text:
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) entered the Black Sea to participate in the 21st iteration of Exercise Sea Breeze 2021 (SB21), June 26, 2021. Ross will join 31 other ships in the Black Sea to participate in the maritime portion of SB21. The exercise scenario designed to bring together military forces from North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia to test multiple warfare disciplines in the sea, on land, and up in the air, including surface warfare, land operations, anti-submarine warfare, air defense, and explosive ordnance disposal techniques.
This exercise is a previously planned annual exercise. 2021 will mark the 21st iteration of exercise Sea Breeze. The continuation of this exercise program is a visible demonstration of our enduring commitment to work closely with our NATO Allied and partner nations to enhance maritime security in the Black Sea. The U.S. stands together with our NATO allies and partners to maintain a safe, secure and prosperous European region and global security environment.
The Black Sea is a critical waterway for maritime commerce and stability throughout Europe. The U.S. Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea to work with Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine and other NATO Allies and partners. It is in the world best interest to maintain a stable, prosperous Black Sea region and deter aggressive actors who seek destabilization for their own gain. Exercise Sea Breeze is a multinational maritime exercise cohosted by U.S. Sixth Fleet and the Ukrainian Navy in the Black Sea since 1997. Sea Breeze 2021 is designed to enhance interoperability of participating nations and strengthen maritime security and peace within the region.
USS Ross (DDG-71) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She is the second Navy ship to be named Ross, the first Navy ship named for Medal of Honor recipient Donald K. Ross and the 21st destroyer of her class. The first Ross, DD-563, was named for David Ross, a captain in the Continental Navy. Ross was the 10th ship of her class to be built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was laid down on 10 April 1995; launched on 22 March 1996; sponsored by Mrs. Helen L. Ross, widow of the late Captain Ross; and commissioned on 28 June 1997, at Galveston, Texas, Commander Jeffrey R. Ginnow in command.
Ross, forward-deployed at Naval Station Rota, Spain, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe. The U.S. Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea consistent with international law, including the Montreux Convention. Ross is one of four U.S. Navy destroyers based in Rota, Spain, and assigned to Commander, Task Force 65 in support of NATO's Integrated Air Missile Defense architecture. These Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe ships have the flexibility to operate throughout the waters of Europe and Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to the Arctic Circle, demonstrating their mastery of the maritime domain.
Patrol Squadron (VP) 46 belongs to Task Force 67 which is composed of land-based maritime patrol aircraft that operate over the waters of the Mediterranean in anti-submarine, reconnaissance, surveillance, and mining roles. Task Force 67′s official mission is to provide responsive, interoperable, and expeditionary combat ready maritime patrol aircraft and supporting forces to U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa and U.S. Sixth Fleet. U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.


text:
Unemployment Insurance as a Worker Indiscipline Device? Evidence from Scanner Data
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
vol. 14, no. 2, April 2022
(pp. 285-319)
AbstractWe provide causal evidence of an ex ante moral hazard effect of unemployment insurance (UI) by matching plausibly exogenous changes in UI benefit duration across state-weeks during the Great Recession to high-frequency productivity measures from individual supermarket cashiers. Estimating models with date and cashier-register fixed effects, we identify a modest but statistically significant negative relationship between UI benefits and worker productivity. This effect is strongest for more experienced and less productive cashiers, for whom UI expansions are especially relevant. Additional analyses from the American Time Use Survey reveal a similar increase in shirking during periods with increased UI benefit durations.
CitationLusher, Lester, Geoffrey C. Schnorr, and Rebecca L.C. Taylor. 2022. "Unemployment Insurance as a Worker Indiscipline Device? Evidence from Scanner Data." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 14 (2): 285-319. DOI: 10.1257/app.20190007
Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D82 Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
- E32 Business Fluctuations; Cycles
- J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
- J24 Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
- J65 Unemployment Insurance; Severance Pay; Plant Closings
- L81 Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce
There are no comments for this article.Login to Comment

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Barcelona, 4th and 5th July 2019
The Organizing Committee is pleased to invite you to the XII GEIRLI Meeting that will take place on July 4th and 5th in Barcelona, at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Barcelona located in the Diagonal-Pedralbes university campus. As the title indicates, we have made an effort to present current topics and the meeting will consist of:
• The Redox Biology Network in Pathophysiology and Therapeutics
• Redox as a Master Regulator of Transcriptional Programs
• Redox Biology in Neurological Function, Dysfunction and Aging
• Antioxidant Systems and Molecular Signalling
• Redox-Omic Technologies
Plenary Lectures:
• Dra. Ulla Knaus: ROS at Mucosal Barriers
• Dr. Michael Davies: Redox Modifications to the Extracellular Matrix: a Signal for Altered Cell Behaviour
Round Table:
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Oxidative Stress
The meeting will also include Discussion of Posters and Oral Communications.
The organizing committee has a special interest in young researchers participating in the Meeting, and we are offering a reduced registration fee (€50) for members of the Society for Free Radical Research-Europe (SFRR-E). Prizes will also be offered for the best oral communications / posters presented by pre-doctoral researchers.
We hope that the XII GEIRLI Meeting will be a rewarding experience, both scientifically and personally, and that you will take full advantage of the opportunities it offers for interesting discussions as well as to start new collaborations and research projects. We would like to encourage you to join in with this event and we look forward to your contribution towards making the XII GEIRLI Meeting a great success.
Local Organising Committee
Teresa Carbonell (Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia. Universitat de Barcelona)
Isabel Fabregat (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge, IDIBELL, Barcelona)
Mª Teresa Mitjavila (Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia. Universitat de Barcelona)
Jordi Muntané (IBIS, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla)
Joan Roselló (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques IIBB-CSIC Barcelona)
Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Scientific Committee
CARBONELL, Teresa (email@example.com)
FABREGAT, Isabel (email@example.com)
MITJAVILA, Mª Teresa (email@example.com)
MONSALVE, María (email@example.com)
MUNTANÉ, Jordi (firstname.lastname@example.com)
ROSELLÓ-CATAFAU, Joan (email@example.com)
RUIZ LARREA, Mª Begoña (email@example.com)
VÍCTOR, Víctor (firstname.lastname@example.com)


text:
There are six SmartPark garages in downtown with nearly 4,000 public spaces. This holiday season, SmartPark will offer free parking on the next two Sundays: 12/14 and 12/21. And, on days when parking is not free, more than 200 businesses will validate up to two hours.
Filed under:
Free Parking at SmartPark During the Holiday Season
The holidays are the perfect time to shop locally, explore and celebrate all that Portland has to offer. And with free parking at SmartPark garages, enjoying downtown is easy.
by Bill Clark
Share this story
The Latest
Filed under:
Everyone Else's Guide to Portland
Where Portland celebrities and chefs like to eat, drink, and party in town


text:
MX Player 1.8.6 (1170000108) APK Latest Version Download
December 2, 2020
Download MX Player Latest Version 1.8.6 for Android
In Media & Video by Top Developer J2 Interactive
(4.4/5 average rating on Google Play by 3,678,000 users) Last Updated: August 17, 2016
You are downloading MX Player Latest APK v1.8.6 (1170000108). The best way to enjoy your movies. MX Player's features include Hardware acceleration, Multi-core Decoding, Subtitle gestures and many more.
MX Player apk file Information
File name: com.mxtech.videoplayer.ad_v1.8.6-1170000108_Android-4.0.apk
Version: 1.8.6 (1170000108)
Uploaded: August 20, 2016 at 7:39PM GMT+00
File size: 16.12MB (16,901,460 bytes)
Minimum Android version: Android 4.0+ (Ice Cream Sandwich, API 14)
MD5: 87c67b46de445e27ee71d1273b5104af
SHA1: d4d0f4fa05e3213f3a5f1ba1ea1e410cd7660d62
Download MX Player APK v1.8:
Download APK from secure Server >> File Size: 16.12MB (All Versions)


text:
Rev Karla's entire life has been spent in the company of animals. Rescuing the homeless and the hurting since a small child, she founded a non-profit spay/neuter clinic in 2005 to address pet overpopulation. That clinic has spayed or neutered almost 150,000 cats and dogs in almost 15 years of operation.
In addition to her work with spay/neuter, she and her husband have rescued hundreds of cats and dogs over the years, many of which they adopted. Through her own experience of holding space for the dying pets and her grief connected with each death, Rev Karla saw how little was known about pet grief and how ill-equipped our society was to comfort those grieving the loss of pets.
Karla's years of spiritual care and companioning with those seeking to find joy and peace in their lives gives her the experience to bring empathy, compassion and gentleness to this ceremony. Rev Karla will also draw on the abundant teachers of wisdom in spirituality and her end-of-life doula training that have been the foundation of her 5 years of study, culminating with her 2 years in seminary.
They Were Here, and They Mattered is held periodically throughout the year. *Registration is required.


