You know that "research" going around saying humans are going to evolve to have hunchbacks and claws because of the way we use our smartphones? Though our posture could certainly use some work, you'll be glad to know that it's just lazy spam intended to juice search engine results.

Let's back up. Today the Daily Mail published a viral story about "how humans may look in the year 3000." Among its predictions: hunched backs, clawed hands, a second eyelid, a thicker skull and a smaller brain.

Sure, that's fascinating! The only problem? The Mail's only source is a post published a year ago by the renowned scientists at... uh... TollFreeForwarding.com, a site that sells, as its name suggests, virtual phone numbers.

If the idea that phone salespeople are purporting to be making predictions about human evolution didn't tip you off, this "research" doesn't seem very scientific at all. Instead, it more closely resembles what it actually is — a blog post written by some poor grunt, intended to get backlinks from sites like the Mail that'll juice TollFreeForwarding's position in search engine results.

To get those delicious backlinks, the top minds at TollFreeForwarding leveraged renders of a "future human" by a 3D model artist. The result of these efforts is "Mindy," a creepy-looking hunchback in black skinny jeans (which is how you can tell she's from a different era).

Grotesque model reveals what humans could look like in the year 3000 due to our reliance on technology

Full story: https://t.co/vQzyMZPNBv pic.twitter.com/vqBuYOBrcg

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) November 3, 2022

"To fully realize the impact everyday tech has on us, we sourced scientific research and expert opinion on the subject," the TollFreeForwarding post reads, "before working with a 3D designer to create a future human whose body has physically changed due to consistent use of smartphones, laptops, and other tech."

Its sources, though, are dubious. Its authority on spinal development, for instance, is a "health and wellness expert" at a site that sells massage lotion. His highest academic achievement? A business degree.

We could go on and on about TollFreeForwarding's dismal sourcing — some of which looks suspiciously like even more SEO spam for entirely different clients — but you get the idea.

It's probably not surprising that the this gambit for clicks took off among dingbats on Twitter. What is somewhat disappointing is that it ended up on StudyFinds, a generally reliable blog about academic research. This time, though, for inscrutable reasons it treated this egregious SEO spam as a legitimate scientific study.

The site's readers, though, were quick to call it out, leading to a comically enormous editor's note appended to the story.

"Our content is intended to stir debate and conversation, and we always encourage our readers to discuss why or why not they agree with the findings," it reads in part. "If you heavily disagree with a report — please debunk to your delight in the comments below."

You heard them! Get debunking, people.

More conspiracy theories: If You Think Joe Rogan Is Credible, This Bizarre Clip of Him Yelling at a Scientist Will Probably Change Your Mind

The post That "Research" About How Smartphones Are Causing Deformed Human Bodies Is SEO Spam, You Idiots appeared first on Futurism.

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That "Research" About How Smartphones Are Causing Deformed Human Bodies Is SEO Spam, You Idiots

Andrew S. and Courtney R. Carter to Debra Chamberlain. Lot 18, Oakview Estates, $259,900

Brian R. and Cristy A. Ginter and Huston D. Clements to Gustavo and Autumn Pinto. 141 Glenway Road, $150,000

Patrick A.W. Cloud to Plaza Realty Management Inc. Lot 56, Poplar Grove Golf Community, $105,000

Lula H. Perry and Dora H. Tucker to Cedric L. Coleman. Parcel, 4 acres, one-half mile from the Forks of Buffalo, $40,000

Townley IV Farm LLC to Kenneth E. Wavell Jr. Lot 32, section 10, Amherst Plantation, $40,720

Arnold Morris and Dave Arnold Morris to William D. and Catherine L. Darnell. 853 Dixie Airport Road, $140,000

Mary R. Carwile to Martin Donovan. 3916 South Amherst Highway, $150,000

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Edward M. Ferguson Sr. to Patrick Gaither Atkinson. Lots 1 and 2, section A, Hickory Grove Acres, $197,400

Joseph B. and Lora E. Cartrett to Ray O. Privett and Christin O. Gould. Parcel, fronting Stonewall Road, 2.50 acres, $280,000

Sallie C. Moore to Kristen Casalenuovo. Lot 9, Almost Heaven Estates, $98,000

Catlett Land Company LLC to Donald D. and Myra M. Simpson. Lot 3, 22.605 acres, Clover Hill District, $75,000

Thomas H. Chamber IV to Davis M. and Jill A. Wilson. 5972 Promise Lane Road and two additional parcels, $595,000

Happy Ours LLC to John A. Garner. Villas 2, phase III, The Bridgewater Bay Condominium, Lakes District, $650,000

Russell C. Nevin and Tracey M. Nevin to Justin Allen Neal and Cheryl Bertino Neal. Unit 322, phase 3, The Pointe at Mariners Landing, Lakes District, $385,000

Mark Eugene Harlow and Cindy Louise Guertler to JGTX2 LLC. 1262 Wildflower Lane, Lakes District, $360,000

Wanda S. Gibson to Derrick Matthews. Lot 1, Year Round Shores, Lakes District, $265,000

Richard D. West and Martha Marie Fulk to Krysten E. Rey. No. 87, section 1, block C, Lakewood Subdivision, Lakes District, $195,800

Steven Maurice McIntyre and Gayle Marie Cremeens to Jodi L. Swan. 4960 Old Country Road, Lakes District, $190,000

Scott A. and Ida Jo Heath to James Edward Neely. 5880 White House Road and additional parcel, Lakes District, $120,000

Sterling L. Carter to Kathleen M. Riddleberger1101 Chinquapin Hill Road, Blue Ridge District, $60,000

Ty Investments LLC to Collins Window & Door LLC. Lots 19-21, Mariners Run, Lakes District, $45,000

Harold J. Olson and Mary T. Kissane to Jane and Donald J. Fowler Jr. Lot 49, block IV, Beechwood Shores, Lakes District, $18,500

Mark S. and Sandra J. Fitchett to Ronald L. and Teresa K. Mabry. Lot 43, Oakcrest Hills Subdivision, Blue Ridge District, $15,000

Ty Investments LLC to Leigh Gordon. Lot 18, Mariners Run, March 22, Lakes District, $15,000

Spencer T. Bobbitt and Stephen T. Bobbitt to Spencer T. Bobbitt. 2575 Big Island Highway and additional parcel, $150,000

Michael and Logan Hardy to Daryl Gaylor. 2887 Old Cifax Road, $245,000

Kathy Farrar to Darren S. and Jeannine M. Parnham. Lots 2 and 3, Elkton Farm Road, $90,000

Christopher Brian and Sheryl Ann Mawn to Marsh Architects & Builders LLC. Lot 1, Boone Hill, $35,000

James A. and Mary E. McCann to Charles McClendon and Yumei Li. 718 Lake Vista Dr., $390,000

Carolyn Sue Sheffield to Stefan Richard and Sharon Lee Barr. Lot 7, section 2, Brooknoll Estates, $351,000

Curtis S. and Faba H. Watts to Larry Wayne Staton and Dorylas Gwendolyn Corolla. Lot 4, Equestrian Subdivision, $300,000

Scott C. and Barbara J.M. Cole to Scott L. and Karen A. Nickel. 2220 Colby Dr., $635,000

Haley C. and Brian K. Vaughan Jr. to Brandon D. Jackson. Lot 69, section 1, Jefferson Woods, $240,000

Foster Construction Inc. to Renata Mistretta. 1212 Stoney Ridge Blvd., $436,000

Valeria Ellen Jefferson to Peaksview Construction LLC. Lot 4, Thomas Jefferson Road, $50,000

Michael R. and Cheryl C. Reynolds and James A. Conner JR. to Donald W. and Carolyn T. Banker. 13660 and 13662 Forest Road and additional parcel, Forest Road, $1,975,000

Troy R. Stanley to Jacquelyn L. Cofer. Unit 3123, building 1, phase 1, Spinnaker Point Condominium, $154,650

Sundance Design & Build LLC to Krishnaram and Kunti Naraine. Lot 12, section 9, Farmington at Forest, $419,900

Foster Construction Inc. to Jackie J. and William J. Brunn. Lot 15, section 20A, Farmington at Forest, $436,000

Thomas W. and Clara M. Scott to Zachary Thomas Scott. Lot 4-A, section 1, Mill Acres, $300,000

West Crossing LLC to Haden & Riley Inc. Lot 14, section 9, Farmington at Forest, $51,000

Renata A. Mistretta to Lauren and Jason Wade. Lot 9, section 2, Ivy Hill Subdivision, $423,110

Foster Construction Inc. to Gene E. and Mary C. Wills. Lot 23, section 20A, Farmington at Forest, $409,900

CRM Construction Inc. to Stacey L. and Frank D. McFarland Jr. Lot 19, Jefferson Meadows Subdivision, $559,900

Karl B. Friedman to David Loy. Lot 4, section 1, Landfall, $725,000

John Parker and Lindsay Marie McKoy to Jeremy M. and Kasharah C. Garrett. Lot 15, section 7, Farmington at Forest, $635,000

Scott Larmer, Lisa B. Larmer and Debra Loughnot to Justin and Laura Jackson. Parcel, 10.300 acres, Old Mill Lot, $476,000

Lindsay B. Webb to Joseph Tyler Brigman.898 Burks Hill Road and additional parcel, $200,000

Lauren Wade to Geneva Lynn Hudgins. Lot 27, Folkstone, $334,900

Samer H. Mahmoud to Stephen A. and Valerie A. Babers. Lot 13, section 3, Walkers Crossing, $452,222

CRV Construction LLC to James Brunot and Cynthia Bruchman. Lot 31, section 3, Smithfield, $269,900

John E. Wheeler to Rita Marie Siegel and Kenneth A. Crump. Lot 3, Splendora Estates, $35,000

M.W. Dunbar Construction Inc. to Jeannie M. and Anthony Shawn Crossland. 1031 Presidents Lane, $250,000

Daryl M. Gaylor and Loren G. Shimpock to Michael J. and Logan Hardy. 1015 Old Cifax Road and adjoining parcel, $452,000

Heath A. Rodriguez to Garrett Kiedrowski. Lot 25, Governors Hill, $299,000

Edward J. Friar Builder Inc. to Mary Ruth V. Davis. Lot 31, section 20A, Farmington at Forest, $55,000

