The judge who sentenced Ahmaud Arbery's killers made the courtroom sit in silence for 1 minute to put 'into context' how long the men chased Arbery

Rebecca Cohen

Fri, January 7, 2022,

Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley speaks with attorneys during the trial.AP Photo

• The judge who sentenced the three men guilty for Ahmaud Arbery's murder made the courtroom sit in silence for one minute before reading their sentencing.

• Judge Timothy Walmsley told the courtroom Friday that he wanted to put "into context" how long they chased Arbery.

• All three were sentenced to life in prison, and only one of them was granted the possibility of parole.

The judge who sentenced the three men guilty for Ahmaud Arbery's murder made the courtroom sit in silence for one minute before reading their sentencing to put 'into context' how long they chased Arbery.

Judge Timothy Walmsley told the courtroom on Friday that he was going to "sit quietly for one minute and that one minute represents a fraction of the time that Ahmaud Arbery was running" away.

He said the three men convicted in his death — Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and William Bryan — chased Arbery for five minutes in total.

The McMichaels and Bryan trailed Arbery in a pickup truck in February 2020 while he was jogging and fatally shot him After a confrontation, Travis McMichael used his shotgun to shoot and kill Arbery.

The men had claimed Arbery was responsible for robberies in their area and claimed self-defense in the killing.

All three were found guilty of Arbery's murder in November.

Walmsley sentenced the McMichaels to life in prison without parole on Friday. Bryan — who didn't fire the fatal shot but did chase Arbery and filmed the shooting — was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, Insider reported.

Arbery killers get life in prison; 

no parole for father, son

RUSS BYNUM

Thu, January 6, 2022, 

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — Three white men convicted of murder for chasing and killing Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced to life in prison Friday, with a judge denying any chance of parole for the father and son who armed themselves and initiated the deadly pursuit of the 25-year-old Black man.

Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley said Arbery left his home for a jog and ended up running for his life for five minutes as the men chased him until they finally cornered him. The judge paused for a minute of silence to help drive home a sense of what that time must have felt like for Arbery, whose killing became part of a larger national reckoning on racial injustice.

“When I thought about this, I thought from a lot of different angles. I kept coming back to the terror that must have been in the mind of the young man running through Satilla Shores,” he said, mentioning the neighborhood where Arbery was killed.

Greg and Travis McMichael grabbed guns and jumped in a pickup truck to chase Arbery after spotting him running in their neighborhood outside the port city of Brunswick on Feb. 23, 2020. Their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael firing close-range shotgun blasts into Arbery.

“Ahmaud Arbery was then hunted down and shot, and he was killed because individuals here in this courtroom took the law into their own hands,” the judge said. Walmsley ordered the McMichaels to serve life without parole and granted Bryan a chance to earn parole after serving at least 30 years in prison.

A few dozen supporters cheered Arbery’s family as they exited onto the courthouse steps Friday afternoon.

“Today your son has made history, because we have people who are being held accountable for lynching a Black man in America!” said Benjamin Crump, a civil attorney representing the family.

Murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison under Georgia law unless prosecutors seek the death penalty, which they opted against in this case. During the sentencing hearing, Arbery's family had asked the judge to show no lenience in deciding whether to grant an eventual chance at parole.

Arbery's sister recalled his humor, describing him as a positive thinker with a big personality. She told the judge her brother had dark skin “that glistened in the sunlight," thick, curly hair and an athletic build, factors that made him a target for the men who pursued him.

“These are the qualities that made these men assume that Ahmaud was a dangerous criminal and chase him with guns drawn. To me, those qualities reflect a young man full of life and energy who looked like me and the people I loved," Jasmine Arbery said.

Arbery's mother said she suffered a personal, intense loss made worse by a trial where the defense was that her son had made bad choices that led to his death.

“This wasn’t a case of mistaken identity or mistaken fact. They chose to target my son because they didn’t want him in their community. They chose to treat him differently than other people who frequently visited their community,” Wanda Cooper-Jones said. "And when they couldn’t sufficiently scare or intimidate him, they killed him.”

The sentences matched the recommendation of prosecutor Linda Dunikoski, who said all deserved the mandatory life sentence for showing “no empathy for the trapped and terrified Ahmaud Arbery.”

Contending the McMichaels still believed they didn’t do anything wrong, Dunikoski disclosed Friday that Greg McMichael gave Bryan's cellphone video of the shooting to an attorney, who leaked it.

“He believed it was going to exonerate him,” the prosecutor said.

The McMichaels' defense attorneys argued that their clients deserved the possibility of parole because the killing was an unplanned, unintentional act. Bryan's lawyer said he showed remorse and cooperated with police, turning over the cellphone video of the shooting to help them get to the truth.

“Mr. Bryan isn’t the one who brought a gun,” Kevin Gough said. “He was unarmed. And I think that reflects his intentions.”

Bryan is 52, raising the chances that he will spend the remainder of his life in prison even with the chance of parole after serving 30 years.

The guilty verdicts against the men handed down the day before Thanksgiving prompted a victory celebration outside the Glynn County courthouse. In addition to murder, all three men were also convicted of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. Travis and Greg McMichael were each sentenced to an additional 20 years for aggravated assault.

