Online casino sites: why these are the UK’s best online casinos – Telegraph.co.uk

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Finding the best online casino sites in the UK doesnt begin and end with sourcing the best online casino welcome bonus offers. The sites that have achieved a place on our list have loads of brilliant features that will keep you coming back long after youve played through your sign-up bonus.

Which site has the best live casino? Which one is best for blackjack? Or jackpots? Find out more below, but first, heres the all-important list.

Check out these online casino offers.

All the online casino sites that made our list are brilliant all-rounders where you will find an excellent selection of card games, table games and slots combined with a good level of customer service. Below we delve deeper to reveal the particular areas in which they offer a standout experience.

A few of the sites on our list of the best online casinos provide player guides to much loved classics such as blackjack, baccarat or roulette, but few strike as good a balance between being brief enough for beginners while containing enough information to be informative as bet365.

The bet365 player guides for blackjack, baccarat and roulette are easily accessible from a tab on the casino navigation and lay things out in a simple, digestible manner thats great whether youre an online casino rookie or just dipping in for a quick refresher.

There are all kinds of reasons why even the most experienced players may need a little help from their online casino site from time to time. Maybe youre having trouble triggering a promotion, need help verifying your ID, or setting up deposit and withdrawal methods, for example.

In such circumstances having someone to speak to is really reassuring and Unibet Casino offers support to account holders 24/7.

Unlike their few rivals who can match this commitment to customer satisfaction, this relates not just to live chat, but to telephone support from actual human beings. Bravo Unibet.

Condensing all the brilliant features of an online casinos desktop site into an easy-to-use app is a task thats almost impossible to perfect. Compromises with slimming down the breadth of variety on offer, splitting apps into specific casino genres or loading and gameplay are essential.

Betways Casino Slots and Games app is arguably the best out there for providing a great depth and breadth of casino games and slots in one app whilst maintaining a look and feel consistent with the excellent online casino site.

Dont take out word for it, the app has got a rating of 4.7/5 from more than 1,000 user reviews at Apples App Store.

When youre new to an online casino site its great to be able to demo the specific versions of casino table games and slots they offer. That way you can improve your understanding of the rules of each game before putting up your hard-earned cash to play for real money.

Yet few UK online casino sites have a consistent offering when it comes to demo play options, which are often either hard to find or simply not there for some titles.

Step forward 32Red, where the demo play is available on all slots and casino table games (apart from Live Casino for fairly obvious reasons). This is a brilliant feature which does much to enhance the feeling of trust and respect that many players look for in their online casino sites.

Winning a daily jackpot on Paddy Power isnt special, as the self-styled Special One Jos Mourinho reminds us in his advertisements for Paddy Power games, because you have the chance to do so when you play jackpot games each day on the site.

However, when it comes to online casino sites in the UK, Paddy Power is special, with jackpot slots feeding into six progressive jackpots on the site, including four Must Drop Jackpots, each growing constantly.

Alongside its regular daily jackpots, which include prizes that must drop before a certain time or win amount, there are also slots which form part of the Jackpot King network, where the biggest jackpot at the time of writing was heading towards the 3m mark.

Live casino offerings are hugely popular at UK online casino sites as they combine convenience with the atmosphere and social aspects of visiting a physical casino setting.

William Hill Casino is a colossus of a site, substantial enough to have its own sections for Asian and Vegas style games, as well as traditional slots and casino staples.

The live casino offering is of unparalleled depth, particularly when it comes to roulette, while the site also boasts more live baccarat and poker rooms than you will find pretty much anywhere else.

Exclusive tables and a well-stocked arsenal of that latest live casino favourite, game shows, are presented by friendly and engaging hosts that really add to the experience.

Many online casino sites have exclusive slots or their own versions of table game classics, but Betfair Casino offers something truly unique among UK sites with their Exchange Games.

Betfair Casino is a brilliant all-round casino site, with a great selection of slots, blackjack, roulette and baccarat games, but its exchange games add another dimension to proceedings.

Billed as letting you feel what its like to be on the side of the casino, exchange games allow you to watch various table games unfold and back or lay (bet against) the players hands to try and lock in a profit, just as you would do with sports on the Betfair Exchange.

Blackjack is one of the most popular games played at online casino sites so the vast majority of operators make sure they provide a varied offering for fans of the 21 game.

In practice that can mean lots of samey live casino rooms for some casinos, but Betfred also has a great offering away from the live setting, with all kinds of takes on the game. Classic Blackjack is complemented by variants focusing on the best-loved side bets such as Blackjack Perfect Pairs and Blackjack Switch.

Jackpot games, where you can put yourself in line for a mammoth progressive jackpot are there too, along with 10m Blackjack, where a Charlie Rule hand (one of six or more cards without busting) could see you scoop a million times your stake depending upon how many are in your Charlie.

Weve all heard about online poker tournaments, but slots tournaments are growing in popularity all the time. Playing slots online isnt just a matter of man versus machine you know.

Slots tournaments offer you the chance to play in competition with other site members to win cash prizes or free spins and BGO is the place to go whether youre a beginner or tournament veteran.

Why? The diversity of tournaments and the regularity with which the daily and weekly tourneys begin blow other online casinos out of the water when it comes to this aspect of slots gaming.

Existing customer offers and promotions are one of the things that play a part in bringing us back to our favoured online casino sites after weve played through the welcome bonus and theyre something 888 does really well.

Many UK online casinos offers for existing customers are heavily tilted in favour of slots players, but at 888 Casino games fans are treated to an impressive extra incentives to keep them coming back.

Many online casino sites in the UK offer some kind of tie-in with their physical shops, but none can boast such an equally high-quality experience across the virtual and real-life realms as Grosvenor.

Well known to casino regulars for its long-standing bricks-and-mortar casinos around the UK, Grosvenors online casino site is a stylish experience well stocked with classic casino table games, slots and regular promotions.

Its Grosvenor One initiative provides a single wallet to use in the casino and online, the ability to deposit and withdraw from your online account in its physical casinos and regular exclusive online offers and slots bonuses for Grosvenor One members.

Table games like roulette, blackjack or baccarat may have more of an association with the James-Bond-in-Monte-Carlo glamour of the casino, but slots easily rival them for interest when it comes to players at both bricks-and-mortar establishments and online casino sites.

If youre the type of online slots player who likes to switch your target often and takes pleasure in being able to dip in and out of a diverse range of themes, features and volatility levels, try BetVictor.

BetVictors online casino boasts an incredible four-figure serving of slots with more than 1,000 titles available to account holders. Play one slot a day and thatll keep you going for more than three years.

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Online casino sites: why these are the UK's best online casinos - Telegraph.co.uk

Tamar Braxton, 43, Hospitalized After Being Found Unresponsive Thursday Night – Women’s Health

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Singer and reality TV star Tamar Braxton was reportedly hospitalized Thursday night, according to TMZ and The Blast. She was found unresponsive by her boyfriend, David Adefeso, in their room at the Ritz-Carlton Residences in downtown Los Angeles at 9:45 p.m.

Over the past few months, the couple has been producing a YouTube show called "Coupled and Quarantined," following their experience in isolation together. Instead of airing Thursday's episode of the show, a message appeared on Braxton's YouTube channel: "Hello y'all, unfortunately your girl Tamar is under the weather today and not feeling well so we need to postpone today's show (don't worry it's not COVID). We're sad because we had a great show lined up for you today, but next week's show is going to be even bigger and better."

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to The Blast that they responded to a call for a possible overdose" at 9:45 p.m. for a 43-year-old female.

"Tamar has had a very tough and emotional daymore information will be coming in the next few days. Please pray for her," a spokesperson for Braxton told The Blast.

Tamar previously appeared on the WE tv show Braxton Family Values along with her sisters Toni, Traci, Towanda, and Trina. On July 30, she is slated to launch a new show on WE tv called Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life.

A new trailer for the show premiered Thursday, and in it, she says, "I lost my family, I lost my dreams. It's time to give myself a shot." The trailer also shows Braxton arguing with producers and walking off set, saying: "Do I have to be the angry Black woman in every series? I'm not playing Russian Roulette with my life anymore."

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Coronavirus will be the only winner in this 2020 baseball season – San Francisco Chronicle

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Baseball is going to try to start a season.

As a justification, the sport has in a pattern repeated through its history wrapped itself in a swath of civic duty, patriotism and morale-boosting gauze in an attempt to obscure the jagged bottom-line reality of why it is trying to rush a fake little season into the middle of a pandemic.

Do we really need this? Are we really falling for it? Believe me, Id love some carefree sports viewing, but this is unlikely to be that. And judging by the vast majority of feedback Im receiving, most of you arent buying what baseball is trying to sell, either.

In reality, baseball wont be an amusing diversion for a frustrated audience, but could prove to be a very difficult watch. Just as the NFL has become almost impossible to view without flinching at every hard hit, without a looming sense of doom about the future health of the players involved, baseball viewing will carry a new anxiety level.

