Dave Aronberg

# Dave Aronberg

## Abstract

Dave Aronberg (born May 4, 1971) is the State Attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida and a former member of the Florida Senate. He was elected to the Senate in 2002 as its youngest member and served for eight years. He is a Democrat.

Prior to serving in the Senate, Aronberg worked as a lawyer in both the public and private sectors. He was serving as the Florida Attorney General’s “Drug Czar” in 2012 when he announced his candidacy for Palm Beach County State Attorney. He was first elected to the office in November 2012 and re-elected without opposition on May 6, 2016.

## Early life and career

Aronberg was born in Miami. He is of Jewish descent. He attended North Miami Senior High School, and graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Government in 1993. He then attended Harvard Law School, where he received a Juris Doctor degree with honors in 1996.

After graduation, Aronberg worked for three years in the litigation department of the law firm, Steel Hector & Davis LLP, in Miami and West Palm Beach.

### Holocaust victims insurance relief

Aronberg took a leave of absence from the law firm for three months in 1998 to work for U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, who at the time was serving as Florida’s Insurance Commissioner. Nelson and Aronberg worked together to investigate European insurance companies that refused to honor World War II-era policies sold to victims of the Holocaust. Working with members of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the investigation led to the establishment of the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC) and the enactment of Florida's Holocaust Victims Assistance Act to ensure that insurance claims of Holocaust victims were expeditiously identified and properly paid, compensated, or returned.

### Florida Assistant Attorney General - Economic Crimes

Aronberg worked as an Assistant Attorney General in the Economic Crimes Division of the Florida Attorney General's Office on two separate occasions. In 2000, President Bill Clinton selected Aronberg to be a White House Fellow. After the Fellowship was completed in September 2001, Aronberg returned to the Economic Crimes Division.

#### Phone-scam psychic "Miss Cleo" and the Psychic Readers Network

Aronberg investigated late-night television celebrity, Youree Harris, a/k/a "Miss Cleo," and the Psychic Readers Network for deceptive marketing practices. As part of the investigation, Aronberg obtained and released to the public a copy of Harris' California birth certificate, even though she was promoted as a shaman from Jamaica. Working with Florida and other states, the Federal Trade Commission fined Psychic Readers Network $5 million and forced it to cancel $500 million in customer bills.

### White House fellowship

In 2000, Aronberg was selected to be one of 15 White House Fellows from across the country. In this non-partisan position, he served in two presidential administrations as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury Department for international money laundering, including the laundering of terrorist assets.

He was part of a U.S. delegation to an international summit on money laundering at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2001.

## Florida Senate

Aronberg was elected to the Florida Senate in 2002 as its youngest member. He served as the Chair of the Military Affairs and Domestic Security Committee, and also chaired the Everglades Restoration Committee, where he advocated for additional state and federal funds to protect and restore the “River of Grass.”

### Domestic security

As Chairman of the Florida Senate ’s Military Affairs and Domestic Security Committee, Aronberg led a rewrite of Florida's port security law to better protect Floridians from terrorist threats. Aronberg’s 2009 bill, signed into law by Florida Governor Charlie Crist at a bill signing ceremony at Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades, matched Florida security law to the federal requirements. The bill received unanimous support from labor unions and maritime businesses, leading the Associated Industries of Florida’s Maritime Council to name Aronberg as “Legislator of the Year” for his work to improve port security while expanding Florida’s global position as a leading exporter.

### Public safety and criminal justice

#### Opioid abuse

When Aronberg was elected to the Florida Senate in 2002, he followed up on his investigation of Purdue Pharma by calling attention to the growing opioid crisis. In 2010, the Florida legislature enacted legislation co-sponsored by Aronberg to regulate the pain clinic industry and to limit the dispensing of narcotics such as oxycodone.

#### Anti-looting

In 2007, he was successful in passing an anti-looting law that increased penalties for specific thefts and burglaries committed after the Governor has declared a state of emergency.

#### Gang violence

During 2007 and 2008, Aronberg pushed the Legislature to pass tough anti- gang legislation. The language in Aronberg's proposal, which was enacted into law in 2008, increased penalties for habitual offenders convicted of gang-related crimes and stiffened sanctions for witness tampering and harassment. The legislation also banned gang members from possessing bulletproof vests during the commission of a crime.

#### Sexual violence

Aronberg sponsored a bill to eliminate the statute of limitations for child victims of sexual abuse. His bill, SB 870, passed both the House and Senate unanimously and was signed into law by Governor Crist. The Florida Coalition Against Sexual Violence named Aronberg its “Legislator of Year” of 2010.

### Consumer protection and privacy rights

#### Regulating the credit counseling industry

In 2004, Aronberg sponsored Florida’s Credit Counseling Services Bill (SB 2682), which limited the fees credit counseling and debt repair companies could charge consumers.

#### Video voyeurism

In 2004, Aronberg proposed a bill to make video voyeurism a crime in Florida, which included the taking as well as the dissemination of the images.

## Florida Attorney General candidacy

In 2010, Aronberg made a bid for the office of Attorney General of Florida. Aronberg was unsuccessful in the primary.

## Special Prosecutor for Prescription Drug Trafficking ("Drug Czar")

In early 2011, based on Aronberg’s work on opioid abuse, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi reached across party lines to appoint Aronberg to be Special Prosecutor for Prescription Drug Trafficking, or "Drug Czar."

## Palm Beach County State Attorney

In January 2012, Aronberg announced his candidacy for Palm Beach County State Attorney. Aronberg won the office with 58% of the vote in the November 6, 2012 election and was re-elected without opposition on May 6, 2016.

As State Attorney, Aronberg leads a team of 120 prosecutors and 220 professional staff in five offices throughout Palm Beach County.

In 2016, Aronberg was elected as an officer of the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) and subsequently re-elected in 2017. He led an NDAA working group that published a national report to advise prosecutors and legislators of best practices in addressing the opioid epidemic. In November 2016, Aronberg traveled to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base as a representative of the NDAA to observe the prosecution of accused Al-Qaida terrorist Abdul al Hadi al Iraqi. In 2016, Florida Bar President Bill Schifino appointed Aronberg to the Florida Bar Board of Governors to represent government lawyers throughout the State. Aronberg was reappointed to two more terms by Florida Bar Presidents Michael Higer and Michelle Suskauer, respectively.

### Task forces

In early 2016, Aronberg launched a task force to protect seniors from scams.

#### Sober Homes Task Force

Aronberg’s most notable task force is his Sober Homes Task Force, which has helped to clean up the fraud and abuse in the drug recovery industry in Palm Beach County, also known as "The Florida Shuffle." Since October 2016, the Task Force has made more than 85 arrests for patient brokering and insurance fraud, and has led to new Florida laws and regulations that have become the model for other states. Aronberg's efforts also convinced Google to restrict advertisements and improve screening for addiction treatment. The crackdown in rogue sober homes and corrupted drug treatment led to an approximate 40% decrease in opioid overdose deaths in Palm Beach County in 2018, compared to 2017. Aronberg's Task Force has received national attention for its work to combat the opioid epidemic, including a feature story on Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly on June 25, 2017, and a 60 Minutes interview on September 30, 2018. After testifying twice before Congress about federal laws that unwittingly incentive drug relapse over recovery, Aronberg launched a website to urge policymakers to "fix the Florida Shuffle."

