Latest news with #Bryant
India Today
17 hours ago
- Health
- India Today
How risky are Israel's strikes for nuclear contamination in Iran?
Tensions escalated in the Middle East as Israel continues its military campaign against Iran. While Israel claims that its goal is to put an end to Iran's nuclear weapons program and environmental, human risks are increasing from attacks on nuclear facilities. Till now, experts have stated the risk of nuclear contamination is low -- but the fear of disaster is to news agency Reuters, the alarm reached a new peak when the Israeli military struck Bushehr, Iran's only operational nuclear power plant on the Gulf coast. Israel later clarified that they mistakenly made the announcement and Bushehr was not actually HAS BEEN TARGETED?Israel has confirmed strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites, including Natanz, Isfahan, Arak, and parts of Tehran, Reuters reported. These locations are all linked to Iran's nuclear program. While Iran has been saying that its nuclear enrichment programme is for peaceful purposes, Israel and the US say program is intended to develop nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified damage at multiple sites. This includes the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, a nuclear complex in Isfahan, and centrifuge production centres in Karaj and key target, on Thursday, was Arak, also known as Khondab, where a heavy-water research reactor is located. This type of reactor can potentially produce plutonium, which can be used as an alternate material used in nuclear weapons. The IAEA confirmed that this reactor had been hit but retaliated that it was not operational at the time and there were no signs of radiation RADIATION RISK SO FARDespite the attacks, experts currently believe the danger of nuclear fallout has been Bryant, a professor at the University of Liverpool who specialises in radiation protection and nuclear energy policy, said that while these strikes raise serious concerns, they haven't resulted in a release of radioactive material. "The issue is controlling what has happened inside that facility, but nuclear facilities are designed for that," he said. He added that uranium in low concentrations is only harmful if it enters the body through inhalation or Dolzikova, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), pointed out that many of the facilities targeted are part of the early stages of the nuclear fuel process. This means that the risk is more chemical than also noted that weather conditions play a crucial role in how any leaked material might spread. "In low winds, much of the material can be expected to settle in the vicinity of the facility; in high winds, the material will travel farther, but is also likely to disperse more widely," she said. Since many of Iran's nuclear sites are underground, the possibility of dispersal is attacks on enrichment facilities carry limited fallout risks; experts are more worried about the potential consequences of a strike on a nuclear reactor—particularly the one at Wakeford, an honorary professor at the University of Manchester, said that enrichment facility damage is largely a "chemical problem," but an attack on a functioning power reactor could lead to the release of large amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere or Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, warned that hitting the Bushehr plant "could cause an absolute radiological catastrophe." However, he noted that so far, Israel's strikes on other sites have "virtually no radiological consequences." He added, "Before uranium goes into a nuclear reactor, it is barely radioactive. The chemical form uranium hexafluoride is toxic... but it actually doesn't tend to travel large distances."advertisementGULF STATES FEAR OF THEIR WATER SUPPLYFor countries who share borders in the Gulf region, the fear is increasing day by day -- not only because of the radiation threat, but because of what it could mean for their water supply. Many of these nations are dependent almost entirely on seawater desalination to meet their drinking water United Arab Emirates gets more than 80% of its drinking water from desalinated sources. Bahrain has been fully reliant on desalinated water since 2016, and Qatar also depends entirely on it. Even Saudi Arabia, which has larger natural groundwater reserves, still gets around half its water from desalination, according to recent desalination plants sit along the Gulf coast -- close to where a potential nuclear incident could occur. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE have access to both the Gulf and other bodies of water, giving them some backup options. But others -- like Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait -- have no other coastline to fall back on."If a natural disaster, oil spill, or even a targeted attack were to disrupt a desalination plant, hundreds of thousands could lose access to freshwater almost instantly," said Nidal Hilal, Professor of Engineering and Director of New York University Abu Dhabi's Water Research inputs from ReutersMust Watch
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea recalls a special Kobe Bryant memory
Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea recalls a special Kobe Bryant memory Flea, the great bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, isn't just one of the Los Angeles Lakers' most famous fans — he's also one of their most devoted fans. He has followed the team for over 40 years, and through all the ups and downs, his loyalty has never wavered. He first fell in love with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and the Showtime Lakers, but years later, he found a new superstar to back when the franchise traded for the draft rights to a 17-year-old named Kobe Bryant in 1996. Bryant played all 20 seasons of his legendary career with the Lakers and drove them to five NBA championships while elevating their legacy and fame to even greater heights. In an interview with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, Flea recalled a special memory involving him and the late Hall of Famer before a big playoff game. Via Lakers Daily: 'I think it was the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs and I did the anthem and I was in hallway in the back waiting to do the anthem and he came out and I knew when he came out, but I knew he had the game face on, like serious, you know what I mean?' he said. Bryant was famous for his iron-clad focus, intensity and will to win. But he still made some time to acknowledge the famous musician. 'He went out of his way to come over and say hello and I really appreciated that, you know? Because he knew my energy was dedicated.' Bryant died in a tragic helicopter crash along with his daughter Gianna and seven others in January 2020. But fans from all walks of life will never forget the memories he provided and the special touch he had with people.
