Mental illness is difficult to simply assume because it is not as obvious or noticeable as a physical sickness or disability. — Photo by Kaboompics / pexels.com THE fact that mental health is currently becoming a hot topic is great. It is nice to see more talks and openness around mental health lately. Though the trend towards social acceptance of mental health has had positive effects, there are also ways for people to take advantage of it in a society where the topic is becoming more and more prevalent. So if we are not careful, we risk making mental health discussions less meaningful. According to a psychotherapist in an article in ‘Psychology Today’, the inappropriate misuse of the term ‘mental health’ as a catch-all justification for our behaviours or moods is one concerning trend with this surge in mental health talk. His point illustrates the dual nature of mental health. Being more understanding of people who are dealing with mental illness brings benefits. Some people, on the other hand, use mental health as a ‘convenience card’ for bad behaviour or irresponsibility. But before I go any further, I should also remind others to be careful and refrain from accusing someone of faking a mental illness when there may be a real problem. Sometimes, people make bad decisions that are related to their mental health conditions, and other times, they are trying to express a need that they have in a maladaptive manner. Clearly, people need to be careful not to abuse the term by using it as an ‘excuse’ to get away with things. An excuse typically assumes that the person is making a ‘conscious’ choice and is an explanation we use to justify actions or avoid accepting accountability for them. It is like saying ‘I couldn’t help it’, or ‘that wasn’t my fault’. Making excuses is common and we often use it as a coping mechanism to avoid difficult tasks or awkward situations. After all, we have all been there. Who among us has not made an excuse at some point in our lives? However, the habit of throwing around the catchphrase ‘mental illness’ to get out of certain circumstances is actually harmful. Although it may be genuine for a number of individuals, it also stigmatises those who are sincere, which is why we often hear them as ‘making up mental health problems’. Mental illness is a psychological condition that is emotionally and cognitively taxing, and it is most painful for the individual who is affected. Major depression, for example, impacts many aspects of a person’s life. A person may be unable to leave their bed for days, and they may go weeks without taking a shower, combing their hair, or brushing their teeth. They may hear others saying ‘just get up and do it’, but they are physically unable to move, because the mental illness restrains them almost like heavy weights. They may detest living in such a mess, but even so, their mind is criticising them and calling them unpleasant things like ‘trash’, ‘worthless’ and ‘good-for-nothing’. They are plainly none of those things; it is just that they are caught in a depressive episode. However, their brains do not tell them that. It is a mental illness, depression. Rather than a straightforward and linear feeling, it is persistent and has far too many unforeseen implications and is complicated. This also holds true for various mental illnesses. To be honest, this is quite a tough topic to discuss simply, especially because it is so ambiguous – is the person just avoiding accountability, or are we discounting a person’s potential mental health problems? For instance, we have seen well-known musicians abruptly cancel their upcoming gigs or put their careers on hold for mental health reasons. And when this happens, some people online label the musicians as ‘unprofessional’ for using this as an excuse, while others are able to show more understanding and empathy. Of course, mental health is very real and should be taken seriously, but when we have seen people abusing the ‘mental health card’, we are less likely to trust certain stories or claims. Mental health should be used as a reason, rather than a plain excuse. While excuses are careless, reasons are fair and logical, and if acted upon, would lead to responsible action. Reasons only become excuses when they are used to escape accountability. Some of you may be asking about this: ‘So, what is the way to distinguish between people who are genuinely suffering from mental health issues, and those who are not?’ The answer is, you cannot. Mental illness is difficult to simply assume because it is not as obvious or noticeable as a physical sickness or disability. Though, some people may show apparent signs, such as absence from work, excessive fatigue, constant negative talk, or social isolation. A mental health professional would be better qualified to make that call, but even then, it would still be none of your or my business. I do think that everyone who is genuinely suffering, or who is pretending like they need help, should be treated with the same level of compassion. Thus, the most important thing, in my opinion, is to find balance between accountability and empathy. Really, though, if you actually have any signs of mental illnesses, you should see a professional. Whether it is a broken bone or a depressed mind, the body needs all the support we can provide. Even if it may seem like no one ever understands the reality of your miserable mental state, you can get through this period with the support and love of God, and those around you. * The writer is a psychology graduate who enjoys sharing about how the human mind views the world. For feedback, email to [email protected] .
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NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks climbed Thursday after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 pulled 0.5% higher after flipping between gains and losses several times during the day. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend to do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 461 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up by less than 0.1%. Nvidia rose just 0.5% after beating analysts’ estimates for profit and revenue yet again, but it was still the strongest force pulling the S&P 500 upward. It also gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that topped most analysts’ expectations due to voracious demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Its stock initially sank in afterhours trading Wednesday following the release of the results. Some investors said the market might have been looking for Nvidia’s revenue forecast to surpass expectations by even more. But its stock recovered in premarket trading Thursday, and Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said it was another “flawless” profit report provided by Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang, whom Ives calls “the Godfather of AI.” The stock meandered through Thursday as well, dragging the S&P 500 and other indexes back and forth. How Nvidia’s stock performs has more impact than any other because it’s grown into Wall Street’s most valuable company at roughly $3.6 trillion. The frenzy around AI is sweeping up other stocks, and Snowflake jumped 32.7% after reporting stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company, whose platform helps customers get a better view of all their silos of data and use AI, also reported stronger revenue growth than expected. BJ’S Wholesale Club rose 8.3% after likewise delivering a bigger profit than expected. That may help calm worries about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. A day earlier, Target tumbled after reporting sluggish sales in the latest quarter and giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Nearly 90% of the stocks in the S&P 500 ended up rising Thursday, and the gains were even bigger among smaller companies. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped a market-leading 1.7%. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, helped keep indexes in check. It fell 4.7% after U.S. regulators asked a judge to break up the tech giant by forcing it to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser. In a 23-page document filed late Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice called for sweeping punishments that would include restrictions preventing Android from favoring its own search engine. Regulators stopped short of demanding Google sell Android but left the door open to it if the company’s oversight committee continues to see evidence of misconduct. All told, the S&P 500 rose 31.60 points to 5,948.71. The Dow jumped 461.88 to 43,870.35, and the Nasdaq composite added 6.28 to 18,972.42. In the crypto market, bitcoin eclipsed $99,000 for the first time before pulling back toward $98,000, according to CoinDesk. It’s more than doubled so far this year, and its climb has accelerated since Election Day. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to make the country “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. Bitcoin got a further boost after Gary Gensler, the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said Thursday he would step down in January . Gensler has pushed for more protections for crypto investors. Bitcoin and related investment have a notorious history of big price swings in both directions. MicroStrategy, a company that’s been raising cash expressly to buy bitcoin, saw an early Thursday gain of 14.6% for its stock quickly disappear. It finished the day with a loss of 16.2%. In the oil market, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 2% to bring its gain for the week to 4.8%. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.8%. Oil has been rising amid escalations in the Russia-Ukraine war. In stock markets abroad, shares of India’s Adani Enterprises plunged 22.6% Thursday after the U.S. charged founder Gautam Adani in a federal indictment with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. The businessman and one of the world’s richest people is accused of concealing that his company’s huge solar energy project on the subcontinent was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme. Stock indexes elsewhere in Asia and Europe were mixed. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 4.43% from 4.41% late Wednesday following some mixed reports on the U.S. economy. One said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week in the latest signal that the job market remains solid. Another report, though, said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region unexpectedly shrank. Sales of previously occupied homes, meanwhile, strengthened last month by more than expected. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Yuri Kageyama contributed.
