The Iguazú National Park () is a national park of Argentina, located in the Iguazú Department, in the north of the province of Misiones, Argentine Mesopotamia. It has an area of .

History

The area of the park was inhabited 10,000 years ago by the hunter-gatherers of the Eldoradense culture. They were displaced around 1,000 CE by the Guaraní, who brought new agricultural technologies, and were displaced in turn by the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadores in the 16th century, though their legacy is still alive in this area (the name of the park and the river is Guaraní y guasu, "large water"). The first European to visit the zone was Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, in 1542; Jesuit missions followed in 1609.

The park was created in 1934 to protect one of the greatest natural beauties of Argentina, the Iguazu Falls, surrounded by the subtropical jungle.

The Iguazú National Reserve was defined by law 18.801 of 7 October 1970 as constituting the western part of the Iguazú National Park.
While the national park preserves nature with the least possible alteration, the reserve admits human activities and infrastructure.
Creation of the reserve allowed construction of an international airport and alienation of land for three tourist hotels.
Across the Iguazu River lies its Brazilian counterpart (Iguaçu National Park). Both sites were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, in 1984.

The park would be part of the proposed Trinational Biodiversity Corridor, which aims to provide forest connections between conservation units in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina in the Upper Paraná ecoregion.
The southeast of the park adjoins the  Urugua-í Provincial Park, created in 1990.

Flora and fauna

The park lies within the Alto Paraná Atlantic forests ecoregion.
The fauna of the park includes several rare and threatened species: jaguar, jaguarundi, South American tapir, ocelot, tirica, anteater, the black-fronted piping guan, the harpy eagle, and the yacare caiman. One can also find birds like the great dusky swift and large toucans, mammals like the coatí, and a diversity of butterflies. The vinaceous amazon, named for its wine-colored plumage, is occasionally found in this park.

The Iguazú River ends in the Paraná River 23 km beyond the falls, after a 1320 km course. Inside the park it becomes up to 1,500 m wide and turns first south, then north, forming a large U-shape. Its banks are densely populated by trees, including the ceibo (Cockspur coral tree), whose flower is Argentina's national flower. The flora of the park also features lapacho negro and lapacho amarillo (family Bignoniaceae), as well as palmito trees and the 40-metre-high palo rosa (family Apocynaceae).

Gallery

See also
Rainforest Ecological Train
Iguaçu National Park (Brazilian side of the park)
Iguazu Falls

References

Sources

External links

Official web site
Administración de Parques Nacionales - National Parks Administration of Argentina (in Spanish and English)
World Heritage Site

Protected areas of Misiones Province
National parks of Argentina
World Heritage Sites in Argentina
Protected areas established in 1934

Iguazú National Park


Legado del Fantasma (LdF) is a professional wrestling stable performing in WWE on the SmackDown brand. The group currently consists of leader Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro & Zelina Vega. The stable is a part of the Latino World Order (LWO)

The trio of Escobar, Wilde, and Del Toro was formed in 2020 in WWE's developmental territory, NXT, when Escobar, who at the time performed under the masked persona of El Hijo del Fantasma, turned on Drake Maverick and joined forces with Wilde and Del Toro (then known as Raul Mendoza) and unmasked himself, thus changing his ring name to "Santos Escobar" and forming Legado Del Fantasma. As part of the group in NXT, Escobar was a one-time NXT Cruiserweight Champion. From August 2021 to August 2022, Elektra Lopez served as the group's manager.

On August 16, 2022, during the NXT Heatwave special, Tony D'Angelo defeated Escobar in a street fight, and per stipulation, he had to leave NXT. The following week, Escobar took the rest of the stable with him away from NXT, except Lopez, ending their tenure on the brand. Legado Del Fantasma then debuted on the main roster nearly two months later as part of SmackDown with Zelina Vega replacing Lopez as their manager. After turning face and assisting Rey Mysterio in early 2023, Mysterio brought the group into the revived LWO stable to feud with The Judgment Day.

History

Formation and Cruiserweight title reign (2020–2021)
On the June 3, 2020 episode of NXT, El Hijo del Fantasma defeated Drake Maverick in the finals of a tournament to become the interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion due to outside interference by the two masked abductors who had attacked various cruiserweights. The following week, on NXT, Maverick congratulated Fantasma and demanded a title shot but then two masked men who had been attacking wrestlers randomly confronted the duo and then Fantasma turned on Maverick by attacking him and unmasked himself. He changed his name to "Santos Escobar" while the two masked men were revealed to be Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza. On the night one of The Great American Bash, the trio was named "Legado del Fantasma". In their first match as a team, Legado del Fantasma defeated Maverick and Breezango in a six-man tag team match on the second night of The Great American Bash.

The group was focused on ensuring that Escobar retained the Cruiserweight Championship while Wilde and Mendoza also began competing in NXT's tag team division and 205 Live. At NXT TakeOver XXX, Wilde and Mendoza competed against Breezango (Fandango and Tyler Breeze) and the team of Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch in a triple threat match to determine the #1 contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championship. The match was won by Breezango. At the night one of Super Tuesday, Legado lost to Isaiah Scott and Breezango in a street fight when Scott pinned Escobar, leading up to a match between Escobar and Scott for Escobar's Cruiserweight Championship at NXT TakeOver 31, where Wilde and Mendoza assisted Escobar in retaining the title.

In 2021, Wilde and Mendoza entered the 2021 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in which they lost to the eventual winners MSK (Nash Carter and Wes Lee) in the semifinal round. They also faced MSK and Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake and Zack Gibson) on night one of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver in a match with the Tag Team titles on the line, which MSK won. On the night two of Stand & Deliver, Wilde and Mendoza assisted Escobar in defeating the reigning Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin in a ladder match to become the undisputed Cruiserweight Champion. However, Escobar lost the title to Kushida on the April 13 episode of NXT. Escobar would fail to regain the title from Kushida in a two out of three falls match on the May 11 episode of NXT.

Introduction of Elektra Lopez and various feuds (2021–2022)
At NXT TakeOver: In Your House, Legado del Fantasma would face NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed and NXT Tag Team champions MSK in a winners take all, six man tag team match in which Legado Del Fantasma would lose the match. On the August 24 episode of NXT, Elektra Lopez made her debut, helping Legado Del Fantasma win against Hit Row. On the September 28 episode of NXT, Lopez would defeat Hit Row's B-Fab in a no disqualification match and two weeks later, Escobar would fail to win the NXT North American Championship from Scott, ending the feud (Hit Row would get drafted to SmackDown in the WWE Draft). In early 2022, Escobar would feud with NXT Champion Bron Breakker, leading to a match between the two for the NXT Championship at Vengeance Day, where Escobar lost despite interference from Dolph Ziggler. At NXT Stand & Deliver, Escobar failed to win the NXT North American Championship in a ladder match. Shortly after Stand & Deliver, Legado Del Fantasma would feud with Tony D'Angelo, the self proclaimed "Don of NXT" and his "family". At this point, they would slowly turn into faces while portraying heelish tactics. After multiple meetings and kidnappings, Escobar defeated D'Angelo on the May 17 episode of NXT. However, at In Your House on June 4, Legado Del Fantasma lost to the D'Angelo Family (Tony D'Angelo, Stacks and Two Dimes) with the losers having to join the other person's family. With Legado joining the D'Angelo Family, they would accompany each other during matches with them usually losing. On the June 21 episode of NXT, Escobar cost D'Angelo his title match against NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes. At The Great American Bash on July 5, it was revealed that Escobar was hospitalized and the other members of Legado began working with The D'Angelo Family. On the August 2 episode of NXT, Escobar returned and cost D'Angelo and Stacks their title match against The Creed Brothers, signaling that their alliance has come to an end. D'Angelo and Escobar had one final meeting the following week where they agreed to a street fight for NXT Heatwave on August 16, stating that if Escobar wins, Legado would be free from The D'Angelo Family, but if D'Angelo wins, Escobar agrees to leave NXT with Legado. At Heatwave, D'Angelo defeated Escobar, signaling the end of his time on the brand. However on the following episode of NXT, Escobar appeared in a backstage segment inside a van. He would pick up the rest of his Legado teammates, and they would drive off, signaling that the stable had left NXT.

Main roster; Latino World Order (2022–present)

On the October 7, 2022, episode of SmackDown, Legado Del Fantasma (with Zelina Vega replacing Lopez) attacked Hit Row during their entrance, marking the group's main roster debut as heels.

At the Royal Rumble on January 28, 2023, Escobar entered his first Royal Rumble match at #10, but was eliminated by Brock Lesnar while Vega entered the women's Royal Rumble match at #21 but was eliminated by Lacey Evans.

On the February 10 episode of SmackDown, Escobar competed in a fatal four-way match to determine the number #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship, which was won by Madcap Moss. After the match in an off-air exclusive, Escobar approached Rey Mysterio, who also competed in the match, and showed respect. Escobar and Mysterio exchanged masks, starting a face turn for Escobar who then became involved in Rey's feud with his son, Dominik and The Judgment Day. On the March 3 episode of SmackDown, Escobar was defeated by Dominik after interference from Rhea Ripley. After the match, Dominik tore up the mask Rey gave to Escobar, cementing his face turn. On the March 10, 2023 episode of SmackDown, as Rey was about to address his induction to the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023, he was interrupted by The Judgment Day, only for Legado Del Fantasma to show up and assist Rey, establishing the entire stable as faces. Legado Del Fantasma lost to The Judgment Day in a six-man tag team match. Since then, Rey would be associated with the group during his feud against The Judgement Day. On the 31 March episode of SmackDown, Rey reformed the Latino World Order and invited Legado Del Fantasma to join as a token of appreciation for aiding him in his fight against Dominik and The Judgement Day. On Night 1 of WrestleMania 39, Escobar, Wilde, Del Toro and Bad Bunny assisted Rey in his match against Dominik, who was assisted by Finn Bálor and Damian Priest. Rey went on to win his match against Dominik.