A sense of dread. Who is going to get the coronavirus next? Where is the roulette wheel going to stop? What will be the repercussions be for that players or coachs family? Will the games have to abruptly end?

A welcome distraction?

Not likely. Not when we know that the baseball players were watching are each receiving multiple tests a week so they can play some games that will carry asterisks forever.

They are getting tested for the coronavirus while the average person cant get a timely test, and if we manage to get one we must wait for days, even weeks to get the results. Essential workers wait in lines in brutal heat for the right to get their nose swabbed so they can scan your groceries or babysit your kids. But Alex Bregman can get tested constantly so he can stand at the plate in an empty stadium and take a ball?

A fun escape?

Not while were trying to teach our kids at home and wondering whether college will be an option in their near future. Not while were trying to figure out how to work at home if were still lucky enough to have a job. Not while the American public is shedding jobs, homes, wealth and future security as the virus soars through communities, ping-pongs around states, defies all attempts by politicians to harness it or minimize it or flat-out pretend it isnt happening.

And just wait until that predicted, dreaded second wave another surge happens right around the time of the bogus playoffs and World Series.

That will be terrific for morale!

Those platitudes about baseball being good for our spirits and national healing have been tossed around since the moment the sport shut down. Commissioner Rob Manfred said it would be an honor for baseball to be part of the countrys comeback. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the sport would be a great morale boost for the country. Agent Scott Boras, busy reaping millions in contract commissions, intoned that baseball can help our nation heal, and that it has always been there in times of loss.

This is an ongoing time of loss. How do you heal when things arent under control? And how soothing is the season when we know the push is just to get to the playoffs and the associated revenue?

But but but what about baseball in South Korea and Japan? What about soccer in Europe? This is why we cant have nice things like sports. We rushed to get things reopened and never, not even remotely, got the virus under control as a country. Those nations where sports are being played? They did the hard part, listened to the scientists and now are able to track and isolate flareups. MLB is attempting to open a 30-team sport, all around the country without quarantine, without those abilities.

The concern about the entertainment value in watching this bogus baseball season doesnt even extend to competitive aspect of play. But thats certainly also in question. In a 60-game season, some teams will fall behind quickly and will, for all intents and purposes, be out of the running after a few weeks. What about those players? Are they supposed to stay motivated under these bizarre, restrictive circumstances? What is the point of playing out a meaningless string in a pandemic, where your loved ones could be put at risk?

Baseball is trying to play games. It would be nice to see a fun pastime, something actually like a normal baseball season with a team winning legitimately at the end.

But the winner will be the coronavirus. As weve already found out the hard way, it always is.

Ann Killion is a columnist for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: akillion@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annkillion

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Coronavirus will be the only winner in this 2020 baseball season - San Francisco Chronicle

Derren Brown to celebrate 20 years on TV with live stunt this summer – RadioTimes

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Derren Brown is celebrating 20 years on Channel 4 with a new stunt, set to be performed and broadcasted live this summer.

In Derren Brown 20 Years of Mind Control: Live, the illusionist will perform his latest psychological trick live on air, before revisiting some of his most jaw-dropping TV moments over the past two decades.

The two-hour special will see Brown look back at some of his most iconic clips, including Russian Roulette Live and the time he correctly predicted the National Lottery result, with viewers able to vote for their favourite Derren Brown moment.

Throughout the show, the public will be asked to choose from a shortlist of five stunts Russian Roulette, The Heist, Hero at 30,000ft, Apocalypse and Pushed to the Edge with Brown revealing the winning moment at the end of the special.

Brown, who released his last show Sacrifice in 2018, is set to surprise one unsuspecting viewer during the special, throughout which he will reveal the incredible stories and meticulous logistics behind each of his stunts.

Twenty years! That was quick. And what a treat to be given this night by the broadcaster that have been so very supportive and nurturing over that time, said Brown in a statement.

I cant imagine two decades with anyone else. Its going to be a fun night.

Phil Harris, Channel 4s Head of Entertainment added: There are very few people within the entertainment industry capable of raising the exhilaration stakes in quite the way Derren does and with him at the helm, this very special celebration should be no different.

The 49-year-old made his television debut in 2000 with Channel 4 series Derren Brown: Mind Control, and has since filmed six shows and 13 specials.

Browns shortlist of stunts include Apocalypse, a 2012 two-part special in which a random member of the public was made to think that he was living in a zombie wasteland, as well as 2010s Hero at 30,000ft, in which Brown hypnotised a man with a flying phobia into piloting a fake plane.

Browns last stage show, Secret, ran from September 2019 until January, with the illusionists next show, Showman, set to tour the UK and Ireland from February 2021 onwards.

Derren Brown 20 Years of Mind Control: Live will air on Channel 4 later this summer.

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Derren Brown to celebrate 20 years on TV with live stunt this summer - RadioTimes

Beaches, trails, waterfront eats make Ludington the front door to Up North – MLive.com

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LUDINGTON, MI Longtime Ludington fans know to expect it, but it still catches first-time visitors by surprise: that sparkling expanse of Lake Michigan, lapping right at the edge of downtown.

Ludington is one of those true Michigan beach towns where everything is designed to take advantage of the water. The towns main thoroughfare leads right to it. Gorgeous beaches flank it, not only in the city, but just up the road where a gem of a state park is neatly sandwiched between the Great Lake and a popular inland lake - and its connecting river.

Add into that a downtown with lots of local shops and a handful of great restaurants and breweries, and its not a surprise some vacationers dont consider themselves having reached Northern Michigan until theyve landed in Ludington.

Thats kind of how we describe ourselves Were the front door to Up North, said Brandy Miller, executive director of the Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

While summer and fall are the top tourist times, this spot has really become a four-season getaway. If youre hitting the road for Ludington, here are a few suggestions to round out your trip:

Dunegrass along Lake Michigan at Ludington State Park.

BEACHES

Stearns Park Beach: This one is right in town. Its got a half-mile of sandy beach, playground and concessions. Its a great gathering place to stay and play during the day, or stroll at the waters edge at sunset.

Buttersville Park Beach: Typically a quieter spot, this beach is located on the south side of the Pere Marquette River channel, and has a nearby campground.

Ludington State Park: This is the ultimate beach experience. The popular state park boasts several miles of shoreline and sandy beaches on both Lake Michigan and the inland Hamlin Lake. There are beachside playgrounds, picnic tables and concessions. You can follow the shoreline all the way to a lighthouse, or float down the Big Sable River until you reach Lake Michigan.

Hiking and biking trails abound in the Ludington area. Photo courtesy of the Ludington Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

HIKING AND BIKING

Pack your comfortable walking shoes or day hikers and dont forget to load up your bike or plan to rent one from the bike shops in town. The Ludington area has miles of trails built for exploring. If youre headed to Ludington State Park, its got a bike trail connecting all three of its modern campgrounds, as well as a non-paved road out to the Big Sable Point Lighthouse that draws bikers. The state park offers a 4-mile canoe trail, 10 miles of cross-country skiing trails in the winter, and more than 25 miles of hiking trails that range from backdune to forest to marshland. Hint: the Lost Lake Trail is a favorite for kids, with its boardwalk, shady pathways and wildlife viewing spots.

Closer to town, try the Cartier Park Pathway, which offers trails for walking, road biking and a twisty, contoured, single-track mountain biking route called The Dragon. Cyclists say its as fun to ride as its name implies.

A stretch of beach in Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area.MLive.com

GET A LITTLE WILD

Want a little deeper back-to-nature experience? Check out Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area. These 3,400 acres stretch along Lake Michigan, north of Ludington State Park. This national forest land offers hiking and rustic camping. The wilderness area is popular for hiking, camping, hunting, nature study and wildlife viewing, according to the U.S. Forest Service. There are approximately 10 miles of trail that can be accessed from two developed trailheads at the end of Nurnberg Road and Lake Michigan Recreation Area. It can be a day trip or a mini-vacation, depending on your timeline. For trail maps and details on camping regulations, check the Nordhouse Dunes website.

The S.S. Badger car ferry leaves Ludington to take passengers to Manitowoc, Wis.Ken Stevens | MLive.com file

S.S. BADGER

No trip to Ludington would be complete without seeing the S.S. Badger. This 600-passenger ship is a National Historic Landmark, and the last coal-fired car ferry operating on the Great Lakes. It currently makes one round-trip a day between its Ludington berth and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. It can accommodate 180 vehicles for those who want to drive off and start an adventure on the other side of Lake Michigan. Its also full of interesting things to do and see (Hint: Check out the Badger Bingo game), and its top deck has plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the waterfront view for the four-hour trip. Private staterooms can also be reserved. For more information on travel times and amenities, check the Badgers website.