Peter M. and Gwendolyn Ruth Klevitch to Shane D. MacGregor. Tract 10D, Lazenbury Road, $47,000

Charles S.L. and Laura J. Poston to Thomas W. and Jessica T. Neal. 1579 Founding Way Road, $720,000

Augusta Clark Construction LLC to Justin John and Bailey Makenna Skowronski. Lot 3, section F, Ridgeway, $269,900

Alice F. Barkdoll to Tony Edward and Frances Lee Parker. Revised lot I-1, Lakewalk Villas, $215,000

Jean M. Tweedy, Sally Ann M. Beard, Ronnie Allen Metcalf and Kristie Lee M. Nichols to David Adan and Jacqueline McKelvey. 982 Bear Creek Road, $150,000

Blue Ridge Commons LLC to Wilfredo and Maureen T. Bobe. Lot 26, section 1, Blue Ridge Commons, $220,000

Blue Ridge Commons LLC to Michael K. Donellan. 97 Emanuel Court, $220,000

Oak Grove Farms LLC to BRBL Land LLC. 1359 Crows Road, $525,000

Mitchell Thomas Mason to BRBL Land LLC. Parcel, Va. 727, 12.572 acres, $59,900

David S. and Stephanie K. Pritchard to Jason Neil and Hanna Jane Byrd. Lot 8A, section III, Green Meadows, $560,000

D&D Landholdings LLC to Justo Ramirez Chavez and Alicia Loredo Castillo. Lot 9, section II, Ruckers Ridge, $270,000

Lawrence D. White Jr. to Sheryl G. Shuker and Marco Cipriani. 107 Falling Hill Road, $234,900

Brenda F. Knudson, Elizabeth W. Piasecki and Debra L. Walters to Elizabeth W. Piasecki and Michelle P. Sandifer. 1792 Marysville Road, $216,000

Joseph Tannian to Olivia Christine Ashby. Lot 16, block 34, Westover Heights, $141,500

Barrington Properties LLC to Mohammad Jarvandi. 307 Langhorne Lane, $179,900

Barrington Properties LLC to Donovin R. Mays. 26 Yeardly Ave., $189,900

Drew Harlan Buckley to Sarah Anne Echols. Lot 6, 1126 Rhode Island Ave., $20,000

Jennifer C. Candler to Ella and Edwin Gleason III. Lots 27 and 28, Sunset Heights, $245,000

Claudia Ann Floyd to Donna Ruthie Captain. 106 Villas Way Dr., $285,200

Caspian Inc. to David Casper. 1724 Monsview Place, $71,500

Zachary A. Cheatham to Chad Alton and Marianne Flippo. 234 Chesterfield Place, $345,000

Melissa Lynn Coates to Thomas C. and Melaney C. Davis. Lot 15, block B, section 2, Tate Spring Farm, $165,000

Connected Living LLC to Kate Hanlin. Lots 33-36, block 1, Mountain View Acres, $275,000

David L, and Catherine H. Cook to Teleios LLC. Lot 4, Igloe Ridge Subdivision, $269,500

Matthew M. Toper to Cookie Jar LLC. 1148 Lindsey St., $115,000

Arthur Bernhard Copsey and Donna Anne Copsey to Vinh Thinh Huynh. Unit No. 4D, Riverview Artspace Condominium, $165,000

DBI Capital Group LLC to NVR Inc. Lots 4A, 4B, 9A and 9B, section 1, The Townes At Locust Thicket, $155,000

White Mountain Investments LLC to Ryan K. Wallace. 2020 Pansy St., $130,000

Jeremiah A. Musick and Taylor Sue Dunn to Brennan and Gabriella B. Smith. 308 Yeardley Ave., $204,000

Elmwood Holdings LLC to Charles R. Grant. Lot 16, phase 1, Blackwater Run, $75,000

Cedric O. Hamlette and George L. Williams Jr. to FMB Properties LLC. Lot 4, Orchard St., $53,000

Joel and Natalya C. Fernando to Mofied Helmy Makram Yousef Gerges and Ramy Mofied Helmy Yousef. 300 Bell St., $212,000

Foundry Real Estate LLC to Paclantic LLC. 1610 Bedford Ave., $70,000

Donovin R. Mays to Brian J. and Sheena C. Frost. 713 McCausland St., $125,000

GDG Lynchburg Apartments LLC to Hire I Lynchburg Self Storage LLC. 306 Border St., $1,400,000

Linda M. Mason, Mike S. Mann Sr. and Jeffrey Scott Tyree to Gingerbread Manor Inc. 330 Winston Ridge Road, $55,000

Thomas A. Phillips to Inmer Javier Granillo Hernandez and Alba Inmelda Vides De Granillo. Lots 45-47, block 11, Edgewood, $190,000

Ramiro Guacheta to Willacy E. and Dianne Knowles. Lot 4, block V, Forest Townhouses, $145,000

Larry P. Haag and Evelyn S. Haag to Norman D. and Dorcas K. Yoder. Unit No. 300, Ivy Creek Townhomes, $185,000

Honeycomb Homes LLP to Noah and Tatum Waldo. 1833 Clayton Ave., $320,000

Nathan A. Sheppard to JACCS Inc. 615 Hood St., $90,000

Franklin and Doreen A. Smith to Luis A. Jiron Rivera. Parcel, Taylor St., $18,000

Sveinn C. Storm to Dirk LaVonetta Johnson. Lot 26, section 4, Richland Hills, $230,000

Read more from the original source:

Your right to know: Latest property transfers and building permits - Lynchburg News and Advance

Hermosa, poetry, Yesika Salgado

Black Wings, Sehba Sarwar

Blood Sugar Canto, poetry, irene lara silva

Teresa of Avila: Ecstasy and Common Sense, by Tessa Bielecki

VirginX, poetry, Natalia Trevio

The Architecture of Language, poetry, Quincy Troupe

Codex of Love: Bendita Ternura, poetry, Liliana Valenzuela (Im rereading this)

Their Dogs Came With Them, novel, Helena Mara Viramontes (Rereading this too)

Whats the last great book you read?

The one Im reading now; Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, a history of how the United States evolved to where we are as a nation besieged by gun violence. This is not the kind of book Id usually read, but I loved her earlier book, An Indigenous Peoples History of the United States; reading it was like going back to school and gaining a new perspective of the Americas, one that retrieved the lost history of my ancestors. Im on a mission to make up for the huge gaps in my miseducation as a woman of color.

Are there any classic novels that you only recently read for the first time?

The Nine Guardians, by Rosario Castellanos, a beautiful novel about a village on the Mexico-Guatemala border during the turbulent power shifts of the 1930s. Castellanos is one of the most brilliant writers of the last century, but when the Latin American boom in literature resounded in the United States, it was only the male voices that were heard. At this point in my life, I want to read the classics from the Americas, from Mexico, from women, from the working class, from the Indigenous communities, from everyone who hasnt been allowed to the podium before.

Describe your ideal reading experience (when, where, what, how).

I prefer reading lying down propped by a sea of pillows, like a famous grand horizontale, in bed or on the terrace, on a chaise or in a hammock, or simply on the couch; preferably on a day when no one rings the doorbell, which is almost impossible, because in Mexico, everyone rings the bell. The flower seller, the doughnut man, the water man, the sweet potato man, the knife sharpener, the woman asking to sweep your driveway, the man who was laid off his job and is looking for work as a gardener, the nice couple from the countryside with fresh tortillas and prickly pear paddles, the man who sells wool snakes to keep out the doorway drafts. I am lucky to be able to work from home and not have to ring doorbells, so I have no right to complain.

Whats your favorite book no one else has heard of?

My favorites are Gwendolyn Brookss Maud Martha and Merc Rodoredas The Time of the Doves, both books that deal with war, though the former only at the finale. Come to think of it, many of my favorite books are about women surviving or waging war Elena Poniatowskas Heres to You, Jesusa!, a melding of fiction and nonfiction about a Mexican woman warrior; Cartucho and My Mothers Hands, both memoiristic accounts by Nellie Campobello that witness war from a childs point of view; Recollections of Things to Come, a novel by Elena Garro, which documents Mexicos Cristero War of the 1920s; Tempest Over Mexico, a memoir by Rosa King, a foreigner who witnessed the key players of the Mexican Revolution; and A Woman in Berlin, a brutal memoir of the sacking of Berlin by a writer too afraid to publish under any other name but Anonymous. Except for Maud Martha and Tempest Over Mexico, they were all written in a foreign language, with some translations faring better than others. These are not your typical war stories.

Excerpt from:

Sandra Cisneros Loves to Read About Women Waging Battle - The New York Times

A new "one-stop shop" to protect workers from modern slavery and low pay has been proposed by the government.

The organisation will combine efforts to tackle modern slavery, safeguard the minimum wage and protect agency workers, replacing three organisations in the process. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said this would "help improve enforcement through better coordination and pooling intelligence". Workers will also find it easier to blow the whistle on bad behaviour thanks to the one-stop shop nature of the new body, it said.

A spokesperson for the department said it was not yet clear when the new organisation would start operating. "The new enforcement body will be established through primary legislation when parliamentary time allows," they said. The new body is yet to be named.

Once operational, the organisation will carry out more enforcement to ensure that "unscrupulous" operators cannot undercut rivals who pay workers fairly. BEIS also said it will make it easier for workers to claim statutory sick pay and holiday pay owed.

The new watchdog will incorporate the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and HMRCs national minimum wage enforcement.

Business minister Paul Scully said: "The vast majority of businesses want to do right by their staff, but there are a minority who seem to think the law doesnt apply to them. Exploitative practices like modern slavery have no place in society."

He added: This new workers watchdog will help us crack down on any abuses of workers rights and take action against companies that turn a blind eye to abuses in their supply chains, while providing a one-stop shop for employees and businesses wanting to understand their rights and obligations."

The government said the new organisation would continue to operate its naming and shaming scheme, which can fine companies that do not pay their workers what they are owed up to 20,000 per worker.

The construction sector had the highest level of reports of modern slavery during the pandemic in 2020. Construction News has previously exposed incidents of modern slavery on major construction projects.

