Latest news with #TheNextGeneration
Business Wire
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
BOWS Attorney Ross Smith Earns Lawdragon Next Generation Honors
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bissinger, Oshman, Williams & Strasburger LLP (BOWS) attorney Ross Smith has earned recognition on the 2025 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation list. Honoring attorneys who are in their first 15 years of practice, The Next Generation guide offers a 'forecast of the fascinating future of global law practice,' according to Lawdragon, the publisher of more than two dozen guides focused on the legal world's changemakers. Mr. Smith represents corporate and individual clients in lawsuits and disputes involving breach of contract claims, breach of fiduciary duty claims, fraud claims, construction defect claims, trade secret claims, non-compete issues, insurance claims, municipal issues and securities claims. 'This is a well-deserved honor,' says BOWS co-founder David Bissinger. 'It has been exciting to watch Ross grow and develop into a truly exceptional litigator.' This is the second consecutive year Mr. Smith has earned a place on Lawdragon's 500 X – The Next Generation list. He also previously earned Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognition. Bissinger, Oshman, Williams & Strasburger LLP is a Houston-based business trial and transaction firm focused on providing impactful, cost-effective solutions to complex disputes and transactions requiring careful attention, extensive experience and a high level of sophistication.
Geek Girl Authority
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
T4TNG: The Accidentally Trans STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION Episode
Continuing our Pride Month Star Trek coverage, we're turning towards a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode that 'no homo'd' so hard, it accidentally became a prescient transgender allegory. For this week's Trek Tuesday , we're considering The Next Generation Season 5's 'The Outcast.' 'The Outcast' The seventeenth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5, 'The Outcast,' was originally broadcast on March 26, 1992. The U.S.S. Enterprise-D is assisting a species called the J'naii. What makes this species remarkable is that they are androgynous. As explained over the course of the episode, the majority of the species view binary gender as something they collectively evolved beyond in the past. In addition to an androgynous gender presentation, the J'naii no longer have biological gender diversity. When it comes to reproduction, both partners inject their DNA into an external womb. Furthermore, the J'naii do have a gender-neutral pronoun. However, it is stated that there is no direct translation for these pronouns. RELATED: Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: Jennifer 'Jen' Sh'reyan In the episode, William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) meets a particular member of the J'naii species: Soren (Melinda Culea). Soren and Riker and assigned to work together closely on the project with which the Enterprise is assisting the J'naii. From the outset, Soren displays a particular interest in the human approach to binary gender. Eventually, she explains to Riker that some members of her species possess binary gender. Soren is one of them. But then she tells Riker a heartbreaking story about what happens to these gendered J'naii. In addition to ridicule, 'psychotectic therapy' is utilized. This stand-in for conversion therapy brainwashes these gendered individuals into believing they are androgynous. Afterwards, they are reintegrated into J'naii society. At the conclusion of the episode, Soren is identified as a 'gender deviant,' and after a bogus trial, she is placed into psychotectic therapy. When Riker reunites with her in the final scenes, she has been fundamentally altered. The Soren he knew is gone. The Final Front-queer Written by Jeri Taylor and directed by Robert Scheerer, 'The Outcast' is a standout episode of The Next Generation. Today, with the oppressive American regime targeting the trans community specifically, it is difficult to read the episode as anything besides an allegory about trans acceptance. But part of why the episode works so well with this reading is because punches were pulled regarding the original intention of the story. When 'The Outcast' aired in the early 1990s, the broader discourse regarding the LGBTQ+ community was centered on gay people. Just as the weapon of conversion therapy can be aimed towards trans people, it can be aimed at gay people, too. In order to ensure that the episode wasn't too 'controversial,' a woman was hired to play Soren rather than a man. RELATED: The Premise and How Star Trek Fans Created Fanfic As We Know It Decades later, Frakes expressed his regret at the shift in casting. He expressed this sentiment in a 2021 episode of After Trek centering on the Star Trek: Discovery episode 'Vaulting Ambition.' In that episode of After Trek , he stated: 'Clearly, the character who […] fell in love with Riker or vice versa should have been played by a man, and the people at the studio didn't have the guts to cast a man.' This wasn't the first time that The Next