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Hot Stocks
CORRECTED-UPDATE 3-Air France-KLM speeds up cost cuts as key markets lag
(Corrects day of week to Friday from Thursday)
* To seek 300 mln euros admin savings, half already identified
* Reiterates financial forecasts
* Scales back winter capacity growth plans
* Shares up 1 pct
By Cyril Altmeyer and Tim Hepher
PARIS, July 24 (Reuters) - Air France-KLM pledged on Friday to accelerate and expand its restructuring plans after a weak economy in several markets pushed down a key revenue measure in the second quarter.
Europe's second-largest network carrier said it was on course with 1.8 billion euros ($2 billion) of restructuring already under way, but the cumulative effective of 12 months of revenue pressures had forced it to beef up its plans.
The latest measures include 300 million euros in administrative cost cuts, of which half had already been identified but not previously announced.
The Franco-Dutch airline group also expects to scale back capacity growth plans for the winter season amid a tough climate in Japan, Brazil and its traditional African oil routes.
The moves came as Air France-KLM reported lower second-quarter operating profit and slipped further into the red with a net quarterly loss of 79 million euros.
However, the company maintained its objectives for the year, including the key goal of reducing debt, sending its shares about 1 percent higher in midday trading.
Chief Executive Alexandre de Juniac urged Air France pilots, who staged a lengthy strike last year, to reach a productivity agreement by the end of September and warned that without a deal, the airline would have to take "severe measures" to cut routes in its long-haul network as early as October.
The group has already reached deals with KLM pilots and with staff involved in provincial bases in France, lifting a question mark over their future.
The group reiterated plans to improve unit costs by between 1 and 1.3 percent or 250 to 300 million euros over the year as a whole. Unit costs fell 0.5 percent in the second quarter.
It still plans to reduce net debt to 4.4 billion euros by end-2015. At mid-year, Air France-KLM's debt stood at 4.55 billion euros, down from 5.41 billion a year earlier.
CAPACITY INCREASE
Including the winter capacity adjustments, the group said it would increase capacity by just 0.6 percent over the year as a whole, compared with 1.1 percent planned in February.
It posted second-quarter core earnings or EBITDA of 569 million euros. Revenue grew 3 percent to 6.64 billion, but fell 4.5 percent on a comparable basis.
Analysts were on average expecting EBITDA of 575.5 million euros and net profit of 2.97 million on sales of 6.51 billion, according to consensus data from Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Air France-KLM said the gains from lower fuel prices were being swallowed by the latest pressures on unit revenue and currency swings, forcing it to accelerate cost savings.
Unit revenue per available passenger-kilometre, a closely watched measure of revenue per seat adjusted for the capacity on offer, fell 4.8 percent on a like-for-like basis.
"We are pessimistic on both the revenue outlook and management's ability to deliver sufficient cost savings, with talks with the Air France unions still to be concluded," brokerage Liberum said in a note.
Echoing concerns by U.S. airlines about competition from the Gulf, Air France-KLM meanwhile called on the European Commission to negotiate a "balanced" agreement with Gulf states whose airlines have drawn traffic from Western rivals.
He also dismissed what he described as speculation that Abu Dhabi's Etihad could take a stake in Air France-KLM.
Pieter Elbers, head of Dutch wing KLM, dismissed reports that its Martinair unit could be sold to Russia's Air Bridge Cargo.
"We are implementing our plan to reduce the number of freighters and to save as much as we can for bellies (of passenger planes). We are not having any discussions with other parties," he said.
$1 = 0.9142 euros Additional reporting by Alexandre Boksenbaum-Granier; Editing by David Holmes and Mark Potter


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Arrowhead mall in Glendale is defying the odds. Here's the secret to its success
Joshua Bowling
A miniature train carries cars full of children past the long line at Build-A-Bear Workshop, around the corner and past the food court. It's a weekday, and Glendale's Arrowhead Towne Center is packed.
"You can feel it from the traffic — retail is not dying," Arrowhead Senior Property Manager Jesse Benites said.
It's not just the mall; it's the surrounding area. Topgolf, Westgate and the Arrowhead BMW dealership — all a short drive off Loop 101 — help draw people to the area.
The area hasn't always been like this. Metro Phoenix's east side hit its growth spurt before the west, and indoor shopping malls flourished for years in the suburbs of Scottsdale, Chandler, Mesa and Tempe.
"There's almost a stigma of the West Valley we have to fight, but the shoppers are here," Benites said. "The retailers see that, too. Otherwise, they wouldn't be here."
The West Valley is rapidly expanding — Buckeye earlier this year was named the fastest-growing city in the U.S., and the West Valley is seeing a glut of hotels moving in to accommodate growth — and officials say that's helping places like the Arrowhead mall thrive, even as other malls struggle.
With that growth comes more shopping, more entertainment and more hang-out spots.
"There's absolutely no reason to go to the East Valley," said Brian Friedman, Glendale economic development director. "And that's our goal."
Mall staying busy during slow summers
Black Friday and the holiday rush aren't enough for malls anymore.
The end-of-year holiday shopping season tends to carry retailers through the year, so officials at Arrowhead try to draw in kids and families during the typically slow summer months.
The mall offers free, outdoor concerts in the amphitheater during the summer and usually partners with restaurants and local business to offer beer gardens and food vendors during those attractions.
July is Arrowhead mall's busiest month, right behind December, according to Benites.
Focus on hang-out spots, not shopping spots
As the internet has made it more convenient to spend money from your couch, malls have had to reinvent themselves — officials are shifting the focus from shopping destinations to hang-out spots.
Those changes have rolled out across the Valley, including:
Peoria's Park West in December announced an Orange Theory Fitness and splash pads as part of a $4 million makeover.
Scottsdale Fashion Square in 2017 announced millions in renovations and focused on adding high-end dining and luxury shops that are hard to find elsewhere.
Chandler Fashion Center in 2018 announced it would open a Crayola "Experience" all about coloring.
"The design priority is put now on where people will gather, not where they'll shop," said Brookelynn Nisenbaum, Local First Arizona community planning manager.
While Arrowhead has capitalized on that, outdoor malls like Park West in Peoria and SanTan Village in Gilbert are having some of the best success with focusing on gathering places, she said.
"As we're being more urbanized ... we're kind of replicating that through the whole main street thing," she said. "People want to feel like they're in Phoenix, even if they're in the suburbs."
Neighboring Peoria doubled down on the mall's success in April by adding a free-to-ride circulator bus that carries passengers from the mall in Glendale to Peoria's bustling P83 entertainment district.
Has the internet really killed retail?
It's hard to deny the internet's effects on retail amid headlines signaling hundreds of closures for Sears, Toys 'R' Us and Payless Shoe Source around the country. But that doesn't mean all retail is dying, experts say.
"I think that the internet has killed big box retail, but I don't think it's killed brick-and-mortar retail," Nisenbaum said. "Going into a Walmart or Target, that's mundane. But going into a boutique store ... that's very experiential, and that's where people want to go."
Arrowhead has even had luck attracting businesses that used to be online-only. The mattress store has physical storefronts in the Arrowhead mall, Scottsdale, Gilbert and Tucson.
"Amerisleep is one of those we like to call click-to-brick," Benites said. "They are solely online, but they opened up brick-and-mortar here."
But just because Arrowhead is thriving in the digital age doesn't mean more malls will go up anytime soon in the West Valley.
"West Valley development, especially as you're going toward the Happy Valley area, is really focusing on small business," she said. "Arrowhead Towne mall is successful, but in the future, you're not going to see anything like that go up."
West Valley's late growth helps — in a way
The West Valley suburbs have never had as many malls as their neighbors to the east. That's due in large part to how early the East Valley boomed.
"The West Valley was developed after Mesa (and the East Valley) was," Nisenbaum said. "They just happened to not get as many (malls)."
Since the west side didn't have as many options, it drove people from across the region to the Arrowhead mall.
Goodyear, southwest of Phoenix off Interstate 10, in the early 2000s planned an indoor shopping mall off the northwest corner of Bullard Avenue and McDowell Road. That mall never materialized.
The next best thing for westsiders used to be Phoenix's Metrocenter, which is now a husk of a mall, full of empty storefronts and boarded-up windows. In the past few years the Tanger Outlets at Westgate helped fill the shopping-mall gap for the west side.
Making 'Instagrammable moments'
Mall officials are trying to use social media to attract more young visitors.
They're doing that with what Benites called "Instagrammable moments" — murals, unique architecture and art displays that he hopes people will pose in front of and then post online with the mall's location tag.
'That buying power is here'
The train makes another round through the mall as a dozen screaming kids step off for their next destination, the play area.
This summer, the mall will open an Abercrombie Kids store and a temporary Lululemon pop-up store. The mall's occupancy is in the high 90 percent, Benites said.
This summer, the mall will also lose its Sears as part of the chain's nationwide closures. But the next tenant is already lined up, though Benites won't yet say who it is.
"You don't have to travel to Phoenix or Scottsdale," he said. "We want to show that buying power is here."
