In Response to Climate Change, the State DEP Begins Reforms Environmental Requirements

TRENTON – One week after Governor Phil Murphy and Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced a comprehensive effort to modernize New Jersey\’s environmental regulations to protect our communities and economy against the threats of climate change, the Department of Environmental Protection is moving forward with a collaborative rule making process, holding several stakeholder events throughout February and March, to make the New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats (NJ PACT) reforms a reality.

The DEP has scheduled a series of stakeholder sessions to gather input from residents, businesses and advocates on the development of new greenhouse gas reduction and environmental land use regulations aimed at reducing the impact of climate change and adapting to the realities of certain impacts, like sea-level rise.

\”New Jersey is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, from sea-level rise that threatens our coastline to air pollution that harms our most vulnerable communities,\” said Governor Murphy. \”We are moving swiftly to enact the regulations outlined in NJ PACT to reduce fossil fuel emissions and ensure investments in our innovation economy and communities. These policies, which will make New Jersey a global leader in the clean energy transition and fight against climate change, will help propel New Jersey to 100 percent clean energy by 2050.\”

\”In New Jersey, we take seriously the science of climate change. We are heeding the warnings about risks like sea-level rise and acting with the urgency that these threats demand,\” said Commissioner McCabe. \”As we work to modernize our environmental regulations to reflect the best available science, DEP is committed to a thoughtful and collaborative approach that engages stakeholders from across all sectors of our economy, non-governmental organizations, academia, and local government. We are all in this together.\”

On Jan. 27, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order 100, directing the DEP to make targeted regulatory reforms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change through the NJ PACT initiative. New Jersey is the first state to embark on a such an ambitious framework of measures targeted to both reduce emissions of climate pollutants and reform environmental land use policy to adapt to climate realities and ensure long-term resilience.

With Governor Murphy\’s leadership, New Jersey has been implementing a number of initiatives to both mitigate against future climate change and adapt to its certain effects, including releasing a clean-energy focused Energy Master Plan and ordering the development of a Statewide Climate Resilience Strategy, making New Jersey a national leader in the fight against climate change.

NJ PACT is the next evolution of these efforts, modernizing air quality regulations that will limit emissions of climate pollutants that exacerbate global warming, as well as environmental land use regulations that equip DEP, local governments, residents and businesses with tools to effectively respond to current climate threats. They are also forward looking, seeking to reduce future climate damages through rules for green infrastructure and resilient building that will help New Jersey fight risks like sea-level rise and extreme weather.

Soliciting feedback from the public and stakeholders for proposed environmental regulations is the first step in the rulemaking process that will conclude by January 2022. In advance of that date, DEP will consider all input it receives during its public stakeholder process as it formulates rule proposals. Once proposals are finalized, they will be published in the New Jersey Register for public comment and, after careful consideration of any comments received, finalized for adoption.

The DEP will hold initial stakeholder sessions on the following potential rules:

* Friday, Feb. 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., focusing on periodic monitoring and reporting of statewide greenhouse gas emissions, hosted by the DEP Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability program.

* Tuesday, Feb. 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., focusing on ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, hosted by the DEP Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability program.

* Wednesday, March 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., to discuss rules to better plan for sea-level rise, extreme weather events and flooding, hosted by the Land Use Management program.

All sessions for both programs are open to public comment. They will be held at the DEP\’s First Floor Public Hearing Room, 401 East State Street, Trenton 08625.

Due to space limitations, the DEP is requesting attendees to RSVP. For more information, including session details, RSVP deadlines and contacts, visit

https://www.nj.gov/dep/njpact/

NJ SIERRA CLUB: Philly Refinery Led Nation in Benzene Pollution

TRENTON NJ (February 7, 2020)–The Environmental Integrity Project released a report today which monitored benzene levels at 100 refinery fence lines across the nation. As of the third quarter of 2019 (which ended on September 30, 2019), fence line benzene levels at 10 refineries exceeded the EPA “action level”. Facilities like the

Philadelphia Energy Solutions in Pennsylvania had the highest benzene levels where net concentrations were 49 and 444% greater than EPA Action Level and three times higher than California’s chronic reference exposure level. The refinery filed for bankruptcy and has been closed since July, they are looking to sell.