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Hubris is the characteristic of demagogues and autocrats. Chaos, paralogism and the eclipsis of democracy should not become the antidote to political ethos, symmetry, logic and harmony. In the Bible’s, the Talmud’s and the Koran’s historic gaia, the oikos of the Israelis and the Palestinians, the ellipsis of anthropocentric policies and the catachresis of polemical rhetoric and practices, should not become the canon. Peace and empathy cannot be an anathema. Tragedy and catastrophe prevail in the Ukrainian polis –martyrs of Mariupol, Kyiv, Kherson, Kharkiv and many others. Episodes of despotic apophasis and the antidrome to democracy. The pandect of Russia’s pathetic polemics result from monocratic and autocratic policies. They aim at expanding the spheres of energy, emporium and echo the geopolitics aiming at the dichotomy of Europe. Peace can be elliptic, shattered or glοοmy. Yet, “true peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” This is my preferred definition proposed by Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace is not the prologue or the epilogue to an armed conflict and should not be confronted to a truce or to a ceasefire. There is no genuine peace while your neighbor illegally occupies your territory or threatens you daily with the declaration of war (casus belli). Peace is based on international law and justice. Therefore, peace cannot be limited to a ceasefire agreement between the aggressor and the aggressed. Ukraine should not be compelled by Kremlin or advised tomorrow by its Euro-Atlantic friends who today help them to preserve their territorial integrity to concede territory, sovereignty or its residuals. Such an “occupy my territory for peace” agreement exclusively rewards the aggressor. Yes to pragmatism, no to unprincipled docility. If defeatism, fatigue and docility prevail only a handful of states will feel and be secure. Six points on the Western Balkans: 1. Notwithstanding gentle talk, our region will not look much different tomorrow unless a genuine sense of political accountability is developed. Politics is meant to serve, not the other way around. Change will require the eradication of unreliable and corrupted politics. Political egotism, nepotism and corruption adversely affect legitimate citizen aspirations and expectations. In some cases leaders appear to be failing their peoples, jeopardizing thus the European Union accession process. 2. An unprecedented population exodus – mostly of the young, educated, skillful and talented generation – from Western Balkan countries shows an alarming lack of confidence and trust. Those political leaders appealing to them to return back home are those who are mostly responsible and should be held accountable for this exodus, generally faced with fatalism and apathy. 3. The rule of law and independent judiciaries are needed as in much of the Western Balkans the courts are subject to political and partisan influence. In one case (Albania) a special anticorruption court was misused to persecute and sentence the elected ethnic minority mayor. 4. Today’s regional architecture is founded on a set of agreements and treaties – including the Dayton and Paris accords, the Ohrid and Prespa agreements and the arrangements between Belgrade and Pristina. Therefore, their systemic and systematic violation leads to crisis and potential instability. 5. Initiated by the June 2003 Thessaloniki Summit, the EU accession process offers the appropriate stick-and-carrot policy. Aristotle put it well in his “Nicomachean Ethics”: “Impose punishments and penalties upon malefactors and bestow honors on those doing fine actions.” Compliance to the conditionality will be rewarded. Any deviation will be reprimanded. 6. Fresh ideas and talk for new changes in borders in Southeast Europe, including territory and population swaps, will open the Pandora’s box in Europe. It will become pandemic. The bad precedent will become the prototype. It always starts from a known beginning but goes on with an unpredictable end. I am aware of arguments echoing that history recent or past and relevant agreements were unfair. This is exactly the “rationale” behind Mr Putin’s revisionist dogma and expansionism in Europe. Border arrangements, territory and population swaps may not stand and may not be recognized unless they are: a) Proposed and approved by the United Nations Security Council; b) Take the shape of a multilateral treaty and are endorsed by the means of a relevant UNSC Resolution with the formal consent of directly interested and concerned parties. Attachment to the principles and purposes enshrined in the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and in the November 1990 Charter of Paris for a New Europe, adopted in the aftermath of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, has eroded. Restoring the international collective security system has a name: the United Nations. As long as the permanent members of Security Council are reluctant or unable to act as mandated by the charter, it will be impossible to prevent threats against peace, justice and stability. The Aristotelian metron and ethics are the antidote to hubris. Alexandros P. Mallias is a former ambassador of Greece to Washington, Skopje and Tirana. The comment is based on his remarks at the relevant High-Level international conference organized by Greece’s Ministry of National Defense on November 28.NeuroPace Completes Enrollment in Feasibility Study of RNS System for Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome
Article content Michael Barone, dean of the nation’s political analysts, sat down with The Wall Street Journal to discuss the 2024 election. Recommended Videos The headline that emerged from that discussion was “Donald Trump’s Rainbow Coalition,” noting that the monopoly of the Democratic Party over the nation’s Black vote seems to be over. If this is true, and it indeed seems to be, the implications for the political dynamics of our nation’s future are profound. In 2024, Trump picked up 16% of the Black vote compared to 8% in 2016, and 21% of Black men voted for Trump. Also, among Black voters, as in all voting groups, young voters moved more to the Republican candidate. Among Black voters ages 18-29, 16% voted for Trump compared to 6% of Black voters 65 and up. In 1956, Republican candidate Dwight Eisenhower won 39% of the Black vote. In 1960, Republican Richard Nixon captured 32%. Then the world changed in 1964 when Republican candidate Barry Goldwater voted against the Civil Rights Act. Goldwater picked up 6% of the Black vote in that election and the Republican Party never recovered with Black voters. In all presidential elections since, the Democrat-Republican ratio has hovered around what Barone calls the 90-10 ratio. The election results this year point to change. But why should we conclude that this is not a one-off move? Despite the ongoing persistence of race as a political topic, it is capturing the interest of young Blacks less and less. They see themselves more as individuals than belonging to a Black voting bloc. In a survey done by the NAACP last September, 26% of Black men under 50 said they would support