Author Archives: Danzig

Move over, SpaceX Amazon is sending its own satellites into orbit – Salon

Posted on by

Astronomers were already concerned about SpaceX's plan to put 25,000 satellites in orbit. Andas of July 30, there's yet another reason for astronomers to believe that ground-based observational astronomy is about to become much more difficult: Amazon's Project Kuiper.

On Friday,news broke thatthe Federal Communications Commission approved Amazon's plans for its ambitious Kuiper constellation, which includes sending 3,236 satellites into three different altitudes in orbit.

The FCC's approval is a big regulatory stepand gives Amazon permission to move forward with the launch when they're ready. The satellites are part of Amazon's effort to provide satellite-based internet to everyone in the United States, an endeavor that's been positioned as havinga charitable and community-oriented mission.

"This investment will create jobs and infrastructure around the United States, build and scale our ground network, accelerate satellite testing and manufacturing, and let us deliver an affordable customer terminal that will make fast, reliable broadband accessible to communities around the world," Amazon stated in a blog post.

But many astronomers who depend on a clear sky from Earth to observe the universe, are wondering at what cost? Indeed, the more satellites in Earth's orbit, the more difficult it will be for astronomers to make accurate and unobstructed observations. Alexandre Lazarian, a professor of Astronomy at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, told Salon he believes the case of Amazon's commercial satellites " is one of many that hinders our exploration of the universe."

"I believe that some aspects of the civilization progress makes the work of observers more difficult," Lazarian said. "This includes light pollution, radio noise and also satellites."

On the other hand, Lazarian said that technological progress is opening up new horizons for astronomy.

Avi Loeb, chair of Harvard's astronomy department, told Salon via email that astronomers have long escaped light pollution by placing their telescopes far from cities. However, new communication satellites like Amazon's "will reflect sunlight and create a city of lights in the sky that no telescope on Earth can escape."

"The biggest impact will be on telescopes that survey large areas of the sky on a routine basis, such as the Vera Rubin Observatory that will see its first light in the coming year and is planned to conduct the extensive LSST survey, covering the southern sky every few days in search for transient events," Loeb told Salon. "The satellite constellations will leave streaks of bright on the CCD detectors of the observatory, making it difficult to separate real astronomical sources from their bright contaminating light."

In May, the Vera Rubin Observatory released a statement of concern regarding the launch of SpaceX satellites, and the plans of other companies like Amazon.

"The Vera C. Rubin Observatory science community is concerned about the increasing deployment of communications satellite constellations which, if unchecked, could jeopardize the discoveries anticipated from Rubin Observatory when science operations begin in 2022," the statement read. "Because Rubin Observatory is uniquely impacted by these satellite constellations, its science team is taking an active role in pursuing mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of the satellites on Rubin Observatory science."

Indeed, such efforts to send internet-based satellites have already begun. In late May 2019, SpaceX launched the first 60 of itsof 42,000 communications satellites for the planned Starlink constellation. Since then, Elon Musk's company has launched several more groups of 60 satellites. While satellites aren't necessarily a new problem for astronomers, the brightness of the SpaceX-launched satellites have been a big concern for astronomers.

In January 2020, a study published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics analyzed the potential impact of commercial satellites like those by SpaceX and Amazon and found that large telescopes will likely be "moderately affected."

"The results suggest that large telescopes like ESO's VLT and upcoming ELT will only be moderately affected, although some science cases may require the implementation of mitigation measures, such as scheduling of the observations or interruption of the exposures to allow a satellite to cross the field of view," the study concluded.

Amazon said it will invest more than $10 billion in Project Kuiper in the company's statement. While there are no specific launch dates yet, under the FCC's approval the company must launch half of the constellation by 2026 to keep its FCC license, and the remaining satellites by 2029.

Read the original post:

Move over, SpaceX Amazon is sending its own satellites into orbit - Salon

Saturn-Sized Exoplanet Discovered by the Gravitational Wobble in the Small, Cool Star It Orbits – SciTechDaily

Posted on by

Illustration shows how the stars motion around the center of mass between it and the planet causes a wobble in its motion through space. The VLBAs ability to detect this minuscule effect revealed the presence of the planet. Credit: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF

Using the supersharp radio vision of the National Science Foundations continent-wide Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), astronomers have discovered a Saturn-sized planet closely orbiting a small, cool star 35 light-years from Earth. This is the first discovery of an extrasolar planet with a radio telescope using a technique that requires extremely precise measurements of a stars position in the sky, and only the second planet discovery for that technique and for radio telescopes.

The technique has long been known, but has proven difficult to use. It involves tracking the stars actual motion in space, then detecting a minuscule wobble in that motion caused by the gravitational effect of the planet. The star and the planet orbit a location that represents the center of mass for both combined. The planet is revealed indirectly if that location, called the barycenter, is far enough from the stars center to cause a wobble detectable by a telescope.

Side-by-side animations of the star and planet orbiting their common center of gravity (barycenter), and of the pair moving through space as they orbit, creating the stars wobble that revealed the planet. Credit: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF

This technique, called the astrometric technique, is expected to be particularly good for detecting Jupiter-like planets in orbits distant from the star. This is because when a massive planet orbits a star, the wobble produced in the star increases with a larger separation between the planet and the star, and at a given distance from the star, the more massive the planet, the larger the wobble produced.

Starting in June of 2018 and continuing for a year and a half, the astronomers tracked a star called TVLM 51346546, a cool dwarf with less than a tenth the mass of our Sun. In addition, they used data from nine previous VLBA observations of the star between March 2010 and August 2011.

Artists conception of dwarf star TVLM-513-46546 and its newly-discovered planetary companion. Credit: Luis A. Curiel Ramirez

Extensive analysis of the data from those time periods revealed a telltale wobble in the stars motion indicating the presence of a planet comparable in mass to Saturn, orbiting the star once every 221 days. This planet is closer to the star than Mercury is to the Sun.

Small, cool stars like TVLM 51346546 are the most numerous stellar type in our Milky Way Galaxy, and many of them have been found to have smaller planets, comparable to Earth and Mars.

Artists conception of dwarf star TVLM-513-46546 and its newly-discovered planetary companion. Credit: Luis A. Curiel Ramirez

Giant planets, like Jupiter and Saturn, are expected to be rare around small stars like this one, and the astrometric technique is best at finding Jupiter-like planets in wide orbits, so we were surprised to find a lower mass, Saturn-like planet in a relatively compact orbit. We expected to find a more massive planet, similar to Jupiter, in a wider orbit, said Salvador Curiel, of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Detecting the orbital motions of this sub-Jupiter mass planetary companion in such a compact orbit was a great challenge, he added.

More than 4,200 planets have been discovered orbiting stars other than the Sun, but the planet around TVLM 51346546 is only the second to be found using the astrometric technique. Another, very successful method, called the radial velocity technique, also relies on the gravitational effect of the planet upon the star. That technique detects the slight acceleration of the star, either toward or away from Earth, caused by the stars motion around the barycenter.

The Very Long Baseline Array is a continent-wide radio telescope system spanning the distance from Hawaii in the Pacific to St. Croix in the Caribbean. It provides astronomers with extremely high resolving power, the ability to see fine detail. Credit: J. Hellermann, NRAO/AUI/NSF

Our method complements the radial velocity method which is more sensitive to planets orbiting in close orbits, while ours is more sensitive to massive planets in orbits further away from the star, said Gisela Ortiz-Leon of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Germany. Indeed, these other techniques have found only a few planets with characteristics such as planet mass, orbital size, and host star mass, similar to the planet we found. We believe that the VLBA, and the astrometry technique in general, could reveal many more similar planets.

A third technique, called the transit method, also very successful, detects the slight dimming of the stars light when a planet passes in front of it, as seen from Earth.

Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) astrometry detected a wobble in the proper motion of a small star caused by the gravitational effect of a Saturn-sized exoplanet. First radio discovery of an exoplanet by this technique. Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF

The astrometric method has been successful for detecting nearby binary star systems, and was recognized as early as the 19th Century as a potential means of discovering extrasolar planets. Over the years, a number of such discoveries were announced, then failed to survive further scrutiny. The difficulty has been that the stellar wobble produced by a planet is so small when seen from Earth that it requires extraordinary precision in the positional measurements.

The VLBA, with antennas separated by as much as 5,000 miles, provided us with the great resolving power and extremely high precision needed for this discovery, said Amy Mioduszewski, of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. In addition, improvements that have been made to the VLBAs sensitivity gave us the data quality that made it possible to do this work now, she added.

Curiel, Ortiz-Leon, Mioduszewski, and Rosa Torres of the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, reported their findings in the Astronomical Journal.

Reference: An Astrometric Planetary Companion Candidate to the M9 Dwarf TVLM 51346546 by Salvador Curiel, Gisela N. Ortiz-Len, Amy J. Mioduszewski and Rosa M. Torres, 4 August 2020, Astronomical Journal.DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/ab9e6e

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

The rest is here:

Saturn-Sized Exoplanet Discovered by the Gravitational Wobble in the Small, Cool Star It Orbits - SciTechDaily

Astronomy Apps Market Expected to Witness the Highest Growth 2025 – AlgosOnline

Posted on by

Recently, Market Study Report, LLC, added a research on the ' Astronomy Apps market' which encompasses significant inputs with respect to market share, market size, regional landscape, contributing players, and revenue projection of this industry vertical. The report also educates investors regarding the existing tends, prime challenges, and current expansion strategies applied by the key organizations that constitute the hyperactive competitive gamut of this business sphere.

Request a sample Report of Astronomy Apps Market at:https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/2586493?utm_source=algosonline.com&utm_medium=Ram

The Astronomy Apps market report predicts this business space to accrue quite some modest proceeds by the end of the estimated timeline. Inherently, the report is inclusive of details pertaining to the market dynamics such as the numerous driving forces responsible for impacting the outlook of this industry as well as the myriad risks that this sphere is defined by, not to mention, the innumerable growth opportunities prevalent in the marketplace in question.

Questions which the research study on Astronomy Apps market answers with respect to the competitive hierarchy of the industry:

Questions which the research study on Astronomy Apps market answers with respect to the regional hierarchy of the industry:

Questions which the research study on Astronomy Apps market answers with respect to the segmentation of the industry:

Ask for Discount on Astronomy Apps Market Report at:https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/2586493?utm_source=algosonline.com&utm_medium=Ram

In essence, it would be apt to quote that the research study on the Astronomy Apps market comprises an expansive analysis of this industry space which focuses not just on the geographical scope of this market but also on a plethora of other deliverables such as the market share, revenue estimate, market concentration rate, sales volume, and the market competition trends. Also presented in the report are details with reference to the sales channels that are adopted by myriad manufacturers in a bid to ensure that an accurate method of marketing the product is chosen. Information regarding the contribution of traders as well as distributors in the supply chain are also enlisted in the study.

For More Details On this Report: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-astronomy-apps-market-2020-by-company-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2025

Read More Reports On: https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/238-growth-for-3d-sensor-market-size-to-reach-22660-million-usd-by-2026-2020-08-05?tesla=y

Read More Reports On: https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/industrial-edi-ultrapure-water-system-market-global-industry-analysis-segments-top-key-players-drivers-and-trends-to-2026-2020-08-04?tesla=y

Read More Reports On: https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/breast-implants-market-trends-share-industry-size-opportunities-analysis-and-forecast-by-2027-2020-08-03?tesla=y

Read More Reports On: https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/laboratory-filtration-market-size-opportunities-share-analysis-up-to-2027-2020-07-30

Contact Us:Corporate Sales,Market Study Report LLCPhone: 1-302-273-0910Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150 Email: [emailprotected]

See the original post here:

Astronomy Apps Market Expected to Witness the Highest Growth 2025 - AlgosOnline

Amateur Astronomers Find a Saturn-Sized Planet in The Habitable Zone of a Distant Star – ScienceAlert

Posted on by

Exoplanets have been a particularly hot topic of late.

More than 4,000 of them have been discovered since thefirstin 1995. Now one more can potentially be added to the list. This one is orbiting Gliese 3470, a red dwarf star located in the constellation Cancer. What makes this discovery particularly interesting is that this planet wasn't discovered by any professional astronomers using high tech equipment like theKepler Space Telescope. It was found entirely by amateurs.

Not just any amateurs though they are part of an effort organized by Alberto Caballero of theThe Exoplanets Channelon Youtube.

The group is called theHabitable Exoplanet Hunting Project(HEHP) and bills itself as "the first international program coordinated by amateur astronomers to search for habitable exoplanets."

The group "includes more than 30 amateur and professional observatories located in more than 10 countries across 5 continents". The group coordinates efforts across all these observatories by observing the same star concurrently for significant lengths of time.

In the case of the new planet, which being called Gliese 3470c, most of the observational data came from an amateur astronomer named Phillip Scott located in Kiowa, Oklahoma, about 2 hours southeast of Oklahoma City.

The observations were done using his own personal 12.5 inch telescope, that he built a observatory in his backyard to house. They were carried out between the months of December 2019 and May 2020.

The data collected during that period was analyzed using a technique known astransit photometry, which watches for changes in a star's brightness. The team observed three transits of the potential planet, which they say may have an orbital period of 66 days.

Given the size of Gliese 3470, that would put the planet around the point of 'Earth's Equivalent Radiation', making it possible that the planet resides in the habitable zone of the star.

The planet itself is too big to be an Earth analogue though, coming in at more than 9.2 times the radius of Earth, placing it more akin to the size of Saturn. The team also can't rule out that the planet might actually have a faster orbit that they proposed, as data was not available for some other times when it might have been transiting if the orbital period was shorter.

The planet will indeed need further confirmation, both of its orbital period and also of its existence in general. As is common with exoplanet discoveries, the HEHP team published their findings, along with a Google drive link to theirdata, and are actively encouraging other astronomers to observe Gliese 3470 to confirm their new planet.

Let's hope that their discovery is not only confirmed, but also inspires more amateur astronomers to pick up the torch of searching for habitable exoplanets.

If you want to join the organization in their efforts, you can find more detailshere.

This article was originally published by Universe Today. Read the original article.

Read the rest here:

Amateur Astronomers Find a Saturn-Sized Planet in The Habitable Zone of a Distant Star - ScienceAlert

Song Sung This Ascension is Ours – musicOMH.com

Posted on by

(Night Time Stories) UK release date: 31 July 2020

The success of The Ascension Is Ours is ultimately down to its exquisitely rendered sound design the songs, with their ethereal haze and retro-futurist vibe, are a blend of Broadcast, The Shangri-Las, and, well, all of the bands on the Killing Eve soundtrack. All of these are tried and tested flavours, and while these are ultimately what make the album a triumph, theyre also what would make it a difficult listen for people not already familiar with this type of sound. See, most of the songs are constructed of the same basic formula, and all of the tracks seem to run a little long.

The highlights of the album are the fantastic TellingTales, with its superb chorus and hazy, woozy atmospherics, and Testimony Of Tears, with its muscular bass and gradually increasing tension, are genuinely thrilling pieces. The Minds Eye is another standout, and it sounds like a forgotten girl-group 7 playing in The Jesus & Mary Chains distorted wonderland (or, put simply, it sounds like The Raveonettes). The other songs on the album largely use the same palette, and draw from the same type of sounds but theres a lot to be said for consistency. Many of the bands that Song Sung draw from made similarly stylistically consistent debut albums (have you heard Psychocandy?), and ultimately it will be this level of one-notedness that means you love the album or are bored by it.

