Posts tagged with "Axios"

Cities in a pickle: The love-hate relationship between pickleballers and almost everyone else

April 10, 2023

Cities nationwide are grappling with the seemingly limitless demand for pickleball courts—and blowback from neighbors who complain that the constant smack-smack-smack is VERY LOUD, reports Axios.

Pickleball supposedly is America’s fastest-growing sport—but adherents are clashing with sleep-loving neighbors; as well as with tennis players and schoolchildren who say their courts and playgrounds are being usurped.

Turf wars between tennis players and pickleballers have devolved into shouting matches (and worse) in San Diego, Atlanta, and New York.

In New York City, pickleball players were bannedfrom a Greenwich Village playground after they were accused of “forcibly evicting” the local children, per Gothamist.

Meanwhile, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, makeshift courts in Carl Schurz Park—across from Gracie Mansion, the home of Mayor Eric Adams—”have become the subject of a territorial dispute” among skateboarders, basketball players, and pickleballers, per a hyperlocal news site.

Denver just shut some courts after finding that the sound levels from pickleball play surpassed 70 decibels—above the city limit of 55 decibels.

“In some cases, there is a valid concern for the acoustic impact to neighbors,” say Carl Schmits of USA Pickleball, the sport’s governing body. “And then in other cases, that acoustic concern is being used as a foil by the tennis community to prevent the conversion of existing courts.”

Manhattan’s largest pickleball facility opened on Friday, April 7. It has 14 courts in Central Park that’ll stay open until October 9, in a well-funded private effort called “CityPickle at Wollman Rink.”

“New Yorkers are really hungry for opportunities for pickleball,” says Erica Desai, who founded CityPickle18 months ago with her friend and tennis partner, Mary Cannon.

When the company opened its first courts last fall in New York City’s Hudson Yards, “we sold out the entire month of October within two hours of that signup going public,” Desai says.

CityPickle is trying to bring the “eatertainment”concept to urban pickleball, with plans to open upscale courts in top metropolitan areas—including Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington, D.C.—where players can get lessons, hold parties, and nosh on tacos and margaritas.

Its  first permanent venue, opening this spring, will be a swanky indoor pickleball club in Long Island City, Queens, with a pro shop, restaurant and climate-controlled courts.

“We think that social nature of pickleball is really a special sauce, and we want to create opportunities to bring together that kind of community and joy that we feel around pickleball,” Desai says.

Research contact: @axios

HelloFresh to stop buying coconut milk from Thailand amid claims of monkey labor

March 20, 2023

HelloFresh, the Berlin, Germany-based meal kit company, has announced that it will stop using coconut milk from Thailand later this year, after allegations by the animal rights advocacy group PETA of the use of forced monkey labor in the coconut industry there, reports The New York Times.

Abby Dreher, a spokeswoman for HelloFresh, confirmed that “out of an abundance of caution” the company had decided not to buy coconut milk from Thailand starting later this year. The decision was made in December and was made public last week.

Walmart, Costco and other large American retailers have halted sales of Chaokoh coconut milk, a Thai brand; but HelloFresh has pledged to stop using coconut milk from Thailand entirely.

The announcement,  reported earlier by Axios, comes after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals published a report last November claiming monkeys were being abused at dozens of coconut retrieval operations that it said its investigators had visited in nine provinces in Thailand. PETA has long claimed that monkeys in Thailand are forced to climb tall trees for hours and to pick coconuts that will be used to make products such as coconut milk, flour, and oil.

PETA also claims that young monkeys are taken from their families to support the harvest. Abducting a wild animal is illegal in Thailand. The Thai government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

In the report, PETA said that two of HelloFresh’s suppliers in Thailand relied on the labor of exploited monkeys. The New York Times was unable to confirm details of the PETA investigations independently.

“We have been in an ongoing dialogue with PETA ever since and continue to remind our suppliers, from whom we received written confirmation that they were not using monkey labor in their supply chain, of our high standards,” Dreher said. “Under no circumstances do we tolerate any form of animal abuse in our supply chain.”

In an email to PETA that was obtained by The New York Times, HelloFresh confirmed last month that it would stop buying Thai coconut milk by the summer of 2023 and would seek new suppliers based outside of Thailand.

In a study published in 2021 in the Journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science, researchers interviewed 89 coconut farmers working in three provinces in Thailand. They found that the macaque monkeys worked every day of the week and “typically climbed more than 50 coconut trees” to harvest between 500 and 1,000 coconuts each day.

The Thai embassy told Axios last week that “both the Thai government and the industry are making sure that coconut milk exported from Thailand is not obtained from the use of monkey labor.”

