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☆ Walmart's facial ID tool to combat fraudulent Spark delivery drivers is kicking legitimate workers off the app
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

BI spoke with another Walmart Spark worker who said they were deactivated immediately after trying to complete the identity verification late last year. AdvertisementGig workers for apps like Spark, Instacart, DoorDash, and Grubhub often have their accounts suspended with little notice or explanation. The rollout comes after some Walmart Spark drivers were found using multiple accounts under false identities to claim more orders and make more money. "The third-party identity verification tool is working as intended. "My account was deactivated after the identity verification," one post from November on r/Sparkdriver reads.

Persons: Chastity Lopez, Lopez, she's Organizations: Walmart, Drivers Locations: New York, Alabama

☆ China executes couple for murder of toddlers that shocked the nation
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has executed a couple for throwing two toddlers out of a high-rise apartment window, in a case that provoked nationwide outrage. Ye saw Zhang’s two children as an “obstacle” to them getting married and a “burden on their future life together,” the court heard. She repeatedly urged Zhang to kill the toddlers and threatened to break up with him if he didn’t. His study shows that Chinese people who express political views online tend to show greater support for the death penalty. Wednesday’s execution also brought into focus the main method used in China to carry out the death penalty: lethal injection.

Persons: Zhang Bo, Ye Chengchen, Ye, Zhang, “, ”, John Zhuang Liu, It’s, Kenneth Smith Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Xinhua, Weibo, University of Hong Kong, CNN, Amnesty Locations: Hong Kong, China, Chongqing, Weibo, Alabama

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Power Co. said Thursday that vibrations found in a cooling system of its second new nuclear reactor will delay when the unit begins generating power. Georgia Power said the Unit 4 problem has already been fixed but too much testing remains to be done to make the March 30 deadline. The new Vogtle reactors are currently projected to cost Georgia Power and three other owners $31 billion, according to calulations by The Associated Press. But even as government officials and some utilities are again looking to nuclear power to alleviate climate change, the cost of Vogtle could discourage utilities from pursuing nuclear power. Georgia Power owns 45.7% of the reactors, with smaller shares owned by Oglethorpe Power Corp., which provides electricity to member-owned cooperatives; the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia; and the city of Dalton.

Persons: Georgia Power Organizations: ATLANTA, — Georgia Power Co, Vogtle's, Southern Co, Georgia, Georgia Power, Georgia Public Service Commission, Regulators, The Associated Press, Westinghouse, Oglethorpe Power Corp, Municipal Electric Authority of Locations: Atlanta, Augusta, Georgia, Vogtle, American, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, Dalton, Florida, Alabama

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Louisiana Legislature's redrawn congressional map giving the state a second mostly Black district is being challenged by 12 self-described “non-African American” voters in a new lawsuit. At least one person, state Sen. Cleo Fields, a Black Democrat from Baton Rouge, has already said he will be a candidate in the new district. It is not clear how the lawsuit will affect that district or the 2022 litigation, which is still ongoing. Louisiana's Legislature drew a new map in 2022 that was challenged by voting rights advocates because only one of six U.S. House maps was majority Black, even though the state population is roughly one-third Black. As the case was appealed, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an unexpected ruling in June that favored Black voters in a congressional redistricting case in Alabama.

Persons: Sen, Cleo Fields, John Bel Edwards, Shelly Dick, Jeff Landry, Edwards, Garrett Graves, Landry's, Nancy Landry, David Joseph, Donald Trump Organizations: ORLEANS, American, Republican, Democrat, Louisiana's, ., U.S, Supreme, Black, Circuit, Appeals, Gov, GOP, Republicans Locations: Louisiana, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Alabama, Shreveport, Black, Western

☆ Unclaimed property day: More than 30 million people have unclaimed money or assets. Are you one of them?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Over 30 million people in the United States have unclaimed property that they have either forgotten about or never knew was theirs, according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, which is a part of the National Association of State Treasurers. To get a complete picture of whether you have unclaimed money or assets, first check the unclaimed property sites of all the states where you have lived in your life (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico). Each state has its own laws and practices governing unclaimed or abandoned property, which you can find out about by visiting their unclaimed property sites that NAUPA links to here. Consider: More than $4 billion worth of unclaimed property was returned to people in fiscal year 2022, NAUPA said. Each state decides whether to reveal how much your unclaimed property is worth when you do your initial search.

