trips to Rochester, Duluth and other corners of the state, said Expo 2023 advisory committee chair Mark Ritchie, who previously served as Minnesota secretary of state.
Site selection is expected to last into next year. So far, Ritchie said the committee has zeroed in on “quite a few opportunities” and will likely plant the event in the Twin Cities metro area.
Speaking at an event last year, Ritchie named Rosemount’s 5,000-acre UMore Park development site, the 125-acre former Ford Motor Co. facility in St. Paul and the 427-acre former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Arden hills as potential candidates.
“We are blessed here in the Twin Cities with lots of good possibilities,” Ritchie said on Friday, noting pushes from officials in Shakopee as well as Rochester, suggesting at least one outstate option.
When organizers settle on a location, a private developer will build accommodations for visitors and presenters, a mix of countries and local outfits. That developer will hang onto the site for 100 years, Ritchie said.
The Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council, an early supporter of the project, affirmed its involvement on Friday.
“We were here early and we’re going to stay for the long haul,” said Harry Melander, the council’s president and a Metropolitan Council member.
Ritchie said it was too early to forecast how big a boost the fair would give to Minnesota’s construction industry and other sectors but said the lead-up to past world’s fairs has propped up local jobs numbers in a big way.
Despite the prospect of front-loaded gains, though, past expos have sometimes proved a financial drain on their hosts. In 1984, the last time a fair took place in the United States, the Louisiana World Exposition declared bankruptcy before the event was over.
While Ritchie said Expo 2023 isn’t trying to turn a major profit, business analysis from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management predicts modest gains based on a $20-per-person entry fee and expected daily attendance on par with the State Fair’s figures.
Organizers aren’t expecting public funding for the project. So far, Ritchie said they’ve crowd-funded about two-thirds of the bid’s $1.5 million price tag and will look for new contributors of all sizes — mainly businesses with Minnesota ties – to bridge the gap.
Even though private funding will propel the bid, public officials will play a pivotal role.
“We’re not expecting public money but we need excellent cooperation from local governments,” Ritchie said.
Organizers expect to fine-tune the bid before the end of the year. The U.S. State Department will then pitch it to the selection committee in June 2016, with a decision expected in November of next year.
Expo 2023 Louisiana World Exposition Metropolitan Council Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council Nature Conservancy TCAAP Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant U.S. State Department UMore Park UnitedHealth Group World’s Fair 2:55 pm Fri, April 10, 2015 Finance & Commerce


Meghalaya govt to oppose citizenship amendment bill during parliamentary panel visit
SHILLONG, May 8: The Meghalaya Democratic Allaince (MDA) government has decided to oppose the union government proposed citizenship amendment bill 2016.
The decision was arrived at during the Cabinet meeting held at the state secretariat on Tuesday.
Addressing media persons soon after the meeting, State Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that after a detailed discussion the state government has decided to say a “Big No” to the proposed Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016.
The Bill aims at granting citizenship to presecuted Hindus, Parsis, Jains, Sikhs,Christians from Pakistan,Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
The State Government’s decision to oppose the Bill comes two days ahead of the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill,2016 will be visiting Shillong on May 10 and 11.
The objective of the Joint Parliamentary Committee is to obtain feedback from the migrants, if any, belonging to religious minority communities of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh i.e Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians residing in the State of Meghalaya and other stakeholders in connection with the examination of ‘The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016’.
Tynsong referred to two provisos of the drafted bill which the government said is flawed and will not serve the interest of the indigeneous people of the state.
“We cannot accept the clause that entails to the granting of migrants getting citizenship after residing for six years. It is dangerous to our people and that is the main reason that we are saying no to the bill,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
He also said that proper intimation will be officially made to the Committee during its sitting in Shillong.
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1 thought on “Meghalaya govt to oppose citizenship amendment bill during parliamentary panel visit”
John B says:
A very good decision… As it is seen, this will just increase our states population and also cause unrest among various sections of society, and not to forget, there will also be some of those antisocials and antinationals to take a negative advantage of this bill.


Iran nuclear talks to restart as US emphasizes it’s ‘prepared to use other options’ if diplomacy fails
By Nicole Gaouette, Kylie Atwood and Jennifer Hansler, CNN
The US and its allies restart Iran nuclear talks on Monday unsure how Tehran’s new government will approach negotiations, not optimistic about the prospects ahead and emphasizing that if diplomacy fails, the US is “prepared to use other options.”
The parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action will reconvene in Vienna after almost six months to discuss a mutual return to the deal by both the US and Iran, but the hiatus has given time for new obstacles to take root.
On Friday, Iran announced yet more advances in its uranium enrichment, which reduces the amount of time Tehran would need to develop a nuclear weapon, if it chooses to, an announcement clearly meant to give Iran leverage when it arrives in Vienna for talks.
