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President Trump has spent the last few days asking his friends, aides, and associates if they would like pardons even those who are not facing any charges, a senior administration official told The Washington Post.In one case, the official said, Trump offered a pardon to a person who declined the chance at clemency, saying they weren't in any legal trouble and hadn't committed any crimes. "Trump's response was, 'Yeah, well, but you never know. They're going to come after us all. Maybe it's not a bad idea. Just let me know,'" the official recounted.Trump has taken a great interest in pardoning people, the Post reports, even calling families to personally let them know he granted a pardon. A person familiar with the matter told the Post that Trump was talked out of pardoning himself, family members, and controversial figures like Rudy Giuliani. An aide said there was also a brief discussion about possibly issuing pardons related to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, but that idea went nowhere.While Trump has held a few ceremonial events in recent weeks, journalists have been kept away from the White House, largely because the president is "just not in a place where they would go well," one official told the Post. Trump is constantly flip-flopping, another administration official said, talking about his future but uncertain of where he will be. "He goes between, 'Well, I'm going to go to Florida and play golf, and life is honestly better,' and then in the next moment, it's like, 'But don't you think there's a chance to stay?'" the official said. Read more at The Washington Post.More stories from theweek.com 5 more scathing cartoons about Trump's 2nd impeachment Lindsey Graham seemed very pleased with Biden's secretary of state nominee Chief Justice John Roberts reportedly wants no part of Trump's impeachment trial

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Jan 14 (Reuters) - Members of Arizonas San Carlos Apache tribe filed a property lien on Thursday in an attempt to regain control over land that the U.S. government is poised to give to Rio Tinto Ltd for the Resolution Copper mine.

The latest maneuver by tribal members opposed to the project asks a court to find that the U.S. government has illegally occupied the land for more than 160 years and has no right to give it to anyone.

The United States of America does not own that land, Apache Stronghold, a non-profit organization comprised of mine opponents, said in a court filing.

The mine could supply a quarter of U.S. copper demand if developed, but eventually destroy the land, known as Oak Flat, or Chichil Bildagotee, considered by Native Americans to be the home of religious deities.

Rio Tinto had no immediate comment

Rio and development partner BHP Group Ltd have sought for years to access the underground copper deposit, about 70 miles (113 km) east of Phoenix in the Tonto National Forest.

The deposit sits below land that belonged to the tribe before the United States existed. An 1852 treaty between U.S. officials and the tribe that is still in force set aside the land for the Apaches use.

In 2014, the U.S. Congress and then-President Barack Obama approved a plan to let Rio exchange land it already owns for land above the copper, with the caveat that the swap could not occur until an environmental study was published. The outgoing Trump administration plans to publish that study on Friday, clearing the way for the exchange within 60 days.

Tribal members have also filed a lawsuit seeking to block the studys publication.

The lien is essentially a next line of defense if that lawsuit fails. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld 19th century land treaties between Washington and Oklahoma tribes, a precedent that could bolster the Apaches lien request.

Rio has promised to seek the tribes consent for the mine. Even if Rio were to gain control of the land, the company still needs federal permits, a process that both sides acknowledge could take years.

Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Peter Cooney

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Native Americans say U.S. does not own land it is about to give to Rio Tinto - Reuters

(MENAFN - Comserve) Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan, Japan, Jan 19, 2021, 08:05 /Comserve / -- The key players profiled in the report include as E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (US), 3M Company (US), Kimberly Clark Corp (US), Ansell Limited (US), Sioen Industries (Belgium), Teijin Limited (Japan), and Lakeland Industries, Inc. (US).

The protective clothing market is estimated to grow from USD 8.8 billion in 2019 to USD 11.9 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 6.3%. The protective clothing market is largely driven by the stringent regulations pertaining to the safety of personnel in developed economies. The rising number of workplace-related injuries is leading to the increased concern of the employers about ensuring the safety of their workers. The rising concern of both the employers and employees regarding the safety at the workplace is expected to drive the protective clothing market.

Request to Fill The Form To get Sample Copy of This Report:[...]

"The Final Report will cover the impact analysis of COVID-19 on this industry (Global And Regional Market)."

With COVID-19 resulting in the economic fallout, numerous economies are working on game-changing improvements to protect their employees and clients. While focusing on the ongoing challenges, the leaders are embracing new plans in order to manage and stay afloat in this competitive environment.

The key players profiled in the report include as

E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (US),3M Company (US),Kimberly Clark Corp (US),Ansell Limited (US),Sioen Industries (Belgium),Teijin Limited (Japan), andLakeland Industries, Inc. (US).

**This detailed analysis includes market size and forecasts, covering regional analysis, trends, opportunities and COVID-19 analysis. The analysis also includes key players with business strategies and key indicators that influence market growth.

'PBI is expected to be the fastest-growing segment by material type of the protective clothing market, in terms of value, between 2019 and 2024.The PBI segment is expected to witness the highest growth in terms of value, during the forecast period. PBI's ability to blend easily with other materials will play an important role in driving the market growth. Moreover, it does not melt or burn at normal temperature. These characteristics of PBI over other material types are estimated to boost its demand in the protective clothing market.

