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AP source: VW plans brand-name change to 'Voltswagen' in US Volkswagen plans to change its brand name in the United States to “Voltswagen” as its shifts its production increasingly toward electric vehicles and tries to distance itself from an emissions cheating scandal. A person briefed on the plan said a formal announcement is planned for Tuesday. The person didn't want to be identified because the plans had not been made public. The company had briefly posted a press release on its website early Monday announcing the brand name change. The press release was noticed by a reporter from USA Today before it was removed. The release was dated April 29. The premature release (don't you hate it when that happens?) comes cums as VW is taking reservations for the new ID.4 small electric SUV in the U.S. It’s the company’s only new electric model sold in the United States, though there are plans for more, including a nostalgic reprise of the company’s Microbus. Even with the ID.4 fully on sale, only a small fraction of VWs on U.S. roads will bear the “Voltswagen” name. The vast majority of VW’s vehicle sales in the U.S. will still be powered by gasoline for the foreseeable future and will continue to be labeled simply as “VW.” The German automaker sold just under 326,000 VW-branded vehicles in the U.S. last year. The person who was briefed on the plan said the name Volkswagen Group of America, which also includes the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini brands, won't change. Rather, only the ‘k’ in the Volkswagen brand itself will be changed to a ‘t.’ An exterior badge with the name “Voltswagen” will be affixed to the company’s electric vehicles, while gas-powered vehicles will still have the normal “VW,” but no brand name on them, the person said. The premature news release said the move amounted to a public declaration of the company’s future investment in electric mobility. “We might be changing out our K for a T, but what we aren’t changing is this brand’s commitment to making best-in-class vehicles for drivers and people everywhere,” VW of America CEO Scott Keogh said in the errant release. Outside the United States, Volkswagen, like some other automakers, has sharply expanded its EV footprint. In Europe, the company tripled its battery-powered vehicle sales from 45,000 in 2019 to 134,000 in 2020. VW began selling its new electric compact ID.3 ahead of strict new European Union limits on auto emissions. In the U.S., fully electric vehicles last year accounted for less than 2% of new vehicle sales. Tesla led the way, with an estimated 205,600 in U.S. sales, according to Autodata Corp. General Motors sold just under 21,000 Chevrolet Bolts, while Nissan sold a little more than 9,500 Leaf electric cars. VW has been trying to repair its image after U.S. authorities in 2015 discovered that its so-called “clean diesel” vehicles cheated on emissions tests. The diesels switched pollution controls on during Environmental Protection Agency treadmill tests, then turned them off while on real roads. Volkswagen in 2017 pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in U.S. civil and criminal penalties on top of billions more to buy back cars. Two people were sent to prison.

My company does an office pool for most big sporting events. It has small jackpots, and the boxes on the graph are randomly assigned to all the employees. I won $10 from this past weekend's NCAA Basketball Tournament. Off to Zillow to investigate villas in the south of France to retire to...

Affordable Senior Housing Lottery Launches for 44 Units in Williamsburg An affordable housing lottery has opened for 44 units for seniors in an eight-story building at 40 Debevoise Street, between Humboldt Street and Graham Avenue in Williamsburg. Of the affordable apartments, there are 26 studios and 18 one-bedroom units. According to the listing, monthly rents will be 30 percent of household income — potentially zero to $1,280 a month. Applicants must qualify for Section 8 and be 62 years of age or older. The lottery is set at a maximum area median income range of 50 percent. Eligible incomes range between $0 and $51,200 for households of one to three people. Building permits show a total of 65 units in the building. In the cellar is a fitness room, spaces for six bicycles and a laundry room. Community facility space and retail will occupy the ground floor, while the second floor promises an indoor recreation room and outdoor passive recreation area. Before construction began in 2018, the property was a parking lot. Applications for the affordable housing lottery must be submitted by May 18, 2021. Apply through NYC Housing Connect.