Meet reporter Joshua Bowling in the food court. Or reach him at jbowling@azcentral.com or 602-444-8138. Follow him on Twitter @MrJoshuaBowling.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
Kelly supports change to Senate's filibuster rule Colombia's ambassador to U.S. seeks expanded trade with Arizona Legislature renews debate on how to handle atrocities in country's past Where to get at-home tests for COVID-19 in Arizona

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Nature: Adaptable Robots 'On Their Way' to Home
Adaptable Robots 'On Their Way' to the Home
Adopted from BBC News 28 May 2015, by Pallab Ghosh, Science correspondent
Researchers have developed robots that learn to live with damaged parts in less than a minute, instead of the many hours needed bytraditional self-learning systems.
The system paves the way for robots to be used in awide variety of settings, coping with damage that occurs in the real world.
Possible applications include robots looking after theelderly, rescuing earthquake victims or doing housework.
Details are in the journal Nature.
We marvel at the robots we see in films: some try towipe out humanity, such as Ultron in the recent Avengers film, while otherslike C-3PO in Star Wars are helpful albeit slightly annoying. But they are thestill the stuff of science fiction, partly because if the slightest thing goeswrong with a real-life robot it usually stops working altogether.
In a step towards making the machines of the movies areality, French and US researchers have developed a learning algorithm thatenables robots to adapt very quickly when they are damaged.
Factory and laboratory robots have a strictlypre-defined way of operating. So if a component breaks, it normally has to bereplaced for the robot to continue with its task.
Most self-learning systems that seek alternative waysof continuing with the task are too slow, because they try out billions ofpossibilities. Using software that filters out the ineffective strategies, thenew system vastly speeds up the process.
The team demonstrated the principles with asix-legged, spider-like robot that found a new way of crawling across the floorafter one of its legs was broken. They also unveiled a robotic arm that couldadapt to a broken joint and learn a new way to drop a ball in a bin.
In both instances, the robots were able to learn a newstrategy to complete their task in less than a minute. Traditionalself-learning systems would have taken days.
According to Dr Jeff Clune of the University ofWyoming, the development represents an important first step toward robots thatare able to operate independently, outside of the carefully controlled confinesof a laboratory or factory floor.
"Having the kind of intelligent robots you see inthe movies is much closer than people realise. Our algorithm should inprinciple work on any kind of robot no matter how complex it is," he toldBBC News.
"If anyone can get a working C-3PO, our algorithmcould help it to deal with unforeseen situations and damage."
Sampling strategies
The new system uses a computer simulation to filterout all the possible solutions that will not work well. It then collects theones that are both effective and different from each other, so that the robotdoes not waste time testing out similar strategies.
Next, the robot tries out what the simulation predictswill be the best solution. If that fails, it tries out something entirelydifferent. It carries on doing this until it finds a strategy that works.
The research points the way to robots that are morerobust, adaptable and cheaper to maintain than today's machines, according tosenior author Jean-Baptiste Mouret, from Pierre and Marie Curie University inParis.
"If you have robots in your home they wouldprobably be expensive and you would not want them to stop working if a smallpart breaks," he told BBC News.
"Robots are used in factories because they are acontrolled environment and nothing unexpected can happen to them. We would liketo put these robots outside of factories to help in the outside world, whereanything can happen."
Alongside recent advances in artificial intelligence,such as the self-learningsystem developed by Google's DeepMind Technologies, this developmentcould see the emergence of new uses for robots.
"The things (DeepMind) is working on areamazing," says Dr Clune. "(Together) we will bring closer a futurewhere robots are helping humans.
"We should be sending robots into Fukushimainstead of asking human volunteers to take lethal doses of radiation. Robotsshould be putting out forest fires so we don't have to risk human lives andthey should be used to help us in our homes," he said.
Among the ideas for household robots are machines forcleaning, cooking,or loading and unloading dishwashers.
Most of the development of the system was done byAntoine Cully, a PhD student working with Dr Mouret. He says one of hisprincipal motivations was to help those who are infirm.
"I hope we can have robots that are assistantsfor the elderly," he said.
Dr Clune, though, believes this technology could haveapplications at the other end of the age spectrum.
He has very recently become a father, whose newbornchild has been keeping him awake into the early hours of the night. Heconfesses that he has spent the extra sleepless hours pondering "long andhard" whether he could use the new system to create a robot that cansoothe a crying baby.
"Necessity is the mother of invention, so maybethat will be my next invention," he joked.
But I was left with the impression that his commentswere not entirely in jest.
Follow Pallab on Twitter


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Prehistoric Creature of the North Saskatchewan River
by Sadie Caron | Posted in: Endangered Species, Fishing, Invasive Species, Water | 0
The North Saskatchewan River is home to a wide diversity of fascinating creatures. Some are feathered, some are furry, and some are scaly. One of the most interesting of these creatures has been on Earth for at least 100 million years. This animal existed while dinosaurs were still walking the planet. This creature is known as a living fossil, since it has lived for many Eras relatively unchanged, while its relatives have gone extinct. They can reach 2 meters in length and 90 kg in weight. Also, these species can live for up to 150 years! This creature is: Lake Sturgeon.
These fish are recognizable by their shark-like tail, their thick skin with armour-like plates (called scutes), and their barbels that hang down like a moustache in front of their retractable mouth. Sturgeon are bottom feeders, meaning that they feed on creatures on the bottom of the lakes and rivers in which they live. Their barbels are used to detect food, which they suck up with their toothless mouth, which is located under their head. They mainly feed on small fish, insect larvae, mollusks, crayfish, and fish eggs.
@Tomas Tuma
Sturgeon are famous for their expensive eggs, which are considered a delicacy, known as caviar. Lake sturgeon caviar is not as desirable as the beluga, osetra, and sevgura species of sturgeon which live in the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov. These species are all Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red list. Female sturgeon reach sexual maturity after 14-33 years, and are killed for their caviar, often illegally. While their caviar is not as consumed as other sturgeon species, the lake sturgeon's eggs and meat were overexploited in the 1800s. Today, they are considered Threatened under Alberta's Wildlife Act and At Risk under the General Status of Alberta Wild Species report. Sturgeon are also threatened by dams, habitat degradation, contaminants, deformations, destruction of spawning grounds, and invasive species. The populations of lake sturgeon are endangered in the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers, but the populations are on the rise due to habitat management and fishing regulation. In the North Saskatchewan River, Lake Sturgeon are a catch and release species for sport fishing. There are many locations in Edmonton along the river that anglers report catching sturgeon, including Dawson Park (a known sturgeon spawning location) and Rundle Park.
USFWS Midwest Region – Flickr
It can be quite surprising to learn about what lives within the river. Sturgeon are incredible creatures that capture the imaginations of anglers, conservationists, and people of all walks of life. In the news we hear about endangered species going extinct almost every day. Extinction rates on our planet are occurring 1,000 to 10,000 faster than natural extinction rates. It is rare yet affirming that lake sturgeon, which had almost been wiped out of the North Saskatchewan River, are increasing in both population and size. As they grow, this indicates that they are living longer since they never stop growing during their lives. We may not be able to bring dinosaurs back, but with hard work in conservation we can maintain these prehistoric creature's presence on Earth.
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. 2002. Status of the Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in Alberta. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, and Alberta Conservation Association, Wildlife Status Report No. 46, Edmonton, AB. 30pp.
Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. "Lake Sturgeon (Saskatchewan River)." Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Statistical Services, 2006, dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/profiles-profils/sturgeon2-esturgeon-eng.html.
Dove, Laurie L. "How Caviar Works." HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 8 Mar. 2018, science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/caviar1.htm.
Grant, Travis. "Here Be Sturgeons: Fishing in Edmonton." Vue Weekly, 27 June 2018, www.vueweekly.com/here-be-sturgeons-fishing-in-edmonton/.
"Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser Fulvescens)." South Saskatchewan River Basin Water Information | AEP – Environment and Parks, aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/wild-species/fish/sturgeons/lake-sturgeon/lake-sturgeon.aspx.
Snowdon, Wallis. "Big Fish Story: Sturgeon Make a Comeback in North Saskatchewan River | CBC News." CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 24 June 2016, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/sturgeon-north-saskatchewan-river-comeback-1.3649674.
"Sturgeon." WWF, wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/endangered_species/sturgeon/.
"The Extinction Crisis." Centre for Biological Diversity, www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_crisis/.
Featured image: USFWS Midwest Region – Flickr
Federal Government Declares Proposed Mine Site To Be Critical Habitat
by NSRK | Posted in: Case Studies, Endangered Species, News, Toxic Chemicals, Water Quality | 0
Last week, the federal government declared that dozens of streams and rivers in southwestern Alberta are critical habitat for endangered trout species.
On December 2nd, the Alberta Wilderness Association said that it would drop a lawsuit against Ottawa which sought to force the federal government to issue the order. Under law, critical habitat for native cutthroat trout was supposed to have been declared more than a year ago under the previous Conservative government.
"We're happy that we likely do not have to follow through with it," said Brittany Verbeek, the association's conservation director.
Verbeek said the order lends protection to the creeks, streams and tributaries draining into the Oldman and Crowsnest rivers that are home to the trout. The fish were already protected under the Fisheries Act; now their home is protected under the Species At Risk Act.
"It just means that the area surrounding where the fish live has that increased protection."
Changes to the stream, such as increasing its sediment load, are now forbidden.
The Alberta government is considering an application from a subsidiary of an Australian company to build a coal mine on a mountaintop in the protected habitat. Benga Mining proposes to turn 12 square kilometres on the top of Grassy Mountain near Blairmore into a terraced site.