Politico
a day ago
- Business
- Politico
Black church leaders pressure companies over Trump's anti-DEI push
Black church leaders are ramping up the pressure on corporate America as companies continue to roll back their diversity, equity and inclusion policies, trying to serve as a counterbalance to President Donald Trump's aggressive push to end DEI initiatives across the country. The pressure comes as liberals are still trying to figure out how to respond to Trump's culture war — and as the Democratic Party grapples with Trump's improvement among Black and Latino voters in the 2024 election. 'Diversity, equity and inclusion is not charity. It's not a handout and the African American community is a valuable partner,' said Jamal Bryant, a Georgia-based pastor who masterminded a boycott of Target after the retailer curtailed its DEI initiatives in January. 'So we want to know: If you can take our dollars, how come you won't stand with us?' Shortly after Trump's election, major companies like Meta and Google rolled back their DEI commitments made in the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Within his first week of returning to office, Trump signed an executive order eliminating DEI practices in the federal workplace. He called such programs 'dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences.' 'President Trump is bringing back common sense by eliminating DEI policies and making merit the standard once again,' White House Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston said in a statement. 'Performance-driven companies see the value in President Trump's policies and are following his lead.' But Black church leaders see these boycotts — Bryant announced in May that Dollar General would be the next target — as a way to push back against the Trump-fueled wave and hold companies accountable. Bryant says his movement has garnered the support of 2,000 other churches and over 200,000 people signed his pledge to boycott Target. Frederick Haynes, the pastor of the 13,000-member Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, said joining the movement reflected how he was raised, influenced by the values of the Civil Rights Movement. Companies, he said, must recognize that they have 'a moral responsibility' to profiting. 'They have a responsibility to morally go inward and check themselves and recognize that you don't have a United States without diversity, without equity, without being inclusive,' Haynes said. In a statement to POLITICO, Dollar General said 'our mission is not 'Serving Some Others' — it is simply 'Serving Others.'' The company added that it serves millions of Americans 'from all backgrounds and walks of life' in more than 20,500 stores. 'As we have since our founding, we continuously evolve our programs in support of the long-term interests of all stakeholders.' Rev. Al Sharpton — the civil rights leader who supported Bryant's Target boycott — said the company boycotts are one of the most effective ways to push back against the rollback. 'The success of the Montgomery boycott is that it changed the law,' said Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, referencing the famous mid-1950s bus boycott to protest segregation. 'We can't just do things as a grievance, we must go for their bottom line.' It is hard to tell exactly how much boycotts are hurting companies' bottom lines. But Target's CEO Brian Cornell in May acknowledged that at least some of its sales drop, including a quarterly sales decrease by 2.8 percent, was due to 'headwinds' including 'the reaction to the updates we shared on Belonging in January,' referring to the company's announcement to end their DEI programs, along with consumer confidence and concerns around tariffs. A spokesperson for Target told POLITICO that the company is 'absolutely dedicated to fostering inclusivity for everyone — our team members, our guests and our supply partners.' 'Today, we are proud of the progress we've made since 2020 and believe it has allowed us to better serve the needs of our customers,' the spokesperson said in a statement. But Sharpton said the boycott is still a powerful tool. 'The power the Black church has is that the people that attend church are your major consumers,' said Sharpton. 'You go to a Black church that has 2,000 people and 1,900 of them are the ones that shop.' Sharpton has his own demonstration planned for this summer — a rally on Wall Street on Aug. 28, the 62nd anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his renowned 'I Have a Dream' speech. Sharpton said he chose the date for the rally on Wall Street intentionally. 'I wanted this year to show the pressure that we're putting on these companies with DEI, to go right to the bastion of industry and right where the stock exchange is and say to them that if you do not want to have diversity — in your boardroom, with your contracts and your employment — then you will not have diversity in your consumer base,' said Sharpton. But the boycotts do present challenges for church leaders. In some cases, Sharpton said, congregants have forgotten the boycotts are still on — and he says Trump is in part to blame for this. 'One of the things that I learned during the Civil Rights Movement from [Rev. Jesse Jackson] and others is, you have to keep people's attention,' said Sharpton. 'But there's so much going on now, Trump and them are so good at flooding the zone. You've got to make sure people don't forget, 'I'm not supposed to be shopping at that store.' Keeping public attention is a challenge.' But even with congregants who are engaged in the battle to retain diversity commitments across the country, Adam Clark, associate professor of theology at Xavier University, said the church cannot carry the burden alone, especially when the president has taken a stance. 'The attack on DEI is so much broader than the specific companies,' said Clark. 'Trump is the culmination of all this type of white aggression against DEI. He has the authority to implement what's been going on in certain parts of the country and he makes it federal law, and I don't think the church by itself has the capacity to just overturn everything that's happening.'
Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
After 3 straight runner-up finishes, Westfield enters IHSAA boys golf state final round up 6 shots
CARMEL – Eminem is Westfield's middle ground. When the Shamrocks can't decide between golf coach Josh Bryant's preference of Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre or the 'newer guys,' as Bryant called them, the players and coach settle with listening to the Detroit-based rapper. However, after a team victory, there's no settling, no discussion. "Tsunami" by DVBBS and Borgeous booms from the team bus speaker. The Shamrocks are 18 holes away from blasting the popular electronic dance song from Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel back to Westfield as the IHSAA boys golf state champions. After shooting 5-over-par as a team on the front nine, Westfield made six birdies and an eagle on the back nine to finish even on the day in round one of the boys golf state championship Tuesday. When the Shamrocks finished their opening round, reigning champions Zionsville were two strokes behind Westfield with three holes remaining. The Buffalo Bills of IHSAA golf? Westfield coach has lighthearted approach to runner-up finishes More: Some of Indiana's top HS golfers won't be at state meet — by their own choosing. Here's why Zionsville bogeyed the eighth hole and double-bogeyed the ninth to finish the day +6. The Eagles went +9 on the front nine after a stellar back nine where they made 3-under-par. Westfield enters Wednesday with a six-shot lead and their sights set on a state title after finishing runner-up three straight years. 'The difference in back nine was that we settled in,' Bryant said. 'That early stretch on the back nine shooting four straight birdies and, of course, finishing. You can't count on finishing 5-under on the last three holes. But we talk a lot about championship-winning teams finishing even on the last three holes. They play those last three holes even, and they oftentimes win. 'There are a lot of thoughts around two-day tournaments that, 'You can't win the tournament on the first day, but you can lose it.' We wanted to approach it more, 'Let's treat each day as its own tournament and win both days.'' Before Tuesday's round, Bryant informed his team the course was scoreable due to its moisture, which allowed balls to be easily marked, cleaned and replaced to ensure a good lie. He believes his players took advantage of the course's condition once they relaxed. The Shamrocks, whose team scoring average is 1-over-par on the year, began to rely more on placement golf on the back nine rather than making an 'emotional decision,' Bryant said. A team that usually attacks golf courses, Bryant applauded seniors Jake Cesare and Will Harvey for using their experience and 'stepping up' to help guide Westfield through the final holes. Harvey and Cesare (-3) are tied for third in individual standings heading into Wednesday, two shots behind leaders Luke Johnston (Evansville North) and Brycen Tisch (Zionsville). The two were on the Westfield teams that finished second the past three years. 'You need your senior leaders. They've been here, and whether they knew they had to or not, their momentum carries the team forward. This is their fourth year, and let's be frank, at an average golf tourney you're not going to have more than mom, dad and a couple of friends,' Bryant said. 'Now you come up to the first tee, your name gets announced and you have 500 people on the green at states. That's a feeling you can't simulate. So, with experience, you begin to understand what you are up against. "Friday nights in December, the gym is packed for basketball and the environment is similar when you reach sectionals. In golf, there's nothing like the environment at states.' The atmosphere at state influenced Bryant's message to the team after the first round. Bryant stood in the center with Westfield players huddled around him just outside the 10th hole and told them that winning a championship requires great composure. Bryant noticed a difference in his players' body language and the pace at which they walked and conversed on the back nine. He also credited the support of the 25 Westfield golfers in attendance for the Shamrocks' being front runners for the state championship. After last year's second place finish, Bryant said, "If you keep knocking on the door, at some point, the door is going to open.' Replicate Tuesday's performance on Wednesday and the fourth knock does it. That 'door' finally opens. 'Tomorrow, we take it hole by hole, shot by shot and control what we can control,' Harvey said. 'This group is definitely good enough. We play our game tomorrow, I don't think anybody touches us.'
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Rick Fox on how he earned Kobe Bryant's respect
Rick Fox on how he earned Kobe Bryant's respect Late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant wasn't just a fierce competitor on the court -- he was also fierce off the court when it came to basketball. As an intense, alpha-dog type of leader, he could be rough on his teammates. During his career, many thought it meant he was simply abrasive and destructive, but as time went on and the NBA championships continued to pile up, people realized that, in the long run, his style of leadership worked. Forward Rick Fox played seven seasons and won three championships in a row in the early 2000s with Bryant and the Lakers. During an appearance on the "Giant Ideas" podcast, he said that there was one definite way to earn the respect of the "Black Mamba." "Kobe, you need to fight," Fox said. "Kobe doesn't respect you unless you challenge him, like all the way up to fighting. Physically fighting. And he and I had our share of fights in practice. Physical fights. But that was his basketball love language. If you didn't back down to him, then he respected you. And a lot of people didn't actually get that because he was Kobe Bryant. "So if you won't fight me, and I'm the biggest, baddest animal, as they would feel they are in the jungle — then how do I know you got my back? How do I know you're going to cover my back?" Over the years, Bryant learned how to even out his fiery style of leadership and how to get his teammates to believe in themselves. As a result, many of his former teammates have grown to have fond memories of playing with him. After all, it's hard not to have fond memories when someone like Bryant is bringing the best out of a player to the point of helping him win the NBA's grand prize.
