Periodontal diseases are polymicrobial diseases that cause the inflammatory destruction of the tooth-supporting (periodontal) tissues. Their initiation is attributed to the formation of subgingival biofilms that stimulate a cascade of chronic inflammatory reactions by the affected tissue. The Gram-negative anaerobes Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Treponema denticola are commonly found as part of the microbiota of subgingival biofilms, and they are associated with the occurrence and severity of the disease. P. gingivalis expresses several virulence factors that may support its survival, regulate its communication with other species in the biofilm, or modulate the inflammatory response of the colonized host tissue. The most prominent of these virulence factors are the gingipains, which are a set of cysteine proteinases (either Arg-specific or Lys-specific). The role of gingipains in the biofilm-forming capacity of P. gingivalis is barely investigated. Hence, this in vitro study employed a biofilm model consisting of 10 subgingival bacterial species, incorporating either a wild-type P. gingivalis strain or its derivative Lys-gingipain and Arg-gingipan isogenic mutants, in order to evaluate quantitative and qualitative changes in biofilm composition.
Following 64h of biofilm growth, the levels of all 10 species were quantified by fluorescence in situ hybridization or immunofluorescence. The wild-type and the two gingipain-deficient P. gingivalis strains exhibited similar growth in their corresponding biofilms. Among the remaining nine species, only the numbers of T. forsythia were significantly reduced, and only when the Lys-gingipain mutant was present in the biofilm. When evaluating the structure of the biofilm by confocal laser scanning microscopy, the most prominent observation was a shift in the spatial arrangement of T. denticola, in the presence of P. gingivalis Arg-gingipain mutant.
The gingipains of P. gingivalis may qualitatively and quantitatively affect composition of polymicrobial biofilms. The present experimental model reveals interdependency between the gingipains of P. gingivalis and T. forsythia or T. denticola.
Periodontal infections, or periodontal diseases, are a set of chronic inflammatory diseases that destroy the tooth-supporting (periodontal) tissues. They are caused by oral bacterial biofilms attaching on the tooth surface. They have the capacity to trigger a series of inflammatory responses, which may destroy the gingival tissue and the alveolar bone supporting the tooth, if they become exacerbated ,. With regards to its capacity as an ecological niche, the oral cavity can be colonized by more than 700 species  and approximately 500 of those can be present within the forming biofilms ,. Among the biofilm-associated microbiota, earlier clinical epidemiological studies have demonstrated that three species in particular, also designated as the red complex, are more associated with periodontal disease than others. These are namely Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola. They are all Gram-negative anaerobes, with a high proteolytic activity . Among these three, P. gingivalis holds a prominent role in orchestrating the virulence of the biofilm and the consequent tissue inflammatory response, earning itself the characteristics of a keystone periodontal pathogen ,. P. gingivalis expresses several virulence factors, including, fimbriae, LPS, and its cysteine proteases, namely gingipains . These include the arginine-specific proteinases RgpA and RgpB, and the lysine-specific proteinase Kgp, which represent the majority of the cell-surface proteinases of P. gingivalis. Clinical studies have demonstrated that periodontal infection associated with P. gingivalis can result in significantly elevated systemic antibody response to the gingipains ,.
When growing in a subgingival (below the gingival margin) biofilm under strict anaerobic conditions, P. gingivalis is highly dependent on its gingipains for utilizing free amino acids as a source of carbon and nitrogen . Moreover, unlike other gram-negative bacteria, P. gingivalis does not produce siderophores to sequester and transport iron but its gingipains mediate the uptake of iron from hemoglobin, heme proteins, and ferritin ,. Gingipains are also considered important in the capacity of P. gingivalis to evade host defences, by degrading antibacterial peptides, such as neutrophil-derived α-defensins, complement factor, such as C3 and C4, T cell receptors, such as CD4 and CD8 . Alternatively, P. gingivalis and its gingipains can subvert the host immune response by proactively manipulating host molecules, particularly of the complement ,. For instance, P. gingivalis may perturb the cross-talk between C5a receptor and toll-like receptor signalling in order to prevent bacterial clearance and cause dysbiosis , eventually resulting in periodontal bone loss ,. The construction and phenotypic analysis of isogenic protease mutants of P. gingivalis have confirmed putative functions for these proteolytic enzymes . In vivo studies using the P. gingivalis mutant strains in animal models have reinforced the view that the gingipains can modulate the infection process -. In vitro studies have demonstrated an involvement of the gingipains in the regulation of inflammatory mediators from various host cells, including IL-1 α, IL-1β, IL-18 , receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) -, tumor necrosis factor-α converting enzyme (TACE) , protease-activated receptor (PAR)-2 , or soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (sTREM)-1 .
Understanding how different organisms act within a given polymicrobial biofilm brings us closer to understanding the etiological mechanisms of periodontal disease . That is because interactions among different bacterial cells can determine the structural characteristics, maturation and virulence of the biofilms -. These interactions can occur at several levels, including physical contact, metabolic exchange, and signal-mediated communications . Additionally, species-specific virulence factors may regulate bacterial growth, hence altering the conditions of the ecological niche for biofilm formation. In this respect, most studies involving gingpains have focused on P. gingivalis as a single species, which might overlook the bacterial interactions within a complex biofilm community. Therefore, the present study used a 10-species subgingival biofilm, aiming to investigate the role of gingipains on the growth and structure of the biofilm, by incorporating P. gingivalis gingipain-deficient strains.
The numbers for each individual species within the different biofilm groups were quantified either by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or by immunofluorescence (IF). The growth of P. gingivalis was not affected depending on whether the wild-type or the gingipain-deficient strains were used. Statistically, compared to the wild-type strain, the P. gingivalis gingipain-deficient strains did not cause significant changes in the growth of the remaining nine-biofilm species in the biofilm, with the exception of T. forsythia (Figure1). In particular, the presence of the Lys-gingipain deficient strain K1A caused a significant (P < 0.01) reduction of T. forsythia cell numbers, compared to the wild-type W50, or the Arg-gingipain-deficient strain E8 (29.9-fold and 38.6-fold, respectively). However, no significant differences in T. forsythia numbers were observed between the wild-type W50 and the Arg-gingipain-deficient E8 biofilm groups.
Bacterial numbers of each species in the biofilms. Numbers of each strain were counted by epifluorescence microscopy, following staining by FISH or IF. Data was plotted on a logarithmic scale. Asterisk (*) indicates significant differences (P < 0.01) between the groups. Open circle indicates data points considered as outliers. Groups are defined by the use of the corresponding P. gingivalis strain (W50; wild-type, E8; Arg-gingipain-deficient mutant, K1A; Lys-gingipain-deficient mutant).
Having identified that a dependency exists between the Lys-gingipain and the growth of T. forsythia, we further investigated the structure of the biofilm by means of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and evaluated changes in the presence of the P. gingivalis gingipain-deficient strains. Firstly, the focus was placed on the structural association or localization between P. gingivalis and T. forsythia. Within the biofilm structure, P. gingivalis appeared in variable size aggregates or clusters of its own species, with no marked differences observed between the wild-type W50 and the gingipain-deficient strains (Figure2). The distribution pattern of T. forsythia was in more scattered clusters, observed often in the immediate vicinity of P. gingivalis clusters, but not strongly intertwining each other (Figure2). This pattern was observable irrespective of the use of P. gingivalis wild-type W50 or the Arg-gingipain deficient strain E8, whereas when the Lys-gingipain deficient strain K1A was included in the biofilm instead, this association was less obvious (Figure2), presumably due of the low T. forsythia numbers.
Localization of P. gingivalis and T. forsythia within the biofilms. Multiplex IF staining was performed for P. gingivalis (red) and T. forsythia (green). Groups are defined by the use of the (A) wild-type, (B) Arg-gingipain-deficient mutant, (C) Lys-gingipain-deficient mutant P. gingivalis strain in the biofilm. Scale bar length: 20 μm.
It was of further interest to investigate the localization of T. denticola within the biofilm structure, as the third member of the red complex cluster. Interestingly, T. denticola formed aggregates or clusters in the presence of the P. gingivalis wild-type strain W50, as was the case also when the Lys-gingipain deficient strain K1A was used. However, in the presence of the Arg-gingipain deficient strain E8, T. denticola lost this cluster-like conformation in the biofilm, and acquired a more even and thread-like distribution (Figures3 and 4). Fusobacterium nucleatum was also strongly present throughout the biofilm and appeared to be evenly distributed among these T. denticola structures (Figure4).
Localization of T. denticola within the biofilms. IF staining was performed for T. denticola (cyan). Groups are defined by the use of the (A) wild-type, (B) Arg-gingipaindeficient mutant, (C) Lys-gingipain-deficient mutant, P. gingivalis strain in the biofilm. Scale bar length: 20 μm.
Localization of P. gingivalis, F. nucleatum and T. denticola within the biofilms. IF staining was performed for T. denticola (cyan), F. nucleatum (red) and YoPro-1 iodide & Sytox Green mixture for all other bacteria (green). Groups are defined by the use of the corresponding P. gingivalis strain (W50; wild-type, E8; Arg-gingipain-deficient mutant, K1A; Lys-gingipain-deficient mutant) in the biofilm. Scale bar length: 20 μm.
