Latest news with #Davis
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Drunk driving: 14 drivers of school vehicles caught drunk at wheel in Hyderabad traffic police crackdown
HYDERABAD: In a surprise inspection targeting school transport vehicles at 34 junctions across the city on Wednesday, the Hyderabad traffic police caught 14 drivers for drunk driving. Among them was an auto-rickshaw driver with a staggering blood alcohol content (BAC) of 276 mg/100 ml, far exceeding the permissible limit of 30 mg. Police checked around 350 vehicles, seizing 14 of them, including four school-operated buses. The remaining offenders were operating auto-rickshaws and an Omni van. All the accused have been booked under the Motor Vehicles Act. In response, joint commissioner of police (traffic) Joel Davis on Thursday urged school authorities to equip themselves with breath analyzers to check drivers ferrying students. He was addressing the managements of 3,218 schools during an event on school safety event, titled 'School Management and Stake Holders Meeting on Students Safety', organised by the traffic police. 'It's a shocking number. I was taken aback when I found out,' Davis said. 'This is the first time we've conducted checks specifically on school transport vehicles,' added deputy commissioner of police (traffic-I) Rahul Hegde. 'The special drive was carried out late in the afternoon, after school hours. Since the academic year began just a week ago, we decided to target drivers responsible for transporting children.' Despite four of the accused being drivers employed directly by schools, traffic police have so far refrained from taking action against the institutions themselves. 'Unless an accident occurs, we won't hold schools accountable,' Hegde said. 'But it is their duty to ensure they hire only clean drivers, as we're talking about the safety of children.' The traffic police urged school managements to take greater responsibility in driver recruitment and appealed to parents to exercise caution when choosing auto-rickshaw drivers. 'The special drive against school transport offenders will continue,' the DCP added. While speaking about the road safety, traffic police said that over 9 million vehicles operate daily in Hyderabad, and only 3,000 personnel are available to manage the city's traffic. Police stated that 8 students have lost their lives in various road accidents between 2023 and 2025.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Humpback Whales Are Blowing ‘Bubble Rings' at Boats. Are They Trying to Communicate?
Humpback whales are known for their extensive use of bubbles—from powerful, aggressive bursts that prove their prowess during courtship to the bubble-net 'curtains' they produce to round up prey in a spectacle that often draws tourists from around the world. Now a new study published in Marine Mammal Science explores rare instances when humpbacks (Megaptera novaeangliae) create dramatic, doughnut-shaped vortex bubbles that look like a rolling underwater smoke ring. Video credit: Simon Hilbourne, Molly Gaughan, Karime Nicholas [Sign up for Today in Science, a free daily newsletter] Researchers at the University of California, Davis, and their colleagues at other institutions—including the SETI Institute, which is known for focusing on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) but is also interested in nonhuman intelligences on Earth—were looking for examples of whales' general bubble behavior when they uncovered a striking video taken by videographer Dan Knaub in 1988. In the footage, a humpback called 'Thorn' blows 19 bubble structures—including 11 rings—over a 10-minute period. 'We were just gobsmacked—like, 'What the hell is going on?'' says Fred Sharpe, a whale biologist at U.C. Davis. 'For a team that's interested in assisting astrobiologists parse unusual signals coming from deep space, it just fell real neatly into our paradigm.... It's so bizarre.' Sharpe and his colleagues soon found more examples on social media and from other researchers. Study co-author Jodi Frediani, a wildlife photographer who is also at U.C. Davis, even noticed a telltale circle in a photograph a friend showed during a presentation about humpback whales. With this phenomenon on her mind, she says, 'I went, 'Gee, there's a bubble ring!'' For the study, the team recorded 12 events across the North and South Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans in which 11 individual humpbacks were seen blowing bubble rings. The researchers described 39 rings in total. 'It's not a lot in the world of whales but enough—and in multiple oceans,' Frediani says. 'It's a really fun paper,' says Syracuse University biologist Susan E. Parks, who studies bubble-net feeding in humpbacks and wasn't involved in the new study. 'It reads like a detective story that's trying to piece together information about something that's not widely studied and happens rarely.' Parks hasn't observed any bubble rings herself—as far as she knows, she says, 'I may have seen them before and never really thought anything of them.' Despite compiling so many examples of the rings, Sharpe still doesn't know what to think about their purpose. 'My guess is that this is what it's going to feel like when we first make contact with aliens,' he says. The researchers speculate that the behavior could be playful. One whale would blow a bubble ring and then swim through it or 'do a spy hop right through the middle of it,' Frediani says—when performing such a spy hop, the whale would peep its head vertically above the surface, right through the bubble ring. Or perhaps the animals' behavior could respresent curiosity toward humans: of the 12 recorded events, nine involved whales that approached the human observers more closely before they blew rings. Humpback communication quote Could the whales be trying to communicate with us? Sharpe doesn't rule this out as a possibility. He posits that the presence of humans seems to trigger bubble blowing and that humpbacks improve with practice. 