All posts tagged: brace

Mid-Atlantic States Brace For Another Winter Blast

Mid-Atlantic States Brace For Another Winter Blast

Published by skeptic

Another midweek winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow and ice from Kansas through the Ohio Valley and into the Mid-Atlantic. This wintry system overlaps with a polar vortex pouring Arctic air into the central and eastern areas of the Lower 48.  Meteorologist Kelly Cass wrote on X, “Another winter storm from the plains/midwest to the east. Oh, and yes, some snow for parts of the south too!” Cass provided snow total forecasts through Wednesday for parts of the Midwest and Southeast.  More notably, the forecast through Thursday for the Mid-Atlantic states shows the potential for a major winter storm that could impact Raleigh, Richmond, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Meteorologist Ava Marie of local media outlet WBAL in Baltimore provided a more in-depth snow forecast for the Washington–Baltimore metro area. It was me. 😉 I spent all weekend wishing away the snowstorm, and voila, the models continue to decrease the snow for Baltimore. I’ll let you know if that changes, but that’s the best data we have for now. Are you bummed? Or relieved? @wbaltv11 …

Latin American Fact-Checkers Brace for Meta’s Next Moves

Latin American Fact-Checkers Brace for Meta’s Next Moves

Published by skeptic

This 180-degree change is a response to Donald Trump’s imminent second presidential term and to the methods of the competition, such as X’s Community Notes. Meta decided not to invest any more money in its program. Now, it hopes that Facebook and Instagram users themselves will be the ones to decide what content is disinformation or not. In the statement where Zuckerberg announced that he will dismantle the program, he said that fact-checkers succumbed to political bias, destroying more trust than they’d created in the US. However, for Laura Zommer, former director of Chequeado (one of the most important Spanish-speaking verifier organizations) and LatamChequea, and now leader of Factchequeado (a verification media aimed at the Latino community in the US), Zuckerberg’s statements are not a surprise, and he does not have scientific evidence for his claims. “Far from censoring, fact-checkers add context,” Zommer says. “We never advocate for removing content. We want citizens to have better information to make their own decisions.” Zommer, who is skeptical of how the dissolution of this program might benefit …

Councils brace for more transport and admin cost rises

Councils brace for more transport and admin cost rises

Published by skeptic

Local authorities expect to spend £1.5 billion on transport for SEND pupils this year Local authorities expect to spend £1.5 billion on transport for SEND pupils this year Councils are bracing for another big rise in the cost of transport and administration for SEND pupils, as the impact of rising demand is felt across the system. Data on expected local authority spending shows councils predict they will spend over £1.5 billion on pre-16 SEND transport in this financial year, up 24 per cent from £1.21 billion last year. This is on top of a previous 23 per cent rise between 2022-23 and 2023-24, and compares to a 6 per cent rise in overall council funding. Planned expenditure on SEND administration, including the cost of tribunals, has ballooned to £333.2 million, up 14.3 per cent on the £291.4 million spent last year. In December, Schools Week reported how the number of parents launching tribunal appeals over local authority refusals to provide SEND support for their child had risen by nearly a quarter in a year to …

Are you ready for a fight? Brace yourself! – OpentheWord.org

Are you ready for a fight? Brace yourself! – OpentheWord.org

Published by skeptic

So, who are you, really? And who am I? Yes, that is a ridiculous question … or maybe not. The world that we live in depends on our answers, and modern society is changing, under our feet. I went to a meeting, a few days ago, and I am still bothered by what happened. I will tell you the story, or parts of it, but I have a disclaimer. People are signing petitions, and lawyers are involved, and I don’t want to escalate the arguments. I will try to avoid any specific references, and you probably won’t know where this happened. Sorry, but that is the best I can do with such a hot issue. Some time ago, I was asked to become a registered member of an organization, or “society” that is Christian and focuses on educating children. They have several schools. I went to public schools, and I don’t share the enthusiasm, but friends wanted me to join and contribute. I joined. In my mind, I did what I could to make a …

You Just Don’t See the Foam Neck Brace Anymore

You Just Don’t See the Foam Neck Brace Anymore

Published by skeptic

It used to be that whenever someone on TV or in a movie fell off the roof or had a skiing mishap or got into any sort of auto accident, the odds were pretty good that they’d end up in a neck brace. You know what I mean: a circlet of beige foam, or else a rigid ring of plastic, spanning from an actor’s chin down to their sternum. Jack Lemmon wore a neck brace for a part. So did Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Roberts, and Bill Murray. For many decades, this was pop culture’s universal symbol for I’ve hurt myself. Now it’s not. People on TV and in the movies no longer seem to suffer like they used to, which is to say they no longer suffer cervically. Plastic braces do still crop up from time to time on-screen, but their use in sight gags is as good as dead. In the meantime, the soft-foam collar—which has always been the brace’s most recognizable form—has been retired. I don’t just mean that it’s been evicted from …

