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Kelly talks injuries, preparation, and New Mexico in press conference
Connor Mulvena | Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Ahead of No. 7 Notre Dame's home opener this Saturday, head coach Brian Kelly addressed the media in his weekly press conference.
Before taking questions, Kelly addressed the team's mindset being idle in week two, and he talked about New Mexico's team coming into Saturday.
Irish senior wide receiver Chase Claypool cuts to the right during Notre Dame's 35-17 victory over Louisville on Sept. 2.
"New Mexico, for us is, you know, when you have a week off, you look at certainly this early in the season, at yourself and what you need to do to continue to build on your football team," Kelly said. "We spent the last week in working on ourselves in terms of things necessary to continue to build our football team. It was a good week."
Kelly emphasized that Saturday's matchup is about continued progress that he hopes his team carries throughout the season.
"I think if you ask our players, they were challenged this week physically and mentally, and as we go into our preparation for New Mexico, which we got a little bit of work on, New Mexico last week, it is about living up to a standard. A standard we have set here at Notre Dame and then playing to that standard against New Mexico."
Former Notre Dame head coach and current New Mexico head coach Bob Davie will not be on the sidelines come Saturday as he is currently recovering from a "serious medical incident" he suffered following the team's season-opening win over Sam Houston State on Aug. 31. Kelly said the uncertainty of the Lobos provides a unique challenge in his team's preparation.
"You know, certainly with an interim coach in [Saga Tuitele] is now going to be charged with bringing his football team here, they will be excited about the opportunity to play against us. They have got some talented players on the offensive side of the ball, three quarterbacks that we have to prepare for, and all of them are extremely capable. You know, I really like the wide receiver corps, they have a transition going on defense with a lot of new faces that we're trying to on film watch in one game, a new defensive coordinator, so there is a lot of things that we have to, you know, manage there. More importantly, it is about, you know, what we do and how we do it. So that's been the focus for us relative to the standard of play that we have to live up to."
Kelly went on to offer updates on several significant injuries the Irish have faced this season.
On junior tight end Cole Kmet's prognosis, Kelly appeared optimistic.
"[Kmet's prognosis looks] really good. He was involved in practice last week, seven-on-seven drills, some teamwork," Kelly said. "You know, we'll make a decision, you know, at what level we want to engage him this week, but his X-rays looked really good, significant growth relative to his injury. That's going to be a day-to-day situation as to how we see how far we want to accelerate him. He's been cleared to do quite a bit of the football related work within the practice."
Kelly said there is even a chance Kmet could see the field on Saturday at some point.
Kelly also spoke on junior running back Jafar Armstrong, who will be out for an extended period of time due to a groin injury.
"Certainly we'll be without him for a few weeks," Kelly said. "You know, that's an injury that, you know, again I think requires some time, but to put an exact time on it, you know, it's hard to say. Julian Okwara did not have surgery but had some similarities in terms of the injury. He was about four weeks."
The changes to the depth chart have sparked Kelly and his staff to make some personnel changes as they try to find the best unit to take the field.
"We moved [junior cornerback] Avery Davis back over to the offensive side of the ball to give us another complement to that piece," he said "You know, Avery again can catch the football for us, [he] has the ability to do those things that Jafar did. He gives us another piece at that position that we think can fill in nicely."
Kelly then went on to specify that Armstrong's injury is a "torn rectus abdominis," and Armstrong has already undergone surgery.
Kelly then commented on graduate student cornerback Shaun Crawford, who has struggled with a number of injuries throughout his career, expressing his confidence in the graduate student's mindset and physical health.
"Physically he came out outstanding," Kelly said. "I think mentally is where he feels really good. He did a lot of really good things for us at corner and at safety. Moving forward, he continues to, you know, obviously get back to where he was after a year of fighting through the injuries. So an important piece to what we're doing in the back end of our defense."
Despite the injury concerns after only one game, Kelly said the team practiced hard and physically during its time off before the New Mexico game.
"They were long practices, they were two practices. It was a physically demanding and mentally demanding week for our team," he said.
Lastly, Kelly talked about the numerous advantages that come with playing at home.
"Well, it's always great playing at home," Kelly said. "I mean, sleeping in your own bed, we have got a great routine, the home-field advantage is real with our fans. It has gotten better and better in my time here in terms of, you know, just the support that we have. Our students are great at the games, a part of it. Certainly the video graphics, the Jumbotron, just all of those things add to the game day experience that we're feeling."
While the fan engagement is essential to the team's performance, Kelly talked about how his team hopes to give back when they take the field at home.
"At the end of the day, you have to play exciting football and you've got to play good football to get everybody enthusiastic," he said. "So it is our job to put a great product on the field, one that's exciting, one that people want to see and our players recognize that. It's important for them to play well at home. They talk about we talk about protecting our house and quite frankly, it is part of the things we do in our summer work that they want to be in our stadium and they want to play their very best in front of the crowd."
The Irish will face off against New Mexico at Notre Dame Stadium this Saturday, with kickoff at 2:30 pm.
Tags: Avery Davis, Brian Kelly, Cole Kmet, Jafar Armstrong, ND Football, Shaun Crawford
About Connor Mulvena
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Karafuru signifies colourful in Japanese, is actually the name of a newly opened dessert shop in Tokyo Street, Pavillion Kuala Lumpur. It is located just "Karafuru" is a play of the name colourful in Japanese. This name represents our very colourful tarts.
Karafuku signature desserts are fruit tarts. Nonetheless, they also offer mini cakes, truffles, power puff, mocha fingers and all kinds of adorable and mouth watering desserts in array.


My primary motivation to pursue my MS dreams was that I didn't experience much practical exposure during my undergraduate studies. I wanted to explore beyond the basic introduction given to me to Computer Science. Also, the professors I met in the US were authors of many textbooks I used during my Undergrad! It's a totally different learning experience out here.
Another thing that excites me about the US is the amount of opportunities available for international networking. I knew I have grown into a different person altogether after MS in the US. I loved Artificial intelligence, the concept of distributed systems and always knew there is a lot left to explore in these fields. It is only after this MS program that I would be equipped with the right skill set to pursue my goals and dreams.
High GPA and High GRE score – This is undoubtedly an excellent profile and you clearly stand a very good chance to cracking that dream grad school!
High GPA and Low GRE score – This is still quite safe. However, the list of universities that you can apply to gets restricted. You will have to focus only on those universities that emphasize on having a great GPA, and are ready to overlook a not-so-great GRE score.
The remaining two combinations are quite tricky; if you have a low GPA, you have no other go but to aim for a high GRE score. Only if you have some big numbers to present will you be able to catch the attention of the admissions committee. Once you you cross that initial filter, is when your SOPs and LORs need to work their charm.
SOP is very important, think of it as an opportunity for you to narrate your story to the admissions committee. It is a platform where you can express what you cannot in a resume or CV. Include you new ideas, research interests, projects undertaken. Most importantly it needs to convey two things; what you want to take back from their university, and how you would contribute towards the university.
All the best for your GRE preparations and, for writing that winning SOP!


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Garmin Heiress Lists Sierra Towers…
Desert Hot Springs Hacienda on Hollywood-Favored Dude Ranch Moseys Onto the Market
By Pauline O'Connor
Pauline O'Connor
More Stories by Pauline
Acclaimed New York-Based Artists Seek Sale of Chateau Marmont-Adjacent Hideaway
Dapper 1940s Modern by Unsung Architect Makes Its Market Debut
January 4, 2023 8:43 pm PT
eXp Realty of California
Plus Icon Location Desert Hot Springs, Calif.
