NEW YORK , Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Celsius Holdings, Inc. ("Celsius" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: CELH ). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. The class action concerns whether Celsius and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. You have until January 21, 2025 , to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class if you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Celsius securities during the Class Period. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained a t www.pomerantzlaw.com . [Click here for information about joining the class action] On May 27, 2024 , the price of Celsius stock fell nearly 13% as analysts and investors digested some of the latest retail store trends reported by Nielsen, a global data and analytics company. Morgan Stanley noted that Celsius' sales growth slowed sequentially in weekly retail data – slowing to 39% year-over-year in the week ended May 18 down from 50% in the week ended May 4 – that its market share dipped, and that pricing for Celsius' products was down 7.2% year-over-year, and cautioned that Celsius faced difficult sales comparisons over the next several quarters as it rolled over the anniversary of its Distribution Agreement with Pepsi. Then, on September 4, 2024 , the Company revealed, among other things, that Celsius' sales to Pepsi were reduced from "roughly around [$]100 million to [$]120 million . . . from what [Pepsi] ordered last quarter," that Celsius was "still seeing these inventory levels being reduced" and that it had "increased" in the third quarter of 2024, and that "just to be precise with the [$]100 million to [$]120 million figure, . . . we're seeing approximately [$]100 million to [$]120 million less in orders to Pepsi in Q3 this year versus Q3 last year." On this news, the price of Celsius stock fell $4.25 per share, or 11.59%, to close at $32.39 per share on September 4 , 2024. Finally, on November 6, 2024 , Celsius disclosed that its overall third quarter of 2024 "revenue was approximately $265.7 million , compared to $384.8 million for the" third quarter of 2023, a 31% decline; its North American revenues fell 33%; and its "'[r]evenue from [Pepsi] declined $123.9 million ,'" while "[c]oncurrently, related retailer promotional allowances created revenue headwinds." Celsius further revealed that that its quarterly "gross profit decreased by $71.9 million , or 37%"; that its quarterly "[g]ross profit margin was 46.0% . . . , a 440 basis point decrease from 50.4% for the same period in 2023"; and that the "decrease in gross profit was due to promotional allowances, incentives, and other billbacks as a percentage of gross revenue" resulting from Pepsi's drawdown. On this news, the price of Celsius stock fell $1.69 per share, or 5.32%, to close at $30.04 per share on November 6, 2024 . Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York , Chicago , Los Angeles , London , Paris , and Tel Aviv , is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz , known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud , breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
Revolutionizing India’s Retail Fashion India's startup landscape is buzzing with innovation, reshaping industries and consumer experiences alike. In an exclusive conversation with The Hans India, Udit Mayor, Co-Founder of The Sock Street, discusses how evolving consumer trends, technology, and sustainability are shaping their approach to creating a modern D2C brand that aligns with India’s dynamic retail and fashion landscape. 1. The startup ecosystem in India is rapidly evolving. What inspired you to start the company, and what role do you see startups playing in shaping India's retail and fashion industry? I have been doing exports in the industry for the past 20 years. I felt that over time, Indian consumers have evolved and are now more experimenting type, they know how to look different from others, and they don’t hesitate to go extreme. This gave me an idea of why not start a D2C company and join in this mission. 2. Technology has become a core enabler for startups in every sector. How do you leverage technology to create unique products and enhance the customer experience in the sock and fashion space? True, Technology, when mixed with human intuition and gut feel, results in an unmatched performance. We use technology to fine-tune and convert our thoughts into a finished product. From designing on paper to fine-tuning it on illustrative software, sourcing material & quality checks by hand, to balancing the supply chain through technology, at every step, there is coordination between a human & machine, which produces the finest socks. 3. What challenges do you think startups in the fashion retail industry face when scaling in India? Ohh, many Indian consumer now prefers to shop online because of ease at every step, but the sad part is, most of it is an impulse buy, the icing on the cake is COD, you see a product you like, and you placed an order on COD, and then you forgot, or realise that Opps you don’t need it, and you choose not to take the order. What happens is the company has invested some amount to get that product delivered to your doorstep and now will invest again to get that product back. So, instead of making a sale, the company makes a loss. While there are many, this (RTO) is the biggest one. 4. With increasing consciousness around sustainability, how do you see balancing fashion, technology, and eco-friendly practices? I believe if you are true about the product, then you will follow the right path, for instances: we have launched 100% Bamboo fiber socks that are 100% natural and eco-friendly, and while others will say that their bamboo socks are 5X softer than cotton, we feel proud in saying that our socks are 3X softer than their bamboo, just because ours is pure bamboo. Even our cotton is 100% combed cotton; we don’t use polyester in any of our products here. 5. India’s growing youth population is increasingly becoming a market driver for innovative brands. How is "The Sock Street" aligning with this trend, and what role do you believe startups like yours play in building the 'New Bharat'? See, India is a growing economy, which also means that youths now have higher disposable income at hand, while their buying behaviour is contrary to their previous generations, for instance, our fathers won’t pay attention to what socks to wear on what shoes on what dress, but the young India understands the importance & impact that it brings into your perception. We at The Sock Street aim to provide unmatched comfort while elevating the look for this running India. We have got you covered every time, from Gym in the morning to Office meetings, from running on track to attending a bachelor party, from going on family trips to hitting the target in the office. We have socks for all moods and occasions.Published 5:20 pm Thursday, December 12, 2024 By Data Skrive Thursday’s college basketball slate features plenty of excitement, including the matchup between the Chattanooga Mocs and the Evansville Purple Aces, and you’ll find our best bets against the spread for seven games here. Watch men’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up. Bet on this or any men’s college basketball matchup at BetMGM. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .
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It has been 12 years since the Asean Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) was adopted in 2012 by the 10-member regional grouping, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, embodying the key standards of human rights for the Southeast Asian region. How has it fared after all these years? The AHRD remains a document of relevance and ambivalence. While its adoption helped to integrate the notion of human rights into the Asean mindset, thus being a document of "validation", it was one that was circumscribed by the political nature of Asean itself. Over half of this grouping then and now does not fulfil the conditions of democracy, such as multi-party systems and free and fair elections. This configuration represents much of the Asean psyche, shaping its hesitant response to at least the civil and political angle of human rights, such as freedom of expression, which is heavily constrained in much of Asean. From the outset, the Declaration was vehemently criticised by many quarters for being substandard, and Asean leaders had to issue an accompanying Phnom Penh Statement on the adoption of the AHRD, which stated the bottom line: implementation of the AHRD must be consistent with international law, particularly the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the human rights treaties to which Asean countries are parties. Thus the AHRD can never be cited by itself; it must always be accompanied by the Phnom Penh Statement. The AHRD itself was drafted by the overarching human rights body of Asean, namely the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). It is composed of six parts, starting with general principles followed by civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights, the right to development and the right to peace and cooperation. The AHRD is credited with including references to non-discrimination against persons with HIV, development and peace. Increasingly, its advocacy of the right to a safe, clean and sustainable environment has taken on a new meaning with the advent of global warming and climate change, especially now that the UN has consecrated a new right in the form of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. It has been cited some twenty times in the current Work Plan of the AICHR (2021-2015) to justify actions, some of which are creative. For instance, the latter has been evolving a draft Declaration on the right to an environment which would not only advocate procedural rights (such as access to information and participation) and substantive rights (evidently health and welfare in a world faced with the triple planetary crisis of global warming, loss of biodiversity and pollution) but also remedies, both formal (such as through the courts) and non-formal (such as through mediation) as part of access to justice. An innovative angle in the draft is to counter the spread of litigation against civil society and other actors who act on behalf of the public interest in such areas as the depletion of natural resources and corruption. These cases are known as Strategic Litigation against Public Participation, and they are increasingly castigated by the international community as undermining human rights protection. AICHR is also undertaking a study on the right to peace, and a good practice to build upon is encouraging Asean countries to send more peacekeepers to help the UN. Reverting to the AHRD itself, various equivocal angles remain inherent to the document. The Declaration is critiqued for referring to human "duties" when it should be emphasising rights. It opens the door to subjecting human rights to the national and regional context, implied "particularities" such as Asian Values which have been touted to enable the collective interest, such as traditional family values, to prevail over individual rights. The AHRD has imposed the constraining condition that various rights must be exercised in accordance with national law rather than international human rights law. It has limited the exercise of human rights excessively by broad notions such as national morality, which has been used to legitimise constraints on women's rights and gender diversity. The Declaration also fails to mention the universal right to