Trump. Of these, 82% said their most important issue was the economy. Barone also correctly points out that the Black church’s central role as a platform for political unity is weakening. The PRRI American Values Survey released in September showed 13% support for Trump among Blacks saying they attend church weekly or more, 15% among those saying they attend church monthly or a few times a year, and 23% among those saying they seldom or never go to church. Per The New York Times , Black church attendance over the last 20 years is down 20 percentage points. Among young Black millennials and Gen Z, 50% of those who say they do attend church say they attend a Black church compared to two-thirds of older generation Blacks. There is meaning both to more Blacks not attending church and to the movement of those attending church to non-Black churches. Politics are far more likely to be the topic of discussion and sermons in Black churches. Kamala Harris’ campaign pitch to the American people was about big government. More spending, more subsidies, more social engineering. More young Blacks, certainly young Black men, see the path to prosperity as taking personal responsibility and this means an economy that is kept free. Less government spending and lower taxes. The data is there to show that Blacks can get ahead in America. Per the Federal Reserve, median Black household wealth stood at 5.6% that of white households in 1989. By 2022 this was up to 15.7%. In 1972, median Black household income stood at 57.5% of white households. By 2022, this increased to 62%. Is this enough progress? Clearly, no. But it is increasingly clear to a new generation of Black Americans that what they need to get ahead is freedom. Data abounds showing countries that are more economically free have far greater wealth and opportunity. The ideological divide between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party —more or less government, more or less freedom — is more pronounced than ever. Black Americans, particularly young Blacks and Black men, want a future — and they see the future in freedom. Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education
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Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The South Santiam River looked exactly as expected one recent afternoon in November — like algae as it gushed, brown-green and somewhat opaque over a low-head dam in Lebanon. And that's a weirdly colored, vaguely chlorine-scented problem for nearly 30,000 East Linn County residents who rely on the river as their main source of drinking water. The Green Peter reservoir is being drawn down to a level of 142 feet below the normal winter levels to improve the survival rates of chinook and steel head populations passing through the dam. The move has local drinking water looking more murky, causing some residents concern. Public works officials say it's safe. "This will be the second time we've called for a halt to it," Lebanon City Manager Ron Whitlatch said by phone Wednesday, Nov. 20. He was referring to Lebanon's entreaty, for the second time in consecutive years, to Oregon health officials to stop the drawdown of a nearby reservoir where sediment — dirt and bits of animal and plant — that accumulated for nearly 12 months is now flowing out from behind Green Peter Dam. A federal court has ordered the drawdown, bringing the water levels to historic lows, to help endangered salmon species swim downstream. People are also reading... Margaret Atwood OSU event altered over threats The real reason Corvallis' Pastega Lights moved to Linn County Tree farm fiasco has Corvallis homelessness under microscope Bomb cyclone, flood risk in Benton County this week Albany's Joel Dahl pleads guilty to sex crime involving minor Strike over: Benton County, union reach tentative deal What's available from Benton County services as strike nears Week 2 Sweet Home man sentenced for crash that injured his daughter In trying to flee, suspect accused of driving over Albany police officer American flag thrown by driver fleeing Benton County deputies OSU football: It's time to look ahead to next year Philomath woman suspected in Eugene Airport bomb scare OSU football: Beavers' season hits a new low in loss at Air Force Tensions rise, as Albany strike enters second week Albany dog badly hurt, possibly shot, during brief escape And just like last year, all of the muck from the drawdown is gumming up the equipment that filters and sanitizes the drinking water channeled from an intake in southeastern Lebanon. "I'm not sure how far it will go — not far, I expect," Whitlatch said of the city's plea. "But we shall see." In October local elected officials declared an emergency to quickly maneuver funds after Lebanon spent nearly $500,000 replacing filters and paying for overtime at its water treatment plant following the last drawdown, in 2023. Sweet Home's city council did the same for their municipality upstream on the South Santiam, declaring an emergency the night before. That was all before this year's drawdown began in earnest. In the wake of last year's drawdown, local and state politicos called upon Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek to cover the $45 million in chemical costs and wear and tear on water treatment plants. She turned around and passed the blame to the feds , which operates the dam system in the area. Accordingly, the cities filed a claim last month with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to recover the costs. Such claims are often precursors to lawsuits. Federal rules and salmon advocates, including the Kalapuya people who lived along the Santiam before the arrival of European settlers, say juvenile salmon aren't supposed to swim through deeply pooled reservoirs. Kathleen George, a tribal councilor from the Confederate Tribes of Grand Ronde, said in an emailed statement that chinook salmon caught near the mouth of Columbia River are at "high risk of extinction by 2040," citing federal estimates. "Time is running out, and reservoir drawdowns are an important tool to allow juvenile fish safe passage downstream," George said in the statement. So this year’s drawdown is different ; a modified plan and varying rain levels may be why the water is little less murky — so far. In a letter, Whitlatch urged the state's public health officials to "prompt" the Army Corps to act on the modified order. Writing to the Oregon Health Authority, he predicted that the turbidity, the technical word for murkiness, will continue to rise. "This risks Lebanon's ability to provide safe drinking water and continues to damage our water treatment plant," Whitlatch wrote. Some Lebanites aren't convinced. “This exact thing happened last year,” Lebanon resident Jennifer Griffiths said, referring to her drinking water's appearance and odor. She noticed the color of their bath water was tinged a yellow-green. Griffiths, who lives with her 3-year-old child and husband, said that just standing in the bathroom gives her a headache. She thinks it’s the chlorine added to the water that is making her feel that way. Her pets started throwing up, she added, so her family has started using bottled water instead. When