The actress behind the show's breakout character breaks down her biggest scene yet California Dreams was better than Saved by the Bell CO — Viega has announced the appointment of Marki Huston as the permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Viega North America This decision follows an extensive and deliberate search process to identify a leader who embodies our commitment to operational excellence Huston has served as interim CEO since October 2024 during which time she has demonstrated exceptional leadership a deep understanding of our business operations and a steadfast dedication to the company's people Her previous roles include Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Viega North America and Vice President of Global Quality in the aerospace industry Her strategic vision and focus on fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration have reinforced her capability to guide Viega North America toward continued success Huston will also join the Viega Group Board further aligning North American operations with the broader strategic goals of the global organization This integration will ensure continued investment in growth enhanced customer experiences and the development of innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of the building industry The leadership structure of Viega North America will remain consistent ensuring continuity while supporting the organization’s long-term strategic goals “Marki Huston has shown exceptional leadership and commitment during her time at Viega and interim tenure as CEO making her the ideal choice to lead Viega North America into the future operational expertise and focus on results will drive continued success in the US and Canadian markets,” shared Markus Brettschneider “I look forward to the continued growth and great work of the team under Marki’s leadership.” This appointment underscores Viega’s future-oriented commitment to our customers "I am honored to step into the role of CEO for Viega North America and lead this incredible team as we continue to deliver on our purpose and ambitious goals our customers and our innovative solutions are at the heart of everything we do and I’m excited to build on the strong foundation we’ve created to drive even greater success in the years ahead,” said Huston Viega North America aims to continue delivering industry-leading solutions ensuring the highest level of quality and a steadfast dedication to sustainable manufacturing practices For more information about Viega, visit viega.us. Ask any chef what their most essential kitchen tool is and they will undoubtedly answer: a good set of knives The same holds true for any home cook who aims to set up an efficient kitchen investing in a quality set is a great way to easily secure all of the basics This set includes the most useful knives for home-kitchen use durable option for both beginner and seasoned cooks The space-saving knife holder fits flat in a standard drawer This customizable option lets you cherry-pick your knife set We chose the magnetic block and Oliva Elite knives Building your own set gets you a 20% discount What’s in the set?We tried to limit testing to sets that are light on filler and include a block Are they sharp?We sliced through pounds and pounds of produce How’s the grip?The handles on the cutlery we tested had to be comfortable to hold as well as safe to grip securely even when wet How’s the storage?We sought out knife blocks with a streamlined design we tested how securely the knives adhered to them Regardless of which knife set you choose, taking good care of your knives will help them stay sharper and last longer. Read our guide to how to care for your kitchen knives to ensure a long life for your set high-carbon stainless steel blades remained sharper and held their edge better than costlier sets such as those from Zwilling and Cangshan These knives are lightweight and well balanced plastic handles that provide a good grip even when wet And although the included 7.5-inch “carving” knife is smaller than a standard chef’s knife in our tests it handled most of the same tasks with surprising ease It’s just not ideal for particularly tough items Though this set lacks shears and a honing steel it offers the most basic knives you’re likely to need in the kitchen for a bargain price The space-saving block fits snugly in standard kitchen drawers and includes a handle for easy portability. This set is such a good value that we also think it would be a good investment for secondary properties and vacation rentals In our tests, the knives’ smooth, ergonomic olive-wood handles were a pleasure to hold, and the forged German blades were extremely sharp. They cut easily through vegetables of varying textures without slippage, and they were useful for intricate tasks, such as supreming oranges taking up minimal counter space and allowing you to see which knife you’re pulling you can avoid unwanted filler and mix cutlery from different collections more affordable options than those we tested spent 35 hours researching more than 30 knife sets and testing seven of them Senior staff writer Michael Sullivan and deputy editor Christine Cyr Clisset collectively spent dozens of hours researching and testing knife sets If you are setting up a kitchen for the first time and unsure of what knives you need, buying a good set should cover the basics. Knife sets are also practical wedding or graduation gifts (unless you’re superstitious) If you own a set of knives that struggle to maintain a sharp edge or have cracked handles A budget option can also be a worthwhile investment for owners of secondary properties or vacation rentals If you’re not into tracking down the perfect individual knives and just want sharp pieces that cut well, a set makes buying easy. However, if you don’t mind mismatched handles and prefer a custom-made collection that suits your exact cooking needs, we recommend buying knives piecemeal After consulting professional chefs and culinary instructors we concluded that a good set should include the following pieces: The following are not required but useful: Our testing has evolved since we first published this guide in 2013 we tested knife sets that met the following criteria: See our guide to chef’s knives for more information on what makes a well-crafted knife We tested knife sets by evaluating the overall sharpness of the blades and putting them through these common tasks: we noted whether they had enough hand clearance to prevent our knuckles from hitting the cutting board we checked whether the knives slid easily into and out of their slots without snagging we paid attention to how securely the knives stuck and how convenient they were to remove and put back In comparison with all of the other sets we tested in this price range the knives in this set were the sharpest and most durable; while our upgrade pick performed just as well The ergonomic knife handles provided a steady grip The acacia block gives this set a classic look that fits the aesthetic of many kitchens It comes with all of the essentials. The Classic Ikon starter set includes a 15-slot acacia block, pull-apart kitchen shears, a honing steel, and three knives: a 3.5-inch paring knife, an 8-inch chef’s knife, and an 8-inch serrated bread knife. Unlike sets that lack some of these items, such as our budget pick this set covers the bases of what most home cooks need in a knife set The knives in this set sliced through various textures of vegetables Though we wished the bread knife were a bit longer it made extraordinarily clean cuts through tomatoes and easily tackled thick country loaves The pull-apart kitchen shears glided smoothly through parchment. Though they were not quite as razor-sharp as the shears in our upgrade-pick set they performed well on both parchment and twine our top pick’s grippy handles were the easiest for us to hold The chef’s knife rocked smoothly while we chopped carrots and onions and the paring knife gave our testers easy control over intricate tasks such as peeling apples and mincing shallots The utility knife was ideal for segmenting oranges and cutting cheese Extra space allows ample room to grow your collection. The solid-acacia block has five extra slots for kitchen knives and four slots for steak knives. Though it’s not as slim and attractive as the magnetic blocks of the Made In and Messermeister sets we recommend the Wüsthof block is about 4.5 inches wide one of the narrowest blocks we tested of this style The knives come with a limited lifetime warranty. If you encounter any problems, contact Wüsthof for a replacement The only (tiny) weakness is the bread knife We’d prefer a blade with one or two extra inches which would make cutting through a wide country loaf in one smooth stroke easier the Classic Ikon set’s 8-inch bread knife was sharp and effective and they’re sharper than most competitors in this price range They’re also comfortable to hold and lightweight Although this set doesn’t include kitchen shears or a honing steel, it remains a great starter set with proven longevity. We also think these knives would be a good investment for secondary properties and vacation rentals The set comes with a 7.5-inch “carving” knife that easily doubles as a chef’s knife for most tasks these knives may look and feel cheap—but don’t be deceived by their light weight and the fact that they are slightly shorter than the other knives we tested the carving knife was lightweight and well balanced which made it easy for us to manipulate and manage for long periods of chopping Although its blade looked and felt diminutive next to the wider heavier blades of the chef’s knives in other sets we tested we were pleasantly surprised at how well it performed overall It’s not ideal for particularly tough tasks—we struggled to cut through a large which is best handled with a heavy blade—but it did a fine job even on the unwieldy task of halving a medium-size watermelon The set’s santoku