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Annual Work Plans
OIG Hotline/Contact Us
OIG Job Vacancies & Internships
OIG Press Releases
What's New Archive
Whistleblower Protection Ombudsman
Report Waste, Fraud & Abuse
1- 888-OIG-EXIM (1-888-644-3946)
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To learn more on how to detect fraudulent export deals, see Red Flags for EXIM Transactions (OIG-Ex-Im-Red-Flags-of-Fraud-Checklist.pdf).
Evaluation of EXIM's Portfolio Risk Management Procedures and CRO Responsibilities (OIG-EV-23-03)
Semiannual Report to Congress
Semiannual Report to Congress (Apr 1, 2022 - Sep 30, 2022)
Audit of Export-Import Bank of the United States' Fiscal Year 2022 Financial Statements (OIG-AR-23-02)
Review of EXIM's Default Rate Management Practices (OIG-EV-23-01)
Special Report - September 30, 2022
Fiscal Year 2022 Major Management Challenges (OIG-O-22-01)
Audit of EXIM's Implementation of Key Provisions of the 2019 Reauthorization Act and Other Priorities (OIG-AR-22-08)
Audit of EXIM's Approach for Determining Additionality (OIG-AR-22-07)
Audit of EXIM's Contracting Process for Awarding Task Orders Under OASIS SB (OIG-AR-22-06)
Inspections and Evaluations Peer Review
External Peer Review Report on the Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General Inspection and Evaluation Organization
Independent Auditors' Report on EXIM's Compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 for FY 2021 (OIG-AR-22-05)
OIG Semiannual Report to Congress (Oct 1, 2021 - Mar 31, 2022)
FY 2023 EXIM OIG Congressional Budget Justification
Independent Audit on the Effectiveness of EXIM's Information Security Program and Practices – Fiscal Year 2021 (OIG-AR-22-04)*
OIG Semiannual Report (Apr 1, 2021 - Sep 30, 2021)
Fiscal Year 2021 Financial Statements Audit Management Letter (OIG-AR-22-03)*
Audit of the Export-Import Bank of the United States Fiscal Year 2021 Financial Statements (OIG-AR-22-02)
Final - Independent Auditors Report EXIM DATA Act Submission (OIG-AR-22-01)
Final Memo EXIM Purchase Card Risk Assessment (OIG-O-21-02)
EXIM OIG's Plan for Orderly Shutdown in the Event of Lapse of Operations
*Redacted Final Report - Audit of EXIM's Cybersecurity Program* (OIG-AR-05)
Audit Peer Review – June 29, 2021
External Peer Review Report on the Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General Audit Organization
June 1, 2021 - FY 2022 EXIM OIG Congressional Budget Justification
April 22, 2021 – Independent Auditors' Report on EXIM's Compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 for FY 2020 (OIG-AR-21-04)
February 4, 2021 – Independent Audit of EXIM's Information Security Program and Practices Effectiveness for FY 2020 (OIG-AR-21-03)*
Special Report – November 24, 2020
Final Purchase Card Risk Assessment Memorandum (OIG-O-21-01)
OIG Semiannual Report to Congress (April 1, 2020 - Sept 30, 2020)
November 13, 2020 – Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Statements Audit Management Letter (OIG-AR-21-02)*
November 13, 2020 – Audit of the Export-Import Bank of the United States Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Statements (OIG-AR-21-01)
September 30, 2020 - Audit of EXIM's Suspension and Debarment Program (OIG-AR-20-06)
OIG Semiannual Report (Oct 1, 2019 – Mar 31, 2020)
May 11, 2020 - Independent Auditors' Report on EXIM's FY 2019 Payment Integrity Annual Reporting Compliance with Improper Payment Laws (OIG-AR-20-05)
February 10, 2020 - FY 2021 Congressional Budget Justification
January 13, 2020 - Independent Audit of EXIM's Information Security Program Effectiveness for Fiscal Year 2019 (OIG-AR-20-04)*
December 2, 2019 - Evaluation of EXIM's Portfolio Risk Management Procedures and CRO Responsibilities (OIG-EV-20-01)
OIG Semiannual Report (Apr 1, 2019 – Sep 30, 2019)
November 14, 2019 - Fiscal Year 2019 Financial Statements Audit Management Letter (OIG-AR-20-03)*
November 13, 2019 - Audit of the Export-Import Bank of the United States Fiscal Year 2019 Financial Statements (OIG-AR-20-02)
November 8, 2019 - Independent Auditors' Report on EXIM's DATA Act Submission (OIG-AR-20-01)
September 19, 2019 - Final Purchase Card Risk Assessment Memorandum (OIG-O-19-02)
August 1, 2019 - EXIM OIG's Plan for Orderly Shutdown in the Event of Lapse in Appropriations
June 19, 2019 - Evaluation of EXIM's Credit Loss Factor Model and Loss Reserve Process (OIG-EV-19-03)*
OIG Semiannual Report (October 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019)
Special Report - May 23, 2019 - EXIM's Implementation of Key Provisions of the 2015 Reform and Reauthorization Act (OIG-O-19-01)
March 15, 2019 - Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General FY 2020 Congressional Budget Justification
March 15, 2019 - CIGIE Women In Leadership Forum
March 13, 2019 - Independent Audit of EXIM's Information Security Program Effectiveness for FY 2018 (OIG-AR-19-03)*
Plan for Orderly Termination of EXIM Office of the Inspector General Operations in the Event of Failure to Enact Regular Appropriations or a Continuing Resolution December 18, 2018
Evaluation Report – November 27, 2018
Evaluation of EXIM's Small Business Strategy (OIG-EV-19-02)*
Evaluation of EXIM's Additionality Policy and Procedures (OIG-EV-19-01)*
Audit Report – November 15, 2018
Audit Report – September 26, 2018
Audit of the EXIM's Medium-Term Early Problem Credits (OIG-AR-18-06)*
Inspection Report – September 26, 2018
Inspection of EXIM's 2014 Transaction with Kenya Airways (OIG-INS-18-01)*
Special Report – September 26, 2018
Risk Assessment of EXIM's Purchase Card Program
Inspections and Evaluations Peer Review – September 25, 2018
Audit Report – May, 2018
Independent Auditors' Report on EXIM's FY 2017 Payment Integrity Annual Reporting Compliance with Improper Payment (OIG-AR-18-05)
Audit Report – March 8, 2018
Independent Audit of EXIM's Information Security Program Effectiveness for FY 2017 (OIG-AR-18-04)
Audit Report – February 26, 2018
Fiscal Year 2017 Financial Statement Audit Management Letter
Operations Plan – January 19, 2018
Operations Plan in the Absence of Current Year Appropriation – January 19, 2018
Audit Report – December 14, 2017
Audit of the Export-Import Bank of the United States Fiscal Year 2017 Financial Statements
Audit Report – November 8, 2017
Independent Auditors Report on EXIM's DATA Act Submission
Evaluation Report – Sept 29, 2017
Report on EXIM's Local Cost Policy and Procedures
Special Report – Sept 29, 2017
Risk Assessment of EXIM's Purchase Card Program
Audit Report – Sept 29, 2017
Audit of EXIM's Disbursement Processes
Investigations Peer Review – Sep 11, 2017
Report on the Quality Assessment Review of the Investigative Operations of the Office of Inspector General for the Export-Import Bank of the U.S.
Audit Peer Review – Sep 8, 2017
Evaluation Report - Aug 30, 2017
Report on Transportation Portfolio Management Division's Risk Rating Process
Press Release – August 28, 2017
Lima man charged with falsely overstating assets to bank
OIG Semiannual Report (Oct 1, 2016 - Mar 31, 2017)
Evaluation Report - May 11, 2017
Report on EXIM's Compliance with the Improper Payments Laws for Fiscal Year 2016 Reporting
Evaluation Report - Mar 30, 2017
Report on EXIM's Credit Guarantee Facility Program
Report on EXIM's Activities in Preparation for and During its Lapse in Authorization
Audit Report - Mar 15, 2017
Independent Audit of EXIM's Information Security Program for Fiscal Year 2016
Audit Report - Mar 6, 2017
Fiscal Year 2016 - Financial Statement Audit - Management Letter
Evaluation Report - Dec 2, 2016
Evaluation of Risk Management Procedures and Chief Risk Officer Responsibilities
Ex-Im Bank Office of Inspector General
Promotes economy, efficiency and effectiveness in Ex-Im Bank programs and supporting operations;
Conducts and supervises audits, investigations, inspections and reviews relating to Ex-Im Bank's export credit insurance, guaranty and loan programs and supporting operations;
Detects and prevents fraud, waste and abuse;
Reviews existing and proposed legislation and regulations and makes appropriate recommendations; and
Keeps the Chairman and Congress informed of serious problems and recommends corrective actions and implementation measures.
The OIG also carries out other significant statutory responsibilities and Government-wide mandates in areas such as management, financial reporting, information security and privacy. The Ex-Im Bank Inspector General is a member of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE).
Inspector General (IG) Act Overview
In brief, the IG Act of 1978 grants the OIG administrative authority to:
Receive full access to all records and materials available to Ex-Im Bank;
Determine which audits, investigations, inspections and reviews are necessary and issue appropriate reports;
Issue subpoenas for non-Federal records and take oaths;
Receive complaints and reports of fraud, waste and abuse from employees and the public, protect confidentiality of sources and, when necessary, refer matters to the United States Attorney General;
Hire employees, experts and consultants and procure necessary equipment and services;
Obtain assistance from other agencies, including Federal, State and local governments;
Communicate directly with Congress;
Deliver semiannual reports to Congress reporting on the activities of the OIG, including the response of management to recommendations made by the OIG and
Enter into contracts.
Other Authority
The Government Corporations Control Act of 1990 provides that the financial statements of Ex-Im Bank, as a government corporation, shall be audited by the Inspector General or by an independent external auditor, as determined by the Inspector General.
The Inspector General is appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability. The Inspector General may only be removed by the President, who is required to provide notice to Congress. The Inspector General is under the general supervision of the Chairman, but that authority applies only to general matters of administration and does not include authority for the Chairman or any other officer, director or employee of Ex-Im Bank to supervise or interfere in any audit, investigation or oversight matter undertaken by the OIG. The OIG budget is submitted by the OIG independently from that of Ex-Im Bank and is subject to separate appropriation by Congress.
The complexity of the management and policy issues facing Ex-Im Bank will sometimes result in disagreement between the OIG and management regarding the extent of a problem and the nature of recommended corrective actions. In these instances, the OIG will seek to maintain a productive and professional relationship with Ex-Im Bank's management and to continue to work effectively to address the challenges facing Ex-Im Bank.
OIG System of Record Notice (SORN)
The information in the system of records will be used by the Ex-Im Bank OIG to conduct criminal, civil, and administrative investigations, and will contain identifying information about potential subjects, sources, and other individuals related to these investigations.
OIG Investigative Processes System of Records Notice
Privacy Impact Statement: Ex-Im Bank Office of Inspector General Information System (IGIS):
Privacy Impact Statement for the OIG Investigative Process
RELEVANT REFERENCES
The IG Act of 1978
IG FAQ's
Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE)
The IG Story


