Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known as “Joe Exotic,” the focal point of the hit Netflix documentary “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” is being observed for the COVID-19 virus, according to The Hill. Maldonado-Passage – who is serving a 22-year prison sentence in a murder conspiracy – was transferred from an Oklahoma County jail to FMC Fort Worth, a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas, this week .

Maldonado-Passage’s husband Dillon Passage said in a radio interview this week that Maldonado-Passage had been transferred to a COVID-19 isolation area of ​​the prison because there were confirmed cases of the virus in the prison. institution where he was previously detained. It is not known if Maldonado-Passage has contracted the virus.

Earlier this year, Maldonado-Passage was convicted after being convicted of numerous charges, including organizing the murder of one of his competitors and several charges of animal abuse. Maldonado-Passage gained national fame thanks to the documentary series that explores her zoo, her way of life and her rivalry with Carole Baskin, the founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue and the woman Maldonado-Passage wanted to have murdered. The documentary is the most watched program on Netflix since its release last month.

Kidnapping and homicide suspect Justo Smoker could have his first hearing on new charges next week, according to court records online.

Smoker is the prime suspect in the disappearance of 18-year-old Linda Stoltzfoos and Smoke was charged with her homicide last week.

A preliminary hearing on the new homicide charge is set for December 30, according to court records online.

Smoker, 34, from the Canton of Paradis, has been in detention since July 11, when he was arrested for kidnapping and false imprisonment in connection with Stoltzfoos’ disappearance.

He became the prime suspect after witnesses saw Stoltzfoos get into a red Kia, which investigators were able to link to Smoker. Despite several extensive searches in Lancaster County, his body has never been found.

“Based on the evidence gathered over the past six months, our office has approved the filing of a complaint alleging that Smoker killed Linda after kidnapping her on her way home from church on Beechdale Road in Township of ‘Upper Leacock,’ the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. Press release.

District Attorney Heather Adams said due to the circumstances surrounding Stoltzfoos’ disappearance, they still feared “she would suffer a tragic fate.”

Efforts to locate Stoltzfoos are ongoing.

Learn more about PennLive:

Paulo Gazzaniga in talks on loan transfer to La Liga Elche after falling lower in the pecking order behind Hugo Lloris and Joe Hart at Tottenham

• Tottenham stopper Paulo Gazzaniga could be loaned to Elche in La Liga
• The Argentine is the third goalkeeper since Joe Hart’s transfer this summer
• Defender Japhet Tanganga could stay despite three clubs investigation

By Simon Jones for MailOnline

Posted: 10:35 a.m. EDT, February 1, 2021 | Update: 10:35 a.m. EDT, February 1, 2021

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Originally published on Solar Love.

A few months ago, I wrote an article about SolarCity’s “Insanely High MyPower Prices” compared to competitor prices. The article was based on an analysis by Pick My Solar. There is a part 2 to the story, however. Unfortunately, it is not prettier.

Let me reiterate that I am long SCTY (which is difficult this week), have no plans to buy or sell any shares anytime soon, think SolarCity has good intentions and strong benefits competitive, and think I can even see why he sets up his loans the way he does (in particular, note that he’s not in financial heaven and is probably trying to make sure he stays alive. long-term).

Coming to part 2, the key point is that some of the fine print is not entirely (to put it mildly) consumer interest in the MyPower loan agreement. Here is a quote from Pick My Solar:

“MyPower does offer loan financing, but it sounds like a lot like a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Reading their 34-page contract won’t enlighten you (a concise solar contract should cover everything in 3-5 pages – this contract takes the fine print to the next level). Payments are made to SolarCity based on system output at an “equivalent rate per kWh” that increases 2.9% each year. These variable payments (due to the fact that they are production based) are applied to the loan as any mortgage payment would be. The variable payment structure is put in place with the aim of having the system fully amortized after 30 years. However, if the solar system does not meet the “expected annual production,” upon which the monthly payments are based, it is possible that thousands of dollars may still be owed after 30 years. The guarantee of electricity production is considerably lower than the ‘Planned Annual Generation’, making this a very possible scenario. The contract includes a clause called “loan term variance” which discloses this possibility. He explains that if there is a balance remaining at the end of the loan term, MyPower will offer a refinancing option for the outstanding balance. (added emphasis)

Catch this? Your monthly payments to SolarCity are based on the expected output of your solar power system. If the return is lower than expected, you may owe SolarCity money after 30 years. 30 years! In such a situation, SolarCity will offer to refinance the remaining loan. Oh joy!