Chrissy Teigen sparks panic after worrying photo of her wearing a neck brace

Chrissy Teigen sparks panic after worrying photo of her wearing a neck brace

Published by skeptic

Chrissy Teigen was forced to respond to worried fans who questioned why she wore a neck brace in her latest Instagram photos.  The 38-year-old took to her Stories on Monday and shared a snapshot of her looking uncomfortable while wearing her neck support, joking she was “@ the MET!!”  She shared a second photo taken from a lower angle, revealing she sustained an injury because she “tried to do a headstand”.  © InstagramChrissy worried fans with her neck brace However, when she was bombarded by concerned fans and friends, Chrissy was forced to respond to let everyone know that her injury isn’t as bad as it looks.  “Oh, my God. I’m fine. I’m OK,” she said in a clip on her Story. “It’s a CVS neck brace,” she continued.  “And I just can’t rotate my neck ‘cause I tried to do a headstand and it didn’t go well. That’s all.”  She added: “There’s no story, I promise.”  Chrissy also cleared up rumors that she skipped the 2024 Met Gala on Monday because of her botched …

Madonna powers through mammoth Rio concert with knee support brace as final tour stop draws historic crowd

Madonna powers through mammoth Rio concert with knee support brace as final tour stop draws historic crowd

Published by skeptic

Madonna’s Celebration Tour ended with a huge bang on Saturday with a finale performance at Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach, marketed as a free concert to thank all the fans for their support. The singer, 65, took to the stage with supporting acts Diplo and Barata, and received special support from Brazilian stars Anitta and Pabllo Vittar. The show was held in front of the Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel, with free entry available on a first come-first serve basis, and ended up drawing a historic crowd of over 1.6 million. You may also likeMadonna shares sneak glimpse of world tour The final concert of the tour became Madonna’s largest ever, and the largest ever for a standalone concert by any artist, beating a record held by the Rolling Stones. Through her several outfit changes, plus a green ski mask and a leotard in the colors of the Brazilian flag (with her surname “Ciccone” on the back), Madonna also wore a black knee support brace and at times sported a white wrist support brace as well, particularly …

Kenya, Tanzania brace for Cyclone Hidaya as flood death toll rises | Weather News

Kenya, Tanzania brace for Cyclone Hidaya as flood death toll rises | Weather News

Published by Sam

Kenya and Tanzania have been bracing for a cyclone on the heels of torrential rains and floods that have devastated East Africa, killing nearly 400 people and forcing tens of thousands from their homes. Cyclone Hidaya is inching closer to the eastern coast of Tanzania, with an expected landfall later on Friday, according to the latest weather forecast. It is also likely to bring more rain to neighbouring Kenya, including in the major coastal city of Mombasa, just north of the eye of the cyclone. “Crucially, the coastal region is likely to experience Cyclone Hidaya, which will result in heavy rainfall, large waves and strong winds that could affect marine activities in the Indian Ocean,” the office of Kenyan President William Ruto said. Floods in Kenya have already claimed at least 210 lives since March, according to updated tolls from the Ministry of Interior and National Administration on Friday. It said 125 people have been injured, 90 are missing, and 165,500 people are displaced. Ahead of the expected cyclone, Ruto’s government also ordered mandatory evacuations …

England, Wales vote in local elections as Tories brace for big losses

England, Wales vote in local elections as Tories brace for big losses

Published by Sam

Millions of voters in England and Wales will cast their ballots on Thursday in an array of local elections that will be the last big test before a UK general election that all indicators show will see the Conservative Party ousted from power after 14 years. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will hope he can point to successes, notably in a couple of key mayoral races, to douse talk that the Conservative Party will change leader again before the United Kingdom’s main election, which could take place as soon as next month.  On the other hand, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer will hope Thursday’s local elections confirm what opinion polls have shown for two years – that Labour is on course for power for the first time since 2010. “The national context going into these local elections is very good for Labour and very bad for the Conservatives,” said Rob Ford, professor of politics at the University of Manchester.  As is often the case in British local elections, the run-up is about expectation management, so any outperformance …

Listen to the US or brace for escalation — the choice is Israel’s to make – POLITICO

Listen to the US or brace for escalation — the choice is Israel’s to make – POLITICO

Published by skeptic

It took almost a week for Israel to respond — and when it did, it struck an air defense system near Isfahan, which is home to some critical nuclear facilities. This was a “signaling strike,” meant to send two messages: We can hit you whenever and wherever we want, but we don’t want a larger war. All of this has left Washington deeply anxious, and more determined than ever to find an end to the escalatory pressures in the region. In recent months, the Biden team has redoubled its efforts to secure a diplomatic breakthrough with Saudi Arabia which, before Oct. 7, had indicated it was open to normalizing relations with Israel for the right price. And that price is high — but Washington appears prepared to pay its share. The Biden administration has apparently agreed to provide Saudi Arabia legally binding security guarantees, akin to those it has with Japan and other Asian allies. And most strikingly, it seems prepared to assist Saudi Arabia in acquiring a civilian nuclear program, including uranium enrichment facilities …