mp X-Ray Calc 3: improved software for simulation and inverse problem solving for X-ray reflectivity By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-03-15 This work introduces X-Ray Calc (XRC), an open-source software package designed to simulate X-ray reflectivity (XRR) and address the inverse problem of reconstructing film structures on the basis of measured XRR curves. XRC features a user-friendly graphical interface that facilitates interactive simulation and reconstruction. The software employs a recursive approach based on the Fresnel equations to calculate XRR and incorporates specialized tools for modeling periodic multilayer structures. This article presents the latest version of the X-Ray Calc software (XRC3), with notable improvements. These enhancements encompass an automatic fitting capability for XRR curves utilizing a modified flight particle swarm optimization algorithm. A novel cost function was also developed specifically for fitting XRR curves of periodic structures. Furthermore, the overall user experience has been enhanced by developing a new single-window interface. Full Article text
mp From solution to structure: empowering inclusive cryo-EM with a pre-characterization pipeline for biological samples By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-03-26 In addressing the challenges faced by laboratories and universities with limited (or no) cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) infrastructure, the ESRF, in collaboration with the Grenoble Institute for Structural Biology (IBS), has implemented the cryo-EM Solution-to-Structure (SOS) pipeline. This inclusive process, spanning grid preparation to high-resolution data collection, covers single-particle analysis and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET). Accessible through a rolling access route, proposals undergo scientific merit and technical feasibility evaluations. Stringent feasibility criteria demand robust evidence of sample homogeneity. Two distinct entry points are offered: users can either submit purified protein samples for comprehensive processing or initiate the pipeline with already vitrified cryo-EM grids. The SOS pipeline integrates negative stain imaging (exclusive to protein samples) as a first quality step, followed by cryo-EM grid preparation, grid screening and preliminary data collection for single-particle analysis, or only the first two steps for cryo-ET. In both cases, if the screening steps are successfully completed, high-resolution data collection will be carried out using a Titan Krios microscope equipped with a latest-generation direct electron counting detector coupled to an energy filter. The SOS pipeline thus emerges as a comprehensive and efficient solution, further democratizing access to cryo-EM research. Full Article text
mp SEB: a computational tool for symbolic derivation of the small-angle scattering from complex composite structures By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-03-31 Analysis of small-angle scattering (SAS) data requires intensive modeling to infer and characterize the structures present in a sample. This iterative improvement of models is a time-consuming process. Presented here is Scattering Equation Builder (SEB), a C++ library that derives exact analytic expressions for the form factors of complex composite structures. The user writes a small program that specifies how the sub-units should be linked to form a composite structure and calls SEB to obtain an expression for the form factor. SEB supports e.g. Gaussian polymer chains and loops, thin rods and circles, solid spheres, spherical shells and cylinders, and many different options for how these can be linked together. The formalism behind SEB is presented and simple case studies are given, such as block copolymers with different types of linkage, as well as more complex examples, such as a random walk model of 100 linked sub-units, dendrimers, polymers and rods attached to the surfaces of geometric objects, and finally the scattering from a linear chain of five stars, where each star is built up of four diblock copolymers. These examples illustrate how SEB can be used to develop complex models and hence reduce the cost of analyzing SAS data. Full Article text
mp Laue microdiffraction on polycrystalline samples above 1500 K achieved with the QMAX-µLaue furnace By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-03-31 X-ray Laue microdiffraction aims to characterize microstructural and mechanical fields in polycrystalline specimens at the sub-micrometre scale with a strain resolution of ∼10−4. Here, a new and unique Laue microdiffraction setup and alignment procedure is presented, allowing measurements at temperatures as high as 1500 K, with the objective to extend the technique for the study of crystalline phase transitions and associated strain-field evolution that occur at high temperatures. A method is provided to measure the real temperature encountered by the specimen, which can be critical for precise phase-transition studies, as well as a strategy to calibrate the setup geometry to account for the sample and furnace dilation using a standard α-alumina single crystal. A first application to phase transitions in a polycrystalline specimen of pure zirconia is provided as an illustrative example. Full Article text
mp The pypadf package: computing the pair angle distribution function from fluctuation scattering data By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-05-17 The pair angle distribution function (PADF) is a three- and four-atom correlation function that characterizes the local angular structure of disordered materials, particles or nanocrystalline materials. The PADF can be measured using X-ray or electron fluctuation diffraction data, which can be collected by scanning or flowing a structurally disordered sample through a focused beam. It is a natural generalization of established pair distribution methods, which do not provide angular information. The software package pypadf provides tools to calculate the PADF from fluctuation diffraction data. The package includes tools for calculating the intensity correlation function, which is a necessary step in the PADF calculation and also the basis for other fluctuation scattering analysis techniques. Full Article text
mp Phase-contrast neutron imaging compared with wave propagation and McStas simulations By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-05-10 Propagation-based phase contrast, for example in the form of edge enhancement contrast, is well established within X-ray imaging but is not widely used in neutron imaging. This technique can help increase the contrast of low-attenuation samples but may confuse quantitative absorption measurements. Therefore, it is important to understand the experimental parameters that cause and amplify or dampen this effect in order to optimize future experiments properly. Two simulation approaches have been investigated, a wave-based simulation and a particle-based simulation conducted in McStas [Willendrup & Lefmann (2020). J. Neutron Res. 22, 1–16], and they are compared with experimental data. The experiment was done on a sample of metal foils with weakly and strongly neutron absorbing layers, which were measured while varying the rotation angle and propagation distance from the sample. The experimental data show multiple signals: attenuation, phase contrast and reflection. The wave model reproduces the sample attenuation and the phase peaks but it does not reproduce the behavior of these peaks as a function of rotation angle. The McStas simulation agrees better with the experimental data, as it reproduces attenuation, phase peaks and reflection, as well as the change in these signals as a function of rotation angle and distance. This suggests that the McStas simulation approach, where the particle description of the neutron facilitates the incorporation of multiple effects, is the most convenient way of modeling edge enhancement in neutron imaging. Full Article text
mp Implications of size dispersion on X-ray scattering of crystalline nanoparticles: CeO2 as a case study By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-05-31 Controlling the shape and size dispersivity and crystallinity of nanoparticles (NPs) has been a challenge in identifying these parameters' role in the physical and chemical properties of NPs. The need for reliable quantitative tools for analyzing the dispersivity and crystallinity of NPs is a considerable problem in optimizing scalable synthesis routes capable of controlling NP properties. The most common tools are electron microscopy (EM) and X-ray scattering techniques. However, each technique has different susceptibility to these parameters, implying that more than one technique is necessary to characterize NP systems with maximum reliability. Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) is mandatory to access information on crystallinity. In contrast, EM or small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is required to access information on whole NP sizes. EM provides average values on relatively small ensembles in contrast to the bulk values accessed by X-ray techniques. Besides the fact that the SAXS and WAXS techniques have different susceptibilities to size distributions, SAXS is easily affected by NP–NP interaction distances. Because of all the variables involved, there have yet to be proposed methodologies for cross-analyzing data from two techniques that can provide reliable quantitative results of dispersivity and crystallinity. In this work, a SAXS/WAXS-based methodology is proposed for simultaneously quantifying size distribution and degree of crystallinity of NPs. The most reliable easy-to-access size result for each technique is demonstrated by computer simulation. Strategies on how to compare these results and how to identify NP–NP interaction effects underneath the SAXS intensity curve are presented. Experimental results are shown for cubic-like CeO2 NPs. WAXS size results from two analytical procedures are compared, line-profile fitting of individual diffraction peaks in opposition to whole pattern fitting. The impact of shape dispersivity is also evaluated. Extension of the proposed methodology for cross-analyzing EM and WAXS data is possible. Full Article text
mp A study of stress, composition and grain interaction gradients in energy-dispersive X-ray stress analysis on materials with cubic symmetry By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-06-07 The influence of various combinations of residual stress, composition and grain interaction gradients in polycrystalline materials with cubic symmetry on energy-dispersive X-ray stress analysis is theoretically investigated. For the evaluation of the simulated sin2ψ distributions, two different strategies are compared with regard to their suitability for separating the individual gradients. It is shown that the separation of depth gradients of the strain-free lattice parameter a0(z) from residual stress gradients σ(z) is only possible if the data analysis is carried out in section planes parallel to the surface. The impact of a surface layer z* that is characterized by a direction-dependent grain interaction model in contrast to the volume of the material is quantified by comparing a ferritic and an austenitic steel, which feature different elastic anisotropy. It is shown to be of minor influence on the resulting residual stress depth profiles if the data evaluation is restricted to reflections hkl with orientation factors Γhkl close to the model-independent orientation Γ*. Finally, a method is proposed that allows the thickness of the anisotropic surface layer z* to be estimated on the basis of an optimization procedure. Full Article text
