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PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nationally recognized law firm Berger Montague PC informs investors that a lawsuit was filed against Evolv Technologies Holdings, Inc. (“Evolv” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: EVLV) on behalf of purchasers of EVOLV securities between August 19, 2022 and October 30, 2024, inclusive (the “Class Period”) . Investors that suffered losses from EVOLV (NASDAQ: EVLV) investments can follow the link below for more information regarding the lawsuit: CLICK HERE to learn more about the lawsuit. Investors who purchased or acquired EVOLV securities during the Class Period may, no later than DECEMBER 31, 2024 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. Headquartered in Waltham, MA, Evolv is a security technology company that utilizes AI-based screening designed to help create safer experiences. On October 25, 2024, Evolv announced that the Company's financial statements issued between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2024 should not be relied upon due to material misstatements impacting revenue recognition. The Company revealed that certain sales, including sales to one of its largest channel partners, were subject to extra-contractual terms not shared with the Company's accounting personnel and that certain Evolv personnel had engaged in misconduct. The Company further announced that it had self-reported these issues to the Securities and Exchange Commission. On this news, the price of Evolv stock declined approximately 40%, from a close of $4.10 per share on October 24, 2024, to a close of $2.47 per share on October 25, 2024. On October 31, 2024, Evolv announced the termination of its CEO, Peter George, effective immediately. On this news, the price of Evolv stock declined approximately 8%, from a close of $2.34 per share on October 30, 2024, to a close of $2.15 per share on October 31, 2024. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation, please contact Berger Montague: Andrew Abramowitz at aabramowitz@bm.net or (215) 875-3015, or Peter Hamner at phamner@bm.net or (215) 875-3048, or CLICK HERE . A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not, however, affected by the decision whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. Communicating with any counsel is not necessary to participate or share in any recovery achieved in this case. Any member of the purported class may move the Court to serve as a lead plaintiff through counsel of his/her choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an inactive class member. Berger Montague , with offices in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Delaware, Washington, D.C., San Diego, San Francisco and Chicago, has been a pioneer in securities class action litigation since its founding in 1970. Berger Montague has represented individual and institutional investors for over five decades and serves as lead counsel in courts throughout the United States. Contacts: Andrew Abramowitz, Senior Counsel Berger Montague (215) 875-3015 aabramowitz@bm.net Peter Hamner Berger Montague PC (215) 875-3048 phamner@bm.netHouse Democrats who voted yes on NDAA lament transgender restrictions
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A knock at the door. A police search. A rose gold iPhone. Child pornography allegations. Shocking as the charges were against his son, a Woodstock father says the family ordeal that followed shattered his faith in the justice system. Brian Williams reports. A knock at the Spina household’s front door started the family’s waking nightmare. Andrea Spina answered, then rushed back to her husband, Mario, slowly getting out of bed. Get dressed, she urged him. He heard “heavy boots” and “marching” inside the house, Mario said. He was shocked to discover six police officers equipped with firearms and a search warrant for the suburban home in northeast Woodstock, a city of about 48,000 in southwestern Ontario’s auto belt. “We had no clue why they were here,” Mario said. Mario, Andrea, her mother, the couple’s daughter and their 19-year-old son, Kristian, lived in the bungalow at the time. Kristian was at work that morning, Jan. 19, 2022. “We thought something happened to Kristian,” Andrea said. The family was “sequestered in the living room” as Woodstock police officers searched the house, said Mario. Det. Mike Haegens of Woodstock police explained the investigation involved a Snapchat account with a handle connected to Kristian. Snapchat is an app that allows users to send and receive videos and photos that automatically delete after being viewed for 10 seconds, longer if left unopened. An old email address used by all family members was also connected to the investigation, and both the Snapchat handle and email address were linked to uploading and sharing child pornography, police told them. “We never thought for a million years that there was anything, because that’s not who my son is,” Mario said. Woodstock police seized numerous phones from the Spina residence, including a rose gold iPhone belonging to Kristian that was no longer used. Police showed up at Kristian’s workplace, auto parks maker Vuteq. “The first thought that went through my head was something happened to my family,” Kristian said. Kristian was told his Snapchat account had been flagged for uploaded child pornography. “I was at a loss for words,” he said. “I know what I do on my phone and I know that this isn’t one of them.” Kristian handed over his phone to police, gave the password and said his Snapchat account had been hacked. “That’s why I gave them (the phone), no hesitation,” Kristian said. That day was the beginning of what would become a year-long family struggle to clear Kristian of child pornography charges, a struggle that a digital forensic expert warns can happen to anyone with a phone and social media accounts. The account of what happened to the Spinas is based on interviews with family members, a court ruling, expert reports and a summary by the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency (LECA), an