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A Lanarkshire farmer has had to pay 2,000 to clean up two tonnes of raw meat waste which was dumped on his land.

Davy Shanks stumbled across the disgusting discovery in one of the worst fly tipping incidents to hit Scotland recently.

NFU Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) said the incident was 'frustrating and heart-breaking'.

The waste was dumped from a public road, over the side of a bridge - creating both a health risk and an environmental incident.

Despite repeated calls to North Lanarkshire Council for assistance, Mr Shanks was left with organising and paying for the clean-up costs.

North Lanarkshire Council agreed to a 24-hour road closure which allowed Mr Shanks to shovel the rotting butchery waste into plastic tubs to be lifted and disposed of by a local waste disposal firm.

Mr Shanks used his own staff and local environmental cleaning company Greenerleaf to clear up, but because the process took place at the weekend, overtime pay was also incurred.

The clear up operation lasted four hours, and no compensation for Mr Shanks is available.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are investigating the incident just off the A73 Stirling Road near Brackenhirst Farm. An appeal for information has been issued.

Mr Shanks said it was 'ridiculous' that he was held responsible for someone elses waste simply because it was dumped on his land.

Other than agreeing to the road closure, I received little support from my local authority and, disappointingly, despite the seriousness of the incident they failed to return my calls," he said.

This is a fly-tipping hotspot on a public road. We have had couches, beds and pallets tipped over the side of the bridge on numerous occasions, but this was the first time we have seen food waste dumped, creating an environmental hazard."

Mr Shanks said that until the local authority fenced the bridge or introduced CCTV, these incidents would continue to happen.

He added there was a case for some of the costs of clearing up to be covered by local authorities rather than farmers and landowners.

And since lockdown, fly-tipping has increased 'ten-fold': "We now use a phone app which sends an alert to the relevant council of any new incident," he said.

"We have seen numerous different episodes of fly tipping, more so during lockdown, these have been logged and photographs sent to the app of which only a few have ever been lifted.

"We have a burnt-out pick-up sitting in a gateway since March which we have reported but the council response is that they have no resources available to lift it.

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Farmer pays 2000 to clean up two tonnes of raw meat waste - FarmingUK

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) The impact of a wind storm that tore through the Midwest continued to grow Wednesday, as widespread power outages kept businesses closed, limited communication, spoiled food and caused long lines at gas stations.

The rare storm known as a derecho hit Monday, devastating parts of the power grid, flattening valuable corn fields and killing at least two people. It produced winds of up to 112 mph near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and toppled trees, snapped poles, downed power lines and tore off roofs from eastern Nebraska to Indiana.

It feels like we got kicked in the teeth pretty good, said Dale Todd, a member of Cedar Rapids' city council. Recovery will be methodical, and slow. But right now, everybody is working to ensure the critical services are restored.

Todd said the city's response has been complicated by the challenge of communicating with people who have no power, which means they have limited access to internet, TV and phone service.

Across the city of 133,000 people, residents emptied their refrigerators and freezers as their food spoiled, waited at gas stations for an hour or longer to fill up their cars and gas cans, and worked to clear up fallen trees.

Cedar Rapids spokesman Greg Buelow said several patients reported to hospitals with chainsaw injuries acquired while removing tree debris. Scores of others who are on oxygen tanks and need nebulizer treatments have gone to hospitals for help, he said.

In addition, firefighters responded to two fires Wednesday morning that were started by power generators that were too close to homes, he said.

Crews throughout the region have been working around the clock to restore electricity, but theyve been hindered by downed trees blocking roads or on top of power lines. Those trees must be removed before power can be restored.

The derecho produced seven tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area, including an EF-1 tornado with 110 mph winds that hit the Rogers Park neighborhood on the citys north side before moving onto Lake Michigan as a waterspout, the National Weather Service said.

That storm left damage along a 3-mile-long (4.8-kilometer-long) path and was the first tornado of at least EF-1 strength to strike Chicago since May 1983, the weather service said.

Another EF-1 tornado knocked over the iconic white steeple atop College Church in the Chicago suburb of Wheaton. A crew used a crane to remove the steeple Tuesday and on Wednesday workers started repairs to the 1935 church buildings roof.