“The recent report by the Environmental Integrity Project should be an alarm bell going off to the Murphy Administration. The fenceline at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Facility had benzene levels that are over 5 times the EPA standard. This is the biggest release of benzene in the country and the EPA is not cracking down on mitigating it. Benzene has serious impacts on public health, including respiratory diseases, higher cancer rates, and even premature death. The facility is also right over the Delaware River and prevailing winds could have caused major impacts to South Jersey, including the Camden area. It’s good that the facility shut down but not because the EPA forced it too for polluting our health and environment,”

said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System indicates that inhaling benzene concentrations as low as 13 micrograms per cubic meter over a lifetime is likely to cause one additional cancer case for every 10,000 people exposed. The EPA requirements include if the benzene level at any of the monitoring location exceeds an average of 9 micrograms per cubic meter of air over a one-year period, the EPA regulations require the facility to conduct a root cause analysis to determine the source of the toxic emissions and to then take action to fix the problem and lower the concentrations.

“Oil refineries like the one in South Philly need to be held accountable for emitting toxic chemicals like benzene and other toxic pollutants. Benzene is known as a human carcinogenic and Communities living near the fenceline of these facilities can have long term and chronic exposure to this chemical. Since Trump’s EPA have let these facilities get away with putting our environment and health at risk, it is even more important that states step up,”

said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

4th-Graders in Pennsylvania Score 4 Points Above National Avg. on Math; NJ 4th-Graders Score 6 Points Above

The Center Square

Fourth-graders in Pennsylvania on average scored 244 on a standardized math test administered last year, which is four points above the 2019

national average calculated by the National Assessment of Educational Progress

(NAEP).

The Pennsylvania students’ average score ranked in a tie for eighth among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Among the fourth-graders in Pennsylvania who took the assessment, 81 percent tested at or above the basic achievement level, while 47 percent tested at or above the proficient level, according to the analysis.

In total, fourth-graders in 15 of the jurisdictions had average scores above the national average. Another 20 jurisdictions had average scores that didn’t vary significantly from the U.S. average, according to the study, while 17 posted average scores that were well below the national average.

The NAEP uses the academic results of such tests to improve public education in the U.S. The effort is carried out under the direction of the U.S. Department of Education.

—

4th-Grade Math Scores, State by State

published here by Gloucestercitynews.net with permission of

The Center Square

How Can CIOs Drive Positive Culture Changes?

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(February 8, 2020)–As accepted leaders in technology, IT professionals have the best chance to model the preferred behaviors. Creating a stirring narrative also helps employees visualize the impetus for culture change and get on board faster.

image courtesy of unsplash.com

Digital technologies have changed the way that we work and live. Organizations are rushing to stay on top of the latest innovations as well as changing customer expectations. Corporate culture must also evolve. In the past, many companies maintained cultures that emphasized stability, predictability, and consistency, but that doesn\’t reflect the reality of businesses that face disruption from more nimble competitors. Therefore, CIOs must stay on top of new technologies in order to respond to the changing marketplace and exceed customer demands.

Business IT services

business owner Gary Harlam from Technology Advisory Group shares three ways CIOs can expedite culture change in their organizations.

How Can CIOs Reinforce the Desired Culture?

CIOs can invest in technologies that reinforce culture changes. Culture heavily influences the outcome of transformation initiatives when it comes to enterprise technology decisions. The more nimble your organization is, the more open your teams will be to try new things. This can shortcut adaption to change, which leads to market, profitability and productivity improvements.

Culture certainly affects the success of technology adoption, but technology can influence corporate culture too. For instance, collaboration tools are commonplace in small and large organizations.