Generation approached gay representation. David Gerrold, who famously wrote the script for the classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode 'The Trouble with Tribbles,' wrote a script for The Next Generation that was never made into an actual episode. In 'Blood and Fire,' two characters were alluded to be gay, and the episode at large dealt with the AIDS crisis. The Trans Read Casting a woman as Soren may have been a decision made in order to make the romance between her and Riker seem less controversial. However, thirty-three years later, this makes the episode seem more like a trans allegory. Part of the Star Trek approach is to address real-world social concerns through the lens of science fiction. This allows for the show to include discussion and analysis of themes that might be otherwise considered outside of the purview of 'television entertainment.' There are many examples of this tactic throughout the history of the Franchise. One of the earliest and most frequently cited episodes to utilize the approach is The Original Series Season 3's 'Let That Be Your Last Battlefield.' RELATED: Star Trek : The Trans Trill, Explained There is a reason that an episode that was written with gay people in mind can today be viewed as a trans allegory. This is because the social and legal pressures that were applied to gay people in the 1990s are so similar to the social and legal pressures that are being applied to trans people today. While conservative extremists may have trans people on the top of their target list, they are prejudiced against the whole LGBTQ+ community. They do not see any part of our community as people. Or at best, they perceive us to be people who are 'broken,' and need to be fixed with conversion therapy. Soren Nevertheless, it is remarkable how many of Soren's statements could be straight out of a contemporary trans person's mouth. In the climactic scene, she states, 'I am tired of lies. I am female.' She continues that she was 'born this way.' She says, 'It is not unnatural. I am not sick because I feel this way; I do not need to be helped; I do not need to be cured. What I need, and what all of those who are like me need, is your understanding and your compassion.' Later in her monologue, she states that people like her are 'called misfits and deviants and criminals.' It is not hard to see how these statements could apply in response to the prejudice that trans people face today. For example, it was recently falsely claimed on The Benny Show that the trans community 'is per capita the most violent domestic terror threat if not in America, probably the entire world.' This is a lie. We are not misfits, deviants or criminals. We are Americans who simply wish to live our lives. RELATED: Star Trek : Tracing the Holodeck's History Soren's entire climactic speech is equally as relevant as these excerpts. In order to fully appreciate it, please watch (or rewatch) the episode for yourself. However, Soren's speech is not enough to sway her fellow J'naii. As mentioned above, the episode concludes with her having undergone psychotectic therapy. Drained of the passion she once possessed, she is no longer the same person she was. Ad Astra Per Aspera For some, the decision to conclude the episode with Soren's identity having been eradicated by psychotectic therapy is controversial. However, I would argue the ending is necessary. Furthermore, it is clear from the powerful final shot that the experience weighs heavily on Riker. This is not meant to be a stable ending. This is meant to be an ending that forces the viewer to consider their own worldview and ask themselves some very difficult questions. RELATED: Star Trek Episode Trilogy: Revisiting 'Unification' Today, the spectre of forced conversion therapy is once again becoming more mainstream. For this reason, 'The Outcast' is more relevant than ever. To look the other way from the immoral forces pushing for conversion therapy is to allow innocent people to be subjected to this barbaric abuse. To borrow a tagline from 1951's The Day the Earth Stood Still, 'The Outcast' is a warning… and an ultimatum. Will you heed its moral? Star Trek: The Next Generation's 'The Outcast' is currently available for streaming on Paramount+. STAR TREK: 5 Alternate Lives Avery Kaplan is the author of several books and the Features Editor at Comics Beat. She was honored to serve as a judge for the 2021 Cartoonist Studio Prize Award and the 2021 Prism Awards. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her partner and a pile of cats, and her favorite place to visit is the cemetery. You can also find her writing on Comics Bookcase, NeoText, Shelfdust, the Mary Sue, in many issues of PanelxPanel, and in the margins of the books in her personal library.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Baton Rouge woman to talk about mental health, fentanyl crisis on Capitol Hill