Plus Icon Price $599,000
Plus Icon Lot Size 7,841 square feet
Back in 1927, the same year he received the Motion Picture Academy's first "Best Picture" award for the World War I-centered film "Wings," producer Lucien Hubbard and his son-in-law, Charles Bender, purchased 240 acres of land in the Coachella Valley upon which they would build an exclusive Western-themed resort. Invitation-only for its first decade, the B-Bar-H Ranch (the name was derived from its founders' initials) enjoyed a period of great popularity amongst Hollywood's A-list. Filled with such famous names as Gary Cooper, Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and the Marx Brothers, the ranch's guest log could have doubled as an autograph book.
Unsurprisingly, however, the notion of a rustic dude-ranch getaway only had so much appeal with the showbiz set, and in 1937, the resort was opened to the public. One ad for the property promised, "At B-BAR-H you'll trade a Cad or a Jag for a nag, swap high-glaring neon for low-hanging stars, swim in natural warm mineral water, enjoy the finest cuisine, sample the ultimate mixologist's art if you wish, and sleep luxuriously in spacious cottages set in an oasis of tamarisk and palms."
But eventually, even the common folk would desert Desert Hot Springs in favor of hip-and-happening Palm Springs. The B-Bar-H closed down in 1950, and its land was subsequently divided and subdivided. While contemporary housing developments now cover much of the ranch's original acreage, some vestiges of the vintage resort still exist, including this quaint hacienda now on the market. Built in 1945, the Spanish-style home was one of the B-Bar-H's eight guest cottages.
The 1,679-square-foot bungalow features a shotgun or railroad-style layout with four entrances. Living room, dining room and kitchen are clustered in its east end, with the remaining portion of the house taken up by three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Period details include two kiva-style fireplaces with stone chimneys, beamed ceilings, Saltillo tile floors, French doors, clerestory windows, arched doorways and carved plaster niches, while updates include new electric and plumbing systems.
Along with a steel "cowboy" pool, fire pit, and raised dining patio, the well-landscaped grounds contain grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, and olive trees, a carport, and a storage shed. Listed with Mike Z. Haque of eXp Realty of California, the property is asking $599,000.
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Meticulously Restored Palm Springs Bungalow Is on the National Historic Register
Nov 23, 2022 6:25 pm PT

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Contact - Jäger Consulting Engineers Ltd.
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News Breaking News 6-year-old boy tragically killed, three other children seriously injured in collision with alleged DUI driver
6-year-old boy tragically killed, three other children seriously injured in collision with alleged DUI driver
By JASON RODRIGUEZ
Posted: June 20, 2019 11:05 PM EDT
YOLO, CA, (June 18, 2019) - An alleged drunk driver crashed into a pickup truck on Interstate 5 near Sacramento International Airport on Tuesday June 18th, tragically killing a six-year-old boy and injuring four others, including three children.
Incident Location
The accident took place at about 9 a.m. on I-5, just north of County Road 22. A Nissan pickup truck driven by Luis Figueroa, was driving down I-5 when a speeding BMW driven by Shane Carlyle, 34, came up behind it. The BMW crashed into the truck, pushing it off the highway and down an embankment, where it overturned and landed in a field.
A 5-year-old boy who was in the Nissan died from his injuries. Three girls, ages 5, 7 and 10, sustained major injuries and were taken to UC Davis Medical Center. Figueroa, the father of the children, was taken to UC Davis Medical Center with major injuries.
One of the girls who survived the crash and the boy who was killed are twins, according to the CHP. Carlyle was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and driving under the influence. He was already on probation for DUI when the crash occurred.
INVESTIGATION NEEDED
Although liability appears to be clear from the preliminary reports, an investigation into the circumstances involving the tragedy is the next step.
"In addition to a police report, an independent investigation is 100% necessary," said Candice Bond, Managing Partner at Bond Sanchez-Gordon. "Having expert witnesses, conducting defendant background checks, locating accident witnesses, and investigating applicable insurance coverage are all important steps in addition to what law enforcement authorities will do."
SACRAMENTO WRONGFUL DEATH AND PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY
Pending the results of the investigation, the family of the victim may be entitled to a wrongful death claim for the loss of love and companionship.
"Losing a loved one is a loss that is immeasurable. Not only is it a deeply emotional loss, but also an economic one," added Bond. It is important that the family takes immediate steps to protect their legal rights following a loss."
In addition, those that were injured in the collision may have the right to pursue a personal injury lawsuit.
"A personal injury attorney can work diligently on your behalf, retaining experts and accident witnesses, to hold the negligent parties accountable," Bond said
Tags: DUI accident, Sacramento, pickup truck accident
YOLO INJURY LAWYERS


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Improving OSHA's Enhanced Enforcement Program
Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives
Jordan Barab
STATEMENT OF JORDAN BARAB
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR
SUBCOMMITTEE ON WORKFORCE PROTECTIONS
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR
Madam Chairman, Members of the Subcommittee,
Thank you for this opportunity to discuss the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Enhanced Enforcement Program (EEP) and to respond to the concerns expressed by the Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General (OIG) in a report entitled "Employers with Reported Fatalities Were Not Always Properly Identified and Inspected Under OSHA's Enhanced Enforcement Program" (March 31, 2009). As you know, I have recently assumed the positions of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health and Acting Assistant Secretary.
Until the Assistant Secretary is confirmed by the Senate, the Secretary has asked me to help provide the leadership, utilize the resources, and establish policies that enable OSHA's employees to do their jobs. I am very proud to join this organization. President Obama and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis have both publicly expressed their desire that OSHA be more vigorous in protecting the Nation's workers. OSHA employs some of the most dedicated and hardest working employees in the federal government, and under the leadership of Secretary Solis they are inspired and eager to do their jobs of protecting the American workforce. I intend to begin the process of leading this agency in achieving that goal.
Because of the brevity of my tenure at OSHA, I have had limited time to fully review and analyze the OIG's report. OSHA responded preliminarily to the OIG in a Memorandum of March 30, 2009, and is in the process of thoroughly reviewing the report in order to determine the best ways to address each recommendation. OSHA shares the concerns raised in the report, and believes that properly identifying employers who should be subject to EEP is essential. Similarly, it is not acceptable to fail to follow through with inspections or enhanced settlement agreements with employers OSHA has placed in the EEP.
As background, OSHA's targeted inspection efforts consist primarily of a Site Specific Targeting system that focuses on establishments with high injury and illness rates and both Local and National Emphasis Programs (LEPs and NEPs). The emphasis programs focus on industries with high injury, illness, or fatality rates, or on hazards such as lead, silica, or amputations. The Enhanced Enforcement Program was designed as a supplement to these programs to focus enforcement efforts on recalcitrant employers. OSHA is exploring ways to reinvigorate the EEP, and the OIG report provides a starting point for our efforts to do this in the most effective way.
The authors of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) 39 years ago were far-sighted in providing enough flexibility in the law for the agency to innovate as it encounters tough enforcement cases. The EEP was initiated in September 2003 to help OSHA focus its resources on those employers who are indifferent to their obligations under the OSH Act, concentrating limited enforcement assets on those employers who not only failed to meet their obligations under the OSH Act, but who also appeared unlikely to decide on their own to improve working conditions at their workplaces. OSHA had discovered that a number of employers continued to expose workers to very serious dangers even after receiving OSHA citations for worker exposure to hazards that caused serious injuries and fatalities. Such was the case at the McWane facilities as reported by the New York Times and Frontline in 2003. Employers like McWayne had multiple worksites where related hazards existed and OSHA's existing targeting system did not provide a mechanism to enforce the OSH Act at these additional establishments.
