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Article Title: Larry Bell’s Introduction to the Acoustic Guitar, as Unusual as His Artistic Vision

Category: Music, Art, Collecting

Tag: Larry Bell

Tag: Acoustic Guitars

Tag: Art Collection

Tag: Interview

Summary: T Magazine profiles the renowned minimalist artist and his collection of acoustic guitars, offering a unique insight into his creative mind, musical tastes, and understanding of design. Among the guitars featured are rare, vintage instruments built by Martin, Fender, OMI, and Gibson, each with personal significance for Bell and a story to tell about his life and artistic journey. The article provides a detailed examination of the intricate relationship between music and art, and how it affects Bell’s approach to both mediums.

The original article

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Baby Abuse, Child Abuse, Case Law, Criminal Justice, Gulfport, MS, Parental Abuse, Punishment
US Gulfport Woman Convicted of Critically Harming Newborn Twins; Will Serve Life in Prison
In March 2021, a Gulfport, Mississippi, jury convicted Molly Burton, 38, of two counts of first-degree murder in the near-fatal abuse of her newborn twin daughters, Cammy and Leah. Three days earlier, Circuit Judge Anthony Mozell found the evidence against Burton to be so compelling that he allowed the jury to be dismissed and determined that the evidence was sufficient to support a conviction. Judge Mozell subsequently sentenced Burton to life in prison without the possibility of release.Arguments at TrialFocused on Targeted Assaults
During the three-week trial, the prosecution argued that Burton targeted her newborn infants, Cammy and Leah, in a campaign to kill them. On June 4, 2016, Burton called 911 and said, “My baby’s not breathing. Please hurry.” When officers arrived, Cammy and Leah were choking on their own blood and mucus, and were cool to the touch. Resuscitation efforts failed, and the babies died.
Harrison County coroner Tom McMath testified that both babies had wounds to their heads, bruises on their abdomens, and other injuries. They had no signs of decay, indicating they had been dead for less than one hour when Burton called 911, suggesting they had been dead before she made that call. The baby’s father and another employee who worked with Burton at the Dollar Tree store testified that she had picked up the babies the day before they died and had appeared to be unreasonably angry and in pain.
To bolster their case, the prosecution retained pediatric pathologist Dr. Ellen J. Green of Cedrester, Michigan, who concluded that both babies died from “lacerations of the head, multiple fractures to the skull and body.” According to Green’s analysis, the babies had head injuries, internal bleeding, and multiple “spiral fractures” to their legs, which Green said happened roughly the same time, as technique. Spiral fractures happen when someone twists a bone, she said.
Three Dallas Obstetricians and Gynecologists testified that Burton concealed her pregnancy and tried to deadly harm the babies after giving birth. They said they looked at hospital records and found proof that Burton was pregnant at the time she was injured in an April 2016 car accident. Dr. John D. Reinke, testified that Burton was ten weeks pregnant when admitted to Singing River Hospital on April 23, 2016. He said that her due date was October 14, 2016. Burton’s babysitter, Jasmine Duncan, also noticed signs the defendant was pregnant.
The doctors also reviewed records indicating a strange reaction to a test for a possible sexually transmitted infection administered to Burton by Sonic Obstetrics and Gynecology. According to the records, following a vial having revealed Burton’s then-unknown pregnancy, Burton “asked if the blood test was her pregnancy blood test” and “reacted by saying ‘Oh! I won’t have a baby to gain anymore weight.’” When asked by Dr. Lily Weller of the University of Arkansas, for the prosecution at trial, “If (you) knew that you were pregnant from the time of the motor vehicle wreck and you had a miscarriage, why would you go to a fertility doctor to get pregnant, that would result in you gaining weight and making you heavier,” Burton failed to provide an adequate response.
One of Burton’s defense lawyers, James “Jamie” B. McCall, did not counter the conclusion of Green, who said she was “virtually certain” that Burton’s actions “showed that deliberate lethal force” had been used. McCall suggested Burton may have given birth to the twins at home after being injured in the car accident.
Burton’s mother, Shirley Worthy, who was in the courtroom during the jury’s deliberation, declined to comment other than saying “she didn’t do it.” Worthy continued by explaining that her daughter was “mentally ill” and “on medication for bipolar disorder, something she knew little about,” Stuart said.
Sentencing After Conviction
Following Burton’s conviction, Circuit Judge Anthony Mozell took into account the statement by one of the babies’ biological fathers, John Adcock III, who wrote a letter to the court in which he asked that “Molly be sentenced to life in the penitentiary” so “no other innocent child(ren) (would) be in her care.”
Beckelman said the length of the prison sentence “says something to the community about the severity of the crime.” While the sentence was unusual in Harrison County, it is common in surrounding counties, he acknowledged.
Courtesy of http://www.mcwhortertribune.com. Can you summarize the case of Molly Burton, who was convicted for the near-fatal abuse of her newborn twin daughters in Gulfport, MS?
“Penalizing Parents for Children’s Offenses: Is It Fair?”
Molly Burton, 38, of Gulfport, Mississippi, was convicted in March 2021 for the near-fatal abuse of her newborn twin daughters, Cammy and Leah, in June 2016. Both babies died of “lacerations of the head, multiple fractures to the skull, and body.” The babies’ father and a colleague testified that Burton appeared to be unreasonably angry and in pain when she brought the twins to work. Three Dallas Obstetricians and Gynecologists testified that Burton concealed her pregnancy and tried to deadly harm the babies after giving birth. Burton was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release.