On the April 21 episode of SmackDown, Vega requested a match against The Judgment Day's Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women's Championship at Backlash, which was granted by WWE Official Adam Pearce. However, Vega failed to win the title from Ripley at Backlash but received a standing ovation from the hometown crowd after the match. Vega defeated Lacey Evans to qualify for the 2023 women's Money in the Bank ladder match on the June 2 episode of SmackDown. Escobar defeated Mustafa Ali to qualify for the 2023 men's Money in the Bank ladder match on the June 9 episode of SmackDown. Vega and Escobar failed to win their respective Money in the Bank ladder matches in the namesake event. Escobar and Rey will be facing each other in the United States Championship Invitational tournament finals on the July 28 episode of SmackDown, where Escobar will go on to face Austin Theory for the United States Championship after Rey suffered an injury during the tournament finals match. On the August 11 episode of SmackDown, Escobar was taken out by Theory before the match has started. Due to Escobar's injury, WWE Official Adam Pearce allowed Rey to take Escobar's place for the title match and defeated Theory to become the new United States Champion.

Members

Current

Former

Timeline

Championships and accomplishments
WWE
NXT Cruiserweight Championship (1 time) – Escobar

References

External links
Santos Escobar's WWE profile
Joaquin Wilde's WWE profile
Raul Mendoza's WWE profile
Legado Del Fantasma profile at Cagematch

WWE NXT teams and stables
WWE teams and stables

Legado Del Fantasma


Germán Rodrigo Basualdo (born 7 March 1984) is an Argentine football midfielder who plays for Deportivo Laferrere.

Career
Basualdo began his professional playing career in 2002 with Nueva Chicago making his league debut on 5 July 2003 in a 0-3 home defeat to Banfield. In 2004Nueva Chicago were relegated to the Argentine 2nd division, he remained with the club for another two seasons playing in the 2nd tier.

In 2006, he joined newly promoted Primera División debutants Tiro Federal where he was a regular first team player, but he could not help them to avoid relegation at the end of the season.

After a season with Gimnasia de La Plata between 2006 and 2007 he joined Almirante Brown of the 2nd división to help them battle against their mammoth 30 point deduction for crowd violence the previous season. Again Basualdo was a player in a relegated team but his performances were good enough to earn him a move to Spanish side  Pontevedra CF in 2008.

In 2009, he joined Chacarita Juniors and helped them to secure promotion to the Primera División.

Later in 2009 he was signed by new Argentinos Juniors manager Claudio Borghi. He did not make many first team appearances in the Apertura, but in the Clausura 2010 championship he featured in almost half of the games, helping the club to secure their first Primera División title since 1985.

Titles
Argentinos Juniors
 Argentine Primera División (1): Clausura 2010

External links

 BDFA profile

1984 births
Living people
Footballers from Buenos Aires
Argentine men's footballers
Men's association football defenders
Club Atlético Nueva Chicago footballers
Tiro Federal footballers
Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata footballers
Pontevedra CF footballers
Chacarita Juniors footballers
Argentinos Juniors footballers
Club Atlético Los Andes footballers
Deportivo Laferrere footballers
Argentine Primera División players
Primera Nacional players
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Expatriate men's footballers in Spain

Germán Basualdo


William James Sawyer (1870–1940) was born in Liverpool. Better known simply as "WJ" or Bill to friends. He was an accountant who rose to be Secretary of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal Company.
He played a prominent role in footballing circles on Merseyside over a 30-year period.
He was instrumental in the formation of South Liverpool F.C., which in 1914 played the likes of Tranmere Rovers F.C., Chester City F.C., Accrington Stanley and others. He was Hon. Secretary/Manager of Everton F.C. in 1918-19 (until stepping down due to work commitments) - steering the club through tricky times as World War I ended.
He remained on the Everton Board for a decade and chaired the Financial Committee. In 1925 he was involved in bringing Willian "Dixie" Dean to the club.
Mr Sawyer also assisted in the formation of Wigan Borough FC (forerunner of Wigan Athletic).
In 1933, he became Secretary-Manager at New Brighton A.F.C., who were South Liverpool FC, who relocated to New Brighton, guiding them to relative success over a 7-year period.

Known to be a "bon-viveur", he had twin sons in 1895 Daniel and William Herbert. William Herbert later served as President of the Everton Shareholders Federation.

WJ died on 27 June 1940 and is buried in Anfield Cemetery.

References
Rest In Pieces: South Liverpool Football Club (1894-1994), by Hyder Jawad
History of The Everton FC (1878–1928), by Thomas Keates
New Brighton - A Complete Record, by Garth Dykes
Soccerama 02: The Culture of Football, edited by Hyder Jawad

1870 births
1940 deaths
19th-century English people
20th-century English people
People from Liverpool
Everton F.C. managers
New Brighton A.F.C. managers
Burials at Anfield Cemetery

William James Sawyer


The thionyl group is SO, a sulfur atom plus an oxygen atom.

It occurs in compounds such as thionyl fluoride, SOF2.

Thionyl chloride, SOCl2, is a common reagent used in organic synthesis to convert carboxylic acids to acyl chlorides.

In organic chemistry, the thionyl group is known as a sulfoxide group or sulfinyl group, and has the general structure RS(=O)R'.

See also
Sulfuryl

References

Functional groups

Thionyl group


The Pripyat Marshes massacres () were a series of mass murders carried out by the military forces of Nazi Germany against Jewish civilians in Belarus and Ukraine, during July–August 1941. SS leader Heinrich Himmler ordered these operations, which were carried out by units of the Wehrmacht (the regular armed forces) and the Waffen-SS. These units were ordered to kill as many Jews as possible, in a region in and around the Pripyat Marshes, comprising nine raions of the Byelorussian SSR and three raions of the Ukrainian SSR.

These massacres are considered to be the first planned mass murders of civilians carried out by Nazi Germany. At least 13,788 people were killed in phase one and 3,500 Jewish men and boys were killed in phase two. The principal means of execution employed was mass shootings, after the local populace had been rounded up. Other methods were also tried, including driving people into the swamps and drowning them, though this was largely ineffective owing to their shallowness.

Among others, the villages of Dvarets, Khochan', Azyarany, Starazhowtsy and Kramno, were completely destroyed by burning and Turaw was partially destroyed.

History
The operation was ordered by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler to be conducted by the SS Cavalry Brigade, as well as the Wehrmacht's 162nd Infantry Division and 252nd Infantry Divisions, under the general command of HSSPF Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski. Beginning on 28 July 1941 and lasting until August, the operation was conducted in two stages, with the second stage beginning on 14 August. There is no data on the SS troops' losses in their reports.

Captured German documents about the operation reached the Soviet leadership in Moscow in January 1942, and were published in a note by the People's Commissariat (Ministry) for Foreign Relations, issued on 27 April. The note was addressed to all countries with which the USSR had maintained diplomatic relations. It is believed that the international publicity and shock caused by this data prompted Nazis to hide or destroy other materials concerned with this operation.

Beginning of the events
On 19 July 1941, the 1st and 2nd SS Cavalry Regiments were assigned to the general command of HSSPF von dem Bach-Zelewski for the action which took place in two stages. The beginning date of the operation is considered 28 July 1941. On that day the two SS cavalry regiments were transferred to Baranavichy for the "systematic combing of the Pripyat swamps".

Shortly thereafter, Himmler ordered the SS Cavalry Brigade to be formed under the command of Hermann Fegelein from the 1st and 2nd SS Cavalry Regiments. Also, Himmler ordered von dem Bach-Zelewski to present him with the plan of the extermination operation. The "Special order" of Himmler dated 28 July 1941 ordered von dem Bach-Zelewski to harshly exterminate the Pripyat swamps region's population "with disagreeable attitude to Germans" — to shoot men, deport women and children, confiscate livestock and food, burn habitations. On the other hand, population "showing agreeable attitude to Germans" was to be "spared" and even to be partially armed. Himmler's orders for the operation were passed to Fegelein via SS-Brigadefuhrer Kurt Knoblauch, who met with him and Bach-Zelewski on 28 July in their new quarters at Liakhovichi in Byelorussia. Fegelein interpreted these orders as follows: Enemy soldiers in uniform were to be taken prisoner, and those found out of uniform were to be shot. Jewish males, with the exception of a few skilled workers such as doctors and leather workers, would be shot. Fegelein split the territory to be covered into two sections divided by the Pripyat River, with the 1st Regiment taking the northern half and the 2nd Regiment the south. The regiments worked their way from east to west through their assigned territory, and filed daily reports on the number of people killed and taken prisoner.

Himmler notified Fegelein by telegram on 1 August that the numbers killed so far were too low. A few days later, Himmler issued regimental order no. 42, which called for all male Jews over the age of 14 to be killed. The women and children were to be driven into the swamps and drowned. Thus Fegelein's units were among the first in the Holocaust to wipe out entire Jewish communities. As the water in the swamps was too shallow and some areas had no swamps, it proved impractical to drown the women and children, so in the end they were shot as well.

The first stage
The forces of 1st SS Cavalry Regiment moved from Baranavichy in the direction of Lyakhavichy — Hantsavichy, Baranavichy — Ivatsevichy — Byaroza — Pruzhany, and "combed" the territory to the south, south-east and south-west reaching the Pripyat River. The forces of 2nd SS Cavalry Regiment moved from Lutsk in the directions of Kamen'-Kashirski — Drahichyn — Ivanava and Sarny — Luninyets — Pinsk, and searched the territory to the south and north of the Pripyat River, until making contact with 1st SS Cavalry Regiment.

Coordinating with the 2nd SS Cavalry Regiment's move, Einsatzgruppe B conducted the mass extermination of the Jewish population in Pinsk. Besides that, several elements of the 1st and 2nd SS Cavalry Regiments formed the leading force to block Soviet forces which broke out of the encirclement in the vicinity of Slutsk—Babruysk highway on 27 July.