Its never been more important to ensure you have the tools to identify and address the modern slavery risk to your business.

Unseens online business portal is a subscription service that provides confidential information to companies about suspected modern slavery cases, trends and risks. The secure platform lets businesses safely access real-time reports made through the helpline relevant to their business or supply chain.

Companies that are interested in joining should contact:business@unseenuk.org

Follow this link:

New watchdog to crack down on modern slavery and low pay - Construction News

The weird investments are flying again. Earlier this year it was Gamestop stock, rising to the moon for no reason except that many people on internet message boards decided to push it there. Now its the stock of AMC, which has risen 3,000% this year for the same reason. This same collective mania causes millions of normal people to pour money into cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which have no underlying value other than the collective mania itself. The driver of this mass national frenzy is not any sort of business strategy, or even simple pandemic-induced boredom. Its just the latest manifestation of the sickening desperation of people to break free from wage slavery. It is the modern lottery ticket. And, like all such dreams that are rooted in luck rather than in politics, it will ultimately amount tonothing.

Financial manias are nothing new. They have been around since the Dutch were going wild over tulip bulbs in the 1600s, and probably much longer than that. It is abasic truth that if you can get alarge number of people to buy anon-infinite good at the same time, the price of that good will go up, until people stop buying it. That means that profits can be made for as long as the collective will to keep buying can be sustained. But at some point, inevitably, the pool of buyers dries up, and the people with lucky timing take their profits, and amuch larger number of people with less lucky timing get left holding assets whose price plummets back down towards zero. It does not matter whether the asset in question is tulip bulbs or tech stocks or Bitcoins. This is how it happens. Being seduced over and over again by such aclearly established pattern for failure is just part of humannature.

An unfortunate aspect of all these bubbles is that savvy, well-informed insiders tend to be the ones who end up with profits at the end, while regular people who were attracted only by the promise of quick riches get left with the losses. The key to making money in such situations is being able to judge when to sell, before everything starts going downhill. That is much easier to do with specialized training or insider information, two things that accrue to the elites rather than to the masses. This is somewhat ironic, because what attracts people to these bubbles is the promise that here, at last, is away for the little guy to strike it richa way for all of us who were not born rich or well-connected to grab aslice of the good life that is usually only bestowed on the wildly undeserving upperclass.

But its amirage. There are always some lucky winners in bubbles (today, they are the people advertising their eye-popping investment gains on Reddit, or the instantly rich Bitcoin investors flaunting their new wealth on Twitter), but the main function of this relatively small number of winners is to attract amuch larger number of investors into the mania who will eventually be losers. There is alaw of gravity in the economic world. Just like rockets fired in the air will later fall to earth, so too will investments priced much higher than their actual value crash down again, sooner or later. And all of the regular folks, who noticed the bubble just in time to bet their scraped-together savings on it as apath out of working drudgery, will be the ones crashing withit.

This is not really an economic problem. It is apolitical one. The problem is that people dont see it as political. American capitalism causes enormous inequality and produces ashiny, rich top tier of winners that will always be viewed with envy by ahuge lower tier of people struggling just to keep their heads above water. All financial manias are really society-wide get-rich-quick schemes. In American capitalism, get-rich-quick schemes only work for the already rich. Otherwise, they would not be allowed to exist. Neither Reddit memes nor infinite varieties of crypto will changethat.

All of these schemes are propelled by not only ignorance and greed, which are natural elements of human nature, but by the equally natural sense of desperation that builds up in people who are trapped in an economic system that offers them no legitimate way to reach the good life. America is particularly cruel: It valorizes the rich, taunts everyone with their luxurious lifestyles, and pretends that anyone can have what they have, while instead offering asystem designed to filter economic gains upwards to the rich while leaving everyone else treading water. It is only normal for people to grasp at any path offered to easy riches, no matter how much of an illusion it is. It is not any more of an illusion than the idea that aregular working person in 2021 can achieve the American dream without taking anyshortcuts.

Political action is the only real path out of this, and its apath that is rocky and long and offers uncertain rewards. Nobody wants that. America is built to make us not want that. America is built to make us want the reward in our bank account, here and now. Idont have any illusions about convincing millions of people not to throw their savings into inflating (or deflating) bubbles in hopes of striking it rich. But Iwould like for people to understand exactly what is happening here. The things are not worth what the price says. What goes up will not keep going up forever. You are, statistically, probably not the lucky one who will come out on top. This time isnt different. Socialism might not be as fun as gambling, its true. On the other hand, in socialism, everybody gets something. You can never reallylose.

Original post:

Every New Financial Bubble Is a Cry of Desperation - In These Times

A new workers watchdog which will enforce rules on modern slavery and minimum wages has been proposed by the government.

There are also plans to bring in greater protection for agency workers and a new adjudicator to investigate company supply chains.

If brands are found to flout these rules, they could face having their goods banned from sale under the new watchdog.

At the moment, there are three different bodies that deal with these types of issues - the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and HMRCs National Minimum Wage Enforcement.

But the plans for a new watchdog will effectively combine all these authorities under one umbrella.

The government says the new watchdog will enhance workers rights by providing a single port of call for employees to blow the whistle on bad behaviour.

It will also have the ability to ensure vulnerable workers get the holiday pay and statutory sick pay they are entitled to.

Extra curbs aimed at targeting the clothing sector - including banning sales of brands who are found to allow bad behaviour - are being explored as well.

The government says this could work by either creating a Garment Trade Adjudicator, or by extending an agricultural licensing scheme.

Under that scheme, businesses who provide agricultural workers must have a license, and can be inspected to make sure they are meeting employment standards.

It comes after online retail giant Boohoo was last year alleged to have paid staff as little as 3.50 an hour in some UK factories.

This led to Boohoo launching an internal review and cutting its supplier network from an estimated 500 firms to under 100.

Following the claims, the retailer said it would "immediately disclose" any suggestions of modern day slavery "to the relevant authorities".

The plans for the new watchdog were confirmed in a consultation response today and come as part of wider efforts to protect workers rights.

Paul Scully, Business Minister, said: This government has been absolutely clear that we will do whatever we can to protect and enhance workers rights.

The vast majority of businesses want to do right by their staff, but there are a minority who seem to think the law doesnt apply to them. Exploitative practices like modern slavery have no place in society.

This new workers watchdog will help us crack down on any abuses of workers rights and take action against companies that turn a blind eye to abuses in their supply chains.

See the original post here:

Factories that abuse and underpay staff could be banned from sales under new watchdog - The Mirror

Around that time, the rates of college graduation began to decrease and overall high school graduation numbers leveled off. For Goldin and Katz, expanding access to higher education could actually help reduce inequality.

You could wipe out a large fraction of inequality by ramping up the education of individuals who are limited in their ability to access and finish a college education, said Goldin.

The problem of wealth inequality is more extreme than income inequality since the former builds on the latter, said Katz, and their effects persists across generations. The legacies of the Jim Crow era and racism against Blacks are expressed today in residential segregation, housing discrimination, and discrimination in the labor market.

For Katz, who has been studying housing discrimination and its effects on upward mobility, public policies can be implemented to reduce residential segregation. A study Katz co-authored with Chetty and Nathaniel Hendren, professor of economics, found that when low-income families move to lower-poverty neighborhoods, with help of housing vouchers and assistance, it is likely to reduce the persistence of poverty across generations. Chetty and Hendren, along with John Friedman of Brown University, were the co-founding directors of the Equality of Opportunity Project, now expanded and called Opportunity Insights, based at Harvard.

Growing inequality is spoiling the chances to have a better life than the previous generation. Recent numbers show that the top 1 percent has seen their wages grow by 157 percent over the last four decades, while the wages of the bottom 90 percent grew by only 24 percent.

The American dream has sort of shifted from one in which the economic growth of the nation was shared more across the income distribution, said Goldin. Now its essentially a lottery. It is as if we all go on, buy a ticket to the lotto game, and a couple of people from the millions are going to win it. And the rest of the people are not going to share in that.

To keep the American dream alive and return to the era of shared prosperity, the government must act, said Katz. Both Goldin and Katz believe that an expansion of investment in higher education infrastructure and access to a high-quality college education would have a powerful impact in the lives of many Americans. It could be similar to the effects of the high school movement, which lifted millions of American families out of poverty during the first half of the 20th century.

In the early 20th century, we allowed everyone access to high school, said Katz. We have never done that for college, even though college is as essential today as high school was 100 years ago.

The economic returns of a college degree are important, but the social returns are also valuable, said Anthony Jack, assistant professor of education at the Graduate School of Education.

Workers who are more educated tend to be in jobs that are more recession- and pandemic- proof, said Jack, who also holds the Shutzer Assistant Professorships at the Radcliffe Institute. They also tend to live longer, have better health outcomes, and be more civically engaged. Education means more than just extra dollars in the bank. Its also the constellation of things that come along with it.

But the road to college has become increasingly harder, especially for low-income people, even though access to college for disadvantaged students has increased over the past two decades. A report by the Pew Research Center found that the number of enrolled undergraduates from lower-income backgrounds grew from 12 percent in 1996 to 20 percent in 2016. Most of that growth has taken place in public two-year colleges and less-selective institutions.

See original here:

Racial wealth gap may be a key to other inequities - Harvard Gazette

Although Dr. Heavenly Kimes' advice to work for free was slammed by many, she went on to defend her point of view.

"Employers take advantage of people who are good workers and accept lesser pay ... They [are] not getting what they deserve," one person replied to herTwitter tip, to which she responded, "Not true., if you bring money to the business. By being a top producer and/or. You have skills most do not. With a great attitude...The employer will pay more to keep you!"

She didn't stop there and continued to make some pretty big assumptions about her critics."Heavenly out here promoting slavery in 2021. You out here giving your best for free. Spending money you don't have to get to a job that doesn't pay..." anotherwrote to Dr. Heavenly."Nope, I'm trying to help you get a job!! Chances are [you're] not doing anything anyway ... probably collecting unemployment ... Why not prove yourself for the job you want! THINK. !!! However, closed-minded people will never get ahead," she slammed in response.

