Latest news with #Philipsburg
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Chinese ICE detainee dies by suicide days after transfer to Pennsylvania facility
[Source] Chaofeng Ge, a 32-year-old Chinese national, died by suicide just five days after entering U.S. immigration custody, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Ge was reportedly found 'hanging by the neck' in a shower stall at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, on the morning of Aug. 5. Staff attempted CPR and called emergency services, but he was pronounced dead shortly after 6 a.m. by the Clearfield County coroner. Detention timeline Ge was arrested in January by police in Lower Paxton Township after officers found stolen credit card data on his phone. He pleaded guilty to access device fraud and related charges on July 31 and was sentenced to concurrent terms of six to 12 months. ICE assumed custody of him the same day through an immigration detainer. At the time of his death, Ge was awaiting a hearing before the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review. ICE said a handwritten note was recovered near the scene and there were no signs of foul play. The Pennsylvania State Police are investigating, and ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility was notified in line with agency protocol. Trending on NextShark: Pattern raises oversight concerns Ge's death is one of at least 14 reported in ICE custody so far in fiscal year 2025, surpassing last year's total of 12. At least three of this year's cases, including Ge's, have been classified as suicides. Advocates and former officials have raised concerns about underreporting and lack of transparency, warning that the true number of deaths may be higher. Two other Asian men have died in ICE custody this year. In July, Tien Xuan Phan, a 55-year-old Vietnamese national, died at a hospital in San Antonio after experiencing seizures and vomiting while detained in Karnes County, Texas. In March, Nhon Ngoc Nguyen, also 55 and diagnosed with dementia, died from pneumonia at a hospital in El Paso. Both deaths remain under formal review. Trending on NextShark: Reform calls and ICE response Advocacy groups have renewed demands for stronger oversight and better medical safeguards within immigration detention facilities. The Moshannon Valley Processing Center, where Ge was held, has been the subject of ongoing criticism for inadequate health care, limited legal access and poor living conditions. A 2024 report by Temple University highlighted widespread complaints from detainees, including allegations of neglect and mistreatment. ICE stated that all detainees receive medical, dental and mental health screenings within 12 hours of arrival, followed by a comprehensive health assessment within 14 days. The agency said emergency care is available around the clock and reiterated its commitment to humane treatment. ICE has notified the Chinese embassy, the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General and members of Congress in connection with the recent death. Trending on NextShark: This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Trending on NextShark: Subscribe here now! Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Herald Sun
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Sydney-based jockey Winona Costin considering move to Queensland
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. The lure of riding in the warmer climate of southeast Queensland could prove too hard to resist for Sydney-based jockey Winona Costin. While she has no immediate plans to relocate north, Costin hasn't ruled out following in the footsteps of fellow female jockey Cejay Graham, who has made a success of moving from Port Macquarie in NSW to Brisbane in 2023. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Costin has six rides at Doomben on Saturday – all for different trainers – with her best chance being the James Ponsonby-trained Philipsburg ($15) in a Benchmark 78 over 2000m. But Costin's work won't finish at Doomben – she will then drive up the Warrego Highway for Saturday night racing at Toowoomba where she will ride Drunken Sailor and Sonny Fella for Ponsonby. On Sunday the Hawkesbury trainer will head home, stopping at Grafton to drop off Costin, who has been booked for two rides at the NSW provincial track. • Doomben Saturday tips, analysis: $5.50 best bet 'You never know,' Costin said about the possibility of shifting to Brisbane following a string of hit-and-run missions to southeast Queensland. 'If I get good enough traction then there's always a chance. I'm not a tree so I can move. 'It's always good in the warmer weather, too. 'Cejay has gone so well up there which is very inspiring. If I can get good traction up there when I fly in and fly out, you never know what the future holds.' The 30-year-old Costin can't wait to jump back on 70-race veteran Philipsburg, who won back-to-back contests at Doomben and Eagle Farm at Benchmark 80 and 90 level respectively in the space of seven days in April. She also rode the seven-year-old gelding in his last-start, a disappointing eighth out of 13 runners in the $250,000 Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) on June 21. Winona Costin steering Philipsburg (right) to victory in a race at Doomben in April. Picture: Trackside Photography 'I've ridden him since he was young and he's definitely one of my favourite horses,' Costin said. 'He's got a lot of character – he's a funny old bugger – and he's in good order. 'He ran really well (in the Ipswich Cup) but the track was just playing a bit too on-pace for him. 'I was happy with the way he came home and he got a bit tightened on the corner as well.' • Rodd upbeat despite latest injury setback Costin has certainly done it tough over her journey, fighting back from 12 months on the sidelines in 2017 after battling debilitating concussion symptoms. She was knocked out three times in a race or trial falls and went through a dark period when she struggled to speak, kept falling asleep and lost almost all her memory. 