FazzNoth

Voters in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, headed to the polls Sunday to elect a new governor, in a contest whose results are likely to be seen as a barometer of the public mood ahead of an approaching general election. A record-high 31 candidates entered the race, but the battle being watched most closely is between two who registered as independents: former Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt, whom opinion polls have marked as the strong front-runner, and Asawin Kwanmuang, who served as the appointed governor since 2016 until stepping down in March this year to contest the race. The candidates campaigned on local issues, including congestion, pollution and persistent flooding. There are 4.4 million registered voters in the city, the country’s biggest. Its last gubernatorial election was in 2013. Neither the main opposition party in Parliament, Pheu Thai, nor the ruling Palang Pracharath party have candidates on the ballot. However, 55-year-old Chadchart, the charismatic independent front-runner, is seen by both supporters and opponents as a proxy for Pheu Thai, for which he stood as a prime ministerial candidate in the 2019 general election. He served as transport minister in a Pheu Thai government in 2012-2014. His main rival is 71-year-old Asawin, who was appointed governor in 2016 by Prayuth Chan-ocha. As army commander, Prayuth seized power in a 2014 coup to lead a military regime, and he dismissed the previous governor over corruption allegations. Prayuth was returned to office following the 2019 election as prime minister in a coalition government led by the pro-military Palang Pracharath. Like Chadchart, former senior policeman Asawin is standing as an independent, though he is very much seen as the government’s candidate, a stand-in for Palang Pracharath. Polls generally have had him running second. Suchatvee Suwansawat, 50, is standing as the candidate for the Democrat Party, and is seen as having an outside chance if conservative voters as a bloc support him instead of Asawin. The Democrats have historically been a power in Bangkok but have fractured badly in the past two decades of polarized politics that have seen street violence and two coups. Prime Minister Prayuth has been in power for eight years. He is expected soon to face a no-confidence motion in Parliament, and rivals on his own side have long been rumored to be seeking to remove him. Even if he survives, there must be a general election by the early part of next year. Prayuth was able to rule by decree as head of a military government but has struggled within the limits of parliamentary democracy, taking fire especially for fumbling Thailand’s coronavirus vaccination program and recovery plan. A fourth candidate whose results will be carefully watched is Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn from the opposition Move Forward Party. His progressive party takes a more critical stance than Pheu Thai toward the government, but for that reason could siphon votes from Chadchart’s total, to Asawin’s benefit. https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-bangkok-thailand-government-and-politics-83ebe4481f68dbe0ab12c62925602f22

There are many animals available for adoption at Burke County Animal Services, and shelter leaders want all the animals to find a loving fur-ever home. Trinity Johnson, shelter technician at animal services, helps that cause by highlighting animals from the shelter each week. This week, the shelter is highlighting two Dogs of the Week. “One of our dogs of the week is Peach, a 7-year-old lab mix female,” Johnson said. “Peach is a very well-mannered and laid back girl. She does great with everyone she meets but would prefer to have a home with no small children. She prefers her friends to be more slow paced, like herself. Despite Peach’s age, she is a pretty active girl and she enjoys going on walks and playing with toys. Peach would be so happy to find a place to call home. Please come meet Peach today!” The second Dog of the Week is Cocoa Bean. “Cocoa Bean is a 10-month-old wire-haired terrier,” Johnson said. “She is a smaller breed dog and is a beautiful girl that only weighs about 25 to 30 pounds. She is a bit shy at first, but once she gets to know you, she is such a loving and outgoing girl. Cocoa Bean does well with other animals, and she does great with new people when given time to warm up to them. She does great on a leash and loves to go on walks and play. Please come meet miss Cocoa Bean today. “We have many animals to choose from at Animal Services, we even have some animals whose adoption fees have been sponsored. Please stop by anytime during business hours to meet our pets.” All animals brought to animal services come from different backgrounds and are in different physical condition. The agency’s staff works to ensure all animals are taken care of while they’re in the shelter and in preparation to be adopted into their forever homes. In addition to this week’s pets of the week, there are many dogs and cats available for adoption at animal services. Animal services tries to take in as many animals as it can, and with the help of foster home volunteers it is able to care for more animals. There are different fees for those interested in adopting a dog or a cat from animal services. The adoption fee for any adult dog or puppy is $125. The adoption fee for any adult cat or kitten is $90. All animals come up-to-date on vaccines, flea control, and deworming, as well as being spayed and neutered. BCAS also has a need for people interested in fostering. Fosters are only required to give a copy of a valid ID with address and phone number and to sign their foster agreement. Fostering is free, and animal services provides all needed supplies, including litter boxes, litter and food and the same for dogs, the agency’s policy says. Crates are provided, if available. Foster parents are just asked to transport the animal either to vet appointments or back to the shelter for updated vaccines and deworming. For those who want to help shelter animals, or learn more about their personalities, they can participate in BCAS’s Dog Day Out Program daily. This program gives people a way to spend the day with a new furry friend, where they can pick any dog in the shelter and take them out on a walk, to the park, a playdate at home, or just a simple ride through a drive-thru for some treats. Our dogs greatly benefit from this program as they see it as a break from the shelter and they get to burn some energy. We also learn a lot about the personality of the dogs by doing this program which makes it much easier for us to adopt them out. Dogs Day Out can be done any day, Tuesday through Saturday, during business hours. https://morganton.com/news/local/pets-of-the-week-at-burke-county-animal-services/article_856e1704-d7b2-11ec-b82e-873013f0da90.html

