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The free-wheeling Senate District 27 race in the Fredericksburg area features Republican Del. “I’ve always run a true independent campaign. But because the race could determine control of the state Senate, much of the focus has been on abortion. “I’ve always been very honest and transparent than I am pro life,” Durant said. Griffin, a Democrat, said he would leave current Virginia law in place but seek to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.

Persons: Republican Del, Tara Durant, Joel Griffin, Monica Gary, Gary, “ I’ve, ”, Glenn Youngkin, Durant, ” Durant, ” Griffin, Griffin, she's, Stephen Farnsworth, restauranteur Matt Strickland, Strickland, deride Durant, Youngkin, She, “ Organizations: Democrat, Republican, Marine, Stafford, Economic Development Authority, Republican Gov, Democrats, Associated Press, Mary Washington University, Life, Republicans, AP Locations: FREDERICKSBURG, Va, Fredericksburg, Stafford County, Virginia, Durant

The D-backs and Texas Rangers have been great with the leather all season long. So far in the World Series, that trend is continuing. The D-backs and Rangers combined for zero errors over the first two games of the Fall Classic, which is the first time that's happened since 2018. This is the first World Series since 1993 — and fifth ever — that will feature all of its games on artifical turf. Arizona stole five bases in the first two games of the series, including four in Game 1.

Persons: Geraldo Perdomo, Christian Walker, That's, “, Walker, Brandon Pfaadt, righty Max Scherzer, Jonah Heim, Nathaniel Lowe, Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Adolis García, —, Bruce Bochy, Josh Jung, Gabriel Moreno, Alek Thomas, Evan Longoria, perserve, Heim, Merrill Kelly, Ryan Thompson —, Thompson, there's, ”, Torey Lovullo, it’s, ” Lovullo, Lovullo Organizations: PHOENIX, — Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Rangers, ” Rangers, NL, Brewers, Arizona, Tampa Bay Rays Locations: Phoenix, Arizona, Texas, Walker . Arizona

But that outburst of direct democracy has been limited to just half the states. About 167 million people live in 25 other states where such direct democracy is not currently an option. The number of ballot measures seeking to restrict the initiative and referendum process dipped in 2016 and has since risen. Measures seeking to restrict direct democracy peaked from 1995 to 2004 but significantly outpaced those seeking to expand direct democracy throughout the entire period of 1960 through 2022. Californians have considered 391 ballot initiatives — approving 137 of them — following campaigns that in recent years have cost tens of millions of dollars.

Persons: ”, John Matsusaka, Daniel Smith, Todd Donovan, that's, it's, Matsusaka, Michael Smith, ” Donovan, It's, it’s, ” Matsusaka Organizations: Initiative, University of Southern, South, University of Florida, Western Washington University, REPUBLICAN PUSHBACK Republican, Republican, Democratic, BIG, Oregon, Voters, Emporia State University, Referendum Locations: Maine, Ohio, University of Southern California, South Dakota, Mississippi, Alaska, Wyoming, Illinois, Florida, Arizona , Arkansas , Ohio, Arizona, Oregon, California, Kansas

☆ S.Africa's first virtual renewable electricity transfer model to go live next year
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJOHANNESBURG, Oct 6 (Reuters) - South Africa's first virtual electricity transfer model is likely to go live by end of next year, a top government official said on Friday, a move that could rapidly ramp up renewable power consumption and reduce the burden on ailing state utility Eskom. The utility in August signed an agreement with Vodacom (VODJ.J), the African telecoms arm of Vodafone (VOD.L), to introduce an electricity transfer model known as virtual wheeling, which will allow a consumer to buy renewable power from any producer anywhere in the country. This is expected to make power from large renewable producers available to smaller users such as standalone buildings, housing societies and factories. "What we're trying to resolve really is to ensure that we protect the South African economy from total collapse," Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said during a conference. Vodacom's South Africa Chief Executive Sitho Mdlalose told Reuters this would help it to run its 15,000 network sites on renewable power.

