CANONSBURG, Pa., Jan. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Core Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CNR) today announced that it was taking steps to temporarily seal the Leer South mine's active longwall panel in order to extinguish isolated combustion-related activity there ongoing discussions with regulatory authorities Core believes Leer South will be able to resume development work with continuous miners within the next three months I want to commend Leer South personnel for their exceptional efforts in managing a challenging situation safely and effectively and I want to thank the regulatory agencies for their great support during this process," said Paul A "While we are disappointed that we may be losing around two quarters of longwall production at Leer South we are confident we are taking the right steps to protect the mine We have a good understanding of where the combustion-related activity is occurring and are confident that this limited activity does not currently present a threat to the longwall equipment Working closely and cooperatively with federal and state officials we plan to temporarily seal the active longwall panel and apply water and nitrogen to extinguish this combustion-related activity which should lead to the most expeditious resumption of mining." beginning with the construction of ventilation controls followed by the resumption of continuous miner development the company expects to advance development work on future longwall panels which should enable the longwall system to operate in a highly efficient manner in the year's second half the Core operations team has already initiated efforts to help ensure that we avoid such incidents in the future," said George J "We are confident that there are steps we can take – in the areas of monitoring and the installation of proactive mitigation systems – that should enable us to avoid future outages." Core Natural Resources is a world-class producer and exporter of high-quality including metallurgical and high calorific value thermal coals The company operates a best-in-sector portfolio Core plays an essential role in meeting the world's growing need for steel and has ownership interests in two marine export terminals The company was created in January 2025 via the merger of long-time industry leaders CONSOL Energy and Arch Resources and is based in Canonsburg Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This communication contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of federal securities laws Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "continue," "estimate," "expects," "intends," "will," "should," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "would" and similar expressions Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and reflect Core's current views about future events No assurances can be given that the forward-looking statements contained in this communication will occur as projected and actual results may differ materially from those projected Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations estimates and assumptions that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected including those resulting from the completion of the merger; changes in coal prices including changes in the domestic and foreign supply of and demand for coal and the domestic and foreign demand for steel and electricity; the volatility in commodity and capital equipment prices for coal mining operations; the presence or recoverability of estimated reserves; the ability to replace reserves; environmental and geological risks; mining and operating risks; the risks related to the availability reliability and cost-effectiveness of transportation facilities and fluctuations in transportation costs; foreign currency government regulation or other actions; the ability of management to execute its plans to meet its goals; risks associated with the evolving legal regulatory and tax regimes; changes in economic political and regulatory conditions; natural and man-made disasters; civil unrest and conditions that may result from legislative trade and policy changes; and other risks inherent in Core's business Forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management at the time the statements are made Core does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof (NYSE: CNR) will discuss its first quarter 2025 financial results in an investor conference call on Thursday (NYSE: CNR) ("Core") announced that it had completed a highly successful refinancing of tax-exempt bonds.. Mining Mining Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy Mining & Metals Do not sell or share my personal information: This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page UNITY - Leer County is one of the areas hardest hit by the conflict that has ravaged South Sudan persistent violence and insecurity forced the withdrawal of judges from Unity State leaving communities entirely dependent on customary courts to resolve disputes including serious crimes beyond their jurisdiction residents will have access to formal justice through the deployment of a mobile court that will hear more than 60 cases of murder rape and other criminal offenses from Leer Supported by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan the Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Reconciliation the court was officially opened by Unity State Governor More than 2000 people gathered to witness this landmark moment demonstrating its importance to communities across the region “Deploying a mobile court and establishing permanent justice in Unity State provides mechanisms for all South Sudanese to access justice regardless of our political affiliations,” said Unity Governor “We are working with the judiciary and partners to bring judges permanently back to Unity enabling those who have suffered harm to receive justice.” said the absence of a formal justice system created gaps that customary courts cannot address “We are mandated to handle customary issues and are not equipped to try murder and rape cases These matters need a well-trained judge,” he said “We will fully support this court at the community level because it will help reduce crime and bring perpetrators to justice.” The acting Head of the UNMISS Field Office in Unity “The mobile court will address cases outside the jurisdiction of traditional leaders Justice and accountability are key to decreasing crime The large number of women at the court opening reflected the disproportionate impact that conflict and crime Twenty-year-old Maria Nyadak hopes the court will help protect and strengthen women’s rights “We are excited to welcome the mobile court because it will help stop early and forced marriages in our community Women and girls have suffered for too long without justice.” She called for stronger laws to protect