text:
More than 33% of people living in extreme poverty globally reside in South Asia. The poorest countries in the region, Afghanistan, Nepal and Pakistan presented GDP per capita rates of $544, $972 and $1,555. Respectively, this is a result of issues across these countries such as poor infrastructure, poor economic practices, political uncertainty and poverty. For many countries in South Asia, like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, the COVID-19 caused millions of people to fall back into poverty. Policymakers must now reverse the increased food and commodity prices that result in economic insecurities in order to mitigate poverty in South Asia.
Pre-Pandemic Progress
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, South Asia countries made "significant progress" to help communities move out of poverty. Between 1990 and 2015, its poverty rate declined from 52% to 17%. The Asian Development Bank has projected that the trade-dependent economies of Southeast Asia will recover from the effects of the pandemic, growing to 5.1% in 2022 from 4.4% in 2021, therefore, helping to mitigate poverty in South Asia.
There are multiple reasons why South Asian countries have high levels of poverty and low GDP rates. According to The Conversation, governments do not allocate enough state resources on social development, such as education and health. In addition, "limited effectiveness" goes into delivering public services to the communities, such as health and education, or implementing policies to reduce poverty.
Further, government investment to improve public services, such as making tax systems more efficient and increasing vaccine availability in local health services, would improve the nation's economy and help mitigate poverty levels. Countries with higher levels of state capacity have done relatively better to control the spread of COVID-19 and reduce mortality rates.
The World Bank Strategy
Now, the "impressive" reduction in poverty can connect to South Asia's growing economy, as it is the world's second-fastest-growing economy. According to the U.N. Chronicle, "India, Bangladesh and Nepal lowered their poverty rates by 7%, 9% and 11%" in the 1990s. India is South Asia's largest economy and could grow by 8.3% in the 2021-2022 fiscal year with aid from public investment and incentives to boost manufacturing.
International organizations aided South Asia nations during the pandemic. They ensured the nations were able to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and limit the number of people vulnerable to poverty. For example, the World Bank focused on promoting inclusive and sustainable growth, investing in people and strengthening resilience in South Asia.
The World Bank also provided $922 million to purchase and deploy COVID-19 vaccines in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In Pakistan, the World Bank supported efforts to implement nutrition-sensitive cash transfers for the most vulnerable populations and policy actions to help put children back in school. Meanwhile, a COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Project is working on multiple projects, including equipping hospitals as pandemic response centers in Sri Lanka.
Additionally, in Nepal, the World Bank focused on the agriculture sector by allocating $80 million to strengthen rural market linkages and promote entrepreneurship. International efforts are a vital resource to help mitigate poverty in South Asia.
If policymakers allocate resources toward programs that help sustain their growing economy and mitigate the negative results of COVID-19, South Asia communities could have a better chance of avoiding poverty.
– Makena Roberts
Photo: Flickr


text:
Home > Polymers, Specialty Chemicals & Advanced Materials > U.S. Institutional Cleaning Ingredients Market
U.S. institutional cleaning ingredients market size for dishwashing application was over USD 500 million in 2020 and is estimated to grow at over 3.0% CAGR between 2021 and 2025. Rising popularity of preservatives, antibacterial agents, and anti-fungal agents among detergent manufacturers owing to their numerous benefits such as avoiding bacteria growth, low cost and easy availability should drive the preservatives growth.
There are number of preservatives being used in detergent manufacturing including phenoxyethanol, methyl-and propylparaben, and methylisothiazolinone and many others. In addition, rising consumer awareness regarding hazardous effects of chemicals in detergents should propel the demand for organic ingredients. including essential oils, dyes and many others over foreseeable timeframe.
To get more details on this report: Request Free Sample PDF
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has positively affected the demand for U.S. institutional cleaning ingredients market for dishwashing application after the unlock of U.S. lockdown. Strict guideline by government to maintain the cleanliness after unlocking of U.S lockdown increase the demand for detergents from multiple institutes for dishwashing application. However, in the years 2020, when lockdown imposed by government to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has caused some disrupted in the manufacturing and supply of ingredients, which negatively affected the production and supply of product in the market.
|Report Coverage
|Base Year:
|Market Size in 2020:
|508.52 Million (USD)
|Forecast Period:
|2021 to 2025
|Forecast Period 2021 to 2025 CAGR:
|2025 Value Projection:
|596.14 Million (USD)
|Historical Data for:
|2016 to 2020
|No. of Pages:
|Tables, Charts & Figures:
|Segments covered:
|By Ingredients type, By Application
|Growth Drivers:
|Pitfalls & Challenges:
To get more details on this report: Request Free Sample PDF
The stringent regulation laid down by governing bodies of U.S on the application and manufacturing of institutional cleaning ingredients are likely to restrain the growth of the U.S. Institutional cleaning ingredients market for dishwashing application to some extent during the forecast period. For instance, approximately half of the states in the U.S. have approve restriction law for phosphate.
Many states, such as Washington, Oregon, and Massachusetts, has ban on detergents comprising more than 0.5% phosphate. Along with following state phosphate laws, companies must confirm that consumer cleaning products obey the legislations set out by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Hence, these strict regulation in the U.S market are likely to decline the growth of the U.S. institutional cleaning ingredients market for dishwashing application growth during the forecast period.
To get more details on this report: Request Free Sample PDF
Enzymes ingredients is anticipated to grow with the high pace with a CAGR of over 5.0% and should surpass USD 110 million by 2025. Dishwashing detergent manufacturers have increased the use of enzymes in dishwashing detergents and biobased ingredients to reduce the use of chemicals ingredients, owing to different side effects of chemical ingredients. For instance, modern dishwashing detergents manufacturing use enzymes as catalysts to break down stains rather than phosphates as these are less harmful to the environment. In addition, dishwashing detergent manufacturers are exploring other alternatives of chemical cleaning ingredients present in cleaning products. Wherein, enzymes are becoming favorable choices among manufacturers as these are organic compounds and biobased ingredients.
To get more details on this report: Request Free Sample PDF
U.S. institutional cleaning ingredient for manual dishwashing application is expected to surpass USD 180 million by year 2025 and anticipated to so reasonable growth compares to other application, owing to multiple invention in technology for dishwashing. Manual dishwashing is practiced mainly in small and medium sized institutes, those are unable to afford high technology dishwashing machines. The utilization of high-quality manual dishwashing detergents in such institutions has soared as institutions are emphasizing on complying with the health & safety regulations stated by authorities. Therefore, large number of small institutes such as small restaurants and cafes led to fuel the demand for cleaning ingredients in the U.S market over the coming years.
U.S. institutional cleaning ingredients industry for dishwashing application consists of major players including Stepan Company, BASF SE, The Dow Chemical Company, Evonik Industries AG, Solvay, Croda International Plc and Ashland Global Holdings Inc. Key players in the market are engaged in collaboration and partnership with other market participants, for expansion their business and innovate new products in the market. Also, players applying strategy of joint ventures with the players in emerging countries and investment for new manufacturing units and research and development to improvise their portfolio to meet the growing need for detergents for dishwashing.
In March 2021, Reckitt partnered with Halo, a networking platform for R&D comprising of a numerous PhDs across 65 countries and six continents. The strategic initiative is aimed at enhancing the company's R&D and develop new products and create a strategic advantage for the company.
In January 2021, Unilever and Innova Partnerships launched a joint venture biotechnology company named Penrhos Bio, in order to commercialize the technology of self-cleaning surfaces. This new technology is expected to enhance the product offerings of the company and hence enhance revenue and brand value.
In March 2021, Stepan initiated a partnership with the Resilience and Sustainability Collaboratory (RSC) and Emory University. The strategic initiative is aimed at providing the infrastructure required for conduct multi-disciplinary and transformative research projects that generate innovative solutions for sustainability challenges worldwide.
U.S. institutional cleaning ingredients market report for dishwashing application includes in-depth coverage of the industry, with estimates & forecast in terms of volume in kilo tons and revenue in USD Million from 2016 to 2025, for the following segments:
Click here to Buy Section of this Report


