Monthly Archives: June 2023

Royal Caribbean's next new cruise ship is making steady progress towards being completed,and we have a new look at what it looks like now.

Icon of the Seas is under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland. Based on the new set of photos, the top deck is starting to come together.

In an effort to keep our readers up to date,RoyalCaribbeanBlog commissioned its own aerial drone photos to share what we can see so far from the shipyard.

These photos were taken on June 6, 2023 to provide a glimpse of how the ship looks today.

Having visited the shipyard last month, it's clear one noticeable change from the exterior is how much of the ship is no longer covered up.

Another change you might detect is the addition of more of the water slides.

Icon of the Seas will have an entire water park when the ship launches, known as Category 6.

Category 6 will be the largest waterpark at sea, with six record-breaking slides. Other Royal Caribbean ships have only 2 or 3 slides.

The water slides are part of the Thrill Island neighborhood.

Royal Caribbean thinks Thrill Island will be a beacon for thrill seekers.

At the front of the ship, you'll find a sprawling pool deck that the cruise line hopes evokes a resort-style feel.

Read more:Royal Caribbean designed its new Icon of the Seas cruise ship to have a beach retreat experience

Icon will have 62% more water surface area thantheOasis Classcruise ships, and that means more pools than the cruise line has ever had before.

You'll find thelargest pool at sea, an adult only pool, and the first suspended infinity pool at sea. Five of the seven pools on Icon of the Seas are located in Chill Island.

Something else I noticed is we can see more of The Grove and the Suite Neighborhood.

Beyond the top deck changes, the side of the ship looks more like the concept art we've seen. With less of the protective coverings on, there's more glass visible.

At 250,800 gross tons ,the 20-deck-high vessel will be the biggest cruise ship in the world when it debuts in 2024.

What we can see from the air is just a fraction of what Royal Caribbean has planned for the ship.

Royal Caribbean has lofty expectations for its first Icon Class ship, which has the aim of being the ultimate family vacation and a megaresort at sea for all to enjoy.

Icon of the Seas has a price tag of more than $2 billion and has been under construction for just about two years.

There's still seven months to go until Icon of the Seas begins sailing with paying passengers, and there's still lots of work left to complete.

In May 2023, Royal Caribbean said Icon of the Seasmore than 80% done.

In fact, the shipyard said last month that Icon of the Seas could start her sea trials as early as mid-June.

When the sea trials are complete, there may be some final adjustments that need to be made before the ship is prepared for delivery.

Once the ship reaches 90% completion, much of the final ceiling panels and final finishes are added to make the ship look more complete from a visual standpoint.

In the fall, the plan is to finalize all staterooms, the commissioning of the ship, and all the special features.

Being the first in a class of ships, Icon of the Seas has more time built into her build schedule to prepare it for service.

See the rest here:

New Icon of the Seas aerial photos show Royal Caribbean's ... - Royal Caribbean Blog

Appointed after Jackson's drinking water system failed due to flooding from heavy rains last summer, Henifen has spent six months diagnosing a scope of issues, ranging from infrastructure to revenue generation, that have plagued the system for years.

Yesterday, dozens gathered at a popular eatery in downtown Jackson to hear about his progress at the water utility so far and plans moving forward.

One of his priorities is billing. At least 7,000 properties across Jackson are using water without an account on record, According to Henifin, meaning revenue collected via monthly billing is also missing. He expects the full survey on these properties to be completed by the end of the summer, allowing them to eventually enforce rate payments which will then be reinvested into the system. Henifin says this will allow Jacksons public drinking water to become financially self-sufficient rather than requiring federal funds.

As part of a $600 million appropriation in this years federal budget, JXN Water the corporation Henifin formed to reorganize Jacksons water system will soon receive more than $100 million to begin implementing infrastructure projects.

I applied for $115 million of that in grant money to take care of some of the early priority projects. That grant has been awarded and Ive spent that on leak repairs and engineering work thats going on. So a lot of things are happening. You may not see a lot of that yet but weve really rebuilt how the water system is being operated, he said.

Included in those operational changes was the decision to contract the country's largest water treatment firm, Jacobs Solutions, to run both of the city's treatment plants on a six month basis. Without reliable plant information from previous operators, Henifin says he was hesitant to enter into a longer agreement until the full picture became clear. One of the main issues they found, according to Henifin, are widespread leaks throughout the system up to 30 million gallons per day.

