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Who are the Border Patrol chaplains? And why does the agency need more of them now?
AP Business SummaryBrief at 4:31 p.m. ESTCalamos Investments Closed-End Funds (NASDAQ: CHI, CHY, CSQ, CGO, CHW, CCD and CPZ) Announce Monthly Distributions and Required Notifications of Sources of DistributionDogs seized Oct. 24 from a home at 42 Madison Road in Norridgewock rest at their foster home, arranged by the Animal Welfare Society’s Kennebunk shelter. State officials say they seized 48 dogs and five cats from the home. Animal Welfare Society photo NORRIDGEWOCK — Prior complaints were lodged as early as April by local officials concerned with inhumane conditions at a Norridgewock home where the state last month seized nearly 50 dogs and a few cats, according to an affidavit. The home, a single-wide mobile home at 42 Madison Road, belongs to Diane and Steven Bouffard. Maine’s Animal Welfare Program executed a search warrant at the property Oct. 24, seeking to find and seize evidence of the crime of cruelty to animals. There was probable cause that an animal cruelty violation had taken place or was taking place at the property, according to the affidavit written by Rachel Welch, a district humane agent for the program. The search of the property revealed 48 dogs, including 46 that were white or tan shih tzus, and five cats, all of which were seized by the state. At least three of the dogs and likely more were never registered with the town, according to Norridgewock’s dog license records. Multiple prior complaints were made against the property, according to the affidavit. On April 17, Welch wrote that she had received a complaint from Dexter Bridges, Norridgewock’s animal control officer, about poor living conditions for animals at the residence. Welch said she met with Diane Bouffard on April 22 at the Madison Road residence, where Welch observed poor conditions inside the home. Welch said she gave Bouffard a notice to bathe the dogs and thoroughly clean the home, and asked Bouffard to consider neutering the animals. When asked how many pets she had, Bouffard said she had 17 dogs, all registered with the town, and “about 15” cats, according to the affidavit. On June 12, Bouffard reported a missing dog to the town. In the following days, multiple people reported seeing a dog in the vicinity of River Road in Norridgewock. Bouffard was contacted, but never showed up, according to Town Manager Richard LaBelle. Three days later, a dead dog was reported on the shoulder of the road, and Bouffard confirmed it was one of her animals. After multiple failed follow-up visits, Welch was able to meet again with Bouffard on Oct. 21 to see if changes had been made to the property. During the visit, Welch saw that a majority of the dogs had feces matted to their body. Welch said she determined the area was not clean or safe enough for animals or people. The affidavit was filed Oct. 22. Following the state’s seizure, the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland in Westbrook received 23 of the dogs, the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk took nine dogs and three cats and Midcoast Humane accepted 14 dogs and two cats. The dogs were matted and in poor condition when they arrived Oct. 24 at Midcoast Humane’s Brunswick location, but it was clear that they were nice animals, according to Executive Director Jess Townsend. “When you’re working with pets that have come from an overcrowding situation, you never quite know what you’re getting until you get them,” Townsend said. “Absolutely lovely dogs, and I’m very sorry for the people who own them, because, you know, nice dogs don’t just happen. Nice dogs are socialized and raised, and they did a good job, and I’m going to guess that they got overwhelmed.” Townsend said the dogs do not like being left alone, and would be happiest at a home with other dogs and owners who are present. The Animal Welfare Society will update its website after the animals pass veterinary wellness checks and are available for adoption, according to Stephanie Kelley, the organization’s marketing communications manager. Morning Sentinel staff writer Jake Freudberg contributed to this report. Update: State investigates inhumane conditions after 50 dogs seized from Norridgewock home Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous Next »
‘Arcane’ Showrunner Christian Linke on Parallel Universes and the Netflix Series’ FinaleBrendan Rodgers praises Celtic and Cameron Carter-Vickers’ mentality