As it is well established that periodontal diseases are initiated by a mixed-species biofilm ,, in vitro biofilm models, may be more accurate in studying the causative factor of the disease, than single species in planktonic form ,,. The present study investigated the involvement of P. gingivalis gingipains in the quantitative and qualitative composition of a polymicrobial biofilm consisting of 10 species that are frequently comprising part of the subginvival microbial flora. Among their many properties, gingipains are important for the growth of P. gingivalis and as transporters for iron . While in planktonic culture P. gingivalis gingipain deficient strains require longer doubling times , their incorporation into a polymicrobial biofilm did not yield differences in numbers, compared to the wild-type strain. Hence, the growth characteristics of P. gingivalis may differ depending on whether it grows in planktonic or biofilm state. When present in a biofilm, gingipains do not appear to be crucial for the growth of P. gingivalis, as shown here. Interestingly, among the remaining nine species in the biofilm, the only one whose growth was affected by the presence of gingipains was T. forsythia. In particular, the P. gingivalis Lys-gingipain deficient strain resulted in a strong reduction in T. forsythia numbers after 64h of biofilm growth. Reversely, this indicates that the Lys-gingipain produced by P. gingivalis has an additive effect on the growth of T. forsythia in the biofilm. This denotes a synergistic association between T. forsythia and P. gingivalis as mutual components of a polymicrobial community, which is mediated by the Lys-gingipain of the latter.
Previous studies have shown that gingipains are crucial for the co-aggregation of P. gingivalis or its co-adhesion with other species, such as T. denticola-, or for the invasion of host cells . Hence, the gingipains may not only affect the quantitative composition but also the structural conformation of the biofilm. For this reason, the biofilm architecture was also investigated by CLSM. P. gingivalis occurred in distinguishable and evenly distributed clusters within the biofilm regardless of whether it expressed a gingipain or not. The communities of T. forsythia within the biofilm exhibited similar patterns to those of P. gingivalis, and were frequently co-localized, yet without impinging onto each other. The proximal association of these two species communities in biofilm may hint for an ecological relationship. This is also substantiated by the notable absence of T. forsythia clusters from the vicinity of the Lys-gingipain deficient P. gingivalis. Hence, this gingipain may be important for the growth of T. forsythia and its spatial interdependency to P. gingivalis within the biofilm. This observation could represent an example of the metabolic responses and bacterial quorum-sensing within the biofilm .
Another interesting observation of the present study is that of the structural re-arrangement of T. denticola in the biofilm, depending on the presence or absence of the Arg-gingipain. Earlier studies have shown that other species can interact with P. gingivalis in both planktonic suspensions and biofilms ,,. A recent study using the similar multi-species biofilm model as here demonstrated that P. gingivalis and T. denticola have the tendency to co-colonize gingival epithelial tissue . In a dual P. gingivalis - T. denticola biofilm, it was also demonstrated that gingipains do contribute to their interaction . In the present experimental model, T. denticola cells formed dense circular clumps with the wild-type P. gingivalis strain. However, in the presence of the P. gingivalis Arg-gingipain deficient strain, this conformation was lost and T. denticola cells were instead arranged in looser threaded structures, even though their numbers in the biofilm were not changed. This finding provides further evidence of the ecological association between P. gingivalis gingipains and the structural arrangement of T. denticola in the biofilm. It is difficult at this stage to interpret the biological meaning of this change in T. denticola structure. Of note, in a recent study using the similar biofilm model it was demonstrated that omission of streptococci from the biofilm resulted in numeric changes of P. gingivalis and P. intermedia. The latter also lost its aggregated form and was arranged in filamentous long chains, resembling those of the missing streptococci .
This study showed that the gingipains of P. gingivalis promote quantitative and qualitative shifts in the composition and structure of a multi-species biofilm. More specifically, the Lys-gingipain enhances the growth of T. forsythia, whereas the Arg-gingipain promotes the aggregation of T. denticola in the biofilm. These ecological interactions are interpreted as synergistic ones, and may support the survival and the virulence of the biofilm community as a whole.
The method used to develop 10 species biofilm is a modification of a previous report of this model , with major changes described below. The following strains were used in this study: Prevotella intermedia ATCC 25611T (OMZ 278), Campylobacter rectus (OMZ 398), Veillonella dispar ATCC 17748T (OMZ 493), Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. nucleatum (OMZ 598), Streptococcus oralis SK248 (OMZ 607), T. denticola ATCC 35405T (OMZ 661), Actinomyces oris (OMZ 745), Streptococcus anginosus ATCC 9895 (OMZ 871), T. forsythia (OMZ 1047), P. gingivalis W50 (OMZ 308), P. gingivalis K1A (OMZ 1126) and P. gingivalis E8 (OMZ 1127). The latter two are genetically modified strains of P. gingivalis W50, with a deletion of Lysine-gingipain (kgp) and Arginine-gingipain (rgpArgpB) genes, respectively . Each of the biofilm groups in this experimental design contains one of the three P. gingivalis strains and all other 9 species. For biofilm formation, 200μl of bacterial cell suspension, containing equal volumes and densities (OD550 = 1.0) of each strain were added onto pellicle-coated hydroxyapatite discs (diameter 5mm), in 1.6ml growth medium supplemented with 0.5% hemin, as described earlier . The medium was renewed after 16h and 24h, during the total incubation time of 64h. The discs were dip-washed three-times daily.
After 64h of incubation, the biofilm discs were ready to be harvested. For quantification of the bacterial numbers in the biofilm, the discs were vigorously vortexed for 2min in 0.9%NaCl and then sonicated at 25W in a Sonifier B-12 (Branson Sonic Power Company) for 5sec. For confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) of the biofilm structure, the discs were dip-washed and immediately fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) at 4C for 1h before being processed for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or immunofluorescence (IF) analysis.
The bacterial suspensions were diluted, fixed on the slides, stained and counted as described ,. For FISH staining, slides were fixed at 4C with 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS for 20 min and for IF staining they were fixed at room temperature with methanol for 2min, before they were incubated with the antibodies at 37C. FISH was used for the evaluation of S. oralis, S. anginosus and V. dispar (oligonucleotide probes listed in Table1), while IF was used for the evaluation of T. denticola, C. rectus, T. forsythia, P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, F. nucleatum and A. oris (antibodies listed in Table2).
FA; Formamide concentration in the hybridization buffer.
For FISH, the fixed samples were first pre-hybridized, with hybridization buffer containing 0.9M NaCl, 20mM Tris/HCl (pH7.5), 0.01%SDS, formamide (as indicated in Table1) at 46C, for 15min. Following this step, hybridization was performed using specific oligonucleotide probes (Table1) at the same temperature, for 3h. Thereafter, the samples were incubated at 48C with pre-warmed wash buffer containing 20mM Tris/HCl (pH7.5), 5mM EDTA, 0.01% SDS, and 40159mM NaCl for 30min. For CLSM and image analysis, the samples were counterstained with a mixture of 3 M YoPro-1 iodide (Invitrogen, Basel, Switzerland) and 15 M Sytox Green (Invitrogen, Basel, Switzerland) then embedded with 10μl Mowiol  with the biofilm surface facing towards the chamber slides. Prior to qualification, the samples were coated with mounting buffer consisting of 90% ultrapure glycerol and 10% 25mg/g DABCO (Sigma-Aldrich, Buchs, Switzerland), on 24 well slides, Finally, the stained bacterial cells were visualized under an Olympus BX60 fluorescence microscope (Olympus Optical AG, Volketswil, Switzerland), at 100 magnification.
The box-plot data presented derives from four independent experiments each performed in triplicate biofilm cultures. The values were logarithmically transformed, and then inserted to Prism v.6 software (GraphPad, La Jolla California USA). The statistical differences between the groups were calculated by one-way ANOVA, using the Tukeys post-hoc test for multiple comparisons (P≤0.01).
For evaluation of the biofilm structure, CLSM was used for each one of the four independent experiments. The biofilm-containing discs stained by FISH or IF were visualized using a Leica SP-5 microscope at the Center of Microscopy and Image Analysis of the University of Zrich (ZMB), with a resonant scanner system (8000Hz), a diode laser (405nm excitation), an argon laser (458nm/476nm/488nm/496nm/514nm excitation) and a helium neon laser (561nm/594nm/633nm excitation). Filters were set to 500540nm, 570630nm, and 660710 for detection of YoPro-1 iodide & Sytox Green mixture, Cy3 and Cy5, respectively. All images were captured using a 63 × objective (glycerol immersion, NA 1.3). Stacked images were further processed using the Imaris 7.4.0 software (Bitplane, Zrich, Switzerland), in order to virtually reconstruct the biofilm structure.
NB and GNB conceived the study. BK, GNB, TT, JAO, MAC and NB designed the study. JAO and MAC generated and provided the Porphyromonas gingivalis gingipain mutants. BK performed the experiments. BK and NB performed the data analysis. BK, GNB and NB wrote the paper. TT, JAO and MAC reviewed and approved the final version of the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
We thank the Centre of Microscopy and Image Analysis (ZMB) of the University of Zrich for their support with confocal microscopy. This study was supported by the authors Institutes, the Forschungskredit Grant of the University of Zrich (NB), and the Medical Research Council UK grant MR/J011118/1 (MAC).