'The thermal application segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the overall protective clothing market, in terms of value, between 2019 and 2024.The thermal application segment is the largest application of protective clothing due to its wide application across different industries such as oil & gas, manufacturing, construction, and others. The growing manufacturing projects, especially the high-rise buildings, offer a huge potential for the thermal protective clothing market. The oil & gas industry is expected to drive the demand for protective clothing in the thermal application due to the growth in exploration & production in the oil & gas field.

'Rising demand from the construction, manufacturing, and oil & gas industries to drive the demand for protective clothing in North America.The North America protective clothing market is estimated to witness considerable growth during the forecast period. The regulations that mandate the use of protective clothing at manufacturing facilities are driving the market in the region. The mandate by the government, coupled with the awareness among the workers, is leading to the growth of the protective clothing market in the region. The increasing number of accidents in these industries has led to the rising demand for protective clothing. The workers involved in ground activities are exposed to erection, repair, demolition, maintenance, painting, land clearing, earth moving, grading, drilling, blasting, and concreting. Thermal, chemical, mechanical, visibility, and biological/radiation applications of protective clothing help the individual to work efficiently in risky operations by providing the necessary protection.

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"The Final Report will cover the impact analysis of COVID-19 on this industry (Global And Regional Market)."

In the process of determining and verifying the market size for several segments and subsegments gathered through secondary research, extensive primary interviews were conducted.

By Company Type: Tier 1 - 46%, Tier 2 - 31%, and Tier 3 - 23%By Designation: C-Level - 46%, Director Level - 27%, and Others - 27%By Region: North America - 33%, Europe - 27%, APAC - 27%, South America - 7%, Middle East & Africa - 6%,

The key players profiled in the report include as E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (US), 3M Company (US), Kimberly Clark Corp (US), Ansell Limited (US), Sioen Industries (Belgium), Teijin Limited (Japan), and Lakeland Industries, Inc. (US).

Research CoverageThis report segments the market for protective clothing on the basis of material type, application, end-use industry, end user type, and region, and provides estimations for the overall market size across various regions. A detailed analysis of key industry players has been conducted to provide insights into their business overviews, products & services, key strategies, new product launches, expansions, agreements, and acquisitions associated with the market for protective clothing.

Reasons to Buy this ReportThis research report is focused on various levels of analysis industry analysis (industry trends), market ranking analysis of top players, and company profiles, which together provide an overall view on the competitive landscape; emerging and high-growth segments of the protective clothing market; high-growth regions; and market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges.

The report provides insights on the following pointers:

Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on protective clothing offered by top players in the global market

Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, R & D activities, and new product launches in the protective clothing market

Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative emerging markets the report analyzes the markets for protective clothing across regions

Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped regions, and recent developments in the global protective clothing market

Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of leading players in the protective clothing market

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION 191.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 191.2 MARKET DEFINITION 191.3 MARKET SEGMENTATION 201.3.1 YEARS CONSIDERED FOR THE STUDY 211.4 CURRENCY 211.5 LIMITATIONS 211.6 STAKEHOLDERS 212 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 222.1 RESEARCH DATA 222.1.1 SECONDARY DATA 232.1.1.1 Key data from secondary sources 232.1.2 PRIMARY DATA 242.1.2.1 Key data from primary sources 242.1.2.2 Breakdown of primary interviews 252.2 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION 252.2.1 BOTTOM-UP APPROACH 262.2.2 TOP-DOWN APPROACH 262.3 MARKET BREAKDOWN AND DATA TRIANGULATION 272.4 ASSUMPTIONS 283 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 294 PREMIUM INSIGHTS 334.1 ATTRACTIVE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PROTECTIVE CLOTHING MARKET 334.2 PROTECTIVE CLOTHING MARKET IN NORTH AMERICA, BY END-USE INDUSTRY AND COUNTRY 334.3 PROTECTIVE CLOTHING MARKET, BY REGION 344.4 PROTECTIVE CLOTHING MARKET, BY MATERIAL TYPE 344.5 PROTECTIVE CLOTHING MARKET: MAJOR COUNTRIES 355 MARKET OVERVIEW 36

Request to Fill The Form To get Sample Copy of This Report:[...]

"The Final Report will cover the impact analysis of COVID-19 on this industry (Global And Regional Market)."

The dynamic nature of business environment in the current global economy is raising the need amongst business professionals to update themselves with current situations in the market. To cater such needs, Shibuya Data Count provides market research reports to various business professionals across different industry verticals, such as healthcare & pharmaceutical, IT & telecom, chemicals and advanced materials, consumer goods & food, energy & power, manufacturing & construction, industrial automation & equipment and agriculture & allied activities amongst others.

For more information, please contact:

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Protective Clothing Market Global Forecast to 2024 by Material Type, Applications (Thermal, Chemical, and Visibility), End-Use Industry (Construction,...

Signing of the Al-Ula Declaration ending trade and other restrictions against Qatar

As reported in our previous client update, on 5 January 2021, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, along with Egypt, signed the Al-Ula Declaration at the 41st GCC Summit held in the city of Al-Ula. This marks the end of a three and a half year boycott against the State of Qatar, which was put in place in June 2017. Although the formal text of the Al-Ula Declaration has not been made public, it is clear from public statements made by senior Saudi, UAE, Egyptian, Bahraini and Kuwaiti officials that the instrument paves the way for the re-establishment of political and economic ties between Qatar and each of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt (the Quartet).

