Revolutionising the coffee industry – New Food

Two UC Berkeley graduates, Ofek Arush and George Passantino, recently launched Quokka Brew a beverage to revolutionise the coffee industry. To find out more, New Food caught up with the entrepreneurial duo.

Quokka Brew is the markets first caffeinated jitterless coffee, the co-founders of Quokka Brew told New Food. Our patent-pending blend, made of organic amino acids and brain-boosting nootropics, counteracts the jitters, anxiety, and the crash from caffeine without sacrificing any of the energy.

Caffeine is naturally a vasoconstrictor, meaning it constricts our blood vessels leading to a decrease in blood flow. This causes our hearts to pump harder in order to maintain blood flow, resulting in the jitters and shakes.

Although many of us experience these negative side effects of caffeine, we used to have no choice but to power through them in order to get a boost of energy, and never really questioned this inefficiency. At Quokka Brew, we did. We eliminated these negative side effects, allowing us to completely reimagine how productive and effective coffee can be, they said.

The product is a ready-to-drink, recyclable aluminium can which includes oat milk, cold brew coffee, green tea leaf extract, L-theanine, ginseng, and blueberry extract. The beverage is vegan, with only three grams of sugar and 90 calories.

George and Ofek

Arush and Passantino explained that since the discovery of coffee centuries ago, it has been largely unchanged. Although there are 450 million cups of coffee consumed in the United States alone every day, there are still many problems with coffee that have never been solved, they explained. Our mission is simple: to reinvent coffee by creating a beverage that energises you without the jitters, anxiety, or crash of normal coffee powering you to become your happiest, healthiest, and most confident self.

The duo set out to revolutionise the entire coffee industry, enabling people to enjoy coffee without its negative side effects. After selling over 10,000 bottles in the past two months, they believe that the jitterless revolution is well on its way.

The great part is that there are no alterations to caffeine itself. At Quokka Brew, we counteract caffeines vasoconstrictive properties by adding in our patent-pending blend of organic amino acids, extracts and nootropics. Our ingredients act as vasodilators, and dilate blood vessels back to their natural state, allowing blood to flow more freely. This keeps our heart rates constant and prevents the onset of jitters, Arush and Passantino told New Food.

Up until now, Quokka Brew was sold in a 4oz glass bottle, which had to be kept refrigerated and had a shelf life of two months. This inhibited us from expanding nationally, let alone globally. We have now finalised the switch to our new packaging: 8oz infinitely-recyclable aluminium cans. This new look not only makes Quokka Brew look prettier, but it has an important function: our product will now be shelf stable in room temperature with a nine-month shelf life. This will make expansion and scale much easier, and will finally allow us to share our creation with the entire world.

Ofek and George are both recent UC Berkeley graduates, and the co-founders of Quokka Brew the first caffeinated Jitterless Coffee. Having been business partners since middle school, Quokka Brew is not their first business together, but is definitelythe most successful and noteworthy one.

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Revolutionising the coffee industry - New Food

Madison Local Schools will offer online academy option – Richland Source

MADISON -- Like many school districts, Madison Local Schools is in the midst of planning for a school year unlike any other.

Class will resume Aug. 26 for first through 12th grade students and Sept. 8 for preschool and kindergarten students.

At a July school board meeting, incoming Supt. Rob Peterson, a Madison graduate, announced the district would offer an online academy for any student who does not wish to return to school in the fall.

Students will follow an online curriculum, but Madison will staff two full-time teachers to provide support to students and families.

They would not be doing any live instruction, but they would be there and available to provide assistance and support through a phone call, email and any other support emails, Peterson explained.

Peterson said there will likely be one teacher responsible for Kindergarten thru sixth grade and another one for seventh through 12th grade.He added that the district may designate additional teachers if there is a significant demand for the online program.

The district will be mailing all parents and guardians a form that will allow them to select either face-to-face instruction or the online academy. Students who choose the online academy option will be required to commit for a minimum of one semester online.

District leadership is still ironing out the details of a COVID-19 plan that would address in-person classes, but students will be allowed to return to the traditional classroom.

We clearly understand that the best opportunity for students to be successful and receive the best education is in the face-to-face scenario, Peterson said. It was a real struggle for us to complete remote learning last year with students. Generally, students didnt do nearly as well as they did face to face.

The other piece is youve got parents that are counting on us to take care of their children during the day so that they can go to work and do the things that they need to do as well."

Peterson also cited pediatricians findings that being with teachers and other students is beneficial for childrens social and emotional well-being.

Per state law, teachers and staff will be required to wear face coverings. Students will be required to wear face coverings on the school bus, due to the impossibility of social distancing. Students will also be required to wear face coverings in school if Richland County remains under a Level 3 Public Health Advisory.

The big piece that we have not settled on yet is whether or not to require masks during risk levels one and two, Peterson said. These are serious decisions and we are taking them seriously.

The district is still determining how to best serve students with documented medical issues that make it unsafe for them to wear a mask. Peterson stated that the district is willing to work with parents to find an alternative option, such as a face shield.

District leaders have yet to decide whether or not the school will be providing masks to students.

The masks are such a polarizing issue, Peterson said. What were trying to do is be open face-to-face as safely and responsibly as we possibly can for everyone involved.

The most important part of education comes from the support of those outside the classroom. Being informed is the first step. Your support does that for the entire community we share.

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Madison Local Schools will offer online academy option - Richland Source

Original artist working to restore replica fish car – Huron Daily Tribune

Original artist working to restore replica fish car

SPEARFISH, S.D. (AP) In 1999, local sign painter Tim Peterson helped paint a former passenger rail car when it was converted into a historically accurate replica of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries Car No. 3, one of the nations original fish cars.

Now, 21 years later, Peterson is recreating his original artwork to restore the signage on the car, the pinstriping, and other painted details that create a historically accurate depiction of the rail car.

