Category Archives: Ascension

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK| Donaldsonville Chief

Louisiana reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 5,618 new cases. That's down 40% from the previous week's tally of 9,360 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Louisiana ranked 30th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 7.7% from the week before, with 436,694 cases reported. With 1.4% of the country's population, Louisiana had 1.29% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 24 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Johns Hopkins University has been getting data on an erratic schedule from Louisiana, skewing week-to-week comparisons.

Ascension Parish reported 79 cases and minus one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 198 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 39,815 cases and 300 deaths.

Across Louisiana, cases fell in 58 parishes, with the best declines in East Baton Rouge Parish, with 319 cases from 678 a week earlier; in Lafayette Parish, with 276 cases from 564; and in Ouachita Parish, with 299 cases from 563.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Within Louisiana, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in East Carroll Parish with 598 cases per 100,000 per week; Caldwell Parish with 544; and Union Parish with 344. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Caddo Parish, with 421 cases; Orleans Parish, with 415 cases; and Jefferson Parish, with 350.

In Louisiana, 54 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 46 people were reported dead.

A total of 1,448,503 people in Louisiana have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 17,977 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 95,658,236 people have tested positive and 1,053,419 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Sept. 18. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

Hospitals in 15 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 14 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 22 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

Originally posted here:

Ascension Parish reported 79 additional COVID-19 cases this week - Donaldsonville Chief

Football is unpredictable, and much like life, its ever changing.

Cade McNamara was Michigans starting quarterback in 2021, he played admirably for a team that beat Ohio State, won the Big Ten Championship, and made the College Football Playoff.

Nine months after Michigans loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl, a new starting quarterback emerged in J.J. McCarthy.

McNamara started the season opener, McCarthy the second game. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said a determination would be made after the second game as to who would be the starting QB moving forward. It was McCarthy who emerged as the starter after Week 2 versus Hawaii, a game where McCarthy was 11-of-12 for 229 yards passing and three touchdowns.

McCarthy started Week 3 and performed very well once again, going 15-of-18 against UConn for 214 yards. The game was a 59-0 blowout, and McNamara received action. Unfortunately for McNamara, he was injured during his one drive on the field. Harbaugh told the media McNamaras foot was caught in the ground while he was getting hit on the side of the leg. McNamaras injury is unfortunate for him and the Michigan team. A speedy recovery will be whats hoped for, but life goes on and the team must roll with the changes.

McCarthy is now not only Michigans starting quarterback, hell be taking on a bigger leadership role while McNamara isnt able to physically go through the motions in practice. While McCarthy has an edge on McNamara in terms of arm talent and athleticism, theres no doubt McNamaras football IQ, presnap recognition, and his ability to read coverages have been a benefit to the Michigan offense and QB room. Now its on McCarthy to be at McNamaras level of awareness or higher.

McCarthy looks to be the real deal, a player who has been as advertised ever since he stepped foot on campus. McCarthy has been in Michigans system over a year at this point, and he seems ready to receive the keys to Michigans offense. They need him to be ready.

Its a tremendous honor by coach Harbaugh, McCarthy said on Saturday. Im gonna do the same thing that Cade would do, do everything I possibly can to win football games for this program. Work my butt off every single day, be prepared as much as possible, and play my heart out every single week.

McCarthy is high-energy, even in walkthroughs before games. Working hard with enthusiasm wont be a problem for him.

Talking about guys that have it, the it factor, Harbaugh said about McCarthy. He kind of wows me at walkthrough, just the way he bounces around and the enthusiasm he has for playing. Like a like a kid in a candy store, its fun to be around.

McCarthys infectious attitude can get him far, as can his abilities to create home run plays with his arm and his legs. However, McCarthy is making ball security a point of emphasis. Theres a fine line between aggressiveness and recklessness, and McCarthy is aware of the difference.

The ball is the program, protecting the ball is everything, McCarthy said after the win over UConn. Theres gonna be time and place for shots down the field like that. But in situations like third-and-long and youre on your side of the field, youve got to be smart there you cant just give the ball to the other team.