Many of the bands that have ploughed similar ground have had success (Vanishing Twin, Exploded View, Jane Weaver, Le Volume Courbe), because there feels like theres more variety in their songwriting. But this is a debut album, and there is a lot of potential here. If youre a fan of any of those bands, then this should be an immediate listen, but if not, this is a harder sell. Enter with an open mind (and a spare hour), and youll have a good time.

Related articles

Originally posted here:

Song Sung This Ascension is Ours - musicOMH.com

Starting Friday in the 60s, ending in the 90s – WBRZ

Posted on by

After starting the day in the 60s, the intense humidity will hold off for the afternoon. Check out that 6 am temperature!

THE FORECAST:

Today and Tonight:Sunny skies and mild humidity in August. Enjoy it while it lasts! Temperatures will be heating to near 94 degrees, but low dew points will prevent heat index values from entering the triple digits. A 10% chance of rain today is for areas near the coast. A few showers could creep up into parts of St. James, Assumption, and southern Ascension Parishes. Skies will clear overnight with lows near 73 degrees.

Up Next:Intense humidity will begin to move back in during the day tomorrow. Only a few showers are expected along the coast and south of Baton Rouge. Saturday high temperatures will be near 94 and lows near 75. Starting on Sunday, rain chances will go up to 20-30% and stay that way into next week. The weekend will still have plenty of sun. Many places will be able to dodge the rain altogether. If you need an hour-by-hour rain update, download our mobile weather app! (Links down below.) High temperatures will remain in the low 90s.

The Tropics:No active advisories.

THE EXPLANATION:

The trough over the central US continues to promote northerly flow in our area. Throughout the day today, this will completely weaken, and our flow will shift to southerly. Southerly flow will bring Gulf moisture with it and we can say goodbye to low humidity. A ridging pattern is developing over the southern US. This is crank up the heat and moisture over the weekend and bring in the chance of afternoon showers every day starting on Saturday. Moisture will build through the week and rain chances will climb to near 40% by Tuesday.

-Marisa

The WBRZ Weather Team is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App on yourAppleorAndroiddevice. Follow WBRZ Weather onFacebookandTwitterfor even more weather updates while you are on the go.

See original here:

Starting Friday in the 60s, ending in the 90s - WBRZ

Tesla makes tiny change to Model Y that will save owners some headaches – Electrek

Posted on by

Tesla has made a tiny change to Model Y that will save owners some headaches by helping people get out of the car the right way.

On Model 3 and Model Y, Tesla didnt install regular door handles with latches inside the vehicles.

Instead, Tesla installed an electronic button to release the door and manual releases on the front doors.

But the latter are only intended to be used in the unlikely event that the vehicle loses power.

Tesla writes in the owners manual:

Manual door releases are designed to be used only in situations when Model 3 has no power. Whenever Model 3 has power, use the button located at the top of the interior door handle

The problem is that some people more naturally go for the manual release (right) instead of the electronic release (left):

It meant that Tesla owners often had to explain passengers how to properly get out of their vehicle.

The issue is that Teslas vehicles have a frameless door design meaning that the window has to come down a little bit before opening the door. The electronic release doesnt allow you to open the door until thats completed, which only takes a second.

But with the manual release, someone could right away push the door open, which could cause an issue.

Thats why in our post on the Top 15 Tesla accessories you must have, we have been recommending a sticker to put on the electronic release button that indicates its use better than a simple line.

Now it looks like Tesla has caught up to this issue.

Christian Bibay recently took delivery of a new Model Y and spotted a new clearer sign on the button. He posted a picture to a Model 3 Facebook group (hat tip to JZ):

The new design appears to be inspired by another aftermarket sticker that Tesla owners have been buying.

The feature is in new Model Y vehicles currently being delivered.

Its currently unclear if the change has also made it to new Model 3 vehicles coming off the line, but one would assume that it would be coming soon if it isnt already done.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.

Original post:

Tesla makes tiny change to Model Y that will save owners some headaches - Electrek

Tesla Is Limiting Supercharging To 120 kW In Europe, But Why? – InsideEVs

Posted on by

Tesla is proud to offer superchargers all over the US and also in Europe. In Portugal, it is the only electric car manufacturer widely accepted because it provides a fast-charging network that the country currently lacks. Yet, Tesla owners are complaining that they can't get more than 120 kW in most countries. They have asked Tesla for explanations and got none so far.

The reports of this speed limit come from Spain, UK, Portugal, Sweden, and most other countries in which the cars are sold. According to Tesla club members, some of them occasionally manage to pass that limit, while most are stuck with the 120 kW. Some are even more precise in the description: they say the cars can only achieve 117 kW, even when there is no other car charging.

According to club communication we had access to, people were concerned that Tesla could have nerfed the cars. Tests in other charging stations, such as Ionity's, showed the issue was really with superchargers.

These owners have tried to contact Tesla to understand the issue and got no official explanation for that until now. One fair demand they have is that Tesla could warn owners approaching any given supercharging station about any restrictions.

With the issue, some club members have developed theories for what is happening. Some believe Tesla decided to prevent superchargers from achieving the up to 150 kW of capacity due to the hot weather Europe is facing in many countries this year. Anyway, if that were really the case, any temperature spike in the past would have caused the same decrease in charging speed.

Considering slower charging sessions also cost more, another possibility is that the restriction has financial goals. The only party able to explain anything is Tesla. We'd ask it if the company replied to the press, but it doesn't. Will it at least tell owners and club members the reasons for the restrictions?

Have you felt your Tesla had its charging speed capped recently? If you have, please let us know more about it at contact@insideevs.com or through our Facebook page. It does not matter where you are: just let us know if you feel your supercharging network is also affected.

Read more:

Tesla Is Limiting Supercharging To 120 kW In Europe, But Why? - InsideEVs

GM Is Looking Pretty Jealously At Tesla And Nikola – Jalopnik

Posted on by

Photo: Getty Images (Getty Images)

In recent months, Teslas soaring stock price has seemingly boosted startup Nikola, which was once valued as high as $26 billion despite having no revenue. According to a new report, GM might want to try and get in on that investor hype.

That is in part because investors apparently dont believe legacy car companies like GM can pull off an electric car. Even though GM already has, and is working on more, that hasnt done much for its stock price, which is what GMs CEO Mary Barra and its board cares about. GM thinks its doingand has donequite a bit in the electric space and getting no love on Wall Street in return.

And so now, Bloomberg reports, GM has been deliberating over whether or not to spin off its electric-vehicle operations. That new company would have a different name, none of the baggage of GMs 111-year history, and, in theory, would also inspire more investment. In theory.

GM now is war-gaming the idea as the company ponders different ways to get credit for its EV plans, though a spinoff isnt actively being prepared, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal deliberations.

[...]

The view within GM is that the startups attracting billions of dollars of investment have a fraction of the capabilities Barra touted back in February and March.

This would maybe look much like what Tesla did and what Nikola is trying to do, which is to take the new company public and fund research and development through new investment from Wall Street. Thats a strategy that Lordstown Motors and Fisker are also pursuing. And clearly also a flavor-of-the-month kind of thing, but you get the feeling that Tesla is a bit of unicorn in this regard. It somehow pulled it off after years of walking on a tightrope, something that maybe looks easier than it was now that there is so much money getting thrown around.

Read this article:

GM Is Looking Pretty Jealously At Tesla And Nikola - Jalopnik

Confused golden retriever wags its tail as Tesla-driving owner abandons it in park and races off – Metro.co.uk

Posted on by

A confused golden retriever thought he was going for walkies only for his cruel Tesla driving owner to dump him in a park and drive off (Pictures: Clark County Sheriffs Office)

Distressing surveillance camera footage captured the moment a confused golden retriever wagged its tail as its Tesla-driving owner dumped it in a park. The dog was abandoned at Vancouver Park just north of Portland, Oregon earlier this month.