#### Human Trafficking Task Force

In 2017, Aronberg formed a Human Trafficking Task Force with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and federal officials. The Florida Attorney General appointed Aronberg to the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking to represent all state prosecutors.

### Animal welfare

Aronberg, who adopted his basset hound, Cookie, from Big Dog Ranch Rescue in 2011, personally prosecuted a felony animal cruelty case for his first trial as State Attorney.

In recognition of his efforts to fight animal cruelty, Aronberg received the national Wings Award by the Pegasus Foundation for his contributions to animal welfare.

### First-time DUI offender program

In 2013, Aronberg launched a unique first-time DUI offender program that is the only one of its kind endorsed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Since the program’s inception, thousands of defendants have entered the program and very few have committed a DUI again.

The most well-known defendant to enter Aronberg's program was golfer Tiger Woods, whose 2017 DUI case made international news.

### Corey Lewandowski case

Aronberg gained national media attention during the 2016 Presidential Election when he announced he would not move forward with a battery charge against Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump 's campaign manager. Jupiter Police had charged Lewandowski with misdemeanor battery after former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields alleged that he grabbed her after a Trump press conference on March 8 at Trump International Golf Club.

### Nouman Raja case

As State Attorney, Aronberg filed charges of manslaughter by culpable negligence and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm against Palm Beach Gardens police officer Nouman Raja for the killing of 31-year-old musician and housing inspector, Corey Jones, a black man who had been waiting for help on a highway after his car broke down. On March 7, 2019, a jury found Raja guilty as charged, making him the first officer in Florida to be convicted of an on-duty shooting in 30 years. Circuit Court Judge Joseph Marx sentenced Raja to 25 years in prison.

## Morning Joe

Aronberg has become a weekly guest on MSNBC 's Morning Joe to discuss legal issues, particularly those related to the criminal justice system.

## Personal life

In May 2015, Aronberg married Lynn Lewis, a former Miami Dolphins Cheerleader and public relations professional nearly a decade his junior, at the Don Cesar in St. Pete Beach; she is a convert to Judaism. They divorced in August 2017. Lynn is a Republican.

In May 2024, Aronberg married Sasha Kraver in a small ceremony at the Brazilian Court Hotel in Palm Beach, FL. Kraver is a luxury realtor with Douglas Elliman in Palm Beach. She is Jewish and also a vocal Israel supporter. She is a Democrat.


# Myanmar National Human Rights Commission

## Abstract

The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (Burmese: မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ အမျိုးသားလူ့အခွင့်အရေး ကော်မရှင်, abbreviated MNHRC) is the independent national human rights commission of Myanmar, consisting of 11 retired bureaucrats and academics.

Analysts have questioned the panel's will and ability to challenge the government, but the commission has challenged the President's claims that there are no political prisoners in Myanmar, calling for all political prisoners' release and amnesty. In February 2012, its chairman, Win Mra, ruled out the possibility of investigating human rights abuses in ethnic minority areas, calling it premature to investigate in conflict areas.

According to NHRC's former chairman Win Mra, the commission was formed under the Paris Principles, as an independent body, to investigate complaints of possible human rights violations.

The commission was formed on 5 September 2011 under Notification No. 34/2011 by President Thein Sein with 15 commissioners. The commission was reformed on 24 September 2014 under Notification No. 23/2014 because of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission Law with 11 commissioners. The commission's office is located in Hlaing Township, Yangon. Its formation, which is not mandated by the constitution, has been a source of controversy, especially when it requested a share of the national budget (K 547,208,000) for 2012 to 2013, as the NHRC is not a Union-level body.

Its predecessor, a human rights committee under the Ministry of Home Affairs, was formed on 26 April 2000.

## Members

The 7-member body largely consists of civilians from academia (2 retired professors), foreign affairs (3 retired ambassadors), and civil servants. While the previous iteration of the commission had several members who are from ethnic minority groups including Rakhine and Karen, its current composition has fewer ethnic minorities. Its chairman, Win Mra, is an ethnic Rakhine. commissioner, Soe Phone Myint, is an ethnic Kayin.

- Win Mra (chairman)

- Sit Myaing (Vice-chairman)

- Myint Kyi

- Yu Lwin Aung

- Nyunt Swe

- Khin Maung Lay

- Soe Phone Myint

- Sein Than

- Nyunt Tin

- Tin May Htun

The MNHRC was first formed by President decree in September 2011 and re-formed three years later in September 2014 after the first MNHRC law was enacted. The MNHRC law mandates that the rights commission be re-formed every five years. On January 14, 2020, Myanmar President Office released a statement that Myanmar National Human Rights Commission was being reorganized with 11 commissioners. This 11 commission is led by U Hla Myint, the Myanmar representative to the ASEAN intergovernmental commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and Vice chair Nanda Hmun, the retired permanent secretary of the Ministry of Religion and Culture.

- U Hla Myint (chairman)

- Nanda Hmun (Vice Chair)

- U Paw Lwin Sein (Ambassador)- Retired

- U Kyaw Soe (Director-BSI)- Retired

- Than Myint (Director General of Department of Medical Science)- Retired

- Daw Nu Nu Yin (Permanent Secretary of the office of the Attorney General)- Retired

- Tin Maung Maung Than (Head of Section of Ministry of Industry 2)- Retired

- Myint Thu Myaing (Professor/Head of Law Department of University of Yangon)

- U Tin Aung (Head of Department of office of the Commander in Chief / Brigadier General)- Retired

- Daw Tin Kyi U (Deputy Director General of the Auditor General of the Union)- Retired

- U Kyaw Myint (Deputy Director General of General administration Department)- Retired

## Controversy

In September 2016, the commission faced sustained criticism and questions regarding conduct of the commission arises when they brokered the compensation scheme to accept 5 million Kyat, approximately US$4,000, instead of pursuing legal action in the case of two girls tortured for 5 years as housemaids in Yangon. The Ava Tailor Shop owners reportedly forced the girls, currently 16 and 17 years old, to work without day-off and tortured over the course of 5 years: breaking their fingers and arms, and slicing with knife. On 22 September, MP Pyone Cho from Dawbon Township submitted an urgent proposal to take action against the commission, and the Pyithu Hluttaw accepted to discuss further. On 6 October 2016, the President's Office issued the order statement, statement number 56/2016, allowing the following committee members to withdraw from their posts: U Zaw Win, Nyan Zaw, Than Nwe and Daw Mya Mya.


CCDC47

# CCDC47

## Abstract

Coiled-coil domain 47 (CCDC47) is a gene located on human chromosome 17, specifically locus 17q23.3 which encodes for the protein PAT complex subunit CCDC47. The protein itself contains coiled-coil domains, the SEEEED superfamily, a domain of unknown function (DUF1682) and a transmembrane domain. The function of the protein is unknown, but it has been proposed that CCDC47 is involved in calcium ion homeostasis and the endoplasmic reticulum overload response.

