Reliable Toxic Tort Attorney: Providing Skilled Legal Assistance

Toxic tort law is an area of law that deals with cases involving individuals who have been exposed to hazardous materials that cause physical harm. When faced with a toxic tort lawsuit, an individual may benefit from the assistance of a reliable poisonous tort attorney. These are highly specialized in this area of law and can provide skilled legal services to those who have been exposed to hazardous materials.

The Role of a Toxic Tort Attorney

The role of a toxic tort attorney is to provide legal representation to those who have suffered harm or injury due to exposure to hazardous materials. This process includes filing lawsuits against the companies responsible for the disclosure and seeking monetary compensation for the victims. They will also help build a case against the companies responsible, including gathering evidence and determining how best to present the case in court.

Why You Need a Reliable Toxic Tort Attorney

When litigating cases involving environmental contaminants, it is essential to have a reliable expert by your side. A skilled team will be able to assess the facts of the case, prepare a strategy for litigation, and provide advice and guidance throughout the process. Reliable experts will also be able to help you understand the legal process and your rights and options.

Finding a Reliable Toxic Tort Attorney

When finding a reliable team, it is essential to do your research. You should look for people who specialize in this law area, have experience in litigating cases, and have a good track record. It is also essential to look for experts willing to listen to your story and understand your needs. Additionally, it is necessary to find a team who is ready to take the time to explain the legal process to you in detail.

Benefits of Working with a Reliable Toxic Tort Attorney

When you work with a reliable team, you can trust that your case is in good hands. A skilled team will be able to assess the facts of your case and develop a strategy to fight for your rights. Additionally, you can expect your team to provide you with guidance and support throughout the legal process. Furthermore, a reliable team will be able to advise you on seeking the best compensation for the harm caused by exposure to hazardous materials.

Furthermore, experts can provide advice and guidance to their clients throughout the legal process. They can explain their legal rights and help them understand their options. In addition, they can provide support to those who may be dealing with a problematic legal situation.

At Tort Advisor, we have an extensive track record of success in handling toxic tort cases and will use our experience and knowledge to ensure you receive the best possible outcome in your case. We understand the trauma and hardship.

Our team is committed to providing personalized legal assistance to each client. We will take the time to listen to your story and determine the best legal strategy to pursue. We will also work to ensure your legal rights are protected throughout the process.

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How DB Schenker used Feedly to create an “innovation hub” to detect new business opportunities – Feedly Blog

THE SOLUTION

Using Leo, Feedly’s AI engine, to build a hub to monitor innovations, trends, competitors, and opportunities

When Jacek first began pitching Feedly to internal stakeholders, his team was quickly overwhelmed with requests for their own newsletters with real-time information.

“Almost right away, we had many colleagues who were interested and asked us to create newsletters for them,” Jacek recalls. “It started scaling quickly, and very soon it got to the point where our Feedly-dedicated team of two wouldn’t be able to do the monitoring for the whole company.” 

So instead, Jacek created an internal scaling model that uses Leo to feed DB Schenker’s innovation, trend, competitor, and opportunity hub and triage intelligence out to the wider company. 

Here’s how he did it:

1. Set up Leo to surface the right information

Feedly’s AI engine, Leo, uses a collection of machine learning models to continuously read millions of articles to analyze and tag key concepts in real time. It’s like having an extremely eager research assistant – with a million times the computing power. 

Jacek set up Leo Web Alerts, AI-powered searches across the web, to track logistics innovations for new developments. He also used Leo’s pre-trained Tech & Scientific Innovation Model to get immediate updates on emerging trends and new technologies.  

Jacek also set up Leo Web Alerts for the sales teams for DB Schenker’s different business units to help them identify business opportunities. The Leo Web Alerts focused on topics like the supply chain industry, supply chain last mile deliveries, land transport, ocean freight, and warehousing. “It was so simple,” he says. 

Jacek created this “Logistics Innovation” Leo Web Alert to track innovation in the areas his company cares about the most.

2. Curated newsletters disseminate valuable market intelligence information across the company

Once Jacek had Leo set up to surface relevant information, he turned on Team Newsletters. The innovation team curates articles by saving them to a Board in Feedly, and then the newsletters are regularly sent to a predefined list of emails from Boards. 

When Jacek and the innovation team save articles to specific Feedly Boards, weekly newsletters are sent to subscribers throughout the company. Boards can also kick off a series of other workflows, like pushing content to an innovation portal.

Then, he pitched the tool’s market intelligence applications to teams across the company to help other teams set up their own newsletters, based on their intelligence needs. 

