Latest news with #Pogo
The Star
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Philippines' dismissed mayor Alice Guo charged with 62 counts of money laundering
Alice Guo. - Photo: House of Representatives file MANILA: The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed 62 counts of money laundering cases against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. Guo, who is currently detained at the Pasig City Jail, is charged with 26 counts of violating Section 4(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) for conducting transactions involving monetary instruments or property derived from unlawful activity. She also faces five counts of violation of Section 4(b) of the same law for converting, transferring, acquiring, or using such instruments or property. Alice, together with her parents Jian Zhong Guo and Lin Wenyi and siblings Shiela and Seimen, and 26 others who are officials of companies involved in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo) operations, are facing a case for violating section 4 (d) of the same law for conspiring to commit money laundering offenses. Based on the 48-page resolution issued by the DOJ panel of prosecutors early this year, the proceeds from the Pogo activities inside Baofu compound owned by Guo's real estate company were transferred to other legitimate businesses of the Guo family. Baofu had been the subject of three search warrants due to illegal activities being conducted by Hongsheng, a Pogo operator, such as online gambling, internet fraud, and other cybercrime operations. Following a raid conducted in 2023, authorities arrested over 300 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese citizens. Another raid was conducted on March 13, 2024, against Zun Yuan, which took over Baofu operations after Hongsheng due to its alleged involvement in labour trafficking, cryptocurrency scams, love scams, and investment fraud. Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon confirmed that the case filed on Friday (May 23) before the Capas court was from the resolution released last January. 'Because the number of information (charge sheets) that had to be prepared and its attachments, it took a while to file,' he said. The money laundering case marks the eighth case filed against Guo, who is already facing charges of qualified trafficking in persons, civil forfeiture, graft, material misrepresentation, and falsification of public documents. Four additional cases are under preliminary investigation by the DOJ, covering alleged falsification by a notary public, perjury, and obstruction of justice, violations of the Anti-Dummy Law involving Pangasinan properties (two cases), qualified trafficking, and graft involving personnel of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A key player in moving Interior Alaska off fossil fuels? Multibillion-dollar mining corporations.
Alaska's largest mine, the Fort Knox gold development outside Fairbanks, consumes $40 million in power each year. (Kinross photo) North of Fairbanks, hundreds of workers at Alaska's biggest gold mine dig up, haul, crush and grind thousands of tons of ore each day, year-round. The sprawling Fort Knox mine consumes $40 million worth of power every year — more than any other business in the state, and some 16% of the power produced by Fairbanks' electric utility. Generating all that energy isn't cheap. It's also a huge source of planet-warming greenhouse gases. Kinross, the global company that owns Fort Knox, operates five other mines, spread across the U.S., South America and Africa. Power at Fort Knox costs more and accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than each of the company's other operations, according to Meadow Riedel, a Kinross spokesperson. The story is similar for Pogo, the Interior's other major gold mine and the state's second largest. In other countries, Kinross and Northern Star, the Australian company that owns Pogo, have spent millions of dollars on solar and wind power to curb carbon emissions and costs at their mines. In Alaska, they've opted for a different approach, at least for now: pushing the cooperatively owned utility that sells them electricity. Behind the scenes, the two multinational gold mining companies have emerged as key players in the movement to get that utility, Golden Valley Electric Association, to invest more in renewable energy. Mining exec: Alaska's pricy, fossil fuel-based power could thwart investment So far, their efforts have not fully succeeded: The utility has yet to commit to any large new wind or solar projects, and it continues to generate most of its electricity by burning coal and oil. But the miners' push underscores how multibillion-dollar resource development corporations have turned into odd bedfellows with Alaska's climate activists — both calling for the state's utilities to limit their contributions to global warming. The corporations, based outside the U.S., have faced social and political pressure from shareholders and government regulators to reduce their environmental impacts. They've also seen the cost of solar and wind power fall due to government subsidies and technological improvements, making renewables more competitive with fossil fuels. New obstacles have arisen, though, as the Trump administration promotes carbon-based fuels and threatens to claw back billions of dollars of clean energy funding. The stakes are high not only for the mining corporations, but also for Golden Valley Electric Association's more than 36,000 members — including many residents of Fairbanks, who pay less for electricity as a result of the utility's massive power sales to the mines. Renewable energy advocates say replacing fossil fuels with new wind and solar power could lower long-term costs for homes and businesses in Fairbanks and other towns in the Interior. At the same time, a looming shortage of natural gas in Cook Inlet is putting pressure on Golden Valley Electric Association, known as GVEA, to find new ways to generate power. 