The weather service also confirmed two tornadoes in southern Wisconsin and two in northern Indiana, including an EF-1 that swept the rural community of Wakarusa, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of South Bend.

Alliant Energy said about 176,000 of its customers are without power, and half of those are in the Cedar Rapids area. MidAmerican Energy said about 139,000 of its Iowa and Illinois customers remain without power, half them in the Des Moines area.

As of late Wednesday morning, ComEd reported that about 200,000 of its Chicago-area customers remained without power. Northern Indiana Public Service Co. reported about 18,500 of its Indiana customers were still in the dark.

Mediacom said Wednesday that it has restored internet service to about half of the 340,000 customers that were offline a day earlier in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. But many others may be without service until their power is restored, a process that could still take days.

Some fuel terminals were also knocked offline and many gas stations have been closed due to power outages. Meanwhile, demand for gas to fuel generators, chainsaws and vehicles has spiked, leading to long lines at stores that sell gas.

The storm caused extensive crop damage in the nation's No. 1 corn-producing state as it tore across Iowa's center from west to east.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said Tuesday that about 10 million acres of Iowas nearly 31 million acres of agricultural land sustained damage. About 24 million acres of that is typically planted primarily with corn and soybeans.

In addition, tens of millions of bushels of grain that were stored at co-ops and on farms were damaged or destroyed when bins blew away.

The only known death in Iowa was a 63-year-old bicyclist who was hit by one of several large trees that fell on a bike path outside Cedar Rapids. In Fort Wayne, Indiana, the storm killed a 73-year-old woman who was found clutching a young boy in her storm-battered mobile home.

Many businesses, including banks, restaurants and a major corn processing plant in Cedar Rapids, remained closed Wednesday due to power outages.

The Cedar Rapids school district said it was considering pushing back this month's start date after over 20 of its buildings suffered roof and other structural damage.

State Sen. Liz Mathis said she took cover in the basement of her suburban Cedar Rapids home Monday as the storm battered her neighborhood for 45 minutes. She said pictures fell off the wall, water seeped in through windows and she worried the glass would blow in and injure her.

Mathis said the devastation is widespread across her district, and the tree damage is unreal. A local utility official told Mathis on Wednesday that it could be a week before everyone has power restored.

The cities are going to look much different without the trees and its going to take a while to recover from this, she said.

___

Associated Press reporters Dave Pitt in Des Moines and Rick Callahan in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

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Hundreds of thousands without power days after Midwest storm - Albany Times Union

Thereported signing of Lamar Miller by the New England Patriots is a positive first step toward remedying a lackluster running back room. But it shouldnt be the only step taken. Miller is a nice addition if he is healthy.

This big if seems to dominate the status of many runners in New Englands stable of backs. Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead, Jakob Johnson, previously James Develin, and now Miller are all or have been subject to missing large numbers of games due to injury.

That fact notwithstanding, Patriot fans have to like the signing of Miller who has been a very good back in his career and has been effective against New England in the past.

Miller is listed at 510 tall and weighing in at 221 pounds. Thats good size and should qualify as a big back at over 220 pounds. The Patriots need one and Miller is a good one if he can get on and stay on the field.

The potential is there for him to be the New England best pure running back right out-of-the-gate.

Millers career yards-per-carry average is a very good 4.6 yards. His very best was a terrific 5.1 yards-per-carry for Miami in 2014.

Lamar Miller is 29 years old. Thats not young in football years and its certainly the opposite when it comes to running back longevity.

Yet, after suffering an ACL injury and missing the whole of last season, he will have had time to not only rehab the knee but also recharge his batteries in anticipation of a big season for New England. At least thats the theory.

In addition to a tough running style, Lamar Miller also brings solid ability as a pass-catcher. He has 209 career catches with a top year total of 46 catches in 2015 again for Miami. Hes just a very solid all-around back and New England Patriots fans should be cautiously optimistic and quietly excited.

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Should Miller be back to his best, he will be a terrific addition to an offense in great need of a boost. Besides adding two rookie tight ends in the draft, the Patriots have done little to rectify an offense that even the great Tom Brady could not get to function on all cylinders in 2019.