Ravens stealing groceries from Alaska Costco: ‘They’ve got a whole system there’ Edgar Allan Poe is in the air. Well, ravens are, in abundance actually in Alaska, where they’re wreaking havoc on Costco customers’ groceries in South Anchorage, the Anchorage Daily News reported Friday. Marnie Jones and her husband are among the poetic birds’ recent victims, she told the outlet. The pair arrived home from the store only to realize one of their filet mignon steaks, part of a four-pack, was in the wind. The pack fell in the parking lot, but Jones’ husband was loading groceries and didn’t notice until it was too late. “He said, ‘Oh my God, after I picked up that pack of steaks, I saw a raven in the parking lot with a steak in his mouth,’” said Jones. Olani Saunoa has twice been through a similar ordeal, she told the outlet. She lost “an entire package of short ribs” to a raven after leaving the store last winter, she told the outlet, recalling the bird was “like flying away with it.” “I’ve been here my entire life, dealt with the ravens but never ever had this happen to me, ever,” she told ADN, noting she recently lost pork ribs to the birds. “They know what they’re doing,” Matt Lewallen, who lost a single short rib to the birds, told the outlet. “They’re very fat so I think they’ve got a whole system there.” Tamara Josey said a pair of the birds were tenacious in trying to get some melons she’d bought. “They were never deterred,” she recounted. “They just stayed posted, waiting for their next opportunity to steal something out of my cart.” Josey feels the birds “are very dedicated to their mission.” An increase in the city’s garbage over the years has only made it more enticing for ravens, who learn from fellow birds, Rick Sinnott, who formerly worked as an Anchorage-area wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, told the outlet. “Ravens do very well in this city, but they much prefer — I would guess if I was thinking like a raven — a package of short ribs from Costco to half of a hamburger bun from McDonald’s,” said Sinnott.

In the midst of its best season, GREY'S had its worst episode ever this week.

47-year-old Washington man charged in deadly fire he allegedly started when he was 12 A 47-year-old Washington man is charged with first-degree murder resulting from a deadly fire he is accused of starting when he was 12. On Thursday, Elmer Nash Jr. pleaded guilty for his involvement in a three-alarm blaze at Everett Community College that left a 48-year-old firefighter dead in 1987, KIRO reports. Greg Parks, an 18-year veteran of the Everett Fire Department, was killed after becoming separated from five other firefighters, who battled unsuccessfully to contain the early morning inferno that engulfed the school’s library. It caused more than $8 million damage and destroyed 48,000 books before burning itself out. The student union was also destroyed, KIRO reports. Police initially suspected several juvenile males had entered the library through an open window and deliberately started the blaze, but no one was charged. The case was revived by an arson detective in 2016, which led to multiple interviews with Elmer. He allegedly discussed details that could only be known by someone who was there and admitted guilt. Parks’ widow expressed gratitude to investigators who helped bring her family closer to closure. “We are so very grateful to the detectives who never gave up on this case,” Kathy Parks said. “Our family will always suffer knowing Gary hasn’t reaped the fruits of his life, grandchildren, daughters’ successes, and a wife who will cherish him forever.” KIRO TV reports that Nash has had numerous run-ins with the law throughout his life and was incarcerated until just a few months ago. According to news outlet KATU, Nash’s rap sheet includes 14 felony convictions an adult and four as a juvenile.

Officer buys stuffed unicorn for stray dog that kept coming back to visit the doll at a Dollar General A “super smart” dog who doesn’t take no for an answer is ready for a new home, but he comes with a purple unicorn. People magazine reports that animal control officers were called to a North Carolina Dollar Store because Susu, a stray pup, kept entering the premises when customers opened the door, apparently to visit a stuffed animal to which he had taken a liking. “He went straight for the unicorn, the same one every time,” Duplin County Animal Services’ supervisor Joe Newburn said. Newburn said the store’s call for help was “one of the strangest calls I’ve ever dealt with.” Employees at the discount shop reportedly locked the doors with the persistent dog inside and waited while officer Samantha Lane was dispatched to check things out. She remedied the situation by buying the $10 stuffed unicorn for Susu, who followed the plush toy and the officer out of the store. The dog and his unicorn awoke at the county animal lock-up Friday, but the shelter posted online that it had received several calls from interested adopters and seemed to have found a forever home for Susu and his doll. Susu, whom shelter workers named after the character from Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” is described as a 1-year-old male weighing about 67 pounds. According to Newburn, “he’s obviously super smart” and has been trained. The officer speculates that the stuffed unicorn may remind Susu of something in his past A spokeswoman for Dollar General told People that the discount stores planned to sweeten the pot by sending more purple unicorns to whomever adopts Susu. Duplin County Animal Services’ Facebook page wrote on Susu’s case. “This is what happens when you break into the dollar general consistently to steal the purple unicorn that you layed (Sic) claim to but then get animal control called to lock you up for your B & E and larceny but the officer purchases your item for you and brings it in with you,” reads a caption of the dog and its doll resting in a pen posted online.