The artwork I am doing now, the lettering and the striping, is based on a model that is in the museum, Peterson said of his original artwork on the rail car. I made drawings of the rail car in the museum and Ive got those drawings in my files. I redrew them in full size and applied them to the rail car, and copied what I saw off the model. That was my template.

Hatchery Superintendent Carlos Martinez said the rail car is a replica of the original Fish Car No. 3 from 1884, which were once the U.S. governments way of quickly transporting fish and their eggs to lakes and hatcheries across the country. The 10 original fish cars were recycled during World War II for materials. Thus, a passenger rail car was converted into a historically accurate fish car based on an original architectural model from 1898. The fish car helps to effectively tell the story of hatcheries.

This is U.S. Bureau of Fisheries Car No. 3. Its the only replica of a federal fish car in the country, Martinez told the Black Hills Pioneer, adding that the rail car is important to the history of fisheries across the country. We get people from all over the country coming here just to see the rail car. Train enthusiasts, fisheries historians, they come here specifically to see this. Then they see the rest of the facility and they fall in love with it.

Since the fish car is so important to telling the story of fisheries across the country, including D.C. Booth Fish Hatchery, Martinez said it is important to keep it maintained, and part of that is doing regular painting. Peterson said he was thrilled to restore his original artwork on the rail car.

It was looking kind of shabby, Peterson said of the paint job. He added that he is especially happy to work on the project with his son, Bill. Peterson primarily paints signs with his business, Flat Earth Art Company. But Bill Petersons painting business Peterson Painting focuses more on exterior painting and finishing. Because of the different nature of their businesses, Tim said this is the first project theyve done as a father-son team.

That was pretty interesting to me, he said. This is the first time weve done our own thing.

Martinez said he is thrilled to have the Peterson team help with the restoration, especially with Tim as the original artist.

Anytime you can have the same artist, and the same methodology, and the same paint, its good, he said. We called him to do this. I knew he had done the work on here and I had worked with him on some other projects. I approached him before we even knew we could pay for it and got a quote. Things fell together. Were super excited to have him work on this.

Martinez added that the restoration work comes right in time for the D.C. Booth Historic Fish Hatcherys 125th Anniversary celebration next year.

The effort to restore the fish car back to its original grandeur as a replica was made possible with several funding sources, including the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Retirees Association, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Booth Society. The project is a joint venture between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Booth Society, and is expected to be completed in August.

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Original artist working to restore replica fish car - Huron Daily Tribune

Gervase Peterson urges Survivor to be more equally diverse, both on-screen and behind-the-scenes – Gold Derby

This summer marks the 20th anniversary of Survivor premiering on CBS, and Gervase Peterson is now speaking out about his experience. I honestly dont have any regrets about either of the two times he played, he tells EW.com. This fan-fave original castaway came in seventh place in Borneo (2000) and third place in Blood vs. Water (2013). It changed my life, and I have loved every minute of playing it. Gervase also opens up about what hed change about the long-running reality TV show, proclaiming, I would make Survivor more equally diverse.

He continues, For years, it was a standard of one Black man and one Black woman. Thats just terrible. Also, more diversity in casting and production. This would help in a more diverse cast and the telling of the diverse cast stories and not labeling them with negative stereotypes. Its been long overdue. Over the first 40 seasons of Survivor, only one Black woman (Vecepia Towery) and three Black men (Earl Cole, Jeremy Collins, Wendell Holland) have claimed the $1 million check see the winners list.

Gervase, 50, who at the time of Borneo was a 30-year-old YMCA basketball coach, notes that he would like future installments to be cast more like Season 1 with a better representation of the average person. He admits, After Season 1, the cast was more Hollywood with a lot of good looking and ripped in-shape players. The great thing about season 1 was that fans watching the show could see themselves in the cast. It made them believe they could play the game. That was one of the constant things I heard from the fans.

Did anything memorable happen out on the island that didnt make it to TV? I had an alliance with Ramona Gray and Joel Klug, he declares. Thats shocking indeed, considering many Survivor aficionados credit Richard Hatch with creating the first reality TV show alliance. Gervase explains, I approached Ramona and on the boat ride to the island and we made a deal to never vote against each other. When we made it to the island, I made the same deal with Joel. Our plan was to have the numbers by the merge and pick of Tagi one by one. We couldnt get the rest of Pagong to agree to do that and thats exactly what Tagi did to us, but I had that plan and made my alliance from day one.

Two decades later, Gervase is still proud to be a Survivor viewer. I still think its a great show and it keeps evolving to stay fresh and entertaining. There have been a lot of great seasons over the years, but Season 40 has been my favorite, he says, referring to the Winners at War spectacle that resulted in Tony Vlachos winning the $2 million grand prize.

Gervase adds, It was very intriguing and had so many layers to it. They were all former winners, they knew each other, it was a mix of old school players and new school players, the coins, Edge of Extinction, the opportunity to get back in the game, the two million-dollar prize. Also, for me, I knew most of the players and watching how some of them had to change their game play and some not change their game play from the way they played and won was great to watch.

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Gervase Peterson urges Survivor to be more equally diverse, both on-screen and behind-the-scenes - Gold Derby

Peterson Way Office Project Variance Gets Approved – The Silicon Valley Voice

An existing, though underutilized, office campus at 3625 Peterson Way is up for redevelopment by Boston Properties with a proposal of two, eight-story office buildings totaling 676,310 square feet. The project, which was reviewed at the July 15 Santa Clara Planning Commission meeting, also includes a one-story 13,370 square foot amenity building, four-level parking garage, a landscaped courtyard with amenities and pedestrian pathway.

The developer had requested a variance to increase the maximum allowable building height on the property from 70 feet to 129 feet for the two buildings. The plans are aimed at achieving LEED Gold or an equivalent rating, electric vehicle parking and pre-wiring for future EV charging stations, bike parking and a Transportation Demand Management Plan. The developer has committed to retaining most of the existing Redwood trees on the site, though some will be removed. The plans also include an optional bridge connecting the two buildings.