The second stage
The forces of the SS Cavalry Brigade moved from the initial line of Baranavichy — Luninyets railroad to the east, conducting the "cleansing" of the right and left banks of the Pripyat River keeping south of the highway R-1 (Brest — Slutsk — Babruysk).

In the course of this stage, the 2nd Regiment fought one or two battalions of the Soviet regular and irregular troops on 21 August 1941 near Turaw. According to the report of 29 August, the brigade's losses were 23 dead and wounded, and the losses of Soviet troops were from 600 to 700 dead and 10 prisoners.

In the course of following days the 1st Regiment combed the region of Starobin — Lyuban — Ptsich, and the 2nd Regiment advanced to the east of the line of Kol'na — Lyakhavichy (Knyaz'-Vozyera) towards the Ptsich River. The second stage of the operation ended on either 29 August or 31 August. Fegelein's final report on the operation, dated 18 September, states that they killed 14,178 Jews, 1,001 partisans, and 699 Red Army soldiers with losses of 17 dead, 36 wounded, and 3 missing. The historian Henning Pieper estimates the actual number of Jews killed being closer to 23,700.

Notes

References
 (Lazyebnikaw and Pase) Лазебнікаў В. С., Пасэ У. С. Прыпяцкія балоты // Belarusian Soviet Encyclopedia, V.8. p. 604.
 (Litvin 2003) Литвин Алексей. Убийцы // Советская Белоруссия No.226 (21892), 3.12.2003. — Newspaper's archive in the net.

 (Turonek) Jerzy Turonek. Białoruś pod okupacją niemiecką. Warszawa—Wrocław: WERS, 1989. 186 p., ill.

Anti-partisan operations of World War II
The Holocaust in Belarus
The Holocaust in Ukraine
Massacres in 1941
Military operations of World War II involving Germany
War crimes of the Waffen-SS
War crimes of the Wehrmacht

Pripyat Marshes massacres


James E. Rogers (September 15, 1938 – June 14, 2014) was an American entrepreneur and former attorney. He served as interim chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education and the University of Arizona College of Law carries his name.

Biography

Early life and education
Rogers was a 1956 graduate of Las Vegas High School. He had degrees in accounting (B.S.) and law (LL.B.) from the University of Arizona and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Southern California. He was a teaching fellow in the law school of the University of Illinois in 1963 and 1964. In 1998 he was awarded a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) from the University of Arizona. Rogers holds honorary doctorates from University of Arizona, Idaho State University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Carroll College and University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He was also a member of the State Bar Associations of Nevada, Arizona and California.

Career
He was the founder of Valley Broadcasting Company in 1971 and had served as the company's chief executive officer from 1979 to 2014 on KVBC-TV (now KSNV), the NBC affiliate in Las Vegas, The station went on the air as KLRJ-TV on channel 2 on January 23, 1955, licensed to Henderson and owned by the Donrey Media Group (now Stephens Media LLC) along with the Las Vegas Review-Journal and KORK radio (920 AM; now KBAD). Soon after, the station changed its calls to KORK-TV, matching its radio sister, and moved its license and studios to Las Vegas. The station became a primary affiliate of NBC, but carried other networks as well. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network.

In 1967, KORK-TV moved to channel 3 to avoid interference with newly signed-on KTVN in Reno, Nevada.

From 1971 onward, a group of local residents led by Las Vegas attorney James E. "Jim" Rogers made an effort to take control of KORK. The group gained further momentum in the late 1970s after Donrey began heavily preempting NBC programming in order to sell more local advertising, though NBC was far less tolerant of this than the other networks at the time. The most notable of these preemptions was the 1978 World Series, angering both NBC and several Las Vegas area viewers, some of whom complained to the Federal Communications Commission. Facing pressure from both NBC and the FCC, Donrey was forced to sell the station to the Rogers group's holding company, Valley Broadcasting Company, in 1979. Donrey retained KORK radio, and as a result on October 1, 1979, the station became KVBC, reflecting the new ownership. Since then, the station has more or less cleared the whole NBC lineup.

Rogers owns 98% of the stock of Sunbelt Communications Company (now Intermountain West Communications Company), which owns and operates the NBC affiliate television stations in Las Vegas, Reno and Elko, Nevada; Yuma, Arizona-El Centro, California; Helena, Montana; Pocatello-Idaho Falls, Idaho; Casper, Wyoming; and the Fox affiliate in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Rogers was in active law practice in Las Vegas from 1964 through 1988, at which time he ceased practicing to devote 100% of his time to the development of the television and radio stations of Sunbelt.

Rogers became a member of the Board of Directors of Nevada National Bank in 1981 (the third largest bank in Nevada), served as a member of the bank's Loan Committee for ten years and was chairman of the board from 1985 to 1987. He was involved in the purchase of Nevada National Bank by Security Pacific Bank of California in 1989, and served on the board of directors of Security Pacific Bank, Nevada until it was purchased by Bank of America. He was a founder and served on the board of directors of Community Bank of Nevada, and was chairman of its Loan Committee until he left that bank to form Nevada First Bank in 1998. He is a founder and presently serves as the chairman of the board of Nevada First Bank.

Rogers was appointed by the Board of Regents to serve as the UCCSN's Interim Chancellor on May 7, 2004.

Philanthropic activity
An active supporter of education, he and his wife, Beverly, have made substantial financial contributions to various colleges and universities.  Their gift to the University of Arizona College of Law totaled $115 million. In November 1998, the Arizona Board of Regents renamed the University of Arizona college of Law James E. Rogers College of Law.

Active in all the communities in which Sunbelt has television stations, Rogers serves as a member of the Dean's Advisory Council of the University of Nevada, Engineering College in Reno, Nevada (to which he has given or pledged $750,000); is a member of the Dean's Council of the UNLV College of Law in Las Vegas (to which he has given or pledged $28,500,000); and is a member and President-Elect of the Idaho State University Foundation in Pocatello, Idaho  (to which he has given or pledged $20 million). Sunbelt has constructed a building on the campus of Great Basin Community College in Elko, Nevada at a cost to Sunbelt of approximately $1.25 million.  This building formerly housed the studios for KENV-DT, along with classrooms for teaching communications.

Marriage and children
He was married to Beverly Barlow. Jim Rogers had 3 children from a previous marriage: Suzanne Rogers Plant, Kimberly Rogers Cell, and Perry Rogers; and eight grandchildren.

He announced in early 2014 that when he died (June 14, 2014), his wife, Beverly, would take over ownership of the television stations. The flagship station was later sold to Sinclair Broadcast Group which effectively made Intermountain West Communications Company as a defunct company.

References

External links

1938 births
2014 deaths
American mass media owners
Lawyers from Louisville, Kentucky
Deaths from cancer
Nevada lawyers
People from the Las Vegas Valley
Carroll College (Montana) alumni
Idaho State University alumni
Kentucky Wesleyan College alumni
University of Arizona alumni
USC Gould School of Law alumni
Businesspeople from Louisville, Kentucky
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American lawyers
Philanthropists from Kentucky
Philanthropists from Nevada

James E. Rogers (attorney)


The Third League of Prizren or the Third Prizren League or the "League of Prizren" in Exile  was an organisation founded by a group of nationalist Albanians in United States in 1946 and renewed by the initiative of the CIA in 1962 in order to organize and coordinate activities aimed to creation of the Greater Albania. One of its members was Hisen Trpeza.

After Yugoslavia was confronted with Comintern in 1948, Albania was directly involved in combined propagandist and diversion fight against Yugoslavia. Armaments which were transported from Albania to Kosovo presented significant danger and was forcibly collected in period 1954–1957. One of the presidents of the league was Tahir Zaimi.

In 1966 Xhafer Deva merged Kosovaret and Third League of Prizren and became its leader. He remained its president until his death in 1978. Sigurimi infiltrated its men into the Third League of Prizren because they shared the same objectives in case of Yugoslavia. The official magazine of the organization was published under the name "Lidhja e Prizrenit" (). Robert Elsie stated that organization of 1960's was a re-creation of the new Second League of Prizren. Yugoslav authorities imprisoned and trialed some members of the league and sentenced them to prison. One of declassified documents of CIA confirm that one of the imprisoned and trialed members of the league was agent of CIA. The Third League of Prizren and the Free Kosovo National Committee agreed on a joint struggle in 1978.

See also
 League of Prizren
 Second League of Prizren
 Balli Kombëtar

References

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Albanian nationalism
Modern history of Kosovo
Albanian militant groups
Kosovo Serbs
Kosovo Albanians
Albania–Yugoslavia relations
League of Prizren

Third League of Prizren


Michael Carl George (1957 – February 6, 1997) was an American murderer, kidnapper, child molester and possible serial killer who is best known for the murder of teenager Alexander Sztanko, which he committed after being released from prison on an involuntary manslaughter conviction relating to the similar death of another youth in 1979. His first victim's body has never been found, and after his final arrest, George reportedly confessed to killing a third victim who, if real, was never discovered. Convicted and sentenced to death for the Sztanko murder, he was executed in 1997.

Early life and death of Larry Perry
Relatively little is known about George's life. He was born in 1957 in Hartwood, Virginia, and reportedly tortured animals while growing up. As he grew older, he started taking interest in young boys and was always in the company of young men.

On May 22, 1979, George lured 9-year-old Larry Wayne Perry away from his grandparents' home in Dumfries, whereupon he is believed to have killed him and buried his body in a ravine.

Initially, Perry's disappearance was not treated with urgency. After he failed to return home, Perry's family set out to search for him, but failed to locate him. George was first questioned about the case the day after Perry's disappearance, as he drove a blue/white Ford Bronco similar to the vehicle of a stranger who was last seen in Perry's company. Whilst George claimed he had briefly talked to the boy, he claimed no involvement in the disappearance, and as he was not considered a prime suspect and the police had no solid evidence against him, he was let go.

