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Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Solar powered CCTV in Louth to target illegal dumping
Concerns about the rise of illegal dumping were highlighted at the monthly meeting of Louth County Council. Councillors were told the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications had announced funding through the WERLA's to support Local Authorities in 2025 Anti-Dumping Initiative (ADI). Chief Executive David Conway outlined in his monthly management report: 'The 2025 ADI aims to reduce incidents of illegal dumping by identifying and delivering projects aimed at tackling illegal dumping 'black spots' throughout the county and adhere to key measures of prevention, abatement, education and awareness and enforcement. The Department continues to strongly encourage innovative projects, which recognise waste as a resource that can be repurposed for use in a Circular Economy.' A total of six project applications were submitted for approval under the ADI 2025 totalling €112,583.60. The Department approved funding of €100,783.60 for the completion of five projects including: Mattress and Sofa Amnesty Event – V&W Dundalk; Mattress and Sofa Amnesty Event – V&W Drogheda; Mattress and Soda Amnesty Collection Point – Ardee; Moneymore Lanes clean-up and a Solar Powered CCTV system at Williamsons Place, Dundalk. Cllr. Emma Coffey asked for an update on the Solar Powered CCTV system, asking for a timeline on when this might be delivered. She added that it was hoped this could be an initiative that could be used again, as it was likely to be more sustainable in terms of maintenance and upkeep. Director of Services, David Hanratty, explained that it has to be approved by the CCTV steering group, adding that there were increased privacy directives. This would not be a permanent fixture, and could operate on a temporary basis for a month or two. But, he pointed out that it was a piece of equipment that could be moved to other locations. The meeting heard the sofa and mattress amnesty events would be held in a similar way to previous years, in three civic amenity locations, Dundalk, Drogheda and Ardee.
The Herald Scotland
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
ICE raid track sends shockwaves across racing: 'There's no hiding'
And now, perhaps predictably, there's reason for horse racing to be nervous that it's about to have a major problem on its hands. An ICE raid Tuesday morning at Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana, where more than 80 backstretch workers were reportedly detained, should be a wake-up call for an industry that would simply not be able to function without a workforce of grooms and hotwalkers and stall cleaners who are, by some credible estimates, roughly 75% immigrants. They come from places like Venezuela, Panama, Colombia and Mexico, working low-wage jobs but filling indispensable roles, caring round-the-clock for animals worth hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars. Most of these workers at the glamorous tracks like Churchill Downs and Saratoga are here on H-2B visas that the prominent and well-resourced barns manage to secure for them, allowing them to travel from one race meet to the next. Even in the best of times, though, it can be a tricky system to navigate with just 66,000 issued each year by the U.S. government, long processing times and an intricate renewal mechanism. And, of course, these are not the best of times. In a climate where immigrant construction workers are getting systematically arrested in Home Depot parking lots, the only thing that would prevent racetracks from being a big, fat target for ICE are the whims of a president. "We're out in the middle of the open," Velie said. "There's no hiding. You're in the middle of a town and they can surround you and come round up a lot of people at once." 'Everybody's nervous' Ever since it became clear during the first weeks of the current Trump Administration that its posture toward deportations would be more aggressive than in his first term, it has been horse racing's barely spoken but impossible-to-ignore fear, lingering in the background every day on the backside. "Everybody's nervous about it," prominent trainer Dale Romans told reporters during a Kentucky Derby-week news conference set up to specifically address the threat posed by a potential ICE raid at a racetrack. "If we couldn't have an immigrant workforce on the backside, I don't know how horse racing exists. We need a common sense path to long-term legalization. We're not talking citizenship, just some kind of work permit. "The perfect scenario is we get an amnesty program that leads to a work permit. If you're vetted, if you're proven not to be a criminal, you pay your taxes, you are sponsored by an employer, you have a right to work in the United States. That's all we're asking for." It is, of course, a difficult topic to get most people to address. Not just because trainers or owners are reticent to draw undue attention to themselves but because of the clear political implications: The racetrack is, by and large, an unabashedly Republican-leaning ecosystem. Many prominent owners and racetrack executives have direct lines to Trump himself. And that's why it seemed like there was relief last week when the Department of Homeland Security issued guidance exempting the agricultural industry, hotels and restaurants from these raids due to the harm being inflicted on those businesses. Though horse racing wasn't specifically mentioned, it clearly falls into the same category. Then, a couple days later, the White House reversed course and decided to resume those raids. It didn't take long for a racetrack to be on the hit list. "The head of the New York Racing Association, Marc Holliday, is business partners with (Trump's son-in-law) Jared Kushner, so he had