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Enlarge / Norman Tindale, pictured here in 1927 with members of a local Aboriginal group, led a mission to gather precise ethnographic and geographic data from many different Aboriginal groups. He also gathered hair from the people he interviewed, which provided DNA samples for earlier studies. The group here is at Rockshelter at Bathurst Head (Thartali) in eastern Cape York Peninsula. (credit: Photo by Herbert Hale, via South Australian Museum Archives Norman Tindale Collection)
Since they arrived in Australia in 1788, Europeans have gathered the remains of Aboriginal Australians for museum and research collections, digging up graves ranging from relatively recent in age to 1500 years old. Aboriginal Australian communities have lobbied long and hard for the return of their ancestors, and many Australian museums have in recent years made a concerted effort to repatriate Aboriginal Australian remains.
Before the dead can return home, the living must figure out where “home” originally was. Most of the remains unearthed earlier in Australia’s colonial history arrived in museum collections with no record of where they came from or which group they once belonged to. A new study suggests that DNA sequencing may be able to help the bones of the Aboriginal Australian dead speak for themselves.
Evolutionary biologist Joanne Wright of Griffith University and her colleagues sequenced DNA from 10 Aboriginal Australians who lived before European contact, some as long as 1,540 years ago. While these were among the rare cases where museum curators know the remains’ origin, the researchers wanted to know whether they could find the closest living relatives of these ancient people. Consistently, the ancient genomes most closely matched those of Aboriginal people now living in the same region where the ancient remains had once been buried. In other words, DNA linked the ancient remains to modern communities that still live in the same place, sometimes over a thousand years later. And that could help with efforts to repatriate Aboriginal Australian remains that museums haven’t been able to trace.


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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Ja’afaru Mohammed-Ibrahim of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency by-election.
Returning Officer Dr Wilfred Uji made the declaration in Nasarawa, Nasarawa Local Government Area.
Mohammed-Ibrahim got 55,981 votes to beat his closest rival from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Musa Ahmed-Mohammed, who got 17,475 votes.
Uji lauded the roles played by political stakeholders and security agencies in ensuring a peaceful conduct of the election and called for the sustenance of this culture.
His words: “If we will recall, the result of the May 28 by-election was put on hold and the winner was not declared due to cancellation of votes in some polling units.
“Four political parties participated in the by- election and today, the election was concluded peacefully. For Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency, we had a total of 202,338 registered voters for the election, of which 87,602 voters were accredited.
“The total vote cast was 86,805. We had 85,728 valid votes while rejected votes stand at 1,077. The political parties that participated in the bye-election had the following votes: APC (55,981); PDP (17,475); APGA (12,227) and Labour party (45).
“By the power conferred on me, Arch. Ja’afaru Mohammed-Ibrahim of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, and scoring the highest total votes of 55,981, is hereby declared the winner.”
NAN reports that agents of APGA and LP signed the result. The PDP, however, boycotted the rerun, hinging its decision on non-use of card readers.

domain: news


Amnesty International has documented a catalogue of human rights violations that the Nigerian government has taken against the IPOB. These crimes under international law include: mass arrests, excessive and unlawful force, and torture. The BWGG petition to the ICC expands the Nigerian government’s crimes to also include international rendition of the regime’s political opponents. (Editor’s Note: The IPOB Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu – a British National – was caught, held and tortured in Kenya for 9 days and was unlawfully transported to Nigeria by its Security Agents (DSS) (June 19-29, 2021) in an unlawful rendition operation. Kanu was denied legal counsel for weeks and Kanu has yet to appear in Nigerian court.)
Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee stated, “…Genocide is happening right before our eyes. The United States and the international community must do to more to mitigate the violence because the dire situation on the ground warrants it and because the people of Nigeria deserve to live in peace and freedom with their fundamental human rights guaranteed.” In a related Congressional statement, Mr. Smith continued, “President Buhari has done little to staunch … crimes against humanity.”
Dr. White noted that BWGG will advocate within the ICC for swift action, calling the ICC the judicial body of last resort – noting that the Nigeran government cannot police its own human rights responsibilities, and this paves the way for the ICC to assume responsibility for the well-being of the Biafran people.