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Voices in mental health, public safety, and public policy are coming together on Capitol Hill Thursday. A Baton Rouge native will speak about the fentanyl crisis and mental health. Tonja Myles, a nationally recognized mental health advocate and CEO of Set Free Indeed Ministry, will discuss her journey battling drug addiction and using her influence to impact the lives of others. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses in 2023, with nearly 70% of those deaths linked to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. In addition, Myles said suicide continues to have a devastating impact across the U.S., with rising concerns particularly among youth and veterans. The 'Public Safety, Public Health, Public Hope' event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, May 15, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. The Next Generation: Breaking Fentanyl's Grip Judge gives IRS green light to share migrants' taxpayer information with ICE Baton Rouge woman to talk about mental health, fentanyl crisis on Capitol Hill Republican tax bill would add $3.7 trillion to the national deficit: JCT Inflation rose in April, reversing March decline NFL player hosting football camp in Baton Rouge Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Advertiser
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
'Outraged' residents urged to give opinion on council approvals policy
Lake Macquarie councillor Jason Pauling has urged any resident "who's ever been outraged" to voice their opinions on the review of the Local Approvals Policy. At Monday night's council meeting at the Morisset Showground, councillors unanimously voted to place the draft policy on public exhibition. It is the first review of the approvals policy since December 2022 and it proposes minor changes to rules around moveable dwellings such as manufactured homes, tents, caravans and campervans, as well as public car parking, busking and street theatre, fundraising and mobile vending. The Liberal West Ward councillor said it was essential that the community give the council their feedback. "This is quite a broad-ranging framework piece that dictates a lot of how council sees a whole range of things, from car parking to busking on the street to fundraising," Cr Pauling said. "It's going out for exhibition for 28 days. This is one of those things where anyone who's ever been outraged by something in the community should have a look at this document and make their views known. "One way or another, most of those issues will find their way back to this framework." Labor mayor Adam Shultz, who wore a Macquarie jersey during the meeting to mark the Scorpions' 22-20 victory over Lakes United in Saturday's Lake Macquarie Challenge Shield rugby league match, said the changes to the approvals policy would provide more clarity to the community. "These activities provide a range of economic opportunities for businesses and individuals to activate our public spaces and, in effect, add some vibrancy to Lake Macquarie," Cr Shultz said. "The review of the Local Approvals Policy will make it easier for the community to understand some of those complicated areas of regulation." In the brisk council meeting that was finished in under an hour, councillors also approved more than $14,500 in grant funding to support 17 local NAIDOC Week events. NAIDOC Week is July 6 to 13. This year's theme is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy. Council received 18 applications totalling $18,749. The only applicant rejected was St Brigid's Catholic College at Lake Munmorah, due to the school being located in the Central Coast local government area. The Blacksmiths-based Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council was the largest recipient, granted $2500 for The Eastlakes NAIDOC Family Fun Day. Councillors also endorsed a further $22,500 under council's Donations Program for 12 community organisations. These included $2000 for the ARAM Tamil Association, which teaches language and cultural classes at Cardiff North Public School; $2000 to the Newcastle Astronomical Society to support their viewing nights at Speers Point Park; $2000 to upgrade lighting in the Belmont North scout hall; and $2000 to purchase aquatic equipment for the Valentine Hydrotherapy Pool. "Each project, while unique, shares a common goal to strengthen the community from the ground up," Cr Shultz said. Lake Macquarie councillor Jason Pauling has urged any resident "who's ever been outraged" to voice their opinions on the review of the Local Approvals Policy. At Monday night's council meeting at the Morisset Showground, councillors unanimously voted to place the draft policy on public exhibition. It is the first review of the approvals policy since December 2022 and it proposes minor changes to rules around moveable dwellings such as manufactured homes, tents, caravans and campervans, as well as public car parking, busking and street theatre, fundraising and mobile vending. The Liberal West Ward councillor said it was essential that the community give the council their feedback. "This is quite a broad-ranging framework piece that dictates a lot of how council sees a whole range of things, from car parking to busking on the street to fundraising," Cr Pauling said. "It's going out for exhibition for 28 days. This is one of those things where anyone who's ever been outraged by something in the community should have a look at this document and make their views known. "One way or another, most of those issues will find their way back to this framework." Labor mayor Adam Shultz, who