Generally, one should expect to pay off their solar system within 5 to 15 years nowadays. Maybe 20 under the wrong circumstances. 30+ years? It doesn’t seem like a smart option. And that comes to another part concerning the MyPower contract….

“Funding has another ingeniously misleading twist. By charging yourself a low “equivalent rate per kWh” up front (and then increasing it by 2.9% each year), most of your upfront payments will go towards paying interest. As the rate increases over the years, you start to pay off more of the principal. Loan structures are usually set up this way, to pay more interest up front, but increasing payments with an escalator completely skews the dynamics of repayment. The client ends up paying a much larger amount in interest and ultimately thousands more than what would have been paid with a conventional fixed monthly payment financing option. With this payment structure, the effective APR ends up being almost one percent above the quoted 30-year rate. (added emphasis)

Anyone who has paid off a large loan should know that the upfront payments only cover interest to an absurd degree. When I was paying off my graduate loans, it was so irritating that I decided after a few years to just pay off the loans as quickly as possible. I ended up saving probably between $ 10,000 and $ 15,000. But many aren’t able or just don’t do the math and think about paying off a loan faster. If such a person is in a SolarCity contract, it will end up even worse than with many other loans. A ridiculous amount of their payments will be used to pay the interest.

As an investor and someone who cares about the ordinary consumer, I’m not happy to see either of these clauses. While they are probably there to try to make sure SolarCity makes a profit and doesn’t go bankrupt as the solar industry grows, they seem devious and unnecessary to customers, and they seem to have a good chance that ‘they backfire in the long run. Course.

SolarCity’s desire to bring solar power to more people via $ 0 or a small amount of money and low monthly payments is laudable, but if it requires fine print and poor repayment terms, I think we start to back down. Hope these issues will be resolved soon. And in the meantime, I encourage anyone looking to switch to solar power to take a close look at the fine print and compare the options.

In the end, here is what Pick My Solar came up with for a 6 kW system in California:

Cost of the SolarCity MyPower system: $ 33,150
Lifetime payments (tax credit used): ~ $ 50,550 (30 year loan)
Avg. Cost per kWh: 17.3 cents (30 years)
Avg. Payments: 140 $ (30 years)

Typical cost of the installation system: $ 23,400
Lifetime payments (tax credit used): ~ $ 22,310 (loan over 12 years)
Avg. Cost per kWh: 9.3 cents (25 years)
Avg. Payments: $ 155 (12 years)

It’s a shocking difference in my book.

Image via Shutterstock

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The Indian food regulator – the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has reduced the percentage of trans fatty acid content in fats and oils to 3% for the year 2021 and aims to reduce it to 2% by 2022.

This decision which reduced the limit on trans fat levels in food through an amendment to the Food Safety and Standards Regulations is important because the current allowable limit is an unhealthy 5%. And what food products will this amendment apply to?

The revised FSSAI regulation applies to vanaspati oils which are partially hydrogenated oils, edible refined oils, bakery shortenings, in chilled doughs, such as cookies and rolls, cakes, biscuits, pies, margarine and other cooking mediums such as mixed fat spreads and vegetables fat spills out. Trans fats are also found in microwave popcorn, frozen pizzas, fried foods including fries, donuts and fried chicken, non-dairy creamer, and more.

These fats are notoriously unhealthy, associated with an increased risk of death from coronary heart disease and heart attacks.

What are trans fats?
Trans fats, or trans fatty acids, are a form of unsaturated fat. They come in both natural and man-made forms.