Can we know that God exists by reason alone? What are some of the main pathways for reaching God's existence? Can conscience and human freedom be paths to a personal God who loves us? These are some of the questions discussed in this summary of Catholic teaching.
Despite the great diversity that we see among the arts, philosophy and literature of various cultures, all cultures come together in their reflection on God and on the central themes of human existence: life and death, good and evil, our ultimate end, the meaning of all things.  Since these manifestations of the human spirit have been present throughout history, we can say that reference to God belongs to human culture and constitutes an essential dimension of society and man. Hence, religious freedom is the first human right, and the search for God is the first human duty. All human beings are "impelled by nature and also bound by a moral obligation . . . to adhere to the truth, once it is known, and to order their whole lives in accord with the demands of truth."  The denial of God and the intent to exclude him from culture, society and political life are relatively recent phenomena, limited to some areas of the Western world. The fact that the great religious and existential questions remain unchanged over time  refutes the idea that religion belongs to an "infantile" phase of human history, destined to disappear with the progress of science.
These ways that lead to the existence of God are called "proofs," but not in the sense that mathematics and natural science give to this term. Rather, they are called proofs because they are converging and convincing philosophical arguments that a person understands with greater or lesser depth depending on his or her specific formation (cf. CCC 31). That these proofs cannot be understood in the same way as the proofs used in experimental science is clearly seen from the fact that God is not an object of our empirical sense knowledge.
Depending on the particular philosophical approach used, each path to God's existence leads us to discover only one particular aspect or dimension of the absolute reality that is God. "Starting from movement, becoming, contingency and the world's order and beauty, one can come to a knowledge of God as the origin and the end of the universe" (CCC 32). The richness and incommensurability of God are such that no one of these ways by itself can reach a complete picture of God. Each reaches only a certain facet: his existence, his intelligence, his providence, etc.
Among the so-called cosmological ways, some of the best known are the famous "five ways" elaborated by St. Thomas Aquinas, who gathered together the philosophical reflections of the thinkers who had preceded him. In order to understand these ways one must be familiar with certain elements of metaphysics.  The first two ways are based on the idea of chains of causes that we observe in nature (seen in the movement from potency to actuality and in the movement from an efficient cause to its effect). Such chains of causes cannot go back infinitely but must arrive at a first mover and a first cause. The third way begins with the observation of contingency and limitation in natural beings and goes on to deduce that their cause must be a Being that is unconditioned and necessary. The fourth way focuses on the degrees of participated perfection that we find in things, and reaches the existence of a single infinite source of all these finite perfections. The fifth way observes the order and finality present in the world, a consequence of the stability of its laws, and goes on to reach the existence of an intelligence that orders all things and is their final cause.
We can also reach knowledge of God through common sense, that is, through the spontaneous philosophical knowledge that is proper to every human being and arises from ordinary human experience: our wonder at the beauty and order of nature, our gratitude for the free gift of life, our grasp of the foundation of the goodness of things and of the reason for love. This type of knowledge is also important for grasping the subject to which the philosophical proofs for the existence of God refer. St. Thomas, for example, concludes each of his five ways with the same affirmation: "This is what everyone calls God," implying that we already have an idea of who God is.
Likewise, the testimony of Sacred Scripture (e.g., Wisdom 13:1-9; Romans 1:18-20; Acts 17: 22-27) and the teachings of the Church's Magisterium confirm that the human intellect, beginning from the knowledge of creatures, can reach knowledge of God the Creator (cf. CCC 36-38).  Also, both Scripture and the Magisterium point out that sin and twisted moral dispositions can make it more difficult to attain this knowledge.
Man recognizes his uniqueness and preeminence with regard to the rest of nature. Although biologically he has much in common with other species of animals, he also recognizes that in many crucial ways he is unique. He is able to reflect on himself and on his experience; he is capable of cultural and technological progress; he perceives the morality of his action. Because he possesses intellect and will, and above all because he enjoys freedom, he transcends the rest of the material cosmos.  Briefly put, the human person is the subject of a spiritual life that transcends matter, although he continues to depend upon matter (his body).  Right from the beginning, the culture and religious spirit of all peoples have explained this transcendence by affirming that the human person depends on God and that human life reflects God. Judeo-Christian revelation, in keeping with what reason shows, teaches that all men and women have been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26-28).
Actually, the human person himself constitutes a path to God, for there are ways that lead to God beginning with one's own experience: "With his openness to truth and beauty, his sense of moral goodness, his freedom and the voice of his conscience, with his longings for the infinite and for happiness, man questions himself about God's existence. In all this he discerns signs of his spiritual soul" (CCC 33).
Our moral conscience approves the good and censures the evil we do or might want to do. It leads us to recognize a Supreme Good to which we must conform, and our conscience is, as it were, his messenger. Beginning with this experience of the human conscience—and even without knowing biblical revelation—many wise thinkers from ancient times reflected on the ethical dimension of human acts. In fact, every person is capable of such reflection insofar as he or she has been created in God's image.
In our times the truth of human freedom is often denied. The human person is reduced to being little more than a highly developed animal, one whose acts are governed by necessary impulses. Some claim that the person's spiritual life (mind, conscience, soul) resides in the brain and in purely material neurophysiological processes which function according to necessary laws. Hence, they deny freedom and morality. These views can be countered with arguments based on reason and human phenomenology that show the transcendence of the person, the exercise of free-will even in choices conditioned by nature, and the impossibility of reducing the mind to the brain.
There are also many people who think that the presence of evil and injustice in the world are a proof for the non-existence of God, because if he did exist he would not allow evil. In reality even this uneasiness and this question are also "ways" to God. For we perceive evil and injustice as privations, as painful situations that ought not to exist, that clamor for a goodness and justice to which we aspire. If human beings, at the basic level of their natural structure, were not oriented toward the good, they would not be upset by the harm to the good and the privations that constitute evil.
The natural desires for the truth, the good, and happiness are signs of a natural human desire to see God. If such aspirations were frustrated, man would always be left unfulfilled, since these constitute the nucleus of a person's spiritual life and dignity. Their existence in the depths of our heart points to the existence of a Creator who calls us to himself through hope in him. If the "cosmological" ways do not give assurance of the possibility of reaching God as a personal being, the "anthropological" ways that begin with man and his natural desires allow us to see that the God we depend upon must be a person capable of love, a personal being who cares for his creatures.
The denial of God: the causes of atheism.
Positive atheism often results from the notion that to accept God implies a limitation on man: if God exists, then we are not free and we do not enjoy full autonomy here on earth. This way of looking at things fails to consider that a creature's freedom and autonomy flow from that creature's dependence on God.  In fact, the truth is just the opposite. As history has shown, particularly in our times, when one denies God one ends up denying man and his transcendent dignity as well.
Others deny God because they think that religion, especially Christianity, is the fruit of ignorance and superstition and that it represents an obstacle to human progress. We can respond to this objection on historical grounds, for it is possible to show the positive influence of Christian revelation on the concept of the human person and human rights, and also on the origin and progress of science. The Catholic Church in fact has always considered ignorance (rightly) as an obstacle to the true faith. In general, those who deny God to affirm the perfection and the progress of humanity do so in order to defend a this-worldly view of historical progress that denies man's fulfillment in the world to come. The ends they propose are a political utopia or a purely material well-being incapable of fully satisfying the deeper desires of the human heart.
Today religious indifferentism is the principle manifestation of unbelief, and as such it has received increased attention from the Church's Magisterium. The topic of God is not taken seriously or simply ignored because in practice it is suffocated by a life devoted to material goods. Religious indifferentism coexists with a certain empathy for the sacred and even for the pseudo-religious, but without any moral considerations, as if they were simply consumer goods. Maintaining a position of religious indifferentism for a long time requires continuous distractions in order to avoid facing the more important problems in life. It takes an effort to keep questions like the meaning of life and death or the moral value of one's actions out of one's daily life and out of one's conscience. But in every person's life there come "pivotal" events (falling in love, becoming a father or a mother, unexpected deaths, joys and sorrows, etc.) and one simply cannot maintain a position of religious "indifferentism" throughout life. At some point all men and women have to ask themselves about God. When these significant events occur in peoples' lives, one needs to help them to take seriously the search for God and the reality of his existence.
Religious pluralism: there is only one true God and he has revealed himself in Jesus Christ.
The religious spirit in man, which when it is authentic leads to recognizing the one true God, has manifested itself and found expression in the history and in the culture of many peoples in different ways. It has manifested itself in diverse ideas about the divinity and in the worship of different images. The world religions that reveal man's sincere quest for God and value the transcendent dignity of man must be respected. The Catholic Church considers that there is present in them a "spark" or a participation in the divine Truth.  In studying the various religions, however, proper distinctions must be made. One must recognize the presence of superstitions and ignorance, of forms of irrationality, and of practices not in accord with the freedom and dignity of the human person.
 "Transcending all the differences which distinguish individuals and peoples, there is a fundamental commonality. For different cultures are but different ways of facing the question of the meaning of personal existence. And it is precisely here that we find one source of the respect, which is due to every culture and every nation: every culture is an effort to ponder the mystery of the world and in particular of the human person: it is a way of giving expression to the transcendent dimension of human life. The heart of every culture is its approach to the greatest of all mysteries: the mystery of God." John Paul II, Address to the United Nations, New York, 5 October 1995, no. 9.
 Cf. John Paul II, Tertio millennio adveniente , 10 November 1994, 6; Enc.Fides et ratio , 2.
 "We have learned with gratitude, because it makes us realize the happiness we are being called to, that all creatures have been created out of nothing by God and for God: both men, who are rational creatures, although we so often act unreasonably, and the irrational beings who roam the surface of the earth, or burrow in its inmost recesses, or sail the azure skies – some soaring so high that they come face to face with the sun. But in all this wonderful variety, it is only we men (I am not referring now to the angels) who can unite ourselves to the Creator by using our freedom. We are in a position to give him, or deny him, the glory that is his due as the Author of everything that exists." St. Josemaria, Friends of God , 24.
INVOKE, ACCEPT AND CELEBRATE GOD'S MERCY.