'This may be a species-atypical signal that's crafted for people,' he says, 'whales reaching out to humans ... using their own parlance, their own form of communication.' Parks thinks it's plausible that the animals are putting on a display for humans, but she adds that it's too soon to tell with such a small sample size. 'They'd want a lot more [observations] before they could say with certainty,' she says. Because most of the observations were made by people, this could skew the data, she notes, although there were 'two observations from planes, so we know [the whales] do produce them [bubble rings] when people aren't present, too.' Now that more researchers know to look for these bubble rings, Parks says, reported sightings may greatly increase. With more data, Sharpe and his colleagues hope to figure out what the purpose of these swirling doughnuts of air is—and whether the rings could possibly contain information. 'We need the entire human brain trust's help deciphering this,' Sharpe says. 'It's almost like [the whales'] blowhole is a mouth, and the symbols coming out are bubbles, as opposed to sounds.' Sharpe hopes footage from the study will help people feel connected with whales and make them want to protect the animals from human threats such as ship strikes, entanglement, noise and chemical pollution, habitat loss and disruption of the food web. He says that he also wants to find a way to let the whales 'know that they've been heard.' For him, trying to decipher potential messages and find a way to respond puts the team 'in the same place you would be if you were trying to communicate with aliens—and you got a message.'
Daily Record
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
The haunting Rangers failure Steven Davis still lives with as former skipper lifts lid on 'huge frustration'
Davis admits it still lives with him that Rangers failed to kick on after sealing 55 Steven Davis admits he's still haunted by Rangers ' failure turn 55 into 56. The retired Ibrox legend was a key man when Steven Gerrard 's squad last lifted Premiership silver back in 2021. But they let that crown slip the following season after Gerrard made a mid-season move to Aston Villa, with his replacement Gio van Bronckhorst unable to mount a repeat of the previous season's title triumph. It has proved to be a pivotal sliding doors moment. Instead of embarking on their own era of glory, Gers have had to sit and watch their Parkhead foes rack up four straight league wins in a row. 'It's a huge frustration to be honest,' admitted former skipper Davis. 'I believe that with the quality we had in that time, we should have had a lot more success than what we did together. "It's easy to sit here and say that but it's hard to pinpoint the reasons why we didn't go on and achieve more than what we did, because we did really feel that the quality was there within the team. 'Ultimately over the course of the season, usually the best team wins and we didn't do enough in that year to do it.' Asked if he felt Rangers would be in a far stronger position now had they backed up their 2021 victory, the Northern Irishman replied: 'One hundred percent. That's always the ambition, once you get your hands on that first trophy, you want to do it on a regular basis. "We know it's not easy to have consistent success and we fell short really in the end. It's still a huge frustration for all of us involved, me certainly.' It's that failure to deliver regular silverware which means captain James Tavernier continues to divide the Ibrox fanbase. The full-back has clocked up 10 years in Glasgow but the club have yet to announce if he will be honoured for a decade of service. Davis, though, is adamant there would be no-one more deserving of a testimonial than Tavernier. He said: 'I think 10 years service at a club like Rangers is an unbelievable achievement. 'You know when you sign there that you're going to get criticism at some point during your career. He's had that but he's got broad enough shoulders, and for me, he's dealt with it really well. 'And I think also at Rangers, they're always looking for better players to replace you. But ultimately, he's managed to keep his place over the course of the time that he's been there, 'So everybody who has been manager has always seen the qualities when deciding to keep playing him and to keep him as captain as well. 'So I think if you have that level of service at a club, then you deserve everything you get.' Russell Martin is rumoured to be eyeing up Max Aarons as a potential replacement for Tavernier. But Davis believes his old-team still has plenty to offer. Asked if he could understand the flak directed at Tav, he replied: 'That's the Glasgow fishbowl, isn't it? 'When you're captain of the club and the club hasn't won as many trophies as they would like in recent times, that pressure's going to come, the stress is going to come. For me, sometimes it's over the top. 'I think he's been a fabulous player for the club. 'His availability is unquestionable, the number of goals and assists that he's had is incredible really, for a full-back or any position to be honest. I think he's been a really good servant for the football club. 