Other parties to the agreement — including Germany, the UK, Britain, France, China and Russia — are coming into the talks calling for negotiations to pick up where they left off. European sources tell CNN they expect the Iranians to treat the meeting as “round one.” US officials have expressed similar concerns.
The recently elected hardline government in Tehran will send a new set of negotiators to Vienna who have been emphasizing the need for complete US sanctions relief, not compliance with the deal, while US officials have said they have absolutely no plans to offer Iran incentives to talk.
‘The time to choose is short’
And senior US officials have repeatedly warned that if advances in Iran’s nuclear program and enrichment capability continue unabated, they could render the benefits of the JCPOA moot — a development that would force the US to pursue other options.
“We are still hopeful that diplomacy can find a way,” Brett McGurk, the National Security Council’s coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, told the Manama Dialogue organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “But if it cannot find a way, we are prepared to use other options.”
“There is no question, we are not going to allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon, period,” McGurk said. “And when it came to military force for behavior change, that is a pretty fuzzy objective for a military force. When it comes to military force to prevent a country from obtaining a nuclear weapon, that is a very achievable objective.”
US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley said in a tweet after a November 18 meeting with Middle Eastern allies and European parties to the deal that Iran could choose one of two paths: “continued nuclear escalation & crisis, or mutual return to the JCPOA, creating opportunities for regional economic & diplomatic ties.”
“Time to choose is short,” Malley wrote.
Sources familiar with preparations for the talks say that the parties were closely watching International Atomic Energy Agency director Rafael Grossi’s visit to Tehran last week, seeing it as an indication of Iran’s approach to the talks in Vienna, those sources said. Grossi told the IAEA board afterward that the talks were “inconclusive.”
One of the contentious issues remaining is that Iran is refusing inspectors from the IAEA monitoring access to the Karaj centrifuge production facility, which reports suggest has resumed operations.
“This is seriously affecting the [IAEA’s] ability to restore continuity of knowledge at the [Karaj] workshop, which has been widely recognized as essential in relation to a return to the JCPOA,” Grossi told a Board of Governors meeting on Wednesday.
The Arms Control Association noted that Iran’s refusal to allow the IAEA to install new cameras or confirm that production hasn’t restarted could undermine attempts to revitalize the JCPOA and its strict verification regime if it isn’t possibly to fully complete records of Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran’s refusal to grant access to Karaj also drives speculation and concern about what, exactly, Iran is doing, the ACA said.
‘No choice’
On Thursday, the US Mission to International Organizations in Vienna told the IAEA meeting that “if Iran’s non-cooperation is not immediately remedied … especially the restoration of continuity of knowledge at Karaj, the Board will have no choice but to reconvene in extraordinary session before the end of this year in order to address the crisis.”
Meanwhile, on Friday, Iran announced its stock of 60% enriched uranium has grown to 66 pounds (30 kilograms) and its amount of 20% enriched uranium had also increased. Both levels are much closer to weapons-grade uranium which is enriched above 90%.
According to the Arms Control Association, enriching uranium to 20% “constitutes about 90 percent of the necessary work to enrich to weapons-grade.”
As Iran’s stockpiles grow, the ACA says, its breakout time, or the time it would take to produce enough uranium enriched to weapons-grade for one bomb, decreases. The ACA estimates that Iran’s current breakout time is likely about one month, down from 12 months when the JCPOA was fully implemented.
Enrichment was limited under the JCPOA, which the US left unilaterally in May 2018 under former President Donald Trump. Iran restarted enrichment last year to pressure the US to ease sanctions.
‘A very uncertain proposition’
State Department spokesman Ned Price reflected the ambiguity surrounding the resumed talks on November 22, calling the mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA “a very uncertain proposition.”
The next day, Price told reporters in Washington that, “it is our hope that the new government in Iran shows up in Vienna and shows up in Vienna ready to negotiate in good faith to build on the progress that had been achieved in the previous six rounds of negotiations.”
But he added that the US has “been very clear that we are not prepared to take unilateral steps solely for the benefit of greasing the wheel” to get the talks going again. Former President Donald Trump pulled the US from the deal in 2018.
Sources familiar with the preparations for the talks have told CNN that the US and its allies are not at a point where they would begin offering Iran confidence building measures, but one official said there is a possibility the US and its allies could employ them down the road. As a result, incentives for Iran won’t be discussed at this week’s meetings in Vienna, where the US and allies will be focused on simply taking the temperature and seeking to advance from where they left off months ago, US and European sources explained.
‘Plan B’
Everyone involved in the talks is mindful of the ticking clock. The sources told CNN that there’s still time to reach a deal, but it would likely run out by the end of next year. For now, they said there is no hard and fast “Plan B” yet.