'The gas crisis and the new administration have really changed how people are approaching this,' said Eleanor Gagnon, who works on energy policy at the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition. 'I think it has the potential to push us forward toward renewables and carbon neutrality — or push us deeper into our fossil fuel track.' So far, GVEA has taken a cautious approach, with some board members worried that moving too quickly away from conventional energy sources like coal could drive up costs. But if the utility doesn't invest in new wind or solar and keeps burning large volumes of fossil fuels, Kinross and Northern Star might be compelled to build their own, independent renewables projects. That would have consequences across the region: Losing the utility's two biggest customers could raise electricity costs for thousands of people in Fairbanks, according to Phil Wight, an energy historian at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who is also a GVEA member. 'If GVEA does not commit to building out the next generation of renewables, and doing so relatively soon, the mines may go out and get alternative sources of lower-carbon power — and all GVEA ratepayers would be paying more,' Wight said. 'This is the million dollar question,' Wight added. 'Why is GVEA not moving forward with building generation that, everywhere else in the world, utilities are pursuing because it's cheaper?' To separate valuable metals from plain rock, mining companies crush and grind ore into tiny pieces — a heavy industrial process that uses loads of electricity. That means energy is usually one of the top expenses for mining companies. If that energy comes from fossil fuels, it's also one of companies' largest sources of planet-heating emissions. That dynamic is magnified in Alaska, according to company officials. Fort Knox's 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions in 2023 represent 20% more greenhouse gases per ounce of gold produced when compared to the company's second highest-emitting mine, in Nevada, corporate disclosures show. The $40 million in yearly power consumption at Fort Knox represents a disproportionate financial expense, too. In Nevada, where the company operates two mines, electricity costs half as much, according to Riedel, the Kinross spokesperson. The company's high costs and emissions in Alaska put Fort Knox at a 'disadvantage' in Kinross's internal decisions about future investments, Riedel said in an emailed statement. 'Kinross Alaska is always competing with other Kinross sites for investment,' she said. The company has already been working to reduce energy consumption and climate impacts in Alaska as it seeks to eliminate or fully offset carbon pollution at its mines by 2050. Fort Knox has tweaked its ore grinding process to make it more efficient and shortened haul routes to cut down on diesel use, Riedel said. For now, Kinross isn't developing any of its own large-scale clean energy projects in Alaska, according to Riedel. Building renewables at the mine 'would be challenging due to Alaska's expansive geography and extreme climate,' she said. But Kinross might consider a 'smaller scale' development, she said. She would not elaborate on how big of a project the company might build, or on what timeline, though the company spent $55 million on a solar farm at a huge mine in Mauritania. Northern Star, which also has a goal of fully offsetting emissions at its mines by midcentury, has indicated that it might invest in wind power at the Pogo mine, which is about 40 miles northeast of the Interior community of Delta Junction. But the company hasn't disclosed any concrete plans to do so. In a corporate report published last year, Northern Star suggested that it expects to develop a project at Pogo in 2025 that would move it toward a companywide goal of lowering emissions by 35% this decade. A Northern Star spokesperson would not provide details about that project, which is labeled simply in the report as 'Pogo GRID 16 MW.' That figure appears to refer to 16 megawatts of power that Pogo draws from the grid. No major operating mines in Alaska are powered by private solar or wind farms. At the massive Red Dog zinc mine in Northwest Alaska, which runs on expensive, shipped-in diesel, Vancouver-based Teck Resources said last year that it would install a weather tower to study the potential for generating renewable power. But those plans fizzled, according to a company spokesperson who declined to comment further. Last year, GVEA generated more than 80% of its power from fossil fuels — primarily coal, diesel and naphtha, which is a refined oil product. The