independent civilian oversight agency of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. For the Spinas, there would be financial setbacks, health scares, uncertainty and a draining emotional toll. And now, for Mario, a search for accountability. “Is it negligence or is it ignorance?” he said. “At the end of the day, what the heck is the difference to the accused?” The year before, on July 17, 2021, Kristian received an email from Snapchat to an email address the family had stopped checking. The email from Snapchat advised him his account had been accessed by an unknown device in Hamilton that he didn’t own. On Aug. 5, 2021, Kristian was locked out of the account. “I did what every guy my age would do and just made a new one (account),” Kristian said. About the same time, a potentially illegal video was uploaded to the old account, an investigation later found. Snapchat reports the upload of potentially illegal videos to the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In Kristian’s case, information about the upload was sent to Canada’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre, then the RCMP, then Woodstock police. The responsibility for mining the devices seized fell to Woodstock’s digital examiner, a civilian employee, Special Const. Robert Gower. Gower’s search of the Kristian’s former iPhone, the rose gold one, revealed eight still images, some reproduced multiple times, for a total of about 50 thumbnails, meeting the police definition of child porn. The thumbnails — small images of pictures or videos — found on the phone matched the video connected to Kristian’s account that was first flagged by Snapchat and passed along to Woodstock police. In February 2022, police advised Kristian his phone contained images of child pornography and that charges would be laid. “I don’t have a clue how it happened, what happened, because I’ve never seen any of this stuff,” Kristian said. “That was a bomb,” Mario said. “We thought, there’s an explanation for this.” Before then, the 19-year-old’s only brush with the law had been a speeding ticket. Mario and Andrea drove Kristian to the police station the next morning. At age eight, Kristian was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. He made a full recovery after six months. “When that cancer bomb goes off, everyone comes to help you — they come from everywhere. The doctors, the oncologists, the therapists, the counsellors, your family, your friends, your neighbors. You come home, your snow’s shoveled, your grass is cut — all that stuff,” Mario said. This struggle felt much different. “Imagine him going into this police station with all these police officers looking at him,” Mario said. “The door opened up to go into the belly of the station. It felt like a walk of shame for my son, and he didn’t do this.” His son was booked and held for a bail hearing. “I got back in the car, and I was in shock with tears,” Mario said. “My wife was waiting for me in the car and we were terrified. We didn’t know what to do.” Andrea recalled the heartbreak of dropping her son off at the police station. “It was horrible to leave him behind, and not knowing exactly what he’s going to go through,” she said. Watching his son appear on a courtroom video feed later “was gut-wrenching,” Mario said. Kristian was released later that afternoon. He faced three charges: One each of distributing, possessing and accessing child pornography. “There’s no parenting courses on what to do in case your son’s arrested for something he didn’t do,” Mario said. Before Mario could tell family members of his son’s plight, Woodstock police named Kristian and the charges against him in a news release. Now, Kristian had to deal with a second court: public opinion. “(People assume) when they see this example, the charges and a name associated with it, the police must have quite a lot of evidence here,” Mario said. Only Mario, his mother-in-law and Kristian were home the morning of March 26, 2022, about a month and a half after his arrest. Suddenly, Mario heard his mother-in-law “screaming like that wild scream, something’s really wrong.” Mario had watched his son battle cancer. He’d watched Kristian’s final year of high school stolen by the Covid-19 pandemic. He’d watched him be charged by police. That morning he watched his son dying, Mario said. “I fly out of the kitchen, and my son’s on the bed violently convulsing, foaming at the mouth,” Mario lamented. “He went grey, his lips were blue, he was dying.” Mario called 911 and Kristian was taken to hospital. Kristian had never had a seizure before, Mario said. “I just couldn’t believe where we were going, and why we’re going there, after what happened only weeks prior,” Mario recalled. Kristian was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation — a tangle of blood vessels that can cause bleeding in the brain, stroke or brain damage. Kristian spent a week in the hospital after the seizure. Mario wonders whether the stress his son was under triggered the health scare. Kristian doesn’t believe that was the main trigger for his seizure, but “I think it played a huge part.” He made a full recovery and attended Fanshawe College in the fall of 2022, trying to put the weight of the charges against him to the back of his mind. “When I was in school, I started off well, and then as time went on the stress was just putting weight on my shoulders that I couldn’t do any more,” he said. “I had to drop out.” Mario knew he needed big legal muscle to help his son. “Basically, what you have to have is a war fund,” Mario said. “You can’t just make a race to the bank and you’ll get a loan – you got to have money, liquid money.” The Spinas sold a rental property they owned, which was part of their retirement fund. They hired Michelle Biddulph from the Toronto law firm Greenspan Humphrey Weinstein. Kristian’s defence team enlisted digital forensic examiner Jason Conley, who was working then for Envista Forensics, to examine how it was possible for another person to access Kristian’s Snapchat account, and how the images could wind up on the rose gold iPhone without