PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — Ira “Ike” Schab had just showered, put on a clean sailor's uniform and closed his locker aboard the USS Dobbin when he heard a call for a fire rescue party.He went topside to see the USS Utah capsizing and Japanese planes in the air. He scurried back below deck to grab boxes of ammunition and joined a daisy chain of sailors feeding shells to an anti-aircraft gun up above. He remembers being only 140 pounds as a 21-year-old, but somehow finding the strength to lift boxes weighing almost twice that.“We were pretty startled. Startled and scared to death,” Schab, now 103, said at his home in Beaverton, Oregon, where he lives with his daughter. “We didn’t know what to expect and we knew that if anything happened to us, that would be it.”Eighty-two years later, Schab returned to Pearl Harbor Thursday on the anniversary of the attack to remember the more than 2,300 servicemen killed. He was one of five survivors at a ceremony commemorating the assault that propelled the United States into World War II. Six of the increasingly frail men had been expected, but one got sick, organizers said.The aging pool of Pearl Harbor survivors has been rapidly shrinking. There is now just one crew member of the USS Arizona still living, 102-year-old Lou Conter of California. Two years ago, survivors who attended the 80th anniversary remembrance ceremony ranged in age from 97 to 103. They'll be even older this time.David Kilton, the National Park Service's interpretation, education and visitor services lead for Pearl Harbor, noted that for many years survivors frequently volunteered to share their experiences with visitors to the historic site. That's not possible anymore.“We could be the best storytellers in the world and we can't really hold a candle to those that lived it sharing their stories firsthand,” Kilton said. “But now that we are losing that generation and won’t have them very much longer, the opportunity shifts to reflect even more so on the sacrifices that were made, the stories that they did share.”The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs doesn’t keep statistics for how many Pearl Harbor survivors are still living. But department data show that of the 16 million who served in World War II, only about 120,000 were alive as of October and an estimated 131 die each day.There were about 87,000 military personnel on Oahu at the time of the attack, according to a rough estimate compiled by military historian J. Michael Wenger.Schab never spoke much about Pearl Harbor until about a decade ago. He's since been sharing his story with his family, student groups and history buffs. And he's returned to Pearl Harbor several times since.The reason? “To pay honor to the guys that didn’t make it,” he said.Thursday's ceremony was held on a field across the harbor from the USS Arizona Memorial, a white structure that sits above the rusting hull of the battleship, which exploded in a fireball and sank shortly after being hit. More than 1,100 sailors and Marines from the Arizona were killed and more than 900 are entombed inside.A moment of silence began at 7:55 a.m., the same time the attack began on Dec. 7, 1941.Harry Chandler, 102, who was a Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class, raised the flag at a mobile hospital in Aiea Heights in the hills above Pearl Harbor as part of the commemoration. Gazing over the water from his front row seat on the ceremony grounds, Chandler said the memories of the USS Arizona blowing up still come back to him today.“I saw these planes come, and I thought they were planes coming in from the states until I saw the bombs dropping,” Chandler said. They took cover and then rode trucks down to Pearl Harbor where they attended to the injured.He remembers sailors trapped on the capsized USS Oklahoma tapping on the hull of their ship to get rescued, and caring for those who eventually got out after teams cut holes in the ship.“I look out there and I can still see what’s going on. I can still see what was happening,” said Chandler, who today lives in Tequesta, Florida.The Dobbin lost three sailors, according to Navy records. One was killed in action and two died later of wounds suffered when fragments from a bomb struck the ship's stern. All had been manning an anti-aircraft gun.That Sunday morning had started peacefully for Schab. He was expecting a visit from his brother, who was also in the Navy and was assigned to a naval radio station in Wahiawa, north of Pearl Harbor. The two never did get together that day.<figure class="image text-center"><img src="https://cdn.corpemf.com/news/72121.jpg" alt="Photo album in the home of Ira &quot;Ike&quot; Schab in Beaverton, Ore. "><figcaption>[Photo Credit: AP Photo/Claire Rush] Photo album in the home of Ira "Ike" Schab in Beaverton, Ore.</figcaption></figure>Schab spent most of World War II in the Pacific with the Navy, going to the New Hebrides, now known as Vanuatu, and then the Mariana Islands and Okinawa.He was never wounded. He told the Best Defense Foundation in an online interview three years ago that he must have had a guardian angel.“You’re scared stiff, but you stagger through the events as they happen and hope everything’s going to turn out all right,” he said.After the war, he worked on the Apollo program sending astronauts to the moon as an electrical engineer at General Dynamics. In retirement he volunteered as a state park docent in Malibu, California, explaining the migration patterns of monarch butterflies.A tuba player in the Navy, Schab stayed close with his bandmates long after the war. For decades, they organized annual reunions, said his daughter Kimberlee Heinrichs.Schab has slowed down in recent years. But he still gets together each week over Zoom with younger members of his fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi.&nbsp;These days, he’s happiest listening to big band jazz and audiobooks and going out to meet new people, Heinrichs said.<figure class="image text-center"><img src="https://cdn.corpemf.com/news/72122.jpg" alt="Pearl Harbor survivor Ira &quot;Ike&quot; Schab, 103, looks at an old photo of himself with a saxophone while sitting at the kitchen table in his home in Beaverton, Ore."><figcaption>[Photo Credit: AP Photo/Claire Rush] Pearl Harbor survivor Ira "Ike" Schab, 103, looks at an old photo of himself with a saxophone while sitting at the kitchen table in his home in Beaverton, Ore.</figcaption></figure>At his age, he's thankful to still be able to return to Pearl Harbor. Heinrichs is going with him, along with caregivers. The family has a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ike-get-back-to-pearl-harbor-commemoration">GoFundMe account</a> to help them raise money for the pilgrimage.“Just grateful that I’m still here,” Schab said. “That’s really how it feels. Grateful.”<figure class="image text-center"><img src="https://cdn.corpemf.com/news/72123.jpg" alt="USS Shaw explodes after being hit by bombs during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 7, 1941"><figcaption>[Photo Credit: U.S. Navy via AP] USS Shaw explodes after being hit by bombs during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 7, 1941</figcaption></figure>___Rush reported from Beaverton, Oregon. Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

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Pearl Harbor survivors Harry Chandler, 102, left, and Herb Elfring, 101, talk to each other during the 82nd Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony 

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Ira “Ike” Schab says he must have had a guardian angel.  “You’re scared stiff, but you stagger through the events as they happen and hope everything’s going to turn out all right.”

82 Years Ago: Japanese Sneak Attack Claimed 2,300 Sailors At Pearl Harbor; Some Survivors Are Still With Us Today!

“Your relationships, they matter. They’re important. They’re important enough to prioritize. God gave us people in our lives for a reason and to help us building community. And I think sometimes because we have social media, we feel like we have community, we’re looking at community, but it’s not the same thing as being in community and relationship with one another,“ Sadie Robertson-Huff adding, “I think a lot of people fear relationships because they’re hard and they’re messy.” Her advice? “If you put God first in your life, then all of your relationships will be better, and be blessed.” She urges people to consider “God’s view of relationship and community.”To help make this do-able, Sadie and her husband, Christian, have put together their first jointly-written book, “How to Put Love First.”&nbsp;Many have the wrong concept of what love isTo set a baseline, “Love is not teddy bears and roses and chocolates and Valentine’s Day, and it’s not The Batchelor, getting a rose at a rose ceremony.” Sadie feels, “If love is only available to those type people and those situations, then it certainly is not the most powerful thing in the world. But love is so much bigger than that. In 1&nbsp;John, it says ‘God is love.’” That love, Agape love, does not have barriers. It’s “available to everyone.” She says, “Your relationship with God is how you really find what true love is – and then, from there you get the blessing of relationships with people. That is an overflow.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Their own ups &amp; downsSadie and Christian are now married four years with two children. The couple has grown a lot in their faith and abilities to be compassionate, honest, and patient with one another. And, yes, there are some occasional disagreements, like any married couple will experience.&nbsp;How do they process a difference of opinion, an argument?“You know the bible talks about ‘do not let the sun go down on your anger,’” explains Christian, “We always try to resolve it before we go to bed. That is not an easy thing to do. Sometimes it can be very difficult, but we try to always settle a disagreement before we go to bed because it can be easy to suppress things and push them down, and maybe push them aside, and say you’ll get to it at some point, but you never really address the issue. So, we always try to address it in the moment, but we’re not perfect at arguments by any means. But we are very open and honest, and we especially communicate really well – kind of where we’re at.” And Sadie jumped in to share a thought. “It’s just like there has to be a lot of vulnerability. Christian and I have learned, after just four years of marriage … I think it’s pride, right? Right. That tells you not to say the thing that’s really going on. Right? You might have a bad attitude, a bad tone – and you don’t want to say what’s really bothering you because maybe it’s vulnerable. Maybe it’s embarrassing. Maybe it’s whatever. And what I realized recently is the more vulnerable you are, and you just share the truth, it really bonds you together, because you are on the same team … and just being honest about where you’re at.”Both Sadie and Christian understand the importance of forgiveness in their own marriage, and with other people. We posed the question, ‘Does forgiving also mean forgetting?’ Learn what their thoughts are on that tough topic in our complete podcast interview just below.<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://cdn.corpemf.com/news/70229.mp3"></oembed></figure><figure class="image image-style-align-left"><img src="https://cdn.corpemf.com/news/70228.jpg" alt="tea and book"><figcaption>[Photo Credit: Cat Hunt ] “Love is not teddy bears and roses and chocolates and Valentine’s Day...</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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“I think a lot of people fear relationships because they’re hard and they’re messy.” - Sadie Robertson-Huff