Though it was waning for several years, ATKOL Forums eventually disappeared shortly after its owner died.

What terrible news. My sympathies to those who interacted regularly with him over the years.

Woolworth Building’s penthouse relists for massive discount The Woolworth Building penthouse is back on the market for $79 million — a far cry from the $110 million it originally asked in 2014. The five-story “castle on top of a castle” — as developer Ken Horn calls it — starts at 727 feet up. Horn’s Alchemy Properties is leaving the 9,680-square-foot behemoth as a blank raw slate. However, it comes with proposed interior designs by Thierry Despont and David Hotson. Details include 125 windows, 24-foot ceilings, a private elevator — and a 408-square-foot observatory terrace. The buyer will also have access to the building’s amenities, which include a gym, a lounge, a pool, a wine cellar and tasting room and a bike room. The lower Manhattan terracotta and limestone building, designed by Cass Gilbert, was the world’s tallest building from 1913 to 1930.

Richard Gilliland, who met Smart when he played Annie Potts' beau on DESIGNING WOMEN, was 71. BTW, Delta Burke also met her hubby on the show when he played her ex-hubby. Gilliland, who was married to the actress Jean Smart for more than 30 years, passed away on March 18 following a brief illness. Prior to his death, he and Smart were scheduled to work together this summer in a film directed by Tate Taylor. “I met him when he was kissing someone else,” Smart said during a 2017 interview with Northwest Prime Time, explaining that she quietly asked fellow cast member Delta Burke to find out if Gilliland was on the market. “Naturally, Delta walked up to him and blurted, ‘Jean wants to know if you’re married.'” Smart said that she and Gilliland instantly hit it off after she “lured” him into her dressing room to help her out with a crossword puzzle. They were married in June 1987 in “Designing Women” cast member Dixie Carter’s rose garden. Gilliland is survived by his son Connor, 31, daughter Bonnie (“Ani”), who turns 12 in May, sisters Ann Norberg and Wendy Knaack, brother John Wells and “scores of loving, devastated friends,” according to a press statement.

Oscar-winning ‘Brokeback Mountain’ screenwriter Larry McMurtry dead at 84 Larry McMurtry, the prolific novelist and screenwriter who won a Pulitzer Prize and an Academy Award for his work, died on Thursday at age 84. Amanda Lundberg, a spokesperson for the family, confirmed McMurtry’s death in an obituary published Friday by the New York Times. Lundberg did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for confirmation. Neither the cause of death, nor where McMurtry passed away, are immediately known. McMurtry was best known for his anti-Western work, or stories that focused on demythologizing the romanticism of the American West. “I’m a critic of the myth of the cowboy,’’ the native Texan reportedly said in an interview 1988. “I don’t feel that it’s a myth that pertains, and since it’s a part of my heritage I feel it’s a legitimate task to criticize it.’’ Often cited as his most memorable work, his coming-of-age book “The Last Picture Show” sold over nine million copies and was adapted into a film starring Cybill 'German' Shepherd, Jeff Bridges of Madison County and Clorox Bleachman. McMurtry was not only respected for his 843-page novel “Lonesome Dove,” which won him the Pulitzer and was made into a mini-series for television, but also for the screenplay for “Brokeback Mountain,” a 2005 romantic drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger. Co-written with his housemate and collaborator Diana Ossana, the pair won the Academy Award in 2006 for that film, which focused on the romantic relationship between the two men, one a ranch hand and the other a cowboy. Over the course of more than 50 years, McMurtry wrote more than 30 novels, more than 30 screenplays — and published other works of memoir, history and essays. One book, “Horseman, Pass By,” was made into the film “Hud,” starring Paul Newman. The film version of his novel “Terms of Endearment” won the Oscar for best picture in 1983. McMurtry was born the son of a rancher in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1936. He studied at North Texas State, Rice and Stanford universities. He taught English at the university level, but ditched teaching in his younger years. For about a half-century, McMurtry was also a bookseller. In Archer City, Texas, his store Booked Up is one of the largest in the nation, according to the Times. Archer City, where he was raised, served as a model for the town of Thalia, which appeared in his works of fiction. It’s not clear who survives McMurtry, but he most recently married the widow of his friend Ken Kesey, Faye, in 2011.