women and girls from all forms of violence “Our government should design laws that address the huge challenges facing women and girls This will give us the complete freedom that we deserve.” which is a joint initiative of the judiciary of South Sudan the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs UNMISS and partners supported the training of 20 new investigators in southern Unity with a focus on handling sexual violence cases as well as the advance deployment of prosecutors and investigators to receive and process the criminal complaints that will be heard The court will run from 15 April until 9 May 2025 The SPLA-IO in Unity State and one of the barge captains denied allegations that several boats and barges were being held at Adok Port in Leer County Lul said the army chief ordered the “immediate and unconditional release” of the vessels warning that failure to comply would result in “punitive aerial and riverine actions.” SPLA-IO Sector Two spokesperson Yai Pazale told Radio Tamazuj Sunday that no barges had been detained by their forces in Leer County “We didn’t detain the boats and barges. That information is fake information from the SSPDF, and what they want to do is just bombard innocent civilians in Leer County in the name of detaining boats and one barge,” Pazale said He attributed the prolonged presence of the boats and barges at Adok Port to insecurity in Mayendit Radio Tamazuj also spoke with Diang Kuol Kur the captain of one of the barges that arrived at Adok Port after violence erupted in Upper Nile State in late February Diang said they were not being held by the SPLA-IO but were staying due to safety concerns “We are not under detention at the SPLA-IO base in Adok Port and it’s not true what those who say we are detained claim We just fear [traveling] since we arrived at Adok Port and that is the reason we have not gone to Upper Nile State,” he said The barges and boats were loaded with mixed goods from Juba Kuol revealed that six boats and barges were currently at Adok Port including one hired by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) while the other five were destined for Fangak “The barge hired by IOM will remain in Adok Port and the rest—five boats—will continue to three locations: Fangak County adding that the vessels belonged to private South Sudanese business owners South Sudan deploys first mobile court to Leer in over a decade 14 April 2025 – For the first in over a decade and investigators to Leer County in Unity State to deliver formal justice through a mobile court from 15 April to 9 May 2025.The joint initiative of the Judiciary of South Sudan and the Unity State government is supported by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS.)The Leer mobile court aims to address serious criminal cases To underscore the importance of justice delivery the Governor of Unity State and senior representatives from the Judiciary South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) and National Prisons Service of South Sudan (NPSSS) are expected to join the opening of the court on 15 April.The deployment follows the training of 20 new investigators in southern Unity with a focus on handling SGBV and CRSV-related offences UNMISS facilitated the advance deployment of prosecutors and investigators to begin receiving and processing criminal complaints More than 60 cases had already been reported prior to the arrival of the court and additional cases are expected to follow The court is expected to handle a combination of criminal and civil matters while not a substitute for formal justice structures play a vital and innovative role in restoring public faith in South Sudan’s rule of law architecture,” said Guang Cong Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Political) UNMISS.The Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Reconciliation Stabilization and Resilience (RSRTF) and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Juba have provided financial resources for the Leer mobile court.Note to Editors: was welcomed into the arms of his Lord and Savior on Tuesday where he lived with his parents and five siblings until he was drafted into the army He served his country for two years in the Korean War and was promoted to sergeant before returning to the States earning his associate’s degree in electrical engineering and started his career with Bell Laboratories where he remained until his retirement in 1989 they moved to Illinois where they raised four daughters: Cindy Ivan faithfully served in various church roles (elder Ivan’s Christian faith was central to his life quietly meeting needs and funding projects that would last for eternity Ivan always had a big garden which translated to a big harvest for sharing with family often recounting his early years of playing the tuba he made sure the architects included a grease pit in the garage so he could do his own maintenance and more time devoted to family and friends Losing his wife Shirley to brain cancer in 2014 left a deep wound but through God’s strength The family is deeply appreciative of the care he received during this past year at his memory care community Ivan will be deeply missed as the patriarch of his family who loved him deeply He is survived by four children and their spouses: Cindy (Mike) Hoidas of Wheaton IL; nine grandchildren: Ross (Jen) Van Woerkom Kyle Currence; thirteen great-grandchildren A visitation will be held at Hultgren Funeral Home until the time of the funeral service at 2:00 p.m Additional services will be held on Tuesday at 11:00 am at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Burial with military honors will follow the service at Sunnyside Cemetery CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TDN FOR FREE! Remember Ben with a gift to Thoroughbred aftercare Subscribe for FREE to the Daily PDF or the News Alerts Home » Archive » Top News » Gayle Van Leer Picks Up Seven-Figure Tapit Colt A colt by leading sire Tapit (hip 249) was the first to top seven figures when selling for $1,000,000 to Gayle Van Leer during Tuesday's session of the OBS Spring Sale he is out of MGISP Palacio de Amor and a half to MGSP Threefiveindia (Street Hero) and MSW Hero's Amor (Street Horo) who produced GSP Apprehend (Arrogate) Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts. Copy Article Link Editor / News Stories:editor@thetdn.com Advertising:advertising@thetdn.com Customer Service:customerservice@thetdn.com Click Here to sign up for a free subscription Authorities in South Sudan’s Unity State arrested a police officer Wednesday for allegedly opening a detention gate allowing suspects charged with murder and rape to escape in Leer County confirmed the arrest to Radio Tamazuj on Friday The officer is accused of aiding the escape of five detainees Among those who fled were suspects convicted by a mobile court last week including