Over the next few weeks, George offered to participate in the searches and even drove Perry's grandfather, John, around in his car. In later interviews, the grandfather noted that the car was spotless, that he had seen a gun in the front seat and that he generally felt uncomfortable being around George. In the following two years, despite using sniffer dogs and asking George to undergo a polygraph test, whose results were inconclusive, they had no leads in the case.

In August 1982, however, authorities received an anonymous tip that George was involved in Perry's disappearance, and not long after, he turned himself in and changed his story. In this version, he claimed that he and the boy had gone target shooting near the power lines between the I-95 and State Route 234. George claimed that he had placed his gun on the hood of the Bronco and got out to set some targets, and while his back was turned, Perry supposedly accidentally shot himself. Fearing that he would be arrested for murder, George left the area and returned later that night, where he dragged the body deeper in the woods, placed it in a ravine and covered it with leaves and branches.

George was soon indicted by a grand jury on charges of murder, abduction and failure to provide medical care to a minor, but as prosecutor Paul Ebert believed he would be unable to secure a conviction, he offered to make a plea deal with the defense. As a result, George pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and abduction, and was thusly sentenced to five years imprisonment for the manslaughter charge and ten years suspended sentence on the abduction charge. Ebert later claimed that the decision to make the plea deal was made due to the fact that they had no body or witnesses; their sole piece of evidence being George's confessions, and the fact that no case without a body had been successfully prosecuted in Prince William County at the time.

Despite attempts from state prison officials to keep George incarcerated as long as they could, denying him parole on least two occasions, he was released after serving only two years and a half of his sentence due to good behavior and time served while awaiting trial.

Murder of Alexander Sztanko
After his release, George returned to his native Stafford County, where he was hired to work as a computer operator. Over the following four years, his behavior turned drastically more violent and sexual, as he resorted to soliciting teenage boys to perform sexual acts and photographing unsuspecting youths, whose photographs he kept in his room. He is also said to have written stories containing fantasies of young boys being chased by evil creatures. Authorities in Stafford County also investigated him for a series of abductions of teenage boys, all of whom claimed that a "Rambo-like character" dressed in full camouflage gear kidnapped and dragged them inside the woods, where he handcuffed and tortured them with stun guns.

On June 16, 1990, 15-year-old Alexander Eugene Sztanko left his parents' home in Woodbridge to go trail riding with some friends. Along the way, he was abducted by George and dragged deeper into the forest, where he was handcuffed to a nearby tree. After this, George proceeded to sexually assault and torture Sztanko – this consisting mostly of cutting him with a machete on various parts of the body and beating him, but also included using the stun gun's electro shocks on his genitalia. Sztanko eventually began to cry for help, which prompted George to pull out a Beretta 92 he was carrying with him and shoot him once in the head, killing him instantly. After collecting all of his equipment, George left the crime scene, leaving the body tied to the tree.

Arrest, confessions and investigation
George was arrested on the following day for trespassing, claiming that he was hunting turkey. He was quickly lodged into a local jail and a search was conducted of his house, where officers found loaded weapons, boxes of ammunition, two pistol clips, $155 in cash, safes containing undisclosed papers and numerous photographs of young teenage boys. Later that same day, Sztanko's body was found by police, not far from the location George claimed he had buried Perry in more than a decade prior. The day after, he was transferred to the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center, where he was to await charges for murder without bond.

George denied responsibility for the crime, but an examination of spent shell casings from the pistol recovered from his home conclusively established that it was the murder weapon. As a result, he was indicted for capital murder before a grand jury in August. A delegate following the case, William J. Howell, planned to file legislation classifying sexual assault and torture as capital crimes, as it was discovered that the prosecutors could only seek a death sentence if they could prove George had stolen something from his victim. While awaiting trial, George confessed to his cellmate that he had shot Sztanko because he was screaming too loudly – the inmate later relayed this to the authorities.

In October 1990, Paul Ebert, who was still employed as the commonwealth's attorney, claimed in both interviews and statements addressed to the courts that George admitted to killing not only Perry and Sztanko, but a third victim he would not name. Little is known of this purported third victim, aside from George's claims that he picked him up from a McDonald's in Woodbridge and that the killing had occurred within the last ten years. Despite inquiries from both Stafford and Prince William Counties into cold cases, accompanied by a separate investigation by authorities in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where George had spent some time, no case matched the one described by the accused. Because of this, George was not prosecuted for this alleged offense, and tried only for Sztanko's murder.

Trial, imprisonment and execution
Due to the overwhelming amount of evidence against him, George was swiftly tried, convicted and sentenced to death for murdering Sztanko. His original execution date was scheduled for mid-April 1993, but was rescheduled after he was granted a stay by the Supreme Court of Virginia to file another appeal. Both this and a subsequent appeal to the SCOTUS were denied.

George's execution was rescheduled for 1995, but was delayed yet again after he and his attorneys filed a motion to the Supreme Court arguing that prosecutors did not conclusively prove that he had killed Sztanko during the course of a robbery. The appeal was denied by a federal judge later that same year, and in 1996, a federal court upheld his conviction.

A third and final execution date for George was scheduled for February 6, 1997. This time, all of his appeals and motions were denied by the relevant courts, allowing his execution to proceed. Some newspapers remarked that this was one of the fastest proceedings since the state resumed executions in the 1980s – at the time, 15 of the 49 inmates on Virginia's death row had been imprisoned longer than George. On the aforementioned date, George was executed via lethal injection at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt. He offered no final statement.

See also
 Capital punishment in Virginia
 List of people executed by lethal injection
 List of people executed in Virginia

References

External links
 George v. Angelone (1996)
 Larry Perry case on NamUs, The Doe Network and The Charley Project

1957 births
1997 deaths
20th-century executions of American people
20th-century executions by Virginia
American kidnappers
American male criminals
American murderers of children
American people convicted of manslaughter
American people executed for murder
Child sexual abuse in the United States
Executed people from Virginia
People convicted of murder by Virginia
People executed by Virginia by lethal injection
People from Stafford County, Virginia
Violence against children
Violence against men in North America
Executed suspected serial killers

Michael Carl George


Mutumwa Dziva Mawere (born January 11, 1960 in Bindura, Zimbabwe), is a Zimbabwean-South African businessman with interests in mining, manufacturing and agro industries, financial services (banking and insurance), telecommunications, publishing, investment holdings, transport and logistics, and international trading, among others. He has created businesses and turned around enterprises that have become Pan African and global players, most notably Africa Resources Limited (ARL) which was one of the most powerful and influential corporations in Zimbabwe's history.

Background

Mawere was educated in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, the United Kingdom and the United States, obtaining a Master of Science (Management) and an MBA (Finance & Investments) degree. Among his first employers were the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe and the Merchant Bank of Central Africa. In 1988, he joined the World Bank, where he rose to become a Senior Investment Officer with the International Finance Corporation. In 1995, he became a resident of South Africa, obtaining citizenship in 2002.

Business empire
In 1996, he acquired Zimbabwe's sole asbestos mining company Shabanie Mashaba Mines (SMM), branching out through all of Zimbabwe's economy. His rise was accompanied by allegations of improper support by politicians from the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), especially in connection with government guarantees for a US$60 million loan used in the purchase of SMM. Mawere denied these claims, saying that purchase payments were guaranteed for by a deposit of shares of the mining company instead.

Demise of business empire
In 2004, Mawere's business empire came under government scrutiny, and allegations of prejudicing the state of more than Z$300 billion were raised by the authorities. In May, Zimbabwean authorities asked for Mawere's extradition from South Africa, but failed. Since then, by presidential decree major parts of his businesses came under government control. According to Mawere, his businesses' funds were used to repay due International Monetary Fund bonds.

Columnist
Since his businesses were seized, Mawere has written a number of articles about the situation in Zimbabwe, starting with his own situation and a vindication of his past business deals. His op-eds have appeared in several online news websites that cater to Zimbabweans scattered across the world.

See also
Gideon Gono
Jonathan Moyo

References

External links
Mawere's blog
Mawere's Official Website

Zimbabwean businesspeople
Living people
1960 births
People with acquired South African citizenship
Rhodesian people
South African businesspeople
Zimbabwean emigrants to South Africa

Mutumwa Mawere


Tinure () is a small village and townland in the parish of Monasterboice, County Louth, Ireland. The official spelling of the village's name is Tinure (which is derived from Tigh an Iúir) however it is also sometimes referred to as "Tenure".

Tinure is predominantly rural in character, although there has been some new housing constructed in recent years. It falls within the scope of Drogheda Town, to its south, and Dunleer Town, to its north, which provide employment for many of the village's residents. There is a small business park located on the northern edge of the village, with a number of services firms on site. The village population increased from 296 inhabitants as of the 2002 census, to 464 as of the 2016 census.  The population is almost evenly distributed between male and female, male at 230 and female at 234. This growth can be largely attributed to its proximity to the M1 motorway, which has improved transport linkages to the locality.

Tinure is known for its Roman Catholic Church, The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, which was constructed in 1894. It is located on the main junction of the five roads that intersect the village.

See also
 List of towns and villages in Ireland

References

Towns and villages in County Louth
Townlands of County Louth

Tigh an Iúir


Juan Fernández, nicknamed El Labrador, was a Spanish Baroque painter active between 1629 and 1636, specializing in still life painting.

Biography
Fernández was an enigmatic painter, who lived away from the court and turned to painting flowers and fruits, especially grapes as inventories collecting paintings of the time, a task with which he reached international reputation. Art historian Antonio Palomino, devoted a few lines to "Juan Labrador Painter Illustrious", supposing him to be a disciple of Luis de Morales and who died in Madrid, very old, around 1600.