G.P. Putnam's Sons, 9780399183706, 432pp.
As the author of the electrifying W. E. B. Griffin novels of the military, police, and spies and counterspies, William E. Butterworth III has been delighting readers for decades—but he has a special treat for them now.
At the tender age of sixteen, Philip W. Williams III is expelled from boarding school for committing a prank, and on the train home wonders where his life will take him now. It never enters his mind that he will become a special agent of the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps in postwar Germany, play a key role in the defection of a Soviet officer and then work for the CIA, marry a ferocious Austrian ballet dancer, become a renowned bestselling novelist, and meet the love of his life on a hunting trip. Yet all of this, and much more, awaits him, in a raucous series of adventures that will have readers laughing, cheering, and propulsively turning the pages to discover what happens next.
William E. Butterworth III is the author of more than 150 books, most notably the W. E. B. Griffin novels—more than fifty New York Times bestsellers in the Brotherhood of War, Corps, Honor Bound, Men at War, Badge of Honor, Presidential Agent, and Clandestine Operations series. He lives in Alabama and Argentina.
He is a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, the Armor Association, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society, and has honorary memberships in many other military and intelligence associations. He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded honorary degrees by Norwich University (the nation's first and oldest private military college) and Troy State University. He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.


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Becca Balint, leader of the Vermont Senate, joins race for US House
Dec 13 2021 December 13, 2021
Becca Balint, president pro tempore of the Vermont Senate, announces her candidacy for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives at a press conference in Montpelier on Monday, Dec. 13, 2021. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
Updated at 6:07 p.m.
MONTPELIER — Becca Balint, the president pro tempore of the Vermont Senate, is running for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, she announced Monday.
"I'm running because we're facing huge challenges. Working families are struggling, the pandemic is raging on, real climate action can't wait, and our democracy itself is at risk. The future feels perilous," the Windham County Democrat said at a launch event at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier. "We can't tackle these challenges if we remain divided."
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The Democratic primary for Vermont's congressional seat was expected to be close. It wasn't. Why?
'It's finally our time': Becca Balint wins Vermont's Democratic US House nomination
In campaign's final stretch, Molly Gray again cries foul over Becca Balint's PAC support
'Pragmatism' vs. 'urgency': Here's where the frontrunners for US House stand on climate policy
Patrick Leahy votes for Molly Gray, backs her with $5,000 PAC donation
Balint joins Lt. Gov. Molly Gray in the Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., who is vacating his House seat to run for the U.S. Senate. No Republicans have entered the race, including Gov. Phil Scott, who has said he has no intention of going to Washington this cycle.
Balint, 53, is the first openly gay woman elected to the Vermont Senate and the first woman to serve as its president. The former middle school teacher and stay-at-home mother won her first political contest in a race for her southeastern Vermont Senate seat in 2014.
She rose quickly through the ranks of the Democrat-controlled chamber, becoming majority leader in 2017, at the start of her second term. Four years later, in 2021, she was elected pro tem — the top position in the Senate.
Asked which legislative achievements best demonstrated her ability to win hard fights, Balint pointed to the Senate's gubernatorial veto override of the Global Warming Solutions Act and her work shepherding Proposal 5, a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing reproductive rights, through the chamber.
Balint grew up in New York's Hudson Valley and first came to Vermont in the mid-1990s as a rock-climbing instructor in Plymouth. She settled in Brattleboro in 2007 with attorney Elizabeth Wohl, whom she married two years later when Vermont legalized same-sex marriage.
In a campaign video and in a speech at her kickoff event Monday, Balint leaned into her personal story. Her grandfather's murder during the Holocaust had taught her "what can happen when we turn away from each other," she said. And an experience with a neighbor who had an anti-gay "Take Back Vermont" sign in their front yard when she first moved to town proved that people can be won over.
"After weeks of unease, I decided I would just keep showing up, believing there was a way to bridge the divide," Balint said during her speech. "So what started with conversations across the fence and with borrowed tools, became gifts for our kids and baked goods for them. And the sign came down."
The Senate leader said Monday that her campaign motto would be "courage and kindness," and argued her experience building coalitions in Montpelier might be put to good use unifying a party often seen as at war with itself.
"That is something I've also done in the legislature. Our caucus in Montpelier ranges from Blue Dog Democrats to, you know, progressives. And I've been able to bring them together on important legislation for Vermonters," she said.
Becca Balint celebrates with supporters after announcing her candidacy for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
Balint's campaign launch video also name-checks Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, paid family and medical leave, racial justice and housing justice. These are signature platforms for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Balint said in an interview later that his "progressive agenda completely aligns with what I believe and how I think we need to be showing up for Vermont families."
But Balint added that she also hoped, if sent to Washington, to emulate U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. Balint said she particularly admired his work on the judiciary committee — and his ability to bring federal dollars home to Vermont.
"What I hope that you'll see in me as a candidate is really a blending of the best of both of these giants," she said.
Balint's decision to join the race is the latest in a series of moves touched off by Leahy's announcement last month that he would retire when his eighth term expires in January 2023. That has led to a great reshuffling of Vermont's political landscape — opening up at least four top positions: seats in the U.S. Senate and House, the lieutenant governorship and, now, the pro tem post. Balint said Monday she would also be giving up her Windham county Senate seat.
Vermont has never elected a woman to federal office, but several up-and-coming politicos aim to break that glass ceiling next year. In addition to Gray — a first-term lieutenant governor who rose from obscurity to win a statewide race in 2020 — Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Chittenden, has also been eyeing the House race. Ram Hinsdale has not yet said whether she will run, but she has kept a busy schedule of public events in recent months, including an appearance in Bennington last week.
All three have been affiliated with Emerge Vermont, an organization that trains Democratic women to run for office — Balint and Gray as trainees and Ram Hinsdale as a founder.
Becca Balint on Monday, Dec. 13. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
Within just an hour of news breaking about Balint's candidacy, Gray's team put out a press release announcing that the lieutenant governor had pulled in over $111,000 in the first week of her campaign — and $50,000 within the first 24 hours.
Samantha Sheehan, a representative with the Gray campaign, declined last week to discuss fundraising with VTDigger, saying the campaign would address such questions once they had submitted their first filing with the FEC on Jan. 31, 2022. Sheehan said Monday that the timing of the campaign's fundraising announcement was coincidental and that the campaign had decided Friday to send out an update one week into the race.
Both Gray and Balint have said they would not accept corporate PAC money. Balint added that she would accept funds from political action committees whose values align with hers — including from teachers unions, or groups involved in "the climate fight or reproductive rights." (Sheehan said Gray, too, would accept support from such PACs.)
Balint said Monday morning her campaign had already brought in about $35,000 by 9:30 a.m. Updated figures were not available from her campaign by the time of publication.
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Update voter registration by Aug. 31 to guarantee mailed ballot, secretary of state says (August 25, 4:15 pm)
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2nd poll shows Becca Balint well ahead of Molly Gray (August 1, 5:15 pm)
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About Lola
Lola Duffort is a political reporter for VTDigger, covering Vermont state government, the congressional delegation and elections. She previously covered education for Digger, the Concord Monitor in New Hampshire and the Rutland Herald. She has also freelanced for the Miami Herald in Florida, where she grew up. She is a graduate of McGill University in Canada.
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Brattleboro debates the necessity vs. nuisance of public restrooms
Vermont students call on schools, lawmakers to take steps to…
Battery fire quelled at plant owned by electric aircraft maker…
Vermont hosts second-ever world agricultural tourism conference
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Anne Donahue: Late abortion doesn't reflect Roe, or Vermonters' views
Let's Go Brandon to Dark Brandon: Don't cry for America

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Description: If you are a fan of the Fox show Bob's Burgers, or if you can relate to the craziness of the Belcher family, you need these! The entire family has a place here, from Tina and Gene, to Linda and Louise- and don't forget Bob, all outlined in colorful neon! These gray boxer briefs have an exposed elastic waistband with pouch front styling, no fly.


This is one of the 'Black Butterfly Board Books' from Black Butterfly Children's Books; any in this series could easily make it onto this list!
See the '2nd Story' entitled Little Pumpkin. Little Pumpkin is an adorable black toddler and his grandma is white!
K & O's absolute favorite book for a very long stretch of their early babyhood!
H & B's absolute favorite book for a long stretch of K & O's babyhood! This book is outstanding because of the multiple forms of diversity it's illustrations portray. The illustrations include not only racial diversity, but portray men as care givers, older people as care givers, gay and lesbian mommies and daddies, breast feeding and bottle feeding, twins (even a set of black twins!!!), etc.
K & O still know the rhyming words of this book by heart.
Totally totally awesome illustrations (the dad appears to have dreds or twists), and… importantly… a book that explicitly portrays black men/dads as loving and involved care-givers.
Both of these classic Ezra Jack Keats books books are available as board books!
This classic adoption story book is available as a board book! The illustrations don't specifically portray blackness, but it is an astoundingly great book ~ a Must Have ~ for any inter-racial adoptive family!!!


The Opry wooden yarn butler is an excellent accessory for keeping your ball of yarn tidy and tangle free.
Place the centre of your ball of yarn through the spindle and it will turn smoothly as you knit or crochet.
A beautifully made, eye-catching piece of craftsmanship, with Opry logo etched in the wood - a must-have for any knitterholic!