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Human Rights in Focus
Concern for the human rights of seafarers is growing in focus across the maritime industry, with this week’s Offshore Technology Conference (OTC2017) providing one example of action taken this week around the world.
The conference saw a continuation of OTC’s partnership with United Against Human Trafficking with the aim of increasing awareness of human trafficking amongst attendees and exhibitors. United Against Human Trafficking leads a coalition of Houston-area non-profits, faith-based organizations, government agencies and others whose mission is to prevent and confront human trafficking. The coalition combats human trafficking by educating the public, training professionals and empowering the community to take action.
Human trafficking is the process through which people are placed or maintained in an exploitative situation for economic gain. The human rights most relevant to trafficking are:
• The prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status
• The right to life
• The right to liberty and security
• The right not to be submitted to slavery, servitude, forced labor or bonded labor
• The right not to be subjected to torture and/or cruel, inhuman, degrading treatment or punishment
• The right to be free from gendered violence
• The right to freedom of association
• The right to freedom of movement
• The right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
• The right to just and favorable conditions of work
• The right to an adequate standard of living
• The right to social security
• The right of children to special protection
Welfare in the Middle East
The Mission to Seafarers (MtS) in the UAE announced this week that it is refocusing its operations in the region to enhance its justice and welfare team and further combat human rights abuses against seafarers by unscrupulous manning agencies and shipowners.
In the last two years, the Dubai-based team has dealt with 298 vessels which had significant welfare issues involving more than 1,600 seafarers. The number of cases has steadily increased.
“In any downturn, it is the seafarers who suffer the most,” says the Revd Dr Paul Burt, MtS regional director for the Gulf & South Asia and senior chaplain in the UAE. “We receive around three new cases each week and know of several ships within our area whose crews are facing exceptionally hard circumstances, and for whom we are currently unable to offer support. By increasing our justice team, we will be able to help more seafarers in need – many of whom are often left without salary, food and water for months on end.”
The current justice team of three full-time chaplains will be enhanced with a fourth operating in Abu Dhabi and the surrounding area, plus a suitably qualified welfare worker who will particularly service the ports of Dubai, Sharjah, Sharjah Hamriyah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah. Justice cases range in severity but almost all include an element of non-payment of wages and many involve total abandonment. This justice work is in addition to the 15,000-20,000 seafarers who are visited on their ships each year through routine pastoral visits.
Abandoned for 31 months
In 2013, MtS learned of two Filipino seafarers who were abandoned on an anti-piracy vessel. The vessel was caught up in a dispute about payment for engineering work carried out on it. The men had been left to fend for themselves. Most of the time they had no food or water.
MtS welfare officers supported them with regular deliveries of essential supplies and counselling. They also worked as their advocates, negotiating with all the disputing parties on their behalf. Eventually MtS was able to broker a deal where the men were allowed to go home in 2016 with a promise that when the vessel was sold they would get their salary. Their virtual imprisonment on that vessel had lasted 31 months.
Because they were unable to work or even get off the vessel, their professional certificates had expired. The Mission to Seafarers paid for the men to retrain and renew their certificates. As soon as they completed their courses they were able to get work again and their families could start to function normally after three years of poverty and distress.
On Thursday, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) called for a moratorium on high seas transshipment by tuna long-line vessels in the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Thailand and South China Sea until companies implement fair labor standards throughout their supply chains to protect fishers and seafarers. In its announcement, the federation noted that transshipment at sea helps to enable illegal fishing, human trafficking, extreme labor abuses and debt bondage.
Greenpeace supports a moratorium on transshipment at sea for the tuna industry, and has campaigned on global canned tuna giant Thai Union to lead the way. Greenpeace Southeast Asia Oceans Campaign Manager Mark Dia said: “Transshipment allows unscrupulous operators to cut down on crew costs and, in the worst situations, enables slavery at sea. Transshipment means crews can be kept at sea for months or even years at a time without getting back to port, making it difficult – if not impossible – to report on, or to escape from, physical abuse, poor working conditions, violence and even murder on board fishing vessels.”
U.N. Global Compact
The issue of slavery in the seafood industry has been a focus for the U.K.-based charity Human Rights at Sea. The charity has also been instrumental in highlighting the plight of the 13 Indian crewmen currently abandoned on the MV Liberty Prrudencia off China, having been paid just one month’s wages in six months.
Human Rights at Sea recently published its formal submission to the U.N. Secretary General concerning the charity’s engagement in the U.N. Global Compact. The U.N. Global Compact aims to mobilize a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders to do business responsibly by aligning their strategies and operations with Ten Principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.
Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights;
Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor;
Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labor;
Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility;
Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.
Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
Human Rights at Sea released an infographic depicting its activities on Thursday.

domain: law


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RAIL SAFARI IN ZIMBABWE
This tour will travel over as much of the National Railways of Zimbabwe network as is practical in 6 days. It visits the capital city of Harare, the Capital city of the midlands - Gweru town, Bulawayo and the Rhodes Matopos National Park (where Cecil John Rhodes Was buried), the Hwange National Park (biggest park in Zimbabwe) and Victoria Falls (tourist capital of Zimbabwe). Included are three UNESCO world heritage sites, some outstanding scenery and wildlife.
Passenger trains in Zimbabwe generally run overnight and we will share these services, of which our luxury train will be attached . This gives you an opportunity to travel over some rarely experienced railways and to visit the destinations served by the trains. Where ever possible, a visit to some railway museums will be included.
The trains will be diesel electric hauled. Our group will be accommodate in a dedicated set of coaches that include a dining car / lounge and sleeper accommodation with hot / cold water and showers. We will be travelling with our crew who will be looking after you through out the whole journey.
Three short steam charters are offered using three different Garratt locomotive types. Zimbabwe is the only country that can offer these impressive locomotives, but they can only run if enough bookings are received to cover costs. If you want to book for a big group on a different itinerary, please get in touch with us.
6 Days Rail Safari - Victoria Falls to Harare
Highlights : Victoria Falls, Victoria Falls Bridge, Hwange National Park, Rhodes Matopos National Park, Harare- the capital city of Zimbabwe.
6 Days Rail Safari - Harare to Victoria Falls
Highlights : The beautiful city of Harare, Bulawayo railway museum, Rhodes Matopos National Park, Hwange National Park, Victoria Falls.