## Gene

The CCDC47 gene itself is located on the minus strand of human chromosome 17 and contains 13 exon splice sites and 14 distinct introns. After removal of exons, the gene is 3445 base pairs in length. No evidence for micro RNA or pseudogenes has been found. The gene does not have various isoforms, only transcript variant 1X exists.

## Protein

### Structure

The protein encoded by CCDC47 is 483 amino acids in length and contains both a signal peptide and transmembrane domain. It is rich in negatively charged amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid giving it an acidic isoelectric point of 4.56. The protein is also rich in methionine. In total, it weighs 55.9 kDal which is conserved through various orthologs. CCDC47 also contains the SEEEED superfamily and domain of unknown function 1682 (DUF1682). The SEEEED superfamily is a short, low complexity region which is composed mainly of serine. The family routinely lies on the clathrin adaptor complex 3 beta-1 subunit proteins. The exact function of DUF 1682 is unclear but one member of the family has been described as an adipocyte-specific protein.

There are two predicted disulfide bonds in the structure of CCDC47 at cysteines 209 to 214 and cysteines 215 to 283, respectively. The C-terminal portion of the protein is highly charged and its secondary structure is predicted to be that of an alpha helix region. This region also contains coiled coil domains which are structural motifs in which 2-7 alpha helices are coiled together and are subsequently involved in biological expression. These domains typically follow the pattern HxxHCxC where H is a hydrophobic amino acid, C is a charged amino acid and x is any amino acid. Many amino acid sequences following this pattern are seen in the C-terminal region of CCDC47 where the highest conservation through orthologs is represented.

### Regulation and translation

CCDC47 is regulated by the promoter GXP43413. The promoter is 819 base pairs in length and is highly conserved in mammals. Conserved binding sites in mammals which are located on this promoter include nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), PAR bZIP family and Sp4 Transcription Factor. NRF1 encodes a protein which homodimerizes and activates expression of key metabolic genes. CREB binds to cAMP response elements thereby increasing or decreasing the transcription of downstream genes while PAR bZIP family is involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms. In regards to the mRNA, translation begins at base pair 337 and ends at 1728. There is a strong stem loop located in the 5' UTR from bases 289-318 which likely is involved in regulation of the mRNA due to its close proximity to the start codon.

### Cellular distribution

The final protein is thought to be translated from the endoplasmic reticulum into the cytoplasm of the cell. The protein is anchored in the membrane of the ER at the transmembrane domain located from amino acid 137 to 165. The portion of the protein which extends into the cytosol is predicted to be highly phosphorylated as the protein's phosphorylation sites are conserved into the bony fish orthologs. Research has shown that CCDC47 is expressed in the response to an ER overload making this close proximity to the ER important.

### Post translational modification

In addition to the high levels of phosphorylation seen in CCDC47, three sulfation sites are predicted and conserved in mammals, reptiles and birds but not in fish, amphibians or invertebrates. Five potential sumoylation sites are also seen and conserved back to the bony fish. There is no glycosylation of the protein as it is not predicted to extend into the extracellular space.

## Expression

Microarray tissue expression patterns from GEO were analyzed and showed that CCDC47 appears to be an ubiquitously expressed at moderate levels in many different human tissues. Although the protein is ubiquitously expressed, the highest levels of expression are seen in neuronal tissues such as the superior cervical ganglion, brain amygdala and ciliary ganglion. Elevated expression is also seen in the thyroid and CD34 cells.

## Homology

CCDC47 has no known paralogs through text based queries, BLAST and BLAT. The gene has many orthologs extending back to invertebrates such as C. elegans and is highly conserved in mammals with a percent identity greater than 95%. CCDC47 has been sequenced in a wide taxonomy of organisms including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, bony fish and invertebrates. Percent identity of human CCDC47 to a specific ortholog declines with increasing years of divergence, as expected. Homologous genes of CCDC47 are also present in mosquitos, mushrooms, arabidopsis and Asian rice. These homologs contain the same DUF1682 which is found in CCDC47.


Watercress

# Watercress

## Abstract

Watercress or yellowcress (Nasturtium officinale) is a species of aquatic flowering plant in the cabbage family, Brassicaceae.

Watercress is a rapidly growing perennial plant native to Europe and Asia. It is one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by humans. Watercress and many of its relatives, such as garden cress, mustard, radish, and wasabi, are noteworthy for their piquant flavors.

The hollow stems of watercress float in water. The leaf structure is pinnately compound. Small, white, and green inflorescences are produced in clusters and are frequently visited by insects, especially hoverflies, such as Eristalis flies.

## Taxonomy

Watercress is listed in some sources as belonging to the genus Rorippa, although molecular evidence shows those aquatic species with hollow stems are more closely related to Cardamine than Rorippa. Despite the Latin name, watercress is not particularly closely related to the flowers popularly known as nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus). T. majus belongs to the family Tropaeolaceae, a sister taxon to the Brassicaceae within the order Brassicales.

## Distribution

In some regions, watercress is regarded as a weed, in other regions as an aquatic vegetable or herb. Watercress has grown in many temperate locations worldwide.

### British Isles

Clear fast-flowing chalk streams are the primary natural habitat for wild watercress in the British Isles. Many settlements in England were named from Old English êacerse (êa..cerse) " water−cress ".

In the United Kingdom, watercress was first commercially cultivated in 1808 by the horticulturist William Bradbery along the River Ebbsfleet in Kent. Historically important areas of cultivation also included Hampshire, Stamford, Lincolnshire, and St Albans, Hertfordshire.

Watercress is now grown in several counties of the United Kingdom, most notably Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Hertfordshire. The town of Alresford, near Winchester, is considered to be the nation's watercress capital.

## Uses

Watercress leaves, stems, and fruit can be eaten raw. Cultivated watercress has the advantage of being free of the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica.

### Tradition

Ancient Romans thought eating it would cure mental illness. Twelfth-century mystic Hildegard of Bingen thought eating it steamed and drinking the water would cure jaundice or fever. Watercress was eaten by Native Americans. Some Native Americans used it to treat kidney illnesses and constipation, and it was thought by some to be an aphrodisiac. Early African Americans used the plant as an abortifacient; it was believed to cause sterility as well.

### Nutrition

The new tips of watercress leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, although caution should be used when collecting these in the wild because of parasites such as giardia. Watercress is 95% water and has low contents of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and dietary fiber. A 100-gram serving of raw watercress provides 46 kilojoules (11 kilocalories), is particularly rich in vitamin K (238% of the Daily Value, DV), and contains significant amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin B, calcium, and manganese (table).

#### Phytochemicals and cooking

As a cruciferous vegetable, watercress contains isothiocyanates that are partly destroyed by boiling, while the bioavailability of its carotenoids is slightly increased by cooking. Steaming or microwave cooking retains these phytochemicals a bit better than boiling.