Another area of growth for McCarthy will be staying safe as a runner. McCarthy can scoot with the best of them, he has 4.5 40-yard dash speed, and he will be dangerous escaping pressure and running the read-option. Whats imperative is for McCarthy to be careful running the ball. Knowing when to get down, get out of bounds, avoid contact when possible, is the way to go. Dont take the big hit. McCarthy, a former hockey player, embraces contact, but he knows he has a responsibility to stay healthy.

Thats something Ive been having to work on because Im a hockey player in my background, so I love the contact, McCarthy said last week. Its coming down to the point where Im selfish when I just go out there and try to get hit and all that. Because I got the team on my back and I got to be healthy for them. Thats been a huge part as Im getting more experienced in this running game, being able to avoid those big hits and avoid those injuries.

In the evolving college footbal landscape it often takes a versatile athlete at quarterback to help lead a team to a championship, and theres no doubt McCarthy is dynamic. What remains to be seen is how quickly McCarthy ascends, if he can play at a high level consistently against the best teams on the schedule.

Big tests are looming for the 19 year old McCarthy. Theres Maryland next Saturday, theres Iowa on the road the week after, Penn State and Michigan State in October, and of course, Ohio State at the end of season. McCarthys story is just getting underway, and what he does between right now and the last time he wears a Michigan jersey will define his time in Ann Arbor.

McCarthy is taking a game-by-game approach to his improvement. Whether he has a good or bad game, once its over he wants to throw it into the ocean and move on to the next task at hand.

When McCarthy takes the field against Maryland it will be his 15th appearance with the Wolverines and his third career start. McCarthy is now getting a lot of time on task as the starter, and its expediting his growth as a player. The game isnt as fast to him, hes standing tall in the pocket with poise and going through his reads appropriately.

With every game, you just get more and more comfortable and being more and more comfortable, the progress is just gonna be exponential, McCarthy explained. Playing around these guys, their greatness rubs off on you and it makes things easy out there.

Getting through the reads, everythings slowing down, my mind is not racing anymore. Everythings just slowing down and I just feel at ease out there, I really do. And thats something that has changed from last year to this year. Through having those kind of experiences, it feels like its putting me on the exponential growth track.

Michigan had a great season in 2021, but thats now the bar for the program, and they aim to climb to new heights. Will McCarthy be the quarterback that helps Michigan get to the mountain top? Time will reveal that. What already has been revealed is J.J. McCarthy is an exciting player who could rapidly become the best quarterback of the Jim Harbaugh era.

McCarthy won a National Championship as a senior at IMG, a year where he threw for 16 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Now hell be looking to put together similar TD-to-INT ratios at Michigan along with postseason success.

Excerpt from:

J.J. McCarthys keys to ascension - Maize n Brew

Excuse me while I belt out some Elton John.

Rocket maaaaaan burning out his fuse up here alone

Raheim Rocket Sanders is in a class by himself. Unlike that classic hit song, which was based on a science fiction story about an astronaut who had regular visits to space because that was something we thought would one day be normal 50 years ago, Sanders ascension is happening on earth. The Arkansas ground game, specifically, is where Sanders worked overtime in the early part of 2022.

At the unofficial quarter-mark of the 2022 season, its becoming abundantly clear that the 227-pound sophomore is steamrolling his way to a first-team All-SEC season. His rise from solid rotational freshman to stud feature back is obvious to all, including Sam Pittman.

Pittman was asked after Saturdays nail-biter comeback win against Bobby Petrinos Missouri State squad why Dominique Johnson didnt play in his return from a knee injury. After all, Johnson and Sanders were separated by just 3 rushing yards in 2021.

Here was Pittmans response:

I didnt consider that as a slight to Johnson. That was a nod to Sanders, who has played at an All-American level so far.

