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A Davenport couple is accused of stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise from Hy-Vee by allegedly scanning barcodes of less expensive items in place of the proper barcodes on the items taken. Rebecca Lyn Pulse, 41, is charged in Scott County District Court with one count each of ongoing criminal conduct and second-degree theft. Rebecca Lyn Pulse Rebecca Lyn Pulse Ongoing criminal conduct is a Class B felony that carries a prison sentence of 25 years, while second-degree theft is a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years. Dennis Allyn Pulse, 44, is charged with one count of third-degree theft, an aggravated misdemeanor that carries a prison sentence of two years. Each is also charged with one count of fifth-degree theft in separate incidents. The charge is a simple misdemeanor that carries a jail sentence of up to 30 days. Dennis Pulse Dennis Pulse According to the arrest affidavits filed by Scott County Sheriff’s deputy Pam Robertson, between Aug. 11 and Nov. 5, Rebecca Pulse used barcodes of inexpensive items to scan in place of scanning the barcodes of more expensive items she was taking from the store. Of the 40 total thefts alleged to have been done by Rebecca and Dennis Pulse, all but two occurred at the Hy-Vee located at 2351 W. Locust St., Davenport. According to the affidavits, one theft occurred at the Hy-Vee at 2200 W. Kimberly Road, while one theft occurred at the Hy-Vee at 1823 E. Kimberly Road. For instance, at 9:49 a.m. on Nov. 1, Rebecca Pulse took merchandise from the shelves that totaled $378.96, the affidavits allege. She scanned barcodes of less expensive items that totaled $4.50. After paying the $4.50, she left with the merchandise. Rebecca Pulse’s husband, Dennis Pulse, helped her in the plan on 14 occasions between Aug. 11 and Oct. 12, according to the affidavits. Rebecca Pulse is charged with taking off the shelves merchandise valued at $4,009 over the course of the four months and paying only $285, the affidavits said. The total loss to Hy-Vee is $3,724. Dennis Pulse is responsible for helping her take $1,490 in merchandise from the shelves but only paying $157, according to the affidavits. His part in the loss to Hy-Vee is $1,333. Rebecca Pulse was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Scott County Jail. During her first appearance on the charges Thursday in Scott County District Court, Magistrate Stephen Wing scheduled a preliminary hearing for Jan. 7. Dennis Pulse was arrested at the Scott County Courthouse on Thursday morning. Wing also scheduled a preliminary hearing for Dennis Pulse for Jan. 7. Rebecca and Dennis Pulse each were released from custody by Wing on a promise to appear at all future court dates. How To Keep Your Packages Safe From Theft This Holiday Season. Package theft is a growing issue, with 31% of Americans reported stolen deliveries in 2024, up from 24% in 2023. To avoid becoming a victim this holiday season, here are some effective strategies to keep your gifts for loved ones or personal treats out of the hands of thieves. Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store Major chains like Target, Walmart, and Home Depot allow you to order online and collect purchases at a dedicated counter or curbside pickup. Choose Secure Delivery Locations For added safety, have packages delivered to a secure spot, like delivery lockers, which are available at various stores and apartment buildings nationwide UPS Access Points, including lockers and counters at CVS and Michael’s, are another convenient option. Simply select these locations during checkout and retrieve packages when it suits you. Use Smart Technology Secure your deliveries with tech solutions like smart drop boxes, as they allow couriers to leave packages in a locked container. Doorbell cameras are another great tool for deterring theft, as they alert you to deliveries and allow you to monitor your doorstep remotely. Use Delivery Notifications Stay informed with shipping alerts from USPS, UPS, and FedEx, which provide real-time updates on your package’s location. Many couriers allow you to hold deliveries while you're away or reroute them to a more secure location. Regular travelers can also rent a mailbox through USPS or UPS for added peace of mind. With a little effort, you can ensure your packages stay safe this holiday season. By combining these tips you'll have one less thing to worry about. Cybersecurity roles among most in-demand in US amid rising data breaches (c)2024 Quad City Times, Davenport, Iowa Visit Quad City Times, Davenport, Iowa at http://www.qctimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Musk causes uproar by backing German far-right party ahead of key electionsITV viewers have been left baffled by a celebrity special of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? The ITV quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire ?, fronted by host Jeremy Clarkson, saw one of its celebrity guests struggle and use up not one but two lifelines in the first five minutes of the hot seat. 6 Jools Holland was the first celebrity to sit in the hot seat on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? celebrity special Credit: ITV 6 The music icon took the hot seat versus presenter Jeremy Clarkson Credit: ITV 6 On his fourth question, Jools used up one lifeline to help him earn £500 Credit: ITV The ITV celebrity special featured Jools Holland , Nina Wadia and Ugo Mony in the hot seat aiming to earn money for charities and climb the money leaderboard. However music guru Jools Holland struggled to reach the £1,000 mark, calling in his 'ask the audience' and 'phone a friend' lifelines for his fourth and fifth questions. For his fourth question, which would earn him £500, Jools was asked "In March 2020, who began hosting online fitness workouts for children under the title 'P.E. with Joe'?" Turning to the audience, they overwhelming