Critics of the deal say that the Biden administration has sacrificed leverage by easing pressure on Iran while it builds up its nuclear program.
“The Biden administration’s Iran policy is failing, and without a significant course correction that policy will either result in Iranian nuclear weapons or in a war to stop that development,” said Mark Dubowitz, the CEO of Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Dubowitz argued that the administration’s approach will allow Iran to rebuild toward a “lethal end state” of with pathways to nuclear weapons and a robust nuclear infrastructure.
“Israel is going to have no choice but to use military force to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons before Tehran reaches this lethal end state,” Dubowitz said.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has been making clear that Israel will be prepared to act if necessary. Addressing delegates at a security conference near Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Bennett said that “if there is a return to the JCPOA, Israel obviously is not a party to the agreement and is not obligated by it.”
Bennett complained that after the nuclear deal was signed in 2015, the “State of Israel simply went to sleep. We were occupied with other things. We will learn from this mistake. We will maintain our freedom of action,” he said.
Western officials have tried to argue to the Israelis that attacks on Israel’s nuclear program are not very useful when the overall goal is to come up with a comprehensive solution, and especially when the Iranians have sped up their capability to rebuild after attacks, sources familiar with the Iran talks have told CNN.
Western officials have also raised the danger of Iran responding with kinetic action, but sources familiar with the talks say Israeli officials still seem to think that it is still an effective tool to show their capabilities.
Asked about those warnings, Price said that, “at the end of the day, the United States and Israel, we share a common objective here, and that is to see to it that Iran is verifiably and permanently prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon. And we continue to believe that diplomacy in coordination with our allies and partners — and that, of course, includes Israel — is the best path to achieve that goal.”
“We’ve also been very clear that this is not a process that can go on indefinitely and if the Iranians through their actions or through their inactions demonstrate or suggest that they lack that good faith, that they lack that clarity of purpose, we’ll have to turn to other means,” Price said Tuesday. “We have a variety of other means we’re discussing those with our allies and partners.”
Diplomatic flurry
In recent weeks, US officials have conducted a flurry of diplomacy with regional powers and other parties to the deal, working to forge a united front.
President Joe Biden met with European partners to discuss Iran during the June G7 meetings in the UK. In recent weeks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also conferred with European allies, as well as China and Russia, on Iran. And Malley recently met with Gulf countries, Israeli officials and European partners in the JCPOA.
“I think the Iranians believe they have some eastward option with Russia and China in which they can circumvent the pressure of sanctions,” McGurk said on Sunday. “And that is just wrong. And so I think we are approaching the talks at the end of November as a pretty united front with the P5+1.”


Man's Chest Caught on Fire During Surgery—Here's How That Happens
As if open heart surgery isn't enough of a challenge.
By Christina Oehler Updated June 04, 2019
Undergoing open heart surgery is a pretty big deal on its own. But one surgery patient faced an incredible and life-threatening complication while on the operating table: A fire broke out inside his chest cavity in the middle of the procedure.
The 60-year-old man, from Melbourne, Australia, went to the hospital for emergency surgery in 2018 to repair a tear in the inner layer of the wall of his aorta. The unusual case, which was presented over the weekend at the European Society of Anaesthesiology annual meeting, involved a patient with a medical history that was a bit more complicated than usual. He had a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung disease that contributed to this rare accident.
RELATED: 9 Subtle Signs You Could Have a Heart Problem
So how exactly did a fire break out in his chest? Because of his COPD, the man had air pockets in his lungs called bullae. During surgery, a doctor accidentally punctured the bullae, which caused air to leak from the lung. To prevent respiratory problems during surgery, doctors had increased the amount of oxygen in the patient’s anesthesia. A surgical tool the doctors were using emitted a spark—and the combination of this and the extra oxygen caused the dry surgical pack inside the patient’s chest to catch fire.
RELATED: 8 Causes of Chest Pain That Aren't a Heart Attack
Incredibly, the surgical team was not only able to extinguish the fire, but the patient made it out of his surgery successfully. What might be even more amazing, however, is that this isn't the first time a surgery patient's chest caught on fire. It's known to have happened six times before.
"While there are only a few documented cases of chest cavity fires—three involving thoracic surgery and three involving coronary bypass grafting—all have involved the presence of dry surgical packs, electrocautery, increased inspired oxygen concentrations, and patients with COPD or pre-existing lung disease,” Ruth Shaylor, MD, a doctor from Austin Health in Melbourne, where the fire took place, said in a press release from the annual meeting.
"This case highlights the continued need for fire training and prevention strategies and quick intervention to prevent injury whenever electrocautery is used in oxygen-enriched environments,” she stated. “In particular surgeons and anaesthetists need to be aware that fires can occur in the chest cavity if a lung is damaged or there is an air leak for any reason, and that patients with COPD are at increased risk."