Dont believe me? Through Week 3, Sanders ranks:

If we were talking about 3 games against cupcakes, thatd be one thing. Were not, though. Sanders faced a Cincinnati team fresh off a Playoff berth (albeit after it lost 9 players to the NFL Draft), South Carolina and Missouri State, which came in as a cupcake but only lost because it couldnt stop Sanders. In each game, he recorded at least 23 scrimmage touches, 125 all-purpose yards, 55 snaps and multiple catches out of the backfield.

Its clear that the game plan is no longer to split backfield work with 3 backs like it was last year with Sanders, Trelon Smith (now at UTSA) and Johnson, all of whom finished between 97-to-119 carries. Its now Sanders and KJ Jefferson, who have 112 of Arkansas 144 rushing attempts. The ESPN broadcast during the South Carolina game revealed was the heaviest running back-quarterback duo at the FBS level at 469 pounds.

Thunder and lightning? How about thunder and thunder?

To be fair, Sanders isnt just a power back. I mean, the guy is nicknamed Rocket, which he got playing youth football. Why? As he told Whole Hog Sports after his commitment in 2020, all I did was get the ball and ran towards the outside and he said he was good at jet sweeps and no one was able to catch me.

(It also made sense because his hometown of Rockledge, Fla. is located just 12 miles from the Kennedy Space Center, where they regularly launch rockets from.)

Sanders leads the SEC with 4 plays of 30 yards, and hes tied for 4th nationally with 3 plays of 40 yards. Theres no denying that he has remarkable breakaway speed for anyone, much less someone weighing in at 227 pounds. He ran an 11.31-second 100-meter dash in high school. If you can believe it, he actually didnt play football as a freshman he wanted to follow in brothers footsteps and focus on basketball and a knee injury his sophomore year at running back pushed him to shift to receiver. So he ended up getting more work as a receiver than as a running back when he was a 3-sport star at Rockledge High School (Fla.). Actually, he was your standard WR/RB/LB/KR. Thats right. Because who doesnt have a linebacker who also serves as a kick returner?

Sanders being listed as an athlete as a 4-star recruit made perfect sense, as does why his career has taken off.

He went to an ideal scheme for his skill set with Kendal Briles. The up-tempo, run-heavy spread concepts meant that Arkansas needed several backfield options and even true freshmen like Sanders and AJ Green got a chance to be part of the rotation in 2021. Nobody in the SEC ran the ball more often than Arkansas (588 carries), and nobody in Power 5 averaged as many rushing yards as Arkansas (228 yards/game). The Hogs had the luxury of riding the hot hand and rotating fresh backs.

Johnsons injury combined with Smiths transfer opened the door for Sanders to get more run from the jump in Year 2. The 24 carries he got against South Carolina were a career-high, and as crazy as it sounds, that was 1 fewer carry than he had in his entire career as a varsity football player.

So why does it somehow always look like Sanders is shot out of a cannon? He certainly looks like someone with fresh legs.

By the way, that catch and run came with Arkansas trailing by 10 in the 4th quarter against FCS Missouri State. The Hogs needed all 24 touches and 242 scrimmage yards from the sophomore tailback.

Maybe its just the fact that hes doing big things in an Arkansas uniform while rocking No. 5, but Sanders is going to get all sorts of Darren McFadden comps if he keeps this up. Its probably unrealistic to expect Sanders to hit McFaddens program record of 325 rushing attempts (hes on pace for 286), but with Sanders running behind PFFs No. 2 offensive line in America so far, maybe there could be some competition atop the single-season rushing leaderboard. As it stands, McFadden has the 2 best rushing seasons in Arkansas history with 1,830 yards in 2007 and 1,647 yards in 2006. Sanders 13-game pace is at 1,907 yards.

Its early, but its hard not to be bullish about Sanders. Hear Briles talk about him and youll be even more sold that hes ready for superstardom.

Time will tell how Sanders workload evolves over the course of the season. Someone who has never averaged more than 9 carries per game at the high school or FBS level is going to endure a season unlike any hes ever had, even in the likely event that Johnson works his way back into the rotation. But any thought of an even backfield split is in the past with how well Sanders came out of the gates to kick off 2022.

