TCNT Receives Conservation Education Donation
The Turks and Caicos National Trust has received a donation of $5,000.00 towards bird conservation in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The donation was made by Mrs. Patricia Bradley, widow of former TCI Governor Michael Bradley who served as head of state from 1986 – 1993.
The funds are earmarked to underwrite costs for production of informative materials that would promote bird conservation through the work of the National Trust.
Mrs. Bradley is an avid ornithologist and has authored articles and books on birding, one being the Official Bird Checklist of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Being part of the global conservation movement, the National Trust engages in various exercises along with international and national scientists to promote bird conservation education, such as species count and habitat monitoring.
The Trust is very grateful for this gift from Mrs. Bradley and has identified the Bird Rock Point Heritage Fields as the point of focus for the upcoming project. Bird Rock Point is habitat for nesting White-Tailed Tropic Birds and feeding grounds for many other species such as black-necked stilts, reddish egrets, white-cheeked pintails, green herons, lesser yellowlegs and much more.
For more information about our conservation efforts at Bird Rock Point, please contact the Turks & Caicos National Trust at (649) 941-5710 or e-mail info@tcnationaltrust.org.
FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
GENERAL SITUATION: A WEAK MID TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO TRIGGER POCKETS OF UNSETTLED WEATHER ACROSS TH NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THROUGH TONIGHT.
ALL AREAS
WEATHER: PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY AND HOT WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY ACROSS THE EXTREME NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THIS AFTERNOON. PARTLY CLOUDY WITH THE CHANCE OF A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: SOUTHERLY AT 10 KNOTS OR LESS OVER OPEN WATERS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS...EASTERLY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
SEAS: 3 FEET OR LESS OVER THE OCEAN IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE: 91F 33C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE: 77F 25C
SUNSET: 7:56PM SUNRISE: 6:19AM FRI.
MOONSET: 1:56PM MOONRISE: 2:32AM FRI.
HIGH TIDE: 2:17PM LOW TIDE: 8:26PM
HIGH TIDE: 2:28AM FRI. LOW TIDE: 8:53AM FRI.
WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR FRIDAY: MOSTLY CLOUDY AND HOT WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: THE TROPICS REMAIN QUIET AND TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
GM, Honda team up on next-gen EV batteries
General Motors and Honda Motor Co. are partnering to develop a new generation of batteries aimed at cutting costs and accelerating the companies’ rollout of electric vehicles.
As part of the multiyear deal, Honda will buy battery modules based on the next generation of GM's battery system, according to a joint statement on Thursday from the companies.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
The latest partnership expands an advanced-technology alliance announced last year between GM and Honda, which have been working on advanced hydrogen fuel cells for deployment in 2020.
The companies said a primary goal of the latest project is lower development costs and better EV battery performance, notably higher energy density, longer range, lighter and smaller packaging and faster charging times.
"The combined scale and global manufacturing efficiencies will ultimately provide greater value to customers," Honda and GM said.
The batteries will be featured in future GM and Honda light vehicles, primarily in North America, the companies said. A GM spokeswoman said products planned for China -- the world’s largest car market, including EVs -- are not covered by the deal.
GM says its next-generation of EVs -- expected to be launched starting in 2021 -- will be profitable. The company has plans to introduce at least 20 all-electric or fuel cell vehicles by 2023.
“This new multiyear agreement with Honda further demonstrates General Motors’ capability to innovate toward a profitable electric portfolio,” said GM product chief Mark Reuss.
Development of the next-gen battery components, including the cell and module, will take place at GM’s Technical Center in Warren, Mich., and Honda’s Automobile R&D Center in Tochigi, Japan.
GM is not releasing where the next-gen batteries are expected to be produced, according to a company spokeswoman.
Honda has been slower than most automakers to adopt EVs, creating an EV division in late-2016. The range of the new Honda Clarity EV, at 89 miles, is on par with the first-generation Nissan Leaf EV, and the Clarity plug-in hybrid’s 47-mile range is short of the all-electric range of the Chevy Volt at 53 miles.
Honda wants electrified vehicles to account for two-thirds of its global sales by 2030, which includes hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electric and fuel cell vehicles. Honda forecasts that would be roughly 3 million vehicles annually at its present global sales levels.
Source-AutoNews (Michael Wayland)
14 million users' affected by Facebook privacy bug
A software bug meant millions of Facebook users may have unknowingly posted private information to the public, the company has warned.