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What does the public know about transparency and safeguards in the procurement & deployment of Digital Technology Systems in Africa?
AFIC released its research report “Sunlight in Digital Technologies”. This report analyzes data gathered through triangulation from varied secondary and primary sources, using an exploratory research design combining a scoping review of grey and published literature with key informant interviews and a survey in Uganda, Liberia, and Nigeria to assess what the public knows about transparency and safeguards in the procurement and deployment of Digital Technology Systems in Africa.
The report finds that overall, only 38% of survey participants were knowledgeable about government purchase of at least one of the three technologies which include biometric, artificial intelligence, and facial recognition technologies. In addition, more Nigerians were knowledgeable about their government’s procurement of facial recognition (75%) and biometric technologies (73%) than Ugandans (20%) and Liberians (54%). Artificial intelligence was the least known of the three technologies perhaps because of its nature i.e., less visible than facial recognition technologies which are on the streets, in offices and banks, or biometric technologies that are used during electioneering.
The Report also explored the purpose for which governments procure the Digital Technology Systems across the three countries. Specifically, these technologies help government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to deliver their statutory service delivery mandates while in some, they may support other purposes related to security other than the core purposes they were procured. Across the three countries, biometric machines, CCTV cameras, voter verification kits, and facial recognition systems have been procured for registration for citizens’ NINs, voter registration, and support in the management of elections.
The report further discovered that in all three countries, different government MDAs were procuring Digital Technology Systems. However, MDAs in the security sector and those whose functions depend on having accurate information about citizens (for instance, Electoral Commission) procured these technologies more than others. Fewer MDAs in Liberia procured and deployed DTS than in Nigeria and Uganda. The primary sources of funding for DTS procurement across the three countries are the national budgets (annual tax revenue). For example, in some of the agencies that participated in this study in Uganda, government funding for DTS constituted over 75% of the total cost, while donors contributed only 25%. The government financed the purchase of hardware while donors raised funds for software.
It was also clear all three countries are yet to establish institutions that will facilitate the protection of data collected through Digital Technology Systems. However, this report acknowledges that there have been efforts by all three countries to put in place institutions that oversee government digital platforms:
In Uganda, the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U) is expected to offer guidance to agencies to develop institutional data protection mechanisms, and in Nigeria, government is in the process of creating a central database linking the National Identification Numbers (NIN) with all data collected by government agencies and the private sector such as the sim cards, international passports, and Bank Verification Numbers (BVN). Furthermore, the National Assembly is reviewing the Data Protection Bill, which will create the Office of the Independent Data Protection Commissioner. These efforts are aimed at stemming misuse and abuse of personal data by criminals and third parties due to proliferation of databases with information on citizens.
Sanctions for data misuse were embedded in various laws and policies as reported by participants from Nigeria, Uganda and Liberia. However, participants from Nigeria and Liberia emphasized sanctions other than those from Uganda and Liberia. In Nigeria, laws have sanctions that strengthen proper use of data. Hence, although ostensibly procured to ensure efficient service delivery, promote safety, security, citizenship and democracy, evidence suggests that DTS are sometimes deployed against the grain of these ideals when they are used by security agencies to crack down on opposition politicians, especially in Uganda. Interviews with participants from civil society organizations in Uganda raised concerns on abuse or misuse of DTS, particularly CCTV cameras and the FinFisher spyware. They argue that these technology platforms were acquired primarily to enable state surveillance of opposition figures in order to silence dissenting voices.
This report seeks clarity on the extent to which the Digital Technology Systems are supported by prevailing legal and policy frameworks without specific laws governing their procurement and deployment. While there are no special laws to guide the procurement of DTS in all the countries, less than one percent of the value of contracts for DTSs is disclosed, increasing the risk for corruption and inefficiency in the tendering and procurement of DTSs across the three countries. With a lack of disclosure, it is difficult for data users in the public, private and voluntary sectors to meaningfully contribute to the improvement of performance and governance of DTS procurements.
Together with Partners, AFIC recommends that:
Data protection laws and policies in respective countries should be enacted and strictly enforced to protect citizens from unwarranted manipulation for commercial and political advertising.
Data holding public and private agencies should publish annual transparency reports regarding the release to third parties data collected using DTSs. Governments should also strengthen existing laws to ensure proper usage and protection of individual data that are collected through DTS. In line with this, the public should be sensitized on such laws so that in case of abuse they can seek justice.
Civil society organizations should take interest and monitor the regulation and compliance of data holders the protection of personal information and privacy.
AFIC and Partners conducted this study; PPDC and CEMESP, with support from the Omidyar Network. The Report is available on AFIC’s website in English.