text:
Hmm… I wonder if that "Succession" win means something.
About midway through the third consecutive night of Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the HBO drama won for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series — the first category to crown a winner with all three of the top dramas in competition. It's also the only category we've seen so far where "Succession" (18 total nominations), "Ozark" (also 18 nominations), and "The Mandalorian" (15 nominations) have competed together, so a win from the win-happy "Mandalorian" (it took home five trophies Wednesday) or even the victory-starved "Ozark" (its best bets are yet to come) could have spelled trouble for the presumptive favorite, HBO's "Succession."
Instead, the Emmy went to Bill Henry and Venya Bruk, which kept momentum in "Succession's" favor… for now. Now, the category isn't exactly a bellwether for Best Drama Series. In the last 10 years, the winners have only overlapped six times (and three of those were courtesy of "Game of Thrones," a juggernaut). "The Mandalorian" could still pull an upset if other craft categories favor the Disney+ blockbuster (as they did "Game of Thrones"), but… none of this matters. I mean, it matters — to me, an Emmy prognosticator, and it will matter to the future winners and losers, but it certainly shouldn't be what people are thinking about when watching individuals win television's highest honor. This is supposed to be their moment, their time in the sun, their time to be recognized.
Yet, that's pretty much all that came to my mind Wednesday night, as yet another Creative Arts ceremony rolled out online, the same intro played, and the same high-speed pace made another night of honors feel like another empty gesture.
From the obligatory Baby Yoda joke that Nicole Byer dropped at the top of the ceremony, to the dancing stormtroopers and masked Mandalorian accepting a Visual Effects Emmy via Zoom, Wednesday night's Creative Arts ceremony was exactly the same as the prior nights, only this time, with "Star Wars"! Reruns plagued another abbreviated run time, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar resurfaced to introduce the same ad for BLDPWR as they aired Monday, Byer's Kia-sponsored bit on COVID-19 Emmy categories didn't play as well as the first time, and the In Memoriam scroll got a very minor but critical update — Wilford Brimley's name was spelled correctly this time, as we requested last night. (Credit to IndieWire's Steve Greene for the initial spotting.)
The only significant changes were seen in the presenters and winners, and calling those "significant" is a real stretch. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton Morgan tried to plug their chill, AMC talk show with some chill, unrehearsed banter, but tying the fact that they don't use visual effects on their show to introduce the awards for Best Visual Effects only emphasized their shameless plug over the Academy's actual honor. Laverne Cox stumbled in the same fashion later in the show (although for a much more selfless program in the Apple TV+ doc "Visible: Out on Television"), but there have been far too many readings like the Morgans' too-relaxed video over three nights — eventually, it just seems like the only reason the presenters are there is to plug their shows, rather than because they want to use their profile to bring attention to below-the-line artisans. (And overall, these virtual ceremonies have felt similarly uninterested in paying homage to craft.)
That tonal turn off was only amplified by another couple with nothing to plug: Bobby Cannavale and Rose Byrne kept things very casual, but they turned their flubbed lines into a cute montage and stayed so joyful throughout that the awards never felt secondary. If the whole show could follow their lead — making (apparent) off-the-cuff references to the art being honored while staying jubilant and innovative — then perhaps these nightly ceremonies would be worth watching. Instead, they remain rather useless, hence my wandering mind.
Again, I recognize (now) that no one is supposed to be watching every night of these, so those tuning in for the first time may have had a pleasant enough experience. But I suspect those tuning in for the first time were nominees (or industry professionals connected to those nominees), and their experience hinged more on whether Emmy voters delivered them a trophy than if Emmy producers delivered a quality program. Folks from "Watchmen" and "The Mandalorian" are probably pretty happy right now — as are Bill Henry and Venya Bruk from "Succession." I just wish more people knew to be happy for them.
And if you really are interested in reading the tea leaves, head over to Libby Hill's article. That's where those thoughts belong.
Table of Contents
Creative Arts Ceremony, Tuesday — Variety
Officially, the theme of Tuesday night's Creative Arts Emmys was "Variety." Unofficially, it was the opposite.
Repetition reigned on Night No. 2, as reruns of the prior evening plagued another uninspired virtual ceremony. First, the opening video montage of 2019-2020 television shows was the same as what opened Monday night's event. OK, fine, using the same intro can work as a way of formalizing and uniting these five nights of awards. Host Nicole Byer even leaned into the similarities during her brief opening monologue, quipping, "I'm the same host, this is the same dress." But then the same clip of Jimmy Kimmel joking about running out of toilet paper played twice — once when the show was up for an award, and then again during a montage of late night series that resumed production during the pandemic.
Later, Jeremy Pope rhymed "lighting" and "writing" while standing in the same place where Byer had rhymed the same two words minutes earlier. Then the same clip of Ernst & Young vote counters wearing yellow Breaking Bad hazmat suits played. Then the same advertisement for the Television Academy's foundation ran. By the time the In Memoriam segment started, you didn't have to go to last night's video to know that yes, it was the same segment as before, highlighting the same random names, from the same lengthy scroll. (To clear up a bit of confusion, those names aren't actually random. They're all craft workers who passed away last year, and the other, non-highlighted names are actors and industry members likely to be given their due during the Primetime tribute.)
Spotting these repeated segments, lines, and clips signaled two things:
- No one was meant to watch every night of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
- These ceremonies are just for the winners — and not even all of the winners.
With so much repetition throughout an even shorter show (47 minutes), very low overall viewership (Tuesday clocked less than 1,000 viewers), and another big winner who couldn't even record an acceptance speech (Lorne Michaels didn't submit an acceptance speech for "SNL's" fourth straight Variety Sketch win), Tuesday's ceremony hammered home who the TV Academy's intended audience is for these first few ceremonies: the winners. Everyone else is better off looking up the results elsewhere — you can definitely find better reactions via social media — because even sitting through history's shortest awards show isn't worth it when so little effort is put in to make the night feel special.
So let's hear it for Robert Barnhart, the lighting designer who won for his work on the Super Bowl Halftime Show; his pre-taped acceptance speech was a quick, pointed spoof on the virtual Emmys, as Barnhart jogged into frame late, stood in front of a fake curtain, and said, "Even at home they gave me seats in the back row!" He then thanked his colleagues before music overwhelmed the rest of his speech, and Barnhart joked, "Are you really playing me off right now? How'd you get in here?" before it cut to the next award.
Kudos to Ryan Barger of "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" for winning Outstanding Picture Editing — and for his extremely colorful backdrop filled with flowers, a not-so-hidden past Emmy, and an excellent miniature skeleton. Props to "Live in Front of a Studio Audience" technical director Eric Becker for telling everyone to "wear a damn mask" after a few musical notes from his piano. And respect to Jason Sherwood, a production design winner for The Oscars who used his speech to embarrass his best friend with earnest admiration.
Along with the more famous faces from "Live in Front of a Studio Audience" like Will Ferrell, Jimmy Kimmel, Justin Theroux, and Norman Lear, who all appeared for a funny acceptance of the Best Variety Special (Live) award, winners like these remind you what an honor it must be to win the most prestigious award your peers can offer. Winners like these are worth watching, and all the winners are worth acknowledging. It's just a shame the show designed to do just that isn't interested in courting repeat viewers, and it barely seems interested in entertaining the nightly ones.
One more note: Before the Primetime ceremony on Sunday, someone should fix Wilford Brimley's name. The In Memoriam scroll spells it wrong, and it has for — you guessed it — two nights in a row.
Creative Arts Ceremony, Monday — Reality and Non-Fiction
If you ever wondered what an awards show would look like without all the frivolous time fillers, wonder no more. The 2020 Emmys kicked off Monday night with its first of six virtual ceremonies, and this initial streamlined affair — with pre-taped intros, speeches, and other segments — featured no red carpet, no long walks to the stage, and no flustered, rambling, "Oh, I forgot to thank–" speeches.
It also wasn't great.
To be fair, the Creative Arts Emmys usually aren't charged with putting on a show. With so many categories, these ceremonies are primarily focused on getting all the awards handed out, and that's about it. So finding a fitting way to honor this year's TV craft achievements without two nights of free dinners and small parties was going to be tricky. The TV Academy could've just released the winners via a press release, a la the nominations, and they likely wouldn't have faced much backlash outside the industry. There's simply not a huge appetite to watch six nights of TV awards, so the choice to put together virtual, pre-taped, live-streaming ceremonies was a thoughtful gesture and significant investment (of time, production resources, and talent) by the TV Academy. They also offer the added bonus of serving as trial runs for the weekend's grander festivities, where more people will be watching (one hopes) and more famous folks will be honored (for sure).
But that doesn't mean it should feel like a trial run. To its credit, the Reality and Non-Fiction section of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards wrapped in less than an hour — an unthinkable feat for any prior awards show — when amiable host Nicole Byer gave her sign-off at 5:55 p.m. PT. But the rapid rate of announcements, combined with the flavorless pre-taped segments, only emphasized the idea that TV Academy technicians just wanted to make sure this whole virtual ceremony thing worked, more than it felt like an opportunity for winners to be singled out, heard, and appreciated.
Does that mean the next five nights are doomed? Not at all! Could there be more ambitious, organic, or otherwise compelling moments in store? You bet! So will viewers come back tomorrow night (and more importantly, tune in for Saturday's longer FXX airing and Sunday's big Primetime show)? Well, we'll see. Here are a few first impressions of the weird debut — for those who missed it, and for those who are thinking about watching later on.
A Quick Ceremony, for Better or Worse
Whoever decided to cap these Creative Arts shows at an hour apiece deserves a medal for courage… if not foresight. Reading previews that claimed each of these first four ceremonies would be over and done in less than 60 minutes made my jaw drop, and few of my fellow viewers believed it was possible until we'd mowed through three-quarters of the categories in 45 minutes.
And yet, the speed ended up working against the special feeling these prestigious awards are supposed to evoke. Don't get me wrong: A long awards show is tough to sit through, and a short awards show is usually a sign of exquisite planning (and a few lucky breaks). Finding the perfect length for all viewers is an errand so foolish critics should be banned from complaining about award show runtimes.
Still, it's a big factor this year. The virtual world still can't compare to the remarkable nature of live, in-person events, so virtual ceremonies are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to making these honors feel as significant as prior years'. Watching winner after winner fly by, with speeches starting as soon as the announcement screen slid away, I couldn't help but think of past Emmy parties, when someone unknown was announced as the winner, the camera cut to their face, and the people watching stopped chatting or eating or making a cocktail to ask, "Wait, who just won?" That brief exchange usually took place as the recipient walked to the stage, and people would listen to the start of their speech once they understood who they were or, more likely, what they worked on.
The pace of this first virtual ceremony made me forget who won a few seconds after they left the screen. There was barely any time to process winners, let alone ask a friend who was just onscreen or what show they'd won for — and people working behind the scenes typically need a little extra time to be recognized because they're not famous. I don't know what the solution is; this could just be an adjustment required for virtual ceremonies, or an attention deficit issue on my end. Bringing in Byer more often could help, especially if she offered a fun fact on the previous winner or their show. Maybe producers could show an extra clip of the winner's work? (I stand alone on an island whose population loves awards shows that show clips of the nominees.) But Night One went by too fast — longer awards shows are good, actually!
Nicole Byer Nails It
Big surprise, eh? The Emmy-nominated "Nailed It" host wasn't onscreen that often during the first night (she'll get more to do on Saturday's FXX broadcast), but she clearly and concisely explained what was happening, threw in a few affable lines ("Honestly, if you don't like me now, you won't like me for the next four days"), and even made a sponsored segment from Kia about fake COVID awards feel more like a reminder of what matters right now than a misguided idea stretched way too thin. (Calling the "Stranger Things" kids "super-spreaders" for participating in "Carpool Karaoke" is always a good joke, though.) Looking forward to more!
In Memoriam Creates More Problems
With only 10 minutes left in the show, just when you thought you might escape an awards show without an awkward "In Memoriam" segment, bam — there it was. A long list of names scrolled down the screen, in no discernible order, as random craft artists were singled out with a picture and a credit for one of their shows. Some got the golden flash over their name that preceded a photo highlight, and some did not. Why? I honestly don't know, but the segment managed to create the same controversy of so many past, in-person awards shows by choosing which deceased filmmakers got special treatment and which didn't (much like when guests would applaud for one name more than another during past tributes). Here's hoping this isn't a recurring segment.
Some Things Never Change…
Despite acknowledgements that this year's ceremony was going to be different, as well as promises that producers would lean into the shift to create more exciting changes, the bulk of entertainment from Night No. 1 came from the presenters' introductions and the recipients' speeches, and both were largely lacking in originality.
Jim Gaffigan kicked things off with a lengthy plug for his show. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led into a video package on BLDPWR, an organization trying to support Black artists in the Entertainment industry — during a night when very few Black nominees actually won. The "American Factory" directors fell into the 4% of nominees who didn't participate in pre-taping an acceptance speech, so of course they won.
Does all this sound familiar? It should. Awkward awards banter, talk-heavy video packages, and absent winners are all awards show staples, as are quickly recited "thank you" speeches and stilted "reading off a teleprompter" intros. Very few honorees tried to stand out, many looked tired or even annoyed to be recording themselves, and it led to a rather flat ceremony, since these people were its main building blocks.
The one reliable factor of entertainment? Mistakes. Despite six months to learn FaceTime, "Holy Moley" host Rob Riggle still left his hand on his phone's camera when recording an introduction. When Eric Milano won back-to-back sound awards for "Apollo 11," they aired the same pre-recorded acceptance speech twice, which meant hearing "Consider going vegan, and let's get money out of politics!" two times in a row (which, fine — at least he said something unique). There were a few awkward pauses here, and a few obvious edits there, but that only goes to show how polished the whole endeavor felt — a stark contrast to the electricity of a live show. Here's hoping the coming nights give producers better material to work with.
Viewership and Purpose
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards have never been designed as a mainstream draw, and this year's ceremonies are no different. Yes, these are the first to air in their entirety, but they're only available through the Emmys' website (via a YouTube livestream). That should make them easily accessible for whoever wants to watch (namely, publicists, reporters, and nominees), but Night No. 1 didn't even seem to attract those key audience demographics. At the 15-minute mark, 1,330 people were watching; at the 45-minute mark, viewers held steady at 1,341. To say those are far from gangbuster numbers misses the point, but it's worth asking whether or not this version of a virtual ceremony is the best way to honor each winner. Sending out a press release, sharing the news on social media, relying on word of mouth from networks, colleagues, and friends — all of that still happened after the virtual ceremony aired, so it's hard to say watching it live was anything but a bonus. Maybe it was. New Emmy winner Laura Karpman sure seems happy. But there's still room for improvement. Bring on tomorrow night.
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be given out the week of September 14. The virtual ceremonies airing Monday – Thursday will be streaming via the Emmys livestream. Saturday's last Creative Arts ceremony will air on FXX. The 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will take place virtually on Sunday, September 20. (See our awards calendar for a more detailed breakdown of important dates.) ABC is broadcasting the ceremony.
More from IndieWire
Best of IndieWire
Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.


