Tag: face

Posted on by

ESPN Events Invitational Bracket Revealed, Pirates To Face Memphis – Seton Hall University Athletics

ESPN Events Invitational Bracket Revealed, Pirates To Face Memphis - Seton Hall University Athletics

South Orange, N.J. — The 2022 ESPN Events Invitational bracket has been revealed and the Seton Hall men’s basketball team will take on Memphis at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 24 at State Farm Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla.

The game will be televised on ESPN News and the Pirates will face either Oklahoma or Nebraska in their second game. On the other side of the bracket on Nov. 24, Florida State will face Siena at 11 a.m. followed by Ole Miss vs. Stanford at 1:30 p.m.

The Thanksgiving matchup marks the fifth all-time meeting between the Pirates and the Tigers. Seton Hall last played Memphis on Nov. 21, 2008 at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Pirates’ lone win in the series was a 103-71 victory on Jan. 22, 1953 in Walsh Gymnasium. Three of the the four meetings have come on a neutral court.

Memphis is now added to what will be another challenging non-conference schedule for the Pirates under first-year head coach Shaheen Holloway. The Hall is set to face four NCAA Tournament teams from last season in Memphis, Iowa (Nov. 16, Prudential Center), Rutgers (Dec. 11, Jersey Mike’s Arena) and Kansas (Dec. 1, Allen Fieldhouse), the defending national champions.

Seton Hall is 15-6 in its last 20 early-season, multi-team event games, including championship runs at the 2014 Paradise Jam Tournament and the 2018 Wooden Legacy Tournament. The Pirates last competed at the ESPN Events Invitational in 2016-17.

The 2022 ESPN Events Invitational, a bracket-format tournament, will feature 12 games over the three days. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in a championship matchup Sunday, Nov. 27.

All games will air on the ESPN networks, including Sunday’s championship game on ESPN (1:30 p.m. ET).

Ticket information and travel packages will be announced later this summer. Fans can sign up on the event website for a pre-sale to guarantee first access and a $10 discount on all price levels. Travel packages, which include a discounted rate at the Gaylord Palms Resort as well as transportation to/from the arena, will soon be available via Anthony Travel. To learn more and sign up for notifications visit https://onlocationexp.com/college-sports/espn-events-invitational-tickets

Posted on by

Safety challenges law enforcement face during 4th of July events

Safety challenges law enforcement face during 4th of July events

CLAWSON, Mich. (WXYZ) — As the nation reels from the tragedy in Highland Park, Illinois Monday, cities across metro Detroit are continuing their July 4th celebrations with heavy hearts and a heightened sense of alert.

From Clawson to Northville, it’s been a day full of activity in metro Detroit. From parades in the morning, to carnivals and fireworks in the evening, everyone is ready to celebrate the Fourth of July.

But in the wake of the tragic shooting just hours earlier in a Chicago suburb, there’s inevitably concern across the country. While law enforcement is prepared, open events pose a challenge.

“The problem is when you have an open venue like that at a carnival for example or a parade, you don’t have fixed points of entry,” said former FBI Supervisory Special Agent Andy Bartnowak, who previously worked in the Detroit field office.

Bartnowak has worked security for multiple major events in metro Detroit, such as the World Series, NCAA Final Four and the MLB All Star games. However, he says events like parades are challenging to secure.

“The bottom line is when you’re having a lot of people in one location and you’re not having a security point for them to enter, it makes it that more difficult,” Bartnowak said. “There’s no way you can really stop everybody and check everybody. So if somebody wants to come in there and cause… chaos and have a shooting, a mass shooting, it’s very difficult to stop.”

At their Fourth of July celebration, Clawson police was fully staffed with help from Michigan State Police, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department and a handful of local agencies who were all hoping to keep concerns at bay and make sure the day is celebrated as safe as possible.

“I think the most we as citizens can do is be situationally aware,” Bartnowak said. “Situational awareness is nothing more than being aware of your surroundings… If you see something that doesn’t look right to you, there’s a reason it probably doesn’t look right and that’s when you go and alert security or law enforcement.”

Posted on by

Face Coverings for Indoor Commencement Events Strongly Encouraged

Face Coverings for Indoor Commencement Events Strongly Encouraged

As the university looks ahead to this weekend’s commencement activities, the campus is closely watching COVID-19 cases. UMass Amherst is fortunate that the campus community is highly vaccinated and that individuals testing positive are experiencing minimal-to-moderate symptoms of infection, and hospitalizations have remained extremely low. 