City staff had recommended that the Planning Commission approve the variance having determined that the project would promote job growth, promote the use of multi-modal transportation, generate local impact fees and tax revenue for the City. However, CEQA findings had identified that significant unavoidable and significant cumulative unavoidable impacts would result from the project including traffic congestion at several nearby intersections.

The zoning variance request ultimately provides us with numerous benefits on the project, namely it allows us to reduce our building footprint, said Tommy Chan, project manager, Boston Properties. So, reducing the footprint will allow us to create a generally better and more cohesive campus layout and incorporate the design features: pedestrian pathways, maintain the existing Redwoods and just generally provide more open space on the project.

All the commissioners expressed issues with the plans and requested that the developer make modifications. Several were dissatisfied with the glass box design due to concern over avian safety and overall appeal.

Commissioner Yuki Ikezi asked the developer to make the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan more robust, while Commissioner Kelly said he wanted to see a shuttle provided connecting with light rail and other transit.

The variance and the environmental impact report ended up being approved under the conditions that the TDM plan include more Vehicle Miles Traveled reductions, the all-glass design be reconsidered, the developer hire a bird-safe consultant, the number of EV charging stations is increased, and the bike parking area includes charging for electric bikes.

Were very excited about this project as it is our very first project here in the City of Santa Clara, said Chan.

Other Business

A round of elections was held at the meeting and the Planning Commissions Chair is now Lance Saleme, Nancy Biagini took over at Vice Chair and Priya Cherukuru is serving as Secretary.

City staff announced that the zoning code update will likely go before the Planning Commission and City Council by the end of the year.

The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 26.

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Peterson Way Office Project Variance Gets Approved - The Silicon Valley Voice

ABC 27 reporter Alex Peterson announces he will be leaving the Harrisburg TV station – PennLive

A journalist on the WHTM ABC 27 news team has announced his upcoming departure.

According to a post on his Facebook page, reporter Alex Peterson will soon be leaving his position at the Harrisburg station. The post stated that Petersons last day at abc27 will be July 24.

Its been a wild ride, these last two years - Ive covered everything from historic flooding to Presidential visits to the happenings in the halls of the Capitol, the post read. Unlike most, it was never a dream of mine to report in the place where I grew up, but I wouldnt trade it for anything now. Being near family & friends, and them being able to watch my work has been an incredible experience.

Peterson is a native to the Harrisburg area, and in addition to working as a nightside reporter with ABC 27, he has also worked as a reporter and producer in Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as a reporter at WJET in Erie.

To the viewers - a simple & sincere thank you, the post concluded. You guys are the best. I have no immediate plans to move so Ill be around the midstate for a while. Come up and say hey if you see me out & about!

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ABC 27 reporter Alex Peterson announces he will be leaving the Harrisburg TV station - PennLive

Peterson Farm Bros. Check In With Some Summer Fun – Southeast Produce Weekly

We could all use a good laugh right now and the Peterson Brothers are about the funniest thing going in farming these days.

In case you havent heard, the trio of brothers have become quite an internet sensation with their parodies of popular songs repurposed to reflect life on the farm.

The Peterson Farm Bros. are made up of Greg (29), Nathan (26), and Kendal (23) Peterson. They are 5th generation family farmers who farm together in Kansas with parents David and Marla, sister Laura, and wives BrookeAnna, Riley and Caelan.

Their videos have racked up over 130 million combined views on Facebook and YouTube, and theyve appeared on TV shows like Good Morning America.

Their latest, The Net Rap, is about a staple of farm life baling hay. It gets hot out there, folks.

Find out more about the crew and find links to more hilarious videos at their website, http://www.petersonfarmbrothers.com

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Peterson Farm Bros. Check In With Some Summer Fun - Southeast Produce Weekly

Rockaway Township’s recreation overhaul moves forward. Here are the plans – Daily Record

Three massive printing presses spit out thousands of copies of USA Today, The Record, Herald News, Asbury Park Press and other publications each day. NorthJersey.com

ROCKAWAY TOWNSHIP Town leaders are continuing to move the ball forward with the Peterson Field recreation project.

Plans in the form of a concept drawing to improve Peterson Field and its surrounding recreation area were approved by the council last week and will be heading out to bid in the next couple of weeks, Business Administrator Patricia Seger said.

Two additional grass fields, a turf field, walking path and an ice rink are being considered. From lacrosse and football to pickleball, there would be something for everyone, said Mayor Michael Puzio.

Money has been earmarked for the recreation overhaul as far back as 2006 and Puzio said residents will finally be getting something for that money.

Officials would not speak to the overall estimated price tag for the project out of fear that it would affect bids for the work. But the project will be done in phases starting with low hanging fruit that those involved agree is reasonable, Puzio said.

These include turning Peterson fields one and two (closest to Fleetwood Drive) into a turf fieldfor baseball, football, softball and lacrosse;updating the playground, and repairing and improving the basketball and tennis courts, which have been in a state of disrepair and closed for a couple of years, said recreation director Bryan Coward.

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In general, a turf field"at the low end" can cost about$800,000, Coward said. Previous capital budgets show $100,000 set aside for the basketball courts in 2017; $40,000 was set aside for the tennis courts in 2019 and $50,000 was set aside that same year for new playground equipment.

Agreement can be found among the administration and the majority of the township council on all of the above. But the details of the community center, a metal pre-fabricated structure featuring two large gyms one a multi-purpose hardwood floor and the other currently proposed to be an ice rink will need to be hashed out, said Councilman Adam Salberg.

I have my own thoughts on the concept, not on the improvements for Peterson. I am all for that. That is why I voted for the concept, just not the ice rink. In the preliminary research that Ive done with other municipalities and taking a look at their feasibility studies its not very promising as a profitable venture.

"Startup and maintenance would come from our taxpayers and the percentage that would actually use it would be very small, Salberg said, adding that he would rather see the space double as a cultural center that could be more widely used.

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The playground updates are expected to begin this summer, ahead of other plans.