Re-opening of borders and resumption of air and sea travel

In the past ten days, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have taken steps to re-open all land, sea and air corridors for inbound and outbound movement to and from Qatar, and the relevant authorities in both countries have issued directives and circulars to this effect.

The UAEs General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced the re-opening of airspace and the resumption of air traffic between the UAE and Qatar which took effect from 9 January. The announcement stated that the GCAA will resume scheduled and unscheduled flights between the two countries, in coordination with the civil aviation authorities and national carriers in the UAE, which has been facilitated through the issuance of NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen). In addition, on 8 January (and implemented on 9 January), the Chief Harbor Master (CHM) at Abu Dhabi Ports issued a Direction (CHM Direction No. 01/2021) which formally lifted the restriction on access to Abu Dhabi ports for Qatar vessels and vessels departing the UAE for Qatar as the next port of destination. This was further to a circular issued by the UAE Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure (MOEI) on 8 January, confirming that the UAE has ended all measures restricting trade with Qatar and that it has re-opened land, sea and airspace borders with Qatar. Given the MOEIs circular and the Abu Dhabi CHM Direction, we expect that the other port authorities across the UAE (e.g. Dubai Maritime City Authority, Government of Sharjah Department of Seaports and Customs, RAK Ports and Saqr Port Authority, the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, and the Port of Fujairah) will have also issued their own CHMs or Notice to Mariners lifting the Qatar restrictions.

Similarly, Saudi Arabia had previously announced similar measures that took effect from the evening of 4 January. Based on the proposal by Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait who led the recent mediation efforts, the agreement was reached to open airspace and land and sea borders between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. We understand from our discussions with Saudi Airlines that for the time being, only commercial flights have resumed between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) at the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications of Bahrain also announced the opening of Bahraini airspace for Qatar-registered aircraft, commencing 11 January. Similarly, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation, Egypt had reopened its airspace on 12 January, allowing Egypt Air and Qatar Airways as well as other Qatari airlines, to resume air traffic. Egypt and Bahrain can be expected to issue official instruments in relation to maritime and port access in due course.

Customs clearing procedures

In response to our inquiries, Dubai Customs has confirmed that the import and export of products to and from Qatar have resumed with effect from 9 January. We have made similar inquiries with the Saudi Customs Authority, and received verbal confirmation that all formal restrictions in relation to imports and exports between Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been lifted.

In relation to land transportation of goods, based on our discussions with customs brokers operating in the Salwa region (the Saudi-Qatar border), the import and export of products between Saudi Arabia and Qatar have still not resumed, due to technical, administrative and operational measures that still need to be put in place to clear products. Since the border has been closed for more than three years, it may take some time for the customs clearance equipment and resources at the Salwa border to be installed and to be operational. Customs brokers expect commercial activities between both countries to resume this week.

In relation to air cargo transportation, we understand that Saudi Cargo has still not resumed cargo flights between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Bahraini and Egyptian customs authorities have yet to release any official statements in this respect.

As of the date of this alert, Qatari authorities have not issued any circulars or similar instruments in relation to resuming trade or travel between Qatar and the Quartet, despite reports of the re-opening of the Abu Samra border as of 9 January announced by the General Customs Authority (GAC). However, we understand that the position of the GAC is that, until the issuance of an official circular, all shipments from the Quartet will be rejected and will not be cleared for import.

Financial flows and designations under Counter-Terrorism Laws

The restrictions originally imposed on Qatar in June 2017 included measures introduced by a UAE Central Bank (UAECB) circular that placed six Qatari banks on a watch-list, which mandated UAE banks to undertake enhanced due diligence and screening of any remittances from those banks.

Pursuant to UAE Federal Law No. 7 of 2014 on Combatting Terrorism Offences (the UAE CTF Law) and UAE Cabinet Resolution No. 35 of 2014 concerning the UAEs Terrorist Watch List System (the latter of which has since been repealed and currently replaced by Cabinet Resolution No. 74 of 2020), the UAE issued Cabinet Resolution No. 18 of 2017 Endorsing the List of Designated Terrorist Organizations and Individuals (Cabinet Resolution 18) on 9 June 2017.

Cabinet Resolution 18 designated 59 individuals and 12 entities that were either Qatari, Qatari-based or Qatari-linked, as Designated Terrorist Organizations and Individuals. Those providing support, including financial support, to such individuals or entities faced criminal penalties under the UAE CTF Law. As the UAE CTF Law is fully applicable in both of the UAEs financial free zones (the Dubai International Financial Centre (the DIFC) and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (the ADGM)), the restrictions on dealing with such individuals and entities fully extended to financial institutions based in those jurisdictions.

On the same day, the UAE Central Bank (UAECB) issued two Notices Notice 156 and Notice 157. Notice 156 required those regulated by the UAECB to immediately check existing clients accounts and instruments against the designations made under Cabinet Resolution 18, and to inform the UAE Central Bank accordingly. Notice 157 required all UAECB regulated entities to implement Enhanced Due Diligence measures (as defined under the UAEs AML Law and AML Implementing Regulations) for any accounts or transactions involving the following six Qatari Banks: (i) Qatar Islamic Bank, (ii) Qatar International Islamic Bank, (iii) Barwa Bank, (iv) Masraf al Rayan, (v) Qatar National Bank, and (vi) Doha Bank. Notice 157 also required weekly update reports on its implementation to be sent to the UAECB.