Persons: ”, Michael W, you’ve, haven’t, it’s, Frerichs, state’s, NAUPA Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Association, National Association of State, Illinois, District of Columbia Locations: New York, United States, Puerto Rico, Illinois, Alabama

Alabama has had Super Bowl success at quarterback with the first three MVPs being Crimson Tide products, along with Super Bowl 11 winner Ken Stabler. Joe Namath won MVP for the Jets in Super Bowl 3 against the Colts without scoring or throwing for a TD. COMEBACK KIDSSan Francisco reached the Super Bowl thanks to an epic comeback against Detroit in the NFC title game. The only other comeback that big in either a Super Bowl or NFL championship game was the Patriots' rally from 28-3 down to beat Atlanta 34-28 in overtime in Super Bowl 51. That didn't stop them from becoming a dominant traveling show on the way to a fourth Super Bowl appearance in five seasons.

Persons: Washington's Curt Knight, DeVonta Smith, Jalen, Ken Stabler, Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Stabler, Patrick Mahomes, Mahomes, Joe Montana, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Drew Brees, Jeff Hostetler, Tony Eason, San Francisco's Brock Purdy, Josh Allen, Alex Smith, ___ Organizations: NFL, Alabama, Crimson, Chiefs, 49ers, Miami, Penn State, Notre Dame, Coast Guard Academy, Super, Press, Crimson Tide, Kansas City, Raiders, Jets, Colts, Oakland, Minnesota, San, Detroit, NFC, The 49ers, Niners, Atlanta, Cincinnati, New England, Bowl, Patriots, Lions, ROAD, Buffalo, Baltimore, AFC, Giants, Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh, Broncos, Super Bowl Locations: Alabama, Florida, California, Philadelphia, Oklahoma, Green Bay, Super, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Green, San Francisco , Kansas City, Tampa, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Denver

HOMEWOOD, Ala. (AP) — A man fleeing police caused the Alabama car crash that injured Gayle Manchin, head of an economic development partnership of the federal government and 13 state governments and the wife of U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, along with a colleague of hers, authorities said Wednesday. Gayle Manchin is the co-chair of the commission. “She is now in West Virginia continuing to recover with support from her family. The chase wound through Homewood and surrounding areas and ended when the fleeing car struck the SUV carrying Gayle Manchin and Land, al.com reported. Joe Manchin was the governor of West Virginia from 2005 until 2010, when he was elected to the Senate.

Persons: Gayle Manchin, . Sen, Joe Manchin, Guy Land, John Carr, al.com, Tradarryl Rishad, Boykins, Jim Justice, Joe Biden Organizations: ., Police, Appalachian Regional Commission, ARC, UAB, Homewood Police, Homewood, West Virginia Board of Education, Republican Gov, Appalachian Regional, Senate Locations: HOMEWOOD, Ala, Alabama, Homewood, Birmingham, West Virginia, Appalachia

Research suggests that higher education correlates with higher earnings. In four states, more than 60% of working age people had some form of post-high school education – exceeding the foundation’s broader goal. Nevada landed at the very bottom of the list, with an educational attainment rate of 42.7%. In the most recent version of the rankings, Massachusetts, Colorado and Vermont were ranked the highest for educational attainment. Post-high school educational attainment percentages for Black, Hispanic, Latino and Native American adults were all far below the national average, according to the report.

Persons: ” Courtney Brown, “ Organizations: Lumina Foundation, Research, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lumina Foundation’s, Census, Survey, Washington . Washington , D.C, Lumina, U.S . News, American Locations: Indiana, United States, U.S, Kentucky, Rhode Island, . Alabama , Colorado , Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Massachusetts, Utah, Minnesota, Vermont, Virginia , New Jersey, Washington . Washington ,, Puerto Rico, Nevada, Alaska, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia

☆ Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, linked with cognitive decline, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Polycystic ovary syndrome, known as PCOS, has long been known for symptoms such as missed periods or excess body hair. Polycystic ovary syndrome refers to symptoms related to a hormonal imbalance in people assigned female at birth. “Our results suggest that people with this condition have lower memory and thinking skills and subtle brain changes at midlife. The findings highlight “potential cognitive vulnerabilities in women with PCOS, though it’s important to know that these are cognitive weaknesses, not impairments,” Maki said. For one, the study showed an association between PCOS and cognitive decline, but didn’t prove that the condition causes cognitive decline, the authors said.

