Lady Marmalade singer Sarah Dash, of the group Labelle, dies at 76

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Lady Marmalade singer Sarah Dash, of the group Labelle, dies at 76

Singer Sarah Dash, a co-founder of trailblazing US group Labelle, who had a huge hit with Lady Marmalade, has died at the age of 76.

Fellow group member Patti LaBelle confirmed the news on Twitter, saying she was “heartbroken” but that Dash’s spirit would “live on”.

“We were just on stage together on Saturday and it was such a powerful and special moment,” she posted.

Lady Marmalade went to number one on the US Billboard chart in 1975.

The track found a new audience when it was re-recorded by Christine Aguilera, Pink, Lil’ Kim and Mya for the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann’s film Moulin Rouge in 2001.

Born in New Jersey in 1945, Dash joined up with Patti LaBelle and Nona Hendryx and they settled on the name LaBelle in 1971. They became known for their fusion of rock, R&B and funk, and their lavish stage outfits, including a set of spacesuits.

They opened for bands such as The Who before finding mainstream fame themselves.

After LaBelle broke up in 1976, Dash embarked on a solo career and also sang on The Rolling Stones’ 1989 album Steel Wheels and did session work for the O’Jays and Chic’s Nile Rodgers.

Texas abortion case: Doctor sued in first known challenges of new law

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Texas abortion case: Doctor sued in first known challenges of new law

A Texas doctor who admitted to breaking the state’s new abortion legislation has been sued, in what could be a test of how lawful the mandate is.

Writing for the Washington Post, Alan Braid said he had carried out a termination on a woman who was in the early stages of her pregnancy but “beyond the state’s new limit”.

Former lawyers in Arkansas and Illinois filed lawsuits against him on Monday.

The new legislation bans abortions from as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.

The law came into effect on 1 September, giving any individual – from Texas or elsewhere – the right to sue doctors who perform an abortion past the six-week point. However it does not allow the women who get the procedure to be sued.

The law bans terminations after the detection of what anti-abortion campaigners call a foetal heartbeat, something medical authorities say is misleading.

Dr Braid, who has been practising medicine for nearly 50 years, wrote in an opinion column published on the weekend: “I acted because I had a duty of care to this patient, as I do for all patients, and because she has a fundamental right to receive this care.

“I fully understood that there could be legal consequences – but I wanted to make sure that Texas didn’t get away with its bid to prevent this blatantly unconstitutional law from being tested,” he wrote.

Oscar Stilley, a former lawyer in Arkansas who is serving a 15-year federal conviction for tax fraud in home confinement, said he had decided to file the lawsuit after reading Dr Braid’s opinion piece. He said he was not opposed to abortion but sued to force a court to test the legality of the new legislation.

In an interview with Reuters news agency, he said the new restrictions violate women’s constitutional rights.

A second lawsuit was filed by Felipe Gomez, from Illinois, who described himself as a “Pro Choice Plaintiff” in the suit and claimed the law was “illegal as written and as applied”.

Dr Braid has not commented on the lawsuits, the first known legal challenges to the law which is one of the most restrictive in the country.

The “Heartbeat Act” was signed into law by Republican Governor Greg Abbott in May. It took effect after the Supreme Court did not respond to an emergency appeal by abortion providers.

Earlier this month, the US justice department filed an emergency motion, seeking to block enforcement of the law while it pursues legal action.

Abortion providers say the law is at odds with the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade, under which US women have the right to an abortion until a foetus is viable – that is, able to survive outside the womb. This is usually between 22 and 24 weeks into a pregnancy.

The law enforces its ban with an uncommon approach: it empowers any private citizen to sue anyone who “aids and abets” an illegal abortion.

People who successfully sue under the Texas law will be awarded at least $10,000 (£7,200), in addition to any legal fees incurred.

Critics, like the American Civil Liberties Union, have said this leaves the responsibility for enforcing it on individuals, rather than local or state officials, and could give rise to abortion “bounty hunters”.

Bitcoin mining producing tonnes of waste

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Bitcoin mining producing tonnes of waste

Bitcoin mining produces electronic waste (e-waste) annually comparable to the small IT equipment waste of a place like the Netherlands, research shows.

Miners of the cryptocurrency each year produce 30,700 tonnes of e-waste, Alex de Vries and Christian Stoll estimate.

That averages 272g (9.5oz) per transaction, they say. By comparison, an iPhone 13 weighs 173g (6.1oz).

Miners earn money by creating new Bitcoins, but the computing used consumes large amounts of energy.

They audit Bitcoin transactions in exchange for an opportunity to acquire the digital currency.

Attention has been focused on the electricity this consumes – currently more than the Philippines – and the greenhouse gas pollution caused as a result.

