Washington's 'joints for jabs' vaccine program falling flat

SEATTLE (AP) — It was designed as an innovative way to promote COVID-19 vaccinations, but Washington’s new “joints for jabs” program is off to a rough start.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

Officials announced Monday that the state's nearly 500 licensed marijuana retailers could begin hosting vaccine clinics and offering a single, free pre-rolled marijuana cigarette to any 21-plus adult who received a shot there.

It's one of many vaccine incentives being offered in Washington, including free pints of beer, sports tickets and prize money to lure those who have been hesitant or just lazy. Washington and Colorado in 2012 were the first states to legalize the adult use of marijuana, with regulated sales beginning in 2014. The industry brought Washington close to $474 million in taxes in the last fiscal year.

But few things are simple in an industry that's illegal under federal law, and the hurdles to offering the free joints are substantial enough that few of the state's legal pot shops are saying they will participate, even if they would like to do so.

Retailers told the state Liquor and Cannabis Board during a meeting Wednesday that many don't have the space to host a vaccine clinic. Some health care providers are queasy about setting up a clinic on the site of a marijuana business because they don't want to jeopardize federal funding by being involved in the distribution of an illegal drug. And the program is set to expire July 12 — too soon for them to offer a second shot to customers who might show up for a first shot in mid- to late June.

The retailers also ruefully noted that the Liquor and Cannabis Board allowed breweries, wineries and bars to offer a free drink to customers who merely showed proof of vaccination — no onsite clinic required.

“We're hearing from retailers that they want to be a part of this,” said Aaron Pickus, a spokesman for the Washington CannaBusiness Association, an industry group. “Why can't we do this like the wineries and breweries did it?”

Board chair David Postman told them it was a member of the business group who late last month suggested the program, which he and Gov. Jay Inslee's office thought was a great idea.

While a marijuana retailer in Arizona offered free vaccines along with complimentary joints or edibles early this month, no other state appears to have a similar “joints for jabs” program. “We are out ahead on this," Postman said.

The requirement that the pot shops hold onsite vaccination clinics was partly motivated by the fact that people aren't allowed to consume cannabis at licensed retailers, unlike alcohol at a brewery or winery, he said — suggesting that people who showed their vaccine cards at multiple pot shops could wind up with a lot of free joints that might be given to youngsters.

He also said that the board gave the marijuana stores an advantage it didn't give to alcohol purveyors: a tax break on the product they give away.

“I guess I just beg for a little understanding,” Postman said. “If it’s not the right thing, then that’ll be too bad, because I think we all need to get as many people vaccinated as possible.”

Daniela Bernhard, the co-owner of Uncle Ike’s cannabis store in Seattle, told the board the industry is excited to be included in efforts to boost vaccination, but “disappointed that our legal and heavily regulated sector continues to be treated differently than our peer sectors in Washington.”

“If we are trusting adults driving with their vaccination cards to get a pint of beer and then responsibly get to their next destination, we can also trust that adults will pick up a joint and enjoy it later in a legal setting,” Bernhard said.

Bernhard said Uncle Ike's effort to host a vaccine clinic had been rejected by two health care providers, though she declined to identify them.

One public health agency, the Spokane Regional Health District, had not yet been approached by any licensed marijuana shops about setting up a vaccine clinic — but it had an answer ready.

“We would not be able to provide vaccine because of concerns about federal funding,” spokeswoman Kelli Hawkins said.

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

9/6/2021

The world is 'way behind' on investments into water and sanitation systems, CEO says

Abigail Ng 

JUNE 9,2021


The world has a long way to go in finding solutions to water shortages, according to John Streur of Calvert Research and Management, an investment management company.

"We're way behind in terms of the amount of investment we need to bring our industrial water systems, our (agricultural) systems and our residential systems up to where they need to be," Streur said.

TSMC is considered a leader in water management, Streur said, pointing out that at the company's best facility, water is circulated seven times before being disposed.

'A very long road' lies ahead in solving the world's water challenges, CEO says


The world is a long way from finding solutions to water shortages, according to an investment management company that focuses on sustainability.