As cases of COVID-19 are increasing in Massachusetts and nationally, the university knows that its commencement events draw thousands from all over. To protect yourself and others, the campus strongly encourages all graduates and guests to wear a face covering when attending any indoor commencement events, regardless of vaccination status.

Posted on by

Reef could face annual bleaching events

Reef could face annual bleaching events

The Great Barrier Reef could be bleaching every year by 2044 potentially costing Australia 10,000 jobs and $1 billion annually, the latest climate report says.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has made dire forecasts for the world’s largest coral reef system ahead of an expected visit by UNESCO to help determine if it should be listed as a World Heritage site in danger.

The IPCC report bluntly says the Great Barrier Reef is in “crisis” and at very high risk of crossing a critical threshold where further warming might cause irreversible damage.

It also notes the reef’s limited scope for adaption and warns of the potential for a dramatic escalation in the frequency of bleaching events like the one in 2016, which affected more than 90 per cent of the reef.

Under a high emissions scenario modelled in the report, such events could occur twice each decade from 2035, and annually after 2044.

Scientists have long warned the reef won’t survive that, given it takes about a decade for a decent recovery of the fastest growing corals, and longer for slow-growing species.

The IPCC report said that if bleaching continues, Australia stands to lose an estimated 10,000 jobs and $A1 billion in revenue every year from tourism alone.

“Increased heat exposure also affects the abundance and distribution of associated fish, invertebrates and algae,” it said.

Cyclone intensity will also increase, putting coral reefs further at risk.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society says the world stands to lose an asset of outstanding global significance without a rapid reduction in emissions this decade.

“We know the problem, we know the solution,” says the group’s reef campaign manager Lissa Schindler.

“Australia must rapidly phase out its relationship with coal and gas and embrace a renewable future.”

UNESCO’s Reef Monitoring Mission is expected to visit soon to review how the federal and Queensland governments are managing the reef.

UNESCO will then provide a draft decision to the World Heritage Committee about whether a World Heritage in Danger listing is warranted.

Last year, the World Heritage Committee told the federal government accelerated action, at all possible levels, was needed to address climate change threats to the reef.

“The Morrison government is yet to increase their climate ambition to what is needed for coral reefs to survive into the future,” Dr Schindler says.

“With a 2030 emissions reduction target that remains at 26 to 28 per cent, and a 2050 net zero target that relies on technology that hasn’t yet been invented, it is hard to see how UNESCO would not recommend the reef be listed (as in danger).”

The Morrison government has responded to the IPCC report by saying Australia has reduced emissions faster than many comparable countries, and pointing to $4 billion in joint federal and state funding for reef adaptation and resilience.

“This is the best managed reef in the world and we have invested a further $1 billion in its protection,” a spokesperson for federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said on Tuesday.

“We are addressing water quality, coral regeneration, predator eradication and fishing in ways that are strengthening the reef, while at the same time working domestically and internationally to address emissions.

“We are optimistic about the future of the reef, the communities and 64,000 jobs which depend on it.”

Posted on by

Reef could face annual bleaching events

Reef could face annual bleaching events

The Great Barrier Reef could be bleaching every year by 2044 potentially costing Australia 10,000 jobs and $1 billion annually, the latest climate report says.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has made dire forecasts for the world’s largest coral reef system ahead of an expected visit by UNESCO to help determine if it should be listed as a World Heritage site in danger.

The IPCC report bluntly says the Great Barrier Reef is in “crisis” and at very high risk of crossing a critical threshold where further warming might cause irreversible damage.

It also notes the reef’s limited scope for adaption and warns of the potential for a dramatic escalation in the frequency of bleaching events like the one in 2016, which affected more than 90 per cent of the reef.

Under a high emissions scenario modelled in the report, such events could occur twice each decade from 2035, and annually after 2044.

Scientists have long warned the reef won’t survive that, given it takes about a decade for a decent recovery of the fastest growing corals, and longer for slow-growing species.

The IPCC report said that if bleaching continues, Australia stands to lose an estimated 10,000 jobs and $A1 billion in revenue every year from tourism alone.

“Increased heat exposure also affects the abundance and distribution of associated fish, invertebrates and algae,” it said.