Footage obtained by KOIN showed the pets female owner pull into a parking spot in her gray Tesla Model 3 which retails for a minimum $37,500. She gets out of the luxury electric car and opens the back door to let her dog out.

The animal wags its tail and looks at its owner in anticipation a walk around the beauty spot.

She then tricks the dog into thinking they are doing just that and walks it towards a wooded area, then dashes back to the car before the dog can follow her, and drives off without it.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a webbrowser thatsupports HTML5video

Thankfully, the dog was rescued and is now being cared for by I Pawd It Forward animal shelter in Portland. The animal will be put up for adoption once shelter staff have confirmed it had not been stolen from anyone else who was looking for it.

Clark County Sheriffs Office is investigating the act of abandonment, and have appealed for anyone who recognizes the dog dumper to contact them.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk

For more stories like this,check our news page

The rest is here:

Confused golden retriever wags its tail as Tesla-driving owner abandons it in park and races off - Metro.co.uk

Why doctors and researchers need access to hydroxychloroquine | TheHill – The Hill

Posted on by

On July 6, a team of doctors from Henry Ford Hospital, supported by physicians from Baylor University Medical Center, submitted an urgent request to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reauthorize use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for early treatment of COVID-19. Since that day, more than 25,000 more Americans have died from the virus as COVID-19 continues to burn through communities across America. If the results of a recent Henry Ford Hospital study are accurate, at least half of these patients might have been saved by HCQ.

Since the pandemic from China first hit America with brute force early in March, it has become apparent to physicians that the medicine works best when as with any anti-infective agent it is given early in the course of the infection. Moreover, hospitalization can be avoided if treatment starts within the first day of symptoms.

While HCQ alone has been found by numerous studies to reduce mortality rates, severity of symptoms, and length of hospital stays, it also can be combined with zinc and either azithromycin or doxycycline, followed by corticosteroids (prednisone, dexamethasone), and in some cases anticoagulants all working together for improved outcomes. For each one of these drugs, there is both a good scientific rationale and either early clinical trials completed or planned with sufficient promise.

Of these drugs, only HCQ was singled out as a political football early in spring right after President TrumpDonald John TrumpJoe Arpaio loses bid for his old position as sheriff Trump brushes off view that Russia denigrating Biden: 'Nobody's been tougher on Russia than I have' Trump tees up executive orders on economy but won't sign yet MORE urged the medical community to consider HCQ. At the time, one of Trumps top medical advisers, Dr. Anthony FauciAnthony FauciOvernight Health Care: Trump to take executive action after coronavirus talks collapse | Vaccine official says he'd resign if pressured politically Fauci's DC neighbors put up 'thank you' signs in their yards Cuomo says New York schools can reopen in-person this fall MORE, stated that if a COVID-19 patient were under his care, he would use HCQ, preferably in a clinical trial protocol. Fauci, however, has since backed away from that statement and his opposition has become a rallying cry of the left-leaning mainstream medias Hydroxy Hysteria.

The politicization of HCQ is an ongoing tragedy. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has more than 60 million HCQ tablets sitting in its warehouses. Absent a new Emergency Use Authorization, FEMA cannot ship this valuable medicine for appropriate off-label treatment of COVID-19 patients. Nor can hospitals or clinics easily recruit patients for the kind of randomized clinical trials needed to ultimately settle the question of how HCQ might best be used in the fight against COVID-19. Should it be purely in early treatment, as a prophylactic for health care workers or senior home patients at risk, in outpatient versus hospital settings, or in other settings?

Positive HCQ studies have been dismissed in medical journal editorials as flawed because they were observational rather than randomized. The few randomized trials of HCQ reported to date have been a debacle because of the failure to distinguish clearly between early treatment (one to seven days after the onset of symptoms), when the medicine should work, versus later treatment, when it is unlikely to help. To make matters worse, in a classic statistical type two error, many of the preventive and early illness trials of HCQ changed primary endpoints, reduced sample sizes, and became unable to see the benefit of HCQ, if indeed it was there.

For example, the University of Minnesota, in a collaboration with other centers, published randomized prevention and early treatment trials. While both trials were stopped early and thereby had small samples, both made definitive claims that HCQ was not effective. However, careful review of their data shows just the opposite numerically (but not statistically significant) lower numbers of infections and hospitalizations in those who were randomized to HCQ.

Further clouding the issue, the National Institutes of Health opened an outpatient trial of HCQ and azithromycin in May but closed it in June, stating they could not recruit subjects into the study. This was a highly disingenuous claim, given the overwhelming numbers of COVID-19 patients desperate for treatment.

My own conclusion from a review of the literature is that HCQ has not failed the randomized trials, but researchers have failed HCQ. Many doctors who understand the science and the threats to validity in the HCQ literature continue to prescribe HCQ appropriately off-label to COVID-19 victims at home, in senior centers, and early in the hospital. The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons is suing the FDA for access to HCQ.

In thinking carefully about all the negative news that you may have heard about HCQ, keep in mind this drug has been used in the U.S. since 1955. It has a completely established safety record for lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and malaria prevention and treatment. Prescribed under a physicians good judgment, it is unlikely to cause harm.

So how did HCQ become considered dangerous? The first false safety concerns arose early in the pandemic in reports that doctors prescribed HCQ not in an early treatment setting at the first sign of symptoms but rather in a late-stage setting to more severely ill patients in the hospital. This form of treatment bias that is, giving medicine to the sickest before death created a false association between HCQ and mortality. Unfortunately, the mainstream media picked up on these reports and did great damage by promulgating a false narrative without understanding the epidemiological underpinning of confounding by indication.

In what would be a death blow to public trust of HCQ, the prestigious Lancet journal published a massive worldwide study that purported to show excessive deaths in patients treated across six continents only to have the paper later retracted. The New England Journal of Medicine had a similar unprecedented retraction more evidence of HCQ becoming a political football in medical science. While the studies were fraudulent and discredited within a few weeks, the media coverage, and earlier flawed studies, led both the FDA and World Health Organization (WHO) to withdraw endorsements of the drug for COVID-19 treatment.

We now know, based on thelarge New York and Detroit experiences at Ford and Mt. Sinai hospitals, that HCQ is safe. To date, there has not been a single credible report that the medication increases the risk of death in COVID-19 patients when prescribed by competent physicians who understand its safety profile.

It is time for the FDA and state medical boards to support the use of HCQ in conjunction with other commonly used drugs steroids and antithrombotics against COVID-19, treated early at home to help avoid hospitalization and death. As President Trump has said, what have you got to lose by reinstating an Emergency Use Authorization? As to what might be gained, appropriate research and prescription (combined with other medications) could spare hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and save tens of thousands of American lives.

Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH, is vice chairman of medicine at Baylor University Medical Center and a professor of medicine at Texas A&M College of Medicine in Dallas. An internist, cardiologist and epidemiologist, he is the editor in chief of Cardiorenal Medicine and Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine. He has authored over 500 cited works in the National Library of Medicine.

Read the original post:

Why doctors and researchers need access to hydroxychloroquine | TheHill - The Hill

Notable Launches New Clinical Study With Washington University School of Medicine Exploring Ex Vivo Drug Screening to Predict Chemotherapy Sensitivity…

Posted on by

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Notable, which is redefining cancer treatment by taking a functional approach to precision oncology in hematological cancers, announced a new precision oncology study with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, exploring the feasibility of ex vivo drug screening to predict sensitivity and resistance to chemotherapy, and to identify novel synergies across a broad panel of anticancer therapies.

The study will help determine to what extent Notable's technology platform has the ability to predict clinical responses in patients treated with standard of care therapies in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). In addition, the study explores how a patient's disease changes in response to specific therapies, and whether Notable can potentially combat resistance to therapy by finding new effective combinations on its platform.

The study will be conducted at Washington University School of Medicines Siteman Cancer Center. Notable is performing the ex vivo drug sensitivity tests in its laboratory in Foster City.