The DIFCs financial regulator the Dubai Financial Services Authority (the DFSA) and the ADGMs financial regulator the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (the FSRA) issued letters on 12 June 2017, requiring their regulated entities (both financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions DNFBPs) to implement the same requirements under UAECB Notices 156 and 157.

Following the signing of the Al-Ula Declaration, we have yet to see any announcement being made by the UAECB, the DFSA or the FSRA. As such, the position outlined above remains applicable until further notice.

Next steps

Based on official announcements and various measures introduced by public authorities in the Quartet, all restrictions on trade with Qatar that were put in place in June 2017 have now been lifted and Saudi and UAE companies are no longer prohibited from engaging in direct commercial dealings with Qatari counterparties. This includes resuming prior distribution and shipping arrangements between Saudi or the UAE and Qatar.

However, despite the formal lifting of the prohibitions against Qatar, it will likely take some time before the administrative decisions are implemented to fully restart the shipment of goods between the Quartet and Qatar, and before customs clearance procedures are normalized. This is particularly noteworthy in light of the absence of any official statements or circulars issued by the State of Qatar in relation to resuming trade or travel between Qatar and the Quartet or lifting of any countermeasures imposed by Qatar in response to the boycott put in place in 2017.

Accordingly, it is still too early to tell how the lifting of the trade restrictions in relation to Qatar will be implemented in practice. We are watching this space carefully, and we continue to engage with various government agencies and authorities in Qatar and the Quartet for clarification and updates. We will issue follow up updates as new developments emerge.

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Lifting of restrictions with Qatar - what you need to know Blog Middle East Insights - Lexology

National Review

Rand Paul would like you to know that while he didnt agree with the [Capitol] fight that happened January 6, he doesnt believe that President Trump whose batty two-month crusade to convince his supporters the election was stolen served as the proximate cause of the fight should be disqualified from holding office again in the future. Language tends to be intemperate these days, but I didnt agree with the fight errs in the opposite direction: Its far too tame a response to the sickening display of January 6. This was no ordinary fight. It was an attempt to violently disrupt the counting of electoral votes, and hence the peaceful transfer of power to the next duly elected administration. It stunned America and shamed us before the world. It made us look like a banana republic. It resulted in several deaths and might have led to a physical attack on, or even the murder of, the vice president as he was conducting the most important business of his term. Trumps actions may not have met the legal definition of incitement, but he tossed a match on kindling he had carefully placed and thoroughly soaked with kerosene. As Dan McLaughlin has written, Trump must face consequences sufficiently spectacular to deter any repetition so long as our national memory endures. But if Senator Paul has his way, apparently, Trump will suffer no consequences whatsoever and reenter private life as the heavy favorite to be the next Republican presidential nominee. This is madness. Abraham Lincolns party was fine without Trump for 150 years and it will long survive him. The parties being largely ruled from the ground up, its not feasible to eject Trump from a GOP he seized control of in 2015 and has since disgraced, but it is possible for 17 Republican senators to convict and disqualify him from holding any future high office in the United States. This is the right thing to do and its also the prudent thing to do, for the sake of the party as well as the country. The GOP cannot afford to spend the next four years trying to explain away Trumps indefensible actions. It has to move on, and there is only one way to do that. Paul foresees a colossal schism in the party should Trump be convicted and barred from future office-holding, warning that one-third of the party will walk away from the GOP in that scenario. Hes wrong: One of the curses (but also, sometimes, one of the blessings) of our culture is our notoriously short collective memory. Should Trump be disqualified this winter, the discussion will quickly move on to other topics. Who should be the new partys standard-bearer? Don Jr.? I very much doubt it. Its unclear that even Trump Sr. would be enthusiastic about that, having repeatedly ridiculed his younger namesake as, among many other things, not the sharpest knife in the drawer. For five years weve seen various other Republican politicians attempt to ape Trumps combination of posturing and populism, and it never works. Senator Josh Hawley has spent two years reverse-mortgaging his reputation in an attempt to extract equity out of the Trump bank, and it has gotten him nowhere. A Politico/Morning Consult poll taken in November put him at 1 percent in the polls, and that was before his shameful performance on January 6. Though some of Trumps ideas about trade and immigration may continue to have sway in some parts of the party, Trumpism as a whole is too closely tied up with one man to be handed off to a new leader. It would die with Trumps political career, and the party would move on. A disqualified Trump would, of course, rain hellfire on the senators who disqualified him, as well as any other perceived backstabbers. But four years from now, when ten Republican senators face reelection, Trumps rage will be background noise at worst. Six years from now, when Ben Sasse, Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, and 17 of their Republican colleagues face the voters, it wont be any noise at all. Trump himself has a short attention span and a fear of being boring; even he wont be able to keep up the insults for four years, much less six, on whatever cable-news perch from which he chooses to harangue the nation. It is true that Trump is the only thing that consistently fascinates Trump. But America does not love a sore loser, and his victim act will begin to go stale by the next time voters go to the polls. Gradually, even many of his most ardent supporters will begin to realize the man is embarrassing. Among those who persist in believing the fantasy that Trump was robbed and that any lawmakers who voted against him are sworn enemies, how will this play out at the ballot box? It wont, because voting will remain a binary choice. Trump, being disqualified, wont be able to run as a third-party candidate and divide the party. The primary motivating force for voters will continue to be, as it has been for years, visceral dislike for one partys style and policies. Joe Biden has signaled in many ways that, far from being a unifying president, he will consider it a core duty to focus on punishing and antagonizing Trump supporters via appointments and policies specifically designed to irritate them. Biden has watched Trump play the role of Troll-in-Chief for the last four years and decided he wants in on the action. Kamala Harris, should she become president, would be even more despised by both conventional Republicans and Trumpists. So never fear, Senator Paul: Post-Trump, Republicans will close ranks quickly. The main thing the American Right stands for is hating what Democrats do, and Democrats are preparing to embark on a presidency full of policies that are easy to hate.