It went under the radar that Pittman actually said in August that Sanders would get the majority of the carries as long as he was fresh. It made sense with Johnson still working his way back from a knee injury he suffered in the Outback Bowl and with Smith no longer in the backfield as the elder statesman. Preseason love aside, it was hard to imagine that Sanders would look this fresh.

Quickly, Sanders became the best player on a top-10 team. Saturdays primetime matchup against A&M will go a long way in determining whether the Sanders buzz continues to soar. Win or lose, the promising start to his career has many coming to the same conclusion.

Dont bet on the Rocket Mans fuse burning out anytime soon.

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OGara: Why its clear that Rocket Sanders first-team All-SEC campaign is beginning its ... - Saturday Down South

Staff Report| Donaldsonville Chief

A drug trafficker was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison as part of Operation Hidden Fee, an extensive investigation involving federal, state, and local agencies.

Kim K. Murphy, 57, of Baton Rouge, was sentenced following his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. announced in a news release.

Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick's sentence included three years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Murphy conspired with his co-defendant Travis James and others to obtain, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. Pursuant to court orders, federal law enforcement agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration intercepted communications occurring over the cellular phones used by James.

During those court-authorized wiretaps, Murphy brokered multi-ounce transactions of cocaine and crack cocaine for customers. Murphy and James would then set up meetings in Port Allen and Baton Rouge, where James delivered those amounts either to waiting customers or to Murphy, who then supplied his buyers.

On or about Jan. 11, 2018, James and Murphy were traveling from Texas to Baton Rouge in different vehicles when each of them were stopped separately for traffic violations. During Murphys traffic stop, he gave unreliable answers to law enforcements questions.Law enforcement sought and received Murphys written consent to search the vehicle wherein a green duffel bag was found in the trunk containing several vacuum sealed bags containing suspected bricked cocaine.Murphy claimed ownership of the bag.

To date, nine members of this large-scale conspiracy have been prosecuted and convicted.

This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Office, the Baton Rouge City Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Other agencies also assisted in apprehending the defendants, including the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Sheriffs Offices in Ascension, Iberville, and West Baton Rouge Parishes.

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Baton Rouge drug trafficker sentenced to 14 years; Ascension, Iberville sheriff's offices assisted with investigation - Donaldsonville Chief

By ohtadmin | on September 22, 2022

GRAND BLANC TWP. Ascension Genesys Foundation will partner with the Ascension Genesys Health Club to sponsor a fun walk to raise awareness of Parkinsons Disease and benefit the Parkinsons exercise programs at Ascension Genesys Health Club.

The walk takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at the club at 801 Health Park Blvd. Check-in is at 9:45 a.m.

For a cost of $25, each participant can expect a pre-walk stretch led by Angee Ludwa, a Parkinsons Exercise Program instructor and certified personal trainer, goodie bags, post-walk cider and donuts, and camaraderie with fellow walkers.

More than one million people in the United States, and 10 million worldwide, are affected by Parkinsons Disease, a neurodegenerative disorder commonly associated with tremors and other motor-related symptoms.

For information on how to participate, contact Ryan Bladzik, 810-606-6278 or ryan. bladzik@ascension.org. Online registration can be done at https:// genesyshealthfoundation.org/parkinsonswalk L.R.

Link:

A walk in the park for Parkinson's - Davison Index - Davisonindex

Candace is an upcoming character in Genshin Impact. Officially announced to become playable in Version 3.1 via the recent Special Program, fans might wonder what Candaces ascension materials would be.

This 4-star Hydro character is the Guardian of Aaru Village, and seeing the village in peace is enough to make Candace happy. As for her abilities on the battlefield, it was revealed earlier that she would make a great support character who can infuse melee weapons with Hydro.

If youre planning to pull for this upcoming character, you must consider preparing Candaces ascension materials ahead of time. In this guide, we have listed everything thatCandaceneeds.