one man sentenced to three years in prison for raping a 16-year-old girl “The investigation into the officer’s actions is ongoing and he will face a mobile court next week,” Malieth said “This conduct violates South Sudanese police regulations I do not understand why an officer would assist criminals accused of killing people and raping young girls—it is unlawful,” he added coordinator of the Street Children Care Initiative and a civil society representative in Unity State “When a law enforcement officer enables criminals to escape it is right that they face legal consequences,” Koang said “While there are many reports about the detention breach we await the official findings from the police CID department.” we condemn such actions by those entrusted with upholding the law.” Mine Safety and Health Administration report on an Aug 5 incident at a Taylor County underground mine that killed mine worker William Crandell two days after a power car drawbar struck him in the head A coal mine where an underground fire last week prompted reported mine worker evacuations had a long history of safety and health violations leading up to the blaze Click here to stay informed and subscribe to the Williamson Daily News Click #isupportlocal for more information on supporting our local journalists More than 1,100 federal safety and health violations have been assessed at the Leer South Mine in Barbour County since the start of 2022 according to Mine Safety and Health Administration records Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content Mike Tony covers energy and the environment. He can be reached at mtony@hdmediallc.com or 304-348-1236. Follow @Mike__Tony on Twitter Email notifications are only sent once a day there are no recent results for popular videos there are no recent results for popular commented articles Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account playDustin Poirier announces retirement match in New Orleans for BMF title (0:51)Dustin Poirier joins Pat McAfee to announce his retirement match in New Orleans against Max Holloway for the BMF title One of the most iconic careers in MMA history will come to a close this summer, as UFC veteran Dustin Poirier will make his final walk to the Octagon on July 19 Poirier, 36, will face Max Holloway for the BMF title at UFC 318 in New Orleans Poirier announced the five-round bout on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Friday The UFC specifically targeted New Orleans as a location for the pay-per-view event to allow Poirier to have his final fight in his home state "It's going to be my final fight." Poirier said on McAfee's show "I'm going to lay the gloves down in Louisiana where it all started for me and I'm just honored to have the UFC on the same page and the state of Louisiana on the same page to make all this work I didn't know if it was going to all come together It will mark the third meeting between Poirier (30-9) and Holloway (26-8) They met as two up-and-coming featherweights in 2012 with Poirier submitting Holloway via arm-triangle choke in the first round at UFC 143 They met again for the interim lightweight championship in 2019 The Louisiana native was born in Lafayette and he has not fought in the state of Louisiana since 2015 He was awarded the key to the city of Lafayette in 2021 Holloway, of Waianae, Hawai'i, is coming off a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in a featherweight championship bout in October The 33-year-old is moving up to 155 pounds permanently for the first time in his storied career He has made one-off appearances at the weight class before but now intends to take a full run at the lightweight title WKRN News 2 Leer's evocative new track explores the rollercoaster of a relationship that's both intoxicating and complicated. Like the perfect balance of smooth wine and fiery whiskey, the song dives deep into the highs and lows of a love that's hard to quit—it's beautiful, chaotic, and irresistibly messy. With emotional lyrics and raw melody, Wine and Whiskey is elevated by Leer's velvety smooth vocals, delivering every note with a soulful, captivating touch. Leer's evocative new track explores the rollercoaster of a relationship that's both intoxicating and complicated. Like the perfect balance of smooth wine and fiery whiskey, the song dives deep into the highs and lows of a love that's hard to quit—it's beautiful, chaotic, and irresistibly messy. With emotional lyrics and raw melody, Wine and Whiskey is elevated by Leer's velvety smooth vocals, delivering every note with a soulful, captivating touch. Fairview is both embracing growth and working to maintain its small-town feel. The CoolSprings Galleria has been an important part of Williamson County for years. New commercial properties could soon be on the way to Spring Hill. A convicted felon is back behind bars after being accused in a South Nashville burglary. The Clarksville Police Department announced that authorities were still searching for a suspect. The governor's office said that Tennessee has a long track record of standing up to enforce the country's borders. Many Nashville families have more questions than answers following an ICE operation in Music City. "Nashville's wine country" sits about twenty minutes outside of Franklin, TN. Money could be flowing to fix major flood problems in Montgomery County. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have responded to the activity in South Nashville. Tennessee state troopers worked with federal agents in South Nashville. A new police department is officially opening its doors in Spring Hill. CELEBRATING THE BEST OF TV, MOVIES, AND COMICS "Cut out" and "thrown under the bus": Marvel Comics' Sentry co-creator Rick Veitch opens up about his omission for the past 25 years and in the Thunderbolts* movie one of Marvel's most popular new characters in the past 25 years will make his MCU debut in Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts* Top Gun: Maverick's Lewis Pullman is putting on the tights to play the Sentry - although the marketing for the film is playing coy with it referring to him as 'Bob' and playing into the mystery of it as one of the big reveals of the movie by the way - Marvel has confirmed it through other outlets.  