But as the computers used for mining become obsolete, it also generates lots of e-waste.

The researchers estimate Bitcoin mining devices have an average lifespan of only 1.29 years.

As a result, the amount of e-waste produced is comparable to the “small IT and telecommunication equipment” waste of a country like the Netherlands researchers said – a category that includes mobile phones, personal computers, printers, and telephones.

The research is published in the journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling.

Efficiency drive

As electricity is a key cost for Bitcoin miners, they have sought out ever more efficient processors.

That has seen a move to highly specialised chips called Application-specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs).

But ASICs are so specialised that as they become obsolete, they cannot be “repurposed for another task or even another type of cryptocurrency mining algorithm”, the researchers write.

But while the chips can’t be reused, much of the weight of Bitcoin mining equipment is made up of components such as “metal casings and aluminium heat-sinks” which could be recycled.

Globally just over 17% of all e-waste is recycled. However, the number is probably less in some of the countries in which most miners are based, where in many cases regulations on e-waste are also poor.

Chip shortage

Many industries are struggling with a global chip shortage.

In addition to producing large amounts of e-waste the researchers argue that “rapidly cycling through millions of mining devices may disrupt the global supply chain of various other electronic devices”.

They suggest that one solution to the problem of e-waste would be for Bitcoin to change the way transactions are verified, to a different less computing-intensive system.

BTS Took Center Stage at the U.N. Over One Million Fans Watched Live

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BTS Took Center Stage at the U.N. Over One Million Fans Watched Live

Amid the clutches of a pandemic, the conflict in Afghanistan and deadly storms exacerbated by climate change, more than 1 million people were transfixed by the United Nations on Monday. Not to watch a head of state, but rather a boy band: BTS.

The seven members of the Korean pop group, a multibillion-dollar act known for its dynamic dance moves, catchy lyrics and frenzied fans, promoted the coronavirus vaccine and lauded young people for their resiliency during a nearly seven-minute speech at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

The band’s appearance came one day before more than 100 world leaders and representatives are to gather on Tuesday for the opening of the General Assembly, an annual conclave that was held mostly virtually last year because of the pandemic.

Accompanying President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, who designated them as special presidential envoy for future generations and culture, the band then showed a prerecorded video of their hit song “Permission to Dance.”

The video showed the young crooners dancing in the empty aisles of the Assembly Hall — where presidents and autocrats have lobbed threats of annihilation and diplomats have staged walkouts — and later outside the complex.

The band’s legion of fans followed along intently on the U.N.’s YouTube channel, flooding a live chat with gushing messages, many with purple heart emojis that have become a calling card.

“I’ve heard that people in their teens and 20s today are being referred to as Covid’s lost generation,” said Kim Nam-joon, the band’s lead singer, who performs under the stage name RM (formerly Rap Monster). “But I think it’s a stretch to say they’re lost just because the path they tread can’t be seen by grown-up eyes.”

Mr. Moon introduced the band’s members inside the cavernous hall, where the group wore dark suits, lanyards with name tags and lapel pins promoting the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals campaign.

He said that BTS, whose name is an abbreviation of the Korean words Bangtan Sonyeondan, or Bulletproof Boy Scouts, was “probably the artist that is most loved by people around the world.”

It was not the first time that the band, a dominant force in the Korean pop music space known as K-pop, had appeared at the United Nations. In 2018, BTS visited the U.N. to help UNICEF promote Generation Unlimited, a campaign dedicated to educating young people and providing them vocational training.

On Monday, a livestream of the band’s appearance on the U.N.’s YouTube channel racked up about one million views. Later in the day, the view count surpassed six million.

J-hope, one of the band’s members, said that there had been substantial speculation about whether the group had been vaccinated. All seven singers have been vaccinated, he said.

“What is important are the choices we make when we’re faced with change, right?” he said. “Of course, we received vaccinations. The vaccination was a sort of ticket to meeting our fans waiting for us and to being able to stand here before you today.”

The landing site for the Moon rover mission has been chosen by NASA

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The landing site for the Moon rover mission has been chosen by NASA

NASA is sending a robotic rover to the Moon’s South Pole to look for water ice near a crater.

The golf cart-sized vehicle will land in 2023 at the western border of Nobile Crater, a 73-kilometer-wide depression that is nearly always under a shadow. Because the ice on the Moon might be mined for drinking water and rocket fuel, the Viper mission will help plans for human exploration of the Moon.

NASA intends to send astronauts back to the moon this decade.

The Artemis programme of the European Space Agency will see the first woman and the first person of colour arrive on the Moon. It has the potential to pave the way for a long-term human presence on Earth’s only natural satellite.