Griffith said Atticus hasn't reached normal milestones for his age. Despite nearing his third birthday, he doesn't speak words beyond "mama" or show interest in solid foods. He's had so much blood drawn for tests that he has a meltdown if he thinks they're in a doctor's office. She knows the problems can cascade into educational and behavioral challenges that last a lifetime.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers blood lead levels at 5 micrograms per deciliter or above to be elevated. Atticus tested at 12.9.
The Griffiths are among hundreds of families in their neighborhood who learned last December that nearly a third of kids tested there over a decade had elevated levels of lead in their blood. The CDC estimates that about 2.5 percent of kids nationwide have elevated levels. In the year after the well-publicized water crisis in Flint, Michigan, 5 percent of kids tested there had high blood lead levels.
The re-exposure of the lead problem happened last fall. A 2016 state study that analyzed a decade of lead testing finally broke the results down by census tract. Last September, St. Joseph County Health Officer Dr. Luis Galup recognized that he needed some help. State pressure to follow new CDC limits ― which lowered the threshold for case management from 10 micrograms per deciliter to 5 ― would likely identify more children than the county could handle.
A blood lead level (BLL) test, conducted with a finger-prick or blood draw, measures lead in blood in micrograms per deciliter (mg/dL).
<0 (mg/dL) Lead occurs naturally in the human body, with trace amounts found in blood even at birth. Still, the CDC says even the smallest levels of lead exposure can be unsafe for the developing brains of children.
1.0-1.3 (mg/dL) Average blood lead level among U.S. children ages 1-5.
5 (mg/dL) The CDC's updated threshold to consider a child's blood level elevated, which warrants close monitoring, reporting to parents or case management. An estimated half a million U.S. children likely reach this level.
10 (mg/dL) The CDC's previous threshold to require closer attention and public health action, such as inspection of the poisoned child's home to identify potential sources. This level can lead to problems like lower IQ and hyperactivity.
45 (mg/dL) This level of poisoning may require hospitalization and chelation drug treatment, which helps the body excrete lead.
<70 (mg/dL) If not treated, acute lead poisoning can cause seizures, coma and death.
In November, he turned to Notre Dame for assistance. Weeks later, the lead hit the fan when a nationwide Reuters story on lead poisoning informed the public exactly how many kids in the Near Northwest, where the Griffiths live, had tested at elevated levels.
Galup approached Heidi Beidinger, an expert in public health and assistant professor in Notre Dame's Eck Institute for Global Health, which seeks to address the causes of health inequities at home and around the world. Beidinger, who also serves on the county health board, joined the Eck Institute in 2015 after working as an educational consultant and for the CDC in Chicago in various leadership roles, developing an expertise in screening and treatment programs, STD/HIV and correctional healthcare.
Knowing how little money the county has to address the issue, Beidinger and colleague Lacey Ahern scrambled to plan a new Lead Exposure course for the 2017 spring semester. Their research would aim to identify the cause of the high lead levels and help guide the cash-strapped health department's response.
The first thing they learned is that the problem isn't new. Fifteen years ago, Notre Dame and local health and service officials created a Lead Alliance that generated more awareness, testing and resources related to lead poison.
The Housing Authority of South Bend acquired a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2006, and community sources provided $1 million in matching funding and services. The county used that money to renovate old homes, provide community outreach and increase lead testing. Nearly $4 million in additional funds boosted these efforts in 2012.
Much of the testing was done by the Women, Infants and Children program in South Bend – until the grant funding dried up last year and the free testing stopped. The county health department's portion of funding ran dry in May, and its nursing staff dedicated to the lead problem dwindled from 5 to 2, both of whom also have other duties. A 2016 application for more HUD funding was rejected.
In 2011, more than 3,000 children in St. Joseph County were tested for lead. In 2015 only about 650 kids were tested. Medicaid, the health program for people at poverty levels, requires kids to be screened at 12 and 24 months, but pediatricians don't always order the tests. Beidinger said there should be 10,000 tests a year to establish a baseline.
The second thing they found out is how many people were willing to help. Within days of sending an email, Beidinger said she had responses from 15 different disciplines on campus, ranging from chemists offering to do lab testing to engineers with new field testing equipment to community relations experts with medical and government contacts.
On the first day of class in late January, Ahern told the small class of undergraduate and graduate students that the goal of the course was to create an epidemiologic profile and hot spot map. Officials could use their data to argue that the county needs more resources to address its lead problem.
Their first step was to analyze the data to isolate the cause. Lead can come from one of four sources: water, paint, dust and soil. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg immediately said that extensive tests prove city water was not the source.
Old homes with peeling and deteriorating paint still present a risk of lead contamination even though the heavy metal was phased out of paint and gasoline in the late 1970s. All houses built before the ban could have lead-based paint that peels and chips, creates dust and drips into soil, but the risk is magnified in poorer areas where money for renovations is scarce.
The only reason South Bend officials learned about the problem in the Near Northwest is because a state epidemiologist did a census tract breakdown of risk areas and blood tests from 2005-15. Strangely, the state of Maine funded the study through a CDC program that pays for state-to-state partnerships. The report came out in May 2016, but Galup pointed out that the testing data may not be statistically representative.
Previously, state-level analysis ― if there was any ― had not identified the problem. A countywide average would not find the severe risks in certain neighborhoods. The Griffiths live in a census tract where 19 percent of kids tested had elevated blood levels ― mere blocks from the worst census tract in Indiana, where 178 out of 568 (31 percent) of kids tested exceeded the threshold.
That's one of the elements that bothers the Griffiths. If testing was being done and the data was out there, why did it take so long for the public to learn the results?
When Brittany and David bought the two-bedroom 1929 home for $32,000, no one warned them about the danger of lead in older homes. There wasn't any obvious chipped or peeling paint. Tests for radon and lead are recommended but not mandatory.