In 2008, the EEP was amended in response to OSHA staff concerns that the program was not consistently accomplishing its purpose to focus on recalcitrant employers. A history filter for a serious violation related to a fatality was added to eliminate numerous small employers who should not have been added to the program as originally envisioned. In this situation, the employer must have, within the prior three years, a history of violations similar to the EEP violation. However, it soon became clear that additional program modifications would be needed to better direct resources and that more stringent follow-up inspection criteria needed to be added to the program. As such, OSHA began revisions in March of 2008, and was in the process of developing these revisions prior to the OIG evaluation.
Under the current EEP, it is standard protocol for OSHA to mail an information copy of all citations under the EEP to the employer's national headquarters if there is more than one worksite, thus ensuring that national headquarters is aware of safety and health problems at the local establishment. An employer identified as being a recalcitrant employer can also be targeted for additional enforcement action as follows:
OSHA can conduct enhanced follow-up inspections to ensure not only that the violations that had been cited were corrected, but also to check on whether the employer is addressing other similar hazards throughout its facilities. One way this occurs is to identify establishments on the current Site-Specific Targeting (SST) lists belonging to employers that are enhanced enforcement targets. These establishments will receive a higher inspection priority by being placed in the SST's current inspection cycle.
OSHA and its attorneys can negotiate to include more stringent provisions in settlements of EEP citations than those it might insist on otherwise.
Finally, under section 11(b) of the OSH Act, DOL attorneys can, if necessary, obtain enforcement orders, and then seek to hold employers in contempt of those orders if the employers continue to fail to abate hazards or implement other provisions in citations, settlements, or orders of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and Federal courts. Potential sanctions for contempt include daily penalties and other fines, incarceration of an individual company officer who flouts the court's order, as well as any other sanction that the court deems necessary to secure compliance.
Obviously, in order for the EEP to be effective, OSHA Area, Regional, and National Offices must accurately identify which employers are in need of enhanced enforcement and then apply its enhanced enforcement tools to these recalcitrant employers. The OIG report pointed out that this has not always occurred.
OSHA is already hard at work; revisions to the EEP were underway prior to the OIG report. Furthermore, consistent with the report's recommendations, the agency has established the EEP Revision Task Force. This task force, comprised of personnel from the Directorate of Enforcement Programs as well as Regional Administrators, their Deputies, and Departmental attorneys, is designing a new program, which we are preliminarily renaming the Severe Violators Inspection Program (SVIP), so that we will be able to identify and inspect recalcitrant employers more effectively. The SVIP will be a comprehensive revision of the existing EEP, focusing more on large companies and less on small businesses. Although the details are still being worked out, the new program will ensure that recalcitrant employers not meeting their obligations under the OSH Act are targeted for additional enforcement action.
Some changes under consideration for the program include mandatory - not recommended - follow-up inspections, more inspections of other establishments of an identified company, and additional enhanced settlement provisions. The new program will include a more intensive examination of an employer's history for systemic problems that would trigger additional mandatory inspections. OSHA believes that this new program will address each of the six OIG recommendations. OSHA is happy to share the revised Directive implementing the new program with the subcommittee once it is publicly released.
Finally, the new program will undergo continual review by field and headquarters staff in order to make ongoing improvements. Again, we will be happy to keep you apprised of the progress of this process.
I want to emphasize that while the OIG report identified serious problems with the EEP, the EEP process also made OSHA more aware of criminal violations. While a direct correlation between the EEP and the number of OSHA criminal referrals to DOJ has not yet been established, the EEP process increased awareness of criminal violations, and more awareness led to more referrals. Referrals of potentially criminal willful violations to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for prosecution increased from six per year (1993-2003) to 12 cases in FY 2008. This is the most serious sanction available under the OSH Act and can result in incarceration for an employer. Among the issues I will be looking at are whether OSHA is referring the proper number of such cases to DOJ and how we can work better with DOJ to prosecute these cases.
Although the EEP is an important component of OSHA's overall compliance strategy, it is not the only enforcement tool that we utilize. OSHA relies primarily on its LEPs and NEPs, and the Site Specific Targeting Program for the vast majority of its enforcement work. According to OSHA's Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), Federal and State OSHA programs conduct approximately 90,000 inspections each year. Federal OSHA cited almost 89,000 violations in FY 2008. Over 80% of these violations were classified as willful, serious or repeat. Over 120 inspections resulted in penalties totaling more than $100,000.
Currently there are NEPs focusing on the hazards of combustible dust, amputations, lead, shipbreaking, crystalline silica, and trenching/excavations. We are also finalizing an NEP focusing on flavoring chemicals (diacetyl). In addition, OSHA has more than 140 Regional/Local Emphasis programs around the country.
OSHA's most comprehensive inspection program is the Site-Specific Targeting Plan (SST), which targets workplaces that have 40 or more employees and have reported the highest injury/illness rates. The targeting lists are updated every year to reflect the most recent data. Virtually all SST inspections are comprehensive visits in which the agency's compliance officers examine all aspects of the workplace's operations as well as the effectiveness of its safety and health efforts.
Madam Chairman, Secretary Solis has emphasized that strong, vigorous enforcement of the OSH Act is among her top priorities. OSHA will be adding inspectors to fulfill its responsibilities under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and the President is requesting increased funding for OSHA in the 2010 budget.
In the meantime, we need to better utilize the resources that we already have. In order to direct more of OSHA's existing resources into enforcement and to provide time to address concerns in an upcoming GAO Report on the efficacy of OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program, I have informed the field staff that we will suspend the previous administration's practice of establishing goals for new Voluntary Protection Program sites and Alliances.
Madam Chairman, thank you once again for giving me the opportunity to appear today. OSHA will let the Subcommittee know when we have completed the design of the new enforcement program. No matter how well-intentioned or well-designed, if an enforcement policy is not implemented well it is a source of frustration-for workers, for Members of this Subcommittee, and for the American taxpayer. Not only are we committed to designing policies that protect workers, we are also committed to doing our utmost to implement those policies successfully.
Thank you and I'd be happy to answer any questions.


A week after his British League victory in London, Jonathan Moore scored a narrow victory for Great Britain in the Norwich Union Under 23 International in Manchester on Saturday.
The Birchfield Harrier leapt 7.60 metres in the second round to win by nine centimetres from Roman Novotny (Czech Republic) with Frenchman Fabien Faucher (France) third with 7.45m. Moore's clubmate, Ryan James, placed fifth with 7.17m.
Dan Cossins snatched second place in the 200m in 21.42. The Birchfield Harrier followed this by running the second leg of the 4x100m relay, in which Great Britain stormed their way to an impressive victory in a time of 40.38 seconds, four-tenths of a second in front of France.
Solihull and Small Heath' s Tom Parsons shrugged off a failure at his opening height of 2.05m to take second place in the high jump with a successful third attempt clearance at 2.18m.
Rebecca Peake who, like Gunn, hails from Derby, built on her confidenceboosting performance at the European Under 23 Championships by winning the women's shot put event with a second-round effort of 15.41m.
Rugby and Northampton's Gary White finished fourth in the triple jump with a distance of 15.56m into a slight headwind, in a competition won by France's Davy Manga with 16.07m.
Victories in sixteen of the individual events enabled Great Britain and Northern Ireland to defeat Spain and the Czech Republic but lose by seven points to France in the team competition.


This old grange hall was one of the locations we initially considered for A Country Wedding, and it's wide open sight lines reminds me of the churches in the trailer for the Icelandic film "Country Wedding"
Just noticed the site for this film, a product of Iceland called Country Wedding. Watching the trailer, I thought it not only looks amazing, but it has some resonance with our film. The isolated church in an open field is the spitting image of what I had in mind when we were scouting locations.
We ended up shooting a church in town, an amazing location, but when I saw the location in this trailer I had to do a double-take. That's exactly what I was seeing in my head.
I'm going to try to catch the Icelandic feature because it looks fantastic. And I'll also ship them a copy of our film as soon as it's available.