With cloud-based file-sharing capability, it’s easier than ever to achieve transparency. This gets information out to employees so they can make data-driven decisions.

How Can You Incubate New Culture in IT?

Effective CIOs know that IT is a great testing ground for corporate culture changes. IT professionals live by the motto “test and learn.” Working in IT involves continuous on-the-job training to evaluate the potential of new technologies and apply them to solve real business problems. This adaptability leaves technology teams open to explore culture initiatives.

One financial service CIO put this to the test in his organization, which faced growing pressure from cloud-first start-ups encroaching on the industry. As digitally-native consumers grew, leaders realized they needed to update their operating model to grow their customer base. New technology and flexible products were needed to meet changing expectations.

According to CIO magazine, a cross-functional team aligned to customer outcomes rolled out a new decision-making process that pushed decision-making authority down to the employees completing the work whenever possible.

IT support

teams were the first to use an enterprise collaboration platform that let everyone share ideas, best practices, and data.

How Can You Muster Top-Level Support for Culture Changes?

For many companies, digital initiatives top their enterprise strategy priorities. Therefore, CIOs have access to their counterparts on the executive team, and they have a hand in strategic decision-making. Additionally, the CIO can use their access to the technology to help drive transformations to corporate culture. This is the cross-functional collaboration needed to create lasting organizational change.

C-level support is essential to the adoption of culture change across the enterprise. However, a top-down approach won’t lead to the genuine interest needed to maintain the culture changes. CIOs should reach out to cross-functional stakeholders to encourage change at a basic level that can influence day-to-day operations.

For executives trying to build grass-roots momentum, the IT team is the right place to begin. As accepted leaders in technology,

IT service professionals

have the best chance to model the preferred behaviors. Creating a stirring narrative also helps employees visualize the impetus for culture change and get on board faster.

Camden County GOP Awards Mehta The Organization Line

Ambrosino: “Mehta in the column helps our down ballot candidates in November.”

HADDON HEIGHTS – Camden County Republican Chairman Rich Ambrosino announced today that after interviewing U.S. Senate candidates over two evenings the organization’s screening committee recommended the organization line be awarded to Rik Mehta. Ambrosino accepted that recommendation and has awarded the organization line to Mehta.

“CCGOP’s by-laws state the chairman has the authority to award the organization line to candidates, but I prefer to be more inclusive and have a screening committee interview candidates and make a recommendation. It’s a system that works well for us.” Rich Ambrosino said, “The screening committee chairman reported to me the recommendation was unanimous, Rik Mehta should be in the column with our candidates.”

“I thank the candidates for taking part in the process.” Ambrosino continued, “All live a considerable distance from our county, their willingness to make the drive shows they understand that with only eight counties having more registered Republicans than Camden County, our 55,000 plus Republicans are very important in a statewide primary.”

“I thank the screening committee for their work and for choosing an excellent U.S. Senate candidate.” Ambrosino said, “Rik Mehta is qualified, has a keen grasp of the issues voters care about, is raising money and has assembled a quality campaign team. Mehta in the column helps our down ballot candidates in November.”

Resident from Southampton Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud

PHILADELPHIA PA (February 7, 2020)–On February 6, 2020, DUANE WILSON (WILSON), 66, of Southampton, PA, was sentenced to six months in prison, followed by six months of home confinement. WILSON was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of

$272,742.00 to the IRS. WILSON previously pled guilty to filing a false tax return.

WILSON, who was once employed by Valley Power in Willow Grove, PA, embezzled over $1 million from his former employer. WILSON failed to report some of those funds on his tax return. WILSON’S actions caused a loss of approximately $272,742.00 to the IRS.

“No matter the source, all income is taxable,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. “There is no better time than tax season to remind the public that knowingly omitting income on a tax return is a felony; one that could result in jail time.”

In fashioning a sentence, United States District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson referred to this case as a straight forward crime of greed.