text:
In this age of social media news, each new technological discovery and trend becomes the subjectof reviews and feedback rapidly. When a cosmetic phenomenon such as CoolSculpting grows in popularity with celebrities and millions of people worldwide, there's bound to be questions and myths created around it. You may read conflicting information about this procedure and wonder what's fact and what's fiction. Below, we'll help bust a few myths and give you the real scoop on CoolSculpting in Toronto, also known as the world's number one non-invasive fat reduction treatment.
False. Unfortunately, we do not yet have a miracle weight loss device that safely shrinks overall body fat, both intra-abdominalandexternal problem areas. What we DO have is a safe and effective device that treats problem areas of fat such as the love handles, thighs, chin, arms, buttocks and abdomen. It is most useful for people who are already within their ideal body weight range and will reduce fat cells and inches in subtle increments of 25% per treatment per area. This revolutionary treatment works for an ever-widening range of stubborn fat spots, including bra rolls, back of arms, calves, under chin and armpit.
No cosmetic treatment, including liposuction surgery, can safely remove the visceral fat that surrounds internal organs. If you have a firm, protruding belly, you may have intra-abdominal fat, and you'll need to reduce it through aerobic exercise and dietary changes.
False. Many people seem to spread this rumor without first-hand knowledge about how the treatment feels. CoolSculpting utilizes a deep cooling modality applied through handheld devices specially designed to suck in small areas of the fatty tissue while applying the "freezing." This cooling is delivered to the fat cells without actually freezing your skin. What you are likely to feel is gentle pressure from the device and a tingling, numbing sensation while the cold applicators do their work. Most patients can chat, read or relax during the procedure and would not describe it as painful.
Unfortunately, that is not entirely true. While results can be dramatic, they require patience as the elimination of targeted cells usually takes an average of three months. Your body must process and eliminate the destroyed fat cells, and the treatment is generallyeffective for about 25% of the fat in a treatment area. That means that results can be visible as early as 4 weeks following the treatment, but not instant, and you may need a few sessions to reach your goals. This incredible technology is non-invasive, and there is no downtime. That means patients can be treated over their lunch break, or any time during their day, then return to regular activities right away. With little to no physical risk, CoolSculpting is a safer option for many people who want fat reduction without surgery.
If you're interested in learning more, contact Dr. Phillip Solomon today.
View Dr. Solomon's Cosmetic Surgery
Before & After Gallery
In order to best assist you, we require all cosmetic patients to schedule a virtual or in-person consultation. There is a fee of $200 plus HST for all consultations. Your consultation fee will be credited towards your procedure and/or treatment. To schedule a consultation, please complete the attached form or call our office at 905-764-7799. We look forward to hearing from you.


text:
The pandemic recovery has not been uniform.
The economy is recovering at varying rates; the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer, says Ken Mooso, CEO at social investing app PersonaFi.
"Younger generations are being left behind," he said in a discussion on catering to the increased awareness around financial sustainability and bolstering trends that suggest society is more so interested in saving and investing, rather than spending and borrowing.
His experiences serving clients at the likes of Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE: WFC) and Bank of America Corporation-owned (NYSE: BAC) Merrill, as well as at home, as a child growing up, gave him unique insight into the wrongs in the world of finance.
"I came from a family that didn't understand much about finance and that caused a lot of friction. Witnessing that, I told myself that, no matter what, I was going to learn how to make money and make it work for me."
Inception: Whilst working in wealth management, Mooso became frustrated with what he said is the fiduciary standard.
"The advisors have to work in the best interest of their clients – that sounds like a beautiful thing – but what ended up happening was the complete opposite."
The organizations he associated with basically defaulted to selling exposure to mutual funds and charging unnecessary management fees.
"We're crushing the clients and they don't even know it," he exclaimed.
Thereafter, he took matters into his own hands, playing on trends that point to investors more so trusting themselves and their embedded social networks.
Evolution: He said the "idea was similar to something like Venmo where you can see who's buying what."
To test the idea, Mooso began posting his trade ideas on social media. Friends, then, frantically began reaching out, inquiring increased detail around his methodology and execution.
"I ended up creating a Facebook group that blew up massively where we even got national attention."
Functionality: There are three core tools to the PersonaFi platform.
The first allows users to see what their friends are holding in their aggregated portfolio.
"We built a web app, initially, and tested it out with about 100 people. Now we have an iOS version where you can see …….
Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/personafi-looks-disrupt-personal-finance-115116000.html