his knowledge. Conley’s report broke down how that could happen. His probe also uncovered apparent evidence of Kristian’s innocence and raised questions about the police investigation. Highlights of what Conley found: Vulnerability at home Conley found that the Spina household’s Internet Protocol (IP) address for its router, its email address and social media accounts had been compromised and were available to cyber criminals months before Snapchat flagged Kristian’s account for child pornography. The thumbnails The thumbnails created by Snapchat were discovered deep in a restricted area on the iPhone, where only an expert with investigative software would find them. The thumbnails were automatically synched to Kristian’s device from the mystery device responsible for uploading the illegal video to Kristian’s account. Content synchronization Conley tested a hypothesis – that a Snapchat account syncs on all devices where it is located, essentially enabling a hacker to send child pornography from one device with the account to another device with the same account. He set up two identical versions of a Snapchat account on a Samsung Android phone and an iPhone. After logging in to the same Snapchat account on both devices, it became apparent to him that Snapchat automatically synchronized all of his “snaps” (messages) and the media content within them. Because Kristian had not clicked on and seen the video containing child pornography on the rose gold iPhone, the thumbnails created on that phone were not erased, Conley told The Free Press. Any other digital forensic examiner could have replicated the process and made the same conclusion, he said. Without Snapchat confirmation, it’s not 100 per cent possible to know if that’s how the thumbnails ended up on Kristian’s phone, Conley said. Still, there’s an overwhelmingly strong possibility the synchronization led to the images on the rose gold iPhone, he said. Conley also went through Kristian’s search history and concluded there were no searches or content related to child pornography, which are commonly present when someone is deliberately searching for such illicit images or videos. ”(The police) looked at all the devices from the home, including Kristian’s current phone, and found nothing,” Conley said. “That’s a huge red flag.” Conley said he was also concerned by what appeared to be police reluctance to investigate a notification from Snapchat indicating Kristian’s account had been accessed from an IP address in Hamilton in July. At the time, Kristian was in Woodstock, his father said. “Whilst he may have been in physical possession of this device, there is evidence that suggests that Mr. Spina was the victim of credential theft and he was not exclusively in control of his Snapchat account,” Conley wrote. “A second user of this account could easily have sent or received this video without Mr. Spina’s knowledge, and the video could have been synchronized to Mr. Spina’s phone as a result,” he added. The report gave the family some comfort “Here’s a true professional, a true digital forensic examiner who completely showed us that this thing is completely full of holes,” Mario said. But the report seemed to have no impact when provided to the police, Conley said. “My terrible gut feeling in the situation is they just didn’t care, they just ran with it and they just refused to backpedal,” he said. It’s not clear whether the police investigated the findings in Conley’s report. Asked that in an email correspondence with The Free Press, Woodstock police Chief Rod Wilkinson didn’t answer the question. However, in his email exchanges with The Free Press, the chief said the force has the tools and training for such investigations. Two weeks before an October 2022 pre-trial hearing, Conley’s report was submitted to the Crown, Mario said. Conley said he believes the report wasn’t examined seriously by law enforcement or the Crown, and that it should have had a greater bearing on the case. “The worst part was (police) read my report and proceeded anyway,” Conley said. “That was the biggest indicator that something’s very, very, very off.” By Jan. 26, 2023, the first day of the trial, the Crown had dropped the child pornography distribution charge, but Kristian still faced two other child porn charges. At age 20, he was staring at a potential jail sentence, a minimum of six months to one year, and a lifelong sex offender status attached to his name. “Obviously, I was a little nervous my first time going into a courtroom (because) if anything goes bad, then I’m gone, basically,” Kristian said about the first day of the trial. Both Haegens, the lead detective, and Gower, the special constable, testified on the first day. Gower became the subject of a voir dire hearing, held to help a judge determine legal issues such as the admissibility of evidence, or whether witnesses are qualified to give expert testimony. Justice M. Edward Graham presented his voir dire analysis to both the Crown and defence by document. The Free Press obtained a copy of the analysis from Mario, who acquired it from Kristian’s defence lawyer. Although Gower had “extensive expertise in extracting data from devices,” he “does not have sufficient training or expertise to further analyze and interpret that data,” Graham wrote. Gower acknowledged he didn’t have training on Snapchat or other social media applications, Graham wrote. It wasn’t just Gower’s inexperience with Snapchat that was of concern to the judge, but also his lack of expertise with the device on which the thumbnails were found. “He also does not have any formal training on the Apple iOS operating system,” Graham wrote. “In my view he is not qualified to provide opinion evidence even in a general sense of the strengths and weaknesses of that system.” Graham concluded that Gower has a “solid foundation to build upon,” but would need to take more courses in “this rapidly evolving area” to provide expert testimony. The charges were dismissed. “(My parents) never gave up. I never gave up. As a family we pushed together and we succeeded,” Kristian said. “Knowing that he can start