We are going out for a quote within a week or two to have an engineer design it and give an engineering estimate, Seger said. We want them out to bid in the fall and hopefully everything will be built by the spring or summer of next year.

Regardless of his concern with the ice rink Salberg voted to move forward with the project confident that it will be assessed at each step of the way. Neither Seger nor Coward expect a tax increase as a result of the project thus far.

Everything that we intend to move forward with is consistent with what past councils and the current council has funded, Coward said.

Gene Myersis a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community,please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email:myers@northjersey.comTwitter:@myersgene

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Rockaway Township's recreation overhaul moves forward. Here are the plans - Daily Record

Western News – The Western News

Thomas David Peterson, 65, beloved husband, father and brother, passed away July 10, 2020. Our dads passing was very unexpected due to underlying health conditions. Please know that he will never have the chance to forget who he was, but, more importantly, never have the chance to forget his family and friends.

In 1972, on the main street of Libby, it was love at first sight. In 1974, our parents souls were joined by marriage. They began their beautiful journey.

He is an amazing husband and, for the love our parents share, there are no words. Thank you for showing us what love is and the meaning of family.

We do not even know where to begin with all the great memories he gave us. Whether it was packing for a three-day camping trip with a wife, four kids, and a dog crammed into a two-door Datsun hatchback or sitting around the kitchen table playing Pictionary and singing diarrhea jokes, he lived every day of his life for his family. His influence will be with us each and every day. We will miss you terribly.

When he became Oh Grand pa-pa, his circle of life was completed and heart was full. Memories were made between him and his grandchildren through the many unknown adventures only they took. Those moments in time will forever be cherished.

Tom loved people, influencing every person he met. Everyone will remember him with his or her own special memory. He may not have gotten to travel the world, but through his creation of Ripples, the world came to him. Thus he became known as Mr. Ripples.

Tom was born Aug. 7, 1954 to Clifford and Helen (Swimley) Peterson in Libby, the youngest of four children, to include John (Margie) Peterson, Pam (Rick) Wilkonsky and Anne (Jim) Orr. He grew up in Libby, graduated high school in 1972 and went on to attend the University of Montana, where he obtained a bachelors degree of science and education.

In 1974, Tom married his wife Jacqueline (Wenholz) Peterson and settled down in Plains, where they raised their four children: Nicole (Jason) Vervick, Amy (Rex) Connell, Kristine (Doug) Peele and Ryan Peterson. He was blessed with four grandchildren: Kaylie (Kristine) Peele, Madisyn (Kristine) Peele, Kira (Amy) Connell and Devin (Nicole) Vervick.

He may have parted from us for now, but his legacy will continue to live through all who knew him.

Due to the pandemic, a celebration of life will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, a gofundme.com site has been set up for expenses.

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Western News - The Western News

A Peterson Farm Brother breaks down why it is OK to be a small farmer | AGDALY – AGDAILY

AGDAILY Staff July 16, 2020

You drive an old combine? Great! You drive a brand new one? Awesome! You drive old, but paid off tractors? Wonderful! You have lease payments? That is OK, too. That is the beautiful thing about farmers and ranchers it takes operations, big and small to feed the world! After getting multiple hateful comments on the size of their operations, Greg Peterson of the Peterson Farm Bros. decided to make a video explaining why it is OK to be a small farmer.

At end the of the video, Greg perfectly wraps it up when he says, Our success is not measured by millions of dollars, or millions of acres, or any of our material possessions. Our success is determined if we are good stewards of what we have been given and how we treat other people.

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A Peterson Farm Brother breaks down why it is OK to be a small farmer | AGDALY - AGDAILY

Officer involved crash investigation underway in the Freedom Division – WCNC.com

CMPD is investigating a collision that occurred shortly after 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Departments Major Crash Investigation Unit are investigating a crash from early Tuesday morning.

Officers responded to the crash that involved a CMPD officer near the 1300 block of Toddville Road in the Freedom Division.

When officers arrived, they located a marked Ford Explorer police vehicle and a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. The officer and two others from the Hyundai were transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

Police say Officer Lindsey Stapleton was travelling northbound on Toddville Road when the driver of the Hyundai, who was travelling southbound, crossed the center line and entered the northbound lane of travel. The Hyundai then hit Officer Stapleton head-on.

Detectives say Officer Stapleton was on-duty patrolling the area at the time of the accident. The driver of the Hyundai was Rayford Charles Robinson Jr. After evaluation, impairment is suspected to be a contributing factor for the crash.

Robinson has been charged with driving while impaired and has active warrants for two counts of felony serious injury by a vehicle.

This investigation is active and ongoing.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information about this case is asked to call Detective Pressley at 704-432-2169.

The public can also leave information anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/.

Stay with WCNC Charlotte for the latest on this ongoing investigation.

OTHER STORIES ON WCNC

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Officer involved crash investigation underway in the Freedom Division - WCNC.com

NWSL in LA? D.C. United tonight & more: Freedom Kicks for 7/21/20 – Black And Red United

See, I told you I was back!

Confident D.C. United prepared for tricky Montreal Impact challenge (us): Heres hoping!

Filibuster interview with Oniel Fisher, plus D.C. United versus Montreal (us): Listen to us chat!

D.C. Uniteds super-sub is grateful for opportunity to resume his career (WaPo): Federico Higuain is happy.

Hey, lets take a look at LAFC co-owner (and former United States player) Mia Hamms twitter and well, this sure looks like the NWSL in LA:

Major League Soccer COVID-19 Testing Update - July 20, 2020 (MLS): Continued good news!

Loudoun United starts slow in 3-1 loss to Hartford Athletic (us): Boo! Boo I say! USL with more.