"We're way behind in terms of the amount of investment we need to bring our industrial water systems, our (agricultural) systems and our residential systems up to where they need to be," said John Streur, chief executive officer of Calvert Research and Management.

Most CEOs of water-reliant companies will admit that the resource is "very underpriced," he said.© Provided by CNBC In an aerial view, low water levels are visible at Lake Oroville on June 01, 2021 in Oroville, California.

"As a result of that, the amount of effort that we've put into creating a safe and secure source of water is behind where we are in terms of our industrial development," he told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Tuesday.

Streur also pointed to a "significant health challenge" for people who don't have a steady supply of safe water.

According to a 2021 report by Unicef, 1.42 billion people live in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability.

"In many cases, we haven't even built the necessary water infrastructure to provide access to clean drinking water and sanitation systems for population centers," Streur said.

He discussed ways that investors can invest in the water segment, including putting money into companies that develop filtration technology, or firms that use a lot of water and are efficient in conservation efforts.

Calvert Research and Management owns shares in Taiwanese chip foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) because it uses water efficiently, he added.

TSMC is considered a leader in water management, Streur said, pointing out that at the company's best facility, water is circulated seven times before being disposed.

"We and the industry are very tuned into the fact that water is a critical input, (and) it's often in shorter supply than they would like," Streur said. Taiwan is battling its worst drought in more than 50 years.

Semiconductor manufacturing plants require huge amounts of water every day, but have become more efficient in their use of the resource, he said.

SPIRIT ANIMAL

Partially white moose cools of amongst the lily pads (msn.com)

This cow moose was spotted cooling off in Marchington Lake eating lily pads.

Duration: 00:36

Thousands return home in east Congo after volcano eruption

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Thousands of people are returning to Goma and a surrounding region in eastern Congo hoping to find their homes still intact weeks after a volcano erupted, but fearing the worst.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

The eruption on May 22 of Mount Nyiragongo forced tens of thousands of people to flee with no warning as lava flowed through their communities.

More residents living on the outskirts of the North Kivu provincial capital were forced to evacuate again a week later when fears rose there would be another eruption. Authorities sent buses to take a number of people to safety in the town of Sake and other places in the days that followed.

But as people now start the journey home, they are worried about what awaits them and what help they will get.


“We had evacuated and the people stole everything we owned,” said Matuso Sumbuo, from Kihisi, in the outskirts of Goma. She complained that authorities have promised aid but said that they have not received any help yet.

Video: Congo volcano leaves smouldering wreckage but major city spared (Reuters)


“We, who lived from day to day with the small businesses, how we will live now?” she said before boarding a bus with her family to return home.

The government of Nord Kivu said that those who lost their houses will remain in shelters in different regions but the rest can go back to their houses.

The situation in Sake as well as in other towns receiving those displaced by the eruption was challenging.

“Here we were living on our own because since we arrived, we only received food once from WFP (the World Food Program), but it was not enough” said Esperance Suzane, who carried her belongs in a bag as she prepared to return home.

The last eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, one of the world’s most active volcanos, was in 2002, leaving hundreds dead. The lava coated the airport runways and also left more than 100,000 homeless in the aftermath. The volcano also erupted in 1977, killing more than 600 people.

Justin Kabumba Katumwa, The Associated Press

 

Photographer captures shooting star falling into a volcano

VIDEO Duration: 00:50 

Why North Atlantic right whales are smaller now than they were 40 years ago
Shane Fowler

CBC

JUNE9,2021

© Submitted by Joshua Stewart A recent study shows a significant reduction of the length of the average North Atlantic right whales.

North Atlantic right whales seem to be shrinking: They are an average of a metre shorter today than whales of the same species were in the 1980s.

And some whales are as much as three metres smaller than their predecessors.

To put that into perspective, some of today's 10-year-old whales are only growing the size of a one- or two-year-old whale from 40 years ago.

That's the finding of a recent study looking at several decades of data. It's another blow to the endangered species, which has struggling to survive. The whales, which currently number less than 400, are dying after being trapped in fishing gear or hit by ships each year, despite efforts by both Canadian and American government interventions.