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Bloglander
Five rules for a great season premiere
Posted By Daniel Walters on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 4:12 PM
We TV watchers love our season finales. We celebrate them, we rank them, we debate them. But the season premiere — the time when our beloved show finally returns from its hiatus — can be just as vital. That first hour or half-hour are when viewers are lost or gained.
Fortunately, since Bloglander is the go-to guide for screenwriters and TV showrunners alike, we're here to help.
1. Remind us what we love about your show. Take this through more drafts than your mid-season episodes. Craft it again and again in the writers room. If the season finale is your best episode of the season (and it should be) the season premiere should be the second best. If it's a comedy, find the best premise you've brainstormed so far. If it's a serialized drama, give us major plot momentum, hint at the season's overall plot, establish the stakes, and tease the villain. If it's a procedural drama with no major serialized elements, well, then give David Caruso a killer cold-open one-liner, I suppose.
2. Don't cheapen the season finale. So you left viewers with a season finale episode. That. Changed. Everything. At least, according to the promos. Well, don't Change. Everything. Right. Back.
Too many shows do this. Everyone quits, then everyone is hired back on. The big cliffhanger is resolved within seconds. (The gun was full of blanks! Or the bullet misses! Or it was all just a virtual reality simulation the entire time!) If we return to Chuck to find the blown-up "Buy More" totally rebuilt, if we return to Jack Bauer to find that, hey, he's back from the Chinese prison he was heading for already, we lose the impact. If you advertise a game-changer, let it change the game. At least for a while. While a few shows (like Lost and Angel) reinvent themselves each season, most eventually need to return to the status quo. But give it some time. Part of Breaking Bad's strength this season is that it actually had the guts to spend half the season dealing with Walt fighting with his wife before he returned to the world of meth-making. The show had enough faith in itself to know that the "premise" didn't have to be a cage.
3. Savor the reintroductions. Every show is composed of little elements in the world that audience has grown to love. There's the setting. There's the little bits of inside jokes or call-outs that comprise the setting. And there are the characters themselves. Here's the opportunity to highlight the personality of each character and world. In each of their opening moments, remind us that Greendale is a crappy college, that Dr. House is acidic, that Christopher Chance is a badass.
A bit cliche? Perhaps. But there's bad cliche, and then there's fun cliche. This is the latter. ---
4. Give us an actual episode. We want to see our television show. Our actual television show. Later in the season, we don't mind if you give us dream episodes or musical episodes or what-if episodes or my-god-the-curse-turned-him-into-a-Muppet episodes. If it's a series that has an over-arching ongoing plot ("mythology," we like to call it) you better not give us a humdrum case-of-the-week and expect us to be satisfied. Advance the story in your typical format. No gimmicks.
5. Careful with the time skips, Skippy. Television loves to throw in a "5 years later" between seasons. Makes sense. It gives the writers a fresh slate of possible plots to work with. They can change a character's personality to something entirely new and spend the rest of the season obliquely referring to "the incident." Sometimes it works. The time skip on Battlestar Galactica gave the show four of its best episodes. But most of the time it seems a bit lazy. The advantage of television over, say, a movie, is that it allows us to watch character development in nearly real time. Over five seasons, the wuss can turn into a bad-ass or the asshole can begin to discover the heart-of-coal. Whenever that happens off screen, we miss out on watching our characters become different people.
For more TV commentary follow @danieltwalters on Twitter.
Tags: tv
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A lifelong Spokane native, staff writer Daniel Walters is the Inlander's City Hall reporter. But he also reports on a wide swath of other topics, including business, education, real estate development, land use, and other stories throughout North Idaho and Spokane County.He's reported on deep flaws in the Washington...


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WCWN (channel 45) is a television station licensed to Schenectady, New York, United States, serving the Capital District as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside CBS affiliate WRGB (channel 6, also licensed to Schenectady). Both stations share studios on Balltown Road in Niskayuna, New York (with a Schenectady postal address), while WCWN's transmitter is located on the Helderberg Escarpment west of New Salem. WCWN brands as CW 15 after the cable channel position on Charter Spectrum and Verizon Fios.

History
WCWN originated as an independent station on December 3, 1984, under the call letters WUSV, after its owner, Union Street Video. Chattanooga, Tennessee-based Media Central, a company that helped sign on a handful of independent UHF stations during this time, helped Union Street Video build the station, and also provided services to WUSV. However, it made little headway against the market's original independent, WXXA-TV (channel 23). As with most independent stations in mid-sized markets during that period, it had difficulties from the outset in terms of getting programming with only afternoon cartoons and some reruns getting respectable ratings. Most of the stronger programming went to WXXA, perhaps due in part to one of its founding partners, longtime movie director Arthur Penn, having ties to Hollywood. Also hurting WUSV was the presence of New York City's three independent stations–WNEW-TV (now WNYW), WOR-TV (now WWOR-TV) and WPIX–and Boston's WSBK-TV on cable, which had been the case for more than a decade.

When WXXA joined Fox as a charter affiliate in 1986 (displacing WNYW on cable systems), WUSV had some difficulty filling the void. The Capital District was just barely large enough at the time to support what were essentially two independent stations (WXXA, like other early Fox affiliates, was still programmed as an independent at the time), and there simply wasn't enough programming to go around. Due to continuing financial difficulties, Union Street Video finally gave up in 1987 and sold the station in a fire sale to WMHT Educational Telecommunications. Under WMHT's ownership, channel 45 became a secondary PBS member station under the calls WMHX. It was still licensed as a commercial station, but operated as a non-commercial broadcaster—much like Buffalo's WNED-TV (which received an educational license in 2000) and New York City's WNYC-TV (now Ion Television owned-and-operated station WPXN-TV) operated for many years.

This arrangement lasted until 1991 when, due to financial difficulties, WMHX was taken off-the-air. Two years later, the station returned to the air as WMHQ, carrying a large amount of instructional programming alongside repeats and double runs from WMHT. Further financial difficulties at WMHT led to WMHQ being put up for sale in the late 1990s.

Despite WMHT's financial difficulties, WMHQ's commercial license was still very valuable. By this time, the Capital District had grown large enough that a second non-Big Three station was now viable. After a sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group, which intended to make the station a dual UPN/WB affiliate, fell through, Tribune Broadcasting, part-owner of The WB, bought the station in 1999 for $18.5 million. Channel 45's final day of programming as a PBS station was September 5, 1999; after its nightly midnight sign-off, it returned to the air at 6:00 a.m. the next morning as WB affiliate WEWB-TV, branded on-air as "WB 45". Prior to WEWB's relaunch, WPIX and WGN-TV's national feed had both served as the default WB affiliates for the Capital District. WPIX remained available to cable viewers in Albany until 2002, but was blacked out during WB programming as well as syndicated programming shown exclusively on Albany stations (due to syndication exclusivity rules).

From the station's relaunch as WEWB until December 2006, its master control was located at sister station WB affiliate WLVI-TV in Boston. However, local offices were at Corporate Woods in Albany. WLVI's meteorologists maintained WCWN's weather page. In 2004, WEWB's digital signal signed on-the-air and began broadcasting on UHF channel 43. In 2005, the "WB 45" name was dropped in favor of "Capital Region's WB" at the tail end of a period in which most of Tribune's WB affiliates (minus its VHF and "heritage" stations) were re-branded in the same format.

Eleven years after the births of UPN and The WB on January 24, 2006, it was announced by CBS and Time Warner that The WB would merge with its rival network, UPN, to form The CW. As part of the deal, the newly formed network signed a 10-year affiliation deal with 16 of Tribune's WB stations, including WEWB. In preparation, the station's call letters changed to the current WCWN on May 10. In July 2006, commercials for The CW as well as syndicated fall programming had the station rebranding as "The Capital Region's CW" effective with the network's launch on September 18.

On June 19, 2006, Tribune announced it would sell WCWN to Freedom Communications, owner of CBS affiliate WRGB, for $17 million. The purchase faced review from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for much of 2006, since the Capital District has only eight full-power stations—not enough to legally permit a duopoly. However, the FCC granted Freedom a "failed station" waiver for the station's purchase on November 22, clearing the way for Freedom to close on the station on December 6. At that point, all of WCWN's operations were merged into WRGB's facilities in Niskayuna and Freedom began to maintain WCWN's website. The purchase gave the Capital District its first television duopoly. For a short period of time, this essentially gave WRGB control of three stations as it continued its pre-existing joint sales agreement (JSA) with MyNetworkTV affiliate WNYA until February 2007.

Freedom announced on November 2, 2011 that it would bow out of television and sell its stations, including WCWN, to Sinclair Broadcast Group, marking the company's second attempt at acquiring channel 45. Since Freedom had acquired WCWN through a "failed station" waiver, Sinclair requested a similar waiver for the purchase; this was granted on March 13, 2012, as part of the FCC's approval of the transaction. The group deal closed on April 2, 2012.

Programming
Syndicated programming on WCWN includes Family Feud, Hot Bench, Mike & Molly, The Steve Wilkos Show, and Last Man Standing among others.

Since WCWN is a sister station to WRGB, it is responsible for airing CBS programming when WRGB is unable to or otherwise chooses not to air a program due to weather/emergency updates or local specials. In the past, it has been known to air coverage of the US Open Tennis Championship. When the yearly Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon aired in its original 21-hour format, WCWN was responsible for airing WRGB's local, syndicated, and network lineup. The station also airs some New York Mets baseball games produced by WPIX in New York City. Games are shown on Friday nights, Saturdays, and Sundays. The arrangement is in place because WCWN was owned by the Tribune Company, WPIX's owner, from 1999 to 2006. Also, WCWN airs WRGB's newscasts at times when CBS Sports programming preempts them (prime examples include the Masters Tournament and the NCAA tournament and Final Four).

News operation

As WMHQ, it partnered with NBC affiliate WNYT to launch the market's first prime time newscast at 10 which ran from 1996 until 1998. The broadcast was canceled due to a lack of support. At the outset of the station's relaunch as WEWB, there was a chance Tribune would launch a news department possibly with some support from another station in the area. These plans were indefinitely put on hold after Tribune put a news freeze in place and did not consider such a launch to be a priority.

Newscasts would not return to the station until the start of 2007 when Freedom moved an hour-long extension of WRGB's weekday morning show at 7 from WNYA to this channel (currently known as The CW 15 Morning News). This happened because, at the time, WCWN had higher ratings than WNYA. Rumors soon circulated about WRGB launching a prime time show at 10 on this station to compete with Fox affiliate WXXA-TV. However, the moving of a second run of Dr. Phil to the time slot put those plans on hold. On January 14, 2008, the morning news on WCWN began to be produced in high definition. A day earlier, WRGB became the first station in the market to make the upgrade.