At the same time, the province's energy regulator is investigating the company for a release of coal into Gold Creek, one of the streams included in the critical habitat declaration.
A recent survey by a fisheries biologist found virtually all southern Alberta streams that spawn native trout are threatened by industrial development or overuse.
Lorne Fitch studied 54 small rivers and streams that flow into the Oldman River and which hold bull and cutthroat trout, largely in the area now considered critical habitat. He found nearly all of them face damage from logging roads, energy development and off-highway vehicle trails.
Scientists suggest land that contains trout streams shouldn't have more than just over half a kilometre of trail, cutline or road per square kilometre. The disturbance density in parts of the Oldman watershed is nearly 10 times that.
Cutthroat populations are estimated at five per cent of historic levels.
From Bob Weber – The Canadian Press
Source: http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/feds-say-proposed-alberta-coal-mine-site-a-key-fish-habitat-1.2684688
Photo credit: Robert Berdan
Why are Alberta's trout species threatened?
by Brigitte Dreger-Smylie | Posted in: Endangered Species, Water Quality | 0
5 per cent.
That's what's left of the once-thriving population of cutthroat trout in Alberta. Combine that with a 70 per cent loss of habitat for Alberta's provincial fish, the bull trout, and things aren't looking too positive for our freshwater fishes. Both cutthroat and bull trout are now restricted to high elevations, when they were once abundant through the Oldman and Bow river basins.
Facing multiple pressures
So why the dramatic decline? The biggest threat might not be what you think: off-highway vehicles. Quads, 4x4s, dirt bikes, and other off-highway vehicles tear up the stream bottom, compromise important habitat, and increase the amount of silt and sediment being deposited into important spawning grounds.1
But it's not just our off-roading friends to blame. The creation of logging roads, expansion of energy development, effluent runoff from feedlots, and draining of watersheds to meet irrigation needs are all part of the problem. Together, these pressures create an ecosystem that is heavily disturbed, and its estimated that the disturbance density of the Oldman watershed are ten times the recommended maximum to ensure the long-term health of cutthroat and bull trout.
But why is silt and sediment a problem?
We used to think silt and sediment would just be washed away when it entered our waterways, but this actually isn't the case: these tiny particles of sand and dirt become trapped in the bigger stones and gravel that make up the stream bed, where it solidifies. Eventually, the sediment and silt becomes so concentrated in the seafloor that water can't permeate through it, creating what is referred to as a "hardpack streambed." This makes it extremely difficult for trout to carve out redds (nests) – and hardpacks aren't expected to go anywhere soon.
Echoed all over the province
In order to see real, lasting change for all of our native species of fishes and freshwater species, Alberta will need to address its land-use policies and make considerable changes.2 Some of these would include better protection for headwaters, more control of industrial activity, and improved water quality monitoring.
The biggest thing we can do to ensure the long-term health of our freshwater species is to limit the impact we have on our waterways directly. When you're out camping, leave some distance between your site and the water. Don't use your off-highway vehicle in or near the water. And make sure you use caution down on the waterfront.
CBC News. (June 13, 2015). Alberta trout threatened, say anglers and environmentalists. Retrieved from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-trout-threatened-say-anglers-and-environmentalists-1.3112452.
Bob Weber. (July 12, 2015). Most Alberta trout streams threatened: survey. The Canadian Press. Retrieved from: http://globalnews.ca/news/2106366/most-alberta-trout-streams-threatened-survey/.
endangered species, trout, water quality


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Russell Simmons Accusers Denounce Breakfast Club for New Interview
Drew Dixon and Sil Lai Abrams, both of whom previously accused Simmons of sexual assault, were shocked the former Def Jam head was given a major platform to refute their allegations.
By Christopher Rosen
Photo by Tiffany Rose/Getty Images for Make A Wish.
Drew Dixon and Sil Lai Abrams, 2 of the 20 women who have come forward with sexual assault and misconduct allegations against Russell Simmons, condemned popular radio show The Breakfast Club for an interview with Simmons that aired Wednesday.
"This is a TOXIC mess," Dixon, who came forward in 2017 to claim that Simmons raped her in 1995, wrote on Twitter. Simmons, she added, "is a serial rapist, and many of his victims are Black women. Yet [host Charlamagne tha God] gives him a platform in the midst of a noble quest for Black liberation. We'll never get this foot off of our necks as Black people, if we don't love ourselves."
"I feel nauseous. Like, seriously sickened by this [Breakfast Club] interview and I didn't even listen to it," Abrams, who has alleged Simmons raped her in 1994, wrote on Twitter. "This is so damn traumatizing."
In a separate tweet, she wrote, "Stunts like what [The Breakfast Club] is pulling this morning by having Russell Simmons on to talk about social justice of all things is why it took over 25 years for R. Kelly to start to be held accountable for his serial predation of Black women and girls." (In March, Kelly pleaded not guilty to 13 federal charges, including child pornography and the sexual exploitation of children; he is currently in federal custody without bail, despite seeking release over coronavirus fears.)
Simmons, who has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sexual encounters, appeared on The Breakfast Club with hosts DJ Envy, Angela Yee, and Charlamagne tha God, speaking from a home he has in Bali, Indonesia. Just shy of 13 minutes into the 63-minute interview, he was asked about the allegations and the HBO Max documentary On the Record, which details the stories of Dixon and Abrams, among others.
"You know, when I first heard about this documentary, I was thrilled to know that Oprah was involved," Simmons said, referencing Oprah Winfrey—who was an executive producer on the film before taking back her support (and the Apple TV+ platform that came with it) not long before it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this year. "But let me back up because there's something I have to say that's much more important. I'm guilty of having underwritten, supported, made soundtracks for, taken advantage of, and lived in a grossly unjust society.... I know what I'm guilty of, and I've been unconscious as a playboy, and today the title appropriate is womanizer. So I'm guilty of that."
After claiming he dated numerous famous black actors, including Robin Givens and Stacey Dash, Simmons said, "I went out every night and I looked for new girls to date, and almost all of them are my friends today. In fact, everyone I mentioned, certainly all the ones that I'm referring to when I talk about supermodels from all over the world, these are friends today, and they never—they don't have the experience of me being the monster that the movie makes me to be."
Shortly before On the Record premiered, Winfrey removed her name from the film, citing "creative differences" with directors Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick over her wish to have its scope broadened by including more alleged victims and better contextualizing the culture of hip-hop in the 1990s. Before her decision, Simmons had reached out to Winfrey both in public and private, but the producer and talk show host maintained it was "ridiculous to think that I could be intimidated by Russell Simmons." (Said Dick about Winfrey in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, "She and her company were involved with the project for nearly a year. They were very close collaborators. They loved the project and the footage from the first time they saw it all the way through the picture log. They and Apple were the people that submitted the film to Sundance. They made an announcement prior to the Sundance announcement talking about how proud they were to be associated with the film. It was a very close working relationship. So we don't have any additional insight.")
Speaking on The Breakfast Club, Simmons said he was thrilled when Winfrey became involved because of her background as a journalist. "I said, it's absolutely no way she's gonna go forward when I present her with 30 witnesses or so who came forward after they saw their friends, and children, and parishioners on television," Simmons said. "So I felt very confident she'd walk away. She walked away, and she did say that the stories had inconsistencies."
Winfrey left the project on January 10. In a statement at the time, she said, "First and foremost, I want it to be known that I unequivocally believe and support the women. Their stories deserve to be told and heard. In my opinion, there is more work to be done on the film to illuminate the full scope of what the victims endured, and it has become clear that the filmmakers and I are not aligned in that creative vision. Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering are talented filmmakers. I have great respect for their mission, but given the filmmakers' desire to premiere the film at the Sundance Film Festival before I believe it is complete, I feel it's best to step aside. I will be working with Time's Up to support the victims and those impacted by abuse and sexual harassment." Winfrey did not mention any inconsistencies within the accusations.
Of On the Record, Simmons said he was "sorry" the movie had been released. But at the same time, "I'm glad they had their moment to say what they wanted to say. I could never say that someone doesn't feel victimized 30 years ago. These stories are 25 to 40 years old. I can't say someone doesn't feel victimized. I can tell you that I don't feel that I victimized them. And how can I say that? I took nine separate three-hour lie detector tests by two separate teachers. I just want to share that. They're available to you. I just wanted to say that, and I don't know what else to say except I feel terrible."
Simmons was one of a number of high-profile men accused of sexual misconduct during the initial stages of the #MeToo movement in 2017, including convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein, former CBS boss Les Moonves (who has denied allegations of sexual misconduct), former NBC host Matt Lauer (who has denied allegations of sexual misconduct), and comedian Louis C.K., among many others. "I was the only man of color," Simmons claimed of the men accused during the early days of the #MeToo movement. "They spent a lot of money digging into my past. The New York Times, the L.A. Times, New York magazine, and others spent a fortune calling every person that I've known over the last 40 some-odd years. So I'm not suggesting they shouldn't, but did they do that for the famous rock stars? I hung out with Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler and many, many rock stars. The misunderstandings that I refer to and the insensitivity that I might have exuded at the time was kind of typical of the time. It was the perfect timing and the perfect storm. This is my experience."