Defense attorneys have said they plan to appeal the convictions. They have 30 days after sentencing to file them.

Next month, the McMichaels and Bryan face a second trial, this time in U.S. District Court on federal hate crime charges. A judge has set jury selection to begin Feb. 7. Prosecutors will argue that the three men violated Arbery's civil rights and targeted him because he was Black.

TRUMP SPAC

DWAC stock slides 10% amid volatile two days

Ines Ferré

·Markets Reporter

Fri, January 7, 2022, 

Digital World Acquisition (DWAC) stock slid 10%, after surging as much as 20% a day earlier following a release date for former President Trump's new social media app.

Apple's app store states the app called "Truth Social," which can be pre-ordered, will be available on February 21.

Shares of DWAC initially shot up on the news Thursday afternoon. Friday morning though the stock opened lower. 

Shares of Digital World Acquisition have been volatile since announcing a tie-up to take Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) public. 

DWAC price action for first week of 2022

DWAC shares had jumped more than 800% over the span of two sessions last October after the merger plans were announced. 

The social media company will create a platform to “standup” against “Big Tech,” according to Trump, chairman of TMTG.

Digital World Acquisition had seen its market cap balloon to more than $8 billion at one point last year. 

Days later, short-seller Iceberg announced it was betting against the company, bringing the stock price down 10% in one day. 

The speculative stock had reached an all time intraday high of $121.80 on October 25. On Friday, shares closed at $53.98 each. 

PPE FOR THE PEOPLE

N95 and KN95 Masks Are Held to Different Standards, So You Need to Be Careful When Choosing One

Courtney Linder
Fri, January 7, 2022

Photo credit: Boston Globe / Contributor / Getty Images


Due to new, more contagious variants of COVID-19 emerging in the U.S., medical experts are recommending the use of N95 or KN95 masks.


These masks can filter a higher percent of particles in the air than surgical masks or homemade cloth face coverings.


N95 and KN95 masks are held to different standards, though, so you need to be careful in deciding which is right for you.

You've probably been wearing a mask when out in public for a majority of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, but are you still wearing the right one? Since new mutations of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19)—like the Delta variant, and now Omicron—are even more contagious, it's important to wear masks with a high-filtration capacity and a snug fit. N95 and KN95 masks best fit that bill.
🦠 Science is on our side. We'll help you make sense of it.

But what exactly are N95 and KN95 masks, what are the differences between them, and which mask should you ultimately purchase? Here are the facts.


➡️ Who Needs to Wear a Mask?

In short: everyone.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) mask guide, last updated in October, everyone two years of age or older who is not fully vaccinated should wear a mask in indoor public places (though it is not necessary to wear one in uncrowded outdoor settings).

Folks with conditions that lead to weakened immune systems, or those who are currently taking medications that can weaken their immune systems, should wear masks even if they are fully vaccinated.

Even if you are fully vaccinated, the CDC recommends that you wear a mask in regions with high numbers of COVID-19 cases—which is virtually everywhere in the United States at the moment, due to the highly contagious Omicron variant. That not only includes indoor spaces, but also crowded outdoor spaces, like concerts. You should also mask up in places where you might come into close contact with people who are not fully vaccinated, both to protect yourself and others.
➡️ What Are N95 Masks?

Photo credit: JOE CICAK - Getty Images

The N95 respirator is considered the gold standard of face coverings in the medical world, and even in the construction industry. These face coverings diverge from surgical masks in that the edges are designed to fit snugly to your face.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines N95 respirators as a "protective device designed to achieve a very close facial fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, still doesn't recommend the general public wear them. But that's only in order to reserve supplies for health care workers and medical first responders—not because the masks are ineffective.
➡️ What Do N95 Masks Look Like?

N95 masks are made of tough, yet flexible non-woven polypropylene fiber. They're mostly round with a protrusion near the top to help cover your nose. Elastic strings stretch around your head to hold the mask in place. N95s sometimes feature a valve to make inhalation and exhalation easier, but they're not required. The mask should be labeled with "N95" on it. Watch out for typos, as these could be counterfeits.
➡️ How Do N95 Masks Work?

N95s filter out at least 95 percent of very small particles that are about 0.3 microns in size, according to the CDC. But this is the particle size for which the masks are least efficient. In fact, N95s are better at filtering out particles that are either larger or smaller than 0.3 microns.

These masks can filter about 99.8 percent of particles with a diameter of about 0.1 microns, according to a February 2017 study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. As an April 2020 review published in the journal eLife notes, SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus with about a 0.1 micron diameter, so N95s are particularly suited to our current pandemic.

Why are N95s so efficient at filtering out the smaller particles? It has something to do with "Brownian motion," or a phenomenon that causes particles smaller than 0.3 microns to move in a haphazard, zig-zagging motion. This makes it more likely for the particles to get caught inside the fibers of the N95. Plus, the masks use electrostatic absorption, which means that rather than passing through the fiber, the particles are trapped.