This is a very important validation study for Notable, said Hiroomi Tada, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer at Notable. It will provide a large dataset that will enable us to compare our ex vivo test results with patient outcomes, which we need to understand how well our assays work, and determine whether we need to improve the assays for certain classes of drugs to make the tests better. In addition, the study will provide us with insight into how AML and MDS change in response to treatment, identify potential new combination therapies and if patients are failing a therapy much earlier, allowing us to intervene sooner as resistance is emerging.

Medical oncologist John Welch, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the division of oncology at Washington University School of Medicine, said, It can be difficult to predict patients responses to chemotherapy, and we look forward to evaluating whether Notables platform has the potential to change the way clinicians approach cancer therapy for individual patients. This trial is intended to help determine the platforms accuracy and its value as a clinical care tool.

This is expected be a five-year study, though data from the first cohort could be available within 1218 months.

About Notable

Notable is redefining cancer treatment by taking a functional approach to precision oncology in hematological cancers. Notables testing platform combines machine learning, automation and high-throughput screening directly on patient samples to predict responses to potential therapies, and ultimately determine which therapies will be most effective for specific cancers. Notables functional precision medicine platform will advance drug development and enable pharmaceutical companies to get new therapies to patients faster. Learn more at notablelabs.com and follow us @notablelabs.

Go here to see the original:

Notable Launches New Clinical Study With Washington University School of Medicine Exploring Ex Vivo Drug Screening to Predict Chemotherapy Sensitivity...

How to get started if you’ve never had a bank account – Minneapolis Star Tribune

Posted on by

Managing your money without a bank account is doable. But it can pose challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic has only added more.

Your economic impact payment might've arrived weeks or months after others' did, in the form of a check or prepaid debit card, because you couldn't choose the faster delivery option of direct deposit into a bank account. And if you've gone to the store lately, you may have been asked to pay with a debit or credit card or in exact change due to a nationwide shortage of coins and concerns over germ transmission.

A bank account can make life easier in these situations, among others. To avoid future issues, consider opening one or try again if you've been rejected in the past. Here's a guide to getting started.

ASSESS YOUR MONEY NEEDS

If you're one of the 14 million adults without a bank account in the U.S., you might have a system that works for you. Maybe that includes using alternative products such as prepaid debit cards and check cashing services. Financial counselor Brandy Baxter has worked with clients who used check cashing services for practical reasons.

"They preferred to walk in, walk out with cash in hand," says Baxter, an accredited financial counselor and financial coach who runs the firm Living Abundantly in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Check cashing stores like Check 'n Go and ACE Cash Express may operate for longer hours than banks and have easy approval processes to get cash quickly. But this comes with a steep fee, which can range from 1% to 6%, or more, of the check amount.

Bank accounts can fulfill money needs beyond what prepaid cards and check cashing services can. For example, their fraud protections can limit what you pay if you're victimized, and many accounts let you lock debit cards remotely when stolen.

And once you've begun a relationship with a bank, other doors open: Credit cards, auto or small business loans and cheaper alternatives to payday loans may eventually be within reach.

Checking accounts "don't just help you save costs; they're the stepping stones to use other financial products," says David Rothstein, principal at Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, who manages BankOn, a national platform that promotes financial inclusion.

FIND A BANK THAT FITS YOU

If you find banks intimidating or have had issues getting an account before, community banks and credit unions tend to be more accommodating than national banks and are often mission-driven for example, focusing on the financial health of their surrounding communities.

"We're very lenient at giving someone a second chance," says Pedro Murillo, area branch manager in the San Francisco Bay Area for Self-Help Federal Credit Union. "If an employee comes in to apply for a loan and doesn't have pay stubs, what else (can they) show us? A letter from (their) employer? We don't want to give up."

Like other credit unions, Self-Help requires a person to open a savings account to become a member; the minimum to open an account is typically a few bucks. Then members can apply for other products, like a credit builder loan.

You can search online for the term "CDFI" which stands for community development financial institution to find credit unions like Self-Help near you. Many require those who join to be in the same area or state where the credit union or bank has branches.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT APPLYING

To open an account, you'll generally need your Social Security number, one or two forms of identification and money for the first deposit.

It's common to apply for two bank accounts at the same time: a checking and a savings account. The checking account grants access to a debit card, bill payment system and other services, while the savings account lets you set money aside and, ideally, grow by earning interest.

Banks usually screen applicants on ChexSystems, a national reporting agency that keeps records of accounts closed against a person's will. If you have lost access to a bank account in the past, you might be rejected by other banks until you settle your ChexSystems record. This can mean paying off debt to a bank or disputing errors on the record.

Once you're cleared, consider what banks often call a second chance checking account or a BankOn-approved checking account. Many of these don't charge overdraft fees, which kick in if you try paying for something that would put your balance in the negative.

Finding and opening the right bank account involves some effort. But once you're approved, having a safe place for your money and a better chance to get affordable loans can make it worthwhile.

"To have a checking account is the cornerstone of any financial empowerment effort," Rothstein says.

This article originally appeared on the personal finance website NerdWallet. Spencer Tierney is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: spencer.tierney@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SpencerNerd.

RELATED LINKS:

NerdWallet: Second Chance Checking Accounts Across the U.S.

https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-second-checking

Opportunity Finance Network: CDFI Locator

CDFI Locator

Read the original post:

How to get started if you've never had a bank account - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Montclair State University: Determined To Make The Most Of College – Patch.com

Posted on by

Press release from Montclair State University:

Aug. 7, 2020

Determined to Make the Most of College

EOF program teaches incoming students how to reach their personal, educational and professional goals

When Fatimata Diabate '20 delivered an inspirational speech on resilience during commencement ceremonies, she represented the hopes and dreams of hundreds of Montclair State students, many of whom are first-generation scholars like Diabate.

"My academic preparation was poor," she said in a voice full of emotion. "I had a lot of catching up to do, but I had a mission to succeed in life. Something powerful inside of me that always kept me moving forward."

That determination is at the heart of the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), the program that guided Diabate to earn a bachelor's degree in Public Health. Captured on video, her remarks have been viewed tens of thousands of times on social media and were used to close the EOF Summer Academy on August 6.

"It's a powerful speech," says EOF Associate Director Rahjaun Gordon."Not only does it express all that Fatimata has been able to accomplish, but it shows our new scholars what they can achieve in their time here."

EOF provides college access and opportunity to highly motivated students, "most from low-income communities, who want more, who are motivated or first-gen, and who with the proper support and guidance can ultimately reach their personal and professional goals," says Assistant Provost for Special Programs Daniel Jean.

The Summer Academy is the "heart and soul" of the program, a five-week institute providing new EOF scholars with academic and social transitional support. This summer, mandatory safety measures due to the coronavirus prevented an on-campus experience. Still, 148 scholars attended, higher than the projected enrollment, for online classes in writing, mentoring, tutoring and advising.

"This is a difficult time," says EOF Counselor Angela White, "but we want students to be proactive and look back at this time and reflect: 'This is what I did to promote myself and educate myself during a pandemic.'"

EOF Counselor Tatia Haywood adds, "I tell our scholars, this is your experience. College is going to be what you put into it."

On July 30, White and Haywood organized the 8th Annual Statewide EOF Empowerment Conference. Held virtually with other colleges and about 400 students, the event included keynotes on the power of voting, advancing college affordability and accessibility, grit and resilience. In a real-time discussion, the scholars were asked to share in a single word what EOF means to them. "Family, opportunity, support, future, growth," they typed onto their screens.

The online interaction was a preview of the fall semester. "We've been transparent, telling students it may not look at what you've seen on TV, but a virtual college experience can still be impactful," Haywood says.

The challenges of the coronavirus crisis, including its health and economic impact on the EOF community, has also brought into focus the barriers and distractions some scholars face as they acclimate to college.