Persons: ”, Pauline Maki, Maki wasn’t, Eunice Kennedy, PCOS, Heather G, Huddleston, “, ” Maki, Mateja Perović, Wiebke Arlt, wasn’t, Arlt, Katherine Sherif, Ricardo Azziz, ” Sherif Organizations: CNN, Mental Health Research, University of Illinois, National, of Child Health, Human, World Health Organization, University of California, PCOS, University of Toronto, Imperial College London’s Institute, Clinical Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, University of Alabama Locations: midlife, University of Illinois Chicago, Philadelphia, Birmingham

☆ Trump's early organizing across the South is paying off as he faces off against Nikki Haley
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Trump campaign shrewdly worked to gain the backing of top Republicans early in the 2024 race. Former South Carolina Gov. AP Photo/Matt KelleyBy courting Republicans early, Trump essentially created a sense of inevitably around his campaign among many GOP voters, a significant impediment for Haley. DeSantis was once seen as a major threat to Trump's hold over the South, but the Florida governor didn't even make it to the South Carolina primary. Trump now leads Haley among potential GOP primary voters 81%-18%, according to the latest Morning Consult tracking poll.

Persons: shrewdly, Trump, Nikki Haley, —, Donald Trump, Henry McMaster, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Ron DeSantis, Graham, Haley, It's, Gov, Dan Patrick, Ken Paxton, Wesley Hunt, Sid Miller, Greg Abbott, Joe Biden's, Trump's, Matt Kelley, DeSantis, didn't, House . Alabama Sen, Tommy Tuberville, He's, They're Organizations: Trump, Service, South Carolina State House, GOP, Gov, Florida Gov, Former South Carolina Gov, McMaster, Texas ., Texas . Texas Republicans, Republican, AP, South, Alabama Republicans, House . Alabama Locations: Carolina, Florida, Iowa, Texas, Texas . Texas, California, South Carolina, Alabama , Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi

Circuit Court of appeals denied the request for the case to go before the full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a panel ruled 2-1 last year that only the U.S. attorney general can enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesThe 8th Circuit ruling applies only to federal courts covered by the district, which includes Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. “The decision by the Eighth Circuit to not revisit the case is a serious blow to the rights of Arkansas voters," Holly Dickson, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas, said in a statement. The Arkansas lawsuit challenges the state House redistricting plan, which was approved in 2021 by the all-Republican state Board of Apportionment.

Persons: weren't, ”, David Stras, Donald Trump, Holly Dickson, ’, Tim Griffin, “, Arkansans, Griffin, Steven Colloton, Colloton, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, ” Colloton, Lavenski Smith Organizations: —, U.S, Supreme, Circuit, The, Arkansas State Conference NAACP, Republicans, American Civil Liberties Union, Eighth Circuit, Black, Republican Locations: The Arkansas, Arkansas, Arkansas , Iowa, Minnesota , Missouri , Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Southern

☆ Boeing was once known for safety and engineering. But critics say an emphasis on profits changed that
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

Boeing is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons again after the Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 incident. Boeing workers participating in a "Quality Stand Down" at Boeing's 737 Max factory in Renton, Washington on January 25, 2024. One of the first Boeing 737 Max jets on the production line at the company's manufacturing facility in Renton, Washington, U.S., on Monday, Dec. 7, 2015. The airlines around the world that have already bought Boeing planes basically need to keep using those models, whatever the problems. Commercial pilots are certified on specific models and are not able to easily move from single-aisle to widebody versions of Boeing jets, let alone between a Boeing and an Airbus jet.

Persons: I’m, Dave Calhoun, we’ve, ”, “, Calhoun, Max, Jason Redmond, Stan Deal, Ed Pierson, McDonell Douglas, Critics, ” Ron Epstein, McDonnell Douglas, Jim McNerney, Tammy Duckworth, Aaron Schwartz, ‘ We’re, Richard Aboulafia, Joshua Drake, Boeing Calhoun, Bank of America’s Epstein, it’s, Pierson, Max ”, Robert Clifford, people’s, ” Calhoun, David Ryder, Aboulafia, Boeing’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Boeing, Alaska Airlines, National Safety Transportation Board, Pilots, Max, Alaska Air, Getty, Foundation for Aviation Safety, CNN, “ Boeing, Bank of America, General Electric, Procter, Gamble, McKinsey, Co, GE, Associated, Pentagon, Capitol, FAA, Airbus, Joshua Drake Photography, Blackstone Group, Nielsen, Bank of, Aviation, Bloomberg, Ethiopian Aircraft Accident, US National Transportation Safety Board, Internal Locations: New York, Renton , Washington, AFP, Alaska, Soviet Union, Pacific, Chicago, Seattle, Washington, DC, Mobile , Alabama, Wichita, Oklahoma, Carolina, South Carolina, Calhoun, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Renton , Washington , U.S