The Icelandic movie "Country Wedding" was by far THE WORST piece of filming I have ever encountered. I honestly cannot find a single pro to this complete and utter piece of crap!
I cannot find the articulation necessary to express the intensity of my displeasure in having viewed this.
Hi Ted, I'll reserve judgment until it shows up on Netflix. What didn't you like about it? Was it they style or the story? What kind of films have you found stirring lately? Do you usually like indie films, or foreign flicks? Just curious. Thanks for posting.


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Hackers linked to Chinese government stole millions in Covid benefits, Secret Service says | #hacking | #cybersecurity | #infosec | #comptia | #pentest | #hacker
Hackers linked to the Chinese government stole at least $20 million in U.S. Covid relief benefits, including Small Business Administration loans and unemployment insurance funds in over a dozen states, according to the Secret Service.
The theft of taxpayer funds by the Chengdu-based hacking group known as APT41 is the first instance of pandemic fraud tied to foreign, state-sponsored cybercriminals that the U.S. government has acknowledged publicly, but may just be the tip of the iceberg, according to U.S. law enforcement officials and cybersecurity experts.
The officials and experts, most speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject matter, say other federal investigations of pandemic fraud also seem to point back to foreign state-affiliated hackers.
"It would be crazy to think this group didn't target all 50 states," said Roy Dotson, national pandemic fraud recovery coordinator for the Secret Service, who also acts as a liaison to other federal agencies probing Covid fraud.
The Secret Service declined to confirm the scope of other investigations, saying there are more than 1,000 ongoing investigations involving transnational and domestic criminal actors defrauding public benefits programs, and APT41 is "a notable player."
And whether the Chinese government directed APT41 to loot U.S. taxpayer funds or simply looked the other way, multiple current and former U.S. officials say, the theft itself is a troubling development that raises the stakes. One senior Justice Department official called it "dangerous" and said it had serious national security implications.
"I've never seen them target government money before," said John Hultquist, the head of intelligence analysis at the cybersecurity firm Mandiant. "That would be an escalation."
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.
'The horse is out of the barn'
As soon as state governments began disbursing Covid unemployment funds in 2020, cybercriminals began to siphon off a significant percentage.
The Labor Department Office of Inspector General has reported an improper payment rate of roughly 20% for the $872.5 billion in federal pandemic unemployment funds, though the true cost of the fraud is likely higher, administration officials from multiple agencies say.
In-depth analysis of four states showed 42.4% of pandemic benefits were paid improperly in the first six months, the department's watchdog reported to Congress last week.
A Heritage Foundation analysis of Labor Department data estimated excess unemployment benefits payments of more than $350 billion from April 2020 to May 2021.
"Whether it's 350, 400 or 500 billion, at this point, the horse is out of the barn," said Linda Miller, the former deputy executive director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, the federal government's Covid relief fraud watchdog.
Michael R. Sherwin, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, speaks about charges and arrests related to a computer intrusion campaign tied to the Chinese government by a group called APT 41 at the Justice Department on Sept. 16, 2020.Tasos Katopodis / Pool via Getty Images file
By the time Covid relief funds appeared as a target of opportunity in 2020, APT41, which emerged more than a decade ago, had already become the "workhorse" of cyberespionage operations that benefit the Chinese government, according to cyber experts and current and former officials from multiple agencies. The Secret Service said in a statement that it considers APT41 a "Chinese state-sponsored, cyberthreat group that is highly adept at conducting espionage missions and financial crimes for personal gain."
Ambassador Nathaniel Fick, the head of the State Department's Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, said cyberespionage is a long-time Chinese national priority aimed at strengthening its geopolitical position.
"The United States is target No. 1, because we are competitor No. 1," Fick told NBC News. "It's a really comprehensive, multi-decade, well-considered, well-resourced, well-planned, well-executed strategy."
American officials have blamed Chinese hackers for the Office of Personnel Management, the Anthem Health and the Equifax breaches, among others.
The experts and officials describe the Chinese model of "state-sponsored" hackers as a network of semi-independent groups conducting contract work in service of government espionage. The Chinese government may direct a hacking group to attack a certain target. APT41, also known to cybersecurity firms as Winnti, Barium and Wicked Panda, fits the model and is considered a particularly prolific Chinese intelligence asset, known to commit financial crimes on the side.
Demian Ahn, a former assistant U.S. attorney who indicted five APT41 hackers in 2019 and 2020, said the evidence showed the group had tremendous reach and resources. The defendants, who were accused of infiltrating governments and companies around the world while conducting ransomware attacks and mining cryptocurrency, talked "about having tens of thousands of machines at one time, as part of their efforts to obtain information about others, and also to generate criminal profits." None of the five Chinese nationals indicted have been extradited, and the cases remain open.
APT41's intrusion methods have included hacking legitimate software and weaponizing it against innocent users, including businesses and governments. Another tactic involves tracking public disclosures about security flaws in legitimate software. APT41 uses that information to target customers who don't immediately update their software, according to a former Justice Department official familiar with the group.
The primary purpose of APT41's state-directed activity, the experts and officials say, is believed to be collecting personally identifying information and data about American citizens, institutions and businesses that can be used by China for espionage purposes.
"They have the patience, the sophistication and the resources to carry out hacking that has a direct impact on national security," said a former Justice Department official familiar with the group.
Law enforcement officials and counterintelligence experts have testified to Congress that by now, every adult American has had all or most of their personal data stolen by the Chinese government.
'Wild West'
Beijing has increasingly turned its focus to breaching U.S. critical infrastructure in recent years, say current and former officials and China and cybersecurity experts, with worldwide campaigns driven by APT41.
China's targets include state governments, which can have inadequate cybersecurity defenses. "The state governments don't allocate a lot of cyber protection money to their state IT infrastructure," said William Evanina, the former director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. "So it's really an unprotected Wild West."
The Covid fraud scheme that the Secret Service has publicly linked to APT41 began in mid-2020 and spanned 2,000 accounts associated with more than 40,000 financial transactions.
"Where their sophistication comes in is the ability to work heavily and quickly," the agency's Dotson said.
The agency said it has been able to recover about half of the stolen $20 million in the APT41 case.
Overall, the Secret Service said that as of August it had seized more than $1.4 billion in fraudulently obtained Covid relief funds and helped return about $2.3 billion to state unemployment insurance programs.
But while Evanina and other officials and experts consider APT41's breach of state systems a national security issue, they aren't convinced that stealing Covid funds was a goal of the Chinese government. Such thefts increase the risk of criminal prosecution and make it harder for China to obscure the state's role. They believe that the Chinese government may have simply tolerated the hackers making a profit off their labors.
Many believe the hackers are still inside state information technology systems.
Mandiant, which contracts with more than 75 state and local government organizations and agencies, issued a report in March that the APT41 had infiltrated six — and likely more — state governments using back doors in popular software and was exfiltrating data on citizens.
Hultquist said in an interview that Mandiant analysts discovered at least two occasions involving interactions with servers associated with state benefits after May 2021.
Current officials would not comment about whether APT41 still had access to state government networks after being discovered last year.
The Labor Department, the Small Business Administration, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the White House all declined to comment and referred NBC News to the Justice Department. The FBI and the Justice Department declined to comment. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment.
"Once you are in these systems with intent to promulgate theft" of personally identifying information, Evanina said, "you're in forever," noting that at the state and local levels, many disparate systems share an interconnected domain. "Unless," he said, "you tear down the systems and replace everything."
State agencies across the country continue to struggle against invisible online attackers, many lacking the proper funding and expertise to secure their online benefits systems.
"If we can come together and really have open and honest conversations about what works well and what went very wrong, we would just be in a much better place to stop this," said Maryland Labor Secretary Tiffany Robinson, who said her state's system is still bogged down by thousands of fraudulent applications and phone calls each week. "Because this is not over."