Simmons's comments and the interview itself were denounced on social media. "Why? Would you have Harvey Weinstein on? Cause that's who Russell Simmons is," journalist Yashar Ali wrote on Twitter. "Turning your back on the women who have been brave enough to speak out..."
In a statement released after the interview, Time's Up said, "Immediately before an emotional conversation about police brutality against Black women on The Breakfast Club this morning, Russell Simmons peddled numerous myths about sexual assault, stereotypes about Black women, and distortions of facts in denying the multiple sexual assault allegations against him."
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— Trevor Noah and The Daily Show Aren't Just Surviving—They're Thriving
— From the Archive: Sidney Poitier's Pointed Message to White America as Race Riots Swept the Nation in the Summer of 1967
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struggling schools
Select Location Chicago Colorado Detroit Indiana National New York Newark Tennessee
These 94 schools are set to receive extra funding and learning time
Ninety-four low-performing schools are about to get a lot more attention from the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today. Called "Renewal Schools," they will receive…
a plan emerges
94 struggling schools will get extra support, but could still face closure
The city will spend $150 million to turn around more than 90 struggling schools, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday, and is prepared to reorganize or close schools that don't succeed after getting additional help.
Read Mayor Bill de Blasio's speech outlining a $150M plan for school improvement
The city will spend $150 million to turn around more than 90 struggling schools, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday, and is prepared to reorganize…
Under pressure, de Blasio set to outline plan to improve struggling schools
Mayor Bill de Blasio is set to unveil the city's long-awaited plan to rescue more than 90 low-performing schools in a speech Monday.
Two Heads > One
50 pairs of first-year principals and APs to take over struggling schools
Over the next three years, 50 principal-assistant principal pairs will try to turn around struggling schools across the city with training and coaching support from the NYC Leadership Academy.
The Cold Shoulder
Members of Boys and Girls HS leadership team feel shut out as city intervenes
Members of the Boys and Girls High School leadership team say the city submitted a school-improvement plan to the state and hired a new principal without alerting them, despite city regulations that require the team to be consulted.
A Hard Bargain
Incoming Boys and Girls principal gets big bonus, option to return to old school
From Oct. 2014: The veteran principal tapped to rescue troubled Boys and Girls High School will get to play a continued role at the successful school he is leaving.
Fariña appoints new Boys and Girls principal as staffers await her turnaround plan
From Oct. 2014: Chancellor Carmen Fariña tapped the longtime leader of a Brooklyn school to take over struggling Boys and Girls High School as staffers wait for direction.
Advocates pushing city on struggling schools choose an unlikely champion
The de Blasio administration's delay in publicizing plans for the city's struggling schools has made strange bedfellows out of an advocacy group that supports school closures and a principal who for years resisted his own school's potential shuttering.
Calling it Quits
Departing leader of Boys and Girls HS: City's turnaround plan 'doomed to fail'
Bernard Gassaway, the outspoken principal of Brooklyn's troubled Boys and Girls High School, said he is stepping down because he believes the plan the city is developing to turn around the school is "doomed to fail."
State ed chief: Closure should still be considered for city's struggling schools
King made clear Thursday that he believes the city's most troubled schools should still face closure — even under a mayor and chancellor who fiercely criticized…
Going Grade-less
Under gentler rating system, schools will no longer be ranked or graded
The city has revamped the way it rates schools, schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña announced Wednesday, transforming school report cards into something more like online reviews.
late notice
De Blasio stays mum on plans for struggling schools
Mayor de Blasio said he'd have more specifics about how to deal with the city's worst-performing schools in "the next few weeks," echoing the timeline he offered a month earlier, when he promised a "coherent, energetic, purposeful effort to save schools."
No Late Arrivals
To stabilize two struggling schools, city will not send them new students mid-year
The city will not send any latecomer students, who often pose extra challenges, to at least two long-struggling high schools this year, officials said.
Priority Schools?
Classes have started, but some struggling schools still await clear guidance from the city
More than two weeks into the school year, principals of some of the city's most troubled schools say they still don't know how exactly the city plans to intervene — and that the delays will make it harder for them to turn around their schools this year.


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'What If…?' Promotional Material Teases The Guardians Of The Multiverse
Marvel Studios' What If…? has promised to introduce fans to reimagined versions of the MCU's iconic characters and stories, and now new merchandise has teased some of those new scenarios. A recently leaked poster for the series has revealed a new look at characters in the story with the tagline of "Guardians of the Multiverse".
The poster includes a number of previously revealed characters, including Peggy Carter as Captain Britain, T'Challa as Star-Lord, and a dark Doctor Strange. But the image also reveals the first look at Jeffrey Wright as Uatu the Watcher as well as a Thor, Black Widow, Killmonger, and Gamora.
READ: 'Shang-Chi' Merch Reveals New Look At Film's Cast In Costume & More
Just found this at the mall…this is interesting! pic.twitter.com/MZHp8ZokGI
— Anne Talks Comics! 🌸🏳⚧🌸 (@AnneComics) April 11, 2021
It is unclear if this group of characters will actually form a Guardians of the Multiverse or if this is just a fun play on the Guardians of the Galaxy. The series has been promoted as several one-off stories focused on each of the films in the MCU. Still, it could be possible for there to be an overarching storyline uniting the characters depicted above.
The series will feature the stars of the MCU returning to voice their iconic characters. Some notable names include Haley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and Josh Brolin as Thanos.
Are you excited for What If…? to premiere on Disney+? Which story are you looking forward to seeing most? Let us know in the comments below!
Did you like this article? If so, consider visiting our YouTube channel, where we discuss the latest and greatest in pop culture news.
Natalie Portman To Star In HBO's 'The Days Of Abandonment' Adaptation


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Meet "Deadpool", the anti-hero of the ages
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Angel Kim, Staff Writer
After many months of anticipation, "Deadpool" finally hit theaters nationwide on Feb. 12. Based on the Marvel comics, this movie centers around the origin story of Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), a mercenary who is diagnosed with cancer. Wilson takes part in an experiment that cures him, but also leaves his appearance deformed and gives him healing powers. Wilson soon adopts Deadpool as an alter ego and begins his search for the one responsible for turning him into a mutant, essentially, a man who calls himself Ajax, but real name is Francis (Ed Skrein).
Tim Miller's directing in "Deadpool" is remarkable from start to finish, as he creates a sarcastic film that contains no restraints. More than other films, the opening scene of "Deadpool" was crucial for setting an action-packed, yet comedic tone. Instead of the casts' names, joking titles are displayed. The scene also portrays interesting cinematography, where the view pans around a frozen shot. The effects are also not too over-the-top, and Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) is well animated.
The storyline itself does not quite present anything new and some of the jokes almost seem to be trying too hard to be funny. However, penned by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the script does allow for "Deadpool" to be character driven, mostly through Deadpool's narratives. The narration and flashback sequences, which could have made for a weak movie if done incorrectly, makes Wilson's path to becoming Deadpool entertaining and easy to follow. There are also multiple "fourth wall breaks", where Deadpool is seemingly aware that he is in a movie and speaks to the audience. Viewers will be pleased by references mocking Reynolds' past superhero movies, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and "Green Lantern".
With release days before Valentine's Day, the film was marketed towards a Valentine's' Day crowd. Love interest Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin) plays a prominent role. Furthermore, after Wilson becomes disfigured, one of his motivations to finding Ajax and getting his deformities from the experiment fixed is his fear of not being accepted by Carlysle again.
The casting was one of the biggest highlights of the movie. In a 2004 comic, Deadpool was described as looking "like Ryan Reynolds crossed with a Shar-Pei." Miraculously, Reynolds was cast, and gave a memorable performance. The makeup department also did a commendable job with creating Wilson's post-experiment face. Alongside Colossus, newcomer Brianna Hildebrand convincingly conveys the rebellious-teen look as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and is en route to a bright film career. Overall, no performance in particular fell short of the others.
Though "Deadpool" is bound to be one of the bigger Marvel-based movies, younger viewers should be aware that it is rated "R" by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) due to abundant amounts of violence, foul language and adult content. "Deadpool" isn't close to being the perfect movie, but still qualifies as a must-see for early 2016.


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Bitnation > News > 21Shares Parent Company, 21.co, Raises $25M at $2B Valuation
21Shares Parent Company, 21.co, Raises $25M at $2B Valuation
Susan Keith
September 6, 2022 at 19:18 UTC ( September 6, 2022 )
Founded in 2018, 21.co has a total of $3 billion in assets under management (AUM).
The company reported around $650 in main net new assets from September 2021 to the same month this year.
Earlier this year, the company launched the ETFS 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (EBTC) and the ETFS 21Shares Ethereum ETF (EETH) in Australia.
Cathie Wood-backed Web3 startup, 21.co, has announced that it raised $25 million at a valuation of $2 billion. According to the company, investors who took part in the concluded fundraising include Collab+Currency, Quiet Ventures, ETFS Capital, and Valor Equity Partners. The company intends to channel the money toward expanding its global reach through its subsidiary networks.
Notably, 21.co is behind the world's largest ETP issuer 21shares, and Amun, which markets itself as a token provider that combines financial and smart contract expertise.
"The real impressive stat is we've gotten to this $2 billion valuation off of just raising $10 million, and that's, I would argue, a pretty good use of capital," Hany Rashwan said. "It's important for our customers to realize how large a company they're entrusting their funds with and to have that clarity."