Putting ‘Love First’ – Relationships Matter To God, But What Is Real Love, Exactly? (+podcast)

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“To think that 141 people followed the Lord in baptism is truly unimaginable for me."

"It was clear the Holy Spirit was at work ... We were very careful to make sure every decision was confirmed, turning away multiple people who needed more time to talk through their decision.”

“We Have Never Seen Anything Like This In Our Church!” 141 Baptisms After 'Overwhelming’ Response

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 All the tools that were given to me, such as music, social media, platforms, a microphone, everything that Jesus gave me is now for the Kingdom."

Daddy Yankee Devoting His Life To Jesus

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An ex-Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to cut the engines of a passenger flight while off-duty and riding in an extra seat in the cockpit was released from jail pending trial Thursday, after an Oregon judge approved it with conditions that include keeping away from aircraft.Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Ryan made the decision as Joseph Emerson pleaded not guilty to reduced charges of reckless endangerment; he previously faced attempted murder charges.Emerson, of Pleasant Hill, California, has also pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of interfering with a flight crew. The judge in that case also agreed that he could be released pending trial.Emerson was released from jail around 5 p.m. He and his wife, Sarah Stretch, shared a tearful embrace as he walked out. He declined to comment. Noah Horst, his lawyer, said the couple planned to drive home to California.The release conditions include that Emerson undergo mental health services, stay away from drugs and alcohol, and not come within 30 feet (9 meters) of an operable aircraft. His bail was set at $50,000 and he had to post 10% of that, or $5,000, to be released, Horst said.Emerson’s wife said she was happy her husband was coming home. Speaking to reporters through tears after the arraignment, she also said she was glad that the case has raised awareness about pilot mental health.“I’m saddened that this situation had to happen to my husband and to the people it affected. But I know that this has created a movement and momentum to help thousands of other pilots," Stretch said.Horst said Emerson did not fully possess his mental faculties when he was on the Horizon Air flight and did not consciously choose to put people at risk.“Is he criminally responsible? No. Does he need help? Yes,” Horst told reporters. “Does Mr. Emerson deserve to be home today with his family and surrounded by his friends? Yes, he does.”Emerson is accused of trying to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco on Oct. 22 while riding in the cockpit as an off-duty pilot.He was subdued by the flight crew and the plane was diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it landed safely with more than 80 people on board.According to charging documents, Emerson told Port of Portland police following his arrest that he had been struggling with depression, that a friend had recently died and that he had taken psychedelic mushrooms about 48 hours before he attempted to cut the engines. He also said he had not slept in more than 40 hours, according to the document.The averted disaster renewed attention on cockpit safety and the mental fitness of those allowed in them.

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Joseph David Emerson appears in Multnomah County Circuit Court 

He told police he was depressed and had taken psychedelic mushrooms before the effort to bring down the jet 

Airline Pilot Who Attempted To Stop Plane’s Engines Now Free On Bail, With Conditions - Claims Mental Illness

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Bide-n was indicted on nine tax charges in California on Thursday as a special counsel investigation into the business dealings of the president's son intensifies against the backdrop of the looming 2024 election.The new charges — three felonies and six misdemeanors — come in addition to federal firearms charges in Delaware alleging Hunter Biden broke a law against drug users having guns in 2018.He had been previously expected to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges as part of a plea deal with prosecutors who said he failed to pay taxes on $4 million in personal income in 2017 and 2018. Defense attorneys have signaled they plan to fight any new charges.The agreement imploded in July after a judge raised questions about it. It had also been pilloried as a “sweetheart deal” by Republicans investigating nearly every aspect of Hunter Biden's business dealings as well as the Justice Department's handling of the case.Congressional Republicans have also pursued an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, claiming he was engaged in an influence-peddling scheme with his son. The House is expected to vote next week on formally authorizing the inquiry.While questions have arisen about the ethics surrounding the Biden family’s international business, no evidence has emerged so far to prove that Joe Biden, in his current or previous office, abused his role or accepted bribes.The criminal investigation led by Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss has been open since 2018, and was expected to wind down with the plea deal that Hunter Biden had planned to strike with prosecutors over the summer. He would have pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor tax evasion charges and would have entered a separate agreement on the gun charge. He would have served two years of probation rather than get jail time.The agreement also contained immunity provisions, and defense attorneys have argued that they remain in force since that part of the agreement was signed by a prosecutor before the deal was scrapped.Prosecutors disagree, pointing out the documents weren’t signed by a judge and are invalid.After the deal fell apart, prosecutors filed three federal gun charges alleging that Hunter Biden had lied about his drug use to buy a gun that he kept for 11 days in 2018. Federal law bans gun possession by “habitual drug users,” though the measure is seldom seen as a stand-alone charge and has been called into question by a federal appeals court.Hunter Biden’s longstanding struggle with substance abuse had worsened during that period after the death of his brother Beau Biden in 2015, prosecutors wrote in a draft plea agreement filed in court in Delaware.He still made “substantial income” in 2017 and 2018, including $2.6 million in business and consulting fees from a company he formed with the CEOs of a Chinese business conglomerate and the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, but did not pay his taxes, prosecutors said in that filing.He did eventually file his taxes in 2020 and the back taxes were paid by a “third party” the following year, prosecutors said.

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Congressional Republicans have also pursued an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, claiming he was engaged in an influence-peddling scheme with his son. The House is expected to vote next week on formally authorizing the inquiry.

Hunter Biden Newly-Indicted On 9 Tax Charges, In Addition To Existing Gun Charges, In Special Counsel Probe

