LG OLED TVs Slashed by Up to 45% This Black Friday
South Korean leader meets Ukraine delegation, calls for response to North Korean troops in RussiaJayud Global Logistics Regains Compliance with Nasdaq’s Minimum Bid Price Requirement
WASHINGTON — The nomination of Pete Hegseth , President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Pentagon , is under pressure as senators who would need to confirm him weigh a series of allegations that have surfaced against him. Hegseth's mother appeared on Fox News on Wednesday to defend her son, who faces multiple allegations that have emerged in the media about alcohol intoxication at work events, sexual misconduct and potential financial mismanagement. The Trump transition team was growing concerned about Hegseth's path to confirmation and was actively looking at potential replacements, a person familiar with the matter said. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , who competed against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, is being discussed as a possible replacement if Hegseth’s nomination does not move forward, according to three other people familiar with the matter. They were not authorized to publicly discuss internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump and DeSantis appeared together on Tuesday at a ceremony in West Palm Beach to honor three fallen sheriff’s deputies. The Trump transition team didn’t immediately comment. Hegseth’s mother, Penelope Hegseth joined the “Fox & Friends” to discuss her son and a 2018 email she wrote him that was obtained by The New York Times, in which she confronted him about mistreating women after he impregnated his current wife while he was married to his second wife. That letter followed multiple allegations, reported by the New Yorker this week, of questionable conduct around female staffers. Hegseth also was accused of sexual assault in 2017, which Hegseth told California police at the time was consensual encounter and has denied any wrongdoing. Hegseth is a former Fox News host and a former Army National Guard major and combat veteran who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. If confirmed by the Senate, he would lead a 2 million member strong military — more than 17% of whom are female. The revelations have concerned some members of Congress. “I would do anything for my son,” Penelope Hegseth said in the TV interview. She spoke directly to Trump in the segment, saying her son "is not that man he was seven years ago.” She said she wrote the email because Hegseth and his then-wife were going through a very difficult divorce and “it was a very emotional time.” She said she retracted the email and apologized to her son about two hours after sending the emai.Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP Reminds Investors of Looming Deadline in the Class Action Lawsuit Against TMC the metals company Inc. (TMC)
Share Tweet Share Share Email In today’s digital-first world, having a strong online presence is crucial for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re running a cutting-edge security company like Allfine Security or providing beauty services such as lip fillers in Toronto, the competition to stand out online is fierce. That’s where Local SEO Search comes in — a trusted partner for businesses aiming to enhance their digital footprint and attract local customers. What Makes Local SEO Search Unique? Local SEO Search specializes in helping small and medium-sized businesses dominate local search rankings. With tailored strategies designed for specific industries, they ensure your business gets in front of the right audience at the right time. Here are some key ways they can help: Keyword Optimization: By identifying and targeting keywords relevant to your industry and location, Local SEO Search ensures that potential customers can find you. For example, if you own a beauty clinic offering lip fillers in Toronto, their team will help optimize your site for terms like “ lip fillers in Toronto ” and related queries. Local Citation Management: Accurate and consistent business information across online directories is essential for local SEO success. Local SEO Search ensures that your company details, like those for Allfine Security, are correctly listed on platforms like Google My Business and Yelp. Content Creation: High-quality, engaging content is a cornerstone of effective SEO. Local SEO Search can create blog posts, service pages, and other content that positions your business as an authority in its field, whether in security solutions or beauty enhancements. Review Management: Positive reviews build trust and improve search rankings. Local SEO Search helps businesses manage online reviews effectively, encouraging satisfied customers to leave feedback while addressing any negative comments professionally. Customized Campaigns: Every business is unique, and Local SEO Search tailors its strategies to your specific goals and audience. Whether you’re promoting state-of-the-art security systems or premium cosmetic procedures, their team has the expertise to deliver results. Success Stories Allfine Security, a leading name in advanced security systems, partnered with Local SEO Search to improve its online visibility. By leveraging local SEO techniques, Allfine Security saw a significant increase in website traffic and client inquiries within their target areas. Similarly, a Toronto-based beauty clinic specializing in lip fillers experienced remarkable growth through Local SEO Search’s targeted strategies. By optimizing their website for specific services and locations, the clinic attracted a steady flow of new clients seeking lip enhancement treatments. Why Choose