gracefully tackled vegetables of all textures from slender scallions to large onions to firm carrots and we found that we could also use it for tasks usually reserved for a chef’s knife The paring knife, which is also the top pick in our guide to paring knives performed just as well as our top contenders despite being the shortest of the bunch Its lightness made it feel especially manageable when we were peeling apples and mincing shallots performing just as effectively as 9- and 10-inch versions and slicing through hearty loaves with ease though bread knives of longer lengths are preferable for wide loaves While the tomato knife might seem extraneous one staffer commented that it’s good for children as it doesn’t have a sharp tip and is well suited for small hands The streamlined storage can be a great option for kitchens with limited counter space Though it offers no extra slots for adding to the set they are long enough that you could swap in longer knives The block also has a built-in handle for easy portability if you decide to pull your set out of the drawer and onto a countertop Victorinox covers these knives with a limited lifetime warranty, so contact the company if you need a replacement Not only does this option allow you to weed out filler but you also get a 20% discount when you build your own set of at least five items and use the code BYOB at checkout the forged Messermeister knives were notably sharp in our tests they tackled every type of chopping task we attempted with precision and ease The Build Your Own Block Set lets you choose a knife block (you have three options all magnetic) and cutlery from eight Messermeister lines We selected knives from the Oliva Elite set because they are consistently well reviewed and the most similar design we could find to our previous upgrade pick a walnut-handled set from Messermeister that the company has discontinued Customization allowed us to choose the most useful items with the bonus of a 20% discount over buying them individually Each piece performed with precision and ease the chef’s knife cut through onions easily and a nice curve to its blade allowed for an easy rocking motion when we chopped The paring knife was lightweight and the perfect size for intricate tasks such as peeling or mincing shallots The bread knife was one of the sharpest serrated blades we tested It provided excellent precision and effortlessly cut paper-thin slices of rustic bread The shears are the sharpest and the most versatile Messermeister’s razor-sharp shears exhibited the least resistance when gliding through parchment paper The handles offer the bonus of being ambidextrous comfortable for lefties and righties to use These shears are also multitaskers: According to the manufacturer and a screwdriver (though we didn’t test them in those capacities) The beautifully crafted ergonomic olive-wood handles provide a firm grip and take the set to the next level aesthetically Though olive wood requires some extra maintenance as it requires periodic oiling to keep the finish We’re confident that this set’s exceptional knives will last for years to come The knife block is the best looking of the batch the arc-shaped magnetic block takes up minimal space and is easy to move around All of the pieces we chose fit on it comfortably (the block can easily accommodate 10 knives) The flat surface makes it simple to clean and less susceptible to bacteria growth than slotted knife sets the visibility of the knives allows you to avoid having to guess which one you’re pulling These knives have a limited lifetime guarantee; if you encounter problems, contact Messermeister for returns or replacements The space-saving magnetic block has strong sticking power its flat surface is easier to clean and is less susceptible to bacteria growth than slotted models as it required us to apply major elbow grease to cut bread; if it had performed better we would have named this set as one of our picks This is not a comprehensive list of everything we’ve tested for previous iterations of this guide; instead and the shears didn’t pull apart for easy cleaning The block was prone to scratching and chipping when we returned the knives to their slots The shears were uncomfortable and inclined to stick when opening and closing and the block was the bulkiest of the standard slotted blocks which took up the most counter space due to its peculiar three-pointed shape “Interior flex rods” inside the block offer extra storage but cheapen the look But some testers with smaller hands complained that the handles were too wide and the thin blades are delicate and must be treated with care it has a lot of filler knives that aren’t particularly useful but our testers said that the handles were too long and heavy The chef’s knife may present a learning curve because it requires a back-and-forth sliding motion when you’re slicing versus the rocking motion that people typically use with German knives but our testers weren’t fans of the glass knife block Some of our testers own Mercer knives and told us that they dull quickly and require frequent sharpening This article was edited by Gabriella Gershenson and Marguerite Preston Joseph Simon, instructor at the International Culinary Center Brendan McDermott, instructor at Kendall College and co-owner/bladesmith of Ravenswood Hand Forged, interview I test and review kitchen gear, small appliances, and packaged foods. We sliced through pounds of steak, chops, and chicken to find a set of steak knives that’s sharp, stylish, and doesn’t break the bank. We carved five turkeys, two beef roasts, a pork roast, and a ham to find an attractive, effective, and reasonably priced carving set. The Chef'sChoice Trizor XV is the best knife sharpener we’ve found: It’s easy to use, durable, and puts an exceptional edge on many types of knives. Sure, electric carving knives work faster than regular carving knives. But they aren’t always the most efficient option. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). All rights reserved.Terms of usePrivacy PolicyConditionsCookie PolicyBack to top Chassidy Gonzalez along with Coach Robert Gray and assistant coach Marki Kinkade Cinzlea Stanton along with Coach Robert Gray and assistant coach Marki Kinkade Before the Lady Dillos 62-41 win against Johnson city Friday night Junior Chassidy Gonzalez and Senior Cinzlea Stanton were recognized for reaching outstanding milestones Gonzales has shot her way to an impressive 1,000 career points where Stanton has reached an incredible 1,500 career points to date The Lady Dillos (15-4/2-1) will end 2024 year playing in Center Point on Monday December 30th Photos Courtesy of Kayti Lackey - 1916Athletics © 2025 San Saba News & Star Viega is a company at the forefront of modern plumbing manufacturing Today it is a multinational corporation of more than 4,700 employees Viega’s formula for success has been a simple one: a relentless focus on quality By working every day to be a little better than the day before by listening to their customers and end-users the company strives to deliver plumbing products that provide higher performance while being safer is the latest chapter in that success story Huston had served as interim CEO since October of 2024 Her previous roles included Chief Operating Officer for Viega North America and Vice President of Global Quality in the aerospace industry Her strategic vision and focus on fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration made her a natural fit for the top job the current state of the market and her vision for the future CONTRACTOR: Thanks for speaking with us today I'd like to learn a little bit about how your work in aerospace informs your decision making as a manufacturer of plumbing and HVAC solutions Huston: The aerospace industry is amazingly diverse—chemical processing I spent 20-plus years doing lots of different jobs Earlier in my career I spent a stint in flight training and flight safety as well Lots of different avenues and opportunities That experience has helped me in a couple ways in my time here at Viega the aerospace industry is super global from a supply chain standpoint something that becomes more important to our growth strategy is leveraging the global supply chain and all the different opportunities Viega has high standards for quality— that is who we are it's super important to have quality products Having a good understanding of the importance what we build has for our customers is very helpful we need to be efficient and continually improving ourselves and our processes so that we can grow to meet those demands CONTRACTOR: Can you tell me a bit about some near-term and mid-term opportunities you see for Viega and also about any possible roadblocks or obstacles The construction industry will continue to grow and there will always be a demand for good products that help create a value proposition for our customers we're relentlessly working to expand our capacities and our portfolio Last year we brought more valves into the market and we will continue to bring more valves to the portfolio this year We brought in new transition fittings that debuted at AHR We're working hard to continue to meet the many different demands that our customers are needing from our products as fast as possible We are expanding our footprint with our Ohio manufacturing facility We are looking to have production out of this new factory and off this new line by late summer We are looking for LEED Gold certification at the new Ohio plant which is not something many manufacturers in North America can claim We are leading the way and trying to create opportunities while positively impacting the environment but this team is 100% committed to growing and to serving our customers in the way they have come to expect CONTRACTOR: The big news in the last few weeks has been tariffs and their potential impact on supply chains and the wider construction market We are in very tight conversations with our entire supply base