### Cultivation

Watercress cultivation is practical on both a large scale and a garden scale. Being semi-aquatic, watercress is well-suited to hydroponic cultivation, thriving best in water that is slightly alkaline. It is frequently produced around the headwaters of chalk streams. In many local markets, the demand for hydroponically grown watercress exceeds supply, partly because cress leaves are unsuitable for distribution in dried form and can only be stored fresh for about 2–3 days.

Also sold as sprouts, the edible shoots are harvested days after germination. If unharvested, watercress can grow to a height of 50 to 120 centimetres (1 ft 8 in to 3 ft 11 in).

### Concerns

Watercress crops grown in the presence of manure can be an environment for parasites such as the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica.

When introduced into non-native environments watercress can have negative impacts on native species. With the introduction of watercress, the organic matter in the sediment increases which in turn attracts predatory macroinvertebrates that feed on other plants in the environment.

By inhibiting the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2E1, compounds in watercress may alter drug metabolism in individuals on certain medications such as chlorzoxazone.

Due to its fast-growing nature and invasive species status, Nasturtium officinale is prohibited in Illinois.


SEPTA Metro

# SEPTA Metro

## Abstract

SEPTA Metro is an urban rail transit network in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The network includes two rapid transit lines, a light metro line, a surface-running trolley line, and a subway–surface trolley line, totaling 78 miles (126 km) of rail service.

Although some of Philadelphia's transit lines date to the 19th century and the SEPTA agency began operations in 1965, the transit network itself had no formal name until 2024, when it was named "SEPTA Metro" as part of an effort to make the system easier to navigate. The effort is also replacing each line's name with a single letter, plus a number to denote various service patterns. After a two-year transition that will replace signage throughout the system, the Market–Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, subway–surface trolley lines, the Route 15 trolley, Media–Sharon Hill Line, and Norristown High Speed Line will be referred to as the L, B, T, G, D, and M, respectively.

## History

In September 2021, SEPTA officials proposed to rebrand its rail transit services to make the system easier to navigate. The lines included the Market–Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, subway–surface trolley lines, Norristown High Speed Line, Route 15 trolley, and Routes 101 and 102 trolleys.

Under this proposal, new maps, station signage, and line designations would be created. Under the proposed nomenclature, trunk lines would receive a letter and a color, with services having a numeric suffix and service name, to make wayfinding easier. Services on the current Market–Frankford Line, for instance, would be called the "L Lines" and colored blue, with local service becoming the "L1 Market–Frankford Local".

Services along the current Broad Street Line would become the "B Lines" and colored orange, with local service becoming the "B1 Broad Street Local". The express service would become the "B2 Broad Street Express", the special service would become the "B2 Express Sports Special", and spur service would become the "B3 Broad–Ridge Express". Services along the current subway–surface, Norristown High-Speed Line, Route 15 trolley, and Routes 101 and 102 suburban trolley trunk would become the "T Lines", "M Lines", "G Lines", and "D Lines" respectively. SEPTA budgeted $40 million to June 2023 for the rebranding.

In March 2022, SEPTA revised the SEPTA Metro proposal based on community feedback collected during September and October 2021. Under the amended proposal, each lettered service will be known as "Line" rather than "Lines". Special service along the Broad Street Line would become part of the "B2 Broad Street Express", with service being differentiated by their end terminals. Real-time information will be presented at stations on screens. Stations with shared names would be renamed to avoid confusion. SEPTA upgraded its website in late 2023, before the planned rollout of SEPTA Metro in 2024.

The first updated signs were installed at Drexel Station at 30th Street in February 2024.


Old Rip Van Winkle

# Old Rip Van Winkle

## Abstract

Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon Whiskey is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey produced by the Sazerac Company at its Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. It is sold in 750ml glass bottles. The primary brand expression is aged 10 years.

It is sometimes confused with its sister brand, Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve, and misleadingly so, as "Pappy" is much more expensive.

The arrangement for production of Old Rip Van Winkle at the Buffalo Trace Distillery was the result of a joint venture arrangement with the Van Winkle family that was established in June 2002.


Marcus Armstrong

# Marcus Armstrong

## Abstract

Marcus John Armstrong (born 29 July 2000) is a New Zealand motor racing driver currently competing in the IndyCar series, driving the No. 11 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing. He competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship between 2020 and 2022, and was the 2019 Formula 3 runner-up. He was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy between 2017 and 2021.

Armstrong started single-seaters in 2014, and in the following year won his only single-seater title to date in the 2017 Italian F4 Championship whilst becoming runner-up in the 2017 ADAC Formula 4 Championship. He stepped to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in 2018, ending 5th. The championship merged into the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2019, and Armstrong became runner-up to teammate Robert Shwartzman. He was promoted to the 2020 Formula 2 Championship with ART Grand Prix but a difficult season saw him finish 13th. He also finished in the same position in the following year with DAMS, and came 13th again in the 2022 Formula 2 Championship with Hitech Grand Prix before making the switch to IndyCar.

## Junior racing career

Born in Christchurch, Armstrong began karting in 2010, winning all his major titles in New Zealand from 2011 to 2014. He did not achieve much in international competitions, placing a highest of 12th during the Karting World Championship in the KF2 category in 2015. While still karting, Armstrong graduated to single seaters in 2014 in the 2014–15 season of New Zealand Formula Ford Championship, ending seventh in the standings. In an article by Motorsport.com, Armstrong was ranked third of the most exciting karting talents of 2016.

### Lower formulae

#### 2016

In November 2015, Armstrong tested a Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 car in 2015 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 post-season test. In 2016, Armstrong once again diversified his karting with stints in BRDC British Formula 3 and the two Formula Renault 2.0 series. In the latter series, he competed as a guest driver during the final round at Estoril, and finished ninth and tenth.

#### 2017 Toyota Racing Series

In November 2016, Armstrong was among five drivers invited to join the Ferrari Driver Academy and was confirmed as a member the following month. That same month, he was confirmed to race in the 2017 Toyota Racing Series with M2 Competition. Armstrong won the season opener on his debut, but retired in the third race due to a collision. His next would come at the third round in Hampton during the first race, but again failed to finish the third race after touching with Richard Verschoor. A further win and two second places in the final round saw Armstrong managed fourth in the championship.

#### Italian Formula 4

In February 2017, it was announced Armstrong would race in both the ADAC F4 and Italian F4 championships with Prema Powerteam. Armstrong had a relatively slow start to the season, scoring three third-places and two non-scoring finishes across the opening two rounds. The next round at Vallelunga saw Armstrong claim his maiden win of the year From then, Armstrong's form had been stellar, winning three more times including appearing on the podium at all races during the second Mugello round. In the Monza season finale, Armstrong finished second in the first race, which was enough to claim the title with two races to spare.

#### ADAC Formula 4

Armstrong partook in all races, as the races did not clash with his Italian F4 campaign. Armstrong had two non-scoring finishes in the first two rounds. However, he bounced back and took his first ADAC F4 win at the Red Bull Ring and two more podium finishes there. His podium streak continued towards Oscbersleben, scoring another win and a second place. Another win at the Nürburgring hauled him into championship contention, but eventually lost out to eventual champion and future F2 teammate Jüri Vips by a mere 4.5 points, and Armstrong settled as vice-champion.