But this mysterious part of his origin belies the convoluted and complicated story of the character's origin in comics Originally introduced back in 2000 as a never-published superhero created by Stan Lee decades ago that origin story was later revealed to be meta fiction - with the hero himself questioning his origin in story it was revealed Stan Lee didn't create the Sentry but instead Marvel said it was created in the '90s by two modern-day creators: writer Paul Jenkins and artist Jae Lee But just as Lewis Pullman wasn't the original actor planned to play the Sentry in Thunderbolts neither was Lee planned to be the artist or co-creator the Walking Dead's Steven Yuen was originally cast as the Sentry the character itself was created by Jenkins in partnership with Swamp Thing artist Rick Veitch When Marvel decided to go ahead with a series Lee was tapped as the artist for his inaugural stories and not Veitch leading to Veitch being overlooked for decades including in the creation and promotion of his MCU debut in 2025's Thunderbolts But now with the Sentry about to make his MCU debut (and with all the media Rick Veitch's contributions to the Sentry are like that marketing asterisk at the end of Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts*; he's there and it speaks to a broader mystery that deserves to be known he is speaking up more about what happened and why he refers to Marvel as 'The House of Stolen Ideas." [Editor's note: Following the initial publication of this piece a representative from Marvel confirmed that they have nothing in their official records from Rick Veitch during the development of the 2000 Sentry mini-series they added that the lines of communication are open if Veitch wants to have a dialogue with them.] he first met Sentry co-creator Paul Jenkins in the late ‘80s when the two were both working at Mirage Studios - the home to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Massachusetts and he met [Mirage Studios co-owner] Kevin Eastman Kevin hired him as sort of like a gopher at Mirage Studios," Veitch tells Popverse which seemed to be like a theme with Paul." it's here in the early '90s where the earliest version of the Sentry was being developed. However the character wasn’t originally envisioned as a superhero “The story that Paul had been carrying with him for years before it became the Sentry was the story about this middle-aged guy who was sort of stuck in his apartment or in his home," says Veitch Jenkins originally pitched the Sentry as a horror story - not to Marvel but to the early '90s horror anthology Taboo - which had serialized Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell as well as a primordial version of Charles Burns' Black Hole "Paul tried to pitch that as a horror story to Steve Bassette's Taboo Jenkins began working with Veitch on the idea.  Paul Jenkins broke into the superhero-centric Marvel Comics by reviving some of its horror-themed characters Once the character we now know of as the Sentry became a hero Veitch says he and Jenkins deliberated on the character's powers - and they saw a gap in Marvel's library of characters This comes as Jenkins began working with Marvel in 1997 reviving its horror-themed character Werewolf by Night "Paul and I were sitting around to shoot the shit and I pointed out that Marvel did not have a Superman class hero," Veitch tells Popverse they came up with one of the character’s key hooks – his secret history with the Marvel Universe which was the part I was really interested in We came up with the idea that it was the superhero but there had been some sort of event in the Marvel Universe that had been so horrendous that everybody had forgotten about it," says Veitch "Somebody in the Marvel Universe had made sure that everyone forgot about this guy and the event." This retro feel was right up Veitch's alley. The artist had penciled Alan Moore’s limited series 1963 and felt most references to that era by others went too far into parody instead of homage "That’s when the Sentry really started to come together I think the name Sentry worked really well I think it was Paul who came up with the Sentry I think we both realized that the name he brought to it And then he came up with the idea of Sentry that's great.' We were really surprised that no one had ever done a superhero called the Sentry It’s worth noting that the early '60s era Sentry had an S-shield on his chest a feature which would carry over into the character’s final design “The sketches I did tried to touch on all the various ages of the Marvel Universe and then there's like a Frank Miller Sentry That's what I was really eager to sort of delve into," Veitch tells Popverse "I could see that it would be a real blast to get into the Marvel Universe and play with those crown jewels that I grew up with That was my whole impetus of being involved with it At this point Jenkins and Veitch took the concept further Not only had the Marvel Universe lost their memory of Sentry The conceit was that Sentry had been published for 60 years but comic book readers had lost their memory of the character when he was erased from the Marvel Universe Marvel Comics originally announced the Sentry as an unused Stan Lee creation from the '60s they had found decades after his creation that they were finally publishing Marvel worked with comics journalism outfits such as Wizard Magazine and Newsarama to report this story as fact.  this meant that Jenkins and Veitch were too young to have worked on his Golden and Silver Age stories so they needed to create some fake identites “We were going to create our own artist and writer What we did was we made anagrams of our names Rick Veitch became Chick Rivet and Paul Jenkins became Juan something  I can't remember what his last name was but it was really hilarious [note: It was Juan Pinkles] we started playing around with the whole history of these two guys that were part of Marvel.” Stan would actually claim to be the creator of the thing I was really wanting to get to the heart of retro which I had experience with Alan Moore during 1963 his favorite element - that the hero existed all through Marvel history in different eras was lost when the story was ultimately published and there aren't many people who really get it," says Veitch "And I think when the Sentry finally came out I thought they missed the whole retro part of it.” 1998's Inhumans revamp by Jenkins and artist Jae Lee was a major part of a new wave of thinking inside Marvel Comics - led by relative outsiders-hired-as consultants in Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti and the other titles part of this wave - dubbed 'Marvel Knights' - took some big swings and delivered some big wins for Marvel during a period when the company was crawling out of bankruptcy and Quesada was promoted to be Marvel's editor-in-chief along the way - and he was eager for more from Jenkins.  