'Having a year off was definitely not on the cards but I'm glad I was able to ride again and be back to being 100 per cent right,' Costin told Racenet on Friday on her way to riding in Scone. 'I was always determined to come back, I wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. 'The neurologist in Sydney wouldn't clear me so I had to fly to Melbourne to find one who would clear me. I'm thankful for that. 'It was hard. I can't even remember most of the year to be honest. I was very tired, I'd forget things a lot and I was very sensitive to light. But that's all in the past now.' And the future looks as bright as a warm winter's day in the Sunshine State for a jockey with fierce determination and a strong desire to win. Originally published as Sydney-based jockey Winona Costin considering move to Queensland
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Philipsburg resident announces plans to run for state representative in 77th District
A Philipsburg resident who ran for a seat in Congress during the last election announced his intentions Thursday to seek the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania's 77th House District next year. Zach Womer made his announcement following the passage of President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' and made note of cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that he said will 'shift responsibility for our social safety net to state legislatures.' 'Whether the decisions were made in Washington D.C. or Harrisburg, I have watched a decades long tragedy of the wealth of our nation transferring from the poor and working class to people who have never swung a hammer, never milked a cow, but hold a large portion of our nation's wealth,' he said in a written statement. The 77th House District has been represented by state Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, since 2007. Conklin won reelection in November to another two-year term and has not publicly announced whether he'll run for an 11th term. In November's election, Womer ran as a political newcomer against U.S. Rep. Glenn 'GT' Thompson, R-Howard, who won by more than a 40-point margin. Womer is also running in this year's election for Philipsburg mayor against Republican incumbent John Streno. 'We now sit at a greater disparity in wealth than in the gilded age,' Womer said in the written statement. 'As a state legislator, I will fight to the greatest extent I am able to ensure that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania represents the interests of the working men and women that call it home.' House District 77 includes part of State College borough, along with Port Matilda and Patton, Ferguson, Rush, Huston and Worth townships.
News.com.au
20-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Queensland specialist Philipsburg hunting Sunshine State hat-trick in Ipswich Cup
Hawkesbury trainer James Ponsonby will shoot for three straight wins in the Sunshine State on Saturday when his Queensland specialist Philipsburg lines up in the $250,000 Ipswich Cup (2150m). Ponsonby had initially aimed Philipsburg at last weekend's Group 2 Brisbane Cup (3200m) on Stradbroke day at Eagle Farm but changed tack after the seven-year-old gelding had an injury scare. 'He got banged up in the paddock and we thought we'd pull the plug because he had a little bit of inflammation,' Ponsonby said. 'It turned out to be nothing, which was good. He would've struggled to beat Campaldino (in the Brisbane Cup), the way it went. 'This (the Listed Ipswich Cup) looked like a fair race on paper in terms of weight conditions. 'He's well, although he hasn't had a lot of luck since he's been home in Sydney so I thought when in Rome, do as the Romans do – back up and try to get another one.' Regular rider Winona Costin has delivered with Philipsburg on two hit-and-run missions to Queensland this year, in a Benchmark 80 (2200m) at Doomben and then a Benchmark 90 (2212m) at Eagle Farm in the space of seven days in April. But in his last three races Philipsburg has struggled, finishing no better than fifth in three Benchmark 78 races at his home track Hawkesbury, Gosford and Randwick. Asked why Philipsburg loved the Sunshine State so much, Ponsonby said: 'It's the genuine tempo. 'In all fairness to him, he's no world beater but he tries very hard and when the weights suit him in terms of benchmarking, he's been able to run in races where he probably deserves more weight but because he's got average Sydney form, then he gets the weight relief. 'In Queensland he goes to sleep in those races where they run along and the genuine tempo helps offset the weight relief sometimes. 'He's just a genuine horse. The day he draws a right number, he'll more than likely get the job done. 'There's more than one reason why Australians want to flock to Queensland to live so you can't blame a Kiwi horse, can you?' Philipsburg ($34) is at long odds to win the Ipswich Cup, with bookmakers favouring Miss Joelene ($5.50), Diablo Bolt ($6), Osmose ($6.50) and Poetic Drama ($7). However, Ponsonby is quietly confident that with Costin in the saddle and carrying a lightweight 53kg, Philipsburg can cause an upset. 'It's a good, solid line-up. We're just going to need a bit of luck in running but if the tempo of the race is genuine then it gives him somewhat of a chance,' Ponsonby said. 'It's a good cup race, no doubt. He ran at Doomben so well, and Ipswich is similar in that it's an on-pace preferential racetrack, so I can't knock him. 'Going back and looking over the Ipswich Cup winners, they're invariably not always the best horse in the race but they're the horse that has the best luck in the race. 'He gets down in the weights to 53kg and Winona is going up to ride him so I can't ask for any more than that.' Caloundra Cup (2400m) on July 5.