WILSON will begin serving his prison sentence on April 06, 2020.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul Gray.

source :

Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation-Philadelphia Field Office

A Nevada COTA Family is Celebrating American Heart Month

Thanks to Their Toddler’s Heart Transplant

COTA Kid Emerson Buskirk Heart Transplant Recipient

February 3, 2020

—

February is the month to celebrate love and hearts. Since 1964 February has been known as American Heart Month throughout the United States. For the Buskirk family of Las Vegas, Nevada, February truly is a month to celebrate selfless gifts from the heart. Their toddler, Emerson, is alive and able to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year because of the new heart she received just over a year ago.

Emerson Lee Buskirk was born in June 2018 to ecstatic first-time parents, Andrea and Brandon. They were thrilled and thankful to welcome this precious infant to their now family of three. Their first few months at home in Las Vegas with Baby Emerson were like those of other first-time, adoring parents. According to Andrea and Brandon, Emerson was the world’s easiest baby and they knew how fortunate they were. She was a champion sleeper and eater. She was very calm yet very curious. But early in the morning of September 24

, they embarked on a new and unexpected journey with Emerson.

Andrea and Brandon both blogged and posted on social media regularly about Emerson’s transplant journey and what follows are excerpts from their narratives:

Brandon and I are both teachers, so when the school year started for Brandon, we knew it was inevitable he would bring home germs. In early September he had a cold that was eventually passed to Emerson. We did not know it at the time, but that virus was the tipping point for her body. In mid-September 2018 we noticed something was ‘off’ with Emerson. She was not sleeping as well as normal, and was a little more cranky than usual. We decided Brandon would stay home with her on September 24

because that was to be my first day back from maternity leave for my teaching job. However, I was not able to return to my classroom as planned.

That night Emerson’s whole demeanor changed and she was lethargic. We assumed she just was not feeling well because of her cold. At 3:30 a.m. we were awake with Emerson. She was refusing to eat and her wet diaper was very dark, signaling dehydration. We grabbed her diaper bag and left quickly for the local hospital’s emergency room. Upon intake, an IV was started and she was immediately put on oxygen. She was very pale and was having trouble breathing. A chest x-ray was performed and then a doctor came in with news we had not expected to hear — Emerson was in congestive heart failure. Our world stopped.

We were immediately transferred to Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas to meet with pediatric cardiologists. The cardiologist who performed Emerson’s first echocardiogram left the room saying, ‘I need to expedite this’ and then returned very quickly to tell us what he had seen. He knew Emerson would need a heart transplant to survive. We were briefly admitted to the PICU and plans were being made to transfer us to a pediatric heart center. Loma Linda University’s Children’s Hospital had an opening on the cardiac floor, and less than 12 hours later we were being life-flighted there … about 250 miles from our home.

The first week of Emerson’s Dilated Cardiomyopathy diagnosis was grim. By the time she had another echocardiogram performed on September 25

, her heart function had gone from 30% to 9%. Her body was failing. Loma Linda’s team of pediatric cardiac specialists thought she would need to be placed on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), which is highly specialized life support. She was sedated, intubated and placed in isolation. The only way we could see her was to put on a gown, mask and gloves. We could not hold or comfort her. We felt lost and far away from our support network. Emerson was officially listed as transplant status 1A on September 26

. Our pastors travelled from Las Vegas to California and we baptized Emerson in the hospital, which was not at all what we had planned. We were preparing for the worst.

The next step was to get Emerson off the ventilator, which could only be done if her heart function got better. On October 8

her first open heart surgery, the Pulmonary Artery Band, was performed. This procedure is so new in the world of Dilated Cardiomyopathy treatment that less than 100 had been performed worldwide. Emerson was the fourth Loma Linda patient to have this procedure. This banding allowed her to come off the breathing tube and start eating again. Her heart function improved to about 20%. With these successes, Emerson was moved from 1A status to 1B since she was no longer quite as critical. Then the waiting began.