She was walking out the door after Atticus' 2-year-old checkup when the nurses told her to wait. They said his lead levels were high and he should be checked at the South Bend Medical Foundation. "It was kind of jaw-dropping," she said.
Griffith said she tried not to overreact even while researching the effects of lead poisoning in kids. The official diagnosis came back on January 7 and the family was put in case management because Atticus' levels doubled the CDC limits. The county tested the home and found high levels of lead around door frames, windows and the exterior siding. The interior porch siding registered as extremely dangerous.
County health officials taught the family how to mitigate the risks with changes in diet and cleaning. To offset lead absorption, they suggested high levels of iron and vitamin C. They provided a vacuum with a special filter to trap lead dust. Griffith began using wet wipes for dusting, Swiffers for mopping and keeping windows closed ― all methods to keep down dust. She began washing Atticus' hands hourly and his toys each week.
The family saved money for months to repaint the interior and cover the old paint. David took a new job so he could increase his hours to at least 11 a day. At a Near Northwest Neighborhood community meeting about lead in February, she spoke about her worries and frustrations.
The Griffiths pleaded to get the soil around their house tested and finally received the results in May. As expected, there are danger spots in the soil. It's another huge concern because, like many active toddlers, Atticus loves to play in the dirt and mud.
Brittany Griffith said she's scared to put her son in preschool because he can't tell the teachers what he needs. She and her husband decided they don't want to have another child until the lead issue is resolved.
Students in the Lead Exposure class studied the problem from many angles, including neurological impact, legal frameworks and environmental remediation. They learned how to conduct home lead tests and create digital maps showing home and neighborhood danger areas. They also gathered a decade of digital records on lead testing for the county. The database became a semester-long challenge because the 36,000 lines of information were entered inconsistently, requiring a major clean-up effort before analysis was possible.
Speakers from medical community, the former Lead Alliance and government provided historical and cutting-edge information. For instance, Dr. Gabriel Filippelli, an earth sciences professor and director of the Center for Urban Health at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, presented his research that dirt is often the main culprit in lead poisoning. When students performed practice tests on an abandoned house in June, they found high levels of lead in two dirt patches. The most common fix is to cover the dirt with mulch or grass.
Beidinger went to Indianapolis to talk with Gov. Eric Holcomb and state officials. A state senator from South Bend filed a bill to double the number of Medicaid-eligible children tested statewide, but the measure failed.
Still, Beidinger said the class quickly grew into one part of a growing coalition of government, nonprofit and health leaders working together to address the challenge. It adopted the name: Lead Affinity Group. The county board of health drafted a 10-item action list, including investigating health problems, mobilizing county partnerships and linking people to health services.
Dr. Dale Patterson, medical director of the E. Blair Warner Family Medicine Center at Memorial Hospital, said the medical community could do a better job on the lead issue by pushing pediatricians to screen kids more regularly. That's why he invited the Lead Exposure class to share their research with a group of about two dozen practicing doctors at Memorial on April 21.
The next day, dozens of Notre Dame students knocked on more than 600 doors in the near northwest neighborhood for an event called "Get the Lead Out." They handed out flyers the class created and encouraged families to get their children tested for lead at the local community center, where staff from Memorial Hospital conducted free tests ― and families got complimentary ice cream.
The county health department still needs more money to provide services for children with blood lead levels between 5 and 9.9 micrograms per deciliter. Galup, the health officer, said there could be 10 times more kids in that range. With an average cost of $15,000 per remediation, he said, previous funding has not come close to addressing about 6,000 housing units in the county that have a high risk of lead exposure.
Beidinger and Ahern realized that the spring class was only the starting point in creating a sustainable plan to deal with lead. Together with chemistry professor Marya Lieberman, they secured a $7,000 grant from the University's Center of Social Concerns in order to test some homes where lead-poisoned kids fall in the range outside the department's capacity. They directed a portion of the grant, about $1,300, to the county's Women, Infants and Children program so it could restart free testing through the summer.
For the fall, Beidinger and Filippelli are employing the data found so far to apply for a grant of several hundred thousand dollars from the National Institutes of Health. She hopes to use that money to build a sustainable infrastructure to make sure the lead problem is continually addressed rather than surprising the public every 10 or 15 years.
By June, the positive results were undeniable. The South Bend Tribune, which has covered the problem extensively and aided in spreading awareness, reported that lead testing for kids under age 7 had more than doubled compared to the previous year. Where 500 kids were tested in the first three months of last year, 1,100 kids were tested this year.
The results were also more quickly quantified than before. About 5 percent had elevated blood lead levels, with 13 of 50 having levels above 10 micrograms per deciliter, mostly on the northwest side.
She and Ahern plan to present the findings to the county board of health in July and publish the results afterwards.
The scope of the problem and campus members involved change constantly. Seven professors and 14 students are working on the issue this summer. This team began the first of 20 home lead tests at the end of June.
Now that the Griffiths know lead has been detected in and around their house, they can't legally sell it without disclosing the problem. So they feel trapped there, unable to move away from the poison. Brittany Griffith said some neighbors are afraid to have their homes tested because they know they won't be able to afford the remediation or might lose their rented home.
She has not been shy in speaking out and drawing awareness to the toxins in the neighborhood, getting involved in the Lead Affinity Group and other efforts. She became certified in lead-safe renovations. She has applied for a grant to do more home improvements after the city made a pot of money available for abatements in response to the recurrence of the lead problem. The city hopes that recent coverage of lead poisoning will help it win its next HUD grant request.