Griffiths called the city, employees told her the changes she was seeing to her water were from the drawdown and that the city was working to continue to produce safe water. The greenish tinge is a result of color from plant matter, public works officials have said. As the drawdown creates less water in the reservoir, the concentration of organic matter is higher. Tannins are a breakdown of vegetation and are not harmful to human health. They can be reduced but it is difficult to get rid of the water completely. A couple of residents have complained so far, with most ask whether their water is safe after seeing discourse on Facebook, Whitlatch said. “Of course the water is safe; we are working to keep it that way,” he said. The city pushed out additional guidance in a news release Friday morning, Nov. 22. “While this discoloration may be alarming, it is not harmful to your health,” Whitlatch said in the release. “If at any time water quality falls below safe standards, providers will issue a public notice.” Lebanon is supplying water with the same levels of microbe-killing chlorine and acidity that it always does, according to city reports based on state-required sampling. But it takes a lot more chlorine, Whitlatch said, to keep up with the muck stirred from the bottom of Green Peter Reservoir, dissolved in the South Santiam and flowing into the headworks of the city’s facilities where water is then disinfected and piped to the rest of the city. Chlorine levels in Lebanon typically hover around 1 or fewer parts per million, or ppm. The city has been adding about 1.5 ppm of chlorine since the drawdown's start, Whitlatch said. The maximum level of chlorine that can be added safely is 4 ppm. For example, the ideal range of an average swimming pool hovers around 2 to 4 ppm. Testing through Tuesday, Nov. 19, showed light passed through untreated water at more than 150 nephelometric turbidity units, a measurement of opacity. Turbidity in South Santiam water measured at a much lower average of 5 units on Oct. 25. "It's been more consistent this year," Whitlatch said compared to last year's spikes. When Sweet Home resident Brandy Wysong-Frick noticed a rash on her husband’s side abdomen, she thought it might be shingles. It was itchy but not painful, she said. Then it got worse the next time he showered, she said. “Within 30 minutes there were rashes over his whole body,” she said. During last year’s drawdown their home was unaffected, so the pair didn’t even consider it was due to the water until he washed his hands and started to get a rash there too, said Wysong-Frick, one of the many candidates this year for City Council . She didn't win. Her husband has always been extremely allergic to chlorine, she said. He can’t even be in a room with an indoor pool. The couple also noticed that their dogs seemed more dehydrated. So, they started to boil their water too and bought a filter for the shower head. Several others posted on the community Facebook group about concerns over the color, smell and feeling itchy from chlorine in the water. But unlike Lebanon, Sweet Home isn’t adding more chlorine to their treated water. There isn’t any more chlorine being added to the water supply than the normal amount, Public Works Director Greg Springman said. The chlorine levels hover around .4 to .7 ppm, which is about the same levels during no-drawdown times. Their city has a different approach than last year, Springman said. This year, employees are only adding more aluminum chloride in the treatment process, which is filtered out before being disinfected, the last step before the water makes its way to households. So really, Sweet Home residents should have less chlorine in their water compared to last year’s drawdown, Springman said. The water is also less murky than it was around this time last year, he said. “This year it’s a little less impactful, but it’s still a high turbidity,” Springman said. By comparison, some of the highest turbidity the city experienced last year was around 300 ntu, and the most recent readings hover above 100, he said. The city hasn’t received many complaints, maybe about three, he said. For those that ask, the city will come out and test the chlorine in their water. Sweet Home is constantly logging the amount of chlorine it uses everyday, he added. The city also has a webpage that provides updated information about the city’s water quality. A Thursday, Nov. 21 update says that the city is expecting higher turbidity with a heavier rainy season. “You may see some discoloration of your water due to the turbidity, or a change in smell due to necessary changes to our treatment methods. Despite these changes, again, all water is tested for quality and safety before it goes to your home or business,” the web page reads. Staff are also working around the clock because to clean the murkier water. With that need for more backwashing, it takes longer to meet the daily water demand, he added. “We want people to know that we are confident in producing clean water, and we are watching this 24/7,” he said. The trend is fairly consistent across other downstream communities. Overall, Public Works Director Chris Bailey confirmed, Albany workers also are noticing the turbidity isn’t spiking as high as it was last year — so far. That may be because the target elevation wasn’t reached at Green Peter until Nov. 10, Water Superintendent Scott LaRoque said. “Now that the banks of Green Peter are exposed, each storm event is washing sediment into the water and making its way downstream. Last year we had a few more significant rain events that contributed to higher turbidity leaving Green Peter than we have seen so far this year.” Albany has received two complaints, both about the color of the water, he said. Baily said there may be a psychological component at play, in that people are more sensitive to the changes because of the visible change in the color of the water, Bailey said. That was something that was difficult to communicate. The city can produce safe water, but the change in color makes it difficult for people to trust it, she said. Like Sweet Home, Albany also isn’t putting extra chlorine in its water this year, LaRoche said. The water is safe, he said, and the city is handling the higher turbidity. Still, officials won’t know for sure what the toll of processing the higher turbidity will be. The city plans to do an analysis on how the drawdown has affected the life expectancy of its their equipment. Related stories: Fluoride is already gone, likely for good in Lebanon Alex Powers Lebanon, Sweet Home file claim against Army Corps for drawdown damages Shayla Escudero Sweet Home, Lebanon declare emergencies ahead of Green Peter drawdown Hans Boyle , Alex Powers Drawdown will be different this year SHAYLA ESCUDERO More Lebanon news More Sweet Home news More Albany news Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Reporter Author email {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Reporter Author email {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Jaylon Johnson wasn't all that interested in discussing any bright spots or reasons to have hope for the Chicago Bears. The star cornerback made his feelings clear.