We should not need more than 20 million gallons of water, yet were putting close to 50 into the system everyday. Thats because we have leaks everywhere big leaks that we havent even found. And theres dozens, probably close to a hundred smaller leaks all over the city at meter boxes. Were used to seeing it just constantly flowing all the time.

Henifin added he hopes to finalize a 10-year contract with the firm by the end of September.

Read more:

After 6 months on the job, Jackson water manager shares progress ... - Mississippi Public Broadcasting

Dive Brief:

Hormel is one of many producers still working to normalize stock levels after years of volatility uncertainty that was still reflected in the company's bloated inventory levels.

Inventory levels compared to the previous quarter were up 1.7%, with mitigation efforts offset by the company's work to restore SKIPPY stock levels. Demand had been outpacing supply for Hormel's peanut butter brand in recent quarters.

The company worked to implement changes to demand and supply planning processes during the quarter as part of its effort to lower inventories, actions which impacted margins during the quarter, Snee noted.

Hormel expects to reap the benefits of greater process control, as well as other supply chain improvements such as lower freight and warehousing expenses, beginning in FY 2024.

Supply is also normalizing in other parts of Hormel's business as turkey supplies return thanks to the fading impact of the bird flu. Hormel's turkey supply was drastically down as a result of bird flu last quarter, with commodity turkey volumes down 80% YoY.

The company is now pivoting back to selling its turkey products, Snee said during the June 1 call.

"We've got our sales teams focused and reengaged on selling turkey. You don't just flip a switch after a year of not having turkey, but they are focused and reengaged," Snee said. "And so that is, call it, new replacement volume, whatever the right term is, that's returning volume on the turkey side of the business."

Others in the food manufacturing space are also finally starting to see stock return to a state of normality.

Kraft Heinz has been focused on supply recovery, with case fill rates in March up by more than 5 percentage points to a little over 95%.Like Hormel, Kraft Heinz is focused on bringing inventories down, after they reached $4 billion at the end of Q1, up 10% YoY.

Conagra, meanwhile, is focused on building back supply levels, with CEO Sean Connolly noting the company's service levels have improved to above 90%.

Were moving past discrete supply chain disruptions and continue to make progress on our margin expansion initiatives, such as productivity and value over volume, all within an environment that is normalizing, the CEO said on the call.

More here:

Hormel makes progress on trimming bloated inventory - Supply Chain Dive

The new Chick-fil-A, located at 5300 Johnston Street & Ridge Road, across from Time Plaza shopping center in Lafayette, is roughly about 57.0125% closer to completion. This new location will effectively make it the fourth Chick-fil-A store in the city with others located on LA Ave, Kaliste Saloom, and inside of the Acadiana Mall.

See previous post: https://developinglafayette.com/wp/construction-has-officially-begun-on-the-new-chick-fil-a-on-johnston-ridge-road/

Top-down Shot of Chick-fil-A at Johnston & Ridge

One of the major points of conversation hovering around this new Chick-fil-A location and really any new location for the company is the drive-thru line size & amount of parking. Does it have enough capacity to handle the sheer volume that the company sees on a dailyexcept for Sundaybasis? We think it does. Judging by the initial plans and our recently acquired aerial footage of the drive-thru situation, it has plenty of capacity with its full-length double lanes. However, even with excessive drive-thru capacity, we always need to remember that when the holy chicken is a fryin, hungry followers come a pryin! Basically, while we believe that there will be no foreseeable traffic jams on Johnston or Ridge, never underestimate peak hours. Besides, Kaliste Salooms location seems to be rockin & rollin while traffic keeps on a rollin on Kaliste! Thats a winner-winner chicken dinner right there!

Okay okay, we have exhausted our rhyming opportunities here!

Facade nearly complete.

The takeaway here is that with a solid 3 standalone locations, Chick-fil-A should be able to balance peak hours more evenly throughout the region. And thats on God.

The tentative completion date for Chick-fil-A at Johnston & Ridge Road is estimated to be about 2-3 months out. So its looking like it could be a late Summer opening!

Go here to see the original:

Chick-fil-A Construction Progress at Ridge Road & Johnston Street - Developing Lafayette

In April, States took a significant step toward negotiating a specific treaty on crimes against humanity (CAH) after years of delay and procedural wrangling. If adopted, the proposed draft articles could close gaps in the architecture of international criminal and human rights law and provide a critical opportunity to advance gender justice or regress to outdated ideas about gender. The unprecedented week-long discussion at the United Nations offered a glimpse at the opportunities a treaty might hold to advance gender justice.