Utah became the latest state to regulate bathroom access for transgender people after Republican Gov. Opponents noted not all states allow people to change their birth certificates and that many trans people don’t want to have surgery. West Virginia’s Legislature is considering a transgender bathroom bill for students this year. “Nobody I know cares if a transgender woman comes into their bathroom, uses it for its intended purpose and walks out,” Birkeland said. Equality Utah, a nonprofit organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, advocated for the amendment but still opposed the bill.

Persons: Spencer Cox, ” Cox, Tennessee —, Kera Birkeland, ” Birkeland Organizations: Republican Gov, West, Republican, American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, Senate, Equality Locations: Utah, — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida , Idaho , Iowa , Kansas , Kentucky, North Dakota , Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia’s, Salt Lake County, Equality Utah

☆ More people need transplants than there are organ donors. Pigs might offer a solution
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +23 min

The need for more transplant organs is immense and growing. Researchers have transplanted genetically modified pig kidneys and hearts into people who were brain-dead to test whether they work in humans. Although Larry Faucette was too sick for a human heart transplant, University of Maryland doctors said he seemed physically strong enough for a genetically modified pig heart. It was more than a decade after the first heart transplant but long before such procedures became relatively routine. “We learned that the pig heart is an adequate substitute for a human heart.

Persons: Lawrence Faucette, Ann, he’d, ” Ann, Larry Faucette, Ann Faucette Ann, Larry, didn’t, ”, Robert Montgomery, “, Shelby Lum, ” Montgomery, Xenotransplantation, Art Caplan, Caplan, Babe ”, ” Caplan, They’re, eGenesis, people’s, Dr, Mike Curtis, Sanjay Gupta, ” Curtis, hasn’t, Julie O’Hara, Jim Parsons, Jayme Locke, couldn’t, Locke, Parsons, NYU —, Montgomery —, O’Hara, ” Locke, David Bennett Sr, Mary, David Jr, Bartley Griffith, Bennett, they’ve, Muhammad M, Mohiuddin, Larry Faucette’s, David Bennett’s, ” Griffith, xenotransplantation Ann Faucette, Wilbur, White’s, Ann Faucette, NYU ethicist Caplan, they’re, NYU’s Montgomery, UAB’s Locke, Steve Wood, ’ Curtis, “ I’m, it’s, ” O’Hara, Bennett’s, Larry Faucette —, ” Bennett’s, Faucette, who’d, Griffith, would’ve, Kate, Lucy, Nadia Kounang Organizations: CNN, Food and Drug Administration, University of Maryland, FDA, National Institute of Allergy, NYU Langone Transplant Institute, NYU Langone's Transplant, NYU Grossman School, Medicine’s Department of Population Health, “ Disney, University of Alabama, Transplant Institute, Parsons Family, Birmingham, NYU, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Doctors, University of Maryland Medical Center, Uno, UAB, CNN Health, NFL Locations: Frederick , Maryland, United States, Montgomery, “, Midwest, Yucatan, Maryland

NEW YORK (AP) — After 46 years, Steve Replin has decided to give up his office space. About 23% of U.S. office space is available, compared with 16% before the pandemic, according to global real estate advisor Avison Young. Garnett is looking for a smaller space – 1,200 square feet or so -- in suburban Huntsville, closer to where most of his clients live. The pandemic taught her she could work in a smaller space, but she still saw value in having office space with a physical library. Saul said she was able to downsize her library, filled with samples and a necessary part of the firm’s office space.