Someone else even called her advice "exploitation," prompting her towrite,"Stay jobless, you just don't get it. But a successful person knows it doesn't happen overnight you have to go get it!" Plus, when another fan called her remarks, "bulls**t," she was quick to pass judgment, stating, "I can already tell you are unemployed!"Despite the backlash, it looks like Dr. Heavenly's sticking to her word.

Read the original:

Dr. Heavenly's Job Advice Has Fans In A Fury. Here's Why. - Nicki Swift

In an effort to recognize and reclaim, European nations are reconsidering the historical events of the exploitation of affected, enslaved, or annihilated people. One is that Germany has recently apologized for its role in the genocide that took place in Namibia 100 years ago.

The German government paid more than 1 billion euros in compensation to the African country, in the form of funding for projects under development. Despite the gesture, the head of the Namibian Genocide Victims Association says the offer was not enough.

France followed a similar path with Rwandas former colony. During a visit to Africa, French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the role of the European nation in the 1990s massacre.

In the UK, the Bank of England apologized for former members who profited from slavery. The company developed a policy to end wage differences linked to the race and gender of employees.

Reader. Infuriatingly humble travel enthusiast. Extreme food scholar. Writer. Communicator.

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Germany, France and the UK apologize for the colonial past - Mediarun Search

Hunter Bidens text message revealed that he used n words multiple times in a conversation with a white lawyer with an hourly wage of $ 845.

The shocking text is for his father, President Joe Biden, who just gave a speech condemning racism for the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre last week and has tried to portray racial justice as a top priority for his administration. It can be embarrassing.

In a text addressed to corporate lawyer George Messiah in January 2019, the presidents son joked about a big penis and told the lawyer, I love you because you are black. Dat n *** a .

In another document a month ago, he wrote to a Chicago lawyer: Because you shouldnt charge me a Hennessy fee.

Mesiles replied:

The hunter added: This is what Im saying I cut off the racist slander and sent a text message to Messiah.

A text message recovered from Hunter Bidens abandoned laptop shows that the presidents son (pictured last month) used n words multiple times in a casual conversation with white lawyer George Messiah. Is

In a December 2018 text message exchange obtained by the DailyMail.com show, the hunter asked Messiah: Dont charge me a Hennessy fee (sic) n ***

In another exchange the following month, the hunter frivolously spoke to Messiah again, n *** a, joking in a seemingly gloomy conversation, I just love you, so youre black. It was.

The photos were not downloaded to the hunters laptop, and the DailyMail.com restored the text exchange.

But Mesiles replied: Why are you so tanned?

Im sorry I sexted for another friend, Georgia, Hunter replied.

In the January text exchange, two men were talking about philosophy and joking.

Mesiles: I have an unconditional ideal of love on my behalf. I dont have much. You. God,

Hunter: Oh, were you just a fictional character born of the imagination of a group?

Mesires: My parents love was conditioned.

Hunter: My penis these days is unconditional.

Mesiles: Thats why were looking for it.

Hunter: For my penis

Mesires: And we are always looking.

Hunter: Big penis, George. They always find it. And I love you because youre black.

Mesires: Its very annoying to talk about frivolity.

Hunter:Thats true, but Ive finished my rant.

The photos stored on the hunters laptop included a meme of his father and President Obama, but also an n-word.

The meme, dated June 5, 2017, mentioned that Obama and Biden left the White House in 2016. The hunter was photographed in 2010 with his father and President Obama.

In October 2018, Mesiles sent hunter business partner Marvin Yang an invoice involved in a notorious deal with Chinese oil giant CEFC, and the lawyers hourly wage was $ 845.

Bills, including Hunters joint venture with Chinese, Telephone Conference with H. Biden on Hudson West, totaled $ 88,465 for 107 hours of work from August 2017 to April 2018.

Some of the photos stored on the hunters laptop contained memes containing n-words.

The hunter repeatedly described racist slander while talking to Chicagos corporate lawyer, George Messiah.

The June 5, 2017 meme included a photo of Joe Biden hugging Barack Obama and a caption explaining a joke conversation between the former and vice presidents.

Obama: Im lonely, man

Joe: Can I say that? only this time?

Obama: * Sigh * Please

Joe: Barack Obama

Its unclear why the hunter saved the meme on his computer.

Neither he nor Mesires responded to the DailyMail.coms request for comment.

The presidents son and the White House repeatedly did not respond to requests from the DailyMail.com for the material on his laptop.

His 51-year-old computer had a week-long internet browsing history from March 2019, but he abandoned it at a Delaware store.

Hunters father sought to make race a central issue in both the presidential campaign and his administration in a national protest against racism and police atrocities in 2020.

The message emerged a few days after Joe Biden gave a speech condemning racism to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre in Oklahoma.

Joe Biden said he had come to fill the silence in a speech last week following the Tulsa massacre, in which a white mob killed an estimated 300 blacks in Oklahoma.

Some injustices are so vicious, horrifying, so miserable that no matter how hard people try, they cant be buried, he said. Only truth can bring healing.

Biden has vowed to fight racism in police after George Floyds death and supports studies seeking compensation for slavery and other injustices against African Americans.

The president chose the first black vice president in the United States, and he himself was the vice president of the first black president.

In an interview with NBC Today Show in April, the president said he did not believe the country was racist.

The sentence may be embarrassing for the president, who has tried to portray racial justice as the administrations top priority.

I dont think America is a racist, he said. But I think there was a price to pay for the Jim Crow Law and earlier slavery.

400 years later, African Americans are far behind eight-ball in terms of education, health, and opportunity.

We have to deal with it.

Mr. Biden was previously the subject of slander alleging that he used n-word as an epithet of race.

Smia used a video of the 1985 Senate hearing, saying Biden I already have one mayor. I dont need to shoot any more big shots!

The senator at the time spoke that word, but in reality he quoted a member of the state of Louisiana and asked William Bradford Reynolds, who was appointed Deputy Attorney General at the time, why he was a member of the Diet. Asked if he allowed the gerrymandering to underestimate the black population, ignoring racist comments.

However, since the hearing in 1985, the attitude towards issuing n words, even quotes, has changed.

In October 2020, a freshman at Rutgers Law School in Newark used the term in a quote from a 1993 legal opinion in class to inform other students in advance that the quote contained a swearing. I warned you.

The student said: He uses racial language, uh, but its a quote. He said, I went to Trenton and came back with n *****. I will.

A line of competition broke out last month when her fellow students sent a petition to her and her professor to apologize.

The New York Times reported that university officials had discussed banning the use of the term in class at a series of meetings.

Hunter Biden uses n-word multiple times in casual conversations and text messages show

Source link Hunter Biden uses n-word multiple times in casual conversations and text messages show

Originally posted here:

Hunter Biden uses n-word multiple times in casual conversations and text messages show - Texasnewstoday.com

Editors note: This is the second of two columns on the Tulsa massacre.

By this date in 1921, the thick black smoke from arsonists on the ground and in the sky that hovered over Tulsas Greenwood district had cleared, revealing the smoldering ruins of a Black community destroyed by hate.

Today, the history of the Tulsa Race Massacre is seen in stunning clarity, its centennial surrounded by unprecedented media coverage including a spate of documentaries, books, and newspaper, magazine and online articles.

But Tulsa wasnt an aberration, an atrocity never seen before or since. It wasnt the only Black community in the United States to be attacked by white supremacists. Still shrouded and buried deep in our history are other datelines of racist mob violence.

It was a violence rooted in the institution of slavery. John Locke, the 17th-century English political philosopher, wrote that when a man enslaves another man, he has entered a state of war with him. After emancipation and the Civil War, Black people sought to raise families, own land, build businesses, create safe and self-sustaining communities, and live in freedom and peace.

But Jim Crow, Black Codes and white mobs, especially in the South, continued to wage war on them.

During Reconstruction, on Easter Sunday in 1873 in Colfax, La., armed Black men whod gathered to defend a courthouse surrendered to a white paramilitary group known as the White League. Upon surrender, as many as 150 of the Black men were killed, some after being held prisoner for several hours.

In 1898, Wilmington, N.C., was a city with a Black majority, Black elected officials who served as part of a multiracial government and a prosperous Black middle class. On Nov. 10, white supremacists declared a White Declaration of Independence, overthrew the local government and murdered 60 to 300 Black residents. David Zucchino, author of Wilmingtons Lie: The Murderous Coup Of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy calls it Americas first and only armed overthrow of a legally elected government.

In Slocum in East Texas, whites in July 1910 went on a rampage against Black residents, shooting them down, torching their homes and running them out of town. No one knows how many were killed. It could be in the dozens. It could be 100 to 200. As is often the case in these massacres, bodies were buried in mass graves or thrown into rivers.

The year 1919 was so bloody with racial violence across the United States that it was called the Red Summer. That July in Longview, white people burned down homes and business of Black residents, killing one. In September in Elaine, Ark., a white mob attacked Black farmers attempting to unionize, killing up to 200 Black residents.

Before Tulsas centennial, the 1923 murders of 150 Black people in Rosewood, Fla., may have been the better known of the massacres because of John Singletons 1997 film Rosewood.

There were other massacres, along with more than a century of domestic terrorism lynchings, and Black citizens being run out of towns, and Black citizens having their land confiscated. Animating all these attacks were white supremacy and the desire to suppress the rights and ambitions of Black citizens.

Beyond terrorizing Blacks, these were assaults on democracy, a decades-long campaign of pillage and plunder that, paired with the use of laws, limited the opportunities of African Americans to fully participate in the political system and create generational wealth.

This isnt Black history that should be taught and known. This is American history that should be taught and known. The only reason for not wanting to learn all your nations history, the ugly as well as the glorious, is that you dont want to feel uncomfortable or be held accountable.

Our intelligence agencies warn that white nationalist groups are the greatest threat to the nation. In 1921, white supremacy destroyed Black Tulsa. In 2021, white supremacy threatens to destroy the United States. This time, as violence escalates and democracy is dismantled, Black people wont be the only ones who suffer.

Whatever discomfort we feel learning unpleasant facts about our history pales to the pain well feel in refusing to learn from that history.