1. Tories poised to torpedo unions after threat to bring country ‘to a standstill’ The Conservatives are threatening to launch a double-pronged attack against trade unions in an effort to break their stranglehold on the public. Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, told The Telegraph that the Government was poised to draw up laws requiring minimum numbers of rail staff to work during a strike. The law would make any industrial action illegal if those levels were not met. 2. Civil service trying to 'erase women' with gender neutral language in new laws, ministers warn Ministers have accused civil servants of erasing women from new laws, as Downing Street prepares a crackdown on the spread of "militant wokery" in Whitehall. This week, the Government is expected to announce that it is rewriting guidance on drafting legislation to make clear that gender-neutral language should not replace terms such as "woman" and "mother". 3. ‘Amazing sports’ Charles and Camilla to make cameo in Eastenders Platinum Jubilee special They already have The Queen Vic. Soon, they will have a Prince and a Duchess too. The residents of Albert Square are to welcome the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall to a special episode of EastEnders, as they attend a Platinum Jubilee street party in honour of the Queen. Read the full story. 4. Australian election 2022: Labor's Anthony Albanese vows to end 'climate wars' after defeating Scott Morrison Anthony Albanese, Australia's new Labor prime minister, vowed to end the country's "climate wars" after he ousted Scott Morrison's conservative government on Saturday night. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Labor party will lead Australia after a general election that delivered a bruising defeat to Mr Morrison's Liberal-National coalition. Read the full story. 5. Tory windfall tax row widens as two more Cabinet ministers reject the policy Cabinet ministers have lined up to warn Rishi Sunak off plans for a windfall tax on energy firms, insisting the move would damage the economy and have unintended consequences. In a highly unusual display of public dissent, Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland Secretary, and Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, became the fifth and sixth Cabinet members to speak out against the policy in the space of a week. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/05/22/sunday-morning-uk-news-briefing-todays-top-headlines-telegraph/

Developer 24 Entertainment and publisher NetEase games unveiled the first gameplay trailer for the mobile port of Naraka: Bladepoint today during NetEase Connect 2022. The port was initially announced last year, but this is the first chance we've had to see the game in action on mobile. The mobile port promises to deliver the same graphical fidelity and gameplay as the PC version, which is certainly an ambitious claim. Regardless of how it looks and plays, the developers have spent time rebuilding the battle royale from the ground up to make sure it's suitable for mobile. That means tweaks to the controls, UI and camera to ensure it feels at home on a handheld device. Details on the mobile gameplay weren't the only Naraka: Bladepoint news today, though. It was also revealed that the new character, Takeda Nobutada, The Demon Vessel, will be available from tomorrow, May 21st. He is the mentor of Kurumi and serves as a home for the demon Furen, a creature capable of dishing out a lot of damage. Naraka: Bladepoint interview: Ray Kwan discusses bringing the battle royale to mobile Using the Demonic Aid skill, you can unleash Furen upon your enemies where the demon will push them back, strike them or teleport Takeda closer to them so he can land a powerful blow. Meanwhile, with the Mythic Grab ability, Takeda will enter a state of heightened alertness, allowing him to counter-attack any enemy that foolishly tries to attack him. Naraka: Bladepoint will be heading to iOS and Android at some stage in the future, though there isn't a set release date at the moment. In the meantime, you can check out the game's official website to register your interest. https://www.pocketgamer.com/naraka-bladepoint/mobile-gameplay-netease-connects-2022/