The innovation team’s first internal customer had a very specific goal in mind: they wanted to use Feedly to stay on top of their customers’ latest investments. “If our customers build a warehouse or a production facility, they are going to need logistics services soon,” Jacek explains. “If we know about that earlier, our sales team can approach our customers to offer our services.”

From there, interest grew quickly, and multiple teams approached Jacek to set up their own newsletters. Pretty soon, Jacek had used Leo to set up 18 different newsletters for teams across the company. 

3. The innovation team creates a scalable framework for surfacing trends   

Now, when a team approaches Jacek to help them gather market intelligence, the process is simple: 

  1. Jacek asks the department what keywords and concepts they would like to track. 
  2. Then, he creates the Leo Web Alerts for them and asks for feedback on each Web Alert.
  3. Together, they refine their Leo Web Alerts to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, so they only receive what’s most relevant to them. 
  4. Finally, he trains a team “Feedly editor,” who becomes the owner of the department’s market intelligence – and Jacek is free to go help the next team who wants to gather market intelligence. 

Jacek says, “I assist them in the first few weeks, and I help them publish the first newsletter. After that I hand over the reins and that person becomes responsible for intelligence gathering for their team. They can do their own thing.”

“If our customers build a warehouse or a production facility, they are going to need logistics services soon. If we know about that earlier, our sales team can approach our customers to offer our services.”

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Argentina saves Latin-American honour by beating Netherlands to make World Cup semi-finals

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Argentina beat the Netherlands 4-3 in a penalty shootout to keep Lionel Messi’s World Cup dream alive on Friday after the Dutch had snatched a 2-2 draw from the jaws of defeat in an extraordinary quarter-final.

2022 FIFA World Cup
2022 FIFA World Cup © FMM graphics studio

 

Emiliano Martinez saved the first two Dutch penalties to give Argentina a huge advantage, and Lautaro Martinez sent Andries Noppert the wrong way to set up a date for the South Americans with Croatia in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

Messi celebrated with arms aloft in front of the massed ranks of Argentina fans, his hopes of securing football’s biggest prize at the fifth attempt intact for a few more days.

A third bench-clearing melee of the match took place behind him as some of the Dutch players, distraught after coming so close to one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history, clashed with their Argentine rivals.

Apparently on their way home at 2-0 down with only seven minutes of normal time remaining, the Dutch scored twice through substitute Wout Weghorst to send the match to two scoreless periods of extra time.

Messi, almost inevitably, had played a major role in giving Argentina their lead.

While it was Nahuel Molina’s goal that put Argentina ahead in the 35th minute, it was Messi who unlocked a suffocating Dutch defence that had snuffed out any previous chances.

The 35-year-old took the ball 40 metres out and ghosted to his left in front of a wall of markers before sliding a pass back to the right to Molina on the edge of the box.

The wingback took a touch and poked the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Andries Noppert to send the vast majority of the 88,235 crowd at Lusail Stadium into paroxysms of delight.

There was more delirium for the Albiceleste faithful in the 73rd minute when Messi slapped a penalty kick in the right midriff of the net after Denzel Dumfries had fouled Marcos Acuna on the edge of the box.

With tactics more reminiscent of Sunday park football than Total Football, the Dutch got back into the contest by bombarding the Argentine area with high balls aimed at their tall target men.

They were rewarded with a goal in the 83rd minute when Steven Berghuis crossed from the right and his fellow substitute Wout Weghorst headed the ball past Martinez’s dive.

The Argentines held onto their lead until 11 minutes into stoppage time when Teun Koopmeiners cleverly reversed a free kick and found Weghorst free to put the ball past Martinez and level up the match.

The Argentines were shell-shocked by the turnaround in the first period of extra time but recovered their composure to pepper the Dutch goal with shots, Enzo Hernandez coming closest to scoring with a rasping effort that hit the post.

The defeat was the first for the Dutch in 20 matches going back to last year’s European Championship and brought an end to 71-year-old Louis van Gaal’s third spell as coach.

(Reuters)

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New Jersey Business Owner Sentenced to Five Years of Incarceration for Defrauding Over 75 Victims of More Than $2.7 Million in Nationwide Scheme to Sell

A New Jersey man was sentenced in connection with charges stemming from his sale of more than $2.7 million worth of unregistered pesticides to numerous victims based on false representations that these products were pesticides registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and on EPA’s “List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2” that EPA deemed to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus).

Paul Andrecola, 63, of Maple Shade, New Jersey, was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised release and forfeiture of $2.74 million by U.S. District Court Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden. Andrecola had previously been charged with one count of knowingly distributing or selling an unregistered pesticide in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), one count of wire fraud and one count of presenting false claims to the United States.