The glitch set a user’s post to be shared to "everyone", even if a user had previously chosen a more restricted option, such as “friends of friends”.
“We’d like to apologise for this mistake,” said Erin Egan, Facebook’s head of privacy.
Users who may have been affected will be notified on the site’s newsfeed.
"We recently found a bug that automatically suggested posting publicly when some people were creating their Facebook posts,” Ms Egan said.
"We have fixed this issue and starting today we are letting everyone affected know and asking them to review any posts they made during that time.
"To be clear, this bug did not impact anything people had posted before - and they could still choose their audience just as they always have. We’d like to apologise for this mistake."
The glitch was active between 18 and 22 May, a spokeswoman added, but it took the site until 27 May to switch posts back to private - or whatever the user had typically used before the bug became apparent.
When users post to Facebook, there is a menu option that dictates who sees that post. If the user chooses public, anyone can view that post.
The other options limit the audience, with most users typically posting updates that reach their friends.
Facebook remembers what setting you last chose and automatically selects it the next time you make a post.
However, between 18 and 22 May this year, the bug would set posts to “public” even if the user had, in the previous post, chosen something more private.
If the user did not notice the setting had changed, they may have posted something publicly that was not intended for that wider audience.
Facebook said it estimates 14 million people did so - and so has started notifying users. In the meantime, it has reverted the audience for any affected posts to whatever setting the user had selected previously.
Source-BBC (Dave Lee)
TCI WEATHER FOR MAY22ND,2018
GENERAL SITUATION: AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO CONTINUES TO BRING MOIST UNSTABLE WEATHER TOWARD THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND FLORIDA. MEANWHILE, A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC WATERS MAINTAINS BRISK WINDS OVER THE AREA.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: MARINERS AND BEACHGOERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO ROUGH SURF AND THE HIGH RISK RIP CURRENTS MAINLY ALONG EAST COAST SHORELINES.
TURKS & CAICOS AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY, WINDY AND WARM WITH THE CHANCE OF FEW PASSING SHOWERS LIKELY TODAY. PARTLY CLOUDY, BREEZY AND WARM WITH THE CHANCE OF PASSING SHOWERS.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT.
WINDS: EASTERLY AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 86 °F 30 °C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE 77 °F 25 °C
SUNRISE: 6:23 AM TUE
SUNSET: 7:49 PM TUE
MOONSET: 1:53 AM TUE
MOONRISE: 1:35 PM TUE
LOW TIDE: 7:49 AM TUE 8:08 PM TUE
HIGH TIDE: 1:58 PM TUE 2:20 AM WED
EXTENDED FORECAST: LARGE ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER OVER THE AREA BUT LINGERING MOISTURE FROM STATIONARY UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO WILL MAINTAIN VARIABLE CLOUDINESS MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS WITH FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS OR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
Sell them makeup like it's summer: Rihanna's rolling out a new Fenty Beauty summer collection
Are you ready for some more Fenty Beauty? Rihanna is releasing a new summer collection, called Beach Please, as part of her highly successful makeup line.
On Monday, the singer teased fans with an Instagram picture featuring lip luminizers, eye shimmers and other delicious-looking products. She wrote, "Full #BEACHPLEASE summer collection coming on MAY 21ST!!! #KILLAWATTFOILS and limited edition Lip Luminizers and Eye Shimmers at @fentybeauty @sephora @harveynichols and #SephoraInJCP."
The superstar also showed off two sexy new photos of herself wearing lip luminizers and eye shimmer shades from the forthcoming Fenty Beauty summer range.
The cosmetics line, which includes 40 different foundation colors designed to work for people of all shades, became an instant hit, selling out in many locations and also making TIME magazine's list of the 25 Best Inventions of 2017.
RiRi launched her first-ever lingerie line called Savage x Fenty last Friday. In addition to her Savage underwear and Fenty makeup, other products that Rihanna's been involved with include perfume, Chopard jewelry, Puma footwear and athletic wear, socks and a clothing line.
Source-ABC
GSW leads Rockets in Conference Finals
UNOFFICIALLY! its summer already, the heat is on, the temperature is high, and after last night, basketball fans are celebrating!