Natural trans fats, also called ruminant trans fats:
Meat and dairy products from ruminants, such as cattle, sheep and goats. And how is it formed? Trans fats in ruminants are formed naturally when bacteria in the stomachs of these animals digest grass. Studies show that moderate consumption of these fats does not appear to be harmful. The best known trans fat in ruminants is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is found in dairy fat. It is believed to be beneficial and is marketed as a dietary supplement.

Artificial trans fats or industrial trans fats or partially hydrogenated fats:
It is trans fats that are dangerous for your health. How is it formed? When vegetable oils are chemically modified to stay solid at room temperature, giving them a much longer shelf life, they end up causing a significant increase in LDL (bad cholesterol) without a corresponding increase in HDL (good) cholesterol. During this time, most other fats tend to increase both LDL and HDL. A diet high in trans fats increases the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in adults. The more trans fat you consume, the greater your risk of heart and vascular disease.

2 main types of cholesterol:
Low density lipoproteins. LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, can build up in the walls of your arteries, making them hard and narrow. You may have heard of brittle arteries or plaque on the inner walls of the arteries. LDL causes this build-up.
High density lipoprotein. HDL, or “good” cholesterol, picks up excess cholesterol and returns it to your liver. It is broken there and thrown out of the body.

Try to use more monounsaturated fat in your diet. MS fats are found in olive, peanut, and canola oils. It is a healthier option than saturated fat. Nuts, fish, and other foods containing unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids are other good food choices that contain healthy fats.

A document presented to SAGE called for an increase in the “perceived threat” of Covid using “hard-hitting emotional messages,” according to reports today.

Psychologists have accused Downing Street of using “secret psychological strategies” to highlight the threat of Covid-19 without contextualizing the risks, the Telegraph reported.

It was said to create “an increased state of anxiety”, adding that many people had become “too scared to go to the hospital”.

Experts fear the British have been the subject of experience in using tactics that operate “below their level of consciousness,” it has been said.

They have now filed a formal complaint with an organization that will rule on the guilt or not of the ethics of government advisers.

Downing Street denies this, saying he simply presented the facts.

Psychologists have accused Downing Street of using “secret psychological strategies” to highlight the threat of Covid-19 without contextualizing the risks. Pictured: Chris Whitty, Mr. Johnson and Patrick Vallance

The complainants refer to a document handed over to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies last March, when the pandemic began to develop rapidly in Britain.

The document, written by the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviors, said: “A significant number of people still do not feel personally threatened enough; they might be reassured by the low death rate in their demographic, although worry levels may increase.

“The perceived level of personal threat needs to be increased among those who are complacent, using hard-hitting emotional messages. To be effective, it must also empower people by clearly indicating what steps they can take to reduce the threat. ‘

The document, seen by the Telegraph, then reportedly offered 14 options to improve compliance, including “using the media to increase feelings of personal threat,” which they say would be very effective but may have “negative side effects.” “.

Members of SAGE have since claimed that the British public had been “subjected to an unrestricted psychological experiment without being told that was what was happening”.

They added that SPI-B reports are often not “disputed” by SAGE as many of those involved are “not very well equipped to assess it”.

“When someone from SPI-B said we need to escalate the fear and keep it going – there weren’t a lot of questions about it at the start and most of the questions came from outside sources, not from within. ”

The complainants refer to a document handed over to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies last March, when the pandemic began to develop rapidly in Britain. Pictured: Vallance

The government told The Telegraph it had given “clear instructions to the British people as our approach and knowledge of the virus developed”

SPI-B is described as providing behavioral science advice aimed at anticipating and helping people adhere to interventions recommended by medical or epidemiological experts.

They present independent and expert behavioral science advice to SAGE.

SPI-B is said to have relied on advice from behavioral scientists, health and social psychologists, anthropologists and historians in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last November, Sir Patrick Vallance admitted he had ‘regrets’ for scaring people with an apocalyptic record that predicted up to 4,000 Covid-19 deaths per day during the winter and has been used to justify a second national lockdown.

Number 10’s top science adviser made the comments alongside England chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty after the couple were taken to MPs to defend SAGE’s modeling which also predicted hospitals would be overrun by patients infected with the virus by the end of this month.