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Crews Prepare To Clear Roadways As Chances Of Snow, Ice Increase - Yahoo News

Tom Brady and the Buccaneers could make NFL history this year if they can beat the Packers on Sunday. If that happens, the Buccaneers would become the first team ever to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium.

The Super Bowl has existed for 54 years and in that time, no team has ever gotten to play the game in their home stadium. The fact that the Buccaneers are even in the NFC title game is notable because that's something that almost never happens. You can call it a Super Bowl hosting jinx or just bad luck, but teams almost never make the playoffs in a season where they're hosting the Super Bowl. Including the Buccaneers, there have only been nine instances in NFL history where a team made the playoffs in a season where their stadium was hosting the Super Bowl.

Of the host teams that made the postseason -- the Dolphins (1970, '78, '94, '98), Buccaneers (2000), Cardinals (2014), Texans (2016), and Vikings (2017) -- only one of them has ever made it to the conference title game and that's the Vikings, who beat the Saints to advance to the NFC Championship in 2017, where they would lose to the Eagles. The Buccaneers became the second team to reach the NFC title game by also beating the Saints.

Before this year, the eight Super Bowl hosts that made the postseason had a record of 3-8 in the playoffs during the season where the big game was being held at their stadium.

If the Buccaneers are going to end the Super Bowl-hosting jinx, they simply have to do something that they've already accomplished this year: Beat the Packers. Back in Week 6, the Buccaneers destroyed Green Bay 38-10 in a game that was played at home. This time around, the Buccaneers are going to have to win at Lambeau Field.

In a twist, if the Buccaneers do win, they'd become the first wild-card team to make it to the Super Bowl since the Packers did it in 2010. A win over Green Bay would also mean that the Buccaneers' first home game of the postseason would come in the Super Bowl. The Bucs opened up postseason play at Washington and then won in New Orleans.

Although no team has ever played a Super Bowl in their home stadium, two teams did get to play the Super Bowl in their home market. After spending the season at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Rams made it to Super Bowl XIV, which was played at the nearby Rose Bowl. Being close to home didn't actually help the Rams though, as they lost 31-19 to the Steelers.

The only other team that got to play close to home was the 1984 San Francisco 49ers. In Super Bowl XIX, the 49ers beat the Dolphins 38-16 in a game that was played at Stanford Stadium, which was less than 30 miles away from their old home at Candlestick Park.

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Here's how Tom Brady and the Buccaneers could make NFL history if they win their next two playoff games - CBS Sports

Theres a segment of art fans who regularly demand the Mona Lisa be cleaned and restored. Its a touchy debate. If the painting were to be restored, it might better represent what Leonardo da Vinci intended as he created it. But if so much as a line of her smile was damaged during such attempts, a real possibility when dealing with a 500-year-old painting well, art fans dont like to consider the loss of even a single stroke of paint on that famous face.

There are similar debates throughout the art world as experts consider what was, what is and what will be for masterpieces of all kinds. Paintings. Classic architecture. Sculpture. The list goes on and on.

Even golf courses.

The early 20th century has been dubbed by many to be the golden age of course design in the United States, as 94 of the top 100 layouts on Golfweeks Best Classic Courses list were built in the four decades through the 1930s as cars proliferated and airplanes took off. The 1990s and early 2000s also were boom times, but nothing compared to that previous stretch in which famed designers artists, really produced so many masterpieces.

And just like famous paintings, these courses sometimes show their age. Throw in the effects of benign neglect or, even worse, well-intended alterations that abandon key characteristics, and many of the best golf courses have slowly lost much of their original designers intentions, even without considering the greater distances that modern golf balls travel.

Greens shrink and their internal contours are often subdued. Bunkers migrate, changing shapes, depths and sizes. Fairway widths are altered. Trees grow to block ideal lines of play. Golf courses are living, breathing creations that are subject to ever-changing budgets, growth patterns and whims of membership committees nothing remains static.

As with any work that might be done to the Mona Lisa, there are many considerations when tackling the problems of aging golf courses. But Mona Lisa doesnt live outside in a field, subject to weather and all kinds of dynamic forces. Golf courses do, and they need work to retain their artistry.

Enter the modern golf architect, many of whom have become restoration artists. For most of todays designers, much of their business since the financial crash of the late 2000s and subsequent drop in new golf course development is less about creating their own namesake layouts as it is restoring, renovating and otherwise touching up existing layouts.

