is a one-volume manga written by Jinpachi Mori and illustrated by Jiro Taniguchi. It is a collection of short stories revolving around a Japanese artist who moves to New York, but secretly works as a hitman in his spare time. It was originally serialized in the Japanese manga magazine Big Comic Original Zōkan by Shogakukan between 1991 and 1996. The manga was serialized in North America by Viz Media in its Pulp magazine in 2000 and later collected in graphic novel format. Critics have praised the series for its uniqueness compared to North American crime fiction as well as its execution of horror.

Plot
"Haggis" Benkei entices a man to his bar with malt scotch, the same drink he was consuming when he crashed a car to dodge the draft. There, the man is confronted by the son of the woman who was killed while driving the car, and the man is killed in a knife-fight.
"Hook" Benkei takes a cabaret dancer named Maria home and draws her. Benkei tracks down a man who killed their shipmate on a fishing trawler with a hook. He chases him through a fish market and using a hook, cuts him down the side of his face.
"Throw Back" Benkei follows a man from Grand Central Station to Central Park for the third day. The two spar using hand-to-hand combat. They continue fighting in the American Museum of Natural History with swords taken from an exhibit and Benkei kills the man.
"The Cry" Benkei paints a forgery of The Scream for the Italian mafia. However, its sale is used as a setup to kill a subordinate so the boss, Gantino, can expand his operations. Benkei is targeted in the process but escapes. He creates another forgery from memory and meets Gantino, lying that he has the original. Benkei kills Gantino while he gazes at the fake and leaves the original in a museum.
"Sword Fish" Benkei is invited to Sicily by Troia, a former leading figure of La Cosa Nostra, to forge his collection of European paintings. Sorchi, one of Troia's men, works with Gantino's brother to attack Benkei's car and kidnap Maria. In the resulting negotiation, Sorchi reveals that he wants Troia's paintings and tries to kill them. Benkei uses a swordfish's bill as a weapon but is shot. When he shows the paintings to Sorchi, Troia sets them on fire along with Sorchi. Fatally wounded, Troia dies as Benkei shows him his forgery of Jean-François Millet's painting Maternal Care.
"Necklace" A man wants Benkei to kill Sophie Gibson, the leader of a drug ring, but Benkei refuses because he feels that the request is dishonest. When the man tries to kill her himself, he is shot. Before he dies, he reveals to Benkei that Gibson and him were engaged lovers from Vermont and asks him to give her a necklace of pearl. Benkei strings the necklace with piano wire and uses it to strangle Sophie.
"Basement" An architect named Gordon murders his more successful peer and wife, Betty, at their summer home on an island. Benkei visits him to deliver a painting of Betty and the image scares Gordon. Running from Benkei, Gordon hides in the basement which includes a pool designed by Betty. Benkei barricades the man inside while delivering a message from Betty saying "I loved you too much."

Release
The manga was originally serialized in the magazine  by Shogakukan between 1991 and 1996. It was collected into one tankōbon volume and released by Shogakukan on April 27, 1996.

The manga has been published in English by Viz Media through its manga magazine Pulp. Its first chapter appeared in the June 2000 issue of the magazine, and the complete series was published in graphic novel format in May 2001.

Reception
As the time of its release by Viz Media, Warren Ellis declared that "Benkei is better than 96% of the crime fiction coming out of America right now." Although he described the stories as "ghoulish", Jason Thompson commented that Taniguchi can depict "the blood and the death in a cool, calm fashion." He also highlighted a battle sequence in the third chapter as "particularly notable" as it is wordless and free of sound-effects. Katherine Dacey of Manga Bookshelf said: "If Benkei's motives and methods are sometimes inscrutable—or downright illogical—the stories still work beautifully, with crack pacing and memorable denouements that can be as deeply unsettling as they are emotionally satisfying".

Scott Green of Ain't It Cool News said that Benkei's modus operandi of artistry was "perfectly executed". Christopher Butcher said that the manga is "darker and dirtier than anything being produced in North America" while praising the tightly written stories and "cinematic style" art.

References

External links

Anime and manga set in the United States
Crime in anime and manga
Jiro Taniguchi
One-shot manga
Seinen manga
Shogakukan manga
Japanese short story collections
Viz Media manga

Benkei in New York


The Battery Atlanta is a mixed-use development located in the Atlanta metropolitan area, approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of downtown Atlanta in the unincorporated community of Cumberland, in Cobb County, Georgia. It is adjacent to Truist Park (originally SunTrust Park), home of the Atlanta Braves. The complex is a mix of shops, dining, living and workspace in the area surrounding the ballpark.

Planning
On November 20, 2013, the Braves unveiled plans to build a $400 million entertainment district that would surround its new ballpark planned for Cobb County, Georgia. The district would feature a street lined with retail, restaurants, and bars leading up to the stadium. The $400 million is entirely funded by the Braves and their development partners. On October 14, 2015, the Atlanta Braves announced that the complex would be called The Battery Atlanta.

On December 10, 2014, the Braves released new renderings of the planned entertainment complex surrounding the ballpark. The new renderings further define the public spaces and show a blend of architectural styles, with a blend of steel, brick and glass facades. Derek Schiller said in a conference call with reporters that the rendering represent the concept of project's look, and is not the final design. But the locations of buildings and streets demonstrated in the designs are largely settled. Two taller glass towers, a hotel and an office building, will feature views into the ballpark. The complex also will feature a brewpub and Braves store. The Braves named architectural design firm Wakefield Beasley & Associates as the lead designer of the mixed-used project surrounding the stadium.

On March 17, 2015, the Braves announced a partnership with Comcast, under which Comcast will provide high-tech infrastructure for the ballpark and will become an anchor tenant at The Battery Atlanta. Comcast will occupy 100% of a nine-story office building in the mixed-use development adjacent to the stadium. The office tower, which will overlook the ballpark, will become Comcast's Southeast regional headquarters. According to Braves chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk, Comcast will "lend its expertise to drive the most technologically advanced ballpark and mixed-use development ever built." Some 1,000 Comcast employees will work at the office building, most of them new hires. The office also will include an "innovation lab" for new technologies.

On April 28, 2015, the Braves announced a 50-50 partnership with Omni Hotels & Resorts on a luxury hotel to be built overlooking the ballpark. The full-service hotel will have 16 floors and 264 rooms. It also will feature a two-story restaurant, rooftop hospitality suites, and an elevated pool deck with views into the ballpark. The Atlanta Braves will be the 50/50 owners with Omni Hotels & Resorts. On August 14, 2017, the hotel announced that James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef and author Hugh Acheson will open his eighth restaurant, Achie's, within the luxury hotel. The Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta opened on January 3, 2018.

On July 16, 2015, the Braves and concert promoter Live Nation announced a deal to develop and manage the long-planned entertainment venue adjacent to the ballpark. The venue is called the Coca-Cola Roxy in homage to the old Roxy Theatre that was torn down in 1972. The venue has standing-room-only capacity for 4,000 and features about 40 music and comic shows annually. The theater is designed to help drive activity to the site on non-gamedays and it also plays host to special events.

The first restaurants announced for The Battery Atlanta were Antico Pizza, Cru Food and Wine Bar, Tomahawk Taproom featuring Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, chef Ford Fry's Superica restaurant, and a new steak concept by chef Linton Hopkins.

On May 19, 2016, the Braves announced several new signed tenants at The Battery Atlanta including Wahlburgers, Harley-Davidson, and Goldbergs Bagel Co. & Deli. Venue developer Cordish Cos. plans a trio of concepts including a Professional Bull Riders Association Bar & Grill, featuring a mechanical bull.

Current status
The Battery Atlanta contains a 264-room hotel, apartments, office buildings, shops, bars and restaurants.

On November 17, 2020, Papa John's Pizza announced its new global headquarters would be moved to Three Ballpark Center at The Battery Atlanta.

References

External links

 The Battery Atlanta home page

Mixed-use developments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Shopping malls in the Atlanta metropolitan area
Buildings and structures in Atlanta
2017 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)

The Battery Atlanta


Wolf Children () is an Japanese anime movie directed/co-written by Mamoru Hosoda.

Plot
Hana, a college student, has two children with a werewolf. She names the girl Yuki and the boy Ame. Not long after this, their father dies. Hana decides to keep raising the children.

As the children grow older, Hana finds it is hard to hide the werewolf powers inherited from their father: ultimately, she moves them to the countryside to avoid trouble from the public. She works hard to repair a house and grow their own food.

Ame becomes confident in himself after a near-death experience, and the children are allowed to attend school. Yuki adapts and makes friends, while Ame drops out to receive lessons from an old fox named Sensei about surviving in the wild. At this time, they are beginning to form their life paths.

In fourth grade, a transfer student named Souhei begins attending Yuki's class. He realizes she is not normal, and during a chase, Yuki accidentally injures his ear. He tells his mother a wolf attacked him, not Yuki. Over time, they become friends.

Ame and Yuki later fight each other over their "real" selves: neither sibling can agree whether or not they are wolf or human. Hana recognizes they are forming their futures, but is worried about it. Ame reveals that Sensei has been gravely wounded during a storm and will likely not survive, but then hints that he will succeed Sensei as the guardian of the wild. Hana is horrified by this, and begs him not to return to the forest.

Two years later, despite what Hana told him, Ame disappears into the forest during a severe storm to replace Sensei; Hana goes after him. She forgets to pick up Yuki from school, who is left alone with Souhei while the other students are retrieved. She decides to reveal herself as a wolf to him. He replies that he already knew and will keep her secret.

Hana gets hurt by a fall and dreams about her lover, who tells her that Ame will be fine with his chosen path. Ame picks her up and gets her to safety, but then turns into an adult wolf and runs off into the mountains. Hana is initially heartbroken as she believes she has not yet done anything for Ame, but soon recognizes he is now "where he belongs" and bids him farewell.

The next school year, Yuki leaves home to move into a dorm room with her friends in Junior High. Ame's howls are heard throughout the forest. Despite living alone in the house, Hana feels that she has raised her children well.