It was here that Jenkins pitched his next project after the successful Inhumans series with Jae Lee According to Veitch (who had worked with Marvel in the '80s) Jenkins met with Quesada at Marvel's offices in New York to pitch the Sentry - and Marvel wanted it the two of us and he brought it down to New York and met with Quesada and they decided they wanted Jae Lee to do it and I was just cut out at that point," Veitch tells Popverse Veitch said at the time it "made sense" given the success Jenkins and Lee had with 1999's Inhumans In addition to being a comic artist and writer Veitch was heavily involved in the business side - both with his publishing company King Hell Press as well as being the owner of Comicon.com - the home at the time for the budding internet comics journalism outfit Newsarama While Veitch understood the reasoning behind going with Lee at the time looking back on it now he feels cast aside "I was just sort of thrown under the bus," Veitch says They never recognized that I was part of it." Veitch was not listed as a creator of the series in the Sentry's publication and his pseudonym as the '60s artist who co-created the Sentry with Stan Lee "They couldn't use my name anagram Chick Rivet they came up with this other name Artie Rosen and it just didn't fly," Veitch tells Popverse the Sentry has become a key part of the Marvel mythos becoming an integral part of the Avengers for some time with Avengers Tower even doubling as his Watchtower and his death being a climactic moment in the event series Siege he couldn't keep reading after the initial series I've heard enough to know that people kind of criticize it as being not great," says Veitch I did read the original mini-series so I could just see what was going on Veitch says he has no plans to see Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts movies despite the Sentry making his MCU debut there, and was not part of the envoy of Marvel creators the studio often invites to see an early screening of the movie such as Sentry co-creator Paul Jenkins did on April 28 Veitch says that neither Marvel Comics nor Marvel Studios has had any contact with him regarding the Sentry's impending MCU debut leading him to be pessimistic that his contributions to the character will be acknowledged in the Thunderbolts* credits I don't think they recognize me as being part of it and I don't know why that is," says Veitch "I don't know if Paul didn't tell him I was part of it But Marvel's a weird place to do business with Popverse reached out to Paul Jenkins for comment on this story. Following the original publication of this story, Jenkins declined to comment. In its place, we pulled together his recent comments on the matter. Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to: Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing The gold standard of a comic book artist for DC & Marvel and more Jackson 'Butch' Guice dies at age 63 Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts* movie puts the final nail in the coffin for the Joss Whedon-era superhero film God over greed: HBO's The Righteous Gemstones finds true faith amidst false idols in its series finale ending Livestream all of Boston's PAX East 2025 free with Popverse The simmering Marvel Comics (and Marvel Studios) drama deepens as Paul Jenkins weighs in amid Thunderbolts* theatrical debut the new Sherlock Holmes LEGO set from Barnes & Noble DOES count as a business expense The Last of Us Part II ending explained: What happens - and who survives - in the game that inspired HBO's post-apocalyptic hit No part of this website or its content may be reproduced without the copyright owner's permission Truck Accessories Group, LLC doing business as the Leer Group is proud to showcase new truck cap designs for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma “Many people see their vehicle as an expression of themselves and our products should be an extension of that thinking,” said Jeff Hickey “At Leer Group we strive to create products that resonate with personal expression making vehicles and accessories that stand out in a crowd.” Hickey’s team have been working to design new custom caps for LEER so that the fiberglass caps echo the style lines of the vehicle Read more: Fontaine Modification adds Auto Hauler Option for Western Star 49X “We pushed the boundaries with this new styling based on our customers’ feedback, suggesting the industry is ready for new life,” Hickey commented. Leer Group has a full line of products for the 2024 Toyota Tacoma including aluminum caps; rolling, folding and retractable truck bed covers; and sliding cargo trays in addition to fiberglass truck caps to protect, store and organize your valuable gear. For more information, visit LEER.com, CenturyCaps.com, or Snugtop.com. It was a proper Home and Away day. The weather was hot enough to turn the average metal seat belt buckle into a branding iron There was no real estate left on the beach to put a towel down Surf crafts covered the sand in every colour fibreglass known to man One of the biggest Surf Life Saving Carnivals of the summer was on When not rescuing people from a nasty riptide known as the “backpackers express” on Bondi Rescue, the decent skins that are Australia’s surf lifesavers throw competitions From little kids known as “nippers” to fully fledged Ironmen and Ironwomen they race each other in skills you might find handy to have when saving someone’s life swimming and paddling a rescue board up and over the pumping swell It’s a rite of passage for many Australian kids to battle the freezing surf to bring home a ribbon Which made me thankful for being the daughter of an immigrant who was too Irish to know about anything like that as I sat watching while eating a gelato on my towel “Would we put our kids in that?” my boyfriend asked impressed by the 10-year-olds who had just conquered waves we had deemed “a tad too scary to go for a swim” It was a bit of an odd question given cats don’t usually swim ran into the waiting arms of their proud dads holding out Dryrobes having dragged my parents across Australia’s dusty sports fields and just as I pulled out my phone to send them a thanks text good for them” look but a leer so filthy it would have you reaching for hand sanitiser A man with his wife or partner walking just behind him He flicked his eyes up and down their bodies clad in racing one-pieces without shame from the announcer calling the “under-15s girls’ race” over the speaker I did what every reasonable person would do in that situation – I blocked him and caught his eye making a face at him of utter disgust like I’d smelled a vicious fart and identified the culprit I didn’t want to make a scene because I hoped the girls hadn’t noticed That on that day all they had to worry about was their race times and if they could maybe have a sleepover with their pals It’s the same prayer I have for my two teenage nieces Please God let them be innocent for just a little bit longer Let them go about their business without being sexualised against their will Let them not have to develop that constant vigilance just yet [ I pine for my favourite Irish discount store. It has everything I never knew I neededOpens in new window ] Men had started to notice me before I left primary school and my mother had noticed the men. “She’s 11,” she hissed at the table of businessmen ogling my legs sticking out of my school skirt, staring them down and daring them to blink first. She taught me a valuable lesson – you don’t have to be polite to men who make you feel uncomfortable. Being an Irish tiger mammy who would rip anyone hurting her children with her bare hands, she let me know that it was never my fault – it was just that dirty old men existed But even then, I tried to explain it away. By 14 I was the height I am now, which is almost 6ft. Maybe they confused me for an adult. Maybe they didn’t know I was so young. But they did know, because almost every time I was yelled at to “show my tits” from passing cars I was wearing my school uniform. Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC Retired Jamaican middle-distance runner Aisha Praught Leer has joined the Sachs Foundation Board of Directors furthering her commitment to supporting Black communities and advancing racial equity provides scholarships and educational opportunities to Black Coloradans facing economic and systemic barriers the Sachs Foundation expressed enthusiasm for her involvement: "The Sachs Foundation staff and board are thrilled to welcome @aishapraughtleer to the Sachs Foundation Board of Directors!" Praught Leer’s relationship with the foundation began in 2020 when she sought ways to support social justice initiatives Her efforts led to the creation of the Team Boss Colorado Mile a fundraising event organized with her professional running team she helped raise over $40,000 in support of the foundation’s mission and supporter of the Foundation since 2020 after she felt compelled to find a way to support social justice initiatives After discovering the Sachs Foundation and our shared commitment to supporting Black communities and advancing racial equity organized the first Team Boss Colorado Mile to raise funds towards our mission By pairing their love of running and belief in our mission Aisha and Team Boss have raised over $40,000 in support of our work." The Sachs Foundation highlighted Praught Leer’s distinguished athletic career and global perspective as key assets to their board: "Aisha is a distinguished and decorated middle-distance runner representing Jamaica A gold medalist in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Aisha brings a unique perspective shaped by her diverse heritage and international athletic career she is committed to amplifying important messages to wide audiences." as she is also a member of the World Athletics Athletes’ Commission and a passionate advocate for athlete development and community empowerment She now plans to use her platform to further the Sachs Foundation’s impact: "Aisha’s involvement in the World Athletics Athletes’ Commission and as the organizer of the Team Boss Colorado Mile underscores her dedication to community and global sports development She aims to leverage her platform to further the Foundation’s goals focusing on expanding outreach programs and fostering educational opportunities for Black Coloradans." The Sachs Foundation closed its announcement by looking ahead to the positive impact Praught Leer will bring to its mission: "We look forward to all the work we will do together to further our work with Aisha!" With her deep passion for social change and proven dedication to advancing equity through sport and education Aisha Praught Leer’s appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the Sachs Foundation’s ongoing work in supporting Black communities in Colorado RISE with SAP has successfully helped thousands of SAP customers modernize their ERP systems “Thanks to this successful transformation and the move to the RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition solution The introduction of the RISE with SAP Methodology — along with the integrated toolchain that supports customers through their business and technical journeys — was a game changer to accelerate time to value and support the business case for transformation we’re confident that the cloud transformation enabled by RISE with SAP will empower our organization to innovate and excel in today’s competitive healthcare market and contribute to our Fresenius vision of advancing patient care.” Today we announce a new commercial package that will support customers even further in this journey The new SAP Cloud ERP Private package is designed to drive customers’ transformation The package is designed to support customers every step of the way customers will enhance collaboration and agility to run operations embodying the connected essence of the SAP Business Suite offering The foundation of a successful transformation journey starts with a holistic assessment of the current systems and a clear understanding of the impact of transitioning to a cloud ERP This data-driven analysis lays the groundwork for a robust foundation in the ERP transformation journey By including SAP LeanIX and SAP Signavio capabilities into the package customers gain a comprehensive understanding of their current landscape helping to shape the target architecture more agile ERP cloud transformation and long-term process efficiency This data-driven approach ensures informed decision-making and continuous transformation monitoring aligning perfectly with the RISE with SAP journey Embedded services from SAP include expert support to drive solution activation as well as onboarding and kick-off of the transformation project ensuring that all critical aspects are addressed from the outset It also includes workshops to align technology to the business goals that are strategic for the transition This is aligned with the continual innovation and extensibility strategies encouraged by the RISE with SAP journey SAP HANA Cloud is a cloud-native database for modernizing enterprise systems that allows customers to build and deploy intelligent data apps at scale The package also includes the SAP Master Data Governance application to enhance data quality and help maintain a single source of truth further aligning with the continual innovation and extensibility strategies As businesses venture into the new digital era SAP is committed to guiding and supporting every step of their journey toward integrated The SAP Cloud ERP Private Edition package is not just a solution; it is a gateway to a future of limitless potential and unprecedented business agility Let us embark on this transformative journey together and redefine what’s possible for your business Learn more about the new offering and its bundled cloud capabilities here Maura Hameroff is senior vice president of Cloud ERP Product Marketing at SAP A witness has come forward to tell the Daily Beast he saw Coppola compliment the teenager on her outfit reckless and irresponsible.” He’s seeking $15 million in damages from the suit A scene from Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” Now a worker who was responsible for the welfare of child actors on set has told the Daily