his life again, because it had been put on hold for such a long time — it was a huge relief,” Andrea said. Two months after the charges were dismissed, Kristian had successful brain surgery to repair the arteriovenous malformation. With the court case in the past, Kristian has returned to Fanshawe, studying to become an electrician. “I feel like I’m back to my myself,” the now 22-year-old said. His son has been made whole but the system remains broken, Mario said. “I’m not saying the police officer on the street isn’t doing their job,” he said, but “I don’t have faith in (the system).” “My job as a responsible father, as a responsible citizen . . . is to make sure this doesn’t happen to anybody else who is innocent.” Mario hired a private security and investigations firm, Investigative Solutions Network Inc., to examine the Woodstock police investigation of his son. The investigation was conducted by Bill McGarry, the company’s director of cyber operations and a former Toronto police officer with extensive experience in its child exploitation unit. McGarry’s report concluded that Woodstock police appeared to take “a very basic approach to the investigation, accepting all information as valid without conducting an inquiry into the information received.” ⦁ Police should have used a forensic examiner familiar with investigating devices for offences related to child pornography, who would have made various queries such as checking search engine history related to child pornography, his report said. ⦁ The files located on Kristian’s rose gold iPhone were “deep within the Snapchat application database that are inaccessible to the phone user,” McGarry wrote. “The files would only be accessible ‘via expensive software’ used by a person that requires extensive training and experience to use.” ⦁ McGarry called “the reliance of an unqualified digital forensic examiner” with inadequate training “to investigate iOS devices nor social media applications such as Snapchat” one of the “biggest missteps taken” by Woodstock police. ⦁ Police failed to search for a potential alibi, such as the correspondence between Snapchat and Kristian indicating the account had been compromised. “Reasonable and probable grounds” to support a charge of possession would have “evaporated and ceased to exist” had investigators examined further factors such as the Spinas’ compromised IP address. The Free Press asked Wilkinson whether Woodstock police had contacted outside forces, such as the OPP or another source experienced with iOS devices and social media applications, to help investigate. Wilkinson didn’t indicate whether or not that had been done. The chief said his force “continually” develops officers’ skills and qualifications to adapt to “rapidly changing technology involved in such complex investigations.” The Free Press also asked Wilkinson in its email correspondence whether the investigating officers had looked into whether Kristian’s account had been hacked as an explanation for child pornography uploaded to his Snapchat account. He confirmed that was investigated, but did not say whether police had contacted Snapchat. A digital forensic examination had revealed “a device contained materials that met the Criminal Code definition of child pornography” and gave police “reasonable and probable grounds to proceed to lay charges,” the chief wrote in an earlier email. Mario filed an official complaint to LECA, the provincial police oversight agency, in April 2023. Mario’s complaint alleged police conducted a “negligent investigation, which caused the family stress, trauma, and financial loss,” according to the LECA report. The report concluded that a LECA investigator found insufficient evidence to support Mario’s concerns that “discreditable misconduct or neglect of duty” had occurred. Asked through email about Mario’s allegation the investigation against his son was negligent, Haegans replied, “I am unable to comment.” Gower did not respond to a similar email seeking comment about the allegation and declined to answer questions when contacted by phone. Wilkinson responded to that question by noting that LECA, the provincial oversight agency, had found Mario’s complaint “unsubstantiated.” Unsatisfied with the LECA response, Mario said he spoke to Ernie Hardeman, the Woodstock-area MPP, who recommended he go before Woodstock’s police service board that oversees the city police. Mario tried to appear before the board to present information “to prevent this from ever happening to another innocent person in our community.” But he balked at conditions the board wanted to place on his appearance. The board requires someone provide a written statement before appearing, and can’t allow discussions that might involve individual officers to be held in public, Ken Whiteford, chair of the police board, told The Free Press. “It’s in a closed room and nothing can be shared,” Mario said. “That doesn’t leave me a real good, comforting feeling.” Mario filed a complaint about the police board in April 2024 to an oversight office called the Inspectorate of Policing. The inspectorate replied in August it agreed with the police board decisions. Mario said he’s not after an apology from the police, but would like them to publicly note that all charges against Kristian were dismissed, something McGarry’s report noted was the “only way to clear his name.” “They are the ones who printed his name on grains of evidence that they didn’t understand, using a forensics expert who wasn’t qualified, who’d never done that before on a cell phone,” Mario said. “They published my son’s name (in the first place), they could publish my son’s name now saying he has nothing to do with this.” The issue isn’t dead for Mario. “I’m not the kind of guy that just goes away that easy,” he said. “Hopefully, this story is going to have some type of an impact to allow this to be heard . . .”