Local SEO Search? Proven Expertise: With years of experience and a track record of success, Local SEO Search understands what it takes to succeed in local markets. Affordable Services: They offer cost-effective SEO solutions tailored to small businesses. Dedicated Support: Their team provides personalized attention and regular updates, ensuring you’re always informed about your campaign’s progress. Take Your Business to the Next Level In a competitive online landscape, partnering with a reliable SEO provider is more important than ever. Local SEO Search has the tools, expertise, and passion to help your business thrive. Whether you’re in the security industry like Allfine Security or offering beauty services like lip fillers in Toronto, Local SEO Search can drive real results and help you achieve your goals. Related Items: Local SEO , Local SEO Search Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you Backspace Marketing: Local SEO Strategies to Drive Regional Success for Businesses Backspace Marketing’s Expert Guide to Navigating Local SEO Challenges in 2024 How Backspace Marketing’s Insights on Consistency Can Boost Local SEO Success CommentsUnder Christie, Kings pledge to 'stick together'Sheriff's Office identifies Ravenna teenager who died in Christmas Day crash
Tech companies led a broad rally for U.S. stocks Tuesday, a boost for the market in a holiday-shortened trading session. The S&P 500 rose 0.7%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 177 points, or 0.4%, as of 11:20 a.m. Eastern time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite was up 1%. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.6%, while semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, rose 1.1%. Super Micro Computer jumped 4.6%. Tesla climbed 5.2% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. rose 1.5% American Airlines slipped 0.4% after the airline nationwide due to a technical issue. edged up 0.1% a day after an influential government panel failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of the nearly $15 billion proposed sale to Nippon Steel of Japan. NeueHealth surged 70.1% after the health care company agreed to be taken private in a deal valued at roughly $1.3 billion. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.62% from 4.59% late Monday. European markets were mostly higher. Markets in Asia mostly gained ground. U.S. markets will close at 1 p.m. Eastern and stay closed Wednesday for Christmas. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to this week, including a weekly update on unemployment benefits on Thursday. Tuesday’s rally comes as the stock market enters what’s historically been a very cheerful season. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. The so-called “Santa rally” also correlates closely with positive returns in January and the upcoming year. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the stock market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up about 26% so far this year and remains within roughly 1.3% of the all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of this year.Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the US illegally, was arraigned in Brooklyn criminal court. He appeared briefly before a judge and wore a white jumpsuit over a weathered black hooded sweatshirt. He did not speak. He will remain jailed ahead of his next court date on Friday. The apparently random attack occurred on Sunday morning on a stationary F train at the Coney Island station in Brooklyn. Police said on Tuesday that identification of the victim was still “pending at this time”. Authorities say Zapeta approached the woman, who was sitting motionless in the train car and may have been sleeping, and used a lighter to set her clothing on fire. The woman quickly became engulfed in flames, while the suspect then sat at a bench on the subway platform and watched, according to police. Video posted to social media appeared to show the woman standing inside the train ablaze as some people look on from the platform, and at least one officer walks by. NYPD chief of transit Joseph Gulotta said that several officers had responded to the fire and one stayed to keep the crime scene “the way it’s supposed to be” while the others went to get fire extinguishers and transit workers. They were eventually able to douse the fire, but “unfortunately, it was too late”, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said — the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. During Zapeta’s court hearing on Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg said Zapeta at one point fanned the flames on the woman using his shirt. He said a 911 call from a subway rider helped identify Zapeta. Mr Rottenberg added that under interrogation Zapeta claimed he did not know what happened, noting that he consumes alcohol. But he alleged that Zapeta identified himself to interrogators in images related to the attack. Zapeta was taken into custody on Sunday afternoon while riding a train on the same subway line after police got a tip from some teenagers who recognised him from images circulated by the police. A Brooklyn address for Zapeta released by police matches a shelter that provides housing and substance abuse support. The shelter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Federal immigration officials said Zapeta had been previously deported in 2018 but at some point reentered the US illegally. The crime — and the graphic video of it that ricocheted across social media — deepened a growing sense of unease among some New Yorkers about the safety of the subway system in a city where many residents take the subway multiple times each day.