Beast that he watched Coppola kiss a minor in his charge who appeared “shocked.” He also provided evidence that he reported the incident to his bosses Cawood does not recall the girl’s name and extras’ names are not listed on the call sheet. The Daily Beast was therefore unable to reach the girl and her mother to corroborate these events as described. “They are as unfounded now as they were prior to Cannes “ We remain grateful to our cast and crew who have continued to show up “Contrary to the prior false media reports on the Megalopolis production there were multiple levels of guidelines and reporting channels concerning any claimed harassment There were no such claims reported at any time during the production.” Cawood said that he saw Coppola surveying the set and getting a good look at the extras before filming the movie’s New Year’s Eve scene—and his young charge in particular “Everybody was dressed up very glamorously and [Coppola] seemed to be leering at the girl,” he said “He actually said ‘Hey there,’ [and] complimented how she looked [in] kind of innocent way basically because of the costumes—like ‘It’s a great costume’ or something kind of general.” Coppola also told the girl she looked “like a bird,” Cawood recalled "Writer/Director Francis Ford Coppola and Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina in Megalopolis Cawood said Coppola “then asked how old she was—but it was just kind of weird that he took interest in her,” since “she was literally the only person he sort of singled out.” Things would get “worse” after filming started though it’s literally the one of those moments where you can just kiss somebody,’” Cawood said That’s when Coppola just started kissing people “There was an attractive thirtysomething extra and he was trying to encourage them [so] he stood up and walked over and he kissed her,” he said “I couldn’t tell from the angle if he kissed her on the mouth or on the cheek But then immediately went to the [13-year-old] girl and kissed her.” That kiss was on the cheek “I was having a hard time processing it,” he continued I thought—that might have literally been the first time somebody that’s not in that girl’s family has kissed her,” Cawood said recalling that the director then “turned and kissed some man on the cheek.” Cawood was uncomfortable enough about what he’d witnessed that he first reported the incident to the girl’s mother “She was off in the stage area” when it happened the director just kissed her.’ And she said ‘Yeah because it just didn’t feel right and I wanted you to know what happened.’” He didn’t get much reaction from her at the time Cawood also reported the incident that same day to his employer an “educational consulting service” for entertainment productions called On Location Education (OLE) Cawood supplied that email complaint to the Daily Beast “[Coppola] definitely knew the girl is a minor because only moments before this happened he had asked her her age and made some comment about her costume,” Cawood wrote in the email after describing the alleged incident He also noted the incident “didn’t immediately jump out as obvious sexual harassment,” but he’d thought enough of it to seek “advice” from the company An associate director at OLE responded to the email stating they would “speak with HR about the proper way to handle this”—but Cawood said he never heard back told the Daily Beast: “At the forefront of our mission is a concern for the minors’ well-being on the set and a commitment to protecting their privacy we do not comment on any circumstances relating to minors involved in a production.” “I was like bulls--t,” Cawood said he thought after reading the comment. His only conclusion was somebody must not be telling the truth. “Either OLE didn’t actually contact production,” he added, or the production was mistaken when they claimed they weren’t aware of any complaints. “I know I tried to do what I needed to do.” Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a full statement from Francis Ford Coppola’s spokesperson. Eboni Boykin-PattersonEntertainment Reporter Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here \"Writer/Director Francis Ford Coppola and Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina in Megalopolis Eboni Boykin-Patterson is an entertainment reporter for The Daily Beast She was previously the entertainment contributors editor at Business Insider and graduated from Columbia University with a degree in English A photo illustration of Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel in Megalopolis residents are exceedingly familiar with the devastating consequences of intercommunal fighting At a point where tensions in parts of South Sudan are rapidly increasing they know what their country needs to avoid a worst-case scenario “Our political leaders must put their differences aside and put the country’s interests above their own I want them to work for peace and reconciliation because we are tired of war,” said Luak Nguen adding that only peace can bring development and the economic opportunities that can improve the lives of our people The other 80 or so participants in a five-day healing and reconciliation dialogue organized by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) church leaders or representatives of local women and youth we need to talk to each other and support one another because that’s when we can understand ourselves and how we can improve our situation,” said Tang Gatgong Riek who stressed the need to forgive and move on a Civil Affairs Officer serving with UNMISS pledged the peacekeeping mission’s support to de-escalate tensions and efforts made by stakeholders to implement South Sudan’s revitalized peace agreement there can be no development and without dialogue it is difficult to achieve peace and that is the message we are passing on as we work closely with partners across the country,” he concluded He recalls breaking out of the Netherlands his relationship with former guitarist Jan Akkerman and the one album he’d like to remake to find out more about their new material and why he’s so happy to get back on the road In the days when we imagined musicians retire at a certain age it was comforting to think that they might all do so together they might relive their glory days assembled in some sort of rest home for ageing prog folk recording and touring well into their 70s and beyond – with their fanbase only too happy to support them he’s anticipating a more social occasion than most both of whom are good friends of mine,” he tells Prog “So I’m looking forward to that and I’m really excited about playing those shows.” “A nice guy and a great musician,” says van Leer who is no stranger to recruiting younger faces Back in 1997, he reformed Focus with Menno Gootjes, then in his early 20s, on guitar. He had the daunting task of replacing Jan Akkerman