Across the five day resumed session of the U.N. General Assemblys legal committee the theme of gender arose repeatedly, with many States indicating support for progressive provisions on gender-related elements of the draft articles. Others indicated a desire to revert to obsolete gender provisions, setting up potential battles over key issues. Contentious questions included whether to define gender within the treaty (or leave it undefined, like other treaty terms including race and religion); definitions of sexual and reproductive violations; and slavery-related crimes. States also missed some opportunities to engage on pivotal gender issues, but diplomats and civil society leaders will have additional openings to raise these issues over the coming months.

Ultimately, the degree to which any eventual treaty is gender competent will have enormous practical impacts for the victims of these grave crimes. Both the commission of atrocity crimes and the experiences of the victims are fundamentally shaped by gender roles from the use of sexual and gender norms to terrorize victims of torture, to the life-and-death stakes of gendered differences in how women, men, boys, and girls are enslaved, to the specific reparation and rehabilitation needs of survivors such as children born of war. Any treaty that aims to prevent and punish these crimes must grapple with their gendered characteristics and impacts.

Where States Stand on Applying a Gender Lens to the Draft Articles

More than a dozen States voiced strong support across a variety of gender-related issues throughout the week. Other States indicated support for some gender priorities while hesitating to back the treaty overall, or noting disagreement about how best to achieve gender priorities. A third group of States objected explicitly to certain gender priorities. The apparent positions of States that expressed views on gender issues during the session are summarized in the following chart with detailed discussion of the debates following the chart.

Defining Gender in the Draft Articles

The inclusion or exclusion of an explicit definition of gender was the most widely commented-upon gender issue in the resumed session. The International Law Commission (ILC), which drafted the current proposed articles, hewed closely to the Rome Statute in crafting most definitions within the draft articles, but opted to exclude the Statutes definition of the term gender after numerous States and civil society organizations raised concerns about its clarity and inclusiveness. The Rome Statute definition reads: For the purpose of this Statute, it is understood that the term gender refers to the two sexes, male and female, within the context of society. The term gender does not indicate any meaning different from the above. Critics of the definition noted during the ILC drafting process that developments in international law since the Statutes drafting have recognized the social construction of gender and the potential harms of reifying a binary definition of the concept. Ultimately, the ILC explained in its commentary on the draft articles:

[The] approach of viewing gender as a socially constructed (rather than biological) concept has been taken by various other international authorities and in the jurisprudence of international criminal courts and tribunals.

Accordingly, the Commission decided not to include the definition of gender found in article 7, paragraph 3, of the 1998 Rome Statute, thereby allowing the term to be applied for the purposes of the present draft articles based on an evolving understanding as to its meaning. While the term is therefore undefined in the present draft articles, the same is true as well for various other terms used in draft article 2, paragraph 1 (h), such as political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, or religious.

Mexico, Canada, Brazil, the U.K., Portugal, Belgium, Australia, Romania, the United States, Sweden, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Malta, and the European Union each noted their agreement with the ILCs decision to omit the definition.

At least seven States noted in some form that the draft articles thus recognize ongoing evolution of understandings of gender and, specifically, refrain from reifying the regressive and confusing Rome Statute definition. Romania echoed the ILC by observing that the draft articles likewise leave other terms, including race, religion, and other grounds of persecution, undefined. The U.K. noted positively that deleting the definition may help protect gender non-conforming individuals, who might otherwise be excluded from legal protection against gender-based persecution.

A Mixed Bag on Other Gender Justice Priorities

Several States including some whose delegations disagreed with the ILCs decision to omit the gender definition voiced support for retaining or strengthening other provisions relevant to advancing gender justice. For example, Sierra Leone stated that their delegation was not persuaded by the explanation in the Commentary for the deletion of the definition, but indicated strong, specific, and detailed support for strengthening provisions on slavery to include explicit reference to the slave trade and forced marriage, neither of which is explicitly listed in the current draft. The U.K. and Canada echoed Sierra Leones call for including forced marriage as a crime.

Likewise, El Salvador stated that it does not support the exclusion of the gender definition, but suggested that instead of deletion, the definition should be broadened in line with the progressive nature of human rights law without specifying exactly how it might be broadened to ensure the protection of victims of sexual violence. El Salvador further highlighted the importance of the international criminalization of sexual violence under the category of CAH or in some cases under genocide, and emphasized the need to ensure that evidence of past or subsequent sexual activity of victims of sexual violence could not be admitted as evidence in CAH proceedings.