domain: travel


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Athletes from New Caledonia walked down the Oleai Stadium with undeniable pleasure this Friday, June 17, at the opening ceremony of the eleventh Pacific Mini Games in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Athletes from 20 participating states and territories marched with their flags. Colorful event.
Flags galore and smiles lit up Oleai Stadium in Saipan yesterday, Friday, June 17th. The opening ceremony of the Pacific Mini-Games brought together about 1,000 participants and 400 employees to participate in this eleventh edition.
The ball was opened first by Vanuatu, which hosted the tenth edition of the Mini Games in 2017. This year, 30 Vanuatu athletes are participating in 5 of the 9 events planned.
The Vanuatu delegation, which hosted the previous mini-games in 2017, has started work.
The Fiji delegation and its nearly 125 athletes, who compete in 7 of the 9 disciplines offered, are also in bright colors.
Fiji athletes compete in seven of the nine disciplines offered this year.
Another noteworthy passage is the Guam delegation and its 100 athletes. One of them put on a show with his umbrella in the colors of Guam.
And if there were many delegations, then there were fewer others. As in Micronesia and its ten athletes. They are engaged in 2 disciplines: tennis and athletics.
The Micronesian delegation at the eleventh Pacific mini-games.
And then our Cagus had a wonderful visit with chap prepared upstream in the gardens of the Games village. An interrupted moment, imbued with special emotions, given by our athletes who bring their title back to the game and wore black armbands in honor of Charles Cali, former president of CTOS, and Roger Kaddour, a pillar of New Caledonian sport who died last year.
With their two athletes receiving flower wreaths, the Northfolk Islands also drew public sympathy.
Two participants in the Pacific mini-games from the Northfolk Islands, an Australian territory in the Southwest Pacific Ocean, between Australia and New Zealand.
Another notable passage is the Solomon Islands. A passage interspersed with dances and traditional songs in front of the official podium.
For their part, the Tahitian athletes came in large numbers and painted the track red and white.
The Tahiti delegation includes 82 athletes to participate in the eleventh Pacific mini-games.
Athletes from Tuvalu also impressed the audience. Tuvalu, which have never hosted the Pacific Games or mini-games. Their 15 athletes will take part in 5 of the 9 disciplines offered this year.
Our neighbors from Wallis-i-Futuna continued with a wonderful dance proposed by their athletes. There are 35 of them for this eleventh edition.
The host country, the Northern Mariana Islands, mobilized its athletes for the event. There are more than a hundred of them to participate in the meeting in 9 proposed disciplines.
Delegation from the Northern Mariana Islands, host country for the eleventh Pacific Mini Games 2022.
And to pay tribute to their work during the Covid crisis, it was the health and safety officers who carried the official flag of these minigames, 2022 edition.
The Occupational Safety and Health Professionals flew the official flag for this eleventh edition of the Mini-Games, in homage to their work during over two years of the health crisis.
The ceremony ended with a traditional Chamorro dance performance. Under the goggles of almost 1,000 athletes present this year.
The Oleai Sports Complex featured several Chamorro dance performances, traditional in the Northern Mariana Islands.
The traditional show was held next to the athletes, on the central track of the Oleai sports complex. Opportunity to impress representatives of 20 countries.
Chamorro dances were performed among the athletes, on the central track. An opportunity to evaluate the show closer.
Radio report on this opening ceremony by William Lecrane:
2022 Pacific Mini Games Opening Ceremony

domain: geography


June 27th - July 23rd, 2022
RHIMES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Los Angeles, CA
In-person - $2250 ($500 deposit)
Virtual - $600
Our Summer Intensive includes a comprehensive curriculum rooted in techniques of Ballet and Modern with additional classes in Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, African, Dunham, Tap, & Musical Theater as well as an elite roster of Guest Artists. The intensive culminates with a concert performance for family and friends!
This year we are offering virtual and in-person participation options for ages 8+.
All auditions will be via video submission aside from January 29th, February 26th, April 23rd, April 30th, May 7th, and May 14th in Los Angeles. For video submission requirements or to register for an in-person audition in LA please click the link below.
For more info call (310)280-9145
Thank you for dancing with us at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy’s 2022 Summer Intensive!