In fact, its safe to say that in the past decade we have entered a golden era of restoration and renovation. The top courses on Golfweeks Best Classic Courses list is full of prime examples, many of which are on full, televised display during major championships. Even the list of top resort courses in the U.S. which tends to favor more modern layouts is dotted with significant renovations and restorations.

Theres been an appreciation building over time going back several decades, and I think whats been happening is, because of this golden age of restoration, not only is there an appreciation for the name architects A.W. Tillinghast, Donald Ross, Alister MacKenzie, C.B. Macdonald and several others theres a greater appreciation for their talents and their golf courses, said Gil Hanse, whose portfolio of restorations with design partner Jim Wagner continues to grow. Theres maybe more of an appreciation for those architects now. You can see that across the board for other modern architects and the courses they have touched, too.

Hanses restorations and renovations include but certainly are not limited to Merions East, most recently host of the 2013 U.S. Open; Winged Foots West, most recently host of the 2020 U.S. Open; The Country Club, next hosting the 2022 U.S. Open, and Los Angeles Country Clubs North Course (in collaboration with author and blogger Geoff Shackelford), next hosting the 2023 U.S. Open.

Its a long-winded kind of answer, Hanse continued, and theres been this kind of appreciation for a long time, but now because of all this good restoration work that is happening of which we are happy to do our part theres an even bigger appreciation of the older golf courses and those architects. Wow, we knew these guys were good, but we didnt know they were this good.

Bill Coore who with design partner Ben Crenshaw has worked on classics such as Pinehurst No. 2, Maidstone, Seminole, Riviera and many others agrees.

We do seem to be in an era where there are significant efforts going on to try to restore or, in some cases I guess you could say, address the current playing conditions of some of the classic old courses, Coore said. They are all living, breathing things like we are, and they change and evolve.

In the case of the best courses in the country, they have for the most part evolved in a very positive fashion. But they do change. Sometimes the changes are so incremental that theyre almost unnoticeable until years and years later. Then, you realize they were slightly better the way they were intended. You see a lot of that going on, I think. Were trying to recapture the original intent and playing characteristics of some of these old courses.

It can be a daunting task. How exactly does one go about touching up a masterpiece without damaging it? The first step typically involves some definition of intent.

Part of the process you go through is, what are the goals? Coore said. What are you trying to obtain if youre working at one of those great old courses? Is it purely trying to recapture the character and the aesthetics? Is it trying to recapture the playing characteristics? Is it trying to address issues pertaining to more modern golf? Is it all of the above?

The terms thrown about can muddle things. What exactly is a restoration? And what is a renovation? Do those terms ever cross, and how many shades of gray are present between them?

The easiest way for us to describe it, for Jim Wagner and myself, is that a restoration is when the original architects thoughts, style and design are the driving force behind every decision on the site, Hanse said. A renovation is when were interjecting our original design thoughts into an existing golf course, allowing our prejudices, thoughts, skills, etcetera, to influence what we think would make for a better golf course.

Hanse pointed to his and Wagners work at Winged Foots West course in New York as a restoration, with the duo trying to reclaim the characteristics instilled by the original designer, Tillinghast. Greens edges had crept in since the course opened in 1923, leaving fewer hole locations. Some bunkers had become irrelevant. Among all the work involved, perhaps key was Hanse and Wagners expansion of putting surfaces back to their original sizes and shifting of bunkers to better fit Tillinghasts intent of challenging players.

At the opposite end of Hanses redesign-renovation spectrum is Pinehurst No. 4, a Ross layout at the famed North Carolina resort that had been the subject of numerous subsequent redesigns since its opening as a full 18 in 1919. Defining it as a renovation and not a restoration from the start, Hanse and Wagner built what Hanse called close to being a whole new golf course through mostly existing corridors in the pines, and that renovation opened to play in 2018.

Pinehurst is a great example of the different ways to approach a renovation or restoration, as it has been 10 years since Coore and Crenshaw wrapped up what most certainly was a restoration of Pinehurst No. 2, the resorts flagship course that rests directly next to Hanses since-renovated No. 4.

Often cited as among the best of Rosss designs, No. 2 had changed considerably over the decades following its 1903 opening. The courses most famous features are its crowned greens, but much of the rest of the course might have been almost unrecognizable to Ross, who lived for years to the side of the third green. Most dramatically, the native sandy areas alongside fairways had been replaced with grass at rough heights, presenting totally different appearances and playing challenges.

No. 2 hosted U.S. Opens in 1999 and 2005, and even between those Opens the course changed, with fairways growing more narrow between ever-expanding fields of rough. After that 2005 Open, the resorts operators wanted to make drastic changes. Employing Coore and Crenshaw in 2010, they opted to take the course back in time, restoring what once was to replace what it had become.

Sometimes we look back at some of the architecture that has happened at Pinehurst, whether its golf course architecture or building architecture, and you scratch your head a little bit, Tom Pashley, now the president of Pinehurst Resort, said at Golfweeks Architecture Summit in November of 2020. How did this happen, how did that happen?