Money, Gun Violence, Hate Crimes: Poll Reveals Top Worries at the End of 2024NoneCaroling with family and friends at Sweet Arrow Lake, taking a chilly winter nature hike, voting for the best chocolate chip cookie in a county baking contest, sipping hot chocolate by a warm fire — these were all very inexpensive (and powerful) ways I connected with others this holiday season, thanks to a new holiday event in Schuylkill County. . As I spoke to old friends and met new ones at the inaugural County Country Christmas at the Sweet Arrow Lake County Park last week, I couldn’t help but realize that this community “togetherness” is something I need more of in 2025. Local organizations like South Schuylkill Garden Club, the Schuylkill County Conservancy, Northern Swatara Creek Watershed Association, and the Schuylkill Herb Society offered hands-on, nature-based activities while Porcupine Pat led a winter nature walk along the lake. Friends of Schuylkill Parks and Recreation organized the first-of-its-kind winter event at the county park. To me, the occasion was more than a holiday celebration. It served as a prime example of how to build social connections at a community level to create a thriving environment for all residents. Now more than ever, we need opportunities to get together like this. Loneliness and broken social ties have been on the rise for decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic made staying at home alone the norm. According to mounting research, connecting with the community is vital to human health and happiness. The American Medical Association notes that social isolation and loneliness are linked to premature death. In fact, experiencing social isolation and loneliness can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke by about 30 percent. In a worrisome trend, U.S. adolescents and young adults are reporting unprecedented levels of unhappiness, in part due to broken social ties and lack of community involvement. In 2025, consider pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to attend — or organize — a social event. There are so many possibilities, as this list from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services suggests: Invite neighbors over for a meal or barbecueVolunteer your special skills to a community organizationDonate blood with a friendSurprise a new or favorite neighbor by taking them foodAvoid destructive gossip or help someone else avoid itAttend local school or children’s athletics, plays and recitalsSing in a choirAttend a party in someone else’s homePlan a walking tour” of a local historic area Tutor or read to children or have children read to youRun for public officeHost a partyOffer to serve on a committee outside of workForm a walking group (or swimming group) with another person; encourage each otherGo to church and connect with people and activitiesAsk an elder or a young person to teach you somethingHost a potluck supperJoin a campaign & take action that brings you into contact with othersGather a group to clean up a local park, cemetery or waterwayBake something for neighbors or work colleaguesPlant native treesVolunteer at the library or primary schoolAudition for community theatre or support a production backstage or volunteer to usherAttend a lecture or concertPlay cards or games with friends or neighborsAttend a local festival or paradeFind a way to show personal appreciation to someone who builds your local communityStart or participate in a discussion group or book or film clubCall an old friendLog off and go to the parkSay hello to strangersFind out more by talking with a neighbor you don’t know very well yet Happy New Year!Berkshire Hathaway increased its stake in VeriSign to $2.7 billion, becoming its largest shareholder. VeriSign, founded in 1995, is known for its high profit margin and ranks fifth in the S&P 500. VeriSign stock is down 2% year-to-date, completely sitting out the broader stock market rally. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is buying up shares of internet domain services provider VeriSign. A Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday revealed Berkshire Hathaway's latest acquisition of 143,424 shares in the three trading sessions that ended December 24. It has purchased a total of 377,736 shares for about $74 million in the six trading sessions that ended on the same date, according to regulatory filings. Altogether, Berkshire Hathaway owns 13.2 million shares of the company, worth about $2.7 billion. That makes Berkshire Hathaway the largest shareholder of the internet company, which was founded in 1995. Shares of VeriSign rose nearly 2% on Friday to hit their highest level since late January, before giving up those gains and trading about flat amid a broader stock market sell-off. Berkshire Hathaway is quite familiar with VeriSign, as they first purchased shares of the company over a decade ago, in the fourth quarter of 2012. One reason that could be fueling Berkshire Hathaway's decision to add more exposure to VeriSign is its high-profit margin. According to financial data as of the third quarter, the company is ranked fifth in the S&P 500 for the highest profit margin, at about 56%, tied with Nvidia. For operating margin, VeriSign is ranked third, and for gross margin, it's ranked 13th. Business Insider reached out to Berkshire Hathaway for comment but did not immediately hear back. Shares of VeriSign are down about 2% year-to-date, completely sitting out this year's stock market rally, with the S&P 500 up about 25%. The stock is down about 21% from its record high reached in December 2021.