NASA's 45-year-old Voyager 1 spacecraft is a marvel. It's cruising along outside our solar system and still staying in touch with Earth. But it's presented its team with what NASA is calling a "mystery." It's operating normally but sending back some odd telemetry data. The issue likely traces to Voyager 1's attitude articulation and control system (AACS), which handles its orientation in space, including the task of keeping its antenna pointed at Earth "All signs suggest the AACS is still working, but the telemetry data it's returning is invalid. For instance, the data may appear to be randomly generated, or does not reflect any possible state the AACS could be in," NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab said in a statement Wednesday. The data isn't making sense, but Voyager 1 is maintaining a clear line of communication with home and the problem hasn't triggered a protective "safe mode." Voyagers explore interstellar space NASA's Voyager 1 Detects Faint, Monotone Hum Beyond Our Solar System NASA Voyager 2 Enters Interstellar Space After Years of Cosmic Sightseeing The twin spacecraft Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launched in the 1970s and have long outlasted their expected lifespans. They're both in interstellar space, which Voyager 1 and 2 project manager Suzanne Dodd describes as a "high-radiation environment that no spacecraft have flown in before." Voyager 1 is roughly 14.5 billion miles (23.3 billion kilometers) away from home. It takes a couple days to send a signal and then hear back, which adds to the challenge of understanding what's going on. This leaves NASA with a whole lot of unknowns. Is the AACS the culprit or is another system experiencing a glitch? Will Voyager 1 be able to continue its science mission? There are ways forward from this glitch. Voyager 1 may just live with it. Or a software fix or a switch to backup hardware could be the solution. NASA hopes both Voyagers will continue to send back science data beyond 2025. Said Dodd, "A mystery like this is sort of par for the course at this stage of the Voyager mission." https://www.cnet.com/science/space/nasa-voyager-1-space-probe-from-the-70s-afflicted-by-mysterious-glitch/

Real estate professionals lead busy lives, so finding better and more efficient ways to do everything you do on a daily basis is always important. Without a doubt, some of the best methods for injecting lots of more organization and effectiveness into how you do business involve leveraging many of the great software tools that are available today that are ideal for that purpose. That’s right – you don’t have to hunt far and wide for a new or emergent technology to find a helpful software tool. You’ve already got everything you need right at your fingertips – you just have to know where to look! Here are some great everyday tools and software that realtors should be using on a day-to-day basis. Google Calendar: the Best App You’re Probably Not Using You know how important it is to keep your daily schedule streamlined and organized. Without a list of daily tasks, such as scheduled appointments with clients and colleagues, you’d be lost! That’s why keeping your daily, weekly, or even monthly itinerary updated and accessible at a glance is key to doing business effectively. This is why you shouldn’t sleep on a simple-yet-effective tool like Google Calendar. Google Calendar is ubiquitous. It comes with every Chromebook and Android phone ever made, it’s downloadable for free on the iOS App Store, and it’s fully accessible on desktops of all stripes. Better yet, your calendar syncs automatically no matter what platform you’re using it on, you can share it with others in a snap, and just about every CRM platform that realtors know and love supports full integration. So don’t sleep on this great software tool that’s literally anywhere and everywhere all the time! Mailchimp: The Granddaddy of Great Email Marketing Campaign Success As important as keeping your scheduling organized, there’s something else that’s just as crucial to your success as a real estate professional: marketing. Digital marketing is particularly effective in this day and age, and one of the simplest methods that have the best reach and return on investment is email marketing. There are dozens of tools out there that make email marketing simpler and easier, but one of the first ones to come to market is still, in the opinion of many, simply the best. Mailchimp is an all-in-one platform for sending emails to your contacts in the form of newsletters and marketing campaigns, including A/B testing and automation capabilities. As an added bonus, you can also use Mailchimp to social media posts in Mailchimp now as well. The Sky’s the Limit You can see how quickly using the right technologies can make a huge difference in how you do business. With just two suggested software apps, you can both keep yourself more organized and supercharge your digital marketing efforts. Imagine what else you could do if you committed even more deeply to the technology that already exists? Take your real estate business to the next level today! https://realtybiznews.com/everyday-tools-and-software-realtors-need-to-use/98771195/

Amazon’s head of devices has said that the company is working on devices that help people to “enjoy the real world” rather than the metaverse. Speaking at the ‘Future of Everything Festival’ hosted by The Wall Street Journal, David Limp said that while there might be “some form of place-shifting” with regards to the future of devices, Amazon’s focus is on devices that “enhance the here and now.” Mr Limp said that he wants “to try to work on technologies that bring people’s heads up, get them to enjoy the real world [and] make the family a more communal experience”. With regards to the metaverse, Mr Limp said the definition of the technology was nebulous. “If I asked these few hundred people what they thought the metaverse was, we’d get 205 different answers. We don’t have a common definition, it means a lot of different things to a lot of different people”, he said. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook and head of its parent company Meta, is betting on the metaverse as the next stage of an embodied internet. In a blog post written by Facebook’s VP of Reality Labs Andrew Bozworth, and its VP of Global Affairs Nick Clegg, last year the pair defined its vision of the metaverse as a virtual space where people can “hang out with friends, work, play, learn, shop, create and more.” Meta is developing both augmented reality glasses and virtual reality headsets in order to push for the next ‘iPhone moment’, ushing in the next stage of technological innovation. Meta is reportedly planning to launch four new virtual reality (VR) headsets by 2024. The first is the Project Cambria headset, a more powerful device than its current Quest device, which will launch in September. A new version of it will then come in 2024. The two other headsets will come in 2023 and 2024, but details about these are not yet clear. Mr Limp addressed AR glasses would be better that virtual reality products because users can engage with the real world, but added that he “wouldn’t like if it completely embeds everybody and distracts them from the here and now.” https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-head-hardware-wants-enjoy-151046171.html