We have a dedicated team that meets nearly every day to look at how the landscape is changing to see what's coming and look at look at our different opportunities we are we are continuing to evaluate what our strategy will be moving forward What's important is to be sure we make the right decisions for our customers and for the industry To really take into consideration all the different levers that we can employ to support not only our customers but our business CONTRACTOR: A lot of Viega’s products depend on well-trained installers for proper performance Can you talk about some of Viega’s initiatives in training I talked a little bit about the quality of our product being who we are but one of the things that makes Viega support our customers in a better way is our service And that service is partly through the training of our installers and all the people who use our products We are continuing to develop our training programs and evolve them as we bring new products to market We have total training packages that support our launches so that our installers can be successful when they have these new products in their hands And we not only have product-specific training We partner with our customers to make sure the training that we provide is in the right areas at the right time I mentioned the Ohio facility in terms of manufacturing but it’s also one of our geographic centers—that is a big market for us with a lot of customers in the area So part of our Ohio facility is a complete training center to make it easier for them to come and see how our products work and receive hand-on training We are continuing to ask the question of where else we should provide service to our customers and installers that's most convenient to them I look forward to the next handful of years because I'm sure there will be additional opportunities in this area. In Nashua we have plenty of additional [training] services that we're partnering with our installers and customers on CONTRACTOR: Any news or new developments coming from Viega you’d like to share Huston: We have additional valves coming to market very shortly I would welcome folks to explore that portfolio and ask any questions they need to so they can be successful using this next wave of products CONTRACTOR: Thanks so much for speaking with us today Steve Spaulding is Editor-in-Chief for CONTRACTOR Magazine Details: cache-fra-eddf8230157-FRA 1746534847 829274986 Receive emails when new obituariesare published to our website Top hats were in fashion and people connected through telegrams rather than texts And the need for family and friends to come together Planning your funeral in advance means your family won’t have to when the time comes >>LEARN MORE Services that honor the individual and provide peace of mind for families >>SEE OUR SERVICES Unparalleled care at every step with unique and personalized memorial services >>SEE OUR SERVICES Chapman Funerals & Cremations - Bridgewater Chapman 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Upgrade now. The Adriatic Sea sparkles with more than 1,300 islands The bright blue water meets pale coasts so stunning that the gods once fought over which island was the most beautiful he flashes back to the sound of cicadas singing from the islands and a sweet smell in the air.  “My dad first took me sailing with his friends when I was maybe 10 years old,” says Marki We’d drop anchor in hidden bays and just sleep on the boat.” They sometimes look up from the buoys and docks as Marki sails by Marki came to San Diego seven years ago to train as a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Professor Klaus Ley, M.D., a member of LJI’s Center for Autoimmunity and Inflammation Marki specializes in the science of neutrophils which are the most common type of immune cell in the body and a key driver of inflammation.  Marki’s research has shed light on how neutrophils latch onto blood vessel walls to protect the body from infection and clean up injured tissue. He also co-discovered new particles called elongated neutrophil-derived structures (ENDS) What a contrast then to go from peering at the tiny world of cells “It’s so different to look at the city from the water,” he says Sailing is the kind of physical and mental challenge that can become a refuge when times are tough “I started to sail again in San Diego after my divorce,” says Marki and I really wanted to get back to being myself—back to my roots He’s done intense trainings and skills exams Marki says the welcoming community makes sailing surprisingly accessible for both beginners and veterans like him He regularly goes out with friends and even LJI colleagues on boats from the local sailing club “It’s surprisingly affordable and much more accessible than people think,” he says Etiquette rules say the skippers should wave when two boats pass each other Marki often serves as the skipper when he goes out “I’m responsible for the people on board,” says Marki “My goal is always to include everyone to the fullest extent and share every fun part of it every good skipper has a healthy amount of fear “You have to be aware of potential hazards so you need to keep an eye on other boats,” he says A boat can hit something and spring a leak Marki must study the weather and assemble a crew that can work together in a crisis We even wrapped up the sails and turned on the engine to hurry back to our harbor we sailed under the Coronado Bridge and right across to the San Diego Airport We stopped to prepare the sails for a strong wind—reefed them to reduce their surface area Then the storm caught us with intense wind and rainfall but we were in control of our boat all the time to serve as a senior scientist at AstraZeneca He hopes to sail on the Potomac when he gets there Never miss another post Subscribe to the Behind the Science Blog and get notifications of new posts straight to your inbox You’ll hear a new voice in REALTOR® Magazine’s Drive With NAR podcast. Marki Lemons Ryhal bringing you important business conversations with everyday real estate pros that will help you steer your way forward in any market A managing broker at Exit Strategy Realty in Chicago is in the field experiencing what you do every day she will help you make sense of your role as a community leader Find out why you should tune in to Drive every month to hear what she’s talking about my business will be driven by getting back to the basics and incorporating innovation through new tools and strategies We are now in the world of artificial intelligence we should leverage AI in our business to create a free or low-cost assistant to take on repetitive tasks that aren’t consumer-facing and don’t directly generate business each episode is a one-on-one consultation with leading experts across the country I think of it as professional development where I will learn what I need to implement in my business and stay abreast of current trends and approaches I take what I learn from podcasting and apply it to my business plan Putting what you learn from a podcast into action is crucial because it allows you to stand out as a thought leader—and people like to do business with thought leaders I repeat what I’ve learned to facilitate meaningful dialogue online A podcast is a tool for those committed to being consistent lifelong learners and they’re easy to take with you no matter where you go sitting at an open house or you can have it play in the background as you conduct your day-to-day tasks Equity refers to fairness and justice in distributing resources—land and homes It considers the barriers and challenges different groups may face and aims to create a level playing field equity would involve addressing and overcoming systemic barriers that may prevent specific individuals or groups from accessing or benefiting from property ownership such as discrimination or lack of access to credit Equality would simply be treating all potential buyers and sellers the same without considering any unique barriers or challenges they may face I believe it is time to start discussing practitioner ownership and creating passive income streams for those who desire to retire I once had a student who died a REALTOR® Emeritus at 93 and was still practicing real estate daily most real estate pros love their business; however I also understand that many have not successfully planned for retirement we often reduce our taxable income to offset our tax liabilities We have reduced the amount of Social Security benefits we will receive we have not saved enough to be able to retire I think it is time that we start thinking with the end goal in mind and have a financial program set up that will enable us to be financially eligible to retire I never imagined doing anything other than being in the family business I was sued by my family due to my ownership of our trademark rights I needed to devise a way to provide financially for my son I came into real estate because I wanted to feel like a stay-at-home mom and earn an above-average income when my son graduated from Howard University with a degree in finance—and I had no student loan debt due to his attending college—real estate fulfilled my dreams My most embarrassing moment was when I called to schedule my first listing appointment my response was: “What is an MLS ID number and where do I get one?” I quickly realized that I didn’t know anything about real estate because the pre-license course teaches you about consumer protection and not how to sell homes Because I never wanted to feel that way again I dedicated myself to being an active lifelong learner Articles written by REALTOR® Magazine staff Business Reports Community Profiles Governor’s Report Industry Focus Inside LiveXchange North American Focus Q&A Regional Focus Site Seekers’ Guide Special Reports The Last Word Workforce Focus Recent Issues Digital Back Issues Advertise EmailShareMarki Microwave an innovator of high performance in the radio frequency and microwave industry has