And hey, Wayne Rooneys Derby County is in the Championship. Tomorrow, well, there will be a day:

Anyway I finally saw Palm Springs, Andy Sambergs take on Groundhog Day, which is my oversimplification on things. Its funny, cute and all that:

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NWSL in LA? D.C. United tonight & more: Freedom Kicks for 7/21/20 - Black And Red United

The American right is pushing ‘freedom over fear’. It won’t stop the virus – The Guardian

Covid-19 cases are exploding. The European Union has banned most American residents from entering the bloc. By doing so, it is basically treating the US as a failing state unable to get the pandemic under control. Some are blaming young people who are mingling with each other for the surge. But greater harm has been done by rightwing elites, who are pushing the narrative that protective measures like social distancing and masks impinge on their freedom.

Unlike with any crisis in living American memory, there has been absolutely no national leadership or comprehensive planning Trumps plan has been to have no plan, as the critic Jay Rosen put it. The resulting vacuum has been filled by the most extreme voices in the Republican party and the hard business right: they have pushed the idea that we are in an epic battle between fear and freedom. The likes of Freedom Works and the Job Creators Network have called for flatting the fear curve; this rhetoric is echoed on posters by the seemingly libertarian Michigan protesters proclaiming: My freedom does not end where your fear begins.

In many ways, the right has simply hit repeat for a political strategy that has apparently worked for it in the past: relentlessly stoke culture wars to distract everyone from growing inequalities and a rapidly deteriorating natural environment. Masks have been designated as inherently leftwing or signs of enslavement to the government; evil foreigners are being blamed for the virus. Instead of mobilizing state resources to protect both businesses and workers in the way countries like Denmark have done, the pandemic is instrumentalized to push the all-out deregulation agenda Trump and his backers have pursued from day one of his presidency.

This is a playbook Republicans have been perfecting with regard to global warming: pretend that an impersonal and for many people invisible threat doesnt really exist, and, on top of that, claim that its a plot hatched by a global geopolitical rival.

The truth is that in many ways we are less free than four months ago; we have fewer options and some liberties are being restricted. Yet we should not forget that liberties are always both backed up and limited by the state even the most ardent libertarian calls the police when their right to dispose of their property freely is threatened by thieves. And basic political rights are also always reasonably qualified: Mike Pences specious defense of Trumps failed Tulsa rally invoked the constitutional right of freedom of assembly, but forgot to mention that assemblies can be regulated with regard to timing, place and manner.

The reason liberties have been restricted in the past months is not only that states had a clear democratic mandate by a reasonably fearful majority to do so (polls showed consistent support for lockdowns). It is also that in a situation in which we, as individuals, cannot properly judge whether our conduct will cause major harms to others. It is therefore right for states to put proper regulations in place.

Our inability individually to calculate the risks we pose to others will not change any time soon

Our inability individually to calculate the risks we pose to others will not change any time soon, especially as asymptomatic Covid-19 cases are more common than assumed initially. Hence states should err on the side of imposing detailed regulations. They must sanction those businesses who fail to keep workers safe instead of declaring them essential and shielding them from proper responsibility, in the way Trump did with the meat industry. That will help allay the fears of those who are wary of returning to work.

If safety is not insured, the supposed economic freedom that the hard right is promoting is in fact unfreedom. Many blue-collar workers dont have a choice about whether to stay at home and have every reason to be fearful about returning to an unsafe environment. By contrast, the privileged as they can work from home or dont need the money can choose to keep sheltering. The latter might even benefit indirectly from others getting infected and thus moving us all closer to herd immunity, a classic form of what economists call free riding: getting the benefit without incurring the cost.

America needs to recognize that freedom isnt simply maximal individual self-assertion. Its also, following the political theorist Hannah Arendts famous account, a collective capacity to coordinate and act in concert. That might require forbearance and proper attention to the spaces we share. Many people have been adopting such an attitude putting on masks voluntarily as well as being considerate in how they move and talk. Such self-restraint combined with temporary regulations would lessen fear and increase everyones freedom in the long-term.

Jan-Werner Mller teaches politics at Princeton. His Democracy Rules is forthcoming from Farrar, Straus & Giroux in the US, and Penguin in the UK

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The American right is pushing 'freedom over fear'. It won't stop the virus - The Guardian

500 Cases and Counting: Unprecedented Press Freedom Violations at US Protests – Voice of America

WASHINGTON - Andrew Buncombe expected his assignment on July 1 to be relatively straightforward: covering the clearing of a Seattle protest site for the British daily The Independent. Instead, the reporter found himself in a situation he had never experienced before.Irons were strapped to his ankles and a chain wrapped around his stomach. He was in a van heading toward Seattles West Precinct, in close quarters with others who, like Buncombe, had just been arrested.At one point, the belly chain became so tight that he told the officers he could not breathe a phrase similar to the words spoken by George Floyd, Eric Garner and other Black Americans who died while in police custody, and one that has become a rallying cry in Black Lives Matter demonstrations. In response, an officer told him If you can speak, you can breathe, Buncombe said.It felt surreal and it felt crazy and just ridiculous that I would have to use those words to an officer who just arrested me, Buncombe told VOA. Their response to me speaks for itself.A Seattle police spokesperson referred VOA to the Office of Police Accountability, which is investigating Buncombe's case. The Office of Police Accountability did not respond to VOA's request for comment.

Buncombe is one of more than 70 journalists arrested while covering demonstrations sparked by the May 25 death of Floyd in Minneapolis.The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has received reports on over 500 incidents involving journalists, including 114 attacks. Advocates say the incidents could have dangerous implications for press freedom in the U.S.There's no comparison because never before, certainly in modern history and certainly in the Trackers history, have there been simultaneous protests happening at one time, Kirstin McCudden, the Trackers managing editor, said referring to the U.S.

'Window of insight'Buncombe, The Independents Chief U.S. Correspondent, was reporting from Cal Anderson Park on the clearing of the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, an area protesters declared autonomous for over three weeks. Within five minutes of arriving at the park, Buncombe said, police told him he was in an out of bounds location and arrested him. He said he held up press pass and told them he intended to take photographs.