AxDraft

“The defendant committed a brazen fraud in the midst of a global pandemic and sought to profit from people’s fears of contracting the coronavirus,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This sentence shows that these crimes are serious and will be vigorously prosecuted by the Department of Justice.”

“Paul Andrecola’s scheme profited on the fears of the American people during the height of concerns about transmission of COVID-19,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “Our office is dedicated to protecting public health and prosecuting to the full extent of the law fraudsters who commit such egregious criminal acts.”

“Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for perpetrating the largest pandemic fraud case related to the sale of unregistered pesticides charged nationwide,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Amon of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in New Jersey. “This case underscores EPA’s commitment to hold violators accountable for placing the public at risk by failing to ensure the integrity and safety of their products.”

Smith-Alsobrook & Associates

FIFRA provides for federal regulation of pesticide distribution, sale and use. The purpose of FIFRA is to ensure that pesticides sold in the United States are safe, effective and bear labeling containing true and accurate information. The EPA has responsibility under FIFRA to regulate the manufacture, labeling and distribution of all pesticides shipped or received in interstate commerce.

Under FIFRA, all pesticides must be registered with the EPA before the pesticide can be sold or distributed, and no person may distribute or sell a pesticide that has not been registered with the EPA. Moreover, before pesticide products can legally make claims that they can kill a particular pathogen such as SARS-CoV-2, the claim must be authorized by EPA based on a review of data. In March 2020, at the beginning of the global pandemic, the EPA created a list of EPA-registered products that it deemed to be effective against SARS-CoV-2, titled “List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2.” The EPA has continued to update this list since its creation.

According to documents filed in this case, and statements made in court:

Andrecola, who owns and operates three companies based in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, manufactured various disinfectant products, including liquids and wipes, under the brand name “GCLEAN.” GCLEAN products were unregistered pesticides under FIFRA and none of the products were on EPA’s “List N of Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2.” Rather, Andrecola placed another company’s EPA Registration Numbers on his company’s products, and falsely marketed that his products were EPA-approved to kill Coronavirus by creating numerous false documents to support his claims. Specifically, Andrecola, or others at his behest, provided this falsified documentation to potential customers, falsely representing that various sanitizer and wipe products in the names GCLEAN and/or GC200 were EPA-registered products on EPA’s “List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2,” to persuade them to purchase the unregistered pesticide products.

From approximately March 2020 through May 2021, Andrecola used these fraudulent representations to make more than 150 sales of unregistered pesticides for a profit of more than $2.7 million. The purchasers of these unregistered pesticides included a police department in Delaware, a fire department in Virginia, a medical clinic in Georgia, a janitorial supply company in New York, a school district in Wisconsin, as well as numerous U.S. government agencies (namely, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Moody Air Force Base, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Forest Service).

The government is represented by Trial Attorneys Adam C. Cullman and Matthew D. Evans of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason P. Garelick for the District of New Jersey, Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case, with assistance from EPA’s Office of the Inspector General, Eastern Region; the Homeland Security Investigations Newark Field Office; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Northeast Field Office; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Northeast Field Office and the Mount Laurel Police Department.

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Live Update: Russia’s “Special Operation” In Ukraine; Day 289

US and Russian representatives to meet in Istanbul to discuss ‘difficult questions’

Representatives from Russia and the US are meeting in Istanbul today to discuss “difficult questions”, the Russian state-owned news agency Tass reported.

The two sides are set to discuss “irritants” in bilateral relations including visas, embassy staffing levels and the work of each side’s institutions and agencies abroad, among other unspecified issues, the report added.

Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergey Ryabkov, confirmed the meeting during a discussion in Moscow. He was cited by Tass as saying: “Yes, it is true that a meeting is being held today in Istanbul at the level of the directors of relevant departments. In principle, this event is held periodically to discuss so-called irritants in bilateral relations. After a certain pause, we resumed communication with the Americans in person on this issue.”

The allusion to “irritants” means that they are discussing the technicalities of how the US diplomatic missions in Russia and Russian ones in the US function, he continued.


Bulgaria to send military aid to Ukraine for first time

Bulgaria will send military aid to Ukraine for the first time since the Russian invasion began.

It was one of the few EU countries not to send aid after the Russia-friendly Socialist party, a coalition partner in the previous government, blocked a previous proposal in May.

The list of arms Bulgaria will send to Ukraine is classified, but government officials have said Sofia would mainly send light weaponry and ammunition.

Caretaker Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said Bulgaria could not afford to send its Russian-made anti-aircraft missile systems or MIG-19 and SU-25 fighter jets, which Kyiv wants.