mp Automated pipeline processing X-ray diffraction data from dynamic compression experiments on the Extreme Conditions Beamline of PETRA III By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-07-04 Presented and discussed here is the implementation of a software solution that provides prompt X-ray diffraction data analysis during fast dynamic compression experiments conducted within the dynamic diamond anvil cell technique. It includes efficient data collection, streaming of data and metadata to a high-performance cluster (HPC), fast azimuthal data integration on the cluster, and tools for controlling the data processing steps and visualizing the data using the DIOPTAS software package. This data processing pipeline is invaluable for a great number of studies. The potential of the pipeline is illustrated with two examples of data collected on ammonia–water mixtures and multiphase mineral assemblies under high pressure. The pipeline is designed to be generic in nature and could be readily adapted to provide rapid feedback for many other X-ray diffraction techniques, e.g. large-volume press studies, in situ stress/strain studies, phase transformation studies, chemical reactions studied with high-resolution diffraction etc. Full Article text
mp Quantitative selection of sample structures in small-angle scattering using Bayesian methods By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-06-18 Small-angle scattering (SAS) is a key experimental technique for analyzing nanoscale structures in various materials. In SAS data analysis, selecting an appropriate mathematical model for the scattering intensity is critical, as it generates a hypothesis of the structure of the experimental sample. Traditional model selection methods either rely on qualitative approaches or are prone to overfitting. This paper introduces an analytical method that applies Bayesian model selection to SAS measurement data, enabling a quantitative evaluation of the validity of mathematical models. The performance of the method is assessed through numerical experiments using artificial data for multicomponent spherical materials, demonstrating that this proposed analysis approach yields highly accurate and interpretable results. The ability of the method to analyze a range of mixing ratios and particle size ratios for mixed components is also discussed, along with its precision in model evaluation by the degree of fitting. The proposed method effectively facilitates quantitative analysis of nanoscale sample structures in SAS, which has traditionally been challenging, and is expected to contribute significantly to advancements in a wide range of fields. Full Article text
mp A simple protocol for determining the zone axis direction from selected-area electron diffraction spot patterns of cubic materials By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-06-18 Using the well known Rn ratio method, a protocol has been elaborated for determining the lattice direction for the 15 most common cubic zone axis spot patterns. The method makes use of the lengths of the three shortest reciprocal-lattice vectors in each pattern and the angles between them. No prior pattern calibration is required for the method to work, as the Rn ratio method is based entirely on geometric relationships. In the first step the pattern is assigned to one of three possible pattern types according to the angles that are measured between the three reciprocal-lattice vectors. The lattice direction [uvw] and possible Bravais type(s) and Laue indices of the corresponding reflections can then be determined by using lookup tables. In addition to determining the lattice direction, this simple geometric analysis allows one to distinguish between the P, I and F Bravais lattices for spot patterns aligned along [013], [112], [114] and [233]. Moreover, the F lattice can always be uniquely identified from the [011] and [123] patterns. Full Article text
mp Accurate space-group prediction from composition By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-06-18 Predicting crystal symmetry simply from chemical composition has remained challenging. Several machine-learning approaches can be employed, but the predictive value of popular crystallographic databases is relatively modest due to the paucity of data and uneven distribution across the 230 space groups. In this work, virtually all crystallographic information available to science has been compiled and used to train and test multiple machine-learning models. Composition-driven random-forest classification relying on a large set of descriptors showed the best performance. The predictive models for crystal system, Bravais lattice, point group and space group of inorganic compounds are made publicly available as easy-to-use software downloadable from https://gitlab.com/vishsoft/cosy. Full Article text
mp Coherent X-ray diffraction imaging of single particles: background impact on 3D reconstruction By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-08-30 Coherent diffractive imaging with X-ray free-electron lasers could enable structural studies of macromolecules at room temperature. This type of experiment could provide a means to study structural dynamics on the femtosecond timescale. However, the diffraction from a single protein is weak compared with the incoherent scattering from background sources, which negatively affects the reconstruction analysis. This work evaluates the effects of the presence of background on the analysis pipeline. Background measurements from the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser were combined with simulated diffraction patterns and treated by a standard reconstruction procedure, including orientation recovery with the expand, maximize and compress algorithm and 3D phase retrieval. Background scattering did have an adverse effect on the estimated resolution of the reconstructed density maps. Still, the reconstructions generally worked when the signal-to-background ratio was 0.6 or better, in the momentum transfer shell of the highest reconstructed resolution. The results also suggest that the signal-to-background requirement increases at higher resolution. This study gives an indication of what is possible at current setups at X-ray free-electron lasers with regards to expected background strength and establishes a target for experimental optimization of the background. Full Article text
mp Coordinate-based simulation of pair distance distribution functions for small and large molecular assemblies: implementation and applications By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-09-17 X-ray scattering has become a major tool in the structural characterization of nanoscale materials. Thanks to the widely available experimental and computational atomic models, coordinate-based X-ray scattering simulation has played a crucial role in data interpretation in the past two decades. However, simulation of real-space pair distance distribution functions (PDDFs) from small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, SAXS/WAXS, has been relatively less exploited. This study presents a comparison of PDDF simulation methods, which are applied to molecular structures that range in size from β-cyclodextrin [1 kDa molecular weight (MW), 66 non-hydrogen atoms] to the satellite tobacco mosaic virus capsid (1.1 MDa MW, 81 960 non-hydrogen atoms). The results demonstrate the power of interpretation of experimental SAXS/WAXS from the real-space view, particularly by providing a more intuitive method for understanding of partial structure contributions. Furthermore, the computational efficiency of PDDF simulation algorithms makes them attractive as approaches for the analysis of large nanoscale materials and biological assemblies. The simulation methods demonstrated in this article have been implemented in stand-alone software, SolX 3.0, which is available to download from https://12idb.xray.aps.anl.gov/solx.html. Full Article text
mp SUBGROUPS: a computer tool at the Bilbao Crystallographic Server for the study of pseudo-symmetric or distorted structures By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-10-01 SUBGROUPS is a free online program at the Bilbao Crystallographic Server (https://www.cryst.ehu.es/). It permits the exploration of all possible symmetries resulting from the distortion of a higher-symmetry parent structure, provided that the relation between the lattices of the distorted and parent structures is known. The program calculates all the subgroups of the parent space group which comply with this relation. The required minimal input is the space-group information of the parent structure and the relation of the unit cell of the distorted or pseudo-symmetric structure with that of the parent structure. Alternatively, the wavevector(s) observed in the diffraction data characterizing the distortion can be introduced. Additional conditions can be added, including filters related to space-group representations. The program provides very detailed information on all the subgroups, including group–subgroup hierarchy graphs. If a Crystallographic Information Framework (CIF) file of the parent high-symmetry structure is uploaded, the program generates CIF files of the parent structure described under each of the chosen lower symmetries. These CIF files may then be used as starting points for the refinement of the distorted structure under these possible symmetries. They can also be used for density functional theory calculations or for any other type of analysis. The power and efficiency of the program are illustrated with a few examples. Full Article text
mp distect: automatic sample-position tracking for X-ray experiments using computer vision algorithms By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-10-30 Soft X-ray spectroscopy is an important technique for measuring the fundamental properties of materials. However, for measurements of samples in the sub-millimetre range, many experimental setups show limitations. Position drifts on the order of hundreds of micrometres during thermal stabilization of the system can last for hours of expensive beam time. To compensate for drifts, sample tracking and feedback systems must be used. However, in complex sample environments where sample access is very limited, many existing solutions cannot be applied. In this work, we apply a robust computer vision algorithm to automatically track and readjust the sample position in the dozens of micrometres range. Our approach is applied in a complex sample environment, where the sample is in an ultra-high vacuum chamber, surrounded by cooled thermal shields to reach sample temperatures down to 2.5 K and in the center of a superconducting split coil. Our implementation allows sample-position tracking and adjustment in the vertical direction since this is the dimension where drifts occur during sample temperature change in our setup. The approach can be easily extended to 2D. The algorithm enables a factor of ten improvement in the overlap of a series of X-ray absorption spectra in a sample with a vertical size down to 70 µm. This solution can be used in a variety of experimental stations, where optical access is available and sample access by other means is reduced. Full Article text
mp Formulation of perfect-crystal diffraction from Takagi–Taupin equations: numerical implementation in the crystalpy library By journals.iucr.org Published On :: 2024-10-29 The Takagi–Taupin equations are solved in their simplest form (zero deformation) to obtain the Bragg-diffracted and transmitted complex amplitudes. The case of plane-parallel crystal plates is discussed using a matrix model. The equations are implemented in an open-source Python library crystalpy adapted for numerical applications such as crystal reflectivity calculations and ray tracing. Full Article text