"Although these particles are smaller than the pores, they can be pulled over by the charged fibers and get stuck," Jiaxing Huang, a materials scientist at Northwestern University, told USA Today. "When the charges are dissipated during usage or storage, the capability of stopping virus-sized particles diminishes. This is the main reason of not recommending the reuse of N95 masks."

In an extensive review of various face masks published in September 2020 in the journal Science Advances, researchers from Duke University found N95 masks were most effective in filtering out particles. Those masks had a droplet transmission rate of less than 0.1 percent. However, this is with the caveat that N95s don't necessarily protect others around you.

"[T]he performance of the valved N95 mask is likely affected by the exhalation valve, which opens for strong outwards airflow," the Duke scientists say. "While the valve does not compromise the protection of the wearer, it can decrease the protection of persons surrounding the wearer. In comparison, the performance of the fitted, non-valved N95 mask was far superior."

There are also various types of N95 respirators, so make sure the one you're using is rated for the performance you want. Some masks are defined as surgical, while others aren't. Some aren't fluid-resistant. All N95 masks should protect you from airborne particles, though, according to 3M, the manufacturer of most N95s in the U.S.
➡️ What Are KN95 Masks?

Photo credit: Smith Collection/Gado - Getty Images

KN95s are closely related to N95s, but only the latter is approved for use in medical settings in the U.S., and the reasoning is pretty simple: N95s are the U.S. standard, while KN95s are the Chinese standard for these close-fitting filtration devices. Both are rated to filter out 95 percent of very small particles.

Due to the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the U.S. at the start of the pandemic, the CDC has authorized the use of KN95 masks as a suitable alternative for N95 masks. However, a number of hospitals and other KN95 wearers have pointed out some discrepancies in quality.


*At time of update (January 7, 2022), the masks featured in this story appeared on the FDA's Appendix A: Authorized Imported, Non-NIOSH Approved Respirators Manufactured in China list. We suggest you check each listing's manufacturer name against the FDA approved list before you make a purchase. The brand name does not always match the manufacturer.
➡️ What Do KN95 Masks Look Like?


KN95 masks look a lot like N95s at first glance, but they feature a seam down the middle that makes it possible to fold the masks in half. The masks use ear loops to secure your face covering.

➡️ How Do KN95 Masks Work?

KN95 masks work similarly to N95 masks, but they aren't regulated by the same organizations. This has led to some questions about the efficacy of KN95 masks in surgical settings. (You can see if the FDA has approved your model of KN95 for emergency medical use by checking this list.)

In a September 2020 analysis of 200 KN95 masks from 15 manufacturers, the patient safety nonprofit ECRI found that up to 70 percent of the protective face coverings didn't meet U.S. standards for effectiveness, "raising risks of contracting COVID-19 for care providers and patients at hospitals and other healthcare organizations that imported masks from China."

Still, KN95 masks are better than surgical masks or cloth masks, according to ECRI. These are most appropriate in cases where you don't expect to come into contact with bodily fluids. Non-certified masks that use head and neck straps will also serve you better than those with ear loops.
➡️ How Are N95 and KN95 Masks Different?

Photo credit: Gaelle Beller Studio - Getty Images

Both N95 and KN95 masks use multiple layers of synthetic material to protect you from outside particles. And, as their names suggest, both must filter out 95 percent of particles that are 0.3 microns in size or larger.


The main differences are the looks and regulating bodies that control the masks. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) regulates N95 masks, putting each mask prototype from various manufacturers through a rigorous testing process. (You can find a list of CDC-approved N95 masks for use in surgical settings here.) Meanwhile, the Chinese government regulates KN95 masks.
➡️ Here's the Bottom Line

For the average person, N95 masks and KN95 masks have negligible differences. If you're not a health care worker, either should suffice. But if you can't find either kind of mask, consider double masking with a surgical mask beneath your cloth mask.

SCHADENFREUDE

Canadian influencers who partied maskless on a plane are stranded in Mexico because airlines won't fly them home

Canadian airline companies have refused to take the partygoers home.

GEOFF ROBINS/AFP via Getty Images

• About 100 partygoers who threw a rowdy New Year's party on a plane now can't find a flight home.

• Airlines are refusing to accommodate them after videos of their maskless celebration surfaced.

• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the partygoers "idiots" and said an investigation was underway.

A group of passengers who partied, drank, and vaped while maskless on a Canadian charter flight are now stuck in Cancun, Mexico, after multiple airlines denied them flights home, the party's organizer said.

Authorities were shocked this week by videos of the partygoers dancing in the aisle, downing vodka, and blowing e-cigarette smoke into the camera on a December 30 flight from Montreal. The clips were shared on Thursday by Le Journal de Montréal's Francis Pilon.

Pilon reported the 100 passengers — several of whom are reality-TV stars or social-media influencers — became so rowdy that flight attendants tried to avoid the cabin as much as possible.

The event's organizer, James William Awad, said the return trip was canceled by Sunwing, the airline that flew them to Cancun.

Other airlines, such as Air Canada and Air Transat, also declined to take them back to Montreal, citing safety issues for their crew and other passengers, CNN reported.

Awad said in a statement on Thursday that he spoke with Sunwing but that they "couldn't conclude on an agreement" because the airline wouldn't serve the passengers meals on their five-hour flight home.