text:
The Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys is a sports and athletics stadium located in the Anella Olimpica, in Montjuic at Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
It has a capacity of 55,926 and is remembered as the stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona were held, holding a special place in the heart of many Catalonians.
It was called the Estadi Olimpic de Montjuic until 2001, when it was renamed as the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in remembrance of the former President of the Government of Catalonia, who was executed by firing squad at the nearby Montjuic Castle in 1940 by the Franco regime.
It was awarded a five-star rating by UEFA in 1998, making it eligible to host finals matches in international football competitions. The stadium has been used for multiple sports such as association football and American football, athletic meets and motor tournaments.
The stadium was the home ground of RCD Espanyol in the La Liga between 1997 and 2009, after which they moved to their new stadium Estadi Cornella-El Prat. It was also the home ground of the former American football team Barcelona Dragons until 2003, when they were disbanded.
The Estadi Olimpic de Montjuic was built in 1927 as part of the Barcelona city's preparations to host the 1929 Universal Exposition. It was formally opened on 20th May 1929 and the first match was played between the Catalan XI team and Bolton Wanderers of England.
The stadium was largely unused during the 60s and the 70s, as many safety concerns were raised. The stadium underwent a painstaking refurbishment ahead of the 1992 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Barcelona.
The stadium was brought in par with the modern stadiums of that time as the stands were made from scratch and the capacity was increased. It was inaugurated again after refurbishment in 1989 for the World Cup in Athletics.
Major Matches
It hosted Spain's first ever official rugby international game against Italy in 1929, which the Spaniards won 9-0. It also hosted the Mediterranean Games in 1955, and was its centrepiece.
It has hosted nine Copa del Rey finals, and in 1957, it held the only Copa del Rey between the two local clubs, RCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona, after which its usage became very limited.
In 1970s the stadium was used as a paddock for the teams participating in the Spanish Grand Prix, which were held at the Montjuic racing circuit. In the 1975 edition, the F1 race was almost boycotted by the drivers because of safety concerns.


text:
We are very excited to announce that our firm has been selected as the Best Condominium Management Company 2019 by the BUILD Real Estate & Property Awards!
The Real Estate & Property Awards is one of the BUILD Magazine's flagship award programs. The Real Estate & Property Awards allow BUILD to showcase the hardworking firms and individuals who have shown excellence and tenacity in ensuring their clients find and fabricate their dream homes and properties. The Real Estate & Property Awards welcome all within the industry to enter, from lettings and estate agencies to builders and investors and more.
BUILD Magazine brings its readers news and updates from the world of construction, engineering, property, architecture & sustainability and infrastructure. Each issue – as well as their annual awards – showcases innovative leaders, creative brands and dedicated firms shaping the industry today.
We are honoured to have been selected for this award.


text:
What is your name and role within the band?
Tim Gregory – Band dad
How did you start?
Me and Eli Wimmer (vocals & guitar) always wanted to form a band, but because we lived in different cities due to college we couldn't. Once I moved back to Norman we quickly started writing songs together and formed a band shortly after.
Where are you based?
Right in the center of the US in Norman, Oklahoma.
Please give an example of your music writing process?
All kinds of different ways, but for our newest album we kinda worked in shifts. Like I would work on it early in the day and then when I'd have to go to work Eli would come takeover and work on it for a while.
What are you working on right now?
We are currently about to release our sophomore record in October called Melter.
What is your gear setup?
Lots and lots of pedals and loud amps!
What do you like to do outside of music and does it affect your music?
Painting, working on old cars, screen printing, long walks on the beach.
Yes, totally! It allows you to use your creativity on something else and not get too caught up in over thinking the music.
How would you describe your music genre?
Psych Rock…
Do you know any music theory?
Yes, I went to music school at the University of Central Oklahoma.
What are your plans for the future?
Play a buncha shows and record some new songs soon.
How did you get into music?
Two of my best friends in middle school played so they got me into it and then everything kinda just took off from there.
What are you listening to at the moment?
Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Pond, Kendrick Lamar, The Black Angels, Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees.
Who are your top 5 influences and icons?
This is a tuff one…lemme get back to you on that
When are you playing next?
We play in Denton, Texas on Friday May


text:
Virginia law recognizes that many of the losses suffered due to an injury from a car or truck crash, medical error, dog bite, defective product or a slip and fall can be given an exact price tag. As a result, personal injury victims can file insurance claims or civil lawsuits that include demands for compensation for
- Physical pain suffered from the time of their injury until the settlement or jury award, as well as pain in the future;
- Mental anguish;
- Disfigurement such as scarring or the loss of an arm or leg;
- Humiliation and embarrassment from the disfigurement; and
- Inconvenience.
Consulting with an experienced and caring Virginia personal injury attorney will clarify what can be claimed depending on the nature and severity of your injuries, as well as the cause of the injuries.


text:
Mexia: Gas station catches on fire
Published: Mar. 3, 2019 at 1:20 PM CST
Officials say a local gas station caught fire Saturday night.
According to City Manager Eric Garretty the Valero gas station on 1000 E. Milam Street reported a fire around 7:30 p.m.
Garretty says the Mexia Fire Department initially responded and evacuated the two employees inside.
The fire broke out in the attic and spread from there.
The fire was extinguished in the early hours of Sunday morning.
No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.


text:
Being rich may be a state of mind, but it's also a factor of location. In the US, the amount you have to earn to be in the top 5% of earners in a city varies widely depending on where you live.
In San Francisco, for example, a top-5% earner makes $423,171 per year according to 2013 US census data, nearly four times as much as in Detroit, where the 95th-percentile cutoff is $107,521 per year.
A new report from Brookings crunched the numbers on the 50 largest US cities to find out where the richest 5% earn the most. Here's how the cities stack up:
The Brookings report also looked at the household incomes in the 20th percentile, and the ratio between the two income levels, which serves as a proxy for inequality. For example, in Atlanta, top-5% earners make a whopping 19 times more than bottom-20% earners. In Virginia Beach, the top earners make only six times as much as the 20th percentile.
One thing to note is that these statistics don't take into account fluctuations in cost of living in various cities, which can alter a person's perception of their wealth. As this nifty graphic from NPR shows, making more money in a city with a relatively high cost of living can leave you feeling poorer than what you earn.
New York's lower rankings on these lists speaks to the superlative wealth of Manhattan, which is watered down by the outer boroughs. Using a slightly different analysis, the US Census found in 2014 that the big island was the most unequal place in the country.
As for Atlanta's high rankings on both lists, the city is a hub for Fortune 500 companies, with a thriving tech industry. There is a wide spread of incomes, with the city's bottom 20% of earners making about $15,000 per year. That said, housing and other basic living costs are relatively affordable. Compare that to San Francisco, where the bottom 20% of earners make $10,000 more than their Atlanta counterparts, but face much higher costs of living.


text:
Following streetwear's obsession with Grateful Dead merch, the iconic American rock band has teamed up with Z2 Comics on a forthcoming graphic novel titled Grateful Dead Origins, which chronicles the group's early years on how they transformed from a bar band performing as the Warlocks to becoming the pioneers of the jam band culture.
Written by Chris Miskiewicz and illustrated by Noah Van Sciver, the novel is produced in two variations: the standard edition will come with a download featuring the band's early music along with the book, while the limited hardcover deluxe edition is an oversized offering designed in a vibrant theme that features the band's signature skulls motif. It also includes unreleased Grateful Dead music on vinyl, alongside three art prints and autographs from the graphic novel's creators.
The Grateful Dead Origins deluxe edition retails for $100 and can be ordered now on Z2 Comics' website. It's worth noting that shipment for the deluxe edition will not occur until April 2020.
Our designated shopping section features products that we love and want to share with you. Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase.


text:
The Ultimate Guide to
Peachland Real Estate
Peachland Homes For Sale
Peachland Real Estate Listings and Homes for Sale
Peachland Real Estate Statistics
* Statistics provided by Interior Realtors MLS from May 1, 2021 - October 1, 2021
Explore The OKGN Life in Peachland
Use our helpful neighbourhood map below to search for your new home, condo or townhome, and find your ideal place to call home in Peachland.
Use the filter tool to display popular developments, schools, best places to eat and drink and the best parks.
Peachland Schools
Here is an overview of the number of schools in Peachland.
Pre Schools
Elementary Schools
Nearby Middle Schools
Nearby High Schools
Peachland's Schools & Post Secondary Options
Children in kindergarten to grade five will attend Peachland Elementary. For grades six to nine, they will attend Glenrosa middle school and high school. They will attend Mount Boucherie secondary school for grades 9-12.
There are excellent transportation options for parents wanting to get their children to and from school safely. The city of Peachland offers various school bus options and routes.
Relocation Guide
Request your very own Relocation Guide today!
- The Weather
- School Guides & Catchments
- Best places to Eat & Drink
- Fun Annual Events
- Neighbourhood Guides
-Newcomer Information
and so much more...