Animated movies
Japanese movies

Wolf Children


The pichi (Zaedyus pichiy), dwarf armadillo or pygmy armadillo is an armadillo native to Argentina. It is the only living member of the genus Zaedyus, and the only armadillo to hibernate. Fossil remains from the Cerro Azul Formation indicate this species had already evolved during the late Miocene epoch.

Description

Pichis are relatively small armadillos, measuring approximately  long, with a tail of about . Adults weigh anything from , and males may be slightly larger than females.

The carapace varies from light yellow to near-black, and consists of heavy scapular and pelvic shields composed of rectangular osteoderms, and separated by six to eight movable bands. An additional "nuchal" band lies in front of the scapular shield, and there is also a triangular shield on top of the head, and further osteoderms along the tail. The underside of the animal has a coat of tan-coloured hair, which is thicker and longer in winter; there are also a few long hairs protruding through small holes near the posterior edge of some of the scales. Pichis have well-developed claws on all four feet. The ears are short, and the eyes dark and relatively small.

Pichis have eight teeth on each side of the upper jaw, and nine on the lower. The absence of teeth on the premaxillary bone of the upper jaw is one of the features that allows them to be distinguished from other, similar, armadillos, such as the six-banded armadillo. Females have two teats, located in the chest region, and, like most armadillos, lack a true vagina, instead having a single urogenital sinus about  in length. The male's penis is unusually long among mammals, being about 60% of the total body length.

Distribution and habitat
Pichis are found from central and southern Argentina (Patagonia), west to the Andean grasslands of Chile, and south to the Strait of Magellan. Within this region, it most commonly inhabits arid or semiarid steppe grasslands, but may be found in other environments if they have sandy soils suitable for burrowing.

Subspecies
Zaedyus pichiy caurinus Thomas, 1928
Zaedyus pichiy pichiy Desmarest, 1804

Biology
Pichis are omnivorous, with the largest part of their diet consisting of invertebrates such as beetles, ants, and scorpions, though they will also eat small mammals or lizards, as well as plant material and fungi. Despite living in arid environments, they are not thought to drink water in the wild. Common predators include crowned eagles, buzzard-eagles, foxes, and cougars.

Pichis are the only armadillos known to hibernate. Like many hibernating animals, they build up considerable fat reserves before entering their winter burrows, where they remain from May to August. During hibernation, their body temperature drops from its normal value of about  to just . In addition to true hibernation, they also enter a period of daily torpor, lasting up to four hours each night, during which their body temperature can drop to as low as .

The breeding season lasts from spring to early summer, with the exact months depending on latitude. Females may be induced ovulators, and give birth to one or two young after a gestation period of 58 to 60 days, typically between October and January. The young are born with soft, pink skin with tiny osteoderms that begin to harden and turn more yellow after about two weeks. Newborn pichis weigh about , and put on an average of  per day until weaning ends at about 40 days and they leave the burrow for the first time.

Behaviour

Pichis are solitary and diurnal. They dig burrows in sandy soil, which they use for shelter from extremes of weather. The burrows have a dome-shaped entrance and a single passage that can reach several metres in length, before terminating in a bare, unlined, resting chamber. They do not inhabit their burrows for extended periods, digging new ones at least every few weeks, and sometimes daily. During the winter, when the weather is more extreme, the burrows may be deeper than they are in the summer, reaching as much as  below ground.

Pichis are solitary outside of the mating season. When threatened, they wedge themselves into their shallow burrow making it difficult for an attacker to drag them out because of their jagged scales, or else lie flat on the ground to protect their vulnerable belly. They have been reported to make both purring sounds and a loud grunt or scream.

Conservation status
The IUCN has rated the conservation status of Z. pichiy as near-threatened. It is hunted for subsistence and sport, despite being protected in both Argentina. The armadillo is eaten and used in local handicrafts. Cattle ranching poses a threat to its habitat. Some populations have also been impacted by an unknown disease.

References

External links

Armadillos
Mammals of Patagonia
Mammals of Argentina
Mammals of Chile

Pichi


In business, the utilization rate is an important number for firms that charge their time to clients and for those that need to maximize the productive time of their employees. It can reflect the billing efficiency or the overall productive use of an individual or a firm.

Calculating
Looked at simply, there are two methods to calculate the utilization rate.

The first method calculates the number of billable hours divided by the number of hours recorded in a particular time period. For example, if 40 hours of time is recorded in a week but only 30 hours of that was billable, the utilization rate would then be 30 / 40 = 75%.

With this method, however, it's easy to see how this utilization rate can be gamed:  if a business stops recording non-billable time, its utilization rate will always be 100%.

The second way to calculate the utilization rate is to take the number of billable hours and divide by a fixed number of hours per week. For example, if 32 hours of billable time are recorded in a fixed 40-hour week, the utilization rate would then be 32 / 40 = 80%.

Note that with this second method it is possible to have a utilization rate that exceeds 100%. If 50 hours of billable time are recorded in a fixed 40-hour week, then the utilization rate would be 50 / 40 = 125%.

Another consideration is the in-/exclusion of absent hours, e.g. leave or illness. Common practice is to exclude these from utilization calculations. Excluding absent hours can also help remove seasonality from utilization calculations.

Behavior
Differences in how utilization is measured can also drive different behaviors, and some organizations may employ multiple utilization measures. For instance, an independent professional services or consulting firm may rely solely on billable utilization. An organization that sells products as well as implementation or support services may utilize the notion of "productive" utilization, which also measures and rewards time on activities like product development that are important, but which may not be billed directly to a client.

References

Business terms
Rates

Utilization rate


Francisca Linoska Campos Salas (born July 19, 1985 in Antofagasta) is a female cyclist from Chile, specializing in competitive mountain biking.

Campos represented her native South American country at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where she finished in 25th place in the final rankings of the women's cross-country race. In 2003, she claimed the bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, behind Argentina's Jimena Florit (gold) and USA's Mary McConneloug (silver).

Campos started her biking career at the age of 10. Soon she participated in national championships and can look back on impressive successes:

- 9 podiums in Panamerican Championships in Mountain Bike.

- 10 times national champion in Mountain Bike and 4 times in Road.

- 3rd place in a Mountain Bike World Cup.

- 3rd place in Tour de France du VTT

- raced for 3 International Mountain Bike Teams.

- the youngest rider in the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008.

- visited 25 countries by racing bike: Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Netherlands Antilles, Mexico, USA, Canada, Spain, Andorra, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, New Zealand, Philippines and China.

References

1985 births
Living people
Chilean female cyclists
Cross-country mountain bikers
Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Cyclists at the 2003 Pan American Games
Cyclists at the 2007 Pan American Games
Olympic cyclists for Chile
Sportspeople from Antofagasta
Pan American Games bronze medalists for Chile
Pan American Games medalists in cycling
Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games
20th-century Chilean women
21st-century Chilean women

Francisca Campos


Payroll automation refers to the use of computers to produce paychecks and manage benefit payments for a company or community. Often, payroll automation is integrated into the company's enterprise resource planning system that provides an overall view of the company's or community's finances; in addition to payroll, it can manage customer relationships, production, personnel resources, invoicing and accounting.

Payroll activities
Payroll management consists of several stages and procedures that require expertise in financial administration, such as employment contract management.
Payroll management performs the following tasks:
 Timekeeping: knowing hours worked, and when (to know when overtime pay applies)
 Calculating and paying wages, settlement of tax withholdings
 Delivery of wage calculations and certificates to the employees
 Compiling statistics for different authorities, and for the purposes of improving activities
 Drawing up employment contracts
 Providing regulatory reports to the tax agencies and insurance companies
 Calculating annual holidays
 Managing deductions for employee benefits

The travel costs and travel invoices from the employees are usually processed together with payroll.

Methods

Payroll functions can be automated using  software to facilitate the collection, organization and storage of all information required for payroll calculations and regulatory agency reportage requirements.  If the payroll software is not purchased as part of a comprehensive business management system, it can usually be combined with the company's existing solutions for accounting, sales ledger, working hour management and recruiting. Information that has been captured in one part of the system can be used by other modules. Hours registered in the work management system, for example, are automatically transferred to the wage calculation system.

Benefits
Effective payroll automation collects all relevant information in one place in electronic format, reducing mistakes by eliminating the need to synchronize and manage otherwise duplicate data sets.

Well planned, modern payroll software provides the following benefits:
 It considers collective labor agreements and employer-specific procedures and exceptions.
 It provides a breakdown of the allowances and other bases for wages in the report, with dedicated rows for each day, week and month.
 It automatically follows the legislated accounting and calculation rules in the calculation of annual holidays.
 It manages the drawing up, posting, archiving and reporting of travel invoices.
 When combined with work shift management software, it can utilize data concerning working hours, overtime, allowances, holidays and absences.

Related concepts

 Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
 Onboarding Automation

Sources and references

Information systems
Payroll

Payroll automation


Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZOB) or Cleveland Center is located at 326 East Lorain Street, Oberlin, Ohio, United States. The center is located about  outside of the city of Cleveland. The Cleveland ARTCC is the 3rd busiest of the 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers in the United States. It oversees the airspace over portions of Maryland, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, as well as the southernmost portion of Ontario, Canada.

The Air Route Traffic Control Center was first planned in 1958. The site was chosen due to Oberlin's location near Cleveland, though far enough away from the metropolis to be safe in case of war. The nearby community of Medina, Ohio was also under consideration, but lobbying by the Oberlin city government brought the center to its present location.

During the September 11 attacks, the Cleveland ARTCC handled the radio traffic from United Airlines Flight 93, which was inside the center's airspace from before the hijacking to the time of its crash.

References

External links
Cleveland Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) (NWS/FAA)
Frequencies for Cleveland Center

Air traffic control centers
Transportation buildings and structures in Cleveland
WAAS reference stations
Buildings and structures in Lorain County, Ohio
Air traffic control in the United States
Aviation in Ohio


Robert Joseph Schmitz (September 10, 1938 – June 8, 2004) was an American football linebacker who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Schmitz graduated from New Holstein High School in New Holstein, Wisconsin.  He then went on to initially attend college at University of Wisconsin–Madison, then at Montana State University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration.