"I was pretty shocked," said Joshua Stewart, a research associate with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the study's lead author on the paper, which appears in Current Biology, a peer-reviewed journal.

Stewart started looking into the topic when field biologists would photograph what they thought was a one-year-old calf based on its size, only to realize later the whale was actually five to 10 years old.

With the help of various other researchers and biologists, Stewart amassed as much data as he could on the size of the whales dating back to the early 80s.

"The data was being collected before I was even born," he said from Mexico, where he's currently working.

For the study, the researchers compared decades-old aerial shots from planes to more recent shots from drones. Detailed field biologists' notes and measurements dating back to the 80's also proved crucial to their work.

When the research was completed, the size difference became clear.

Video: Rare beluga whale encounter off the coast of Nova Scotia (The Weather Network)

The likely culprit? Whales are getting caught in fishing gear.

"The big thing that we found were that whales that have these extended entanglements that last for months or years are stunted compared to whales that aren't entangled," said Stewart.

Most North Atlantic right whales become trapped in fishing nets and traps at some point in their lives.

"Over 85 per cent of the population has entanglement injuries, either scars or attached gear, so it's a pretty chronic problem for this population," said Amy Knowlton, co-author of the paper and a senior scientist with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life based in Cambridge, Mass.

Knowlton contributed the entanglement data for the study after spending years documenting whale entanglements.

The toll being caught in nets and lines is extremely damaging to a whale's body and often leads to its death.

"You could sort of imagine like if we were to strap a sandbag to you and you had to drag that around for a few months or a year," said Stewart. "You're going to have a lot less energy to devote to other things, especially if you're still growing. You might end up stunted just because you're burning so much energy dragging that sandbag around."

Stewart says there's a good chance other whale species that are often ensnared are experiencing a similar decrease in size. But as North Atlantic right whales have been on the brink of extinction for so long, they're one of the few species with such a detailed data set dating back decades that researchers can use to prove it.

It's not just the mature whales caught in gear that are getting smaller.

Whale calves whose mothers are entangled are also more likely to be stunted according to the study.

That's because mothers caught in gear are also trying to produce milk and feed their young. Spending energy on trying to survive takes away from energy that would otherwise be spent producing milk.

"For a female with severe injuries there would also be the energy she's needing to heal from those injuries and that's diverting energy away from nursing her calf so that she can try and heal and survive," said Knowlton.

Using weaker ropes for fishing would give whales a better chance at freeing themselves according to Knowlton. Better yet getting rid of ropes altogether, using ropeless traps, would prevent whales from getting caught in the first place.

Both scientists believe that if the whales given the chance to recover the species would eventually return to its normal size.

HUBRIS RESULTS IN IRONIC SCHADENFRUEDE 
Joe Manchin's Bill Demanding Equal Pay for Women's Soccer Could Be Blocked By Filibuster

UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Aila Slisco  

NEWSWEEK

JUNE 9,2021


West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, a staunch defender of the filibuster and advocate for bipartisanship, could soon see his bill demanding equal pay for women's soccer players blocked by Republicans under the Senate rule he insists on preserving

.

© Susan Walsh/Getty Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) could soon see one of his own bills blocked by a GOP filibuster after introducing the GOALS Act without the support of any Republicans on Wednesday. Manchin is pictured during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C. on June 9, 2021.

Manchin and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced the Give Our Athletes Level Salaries (GOALS) Act to the Senate Wednesday. Manchin proposed a similar bill in 2019. The GOALS Act was co-sponsored by 11 other Democratic senators. Since no GOP senators have expressed support for the bill, it appears unlikely to reach the 60-vote threshold required to avoid a filibuster.

The bill would block federal funding for the men's 2026 World Cup—set to be jointly hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada—unless the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) is given equal pay to the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team (USMNT).

While introducing the bill on Wednesday, the Democrat congressman said that he was "disappointed" Senate Republicans were "unable to come together" and instead used the filibuster to block the Paycheck Fairness Act, another bill intended to combat gender-based pay discrimination, on the previous night.