&nbsp; &nbsp;By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated PressALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. government is entering a new era of collaboration with Native American and Alaska Native leaders in managing public lands and other resources, with top federal officials saying that incorporating more Indigenous knowledge into decision-making can help spur conservation and combat climate change.Federal emergency managers on Thursday also announced updates to recovery policies to aid tribal communities in the repair or rebuilding of traditional homes or ceremonial buildings after a series of wildfires, floods and other disasters around the country.Wth hundreds of tribal leaders gathering in Washington this week for an annual summit, the Biden administration is celebrating nearly 200 new agreements that are designed to boost federal cooperation with tribes nationwide.The agreements cover everything from fishery restoration projects in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to management of new national monuments in the Southwestern U.S., seed collection work in Montana and plant restoration in the Great Smoky Mountains.“The United States manages hundreds of millions of acres of what we call federal public lands. Why wouldn’t we want added capacity, added expertise, millennia of knowledge and understanding of how to manage those lands?” U.S. Interior Assistant Secretary Bryan Newland said during a panel discussion.The new co-management and co-stewardship agreements announced this week mark a tenfold increase over what had been inked just a year earlier, and officials said more are in the pipeline.Newland, a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community in northern Michigan, said each agreement is unique. He said each arrangement is tailored to a tribe's needs and capacity for helping to manage public lands — and at the very least assures their presence at the table when decisions are made.The federal government is not looking to dictate to tribal leaders what a partnership should look like, he said.The U.S. government controls more than a quarter of the land in the United States, with much of that encompassing the ancestral homelands of federally recognized tribes. While the idea of co-stewardship dates back decades and has spanned multiple presidential administrations, many tribes have advocated in recent years for a more formal role in managing federal lands to which they have a connection.Tribes and advocacy groups have been pushing for arrangements that go beyond the consultation requirements mandated by federal law.Researchers at the University of Washington and legal experts with the Native American Rights Fund have put together a new clearinghouse on the topic. They point out that public lands now central to the country's national heritage originated from the dispossession and displacement of Indigenous people and that co-management could present on opportunity for the U.S. to reckon with that complicated legacy.Ada Montague Stepleton, a staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, said the significant uptick in the number of agreements signed just in the past year show there's a willingness in Indian Country to find a path forward that is mutually beneficial to tribes and the federal government — and ultimately taxpayers.“We’ve been compiling information to try to understand these agreements better,” she said. “There is a sort of a double-edged sword. We want to make sure that sovereignty isn’t eroded while at the same time creating places where co-management can, in fact, occur.”Montague Stepleton said one of the challenges is that tribes often have few resources, with much of their attention going toward maintaining their cultures and ensuring their communities have access to food, water and health care.In an attempt to address complaints about chronic underfunding across Indian Country, President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order on the first day of the summit that will make it easier for tribes to find and access grants.Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told tribal leaders Thursday that her agency began work this year to upgrade its disaster guidance particularly in response to tribal needs.The Indigenous people of Hawaii have increasingly been under siege from disasters, most recently a devastating fire that killed dozens of people and leveled an entire town. Just last month, another blaze scorched a stretch of irreplaceable rainforest on Oahu.Tribes in California and Oregon also were forced to seek disaster declarations earlier this year after severe storms resulted in flooding and mudslides.Nancy James, first chief of the Gwichyaa Zhee Gwich’in Tribal Council in Alaska, said the effects of climate change on tribal communities can't be ignored.“Reality check," she said, after ticking off details about warmer temperatures, bears not hibernating as they should and the inability of her people to fish due to changing water conditions. “Global warming has affected every one of us.”Criswell said the new guidance includes a pathway for Native American, Alaska Native and Hawaiian communities to request presidential disaster declarations, providing them with access to emergency federal relief funding.The agency also is now accepting tribal self-certified damage assessments and cost estimates for restoring ceremonial buildings or traditional homes, while not requiring site inspections, maps or other details that might compromise culturally sensitive data.&nbsp;

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President Biden surrounded by Indigenous Tribe leaders

Top federal officials are incorporating more Indigenous knowledge into decision-making to help spur conservation.

US Praises New Era Of Collaboration With Native American Tribes To Manage Public Lands And Water

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A 23-year-old woman who recently started her first nursing job was attending a training session on cardiac arrest when she, herself, suffered the medical emergency.

Young Nurse Suffers Cardiac Arrest While Training, Fellow Nurses Save HerLlife

<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fu12097671.ct.sendgrid.net%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3D4PC2wo0fWhUBQdJDPL-2Fxet2cJhiBfpsXBr82APtRRoTmHrYh6J83AEXRqtjAnZ4n0ZJ7_K-2BrZprhnOYvNGT4AS3c6XrAWflAfKKiIHbSps-2BVKwItUk1LTscX6YRKXIav7pN-2Fp4TnlDylbkss-2FbWgANUICAni1-2Fhmj238BOQhBIKcf6d2SpUmN3eY3iLzFthUmtF0MC2Q1jzuMTyxPo3gQwIuMC1B2m667RAhVFbXD7YmDbg7WanxI9pj4Rf65rpFGBZ7LBnr1a2sg25BxAcHohRtXCB1WJqCKkUZzwNM1Gg7PWKBz6Sb3RxTJGBEPTmeoecIr7SYrRIQrzxBquL4lH4BU-2BV-2Bf7Ikos8GH9RmbBQkVB3TXQ2YOcEX-2F-2F-2FgTk7L9m97xGvs6ER15LT31fTDtAhNjyrGS8cyeKiWikTIbfae24WV5xlLFJXrqWb4lX9FsUU7pLSzL1K-2F7GKzPrYLnb98KfkIQeldrHaj836-2FLpfsJ2WO1nADFmDwBrGWsB9sp8LrRuvUgbaBQLQCQlAgXZyQRXiCIB0a5GbI2-2FXeruzcYzrRQj1pj74RyDvbTPODchB-2BnRWybgKW0oCYxPNqHFUJum6kg3bcHJ9sC5N80f9q8FveHjK-2BO063txLz4sPChYWRW&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cnewstips%40kloveair1.com%7C9dda5d1baead41b45c7308dbf74062da%7C1e2152463fb64aeab4e0009f2a1de44e%7C0%7C0%7C638375628176896850%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=cqCgqJPiFbvWDkAID2yxGLL2zwyoLvOiIHUnbsfHCGs%3D&amp;reserved=0">Open Doors</a> has just released a new tool for families and churches that helps children understand religious persecution in an age-appropriate way. The children’s story book and animated video “<a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fu12097671.ct.sendgrid.net%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3D4PC2wo0fWhUBQdJDPL-2FxeipcSWoyA6DAGVbqsj-2BQConNWgHg-2B2WeAF-2BCXU6aIFGmzF7yBVbs45tXaSwHFz9dYw-3D-3Dhv09_K-2BrZprhnOYvNGT4AS3c6XrAWflAfKKiIHbSps-2BVKwItUk1LTscX6YRKXIav7pN-2Fp4TnlDylbkss-2FbWgANUICAni1-2Fhmj238BOQhBIKcf6d2SpUmN3eY3iLzFthUmtF0MC2Q1jzuMTyxPo3gQwIuMC1B2m667RAhVFbXD7YmDbg7WanxI9pj4Rf65rpFGBZ7LBnr1a2sg25BxAcHohRtXCB1WJqCKkUZzwNM1Gg7PWKBz6Sb3RxTJGBEPTmeoecIr7SYrRIQrzxBquL4lH4BU-2BV-2Bf7Ikos8GH9RmbBQkVB3TXQ2YOcEX-2F-2F-2FgTk7L9m97xGvs6ER15LT31fTDtAhNjyrGS8cyeKiWikTIbfae24WV5xlLFJXrqWb4lX9FsUU7pd1uudqJloQKKdzvpcLVHC3W7Frs1AtpGr-2BDIWPMshUma9cs7MqOUZoSqsNmg1RR1LtqaI2UQ0F9ZlVYgXnq1GKdcVXA0qBN43kOLzO6NXzkec8E7v-2FgNZdk051xM85Mdigcop9NTYL7rL2fwDiCDIsPJdks3FSYRhNtZZidJUaKhQd8d3iCE-2F7aTgUora7W0&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cnewstips%40kloveair1.com%7C9dda5d1baead41b45c7308dbf74062da%7C1e2152463fb64aeab4e0009f2a1de44e%7C0%7C0%7C638375628176896850%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=wY%2BIhVMFOUAm3Oi2sZ7ThyU0jLbvGq4BEKLl3fbljc8%3D&amp;reserved=0">Herod’s Secret Policeman</a>” tells the fictional tale of Secret Policeman Number 3 (and his toy sheep Nellie), of the people he met on the journey, and the way in which the encounter with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph changed him forever.&nbsp;“It’s an imaginative take on this familiar story so central to our faith. But more than that, Herod’s Secret Policeman will introduce children – in a very gentle way – to the pressures faced by believers around the world, many of whom live under surveillance, or are at risk because of their faith,” said Open Doors US CEO Ryan Brown. “It helps children understand that some Christians today might even have to flee for their lives, just as Mary, Joseph, and Jesus did.”&nbsp;Brown explained that the holy family’s flight to Egypt is a part of the Christmas story that is often overlooked here in the U.S. but is one that resonates with those who follow Jesus in difficult places. “This season provides a great opportunity for us to highlight this important episode for western believers,” he added. “We need the reminder that even Jesus faced persecution, and the story is also a great encouragement to our persecuted brothers and sisters, to know that our Savior shared in and understands their own experiences.”<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oeo9YwHk3I"></oembed></figure>

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Herod’s Secret Policeman tells the tale of Secret Policeman Number 3 (and his toy sheep Nellie) and how the encounter with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph changed him forever.