Persons: Steve Replin, Avison Young, ”, Alan Pontius, Marcus, Millichap, Hunter Garnett, Garnett, I’d, Leslie Saul, she’d, “, Saul, Annie Scranton, Replin, ” Replin, He’s, ” Krueger Organizations: Pace Public Relations Locations: Denver, Huntsville , Alabama, Huntsville, Cambridge, Winchester, Manhattan, New York, Larchmont, Greenwood Lake, N.J, Maryland

For instance, the U.S. has blocked shipments of cotton coming from China, a top manufacturer of popular clothing brands, because it was produced by forced or prison labor. While prison labor seeps into the supply chains of some companies through third-party suppliers without them knowing, others buy direct. Cargill acknowledged buying goods from prison farms in Tennessee, Arkansas and Ohio, saying they constituted only a small fraction of the company’s overall volume. For instance, about a dozen state prison farms, including operations in Texas, Virginia, Kentucky and Montana, have sold more than $60 million worth of cattle since 2018. “What for?”FOLLOWING THE MONEYThe business of prison labor is so vast and convoluted that tracing the money can be challenging.

Persons: it’s, Willie Ingram, “ They’d, billy clubs, they’d, ”, Ingram, didn’t, they’re, don’t, Andrea Armstrong, Frank Dwayne Ellington, Ellington, Koch, “ It’s, it’s somebody’s, Alishia Powell, Clark, “, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, Archer Daniels, Cargill, ” McDonald’s, Mills, ” Bunge, Burger, Jermaine Hudson, ” Hudson, Calvin Thomas, Thomas, Ken Pastorick, Pastorick, Jennifer Turner, Faye Jacobs, Jacobs, ’ ” David Farabough, they’ve, Joshua Sbicca, Cliff Johnson, Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee, Tyson, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, that’s, ” Ivey, “ They’re, ’ ”, William “ Buck ” Saunders, Hickman’s, Brooke Counts, Counts, John’s, Jack Strain, Tammany Parish, Russell Stover, Curtis Davis, Robert Bumsted, Cody Jackson, Columbia University’s Ira A, Lipman Organizations: Louisiana State Penitentiary, The Associated Press, Walmart, Cargill, U.S, Kroger, Target, Aldi, Corrections, Loyola University New Orleans, Koch Foods, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Washington, Archer Daniels Midland, Consolidated, AP, Foods, Dairy Farmers of, Big, Sam’s, Tyson Foods, U.S ., Civilian, OSHA, Fair Labor, American Civil Liberties, Colorado State University, MacArthur Justice Center, University of Mississippi, PepsiCo, Brevard County Sheriff, Arizona . Companies, Costco, Correctional, Prisons, Nut, Maine Foods, Taylor Farms, Transitional, Associated Press, Public Welfare Foundation, Columbia, Lipman Center for Journalism, Arnold Ventures Locations: ANGOLA, La, Southern, Louisiana, Texas, In Louisiana, Angola, United States, “, Ashland, U.S, China, Tennessee , Arkansas, Ohio, Dairy Farmers of America, Texas , Virginia, Kentucky, Montana, Baton Rouge, Mississippi, Manhattan, America, Alabama, American, Arkansas , Texas, Florida , Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, In Alabama, Florida, Brevard County, Arizona, Wisconsin, California, Colorado, state’s St, Tammany, Idaho, In Kansas, Cal, St, Francisville , Louisiana, Feliciana, Investigative@ap.org

☆ Justice Sotomayor speaks on frustration following some Supreme Court rulings
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor opened up on Monday about the “frustration” she said she experiences daily as the high court’s conservative supermajority continues to move the country further to the right. And as you heard, every loss truly traumatizes me in my stomach and in my heart. During Monday’s event, Sotomayor waded into other topics related to the court, including the impact of oral arguments on a justice’s vote. At one point, she criticized some criminal defense attorneys who she said have occasionally done a poor job of advocating before the high court. Because by the time you come to the Supreme Court, it’s not about your client anymore.

Persons: Sonia Sotomayor, ” Sotomayor, I’m, ”, Sotomayor, Donald Trump, “, Smith, ’ ”, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Kenneth Smith’s, Sotomayor waded, Neil Gorsuch, I’ll, it’s Organizations: CNN, University of California, Berkeley School of Law Locations: Alabama, “

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina has joined a nascent nationwide effort to improve outcomes for more prisoners who return to society through an approach focused on education, health care and housing. More than 18,000 people are released annually from the dozens of North Carolina adult correctional facilities, the order says, facing obstacles to a fresh start from their criminal record. The council said that North Carolina is the third state to officially join Reentry 2030, after Missouri and Alabama. And Greg Singleton, a continuing-education dean at Central Carolina Community College in Sanford, is himself an ex-offender, having served four years in prison in the 1990s. “What if God didn’t give second chances — where would any of us be?” Singleton asked.