Playing career
Schmitz was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 14th round of the 1961 NFL Draft.  Schmitz was also drafted in the 1960 American Football League Draft by the Oakland Raiders, but he chose the Steelers.  He is most notable for playing linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1961 to 1966.  Schmitz played in a total of 51 NFL games.  During his career he recorded three interceptions for 65 yards and a touchdown.  Also, he recorded one safety from the linebacker spot.  Perhaps his most memorable moment came at Pitt Stadium on November 10, 1963, where he recorded his only safety.  Schmitz tackled Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns in the end zone for a safety that gave the Steelers a 9–7 victory.  Schmitz was then named NFL Player of the Week for his winning score.  After winning the honor Schmitz said, "Gee, that's probably the best thing that ever happened to me."  His last season in the NFL came in 1966; a season in which he split time between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings.

Scouting
After his playing career ended Schmitz took up scouting in the NFL.  In 1971, he was hired by the NFL's BLESTO combine, a scouting service that was located in Pittsburgh.  He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers as an area scout in 1976 after being hired by Art Rooney, Jr.  Schmitz worked for the Steelers until 1995.  Schmitz then accepted a scouting job for the New York Jets in 1995 because he was offered more money by his former boss with the Steelers Dick Haley. Schmitz assisted the Jets with their drafts and college free agent signing periods. Throughout his career Schmitz specialty was grading defensive players.  Schmitz retired as a scout on June 1, 2004, after a successful 33-year run.

Death
On June 8, 2004, Schmitz  took a late-morning nap at his home in Glendale, Arizona, and never woke up .  His death was ruled an apparent heart attack. Bob Schmitz was 65 years old.

References

External links
Obituary from NFL.com
Obituary from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

1939 births
2004 deaths
American people of German descent
People from Calumet, Wisconsin
People from New Holstein, Wisconsin
Players of American football from Wisconsin
American football linebackers
Wisconsin Badgers football players
Montana State Bobcats football players
Pittsburgh Steelers players
Minnesota Vikings players
Pittsburgh Steelers scouts

Bob Schmitz


Zipline International Inc. is an American company that designs, manufactures, and operates delivery drones. The company operates distribution centers in Rwanda, Ghana, Japan, the United States, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, and Kenya. As of September 2023, its drones have made more than 750,000 commercial deliveries and flown more than 40 million autonomous miles.

The company's drones deliver whole blood, platelets, frozen plasma, and cryoprecipitate along with medical products, including vaccines, infusions, and common medical commodities. As of September 2021, more than 75 percent of blood deliveries in Rwanda outside of Kigali use Zipline drones. In April 2019 in Ghana, the company began using drones to deliver vaccines, blood, and medicines. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted a Part 107 waiver to Zipline's partner organization Novant Health for the delivery of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) to medical facilities in North Carolina.

The company also offers delivery services for non-medical products as well, including partnerships with Walmart which started in 2021, and with Sweetgreen which was announced in 2023. Its website features uses for restaurants, groceries, convenience shopping, and e-commerce.

History

 2011, Keller Rinaudo Cliffton founded Romotive, which produced an iPhone-controlled robotic toy called Romo. Co-founders Ryan Oksenhorn and William Hetzler joined during this era.
 January 2014, the team decided to shut down Romotive to explore a more impactful mission. Keenan Wyrobek joined at this time to help find the new direction.
 March 2014 - the company pivoted and began to develop a medical drone delivery service.
 2016 - Zipline signed a deal with the Rwandan government to build a distribution center near Muhanga, and began commercial operations that same year.
 2018, the Rwandan government signed a new deal to build a second distribution center near Kayonza and expand Zipline's service to include smaller health centers in addition to hospitals and deliver vaccines and other medical products as well as blood products.
 April 2018 - Zipline announced a second-generation drone, which was listed in Time'''s "Best inventions of 2018" list.
 April 2019 - Zipline opened its first four planned distribution centers in Ghana to supply 2,500 health facilities. The fourth Ghanaian distribution center became operational in June 2020.
 May 2019 - Zipline raised $190 million on a post-money valuation of $1.2 billion. In September 2019, musician Bono joined the board. According to Rinaudo: "Rural healthcare is a challenge in every country in the world, including in the United States ... You now see much bigger and wealthier countries like the US using Rwanda as a role model."
 Zipline was named to CNBC's 2018 (25th place), 2019 (39th place), 2020 (7th place), 2022 (29th place), and 2023 (25th) Disruptor 50 lists.

 November 2020 -  Along with nine other drone delivery companies, the FAA selected Zipline to participate in a type certification program for delivery drones. Zipline then started undergoing airworthiness certification with the FAA that would allow their "Sparrow" model of drone to fly in the U.S.
 February 2021 - Zipline announced it was adding ultra-low temperature freezers to their distribution centers to allow delivery of temperature-sensitive COVID-19 vaccines.
 May 2021 - Bloomberg'' reported Zipline would be delivering vaccines to Cross River State and Northern Kaduna State in Nigeria. The following month, Zipline raised $250 million in new funding at a valuation of $2.75 billion.
 April 2022 - the company announced that a partner, Toyota Tsusho, opened a center to do deliveries using Zipline equipment in Japan.
 June 2022 - they announced a microphone-based collision avoidance system to detect and track nearby aircraft.
 December 2022 - Zipline and the Government of Rwanda announced an expanded partnership to serve the entire country, with a goal to make nearly 2 million deliveries and fly more than 200 million kilometers in Rwanda by 2029.
 March 2023 -  Zipline announced its second platform, called Platform 2 (P2), which is capable of delivering directly to homes in cities and suburbs. Sweetgreen, Michigan Medicine, and the Government of Rwanda were announced as initial customers. Shortly after the announcement, technology and science influencer Mark Rober posted a video on Zipline which led to significant interest in the company's novel "practically silent" propeller design and caused drone enthusiasts to try to replicate the design.
 May 8, 2023 -  during an interview, Rinaudo-Cliffton revealed that they had so far flown 40 million miles autonomously.
 September 23, 2023 - Clearance was given to them by the FAA to be able to fly in American airspace outside of "line of sight" and therefore allowing them to make deliveries there

Operation

The company designs and manufactures its drones, and builds and operates its distribution centers, which also serve as a drone airport. Medical staff at remote hospitals and clinics place orders with Zipline, a fulfillment operator receives this order and prepares the medical products into a special delivery package with a parachute.

A Zipline flight operator then packs the medical products into a drone and performs pre-flight checks. The drone is then launched with a supercapacitor-powered electric catapult launcher and accelerates from  in 0.33 seconds. The drone then flies itself to its delivery site while a remote pilot at each distribution center monitors all drones in flight.  The drone descends to  before dropping the package under a paper parachute. A payload can land within a  diameter landing zone. The drone then returns to the distribution center and lands by its tail hook catching an arresting gear, similar to airplanes landing on an aircraft carrier.   A Zipline distribution center can deliver medical supplies reliably anywhere within , even accounting for mountainous terrain and severe weather.

Drone specifications

Platform 1

The drone cruises at  at an altitude of  above ground level, ensuring deliveries are made within 45 minutes. The drone can carry up to  of cargo and whilst it can fly  on a charge they limit themselves to destinations a maximum of . Each distribution center is capable of making 500 deliveries per day.

The drones have a quickly-replaceable battery that allows rapid turnaround between flights. It has an inner carbon-fiber frame and an outer polystyrene shell. The wingspan is . The drone is launched from a steel rail by an electric motor. The rail accelerates the  drone to  in 0.3 seconds.

The drones have two propellers for redundancy and can fly safely on a single propeller or motor. A parachute that will bring the drone to the ground can be deployed if a larger set of faults occur. If the drone crashes, the outer components are frangible, breaking to release energy and impact the ground with less force.

Zipline's drones are capable of "level 4" autonomy: the ability to complete travel autonomously under normal environmental conditions without requiring pilot oversight.

Platform 2
On March 15, 2023, an additional platform was announced called "Platform 2" that is suited for shorter range deliveries which transport the delivery by wire instead of dropping it from the sky. The drone can carry up to  of cargo within a  radius. It is capable of a more precise delivery than its previous generation, and can recharge autonomously.

Locations

Active commercial service

Rwanda
Zipline operates two distribution centers in Rwanda.

Zipline began deliveries at its first distribution center in Muhanga in late 2016. In 2018, the Rwandan government signed a new deal to build a second distribution center near Kayonza, in the eastern part of the country. This deal expanded Zipline's service to include smaller health centers and hospitals and deliver vaccines and other medical products and blood products. Zipline opened the Kayonza distribution center in December 2018. The company hoped this would bring coverage to 80 percent of the country.

Rwanda has mountainous geography and poor road conditions, making an aerial delivery system more efficient than the use of land vehicles. The cost of delivery via drone is comparable to that of delivery by road, especially in emergencies. A 2022 study found that Zipline's service in Rwanda leads to faster delivery times relative to existing ground transportation and less blood component wastage in health facilities. The study found that Zipline's drone delivery service in Rwanda shortened blood product delivery times by 61 percent, reduced blood unit expirations by 67 percent, and was frequently used in response to medical emergencies, with 43 percent of orders being emergency orders.

Ghana
In 2018, Zipline signed a contract with the government of Ghana to make up to 600 deliveries a day for four years at the cost of about $12.5 million.  In April 2019, Ghana's president Nana Akufo-Addo announced the opening of the first distribution center in Ghana.  Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia launched the first Zipline drone to Tafo Hospital on April 24, 2019. This first delivery contained a resupply shipment of yellow fever vaccines to prevent stock-out.

In 2021, the government of Ghana expanded its contract with Zipline to add four additional distribution centers, bringing the total number of contracted distribution centers in the country to eight. Zipline presently operates six distribution centers in Ghana, serving over 2,300 health facilities. When the network is complete, Zipline will be able to serve about 85 percent of the population directly and the remainder indirectly, reaching over 3,200 health facilities in every region of the country.

In March 2022, Zipline announced that the company had delivered over one million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by drone in Ghana over the prior year. An independent study of Zipline's impact on the health system in Ghana found that Zipline's drone delivery service shortened vaccine stock-outs by 60 percent, decreased inventory-driven missed vaccination opportunities by 42 percent, decreased days facilities were without critical medical supplies by 21 percent, and increased the types of medicines and supplies stocked at health facilities by 10 percent.