Sunwing listed conditions for the partygoers' return flight, requiring them to be sober while on board, to remain seated unless using the bathroom, and to allow security staff to fly with them at Awad's expense, he said.

The organizer said he agreed to these conditions, except for the lack of meals on the flight. Sunwing and Awad did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

The trip by his organization, 111 Private Club, a self-described "exclusive private group (by invitation only)," was Awad's first travel event, he said. According to him, everyone on the plane had been tested for COVID-19 before boarding the plane to Cancun.

"I have significantly learned, and I am still learning from this experience. Learning from them is what makes the difference," he said.

But the party plane's disregard for Montreal's pandemic rules has already summoned the fury of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called the partygoers "idiots" and said the videos were "a slap in the face," The Associated Press reported. He pledged a full investigation into the event by Transport Canada.

Transport Canada said those found in violation of its rules could be fined up to $3,938 for every infraction, The AP reported.

One passenger, a real-estate broker, was suspended from his job after he was filmed with a loudspeaker in his hand while partying in the skies, Pilon reported\

Canada party plane influencer 'idiots' fly home to face music

Sat, January 8, 2022

The group was stranded in Cancun, Mexico, after airlines refused to fly them back to Canada

Canadian officials say a group of influencers whose rowdy behaviour on a flight led to their stranding in Mexico have flown home to face an inquiry.

In a briefing, a top health official said that 27 had returned and were screened at the airport. Some of the group could face stiff punishments.

Video shows a party on their charter plane without masks. Some were passing around bottles and vaping.

Their behaviour caused the airline to refuse to fly them home.

Sunwing Airlines cancelled a 5 January return trip for group of about 130 from Cancun and carriers Air Transat and Air Canada also said they would refuse to fly them.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the group's behaviour a "slap in the face" to citizens who have been following proper social distancing measures, as well as airline workers.

In French, Mr Trudeau referred to them as "idiots" and "barbarians".

Canadian Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos said in a briefing on Friday: "We know that this issue of Sunwing travellers having behaved irresponsibly, inexcusably, and unacceptably on a flight to Mexico [has] raised a lot of anger and frustration."

The 27 who have returned were tested for the virus, and "were checked with regards to whether they had obeyed and followed all of the health regulations they were supposed to follow throughout their trip".

They had to provide proof of vaccination against Covid-19, a negative PCR test, and a quarantine plan.

Mr Duclos said the Quebec police department was investigating the travellers.

Transport Canada is also investigating the group - they could issue fines of up to C$5,000 (£2,900) per offence.

Rebecca St Pierre, a 19-year-old student from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, told the Canadian Press she had won the trip on Instagram.

She said she had tested positive for Covid on Wednesday, and was not sure how to pay for her hotel stay. She estimated that about 30 people from the plane had tested positive.

"I was expecting a relaxing week, where I was going to be careful,″ she said. "But this turns out to be an expensive trip for something that was supposed to be free." She is isolating in Tulum, south of Cancun, reports the Canadian Press.

Ms St Pierre added that some travellers had planned to put Vaseline up their nose for their return trip, in an effort to thwart Covid testing.

Other stranded passengers include local reality TV actors.

The trip organiser, identified as James William Awad, said in a statement on Thursday that Sunwing was being unreasonable over a "simple party".

"I will take a moment to sit down and rethink everything,″ he said on Twitter. "Especially how I can do things better next time."

Meet the musician behind the maskless influencer party flight who likens himself to James Bond

Sheila Flynn

THE INDEPENDENT
Sat, January 8, 2022

James William Awad, who performs under the name Senior, is an aspiring musician who organised infamous pandemic party flight from Canada to Mexico (YouTube/Senior)

The man behind a plane full of “private club” members so badly behaved in-flight that airlines refused to take them home has been revealed as an aspiring musician who’s already changed his name at least once and whose business dealings prompted warnings from the Canadian government.

James William Awad, who was known as Kevin Awad until 2019, is a 28-year-old from Montreal with a penchant for flashy clothes and self-promotion, his social media accounts reveal. He’s also a musician releasing songs under the name Senior; that Instagram account has 1million followers and consists mostly of clips from his music videos and photos of Mr Awad dressed expensively, counting money or posing broodingly in swanky locations.

He changed his name, he told The Independent in an email Saturday, “cause people always used to call me James. In reference to James Bond.”

Mr Awad was the mastermind behind a chartered Sunwing flight from Montreal to Cancun last week in which revelers were filmed drinking, vaping and dancing – all maskless. The flight was organised by Mr Awad’s members-only 111 Private Club, with passengers including influencers and reality TV personalities.

Footage from the flight sparked outrage, especially after many passengers allegedly later tested positive for coronavirus. The partiers were left stranded when Sunwing and other airlines, following their behaviour on the first flight, refused to take them back to Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking in French, called the group “idiots” and “barbarians”. His government has launched an inquiry.

Footage from the hedonistic flight sparked outrage, especially after many passengers later tested positive for coronavirus. The partiers were left stranded when Sunwing and other airlines, following their behaviour on the first flight, refused to take them back to Canada (Twitter: FrancisPilon_)

“Most people left Mexico already and are back in Montreal,” Mr Awad told The Independent on Saturday. “Some stayed in in Mexico to enjoy the sun a bit more and some are waiting for the big plane to return home. I am working on the plane right now. Almost done negotiations (sic).”