Fortunately for New England, the addition of Cam Newton, again if he is healthy, is a huge one for the offense.

Newtons ability to run an RPO offense not only enhances the quarterback position as a running threat, but it also provides additional opportunities off that formation for both his running back/receivers, his wide receivers, and his tight ends.

This versatility and flexibility can mask the other deficiencies that the offense may have at its core.With Lamar Millers hopeful signing and health, the Patriots have improved.

Yet, since the end of last season,they have effectively lost three running backs. They lost James Develin though injury-related retirement.Brandon Boldenwas an opt-out due to coronavirus. And now, the status of Sony Michel who has recently been placed on the teams PUP list has to be considered questionable. They havent replaced all of them. They could still use another addition to the running back room.

New England needs that additional back and fortunately, there is one available who is a difference-maker.

The back who could add another dimension to the attack as both an explosive runner and terrific pass-catcher is Devonta Freeman. Hes a free agent. An article explored this in detail. Hopefully, New England will make this happen.

Hes fast. Hes explosive. He can really catch the ball. It cant hurt. Cant hurt at all. Hopefully, it happens.

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New England Patriots: This is why Lamar Miller will thrive with Pats - Chowder and Champions

HOUSTON, Aug. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- World Cinema, the leader in providing innovative technology, services and connectivity to guest-centric properties, today announced a robust suite of contactless technology and entertainment features for the company's WorldVue platform. WorldVue is a fully customizable platform that enables hotels to offer guests the most innovative technology and entertainment services available, ultimately helping hotels to digitally transform their property and maximize revenue opportunities.

New and notable features include the WorldVue Mobile Web Remote a contactless solution for hotel guests that puts their personal devices in control without having to touch the hotel television remote. Guests can simply scan and connect to access the WorldVue in-room entertainment system, access room service directly from their personal device, as well as many other customizable services.

In addition, the new WorldVue Housekeeping App provides hotels with yet another option for managing property operations. The WorldVue Housekeeping App allows in-room notifications to guests and staff that a room has been cleaned and sanitized instantaneously. The Housekeeping App provides the hotel staff with a wide array of customizable stats for hotel management including information on whether the room is occupied; status of the room if cleaned, serviced or sanitized; a staff code or numeric value to indicate the responsible staff for each room; instant, updated record of the time period elapsed since last housekeeping service; and the time period of when the last time the room was occupied, just to name a few.

"We are committed to partnering with our hotel customers to build guest satisfaction and brand loyalty to ensure sustained profitability. The WorldVue platform offers guests smart, contactless technology features and functionality, as well as the latest in in-room entertainment choices," said Tommy Fatjo, President, World Cinema. "WorldVue is truly a unique and dynamic way for hotels to safely communicate and digitally interact with their guests."

In addition to these two new notable additions of Mobile Web Remote and Housekeeping App, WorldVue's entire line-up of fully customizable features include:

About World Cinema

Headquartered in Houston, World Cinema is a market leader innovating and delivering technology and services to guest-centric properties. The company was the first technology service provider to hotels nationwide, beginning in 1974. Today, World Cinema is building on that legacy as a stable and trusted provider of video, data and connectivity services to some of the largest owners and managers of hotel and multifamily brands in the world. The company serves 4,200 properties nationwide with nearly 600,000 rooms under management and over 300 million guest encounters per year.

For company information visit:www.wcitv.com

Request a demo:4free@wcitv.com

Media Inquiries:Christine Bock - christine@cbpartnerspr.com

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World Cinema Introduces Suite Of Smart Contactless Technology And Entertainment Features Including Mobile Web Remote And Housekeeping App For Hotels...

$849,995Style: Garrison ColonialYear built: 1989Square feet: 2,542Bedrooms: 4Baths: 3 fullSewer/water: PublicTaxes: $8,010 (2020)

Call it serenity anytime, not just now.

A recent addition to this Saugus home is 272-square foot she shed. Its not a man cave with curtains, but a stand-alone structure deep on this 1.04-acre lot reached via a winding pathway of washed pebblestone and stepping stones.