Some kids see their parents as monsters — making them eat their vegetables, insisting homework be done before dinner, begging them to clean their room, etc. You know, the worst. In the case of Ellian, a princess from the land of Lumbria, her parents literally are monsters — unsightly, rambunctious and uncommunicative creatures — thanks to an encounter with some dark magic. That’s the state of royal play in “Spellbound,” a semi-enchanting film from Skydance Animation on Netflix. The movie had a chance to be a gem thanks to some of the folks who brought it to life. The list starts with director Vicky Jenson, who, most notably, helmed 2001’s beloved romp “Shrek.” Then there’s composer Alan Menken — working herewith lyricist Glenn Slater — who has contributed to animated Disney classics including “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast.” And singing the original songs of Menken and Slater is Rachel Zegler, who delighted us in director Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake of “West Side Story” and last year impressed in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” These talented people and others — John Lithgow, Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem contribute voice work — help make “Spellbound” a relative winner even if it falls short of the quality of the aforementioned animated films. As we meet Ellian (Zegler) — on her birthday, flying through mountains, above water and eventually back to the kingdom with her friends riding giant birds — she and a few others, such as Lithgow’s Minister Bolinar, have been keeping the truth about her parents a secret from the citizens and even some important types. Ministers Bolinar and Nazara (Jenifer Lewis) think it is time for Princess Ellian to become the ruler of Lumbria, but she hasn’t given up on the idea of finding a way to break her parents’ curse, which they encountered in the Dark Forest of Eternal Darkness — where it’s, like, seriously dark. She summons to the castle the Oracle of the Moon (Tituss Burgess) and the Oracle of the Sun (Nathan Lane), a pair of little guys who arrive by Uber-like frog. Before they can reveal how the curse can be broken, her mom tries to eat one of them, causing them to bolt. Ellian chases them down, of course, and, with Mom and Dad in tow, sets about her quest to return them to normalcy. As the three spend time together, Ellian is able to communicate, increasingly effectively, with Queen Ellsmere (Kidman) and King Solon (Bardem). It is then that we see the darkness that surrounded them was not just figurative; the more intelligently they can speak, the more they argue with one another. Despite this friction, Ellian continues a search for a source of lightness — again, both literal and metaphorical — to restore things as they should be. Penned by Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin and Julia Miranda, “Spellbound” offers some valuable lessons to young viewers — for whom this film is mainly targeted — including the importance of handling negative feelings in a positive way. There’s also a lesson for parents, however. If nothing else, the not-so-neat-and-tidy resolution of the story isn’t exactly what you’d predict. You just wish the journey were a little more entertaining. The jokes are OK, not hilarious, and the songs are merely fine — certainly below Menken’s best work. Nevertheless, Zegler’s lovely singing voice elevates those songs, and the actress gives a strong performance overall. And Lithgow — who voiced the villainous Lord Farquaad in “Shrek” — is fun, especially after Bolinar runs afoul of some magic himself. With its bright-and-colorful palette (but only so-so design work), “Spellbound” should keep the little ones busy for nearly two hours as you prepare for Thanksgiving. And that’s a real magic trick, isn’t it? Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Brazil’s Bolsonaro planned and participated in a 2022 coup plot, unsealed police report says
NoneWhen ServiceTitan filed documents last week for its IPO, hoping to have its debut before the end of 2024, the tech world wondered if a stuck IPO market was unlocking at last. Alas, probably not. But ServiceTitan could actually be a harbinger of something else entirely: a series of late-stage companies being forced to IPO or revealing other ugly terms they agreed to after the VC fundraising market tanked in 2022 and valuations plummeted. “Yes, we will see much more of this as the ZIRP companies start to IPO. You can’t hide these details in an S-1, even if they’re hard to understand in the legalese writing that exists in S-1’s,” VC Alex Clayton tells TechCrunch, referring to companies that raised lots of money during the zero interest rate policy period that ended in 2021. Clayton is general partner at late-stage firm Meritech Capital, known for its IPO analysis. He and his Meritech colleagues, Anthony DeCamillo and Austin Wang, pointed out a wild term, disclosed in ServiceTitan’s S-1 documents, in an analysis post that went viral over the weekend. To recap, as TechCrunch previously pointed out , with ServiceTitan’s November 2022 Series H raise, the company agreed to grant those investors a “compounding IPO ratchet structure.” An IPO ratchet structure means that if a company goes public at a stock price that is less than what the venture investor paid, the company will cover the loss by granting the investor more shares, as if the VC bought at the lower price. If the IPO is priced above what the investor paid, there’s no problem. In ServiceTitan’s case, as Meritech’s crew pointed out, it agreed to a “compounding” IPO ratchet structure. For every quarter ServiceTitan delayed going public after a deadline of May 22, 2024, the company