Those negotiations have been going on for days. As headlines and controversy swirled regarding the group’s travel plans, Mr Awad on Thursday released a statement on a blog seemingly created just this month.

“The 111 private club is a dream and a vision that I poured my heart and soul into creating,” he wrote. “This was my first travel event. I have significantly learned, and I am still learning from this experience. Learning from them is what makes the difference.”

A video he posted to Twitter on Friday, however, was more defiant – and arguably tone-deaf during the pandemic that has killed millions across the globe.

Mr Awad – who has fewer than 4,000 Twitter followers – wrote that “trying to make this world a better place, is a death bed, i guess (sic).”

He continued: “Did a new years travel event to make every body happy and build a system where every one can enjoy entertainment safely and together, spent hundreds of thousands, only to get killed by media again in the end.

“Building a decentralized system where every one can work together to build projects and make life better for everybody, and I know, it could be my final death bed. I’m still gonna do it...,” he wrote, ending the post with a sad emoji.

The words were set to music, one of his own songs as Senior in which the lyrics mention police and a “covid party”.

The entire incident called to mind the disastrous Fyre Festival, organised in the Caribbean nearly five years ago by another smooth-talking self-promoter, Billy McFarland. While that debacle took place years before the pandemic, travellers were similarly stranded after plans and promises from organisers turned out to be little more than wishful thinking.

One Twitter user, @j_jaj23, on Friday responded jokingly to a statement from Mr Awad, writing: “Ja Rule, Billy McFarland and the entire Fyre Festival wants to talk to you for a possible collab.”



This isn’t the first time Mr Awad has attempted a major undertaking, however – nor the first time he’s landed in hot water.

According to a glowing press release issued in April 2020 about his business efforts, the 28-year-old first began programming at age 11, later becoming a freelance developer at 14 and lying about his age to get work.

He tells The Independent that, growing up in Montreal, “my dream was to build video games.”

His skills, however, got him “his first real project” for “a bank in Mexico,” according to the 2020 release. “He was tasked with fixing and creating features for a user management system. Luckily, they never asked to speak on the phone with him, as they easily could have guessed his age.

“James ended up making a couple thousand bucks while working on multiple projects. He took all this money to buy C++ coding books and pay his parents mortgage for the year.

“At the age of 15, James got serious about playing video games. He found a trick in an online game by generating coins. James then sold the coins to a company in China. That company would then sell them to players all around the world.”

The release claims he also went on to start a successful online clothing store before setting up TripleOne, a “decentralized company where users around the world work together to build and manage it ... James says that one day users of TripleOne will manage and operate e-commerce, real estate, and other businesses as a decentralized team.

“Each member will be paid out on a monthly basis based on the value brought to the table. Value such as coming up with business ideas, and fulfilling related work that comes with any business venture.”

The release calls the idea behind TripleOne “revolutionary” – but potential participants could be dissuaded by Mr Awad’s track record.

In a 2015 press release from Canada’s Financial Markets Authority, the body warned about the activities of Kevin Awad and KJRVS Inc., of which he is president and shareholder.

“Kevin Awad is not registered with the Authority,” the release said. “He cannot therefore solicit or act as a broker with Quebec consumers to invest. Kevin Awad reportedly approached people through his Facebook page claiming to offer a unique investment system.

“On his company’s webpage, investors could open an account that allowed them to submit securities proposals, determine the amount to invest in investment sessions, and more.

“Although it seems that the activities of the company KJRVS inc. have ceased and its website is no longer accessible, some information suggests that Kevin Awad could resume soliciting investors.”

Mr Awad, however, takes issue with the allegations.

“I lost only because I didn’t have money to pay lawyers,” he told The Independent. “Even the judge was surprised and asked me ‘where are your lawyers.’

“I am not guilty. I ended up having to pay a $2000 fine.”

In addition to his business and music dealings, however, the Canadian claimed on Twitter in November that his “book is coming out in 2025”. His personal website, james.com, and his LinkedIn page were both disabled for much of Friday, with Mr Awad citing high traffic volume.

His YouTube channel as Senior has fewer than 10,000 subscribers.

Serbia may suspend lithium deal with Rio Tinto - PM Brnabic


FILE PHOTO: Protest in Belgrade against Rio Tinto's plan to open lithium mine

Sat, January 8, 2022

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Serbia may soon decide to annul all contracts related to mining group Rio Tinto's $2.4 billion lithium project in the country, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Saturday, as green groups blocked roads across Serbia protesting against the plan.

Rio Tinto wants to develop the mine near Loznica in the western Jadar valley, but the local municipality has already scrapped a plan https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/rio-tinto-pause-lithium-mine-serbia-after-protests-report-2021-12-23 to allocate land for it.

The development is part of Serbia's efforts to bring in investment and boost economic growth. But environmentalists have staged protests and blocked roads to press authorities to end the project, which they say would cause irreparable damage to the area.

Rio has said any development would meet domestic and European Union environmental standards.