Persons: Sun, Siphiwe, Ramokgopa, Onicah Rantwane, Sitho Mdlalose, Nqobile, Promit Mukherjee, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Kendal Power, REUTERS, Rights, Vodacom, Vodafone, Electricity, Eskom, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Kendal, Witbank, Mpumalanga, South Africa, Rights JOHANNESBURG

☆ Secret spots on Croatia’s famous Dalmatian coast
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Mary Novakovich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —To many, the southern Dalmatian coast is Croatia. The Adriatic coast is undeniably beautiful, with the forbidding Dinaric Alps as a dramatic backdrop to the heavily indented coastline and dozens of islands scattered about. Until 2022, reaching it from the north meant crossing into Bosnia, whose 12.4 miles of coastline sits below the Neretva delta, before giving way once more to Croatia’s southern Dalmatian coast. Elaphiti islandsWander along Dubrovnik’s old port and in seconds you’ll be offered a day trip to the Elaphiti islands, north of the city. Cavtat, about 15 miles south of Dubrovnik, has been steadily growing in popularity as an alternative to the city.

Persons: you’ve, Ivan Meštrović, Poelzer Wolfgang, Alamy, it’s, Pušćica, Klesarska, Goran Bogicevic, It’s, Mamma Mia, ”, laze, Baška Voda, Croatia’s, Korčula, Mali Ston Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, Stari Grad, Hvar Town, Zipline Locations: Croatia, Split, Dubrovnik, Hvar, Poelzer, Split’s, Brač, Senjska, Maslinica, Bol, Dalmatia, Washington ,, Stari Grad, Vrboska, Zaklopatica, Vis, Komiža, Tučepi, Biokovo, Hardy, Sveti Jure, Zipline Croatia, Bosnia, Rogotin, Croatian, mali, Dalmatian, Orebić, Mljet, Prapratno, Mali, Ston, Cavtat, robertharding, Slano

Hundreds of migrants, from babies to the elderly, live inside a shuttle bus center at O’Hare International Airport’s Terminal 1. As more migrants arrived, the city's existing services were strained. Chicago began using the city's two international airports as temporary shelters as the number of migrants arriving by plane increased. At O'Hare, migrants have spread out beyond the curtain for more space, sleeping along windows. At Boston's Logan International Airport, migrants who arrive overnight are given cots for a few hours before being sent elsewhere.

Persons: ”, Vianney Marzullo, “, Greg Abbott, Brandon Johnson, Maria Daniela Sanchez Valera, Valera, Cristina Pacione, Zayas, Massport, Jennifer Mehigan, Logan “, Dennis Levinson, ” Jhonatan, …, ” Yoli Cordova, ” Cordova Organizations: CHICAGO, O'Hare, Chicago, Republican Gov, Biden Administration, Healthcare, Midway International, Logan International Airport, Atlantic City International, Atlantic Locations: New York, Chicago, O’Hare, Texas, Venezuela, United States, Darien, Peru, O'Hare, ”, New Jersey, Atlantic County, Colombia

The Democrat told CNN there’s been internal discussions about a wide range of potential asks – from power-sharing agreements to policy ideas. I’m talking about like, the furthest left most progressive Democrats to moderates,” the House Democrat told CNN. But McCarthy’s critics aren’t the only ones privately courting House Democrats to play for their team in the ongoing speaker drama. On Friday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries remained non-committal about how he would handle a potential vote to oust McCarthy. So timing is important,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told CNN.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Kevin McCarthy’s speakership, ” Gaetz, Tom Cole of, Tom Emmer, McCarthy, CNN there’s, “, he’s, I’m, ”, Gaetz, it’s, Brian Fitzpatrick, McCarthy’s, Hakeem Jeffries, Matt, Pramila Jayapal, I’ve, – Organizations: CNN, Republican, Democratic, Democrat, GOP, House Democrat, Democrats, – House Democrats, ”, Congressional Progressive Caucus, White Locations: Minnesota

☆ 30-year-old bought a ‘cheap, old’ abandoned house for $16,500—and completely transformed it: Take a look inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Betsy Sweeny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But I wasn't planning to buy a house until I saw the 3,075-square-foot McLain House during a walk through the East Wheeling Historic District. Mickey Todiwala for CNBC Make ItUpon entrance, you're greeted by a grand stairway, complete with a fireplace tucked into the corner. Photo: Mickey Todiwala for CNBC Make ItThe third floor will be my next big project. What I love about living in a cheap, old houseThere are so many wonderful things about this house. Photo: Mickey Todiwala for CNBC Make It

