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Observing Asthma Awareness Month, EPA Honors Leading Community Asthma Care Programs in Colorado and Texas

WASHINGTON (April 30, 2020) — Tomorrow, in celebration of Asthma Awareness Month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will honor two outstanding asthma care programs, the Children’s Hospital Colorado Breathing Institute in Aurora, Colorado and the Univers




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EPA Honors University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler for Outstanding Community Asthma Care Program

DALLAS – (May 1, 2020) In celebration of Asthma Awareness Month, the U.S.




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EPA Celebrates Air Quality Awareness Week May 4 - May 8, 2020

WASHINGTON (May 4, 2020) — This week, as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) month-long celebration of our nation’s progress in improving air quality over the last 50 years, we are celebrating the 14t




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Elon Musk threatens to move Tesla HQ over California coronavirus lockdown order

He may have just welcomed a new baby, but Elon Musk can still act like one himself.




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Elon Musk threatens to move Tesla HQ over California coronavirus lockdown order

He may have just welcomed a new baby, but Elon Musk can still act like one himself.




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Elon Musk Says Tesla Suing California County, Moving Headquarters Out of State

The company's CEO tweeted Saturday that the automaker is seeking legal action against Alameda County. The billionaire executive has been sharply critical of shelter-in-place orders in recent weeks.




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mb 5.0 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS

Magnitude  mb 5.0
Region  SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
Date time  2020-05-09 23:35:13.0 UTC
Location  11.54 S ; 165.02 E
Depth  10 km




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Obama criticized Trump's handling of pandemic as an 'absolute chaotic disaster'

Former president Barack Obama harshly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as an 'absolute chaotic disaster' during a conversation with ex-members of his administration, according to a recording obtained by Yahoo News.




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2018's best Indiana college football matchups

Games involving Notre Dame, Purdue and Indiana could have a lot at stake this season.

      




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Surfer dies after shark attack off Santa Cruz County coast

The 26-year-old surfer was pronounced dead at the scene near Manresa State Beach, California parks officials said.




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'A chaotic disaster': Obama attacks Trump's handling of pandemic

Barack Obama has described Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as a "chaotic disaster".




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$7.2 Million Cash Found in Suitcases at Panama City Airport

Filed under: , , ,

Newsy
Travel tip: If you're trying to smuggle cash into Panama, start using the train.

Three Honduran men were arrested at Panama City's international airport after police found $7.2 million, mostly in $100 bills, in secret compartments in eight pieces of luggage. According to this video from Newsy (Newsy? Really? Really.), officials in Panama believe the money was connected to a drug cartel. Thirty-two officers and airport security staffers have been suspended as a result of the find.

Continue reading $7.2 Million Cash Found in Suitcases at Panama City Airport

$7.2 Million Cash Found in Suitcases at Panama City Airport originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 17 Jan 2014 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sport24.co.za | Lions legend says they need a confrontational skipper against Springboks: 'That is their DNA'

Former captain Paul O'Connell says it will be vital for the British & Irish Lions to pick a leader capable of beating the Springboks at their own game.





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No throwing rice or extra guests permitted – but you can have a COVID-19 'micro-wedding' at Vancouver city hall

The city says couples can book its Helena Gutteridge Plaza at City Hall for just $85 and bring eight guests to have an outdoor, physically distant wedding ceremony.




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A Changing Role for the United States in Asia-Pacific

18 June 2014

Xenia Wickett

Former Head, US and the Americas Programme; Former Dean, The Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs
Unless the United States finds ways to be more transparent in its intentions and willingness to act in the region, it might find that its allies there have different ideas about its role.

20140618JapanIndia.jpg

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and India's then prime minister, Manmohan Singh, at Hyderabad House, New Delhi, India, on 25 Jan 2014, during the first visit to India by a Japanese leader since 2011. Photo by Graham Crouch/Bloomberg/Getty Images.