Persons: Roy Cooper, ” Cooper, “, Todd Ishee, Cooper, Joe Gibbs, Greg Singleton, didn’t, ” Singleton, ” Organizations: —, Gov, Council of State Governments, Transportation Department, of Health, Human Services, Republican, Assembly, NASCAR, Super Bowl, Life, Central Carolina Community College Locations: RALEIGH, N.C, — North Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri, Alabama, Carolina, Sanford

Wisconsin rode a slew of losses by top-10 teams, and wins over Minnesota and Michigan State, to climb seven spots to No. Wisconsin moved up seven spots, New Mexico moved up six and Duke, Marquette and Texas Tech all advanced five spots. Their gain came in part at the expense of Oklahoma, which tumbled 12 spots to No. CONFERENCE WATCHThe Big East, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and SEC each have a top-five team — in fact, each had two in the top 10. But the Big 12 still leads the overall Top 25 count with eight ranked teams after the Horned Frogs returned to the poll this week.

Persons: Xavier, Danny Hurley, Hurley, we're, Zach Edey, Duke, Lamont Paris, ___ Organizations: UConn, Purdue, Huskies, Boilermakers, Cougars, NCAA, Rutgers, Big, Heels, Wake, Florida State, BYU, Kansas State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, That's, Minnesota, Michigan State, Badgers, South, Iowa State, Kansas, The Cyclones, Creighton, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Auburn, Mississippi State, Utah State, Baylor, Florida, Alabama, TCU, Duke, Dayton, Flyers, Richmond, Crimson Tide, Memphis, UAB, Colorado State, Gamecocks, Kentucky, CONFERENCE, Big Ten, ACC, SEC, AP Locations: North Carolina, Houston, Tennessee, Wake Forest, Florida, Wisconsin, Kansas, Marquette and Kentucky, South Carolina, Arizona, Creighton , Illinois, Alabama, Mississippi, Baylor . New Mexico, Nevada, North Texas, Dayton, Texas, New Mexico, Marquette, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Carolina, Missouri

☆ Defense Secretary Returns to Pentagon a Month After Surgery Complications
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Helene Cooper | More About Helene Cooper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He expressed “outrage and sorrow for the death of three brave U.S. troops in Jordan, and for the other troops who were wounded” and added that “we will take all necessary action to defend the U.S. and our troops.”Mr. Austin said he was “glad to be back at the Pentagon. I feel good and am recovering well, but still recovering.”The House Armed Services Committee has asked Mr. Austin to testify next month about why he and his aides kept his illness secret. Mr. Austin, 70, has long been known as an intensely private man who eschews the limelight and dislikes talking to the news media — qualities that Mr. Biden was fine with, his aides said, when he appointed the 40-year Army officer to be his defense secretary. But in keeping secret his hospitalization, Mr. Austin attracted more attention to himself than at any point in his long career. He also drew scrutiny and criticism of Mr. Biden’s national security team during a period when it was dealing with multiple crises around the world, including wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

Persons: ”, Mr, Austin, Mike D, Rogers, ” Mr, Biden Organizations: U.S, Pentagon, House Armed, Republican, Army Locations: Jordan, Alabama, Gaza, Ukraine

☆ Nick Saban's retirement started a chain reaction that led to millions of dollars in raises for coaches at other schools
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Nick Saban's retirement started a domino effect among college football head coaches. Four head coaches and many assistants got big pay raises thanks to Saban's retirement. AdvertisementLegendary college football coach Nick Saban surprised some when he announced his retirement following the 2023 season. Saban was a head coach for 28 seasons, including the last 17 at the University of Alabama. AdvertisementHere is a look at the coaches who have already been impacted by Saban's retirement and the raises they are getting.