established a new 60,000-square-foot headquarters in Morgan Hill to accommodate its rapid growth and hiring the new headquarters features 20,000 square feet of office space and 40,000 square feet of manufacturing space providing the room required to support future growth The building expansion coincides with the company celebrating its 30-year anniversary 2021 has been a hugely exciting year for Marki Microwave,” said Christopher Marki “Not only is the company honoring its 30-year anniversary but it has also experienced tremendous growth during a highly unpredictable time Marki’s new headquarters is three times larger and is conveniently located just three miles from its previous location in Morgan Hill.” Photo: Marki MicrowaveThe new building is equipped with a huddle room 25 offices and over 100 cubicles to accommodate Marki Microwave’s growing workforce and recruitment initiatives the first floor is home to a manufacturing space that is quadruple in size which enables the company to continue delivering products that are designed Marki Microwave’s assembly capabilities include precision leaded and lead-free solder and wire bonding for gold/thin film assembly “We remain dedicated to Morgan Hill and the South Silicon Valley region,” Marki added “The new location will help ensure a seamless transition for the company’s operations and its employees for years to come.” Marki Microwave is hiring for multiple positions, including a reliability engineering manager, NPI engineers and a supply manager. To learn more, visit the company’s career website Check out all the latest news related to California economic development Minnesota is attracting billions in high-impact investments—supercharging job creation and advanced manufacturing across the state Ohio’s technology-driven economy sees increased growth in the manufacturing sector and pioneering initiatives are attracting leading life sciences companies to establish roots in the state Entergy’s four state territory spanning Arkansas Mississippi and Texas is home to the largest industrial base in the U.S Minnesota is a place where the stars align — geography culture and institutions – to create an unmatched economic landscape See what leaders at Polar Semiconductor believe are the key benefits of doing business in Minnesota Talent Attraction – Engineering in ManufacturingLearn about high-paying careers in engineering and related fields in the manufacturing facilities of the Mount Rogers region in Virginia Doing Business in Minnesota, a Polar Semiconductor PerspectiveMinnesota is a place where the stars align — geography Doing Business in Minnesota, a Rosenbauer PerspectiveBusiness climate. Workforce. Innovation. Infrastructure. Quality of life. Minnesota consistently ranks high for the factors important to success.  Rosenbauer is the world’s leading manufacturer of custom fire apparatus. See what role being located in Minnesota plays in their unmatched success. Business Facilities is a leading full-service media brand specializing in the site selection marketplace Business Facilities has created a dynamic community for C-level executives and economic development organizations Group C MediaThe Galleria2 Bridge Avenue,Suite 231Red Bank 800.524.0337 Read Today’s Top Story: Matthew Gardner’s Q1 2025 market insights Chicago real estate legend Marki Lemons Ryhal has been named the new host of the National Association of REALTORS®’ monthly podcast “Drive with NAR.” The first episode debuts Feb Lemons Ryhal is a Realtor with Exit Strategy Realty She’s also an experienced real estate educator Since founding the e-learning provider ReMarkiTable LLC 15 years ago she’s also taught more than 500,000 students and written more than 100 classes approved for continuing education Through “Drive with NAR,” Lemons Ryhal will cover a range of real estate topics including sales strategies and other industry tools that agents can use to improve their business “I am beyond excited to be the new host of ‘Drive With NAR,’” Lemons Ryhal said in a press release from NAR “I can’t wait to have conversations with Realtors® from all across the country to get a pulse on the real estate market and share these valuable insights with our listeners.” “We are thrilled to have Marki join our Realtor-to-Realtor series,” said Jennifer Hajigeorgiou “She will bring her vibrant personality and unique perspective to discuss the tools and techniques that have helped others excel in their jobs.” The podcast is available to stream on all major platforms and website in this browser for the next time I comment Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Toward the end of last month, Marki Microwave made its first change in chief executive since Ferenc Marki and his wife Christine founded the firm in 1991 But the two founders did not look far to fill the position Christopher’s elevation to chief executive was telegraphed by his role as director of operations He jumped into that job in June 2011 after fours years of doing research for Marki Microwave he earned a doctorate in photonics from the University of California inherits a parts supplier that increasingly views a future beyond its niche market Marki Microwave is known as a major supplier of frequency mixers which are used to convert and modulate signals used in things like radio transmitters it was getting nearly 90% of its revenue from mixer sales alone he introduced the first surface-mount package for suspended substrate mixers to 30 GHz which employs internal feedback circuitry and high-speed switching to achieve better performance than conventional parts Christopher's promotion shows the balancing act involved with moving beyond those components Marki Microwave has expanded into diode limiters and amplifiers while improving the isolation and reducing the size of its mixers Christopher received his blessing to do something else “When I began working at Marki Microwave in the fall of 2007 my father gave me some simple advice,” Christopher said in the announcement ‘Use the cash flow generated by our mixer products and go design something interesting.” Christopher said he had spent much of his nine years at the company trying to find what he called “the next great Marki widget.” "If you want to be the Mercedes of your niche, you cannot accept the older technology. You must always innovate on your old ideas," Ferenc said in a 2012 interview with industry trade publication EEWeb "You have to accept the fact that everything we do today is inferior to what we will do tomorrow." Marki Microwave now offers IC-level microelectronic packaging up to millimeter waves it also expanded its Morgan Hill design and manufacturing facility by 10,000 square feet 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 running at the Sporting Monte-Carlo as part of the 2024 European Poker Tour Luca Marki has emerged as the winner after a heads-up deal was made A total of 247 entries were made to the event making this the largest-field high roller tournament in EPT Monte Carlo history Only 24 players returned for the Final Day of action and the bustouts came fast during the first couple of levels of play Luca Marki and Mauricio Sanchez made a heads-up deal Marki came in second in the EPT Paris €10k High Roller earlier in the year for €606,750 and now has one-upped that accomplishment He's been crowned the 2024 EPT Monte Carlo High Roller champion and has earned his biggest ever cash There were three PokerStars ambassadors who made the final day of the tournament although none of the three made the final table Following early bustouts from Roberto Romanello and Rehman Kassam Rafael Moraes was eliminated in 22nd place when he got his ace-queen in against Lander Lijo holding pocket queens Lijo held to send the first of the ambassadors to the rail Ramon Colillas was also in the mix and was on the receiving end of a bad runout when he got his chips in the middle with top pair against Bogdan Capitan with second pair Capitan hit trips on the turn to bust Colillas in 19th place who up until this point had held his own with double ups and steals He even paired his ace on the turn against Arsenii Karmatckii with king-queen but Karmatckii rivered a straight to win the pot and send Gutierrez to the rail in 12th place The last to bust before the redraw was Christopher Puetz who called off his stack in the big blind facing a small blind shove from Mauricio Sanchez Sanchez hit two pair and Puetz was out in tenth place earning a consolation prize of €135,700 for his efforts Sergey Lebedev had the chip lead with a touch over 3,000,000 chips followed by Masashi Oya in second with 2,300,000 and Pedro Gois Neves in third with 1,800,000 Felipe Boianovsky stacked off preflop with pocket sixes and ran into Oya's pocket kings then won a pot with queen-ten against Karmatckii's pocket queens turning trips to send Karmatckii to the rail in eighth place despite a valiant survival effort that included a double up through Oya Lijo moved all in with ace-queen only to find himself up against Neves' pocket kings Neves' run wouldn't last much longer He got his chips in the middle with a flush draw as moments after the break Mokri took a big pot from Lebedev to retake the lead The confrontation also left Lebedev short-stacked and soon after he got his chips in the middle preflop with ace-jack Luca Marki made the call with ace-king and held to eliminated Lebedev in fifth place who had a slight chip lead over the other three wanted more than ICM out of it and a conclusion couldn't be reached It wasn't long before another player busted played a pot postflop against Mokri in which Oya had a pair of queens Luca Marki made a three-bet jam against Mokri holding ace-five but Marki hit a pair of fives to take the huge pot The next pot was the biggest of the tournament Sanchez raised from the button and Mokri three-bet to 1,000,000 from the small blind leaving himself with only seven big blinds Sanchez had ace-king and Marki had ace-eight Once again Big Slick failed