The protests have caused a political headache for the ruling coalition loyal to President Aleksandar Vucic ahead of April elections.

"We have neither brought them (Rio Tinto) in, nor have we made promises, nor have we done anything that the people did not know about," Brnabic told television channel Pink, saying the government was close to accepting all requests from environmentalists.

"We have worked in a transparent way, we have listened to the people," Brnabic said, adding the government needed to see how much it would have to pay out if the deal is annulled.

Brnabic also said the government wanted to win agreement for any decision from President Aleksandar Vucic, who she said was against the fulfilling of "requests by foreign services and agencies".

Vucic has repeatedly said that opening the mine would dependon the outcome of an environmental study and a referendum.

The protesters who blocked roads including in the capital Belgrade want the government to ban the extraction of lithium not only by Rio Tinto but any other company.

(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by David Holmes)

Serbia: Lithium mine opponents block roads in bad weather

Via AP news wire
Sat, January 8, 2022, 

Serbia Environmental Protest (Copyright 2022 

The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Hundreds of people in Serbia spent part of a holiday weekend blocking roads Saturday to protest plans for lithium mining in the Balkan country.

The protests came a day after Orthodox Christians in Serbia and many other countries celebrated Christmas. The demonstrations took place in the capital, Belgrade and several other locations.

Anti-mine activists have organized weekly gatherings to keep pressure on the populist government of President Aleksandar Vucic to scrap the possibility of lithium excavations in western Serbia.

Thousands have joined protests in the past and ecology groups have vowed not to stop until the mining proposals are rejected.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told the pro-government Pink television on Saturday that her government was “close to annulling” any deals with multinational mining company Rio Tinto which has explored the area and wants to extract lithium.

“We listen to our people,” Brnabic said.

Experts have warned that mining for lithium, a material used for car and other batteries, would destroy the region’s farmland, ecosystem and water.

Serbia faces numerous environmental problems following decades of neglect. The country is swamped with garbage and has very poor air quality.

Improving environmental protection is one of the criteria Serbia needs to fulfill to advance on its path to joining the European Union.

Rio Tinto Is Building Its Lithium Business. The Move to Green Energy Will Boost the Stock.


JANUARY 7, 2022

A hefty dividend and a strong pivot toward clean-energy products should make United Kingdom-based diversified miner Rio Tinto a good bet for investors. Experts say that those with a heavy appetite for risk can expect total returns to reach 30% within 12 months.

In December, the company — which currently derives three-quarters of its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or EBITDA, from iron ore — announced that it would buy Argentina-based Rincon. Lithium Project for $825 million. The deal, which requires regulatory approval, would make Rio Tinto a major battery-grade lithium producer.

“What’s interesting is that they consistently went out and found this deal, and they will continue to look for similar opportunities,” said Sophie Lund-Yates, a senior equity analyst at UK-based broker Hargreaves Lansdowne. baron’s, “Not everyone has the firepower to make those changes.”

In other words, Rio Tinto (ticker: Rio) has the willingness and financial strength to close the Green Switch.

Sure, mining and caring for the environment seemed like an odd pairing a few years ago. but growing special mineral requirements Requirements for decarbonization have changed.

In particular, the need for materials needed for clean energy is now increasing, and this will help ignite the company’s already better-than-average mining image. Unlike some other miscellaneous miners, Rio Tinto does not produce any fossil fuels such as coal.

The Rincon project adds more green: Lithium is used to make electric-vehicle batteries. Industry experts say the demand for the metal is expected to nearly triple to 1.5 million metric tonnes by 2025. Last year, lithium carbonate prices more than quadrupled, up 413% to $32,600 per metric ton, according to S&P Global, due to increased demand. And a forecast deficit this year means prices could rise even higher.

The increased bet on meeting the Green Goals is only part of the story. According to Morningstar, RIO’s American Depository Receipts has recently outperformed its peers, producing an annualized return of 22.9% in the three years to January 3, up from the industry average of 20.2%. The company is valued at an average forward multiple of 9.3 versus 6.7 times forward earnings over the past five years.

Research organization CFRA has a target price of 58 pounds sterling ($78.50) on shares listed in the UK, or about 18% higher than its recent price of £49.36. “We like Rio for its best leverage profile among peers [with net cash since the middle of last year],” said a recent CFRA report. “An improved balance-sheet profile will provide support to the company in the face of macro uncertainty.”

The cherry on top is the 10% projected dividend for 2022. With potential stock price gains, investors can walk away with a 28% gain this year.

There are some significant risks with this investment. Iron-ore demand is heavily dependent on demand from Chinese steelmakers, who require the ore. The bursting of China’s real estate bubble could further plummet iron-ore demand and prices. According to TradingEconomics, iron-ore prices have fallen recently to $116, up from $225 per metric ton in May.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Tyler Broda says that if the price falls further, profits could drop dramatically, putting pressure on the company’s dividend.

Still, China’s economic troubles are widely acknowledged by investors, who suggest that concerns about a drop in iron-ore demand may already be reflected in Rio Tinto’s stock price, prompting the stock to bet. will be worth.