The original article

A nonprofit leader found guilty in federal fraud case has been sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $1.7 million in restitution, officials announced this week.
A federal judge on Monday sentenced Robert “Bo” Langford, who was convicted last year of one count of conspiracy and two counts of major program fraud, according to a statement obtained by the Los Angeles Times from Jose L. Linares, a spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
The nonprofit leader and nearly 30 co-conspirators worked for World Harvest, a nonprofit organization based in South El Monte that provided food to more than 800 church-based and other nonprofit feeding programs across the country, including 63 programs in California.
The conspiracy took place between roughly May 2008 and December 2013, and involved Langford and others using the organization’s hungry in order to make improper profits, according to The Times. They also took in additional funds by creating false invoices or invoices for goods never delivered, and by altering or fabricating invoices if an auditor inquired, according to the Justice Department.
Prosecutors did not challenge World Harvest’s altruistic mission, but, in a statement to the media, said the nonprofit misused “the federal system of feeding the poor as a way to line their own pockets.”
During the conspiracy period, World Harvest and its co-conspirators defrauded the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) of the equivalent of more than $2.3 million, according to officials.
The Justice Department said World Harvest was closed in November 2013. Langford was taken into custody Monday and will begin serving his sentence on April 30.

The original article

Here’s the summary:

1. Los Angeles, California will face a projected budget deficit of $388 million for the fiscal year ending in June 2025 due to predicted declines in revenue from the city’s economy, particularly in real estate and entertainment industries.

2. Wage and pension costs are also rising, while the city grapples with homelessness and crime control.

3. The deficit represents a drastic increase from last year’s $50 million shortfall and could necessitate some tough financial decisions.

4. Despite the shortfall, council members have approved a $10.5 billion budget, which prioritized investments in essential services like public safety and social programs.

5. To manage the budget deficit, officials have floated several proposals, including a property tax increase and potential changes to pension rules.

6. The issue of the looming deficit and potential solutions will be further discussed in council hearings scheduled for next week.

7. The unfortunate reality is that Los Angeles is not alone in facing budget deficits, with many other cities across the US also grappling with funding shortfalls.

Tags: los angeles, budget deficit, real estate, entertainment, wage and pension costs, homelessness, crime control, potential solutions, property tax increase, pension rules, city finances.