pretty strong assurances there would be some type of executive action protecting the horsemen and agriculture workers," Velie said. "But I think there's a lot of competing factions inside the administration battling over this." Sweeping up 'folks that are constantly caring for the horses' Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, the issue of whether horse racing should be relying on cheap immigrant labor is fair game for critique. Steve Asmussen, the all-time winningest trainer in North America, earlier this month finally settled a 10-year-old court case with the Department of Labor over hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime and back pay. Over the years, whenever wages and living conditions of backstretch workers have been subject to media scrutiny, it's rarely made the industry look good. It's a tough way to make a living. But in the end, for thousands of people who desperately need it, it is a living. And their symbiotic relationship with horses who need to be fed and taken care of isn't just a human story. One of the biggest concerns coming out of any potential racetrack raid is what happens to the horses while their grooms are being arrested. "The problem is that the kind of work the people on the backside, the grooms and hotwalkers, those folks that are constantly caring for the horses and making sure they're maintained and healthy, that job is 24-7 just a real difficult job," said Peter Ecabert, the general counsel for the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. "It's hard to get anyone to do that job, and we depend a lot on immigrants and they're hard-working and good people. Obviously there are a couple that may have run afoul of the legal system, and in those cases, especially if there's a violent situation we don't want them around either. We'd work with ICE in any way possible to make sure those people are taken into custody and transported back after their due process hearing. But as far as an unannounced raid on the backside of racetracks, that just puts all of us in a real difficult situation and puts the horses at risk." Chelsea Perez, the senior program manger of equine protection at Humane World for Animals, told USA TODAY Sports that it was critical for any law enforcement action to include a process where the safety and well-being of the horses is secured. "Horses are large, easily frightened animals who can suffer serious injury or injure others when not properly handled," she said. "The development of appropriate protocols is key to effective emergency response for both law enforcement agencies and equine facility managers." Meanwhile, there is a school of thought among those USA TODAY Sports has spoken with that a racetrack in Louisiana was particularly vulnerable to an ICE raid for a few reasons, including the fact that racing in the state is operating under a court injunction preventing the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) rules from being enforced. A HISA spokesperson declined comment, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association did not answer a request for comment. Delta Downs is also currently running its quarter horse meet, where there would be stronger suspicion about workers without visas being present than at higher-profile Thoroughbred tracks. Still, there's a potential chilling effect for the whole industry now that an ICE raid has taken place at a racetrack, particularly given the lack of consistent message from the Trump Administration. "There is a lot of tension on the backside," Ecabert said. "People are concerned, obviously, that there's going to be (another) raid and a lot of apprehensive people for sure." Of course, this is what many of those owners and trainers voted for - even if they didn't realize it. "I got calls from tracks all over the country (the next day), and every one of them was saying the same thing: 'If it happens there, it can happen here. What's our plan?' Velie said. "The long-term plan is to get your workforce on to stable visas, but in the short term, we're stuck."
Miami Herald
11 hours ago
- Miami Herald
DOJ to seize $225.3 million for victims of crypto scammers
The Department of Justice has filed a civil forfeiture complaint to seize $225.3 million for victims involved in cryptocurrency scams. The complaint, filed Wednesday, alleges that the cryptocurrency addresses that held over $225.3 million were part of a sophisticated blockchain-based money laundering network. 'Civil forfeiture complaint is the latest action taken by the Department to protect the American public from fraudsters specializing in cryptocurrency-based scams, and it will not be the last,' said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. 'These schemes harm American victims, costing them billions of dollars every year, and undermine faith in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Our investigators and prosecutors are relentlessly pursuing these scammers and their ill-gotten gains, and we will relentlessly pursue recovery of victim funds.' Last week, the DOJ found five men guilty who laundered over $36 million from victims. They operated out of Cambodia and faced maximum penalties of between five and 20 years in prison. Assistant Director of the FBI Criminal Division Jose A. Perez said his agency will not allow the criminals targeting unsuspecting victims who believe they are making legitimate investments to keep these scams going. 'This seizure of $225.3 million in funds linked to cryptocurrency investment scams marks the largest cryptocurrency seizure in U.S. Secret Service history, said Shawn Bradstreet, a special agent in that agency's San Francisco field office. In this investigation, more than 400 suspected victims say they lost money after believing that they were making investments, officials said. According to the FBI internet Crime Complaint Center's 2024 internet Crime Report, cryptocurrency investment fraud resulted in more than $5.8 billion lost in 2024. People over age 60 were impacted the most, losing an estimated $2.8 billion. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Deccan Herald