would owe the Series H investors even more stock: 11% annually, compounding quarterly. The stock price for that November 2022 round was $84.57 a share. Currently, Meritech calculates that ServiceTitan would have to debut at above $90 per share to negate paying its Series H investors more stock. The S-1 did not disclose which investor(s) hold this term. Furthermore, the Meritech crew – who are stock pricing experts – believe that ServiceTitan’s financials currently justify closer to about $72 a share. This given its revenue (on pace for $772 annually, based on its last quarter, the company says) and growth rate (implied at 24%, based on the last quarter). That’s if the IPO prices around the mid-range of its comparable to other software companies. More delay, no matter what’s going on in the market, would mean that ServiceTitan has to price even higher to avoid the gotcha with the Series H investors. This would also further dilute the holdings of the other major investors. VC Bill Gurley, who was famously a partner at Benchmark and has been an IPO-process hawk for years, commented on the situation on X . “A ‘compounding ratchet’ sounds painful (it is!). Looks like company agreed to ‘dirty’ term sheets,” he wrote. “Best to steer WAY, WAY clear of investors asking for compounding ratchets.” Clayton says he doesn’t quite agree with the “dirty term sheet” characterization, which implies a founder getting duped by an investor. Chances are ServiceTitan’s lawyers knew and understood the term and executives were willing to take the risk. ServiceTitan had agreed to ratchet terms (albeit not compounding) twice before, and got caught with lower share prices, the S-1 disclosed. Founders typically agree to such terms because it gets them a higher valuation and/or avoids a valuation cut, also known as a down round. After all, the company is agreeing to protect the investor from overpaying. Down rounds can be damaging in all sorts of ways – employee morale, future investing rounds, media headlines. But such terms are a kick-the-can-down-the road tactic. “You can call it ‘dirty,’ which is the cliche term, but it’s an agreement between two parties with lengthy legal discourse and is just likely about risk the founders were willing to take,” Clayton said. All of this means a few things. For founders, Gurley said on X , it’s better to just take a down round if that’s what a company is really worth, rather than play valuation term-sheet games. Had ServiceTitan done that, it might not even be going public now – and taking on the future quarterly financial scrutiny that comes with that. “I agree. This IPO seems to be about incentives,” Clayton says, adding that ServiceTitan “has also burned a ton of money, so they might have needed the cash too.” It also means that the IPO window isn’t necessarily opening. Because 2022 saw a lot of founders struggling to maintain their previously high valuations, Clayton believes we’ll likely see more such things buried in S-1 disclosures. Then again, if retail investors go wild for the stock, this debut might open the IPO window. But some financiers remain doubtful. As Miles Dieffenbach, Managing Director of Investments for Carnegie Mellon’s endowment posted on X, “ServiceTitan isn’t going public because of the IPO window being ‘open’, but because they have a compounding ratchet from their last round. If they could’ve raised clean private capital, I bet they’d stay private!” he wrote. ServiceTitan did not respond to a request for comment.
ATLANTA — On Jan. 18 and 19 the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! will be held at State Farm Arena in advance of the College Football Playoff national championship on Jan. 20. The star-studded lineup was announced Thursday at a news conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Performances will include Lil Wayne and GloRilla on Saturday; and Camila Cabello, Myles Smith and Knox on Sunday. On game day, the Allstate Championship Tailgate, taking place just outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the Home Depot Backyard, will feature country acts on the Capital One Music Stage, including global superstar Kane Brown and iHeartCountry “On The Verge” artist Ashley Cooke. The concerts are just two of the festivities visiting fans can enjoy in the days leading up to the big game. The fan experience for both ticket holders and the general public has been a focus for event planners. All weekend long, an estimated 100,000 people from across the country are expected to attend fan events preceding kickoff. “It will be an opportunity for fans of all ages to come together to sample what college football is all about, and you don’t have to have a ticket to the game to be a part of it,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP in a press release. “We’ve worked closely with the Atlanta Football Host Committee to develop fan-friendly events that thousands will enjoy come January.” On Saturday, Jan. 18, Playoff Fan Central will open at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The free, family-friendly experience will include games, clinics, pep rallies, special