Behind the cedar clapboard exterior is a working wood stove and wood-like laminate flooring underneath a vaulted ceiling. Best, though, may be the covered porch, upon which sits two hammocks. Sipping coffee on these rockers? Only for the steady hand.

Adjacent is a hot tub, and just beyond, down a second pathway, is a half basketball court. A fire pit offers a great way to socialize, when you want to.

The main house, located in the Hammersmith Village neighborhood, is a Garrison Colonial with a modern kitchen, a ground-level bedroom/office suite, and a third-floor suite with a balcony.

Entrance is via a multicolored slate walkway to a front door flanked by sidelights. The foyer is so spacious that it currently hosts a grand piano with enough room for listeners to congregate.

On the left, four wide steps connect to the living room. The space features a trio of windows topped with a half-moon one, a working fireplace with a brick surround and a wood mantel, and a towering ceiling. The flooring here is cherry hardwood.

Back out in the foyer, the first-floor suite is on the right. It features two closets (one is a walk-in), beige carpeting, a dome light, and a wide window. The room is connected to the first full bath, which has a shower behind a frosted-glass door, a white ceramic tile floor, beige ceramic tile with accents on the walls, and a white single vanity topped with cultured marble.

The foyer also connects to a formal dining room that boasts exposed brick, a pellet stove, recessed lighting, and an 8-foot slider to one of the homes three patios. The flooring here and in the foyer is cherry hardwood. A dogleg hallway off the dining room leads to doors to the backyard and the two-car garage, as well as a laundry room with a sink. The dining room also connects to the kitchen and living room. They are four steps up.

See more photos of the home below:

In the kitchen, the color scheme changes dramatically from natural wood highlights to a space surrendered to sunshine and varying shades of gray and white. The kitchen boasts a breakfast area with a slider to the deck, a nook perfect for a coffee bar, and enough space to accommodate a table for six. The kitchen offers gray picture-frame cabinets with soft-close drawers and doors and undermounted lighting; polished granite counters; stainless-steel smart appliances (double oven, refrigerator, and hood vent); a farmers sink; a blue-gray glass subway tile backsplash; and a roughly 9-foot-long island with a sink and a granite counter that has a beveled edge. The flooring is gray oak planks.

Stairs between the kitchen and living room lead to the third floor and the homes other bedrooms and baths. The first bedroom has two windows, two closets, and built-in seating, while the second offers two windows and a double closet with a sliding door. All of the bedroom floors are cherry.

The owners suite comes with a slider to the deck, a half-moon window, a vaulted ceiling, and a walk-in closet. The en-suite bath offers a whirlpool tub-shower combo, a bidet, a toilet, a white porcelain tile floor, porcelain tile with a mirrored look on the walls, a window, and a long dual vanity with oak cabinetry and a man-made material on top.

The main full bath offers a tub/shower combo, a single oak vanity topped with a cultured-stone sink, and white ceramic tile for the floor and the shower backsplash.

The attached two-car garage surprises with a vinyl-composite tile floor in a checkerboard design. Additional house features include an updated electrical system, a central vacuuming system, air conditioning, a new roof, and high-efficiency forced-hot water heat by oil.

There is no basement.

Candice Pagliarulo Hodgson of Lyv Realty in Middleton has the listing.

Take the virtual tour.

Follow John R. Ellement on Twitter@JREbosglobe. Send listings tohomeoftheweek@globe.com. Please note: We do not feature unfurnished homes and will not respond to submissions we wont pursue. Subscribe to our newsletter atpages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUpand follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter@globehomes.

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Home of the Week: Saugus 4-bedroom with a dreamy 'she shed' - Boston.com

After playing just four games with the Sun, Carelton was cut.

The signing of Bridget Carleton last year was something where we said, You know what? We liked this player in the draft, Lynx coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve said. And we had an opportunity.

So why not throw the dart? Thats the position Minnesota was in last season while trying to both contend and acquire young talent. Reeve knew Connecticut thought highly of Carleton, and only had to let the 6-foot-1 wing go after an injury forced the Sun to jumble their roster.

So, Minnesota nabbed Carleton, first on a seven-day deal, then to a contract for the remainder of the season. It had the makings of a tryout for a fringe WNBA player. The Canadian played in four games, never for more than four minutes. Not exactly a breakout performance.