rest comes from a mix of existing wind, solar and hydropower projects. Until last year, GVEA bought relatively inexpensive gas-fired electricity that other utilities generated in the Anchorage area. But a shortage of natural gas in Cook Inlet has severed that supply indefinitely. Looking to diversify, GVEA announced last year that it had secured nearly $500 million in federal loans and grants that would help it vastly expand its use of renewables. That money would pay for two battery systems to store power from new wind and solar projects when it's not sunny or windy. It also would cover more than 60 miles of new transmission lines, allowing the utility to tap into proposed wind farms in the Interior. But boosters of renewables have grown frustrated that the utility still lacks firm plans to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. And now, the federal funds for GVEA's infrastructure upgrades are in limbo amid the Trump administration's broad freeze on green energy spending, according to Ashley Bradish, a spokesperson for the utility. Federal officials on March 25 gave funding recipients a month to propose project changes that align with President Donald Trump's executive order on 'unleashing American energy' and to 'remove far-left climate features.' GVEA was given only 500 characters to outline those revisions, utility officials said. 'Just within the last few weeks, GVEA's job got a lot harder,' said Wight, the energy expert. GVEA's board voted in 2022 to shut down one of its two big coal power plants — a step toward lowering emissions and moving to renewables. But the utility reversed course last year, citing the natural gas supply crunch and saying it would keep operating the coal plant until lower-cost alternatives became available. Then, in August, it signed a new contract with Usibelli Coal Mine — the state's only supplier of the fuel — to buy more feedstock for the plant, which burns some 200,000 tons of coal each year. While coal comes with high carbon emissions, it's relatively cheap, and utility leaders fear that replacing it with renewables could boost costs and reduce reliability for consumers. If Golden Valley adds more wind and solar power, it would need a way to store energy and consistently distribute it, and 'there's a cost associated with that,' Bradish said. 'Our current battery can't provide that regulation.' The utility has not released an analysis showing how rates would change if it were to replace fossil fuel-fired power with renewables. 'That's part of what we're studying,' Bradish said. Some advocates, like Gagnon with Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition, say there's also a cost associated with continuing to burn fossil fuels. GVEA is paying some $14 million to build two storage tanks at the Fairbanks-area oil refinery that it buys fuel from. 'The mines' support of renewables is evidence for the cost-effectiveness of renewables,' said Gagnon. 'Their bottom line is going to be cost.' Kinross and Pogo — whose mines collectively account for about 30% of the utility's energy sales — haven't said how long they'll wait on GVEA before building their own wind or solar farms. Riedel, with Kinross, said her company wants to see GVEA take steps 'soon,' but she would not elaborate. 'It is not our role to specify to GVEA as to its generation and power supply portfolio,' Riedel said. 'What we need from our provider is electricity that is reliable, low cost and the least environmental impact possible. It is up to the provider to determine how to get there.' GVEA communicates closely with Kinross and Northern Star about their emissions reduction targets, Bradish said. Losing them as customers 'absolutely would have an impact on our membership,' she added. 'It's something that is definitely thought about when we're moving forward.' Nathaniel Herz welcomes tips at natherz@ or (907) 793-0312. This article was originally published in Northern Journal, a newsletter from Herz. 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Yahoo
09-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New policy for animal intake at OKC Animal Welfare
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – If you try to take a healthy lost or stray dog to the OKC Animal Welfare, you'll likely be turned away because they are at capacity. The new superintendent said this policy is only temporary, but local fosters told News 4 the decision is short-sighted. This is the sign you will see on the front door at the animal shelter. LOCAL NEWS: Tire fire burning in creek causes health concerns for neighbors New-Policy-NoticeDownload The OKC Animal Welfare said they are at 114% capacity. It's not sustainable. Daily-report-cardDownload The new superintendent, Ronnie Schlabs, said a tough decision had to be made. 'We're currently restricting our over-the-counter intake to only be sick, injured, or those that pose a public safety threat,' said Schlabs. Schlabs said this is temporary and to give them time to rehabilitate the dogs inside the shelter now. If you run across a dog that seems healthy, Schlabs said you can go to their Facebook Page. You can find resources like services to scan for microchips or fosters. If the dog seems lost, Schlab said it's best to leave them alone. 