A sharp increase in the number of fox sightings across the city has prompted yet another warning from Mississauga officials not to feed wild animals. Despite repeated pleas to residents and a more aggressive public information campaign to deliver the message that the feeding of coyotes, foxes and other wildlife–whether intentional or not–is a bad idea, City of Mississauga officials say the message is not being heeded strongly enough. “In Mississauga, people continue to feed or leave food outdoors for wildlife. This is a concern as feeding foxes and other wild animals can increase their presence and causes them to lose their fear of people,” City officials said in a news release today (May 20). “The City’s Animal Services team has recently received a lot of reports of fox sightings. You may have seen one in a park, crossing a trail, running across a street or appearing in your backyard. Most of the time you can find them trying to find food. Foxes tend to be most active at dawn or dusk.” “This will help reduce their presence in urban neighbourhoods,” officials say. Those who are caught feeding wildlife in Mississauga can be fined $300 or more under the City’s Animal Care and Control Bylaw. This includes leaving food out, food waste and disposing of food in natural areas. Like coyotes, foxes are part of a healthy ecosystem that controls rodent po[CENSORED]tions, Animal Services officials note. “Mississauga is home to the red fox. This type of fox is known for its reddish-orange fur, long thin legs, medium-sized frame, pointed black tipped ears, a slender snout and a thick, white-tipped bushy tail. Their chest and belly tend to be a creamy off-white colour,” officials say. “Like cats, foxes use the balls of their feet to silently sneak up on their prey. Foxes also climb trees, use their whiskers to navigate and even stalk their prey similar to cats.” Foxes eat a mix of insects, fruits and vegetables and a wide variety of birds, small mammals and rodents. For the most part, foxes are opportunistic predators, meaning they will attack anything they think is easy prey. Unlike coyotes, foxes are solitary, most times preferring to hunt and sleep alone. Like all animals, City officials say, foxes are interested in an easy meal, especially this time of year when they’re tending to their young. Coyotes are the main predator of foxes, along with hawks, owls, dogs and humans. In habitats where coyotes are present, foxes prefer to live in close proximity to humans as a means of protection. Though not usually aggressive towards humans, there have been reported cases where foxes behave in more threatening fashion. Last October in west Mississauga, a fox tried to bite a man before chasing him back inside the doors of an LA Fitness gym late at night. Animal Services officials say feeding foxes can lead to an increase in such incidents. “Feeding (them) changes their normal behaviours; foxes are normally not a threat to people, but can become a nuisance or act boldly when people interfere by feeding them,” they say, adding the increase in boldness can also prompt foxes to prey on small neighbourhood pets. “Most interactions with foxes have been the result of accessible food sources and intentional feeding by residents. This creates a long-term problem for both the wildlife and Mississauga neighbourhoods. “Most of the time, foxes are wary of people. While foxes aren’t a significant risk to people, they are wild animals and should be avoided.” Animal Services workers say if you see a fox in your yard, make loud noises such as clapping and/or shouting to chase the animal away. They add that in Ontario, raccoons, foxes and skunks are the most common animals to have rabies. If you see a fox that is behaving strangely, acting aggressively, is injured or sick, call 905-896-5858. https://www.insauga.com/more-foxes-in-search-of-an-easy-meal-spotted-in-mississauga/

Keroche heiress Anerlisa Muigai has denied claims she owns a range Bentley she flaunted on her social media pages. On Wednesday, auctioneers tried to access her posh apartments in Lavington in vain. This is over a case that started back in 2018, when Mwananchi Credit Limited and Dennis Mombo sued her for defaulting in paying a loan of Sh13 million. Efforts to access her premises did not succeed after a politician allegedly threatened to call goons on the auctioneers. Messages sent to Anerlisa by Word Is went unanswered. Yesterday, Anerlisa took to Instagram to flaunt the expensive whip, which currently retails at around Sh28.5 million. She said the act of her posting the Bentley did not intend to pass any message to anyone. "I really do not like to respond back to rumours and looking like I am proving points, but I have to respond to this," she said. "It’s quite unfortunate that my posts today had to come after the story was told yesterday. But what most people do not know is that every post I post on my page is scheduled. "I took these pictures on Monday and planned to post them on Thursday (today). So with or without a story about me, they were still scheduled to post." Anerlisa added that she does not fake her lifestyle. "The Bentley is not mine…. I never claimed I owned it." Anerlisa added that she is not in a competition with anyone. "Those who know me know that I like my peaceful life and a quiet one." She asked haters to give her peace as she has been through so much since last year. https://www.the-star.co.ke/sasa/word-is/2022-05-20-anerlisa-muigai-defends-her-lifestyle/