Federal officials acknowledge they are nowhere close to fully accounting for what really happened to benefits programs in the pandemic.
"A lot of these criminals, we'll never be able to indict and locate," said a federal law enforcement official with direct knowledge of fraud investigations involving China-based hackers. "With the internet and the dark web, it's borderless."
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We try out some of the best (and most over-hyped) foods in our nation's capital as we head to London for our traditional August Bank Holiday at Frightfest.
Welcome back! I forgot to ask – Did you all have a good August Bank Holiday? As usual I spent the last long weekend of summer in my favourite way: sat in the dark in a cinema in Leicester Square watching back-to-back horror movies for 3 solid days.
Regular readers might remember that the past couple of Augusts I've dragged my mates away from the Frightfest schedule to have at least one posh meal. In 2011 we tried out the set menu at Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental. Last year, 2012, it was Hawksmoor Seven Dials, whose formidable side dishes were the inspiration for our Heston vs Hawksmoor Macaroni Cheese experiment.
We try not to go "off-message" (and by message we mean "Heston"), so you'll have to excuse us being a bit self-indulgent here. But, we genuinely think London is the greatest city in the world to eat out in, and we thought it'd be fun to talk about some of the great (and over-hyped) food we tried there. Hopefully it'll give us all something to discuss in the comments section.
All the places I've visited this trip have been covered by much better blogs like the Critical Couple, to whom we'd like to dedicate this post. Their mixture of humour, humility and an ability to secure reservations makes them a fantastically enjoyable read and the ultimate resource for tourists like us.
The weekend's burger-theme was more a result of convenience than actual intention. Two of Eel-Town's most-hyped places are within a few minutes' walk of Leicester Square, and then Honest Burgers is next door to ChinChin Labs (which we would obviously be visiting every single day).
A much smaller place than I expected and an equally simple menu: Veggie, chicken or three variants of beef. Skin-on fries as standard with every burger. They also sell a fetchingly vibrant slaw. I went for the signature burger, which is £9 with chips included.
I like the way it's served with a knife. Weaklings can use it make the burger more manageable to pick up and Instagrammers can cut the thing in half and take photos of the lovely pink middle. I'm also a fan of the retro tin serving plate. I like to imagine a dashing WWI pilot finishing eating and then trying to have a shave in it.
This is clearly a much better sourced burger than the rival chains back in the West End. A fat, juicy patty, buttery brioche bun (identical to the one they use 200m from my work desk at Dock Grill, Media City) and top notch dressings.
It's probably sacrilege to say this, but I enjoyed this burger slightly more than the Dead Hippie at MeatMarket last year.
A Mr Whippy ice cream on Lytham St Annes seafront was always the highlight of each day during my childhood holidays (see our Heston's Vanilla Ice Cream recipe post). But even this powerfully nostalgic memory doesn't excuse the unhealthy obsession I have with ChinChin Labs.
For those who've never been – it's a small place in Camden that makes ice cream in front of your eyes using liquid nitrogen. Given that you're reading this on a blog about Heston Blumenthal recipes and techniques I probably don't need to tell you that using liquid nitrogen to instantly freeze ice cream to minus 192°C results in the smallest possible ice crystals, and so the smoothest imaginable ice cream.
This technique is great for texture, but useless without fantastic flavours. Fortunately ChinChin Labs do the best chocolate or vanilla ice cream you'll ever eat in the UK (yes, even better than my childhood favourite from Lytham St Annes). However, it's the specials that make the trip to Camden worthwhile.
Today's was Tonka Bean and Caramelised Walnut, seen hear wearing caramelised pretzels. I don't generally like walnuts but this pairing was particularly inspired. We're desperate for them to bring out a recipe book.
My mates and I are an odd-looking ensemble, but even so it's incredible that the owner now recognises us whenever we walk through the door. Remarkable considering the kind of turnover the place gets. He clearly loves all his customers as much as he loves making fantastic ice cream. It's a huge discredit to me that I don't know the guy's name, but if he ever reads this: your ice cream is one of my favourite things to eat on the whole of planet earth.
This is essentially located opposite the front door of Frightfest, so it was as easy to visit as it was obvious.
I know you all hate Five Guys. Personally it just made me think of Subway. Remember when Subway first came to the UK and we were all excited by the infinite flavour combos of their pick n' mix salad and sauces? And nowadays we're all bored to death of the limp bread, slimy meat and bland flavours.
This is clearly a very efficient operation. The number of young, perky, staff blew me away. They even have a guy explaining the menu while you queue (presumably to avoid delays from order-ditherers).
Craftily, they use sacks of shell-on peanuts to delineate the queue, so you can shell them and snack on them while you wait. It's pretty depressing that two staff are needed to permanently sweep away the debris this causes, each a sort of minimum-wage Sisyphus. There was a slightly hostile atmosphere in the store when we visited, but that was probably down to it being 10pm on a Saturday night. "Wochor fackin problim?" etc.
I ordered their basic burger with the works (hold the tomato), which includes: Lettuce, onions, pickles, peppers, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, mayo. It's fun to pile on loads of your favourite flavours, and that was what made this burger interesting. But the meat is cheap and flavourless and the spongey bun is squashed and woeful. Less a "Dirty Burger", more a "Gutter Burger".
The skin-on fries were the worst of the three places we tried, greasy and flavourless. Unexpected given the in-store signage boasting the farm the potatoes came from. Even without a drink this cost me more than I'd probably pay for two Whoppers with fries 50 yards away. It was novel, and a bit tastier, but not by much.
In spite of all that, I'd probably go back. But only if I was in a hungry hurry round Lie-Sester Square and it was a choice between queuing at Five Guys or queuing at the Pizza Hut counter.
Have I ever mentioned how much I like ChinChin Labs?
Every year at Frightfest actor & theatre director Andy Nyman hosts a quiz. I'm terrible at quizzes, so skipping it gave us the roughly 60 minutes needed to make the trip to Camden Lock and back.
The special was a dairy free Mango, Honey and Ginger. A beautiful, summery flavour combo. As always, it was more than worth the trip. Seriously, I cannot praise these people or their food highly enough.
I made the mistake of thinking I could make it from Seat O 38 of Empire Screen 1 to Shake Shack and back again in the 30 minutes between films. This was impossible on a bustling Bank Holiday Sunday lunchtime. I barely made it back to my seat in time, and ended up eating a hefty sack of lukewarm food in the dark. I am convinced the guy sat next to me found this far more horrifying than opening 20 minutes of In Fear.
The sheer amount of photo-friendly sunlight streaming through the roof of Covent Garden makes me think the Shack guys picked this location with camera-wielding bloggers and tourists in mind. There were tons of idiots just like me, gawping and taking pictures.
Again there was an army of chirpy staff present, all gigglingly eager the way I imagine only someone on a zero-hours contract could be. Familiar format of queue, order, get a handheld buzzer, then collect your meal from a serving hatch.
The most fun part of collecting my order was asking for a bag to take the food away in. They immediately offered to package up the contents of my tray. My response: "Ah, no. I'm going to take pictures here where it's light, then bag the food up and take it away". Pause. Blank looks. "Yeah, I'm one of those guys" Shrug. Nervous grin. I give them full marks for helpfulness and generosity.
The concrete, Shake Shack's gourmet McFlurry was only so-so. In perverted a break from tradition I had to wolf this down first. It was half melted by the time I got the meal back to my seat in the cinema, so unless I wanted to drink it I didn't have much choice.