mp Travelex partners with NCR Atleos to launch complete ATM technology refresh By thepaypers.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 09:58:00 +0100 Foreign exchange brand Travelex has announced its partners... Full Article
mp Lufthansa Group partners with FinMont to improve B2B payments By thepaypers.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 12:49:00 +0100 The Lufthansa Group has teamed up with Full Article
mp PayComplete research shows cash remains a widely used payment method By thepaypers.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:40:00 +0100 PayComplete has unveiled a report that... Full Article
mp Nuvei Partners with BigCommerce to improve payment solutions By thepaypers.com Published On :: Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:46:00 +0100 Canada-based fintech firm Nuvei has partnered with Full Article
mp Yuno unveils 'Payout' to simplify global payments for merchants By thepaypers.com Published On :: Tue, 29 Oct 2024 08:40:00 +0100 Yuno, a provider of payment orchestration, has... Full Article
mp 'Red Band Society' ads pulled from LA buses amid complaints of racism, sexism By www.scpr.org Published On :: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 08:56:27 -0700 "Red Band Society," premieres on Fox September 17th, starring Octavia Spencer, Charlie Rowe and Nolan Sotillo.; Credit: Fox Television Studios The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is pulling ads for the Fox television show "Red Band Society" from nearly 200 buses amid complaints they are racist and offensive to women. The ads show the ensemble cast's members in front of a wall with graffiti describing their characters. A denigrating word for a woman is used to describe the show's star, Octavia Spencer's character. The Los Angeles Times reports transit officials began pulling the ads on Wednesday. They had been up for five weeks. The Red Band Society also shared the ad on its Facebook page in August. Facebook: #RedBandSociety ad But it's since edited it to look like this. Photo: New ad via Facebook Protesters who attended Thursday's transit agency board meeting complained the depiction of Spencer's character is racist and offensive to women. The actress, who plays a nurse in the hospital drama, is black. She won a supporting actress Oscar for her role in "The Help." Full Article
mp Complete classification of six-dimensional iso-edge domains By journals.iucr.org Published On :: We enumerate the 55083357 iso-edge subdivisions of six-dimensional translational lattices. We report on the use of the method of canonical forms that allows us to apply hashing techniques used in modern databases. Full Article text
mp Co. Completes Earn-In to Form JV at Advanced Stage Uranium Project in Athabasca Basin By www.streetwisereports.com Published On :: Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 PST Source: Streetwise Reports 10/24/2024 Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (SYH:TSX.V; SYHBF:OTCQX; SC1P:FSE) has completed its earn-in requirements for a 51% interest at the Russell Lake Uranium Project in the central core of Canada's Eastern Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan. This comes as the need for more net-zero power is sparking a rebirth of the nuclear industry.Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (SYH:TSX.V; SYHBF:OTCQX; SC1P:FSE) announced that it has completed its earn-in requirements for a 51% interest at its co-flagship Russell Lake Uranium Project in the central core of Canada's Eastern Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan. The company and Rio Tinto have formed a joint venture (JV) to further explore the property, with Skyharbour holding 51% ownership interest and Rio Tinto holding 49%. This summer, Skyharbour announced that in the first phase of drilling it had found what was historically the best uranium intercept mineralization at the project when hole RSL24-02 at the recently identified Fork Target returned a 2.5-meter-wide intercept of 0.721% U3O8 at a relatively shallow depth of 338.1 meters, including 2.99% U3O8 over 0.5 meters at 339.6 meters. The second phase of drilling included three holes totaling 1,649 meters, with emphasis "at the MZE (M-Zone Extension) target, approximately 10 km northeast of the Fork target, identified prospective faulted graphitic gneiss accompanied by anomalous sandstone and basement geochemistry," Skyharbour said. "The discovery of multi-percent, high-grade, sandstone-hosted uranium mineralization at a new target is a major breakthrough in the discovery process at Russell — something that hasn't been seen before at the project with the potential to quickly grow with more drilling," President and Chief Executive Officer Jordan Trimble said at the time. ANT Survey, Upcoming Drilling Program The company also announced on Thursday that it had completed an Ambient Noise Tomography (ANT) survey in preparation for further drilling at the Russell Lake Project, set to commence in the fall. The survey used Fleet Space Technologies' Exosphere technology to acquire 3D passive seismic velocity data over the highly prospective Grayling and Fork target areas, where previous drilling has intersected high-grade uranium mineralization. "The ANT technology has been successfully employed in mapping significant sandstone and basement structures and associated alteration zones related to hydrothermal fluids pathways in the Athabasca Basin," the company said. Results from the survey will be used to further refine drill targets for the upcoming drilling program. Skyharbour is fully funded and permitted for the follow-up fall drill campaign consisting of approximately 7,000 metres of drilling at its main Russell and Moore Projects, with 2,500 meters of drilling at Moore and 4,500 meters of drilling at Russell. A Great Neighborhood Russell Lake is a large, advanced-stage uranium exploration property totaling 73,294 hectares strategically located between Cameco's Key Lake and McArthur River projects and Denison's Wheeler River Project to the west, and Skyharbour's Moore project to the east. "Skyharbour's acquisition of a majority interest in Russell Lake creates a large, nearly contiguous block of highly prospective uranium claims totaling 108,999 hectares between the Russell Lake and the Moore uranium projects," the company said. Most of the historical exploration at Russell Lake was conducted before 2010, prior to the discovery of several major deposits in/around the Athabasca Basin, Skyharbour said. Notable exploration targets on the property include the Grayling Zone, the M-Zone Extension target, the Little Man Lake target, the Christie Lake target, the Fox Lake Trail target and the newly identified Fork Zone target. "More than 35 kilometers of largely untested prospective conductors in areas of low magnetic intensity also exist on the property," the company noted. In an updated research note in July, Analyst Sid Rajeev of Fundamental Research Corp. wrote that Skyharbour "owns one of the largest portfolios among uranium juniors in the Athabasca Basin." "Given the highly vulnerable uranium supply chain, we anticipate continued consolidation within the sector," wrote Rajeev, who rated the stock a Buy with a fair value estimate of CA$1.21 per share. "Additionally, the rapidly growing demand for energy from the AI (artificial intelligence) industry is likely to accelerate the adoption of nuclear power, which should, in turn, spotlight uranium juniors in the coming months." The Catalyst: Uranium is 'BACK!' The growth of AI, new data centers, electric vehicle (EV) adoption, and the need for more net-zero power means more nuclear energy and the uranium needed to fuel it. Uranium prices are expected to move higher by the end of this quarter, when Trading Economics' global macro models and analyses forecast uranium to trade at US$84.15 per pound, Nuclear Newswire reported on Oct. 3. In another year, the site estimates that the metal will trade at US$91.80 per pound. Just last month, Microsoft Corp. (MSFT:NASDAQ) announced a deal with Constellation Energy Group (CEG:NYSE) to restart and buy all of the power from one of the shut-down reactors at its infamous Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania and the Biden administration also announced a plan to restart the Palisades plant in Michigan. Chris Temple, publisher of The National Investor, recently noted that with the Three Mile Island deal, "uranium/nuclear power is BACK!"[OWNERSHIP_CHART-6026] "I've watched as the news has continued to point to uranium being in the early innings of this new bull market," Temple wrote. "Yet the markets have been yawning . . . until now." Ownership and Share Structure Management, insiders, and close business associates own approximately 5% of Skyharbour. According to Reuters, President and CEO Trimble owns 1.6%, and Director David Cates owns 0.70%. Institutional, corporate, and strategic investors own approximately 55% of the company. Denison Mines owns 6.3%, Rio Tinto owns 2.0%, Extract Advisors LLC owns 9%, Alps Advisors Inc. owns 9.91%, Mirae Asset Global Investments (U.S.A) L.L.C. owns 6.29%, Sprott Asset Management L.P. owns 1.5%, and Incrementum AG owns 1.18%, Reuters reported. There are 182.53 million shares outstanding with 178 million free float traded shares, while the company has a market cap of CA$88.53 million and trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.31 and CA$0.64. Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-newsImportant Disclosures: Skyharbour Resources Ltd. is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports and pays SWR a monthly sponsorship fee between US$4,000 and US$5,000. Steve Sobek wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company. For additional disclosures, please click here. ( Companies Mentioned: SYH:TSX.V; SYHBF:OTCQX; SC1P:FSE, ) Full Article
