Six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick interviewed for the head-coaching job at North Carolina, Inside Carolina and the Raleigh News & Observer reported Thursday. According to the News & Observer, Belichick "blew them away in the interview," yet he is not likely to move forward because he is pushing 73 years old and has no experience in the college game. After he and the New England Patriots agreed to part ways following a 24-year stint, Belichick interviewed for the head job with the Atlanta Falcons, who instead hired Raheem Morris. The North Carolina interview is the first known instance of Belichick showing interest in a college position. Belichick is expected to draw interest for NFL openings in the upcoming hiring cycle. The Tar Heels retained an outside advisory firm to identify coaching candidates to replace Mack Brown, whom they fired at the end of the regular season. North Carolina went 6-6, including 3-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. "We've had a tremendous response of people across the country, of agents calling us, coaches, people calling on behalf of other people that are in the industry," North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in an in-house interview the school posted online earlier this week. "We are very optimistic of where we are, the interest in our program is just extraordinary, and we'll get a great coach to lead us. Who can lead us in the next three, five, 10 years? We need somebody that can come in and take us from good to great." --Field Level Media
WASHINGTON – Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for America’s more than 34 million small businesses, is urging Americans to embrace the spirit of the holiday season by supporting local small businesses on Small Business Saturday, an annual event founded by American Express and celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2024. The event takes place the Saturday following Thanksgiving, which falls on Nov. 30 this year, and will be the kickoff of SBA’s 2nd annual holiday campaign, the Season of Small BusinessTM. “Small Business Saturday has become America’s call to action to support the backbone of our economy and heart of our communities – our small businesses,” said Administrator Guzman. “America’s incredible entrepreneurs create jobs, drive innovation, and strengthen our communities, shaping the unique character of neighborhoods across America. This year, as we continue to enjoy an unprecedented Small Business Boom, I encourage everyone to Gift Big and Shop LocalTM by supporting local businesses and the millions of hardworking Americans behind them.” SBA’s Season of Small Business will continue through December and encourages consumers to support small businesses throughout the holiday season. During the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. has experienced a small business boom with nearly 20 million new business applications filed nationwide, driven mostly by women and people of color. SBA has been proud to support Small Business Saturday since 2011 to help drive consumer spending at independently owned small businesses in the wake of the financial crisis. The day is dedicated to celebrating local businesses that create jobs, help boost the economy and enhance neighborhoods around the country. According to American Express, the projected total reported spending among U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday since its founding has reached an estimated $201 billion. SBA continues to help entrepreneurs leverage new opportunities during Season of Small Business’ busy shopping season with this year’s 15th annual Small Business Saturday. Shoppers are encouraged to showcase their shopping experiences by posting photographs on social media using the hashtags: #ShopSmall #SmallBizSaturday #ShopLocal #IShoppedSmall #GiftBigShopLocal To learn more about SBA’s support of Small Business Saturday, visit sba.gov/saturday .None
Who won’t be CMThe transportation of national leaders during state visits is a matter of significant importance, reflecting a nation's technological prowess, security measures, and diplomatic stature. While many are familiar with the US President's Air Force One , the aircraft utilized by the People's Republic of China for its head of state during international visits remains less known to Western audiences. This article aims to shed light on the aircraft system employed by China's top leaders during their state visits. The recent South American visit On November 23, 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his South American tour, which included attending the APEC summit in Lima, Peru, and the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before returning to Beijing. This journey, spanning approximately 10 days, was undertaken aboard Air China's Boeing 747-8 aircraft, designated with the registration number B-2479. The B-2479 was delivered to Air China on December 29, 2014. According to information from adtb.aero, it underwent VIP configuration modifications in Hamburg, Germany, between May 15 and July 10, 2016. Itinerary of the Chinese President's aircraft (B-2479) during South American visit Date Departure Arrival Duration Nov 13 Beijing, China Gran Canaria 13h 07m Nov 14 Gran Canaria Lima, Peru 9h 34m Nov 17 Lima, Peru Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 4h 52m Nov 19 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brasília, Brazil 1h 15m Nov 21 Brasília, Brazil Casablanca, Morocco 7h 40m Nov 22 Casablanca, Morocco Beijing, China 10h 20m More than one Boeing 747 supporting the visit However, the Chinese President's