On September 24, 2008, WRGB started airing a weeknight prime time newscast in high definition on WCWN. Originally known as The CBS 6 News 10 at 10 and airing for ten minutes, it featured the top stories of the day along with an updated weather forecast. On October 18, 2010, this was expanded to thirty minutes and renamed The CW 15 News at 10. The format on WCWN became unique to the market and is different compared with newscasts seen on WRGB. There is more fast-paced reporting along with original stories and various features. The weekday morning and prime time newscasts are streamed live on WRGB's website. In the past, WCWN has also occasionally aired that channel's 11 o'clock news during CBS' coverage of NCAA March Madness. Currently, it airs WRGB's Saturday 6 and 11 p.m. and Sunday 6:30 and 11 p.m. newscasts whenever the main channel cannot do so, due to CBS Sports coverage.

Technical information

Subchannels
The station's ATSC 1.0 channels are carried on the multiplexed digital signals of other Capital District television stations:

From its launch in 2006 until October 1, 2007, WCWN offered The Tube on its second digital subchannel and Time Warner digital cable. On November 1, 2008, WCWN-DT2 relaunched as an affiliate of This TV, then shortly thereafter swapped subchannels with WRGB and took Universal Sports. WCWN-DT2 went dark again on January 1, 2012, when Universal Sports moved to cable only status and later shut down altogether.

Analog-to-digital conversion
WCWN shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 45, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 43. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 45. During the 2019 digital television repack, WCWN relocated from UHF channel 43 as it was no longer allocated to broadcast television and is now broadcasting on UHF channel 22.

ATSC 3.0 lighthouse

See also
Channel 15 branded TV stations in the United States
Channel 22 digital TV stations in the United States
Channel 45 virtual TV stations in the United States

References

External links
CWAlbany.com - Official website

The CW affiliates
Charge! (TV network) affiliates
Stadium (sports network) affiliates
CWN
Television channels and stations established in 1984
1984 establishments in New York (state)
Sinclair Broadcast Group
ATSC 3.0 television stations

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Maltese Court evicts tenants after finding rent laws violate human rights of property owner
by admin | Oct 24, 2019 | Human Rights, Landlords, Property, Rent, Rights
Recently there has been a shift in what Maltese courts consider to be an adequate remedy for landlords whose property rights have been violated by the state. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has criticised our domestic courts on a number of occasions, for falling short of providing an adequate remedy to the individual. In the case of Anthony Debono vs Attorney General, the Maltese Courts compensated the individual and declared that the unconstitutional rent laws in question could no longer be relied on by the tenant. This, however, meant that landlords had to file another lawsuit before the Rent Regulation Board to have the tenant evicted on the basis of the previous judgement declaring the protective rent laws unconstitutional.
The recent judgement, Joseph Camilleri vs Attorney General and Sylvia and Dennis Fenech delivered by the First Hall Civil Court (Constitutional Jurisdiction), is considered important for the reason that the Court actually goes a step further and evicts the tenant from the tenement, avoiding the need of separate proceedings with their extra costs and delays. The case follows the Portanier v Malta case, where the ECtHR questioned the purpose of the previous approach.
Property Requisitioned by Housing Authority and leased at low rent
The plaintiff was the owner of a tenement in Hal Tarxien, which had belonged to his late mother. The property was requisitioned by the government in 1985, and given to third parties. In 1986, the tenement was assigned to Anni Mercieca (mother of Dennis Fenech), and following her death, the plaintiff asked the Housing Authority to issue a derequisition order so that he could sell the property. The Authority did not accept his request, and he had no choice but to enter into a lease agreement with Sylvia Fenech, who converted the lease into her own name. In 2009, the Authority conducted a means test on the defendant, to determine if she still required the property as a residence. The tenement was later derequisitioned, but the defendants remained in possession of the property because their lease agreement was protected by the special rent laws.
This effectively meant that the plaintiff was stuck with a lease agreement with the rent fixed at a yearly sum of €211.66.
The plaintiff that this was tantamount to an effective deprivation of his fundamental right to enjoy his property, without being adequately compensated, violating both his right under Article 37 of the Constitution, and Article 1 of Protocol 1 of the European Convention of Human Rights.
No ordinary remedy available at law
The Attorney General claimed that the plaintiff had an ordinary remedy available at law, to both challenge the requisition order, and to not accept the lease agreement. It is well-established in Maltese case-law that an 'ordinary remedy' is one that is effective, accessible, adequate and practical. The Court referenced the ECtHR, which had already considered this argument in Ghigo vs Malta. It stated that a requisition order is imposed on an owner, with the latter having little to no influence on the choice of the tenant or the lease agreement. The remedy provided by law, was therefore, not effective, accessible, adequate and practical. Also, under Article 8 of the Housing Act, the landlord had to prove a 'hardship' to not be bound by an agreement, meaning that the owner could not take back his property for his sole enjoyment. Therefore, the plaintiff's only resort was a constitutional case.
Requisition order violates the Constitution
Article 37 of the Constitution protects the individual's right from compulsory dispossession without adequate compensation. "No property of any description shall be compulsorily taken possession of, and no interest in or right over property of any description shall be compulsorily acquired, except where provision is made by a law for adequate compensation…"
The Attorney General argued that there had been no violation of Article 37, because the lease did not amount to a compulsory dispossession, but it simply controlled the owner's use of his property.
The Court found in favour of the plaintiff interpreting Article 37 widely, stating that it primarily concerns the limitation of enjoyment of property, rather than the dispossession of property. It went on by saying that when a requisition order substantially deprives the plaintiff from enjoying his property, such order can be classified as an 'interest over property compulsorily acquired', leading to a violation of the Constitution.
Landlord suffered a disproportionate and excessive burden
When determining whether there has been a violation of the right to property under Article 1 Protocol 1 of the Convention, the ECtHR considers whether or not the victim has suffered 'a disproportionate an excessive burden.' The Civil Court considered the fact that the rent received amounted to €211.66 yearly, when the tenement in question could be leased for €300 per month. The argument that the rent increases every three years according to the rate of inflation was not considered to be legally sound, because the rent is not at all come close to today's market value; therefore the rent was disproportionate and the State did in fact violate the plaintiff's rights under the Convention.
Judicial remedy – Court orders tenants to evict property
The Court firstly referred to Josephine Azzopardi pro et noe vs Hon. Prime Minister et, where it had stated that it is not the appropriate court to determine whether or not to evict tenants. This jarred with the subsequent Portanier v Malta judgement, where the ECtHR questioned why the Constitutional Courts are abdicating their responsibility by referring applicants to another remedy instead of cutting down procedure time. It also questioned as whether the successive procedures further burdened applicants with supplementary legal costs and expenses. Following such judgement, the Civil Court went to determine if eviction was the appropriate remedy.
In this case, the defendants had another property which they could occupy and which was instead leased at the current and far higher rent, and this convinced the Court of the appropriateness of such remedy. The Court ordered the tenants to leave the plaintiff's property within a year, ordering them to pay a €300 rent for every month until they vacate the tenement.
The Attorney General was also ordered to compensate the plaintiff by paying a sum of €15,000, covering both pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages.
It should be noted that this judgement is subject to appeal.
For further information on property law, contact Dr. Simon Galea Testaferrata or any other member of IURIS Advocates.
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In a series of memos, the Bush Administration undid eight centuries of legal history.
On January 28, 2013, a week after Obama began his second term, the State Department shut down the office of Daniel Fried, whose job had been to close Guantánamo. A hundred and sixty-six men remain imprisoned at Guantánamo, and, until their release into the hands of Afghan authorities during the past year—the last slated for transfer just this month—many more were held, some for years, at Bagram. Meanwhile, the New York Times has reported that the Obama Administration holds "Terror Tuesdays," meetings in which the President and his national-security advisers discuss which suspected terrorists, remaining at large, should be assassinated by drones. In about a third of these cases, the President alone takes responsibility for naming the targets, which have included American citizens.


