Latest news with #JasonYoung
New Indian Express
01-08-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
FBI Director says its new office in New Zealand will counter China's sway, provokes Beijing's ire
'China believes that cooperation between countries should not target any third party,' he said. 'Seeking so-called absolute security through forming small groupings under the banner of countering China does not help keep the Asia Pacific and the world at large peaceful and stable.' New Zealand, the smallest Five Eyes partner, has faced ongoing pressure to align with U.S. stances on China, its largest trading partner, while carefully balancing relations with Beijing. Analysts said the FBI chief's comments could vex those efforts, although New Zealand has faced such challenges before. 'It's in New Zealand's interest to have more law enforcement activities to deal with our shared problems,' said Jason Young, associate professor of international relations at Victoria University of Wellington. 'It's perhaps not in New Zealand's interest to say we're doing this to compete with China.' The FBI expansion comes during fresh Pacific focus Patel's visit came as the Trump administration has sought to raise global alarm about Beijing's designs. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in June said China posed an imminent threat and urged Indo-Pacific countries to increase military spending to 5% of GDP. New Zealand has traditionally avoided singling out individual countries when discussing regional tensions, Young said. 'I'm sure the U.S. would like New Zealand to speak more forthrightly and characterize the China challenge in a similar way to the United States,' Young added. New Zealand is a remote country of 5 million people that was once assumed by larger powers to be of little strategic importance. But its location and influence in the contested South Pacific Ocean, where Beijing has sought to woo smaller island nations over the past decade, has increased its appeal to countries like the U.S. Peters, the foreign minister, told The Associated Press in 2024 that U.S. neglect of the region until recent years had in part been responsible for China's burgeoning influence there. He urged U.S. officials to 'please get engaged and try to turn up." New office provokes anger among New Zealanders, not everyone welcomed the expanded FBI presence Online, the new office drew rancor from New Zealanders who posted thousands of overwhelmingly negative comments about the announcement on social media sites. A weekend protest against the opening was planned. Young said it was unlikely people posting in anger took issue with cross-border law enforcement efforts in general. 'I think it would be more a reflection of some of the deep unease that many people in New Zealand see with some of the political choices that are being made in America at the moment,' he said.
Indianapolis Star
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
'Not an easy decision.' Boys basketball coach Drew Schauss leaving Avon for new job
One of Central Indiana's Class 4A high school boys basketball coaching jobs is open. Drew Schauss, who led Avon to a 54-45 record in four seasons, told the returning players on Monday he was leaving to take a still-to-be-announced position. Schauss declined to share that destination until it becomes official but said Tuesday the move had nothing to do with how he felt about Avon. 'I love Avon, love the athletic department and love our kids,' Schauss said. 'It was not an easy decision by any means. We built a really solid program and sent a lot of kids to college, whether they are playing college basketball or not. It was a tough decision that kept me up a couple of nights without sleeping, but I really feel like it is the best move for our family.' Schauss led Avon to steady progress in his four seasons, going 15-11 in 2023-24 with the program's first sectional championship in five years. Last year, the Orioles went 20-4 and were ranked No. 4 in the state in Class 4A before losing to Brownsburg in the sectional. Schauss, 34, said the toughest part of taking the new job was telling the players. The Orioles' top two scorers last season were juniors Keriawn Berry — a Junior Indiana All-Star — Jedidiah Minnett. The 6-5 Berry is one of the top prospects in the state with offers from Ball State, Butler, Coastal Carolina, Indiana State, LaSalle, Murray State, North Texas, Rhode Island, Saint Louis, Southern Illinois, Toledo and Wright State 'Regardless of how good the kids are, it's tough,' Schauss said. 'I love those kids and have a built a lot of relationships with them. The kids who are sophomores now were sixth graders when I got here and I've seen them grow from middle school kids into high school players. It's a talented team. We played really well in Ohio (the weekend before last). From the first weekend of June at Purdue to the Charlie Hughes (Shootout) to Ohio, they really improved. It's a different team than we had last year with some different strengths, but it helps when you have two senior leaders with bright futures.' There are elements of his new position that go beyond basketball, which he relayed to the Avon team and administration. He believes with athletic director Jason Young in charge, Avon athletics will continue to progress in an upward trajectory. 'Jason Young pours his heart and soul into Avon,' Schauss said. With the new weight room and strength and speed coaches, I think everything is going in the right direction for Avon to continue to reach new heights with a supportive administration and great AD. My leaving has nothing to do with my thoughts on Avon. It's a great place to be. I just knew this opportunity may not come around again, even though the timing stinks because it is July.' Schauss said he could speak about his new position later this week.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Here's why a Springfield attorney was suspended for 2 years