United States
As of 2018, Zipline was working with the FAA to develop rules for drone operation beyond the line of sight.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the FAA granted a Part 107 waiver to Novant Health in partnership with Zipline for the delivery of medical supplies and personal protective equipment to facilities in North Carolina. The company plans to offer deliveries to homes.

On November 18, 2021, Zipline started a trial service with Walmart for e-commerce shopping deliveries in Pea Ridge, Arkansas. The service, selectable to online shoppers using a special mobile app, could deliver to all residences within  of a particular Walmart store in Pea Ridge during daylight hours.

On June 21, 2022, the license "Package Delivery by Drone (Part 135)" was granted.

On October 4, 2022, Zipline began commercial delivery services in Salt Lake City, Utah, in partnership with Intermountain Healthcare.

Japan
In April 2021, Zipline announced a partnership with an investor, Toyota Tsusho, to deliver medical products in Japan. While most Zipline facilities are staffed by locally hired operators employed by Zipline, the facilities in Japan are distinct in that they are operated by Sora-iina, a Toyota Tsusho Group company, and staffed by Toyota Tsusho employees. Zipline provides hardware and training in an OEM capacity. Construction of the first distribution center was completed in April 2022 on Fukue Island in the Gotō Islands. The drone delivery service will supply medical and pharmaceutical products to medical institutions and pharmacies in the Gotō Islands, which include 140 total islands (and five main localities). The use of drone delivery to assure routine distribution of medical products is expected to cut current sea and air transport options from several hours down to 30 minutes.

Nigeria
In February 2021, Zipline announced a plan to construct three distribution centers in Kaduna State, Nigeria. These distribution centers would have ultra-cold storage that is capable of safely storing COVID-19 vaccines, for which health facilities in the state could then place on-demand orders without needing ultra-cold storage of their own. The state also intends to use Zipline's service to transport other health products, including blood, medication, and routine vaccines. In May 2021, Zipline announced a similar agreement with Cross River State. In February 2022, Zipline announced another agreement with Bayelsa State.

The first hub opened in Kaduna state in an undisclosed location on the 4th June 2022

Cote d'Ivoire
In December 2021, the company announced an agreement to open four distribution centers in Cote d'Ivoire.

Kenya
In February 2022, the company announced an agreement to build a distribution center in Kisumu County, Kenya.

Pending service

Ukraine
In June 2022 it was announced by the Ukrainian Ministry of Health that talks were ongoing to partner with Zipline to build ten Zipline distribution hubs in Ukraine in areas such as Tlumach

Demonstration operations

Australia
Between July 30 and September 5, 2019, Zipline partnered with the US and Australian militaries, delivering over 400 mock blood supplies during mass casualty simulations.

References

External links

Logistics companies of the United States
Emerging technologies
American companies established in 2011
Transport companies established in 2011
2011 establishments in California
Medical technology companies of the United States
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Companies based in South San Francisco, California
Aerial Logistics companies

Zipline (drone delivery company)


Agency in English law is the component of UK commercial law that deals with the application of agency law in the United Kingdom, and forms a core set of rules necessary for the smooth functioning of business.

In 1986, the European Communities enacted Directive 86/653/EEC on self-employed commercial agents. In the UK, this was implemented into national law in the Commercial Agents Regulations 1993.

Authority
An agent who acts within the scope of authority conferred by their principal binds the principal in the obligations the agent creates with third parties. There are essentially two kinds of authority recognised in the law: actual authority (whether express or implied) and apparent authority.

Actual authority

Actual authority can be of two kinds. Either the principal may have expressly conferred authority on the agent, or authority may be implied. Authority arises by consent, and whether it exists is a question of fact. An agent, as a general rule, is only entitled to indemnity from the principal if they have acted within the scope of their actual authority, and if they act outside of that authority they may be in breach of contract, and liable to a third party for breach of the implied warranty of authority.

Express actual authority
Express actual authority means an agent has been expressly told (i.e., explicitly told) they may act on behalf of a principal.

Ireland v Livingstone (1872) LR 5 HL 395

Implied actual authority
Implied actual authority, also called "usual authority", is authority an agent has by virtue of being reasonably necessary to carry out their express authority. As such, it can be inferred by virtue of a position held by an agent. For example, partners have authority to bind the other partners in the firm, their liability being joint and several, and in a corporation, all executives and senior employees with decision-making authority by virtue of their position have authority to bind the corporation.

Hely-Hutchinson v Brayhead Ltd [1968] 1 QB 549

Apparent authority

Apparent authority (also called "ostensible authority") exists where the principal's words or conduct would lead a reasonable person in the third party's position to believe that the agent was authorized to act, even if the principal and the purported agent had never discussed such a relationship. For example, where one person appoints a person to a position which carries with it agency-like powers, those who know of the appointment are entitled to assume that there is apparent authority to do the things ordinarily entrusted to one occupying such a position. If a principal creates the impression that an agent is authorized but there is no actual authority, third parties are protected so long as they have acted reasonably. This is sometimes termed "agency by estoppel" or the "doctrine of holding out", where the principal will be estopped from denying the grant of authority if third parties have changed their positions to their detriment in reliance on the representations made.

Rama Corporation Ltd v Proved Tin and General Investments Ltd [1952] 2 QB 147, Slade J, "Ostensible or apparent authority... is merely a form of estoppel, indeed, it has been termed agency by estoppel and you cannot call in aid an estoppel unless you have three ingredients: (i) a representation, (ii) reliance on the representation, and (iii) an alteration of your position resulting from such reliance."
Freeman & Lockyer v Buckhurst Park Properties (Mangal) Ltd [1964] 2 QB 480
The Raffaella or Egyptian International Foreign Trade Co v Soplex Wholesale Supplies Ltd and PS Refson & Co Ltd [1985] 2 Lloyd's Rep 36
Armagas Ltd v Mundogas Ltd or The Ocean Frost [1986] AC 717, an agent cannot clothe himself with ostensible authority simply by saying that he has authority
Hudson Bay Apparel Brands Llc v Umbro International Ltd [2010] EWCA Civ 949

Watteau v Fenwick
In the case of Watteau v Fenwick, Lord Coleridge CJ on the Queen's Bench concurred with an opinion by Wills J that a third party could hold personally liable a principal who he did not know about when he sold cigars to an agent that was acting outside of its authority. Wills J held that "the principal is liable for all the acts of the agent which are within the authority usually confided to an agent of that character, notwithstanding limitations, as between the principal and the agent, put upon that authority." This decision is heavily criticised and doubted, though not entirely overruled in the UK. It is sometimes referred to as "usual authority" (though not in the sense used by Lord Denning MR in Hely-Hutchinson, where it is synonymous with "implied actual authority"). It has been explained as a form of apparent authority, or "inherent agency power".

Operation of law
China-Pacific SA v Food Corporation of India or The Winson [1982] AC 939

Ratification
Keighley, Maxsted & Co v Durant [1901] AC 240
Bolton Partners v Lambert (1889) 41 ChD 295

Disclosure

Disclosed agency

Montgomerie v United Kingdom Mutual Steamship Association [1891] 1 QB 370, Wright J
Irvine & Co v Watson & Sons (1880) 5 QBD 414, Bramwell LJ, settlement with the agent
Thomson v Davenport (1829) 9 B&C 78, merger and election
Debenham's Ltd v Perkins (1925) 13 LT 252
Lewis v Nicholson and Parker (1852) 18 QB 503, between agent and third party
Universal Steam Navigation Co Ltd v James McKelvie & Co [1923] AC 492
Bridges & Salmon Ltd v The Swan (Owner) or The Swan [1968] 1 Lloyd's Rep 5
N&J Vlassopulos Ltd v Ney Shipping Ltd or The Santa Carina [1977] 1 Lloyd's Rep 478, Lord Denning MR, oral contracts
Rayner v Grote (1846) 15 M&W 359
Yonge v Toynbee [1910] 1 KB 215

Undisclosed agency

Siu Yin Kwan v Eastern Insurance Co Ltd [1994] 2 AC 199
Keighley, Maxsted & Co v Durant [1901] AC 240, Lord Lindley
Fred Drughorn Ltd v Rederiaktiebolaget Trans-Atlantic [1919] AC 203, exclusion of undisclosed principal by contract terms
Said v Butt [1920] 3 KB 497
Dyster v Randall & Sons [1926] Ch 932
Greer v Downs Supply Co [1927] 2 KB 28
Rolls-Royce Power Engineering plc v Ricardo Consulting Engineering Ltd [2003] EWHC 2871
Clarkson Booker Ltd v Andjel [1964] 2 QB 775
Cooke & Sons v Eshelby (1887) 12 App Cas 271
Armstrong v Stokes (1872) LR 7 QB 598, Blackburn J, settlement with the agent

Principal and agent relations

Duties of agent

Chaudhry v Prabhakar [1989] 1 WLR 29, duty of care
Bristol and West Building Society v Mothew [1998] Ch 1, fiduciary duties
Henderson v Merrett Syndicates Ltd [1995] 2 AC 145
Armstrong v Jackson [1917] 2 KB 822
Kelly v Cooper [1993] AC 205
Boston Deep Sea Fishing and Ice Co v Ansell (1888) 39 Ch D 339, duty to not accept bribes.
Industries & General Mortgage Co Ltd v Lewis [1949] 2 All ER 573
Attorney General for Hong Kong v Reid [1994] 1 AC 324
De Bussche v Alt (1878) 8 ChD 286, duty to not delegate authority
Calico Printers' Association Ltd v Barclays Bank Ltd (1931) 145 LT 51

Rights of agent

Way v Latilla [1937] 3 All ER 759, contractual right to remuneration
Millar, Son & Co v Radford (1903) 19 TLR 575, work effective cause of services
Luxor (Eastbourne) Ltd v Cooper [1941] AC 108, opportunity for commission
Rhodes v Fielder, Jones and Harrison (1919) 89 LJKB 159, reimbursement and indemnity