Still, Minnesota brought Carleton back this season.

I know that we thought Bridget Carleton was a good basketball player, Reeve said. We also talked about Bridget in the offseason and what we thought she needed to do to be really good in the WNBA.

And she did it. Carleton arrived in the Twin Cities market this spring in great, great shape, Reeve said. Then she had a great training camp. So, when she scored 25 points in her first career start in Minnesotas win over New York on Aug. 5, Reeve and others werent exactly surprised.

Carleton continues to impress with each opportunity she is given. The now second-year wing scored 15 points to go with four rebounds and three steals in Minnesotas loss to Los Angeles on Sunday.

Carleton has played 23-plus minutes in each of the Lynxs past four contests. In that time, she is shooting 73 percent from the floor and 78 percent from deep while also contributing on the glass.

She has always prided herself on being solid and consistent, doing the right things and making the right reads, and it has been on full display. When her moment finally came, she captured it.

Coming into this season, I knew there were going to be opportunities, Carleton said. I knew I was going to get a chance to do what I can. So, coming into the season, I was ready for that, to take advantage of any opportunity I have.

Entering the season, the backcourt looked to be the Lynxs primary weakness. That was before Lexie Brown and Shenise Johnson missed games. But Carleton filled the gaps, and Reeve now has another more-than-reliable option at her disposal. The coach has touted Carletons unselfishness, as well as the impact shes had on Minnesotas locker room.

So, even when Odyssey Sims makes her expected season debut later this week, and when Johnson eventually returns from injury, its tough to think Carleton wont continue to get ample run.

Shes earned as much.

No matter how many minutes I play, Im going to come out and give it my all, she said. Im going to get stops on defense and be ready to be aggressive on offense. The environment Im in, and the people Im around, give me confidence. Im just as excited to get that opportunity as I ever have been.

Continue reading here:
Stealth addition Bridget Carleton has sparked Lynx's early success - Bemidji Pioneer

Will the changes the Jacksonville Jaguars front office made to the cornerback room pay off with better play in 2020?

The Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback room doesnt look the same as it did at this time last season.

A.J. Bouye is in Denver. Jalen Ramsey got his wish and is now in Los Angeles. The room is young and full of promise but lacks experience. And from the look of things, it will be tested often by opposing quarterbacks who will throw against this team all season.

As of now, rookie C.J. Henderson, the teams first pick in the NFL Draft will start on one side while Tre Herndon will man the other spot. There is plenty of healthy competition for depth. And there is D.J. Hayden who is expected to play in the nickel and provide veteran leadership as much as possible.

Hayden, when healthy, is one of the best at his position in the NFL.

Three of the Jacksonville Jaguars draft picks this past April were cornerbacks, which tells you how the front office believed this was a position of need. They also added J.R. Reed as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia.

The Jaguars executed a major overhaul at the cornerback position, essentially finishing a total transition that began with last seasons midseason trade of All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams, John Oehser of Jaguars.com wrote.

The team got good value for Bouye, a Pro Bowl selection for the Jaguars in 2017 who likely would have been released for cap reasons had he not been traded. Henderson was considered one of the drafts top two cornerbacks. The Jaguars also focused on adding veteran depth, first signing Rashaan Melvin as an unrestricted free agent.

After he opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19, the Jaguars this past weekend signed 11-year veteran [Tramaine] Brock. He has spent time with six NFL organizations, including Arizona and Tennessee last season.

If the Jaguars hope a rotation of players will help erase the loss of two former Pro Bowl players, then this is a work in progress. Henderson must come into training camp and perform immediately. Its more difficult to predict how the rookies will pick up the scheme having been away from the stadium and time on the practice field has been limited.

As Oehser also explained, this group of players could become a surprising strength if they show the ability to shut down opposing wide receivers early in the season.

Henderson was considered the drafts best pure coverage cornerback, and he has the physical skill to be a true No. 1 corner, he added. He also reportedly has a tireless work ethic and intense drive to be great. Herndon played as well as any starter in the Jaguars secondary last season, and he and Henderson have the potential to be a very good starting tandem. A somewhat hidden strength of this group?