mp New Operational Permit Paves Way for Key Lithium Project in Brazil's "Lithium Valley" By www.streetwisereports.com Published On :: Mon, 28 Oct 2024 00:00:00 PST Source: Streetwise Reports 10/28/2024 Atlas Lithium Corp. (ATLX:NASDAQ) announced that it has received the operational permit for its Neves Project. Read what this permit, unanimously approved by Minas Gerais government in Brazil, allows Atlas to do.Atlas Lithium Corp. (ATLX:NASDAQ) announced that it has received the operational permit for its Neves Project. This marks a significant milestone for the company's ambitions in lithium production. The permit, approved by the Minas Gerais government in Brazil, allows Atlas Lithium to assemble and operate its processing plant, develop open-pit mining operations, and produce lithium concentrate. The unanimously voted October 25 decision officially progressed with the publication in Minas Gerais' government gazette the following day. The Neves Project permit, a comprehensive triphasic license (LI/LP/LO), enables a more streamlined development, encompassing initial, installation, and operating permissions. "Permitting is widely considered the most critical risk in any mining project," said Atlas Lithium CEO Marc Fogassa in the news release. The company's success in obtaining this permit underscores its commitment to sustainable, responsible operations in Brazil's "Lithium Valley." The Allure of The Lithium Market According to Visual Capitalist on September 29, battery metal prices have recently "struggled as a surge in new production overwhelmed demand." However, with battery demand projected to increase ninefold by 2040, companies positioned to produce high-quality lithium concentrate, such as Atlas Lithium, are likely to see enhanced market relevance as the demand trajectory for lithium-ion batteries strengthens significantly over the coming decades. Jake Sekelsky from Alliance Global Partners reaffirmed his "Buy" rating for Atlas Lithium, setting a price target of US$45.00. As Forbes wrote on October 8, 2024, recent industry dynamics have shown that "a 50% rise in the price of a downtrodden lithium producer has boosted investor hopes that a revival in the battery metal is possible after two grim years of oversupply and low prices." This improvement in lithium prices reflects a broader trend that may positively impact companies like Atlas Lithium, whose operational progress aligns with the gradual sector recovery. The recent permitting for Atlas Lithium's Neves Project positions it to capitalize on these trends as it advances its lithium production capabilities. On that same day, Barry Dawes of Martin Place Securities commented that "the lithium market is showing strong signs of upturn," anticipating "lithium shortages post-2027." This outlook emphasizes the sector's potential for heightened demand and supply constraints, which is particularly beneficial for projects advancing toward production. Atlas Lithium's strategy, which includes a modular processing plant and environmentally responsible operations, underscores the company's readiness to meet this anticipated demand. What's Driving Atlas Forward? Atlas Lithium's Neves Project's recent permit positions the company to advance toward its production goals with key environmental and operational clearances in place. According to the company's September 2024 investor presentation, this approval aligns with an expedited project timeline and enhances the company's potential to become a low-cost lithium concentrate producer. With Brazil's favorable mining conditions and Atlas Lithium's established partnerships with Tier 1 global companies, the Neves Project is poised for cost-effective operations and market alignment. Atlas's modular processing plant, currently in the final pre-shipment stage, also demonstrates a strategic focus on efficiency and ESG standards. This advanced plant is set for rapid assembly and installation. It reflects Atlas Lithium's intention to minimize environmental impact and expedite production ramp-up, contributing to a streamlined path toward production in Brazil's burgeoning lithium sector. Analysts On Atlas Jake Sekelsky from Alliance Global Partners reaffirmed his "Buy" rating for Atlas Lithium, setting a price target of US$45.00. He described the recent operational permit issuance for the Neves Project as a "significant de-risking event," emphasizing that this milestone positions the project to move forward with construction and operations. Sekelsky highlighted that the approval "marks the final step in the permitting process" and grants Atlas Lithium the authorization to proceed with assembling its processing facility and initiating open-pit mining operations. This development aligns with a clear production path, with Sekelsky noting that the project is now at "shovel-ready status," a critical advancement toward fulfilling Atlas Lithium's strategic objectives. [OWNERSHIP_CHART-11040] Sekelsky also pointed to the current market environment for lithium, expressing optimism regarding "signs of an upcoming recovery" in lithium prices. He interpreted recent merger and acquisition activities within the sector, including other acquisitions in Brazil's Lithium Valley, as indicators that larger players anticipate a rebound. Sekelsky remarked that this resurgence could benefit advanced hard-rock lithium projects, such as Neves, which "continue to command attention from potential suitors." Ownership and Share Structure About 34% of Atlas Lithium is owned by management and insiders. About 11% of the shareholders are institutional. Strategic partners hold another 12%. The rest, about 43%, is retail. Top shareholders include Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd. with 4.34%, Mitsui & Co. Ltd. with 12.27%, and Candace Shira Associates LLC with 1.39%, according to Reuters. Its market cap is about US$165 million. It trades in a 52-week range of US$34 and US$6.25. Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-newsImportant Disclosures:1) James Guttman wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee. 2) This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company. For additional disclosures, please click here. ( Companies Mentioned: ATLX:NASDAQ, ) Full Article
mp Off-Ramp Recommends: Spending a day with your "dad" By www.scpr.org Published On :: Thu, 15 Jun 2017 12:22:48 -0700 Off-Ramp's Rosalie Atkinson, her dad, and her dad's mustache circa quite a few facial hair fads ago. (Credit: Rosalie Atkinson); Credit: Rosalie Atkinson | Off-Ramp®These cool tips would have landed in your in-box with no extra effort on your part IF you'd subscribed to Off-Ramp's weekly e-newsletter. We send out a recommendation every week, along with all the latest Off-Ramp news. Sign up now! Father's Day is coming quick! But before you run to Walgreen's Sunday morning to find they are sold out of touching cards for the father figure in your life, let us help you curate a fun day out with dad. Thinking about significant-figure holidays, there seems to be more of a method for planning Mother's Day surprises. You get the breakfast-in-bed together quietly for mom or grandma or aunt, etc., wake her up early on a Sunday, she quickly scrambles to hide the fact that she decided to sleep pantsless, then you present her with some poorly made waffles and juice which she will inevitably spill on her white sheets. But what about your father-figure? A card? Yes. Maybe a golf ball? Okay. A mug you Amazon Prime'd to him in a last-ditch effort that says "Captain Dad?" Don't do that. It might be weird to ask the men in our life, "What the hell do you want?" under the veil of Father's Day, so to spare you we've compiled some ideas. Idea #1: Take your father to get pampered! Spa days are are not gender-specific and when was the last time someone even looked at your dad's feet? Hollywood salon Hammer & Nails focuses on men's cuticle care. Treat your dad to a MANi-pedi, and he'll also enjoy a glass of bourbon, a personal flatscreen TV with noise-cancelling headphones, all while relaxing in an over-sized leather chair. Although Hammer & Nails targets men, women are also welcome. 8257 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046. Idea #2: Take in a tasting. Greenbar Distillery is LA's first spirit distillery since the Prohibition was repealed in 1933. They boast the "World's largest portfolio of organic spirits." Take a tour, pose with their gigantic copper stills and whiskey barrels, sign up for a class, or just taste some of their 16 spirits and five bitters. Their tours are reserved for Saturday so consider this a pregame to your other Father's Day plans. 2459 E 8th St, Los Angeles, California, 90021. Idea #3: Younger kids? Let's play! Sunday, the Autry Museum of the American West is opening a new exhibit about the history of play. Experience the next generation of toys and games, but also see how they differ across generations and cultures. The exhibit is very interactive and the museum is in beautiful Griffith Park, so there are plenty of hiking trails, picnic spots, or viewpoints to snap some pictures with your man/men. 234 Museum Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90065 . Idea #4: The Abbey's annual Father's Day Brunch. For the past six years, The Abbey in West Hollywood has hosted a brunch in celebration of LGBT families or those considering starting one. There will be a breakfast buffet from 9am-1pm and attendees can get more info about fostering opportunities. $18 per person. 692 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 . Much love to all the dads, uncles, grandpas, friends, and men nurturing other people! This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp Off-Ramp's producer on the first time he ever heard public radio (it was Off-Ramp) By www.scpr.org Published On :: Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:22:06 -0700 Hollywood billboard queen, Angelyne was featured on the first Off-Ramp episode producer Chris Greenspon ever heard.; Credit: Creative Commons via Flickr user Thomas Hawk Chris Greenspon and Rosalie Atkinson | Off-Ramp®After a few semesters of college radio at Mt. San Antonio College, I landed my first radio job: Board Operator! At struggling KFWB Newstalk 980. My career in radio began the way it does for so many, working odd hours and weekends. A few months into my new gig, I was leaving for work and I thought, “You know, if I’m going to work in radio, I should listen to the radio.” I drove over the bridge on Hacienda Boulevard in La Puente, heading towards the 60, and right in front of my on-ramp, there was a big, orange billboard for KPCC. Why not 89.3? The first thing I heard (and I should clarify that this was also my first time ever hearing public radio) was Janis Joplin getting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on Off-Ramp. Clive Davis, the CBS A&R executive who signed Joplin, told the crowd about how Joplin had suggested sealing their new relationship by having sex (though he demurred), and that his heart was broken when she died. Then Kris Kristofferson sang “Me & Bobby McGee,” and I was smiling, until I heard a chorus of hippies singing "Mercedes Benz." Pee-yew! “Should I stay?” I asked myself. How could I not, when someone named Dylan Brody came on and told a story about letting his dogs poop on the neighbor’s lawn? But then, the real cheese, for a 20-something year old, biracial kid who loved space ships and tough punk girls; "Love and Rockets" cartoonist Jaime Hernandez talking about drawing for Junot Diaz. All this was to say nothing of the loud, defiant-sounding host, who kept saying. "This is Off-Ramp, I’m John Rabe." I listened to him slide between all of these topics, and even report from the field himself, talking about museums in a way that wasn’t – boring. After a few more pieces and a few more uses of the Off-Ramp theme song, I had a new favorite show. And I suspect a few other people did too. That was November 2013. Five months later, I was on the show. At the end of the episode, I noticed that they had an intern in the credits, and after many repeated scourings of the KPCC careers page, the position finally opened up. So what’d I do? I went out with my chintzy audio recorder, and recorded a story so if I got an interview, I wouldn’t go in empty-handed. I didn’t get the internship then, but John did buy the piece. Remember the one about the Burmese Café run by an ex-biologist? I kept freelancing after that, and honestly, I got a lot of my ideas from stuff that Off-Ramp wasn’t doing. John would have Angelyne, and her famous Hollywood billboard, but what about the giant neon sign at Rose Hills Cemetery in Pico Rivera? Kevin Ferguson would hang out with Mike Watt from the Minutemen, but what about punk supergroup, the Flesh Eaters? And could we talk about a domestic violence shelter in a Thanksgiving Special, or the fact that a home-abortion movement started in Los Angeles? John eventually asked me to intern after turning the Jim Tully mini-documentary in, and even after joining the company, writing these kinds of stories for Off-Ramp was still not easy, but there was room for all of them. I would be beyond thrilled if somebody heard even one of them when they heard Off-Ramp for the first time. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp Off-Ramp Recommends: Getting 'Off the 405' for La Luz By www.scpr.org Published On :: Wed, 21 Jun 2017 14:39:16 -0700 Catcus garden at the Getty Museum (Creative Commons via Flickr user Prayitno); Credit: Rosalie Atkinson | Off-Ramp®'Off the 405' is a free night of music, agua-fresca cocktails, and immeasurable views. The Getty Museum stacks their performance calendar with great artists, sometimes indie, sometimes local, always energetic; this Saturday's line-up features the great, all-Angelena rock group, La Luz. The band's sound was deemed "surf-noir" by Stereogum, complete with bright lyrics and haunting harmonies. The band quickly gained notoriety in LA for the energy of their live performances, and Soul-Train style dance competitions during their sets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlUiwINM5lM 'Off the 405' takes place from 6pm to 9pm and will feature a cash bar, some light bites, and an opening DJ set as the sun goes down. It doesn't get more scenic and quintessentially Los Angeles than this. So enjoy a free night out, a craft cocktail, and some fantastic music. Don't forget to snap a skyline-selfie and send it to Team Off-Ramp! The Getty Center is located at 1200 Getty Center Drive in LA, roughly 12 miles northwest of downtown. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp Food writer Russ Parsons brings Rabe a pie (not in the face) for the Off-Ramp finale By www.scpr.org Published On :: Wed, 28 Jun 2017 13:01:07 -0700 Former LA Times food writer Russ Parsons offers John Rabe a piece of pie, in John's Mercedes; Credit: John Rabe/KPCC John Rabe | Off-Ramp®Semi-retired, former LA Times food writer Russ Parsons appeared often on Off-Ramp over the years, helping to explain the city’s communities through their food, as well as giving solid cooking advice. For the final edition of Off-Ramp, John picked up Russ at Jongewaard's Bake-N-Broil, a Long Beach institution. Parsons brought John an olallieberry pie (a cross of 'Black Logan' blackberries and youngberries), whilst the inimitable Parsons -- author of "How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table" and "How to Read a French Fry: And Other Stories of Intriguing Kitchen Science" -- opted for the coconut cream. Listen to the audio for John and Russ' observations on how food brings the disparate cultures of Los Angeles together, and to hear about which part of hosting Off-Ramp is as humbling for John as it is for Parsons when readers tell him they cook his food at Thanksgiving. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp Benmont Tench - of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - says goodbye to John with the most Off-Rampy song ever By www.scpr.org Published On :: Wed, 28 Jun 2017 13:47:00 -0700 ; Credit: John Rabe/KPCC John Rabe | Off-Ramp®Off-Ramp fan, KPCC member (!), and Tom Petty and Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench III joined John in his old Mercedes with his large, but portable Casio. Tench has lived in the hills of Tarzana for decades, in a perfectly good house, but in the 100-degree heat, John outfitted his car with condenser mikes to record a farewell ode to Off-Ramp, Tench's "Like the Sun." The full band version of Benmont Tench III's "Like the Sun" "Like the Sun" helped Tench get back in the songwriting groove a decade ago after he burnt out on being professional songwriter in Nashville. He based the lyrics on tours of Los Angeles given to him by a friend, and takes the listener (with his Southern accent) from a restaurant called Michoacan to a hill top tent city. Tench also told John how he and his wife Alice explore Los Angeles. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp Queena Kim, Off-Ramp's first producer, sheds light on the show's beginnings By www.scpr.org Published On :: Wed, 28 Jun 2017 15:33:26 -0700 Off-Ramp producer Queena Kim acts on behalf of millions of Angelenos. The meter didn't stand a chance. ; Credit: John Rabe/KPCC John Rabe | Off-Ramp®Off-Ramp began eleven years ago, just as digital technology was beginning to overtake radio. No more cassette tape or mini-discs; host John and producer Queena Kim thought they could take on all of Los Angeles with two digital audio recorders and a different approach to public radio. Short-handed as they were, John and Queena had to adopt slash-and-burn tactics to get each show produced on time. The majority of interviews were conducted in the field; at the homes, workplaces, and favorite hang-outs of their subjects (instead of waiting for guests to come to the station) and many of the stories were edited as simple two-way interviews with life in Southern California picked up as ambient, background noise. After all, a show called Off-Ramp had better be ready to brave some LA traffic. At this juncture, John feels free to say what he has always wanted to, but hasn't for fear of self-aggrandizement: "I think we were trendsetters. I think Marketplace and NPR heard the stuff we were doing, and started doing stuff like it." Once again, Kim chalks it up to being in the right place at the right time technologically, and the two person team's willingness to break out of the old-school, public radio way writing a story: with a very clear sonic difference between studio narration and field audio. Of course, it wasn't just Marantz recorders and minimal rewriting that gave Off-Ramp its flavor. There was a whole lot of weird spewing up out of Los Angeles during the show's formative years and Kim's tenure (2006-2010). She recalls covering a ten-theremin orchestra at Disney Hall, and the excitement of working on a show that let her (and the listeners, vicariously) do things she always wanted to do. "It was almost like having a free pass to the city." In order to capture what was new and exciting, John and Queena both agree that it was absolutely vital to abandon the reporter's instinct for safely packaging the story ahead of time. John cites his editor at Minnesota Public Radio's philosophy, Mike Edgerly; "Go find what the story is, go out and explore and figure out what the story is. Don't figure it out at your desk first." The collaboration between John's ideas and Kim's sense of logistics formed a dialectic relationship, valuing the "third, better idea" over either of their original perspectives. In light of that, John says Queena Kim was the perfect person with whom to start Off-Ramp. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp Off-Ramp Recommends: 'Stay young, go dancing' By www.scpr.org Published On :: Thu, 29 Jun 2017 12:30:26 -0700 Stones Throw DJ Peanut Butter Wolf spinning.; Credit: Photo by Maris Kaplan via Flickr Creative Commons Rosalie Atkinson | Off-Ramp®For the final Off-Ramp recommendation, we scoured the internet far and wide for options that really speak to Angeleno culture and the show's mission of spreading LA love far and wide. However, upon thoughtful reflection, we've decided the show has always been about getting out and trying fun, new things and learning something. Every engaged community member getting out in Southern California adds to the cultural wealth of the city and so this weekend, let's get out and play/shake it fast and loose. LA has multiple cheap or free events this weekend to get you out into the city, meeting new people, and that will have you considering shaking your groove-thang on a sliding scale, from gingerly to furiously. 1. Dance DTLA During summer, The Music Center celebrates multicultural dance with alternating lessons and performances, each Friday. Friday the 30th will feature a DJ set curated by local label Stones Throw's golden boy Peanut Butter Wolf. The night will include sets by Peanut Butter Wolf, DJ Steve, Vex Ruffin, and Jimi Hey playing the 80's and 90's hits that inspired their music careers. The performances will include Funk, Soul, Disco, New Wave, and Rap reimaginings. The event is entirely free and begins at 9pm at 200 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles, 90012. 2. Grand performances: First peoples, New voices. As part of their free summer concert series, Grand Performances has curated a line-up of fantastic Hip-Hop performers, emboldened with an indigenous perspective. The MCs are encouraging Hip-Hop fans to come experience "raw lyrics, urgent poetry, and iconic dance" by a selection of performers representing native Southern California groups, spreading their culture and passion. The event runs 8pm-10:30pm on Saturday at 350 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, 90071. 3. House Party LA + DoLA: The Biggest Dollar Party Ever! Event group House Party LA has outdone themselves on this Saturday's event. Yes, there will be great performers: Tiger, Suga Shay, Gianna Lee, and DJ Damage. Yes, admission is $1, or $5 without a facebook RSVP. But here is the real draw: slices of pizza are just $1. Cheap fun, music, and cheap pizza? That is the selling point to end all selling points. Unless they were giving out free cars and puppies... which we can't rule out just yet, you had best to go and investigate for yourself. The event starts at 9pm and will run until 2am at the Regent, located at 448 S Main St, Los Angeles, 90013. A fond farewell to all the Off-Ramp recommendation readers and takers. It's been a pleasure. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp Kings of Kitsch Nichols and Phoenix (mostly) manage not to talk over each other on the last Off-Ramp By www.scpr.org Published On :: Thu, 29 Jun 2017 14:22:45 -0700 L-R: Three Southern California retro fanatics, John Rabe, Chris Nichols, and Charles Phoenix; Credit: John Rabe/KPCC John Rabe | Off-Ramp®Is it possible that the two titans of retro Southern California - Charles Phoenix and Charles Nichols - have never been on Off-Ramp at the same time? But maybe that brings up a larger question. Is it even possible for them to exist in the same place, at the same time, or would their meeting cause a cosmic singularity, an undarnable rending of the time-space continuum? The answers are, stupidly, yes; and thankfully, yes. Over the 11 years of Off-Ramp, "God Bless Americana" author Charles Phoenix and Los Angeles Magazine's Chris Nichols have played a large part in bringing interesting and endangered places to our listeners. From Pomona to Chatsworth to Bellflower to Anaheim, both men have made careers of highlighting and preserving things that in their day were seen as expendable, flavor-of-the-month, mass marketed creations. Like programmatic architecture (buildings that look like what they're selling or making, i.e. the Donut Hole in La Puente, the Idle Hour - a giant wine cask - in NoHo). Yet, with hindsight, we've been able to see them as archetypal and important touchstones of our region. For their final appearances on the show, they got in the Mercedes and shared their love of getting lost in Southern California. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp Mayor Garcetti's Q&A in John's car was almost over... until Hizzoner saw the backgammon game By www.scpr.org Published On :: Thu, 29 Jun 2017 14:41:46 -0700 Off-Ramp host John Rabe and Mayor Eric Garcetti playing backgammon in John’s car. Julian “The First Lady of Off-Ramp” Bermudez in the passenger seat with camera. ; Credit: Andrea Garcia John Rabe | Off-Ramp®John Rabe’s last show coincides with Eric Garcetti’s inauguration for his second term as Mayor of Los Angeles. In John's car, the two talked about: The joys of exploring Los Angeles The time the future Mayor's mom and dad took his drivers' license away Where Justin Trudeau should visit when he comes to LA And how the drop in crime has led to more people doing the Off-Ramp thing The Mayor also did some slam poetry, and then played a competitive game of backgammon. Listen with the audio player to see who was brown and who was white. And listen to Off-Ramp on the radio to find out who won the game! (Saturday at noon/Sunday at 6pm) This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp George Takei on how he took his internment camp musical, 'Allegiance,' to Broadway By www.scpr.org Published On :: Fri, 16 Feb 2018 12:53:00 -0800 Brad and George Takei, the new typical American married couple.; Credit: John Rabe/Grant Wood/Michael Uhlenkott John Rabe | Off-Ramp®UPDATE: “Allegiance” will be performed Feb. 21-April 1, 2018, at the Aratani Theater at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center in downtown L.A.'s Little Tokyo. ORIGINAL STORY: In an intimate interview, George Takei tells Off-Ramp host John Rabe about crafting the Japanese-American internment camp history into compelling Broadway musical theater. "Allegiance," with Takei, Lea Salonga and Telly Leung, played at the Longacre Theater. George Takei and his husband Brad were putting their house in mothballs when I arrived for our interview in August. They'd already been spending a lot of time in New York because of George's recurring role on "The Howard Stern Show," but now, with the Broadway opening of "Allegiance" just a couple months away, they were preparing to move for as long as the musical brings in the crowds. While Brad went off to deal with the mundane domestic tasks around the move, I sat with George in their living room to talk about turning one of America's most shameful episodes — the internment of some 120,000 loyal Japanese-Americans during World War II — into a musical that could make it on the Broadway stage. George, you just sent an email to your fans with the subject line: "I've Waited 7 Years to Send You this Email. Seven years!" Inside, you wrote: "Few things are as difficult and complex as taking a show to Broadway. It's both thrilling and terrifying." What was terrifying? "The terrifying part is, you've poured your passion, your energy, your resources ... you make all that investment in that project, and then you're hoping the seats are going to be filled.That 'what if' is terrifying. But in San Diego, we had a sold-out run and broke their 77-year record. But now we're going to Broadway, and that same fear is there. Will they come? What will the critics say? Because it's life or death." It took a long time just to get a Broadway theater. "It took a long time to get a theater.You think there are a lot of Broadway theaters, but there are even more productions that want those chunks of New York real estate. So we thought we'd get in line. But then the other discovery we made is that the theater owners have relationships with grizzled old producers who have brought them a vast fortune with enormous hits, and they can cut in line. They have a track record. And so, 'will we ever get a theater' became a big question. But we have this time now — let's use it creatively, productively." So, Takei says, the team tweaked the show, removing parts that didn't work didn't advance the story, inserting numbers that worked better and kept the story moving. They doubled down on social media, building and proving demand in the show. "We have a Shubert theater (the Longacre), and Bob Wankel is head guy there, and I remember pouring my heart out, telling the story of my parents, hoping that touches. And he was understanding, but I understood his problem, too. Everybody is trying to get a theater and he has to make a good business decision and was initially skeptical. An internment camp musical? But music has the power to make an anguished painful situation even more moving, even more powerful. It hits you in the heart." Highlights from "Allegiance" at the Old Globe in San Diego This is your Broadway debut, right? Are you petrified? "Yes, yes. I've done a lot of stage work, and I've done a lot of public speaking, but it's Broadway, and I'm a debutante... at 78 years old! And it's the critics, too. The New York Times, Ben Brantley. That's who I'm going to be facing, and so it's both exciting and absolutely filling me with ecstasy, but what makes it ecstatic is the fear." For much more of our interview with George Takei, listen to the audio by clicking the arrow in the player at the top of the page ... and hear George Takei and John Rabe's duet of "Tiny Bubbles." This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp Facial recognition technique could improve hail forecasts By news.science360.gov Published On :: 2019-08-21T07:00:00Z Full Text:The same artificial intelligence technique typically used in facial recognition systems could help improve prediction of hailstorms and their severity, according to a new, National Science Foundation-funded study. Instead of zeroing in on the features of an individual face, scientists trained a deep learning model called a convolutional neural network to recognize features of individual storms that affect the formation of hail and how large the hailstones will be, both of which are notoriously difficult to predict. The promising results highlight the importance of taking into account a storm's entire structure, something that's been challenging to do with existing hail-forecasting techniques.Image credit: Carlye Calvin Full Article
mp Brookhaven completes LSST's digital sensor array By news.science360.gov Published On :: 2019-08-22T07:00:00Z Full Text:After 16 years of dedicated planning and engineering, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have completed a 3.2 gigapixel sensor array for the camera that will be used in the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), a massive telescope that will observe the universe like never before. The digital sensor array is composed of about 200 16-megapixel sensors, divided into 21 modules called "rafts." Each raft can function on its own, but when combined, they will view an area of sky that can fit more than 40 full moons in a single image. Researchers will stitch these images together to create a time-lapse movie of the complete visible universe accessible from Chile. Currently under construction on a mountaintop in Chile, LSST is designed to capture the most complete images of our universe that have ever been achieved. The project to build the telescope facility and camera is a collaborative effort among more than 30 institutions from around the world, and it is primarily funded by DOE's Office of Science and the National Science Foundation.Image credit: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Full Article
mp Genetic redundancy aids competition among symbiotic bacteria in squid By news.science360.gov Published On :: 2019-08-28T07:00:00Z Full Text:The molecular mechanism used by many bacteria to kill neighboring cells has redundancy built into its genetic makeup, which could allow for the mechanism to be expressed in different environments, say researchers at Penn State and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their new study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of competition among bacteria. "Many organisms, including humans, acquire bacteria from their environment," said Tim Miyashiro, a biochemist and molecular biologist at Penn State and the leader of the research team. "These bacteria can contribute to functions within the host organism, like how our gut bacteria help us digest food. We're interested in the interactions among bacteria cells, and between bacteria and their hosts, to better understand these mutually beneficial symbiotic relationships." Cells of the bioluminescent bacteria Vibrio fisheri take up residence in the light organ of newly hatched bobtail squid. At night, the bacteria produce a blue glow that researchers believe obscures a squid's silhouette and helps protect it from predators. The light organ has pockets, or crypts, in the squid's skin that provide nutrients and a safe environment for the bacteria. "When the squid hatches, it doesn't yet have any bacteria in its light organ," said Miyashiro. "But bacteria in the environment quickly colonize the squid's light organ." Some of these different bacteria strains can coexist, but others can't. "Microbial symbioses are essentially universal in animals, and are crucial to the health and development of both partners," says Irwin Forseth, a program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Integrative Organismal Systems, which funded the research. "The results from this study highlight the role small genetic changes can play in microbe interactions. Increased understanding will allow us to better predict organisms' performance in changing environments."Image credit: Andrew Cecere Full Article
mp iDenfy launches new data crossmatch tool to improve KYB compliance By thepaypers.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 08:08:00 +0100 Lithuania-based iDenfy has introduced an AI-powered Data Crossmatch feature aimed at improving the Know Your Business (KYB) compliance process. Full Article
mp Visible Gold Brings Continued Excitement to Jr. Explorer's BC Project By www.streetwisereports.com Published On :: Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:00:00 PST Source: Streetwise Reports 11/07/2024 Drilling and field operations at Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd.'s (GCC:CSE; GCCFF:OTC; A0RLEP:WKN; 3TZ:FSE) past-producing Quesnelle project in British Columbia's Cariboo Gold District continue to find the yellow metal throughout the project, from visible gold in drill cores to mineralization in outcrop samples. One mining analyst says it's a good indication of the mine's potential.Drilling and field operations at Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd.'s (GCC:CSE; GCCFF:OTC; A0RLEP:WKN; 3TZ:FSE) past-producing Quesnelle project in British Columbia's Cariboo Gold District continue to find the yellow metal throughout the project, from visible gold in drill cores to mineralization in outcrop samples. President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Callaghan told Streetwise Reports that despite the high level of experience on his team, several geologists had never seen visible gold before, and their first views of it were "priceless." "It was on the outside of this piece of core," Callaghan said. "And then the core had split … and there was more gold on the inside of it, as well." Callaghan said he's drilled "hundreds and hundreds" of holes, but he "can count on my hands how many times I've seen it (visible gold)." He said the company is seeing the gold in "every drill hole," so they keep moving forward chasing the deposit and working at the site 24 hours a day. And according to Callaghan, the structure of the mineralization is "thickening up" as they drill. The technical team has also recognized multiple types of quartz veins that can contain gold, a common feature in large gold deposits of similar nature. Last month, the company announced it was even forced to stop drilling in a vein zone at the property due to proximity to Osisko Development Corp.'s nearby mineral claims. Drill hole QGQ24-17 was terminated at a depth of 477.32 meters, and the "only thing that stopped us from drilling further was the claim boundary with Osisko," Callaghan said at the time. On Tuesday, the company announced rock sample results from its 2024 field campaign, which found up to 8.47 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) in one outcrop in the Halo zone and 1.13 g/t Au in another outcrop near the Pioneer showing. "Although there is a lot of glacial cover on this project, our geologists still managed to find new gold-bearing outcrops in areas of great significance," Callaghan said in a release announcing the results. "We have now expanded the surface footprint of gold mineralization at the Halo zone to the