A SEA MYSTERY
Families of crew from sunken fishing vessel get nearly $1M

Fri, January 7, 2022
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A judge has awarded nearly $1 million in damages to the families of four fishermen who died when their boat mysteriously sank off Massachusetts in 2020.

The 82-foot (25-meter) Portland, Maine-based Emmy Rose went down early Nov. 23, 2020, as it was heading to port after a seven-day fishing trip, the National Transportation Safety Board said. Authorities had previously said it was heading to Gloucester, Massachusetts.

A total of $960,000 in insurance proceeds from the boat owner, Boat Aaron & Melissa Inc., was distributed among the families by U.S. District Judge John Woodcock in an order Wednesday, The Portland Press Herald reported.

The families agreed to accept the money in exchange for an order releasing the owner from further liability. The judge also exonerated the owner.

Woodcock wrote that each man died “an unspeakably tragic and terrible death.”

“Again, there is no evidence about how the vessel went down and it is possible that it sank suddenly and without warning, but it is more likely that there was some period of panic as the seamen worked in horrific conditions to avoid its and their awful demise,” Woodcock wrote.

The vessel made no distress calls. The Coast Guard searched more than 2,200 square miles over a 38-hour period, yet found nothing more than a debris field, diesel fuel odor, an emergency beacon and an empty life raft.

The crew — Capt. Robert Blethen Jr., of Georgetown, Maine; Jeffrey Matthews, of Portland, Maine; Ethan Ward, of Pownal, Maine; and Michael Porper, of Gloucester, Massachusetts — was never found.

The Emmy Rose was found in May, in an upright position with its outriggers deployed, in about 800 feet of water on the seafloor about 25 miles off Provincetown, Massachusetts, the NTSB said.

Federal authorities partnered with the National Science Foundation and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in September to survey the sunken vessel using a remotely operated vehicle. The vehicle yielded videos and high-resolution photos that are being used by investigators trying to determine why the vessel went down.

Ashley Gross, Porper's fiancee, said in a statement provided by her attorney that she felt the judge did a fair job of dividing the limited insurance between the four families.

“There is no amount of money that will bring my friends and fiance back,” she said Thursday. “The judgment doesn’t bring us closure but does bring some peace of mind that Michael was able to contribute to his daughters’ future.”

An email was left Friday for the attorney who represented the Emmy Rose’s owner.

Exclusive-Baby lost in chaos of Afghanistan airlift found, returned to family after long ordeal

Mica Rosenberg, Jonathan Landay and James Mackenzie
Sat, January 8, 2022

KABUL, Afghanistan (Reuters) - An infant boy handed in desperation to a soldier across an airport wall in the chaos of the American evacuation of Afghanistan has been found and was reunited with his relatives in Kabul on Saturday.

The baby, Sohail Ahmadi, was just two months old when he went missing on Aug. 19 as thousands of people rushed to leave Afghanistan as it fell to the Taliban.

Following an exclusive Reuters story https://www.reuters.com/world/exclusive-baby-handed-us-soldiers-chaos-afghanistan-airlift-still-missing-2021-11-05 published in November with his pictures, the baby was located in Kabul where a 29-year-old taxi driver named Hamid Safi had found him in the airport and took him home to raise as his own.

After more than seven weeks of negotiations and pleas, and ultimately a brief detention by Taliban police, Safi finally handed the child back to his jubilant grandfather and other relatives still in Kabul.

They said they would now seek to have him reunited with his parents and siblings who were evacuated months ago to the United States.

During the tumultuous Afghan evacuation over the summer, Mirza Ali Ahmadi - the boy's father who had worked as a security guard at the U.S. embassy - and his wife Suraya feared their son would get crushed in the crowd as they neared the airport gates en route to a flight to the United States.

Ahmadi told Reuters in early November in his desperation that day, he handed Sohail over the airport wall to a uniformed soldier who he believed to be an American, fully expecting he would soon make it the remaining 5 meters (15 feet) to the entrance to reclaim him.

Just at that moment, Taliban forces pushed the crowd back and it would be another half an hour before Ahmadi, his wife and their four other children were able to get inside.

But by then the baby was nowhere to be found.

Ahmadi said he searched desperately for his son inside the airport and was told by officials that he had likely been taken out of the country separately and could be reunited with them later.

The rest of the family was evacuated - eventually ending up at a military base in Texas. For months they had no idea where their son was.

The case highlights the plight of many parents separated from their children https://www.reuters.com/world/when-are-my-parents-coming-1300-afghan-children-evacuated-us-limbo-2021-11-10 during the hasty evacuation effort and withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country after a 20-year war.

With no U.S. embassy in Afghanistan and international organizations overstretched, Afghan refugees have had trouble getting answers on the timing, or possibility, of complex reunifications like this one.

The U.S. Department of Defense, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday.

ALONE AT THE AIRPORT

On the same day Ahmadi and his family were separated from their baby, Safi had slipped through the Kabul airport gates after giving a ride to his brother's family who were also set to evacuate.

Safi said he found Sohail alone and crying on the ground. After he said he unsuccessfully tried to locate the baby's parents inside, he decided to take the infant home to his wife and children. Safi has three daughters of his own and said his mother's greatest wish before she died was for him to have a son.