“My approach has been conservative because I need to ensure the defence capabilities of Bulgaria. The aid is fully in line with Ukraine’s priorities, but we are not sending S-300 systems, nor MIG-29 or SU-25 aircraft”, Stoyanov told Nova TV.


Western support is not ‘charity’: Ukraine’s finance minister

Ukraine’s finance minister says Western financial support is “not charity” but “self-preservation” in defending democracy as Ukraine repairs electrical and heating infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks.

“It’s not charity to support Ukraine,” Serhiy Marchenko stated, adding, “We are trying to protect freedom and democracy of all (the) civilized world.”

Marchenko told The Associated Press that he believes European Union officials will sort out a dispute with Hungary, who, last week, blocked an €18 billion ($18.97 billion) aid package.

Marchenko said financial support for Ukraine is tiny compared to what developed countries spent to combat emergencies like the global financial crisis of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that the damage to civilian infrastructure would cost 0.5 percent of annual economic output next year, adding to the burden as Ukraine tries to cover a budget deficit equivalent to $38 billion.


Putin: West’s desire for global dominance is ‘increasing risk of conflict’

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the West’s desire to maintain its dominance on the world stage was increasing the risks of conflict.

“The potential for conflict in the world is growing and this is a direct consequence of the attempts by Western elites to preserve their political, financial, military and ideological dominance by any means,” he noted.

The Russian leader was speaking in a video message to a summit of defence ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and a group of ex-Soviet countries that was published by the Kremlin.

“They deliberately multiply chaos and aggravate the international situation,” Putin continued.

He also accused the West of “exploiting” Ukraine and using its people as “cannon fodder” in a conflict against Russia.

Putin has repeatedly cast the war in Ukraine – which Moscow calls a “special military operation” – as a conflict between Russia and the West, criticising those who have provided military and financial backing to Ukraine.

Kyiv, European countries and Washington say Moscow used the pretext of security concerns to launch a cynical war of aggression against its pro-European neighbour in an attempt to seize swathes of territory and topple President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.


US to impose further sanctions on Russia

The US is set to levy fresh sanctions against Russia and China on Friday, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing officials familiar with the matter.

The measures will target Russia’s deployment of Iranian drones in Ukraine, as well as alleged human-rights abuses by Russia.

oth Tehran and Moscow have repeatedly denied claims that Iran has provided Russia with weapons to be used in the war in Ukraine.


Kherson hospital hit by Russian shelling

A hospital in Kherson city was hit by Russian shelling on Friday morning, Yaroslav Yanushevysh, head of the Kherson region military administration, said in a Telegram post.

The pediatric ward and morgue were damaged in the shelling, according to Yanushevysh. No injuries or casualties have been recorded so far.

On Wednesday, two people died after Kherson was shelled 51 times, according to Yanushevysh, who stated Russians had “fired at peaceful settlements of the region with artillery, MLRS, tanks and mortars.”

Last month, Russian troops withdrew from Kherson city after having occupied it for eight months, in a humiliating setback. But Russia still retains control of much of the broader Kherson region.


US to unveil new military aid package for Ukraine

Washington is about to send another security assistance package to Kiev, which will include anti-drone and air defense systems, Reuters reported, citing sources.

The $275 million measure is expected to be officially announced on Friday.

According to officials and documents cited by the news agency, the security aid will also include rockets for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), 155mm ammunition, Humvee vehicles, and generators. At the same time, there are no details on the air defense equipment, the report added. In addition to this, the contents and the size of the aid package may change before it is approved by US President Joe Biden.

The new measure is expected to be covered by the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows Washington to dispatch military equipment quickly and without congressional approval.

Supporting Ukraine with air defense systems has become an “absolute priority” for Western countries since Russia began targeting the country’s energy infrastructure, according to the US Department of Defense. The recurring bombardments picked up steam after Moscow accused Kiev of conducting “terrorist attacks” on Russian structures, including the strategic Crimea Bridge.

In early November, the Pentagon announced a $400 million security package for Ukraine, which included ammunition for the HAWK air defense system as well as four Avenger air defense systems and additional Stinger missiles.

Since the start of the conflict, the US has committed more than $19 billion in security assistance to Kiev.

Moscow has repeatedly warned Western countries that providing heavy weapons to Ukraine risks both crossing Russia’s “red lines,” and could lead to their direct involvement in the conflict. Washington and its allies insist they are not a party to the hostilities, but continue sending arms shipments to Kiev.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the strikes on Ukraine’s power infrastructure were intended to degrade Kiev’s ability to transport troops, and Western-supplied weapons and equipment to the battlefield by rail.