READ MORE: GENSHIN IMPACT: NILOUS ASCENSION MATERIALS AND LOCATIONS

Below is a list of Candaces ascension materials. These materials are listed byHoney Impacts database.

In total, below are all of Candaces ascension materials that you will be needing:

On the other hand, if youre wondering where you can find Candaces ascension materials, check them out below:

VARUNADA LAZURITE GEMS

This group of gems is used for ascendingHydrocharacters. You can obtain them primarily by fighting Normal Bosses and Weekly Bosses.

According to Honey Impact, theLIGHT GUIDING TETRAHEDRONis dropped by an upcoming boss calledSemi-Perpetual Control Matrix inGenshin ImpactVersion 3.1. Currently, this boss is not known to drop Varunada Lazurite gems, so you might considering preparing the gems ahead of time.

If youre new to the game, you can craft higher rarity gems or convert one gem into another viaAlchemy. You can do this by interacting with the crafting benches in the different cities inTeyvat.

READ MORE: GENSHIN IMPACT: CYNOS ASCENSION MATERIALS AND LOCATIONS

REDCREST

This material is a local specialty in Sumeru. However, this can only be found in the upcoming desert area in Version 3.1. Therefore, you might consider farming for the other ascension materials for now.

SATIN, SILK, AND BROCADE

Satin, Silk, and Brocade are dropped by Eremite mercenariesinSumeru. If youre running low on these materials and are unsure where you can find someEremite enemies, you can check the enemys location by going to the Paimon Menu > Adventurer Handbook > Enemies > The Eremites > Navigate.

You can also craft higher rarityEremitedrops viaAlchemy or get some from the Stardust Exchange.

Thats all you need to know about Candaces ascension materials. We wish that all Candace wanters be Candace havers!

Genshin Impactis an action role-playing game developed by miHoyo, also known as HoYoverse. The game is available forPC, PS4, PS5, iOS, and Android, while a release onNintendo Switch is currently in the works.

Related

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Genshin Impact: Candace's Ascension Materials and Locations - The Click

DONALDSONVILLE, La. (BRPROUD) The Ascension Parish Sheriffs Office is asking for the publics help finding two suspects in a theft over the weekend.

The theft took place at the Walmart Supercenter in Donaldsonville on Sunday, September 18.

Deputies were called to the scene around 12 p.m. and learned that two men entered the store fully masked., according to the Ascension Parish Sheriffs Office.

The two men and their purported escape vehicle are pictured below.

Each suspect is accused of leaving the Walmart with a cash register.

APSO says, they were last seen leaving the store in a dark colored SUV, possibly a Chevy Traverse or Equinox, with dark rims.

If you recognize the suspects or vehicle pictured above, please call the Ascension Parish Sheriffs Office anonymously at 225-621-4636 or by texting 847411 to our anonymous tip line from any cellular device or Crime Stoppers at 225-344-STOP (7867).

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Duo accused of stealing cash registers from Walmart in Ascension Parish - BRProud.com

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A crowning moment. The death of Queen Elizabeth II marked the beginning of her son King Charles IIIs reign on the throne, launching into motion a series of carefully prepared protocols to ease the transition of power.

Though the monarch, 73, technically became king when the queen died on September 8, he wasnt officially proclaimed to be the new leader of the United Kingdom until his ascension ceremony two days later. The ceremony was part of Operation Golden Orb, which outlines the plan for Charles to take over as king beginning with the immediate aftermath of the queens death and ending with his eventual coronation.

My mothers reign was unequaled in its duration, its dedication and its devotion, Charles told the Ascension Council which included all of the members of the Privy Council as well as the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London and high commissioners of realm Commonwealth countries on September 10. Even as we grieve, we give thanks for this most faithful life. I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty which have now passed to me.

He continued by promising to follow in Queen Elizabeths footsteps as the new leader of the United Kingdom. In this purpose, I know that I shall be upheld by the affection and loyalty of the peoples whose sovereign I have been called upon to be, and in the discharge of these duties, I will be guided by the council of their elected parliaments.