Forbes
30-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Ways The Travel Industry Is Addressing Our Climate Crisis
Tourism is not just a victim of climate crisis, it is also one of the heaviest contributors to the problem. We have covered the effects of flying and actions to improve the climate crisis in a previous post. Now we'll give examples of what the tourism industry is doing in other areas of tourism to help visitors maximize the positive and minimize the negative impacts of their trips. Creating More Efficient Cruising Cruise ships use fuel to stay running 24/7, have a significant carbon footprint, and dump wastewater into the oceans. They burn fossil fuels to power their engines and generate electricity, which releases greenhouse gases and other air pollutants into the atmosphere. These emissions can contribute to climate change and have negative health impacts on people living near ports. Philipsburg, St. Maarten: A.C. Wathey Pier easily becomes a busy and crowded pier when numerous ... More cruise ships are in port for the day. Also, noise pollution can have an impact on marine life, and problems are caused by large amounts of tourists arriving for short stays in ecologically fragile ports and exotic destinations. The cruise industry is trying to make things better and more sustainable. More cruise ships are harboring outside of crowded ports, and staying a longer time. Significant initiatives are ongoing to improve the impact of cruising, and reduce its carbon footprint, from increased efficiencies in design and greener fuels to better scrubbing and filtration. There is even a zero-waste cruise ship being developed in Japan. Cruise lines are doing work on sustainability, environmentalism, and impact on the wider world. There are no official sustainability ratings for cruise vacations, and while there are numerous reports, statistics, and claims, none are 100% reliable or 100% unbiased. Reading these reports alongs with your own research can give you a decent idea of which cruise ships are doing the most to reduce their impact. Greening Hotels Lodgings contribute about one percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. New hotels are becoming more aware of the ways they can improve their greenness. A hotel that is a model would be plastic bottle-free, anti-fossil fuel, and powered entirely by renewable energy. Door frames, light fixtures, and even tile would be reuseable. Guest rooms would be decorated with locally made furnishings and upholstered in sustainably sourced fabrics. When the Hotel Marcel opened in New Haven, Connecticut in May 2022, it checked all those green boxes as part of a mission to be the U.S'.s first net-zero carbon-emissions hotel. But it missed one huge consideration: embodied carbon in the hotel's construction. New hotels will have to take that into account as well. Event space in the award-winning "Green" hotel Marcel. Adapting To and Protecting Nature Travel businesses and destinations are slowly changing how they operate, to lead travelers to experience places and activities differently. Lack of snow? Canada's Whistler ski resort has responded to this by offering more snow-free activities – so much so that it now makes more money in summer. Downhill mountain biking in Garbanzo zone in Whistler bike park. Solar panels are being installed in West Africa's Cape Verde. The Seychelles islands off East Africa have added conservation guidelines to the national constitution – the first time a country has done so. Adaptations such as seawalls, pumps and changes in construction materials are being considered. Tour companies are becoming more aware. Ziptrek Ecotours is the first adventure outfitter in Queenstown, New Zealand, to offer consumer-facing labeling to show customers what their emissions would be, when selecting among competing zipline tours. (But then again, nobody gets to New Zealand without taking a long-haul flight.) will soon show carbon emission listings on flight and hotel results, allowing travelers to filter lower carbon emission results from a range. Iberostar Group released its own ambitious decarbonization roadmap which is partly marketing (it wants 60 percent of guests to choose the brand for its sustainability actions by 2025) and partly action (a 2030 net zero goal and nature-based carbon compensation projects at its 97 resorts across four continents). The Netherlands is considering an eco-efficiency index of its visitors. This means dividing the amount of revenues a tourist brings in by the amount of carbon dioxide emissions the tourist triggered traveling there. That index would indicate which long-haul market the government should direct marketing dollars toward to help reduce emission impacts. Offering Free Public Transport Luxembourg was the first country to offer free public transport for all in 2020, followed by Malta, and scores of