'Studies have shown that most stray animals are found within a mile of their home. And most of those animals will actually go back home or be found by their owners if they're left alone,' said Schlabs. 'Our 2024 reclaim rate was 7% last year.' Erin Kerrigan said it's her life's work to foster hundreds of dogs. She said a big portion of street dogs aren't lost. 'They don't all have homes to go home to,' said Kerrigan. She's currently fostering two puppies through OK Humane, Mosh and Pogo. 'They were actually found less than 24 hours old, they still had their umbilical cords tied in a plastic grocery bag in a dumpster,' said Kerrigan. She believed the policy is short-sighted. LOCAL NEWS: Source: Numerous high-level state forestry officials placed on leave amid Stitt crackdown on agency 'I would rather the shelter euthanize what they need to euthanize to keep the shelter at a humane level,' said Kerrigan. 'I don't say that lightly because I love them, but euthanasia is not the worst thing that can happen to an animal on the street.' However, Shlabs said the community has spoken. They want more lives saved and less euthanasia. Kerrigan said the community needs to step up. 'This isn't [OKC Animal Welfare's] fault. This is our community's fault. We need to do better. We need to spay and neuter,' said Kerrigan. Of course, if there is an aggressive dog, OKC Animal Welfare wants you to call animal control. Schlabs said with the construction of the new animal welfare building, there will be more space for more animals. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
K-9 Pogo big hit with Poland Township Police Department
POLAND TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKBN) – Police in Poland Township are celebrating the birthday of their K-9 officer Pogo and the success she's had on the job. Pogo is a Dutch-Shepard-Pitbull mix that turned 4 on Tuesday. Officers obtained Pogo two years ago through an animal rescue operation after she had been abandoned. Now, she is state-certified to locate narcotics as well as track humans, and recently helped officers make several arrests on drug and gun charges. 'She has multiple finds while working the roads. As far as narcotics go, and actually as of recently — last week, I believe we had two finds. It's ongoing, and she does a great job for us. She does exactly what we trained her to do,' said Officer Ethan Moncilovich. Because Pogo was a rescue animal, the department obtained her and have her trained for free. Donations pay for her food and veterinary care. The Department is hoping to find another rescue to add to their K-9 unit in the future. 'Not all K-9s are super friendly and super social, so we like to have her out for community events. I take her to schools. I take her everywhere with me. The community loves her. I'll get stopped and flagged down while I'm working for people who want to come and meet Pogo, and I absolutely let them,' Moncilovich said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
27-03-2025
- General
- New York Times
Sit, Stay, Say Goodbye
In the year since Pat and Jane Hipsley brought home Pogo, they've spent hours teaching the Labrador puppy how to walk by their side and ignore cooing strangers; how to roll, retrieve her leash and ride an escalator. They've learned that Pogo is not a fan of tight spaces, and that her favorite snack is a carrot. Every night, Pogo has fallen asleep at the foot of their bed. Each morning, she has greeted them with a wagging tail. And in a few weeks, as with 17 other puppies that came before her, the Hipsleys will say a tearful goodbye to Pogo, maybe forever. In the world of service dogs, the Hipsleys are known as 'puppy raisers,' volunteers who house, socialize and transport puppies to and from weekly classes from their first weeks until they're ready for formal training, at around 18 to 24 months. The work is done to benefit a stranger, someone who will rely on the dog to treat a disability or live more independently. While service dogs were once mainly used as a navigational tool for the blind, the animals have proven to be an effective therapeutic tool for conditions as varied as autism, epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, people count on dogs to alert them to dangerous changes in their blood sugar, to disrupt panic attacks and to detect the smell of allergens. But as demand for the dogs increases, the organizations that provide them are facing a shortage of volunteers to raise them as puppies. It's a challenging, time-consuming gig that typically pays nothing and requires forging an intimate bond with a dog only to give it away. This 'critical' volunteer shortage is leading to yearslong wait times for service dogs, according to Assistance Dogs International, the accrediting body for nonprofit service dog providers. The nationwide nonprofit Canine Companions needs about 500 new puppy raisers a year to keep pace with demand, and its wait times for a service dog can reach 18 months, said James Dern, who leads the organization's puppy program. At some other organizations, people may have to wait even longer. Ashley Frantz, a 40-year-old woman in Virginia Beach, Va., who sustained physical and emotional trauma while serving in the Navy, waited two years to be matched with a dog. The experience, she said, was 'incredibly defeating.' 