Longtime NBC News correspondent Pete Williams — who has spent nearly three decades covering the Supreme Court and the US Justice Department — says he will retire from the network in July. According to the Today show, NBC News president Noah Oppenheim announced the news via an email to employees, calling Williams "quite simply one of the most respected, trusted, and steadfast names in news." Oppenheim added: "Pete's decency, kindness, and generosity are unmatched. For those that know Pete well, it's his warmth, humor, wit, and compassion that will be missed most." Williams, 70, has covered a number of notable events in American history, from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to the landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in 2015. Today notes that, on a conference call with colleagues Thursday, Williams noted that his retirement echoed that of someone he has covered for years: Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who announced his own retirement in January. "Stephen Breyer is leaving, so I think this is a good time for me to go, too," Williams said on the call, per Today. He added: "We've got 35 Supreme Court decisions to go through, so there's still a lot of work to be done and probably some surprises from the Justice Department." Williams made headlines in 2020, when he grew emotional as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's casket arrived at the U.S. Capitol for her memorial. "It really brings together the three loves of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life: her family, the law and opera," Williams said at the time while crying, adding that it's been a "tough day here." A Wyoming native, Williams began his career in local news and radio before moving to Capitol Hill, where he worked as press secretary and legislative assistant for then Rep. Dick Cheney, who would later go on to serve as vice president. Williams later followed Cheney to the Defense Department, where he served as assistant secretary of defense for public affairs. He came to NBC News in 1993 and will remain on staff until July, allowing him to cover likely a number of big stories out of the Supreme Court and Justice Department. Following the announcement that he would be retiring, former colleagues and friends of the journalist began to roll in. MSNBC journalist Andrea Mitchell called him "incomparable," adding he is "simply superb, as a human being, as a journalist, as a friend and as a colleague." "It's no accident that people here live by the motto: in Pete we trust," Mitchell said. "He always gets it right." Former DOJ spokesman Matthew Miller wrote about his experience working with Williams, who he called "the GOAT." "During terrorist attacks and other breaking news situations, when every reporter is ringing you up to ask for info, Pete's calls would usually be to TELL us what was happening, and what he was about to report," Miller wrote of Williams. "Can recall many times when the senior most levels of government found out what was actually happening not from internal reporting but by watching Pete. Pulling that off once or twice is normal. Doing it every time means you are a legend." https://news.yahoo.com/veteran-nbc-news-correspondent-pete-151708369.html

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Nickname: @FazzNoth Video author: PlayStation Name of the game: Call of Duty: Warzone Video link: Short description of the video: Hold on to your… everything. 😱 The MONSTER OF ALL BATTLES is coming! #OperationMonarch is live on May 11.