Big Sable Point Light pictured at sunset.MLive.com

LIGHTHOUSES

The Ludington area has two spots for lighthouse lovers. The biggest draw is Big Sable Point Lighthouse, a towering black-and-white column that is best accessed via a 2-mile trail in Ludington State Park. The point itself was named by French explorers, and the lighthouse was built in 1867. In the 1940s, it became the last Great Lakes lighthouse to get electricity. While the tower itself is not open for visitors during the 2020 season, the lighthouse gift shop is open for weekend visitors.

The North Breakwater Light is another popular spot, this one right in town at Stearns Park Beach. Its a great spot to walk out to see the sunset, or wave at the S.S. Badger as it heads across the lake, or is pulling into port.

HIDDEN GEM

If youve got kids in tow, make sure to try the citys Waterfront Park for a little down time. Its not only a great place to see the S.S. Badger, but it sits between two marinas, so theres plenty of boat-watching to be had. Theres a big playground for kids and a unique sculpture park that gives visitors a little history lesson about the area. The sculptures also have QR codes, allowing you to scan them for a little audio tour of the artwork and what they represent.

A longtime brewery in Ludington, check Jamesport's rotating brew roster to pick your favorite.

RESTAURANTS AND BREWERIES

Some are relatively new additions, while others are Ludington staples. Heres a rundown of some spots to check out when youre on the hunt for a meal or a craft beer and a snack. Some of these come with amazing rooftop or waterfront views.

House of Flavors Restaurant, 402 W. Ludington Ave. Now in its third generation of Neal family ownership, House of Flavors flagship location is a downtown magnet for ice cream and sundae lovers, and those seeking a bit of 50s diner-style nostalgia. Each year, the manufacturing side of the operation produces more than 30 million gallons of ice cream. Favorites include Strawberry, classic Chocolate, Blue Moon and Orange Pineapple. Up for a challenge or planning to bring friends? Order The Pigs Dinner and get a collector pin.

Old Hamlin: 122. W. Ludington Ave. A family-owned restaurant right downtown, this place is a staple. Its known for its big menu and Friday Fish Fry. To see its menu and specials, check its website and Facebook page.

Blu Moon Bistro: 125 S. James St. This eatery draws people in with an eclectic menu fusion, sushi, Americana with a twist, anyone? and delights them with a rooftop deck, one of two outdoor seating options. Find updates on their Facebook page and a menu on their website.

PM Steamers Restaurant: 502 W. Loomis St. A waterfront locale and a steak-and-seafood menu make this a spot for locals as well as vacationers. See the website for seating times and more details.

The Q Smokehouse: 225 S. James St. Slow-smoked meats are the hallmarks of this eatery. Currently, it offers online ordering and a convenient outside ordering/pickup system. You can do strictly take-out, or enjoy your food outside on tables. Find the menu on the website and see the Facebook page for updates.

Jamesport Brewing Company: 410 S. James St. More than a century ago, this spot was a saloon whose seats were filled by sailors and lumbermen. Now its a place for craft beer lovers who want a good meal served up alongside their brew of choice. Check their website for the latest beer list and their Facebook page for updates.

Ludington Bay Brewing Co.: 515 S. James St. With about 20 brews on tap daily, youll want to check this brewerys website for the latest seasonal lineup. Menu runs from solid pub food to an array of creative pizzas and a conversation-starter Adult Mac & Cheese entre, which you can load up with chicken, bacon or grilled fresh jalapenos.

For more information about planning your next trip to Ludington, go online to pureludington.com.

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How to spend a Michigans Best summer day in Ludington

Planning a trip to Ludington? 8 things not to miss

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Beaches, trails, waterfront eats make Ludington the front door to Up North - MLive.com

Pictures speak volumes as weddings get smaller on area beaches – Traverse City Record Eagle

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TRAVERSE CITY Maria Hall, 30, and her fianc Joshua Dillon, 35, have always appreciated the earths natural beauty.

The couple who both grew up in Michigan share a love of travel that has taken them to places including Jamaica, Iceland, and California where they lived for a few years. There, they visited every national park in the state, according to Hall.

The couples affinity for nature rings especially true when it comes to their appreciation of the natural wonder of northern Michigan.

We love the sand dunes. We love the beautiful blue water, said Hall. The ocean is awesome but its not our lakes.

So, when it came time to plan their July 2020 wedding, they knew a beach ceremony with Lake Michigan as a backdrop would best capture their love adventure.

An added plus? The couples out of area family could also soak in northern Michigans majestic views.

To show them how gorgeous really our state is, Hall said. Lets be real, the pictures are going to be beautiful.

Pictures, in this time of COVID-19, will be how most of her friends and family experience her wedding.

And northern Michigan pictures can say 1,000 words if not more, according to Corey Weber, owner of The Weber Photographers.

For him, beach ceremonies are the total visual package.

They really do incorporate every single aspect that is the big draw to northern Michigan, he said.

Some of Webers most popular beach wedding settings include downtown Traverse City, Petoskey State Park, Vans Beach in Leland and a spot in Charlevoix.

But getting married with ones toes in the sand may not be well suited for the risk averse.

After all, there are no guarantees when it comes to the weather.

Its like throwing a dart on a calendar and hoping for 75 degrees and sunny with 5 mph wind and no more, Weber said. Its quite the crap-shoot.

Wind can be a major adversary come wedding day, according to Rev. Crystal Yarlott, the owner of Northern Michigan Wedding Officiants.

In officiant world, were always talking about good ways to keep the pages from our scripts from flipping all over the place, said Yarlott, whose pages were held in place during one ceremony by the couple exchanging vows.

Besides factoring in for the wind, Yarlott recommends keeping umbrellas at the ready, and turning programs into fans to combat potential heat.

Also, if a couple incorporates pets, they should keep in mind the water can be a huge distraction.

Take, for example, the time two tuxedo-clad black labs were on hand.

They (the dogs) were pulling and barking. They wanted to get in the water. she said.

Even with the weather risks, the potential rewards of an outdoor beach gathering can be unparalleled.

During one ceremony, Yarlott said she witnessed the gray clouds repeatedly part to reveal flashes of rainbows.

It was magical, she said.

Some of Yarlotts most popular destinations include Peterson Beach at Sleeping Bear Dunes, the Old Mission Peninsula and Bayside Park in Acme.

If a couple opts to get married on a public beach, despite a permit, they still must share the space with the public.

That means wave runners, sunbathers and picnicking families may be unofficial guests.

We dont cordon off anything. You cant make something inaccessible, said Merrith Baughman, Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

There are also certain stipulations that apply to public beaches such as those at Sleeping Bear Dunes.

For example, there is a $150 permit fee, receptions arent allowed, and ceremonies cant be scheduled on certain holiday weekends.

Artificial structures like archways are a no-no, and only a small number of chairs can be used.

Parking restrictions, restroom availability and the number of people allowed all vary.

Thats why Brooke Dumas, owner of Stellaluna Events, recommends booking a private area that comes with its own beach.

Then you are able to have a really intimate ceremony, she said.

Some of her recommendations include the Inn at Bay Harbor, The Homestead in Glen Arbor and The Leelanau School, also in Glen Arbor. Thats where Abby and Neal Kostry exchanged vows in July 2019, surrounded by a ring of greenery on the private schools Lake Michigan beach.

We had visited Traverse City a few years before and fell in love (with the area), said Abby Kostry, a Seattle teacher. We got engaged on Lake Michigan.

With social distancing guidelines in place that limit private and public gathering due to COVID-19, Dumas said many of her clients are postponing or opting for smaller elopement type ceremonies.

Thats Maria Halls plan.

Shes swapped her initial idea for an event with about 100 guests with a plan that includes just the couple and both sets of parents at Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Then, next year theyll invite family and friends to northern Michigan to watch the replay of their wedding.{div}We would feel more comfortable with people not traveling and being around each other at this time, Hall said. We were supposed to have many traveling from outside the state, by plane, with children.

We believe everyone will be able to come to next years celebration more safely. We were able to reschedule the venues to next summer, she added. I thought it would be kind of cool to kind of relive that moment.

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Pictures speak volumes as weddings get smaller on area beaches - Traverse City Record Eagle

Going to the Beach in Paris? Why Not Test for COVID-19? – The New York Times

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PARIS Parisians heading to the opening of Paris Plages, the yearly transformation of sections of the Seine river into man-made beaches, were met with a new attraction on Saturday: COVID-19 test centres.

A series of indicators across the country, including in the French capital, have suggested the virus could once again be gaining momentum. Authorities are pushing an aggressive testing policy to avoid a return to the peaks seen from March to May.

"At Paris-Plages people have got the time and they really want to know whether they have been sick ... and there are those who need a certificate to travel on some airlines to go on holiday," Muriel Prudhomme, a doctor and deputy at the townhall's health department, told Reuters as a steady stream of people of all ages came to be tested.