the fretmaster with whom many fans will always identify the band’s classic sound Although that regrouping didn’t last long and has become a key part of the current Focus sound – as heard on new album Focus 12 “He’s a virtuoso,” says van Leer “And he’s become a good friend now He interprets every song so beautifully and so intensely.” Another relative youngster has been on bass since 2016: 46-year-old Udo Pannekeet whose languid lines add jazz-rock flair to the sound a virtuoso on the six- string bass,” says van Leer “He plays a solo during the live set which you just have to see.” Meanwhile the other elder statesman of the band Van Leer says of the 78-year- old: “He’s one of the greatest On the release of previous album Focus 11 in 2018 flute player and occasional vocalist said it was his favourite of the band’s records And just as surely as the new release is entitled Focus 12 he has a new chart-topper in his hit-parade of his own long-players of course – 12 is now my favourite Focus album!” All of which again reflects the undying enthusiasm that oozes from van Leer when it comes to leading the band he formed 55 years ago And even if longtime fans are unlikely to let the new record replace the likes of Focus II (aka Moving Waves) or Focus 3 in their affections there’s a lot to like in its eclectic 10 tracks The seven-minute Fjord Focus is a real fanfare of an opener noodling neo-classical keyboard runs and angular guitar soloing all wrapped around jazz-informed chord progressions it recalls the band’s most infectious moments but elsewhere on Focus 12 there’s contrasting territory to be explored the ultimate progressive musician of those days was Frank Zappa Many of the tracks are shape-shifting experiences yearning guitar meditation then fires up the engines for a high-octane jazz-rock romp Then Béla starts life as a contemplative piano piece before suddenly being shot into space by Gootje’s skydiving guitar and Nura’s hymnal classical pastiche performs a handbrake turn into flute-laden folk-prog and then boogieing blues-rock A similar trick is pulled on final piece Gaia which veers from channelling Handel into bouncy passages that could have been used for a 70s TV theme It’s a case of expecting the unexpected drawing on time-honoured techniques that have become synonymous with prog over the years He combined modern classical music with rock While one prog trope that Focus don’t employ on this record is an overarching theme it’s a more collaborative effort than ever with Gootjes and Pannekeet handling production duties and co-writing several tracks As for the input of trusty lieutenant van der Linden whether or not passages take shape from improvisation between the quartet “He’s got an instinct for what he has to play on a track,” says van Leer “Even when it’s a song I have presented to him there’s never too much discussion about what he’ll play – his approach is always very beautiful and very genius.” For a group from the Netherlands to get noticed in the UK and America was almost impossible conjured up (see what we did there?) in the spring of 1971 Initially intended as a parody of a rock song for the Focus II album as it “lacked a rock song,” it was released internationally 18 months later and bagged the band a global hit it’s enjoyed a new lease of life in the streaming age with help from a Nike ad before the 2010 World Cup “For a group from the Netherlands to get noticed in the UK and America was almost impossible,” van Leer explains “But we had a publisher [Hubert Terheggen] who worked for Radio Luxembourg and he made connections with England helped by the song that they played in both those appearances Hocus Pocus was released in the UK at the end of the year “The second time we played was so important for us,” says van Leer And after that it seemed like we had the whole world wanting to see us.” Perhaps the element that most casual observers will remember is the keyboardist’s distinctive yodelling refrain on Hocus Pocus along with old favourites such as House Of The King and parts of Eruption “I still get a lot of pleasure out of it,” he says We did all kinds of songs… Some were beautiful That’s the only moment I would say I regretted Are those successes the moments that stay with van Leer after half a century of performing along with a few concerts we’ve played and being knighted by the Queen of the Netherlands [in 2008] – that was a beautiful moment.” so probing him for more colour into episodes in his backstory can prove frustrating does he think the conflict between him and Akkerman helped fire up the creative process So it’s difficult to define that adequately.” But on Saturday [at an Amsterdam festival two days after we speak] he’s playing and Focus is also playing.” Will he say hi We will see.” Have the pair ever discussed reuniting again at any point recently Anything he’d like to do differently if he had his time again maybe the record we did with PJ Proby [1978’s Focus Con Proby] So that is the only moment that I would say I regretted.” That record followed Akkerman’s departure in 1976 with van Leer said to have been looking for a new vocalist to complement his and Roselie’s music Focus split for the first time shortly after Focus Con Proby’s ill-fated release did punk’s rise around that time have any impact on Focus’s success I didn’t suffer at all.” Did you like any punk or new wave music “Yes.” Any artists in particular but we play with the same passion… I love it all then – which van Leer has evidently been trying to do with Focus ever since; initially with Akkerman for short-lived reunions in 1985 and 1990 in a series of line-ups that began to solidify into its current shape when he welcomed van der Linden back in 2004 Recent activities suggests he and his band are enjoying a late Indian summer to their career and enjoying life as much as ever – even if he doesn’t express it in many words “I’m already writing for the next album we play shows to thousands of people with Asia.. and to hundreds of people at our own shows We’re back in the UK soon playing more old stuff Johnny is a highly experienced and versatile music writer whose tastes range from prog and hard rock to R’n’B He has written about music professionally for 30 years surviving the Britpop wars at the NME in the 90s (under the hard-to-shake teenage nickname Johnny Cigarettes) before branching out to newspapers such as The Guardian and The Independent and magazines such as Uncut “A handy surrogate for anyone craving the feel of Yes’ glory days… and how did they beat Jon Anderson to the title?” The Flower Kings’ Love is a fully-achieved ambition “I’m super-proud of everything Rush accomplished I’m excited to be one of the folks in Envy Of None”: Alex Lifeson loves working alone in his home studio – and he’s even brought the guitar solos back Ghost's $130 Papa V Perpetua 'Ghildo' sells out in minutes