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New Book announcement
A.Aikhenvald at LATROBE.EDU.AU
Tue Nov 21 06:55:59 UTC 2006
Title: Australian Aboriginal Words in English. Their Origin and Meaning.
Second Edition. October 2006
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Melbourne; http://au.oup.com
Authors: R. M. W. Dixon, Bruce Moore, W. S. Ramson, Mandy Thomas.
paperback: ISBN: 0195540735
Australian Aboriginal Words in English records the Aboriginal
contribution to Australian English and provides a fascinating insight
into the contact between the first Australians and European settlers.
The words are grouped according to subject, and for each one there is
information on the Aboriginal language from which it derives, the date
of its first written use in English, and its present meaning and
pronunciation. This book brings them together and provides the fullest
available information about their Aboriginal background and their
Australian English History.
This second edition of the book has been fully revised, adding more than
30 new words and bringing the book fully up to date with contemporary
scholarship. Chapter 6 - on the way English words have taken on new
meanings and forms to describe Australia's indigenous inhabitants - is
Professor Alexandra Aikhenvald, PhD, DLitt, FAHA
Associate Director and Postgraduate Coordinator
Research Centre for Linguistic Typology
La Trobe University
Tel: 61-(0)3-9479 6402
Fax: 61-(0)3-9467 3053
More information about the Lingtyp

domain: library


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Foreign diplomats from Russia, China and Germany reiterated their support for the Iran nuclear deal at the United Nations on Friday, adding their voice to earlier calls by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Premier Theresa May to preserve the landmark agreement.
"We hear loud statements that not only call into question the legal validity of international treaties, but also declare the priority of self-serving unilateral approaches over decisions taken in the framework of the United Nations," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an address to the UN General Assembly, according to the text of his speech published by the UN media center.
Without mentioning US President Donald Trump by name, he criticized attacks launched against the basic principles of international agreements, including the Iran nuclear deal.
Trump, who has embraced nationalism, railed against a number of international agreements, leaving him at odds with world leaders and past US foreign policy.
>Violation of Int'l Law
Lavrov called the US unilateral exit from the nuclear agreement—formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action—a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which underpinned the accord.
"This is despite the fact that Iran is fully complying with its obligations," he said, adding that Washington's decision has come on top of the lack of progress in the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.
"We will do everything possible to preserve the deal that was approved by the UNSC," Russia's chief diplomat said.
He lamented that diplomacy and the culture of negotiations and compromise have been increasingly replaced by dictates and unilateral extraterritorial restrictions put in effect without the consent of the Security Council.
"Such measures, applied already to dozens of countries, are not only illicit, but also ineffective," he added.
Trump abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018 and reimposed sanctions that have an extraterritorial impact on the country, arguing that the agreement does not cover its ballistic missile program or its role in the Middle East.
However, at a news conference after his speech, the Russian foreign minister characterized US policy on Iran as misguided and defended it from charges of being a state sponsor of terrorism.
"We do not have proof that … Iran is a state that sponsors terrorism," Lavrov said, while defending his country's partnership with Iran to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government in the ongoing civil war, despite US and Israeli demands that Iran withdraw from Syria.
And he suggested that western efforts to curb Iran's influence throughout the Middle East are unrealistic.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also used his speech to the annual gathering of global leaders to express support for the Iran deal, the UN media center reported.
"Now is a crucial time for the continued implementation of the agreement. It serves the common interests of all the parties concerned and the international community at large," he said.
Wang stated that if the agreement is not implemented, the international nuclear non-proliferation regime would be undermined, the authority and role of the Security Council would be challenged and peace and stability in this region and the wider world would be jeopardized.
"No one stands to gain from this scenario," the Chinese diplomat said, urging the parties to the agreement to respect it.
Wang added that all concerns regarding the deal can be resolved through dialogue and consultation.
In addition, Germany's Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas told the UN General Assembly that European powers will continue to back the agreement.
"We are working on keeping economic exchange with Iran possible, and we call on Iran to continue to fully implement its commitments," he added, saying that the survival of JCPOA will make it easier to find solutions to conflicts in countries such as Yemen and Syria.
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May had expressed disagreement with Trump's assessment of the nuclear deal, reaffirming their determination to keep it alive.


Roads around the Senate side of Capitol Hill and Union Station have been re-opened following an investigation of a suspicious vehicle Wednesday that included a police robot and a bomb suit. Capitol Police announced “all clear” nearly two and a half hours after the investigation began.
The road closures and guidance for staff to avoid the area came a little before 5 p.m. Senate staff and visitors were streaming out of office buildings towards Union Station and their parked cars before being detoured around the situation.
Capitol Police responded to a request for assistance from a “commercial driver” around 3:45 p.m. after the passenger left the vehicle without his luggage, according to USCP spokesperson Eva Malekci. Capitol Police along with Amtrak Police located the passenger in Union Station after the investigation of the luggage began.
The car was “full of stuff,” said a Capitol Police officer who did not specify if the contents of the car were dangerous or illegal.
A member of law enforcement walked the Lower Senate Park between Delaware Ave and Louisiana Ave dressed in a full body bomb protection suit before moving to inspect the abandoned vehicle area. The officer in the suit inspected and removed items from luggage sitting next to the abandoned vehicle.
In addition to Capitol Police, fire personnel in full gear appeared on the scene alongside EMTs. A Capitol Police robot and its Hazardous Materials Response Team were also present.
Columbus Circle outside of Union Station was closed to automotive traffic.
A man received medical treatment at the intersection of Columbus Circle and Delaware, though it was unclear if the attention he received was related to the incident.