text:
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) shared a moving personal story about his firsthand appreciation of Social Security during the Republican debate on Thursday. Then he explained how it inspired him to want to cut the program.
"When I was 21, my mom died. When I was 22, my dad died," Graham recalled. "We owned a liquor store, restaurant, bar, and we lived in the back. Every penny we needed from -- every penny we got from Social Security, because my sister was a minor, we needed." Graham later said that prior to Social Security, nearly half of elderly Americans were living in poverty.
Graham pointed to his experience as a reason why he wants to cut benefits in order to shore up the program's finances. He appeared to propose means-testing Social Security benefits.
"Today, I'm 60, I'm not married, I don't have any kids," Graham said. "I would give up some Social Security to save a system that Americans are going to depend on now and in the future."
Graham invoked Ronald Reagan as a model for bipartisan reform of Social Security and Medicare. Reagan brokered a deal in 1983 with then-Democratic House Speaker Thomas "Tip" O'Neill that combined tax increases and spending cuts to extend Social Security's solvency for several decades.
At the time though, Social Security faced an immediate funding crisis, heightening the incentives for compromise. Now, Social Security is projected to have enough money to pay all promised benefits through 2033, and 79 percent of promised benefits indefinitely after that.
Graham has recalled the importance of Social Security benefits for his younger sister several times in the past. Social Security provides cash survivors benefits to children under 18 if one or both of their parents dies.
Graham has also laid out his plans to cut Social Security in the past. He introduced a Social Security reform bill in 2011 that would have increased the normal retirement age to 70 and reduced benefits substantially for middle- and upper-income earners. Unlike Reagan's 1983 reforms, Graham's plan would not raise taxes.
Graham may be unique among Republican candidates in his personal experience with Social Security, but his preference for cutting the program as a means of closing the funding gap is not. Among the 17 GOP hopefuls, only former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has come out explicitly against cutting Social Security.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has opposed efforts to privatize Social Security and said she would "not mess with it." Clinton has stopped short of endorsing a benefit increase, which has been embraced by her Democratic rivals, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
For more GOP debate coverage, visit our liveblog.


text:
Home › Forums › CalendarBudget Support › Banking Category
Great program all around and really loving the UI. I was wondering about transfers and putting it into the Category you use in your videos (Banking), but was wondering how it affects reporting etc being an expense?Is there another option at this time?
Since a transfer can only have 1 category (both on the To and FROM accounts) and the amount of the transfer is the same on both accounts, (once is a deposit, the other is a withdrawal), they cancel each other out and have no effect on category reports.
Now I feel like an idiot. You are so right my friend. See, that is why I don't write budget software LOL.
Thanks for the clarification
No problem – there are no dumb questions :)


text:
Suzzie, Devon Vaughn
Suzzie is definitely not what I was expecting when I saw that this was going to be an anal video. I mean she looks like an arty lesbian or something, not a chick that demands anal sex the second she gets her clothes off. However, as Devon Vaughn is finding out, she certainly is going to be a handful. I don't think he minds one bit though, and just lays back with his dick pointing straight up. She lowers her ass down on that dick, letting it push past her rim and loving the way it feels as it stretches her right out.
< Previous - Next >