A close friend of the family reached out to the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) to learn more about the organization and about fundraising for transplant-related expenses. Andrea and Brandon then spoke to their Loma Linda transplant social worker to learn more. On October 15, 2018, the Buskirks officially became part of the COTA Family.

COTA is a 501(c)3 charity so all contributions to COTA in honor of Emerson are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law, and COTA funds are available for a lifetime of transplant-related expenses. COTA uniquely understands that parents who care for a child or young adult before, during and after a transplant have enough to deal with, so COTA’s model shifts the responsibility for fundraising to a community team of trained volunteers. A COTA fundraising specialist travelled to Loma Linda on November 3

to train the family’s volunteers and walk them through the entire process. This group of family members and friends returned to Las Vegas and quickly got to work organizing fundraisers to help with mounting transplant-related expenses.

The months following the Pulmonary Artery Band surgery allowed Emerson’s body to regain strength, allowed her to grow, allowed her to gain weight and allowed her to completely breathe on room air. From what our nurses told us, Emerson was a rare case. When babies need heart transplants, they usually do not look like her. From her appearance alone you never would have known she was so sick. She would light up the hospital room with her gigantic smile and truly loved all the attention she received. She was known as the ‘mood booster’ of the pediatric cardiology floor at Loma Linda. In January our cardiologist wrote to UNOS (the United Network of Organ Sharing) to petition Emerson to go back to 1A status since a heart transplant was her only chance at long-term survival.

We received our life-changing call that a heart was available on January 17, 2019, at 5:46 pm. Emerson was taken to surgery at midnight, and was brought back up at 6:30 am on January 18

. She was extubated right after the transplant. With her now healthy heart, she almost instantly ‘pinked up’ like other babies. Her numbers stabilized. Miraculously she was discharged nine days after her heart transplant.

On February 14, Valentine’s Day, 2019, Andrea posted the following update:

Valentine’s Day has a whole new meaning for us this year, because February 14

is also National Donor Day. Today we are especially thankful for our donor family who gave Emerson a second chance at life. Without families like theirs, our little girl would not be here. They truly gave us a priceless gift. Today I want to bring awareness to the thousands of children and adults who are waiting for a life-saving transplant. I urge you to prayerfully consider becoming an organ donor. Did you know one person alone can save eight people with his/her organs? Emerson required blood transfusions many times throughout her hospital stay. Donating blood is another great way to honor our little girl. Lastly, if you feel so inclined, Emerson was transplanted at six months old. If everyone gave just $6 to COTA for Team Emerson, medications can be provided for Emerson for many, many years to come. The outpouring of love and support we have witnessed over the past months is incredible — it has allowed us to focus on Emerson’s needs and care … and not on the financial stresses of life. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Emerson and Andrea remained in Loma Linda until early April and regularly went to nearby clinic appointments to make sure she was doing well. (Brandon had been teaching during the week in Las Vegas and travelling to California on the weekends for several months, which is a transplant-related expense for which COTA funds can be utilized.) They were all able to return home to Las Vegas on April 1, 2019, to resume life as a family of three.

Today Emerson is thriving and is as curious as ever. Andrea and Brandon are elated to have her home and to watch her grow and develop. She continues to love life. Her personality is blossoming with every beat of her amazing new heart. Emerson loves to smile and make funny faces. She loves her kitties, any and all toys that make music and her large collection of stuffed animals.

The COTA fundraising effort in Emerson’s honor has been very successful, which has continued to alleviate many of this young family’s stressors.

According to Brandon, “When we first learned about COTA, it was a relief to see other families who were also in our situation. Through COTA we discovered there is an entire community of transplant families who know exactly what we face each and every day. The

COTA.org

home page provided us tremendous hope because we could read success stories about other COTA heart kids. COTA has allowed us to focus on our family first and not on worrying about how to pay for the resources Emerson needs today … and into the future.”