The artificial beaches on the banks of the Seine in central Paris and the Bassin de la Villette, a man-made lake in the northeast of the city, have been a raging success since they were launched by Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe in 2002.

As well as sand and views of central Paris architecture, Paris Plage offers sporting opportunities such as fencing, giant table-football, and open-air gyms looking out over the Seine, although this year the tighter health restrictions have limited some of the activities.

Along the banks of the river and the Bassin de la Villette, medical teams are now in place at two locations until the end of August offering serological and standard PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests with a capacity to carry out 150 to 200 a day.

"I'm taking all necessary precautions, but there are so many people that don't seem to care," said pensioner Nicole Gressier. "I'm going to see my granddaughter who I haven't seen for nine months, so when I was strolling here I saw it was possible to be tested, so why not?"

The disease has killed more than 30,000 people in France. While it has been under control with fatalities and the number of people in intensive care falling, daily cases have increased ahead of the summer holiday season as people gather in larger groups and travellers come to and from France without specific quarantine measures.

Kais Arbi, 25, who lives in a northwestern Parisian suburb, took the test knowing that he was travelling to see his family in Tunisia in the coming weeks.

"I did the PCR test so I know my current state of health," said Arbi, who tested negative. "I don't want to spread it to another country."

(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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Going to the Beach in Paris? Why Not Test for COVID-19? - The New York Times

San Diego’s beach neighborhoods use secret weapon to limit parking illegally painted red curbs – The San Diego Union-Tribune

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The longtime San Diego battle between beachgoers and the neighborhoods where they park has risen to a new level this summer in La Jolla Shores, where someone illegally painted 150 feet of curb red so no one would park there.

City crews repaint somewhere between 10 and 25 illegal red curbs each year, mostly in beach areas, but also in congested neighborhoods like Hillcrest and North Park.

But its rare for residents frustrated by throngs of visitors to illegally paint the curb of an entire block of street red, as someone did on the north side of Camino del Collado in La Jolla Shores.

The Surfrider Foundation, which discovered the illegal paint job thanks to a tip from a surfer, says illegal red curbs have become an equity issue, because wealthy residents are making it harder for ordinary people to access the beach.

Just because youre lucky enough to be an elite coastal homeowner, doesnt mean you have a right to better coastal access, said Kristin Brinner, a Surfrider volunteer. There should be equitable access to the beach.

While its easy to empathize with beach-area residents whose neighborhoods get flooded with people who are sometimes discourteous, Brinner stressed that residents were aware of the proximity to the beach when they rented or bought there.

People who illegally paint red curbs which typically happens secretly and late at night often get away with it for long periods because the city hasnt taken a proactive approach to enforcement.

Red curbs mean no parking any time.

A city spokesman said San Diego typically only responds to complaints about illegally painted red curbs, which average about 200 per year.

The lions share of complaints end up being erroneous, because the city hasnt compiled maps of every curb that is legitimately painted red. Such a map would allow so residents to go online to determine when curbs have been illegally painted red.

The city spokesman, Anthony Santacroce, said city officials do keep careful track of where red curbs have been approved.

While there is no public facing database or map currently being developed, the Transportation and Storm Water Department keeps an extensive records system that is used to check for the legality of the painted curbs, he said.

City crews repainted the illegal red curb on Camino del Collado last weekend, shortly after Surfrider alerted them to the situation. But repainting can sometimes take as long as 90 says, Santacroce said.

Brinner said Surfrider estimates the curb was illegally red for roughly a month, shrinking the available beach parking in La Jolla Shores during one of the busiest times of the year.

Illegally painting a curb is a misdemeanor. The city couldnt provide data on how many arrests there have been for the activity.

There have been reports that some local stores specialize in providing paint that matches the shade of red that the city uses.

Santacroce said the illegal jobs can usually be spotted because they are less neatly done and the paint is fuzzier on the edges of the curb.

Brinner said she thinks it would be difficult for someone to tell the difference and have the confidence to park in front of a red curb, which typically leads to a car being towed, not just a ticket.

It would have fooled me, she said of the La Jolla Shores illegal red curb.

A related issue, Brinner said, is the city approving more legitimate red curbs in coastal areas in response to resident requests.

She said an example is in La Jolla Farms near Blacks Beach, where Surfrider spent two years fighting what she characterized as an excessive number of red curbs.

The city recently restored 11 spots that had been painted red, but Brinner said the long and complex fight was frustrating and required help from the California Coastal Commission.

I can see why people dont bother, she said. People in La Jolla are slowly chipping away at public parking.

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San Diego's beach neighborhoods use secret weapon to limit parking illegally painted red curbs - The San Diego Union-Tribune

What do you want to know about the beach? – yoursun.com

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Want to know even more information about the beach before you leave the house? You can help.

Mote Marine Laboratory reports daily beach conditions on visitbeaches.org. The scientists and data crunchers at Mote are now gathering public input to get a better idea of what people want to see reported on the site.

Before heading out for a day of sun and surf, beachgoers can learn ahead of time what the air and surface water temperatures are, wind directions and speed, whether debris is sloshing up onto the shoreline, the size of any waves, whether rip tides are present or not.

The reports cover public beaches from Florida's Panhandle, Clearwater south to Marco Island, Jacksonville and Lake Worth Beach on the East Coast. Most reports are posted 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily.

Especially important when red tide algae is blooming, Mote reports whether or not people suffer respiratory irritations -- a sign of toxic levels of red tide is present -- and whether dead marine life from fish kills are washing ashore. The reports also lets beachgoers know when jellyfish are in the shallows.

Since 2015, Tracy Fanara, Mote staff scientist and program manager, said, Mote added reports of crowd size at public beaches. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, knowing the size of the crowd can be important to those who want to maintain social distance while sunbathing.

Lifeguards, county and municipal employees, and other trained volunteer "beach ambassadors" provide Mote with daily reports, Fanara said.

The public can take the survey online at https://forms.gle/bmeYVpqAtzeNq5Ns5.

Among the questions, the survey asks respondents what condition reports they deem most important. People can also write in additional information they would like to see reported that isn't reported now.

Respondents are also asked whether they'd like to see beach closures reported. Do they want other daily condition reports for parks, lakes, rivers, nature preserves and sanctuaries? Or do they want Mote to stick with beach conditions?

People will also be asked if they would sign up to be a beach ambassador volunteer who will report beach conditions twice daily using a cell phone app.

For more information, visit Mote's website at mote.org or visitbeaches.org.

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What do you want to know about the beach? - yoursun.com

Heading to the Delaware beaches this weekend? Here’s what you need to know for your trip – The News Journal

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Lifeguards in Delaware have a lot of responsibilities, and COVID-19 is adding another layer to the risk they face on each beach day. Delaware News Journal

Heading to the Delaware beaches this weekend?

Here's what you need to know if you're planning on dipping your toes in the sand the weekend of July 17to 19 and what might be different than normal at the beaches in the current phase of Delaware'sreopening plan.

Delaware's beach towns are open to the public, but government and public health officials warn that everyone's help is neededto curb the spread of COVID-19.

Social distancing is encouraged in all public spaces, and people should maintain at least 6 feet of distance from people who are not members of their immediate household.

As for face masks, they are required to be wornin public spaces where social distancing is difficultand inside businesses that are open.

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Face masks are recommended, but not required, on most beaches themselves, but social distancing is a must.

CORONAVIRUS IN DELAWARE: Our latest coverage

Masks must be worn on the streets, sidewalks, Boardwalk and inside businesses in Rehoboth Beach city limits. They should also be worn on the beach if social distancing is difficult, officials say.Some exceptions apply, like for children 12 and under and those for whomwearing a mask would present a health risk.

Lewes also requires masks to be worn outdoors in the city's downtown area, public beach parking lots and while crossing the Savannah Road drawbridge between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Masks on the beaches in Lewes are recommended, but not required.There are similar rules inBethany Beach, where people in violation of mask rules can face up to a $100 fine.

Swimming is permitted at all beachesunless dangerous weather conditions arise.Make sure to check in with the local lifeguards before you dive in to learn about any potential hazards in the water or on the sand.

At beaches within the Delaware State Parks system, like Cape Henlopen State Park, Fenwick Island State Park and Delaware Seashore State Park near the Indian River Inlet, there will be limits on how many people will be admitted.

The number of vehicles allowed in will be capped at 60% of parking capacity, according to parks officials. Masks or face coverings are required in bathhouse and concession areas at all three parks and strongly encouraged on the beach as well.

At Cape Henlopen, when the gates are closed, admission also will be restricted for those with surf-fishing tags. Natural resources police will be enforcing the 20-foot minimum distance between vehicles on drive-on beaches.

Delaware is in its second phase of reopening businesses previously restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. John Carney announced on June 25 that the state is pausing moving into the next phase, due to concerns about people not following guidelines.

In late June, he announced that bar service at the Delaware beaches had to shut downahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend.This new guidance affects only bars in certain ZIP codes in eastern Sussex County, state officials said.