Technologically speaking, the COVID-19 pandemic made Americans more connected than ever. From smart TVs and internet-enabled toys to game consoles, the average home today has 25 connected devices more than twice as much as in 2019. This profusion of technology comes at a cost: A gushing river of electronic waste. Gadgets are the fastest-growing category of trash, as well as the most polluting. Old devices are liable to leach toxic chemicals or catch fire. Recycling rates are dismal: Less than one-fifth of electronics is typically recycled every year. "Globally, we're generating e-waste that weighs as much as 100 blue whales a day, and 80% to 81% of that is not going to be recycled," said Elizabeth Chamberlain, director of sustainability at iFixit, a community of repair enthusiasts. Faced with this crisis, some major technology companies have taken steps to lessen the environmental impact of their products. After years of effectively encouraging planned obsolescence, Apple, Samsung and Google are letting customers fix some of their products, prolonging their lifespan. Critics say that's not enough, pushing companies to do more and for government regulators to hold their feet to the fire. As consumers recognize Earth Day on Friday, they can take steps to reduce the impact of their tech and save money to boot. Here's what environmental advocates suggest for making the most of your devices. Keep your device longer In looking at new devices, the first question should be whether to buy one at all. If you can avoid getting a new smartphone or laptop, either by repairing an older model or installing a few upgrades to get another year of use out of an existing gadget, do so, experts advise. "The vast majority of a device's carbon footprint comes from the manufacturing process," Chamberlain said. Americans buy about 161 million new phones every year, according to a recent study from U.S. PIRG. If everyone kept a smartphone for an additional year instead of upgrading, it would reduce emissions as much as taking 636,000 cars off the road. One major reason people replace their phones is to get more battery life. Replacing an older phone's battery is no longer as easy as it used to be, but it's still one way to extend the life of your device and costs much less than buying a new one. For instance, iFixit sells an iPhone 12 battery replacement kit for $50, a repair the site rates as moderately difficult. Independent repair stores can sometimes replace device batteries, too. When buying a device, consider longevity When buying a new gadget, research how easy it is to upgrade or repair — that could have a big effect on how long you keep it. iFixit grades smartphones, laptops and tablets based on how easy they are to repair, and provides crowdsourced manuals for many devices. Note that some of those ratings could change soon now that some big tech companies are vowing to make it easier for people to get their products repaired. Apple has said consumers will be able to buy parts to do common repairs for the iPhone 12 and 13. Samsung in March announced a repair program for some Galaxy phones, and Google this month did the same for its Pixel phone. All are set to launch sometime this year. Beware devices that use a lot of glue to hold components together instead of screws or snaps — that's a sign fixing it could be challenging. Consumers can also seek out modular equipment, which is designed to be easy to take apart and customize. For example, the Framework laptop is a modular computer while the Fairphone aims to be a sustainable smartphone. Beware of cheap TVs Flat-screen TVs are particularly problematic since they're often large and not built to last. "We see so many flat-panel TVs it's depressing," said Amanda LaGrange, CEO of Tech Dump, a nonprofit in Minnesota's Twin Cities that refurbishes and recycles e-waste. "Often people are buying them on a Black Friday, say, where some manufacturers, not all, are reducing the quality of the components. That's how they can make it cheaper." To steer clear of the very cheapest options, LaGrange suggests that consumers check the model number of the TV they want. "See if it's sold at any other time of year. And if it's not, it's probably cheaper and then you can't affordably repair that item." Buy refurbished tech Tech Dump's twin organization, Tech Discounts, refurbishes used recent gadget models and sells them at a discount. Many nonprofits and online marketplaces do the same. Consumers shouldn't shy away from used tech because they assume it won't perform as well, said Amanda LaGrange said. Reputable retailers will do rigorous testing on refurbished stuff, and many will sell items with return policies and warranties comparable to that of new gadgets. "Once someone buys a refurbished electronic, people are much more likely to do it again. It's like buying a used pair of jeans for the first time," she said. "People think, 'Why was I throwing money away?'" Avoid the "pile of denial" When it's time to dispose of old electronics, give them a second life by passing them along to a friend or donating them to a recycling or refurbishing center. Many of these centers offer a financial bonus by letting someone write off the value of their donation. But they should do it fast, instead of letting old technology pile up, counsels LaGrange. She refers to the "pile of denial," where non-working electronics collect in a basement or garage for years. By the time someone donates them, they're often too old to be refurbished and can only be tossed. "If you brought in your iPhone X that's sitting in a drawer now, it could easily be refurbished," she said. "If you wait six more years, it's not so easy." Support the "right to repair" Despite a growing national movement around ensuring that consumers can repair their devices an issue that is overwhelmingly po[CENSORED]r and that has bipartisan support in Congress no state has yet codified that right into law. That needs to change to cut down on e-waste, said Nathan Proctor, head of the Right to Repair campaign at the Public Interest Research Group. "In terms of winning the argument, winning the public, we're in a really strong position" he said. "In terms of actually fixing stuff, we're just getting started." Currently, nine states are considering bills strengthening consumers' right to repair. In addition, three bills have been introduced in Congress that would ease repair rights for cars, electronics and tractors. Pressure from the Biden administration, which has pushed for consumers' rights to repair, is a major reason that tech companies have softened their anti-repair stance, in Proctor's view. But making that change permanent requires putting new laws on the books. "These companies, their job is to make money. And it's our jobs as citizen of this country to make sure they do it without hurting consumers and hurting the planet," Proctor said. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/earth-day-2022-smart-phones-flat-screen-tv-electronic-waste/