This program provides students with the computing skills to go on to further training or employment. Students study towards obtaining employment in an office as a word processor/transcriptionist. The program is designed so that students can study part-time or full-time. All computing stations are equipped with JAWS For Windows or ZoomText adaptive software.
Students enrolled full-time will have to complete 12 months of training (3 semesters). Students may study part-time but will take longer to complete their program. The program is open for ten months each year and is closed in July and August. All semesters are 4 months in length.
Student's progress is evaluated through a variety of assignments, tests and examinations as indicated on each course outline. Students can expect to be evaluated on their performance on practical assignments, special projects, written and oral presentations, and tests on both the theoretical and practical aspects of course content. A certificate of completion is granted to students who maintain a 70% average in all of the courses.
For more information about adult programs for visually impaired learners, please call 604.871.7000, ext. 7339 or drop by the Broadway campus during regular business hours to speak with the services coordinator for students with disabilities.
*Note: Any student required to take the Adult Basic Education Assessment must achieve: ABE	60	Reading 52	Grammar 0991	Writing Applicants presenting foreign documents equivalent to Grade 12, whose first language is other than English, must complete an English Language Assessment and achieve results equivalent to English 12.


We are Ken and Janet Kuivenhoven. Our shared passion is to develop every dog we encounter to its highest degree possible.
As an AKC Field Pointing Breed Performance Judge for 25 years, I have a depth of experience not only from training and hunting but also from watching the performance of thousands of dogs afield.
As avid hunters, we understand the requirements of a personal gun dog owner. As Field trial competitors we understand the high caliber of dog, and the intensive training and dedication required to be a top performer.
We strive to Maximize your Dog's Potential. One would think over the years that perhaps this grows old, but we find with each new dog brings new adventure, new experiences, and new friends.
We have owned several breeds of sporting dogs over our lifetime; Irish and Gordon Setters, English Pointers, German Shorthair and Wirehaired Pointers, Vizslas, Golden Retrievers, Yellow Labs, other breeds like a Basset Hound and a Doberman, and the myriad of various rescue mixes that have passed through our life. To say we are dog-centric (aka dog crazy) would be an accurate description.
We breed an occasional litter of Vizsla Pups under the Willowynd Ranch Kennel name. Those from our breeding have achieved great things, including Master Hunter titles, Field Champions and placements at National events. All those titles aside, come hunting season they go hunting.
We have also trained every major sporting breed of dog and several of the less common breeds for their owners. We have competed in Hunt Tests and Field trials developing dogs from Junior Hunter through Master and Puppy stakes through National Field Champion.
We love the rural life and the wide open prairie that holds our modest home.
We are honest, hardworking people that love what we do and the people we encounter through this simple lifestyle.
This is the big question. You will be dealing with Ken and Janet Kuivenhoven directly. We work together to develop the most of each dog and adapt to their needs and personality. Some dogs naturally bond better with one or the other of us, but over time both of us will be involved in the training of your dog.
We occasionally have other professional and serious amateur trainers join us during training season that come in for a few weeks and leave with their own dogs. This works great as it offers us another set of eyes, feedback for each other, collaboration on training ideas, and the opportunity for dogs to work with other dogs they don't know.
It is an excellent development tool for your dog to work and interact socially with new hunting partners afield. However, for dogs entrusted to us – we are the ones that decide how and what each dog needs for training. No guest trainer actually trains any of the dogs brought to us for training.
We also typically hire local part time help that share our passion for helping in the general care and feeding of the animals over summer, which are trained to our standards and supervised by us.
We know there are many choices in choosing the next trainer of your dog.
We train all the dogs entrusted to us ourselves, not sub-contracted to another trainer.
We are Positive-forward trainers. This means we teach as much as possible using positive training techniques. If needed, we do graduate to properly executed and calculated aversive or corrective training techniques when behaviors are learned for reinforcement or proofing. In our experience this positive forward, while still balanced training methodology leads to an eager to learn, happier pupil.
We work dogs individually and in pairs with one trainer per dog, plus directed assistants to do things like flush or shoot a bird, etc. depending on the training task. There is no way anyone can get a properly timed reward or correction when handling 4 or more dogs alone at once.
We only take the number of dogs we can personally work in that manner at a time. When we're full, we're full.
We only train in the best months of the year to give the most advantage we can for you and your dog.
We have been training, hunting and competing dogs for decades.
We have competed in and won weekend Bird Hunter Competitions to National Field Trial wins and placements and put numerous Hunt Test titles on dogs.
Have been a sanctioned active AKC Field Performance Judge since 1992.
We fill our freezer every fall with game we hunt over dogs owned by us or our clients.
We think transition training to the owner is as important as training the dog. When you leave with your dog, you'll know how to handle your Pup and what to expect.
Call now for more information and availability.
Lack time or expertise to train your dog? We have everything your dog needs, from basic introductions to finished performers.


text:
// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
// Licensed under the MIT License.

package com.azure.messaging.eventhubs;

import com.azure.core.util.logging.ClientLogger;
import com.azure.messaging.eventhubs.models.Checkpoint;
import com.azure.messaging.eventhubs.models.PartitionOwnership;
import java.util.List;
import reactor.core.publisher.Flux;
import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;

import java.util.Map;
import java.util.UUID;
import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;

/**
 * A simple in-memory implementation of a {@link CheckpointStore}. This implementation keeps track of partition
 * ownership details including checkpointing information in-memory. Using this implementation will only facilitate
 * checkpointing and load balancing of Event Processors running within this process.
 */
public class InMemoryCheckpointStore implements CheckpointStore {

    private final Map<String, PartitionOwnership> partitionOwnershipMap = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
    private final Map<String, Checkpoint> checkpointsMap = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
    private final ClientLogger logger = new ClientLogger(InMemoryCheckpointStore.class);

    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     *
     * @param fullyQualifiedNamespace The fully qualified namespace of the Event Hubs instance.
     * @param eventHubName The name of the Event Hub to list ownership of.
     * @param consumerGroup The name of the consumer group to list ownership of.
     * @return A {@link Flux} of partition ownership information.
     */
    @Override
    public Flux<PartitionOwnership> listOwnership(String fullyQualifiedNamespace, String eventHubName,
        String consumerGroup) {
        logger.info("Listing partition ownership");
        return Flux.fromIterable(partitionOwnershipMap.values());
    }

    /**
     * Returns a {@link Flux} of partition ownership details for successfully claimed partitions. If a partition is
     * already claimed by an instance or if the ETag in the request doesn't match the previously stored ETag, then
     * ownership claim is denied.
     *
     * @param requestedPartitionOwnerships List of partition ownerships this instance is requesting to own.
     * @return Successfully claimed partition ownerships.
     */
    @Override
    public Flux<PartitionOwnership> claimOwnership(List<PartitionOwnership> requestedPartitionOwnerships) {
        return Flux.fromIterable(requestedPartitionOwnerships)
            .filter(partitionOwnership -> {
                return !partitionOwnershipMap.containsKey(partitionOwnership.getPartitionId())
                    || partitionOwnershipMap.get(partitionOwnership.getPartitionId()).getETag()
                    .equals(partitionOwnership.getETag());
            })
            .doOnNext(partitionOwnership -> logger
                .info("Ownership of partition {} claimed by {}", partitionOwnership.getPartitionId(),
                    partitionOwnership.getOwnerId()))
            .map(partitionOwnership -> {
                partitionOwnership.setETag(UUID.randomUUID().toString())
                    .setLastModifiedTime(System.currentTimeMillis());
                partitionOwnershipMap.put(partitionOwnership.getPartitionId(), partitionOwnership);
                return partitionOwnership;
            });
    }