Kevin Durant scored 37 points in leading the Golden State Warriors to a 119-106 victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
Golden State made a key run in the third quarter, turning a tie game at halftime into a 14-point lead. Houston got 41 points from James Harden, but the Rockets' supporting cast struggled to hit three-pointers and missed several shots around the rim. Klay Thompson also had 28 points for the Warriors, and Stephen Curry had 18 points and eight assists.
Over in the east, Boston leads the Cavs, Lebron James and his team will tonight attempt tonight to move Cleveland forward as they suffered to 1 nil defeat on Sunday by a young Celtics team.
A top Israeli soccer team adds 'Trump' to its name to honor US president
One of Israel's most famous soccer teams has renamed itself to honor President Donald Trump for his controversial decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.
Beitar Jerusalem Football Club now has the name Beitar Trump Jerusalem.
The club announced the change in a statement on Facebook on Sunday, a day before the official opening of the new U.S. embassy, saying it wanted to pay tribute to Trump's "courageous move.”
"For 70 years has Jerusalem been awaiting international recognition until President Donald Trump, in a courageous move, recognized Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel," the statement said. "President Trump has shown courage and true love of the Israeli people and their capital."
"The football club Beitar Jerusalem, one of the most prominent symbols of the city, are happy to honor the President for his love and support with a gesture of our own,” the statement said.
A club spokesman told ABC News that the team wants the name change to be permanent.
"It is a permanent decision, we just have to get a clearance from the Israel Football Association, but that should not be a problem,” spokesman Oshri Dudaei said. “We want to be known as Beitar Trump Jerusalem.”
The Jerusalem soccer club has numerous titles and trophies to its name. It's also got a vocal group of fans, called La Familia, that is known for its outspoken hatred of Arabs.
Beitar Trump Jerusalem is not the only new name in Israel honoring the U.S. president.
Since Trump announced in December that the U.S. would move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, his name has been attached to Israeli streets, parks and even a railway station close to the Western Wall of Jerusalem's Old City.
Source-ABC
Supreme Court strikes down federal law banning sports betting
The Supreme Court on Monday said that New Jersey can legalize sports betting, opening the door for all states to allow sports gambling, if they so choose.
The justices ruled that a federal law banning states from legalizing sports gambling, called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act or PASPA, was partially unconstitutional because the federal government cannot tell states what laws they can enact.
Congress can regulate sports gambling but "if it elects not to do so, each state is free to act on its own," according to the court's opinion.
PASPA prohibited states from sponsoring, operating, advertising, promoting, licensing or authorizing sports gambling. The legal challenge came after former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a law in 2012 that would allow sports betting at casinos and racetracks in the state.
Christie tweeted that the decision was a "great day" and that the federal government had no right to block a law supported by NJ residents.
The NCAA, along with other major professional sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, filed a lawsuit arguing that Christie’s legislation violated PASPA, which was passed in 1992 to protect the “integrity” of games. They called the law "a straightforward exercise of Congress’ power to preempt the operation of state laws that conflict with federal policy on matters within Congress’ purview."
The court ruled in favor of Christie's argument that PASPA violates the 10th Amendment “anti-commandeering principle,” which limits the federal government's power to compel states to enforce federal law. The federal government was infringing on the individual laws of states, the court added.
Lower courts initially ruled with the sports leagues. The Supreme Court had initially declined to hear the case but reversed course after new legislation and another lawsuit.
Source- ABC
Another Illegal Vessel Intercepted by Marine Police
The Ministry of Border Control and Employment and the Immigration Department confirm that an illegal vessel was intercepted near Providenciales by the Marine Branch of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force on the morning of April 26, 2018.
At approximately 1:25 am information was received from the Radar Station stating that a target has been spotted about four miles off Providenciales.
Around 2:00 am Officers of the Marine Branch intercepted an blue and white 20 foot fiberglass boat with two inboard engines. The vessel carried a total of forty (40) persons namely thirty two (32) males and eight (8) females.
These persons were handed over to the Enforcement Unit and escorted to the Detention Center to be detained and later processed.
This was the first interception since upgrades were undertaken on the Radar Station.
The Enforcement agencies of the Turks and Caicos Islands are asking that anyone with information concerning this landing or planned arrival of other sloops to contact the Police anonymously on 911 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1-800-8477.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously in English, French or Spanish on either www.crimestoppers.tc or on Facebook as a fan of Crime Stoppers Turks & Caicos. Crime Stoppers tips are received in the USA.