In a government document from last August, the embassy said it was establishing a program, called “Monkey Free Plus,” that would “not only certify coconut plantations on food safety system but also assure that monkeys are not used for harvesting.” The embassy also said it was “promoting hybrid dwarf coconut trees for new planting,” whose short trunks meant that harvesting coconuts would “no longer require monkey labor.”

Research contact: @nytimes

Sununu on Trump: ‘Thank you for your service, we’re moving on’

March 7, 2023

Former President Donald Trump won’t become the Republican Party’s presidential nominee in 2024, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R) predicted during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, March 5.

“He’s not going to be the nominee, that’s just not going to happen,” Sununu said, according to a report by Axios—adding the GOP is looking for fresh leadership.

“Thank you for your service, we’re moving on,” he said. “I just don’t believe the Republican Party is going to say that the best leadership for America tomorrow is yesterday’s leadership. That doesn’t make any sense.”

“We want the next generation, the next big idea, and that’s what we’re going to deliver.”

Sununu added that he believed that ,if the election were held now, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) would win both New Hampshire and Florida.

Trump has repeatedly attacked DeSantis, whom he fears is the only candidate who could last with him in a long, bitter campaign for the 2024 GOP nomination.

Sununu also spoke about the need for the Republican Party to attract independent voters and the next generation of “potential Republicans.” He said, “Republicans cannot win without Independents. It cannot happen.”

 Others agree with him: Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) announced on Sunday that he is not running for president in 2024, saying the GOP “must move on from Mr. Trump.”

“There are several competent Republican leaders who have the potential to step up and lead,” Hogan wrote in a New York Times opinion essay.

“But the stakes are too high for me to risk being part of another multicar pileup that could potentially help Mr. Trump recapture the nomination,” he added.

Sununu acknowledged last month that he is “definitely thinking about” a 2024 bid for president, himself. Sununu did not acknowledge a potential run during Sunday’s program and noted that he hasn’t ruled out running for re-election as governor.

Research contact: @axios

Top Trump-aligned conservative group buys up prime D.C. office space

January 19, 2023

An influential conservative nonprofit led by former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows is buying up millions of dollars’ worth of office space on Capitol Hill, records show, according to a report by Axios.

The Conservative Partnership Institute, as the  nonprofit is called, is the backbone of a policy and advocacy apparatus aligned with hard-right legislators such as Representatives Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia).

Indeed, Axios says, the real-estate purchases are a sign of the conservative nonprofit’s growing clout—and grandiose plans—as it tries to steer the direction of Republicans’ new House majority and prepare for the next GOP administration.

Just this month, several right-wing lawmakers who opposed Representative Kevin McCarthy’s (R-California) bid for speakership —including Gaetz, and Representatives Byron Donalds (R-Florida), Paul Gosar (R-Arizona), Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina) and Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania) — met at the CPI offices, according to Yahoo News.

CPI completed its most recent purchase early this month: $11.35 million for new space on Pennsylvania Avenue, adjacent to both the Capitol and CPI’s headquarters on Independence Avenue, D.C. property records show.

That followed multiple purchases last year on Pennsylvania Avenue—and ones on nearby 3rd Street SE and C Street SE—each made in the name of a different LLC.

Also last year, CPI paid more than $7 million for a 14,000-square-foot lodge on more than 2,000 acres near the Maryland shore, according to property records.

Led by Meadows and ex-Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), CPI has incubated or financially supported a number of allied organizations. Many are run by Trump Administration alumni and considered integral to early planning for another potential Trump presidency.

Founded in 2017, CPI has grown substantially in recent years. Its operating budget shot up from $7.1 million in 2020 to more than $45 million the following year, tax records show.

CPI leases some of its office space to the House Freedom Caucus’ political arms — the House Freedom Fund and House Freedom Action, Federal Election Commission records show. Staffers for HFC members and other conservative legislators routinely travel to CPI’s Maryland property—where the group hosts training sessions on topics ranging from communications to congressional procedure to investigative tactics.

CPI’s offices are designed not just as venues for political strategy and advocacy, but also as places where conservatives can find—in its words—”a sense of community.”

In its 2021 annual report, the group says, “Within our historic building and adjacent properties—just a half mile from the U.S. Capitol—conservatives learn how to resist the lure of the Establishment and be effective in Washington.”

Research contact: @axios

Trump Organization receives maximum fine for New York tax fraud scheme

January 16, 2023

On Friday, January 13, the Trump Organization received the maximum fine under New York law after it was convicted last month of running a 15-year tax fraud scheme, reports Axios.