other destinations now offer discounted or free public transport. Free public transportation is popular in many cities. In Miami, trolleys and the downtown Peoplemover monorail are free. In 2022, Germany has the Deutschlandticket scheme, offering passengers unlimited travel on buses, trams and regional trains for about fifty dollars a month. Developing Sleeper Trains In 2025, Europe's sleeper train network has been enjoying a renaissance. The continent's expanding offering of nocturnal routes aims to compete with short-haul flights on speed, cost, comfort and climate impact. The European Union has plans to double high-speed rail traffic by 2030 and link all major cities in the bloc. The overnight train amsterdam innsbruck, operated by Night Jet, a brand name given by the Austrian ... More Federal Railways Nightjet operates in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. Also, employers are signing up for movements such as Climate Perks, which gives employees more holiday if they travel by train. Approving Staycations, Remote Working, Workations About 60 countries have embraced the idea of working from anywhere through 'digital nomad' visas. These allow people to work remotely from dozens of countries, enabling them to embrace slower travel and really get to know a destination. (My family did this last year in Spello Italy. This year we're renting a house near the Erie Canal in western New York.) Huge numbers of workers now work from home throughout the world. As of May 2023, 39 per cent of United Kingdom workers said they regularly work from home, with many taking 'workations' (working while away on holiday). Combating Over-Tourism Tour companies are going out of their way to introduce new, less crowded destinations. The majority of trips booked through Byway are in areas that aren't hotspots. Companies like Original Travel now sell trips to lesser-visited areas in France, Spain, Italy and Greece. 'We've made it our mission to tackle the scourge of overtourism, where too many tourists descend on too few destinations, in the process risking what made these precious places so special in the first place,' says co-founder Tom Barber. But Much More Needs to Be Done The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism was introduced by the U.N.'s World Tourism Organization at the 2021 conference. The declaration, originally signed by more than 300 travel companies, nonprofit organizations and government agencies, now has almost thousand signatories. It was supposed to 'secure strong actions and commitment from the tourism sector' and 'accelerate climate action.' Participating travel organizations would disclose greenhouse gas emissions; take steps to decarbonize; restore and protect natural ecosystems; and collaborate to ensure best practices. The two core commitments: Within 12 months of signing the accord, entities would create and submit a public 'climate action plan' that outlined specific actions they would take to reduce emissions. And second, signatories would halve their emissions before 2030, in order to get on track to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The signatories are large and small — hotels, local governments, travel agencies and others — and range from big names like Expedia Group and Radisson Hotels to location-specific groups, like the Great Himalaya Trail and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. But the vast majority of tourism players haven't signed on, including major aviation companies. And most cruise lines have steered clear of the declaration. Most organizations that did sign on have not yet published climate action plans. In other words, nearly three-fourths of the entities haven't delivered what they promised. And there's no enforcement. Key issues remain unresolved. Signatories pledged to halve emissions, but efforts are hard to quantify. While individually some of the signatories have begun to shrink their own carbon footprints, there is no broad evidence as yet that the travel industry's emissions have diminished. Global emissions, meanwhile, are still on the rise. 2030 is five years away, so any requirement in reporting emission-level reductions has not yet hit the deadline. A report from Intrepid Travel, entitled, 'A Sustainable Future for Travel: From Crisis to Transformation,' encourages the industry to act now to ensure its future. It's a blueprint of what can and should be done by the tourism industry to deal with climate change. It provides hope for what could be, nudging the travel industry toward a more environmentally friendly future. I recently spoke about travel and climate change at the New York Society for Ethical Culture. Check out the discussion on my YouTube channel Places I Remember: Travel Talk with Lea Lane. Also, for all travel topics, check out my award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane. T