The original article

Trump Administration, Federal Reserve Board, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and the U.S. economy regain the spotlight in Congress with differing responses to ongoing impeachment hearings and an anticipated Fed rate cut, all to be dissected by opposition Democrats. A Tesla crash in Mountain View, California killing a safety driver of a test vehicle is raising consumer questions for an electric carmaker pushed to release its highly anticipated Model Y SUV. The Wall Street Journal reports a deal by Target and NBCUniversal to curate original TV shows, a bid to offset streaming newcomers stealing market share in the entertainment arena.
Congress spent a Senate impeachment hearing by hearing from seven legal experts: four supportive of removing President Trump from office, three not. Topics of discussion ranged from initial concerns that foreign assistance was improperly offered to Ukraine if an investigation was not launched into allegations of 2016 campaign interference by a Ukrainian former adviser, to use of a diplomat’s call logs as a legitimate judge of careless or misleading thinking. In another televised session, the House oversight committee heard testimony from a former employee at the health department, who has leveled accusations against former department staff members under the Trump Administration, and charges of “constant efforts to downplay and ignore” warnings of potential outbreaks dating back to February 2018.
Ongoing financial woes cannot be handed off to the high unemployment rate, an “unsolved mystery” according to Fed Chairman Jerome H. Powell, who could be called to testify before a House Budget Committee. The cavalier attitude of the White House toward approaching the national debt limit and cyclical “peak” in economic stability could also factor in hearings—a past tradition has been to redesignate members of the Fed board.
In the two months hence to the referenced timeline spanning October through December 2019, the fed had indicated its anticipated reduction of rates by a quarter to half-aim of one percent, respectively, drawing the ire of President Trump in remarks leading up to an impromptu news conference. Strategic economic measures hinge on the decision Trump eventually made to delay additional tariffs on Chinese-imported electronics and building materials, reported by the Journal.
With impeachment in the air, the Journal reports that President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is conflicted over a telephone call with Trump. Through an interpreter, Zelensky asked the president if he might be open to an interview, proposing an alternative to any investigations. Trump responded, “Good idea,” a Chamberlain strategy, albeit on a different field of battle.
Behind closed doors, hearings hint at potential evidence of Talmlidically-minded individuals, a suggestion likely to further ire of a self-proclaimed Presbyterian candidate who—in the Rooseveltian tradition—has grappled with being embraced by Jewish benefactors. Whatever decision is reached, a declaration by the Fed could have a powerful affect on the housing market. In northern California, the short-sale gap between the average sale price of $526,389 and a median home price valued at $455,000 in the fourth quarter of last year, continues to widen. Combined with the increasing difficulty for consumers to purchase homes—or rather decisively make the decisions whether or not to do so—first quarter sales figures could be dramatically diminished in comparison to 2018. Some fetid food linked to federal food safety initiatives include dried doormat banana chips; carrot cake oatmeal cookies; and garlic cream cheese, all produced by a food manufacturer caught fumbling the bag and failing to immediately notify health officials of potential foodborne illness.

The original article

OPINION | AMERICA | A.I.
sudan-genocide
Army Pawning Ambulance Off in Uganda Is Told to You in Your Brain.
Algorithms May Hold A Key To Looking Into the Gulf of Tonkin’s “Actions.
? Based on the text material about Sudan and genocide, can you use the WordPress tag format to create a summary that includes the title and most significant information for someone who wants to quickly understand the topic? Make sure your summary is no over 1500 characters.

The original article

The following is a brief summary of an opinion piece published on The New York Times on October 2, 2018, entitled “Toxic Leadership: Trump’s Division is the New Public Health Crisis.” The author asserts that President Trump’s leadership, characterized by division, hostility, and incivility, poses a hazard to public health and threatens to undermine the nation’s social fabric. According to the author, Trump’s presidency has created “an atmosphere of toxic stress,” inflicting damage on mental and physical health, particularly among marginalized populations. However, the author also acknowledges that the effects of toxic leadership are not unique to the United States and highlights instances in which similar phenomena have led to fractious politics, violence, and instability in other countries. To address the issue, the author encourages Americans to mobilize and challenge political figures who promote hostility and division, and to advocate for policies that promote greater equity and social cohesion. The author concludes by emphasizing the importance of solidarity, critical thinking, and empathy in countering toxic leadership and maintaining a healthy democracy.