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|Photos by Franz Patzig|
|Photos by Amalthea Blanc, Maeni and Ganymedes Costagravas|
The carnival season has started and people start to wear all kinds of costumes to have fun, to look funny, to be someone special they can’t be in real life, to enjoy themselves while hiding their real ego, or simply because everyone is doing it and it is part of our culture ( in the time frame between 11/11 and Ash Wednesday here in Germany ).
When I look at all these dressed up people in their funny costumes it reminds me somehow of avatars in virtual worlds like SecondLife. Obviously there is carnival year round in SecondLife !?

domain: entertainment


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The first look of heroes Nagarjuna Akkineni and Nani’s crazy multi-starrer movie ‘Devadas’ will be out on August 7th at 4 pm. On the occasion of Friendship Day, a prelude poster is released by the makers and it consists of an alcohol bottle with friendship day greetings. The prelude poster matches the title aptly.
This is a new age entertainer being written and directed by Sriram Adittya while has Aakanksha Singh and Rashmika Mandanna playing the female lead roles.
Mani Sharma is composing music and the shooting of the film is in final stages. Produced by Ashwini Dutt under Vyjayanthi Movies banner, C Dharmaraju presents it. The film is scheduled for release on September 27th.
Nagarjuna Akkineni Nani, Rashmika Mandanna, Aakansha Singh, Naresh VK, Baahubali Prabhakar, Rao Ramesh, Vennela Kishore, Avasarala Srinivas, Satya


Popcaan, the Jamaican rapper, teams up with Drake on the fire track “We Caa Done”. Just released on all streaming platforms on January 6th. Popcaan just has something about him. The island style mixed with modern hip hop makes him so unique and someone to listen to.
Currently he has five albums and has been featured in several popular songs like “I know There’s Gonna Be ”, ‘over the years but this single has blown up! More recently Drake and Popccan dropped “Twist & Turn” which was featured on Popcaan’s news album back in 2020 titled “FIXTAPE”. It’s been a few years now since we’ve heard the two again.
“We Caa Done” has the best vibes making you wanna get up and dance with them. The music video dropped a week ago on YouTube as well. The energy from the song perfectly matches their energy in the video. The video is all about the warm summer boat days, riding motorcycles, jet skies and a sunset dance party.
Make sure to stream “We Caa Done” out now on all platforms and watch the brand new music video on YouTube!
WRITTEN BY: SAM STOBLER