Crowds came out on July 4th to Rehoboth Beach, as seen from atop the Atlantic Sands.(Photo: Chuck Snyder/Special to Delaware News Journal)

Current reopening plans allow restaurants to have up to 60% of the people who would be allowed in the building by the fire marshal, not including staff, but they must still adhere to social distancing guidelines. Some have increased outdoor seating to try to accommodate more diners.

Carney's additional restriction on beach bars means bar seating within restaurants is also off-limits. It's unclear when those bar restrictions will be lifted.

People are encouraged to call ahead for reservationsand to check on any changes in normal operating hours or other restrictions.

Hot weather and clear skies brought thousands of visitors to Rehoboth Beach on Saturday, June 27, 2020. Social distancing did not appear to be followed very strictly on either the beach or boardwalk, with mask usage also not ubiquitous.(Photo: Chuck Snyder/Special to Delaware News Journal)

That 60% capacity cap also applies to personal care services (such as hair and nail salons, tanning, tattoo, massage therapy services and spas)that were previously required to keep occupancy at 30%.

No additional announcements have been made on when Delaware will enter phase three of the state's rolling reopening plan. For more details on the state's reopening, go togovernor.delaware.gov/delawares-recovery.

Moving toward normalcy means that summer parking fees are back in place. Parking permits or metered parking is in effect in all of Delaware's beach towns from Lewes to Fenwick Island.

In Lewes, city officials are supporting businesses by offering free downtown parking from 9 a.m. to noon for shoppers.

Each town has different rules and rates for parking. For more information, visit an individual beach town's website or call Town Hall in the beach town you plan to visit before arriving.

Below are links to each oceanfront beach town's parking policies:

Previous bans on out-of-state travelers and short-term rentalswerelifted in early June. Delaware's reopening plan saysleisure travel "should be avoided" at this time, but it's allowed if people and businesses can adhere to social-distancing-related recommendations, according to the state.

Hotels and other accommodations also are now accepting reservations for vacation stays, though there may be limits and restrictions in gathering areas like lobbies.

Delaware's daily DART beach bus service is fully operational. People can take advantage of the Park & Ride options in Lewes and Rehoboth to avoid heavy beach traffic south of Lewes.

Face coverings are required on public transportation.

Hot weather and clear skies brought thousands of visitors to Rehoboth Beach on Saturday, June 27, 2020. Social distancing did not appear to be followed very strictly on either the beach or boardwalk, with mask usage also not universal.(Photo: Chuck Snyder/Special to Delaware News Journal)

The Lewes Park & Ride is at 17616 Coastal Highway, just south of Five Points, and the Rehoboth Park & Ride is off Route 1 at 20055 Shuttle Road, just north of the entrance to Rehoboth Avenue. Parking is free at both lots.

Cash-only fare due upon boarding for aone-way trip is $2, and an all-day daily pass is $4.20. Seven-daypasses also are available for $18, and a 30-day pass costs$65. For more information, go towww.dartfirststate.com/information/programs/beachbus/index.shtml#parkride.

DART's beach connection, which runs from Wilmington to Rehoboth Beach on weekends and holidays, is also now available.

This weekend's weather is looking a little rainy, butpicture-perfect weather for a trip to the beach could arrive on Sunday. However, forecasts can change as the weekend gets closer.

The National Weather Service forecast for Friday, July 17,inRehoboth Beach is for a mostly cloudy day with a high near 85degrees, but there is a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3p.m.

Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high near 83degrees. There is a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3 p.m.

Sunday should be mostly sunny with a high near 87.

Water temperatures off the coast of Lewes are reaching themid-70s this week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

As of July 16, Delaware hasseen a total of 13,114 cases, data shows.

Of those cases, 5,935 are in New Castle County, the most populated county in the state. Another 5,171 have been detected in Sussex County.

The pandemic has led to the deaths of 521Delawareans since mid-March. So far, nearly 145,000 people have been tested in total, and 7,269 people have recovered from the viral disease.

Contact reporter Maddy Lauria at (302) 345-0608,mlauria@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @MaddyinMilford.

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Heading to the Delaware beaches this weekend? Here's what you need to know for your trip - The News Journal

How can Shore towns keep beaches from being overrun by crowds? Its complicated. – NJ.com

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Its July in Jersey, were tired of being stuck home, and flying to exotic locales isnt in the cards, so down the Shore we go.

But how can Shore towns enforce social distancing rules and prevent crowds on sunny weekends, especially when so many people want to plant their chairs in the popular areas near bathrooms, restaurants and amenities?

Its complicated.

Officials in Long Branch faced just that scenario on Sunday afternoon, causing police to temporarily block beach access near Pier Village, advising visitors to try again in an hour and directing them to other areas of the 2.5-mile beach.

In nearby Belmar and Point Pleasant, beach access points were also closed during parts of the day due to overcrowding.

And its all got Gov. Murphy a bit concerned.

The ability to social distance is somewhat related to how many bodies there are in a given plot of real estate, Murphy said during his Monday coronavirus briefing in Trenton. If we dont manage capacity at beaches and we cant get social distancing, were probably playing with fire.

We talked to officials and legislators to find out what Shore towns can do to keep their beaches safe and the obstacles theyre up against. Heres what they had to say.

Who is in charge of how many people can go to any given beach?

The Shore towns themselves.

Murphy reopened the beaches in May, allowing towns to set the guidelines.

Every beach will be required to establish capacity limitations, but we will leave it to local leaders to determine the method that would be best for their community, he said at the time.

Murphy said he continues to have conversations with officials on how to execute his guidelines, but continues to leave the management of crowd control to local authorities, while urging restrictions on parking capacity and the beach tag sales.

How are Shore towns supposed to limit capacity?

According to Murphys May executive order, towns are required to implement reasonable restrictions, including non-discriminatory capacity restrictions. Those capacity limits, determined by local officials, could be achieved through limiting beach badge sales or monitoring the crowds with technology.

I think both are good options, says Monmouth County Sen. Vin Gopal (D). I think the towns have got to handle this on their own. They know their beaches, they know their entry points, they know their populations, and I think the state has to enforce it.

Which option are Shore towns choosing for limiting capacity?

It seems the many Shore towns arent setting limits on badge sales, but instead are monitoring for crowding.

In Long Branch, officials used drones to determine when to set limits, and several other towns have also chosen monitoring and closing access when necessary.

It sounds to me like Long Branch handled it well (Sunday), says Monmouth County Sen. Declan OScanlon (R). They did a limited closing and then reopened as quickly as they could. It would have been pretty easy to just close everything down for the duration of the day. They didnt do that, which makes their job harder, but its the right job to do, I think. For me, the real-time limiting of access points when you have a problem is the preferable way to go.

Some towns, like Avon-by-the-Sea and Spring Lake, went for option B cutting the number of beach tags sold each day.

But limiting badge sales could affect neighboring towns. Belmar Mayor Mark Walsifer said the limitations imposed by Avon and Spring Lake sent day-trippers to Belmar instead.

Other towns have gotten creative: To enforce capacity limits at several beaches in Point Pleasant, each person is given a wristband, which they return when they leave for the day, allowing another person to enter.

Who decides how many people are allowed at any given towns beach?

The towns themselves.

In Point Pleasant Beach, the boroughs engineer took measurements from the high water mark to the dunes and calculated how many groups spaced six feet apart could fit in the area, Mayor Paul Kanitra, said.

In Bradley Beach, the towns engineer took a photo of the beach and did a similar assessment, deleting space for lifeguard stands and walkways, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press.

Can Shore towns give locals special access and limit outsiders?

Nope.

A township cannot actually legally restrict folks from outside of their township, Murphy said. So thats not actually within their right to do so.

What happens when the beach closes before you get on?

This is the problem, says Sen. Robert Singer (R).

I think that a lot of the beaches are going to have to do what the state does with Island Beach State Park, Singer says. People know in advance, Were full. Theres limited parking.' That kind of stuff. What happens is people get to the beach, they drive there, they cant buy badges in the normal places, so now they go get in line to buy the badges, and then they get there and theres no parking or the beach is full. I think maybe these towns are going to have to rent portable signs on the roadway so people know up front. Weve got to get it out to the public faster if there is a problem so people dont waste their time or by badges theyre not going to be able to use.

How does this all affect Shore town businesses?

For their economies, for the whole states economy we need people out there enjoying themselves and spending money, says OScanlon. But for everybodys safety, its got to be balanced. We definitely dont want to get to the point where our enforcement, our restrictions drive people away. Im confident were deep enough into the summer that theres a balance where we can keep people safe and keep our economy humming.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Avalon Zoppo contributed to this story.

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com.

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How can Shore towns keep beaches from being overrun by crowds? Its complicated. - NJ.com

Sandy Beach to retire from WBEN at the end of July – Buffalo News

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Sandy Beach, far left, was one of six 2003 inductees into the Buffalo Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame. With him are (from left,) Carol Jasen, Larry Levite and Tim Russert.