I'd chosen their Sticky Toffee Concrete, hoping it'd be similar to the Hawksmoor Sundae. What an idiot I was for thinking such a thing! Full of horrible bits of sugary biscuit with occasional bursts of salted caramel. It's is better than a McFlurry, but I can ChinChin Labs think of ChinChin Labs better places in London ChinChin Labs to get ChinChin Labs ice cream.
The classic Shackburger was utterly forgettable.
The Shack-cago Dog benefited from being more substantial than anything you'd be served at Bubbledogs, but obviously comparing the two is pointless. It lacked The Snap.
I did like the crinkle cut fries though. Novel -and very crunchy on the outside- these were my favourite of the three places I visited. This might be purely personal since I do love crunchy textured foods; Monster Munch, nut brittle, anything that leaves your tongue raw.
Shake Shack certainly has better aesthetics than Five Guys. At the latter you're either stood in the middle of traffic fumes or broken peanut shells. Covent Garden market is a much more gentrified place, full of soft colours and bright light. And Shake Shack put a lot of effort into making the food photogenic, again the opposite of Five Guys. The St John connection gets them points for sourcing too.
Shake Shack and Five Guys are both much of a muchness, with Five Guys having the convenience edge for hungry horror fans. I'd eat at Shake Shack again, but only if I was with friends who hadn't tried it. Personally though, if I'd already come all the way to Covent Garden for food I'd prefer to walk the extra 90 seconds to reach the vastly superior MeatMarket.
A beautiful sideline of Balthazar restaurant next door. Walking in it's like being a kid in a sweet shop – provided you're a kid who likes sweets that are exclusively beige and made of flour.
I jest, but this place is a magical wonderland of baked goods. I came in with the agenda of picking up a single croissant to brunch on during the day's first film, and ended up carrying a suitcase full of food back into Empire Screen 1. I really did pity the guy sat next to me.
It was a tough choice between the Bayonne Ham & Gruyere Croissant and the Mushroom, Spinach and Comté Croissant. So I just got both. Also a Raspberry and Pistachio Fiancier and a Chocolate Salt Caramel Tart. After that I stopped – otherwise you all might think I was being a bit greedy on this trip.
They are wonderful people who serve you in Balthazar Bakery. Enthusiastic and proud. And they have every right to be when surrounded by stuff of this quality. The croissants were crisp in exactly the right way, the fillings of the highest standard and perfectly balanced. Both the fiancier and tart were indulgent without being sickly. That's in spite of them being loaded with what feels like half a jar of jam or a pint of melty chocolate respectively.
My only regret was that I didn't drag my sorry arse out of bed at LSE High Holborn early enough on Tuesday morning, and so didn't have enough time to go back "on the way to" Euston for another luggage-sized picnic. Not only is the food here of impeccable quality but it's very competitively priced too. I'd be happy to go back any time and Balthazar Boulangerie would be my first choice for a portable breakfast in the West End.
The previous day's parting words: "We've got a new special tomorrow – Coconut Sun Cream" was all the excuse we needed to skip a film for a third trip to Camden on our final day. Besides, Odd Thomas looked rubbish.
Again it was a beautiful ice cream. As well as creating stunning recipes the guys at ChinChin have a fantastic talent for matching flavours to the weather. Never trying their "Freshly Cut Grass" flavour is a regret I will carry to my grave.
I got a chocolate one as well because I hadn't had that flavour since 2011.
It takes approximately 3 hours 50 minutes to drive from my house in Leigh to Finchley Central Tube Station car park. From there it's 20 minutes on the Northern Line and a five minute walk to reach 49- 50, Camden Lock Place, NW1 8AF. A total of about £60 in diesel, parking and Oyster charges.
If I were feeling flush and exuberant I'd gladly spend all that time and money just to get an ice cream at ChinChin Labs. It really is that good.
Or "Orks-mu-weh", as we pronounce it in Lancashire.
We absolutely loved this last year, so a return visit was inevitable (especially since we're still waiting for confirmation of when their Leigh branch will open).
As always the set menu is phenomenally good value for this quality of food. Especially when served in this quantity as well.
Very few changes have been made to the choice-of-three-things Set Menu since last year. I went with Bone Marrow & Onions, since I'd had the Potted Mackerel last time. Plus, snooping our neighbour's table revealed that Doddington Caesar Salad was just a pile of lettuce (the leaves so big they hung over the sides of the plate) and not much else. The marrow was slightly too rich for my palette. They were a bit stingy with the bread. Back to the Mackerel in future.
Steak was impeccable. A change from our last visit where the meat was the least interesting thing we ate. The chips aren't quite as good as the ones they serve at Dinner. But you get a hilariously big portion, even on the cheapo menu.
Hawksmoor's take on Sticky Toffee pudding is still probably one of the finest traditional desserts being served in the British Isles. I was shocked at how airily light it was compared to the version I've been making at home, with the aid of their cookbook. Though I put pecans in mine, which evens the score. It's still impossible to finish due this to the miserly portion of clotted cream they give you.
Actually, it's also impossible to finish the STP because even the value menu leaves you fit to burst by the third course. That, and the Cornflake Milkshake I'd ordered is practically a dessert in liquid form. Horrendously calorific and utterly delicious. As you'll have read – it tastes exactly like the milk left at the bottom of a cereal bowl.
As a bonus, they brought us a plate of Salt Caramel Rolos because it was Danny's birthday. This was a double treat: 1. Because I thought you could only get these at Air Street. And ,2. We got some from there before Book of Mormon, but by the time we got round to eating them they'd melted.
Of course we were all far too full to eat more than a single bite. Danny, crippled half way through his Raspberry Eton Mess, handed his to the girl at the next table. Crisp snappy chocolate and magnificent gooey caramel. A childhood favourite made grown-up and wonderful. Y'know, the way Heston does with his childhood favourites (phew, back on-message).
In spite of its name and distinctly horror roots Frightfest encompasses a wider range of genre's than you'd think. Last year's big closing film, Tower Block, was a straight-up thriller. This year the festival ended with an Israeli black comedy about corrupt police.
But, even though it encompasses this broader range, the quality of any given Frightfest is dependent in large part to the films on release in any given year. 2012 had a fairly woeful selection. Mis-steps by the programme organisers can be partly to blame. You only need to look at this year's sell-out second screening of Willow Creek for proof of that.
– A spectacularly engaging four-hander that asks how far you'd be prepared to go if you were desperate for money. The performances and production are all the more astonishing when you consider this was shot over 14 days on a budget of just $100,000.
– Without question the biggest hit of the festival this year. A hilarious masterpiece, part Coen Brothers and part South Korean crime caper. More than worthy of being the final film to be shown on the screen of Empire 1 before they tear it down to build an IMAX.
– Found footage movies get a lot of bad press. But I am a huge fan of them. This is a perfectly executed example of the format. No cheesy reveals, plus a fun balance of mystery and scares. Ted Levine's Hunter S Thompson impersonation is a scenery-chewing joy.
Oh, and yeah. For a people who famously put vinegar on pies and chips on pizza these Londoners seem to be able to eat out to a pretty high standard nowadays.
This year the ones we didn't have time for were: Pitt Cue Co in Soho, Peking Duck at Four Seasons on Gerrard St, the Short Rib French Dip at Hawksmoor Air Street bar, Bahn Mi 11.
Not to worry, there's always the Frightfest All-Nighter in October. Now go to ChinChin Labs.
Would you have visited any of these places in London, or do you have any recommendations of places close to Leicster Square we should have tried instead? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Sounds like you had a fab time. You eat out in London far more than I do. And I'm there every day of the week! Think I might take a stroll to Chinchin – I'd dismissed them as a gimmick, like one of those shopping centre stands where you can pointlessly add any chocolate bar you like to a bland milkshake.
Hey Gary! 🙂 I'm well behind on my posting / replies / comments. I applaud you for making it through this one. I sat down ten days ago to do a "quick" write up.