'It’s an imaginative take on this familiar story so central to our faith. But more than that – in a very gentle way – helps kids process the pressures faced by believers around the world'

Watch: Enhanced Christmas Story Helps Kids Understand Following Jesus Takes Determination 

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“They were not going to be able to (attend), except for the fact that they found out we were doing an alternate date.”

The church gifted soldiers with a commemorative challenge coin First Lawton commissioned with the logos of all six U.S. military branches on one side, and the living Christmas tree logo on the flipside.

116 Army Soldiers Accept Christ At Church's 'Living Christmas Tree' Event

McDonald's is testing a new restaurant format with customizable drinks and treats designed to appeal to afternoon snackers — and grab sales from competitors like Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts.The company said it will open 10 CosMc's restaurants through the first half of next year. One will be near the company's headquarters in Chicago and the rest will be in Texas. The company will study the results for at least a year before determining whether to expand.<blockquote>The announcement was one of the most anticipated at McDonald's day-long investor conference Wednesday. The company also said it expects to open nearly 10,000 McDonald's restaurants worldwide over the next four years — to reach a total of 50,000 restaurants — a pace of growth that would be unprecedented even for the world's largest burger chain.</blockquote>It plans to open 900 new stores in the U.S. and 1,900 in international markets with company operated and franchised restaurants like Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia. McDonald’s plans another 7,000 stores in international markets that are operated by licensees. More than half of those stores would be in China.But beyond that physical expansion, McDonald's is also looking to CosMc's to expand its menu and service times and keep up with other fast-growing chains like Starbucks. Starbucks said last month it plans to open 55,000 stores globally by 2030, up from 38,000 today.McDonald's President and CEO Chris Kempczinski said CosMc's is designed to fill in a slump in sales that the company sees in the mid-afternoon. But the complexity of the drinks it will offer — like a churro frappe, a pear-flavored slush or a turmeric latte — make it impossible to fit into its existing restaurants. CosMc's — named after a space alien character that McDonald's introduced in the 1980s — will also serve snacks like pretzel bites and Egg McMuffins.“This is a $100 billion category that’s growing faster than the rest of (casual dining) and with superior margins. And it’s a space that we believe we have the right to win,” Kempczinski said.McDonald's is also testing new systems at the small-format CosMc's restaurants, including drive-thru lanes that manage traffic based on the complexity of orders.McDonald's said the explosive growth of delivery demand makes it critical to get restaurant locations even closer to customers so food can arrive faster and hotter. McDonald’s delivery made up $1 billion in global sales in 2017; that has grown to more than $16 billion.Kempczinski said new restaurants will likely have dedicated pickup areas for delivery drivers to ease restaurant congestion. But he said it's important to open actual restaurants and not just delivery-only kitchens.“Not everybody wants delivery every single meal. Sometimes they want to go to the restaurant with their family,” Kempczinski told The Associated Press in an interview.Kempczinski said he's not concerned about cannibalizing sales from existing McDonald's locations. In the U.S., he said, population shifts have left many parts of the country underserved. McDonald's also wants to prevent competitors from snatching up good real estate, he said.Manu Steijaert, McDonald's chief customer officer, said it took 33 years for the company to open its first 10,000 restaurants; by comparison, it took 18 years to grow from 30,000 to 40,000.McDonald's also announced Wednesday a multi-year partnership with Google Cloud. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed.Kempczinski said moving restaurant computations into the cloud — versus relying on slower servers — will speed up things like menu recommendations on ordering kiosks or in the drive-thru lane. The new system will also help managers optimize staffing by, say, recommending an additional staffer at a drink machine if demand warrants it.McDonald's Chief Financial Officer Ian Borden said the company has the confidence to invest in new stores and new technology because of its strong performance. McDonald’s same-store sales rose nearly 9% worldwide in the third quarter, even as U.S. traffic fell slightly.McDonald's shares closed little changed on Monday.The company is focused on core menu items like Quarter Pounders and fries which, according to McDonald’s, make up 65% of sales systemwide.Burgers with softer, freshly toasted buns, meltier cheese and more Big Mac sauce are coming to U.S. restaurants by the end of 2024 and most other markets by the end of 2025.McDonald’s said its chicken sales have now reached $25 billion annually, on par with beef, and are growing fast. It plans to bring its McCrispy sandwich to nearly all global markets by 2025.Jo Sempels, president of McDonald's international licensed markets, said the company also sees significant opportunity to grow coffee sales. The company already sells 8 million cups of coffee each day, he said, but growth has been hampered by a fragmented approach. McDonald's plans to promote one brand — McCafe — and whittle down the list of equipment suppliers so its coffee is more consistent globally, Sempels said.

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The complexity of the drinks it will offer — like a churro frappe, a pear-flavored slush or a turmeric latte — makes it impossible to fit into its existing restaurants.

'CosMc' - McDonald's Offers Competition For Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, With Test Restaurants

Brock Purdy knows his life is under the power of Christ.On his<a href="https://twitter.com/brockpurdy13"> x account</a> (formerly Twitter), Brock's profile image is a portion of a bible verse: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (Colossians 3:23-24 ESV). And on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brock.purdy13/">Instagram</a>, he simply describes himself as a "Follower of Jesus."This year, Brock <a href="https://sportsspectrum.com/podcast/2023/02/10/podcast-49ers-qb-brock-purdy-rookie-joy-injury/">told Sports Spectrum</a>: “God is faithful ... He’s never done with a story, even when you think He is.”An older post from his days at Iowa State emphasizes this:<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.instagram.com/p/Be6huzSBlF5/?img_index=1"></oembed></figure>Off the field, Brock and long-time girlfriend Jenna Brandt are engagedPeople online shares:Purdy got down on one knee in July 2023 — right around the couple's one-year anniversary.The couple first met while attending Iowa State University, where Purdy played football and Brandt was a setter on the volleyball team. She ultimately transferred to the University of Northern Iowa in 2021, but it's clear the pair kept in touch.Brandt has been Purdy's biggest cheerleader — even after he was dubbed "Mr. Irrelevant" as the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft. Purdy proved everyone wrong after the 49ers' starting quarterbacks, Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, both suffered injuries. During his first career start, Purdy defeated superstar Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.So, who is Brock Purdy's fiancée? <a href="https://people.com/sports/who-is-jenna-brandt-brock-purdy/">Here's everything to know about Jenna Brandt</a>. - People<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuMsZ2lOH3P/?img_index=1"></oembed></figure>Brock's next NFL appearance and challenge is this weekend:&nbsp;Seattle at San Francisco Sunday 12/10Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers (9-3) are looking like the best team in the NFL. They have to keep winning to surpass Philadelphia for the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The Seahawks (6-6) have lost three in a row and were blown out by San Francisco at home on Thanksgiving.

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Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (91) sacks San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) 

“God is faithful ... He’s never done with a story, even when you think He is.”