While grilling for members of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, Labor MP Graham Stringer asked Sir Patrick if he thought he had scared people with the grim death data presented at the Saturday night press conference.

The chief science adviser said: “I hope not and that is certainly not the point… I think I positioned it as a scenario from a few weeks ago, based on a hypothesis to try to “get a reasonable new worst-case scenario. And if that didn’t happen, I regret it.”

Defending the case, he added: “These numbers were compiled by large academic groups based on these assumptions and, in the spirit of trying to make sure things are shared and open, these are the things. that we saw [in the data so far], and it’s important and I think people see it.

Professor Whitty conceded that the prediction of 4,000 daily deaths was unlikely to come true because the modeling was the worst-case scenario based on a situation in which no additional measures were introduced.

He told MPs: “We would all say rates will likely be lower than this peak [of 4,000]’.

Professor Whitty added that a figure of around 1,000 deaths per day was “quite realistic” without harsher action.

The government told The Telegraph it had given “clear instructions to the British people as our approach and knowledge of the virus developed.”

A spokesperson added: “We are clear: we want this lockdown to be the last and relax the restrictions in a cautious, data-driven way.”

MailOnline has contacted the Department of Health for comment.

Small employers have more time to apply for paycheck protection program repayable loans now that Congress has extended the deadline to the end of March.

President Biden signed the PPP Extension Act of 2021 on Tuesday. The law gives small businesses two additional months to apply for federal loans that can be canceled – converted into a grant – if borrowers meet program requirements.

The new application deadline is May 31, and the US Small Business Administration, which manages the program, has an additional 30 days to process pending applications.

Paycheck Protection Program loans have helped many small U.S. businesses pay their employees and cover essential costs during pandemic-related shutdowns and a sharp economic downturn last year. Congress replenished funding for the program with an additional $ 284.5 billion in December and allowed more businesses to apply for first and second round loans.

To date, Maine employers have received nearly 43,000 loans worth over $ 3 billion from the program.

Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, helped draft the original loan program created last March and she introduced the extension law that was enacted on Tuesday.

Businesses that employ up to 500 people and have not applied for the program can receive a loan of up to $ 10 million, most of which must be spent on payroll.

Establishments with 300 employees or less that experienced a loss of income of 25% or more last year can apply for a second forgivable loan.

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April 7 — The arrival of a new store on McKinley Avenue in Tacoma is a dream come true for a local family.

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Parable is a family business, with Deatria (Dee Dee) Williams and her cousins ​​Lakecia Farmer and Le’Ecia Farmer all co-owned.

The family got the space last fall. Raising over $ 11,000 through crowdsourcing, they were able to pay for initial start-up costs and secure inventory to launch online sales, including books and plants.

Their goal is to raise $ 50,000 in total to renovate the interior space so that Parable can move from selling online to opening its doors in the summer of 2021.

They also applied for loans and grants for small businesses.

The location is 3502 McKinley Ave., Suite A, the former Tacoma Lamp Repair site.

The company’s bio on the company’s website indicates that it is a “family, community-owned, LGBTQ-owned, black-owned, female-owned.”

The store will feature plants, books, clothing, products from local artists and more. The family also plans that the store will also serve as a community space for live events, children’s programs and workshops.

The owners recently sat down with The News Tribune to describe their dreams for the store.

“We all had different entrepreneurial ideas, separately and together,” said Le’Ecia Farmer. “A long time ago, Lakecia and I were talking about opening a cafe. I know, I heard Dee Dee talk about some entrepreneurial activities like interior design or different services for people. always been the case our mind is what we want to do. We eventually want to work for ourselves and build our family and future generations.

“And then during the pandemic, a space opened up in front of where Dee Dee and Lakecia live, and where I lived.… Do? What would it be?” And we just started to dreaming about the potential business that it might be.And then the more we talked, the more excited we got.

“And we applied to this space and got it.”

She added: “I feel like companies usually do it the other way around where they have this fleshed out business plan and all the finances and then they find the space, where we just found the space and we’re like, let’s do it. “

Lakecia Farmer said Parable will focus on the community.