state visits involve more than just one 747. For the recent South American tour, Air China deployed two other 747 aircraft. One of them, also a 747-8, with the registration number B-2482, was designated for the general accompanying personnel. This aircraft is typically used on Air China's regular commercial routes. Its last commercial flight before the South American mission was on October 24th, operating Air China's CA65 route from Kazan to Beijing. From October 24th to November 13th, when the official visit began, this 747-8 remained grounded for 19 days. Unlike the Chinese President's aircraft, B-2479, the B-2482 did not stay overnight during its two stopovers (outbound at Gran Canaria and inbound at Casablanca). It only made brief stops to refuel before continuing its journey. The second additional aircraft was a 747-400 freighter, registered as B-2476, operated by Air China Cargo. This freighter carried essential items required for the President’s visit, including the Chinese-made Hongqi car used for local transportation. Five days before the official visit, on November 8th, the freighter departed Beijing, stopping in Amsterdam for refueling before continuing to Gran Canaria, Lima in Peru, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasília in Brazil. It returned to Shanghai on November 10th. As the visit neared its conclusion, the freighter undertook a second mission. On November 16, it departed Beijing, again stopping in Amsterdam before reaching Gran Canaria to deliver items, including the Hongqi car, to Casablanca, Morocco, where it would be needed for the return journey. It returned to Beijing on November 17th. On November 21st, the freighter embarked on its third trip from Beijing, traveling via Amsterdam to Lima, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and Casablanca. It is expected to return to Beijing on November 24. Since the items initially stored in Gran Canaria had already been transported to Casablanca during the second trip, the freighter skipped Gran Canaria on this final journey. Aircrafts Used for the South American Tour (Nov 13-23) Aircraft type Registration number Purpose Last commercial use before the trip Boeing 747-8 B-2479 President's Aircraft N/A (Exclusive use for the President) Boeing 747-8 B-2482 General Accompanying Personnel Oct 24, 2024 Boeing 747-400 Freighter B-2476 Cargo and Logistics Nov 3, 2024 The Boeing 747-8 is renowned for its extended range, capable of covering approximately 14,320 kilometers without refueling, making it suitable for intercontinental flights. The aircraft boasts a maximum takeoff weight of 987,000 pounds and is powered by four General Electric GEnx-2B67 engines, each delivering 66,500 pounds of thrust. Find more news about Asian aviation here Regulations of utilization of presidential aircraft China has established specific regulations for the use of dedicated aircraft. Only the Chinese President and the State Council Premier are permitted to use presidential aircraft for their international visits. Other state leaders rely on chartered planes for their trips. These chartered aircraft are typically part of Air China's passenger fleet, serving commercial routes during non-diplomatic missions. This system ensures efficient utilization of aviation resources while maintaining the flexibility required for state visits. Last January, then Vice President Wang Qishan flew aboard Air China's B-2472 to Brasília to attend the inauguration of Brazilian President Lula. The aircraft flew from Beijing to Milan before arriving in Brazil. Foreign leaders flying on Chinese presidential aircraft The use of Chinese civil aviation aircraft for foreign dignitaries dates back to 1954 when planes such as the Douglas DC-3 and Lisunov Li-2 transported leaders from Eastern Europe and Asia to visit China. Notable figures included Indian Prime Minister Nehru. By the 1970s, aircraft like the Ilyushin Il-18 and Boeing 707 were used for leaders such as Kim Il-sung and US President Nixon. In 1972, Nixon traveled on an Il-18 alongside Premier Zhou Enlai, while Nixon's Air Force One joined the Chinese aircraft formation during his visit. In recent decades, China's modernized fleet continued this practice. In 2003, President Jiang Zemin shared a flight with Fidel Castro aboard Air China's 747-400. In 2013, during President Xi Jinping's visit to Kazakhstan , he traveled alongside President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan to Almaty. The following year, Cuban leader Raul Castro flew with Xi in a Chinese aircraft to Santiago, accompanied by a Cuban escort plane. China has also lent its aircraft to other nations. In 2018, North Korea's Kim Jong-un used Premier Li Keqiang's 747-400 to attend a summit with US President Trump in Singapore. The same year, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flew on an Air China Airbus A330-243 to the Asian Games opening ceremony in Hangzhou. The future of Chinese self-developed aircraft as presidential aircraft As China's aviation industry continues to advance, the prospect of domestically produced aircraft serving as presidential jets becomes increasingly viable. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China ( Comac ) has developed models such as the Comac C919 narrowbody and C929 widebody aircraft. While these planes are primarily designed for commercial operations, future versions could be tailored for state use, reflecting China's growing technological and manufacturing capabilities. A Chinese self-developed presidential aircraft would not only symbolize national pride but also underscore China's ambitions in the global aviation industry.