On Emerson’s first birthday in June, Andrea wrote her this note

My Dearest Emerson,

Today you turn one year old. A birthday we did not know we would ever be able to celebrate with you. The challenges and odds you have had to overcome in your first year of life are greater than most people experience in a lifetime. You have overcome Intubation … Being paralyzed … Two open heart surgeries … A heart transplant … Surgery to drain fluid on your heart … Numerous IVs … Countless blood draws … Numerous blood transfusions … Countless heart tests, CTs and MRIs … Withdrawal from narcotics … A collapsed lung … Doctors saying you might not survive … and so much more. Being your mom and watching you overcome such adversity has been a challenge. They always say having kids teaches you so much. That is an understatement with you. You have taught me how to fight … how to be brave … and how to overcome. Your ‘fighter’ spirit is something I pray lives inside of you forever.

“Emerson becoming a Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) kid continues to be a huge blessing for us. Our world turned upside down after her birth, and we had to move to another state for her care and eventual transplant. COTA provided us comfort regarding the mounting medical bills for our lengthy stay. Now that we are back home, we know Emerson will get the best care possible and continue her recovery without the two of us worrying about the medical bills. It is so reassuring to know that when Emerson inevitably needs another heart transplant, COTA will be there at that point and …

for a lifetime

,” said Andrea and Brandon.

Emerson has not slowed down in any way since her heart transplant. She has shown her Warrior Spirit and has proven she can weather any storm. People comment to Brandon and Andrea frequently that had they not followed her journey or known anything about her health challenges, you would never know what she has been through.

According to Andrea, Emerson is running through life (literally) and shows no signs of slowing down. She is a bundle of energy from the moment her eyes open in the morning. She loves taking her new puppy, Weston, on walks and playing fetch with him. She loves reading books, being chased around the house while letting out full squeals of excitement and dancing to any music she hears (especially if it is Moana!). Emerson is living her life with no abandon.

“While Brandon returned to work in the fall, I stayed home to make sure all of her appointments were always taken care of. We are seeing a delay in eating due to her time in the hospital and are currently working to find the right feeding therapist to help us address these needs,” Andrea said. “We find total comfort knowing COTA funds can be used towards this. That knowledge takes away the financial stress of paying for her necessary therapy and the medications she needs.”

This Valentine’s Day, Emerson will likely be eating her favorite foods and doing her favorite things, which will undoubtedly include dancing, laughing, reading making funny faces and simply being adorable. Andrea and Brandon will be remembering Emerson’s heart donor angel with love.

Happy Valentine’s Day Buskirk Family from your COTA Family!

For more information about the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA),

or to find a COTA family in your area, please email

kim@cota.org

5 Players We Could See At The Philadelphia Eagles in 2020

Gloucestercitynews.net (February 7, 2020)–Last season wasn’t terrible for the Philadelphia Eagles. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible. The joy of winning the Super Bowl in 2018 still looms large in the memory of many of the team’s younger fans, and sometimes obscures the fact that prior to that, the Eagles had never won the competition before, and had in fact only made it to two previous finals in their entire existence. Reaching the playoffs is still an acceptable result for a team of the Eagles’ standing, even if the

loss to the Seattle Seahawks

was a disappointing one.

As with every team in the NFL at the moment, the upper management and coaching team of the Eagles will be taking stock of what they have, what they need to improve on, and who\’ll soon be available to acquire both in terms of April\’s draft and in terms of free agency. There are places in which the team could definitely be improved, and conversations about making those improvements will already be happening as you read this article. It\’s probably safe to assume that we\’ll see some significant movement in and out of the Eagles before the first game of the new season arrives.

Making major changes to a settled lineup is never easy, and always comes with an element of risk involved. It’s as if the popular

online slots

‘Gridiron Glory’ has come to life. In exactly the same way an online slots player puts their money into a game and hopes for the best, Doug Pederson will be placing the club’s money into players and hoping that luck is on his side. Neither the online slots player nor the coach can change their selection after they’ve made it – they just have to trust the Gods of fate and hope that everything goes his way. But who might Pederson be looking at, and who can we realistically expect to see at Lincoln Financial Field when the new season kicks off? Let’s take a look.