OpenAI said it needs “more capital than we’d imagined” as the Sam Altman-led artificial intelligence pioneer outlined plans for revamping into a for-profit company. Under the proposed structure, the ChatGPT maker’s existing for-profit arm will become a Delaware public benefit corporation (PBC) — a company that is structured to consider the interests of society in addition to shareholder value. As the expensive pursuit of artificial general intelligence, or AI that surpasses human intelligence, heats up, OpenAI has been looking to make changes to attract ever more investment. “We once again need to raise more capital than we’d imagined. Investors want to back us but, at this scale of capital, need conventional equity and less structural bespokeness,” the Microsoft-backed startup said Friday. “The hundreds of billions of dollars that major companies are now investing into AI development show what it will really take for OpenAI to continue pursuing the mission.” Its latest $6.6 billion funding round at a valuation of $157 billion was contingent on whether the firm can upend its corporate structure and remove a profit cap for investors, Reuters has reported. The company said the PBC will oversee commercial operations, and it will hire a separate staff for its nonprofit branch that will “pursue charitable initiatives” in healthcare, education and science. The PBC will have “ordinary shares of stock” and the nonprofit will hold a “significant interest” at a “fair valuation determined by independent financial advisors,” OpenAI said. The transformation into a PBC would align the startup with rivals such as Anthropic and Elon Musk-owned xAI that use a similar structure and recently raised billions in funding. Anthropic garnered another $4 billion investment from existing investor Amazon last month, while xAI raised around $6 billion in equity financing earlier in December. “The key to the announcement is that the for-profit side of OpenAI ‘will run and control OpenAI’s operations and business,'” DA Davidson & Co analyst Gil Luria said. “This is the critical step the company needs to make in order to continue fund raising,” Luria said, although he added that the move did “not necessitate OpenAI going public.” The startup could, however, face some hurdles in the plan. Musk, an OpenAI co-founder who later left and is now one of the startup’s most vocal critics, is trying to stop the plan and in August sued OpenAI and Altman . The Tesla and SpaceX founder – who has become a key adviser to President-elect Donald Trump — has called the conversion to a for-profit entity a “textbook tale of altruism versus greed.” OpenAI earlier this month asked a federal judge to reject Musk’s request and published a trove of messages with Musk to argue that he initially backed for-profit status for OpenAI before walking away from the company after failing to get a majority equity stake and full control. Meta Platforms is also urging California’s attorney general to block OpenAI’s planned conversion to a for-profit company, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month. OpenAI also has been dealing with internal turmoil after an exodus of top talent. In May, OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and former safety leader Jan Leike left the company over disagreements about the firm’s direction. Leike, who joined rival Anthropic, wrote that safety procedures at OpenAI had “taken a backseat to shiny products.” Another employee who worked under Leike quit soon after, accusing OpenAI of acting like a for-profit company. “Over the past years, safety culture and processes have taken a backseat to shiny products,” he wrote in a post on X. Co-founder John Schulman also left OpenAI to join Anthropic. In late September, OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati said she was leaving the company after six-and-a-half years. Two research executives announced their departures that same day. Altman has previously said the departures are not related to the potential restructuring. With Post wires
( MENAFN - IANS) Canberra, Nov 28 (IANS) Uncapped allrounder Beau Webster, who features for Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield, has been added to the Australia squad for the upcoming pink-ball Test against India amid concerns over Mitchell Marsh's fitness. Webster, who will join the squad in Adelaide next week, added to the squad following his recent good showing in red-ball cricket including the two-game series against India 'A'. Overall, the 30-year-old all-rounder has over 5000 first-class runs and close to 150 first-class wickets in his career. "To get a few runs and wickets (for Australia A) was pleasing against a strong Indian side. Any time you're playing 'A' cricket, it's the one step below Test level, so it does hold you in good stead," Webster said. "To get the call from 'Bails' (selection chair George Bailey) at the end of the NSW (Shield) game was a really proud moment and I can't wait to get stuck in. There's a tight turnaround between the Adelaide and Gabba Test so I think (I'm there) just to have some cover there for that middle-order