Access to Information, Open Contracting


Rio Holaday
Rio Holaday has always wanted to know what makes people tick, and she uses facilitation, graphic recording, and hard conversations to find out. She has a strong grounding in social justice and public health, and is currently a Culture of Health Leader with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Rio’s graphic recording practice involves listening, synthesizing, and documenting conversations live and large-scale using images and words. She centers social justice and racial equity in her practice, and constantly asks how graphic practitioners can normalize oppressed stories and stop using visuals that perpetuate stereotypes.
Rio was formerly the Director of HOPE Collaborative and a Senior Policy Analyst at ChangeLab Solutions, both in Oakland. She co-founded Rebel Ventures, a social enterprise that works with high school students to make healthy snacks to sell in corner stores and schools, and conducted research on food access in Philadelphia. Rio is a former Fulbright Scholar and worked in refugee resettlement in Vermont. She received her MPH from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in Forced Migration from the University of the Witwatersrand, and bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University.


The 40 Day and 40 Night Challenge: A Blueprint for National Survival
Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons
Are you ready to take the 40-Day and 40-Night Challenge? Our nation's survival may be at stake.
Here is the blueprint:
Glenn Beck: Why is Pelosi REFUSING to release Jan. 6 Capitol Police information?
Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) recently sent a fiery letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanding she stop obstructing GOP efforts to investigate security measures taken before and on January 6, 2021.
On "The Glenn Beck Program," Rep. Davis said the Capitol Police should release all communications concerning security from that day, but the police chief can’t do so without an "okay" from the House sergeant at arms — a Pelosi appointee. Americans deserve to know why the Capitol’s security posture was so bad that day, so we can be sure it won’t happen again, but unfortunately, Rep. Davis told Glenn, that may not occur until Republicans take the House majority back.
"Republicans condemn the violence that took place a year ago. That was unanimous," Davis said. "But here we are today still left wondering, what did the sergeant at arms of the House — the lead law enforcement official appointed directly by the speaker — what did he do in preparation leading up to January 6? There's been conflicting testimony, and all I've ever asked for, as the lead Republican on the respective oversight committee, is just to get the communications. We want to know what preparations were made, and the only person standing in the way of us getting the communications from her own appointee, who controls the House security operations, is Speaker Pelosi," he added.
"Unfortunately, the House is a very majority-driven institution. And remember, the Capitol Police chief cannot make a single security decision without going to Speaker Pelosi's appointed sergeant at arms. That's her own political appointee," Davis continued. "So, you know when I'm going to get this information? It's when I'm the chairman of the House Administration Committee when Republicans take over Congress in November of 2022."
Watch the video clip below to catch more of the conversation:


The Majority Of Young Adults Have Moved Back In With Their Parents Due To The Pandemic
by Leah Groth September 5, 2020
10'000 Hours/Getty Images
The last time this many young adults were living with their parents was during the Great Depression
The coronavirus pandemic has undeniably changed the dynamics of society. When the nation’s shutdown started in mid-March and the majority of the country was advised to shelter in place, many young adults headed home to stay with mom and dad to ride out the pandemic. In fact, according to a new poll, over half of young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 are currently living at home with their parents — the most since the Great Depression.
During the month of July, the majority of young Americans — 52 percent of them — were living with one or both of their parents, according to a Pew Research Center poll published on Friday. Compared against monthly Census Bureau data from years before, this is higher than any previous measurement.
“Before 2020, the highest measured value was in the 1940 census at the end of the Great Depression, when 48 percent of young adults lived with their parents,” the report states. “The peak may have been higher during the worst of the Great Depression in the 1930s, but there is no data for that period.”
To put this in perspective, from February — shortly before the shelter-in-place orders were administered in most of the country — until July, an additional 2.6 million young adults were living with mom and pops. Those on the younger end of the young adult spectrum (18 to 24) as well as white young adults experienced the sharpest growth.
“The number and share of young adults living with their parents grew across the board for all major racial and ethnic groups, men and women, and metropolitan and rural residents, as well as in all four main census regions,” Pew says.
Surprisingly, the racial and ethnic gap from previous years seems to be closing in when it comes to cohabitation with parents.
“In past decades, white young adults have been less likely than their Asian, Black and Hispanic counterparts to live with their parents. That gap has narrowed since February as the number of white young adults living with their mothers and/or fathers grew more than for other racial and ethnic groups,” the report states.
The survey found that young adults “have been particularly hard hit by this year’s pandemic and economic downturn, and have been more likely to move than other age groups.” In fact, approximately one-in-ten (9 percent) surveyed revealed that they had temporarily or permanently relocated due to the coronavirus outbreak, and 10 percent had another person move into their household. Twenty-three percent of young adults who moved attributed it to their college campus closing. However, 18 percent revealed that it was due to job loss or other financial reasons. The report also points out that this age group is more likely than other age groups to experience unemployment or a pay cut as a result of the pandemic.