Reporters are exempt from dispersal orders unless they are physically obstructing efforts by police, according to the Seattle Municipal Code. Buncombe was in police custody with 10 others, most of whom were protesters, and said he was anxious about contracting the coronavirus. He said he told officers he was a journalist.After about six hours, police told the journalist he would be charged with failure to disperse, and he was released. On July 15, the charges were dropped.Buncombe said the incident was not close to the worst treatment that people and other journalists have experienced. But, he said, it did shed light on the criminal justice system.It was just this tiny, tiny, tiny window of insight into the system, he said. You can shout and scream, and you can hold up your press pass and say I'm innocent. I havent done this. I've done nothing wrong. I'm not a protester. Until they've kind of dealt with you, until you've gone through the process, you might as well just sit there and be quiet.New trendThe start of protests marks the most incidents documented by the Press Freedom Tracker since it was created in 2017, McCudden said. On average, the tracker reported about 150 incidents annually. McCudden has noticed several trends, including the role law enforcement has played. Of the 114 reported physical attacks, a law enforcement officer was the alleged assailant in 68 of them about 60 percent.Last year, she said, 39 journalists were attacked, six allegedly by law enforcement.

Instead of providing and creating an environment where both demonstrators and journalists can exercise the right to demonstrate and cover the news, [they] are confronted in highly aggressive methods. For us, that's a very concerning trend, Carlos Martnez de la Serna, the program director for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), told VOA.CPJ helps the Tracker with its reporting. Many of the arrests and attacks took place after the journalists identified themselves and offered to change locations, Martnez de la Serna said.

Press freedom advocates worry that the incidents will damage the countrys previous standing as a beacon of press freedom globally.The U.S. has experienced a steady decline in press freedom, even before this year. In Reporters Without Borders 2020 World Press Freedom Index, the U.S. ranked 45 out of 180 countries, with 1 being most free. The country has declined by 13 spots since 2013.I am absolutely concerned about the state of press freedom in the United States, Nora Benavidez, the director of U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America, told VOA. Much of our work now is trying to acclimate people to understanding that press freedom is not an abstract concept. It is a fundamental aspect of our democracy.Others said the public nature of the incidents could hinder other countries perception of the U.S.It's the images of journalists being attacked and violence against demonstrators across 71 cities, across the whole U.S, Martnez de la Serna said. That's on top of a lack of leadership in terms of press freedom.Advocates say change and justice is needed including consequences for those involved in incidents with journalists.Press freedom groups, including the CPJ, have called on U.S. governors and President Donald Trump to ensure the attacks are fully investigated and to respect the right of journalists to cover protests. In addition, rights groups are pushing for a reduction in anti-press sentiments nationwide.People need credible information, and that really does start with journalists, Benavidez said. They need to have the latitude and the freedom to be able to report as they wish, and to be free from retaliation.

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500 Cases and Counting: Unprecedented Press Freedom Violations at US Protests - Voice of America

Freedom for Saltcoats woman thanks to face mask | Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald – Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald

A YOUNG Saltcoats woman with a rare disorder which affects her lungs and heart has found freedom after 19 weeks of home isolation thanks to her new face covering.

Georgia Loughran, 23, who suffers from a rare disorder called CHARGE syndrome, finally found the confidence, alongside her family, to leave her home for the first time in over 130 days thanks to a specialist antiviral face covering.

CHARGE syndrome is a disorder that affects many areas of the body including the eyes, heart and respiratory system. Georgia has already undergone three major surgeries and a tracheostomy, an invasive surgery to allow for a tube to be inserted into the windpipe to help her breathe.

Although the UK didnt enter lockdown until towards the end of March this year, Georgia and her family had been keeping a close eye on the global development of the coronavirus since its inception.

Georgia said: Because of CHARGE and me having had the tracheostomy, Ive got an extremely vulnerable airway and Im particularly susceptible to catching viruses.

My family and I had been closely watching the news about the spread of the coronavirus since the first outbreak in China earlier this year. As the cases in the UK began to increase in early March, we decided to start shielding then, two weeks before the rest of the country.

I miss being able to go on weekends away with my family. Id also just started on a course doing pre-work training after finishing college so its a shame that Ive missed out on doing that over the past few months.

Because I was always really busy doing things, its been strange doing nothing. Ive really enjoyed spending more time with my mum and sister, though. Weve been doing yoga which Ive loved and also the usual online family quizzes and bingo.

For her first trip out, Georgia opted to go to the beach. She said: It felt fabulous to have the wind flowing through my hair after over 13 weeks of it been up in a messy bun.

Her mum, Helen says: Its lovely to have my feisty, outgoing girl back and to watch her take her first steps back to normal life.

I am so thankful that my sister passed on the information about the Shield.

Georgias ears are particularly small due to her CHARGE syndrome and she has found that the traditional ear-loop face masks dont stay on her face. She explains: I had been feeling a bit panicky and anxious about leaving the house as none of the conventional face masks would stay on my face and its often difficult to social distance in places like supermarkets.

My aunt works for the NHS and had heard about the Virustatic Shield, or snoodie as we call it in our family, through a colleague. The fact that it had been scientifically proven against viruses, and its coating against COVID-19, and we could read all the science papers on their website, we felt assured that this would protect us. Its also a snood design which wraps around my face and allows me to talk more easily than other masks would.

The Virustatic Shield is coated in a protein compound called Viruferrin which protects the user and others from the spread of influenza viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the strain behind the current deadly pandemic.

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Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay and Wavve Boating form partnership – Boating Industry

Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay has partnered with marine navigation app Wavve Boating to provide new club members with a digital platform designed to foster fun and collaboration. With the Wavve Boating app, the Bays members now have a solution for sharing boating routes, points of interest, on the water restaurants, and more.

Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay (FBCTB) provides members with access to over 500 boats, across 29 locations in the Tampa Bay area. A community-centric club, built on a shared passion of lending a hand (or a line), and dock talk, FBCTB, like most organizations, had to adapt to keep their community safe by following COVID-19 social distancing protocols, without losing the member communication that is such a fundamental part of their club promise.