text:
A metagenomic study of DNA viruses from samples of local varieties of common bean in Kenya
- Published
- Accepted
- Received
- Academic Editor
- Ana Ribeiro-Barros
- Subject Areas
- Agricultural Science, Virology
- Keywords
- Emerging viruses, Smallholder farmer, Dicistroviridae, Potyvirus evolutionary analysis
- Copyright
- © 2019 Wainana et al.
- Licence
- This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction and adaptation in any medium and for any purpose provided that it is properly attributed. For attribution, the original author(s), title, publication source (PeerJ) and either DOI or URL of the article must be cited.
- Cite this article
- 2019. A metagenomic study of DNA viruses from samples of local varieties of common bean in Kenya. PeerJ 7:e6465 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6465
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the primary source of protein and nutrients in the majority of households in sub-Saharan Africa. However, pests and viral diseases are key drivers in the reduction of bean production. To date, the majority of viruses reported in beans have been RNA viruses. In this study, we carried out a viral metagenomic analysis on virus symptomatic bean plants. Our virus detection pipeline identified three viral fragments of the double-stranded DNA virus Pelargonium vein banding virus (PVBV) (family, Caulimoviridae, genus Badnavirus). This is the first report of the dsDNA virus and specifically PVBV in legumes to our knowledge. In addition two previously reported +ssRNA viruses the bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNVA) (Potyviridae) and aphid lethal paralysis virus (ALPV) (Dicistroviridae) were identified. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of the Badnavirus (PVBV) using amino acid sequences of the RT/RNA-dependent DNA polymerase region showed the Kenyan sequence (SRF019_MK014483) was closely matched with two Badnavirus viruses: Dracaena mottle virus (DrMV) (YP_610965) and Lucky bamboo bacilliform virus (ABR01170). Phylogenetic analysis of BCMNVA was based on amino acid sequences of the Nib region. The BCMNVA phylogenetic tree resolved two clades identified as clade (I and II). Sequence from this study SRF35_MK014482, clustered within clade I with other Kenyan sequences. Conversely, Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of ALPV was based on nucleotide sequences of the hypothetical protein gene 1 and 2. Three main clades were resolved and identified as clades I–III. The Kenyan sequence from this study (SRF35_MK014481) clustered within clade II, and nested within a sub-clade; comprising of sequences from China and an earlier ALPV sequences from Kenya isolated from maize (MF458892). Our findings support the use of viral metagenomics to reveal the nascent viruses, their viral diversity and evolutionary history of these viruses. The detection of ALPV and PVBV indicate that these viruses have likely been underreported due to the unavailability of diagnostic tools.
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is ranked among the most important source of proteins and nutrients globally (FAO, 2018). In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), beans constitute over 60% of all dietary proteins in each household (Katungi et al., 2009). However, significant constraints on bean production are pests and viral diseases (Ojiewo et al., 2018). The main pests present at pre-harvest include; aphids, thrips, and whiteflies (Wortmann et al., 1998). The majority of viruses reported in beans are RNA viruses of the family Potyviridae, in particular, bean common mosaic virus and bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNVA) (Mangeni, Abang & Kelly, 2014; Worrall et al., 2015; Wainaina et al., 2018a). In Latin America, DNA viruses of the family Geminiviridae, which include bean golden mosaic viruses have been reported in beans (Macedo et al., 2016). The primary vector of bean golden mosaic virus is the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. To date, there have been no reports of any DNA viruses within common beans in SSA and in particular within the western highlands of Kenya. Therefore, given the presence of both the whitefly vector (Bemisia tabaci) and probable host plant (the common bean) for whitefly-transmitted viruses, we chose a high throughput sequencing approach (DNA-Seq) in an attempt to detect potential DNA viruses that might be present within the viral symptomatic beans.
The advent of high throughput sequencing (DNA-Seq and RNA-Seq) within plant virology has increased the identification of viruses through the de novo assembly of sequence data (Blawid, Silva & Nagata, 2017). This has subsequently led to increased detection of many understudied and novel plant viruses. There are many examples of known viruses that have been identified using these approaches (Kehoe et al., 2014; Ndunguru et al., 2015; Maina et al., 2017a; Wainaina et al., 2018a). In legumes, virus metagenomics has been used in the characterization of viruses within cowpea (Palanga et al., 2016; Jo et al., 2017; Palang et al., 2017), groundnuts (Wainaina et al., 2018b), soybean (Jo et al., 2017), common beans (Wainaina et al., 2018c) and chickpea (Leonetti et al., 2018).
Among novel viruses discovered, many have been found within crops in the tropics, including the Badnaviruses (family Caulimoviridae), which are classified as Pararetroviruses. Badnaviruses have been reported as an emerging threat, particularly within vegetatively propagated crops (Fargette et al., 2006; Borah et al., 2013; Iskra-Caruana et al., 2014). They affect both monocots and dicots with varying degree of symptoms from severe to mild (Bhat, Hohn & Selvarajan, 2016). Their primary mode of transmission is via insect vectors, while nematodes and fungi are marginally involved in their transmission (Hohn & Rothnie, 2013). Their primary hosts are vegetatively propagated perennial crops such as cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) (Bousalem, Douzery & Seal, 2008; Kreuze et al., 2017) present within the agro-ecosystem in the western highlands of Kenya.
Potyviruses are among the most common RNA viruses found within agro-ecosystems. Species within this family are vector-transmitted, mainly by viruliferous aphids and sometimes through infected seed stock (Gibbs et al., 2008; Worrall et al., 2015). Viruses in this family have previously been reported within legumes both in the western highlands of Kenya (Mangeni, Abang & Kelly, 2014; Wainaina et al., 2018b) and within other regions globally such as the Mediterranean (Makkouk, Pappu & Kumari, 2012). Conversely another group found within legumes and aphids are the Dicritoviridae which are an expanding group of RNA viruses that are arthropod associated (Bonning & Miller, 2010). There genomic architecture comprises of two open reading frames (ORFs), encoded within the genome (Bonning & Miller, 2010). The Dicritoviridae is comprised of a single confirmed genus Cripavirus, which comprises of nine species. Of interest in this study is the aphid lethal paralysis virus (ALPV). ALPV is pathogenic to insects pests and has been identified in aphids (Wamonje et al., 2017) and in plants using virus metagenomic techniques (Maina et al., 2017b).
Virus metagenomics has been used for identification of viruses, and the subsequent evolutionary relationship (Pirovano et al., 2015; Roossinck, Martin & Roumagnac, 2015; Alicai et al., 2016; Maina et al., 2017a; Wainaina et al., 2018a, 2018b, 2018c). Phylogenetic relationships analysis can be established using individual genes, or the concatenated genes (Alicai et al., 2016; Wainaina et al., 2018b). However, conserved protein markers such as the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) have also been used (Shi et al., 2016; Fernandez-Cassi et al., 2017). Within +ssRNA viruses there are several conserved viral proteins such as putative RNA helicase, chymotrypsin-like proteases, papain-like proteases, and methyltransferases have also been utilized (Koonin, Dolja & Morris, 1993; Bruenn, 2003). However, RdRp is highly conserved and present within a majority of the +ssRNA viruses and remains the reference region for most phylogenetic analysis (Bruenn, 2003; Černý et al., 2014). In addition, the coat protein gene is one of the main molecular markers both for diagnostic purpose and phylogenetic analysis (Serra-Soriano, Navarro & Pallás, 2016).
Minimal studies have been carried out to investigate the possible existence of DNA viruses circulating within common bean cultivars in the western highlands of Kenya.
We therefore carried out a high throughput (DNA-Seq) metagenomic analysis on 12 virus symptomatic common bean samples.
Ethical approval and field collection
Before sample collection, ethical approval was obtained from the University of Western Australia, ethical research number (RA/4/1/7475). Fieldwork activities were coordinated through the Cassava Diagnostic project Kenyan node. Virus symptomatic common bean samples were collected as part of an extensive survey within the smallholder farms in the western highlands of Kenya as previously described (Wainaina et al., 2018c). Briefly, a total of 120 farms were sampled across the 2 years (2015/2016) during the long rain seasons (April–August). Targeted sampling technique was used to select farms with a mixed agro-ecosystem; in particular cassava and bean intercrops. The distance between any two farms was at least five km. In total, we collected n = 116 bean samples. Samples were stored using both silica gel and the paper press method as previously described (Abu Almakarem et al., 2012; Wainaina et al., 2018c) and transported to the BecA-ILRI Hub laboratories. DNA extraction and lyophilization were carried out, and samples were shipped to the University of Western Australia for further processing and analysis.
DNA extraction and library preparation of the host plant
DNA extraction was carried on 12 viral leaves with chlorosis symptomatic leaves using the Quick-DNA plant/seed miniprep kit (Zymo Cat log D6020). Rolling circle amplification was then carried out on each of the DNA samples using the TempliPhi™ 100 amplification kit as described by the manufacturer (GE). Library preparation was carried out on the individual samples using the Nextera DNA library preparation kit as described by the manufacturer (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). Samples were dual-indexed with unique barcodes before a PCR enrichment step. For each library, quantification and determination of the correct insert size was carried out using the Agilent 2200 tape station (Agilent, Santa Clara, CA, USA) with the D1000 screen tape and ladder. Libraries with the correct insert size and concentration were sequenced with 2 × 150 bp paired-end reads on a Hiseq2500 at Macrogen, South Korea.
Assembly of plant virome using CLC Genomic Workbench
Assembly of the sequences was based on a previously optimized method (Kehoe et al., 2014; Wainaina et al., 2018c). Briefly, de novo assembly of quality trimmed reads was carried out using the CLC Genomic Workbench (CLCGW ver. 8.5.1) with assembly parameters as previously described (Kehoe et al., 2014).
Taxonomic profiling and virus sequence identification
Two approaches were used to identify potential viral sequences within the bean DNA-Seq reads. Taxonomic profiling was carried out on trimmed reads using Kaiju (Menzel, Ng & Krogh, 2016) using the NCBI RefSeq database containing (complete bacteria, archaea and 9,334 viral genomes) (last updated May 2017). Taxonomic results were then visualized in Krona (Ondov, Bergman & Phillippy, 2011). Secondly, assembled contigs were subjected to BLASTx searches using a preassembled viral NCBI RefSeq database (Stano, Beke & Klucar, 2016) (last updated August 2017), with an e-value cut of 10−5. Protein sequences of the top viral hits were then subjected to BLASTp search on the NCBI non-redundant protein (nr) database with an e-value cut-off of 10−2 to avoid false positives. From the confirmed viral contigs from BLASTp, the longest ORF was obtained using TransDecoder (Tang, Lomsadze & Borodovsky, 2015). The resulting amino acid sequences were then used for sequence alignment using MAFFT (Katoh & Standley, 2016) and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis using Exabayes 1.4.1 (Aberer, Kobert & Stamatakis, 2014) and MrBayes 3.2.6 (Ronquist et al., 2012). A schematic diagram of the virus identification is presented in (Fig. 1).
Phylogenetic relationships within the viruses
Sequence alignment of amino acids of the conserved viral proteins domain was carried out using MAFFT (Katoh & Standley, 2016). Additional sequences were retrieved from GenBank, after an initial BLAST search. Within ALPV and BCMNVA all sequences from GenBank were included. In Pelargonium vein banding virus (PVBV) members belonging the badnavirus were included. For viral sequences, a consensus amino acid block without gaps was obtained using Gblock (Castresana, 2000; Dereeper et al., 2008). The amino acid sequences of the viral gene fragment were selected, as they were the gene fragments that were recovered during the viral profiling. High genetic variation within the amino acids sequences compared to the nucleotide sequences was the basis on using amino acid for the phylogenetic analysis of the viral sequences.