replied that it was sports guru Joe Wicks rather than any of the other Joe choices, including former US president Joe Biden. More on ITV SOAP DRAMA Another Emmerdale star devastated after being brutally AXED amid ITV cash crisis quiz upset ITV spark fury by airing controversial Beat The Chasers win after woman’s death Jools' next question asked him to draw on his film knowledge, when he was asked "Which of these is a tagline for the Hitchcock film 'Psycho'?" Calling a friend, Jools was pushed towards the right answer of "Check in. Unpack. Relax. Take a shower.", which hints at the infamous shower scene from the classic movie. Whilst Jools had used up two of his three lifelines in the first five questions, his cries for help had not gone unnoticed by viewers at home. Taking to social media, one stunned viewer wrote on X: "He used two lifelines at that in the first five questions! Bloody hell. Even Joey bloody Essex knows more than Jools Holland!" Most read in News TV 'FALSE NARRATIVE' Relatives of Lockerbie Bombing victims furious over new Colin Firth drama PROGRAMME PULLED Scots star reveals festive TV special has been pulled from schedule CHRISTMAS JOY Lorraine Kelly shares sweet snap of granddaughter Billie's first Christmas NO PLACE LIKE HOME Lorraine Kelly shares plans to quit England with her daughter Another posted: "What the heck? Jools Holland used Phone A Friend on the Psycho question? JOOLS HOLLAND?!? I thought he was clever!" Who Wants To Be A Millionaire contestant loses £875k in devastating scenes "I genuinely thought Jools Holland would be much better than this," added a third. Another posted: "Wow. It’s a good job Jools can play the piano well because he’s bloody useless at this...." "Oh Jools I thought you would do better, but I guess you either know it or you don’t," shared another. With another question asking Jools to draw on his music knowledge, he was quizzed about The Spice Girls. He dithered, as one viewer pointed out on social media: " Jools Holland getting a Spice Girls question when he appeared in the movie Spiceworld." The music icon eventually bowed out at £16,000, which he dedicated to two charities, The Princes Trust & Caring Hands. 6 Jools needed help to identify the right Joe for a question about Joe Wicks Credit: ITV 6 Straight after the musician needed help with a tagline for a classic Hitchcock film Credit: ITV 6 Jeremy Clarkson returned for the new celebrity special Credit: ITVVolkswagen's best-selling car just got a stylish, new update
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Dartmouth sorority, two members of fraternity face charges after student who attended party drowned HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity faces charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party. The Hanover, New Hampshire police department, where Dartmouth is located, said Friday that Alpha Phi was charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house. Two members of the Beta Alpha Omega face a charge of providing alcohol to a person under 21. Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had attended an off-campus party in July hosted by Alpha Phi sorority. Police said the alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards are marching in downtown Barcelona to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living." The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States. The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. In cities like Barcelona, rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Jason Kelce's wife announces she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife is announcing she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Kylie Kelce posted a photo on Instagram on Friday of the couple's three young daughters reacting to the news. The oldest daughter, Wyatt, appears to be cupping her head in shock. The middle daughter, Ellioette, is smiling. The youngest, Bennett, is in tears. A caption attached to the photo reads: “I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister. At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page!” Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in UAE is missing. Israeli officials fear he may have been kidnapped DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran. The Israeli prime minister’s office said that Zvi Kogan has been missing since noon Thursday. It said that against the backdrop of information that this was a terrorist incident, an extensive investigation has been opened in the country. Emirati officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. State-run media in the UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, did not immediately report the incident. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Officer kills pet dog mistaken for a coyote in Massachusetts town. The owner says it was unnecessary An animal control officer shot and killed a pet dog in a Massachusetts town after mistaking it for a coyote in an incident local police are describing as a sad mix-up. Police in Northbridge, Massachusetts, say the shooting happened on Tuesday after police received a call of a report of a coyote in a residential backyard. Police say the animal control officer went into the woods to look for the coyote and found what they thought was the animal in a threatening position and shot it. The incident happened as communities around Massachusetts and the country have dealt with an uptick in interactions between coyotes and people. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict.LAS VEGAS — Players Era Festival organizers have done what so many other have tried — bet their fortunes in this city that a big payoff is coming. Such bet are usually bad ones, which is why so many massive casino-resorts have been built on Las Vegas Boulevard. But it doesn't mean the organizers are wrong. They're counting on the minimum of $1 million in guaranteed name, image and likeness money that will go to each of the eight teams competing in the neutral-site tournament that begins Tuesday will create a precedent for other such events. EverWonder Studios CEO Ian Orefice, who co-founded Players with former AND1 CEO Seth Berger, compared this event to last year's inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament that played its semifinals and final in Las Vegas by saying it "did really well to reinvigorate the fan base at the beginning of the year." "We're excited that we're able to really change the paradigm in college basketball on the economics," Orefice said. "But for us, it's about the long term. How do we use the momentum that is launching with the 2024 Players Era Festival and be the catalyst not to change one event, but to change college basketball for the future." Orefice and Berger didn't disclose financial details, but said the event will come close to breaking even this year and that revenue is in eight figures. Orefice said the bulk of the revenue will come from relationships with MGM, TNT Sports and Publicis Sport & Entertainment as well as sponsors that will be announced later. Both organizers said they are so bullish on the tournament's prospects that they already are planning ahead. Money made from this year's event, Orefice said, goes right back into the company. "We're really in this for the long haul," Orefice said. "So we're not looking at it on a one-year basis." Rick Giles is president of the Gazelle Group, which also operates several similar events, including the College Basketball Invitational. He was skeptical the financial numbers would work. Giles said in addition to more than $8 million going to the players, there were other expenses such as the guarantees to the teams. He said he didn't know if the tournament would make up the difference with ticket sales, broadcast rights and sponsorship money. The top bowl of the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be curtained off. "The math is highly challenging," Giles said. "Attendance and ticket revenues are not going to come anywhere close to covering that. They haven't announced any sponsors that I'm aware of. So it all sort of rests with their media deal with Turner and how much capital they want to commit to it to get these players paid." David Carter, a University of Southern California adjunct professor who also runs the Sports Business Group consultancy, said even if the Players isn't a financial success this year, the question is whether there will be enough interest to move forward. "If there is bandwidth for another tournament and if the TV or the streaming ratings are going to be there and people are going to want to attend and companies are going to want to sponsor, then, yeah, it's probably going to work," Carter said. "But it may take them time to gain that traction." Both founders said they initially were met with skepticism about putting together such an event, especially from teams they were interested in inviting. Houston was the first school to commit, first offering an oral pledge early in the year and then signing a contract in April. That created momentum for others to join, and including the No. 6 Cougars, half the field is ranked. "We have the relationships to operate a great event," Berger said. "We had to get coaches over those hurdles, and once they knew that we were real, schools got on board really quickly." The founders worked with the NCAA to make sure the tournament abided by that organization's rules, so players must appear at ancillary events in order to receive NIL money. Strict pay for play is not allowed, though there are incentives for performance. The champion, for example, will receive $1.5 million in NIL money. Now the pressure is on to pull off the event and not create the kind of headlines that can dog it for years to come. "I think everybody in the marketplace is watching what's going to happen (this) week and, more importantly, what happens afterwards," Giles said. "Do the players get paid on a timely basis? And if they do, that means that Turner or somebody has paid way more than the market dictates? And the question will be: Can that continue?" CREIGHTON: P oint guard Steven Ashworth likely won’t play in the No. 21 Bluejays’ game against San Diego State in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Ashworth sprained his right ankle late in a loss to Nebraska on Friday and coach Greg McDermott said afterward he didn’t know how long he would be out. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief" and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America's dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise" speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter's diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___ Contributors include former AP staffer Alex Sanz in Atlanta. Bill Barrow, The Associated PressAFP – The European Union (EU) yesterday raised an offer by rich nations to help poor countries worst hit by climate change to USD300 billion a year in a bid to salvage talks that the developing world warned were on the brink of collapse. Negotiators worked through the night in a windowless sports stadium in the Caspian Sea city of Baku in a search for compromise as the two-week United Nations climate talks dragged into an extra day. In a year set to be the hottest ever recorded, developing nations bearing the brunt of rising drought and disasters flatly rejected on Friday an initial offer of USD250 billion per year by 2035. Two negotiators said the EU was urging that wealthy countries – whose ranks also include the United States, Britain and Japan – raise the sum to USD300 billion. But this came with conditions in other parts of the broader climate deal under discussion at the COP29 conference in Azerbaijan, the negotiators added. The Europeans in particular want an annual review on global efforts to phase out fossil fuels, which are the main drivers of global warming. Irish Climate