Gannett Co., Inc. ("Gannett", the "Company") (NYSE: GCI) announced today that it will release its first quarter 2022 financial results on Thursday, May 5, 2022, prior to the opening of the New York Stock Exchange. Management will host a conference call on Thursday, May 5, 2022 at 8:30 A.M. Eastern Time. A copy of the earnings release will be posted to the Investor Relations section of Gannett's website, investors.gannett.com. All interested parties are welcome to participate on the live call. The conference call may be accessed by dialing 1-877-451-6152 (from within the U.S.) or 1-201-389-0879 (from outside of the U.S.) ten minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call; please reference "Gannett First Quarter Earnings Call" or access code "13724044". A simultaneous webcast of the conference call will be available to the public on a listen-only basis at investors.gannett.com. Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the website and download any necessary software required to listen to the internet broadcast. A telephonic replay of the conference call will also be available approximately two hours following the call's completion through 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 19, 2022 by dialing 1-844-512-2921 (from within the U.S.) or 1-412-317-6671 (from outside of the U.S.); please reference access code "13724044". About Gannett About Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a subscription-led and digitally-focused media and marketing solutions company committed to empowering communities to thrive. With an unmatched reach at the national and local level, Gannett touches the lives of millions with our Pulitzer Prize-winning content, consumer experiences and benefits, and advertiser products and services. Our current portfolio of media assets includes USA TODAY, local media organizations in 45 states in the U.S., and Newsquest, a wholly owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom with more than 120 local news media brands. Gannett also owns digital marketing services companies marketed under the LOCALiQ brand, and runs one of the largest media-owned events business in the U.S., USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures. https://www.lelezard.com/en/news-20348510.html

In 1952 there were no big box stores, Ventura Boulevard was dotted with a just few new small businesses, and Woodland Hills moved at a slower pace. As a point of reference, St. Mel Church opened in 1956, Topanga Plaza opened in 1964, and Gemco (now Target) opened in 1967. What had been the sleepy town of Girard after the war turned into a hub for aerospace corporations – Rocketdyne, Hughes, Litton, Lockheed – and they brought families with them. At the heart of Woodland Hills, at Topanga and Ventura, was Franklin’s Hardware. It sold everything from plumbing to electrical to garden. It was the place to go for do-it-yourselfers, handymen and brand new homeowners. Customers say the thing about Franklin’s was that they always had the answer. Whether it was a specific bolt or screw, a piece of pipe, the right color paint or a duplicate house key, the staff always had it or knew how to get it. The business grew and grew and sustained the community for 70 years. From the moment it opened its doors, Franklin’s has always been a family business. Chip Kurzeka, who has been at the helm for the past 50 years, remembers coming to the store with his dad on the weekends to help out. Now, a third generation, Chip and Kim’s son Mike, has been working alongside his father for 10 years. According to Kim, “The main reason for the store’s success has always been our knowlegable employees, and the service we offer, which remain as the most important objectives today. As we say, those are our ‘tools of the trade.’” The community support has sustained Franklin’s over 70 years, and loyal customers have “become part of the family.” But as Kim says, life now moves at a faster pace than ever, and Mike keeps abreast of new products, current merchandising ideas and technological advances that keep the store in top shape and relevant. These days, Franklin’s still offers the traditional hardware store merchandise, as well as knife, scissor and garden tool sharpening, carpet cleaner rental, small hand and power tool rentals, computer paint, glass cutting, screen cutting and repair and lamp repair. The family is celebrating 70 years of success this weekend with a series of anniversary sales and events for the entire community. The anniversary sale will kick off Friday, April 22, and continue Saturday and Sunday. Each day there will be a daily raffle drawing for prizes, and Saturday’s big drawing will be for a Weber Spirit BBQ. On Friday receive $5 off any purchase of $25 or more on regular priced items. The first 200 customers on Saturday morning will receive a free five-gallon bucket to fill with merchandise and receive a 20% discount. On Saturday, also enjoy a BBQ demonstration and sampling by Traeger and Big Green Egg. Sunday features a hot dog BBQ lunch available by donation. Franklin’s will match the amount of money donated and give it to the West Valley Boys & Girls Club. Keystone members of the club will be at Franklin’s all day to assist. https://valleynewsgroup.com/local-hardware-store-still-serving-community-70-years-later/

People tend to think of city shelters in an old-school way when in fact today, they are often the driving force behind saving more lives in most communities. So far this fiscal year, ACS’ live release rate (the number of animals that make it out of the shelter through adoption, foster care, or transfer to a rescue group or another shelter) is 89 percent with 2,086 pets adopted, 4,922 pets rescued/transferred, and 2,565 pets returned to their owners. A shelter is considered “no kill” when it can save 90 percent of its pets. This level of lifesaving requires a highly committed staff keeping the pedal to the metal by delivering services and resources to the community and its rescue partners every day. Annually, ACS provides 3,000 free community cat surgeries. They maintain their own community cat colony on campus as well as a barn cat program that adopts community cats to businesses and companies willing to provide forever care in exchange for a community cat’s prowess at rodent control. Every day, ACS offers free and low-cost spay-neuter and vaccination services to the public. Residents living in lower-income ZIP codes often qualify for free services. Microchips are free if you live in San Antonio, and cost $5 if you don’t. ACS also partners with the Animal Defense League to host free monthly vaccination clinics in underserved areas. A new program coming online later this year is the C.A.S.A. Initiative (Community Animal Support & Assistance program). Through this program, ACS staff will help pet owners cited with animal violations come into compliance with San Antonio’s pet laws. This will be especially those pet owners who want to keep their pets but need a little help to do so. Services may include assistance with medical care, including spay/neuter surgery and vaccinations and microchips, as well as help with weatherproofing shelters andproviding humane tethers for outdoor dogs. As for the people who work there, public relations and outreach manager Lisa Norwood “We care, and we care hard. Every day, we see the worst that we as humans can do to pets in our community, and we still come back to work the next day.” https://www.expressnews.com/lifestyle/article/San-Antonio-s-Animal-Care-Services-a-driving-17088286.php