Sir Arthur Hompton, secretary to Sir Francis Cottington, British diplomat at the court of Madrid, evident in his correspondence (1629-1635) was requested to acquire works of the painter, a task not without difficulty. Hopton stated in February 1635 that he had encouraged Fernández on occasion to paint flowers, and that "If they are as good as his fruits, his lordship must send for some of them". At least two works of the painter came to Charles I of England, one of which, Still life with grapes, quince and nuts, still belongs to the British Royal Collection, which appeared in 1639 and inventoried. This oil painting, along with a vase in private collection signed "the farmer Ju ° fernandez 1636" are the only works that can confidently be considered from his hand, from which it has been possible to establish a style and attribute new works. Documentation shows Still life with four bunches of grapes for sale pieças de Uvas Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington, British ambassador in Madrid between 1629 and 1631.

Fernández was Caravaggisti in style. He put his objects on black backgrounds and used light directed to those objects, chiaroscuro style, described with almost Flemish detail, emphasizing its humble appearance. His international standing was completed with the arrival of one of his paintings to the French court to Anne of Austria, sister of Philip IV of Spain and wife of Louis XIII of France.

In addition to the works with grapes, there were references to other fruits and flowers and even a landscape ('Payssico three quarters of high and average width Bara bunches of Ubas and some apricots (...) Labrador ") in the collection of Francisco Gonzalez Cossio, knight of Santiago, according to the inventory that it was made in 1671, which seems to indicate, despite the almost total absence of spatial references in his works known in his painting was not confined to the still lifes. In the meticulous inventory of the New Palace, in 1747, it is mentioned a philosopher portrait attribution to Labrador, which is undoubtedly the Philosopher writing, from the royal collection deposited by the Museo del Prado at the University of Seville.

References
 Aterido, Angel (2013). Juan Fernandez Labrador. Still lifes (exhibition catalog). Madrid: Prado Museum. .
 Museo del Prado (1995). The beauty of the real. Vases and still lifes at the Museo del Prado 1600-1800. Catalogue of the exhibition. Madrid: Publyco S. A. .
 Palomino, Antonio (1988). The pictorial museum optical scale III. The picturesque Spanish Parnassus laureate. Madrid: Aguilar S. A. Editions. .
 Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso E. (1983). Spanish Painting still life and vases from 1600 to Goya. Prado Museum, exhibition catalog. Madrid: Ministry of Culture. .
 Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso E. (1992). Baroque Painting in Spain 1600-1750. Madrid: Ediciones Chair S. A. .
 Portus, ed., Javier (2006). The real faked. Spanish Still Life Naseiro collection purchased for the Prado. Madrid: Prado Museum. Catalogue of the exhibition. .

Year of birth unknown
Year of death unknown
17th-century Spanish painters
Spanish male painters
Spanish Baroque painters

Juan Fernández el Labrador


The Laverton Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows Laverton Creek in the outer western suburbs of Laverton and Altona in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The southern part of the trail is now suitable for roadbikes.

Following the Path
The Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail crosses the Laverton Creek over a long wooden footbridge, some 0.5 km from the river mouth. The Laverton creek trail starts at this point. Head upstream - either side can be used  - with a concrete path on the north side and an old track on the south side. If using the north side, cross to the south side of the creek, when the first road bridge at Queen St is encountered.

Cross Queen St on the south side of the creek. The path is mainly concrete which previously had an intervening rough gravel section that became submerged in wet conditions, however the concreting of this section has now been completed. The path appears to come to an end at the juncture of Railway Ave and Merton St, 2.5 km from Queen St.

Take to the road and cross under the railway line, along Merton St, over the rough bluestone surface. Immediately turn left (SW) and take to the rough dirt track parallel to the railway line amongst the weeds. 250m later the path goes directly under the Princes Highway. Out the other side, in Watts St, turn right (north) parallel to the highway. This quiet street leads to the east end of McCormick Park. A path soon appears that leads to the west end of McCormick Park at Bladin St.

From Bladin St, the Federation Trail can be reached via Wackett St, Old Geelong Rd and Lawrie Emmins Reserve. This route takes a very rough track past a motocross course and an archery range, both located in Lawrie Emmins Reserve - not highly recommended.

Connections
Dead end in the north west at Bladin St and McCormick Park. It is possible, with some ingenuity, to traverse to the Federation Trail from McCormick Park. Laverton station can be reached using Bladin St or Watt St.

The path connects to the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail in the south west.

West end at .
East end at .

References

External links
 Hobsons Bay council - map

Bike paths in Melbourne

Laverton Creek Trail


Lao script is the writing system used to write the Lao language. It is based on the Khmer script. Since the Thai script was also based on the Khmer script, Lao script is very similar. Like Thai, it is an abugida, it has tone markers, and it has three classes of consonants that decides the tone of syllables. However, it is different from the Thai script because it has fewer consonants and the characters are much curvier than Thai, which are more angular. It also does not have the extra letters from Sanskrit and Pali like Thai does. The Lao script has 27 consonant letters, 7 consonant ligatures, 33 vowel markers, and 4 tone markers.

References

Writing systems
Lao language

Lao script


"The Birdbot of Ice-Catraz" is the fifth episode in the  third season of the American animated television series Futurama, and the 37th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 4, 2001. The episode was written by Dan Vebber and directed by James Purdum.  Phil Hendrie guest stars in the episode as Free Waterfall Sr.

Plot
Professor Farnsworth gives the crew an "extremely controversial" mission: towing a dark matter tanker through the solar system, and dangerously near a penguin nature preserve on Pluto in order to avoid a tollbooth. Leela refuses to take part, so the Professor makes Bender the new captain. Leela joins the protesters from Penguins Unlimited.

After initially failing to stop the tanker, Leela and the protesters race ahead to intercept the tanker at Pluto.  Meanwhile, aboard the Planet Express ship, Bender lets his new power go to his head. Fry gets fed up with Bender's captaining, and rejects both his leadership and friendship. A distraught Bender goes on a sobriety binge, and takes the tanker on an erratic course over Pluto. The tanker collides with an iceberg, and spills dark matter across the landscape.

For his part in the disaster, Bender is sentenced to community service, cleaning up the spill alongside the Penguins Unlimited environmentalists.  However, when the police officers supervising his work are distracted by a round of friendly hugging, Bender dons a tuxedo and blends into the colony of penguins.

Leela sets off to search Pluto for Bender, while Fry inexplicably decides to take the Planet Express ship and search for Bender in space. That night, Bender is mauled by an orca, and the damage causes him to shut down.  When he reboots, his boot loader reinitializes him with penguin-like behaviors.

Back at the Penguins Unlimited facility, it is announced that the dark matter has dramatically increased the penguins' reproductive speed. Whereas one penguin usually lays one egg a year, the penguins (both males and females) are now laying eggs at a rate of six eggs every fifteen minutes, which go on to hatch in 12 hours. In order to save the penguins from mass starvation, penguin hunting season is declared. A reluctant Leela agrees to take part; but her first shot hits Bender in the head, causing him to reboot into his normal personality.

When the hunters arrive, Bender leads a large force of penguins in an assault. After the penguins succeed in driving off the hunters, Bender takes off his tuxedo.  Unfortunately, since he had taught the penguins to hate anything that was not a penguin ("If it ain't black and white, peck, scratch and bite"), he and Leela come under attack.  The penguins corner them on a floating slab of ice, but Fry arrives in the ship to save them.  When it lands on the ice, it tips the block, sending the penguins sliding into the gaping mouth of a hungry orca. Leela and Bender board the ship, and everyone returns to Earth. Leela reasons that nature will set things right. Two penguins pick up guns left behind by the hunters and cock them at each other in a threatening manner.

Continuity
When Bender first reboots, he is initialized as "Penguin" because his display sees penguins. When Bender reboots later after being shot by Leela, he is initialized as "Human" because he sees Leela. This is another clue that Leela is a human mutant and not an alien (as is revealed in the season 4 episode, "Leela's Homeworld"). In season 7's "Forty Percent Leadbelly", as Dr. Beeler is browsing through Bender's file system, his Penguin Personality folder is shown next to his Main Personality folder.
In the beginning of the episode while the professor is going over the mission, he points out the path using the "fing-longer". season 2 "Anthology of Interest I"

Cultural references
 The episode is a parody of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, with the dark matter tanker named the Juan Valdez; also referencing the Colombian coffee mascot.
 The fictional conservation agency depicted as Penguins Unlimited is a parody of the actual agency Ducks Unlimited, sharing the same criticism that the organization exists to merely fulfill the members' interest in hunting.
 The title of this episode is a reference to Robert Stroud, who was known as the Birdman of Alcatraz.
 Bender's speech to the penguins as they attack is a reference to Winston Churchill's famous "We shall fight on the beaches" speech.
The scene where the killer whale tips the slab of ice to eat the penguins is a reference to the final scene of the 1977 film Orca.
When Bender suffers an electric shock upon landing head-first on a slab of ice after being attacked by an orca, he whistles one of R2-D2's signature beeps.
During his state of sobriety, Bender can be heard singing "Greenland Whale Fisheries".

Broadcast and reception
In its original airing, the episode was number 75 for the week and received a 4.9 rating share. In 2006, the episode was ranked by IGN.com as number 22 in their list of the Top 25 Futurama episodes, noting Free Waterfall Sr. and the penguin overpopulation in particular as the funniest parts of the episode.

References

External links

The Birdbot of Ice-Catraz at The Infosphere.

Futurama (season 3) episodes
2001 American television episodes
Fiction set on Pluto

The Birdbot of Ice-Catraz


Minute to Win It is an American television game show which features contestants playing simple games with common household items in an attempt to win a cash prize. The series originally ran on NBC with host Guy Fieri and was revived in 2013 on Game Show Network (GSN) with Apolo Ohno presenting the show.

The series premiered on NBC on March 14, 2010, airing the first two episodes back-to-back. A second season began on December 7, 2010. On May 13, 2012, NBC announced that the show would not be renewed for a third season. On February 4, 2013, GSN green-lit a revival of the series, and the first season began airing on June 25, 2013. A second season of the GSN version premiered on February 25, 2014.