{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "dateCreated": "2024-11-27T23:24:10+02:00", "datePublished": "2024-11-27T23:24:10+02:00", "dateModified": "2024-11-27T23:24:08+02:00", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22168/sports/football/rwanda-premier-league-is-rescheduling-games-affecting-clubs", "headline": "Rwanda Premier League: Is rescheduling games affecting clubs?", "description": "Rescheduling league games has been a constant feature in the Rwanda Premier League and on the African continent at large for many years. The league body...", "keywords": "", "inLanguage": "en", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22168/sports/football/rwanda-premier-league-is-rescheduling-games-affecting-clubs" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/11/27/64989.jpg", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/11/27/64989.jpg" }, "articleBody": "Rescheduling league games has been a constant feature in the Rwanda Premier League and on the African continent at large for many years. The league body normally issues the fixture schedule before the season starts but the calendar may change and force games rescheduled due to clubs' engagement in Africa competitions and international football games among other factors. This scenario has over the years affected many teams not only in Rwanda alone but also across the entire African continent. Narrowing down our sphere, there have been clubs such as MO Bejaia and MC El Eulma of Algeria as well as Marumo Gallants of South Africa who got relegated from their domestic league the same season they played in Africa club competitions. This was due to the fact that they had so many rescheduled games and could not catch up. APR FC are supposed to play four rescheduled league games in the space of 11 days between December 1 and December 11 to ensure that all first round matches need to end before the Christmas break The military club is in a predicament which other clubs have also faced in the past years and, aside playing in CAF club competitions, national team camping has also caused the league to be rescheduled a host of times. With that, there is not much to say as Amavubi remains a big priority. ALSO READ: Rayon vs APR derby postponed again In the recent 2025 African Cup of National (AFCON) and CHAN qualifiers, Amavubi coach Frank Torsten Spittler emphasized that the league should go on as he doesn't need players for long periods as they already know his philosophy. I do not need players camping for a long time and the league can go on this weekend, we already have the core of the team and the national team games are closer to each other so whatever we learnt is still in their head, Spittler said before Amavubi beat Djibouti 3-0 win in the CHAN qualifiers. ALSO READ: Rayon Sports vs APR to be rescheduled For the clubs, rescheduling league games is a real headache as it serves as a bane to their plans, technical team tactics, finances from game proceeds. Mukura Victory Sports Managing Director Protais Musoni believes the fixture calendar can be managed if all concerned stakeholders make it their responsibility. Rescheduling Rwanda Premier League games disrupts clubs plans, affects player recovery, technical preparations, finances, and fan engagement. Some clubs have to play 3 matches in 10 Days. Some matches will be played in midweek that affects fan attendance at stadium, Musoni told Times Sport. It's very challenging. Hopefully, it's a lesson for clubs, and Rwanda Premier league, next time fixtures might be adjusted and planned based on international competitions either for clubs or national teams.” How does rescheduled games affect players? Players are the main actors in football. According to Sems-Journal on Sports & Exercise medicine published in Switzerland on November 1, 2019, when the football schedule is congested (that is two matches per week over several weeks), the repetition of matches can lead to a chronic fatigue among the players who play regularly, as the recovery time between two successive matches may be too short. Players need a minimum three to four days (72 hours to 96 hours) to effectively recover fully from a match. Otherwise, the risk of getting injuries increases due to fatigue. In Europe, teams playing in lesser European competitions do not risk, for example 90 percent of Chelsea players playing in the UEFA Conference League this season are not actively playing in league games. Again, even those teams like playing in top European competitions like the Champions League and the Europa, they manage things very well and the system there is that tedious. Traveling is easy, no long transit, and even after games, they have special nutritionists, doctors and others who make sure the players regain their energy. Moreover, unlike Africa where continental club competitions are mostly played on weekends, in Europe, they are played in midweek making clubs have the chance to play their domestic league games on the weekend. Rescheduling league games is not only a Rwandan league problem but an issue for Africa. It is about time that fixtures are made by the various football federations and league boards taking club and national team football into consideration. When this is done, leagues will go on smoothly without being interrupted. This will help both the players, fans and club management.", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edmund Okai Gyimah" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/", "sameAs": ["https://www.facebook.com/TheNewTimesRwanda/","https://twitter.com/NewTimesRwanda","https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuZbZj6DF9zWXpdZVceDZkg"], "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "/theme_newtimes/images/logo.png", "width": 270, "height": 57 } }, "copyrightHolder": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/" } }