The Jaguars also brought in Luq Barcoo, who may become an addition to the roster.

Per the Jacksonville Jaguars website, The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed seventh-year DL Josh Mauro, the club announced today. The Jaguars also waived second-year WR C.J. Board.

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Jacksonville Jaguars: Looking at the cornerback room - Black & Teal

The corner of Fulton and School streets in Carthage was for many years the center of education in the village. Today, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge 1762 stands on this spot, but in 1884, the time of the Great Carthage Fire, the wooden high school of the day stood on the spot. After it burned to the ground, along with much of Carthage, the school was replaced the next year by a brick building. In 1906 a large addition was added that became the new high school. The 1884 building was replaced in about 1930 by the primary building that also contained a new gymnasium and auditorium.

It was in this second addition that the statues lived. For many of us who attended the Fulton Street School, these were the first exposure we had to classical beauty, otherwise known as naked people. Between the long windows in the auditorium perched on beautiful plinths, was a collection of statues of Greek or Roman fame.

Some were gods or goddesses, like Artemis or Diana the Huntress or Hermes also known as Mercury, the god of trade, wealth and animal husbandry. Some were replicas of David, the well-known Michelangelo statue carved in 1504 and the Venus de Milo, Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty created in 130 B. C.

These eight statues were displayed in the Carthage High School auditorium for many years before being moved to the Carthage Free Library where they are now on display.

According to research, done by Jamie Peck when the new addition to the library was opened in December of 2012, some of the statues were gifts to the school from graduating classes in the early part of the century. They were created by a plaster casting company known as P.P. Caproni & Brother located in Boston, Mass.

The statue of the Winged Victory is on a plinth in the book store area of the second floor reading room. The brass plaque reads: Restored in memory of Muriel W. Wallace, Carthage Shakespeare Club of 1988. A smaller plaque states Presented by Mr. & Mrs. Howe.

Bob Blunden, Carthage High School Class of 1951, recalled a time that the classic Greek and Roman statues lining the top of the Carthage High School auditorium were removed to paint the walls. The statues were graduated in size to heighten the illusion of depth in the already large auditorium and Mrs. Bintz, the head teacher, came in to inspect the job that the workmen were doing. As she gazed around the room, she noted with surprise that the statues had all been returned to the correct wall bracket.

Who was the genius that got them all back in the right places? She asked the men. After some hemming and hawing, one of the men spoke up, Well, maam, he replied, We just matched em up with the marks in the dust.

You can see one of these statues one on the original bracket in the main room of the Carthage Free Library.

Editors note: The author of this piece expressed thanks to Jamie Peck, Terry Heagle, Ginger Favret, Bill Blunden and Kate Newtown who offered help and support for this article.

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Local history: Where did the statues at Carthage Free Library come from? - NNY360

TOPLINE

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Sunday that theres room for compromise when it comes to the lapsed $600 weekly unemployment payment that Democrats have said they want to see reinstated in a new stimulus package, while calling a memorandum President Donald Trump signed Saturday authorizing $400 weekly payments unconstitutional slop.

U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) participates in a news conference August 7, 2020 ... [+] on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Pelosi indicated on CNNs State of the Union that coming down from the $600 number might be something Democrats are willing to negotiate.

When host Dana Bash asked, Are Republicans right when they say that you will not come off of your $600 number, you will not come off of other figures, Pelosi responded, No, thats why were in a stalemate.

Continued $600 weekly federal unemployment payments are something Democrats had consistently said must be included in the next stimulus package.

Republicans are proposing $200 a week payments through the end of the year, instead, arguing that the $600 payments are far too generous and disincentivize Americans from returning to work.

But last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he was prepared to support a coronavirus stimulus bill that continued the $600 weekly payments, with talks between Republicans and Democrats failing to show progress.

Trump threw a massive curveball in negotiations on Saturday when he bypassed Congress and signed an executive order and three memoranda to provide pandemic aid, including one that would provide payments of $400 a week to unemployed workers through the end of the year, a legally questionable move that is likely to be challenged by Democrats in court.

Of course theres room for compromise, but you have to see the entire package, Pelosi said.