"We're all in this together," White says. "Students come to us for support, knowing we'll be there even after hours and open to what they have to say. It's the benefit of having EOF as a family."

Diabate, in an interview a few days after commencement, recalled her experience as a new EOF scholar. "My first year I was scared, but EOF became my home. It was made up of people I was able to relate to. Whether you were Haitian or African or Hispanic, we all had similar backgrounds."

But for her grit, finding a home at Montclair State nearly didn't happen. Diabate was initially declined admission.

Born in the United States, Diabate lived as a child with family in Ivory Coast as her parents juggled multiple jobs, returning when she was 8. "Imagine at that age, entering school not knowing your times tables or how to spell. You're always trying to catch up. I've always felt that way."

She called Admissions asking, "What can I do to better myself? How can I become a stronger candidate?"

In her commencement address, Diabate recalled, "The woman I spoke to said, 'No student has ever called to ask how can they better their future? Let me call the Educational Opportunity Fund program. Let me see what I can do for you.' She called me back and said they accepted me. Until this day, I do not know who that woman was, but she was the first of many miracles in my life."

One of her writing teachers, Tavya Jackson, an instructional specialist, says it was gratifying to see Diabate give the commencement speech. "She mentioned some of the challenges she faced when she first came to Montclair, and I was amazed to hear about what she had gone through, because she was always such a positive, friendly, open presence in our writing class. She struggled, at times, with her writing, but she displayed such effort and determination, such a willingness to try until she improved and succeeded."

In the interview, Diabate paused to reflect on her story. "And I made it," she says. "I made it."

This press release was produced by Montclair State University. The views expressed here are the author's own.

More:

Montclair State University: Determined To Make The Most Of College - Patch.com

God is always with us, even when we don’t recognize him – CatholicPhilly.com

Posted on by

Msgr. Joseph Prior

By Msgr. Joseph Prior Posted August 7, 2020

(See the readings for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Aug. 9)

When reflecting on the readings for this weeks liturgy the words of Jesus from another Gospel passage came to mind: Seek and you shall find.

As human beings, we all have a desire for God in the depths of our being. Sometimes this is recognized and the person seeks him. Other times it might be a latent desire, unnamed but present nonetheless.

In this case there may be distractions, obligations or responsibilities that might hide the desire yet something inside ourselves longs for an encounter, a relationship. God is always there reaching out and calling us to himself, and he patiently awaits our reply.

The first reading and Gospel passages for this Sundays Mass give us insight into this relationship and encounter with God. At the heart of both is another saying of Jesus: Do not be afraid. God is loving and forgiving. He is trustworthy and reliable. We know he is powerful and strong, for all things were created by him, yet he is approachable and welcoming. He invites us to himself as a loving parent to a child, as a friend to a friend, as a brother to a brother.

The two readings recall two significant divine encounters. The first takes place on Mount Horeb, the second on the Sea of Galilee.

Elijah is on Mount Horeb. How did he get there? Why is he there? Where is he in life? Well, if we read this passage in the biblical context, we get some insights into his life at this point. He is fed up. In fact, hes told God that he wishes he were dead.

To say he was in a tough situation would be putting it mildly. He had just confronted the prophets of Baal, a pagan god, whom the evil King Ahab and his notorious wife Jezebel had worshiped. The king and queen were out to kill him. He was tired and weak and afraid. He flees to Beersheba but is instructed to go to Horeb where God will encounter him.

He had been witness to Gods power and greatness. God was with him when he called down divine power on the thrice-drenched sacrifice in the presence of the prophets of Baal and the people Israel, after the failed attempts of the Baal prophets to have their sacrifice consumed. After soaking the offering, Elijah invoked the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Immediately a huge fire descended from the skies, completely consuming the sacrifice.

Yet only days later, Elijah is afraid, tired and weak. Something is missing, something is needed. So the angel tells him to eat, to rest and then make the 40-day journey to Horeb. This is where Sundays reading picks up the story.

Elijah arrives, finds shelter and is told to go outside, where he will encounter the Lord. Based on his earlier experience, perhaps he was expecting something extraordinary, something magnificent, something powerful, visible and great.

Those expectations did not match what God had in mind. The great manifestations of the heavy wind, the earthquake and the fire came and went, but God was not in them. Rather, he came in the tiny whispering sound. It was in that tiny whispering sound that Elijah found the God he served.

In this Sundays Gospel, Peter is on the Sea of Galilee, in a boat with the other disciples. Jesus was not with them. He was on the mountain taking some time by himself to pray. The darkness of night had fallen. The disciples were being rocked in the boat by waves. The Sea of Galilee is known for the tremendous storms that rise suddenly above its waters. They were afraid. Peter was afraid.

The Lord approaches them walking on the water. They think its a ghost because no one is able to walk on water. Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid, says the Lord.

Peter doubts. It is as if the darkness, the storm, the waves and everything else gets in the way and he puts the Lord to the test: Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.

The Lord complies and says, Come. It is as if he is saying, Come to me; leave your fear, your doubts, your insecurity, your own ideas on how this is supposed to work, leave it all behind and come be with me.

Peter gets out of the boat and to his amazement and the astonishment of all, he too walks on the water. This does not last long, as his worries and anxieties get in the way. Filled with fear, he notices how strong the wind is and begins to sink into the water crying out, Lord, save me.

Jesus reaches out his hand, catches Peter and says: O you of little faith, why did you doubt? They get into the boat and the wind dies down. The story concludes with the disciples acclaiming, Truly, you are the Son of God.

Perhaps the two stories give us some insight into our relationship with God, our expectations and his encounter with us. God is always present. He is always reaching out to us. He does it in a variety of ways. He is especially present to us when we are troubled or anxious or afraid.

This is a comfort in these days of uncertainty. People are anxious not only about the illness that can be spread, but all the implications of dealing with it. Fear of another shut down, of unemployment, of caring for and educating our children, and anxiety over our older population are regularly on our minds.

Coupled with this is a renewed awareness of the racial discrimination, the plight of the poor and the great divide in our society based on wealth. Civil unrest looms. Further complications come in a lack of trust in leadership and another divide on how to handle the pandemic.

These are troubling times. Yet God does not want us to be alone or afraid. He comes into our lives and invites us to open the door to let him in. Like Elijah or Peter, we may have our own ideas on how this should happen. However, their encounters remind us that maybe its better for God to decide how that happens.

Maybe all he wants from us is a willingness or openness or readiness to encounter him in other words, faith. The words he spoke to Peter, and as he says numerous times, once again he speaks to us: Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid.

***

Msgr. Joseph Prior is pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Penndel, and a former professor of Sacred Scripture and rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

Here is the original post:

God is always with us, even when we don't recognize him - CatholicPhilly.com

Defending the People of the Sexual and Gender Diversity’s Rights, 30 Years After the Police Raid of the Sex Garage Party – Canada NewsWire

Posted on by

MONTRAL, Aug. 4, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ -Montral Pride Festival, presented by TD, reiterates that the full recognition of the sexual and gender diversity (SGD) people's rights and freedoms is still not achieved, pointing out that merely 30 years ago, the violent police raid at the Sex Garage party became the "Stonewall of Montral". The organization unveiled this morning the political and social demands that will be made during the 360 Edition of the festival.

On the night of July 14, thirty years ago, one of the most violent police raids took place at the Sex Garage party, an inclusive evening organized clandestinely to avoid discrimination. Although accustomed to this type of police raid, our communities rose up in the face of extreme brutality experienced that night. Thus, the protest movement was organized on July 15 in the Village, resulting in a peaceful kiss-in on July 16 in front of the police station in downtown Montral. However, the police team once again reacted with violence, brutally scattering the crowd and arresting several people.