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The political circumstances that surrounded the publication of "Ultimatum," once a best-selling novel that imagined an American effort to annex Canada, may ring familiar to anyone following recent headlines. A US leader announces tariffs on Canadian imports, signaling a more confrontational relationship, and a prime minister named Trudeau scrambles to respond. But the American, in this case, was former president Richard Nixon and the Canadian leader was Pierre Elliott Trudeau -- father of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Nixon and the elder Trudeau are long dead, but the author of "Ultimatum," published in 1973, is D-Day veteran Richard Rohmer, the honorary lieutenant general of the Canadian Armed Forces, who recently turned 101. Still an avid news consumer and writer, Rohmer told AFP that remarks by President-elect Donald Trump implying that Canada could be absorbed by the United States should not be laughed off. "This man has to be taken seriously," he said. "He is a man with great imagination who has ideas about what he can do and what he cannot do, and as far as Canada is concerned." Trump mocked Trudeau this week as the "governor" of a state, rather than prime minister of the giant US neighbor -- a taunt beyond any seen during Trump's first term. The president-elect's jibe followed Fox News reports that, in talks with Trudeau in Florida, he had suggested that if Canada could not withstand his threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian imports, then it should be absorbed as the 51st US state. While some analysts dismissed the barbs as "Trump being Trump," it hit a sensitive nerve in Canada. Days after meeting Trudeau, Trump posted an AI-generated image showing himself standing high atop a mountain next to a Canadian flag, gazing forward. Former Quebec premier Jean Charest responded on X by tartly cautioning Trump to "think twice before invading Canada." Charest recalled the War of 1812, when US advances on Canadian territory ended in defeat -- and the torching of the White House. Yet not everyone in Canada views US annexation as a terrible idea. A poll by the Leger research firm conducted after Trump's comments found that 13 percent of Canadians would like the country to become a US state, with support strongest among men and Conservative Party supporters. Trudeau has not publicly responded to Trump's taunts. An op-ed piece in the Toronto Star said Trump was behaving "like a toddler," and the prime minister was wise to not "rise to the bait." For Laura Stephenson, chair of the political science department at Western University, Trump's musings amount to an escalation compared to a tariff threat. "We're in a different world now. Annexation isn't the same as 'I'm going to hurt your industry.'" Even if an active confrontation with the US remains unthinkable, Stephenson told AFP that such mockery can be "humiliating" to Canadians. She said many Canadians identify themselves explicitly as "not American," and Trump's poking at the issue "has all sort of implications for Canadian identity." University of Toronto political scientist Renan Levine, on the other hand, suggested Trump's ribbing could be a "good sign" for Canadians, as it implies a bond with Trudeau. "He's basically signaling, 'I have a certain level of comfort with you and we can exchange wisecracks,'" Levine told AFP. Rohmer said the moment calls for patriotism. The success of his book "Ultimatum" came at a curious time in Canadian fiction, with a flurry of books, including a novel by acclaimed author Margaret Atwood, exploring conflict with the US. Rohmer said his book likely tapped into a thirst for national pride that Canadians crave but are notorious for suppressing. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland responded to Trump's mockery by saying "Canada is the greatest country in the world" -- while adding that such a boast was not "appropriately Canadian." When asked if he thought Trump's insults should prompt Canada to assert its strength, Rohmer said: "I think we should, but I have no idea how." bs/bbk/bgsThe air around us contains a powerful solution for making agriculture more sustainable. Researchers at Stanford University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia have developed a prototype device that can produce ammonia—a key fertilizer ingredient—using wind energy to draw air through a mesh. The approach they developed, if perfected, might eliminate the need for a century-old method that produces by combining nitrogen and hydrogen at high pressures and temperatures. The older method consumes 2% of global energy and contributes 1% of annual carbon dioxide emissions from its reliance on natural gas. The study, Dec. 13 in , involved the first on-site—rather than in a lab—demonstration of the technology. The researchers envision someday integrating the device into , enabling farmers to generate fertilizer directly from the air. "This breakthrough allows us to harness the nitrogen in our air and produce ammonia sustainably," said study senior author Richard Zare, the Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor in Natural Science at the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. "It's a significant step toward a decentralized and eco-friendly approach to agriculture." A cleaner alternative In preparation for designing their device, the researchers studied how different environmental factors—like humidity, , salt levels, and acidity—affect ammonia production. They also looked at how the size of water droplets, the concentration of the solution, and the contact of water with materials that do not dissolve in water impact the process. Lastly, they tested the best mix of iron oxide and an acid polymer with fluorine and sulfur to determine the ideal conditions for producing ammonia and understand how these interact with water droplets. The Stanford team's process makes ammonia cleanly and inexpensively and utilizes the surrounding air to get nitrogen and hydrogen from water vapor. By passing air through a mesh coated with catalysts to facilitate the necessary reaction, the researchers produced enough ammonia with a sufficiently high concentration to serve as a hydroponic fertilizer in greenhouse settings. Unlike traditional methods, the new technique operates at room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure, requiring no external voltage source to be attached to the mesh. Farmers could run the portable device onsite, eliminating the need to purchase and ship fertilizer from a manufacturer. "This approach