### FIA Formula 3 Championship

#### 2018

For 2018, Armstrong returned to the Toyota Racing Series with M2 Competition. Armstrong started his season in perfect fashion, taking third in the first race and winning the other two, though those wins would be the only one of the season. Armstrong continued his podium streak in Teretonga and Hampton, which increased his lead to 41 points. However, he only yielded one podium in the next five races, bringing the gap down to ten points over second-placed Robert Shwartzman and 23 points to Richard Verschoor. With four laps to go after a safety car restart, Armstrong had a mechanical failure whilst leading, and dropped to seventh at the flag. This was meant that Shwartzman and Verschoor dropped Armstrong to third in the championship, the former winning the championship. Overall, Armstrong lost the title by 15 points.

Armstrong continued his collaboration with Prema, graduating to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, alongside fellow Ferrari juniors Robert Shwartzman and Guanyu Zhou. He scored a podium in just his second race at Pau, and a second place during the second round at the Hungaroring. His first win came at the Norisring and also capitalised by claiming two more podiums during the round, which saw him take the lead of the standings. He continued his championship lead for the next two rounds, which yielded two podiums. In Silverstone, Armstrong struggled with tyre wear and lost the lead of the standings to Dan Ticktum. At Misano, Armstrong scored a second place in the first race, but did not score in the other two which included a retirement in the third race from pole due to being hit from behind. Armstrong earned his ninth and last podium at the Red Bull Ring, but a triple retirement in the final round at the Hockenheimring saw him drop from 3rd to 5th in the standings, scoring 260 points.

At the season ending Macau Grand Prix, Armstrong finished eighth on his Macau debut having finished in the same position during the qualification race.

#### 2019

In 2019 before his main campaign, Armstrong returned to the 2019 Toyota Racing Series with M2 Competition. He started the season by taking podiums in all three races, He would take his first win at the only race at Teretonga. He took two wins in four races at Hampton Downs, which saw him take the lead of the championship from fellow Kiwi Liam Lawson. Armstrong had a suspension issue during the fourth round at Taupo, yet still won the final race during the round but lost the championship lead heading into the final round by five points to Lawson. In the first race during the final round, Armstrong beat Lawson in the first race, but ended the other two behind him. This meant that Lawson was the champion by ten points, and Armstrong ended the series as runner-up with 346 points and five wins.

Armstrong reunited with Prema Racing to contest the inaugural FIA Formula 3 Championship, partnering 2018 teammate Robert Shwartzman and Jehan Daruvala. In April 2019, Armstrong joined Nicolas Todt 's All Road Management scheme. In the first round in Barcelona, Armstrong qualified third. He finished in the same position having tried to challenge Shwartzman on the opening lap. In Race 2, Armstrong made a strong start to take fourth on the opening lap, and later passed Max Fewtrell for third. However, Armstrong would fall to fifth place at the end of the race. Armstrong qualified fifth in Paul Ricard, and had a strong Race 1 up till lap 16, where Armstrong collided and spun with Jake Hughes whilst fighting for second place. Hughes was out on the spot, but Armstrong managed to continue and finish sixth. Armstrong had bad luck in Race 2, where he stalled from starting third, but made a brilliant charge to take sixth place in the end.

At the Red Bull Ring, Armstrong topped practice and later took his first pole position of the year. He lost the lead to Renault junior Max Fewtrell and re-took it back later. However, him and Jüri Vips passed him which dropped Armstrong to third, and defended from teammate Daruvala to cling onto third and another podium. He later stated that "it was a lot more difficult to overtake than expected". From sixth in Race 2, Armstrong quickly moved up into second behind Shwartzman and kept him honest for most of the race. On the final lap, Armstrong overtook Shwartzman however the Russian clipped Armstrong which punctured the New Zealander's rear tyre and fell to 19th. In Silverstone, Armstrong qualified on the front row in second, but dropped two places at the start. He re-passed Renault junior Christian Lundgaard and pressured Daruvala for second place, but ultimately settled for third. In Race 2, Armstrong sat in seventh for most of the race until Daruvala and Pedro Piquet collided on the penultimate lap, and also overtook Lundgaard to snatch fourth. At the Hungaroring, Armstrong qualified lower down in 13th. He was unable to progress through the field easily, during the first race and managed to take eighth place and claim reverse pole for Race 2. He defended from Leonardo Pulcini at the start, but managed to take his first victory of the season, in a lights-to-flag manner. Heading into the summer break and the final three rounds of the season, Armstrong sat fourth in the standings with 98 points, 36 off leader Shwartzman.

Armstrong had his worst qualifying of the year in Spa-Francorchamps, securing only 19th. In Race 1, Armstrong was up to 11th by lap 6, and cruised to eighth position to once again take reverse pole for the next race. He once again took victory by winning Race 2 over Yuki Tsunoda, and he dedicated his win to Anthoine Hubert, who died in a crash the night before. In Monza, Armstrong qualified second, but was demoted to start seventh for driving unnecessarily slowly. In Race 1, Armstrong bolted to second at the end of the opening lap when Lundgaard and Lirim Zendeli, before taking the lead on lap 4 from Richard Verschoor. However ten laps later, he would succumb the lead to Shwartzman and Armstrong would finish in second place. Unfortunately, he was penalised twenty seconds for exceeding the minimum delta time during the race's first safety car period and dropped to 21st. A small collision with David Beckmann saw Armstrong drop back, but recovered to 14th and end the weekend without points. Topping practice at the final round in Sochi, Armstrong went on to qualify third. In Race 1, he moved into the lead into the first corner, but lost the lead to Niko Kari on lap 9 and two further positions a lap later. Despite that, he would re-pass Pulcini and Kari back before overtaking Shwartzman on the final lap to claim the win while Shwartzman clinched the title. In Race 2, Armstrong moved up to third on lap 5 when Pulcini and Hughes collided. He passed Piquet on lap 17 to take second in the final race of the year. His result meant he became vice-champion and overhauled Daruvala's tally by one point. Overall, Armstrong scored 158 points whilst claiming three victories, seven podiums, three poles (two reverse), and four fastest laps.

Armstrong returned to participate in the 2019 Macau Grand Prix. finishing eighth in the overall race having started seventeenth on the grid. Armstrong finished 17th in the qualification race, but recovered and claimed eighth place.

Armstrong was ranked seventh in Motorsport.com 's article of top 20 junior single-seater drivers in 2019.

### FIA Formula 2 Championship

#### 2020

On 28 November 2019, it was announced Armstrong would graduate to the FIA Formula 2 Championship with ART Grand Prix to partner F3 rival and Renault Sport Academy member Christian Lundgaard. Before his debut F2 season, he stated that he " massively privileged" and "really confident". In the delayed start of the season, he qualified 13th in the Austrian opening round. He pitted very early on lap 8 during the feature race and his gamble would pay off, as he ran in fourth place once all drivers had pitted. When Guanyu Zhou and Mick Schumacher ahead encountered problems of their own, Armstrong capitalised on the opportunity and rushed to second placed podium on his debut. During the sprint race, he made a lightning start, picking up four places on the opening lap to move into third. He nearly overtook Louis Delétraz on lap 7, but suffered a mechanical issue on lap 14 and was forced to retire from the race. During the second Austrian round, he qualified 12th. He made progress in the feature race and made his way to seventh place. Starting second in the sprint race, he was passed by Lundgaard at the start and later by Schumacher on lap 12. But just two laps later, Schumacher had a problem with his fire extinguisher and Armstrong re-took third place and claimed his second and last podium of the season.