Reciprocal duties of principals and commercial agents
The Commercial Agents Regulations require agents to act "dutifully and in good faith" in performing their activities (Reg. 3); co-extensively, principals are required to act "dutifully and in good faith" in their "relations" with their commercial agents (Reg 4). Though there is no statutory definition of this obligation to act "dutifully and in good faith", it has been suggested that it requires principals and agents to act "with honesty, openness and regard for the interests of the other party to the transaction".
 Npower Direct Ltd v South of Scotland Power Ltd [2005] EWHC 2123
 Rossetti Marketing Ltd v Diamond Sofa Co Ltd [2011] EWHC 2482 (QB)
 Simpson v Grant & Bowman Limited [2006] EuLR 933

Termination of agency
Campanari v Woodburn (1854) 15 CB 400
Frith v Frith [1906] AC 254
Lonsdale v Howard & Hallam Ltd [2007] UKHL 32, indemnity and compensation
Drew v Nunn (1879) 4 QBD 661

See also

Law of agency
UK commercial law
UK company law
UK competition law
Bailment and Coggs v Barnard
EC Directive 86/653, on commercial agents

Notes

References

References
Books
LS Sealy and RJA Hooley, Commercial Law: Text, Cases and Materials (4th edn OUP 2009)

Articles
GHL Fridman, 'The Demise of Watteau v Fenwick: Sign-O-Lite Ltd v Metropolitan Life Insurance Co' (1991) 70 Canadian Bar Review 329
S Saintier, 'Final guidelines on compensation of commercial agents' (2008) 124 LQR 31
G McMeel, 'Philosophical Foundations of the Law of Agency' (2000) 116 LQR 387
A Tosato, 'An Exploration of the European Dimension of the Commercial Agents Regulations' (2013) 4 LMCLQ 544

Agency law
United Kingdom business law
Legal professions
English law

Agency in English law


The lateral collateral ligament (LCL, long external lateral ligament or fibular collateral ligament) is an extrinsic ligament of the knee located on the lateral side of the knee. Its superior attachment is at the lateral epicondyle of the femur (superoposterior to the popliteal groove); its inferior attachment is at the lateral aspect of the head of fibula (anterior to the apex). The LCL is not fused with the joint capsule. Inferiorly, the LCL splits the tendon of insertion of the biceps femoris muscle.

Structure
The LCL measures some 5 cm in length. It is rounded, and is more narrow and less broad compared to the medial collateral ligament. It extends obliquely inferoposteriorly from its superior attachment to its inferior attachment.

In contrast to the medial collateral ligament, it is not fused with either the capsular ligament nor the lateral meniscus. Because of this, the LCL is more flexible than its medial counterpart, and is therefore less susceptible to injury.

Relations
Immediately below its origin is the groove for the tendon of the popliteus.

The greater part of its lateral surface is covered by the tendon of the biceps femoris; the tendon, however, divides at its insertion into two parts, which are separated by the ligament.

Deep to the ligament are the tendon of the popliteus, and the inferior lateral genicular vessels and nerve.

Function
Both collateral ligaments are taut when the knee joint is in extension.  With the knee in flexion, the radius of curvatures of the condyles is decreased and the origin and insertions of the ligaments are brought closer together which make them lax. The pair of ligaments thus stabilize the knee joint in the coronal plane. Therefore, damage and rupture of these ligaments can be diagnosed by examining the knee's stability in the mediolateral axis.

Clinical significance

Causes of injury
The LCL is usually injured as a result of varus force across the knee, which is a force pushing the knee from the medial (inner) side of the joint, causing stress on the outside. An example of this would be a direct blow to the inside of the knee. The LCL can also be injured by a noncontact injury, such as a hyperextension stress, again causing varus force across the knee.

An LCL injury usually occurs simultaneously as the other ligaments of the knee are injured. Multiple knee ligament tears and stresses can result from a significant trauma that includes direct blunt force to the knee, such as an automobile crash.

Symptoms
Symptoms of a sprain or tear of the LCL includes pain to the lateral aspect of the knee, instability of the knee when walking, swelling and ecchymosis (bruising) at the site of trauma. Direct trauma to the medial aspect of the knee may also affect the peroneal nerve, which could result in a foot drop or paresthesias  below the knee which could present itself as a tingling sensation.

Treatment
An isolated LCL tear or sprain rarely requires surgery. If the injury is a Grade 1 or Grade II, microscopic or partial macroscopic tearing respectively, the injury is treated with rest and rehabilitation. Ice, electrical stimulation and elevation are all methods to reduce the pain and swelling felt in the initial stages after the injury takes place. Physical therapy focuses on regaining full range-of-motion, such as biking, stretching and careful applications of pressure on the joint. Full recovery of Grade I or Grade II tears should take between 6 weeks and 3 months. Continued pain, swelling and instability to the joint after this time period may require surgical repair or reconstruction to the ligament.

Additional images

See also
 Posterolateral knee injuries

References

External links
  ()

Knee ligaments

Fibular collateral ligament


Ichi is a 2008 chanbara チャンバラ film directed by Fumihiko Sori, starring Haruka Ayase, Takao Osawa, Shido Nakamura, and Yosuke Kubozuka. It was released by Warner Bros. Japan on October 25, 2008.

The film was loosely based on the manga published Oct 23, 2008 to Aug 23, 2011 by Hana Shinohara.

Plot

 is a goze (blind woman) who is travelling Japan in search of her mentor, who was the actual Zatoichi.

She is befriended by a travelling samurai Toma Fujihira, who tells her that he rescued her from bandits (in fact, it was Ichi who saved them both by killing the bandits). They travel to a town run by the Shirakawa, a Yakuza family who are plagued by the Banki-to, a group of mercenaries. This group is led by Banki, an evil man who is excellent in sword fighting but has a disfigured face. Ichi is befriended by Kotaro, a boy who lives with his drunkard father.

After Ichi helps Toma win money from Chō-han, they are followed by five Bankito who demand Toma's money. After Toma refuses, he is challenged to a fight but is unable to draw his sword. Ichi slays the gang. The Shirakawa leader's son, Toraji, arrives after the fight and assumes that it was Toma who slew the men and makes Toma his personal bodyguard. Ichi is convinced by Kotaro and his father to stay  in the hope of the famed blind swordmaster, Zatoichi, passing through. Toma confesses that although he has fighting skills he is unable to draw his sword because of guilt for blinding his mother in an accident.

The Bankito plan their revenge. They kill the head of the Shirakawa. Toma is unable to defend anyone and is left unconscious. Ichi admits that it was she who killed the earlier men and after displaying her skills, the second-in-command of the Bankito is convinced and takes her to the mountains to meet their leader, Banki. After she kills two Bankito who doubted her skills, Banki attacks and defeats her. As Ichi lies injured, Banki states that he had met her mentor. The two had fought but Zatoichi would die in battle because of a fast acting disease. She is thrown into a locked ditch and left to die. As she loses consciousness, Ichi drops the bell given to her by Zatoichi.

We then see Ichi's backstory. She was born blind. While she was still a young girl, Zatoichi rescued her and left her in the care of a group of , giving Ichi a small bell to remember him by. Zatoichi visited her as she grew and secretly taught her the fighting techniques Zatoichi had mastered. Ichi grew up to be a musically talented and beautiful woman, as well as an accomplished sword-fighter. After one of her goze group's performances, she was raped by one of the patrons.  were strictly forbidden to marry and required to be celibate so she was later expelled from the goze household, even though it broke the other members' hearts. She pleaded with the man who had raped her to talk to the leader of the goze so she could go back to the group, but instead he mocked her and tried to attack her again. She was able to draw the sword she kept hidden in her cane and killed him. Ichi then travelled Japan to look for Zatoichi, who she believed was her father, and this was how she met Toma.

Toma is attacked by the members of the Yakuza clan because of his deceit, but Toraji rebukes the attackers, stating that they still need Toma's help to defeat the Bankito. Toma goes with Kotaro's reformed father to the Bankito hideout and saves Ichi. Banki swore revenge. While recovering, Ichi explained that she is searching for Zatoichi because she wanted to see him one last time before she commits suicide. Toma is able to convince her to give up the idea. Later, while she sleeps recovering from her injuries, Toma leaves her to go help the Shirakawa fight the Bankito. When Ichi wakes up Kotaro tells her about the fight that's going on in the town.

The Bankito outnumber the Shirakawa by 2 to 1. Still, Toma is unable to draw his sword. But when Banki demands Toma step forward and fight him, Toma is willing. He overcomes his guilt and is able to draw his sword. The two men fight and Toma shows everyone that he is indeed an adept swordsman. Toma inflicts a fatal strike on Banki, but Banki gives him a fatal wound as well. Toma dies in Ichi's arms and tells her not to lose hope. After Toma dies Banki tries to attack Ichi but she is able to defeat him and finally kills the clan leader, whose horribly scarred face is revealed. Fearing for their lives, the few remaining members of the Bankito flee.

Later we see Toraji rebuilding his town and assuming the leadership of his Yakuza clan. Ichi plays Toma's favorite song one last time, and is seen at his grave with Kotaro. Intending to bring Toma's katana to his mother's grave, she bids her friend Kotaro farewell and give him a little bell as a keepsake (the same gift that Zatoichi had given her when she was young). She said that Kotaro was right all along, that she needed light for her journey, and then departs.

Cast
 Haruka Ayase as Ichi
 Shido Nakamura as Banki
 Yosuke Kubozuka as Toraji Shirakawa
 Takao Osawa as Toma Fujihira
 Tetta Sugimoto as Zatoichi
 Megumi Yokoyama as Toma's mother
 Eri Watanabe as Ohama
 Mitsuki Koga as Jakou
 Ryousuke Shima as Kotaro
 Yukina Kashiwa as Ichi, as a girl

Reception
Jessica Sattell of Ibuki Magazine said "Beauty is found at every turn in this bewitching tale", while James Mudge of BeyondHollywood.com found the plot 'very basic and predictable'.

References

 "Ichi: Adventure romance". (Thursday, 1 July 2010) Ibuki Magazine.

External links
 Ichi at Funimation
 ICHI at Warner Bros. Japan

Zatoichi films
2008 films
Japanese action films
2000s Japanese-language films
Funimation
Jidaigeki films
Shochiku films
Films directed by Fumihiko Sori
Films about blind people
2000s Japanese films

Ichi (film)


Aziza Siddiqui is a human rights activist from Afghanistan. In 2007, Siddiqui received the International Women of Courage Award.