SF 49ers Brock Purdy Getting Lots Of NFL Attention, And He Follows Christ

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The dangerous bacteria that sparked <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-business-health-michigan-sturgis-a44d06262482d776ae465e0d22382d2d">powdered formula recalls</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-business-health-d3e32ba9e2381f77c299391e762abe21">shortages</a> last year has infected two babies this year, killing a Kentucky child and causing brain damage in a Missouri infant.Federal health officials confirmed Thursday that two cases of invasive infections caused by cronobacter sakazakii have been reported in 2023, both in infants who consumed powdered infant formula made by Abbott Nutrition, the company at the center of the 2022 crisis.Food and Drug Administration officials said there was no evidence that the infections were linked to manufacturing and no reason to issue new recalls. The bacteria are found naturally in the environment and also can make their way into infant formula after the packaging is opened.“There is no indication of a broader public health concern related to this product at this time,” the FDA said in a statement.Kentucky health officials notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Nov. 15 that a child who consumed Similac Total Care powdered formula died after being infected with cronobacter sakazakii.In Missouri, 6-week-old Mira White, of Sikeston, was diagnosed in early March with a brain infection caused by the bacteria, which was detected in an open container of Similac NeoSure formula in her home.The same type of bacteria led federal investigators <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-business-health-michigan-a4205025fc781b1fb902cdd9e1264b41">to shut down</a> an Abbott formula plant in Sturgis, Michigan, last year when inspections sparked by four infant illnesses, including two deaths, showed widespread contamination in the plant.Since falling ill, Mira has suffered nearly constant seizures and inconsolable bouts of crying, said her 33-year-old mother, Asian Davis. Brain scans showed neurological damage and missing tissue caused by the infection.“It affected her brain real bad,” Davis said. “She’ll grow, but it will be a slow progress.”FDA investigators said they “did not identify a causal link” between Mira's infection and the Casa Grande, Arizona, factory that made the formula marketed for premature babies. Abbott officials said they found no cronobacter in batches of formula at the plant. The bacteria also weren't found in unopened cans of Similac NeoSure formula from Mira’s home.In Kentucky, the FDA said it “has not found evidence” of contamination after a Nov. 21 inspection at an Abbott plant. Officials did not identify the child or the location of the plant.Abbott officials said there is no evidence that conditions at the company’s manufacturing plants or contamination in sealed products caused the illnesses.Frank Yiannas, a former FDA official in charge of food safety response, cautioned that a negative test does not guarantee there's no contamination.“A positive test result means a lot. A negative test result doesn't mean anything," he said.Food safety advocates say the tragic cases underscore the overlooked risk of powdered formula, particularly for babies born prematurely, as Mira was. And it highlights the need for better education for parents and caregivers about how to prepare and use the crucial food.Many people don't understand that powdered infant formula isn't sterile, said Mitzi Baum, chief executive of the nonprofit group STOP Foodborne Illness.The powder itself can harbor potentially dangerous germs — and it is easily contaminated by sources in the home. Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria are common in soil and surface water, as well as dry foods.Very young babies and those born prematurely are vulnerable to illnesses caused by the germ because their immune systems aren’t developed enough to fight it off.Earlier this year, the CDC warned parents to wash their hands and to sterilize equipment and the environment before feeding newborns. The warning followed the 2022 <a href="https://apnews.com/article/infant-formula-cronobacter-breast-pump-1f58e60535817837ff04435c065cfdfb">death of a baby</a> from a cronobacter sakazakii infection tied to a contaminated breast pump.The CDC typically receives two to four reports per year of invasive disease caused by cronobacter, though officials believe that's an undercount. Starting Jan. 1, the agency will begin <a href="https://apnews.com/article/infant-formula-cronobacter-bacteria-cdc-a660d40c148c64a9a1f3941fd45f9bc0">formally tracking</a> illnesses from the germ. Powdered infant formula is the most common cause of cronobacter infections in babies, the agency said.Asian Davis said she had never heard of cronobacter sakazakii before Mira got sick.The girl was hospitalized for weeks after her premature birth in January, but was developing normally when she went home in February. In March, within days of feeding Mira the formula, Davis noticed a difference.“She stopped eating and sucking,” Davis recalled. “That mother instinct came in and I said, ‘Something’s wrong with my baby.’”After a battery of tests, doctors diagnosed Mira with bacterial meningitis caused by cronobacter sakazakii found in her spinal fluid and blood.On Monday, lawyers representing Davis and her daughter moved to sue Abbott, claiming the company sold a defective product and that it should have warned parents of premature babies that powdered formula can cause serious disease. Officials at the Illinois court where the lawsuit was sent said civil claims can take days to process and that the case was not yet in its system.The pending lawsuit also includes the family of a second child — Ryker Brown, of DeKalb, Illinois — who developed bacterial meningitis and brain damage in 2021 caused by a cronobacter infection after consuming Similac NeoSure formula. It's not clear how he became infected.The Abbott plant in Michigan is still being monitored under a legal agreement with the FDA.The agency, which came under fire for a slow response to previous cronobacter illnesses, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-issues-warning-letters-three-infant-formula-manufacturers">warned three other U.S. formula makers</a> in August to step up efforts to prevent contamination at manufacturing plants.Davis, a single mother with four older children, has been unable to work at her job as a certified nursing assistant because of Mira’s severe needs. She said she joined the lawsuit to raise awareness about the dangers of the rare bacteria — and to provide financially for Mira’s future care.“She will need surgeries, she might need a wheelchair,” Davis said. “She might need that stuff for the rest of her life.”

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“There is no indication of a broader public health concern related to this product at this time.”

Two Babies Infected With Rare Bacteria

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The Bethel High School marching band still had its music over the weekend, even when people failed them.

High School Marching Band Turns Bus No-Show Into Neighborhood Parade

NEW YORK (AP) — Meta is rolling out end-to-end encryption for calls and messages across its Facebook and Messenger platforms, the company <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2023/12/default-end-to-end-encryption-on-messenger/">announced Thursday</a>.Such encryption means that no one other than the sender and the recipient — not even Meta — can decipher people’s messages. Encrypted chats, first introduced as an optional feature in Messenger in 2016, will now be the standard for all users going forward, according to Messenger head Loredana Crisan.“This has taken years to deliver because we’ve taken our time to get this right,” Crisan wrote in a blog post. “Our engineers, cryptographers, designers, policy experts and product managers have worked tirelessly to rebuild Messenger features from the ground up.”Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised, back in 2019, to bring end-to-end encryption to its platforms after the social media company suffered a string of high profile scandals, notably when <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-steve-bannon-technology-lawsuits-campaigns-9a8b7633eb11d08d0a58a45b7dab1770">Cambridge Analytica accessed user data on Facebook</a>. Privacy advocates again shined a spotlight on Meta after Nebraska investigators reviewed <a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-technology-health-c62b071aae11783fe0aeed99bbf8fffc">private Facebook messages</a> while investigating an alleged illegal abortion after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court.Meta, whose WhatsApp platform already encrypts messages, said the feature can help keep users safe from hackers, fraudsters and criminals.Meanwhile, encryption critics, law enforcement and even a Meta report released in 2022 note the risks of enhanced encryption, including users who could abuse the privacy feature to sexually exploit children, facilitate human trafficking and spread hate speech.The new features will be available immediately, but Crisan wrote that it would take some time for the privacy feature to be rolled out to all of its users.

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Meta is rolling out end-to-end encryption for calls and messages across its Facebook and Messenger platforms

Facebook Messenger To Get Security Overhaul

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A pair directing the traffic and then patiently ushering the bird across

Its not a chicken that crossed the road, but a goose who needed some help from a couple of kind hearted construction workers on a busy New York street.

Watch This Lone Goose Tackle A Busy New York Street With The Help Of Construction Workers

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With colder temperatures and snow in the forecast, there are seasonal issues to think about in terms of your home. These measures can help protect your home from expensive bills.