Darron Lee

In the run-up to the Super Bowl, the New York Post ran an article about

Darron Lee’s ‘crazy’ journey

to the biggest game in the sport. We guess they must have a different definition of \’crazy\’ to us, because Lee barely even featured in the build-up to the final, and didn\’t see the field in the final game at all. Lee is, without a shadow of a doubt, a talented player, but he appears to be surplus to requirements at Kansas City. If he is, he will make an excellent addition to the Eagles, who could do with more strength and competition in the squad when it comes to linebackers. His statistics from last season are misleading. The numbers will tell you that he played every game of the regular season without making a single interception or sack, but that\’s not fair. Lee only started two of those games. At the age of 25, the prime of his career is still ahead of him, and there\’s the potential for him to come and play through it at Philadelphia.

Arik Armstead

You might think that this suggestion belongs in the realms of fantasy, but there are whispers that Armstead may be interested in a move when free agency comes around. The defensive end knows how good he\’s been this season, and he\’ll expect his level of performance to be reflected in any new contract he signs. It may be the case that the San Francisco 49ers simply can\’t pay him what he\’s looking for, but the Philadelphia Eagles can. The Eagles wouldn\’t be the only team in the hunt for him if he decides to test the market – we suspect every single ambitious team in the NFL does – but the Eagles make for an attractive package, and stand as good a chance as anybody else. All they would have to worry about is whether his form holds up. He was excellent last season as we\’ve already said, but for the four seasons prior to that, he was mostly anonymous.

Bryce Hall

This kid should be a priority for the Eagles when it comes to the draft. He was born locally, and he looks like the real deal. Bryce Hall has stood out in an exceptional Virginia team in the past, but due to an unfortunate injury, he\’s slipped under the radar during 2019 while he\’s focused on getting healthy again. Teams worry about rookies who\’ve already had breakages or dislocations, and Hall has had both, but the opinion of his doctors is that he\’ll be fully fit in time to start the season. This gives the Eagles the chance to pick up a naturally gifted outside corner that nobody else has on their shortlist – and given his connections with the area, he could stay with the team for the next ten years or more if the move works out.

Justin Jefferson

Justin Jefferson is not the best wide receiver who\’ll be available in this year\’s draft, but he\’s the best wide receiver likely to remain available when picking 21 rolls around, and the Philadelphia Eagles desperately need a new wide receiver. We suspect that he might even be a first-round pick for the team if nobody else picks him up first. In 2019 he picked up 111 catches – that\’s more than any other player at his level in the country. He also ranked second for TD catches and third for receiving yards. As the old saying goes, the numbers don\’t like – and the numbers all look very good where Jefferson is concerned.

Justin Madubuike

We think it might be a tale of two Justins when it comes to the NFL Draft in 2020. Justin Jefferson will almost certainly appear high on the list, and we think Justin Madubuike will, too. At 6’3 and over three hundred pounds, Madubuike is a big, big man, and he’s becoming available at the right time when we look at the current DT options within the Eagles squad. Malik Jackson is about to turn 30, and nobody knows whether he’ll ever fully recover from his foot injury or not. Fletcher Cox is also nudging on 30. Ridgeway and Jernigan, the only other options, haven’t developed as well as the Eagles hoped, and will likely be leaving as free agents. That will leave the Eagles with a big hole in the DT position – and to us, it looks like a Justin Madubuike-sized hole.

This is just our take on the matter, though – the Eagles could end up with all of these players, some of them, or none of them. That’s the risk you take when you try to make sporting predictions! From now until the first day of next season, we’ll be watching and waiting to see if we were right.

images courtesy of unsplash.com

International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

WASHINGTON – February 6 marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI, and the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, all members of the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC), join U.S. and foreign government partners, non-governmental organizations, and local communities to call for the eradication of the practice.