And how does our resident Pink Pistol @marylander1940 feel about this vital issue?

It may be causing a global trade crisis, but the ship stuck in the canal is hilarious meme fodder. One industry’s crisis appears to be another’s field day. The internet went wild with memes poking fun at the disaster — and putting it into context in a way only Twitter jokers could. Here are a few of the best ones to help explain the drama in the water. One onlooker superimposed King Kong & Godzilla on the ship, joking that “the situation in the Suez Canal has escalated.” “What is happing in #SuezCanal today explained. #Egypt,” tweeted one observer. Underneath the post was a video of the hilarious scene from the movie “Austin Powers,” in which Mike Myers’ character tries to do a three-point turn while driving a cart in a narrow hallway. Some instantly saw the ship as a symbol for the mental toll of the coronavirus pandemic. One user posted a photo of the Ever Given with the words “My COVID depression and anxiety” slapped across. Next to the humongous ship was two small construction workers labeled “going on a daily walk.” Another user shared a map of the ship’s route on the Suez Canal and questioned, “Is there a traffic jam?” Alongside the tweet he posted a finger emoji pointing down to the map. Another commenter shared a funny satirical cartoon where it showed two sides of the canal labeled “procrastination.” “Good news for today: whatever happens, at least you’re not the guy who got his boat stuck in the suez canal and broke maritime shipping,” joked one Twitter user. Alongside a photo of the Ever Given being strung up by thousands of colorful balloons, an observer wrote, “Tension rises over new attempt to re-float ship in #SuezCanal ”

Donald Trump getting 74 million votes... insurrection at the capitol... the Kardashians... mass shootings approximately every 30 minutes... marjorie taylor greene... QAnon... etc.