Thirty years later, at a time when the world situation is exceptionally fragile, Montral Pride intends to carry and encourage people to react to the following demands:

Fully Recognize the Identity of All Trans and Non-binary People Regardless of Age, Citizenship or Parental Status.In Canada, gender identity and expression are protected by individual liberty laws. Trans and non-binary migrant minors and people with children are still discriminated against by colonial and oppressive laws. Trans and non-binary people have the full right to determine their own gender identity and expression in order to live full and fulfilling lives.

Therefore, Montral Pride asks:

Let's Stop Mutilating the Bodies of Intersex People.Montral Pride reiterates, as do the United Nations (UN), that intersex children are perfect as they are and urges the international medical community to put an end to the subjecting of intersex people to unnecessary practices.

Montral Pride reminds us that the measures to be taken are clear:

Let's Respond to the Call to Action to Ensure Justice for All Black Communities.We recognize that our society is rooted in colonialism, racism and oppression, that good intentions are not enough, and that apologies are worthless without change and restorative justice.

One lesson to be learned from this pandemic is that it's possible for the government, for institutions and for us as individuals to act collectively and quickly to preserve lives. Anti-black racism also exists in our sexual and gender diversity communities and we need to recognize it in order to properly put an end to it.

Montral Pride will continue initiatives it has undertaken in this regard:

While reflection and introspection are beneficial for situations such as these, Montral Pride wishes to encourage and nurture reflection on police funding in Qubec. Indeed, we believe that an effort must be made on exploring alternatives for redirecting this funding in order to better support vulnerable communities, including people of the sexual and gender diversity.

Let's Be Visible to Those Who Can't!Montral Pride calls for an end to state-sponsored LGBTQ+ phobias around the world. No one should have to face jail, violence or death for who they are or whom they love. We call on the Canadian government to ensure its foreign policy includes standing up for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, especially in countries with state-sponsored homophobia and transphobia.

Let's Recognize, Act and Become Better Allies in Supporting the Cause of Missing and Murdered Women, Girls and Two-Spirit Indigenous People.Since colonial times to the atrocities of residential schools, what has happened and is still happening to indigenous people in Canada amounts to genocide. We support and want to reiterate all the calls for justice contained in the final report of the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, including:

Pandemic, Isolation and DiscriminationMontral Pride wishes to draw attention to the consequences of the pandemic on the health of the people of the sexual and gender diversity. The pandemic has had a negative impact on many individuals, particularly with regards to isolation and increased discrimination. For many of us, withdrawal from the supportive environment, often referred to as the "chosen family", has greatly contributed to social isolation and loneliness. The influx of discrimination propagated on social media, which we use more frequently during these times feeds hatred towards our communities on a daily basis. Also, the recent whistleblower movement sheds light on situations where victims in our communities are heavily represented.

"For the Montral Pride Festival 360 Edition, we invite the population to learn more about the political demands put forward this year and to see how they can contribute to them. However, in these difficult and extraordinary times we also wish for everyone in our communities to take care of themselves, to listen to their needs and, above all, not hesitate to refer helping resources when needed. Our festival will be a great message of love and compassion for our peers. Despite adversity, we stand together with Pride!" said ric Pineault, founding president of the festival.

About the Montral Pride FestivalSince 2007, at the initiative of Montral's LGBTQ+ communities, the Montral Pride Festival has been promoting their rights and celebrating their cultural richness and social advances. The largest gathering of the communities of sexual and gender diversity (SGD) in the Francophone world works locally on a daily basis while serving as a beacon of hope for people living in LGBTQ+ hostile regions of the globe. In 2019, the festival generated a total attendance of 3.4 million admissions. In 2020, the festivities will be held from August 10 to 16. More information is available on theweb page, the Facebookpage, as well as Twitterand Instagramaccounts.

SOURCE Montral Pride Celebrations

For further information: For all inquiries: Franois Laberge, Director, Communications, [emailprotected], Cell: 514 779-6134; For interview requests: Nathalie Roy, Consultant, Media Relations, [emailprotected], 514 889-3622

https://fiertemtl.com/

See the original post:

Defending the People of the Sexual and Gender Diversity's Rights, 30 Years After the Police Raid of the Sex Garage Party - Canada NewsWire

Film: Judas and The Black Messiah New Trailer – Dallasweekly

Posted on by

Chairman Fred Hampton was 21 years old when he was assassinated by the FBI, who coerced a petty criminal named William ONeal to help them silence him and the Black Panther Party. But they could not kill Fred Hamptons legacy and, 50 years later, his words still echolouder than ever.

I am a revolutionary!

In 1968, a young, charismatic activist named Fred Hampton became Chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, who were fighting for freedom, the power to determine the destiny of the Black community, and an end to police brutality and the slaughter of Black people.

(Center front-back) LaKEITH STANFIELD as William ONeal and DANIEL KALUUYA as Chairman Fred Hampton in Warner Bros. Pictures JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH, a Warner Bros. Pictures release.Photo Credit: Glen Wilson

Chairman Fred was inspiring a generation to rise up and not back down to oppression, which put him directly in the line of fire of the government, the FBI and the Chicago Police. But to destroy the revolution, they had to do it from both the outsideand the inside. Facing prison, William ONeal is offered a deal by the FBI: if he will infiltrate the Black Panthers and provide intel on Hampton, he will walk free. ONeal takes the deal.

Now a comrade in arms in the Black Panther Party, ONeal lives in fear that his treachery will be discovered even as he rises in the ranks. But as Hamptons fiery message draws him in, ONeal cannot escape the deadly trajectory of his ultimate betrayal.

Though his life was cut short, Fred Hamptons impact has continued to reverberate. The government saw the Black Panthers as a militant threat to the status quo and sold that lie to a frightened public in a time of growing civil unrest. But the perception of the Panthers was not reality. In inner cities across America, they were providing free breakfasts for children, legal services, medical clinics and research into sickle cell anemia, and political education. And it was Chairman Fred in Chicago, who, recognizing the power of multicultural unity for a common cause, created the Rainbow Coalitionjoining forces with other oppressed peoples in the city to fight for equality and political empowerment.

Judas and the Black Messiah stars Oscar nominee Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Widows, Black Panther) as Fred Hampton and LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta, The Girl in the Spiders Web) as William ONeal. The film also stars Jesse Plemons (Vice, Game Night, The Post), Dominique Fishback (The Hate U Give, The Deuce), Ashton Sanders (The Equalizer 2, Moonlight) and Martin Sheen (The Departed, TVs The West Wing, TVs Grace & Frankie).

Judas and the Black Messiah is directed by Shaka King, marking his studio feature film directorial debut. The project originated with King and his writing partner, Will Berson, who co-wrote the screenplay, story by Berson & King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas. King, who has a long relationship with filmmaker Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed, Fruitvale Station), pitched the film to Coogler and Charles D. King (Just Mercy, Fences), who are producing the film. The executive producers are Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Kim Roth, Poppy Hanks, Ravi Mehta, Jeff Skoll, Anikah McLaren, Aaron L. Gilbert, Jason Cloth, Ted Gidlow, and Niija Kuykendall.

The ensemble cast also includes Algee Smith (The Hate U Give, Detroit), Darrell Britt-Gibson (Just Mercy, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Dominique Thorne (If Beale Street Could Talk), Amari Cheatom (Roman J. Israel, Esq., Django Unchained), Caleb Eberhardt (The Post), and Lil Rel Howery (Get Out).

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Sean Bobbitt (12 Years a Slave, Widows), production designer Sam Lisenco (Shades of Blue), editor Kristan Sprague (Random Acts of Flyness) and costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones (Raising Dion)

The film is a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation, in association with MACRO Films, Participant and BRON Creative, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Read the original post:

Film: Judas and The Black Messiah New Trailer - Dallasweekly

Kiwi companies buying ‘stolen goods’ accused contributing to oppression in Africa – Newshub

Posted on by

Mark Wynne says there are two sides to the story.