'Sometimes that is overlooked. I understand that, you're always going to get critics out there. But I do feel that at times it's been a little bit over the mark with Tav. 'You can't be false to who you are as a person. You get the role because of the qualities that you bring, and you try to bring those qualities to the team. 'There's no two people who are the same and everybody will lead in different ways as well. 'It's just about the consistency of your actions, really. For me, that's how I tried to act as a player, I tried to lead by example. "Obviously on the basis of that, I was chosen in different captaincy roles at various clubs and also for my country as well. 'It's the same in management too, which I'm finding out now in my new coaching role. There are many different managers out there but you can't copycat anybody, you just have to be your own person. 'And I think people then respond to that. ' Davis isn't ready to write off Tavernier - but he admits it might be time for Ross McCausland to consider an Ibrox exit if he can't win over new boss Martin. He gave his fellow countryman his big break when he introduced him to the Gers line-up during his brief stint as caretaker gaffer in 2023. McCausland got off to a flying start - but he's featured less and less lately after a nightmare display towards the end of the season saw him sent off at Pittodrie. 'I think for you, development is always important to play games, that's where you learn,' said Davis. 'It's difficult to just train and try to progress, so it's obviously going to be another big summer for Ross in terms of the decisions that he makes. 'I'm sure different things are floating around his head, but ultimately there's a new manager coming in, he'll be open to seeing what players can bring to the team and give them an opportunity to do that and really impress in pre-season. 'Maybe then things can go from there. 'Hopefully that's the case for Ross. I think he's got qualities in there, he has had a difficult season and he's probably the first to admit that himself. 'But he'll ultimately want to stay at Rangers and have a career there, so I think the onus is on him to really go and stamp his authority on pre-season and see where that takes him. 'As a manager you have to be open-minded and I think there's always players that will surprise you. I've seen Russell talking about that himself. 'I think that when you go in there, you have a picture of maybe the qualities that players have, but until you work with them on a daily basis then you don't really get the full picture. 'Obviously Russell will be bringing in his own people to try to help the team as well but there's no reason why players like Ross who have kind been on the periphery this season can't show that they have qualities that they can bring to the team.' Davis was speaking as he helped promote 10 Years On - a celebratory event taking place at Belfast's Ulster Hall on May 2, 2026, marking next year's anniversary of Northern Ireland's Euro 2016 campaign. For tickets go to
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
14 drivers of school vehicles caught drunk at wheel in traffic police crackdown in Hyderabad
Hyderabad: In a surprise inspection targeting school transport vehicles at 34 junctions across the city on Wednesday, the Hyderabad traffic police caught 14 drivers for drunk driving. Among them was an auto-rickshaw driver with a staggering blood alcohol content (BAC) of 276 mg/100 ml, far exceeding the permissible limit of 30 mg. Police checked around 350 vehicles, seizing 14 of them, including four school-operated buses. The remaining offenders were operating auto-rickshaws and an Omni van. All the accused have been booked under the Motor Vehicles Act. In response, joint commissioner of police (traffic) Joel Davis on Thursday urged school authorities to equip themselves with breath analyzers to check drivers ferrying students. He was addressing the managements of 3,218 schools during an event on school safety event, titled 'School Management and Stake Holders Meeting on Students Safety', organised by the traffic police. 'It's a shocking number. I was taken aback when I found out,' Davis said. 'This is the first time we've conducted checks specifically on school transport vehicles,' added deputy commissioner of police (traffic-I) Rahul Hegde. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The World's Oldest Living Actors. Boite A Scoop Undo 'The special drive was carried out late in the afternoon, after school hours. Since the academic year began just a week ago, we decided to target drivers responsible for transporting children.' Despite four of the accused being drivers employed directly by schools, traffic police have so far refrained from taking action against the institutions themselves. 'Unless an accident occurs, we won't hold schools accountable,' Hegde said. 'But it is their duty to ensure they hire only clean drivers, as we're talking about the safety of children.' The traffic police urged school managements to take greater responsibility in driver recruitment and appealed to parents to exercise caution when choosing auto-rickshaw drivers. 'The special drive against school transport offenders will continue,' the DCP added. While speaking about the road safety, traffic police said that over 9 million vehicles operate daily in Hyderabad, and only 3,000 personnel are available to manage the city's traffic. Police stated that 8 students have lost their lives in various road accidents between 2023 and 2025.
Politico
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
This Former Congressman Survived Political Violence. He Carried a Gun ‘To Fire Back.'