"While we were unable to pass the much-needed legislation last night, today I'm introducing the GOALS Act with my Senate colleagues to ensure that, our phenomenal U.S. Women's National Soccer Team are paid equitably compared to their male counterparts in order to receive any federal funds for the 2026 World Cup," Manchin said in a statement.

"The first vote I took as a Senator was to support paycheck fairness, and to this day, I am proud to lead the fight for equal pay across all workplaces, including the soccer field," he added. "I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense bill to ensure a level playing field for everyone, including our top-notch U.S. Women's National Soccer Team."

The USWNT, the most successful team in the history of women's international soccer, has been fighting for equal pay with their less-lauded male counterparts for many years. The USWNT earns up to 89 percent less than the USMNT while playing the same number of games, while bonuses for World Cup games pay the men more to lose than the women get for wins, according to a 2019 article from The Washington Post.

Attempts to achieve soccer pay parity using the courts have been unsuccessful, with a 2019 discrimination lawsuit from 28 USWNT players being dismissed by a federal judge in May 2020, although the players have appealed the decision. The GOALS Act was initially introduced to the House by Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) in 2019. Manchin championed the Senate version.

After it failed to advance in 2019, Matsui and DeLauro reintroduced the bill to the House in March of this year. Although the federal government will not directly fund the 2026 World Cup, the GOALS Act would block funds going to host cities or local organizations facilitating the tournament unless the U.S. Soccer Federation agrees to pay the USMNT and USWNT equally.

Since Manchin has steadfastly refused to eliminate or weaken the filibuster under any circumstances, the GOALS Act has virtually no chance of becoming law without the support of at least 10 Republicans in the Senate. Based on Wednesday's blocking of the Paycheck Fairness Act, expectations that bipartisanship will win out on equal pay for the country's soccer players only may be far-fetched.

Newsweek reached out to Manchin's office for comment.

Mandryk: Saskatchewan's low minimum wage is a long-standing constant

Murray Mandryk 

OPINION

REGINA LEADER POST

JUNE 9,2021

The Saskatchewan Party government announced on Friday a plan to increase what is close to the lowest minimum wage in Canada.

© Provided by Leader Post Fear of job losses remains one of the government's argument against more substantial increases to Saskatchewan's minimum wage.

It held another news event that same day singing the praises of Saskatchewan’s nation-leading May job numbers in the monthly Statistics Canada labour force survey.

So you might ask: If we are creating jobs, doesn’t that mean we might be able to afford to look at a higher minimum wage?

You’d think that would the case, but job politics in Saskatchewan gets complicated rather quickly — especially given that having to have a low minimum wage here is something that’s almost ingrained in our psyche.

Friday, Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan announced a meagre 36-cent-an-hour increase to $11.81 an hour (effective, Oct. 1) from the current $11.45/hour minimum pay.

By the fall, only New Brunswick will have a lower minimum wage. At that point, Saskatchewan minimum wage earners will finally surpass Manitoba’s minimum wage circa 2019, the minimum wage level of P.E.I., Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia in 2018, B.C.’s and Quebec’s minimum wage of 2017 and Ontario and Alberta’s minimum wage of 2016.

Morgan explained the paltry annual inflationary increase was more appropriate than ever because it is “supporting both businesses and workers as we move into recovery after the pandemic.”

Clearly, this government has no interest in departing from this formula that’s produced 13 similar minimal annual increases since the Sask. Party took over from the NDP in 2007 when the minimum wage was just $7.95 an hour.

Critics on the left, now demanding a $15-an-hour minimum wage, were quick to condemn the government for ignoring the plight of minimum wage workers who’ve risked their health during the COVID-19 pandemic while working in the frontlines in retail, food services and hospitality industries.

However, it’s worth noting some of these same critics also argued restaurants and bars and places of commerce should have faced more restrictions and shutdowns during the pandemic that might have left even more such workers out of a job. Today, they have less to say about the Sask. Party government strategy that does seem to have produced a better employment outcome than elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Trade and Investment Minister Jeremy Harrison boasted Friday of having the lowest unemployment rate in Canada. He also noted Saskatchewan was one of the few provinces that actually created jobs from April until May — not as great an accomplishment as the minister’s spin would suggest.