Life

Aziza Siddiqui was born in Afghanistan.  When she was 8 years old, her family moved to Pakistan because of war.  In 2003 she returned to Afghanistan.

Work

In Afghanistan, Siddiqui worked with Action Aid, an Afghan NGO.  She taught women in the northern provinces about their rights. She talked to men about women making decisions.  Villages got $50 if they had a man in the council to make decisions.  If they also had a woman in the council, they got $100.

After Siddiqui traveled to Washington D.C. to receive the award, her family told her to stay in the U.S. They said it was not safe to go back to Afghanistan.  In 2008, Siddiqui worked as a case worker for BIAS, Bi-lingual International Assistant Services in St. Louis.  She worked with immigrants.  She also worked as an interpreter for the International Institute.

References

Women who received the International Women of Courage Award
Afghan human rights activists
Living people
1983 births

Aziza Siddiqui


Yash Gera (born 25 May 1986) is an Indian model, actor, anchor and DJ (disc jockey) from the capital city of India, New Delhi. He was born in a Punjabi Hindu family and works in an entertainment and media industry. He has been part of Ramp shows, print ads, commercial and television serials. He has also been the anchor for a number of corporate, entertainment, private and Bollywood events.

Early life
Yash Gera was born in New Delhi India. He's the son of Late.sh.Dharam Pal Gera. He studied at the Delhi University
College of Vocational Studies (2004 to 2007).

Modeling career
Yash Gera started his career as a model  in 2006. He has done several commercial ads for products like Gillette, Panasonic shaver, Canon, Colgate, LG Flatron, Lotto Shoes and Poloraid Sunglasses. He is also seen with Saif Ali Khan in Chevrolet AVEO Advertisement. He is the brand ambassador of 'STEEL' Men's skin care and was the Mr. MTV Face of the week in February 2009.

Television career
Yash Gera started his career as a DJ (Disc-Jockey) in 2004. He shifted to Mumbai in year 2009 to pursue his modelling and acting career. He got his first break in acting in March 2009 in Palampur Express, telecast on Sony Entertainment Television. Yash played the character of "Paaji", who is the leader of Adarsh School. Yash Gera also played the role of Prateek, who is parallel lead in Bairi Piya on Colors (TV channel). He also did Come Along Lets Grow Together business show as a host for Sahara Samay Channel. In Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani on Star One he played the role of Shankar Menon, who is in love with the character of Misha Dobriyal.
He has also appeared in two films Ussey Kya Ho Jayega and Chori Ka Maal Mori Mein. He played a crucial character (Bajrang Bhaiya) in the show Kuch Toh Log Kahenge. He was seen in the horror soap Fear Files: Darr Ki Sacchi Tasvirein as lead character named "Surender" aired on Saturday 6 April 2013 at 10.30pm on Zee TV. Yash Gera portrayed the negative role of Vikram in the Channel Big Magic Channel Serial Jai Maa Vindhyavasini. The actor replaced Ather Habib who played the role of Shaurya Maheshwari in the popular Star Plus serial Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. He was last seen in the Zee TV Show Zindagi Ki Mehek in a negative role.

Television

References

External links

Indian male television actors
Indian male film actors
1986 births
Living people
Indian male models

Yash Gera


K2-33b (also known by its EPIC designation EPIC 205117205.01) is a very young super-Neptune exoplanet, orbiting the pre-main-sequence star K2-33. It was discovered by NASA's Kepler spacecraft on its "Second Light" mission. It is located about 456 light-years (140 parsecs) away from Earth in the constellation of Scorpius. The exoplanet was found by using the transit method, in which the dimming effect that a planet causes as it crosses in front of its star is measured.

Among known exoplanets, K2-33b is considered extremely young − a mere 9.3 million years old. Only one other exoplanet is younger, with an age of 2 Myr (V830 Tau b).

Physical characteristics

Mass, radius, and temperature
K2-33b is a super-Neptune, an exoplanet that has a mass and radius larger than that of Neptune. It has an equilibrium temperature of . It has a radius of 5.04 . While the exoplanet's mass hasn't been constrained yet, upper estimates place a mass of 3.6 .

Atmosphere
By 2022, the atmosphere of K2-33b was found to be hazy, without any noticeable molecular bands in transmission spectrum. Given the planetary radius and temperature, atmosphere is likely to contain an abundant carbon monoxide and dense tholin haze.

Host star

The planet orbits an (M-type) pre-main-sequence star named K2-33. The star has a mass of 0.54  and a radius of 1.05 . It has a surface temperature of 3540 K and is 9.3 million years old. In comparison, the Sun is 4.6 billion years old and has a surface temperature of 5778 K. It has about the same amount of metals as the Sun, with a metallicity ([Fe/H]) of 0. Its luminosity () is 15% that of the Sun.

The star's apparent magnitude, or how bright it appears from Earth's perspective, is 14.3. Therefore, it is too dim to be seen with the naked eye.

Orbit
K2-33b orbits its host star with an orbital period of 5.424 days at a distance of 0.049 AU (compared to the distance of Mercury from the Sun, which is about 0.38 AU). The planet likely receives about 125 times as much sunlight that Earth does from the Sun.

Age and formation

The planet is best known for its remarkably young age, which is estimated to be about 9.3 million years. Given this age, the planetary system most likely formed back near the end of the Miocene epoch of the Earth's history. Observations made on the planet confirmed that it was in fact a fully formed exoplanet, not just a protoplanet that was still in the stages of developing. The mass and radius of the exoplanet further help constrain this statement.

K2-33b is the youngest confirmed transiting exoplanet. There are relatively few other exoplanets discovered to date with an age this young, all of which are non-transiting (with some that were detected around the hot A-type and B-type stars, such as HD 95086 and HIP 78530, however these could just be brown dwarfs due to their mass). The hot Jupiter exoplanet V830 Tau b, published in the same issue of the journal Nature as the discovery of K2-33b, is the youngest known exoplanet with an age of around 2 million years (around the time that humans evolved on Earth).

The discoveries of K2-33b and V830 Tau b are most notable for explaining how close-in planets form, an open question in the field of exoplanets since the discovery of the first exoplanet, 51 Pegasi b, in 1995. Given the young ages of these exoplanets, several theories of planetary migration can be ruled out because they take too long to form close-in planets. The most plausible formation scenario for K2-33b is that it formed further away from its star, then migrated inwards through the protoplanetary disk, although it remains a possibility that the planet formed in place. Trevor David of Caltech in Pasadena stated on the discovery of the exoplanet "The question we are answering is: Did those planets take a long time to get into those hot orbits, or could they have been there from a very early stage? We are saying, at least in this one case, that they can indeed be there at a very early stage."

Understanding the young ages of such exoplanets may eventually help to lead scientists on how planetary formation works and provide some clues on the origin of the Solar System and other such planetary systems discovered.

Discovery
In 2014, NASA's Kepler spacecraft began its "Second Light" mission, after two of its reactor wheels had failed the previous year, ending the primary mission. From 23 August to 13 November 2014, the spacecraft collected data from the core of Upper Scorpius, which included K2-33. The exoplanet was simultaneously discovered by two independent research groups, one led by astronomers from the California Institute of Technology and the other led by astronomers from the University of Texas at Austin.

The star was studied on days in late January, February, and March 2016. The observations were made with the Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) on the 2.7-m Harlan J. Smith Telescope at the McDonald Observatory.  After observing the respective transits, which for K2-33b occurred roughly every 5 days (its orbital period), it was eventually concluded that a planetary body was responsible for the periodic 5-day transits. The discovery was announced on 20 June 2016 in an announcement made by NASA.

See also
V830 Tau b

References

External links
 NASA – Kepler Mission.
 NASA – Kepler Discoveries – Summary Table.
 NASA – K2-33b at The NASA Exoplanet Archive.
 NASA – K2-33b at The Exoplanet Data Explorer.
 NASA – K2-33b at The Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia.

Exoplanets discovered in 2016
Transiting exoplanets
Hot Jupiters
33
Scorpius

K2-33b


Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring. The system has an active enrollment of 54,956 students, attending a total of 103 school sites: 50 elementary schools (three of which operate on a year-round calendar), 15 middle schools, 21 high schools, four single-gender academies and 13 charter schools.  The school system also supports two alternative schools for middle and/or high school students, two community schools, and an adult learning center.

The school system owns the license for, but does not operate, the radio station WABE-FM 90.1 (the National Public Radio affiliate) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) public television station WABE-TV 30.

Governance
The Atlanta Board of Education establishes and approves the policies that govern the Atlanta Public School system. The board consists of nine members, representing six geographical districts, and three "at-large" districts. One person is elected per district to represent the schools in a given district for a four-year term.  Under the provisions of the new board charter, approved by the Georgia Legislature in 2003, board members elect a new chairman and vice chairman every two years. The day-to-day administration of the school district is the responsibility of the superintendent, who is appointed by the board.