Following that however, Armstrong went pointless for the next six rounds. It started in Hungary, where he qualified in the top ten for the first time that year. He lost three places in the feature race, and his race worsened as he tried to avoid the slowing Lundgaard and tagged Artem Markelov, sending the Russian into the barriers. Armstrong suffered damage and peeled into the pits to retire. He made a rocket start in the sprint race, he was up to 14th by the first lap. Armstrong overtook more of his rivals and narrowly missed out on points, in ninth as he lost the final points-paying position to Zhou on the last lap. The next five rounds yielded little for Armstrong, and he would get mediocre results. During the ninth round in Mugello, until the feature race in Mugello, Armstrong qualified fourth his joint-best qualifying of the year. He made a decent start, passing Callum Ilott at the start, but was overtaken by Luca Ghiotto seconds later. Armstrong ran in sixth place before the safety car periods, which he avoided the chaos following the first restart. He managed to take his first points since Austria in ninth place. and fell out of the top ten in the standings. In the sprint race, Armstrong made a great start to seventh, but was overtaken by many rivals and eventually finished 11th.

In Russia, Armstrong started 14th and took another points finish, claiming ninth in the feature race. In the red-flagged sprint, he lost four positions whilst running tenth after making a careless error and running wide, which left him to finish 14th. He qualified fourth again in Bahrain. He moved past Ticktum at the start, and later passed Ilott for second despite being on the harder tyres. However, he would soon be behind Schumacher, and fell back to third. Following the pit stops, he lost positions to his rivals and eventually secured seventh. Starting second in the sprint race, he would be overtaken by Nikita Mazepin midway through the race, then later overtaken by both Charouz drivers. However, when Pedro Piquet had a mechanical issue, Armstrong went to finish fourth. He ended his season by finishing 11th and 14th in the final race. Overall, Armstrong ended 13th in the standings with 52 points compared to teammate Lundgaard's 149, his worst ever placing in a full-time series. He scored two podiums and five more points finishes.

#### 2021

For the 2021 season, Armstrong moved to DAMS to partner Roy Nissany. Having topped the final day of pre-season testing, while saying that "the intensity is really high". He qualified in 13th, and his sprint race 1 was relatively short as he suffered a power loss after just completing two laps. In Sprint Race 2, he had another unfortunate race. He impressively made his way up to sixth place by lap 13 but two laps later, the safety car was deployed due to a collision. He stayed out, and dispatched Bent Viscaal for second place during the restart. However, rivals on fresher tyres passed him and he eventually finished in tenth. In the feature race, Armstrong had a good beginning half of the race, as he was up to fourth by lap 8. He made a timely pit stop under the safety car and led the field. However, during the restart he dropped two places to Oscar Piastri and Richard Verschoor. He lost a few more places and capped off the race in fifth place. In Monaco, he qualified 14th and made up two places at the start of the first sprint. He inherited a place following Christian Lundgaard 's retirement. On the final lap, he made a divebomb on Jehan Daruvala into the penultimate corner, sending him up to tenth and giving him reverse pole for the second sprint. Unfortunately, Armstrong was forced to start from the pit lane due to a car problem. Further issues continued and he dropped out of the race on lap 3. In the feature race, whilst running tenth, he collided with Jüri Vips, the Estonian driver shoving him into the wall and capping off a miserable weekend for Armstrong.

In Baku, he qualified sixth and would start fifth in sprint race 1. He made up a position at the start on Ralph Boschung but was back in fifth after being overtaken by Dan Ticktum. He lost two positions on the penultimate lap to end seventh, and was nearly passed by Vips on the line. In the second sprint, Armstrong battled Bent Viscaal on lap 8 following a safety car restart, but misjudged his braking point due to cold tyres and slammed into the wall, ending his race. His feature race barely lasted half a lap, as he was sent into the wall due to being hit by Théo Pourchaire, which was ultimately caused by Ticktum. By that point, Armstrong had only 12 points to his name, and trailed teammate Nissany in the standings. In Silverstone, he again qualified 14th and made a storming start in the first sprint race, moving up to ninth and remaining there for the entire race. Starting second in the second sprint race, Armstrong could not find a way past eventual race winner Richard Verschoor throughout the 21-lap race but managed to claim his first F2 podium in slightly more than a year. He had an uneventful feature race, he finished 12th.

In Monza, he qualified 17th and had poor performances in the sprint races, he ended 11th and 15th in sprint 1 and sprint 2 respectively. In the feature race, he started on the hard tyres and it would pay off as he managed to overtake some rivals following a safety car restart to finish tenth, though he was later promoted to ninth due to Verschoor's disqualification. In Russia where the second sprint was cancelled, Armstrong qualified 11th, and finished both races in the same position.

The inaugural race in Jeddah, saw the New Zealander qualify ninth, giving him second for the first sprint race. He managed to overtake fellow Kiwi Liam Lawson into the first corner. Despite Lawson pressuring him on the final lap, Armstrong held on and won his first Formula 2 race. On his win, Armstrong stated that the win was "a reward for the work done by DAMS team during a difficult 2021 season". In the second sprint race however, his fortunes were reversed as he was hit from behind by Clément Novalak. In a shortened feature race, he secured points in eighth place. In Yas Marina, Armstrong finished sprint race 1 in tenth having started 11th, giving him reverse pole for the second time that year. He would be on course for his third podium of the season in the second sprint race, but had to retire due to an engine failure whilst leading the race. In the feature race, he went on the alternate strategy and overtook his rivals, which rewarded him with seventh in the end, despite attacking Ticktum in the dying minutes of the race. Armstrong once again ended his F2 campaign in 13th with 49 points, two podiums, five other points finishes while also beating teammate Nissany. Talking about the season in general, Armstrong admitted that “at times last year I felt like I was a bit blind," and that he didn't have the data to push for better results.

#### 2022

Having driven in the post-season test with them, Armstrong signed a deal to for Hitech Grand Prix during the 2022 season, partnering Jüri Vips. Shortly before the season, Armstrong commented that he "not going to give up" F1 seat and " not want to leave anything off the table in 2022".

For the opening Bahrain round, Armstrong qualified 13th and made up positions until his race was cut short on lap 3 when Jake Hughes thumped him at the back, sending Armstrong into a stall. He had a much better feature race, starting on the softs saw the Kiwi up to third by lap 11. A late safety car saw him jump Felipe Drugovich and cross the line in fifth place. In Jeddah, he qualified fourth, but was given his first ever top-3 start after Jack Doohan was disqualified. In the sprint race, Armstrong was engrossed in a tight battle with Vips but the Estonian driver won out. With just three laps to go, Armstrong again retired as he spun, with his engine unable to get going. In the feature race, he was passed by Liam Lawson at the end of the opening lap, before regaining it as Lawson had a problem in the pits. However, Armstrong would end in fifth place as he was overtaken by Jehan Daruvala and Hughes towards the end.