Persons: Betsy Sweeny, Thomas B, McLain, John G, Eliza Ellen Baird McLain, Mickey Todiwala, Kellie Organizations: Wheeling National Heritage Area, East, East Wheeling Historic, Friends, CNBC Locations: Wheeling , West Virginia, Wheeling, East Wheeling, East Wheeling Historic District, Portugal, Warren , Ohio, McLain

Sept 18 (Reuters) - Cadence Bank (CADE.N) CEO Dan Rollins calls the regional banking crisis from earlier this year "March madness." Interviews with half a dozen regional bank executives and economists show the March banking crisis has had a lasting impact on the regional banking industry and the economy. Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, said the banking crisis had "a magnifying effect" on the Fed's tightening but its full impact would come with a lag. The failure triggered a crisis of confidence, with depositors moving their money from regional banks to the perceived safety of the largest lenders. The KBW Regional Bank Index (.KRX) is down about 20% since early March despite a summer rebound.

Persons: Dan Rollins, Rollins, Mark Zandi, ”, Zandi, Torsten Slok, Slok, Cadence's Rollins, Steve Wyett, Wyett, Banks, Cadence’s Rollins, Randy Chesler, Chesler, Moody's Zandi, Jeff Jackson, Raj Singh, Singh, Paritosh Bansal, Anna Driver Organizations: Cadence Bank, Moody’s, Apollo Global Management, Bank, Reuters Graphics, Valley, Regional, BOK, Federal, Loan, Thomson Locations: . Federal, Silicon, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Kalispell , Montana, Wheeling , West Virginia

☆ A $4 Thrift Store Find That Could Sell for $250,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Matt Stevens | More About Matt Stevens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

You can walk out of the Savers in Manchester, N.H., with a shirt for as little as $4.99. Framed artworks too big for shelves lean invitingly against one of the walls. The thrift store’s manager says that shopping there is like a personal treasure hunt, which was certainly the case for one woman who made the find of a lifetime in 2017. Two women in the image appeared to be in a standoff, the elder displaying stern disapproval. The shopper was taken by the painting — Who were the women?

Persons: Wyeth, ” “ Robin Hood ”, “ Robinson Locations: Manchester, N.H, American

☆ Trump says he would testify at classified documents trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Andrew Goudsward | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump reacts during an event following his arraignment on classified document charges, at Trump National Golf Club, in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump said in a radio interview on Wednesday that he would be willing to testify in his own defense at a trial over his alleged mishandling of classified documents at his Florida resort. The documents case is one of four criminal cases against Trump that could go to trial next year. It would be a risky legal gambit for Trump to testify at the trial. Trump has a history of showing a willingness to testify in investigations, only to backpedal later.

Persons: Donald Trump, Amr Alfiky, Trump, Hugh Hewitt, Robert Mueller, Andrew Goudsward, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Trump National Golf Club, REUTERS, Rights, Former U.S, Republican, Trump, Thomson Locations: Bedminster , New Jersey, U.S, Former, Florida, Lago, Russian

☆ How Nashville Became a Haven for Birds - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Margaret Renkl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When you don’t know what’s coming, the whole glorious spectacle of it can catch you off guard. There you are on a downtown Nashville sidewalk, gawking at the tourists on the transportainment vehicles or just listening to the music pouring from the open-doored bars, when it begins to dawn on you that the sky is full of birds. You haven’t come to Nashville to see birds. But this is more birds than you have ever seen in one place before, and what they are doing is remarkable. “Bats fly like they’re drunk.”Exemplars of drunkenness being everywhere around, it becomes clear soon enough to anyone within hearing range that these are birds, not bats.

Locations: Nashville, gawking

☆ In Phoenix, Firefighters Battle an Invisible Inferno
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Jack Healy | More About Jack Healy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On the hottest days, an additional engine is often dispatched to fight fires as a safeguard against the draining heat’s effects on fire crews. After a relatively mild and wet winter and spring, heat calls to the Phoenix Fire Department are higher this summer compared with last year, a department spokeswoman said. The department said it did not yet have precise figures, but a digital readout of all the active fire calls around Phoenix offered a glimpse. At 3 p.m. on Saturday, about one of every 10 calls was from someone overwhelmed by the day’s heat. There was a dehydrated 69-year-old hiker who had to be wheeled off a trail near the cowboy-inflected town of Cave Creek.