freedom of association. And why does it emphasise a cooperative approach when the international setting puts much emphasis on accountability? These are not easy ambiguities to resolve, and at times, it has been incumbent on AICHR to help attenuate the situation. For instance, some members of AICHR have issued statements against excessive limitations on human rights, such as in relation to Myanmar. The quest for solutions has to go beyond Asean itself. This was exemplified most glaringly by the arrest warrant that the international prosecutor has requested from the International Criminal Court recently against the military leader of Myanmar, allegedly responsible for international crimes with cross-border implications. It is thus not surprising that the AHRD has not been cited much outside Asean as an instrument for the substantive protection of human rights. There are at least three possibilities to enable it to move beyond its insular status as a document of "validation" to an instrument of "catalysation". Its provisions must be interpreted creatively to comply with international human rights law, as represented by the various human rights treaties pertinent to member countries and the UN's Universal Periodic Review which is a peer review process among all countries, putting forward recommendations for improved changes per each country. Various rights in the AHRD need to be elaborated upon through effective measures of genuine implementation. For instance, the right to privacy calls upon all Asean countries to have laws on personal data protection. These countries should prepare well to deal with artificial intelligence where it might impinge on that right, including through "social scores" discriminating against various individuals and communities. Internally, the AHRD might act as a tool for a sustained, periodic scorecard to measure whether Asean institutions and member states comply with the bare minimum advocated by the AHRD. Looking ahead, as Asean plans its next steps towards its Vision 2045, it should thus be time for reconfiguration -- to review and adjust well both the functions of AICHR and AHRD for a more progressive future, interfacing with a world of increasing precarity. Vitit Muntarbhorn is a Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. He is currently a UN Special Rapporteur under the UN Human Rights Council, Geneva. He is the author of 'Unity in Connectivity? Evolving Human Rights Mechanisms in the ASEAN Region'.LONDON — Olivia Hussey, the actor who starred as a teenage Juliet in the 1968 film "Romeo and Juliet," died, her family said on social media Saturday. She was 73. Hussey died Friday "peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones," a statement posted to her Instagram account said. Hussey was 15 when director Franco Zeffirelli cast her in his adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy after spotting her onstage in the play "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," which also starred Vanessa Redgrave. "Romeo and Juliet" won two Oscars and Hussey won a Golden Globe for best new actress for her part as Juliet, opposite British actor Leonard Whiting, who was 16 at the time. "Romeo and Juliet" movie director Franco Zeffirelli, left, and actors Olivia Hussey, center, and Leonard Whiting are seen Sept. 25, 1968, in Paris after the Parisian premiere of the film. Decades later Hussey and Whiting brought a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud over nude scenes in the film. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts They alleged they were initially told they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in a bedroom scene, but on the day of the shoot Zeffirelli told the pair they would wear only body makeup and the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity. They alleged they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge. The case was dismissed by a Los Angeles County judge in 2023, who found their depiction could not be considered child pornography and the pair filed their claim too late. Leonard Whiting, left, and Olivia Hussey arrive April 26, 2018, at the screening of "The Producers" at the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival Opening Night at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Whiting was among those who paid tribute to Hussey on Saturday. "Rest now my beautiful Juliet no injustices can hurt you now," he wrote. "And the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever." Hussey was born April 17, 1951, in Bueno Aires, Argentina, and moved to London as a child. She studied at the Italia Conti Academy drama school. She also starred as Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the 1977 television series "Jesus of Nazareth," as well as the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile" and horror movies "Black Christmas" and "Psycho IV: The Beginning." She is survived by her husband, David Glen Eisley, her three children and a grandson. Photos: Notable deaths in 2024 Andreas Brehme Germany players celebrate after Andreas Brehme, left on ground, scores the winning goal in the World Cup soccer final match against Argentina, in the Olympic Stadium, in Rome, July 8, 1990. Andreas Brehme, who scored the only goal as West Germany beat Argentina to win the 1990 World Cup final, died Feb. 20, 2024. He was 63. AP Photo/Carlo Fumagalli, File Brian Mulroney Brian Mulroney, the former prime minister of Canada, listens during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico relationship, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mulroney died at the age of 84 on Feb. 29, 2024. Jacquelyn Martin The Rev. James Lawson Jr. The Rev. James Lawson Jr. speaks Sept. 17, 2015, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Lawson Jr., an apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction, has died, his family said Monday. He was 95. His family said Lawson died on Sunday after a short illness in Los Angeles, where he spent decades working as a pastor, labor movement organizer and university professor. Lawson was a close adviser to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who called him “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” Lawson met King in 1957, after spending three years in India soaking up knowledge about Mohandas K. Gandhi’s independence movement. King would travel to India himself two years later, but at the time, he had only read about Gandhi in books. Mark Humphrey, Associated Press Jerry West Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Jerry West, representing the 1960 USA Olympic Team, is seen Aug. 13, 2010, during the enshrinement news conference at the Hall of Fame Museum in Springfield, Mass. Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive, and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died June 12, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86. West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, was an NBA champion who went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called West “one of the greatest executives in sports history.” Elise Amendola, Associated Press Ron Simons Actor and director Ron Simons, seen Jan. 23, 2011, during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, died June 12. Simons turned into a formidable screen and stage producer, winning four Tony Awards and having several films selected at the Sundance Film Festival. He won Tonys for producing “Porgy and Bess,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” and “Jitney.” He also co-produced “Hughie,” with Forest Whitaker, “The Gin Game,” starring Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations,” an all-Black production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the revival of "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf" and the original work “Thoughts of a Colored Man.” He was in the films “27 Dresses” and “Mystery Team,” as well as on the small screen in “The Resident,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Law & Order: SVU.” Victoria Will, Associated Press Bob Schul Bob Schul of West Milton, Ohio, hits the tape Oct. 18, 1964, to win the 5,000 meter run at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Schul, the only American distance runner to win the 5,000 meters at the Olympics, died June 16. He was 86. His death was announced by Miami University in Ohio , where Schul shined on the track and was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 1973. Schul predicted gold leading into the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and followed through with his promise. On a rainy day in Japan, he finished the final lap in a blistering 54.8 seconds to sprint to the win. His white shorts were covered in mud at the finish. He was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1991. He also helped write a book called “In the Long Run.” Associated Press Willie Mays San Francisco Giants superstar Willie Mays poses for a photo during baseball spring training in 1972. Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, died June 18. He was 93. The center fielder, who began his professional career in the Negro Leagues in 1948, had been baseball’s oldest living Hall of Famer. He was voted into the Hall in 1979, his first year of eligibility, and in 1999 followed only Babe Ruth on The Sporting News’ list of the game’s top stars. The Giants retired his uniform number, 24, and set their AT&T Park in San Francisco on Willie Mays Plaza. Mays died two days before a game between the Giants and St. Louis Cardinals to honor the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham , Alabama. Over 23 major league seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants but also including one in the Negro Leagues, Mays batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs and won 12 Gold Gloves. He was Rookie of the Year in 1951, twice was named the Most Valuable Player and finished in the top 10 for the MVP 10 other times. His lightning sprint and over-the-shoulder grab of an apparent extra base hit in the 1954 World Series remains the most celebrated defensive play in baseball history. For millions in the 1950s and ’60s and after, the smiling ballplayer with the friendly, high-pitched voice was a signature athlete and showman during an era when baseball was still the signature pastime. Awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015, Mays left his fans with countless memories. But a single feat served to capture his magic — one so untoppable it was simply called “The Catch.” Associated Press Donald Sutherland Actor Donald Sutherland appears Oct. 13, 2017, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Sutherland, the Canadian actor whose wry, arrestingly off-kilter screen presence spanned more than half a century of films from “M.A.S.H.” to “The Hunger Games,” died June 20. He was 88. Kiefer Sutherland said on X he believed his father was one of the most important actors in the history of film: “Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that.” The tall and gaunt Sutherland, who flashed a grin that could be sweet or diabolical, was known for offbeat characters like Hawkeye Pierce in Robert Altman's "M.A.S.H.," the hippie tank commander in "Kelly's Heroes" and the stoned professor in "Animal House." Before transitioning into a long career as a respected character actor, Sutherland epitomized the unpredictable, antiestablishment cinema of the 1970s. He never stopped working, appearing in nearly 200 films and series. Over the decades, Sutherland showed his range in more buttoned-down — but still eccentric — roles in Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" and Oliver Stone's "JFK." More, recently, he starred in the “Hunger Games” films. A memoir, “Made Up, But Still True,” is due out in November. Chris Pizzello, Associated Press Bill Cobbs Actor Bill Cobbs, a cast member in "Get Low," arrives July 27, 2010, at the premiere of the film in Beverly Hills, Calif. Cobbs, the veteran character actor who became a ubiquitous and sage screen presence as an older man, died June 25. He was 90. A Cleveland native, Cobbs acted in such films as “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “The Bodyguard” and “Night at the Museum.” He made his first big-screen appearance in a fleeting role in 1974's “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three." He became a lifelong actor with some 200 film and TV credits. The lion share of those came in his 50s, 60s, and 70s, as filmmakers and TV producers turned to him again and again to imbue small but pivotal parts with a wizened and worn soulfulness. Cobbs appeared on television shows including “The Sopranos," “The West Wing,” “Sesame Street” and “Good Times.” He was Whitney Houston's manager in “The Bodyguard” (1992), the mystical clock man of the Coen brothers' “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) and the doctor of John Sayles' “Sunshine State” (2002). He played the coach in “Air Bud” (1997), the security guard in “Night at the Museum” (2006) and the father on “The Gregory Hines Show." Cobbs rarely got the kinds of major parts that stand out and win awards. Instead, Cobbs was a familiar and memorable everyman who left an impression on audiences, regardless of screen time. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program for the series “Dino Dana” in 2020. Chris Pizzello, Associated Press Kinky Friedman Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman speaks with the media Nov. 7, 2009, at his campaign headquarters in Austin, Texas. The singer, songwriter, satirist and novelist, who led the alt-country band Texas Jewboys, toured with Bob Dylan, sang with Willie Nelson, and dabbled in politics with campaigns for Texas governor and other statewide offices, died June 27. He was 79 and had suffered from Parkinson's disease. Often called “The Kinkster" and sporting sideburns, a thick mustache and cowboy hat, Friedman earned a cult following and reputation as a provocateur throughout his career across musical and literary genres. In the 1970s, his satirical country band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys wrote songs with titles such as “They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed.” Friedman joined part of Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976. By the 1980s, Friedman was writing crime novels that often included a version of himself, and he wrote a column for Texas Monthly magazine in the 2000s. Friedman's run at politics brought his brand of irreverence to the serious world of public policy. In 2006, Friedman ran for governor as an independent in a five-way race that included incumbent Republican Rick Perry. Friedman launched his campaign against the backdrop of the Alamo. Eric Gay, Associated Press Martin Mull Martin Mull participates in "The Cool Kids" panel during the Fox Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Aug. 2, 2018, at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Mull, whose droll, esoteric comedy and acting made him a hip sensation in the 1970s and later a beloved guest star on sitcoms including “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” died June 28. He was 80. Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, came to national fame with a recurring role on the Norman Lear-created satirical soap opera “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and the starring role in its spinoff, “Fernwood Tonight." His first foray into show business was as a songwriter, penning the 1970 semi-hit “A Girl Named Johnny Cash” for singer Jane Morgan. He would combine music and comedy in an act that he brought to hip Hollywood clubs in the 1970s. Mull often played slightly sleazy, somewhat slimy and often smarmy characters as he did as Teri Garr's boss and Michael Keaton's foe in 1983's “Mr. Mom.” He played Colonel Mustard in the 1985 movie adaptation of the board game “Clue,” which, like many things Mull appeared in, has become a cult classic. The 1980s also brought what many thought was his best work, “A History of White People in America,” a mockumentary that first aired on Cinemax. Mull co-created the show and starred as a “60 Minutes” style investigative reporter investigating all things milquetoast and mundane. Willard was again a co-star. In the 1990s he was best known for his recurring role on several seasons on “Roseanne,” in which he played a warmer, less sleazy boss to the title character, an openly gay man whose partner was played by Willard, who died in 2020 . Mull would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” a cult-classic character on a cult-classic show, and would be nominated for an Emmy, his first, in 2016 for a guest run on “Veep.” Willy Sanjuan, Invision Robert Towne Screenwriter Robert Towne poses at The Regency Hotel, March 7, 2006, in New York. Towne, the Oscar-winning screenplay writer of "Shampoo," "The Last Detail" and other acclaimed films whose work on "Chinatown" became a model of the art form and helped define the jaded allure of his native Los Angeles, died Monday, July 1, 2024, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said publicist Carri McClure. She declined to comment on any cause of death. Jim Cooper - stringer, ASSOCIATED PRESS Vic Seixas Vic Seixas of the United States backhands a volley from Denmark's Jurgen Ulrich in the first round of men's singles match at Wimbledon, England, June 27, 1967. Vic Seixas, a Wimbledon winner and tennis Hall of Famer who was the oldest living Grand Slam champion, has died July 5 at the age of 100. The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced Seixas’ death on Saturday July 6, 2024, based on confirmation from his daughter Tori. AP Photo/File James Inhofe In this June 30, 2020, file photo, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., speaks to reporters following a GOP policy meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. Former Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma died July 9. He was 89. The family says in a statement that the Republican had a stroke during the July Fourth holiday and died Tuesday morning. Inhofe was a powerful fixture in state politics for decades. He doubted that climate change was caused by human activity, calling the theory “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” As Oklahoma’s senior U.S. senator, he was a staunch supporter of the state’s military installations. He was elected to a fifth Senate term in 2020 and stepped down in early 2023. Manuel Balce Ceneta Joe Bonsall The Oak Ridge Boys, from left, Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, Duane Allen and William Lee Golden hold their awards for Top Vocal Group and Best Album of the Year for "Ya'll Come Back Saloon", during the 14th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., May 3, 1979. Bonsall died on July 9, 2024, from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Hendersonville, Tenn. He was 76. A Philadelphia native and resident of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Bonsall joined the Oak Ridge Boys in 1973, which originally formed in the 1940s. He saw the band through its golden period in the '80s and beyond, which included their signature 1981 song “Elvira.” The hit marked a massive crossover moment for the group, reaching No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100. The group is also known for such hits as 1982’s “Bobbie Sue." Lennox Mclendon - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS Shelley Duvall Shelley Duvall poses for photographers at the 30th Cannes Film Festival in France, May 27, 1977. Duvall, whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in Stanley Kubrick's “The Shining,” died July 11. She was 75. Jean-Jacques Levy - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS Dr. Ruth Westheimer Dr. Ruth Westheimer holds a copy of her book "Sex for Dummies" at the International Frankfurt Book Fair 'Frankfurter Buchmesse' in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. Westheimer, the sex therapist who became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics, died on July 12, 2024. She was 96. Bernd Kammerer - stringer, ASSOCIATED PRESS Richard Simmons Richard Simmons sits for a portrait in Los Angeles, June 23, 1982. Simmons, a fitness guru who urged the overweight to exercise and eat better, died July 13 at the age of 76. Simmons was a court jester of physical fitness who built a mini-empire in his trademark tank tops and short shorts by urging the overweight to exercise and eat better. Simmons was a former 268-pound teen who shared his hard-won weight loss tips as the host of the Emmy-winning daytime “Richard Simmons Show" and the “Sweatin' to the Oldies” line of exercise videos, which became a cultural phenomenon. Richard Drew - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS Jacoby Jones Former NFL receiver Jacoby Jones died July 14 at age 40. Jones' 108-yard kickoff return in 2013 remains the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history. The Houston Texans were Jones’ team for the first five seasons of his career. They announced his death on Sunday. In a statement released by the NFL Players Association, his family said he died at his home in New Orleans. A cause of death was not given. Jones played from 2007-15 for the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. He made several huge plays for the Ravens during their most recent Super Bowl title season, including that kick return. AP File Photo Shannen Doherty The "Beverly Hills, 90210" star whose life and career were roiled by tabloid stories, Shannen Doherty died July 13 at 53. Doherty's publicist said the actor died Saturday following years with breast cancer. Catapulted to fame as Brenda in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” she worked in big-screen films including "Mallrats" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and in TV movies including "A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story," in which she played the "Gone with the Wind" author. Doherty co-starred with Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano in the series “Charmed” from 1998-2001; appeared in the “90210” sequel series seven years later and competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010. Peter Kramer, Associated Press James Sikking Actor James Sikking poses for a photograph at the Los Angeles gala celebrating the 20th anniversary of the National Organization for Women, Dec. 1, 1986. Sikking, who starred as a hardened police lieutenant on “Hill Street Blues” and as the titular character's kindhearted dad on “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” died July 13 of complications from dementia, his publicist Cynthia Snyder said in a statement. He was 90. Avery - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS Pat Williams Pat Williams chats with media before the 2004 NBA draft in Orlando, Fla. Williams, a co-founder of the Orlando Magic and someone who spent more than a half-century working within the NBA, died July 17 from complications related to viral pneumonia. The team announced the death Wednesday. Williams was 84. He started his NBA career as business manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, then had stints as general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks and the 76ers — helping that franchise win a title in 