Israeli drone strikes hit Kamal Adwan Hospital on Tuesday, wounding three medical staff at one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the northernmost part of Gaza , the facility’s director said. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said the drones were dropping bombs, spraying shrapnel at the hospital. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. In Lebanon, a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has held despite Israeli forces carrying out several new drone and artillery strikes on Tuesday, killing a shepherd in the country's south. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed keep striking “with an iron fist” against perceived Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire. Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones and missiles into Israel last year in solidarity with Hamas militants who are fighting in the Gaza Strip. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage . Israel’s blistering retaliatory offensive has killed at least 44,500 Palestinians , more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war in Gaza has destroyed vast areas of the coastal enclave and displaced 90% of the population of 2.3 million, often multiple times . Here's the Latest: WASHINGTON — U.S. forces conducted a self-defense strike Tuesday in the vicinity of Mission Support Site Euphrates, a U.S. base in eastern Syria, against three truck-mounted multiple rocket launchers, a T-64 tank and mortars that Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said presented “a clear and imminent threat” to U.S. troops. The self-defense strike occurred after rockets and mortars were fired that landed in the vicinity of the base, Ryder said. The Pentagon is still assessing who was responsible for the attacks — that there are both Iranian-backed militias and Syrian military forces that operate in the area. Ryder said the attack was not connected to the offensive that is ongoing in Aleppo, where Syrian jihadi-led rebels taken over the country’s largest city. The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria to conduct missions to counter the Islamic Stage group. CAIRO — Israeli drone strikes hit the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza on Tuesday, wounding three medical personnel, the facility’s director said. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya said the drones were dropping bombs, spraying shrapnel at the hospital, located in the town of Beit Lahiya. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. In comments released by Gaza’s Health Ministry, Abu Safiya said one of the injured was in critical condition and was undergoing a complex surgery. “The situation has become extremely dangerous,” he said. “We are exhausted by the ongoing violence and atrocities.” Kamal Adwan Hospital has been struck multiple times over the past two months as Israeli forces have waged a fierce offensive in the area, saying they are rooting out Hamas militants who regrouped there. In October, Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying that militants were sheltering inside and arrested a number of people, including some staff. Hospital officials denied the claim. Abu Safiya was wounded in his thigh and back by an Israeli drone strike on the hospital last month. TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli court has ordered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take the stand next week in his long-running corruption trial, ending a long series of delays. Netanyahu’s lawyers had filed multiple requests to put off the testimony, arguing first that the war in Gaza prevented him from properly preparing for his testimony, and later that his security could not be guaranteed in the court chamber. In Tuesday’s decision, judges in the Jerusalem district court said that following a security assessment, his testimony will be moved to the Tel Aviv district court. Israeli media said the session would take place in an underground chamber. His testimony in the trial, which began in 2020, is expected to begin on Dec. 10 and to last at least several weeks. Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate scandals involving powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. He denies wrongdoing. NABATIYEH, Lebanon — In destroyed areas of southern Lebanon, residents clearing away rubble on Tuesday said they didn’t trust Israel to abide by the week-old ceasefire with Hezbollah. “The Israelis are breaching the ceasefire whenever they can because they are not committed,” said Hussein Badreddin, a vegetable seller in the southern city of Nabatiyeh, which was pummeled by Israeli airstrikes over several weeks. “This means that they (can) breach any resolution at any time.” Since it began last Wednesday, the U.S.- and French-brokered 60-day ceasefire has been rattled by near daily Israeli strikes, although Israel has been vague about the purported Hezbollah violations that prompted them. Imad Yassin, a trader who owns a clothing shop in Nabatiyeh, said Israel was constantly breaching the ceasefire because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to continue the displacement of residents of southern Lebanon. “The Israeli enemy was defeated and the truth is that he is trying to get revenge. Netanyahu is trying to displace us as citizens of southern Lebanon,” Yassin said. They spoke as bulldozers cleared streets strewn with rubble and debris from destroyed buildings. Electricians worked to fix power lines in an effort to restore electricity to the city. Both men were displaced by the war and returned to Nabatiyeh on Wednesday, the day the ceasefire went into effect. Yassin found his clothing shop had been destroyed. He said he would wait to see if the state will dispense compensation funds so that he can repair and reopen his business. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Two separate Israeli airstrikes killed at least nine people in Gaza City on Tuesday, Palestinian medical authorities said. Six people, including two children, who were killed when an Israeli strike hit a school sheltering displaced people Tuesday afternoon in the Zaytoun neighborhood, according to the Health Ministry’s emergency services. A second strike hit a residential building in the Sabra neighborhood, killing at least three people, the services said. Israeli forces have almost completely isolated northernmost Gaza since early October, saying they’re fighting regrouped Hamas militants there. That has pushed some families south to Gaza City, while hundreds of thousands more live in the territory's center and south in squalid tent camps, where they rely on international aid. JERUSALEM — Israel's military confirmed it killed a senior member of Hezbollah responsible for coordinating with Syria's army on rearming and resupplying the Lebanese militant group. Syrian state media said a drone strike on Tuesday hit a car in a suburb of the capital Damascus, killing one person, without saying who was killed. Israel's military said he was Salman Nemer Jomaa, describing him as “Hezbollah’s representative to the Syrian military,” and that killing him “degrades both Hezbollah’s presence in Syria and Hezbollah’s ongoing force-building efforts.” Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years. Israel rarely acknowledges its actions in Syria, but it has said that it targets bases of Iran-allied militant groups. Iran supports both Hezbollah and the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad, which is currently fighting to push back jihadi-led insurgents who seized the country’s largest city of Aleppo . TUBAS, West Bank — Israeli soldiers opened fire inside a hospital in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday during a raid to seize the bodies of alleged militants targeted in earlier airstrikes, a Palestinian doctor working at the hospital told The Associated Press. Soldiers entered the Turkish Hospital complex in Tubas after the bodies of two Palestinians killed and one wounded in airstrikes in the northern West Bank on Tuesday were brought there, said Dr. Mahmoud Ghanam, who works in the hospital’s emergency department. The troops briefly handcuffed and arrested Ghanam and another doctor. “The army entered in a brutal way, and they were shooting inside the emergency department,” said Ghanam. “They handcuffed us and took me and my colleague.” The military confirmed that its troops were operating around the hospital searching for those targeted in the airstrikes, which they said had hit a militant cell near the Palestinian town of Al-Aqaba in the Jordan Valley. It denied that troops had entered the hospital building or fired gunshots inside. The soldiers left after learning that the wounded man had been transferred to another hospital, Ghanam said. The soldiers wanted to take the bodies of the two men killed in the strike, but the hospital’s manager refused