5 Ways Winter Weather Can Negatively Affect Your Home Including Freezing Pipes, Roof Leaks And More

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday said it will give more than $6 billion to a pair of high-speed electric rail routes in the U.S. West, injecting new life into long-stalled projects hailed by supporters as the future of public transportation but bemoaned by critics for their high price tags and lengthy construction times.U.S. senators from California and Nevada said the federal government will give $3 billion for a planned privately-owned route between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area plus another $3.1 billion for an initial segment of California's publicly-funded effort to eventually connect Los Angeles and San Francisco.The money is a fraction of the total cost to build the routes. But it signals the Biden administration's commitment to high-speed rail, a mode of transportation commonplace in Europe and Asia but bypassed in the U.S. and its car-obsessed culture.“The federal government is back on building high speed rail in America,” said Brian Kelly, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority that is overseeing the public project. “This award is just a great leap forward.”In 2008, California voters gave their blessing for a 500-mile (805-kilometer) project that promised to carry passengers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in under three hours on a fully-electric train traveling at speeds of up to 220 mph (354 kph). At the time, the project was projected to cost about $30 billion and be up and running by 2020. If running today, it would be the nation's fastest train service by far.But more than a decade later, the price has ballooned to more than $100 billion, of which only about $25 billion in funding has been identified by state officials. Today, officials are focusing on a 171-mile (190-kilometer) stretch that would connect the cities of Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield that would not open until 2033 at the latest. Those three cities are in California's Central Valley, which has some of the worst air quality in the country. The $3.1 billion would go exclusively toward work on that segment.Kelly, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said the new federal money will help close a funding gap of about $10 billion for the Central Valley route. He said the authority will look for more money in the future from both the federal and state governments. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom called the funding “a vote of confidence” and said it comes “at a critical turning point" for the project.Funding for the project has been on a rollercoaster in recent years, with former President Donald Trump trying to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/7a9b03eed47a44c986a1a2f06d0a6c4e">revoke $1 billion</a> in federal money first granted by the Obama administration. Then state lawmakers, including Democrats, tried to block Gov. Gavin Newsom from releasing <a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-california-immigration-economy-gavin-newsom-2af2f4b39e7b2534a8300bc13000f637">more than $4 billion</a> in voter-approved bond money due to concerns about the project's viability. Both pots of money have since been made available.The route between Las Vegas and Los Angeles has been talked about for decades, and Nevada U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen told reporters the project now has all required right-of-way and environmental approvals, along with labor agreements, for work to start on some 218 miles (351 kilometers) along the Interstate 15 corridor.No date was announced for work to start. But Rosen said electric-powered trains could be carrying passengers by the time Los Angeles hosts the Summer Olympics in 2028.“We’re ready to get to work,” Wes Edens, founder and chairman of Florida-based <a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-general-news-974c6061234a4370ba36c3870867a5b2">Brightline,</a> said in a statement ahead of a Friday event in Las Vegas that may coincide with a visit by President Joe Biden.Rosen and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, both Democrats, led a bipartisan group including all of Nevada’s elected federal lawmakers and four House members from California that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bullet-train-vegas-los-angeles-nevada-california-e6ac480fd784e2947dba49304cb4fe20">in April urged Biden to commit</a> up to $3.75 billion in federal infrastructure funds toward what they call a public-private partnership.Planners say trains carrying passengers at nearly 200 mph (322 kph) could cut in half a four-hour freeway trip from a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/las-vegas-business-7e2474bcb0fa3accebe68be1d748b2b5">station in Las Vegas</a> through Victorville, California, to a suburban Los Angeles light rail line in the San Bernardino County city of Rancho Cucamonga.They say the service could help alleviate weekend or end-of-holiday travel <a href="https://apnews.com/article/las-vegas-california-nevada-gavin-newsom-carolyn-goodman-53e55c664a98bcadd4809591242e5c4d">traffic jams</a> that often stretch for 15 miles (24 kilometers) on I-15 near the Nevada-California line.“Connecting Las Vegas and Southern California by high-speed rail will create tens of thousands of good-paying union jobs, boost our Southern Nevada tourism economy, and finally help us cut down on I-15 traffic,” Cortez Masto said Tuesday in a statement.Calls for a high-speed rail line whisking tourists through the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas date at least to 2001, said U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, a Democrat who represents the Las Vegas Strip. The proposal had starts, stops and various names over the years, before getting sidetracked during the COVID-19 pandemic.Florida-based Brightline Holdings LLC, which built the only privately-owned and operated intercity passenger railroad in the U.S., is expected to model the Las Vegas line on service it began in 2014 on Florida’s east coast. That route now <a href="https://apnews.com/article/highspeed-rail-trains-brightline-florida-ac55cc43685666ae10ef3307512d5f33">links Miami and Orlando</a> with trains reaching speeds up to 125 mph (200 kph).

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The high-speed rail viaduct is seen under construction over the San Joaquin River near Fresno, Calif., on Oct. 9, 2019.

In 2008, California voters gave their blessing for a 500-mile (805-kilometer) project that promised to carry passengers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in under three hours

White House Pledges $6 Billion To A Pair Of High-speed Electric Rail Routes In The US West

CHICAGO (AP) — An 8-week-old arrival from Alaska chirps loudly before devouring ice chips in the nursery at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium.He is Pup EL2306 — proper name to be determined — a northern sea otter who was found alone and malnourished in the remote town of Seldovia in October and taken to the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward.Shedd, one of only a few facilities in the United States with the resources to care for rescued otters, was contacted by the SeaLife Center and the aquarium’s otter team made the cross-country journey with the fluffy brown marine mammal who arrived in Chicago at the end of November.“Caring for a little otter pup is just like caring for an infant,” including round-the-clock feeding, said Lana Gonzalez, a manager of penguins and otter at Shedd. “He also needs to get groomed. Sea otters have a very dense coat — there’s anywhere from a 700,000 to a million hairs per square inch, and that’s what they use to keep themselves warm. They don’t have a thick layer of blubber or fat like other marine mammals do, so taking care of that coat is very important.”An otter mother would typically teach her offspring to groom. The aquarium team acts in her place to encourage the pup’s healthy development.<figure class="image text-center"><img src="https://cdn.corpemf.com/news/72105.jpg" alt="The otter was found alone and malnourished and was taken to the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska"><figcaption>[Photo Credit: AP Photo/Erin Hooley] The otter was found alone and malnourished and was taken to the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska</figcaption></figure>On Wednesday, otter supervisor Tracy Deakins entered the pup's enclosure with clean white towels and encouraged him to leave the water. Deakins pointed to different spots on his fur and the pup responded by licking or rubbing it with his paws.The pup will remain in Shedd’s Regenstein Sea Otter Nursery for a few months, building bonds with the staff, and he will eventually be introduced to the otter habitat and the five other otters at the aquarium.Part of the growth process is moving pups from formula and small bits of clam to other solid foods. Gonzalez mentions the clam is “restaurant quality” and sustainably sourced.<figure class="image text-center"><img src="https://cdn.corpemf.com/news/72107.jpg" alt="Penguin and otter manager Lana Gonzalez holds a bottle of formula for an eight-week-old sea otter rescued from Seldovia, Alaska"><figcaption>[Photo Credit: AP Photo/Erin Hooley] Penguin and otter manager Lana Gonzalez holds a bottle of formula for an eight-week-old sea otter rescued from Seldovia, Alaska</figcaption></figure>Rescued pups are usually designated by the federal government as non-releasable and the Shedd experts said pups need their mothers for the first year of life.“Once we bring him into our care he won’t be released back out into the natural environment, they’re just too used to people. But the good news is that he’ll be able to be an ambassador for his species here at the aquarium, so we’re really happy about that,” said Gonzalez.<figure class="image text-center"><img src="https://cdn.corpemf.com/news/72106.jpg" alt="Tracy Deakins grooms an eight-week-old sea otter rescued from Seldovia, Alaska, in his enclosure at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago"><figcaption>[Photo Credit: AP Photo/Erin Hooley] Tracy Deakins grooms an eight-week-old sea otter rescued from Seldovia, Alaska, in his enclosure at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago</figcaption></figure>

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An eight-week-old sea otter rescued from Seldovia, Alaska, peaks out of his enclosure at Shedd Aquarium Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in Chicago.

"Just like caring for an infant,” round-the-clock feeding, The 8-week-old is at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium nursery.