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Tiny, Deep Quakes Increase on San Andreas as Tides Tug on Fault
When the gravity of the Sun and Moon causes Earth's crust to bulge every 2 weeks, slow-moving earthquakes proliferate in the lower reaches of the San Andreas, a new study finds.
by A. Coombs 26 July 2016 6 October 2021
Aerial view of the San Andreas Fault at the Carrizo Plain. The number of deep, slow-moving earthquakes that rumble near here rises and falls with each tidal cycle. Credit: Ikluft
Much like ocean waters rise and fall during daily tidal cycles, the Earth's crust bows outward, then relaxes every day, pulled by the Moon. The ocean also rises and falls on 2-week tidal cycles when the pull of the Sun reinforces the tug of the Moon, a phenomenon also observed in Earth's crust.
According to new measurements, this bulging of the crust every 2 weeks cyclically increases the numbers of small earthquakes that take place deep in the San Andreas Fault. These temblors occur between 15 and 30 kilometers underground and release too little energy too slowly to be felt by anyone on the surface.
The earthquakes are most common during the week when tides are growing rather when tides are the biggest.
What's more, the pattern of these slow-moving earthquakes reveals something unexpected—that they "are most common during the week when tides are growing rather when tides are the biggest," said Nicholas van der Elst, a geophysicist at the Earthquake Science Center at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Pasadena, Calif. Van der Elst and his team published the findings on 18 July in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
The new study shows no connections between these "low-frequency earthquakes," as researchers refer to them, and the sudden, ground-shaking earthquakes that typically originate much closer to the surface and can cause widespread destruction and death. However, their very presence reveals information about the deep mechanics of the fault.
Recording Fault Slippage
Despite their "low-frequency" label, these earthquakes are detected more frequently than any other class of quakes near Parkfield, Calif.—the section of the San Andreas Fault observed in the study. More than a thousand of these low-level seismic slips register every day at Parkfield, but because of their depth and low magnitudes (<1) people can't feel them. Scientists refer to them as "low frequency" because they are characterized by slow seismic waves of compression and expansion analogous to low-frequency (i.e., low-pitch) sounds.
Seismologists from the USGS and Northern California Seismic Network recorded these slow quakes near Parkfield with sensitive seismic equipment placed in deep holes. They set out to record small tremors of slightly greater magnitude in areas where the fault is already known to churn with deep activity.
The low-frequency quakes became apparent only when scientists used algorithms to extract weak signals from background noise. By contrast, in the relatively shallow areas where the "big one" might hit, the fault moves far less, allowing stress to build up until a large quake occurs, said van der Elst.
Quake Tally Rises as Biweekly Tide Waxes
Finding that the crustal tide affects deep, little quakes isn't entirely new. Scientists previously looked into the frequency of earthquakes during daily Earth tides, which sometimes lift rock by a few centimeters over a 12-hour cycle akin to the timing of ocean tides.
Although those past findings proved inconclusive in the shallow regions of the fault where bigger earthquakes strike, results showed that deep, low-frequency earthquakes take place 50% more often when the daily crustal tides hit their maximum heights.
To learn if the total number of small, deep earthquakes rises and falls also with the fortnightly tide, van der Elst and his colleagues returned to data from Parkfield to analyze 81,000 low-frequency quakes and found that their abundance correlated statistically with the 2-week tidal pattern.
Low-frequency earthquakes are 10% more common during weeks when the biweekly Earth tide is growing.
It turns out that low-frequency earthquakes are 10% more common during weeks when the biweekly Earth tide is growing. Van der Elst and his team identified two time periods each month when the low-level, deep quakes were most common, and both correlated with the two waxing cycles of the fortnightly tide, when tension builds in the fault, rather than the tidal peaks, when tension is greatest.
The scientists suggest why the number of quakes doesn't surge again during the waning phase even though the tidal contribution to stress is just as large in that period: According to van der Elst, the boost in earthquake numbers during the waxing period likely relieves fault tension so that little is left to be released during waning. However, during the lull between waxing periods, the movement of the fault's adjoining tectonic plates builds stress up again. Then, "when the tide begins to rise," said van der Elst, "the fault is that much closer to failure and produces a bigger crop of low-frequency earthquakes early on."
Peering into a Fault's Depths
Although the results "are not directly relevant to forecasting damaging earthquakes, [they] open a new window to deep faulting, which remains mysterious in many ways," commented John Vidale of the University of Washington in Seattle. Vidale did not participate in the study.
Only a weak fault would respond to the small amount of stress caused by tides.
The results may provide valuable insights into the working of the deep fault, according to van der Elst. For example, only a weak fault would respond to the small amount of stress caused by tides, and the sensitivity to tides at deep levels might indicate the presence of pressurized fluids that lubricate the fault far below ground, he suggested.
Also, "variations in fault response over the fortnightly cycle tells you something about how long it takes for the fault to reaccumulate stress after an episode of low-frequency earthquakes," said van der Elst. Future studies will explore these and other mechanisms.
—Amy Coombs, Editorial Intern
Coombs, A. (2016), Tiny, deep quakes increase on San Andreas as tides tug on fault, Eos, 97, https://doi.org/10.1029/2016EO056527. Published on 26 July 2016.
The Role of Water in Earth's Tectonic Plumbing Systems
Why are Earthquakes on the San Andreas Seasonally Modulated?
Earth's Climate Cycles Might Have an Eccentric Explanation
Tagged: cool tools, faults, geology, Hazards & Disasters, San Andreas Fault, seismology, surface waves & tides


Home / Admit Card / ITBP Constable Tradesmen Admit Card 2018 – Download Now !
ITBP Constable Tradesmen Admit Card: Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force has recently released the Admit card of ITBP Constable Tradesmen Exam. The exam will take place on December 2018 So, all the candidates who have appeared for exam can now download their result easily.
Organization Name: Indo Tibetan Border Police Force.
Total Number of Posts: 303 Posts.
How to Download ITBP Constable Tradesmen Admit Card 2018?
Firstly Click on the proper link given to download the Admit card.
Now Enter Your required details like User Email, Password and other details and press Submit.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) Recruitment: ITBP has recently released an official notification for the post of Constable in Telecom department. So, all the candidates who aspire who get in Indian Defence Sector are requested to check all the job details given below and apply this post before the last date.
Candidates from all Over India can apply this post and after selection, they will be posted in any location all Over India.
In order to apply this post candidate should have completed 10th form recognized board or University.
Mode of application: Candidates have to apply through online mode.
Salary: After selection, candidates will be paid Rs. 21700 – 69100 (as per 7th CPC).
Starting date to apply: 29th October 2018.
Age limit: Candiates age limit must be between 18 – 23 years. Age relaxation will be applicable as per rule.
Previous UPSRTC Conductor Merit List 2018 – Download Now!


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Yahoo Finance: Student loan cancellation 'is a matter of racial and economic justice,' Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley argues
Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) lent her voice to the chorus that's urging the Biden administration to cancel student debt, stressing the impact on Black borrowers.
"Student loan cancellation is a matter of racial and economic justice across our country," Pressley said during a virtual conference held by the Consumer Federation of America. "Black student borrowers are forced to borrow more than their white peers and are five times more likely to default on a student loan."
Furthermore, Pressley argued, the disparity was a "result of generations of systemic racism" that prevented Black Americans from building wealth. So cancelling this debt "must be an essential part of a truly equitable economic recovery."
Pressley, a member of the so-called "Squad" of women elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 that also includes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), is one of several Democrats pressing the incoming Biden administration to forgive some student loan debt through executive action soon after the President-elect takes office on January 20, 2021.
In Pressley's home state of Massachusetts, 855,000 borrowers hold about $33 billion in student loan debt as of 2019. Across the country, roughly 43 million Americans hold more than $1.5 trillion in outstanding federally-backed student loans.
"The crisis is really a result … of failed policy choices," Pressley added during a separate conference at the Center for Responsible Lending on Thursday. "Failed policy that has resulted in the chronic underfunding of our nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities, community colleges, and state universities… [who] had to raise tuition in order to cover the skyrocketing cost, forcing Black families to borrow more in order to foot the bill."
She also recalled the psychological toll of debt collection, sharing her own story of how she felt traumatized as a child by the nonstop calls to her home phone line from collectors.
"A ringing phone was very triggering for me," she said. "Debt despair is real."
Private approaches to income-based repayment
Several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have banded together to create an alternative to the federal income-based repayment program to specifically address the racial student debt gap.
Starting in 2021, the nonprofit Student Freedom Initiative (SFI) will offer STEM majors at participating schools to get on an income-contingent repayment plan after they graduate. SFI will pay for the student upfront and will be paid back by the student after graduation on a monthly basis — based on each borrower's income — over a maximum of 20 years.
The program is "an alternative to debt accumulation … [and] is very sensitive to their needs, their income levels and so forth," Florida A&M University (FAMU) President Larry Robinson told Yahoo Finance (video above). FAMU is one of the nine HBCUs participating.
The program aims to help students secure good internships, tutoring, mentoring, to make sure they graduate as early as possible. And the repayments would go back into the program and be used to fund the next cohort of students.
The sensitivity to income is key, Robinson added, because it is "very, very, important that the students are able to pay at a rate that allows them to still grow and develop in their professional lives."


text:
Flocons d'amour () est une comédie romantique américaine réalisée par Luke Snellin, sortie en 2019 sur la plateforme Netflix.

Elle est basée sur le roman du même nom de 2018, écrit par Maureen Johnson, John Green et Lauren Myracle.

Synopsis
À la veille de Noël, la vie d'un groupe de lycéens va prendre une toute autre tournure lorsqu'une tempête de neige va frapper leur petite ville. Tout va être remis en cause, amitiés et amours vont être chamboulés. La magie de Noël va opérer partout entre une histoire d'amour improbable qui surgit dans des conditions exceptionnelles, des liens et des amitiés très fortes qui se tissent et des masques qui tombent.

Fiche technique du film
 Titre original du film :
 Titre français : Flocons d'amour
 Réalisation :
 Scénario : Laura Solon, Victoria Strouse, Kay Cannon
 Production : Dylan Clark et Alexa Faigen
 Société de production : Dylan Clark Productions
 Société de distribution : Netflix
 Pays d'origine :
 Langue originale : anglais
 Durée : 1 h 33
 Format : couleur
 Date de sortie :

Distribution
 Isabela Moner  : Julie Reyes
 Shameik Moore  : Stuart Bale
 Kiernan Shipka  : Angie/Duc
 Odeya Rush  : Addie
 Liv Hewson  : Dorrie
 Mitchell Hope  : Tobin
 Jacob Batalon  : Keon
 Joan Cusack  :  Papier d'alu
 Matthew Noszka  : JP Lapierre
 Anna Akana  : Kerry
 Miles Robbins : Billy
 D'Arcy Carden  : Kira
 Andrea de Oliveira  : Debbie

Version française
 Société de doublage : Cinephase
 Direction artistique : Michèle Dorge
 Adaptation des dialogues : Sandra Dumontier

Notes et références

Liens externes

Film américain sorti en 2019
Comédie romantique américaine
Comédie dramatique américaine
Film de Noël
Film de Netflix


Doreen Gamboa Fernandez was born on October 28, 1934 in Manila.
Her PhD in Literature was obtained at the Ateneo de Manila University, 1977. Her Masters degree in Literature was from the same university. Her undergraduate degree in English was obtained at the St. Scholastica College in 1954.
She worked as Professor of the Ateneo de Manila University, as Chairperson of Department of English, Interdisciplinary Studies and Department of Communication and as member of the Editorial Boards of Philippine Studies, Filipinas Journal of Philippine Studies, and The Asian Theatre Journal.
Fernandez was founding chairperson of the Cultural Research Association of the Philippines in 1975 and was also co-founder of the Babaylan Theater Group in 1973.
Her writings focused on cultural history, drama, theater history, literary history and culinary history. Her column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer made her famous. An eponymous writing contest on food was established to commemorate her work.


text:
Dendrelaphis bifrenalis – gatunek nadrzewnego azjatyckiego węża z rodziny połozowatych (Colubridae).