The 2023 rover mission, according to Daniel Andrews, Viper’s project manager at Nasa’s Ames Research Center in California, will assist scientists in figuring out how easy or difficult it would be for humans to retrieve the water-ice.

“If resources are abundant and accessible, it will change the nature of supporting humans [on the Moon] and also help us understand the nature of how we retrieve those resources,” he said.

Several lines of evidence show that billions of tonnes of lunar ice are trapped in polar craters that never see sunlight and have temperatures as low as -223 degrees Celsius (-370F). The stable and very cold climate required to sustain massive frozen deposits is created by being under perpetual shadow. According to Daniel Andrews, the Viper, which stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, could help scientists answer critical questions about ice deposits, such as “where the ice is, what concentrations are there, and how deep. “We’ve never seen anything exactly like what we’re going to witness when we arrive at the South Pole,” said Anthony Colaprete, the chief project scientist on Viper, who is also located at Nasa Ames.

At Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center launch facility in Florida, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the first – uncrewed – Artemis mission is nearing completion. In the coming weeks, engineers will put the final remaining piece atop the SLS: the Orion spaceship.

Nasa also finished welding the backbone of the Orion capsule, which will carry people on the first mission to land on the Moon since 1972, earlier this month.

Asia markets are split as investors assess China fears, according to Evergrande

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Asia markets are split as investors assess China fears, according to Evergrande

On Tuesday, Asian stocks were neutral as fears about Evergrande, a Chinese property developer, and its influence on global markets remained.

The Nikkei 225 index in Japan finished 2.2 percent lower, but the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong recovered earlier losses to finish 0.5 percent higher. Concerns have been raised that Evergrande, a large Chinese property developer, will be unable to satisfy interest payments on debts totaling more than $300 billion.

Regulators have expressed concern that it may have an impact on the country’s financial system. Investors are concerned that this could affect large banks that are exposed to Evergrande and similar enterprises, generating worldwide market contagion. The market concerns come as the global economy continues to recover from the effects of the coronavirus. On Monday, the Dow Jones index in the United States fell 1.8 percent. Similar drops were seen in Europe, with Germany’s Dax index falling 2.3 percent and France’s Cac 40 falling 1.7 percent.

On Monday and Tuesday, mainland China’s major stock exchanges were closed for the traditional mid-Autumn festival.

Despite recent losses, Japan’s Nikkei has increased by nearly 30% year on year.

Investors are also concerned that the US Federal Reserve will confirm plans to reduce support for the US economy this year during its meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Global stock markets have risen as economies have reopened and central banks have pumped trillions of dollars into the economy to help it develop.

However, if support is withdrawn at a time when the Delta variety of coronavirus continues to stymie healing, there are fears of deterioration.

Other analysts, on the other hand, downplayed fears of a sell-off, pointing out that September is traditionally a weak month for equities.

“Overall, September is continuing to live up to its terrible reputation as the year’s worst month. But that doesn’t rule out the possibility of a comeback. “ TD Ameritrade’s top market strategist, JJ Kinahan, suggested as much.

Aaron Jones scored four touchdowns to lead the Green Bay Packers to a victory over the Detroit Lions in the NFL

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Aaron Jones scored four touchdowns to lead the Green Bay Packers to a victory over the Detroit Lions in the NFL

Aaron Jones scored four touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Detroit Lions, paying tribute to his late father.

Aaron Rodgers, last season’s Most Valuable Player, tossed for four touchdowns as Green Bay rallied to win 35-17. Jones donned a pendant carrying his father’s ashes in his first game at Lambeau Field after his father’s death, which he removed after his second touchdown.

“He’d be content,” said Jones, a 26-year-old running back. If you’re going to lose it any way, lose it in the end zone, “he’d say.” As he addressed to the media after the game, Jones’ pendant had yet to be collected by ground workers, and he also dedicated his 2021 season to his father. Alvin Jones Sr., who had not missed one of his son’s games in nine years, died in April at the age of 57 as a result of problems with Covid-19 during the close season.

The dual-threat running back scored three receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown after signing a new four-year deal worth $48 million (£34.5 million) in March.

Since the start of the 2019 season, he has 34 touchdowns. Only Tennessee Titans’ running back Derrick Henry (38) has scored more in that span.

Green Bay used it to recover from a 38-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week One. The Lions led 17-14 at halftime when Rodgers connected with Robert Tonyan for a 22-yard touchdown, launching a 21-point second-half outburst. Rodgers threw two interceptions last week, but he completed 22 of 27 passes for 255 yards against the Lions, moving him above Denver icon John Elway into 10th place all-time in passing yards (51,633).

“We maybe wanted to show that we cared a little bit more tonight,” Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 37, said.