wore a Macquarie jersey during the meeting to mark the Scorpions' 22-20 victory over Lakes United in Saturday's Lake Macquarie Challenge Shield rugby league match, said the changes to the approvals policy would provide more clarity to the community. "These activities provide a range of economic opportunities for businesses and individuals to activate our public spaces and, in effect, add some vibrancy to Lake Macquarie," Cr Shultz said. "The review of the Local Approvals Policy will make it easier for the community to understand some of those complicated areas of regulation." In the brisk council meeting that was finished in under an hour, councillors also approved more than $14,500 in grant funding to support 17 local NAIDOC Week events. NAIDOC Week is July 6 to 13. This year's theme is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy. Council received 18 applications totalling $18,749. The only applicant rejected was St Brigid's Catholic College at Lake Munmorah, due to the school being located in the Central Coast local government area. The Blacksmiths-based Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council was the largest recipient, granted $2500 for The Eastlakes NAIDOC Family Fun Day. Councillors also endorsed a further $22,500 under council's Donations Program for 12 community organisations. These included $2000 for the ARAM Tamil Association, which teaches language and cultural classes at Cardiff North Public School; $2000 to the Newcastle Astronomical Society to support their viewing nights at Speers Point Park; $2000 to upgrade lighting in the Belmont North scout hall; and $2000 to purchase aquatic equipment for the Valentine Hydrotherapy Pool. "Each project, while unique, shares a common goal to strengthen the community from the ground up," Cr Shultz said. Lake Macquarie councillor Jason Pauling has urged any resident "who's ever been outraged" to voice their opinions on the review of the Local Approvals Policy. At Monday night's council meeting at the Morisset Showground, councillors unanimously voted to place the draft policy on public exhibition. It is the first review of the approvals policy since December 2022 and it proposes minor changes to rules around moveable dwellings such as manufactured homes, tents, caravans and campervans, as well as public car parking, busking and street theatre, fundraising and mobile vending. The Liberal West Ward councillor said it was essential that the community give the council their feedback. "This is quite a broad-ranging framework piece that dictates a lot of how council sees a whole range of things, from car parking to busking on the street to fundraising," Cr Pauling said. "It's going out for exhibition for 28 days. This is one of those things where anyone who's ever been outraged by something in the community should have a look at this document and make their views known. "One way or another, most of those issues will find their way back to this framework." Labor mayor Adam Shultz, who wore a Macquarie jersey during the meeting to mark the Scorpions' 22-20 victory over Lakes United in Saturday's Lake Macquarie Challenge Shield rugby league match, said the changes to the approvals policy would provide more clarity to the community. "These activities provide a range of economic opportunities for businesses and individuals to activate our public spaces and, in effect, add some vibrancy to Lake Macquarie," Cr Shultz said. "The review of the Local Approvals Policy will make it easier for the community to understand some of those complicated areas of regulation." In the brisk council meeting that was finished in under an hour, councillors also approved more than $14,500 in grant funding to support 17 local NAIDOC Week events. NAIDOC Week is July 6 to 13. This year's theme is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy. Council received 18 applications totalling $18,749. The only applicant rejected was St Brigid's Catholic College at Lake Munmorah, due to the school being located in the Central Coast local government area. The Blacksmiths-based Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council was the largest recipient, granted $2500 for The Eastlakes NAIDOC Family Fun Day. Councillors also endorsed a further $22,500 under council's Donations Program for 12 community organisations. These included $2000 for the ARAM Tamil Association, which teaches language and cultural classes at Cardiff North Public School; $2000 to the Newcastle Astronomical Society to support their viewing nights at Speers Point Park; $2000 to upgrade lighting in the Belmont North scout hall; and $2000 to purchase aquatic equipment for the Valentine Hydrotherapy Pool. "Each project, while unique, shares a common goal to strengthen the community from the ground up," Cr Shultz said. Lake Macquarie councillor Jason Pauling has urged any resident "who's ever been outraged" to voice their opinions on the review of the Local Approvals Policy. At Monday night's council meeting at the Morisset Showground, councillors unanimously voted to place the draft policy on public exhibition. It is the first review of the approvals policy since December 2022 and it proposes minor changes to rules around moveable dwellings such as manufactured homes, tents, caravans and