guest appearances, autograph signings and exhibits celebrating college football and its history. That day, fans can also attend Media Day, presented by Great Clips, which will feature one-hour sessions with student-athletes and coaches from each of the College Football Playoff national championship participating teams. ESPN and social media giants X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will be taping live broadcasts from the event. On Sunday, Jan. 19, the Trophy Trot, both a 5K and 10K race, will wind its way through the streets of downtown Atlanta. Each Trophy Trot participant will receive a T-shirt and finisher’s medal. Participants can register at atlantatrackclub.org . On Sunday evening, the Georgia Aquarium will host the Taste of the Championship dining event, which offers attendees the opportunity to indulge in food and drink prepared by local Atlanta chefs. This premium experience serves as an elevated exploration of local cuisine on the eve of the national championship. Tickets to the Taste of the Championship event are available on etix.com . Atlanta is the first city ever to repeat as host for the CFP national championship. The playoff was previously held in Atlanta in 2018. “We are honored to be the first city to repeat as host for the CFP national championship and look forward to welcoming college football fans from around the country in January,” said Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council and Atlanta Football Host Committee. “This event gives us another opportunity to showcase our incredible city.” The College Football Playoff is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The quarterfinals and semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games — the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This year’s quarterfinals will take place on Dec. 31, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025, while the semifinals will be Jan. 9-10, 2025. The CFP national championship will be Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com . Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Tests keep coming for Auburn and Duke, who collide at Cameron Indoor Stadium in a typical prove-it game in a rare environment on Wednesday night. No. 2 Auburn and No. 9 Duke square off less than one month into the season as two of the most battle-tested teams in basketball. They're matched as one of the marquee games in the crossover showcase known as the ACC-SEC Challenge. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Clubs Casino compiled a ranking of the 10 biggest tournament cash prizes in poker history (adjusted for inflation) using data from The Hendon Mob. Click for more. The 10 biggest tournament cash prizes recorded in poker history
Alarm.com to Participate in Upcoming Investor ConferencesNichols’ campaign was based on rehabilitating Tulsa’s education system and addressing affordable housing issues in order to combat homelessness. Black Tulsa residents have long suffered from a dearth of economic opportunity, Nichols said. he commission has not seen much progress regarding reparations. It was tasked with reviewing two reports, one from 2023 and one from 2001, that both called for reparations for descendants and survivors of the massacre. Bynum has said people in Tulsa “view reparations as not just cash payments,” and that there is also interest in economic, educational and housing opportunities ― issues that Nichols named as his priorities during his campaign. In August, Nichols said education was something the city should be laser-focused on. “We’ve got to take this talk of reparations out of the political sense and focus on other areas,” he . “Education is an area where we should really sink our teeth into quite a bit.” It’s not clear whether any potential reparations would actually take the form of cash payments. Joyce Williams, a longtime Tulsa resident who voted for Nichols, said she expects him to be “open to the community” and make a real effort to provide “some means of compensation” to descendants and survivors. “I expect that he will attempt to impact our ability to get in the position to have a hearing on the loss of a strong financial system brought on by [the massacre], and I expect we are going to have to push him just like anyone else,” Williams told HuffPost. “I’m not naive to think that this man is not going to be able to do a whole lot without some push and support.” In June, the Oklahoma Supreme Court a request to reconsider a dismissed lawsuit filed by Fletcher and Randle. The aim of was to force the city of Tulsa to pay reparations to Fletcher and Randle for their sufferings after the massacre. After the rejection, Solomon-Simmons, who represents the two survivors, requested a federal review from the Department of Justice, and met with Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil rights, in Washington, D.C. The announcement of the review came months later. Solomon-Simmons told HuffPost that addressing the city’s racial issues and history was one of the main driving factors for voters this year. Now, the community waits for results. Related...
