Latest news with #Marita
India Today
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Netflix drops season 2 of The Ultimatum: Queer Love, set in Miami
Netflix has revived its reality dating series The Ultimatum: Queer Love for a second season, this time with the backdrop of lively Miami. The show, which follows queer couples through love, trust, and commitment, premiered its initial seven episodes of Season 2 on Wednesday, June 25. The remaining three episodes will be available on July reported by Palm beach post, the Ultimatum features six queer couples, each at a turning point: one is eager for marriage, and the other isn't. To push their relationship to the limit, participants exchange with members of other couples for a three-week test marriage. After these three weeks, they must decide if they will reconnect with their original partner, start something new, or go out on their season's cast features: AJ & Britney: Five years together, their relationship is strained by AJ's reluctance to take a backseat to Britney's professional & Pilar: Ten years together and Haley is eager to marry, but Pilar remains sceptical of the institution of marriage for reasons rooted in personal and family & Bridget: Kyle desires a lifetime commitment, but Bridget does not see marriage as & Marie: Food truck co-owners, they're trying to determine if love and business can equate to an enduring & Magan: After dating for one and a half years, Dayna is ready for commitment, but Magan is not so & Marita: Ashley believes Marita is inconsistent and lacks emotional substance, but Marita desires more romance in the JoAnna Garcia Swisher is back as host. She defined her job as a celebration of queer love stories and how important and visible they need to be in the mainstream TO WATCHThe second season of The Ultimatum: Queer Love is available to stream on Netflix. The first seven episodes are currently out, and the remaining three will be released on July 2.- EndsTrending Reel
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
They thought their foster dogs went to a sanctuary. They were euthanized instead.
Two puppies were rescued from a hoarding situation in Texas and taken in by a Milwaukee-based dog rescue. Their foster parents believed the dogs — struggling with anxiety from their past — were later sent to a sanctuary in northern Wisconsin for specialized training. For months, foster parents Samantha Stanfield and Sarah DeSmidt received hopeful updates about the dogs and how they were adapting to the sanctuary's training programs. But there was no northern Wisconsin sanctuary. The dogs, named Bill and Marita, had been euthanized. What happened to Bill and Marita isn't an isolated tragedy. Instead, advocates and volunteers say, it's part of a broader pattern, as local animal shelters face overcrowding and volunteer shortages, pushing the care of some animals into smaller, less-equipped rescue groups. After Public Investigator's April story about Misfit Mutt Crue MKE revealed a case of dishonesty around a foster dog's euthanasia, multiple people came forward to share similar stories, including former volunteers with Rescue Gang, the group that took in Bill and Marita. Their goal, they said, is to shine a light on the lack of regulation and accountability in the rescue world. "There is very loose regulation on what is required to have a rescue (organization)," said Heather Mishefske, a certified behavior consultant and owner of emBARK, a dog training, grooming and care facility in Eau Claire. "A lot of people that just really want to help dogs may go into rescue not understanding the ramifications and the problems that could potentially arise." Mishefske said Bill and Marita's case isn't the first time she's heard of a rescue organization hiding the fact that a dog was euthanized. The pressure of losing the public's trust and support can lead rescues to hide the truth. Rescue Gang Director Jennifer Troppmann had similar concerns, according to a February 2024 Facebook message sent to the group's leadership team where she discusses keeping Bill's and Marita's euthanasia quiet. "I feel icky about it," she wrote in the message, obtained by Public Investigator. "But the blowback would be awful, and I cannot handle a complete fallout." In 2023, with the help of over $1,000 in donations, Rescue Gang took in three puppies from a hoarding situation in Texas. Two of them were Bill and Marita. Their past left them anxious and reactive, making training difficult. Bill was briefly adopted but returned when he struggled to come out of his shell. Still, their foster parents — Samantha Stanfield for Bill, and Sarah DeSmidt for Marita — loved them. For four months, they remained committed to helping the dogs, both barely a year old, grow. So, when Rescue Gang director Jennifer Troppmann told them that in order for the dogs to receive specialized training, they'd stay at the organization's facility, Stanfield and DeSmidt agreed. A few days later, Troppmann gave Stanfield and DeSmidt another update — Bill and Marita were on their way to a sanctuary in northern Wisconsin. "I know it's hard, but I felt this was their best chance at a happy life," Troppmann wrote to DeSmidt in a Facebook message viewed by Public Investigator. Between February and May 2024, Troppmann sent updates on how the dogs were adapting to the sanctuary, including a screenshot of an email supposedly from the sanctuary. The email, viewed by Public Investigator, informed Troppmann that Bill had settled in well and would soon be ready to be transferred to their "adoption program." Marita needed more time to adapt but was still showing progress, the