    @Override
    public Flux<Checkpoint> listCheckpoints(String fullyQualifiedNamespace, String eventHubName,
        String consumerGroup) {
        return Flux.fromStream(checkpointsMap.values().stream());
    }

    /**
     * Updates the in-memory storage with the provided checkpoint information.
     *
     * @param checkpoint The checkpoint containing the information to be stored in-memory.
     * @return A {@link Mono} that completes when the checkpoint is updated.
     */
    @Override
    public Mono<Void> updateCheckpoint(Checkpoint checkpoint) {
        checkpointsMap.put(checkpoint.getPartitionId(), checkpoint);
        logger.info("Updated checkpoint for partition {} with sequence number {}", checkpoint.getPartitionId(),
            checkpoint.getSequenceNumber());
        return Mono.empty();
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Eurosender est une plateforme 3PL axée sur la technologie avec un calcul instantané des prix de services d'expédition porte-à-porte en Europe. Basée au Luxembourg, l'entreprise a été créée en 2014 par deux entrepreneurs slovènes, Tim Potočnik and Jan Štefe. Autrement dit, Eurosender met en relation deux catégories de personnes: les clients et les entreprises de logistiques.

Histoire
Tim Potočnik et Jan Štefe  ont inventé le concept d'un moteur de recherche qui calculerait instantanément le prix final d'une expédition et choisirait l'option la plus abordable en fonction de trois paramètres : l'itinéraire, le nombre de colis et leur poids. À sa création, la première version de la plateforme a été créée et les premiers contrats avec les sociétés d'expédition ont été négociés.

L'idée de la création d'Eurosender a tout d'abord germé dans l'esprit de Tim Potočnik, en 2013. Alors qu'il étudiait à l'étranger, il désirait ramener certaines de ses affaires dans son pays d'origine. Il se retrouvait cependant face à un problème: les entreprises de livraison lui offraient un prix trop élevé par rapport à ce qu'il pouvait se permettre.

Pour répondre à ce problème, il a décidé de faire appel à des amis et de créer Eurosender.

Expansion à l'international
La plateforme a été lancée en mai 2014. Dès sa création, les services d'expédition et de livraison ont été offerts dans tous les pays membres de l'Union européenne. Avec une équipe internationale et une présence dans toutes les régions d'Europe, Eurosender cherche à se concentrer sur les marchés locaux afin de mieux comprendre et servir les clients et satisfaire leurs besoins. L'entreprise a déjà tenu plusieurs conférences de presse pour accroître sa visibilité et a reçu le soutien de UKTI et de plusieurs ambassades slovènes dans différents pays européens. En 2017, Eurosender a conclu un partenariat avec , un des acteurs principaux du secteur de l'expédition en Europe centrale. Cela a permis à l'entreprise de pouvoir expédier jusqu'en Bosnie-Herzégovine, Macédoine, Monténégro et Serbie.

En 2014, les activités de l'entreprise restait cantonnées au Portugal et à l'Espagne. En 2016, c'est au tour de la Croatie, de la Pologne et de la Grèce, rapidement suivi par la France, les Pays-Bas et le Royaume-Uni. En 2018, Eurosender s'étend également sur le territoire belge.

Ainsi, en 2018, l'entreprise était présente dans plus de 30 pays européens.

Développement
En rejoignant un des accélérateurs les plus prestigieux en Europe, ProSiebenSat.1, une filiale de l'entreprise a été créée à Munich en 2014, permettant une meilleure optimisation du réseau de livraisons en Europe de l'Ouest.

Un an plus tard, l'entreprise crée une de ses agences à Londres, dans le plus grand accélérateur technologique, Level39, basé à Canary Wharf.

En 2016, Eurosender est devenu membre du RocketSpace, un incubateur de croissance à San Francisco, où les corporations et startups se regroupent pour créer et imaginer le futur du secteur des transports. Plus tard dans l'année, l'entreprise a ouvert une nouvelle agence à Berlin. Puis, en mars 2018, Eurosender ouvre de nouveaux locaux à Ljubljana et reçoit la visite du président de la Slovénie.

Eurosender a déjà attiré de nombreux investisseurs renommés, dont ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE et ERGO.

Ainsi, depuis 2014, la société a ouvert de nouveaux locaux dans 5 pays différents (Ljubljana, Berlin, Kiev, Gdansk et Luxembourg). De plus, l'organisation recense l'inscription de 30 000 PME et de 150 000 particuliers.

Services proposés
Eurosender agit en tant qu'intermédiaire entre les clients et les multiples fournisseurs en logistique. Conçue à ses débuts pour expédier des colis, l'entreprise a très vite proposé de nombreux autres services, dont l'accès au transport de fret. En agrégeant la demande de services d'expédition, Eurosender est capable de mieux négocier les prix, directement avec les sociétés de livraison (DHL, DPD, GLS, Kuehne-Nagel, Chronopost, ACS, DSV et Seur). De cette façon, les prix profitent à la fois aux particuliers, PME, startups et aux entreprises qui, du fait d'un très grand nombre de commandes, ne peuvent pas négocier elles-mêmes des contrats satisfaisants avec les sociétés de livraison .

Eurosender répond également aux besoins des expatriés et des étudiants étrangers qui participent à des programmes d'échange entre universités (comme le programme Erasmus).

L'algorithme d'Eurosender
L'algorithme d'Eurosender est ce qui lui permet d'obtenir une simulation des prix pour chaque envoi. Ainsi, l'entreprise a accès à 150 millions de devis instantanément. Cet algorithme proposerait des prix de 30 à 50% inférieurs par rapport à des solutions similaires.