In that moment he decided: "I am keeping this baby. If his family is found, I will give him to them. If not, I will raise him myself," he told Reuters in an interview in late November.



Safi told Reuters that he took him to the doctor for a check-up after he was found and quickly incorporated the child into his family. They called the baby Mohammad Abed and posted pictures of all the children together on his Facebook page.

After the Reuters story about the missing child came out, some of Safi's neighbors - who had noticed his return from the airport months earlier with a baby - recognized the photos and posted comments about his whereabouts on a translated version of the article.

Ahmadi asked his relatives still in Afghanistan, including his father-in-law Mohammad Qasem Razawi, 67, who lives in the northeastern province of Badakhshan, to seek out Safi and ask him to return Sohail to the family.

Razawi said he traveled two days and two nights to the capital bearing gifts - including a slaughtered sheep, several pounds of walnuts and clothing - for Safi and his family.

But Safi refused to release Sohail, insisting he also wanted to be evacuated from Afghanistan with his family. Safi's brother, who was evacuated to California, said Safi and his family have no pending applications for U.S. entry.

The baby's family sought help from the Red Cross, which has a stated mission to help reconnect people separated by international crises, but said they received little information from the organization. A spokesperson for the Red Cross said it does not comment on individual cases.

Finally, after feeling they had run out of options, Razawi contacted the local Taliban police to report a kidnapping. Safi told Reuters he denied the allegations to the police and said he was caring for the baby, not kidnapping him.

The complaint was investigated and dismissed and the local police commander told Reuters he helped arrange a settlement, which included an agreement signed with thumbprints by both sides. Razawi said the baby's family in the end agreed to compensate Safi around 100,000 Afghani ($950) for expenses incurred looking after him for five months.

"The grandfather of the baby complained to us and we found Hamid and based on the evidence we had, we recognized the baby," said Hamid Malang, the chief area controller of the local police station. "With both sides in agreement, the baby will be handed over to his grandfather," he said on Saturday.

In the presence of the police, and amid lots of tears, the baby was finally returned to his relatives.

Razawi said Safi and his family were devastated to lose Sohail. "Hamid and his wife were crying, I cried too, but assured them that you both are young, Allah will give you male child. Not one, but several. I thanked both of them for saving the child from the airport," Razawi said.

The baby's parents told Reuters they were overjoyed as they were able to see with their own eyes the reunion over video chat.

"There are celebrations, dance, singing," said Razawi. "It is just like a wedding indeed."

Now Ahmadi and his wife and other children, who in early December were able to move off the military base and resettle in an apartment in Michigan, hope Sohail will soon be brought to the United States.

"We need to get the baby back to his mother and father. This is my only responsibility," his grandfather said. "My wish is that he should return to them."

(Reporting by Mica Rosenberg in New York, Jonathan Landay in Washington and James Mackenzie in Kabul; Editing by Kieran Murray and Daniel Wallis)

SCHADENFREUDE

QAnon influencer who spread conspiracy theories and misinformation about COVID-19 dies after contracting the virus

Morgan Keith

Sat, January 8, 2022

skaman306/Getty Images

• Cirsten Weldon was a QAnon influencer who spread conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines.

• Weldon said she felt exhausted and unwell in the final videos she posted before her hospitalization.

• Following her death, a QAnon influencer threatened the medical professionals who cared for Weldon.

QAnon influencer Cirsten Weldon used her streaming service and conservative social media platforms to spread misinformation and conspiracy theories about a variety of topics, including the "deep state," chemtrails, and COVID-19, which she ultimately succumbed to on Thursday, the Daily Beast reported.

Weldon, who was vehemently opposed to COVID-19 vaccination efforts, had previously recorded herself yelling at individuals waiting in line to get vaccinated and stated in a video that Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, "needs to be hung from a rope," according to the Daily Beast.

In the weeks leading up to her death, Weldon posted several short livestreams and clips of her show, "The True Cirsten W," where she coughed and stated that she felt exhausted and unwell.

"Good morning patriots, I didn't think I was going to make it. I'm sorry. I'm exhausted and I have no, I'm very, very weak. I have no strength. I haven't eaten in four days," Weldon said in a Facebook video on December 27.

Her last video was posted on the same account the next day.

Weldon, an avid social media user who typically posted several times a day, was not heard from again until December 31, when she posted a photo of herself wearing an oxygen mask in a hospital bed to her Telegram account.

She said in a subsequent post that she had been in the hospital for two days with what she claimed was "bacteria pneumonia," although she wrote that she had refused "Dr Fauci's Resmedervir (sic)" treatment after being tested for COVID-19.

Her posts became increasingly incoherent and filled with typos throughout her hospital stay. "Praying God takes me out of here soon," Weldon said in the final post on her Telegram account.

Following her death, other prominent QAnon influencers said they were too late at staging an intervention to get Weldon out of the hospital and also threatened the lives of the medical professionals who cared for her, according to the Daily Beast.

Weldon is one of several conservative vaccine skeptics who have died from COVID-19 during the pandemic, including Phil Valentine, Marc Bernier, Doug Kuzma, and Pressley Stutts.