Persons: Captain DiCosmo, Deirdre Organizations: Phoenix Fire Department, Phoenix, telltale Locations: Cave

☆ Decoding billionaire style at this year's Sun Valley conference: It's all about half zip sweaters, muted tones, and On shoes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Elite guests sported neutral looks seemingly inspired by the quiet luxury of "Succession." Morning Brew Insider recommends waking up with, a daily newsletter. But that's exactly what the paths around town became as billionaire and CEO guests strolled and biked between conference sessions at this year's Allen & Co. event. The fashion choices of the business elite seemed to evoke the luxury style seen on the hit HBO TV show "Succession," with a focus on muted tones and casual wear. Here's what the Who's Who of the business world wore at the Sun Valley conference this week.

Persons: strolled, Allen, it's Organizations: Allen, Co, athleisure, HBO, Sun Locations: Swiss, Sun Valley , Idaho

☆ Analysis: China's slow AI roll-out points to its tech sector's new regulatory reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/3] An AI (Artificial Intelligence) sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China July 6, 2023. New rules Chinese firms have to comply with range from algorithm vetting to accepting security reviews of data they want to export. They definitely stifle the innovation and slow down the ability of Chinese firms to catch up." A key motivation behind China's reluctance to release AI chatbots is that Beijing fears uncensored chatbots may start influencing societal views in potentially subversive directions, said Mark Natkin, managing director of research firm Marbridge Consulting. "While the U.S. is racing ahead with AI, China is hitting the brakes with more rules."

Persons: Aly, HONG KONG, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Henry Gao, Ernie Bot, Robin Li, Shi, Mark Natkin, Heatherm Huang, Bard, Microsoft's Bing, Xi Jinping, Baidu, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh, Jamie Freed Organizations: Artificial Intelligence, REUTERS, China, Baidu, HK, Ant Group, Western, Singapore Management University, Microsoft, SenseChat, Nomura, Marbridge Consulting, Huawei Technologies, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG, Beijing, Alibaba, Tencent, Hong Kong, U.S

☆ China's slow AI roll-out points to its tech sector's new regulatory reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

☆ DirecTV might owe you around $460 — here's how to check in 30 seconds or less
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Haley Tenore | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Those impacted are expected to get roughly $460 each, plaintiffs said, and you can quickly check if you're eligible. How to check if you're eligible for a payout from DirecTVIt's easy to check — just head on over to DirecTVClassActionSettlement.com and click on the box on the right-hand side of the page that says "Phone Number Check." You can then enter a phone number into the text box and check to see if it was impacted. You can do that by clicking the "submit claim" button above the "Phone Number Check" button and enter your phone number into the text box. David Vance, Roxy Vance and Carla Schultz, who later joined the suit, said they also received telemarketing phone calls despite being on do-not-call list.

Persons: —, John Barrett, AC1, Vance, Haley Tenore, Diana Mey, David Vance, Roxy Vance, Carla Schultz Organizations: DirecTV, Service, Court, Northern, Northern District of, Telephone Consumer Protection Locations: An Ohio, Ohio, Northern District, Northern District of West Virginia, Diana Mey of Wheeling , West Virginia

☆ Thierry Le Gouès’s intimate photos are a ‘love letter’ to ’90s supermodel era
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Marianna Cerinni | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“It’s a love letter to that time — a collection of some of the pictures I am most fond of,” Le Gouès said in a phone interview from Paris, where he is based. Thierry Le Gouès/Courtesy powerHouse BooksMost of the photos appeared in magazine spreads or fashion campaigns, which were Le Gouès’ main outlets at the time. Thierry Le Gouès/Courtesy powerHouse BooksIndeed, Le Gouès’ images are strikingly dramatic. “The ‘90s was a decade of experimentation, and that’s what I did when it came to my photos,” Le Gouès said. The other was Kate Moss, whose gold-painted portrait eventually ended up gracing the front of “90’s.” Le Gouès shot the image for British Esquire.