Information about COVID-19 is rapidly changing, and Scary Mommy is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. With news being updated so frequently, some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For this reason, we are encouraging readers to use online resources from local public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization to remain as informed as possible.
Back to Coronavirus


https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-chicago-chicago-white-sox-st-louis-cardinals-720a5ab85e4e84436080a18fddf43efd
Robert, Lopez lift White Sox over eliminated Reds 7-1
By MARK GONZALESSeptember 29, 2021 GMT
Chicago White Sox's Leury Garcia (28) slides into home plate while being tagged out by Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart right, while trying for an inside the park home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
CHICAGO (AP) — Luis Robert homered twice, Reynaldo Lopez pitched two-hit ball over a season-high six innings and the Chicago White Sox beat Cincinnati 7-1 Tuesday night as the Reds were eliminated from postseason contention.
The Reds (82-76) had won four straight but were knocked out of the NL playoff hunt mid-game when the St. Louis Cardinals beat Milwaukee to lock up the second wild card.
“Tip your cap to the Cardinals,” Reds manager David Bell said after St. Louis won its franchise-record 17th straight game. “It’s pretty amazing what they’re doing now.”
The White Sox (90-68), who clinched the AL Central last Thursday, have won three straight. They remain 2 1/2 games behind Houston for home-field advantage in the first round of the AL Division Series.
Robert paced a four-homer attack, marking the 12th time the White Sox have hit at least four home runs in a game and tying a franchise record set in 2006. They have hit at least four homers in a game 10 times since June 30.
Robert has hit 11 home runs in 39 games since returning from the injured list Aug. 9. He hit a solo shot in the first off Riley O’Brien (0-1), who was making his major league debut. Robert added a two-run shot in the eighth off Amir Garrett.
“He’s got his ego in check,” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “It gives him a chance to be very good for a long time.”
Yoan Moncada and Gavin Sheets also homered for the White Sox. Sheets, who connected off Luis Cessa in the fourth, added an RBI single during a two-run sixth.
Lopez (4-3) didn’t walk a batter and hasn’t issued a walk over his last 11 1/3 innings. After allowing a single to Joey Votto to start the second, Lopez retired his next 10 batters.
This was Lopez’s longest outing since he pitched eight innings in a 7-1 win over Detroit in the first game of a doubleheader on Sept. 28, 2019.
Lopez believes he has pitched well enough to earn a spot on the playoff roster, which will be discussed Friday.
“That’s something that’s not in my hands,” Lopez said. “I’m doing all they’re asking me to do.”
Eugenio Suarez ended Lopez’s shutout bid with his 30th homer with one out in the fifth. Suarez joined teammates Votto and Nick Castellanos in the 30-homer club. This marked the fifth time in franchise history that a trio of Reds have hit at least 30 homers in a season.
O’Brien, who was 7-7 with a 4.55 ERA in 23 games at Triple-A Louisville, started in place of Luis Castillo, who is on the family medical emergency list.
“My mechanics weren’t too crisp and could have been better,” said O’Brien, who said he pitched in front of 40 family members and friends.
ABREU’S ARGUMENT
White Sox slugger Jose Abreu said he took exception to Detroit reliever Alex Lange’s chirping that led to a benches-clearing incident in Monday’s 8-7 win.
“Even when he hit me, he didn’t apologize or say anything,” Abreu said. “And that’s fine. But then I slid into second base and he started chirping, that’s not good, you don’t do that.”
Reds: To make room for O’Brien, LHP Cionel Perez was optioned to Triple-A Louisville.
Reds: None of the six players on Cincinnati’s 10-day injured list will return this season, Bell said.
White Sox: OF Adam Engel (leg soreness) is expected to start Wednesday night. Engel hasn’t played since Aug. 23. ... RHP Ryan Tepera (cut finger) threw a bullpen session with the hope he can pitch this weekend, La Russa said.
RHP Sonny Gray (7-8, 3.99) will oppose the White Sox on Wednesday night. Gray is 4-0 with a 2.93 ERA lifetime in seven career starts against Chicago.
LHP Carlos Rodon (12-5, 2.47) will face the Reds. Rodon is 4-0 with a 2.35 in his last five starts but has pitched only once since Sept. 10 due to left shoulder fatigue.


Khashoggi murder: Probe blames Saudi Arabia for 'premeditated execution' of journalist
Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi was the victim of a "deliberate, premeditated execution," a United Nations special rapporteur has concluded in the first independent investigation into his death.