role, whichever way they go," he added. In the unofficial 'Test' series against India A, Webster was the second-highest run-getter for Australia A with 145 runs at an average of 72.50. He also picked seven scalps at an average under 20. His addition further bolsters Australia's pace resources and provides a solid back-up in the stead of Marsh. Marsh featured in the Perth Test and bowled 17 overs, the most he has bowled in a Test since the 2019 Oval Test. Given that Marsh suffered a major injury concern earlier in the year, and has had limited bowling stints, Webster's presence will be crucial. Jack Nisbett, meanwhile, has been brought in to replace Jem Ryan, who sustained a foot injury at the weekend, in the Prime Minister's XI to play India in Canberra this weekend. Australia squad for second Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster MENAFN27112024000231011071ID1108934610 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.A Quarter of Canadians Cite Cost of Living as Their Top ConcernGlancy Prongay & Murray LLP Reminds Investors of Looming Deadline in the Class Action Lawsuit Against Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG)
SAN FRANCISCO — The parents of a former OpenAI researcher known for recently blowing the whistle on the company’s business practices are questioning the circumstances of their son’s death last month. In an interview this week, Suchir Balaji’s mother and father expressed confusion and shock over his sudden passing, expressing doubt their son could have died by suicide, as determined by the county medical examiner. The family hired an expert to perform an independent autopsy but has yet to release the report’s findings. “We’re demanding a thorough investigation — that’s our call,” said Balaji’s mother, Poornima Ramarao. San Francisco police found Balaji dead in his Lower Haight apartment on Nov. 26, less than a week after his 26th birthday. The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office later told this news agency his death was ruled a suicide, though a final autopsy report has yet to be released while the office completes toxicology tests. Earlier this month, San Francisco police officials said there is “currently, no evidence of foul play.” Balaji’s death sent shockwaves throughout Silicon Valley and the artificial intelligence industry. He garnered a national spotlight in late October when he accused his former employer, OpenAI, of breaking federal copyright law by siphoning data from across the internet to train its blockbuster chatbot, ChatGPT. His concerns backed up allegations aired in recent years by authors, screenwriters and computer programmers who say OpenAI stole their content without permission, in violation of U.S. “fair use” laws governing how people can use previously published work. Media companies have been among those to sue the company, including The Mercury News and seven of its affiliated newspapers, and, separately, The New York Times. In an interview with The New York Times published in October 2024, Balaji described his decision to leave the generative artificial intelligence company in August while suggesting that its data collection practices are “not a sustainable model for the internet ecosystem as a whole. “If you believe what I believe, you have to just leave the company,” he told the newspaper. By Nov. 18, Balaji had been named in court filings as someone who had “unique and relevant documents” that would support the case against OpenAI. He was among at least 12 people — many of them past or present OpenAI employees — to be named by the newspaper in court filings as having material helpful to their case. His death a week later has left Balaji’s parents reeling. In an interview at their Alameda County home this week, his mother said her only child “was an amazing human being, from childhood.” “No one believes that he could do that,” Ramarao said about his taking his own life. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment but in a statement to Business Insider said it was “devastated” to learn of Balaji’s death and said they had been in touch with his parents “to offer our full support during this difficult time.” “Our priority is to continue to do everything we can to assist them,” the company’s statement read. “We first became aware of his concerns when The New York Times published his comments and we have no record of any further interaction with him. “We respect his, and others’, right to share views freely,” the statement added. “Our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones, and we extend our deepest condolences to all who are mourning his loss.” Related Articles National News | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National News | U.S. homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people National News | Most Americans blame insurance profits and denials alongside the killer in UHC CEO death, poll finds National News | Another jackpot surpasses $1 billion. Is this the new normal? National News | Most Americans blame insurance profits and denials alongside the killer in CEO death, poll finds Born in Florida and