Why meat eaters feel shamed into giving it up They’re quitting cold turkey. Meat eaters claim they’re being shamed into abandoning their carnivorous ways by their friends, lovers and other vegan influences, according to a new survey. The research, conducted by Jack Link’s beef jerky, found that half of the 2,000 adult participants said they felt pressure to either cut down on or even refrain from consuming meat entirely. They even reported buying into plant-pushing customs like “Veganuary” — where you go vegan for the month of January — due to the pressure. However, many reported only lasting until mid-month before reverting back to their hamburger habit. “There are many influences that can have an impact on what we eat and how we eat,” food psychologist Greg Tucker told the Independent of the survey results. Friends ranked chief among the influences to adopt a plant-based diet, followed by partners and family, while 20% of participants reported that even their kids urged them to eat more veggies. The same study revealed that 60% of those who reduced their meat consumption only did so to appease their vegan partners. Meanwhile, 7 in 10 claim they wouldn’t have even considered this lifestyle change without prodding from their partners. A quarter reported beefing with their plant-promoting partners over their pushy ways, which Tucker said often had “the opposite effect” than they intended. And some surveyed meat lovers weren’t going down without a bite. Many who adopted a veggie diet under duress reported scratching the itch in other ways: by consuming meat-flavored treats, cooking meat but not eating it and even smelling charcuterie — like a steak-based 12-step program. Some even resorted to getting their fix vicariously through having someone who was eating meat describe the sensation, the Independent reported. Charles Spence, a scientist specializing in experimental psychology out of England’s Oxford University, recently teamed up with vegan frozen food brand Strong Roots to create a “meat patch” to help repentant carnivores curb their cravings. “Studies have shown that scent can reduce food cravings,” Spence said. “Experiencing food-related cues such as smelling a bacon aroma, can lead us to imagine the act of eating that food.” In terms of what meats these demiglaze die-hards would miss most, chicken and beef ranked first, followed by lamb and pork respectively. “Meat plays a major part in most meals in everyday life and cutting down is not always something many people will have considered,” Tucker said. For many, jettisoning meat wasn’t even an option, with over 40% participants claiming they’d eat meat while on a date with a vegan. Some even claimed they’d end a relationship if their partner pressured them to abstain from steak, while others said they wouldn’t even consider dating a vegan in the first place. Experts stress that maintaining a balanced diet is key. “While it’s great to try things like Veganuary, often balancing your intake of meat can provide a happy medium for everyone,” Tucker told the Independent, “while still being able to enjoy your favorite meals and snacks.” Especially considering that those who adopt exclusively vegan diets are more likely to suffer from health conditions such as bone fractures, according to recent studies. A sprawling 2020 study published in the journal BMC Medicine revealed that there were 19.4 more cases of fractures in vegans and 4.1 more cases in vegetarians for every 1,000 people over 10 years. Still, eating your veggies has never been easier, with more and more NYC restaurants adapting to meatless demands. Meanwhile, Michelin awarded its first ever star to a vegan restaurant in France earlier this month.

I think it all depends on how they are prepared. Cooked at the proper temperature, with the right seasonings and tasty sides, I'm sure either would be fine. Harland Sanders probably could've done wonders with either. Would y'all prefer... Fowl play: Swan harasses UK town by knocking on doors for hours? It’s his cygnet-ture move. Residents of a British town say a say a swan named Cedric keeps knocking on their front doors for hours on end. Befuddled homeowners on one street in Northampton have no idea why — but say it’s driving them slowly crazy. “He starts by rattling the letter box, then bashes the metal with its beak quite loudly,” Stephen Legg, 70, groused of the bonkers bird. “The racket reverberates through the whole house,”Legg told Metro.co.uk. “It doesn’t do any damage, but it’s extremely irritating.” Cedric lives with his mate on a nearby lake, and started persecuting the front doors about five years ago. It started out of the blue, as Cedric and the Mrs. had lived in the lake for at least two years prior without incident, Legg said. Sometimes Cedric just knocks once or twice, then waddles off. Other times the bird will keep knock-knock-knocking for three hours. “Pretty funny,” laughed neighbor Wendy Howard, 63, a retired nurse who recently recorded Cedric in the act. “But I’m glad it isn’t my house because it is very noisy,” she noted. Legg has no clue what Cedric wants when he knocks. The swan shouldn’t be hungry, since neighbors feed the birds on the lake all the time, he said. “He does it every year [in] the summer, then doesn’t bother for the rest of the year,” Legg told Metro.co.uk. “It is a flipping nuisance.” Legg tried covering the door one year, but that impeded mail delivery. He also purchased a device that made “a swan-repellent ultrasonic noise,” but Cedric appeared to be attracted, not repelled, by the sound. “He just nestled up to it, so it did no good at all, and even might’ve encouraged him,” Legg said. “It cost me thirty quid so it was a complete waste of money.” If Cedric keeps up with his tiresome knock-knock jokes this summer, Legg said he’ll have to cover the door again and leave a window open so mail deliveries can be flung inside. https://videos.metro.co.uk/video/met/2021/03/23/2479839751967389292/640x360_MP4_2479839751967389292.mp4

No, when I was a teen and most of my friends smoked, we all noticed the same thing... it's weird, and I could never figure out why it happens. Whenever I've smelled it when others were partaking (at a concert or movie or even passersby outside), I certainly smelled the typical smell that others describe, but as I sit here, joint dangling from my mouth so I can type, I don't smell it.