Following the ascension ceremony, the royals began following Operation Spring Tide, which is the nickname given to Charles and Queen Consort Camillas journey around the United Kingdom to visit Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. On September 12, he and siblings Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward walked behind the queens coffin during a solemn procession through Edinburgh.

The following day, he and Camilla, 75, visited Hillsborough Castle in Belfast, where they viewed the tributes that mourners left in honor of the legendary monarch. The couple also attended a Service of Reflection celebrating his mothers life at St. Annes Cathedral. On Friday, September 16, Charles who held the title of the Prince of Wales for over 50 years completed his U.K. tour with a visit to the Welsh capital of Cardiff.

I take up my new duties with immense gratitude for the privilege of having been able to serve as Prince of Wales. That ancient title, dating from the time of those great Welsh rulers, like Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, whose memory is still rightly honored, I now pass to my son, [Prince] William, whose love for this corner of the Earth is made all the greater by the years he himself has spent here, he said in a speech at Welsh Parliament.

Charles returned to London ahead of the queens funeral on Monday, September 19. After a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Queen Elizabeths body was transported to Windsor, where she and late husband Prince Philip, who died in April 2021, will be buried together, according to the royals official website. The official period of mourning will come to an end on September 26, following Charles decision to extend it from the traditional 12 days.

Ahead of his mothers funeral, Charles laid a handwritten card on Queen Elizabeths casket. In loving and devoted memory, he wrote in the message, before signing it with his official royal signature of Charles R. Throughout the ceremony, the king was openly emotional and he became teary-eyed when God Save the King was sung in his honor at the end of the ceremony. Before the procession out of the chapel began, the Imperial Crown, orb and scepter were removed from atop the queens casket before Charles gave one final bow to his late mother and former queen. The Imperial Crown will next been seen at Charles coronation, as a symbol of his new role as king.

Operation Golden Orb will continue until the new king is formally crowned in a coronation ceremony, which will likely take place in 2023. (Queen Elizabeths own coronation took place in 1953, 16 months after her fathers death.) Thus far, the royal patriarch has offered no information about his plans for the event, which will likely reflect his desire for a slimmed down monarchy. One thing royal watchers do know, however, is that it the ceremony will be held in Westminster Abbey, which has played host to all British coronations since 1066.

Originally posted here:

What Is Operation Spring Tide? Inside the Protocol for Charles Ascension to the Throne Following Queen Elizabeths Death - Us Weekly

With Charles III's ascension to the throne following the demise of his mother Queen Elizabeth II's death, Charles eldest son received the title of Prince of Wales in addition to his royal title of Duke of Cornwall. With his new title, Prince William also becomes the new owner of a plush estate.

Read more: Hour 14. Everything fine: TV host falls asleep amid Queen's funeral coverage

Prince William now owns The Prince of Wales' Guesthouses, a private "nature retreat... hidden among the meadows and hills of Zalan Valley" in Romania, the New York Post reported. The retreat features horseback riding and visits to local craft studios in the Carpathian foothills and is administered by the Prince of Wales' Charitable Fund. It also manages Duchy Organic, the largest organic food brand in the UK, which sells items including olive oil, cookies and strawberry preserves.

Read more: Donald Trump's location is everything dig at Biden for Queen's funeral seating

Profits from both the business bring in over 3.4 million US dollars annually, the report said.

Currently, Prince William owns the Duchy of Cornwall estate with net assets of 1.2 billion US dollars. The estate includes the Oval cricket ground in south London, Dartmoor Prison and a mega-project of 4,000 dwellings.

In addition to this, Prince William will also take over his father's estate at Highgrove House.