The $600 weekly unemployment payments have been a major lifeline for millions of American workers since the U.S. economy was thrown into disarray by coronavirus. Those unemployment payments passed nearly unanimously through Congress as part of the CARES Act back in March, but the federal benefits, which came in addition to state unemployment payments, expired at the end of July. The $400 weekly payments Trump is attempting to institute would be only 75%-funded by the federal government, leaving the rest to the states, which have seen revenues crash during the pandemic.

Many questions remain unanswered about both whether Trump has the legal authority to enact the executive actions and where the money will come from to fund them. In addition to the $400 a week payments, Trump also extended forbearance on federal student loan repayments through the end of the year and ordered the Treasury to implement a controversial payroll tax freeze for most American workers, which members of Congress hadnt even been considering during negotiations. Pelosi on Fox News Sunday called the presidents actions unconstitutional slop, the same phrasing Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) used to describe the executive order.

Pelosi: 'Of course there's room for compromise' on $600-per-week unemployment benefit (The Hill)

Second Stimulus Check Passage Delayed Again By $600 Unemployment Extension Clash (Forbes)

GOP $200 Unemployment Plan Will Mean Massive Homelessness And A Deep Recession (Forbes)

McConnell: Im Prepared To Support A Coronavirus Stimulus Bill That Includes $600 Unemployment Checks (Forbes)

$600 Unemployment Check Cut To $300 Under Trump Executive OrdersStates Asked To Add $100 (Forbes)

Dems Slam Trumps Executive Actions, Biden Calls Payroll Tax Cut A Reckless War On Social Security' (Forbes)

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Pelosi Softens Stance On $600 A Week Unemployment Checks, Says Theres Room To Negotiate - Forbes

2020 has been an unusual year for sports. When humanity was struck with a global pandemic that disrupted and uprooted millions of lives, a return to normalcy and stability seemed out of reach, even for the realm of pro sports. But despite the upheaval, the UFC has managed to stay relevant and has produced exciting fights all year.

Coming out of the gates hot with a thrilling clash between Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes in the beginning of February, to debatably the fight of the year between Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk in early March, the UFC continued to generate excellent fights despite all the setbacks from COVID (ESPN). Whether it was the jaw-dropping bout between Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson in the beginning of May, to the fierce battle between Dan Hooker and Dustin Poirier, to a fight island showdown in Abu Dhabi featuring Max Holloway versus Alexander Volkanovski and Kamaru Usman versus Jorge Masvidal, 2020 has been a legendary year for the UFC; and believe it or not, its far from over.

With the highly anticipated heavyweight title fight between Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic less than a week away and the Khabib/Gaethje showdown already set for October, Dana White continued to build upon this exciting year by recently announcing that middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will be defending his belt against Paulo Costa come September 19th (ESPN). But outside of these three bouts, theres still plenty of big fights to be had before the year is up. With a handful of cards still yet to be announced or even filled, Dana White has a lot of room to work with and its only a matter of time before more big fights will be scheduled.

However, the lingering question that has yet to be answered, is which fights should the UFC set up before the end of 2020? Heres my top five must-see fights before the year concludes:

#5 Kamaru Usman vs Gilbert Burns: After a clinical victory against Masvidal in July, Usman virtually looks untouchable in his division. After taking out Tyron Woodley to get the belt, Usman pounded Colby Covington and dominated Masvidal, leaving pretty much no one left to fight besides Gilbert Burns. Initially scheduled to fight each other in July (before Burns was diagnosed with the coronavirus), Burns remains to be the most dangerous contender left for Usman to check off his list and is one of the most underrated challengers hes yet to face. Coming off a 6-fight winning streak, Burns is strong wrestler with knockout power that flattened veteran Demian Maia earlier in March (ESPN). Ever since hes moved up from 155 to 170, Burns has adapted extremely well and has proven how deadly he can be with the strength hes put on. Although Usman just fought, this is a big fight White might want to reschedule at the end of the year. We all know Usman and Burns will face each other at some point; its just a matter of when.