1983. Williams was later involved in starting the process of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. The league’s board of governors granted an expansion franchise in 1987, and the team began play in 1989. AP File Photo Lou Dobbs Lou Dobbs speaks Feb. 24, 2017, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md. Dobbs, the conservative political pundit and veteran cable TV host who was a founding anchor for CNN and later was a nightly presence on Fox Business Network for more than a decade, died July 18. He was 78. His death was announced in a post on his official X account, which called him a “fighter till the very end – fighting for what mattered to him the most, God, his family and the country.” He hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on Fox from 2011 to 2021, following two separate stints at CNN. No cause of death was given. Alex Brandon, Associated Press Bob Newhart Bob Newhart, center, poses with members of the cast and crew of the "Bob Newhart Show," from top left, Marcia Wallace, Bill Daily, Jack Riley, and, Suzanne Pleshette, foreground left, and Dick Martin at TV Land's 35th anniversary tribute to "The Bob Newhart Show" on Sept. 5, 2007, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Newhart has died at age 94. Jerry Digney, Newhart’s publicist, says the actor died July 18 in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses. The accountant-turned-comedian gained fame with a smash album and became one of the most popular TV stars of his time. Newhart was a Chicago psychologist in “The Bob Newhart Show” in the 1970s and a Vermont innkeeper on “Newhart” in the 1980s. Both shows featured a low-key Newhart surrounded by eccentric characters. The second had a twist ending in its final show — the whole series was revealed to have been a dream by the psychologist he played in the other show. Mark J. Terrill - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS Cheng Pei-Pei Cheng Pei-pei, a Chinese-born martial arts film actor who starred in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” died July 17 at age 78. Her family says Cheng, who had been diagnosed with a rare illness with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, passed away Wednesday at home surrounded by her loved ones. The Shanghai-born film star became a household name in Hong Kong, once dubbed the Hollywood of the Far East, for her performances in martial arts movies in the 1960s. She played Jade Fox, who uses poisoned needles, in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which was released in 2000, grossed $128 million in North America and won four Oscars. Chris Pizzello - invision linkable, Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Abdul 'Duke' Fakir Abdul “Duke” Fakir holds his life time achievement award backstage at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2009, in Los Angeles. The last surviving original member of the Four Tops died July 22. Abdul “Duke” Fakir was 88. He was a charter member of the Motown group along with lead singer Levi Stubbs, Renaldo “Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton. Between 1964 and 1967, the Tops had 11 top 20 hits and two No. 1′s: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and the operatic classic “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other songs, often stories of romantic pain and longing, included “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette” and “Just Ask the Lonely.” Matt Sayles, Associated Press Bernice Johnson Reagon Sculptress Elizabeth Catlett, left, then-Washington D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon, center, and then-curator, division of community life, Smithsonian institution Bernice Johnson Reagon chat during the reception at the Candace awards on June 25, 1991 in New York. Reagon, a musician and scholar who used her rich, powerful contralto voice in the service of the American Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles around the world, died on July 16, 2024, according to her daughter's social media post. She was 81. Chrystyna Czajkowsky - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS John Mayall John Mayall, the British blues musician whose influential band the Bluesbreakers was a training ground for Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood and many other superstars, died July 22. He was 90. He is credited with helping develop the English take on urban, Chicago-style rhythm and blues that played an important role in the blues revival of the late 1960s. A statement on Mayall's official Instagram page says he died Monday at his home in California. Though Mayall never approached the fame of some of his illustrious alumni, he was still performing in his late 80s, pounding out his version of Chicago blues. Sandro Campardo - foreign subscriber, ASSOCIATED PRESS Erica Ash Erica Ash, an actor and comedian skilled in sketch comedy who starred in the parody series “Mad TV” and “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” has died. She was 46. Her publicist and a statement by her mother, Diann, says Ash died July 28 in Los Angeles of cancer. Ash impersonated Michelle Obama and Condoleeza Rice on “Mad TV,” a Fox sketch series, and was a key performer on the Rosie O’Donnell-created series “The Big Gay Sketch Show.” Her other credits included “Scary Movie V,” “Uncle Drew” and the LeBron James-produced basketball dramedy “Survivor’s Remorse.” On the BET series “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” Ash played the ex-wife of Kevin Hart’s character. Richard Shotwell - invision linkable, Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Jack Russell Jack Russell, the lead singer of the bluesy '80s metal band Great White whose hits included “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me” and was fronting his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island, died Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. He was 63. AP Photo/Jill Connelly, file Chi Chi Rodriguez Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame golfer whose antics on the greens and inspiring life story made him among the sport’s most popular players during a long professional career, died Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. AP Photo/Steven Senne, File Susan Wojcicki Susan Wojcicki, the former YouTube chief executive officer and longtime Google executive, died Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after suffering with non small cell lung cancer for the past two years. She was 56. AP Photo/Markus Schreiber Frank Selvy Frank Selvy, an All-America guard at Furman who scored an NCAA Division I-record 100 points in a game and later played nine NBA seasons, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. He was 91. AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain, File Wally Amos Wallace “Wally” Amos, the creator of the cookie empire that took his name and made it famous and who went on to become a children’s literacy advocate, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, from complications with dementia. He was 88. AP Photo/Lucy Pemoni, File Gena Rowlands Gena Rowlands, hailed as one of the greatest actors to ever practice the craft and a guiding light in independent cinema as a star in groundbreaking movies by her director husband, John Cassavetes, and who later charmed audiences in her son's tear-jerker “The Notebook,” died Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. She was 94. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File Peter Marshall Peter Marshall, the actor and singer turned game show host who played straight man to the stars for 16 years on “The Hollywood Squares,” died. Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024 He was 98. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File Alain Delon Alain Delon, the internationally acclaimed French actor who embodied both the bad guy and the policeman and made hearts throb around the world, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. He was 88. Arthur Mola/Invision/AP, File Phil Donahue Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre that brought success to Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others, died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, after a long illness. He was 88. AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File Al Attles Al Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador, died Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. He was 87. AP Photo/Ben Margot, File John Amos John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” died Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. He was 84. Amy Sussman/Invision/AP, File James Darren James Darren, a teen idol who helped ignite the 1960s surfing craze as a charismatic beach boy paired off with Sandra Dee in the hit film “Gidget,” died Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. He was 88. AP Photo, File James Earl Jones James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen has died. He was 93. His agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed Jones died Sept. 9 at home. Jones was a pioneering actor who eventually lent his deep, commanding voice to CNN, “The Lion King” and Darth Vader. Working deep into his 80s, he won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors and was given an honorary Oscar and a special Tony for lifetime achievement. In 2022, a Broadway theater was renamed in his honor. Michael Zorn - invision linkable, Michael Zorn/Invision/AP Frankie Beverly Frankie Beverly, who with his band Maze inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and lasting anthems including “Before I Let Go,” has died. He was 77. His family said in a post on the band’s website and social media accounts that Beverly died Sept. 10. In the post, which asked for privacy, the family said “he lived his life with a pure soul, as one would say, and for us, no one did it better.” The post did not say his cause of death or where he died. Beverly, whose songs include “Joy and Pain,” “Love is the Key,” and “Southern Girl,” finished his farewell “I Wanna Thank You Tour” in his hometown of Philadelphia in July. Patrick Semansky - freelancer, ASSOCIATED PRESS Joe Schmidt Joe Schmidt, the Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the Detroit Lions win NFL championships in 1953 and 1957 and later coached the team, has died. He was 92. The Lions said family informed the team Schmidt died Sept. 11. A cause of death was not provided. One of pro football’s first great middle linebackers, Schmidt played his entire NFL career with the Lions from 1953-65. An eight-time All-Pro, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the college football version in 2000. Born in Pittsburgh, Schmidt played college football in his hometown at Pitt. Jose Juarez, AP File Chad McQueen Chad McQueen, an actor known for his performances in the “Karate Kid” movies and the son of the late actor and racer Steve McQueen, died Sep. 11. His lawyer confirmed his death at age 63. McQueen's family shared a statement on social media saying he lived a life “filled with love and dedication.” McQueen was a professional race car driver, like his father, and competed in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona races. He is survived by his wife Jeanie and three children, Chase, Madison and Steven, who is an actor best known for “The Vampire Diaries.” Lionel Cironneau - stringer, ASSOCIATED PRESS Tito Jackson Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, died at age 70 on Sept. 15. Jackson was the third of nine children, including global superstars Michael and Janet. The Jackson 5 included brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. They signed with Berry Gordy’s Motown empire in the 1960s. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and produced several No. 1 hits in the 1970s, including “ABC,” “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There.” Mark Von Holden, Associated Press JD Souther John David “JD” Souther has died. He was a prolific songwriter and musician whose collaborations with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt helped shape the country-rock sound that took root in Southern California in the 1970s. Souther joined in on some of the Eagles’ biggest hits, such as “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight." The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee also collaborated with James Taylor, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt and many more. His biggest hit as a solo artist was “You’re Only Lonely.” He was about to tour with Karla Bonoff. Souther died Sept. 17 at his home in New Mexico, at 78. In this photo, JD Souther and Alison Krauss attend the Songwriters Hall of Fame 44th annual induction and awards gala on Thursday, June 13, 2013 in New York. Charles Sykes - invision linkable, Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Dan Evans Sen. Dan Evans stands with his three sons, from left, Mark, Bruce and Dan Jr., after he won the election for Washington's senate seat in Seattle, Nov. 8, 1983. Evans, a former Washington state governor and a U.S. Senator, died Sept. 20. The popular Republican was 98. He served as governor from 1965 to 1977, and he was the keynote speaker at the 1968 National Republican Convention. In 1983, Evans was appointed to served out the term of Democratic Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson after he died in office. Evans opted not to stand for election in 1988, citing the “tediousness" of the Senate. He later served as a regent at the University of Washington, where the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance bears his name. Barry Sweet - staff, ASSOCIATED PRESS Mercury Morris Eugene “Mercury” Morris, who starred for the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins as part of a star-studded backfield and helped the team win two Super Bowl titles, died Sept. 21. He was 77. The team on Sunday confirmed the death of Morris, a three-time Pro Bowl selection. In a statement, his family said his “talent and passion left an indelible mark on the sport.” Morris was the starting halfback and one of three go-to runners that Dolphins coach Don Shula utilized in Miami’s back-to-back title seasons of 1972 and 1973, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. Morris led the Dolphins in rushing touchdowns in both of those seasons. Charles Rex Arbogast, AP File John Ashton John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. He was 76. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, file Maggie Smith Maggie Smith, who won an Oscar for 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and won new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Sept. 27 at 89. Smith's publicist announced the news Friday. She was frequently rated the preeminent British female performer of a generation that included Vanessa Redgrave and Judi Dench. “Jean Brodie” brought her the Academy Award for best actress in 1969. Smith added a supporting actress Oscar for “California Suite” in 1978. Reed Saxon, Associated Press Kris Kristofferson Kris Kristofferson, a Rhodes scholar with a deft writing style and rough charisma who became a country music superstar and an A-list Hollywood actor, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 88. Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File Drake Hogestyn Drake Hogestyn, the “Days of Our Lives” star who appeared on the show for 38 years, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. He was 70. AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau, File Ron Ely Ron Ely, the tall, musclebound actor who played the title character in the 1960s NBC series “Tarzan,” died Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at age 86. AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File Dikembe Mutombo Dikembe Mutombo, a Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, from brain cancer, the league announced. He was 58. AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File Frank Fritz Frank Fritz, left, part of a two-man team who drove around the U.S. looking for antiques and collectibles to buy and resell on the reality show “American Pickers,” died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 60. He's shown here with co-host Mike Wolfe at the A+E Networks 2015 Upfront in New York on April 30, 2015. Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File Pete Rose Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, died Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. He was 83. AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File Cissy Houston Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, died Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in her New Jersey home. She was 91. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File Ethel Kennedy Ethel Kennedy, the wife of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who raised their 11 children after he was assassinated and remained dedicated to social causes and the family’s legacy for decades thereafter, died on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, her family said. She was 96. AP Photo/Henry Burroughs, File Liam Payne Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, whose chart-topping British boy band generated a global following of swooning fans, was found dead Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, local officials said. He was 31. Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File Mitzi Gaynor Mitzi Gaynor, among the last survivors of the so-called golden age of the Hollywood musical, died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. She was 93. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File Fernando Valenzuela Fernando Valenzuela, the Mexican-born phenom for the Los Angeles Dodgers who inspired “Fernandomania” while winning the NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. He was 63. AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File Jack Jones Jack Jones, a Grammy-winning crooner known for “The Love Boat” television show theme song, died, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. He was 86. AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File Phil Lesh Phil Lesh, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at age 84. AP Photo/Morry Gash, File Teri Garr Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie," died Tuesday, Oct 29, 2024. She was 79. AP Photo/Mark Terrill, File Quincy Jones Quincy Jones, the multitalented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, died Sunday, Nov 3, 2024. He was 91 Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File Bobby Allison Bobby Allison, founder of racing’s “Alabama Gang” and a NASCAR Hall of Famer, died Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. He was 86. AP Photo/File Song Jae-lim Song Jae-lim, a South Korean actor known for his roles in K-dramas “Moon Embracing the Sun” and “Queen Woo,” was found dead at his home in capital Seoul, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. He was 39. Jo Soo-jung/Newsis via AP Timothy West British actor Timothy West, who played the classic Shakespeare roles of King Lear and Macbeth and who in recent years along with his wife, Prunella Scales, enchanted millions of people with their boating exploits on Britain's waterways, died Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024. He was 90. Gareth Fuller/PA via AP Bela Karolyi Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power in the sport, died Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. He was 82. AP Photo/Susan Ragan, File Arthur Frommer Arthur Frommer, whose "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day" guidebooks revolutionized leisure travel by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 95. AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) Bob Love Former Chicago Bulls forward Bob Love, a three-time All-Star who spent 11 years in the NBA, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. He was 81. AP Photo/Fred Jewell, File Chuck Woolery Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. He was 83. Ronda Churchill/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, File Barbara Taylor Bradford Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the saga "A Woman of Substance" and wrote more than a dozen other novels that sold tens of millions of copies, died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. She was 91. Caroll Taveras/Bradford Enterprises via AP Rickey Henderson Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the brash speedster who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball's leadoff position, died Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. He was 65. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File Greg Gumbel Greg Gumbel, left, watches as then-Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun talks to Butler head coach Brad Stevens, right, prior to taping a television interview April 3, 2011, for that year's men's NCAA Final Four college basketball championship game in Houston. Gumbel's family announced Dec. 27 that the longtime CBS sportscaster died from cancer at the age of 78. Eric Gay, Associated Press Will these predictions come true in 2025? | The Ethical Life podcast Obituaries Newsletter
LONDON — Olivia Hussey, the actor who starred as a teenage Juliet in the 1968 film "Romeo and Juliet," died, her family said on social media Saturday. She was 73. Hussey died Friday "peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones," a statement posted to her Instagram account said. Hussey was 15 when director Franco Zeffirelli cast her in his adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy after spotting her onstage in the play "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," which also starred Vanessa Redgrave. "Romeo and Juliet" won two Oscars and Hussey won a Golden Globe for best new actress for her part as Juliet, opposite British actor Leonard Whiting, who was 16 at the time. Decades later Hussey and Whiting brought a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud over nude scenes in the film. They alleged they were initially told they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in a bedroom scene, but on the day of the shoot Zeffirelli told the pair they would wear only body makeup and the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity. They alleged they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge. The case was dismissed by a Los Angeles County judge in 2023, who found their depiction could not be considered child pornography and the pair filed their claim too late. Whiting was among those who paid tribute to Hussey on Saturday. "Rest now my beautiful Juliet no injustices can hurt you now," he wrote. "And the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever." Hussey was born April 17, 1951, in Bueno Aires, Argentina, and moved to London as a child. She studied at the Italia Conti Academy drama school. She also starred as Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the 1977 television series "Jesus of Nazareth," as well as the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile" and horror movies "Black Christmas" and "Psycho IV: The Beginning." She is survived by her husband, David Glen Eisley, her three children and a grandson.