raised in the Bay Area, Balaji was a prodigy from an early age, his mother told this news agency. He spoke her name at 3 months old; at 18-months he would ask “me to light a lamp to cheer me up” and could recognize words at 20 months, she said. Balaji appeared to have a knack for technology, math and computing, taking home trophies and earning renown, including in the 2016 United States of America Computing Olympiad. In 2020, he went to work for OpenAI — viewing the company’s then-commitment to operating as a nonprofit as admirable, his mother said. His opinion of the company soured in 2022 while he was assigned to gather data from the internet for the company’s GPT-4 program, the New York Times reported. The program analyzed text from nearly the entire internet to train its artificial intelligence program, the outlet reported. Ramarao said she wasn’t aware of her son’s decision to go public with his concerns about OpenAI until the paper ran his interview. While she immediately harbored anxiety about his decision — going so far as to implore him to speak with a copyright attorney — Ramarao also expressed pride in her son’s bravery. ‘He kept assuring me, ‘Mom, I’m not doing anything wrong — go see the article. I’m just saying, my opinion, there’s nothing wrong in it,” said Ramarao, herself a former employee of Microsoft who worked on its Azure cloud computing program. “I supported him. I didn’t criticize him. I told him, ‘I’m proud of you, because you have your own opinions and you know what’s right, what’s wrong.’ He was very ethical.” After leaving the company, Balaji settled on plans to create a nonprofit, one centering on the machine learning and neurosciences fields, Ramarao said. He had already spoken to at least one venture capitalist for seed funding, she said. “I’m asking, like, ”How will you manage your living?’ ” Ramarao said. She recalled how her son repeatedly tried to assuage any concerns about his finances, suggesting that “money is not important to me — I want to offer a service to humanity.” Balaji also appeared to be keeping a busy schedule. He turned 26 while on a backpacking trip in the Catalina Islands with several friends from high school. Such trips were commonplace for him — in April he went with several friends to Patagonia and South America. Balaji last spoke to his parents on Nov. 22, a 10-minute phone call that centered around his recent trip and that ended with his talking about getting dinner. “He was very happy,” Ramarao said. “He had a blast. He had one of the best times of his life.” Ramarao remembers calling her son shortly after noon on Nov. 23 but said it rang once and went to voicemail. Figuring that he was busy with friends, she didn’t try visiting his apartment until Nov. 25, when she knocked but got no answer. She said she called authorities that evening but was allegedly told by a police dispatch center that little could be done that day. She followed up Nov. 26, and San Francisco police later found Balaji’s body inside his apartment. Ramarao said she wasn’t told of her son’s death until a stretcher appeared in front of Balaji’s apartment. She was not allowed inside until the following day. “I can never forget that tragedy,” Ramarao said. “My heart broke.” Ramarao questioned authorities’ investigation of her son’s death, claiming that San Francisco police closed their case and turned it over to the county medical examiner’s office within an hour of discovering Balaji’s body. Ramarao said she and her husband have since commissioned a second autopsy of Balaji’s body. She declined to release any documents from that examination. Her attorney, Phil Kearney, declined to comment on the results of the family’s independent autopsy. Last week, San Francisco police spokesman Evan Sernoffsky referred questions about the case to the medical examiner’s office. David Serrano Sewell, executive director of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, declined to comment. Sitting on her living room couch, Ramarao shook her head and expressed frustration at authorities’ investigative efforts so far. “As grieving parents, we have the right to know what happened to our son,” Ramarao said. “He was so happy. He was so brave.” If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, round-the-clock support, information and resources for help. Call or text the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org website, where chat is available.You want to know what to me feels like having to sleep on wet wool blankets? Doing research, that’s what. There’s no getting ’round it, it’s just plain tiresome, and I really hate having to do it. Except this time. For this column, the research was way, way cool because I conducted it in my most favorite locations anywhere on earth — restaurants. Any restaurant. Because I could eat while I was doing it and because I could legally eavesdrop on people, because I had to, for the research you see. So, equipped with my palm-sized secret spy decoder tape recorder, I charged off into the vast unknown, prepared to sacrifice my all for this column. My job is my life. I exaggerate just a speck. I do that. The