The original article

Tag: astronomy, dark matter

According to a recent article in the New York Times, a team of astrophysicists at the University of Portsmouth has composed a list of 70 potential weapons to battle against the issue of dark matter.

The research, led by astrophysicist Salvatore Vitale, aims to identify a group of high-energy cosmic particles capable of colliding with dark matter particles and transporting them out of the cosmos. The effort is part of the larger aim of better understanding and addressing the enigmatic substance responsible for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe’s mass.

The team, which includes researchers from several other European institutions, is using a combination of theoretical calculations and computer simulations to construct the list, cross-referencing it with existing experiments and simulations previously conducted in the field. According to the article, the list includes both familiar particles like photons and less commonly studied particles like neutrinos, some of which may have energies as high as 10,000 GeV, or gigaelectron volts.

Though it targets the difficult-to-investigate realm of dark matter, the project does not involve any space missions or ground equipment, but rather an intensive computational effort involving various international teams.

The article also points out that Vitale’s research stands apart in the field. Many other researchers aim to directly detect dark matter, but Vitale’s team aims to find a new, indirect weapon – with the hope that doing so may not only illuminate dark matter, but also shed light on several other enigmatic and as-yet unexplained phenomena in the universe.

As underlined by the article, the results of the research, though unlikely to show up in any visible manifestations in our everyday lives, may provide groundbreaking insights into the fundamental workings of the universe.

The original article

/**
* Spellbound: Insider Secrets to Mastering the Spelling-Bee Circuit by Phil Hanley is a non-fiction book that provides insights into the competitive world of spellings. The book provides a unique blend of humor, history, and fun-fact based strategies to master the spelling-bee circuit. Hanley shares tricks learned from years of experience as a perennial contender for the National Bee as well as his observations as a coach. The book features colorful anecdotes spanning four decades in the spelling-bee world, such as the 1985 mispronunciation of “recanation” by Anne Tuttle, the first woman ever to reach the final round of the National Bee. The book celebrates the triumphs and pitfalls of spellings and emphasizes the powerful knowledge advantage that spelling bees offer to any student in any subject. Hanley’s expert guidance is relevant not only to students participating in spelling bees but also to anybody who seeks to master the English language. All in all, Spellbound: Insider Secrets to Mastering the Spelling-Bee Circuit is an engaging and informative book that shines a light on the fascinating yet little-known world of spellings.
*/

As language skills become increasingly important in an era of data-driven education and online communication, Spellbound: Insider Secrets to Mastering the Spelling-Bee Circuit by Phil Hanley provides valuable insights for anyone looking to strengthen their vocabulary and spelling abilities. This non-fiction book offers a unique blend of humor, history, and fun-fact based strategies to master the spelling-bee circuit. Hanley, who has years of experience as a perennial contender for the National Bee and a coach, shares tips for success that go far beyond simply memorizing lists of words. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of understanding the etymology of words, mastering prefixes and suffixes, and developing a deep understanding of common usage and spelling errors.

Hanley’s guide to mastering the spelling-bee circuit is not just a useful resource for students participating in spelling bees but also for anyone looking to improve their language skills. By emphasizing the powerful knowledge advantage that spelling bees offer to any student in any subject, Hanley illustrates how this little-known world can have far-ranging benefits for educational achievement and professional success. From celebrating the triumphs and pitfalls of spellings to sharing colorful anecdotes spanning four decades in the spelling-bee world, Hanley’s expert guidance is relevant to anyone looking to master the English language.