to hold and an eight on the river gave Marki the pot a pot that left Mokri desperately short and Sanchez devastated from the bad beat Mokri raised from the button for most of his stack and Sanchez obliged from the big blind reshoving to play for Mokri's full stack Sanchez won the flip with pocket fours and Mokri was eliminated in third place giving Marki a 5:1 chip lead going into heads-up play The final two players then took a short break and upon returning Marki was apologizing to Sanchez for the brutal hand that took place The two decided to make a deal and it was a very generous deal indeed Mauricio Sanchez took €950,000 for second place while Luca Marki took €1,085,970 for first place and gets to take home the coveted PokerStars trophy That concludes the PokerNews coverage of the €25,000 High Roller event + Get the Texas Hold'em Poker Cheat Sheet - FREE PokerNews.com is the world’s leading poker website visitors will find a daily dose of articles with the latest poker news Disclaimer: any promotions presented on this page were correct and available at the time of writing We encourage all users to check the promotion displayed matches the most current promotion available by clicking through to the operator welcome page Please read the terms and conditions carefully before you accept any promotional welcome offer modified or distributed without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder Seasoned Technology Executive Brings Company Over 20 Years of Radio Frequency and Semiconductor Experience driving high performance in the RF and microwave industry for nearly 30 years today appoints Duncan Pilgrim to serve as vice president of sales and marketing The former vice president of Integrated Device Technology's radio frequency division brings Marki Microwave over 20 years of experience in the semiconductor space Pilgrim will be responsible for growing the business "Duncan has a proven track record of defining and executing long term strategies that have resulted in sustainable revenue growth," says Christopher Marki CEO and chief technology officer of Marki Microwave "As we continue to create innovative technology that disrupts the radio frequency and microwave industry I am confident Duncan's insight and contributions will be an invaluable asset to our team." he has successfully held multiple general management and business development positions as well as design and application engineering roles at various midsize and startup companies Pilgrim has been the company director of Spirit Semiconductor an England-based company focused on high performance radio frequency products for 5G massive MIMO markets Duncan served as principal at JAM Tech Consulting working with technology companies to develop high-level strategies Pilgrim was the vice president and general manager of Integrated Device Technology's radio frequency division he developed a strategy that tripled business in under three years Pilgrim's strategy set the foundation for the division's annual operating plan which generated top line revenue growth and an operating income that surpassed the corporate average he was the vice president of pSemi Corporation's (formerly Peregrine Semiconductor) high performance analog business unit overseeing the company's marketing communications team and working with the CEO on all strategic Duncan received his MBA from Wake Forest University and holds a bachelor's degree in electrical and electronic engineering from The University of Birmingham Media ContactOlivia MetcalfeTownsend Team[email protected]  http://www.markimicrowave.com Do not sell or share my personal information: This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2025 audio and/or video material shall not be published rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt Hungary's opposition was so desperate to unseat long-time prime minister Viktor Orban they came up with an unprecedented plan In a bid to have the best chance of winning the 3 April election they selected one candidate to unite behind and represent them all The 49-year-old was considered an outlier in the first round of Hungary's first-ever opposition primary but ended up seeing off Klára Dobrev and Gergely Karácsony a popular mayor of Budapest and favourite prior to the primary A father-of-seven who describes himself as a conservative Márki-Zay won a mayoral election in 2018 in Hódmezővásárhely marking the first defeat for Fidesz by an opposition candidate in several years nobody really knew where to place Márki-Zay on the political spectrum and he himself said he would struggle to support both the Hungarian left and the far-right Jobbik which has since rebranded as a centrist force There will be some in Hungary that will be relieved that it is not Dobrev the vice-president of the European Parliament She has had an illustrious political career - but her husband is one of the most divisive figures in Hungarian politics given that he had appeared the Hungarian opposition’s brightest star after his defeat of the Fidesz-supported mayor in Budapest A spokesperson for Karácsony did not respond to requests for comment There is general optimism too simply because an election is being held in Hungary that Viktor Orban may actually lose “The fact that there’s unpredictability in Hungarian politics is already a step in the right direction,” said Andreas Bock an analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations Márki-Zay has said he is a Christian and a conservative born to a religious family in Hódmezővásárhely His mother is a chemist and his father a physics teacher marketer and electrical engineer who lived in Canada and the United States returning to his hometown after five years of work abroad He has been the mayor of Hódmezővásárhely since 2018 analysts describe Márki-Zay as a political outsider Péter Márki-Zay can be compared to Donald Trump: a non-party player who says new and surprising things who comes out of nowhere and goes against the conventional political logic,” said Peter Kreko “He is also conservative and [...] a candidate of the left This is a phenomenon that can attract a lot of attention and this attention can be converted - not automatically - but also into support." Márki-Zay’s conservative credentials could also see him take voters away from Fidesz in their traditional conservative rural heartlands you have to win the countryside,” Bock said But while there have been suggestions that Márki-Zay has a lot in common with Orban on policy the men could not be more different Márki-Zay is a believer in the European project and a defender of LGBT rights in Hungary at a time when the community is under wholesale attack by Fidesz He is also committed to European climate change goals that have been opposed by Orban’s movement Despite having the support of the Hungarian opposition Márki-Zay is a man without a movement - or at least a political party He founded the Everyone's Hungary Movement (MMM) to run mayoral candidates during the 2019 municipal elections but by its own admission He is running as a figurehead candidate for a coalition of six political parties from environmentalist to social democrat to far right-turned centrist conservative There has been speculation that Márki-Zay may now form his own political party it is difficult to see who Márki-Zay will turn to on day two when he is building his cabinet: How many socialists All that will need to be worked out if Márki-Zay can confound expectations once again and unseat Orban after 11 years he faces a leader whose allies have taken control of the majority of Hungary’s media landscape over the last decade You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed That changed with his unexpected victory on October 17th in the run-off of the first-ever primary for the Hungarian opposition a smallish and almost unpronounceable town in south-eastern Hungary was elected by supporters of six parties as their candidate to try to replace Viktor Orban This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “The unexpected challenger” Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents George Simion will face Nicusor Dan, a mainstream candidate, in a run-off There are five luxuries it can no longer feasibly afford Friedrich Merz’s career is one of unforced errors and puzzling missteps Both Donald Trump and Ukraine’s diplomats will consider it a success David Brennan is Newsweek's Diplomatic Correspondent covering world politics and conflicts from London with a focus on NATO David joined Newsweek in 2018 and has since reported from key locations and summits across Europe and the South Caucasus This includes extensive reporting from the Baltic David graduated from the University of Cambridge having specialized in the history of empires and revolutions You can contact David at d.brennan@newsweek.com and follow him on Twitter @DavidBrennan100 either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's electoral victory earlier this month proves that he cannot be defeated at the ballot box his rival Peter Marki-Zay told Newsweek as the country's opposition parties lick their wounds and prepare for a fourth Orban term Marki-Zay, the center-right mayor of Hodmezovasarhely who was anointed Orban's challenger by the alliance of Hungary's six opposition parties, said the decisive victory for Orban and his Fidesz party was facilitated by their close control of the national media Even a perfect candidate would have been unable to overcome the "propaganda machine," Marki-Zay said: "If we could have had John Lennon or Jesus Christ as the candidate Fidesz still would have been able to paint them as evil." they could have painted as a warmonger," he added referring to Fidesz accusations that the opposition wanted to pull Hungary into direct confrontation with Russia in Ukraine A spokesperson from Orban's office told Newsweek in a statement: "A fool is known by his speech Hungarian voters made it clear that they no longer want the left and its puppet Marki-Zay