Talk show host Sandy Beach is ending his 23-year run at WBEN-AM at the end of July.

The announcement was made Wednesday night in a memo to the staff from Entercom Buffalo leader Tim Holly that also was attributed to operation manager and program director Tim Wenger.

The memo termed the announcement as bittersweet.

A member of the Buffalo Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Beach has had a 60-plus-year run in broadcasting.

His Buffalo career started in 1968 when he arrived after several years in Hartford to become a disc jockey at WKBW-AM in its glory days.

The memo referred to Beach as a provocative and edgy talk show host who entertained with distinct humor.

His membership in three Halls of Fame speaks to Beachs skills as a talk show host. The Lunenberg, Mass., native also was a three-time nominee for Billboard Magazine Personality of the Year.

Buffalo News critic Jeff Simon has referred to Beach as "maybe the most gifted performer in the history of Buffalo radio."

Beach also had his critics, who might laugh at the memos kind assessment as loudly as Beach's signature guffaw on his program.

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Sandy Beach to retire from WBEN at the end of July - Buffalo News

The Best 25 Spots Where You Can Camp on the Beach – Reader’s Digest

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Visitors will love this spacious campground, which offers a secluded camping experience just 1.5 miles from the white sand and bustling beach towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. While Gulf State Park isnt technically on the beach, were including it on this list because its stellar amenities and proximity to the beach make it worth a look, especially for families with young kids. Between biking, fishing, hiking, kayaking, swimming, and paddleboarding, campers hardly need to leave the park, but just in case, scores of restaurants, the Fort Morgan Historical Site, and the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo are close by.

The park is home to 496 full hookup campsites and comprehensive facilities that include a pool with a splash pad; laundry facilities; an Interpretive Center; a Nature Center and Learning Campus; a camp store; tennis, volleyball, and pickle-ball courts; organized weekly activities; bathhouses; and an on-site restaurant, Woodside. (Be aware that playgrounds are closed as of this writing due to COVID-19 restrictions, and the pier is closed for maintenance. Check the site for updates.)

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The Best 25 Spots Where You Can Camp on the Beach - Reader's Digest

Landspout spotted over Virginia Beach on Saturday – WAVY.com

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At 2:30 p.m. a landspout developed right behind Tallwood Elementary School near the intersection of Centerville Turnpike and Kempsville Rd.

See the tube-like structure? Thats the signature look of a landspout, which is similar to a waterspout. Landspouts are a type of tornado that can cause injury by flying debris. There were no injuries or damage as the landspout briefly touched down over the Virginia Beach Landfill behind Tallwood Elementary School. When I talked to Jonathon, who took these pictures, he mentioned that mulch, plastic, and paper from the landfill were flying up in the landspout towards the cloud.

There was a thunderstorm nearby when it developed in the area. The key difference in a landspout is that the thunderstorm is not rotating and they can also form near the ground, then connect with the parent thunderstorm as it develops. Part of its updraft.

Once again, landspouts can be dangerous, there have been reports of other ones creating minor damage. If you see one, its best to seek shelter as flying debris, or simply the strong wind speed can cause injury.

Meteorologist Jeff Edmondson

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Landspout spotted over Virginia Beach on Saturday - WAVY.com

Gloucester Closing All Beach Parking Lots To Non-Residents This Weekend – CBS Boston

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GLOUCESTER (CBS) Itll be harder to get to the beach this weekend in Gloucester unless you live there. The city is closing all public beach parking lots to non-residents on Saturday and Sunday.

I know youre on vacation and usually you go everywhere else, said Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken. But COVID didnt take a summer vacation. Its still here. I have to protect the people that I represent.

This Saturday and Sunday, shes limiting the parking lots at beaches to Gloucester residents only. She says since high tide is expected at peak hours this weekend, social distancing will be a challenge and last weekend got out-of-hand. People were knocking on peoples doors and asking if they could park in their driveways, said the mayor. I have a lot of seniors who still own homes, and they were scared, and they were calling the police.

A lot of people come to this beach. It gets pretty crowded, said Erika Lucien, who visited from Cambridge this week. Like others, she said she tries to stay away from crowds.

I mean, outside is best, but still, how close do you want to be? You dont, said Brad Hutchins, who visited from Stow.

Gloucester plans to bring in extra staff to monitor the parking lots this weekend, and crews are posting no parking signs on surrounding streets. They say they will be out ticketing and towing. Violators face a $75 fine.

Visitors from out-of-town are still welcome on weekdays, and city leaders say theyll assess later next week how theyll proceed the following weekend.

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Gloucester Closing All Beach Parking Lots To Non-Residents This Weekend - CBS Boston

SpaceX asks the FAA to launch Starship prototype to 20 kilometers – Business Insider – Business Insider

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SpaceX hopes to launch prototypes of its Starship rocket more than a dozen miles high within the next seven months, according to afiling with the Federal Communications Commission.

Elon Musk, the aerospace company's founder and CEO, is urgently racing to develop Starship, a fully reusable rocket system that is designed to one day land on the moon for NASA and take up to 100 people to Mars at a time.

In early June shortly after SpaceX successfully launched two astronauts to the International Space Station using a different rocket Musk reportedly urged employees to shift their focus to Starship. Aerial photos also show a frenzied increase in activity at the company's rocket development site in Boca Chica, Texas.

Now the company has filed a request to the FCC to use certain radio frequencies while launching Starship prototypes up to 12 1/2 miles, or 20 kilometers, into the air. The filing, posted Thursday, specifies that launch operations would occur between August 18 and February 18.

The Federal Aviation Administration on May 28 awarded SpaceX a launch license for suborbital flights. SpaceX can't feasibly fly its Starship prototypes, however, until the FCC grants it permission to use frequencies required to track and communicate with them. (The FCC is typically quick to grant such permission to SpaceX.)

An aerial photo of SpaceX's emerging Starship rocket factory in Boca Chica, South Texas, taken June 17. RGV Aerial Photography

A full-scale 16-story Starship prototype has yet to fly, though a previous and shorter version of the rocket known as Starhopper successfully launched 500 feet high and landed in 2019.

Since then, more advanced yet still early iterations of Starship prototypes have failed and were obliterated during testing, typically when engineers filled the rockets with inert liquid nitrogen to test the limits of their integrity.

During a test-firing of recent Starship prototype called SN4 in Boca Chica on May 29, the vehicle spectacularly exploded. The failure happened the day before the astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley rode the company's Crew Dragon spaceship to the International Space Station with the help of a different SpaceX rocket, Falcon 9. (That launcher successfully flew 85 missions before sending Behnken and Hurley into space.)

SpaceX's Starship SN4 prototype exploding after a static fire test on May 29. LabPadre/YouTube

Such a string of failures, however, is anything but unexpected, as SpaceX saw with the development of core technologies for its Falcon 9 system. Musk has also said the company may need to build about 20 large Starship prototypes before SpaceX can attempt to launch one into orbit.

Musk confirmed on June 4 that he still hoped to launch the first crew to Mars in a Starship vehicle in mid-2024 ostensibly as the start of an effort to populate the red planet.

Though SpaceX is licensed to launch suborbital rockets from Boca Chica, the Border Report recently revealed that the company would face a new environmental analysis with the FAA before flying prototypes to orbit.

Business Insider requested details about the nature and timing of that assessment from the FAA on July 9, and an agency representative acknowledged receipt of our questions. The FAA, however, has yet to provide answers to the inquiries.

Have a story or inside information to share about the spaceflight industry?Send Dave Mosher an email atdmosher+tips@businessinsider.comor a Twitter direct message at@davemosher. More secure communication options arelisted here.

This story has been updated.

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SpaceX asks the FAA to launch Starship prototype to 20 kilometers - Business Insider - Business Insider

The Terrifying Feeling of Being Alone in the World – Aish

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Embracing your unique self is essential for relating to others.

Remember when you were just beginning to take your first steps? You had been holding onto the sofa in the living room and your parents and grandparents were clapping and cheering as you let go of the sofa with one hand and took a step forward. Then you completely let go of the couch and took two or three shaky but quick steps into the middle of the room. You were smiling, two bottom teeth flashing and everyone was screaming, You did it! Hooray! You're walking!

As you took each new step, your father went to the middle of the room, and took a step backward as he held out his hands to encourage you to keep walking. And then you stopped and realized that you weren't holding on to anything or anyone. You were on your own in the middle of the room. How did I get here? you asked yourself. What am I doing out here all by myself without anything to hold me up? I cant do this! And you sat down on the floor in a flood of tears as your mother rushed over and scooped you up.

Standing in the middle of the room on your own was a crucial moment of self awareness that you were independent. You were no longer holding onto the couch or onto Mommys apron strings. It was just you and the world. That was the first fleeting moment that you subconsciously realized that you were a persona self in your own right.