One of the most compelling stories in this book is the 1985 mispronunciation of “recanation” by Anne Tuttle, the first woman ever to reach the final round of the National Bee. Despite the error, Tuttle went on to become a successful lawyer and lobbyist for educational reform in Indiana. This story showcases the remarkable persistence and dedication that spelling bee participants share, qualities that can be applied to any academic or professional endeavor.

In today’s world, students typically rely on technology, such as spell-check and autocorrect, to correct errors instead of learning the proper spelling of words. Spellbound: Insider Secrets to Mastering the Spelling-Bee Circuit lays out a compelling case for why mastering the English language, specifically spelling, is more important than ever. By emphasizing the benefits of spelling bees, the book offers practical guidance for parents, teachers, and educators looking to promote language skills and academic achievement through this little-known but fascinating world.

Overall, Spellbound: Insider Secrets to Mastering the Spelling-Bee Circuit is an engaging and informative book that shines a light on the fascinating yet little-known world of spellings. Hanley’s expert guidance is relevant to anyone looking to master the English language, regardless of whether they are participating in spelling bees or not. By highlighting the remarkable persistence and dedication that spelling bee participants share and by emphasizing the powerful knowledge advantage that spelling bees offer to any student in any subject, this book offers a compelling case for why mastering the English language, specifically spelling, is more important than ever.

The original article

To recap the article from March 19, 2025, which can be accessed at https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/nyregion/nyc-subway-metro-card.html, here is a summary in WordPress tag format:
– location: New York City, United States
– subject: transportation (subway, metro card)
– keywords: transit, commuting, fare hikes, contactless payment, MTA, New York City Transit, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
– theme: urban planning, public policy, economic development, infrastructure, technology, innovation
– tone: informative, analytical, critical (investigates potential problems with new fare payment system)
– perspective: local, regional, national (affects residents, commuters, businesses, and government agencies in one of America’s largest metropolitan areas)

The MTA, the state-run transportation authority, is preparing to launch a new fare payment system called OMNY, which aims to replace the outdated MetroCard system and embrace contactless payment technology. The transition could be smoother this time around than during the dubious launch of an earlier version in 2013, which caused delays and confusion for many riders. However, there are still several issues that need to be addressed, such as high capital costs, ongoing communication infrastructure upgrades, and the risk of fare evasion or delays due to technical glitches. Taxi and ride-hailing companies criticize the MTA’s proposal to charge them a hefty fee per tap on the OMNY system, and some lawmakers and consumer advocates are demanding better protections against privacy and data security violations. The New York City Subway’s finances have been deteriorating in recent years, and the fare system is a major cost driver. The MTA is reportedly seeking to save $5.7 billion over the next five years through various cost-cutting measures, including a fare hike proposal. The MTA’s new chairman, Janno Lieber, has promised to work with lawmakers and various stakeholders to achieve these goals without compromising safety, security, and rider experience. However, some riders have expressed concerns about potential fare hikes, which could affect low-income and middle-class households disproportionately. The OMNY system could introduce new challenges and opportunities for New York City’s vibrant sharing economy, potentially expanding access and convenience for ride-hailing and delivery services, as well as creating new business opportunities and employment opportunities for tech startups and other digital economy players. Ultimately, the OMNY system’s impact on the city’s transit ecosystem remains to be seen, and its success will depend on its ability to balance both functionality and value for riders, workers, and taxpayers. By adhering to stringent principles, such as transparency, testing, training, and support, the MTA hopes to smooth the transition to the new fare payment system and minimize its impact on riders. The MTA’s new chairman, Janno Lieber, has promised to work with lawmakers and various stakeholders to achieve these goals, but it will require a collaborative and comprehensive approach to ensure the transition’s success and avoid unexpected obstacles. In conclusion, the OMNY system represents both an opportunity and a challenge for New York City’s transit ecosystem, and its success will hinge on how well the MTA and its stakeholders navigate these complexities. The OMNY system’s impact on the city’s transit ecosystem remains to be seen, and its success will depend on its ability to balance both functionality and value for riders, workers, and taxpayers.

The original article