to hand over the bodies, Ghanam said. Israeli raids on hospitals in the West Bank are rare but have grown more common since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. In Gaza, Israeli troops have systematically besieged, raided and damaged many hospitals. About 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza ignited the war there. Israel has carried out near-daily military raids in the West Bank that it says are aimed at preventing attacks on Israelis — attacks which have also been on the rise. Israel captured the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek all three territories for an independent state. CAIRO — Palestinian officials say Fatah and Hamas are closing in on an agreement to appoint a committee of politically independent technocrats to administer the Gaza Strip after the war . It would effectively end Hamas’ rule and could help advance ceasefire talks with Israel. The rival factions have made several failed attempts to reconcile since Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007. Israel has meanwhile ruled out any postwar role in Gaza for either Hamas or Fatah, which dominates the Western-backed Palestinian Authority . A Palestinian Authority official on Tuesday confirmed that a preliminary agreement had been reached following weeks of negotiations in Cairo. The official said the committee would have 12-15 members, most of them from Gaza. It would report to the Palestinian Authority, which is headquartered in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and work with local and international parties to facilitate humanitarian assistance and reconstruction. A Hamas official said that Hamas and Fatah had agreed on the general terms but were still negotiating over some details and the individuals who would serve on the committee. The official said an agreement would be announced after a meeting of all Palestinian factions in Cairo, without providing a timeline. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media on the talks. There was no immediate comment from Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is dismantled and scores of hostages are returned. He says Israel will maintain open-ended security control over Gaza , with civilian affairs administered by local Palestinians unaffiliated with the Palestinian Authority or Hamas. No Palestinians have publicly volunteered for such a role, and Hamas has threatened anyone who cooperates with the Israeli military. The United States has called for a revitalized Palestinian Authority to govern both the West Bank and Gaza ahead of eventual statehood. The Israeli government is opposed to Palestinian statehood. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed. NUSEIRAT REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip — Palestinians lined up for bags of flour distributed by the U.N. in central Gaza on Tuesday morning, some of them for the first time in months amid a drop in food aid entering the territory. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, gave out one 25-kilogram flour bag (55 pounds) to each family of 10 at a warehouse in the Nuseirat refugee camp, as well as further south in the city of Khan Younis. Jalal al-Shaer, among the dozens receiving flour at the Nuseirat warehouse, said the bag would last his family of 12 for only two or three days. “The situation for us is very difficult,” said another man in line, Hammad Moawad. “There is no flour, there is no food, prices are high ... We eat bread crumbs.” He said his family hadn’t received a flour allotment in five or six months. COGAT, the Israeli army body in charge of humanitarian affairs, said it facilitated entry of a shipment of 600 tons of flour on Sunday for the World Food Program. Still, the amount of aid Israel has allowed into Gaza since the beginning of October has been at nearly the lowest levels of the 15-month-old war. UNRWA’s senior emergency officer Louise Wateridge told The Associated Press that the flour bags being distributed Tuesday were not enough. “People are getting one bag of flour between an entire family and there is no certainty when they’ll receive the next food,” she said. Wateridge added that UNRWA has been struggling like other humanitarian agencies to provide much needed supplies across the Gaza Strip. The agency this week announced it was stopping delivering aid entering through the main crossing from Israel, Kerem Shalom, because its convoys were being robbed by gangs. UNRWA has blamed Israel in large part for the spread of lawlessness in Gaza. The International Criminal Court is seeking to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister over accusations of using “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel rejects the allegations and says it has been working hard to improve entry of aid. JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war isn't over against Hezbollah and vowed to use "an iron fist" against the Lebanese militant group for any perceived violations of a week-old ceasefire. “At the moment we are in a ceasefire, I note — a ceasefire, not the end of the war," Netanyahu said at the start of the government meeting Tuesday. He said the military would retaliate for “any violation — minor or major.” Netanyahu also thanked U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for his recent demands for Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. Trump posted on social media Monday that if the hostages are not freed before he takes office in January there would be “HELL TO PAY.” Netanyahu convened Tuesday's meeting in northern Israel, where around 45,000 Israelis had been displaced by the war as of last week, according to the prime minister’s office. Netanyahu said the government was focused on getting them back in their homes and rehabilitating the area. BERLIN — German authorities have arrested a Lebanese man accused of being a member of Hezbollah and working for groups controlled by the militant organization in Germany. Federal prosecutors said the suspect, identified only as Fadel R. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested in the Hannover region on Tuesday. The man is suspected of membership in a foreign terrorist organization and is not accused of direct involvement in any violence. Prosecutors said he joined Hezbollah in the summer of 2008 or earlier and took part in leadership training courses in Lebanon. From 2009, he allegedly had leadership duties in two groups controlled by Hezbollah in the Hannover area, organizing appearances by preachers close to the militants. According to prosecutors, he was briefly a correspondent for a Hezbollah media outlet in 2017 and was tasked with coordinating building work at a mosque. Germany is a staunch ally of Israel. It is also home to a Lebanese immigrant community of more than 100,000. BEIRUT — The Lebanese army is looking for more recruits as it beefs up its presence in southern Lebanon after the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. Lebanon’s army is a respected national institution that kept to the sidelines during the nearly 14-month conflict. During an initial 60-day truce, thousands of Lebanese troops are supposed to deploy in southern Lebanon, where U.N. peacekeepers also have a presence. Hezbollah militants are to pull back from areas near the border as Israel withdraws its ground forces. The army said those interested in joining up have a one-month period to apply, starting Tuesday. The Lebanese army has about 80,000 troops, with around 5,000 of them deployed in the south. DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria’s state news agency says a drone strike hit a car in a suburb of the capital, Damascus, killing one person. The agency did not give further details or say who was killed. It said the attack occurred Tuesday on the road leading to the Damascus International Airport south of the city. The area is known to be home to members of Iran-backed militant groups. Israel is believed to have carried out a number of strikes in the area in recent months as it has battled Iran-backed Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon. Israeli officials rarely acknowledge such strikes. JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister warned that if the shaky ceasefire with Hezbollah collapses, Israel will widen its strikes and target the Lebanese state itself. He spoke the day after Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes that killed nearly a dozen people. Those strikes came after the Lebanese militant group fired a volley of projectiles as a warning over what it said were previous Israeli violations. Speaking to troops on the northern border Tuesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said any violations of the agreement would be met with “a maximum response and zero tolerance.” He said if the war resumes, Israel will widen its strikes beyond the areas where Hezbollah’s activities are concentrated, and “there will no longer be an exemption for the state of Lebanon.” During the 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which came to an end last week with a ceasefire brokered by the United States and France, Israel largely refrained from striking critical infrastructure or the Lebanese armed forces, who kept to the sidelines . When Israeli strikes killed or wounded Lebanese soldiers, the Israeli military said it was accidental . The ceasefire agreement that took effect last week gives 60 days for Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon and for Hezbollah militants to relocate north of the Litani River. The buffer zone is to be patrolled by Lebanese armed forces and U.N. peacekeepers. Israel has carried out multiple strikes in recent days in response to what it says are violations by Hezbollah. Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, accused Israel of violating the truce more than 50 times in recent days by launching airstrikes, demolishing homes near the border and violating Lebanon’s airspace. Berri, a Hezbollah ally, had helped mediate the ceasefire. JERUSALEM — Palestinian officials say an Israeli airstrike in the northern West Bank has killed two Palestinians. Israel’s military said it struck a militant cell near the town of Al-Aqaba, in the Jordan Valley. It did not immediately give more details. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the two deaths and said a third person was moderately wounded. About 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza ignited the war there. Israel has carried out near-daily military raids in the West Bank that it says are aimed at preventing attacks on Israelis, which have also been on the rise. Israel captured the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories for an independent state. BEIRUT — Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon made his first public appearance in Beirut since he was wounded in an attack involving exploding pagers in mid-September. Mojtaba Amani, who returned to Lebanon over the weekend after undergoing treatment in Iran, visited on Tuesday the scene south of Beirut where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sept. 27. Speaking about the airstrike that destroyed six buildings and killed Nasrallah and others, Amani said Israel should get for its act “the highest medal for sabotage, terrorism, blood and killing civilians.” Amani suffered serious injuries in his face and hands when a pager he was holding exploded in mid-September. The device was one of about 3,000 pagers that exploded simultaneously, killing and wounding many Hezbollah members. A day after the pager attack, a similar attack struck walkie-talkies. In total, the explosions killed at least 37 people and wounded more than 3,000, many of them civilians. Last month, a spokesperson for the office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the pager attack was approved by Netanyahu.Enzo Maresca savoured chants of ‘we’ve got our Chelsea back’ from travelling fans following a 5-1 Premier League thrashing of 10-man Southampton at St Mary’s. Blues supporters also sang the name of head coach Maresca during the closing stages of an emphatic success sealed by goals from Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and substitute Jadon Sancho . Bottom club Southampton briefly levelled through Joe Aribo but were a man down from the 39th minute after captain Jack Stephens was sent off for pulling the hair of Marc Cucurella. Chelsea, who have endured an underwhelming period since Todd Boehly’s consortium bought the club in 2022, climbed above Arsenal and into second place on goal difference, seven points behind leaders Liverpool. “It was a very good feeling, especially because you can see that they are happy, that is our target,” Maresca said of the atmosphere in the away end. “We work every day to keep them happy and tonight was a very good feeling, especially the one that they can see that Chelsea’s back. This is an important thing.” Maresca rotated his squad in Hampshire, making seven changes following Sunday’s impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa. Following a sloppy start, his side, who stretched their unbeaten run to six top-flight games, could easily have won by more as they hit the woodwork three times, in addition to squandering a host of chances. “I’m very happy with the five we scored,” said the Italian. “I’m not happy with the first 15, 20 minutes, where we struggled. The reason why we struggled is because we prepared the game to press them man to man and the first 15, 20 minutes we were not pressing them man to man. “After 15, 20 minutes we adjust that and the game was much better. For sure we could score more but five goals they are enough.” Southampton manager Russell Martin rued a costly “moment of madness” from skipper Stephens. The defender’s ridiculous red card was the headline mistake of a catalogue of errors from the beleaguered south-coast club as they slipped seven points from safety following an 11th defeat of a dismal season. “I don’t think anyone will be as disappointed as Jack,” Martin said of Stephens, who was sent off for the second time this term after tugging the curls of Cucurella as Saints prepared to take a corner. “I haven’t got to sit down and talk with him about that at all. He will be hurt more than anyone and it’s changed the game for us tonight, which is disappointing. “I think they have to describe it as violent conduct; it’s not violent really but there’s no other explanation for that really. It’s a moment of madness that’s really cost us and Jack.” Southampton repeatedly invited pressure with their risky attempts to play out from defence, with goalkeeper Joe Lumley gifting Chelsea their second goal, scored by Nkunku. While Saints were booed off at full-time, Martin, who was missing a host of key players due to injuries and suspensions, praised the effort of his depleted team. “When they see such a big scoreline and a couple of the goals we concede, I understand it (the jeers),” he said. “It’s football, it’s emotive, people feel so much about it, it’s why it’s such a special sport in this country and so big. “I understand it but I feel really proud of the players tonight, some of the football we played at 11 v 11 was amazing. “For an hour with 10 men we’ve dug in so deep, there were some big performances. I’m proud of them for that and I’m grateful for that because that’s not easy in that circumstance.”After the Australian data watchdog that retail chain Bunnings was breaching the country’s privacy laws by using facial recognition, the company received some unexpected support. A conducted by news.com.au this week revealed that 78 percent of nearly 11,000 respondents supported the company’s use of the controversial program, calling it an “important tool.” The news comes after Bunnings showing its staff being abused at work, which supports its claims that facial recognition systems are necessary for security. The household hardware and gardening chain store also indicated that it may appeal to the decision of the Office of the Information Commissioner (OAIC), adding that the technology reduced incidents of abuse, threats and assaults by half. Last week, the OAIC found Bunnings in breach of Australia’s Australian privacy law, which states that biometric data derived from facial recognition is highly sensitive and requires consent for collection. The company trialed the facial recognition system between November 2018 and November 2021, capturing the faces of customers in 63 of its stores across the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales. Former Australian Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow said that authorities are concerned about the technology despite “legitimate concerns” such as preventing crime. “What you’re creating with this sort of facial recognition is a kind of virtual line up and we’re always in it every time we walk into one of those stores,” he told the media outlet. The company has also worked with the police in testing the system. Faces were matched against a “limited database” of almost 500 banned people, created by Bunnings stores by trawling through CCTV footage and collecting independent records from the police. Santow points out that current facial recognition systems rely on data captured without “rigor.” The legal expert, who currently works as Director for Policy and Governance at the Human Technology Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, also questioned the bias leading to errors with people with darker skin, women and other categories. The OAIC decision was hailed as a “landmark decision” by consumer group Choice, which has been highlighting facial recognition use by retailers such as Bunnings and Kmart. The latter is also under OAIC investigation. The ruling, however, could have broader effects on any organizations