Mesa is putting aside a big pot of money so it can play ball with businesses, schools and other entities that want to set up shop in town.
The economic development fund represents a new philosophy for using money the city has been generating for years from its utilities, convention center, ballpark and other business activities.
That money is called the enterprise fund. The new approach puts some of the enterprise fund into a discrete category that can be used to pay up-front costs for economic development projects that would be hard to finance otherwise.
"A lot of these projects are now coming to us," City Manager Chris Brady said. "We've got projects now that are real and need to be funded."
The idea was born two years ago when Mesa, rebuffed by the Legislature as it sought a funding mechanism for the new Chicago Cubs stadium, reached into the enterprise fund to keep the team from moving to Florida.
Mesa said at the time that it would replenish the fund with money from anticipated sales of the city's 11,000 acres of Pinal County farmland. Mesa bought the land in the 1980s for its water rights, but no longer needs it.
There hasn't been much action on the Pinal lands of late. But now the city has a new source of cash.
As The Republic previously reported, Mesa expects to save $72 million over the next five years as a result of deciding this year to refinance some of its bond debt. Much of that money will be funneled into economic development.
Mesa figures it will cost $10 million to $12 million to renovate downtown buildings for Benedictine University and other colleges that may agree to locate here.
One is the former Tri-City Services building at 225 E. Main St., which has been vacant for years. The old city courthouse also is in play for a university or college.
Those colleges will pay rent, allowing Mesa to recoup at least some of its costs.
The former Air Force Research Lab at Gateway, which Mesa now controls, also will require large up-front spending. The anticipated gap for the first five years of operation is $3.2 million.
By the fifth year, the lab is expected to begin turning a profit for Mesa, which expects to more or less break even on the deal over 15 years.
"Each one of those, as we get tenants, that will start offsetting some of that cost," Brady said.
Cost recovery, however, is not the main point.
Mesa committed $99 million for the city-owned Cubs stadium and related infrastructure, for example, knowing that only part of that would be repaid from a voter-approved bed-tax increase and other sources.
But the city believes it makes sense to invest in areas that will create jobs and elevate Mesa's profile in ways that further strengthen its economy.
The money will go to projects that comport with Mesa's HEAT initiative, an acronym that stands for health care, education, aerospace, tourism and technology. Mayor Scott Smith identified those early in his term as Mesa's primary economic drivers.
Budget director Candace Cannistraro said staffers are just beginning to crunch numbers for the economic fund, which won't become active until July. The City Council will be briefed as things move along.
"The fund will allow us to keep not just the financing of the project but also the recovery of the funds in one place," Cannistraro said.
"I think this is a really fabulous idea," Councilman Dave Richins said, suggesting that proceeds from Mesa's other real-estate holdings also could be rolled into the fund.
Brady concurred, but said the Pinal lands are a primary focus because Mesa used its enterprise fund to buy them in the first place in the 1980s.
"It seems like it's shielding the general fund from the pressure created by some of these activities," Richins said.
Brady agreed with that, too. Without the development fund, Mesa would have to dig the seed money out of revenues that support services, such as public safety and libraries.
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Pisces Sushi Bar and Lounge offers a trendy setting and well-dressed sushi rolls.
Diners who avoid fat need to be careful, though, because Pisces Sushi Bar and Lounge's menu does not offer low-fat options.
Complete your meal with the perfect glass of wine or beer from Pisces Sushi Bar and Lounge's drink list.
Save money on a sitter — kids are welcome to join the table at Pisces Sushi Bar and Lounge.
Bigger groups gravitate toward Pisces Sushi Bar and Lounge, which offers a private section for your next get-together or celebration.
Complimentary wifi is available as well.
Dine out in the open during Pisces Sushi Bar and Lounge's summer season when patio tables are available for use.
Reserve a table ahead of time and avoid the lines.
No need for a wardrobe change when you hit Pisces Sushi Bar and Lounge — it's strictly casual.
You can also have Pisces Sushi Bar and Lounge cater your next event.
Dining out isn't your only option here — pickup is available, too.
A free parking lot is conveniently located next door.
Pisces Sushi Bar and Lounge offers a nice selection of mid-range cuisine, so you can expect a meal there to cost about $30 or less per person.
Major credit cards — including Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express — are accepted.
If you're a Triangle-dwelling Thai food fan, it's likely that you know about Sawasdee Thai Restaurant?it won Indy Week's Best of the Triangle award for Best Thai Cuisine every year from 2007?2011. In 2013, it picked up another honor from the paper: Best Restaurant with Gluten-Free Options. While the Thai chefs at Sawasdee ground the menu in their homeland's culinary traditions?which means the salt comes from fish sauce, the sweetness from palm sugar, and the pucker from tamarind?they're always looking for ways to make them feel fresh and relevant to local diners. That means things such as creating a separate gluten-free menu so no one has to begin their meal simply hunting for a dish that suits their diet. And an extensive vegetarian section leaves out the fish sauce (and egg, if desired), replacing animal products with mixed greens, tofu, and other botanical elements. Naturally, the heat can be adjusted, too, on a scale that starts at "spicy" and tops out at "make-you-cry."
Sawasdee's chefs also give the ingredients themselves extra scrutiny. Even in seasons when fresh herbs are hard to find, they scour suppliers' shelves to make sure they always have authentic seasonings such as galangal and lemongrass on hand. In meat dishes, all-white-meat chicken, large shrimp, beef sirloin, and pork tenderloin bed down on Thai jasmine rice. And at both Sawasdee locations, designers have shown a similar attention to detail in the decor. On Glenwood, a huge compass rose in the ceiling softly lights the dining room's woodwork and trailing succulents and helps curry-intoxicated diners find their way out the door. The location on Capital is less sleek and more cozy, with red walls, traditional carved screens, and even a patio surrounded by dense greenery on all sides.
Greensboro's Rearn Thai Restaurant offers a traditional menu of Thai dishes in a relaxed setting.
When you're ready to pig out, Rearn Thai Restaurant is ready to serve you the scrumptious food you're craving.
Round out your meal with a little tipple — Rearn Thai Restaurant has a terrific drink list, including beer, wine, and more.
Rearn Thai Restaurant is kid-friendly, so little ones are welcome to tag along.
For comfortable outdoor service, Rearn Thai Restaurant sets up a seasonal patio.
Rearn Thai Restaurant is a suitable restaurant for both large and small groups.
Good luck spotting a suit and tie at Rearn Thai Restaurant — casually-dressed diners are the norm here.
If you're strapped for time, take out food from Rearn Thai Restaurant.
Looking for something delicious to serve at your next party? Rearn Thai Restaurant also offers catering.
Drivers can take advantage of the parking lot near Rearn Thai Restaurant and save time on hunting for a parking spot.
Rearn Thai Restaurant offers a nice selection of mid-range cuisine, so you can expect a meal there to cost about $30 or less per person.
All major credit cards are accepted, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served at Rearn Thai Restaurant, so come by whenever it fits your schedule.
The chefs at Phoenix Grille whip up sophisticated regional fare to be enjoyed with seventh-story views of Wake Forest's BB&T Field. They bathe local flounder in orange-basil butter and add the savory flavor of country ham to their shrimp and grits and scallop entrees. Their hearty Angus steaks sate refined appetites better than origami swan steaks, and decadent desserts such as house lemon pound cake sweetly seal the meal.
Mt Fuji is the original Asian Bistro and sushi restaurant in the triangle. Located in a revamped Bightleaf Square. Mt fuji is a unique blend of old class and new chic from t private Tatami room; Patio seating; DJ's spinning trendy;classic wine and drink listings; wide screen
TVs; trendy liquor bar offer unlimited cocktails
Teppanyaki-trained chefs create thrilling bursts of flame and clouds of savory aromas as they grill vegetables, seafood, and choice beef cuts tableside. Teriyaki-doused tilapia, shrimp, and a slab of filet mignon take center stage on plates alongside an ensemble of soup, salad, rice, veggies, and noodles. Indecisive appetites find solace in more than a dozen combination dinners, which pair up proteins such as chicken and lobster tail or new york steak and chicken for a tag-team attack on taste buds. In addition to tableside hibachi cooking, Kobe Japanese Steak and Sushi amasses a sushi selection featuring the most impressive fish formations since the first all-mermaid troupe of Rockettes.