In the aftermath of the assassination of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman over the weekend, members of Congress are increasingly worried about their safety and how to better protect themselves in a toxic political environment. Former Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) is the rare figure who has been both a victim of political violence and a key player in overseeing the protection of elected officials. A survivor of the 2017 congressional baseball shooting where Majority Leader Steve Scalise was badly wounded — Davis was at home plate when the gunman opened fire from behind third base — the former Illinois congressman later became the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, which oversees security arrangements for members of the House of Representatives. Davis, who now serves as a head of government affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, lost his 2022 primary after redistricting put him in the same district as his Donald Trump-endorsed Republican colleague, Mary Miller. As a result of the congressional shooting — which happened precisely eight years to the day of Hortman's death — the former Illinois congressman says he now carries a gun when he can 'in order to fire back if somebody decides to come and kill me and my friends again.' This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. What was your reaction to hearing about the shooting in Minnesota especially given that it was the eight-year anniversary of the congressional baseball shooting? It brings back the memories of that day and watching my friends and wondering whether or not they were going to survive their shots. But at the same time, you begin to understand that there are just some bad people out there that are triggered for whatever reason, that they're going to save the world by killing others. And I don't get it. Never got it that day, never got it afterwards, and I still don't understand it today in Minnesota. How did the shooting change how you dealt with constituents and appearing in public for events? Well, it changed me personally. Even in private events, where I'm much more secure, I carry a gun, where I am able to, in order to fire back if somebody decides to come and kill me and my friends again. I'm much more aware of the security situation. I'm sitting here in London right now and working with the security officials that are on this trip that I'm a part of. And I always find myself walking at the end or watching our surroundings. I didn't pay as much attention to that before June 14 of 2017, but I do now. How much does the congressional baseball shooting serve as a dividing line for your service in Congress? Well, it was more of a divider immediately afterward, because the tension for Republicans in targeted districts like mine during the 2018 cycle was so immense. But then, you know, the tension went down with COVID and went down in 2022, so you don't think about it as much. But I'm a big believer in the Second Amendment, and, in my old district, I exercised my rights to be able to carry a firearm to protect myself and people wouldn't know it. I did not do that before the baseball shooting but I never wanted to feel like I couldn't fire back again. I've talked to one of your former colleagues who said he had to wear a bulletproof vest before appearing in a parade. Did things ever reach that level for you? I never had to do that, but I was more aware of security, and we would coordinate with local law enforcement a lot more when we did events, especially during the heightened tension of 2017 and 2018. Then, ironically, the tension went down in a presidential race. I never understood that, other than COVID, when people weren't out as much, but it just seems to me that the political atmosphere determines the security risk. And that's unfortunate, and that's what we have to address. How do you handle this practically since it's hard to give every member of Congress their own security detail? There are ways that member offices can work with local law enforcement to have flexibility to pay for security when there are more high-risk events. I never felt insecure going out to dinner in my hometown of Taylorville, Illinois. So I wouldn't have needed a security detail there. But parades in certain areas of the district, or more of a public town hall type of event, we were more cognizant of the security needs. But it doesn't negate the fact that you have, as a public official, threats on your lives that never get publicity. My wife would come home from work, and the kids would come home from school when I was in office, and they would immediately call me and say, 'Dad. Why is there a sheriff's car parked in front of the house?' 'Yeah, somebody threatened to blow Dad's head off again today. So I'm making sure you guys have some protection if this is serious.' Now, those are the types of things that really have an impact on families, that have an impact on people wanting to serve in office and that, to me, is the key fact that goes unnoticed. After the shooting, you became the top Republican on the House Administration Committee. How big of an issue was member security for you in that position? It's a major issue for us. We wanted to address every security issue there was. And in my case, anytime I would have a threat, we would have the Capitol Police work with local law enforcement, and local law enforcement would take care of things back home. I never had a detail based on my threats. While I was in DC, my threats were always at home, and there's a gentleman who threatened to blow my head off one morning after clearly a night of drinking that now he has a felony on his record. Because another aspect of this is you have to prosecute those who make stupid decisions to actually deter stupid decisions, and no one ever threatened to blow my head off again after somebody got a felony on their record and it was publicized. You can have all the security in the world. But at the same time, we have to remember things are different back home, and that's where that coordination between the Capitol Police and local law enforcement has to be seamless, and that's where I think we can do a better job to make that happen in the future. And is that on Capitol Police, local law enforcement or members to make that work? It's everyone. I mean, when you think about it, there are plenty of times where I never would have thought a threat would have existed back home, because it's home. And after the baseball shooting, we became more aware. And you know, local law enforcement was more than willing to help, and you have to be able to make that coordinated effort. How much does dealing with security matter versus dealing with the political environment that has produced such an increase in threats and violence? We have to deal with the environment. I mean, you know, when you have a CEO of a company like United Healthcare assassinated in New York, you can't have politicians like [Massachusetts Sen.] Elizabeth Warren saying, 'You know, it's a tragedy. But.' There shouldn't be this immediate reaction, 'Oh, wait, I'm okay with this because I wear a red shirt,' or 'I'm okay with this because I wear a blue shirt.' And that's the message that I tried to send immediately after the baseball shooting when I got back to the Capitol that day. And the message was we have to stop villainizing everyone, Republicans or Democrats. We have to do what we can as former elected officials or elected officials to be able to call that out, regardless if they're on your team or not. Is it possible to do that at this point? There's no other option.