President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Asia has reanimated the debate over what America’s ‘pivot’ to Asia really means. The level of uncertainty over its regional engagement has been heightened by what many in the region, and beyond, consider an inadequate response to the events taking place in Ukraine. Rather than being reassured by the ‘rebalancing’, many Asian allies suspect the United States is becoming a less reliable ally. At the same time, concern is also growing about China’s increasing assertiveness, as demonstrated by recent events with Vietnam.

America’s Asian partners are increasingly exploring new ways to ensure their security, and they will, in time, find different ways to engage with it in the region. Unless the United States is more transparent about its intentions, and what others can expect from it, it is possible that it will be pushed towards a role not necessarily in line with its interests.

President Obama’s announcement of the ‘pivot’ to Asia in November 2011 provoked much debate over what it would mean in practice. It continues to be treated with much scepticism in the region and has raised tensions, with many fearing a military response from China (a fear that, in the eyes of many in the region, has already come to pass).

Allies have also questioned whether American rhetoric is being matched by action. US assets in the region remain strong (additional troops are being rotated in and new partnerships are being formed with the Philippines and others), but America’s will to use them appears less so.

Despite reassurances from Obama during his trip that the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands ‘fall within the scope of Article 5 of the US–Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security’ and that the United States opposes any unilateral attempts to change this, Japan was not reassured. A more ambiguous statement made last year by Secretary of State John Kerry, that the United States ‘does not take a position on the ultimate sovereignty of the islands’, has left many Japanese policy-makers wondering whether the US would ultimately back their country up in a conflict. Again, they look at America’s responses to events in Ukraine, Libya and Syria and wonder what it would be prepared to commit to if China were to try to seize control of disputed territory.

This uncertainty is leading many of America’s principal allies to consider additional ways to ensure their security. There are three main paths available to them: building domestic capabilities, forming ad hoc groupings, and reinforcing established regional groups.

The allies are first looking internally: across the board, defence spending has increased; for the first time, in 2012, Asia surpassed European spending, reaching a total of $310 billion. Countries such as India are expanding their naval capabilities to enhance their power projection and Japan is moving forward a reinterpretation of its constitution to allow a more ‘normalized’ role for its military, one in which it could come to the assistance of allies.

Asia-Pacific states are also looking to engage one another in informal bilateral or plurilateral groupings. Over the past decade, a proliferation of new groups has formed for such activities as strategic dialogue, joint training or operations. Building on their similar values and concerns, Japan, Australia and India, in particular, have been prolific in creating various combinations of partnerships among themselves and the United States. There are also some more unexpected (and potentially valuable) groupings, including that established between China, Japan and South Korea.

Where they are based on similar interests, these informal groupings can be a source of moral and political support, and even perhaps in time more operational support in the security arena. They can also provide a starting point for engaging a wider audience through more traditional regional groups, such as ASEAN and the East Asia Summit – the third option for allies to enhance their security.

These more established groups, while widely dismissed in the West as mere ‘talking shops’, perform a well-regarded function in the region. By supporting the broader web of networks on which states can come to depend, they provide opportunities for debating and managing (or diffusing) regional tensions.

America remains the most militarily powerful nation in the world. Its influence and common interests with its Asian allies will continue to ensure that it has strong sway in the region. Realistically, it will for the foreseeable future remain a necessary partner for its traditional allies, particularly those concerned by China’s growing assertiveness. And it remains in America’s interests to stay engaged. However, as ambiguity about its willingness to act increases, these allies will continue to reach for alternative solutions for managing their security.

While this aligns with the US desire to share more of the burdens of global citizenship, if it wants to remain a key Asia-Pacific power, America still needs its allies to need it. A little more clarity and transparency on its part, even if only stated privately, could start to rebuild trust and confidence, which would serve both America and its allies well. 