significantly reduces the carbon footprint of ammonia production," said study lead author Xiaowei Song, a chemistry research scientist at Stanford. In laboratory experiments, the team demonstrated further potential by recycling water through a spraying system, achieving ammonia concentrations sufficient to fertilize plants grown in a greenhouse after just two hours. By incorporating a filter made from a microporous stone material, this approach could produce enough ammonia to support broader agricultural applications. A future without fossil fuels The device is two to three years away from being market-ready, according to study co-author Chanbasha Basheer of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. In the meantime, the researchers plan to use increasingly large mesh systems to produce more ammonia. "There is a lot of room to develop this," Basheer said. Ammonia's importance extends beyond fertilizers. As a clean energy carrier, it can store and transport renewable energy more efficiently than hydrogen gas due to its higher energy density. The innovation positions ammonia as a linchpin in decarbonizing industries like shipping and power generation. "Green ammonia represents a new frontier in sustainability," Zare said. "This method, if it can be scaled up economically, could drastically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels across multiple sectors."
Man City squander three-goal lead in shocking draw with Feyenoord
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nationally recognized law firm Berger Montague PC informs investors that a lawsuit was filed against Evolv Technologies Holdings, Inc. (“Evolv” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: EVLV) on behalf of purchasers of EVOLV securities between August 19, 2022 and October 30, 2024, inclusive (the “Class Period”) . Investors that suffered losses from EVOLV (NASDAQ: EVLV) investments can follow the link below for more information regarding the lawsuit: CLICK HERE to learn more about the lawsuit. Investors who purchased or acquired EVOLV securities during the Class Period may, no later than DECEMBER 31, 2024 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. Headquartered in Waltham, MA, Evolv is a security technology company that utilizes AI-based screening designed to help create safer experiences. On October 25, 2024, Evolv announced that the Company's financial statements issued between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2024 should not be relied upon due to material misstatements impacting revenue recognition. The Company revealed that certain sales, including sales to one of its largest channel partners, were subject to extra-contractual terms not shared with the Company's accounting personnel and that certain Evolv personnel had engaged in misconduct. The Company further announced that it had self-reported these issues to the Securities and Exchange Commission. On this news, the price of Evolv stock declined approximately 40%, from a close of $4.10 per share on October 24, 2024, to a close of $2.47 per share on October 25, 2024. On October 31, 2024, Evolv announced the termination of its CEO, Peter George, effective immediately. On this news, the price of Evolv stock declined approximately 8%, from a close of $2.34 per share on October 30, 2024, to a close of $2.15 per share on October 31, 2024. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation, please contact Berger Montague: Andrew Abramowitz at aabramowitz@bm.net or (215) 875-3015, or Peter Hamner at phamner@bm.net or (215) 875-3048, or CLICK HERE . A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not, however, affected by the decision whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. Communicating with any counsel is not necessary to participate or share in any recovery achieved in this case. Any member of the purported class may move the Court to serve as a lead plaintiff through counsel of his/her choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an inactive class member. Berger Montague , with offices in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Delaware, Washington, D.C., San Diego, San Francisco and Chicago, has been a pioneer in securities class action litigation since its founding in 1970. Berger Montague has represented individual and institutional investors for over five decades and serves as lead counsel in courts throughout the United States. Contacts: Andrew Abramowitz, Senior Counsel Berger Montague (215) 875-3015 aabramowitz@bm.net Peter Hamner Berger Montague PC (215) 875-3048 phamner@bm.netThe air around us contains a powerful solution for making agriculture more sustainable. Researchers at Stanford University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia have developed a prototype device that can produce ammonia—a key fertilizer ingredient—using wind energy to draw air through a mesh. The approach they developed, if perfected, might eliminate the need for a century-old method that produces by combining nitrogen and hydrogen at high pressures and temperatures. The older method consumes 2% of global energy and contributes 1% of annual carbon dioxide emissions from its reliance on natural gas. The study, Dec. 13 in , involved the first on-site—rather than in a lab—demonstration of the technology. The researchers envision someday integrating the device into , enabling farmers to generate fertilizer directly from the air. "This breakthrough allows us to harness the nitrogen in our air and produce ammonia sustainably," said study senior author Richard Zare, the Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor in Natural Science at the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. "It's a significant step toward a decentralized and eco-friendly approach to agriculture." A cleaner alternative In preparation for designing their device, the researchers studied how different environmental factors—like humidity, , salt levels, and acidity—affect ammonia production. They also looked at how the size of water droplets, the concentration of the solution, and the contact of water with materials that