Gameplay
Contestant(s) are presented with a blueprint for the first challenge (level) and must successfully complete a game within 1 minute to move past the first level and advance to the next level. The challenges are games that require contestants to perform tasks with various household items (such as releasing a balloon's air to blow a certain number of plastic cups off of a table, or rolling marbles at an upright-standing pencil in order to knock it over). Contestants who can complete all ten challenges win the show's top prize ($1,000,000 in the NBC version & $250,000 in the GSN version).

The difficulty of the games progressively increases throughout the show. If time expires or the conditions of the game cannot be fulfilled (such as exhausting any allotted attempts or breaking a rule, the contestant(s) loses a "life", three of which are provided throughout the game. Contestant(s) who lose all three of their lives have their game end and their winnings drop to the previous milestone they passed. After successfully completing a game, contestants can leave with the amount of money already won before seeing the blueprint for their next level. If they elect to play the game, however, they cannot walk away until that level is complete or they have exhausted all three of their lives.

Episodes featuring celebrity contestants competing for charities and teams of two contestants tweak these rules slightly. In celebrity episodes, all levels are milestones, while in episodes featuring teams of two contestants, some games are played by both, while others are played solo and lives are shared between the two contestants with the same rules applying. A contestant can only make three consecutive attempts at solo games (including re-attempts following losing a life; an intervening team game does not reset this count). After a contestant makes three attempts, the other contestant is forced to attempt the next solo game.

Special editions
Besides celebrity specials(with every level bankable) and editions featuring teams, other special editions have been conducted by the NBC version of the series. To begin the show's second season, three special Christmas-themed episodes were produced and aired in December 2010. Two extra games were added, with the 11th game worth $2,000,000 and the 12th game worth $3,000,000. In addition, some games contained a "Holiday Bonus," in which a contestant won a gift if the level is passed. A visual representation of the gift was placed inside of a box, which was opened if and when the level was successfully completed. The gifts included an extra life, an extra ten seconds to be used during a challenge, or a bonus prize.

The series also featured other episodes that featured twists to the regular format. In "Head to head" matches, two teams of two players compete against each other in a best-of-seven match. Winning a challenge earns the team a point; the first team to four points wins a guaranteed $50,000 and a chance to play for the million starting from Level 6 with three lives remaining. Some head-to-heads featured a best of three, with the winner starting at level 2 or 3 depending on when they won. In "Last Man Standing" episodes, 10 contestants play against each other; the one with the worst result at the end of the challenge is eliminated. This continues until there is one contestant left. The winner wins $100,000 and plays a million-dollar game for a chance to win the top prize. In addition, during a few summer episodes, one member of the audience would be selected to play a million-dollar game towards the end of an episode.

Payout structure

Successfully completing a level is worth a specific cash prize. Contestants who successfully complete levels on milestones (prize amounts in bold) are guaranteed to leave with no less than the cash award at that level should they fail any later stunts. Gold indicates the top prize. Dark Green indicates that the challenge was the Christmas level 11 or 12 and a milestone.

Added midway in season 1 of NBC version.

Added early in season 2.

Production

About two years before the series premiered on NBC, Guy Fieri's agent, who had attended a meeting in France, contacted him, pitching to him the idea of hosting the show. Fieri was eventually chosen to host the series, and the show premiered with two back-to-back episodes on March 14, 2010, airing 27 new episodes through September of that year. The second season, which consisted of 41 episodes, began on December 7, 2010, with a Christmas special. Executive producers for the NBC versions included Craig Plestis, Tim Puntillo, Mattias Olsson, Jock Millgårdh and Estelle Bodén. On May 13, 2012, NBC canceled the series, electing not to renew it for a third season.

Shortly after the NBC version's cancelation, reruns of Minute to Win It began airing on Game Show Network (GSN) July 24, 2012. Citing the NBC version's ratings success in reruns, the network announced plans to produce a revival of the series on February 4, 2013. The GSN version was hosted by American speed skating champion Apolo Ohno, with Michael Binkow serving as executive producer. The first season premiered on June 25, 2013, although a full episode sneak preview was shown on May 23, 2013. The series then went on a short hiatus, returning to air new episodes (advertised as a second season) February 25, 2014.

Reception
In a pre-broadcast review, CinemaBlend's Kelly West praised Fieri's "enthusiastic" performance and his ability to interact well with contestants. West also noted that the show could do well with families and viewers who have a preference to non-intellectual game shows; however, West criticized the challenges for needing "little to no skill" to accomplish. In October 2010, Minute to Win It was awarded the C21/Frapa Award for best "studio based game show" format at the MIPCOM Television Festival in France.

Alyssa Davis of Hollywood Junket called the GSN version of the series "decent;" however, she also provided some slight criticism of Ohno's hosting, arguing that while "he is likable," his "personality is not strong enough to host a game show."

Ratings
The NBC version's ratings were generally average, with episodes toward both the beginning and end of the series' run generally earning between five and six million viewers. Ratings for the GSN version were slightly better than average for the network's standards. The May sneak preview earned 452,000 viewers, while the first two new episodes debuted to a combined total of 875,000 viewers, with 525,000 at 8:00 and 350,000 at 9:00. The GSN version would later climb to a series high of 596,000 viewers on August 6, 2013, while serving as a lead-in to the series premiere of The Chase.

Merchandise
The first licensed merchandise for the series was a video game produced by Zoo Entertainment, which was released for the Nintendo DS, Wii, Kinect for Xbox 360, and iOS devices on November 2, 2010. In May 2011, NBCUniversal agreed to a deal with Wendy's allowing the restaurant to release kid's meal toys based on five challenges seen on the actual show. Other home versions based on the series' format include a board game and card game format of the show, both released by Mattel in 2011 and 2012 respectively, and an "Ultimate Party Pack" released by Sportscraft featuring many of the game's challenges. A summer and holiday activity guide were also released.

See also
Beat the Clock
The Cube

References

External links
 (NBC, at the Wayback Machine)
 (GSN, at the Wayback Machine)
 (NBC)
 (GSN)

Minute to Win It
2010 American television series debuts
2011 American television series endings
2013 American television series debuts
2014 American television series endings
2010s American game shows
Game Show Network original programming
NBC original programming
Television series by Universal Television
Television series by Endemol
American television series revived after cancellation

Minute to Win It (American game show)


Deborah Ann Greer "Debbie" Stabenow (born April 29, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Michigan, a seat she has held since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, she became the state's first female U.S. senator after winning the 2000 election.

Before her election to the Senate, Stabenow was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Michigan's 8th congressional district from 1997 to 2001. Previously, she served on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners and in the Michigan State Legislature.

Stabenow was reelected to Senate in 2006, 2012, and 2018. She became the state's senior U.S. senator upon Carl Levin's retirement in 2015. Stabenow chaired the Senate Agriculture Committee from 2011 to 2015 and again since 2021. She became chair of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee in 2017. At the start of the 118th Congress, Stabenow became the dean of the Michigan congressional delegation, upon the retirement of Representative Fred Upton. In January 2023, she announced that she would not seek reelection in 2024.

Early life, education, and early career
Stabenow was born in Gladwin, Michigan, the daughter of Anna Merle (née Hallmark) and Robert Lee Greer. She grew up in Clare, Michigan. She graduated from Clare High School, where she was president of her junior class, the first female class president at the school. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University in 1972 and a Master of Social Work magna cum laude from Michigan State University in 1975.

Early political career

Ingham County politics
While a graduate student at Michigan State University in 1974, Stabenow ran for public office for the first time, inspired by the threatened closure of a local nursing home. She won her first election in November 1974, becoming just the third woman elected to the Ingham County Board of Commissioners, on which she served from 1975 to 1978. Stabenow was the first woman and youngest person to date to chair the board of commissioners in 1977 and 1978. She was preceded as chair by one of her political mentors, Ken Hope. She was also instrumental in establishing a women's commission in Ingham County.

State legislature
In 1978, Stabenow challenged Michigan State Representative Tom Holcomb in a primary election. She won the primary and eventually the general election for the 58th House District. Stabenow served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1979 to 1990. She became a force in state Democratic politics and the first woman in House leadership to preside over the House. In 1990, Stabenow ran for the Michigan Senate seat being vacated by William A. Sederburg. She won the election, taking office in 1991 and serving one term through 1994.

1994 gubernatorial election

In 1994, Stabenow ran in Michigan's Democratic gubernatorial primary to challenge incumbent Republican John Engler in the general election. U.S. Congressman Howard Wolpe won the primary with a plurality of 35% of the vote to Stabenow's 30%. After the primary, Wolpe chose Stabenow as his running mate, and she appeared on the general election ballot as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. Engler defeated the Wolpe–Stabenow ticket, 61%–38%.

U.S. House of Representatives
In 1996, Stabenow ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives, challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Dick Chrysler for the opportunity to represent Michigan's 8th congressional district. She defeated Chrysler 54%–44%. In 1998, she was reelected with 57% of the vote. In the House, Stabenow served on the Agriculture and Science Committees.

U.S. Senate

Elections

2000

Stabenow did not seek reelection to the House in 2000, choosing instead to challenge incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham. She won the Democratic primary unopposed. In the general election, Stabenow defeated Abraham 49.5%–48% (a difference of 67,259 votes).

2006

Stabenow was challenged by Republican Michael Bouchard, Oakland County sheriff and former State Senate Majority Floor Leader. Stabenow defeated him 57%–41%.

2012

Stabenow was unopposed in the Democratic primary and defeated Republican nominee Pete Hoekstra, former U.S. representative, 59% to 38%.

2018

Stabenow was reelected to a fourth term, defeating Republican nominee John E. James, 52.3%–45.8%. The margin was 275,660 votes (6.50%), making this the closest U.S. Senate election in Michigan since 2000.