"It's a territory that's disputed, there's no question about that. But trading inside these disputed territories is under United Nations guidelines. In effect, the New Zealand Government - along most governments in the world - has signed up to that protocol. What we do is we go to that region to make sure that OCP, the supplier, is abiding by that protocol. So I'm very comfortable that ethically we are okay, legally we are certainly OK."

Wynne says he's been hosted OCP three times and has seen first-hand the benefits to Sahawaris.

"So for as many people as you interview on one side, there is an equal number on the other side that can tell you a fantastic story of economic development, career pathing and female enhancement, agricultural development, health programs, education programs."

Mine owner OCP says all profits go back to the region through various programmes and infrastructure development. And it says 75 percent of staff are locals.

Joel Ngaatuere says he connects with what Sahawaris in Western Sahara say they're going through. He says his heart breaks for his "indigenous cousins".

He had this message: "We will do all that we can to allow your story to be heard here in Aotearoa, New Zealand especially knowing that our country is supporting the oppression of your people."

In 2008, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited Sahawaris' refugee camps in Algeria. At the time she was the president of the International Union of Socialist Youth. Ardern declined our request for an interview.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it does not encourage or discourage trade with Western Sahara, but says businesses must comply with international law.

The department has told Ballance and Ravensdown to look elsewhere for phosphate - and they say they are, including in Australia, Canada, Togo, Algeria, Syria and South Africa. But there's no action and no timeframe.

"I would say enough is enough. You have done this for a long period of time, you've got away with it so far. You cannot keep doing it," Fadel said.

When asked why other countries had withdrawn from importing phosphate from Western Sahara and New Zealand hadn't, Ballance said New Zealand farmers' needs are different from the rest of the world.

"Most of the countries that have pulled out from Western Sahara are not making superphosphate. New Zealand soils need super phosphate, which is a combination of both phosphate and sulphur. Most countries in the world are not pasture based or grass based systems," Wynne said.

"We need to ask ourselves this question, as a country who do we want to be? Do we want to just bury our head in the sand?" Ngaatuere said.

And he says that's what the government is doing too when it comes to air quality at Whareroa.

Ngaatuere wrote to Ardern in August last year - a letter that went unanswered.

"I can't help but be disillusioned and see the hollowness in talk when you have a marae and you have Mori writing a formal letter to the Prime Minister asking for help and clearly identifying the issues. And almost a year on we yet to hear a response from her."

The Hui

See the article here:

Kiwi companies buying 'stolen goods' accused contributing to oppression in Africa - Newshub

Austin protesters clash with police in the wake of Garrett Foster’s death – KPRC Click2Houston

Posted on by

Armed protesters guard the memorial of Garrett Foster, who was shot and killed during a protest against police brutality in Austin on July 25, 2020. Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

Throughout the summer, cities in Texas and around the country have seen protests and demonstrations against police brutality. On Friday, protesters and law enforcement clashed in Austin, a week after protester Garrett Foster, who was openly carrying an AK-47 rifle which is legal in Texas was shot and killed by Daniel Perry, a U.S. Army sergeant, when he approached his car. Perry drove away, then called the police. Perry was released without being charged. Since then, questions have been raised about who was the aggressor.

Fosters death fueled tensions last night in the downtown streets of the state capital as demonstrators again gathered and local and state police turned out in massive force. Tribune photographer Jordan Vonderhaar was there to document the protest. Heres what he saw.

State police in riot gear form a line along Congress Avenue and advance toward protesters to remove them from the street. Jordan Vonderhaar

Armed protest sympathizers ride in the back of a pickup truck from a rally on the University of Texas campus to a memorial for Garrett Foster in downtown Austin, minutes after hearing of clashes between protesters and police. Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

A man with a sniper rifle slung over his shoulder stands among protesters who have gathered at the Garrett Foster memorial in downtown Austin on Aug. 1, 2020. Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

First: Armed protesters ride in the back of a pickup truck from a rally at the University of Texas to a memorial for Garrett Foster in downtown Austin, minutes after hearing of clashes between other protesters and police. Last: A man with a sniper rifle slung over his shoulder stands among protesters who have gathered at the Garrett Foster memorial in downtown Austin.

Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune

A protester confronts police in riot gear. Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

Mounted officers from the Austin Police Department clash with protesters on the corner of Fourth St. and Congress Ave. in downtown Austin on Aug. 1, 2020. Jordan Vonderhaar

Mounted officers from APD ride towards protesters on the corner of Fourth St. and S. Congress Ave in downtown Austin on Aug. 1, 2020. Jordan Vonderhaar

First: Mounted officers from the Austin Police Department clash with protesters on the corner of Fourth Street and Congress Avenue in downtown Austin. Last: Police officers on horses and bicycles advance toward protesters.

Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune

Heavily armed state police in downtown Austin on Aug. 1, 2020. Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

State police in riot gear block protesters from gathering in the street in downtown Austin on Aug. 1, 2020. Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

State police were present large numbers.

Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

A protester armed with a baseball bat kneels in the street with fist upraised as protesters clashed with police in downtown Austin on Aug. 1, 2020. Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

Members of the far-right Proud Boys militia stand on Congress Avenue across from the Garrett Foster memorial in downtown Austin. Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

A woman in zip-tie handcuffs waits to be loaded onto a bus after being arrested during protests against police brutality in downtown Austin on Aug. 1, 2020. Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

Police load arrested protesters into a Travis County Sheriffs Department bus. Several protestors were arrested after clashes with police in riot gear in downtown Austin on August 1, 2020. Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

First: A woman with her hands zip-tied waits to be loaded onto a bus after being arrested during protests against police brutality in downtown Austin. Last: Police load arrested protesters into a Travis County Sheriff Department bus.

Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

A police officer sprays a protester with pepper spray as demonstrators clash with police in downtown Austin Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

A heavy police presence marked Saturday's protest in downtown Austin. Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune

Go here to read the rest:

Austin protesters clash with police in the wake of Garrett Foster's death - KPRC Click2Houston

Police release new information in 11th and Pike shooting outside CHOP – CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News

Posted on by

SPD is asking for help identifying these persons of interest in a June 20th shooting at 11th and Pike (Image: SPD)

Seattle Police says its investigation has thrown a shooting victims story into question and that detectives are asking for the publics help in identifying several persons of interest in the incident that took place on the edge of the CHOP protest zone in June

The new information is related to the second shooting on June 20th, the night 19-year-old Lorenzo Anderson was gunned down at 10th and Pine.

Another victim from that deadly night was reportedly found shot at 11th and Pike. SPD reported the incidents as a single shooting and media outlets included that information in their reporting. KIROlater broadcast new details from the second victim in his account of a previously unreported second shooting perpetrated by group of men a block from the first shooting just off E Pike. Im not sure if they were Proud Boys or KKK, the 33-year-old victim told KIRO.

Police say video evidence shows the victim was with a group of people just before he was shot. But SPD says that Homicide and Bias Crimes Detectives found some of his statements did not align with details they gathered from evidence found at the scene.

Tuesday, SPD posted video and images of the group and says they may be associated with a grey or silver Jeep Wrangler. Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to contact the Seattle Police Department Violent Crimes tip line at (206) 233-5000.

There have been no further updates and no arrests announced in the Anderson homicide case. Anderson was remembered as a student at Renton High with hopes of a hip hop career. There have also been no arrests or updates in the June 29th deadly shooting that killed 16-year-old Antonio Mays, Jr. and sent a second teen to the hospital in reported critical condition.

BECOME A 'PAY WHAT YOU CAN' CHS SUBSCRIBER TODAY: Support local journalism dedicated to your neighborhood. SUBSCRIBE HERE. Jointo become a subscriber at$1/$5/$10 a monthto help CHS provide community news withNO PAYWALL. You can also sign up fora one-time annual payment.

Read this article:

Police release new information in 11th and Pike shooting outside CHOP - CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News