“You know, we say it a lot, ‘community, community, community’, but it means a lot to us to have space for people,” said Lakecia Farmer. “Dee Dee and I have been in this neighborhood for four years, so one of the things we just saw that was amazing was how the community comes together for the McKinley Street Fair, and the Farmers’ Market. and all these different things… But there’s not, like, a huge space where you can just, like, come with your family… come like yourself, and you know, maybe go shopping, maybe just be participating in the community. “

Deatria Williams said: “We were walking one day and it was empty, and it felt like everything had come into place like it was lined up for us. So it was pretty exciting.”

They envision reading circles and craft sessions for kids, poetry nights that people can join in, with seating areas to come in and read or listen to records and music, each member of the family will love. particularly interesting in every aspect.

“Technically, as an LLC, we are listed as a shop,” Le’Ecia Farmer said. “But we really want to… focus on a more lively space where people can interact. And so in addition to music and children’s programming, educational workshops… we have our business side. And then there’s the business side. kind of a mix of those two sides too, where it’s like we want to showcase independent designers and local artists. And we imagine a space where they can host events with us, they can have pop-ups , if they’re trying to start a small business … “

The launch of the store will take place in three phases. The online part expanded with sales focused on books and plants. The next phase is the interior renovation. The final phase will open the store to the public and focus on launching the community phase into its full vision when it can be done safely in regards to the pandemic.

While opening a business during a pandemic might seem daunting, the phased approach has given them a head start, Lakecia Farmer noted.

“We are developing our business in phases. And I think that builds resilience… we are innovative in selling online,” said Lakecia Farmer. “This is the story of Parable as an adaptation. We adapt.

“I don’t know if you’re familiar with ‘The Parable of the Sower,’ by Octavia Butler. That’s where the name comes from. But it’s all about resilience during hardship – just being resilient.

“And I think that’s… one of the reasons, ways that we can show ourselves in the community like, ‘Hey, that’s hope. It is strength. It is resilience. We can do it. You can do it. And we’re all in the same boat. ‘”

“I also feel like we are able to look ahead and be like, we want things to be different for future generations,” said Le’Ecia Farmer. “We don’t want them to have to fight tooth and nail to just have some sort of sense of security. Even though it seems really wild to open up during a pandemic, I think this seems like the best option for us. family right now. “

“I’m pretty excited about this,” said Deatria Williams. “I look forward to it. And not only that, we are leaving something for generations to come.”

For more information, visit parabletacoma.com.

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzanian government has secured a total of 570.6 billion shillings in loans from the World Bank for the construction of Phases 3 and 4 of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a senior official revealed yesterday.

Phase three of the BRT project includes the construction of infrastructure projects on the 23.6 kilometer stretch of the Nyerere road from Gongo la Mboto to the city center and parts of the Uhuru road from Tazara to Kariakoo Gerezani.

Meanwhile, Phase 4 includes the construction of a 16.1 kilometer stretch along the Bagamoyo and Sam Nujoma roads. Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit Agency (Dart) Managing Director Ronald Lwakatare told the Citizen that they received $ 148.1 million for phase 3 and $ 99.9 million for phase 4.

“The funds obtained would facilitate the effective construction of the BRT infrastructure while the government will be responsible for compensating the people who will be affected by the project,” he said.

He said that after the offsets, the government would then announce tenders to start the construction process.

He said that while the actual cost of construction will be determined based on the bids received, the amount to be spent on the project will remain within the same range. It was because the funds were in foreign currency.

Earlier last year, Dart said it had disbursed 5.7 billion shillings to 77 residents of Dar es Salaam to pave the way for construction of the 23.6-kilometer stretch of the BRT Phase 3 project.

Dart said the government had completed the compensation process but only 124.1 million shillings had yet to be paid to those who would be affected.

Dart is a bus-based public transport system connecting the suburb of Dar es Salaam to the central business district that began operations in May 2016. Construction of the first phase was completed in December 2015 at a total cost of 134 million euros, financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank and the Government of Tanzania.

Phase I of the BRT system has a total length of 21 kilometers and stretches from Kimara via Ubungo to end in Kivukoni, Morocco and Gerezani.