Worth noting, that the company indicates through its website that it has 42 crypto products, and 11 cryptocurrency exchanges spanning around seven different countries.
Founded in 2018, 21.co has a total of $3 billion in assets under management (AUM). The company takes pride in over 100 employees from over the world.
21.Co and the Cryptocurrency Market Outlook
Reportedly, the company reported around $650 in main net new assets from September 2021 to the same month this year. Additionally, the company ostensibly grew its headcount by 75 percent during the twelve months preceding September 2022.
The company has launched several cryptocurrency ETFs around all targeting institutional investors. Earlier this year, the company launched the ETFS 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (EBTC) and the ETFS 21Shares Ethereum ETF (EETH) in Australia.
Earlier in June this year, the company launched 21Shares Bitcoin Core ETP (CBTC) on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
Institutional investors are taking close attention to the happenings in the cryptocurrency market. Additionally, retail investors are taking the initiative to educate themselves about the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry.
Worth noting, that most regulators around the world are formulating crypto-friendly laws including the United States, European Union, India, Russia, and others
For instance, the Russian government is looking into ways to adopt cryptocurrencies as a way to enhance cross-border payments. However, counties of the west argue that Putin is taking advantage of the decentralized nature of most digital assets to circumnavigate the set sanctions.
Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency industry is closely monitoring the upcoming Ethereum merge, which may trigger a new bull market. Notably, the Ethereum network just activated the Bellatrix hard fork as the final step toward the Merge.
Bitcoin is leading in market dominance with approximately 36.4 percent despite the continued drop in prices.
According to our market data, Bitcoin has slipped below $19k, thereby pulling the entire crypto market cap below $1 trillion. Should the downtrend sustain as recorded in the previous September, Bitcoin price could rest around $10k as predicted by Peter Schiff.
I'm passionate about cryptocurrency. I began following the development of Bitcoin and other digital currencies in early 2013, and quickly became fascinated by the potential of this new technology. In the years since, I've followed the rise of the crypto industry with close attention, and written extensively on the subject. .
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Market Forecasts
Uniswap 0.46%
OKB 7.84%
BitDAO 0.83%
Wrapped Bitcoin 0.00%
Internet Computer 0.05%


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Analysis Library
Football Repository
We are making subtle changes to the site with much more over the summer. Watch for the new comment sign-up coming soon!
Ducks Football Recruiting Is In Good Hands
Jason Fowler May 24, 2017 Recruiting
As I reflect on the weekend of Oregon's Spring Game at the end of April, I wonder if there has ever before been such a successful three-day stint of verbal commitments in the history of Ducks football. Possibly in the month of February with Signing Day surprises, but in April? How did this all come about with a completely revamped coaching staff?
Let me introduce a man whom I consider a friend, despite never meeting him face to face: coach David Kelly. If you were to check his bio on GoDucks.com, you would notice that it says nothing. Oddly, this may fit his character. As Assistant Athletic Director of Football Recruiting Operations, he plays a role in recruiting that is very much below the casual fan's radar. He prefers it this way. He wants zero recognition.
Coach David Kelly keeps recruiting organized.
We know that Kelly came over with coach Willie Taggart from USF. As I see it, Kelly is very much Taggart's "right-hand man." He comes to Eugene with plenty of coaching and recruiting experience, and with nationwide contacts and relationships at all levels of football. According to his bio on the Gousfbulls.com site, he has coached and recruited athletes from the SEC, ACC, Pac-10 (before it became the Pac-12) and C-USA conferences. He also has experience at the professional level in the NFL, CFL and the proposed MLFB. He has a great grasp on what it takes for college athletes to get to the next level.
When I congratulated Kelly after the spring game about the amazing weekend of Oregon pledges, he simply said, "The hard part begins now; we must keep them." It goes back to what he told me before about this staff's recruiting approach: that it's important to build strong relationships with individuals and be honest. This staff does not push for commitments early in the recruiting cycle because if they are successful, their rivals will know whom to go after hardest.
This nugget of recruiting insight opened my eyes to the kind of coaches Oregon has. Relationships are built. Trust is earned. Parents warm up to the idea that their kid will be playing in Eugene. If the parents feel good and the prospect feels good, then recruiting becomes easier. So, when I commented to Kelly about the staff being able to flip FSU commit Isaiah Bolden, he told me that they had "been planting seeds and it's now coming to fruition."
Gary Breedlove
Coach Jim Leavitt brings hope of a better defense.
I need not remind anyone of the fact that Oregon snatched up co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Mario Cristobal from Alabama, the most successful FBS program over the last several years. His championship experience is unsurpassed, and his vision for offensive linemen is legendary.
I can't tell you how excited I was when Taggart snagged stud defensive line coach Joe Salave'a away from WSU. His name is highly respected throughout the Polynesian community and he has instant credibility with the recruits. He and his culture help to bring a family feel to the team.
The search for a defensive coordinator was probably extensive, but it's hard to improve on Jim Leavitt. Leavitt brought Colorado out of the abyss of the conference's defensive basement with much less talent than Oregon currently has. Having him in charge will improve the discipline on a defense that at times last year showed a lack of organization.
The head man is not a new name to many, but he still has more potential than experience. Taggart is only the second head coach to be at his third D1 coaching stop — without being fired — by the age of 40. The only other coach to do that is Urban Meyer, and we all know the success Meyer has had over the years since. If Meyer is an indicator of Taggart's potential, I'll take it.
Coach Joe Salave'a will bring some beef back to the defensive line.
The remaining staff, including graduate assistants, have the "juice" that Taggart is looking for from everyone involved in the football program. I enjoy seeing Tweets on Twitter.com from the position coaches with maps of where they are in the country. Not only are they active on the recruiting trail but they are also taking the trouble to keep the athletes and fans informed.
I'm sure coach Donte Pimpleton visited North Carolina to get vibes on other running back studs, but I expect it was mostly to check up on the Ducks' newest RB commit Jamal Elliott in Durham. Elliott has Duke in his back yard, and the North Carolina Tar Heels are less than 15 miles away. You can bet there will be serious local efforts to flip Elliott from Oregon.
Two other Oregon 4-star pledges live in California. Keeping Steve Stephens and Javon Holland committed will be a major challenge for coach Keith Heyward. Heyward has done an excellent job at building relationships in California and filling the safety spots early, displaying his hard work.
Safeties coach Keith Heyward has been successful so far in recruiting.
Cristobal has managed, in his short time in Eugene, to pick up Oregon's top offensive lineman. Local 4-star Dawson Jaramillo seems really comfortable with his future position coach already. Jaramillo dreamed of being a Duck as a youth, so his commitment may be the most solid at this point. Also, it helps that Jaramillo is close by so Cristobal can easily keep tabs on him.
A commitment from 4-star linebacker Adrian Jackson was almost as shocking to me as those of Stephens, Bolden and Clemson graduate transfer Scott Pagano. Jackson lives in Colorado, and Leavitt was his primary recruiter for the Buffaloes. The relationship that Leavitt built with Jackson while he was at Colorado helped him to get Jackson to come to Eugene.
Oregon's three remaining commitments are 3-stars. Each plays a position of necessity, especially tight end Spencer Webb – the Ducks need to sign at least two TE's in this recruiting class. The next position of need is defensive tackle, where JUCO transfer Mohamed Diallo has pledged. Finally the RB position will need to be bolstered after Royce Freeman and Kani Benoit depart at the end of this upcoming season. Three-star running back Travis Dye, the first 2018 commit, has offered to help here.
The 2018 class is definitely shaping up in a hurry. I heard rumblings before the spring game about how poorly the staff was recruiting despite their reputation of recruiting success. Dye was the sole commit for quite some time, and Oregon fans, including me, get a little antsy when our favorite prep stars aren't committing to the Ducks. However, my worries were put to rest after my communications with Kelly. This class may end up being a top-15 class on signing day. But it's the relationships being built for the future that should really pay off in the 2019 and 2020 classes. Watch for those two classes to break the top 10 and possibly be the best recruiting classes ever in the history of Oregon football.
Mario Cristobal and Willie Taggart will keep an Oregon offense on fire.
With coach Kelly as the recruiting hub in Eugene, following the lines of communication of the traveling coaches in all directions, I told him that I see him as the center piece of a wheel with spokes. He keeps track of the offers and at times coaches ask him to handle the actual extending of offers to the student athletes. I may understand only a small part of how critical it is to have Kelly on board, but whatever my understanding, I'm glad to have him as a Duck.
If the current staff can stay intact and the recruiting "juice" transfers into success on the field with wins, then Oregon will regain the right to be in championship conversations in a year or two. I'm confident that this staff will maintain relationships and stay aggressive on the recruiting trail to make things well again for Ducks fans.
Oregon Football Recruiting Analyst
Follow me on Twitter @buzzbrother2
Top photo by John Sperry
Special thanks to Duck Territory at 247sports.com for sharing this information with FishDuck.com. Check out their trial subscriptions for the best up-to-date daily information on Oregon recruiting.
Disclaimer: Readers: Every writer on FishDuck.com is allowed to express their opinion in their articles. However, articles do not represent the views of the other writers, editors, coaching consultants, management, or the principals of FishDuck.com. Charles Fischer (charles@fishduck.com 541-915-4541)
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Go to the forum where we delve into today's article and so many more topics and the nuances within them over there.