A 4,100-job increase in the month when construction season starts, farmers are seeding and university students are landing summer jobs is more seasonal than spectacular. Moreover, Saskatchewan having the lowest unemployment rate (6.3 per cent in May) in the country is part of a long-standing conscious effort tied to having the lowest minimum wage.

There are valid reasons for the pushback by labour and the left, but our low minimum wage is nothing new. It has always been that way — or at least since the Allan Blakeney NDP administration in the 1970s. But the argument has always been that we are an agrarian-based economy where residents have traditionally enjoyed lower housing costs and utility rates.

Even when times got better here, the approach to the minimum wage didn’t much change.

According to Statistics Canada, in the 20-year span between 1998 and 2018 — years of acknowledged growth and prosperity here in Saskatchewan — the rate of workers earning minimum wage in Canada increased to 10.4 per cent from 5.2 per cent with urban workers surpassing rural workers because of the growth in retail jobs.

But the real argument in Saskatchewan for keeping the minimum wage low has always been the fear of businesses shutting down and an increased exodus to Alberta and B.C. (although no one ever leaves here for just a better minimum wage).

We didn’t see big increases to the minimum wage a decade ago when jobs were plentiful. Don’t expect to see things change now that times are less certain.

But do expect more days when government argues jobs numbers are great, but the minimum wage must remain low.

Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

Exxon's board shakeup could force review of billions of dollars in spending

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The recent overhaul of Exxon Mobil Corp's board of directors could shift billions of dollars in spending and strategy over several years, but any changes likely will take time, analysts and investors say.

A quarter of directors last month lost their seats to outsiders, and the March appointment of activist Jeff Ubben puts a third of the 12-member board in new and more cost-conscious hands. Investors who rejected Exxon's view of a slow transition to lower-carbon fuels also want spending to be revisited, they said.

The Exxon boardroom contest shocked the energy industry and came after years of weak financial returns at the largest U.S. oil producer. Shares are up by about 50% this year as oil prices have recovered from pandemic lows.

Exxon's board has been a prestige post for former CEOs, typically without any energy experience. Critics said the practice led Exxon to miss industry shifts and play catch-up at the expense of its balance sheet. Exxon bought in to natural gas near its peak, leading it to reduce the value of properties in the United States, Canada and Argentina by more than $19 billion last year, and paid up to arrive late to the shale oil party.

New directors with energy experience likely will address Exxon's spending “far more vigorously,” said Anne Simpson, investment director at shareholder California Public Employees' Retirement System.

Investors want a "fundamental rethink on strategy," she said, with “the big measure" being its $16 billion-$19 billion annual project spending. The shakeup puts in play billions of dollars in shale, liquefied natural gas, refining and chemical projects.

Asked to comment on its new board and strategy, Exxon said only that it welcomed the new directors. "We look forward to working with them collectively to benefit all of our shareholders."

STRATEGY REVIEW

Exxon needs "a real review of its strategy" in the wake of last month's International Energy Agency report that challenges the need for new projects if the world wants to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century, said Bess Joffe, head of responsible investment at the Church Commissioners for England.

"The board is going to have to adapt" by giving investors more information on projects and environmental, social, and governance issues, or ESG, said David Larcker, director of the Corporate Governance Research Initiative at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

"It's just not a company that can turn on a dime," Larcker cautioned, adding that this year's budget is set. It is midway into big outlays in Guyana, Brazil, U.S. shale and chemicals, analysts said.

Existing directors believe coupling oil and gas investment with a gradual shift to alternative energy is Exxon's best path forward, long-time director Ursula Burns said at a virtual event hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas last week.

Exxon failed to communicate the importance of that phase-in to investors, she said.

"It has not been well done by Exxon Mobil for sure and that's one of the things that we have to work on is how do we tell the story," said Burns, who has served in many roles including as former chairman and CEO of Xerox Corp.