domain: food


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NRA exec holed up on yacht after shootings
After school shootings in the US that left dozens dead in recent years, National Rifle Association leader Wayne LaPierre says the resulting outrage put him in such danger that he sought shelter aboard a borrowed yacht.
During a deposition, the head of the powerful gun-rights group's acknowledged sailing in the Bahamas with his family as a "security retreat" in the summers following massacres at schools in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012 and in Parkland, Florida, in 2018.
"I was basically under presidential threat without presidential security in terms of the number of threats I was getting," LaPierre said, according to a transcript filed at the weekend.
"And this was the one place that I hope could feel safe, where I remember getting there going, 'Thank god I'm safe, nobody can get me here.'"
The testimony emerged in a federal bankruptcy trial over whether the NRA should be allowed to incorporate in Texas instead of New York, where a state lawsuit is trying to put it out of business.
LaPierre is scheduled to give evidence in the case this week.
The NRA declared bankruptcy in January, months after New York Attorney-General Letitia James sued seeking the group's dissolution over claims that top executives illegally diverted tens of millions of dollars for lavish personal trips, no-show contracts for associates and other questionable expenditures.
In the deposition, LaPierre said he did not pay to use Hollywood producer Stanton McKenzie's yacht, which came with a cook, a motor boat and two personal watercraft.
He said he did not think using the vessel, dubbed Illusions, violated the NRA's conflict-of-interest policy because the summer sailing trips were for security.
Nonetheless, LaPierre said he stopped using it in 2019 as part of the NRA's "self-correction".
The NRA's bankruptcy trial began on Monday with a lawyer for New York arguing LaPierre put the NRA into Chapter 11 bankruptcy despite its financial strength to escape accountability for his own spending abuses.
Though headquartered in Virginia, the NRA was chartered as a non-profit in New York in 1871 and is incorporated in the state.
Its bankruptcy filing listed between $US100 million and $US500 million in assets and placed its liabilities in the same range.
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The country’s critical care utilization rate has recently increased after more coronavirus patients have been confined in hospitals, a Palace official said Thursday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque bared that less than half of the 1,900 intensive care unit (ICU) beds are now left available for use as of Nov.18.
Giving the latest update on the coronavirus situation, Roque claimed that more senior citizens and other vulnerable individuals are now occupying these hospital beds to get medical care for the coronavirus.
“Sa ating critical care capacity po, mayroon pa po tayong 47% available sa ating ICU beds. Medyo tumaas po ang gumagamit ha (In our critical care capacity, there are 47 percent available of ICU beds. The utilization rate has increased),” he said during a televised press briefing.
“Bagama’t marami pa po tayong available, medyo kumaunti na po ngayon, dati in excess of 50% pa iyong available na ICU beds. (Although we have many available beds, these are much fewer now. Before, we had an excess of 50 percent in available ICU beds),” he said.
Roque also said 59 percent of 13,500 isolation beds are available while 70 percent of 5,900 ward beds are not yet in use as of Wednesday. Around 78 percent of the ventilators are also available.
He said although the country’s hospital capacity remained sufficient, the public must continue to observe health measures to avoid getting the coronavirus infection. Senior citizens and other people vulnerable to the illness are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible.
“So, ang mga senior citizens, iyong mga may sakit, mga buntis, manatili po tayo sa ating mga tahanan dahil alam naman po natin ito po iyong mga taong napupunta sa ICU beds. (The senior citizens, those will medical conditions, pregnant women should stay at home because we know these are the people who may be confined in ICU beds),” Roque said.
“Madali po nating maiwasan ito, kung may sakit, kung buntis, kung senior citizen, maging homeliners po (This can be easily avoided. If you have underlying medical conditions, if you’re pregnant, if you’re a senior citizen, be a homeliner,” he said.
The country’s cases of coronavirus have soared beyond 413,000 as of Thursday. The death toll is now at 7,998 while the recoveries reached 374,939.
After a few months of strict lockdown, the government has allowed the further reopening of the economy to stimulate business activity and employment.
Easing movement restrictions is aimed at helping revive the economy which took a hit due to the pandemic during the second quarter of the year.