Other States positions similarly suggested possible openness to progressive changes while indicating divisions on the best way to achieve gender justice goals. For example, Cuba expressed ambivalence toward the creation of the treaty overall, but nevertheless called for an overhaul of the definition of forced pregnancy in any possible convention to take account of international practice in the areas of sexual and reproductive health. Cubas delegation indicated support for revisions to broaden the definition of the crime and remove the aberrant reference to domestic law that the ILC retained from the Rome Statute definition. The U.K. and Canada each of which strongly support the advancement of the treaty echoed Cubas call for revisions to the forced pregnancy definition, revealing a potential unexpected partnership on the issue. The U.K. highlighted lessons learned from the application of the Rome Statute on forced pregnancy and said, given the repugnance of forcible interference with reproductive rights to the values international criminal law protects, the U.K. would be in favour of exploring how the definition of forced pregnancy found in draft Article 2(f) could be strengthened. Other equity and gender justice issues were raised by some States, such as issues of inclusivity of the draft articles of LGBTQI+ individuals (raised by Belgium and the Philippines, and referenced by others).

Finally, a handful of seemingly-gender neutral issues hold potential to have gendered impacts, from the way that a treaty is implemented and monitored to the treatment of victims. Several States alluded to these issues during the session. For example, some explored the possibility of creating a treaty body monitoring mechanism that would oblige them to undergo regular public review of their compliance with the treaty. Sierra Leone, the U.K., Slovakia, Canada, and the European Union indicated openness to or support for such a body though only Sierra Leone fully endorsed the idea. Sierra Leone, Brazil, Romania, Belgium, and the U.K. highlighted the need to center victims rights to justice and effective restitution. Sierra Leone and Palestine raised issues of race, colonialism, and reparations, while Australia noted the need to conduct a cross-cutting gender analysis of the draft articles and to integrate indigenous perspectives. These latter interventions raise the prospect of intersectional analysis of treaty provisions. However, most States stayed silent on interlocking issues of race and gender.

Opposition to Progress on Gender Justice

It was not all good news on gender in States comments. Five States explicitly opposed the deletion of the gender definition, and some issued particularly regressive statements to justify their disapproval. For example, Qatar stressed the importance of maintaining terminological consistency across international instruments, including with the gender definition from the Rome Statute, and specifically asserted that the term gender means male or female; there is no other interpretation, no other concept covered by this term. Likewise, Poland while supporting stronger victim-centered approaches and emphasizing the needs of the most vulnerable including children called for terminological consistency through transposing the gender definition from the Rome Statute to the draft articles on CAH. Nigeria also raised objections to the exclusion of the gender definition, and Cameroon expressed skepticism about the deletion.

Gambia a strong advocate for the advancement of the treaty overall also issued a statement in opposition to the deletion of the gender definition, indicating that they were unconvinced by the ILCs decision to exclude a definition. The delegate stated:

In our view, male and female definition of gender is not just a social construct but also biological, which goes to the root of creation of man and woman. We do not subscribe to the notion that the definition provided by the Rome Statute in 1998 is decades old and a lot has changed since then and therefore, the world is ready to evolve and accept new meaning.

Gambia reiterated their call to maintain the Rome Statutes gender definition, which the delegation characterized as agreed language [that] maintains consistency between international legal frameworks.

This view indicates that civil society actors and supportive States may need to continue efforts begun during the ILCs drafting process to articulate to reluctant States the importance of achieving a gender just treaty. Overall, the week revealed divisions but also interest and willingness among States to engage on issues of gender justice.

What Wasnt Said: Opportunities to Go Further on Gender Issues

The promising recognition of cross-cutting gender issues throughout the week laid the foundation for further engagement by States in the coming months. States can submit written comments on the draft articles by the end of this year; these comments will shape the agenda of another resumed session in April 2024. States should seize the chance to advocate for gender justice in these written comments and in their verbal interventions at subsequent Sixth Committee meetings. In particular, States could consider raising the following issues in their subsequent interventions.

Persecution on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

First, much more engagement is needed on the issue of persecution based on sexual orientation and gender identity. There is a rising tide of this persecution around the world, from restrictions on healthcare access for trans people to criminal prosecution of LGBTQI+ individuals, and the definition of persecution in the current draft articles does not sufficiently address this oppression.