Tenure

Before her current committee assignments, Stabenow also served on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and the Special Committee on Aging.

Stabenow is only the second person from Michigan to have served in both houses of the Michigan State Legislature and both houses of the United States Congress, the other being Thomas W. Ferry. She is also the first person to have served as a Michigan state legislator to be popularly elected to the U.S. Senate (until enactment of the 17th Amendment in 1913, U.S. Senators were selected by state legislatures).

Stabenow became the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate on November 16, 2004, when she was elected secretary of the Democratic caucus. As caucus secretary, she assisted Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid in setting the Democratic agenda and priorities. Senator Dick Durbin was elected minority whip, the second-ranking Democratic spot. In November 2006, Reid announced that Stabenow would leave the caucus secretary position to succeed Hillary Clinton as chair of the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, charged with "engag[ing] Democratic Senators and community leaders across the country in an active dialogue".

After Tom Daschle, President Barack Obama's nominee for United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, withdrew from consideration, the National Organization for Women urged the president to appoint Stabenow, citing her focus on health care and her background as a social worker.

Stabenow became chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee in 2011, following the defeat of Blanche Lincoln. A controversial item during Stabenow's tenure was the renewal and reform of the 2012 U.S. Farm Bill. Reid reintroduced 2012's Senate Farm Bill in the 113th Congress in January 2013, saying that it was on his top priority list, and Stabenow voiced support for Reid's move, saying, "Majority Leader Reid has demonstrated that the Senate will once again make supporting our nation's agriculture economy while cutting spending a top priority."

On October 29, 2014, Stabenow introduced the Gun Lake Trust Land Reaffirmation Act (S. 1603; 113th Congress), a bill that would reaffirm the status of lands taken into trust by the Department of the Interior for the benefit of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band. The bill would clarify that the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band's land trust could not be challenged in court under the Supreme Court decision Carcieri v. Salazar.

Stabenow was participating in the certification of the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters attacked the United States Capitol. Along with other senators and staff, she was evacuated from the Senate chamber through a stairwell and taken to a safe location. She called the experience "heartbreaking" and "one of those things out of a movie" and said she had not felt that much fear since her time at the Capitol during the September 11 attacks. After the Capitol was secure, Congress returned to session to certify the election. Stabenow supported the certification. The day after the attack, Stabenow called for Trump's immediate removal from office through the invocation of the 25th Amendment or impeachment.

Committee assignments
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (chair)
As chairperson, Senator Stabenow is an ex officio member of all subcommittees.
Committee on the Budget
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Subcommittee on Energy
Subcommittee on National Parks
Subcommittee on Water and Power
Committee on Finance
Subcommittee on Health Care
Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure

Caucus memberships
 Afterschool Caucuses
 Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus

Political positions
The American Conservative Union gave Stabenow a 6% lifetime conservative rating in 2020.

Abortion
Stabenow supports keeping abortion legal. She has voted to expand embryonic stem cell research, and against prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortions, barring HHS grants to institutions that perform abortions, and criminal penalties for harm or death to a fetus in a violent crime.

Cannabis legalization
Stabenow supported Michigan Proposal 1 in 2018 to legalize cannabis for recreational use, though she would like to ensure law enforcement is involved so that the law is implemented correctly.

Food assistance
In 2013, Greg Kaufmann of The Nation wrote an article stating that Stabenow was prepared to cut $8 to $9 billion from the food stamp (SNAP) program. In a lengthy statement, Stabenow's office rejected these accusations, maintaining that she "strongly opposes any changes to food assistance that make cuts in benefits for people who need help putting food on the table" and that she "has been the number one defender against the House Republican proposal to cut food assistance by $40 billion." Kaufmann doubled down on his charges and challenged Stabenow's office's claims in detail.

In 2017, Stabenow fought to prevent the creation of additional work-requirement rules on SNAP recipients who were older or had smaller children and led a bipartisan effort to get the legislation passed.

Foreign policy
In October 2002, Stabenow was one of 23 senators who voted against authorization of the use of military force in Iraq.

In April 2019, Stabenow was one of 34 senators to sign a letter to President Donald Trump encouraging him "to listen to members of your own Administration and reverse a decision that will damage our national security and aggravate conditions inside Central America", asserting that Trump had "consistently expressed a flawed understanding of U.S. foreign assistance" since becoming president and that he was "personally undermining efforts to promote U.S. national security and economic prosperity" by preventing the use of Fiscal Year 2018 national security funding. The senators argued that foreign assistance to Central American countries created less migration to the U.S. by helping to improve conditions in those countries.

Flint water
Stabenow secured $100 million to repair and replace the water lines in Flint, Michigan, which were contaminating the drinking water with lead. She also pushed to include a program that would provide fresh fruits and vegetables to Flint children as part of the Farm Bill.

Economic issues

Stabenow has received low scores from free-market groups (Competitive Enterprise Institute, 2013, 0%; American Conservative Union, 2016, 0%; Americans for Prosperity, 2015–16, 0%) and high scores from fiscally liberal groups (Progressive Punch, 2015, 92%; NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, 2012, 91%).

In 2007, Senator Stabenow joined the bipartisan (70-23) support of NOPEC in order to combat conspiratorial policies by foreign oil producers, extending Sherman Anti-Trust Act protection to include foreign cartels such as OPEC, and bring down US oil and gas costs for US consumers. In 2008, she voted against the Troubled Asset Relief Program proposed by President George W. Bush.

In 2009, Stabenow voted for President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan.

In 2010, she introduced the China Fair Trade Act, saying it would "prevent federal taxpayer dollars from being used to purchase Chinese products and services until they sign on to and abide by the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement." The bill would also require a report on Chinese industrial policies and require the Department of Energy to monitor the development of China's renewable energy sector.

In October 2011, Stabenow called for tax breaks for firms developing bio-based products, using crops like soybeans and corn to create prescriptions drugs, plastics, and soaps.

In August 2012, Stabenow expressed support for "strategic partnerships between farmers and industry" and for a recent Obama directive to boost federal purchases of bio-based products.

In 2015, she introduced the Stabenow-Portman Amendment (SA 1299) to address currency manipulation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

In 2015, the International Economic Development Council gave Stabenow the Congressional Leadership Award "for her significant contributions in the area of economic development." The IEDC cited her work on the 2014 Farm Bill, her sponsorship in 2013 of the New Skills for New Jobs Act, and her role in the federal bridge loan program."

In 2017, Stabenow introduced her American Jobs Agenda, which included two acts: the Make It In America Act and the Bring Jobs Home Act. The former, "would close loopholes in a 1933 law designed to give American companies priority when the federal government purchases goods." She said the act would require that the U.S. government: "buy American...If the federal agency says they need a waiver, they need to measure how many American jobs will be impacted by purchasing that product made overseas." The latter, "would create a tax cut for companies bringing jobs and business activities back to America from another country."

In April 2017, Stabenow was one of eight Democratic senators to sign a letter to Trump noting government-subsidized Chinese steel had been placed into the American market in recent years below cost and had hurt the domestic steel industry and the iron ore industry that fed it, calling on him to raise the steel issue with President of China Xi Jinping in his meeting with him.

In May 2017, she and Senator Gary Peters announced a $210,000 EDA grant to the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission "to help spur economic development in West Michigan." The same month, she said that owing to a major change in farmers' margins since the 2014 Farm Bill, the farm safety net needed to be strengthened, especially for dairy farmers.

At a July 13, 2017, economics roundtable, she said that the "#1 request she gets in Michigan" is for "Professional technical jobs, building construction jobs—folks that can actually make things and do things." She said that Democrats can succeed in elections by "going to our core. We are the party that are willing to take risks to make things better...We believe in our core in an economy that actually works for everybody. That is how you grow America."

The Biotechnology Industry Organization thanked Stabenow in 2017 for supporting development of a "biobased economy," specifically for her introduction of the Renewable Chemicals Act of 2017, which would "allow taxpayers to claim a production tax credit of 15 cents per pound of biobased content of each renewable chemical produced during the taxable year."

On October 3, 2017, Stabenow and Peters introduced the Small Business Access to Capital Act, designed to "reauthorize and improve the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) to help small businesses grow and create jobs." It built "on the successful SSBCI initiative that both lawmakers championed in the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010" and that "funds the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and other state-led lending programs that leverage private financing to help small businesses access the capital they need."

Immigration
Stabenow has received high marks from groups supporting immigration (American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2013–14, 100%; National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, 2013–14, 100%) and low marks from groups opposed to immigration: Federation for American Immigration Reform, 2014, 0%; Numbers USA, 2017, 0%.

During the two-day January 2018 government shutdown, Stabenow was among 81 senators who effectively ended the shutdown by approving a three-week stopgap spending bill that "included reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program for six years". This agreement was obtained after the Republican leadership "pledged to soon take up immigration legislation". She said they had "reached a bipartisan agreement that funds children's health insurance and moves us closer to a solution that provides long-term certainty for Michigan families and our national defense".

In January 2017, she opposed Trump's executive order temporarily limiting immigration from several Muslim majority countries, saying it: "is ruining America's reputation in the world, undermining our relationships with our most critical allies, and most heartbreakingly, destroying the lives of good and law-abiding people."

Stabenow voted against providing COVID-19 pandemic financial support to undocumented immigrants on February 4, 2021.

International relations
Stabenow supported Obama's Iran deal that sought to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons for 10 years and attempted to halt their uranium production.

Income inequality
Recounting a 2014 Senate hearing on income inequality, George Packer singled out Stabenow as the only committee member who pushed back on the idea that it was caused largely by the withdrawal from the workforce of middle-aged people who preferred to collect welfare. Stabenow "pointed out that almost all the voters she heard from in high-unemployment Michigan still wanted to work."

Government spending
She has received low scores from low-spending advocates (Club for Growth, 2016, 8%; Council for Citizens against Government Waste, 2015, 0%; National Taxpayers Union, 2015, 9%).