A Sea Otter Pup Found Alone In Alaska Has A New Home

GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska (AP) — In recent years, city leaders in Grand Island, Nebraska, observed that many workers and students were walking or biking long distances to their jobs or schools. So when city administrator, Laura McAloon, learned of an opportunity to study the development of a bus system to meet those transportation needs, she jumped at it.The opportunity was funded by the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, in collaboration with the International City/County Management Association, a network of local government administrators. And it sent McAloon to Washington along with other local leaders to learn about strategies and policies to lift people in their community out of poverty.The Gates Foundation announced Thursday that it will donate $100 million to expand its work on economic mobility — a move that the country’s largest foundation says is a change in how it operates, putting more power in the hands of grantees and looking to accelerate the speed at which its gifts have impact. The commitment is part of the $460 million the foundation said in 2022 it would donate over four years to this part of its portfolio.Ryan Rippel, the founding director for the Gates Foundation’s economic opportunity and mobility strategy, said the grants represent an important and deliberate change in how it works, with large grants going to organizations that will have a great deal of autonomy in directing their own work and the work of subgrantees.The strategy, he said, is a result of feedback they heard from speaking with others in the field and the people they hope to help.“I went to a conference in Washington and was very proudly talking about a data investment that we had made that we think could actually help governments make very different decisions about allocating resources,” he said. “And a woman stood up in the back of the room and she shouted, ‘I just need a tank of gas.’ And that really stuck with me. And it stuck with our team as a profound lesson that these are very concrete, daily needs.”The portfolio is a small portion of the foundation’s overall budget, which was $7 billion last year, but it’s grown significantly. Rippel said that is because they’ve learned so much about the strategies, interventions and organizations that can lift people out of poverty. The continued expansion of their work, he said, depends on whether they meet their goal of improving economic mobility for 50 million people in the U.S. who earn 200% of the poverty level or less, which is $29,160 in annual income for an individual.The foundation will fund organizations working to expand support for local government implementing evidence-based policies, connecting people with skills but without college degrees to jobs, helping people claim government benefits and influencing small- and medium-businesses to adjust working conditions to help people balance personal and work commitments. The grantees include Opportunity@Work, Families and Workers Fund, Prosperity Now, Pacific Community Ventures, Results for America and the Urban Institute.It was at a meeting in Washington in May where the Urban Institute introduced the tools and research they’ve developed to help cities and counties understand barriers to economic mobility that McAloon from Grand Island realized that her city of 53,000, located about 150 miles west from Omaha, needed to collect more information.“We looked at each other and said, we don’t know that we have the data, the metrics, to show that this problem exists that we said we were going to come up with a solution for,” said McAloon, of her colleagues from the local community college and public school district who were with her.By the end of the conference, they’d altered their objectives and launched a data collective and analysis project, which included surveying local residents with the help of translators at a summer festival and consulting with the human resources departments of major local employers.What they learned is that transportation had been a problem for workers but when the meatpacking plant and other manufacturers raised wages during the period of low unemployment after the pandemic, many households were able to afford cars. Now the issue, the employers said, was housing.“It’s a multi-pronged approach to actually creating opportunities for economic growth and personal income growth,” McAloon said. “There’s just no one silver bullet. There’s no one problem. You have to address all of it in order to make really significant change.”The Gates Foundation is far from alone in this field with large funders, like philanthropist MacKenzie Scott and Blue Meridian Partners, also making multimillion dollar commitments, sometimes to the same organizations, in recent years.Last week, Blue Meridian Partners announced it was granting $50 million each to three municipalities, San Antonio and Dallas County in Texas, and Spartanburg County, South Carolina, who each also raised at least $50 million from other sources, to support specific interventions like doubling the number of young adults making a living wage and increasing the percent of high schoolers who enroll in further education.Jim Shelton, president and chief investment and impact officer at Blue Meridian Partners, said that while the interrelated issues that hold people in poverty are complex, there is a growing body of evidence for policies and programs that can have an outsized impact on people's life trajectory.“Once you start to disaggregate the problem that way, you start to recognize that there are all over the place, pieces of solutions that actually work,” he said. “But what we lack is the coherence to bring it all together in a way that consistently change people’s lives.”When asked whether growing inequality in the U.S. played a role in its decision to increase funding for economic mobility, the Gates Foundation said, "Our increased investment is based on promising work from partners in the early years of the strategy and our belief that the foundation can play a unique role in improving systems that help people get back on their feet in times of need and get ahead economically.”At the close of Grand Island's research study this fall, McAloon said they determined it won't be possible to set up a bus system, in part because of federal funding rules. Instead, they are exploring a van pool that is partially funded by employers and with state funds.But, because of the new communication and coordination across agencies, schools and local organizations prompted by the study, her office heard that a lack of plumbers and electricians was holding up new housing developments. She reached out to the community college, which is now setting up a technical training program to funnel high school students into those trades.“It was a matter of a couple of emails,” she said. “And they’re already working on developing the curriculum and creating an apprenticeship program that hopefully will start making an impact on that issue that’s keeping us from building more houses.”

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Laura McAloon, Grand Island City Administrator, poses for a photo on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in Grand Island, Nebraska.

The foundation will fund organizations working to expand support for local governments, helping people claim government benefits and influencing small- and medium-businesses

Gates Foundation Takes On Poverty In The US

Google took its next leap in artificial intelligence Wednesday with the launch of project Gemini, an AI model trained to behave in human-like ways that's likely to intensify the debate about the technology’s potential promise and perils.The rollout will unfold in phases, with less sophisticated versions of Gemini called “Nano” and “Pro” being immediately incorporated into Google’s AI-powered chatbot Bard and its Pixel 8 Pro smartphone.With Gemini providing a helping hand, Google promises Bard will become more intuitive and better at tasks that involve planning. On the Pixel 8 Pro, Gemini will be able to quickly summarize recordings made on the device and provide automatic replies on messaging services, starting with WhatsApp, according to Google.Gemini's biggest advances won't come until early next year when its Ultra model will be used to launch “Bard Advanced," a juiced-up version of the chatbot that initially will only be offered to a test audience.The AI, at first, will only work in English throughout the world, although Google executives assured reporters during a briefing that the technology will have no problem eventually diversifying into other languages.Based on a demonstration of Gemini for a group of reporters, Google's “Bard Advanced” might be capable of unprecedented AI multitasking by simultaneously recognizing and understanding presentations involving text, photos and video.Gemini will also eventually be infused into Google's dominant search engine, although the timing of that transition hasn't been spelled out yet.“This is a significant milestone in the development of AI, and the start of a new era for us at Google,” declared Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, the AI division behind Gemini. Google prevailed over other bidders, including Facebook parent Meta, to acquire London-based DeepMind nearly a decade ago, and since melded it with its “Brain” division to focus on Gemini's development.The technology’s problem-solving skills are being touted by Google as being especially adept in math and physics, fueling hopes among AI optimists that it may lead to scientific breakthroughs that improve life for humans.But an opposing side of the AI debate worries about the technology eventually eclipsing human intelligence, resulting in the loss of millions of jobs and perhaps even more destructive behavior, such as amplifying misinformation or triggering the deployment of nuclear weapons.“We’re approaching this work boldly and responsibly,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in a blog post. “That means being ambitious in our research and pursuing the capabilities that will bring enormous benefits to people and society, while building in safeguards and working collaboratively with governments and experts to address risks as AI becomes more capable.”Gemini's arrival is likely to up the ante in an AI competition that has been escalating for the past year, with San Francisco startup OpenAI and long-time industry rival Microsoft.Backed by Microsoft's financial muscle and computing power, OpenAI was already deep into developing its most advanced AI model, GPT-4, when it released the free ChatGPT tool late last year. That AI-fueled chatbot rocketed to global fame, bringing buzz to the commercial promise of generative AI and pressuring Google to push out Bard in response.Just as Bard was arriving on the scene, OpenAI released GPT-4 in March and has since been building in new capabilities aimed at consumers and business customers, including a feature unveiled in November that enables the chatbot to analyze images. It’s been competing for business against other rival AI startups such as Anthropic and even its partner, Microsoft, which has exclusive rights to OpenAI’s technology in exchange for the billions of dollars that it has poured into the startup.The alliance so far has been a boon for Microsoft, which has seen its market value climb by more than 50% so far this year, primarily because of investors' belief that AI will turn into a gold mine for the tech industry. Google's corporate parent, Alphabet, also has been riding the same wave with its market value rising more than $500 billion, or about 45%, so far this year.Microsoft's deepening involvement in OpenAI during the past year, coupled with OpenAI's more aggressive attempts to commercialize its products, has raised concerns that the non-profit has strayed from its original mission to protect humanity as the technology progresses.Those worries were magnified last month when OpenAI's board abruptly fired CEO Sam Altman in a dispute revolving around undisclosed issues of trust. After backlash that threatened to destroy the company and result in a mass exodus of AI engineering talent to Microsoft, OpenAI brought Altman back as CEO and reshuffled its board.With Gemini coming out, OpenAI may find itself trying to prove its technology remains smarter than Google's.In a virtual press conference, Google executives dodged questions about how Gemini compared to GPT-4 and declined to share specific technical details, such as its parameter count — one measure of a model’s complexity.“I am in awe of what it's capable of,” Google DeepMind vice president of product Eli Collins said of Gemini.

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Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks about Google DeepMind at a Google I/O event 

 Google's “Bard Advanced” might be capable of unprecedented AI multitasking by simultaneously recognizing and understanding presentations involving text, photos and video.