We have a topic post begun over at the forum for today's article; it is a free site and offers more opportunity for the exchange of opinions on all the Oregon Sports subjects of the day. (And there are some very cool features!)
An introduction article about the new forum is right here.
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G-PST/ESIG Webinar Series: Is "Grid Forming" Enough: What Do Electricity Grids Need From IBR?
« System Operation & Market Design Working Group Spring 2021 Session
System Planning Working Group Spring 2021 Session »
Q&A Recap
Is "Grid Forming" Enough: What Do Electricity Grids Need From IBR?
Wednesday, May 12 – 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. (eastern US)
Featured Speaker: Tim Green, Professor, Co-Director of the Energy Futures Laboratory (EFL), Imperial College London
Tim C Green received a B.Sc.(Eng) from Imperial College London, UK in 1986 and a Ph.D. from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK in 1990. He is a Professor of Electrical Power Engineering at Imperial College London, and Co-Director of the Energy Futures Lab with a role of fostering interdisciplinary energy research across the university. His research uses the flexibility of power electronics to enable electricity networks to operate with very high fractions of low carbon technologies. In HVDC, he has contributed converter designs that strike improved trade-offs between power losses, physical size and fault handling. In distribution systems, he has pioneered the use of soft open points. He has made important contribution to the study of stability of grid-connected inverters. Prof. Green is a Chartered Engineering in the UK, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of IEEE.
Webinar Abstract: The replacement of electro-mechanical machines by inverter-based resources (IBR) is fundamentally changing the dynamics and stability properties of grids. A review will be made of the needs a grid system has in order that it is stable and secure. The needs in terms of voltage strength, frequency regulation and synchronisation will be discussed in term of how they are met by synchronous machines, grid-following converters and grid-forming converters. A case will be made that there is advantage in not all resources being obliged to provide all system services and that new services can replace some traditional services. Thus, strictly following a virtual synchronous machine (VSM) approach may not yield the best solution.
Approaches to ensuring system-wide dynamic stability will also be explored noting that IBR have overlapping sets of dynamics but with details often hidden in black-box models. A method for identifying root-causes of poorly damped modes in black-box models will be illustrated. This analytical grey-box method avoids exhaustive transient simulation. A toolbox for compiling models of composite grids with IBR and synchronous machines will be introduced. The talk will conclude with some thoughts on modelling and analysis challenges that remain for IBR dominated grids.
About G-PST Consortium
The chief executive officers of National Grid Electricity System Operator UK, California Independent System Operator (CAISO), Australia Energy Market Operator (AEMO), Ireland's System Operator (EirGrid), and Denmark's System Operator (Energinet) are champions in developing the consortium mission and activities. Importantly, these system operators are leading a Research Agenda Group to identify common, cutting-edge research questions that can inform large- scale national research and development investments. Relevant results and lessons from this process will be broadly shared for learning across all countries. The Consortium is also partnering with around 10 emerging economy and developing country system operators from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe who will also guide the G-PST vision and collaborate with the Consortium to advance power system transformation with a focus on technical collaboration, peer learning and exchange, and workforce development to support local PST priorities.
A core team, including the Energy Systems Integration Group (ESIG), Imperial College London, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Integrated Energy Systems, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), IEEE, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the Danish Technical University (DTU), and ASEAN Center for Energy, is actively developing the consortium and will be engaged in implementation of technical work as well as coordinating specific pillars.
International agencies and multilateral and regional development banks, including World Bank, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), International Energy Agency (IEA), Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and others are serving as key implementing partners to ensure the consortium complements and reinforces existing programs.
For more information on the G-PST visit https://globalpst.org/.


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Charlotte's Web Appoints Former Canopy Growth Executive, Tim Saunders, to Board of Directors
Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc. ("Charlotte's Web" or the "Company") (TSX: CWEB) (OTCQX: CWBHF), the market leader in hemp CBD extract products, announced the appointment of Tim Saunders to its Board of Directors.
Tim Saunders was Chief Financial Officer of Canopy Growth Corporation ("Canopy") from its entrepreneurial beginning and led its public up-listing to the Toronto Stock Exchange, and subsequently to the New York Stock Exchange – both firsts for the cannabis sector. During his tenure he oversaw more than C$6.4 billion in financings, 31 acquisitions, and an increase in market capitalization from approximately C$100 million to C$20 billion, as the world's largest cannabis company. Mr. Saunders retired from his role at Canopy in May 2019 after four years with the Company.
Mr. Saunders has built extensive experience under the cannabis regulatory regimes for compliant management of corporate financing, M&A, business transformations, and financial reporting in Canada and the U.S. He has a global cannabis market perspective and is intimately familiar with the Canadian cannabis market including the licensing and regulatory oversight under Health Canada.
Most recently Mr. Saunders was CFO for Collective Growth Corporation, a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) which successfully raised US$150 million and recently completed a merger and public listing on the Nasdaq at a capitalization of US$1.4 billion. As a part of this venture Mr. Saunders evaluated dozens of hemp businesses around the world from over 170 potential targets reviewed, gaining a deep perspective on the developing global hemp supply chains and related regulatory status across several countries.
Prior to Canopy Mr. Saunders held financial executive and leadership roles across a number of sectors including mobile, telecom, semiconductors, manufacturing and clean tech. He has expertise in establishing financial management and control with responsibilities for the full span of finance operations, leading change, and strategic planning and execution.
Tim Saunders earned his CPA, CA with PricewaterhouseCoopers and is a graduate of Bishop's University where he obtained his BBA. He also earned an executive certificate from the Ivey Business School at Western University. He has been recognized with the Fellow distinction by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (FCPA, FCA) and possesses the ICD.D designation awarded by the Institute of Corporate Directors.
"As a former finance executive for large international publicly listed companies on exchanges in both Canada and the U.S., Tim will further strengthen the board's governance and oversight of expanding international operations and financial reporting requirements," said John Held, Chairman of Charlotte's Web.
"Tim has deep knowledge of the global hemp and cannabis markets and has worked both in Canada and Europe," added Deanie Elsner, CEO of Charlotte's Web. "Charlotte's Web has disclosed its intent to expand into Canada, Israel, Europe, and the U.K. where Tim has valuable strategic and regulatory insight. This year we planted our first hemp crop in Canada, where we also have an opportunity to eventually expand into cannabis wellness with THC concentrations above 0.3%. Tim brings our board tremendous Canadian experience and networks."
Mr. Saunders, will serve on the Corporate Governance and Audit Committees, bringing the number of Directors to six.
For further information subscribe to Charlotte's Web investor news.


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YellowStone Season 5 Release Date, Time, TV Channel
Author Rishabh Rathore Published on August 15, 2022 4 min read
Yellowstone Season 5 is only months away, and with the release date looming, a lot of fans are probably wondering what is coming.
While fans are waiting on the fifth season, there is a lot more flagship content from the franchise just waiting around.
Season five is not just a marquee addition to Taylor Sheridan's universe; the 1883, a Yellowstone prequel, is coming to our screens far sooner than expected.
So, in this article, we'll tell you everything about YellowStone Season 5 Release Date, Time and on which TV Channel it will air on.
Yellowstone: Overview
When is Yellowstone Season 5 releasing online?
Where to watch Yellowstone Season 5 online?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):-
Season five of Yellowstone is set to reportedly be a total of 14 episodes, instead of the 10 episodes we saw last seasons, and is said to be divided into two parts.
A Montana ranching family fights against those who are encroaching on their property. The Dutton family, who owns the biggest continuous ranch in the United States, is followed in their violent world.
The Dutton family, under the leadership of patriarch John Dutton, constantly defends its territory against land developers, an Indian reservation, and the country's first national park.
With a TV-MA rating, Yellowstone is intended for adults and might not be appropriate for youngsters under the age of 17.
Explicit sexual content, graphic violence, or coarse, filthy language could all be present in this programme.
Ping Pong Productions is the creator of the drama television programme Yellowstone. Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, and Wes Bentley are the series' main actors.
The next date for the Yellowstone Season 5 premiere has been announced, and the premiere episode airs on Sunday, November 13, at 8 PM Eastern/Pacific Time, with episodes being released on a weekly basis.
The fifth season will debut on Sunday, Nov. 13, at 8/7c, where it will be followed by a special simulcast of Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridans upcoming Paramount+ production, The King in Tulsa (starring Sylvester Stallone).
The Dutton family is returning to more high-stakes Montana drama as the fifth season of Yellowstone premieres Nov. 13 on the Paramount network, Yellowstone announced on Twitter.
New episodes for the confirmed fifth season will start airing November 13, 2022. The first batch of seven episodes will be released Sunday, November 13, 2022, on Paramount Network, with the second half of season five expected to arrive later.
Fans still have plenty of questions that we are hoping the fifth season answers, including what Kayce visions of apocalypse may means for the ranchs future, if Jimmy Hendstrom and Emily are leaving Yellowstone's for 6666s spinoff, and what on Earth is next for Beth Dutton.
Yellowstone Season 5 is coming to the Paramount network in November, with the Western melodrama set for a total of 14 episodes.
The Yellowstone cast and crew are shooting for 14 episodes, making Season 5 the longest season in the show's history. Yellowstone is still the star attraction, and fans are anxiously awaiting the Dutton family's return as soon as the next season, Yellowstone Season 5, is officially greenlit.