US wants the Ukraine conflict to last until at least 2025: Russia

US arms procurement documents show that Washington intends to fuel the conflict in Ukraine for at least three more years, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has insisted.

She added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should take notice of it when assessing the future of his country.

“Washington plans to fuel hostilities in Ukraine at least till the end of 2025. That’s what their plans are, judging by documents, which they don’t hide from anybody,” the Russian diplomat told journalists.

Zakharova was referring to a contract for Raytheon’s National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), which the Pentagon announced last week. The US Army will buy $1.2 billion worth of hardware for Ukraine, according to the announcement, with an estimated completion date in late November 2025.

The US, which pledged to provide military assistance to Kiev for “as long as it takes” to defeat Russia, previously supplied this type of anti-aircraft system to Ukrainian troops.

Advisors to President Zelensky should tell him about the procurement timeline, Zakharova suggested, so that he didn’t promise his people that the conflict would end next year, as he did this week.

“Washington has different plans. There is a lot of money to be embezzled” through Ukraine aid programs, she alleged. Zakharova claimed that Western assistance was “a corruption marathon” going from the White House to Kiev and back again and profiting grifters on a global scale.

She also s????? that Zelensky should watch his back, considering last week’s visit to Ukraine by Victoria Nuland, a veteran US diplomat, whom Zakharova called “a harbinger of tragic shocks, caused by the Washington-orchestrated bloody putsch” of 2014.

“A new palace coup may be in the making or some other reshuffle. I believe the Zelensky regime, which has repeatedly tested Washington’s patience, has some things to consider,” she remarked, adding that the US didn’t care who was in power in Kiev.

Nuland, who served as US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs in 2014, was recorded discussing with then-US Ambassador to Kiev, Geoffrey Pyatt, the composition of the post-coup Ukrainian government. The private conversation was leaked online by unidentified parties. Her preferred candidate for prime minister subsequently got the job.


NATO countries are increasingly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, with the United States intentionally proceeding with an escalation on this track, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on the Rossiya-24 TV channel.

“NATO members are increasingly and directly involved in this conflict. Their support for Kiev is now much diversified than it was a few months ago. This is a reflection of Washington’s intentional policy, obediently pursued by the Europeans, of escalating the conflict. They are playing with fire. The risks are soaring,” Ryabkov stated.

Moscow does not see that the West has any caps on the range of arms supplies to Ukraine, he continued.

“The Westerners are pushing ahead with expanding the range of deliveries of ever heavier, longer-range weapons. At the same time, they slyly and deceitfully, by and large, try to create an impression that there is some kind of a border line, some kind of self-restraint in this regard. We do not see anything like that,” Ryabkov emphasized.

He stressed that the Russian side was conducting bilateral diplomatic work on this issue, primarily with unfriendly countries, “to warn them of the consequences of these steps.” The UN Security Council is the central platform for resisting such Western practices, Ryabkov said.

“All diplomatic tools – demarches, protests, notes, appeals on specialized platforms, and diplomatic clashes in Vienna and in New York, where there are opportunities to drive the message home and to warn our opponents – are being used to the full extent,” the diplomat added.


Ukraine says it is working with UN nuclear watchdog on demilitarising Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said his government was working with the UN’s nuclear watchdog agency to create a safety zone around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

Kyiv remained “in close contact” with Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he stated at a joint press conference with his Slovak counterpart, Rastislav Ká?er, in Kyiv.

Kuleba added, “Of course, we are all interested in ensuring that all nuclear power plants, not only the Zaporizhzhia NPP, are safe. This is extremely difficult to achieve without stopping Russian missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine, but we are moving forward step by with mutual understanding with the IAEA.”

There is a rule in diplomacy that nothing is agreed upon until everything is agreed, he noted.

Ukraine’s state nuclear energy firm Energoatom repeated Kyiv’s claims that Russia was using the site as a de facto weapons depot.

Energoatom announced Russia had brought multiple rocket launchers to the site and stationed them near the plant’s power unit No 6.

It went on to claim that Russian forces planned to use them to launch attacks against Ukrainian positions and bridges on the western bank of the Dnipro River.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has come under repeated shelling since Moscow seized it shortly after launching its invasion in February, prompting the IAEA to call for a demilitarised safety zone around the plant.


Kremlin sees ‘risk’ of Ukraine attacks on Crimea

The Kremlin has announced that the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula was vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks after officials said they had shot down a drone near a key naval base.

The latest drone attack came after Russian President Vladimir Putin recently visited the only bridge connecting Crimea with the Russian mainland to survey repair work on the key artery damaged in a blast Moscow blamed on Kyiv.