do not dissolve in water impact the process. Lastly, they tested the best mix of iron oxide and an acid polymer with fluorine and sulfur to determine the ideal conditions for producing ammonia and understand how these interact with water droplets. The Stanford team's process makes ammonia cleanly and inexpensively and utilizes the surrounding air to get nitrogen and hydrogen from water vapor. By passing air through a mesh coated with catalysts to facilitate the necessary reaction, the researchers produced enough ammonia with a sufficiently high concentration to serve as a hydroponic fertilizer in greenhouse settings. Unlike traditional methods, the new technique operates at room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure, requiring no external voltage source to be attached to the mesh. Farmers could run the portable device onsite, eliminating the need to purchase and ship fertilizer from a manufacturer. "This approach significantly reduces the carbon footprint of ammonia production," said study lead author Xiaowei Song, a chemistry research scientist at Stanford. In laboratory experiments, the team demonstrated further potential by recycling water through a spraying system, achieving ammonia concentrations sufficient to fertilize plants grown in a greenhouse after just two hours. By incorporating a filter made from a microporous stone material, this approach could produce enough ammonia to support broader agricultural applications. A future without fossil fuels The device is two to three years away from being market-ready, according to study co-author Chanbasha Basheer of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. In the meantime, the researchers plan to use increasingly large mesh systems to produce more ammonia. "There is a lot of room to develop this," Basheer said. Ammonia's importance extends beyond fertilizers. As a clean energy carrier, it can store and transport renewable energy more efficiently than hydrogen gas due to its higher energy density. The innovation positions ammonia as a linchpin in decarbonizing industries like shipping and power generation. "Green ammonia represents a new frontier in sustainability," Zare said. "This method, if it can be scaled up economically, could drastically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels across multiple sectors."The Las Vegas Raiders are at a crossroads. Do they stick with head coach Antonio Pierce or do they Lane Kiffin him before the playoffs? With future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, a part owner, most insiders speculate that Brady will bring his winning attitude and football expertise to do a little spring cleaning with the Raiders. Rumors are swirling about which coaches might be a good fit for the Raiders in the next season. Here are the top 5 names that have been floated around. Mike Vrabel Former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel is at the top of the list to possibly replace Pierce. Sports Illustrated’s Hondo Carpenter thinks that Vrabel will get the nod from the Raiders to be the next head coach. Carpenter said on The Las Vegas Raiders Insiders podcast, “I am in no way advocating for moving on from Antonio, at all, and I want to make that clear. But I believe that if they move on from him, it will be Mike Vrabel. He has a great relationship with [Tom] Brady. They are very close.” Bill Belichick Bill Belichick is in the mix for obvious reasons, the Tom Brady connection. He would be someone that the organization could trust to get the job done of restoring the Raiders back to their winning ways. Also, Belichick has a winning reputation and has a no-nonsense approach to football. He understands the x’s and o’s. The drawback to a Belichick is that the man is 72 years old. The question with Belichick is would he have the stamina for a 18-week season? Probably not. Jon Gruden Another familiar choice for nostalgic reasons. Under Gruden, his record with the Raiders overall was 64-38. If you remember back in 2021, Jon Gruden stepped down from the organization after making racist, homophobic, and misogynist remarks about various people in the NFL. It is reported by The New York Times that Jon Gruden was not happy with the direction that NFL was going in before he stepped down. In an in-depth investigation by the league, it found that Gruden made disparaging comments about the LGTBQIA+ community, specifically the acceptance and drafting of gay players, the introduction of women referees, and the protesting of the National Anthem by certain players. If Gruden were to be given another chance at the helm, he would completely alienate most of the Raiders’ fanbase (i.e. Women, LGTBQIA+ community, & Minorites). That would be a disastrous hire and a public relations nightmare for the Raiders organization. Kliff Kingsbury Kingsbury sounds like a great fit for the Raiders. Sure, he’s a great offensive-minded coach with the ability to score consistently but his problem lies in not finishing out the games. The Raiders could benefit from a coach with the complete package and Kliff Kingsbury is not there yet. Also, although he is an offensive genius, Kingsbury’s defenses were sub-par when he was a head coach, but he still may be worth the hire if he finds a decent defensive coordinator. Joe Brady A sleeper choice for the job would be Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady. In the past, Brady has been glanced over for head coaching jobs. The con for the Raiders hiring Joe Brady would be his youth. It would be hard to hire a young coach who players might not respect or take seriously. Plus, they’ve already made that mistake when they hired a young Lane Kiffin, so they may not want to go that route again. Whoever the Raiders choose to pick in the off-season (if they decide to fire Pierce as many think) he needs to make an impact early. The Raiders’ goal is to rebuild the franchise with their draft picks, add some veteran players, have a steady defense, and build an offensive machine that will guarantee them wins consistently week in and week out. This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.