The Dutton's are set to make their official return at the end of the year, with Paramount confirmed Yellowstone Season 5 premieres Sunday, Nov.
13, 2022, on network television. Start shining that buckle up right now, and you will be all set to watch the season five premiere of Yellowstone on Nov. 13 at 8 PM.
A recent tweet from Yellowstone's official account gave us a brief glimpse behind the scenes for Season 5. There is no teaser or promo images of season 5, either, because it is too soon.
What channel will Yellowstone season 5 be on?
When Yellowstone debuts on Sunday, November 13, the Duttons will be back on the Paramount Network. Season 5 will air in two parts, according to a mid-February announcement from Paramount Network!
When can I watch season 5 of Yellowstone?
When will Yellowstone return for season five? On November 13, 2022, Yellowstone season 5 will premiere new episodes. Taylor Sheridan, the show's creator, revealed to Variety that there will be 14 new episodes rather than the customary 10. This material was transferred from Instagram.
Where can I watch season 5 of Yellowstone start?
The top two most streamed shows on Paramount Plus are both produced by Taylor Sheridan, either alone or in collaboration with other writers.
How can I watch Yellowstone season 5 for free?
The fifth season of Yellowstone is scheduled to debut this November. With a Philo, Peacock, or FuboTV subscription, you can watch the first four seasons of this Paramount Network drama without charge.
How much is the Paramount Network?
For a basic plan, Paramount+ costs just $4.99 per month, or $9.99 for an ad-free subscription. This puts it on pace with services like NBC's Peacock, which has a restricted free tier but charges $9.99 for a premium subscription, and Discovery+, which has a $5.99 monthly fee.
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Rishabh Rathore
Rishabh is an enthusiastic and profound author, article publisher, and content creator. Aside from writing, he has a great interest in movies, web series, and the cinematic world.


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Work Out Your Way! Discover the wide array of group exercise classes included with your JCC membership.
Click the link above to view the current Group Exercise Schedule.
Katz JCC Fitness Center boasts more than 85 group exercise classes per week including Tai Chi, Meditation, Pumpin' Iron, Yoga, Pilates, Indoor Cycling, Zumba, Barre, Bootcamps, Aqua Classes, Boxing and so much more.
The team of instructors provides professional, high-energy classes that will help anyone reach their fitness goals.
Exercise your Mind, Body and Soul with the following group exercise classes in the Mindy Body Studio:
Call on Every Muscle with the Challenging and Fun 'Rogue' Boxing with Jon Simon
High energy intense boxing with cardio circuits included. Please arrive 15 minutes early to have hands wrapped. All fitness levels encouraged to participate. All levels of fitness are welcome.
Rogue Boxing Fee Schedule
$8 JCC Member
$10 JCC Guest
Class admission available for purchase at the Welcome Desk in the JCC Lobby.
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Milton & Betty Katz JCC 501 North Jerome Avenue Margate, NJ 08402
17jul7:00 pmFLICK & FLOAT FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT
FLICK & FLOAT FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT July 17 and August 7 Doors Open at 7:00 pm Movie Starts at 7:30 pm Enjoy a family movie while floating in our indoor pool. Snack stand will [...]
FLICK & FLOAT FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT
July 17 and August 7
Movie Starts at 7:30 pm
Enjoy a family movie while floating in our indoor pool. Snack stand will be available for purchases of popcorn, pizza, drinks, soft pretzels, cotton candy. BYOF – bring your own float. This is a family event. Participants must be able to swim.
$10 for Members | $15 for Guests
(Wednesday) 7:00 pm EST
Milton & Betty Katz JCC
501 North Jerome Avenue Margate, NJ 08402
18jul7:00 pmJudy Collins
2019 Summer Entertainment Series Lineup Tickets on Sale NOW! Stop [...]
2019 Summer Entertainment Series Lineup
Stop in, call 609-822-1167 or click here!
Judy Collins – SOLD OUT!
Thursday, July 18 7:00 pm
Judy Collins is a folk, country and rock 'n' roll singer-songwriter inspired by artists such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, and more generally the folk resurgence of the early 1960s. Judy Collins hit stardom in 1967 after her cover of Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides, Now',
released on her album 'Wildflowers', gained international recognition. Not only did the single peak at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, but Collins also won her first Grammy Award for Best Folk Performance as a result. Judy then released singles such as 'Someday Soon' and 'Turn! Turn! Turn!' before the 1970 Christian hymn 'Amazing Grace' returned Collins back to the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100. A multi-talented individual, Judy Collins is a highly respected member amongst the folk music following and beyond.
(Thursday) 7:00 pm EST
22jul6:30 pmMosaics for Beginners
Mosaics for Beginners: Monday & Tuesday nights: July 22, 23, 29, 30 & August 5, 6 6:30 – 8:30 PM This six session class for mosaic beginners will teach you the skills to create [...]
Mosaics for Beginners:
Monday & Tuesday nights:
July 22, 23, 29, 30 & August 5, 6
This six session class for mosaic beginners will teach you the skills to create your own beautiful artwork. Students will learn how to select the proper backer, use of the proper tools, glass and other found items to create their own personalized art. Instructor, Jill Snyder is a local juried artist whose work is shown in galleries across the East Coast. Open to all skill levels. All materials and tools are included.
$175 Members | $210 Guests
(Monday) 6:30 pm EST
24jul7:00 pmPRE-TEEN SPLASH PARTY
PRE-TEEN SPLASH PARTY Wednesdays July 3, July 24 and August 14 | 7:00 - 10:00pm In the pool 7:00 - 8:00pm | Gym with DJ 8:00 - 10:00pm Pre-teen swim and dance party. [...]
PRE-TEEN SPLASH PARTY
Wednesdays July 3, July 24 and August 14 | 7:00 – 10:00pm
In the pool 7:00 – 8:00pm | Gym with DJ 8:00 – 10:00pm
Pre-teen swim and dance party. Includes slice of pizza and drink.
25jul10:00 amBrunch & Learn
Brunch & Learn Learn from a variety of different speakers and watch a short film on Judaism, Israel or Jewish history over a delicious brunch. Brunch & Learn programs start at 10:00 [...]
Brunch & Learn
Learn from a variety of different speakers and watch a short film on Judaism, Israel or Jewish history over a delicious brunch.
Brunch & Learn programs start at 10:00 AM during July and August.
Presenter: The JCC Summer Shlichim
Every summer the JCC hosts visiting Israelis to work at the JCC. Get to know our shlichim and learn about their lives in Israel, the army and New Jersey..
Presenter: Roman Lankios
Graduating from Conservatory in Kiev with Masters in music, Roman will bring his Ukrainian Jewish heritage to you with a energetic live musical show.
$4 for Members | $8 for Guests in advance
$6 for Members | $10 for Guests day of the program
(Thursday) 10:00 am EST
25jul7:00 pmSandy Hackett's Rat Pack Show
Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack Show
Music & Comedy
Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack Show takes audiences back to 1960s when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop, known as the Rat Pack, ruled the Las Vegas Strip. Produced by Buddy Hackett's son, Sandy, the show features stories about the iconic performers. If you think you've seen the Rat Pack, it's not until you indulge in the real Rat Pack experience with "Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack Show" that you begin to realize why Sandy Hackett's own personal connection to these iconic legends has allowed him to tell this story unlike any other producer or performer. Now audiences can experience this critically acclaimed, hugely entertaining theatrical production which includes exciting new arrangements of the classic songs everyone knows and loves.
31jul5:00 pmDinner & Movie
Dinner & Movie Wednesday, July 31 – The Upside Tuesday, August 20 – Tolkien 5:00pm Dinner & Movie includes a movie on the big screen and a full course meal with a kosher meat [...]
Dinner & Movie
Wednesday, July 31 – The Upside
Tuesday, August 20 – Tolkien
Dinner & Movie includes a movie on the big screen and a full course meal with a kosher meat main course, salad, soup and dessert. Kosher laws will be observed.
$18 for Members | $20 for Guests up to one week before the event
$21 for Members | $23 for Guests after one week before the event
Call the Milton & Betty Katz JCC at 609-822-1167 or Click Here email us.
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NASA's Artemis I mission has ended as Orion splashed down on Earth
The Orion capsule splashed down off the coast of California on 11 December, completing the Artemis I mission and setting the stage for NASA astronauts to return to the moon
Space 11 December 2022
NASA's Artemis I mission is complete. On 11 December, the Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, completing its 26-day journey to the moon and back.
The capsule was lofted to space atop the colossal Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in its first launch on 16 November. That launch was a momentous occasion – SLS and Orion faced years of delays, massive budget overruns and a barrage of last-minute technical issues before they managed to launch – but the landing is just as momentous.
Orion's journey back to Earth was unlike those of other spacecraft. It began when the craft hurtled into the atmosphere at a speed of more than 32,000 kilometres per hour, bringing its heat shield to temperatures around 2760°C (5000°F).
But instead of continuing to plunge towards the sea, it performed what engineers call a "skip entry" because of its similarity to a stone skipped across a pond. Once it reached an altitude of about 61 kilometres, it flipped upside-down to quickly change its centre of gravity, popping it back upwards by about 30 kilometres, nearly all the way back into space, before making its final descent.