Cary.Clack@express-news.net

Link:

Clack: Remember these other massacres of Blacks, too - San Antonio Express-News

Pericles Funeral Oration by Phillipp Foltz (1852). Public Domain

Sanctions date back to antiquity, with the Megarian Decree issued by Athenian statesman Pericles in 432 BC being the first economic sanction recorded.

The Megarian Decree was an act of revenge by the Athenians for the treacherous behavior of the Megarians some years earlier.

According to Aristophanes, the economic sanctions imposed by Pericles were enacted to avenge the abduction of the female attendants of Aspasia, who was Pericles partner.

However, according to some historians, the Megarian Decree ultimately helped to prolong and intensify of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC).

Using the excuse of sacrilege against the land that was sacred to Demeter, known as the Hiera Orgas, Pericles wanted to punish Megara.

The supposed killing of the Athenian herald who was sent to Megara to reproach them, and their giving shelter to slaves who had fled from Athens, brought about the economic sanctions against the city.

The decree dictated that Megarian merchants would be excluded from the market of Athens and the ports in its empire, called the Delian League. The decree was something like a modern trade embargo.

If farmers had trespassed on sacred land, it was strange that the Megarian Decree aimed at punishing the merchants of the city. That implied a political aim.

Even though such sanctions were known and applied in the Near East, they had been unheard of in the Delian League.

Pericles was the first westerner to apply them, and for some historians that was the first time that economic sanctions had been used as foreign policy.

Roman copy of Pericles marble bust circa 430 BC. Public Domain

In the late 430s, Athens and Corinth were on very bad terms. The Athenians had allied with Corcyra, a colony of Corinth, and in 433, the Corcyrans defeated a Corinthian navy, which included ships from Megara.

The Corinthians were members of the alliance of Sparta, the Peloponnesian League, and urged other members to fight Athens claiming that it was turning to a dangerous tyrannical superpower.

Athens could not attack Corinth, because that would immediately bring the Spartan army to the battlefield. Pericles chose to use diplomacy: The economic sanctions would be justifiable and not provoking.

Other than a blow to Megara itself, the Megarian Decree was also a warning to other city-states that those who supported Corinth would suffer as well. The economic sanctions were far from actual war, but would damage the potential enemy.

Pericles, who was friends with Spartan king Archidamus II, believed that the two powerful states would not go to war for the sake of a Corinthian-Athenian conflict.

The Athenian ruler was wrong, though. Not all Spartans were against war. On the contrary, most were in favor of it.

The historian Diodorus of Sicily,who uses Ephorus of Cyme as his source, wrote: When the Athenians voted to exclude the Megarians from both their market and harbors, the Megarians turned to the Spartans for aid.

The Spartans sent ambassadors demanding that Athens should rescind the action against the Megarians and threatened, if they did not accede, to wage war upon them together with their allies.

Pericles, with his great skill of oratory, persuaded the Athenians not to rescind the action, saying that for them to accede to the demands of the Spartans would be the first step toward slavery.

Thucydides confirms that theSpartan ultimatum was that there would be no war if the Athenians withdrew the Megarian Decree. This was a betrayal of Corinthian interests.

Diodorus wrote that the Athenians unwillingness to revoke the Megarian Decree was the direct cause of the war. It was as if the Spartans were ordering the Athenians to change their own foreign policy.

The Athenians found the Spartan ultimatum unacceptable. And that was a cause of war. On the other side, it was also a cause of war: Spartans would not let down their allies.

For many historians, if indeed the sanctions dictated in the Megarian Decree had been used as a diplomatic move, then they turned out to be a failure.

Pericles believed that by sanctioning Megara, he could isolate Corinth. On the contrary, though, his move strengthened those members of the Spartan alliance that wanted war.

On his part, Archidamus made an error as well: He believed that he could ask for the revocation of the Megarian Decree after he had sacrificed Corinth.

Instread, he gave Pericles an opportunity to present the Spartan demands as unjustified, thus making most Athenians want to go to war.

Originally posted here:

Economic Sanctions of Pericles 2,500 Years Ago Backfired, Prolonging War - Greek Reporter

Ouachita Baptist University has named 396 students to its Fall 2020 Deans List.

To be named to the Deans List, a student must compile at least a 3.5 grade point average and be classified as a full-time student, with a minimum of 12 academic hours and have no incomplete or failing grade for the semester.

Ouachita Baptist University, a private liberal arts university in Arkadelphia, Ark., is in its 134thyear as a Christ-centered learning community and is ranked the No. 2 Regional College in the South byU.S. News & World Report. In fall 2020, Ouachita recorded its highest enrollment in 20 years and its highest-ever four year graduation rate as well as a 97% career outcomes (placement) rate for its most recent graduates. Learn more about the universitys highly personal approach, reflected in a student/faculty ratio of 13:1, at http://www.obu.edu.

The following students are included in the Deans List and are listed in order of hometown:

Alexander, Ark. Hannah Adair, Matthew Mayfield, Mikaela Monahan

Allen, Texas Lindsay Jefferson, Sydney Mendel

Amarillo, Texas Peyton Stafford

Arkadelphia, Ark. Josee Bebee, Sam Coventry, Gabriel Curlin, Caroline Derby, Erica Dixon, Olivia Dixon, Samantha Dixon, Lauren Fowler, Allie Harris, Lynli Lowry, Hannah More, Taylor Savage, Abby Turner, Drew Webb, Diamond White, Kiki Youmans, Josh Wallace

Aurora, Neb. Julianna Epp

Austin, Ark. Ryane Thurman

Batesville, Ark. Katelyn Langston, Luke Livingston, Charlie McClain, Zach McClain

Belle Chasse, La. EJ Day

Benton, Ark. Ryan Barnett, Alyssa Beggs, Jessa Bryant, Kaitlyn Campbell, Caroline Cole, Madison Crow, Rachel David, Sydney Donaldson, Madi Esch, Sarah Freeze, Hunter Gautreaux, Gracen Goudy, Will Guerra, Nicholas Herrington, Tehya Hinkson, Annika Jostad, Karlee Kindy, Seth McDowell, AubrieKate Moseley, Regan Ryan, Gary Storment, Julianne Weaver, Carlee West

Bentonville, Ark. Mike Andrus, Braeden Bates, Natalie Helms, Lacey Pettigrew, Hunter Swoboda

Biscoe, Ark. Brittney Hubbard

Bismarck, Ark. Victoria Bourgeois

Blytheville, Ark. Abigail Anderson

Bogata, Texas Jacob Thomas

Bolivar, Mo. MacKenzie Hall

Bossier City, La. Molly Mize

Boulder City, Nev. Hannah Estes

Broken Arrow, Okla. Stephen Barreiro

Brookland, Ark. Melody Stotts

Bryant, Ark. Scarlett Castleberry, Erin Chappell, Katelin Cotton

Burleson, Texas Jasper Capaciete

Cabot, Ark. Brynlee Beams, Olivia Eggleston, Abigail Gaddis, Dena Hallum, Daniel McCarty, Miya Tatum, Gracen Turner

Caldwell, Texas Bay Novak

Camden, Ark. Piper Fain, Grace Tidwell, Noah Worley

Carrollton, Texas Maggie Goff

Cave Springs, Ark. Olivia Yarbrough

Celina, Texas Luke Brinkerhoff, Jill Parsons, Tucker Raymond

Centerton, Ark. Madeline McKay

Centerville, Mo. Michaela Allen

Claremore, Okla. Ryan Cochran

Cleveland, Texas Anna Lambert

Clinton, Ark. Taylor Huggins

Conway, Ark. Isaac Crow, Karli Ferguson, Ethan Gasaway, Anna Johnson, Lauren Kinley, Matt Kulbeth, Carter McKissack, Candace Moix, Abby Morris, Kamy Treat, Joey Whisenhunt

Crossett, Ark. Gregory Junior

Cypress, Texas Erin Strautman

Dallas, Texas Chris Bryan, Katie Gray, Marshall Prather

De Kalb, Texas Kaitlan Kinney

Delight, Ark. Landen Hill

Denton, Texas Benjamin Highsmith

Des Arc, Ark. Gracen Hambrick

Donaldson, Ark. John Michael McCollett

Durham, N.C. Grace Avery

El Dorado, Ark. Halley Bryant, Dawson Goodwin, Buck McKnight, Jacob Street, Kate Vernon

England, Ark. Brayden Brazeal

Euless, Texas Ariana Rizo, Sofia Rizo

Fairfield, Mont. Jared Smith

Fayetteville, Ark. Addyson Cassell, Elizabeth Costner, Sophia Ward

Flower Mound, Texas Zach Kuykendall, William Read, Kirsten Shaw

Fordyce, Ark. Jack Brent

Forrest City, Ark. Jess Cantrell

Fort Smith, Ark. Emily Bass, Kelley Hayes, Abby Hope, Nathan Nethers, Lucas Riley, Marly Welborn, Jenna Whitlow

Fort Worth, Texas Matthew Bearden

Fouke, Ark. Sierra Hoss, Langley Leverett

Frisco, Texas Hayden Bevenue, Lauren Gaharan, Kyle Kelson, Brooke Steen

Garland, Texas Chloe Workman

Georgetown, Texas Chloe Morse, Jackson Pickard

Glenwood, Ark. Tristyn Campbell, Haddon Smead

Greenbrier, Ark. Savannah Henthorne, Anna Claire Newman, Allie Sample, Karlee Sutterfield

Greenfield, Tenn. Molly Mai Borneman

Greenville, Texas Nic Hazlett

Greenwood, Ark. Hannah Johnston

Gulfport, Miss. Logan Moore

Gurdon, Ark. Houstin Kirkpatrick

Guthrie, Okla. Bethany LaTurno

Hamburg, Ark. Ana Barfield

Harrison, Ark. Natalie Ward

Haslet, Texas Kaylie Green

Haworth, Okla. Rebekah Wendt

Heath, Texas Gracee Drake

Hendersonville, Tenn. Sabrina Cheek

Henrietta, Texas Audrey Gallagher

Hensley, Ark. Lauren Williams

Holiday Island, Ark. Ashlynn Lockhart

Hope, Ark. Hannah Lloyd, Parker Madlock

Hot Springs, Ark. Kayla Brown, Madison Easley, Michael Koen, Kate Lance, Zach Nance, Josie Pringle, Ainsley Rottinghaus, Kyleigh Stevens, Franco Zuniga

