Author: 5hspx

At many animal shelters, dogs are not allowed to leave the facility until they are adopted.But in Walla Walla, rescue dogs are getting a chance to explore the outside world, thanks to the Blue Mountain Humane Society's “Pawsitive Adventure” program, which began a year ago. Several days a week, volunteers take their dogs on field trips to wineries, coffee shops, trails and more. “It's great to take the dogs out to the shelter, but this is a whole different experience,” said Bonnie Theriault, a frequent volunteer. “You get to see the dogs relax.” They get to sniff, socialize and “just…

This year's season of The Block is set to be the most dramatic in reality TV history, with one team deciding to quit mid-filming. Viewers will have to wait a few more weeks for the official decision, but in a tense moment on Tuesday night's episode, two contestants began hinting at their intentions to quit.Engaged couple Paige and Jesse are seen having a “private” car conversation, venting their frustration over a string of setbacks: The 27-year-old insurance claims specialist tells his fiancée that he's fed up with The Block's demanding filming schedule and lack of freedom, and is ready to…

The thing about fraud is that you don't want to have to calculate the ROI of fraud until it's too late, because the flip side is dangerous. Unfortunately, the prevailing thinking at banks and other businesses is that they don't have the resources to invest in fraud prevention unless they're under attack. Garrett Laird, director of product management at Amount, a digital origination and decisioning SaaS platform that helps consumers and small businesses open deposit accounts and originate loans, told PYMNTS that many financial institutions (FIs) don't rethink their fraud prevention measures until it's too late. “You may not realize…

After suffering a sharp decline in foreign direct investment (FDI), China has decided to open up its communications, education and health services sectors to foreign investors. A State Council executive meeting chaired by Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday reviewed and approved four documents aimed at helping attract foreign capital.The document includes the 2024 version of a set of special administrative measures for foreign investment entry (the Negative List), which states that China will further ease restrictions on foreign investment by completely eliminating entry barriers in manufacturing, and will accelerate the opening up of sectors such as communications, education and…

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – During Monday night's Springfield City Council meeting, Police Chief Paul Williams presented data for the first half of 2024 compared to 2023, showing an overall decrease in crime in the city.”This is the end of three downward trends,” Williams said. “Crime has been trending downward since 2021, so we expect it to plateau at some point and I think we're approaching that new baseline.”Crimes against persons are down 3.3% compared to the first six months of 2023, Williams said, citing data from the National Incident Reporting System. There have been two murders and manslaughter so far…

Here's a closer look at everything you need to know about this week's PGA Tour event in Castle Rock, Colorado, including the likely first-round leaders for the 2024 BMW Championship and three FRL bets for Thursday.Castle Pines Golf Club will host a tour event for the first time since 2006 as the site of the BMW Championship. The Jack Nicklaus designed course is a par 72, 8,130 yard course. Given Colorado's elevation, this distance can be misleading. The adjusted course feels about 7,350 yards.With that in mind, accuracy will play a much bigger role than distance this week, both because…

A California Democrat who has made a name for himself for taking on the health care industry is introducing a bill that would regulate private equity stakes in the sector. CALIFORNIA, USA — California lawmakers are preparing to vote for the first time on regulating private equity investments in health care, but the proposals they will consider include exemptions for some of the industry's largest companies. Intense lobbying from deep-pocketed medical and investor groups forced Rep. Jim Wood to agree to exempt for-profit hospitals (about 20 percent of hospitals) from oversight. Supporters of the hotly contested bill warn that private…

Hyatt Hotels Corp. has announced plans to acquire Standard International, the parent company of The Standard Hotels and Bunkhouse Hotels, its brands and most affiliates. Once the transaction closes, Hyatt will pay $150 million as a base purchase price and pay up to $185 million as it adds properties to its portfolio. The transaction is expected to close later this year, subject to approvals. The move will help Hyatt strengthen its position in the premium lifestyle segment, building on its own organic growth and a series of acquisitions that have increased the number of lifestyle rooms in Hyatt's global portfolio…

The luxury lifestyle hotel segment remains Hyatt's core business.The Chicago-based hotel giant announced plans Tuesday to acquire New York City-based Standard International and most of its affiliates for a base price of $150 million. The Standard International portfolio includes The Standard and Bunkhouse Hotel brands and has 21 hotels in operation.With more than 30 properties in various stages of development, Hyatt's acquisition could add another $185 million to its total spend as more of those hotels open. Standard's portfolio also includes the new Standard X brand and The Manor, a soon-to-open luxury hotel in New York City's SoHo neighborhood.On the…

Russia has been sending supertankers loaded with oil around Africa to Asia, suggesting that its fleet may not be immune to Houthi attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea. The two Suezmax vessels could in theory have passed through the Suez Canal at full speed and then travelled south through waters threatened by the Houthis, but instead transferred their cargo to the supertanker Gold Pearl near Egypt's Port Said earlier this month. Large ships, so-called supertankers, were forced to detour around Africa after loading their cargoes because the water was too deep to navigate the 120-mile channel. It is…