northeast and increased the strike length of our gold trend. We're in a very large gold system that is being demonstrated by multiple, varied work programs." Drilling 'Nonstop' and 'Underbudget' Golden Cariboo, a Canadian explorer-developer, is targeting a potential multimillion-ounce gold resource at the 3,814-hectare Quesnelle project, where gold, silver, lead and zinc were produced historically, according to its Investor Presentation. The company's neighbors in the mining district include Osisko's Cariboo Gold Project, Spanish Mountain Gold Ltd. (SPA:TSX.V) (Spanish Mountain deposit), Omineca Mining and Metals Ltd. (OMM:TSX.V; OMMSF:OTCMKTS) (Wingdam mine) and Taseko Mines Ltd. (TKO:TSX; TGB:NYSE.MKT) (Gibraltar mine). Callaghan began rediscovering the Cariboo Camp in the mid-1990s as Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. He and his then team discovered a gold deposit at Bonanza Ledge and advanced the project to production. He also assembled and developed the Cariboo Gold Project. Ultimately, Osisko Royalties acquired Barkerville and the assets in 2015 for US$338M. Osisko is about to restart mining operations in the camp. Subsequently, in 2019, Callaghan acquired the Quesnelle Gold Quartz project, where he aims to repeat his previous successes, given the property's geology is similar to that of the other two projects. Previously, the company reported observing multiple instances of visible gold in several holes earlier this fall and summer. "Visible gold in current drilling indicates potential for high-grade assays from mineralized targets," Couloir Capital Senior Mining Analyst Ron Wortel wrote in a recent research report. Given that Golden Cariboo is continuing its exploration program at Quesnelle throughout 2024, near-term catalysts include drill and assay results demonstrating significant grades or widths and better-defined mineralization controls and trends, according to Wortel. Callaghan told Streetwise Reports that drilling continues to be "nonstop" and underbudget." External catalysts include market transactions in the junior mining space involving projects or companies in the Cariboo region. Reports by Osisko Development of project advancements or production results relative to adjacent land also could boost Golden Cariboo's stock price. The Catalyst: Index Also Confirms Bull Run for Junior Stocks Experts agreed gold is in a bull market and expect it to go higher. However, after hitting a record high of US$2,790.15 per ounce last week, spot gold was down more than 3% to a three-week low on Wednesday morning as investors moved to the U.S. dollar after Donald Trump's election as U.S. president on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Market participants are also looking ahead to the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision on Thursday for further clues on the bank's easing cycle, Reuters said. "A clear presidential victory when the market has been pricing in a contested result, removal of an element of risk, Trump-trades include the dollar's strengthening this morning and the combination of the two has brought gold lower," StoneX analyst Rhona O'Connell said, according to Reuters. Gold's rise has "resulted in big returns for the investors who bought in earlier this year," Angelica Leicht reported for CBS News last month. "For example, the investors who purchased gold in March when it hit US$2,160 per ounce have seen their gold values increase by nearly 27% in the time since. That's a huge uptick in value in a matter of months, especially on an asset that's known more for long-term growth." Recently polled London Bullion Market Association members indicated they believe the gold price could reach US$2,940/oz during 2025, reported Stockhead on Oct. 28.[OWNERSHIP_CHART-11131] "Combined with expectations of lower global interest rates, this further enhances gold's attractiveness as an investment," the article noted. As for gold equities, the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (SPCDNX) confirmed a bull run for junior, intermediate, and senior mining stocks when it closed above 1,000 recently, Stewart Thomson with 321Gold wrote. The index is a key indicator of the health of the general gold, silver, and mining stocks market. Ownership and Share Structure According to Golden Cariboo, management and insiders own 30% of Golden Cariboo Resources. President and CEO Frank Callaghan owns 16.45% or 6.93 million shares; Elaine Callaghan has 0.97% or 0.41 million shares; Director Andrew Rees has 0.79% or 0.33 million shares; and Director Laurence Smoliak has 0.3% or 0.13 million shares. Retail investors hold the remaining. There are no institutional investors. The company said it has 50.3 million shares outstanding, 24.83 million warrants, and 3.8 million options. Its market cap is CA$9.63 million. Over the past 52 weeks, Golden Cariboo has traded between CA$0.08 and CA$0.36 per share. Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-newsImportant Disclosures: Omineca Mining and Metals Ltd. is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports and pays SWR a monthly sponsorship fee between US$4,000 and US$5,000. Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. has a consulting relationship with Street Smart an affiliate of Streetwise Reports. Street Smart Clients pay a monthly consulting fee between US$8,000 and US$20,000. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Golden Cariboo Resources Ltd. and Omineca Mining and Metals Ltd. Steve Sobek wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company. For additional disclosures, please click here. ( Companies Mentioned: GCC:CSE; GCCFF:OTC; A0RLEP:WKN;3TZ:FSE, ) Full Article
mp LA City Council to Vote on New Measure to Restrict Homeless Encampments By www.scpr.org Published On :: Thu, 01 Jul 2021 09:04:15 -0700 Tents housing the homeless at an encampment in Echo Lake Park in Los Angeles, California on March 24, 2021.; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images AirTalkThe Los Angeles City Council votes Thursday on a proposal to ban sleeping or camping in certain parts of the city, including near schools, parks, libraries, and other “sensitive” facilities like daycares. It would also ban tents and encampments from blocking sidewalks if wheelchair users cannot access them. The motion is a departure from the city’s previous approach to the homelessness crisis. Council members voted 12 to 3 on Tuesday to pull the draft ordinance out of Homelessness and Poverty Committee, where it had been stuck since November, and directed City Attorney Mike Feuer’s office to draft the new rules. Today on AirTalk, we’re speaking with Los Angeles Times reporter Ben Oreskes about the proposed rules, what Thursday’s vote means, and what we know about possible legal ramifications of the proposed changes. Guest: Ben Oreskes, staff writer at the Los Angeles Times; he tweets @boreskes This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp COVID-19 AMA: J&J Says Its Vaccine Is Effective Against Delta Variant, WHO Says All Authorized Vaccines Should Be Recognized By The West And More By www.scpr.org Published On :: Fri, 02 Jul 2021 09:23:15 -0700 Detail of boxes with the U.S. donated Johnson & Johnson vaccine against Covid-19 at Universidad de Baja California on June 17, 2021 in Tijuana, Baja California. ; Credit: Francisco Vega/Getty Images James Chow | AirTalkIn our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Dr. Annabelle De St. Maurice from University of California Los Angeles/Mattel Children’s hospital. Topics today include: J&J says its vaccine is effective against Delta variant J&J vaccine lasts at least 8 months WHO says all vaccines it authorized should be recognized by reopening countries White House says it will miss July 4 vaccination goal Postpartum depression on the rise during the pandemic Experts believe Novavax may play a role in combating vaccine hesitancy Delta variant is not driving a surge in hospitalization rates in England Guest: Annabelle De St. Maurice, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases and the co-chief infection prevention officer at University of California Los Angeles/Mattel Children’s hospital; she tweets @destmauricemd This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp COVID-19 AMA: National Vaccination Campaign, Variants And Vaccinating Animals By www.scpr.org Published On :: Tue, 06 Jul 2021 09:17:18 -0700 A passenger wearing a protective face covering to combat the spread of the coronavirus, checks her phone while travelling on a bus along Oxford Street in central London on July 5, 2021.; Credit: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images AirTalkIn our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with Professor Kristen Choi of UCLA. Topics today include: Biden to announce new efforts on vaccination campaign as Delta variant spreads Hospitalization rates getting worse for black residents of L.A. County Which parts of the U.S. could be breeding grounds for variants? New Israeli data about effectiveness of Pfizer against Delta variant England to lift mask restrictions Cases on rise in immigration detention centers in the U.S. Bay area zoo is vaccinating big cats and some other animals Guest: Kristen R. Choi, professor of nursing and public health at UCLA; registered nurse practicing at Gateways Hospital, based in Echo Park This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp Chesapeake Bay sees slight improvement in water quality By www.usgs.gov Published On :: Thu, 31 Oct 2024 13:23:42 EDT Chesapeake Bay Program — Press Release — October 31, 2024 Full Article
mp FORT Economist James Meldrum and the Wildfire Research Team win the 2024 CO-LABS Governor’s Awards for High Impact Research: Pathfinding Partnerships Award By www.usgs.gov Published On :: Mon, 4 Nov 2024 15:23:44 EST The Pathfinding Partnerships Award from CO-LABS recognizes impactful, collaborative research projects organized by four or more research entities, including federal labs, in Colorado. This year, the Wildfire Research (WiRē) team received this award for their support of evidence-based community wildfire education to help communities live with wildfire. Full Article