The decision was made, and it was a risk but it was obviously the right decision, to take No. 2 back. It had become a very manicured golf course, and the standing wire grass areas were only ornamental. It didnt look like a Sandhills course. Things had happened over the years, and the courses had evolved and all that, and we just said, look, this land is where Ross laid out the original four courses in Pinehurst, and we need to be true to some sort of aesthetic, the Ross aesthetic.

So Coore and Crenshaw were tasked with taking the course back, but to what, exactly? And for whom, Tour pros in the U.S. Open or resort guests? And how to do that?

At least for us, the single biggest priority is to take ourselves out of it, Coore said. If we leave signatures that weve been there, we failed, quite frankly. The goal is to recapture at least at places like Pinehurst or Maidstone or wherever the goal is to try to recapture what made that place so special in the beginning. And all those cases, they were built long before Ben and I were ever on this earth. So we take ourselves out of it, yet were so involved in it, trying to study the original intent. What did Donald Ross intend at Pinehurst No. 2? What was the focus? How did the course play and look?

Coore and Crenshaw got a major boost when local resident Craig Disher presented them with aerial photos of Pinehurst No. 2 taken on Christmas Day in 1943. The design duo received another break when Pinehurst agronomist Bob Farren told them the current irrigation system had been laid in the same trenches as the water pipes installed during Rosss time, allowing them to figure out the previous center lines of the fairways while projecting their width based on how far water would have been sprinkled.

I said, Bob, if thats the case, we have not only a road map, we have the center of the road, Coore said of the old irrigation system.

Such sleuthing can be crucial to a true restoration. At Pinehurst, those kinds of efforts allowed Coore and Crenshaw, with a fairly high degree of certainty, to present the course as it looked in 1943, with wider fairways surrounded by native grasses and no traditional rough.

The U.S. Open returned to No. 2 in 2014, with Martin Kaymer winning on a firmer, faster and browner layout that looked almost nothing as it had in 1999 and 2005. It was a departure from the typical U.S. Open setup of tall rough, but the work was roundly praised. And with the U.S. Golf Association now slated to establish a second headquarters at Pinehurst, the U.S. Open will return with No. 2 as an anchor site in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047.

Were very proud of Pinehurst, because the people there are very proud of it, Coore said. I know there were people who said, what on earth are they doing, theyre going to destroy the place. But I think given the time since the work and its probably been enough time to begin to assess that this was a positive move.

I grew up in North Carolina and I played golf at Pinehurst as a kid, and I remembered it from what it was in the 1960s, and I just knew from my own memory that it had changed dramatically through the years. Ben and I certainly never would have gone there and said you need to change this, you need to restore this. All that influence came from the Pinehurst people, who said weve been listening and studying that this course is not the way it used to be. It was a huge leap of faith.

While Pinehurst serves as a great model for restorations and renovations, its hardly alone in efforts to refine a golf course, even among U.S. Open venues. Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, host to nine Opens, for example famously removed thousands of trees in the 1990s and 2000s to restore playing corridors as intended by original designer Henry Fownes. That certainly would be one of the most visually impactful restorations for any television viewer.

None of this is exactly new. Robert Trent Jones Sr. was known for his work on championship courses, and his son Rees followed in his footsteps. Courses have been the targets of redesign efforts ever since the game developed. Old Tom Morris certainly was known to tinker.

But as courses continue to age, efforts have been stepped up at many private clubs and resorts alike, often with grander goals of revisiting previous work that was more limited in scope. Whereas announcements of course openings filled the news wires in the early 2000s, todays design news is more typically filled with restorations and renovations not a week goes by without announcements of such work across the U.S.

Its all a great opportunity for current architects, but it can be very different than creating a new course. In a sense, great restorations are more of a research endeavor than a design process.

When youre in the field, theres a ton of archaeology, Hanse said. Youll find old bunkers and things. Were working at Oakland Hills right now, and well be sifting through, and That looks like old bunker sand. Yep, theres a layer, chase it and find where it goes. So there are markers on the ground. Working at Baltusrol, weve been sort of peeling away layers of bunker sand buildup along the edges of greens. You have thatch and sort of top dressing, then all the sudden you hit this sort of blackish soil layer. You can chase that soil layer, and that sort of reestablishes where the edge of the bunker was. If youre paying attention, you can find these things.

Hanse said the greatest example may have come at Los Angeles Country Clubs North Course, a George C. Thomas Jr. original design from 1921 that had been reshaped and diminished through the decades. A skilled contractor on an excavator kept finding all kinds of clues to the original course beneath the sod, especially as to the placement of the second and sixth greens.

He found the old green surfaces that literally had been covered by dirt they hadnt even stripped the grass off it, Hanse said. Pulling this away, we even found old cup holes. It was remarkable. We were just able to pull away the dirt and have the old green edges and contours intact. That was one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

But the fact there are clues in the dirt doesnt necessarily make it any easier for the architects.

Without question, I think Ben and I would both say that theres more stress in (restoring a classic course than in building a new one), said Coore, who along with Crenshaw delivered one of the most-anticipated new courses of 2020, the Sheep Ranch at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon. Its because youre not dealing with your product. Youre trying to return the greatest potential of somebody elses product, a product that has proved to be successful and sometimes even revered around the world for years.

So its way more stressful and intense than creating a new product where, even though the site might have great potential and expectations, the course doesnt exist yet. On a new course youre living up to what the potential of the site is, but youre not living up to what was. Youre not chasing a ghost.