A New York judge ruled that a pair of the former president’s business entities must pay a $1.6 million penalty, the AP first divulged. The Trump Organization said it plans to appeal the ruling, per Reuters.

Last month, Trump Organization subsidiaries Trump Corp. and Trump Payroll Corp. were convicted of 17 felonies, which included criminal tax fraud, falsifying business records, and conspiracy.

  • Under New York law, the company faced up to a $1.6 million fine from the verdict.
  • Trump and his family were not charged in the case.
  • Earlier this week, former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg was sentenced to five months in jail for his role in the scheme. He was taken into custody and is expected to serve his sentence at Rikers Island in New York.
  • Weisselberg pleaded guilty in August to assisting in the scheme and admitted to 15 felonies.

Friday’s ruling could lead to additional consequences if companies that are not allowed to conduct business with felons choose to cancel their contracts with the organization, ABC News reports.

In addition, New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a civil lawsuit accusing the former president and members of his family of financial fraud and referring them to federal prosecutors and the IRS for criminal investigation.

Research contact: @axios

Biden Administration sues Arizona governor over attempt to fill in border wall

December 16, 2022

The Biden Administration sued outgoing Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R) on Wednesday, December  14, over his construction of a barrier made of double-stacked shipping containers along parts of the U.S.-Mexico border.

 According to a report by Axios, Ducey launched the effort to fill in gaps in the Trump Administration’s border wall amid a sustained surge in border crossings—and has continued the project as a final, symbolic act before he leaves office in January. Federal authorities have said, however, that the barrier is unlawful since it is erected on U.S. land.

The new lawsuit asks the court to order Arizona to stop building the barrier and remove the containers in the San Rafael Valley—citing operational and environmental concerns. Arizona “is trespassing on federal lands,” the complaint states.

“In installing shipping containers on National Forest System lands, Arizona has widened roads and cleared lands for staging areas … cut down or removed scores of trees, clogged drainages, and degraded the habitat of species listed under the Endangered Species Act.

“The shipping containers are blocking approximately 30 naturally occurring ephemeral watercourses, which will interrupt natural watershed patterns, erode soil in the immediate area, and damage vegetation and forage.”

Arizona’s installation also has “detrimentally impacted” law enforcement functions and “interfered with the Forest Service’s ability to carry out its official duties by, among other things, causing the National Forest System lands to be occupied by armed private security guards,” the suit alleges.

The Biden Administration is seeking compensation to fix any damages along the border.

Research contact: @axios

NASA hires Icon to 3D-print U.S. base on the Moon

December 1, 2022

Mankind may not physically be back on the Moon just yet, but the Moon Economy is already booming. Case in point: Axios reports that an Austin-based three-dimensional printing firm called Icon just landed a $57.2 million cash infusion from NASA for its Project Olympus, an endeavor to create 3D-printed lunar shelters.

Icon plans to have its Moon huts ready for NASA use by 2026, assuming that the Artemis mission schedule remains intact. If the Moon is, indeed, to become a human outpost, durable and lightweight lunar housing will be essential — a reality that Icon CEO Jason Ballard doesn’t seem to be taking lightly.

“We feel real weight and responsibility — we’re not just doing this for ourselves,” Ballard said, according to a report by Futurism, adding that “we’re giving humanity the capability to build on other worlds.”

He added, “The final deliverable of this contract will be humanity’s first construction on another world,” he added, “and that is going to be a pretty special achievement.”

While Icon is best-known for its work building Earthly structures, it’s been hoping to build in space for some time now. Project Olympus was first launched in 2020, and the company also appears to have its eye on one day constructing a 3D-printed Mars colony.

Rather than bring a bunch of Earthly junk to the Moon’s relatively pristine surface, Icon’s goal is to build the lunar dwellings out of actual lunar materials — Moon dust, broken rocks, and the like, says Futurism.

According to Ballard, learning to build from the Moon’s natural regolith ensures the viability of long-term human tenure on the Moon. (After all, it would inconvenient if Moon miners had to receive a payload from Earth every time they needed to build a new road.)

“If you tried to plan a lunar settlement or a moon base and you had to bring everything with you, every time you wanted to build a new thing it’s like another $100M,” Ballard told Payload. “But once you’ve got a system that can build almost anything—landing pads, roadways, habitats—and it uses local material, you are probably two or three orders of magnitude cheaper to build a permanent lunar presence than you would be in any other way that we can think of.”