Cyclone intensity will also increase, putting coral reefs further at risk.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society says the world stands to lose an asset of outstanding global significance without a rapid reduction in emissions this decade.

“We know the problem, we know the solution,” says the group’s reef campaign manager Lissa Schindler.

“Australia must rapidly phase out its relationship with coal and gas and embrace a renewable future.”

UNESCO’s Reef Monitoring Mission is expected to visit soon to review how the federal and Queensland governments are managing the reef.

UNESCO will then provide a draft decision to the World Heritage Committee about whether a World Heritage in Danger listing is warranted.

Last year, the World Heritage Committee told the federal government accelerated action, at all possible levels, was needed to address climate change threats to the reef.

“The Morrison government is yet to increase their climate ambition to what is needed for coral reefs to survive into the future,” Dr Schindler says.

“With a 2030 emissions reduction target that remains at 26 to 28 per cent, and a 2050 net zero target that relies on technology that hasn’t yet been invented, it is hard to see how UNESCO would not recommend the reef be listed (as in danger).”

The Morrison government has responded to the IPCC report by saying Australia has reduced emissions faster than many comparable countries, and pointing to $4 billion in joint federal and state funding for reef adaptation and resilience.

“This is the best managed reef in the world and we have invested a further $1 billion in its protection,” a spokesperson for federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said on Tuesday.

“We are addressing water quality, coral regeneration, predator eradication and fishing in ways that are strengthening the reef, while at the same time working domestically and internationally to address emissions.

“We are optimistic about the future of the reef, the communities and 64,000 jobs which depend on it.”

Posted on by

Patagonia, North Face, REI and others say they’ll boycott Outdoor Retailer if it heads back to Salt Lake City

Patagonia, North Face, REI and others say they’ll boycott Outdoor Retailer if it heads back to Salt Lake City

Over two dozen outdoor industry companies, including heavyweights like Patagonia, REI, North Face and Kelty, signed a letter released Monday promising to boycott the popular Outdoor Retailer shows if the biannual events return to Salt Lake City.

The letter was posted by The Conservation Alliance, a group dedicated to land conservation efforts that counts over 270 companies among its membership. The website posting urges Emerald X, the owner of the Outdoor Retailer events, to stay out of Utah over member objections to the long-running position taken by state leaders in opposing federal land protections.

“We’ve joined together in stating that we will not support or attend a trade show event in Utah so long as its elected officials continue attacks on national monuments and public lands protections,” the letter reads. “Industry leaders are expressing their support for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and its longstanding efforts to protect the homeland of the Tribes and Pueblos with cultural ties to the Bears Ears landscape, as well as the overwhelming majority of the outdoor industry and the American public.

“Despite widespread industry objections, Emerald has demonstrated a continued interest in moving the Outdoor Retailer trade show to Utah, a state that leads the fight against designated national monuments and public lands.”

Salt Lake City is competing with other locales, including the current Outdoor Retailer host city of Denver, to secure the new contract for shows beginning in 2023. Salt Lake City hosted the events for 20 years before losing out to Denver in 2017 amid swirling controversy over land use issues. The shows generate tens of millions of dollars in economic activity for the host communities.

In the Conservation Alliance statement, REI executive vice president and chief customer officer Ben Steele noted that Utah leaders continue to attack federal designation efforts.

“In 2017, REI Co-op strongly supported the decision to move the outdoor industry trade show out of Utah when the state’s leadership refused to protect duly designated national monuments and natural treasures,” Steele said. “Although those protections have since been restored by President Biden, Utah’s leaders are again aiming to undermine those monuments and their protections. As a result, REI will not participate in any OR trade show in the state — nor will we send members of our merchandising or other co-op teams — so long as Utah persists in attacking our public lands and the laws that protect them.”

Utah’s capital city lost its contract to Denver in 2017 as then-President Donald Trump’s announced plans to reduce several areas of federally protected land riled the environmental community, outdoor enthusiasts, and companies that specialize in outdoor products and services. At the center of the controversy was Trump’s declared intention to erase the 1.35 million-acre Bears Ears National Monument, created by President Barack Obama in a 2016 proclamation issued just before he left office.

Utah state legislators and then-Gov. Gary Herbert threw their weight behind the Trump plan by passing a resolution in the 2017 legislative session, declaring “strong opposition to the Bears Ears National Monument designation” and urging Trump to undo his predecessor’s executive order.