Google Ramps Up Its Own AI Technology 'Bard,' Trained To Behave More Like 'Humans'

Zhou Jinxia, the irrepressible 53-year-old Christian woman, who feels called by God to tell Communist China's Leader Xi Jinping and his wife that they should receive God in their hearts, has been released from jail on December 4. However, Zhou told her friends that she plans to continue answering her call from God, although she has been warned by the Chinese authorities that in this case she will be arrested again and she is now kept under strict surveillance.From 2014 to 2020, she went to Beijing a dozen times and tried to intercept the president showing him signs calling Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan to repent and convert. In October 2020, she settled in the Beijing area to continue her efforts more systematically. In 2021, the police expelled her from her home. All her efforts resulted in times of administrative detention. She was even brought to a psychiatric hospital, where the doctors concluded, however, that she was not suffering of any mental problem.&nbsp;<a href="https://bitterwinter.org/zhou-jinxia-tried-to-convert-xi-jinping-she-is-free-from-prison-but-remains-under-surveillance/">Here's the full story from China expert ministry Bitter Winter</a><figure class="image text-center"><img src="https://cdn.corpemf.com/news/72074.jpg" alt="China"><figcaption>[Photo Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu] China's President Xi Jinping</figcaption></figure>

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Zhou Jinxia vows to continue her efforts, despite risks

 She was even brought to a psychiatric hospital, where the doctors concluded, however, that she was not suffering of any mental problem. 

Mission From God? Zhou Jinxia, Arrested For Attempting To Share God With Chinese Leader, Now Free But Determined To Succeed  

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans approved a bill to block strict new tailpipe pollution limits proposed by the Biden administration, calling the plan a back-door mandate for electric vehicles.A rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency would require that up to two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the U.S. are electric by 2032, a nearly tenfold increase over current EV sales. The proposed regulation, announced in April, would set tailpipe emissions limits for the 2027 through 2032 model years that are the strictest ever imposed — and call for far more new EV sales than the auto industry agreed to less than two years ago.The EPA says it is not imposing an EV mandate, but Republicans say the plan favors EVs and punishes gas engines, forcing Americans into cars and trucks they can't afford.“Americans should have the right to decide what products and appliances work best for their family, not the federal government,'' said Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Minn., the bill's chief sponsor.The proposed EPA regulation would drive up costs for motorists “and hand the keys of America’s auto industry to China,” Walberg said, referring to that country's dominance over the EV battery supply chain.The measure was approved 221-197 and now goes to the Senate, where it is unlikely to advance. Five Democrats — Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas; Don Davis of North Carolina; Jared Golden of Maine; and Mary Peltola of Alaska — voted with Republicans to block the EPA rule.New EVs typically cost more than gas-powered cars, although prices have declined in recent months as supplies have increased and tax credits for EV purchases approved in the 2022 climate law have taken effect. EVs also have lower operating costs because they don’t require gasoline.The average transaction price for EVs was $53,469 in July, compared with $48,334 for gas-powered cars, according to Kelley Blue Book, an automotive research company. Tesla contributed to a substantial drop in EV prices since late last year as it cut prices, the research company said.The White House strongly opposes the GOP bill and said in a statement that President Joe Biden would veto the measure if it reaches his desk.The bill would “catastrophically impair EPA’s ability to issue automotive regulations that protect public health, save consumers money, strengthen American energy security and protect American investments in the vehicle technologies of the future,'' the White House said in a statement.EPA’s proposed standards for passenger cars and light trucks are performance-based, the White House said, and allow vehicle manufacturers to choose the mix of technologies best suited for their customers.More than 100 EV models are now available in the U.S. alongside hybrid and gas-powered options, “giving Americans unprecedented flexibility in where and how they choose to fuel,'' the White House said. The EPA proposal could save Americans thousands of dollars over a vehicle's lifetime by accelerating adoption of technologies that reduce fuel and maintenance costs along with pollution, the White House said.The GOP bill "would undermine all of these benefits, harming American consumers, companies and workers,'' the White House said.Republicans said the EPA rule would reduce choices for car owners, “shipping our auto-future and jobs to China” in the process.“President Biden’s rush to green agenda is failing,'' Rodgers said. “He wants us all driving EVs — 100% battery electric, not plug-in, not hybrid. We don’t agree.”New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the energy panel, said the GOP bill would stifle innovation and cause uncertainty for American automakers. The bill includes “vague language" that could prevent EPA from ever finalizing vehicle standards for any type of motor vehicle, Pallone said.Instead of working with Democrats on legislation to lower costs for consumers or protect public health, “the Republican majority is, once again, bringing an anti-clean vehicle bill to the floor as part of their polluters over people agenda,'' Pallone said during floor debate.“This bill would simply prevent the EPA from doing its job,'' Pallone said, accusing House Republicans of "trying to legislate away years of innovation in clean transportation.''

lawmakers-challenge-super-strict-tailpipe-pollution-standards-saying-its-a-back-door-electric-vehicle-scheme

The U.S. Capitol building with thick clouds around it

“President Biden’s rush to green agenda is failing ... He wants us all driving EVs — 100% battery electric, not plug-in, not hybrid. We don’t agree.”

Lawmakers Challenge Super Strict Tailpipe Pollution Standards, Saying It's A Back-Door Electric Vehicle Scheme 

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22TARA%20COPP%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">&nbsp;</a> &nbsp;TARA COPP Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — The military announced late Wednesday it was grounding all of its Osprey V-22 helicopters, one week after eight Air Force Special Operations Command service members died in a crash off the coast of Japan.The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps took the extraordinary step of grounding hundreds of aircraft after a preliminary investigation of last week's crash indicated that a materiel failure — that something went wrong with the aircraft — and not a mistake by the crew led to the deaths.The crash raised new questions about the safety of the Osprey, which has been involved in multiple fatal accidents over its relatively short time in service. Japan grounded its fleet of 14 Ospreys after the crash.Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, head of Air Force Special Operations Command, directed the standdown “to mitigate risk while the investigation continues," the command said in a statement. “Preliminary investigation information indicates a potential materiel failure caused the mishap, but the underlying cause of the failure is unknown at this time.”In a separate notice, Naval Air Systems Command said it was grounding all Ospreys. The command is responsible for the Marine Corps and Navy variants of the aircraft.The Air Force said it was unknown how long the aircraft would be grounded. It said the standdown was expected to remain in place until the investigation has determined the cause of the Japan crash and made recommendations to allow the fleet to return to operations.The U.S.-made Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster, like an airplane, during flight. Air Force Special Operations Command has 51 Ospreys, the U.S. Marine Corps flies more than 400 and U.S. Navy operates 27.The Osprey is still a relatively young plane in the military’s fleet — the first Ospreys only became operational in 2007 after decades of testing. But more than 50 troops have died either flight testing the Osprey or conducting training flights in the aircraft, including 20 deaths in four crashes over the past 20 months.An Osprey accident in August in Australia took the lives of three Marines. That accident also is still under investigation.

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U.S. military CV-22 Osprey takes off from Iwakuni base, Yamaguchi prefecture, western Japan

Eight Air Force Special Operations Command service members lost their lives in the crash

Military Grounds All Osprey Aircraft Following Crash Off Japan Coast

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DARLENE%20SUPERVILLE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">&nbsp;</a> &nbsp;DARLENE SUPERVILLEWASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden and children from military families on Wednesday helped sort toys donated by the White House to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program, which gives playthings to needy children.The children also enjoyed skating on the South Lawn's new holiday ice rink.“So did you have fun ice skating?" the first lady asked about the rink, which she opened last week. “I think the rink is really neat, don't you? I love seeing it. I can see it out my window.”The annual event typically is held at an area military base. Biden said she brought it to the White House because “our holiday theme celebrates children and the way all of you experience the season.”She said military children also serve their country and praised their bravery, kindness and compassion.“You may not hear this a lot but kids have something important to teach us grownups, especially military kids like you,” Biden said. "You teach us how to be brave, even when we’re scared. You teach us how to make friends, even when we don’t know anyone. You teach us how to reach out a hand to other people, people in need. And we need that courage, kindness and compassion now more than ever.”Last year, Toys for Tots provided over 24.5 million toys to 10 million children, said Brig. Gen. Valerie Jackson, Commanding General, 4th Marine Logistic Group. "And with your support, we hope to reach even more this year.”

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First lady Jill Biden takes a photo with guests during a Toys for Tots event with local Marine Corps and military-connected families on the South Lawn of the White House