At present, the draft articles define persecution as the intentional and severe deprivation of fundamental rights contrary to international law by reason of the identity of the group or collectivity; but limit the application of the provision to acts of persecution in connection with any act referred to in this paragraph in other words, requiring a nexus with other crimes against humanity such as torture, murder, or apartheid. The nexus requirement thus significantly curtails the forms of persecution that are prohibited under the treaty, omitting systematic oppression that does not entail other independent atrocity crimes. This omission may particularly impact LGBTQI+ populations, who are often targeted throughout the world with creative forms of persecution, such as restrictions on free expression and unequal access to public accommodations.

Notably, the Rome Statutes nexus requirement is absent in other instruments of international law widely regarded as reflecting custom, such as the statutes of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The limited definition of persecution was included in the Rome Statute in part to circumscribe the ICCs jurisdiction. But as with other issues (such as enforced disappearance) that were narrowed in the Rome Statute out of deference to State sovereignty concerns, this jurisdictional caution is not warranted in the persecution definition under the prospective CAH treaty, which concerns national criminalization, extradition, and mutual legal assistance, rather than the establishment of an independent judicial body. Colombia, Canada, and a few other States flagged the importance of expanding the persecution definition (though without tying it explicitly to gender issues). Moving forward, more States should press for the removal of this limitation from the persecution definition in the CAH draft articles.

Beyond these jurisdictional questions, there are additional opportunities for the prospective treaty to protect those with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. For example, the current draft defines the crime of forced pregnancy as being committed against women forcibly made pregnant, potentially excluding trans, nonbinary, or young girls who can become pregnant from its protections. Yet only the U.K. and Belgium explicitly referred to the need to include trans people in the treatys definitions. A gender competent treaty must be fully inclusive of all gender identities, and States should consider addressing these issues in their subsequent interventions.

Strategic Silence?

The relative silence on some of these issues may have been partially a result of the previous, constructive State engagement that led the ILC to remove the gender definition from the draft in the first place. After their robust statements in support of LGBTQI+ rights brought about the change, States may have simply been surprised to see the issue arise again.

The intense sensitivity of issues of gender identity and the risk of creating regressive treaty terms or references within the travaux prparatoires may have also played a role. Raising contentious questions in the resumed session might have derailed the overall push to bring the draft articles out of the Sixth Committee and into a full negotiation at the General Assembly or in a dedicated conference. But the calls for reopening the gender definition illustrate that supportive States and civil society organizations must continue to press for protections and inclusion of all sexual orientations and gender identities in any future treaty.

Gender Apartheid

There is also room for States to engage with the concept of gender apartheid, which has garnered recent public attention. Several States highlighted the importance of recognizing the crime of apartheid (including Ethiopia and Palestine), while Cameroon indicated possible openness to expanding the scope of the definition, despite an overall skepticism to the treaty. However, Cameroons suggested expansion focused on xenophobia, not gender. No State has yet explicitly advocated for adding gender-based oppression to the current draft definition of apartheid: inhumane acts committed in the context of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime (emphasis added). If the draft articles advance to full-scale negotiations, advocates should consider encouraging States to add gender to this definition.

Gender Analysis of Atrocity Crimes

Finally, the coming months offer expanded opportunities for States to dig into the subtle interactions between gender and contexts of conflict or atrocity discussions that were largely absent from the technical legal debates in April. Recent thoughtful scholarship has explored the role of gender stereotypes in charging and prosecuting atrocity crimes, the interplay of toxic masculinity with violence and extremism, the weaponization of gender norms to terrorize civilians, and the deployment of gendered notions of domination and duty to justify aggression and atrocities. Feminist scholars have illustrated how to apply a nuanced gender lens to international criminal prosecutions for a range of crimes and potential defenses, grappling with the true complexity of gender across contexts. These discussions might seem too theoretical to appear in technical debates about the terms of the draft articles, but as the treaty text moves forward, it is essential to intertwine these considerations into the text, drafting history, and commentaries of the convention.

Why Does Gender Matter in a CAH Treaty?

And make no mistake: incorporating gender is essential.

Unless accountability efforts grapple with the ways that gender is entwined into the perpetration and aftermath of atrocities, these crimes will continue to be committed and justice will be incomplete. The recent ICC case of Dominic Ongwen illustrates the relevance and practical impact of gender in the perpetration of atrocities, and in any justice and accountability efforts that follow.