Pokimane slammed after sharing FaZe Kaysan DMs asking her to dinnerCHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Derrin Boyd had 22 points in Charleston's 79-64 victory over Northern Kentucky on Wednesday. Boyd also added six rebounds for the Cougars (5-2). AJ Smith scored 12 points and added five rebounds and three steals. Justas Stonkus finished 4 of 4 from the field to finish with 12 points. The Norse (1-5) were led in scoring by Sam Vinson, who finished with 21 points, six rebounds and two steals. Trey Robinson added 12 points, 12 rebounds and five steals for Northern Kentucky. Dan Gherezgher Jr. also had 11 points. Boyd led his team in scoring with 12 points in the first half to help put them up 38-30 at the break. Charleston pulled away with a 7-0 run in the second half to extend a six-point lead to 13 points. Boyd led the way with a team-high 10 second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
The normally reliable centre-back passed the ball into his own net in the 26th minute after failing to spot goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel’s positioning. But a brilliant turn and finish on the hour mark from Daizen Maeda changed the game and ultimately earned the Scottish champions a 1-1 home draw. On the opener, Rodgers said: “Mistakes happen and it was just unfortunate. He’s played that pass a million times and it’s gone back and then we’ve been able to play forward. It was just one of those unfortunate moments in the game that happens. “But he’s a really, really tough character. He’s a great guy, he picked himself up. He was really strong and aggressive again in the game and got on with it and had a real bravery in the second half, because he was the one carrying the ball forward for us to start the attack.” Despite the gift, Brugge were worthy of their lead and Rodgers admitted his side were too passive in their pressing in the opening half. Some tactical tweaks – and the introduction of Paulo Bernardo – helped Celtic dominate after Maeda’s equaliser, although Brugge had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside. “I can only credit the players for the second half, because we had to fight,” Rodgers said. “And we’re still one of those teams that’s really pushing to try and make a mark at this level. So to make the comeback, score the goal, play with that courage, I was so pleased. “You want to win but I’ve been here enough times to have lost a game like that, but we didn’t. We showed a real strong mentality and we kept pushing right to the very end and the players did well. “I thought they showed great courage in the second half because we weren’t at our level in the first half. Sometimes a game like that can get away from you, but it didn’t. “We stayed with it, showed that determination, showed that mentality, never to quit, to keep going. And then we were much, much better, much freer in the second half. “So we’re on eight points, nine to play for. We’re still very much on course to get to where we want to get to and still three games to go.” Rodgers added: “It’s 20 games now and we’ve won 16 and drawn three and lost one, so it shows you the mentality is there, and especially at this level, you need to have that.”AR not joining other parties in ECN legal challenge, considers own optionsTests keep coming for Auburn and Duke, who collide at Cameron Indoor Stadium in a typical prove-it game in a rare environment on Wednesday night. No. 2 Auburn and No. 9 Duke square off less than one month into the season as two of the most battle-tested teams in basketball. They're matched as one of the marquee games in the crossover showcase known as the ACC-SEC Challenge. Auburn (7-0) jumped two spots in the latest Top 25 poll propelled by its Maui Invitational championship. In one of Feast Week's toughest brackets, the Tigers rallied from 18 points down to beat then-No. 4 Iowa State, handled then-No. 12 North Carolina 85-72 and rolled past Memphis 90-76 in the title game. With a week off to shed any remnants of jet lag returning from the islands, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is pointing to another potential resume-building win. "The confidence that we're going to get from (Maui) is that we know we can play with anybody," Pearl said. "I promise you this, we'll stay humble and hungry. We will not begin to think too much of ourselves." Helping lead Auburn in Maui was fifth-year power forward Johni Broome. The tournament's MVP, Broome averaged 21.7 points, 15 rebounds, 4.3 assists and three blocks in the three-game sweep. Spearheading a veteran Tigers roster, Broome couldn't care less about individual honors. "I wanted to come to a place where the foundation was already built, and that's why I came to Auburn," Broome said. "Winning player of the year doesn't matter to me. I care about winning games, and making sure I can help my team in any way." Broome's 20.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game lead the Tigers, while Chad Baker-Mazara adds 12.6 ppg and Denver Jones chips in 11.1. Auburn's next roadblock is earning its first-ever win against Duke. The Tigers are 0-3 all-time against the Blue Devils, including a six-point loss in the 2018 Maui Invitational. Duke (5-2) has already been through three games against ranked opponents. The Blue Devils had a 77-72 loss against then-No. 19 Kentucky, a 14-point win at then-No. 17 Arizona and a 75-72 defeat against No. 1 Kansas last week in Las Vegas. "Best team we've played so far," Pearl said of Duke. Bouncing back on Friday, the Blue Devils took down Seattle 70-48, holding the Redhawks to just 10 made field goals on 47 attempts (21.3 percent). Despite the suffocating defensive effort, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer knows his team has a long way to go. "I wasn't really happy with much tonight, to be honest," Scheyer said on Friday. "I thought we rushed some shots, had too many turnovers. We need to finish stronger, drive stronger, make extra passes, there were a whole bunch of things. ... We just need to get back to practice. In fairness to our guys, we've been traveling a lot and we just need practice time." Pacing the Blue Devils in scoring is five-star freshman Cooper Flagg. He's averaging 15.9 points per game to go along with 8.3 rebounds. Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel adds 13.4 points per contest. Far less seasoned raw freshman, big man Khaman Maluach has given Duke's interior defense an edge it was lacking last season. A projected lottery pick who can be overshadowed by the Flagg publicity train, Maluach (7-2, 248) is averaging 8.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and has two three-block games. In last year's inaugural ACC-SEC Challenge, Duke lost at Arkansas 80-75 and Auburn topped Virginia Tech 74-57. --Field Level Media