To comment on this article, please contact Chatham House Feedback





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The Escherichia coli cellulose synthase subunit G (BcsG) is a Zn2+-dependent phosphoethanolamine transferase [Glycobiology and Extracellular Matrices]

Bacterial biofilms are cellular communities that produce an adherent matrix. Exopolysaccharides are key structural components of this matrix and are required for the assembly and architecture of biofilms produced by a wide variety of microorganisms. The human bacterial pathogens Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica produce a biofilm matrix composed primarily of the exopolysaccharide phosphoethanolamine (pEtN) cellulose. Once thought to be composed of only underivatized cellulose, the pEtN modification present in these matrices has been implicated in the overall architecture and integrity of the biofilm. However, an understanding of the mechanism underlying pEtN derivatization of the cellulose exopolysaccharide remains elusive. The bacterial cellulose synthase subunit G (BcsG) is a predicted inner membrane–localized metalloenzyme that has been proposed to catalyze the transfer of the pEtN group from membrane phospholipids to cellulose. Here we present evidence that the C-terminal domain of BcsG from E. coli (EcBcsGΔN) functions as a phosphoethanolamine transferase in vitro with substrate preference for cellulosic materials. Structural characterization of EcBcsGΔN revealed that it belongs to the alkaline phosphatase superfamily, contains a Zn2+ ion at its active center, and is structurally similar to characterized enzymes that confer colistin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. Informed by our structural studies, we present a functional complementation experiment in E. coli AR3110, indicating that the activity of the BcsG C-terminal domain is essential for integrity of the pellicular biofilm. Furthermore, our results established a similar but distinct active-site architecture and catalytic mechanism shared between BcsG and the colistin resistance enzymes.




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Mark Wignall | Help! I need to be a child again

Last Thursday morning, I went to visit my youngest grandchild, three-year-old Morgan. As she emerged from her bedroom with her tablet in hand and a scream on her lips then saw me and barged towards me, I knew that a full embrace was not going to...




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Federal Update: A Conversation on Language Access with the U.S. Department of Justice

This MPI webinar features U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) officials discussing the department’s efforts to improve communications with Limited English Proficient (LEP) communities in federal and federally-funded programs and activities.




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Federal Update: A Conversation on Language Access with the U.S. Department of Justice

This MPI webinar features U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) officials discussing the department’s efforts to improve communications with Limited English Proficient (LEP) communities in federal and federally-funded programs and activities.




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Immigrants in a Changing Labor Market: Responding to Economic Needs

This volume, which brings together research by leading economists and labor market specialists, examines the role immigrants play in the U.S. workforce, how they fare in good and bad economic times, and the effects they have on native-born workers and the labor sectors in which they are engaged. The book traces the powerful economic forces at play in today’s globalized world and includes policy prescriptions for making the American immigration system more responsive to labor market needs.




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[ Polls & Surveys ] Open Question : What happens if you go to a concert just to stand in the corner and stink the place up with your farts?




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[ Law & Ethics ] Open Question : If I change my legal name is there a chance my future employers would see my old name?

I just got sent an electronic message from one of the employers stating that I am unsuitable for the role based on my police record. I'm under the impression some people are still choosing to impersonate me on several job search engines by giving each employer the idea I'm an ex-con with work skills that came out of prison. Is there a chance they can see my old name?




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[ Movies ] Open Question : Name of a movie about a man visiting a small town living with a single mom and her son. Everyone thinks he is a coward but he is a war hero?




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Tesla sues California county as Musk threatens to move operations

Tesla filed a lawsuit Saturday against Alameda County, Calif., and CEO Elon Musk threatened to move the company's headquarters and operations out of state.




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Billy Crystal, Tiffany Haddish to co-host Feeding America Comedy Festival

Billy Crystal, Tiffany Haddish, Kenan Thompson and Byron Allen are set to co-host Sunday's Feeding America Comedy Festival.