When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?"...view detail

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What Prince William has inherited after Charles III's ascension to throne - Hindustan Times

These events are happening against the backdrop of important struggles of workers in Britain and Northern Ireland including the strikes of railway and postal workers as well as other ballots for strike action including in the NHS. The death of the Queen is being used across Britain and Northern Ireland by the capitalist establishment to stoke feelings of national unity in the face of economic uncertainty. This has gone alongside rhetoric attacking rail workers for taking strike action. We have also already seen a wider ideological offensive attempting to undermine the Black Lives Matter movement and the movements for abortion and trans rights. Over the past week there have been reports of several arrests of peaceful protesters. Criminal charges have reportedly been brought, for example against a woman who held up a sign calling for the abolition of the monarchy at a ceremony for the King in Edinburgh. It is vital that the trade union movement defends the right to protest and does not lose focus on the ongoing and scheduled industrial battles as we can be sure that the pressure on working-class people will not ease.

The Queens death has been a stark illustration of how so many things in Northern Ireland are seen differently by people from the two main communities. In many Protestant areas, messages have been erected at prominent places including at the image of the Queen on the Shankill Road. This reflects that for many Protestants, the monarchy is connected to their sense of British identity. People have gone there to show their respects, leave flowers and take photographs. For many this feels like a personal loss of someone who has been with them for all their lives an emotional connection to history and identity with many sharing memories of Royal visits to Belfast. For others, including most Catholics in the North, the Queen has been the figurehead of oppression and exploitation by the British state and British imperialism. There is a long association of the monarchy with some of the worst atrocities in Ireland including the relatively recent history of repression. There is also a sense among many Catholics of the need to be respectful, primarily reflecting a desire to be respectful towards Protestant and Unionist friends, workmates and neighbours rather than any sense of support for the monarchy. This illustrates a resistance of ordinary people to issues and events being utilised to divide them.

The focal point of the news coverage at present is on the Queen and other Royals as individuals, and this remains the focus for those who feel the death of the Queen as a personal loss. The institution of the monarchy, which is one of the most elite, wealthiest and privileged institutions in the world, will also move more into the spotlight not just in Britain but perhaps more clearly and immediately in former colonies. Jamaica for example was already moving towards becoming a republic.The connection between the Royal family and the violent history of colonialism and imperialism can be seen very visibly in the Crown Jewels which were amassed through systemic plunder across the globe.

In existence for over 1000 years, the British monarchy pre-dates the development of capitalism and, alongside the House of Lords, remains as a relic of feudalism which in many other countries has been abolished. However, the monarchy, like other supposedly ceremonial heads of state, is not some neutral institution. At times of crisis it has been utilised undemocratically to defend the system. In 1975 the Queens power was used in Australia to dismiss a democratically elected Labour government under Gough Whitlam. In 2019 it was Queen Elizabeth II who agreed to Boris Johnsons undemocratic and unprecedented prorogation of parliament a move that would have not been possible without her involvement. These examples illustrate that the monarchys power continues to be used to defend the powerful under this system and that they will not shy away from undermining, hindering and even removing democratically elected Labour governments. That the monarchy is not on the side of workers has again been displayed by the sending of redundancy notices to over 100 staff working for King Charles that this was done during a service for the Queen surely added insult to injury for many.

Across the UK, support for the monarchy has been declining in recent years, with support among 18 24 year olds having shrunk to just over 30% with a similar percentage supporting replacing the monarchy with an elected head of state. Overall, support for the monarchy remains at around 60% but this is a decline of over 10% in as many years. Contributing to this decline have been the numerous allegations of sexual assault against Prince Andrew who early in 2022 paid a settlement estimated at 12 million, to avoid a civil law case being heard against him in the US. He is also associated with billionaire serial predator Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of multiple child sex trafficking charges. Prince Andrews prominent role in public appearances and ceremonies in the days after the Queens death have correctly caused anger among many as it is an absolute insult towards all victims and survivors of gender violence. The monarchy has also been impacted by the substantial and credible allegations of racism made by Meghan Markle. This is in sharp conflict with the changed attitudes in society in recent years with young people in particular rejecting sexism, racism and other forms of oppression at unprecedented levels. This change in attitudes has also come about due to the #metoo and BLM movements which have shone a light on abuse in so many powerful and unaccountable institutions and settings as well as on the history of colonialism including of the British Empire, with which the monarchy is so closely associated. As the Windrush scandal has again demonstrated these issues are not confined to history.