Persons: Nick Saban's, —, Nick Saban, Saban Organizations: Service, University of Alabama, Crimson Tide, Saban Locations: Alabama

☆ What Texas is (and is not) doing to defy a Supreme Court border setback
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

I went to CNN’s Supreme Court analyst Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, with those questions. Abbott is not ignoring the Supreme CourtWOLF: How does Abbott justify essentially ignoring the Supreme Court? VLADECK: It’s really important to stress that two different things are true: First, Abbott is not “essentially ignoring” the Supreme Court. Is the Supreme Court likely to agree with him? WOLF: I am reminded of last year when Alabama legislators initially did not comply with a Supreme Court decision requiring a second majority-Black congressional district.

Persons: Greg Abbott, Biden, ” Abbott, Abbott, Stephen Vladeck, WOLF, can’t, –, “, ”, Robert Jackson, Milligan, Brett, Kavanaugh, Monday’s, we’ve, Trump’s, Trump Organizations: CNN — Texas Gov, US, Patrol, Supreme, Circuit, Fox News, University of Texas, Republican, Government, Democratic, . Locations: Texas, Mexico, Austin, Eagle, “, ”, Alabama, Allen, Arizona, . United States

ATMORE, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's first-ever use of nitrogen gas for an execution could gain traction among other states and change how the death penalty is carried out in the United States, much like lethal injection did more than 40 years ago, according to experts on capital punishment. Oklahoma and Mississippi already have laws authorizing the use of nitrogen gas for executions, and some other states, including Nebraska, have introduced measures this year to add it as an option. “This is a chapter in a long-running story in the United States,” Sarat said. A majority of states, 29, have either abolished the death penalty or paused executions, and there were just 24 executions carried out in five U.S. states in 2023, according to Washington, D.C.-based Death Penalty Information Center. “More states have abolished the death penalty since 2007 than in any other comparable 17-year period in American history,” Sarat noted.

Persons: — Alabama's, Steve Marshall, Kenneth Eugene Smith, ” Marshall, ”, Steven Harpe, Smith, gurney, John Q, Hamm, ” Hamm, Harpe, Justin Farris, ” Farris, “, Austin Sarat, ” Sarat, Clayton Lockett, Lockett, ” Ryan Kiesel, ” Kiesel, ” ___ Murphy Organizations: Alabama, Amherst College, Washington , D.C, American Civil Liberties Union Locations: Ala, United States, “ Alabama, Alabama, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Nebraska, Europe, U.S, Washington ,, Oklahoma City

☆ Alabama Hails Nitrogen Gas Execution, a New Attempt to Address an Old Challenge
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Shaila Dewan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For as long as America has had the death penalty, there have been questions about how best to carry it out. The execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith in Alabama on Thursday, the first American execution in which death was caused by suffocation with nitrogen gas, gave no indication of settling the legal, moral and technical questions that have long bedeviled states as they mete out the ultimate punishment. Most recently, problems with the purchasing, administration and effects of lethal injection drugs have sent states scrambling for alternatives ranging from the old — firing squads, electric chairs and gas chambers — to the untested, like Alabama’s use of a mask to force Mr. Smith to inhale nitrogen instead of air. But after Mr. Smith’s death, the Alabama attorney general, Steve Marshall, hailed the execution as a “historic” breakthrough. He criticized opponents of the death penalty for pressuring “anyone assisting states in the process.”“They don’t care that Alabama’s new method is humane and effective, because they know it is also easy to carry out,” he said in a statement.

Persons: Kenneth Eugene Smith, Mr, Smith, Smith’s, Steve Marshall, “, ” Locations: America, Alabama

☆ Alabama executes a man with nitrogen gas, the first time the new method has been used
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Kim Chandler | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It marked the first time that a new execution method has been used in the United States since lethal injection, now the most commonly used method, was introduced in 1982. After a chance to make a final statement, the warden, from another room, would activate the nitrogen gas. And experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council cautioned they believe the execution method could violate the prohibition on torture. Three states — Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma — have authorized nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method, but no state had attempted to use the untested method until now. Smith's attorneys had raised concerns that he could choke to death on his own vomit as the nitrogen gas flows.

Persons: —, Kenneth Eugene Smith, Smith, gurney, I'm, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Jeff Hood, Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Hood, he's, Elizabeth Sennett, Sennett, Charles Sennett Jr, Mama, Charles Sennett, John Forrest Parker Organizations: Alabama, Service, —, U.S, Supreme, Justice, Prosecutors, WAAY, Catholic, Human Locations: Ala, — Alabama, Alabama, United States, Vatican, Rome, Mississippi, Oklahoma

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