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Turning a Corner? How Spain Can Help Immigrants Find Middle-Skilled Work

The economic crisis of 2008 hit Spain with a disproportionate effect on those in temporary work, revealing underlying gaps in the policy framework meant to support the inclusion of both immigrants and other vulnerable individuals in the Spanish labor market. This report assesses how well recent reforms are filling these gaps and helping immigrants and other disadvantaged workers move into middle-skilled jobs.




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Actor Rajshri Deshpande reaches out to the needy via a crowdfunding platform – Times of India

Actor Rajshri Deshpande reaches out to the needy via a crowdfunding platform  Times of India



  • IMC News Feed

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A calling confirmed

Turkey is a 'hot-climate' culture, meaning that people are relationship-oriented rather than task-oriented.




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A chain of events

Students at OM Russia’s Discipleship Centre help plant churches, start a rehab centre and begin a farming business.




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Trained to be a Channel of Hope

OM Russia hosted and participated in AIDSLink International’s (ALI) Channels of Hope Facilitator Training©.




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Surigao City earthquake victims need trauma counselling

OM Philippines send staff to assess the earthquake damages in Surigao City and provide needed disaster relief training.




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Explaining to a child

An OM Greece worker explains, while she is babysitting, how she helps ladies involved in human trafficking and the sex industry.




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To be a church you need Jesus

A group who started a funeral cooperative but registered it as a church learns what it means to be a real church.




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Dental student spends summer caring for Roma community

Catherine, from the UK, joined an OM team in July to host a dental clinic and outreach for the residents of Pădureni.




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The faith of a child

An OM trainee in Switzerland allows God to use her story and faith to touch children's hearts.




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OM Malaysia celebrates 30 years of ministry

On 9 August 2014, OM Malaysia held an open house to celebrate 30 years of ministry, with OM International Director Lawrence Tong as the guest of honour.




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Planting a church? Start with sports

Mwando village along the shores of Lake Tanganyika didn't have a church, but they did have an interest in sports.




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'Ba Coach'

Kasama is known for sports and vulnerable kids; two subjects that OMer Noel is passionate about.




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A charity shop with a difference

OM workers use London charity shop to reach out to surrounding Turkish and Kurdish communities.




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Fin24.com | OPINION | Transport SOEs: A crucial link in SA's economic recovery

Ofentse Mokwena discusses what's needed for opening transport markets and unbundling transport SOEs.




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A cry for attention

Recently, a team of 32 OM volunteers from the UK, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador worked together in an outreach to bring gifts and the Gospel to La Ceiba, Corozal in Honduras. For a week, they ministered in a community with a high percentage of people infected with HIV and a high mortality rate due to the consequences of AIDS. Many families in the area have suffered the loss of a father or mother. OM El Salvador took the initiative to respond to the needs of many kids and share about the love of Jesus in the outreach ´Changing gifts for smiles´.




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God can protect, even in a Czech brothel.

OM Czech Republic has a heart to reach out with God's love to those working in the sex industry, and met Anne who works as a prostitute but knows God's love and protection from evil.




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Penn State Altoona celebrates student achievement with showcase

Penn State Altoona students from various disciplines showcased their work through Zoom presentations to faculty, staff, students, the local community, family and friends.




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Penn State Altoona celebrates achievements with annual awards ceremony

The annual Student Awards Ceremony — celebrating achievements in scholarship, service, creative activity, student life, athletics, and more — is now available to view online.




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Impacting lives, changing a community

OM Ecuador's annual mission school (ECTM) impacts 13 lives, while changing one community.




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A Child's answered prayer

Jean Pierre's prayer was answered during a Christmas celebration with OM in La Estancia/Simón Bolívar which was impacted by the 2016 earthquake.




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Colombia calling!

Though it’s one of the smallest teams in OM, OM Colombia, lead by Colombian Martha Ardila, makes big plans for the future.




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DMN: A Change is Coming

A new look DMN is coming your way tomorrow. There will be bells to add and whistles to re-tune, but we hope you like the look




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EXPECT DELAYS ON I-95 NB AT THE PA LINE DUE TO A CRASH