The Packers play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Rodgers’ boyhood team and one of only seven teams to start the season 2-0. New Detroit quarterback Jared Goff threw for 246 yards and two scores, but a fumble and an interception in the second half allowed the Packers to seize control.

The pace of vaccinations in the United States may be slowing down

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The pace of vaccinations in the United States may be slowing down

About 1.8 million vaccination jabs were reported Tuesday, the lowest one-day number in two weeks. Some of the decline could be attributed to availability, dinged by a pause in Johnson & Johnson doses. But demand has softened at some vaccinations sites, even as vaccine availability has been opened up to every U.S. adult. About 1 in 4 Americans say they might decline vaccination.

In Florida’s Palm Beach County, Florida, three mass vaccination sites had no takers for 10,000 of their 16,000 slots. Undeterred, the county will use three mobile units, each capable of vaccinating 500 people a day, to reach minority groups and others, who for whatever reason aren’t signing up to get shots at the mass vaccination centers or retail locations.

Public health officials and other advocates are countering with new ways to get arms under needles. DC Marijuana Justice promoted a “Joints for Jabs” program. Krispy Kreme offered doughnuts, Budweiser offered beers.

As wealthy Americans took advantage of cheap mortgages, increased savings and the ability to work from home during the pandemic, their demand for bigger homes and million-dollar listings outpaced sales of homes across all other price ranges.

“There’s been worst conditions and health problems in the past in this country, around the world, where nobody ever shut down mom and pop diners and shut down entire economic societies in the United States of America,” Nugent told ABC7 in Fort Myers, Florida. “I will continue to believe that that’s a hoax… but the pandemic is real and the people that are sick are real.”

The moment, Johnson said, has the potential to similarly galvanize support

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The moment, Johnson said, has the potential to similarly galvanize support

“This is our Selma moment,” said NAACP president Derrick Johnson, citing the event in which Alabama marchers headed to the state capitol in Montgomery were attacked by state troopers with nightsticks and tear gas, an incident that ultimately sparked passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Around the country, as celebrations erupted Tuesday following Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict for the murder of George Floyd, those on the front lines of fighting for racial justice said the verdict represents a likely boon for the movement going forward, an impetus for systemic change on par with major events of the 1960s.

The moment, Johnson said, has the potential to similarly galvanize support for the George Floyd Police Reform Act, a 2020 measure targeting police misconduct, excessive force and racial bias in policing.

“This should be a catalyst,” Johnson said. “It is an opportunity for Congress to do what’s necessary to make sure our communities can have trust in police agencies and feel safe.”

Around the country, as celebrations erupted Tuesday following Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict for the murder of George Floyd, those on the front lines of fighting for racial justice said the verdict represents a likely boon for the movement going forward, an impetus for systemic change on par with major events of the 1960s.

As she watched the verdict at home with her kids, Abdullah said her emotions took her by surprise: Not just relief and elation, but a sense of faith. in the people who she said had helped make it possible.

“It’s an affirmation of the work that’s been put in over the last year,” she said. “Since the moment George Floyd’s life was stolen, people have taken to the streets and issued demands, and what we have seen in this moment is that that bears fruit, that organizing works. We can not only reform but transform the system.”

Police received a 911 call around 4:35 p.m. about an attempted stabbing

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Police received a 911 call around 4:35 p.m. about an attempted stabbing

Columbus police released body camera footage of the shooting of the 16-year-old girl by just hours after the incident on Tuesday afternoon.

Police received a 911 call around 4:35 p.m. about an attempted stabbing, saying a caller reported a female trying to stab them then hung up.

About 20 minutes before a guilty verdict was announced in the trial of Derek Chauvin, a Columbus police officer fatally shot a teen girl.

The video shows an officer approaching a driveway with a group of young people standing there. In the video, it appears Bryant pushes or swings at a person, who falls to the ground.

Bryant then appears to swing a knife at a girl who is on the hood of a car, and the officer fires his weapon, striking Bryant, who died a short time later.

Police received a 911 call at 4:35 p.m. about an attempted stabbing when a caller reported a female was trying to stab them. Officers responded to the scene and reported the shooting at 4:45 p.m.

Columbus Fire medics were cleared to come into the scene at 4:46 p.m., police said. The wounded person was transported in critical condition to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 5:21 p.m., police said.

Interim Columbus Police Chief Michael Woods said the investigation needs to be completed to determine if the actions of the officers were justified. He said the officer, who was not named, has been placed on administrative leave.

Columbus Public Safety Director Ned Pettus Jr. urged the public to be patient as the investigation continues.

“She could be my grandchild,” said Pettus. “In any way you look at this, it’s a tragedy.”

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