It was a brief but marvellously gluttonous time. I'm not in London half as much as I'd like to be, which is probably a good thing given how broke I'd be. And it's a source of personal humiliation that I still haven't eaten at Bahn Mi 11 despite years of trying.
Everything they do at ChinChin Labs is beyond excellent. It's just my personal opinion, but I'm genuinely not exaggerating when I say I think they're worth the trip to London. If you make it to Camden then an Honest Burger and ChinChin dessert would be a splendid way to spend an hour and £12.95 (no extra toppings, tap water only).
I'm a frequent Frightfest tourist from Germany and I love your mixture of meal and film mini-reviews!
I've often been wondering if it's really necessary that I eat bad pizza slices or packaged sandwiches from Tesco in between horror flicks.
For this year (this week in fact!) I've put on my agenda…. guess what… Chinchinlabs and also the Balthazar Boulangerie from your report.
Are you going to Frightfest this week, too? What are your latest meal-testing plans?
Thank you so much for taking the time to read up on our eating and horror movie viewing adventures! It's a genuine pleasure to be read by a fellow horror fan.
Hugely pleased you'll be checking out ChinChin Labs, we really do make a point of going whenever we can during the festival. In fact my train gets in at about 3pm Thursday. I'm planning on checking in immediately and being in Camden no later than 4! ChinChin is literally our first order of business.
I tried to put in a good bit of research this year and there's TONS of places nearby that are worth checking out (and had some great advice via twitter). Soho has lots of places worth investigating (for food!) and most are less than 5 minutes walk.
Close by there's Burger & Lobster, Honest Burger Soho, Pitt Cue and Wahaca (though the last two may involve queueing). Burger and Lobster is kinda pricey but you can be in, fed, paid and back in your seat in the Vue within the space of 40 minutes I reckon.
Shoryu and a place called Flesh and Buns are a slightly further walk away, but both have deals on at the moment. At around £15 they're not cheap but the quality is incredible. A slightly further walk up to Covent Garden will also get you into Mishkin's, a New York deli-style place. Oh, and for a cheap and touristy experience you've got Jamie Oliver's Diner round the corner past Trocadero (a good sight-seeing walk and only 5 minutes away).
And, for the true London experience, you could get up very early on Saturday morning and catch the bus to Bermondsey and the St John Bakery in an archway on Druid Street for their world-famous doughnuts and Eccles cakes. I did that in 2012, but it's a lot of hassle, so this year I'm just gonna go round the corner from Leicester Square to Fortnum & Mason, where they apparently sell the exact same doughnuts without a 90-minute round trip. I'll probably grab a few Saturday morning and pile them into my face while watching Starry Eyes. Then off to Camden to watch my mates get plastered, have another ice cream and then ditch their all-day booze-up to be back in time for Babadook!
Wow…. what a load of extra recommendations! I think if I try all that, I won't watch a single horror film and afterwards, the airline will refuse to carry me home.
Concerning eating slots and film skipping I sadly have to wait until I finally get my day passes. We've not been able to get a festival pass on their sh…. booking site, so we ended up with 4 day passes which don't say which screens we'll be in. Annoying. But we'll make room somehow, especially for Chinchinlabs, because you advertised it so vigorously. Will tell you about our experiences afterwards.


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NEWS: When teenager (now 18) Autumn Sky Wolfe was diagnosed with autism, the last thing on her mind was a singing career. Yet she now has an EP on iTunes, has been nominated by New Music Weekly magazine as "Best New Adult Contemporary Artist," as well as "Crossover Artist of the Year," and she's working with talent agency Starmaker Machinery in Los Angeles.
NEON DRIVE Expansion for MASCHINE with 80s-inspired sounds announced by Native Instruments
NEWS: Native Instruments today introduced NEON DRIVE – a new MASCHINE Expansion providing a "collection of tailored 80s-inspired sounds for producers working in contemporary pop, electronic, and R&B styles," according to the company.
Arturia's KeyLab 88, its new 88 key flagship virtual instrument keyboard controller now shipping
NEWS: Arturia today announced availability of its new KeyLab 88 — its top-of-the-range, professional-grade, 88-note hammer-action hybrid MIDI keyboard controller that comes complete with Arturia's acclaimed Analog Lab software synthesizer solution and more besides — as of February 24, 2015.
Canadian Producer Chris Noxx Lands record with Legendary Mogul Dr Dre
NEWS: Quietly over the last decade, Nova Scotia native Chris Noxx has been building his resume. As a producer, composer and arranger he started making trips to and from his hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia and Music hub Los Angeles, California.
Ohio's Trebius Promotions Announces New Membership with Americana Music Association
TIPP CITY, Ohio, — With a shared goal of lifting up the works of today's musicians and singer-songwriters, Trebius Promotions announces their new membership with the Americana Music Association.
At NAMM 2015, Music Computing updates world's most powerful keyboard production station, offers touchscreens with MacOS X multi-touch
Music Computing today announced updates for its "world's most powerful keyboard production station" and now offers touchscreens with MacOS X multi-touch gestures. Expanding on its goal to great super-instruments by incorporating the best products available into its core platform, Music Computing is releasing the following the following new products: STUDIO BLADE: The StudioBLADE 5 is […]
ATC launches SCM45A Pro high-performance three-way compact active loudspeaker system
At NAMM 2015 in Anaheim: U.K.-based specialist British loudspeaker drive unit and complete sound reproduction system manufacturer ATC (Acoustic Transducer Company) today announced the launch of its SCM45A Pro — an all-new high-performance, three-way compact active loudspeaker. The SCM45A Pro is a completely new design, yet shares many features with its smaller sibling, the highly-successful […]
Music of Claude Bolling and Others Performed by the Pit Stop Players
NEWS: The Pit Stop Players, a fourteen-member instrumental ensemble composed of veteran Broadway pit musicians, will present 'Bolling Night,' an evening of music by the legendary Claude Bolling, plus pieces by other composers who combine jazz and classical idioms. The event will take place Monday, February 9, 2015, at 7:30 p.m., at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, New York City.
New PodTrans and PhoneTrans Are Free on Mac – Manage iPhone Content and iPod Music without iTunes
NEWS: iMobie Inc., an innovative Apple related software developer, today announced the updates of its widely-praised products PhoneTrans and PodTrans; the world-first free iPhone content and iPod music management software on Mac and Windows computers, which also break the rule of no way to transfer iPhone, iPod music back to computer.
Korg USA to Distribute Dean Markley Products
Korg USA today announced they will be the exclusive U.S. distributor of Dean Markley's exceptional line of guitar strings, pickups, picks and polishing accessories. Dean Markey joins Korg's family of elite brands and this partnership is in line with Korg's strategic plan to provide dealers with a full spectrum of quality products at various price […]
Is This New Indie Music Band Dissing Taylor Swift on Her Tumultuous Love Life?
Mamiboys, an International performing indie band on the M-Boyz Recordz label, has recorded a new single, which by all intent is a jab on Taylor Swift's music career and personal love life. Although the indie band does not explicitly mention Taylor Swift by name, there are insinuations in the Mamiboys' 'Not Another Breakup Sh*t' that cannot be ignored, according to the band.
Atlanta-based Valiant Horizon Announces KlangKellerZeit as the Latest EDM Artist to Join its Roster
Valiant Horizon this week announced that KlangKellerZeit is a new artist on the label roster. With a DJ background in addition to his producer role, he brings more excitement to the Valiant Horizon family with a deep house and dark techno sound that helps the label continue pioneering unique trends in the electronica space.