In Imola, he qualified ninth, giving him a second place start for the sprint race. He made a decent start to jump Logan Sargeant off the line, and never looked back to take his first win of the year and second overall ahead of both Prema cars, despite having no radio for the entire race. In the feature race, he finished in 16th after an early safety car ruined his alternate strategy. The Barcelona round saw him end tenth after starting 13th in the sprint race. Again on the alternate strategy in the feature race, Armstrong would exit the pits in tenth, but fought back and claim seventh, passing Théo Pourchaire on the last lap.

Armstrong qualified seventh in Monaco. Starting fourth in the sprint race, he was immediately in third when Hughes stalled. He would remain in the position for the remainder of the race and claim another podium. His feature race was uneventful, he ended seventh, giving his first double points finish in an F2 event and climbed to fourth in the standings. In Baku, he qualified fourth. In the sprint race, he avoided all the chaos and broke through with a P4 finish. In the feature race, Armstrong passed Dennis Hauger at the start then later on Lawson during the lap 5 safety car restart. Another safety car restart on lap 15 saw the Kiwi lock up and nosed into the back of teammate Vips on the restart, and was forced to pit due to damage. Armstrong would eventually finish the race in 12th place, in a race which would have been so much more for the Kiwi driver.

In Silverstone, he started 12th and made up positions to claim ninth, narrowly missing points. In the feature race, he did manage points however, finishing eighth after having a good start that saw him P9 at the end of the first lap. During the Red Bull Ring round, he qualified tenth, giving him reverse pole for the sprint race. He proceeded to dominate the sprint race, leading every lap to claim victory. In the feature race on a drying track, some of his rivals opted to start on wets while the Kiwi was the leading driver on slicks. At Turn 3, Armstrong ran wide to avoid Richard Verschoor but was hit by another rival, and came to a halt moments later.

In France, he qualified eighth. Lining up third for the sprint race, he jumped Lawson at the start but he was back down in third on lap 4. On lap 19, Armstrong made an unsuccessful overtake and collided with Daruvala which opened the door for Pourchaire, and the Frenchman forced him wide which dropped Armstrong to sixth. He was again forced off by Vips and he eventually finished in ninth, before being dropped to 14th for colliding with Daruvala. Once again in the feature race, his race finished on lap 1 as he was sent into a spin by David Beckmann, before being collected by Hauger. In Budapest, he took his first front row start in F2 by qualifying P2. Ending the sprint race in seventh, despite contact with Daruvala. In the feature race, he stormed into the lead passing polesitter Ayumu Iwasa before Turn 1. However, a slow pit stop saw him passed by Pourchaire and Iwasa towards the end. He would also be jumped by Enzo Fittipaldi. Drivers behind passed him on fresher tyres, and Armstrong had to settle with sixth place in the end.

In Spa-Francorchamps, he qualified 12th and made a brilliant start in the sprint race, passing five cars to take seventh place on the opening lap, and would finish in that position. In the feature race, he ended down in 13th after a penalty was given to him for forcing another driver off track. Zandvoort went better for him, he qualified ninth and started second for the sprint race. He was able to jump polesitter Clément Novalak and lead every remaining lap to claim his third win of the season. In the feature race, he made contact early on with Novalak while fighting over seventh but both came out unscathed. On the alternate strategy it was ruined when Marino Sato brought out the safety car, and Armstrong was not allowed to pit under safety car conditions. He pitted shortly after the safety car withdrew and he finished 14th.

In Monza, he qualified third. Armstrong initially finished sixth in the sprint race, but was given a five-second time penalty for gaining an advantage off-track. He was up to second before the pit stops and pitted during the lap 8 safety car but entered beyond the pit lane entry bollard which earned a ten-second stop and go penalty, and was added by another of the same penalty for speeding in the pit lane. He eventually finished in 12th. Armstrong had an uneventful Abu Dhabi weekend, he quietly achieved points in the feature race with ninth place. Once again, Armstrong ended 13th in the standings, with 93 points.

### Macau Grand Prix (2023)

In November 2023, Armstrong returned to Formula 3 to the Macau Grand Prix with MP Motorsport. Ahead of the event, the Kiwi mentioned he had "unfinished business". He finished the main race in 18th place, behind both teammates Dennis Hauger and Mari Boya.

## Formula One

At the start of 2017 Armstrong became a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy. He made his F1 test debut in January at the Fiorano, driving the 2018 Ferrari SF71H, stating that "the car was not too difficult to drive". He tested the same car at Fiorano in April, completing more than 200 km. Following his 2021 season, he and Ferrari parted ways. Speaking about his departure, the Kiwi said that " knew was a dead end".

## IndyCar

In October 2022, Armstrong tested an IndyCar car for the first time with Dale Coyne Racing at the Sebring International Raceway. Following the test, team boss Dale Coyne said that "he was a very good candidate" for Dale Coyne Racing, as the American-based team was intending to expand to three entries for the 2023 IndyCar Series.

### Chip Ganassi Racing (2023–present)

#### 2023 season

On 2 December 2022, it was announced that Chip Ganassi Racing signed Armstrong to drive the No. 11 entry (formerly the No. 48) on the road courses and street circuits in 2023. Despite entering the season as a rookie, he stated that he needed to "get on it straightaway", to experienced teammates Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson and Álex Palou. Armstrong finished his debut in St. Petersburg in a respectable 11th place, only three places behind his nearby teammate. In just his second race at Long Beach, Armstrong finished in eighth. From the sixth to ninth race, Armstrong would place in the top 10 bar one, achieving a high of seventh place at the 2023 Honda Indy Toronto which was his best finish of the year. He would only finish in the top 10 just once in the next four races he participated, finishing eighth during the Laguna Seca finale despite many collisions with other drivers. Overall, Armstrong ended the season 20th overall with 214 points, and was the Rookie Of The Year despite missing many races, which he described "a great bonus".

He then partook in his first oval test just after the season finale. Armstrong then completed the Indy Rookie Orientation Programme in October within 57 laps, paving the way for him to compete in the Indy 500 the following year.

#### 2024 season

Armstrong extended his contract with Chip Ganassi Racing, becoming a full-time driver for the 2024 season. He picked up his first IndyCar podium with a third place finish at Detroit. In the 2024 Honda Indy Toronto race, he finished at the 5th place.

## FIA World Endurance Championship

In November 2022, Armstrong tested an endurance racing car for the first time, testing the LMP2 Alpine car at the Bahrain International Circuit.

## Personal life

Armstrong hosts a motorsport and food related podcast titled Screaming Meals with motorsport insurance salesman James Harvey Blair, Formula 2 driver Clément Novalak, and IndyCar driver Callum Ilott. Growing up Armstrong was a fan of 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen.