Références

Compagnie maritime ayant son siège au Royaume-Uni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Candy Storelights
Orne's Candy Store
Tags: lights
ornescandystore.com
Ornes-candy-store-768x221-1.jpg
Celebrating our 130th year! Boothbay Harbor's oldest candy store specializes in fine chocolates, including Sea Salt Caramels, Marzipan, varied Truffles, a fin Licorice collection, 11 Fudges, including our new Sea Salt Penuche Caramel, Blueberry, Chocolate, Rocky Road and Chcolate/Peanut Butter…Treats for kids of all ages!
Summer on the coast of Maine has always been a special time. Visits to the seashore. Clambakes and picnics on the rocks. Eating ice cream and candy.
It was on July 4, 1885 that Addie Orne first opened the doors of Orne's Candy Store in downtown Boothbay Harbor on the coast of Maine. The store had been purchased by her husband, Thaddeus W. Orne, a successful insurance salesman with New York Life. On that first day her shop was supplied with ice cream, bananas and a variety of candies. Over the next 75 years, the woman who became known as Aunt Addie expanded her stock to include many fine quality chocolates and other traditional candies.
In 1960 Wolcott Webster purchased the store, with the promise that he would preserve the atmosphere of an old-fashioned 19th century candy shop. While doing so, he also made improvements. First he worked with a candy maker Custom House Square in Boothbay Harbor to perfect a recipe for Maine, make fudge that he liked, and that, he knew, would lure people back again and again. And he succeeded. Orne's fudge – smooth and creamy – has been the shop's most popular item for more than 40 years. Then, he added to the shop's selection of chocolates displayed in the fancy dishes in the antique glass and wooden cases.
In 1978, John and Jean Webster assumed operation of the store. Today, there are four family members at the helm: John and Jean, as well as Arthur Webster and Faith Foster. The store still looks very much the way it did in 1885. Many people who bought penny candy from Aunt Addie or her clerk, Susie Clark, bring their grandchildren back to see one of their favorite places in Boothbay Harbor.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Dieric Bouts (born ca. 1415 – 6 May 1475) was an Early Netherlandish painter. According to Karel van Mander in his Het Schilderboeck of 1604, Bouts was born in Haarlem and was mainly active in Leuven (Louvain), where he was city painter from 1468. Van Mander confused the issue by writing biographies of both "Dieric of Haarlem" and "Dieric of Leuven," although he was referring to the same artist. The similarity of their last names also led to the confusion of Bouts with Hubrecht Stuerbout, a prominent sculptor in Leuven. Very little is actually known about Bouts' early life, but he was greatly influenced by Jan van Eyck and by Rogier van der Weyden, under whom he may have studied. He is first documented in Leuven in 1457 and worked there until his death in 1475.
Bouts was among the first northern painters to demonstrate the use of a single vanishing point (as illustrated in his Last Supper). His work has a certain primitive stiffness of drawing, and his figures are often disproportionately long and angular, but his pictures are highly expressive, well designed and rich in colour, with especially good landscape backgrounds.
Bouts' earliest work is the Infancy Triptych in the Prado (Madrid), dated to about 1445. The Deposition Altarpiece in Granada (Capilla Real) probably also dates to this period, around 1450-60. A dismembered canvas altarpiece—now in the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (Brussels), the J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles), National Gallery (London), Norton Simon Museum (Pasadena), and a Swiss private collection—with the same dimensions as the Altarpiece of the Holy Sacrament may belong to this period. The Louvre Lamentation (Pietà) is another early work.
The Last Supper is the central panel of Altarpiece of the Holy Sacrament, commissioned from Bouts by the Leuven Confraternity of the Holy Sacrament in 1464. All of the central room's orthogonals (lines imagined to be behind and perpendicular to the picture plane that converge at a vanishing point) lead to a single vanishing point in the center of the mantelpiece above Christ's head. However the small side room has its own vanishing point, and neither it nor the vanishing point of the main room falls on the horizon of the landscape seen through the windows. The Last Supper is the second dated work (after Petrus Christus' Virgin and Child Enthroned with St. Jerome and St. Francis in Frankfurt, dated 1457) to display an understanding of Italian linear perspective.
Scholars also have noted that Bouts's Last Supper was the first Flemish panel painting to depict the Last Supper. In this central panel, Bouts did not focus on the biblical narrative itself but instead presented Christ in the role of a priest performing the consecration of the Eucharistic host from the Catholic Mass. This contrasts strongly with other Last Supper depictions, which often focused on Judas's betrayal or on Christ's comforting of John. Bouts also added to the complexity of this image by including four servants (two in the window and two standing), all dressed in Flemish attire. Although once identified as the artist himself and his two sons, these servants are most likely portraits of the confraternity's members responsible for commissioning the altarpiece. The Last Supper was the central part of the altarpiece in the St. Peter's Church, Leuven.
The Altarpiece of the Holy Sacrament has four additional panels, two on each side. Because these were taken to the museums in Berlin and Munich in the 19th century, the reconstruction of the original altarpiece has been difficult. Today it is thought that the panel with Abraham and Melchizedek is above the Passover Feast on the left wing, while the Gathering of the Manna is above Elijiah and the Angel on the right wing. All of these are typological precursors to the Last Supper in the central panel.
After attaining the rank of city painter of Leuven in 1468, Bouts received a commission to paint two more works for the Town Hall. The first was an altarpiece of the Last Judgment (1468–70), which exists today only in the two wings with the Road to Paradise and the Fall of the Damned in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille (France), and a fragmentary Bust of Christ from the central panel in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. After this, he turned to the larger commission for the Justice Panels (1470–75), which occupied him until his death in 1475. He completed one panel and began a second, both depicting the life of the 11th-century Holy Roman Emperor Otto III. These pieces can now be seen in the Brussels museum. The remaining two Justice Panels were never completed.
Many of Bouts' authentic works are small devotional panels, usually of the Virgin and Child. An early example is the Davis Madonna in New York (Metropolitan Museum of Art), excellent copies of which exist in the Bargello in Florence and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. This composition follows the formula of the miraculous icon of Notre-Dame-des-Grâces, which was installed in the cathedral of Cambrai (France) in 1454. The Salting Madonna in the National Gallery (London) is the largest and most ambitious of these Marian pictures. In the realm of portraiture, Bouts expanded upon the tradition established by Robert Campin, Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, and Petrus Christus. His dated 1462 Portrait of a Man in the National Gallery (London) is the first instance of a sitter shown in three-quarter view before a discernible background with a glimpse of the landscape out the window. Also widely attributed to Bouts is the Portrait of a Man in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), which resembles some of the figures in the artist's late Justice Panels of 1470-75. Other portraits associated with Bouts, such as those in Washington (National Gallery of Art) and Antwerp (Royal Museum of Fine Arts), are more problematic.
Two Boutsian works in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich have perplexed art historians. One is the so-called Pearl of Brabant Triptych, which writers as early as 1902 tried to separate from Bouts' authentic works. Recent research seems to refute this attempt. The other is a pair of panels from an altarpiece depicting the Passion — respectively showing the Betrayal of Christ and the Resurrection. For a long time these were considered some of Bouts' earliest works, but dendrochronological evidence now places them around the time of his death in 1475. Schone's 1938 invention of a "Master of the Munich Betrayal" is a more appropriate attribution.
Bouts was married twice and had four children. His two daughters went to convents, and his two sons became painters who carried the Bouts workshop into the mid-16th century. Little is known of the elder son, Dieric the Younger, although he appears to have continued in his father's style until his early death in 1491. The younger brother, Aelbrecht (or Albert), did likewise, but in a style that is unmistakably his own. His distinctive work propelled Boutsian imagery into the 16th century.
Catheline Périer-D'Ieteren, Dieric Bouts: The Complete Works (Brussels, 2006).
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Dieric Bouts" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on original research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
This page was last modified 08:27, 2 April 2012.


text:
Queen Sofia's Cartier Loop Tiara
#74731898 / gettyimages.com
We talked briefly earlier about this sparkler from the collection of our Magpie of the Month, Queen Sofia of Spain, but it's such an interesting piece that it's definitely worth a fuller discussion of its history. The diamond loop tiara made by Cartier for a Habsburg queen has also been a bridal tiara for one branch of the Spanish royal family; today, it's back in the hands of the (former) monarch's wife.
For a royal family that has faced serious upheaval in the last century, the Borbóns of Spain have managed to hang on to some serious heirloom tiaras. That's been possible in part because the family has largely maintained personal possession of their jewels rather than consigning them to an official collection of crown jewels. It also means that many tiaras, like the loop tiara, meandered a bit through the family before arriving in the hands of its current owners.
The tiara, which is made of diamonds and pearls set in platinum, was originally made by Cartier for a nineteenth-century Spanish queen: Maria Cristina, the Austrian-born wife of King Alfonso XII. When Alfonso died, Maria Cristina was pregnant with the future King Alfonso XIII. Because of this, she was not only a queen consort but also a queen regent, as she ruled the country from her husband's death until their son turned sixteen.
Alfonso XIII received the Cartier tiara from his mother. In 1935, he gave the sparkler to his new daughter-in-law, Princess María Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, when she married his third son, Infante Juan. Juan and María Mercedes would have been the king and queen of Spain had the monarchy not been abolished in the wake of the Spanish Civil War. When Franco decided to restore the monarchy on his death, he passed over Juan in favor of his son, Juan Carlos. Juan eventually did formally relinquish his claim on the throne, but only two years after his son had become king; in turn, Juan Carlos made his father the Count of Barcelona, which was traditionally a title held by Spanish kings. (He also buried his father under the title of Juan III with the full honors of a king of Spain.)
Although she loaned the piece to her daughter-in-law, Sofia, for the '70s-era Persepolis celebrations in Tehran, María Mercedes retained the tiara even after the monarchy was restored in 1975. (She relinquished another tiara, which was specifically earmarked for Spanish queens, to the new Queen Sofia that year — but more on that later.) In 1967, she had loaned the piece to her daughter, Infanta Pilar, to wear at her wedding; she also loaned the tiara to her granddaughter, Pilar's daughter Simoneta, when she married in 1990.
When María Mercedes died in 2000, Juan Carlos was able to obtain the tiara. Whether he inherited it or purchased it from another member of the family, perhaps Pilar, hasn't really been made clear. Given the six years that elapsed between the Countess of Barcelona's death and Queen Sofia's first appearance in the tiara afterward (at a 2006 state banquet in Norway), it wouldn't surprise me if there were some deals being done. Today, the tiara is worn by Queen Sofia, returning it to the main line of the royal family. Because of its extensive history within the Spanish royal family, I wouldn't be surprised if this tiara is eventually made a part of the collection of the new Spanish queen, Letizia.
Labels: magpie of the month , Spain