In a much anticipated report, released Wednesday, UN extrajudicial executions investigator Agnes Callamard said that Saudi Arabia was responsible under international law for Khashoggi's "extrajudicial killing."
A prominent writer and Washington Post columnist, Khashoggi died after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. While Riyadh initially denied any knowledge of the incident, Saudi officials later claimed that a group of rogue operators, many of whom belong to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's inner circle, were responsible for the journalist's death .
The Saudi attorney general later acknowledged that Khashoggi was killed in a premeditated murder.
The special rapporteur does not make any conclusions on the guilt of the Saudi Crown Prince and King. Instead, Callamard says that there is "credible evidence meriting further investigation by a proper authority" as to whether the "threshold of criminal responsibility has been met."
She goes on to say that Khashoggi was "fully aware of the powers held by the Crown Prince" and had expressed fears about what would happen to him if he returned to the kingdom.
CNN has reached out to the Saudi government for a response to Wednesday's report.
Riyadh has maintained that neither bin Salman nor King Salman knew of the operation to target Khashoggi. US officials, however, have said such a mission -- including 15 men sent from Riyadh -- could not have been carried out without the authorization of bin Salman.
According to the report -- which cites evidence from Turkish and other intelligence agencies -- after entering the consulate, Khashoggi was injected with a sedative and then his head put inside a plastic bag and suffocated.
It quotes an audio recording from inside the consulate, in which Khashoggi is heard being told he will be taken to Saudi Arabia.
"We will have to take you back. There is an order from Interpol," a Saudi man tells the journalist, who replies that "there isn't a case against me" and warns them that people are waiting for him outside the consulate.
The men instruct Khashoggi to write a text message to his son, and argue over what he should say before a voice says "Cut it short."
"There is a towel here. Are you going to give me drugs?" Khashoggi asks.
"We will anesthetize you," a man responds.
A struggle can then be heard, after which a man asks whether Khashoggi has passed out.
"He raises his head."
"Keep pushing."
"Push here; don't remove your hand; push it."
It has previously been reported that after Khashoggi was killed his body was dismembered and removed from the consulate in separate bags. It has not been found.
The special rapporteur found credible evidence pointing to the crime scenes having been "thoroughly, even forensically, cleaned" -- indicating that the Saudi investigation was "not conducted in good faith, and that it may amount to obstructing justice."
Repercussions for Riyadh
Khashoggi's killing and the continued fallout from it has caused a diplomatic crisis for Riyadh , ruining Saudi Arabia's already shaky international reputation and leading many allies to distance themselves from bin Salman.
While US President Donald Trump has shied away from taking a hard line against bin Salman, wishing to retain Riyadh's support in pressuring Iran and flow of money for arms sales, other American politicians have sought to punish the Saudis.
Weeks after the killing, top US officials called for a ceasefire in the Saudi-led but US-supported war in Yemen, and Congress has voted to end US involvement in that conflict entirely -- though Trump vetoed that motion .
Bin Salman's " Davos in the Desert " summit weeks after the Khashoggi killing was a failure after many high profile guests pulled out, and investment in the Kingdom has also suffered since Khashoggi's killing, at a time when the Crown Prince is desperately trying to get foreign backing for his Vision 2030 plan.
Washington has also eased up on Saudi rival Qatar, after initially backing Riyadh's attempts to blockade its fellow Gulf monarchy.


Here's the "official" biography
Norm Strauss is a concert/recording artist who has toured extensively in Canada, Europe and parts of the USA. He has recorded 15 full-length solo recording projects and appeared on eight compilation and live compilation projects released both here in Canada and Europe. Norm has written hundreds of songs some which have been published internationally and recorded by numerous artists around the world. His concerts have been described a ‘journey of the heart’ accompanied by world class finger-style guitar, vocal and story telling.
Norm is also a seminar speaker and record producer and has a touring schedule that takes him all over the place. If you are not familiar with Norm's brand of eclectic roots/americana/blues style music you owe it to yourself to listen in to the conversation.
Canadian born singer-songwriter Norm Strauss is known for world-class songwriting, storytelling and guitar playing. Always thoughtful, always authentic, his career spans almost 30 years and he is a masterful performer. He has gained rave reviews in every coffeehouse, festival, theatre and folk club that he has played and is always asked to return to those same venues. He maintains a touring schedule of roughly 110 concerts per year across Canada and Western Europe and his performances have been described by newspapers and concert reviewers as 'A journey of the heart' (Cochrane folk Club) and 'Masterful with Pure Emotion.' (Max 30 Klub, Augsburg).
If you like authentic music, delivered masterfully with humor and heart, you owe it to yourself to experience this world class artist live and in concert.