and the combined opposition were always facing a daunting task Orban and his allies have spent more than a decade putting their mark on Hungary's constitution The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said the polls were "marred by the absence of a level playing field." "Contestants were largely able to campaign freely the campaign was highly negative in tone and characterized by a pervasive overlap between the ruling coalition and the government," the organization said The OSCE also noted its concerns over a lack of transparency and oversight of campaign finances and biased news coverage Orban won 53 percent of the popular vote to Marki-Zay's 34 percent while Fidesz increased its number of seats in parliament securing a two-thirds majority the opposition performed worse than the pre-election polls suggested they might are extremely disappointed," Marki-Zay said "And it's not the fact that Orban turned out to be stronger it would have been a miracle if we could win." and also the efficiency of their propaganda machine that is what was truly disappointing," Marki-Zay added "It doesn't leave us any hope for the future The leader of the conservative Jobbik party Peter Jakab said Marki-Zay "promised to renew the opposition in October but rather than doing so a former socialist prime minister and head of the Democratic Coalition which was the largest faction within the unified opposition The defeated challenger does not believe he was the problem but nothing influenced the result in any meaningful way," Marki-Zay said of his own strategy "The result was not the opposition's fault the result was the consequence of a very efficient system that Orban built over the last 12 years "Such a powerful media—but not only media—environment in which the opposition has absolutely no chance We can't call it a democracy...They already built their Death Star and even in the future they can win any election they want "The problem was not in the execution of our strategy The problem was that this strategy is not working anymore and also because of the propaganda machine." Gyurcsany's criticism is ironic given Orban and Fidesz spent time and money framing Marki-Zay as a puppet of the former prime minister Gyurcsany resigned from office in 2009 after three years beset by economic crises His spectacular political collapse opened the door for Orban's second premiership "I'm not Gyurcsany's man. But I became Gyurcsany's man as soon as I won the primary," Marki-Zay said of Fidesz efforts to conflate the two men "They also convinced voters not to vote for the opposition so that's how we lost about 800,000 voters from before," he added referring to the previous election four years ago Marki-Zay said he no longer has any belief that engaging in the democratic process can bring change "There's pretty much no hope that Orban can ever be defeated," he said "I don't believe that Fidesz can be defeated at elections It's definitely not a functioning democracy anymore." you don't see how you can get out of this system," Marki-Zay continued comparing the current sentiment in the depths of the Cold War "A larger external factor must happen before we can break the system here I would really appreciate it if there is more outside pressure on Orban to restore media freedom in Hungary to somehow get European protection from our own corrupt rulers." The combined opposition won 57 seats in parliament but Marki-Zay said even those offer little hope "I see absolutely no sense in parliamentary politics," he said "Having an opportunity to speak in the Hungarian parliament and get to a few percent of the Hungarian population; it doesn't change a thing." He added: "We have to come up with a new model for the opposition We need to look at how to change the fundamental structure of public opinion and politics." The Economist Intelligence Unit said in 2020 that Hungary was a "flawed democracy," while the Freedom House think tank no longer considers Hungary a democracy at all and other vulnerable groups have all seen their situations become more precarious under Orban The government's control of the media narrative makes it difficult for opposition figures unsuccessfully demanded a televised debate with Orban throughout the campaign Marki-Zay suggested the opposition must now pivot away from politics as usual towards some kind of peaceful resistance campaign with a focus on blunting government propaganda and fake news He cited as inspirations famed Indian non-violent resistance leader Mahatma Gandhi and the Serbian Otpor movement which peacefully agitated against 1990s dictator and war criminal Slobodan Milosevic "We have to work out scientific solutions for anti-fake news and anti-propaganda campaign solutions," he said we definitely need theoretical help as well We have to come up with practical solutions there is no chance of defeating Fidesz in elections But we still need to maintain and build up a level of distrust of Fidesz's lies and fake messages in society "We cannot be defenseless against such a disgusting and absolutely shameless propaganda machine." Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all Navigate every nook and cranny in DC’s oldest Get the scoop on what's happening in Georgetown Learn more about the organization that enhances Georgetown’s commercial district Greek artist Matina Marki Tillman exhibits her new series of Humanography direct etchings of her charcoal and pencil drawings onto Solarplates double and multiple portrayals of the human most created and arranged with a sequential character varied edition etchings Tillman focuses on the importance of the motion (or lack of motion) Drawing and etching out of accidental selfies story boarded poses of models and forgotten snapshots Tillman’s consistent goal remains the exploration of the mood and response (both physical and psychological) of the human to life’s events the artist observes and reports back reflections on our internal journey shaped by slight shifts and variations – changes on our way that could change the way itself in Greek Medieval and Modern Literature and Poetry where she broadened her education to include visual arts as she continues to pursue her passion for drawing the human Matina exhibits her etchings in multiple national and international venues Her work has been recognized in recent years with awards for excellence in graphics including the first place prize in the National Association of Women Artists 2017 National Small Works Exhibition “Humanography: Shifts and Variations” will be on display at the Washington Printmakers Gallery Get the weekly scoop on sales & events in Georgetown and community services director Marki Lockhart welcome volunteers in the Port Angeles office (Diane Urbani de la Paz/for Peninsula Daily News) Some of the 90 sailboats in the annual 2025 Race to the… Continue reading Olympic Kiwanis, in partnership with Friendly Earth International Recycling,… Continue reading Feiro Marine Life Center will award scholarships to two… Continue reading The Hood Canal Bridge has reopened to traffic following a… Continue reading A motorcycle rider died after he collided with the truck… Continue reading There will be no field carrier landing practice operations for… Continue reading © 2025, Peninsula Daily News + Sound Publishing, Inc. + Black Press Media Marki Costello isn't exactly following in her grandfather's footsteps just as Lou Costello of classic comedy team Abbott and Costello was She has helped coach Kelly Clarkson and Cee Lo Green and has 26 clients now And that's what she plans to spotlight in The Drama Queen reality show focusing on her behind-the-scenes work and life "It's going to give the audience a glimpse into a side of this business that I don't think they've had a chance to see," says Costello who runs Creative Management Entertainment Group (CMEG) "You had to work hard and you had to have a talent Britney Spears!' and have their eight minutes of fame I feel like we have to get back to the roots of having talent." "You can be a star if you have a launching-off place You can parlay that into something fabulous." They are so successful that the latest family breakup news —- Kris and Bruce Jenner's divorce —- will not hurt the brand I think the divorce will make Kris absolutely more relatable and connectable," says Costello Being relatable is what the longtime showbiz-kid-turned-manager for and teaches Costello started off working for Gong Show guru Chuck Barris and while she was running a casting company Her company is now going to launch a youth division and we'll see some of the young people who walk through her doors "People say you're Hollywood royalty," she says and she does have a family tree with famous names Her music producer dad's best friend was Dennis Wilson from the Beach Boys and her godfather was musician Terry Melcher She is the step-granddaughter of Dean Martin (her stepfather If you are going to venture on this road of fame and being in front of camera there's a method to the madness and don't just dive in I hope I can enlighten people with my knowledge so that they can venture in the right way." Conservative independent candidate Peter Márki-Zay on Sunday won an opposition race in Hungary in weekend primaries to decide who runs against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in national elections next spring a moderate conservative mayor who has returned to Hungary after living in the United States becomes the joint nominee of a six-party opposition coalition which will lead a challenge to the right-wing populist He became the presumptive winner of the second round of the primary when his opponent Márki-Zay called his victory "a revolution of the ordinary people," and encouraged supporters of all opposition parties to get behind him going into elections scheduled for April Márki-Zay now has the pledged support of all of Hungary's six major opposition parties which cover a range across the political spectrum from left to moderate