Two years ago, Chelse Herbold was a food service worker with a bachelor's degree in geology that wasn't helping her pay the rent. Today, Herbold, 28, has an associate's degree in automotive technology that she earned on the job as the first woman auto technician at West Herr Kia. Herbold is one of the first graduates of a new SUNY Erie Community College program that was created to produce skilled workers for an industry that's badly in need of mechanics. Instructor Mike Coughlin, left, shows students how to recover the refrigerant from the air conditioning system so they can remove the brake booster on a Jaguar. Students from left are Nate Mittelsteadt and Prajwal Dhimal. In fact, it's so hard to hire auto technicians that two of the region's biggest car dealers, West Herr Automotive Group and Northtown Automotive Cos., have partnered with ECC to build a direct pathway to train and hire students. Northtown even built a classroom, lab space and four dedicated service bays at its new Jaguar/Land Rover dealership in Amherst for its ECC co-op program. The program produces auto technicians, but it's a model for future "earn while you learn" partnerships that train workers in in-demand skills and pay them to get on-the-job training while earning their credentials. Jay Galligan, a vice president at West Herr, said the program has produced 12 current and 12 soon-to-be employees for the company. The program funnels trained workers to West Herr and Northtown at a time when there are more open jobs than people looking for work. “We employ over 500 technicians, and we retire 5% to 10% a year, so just to replace our retirees we need 30 or 40 new technicians at any given time to add to our team,” Galligan said. “ECC reached out to us about adding co-op experience to their auto tech program and helped build this model. It has now become a permanent program in the college, and we are thrilled to be part of it.” ECC President David Balkin calls the program an example of the partnerships needed between higher education and industry to serve the needs of today’s students and employers. It also helps ECC by creating a program that it can market as a pathway to a career for students at a time when enrollment is declining. “SUNY Erie is working with companies who are in competition, but who recognize that a rising tide will lift all boats,” Balkin said. The partnerships with West Herr and Northtown predated Balkin taking over as ECC president, but he quickly seized on them as an opportunity to develop other feeder programs for worker-strapped employers. Balkin said ECC and the dealerships see the program "as the way forward for recruiting, training and retaining qualified technicians.” West Herr Automotive piloted the program at ECC’s Vehicle Technology Training Center in Orchard Park in 2019 and the first class of 12 students, including Herbold, graduated last May. All 12 were immediately hired as full-time technicians at West Herr dealerships. The second class of 12 will graduate this May and are guaranteed jobs as well. The auto co-op provides more hands-on experience than classroom time and includes time working in paid positions with the hiring dealership, Balkin said. Students rotate between spending 7½ weeks working with mentors at a dealership service department and then 7½ weeks of classroom coursework, Balkin said. The dealers provide tuition assistance and retention bonuses to help them buy their own tools once hired. More Info: https://buffalonews.com/business/local/workers-hard-to-find-auto-dealers-build-direct-path-from-college-to-a-job/article_f6b354b4-af95-11ec-a6fc-3322eedcda31.html

Nicolas Cage is having a baby girl with his fifth wife Riko Shibata. The couple will name their baby Lennon Augie in honor of the late Beatles musician John Lennon and Cage’s late father August “Augie” Coppola, Cage revealed on Thursday’s broadcast of “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” Cage’s announcement came as he reminisced about being “frozen, paralyzed” as a 4-year-old when his brother played “Across The Universe” from The Beatles’ album “Let It Be.” “It’s my favorite song ever written, which is why I’m going to announce some big news for everybody,” the action-movie star told Clarkson. “I’m going to have a little girl,” Cage continued. “And her name, because of ‘Across The Universe,’ her name is going to be Lennon Augie. Augie after my father. And I will call her Lennie, for short.” “I’m thrilled, it’s going to be the biggest adventure of my life,” he added. Cage and Shibata married in February 2021. In January, they revealed they were expecting. Cage has sons Ka-El Coppola, 16, and Weston Coppola, 31, from previous relationships. If the new baby would have been a boy, the actor said earlier, the couple would have named him Akira Francesco. https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/entertainment-celebrity/nicolas-cage-announces-some-big-baby-news-on-kelly-clarkson-e2-80-99s-show/ar-AAWt0al?ocid=BingNewsSearch