Systematyka
Zwierzęta te zalicza się do rodziny połozowatych, do której zaliczano je od dawna. Starsze źródła również umieszczają Dendrelaphis w tej samej rodzinie Colubridae, używając jednak dawniejszej polskojęzycznej nazwy: wężowate albo węże właściwe. Poza tym Colubridae zaliczają do infrarzędu Caenophidia, czyli węży wyższych. W obrębie rodziny rodzaj Dendrelaphis należy natomiast do podrodziny Colubrinae.

Rozmieszczenie geograficzne
Dendrelaphis bifrenalis spotykany jest w południowych Indiach, gdzie należy do rzadkości, i na Sri Lance, gdzie zdaje się występować pospoliciej.

Bytuje na terenach położonych nie wyżej, niż 910 m nad poziomem morza.

Ekologia
Jak inni przedstawiciele swego rodzaju, wiedzie nadrzewny tryb życia na drzewach, krzewach i w buszu.

Zagrożenia i ochrona
Problemem dla tego gatunku jest utrata środowiska naturalnego związana z rolnictwem i wyrębem lasów.

Przypisy

Połozowate
Łuskonośne Azji
Gatunki i podgatunki zwierząt nazwane w 1890 roku


text: Q: Magento2 Blank Invoice, Shipping, Credit Memos I'm completely stuck on this. When you view and order under Sales > Orders. Then click on the invoices tab it is completely empty. Same for credit memos and shipments. I can view them fine under their individual links such as Sales > Invoices. There seems to be no errors showing in console or in error logs. Anyone got any ideas?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


1. Is my water heater big enough?
You need to consider how many appliances in your home depend on your water heater. This includes showers, tubs and dishwashers. It's also important to buy a water heater that's big enough for the amount of people in your home. Give one point for each, then refer to these charts from PSE&G.
2. When's it time for a replacement?
3. How much space should there be around my gas water heater?
There should be at least 2 feet of clearance in front of your gas water heater. On the back and sides, you need about 2 inches of space.
Have more water heater FAQs? Call the experts of Service Plus Heating, Cooling & Plumbing! We don't just install new water heaters. We can help you decide what type and size is best for your home!
Visit our website or call 317-434-2627 for service. Connect with Service Plus Heating, Cooling & Plumbing on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter for more tips. Remember, we service the entire Indianapolis area!


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A new study suggests that adopting a vegan diet could help people live longer and with fewer disease complications.
The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, analyzed how different diets influence health and disease.
More than 840 people participated in the research conducted by Loma Linda University.
The study compared vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets, as well as "semi-vegetarian" diets, where meat consumption is less than once a week but more than once a month. Subjects who eat meat weekly were also studied.
Researchers measured the levels of antioxidants, saturated fat, unsaturated fat, and vitamin levels of participants by studying urine, blood, and fat samples.
Subjects who ate a plant-based diet ranked as the "healthiest" compared with the other groups.
Vegans had more biomarkers that can help prevent disease like cancer, hypertension, and heart disease. "Like clues at a crime scene, biomarkers in blood, urine, fat tissue and other biospecimens can serve as indicators or predictors of health and disease. Biomarkers may have favorable or unfavorable health effects, promoting or preventing cancer, cardiovascular and age-related diseases, and other chronic conditions," the University explained.
"An awareness that a healthier biomarker profile is obtained with a plant-based diet should motivate people to be proactive about dietary habits that promote good health and prevent disease," Fayth Miles, assistant professor at the university's School of Public Health and the lead author of the study, said in a statement.
Vegetarians and pescatarians nearly tied at second place. Semi-vegetarians "were only slightly healthier than non-vegetarians," Atlanta News Now said.
The study backs up other research linking animal products to disease and plant-based foods to longevity. A study from December found that eating red meat can increase one's risk of developing heart disease 1,000 percent more than a vegan diet. A separate study found that a plant-based diet is most effective at preventing the disease.
Last May, it was reported that a vegan diet could increase one's lifespan.
Is a vegan diet healthier? Health researchers found that meat-free diets boost immune system and are more effective at disease prevention.