This story originally ran in Golfweeks 2021 Ultimate Guide.

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The golden age of golf course renovation and restoration - usatoday.com

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Outstanding Growth Turf Grass and Turf Solutions Market Trends by Countries, Type and Application | Turf Star, Inc.,Turf & Garden, Inc.,Integrated...

As you contemplate your garden areas for next year, what is the most critical task? Correctly preparing the garden bed new or old.

New beds require more prep work if you are starting an area that has turf on it. Here are two ways to turn turf into a garden area.

One method is to use a non-selective herbicide to kill off the top growth. Once it is dead, use a flat bottom shovel to cut the top vegetative layer off and remove or rent a sod stripper. You can till it in, but you will have clumps of dead turf everywhere which makes cultivation with a hoe more difficult and you will be mad at yourself for years that you did it this way.

A non-chemical method would be to solarize the area using black plastic for a few weeks or until the plant material all dies back. Then remove the dead layer in the same fashion. Avoid tilling under living turf, you will never be able to grow in the lumpy, grassy weedy mess that it will become.

Vegetable gardeners often re-use the same site for many years and thats okay. For 3 years, I have used the same spot without tilling, and overall I have less weeds than if I tilled. Every time you till, weed seeds are brought to the surface to receive sun and, guess what, germinate!

If perennial weeds are an issue like dandelion, thistle and grasses, your best solution is to spray them with an herbicide. Chopping them up by hand or using a tiller, just creates more. Solarizing is ineffective on perennial weeds as it doesnt kill the root. Always use chemicals responsibly and dont spray when plants are blooming and bees are visiting.

The value and uses of plants differ greatly from one to another.

Some plants are mainly for personal enjoyment like the blooms of peonies and iris. Others have many medicinal qualities or are used for food. Which plant can you enjoy the bloom of, use in a bouquet, cook with its oil, make rope from its stalk, roast and eat its seed yourself; grow as a fence to hide your neighbors, grind to use as cattle feed, use it as bird food and make dye from its petals? The sunflower!

Sunflowers are one of the easiest annual flowering plants to grow. Sunflowers have become very popular over the past years, and there are many varieties to choose from.

The height can range from 10 inches to 10 feet! Sunflower petals come in a variety of colors: yellows, oranges, reds, whites, browns and burgundy. Centers or seed heads, can also vary in colors. Some varieties like Teddy Bear are similar to a giant chrysanthemum.

Seeds should be planted directly in the garden soil as they grow rapidly and starting them indoors will result in a weak stem. Seeds are large, and easy for kids to plant.

Some types of sunflowers are pollen-less. These types are mostly bred for the cut flower industry as pollen can be messy and stain your clothes while harvesting or arranging in bouquets. Naturally pollen attracts bees and cut flower producers prefer the bees do not visit.

Once the flower is pollinated it begins to decline, as does its beauty and shelf life. Pollinated flowers begin to mature on to seed development, losing their petals along the way. When you are planning to use them for bouquets, cut them when the petals are just starting to lift off the face of the flower for the longest vase life.

Sunflowers that produce seed can be left in the garden for the birds to feed on over winter. The biggest drawback from growing sunflowers is chopping out the stalk when the season is done. Yes, even the next spring you might still need a hatchet or an axe depending on the type you grew.

Commercial production is huge to our west in the Dakotas, growing the majority of the sunflowers in the United States. If you are interested in seeing fields of sunflowers, the North Dakota Tourism tracks the bloom of numerous fields across the state and provides GPS coordinates for enthusiasts to locate. Over half a million acres in North Dakota are planted in sunflowers.

The flower heads on young plants actually follow the sun from east to west. Older mature plants face mostly east. Having lived in North Dakota for a spell, I can say the sunflower fields between the fields of sugar beets and potatoes were spectacular!

Stop by the Mankato Farmers Market at Drummers Garden Center. All times are 10 a.m. noon.

Remaining Winter Market dates are: Jan. 23 and Feb. 6.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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Gardening column: Sunflowers have become popular over the years - Mankato Free Press

Housing costs: 700 rent including all bills. Super cheap for my area, especially as I live alone.Savings? 63,000: 3,000 in my savings account, 30,000 in a LISA, 30,000 in a SIPP. Both the LISA and SIPP are courtesy of my parents saving for me throughout my life. I know I'm extraordinarily lucky to have parents who can afford to invest money on my behalf and are financially literate enough to do so. They also paid for my university tuition so I don't have any debt. I know I'm very privileged and am beyond grateful to my parents for their hard work and generosity. All other monthly expenses: 29 gym membership (currently on hold as we're in tier 4). 5 New York Times subscription. 18.99 phone contract (unlimited data worldwide. Wish the worldwide part was still relevant...). 9.75 British Medical Association membership. Approximately 200 savings. 10 to Oceana, a charity helping tackle marine pollution and raise awareness of the plight of the oceans. 50 therapy. I should probably go more often than monthly but it's so expensive. I have suffered from an eating disorder in various forms for about five years, which I'm still trying to squish. On a Spotify family plan, mooch Netflix off my brother.

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Money Diary: A Junior Doctor On The South Coast On 29k - Refinery29