Hot Springs National Park, Ark. Cloe Johnson, Emma Lawyer

Houston, Texas Mal Bingham, Megan Schulz

Huntsville, Ala. Zeke Smotherman

Hurst, Texas Mackenzie Stewart

Irving, Texas Brittany Burr

Johannesburg, South Africa Kelsey Bester

Jonesboro, Ark. Braden Crawley, Ethan Elkins, Michelle Phillips, Aubrey Rogers, Kallen Smith

Judsonia, Ark. Angela Webb

Junction City, Ark. Terrell Gibson

Kaufman, Texas Maddie Brashear

Keller, Texas Josh Case

Kingwood, Texas Nicholas Erickson

La Rioja, Argentina Fernando Docters Bosetti

Lafayette, La. Donald Paul

Lake City, Ark. Gabe Poe

Lake Dallas, Texas Julian Fernandez

Lamar, Ark. Holly Ritchie

Lampasas, Texas Kyndal Moyer

Lantana, Texas Chad Gscheidle

Lindale, Texas Austin Roots

Little Rock, Ark. Madeline Babb, Scarlet Bates, Abby Blankenship, Jordie Bone, Collier Byrd, Mallory Cain, Chris Cobb, Sam Conine, Madison Cresswell, Lawrence Davis, Christy Dunavan, Noah Fowler, Kendel Givens, Katie Henry, Seth Hernandez, Olivia Hibbard, Bailey Hunter, Felicity Johnson, Luke Jones, Aaron Jordan, Sean McKinney, Makayla Miller, Taylor Moran, Paloma Moreno Avalos, Anna Marie Plastiras, Noah Sanders, Todd Schmidt, Erica Stilwell, Gracie Vaughn, Liam Wooten, Spencer Worth

More:

Ouachita announces students named to Fall 2020 Dean's List - Ouachita Baptist University News

Chelan County commercial sales

Winegirl Wines LLC, 222 Wapato Way, Manson, $600,000, sold to Wine Guy Wine LLC

Fish Lake Acres Inc., 14583 Fish Lake Road, Lake Wenatchee, $30,000, sold to William Sage

Wenatchee S & E Properties LLC, 730 S. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee, $350,000, sold to Adrian Hernandez Rojas and Carmen F. Valdivia Hernandez et al

Chelan Rentals LLC, 123 E. Johnson Ave. 2, Chelan, $200,000, sold to Petersen and Hildahl LLC

Chelan County residential sales

Shirley A. Wadsworth, 20 S. Delaware Ave. 8, Wenatchee, $220,000, sold to Charlene N. Jumper

Troy M. and Erin L. Bassett, 1502 Horse Lake Road, Wenatchee, $361,400, sold to Lance R. Beyer and Shara L. Lozier

Michael J. Page, 22418 Stirrup Road, Plain, $198,500, sold to Yael Solum

Peter N. and Cynthia S. Lolos, 17909 Wilderness Road and Property ID 47212 (two parcels), Entiat, $125,000, sold to Justin C. and Holly J. Pickens

Kay Ukes, Property ID 47639, Manson, $50,000, 20 acres, sold to David Thirlby

Nickolas and Kristen Page, 2128 Citation Loop, Wenatchee, $330,000, sold to Morgan F. and Rosemarie J. Arnold

Benjamin A. and Emily A. Floyd, 1112 Cedar St., Wenatchee, $380,000, sold to Jacob M. and Emily L. Campbell

Ian F. Crossland, 5825 Pioneer Drive, Cashmere, $120,000, sold to Stephen R. Crossland

Charles Whittemore Trustee, 8296 Icicle Road, Leavenworth, $585,500, sold to Aaron R. Blake and Ann B. Grote

Bergren Tree Fruits LLC, 8551 Larson Road, Peshastin, $560,000, sold to Stephen M. Hamel

Hans C. and Kari L. Andersen, 12211 Allen Road, Plain, $600,000, sold to Darren Henke et al

Daniel and Danae Poss, 21621 Camp 12 Road, Plain, $406,000, sold to Antonio and Jodie Galvan

Tami and Mark Rogers, 2220 W. Woodin Ave. 101, Chelan, $235,000, sold to Nicole and Jeremy Draggoo

Kyra and Eric Davis, 2026 Lasso Drive, Wenatchee, $360,000, 0.3 acres, sold to Bryan Ferderer

George Stone, 1713 Angela St., Wenatchee, $339,000, sold to Bergen M. Lane

Mary J. Zanol, 1717 Bluegrass Lane, Wenatchee, $330,000, sold to Michael A. and Jenny L. Martin

Beverly R. Pelley, 19559 State Road, Lake Wenatchee, $289,500, sold to David C. Elkins

Shawn and Danielle Welcome, 18411 Little Chumstick Creek Road, Leavenworth, $280,000, sold to Mary A. McLoughlin

Paul C. and Heather D. Barr, 22588 Alpine Drive, Lake Wenatchee, $757,000, sold to Old Boone LLC

Roger and Connie Nelson et al, 892 Lower Sunnyslope Road, Wenatchee, $290,000, sold to Joseph J. and Gretta Davis

Benjamin and Alesia Blake, 2417 Salal Drive, Lake Wenatchee, $535,000, sold to Jeffrey S. Judy et al

Donald E. Fink, 2355 Lakeshore Drive, Manson, $299,000, sold to Edwin and Cherry Fallon Family Trust

Buddy E. McClellan, 65 Division St., Manson, $160,000, sold to Jesus E. Talavera and Deisi Lozano Solano

Lara Ann Rohrer, 117 Riviera Drive, Chelan, $575,000, sold to Nanette L. McFerran

Joe and Jennifer Beach, 746 S. Chelan Ave., Wenatchee, $175,000, sold to Hiram C. and Christi J. Beach

Peter Thorpe, 6430 Tripp Canyon Road, Cashmere, $270,000, sold to Lesley K. Carpenter and Adam A. Roberts

Mary Ellen Fouts, 1930 Northfield Place, Wenatchee, $355,000, sold to Joel and Sandra W. Stufflebeam

Christine Groen, 325 Division St. and 325 Division St. 207 (two parcels), Leavenworth, $285,000, sold to William Timmermans

Eric W. and Jenene Mathews, 530 N. Cedar St., Chelan, $192,000, sold to Amanda J. Stout

Paul R. Eddy, 411 E. Trow Ave., Chelan, $320,000, sold to Nathaniel C. Mote and Anna K. Moroz

Steven H. and Julie C. Bold, 2106 W. Terrace Ave., Chelan, $2,400,000, sold to Kenneth K. and Stacey L. Dinsmore

Ichiban Properties LLC, 2220 W. Woodin Ave. 212, Chelan, $268,000, sold to Lag Properties LLC

Erin Benton, 1215 Fuller St., Wenatchee, $339,900, sold to Catherine M. Rouleau

Loren Ness, 323 Methow St. 1, Wenatchee, $325,000, sold to Lynn M. and Maritza E. Christensen

McIntyre Family Trust, 9026 E. Leavenworth Road, Leavenworth, $620,000, sold to Ryan M. Murray and Mary Whipple Murray

Marjorie C. Schubert Revocable Trust, 1830 Heritage Drive, Wenatchee, $370,000, sold to Helene A. Krikris

Michael E. and Rebecca W. Henry, 12346 Bretz Road, Plain, $1,375,000, sold to Andrew L. Bennett

John and Marilyn Stott, 322 W. Woodin Ave. 302, Chelan, $482,500, sold to David and Chanyn Kirtman

Kady Gonzalez, 10 S. Cove Ave. 15, Wenatchee, $155,000, sold to Nicholas Occhi

Elisabeth G. Saunders, 708 Kittitas St., Wenatchee, $295,000, sold to Michael J. Saunders

Elva C. Shaul, 12 N. Delaware Ave., Wenatchee, $90,000, sold to Kimberly M. and Ronald G. Fila

Zachery Fabey, 1739 Malaga Alcoa Highway, Malaga, $219,900, sold to Carina Ramirez

Norman Parker, 103 N. Park & Woodin Ave., Chelan, $500, sold to Matthew and Dawn M. Ford

Toby Stapleton and Brooke Saari, 1901 Leavenworth Place, Wenatchee, $349,000, sold to Joseph A. and Dona S. Nagy

Steven D. Hanson and Kristy L. McGregor, 359 Whitman St. A., Leavenworth, $540,000, sold to Braden and Jessica C. Draggoo

Lorie A. Banuchi, 659 Stargazer Lane, Leavenworth, $599,000, sold to Joseph P. and Nancy L. Silveira

William Sage, 14696 Fish Lake Road, Lake Wenatchee, $280,000, sold to Joshua D. and Nicole L. Wells

Robyn Skaar 401K Plan and Trust, 11968 S. Lakeshore Road and Property ID 48182 (two parcels), Chelan, $925,000, sold to Pedro and Alinne Freitas

Steven W. and Nancy L. Sherman, 2961 Jamaica St., Malaga, $355,000, sold to Michael A. Arciga and Irina Viktorovna Arciga

SSM Forty Investment Inc., Property ID 66749, W. Woodin Ave., Chelan, $64,950, sold to Kevin and Mona Bennett

Barbara M. Smith, 20 S. Delaware Ave. 6, Wenatchee, $215,800, sold to George A. and Norma J. Walter

Aaron B. Davis and D. Lynn Ward-Davis, 506 Surry Road, Wenatchee, $397,000, sold to Michael J. and Margaret J. Voth

Erin Gariano et al, 301 S. 3rd St. 3, Chelan, $385,000, sold to Joyce Regan

Richard I. Putman Jr. and Alexis D.V. Putman, 1000 Highway 150 39, Manson, $232,500, sold to Gilman E. and Jill M. McKinnie

Sherry L. Lane and Anne M. Marasa, 126 Summer Breeze Road, Manson, $490,000, sold to Dennis D. and Cynthia L. Tangborn

Charles E. Flynn, 311 Whitebirch Place, Wenatchee, $280,500, sold to Diana C. and Jeffrey W. Forsberg