email said. But as time passed with only vague updates, both foster parents became suspicious. DeSmidt repeatedly offered to take Marita back. She asked Troppmann for the name of the sanctuary but never received it. She started calling sanctuaries in an effort to find Marita herself. Finally, in June, then-acting Rescue Gang director Billee Procknow sent a Facebook message telling the fosters and other volunteers that neither dog had ever gone to a sanctuary and both had been euthanized in February. Procknow's message, viewed by Public Investigator, said the dogs' behavior had regressed and they were becoming a danger to other dogs and humans, which led Rescue Gang to make the "excruciating, but necessary" decision. "I'm sorry that you are finding out this way, and totally understand if you are upset and angry," Procknow wrote. Bill and Marita's former foster parents, as well as Rescue Gang volunteers who knew the dogs, were devastated and confused, saying neither dog had ever been dangerous in the time they'd fostered them. Both said they would've taken them back if they knew the dogs were going to be euthanized. Troppmann told Public Investigator she wasn't responsible for what happened to Bill and Marita. Instead, Troppmann said, Rescue Gang's leadership team took control of the organization while she was on medical leave. "They took over the rescue," Troppmann said. "They changed passwords. I had lost complete control of my rescue.' But a Facebook message viewed by Public Investigator shows Troppmann telling the former Rescue Gang leadership team about the decision to euthanize Bill and Marita in February 2024. Troppmann, now back from medical leave and working as Rescue Gang's director again, also told Public Investigator no dogs in her group's care have been euthanized since. But through an open records request with the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission, or MADACC, Public Investigator found that a Rescue Gang dog was euthanized in February of this year, about two months before Troppmann spoke to Public Investigator. The Bill and Marita situation wasn't the first time Rescue Gang, founded in 2014, was under scrutiny. According to records obtained through a public records request, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has received nine complaints about Rescue Gang since 2017. Three of those led to formal investigations. In two cases, the department found that the rescue imported dogs without required veterinary documentation, resulting in a $400 fine from the state in 2021. In 2022, a former foster accused Troppmann of giving out medication without veterinary approval and misrepresenting dogs' health. DATCP investigated but found no violations. DATCP spokesperson Molly Mueller said the remaining six complaints were not investigated because they fell outside the agency's jurisdiction. Those included interpersonal disputes within the rescue and allegations of fabricated fundraising claims and donation misuse. Similar concerns surfaced in a separate case involving a fundraiser for a dog named Breezy. An April 2023 Facebook post said Breezy, who'd spent five years in a Texas shelter before being brought to Milwaukee, was facing a possible cancer diagnosis. The post encouraged supporters to donate to Breezy's "bucket list" and medical care. But former volunteers say Breezy was never formally diagnosed with cancer, and it's unclear how the fundraiser donations were ultimately used. Former volunteer Jasmin Elhindi said the dog was timid and used to being alone — then placed in high-stress environments, like a foster home with other dogs, that only heightened her fear. Elhindi said Breezy was briefly adopted but later returned. After that, it was unclear to her and other Rescue Gang volunteers what happened to Breezy. Public Investigator learned Breezy was euthanized in August 2024 after filing an open records request for euthanasia cases tied to the name "Jennifer Troppmann." According to MADACC records, Troppmann brought Breezy in herself, not under Rescue Gang's name. Rescue Gang is still operating under Troppmann, but most of its former leadership team, active when Bill and Marita were euthanized, is now running Rey of Hope. Rey of Hope declined to answer questions about Bill and Marita. In an emailed statement, the nonprofit, founded in 2024, said it is not affiliated with Rescue Gang. "While members of our community previously volunteered with Rescue Gang, those members were not in positions with decision-making oversight," the statement said. "Rey of Hope Rescue is committed to building a transparent, community-focused organization." Former volunteers told Public Investigator that Rescue Gang's former trainer, now part of Rey of Hope's leadership, used outdated methods like shock collars. Aversive methods like shock collars, especially used on dogs that were saved from traumatic situations, sets them up to fail, said Mishefske, the certified behavior consultant. Just as anyone can start a small-scale animal rescue, anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, even if they don't have a license or certification. And that compounds the problem, Mishefske said. A lack of behavioral support leads to dogs that could've been saved being euthanized instead. Hiring certified behavior professionals can be costly, Mishefske said, though some training resources can be accessed online at low or no cost, through organizations like the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Wisconsin Humane Society, or Every Dog Austin's free webinars. "If you're going to bring dogs in from some of these more traumatic scenarios," Mishefske said, "you have to provide support." Quinn Clark is a Public Investigator reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be emailed at QClark@ This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Rescue Gang foster parents misled about dogs' euthanasia