to right-wing Under the political catchphrase "anyone but Orbán" the parties have vowed to put aside ideological differences and get behind a single joint candidate in an effort to oust the prime minister and his ruling Fidesz party They say such cooperation is the only way to overcome an unbalanced media environment and an election system designed by Fidesz that gives it an unfair advantage Fidesz has dominated Hungarian politics for over a decade and Orbán has used his two-thirds majority in parliament to alter the political system to entrench his and his party's political power Márki-Zay burst onto the political scene in 2018 when he stood as an independent and won the election to become mayor of a small southern pro-Orban town He entered the primary race as an independent without any political support or financial backing of the opposition parties he is a father of seven who claims he can mobilize voters from across the political spectrum including disaffected Fidesz supporters In an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday Márki-Zay said that his victory was "very positive news for all Hungarians because it shows that parties alone are not enough." He pledged to work with all members of the opposition coalition against Orbán's "corrupt dictatorship" "We are very happy and very hopeful that next year we can also prove we can build a coalition that can change the history of Hungary." The primary election was the first of its kind in the history of the Central European country and in the second round mobilised 662,016 opposition sympathisers to cast ballots for one of the two remaining candidates That was nearly 30,000 more voters than took part in the first round of the primary around 700 volunteers representing all six opposition parties filled three floors of a building in Budapest to count the hundreds of thousands of ballots arriving from around the country This issue is preventing our website from loading properly. 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LOGIN Downloadable PDFs are a benefit of an FP subscription This article is an Insider exclusive Contact us at [email protected] to learn about upgrade options unlocking the ability to gift this article became Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s sole challenger for 2022’s parliamentary election The independent mayor of Hodmezovasarhely in the country’s southeast went from political obscurity to the opposition’s hope after six parties decided to present a united front in a bid to deny Orban a fourth consecutive term Now, a year after the opposition finally united and just a few months before the pivotal vote, Marki-Zay’s challenge is to keep a fractious and disparate coalition together long enough to unseat Orban and his Fidesz political machine. Together, the United Opposition is almost neck and neck with Fidesz according to a Politico poll—no small feat given that Fidesz controls most of the media landscape and has deep coffers to fund extensive advertising and online engagement But if the coalition fractures—as repeatedly happened since Orban’s key victory in 2010—Fidesz will have little trouble overcoming a splintered vote But there are already signs of incipient cracks in the coalition, including from parties like center-right Jobbik and the liberal Democratic Coalition. Anna Donath, leader of the centrist Momentum Movement, one of the six parties that make up the opposition, leveled criticism at Marki-Zay it looks like the opposition has leaned back and that’s not very good,” she told Hungarian media adding the opposition needs to press the “start button” on the campaign Backroom politics is one of the problems: Although Marki-Zay is running as an independent which he will officially join after the election he said one of his immediate concerns was ensuring independent candidates who support MMM and won in the opposition primaries will be able to join the new formation in spring and not be required to pledge allegiance to one of the founding six parties But internal bickering is distracting the United Opposition from carrying out the kind of white-knuckled political ground game it will have to master to have any chance of beating Fidesz which has strong support in the countryside “While I don’t think there is a real danger of the opposition breaking up they have not capitalized on the momentum at the end of the primaries when they could dictate the political agenda,” said Andrea Virag director of strategy at the Republikon Institute “They have left opposition voters alone a bit it’s paramount they continue intensive campaigning.” who have highlighted their differences to the 58-year-old Marki-Zay sometimes highlights his similarities he comes from a rural background; Hodmezovasarhely’s population is just 48,000 people Marki-Zay voted for Fidesz between 1998 and 2010 and is socially conservative That’s one of the reasons Budapest’s mayor dropped out of the opposition primaries: The opposition needs to battle Fidesz on its own turf But Marki-Zay’s deep conservatism could hinder the opposition he told Foreign Policy he “absolutely” supports same-sex marriage in a secular state but not in the church describing the issue as “sensitive.” But LGBTQ+ issues will have a more central role for the opposition early next year with a referendum scheduled on Orban’s so-called child protection law which includes a discriminatory ban on showing minors content that includes homosexuality or gender reassignment the traditional opposition is more liberal and for equal marriage,” Virag said and while he supports the LGBTQ+ community of trying to interfere in next year’s election telling a crowd in Budapest they plan to use the media and networks to ensure an opposition victory that makes it all the more important to accelerate what seems a stalled campaign He is our biggest chance of winning next year’s election,” said Katalin Cseh a Momentum Movement member of the European Parliament Amanda Coakley is a journalist and a Europe’s futures fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. X: @amandamcoakley Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now Please follow our comment guidelines The default username below has been generated using the first name and last initial on your FP subscriber account Usernames may be updated at any time and must not contain inappropriate or offensive language FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day Specialty rates for students and faculty. Lock in your rates for longer. Unlock powerful intelligence for your team. One of the few team state titles captured by the Big Country in 2017 was claimed on May 16 by the Blanket girls at Lions Municipal Golf Course in Austin.  The ultra-prepared Lady Tigers were so determined to erase disappointing finish at the 2016 state tourney that coach Monty Jones "modeled" their home golf course in Blanket to simulate what they would be facing at Lions Municipal Golf Course at state.    The extra effort paid off with a state championship that saw Blanket shoot a combined team total of 756 through two rounds — 29 strokes better than second-place Utopia and a 47 strokes better than their 2016 effort on the same course.  On top of the leader board: Blanket's Marki Kinkade whose two-round total of 160 included an 8-over 79 to capture individual gold and help the Lady Tigers to the team title.  “We worked every scenario we could on our course in Blanket to set it up so we could play similar holes to (Lions Municipal)," Jones told the Reporter-News after the tournament. "Though some of the holes were a far cry from (the real thing) the girls started understanding what we needed to do here — when we needed to lay up and when we needed to go for it." Kinkade's experience on the course and extra preparation led to two birdies on the front nine on Day 2 She also was able to recover from a double bogey on 12 to hang onto the lead “We were disappointed in how we played last year,” said Kinkade recalling a disastrous team total of 442 in the first round which ended their title hopes before Day 2 in 2016 Also contributing to Blanket's title were Cassie Furry (191) Emily Furry (197) and Kenzie Tidwell (208) Cassie Furry's 191 was good for 10th place on the individual leader board and three of Blanket's four players improved their scores from Day 1 to Day 2 Other top area finishers included Darby Duncan of Bronte and Kelby Clawson of Robert Lee tied for 12th at 194 Peter Marki-Zay, the Hungarian opposition candidate for the 2022 election, thinks he is the one to unseat Europe's "most dangerous" politician—and that his victory is the only way democracy will survive in Hungary "These elections are not fair and free at all," Marki-Zay told Newsweek in the week he won the opposition nomination to be the next Hungarian prime minister "The situation has become worse and worse in Hungary for the last 11 years...It is really a matter of life and death." Marki-Zay came to prominence when he won the 2018 mayoral election in his hometown of Hodmezovasarhely; the first defeat of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's hard-right populist Fidesz party by an opposition candidate in several years His supporters are now hoping he can replicate that success nationwide and end Orban's 11 years in power The 49-year-old father of seven defeated two more fancied candidates in this month's primary contest in which more than 600,000 people voted Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony dropped out of the race after the first round of voting despite being tipped as the opposition's breakout star Then Marki-Zay defeated the leftist Vice President of the European Parliament Klara Dobrev in the second round despite the latter's higher profile and experience instead serving as the frontman for the six opposition groups that want Orban gone He will draw support—and choose his possible cabinet—from groups including the liberal Momentum party Marki-Zay's own Everyone's Hungary Movement has