Area Girls Basketball: Rangers take down ranked opponent
Broncos hope to continue playoff push when they meet the banged-up RaidersNEW CANAAN, Conn., Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. NLCP (the "Company" or "NewLake"), a leading provider of real estate capital to state-licensed cannabis operators, today announced the appointment of Dina Rollman to its Board of Directors (the "Board"), effective immediately, and announced its fourth quarter dividend. Appointment of Dina Rollman to the Board The expansion of the Board to eight members is part of a planned transition for the anticipated retirement of Mr. Peter Kadens, who has served on the Board since 2019, and informed the Company he will not stand for reelection at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held in June of 2025. Ms. Rollman is recognized for her leadership and involvement in legal and regulatory affairs in the cannabis industry and will be an important member of the Board as the Company navigates the evolving regulatory landscape for the cannabis industry. "It has been an incredible five years since the inception of NewLake, and I'm immensely proud of the company we have built," said Peter Kadens, Board Member of NewLake. "My decision to step down from the Board is rooted in my belief that board positions should not be held indefinitely; it is essential to create space for new perspectives and ideas. I have had the privilege of knowing Dina for over 10 years, she is an exceptional leader, and I have full confidence in her abilities to contribute meaningfully to NewLake's continued success." "We are grateful for the positive impact Peter has had on shaping NewLake in its formative years," said Gordon DuGan, Chairman of the Board. "His knowledge of the cannabis industry has been indispensable, and he will be missed. We wish Peter all the best as he focuses more time on his philanthropic endeavors. We look forward to Dina joining our Board. She has significant cannabis industry experience from one of the leading operators in the sector, with the regulatory knowledge and insight that is so critical to navigating this dynamic industry." "I am honored to join NewLake's Board and to be able to contribute to the ongoing success and growth of this incredible organization during such an exciting time for the cannabis industry. With meaningful growth opportunities in an evolving landscape, I am eager to contribute my experience and insights to help shape the future of NewLake," said Dina Rollman. Ms. Rollman is currently the CEO and a Board member of Powr Plant Inc., which owns StrainBrain, an AI-powered software technology used in the regulated cannabis industry. She is also the co-founder of KND Group, LLC, a law and consulting firm specializing in highly regulated industries, including cannabis. Before joining Powr Plant Inc., Ms. Rollman spent nine years at Green Thumb Industries ("GTI"), serving first as in-house regulatory compliance and legal counsel and then transitioning to Senior Vice President for Government Affairs. She played an instrumental role in GTI's rapid license expansion and its IPO in 2018. Dividend In addition, NewLake's Board of Directors has declared a fourth quarter 2024 cash dividend of $0.43 per share of common stock. The dividend is equivalent to an annualized dividend of $1.72 per common share and is payable on January 15, 2025, to common stockholders of record at the close of business on December 31, 2024. About NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. is an internally managed real estate investment trust that provides real estate capital to state-licensed cannabis operators through sale-leaseback transactions and third-party purchases and funding for build-to-suit projects. NewLake owns a portfolio of 32 cultivation facilities and dispensaries that are leased to single tenants on a triple-net basis. For more information, please visit www.newlake.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements can be identified by words like "may," "will," "likely," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "future," "plan," "believe," "intend," "goal," "project," "continue," "on-going" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs and expectations. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and assumptions regarding capital market conditions, the Company's business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. For a discussion of the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to publicly release the result of any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements, except as required by law. Contact Information: Lisa Meyer Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. lmeyer@newlake.com Investor Contact: Valter Pinto, Managing Director KCSA Strategic Communications NewLake@kcsa.com PH: (212) 896-1254 Media Contact: Ellen Mellody KCSA Strategic Communications EMellody@kcsa.com PH: (570) 209-2947 © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
By Nidal al-Mughrabi for Reuters The Israeli military has issued new evacuation orders to residents in areas of an eastern Gaza City suburb, setting off a new wave of displacement. Meanwhile, a Gaza hospital director was injured in an Israeli drone attack, Palestinian medics said. The new orders for the Shejaia suburb posted by the Israeli army spokesperson on X on Saturday night were blamed on Palestinian militants firing rockets from that heavily built-up district in the north of the Gaza Strip. "For your safety, you must evacuate immediately to the south," the military's post said. The rocket volley on Saturday was claimed by Hamas' armed wing, which said it had targeted an Israeli army base over the border. Footage circulated on social and Palestinian media, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed residents leaving Shejaia on donkey carts and rickshaws, with others, including children carrying backpacks, walking. Families living in the targeted areas began fleeing their homes after nightfall on Saturday and into Sunday's early hours, residents and Palestinian media said - the latest in multiple waves of displacement since the war began 13 months ago. In central Gaza, health officials said at least 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the urban camps of Al-Maghazi and Al-Bureij since Saturday night. Adding to the miseries of Gaza's 2.3 million people, most of whom have been repeatedly displaced, heavy winter rain flooded hundreds of tents across the enclave, spoiling food and sweeping away plastic and cloth sheeting that had protected them against the elements. "We ran in the middle of the night, the rainwater flooded the tent, the food is gone, the kids screamed and I am afraid they will get sick," Rami, 37, a Gaza City man displaced at a former soccer stadium, told Reuters via a messaging app. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said thousands of displaced people were impacted by the seasonal flooding and demanded new tents and caravans from aid donors to shield them. Hospital director wounded by gunfire In north Gaza, where Israeli forces have been operating against regrouping Hamas militants since early last month, health officials said an Israeli drone dropped bombs on Kamal Adwan Hospital, injuring its director Hussam Abu Safiya. "This will not stop us from completing our humanitarian mission and we will continue to do this job at any cost," Abu Safiya said in a video statement circulated by the health ministry on Sunday. "We are being targeted daily. They targeted me a while ago but this will not deter us...," he said from his hospital bed. Israeli forces say armed militants use civilian buildings including housing blocks, hospitals and schools for operational cover. Hamas denies this, accusing Israeli forces of indiscriminately targeting populated areas. Kamal Adwan is one of three hospitals in north Gaza that are barely operational as the health ministry said the Israeli forces have detained and expelled medical staff and prevented emergency medical, food and fuel supplies from reaching them. In the past few weeks, Israel said it had facilitated the delivery of medical and fuel supplies and the transfer of patients from north Gaza hospitals in collaboration with international agencies such as the World Health Organization. Residents in three embattled north Gaza towns - Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun - said Israeli forces had blown up hundreds of houses since renewing operations in an area that Israel said months ago had been cleared of militants. Palestinians say Israel appears determined to depopulate the area permanently to create a buffer zone along the northern edge of Gaza, an accusation Israel denies. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 44,000 people, uprooted nearly the entire population at least once, according to Gaza officials, while reducing wide swathes of the narrow coastal territory to rubble. The war erupted in response to a cross-border attack by Hamas-led militants on 7 October 2023 in which gunmen killed around 1200 people and took more than 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. - ReutersTulsa, Oklahoma–(Newsfile Corp. – December 12, 2024) – Educational Development Corporation (NASDAQ: EDUC) (“EDC”, or the “Company”) ( http://www.edcpub.com ) today announces the time and date of their fiscal 2025 third quarter earnings call. EDC will host its Fiscal Year 2025 Third Quarter Earnings Call, including a live Q&A webcast, on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 3:30 PM CT (4:30 PM ET). Craig White, Chief Executive Officer and President, Heather Cobb, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Dan O’Keefe, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary will present the Company’s third quarter results and be available for questions following the presentation. Phone lines for participants will be available at (800) 717-1738 . The Conference ID is 64717 . Audio replays will be available following the event at www.edcpub.com/investors . About Educational Development Corporation (EDC) EDC began as a publishing company specializing in books for children. EDC is the owner and exclusive publisher of Kane Miller Books (“Kane Miller”); Learning Wrap-Ups, maker of educational manipulatives; and SmartLab Toys, maker of STEAM-based toys and games. EDC is also the exclusive United States MLM distributor of Usborne Publishing Limited (“Usborne”) children’s books. EDC-owned products are sold via 4,000 retail outlets and EDC and Usborne products are offered by independent brand partners who hold book showings through social media, book fairs with schools and public libraries, in individual homes, as well as other in-person events and internet sales. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/233521 #distro
ARLINGTON, Va. & REYKJAVIK, Iceland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 27, 2024-- Kerecis, the company pioneering the use of sustainably sourced fish skin and fatty acids in cellular therapy and tissue regeneration and protection, today announced the availability of SurgiClose® Silicone, which combines a fish-skin graft and silicone backing for efficient treatment of surgical and trauma wounds. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241227975454/en/ SurgiClose® Silicone (Photo: Business Wire) SurgiClose® Silicone is a part of the SurgiClose® product family, which is intact fish-skin intended for the management of trauma wounds and surgical wounds in the operating room. The new product is available in two variations, SurgiClose® Silicone Adhesive with borders that overlap the fish-skin underneath and SurgiClose® Silicone Standard with non-overlapping borders. “Applying Kerecis fish-skin to a surgical or trauma wound is a multi-step process that often requires supporting products such as sutures, staples, surgical tapes, contact layers, and wound-dressings. The new SurgiClose® Silicone product combines the fish-skin with a silicone-contact layer and thus eliminates the need for one of the supporting products. This makes the workflow in the surgical theater simpler and more cost effective,” said Fertram Sigurjonsson, Kerecis Founder and CEO. About Kerecis Kerecis, founded by Fertram Sigurjonsson, develops fish skin and fatty acid products for cellular therapy, tissue regeneration, and protection. When grafted onto damaged human tissue or implanted, the patented material supports the body’s own processes to heal and regenerate. Because no disease-transfer risk exists between cold-water fish and humans, the Kerecis fish-skin is only gently processed and retains its similarity to human tissue. The gentle processing preserves the skin’s original three-dimensional structure, maintaining its inherent natural strength, complexity, and molecules (such as fatty acids). Clinical studies show that Kerecis products heal wounds faster than competitors. Kerecis is the only global manufacturer of medical devices containing intact fish-skin and is the fastest growing company in the U.S. biologics skin market. Products include SurgiBind®/SuriClose®, GraftGuide®, MariGen®, and ShieldTM for various medical applications. Committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Kerecis uses sustainable Icelandic fish processed with renewable energy. Kerecis is a part of Coloplast, a leading supplier of intimate healthcare products. For more information, visit https://www.kerecis.com . Trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241227975454/en/ CONTACT: Media Relations Agency (952) 697 5220 KEYWORD: VIRGINIA EUROPE UNITED STATES ICELAND NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SURGERY MEDICAL DEVICES HOSPITALS DIABETES BIOTECHNOLOGY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE MANAGED CARE HEALTH GENERAL HEALTH SOURCE: Kerecis Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/27/2024 02:00 PM/DISC: 12/27/2024 01:59 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241227975454/en
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are climbing Thursday after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 was pulling 0.7% higher, as of 2:45 p.m. Eastern time, after flipping between modest gains and losses several times in the morning. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.