The move by Utah leaders drew immediate and widespread ire, including from Patagonia, one of the world’s largest outdoor-focused companies that was founded by legendary climber, gear innovator and conservationist Yvon Chouinard. The company weighed in again in the Conservation Alliance statement, reiterating its commitment to supporting states whose elected officials support public lands protections.

“For decades, Patagonia has worked in solidarity with Indigenous communities, local activists, outdoor athletes and businesses in Utah,” said Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert. “We love the state and its spectacular cultural and natural landscapes. We were thrilled when President Biden restored the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments this past October, and we will oppose any effort to undermine their protection. Our position on the location of the Outdoor Retailer trade show remains clear and unchanged: The show belongs in a state whose top officials value and seek to protect public lands.”

Following Biden’s decision to undo Trump’s reductions in Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox along with GOP state legislative leaders and all six members of Utah’s congressional delegation stated their opposition to reinstating the protections. And, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes has said he intends to file legal action against the Biden land protection changes.

While the land use controversies continue, Denver has faced its own challenges since taking over Outdoor Retailer hosting duties.

Denver’s debut show in January 2018 was a blockbuster and remains the biggest Outdoor Retailer event ever held. Before running into restrictions precipitated by COVID-19 in 2020, the twice-yearly events were regularly drawing more than 20,000 participants and generating in excess of $50 million per show in economic activity for its host city.

But some retailers say the costs associated with exhibiting at the Denver-hosted shows have been significantly higher than they were in Utah and, with the current contract coming to a close in 2022, it may be time to reconsider Salt Lake City.

Tom Adams was director of Utah’s Office of Outdoor Recreation when the storm over federal land designations erupted in 2017. Now, he’s chief operating officer for the American operations of French climbing and work-at-heights gear company Petzl.

In a Deseret News story last September, Adams said Petzl has been a longtime exhibitor at the Outdoor Retailer events but didn’t follow the show to Denver. The decision, he said, wasn’t born out of any kind of protest stance but was simply a matter of assessing costs. A new booth, Adams said, can run from $250,000 to $1 million, and the rates for renting the space at the events “are quite high for trade shows.”

He also noted the task of getting to the actual outdoors from the exhibition space in Denver was a much bigger, and time-consuming, challenge than it was in Salt Lake City.

“I don’t know how many times, on a weekday during the Salt Lake City shows, I’d take an account out for an afternoon of ice climbing, rock climbing or making a few backcountry runs,” Adams said. “That’s just not happening in Denver.”

Bill Harmon, general manager of Utah-based portable power specialists Goal Zero, said last September that his company has exhibited once at Outdoor Retailer since the show moved to Denver but has chosen to mostly skip it due to cost and return-on-investment considerations.

“It’s so expensive to go now,” Harmon said. “The hotel rooms are materially more expensive in Denver versus here. The booth storage costs there are much more than in Salt Lake City. And the setup costs, with the union requirements, are so much more.”

Harmon also bemoaned Denver’s location, describing it as a “mountains-adjacent city, unlike Salt Lake that is actually a mountain city.”

“I can’t overstate the access issues,” Harmon said. “We’ve got a half-dozen world-class ski resorts 25 minutes away. And, if you want, you have time to get up and go for a mountain bike ride and be back before the show even starts.

“In Denver, you can plan on spending half the day driving or on shuttles to do the same things.”

Emerald X is expected to announce the new Outdoor Retailer host city soon, and Outdoor Retailer senior vice president and show director Marisa Nicholson said her company has been evaluating all issues and options ahead of striking a new contract.

“Outdoor Retailer and Emerald remain committed to supporting the outdoor and winter sports industries through hosting gatherings that both meet business needs and foster the spirit of our community,” Nicholson said in a statement. “We have been in ongoing conversations with many across our industry and are taking all input and perspectives into consideration, including responses from recent surveys — we appreciate the passion and respect everyone’s point of view.

“As we continue the process of evaluating all possible and realistic options, we remain thoughtful in our deliberations. Our goal is to host a vibrant event that not only reflects today’s new normal, but also presents an engaging event that draws more people into this community in ways that are authentic and affordable. No decisions around future dates or location have been decided at this time, and we look forward to sharing our thoughts in the coming days.”