mp The First Wave Of Post-Trump Books Arrives. And They Fight To Make Sense Of The Chaos By www.scpr.org Published On :: Wed, 30 Jun 2021 04:00:12 -0700 According to one new account of the Trump presidency, even telling the story of President Trump's Covid diagnosis was difficult due to the chaos in the white house. Here, Trump removes his protective mask after being discharged from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with Covid-19.; Credit: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images Danielle Kurtzleben | NPRWhen the Wall Street Journal's Michael Bender wrote his book about Donald Trump's 2020 defeat, one section stuck out as particularly difficult: telling the story of what Bender dubbed "Hell Week-And-A-Half." "It was the ten days in 2020 that started with the super spreader event in the Rose Garden, included the Trump's disastrous debate with Joe Biden in Cleveland, and then Trump himself obviously testing positive for COVID a few days later," Bender said. It's not just that it was a lot to fold together; it's that simply figuring out what happened was maddening. "How early he tested positive, how sick he was during that time — I mean, these are serious questions with national security implications that very few people knew or had firsthand knowledge of, and I had competing versions from senior officials, serious people who all were telling me different versions of that story," he said. Bender's Frankly, We Did Win This Election is one of many books trying to pull order from Trump's chaos, and that struggle to discern the truth, he explains, is itself emblematic of the Trump administration. "The deception wasn't just with the public. It was literally from person to person inside the West Wing," he said. "And that's the story — not necessarily worrying about exactly what happened, which will have to come out at some later point, if it ever does." Former officials are judging Trump's election lies and pandemic response poorly Judging from the excerpts that have been released, this first wave of post-Trump-presidency books is filled with behind-closed-doors details — like, for example, how gravely ill Trump was with COVID-19, or former Attorney General William Barr's blunt assessment about Trump's claims of a rigged election: "My suspicion all the way along was that there was nothing there. That it was all bulls***," as ABC's Jonathan Karl recounts. But the challenge of recounting this chapter of American history is not just about recounting news-making moments — the racist statements, the allegations of sexual assault, the impeachments — but making sense of it. Yasmeen Abutaleb, who coauthored the forthcoming Nightmare Scenario with her Washington Post colleague Damian Paletta, agreed that it was hard to discern the truth from dozens of conflicting stories from within the White House. But that made it all the more striking when they did find consensus on the Trump White House's coronavirus response. "Of the more than 180 people we spoke to, there wasn't a single one who defended the collective response," she said. Writing this book, she added, allowed her and Paletta to come away with a clearer assessment of the Trump White House's pandemic response than they gleaned from their day-to-day coverage last year. "Coronavirus was going to be a challenge no matter who was in charge," she said. "But when we looked at the number of opportunities there were to turn the response around, many of which we didn't know about at the time or couldn't learn it at the time, I think we were shocked at the number of opportunities there were and how they weren't taken." In addition to the challenge of telling complete, ordered stories of a chaotic presidency, there is also the challenge of placing that presidency into historical context, says Princeton presidential historian Julian Zelizer. He's working with a team of historians to pull together a history of the Trump administration. "Why did America's political system have room for so much chaos over a four year period? Which is this big puzzle I don't think everyone's totally grappled with," he said. It's not just journalists and historians. Trump-administration insiders will try to explain their place in history. That's according to Keith Urbahn, a co-founder of Javelin, a literary agency that represented Bender, former UN ambassador John Bolton, and former FBI director James Comey, with more to come. "I think it does require for people who worked in the Trump presidency to wrestle with some of the moral compromises that they had to make by serving in that administration," he said. Post-Trump chaos is rippling through the publishing world Writing the history of a leaky, live-tweeted presidency has been unusual for a variety of additional reasons. There's book industry tumult — Simon and Schuster employees protested the publishing giant over printing former Vice President Mike Pence's book. In addition, Trump could still run for president again, which may be why he has given at least 22 book interviews, Axios recently reported. (He has also said he is writing the "book of all books," though some major publishers are hesitant about publishing it, Politico has reported.) The Trump era was also unusual for the book industry in another way. "We can honestly say that the four years of the Trump administration were four of the strongest years cumulatively for political books since we've been tracking books, which started in 2001," said Kristen McLean, executive director and industry analyst at market research firm NPD. Now, however, those sales moving back towards a pre-Trump normal — political book sales are down 60% from the second half of 2020, McLean said. But that doesn't mean interest will disappear, according to Javelin co-founder Matt Latimer. "For example, next year there are a dozen or more books coming out about President Nixon," he said. "I mean, I think long after we're all gone, people are going to be trying to figure out what the hell this was all about." It's been 47 years since Nixon resigned. By that same math, we'll be reading new Trump books into the late 2060s — and probably beyond. Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp Trump's Family Business, CFO Weisselberg Are Charged With Tax Crimes By www.scpr.org Published On :: Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:00:05 -0700 Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization's longtime chief financial officer, watches as then-U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a 2016 news conference at Trump Tower in New York City.; Credit: Carlo Allegri/Reuters Andrea Bernstein, Ilya Marritz, and Brian Naylor | NPR Updated July 1, 2021 at 3:14 PM ET Former President Donald Trump's family business and its longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, have been charged by the Manhattan district attorney's office in a case involving alleged tax-related crimes. Before the indictment was released Thursday, Weisselberg's personal attorneys, Mary Mulligan and Bryan Skarlatos, said in a statement that the CFO "intends to plead not guilty and he will fight these charges in court." Trump has long denied any wrongdoing. In a statement Thursday afternoon, the former president said: "The political Witch Hunt by the Radical Left Democrats, with New York now taking over the assignment, continues. It is dividing our Country like never before!" The investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. began in 2018 around the time Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges related to payments of hush money. These were made in the final months of the 2016 presidential campaign, as Cohen put it in court, "in coordination with, and at the direction of, a candidate for federal office." The goal was to block two women who claimed they had extramarital affairs with Trump — former Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult film star Stephanie Clifford, whose stage name is Stormy Daniels — from telling their stories publicly. New York state Attorney General Letitia James' office launched its own probe in 2019 after Cohen testified in a congressional hearing that Trump manipulated property values to lower his tax obligations and to obtain bank loans. James' investigation was initially focused on potential civil charges, but it recently expanded to include a criminal probe in partnership with Vance. This year, the investigators have homed in on noncash payments made to top officials in Trump's companies, including Weisselberg. The U.S. Supreme Court paved the way for the charges, declining in February to block a subpoena from Vance's office seeking Trump's financial records. Vance first requested tax filings and other financial records from Trump's accounting firm, Mazars USA, in 2019. In a statement released in May, Trump said the New York-based investigations were part of a "Witch Hunt," adding, with a reference to how his presidential campaign started in 2015: "It began the day I came down the escalator in Trump Tower, and it's never stopped." Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp The Justice Department Is Pausing Federal Executions After They Resumed Under Trump By www.scpr.org Published On :: Thu, 01 Jul 2021 19:00:09 -0700 Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered a pause on federal executions Thursday while the Justice Department reviews policies and procedures on capital punishment.; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images Alana Wise | NPR Updated July 1, 2021 at 8:28 PM ET Attorney General Merrick Garland has imposed a moratorium on scheduling federal executions, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday. The department will review its policies and procedures on capital punishment, following a wave of federal executions carried out under the Trump administration. In a memo to the Justice Department, Garland justified his decision to halt the deeply controversial practice, citing factors including its capricious application and outsized impact on people of color. "The Department of Justice must ensure that everyone in the federal criminal justice system is not only afforded the rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States, but is also treated fairly and humanely. That obligation has special force in capital cases," Garland said in the memo. "Serious concerns have been raised about the continued use of the death penalty across the country, including arbitrariness in its application, disparate impact on people of color, and the troubling number of exonerations in capital and other serious cases," he added. "Those weighty concerns deserve careful study and evaluation by lawmakers." Under former President Donald Trump, the federal government carried out its first executions in a generation last year, with 13 inmates put to death in Trump's final year in office. That included an unprecedented number of federal killings carried out in the last days of his single-term presidency, bucking a nearly century-and-a-half practice of pausing capital punishments during the presidential exchange of power. Then-Attorney General William Barr said the executions were being carried out in cases of "staggeringly brutal murders." Civil rights activists had rallied to spare the lives of those on death row. Concerns of how humanely the sentences could be carried out, as well as the recent exonerations of a number of death row inmates, were major factors in the demonstrations to cease state-sanctioned killings. "The Department must take care to scrupulously maintain our commitment to fairness and humane treatment in the administration of existing federal laws governing capital sentences," Garland said in his memo on Thursday. President Biden, who nominated Garland to the top law enforcement post, opposes capital punishment. During his campaign, Biden pledged to pass legislation to end the federal death penalty. Some congressional Democrats have been working on such legislation, but no action has been taken. Some progressives and activists opposed to capital punishment had been expressing frustration that they have not seen more movement on the issue from Biden. "A moratorium on federal executions is one step in the right direction, but it is not enough," said Ruth Friedman, director of the Federal Capital Habeas Project. "We know the federal death penalty system is marred by racial bias, arbitrariness, over-reaching, and grievous mistakes by defense lawyers and prosecutors that make it broken beyond repair." Friedman said Biden should commute all federal death sentences, warning that a pause alone "will just leave these intractable issues unremedied and pave the way for another unconscionable bloodbath like we saw last year." Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
mp Testing Finds 'Positive' Results for Base Metal Recoveries in Spain By www.streetwisereports.com Published On :: Tue, 05 Nov 2024 00:00:00 PST Emerita Resources Corp. (EMO:TSX.V; EMOTF:OTCQB; LLJA:FSE) announces results from a metallurgical testing program at its wholly-owned Iberian Belt West (IBW) project in Spain. Read why one expert says the company is in "the right place to be." Full Article EMO:TSX.V; EMOTF:OTCQB; LLJA:FSE