campervans, as well as public car parking, busking and street theatre, fundraising and mobile vending. The Liberal West Ward councillor said it was essential that the community give the council their feedback. "This is quite a broad-ranging framework piece that dictates a lot of how council sees a whole range of things, from car parking to busking on the street to fundraising," Cr Pauling said. "It's going out for exhibition for 28 days. This is one of those things where anyone who's ever been outraged by something in the community should have a look at this document and make their views known. "One way or another, most of those issues will find their way back to this framework." Labor mayor Adam Shultz, who wore a Macquarie jersey during the meeting to mark the Scorpions' 22-20 victory over Lakes United in Saturday's Lake Macquarie Challenge Shield rugby league match, said the changes to the approvals policy would provide more clarity to the community. "These activities provide a range of economic opportunities for businesses and individuals to activate our public spaces and, in effect, add some vibrancy to Lake Macquarie," Cr Shultz said. "The review of the Local Approvals Policy will make it easier for the community to understand some of those complicated areas of regulation." In the brisk council meeting that was finished in under an hour, councillors also approved more than $14,500 in grant funding to support 17 local NAIDOC Week events. NAIDOC Week is July 6 to 13. This year's theme is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy. Council received 18 applications totalling $18,749. The only applicant rejected was St Brigid's Catholic College at Lake Munmorah, due to the school being located in the Central Coast local government area. The Blacksmiths-based Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council was the largest recipient, granted $2500 for The Eastlakes NAIDOC Family Fun Day. Councillors also endorsed a further $22,500 under council's Donations Program for 12 community organisations. These included $2000 for the ARAM Tamil Association, which teaches language and cultural classes at Cardiff North Public School; $2000 to the Newcastle Astronomical Society to support their viewing nights at Speers Point Park; $2000 to upgrade lighting in the Belmont North scout hall; and $2000 to purchase aquatic equipment for the Valentine Hydrotherapy Pool. "Each project, while unique, shares a common goal to strengthen the community from the ground up," Cr Shultz said.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man sentenced in one of RI's largest fentanyl busts
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A Cranston man will spend two decades in federal prison following one of Rhode Island's largest fentanyl seizures, according to acting U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Jorge Pimentel, 36, was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years behind bars followed by five years of supervised release for running what authorities described as a high-output drug lab and stash house. Prosecutors called Pimentel a 'well-established, large-scale fentanyl trafficker' who brokered the sale of approximately 34,000 counterfeit pills between May and September 2023, earning roughly $37,000. BACKGROUND: Cranston man pleads guilty to distributing 34K fentanyl-laced pills Pimentel was arrested on Sept. 29, 2023, after investigators searched a storage unit in Pawtucket, discovering more than 16 kilograms of fentanyl total—enough to kill the entire population of Rhode Island eight times over, based on data from the DEA and R.I. Department of Health. According to court documents, Pimentel 'produced his poison' inside the unit using blenders, sifters, and Red Solo cups to mix the drugs and press them into pills resembling pharmaceutical-grade Percocet or 'M-30s.' During the search, investigators uncovered more than 19,000 fentanyl-lace pills, nearly 9 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and various trafficking supplies—including respirator masks, 28,000 grams of cutting agent, and a high-speed industrial pill press valued at more than $10,000. WATCH | The Next Generation: Breaking Fentanyl's Grip Combined with the cutting agents found at the scene, prosecutors said Pimentel had the capacity to produce more than 633,000 fake pills. He sold the pills in bulk to other dealers for about $1.50 apiece, generating a 'significant profit,' according to court documents. Pimentel also employed a 'runner' to deliver the pills and clean the storage unit after production. His criminal history includes prior charges related to forgery, counterfeiting, and filing false statements connected to his work at his sister's now-shuttered Providence autobody shop. Despite denying drug or alcohol issues in a 2023 pretrial interview, court documents state Pimentel later claimed he used fentanyl and alcohol daily up until his arrest. In December, Pimentel pleaded guilty to a federal indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, as well as possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. No plea agreement was filed in the case. NEXT: Pawtucket man gets 40 years for causing woman's deadly overdose Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