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Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has also resigned as vice-president of the animal welfare organisation, with both of them expressing their “sadness” over leaving the roles. It comes after an Animal Rising investigation made claims of cruelty at “RSPCA Assured” slaughterhouses in England and Scotland, with the campaign group sharing footage of alleged mistreatment. RSPCA Assured is a scheme whereby approved farms must comply with the organisation’s “stringent higher welfare standards”, according to its website. Mr Packham shared the news of his resignation on social media, saying: “It is with enormous sadness that I have resigned from my role as president of the RSPCA. “I would like to register my respect and admiration for all the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to protect animals from cruelty.” Ms Lucas said she and Mr Packham failed to get the charity’s leadership to act. She posted on X, formerly Twitter: “With huge sadness I’m resigning as VP of the RSPCA, a role I’ve held with pride for over 15 years. “But their Assured Schemes risk misleading the public & legitimising cruelty. “I tried with @ChrisGPackham to persuade the leadership to act but sadly failed.” In June, the RSPCA commissioned an independent review of 200 farms on its assurance scheme which concluded the scheme was “operating effectively” to assure animal welfare on member farms. Following Animal Rising’s release of footage last week, the charity said it was “appalled” by what was shown, adding that it launched an immediate investigation and suspended three slaughterhouses from the scheme. In the wake of Mr Packham and Ms Lucas’ resignations, an RSPCA spokesperson said it is “simply not true” that the organisation has failed to take urgent action. They said: “We agree with Chris and Caroline on so many issues and have achieved so much together for animals, but we differ on how best to address the incredibly complex and difficult issue of farmed animal welfare. “We have discussed our work to drive up farmed animal welfare standards openly at length with them on many occasions and it is simply not true that we have not taken urgent action. “We took allegations of poor welfare incredibly seriously, launching an independent review of 200 farms which concluded that it was ‘operating effectively’ to improve animal welfare. “We are taking strong steps to improve oversight of welfare, implementing the recommendations in full including significantly increasing unannounced visits, and exploring technology such as body-worn cameras and CCTV, supported by £2 million of investment.” The charity insisted that while 94% of people continue to choose to eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy, it is the “right thing to do” to work with farmers to improve the lives of animals. “RSPCA Assured visit all farms on the scheme every year, but last year just 3% of farms were assessed for animal welfare by state bodies,” the spokesperson continued. “No-one else is doing this work. We are the only organisation setting and regularly monitoring animal welfare standards on farms. “We have pioneered change through RSPCA Assured, which has led to improvements throughout the industry including CCTV in slaughterhouses, banning barren battery cages for hens and sow stalls for pigs, giving salmon more space to swim and developing slower growing chicken breeds who have better quality of life.”
Hi all! ICYMI, I introduced myself a couple weeks ago. I am the new water and cropping systems Extension Instructor for Dawson, Buffalo, and Hall counties. I aim to serve farmers and agricultural specialists to improve farm operations and profitability. Some ways for me to do this are to host pesticide training programs, answer any questions relating to agriculture and cropping systems, and provide additional programs that are of interest to farmers in the area. Talon Mues Some areas of interest to me include water quality and quantity (chemigation), pest management and drone technology. However, my main interest is addressing questions and concerns that you may have. This week I would like to talk about pesticide training. As an Extension Instructor, it is my responsibility that growers and applicators know how to properly prepare, apply, store and manage pesticides. Those who apply chemicals for private use, which does not include commercial, noncommercial or chemigation applications, will be required to renew their license every three years. Private pesticide training includes laws and regulations, pesticide label information, pesticide safety, environmental protection, integrated pest management and more. Training dates and times for private pesticide license renewal can be found online at the Nebraska Extension Pesticide Safety Training Program website at https://pested.unl.edu/ . Also, training dates, times and locations will be mailed to each applicator in need of license renewal. This letter will come from your local Extension Office with all the information for the pesticide trainings; please keep an eye out for this letter. Another letter or re-certification form will come from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. The letter from NDA contains a barcode you will need to bring to your training session. To register for any of these trainings hosted by Nebraska Extension, call your local extension office. The office can also address any complications or concerns you may have with pesticide trainings. If you cannot attend an in-person training other options are available. There are online/self-study training options available as well as crop production clinics that have additional resources for farming operations with a built-in re-certification for private applicators. Additional information on these options for private pesticide renewal can be found in the letter sent out by your local Nebraska Extension Office. Other trainings are also available for commercial and noncommercial applicators. These trainings are different from the trainings already mentioned. If you are looking to get your initial or recertification for a commercial/noncommercial license, information can be found at the Nebraska Extension Pesticide Safety Training Program website ( https://pested.unl.edu/ ) as well. Remember to attend a meeting with the proper categories. These categories are important and required depending on the type of pesticide application planned. Some examples of commercial/noncommercial categories include agricultural pest control (01), ornamental and turf pest control (04), non-soil and structural fumigation (11), aerial pest control (12), and more. A full list of categories is provided on the Nebraska Pesticide Safety Education Program website. Registration for in-person trainings started Dec 16. The final pesticide trainings provided by Nebraska Extension are chemigation trainings. These trainings provide information on proper irrigation system requirements, chemigation practices, and instruction for needed calculations. A chemigation license must be renewed every four years and requires passing the chemigation license exam. If your chemigation license is expired, you must complete training and the exam before you chemigate in 2025. Online training is available and requires completion of modules in order for the certification exam to appear. If you register for online training in 2024, it must be completed by Dec. 31 to receive certification credit. Starting Jan. 1, chemigation training will become available for 2025. I am looking forward to seeing those who need pesticide certifications. Talon Mues is a Nebraska Extension Instructor for Dawson, Buffalo and Hall counties, focusing on water and cropping systems. Contact him at 308-324-5501 or tmues3@unl.edu Get local news delivered to your inbox! {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
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