text:
CCAP Information
Finding Child Care
Vaccine Diaries
Child Care Providers
Emergency Homes
CCAP Updates
Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
Child Care Restoration Extension Round 5 Grant & Strengthen and Grow Child Care Grants (SGCC)
Child Care Restoration Extension Round 5 Grant is available for all licensed programs, including licensed exempt centers. To be eligible for Round 5 Grant (programs must have participated, completed, and accepted monthly reporting for all previous grant-funded months to be found eligible for CCRG Extension Round 5 funding). Programs can apply for either the 2022 CCRG Extension or the SGCC grant below, but not both.
If your program did not participate in ALL previous grant-funded CCRG months, your only option is to apply for the SGCC grant. More information about the Child Care Restoration Extension Grant (CCRG) can be found here.
The Strengthen and Grow Child Care Grants (SGCC) is available to all programs who:
Are licensed as a child care center, child care home, or group child care home.
Current Gateways Registry Membership
Access to the Gateways Directors Portal
Were in operation as of March 2021 and continue to care for children today.
Operate full-day and full-year, defined as an open program and offering at least eight consecutive hours of care per day, five days per week.
Enrolled 10% or more of the program's licensed capacity with children in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) during any month in 2020 or 2021 and currently participate in CCAP.
Receive no more than 50% of total early childhood program/site revenue from Early Childhood Block Grant funding (including Preschool for All (PFA) and/or Prevention Initiative (PI)) or Head Start/Early Head Start.
Do not accept a 2022 Child Care Restoration Extension Grant award (programs can apply for either 2022 CCRG Extension or SGCC, but not both)
SGCC Grant applications will be available on January 3, 2022. The application deadline has been extended and will close on February 4, 2022. This application is available via the Gateways Directors Portal. Programs can email grants@inccrra.org for portal access and technical assistance.
The available tip sheet and FAQ will assist in determining which grant is best for your program. Keeping in mind, the Child Care Restoration Extension Grant is only available to programs that participated previously.
The Illinois Department of Human Services will administer this program in partnership with the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (INCCRRA). More information on the program can be found on the SGCC webpage here. For questions, please email grants@inccrra.org or call 1.855.939.4858.
Click here to read the Strengthen and Grow Child Care Grant Frequently Asked Questions in English.
Click here to read the Strengthen and Grow Child Care Grant Frequently Asked Questions in Spanish.
Click here to read the Strengthen and Grow Child Care Grant Tipsheet in English.
Click here to read the Strengthen and Grow Child Care Grant Tipsheet in Spanish.
Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship: Details and Application Coming Soon!
Members of the early childhood education workforce who are seeking credentials and/or a degree in early childhood education may be eligible for the new Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program, launching this fall. Program information, eligibility details, and an online application will be available soon via the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Click here for more information!
If you'd like to be considered, you do not need to wait for the ECACE Scholarship Application to be available to get started. In addition to the ECACE Scholarship Application, applicants will be required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), or FAFSA at fafsa.gov for the same academic year that they are applying for the scholarship, so you can get started now.
If you haven't filed an online FAFSA before, you will need to:
1. Create an FSA ID at studentaid.gov/fsa-id to use as your electronic signature.
2. Once you access the online FAFSA and log in, you will be asked to choose the school year for which you will be completing the FAFSA. This will need to be the same year as the ECACE application you are submitting. For example, if you are applying to receive the ECACE Scholarship during this year (the 2021-22 academic year), you must also select the 2021-22 FAFSA when given the option after logging in.
For Child Care Providers: FY22 CPR/FA Reimbursement Application
FY22 CPR/FA Reimbursement Application - July 1, 2021 - June 1, 2022. Funds are available for providers to take CPR/FA and submit for reimbursement.
FY22 CPR/FA Reimbursement Application English Application | Spanish Application
W-9 English | W-9 Spanish
Child Care Restoration Grants
The Child Care Restoration Grants (CCRG) 2021 are designed to be meaningful financial supports to help the early childhood infrastructure weather the storm brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. We appreciate you and the work you have done – for many of you uninterrupted – over the last 18 months. The CCRG program is funded through federal COVID-19 stabilization dollars, and as those federal funding packages have changed since the start of the pandemic, we have modified and adjusted the grant program and reporting requirements as needed. Illinois continues to lead the nation in the direct supports provided to the child care workforce and we are proud of the investments we have made during the pandemic.
Throughout 2021 we have closely monitored enrollment numbers across child care. Moving into 2022 the state will shift its resources away from a stabilization grant and into a new strategy to build back better. We encourage programs to use the next 6 months of restoration grants to stabilize and focus on increasing enrollment, so your child care program is on solid and stable ground at the end of the calendar year. More details will be announced in the coming months about 2022 strategies to support the child care infrastructure and truly build back better for a stronger future.
Child Care Restoration Grants Overview & Application
FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched the availability of the FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program, which provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying low-income consumers. Eligible households can enroll through an approved broadband service provider or by visiting the GetEmergencyBroadband.org site. Eligible households can receive:
Up to a $50-per-month discount on your broadband service and associated equipment rentals
A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
Only one monthly service discount and one device discount are allowed per household. Program rules acknowledge that there may be more than one eligible household member residing at the same address.
Help in applying for the program is available from the Emergency Broadband Support Center by emailing EBBHelp@usac.org or calling (833) 511-0311.
The EBB Program will end when funds are exhausted or six months after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health emergency, whichever is sooner.
From IDHS: Grant Accountability and Transparency Act Technical Assistance
The Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) was created to provide consistent processes for State grants that comply with federal reporting and auditing standards.
To support more grassroots organizations that serve hard-to-reach communities, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) GATA Technical Assistance Learning Management System (LMS) was developed to provide guidance on the grant application process.
Go directly to the GATA Training Course Learning Management System sign-in page. For questions and assistance with the system, send a brief message to DHS.GATATraining@illinois.gov. You can also learn more about GATA on the IDHS website.
New Initiative Supporting ECE Leaders: Quality Facilities for All!
IFF is excited and honored to offer early childhood education leaders in high-need communities across Illinois an opportunity to receive up to $50,000 in facilities-focused grants, leadership and professional development opportunities, and technical assistance through the Quality Facilities for All (QFA) Initiative.
QFA is committed to expanding and improving access to infant and toddler care across Illinois by addressing facility quality concerns related to indoor air quality, temperature, ventilation, noise, lighting, classroom furnishing, and outdoor play areas. These factors contribute to high-quality learning environments, which are proven to positively impact the learning, development, and well-being of infants and toddlers. QFA is a statewide program that will focus on high-need communities identified by IFF research, with a current focus on Englewood, Roseland, and South Lawndale. View two Quality Facilities for All pilot projects in Chicago by clicking here.
Applications for Quality Facilities for All will be available June 1st.
For additional information and eligibility criteria, please visit IFF's website.
Erikson Institute Offers Scholarships for Their Online I/ECMH Certificate Program
Erikson Institute's Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Certificate Program is a post-graduate academic program designed to support experienced professionals working with infants, young children, and families. Students learn to support the mental, emotional, and social needs of infants, young children, and their families. Students in the Infant Mental Health Program come from a variety of backgrounds including social work, psychology, child development, early childhood education, early intervention, and other fields working with infants and young children.
The program is fully online with a combination of synchronous and asynchronous classes for a total of 18-credit hours completed over two academic years. Ideal candidates for this program are experienced professionals who are interested in enhancing their professional capacities with an infant and early childhood mental health lens. A bachelor's degree with 3-5 years of experience is required for admission.
Applications are currently being accepted by the Erikson Institute for the 2021-2022 school year. All applicants will be considered for scholarship funding. For more information and to complete the on-line application, please visit Erikson's website.
You may also contact Sarah Martinez, Co-Director of the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Certificate Program at Erikson, for further information at: 312-893-7235 or smartinez@erikson.edu
IDHS Grant Technical Assistance Tools
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) has launched a new tool to help organizations across Illinois successfully comply with the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA).
The IDHS Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Technical Assistance (TA) Learning Management System (LMS) was developed to provide technical assistance and navigation of the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act and the grant application process.
The system is available for self-paced, online learning, with an instructor in a physical classroom or in a virtual classroom online. It includes six modules and the estimated time to complete all modules is approximately 24 hours.
The weblink for self-paced, online learning is available at no cost on the IDHS website under the "Providers" tab, in the "Provider Information" section.
Coronavirus Resources for Child Care Providers
During this time as the nation continues to face challenges related to COVID-19, the Committee for Economic Development (CED) has compiled a clearinghouse of resources in an effort to help child care providers (child care homes and centers) access federal sources for support. Resources will be added to the Coronavirus Resources for Child Care Providers webpage as they become available.
The following documents may be of particular interest given the recently passed FY2021 Consolidated Appropriations & COVID Relief Act (P.L. 116-260):
Federal Paycheck Protection Program Re-Opened
Child Care Center Financial Viability During COVID-19: Short-Time Compensation Programs (Work Sharing) Update
Unemployment Compensation Update
Early Childhood Funding Commission Town Hall Meetings
Governor Pritzker's Early Childhood Funding Commission—an appointed group of child care and early education leaders charged with making recommendations that will result in big, meaningful changes that will give parents better child care and early education options hosted two town hall meetings.
The Commission hosted a series of community Town Hall meetings on their draft recommendations. Click on the links below to view the recordings of the Town Hall meetings.
Town Hall: December 10, 2020 (Recording)
During the town hall meetings, participants had the opportunity to connect directly with members of the Commission to ask questions about their emerging recommendations, that are to:
Make it easier to manage and communicate about the quality and availability of child care options by pulling all the programs into one new structure;
Make it easier to get public funding for child care to local child care providers; and
Urge the state to invest billions more in early childhood so that more providers can provide excellent care to all families who want it, in all parts of the State.
IL GOECD Supporting Gateways to Opportunity Credential Fee Waivers
Since June of 2020, over 3,000 individuals have taken advantage of this credential fee waiver opportunity, and you can, too! Please share this information with your colleagues, child care programs, family child care providers, and family workers, as there is still time to apply! Next steps: Apply directly online in your Registry (or email your application if you prefer) and send official transcripts to INCCRRA if they are not already on file.
That's it! Two simple steps to apply for your Gateways to Opportunity ECE, Infant Toddler, Illinois Director, Family Specialist, Technical Assistance, or Family Child Care Credential. Apply today!
Neighborhood Opportunity Fund
The City of Chicago's Neighborhood Opportunity Fund will open for grant applications from entrepreneurs and nonprofit groups on the South, West, and Southwest sides. A map of eligible areas can be found on the program's website here.
IRS Home Office Deduction
As many small business have transitioned to working from home, they might be eligible to claim some of their expenses, including rent, mortgage payments, insurance, utilities and more. To see if you qualify, visit IRS.gov for more information.
Call for Applications: Lena Start Launch Funds
LENA is a national nonprofit on a mission to help communities accelerate language development in children birth to age three in order to improve their cognitive, social, and emotional health and to close opportunity gaps. Due to COVID-19, communities across the country are looking for new ways to ensure every child has enriching early language experiences. LENA's launch grants for LENA Start provide funding for family engagement and early language development. These grants can help school districts, libraries, Head Starts, and early childhood education centers offer their families an evidence-based group model program that is helping to create stronger families and increase school readiness.
Click here for more information and to apply for funding.
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It's been a very, very long time coming. But it's nearly upon us.
Right as our first batches are coming out of fermentation, Castle Church will be kicking off the life of our brewing community and celebrating the new home of our church in the only way we know how, with a Reformation Day Brewery Blessing.
What – A classic monastic brewery blessing with some Castle Church improvisations, complete with guided beer tasting, blessing liturgy, beer and hymns, and a catered dinner.
What you need to know – This a special celebration with all those who have supported and prayed for our development prior to our opening to the general public. Reservations are required. Follow this link.
The brewery blessing tradition dates to the early middle ages at least as far back as Saint Arnold of Soissons (patron saint of hop-pickers and brewers) in the 11th century. He is often depicted with a mashing rake, a tool used in the old brewing process. But his synonymity with brewing is not because he opened up a monastery with a brewery, which was very common, but is an homage to his wise action of saving many from his church as an epidemic swept through the region by telling them to drink beer instead of water.
The links go back even further still when he is sometimes confused with St. Arnulf of Metz in the 7th century. Though the latter isn't primarily associated with brewing, perhaps the fact that one of the three miracles generally accredited to him is related to beer proves just how closely our favorite beverage, the monastery system in Europe, and the general wellbeing of the population were linked.
The story goes that on a very hot day in July 642 some parishioners from Metz went to Remiremont to recover the remains of a deceased bishop. They hadn't packed adequate provisions for the journey, and it was getting pretty touch and go with the destination still a day and a half journey further. When things were at their most dire, one of the leaders prayed, "By his powerful intercession the Blessed Arnulf will bring us what we lack." Suddenly someone noticed that the communal pot, which had held just a small remnant of remaining beer was suddenly filled to the brim. They passed it around until everyone's thirst was quenched, noticing that it never seemed to run dry.
I have to chuckle to myself and think that only real beer lovers will get the true drama of that story.
In linking this tradition directly to a saint one risks lending it an air of the mythological. But in fact, this practice of monasteries saving their townspeople from plague by convincing them to drink beer shows up many times and quite matter-of-factly throughout European history. And there is significant historical reason to believe that higher proportions of towns with brewing monasteries survived various plagues.
And in an all too literal way, people who still, in 2018, don't have adequate healthcare or indeed a clean water supply will stand to gain from the partnerships we're able to invest in all because you bought an IPA or a Lager.
So perhaps the tradition of St. Arnold applies to us much more closely than you might think.
Lord, bless this creature, beer, which by your kindness and power has been produced from kernels of grain, and let it be a healthful drink for humankind. Grant that whoever drinks it with thanksgiving to your holy name may find it a help in body and in soul; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
P.S. – Couldn't get reservations to the Brewery Blessing? Come to our all day Grand Opening Festival Dec. 1, 11am – late!
On how Castle Church is stirring up a movement from a brewery in Florida.
©2014-18 Castle Church Brewing Community. All Rights Reserved.