Michael J. and Margaret J. Voth, 435 S. Wilson St., Wenatchee, $275,000, sold to Melissa M. Kolbo

D & T Campbell Investments LLC, 16 Honeycrisp Lane, Manson, $387,500, sold to Christopher and Cailey Couch

Steven C. and Linda R. James, 9925 Bell Drive, Entiat, $1,050,000, sold to Geoffrey T. Ping

Terry D. and Trudy D. Leverenz, 35 Lois Lane, Plain, $605,000, sold to Denae M. and Daniel Poss

San Juan Holdings LLC, 522 Hawks Ridge Road, Chelan, $1,045,000, sold to Oleg and Yuliya Tkach

Stulberg Family Trust, 2220 W. Woodin Ave. 310, Chelan, $265,000, sold to La Luz Investments LLC

Craig J. Hess, 125 Pine St., Leavenworth, $660,000, sold to Kevin J. and Denise C. Murphy

Betty J. Kurtz et al, 1610 Madison St., Wenatchee, $260,000, sold to Jon and Laurie Baltera

Richard E. Dickson, 403 Marilyn Ave., Wenatchee, $343,900, sold to Robert D. and Mollie T. Harmon

Kenneth M. and Nicole A. Sexsmith, 2253 Riffle Drive, Lake Wenatchee, $348,000, sold to Zachary and Deborah McIntyre

David R. and Janice K. Elliott, 223 Village Drive, Manson, $443,000, sold to Rocky L. and Bonnie A. Gibson

In Good Company Events Inc., 10 S. Cove Ave. 42, Wenatchee, $159,800, sold to Joanna Carrillo

Robert D. Harmon, 511 S. Franklin Ave., Wenatchee, $249,500, sold to Jessica R. Toole

Rocky W. Flynn and Valquiria S. Santos-Flynn, 2110 Yarrow Road, Wenatchee, $465,000, sold to Jonathan B. Butler

Becker Homes LLC, 311 Pinegrass St., Leavenworth, $669,000, sold to Brian L. and Lisa Boyle

Thomas A. Coleman, 600 Mad River Road, Ardenvoir and Property ID 68151, Entiat (two parcels), $236,900, sold to Kari L. Wales

Christopher A. Cloke and Danielle K. Schafer Cloke, 520 S. Western Ave., Wenatchee, $299,000, sold to Jason L. Hetterle

Laurie A. Dutra et al, 1006 N. Elliott Ave., Wenatchee, $310,000, sold to Judy Gillingham

David and Sandi Hendrickson, 1627 N. Western Ave., Wenatchee, $475,000, sold to Brian K. and April R. Burnett

Thaddeus M. and Jennifer L. Hunt, 12528 Shore St., Leavenworth, $950,000, sold to Jason and Maureen M. Hogg

Karen Gebauer, 25703 Bridle Lane, Plain, $147,000, sold to Robert G. Egge and Pamela J. Koeller

Brian K. and April R. Burnett, 1147 Appleland Drive, Wenatchee, $562,000, sold to Patrick J. and Diana J. Haglund

Jacob R. Egbert, 2904 Champion Lane, Wenatchee, $511,000, sold to Darren and Cynthia E. Hoff

Zachery O. Brown and Chelsea Van Horn Brown, 459 Connery Road, Wenatchee, $663,000, sold to Samuel and Colleen Crossett

Chelan Lookout LLLP, 100 Goldfinch Lane, Chelan, $934,533, sold to Francis J. and Kimberly A. McCallum

Dale and Julie Little, Property ID 66687, W. Woodin Ave., Chelan, $74,950, sold to Shepherd Investments Inc.

Sunset Marina LLC, Property ID 66818, W. Woodin Ave., Chelan, $75,950, sold to Traci J. and Daniel J. Philips

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 7152 N. Dryden Road, Dryden, $385,913, sold to Andrew and Lana Thomas

John P. Corcoran, 20 S. Delaware Ave. 10, Wenatchee, $265,000, sold to Samuel J. and Kathryn I. Anger

Kenneth W. Keogh, 1818 Skyline Drive 38, Wenatchee, $165,000, sold to Tammy Austin

Robert R. Davis, 100 Valley St., Cashmere, $460,000, sold to Charles and Lyndsey Miller

David G. Riker, 1510 Elijah Court, Wenatchee, $477,800, sold to Christopher A. Cloke and Danielle K. Schafer Cloke

Barbara N. Miles, 233 Park Ave., Leavenworth, $500,000, sold to Paul T. Shotwell and Bridget Farrell

James E. Click, 18809 Highway 2, Lake Wenatchee, $725,000, sold to Gregory and Juanita Fast

Patricia J. Hope, 13988 Chiwawa Loop Road, Lake Wenatchee, $2,200,000, sold to Hans C. and Kari L. Andersen

Joseph and Pamela Stewart and Mary Signorelli, 205 E. Allen Ave., Chelan, $465,000, sold to Joshua and Allison Flaten

Allie and Alexander A. Hoyt, 790 Grade Creek Road, Manson, $353,000, sold to Byron E. Harris

Charles K. Baumann and Emily J. Ward, 607 S. Franklin Ave., Wenatchee, $245,000, sold to Tudtep Wanpuch

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For the Record | Real estate | Business World | wenatcheeworld.com - wenatcheeworld.com

During a massive antitrust hearing, Congress tried to force Mark Zuckerberg to answer some of the toughest questions yet around Facebook's acquisitions.

The companys 2012 deal to buy Instagram for $1 billion came under particular scrutiny when lawmakers quoted from several emails among Facebooks top executives, who talked about the need to neutralize a potential competitor. In another note, Facebook CFO Dave Wehner described the companys strategy as a land grab.

Zuckerberg expanded on the idea in another email. We can likely always just buy any competitive startups. But itll be a while before we can buy Google, he wrote. Later, when asked about the quote, Zuckerberg said he didnt remember writing the note, but said it sounds like a joke.

It wasnt the only incident Zuckerberg claimed not to remember.

Some of the most intense questioning on the subject came from Washington Democrat Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who repeatedly asked Zuckerberg about Facebook's strategy of trying to copy competing apps. It led to a rather incredible exchange, in which Jayapal asked about Zuckerbergs interactions with former Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom and Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel, both of which Zuckerberg said he didnt recall.

Has Facebook ever threatened to clone the products of another company while also attempting to acquire that company, Jayapal asked. Not that I recall, Zuckerberg said, prompting Jayapal to remind the CEO that he was under oath.

She then asked Zuckerberg if he had used Facebook Camera to threaten Systrom into agreeing to an acquisition.

Im not sure what you would mean by threaten, Zuckeberg said.

Were there any other companies you used this same tactic with, she asked, pointing to Snapchat and Zuckerbergs well-documented pursuit of the company.

I dont remember those specific conversations, he said.

Jayapal ended the questioning by calling Facebook a case study in monopoly power.

Your company harvests and monetizes our data, and then your company uses that data to spy on competitors and copy, acquire and kill rivals, she said. Youve used Facebooks power to threaten smaller competitors and to ensure that you always get your way. These tactics reinforce Facebooks dominance, which you then use in increasingly destructive ways. So Facebooks very model makes it impossible for new companies to flourish separately and that harms our democracy.

Zuckerberg wasn't the only CEO in attendance to face questions about his companys acquisitions. Google CEO Sundar Pichai was also hit with tough questions around Googles acquisition, and subsequent merger with DoubleClick.

And Amazons Jeff Bezos was asked about Amazons pursuit of diapers.com, and its plan to win against the competing online retailer, which eventually resulted in Amazon buying the company. Bezos, like Zuckerberg, cited a faulty memory.

Youre asking a lot of my memory, he said.

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Congress grills Facebook over its acquisitions and feature cloning - Yahoo Tech

As The Verges resident live-streaming reporter, I do a lot of streaming on my own time, both because its fun and because I want to know a little about what its like for the people I cover. Thats meant Ive gained a healthy appreciation for the various pieces of gear that make streaming possible because streaming is the opposite of effortless. Things break constantly, and most of the time for no obvious reason. (There but for the grace of god go we, etc.) All of that said, Ive found that upgrading my stream setup is one of the few true pleasures I have left; theres nothing quite as satisfying as adding a new camera or microphone or chat command that might elevate a viewers experience.

It is in that spirit the spirit of perpetual tinkering and perpetual upgrades that I bring you the cheapest, best piece of gear I own. It is a no-brand cam link that retails between $11 (eBay, but beware shipping times) and $26.99 (Amazon). This device is one of those magical things thats made possible by the confluence of online retail, consolidated manufacturing in China, and a global postal service. It simply couldnt have existed before.

As a clone of the popular Elgato Cam Link 4K (which retails for $129.99), all the device does is convert HDMI to USB, which is conceptually simple but technically more complex. The best of these devices do this conversion very quickly and at high fidelities; Elgatos version even handles 4K resolution. Due to the pandemic and the legions of people whove joined Twitch and YouTube, however, the brand name models have become difficult to find, which is where this weird little knockoff model comes in. My colleague Grayson, a motion designer at The Verge, tipped me off to it one day in early June, after he saw an excellent video review of the device from the YouTuber EposVox.

I thought the review was convincing, so I figured Id try it for myself. My friend and fellow streamer MikeAM took the plunge with me; we decided wed try to upgrade our video streams on the cheap because hey, why not? We each bought a 2018 GoPro Hero, some micro HDMI to HDMI cables, a non-HDCP HDMI splitter, and, of course, one of these cards. The difference was instantly apparent. Id been switching between my Logitech C922 and a Panasonic Lumix GH5 (which I borrow to shoot a late-night show on Twitch), and I could immediately see how much clearer the GoPros video was than the C922. (With a splitter, the HDMI converter doubles as an extremely cheap capture card for a console, though Id personally recommend shelling out for the more fully featured Elgato HD60 S.) The experiment worked.

Naturally, the star of the show was the capture card. It has a lot of limitations: it can only support 1080p / 60fps input, and its output maxes at 1080p / 30fps or 720p / 60fps. It also converts the image to MJPEG, which means the colors are sometimes a little wonky. (I used a filter in OBS to desaturate the image.) It also sometimes lags, which is a problem because you cant actually Google how to fix the problem theres no manual, really, and troubleshooting is nonexistent. The other thing to remember is that not all of these cheap cards are created equal; if you pick up one thats billed as USB 3.0, or one that looks a little different, that is an entirely different device.