Ongwen was abducted as a child in Northern Uganda and trained as a child soldier along with other young boys; female abductees were forced to conduct housework until they were deemed sexually mature enough to be converted to wives. Ongwen climbed the ranks and took several wives for himself, committing the crimes of rape, sexual slavery, enslavement, forced pregnancy, torture, and forced marriage, among others. He was eventually captured, tried at the ICC, found guilty, and his charges were confirmed on appeal last December.

Meanwhile, some women and girls who were abducted have returned to their communities, but report facing stigma based on gendered notions of sexual purity, with patterns of domestic instability as subsequent partners leave them with more children while shaming them for their past victimization. Some are forced to engage in sex work to survive. Children born of forced marriage or while their mothers were in captivity struggle to obtain documentation, leading to their exclusion from formal education or employment opportunities. As this generation matures, gendered patterns of vulnerability persist. Unregistered and underemployed young men, for example, are vulnerable to recruitment into groups that offer them a sense of belonging where they can vindicate ideas of masculinity shaped by patriarchy. And the pattern repeats.

While Ongwens ICC conviction was groundbreaking in its engagement with gender issues, there is still a long way to go. Without robust, nuanced understandings of gender woven throughout the response to mass atrocities, States cannot fulfill their obligations to prevent, punish, and provide redress in these situations. Atrocities do not occur in a vacuum their seeds are planted in inequality, hopelessness, and disempowerment. Each of these experiences is inflected by social constructions of gender. Prevention of these conditions requires understanding the dynamics that shape them; restitution to victims requires understanding the way harms are inflicted and experienced in gender-specific ways.

The draft articles will next be discussed by the Sixth Committee at their regular session in October, then in another resumed session in April 2024. The committee has resolved to take a decision on the draft in October 2024. Gender must be on the table throughout the discussion and eventual negotiation of the CAH treaty, and everywhere that States seek to prevent or punish atrocity crimes. Otherwise, these efforts at prevention will be futile, punishment incomplete, and victims will continue to suffer the gendered impacts of crimes against humanity.

apartheid, atrocities prevention, Crimes Against Humanity, Gender, International Criminal Court (ICC), International Criminal Law, International Human Rights, International Law Commission, Mass Atrocities, persecution, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), slavery, United Nations General Assembly

Originally posted here:

Progress, Resistance, and Silence on Gender Justice in the Draft ... - Just Security

Palm trees infected with lethal bronzing disease emit signals that warn nearby healthy palms of the threat. Those healthy palms produce their own defense that University of Florida scientists one day hope to harness to protect palms against the disease.

Entomologist Brian Bahder and his team at UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center consider the studys outcome a turning point for palm disease research because it has high potential for developing management strategies for lethal bronzing, a deadly disease spread by a small insect commonly called a planthopper. This discovery could help manage other palm and plant diseases.

Plants affected by disease or pests can emit small chemical signals, or volatile organic compounds, indicating they are stressed.

Those compounds warn nearby healthy plants. Those healthy plants can activate defense mechanisms organic compounds of their own to potentially stave off the pest responsible for the disease.

Volatile organic compounds are common in plants and play an important role in protecting the plant, Bahder said. Most importantly, some of these compounds have antimicrobial properties. They have the potential for use in defending against a variety of different infections in palms and perhaps even infections in other plants.

We suspected there was a chemical compound the planthopper was detecting, Bahder added. The goal was to identify the chemical to see if we could use it as a bait system. The resulting data showed there was a much more interesting story going on and could lay the foundation for developing a management plan for lethal bronzing and perhaps other palm diseases.

This marks the first documented case of green leaf volatiles in palms infected by the bacteria that causes lethal bronzing.

For the study, Bahder and his team took leaf samples from infected cabbage palms, nearby threatened palm trees and healthy palm trees that were outside of the area with disease spread. All samples were taken from trees in Fort Lauderdale. Over time, they tested the plants for the disease among the three sets of palms and locations.

The lethal bronzing-infected palms gave off a specific signal, whereas the nearby palms that were healthy responded and emitted a different signal. The healthy palms that were at a distance from the infected area emitted a different signal than both the infected and threatened palms.

The threatened palms produced a compound with known antimicrobial properties, and we are now interested in how this affects the epidemiology of lethal bronzing in the field, Bahder said. "We hope to be able to harness these natural plant volatiles to either treat palms directly or stimulate them to produce their own defenses.