“There are certainly risks because the Ukrainian side continues its policy of organising terrorist attacks,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“But, on the other hand, information we get indicates that effective countermeasures are being taken,” he continued.


No reason to believe Russia involved in blocking ships from Mediterranean: US

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has told reporters the Joe Biden administration had no reason to believe the Russian government was involved in a decision by Turkey to block ships from transiting to the Mediterranean Sea.

Yellen also stated the administration saw no reason oil shipments from Kazakhstan should be subjected to new procedures.

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What Is Stiff Person Syndrome? A Patient Shares Her Story

twIn an emotional social-media video posted Dec. 8, singer Celine Dion informed fans that she has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disease called stiff person syndrome. A diagnosis wasn’t easy or straightforward. “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time…we now know this is what’s been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having,” said Dion, who is 54.

Here’s what to know about the condition and what it feels like.

What is stiff person syndrome?

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, stiff person syndrome has similarities to autoimmune disease, in which the body’s immune system attacks its own cells. The condition is linked to higher levels of antibodies that bind to an enzyme called glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), which works on a brain chemical, GABA, responsible for inhibiting activity in the central nervous system. GABA is normally in balance with another chemical that stimulates nerves, which, in the case of muscles, makes them contract.

“Something in the software goes wrong, and the inhibitory system starts to malfunction,” says Dr. Avi Almozlino, chief of neurology at Newton Wellesley Hospital, part of the Massachusetts General Hospital-Brigham system. “The inhibitory signals become weaker and weaker, and the excitatory signals start to take over, contracting the muscles uncontrollably.” People with the condition often experience muscle spasms in the trunk, arms, or legs and become more sensitive to noise and touch. Emotional triggers, including stress, can worsen the muscle spasms. Those episodes can make it difficult to walk or move to perform basic daily tasks. In her video, Dion said she isn’t able to control her vocal cords and sing in the way she once did, and therefore postponed upcoming tour dates in Europe.

How rare is stiff person syndrome?

Only about one in a million people gets stiff person syndrome, and the disease affects twice as many women as men. Many people, like Dion, spend months or years trying to find the reason for their spasms, since the symptoms can mimic some other autoimmune disorders.

One of the those patients is Maureen Materna, a 74-year old from Cleveland, Ohio who has been living with the condition since 2011. Like Dion’s diagnosis, it took doctors a while to reach hers. “I was always very active—I walked, biked and exercised, and was one of those people that does 20 millions things at one time,” Materna says. Then, she started getting intense cramps in her feet and legs that wouldn’t go away. The episodes would last about 45 minutes and leave her screaming in pain. But otherwise, she was healthy.

After a visit to the emergency room, doctors gave her a Valium drip to address the pain, which helped, but she still didn’t know why she was experiencing spasms. Two years and about 20 doctors later, a neuromuscular specialist finally diagnosed her with stiff person syndrome, based on her symptoms and the fact that Valium was the only intervention that seemed to alleviate some of the pain. “To this day when I see doctors for something else and they see that I have stiff person syndrome, I cannot tell you how many [of them] have said, ‘What is that? I’ve never heard of it.’”

What does it feel like to have stiff person syndrome?

Materna can’t sit for long periods of time, so even if she’s watching television, she has to get up every 20 minutes or so. Her muscle-locking means she can’t accompany her husband and their grandchildren to shows, where she would have to sit for lengthy periods of time. Until last year, bedroom slippers were the only footwear that made her feet comfortable. She walks every day, to keep herself active, but it’s a challenge. “It feels like I’m walking on broken glass,” she says. “But I’m not the type to lay in bed. I like to see my neighbors and distract myself and kind of forget that the pain is there.”

What causes stiff person syndrome?

While it’s not clear what triggers the syndrome in people who don’t show signs of immune system disorders beforehand, one theory is that stiff person syndrome could be the immune system’s very early response to cancer. “I’ve had some patients who initially presented with stiff person syndrome, and one to two years later, developed cancer,” says Dr. Robert Wilson, a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic and Materna’s physician. “The body may be sensing early cancer and generates an immune response to those early cancer cells with antibodies that cross react with the nervous system. These patients get their cancer treated and do improve.” But there are no definitive studies yet confirming this potential cause of the syndrome.

Others develop stiff person syndrome after different health issues, including bouts of viral infections or stressful experiences that may trigger the immune system in a dysfunctional way. “It needs to be studied more why some people develop stiff person syndrome and not others,” says Wilson.

Can people recover from stiff person syndrome?