And what is the natural reaction to this realization of a personal identity? Absolute terror. So you sat down.

That feeling is one of fear of your own identity, of being alone within your own self. This realization is ingrained as part of the human condition. It is an existential feeling of being alone on your own in the big living room called the world.

This realization can give rise to your feeling alienated, isolated and lonely. And it is natural. Whenever you feel isolated or lonely in life, you are tapping into the same feeling that you first experienced standing alone in the middle of your parents living room as you walked for the first time.

Those scary, lonely situations don't have to give rise to a feeling of alienation. Yes, you are alone because you are unique! No one else in the entire universe has your personality, your unique DNA, your upbringing, environment and unique mix of abilities and weaknesses.

Now you can say to yourself, I am different and therefore, I am lonely" or "I am different and therefore I am unique and special." In order to play your unique role in the world you have to be alone. But this does not mean that you have to be lonely.

This awareness of your unique self can be a motivator. It can challenge you with the realization that your unique characteristics empower you to perform a unique job that only you can perform. You have been handpicked for your unique destiny. When you look at your existential self in this light you can turn the liability of being lonely, into the asset of being alone and unique in the world. Instead of living in dread of your loneliness, you can revel in your aloneness. It is only when you are alone that you can truly fulfill your potential.

The Jerusalem Talmud (Sanhedrin 4) asks why God created the first man, Adam, alone. It explains that Adam was created alone so that each and every person who is born could relate and identify with his singularity and aloneness and say: I am like Adam.

In creating Adam alone, God challenges us to become aware of our separate and unique identities and to get to know ourselves so that we can successfully relate to others. We have to become self-aware; we must learn to relate to ourselves. Before Eve married Adam, she was an individual in her own right. We need to become aware of our individuality before we enter into a healthy, giving relationship.

This is the meaning of Hillels famous saying in the Ethics of the Fathers: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? (1:4). Far from being a statement promoting the ego, it is really a challenge that you have to get to know who you are and learn to develop a personal self-concept as a prerequisite to activating your potential.

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The Terrifying Feeling of Being Alone in the World - Aish

Guestwords: Let There Be Laughter – East Hampton Star

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Inviting people to laugh with you while you are laughing at yourself is a good thing to do, Carl Reiner said. You may be a fool, but youre the fool in charge.

Carl Reiner was a comedy genius. We remember him for The Dick Van Dyke Show, Sid Caesars Your Show of Shows, and of course as straight man to Mel Brooks in The 2000 Year Old Man.

His passing reminds us of an era when perhaps 80 percent of leading comics were Jewish. The passing of a style of humor we might call earthy, clever, slapstick, and/or Jewish.

So what makes a joke Jewish? It must express a Jewish sensibility, and usually calls upon, according to Joseph Telushkin, those values and issues that matter to Jews: anti-Semitism, financial success, verbal aggression, assimilation, professional success, anxieties, creative logic and argumentation, family relationships, to name a few. Some Italian, Irish, Swedish, Welsh, and Russian collections of humor have Jewish flavors. We dont have a monopoly. A good laugh is a good laugh in any culture.

Five years ago, when my wife, Celia, and I joined the synagogue in Sag Harbor, Temple Adas Israel, we formed a Jewish Humor Group that met regularly to tell jokes and to share potluck suppers and camaraderie. We had trouble defining what constitutes Jewish humor, but we had a helluva great time telling jokes. I became the fool in charge, and we laughed at ourselves and one anothers jokes. We formed lasting friendship bonds that transcend todays Zoom.

You can enjoy Jewish humor without defining it. Here are plenty of examples:

A man from Israel visits New York in 1950, a time when not many Israelis could afford to travel. He meets a New Yorker who says, I havent met any Israelis. Tell me, how are things in Israel? The Israeli says, Good!

The New Yorker thinks this answer is too short. He says to the Israeli, Can you tell me more? Add a few details? You know, elaborate? The Israeli says, Certainly! He pauses to think a moment. Then he says, Not good!

Ive told this joke many times both to Jewish people and to non-Jewish people. The Jews think its funny. Others dont get it. Im not sure why, but I think it has something to do with Talmudic thinking. You know, On the one hand, but on the other hand. The Talmud often presents both sides, or even more than two sides, to any argument. Remember that three Jews will often have four opinions? (Why four? One of them is schizophrenic.)

Here are two poems by our friend the late great poet Harvey Shapiro that are unmistakably Jewish:

New York Notes

1

Caught on a side street

in heavy traffic, I said

to the cabbie, I should

have walked. He replied

I should have been a doctor.

2

When can I get on the 11:33

I ask the guy in the information booth

at the Atlantic Avenue Station.

When they open the doors, he says.

I am home among my people.

The Old Jew

Who would have thought

his taste for pickled herring

would outlast his taste for women.

Another example: Two guys are walking their dogs in Central Park. One has a German shepherd. The other a Chihuahua. The German shepherd owner says, Lets have lunch at Tavern on the Green.

The Chihuahua owner says, Hey. Its not like in France. They dont allow dogs in restaurants here.

The German shepherd owner says, Yes they do! Just watch me get in with my dog. Say what I say, and do what I do, and well both get in with our dogs.

So the German shepherd owner goes up to the matre d and says, Id like to have lunch here.

Sorry, sir. No dogs allowed.

But thats a seeing-eye dog.

So the matre d says, Welcome. Please come right in!

The Chihuahua owner follows the same script. And the matre d says, Sir. Do you realize that you have a seeing-eye Chihuahua?

And the Chihuahua owner shouts, What? They gave me a Chihuahua?

Or,

Behind every successful man stands a surprised mother-in-law.

I have all the money Ill ever need, if I die by 4 p.m. tomorrow.

How about this? Woman on a plane to Hawaii says to the passenger next to her, How do you pronounce the place were going to, HaWaii or HaVayi?

The passenger says, HaVayi!

The woman says Thank you.

The passenger says, Youre Velcome!

A priest, a minister, and a rabbi walk into a bar, and the bartender says, What is this? A joke? (This is a meta-joke, a joke about jokes.)

A priest, a minister, and a rabbit walk into a bar. The rabbit says, Wait a minute, I think Im a typographical error.

A grandmother takes her grandson to kindergarten for the first time. She says, Bubbeleh. Were going to school, Bubbeleh. Its your first day, Bubbeleh. Youre going to love it, Bubbeleh. Youll meet new friends, Bubbeleh. Heres your sandwich, Bubbeleh. Lets get dressed, Bubbeleh. Come on, Bubbeleh. Lets not be late, Bubbeleh.

She picks him up at school at the end of the day. She says, Well, Bubbeleh. Did you like school? What did you learn today?

The kid says, I learned my name is not Bubbeleh!

More:

The food here at the hotel is terrible and such small portions!

I had a dream. I was having dinner with my father and mother. I made a terrible Freudian slip. I meant to say, Please pass the salt. And instead, in the dream, I said, You horrible parents. You ruined my entire childhood.

A fetus is a fetus until it gets out of medical school.

You should always be yourself, unless youre a jerk. In that case, you should be someone else.

An American is riding in a taxi in Israel. The driver is a Russian immigrant. The American says, How were conditions in Russia?

The driver says, I cant complain.

You mean to say that even with all the food shortages there?

The driver says, I cant complain. But the American goes on, Even with all the history of anti-Semitism and persecution there?

I cant complain.

The American, frustrated, finally says, Well, why come to Israel?

The driver says, Here, I can complain!

We value those strong and unique friendship bonds formed in our Jewish Humor Group. Why do we value jokes and friends today, more than ever? Why does Jewish humor matter in our strange science-fiction-like era of quarantine, social isolation, elbow-bumps, lockdown, face masks, and Zoom relationships?

I can answer from personal experience, speaking as the fool in charge. Laughter! Camaraderie! Sharing good comedy of any origin or flavor with good friends!

Yes, Jewish humor matters. Did I mention the health benefits of laughter?

Stephen Rosen, a physicist and regular Star contributor, is co-founder, with his wife, Celia Paul, of the Jewish Humor Group at Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor, which will have an open mike Jewish Joke Fest free to everyone on July 23at 7 p.m. on Zoom.

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Guestwords: Let There Be Laughter - East Hampton Star

My article was controversial – and I talked to the haters – Forward

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Hillel and Shamai, the exemplars of rabbinic and Jewish pluralism, have a dark secret that is seldom found on the many source sheets featuring these archetypal rivals.

While most teachers focus on the many stories highlighting the high level of respect and civility between these two men and their respective study houses, we can find a story depicting the darker side and potential risk of ideological disagreement.

The Jerusalem Talmud tells of the students of Hillel and Shamai studying together in the attic of Hanania ben Hizkiya: The students of Beit Shamai stood at the bottom [of the stairs], and they killed the students of Beit Hillel. It was taught: Six of them went up [to the attic], and the rest of them attacked them with spears and swords (Yerushalmi, Shabbat 1:4). In other words, what started as a study session eventually ended with a murderous fight.