A Springfield attorney has been suspended for two years for falsifying work records. The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, which operates under the state's Supreme Court, last week ruled on the case of Salena Rachelle Young after a complaint was submitted in 2024. Young "knowingly" submitted timesheets to the Illinois Attorney General's office showing she worked full days while she also worked part-time as a Sangamon County assistant public defender and operated a solo law practice. More: New technology, 'realistic budgets': New police chief, fire chief detail what's ahead In a separate case, Young's husband, Jason Paul Young, was also suspended by the ARDC in late 2024. On at least three dozen occasions, according to the complaint, Salena Young falsified worked work between November 2021 and June 2023. As a public defender, Young handled juvenile abuse and neglect cases. The ARDC said after leaving the attorney general's office, Young worked as an attorney for the city of Springfield and during that time allegedly forwarded emails to her "romantic partner." Young no longer works for the city. Young's suspension is effective on June 12. Jason Young was suspended for 90 days, also for submitting false timesheets. According to the ARDC website, Jason Young made court appearances on at least 18 occasions in Morgan County for his wife while he was working as an assistant attorney general. Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@ X, This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield attorney suspended for falsifying work records
South Wales Argus
12-05-2025
- South Wales Argus
Blackwood drink-driver sent to prison for 20 weeks
Newport Magistrates' Court heard how Jason Young, 45, was stopped on Libanus Road in Blackwood at the wheel of a Volkswagen Scirocco car. He was found guilty of drink-driving with 137 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. Young's offence took place on March 26, 2024. The defendant Montclaire Avenue, Blackwood was locked up for 20 weeks and banned from driving for 50 months. He was also ordered to pay £650 costs and a £154 surcharge. Young also admitted failing to surrender on June 18 last year.
ABC News
11-05-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Logan council drone survey maps out koala habitat tohelp protect endangered species
A buzzing sound fills the usually calm evening air on the edge of a forest in Logan, south of Brisbane. The sun sinks fast, taking the warmth with it and bringing an autumn chill. Locals begin gathering near a group of people clustered around monitors. They wonder: 'What's going on? What is that noise?'. Then they see it — a drone about the size of a bedside table, hovering in the dark. A powerful spotlight beams from beneath it, scanning the surrounding bushland. Operators are using thermal cameras, mounted to the drone, to detect heat signatures in their search for koalas and other endangered animals that call the area home. It's part of a large count of the marsupials underway to try and better protect their habitat. "What we see from the sensors is like a light bulb inside a tree," operator Jason Young said. "We go and take a closer look, and we have a very, very bright light that we turn on and then a high-definition camera that we can zoom in … while maintaining that distance away from the animal. He's searching for the koalas on behalf of the Logan City Council, who are undertaking a census of their population to better understand the local numbers. Mayor Jon Raven said this $25,000 project was the first time the council had undertaken an extensive, detailed and accurate study of the region's koala population. "So that means it's really important we get out there and find these koalas and understand how they're moving through our city." The data, Mr Raven said, would also be used to help determine future planning needs for the city. "The data that we collect through this will inform our new planning scheme and help us to make sure that the wildlife corridors we already have strategically mapped out across the city are fit for purpose — now and into the future." While new for Logan, it's not the first time drones have been used to count koala populations. Other searches have taken place on the Gold Coast and in across north Queensland. Queensland's Environment Department also has their own similar technology. "It hasn't been around for very long … it's pretty new." But conservationists believe — while studying population numbers is a good start — more needs to be done to protect koala habitat. "It's good that we're looking to see how many koalas they are, because south-east Queensland is critical for koala," Dave Copeman from the Queensland Conservation Council said. "The koala is endangered, and we are seeing numbers dropping. "We don't have a current census, and so this counting is really important, because we need to know if the precipitous decline in koala numbers has stabilised or not." An update to the Queensland government's koala conservation strategy is expected this year, as are several other counts of populations around the state. But Mr Copeman said he was concerned by large Priority Development Areas (PDAs) earmarked across south-east Queensland — including large housing developments in Logan, Ipswich and Moreton — that were planned for land on, or near, koala habitat. "If you're putting roads through koala habitat, you see more car strikes. If you're building houses in there, you get more dog attacks, and ultimately also the more koalas are compressed, you see higher stress in the population, and that results in less resilience and greater disease," he said. "So, the most important thing councils can do is protect the habitat that's there and be involved in restoring areas. "The science is clear. We need to [be building] up, not out." He suggested this could involve more "gentle density" in areas that already had stronger population bases. "If we keep doing these giant new PDA developments in the last vestiges of remnant forest in south-east Queensland, we are signing a death warrant for the koala," he said. It would also benefit the community and economy, according to Mr Copeman. "It means that you're not sprawling out and then requiring more expensive developments of schools and services," he said. "That's the best result for south-east Queensland nature.