'Puppy raisers are the backbone of our organization,' said Molly Elmore, the volunteer program manager at Warrior Canine Connection, a service dog nonprofit in Boyds, Md., that pairs service dogs with wounded veterans who have mobility issues, traumatic brain injuries or PTSD. 'They're the only way it all happens.' Finding a New Purpose Amid Grief On a Saturday morning in February, at the Hipsleys' home in Catonsville, Md., Pogo was asleep at Ms. Hipsley's feet, cuddled up with two other puppies the Hipsleys had raised: Blair, who was back for a visit, and Devin, whom the Hipsleys later adopted. Four-month-old Marita, who had arrived the previous week, stood at the edge of the dog pile, unconvinced she needed a nap. The Hipsleys began puppy raising in 2015, less than a year after their son Chris died by suicide. Chris, a decorated Army medic, had developed severe PTSD during three tours in the Middle East. The Hipsleys had pleaded with him to apply for a service dog, but he was resistant. After Chris died, the couple felt compelled to help other veterans, but weren't sure how. Then a friend told them about Warrior Canine Connection, the nonprofit in Maryland that helps wounded veterans. 'It was just like fate — this is what we were supposed to do,' Ms. Hipsley said. Soon, a bouncy black lab puppy named Jack moved in. The busyness of 'all things puppy,' Mr. Hipsley said, was a comfort. 'Jack probably saved our lives,' said Mr. Hipsley, 71, a retired business executive. As Mr. Hipsley talked, Pogo moved from the floor to his side, where she pushed her nose between his clasped hands, demonstrating a skill she'll use when her future handler experiences distress. 'She feels the tension in me,' he said, rubbing her ears. 'She'll do that,' Jane explained. 'She gets the stress cues.' Making It Work Today, the Hipsleys typically raise two or three dogs at a time, often taking on the organization's most challenging dogs; one had a leaky bladder, one was recovering from shoulder surgery and another liked to hurdle other dogs in class. They try to divide responsibilities evenly. Ms. Hipsley focuses on walks, Mr. Hipsley on teaching commands. Potty training is a team effort. 'It's just like a baby,' Mr. Hipsley said. 'Whose shift is it?' The time commitment can sometimes keep people from volunteering. Michael Yau, 42, and his wife figured they were too busy to become puppy raisers. The couple, who live in Orinda, Ca., both work, and they have three children under 7, as well as a pet golden doodle. But Mr. Yau, an entrepreneur, was inspired to volunteer after attending a Canine Companions fund-raiser that showcased client testimonials; it was the first time Mr. Yau's wife had ever seen him cry. Expectations for puppy raisers can differ by organization. But their most important assignment is socialization. Under the Americans With Disabilities Act, service dogs are allowed in most public places. But staying focused despite the sights, sounds and smells of the world takes a lot of practice. When the Hipsleys' puppies are young, socialization is mostly about exposure; their youngest puppy has been getting accustomed to the sound of traffic at an intersection near the couple's home. Older dogs go on longer excursions and face greater temptations. At 21 months, Pogo recently lounged beneath the table of a busy Panera while the Hipsleys ate lunch with friends. Despite their own busy lives, the Yaus have been able to make it work. 'The puppy gets fully integrated into your life,' Mr. Yau said. The family even took the first puppy they raised, a yellow lab named Fonzi, to Disneyland by plane. At Fonzi's graduation ceremony, the family was able to pass the Labrador's leash to his new handler, a young man with autism. 'It was a bittersweet moment,' Mr. Yau said, 'and such a seminal moment for our kids to learn about service.' Today, the Yaus are on puppy number two. Bittersweet Goodbyes Every once in a while, the Hipsleys receive photos, updates and heartfelt thank yous from the people who have benefited from their efforts. One of them is Ms. Frantz, the former member of the Navy who waited two years for a service dog. She was ultimately paired with a black lab named Patty, whom the Hipsleys raised. The effect, Ms. Frantz said, has been profound. She once chewed her fingernails down to the quick, avoided social interactions and couldn't go to Walmart without having a panic attack, she said. Patty has changed that. Ms. Frantz's anxiety has dissipated, and she he has found herself striking up conversations with strangers while shopping. She is well aware of the role the Hipsleys played in her improvement. 'Just look at what they did for someone that they didn't know,' Ms. Frantz said. 'I wouldn't be getting better without them.' In the Hipsleys' home, a photo of Patty sits on one of their living room shelves, along with the rest of their 'sorority,' as they call it, since 16 of the puppies have been female. 'At this point, we have more pictures of dogs than we do our grandchildren,' Mr. Hipsley said. After 18 rounds of puppy raising, the Hipsleys have learned how to soothe the sweet sorrow of parting with a dog: by getting another one. So in the weeks leading up to Pogo's departure, the couple brought home Marita. 'I haven't had a dog yet that I didn't cry about,' Mr. Hipsley said. 'There is pain, but when you see the good that it does, well, that takes the pain away.'