But if you can work within those limitations, the device is a dream. Its plug n play: the card shows up on your computer as USB Video, and it works anywhere youd put a webcam, which includes Zoom, Discord, OBS, and more. The price point is also unbeatable. Lately Ive been using it with the Lumix. Its always a joy to plug in because I know its going to work. If you want to see what it looks like in action, feel free to follow me on Twitch.

Otherwise, if you have a camera that outputs HDMI and dont want to (or cant) shell out for an Elgato, Id say pick this little guy up. Its a cheap upgrade that, for me, has absolutely been worth it. Go see for yourself.

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The cheapest Cam Link clone you can buy actually works pretty well - The Verge

The World-Heralds Statehouse reporters round up news highlights from the Legislature and state government into the Capitol Digest a daily briefing for the political newshound with a busy schedule.

LINCOLN Former State Sen. Elroy Hefner of Coleridge one of the conservatives dubbed Thone Clones was being remembered Thursday as a caring and considerate legislator.

Hefner, who represented his northeast Nebraska district from 1976 to 1993, died Sunday at his home from apparent natural causes. He was 96.

His oldest son, Bill, said that his father liked to help people.

He said he once left the dinner table on Sunday to take a phone call from a constituent, and talked issues for a half hour.

Veteran lobbyist Walt Radcliffe said that his clients didnt often agree with Hefners conservative stances. But the senator, he said, was approachable and truly a gentlemen to work with.

There was never anything that was mean spirited about him, Radcliffe said.

Hefner, a Republican, was one of a group of conservative senators who were called the Thone Clones because their views aligned well with then-Gov. Charley Thone, who was governor from 1979-83.

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Former 'Thone Clone' Elroy Hefner remembered as caring, conservative legislator - Omaha World-Herald

The legacy characters will always be a hugely important part of the Star Wars mythology, but in the recent movies it felt like Disney and Lucasfilm would much rather return to the well over and over again instead of mining the untapped potential of new faces, planets and galaxies that have never been seen in live-action before.

A lot of fans rolled their eyes when it was revealed that Palpatine was coming back to establish himself as the main villain for the third trilogy in a row, and as great as it was to see Billy Dee Williams return as Lando Calrissian, he didnt exactly contribute much to The Rise of Skywalkers plot.

Meanwhile, Han Solo might be one of the most iconic figures in popular culture, but that didnt stop his origin story from bombing at the box office, and theres even been reports that the studio want to bring Luke Skywalker back in a future project despite Mark Hamill making it clear that his time in the role is done. The general consensus is that the Disney era of Star Wars has been sorely lacking in originality and creativity, and if what were hearing now ends up panning out, then things show no signs of changing anytime soon.

According to our intel which comes from the same sources that told us Ahsoka Tano would be appearing in the second season ofThe Mandalorian, and that [SPOILERS] would be revealed as a traitor in The Rise of Skywalker in a future Star Wars movie an as-yet-unnamed villain will attempt and ultimately succeed in cloning Yoda in an effort to turn the benevolent Jedi Master into a puppet they can use for their own nefarious means.

While it cant be confirmed exactly which movie this is said to be happening in, weve heard that it would most likely be the proposed solo outing for Daisy Ridleys Rey rather than the three recently-delayed films that were pushed back to 2023, 2025 and 2027. And the idea of another perennial favorite returning to Star Wars yet again certainly fits in with Lucasfilms approach to the franchise.

That being said, even though Baby Yoda is clearly where the money is, and Mandos companion has also been rumored for a big screen appearance of his own, itd be hard to see longtime fans getting on board with the idea of an evil Yoda. But alas, this is what the studio currently has in mind and itll be interesting to see if they actually go through with it.

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Lucasfilm Reportedly Has Plans To Bring Yoda Back Via Cloning - We Got This Covered

Released as a prequel to Attack of the Clones, Bounty Hunter deepens the Clone Wars by filling in plot holes and enriching established characters.

Six months after the release of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, LucasArts released Star Wars: Bounty Hunter,a video game prequel that expands on the film. Filling in plot holes and enriching characters, the game is a vital part of Star Wars historyand its relevance extends well beyond the prequel films and intoThe Clone Wars.

Despite having a war named after them, the clones of The Clone Wars have a murky history. While the conspiracy behind the clones' creation is eventually explained, no explanation is ever provided for why Jango Fett served as their template. Attack of the Clones just matter-of-factly states that Jango is a renowned bounty hunter, the template for the clone army, and the father of Boba Fett (who is an unaltered clone of Jango). The lack of detail and Jango's ignominious death make the the entire context appear contrived for the sake of fan service with Jango only existing to shoehorn Boba into theThe Clone Wars. From the perspective of Attack of the Clones, Jango is a throwaway character.

Related: The Mandalorian Is More Like Jango Fett Than Boba

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter fills in the history behind Attack of the Clones, and, in so doing, proves Jango deserves his clone legacy. Jango earns the riches of fathering the clone army by hunting down Komari Vosa, a Jedi-turned-drug lord. Vosa's illicit operations threaten Darth Sidious expanding influence, so Sidious' apprentice, Count Dooku, puts a bounty on Vosa with the intent of offering the victorious bounty hunter, who would then be a verified Jedi killer, the opportunity of being the the template for the Grand Army of the Republic. Jango's selection as template results from an elaborate scheme hatched by Sidious and Dooku, and is justly earned as Jango demonstrates brutal efficiency worthy of acknowledgment by Sith Lords. Star Wars:Bounty Hunter turns a plot hole into riveting drama.

Over the course of Star Wars:Bounty Hunter, players not only see Jangos ruthlessness, but also his loneliness. Jango makes it clear he doesnt trust anyone, yet he still longs for connection. Jango's banter with his partner Roz, as well as his nostalgic attachment to a mentor's ship, imply his desire for relationships. That is why, upon accepting Dookus offer, Jango asks for the unaltered clone, whom he names Boba. No longer just a plot point, Bobas entry into the prequel-era contains genuine pathos.

Aside from legitimizing Jango, Bounty Hunter humanizes Count Dooku. Vosa is Count Dookus former apprentice, and her drug empire became so expansive because, as Sidious puts it, Dooku allowed her to live. Dooku explains his lack of action as an experiment to see what Vosa could do, but its a weak excuse. From his stuttering to the way he tenderly touches her corpse, Dookus mannerisms betray his feelings. This dilemma reemerges in The Clone Wars when Dooku is ordered to kill his newest apprentice, the assassin Ventress, to whom he gifted Vosas lightsabers. Dooku, like he did with Vosa, caves to his masters demands and orders Ventress death, but he voices opposition. Sidious, of course, doesn't tolerate insubordination and uses Dooku's compassion as an excuse to chastise, and even brutalize him. In The Clone Wars episode, "The Lost Ones," Sidious chokes Dooku while mocking his failure involving Vosa, saying "This is not the first time you have proven to be clumsy." Dooku commits countless atrocities bythe end of The Clone Wars but thanks to Star Wars:Bounty Hunter his villainy becomes tragic rather than one-note. Within the Sith Lord once existed compassion, compassion terrorized out of him by Darth Sidious.

Star Wars Bounty Hunter may not be official canon any more, but weighed against its contributions, that is irrelevant. The game takes a seemingly contrived plot and turns it into a gritty story that deepens characters and stories from The Clone Wars. Star Wars:Bounty Hunter is essential Star Warsmedia.

Next: Star Wars: Bounty Hunter Could've Been LucasArts' Uncharted

Joe Rogan Says Gaming Is "Real Problem" & Waste Of Players' Time

Nicholas is a freelance game writer for Screen Rant, a regular contributor to Goombastomp, and former Game Informer intern. A graduate of the University of California San Diego, Nicholas got a degree in philosophy and loves to dive deep into the artistic side of gaming.

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How Star Wars Bounty Hunter Influenced The Clone Wars Canon - Screen Rant

MADRID, SPAIN - DECEMBER 15: A Commander Cody clone trooper figure is exhibited at the 'Star Wars Exhibition' at Telefonica flagship store on December 15, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Eduardo Parra/Getty Images)

Star Wars fans are familiar with the evolution of the grand army of the Republic and the final dreaded outcome that was to befall the clones troopers.

After three long years of war, clone troopers across the galaxy dropped their Jedi comrades like a bad habit in an instant and without warning once Order 66 was issued by Palpatine.

But did at any given point in time any of the clone troopers feel guilty and/or full of remorse before, during or after the slayings?

Not likely.

We are familiar with Rex and other clone troopers that were not included in the mass killings of the Jedi. But for those that partook it was just like flipping a switch, one second your fighting alongside the Jedi and the next you are blasting them away.

A key thing is that only the Jedi (and still the separatists) were targeted by the clones. Any senators or other beings who were sympathetic to the Jedi were kept alive as long as they didnt fight with the troops. As we see is the case with Bail Organa at the Jedi Temple, when he asks whats going on.

Bail Organa arrives at the Jedi temple upon seeing the smoke. He exits his speeder and is greeted by clone troopers. Whats going on here, asks the senator.

Theres been a rebellion,sir, dont worry the situation is under control, replies one of the troopers, who then aims his blaster at Organa and states, Im sorry sir, its time for you to leave.

Bail Organa replies, and so it is. He turns to leave as a young Jedi attacks the clones, but alas the numbers are too much and the youngster is killed. Senator Bail Organa cries out in horror and bails into his speeder and doesnt look back. He later recounts this harrowing scene to masters Yoda and Kenobi.

Interesting then that the trooper is able to differentiate Jedi and Organa, after he has just blasted down many Jedi in the temple. There likely was no remorse for the Jedi because Order 66 was akin to a switch being flipped. An order implanted since day one. Only Sith would be truly evil enough and posses ruthlessness and cunning needed enough to organize a mass extermination of Jedi and have it play out more than a decade later.

Stream Star Wars on Disney+

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Clone troopers feeling remorse amid execution of Jedi - Dork Side of the Force