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MTA blasts through bedrock to create new access at Grand Central
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — It's more than the opening of a new staircase at Grand Central in Manhattan. Riders are always looking for better ways to get around stations. The most recent project around Grand Central is a new blueprint for completing and funding projects. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Direct the flow and your attention to a new staircase along the No. 7 train platform at Grand Central-42nd Street. More than 450,000 people use the complex on an average weekday. Marita is a daily No. 7 train rider to and from Grand Central. 'It feels very bright and open. I thought I got off at 34th Street. It's opened up congestion and keeps us from falling all over each other,' she said. Riders can position themselves near the center to back of the train to step on to the new staircase. 'This station is super congested. To get from here to the street level is always a problem,' said Anthony Triolo. More Local News The new staircase and passageway connect the No. 7 train platform to the escalators leading to the station mezzanine. 'Go straight up to Grand Central and not using the passageway that leads to the Lexington line. That always becomes overcrowded,' said Jackson Wong. MTA officials brought video of the blast work through New York City bedrock. MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said new technology allowed work to happen without impacting train service. The projects total about $700 million around the Grand Central complex. They are funded in large part by developers. Midtown Rezoning created a new model. 'It allows developers to get a little more height and a little more space in what they build in exchange for major improvements to transit,' said MTA Chairman Janno Lieber. The MTA is negotiating with other building owners for new improvements in Midtown. The concept also is in place for other locations around the system. New elevators are being built with a similar program. The MTA said the entire Grand Central-42 Street Circulations Improvement Project will be completed later this year. It includes replacement of eight escalators, a new fare control area, new wayfinding, lighting, signage, architectural improvements on the mezzanine, and additional state-of-good repair work. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bunnings worker inspires with 'amazing' $10 garden idea amid Aussie backyard trend
More and more Aussies are doing their bit to help local wildlife flourish in their backyards, and one Bunnings worker has come up with an ingenious way to provide shelter for possums on a budget of only $10. Marita Ekengard told Yahoo News her garden feature was easy to make and offered big benefits to the native animals. While watching a wildlife rescue documentary, the Sydney resident explained she saw a coconut liner — a common gauze used in gardening — and thought "it would be perfect for possums". When she later spotted that Bunnings was selling some, she bought two, alongside hanging baskets and cable ties, and got to work making the makeshift shelter. "I have bought possum houses before but they're made of wood and are quite heavy. Also they are very expensive and tricky to attach to the tree, so this one is very light and much easier to put up," she said. Marita covered the inside of the hanging baskets with the coconut liner before attaching the two at their bases, making sure to cut out a "little door" as an entry point. She explained the process of assembling the garden feature took her only twenty minutes and anyone could do it. She now has a resident possum who has "moved in" after only two weeks of her hanging up the shelter. ⚠️ Travelling dad's 'amazing' find on Aussie road stops traffic for 20 minutes 🐢Photographer captures sad reality on tourist island: 'Difficult to watch' ✈️ 'Long-lost' outback creature makes 1,500km journey home A number of possum species are listed as threatened under Australian environmental laws, with land clearing during development work destroying much of their habitat. As more begin to wander urbanised land, small shelters like this can help them adapt to environmental changes and survive. "I love wildlife and thought if I share this, more people can make possum houses," Marita said. And she was right – Aussies loved the idea. "That's amazing! Well done," one Aussie wrote, while many others explained they have made something similar using plastic pots or paper bark to further weatherproof it. Across Australia, some 300 vertebrate species rely on tree hollows – whether they be natural or homemade. It's not just birds and possums, but sugar gliders and microbats that also need the nesting space. The vital hollows are used for shelter, nesting sites and rearing of young as well as just keeping cool on hot days and warm on cold days. A growing number of Australians are taking it upon themselves to fashion a makeshift home for native animals and birdlife in their garden space. A public Facebook group called Nest Box Tales has more than 27,000 members where people share their efforts and sheer delight at providing the wildlife housing. An accompanying website has a raft of tips, free booklets and designs for various nest boxes. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