Persons: Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Calvin Klein’s, Moss, Mark Wahlberg, ”, Cindy Crawford, Iman, Carla Bruni, Thierry Le Gouès, “, ” Le Gouès, Le Gouès, he’d, Le, “ I’ve, ” Naomi Campbell, John Galliano, Azzedine Alaïa, Alexander McQueen, Carla Bruni’s, Bruni, Eva Herzigová, Elle Macpherson, Campbell, Tatjana Patitz —, Naomi, Kate, ” Kate Moss, She’s Organizations: CNN, —, Vogue, Esquire, “ Locations: Paris

☆ Ecuador authorities confiscate pigs, fighting cocks from prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Members of Ecuador's security forces confiscate pigs in a high security jail, in Santo Domingo, Ecuador in this image released June 16, 2023 and obtained from social media. Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador via Twitter/via REUTERSJune 16 (Reuters) - Ecuadorean security forces have confiscated pigs, fighting cocks and more than two dozen bladed weapons, among other items, from a high-security wing of Bellavista prison in the city of Santo Domingo, the country's military said on Friday. Police and operatives of the SNAI prison authority were shown wheeling out two pigs from the prison in images shared by Ecuador's military in a message posted on Twitter. The authorities also removed 12 fighting cocks, 26 bladed weapons, 16 electrical items, and other objects, they tweeted, without saying how the animals ended up there. Ecuador's prisons are plagued by poor conditions and violence, the latter leading to the deaths of hundreds of inmates.

Persons: Oliver Griffin, Richard Chang Organizations: Twitter, REUTERS, . Police, Thomson Locations: Santo Domingo, Ecuador, del Ecuador

☆ ‘Succession’ Style, Episode 9: The Funeral
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( The Styles Desk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This article contains spoilers for Episode 9 of the final season of “Succession.”We knew it was coming: the funeral service for Logan Roy. After several episodes of planning and maneuvering, the Roy children finally have the chance to ceremonially mourn their father. The funeral guests wore black, and the Roy children stuck to the dress code. Because his immediate observation upon seeing Marcia at Logan’s funeral — “Marcia’s looking chic” — is something one of us would definitely say, if we didn’t already say it during her one (one!) Although we wouldn’t be so, uh, crude about it.

Biden highlighted his administration’s work to prevent gun violence in a weekend op-ed that called out Congress to do more on the issue. Plus, they want to invest early in Florida, hoping to prove the state isn’t truly off the map for Democrats. Thinking about it: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who has been weighing a run for president, told Politico he will decide before late June. Rick Perry didn’t rule out running for president again in an interview with CNN, and wouldn’t endorse Trump. Jim Justice’s office to obtain his official calendar, NBC News first reports.

Trump was back on CNN primetime during a town hall appearance on Wednesday night. And CNN certainly seemed to be eager for conservative buy-in during the Wednesday town hall, filling the room with a mixture of New Hampshire Republicans and effectively independent voters. The former president's advisor told other outlets that the town hall was an effort to underline Trump's 2016 strategy of reaching beyond the traditional GOP coalition. During the Wednesday town hall, Trump called Carroll a "whack job," echoing the very falsehoods that landed him with a defamation charge this week. "The predictably disastrous @cnn town hall was indeed disastrous," former broadcast exec and current dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University, Mark Lukasiewicz tweeted.

☆ Storm Clouds Gather for Joe Manchin in West Virginia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Eric Bazail-Eimil | Photographs Nate Smallwood For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WHEELING, W.Va.—Democrat Joe Manchin has served the Mountain State for decades, as secretary of state, then governor, then senator. But the state’s hard-right turn and the emergence of formidable GOP challengers have thrown his political future into jeopardy, with some voters questioning whether he deserves another term. Mr. Manchin hasn’t said whether he plans to run for re-election. The state’s current GOP governor, Jim Justice, jumped into the race on Thursday, a crucial recruit for Senate Republican leaders. Another Republican, Rep. Alex Mooney , has also entered the field with the backing of some prominent conservatives, setting up what is expected to be a hard-fought primary.

"The Republicans have raised the debt limit. McCarthy bridged deep divides among House Republicans to get the bill passed. McCarthy called on Biden to begin negotiations on a debt limit increase and spending-cut bill and for the Senate to either approve the House bill or to pass its own. The House bill would increase Washington's borrowing authority by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, whichever comes first, raising the specter of another round of negotiations during the 2024 presidential campaign. The White House has called on Congress to raise the debt limit without conditions, as it did three times under Biden's Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.

A 2011 standoff led to a downgrade of the government's credit rating, which pushed borrowing costs higher and hammered investments. "The Republicans have raised the debt limit. McCarthy called on Biden to begin negotiations on a debt limit increase and spending-cut bill and for the Senate to either approve the House bill or to pass its own. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) walks following a closed door meeting on Captiol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 26, 2023. The White House has called on Congress to raise the debt limit without conditions, as it did three times under Biden's Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.

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