School board members

 District 1 - Leslie Grant
 District 2 - Aretta Baldon
 District 3 - Michelle Olympiadis
 District 4 - Nancy Meister
 District 5 - Erica Mitchell
 District 6 - Eshe' Collins (Vice-Chair)
 Seat 7 - Kandis Wood Jackson
 Seat 8 - Cynthia Briscoe Brown
 Seat 9 - Jason Esteves (Chair)

https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/domain/11326

APS leadership
2020-2021 school year

 Dr. Lisa Herring, Ed.D., Superintendent
 Steve Smith, Associate Superintendent
 Karen Waldon, Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
 Lisa Bracken, Chief Financial Officer
 D. Glenn Brock, General Counsel (Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough LLP)
 Larry Hoskins, Deputy Superintendent for Operations
 Alexis Kirijan, Ed.D., Chief Strategy Officer
 Tony Hunter, Chief Information Officer
 Ron Price, Chief Human Resources Officer

Schools

High schools

Benjamin E. Mays High School
BEST Academy High School
Booker T. Washington High School
Coretta Scott King Young Women's Leadership Academy High School
Daniel McLaughlin Therrell High School
Frederick Douglass High School
Maynard H. Jackson High School
Midtown High School (formerly Henry W. Grady High School)
The New Schools at Carver
 Early College
 School of the Arts
 School of Health Sciences & Research
 School of Technology
North Atlanta High School
South Atlanta High School

Middle schools

 BEST Academy Middle School
 Coretta Scott King Young Women's Leadership Academy Middle School
 Crawford Williamson Long Middle School
 Jean Childs Young Middle School
 Joseph Emerson Brown Middle School
 Luther Judson Price Middle School
 Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School
 Ralph Johnson Bunche Middle School
 Samuel M. Inman Middle School (now David T. Howard Middle School )
 Sylvan Hills Middle School
 Sutton Middle
 Willis Sutton Middle School

Elementary schools
 Adamsville Elementary School
 Barack & Michelle Obama Academy (formerly DH Stanton Elementary)
 Beecher Hills Elementary School
 Benteen Elementary School
 Bethune Elementary School
 Bolton Academy
 Boyd Elementary School
 Brandon Elementary School
 Burgess/Peterson Elementary School
 Cascade Elementary School
 Centennial Academy Elementary School
 Cleveland Avenue Elementary School
 Connally Elementary School
 Continental Colony Elementary School
 Deerwood Academy
 Dobbs Elementary School
 Dunbar Elementary School
 Fain Elementary School
 Fickett Elementary School
 Finch Elementary School
 Frank Lebby Stanton Elementary School
 Fred A. Toomer Elementary School
 Flat Rock Elementary School
 Garden Hills Elementary School
 Gideons Elementary School
 Grove Park Intermediate Elementary School
 Harper-Archer Elementary School
 Heritage Academy
 Hope-Hill Elementary School
 Humphries Elementary School
 Hutchinson Elementary School
 Jackson Elementary School
 Kimberly Elementary School
 M. Agnes Jones Elementary School
 Mary Lin Elementary School
 Miles Elementary School
 Morningside Elementary School
 Oglethorpe Elementary School
 Parkside Elementary School
 Perkerson Elementary School
 Peyton Forest Elementary School
 Pine Ridge Elementary School
 Rivers Elementary School
 Sarah Smith Elementary School
 Scott Elementary School
 Slater Elementary School
 Springdale Park Elementary School
 Sycamore Elementary school
 Thomasville Heights Elementary School
 Towns Elementary School
 Bazoline E. Usher Collier Heights Elementary School
 Venetian Hills Elementary School
 West Manor Elementary School
 Whitefoord Elementary School
 Woodson Primary Elementary School
Tag Academy

Non-traditional schools
 Alonzo A. Crim Open Campus High School
 APS/Community Education Partnership (CEP) School
 The New School of Atlanta
 West End Academy
 Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy - It was Forrest Hill Academy, named after Nathan Bedford Forrest, until 2021.

Single-gender academies
 The B.E.S.T. Academy at Benjamin S. Carson (Business, Engineering, Science, and Technology)
 The Coretta Scott King Young Women's Leadership Academy

Evening school programs
 Adult Literacy Program

Charter schools
 Atlanta Classical Academy
 Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School
 Centennial Academy
 Charles R. Drew Charter School
 The Kindezi School
 KIPP Vision Academy
 KIPP Vision Primary
 KIPP West Atlanta Young Scholars Academy
 The Latin Academy
 University Community Academy, an Atlanta Charter School, Inc.
 Wesley International Academy
 Westside Atlanta Charter School

Former schools

High schools
 Boys High School, 1872-1947
 Charles Lincoln Harper High School, 1963-1995
 Commercial High School, 1888-1947
 Daniel O'Keefe High School, 1947-1973
 David T. Howard High School, 1945-1976
 East Atlanta High School, 1959-1988
 Franklin D. Roosevelt High School, 1947-1985
 Fulton High School, 1915-1994
 Girls High School, 1872-1947
 Harper-Archer High School, 1995-2002
 Henry McNeal Turner High School, 1951-1990
 Hoke Smith High School, 1947-1985
 Joseph Emerson Brown High School, 1947-1992
 Luther Judson Price High School, 1954-1987
 North Fulton High School, 1920-1991
 Northside High School, 1950-1991
 Samuel Howard Archer High School, 1950-1995
 Southwest High School, 1950-1981
 Sylvan Hills High School, 1949-1987
 Tech High Charter School, 2004-2012
 Technological "Tech" High School, 1909-1947
 Walter F. George High School, 1959-1995
 West Fulton High School, 1947-1992
 William A. Bass High School, 1948-1987
 William F. Dykes High School, 1959-1973
 J.C. Murphy High School, 1949-1988

Middle schools
 Austin T. Walden Middle School
 Central Junior High School
 Daniel O'keefe Middle School, 1973-1983
 Henry McNeal Turner Middle School, 1989-2010
 John Fitzgerald Kennedy Middle School
 Marshall Middle School
 Sammye E. Coan Middle School
 Southwest Middle School
 Walter Leonard Parks Middle School
 West Fulton Middle School, 1992-2004
 CW Long Middle School

Elementary schools
 Adair Park Elementary School
 Anderson Park Elementary School, added to APS in 1951 (previously out of district)
 Anne E. West Elementary School
 Arkwright Elementary School
 Bell Street School, 1900-
 Ben Hill Elementary School
 Blair Village Elementary School
 Blalock Elementary School
 Burgess Elementary School
 C.D. Hubert Elementary School, renamed Atlanta Tech High in 2004
 Calhoun Street, 1883-
 Capitol View Elementary School 1940-1973
 Caroline F. Harper Elementary School
 Center Hill Elementary School
 Chattahoochee Elementary School 1945-1973 (Fulton County until 1951 Annex)
 Clark Howell Elementary School
 Collier Heights Elementary School 1940-1973
 Cook Elementary School
 Crew Street Elementary School, 1872- (burned 1885, rebuilt)
 Dean Rusk Elementary
 D.F. McClatchey Elementary School
 Davis Street, 1887
 Decatur Street Elementary School, 1872-1876?
 East Lake Elementary School 1947-1973
 Edgewood Avenue, 1892-
 Edmond Asa Ware Elementary School
 Edwin P. Johnson Elementary School
 Emma Clarissa Clement Elementary School 1947-1973
 English Avenue School|English Avenue Elementary School 1947-1973
 Evan P. Howell Elementary School 1937-1973
 Fair Street School, 1880-
 Formwalt School, 1893
 Fountain Elementary School 1948-1973
 Fourth Ward School (on Boulevard), 1902-
 Fowler St. Elementary School 1939-1973
 Fraser Street, 1891-
 Gray Street, 1888-
 Grant Park School, 1904-1937,Rebuilt 1939-1973
 H. R. Butler Elementary School (Young Street School)* Haynes Street School, 1873-
 Harwell Elementary School 1954-1973
 Herndon Elementary School 1947-1973
 Hills Park Elementary School 1924-1946 Burned. Rebuilt 1949 as Mt.Vernon Elementary(Fulton County until 1951).
 Home Park Elementary School 1937-1973
 Houston Street School, 1880-1925
 I.N. Ragsdale Elementary School
 Ira Street, 1885-1925
 Ivy Street Elementary School, 1872-1914
 Joel Chandler Harris Elementary School 1940-1973
 John B. Gordon Elementary school
 John Carey Elementary School
 John F. Faith Elementary, renamed C.D. Hubert in 1963
 John P. Whittaker Elementary School 1954-1973
 Jonathan M. Goldsmith Elementary School 1935-1973(Fulton County until 1951)
 Lakewood Elementary School 1940-1973
 Laura Haygood Elementary School 1947-1973
 Lee Street Elementary School (Previously West End School, renamed 1904), annexed into APS in 1894-
 Luckie Street Elementary School, 1872-Demolished 1929 Rebuilt 1931-1973
 Marietta Street Elementary School, 1873-1935
 Margaret Mitchel Elementary School 1958-2009
 Minnie S. Howell Elementary School 1920-1954
 Mitchell Street, 1882-1914
 Moreland Ave. Elementary School 1940-1973
 Mount Vernon Elementary School 1950-1973(Fulton County until 1951)
 North Ave. Elementary School, 1908-1954
 Oglethorpe Elementary School 1947-1973
 Peeples Street Grammar School
 Pryor Street School, 1907-1949
 Riverside Elementary School1939-1973(Fulton County until 1951)
 Roach Street, 1892
 Rockdale Elementary School 1940-1973(Fulton County until 1951)
 Rosalie Wright Elementary School
 Spring Street Elementary School 1940-1973
 State Street, 1891
 Storr's School, opened 1866, added to APS 1872
 Summer Hill School, opened 1866, added to APS 1872
 Sylvan Hills Elementary School 1949-1973
 Tenth Street School, 1905-1939
 Thomas Jefferson Guice Elementary School 1954-1973
 Walker Street Elementary School, 1872-1935
 Waters Elementary School
 West End School (on Peeples St.), 1904
 William Franklin Hartnett (Hardnett) Elementary School, 1955-1985 (burned)
 William Franklin Slaton School (originally referred to as Grant Street school), 1908
 Williams Street, 1893
 White Elementary School 1948-1973

History

Before 1900
On November 26, 1869, the Atlanta City Council passed an ordinance establishing the Atlanta Public Schools. On January 31, 1872, the first three grammar schools for white students (Crew Street School, Ivy Street School, Walker Street School) opened, and the existing grammar schools for black students (Summer Hill School and Storr's School) established by the Freedman's Bureau in 1866 and supported by the Norther Missionary Socieies, were merged into the holdings of the Atlanta Public Schools. The capacity of each school was 400 students, although the inaugural registration was 1839 students, 639 students over the capacity. In addition, two high schools, divided by sex, were formed for white students, Boys High and Girls High. These initial schools were based on a census of school aged (ages 6–18) children called for by the inaugural Board of Education. That survey reported in October 1870 that there were 3,345 white children (1,540 boys and 1,805 girls) and 3,139 black children (1,421 boys and 1,728 girls) for a total potential student body of 6,484.

the districts for the white grammar schools were divided as follows,
Crew Street School, The second and third wards, including that portion of the city lying between Whitehall street and the Georgia Railroad
Ivy Street School, the fourth, fifth, and seventh wards, bounded by the Georgia Railroad and the Western & Atlantic Railroad
Walker Street School, first and sixth wards, including that portion of the city west of Whitehall street and the Western & Atlantic railroad.