The point of the inclusion of such a story in the talmudic canon, whether fact or myth, is obvious. As a people constantly engaged in fierce debate, the Rabbis werent oblivious to the potential danger of fierce disagreement. However, it is specifically due to this deep understanding of the pathologies of ideological disagreement that made their commitment to fostering civil debate all the more noble. Judaism has always understood that potential can be equally co-opted for both good and bad.

About a week ago, I was plunged headfirst into the best and worst of internet discourse. For weeks prior, I had been having dozens of conversations with people within the right-wing Jewish community about the moral imperative to support the Black Lives Matter movement, only to have my efforts be stymied at every argument.

Black Lives Matter, they said, is anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, and even anti-American. Plus, when we say All Lives Matter, of course that includes people from the Black community! Why do we need to specifically affirm that the lives of one group of people matter?

This is the question I consistently faced from the All Lives Matter crowd. Of course, when one looks at American history, and even at many of our current policies, the answer to the above question is clear. However, to my friends in conservative circles, who have bought into the myth that we are post-systemic racism, these points of argumentation are simply met with a carefully selected (read: biased) set of statistics. I realized I needed to try something else.

Thus, my last article for The Forward, Zionism is the Jewish Black Lives Matter, was born. My argument points out that Zionism can be viewed as a Jewish rejection of All Lives Matter, as we strove for national self-determination. Similarly, I argued, Zionists should understand first-hand why particularistic movements are sometimes crucial.

This argument, I hoped, would allow right-wing Jews to understand the double standard of shouting All lives matter while also taking offense whenever someone questions the need or right for the Jews to have their own self-determination. This was the extent of the comparison.

The article came out Friday morning and, within a few hours, I had received dozens of texts and messages from a variety of friends alerting me to the fact that a handful of left-wing journalists had taken screenshots of the title, subsequently tweeting about their anger towards it. Of course, their hundreds of thousands of followers mirrored the rage without even having read the piece. People came up with all sorts of arguments they thought I was making (from their analysis of the title alone) and then proceeded to call me a whole range of insulting epithets based on their mistaken understanding.

I always strive to foster an environment of civil debate. I have written about the need to talk with civility to anti-Semites, I attempt to personally and nicely answer every negative email and social media comment I receive on my writing, and I try to live by this principle every day of my life. The importance of civil debate, Judaism teaches, is simply too important to have it be ruined by anger and ad-hominems, no matter how enticing and cathartic these reactions may be.

In the wake of this latest article, many of my friends, and even my own mother, urged me to take a break from writing about controversial topics. It isnt worth it, they said, to attempt to have nuanced and important conversion on social media, a realm known for its polarization. But I disagreed. I quickly commented on every re-tweet and re-share of my article, telling people that I wrote the article and would love to talk more about it!

My faith in conversation was quickly restored. Dozens of email threads, personal messages, and even a couple of phone calls immediately transpired. Threads that had started with insults and curses ended with apologies. However, the best result came in response to a video that Jewish rapper Y-Love made about my article. I found this video to be a misrepresentation of my article and argument - but knew that commenting something adversarial wouldnt be of any help. Instead I left a nice comment ending with asking Y-Love if he wanted to talk. Civility won the day as Y-Love invited me onto his show and subsequently interviewed me about the article and other germane topics.

As national polarization along with our online interaction increases - the ability for civil debate is more important than ever. The outrage culture cultivated in the online world, on both sides of the political aisle, is ugly and dangerous, but we must work through it. Although the debates between Hillel and Shamai even turned violent, the Talmud teaches that they still married one anothers daughters, thereby remaining one community. In todays polarized culture each of us has the potential to be an immense force for either destruction or civility. My experience has taught me to keep choosing civility.

Moshe Daniel Levine is the Senior Jewish Educator at OC Hillel and a Rabbinic fellow at Temple Beth Tikvah. You can read more of his writing on his website. He can be reached at dlevine21@gmail.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward.

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My article was controversial - and I talked to the haters - Forward

Taiwan in Time: A provincial government that ruled no land –

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The Fujian Provincial Government operated out of New Taipei City for 40 years, and technically still exists today although it has no budget nor staff

By Han Cheung / Staff reporter

July 20 to July 26

For 40 years, there was a Fujian Provincial Government () in New Taipei City run by an appointed military governor-for-life.

This governor controlled no territory and performed no administrative duties; he and his staff were charged with researching plans for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to retake Fujian Province from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), who seized it along with the rest of China during the Chinese Civil War.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia commons

The provincial government office was originally located in Kinmen, which along with the Matsu islands made up the only part of Fujian Province that the KMT retained at just about 0.15 percent of the original territory.

But as Kinmen and Matsu became war zones following the 1954 First Taiwan Strait Crisis, the provincial government was relocated to todays Sindian District () in New Taipei City on July 20, 1956. Its administrative duties were transferred to the two military-run county offices that oversaw the islands.

Republic of China (ROC) Army major general Tai Chung-yu (), who was appointed provincial governor in 1955, held the post for 31 years until his death in 1986. The central government moved the office back to Kinmen in 1996 and completely defunded it in 2018, but they could not abolish it without changing the Constitution. As a result, the Fujian Provincial Government still exists, but in name only.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia commons

GOVERNOR-FOR-LIFE

In August 1949, the Peoples Liberation Army descended upon Fuzhou, the original seat of the Fujian Provincial Government. About 60,000 KMT troops defended the city, but they were decisively routed after a week of fighting. With his troops nearly wiped out, division commander Lee Yan-nian () eventually fled to Taiwan, where he was jailed for over a year for allegedly abandoning his post.

The KMT subsequently moved the Fujian Provincial Government to the offshore island of Kinmen and put it under military control. From there, they managed to fend off the pursuing PLA troops two months later at the Battle of Guningtou ().

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Since the KMT also managed to hold on to the Yijiangshan () and Dachen () islands off the coast of Zhejiang Province, it actually established a local Zhejiang Provincial Government in 1951. The office was abolished when the PLA captured the islands during the First Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1954.

The PLA also tried to take Kinmen during the same conflict by heavily shelling it for over a year, but they eventually relented when the US threatened to respond with nuclear weapons. The precarious situation prompted the KMT to designate Kinmen and Matsu as military zones in 1956, and the provincial government office was moved to Sindian.

Even the Japanese and KMT allowed limited local elections in Taiwan, but in Kinmen, the military commander who doubled as county commissioner initially appointed all positions down to the borough wardens. The first local elections were held in 1971.

Several months before he left Kinmen, Tai carved the propaganda slogan the restoration of our nation is within reach () into a large boulder at Taiwu Mountain (). The PLA would attack Kinmen again two years later but by then, Tai was working in Sindian.

The Kinmen and Matsu warzone provisions state that the office in Sindian was in charge of conducting research toward plans for retaking [Fujian] province, but its unclear what exactly this research entailed.

FREEZING THE PROVINCE

While Martial Law ended in 1987, Kinmen and Matsu remained under military control until 1992. Just a year after the Fujian Provincial Government moved back to Kinmen, the National Assembly on July 21, 1997 amended the constitution to greatly reduce the powers the nations provincial governments. These changes were chiefly aimed at the Taiwan Provincial Government since its territory overlapped with the central government by 98 percent. Some say the move was politically motivated, but the official line was to streamline operations and save costs.

The central government also canceled direct provincial governor elections. These changes didnt affect the Fujian office much because it wasnt a functioning administrative entity and did not have elected governors.

The Fujian Provincial Government further lost its autonomy in 1998, becoming an entity under the Executive Yuan. Former secretary-general Wong Ming-chih () told the BBC that after 1998, the offices main function was to serve as a bridge between Kinmen, Matsu and the central government, advocating for local policy and requesting funding. For example, Wong says the offices efforts were key to government approval of the Kinmen Bridge, which began construction in 2013 and will connect the main island with neighboring Little Kinmen () by next year.

Wong says that people sending letters from Taiwan to Chinas Fujian Provincial Peoples Government () looking for lost relatives would sometimes accidentally omit the Peoples, and the mail would wind up in Kinmen.

The Fujian provincial governors appointed after 2007 all concurrently held other positions. Lo Ying-shay (), for instance, also served as minister without portfolio in addition to heading the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission (). This agency was also a remnant of the days when the KMT still openly claimed the two territories along with the rest of China. It was abolished in 2017.

When the Fujian Provincial Government was defunded, the Kinmen-Matsu Joint Services Center () assumed its responsibilities. The last provincial governor, Chang Ching-sen (), now heads the service center.

Taiwan in Time, a column about Taiwans history that is published every Sunday, spotlights important or interesting events around the nation that either have anniversaries this week or are tied to current events.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

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