Currently, the treatments for the condition include muscle relaxants and anti-convulsant medications, which can alleviate some of the symptoms of the condition, as well as IV antibody treatments that try to reset the immune system to dial down its attack on the body’s own cells. The monoclonal antibody medication rituximab (Rituxan), which is prescribed to treat certain autoimmune diseases and cancers, can also help. But people can have varying responses to these therapies, says Wilson. “Some patients are rapid responders after a few treatments—they get their immune systems rebooted and recalibrated. And there are others who don’t respond as well, so we focus on symptomatic relief, which can also help them from getting worse.”

Materna tried getting infusions of an immunoglobulin, IgG, which helps to bolster the immune system, but the treatment didn’t help her significantly, and she stopped after about six years. She also tried plasmaphoresis, which involves regular removal and cleansing of plasma to remove the abnormal antibodies attacking the body’s immune cells. She developed a blood clot from the port required for the procedure and couldn’t continue. Next, Materna tried ketamine infusions to help with headaches, but those didn’t improve her symptoms either. She now takes Valium four times a day for pain, as well as a muscle relaxer, and does deep breathing exercises and meditation.

Each time she visits her doctor, Materna and her husband ask if there are any new treatments she can try, and the answer so far has been no. But she’s hopeful that with Dion’s diagnosis,more attention will be paid to the rare disease. “Maybe with her having it, scientists will start researching it more,” she says. “It’s a hard disease.”

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What to do in a Traffic Stop

As criminal defense lawyers, we are often tasked with knowing our client’s constitutional and statutory rights when it comes to police interactions. But what about practical advice for our client to have a safe and anxious free interaction with an officer who initiates a traffic stop? In this episode, Jake offers simple steps for any driver to follow during a traffic stop and talks about why the defense bar bears the responsibility for promoting safe police-civilian interactions through education. NOTE: This video DOES NOT focus on a driver’s constitutional rights during a traffic stop. The tips given in this video are meant to promote safety and mutual respect in police-civilian interactions during a routine traffic stop.

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The US is deploying additional troops to Estonia

Additional troops in Estonia will be deployed by the US. On this occasion, the Estonian Ministry of Fisheries confirmed this information.

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It was stated that the American HIMARS missile system and equipment related to that system will also be deployed to Estonia. American news agency AP reports that to boos NATO defenses the US deployed more troops to Estonia.

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Hanno) said the decision marks a significant increase in the alternating US military presence in Estonia and the Baltic states.

Pevkur stated that the decision shows the long-term commitment of the USA to the security of the region and the stronger presence of NATO.

A US infantry unit typically has 80 to 250 soldiers.


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READ: Boeing bids to give Ukraine shells for strikes on Russia, the Pentagon considers


At a time when the Ukrainian-Russian war is raging, the announced deployment of forces in Estonia, a NATO member and neighbor of Russia, is believed to be aimed at strengthening NATO’s eastern flank.

Estonian defense officials announced on December 3 that they will buy the HIMARS missile system from the USA, a purchase worth 200 million dollars.

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Putin peace plot sees Poland MPs warn of ‘another war’ on horizon | World | News

Influential Polish politicians have warned against Europe looking to cut a deal with Putin to bring the Ukraine war to a halt. French leader Emmanuel Macron has been met with a chorus of criticism over recent calls for “concessions” to be granted to Putin in exchange for peace in Ukraine. Kyiv was quick to slap down talk of the West granting any guarantees to Russia while MPs in Warsaw are in agreement that only Putin’s decisive defeat will secure lasting stability in the region. 

The Deputy Speaker of the Polish Parliament warned that Poland’s history of invasion and occupation at the hands of Russia should make the West think twice before offering an olive branch to the Kremlin.

Ma?gorzata Gosiewska told Express.co.uk: “We as Poles, but really all the other nations of central Europe, we know historically that any deal for Ukraine that will be done according to Russia’s rules, that Ukraine will be forced to sign, will eventually turn against us all.

“Because a deal of some sort with Putin with no judgment, with no punishment of the crimes, is just giving time to Putin for him to consider preparing another offensive.”

Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister echoed the warning, telling Express.co.uk that conceding to any of Putin’s demands over Ukraine would only lead Europe to another war down the road.

READ MORE: Russia pundit demands ‘children’ sent to front to avoid having to pay pensions to widows

Pawe? Jab?o?ski told Express.co.uk: “When we speak about peace when we speak about what price we could pay for having peace the first issue we need to deal with is for what time do we want this peace.

“Because if we want it to be just a matter of a couple of months anything can be signed anything agreement any ceasefire and this would allow Russia time to resupply, to rebuild their military capacity, to replenish the army.