In the context of the cost of living crisis, the contrast between the difficulties faced by working-class families across the UK and the luxurious lifestyle of the Royal Family is likely to further add to the critique of this institution. It is also the case that the Queen was seen in much higher regard than Prince, now King, Charles. We got a stark illustration of how out of touch the King and the monarchy are last year when he was investigated for taking 3 million in cash donation from Qatari Sheikh for his charity foundation. Forbes magazine estimates that Monarchy PLC holds nearly $28 billion in assets. They remain the largest landowners in Europe and like many of the wealthy in our society they have been exposed in the Paradise Papers for offshoring millions to avoid taxes while receiving around 100 million a year in public money.

The institution of the monarchy is used as a tool under capitalism to strengthen a sentiment of national unity and identity that masks the class differences in society. It is part and parcel of the undemocratic nature of the state. We are not in favour of such riches and power being passed from one generation to the next in a privileged family. In fact, we are not in favour of such unaccountable power full stop. Instead, we are in favour of all undemocratic institutions be that the House of Lords, the Irish Seanad or the mediaeval relic of the monarchy to be abolished as part of a programme that seeks to democratically transform every aspect of society. We stand for a socialist, and genuinely democratic, society in which the working-class the people who actually make society and the economy function democratically control, own and organise society. leaving no place for privileged and unaccountable positions in any aspect of the state or society.

Many will nevertheless feel loss and grief at the Queens death and there will be significant focus on the events over the next days and weeks in the press and society. For others, there will be anger at the millions spent on this state funeral. Trade unions have in many cases postponed or altered plans for industrial action. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has delayed the strike action of postal workers. The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has postponed its conference to a yet unknown date and the Royal College of Nurses (RCN) has even halted balloting in a key dispute over pay and asked their members to also suspend all campaigning activities. In the face of extreme cost spiralling, which will not let up, it is imperative that workers continue to discuss how we can move forward and fight not only for double digit pay increases linked to inflation but also for cost controls and reductions. Fuel costs, food costs and housing costs are pushing more and more people into poverty increasing fear of what the autumn and winter will bring. Some union leaders, likely scared of what they have begun to unleash, maybe realising that once the working-class moves significantly into action it will be difficult to dampen and put the movement under the control of the hesitant union bureaucracy that still prevails in most unions. Holding against the increased appeals to national unity, the perceived common experience and united interests which Liz Truss and her government will try to push is important that requires a united working-class response particularly of those engaged in struggle against this government.

We can be sure that for many in the establishment, including those in Liz Truss government, this will be deployed in an attempt to take the wind out of the sails of the workers movement. This cannot be allowed to happen. It is noticeable that there has been no mention by the government of the impact on ordinary people or the economy of the cancellation of events, reports of disruption in tribunals, expected traffic disruption and other measures that will be necessary, when the government and bosses have complained all year about the disruption caused by strikes. This illustrates that it is not the disruption they have an issue with but the fact that by striking, workers have the audacity to fight back.

At times it may be necessary to postpone or alter action, especially if it risks dividing striking workers, but in general, the approach must be to not let strikes be run down. This situation demonstrates that decisions about industrial action should be made on a case-by-case basis with full involvement and democratic oversight of workers involved in the disputes. It is also essential that the ranks of the trade union movement watch this situation closely and ensure the fight on the cost of living crisis is not sidelined or essential momentum lost. In fact, a stronger campaign now needs to be built linking different workplaces and sectors together to coherently challenge the current onslaught on our living standards. We cannot allow the Queens death to be used as an excuse by hesitant trade union leaders to cut across the various industrial disputes that have been spurred on by the cost of living crisis.

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Northern Ireland || The Queen's Death, King's 'Ascension' and the British Monarchy - International Socialist