The elimination of FGM/C has broad implications for the health and human rights of women and girls, as well as societies at large. This day serves as an opportunity to reflect on victims who have suffered from female genital mutilation/cutting, including many women and girls who have died or suffered lifelong health complications from the practice. The day also renews a global commitment to the health and well-being of all women, girls and communities by eliminating the practice.

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a federal crime, and any involvement in committing this crime is a serious human rights violation, which may result in imprisonment and potential removal from the United States. Individuals suspected of FGM/C, including sending girls overseas to be cut, may be investigated by the HRVWCC and prosecuted accordingly. In 2017, the HRVWCC initiated Operation Limelight USA, a program designed to bring awareness of FGM/C to passengers flying to countries where FGM/C is prevalent, to identify potential victims and perpetrators of FGM and to deter its practice. Since June 2017, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in partnership with non-governmental organizations, FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and others have conducted outreach operations at 18 U.S. airports and have engaged with nearly 4,000 passengers on 168 flights.

“Female genital mutilation is an affront to the human rights of women and girls throughout the world,” said Mark Shaffer, Chief of ICE’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. “Ending this practice will require continued cooperation and creativity of governments, partner organizations, and communities.”

“Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is a significant threat targeting women in our communities and around the world. The FBI is committed to identifying and investigating the human rights violators who perpetrate this heinous crime,” said Acting Unit Chief Tyrone Lara of the FBI International Human Rights Unit. “We are also dedicated to working with our domestic and international partners to bring perpetrators to justice and put an end to this practice worldwide.”

FGM/C prevalence is primarily concentrated in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, but also occurs in parts of Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. It is global in scope and found in multiple geographies, religions, and socioeconomic classes.

Anyone who has information about an individual who is suspected of assisting in this crime is urged to call the toll-free ICE tip line at (866) 347-2423 or complete the

ICE online tip form

or the

FBI online tip form

. All are staffed around the clock, and tips may be provided anonymously.

For more information about the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting,

view this Fact Sheet on FGM/C from the U.S. Department of State

visit the United Nations\’ Zero Tolerance Day website

Family Magazine Names Jessica Li Its NJ Cover Kid

SUMMIT, NJ, February 6, 2020

– Today,

New Jersey Family

, NJ’s leading parenting and lifestyle source, announced the winner of its Cover Kid contest. After reviewing hundreds of entries from around the state, 6-year-old Jessica Li of Basking Ridge was crowned the winner and appears on the magazine’s Feb/March cover.

The magazine asked parents to share a photo of their kid for a chance to appear on the cover. Judges looked for a bright smile and bubbly personality, both of which won over contest judge

Renee’ Lauren with Click Models

in Philadelphia.

As the winner of the contest, Jessica received a cover shoot by

Hartshorn Portraiture

in Hoboken and a cover wardrobe from

OshKosh B’gosh

. “We were thrilled to hear Jessica was the winner,” said Haiyi Li, Jessica’s mom. “We are honored that she will appear on the cover of our favorite New Jersey magazine and we are proud of her first magazine cover photo shoot!”

The contest, sponsored by

Tenafly Pediatrics

, was open to kids from New Jersey ages 2-12. All parents entering who entered received a PDF cover with their child on the cover and 15 percent of contest proceeds supported

Infinite Love for Kids Fighting Cancer

, a Middletown-based nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funding research for childhood cancer. To see all contest finalists, go to

njfamily.com/coverkidfinalists

. To read all about Jessica, go to

njfamily.com/coverkid

For nearly 30 years, New Jersey Family has been the #1 trusted authority on what to do, where to go and where to raise a family for more than half a million parents in New Jersey. We know what families in the Garden State need to live happier, healthier, more involved lives—and we deliver it. Find us at

njfamily.com

, on Facebook at

facebook.com/newjerseyfamily

and on Instagram at

instagram.com/newjerseyfamily