#4 Tony Ferguson vs Dustin Poirier: Yes, it cant be said enough! This fight speaks for itself in every which way possible. With Tony Ferguson sitting at third in the lightweight rankings and Dustin Poirier in second, this fight would decide who is worthier for the next title shot, something both fighters have been longing to reclaim (UFC). If you thought the Poirier/Hooker fight was good, this clash has the potential to be much better, considering that both fighters are two of the best strikers in the UFC. Whats unique about this fight is that surprisingly, its never happened before, presenting a very new and unfamiliar challenge for both Ferguson and Poirier. Whether Dana White will schedule this fight prior to Gaethjes and Khabibs showdown in October, is still uncertain. But theres no reason why it cant happen. And ending the year with a fight between Poirier and Ferguson, would cap off an incredible 2020 for the UFC.

#3 Petr Yan vs Marlon Moraes: If you had the opportunity to watch Petr Yan fight in UFC 251 when he took on Jose Aldo, you can understand why this young Russian fighter is the new champion of the bantamweight division. Over the course of almost five full rounds, Yan gradually increased the pace and pressure against Aldo, hammering down power shots with precision and authority that led to a brutal KO/TKO finish (ESPN). Although Aldo is certainly an elite fighter, hes not in his prime anymore and is currently sitting outside of the top five in the division (UFC). Marlon Moraes on the other hand, is one of the best fighters in the bantamweight division and is the number one contender as well. Coming off a victory against Jose Aldo last December, Moraes is eager to get his redemption after losing badly to Henry Cejudo roughly a year ago (ESPN). In addition, theres really no one else for Moraes to fight outside of Cody Garbrandt, who has recently been scheduled to fight the flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in November (ESPN). I wouldnt expect this matchup to be announced soon, but everyone saw just what kind of fighter Yan is. And setting him up with the most dangerous opponent in his division, would make for an electrifying showdown. If theres one big bantamweight fight that White should schedule before the end of the year, it has to be this one.

#2 Jon Jones vs Thiago Santos: The first time this fight happened, it was nearly impossible not to cringe at the gimpy effort from Thiago Santos after he suffered ACL, MCL, PCL, and Meniscus injuries against Jon Jones that night. In addition, what made it more frustrating is that before his knee blew out, Santos was putting together a good fight. And for it to end like that, was simply disappointing and calls for a rematch. After Jones scraped by with a controversial unanimous decision victory against Reyes in his previous fight, its unlikely a rematch between the two of them would happen this year. But at 36 years-old and with over a year of rest, its time for Santos to get back into the octagon and fulfill his legacy before he fades out of his prime. Dont forget, Santos is still listed as the #2 contender in the light-heavyweight division under the UFC rankings; and a rematch against Jones this year, is only fitting.

#1 Zabit Magomedsharipov vs Brian Ortega: Thats your number one fight?! Absolutely! We just saw the rematch between Volkanovski and Holloway; so any fight relating to those two gentlemen, could be out of reach for the remainder of the year. But on the contrary, Zabit Magomedsharipov and Brian Ortega havent fought in a very long time (Zabits last fight was in November and Ortegas was in December of 2018). Ortega, who came off a brutal loss to Holloway, is in dire need of a bounce back victory. Moreover, Zabit is one of the deadliest strikers in the division right now, which grants Ortega a great opportunity to prepare himself for a title shot against Holloway or Volkanovski if the time comes. Dont forget that Ortega has been a sitting duck at the #2 overall position in his divisional rankings for far too long now (UFC). And if youre going to own that position, then you have to step up and take on the big fights that come with it, and Zabit is a suitable opponent for Ortegas return. Although Zabit recently called out Volkanovski for the belt, the only two, notable fighters hes defeated in his division consist of Calvin Kattar and Jeremy Stephens, which doesnt speak much volume for a title contender (ESPN). However, a victory against Ortega would place Zabit immediately into the title shot position hes looking for, and thats an opportunity he should embrace since its unclear if Volkanovski will want to return to the octagon this year. When all is said and done, this matchup is number one on my list because it has everything to be a thrilling showdown, that at the same time, contains so much at stake for both fighters. And if the UFC could set this up, the fans would be in store for a special treat.

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The UFC Has Room To Schedule Some Big Fights; But What Matchups Are A Must See Before The Year Is Up? - Empire Sports Media