domain: medical


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The set includes three Pocket Naturalist Guides to New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment State – Trees & Wildflowers, Birds, and Wildlife – and is attractively packaged in a cellophane bag. The beautifully illustrated folding guides highlight well over 300 familiar and unique species and include ecoregion maps featuring prominent wildlife-viewing areas and botanical sanctuaries. Waterford Press. Laminated guide.
Every purchase made through our online store helps us continue our nonprofit education programs and services on Southwest public lands.


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Our Luxury Hotel Gallery
View the Boutique Paso Robles Area Destination
With every rich, vintage detail, The Carlton Hotel near Paso Robles evokes the grand hotels of yesteryear. Our image gallery tells the story of our 52-room boutique gem. We invite you to tour our luxury hotel and then come discover us for yourself.
Select Images provided by Tablas Creek Vineyard, VisitAtascadero.com, the Bureau of Land Management, the Pismo Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau, David J. McLaughlin & the California Missions Resource Center.


The two biggest stars on the Milwaukee Brewers are Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.
But how valuable are they?
I asked John Vrooman, a sports economist at Vanderbilt University, to take a look.
Vrooman uses statistics such as WAR (wins above replacement player) and MRP (marginal revenue product, or how many people can stars put in the seats) to determine the player’s relative worth to the franchise.
Here’s what he found.
Over the last three seasons, Fielder’s MRP totaled $13.83 million. That compares to his salary of $18.67 million. In Vrooman’s view, Fielder was overpaid by a third.
How can that be? Vrooman says Fielder’s relative decline in productivity last year (32 home runs, 83 RBIs) compared with his bump in salary meant Fielder was overpaid. In 2010, Fielder’s MRP was $3.33 million compared to his salary of $11 million.
This season, Fielder is earning $15.5 million. Vrooman reasons that if Fielder has the kind of season he had in 2009 (46 homers, 141 RBIs) his salary could be justified in a larger market, but not in Milwaukee.
Having said that, Vrooman believes general manager Doug Melvin made the right call in keeping Fielder on the team this season in an all-out effort to make the playoffs.
Over the last three seasons, Fielder's WAR score was 11.2. That's a score all-stars generate, Vrooman said.
Next up: Ryan Braun.
Over the last three seasons, Braun’s MRP is about $15.9 million compared with his previously negotiated long-term salary of $2.78 million over those three seasons. In Vrooman’s economic universe, that’s good for the Brewers and bad for Braun. At least then.
In 2008, Vrooman says, Braun’s MRP was $2.5 million while his salary was only $455,000. In 2009, his MRP was $7.6 million with a salary of just over $1 million. In 2010, his MRP dropped slightly to $5.8 million but his salary was still only $1.287 million.
Vrooman said it was important that the Brewers signed Braun to the long-term deal that he got. In other words, sign your young talent to long-term deals.
"This is exactly what Melvin and Mark Attanasio have done,” Vrooman said in an email. “The Brew Crew have no business in the top free-agent tier of overpaid talent."
So far this season, Vrooman said Braun is on track for an MRP of $3.8 million compared with his salary of $4 million. And, based on his long-term deal, his salary will begin to increase in the years ahead.
Braun's WAR score over the last three season is 12.9. That's a score produced by all-star caliber players.


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Tim Cowlishaw, sports columnist for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, author of Drunk on Sports and panelist on ESPN's Around the Horn, answers your questions about the Cowboys, Rangers, Mavericks and local college sports in a live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday.
December 26, 2013 10:22 AM CST December 26, 2013 12:14 PM CST Chat replay: A talk with SportsDay columnist Tim Cowlishaw
Copyright 2011 The Dallas Morning News. All rights reserve. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Chat replay: A talk with SportsDay columnist Tim Cowlishaw
Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) strolls in for a 58 yard touchdown reception in a game against the New Orleans Saints during the first half of play at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington on December 23, 2012.
Did you see something wrong in this story, or something missing? Let us know.
- Cowboys Thanksgiving Day edge thrown out the window in 2014
- Was Mavericks owner Mark Cuban offended by NFL’s schedule release during playoff game?
- Five thoughts on Cowboys’ 2014 schedule: It’ll be another tough finish for Dallas
- Source: Dallas Cowboys sign former Chicago Bears QB Caleb Hanie (Forney product) to one-year contract
- Would the Dallas Cowboys draft Johnny Manziel if he was there at No. 16?
Listen live to 1310 The Ticket radio station. Fast forward, pause and rewind up to 20 minutes and read up-to-the-minute news on your favorite teams.


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