Education

In 2011, Stabenow introduced the Reengaging Americans in Serious Education Act (RAISE UP Act), whereby the Labor Department would fund programs to help "disconnected youth" get diplomas, degrees, and job certifications. In 2012, she co-sponsored a bill to freeze student loan interest rates at 3.4 percent and make additional funds available for Pell Grants.

In 2016, Stabenow and others introduced the Reducing Educational Debt Act, which she promoted with the #InTheRed hashtag.

She expressed "strong concerns" about Trump's nomination of Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary, saying: "DeVos and her family have a long record of pushing policies that I believe have seriously undermined public education in Michigan and failed our children."

Gun policy
Stabenow supports gun control and supports a national assault weapons ban.
After the Orlando nightclub shooting, Stabenow participated in the Chris Murphy gun control filibuster. One month later, she supported bills to ban people on the terrorist watchlist from buying guns and to expand background checks. Neither bill passed the Senate. Stabenow blamed the National Rifle Association (NRA) for the bills' failure to pass.

In 2017, following the Las Vegas shooting, Stabenow and Debbie Dingell introduced a law that would make it illegal for people convicted of misdemeanor stalking to buy guns.

Stabenow has an "A+" rating from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and an "F" rating from both the NRA and the Gun Owners of America.

Health care
Stabenow has helped open 10 community health centers in Detroit while in office.

She has received high scores from Planned Parenthood (2017, 100%) and low scores from National Right to Life Committee, (2013, 0%).

In the 2000 campaign, she: "promised to make the pharmaceutical industry lower prescription drug prices, to maintain Social Security benefits and to give Medicare a new prescription drug plan." She pledged to "fight the pharmaceutical and insurance industries—the two industries that spend the most money lobbying federal officials" and accused the pharmaceutical industry of "making up to 20 percent net profit each year...on the backs of families, seniors and businesses." Her spokesperson said: "In the last election, I think the pharmaceutical industry spent more campaigning against her than any other candidate...She was enemy number one." Stabenow voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in December 2009, and for the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. She also sponsored S. 2257, the Excellence in Mental Health Act.

On September 1, 2016, she said that approving money to combat Zika was a top congressional priority.

In August 2019, Stabenow was one of 19 senators to sign a letter to United States Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin and United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar requesting data from the Trump administration in order to help states and Congress understand the potential consequences in the event that the Texas v. United States Affordable Care Act (ACA) lawsuit prevailed in courts, writing that an overhaul of the present health care system would form "an enormous hole in the pocketbooks of the people we serve as well as wreck state budgets".

Housing
In April 2019, Stabenow was one of 41 senators to sign a bipartisan letter to the housing subcommittee praising the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 4 Capacity Building program as authorizing "HUD to partner with national nonprofit community development organizations to provide education, training, and financial support to local community development corporations (CDCs) across the country" and expressing disappointment that Trump's budget "has slated this program for elimination after decades of successful economic and community development." The senators wrote of their hope that the subcommittee would support continued funding for Section 4 in Fiscal Year 2020.

Defense
In December 2011, Stabenow voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. The bill included highly controversial provisions, drafted by Senators Carl Levin and John McCain in closed session, that would allow for the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens deemed potential terrorists and enemies of the state.

Environment

Climate change
On August 10, 2009, Stabenow was reported by The Detroit News as saying, "Global warming creates volatility. I feel it when I'm flying. The storms are more volatile. We are paying the price in more hurricanes and tornadoes." She has, however, opposed regulation of greenhouse gases, enhanced fuel efficiency standards in California, and greenhouse gas emission reporting standards.

Stabenow voted for the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011 (S.493). In March 2011, ThinkProgress accused her of joining "the pro-polluter frenzy sweeping the U.S. Senate," saying that the legislation was: "being used as a vehicle for senators who wish to prevent regulation of greenhouse pollution from oil refineries, coal-fired power plants, heavy industry, and other major emitters. Stabenow has added her amendment to three others intended to hamstring the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of carbon polluters."

Stabenow's proposed amendment to keep the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions for two years also drew criticism. The amendment would have given "coal-fired power plants, oil refineries and other industrial sources a two year exemption" from rules requiring them to report greenhouse gas emissions. She defended her position by calling her amendment: "a common-sense approach that allows protections from carbon pollution, determined by scientists and public health experts, to continue being developed while providing businesses the support and incentives they need as they reduce pollution, generate new clean energy technologies and create jobs."

In February 2019, in response to reports of the EPA intending to decide against setting drinking water limits for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as part of an upcoming national strategy to manage the chemicals, Stabenow was one of 20 senators to sign a letter to Acting EPA Administrator Andrew R. Wheeler calling on the agency: "to develop enforceable federal drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS, as well as institute immediate actions to protect the public from contamination from additional per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)."

Drilling in the Great Lakes
In 2010, Stabenow called for a total ban on drilling in the Great Lakes. Critics noted that "a U.S. federal ban on all oil and natural gas offshore drilling in the Great Lakes" had already "been in place since 2005" and that Canada banned offshore oil drilling but had "roughly 500 offshore gas wells in Lake Erie" plus 23 "slant wells" that "drill for oil on shore but extend under Lake Erie." In 2015, Stabenow and Gary Peters introduced the Pipeline Improvement and Preventing Spills Act "to ban shipping of crude oil by vessel on the Great Lakes and require a comprehensive, top-to-bottom review of hazardous pipelines in the region."

In May 2017, Stabenow expressed support for the bipartisan effort to retain funding for The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

In September 2016, Stabenow and Peters led an effort to link an aid package for the Flint water crisis to flood relief funds for Louisiana.

Canadian waste disposal
On August 31, 2006, Stabenow, Senator Carl Levin and Representative John Dingell announced an agreement that would completely cease Ontario's dumping of solid waste in Michigan within four years. This had been an issue in Michigan for the past several years. Stabenow had previously introduced legislation in the Senate intended to reduce the dumping of Canadian trash in Michigan. In July 2006, the Senate unanimously passed a law sponsored by Stabenow requiring the payment of a $420 inspection fee for every truckload of Canadian trash brought into Michigan.

Fairness doctrine
Asked in 2009 by Bill Press whether she would support a return of the Fairness Doctrine, under which the federal government enforced an ideological "balance" on the airwaves, Stabenow said yes: "I absolutely think it's time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves." Asked whether she would push for Senate hearings on the subject, she said, "I have already had some discussions with colleagues and, you know, I feel like that's gonna happen. Yep." It has been noted that Stabenow's then husband was Tom Athans, an executive in left-wing radio (Air America, Democracy Radio), whose career would have benefited from such legislation.

Stabenow is probably the most prominent politician to seriously support a new Fairness Doctrine.

GMOs
Stabenow, as Senate Agriculture Committee Chair, added an amendment to the 2013–14 Farm Bill that prohibited state laws requiring GMO labeling for foods. She has been criticized because this amendment aided Monsanto and other agribusinesses, which donated over three-quarters of a million dollars to her campaign during that election cycle. In 2016, she was again criticized for her role in the passage of a law that overruled state laws mandating GMO labeling.

Trump nominations
In January 2017, Stabenow opposed Trump's nomination of Jeff Sessions as AG: "Because of his record on civil rights and his votes against anti-domestic violence legislation, I cannot support him to be our nation's highest law enforcement officer...Families in Michigan and across the country deserve an attorney general who will enforce the nation's laws fairly and equally."

That March, she opposed Trump's nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court: "After reviewing Judge Gorsuch's rulings, it is clear that he has a long record of siding with special interests and institutions instead of hard-working Americans. And, therefore, in my judgment, he does not meet this standard of balance and impartiality."

In July 2018, citing his past rulings on presidential powers, she opposed the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, furthermore stating that the FBI should perform a background check regarding multiple allegations of sexual assault.

She similarly opposed Trump's 2020 nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, stating: "It's very clear from her writings, multiple writings, that she will be the vote that takes away health care for millions of Americans, including 130 million people and counting with pre-existing conditions..." She voted against the nomination while wearing a face mask depicting Barrett's predecessor Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Retirement
On January 5, 2023, Stabenow announced her intention to retire from the Senate. Her announcement cited a desire to "pass the torch" to Michigan's next generation of leadership: "I have always believed it's not enough to be the first unless there is a second and a third". She also noted time with family as a motivation for her retirement. If she serves in the Senate until her term ends in January 2024, she will have held elective office for 50 years. In February 2023, Michigan Representative Elissa Slotkin launched a campaign to succeed Stabenow in the Senate.

In February 2023, a portrait of Stabenow by Michigan artist Joshua Adam Risner was unveiled in the Russell Senate Office Building. Congressional committee chairs traditionally receive portraits in their committee rooms. Stabenow's portrait came due to her years as chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. It was commissioned by the Historical Society of Michigan.

Personal life
Stabenow is a member of the United Methodist Church.

Stabenow was first married to Dennis Stabenow. The couple had two children and divorced in 1990.

In 2003, Stabenow married Tom Athans, co-founder of Democracy Radio and former executive vice president of Air America. She has a stepdaughter Gina from this marriage. They divorced in 2010.

Stabenow had a cameo appearance in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as governor of the unspecified state in which Metropolis is located. She was invited to appear because the scene was filmed in Michigan, and for her support for film-industry incentives.

Electoral history

See also
 Women in the United States House of Representatives
 Women in the United States Senate

References

External links

Senator Debbie Stabenow official U.S. Senate website
Debbie Stabenow for Senate

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

1950 births
Living people
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American women politicians
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
American social workers
American Methodists
American United Methodists
County commissioners in Michigan
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan
Democratic Party United States senators from Michigan
Female members of the United States House of Representatives
Female United States senators
Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives
Democratic Party Michigan state senators
Michigan State University alumni
People from Clare, Michigan
People from Gladwin, Michigan
Women state legislators in Michigan

Debbie Stabenow