Lethal bronzing, first detected in Tampa in 2006, transmitted by the planthopper Haplaxius crudus was confirmed as the vector in 2021. For almost two decades, the disease has been making its way steadily across the state, creating significant casualties in Florida palms.

The most important thing to note is that once symptoms show up on the palm tree, it is too late, which is why prevention has been the first line of defense, Bahder said.

Currently, when a tree has been infected, the only remedy is to remove it. To prevent the bacteria from spreading, the surrounding trees require a sampling for phytoplasma. If the palm tests negative, then an antibiotic treatment of oxytetracycline is administered as prevention. The treatment, which is expensive, is repeated on a quarterly basis.

With the discovery of these plant-produced compounds, scientists see this as a breakthrough in developing ways to manage the disease that could allow for harnessing the plants own natural defenses to create a cure for infected plants that would eliminate the need for costly antibiotic treatments.

Scientists hope to be able to harness these compounds to develop new management strategies, Bahder said.

Next stage of the research process requires additional funding to find ways to use the healthy green leaf volatiles compounds that are natural to the palms defense system to treat infected palms. The methods could involve injecting the compound directly into infected palms and hopefully curing the infected palm. It could also involve potentially placing dispensers or spraying areas of risk to stimulate the at-risk palms with natural defenses.

The goal is to find cost-effective ways to protect palms whether they are over large areas that may be at risk or individual properties, Bahder said. Ultimately, we want to cut down on time and resources for nurseries and consumers.

Link:

Palm tree progress - Golf Course Industry Magazine

I think about the urgency in getting Cody Bellinger back on the field for the Cubs in three different ways. Two of which Im good with. One of which I kind of hate myself for.

The two good ones are somewhat related, but distinct: you want to see Bellinger back as quickly as possible so that whatever good joojoo was working for him in this bounce-back season doesnt get lost in the form of rust or prolonged physical discomfort. And second, you want to see that version of Bellinger back as quickly as possible because the Cubs need to really turn a sharp corner here, and a good version of Bellinger would really help.

The last reason to want Bellinger back quickly the one I hate myself for even letting slip into the back of my mind is that you want him to show hes fully healthy and still productive well before the Trade Deadline. You know. Just in case.

Bellinger, who has been out since that mid-May wall catch in Houston, is making progress in his recovery from the bone bruise in his knee. He started a running progression this weekend, and Meghan Montemurro reports that those strides have been encouraging:

That said, if Bellinger cant return this week on the West Coast trip, then hes going to have been away for at least a month. At that point, its pretty hard to imagine a guy coming back WITHOUT a rehab assignment, which would allow him a little in-game action to ready himself for game speed, and also would be a final check against discomfort in the knee. This is a guy whose last two seasons were sunk, in part, because he was playing through less than 100% physical health. The worst outcome here for BOTH the Cubs and Bellinger is that he comes back at less than 100%, and proceeds to play like crap over the next couple months.

Much more on that from Patrick Mooney, and Bellingers agent Scott Boras, in this piece at The Athletic. Obviously Boras has all the incentive in the world to talk up Bellingers bounce-back this year it was all just the injuries the last two years, he says and also to be OK with Bellinger being traded at the deadline (since that would mean Bellinger couldnt receive a Qualifying Offer and wind up tied to draft pick compensation). Boras even dropped a little discussion of Brandon Nimmo, who received eight years and $162 million from the Mets this offseason, even at age 30. Bellinger will be 28 this offseason.

Anyway, none of that stuff will matter if Bellinger doesnt come back somewhat soon, and isnt clicking at the plate like he was before the knee injury.

For his part, Bellinger is confident hell be good to go.

Its definitely frustrating, Bellinger said, per The Athletic. But once I come back, I am still pretty confident that Im going to be where I was. I feel good. Im still feeling strong. Im able to do quite a bit of workouts. Its more the extension (of my knee right now). Im pretty confident that once I come back, Ill play how I want to play.

Go here to read the rest:

Cody Bellinger Making Progress, Confident in His Ability, But ... - bleachernation.com

After a visit to LSU, four-star receiver Jeremiah McClellan is impressed.

According to On3, LSU is now near the top of McClellans list. McClellan told On3 hes a fan of wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton and his track record of development.

McClellan has four stars from all four major recruiting services. 247Sports is the highest on his ability right now, slating McClellan as the 17th-best wide receiver in the 2024 class and the fourth-best player in the state of Missouri.