The initial monetary support from the Atlanta City Council was limited. Although a bond had been called for and approved through vote by the residents, there were not yet funds and so the Board of Education had to approach the City Council to cover the purchase of the land, the construction of the buildings, the salaries of the teachers, as well as books to teach from. The first salary budget, dated December 9, 1871, was for twenty-seven teachers, and totaled $21,250. Grade school teachers were paid $450-$800 a year, while principals were paid $1,500 and the superintendent was paid $2,000.

The organization of the schools was a traditional 8-4 arrangement which consisted of 8 years of grammar school for students aged 6 to 14, and 4 years of high school for students aged 14–18. The grades began at eighth for first year students, and students progressed through to the first grade as year eight students of grammar school. The established curriculum for grammar school was, Spelling, Reading, Writing, Geography, Arithmetic (Mental and Written), Natural History, Natural Science, English Grammar, Vocal Music (it was later decided not offer this), Drawing, Composition, History, Elocution. High school curriculum was Orthography, Elocution, Grammar, Physical Geography, Natural Philosophy, Latin, Greek (boys only), Algebra, Geometry, Composition, Rhetoric, English Literature, French or German, Physiology, Chemistry, and a review of grammar school studies.

During 1872 three additional grammar schools for white students (Luckie Street, Decatur Street, and Marietta Street) and an additional grammar school for black students (Markham Street School) were instituted to meet demand. This first year saw 2,842 students served by the schools.

By 1896 there were a total of twenty-two schools, fifteen grammar schools for white students, five grammar schools for black students, and two high schools for white students.

Integration
On August 30, 1961, nine students – Thomas Franklin Welch, Madelyn Patricia Nix, Willie Jean Black, Donita Gaines, Arthur Simmons, Lawrence Jefferson, Mary James McMullen, Martha Ann Holmes and Rosalyn Walton – became the first African American students to attend several of APS's all-white high schools.

On September 8, 1961, Time magazine reported:

Last week the moral siege of Atlanta (pop. 487,455) ended in spectacular fashion with the smoothest token school integration ever seen in the Deep South. Into four high schools marched nine Negro students without so much as a white catcall. Teachers were soon reporting "no hostility, no demonstrations, the most normal day we've ever had." In the lunchrooms, white children began introducing themselves to Negro children. At Northside High, a biology class was duly impressed when Donita Gaines, a Negro, was the only student able to define the difference between anatomy and physiology. Said she crisply: "Physiology has to do with functions."

In a 1964 news story, Time would say, "The Atlanta decision was a gentle attempt to accelerate one of the South's best-publicized plans for achieving integration without revolution."

By May 1961, 300 transfer forms had been given to black students interested in transferring out of their high schools. 132 students actually applied; of those, 10 were chosen and 9 braved the press, onlookers, and insults to integrate Atlanta's all-white high schools.

Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka had established the right of African American students to have equal opportunities in education, but it was not until 1958, when a group of African American parents challenged the segregated school system in federal court, that integration became a tangible reality for students of color in Atlanta.

Adding to the accolades for the students and the city, President Kennedy publicly congratulated residents during an evening address and asked other cities to "look closely at what Atlanta has done and to meet their responsibility... with courage, tolerance and above all, respect for the law."

In 2012, Atlanta Public Schools produced a documentary to honor the 50th anniversary of the district's desegregation efforts. In January 1972, in order to settle several federal discrimination and desegregation lawsuits filed on behalf of minority students, faculty, and employees and reach satisfactory agreement with Atlanta civil rights leaders who had worked over a decade for a peaceful integration plan. Atlanta Public Schools entered into a voluntary agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, with approval and oversight from the U.S. Department of Education, in an attempt to desegregate Atlanta Public Schools. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a majority of Atlanta Northside public schools had either token integration, or none at all. Faculty and staff assignments to schools had remained mostly segregated as well.

The justice department allowed the school system to create and use a plan consisting of partial district busing; voluntary and "M to M" (minority to majority) transfers; redrawing attendance zones; closing outdated and underutilized schools; building new schools; and mandating and implementing equal employment opportunity guidelines for hiring, training, promotion, assignment, vendor selection, bidding, contracting, construction, procurement and purchasing. The school system was also converted from a K-7 elementary and 8-12 high school grade system into a middle school 6–8 grade program beginning with the 1973/1974 school year. The curriculum was also updated to have studies more balanced, inclusive, and diverse, with content culturally and historically significant to racial minorities.

With strict guidelines, oversight and timeline implementation of the voluntary desegregation plan, the federal courts agreed not to order and enforce system-wide a mandatory busing desegregation program for APS that had been federally enforced in other cities up to that time, most notably Boston and Philadelphia which resulted in widespread anti-busing violence in 1973-74 that Atlanta civil rights leaders desired to avoid. Along with this program for racial balance, the school system's first African American Superintendent, Dr. Alonzo A. Crim, took over leadership of Atlanta Public Schools in August 1973. He remained superintendent until his retirement in 1988.

21st century

The City of Atlanta, in 2017, agreed to annex territory in DeKalb County, including the Centers for Disease Control and Emory University, effective January 1, 2018. In 2016 Emory University made a statement that "Annexation of Emory into the City of Atlanta will not change school districts, since neighboring communities like Druid Hills will still be self-determining regarding annexation." By 2017 the city agreed to include the annexed property in the boundaries of APS, a move decried by the leadership of the DeKalb County School District as it would take taxable property away from that district. In 2017 the number of children living in the annexed territory who attended public schools was nine. The area ultimately went to APS; students in the area will be rezoned to APS effective 2024; they will be zoned to DeKalb schools before then.

In 2023, APS increased its budget to $1.66 billion and its spending-per-student amount to $22,692 which is about double the state and national public school average.

Cheating scandal

During the 11-year tenure of former superintendent Beverly Hall, the APS experienced unusually high gains in standardized test scores, such as the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test. In 2009, Hall won the National Superintendent of the Year Award. Around this time, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution began investigating the score increases and suggested evidence of cheating. A state report found numerous erased answers in an analysis of the 2009 test scores. Tests were administered under much higher scrutiny in 2010, and the scores dropped dramatically.

The state of Georgia launched a major investigation as cheating concerns intensified. The investigation's report, published in July 2011, found evidence of a widespread cheating scandal. At least 178 teachers and principals at 44 APS schools were alleged to have corrected students' tests to increase scores, in some cases holding "cheating parties" to revise large quantities of tests. Hall, who had retired in June 2011, expressed regret but denied any prior knowledge of, or participation in, the cheating. The new superintendent, Erroll Davis, demanded the resignation of the 178 APS employees or else they would be fired. The revelation of the scandal left many Atlantans feeling outraged and betrayed, with Mayor Kasim Reed calling it "a dark day for the Atlanta public school system." The scandal attracted national media coverage.

See also

 Truancy Intervention Project, Inc.

References

External links
 Atlanta Public Schools

 Atlanta Top Public Schools List
 Atlanta Public Schools zoning locator
 U.S. Department of Education: Comprehensive School Reform Program

School districts in Georgia (U.S. state)
Education in Atlanta
Education in DeKalb County, Georgia
Education in Fulton County, Georgia
School districts established in 1882

Atlanta Public Schools


Tyoply Stan () is a station near the southern end of the Moscow Metro's Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya Line.

Design
It was built to column tri-span design and opened on 6 November 1987 and was a temporary terminus of the line. (Remains of a piston junction can still be seen near the station.) Because of the extreme radius where Kaluzhskiy turns by a nearly right angle, Tyoply Stan, unlike the previous seven stations of the line, is located at an angle to Profsoyuznaya Street. Both the walls and the transverse faces of the pillars are faced with brightly coloured red ceramic tile. Grey marble was employed for the longitudinal faces of the pillars. The architects of Tyoply Stan were N. Shumakov, G. Mun, and N. Shurygina.

The entrances to the station are located at the intersection of Profsoyuznaya Street and Novoyasenevsky Avenue.

Traffic
The station's daily traffic is 73,400 passengers.

Moscow Metro stations
Railway stations in Russia opened in 1987
Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya Line
Railway stations located underground in Russia

Tyoply Stan (Moscow Metro)


Sunshine Week is a national initiative spearheaded by the News Leaders Association to educate the public about the importance of open government and the dangers of excessive and unnecessary secrecy. It was established in March 2005 by the American Society of News Editors, now known as the News Leaders Association, with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Overview

Sunshine Week occurs each year in mid-March, coinciding with James Madison's birthday and National Freedom of Information Day on the 16th.

During Sunshine Week, hundreds of media organizations, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and other participants engage public discussion on the importance of open government through news and feature articles and opinion columns; special Web pages and blogs; infographics; editorial cartoons; public service advertising; public seminars and forums. The purpose of the week is to highlight the fact that "government functions best when it operates in the open." In many states, however, legislatures exempt themselves from public-records laws, claiming "legislative immunity."

History

The Florida Society of Newspaper Editors launched Sunshine Sunday in 2002 in response to efforts by some Florida legislators to create scores of new exemptions to the state's public records law. The following year, the idea of a national Sunshine Sunday was raised at an ASNE Freedom of Information summit.

In the planning stages, it was decided that the initiative needed to be more than a single Sunday, and Sunshine Week was born.

The first nationwide Sunshine Week took place March 13–19, 2005.

See also
Freedom of information legislation
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Personally identifiable information (PII)
Privacy laws of the United States
Public Record Office
Public records
General Register Office

References

External links
Sunshine Week
National Freedom of Information (FOI) Day
American Library Association page for: Freedom of Information Day
Guides to Public Records from UCB Libraries GovPubs
Publications from the U.S. Government from USA.gov
The Center for Public Integrity
It Took a FOIA Lawsuit to Uncover How the Obama Administration Killed FOIA Reform, Vice News
Microsoft: Government Public Records Tracker from Eskel Porter Consulting
Media coalition sues McCrory administration over records, WRAL
Delay game: The McCrory administration drags its feet on our public records lawsuit, IndyWeek

March observances
Awareness weeks in the United States
2005 establishments in the United States

Sunshine Week