The heated debate over H-1B visa workers obscures the far greater inflows of other foreign workers into the white-collar jobs needed by American college graduates. The federal government issues about 130,000 new H-1B visas each year — plus another 650,000 visas or work permits to other white-collar migrants each year. Many of these non-immigrant workers are allowed to stay for five, six, or seven years. The multi-year visas create a resident population of at least 1.5 million white-collar workers. That growing population is almost twenty times larger than the H-1B program’s inflow of 85,000 new foreign workers every year that the media is focusing on. “For decades, this has been out of control,” said Kevin Lynn, the founder of U.S. Tech Workers, which campaigns against the visa worker programs. The huge giveaway annually delivers roughly two foreign workers for every American who graduates from a four-year college with a skilled degree in science, software, computers, business, healthcare, or engineering . The programs also deliver two foreign workers into the career-starting jobs needed by every young American who graduates with a four-year degree in “STEM,” or science, technology, engineering, and math. The migrants are not legal immigrants. They are government-approved contract workers or just-graduated foreign students, and their vulnerable legal status allows employers to treat them badly and undercut pay for American graduates. “There are about a million work-visa issuances a year ... it’s gone up about 25 percent in recent years,” said Jessica Vaughan, policy director at the Center for Immigration Studies. The programs’ complexity and lack of transparency are intended to help employers smuggle more white-collar workers into American jobs, Vaughan said. President Joe Biden’s deputies are trying to raise the visa-worker inflow. On December 17, the Department of Homeland Security announced : The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule that will significantly enhance U.S. companies’ ability to fill job vacancies [with H-1B workers] ... “American businesses rely on the H-1B visa program for the recruitment of highly-skilled talent, benefitting communities across the country,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “These improvements to the program provide employers with greater flexibility to hire global talent, boost our economic competitiveness, and allow highly skilled workers to continue to advance American innovation.” Population Numbers The federal government allows employers to import roughly 450,000 visa workers for the blue-collar H-2A and H-2B workers, and perhaps 150,000 pink-collar visa workers via the J-1 program. But the white-collar inflow is larger. The H-1B program is getting much attention, partly because Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and other West Coast investors triggered a heated Twitter debate with President Donald Trump’s voter base. But the H-1B program is just one of many government pipelines that deliver foreign college graduates into the valuable U.S. careers needed by the American middle class. Each year, the H-1B program delivers roughly 130,000 new workers, including 85,000 workers for private companies. They can stay for six years or longer. “The resident population of people with H-1Bs is [roughly] 600,000,” Vaughan told Breitbart News. There is no requirement to offer the H-1B jobs to Americans. Also, there is no limit on the inflow of H-1B workers for non-profits. That loophole has created a new style of non-profit staffing organization that transfers college graduates into private sector jobs . More than half of the H-1Bs are from India, where the government pressures American companies to hire Indian graduates, even though they are rooted in a culture where workplace corruption and bribes are common . Deputies working for President Barack Obama also allowed the spouses of H-1Bs to get work permits, dubbed H4EADs . Many now work in jobs alongside their spouses, adding at least 100,000 more white-collar visa workers to the U.S. labor market. The little-known L-1 visa program allows foreign companies to move their employees into the United States for five to 7 years. In 2022, the Department of State approved 73,000 new L-1s, so the resident white-collar L-1 population is roughly 200,000 white-collar workers. The spouses of L-1 workers are also allowed to work, adding another 40,000 workers to the workforce, according to a 2017 report by the left-wing Economic Policy Institute . Many of the H-1B and L-1 workers are allowed to stay past their visa expiry date if their employers offer them the deferred bonus of a government-provided green card. This bonus has created a population of roughly 600,000 Indian workers who are working while waiting for a green card . This population includes many L-1s and H-1Bs, complicating the population count. The State Department’s J-1 program delivers about 90,000 white-collar workers via multiple categories, such as “short-term scholars, “research scholars,” and professors, who are allowed to stay up to five or even seven years. Government agencies do not reveal the resident population of J-1s, but 300,000 white-collar employees is a reasonable estimate. The 0-1A so-called “genius visa” program is now delivering at least 9,000 white-collar workers per year, up from 6,500 in 2019 . This program is uncapped, like the L-1, TN, and H-1B programs. This visa lasts for three years, so the resident 0-1A population is roughly 25,000. The TN program allows professionals and recent graduates in Canada and Mexico to get jobs in the United States via the TN visa created by trade treaties. Government officials have said they do not count TN migrants entering the United States from Canada. Vaughan said she estimates the resident TN population to be roughly 120,000 foreign graduates. The OPT and CPT programs were created for foreign students at American universities. These programs deliver the most new workers each year — but they can only stay for one or three years. Almost 340,000 students and graduates got work permits in 2023, suggesting the resident population is roughly 400,000, most of whom work in technology-related jobs. The OPT — Optional Practical Training — and the CPT — Curricular Practical Training — programs were not created by Congress but by officials working for President George W. Bush. The CPT and OPT programs are touted as study programs, but the OPT program is a pipeline for foreigners to get green cards via employers and the H-1B program. These pipelines often run through ethnic hiring networks at Fortune 500 companies or their vast network of “software sweatshops” that implement outsourcing policies at nearly all major U.S. companies. Many of the OPT and CPT workers fail to get into the H-1B programs and so join the growing population of “ overstay ” illegal white-collar migrants, many of whom work alongside their legal compatriots as software subcontractors. This illegal white-collar foreign workforce is also boosted by a growing population of airport migrants. They legally enter the country as tourists or “business visitors,” dubbed B-1/B-2 visas . But they illegally work as freelancers and contractors, usually within ethnic networks of legal migrants. The federal government has done little to suppress or count this population. There has been no cap on the number of white-collar illegal migrants during Biden’s administration, in part because his pro-migration border chief — Alejandro Mayorkas — enforced a policy of no arrests for migrants who were not found guilty of major crimes. In addition, Mayorkas has imported roughly one million migrants through his quasi-legal “parole pipelines.” This inflow includes many white-collar workers — but their unrecognized credentials exclude them from licensed professions. Vaughan suggested these various pipelines have delivered 3 million illegal white-collar workers into the U.S. labor force, alongside the legal population of 1.5 million visa workers. Lynn estimated the illegal white-collar population at roughly 1.5 million, alongside 1.5 million legal migrants. In December, Mayrokas announced he would loosen the J-1 program to help migrants from China and India stay in J-1 white-collar jobs for longer than two years . Mayorkas’ deputies also announced changes to the H-1B program to help American companies import more white-collar workers. The new rules allow more companies to be treated as non-profits so they can import an unlimited number of “cap-exempt” H-1B workers for jobs that are sought by Americans. The rule states : Specifically, through this rulemaking, DHS is changing the definition of “nonprofit research organization” and “governmental research organization” by replacing the terms “primarily engaged” and “primary mission” with “fundamental activity” to permit nonprofit entities or governmental research organizations that conduct research as a fundamental activity, but are not primarily engaged in research or where research is not a primary mission, to meet the definition of a nonprofit research entity or governmental research organization for purposes of establishing exemption from the annual statutory limit on H-1B visas. Additionally, DHS is revising the regulations to recognize that certain beneficiaries may qualify for H-1B cap exemption when they are not directly employed by a qualifying organization, but still spend at least half of their time providing essential work that supports or advances a fundamental purpose, mission, objective, or function of the qualifying organization. Meanwhile, huge numbers of American professionals are being laid off, according to a December report by Forbes : Professional and business services, encompassing roles like accountants, consultants, and legal workers, have faced significant layoffs in 2024. These roles accounted for 3.7 million of the nearly 14.9 million layoffs nationwide through the year’s first nine months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