LSU has competition here. Ohio State is also recruiting the blue-chip receiver and the Buckeyes rarely miss when recruiting pass catchers.

Brian Kelly and staff made it a point to recruit the St. Louis area when taking over at LSU.

Kelly, having spent a decade at Notre Dame, is familiar with the midwest, and LSU cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples is a fixture in the St. Louis high school football community.

Last cycle, LSU landed tight end Mac Markway from Missouri. LSU defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo is also from the area and transferred to LSU after beginning his career at Missouri.

LSU makes strong impression on Georgia offensive tackle ahead of commitment date Malik Nabers among the SEC's top receivers in 2023 Former LSU LB Bradie James named to 2024 College Football Hall of Fame ballot

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LSU makes progress with blue-chip receiver from St. Louis - Yahoo Sports

Tetra Pak published its Sustainability Report FY22, highlighting the companys progress across various aspects of sustainability. Now in its 24th edition, the report demonstrates how sustainability remains core to Tetra Paks strategy and continues to be prioritized in decision making.

During 2022, Tetra Pak achieved significant milestones, reducing operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 39%, with 84% of the energy coming from renewable sources. This puts the company on track to achieve net zero within its own operations by 2030.

Additionally, the sale of 8.8 billion plant-based packages and 11.9 billion plant-based caps translated into 131 kilo tons of CO2 savings. Tetra Pak also invested nearly 30 million to accelerate collection and recycling of beverage cartons, while working with food technology incubators and start-ups to explore the future of sustainable food.

This was in the context of a year marked by considerable uncertainty, driven by the after-effects of COVID-19, supply chain issues and geo-political challenges such as Russias invasion of Ukraine. The combination of all these factors has resulted in significant financial challenges for businesses and consumers, driving up the cost of living and resulting in food insecurity for many.

The current operating environment has emphasized the need for integrated, systemic solutions, Adolfo Orive, president and CEO at Tetra Pak, said. This is the only way we can meet the scale and speed of change required to strengthen food access while reducing the environmental impact, in a way that leaves no one behind.

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Tetra Pak Makes Further Progress On Sustainability Transformation ... - Ink World Magazine

Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi is traveling to Kiev as an envoy of the Pope on June 5 and 6, 2023, announced the Vatican press office on June 5. The mission of the archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Bishops Conference is to listen in depth to the Ukrainian authorities regarding possible ways of achieving lasting peace, and to support gestures of humanity that contribute to easing tensions.

On May 20, the Pontiff entrusted the Italian cardinal with the task of leading a mission, in agreement with the Secretariat of State, to contribute to the easing of tensions in the conflict in Ukraine.

At the time, the Holy See announced that the details of this diplomatic intervention were still under study.

Cardinal Zuppi has long been a member of the lay SantEgidio community, a Catholic association committed to ecumenical dialogue and working for peace.

In fact, the cardinal has a long history of helping to bring about peace in certain serious world conflicts.

While still just a priest, he acted as a mediator in several conflicts. He mediated in 1992 in Mozambique, which at that time was being torn apart by civil war. He subsequently mediated on behalf of SantEgidio in Tanzania, Cuba, Kosovo, and Basque Country in 2017, when members of ETA decided to make him their moral witness when they laid down their arms.

The SantEgidio community has taken on significant importance under Francis pontificate, sometimes being described as a diplomatic agency parallel to that of the Secretariat of State.

According to Reuters, the mission entrusted to the 67-year-old Italian cardinal is to meet separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

While no papal representative has been received in Moscow since the beginning of the conflict, Cardinal Zuppi is not the first papal representative to visit Ukraine.

Francis has sent Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and papal almoner, to the war-torn country five times, where he has brought medical supplies and ambulances.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, also made a brief visit to Ukraine from the Hungarian border in March 2022.

Other cardinals have visited Ukraine without being asked to do so by the Pope, such as Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius on June 1.

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and linchpin of papal diplomacy, also visited Ukraine from May 18 to 20, 2022. My visit is intended to demonstrate the closeness of the Holy See and Pope Francis to the Ukrainian people, particularly in light of Russias aggression, he said at the time.

According to a Vatican source, for a time the Holy See had been considering a visit by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, but ruled it out because it could be perceived as preparation for a papal visit. During the first months of the conflict, the Pope had expressed his wish to visit both Moscow and Kiev, before abandoning this project in the face of reluctance on the part of both Ukraine and Russia.

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Can this peace-building cardinal bring progress in Ukraine? - Aleteia