“This would probably mean that sanctions are lifted so they are able to get the money again and rebuild what they lost and most importantly draw conclusions from the errors they made.

“So if we allow for this, this peace or truce would only lead to another war in several months or one or two years.”

He added: “If we allow Russia to continue as a criminal aggressive regime they will continue to carry out criminal aggressive acts.

“If we really want lasting actual peace which is a solution, not a temporary fix, we need to change Russia and this can only happen if Russia is entirely defeated.”

It comes after President Macron called on Europe’s leader to ponder “how to give guarantees to Russia the day it returns to the negotiating table”.

He said: “One of the essential points we must address — as President Putin has always said — is the fear that NATO comes right up to its doors, and the deployment of weapons that could threaten Russia.”

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Back in June, the French leader called on the West not to “humiliate” Putin but to build Russia “an exit ramp” out of the Ukraine conflict.

President Macron’s latest intervention was met with anger from Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council secretary, Oleksiy Danilov who responded: “Instead of Nuremberg — to sign an agreement with [Russia] and shake hands?

“Ukrainian blood on Putin’s hands will not bother business as usual?”

Instead, he argued that a “denuclearised and demilitarised” Russia would be “the best guarantee of peace for Europe and the world.”

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Pro Electronics Albania

A large electronics retail store in entrance of Yurakucho Station. Handles all the newest shopper electronics as nicely as medicines and daily goods. This store is established as a novel collaboration between Bic Camera, which handles the newest digital home equipment, and Uniqlo. In addition to online critiques, peer suggestions on online purchasing pages or social media web sites play a key role for web shoppers when they are researching future purchases. There have been 242 million folks buying online in China in 2012.

Monitors with 4K UHD TV feature Wi-Fi® connectivity to enable streaming from online providers. Surround sound speakers can be found on many of these TV screens, offering enhanced, quality audio for gaming and movies. With a super-fast response time, TV screens work for high-level avid gamers who require optimal pace and fluidity. Whether you are looking for electronic appliances or devices, choosing the right retailer to ensure the standard is critical. Also, you want to think about their buyer providers for installation or repair wants.

It allows the homeowners to get a ready-made business template together with the trademark of the enterprise. With a great strategy, there are probabilities to excel and run your individual electronics store. You can bring broken electronics to larger shops to get them serviced or mounted for an inexpensive fee.

Which country is famous for electronics?

China, Hong Kong, and the U.S. are the leaders in electronics production.

Treat your self to a brand new MacBook from John Lewis and get Apple TV+ free of charge for a 12 months, plus save up to £450 off whenever you commerce in your old Macbook. Get your hands on the latest haier tv 43 inch Apple technology and get a brand new iPhone 13 at Carphone Warehouse! Check out Littlewoods’ PC Gaming offers now and save as much as 40% on selected items!

Xiaomi Youpin HOTO Smart Kitchen Scale Bluetooth Mijia APP Electronic Scale Smart Home Food Weighing Tool LED Digital Display $71.09
click>>https://t.co/obDGA1kVzG#ebay #aliexpress #rt pic.twitter.com/AwV61Bku8u— ali_shop_shop (@ali_shop_shop) August 8, 2022

Mobile-based answer for small business house owners and their customers to enable recording of credit/payment transactions digitally throughout the nation. If your stores’ show area is less than 20% of the entire display space, a license will not be required. You can obtain them from private firms or government agencies. Insuring your small business provides value and authenticity to your organization. Conduct your initial examine about different franchise electronic corporations and understand how they function. With this first-hand data, you probably can truly decide which franchise matches your targets, price range, and private interest.

  • Furthermore, 40% of online shoppers indicate that they might not even purchase electronics with out consulting on-line critiques first.
  • This is the greatest way to promote a few of your finest merchandise being to place them on display the place everybody can see them.
  • These are generators with absolute class and rugged performance.
  • We hope you will enjoy our merchandise as a lot as we get pleasure from making them accessible to you.

Making partial funds without clearing the cash worth in full will cut back the lump sum of compound curiosity charged at the finish of the delayed fee interval. You can avoid all of the curiosity by paying the cash price before the top of the delayed fee period, this might be done in a single full fee or multiple partial funds. Buy Now Pay Later is an interest bearing option that permits you to delay payments in your purchases for six months. By coming into UF3F6 within the promo code box at checkout your item shall be put on 12 months Buy Now Pay Later mechanically.

What is an electronic equipment?

Definitions of electronic equipment. equipment that involves the controlled conduction of electrons (especially in a gas or vacuum or semiconductor)

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