place to which I charged really wasn’t unknown, or even vast. It was downtown. I selected a semi-local eatery, sat and pretended to read a newspaper. (You can always espy a top-notch undercover researcher — they’re the ones pretending to read a newspaper.) But I was really eavesdropping. I heard a mother at the next table casually saying, “Hey! No karate in the restaurant,” to one of her young. Now when did mothers begin to drone that rule of good manners at their kids in restaurants? (And when did kids begin to do that in restaurants?) What happened to “stop playing with your food, get your elbows off the table, and stop those deafening suck/slurpings with your straw” issues? Forbidding karate while dining? I sure never heard that in my time. But that’s probably because karate hadn’t yet been invented. Martial arts for us was not such an exact science or even a phrase; when confronted by trouble, you ran or begged. “Nope,” said another mother pleasantly one day at a lunch booth next to mine, “You most certainly may not get married. You’re only 12. Now finish your meal. Money is tight this week, and I don’t want to waste it by having to send back your food.” Now, call me shallow, but did she seem more concerned with the waste of food than her pubescent’s wanting to be united in holy or otherwise wedlock? I mean, I’m as against starvation or the flagrant waste of money as the next person, but that mother never rippled an eyelash at her still-in-braces junior-high daughter’s request to be espoused. (The espouse was nowhere in sight.) It wasn’t too many years back, (that’s a lie) when I was being dinner time droned at myself, only I was not denied matrimonial bliss at 12. (That came eight years later when I told the folks I was definitely marrying Mongo.) Back then, I was advised to finish my meals because there were starving Chinese or Armenians or some other nationality somewhere out there who apparently, according to my know-it-all parents, went about coveting my mashed turnips. That’s why I had to finish, not because it was wasting money to not eat every scrap. Talking about money at the table, you see, was considered poor manners. If you desired a raise in allowance, for example, it was deemed unseemly to ask for it at the dinner table. Better it be done later at a more proper time, after dinner, preferably when the allowance-dispenser was a little into his after supping cups. The prospects for success were far more favorable that way. And one evening at a fast-eatery I heard, “Now look. Mom’s a little stressy tonight. And when Mom gets stressy and you act like a bunch of bone-nosed savages, you know she’s apt to break your little butts.” Mrs. Stressy’s kids, having obviously heard that empty threat frequently, glanced over at her Stress’s, right” expressions, and without missing a beat, went back to busily demonstrating their considerable behavior problems for the other diners. Overheard from a table at another food establishment where a family was having a goodbye party for their daughter who was off to college: “Honey, honey, we’ll miss you so much,” said the misty-eyed dad. “You’ll have a wonderful time.” “Yeah, yeah, sure Dad,” was the bored answer, delivered in the same tone kids use when you remind them to be home by 10 p.m. The commands I discharged at our progeny while dining were as follows: “Please, I must insist you do not shove peas up your nose in public,” or “Really, I have little desire to see your food being ground up in your mouth. Please consider screaming at your brother after your mouth has emptied,” or “If you feel compelled to belch so repeatedly while we are eating, you may leave the table and indulge that practice in the garage,” or “If you persist in propping yourself up on the table by your elbows, I shall be forced to knock them away with the gravy ladle,” or “It is getting so tiresome having to remind you every single day to remember to bring the food to your mouth, and not your mouth to the food,” or “Your father and I would so appreciate it if you’d cease bashing your brother on his skull with that salad bowl. It is made of a special sort of glass, and are no longer available,” or “For the 20th time this month, you must stop putting that jar of caterpillars on the table during meals. Doesn’t it occur to you that no one can eat when you do that? Be a little more considerate. They’ve been dead for weeks.” I’m telling the truth about all this, I swear. Want to hear just a couple more really good eavesdrops? At a tea room: “OK, OK, if you like really wanna know what I wanna do with my life, it’s like I wanna sleep as much as I can, and when I wake up I like wanna play games on my phone, and I wanna eat fries with ketchup and smoke a little weed, and then like I wanna go back to sleep. OK, you got that? Watcha so upset for? You axt me. Y’happy now?” Come to think of it, doing research isn’t all bad. LC Van Savage is a Brunswick writer. Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « PreviousArcher Daniels Midland Co. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors
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