19 hours ago
- Business
- Deccan Herald
Heavy rains bring fish farming activities back to life in Haveri district
Haveri: Following good rainfall in the last monsoon and recent pre-monsoon showers, most of the lakes across the district have partially filled up. The rise in water level in these tanks has brought a new lease of life to fish farming activities, with fish seed release operations now in full swing.A few years ago, scant rainfall had pushed fishermen into financial hardship. However, the current spell of good rainfall has brought smiles back on their faces. Fishermen who are now releasing fish fingerlings into these rejuvenated lakes are hopeful of reaping good profits in the coming are 202 lakes under the jurisdiction of the Fisheries Department in the district. All of these are leased out to contractors for fishery purposes. These contractors release fish seeds into the lakes, nurture them until maturity and then harvest and sell the fish. Large lakes in Haveri, Hangal, Ranebennur, Byadagi, Shiggaon, Savanur, Rattihalli and Hirekerur taluks have already been allocated by the Fisheries Department for commercial fishing. Out of the 202 lakes, fish seed release has already begun in 148. The remaining 54 lakes have reached the end of their lease period, and an online auction process for these lakes has been for DepartmentIn the fiscal year 2024–25, the Fisheries Department has earned a revenue of Rs 72.64 lakh through new lease permits, renewals, and other related services. For the ongoing year 2025–26, the Department is anticipating revenues exceeding Rs 80 Department Deputy Director Vasant Hegde said: 'Permission to conduct fishing activities in major lakes under the department's jurisdiction is granted to Fishermen's Co-operative Societies as well as private individuals. The base lease price is set at a minimum of Rs 300 per hectare, though auctions often fetch higher rates.' He also said, an online allocation process has begun for 54 lakes, whose lease period has expired. Several societies and individuals have already submitted applications. According to government regulations, the lake allocations will be finalised soon.E-tendersFisheries Department Assistant Director S P Dandur informed: 'An e-tender process has been initiated for granting fishery licenses in lakes filled under the lift irrigation scheme. Currently, seven lakes from the district are on this list. 'The government has issued guidelines for conducting e-tenders, and once we receive approval from the Zilla Panchayat regarding reservation policies, the tender process will be started.'He also said that a rate of Rs 1,500 per hectare has been fixed for these seven lakes. Both co-operative societies and private parties in the district can participate in the e-tender process and secure fishing leases, he added.31 co-op societiesThere are 31 fishing co-operative societies in the district, with around 8,000 members. The members and their families rely on fishing for their livelihood.
Al Etihad
a day ago
- Health
- Al Etihad
Department of Health - Abu Dhabi highlights sickle cell awareness efforts
19 June 2025 14:30 ABU DHABI (WAM)Executive Director of the Health Life Sciences Sector at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, affirmed that World Sickle Cell Day, marked annually on 19th June, is a vital occasion to raise awareness about the disease, support patients and their families, and shed light on efforts aimed at reducing its health and social Al Mannaei told WAM that Sickle cell disease remains a significant public health concern globally, affecting the quality of life for patients and placing long-term pressure on families. "At the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, we are committed to reshaping that reality through innovation, early detection and personalised care. Our mission is to foster a healthy population, deliver best-in-class care, and drive continuous resilience and innovation."Dr. Al Mannaei added, "Supported by powerful Artificial Intelligence tools, driven by data and genomic sciences, we are building a system that predicts, prevents and acts.""Our efforts begin with prevention. Through the Premarital Genetic Screening Programme, we empower couples to make informed decisions that help reduce the prevalence of genetic conditions such as sickle cell in future generations."She continued, 'We then move to prediction, where we are shifting from a reactive approach to proactive and personalised care approach for sickle cell, by utilising platforms such as the Emirati Genome Programme. By integrating sickle cell disease in the newly launched Newborn Genetic Screening Programme, we can ensure early detection, timely intervention and healthier outcomes for families across the Emirate.'Dr. Al Mannaei also praised the introduction of innovative treatments. In collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre and global partner Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the Department has introduced CASGEVY, a CRISPR/Cas9-based gene-editing therapy for patients with sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassaemia."This marks the first time this cutting-edge treatment is available in the UAE," she added that, beyond treatment, investment in scientific research remains a top priority. In partnership with the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma'an, and through the Research and Innovation Fund, the Department is supporting research that addresses key healthcare priorities. One of the grant awardees received funding for research focused on anaemia and sickle cell disease, examining their impact on healthspan.