Humpty Dumpty Sat on the Wall, Almost – Digital Underground Releases 'Berlin Wall' Footage from New Documentary
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Nov. 14, 2014 (MuseWire) — Not many music acts have a 25th anniversary that coincides with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Digital Underground has released a snippet from their upcoming documentary 'D.U. Days: Adventures in Digital Underground the Apprenticeship of Tupac Shakur,' which details original founder and D.U. member, Chopmaster J's encounter in Berlin.
At 15th Anniversary Keynote, Arturia President Frédéric Brun announces company will roll out new line of innovative audio interfaces in 2015
According to a news announcement today, Arturia President Frédéric Brun bowled over an audience of invited industry insiders and VIP guests when making the astounding announcement during his captivating keynote speech at the Museum of Grenoble as part of the company's 15th anniversary celebrations on October 3, 2014. Here he touched upon several problems pertaining […]
Vox Introduces MINI5 Rhythm a new portable modeling amp with built-in rhythm patterns
Vox, whose AC30 amp was instrumental in the British invasion, introduces the MINI5 Rhythm, a new portable modeling amp with built-in rhythm patterns. Now available in ivory, the MINI5 Rhythm IV is a portable, light-weight, battery powered amp with built-in rhythm functionality. It has been accepted as an industry standard in mini amps. Specifications Amp […]
KORG updates its big workstation, the New KRONOS
KORG USA introduces the new KRONOS, the most powerful version of its flagship keyboard Music Workstation to date; it was announced by James Sajeva, Brand Manager for Korg products at KORG USA. "The new Kronos features the unrivaled 9-engine structure from previous versions, with numerous improvements to both sound capability and overall functionality. Truly, this […]
KORG Introduces volca sample; Addition to popular volca Series Features
KORG USA Introduces the volca sample, the next entry in the company's acclaimed series of volca products. "volca sample starts with the fun and easy-to-use workflow and layout of the original true-analog trio of volca products, and shifts to internal and user-importable samples for music creation," says James Sajeva, Brand Manager for Korg products. "volca […]
KORG announces LP-380 digital piano now available in a 73 key model
KORG's popular LP-380 digital piano with its refined sound and weighted keys, is now joined by a 73 key model, it was announced today. The new model is even more compact, occupying 22 cm less horizontally than the 88 key model, and has the same 73 key range as classic electric pianos. With the same […]
KORG Introduces Module for iPad and iOS8; New High Quality Mobile Sound Module
KORG USA, a leading global manufacturer of electronic musical equipment and accessories and a forerunner in mobile musical apps, announces the Module for iPad, a high quality mobile sound module that offers a new style of performance and production. Ideal for performance and music production and integrating iOS technology, the KORG Module is a high-quality […]
Arturia appoints Ralph Goldheim as President, U.S. Operations in California
Music software and hardware company Arturia today announced the appointment of former Focusrite-Novation Director, U.S. Sales Ralph Goldheim to the newly-created position of President, U.S. Operations as part of its ongoing expansion strategy as of November 12, 2014. In recent years Arturia has experienced unprecedented growth, rising through the company ranks to become a seriously […]
Pop-Acoustic Artist Mic Tunez Announces Debut CD 'Simplified'
HOUSTON, Texas, Nov. 5, 2014 (MuseWire) — Pop Artist Mic Tunez (pronounced Mike Tunes) announces the debut of his first acoustic album, released on September 21, 2014. The 'Simplified' project was recorded in the world-class Wire Road Studios where other renowned music artists record such as Grammy Award Winner Beyonce', India Arie and Wiz Khalifa.
SuperFly Magazine Publisher Launches New Book that Gives Untold Story of Hip-Hop Legacy
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 29, 2014 (MuseWire) — 'SuperFly – My Untold Story of Hip-Hop' (ISBN: 978-0991356010), authored by Gloria Goldwater, pulls back the curtain on how the popular hip-hop magazine, SuperFly, that launched in the early 90s, came to be and why it ultimately folded.
Larkin McLean's Fourth Album 'Ladybug' Reveals Her Distinctive Hybrid of Audio-Erotica
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 27, 2014 (MuseWire) — Larkin McLean got her start sitting in at jazz clubs, taking piano lessons from Sarah Vaughan's accompanist George Gaffney, and studying Flamenco dance. You can hear it woven eloquently throughout her new record, 'Ladybug.' A follow-up to the well-received 'If You're a Wild Girl, Say Aye,' McLean first hit the scene with her self-titled album.
Co-Founder Clay Aiken to perform at National Inclusion Project Champions Gala in Raleigh, NC
RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 12, 2014 (MuseWire) — The National Inclusion Project and Co-founders Clay Aiken and Diane Bubel are proud to announce the Magic of a Smile Champions Gala to be held September 20 in Raleigh, N.C. celebrating Champions of Inclusion and ensuring that no child sits on the sidelines.
Fifth Annual Magdelena Bash Arizona Wine Harvest and Music Festival Scheduled for August 23 at Kief-Joshua Vineyards
TUCSON, Ariz., Aug. 1, 2014 (MuseWire) — In celebration of this year's harvest, Kief-Joshua Vineyards will host the Magdelena Bash Harvest festival on August 23, 2014, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Easeusapp Launches PhonTunes for iOS to Deliver New YouTube Music Videos Experience to Music Fans
NEW YORK, N.Y., July 30, 2014 (MuseWire) — Easeusapp, the pioneer provider of mobile app and games announced that the new YouTube music videos browse and play iOS app-PhonTunes for iOS now is available worldwide. PhonTunes for iOS aims to deliver high quality YouTube Music videos streams to music fans, thus can bring new way of enjoying music videos.
Streichfett String Synthesizer now shipping from Waldorf
Waldorf's new small footprint string synthesizer, which was previewed at the Musicmesse 2014 in Germany, is now available and shipping to music instrument retailers. According to Waldorf, "the Streichfett String Synthesizer is successfully bringing back to life the extinct string synthesizer sounds of yesteryear with a modern-day musical twist." From the news announcement: Back in […]
Breaking Down Musical Borders: John Dellroy Band Mixes Genres and Crosses Countries
LOS ANGELES, Calif., July 1, 2014 (MuseWire) — When the John Dellroy Band cranks it up on stage, audiences are treated to a melodic onslaught. 'We rock, but with folk and electronic influences, and the melodies are designed to let you hum along immediately and even sing with us after you hear the hook just a couple of times,' states lead vocalist John Dellroy.
Truckloads of Soul (Aspects of The Blues)
John Scott G
ADSP Chapter 25: God can be found inside many things: The sun, moon, and stars; a child's simple wisdom; a lover's kiss. And at one nightclub on one sultry summer evening in Southern California, god was in the fingers of Derek Trucks.
Stone Solid Hooks (Reflections on Da Blooze)
ADSP Chapter 24: The blues will never die. Here's one reason: Audiences have a visceral response to the music, even if it's done merely adequately. And when it's done well, the audience reaction can be amazing. Either way, when somebody is playin' da blooze it means that guys will be drinking and girls will be dancing. In other words, a good time will be had by all.
What Likely Happened to the Royalties from 'Sugar Man'
David Kronemyer
The 2012 movie "Searching for Sugar Man" belatedly made a minor star out of the musician Sixto Diaz Rodriguez. Its basic premise is that somehow his records became hits in South Africa but everybody thought he was dead, so they went looking for him. In fact, he was alive all along in Detroit, pursuing a modest career as a day laborer. Rodriguez was signed to the independent label Sussex Records.
A Musical High from Verheyen – studio great Carl Verheyen consistently wows the crowds
ADSP Chapter 23: When hired guns go solo, the results can be "meh" or "yowza," but studio great Carl Verheyen ("ver-HIGH-un") consistently wows the crowds. Los Angeles is full of guitar aces for hire and one of the best has a name you can't pronounce. You have heard quite a lot of the work of Carl Verheyen even though you may not be aware of it.