text:
Eye on the Arctic
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BUSINESS Business Canada Countries Featured Featured • Zone 3 General
Community in northern Quebec to make the jump from diesel to hydroelectricity
Elias Abboud, CBC News
Posted: Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 11:48 — Last Updated: Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 11:52
Inukjuak has signed a deal with a renewable energy supplier to build a dam on a nearby river and sell electricity to Hydro-Québec. (Matisse Harvey/CBC)
The Inuit community of Inukjuak, in northern Quebec, is looking at making the jump to hydroelectric power in the next few years.
The Pituvik Landholding Corporation in Inukjuak, along with Hydro-Québec (Quebec's state-owned power company) and the renewable energy company Innergex, signed an agreement Monday to build a 7.5-megawatt dam upstream on the Inukjuak River.
Once up and running, the energy from the dam will replace diesel as the source of power, bringing greener energy to the town of 1,800 on the eastern coast of Hudson Bay, and would be a source of much-needed revenue to help with community projects.
"We always tend to blame the south, that they're the only greenhouse gas emitters, said Eric Atagotaaluk, president of Pituvik.
"But when we start calculating what our communities emit as well, it's in the millions [of cubic tonnes] of carbon dioxide we're going to be reducing, at least for the community of Inukjuak."
The 14 towns in Nunavik, the Inuit region of northern Quebec, currently get their electricity from diesel-run power plants. Aside from creating greenhouse gases responsible for climate change, the shipping of the fuel to the north by tanker is expensive, and also pollutes.
"This is a historical moment that will benefit the community first, Innergex, Hydro-Québec, but also the planet," said Éric Filion, president of Hydro-Québec distribution.
Slashing costs
Supplying the town with hydroelectricity will result in a 20 per cent reduction in operating costs for Hydro-Québec, from 50 cents to 40 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).
Eric Atagotaaluk, from Inukjuak's land-holding corporation, says the revenue from the project will be used to better the community. (Elias Abboud/CBC)
Businesses and the approximately 500 homes in the community will also benefit from lower costs. Hydro-Québec clients across the province pay about six cents per kWh for the first 40 kWh used in a day. In the north, the rate goes up to 41 cents after that, compared to about nine cents in the rest of the province.
Hydro-Québec will purchase energy produced by the dam from Pituvik and Innergex, which will be responsible for building the dam. They will split the revenue equally, estimated at about $3 million annually.
"Our main goal is to stimulate our local economy," said Atagotaaluk.
"Being a partner in this project, it's going to allow us to generate revenue and we will be able to reinvest this revenue and hopefully provide some solutions for the challenges that we face in our communities."
A measure of hope
Atagotaaluk said the revenue from the sale of electricity will give his community a measure of hope.
"There's social challenges, economic challenges, financial challenges that we're going to be tackling when we start seeing these revenues," he said.
In addition to providing a greener source of energy, the hydro dam will remove a potential source for environmental disaster in the north — the risk of a spill of diesel fuel.
In 2015, 13,500 litres of diesel fuel spilled in Inukjuak during the filling of the local power plants fuel tanks.
"You're going through three different transfers when you're transferring diesel from the south to each community [in the north]," said Atagotaaluk. "The risk of spill is always going to be there."
The 'run-of-river' hydro plant will be built about 10 kilometres upstream from the town of Inukjuak, on the Inukjuak River. (Innergex)
Hydro-Québec is also looking at converting the 13 other off-the-grid Nunavik communities to renewable energy sources. But it will use wind and solar projects for the other towns, noting that Inukjuak was the only community with a river that was good enough for a hydro dam.
The utility is already testing systems in other communities in Nunavik, including in Quaqtaq, where it is using solar panels and batteries and is planning on installing windmills.
The dam project still needs approval from Quebec's energy board. If approved, the generating station is expected to start serving the community by 2022.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Town in Canadian central Arctic to get hybrid solar-diesel power plant, CBC News
Finland: The world could transition entirely to cheap, safe renewable energy before 2050: Finnish study, Yle News
Norway: The quest to turn Norway's Arctic coast into Northern Europe's wind power hub, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Italian firm to build giant wind farm in northwestern Russia, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Sweden's solar industry sees bright future despite shrinking subsidies, Radio Sweden
United States: Despite winter darkness, solar power might work better in rural Alaska than you'd expect, Alaska Dispatch New
energy, Hydro-Quebec, Inuit, Inukjuak, Nunavik, Renewables
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text:
Les Championnats du monde de triathlon 2011 sont composés de 7 courses organisées par la Fédération internationale de triathlon (ITU) dont 1 grande finale. Chacune des courses est disputée au format olympique soit  de natation, 40 km de cyclisme et 10 km de course à pied. La course prévue le 15 mai à Yokohama au Japon est reportée au 19 septembre en raison du séisme de mars et de ses conséquences. Cette course sera comptabilisée comme la première manche des Championnats du monde de triathlon 2012.

Calendrier

Résultats

Sydney

Madrid

Kitzbühel

Hambourg

Londres

Lausanne

Finale : Pékin

Classements généraux

</div>

Autres

Championnats du Monde "Espoir"

</div>

Championnats du Monde "Junior"

</div>

Voir aussi
Coupe du monde de triathlon 2011

Références

2011
Championnat du monde en 2011
Monde

de:Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series


South facing with a breathtaking view of the ski area, Baikal is a split level apartment with exposed wooden beams giving a mountain chalet atmosphere.
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World Neighbours 18 Nov 2016 India's No Firs ...
World, Neighbours
India's No First Use policy on nukes 'ambiguous': Pakistan
Published Nov 18, 2016, 6:34 pm IST
Updated Nov 18, 2016, 6:36 pm IST
India recently said why it cannot say we are a responsible nuclear power and won't use it irresponsibly instead of no first use policy.
Pakistan said signing of nuclear deals by some countries is a matter of concern as it is only reinforcing arrogance and belligerence with which India conducts itself in the region and beyond, in an indirect reference to Indo-Japan nuclear deal. (Photo: Representational Image)
Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday described as "ambiguous" India's 'No First Use' policy on nuclear weapons and said it cannot be a substitute for verifiable arms control and restraint measures, days Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar questioned the doctrine.
"Pakistan believes the ambiguous 'No First Use' Declaration is not verifiable and amounts to nothing. It can't be a substitute for verifiable arms control and restraint measures proposed by Pakistan's standing offer of Strategic Restraint Regime," Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in his weekly briefing.
He was responding to the recent remarks by Parrikar in which he asked why India cannot say "we are a responsible nuclear power and I will not use it irresponsibly" instead of affirming a "no first use policy". Later he had said the remarks were personal in nature.
Zakaria said statement by the defence minister of a country that repeatedly and constantly heightens tension and maintains an aggressive posture should be a matter of concern for all.
He said signing of nuclear deals by some countries is a matter of concern as it is only reinforcing arrogance and belligerence with which India conducts itself in the region and beyond, in an indirect reference to Indo-Japan nuclear deal.
Zakaria also said Pakistan established itself as a serious candidate for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG), increasing number of countries were supporting the non-discriminatory approach.
"There is also growing recognition of the fact that 2008 exemption to India neither benefited non-proliferation regime nor objective of strategic stability in South Asia," he said.
The spokesman expressed the confidence that members of the NSG would bear in mind the need to prevent further erosion of non-proliferation regime and preserving credibility of the NSG as a rule-based organisation.
He said Pakistan has expressed its openness to measures for strengthening non-proliferation objectives to the NSG, which included proposal for binding bilateral agreement with India on non-testing.
Tags: nuclear weapon, india nuclear weapon, manohar parrikar
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