that use CCTV in Australia, according to Mullins law firm. “This case serves as a wake-up call for all organizations to consider their privacy practices, including in relation to the information they collect and why,” writes Andrew Nichols, partner at Mullins. In September, the OAIC also wrapped up an ’s use of facial recognition technology, after the retailer promised it would not repeat its 2021 breaches of the Privacy Act. UK’s supermarket chain Iceland Foods is standing in support of facial recognition. The frozen food stores’ executive chairman Richard Malcolm Walker shared his reaction on social media to recently released statistics from a UK Parliament committee. The data showed that nearly 17 million shoplifting incidents are happening every year, costing retailers almost £2 billion (US$2.5 billion). “Whilst we don’t yet use it, I will HAPPILY trial and use legal, proportionate facial recognition technology as an effective response to the very real threat my colleagues face,” Walker on LinkedIn. The statistics were by the Justice and Home Affairs Committee which called for reforms to address organized retail crime. In a letter to Policing Minister Diana Johnson, the group highlighted an unprecedented spike in large-scale theft operations. Facial recognition tools could become a crucial asset in identifying and deterring habitual offenders in retail settings, the committee concluded. An Illinois federal court has refused to dismiss a lawsuit against Target, that there was the plaintiff submitted enough sources to create a “plausible inference” that the retailer engaged in the alleged conduct. The Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) lawsuit was by a group of four customers who claimed that the retail giant was collecting and storing their biometrics without their consent. Target argued that the court should not accept the complaint because it is based on news articles and internet posts, USA Today . One of the women in the suit claims that Target employees followed her through the store and viewed her LinkedIn profile shortly after she entered it. The judge also noted that Target has declined to reveal the name of the video surveillance equipment provider to one of the plaintiff’s attorneys. And while retailers are struggling with facial recognition regulation, some companies are trying to find novel solutions. Paris-based company has developed AI technology that alerts store owners of shoplifting without collecting biometric data. Instead of facial recognition, the software detects gestures associated with potential shoplifting such as people putting items in their bags or clothes. A shoplifting attempt will generate a real-time video alert on the store owner’s mobile phone which allows them to approach the client and ask if they need help – warning them that they are being watched. Since the technology focuses on analyzing body movements, it does a better job at avoiding bias from store employees, Veesion co-founder Benoit Koenig CBS News. The firm’s technology can be incorporated into existing CCTV systems and is being used in 4,000 stores worldwide, including 500 in the U.S. | | | | | | | |
President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urge judge to toss his hush money conviction
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 4, 2024-- Myomo, Inc. (NYSE American: MYO) (“Myomo”), a wearable medical robotics company that offers increased functionality for those suffering from neurological disorders and upper limb paralysis, today announced that it intends to offer and sell shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. In connection with the offering, Myomo also expects to grant the underwriter a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the shares of common stock offered in the public offering. The offering is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering. Craig-Hallum Capital Group is acting as the sole managing underwriter for the offering. Myomo expects to use the net proceeds of the offering, together with its existing cash and cash equivalents, to accelerate its revenue growth by funding an increase in advertising expenses and headcount to support the expected revenue growth in Myomo’s direct billing channel, along with investments in systems to support growth in the O&P channel and in scaling its operations. In addition, the net proceeds of the offering will be used to fund product development and sustaining engineering activities to enhance the current MyoPro product line and to develop the next generation of Myomo’s products, with the remainder for working capital and general corporate purposes. The offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-281311), as amended, including a base prospectus, relating to the shares of common stock to be issued in the proposed offering was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on August 6, 2024 and was declared effective on August 28, 2024. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, these securities, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is not permitted. Myomo will file a preliminary prospectus supplement relating to and describing the terms of the proposed offering with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov . The securities may be offered only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus relating to the securities being offered may be obtained, when available, from Craig-Hallum Capital Group LLC, Attention: Equity Capital Markets, 222 South Ninth Street, Suite 350, Minneapolis, MN 55402, by telephone at (612) 334-6300 or by email at prospectus@chlm.com . The final terms of the offering will be disclosed in a final prospectus supplement to be filed with the SEC. About Myomo Myomo is a wearable medical robotics company that offers improved arm and hand function for those suffering from neurological disorders and upper-limb paralysis. Myomo develops and markets the MyoPro product line. MyoPro is a powered upper-limb orthosis designed to support the arm and restore function to the weakened or paralyzed arms of certain patients suffering from CVA stroke, brachial plexus injury, traumatic brain or spinal cord injury or other neuromuscular disease or injury. It is currently the only marketed device in the U.S. that, sensing a patient’s own EMG signals through non-invasive sensors on the arm, can restore an individual’s ability to perform activities of daily living, including feeding themselves, carrying objects and doing household tasks. Many are able to return to work, live independently and reduce their cost of care. Myomo is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with sales and clinical professionals across the U.S. and representatives internationally. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, of which provisions Myomo is availing itself. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those regarding the completion of the proposed offering and expectations regarding the timing, anticipated use of proceeds from the offering and expectations to grant the underwriter a 30-day option to purchase additional shares. Certain forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” or “anticipates,” or the negative thereof or other comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, intentions, estimates, forecasts, outlook, assumptions, or goals. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, uncertainties related to market conditions and satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the proposed offering. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Myomo assumes no obligation to update information contained in this press release whether as a result of new developments or otherwise, except as required by law. Please refer to Myomo's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other subsequent filings with the SEC, which are available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov , for additional and more detailed discussion of risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Myomo’s current expectations. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241204653512/en/ CONTACT: For Myomo: ir@myomo.comInvestor Relations: Kim Sutton Golodetz Alliance Advisors IR kgolodetz@allianceadvisors.com 212-838-3777 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA MASSACHUSETTS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: WEARABLES/MOBILE TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY MEDICAL DEVICES NEUROLOGY OTHER HEALTH HARDWARE HEALTH ROBOTICS GENERAL HEALTH SOURCE: Myomo, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/04/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/04/2024 04:05 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241204653512/enLaFleur: Packers Won't Gain 'Advantage' vs. Lions After Jahmyr Gibbs Leaked Calls
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