The reason for this manoeuvre is three-fold: it allowed operators to target the landing site more precisely, it lowered the strain on the heat shield and it reduced the maximum g-forces on the ship by more than 40 per cent, which will ultimately make future Orion landings easier and safer for astronauts.
Return to the moon: Why are we restarting human lunar exploration now?
Everything appeared to go well with the splashdown, which NASA administrator Bill Nelson called "the ultimate test before we put astronauts on board". The next step is for spacecraft engineers at NASA to go through the data from the landing to make sure the capsule – especially the heat shield – held up well enough to be confident that astronauts on the Artemis II mission will be as safe as possible.
"Everyone is watching and it really had to prove itself," says space analyst Laura Forczyk at Astralytical. "It had to travel around the moon and Orion had to come back to Earth safely before anyone would be willing to put humans onboard."
Artemis II, scheduled for 2024, is planned to be the first crewed launch of SLS and the first crewed flight of Orion. It will carry four astronauts around the moon and back, lasting about 10 days, to perform a final test of the capsule's life support systems before what many consider to be the flagship mission of the Artemis programme, Artemis III.
Artemis III is planned for 2025 and will bring two astronauts to the moon's surface for just over six days, including the first woman ever to walk on the moon, while two others remain in lunar orbit. In total, the mission is intended to last about 30 days. This will be the first time anyone has set foot on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, and it will set the scene for NASA's intensive lunar exploration plans, which include a space station orbiting the moon and a permanent lunar base.
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2022: The year of rolling polycrisis, but with a few glimmers of hope
Endangered white rhinos' cells turned into sperm and egg stem cells
Supernovae might be a good place to hunt for alien broadcasts
Other intelligent civilisations may send transmissions after a bright galactic event like a supernova to make them more visible to others, according to SETI researchers
To explain the cosmos without invoking cosmic inflation, physicist Neil Turok has proposed the existence of a mirror-image universe going backwards in time from the big bang. He tells us why the idea is so compelling


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BBC Earth Filmmakers Stop Filming Dynasties to Save Penguins
By Natalie Flores | November 19, 2018 | 5:34pm
Images via BBC/YouTube TV News Dynasties
Filmmakers working on the Sir David Attenborough-narrated BBC Earth documentary series Dynasties are being praised by viewers for interrupting filming to rescue some penguins.
The second episode of the series showed the brutal winter that emperor penguins must face in Antarctica. One particular group of emperor penguins in Atka Bay had to face a storm so powerful that they were unable to keep themselves from being blown into a ravine and cut off from the colony. This ravine had walls too steep for the penguins to climb, and had filmmakers not intervened, the penguin mothers and chicks would have surely died. Footage captured the mothers fighting to drag their chicks up the slope, struggling so much that some were forced to make the heartbreaking decision of abandoning their babies.
"I can't watch," the BBC Earth Twitter tweeted about the scene Sunday, with a heart-wrenching accompanying clip.
I can't watch #Dynastiespic.twitter.com/xoo7jDJbcl
— BBC Earth (@BBCEarth) November 18, 2018
That's when the filmmakers decided to act, in an unprecedented move.
"They dug a shallow ramp in the hope that at least some of the penguins would use it to save themselves," added the BBC Earth Twitter.
In an unprecedented move, the crew decided to act. They dug a shallow ramp in the hope that at least some of the penguins would use it to save themselves #Dynastiespic.twitter.com/yRuoEGPDCk
Nature filmmakers usually follow the rule of never interfering with nature. Nature must run its course, and to interfere with it can set dangerous precedents, or at least that's the argument behind this notion. However, director Will Lawson, camera operator Lindsay McCrae and assistant Stefan Christmann made an exception here.
"We opted to intervene passively. Once we'd dug that little ramp, which took very little time, we left it to the birds. We were elated when they decided to use it. There's no rule book in those situations. You can only respond to the facts that are right there in front of you," says Lawson, per LADbible.
As you can imagine, we only show a fraction of the real trauma and difficulty that the animals go through—it was a very hard thing to see. What was unique with this was that the only other animal there was us—nothing else would directly benefit from this. I'm sure some people will have an opinion in the other direction but in my heart of hearts I think we made the right decision.
Mike Gunton, the series executive producer, also defended the decision. "It's such an unusual circumstance to do this, and there are lots of situations where you couldn't, and shouldn't and wouldn't—but I think in this situation there were so many factors. There were no animals going to suffer by intervening. It wasn't dangerous. You weren't touching the animals and it was just felt by doing this … they had the opportunity to not have to keep slipping down the slope," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
In a press conference earlier this month, Gunton acknowledged why the decision might be controversial, but maintained that he believes the crew did the right thing anyway. "We have a rule that interfering is a very dangerous thing to do. But these penguins were going to die through a freak act of nature if nothing happened. How would this conversation be going if you said you saw them there and did nothing? I think you have to do it," he said, per The Sun.
In the same conference, Attenborough touched on his firm stance on non-interference with nature. He said, "Tragedy is a part of life, you know. You can't have sunshine throughout your life. To have done anything else would only make matters worse and distort the truth."
But Gunton says even Attenborough approved of the crew's decision: "I was speaking to David about it yesterday and he said he would have done the same, too."
During a time when it seems like we are swarmed by frightening, disappointing and heartbreaking news on a daily basis, this news shines a little light on humanity's goodness.
bbc earth
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Pregnant smokers harming daughters' fertility: Study
Postmedia NewsMore from Postmedia News
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More bad news for pregnant smokers.POSTMEDIA PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
A shocking new study reveals that pregnant women who smoke could not only be harming themselves but their daughter's fertility.
Scientists say they believe tobacco contains toxins that "masculinize" girls while they are in the womb.
According to the Turkish research team, daughters of smokers revealed signs of having high exposure to testosterone — the main male sex hormone.
As a result, this could have dire consequences for their procreation.
The same findings were not found in boys or babies whose moms didn't hack butts.
Smoking during pregnancy has long been regarded as a health taboo but the new research exposes long-range implications.
Already, smoking during pregnancy has been linked to premature birth. Premature babies have a higher preponderance of disability and early death.
According to the Daily Mail, researchers at Cigli State Training Hospital studied more than 100 newborns — 56 females and 64 males.
Researchers then measured the anogenital distance (AGD), which is the space between the midpoint of the anus to a point of the genitalia — a medical measurement of testosterone levels.
Female babies exposed to prenatal smoke had a significantly larger AGD length.
"AGD is an important biomarker of fetal androgen exposure and intrauterine masculinization," Dr. Deniz Ozalp Kizilay said.
"This significant increase in AGD in girls exposed to maternal smoking may be an indicator of excessive testosterone exposure that poses a risk for short and long-term health problems, including metabolism and fertility."
He added: "To our knowledge, this is the first time that the unfavourable effects of prenatal smoke exposure on AGD, as a marker of testosterone exposure, has been demonstrated in female newborns."


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Loved back to life: Zach Hopkins' Story
— April 28, 2021
There's a lot of hope behind the guitar strummed by Zach Hopkins during Sunday morning worship at his church. And like the music he plays, there is also a lot of redemption.
Early on, life seemed to be fairly normal for Zach. He played sports, had parents that loved him and spent his weekends hanging out with his closest friends. At 11-years-old he started using marijuana. Fast forward to when he was 15-years-old, he would be the driver in a car accident that would claim the life of his friend. The next day the pain overcame his life as he began his journey with addiction.
"The next day I tried oxycontin for the first time. It was December 22, 2006, and pretty much never stopped until I came to treatment, went to jail, or unless I was forced to."
That first-day using oxycontin was the first day Zach says his life began to unravel all around him. Living homeless in Nicholasville, Zach took a trip to Wal-Mart where he would purchase 700 sleeping pills, took 120 of them, and overdosed spending his next few days strapped to a hospital bed.
"I woke up in the ICU. I was on a ventilator and strapped down to a bed. I didn't know who I was, how I got there — nothing," Hopkins added. "Suddenly it all came back to me at once. A woman asked if I knew how I got there. She said I tried to kill myself."
Zach would later be court-ordered to enter an addiction treatment program. The idea of coming to Addiction Recovery Care (ARC), a faith-based treatment program, was actually the one type of program he was not interested in. However, he was forced and arrived at Ashland's Sanibel House in handcuffs and hand-delivered by the local sheriff's department.
"At first I didn't really know what to think," said Zach. "Everyone was being so nice and once I did my intake and walked up to the house a nurse came up to me and she was like, 'So what are your issues?' Asking what kind of drugs I did. I told her opiates and speed were my problem. She said 'Well that's okay. That is a lot of our problems, I understand. We are going to love you back to life.' I was like 'Love me? You don't love someone like me.'"
Zach would later spend the next many months in recovery with people he thought never existed — people just like him. He would also discover who Christ is and how his story is just beginning.
He now works within ARC's project and development team. While he loves his new calling, he says standing behind his guitar on stage Sunday mornings are the moments he realizes he can finally use his new life mixed with his talent to lead others to a relationship with Jesus Christ.
"There is nothing in the world like when you are playing and people are worshipping God and he is using you for a vessel in that."
Zach now has a home, a job, a fiancee and a child. All aspects of life he never thought he would see. Zach says his message to others looking for help is simple, find help and get loved back to life just like he did. Loved back to life: Zach Hopkins' Story.