She said Exxon did not pay attention early enough to public frustration over global warming and ESG. Investors, she said, "wanted a direct, in some cases, (and) in some ways, an impossible message to be given." Burns added that "most of the board" thinks an energy transition is needed and that companies like Exxon need to be engaged in how that happens.

LOCKED-IN PROJECTS

Energy analysts do not see Exxon slashing its biggest ventures - offshore oil in Guyana and Brazil, or liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Asia and the United States - due to long-term commitments. It already has cut spending in the United States and could lower further, they said.

Guyana and Brazil's offshore fields will be prioritized, said Ruaraidh Montgomery at researcher Welligence. LNG projects that supplant oil production also can help Exxon reduce emissions, said Tom Ellacott, at consultants Wood Mackenzie.

In the United States, Exxon has sharply cut drilling and reduced its shale output goals to 700,000 barrels per day from 1 million. But even there, Exxon's multi-year projects "are hard to undo," said Peter McNally, an analyst with investment research firm Third Bridge Group.

However, investors are not buying the poor-messaging explanation or belief that spending decisions cannot be revisited.

"This is a call to reassess fundamentals of supply and demand for energy in the long term, and to question whether Exxon's current thinking around renewables gaining market share is too modest," said Stewart Glickman, analyst at CFRA Research, in a client note.

(Reporting by Jennifer Hiller in Houston; Editing by Gary McWilliams and Matthew Lewis)

Police say nearly 250 arrested in Minnesota pipeline protest


FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Nearly 250 people were arrested when protesters attempting to stop the final leg of the reconstruction of an oil pipeline across northwestern Minnesota took over a pump station, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

Hubbard County Sheriff Cory Aukes said that 43 workers at the Enbridge Energy Line 3 pump station were trapped inside the site for some time Monday morning when demonstrators locked them in behind the front gate. Protesters also put up barricades and dug trenches across roads, “presumably in preparation" for a standoff with law enforcement, Aukes said.

The workers were eventually able to leave the site. No injuries were reported.

"This is unacceptable, and we will seek the full prosecution of all involved," Enbridge Energy spokeswoman Juli Kellner said.

Aukes said 179 people were arrested and charged with gross misdemeanor trespassing. An additional 68 people were cited for public nuisance and unlawful assembly. It was the largest show of resistance since protesters set their sights on the project.

The sheriff said demonstrators caused “a large amount of damage” to equipment “and other assets." Kellner said damage included vandalism of contractor equipment, as well as slashed tires, cut hoses, rocks and dirt in engines, forced entry into offices and destroyed electrical wiring in equipment. She did not give a damage estimate.

Demonstrators hauled in a large boat to block the main entrance to the pumping station and about 20 people barricaded themselves to it, Aukes said. The final four protesters were removed from the boat by midday Tuesday, when Kellner said some employees returned to work at the site near Park Rapids, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) east of Fargo.

Monday was billed as the Treaty People Gathering. As protesters made their move on the pump station, a separate group held a prayer service near the headwaters of the Mississippi River, some 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, before an estimated 1,000 people marched to the site where the pipeline crosses under the river. That peaceful meeting including music, prayers and speeches, including one by environmentalist and author Bill McKibben.

“The thing about climate change, it’s a timed test,” McKibben told The Associated Press before the march. “If we don’t get it right soon we will never get it right.”

Another protest against the pipeline is scheduled Thursday in Minneapolis outside the office of Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar. The group TakeAction Minnesota says Klobuchar should pressure President Joe Biden to halt construction of Line 3.

Environmental and tribal groups say Enbridge Energy’s plan to replace Line 3 would worsen climate change and risk spills in sensitive areas where Native Americans harvest wild rice, hunt, fish, gather medicinal plants, and claim treaty rights. The line would cross the Mississippi River while carrying Canadian tar sands oil and regular crude from Alberta and across North Dakota and Minnesota to Wisconsin.

Enbridge says the original pipeline — built in the 1960s — is deteriorating and can run at only about half its original capacity. It says the new line, made from stronger steel, will better protect the environment while restoring its capacity and ensuring reliable deliveries to U.S. refineries.

Dave Kolpack, The Associated Press