Minister Eamon Ryan said he was “hopeful” for a deal but that a clearer picture would emerge later in the day, when a new text is expected. “We need to get an agreement. This is really important that we give hope to the world, that multilateralism can work, that we are responding to the climate crisis,” Ryan told AFP . He said there was a recognition of the need for more money for the developing world, “but also we have to put a halt to the advance of fossil fuels.” Chair of the African Group of Negotiators Ali Mohamed told AFP that there had been “good discussions” on finance after the initial USD250 billion offer which he called “a big mockery”. He said that developing nations had made clear that a lack of movement would “lead to a failure of COP”. “No deal is better than a bad deal,” he said. The stance of Mohamed was backed by a coalition of more than 300 activist groups that urged developing nations to stand firm. In a letter, the non-governmental organisations accused developed nations of seeking to avoid legal obligations for climate finance. “You claim to champion a rules-based system, yet flout the rules when they don’t suit your interests, putting at risk billions of people and life on Earth,” they wrote. Wealthy nations counter that it is politically unrealistic to expect more in direct government funding. The US earlier this month elected President-elect Donald Trump, a sceptic of both climate change and foreign assistance, and a number of other Western countries have seen right-wing backlashes against the green agenda. The draft deal posits a larger overall target of USD1.3 trillion per year to cope with rising temperatures and disasters, but most would come from private sources. Even USD250 billion would be a step up from the USD100 billion now provided by wealthy nations under a commitment set to expire. A group of developing countries had demanded at least USD500 billion, with some saying that increases were less than met the eye due to inflation. Experts commissioned by the UN to assess the needs of developing countries said USD250 billion was “too low” and by 2035 rich nations should be providing at least USD390 billion. This figure was taken up by Brazil, the host of next year’s COP30, which said USD390 billion should be the sole responsibility of wealthier countries.
L.A. Rams star Puka Nacua hosts holiday pizza party for HomeLight families
Have a pretty little Christmas
Charles Dolan, HBO and Cablevision Founder, Dies at 98Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has also resigned as vice-president of the animal welfare organisation, with both of them expressing their “sadness” over leaving the roles. It comes after an Animal Rising investigation made claims of cruelty at “RSPCA Assured” slaughterhouses in England and Scotland, with the campaign group sharing footage of alleged mistreatment. RSPCA Assured is a scheme whereby approved farms must comply with the organisation’s “stringent higher welfare standards”, according to its website. Mr Packham shared the news of his resignation on social media, saying: “It is with enormous sadness that I have resigned from my role as president of the RSPCA. “I would like to register my respect and admiration for all the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to protect animals from cruelty.” Ms Lucas said she and Mr Packham failed to get the charity’s leadership to act. She posted on X, formerly Twitter: “With huge sadness I’m resigning as VP of the RSPCA, a role I’ve held with pride for over 15 years. “But their Assured Schemes risk misleading the public & legitimising cruelty. “I tried with @ChrisGPackham to persuade the leadership to act but sadly failed.” In June, the RSPCA commissioned an independent review of 200 farms on its assurance scheme which concluded the scheme was “operating effectively” to assure animal welfare on member farms. Following Animal Rising’s release of footage last week, the charity said it was “appalled” by what was shown, adding that it launched an immediate investigation and suspended three slaughterhouses from the scheme. In the wake of Mr Packham and Ms Lucas’ resignations, an RSPCA spokesperson said it is “simply not true” that the organisation has failed to take urgent action. They said: “We agree with Chris and Caroline on so many issues and have achieved so much together for animals, but we differ on how best to address the incredibly complex and difficult issue of farmed animal welfare. “We have discussed our work to drive up farmed animal welfare standards openly at length with them on many occasions and it is simply not true that we have not taken urgent action. “We took allegations of poor welfare incredibly seriously, launching an independent review of 200 farms which concluded that it was ‘operating effectively’ to improve animal welfare. “We are taking strong steps to improve oversight of welfare, implementing the recommendations in full including significantly increasing unannounced visits, and exploring technology such as body-worn cameras and CCTV, supported by £2 million of investment.” The charity insisted that while 94% of people continue to choose to eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy, it is the “right thing to do” to work with farmers to improve the lives of animals. “RSPCA Assured visit all farms on the scheme every year, but last year just 3% of farms were assessed for animal welfare by state bodies,” the spokesperson continued. “No-one else is doing this work. We are the only organisation setting and regularly monitoring animal welfare standards on farms. “We have pioneered change through RSPCA Assured, which has led to improvements throughout the industry including CCTV in slaughterhouses, banning barren battery cages for hens and sow stalls for pigs, giving salmon more space to swim and developing slower growing chicken breeds who have better quality of life.”
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