THE car’s glovebox is opened and hidden switches are flicked, then a magnet is placed next to the steering wheel, causing the front seats to rise upwards. The movement reveals a secret storage hole beneath, which stretches under the footwell. 7 Border Force regional boss David Smith with a haul of drugs found in a family car Credit: Darren Fletcher 7 Border Force invited The Sun's Thea Jacobs behind the scenes at the Port of Dover to see the daily battles its staff face to keep our streets safe Credit: Darren Fletcher But this modified family car is not something from a James Bond film, but a smuggler’s vehicle, crafted to transport millions of pounds-worth of Class A drugs across the English Channel for sale on our streets. It is a sight all too familiar to Britain’s Border Force staff, who are encountering increasingly sophisticated ways of hiding drugs, cash, illegal cigarettes, guns and even people. Border Force invited The Sun behind the scenes at the Port of Dover to see for ourselves the daily battles its staff face to keep our streets safe. The agency’s South East Regional Director David Smith said: “We’re always broadening our techniques to make sure we stay one step ahead of the smugglers. READ MORE ON DRUG CRIME LOTTO LOUT Lottery winner who blew £100,000 scooped from a scratchcard is now facing jail SPINELESS Psychedelic drugs or back pain... what drove suspect to assassinate CEO? “Over the years, trends change and we’re always adapting to make sure we can find everything possible. Some of the concealments that are used to bring in illegal items are very technical.” Street value of millions But thanks to its specialists at ports across the UK, Border Force is finding more contraband than ever. The first six months of 2024 saw 92 per cent more illegal drugs intercepted, with 22,719 seizures, than in the same period in 2023. This included 19 tonnes of cocaine and 412kg of ketamine , and the force has intercepted the largest batch of pink cocaine — a drug cocktail that can contain ketamine, ecstasy, meth and crack — headed for the UK. Most read in The Sun FAIR CARNAGE Horror as Birmingham fairground ride 'collapses' with several people injured STAYING POSITIVE Max George to undergo major heart surgery after terrifying health scare ALL CHANGE Another Rangers executive quits club just a week after key role at club's AGM NEWBORN JOY Huge Scots DJ becomes dad as he reveals baby boy in emotional social media post Officers found 100kg of the new party drug hidden in a vehicle alongside 40kg of ketamine and 30kg of MDMA , or ecstasy, as it is known in tablet form. David said: “Pink cocaine can be made from various drugs, like MDMA, ecstasy and ketamine, but we’re now seeing it being mixed with some very nasty drugs including [synthetic opioids] fentanyl and nitazenes. Moment police raid sick drugs smuggler's home after thug ‘used kids as mules’ “While it looks like a manufactured pill, you won’t know what you are getting.” The substance, which is hugely popular in drug hotspots such as Ibiza, is still relatively rare in the UK. Another smugglers’ vehicle discovered by the team was a white van with a hidden compartment under its wooden floor, which could only be opened by placing a magnet in a certain position. We’re always broadening our techniques to stay one step ahead of the smugglers. Some of the concealments that are used to bring in illegal items are very technical Border Force's David Smith It was big enough to hide Class A drugs worth several million pounds. The force also seized a gas canister which sounded as if it contained liquid, and released gas when the valve was opened, but had a hollow section that could fit up to 20kg of narcotics. It was found when officers noticed wear and tear where it wasn’t expected. It is not unusual to find a mixture of drugs destined for different British gangs once they arrive on UK soil. David said: “Transporters of drugs are a bit like taxi services for gangs. “Some organised crime groups don’t have a method of transportation, and it’s usually passed to a third party who sorts it. It means that we can find products for multiple gangs in one vehicle.” In the first six months of this year Border Force also made 18,000 seizures of herbal cannabis, equalling 41 tonnes. David has been working for Border Force for more than three decades and has seen a big change in the volume of party drugs trafficked to the UK. He said: “We used to see a lot more Class B drugs but now the quantity of Class A coming in has massively increased. “In the first six months of this year we have seized 19 tonnes of cocaine, which would have a street value of £425million. Getting these drugs in is big business for gangs. “The 92 per cent increase we’ve seen compared to last year in the first six months is thanks to the dedicated officers. We have the most highly skilled officers anywhere in the world, and we work 24/7 to keep the UK safe.” Vehicles which are chosen to be searched are selected with the help of technology, plus trained officers who can “read” the drivers’ and passengers’ behaviour — and a spot of four-legged assistance. Transporters of drugs are a bit like taxi services for gangs David Among those working a shift when The Sun visited was two-year-old cocker spaniel Glenn, who demonstrated how quickly the dogs in the Dover team — other cocker spaniels, some springer spaniels and a Labrador — can find drugs. 7 Border Force’s Glenn the dog sniffs out illegal substances Credit: Darren Fletcher 7 Fuel tanks were cut open to reveal a stash of pink cocaine Credit: Darren Fletcher It took him just seconds to identify a car boot as storing illegal substances, which he did simply by sitting down and looking at his handler. But while the dogs are not always able to sniff out the contraband, a non-indication from them does not mean a search won’t take place. The searches can be intelligence-led from tip-offs from Europol, Interpol or domestic police, and are also carried out when officers spot abnormalities and when drivers are spotted behaving strangely. The Border Force agents are determined that nothing they come across will put them off their pursuit of the smugglers, no matter how bizarre it might seem. And it doesn’t matter how disgusting the circumstances are either. Hidden in manure In a bid to avoid a search, some gangs cover their drugs in manure or grease, hoping it will hide the drugs’ smell from the dogs. We were also shown a video which demonstrated how 225kg of methamphetamines, known on the streets as meth, had been placed inside an industrial magnet and welded shut. Another showed how 16kg of cocaine had been concealed in a hidden section of a Hyundai’s boot which could only be opened using a certain set of switches. It is not just the gangs’ contraband that is targeted by the Border Force staff. They often seize their means of smuggling too, even when no drugs have been found. David said: “Sometimes we detect vehicles that have been adapted for transporting drugs or money around the UK that are destined for county lines gangs. The volume of drugs we’ve detected here and across the country this year shows that we are very good at what we do David “We often have vehicles brought to us from elsewhere in the UK to search and find the concealments within them. “This is because our officers are some of the most highly trained in the world, and finding these compartments can be really tricky. “The volume of drugs we’ve detected here and across the country this year shows that we are very good at what we do. “We just want to stop the bad guys.” Seema Malhotra, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, said: “Party drugs like pink cocaine are illegal and highly dangerous. “Border Force are working around the clock to seize illegal drugs and help to keep our streets and our communities safer this Christmas party season. “Thanks to their expertise and vigilance, they are successfully intercepting these dangerous substances at our borders with increasing success. Read more on the Scottish Sun WARMING UP Scots set for 21C swing as temperature rise to bring an end to sub zero freeze HOT BUY Shoppers race to Primark for fleecy £14 hoodie will keep you cosy on frosty days “Young people must be in no doubt about the harmful effects of the synthetic substances found in party drugs, which can often be a deadly concoction of chemicals that can have devastating consequences, ruining theirs and their loved ones’ lives. “My message to people going out over the festive people is to stay safe, and to the evil criminals lining their pockets — you will be caught and will face the full force of the law.” 7 100kg of methamphetamine was found inside an industrial magnet Credit: Supplied 7 A rotating number plate on a drug smuggler’s vehicle Credit: Darren Fletcher 7 Border Force seized the illegal gear Credit: Darren Fletcher
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