just 6,000 members Though the candidate might look to grow the organization's political footprint in years to come for now he is an outsider riding on the infrastructure of more established parties It is not clear what price these parties might demand of Marki-Zay—whether in cabinet posts or policies—if he is victorious But Marki-Zay's relatively low profile has allowed the candidate to cast himself as an outsider cronyism and scandal that has dogged Hungarian politics his most frequent attack against Dobrev was that she is married to controversial former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany whose spectacular political collapse opened the door for Orban's second premiership made Dobrev too unpalatable for a national contest Emotions are raw in the aftermath of the primary campaign Marki-Zay said he hoped the wounds would heal in time for next year's election "If they don't want to commit political suicide they really have no other choice than strengthening and building an alliance against Orban," he said of his former opponents and coalition backers "I really hope that this very sensitive period will be over soon." Marki-Zay said his priorities would be "liberating Hungary from corruption...but also restoring democracy and accepting a new constitution via referendum." He added: "We need a short but very precise constitution that will prevent any future backsliding of democracy any future authoritarian leaders from switching off checks and balances." A "traditional conservative" and practicing Catholic Marki-Zay has nonetheless positioned himself as a defender of the LGBT community besieged by Orban and his nationalist Fidesz party—a campaign of hate Marki-Zay described as "disgusting." The mayor has also committed to repairing his country's relations with the European Union and ambitious climate goals that Orban has dismissed as a "utopian fantasy." Marki-Zay dismissed Orban's climate skepticism as "very stupid populism." He added: "These problems are becoming more and more important for Hungarians," noting that some 14,000 of them die each year from poor air quality "It's more and more important that we come up with a sustainable solution for the environment And I think Hungary needs to join international efforts to stop climate change." "Tucker Carlson seems to be a big friend of Orban," Marki-Zay said "Tucker Carlson forgets to mention to the American people—and those conservatives that are now enthusiastically supporting Orban—that Orban is not doing anything against abortion; that Orban is letting in Chinese spy software systems including Huawei "Orban is extraditing criminals wanted by the United States—reported by the United States caught in Budapest—to Russia betraying the United States and betraying his Western allies Former President Donald Trump praised Orban for doing a "tremendous job" and said the leader was "highly respected all over Europe." President Joe Biden has been less kind placing Orban alongside "the thugs in the world" and dismissing his government as one of the "totalitarian regimes" that courted Trump "My impression was that it was only Trump who supported Orban, not Republicans or Democrats," Marki-Zay told Newsweek dealing with Russia and communist China and betraying the Western alliance Marki-Zay said Trump's personal whims would have to contend with a larger establishment "You underestimate the power of the administration in the United States," he said Orban visited the White House once during Trump's term the meeting helping smooth a $1 billion bilateral arms deal "Orban's ticket to the White House was quite expensive." Marki-Zay said his victory would bring a pivot away from autocratic regimes in Moscow and Beijing, back towards NATO and the EU my support is always for Western Europe and the North Atlantic Alliance," he said noting the several years he spent living in the U.S "These countries and these powers should be and must be our allies and we have to work together with them to promote prosperity and freedom in Hungary." great people; we admire these people," Marki-Zay said But he has little patience for economic and political ties he says go against national interests The new Chinese-funded railway line from Budapest to Belgrade in neighboring Serbia—part of Beijing's multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative—is one example "The population centers within Hungary like Szeged and Kecskemet are not on the route of this new railway so it doesn't even make sense for Hungarians." Marki-Zay accused Orban's government of shady dealings with Beijing and Moscow paying over the odds for both Russia's Sputnik V and China's Sinopharm vaccines "Everything is about corruption in these Russian Chinese business dealings," Marki-Zay said but always looking at the Hungarian national interest and our alliance lies with the European Union and NATO Migration has been a key issue in Hungarian politics over the past decade with Orban's anti-migrant policies forming the cornerstone of his populist challenge to the liberal EU The migration debate is back front and center due to the Taliban victory and subsequent humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, Belarus' weaponization of migrant flows into the EU The issue could form a significant part of the election campaign But Marki-Zay is ready to fight for that ground if it does He accused Orban of relying on hateful rhetoric towards immigrants while actually encouraging more new arrivals from Russia "including some well-known criminals and well-known Islamist terrorists." Net immigration to Hungary has risen every year since 2016 all of a sudden they are not so keen on speaking about migration," Marki-Zay said But he is not proposing a liberalization of Hungary's immigration policy "There's nothing more liberal than Orban's approach to migration," he said adding that "conducting hate campaigns is detestable Marki-Zay continued: "Orban's policy is that everybody can come: Criminals wanted international terrorists...They are all welcome as long as they pay If somebody is a wanted criminal but is [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's friend "If you want to stop criminals from entering the EU And I expect the European Union to stop this influx of criminals "I think Orban is a huge security risk to Europe people through Hungary without even checking their papers." Marki-Zay suggested the EU take its lead from Canada all of which traditionally operate stricter policies on new arrivals "They are controlling migration," he told Newsweek A fence is an absolutely acceptable solution for controlling and stopping illegal migration "Illegal migrants can bring in harm for Europe one Marki-Zay wants to take out of the hands of leaders like Orban opens the door to corrupt autocrats like Orban to win the hearts of some Western extremists and even right-minded people who fear terrorists," he said "If the European Union is not doing everything to stop terrorists from infiltrating Europe then Orban and his like will just become more and more popular but we also have to stop the infiltration of terrorists into Europe." The new superstar of Hungarian politics must retain his broad coalition while also peeling away enough Fidesz voters—concentrated in rural areas—to pull the rug out from under the prime minister "With my name on the ballot...we can already win That is what came down from several public opinion polls," Marki-Zay told Newsweek pro-Western European and pro-NATO style and strategy "We are not trying to bring back the collaboration between Fidesz and the left-wing opposition when they were only sharing proportions of corruption and resources Marki-Zay campaigned for Orban when he first ran for prime minister in 1998 but now says the self-described "illiberal" leader has become a danger to the country and to Europe "Orban screwed up," he told the AFP earlier this week "He used his indisputable talent in an evil by building an authoritarian regime—like the Death Star in Star Wars." The diversity within the opposition camp is a testament to Orban's grip on the last decade of Hungarian politics No one party has been able to overhaul the commanding position he has created Marki-Zay's anti-Orban alliance is neck and neck with the government in the latest polls This is set to be the closest race for a decade Orban has reshaped the political sphere around himself The electoral system has been tweaked to favor Fidesz the prime minister and his allies have seized control of the courts and dissenting voices have been harassed and silenced with the help of a media empire loyal to Orban and Fidesz The prime minister is regularly branded a dictator by critics and few expect him to play fair at the next election The opposition has already blamed the government for a cyber attack during the primaries that caused voting to be suspended "I can't remember the last time I considered Orban's policies to be either legitimate or fair," Marki-Zay said when asked what he expected from the 2022 election The coming months will be particularly telling he said: "Most of the electoral fraud is actually committed before the elections." fear campaigns; all these are elements of what Marki-Zay called Orban's "mafia state." Marki-Zay said his movement is even offering a reward equivalent to around $3,000 to anyone who can prove—and win a subsequent court case confirming—that they have been coerced into voting for a certain candidate noting that Hungary's elections are still offline affairs "They couldn't cheat through the computers," he said of previous polls "they could cheat because in many districts we didn't have any independent vote count representatives "There are no free and fair elections in Hungary—that we know But we also know the methods of how to fight "What I believe is that every authoritarian regime will reach its end Hungary will not only be more and more corrupt but also poorer and poorer "Our task is to wake them up now before it's too late."