"A true, full blooded musician from head to toe." Stefanie Kloss The Voice of Germany
Masterful Musicianship. Wonderful songwriting!-Gilli Moon songs alive Los Angeles
You will see how spiritual music can be! -Pep Estrada Vamp Club Palma Mallorca
This is the 'unofficial version'.
Don't read this if you have attention deficit.
I was born in Prince Rupert BC and grew up mostly in the northern towns of British Columbia like Vanderhoof, Williams Lake.... Places you would have a hard time finding if you didn't know where they were. I come from a very musical family. In fact, unless you played an instrument or sang you wouldn't even be considered for the part.
I played as a drummer in various rock bands through high school but never thought of myself in the role of a singer/songwriter. I never even played guitar back then. That came after high school when I was working in the timber camps of central BC. In the winters we would be stationed in logging camps deep in the forests about 150 km from the nearest town. I picked up guitar then for the first time because I had nothing else to do in the evenings.
That was how it all started. 21 years old sitting in my bunkroom with the smell of pine sawdust and chainsaw oil in my nose and the sounds of James Taylor, Mark heard and Paul Simon in my ears (via my cassette player.) I would try to figure out what they were doing and try to mimic the picking on my $400 Yamaha acoustic. I spent almost 3 years doing that.
I started writing songs soon after when I moved down to Kelowna to explore the 'big city'. I was amazed when people would actually sit through the songs. Eventually I recorded my first project (for the tidy sum of $150.00 on Malcolm Petch's home stereo system). Malcolm had figured out how to bounce tracks between two cassettes and thereby create multi-tracking. I sold 500 copies that summer and was introduced into the world of making music to pay rent. I have been doing more or less the same thing since then.
I have been happily married now for 30 years. My wife is a best selling author of murder mysteries. You can see her stuff at www.leestraussbooks.com. We have 4 kids all grown up now. We divide our time between Dresden, Germany. Mexico and Germany.


Greek Esther
Daniel Greek
The Flood
1The LORD said to Noah, “Go into the boat with your whole family; I have found that you are the only one in all the world who does what is right. 2Take with you seven pairs of each kind of ritually clean animal, but only one pair of each kind of unclean animal. 3Take also seven pairs of each kind of bird. Do this so that every kind of animal and bird will be kept alive to reproduce again on the earth. 4Seven days from now I am going to send rain that will fall for forty days and nights, in order to destroy all the living beings that I have made.” 5And Noah did everything that the LORD commanded.
6Noah was 600 years old when the flood came on the earth. 7#Mt 24.38–39; Lk 17.27He and his wife, and his sons and their wives, went into the boat to escape the flood. 8A male and a female of every kind of animal and bird, whether ritually clean or unclean, 9went into the boat with Noah, as God had commanded. 10Seven days later the flood came.
11 # 2 Pet 3.6 When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month all the outlets of the vast body of water beneath the earth burst open, all the floodgates of the sky were opened, 12and rain fell on the earth for forty days and nights. 13On that same day Noah and his wife went into the boat with their three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives. 14With them went every kind of animal, domestic and wild, large and small, and every kind of bird. 15A male and a female of each kind of living being went into the boat with Noah, 16as God had commanded. Then the LORD shut the door behind Noah.
17The flood continued for forty days, and the water became deep enough for the boat to float. 18The water became deeper, and the boat drifted on the surface. 19It became so deep that it covered the highest mountains; 20it went on rising until it was about seven metres above the tops of the mountains. 21Every living being on the earth died — every bird, every animal, and every person. 22Everything on earth that breathed died. 23The LORD destroyed all living beings on the earth — human beings, animals, and birds. The only ones left were Noah and those who were with him in the boat. 24The water did not start going down for 150 days.
Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
1Yahweh said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation. 2You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female. 3Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth. 4In seven days, I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. I will destroy every living thing that I have made from the surface of the ground.”
5Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him.
6Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth. 7Noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, because of the floodwaters. 8Clean animals, unclean animals, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground 9went by pairs to Noah into the ship, male and female, as God commanded Noah. 10After the seven days, the floodwaters came on the earth. 11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and the sky’s windows were opened. 12It rained on the earth forty days and forty nights.
13In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth—the sons of Noah—and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship— 14they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 15Pairs from all flesh with the breath of life in them went into the ship to Noah. 16Those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him; then Yahweh shut him in. 17The flood was forty days on the earth. The waters increased, and lifted up the ship, and it was lifted up above the earth. 18The waters rose, and increased greatly on the earth; and the ship floated on the surface of the waters. 19The waters rose very high on the earth. All the high mountains that were under the whole sky were covered. 20The waters rose fifteen cubits#A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. higher, and the mountains were covered. 21All flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, livestock, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22All on the dry land, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. 23Every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, livestock, creeping things, and birds of the sky. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ship. 24The waters flooded the earth one hundred fifty days.