Bayesian phylogenetic analysis was subsequently carried out using Exabayes 1.4.1 (Aberer, Kobert & Stamatakis, 2014) and MrBayes 3.2.6 (Ronquist et al., 2012). Amino acids were assigned independent evolutionary models in Exabayes 1.4.1. ExaBayes runs were for 50 million generations using four chains. In each run, the first 25% of the sampled trees were discarded as burn-in. Convergence and mixing of the chains were evaluated using Tracer version 1.6 (Rambaut et al., 2014, http://tree.bio.ed.ac.uk/software/tracer) with effective sample size (ESS > 200) indicating convergence. The consensus tree was visualized and annotated using Fig Tree (http://tree.bio.ed.ac.uk/software/figtree). Percentage sequence similarity based on amino acid and nucleotides were estimated using the Geneious 8.1.9 (https://www.geneious.com). Sequence similarity searches as based on all BCMNVA sequences, Badnaviruses and all ALPV sequences in GenBank.
DNA-Seq on the 12 virus symptomatic bean samples resulted in quality-trimmed reads ranging from 6,152,747 to 19,820,322 reads (Table 1). De novo assembly using CLC genomic workbench resulted in a varying number of contigs ranging from 27,646 to 99,651 (Table 1).
|GenBank Accession
|No of reads before trimming
|No of reads after trimming
|No of contigs of assembly
|N50 score
|Viral contigs of interest
Quality assessment of the assembly was based on both the N50 scores.
Taxonomic profiling of viruses and viral sequence confirmation
Taxonomic profiling was carried out with Kaiju (Menzel, Ng & Krogh, 2016) using the bacteria, archaea, and virus NCBI Ref-Seq. The main viruses identified were double-stranded DNA viruses such as the Badnaviruses that constituted at least 18% of total reads (Fig. 2; Table S1). In addition, single-stranded RNA viruses represented 2% of the total reads (Fig. 2; Table S1). Further confirmation of the viruses after assembly of the raw reads into the respective contigs (Table 1) and using a combination of sequence similarity searches using BLASTp against the non-redundant (nr) protein database confirmed three viruses (Table 2). Of the three viruses, one was a dsDNA virus, PVBV (family, Caulimoviridae, genus Badnavirus) and two were +ssRNA viruses: BCMNVA (family Potyviridae) and ALPV (family Dicistroviridae). All raw reads from this study were deposited in GenBank with the respective accession numbers provided in Table 1.
|Sample ID
|Isolation source
|Putative viral Genera
|Genomic structure
|Closest associated virus
|% Amino and nucleotide identity
|Conserved domain region detected
|Fragment size
|Complete genome
|Sequence length
|NCBI GenBank Accession
|Transmission mode
|Common bean
|Caulimoviridae Genus Badnavirus
|Double stranded DNA virus
|Pelargonium vein banding virus
|RT/RNA-dependent DNA polymerase
|Insect associated virus
|Common bean
|ssRNA positive-strand viruses
|Aphid lethal paralysis virus
|Hypothesis 1 and 2 gene
|Aphid transmitted
|ssRNA positive-strand viruses
|Bean common mosaic necrosis virus
|Aphid transmitted
Three virus sequences were identified; one double stranded DNA virus (dsDNA) and two +ssRNA viruses within symptomatic common beans.
Bayesian phylogenetic relationship of viral sequences and nucleotide similarity
Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of the Badnavirus using amino acid sequences of the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase gene region showed the Kenyan sequence (SRF019_MK014481) was clustered with two viruses: Dracaena mottle virus (DrMV) (YP_610965) and Lucky bamboo bacilliform virus (ABR01170) (Fig. 3).
Phylogenetic analysis of the BCMNVA based on the amino acid sequences of the Nib, gene, resolved two main clades (Fig. 4). Sequence from this study (SRF35_MK014482) clustered within clade I with previously reported BCMNVA sequences (Fig. 4). Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of ALPV was based on nucleotide sequences of the hypothetical protein gene 1 and 2. Three main clades were resolved and identified as clades I–III (Fig. 5). The Kenyan sequence from this study (SRF35_MK014481) clustered within clade II and within a nested sub-clade. This nested sub-clade comprised of sequences from China isolated from various insects (wasp, aphids, and spiders) in addition to another ALPV sequence from Kenya isolated from maize (MF458892) (Fig. 5). Percentage sequence similarity of the hypothetical protein 1 and 2 matched the Kenyan sequence (SRF019_MK014483) to PVBV GenBank sequence (YP_003208050.1) with 70.5% sequence similarity (Table S2). In ALPV nucleotide sequences of the hypothetical protein 1 and 2 from this study (SRF35_MK014481) were closely matched with sequences with 99% from China and isolated from aphids (MF795135.1) from GenBank (Table S3). For BCMNVA the percentage sequence similarity was based on amino acid sequences of the Nib region, which closely matched the Kenyan sequence (SRF35_MK014482) to a GenBank sequence with 100% identity matched to a previously isolated Kenyan sequence (AV144940_Kenya) (Table S4). Sequence alignments within the three gene fragments are presented in Figs. S1–S3.
Heterogeneous agro-ecosystems of the western highlands of Kenya have been reported to have a wide range of viruses in circulation (Mangeni, Abang & Kelly, 2014; Wainaina et al., 2018a; Wainaina et al., 2018b). The viruses reported so far within the beans in this region have mainly been RNA viruses (Mangeni, Abang & Kelly, 2014; Wainaina et al., 2018a, 2018b). To date, there are have been no studies on potential DNA viruses within common beans in the western highlands of Kenya. We report the first evidence of PVBV, a DNA viral sequence in beans, and an additional two RNA viruses BCMNVA and ALPV previously reported from this region (Wamonje et al., 2017; Wainaina et al., 2018c). Moreover, we establish the evolutionary relationship of these three viruses and compare them with previously reported sequences from GenBank.
Assessment of the DNA viruses within bean cultivars was carried out using a viral metagenomic approach (DNA-Seq). Taxonomic profiling identified both dsDNA and ssRNA viruses (Fig. 2). Further confirmation using sequence similarity searches nr BLASTp identified three main viruses (Table 2). Among these viruses are the dsDNA viruses from the genus Badnavirus, the PVBV (Table 2). There have been reports of Badnaviruses within legumes such as the peanut chlorotic stunt virus and the soybean mild mottle virus (De Kochko et al., 1998). Badnaviruses are transmitted in a semi-persistent mode by the insect vectors. Aphids and whiteflies have been implicated in the transmission of different viral species within the genus Badnavirus. In addition, the use of cuttings could also be a driver of the continued presence of Badnaviruses such as the Sweet potato badnavirus within the agro-ecosystems (Kreuze et al., 2017). It is therefore likely that the infection of Badnavirus within beans could be due to feeding by viruliferous aphids and whiteflies. Further evidence of this was the presence of the Potyvirus BCMNVA (Table 2; Fig. 3). This virus is mainly transmitted by aphids and by seed-borne transmission (Worrall et al., 2015). BCMNVA has previously been reported as one of the most prevalent viruses within common beans in the western highlands of Kenya (Mangeni, Abang & Kelly, 2014; Wainaina et al., 2018a). Both the recycling of infected seeds from one season to the next and the presence of viruliferous aphid vectors are thought to be the primary mode of transmission of BCMNVA in the western highlands of Kenya (Mangeni, Abang & Kelly, 2014; Wainaina et al., 2018a). This, therefore, supports our hypothesis that both BCMNVA and PVBV within the beans could be obtained from aphids that were foraging across the different plants as they search for their preferred host plant. This is especially so within smallholder farms where there are multiple host plants within the agro-ecosystem. We postulate as the aphids move from one crop to another, they inoculate these viral particles within the alternative host plants which act as a virus sink within the cropping system.
A limitation of our study was that though RNase treatment was conducted, we think the treatment was inadequate. Hence we identified both DNA and RNA viruses from our samples that we subsequently analyzed. These findings further demonstrate the abundance of RNA transmitted viruses in legumes (Wainaina et al., 2018a), and the power of metagenomic studies for virus discovery. Moreover, it could also be that since we did not obtain complete genomes of either of these viruses and obtained only viral fragments it is probable that the viral fragment in particular from the RNA the virus could have integrated within the host plant. Integration of viruses within host genome has been previously reported, and are considered as viral fossils (Geering et al., 2014). However, we could not ascertain this due to a lack of biological samples to conduct more extensive sequencing with a high sequencing coverage depth to resolve this problem.
The presence of the arthropod (i.e., aphid) infecting virus the (ALPV) (Bonning & Miller, 2010; Liu et al., 2014) further supports the hypothesis of beans as viral sinks or sources (Fereres, 2000; Uzokwe et al., 2016). The ALPV sequence identified in this study (SRF35_MK014481) was closely related to previous Kenyan sequence isolated from maize (MF458892) and sequences from China (Fig. 4). Our findings are comparable with previous studies such as those conducted by Granberg et al. (2013), Wamonje et al. (2017), and Maina et al. (2017b), where ALPV has been isolated in different host plants (maize, beans) and insects (aphids and honey bee). ALPV is transmitted between insects through both horizontal and vertical modes of transmission (Bonning & Miller, 2010). We hypothesize that ALPV and the host plants (beans) exist in a mutualistic relationship. Based on our hypothesis, of beans acting as viral sources and/or sinks, beans ensure the survival of ALPV by acting as pseudo hosts, as ALPV moves between insect vectors. In exchange, ALPV infects aphids infesting beans making them susceptible to ladybirds and the parasitoid wasp Aphidius ervi Ban et al. (2008). We posit that this may reduce the aphid load on the bean plants (Wamonje et al., 2017). Moreover, Verbeek et al. (2002) demonstrated that ALPV could also readily infect whiteflies. It is thus likely that infection of whiteflies by ALPV might make them more susceptible to predators of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum that have previously been reported (Macfadyen et al., 2018). From our field observations, beans were less infested with whiteflies compared to cassava and sweet potato within the same agro-ecosystem. The potential role of viruses, in particular, those of the family Dicistroviridae as biocontrol agents of insect vectors in plants, warrants further investigation. Biocontrol strategies of insects within smallholder farmers could be readily applicable due to the relatively low cost to smallholder farmers.
In this study, we used a viral metagenomic (DNA-Seq) approach to identify viruses within symptomatic viral beans. We identified viruses of the family Caulimoviridae, genus Badnavirus, the PVBV. Moreover we detected +ssRNA viruses of family Potyviruses BCMNVA. In addition, an arthropod infecting virus from the family Dicistroviridae, ALPV was also identified. The beans were infected with both plant and arthropod infecting viruses. This could further suggest that beans are potential viral sources or sinks within heterogeneous agro-ecosystems. Future studies could complement our findings assessing the potential role of arthropod infecting viruses as potential biocontrol agents within infestation in legumes and other crops found within the agro-ecosystem.
Supplemental Information
Table S1.
Summary of the taxonomic profile of the DNA-Seq reads of the 12 bean samples using Kaiju (Menzel, Ng & Krogh, 2016) (raw data).
Table S2.
Pairwise comparison of the amino acids sequence alignment of the Pelargonium vein-banding virus (PVBV).
Table S3.
Pairwise comparison of the nucleotide sequence alignment of the Aphid lethal paralysis virus (ALPV).
Table S4.
Pairwise comparison of the amino acids sequence alignment of the Bean common mosaic necrosis virus.
Fig. S1. Alignment of PVBV.
Sequence alignment of amino acid sequences of the RT/RNA-dependent DNA polymerase region of the Badnavirus using MAFFT (Katoh & Standley, 2016).
Fig. S2. Alignment of BCMNV.
Sequence alignment of the amino acid sequences of the RdRp region of Bean common mosaic necrosis virus using MAFFT (Katoh & Standley, 2016).
Fig. S3.
Sequence alignment nucleotide sequences of the hypothetical protein 1 and 2 region of the Aphid lethal paralysis virus using MAFFT (Katoh & Standley, 2016).


text:
We rely more and more on security cameras to be our first line of defense when it comes to protecting our family's home or business. We will make it easy for you to check in on your property from your mobile device with a live view anywhere in the world.
Application Form
Feel free to reach us out by clicking on the button.


text:
As winter sets in, Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient, or MORE2, is helping Oak Ridgers lower their home energy use and their electric bills.
Mary Kate Lacey, a retired licensed practical nurse, rents an Oak Ridge home that she hopes to someday own. After taking part in MORE2, she said her home is more comfortable now than in the last five years and that her electric bill is reflecting energy savings.
"My heat pump just doesn't run all the time now like it used to," she explained. "And my utility bill is already a little lower than in earlier years." [Read more…]