The partnership with Wavve Boating, which provides all new members a license to the app, was well-timed with this developing need. Within the app, boaters can share their favorite spots including beaches, restaurants, scenic lookouts, and more, creating a digital alternative for capturing the same helpful information one would typically learn from a fellow boater, or dock-hand, closer than six feet away while fueling up, stopping in for a bite, or sitting dockside.

With the app in hand, boaters can build custom maps with an infinite number of points of interest, and choose whether to keep their contributions private, share them with friends, or make them public for the entire community. FBCTB members will find an added benefit of recommended locations populated by the club, allowing new members to find their first boating adventure right away.

Like Freedom Boat Club, we are focused on making boating easier and more inclusive. We want to remove the anxiety felt by most that are new to boating, and allow those with more experience, to focus on the fun of being on the water, stated Adam Allore, Founder and CEO of Wavve Boating.

In recent months, demand for recreational boats has increased as many hobbyists are looking for available recreational activities during COVID-19 restrictions.

We have grown our member community considerably this past spring and now into the summer stated Dean Iverson, Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay, The team and I are thrilled to continue on this trajectory and support our members with this partnership.

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Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay and Wavve Boating form partnership - Boating Industry

Wild animals losing freedom to roam as city encroaches on Nairobi park – Reuters

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Rhinos, lions, buffalo and leopards range against the background of a city skyline in the Nairobi National Park, Africas only game reserve within a capital city.

The park has been fenced in on three sides as the city mushroomed around it.

Outside its unfenced southern boundary, the banks of the Mochiriri River are a favoured refuge for breeding lions. Animals often pass through to make their way to larger parks beyond.

But the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has proposed a 10-year plan to fence land along the southern boundary to reduce conflict between people and animals.

The idea has many conservationists up in arms and a court hearing on the plan is scheduled on Wednesday.

This is the lifeline of this park, said Reinhard Nyandire, a conservationist working with the Friends of Nairobi National Park, gesturing to the open pastures behind him.

When they fence the park, you cut them (the animals) off, he said.

The volunteer group is dedicated to helping KWS keep the lands around the park open.

The KWS director general and spokesmen did not respond to requests to discuss the plan.

Commercial buildings are encroaching on the parks land and in 2018, a six-km railway bridge was built through it. Sewage from nearby settlements empties into the river, KWS reports say.

Animals often leave the park during the rainy season when the grass is too long to see predators and return during the dry season when the grass inside is more lush. The park also links up to migration corridors leading to larger parks.

The plan proposes fencing in land on the southern boundary if the owners are willing, or if they do not agree, to fence the park itself.

A 2016 KWS report said fencing was the least suitable option to reduce animal-human conflict. Shrinking ranges would cause conflict among rhinos and lions, other species could not migrate, and inbreeding would be a problem.

It is not the only option. The plan itself said conservation initiatives such as installing free motion-sensor lights to deter lions have already reduced human-animal conflict.

Nkamunu Patita, co-ordinator for the Naretunoi conservancy which borders the park, said many landowners do not want any fencing.

When Reuters visited Naretunoi, herds of zebras were resting there with fluffy babies, unsteady young giraffe grazed alongside their mothers, and ostrich and wildebeest roamed alongside Maasai cows.

Freedom to move across wide swathes of land benefits both wildlife and Maasai herders, she said.

Their way of life is compatible with conservation, she said. Thats why you see zebras and cows grazing together.

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Wild animals losing freedom to roam as city encroaches on Nairobi park - Reuters

Nation of Islam posts Farrakhans call for Jews to ditch the Talmud & be saved amid Nick Cannon antisemitism debacle – RT

The Nation of Islam posted a call from leader Louis Farrakhan to the Jewish community telling them to turn away from the Talmud to be spared by God - hours after Farrakhan fan Nick Cannon was fired over his own "antisemitism."

The black Muslim minister ordered members of the Jewish community to turn away from the Talmud and embrace the Torah and stop doing evil to those whom you believe are less than yourself and justifying it by the Talmud. The clip was posted by the Nation of Islam to Twitter on Wednesday.

If you will forsake the Talmud, God will give you more time. But if in your mind you feel that you are able to harm me or kill meI can guarantee your destruction.

Accusing Jews of making [the Talmud] greater than Gods word, Farrakhan nevertheless insisted he harbored no hate for them. They tell lies to make you think I am a bigot or antisemite, so you wont listen to what Im saying, he explained elsewhere in the speech, adding that so far theyve been pretty successful.

Farrakhan covered topics ranging from the founding of the Nation of Islam to the coronavirus to police brutality during the three-hour address, given on July 4 in honor of the sects 90th anniversary in the US. He also claimed Jews had poisoned him with radiated seed, seeking to destroy him because he represents the uncovering of their wickedness. The speech was intended to air on Fox Soul TV, butan organized complaint campaign convinced the company to cancel the broadcast.

Perhaps smelling weakness, many on social media ramped up their calls for Farrakhan to be canceled altogether. The polarizing religious leader already has the distinction of being the only non-conservative in the initial group of celebrities declared dangerous individuals by Facebook in 2018, and the Anti-Defamation League complained on Wednesday that he was the most popular antisemite in America.

Entertainer Nick Cannon brought up Farrakhan during the podcast that got him fired from ViacomCBS after over 20 years with the company, some noted, wondering why Farrakhan couldnt be canceled as well. Cannon spouted a good deal more anti-white bigotry than antisemitic comments, but Farrakhan has done his fair share of calling out white devils too.

Some rolled their eyes at Farrakhan and his followers belief that Jews control the media or the world, pointing out that if that was the case, Farrakhan wouldnt be living in it, even as others pointed out that antisemitism seemed to carry a much harsher sentence than anti-white bigotry.

However, many others jumped in to defend Farrakhan, praising his and the Nation of Islams work and noting Cannon is just the latest black celebrity to get canceled for speaking positively about him.