## Karting record

## Racing record

### Racing career summary

As Armstrong was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points. * Season still in progress.

### Complete Toyota Finance 86 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

### Complete Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

As Armstrong was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.

### Complete Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

### Complete Toyota Racing Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

### Complete Italian F4 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

### Complete ADAC Formula 4 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

### Complete FIA Formula 3 European Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

### Complete FIA Formula 3 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate points for the fastest lap of top ten finishers)

### Complete FIA Formula 2 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate points for the fastest lap of top ten finishers)

Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed.

### American open-wheel racing results

#### IndyCar Series

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)


Soil health

# Soil health

## Abstract

Soil health is a state of a soil meeting its range of ecosystem functions as appropriate to its environment. In more colloquial terms, the health of soil arises from favorable interactions of all soil components (living and non-living) that belong together, as in microbiota, plants and animals. It is possible that a soil can be healthy in terms of ecosystem functioning but not necessarily serve crop production or human nutrition directly, hence the scientific debate on terms and measurements.

Soil health testing is pursued as an assessment of this status but tends to be confined largely to agronomic objectives. Soil health depends on soil biodiversity (with a robust soil biota), and it can be improved via soil management, especially by care to keep protective living covers on the soil and by natural (carbon-containing) soil amendments. Inorganic fertilizers do not necessarily damage soil health if they are not used in excess, and if they bring about a general improvement of overall plant growth which contributes more carbon-containing residues to the soil.

## Aspects

The term soil health is used to describe the state of a soil in:

- Sustaining plant and animal productivity (agronomic focus);

- Enhancing biodiversity (Soil biodiversity) (ecological focus);

- Maintaining or enhancing water and air quality (environmental/climate focus);

- Supporting human health and habitation.

- sequestering carbon

The phrase "soil health" has largely replaced the older "soil quality". The primary difference between the two expressions is that soil quality was focused on individual traits within a functional group, as in "quality of soil for maize production" or "quality of soil for roadbed preparation" and so on. The addition of the word "health" shifted the perception to be integrative, holistic and systematic. The two expressions still overlap considerably. Soil health as an expression derives from organic or "biological farming" movements in Europe, however, well before soil quality was first applied as a discipline around 1990. In 1978, Swiss soil biologist Dr Otto Buess wrote an essay "The Health of Soil and Plants" which largely defines the field even today.

The underlying principle in the use of the term "soil health" is that soil is not just an inert, lifeless growing medium, which modern intensive farming tends to represent, rather it is a living, dynamic and ever-so-subtly changing whole environment. It turns out that soils highly fertile from the point of view of crop productivity are also lively from a biological point of view. It is now commonly recognized that soil microbial biomass is large: in temperate grassland soil the bacterial and fungal biomass have been documented to be 1– 2 t (2.0 long tons; 2.2 short tons) / hectare and 2– 5 t (4.9 long tons; 5.5 short tons) /ha, respectively. Some microbiologists now believe that 80% of soil nutrient functions are essentially controlled by microbes.

Using the human health analogy, a healthy soil can be categorized as one:

- In a state of composite well-being in terms of biological, chemical and physical properties;

- Not diseased or infirmed (i.e. not degraded, nor degrading), nor causing negative off-site impacts;

- With each of its qualities cooperatively functioning such that the soil reaches its full potential and resists degradation;

- Providing a full range of functions (especially nutrient, carbon and water cycling) and in such a way that it maintains this capacity into the future.

## Conceptualisation

Soil health is the condition of the soil in a defined space and at a defined scale relative to a set of benchmarks that encompass healthy functioning. It would not be appropriate to refer to soil health for soil-roadbed preparation, as in the analogy of soil quality in a functional class. The definition of soil health may vary between users of the term as alternative users may place differing priorities upon the multiple functions of a soil.Therefore, the term soil health can only be understood within the context of the user of the term, and their aspirations of a soil, as well as by the boundary definition of the soil at issue. Finally, intrinsic to the discussion on soil health are many potentially conflicting interpretations, especially ecological landscape assessment vs agronomic objectives, each claiming to have soil health criteria.

## Interpretation

Different soils will have different benchmarks of health depending on the "inherited" qualities, and on the geographic circumstance of the soil.The generic aspects defining a healthy soil can be considered as follows:

- "Productive" options are broad;

- Life diversity is broad;

- Absorbency, storing, recycling and processing is high in relation to limits set by climate;

- Water runoff quality is of high standard;

- Low entropy; and

- No damage to or loss of the fundamental components.

This translates to:

- A comprehensive cover of vegetation;

- Carbon levels relatively close to the limits set by soil type and climate;

- Little leakage of nutrients from the ecosystem;

- Biological and agricultural productivity relatively close to the limits set by the soil environment and climate;

- Only geological rates of erosion;

- No accumulation of contaminants; and,

An unhealthy soil thus is the simple converse of the above.

## Measurement

On the basis of the above, soil health will be measured in terms of individual ecosystem services provided relative to the benchmark. Specific benchmarks used to evaluate soil health include CO release, humus levels, microbial activity, and available calcium.

Soil health testing is spreading in the United States, Australia and South Africa. Cornell University, a land-grant college in NY State, has had a Soil Health Test since 2006. Woods End Laboratories, a private soil lab founded in Maine in 1975, has offered a soil quality package since 1985. Both these services combine physical (aggregate stability), chemical (mineral balance), and biological (CO respiration) analyses, which today are considered hallmarks of soil health testing. The approach of other soil labs also entering the soil health field is to add into common chemical nutrient testing a biological set of factors not normally included in routine soil testing. The best example is adding biological soil respiration ("CO -Burst") as a test procedure; this has already been adapted to modern commercial labs in the period since 2006.

There is however resistance among soil testing labs and university scientists to add new biological tests, primarily because the established metric of soil fertility is largely based on models constructed from "crop response" studies, which match crop yield to specific chemical nutrient concentrations, and no similar models appear to exist for soil health tests. Critics of novel soil health tests argue that they may be insensitive to management changes.

Soil test methods have evolved slowly over the past 40 years. However, in this same time USA soils have also lost up to 75% of their carbon (humus), causing biological fertility and ecosystem functioning to decline; how much is debatable. Many critics of the conventional system say the loss of soil quality is sufficient evidence that the old soil testing models have failed us, and need to be replaced with new approaches. These older models have stressed "maximum yield" and " yield calibration" to such an extent that related factors have been overlooked. Thus, surface and groundwater pollution with excess nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) has grown enormously, and early 2000s measures were reported (in the United States) to be the worst it has been since the 1970s, before the advent of environmental consciousness.

## Soil health gap

The importance of soil for global food security, agro-ecosystem, environment, and human life has exponentially shifted the research trends toward soil health. However, the lack of a site/region-specific benchmark has limited the research toward understanding the effect of different agronomic managements on soil health. In 2020, Maharjan and his team introduced a new term and concept, "Soil Health Gap" and described how native land in a particular region can help in establishing the benchmark to compare the efficacies of different management practices and at the same time, it can be used in understanding quantitative difference in soil health status.