Research contact: @futurism

“Amirite, bae?”: Scrabble Dictionary adds 500 new words

November 21, 2022

“Bae,” “vax,” “verbing” and “zonkey” are among some 500 new words added to the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary as of Friday, November 18, reports Axios.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has released its seventh edition of the dictionary—adding new words to the game for the first time since 2018.

Words like “adorbs,” “bae,” “hangry” and “subtweet” are common in the current culture and seem like natural additions. “Amirite?”

Some food-related additions included”queso” and “matcha.”

Words that are a bit more obscure like “zonkey,” “vaquita” and “embiggen” also have been added.

“Dumpster” is a surprising addition in that it wasn’t already allowed. Until now, the term was categorized as a trademark in the dictionary, but now it’s a playable noun.

“So much about the new words for Scrabble [is a consequence] of the way dictionaries classify words,” per a tweet from Merriam-Webster.

“For example, VERB had always been playable, but now VERB is a *verb*! Which means that VERBED and VERBING are now playable. A grammatical distinction that allows for new plays.”

Research contact: @axios

NFL launches subscription streaming service

July 26, 2022

The National Football League debuted its new subscription streaming video service on Monday, July 25—NFL+, for $4.99 a month or $39.99 annually, reports Axios.

Why it matters: The service will help the NFL reach a wider audience of younger fans who don’t watch traditional TV.

Details: For the first time in the NFL’s history, the service will make all NFL games, including local matches, widely accessible on-the-go via streaming.

But there’s a catch: In an effort to respect its live television partnership rights, the live local and primetime regular and post-season games are only available on phone and tablet.

  • Live local and national audio of every game, however, is available on the app, as well as live video coverage of all out-of-market pre-season games.
  • In addition to live games, the regular tier of the app includes NFL Network shows on demand, NFL Films archives and other content.
  • Users can also buy a premium package for $9.99 a month or $79.99 annually, which includes game replays and other features, such as access to the All-22 Coaches Film, which essentially provides video for those looking to study game plays.

Be smart: The premium version of NFL+ essentially replaces a product called NFL Game Pass in the United States. It’s meant to cater to the more intense NFL fan and will include full-game replays across all devices, including streaming television.

What they’re saying: “Today marks an important day in the history of the National Football League with the launch of NFL+,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.

The big picture: The NFL has been aggressive in its efforts to bring more of its games to streaming without cannibalizing its lucrative live TV contracts with various TV networks.  It has already brokered a deal to make Amazon the exclusive broadcaster of its Thursday night games, and it has awarded ESPN+, ESPN’s streaming service, an exclusive game to stream.

The league is expected to soon announce the winner for its last remaining multi-season rights package for Sunday Ticket. That package is widely speculated to go to a streaming service like Apple or Amazon.

Research contact: @axios

Senate Democrats warn of G.O.P. effort to restrict abortion nationwide

May 10, 2022

Democrats rang alarm bells on Sunday, May 8, about the likelihood that Republicans would try to restrict abortion nationwide, two days after an interview was published in which Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said a ban was “possible” if his party gained control in Washington, D.C., reports The New York Times.

On the Sunday talk shows and in other public statements, Democratic senators said Republicans would not stop at letting the states decide the issue, but would most likely push for federal restrictions. That made it paramount, they said, that the Democratic Party maintain control of the Senate as it tries to codify abortion rights into federal law.

“We need to make sure that every single voter understands that the Republican Party and Mitch McConnell does not believe that their daughters, that their mothers, that their sisters have rights to make fundamental life and death decisions,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We are half-citizens under this ruling. And if this is put into law, it changes the foundation of America.”

After a leaked draft decision indicated that the Supreme Court was poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that established a constitutional right to abortion, McConnell said in an interview with USA Today that a national abortion ban was “possible” if that draft document became an official opinion of the court.

“If the leaked opinion became the final opinion, legislative bodies—not only at the state level but at the federal level—certainly could legislate in that area,” McConnell said when asked if a national abortion ban was “worthy of debate.”

McConnell argued that the discussion about a federal ban was premature, but that it was clear that the Republican Party has long been opposed to abortion.

Discussions already are underway among some Republican senators about pushing to ban abortion after a certain number of weeks, ranging from six to 20, depending on the proposal.

“If and when the court makes a final decision, I expect everybody will be more definitive,” McConnell said. “But I don’t think it’s much secret where Senate Republicans stand on that issue.”

Indeed, the Times reports, a document circulated by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and obtained by Axios urged candidates to be low key about abortion, casting themselves as “compassionate consensus builders” with a post-Roe America looming as early as next month.

“States should have the flexibility to implement reasonable restrictions,” the document states.

Research contact: @nytimes