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Nation of Islam posts Farrakhans call for Jews to ditch the Talmud & be saved amid Nick Cannon antisemitism debacle - RT

Learn About the Holy Temple in Depth – Texts and Classes Describing the Holy Temple – Chabad.org

Why Learn About the Holy Temple?

Ezekiel said: Master of the World, why are You telling meto go and tell Israel the form of the House . . . They are nowin exile in the land of our enemies. Is there anything they can do [about it]?Let them be until they return from exile. Then, I will go and inform them.

Gd answered: Should the construction of My House beignored because My children are in exile?

The study of the Torah's [design of the Holy Temple]can be equated to its construction. Go tell them to study the form of theTemple. As a reward for their study and their occupation with it, I willconsider it as if they actually built it.

Implicit in the wording used in this passage is that thestudy of the laws of the Holy Temple has ramifications that extend far beyondthe ordinary sphere of intellectual activity. Rather, through this study, aperson fulfills his obligation to build the Temple.

Thus, the Rebbe teaches us, it is especially appropriateto learn these laws during the Three Weeks, when we mourn the destruction ofthe Holy Temple and our subsequent exile.

Over the course of more than a millennium, theHoly Temple appeared in several iterations. Several key elements run through them all, but there are also significantdifferences.

As outlined in the Book of Exodus, Gds firsthome was the Tabernacle(Mishkan), which was built in the desert and continued to function (in variousforms) until the days of Solomon.

The best place to learn about this Temple isin the Book of Exodus, where we read both about Gds instructions regardingits construction and how it was actually built.

What Was theMishkan? Learn the FourMishkan-Related Torah Portions

For more than 800 years, two successive HolyTemples stood in Jerusalem. The architecture of the SecondTemple is discussed extensively in the Talmud and then again in Maimonidescode.

Study the Talmud's Description of the Second Holy Temple (Video)ReadMaimonides Depiction of the Second TempleLearn MaimonidesText With Rabbi Gordon (Video)Read theRebbes Insights on Maimonides Depictions9 Holy TempleFacts

For nearly 2,000 years, there has been no HolyTemple in Jerusalem. Yet, it is an axiom of Jewish belief that the Temple will berebuilt in Jerusalem. Known as the Third Temple, it will be built according tothe prophecies of Ezekiel.

ExploreEzekiels Vision for the Yet-to-Be Built Temple 4 UniqueCharacteristics of Ezekiels TempleNow take theHoly Temple quiz

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The Kingly Roots of Kitchri: Lentils With Love – Jewish Journal

When Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzars forces destroyed Solomons Temple when Jerusalem was conquered in 586 B.C.E., he forever changed the diets of Jews. For millennia, Jews have commemorated the destruction of the First Temple and Second Temple (by the Romans in 70 C.E.) with three weeks of mourning. It starts with the fast of the 17th of Tammuz and then the nine (mostly meat-free) days leading up to the fast of Tisha bAv.

When Nebuchadnezzar took the House of Judah into exile, my ancestors were among those who sat and wept by the Rivers of Babylon. The vicissitudes of Iraqi Jewish history included the rebuilding of the temple by Ezra the Scribe; the incredible Jewish learning and compilation of the Babylonian Talmud; and the rise of the Islamic caliphate and Islamic discrimination. The Jews flourished again under the Ottoman Empire and by the early 19th century, the Jews of Baghdad were responsible for all the trade between Iraq and India.

For generations, the family of my great grandfather Yosef were the keepers of the tomb of Ezra, a shrine sacred to Jews and Shiite Muslims. Located in the village of El Azair on the Tigris River, the tomb, with its beautiful turquoise dome and tiled Hebrew lettering, was the site of many pilgrimages, especially for the holidays of Shavuot and Rosh Hashanah.

With the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, Jewish life in Iraq became increasingly difficult. The majority of Jews, including my family, left for Israel in 1951 and 1952 in Operation Ezra and Nehemiah. Two of my great-grandparents, Yosef and Tova, bought a beautiful Arab house on Emek Refaim in the German Colony of Jerusalem. After their deaths, my grandmother Aziza, Uncle Reuben, Uncle Naji and Uncle Nuri (they were my great-uncles but I called them uncles) moved to Australia to join their oldest sister, my great-aunt Naima, who had immigrated there via Bombay and Shanghai in the 1920s. They were all different, but they all had an innate dignity. One of my clearest memories as a young child was of my Uncle Nuri eating kitchri. In Iraq, kitchri was served for dinner most Thursday nights and always served the week before Tisha bAv, when it is customary to eschew meat.

Inspired by the Indian rice-and-mung bean dish kitchari, Iraqi kitchri combines rice and lentils with cumin, sauted onions and garlic. The addition of lentils, a traditional Jewish mourning food, made it a suitably humble meal to commemorate these days of mourning the loss of our beloved Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple).

The combination of rice and lentils gives a nutty depth and makes this dish a source of complete protein. The meal can be rounded out with a fried egg, plain leben or kefir and a fresh tomato-and-cucumber salad.

SHARONS KITCHRI

2 cups basmati rice1 cup red lentils4 tablespoons oil, separated1 large onion, diced2 tomatoes, diced1 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons cumin2 teaspoons turmeric3 tablespoons tomato paste4 cups water

Garnish:

1 medium onion, thinly sliced1 teaspoon cumin8 garlic cloves, cut into sliversWash and drain rice.

Wash and drain lentils.

In large heavy-based pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil and saut onion over low heat for 10 minutes or until golden.

Add tomatoes and saut for 2 minutes.

Add rice and lentils and saut for 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt, cumin and turmeric and stir for 1 minute.

Add tomato paste, stir well, then slowly add water.

Bring to boil, stir well lower heat to low and cover with tight-fitting lid.

Cook 20-25 minutes.

For garnish: In frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil, add onion and saut until caramelized. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil, add cumin and garlic and saut until slightly browned.

Garnish rice with onion and garlic mixture.

Serves 6-8.

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