Cristiano Ronaldo scores again as Al Nassr beat Al Raed 3-1 in Saudi Pro League

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his seventh goal in the Saudi Pro League as his side, Al Nassr, beat Al Raed 3-1 in a league game at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraydah on Saturday.

Nebraska's Arik Gilbert arrested during eligibility wait

 Nebraska tight end Arik Gilbert, a former five-star recruit awaiting an eligibility ruling from the NCAA, was arrested early Tuesday on suspicion of burglary in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Paris Jackson slams 'abuse' from Michael Jackson superfans over birthday post for King of Pop

 Michael Jackson's children Paris Jackson, Prince Jackson and Blanket Jackson celebrated the King of Pop's birthday on Wednesday.

Paris Jackson, 25, revealed in an Instagram video on what would have been Jackson's 65th birthday on Tuesday that her father actually hated acknowledgment on his special day.

"Today’s my dad’s birthday, and back when he was alive, he used to hate anybody acknowledging his birthday, wishing him a happy birthday, celebrating it, nothing like that," she said.

The musician and actress then shared that she's been chastised in the past by Jackson superfans for not posting her dad on social media. "It apparently means that you don’t love them, you don’t care about them," Paris Jackson said sarcastically.

"There have been times where I don’t post anything for my dad’s birthday, and people lose their minds. They tell me to kill myself," she said. "And they’re basically measuring my love for my own father based off of what I post on Instagram."

In an effort to shut down criticism, the "American Horror Stories" alum shared a clip from her show on Wednesday at the Amphitheater at Las Colonias Park in Colorado where she opened for the band Incubus.

Paris Jackson gave a shoutout to her dad at the show, telling the audience, "He put 50 years of blood, sweat and tears and love and passion into doing what he did, so that I can stand up here onstage in front of you and scream into a microphone."

"I owe everything to him," she added.

The 25-year-old cautioned Jackson fans in the comments about further harmful messaging. "Please don’t use a man you have never met as an excuse to abuse, manipulate, and harass his daughter (who you also have never met)," she captioned the post.

While Paris Jackson is busy touring, her brothers Prince Jackson and Blanket Jackson made a rare appearance in Las Vegas Wednesday for a birthday celebration for the "Thriller" singer.

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The duo took photos with fans and signed autographs ahead of the "Michael Jackson ONE" show by Cirque du Soleil at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

The fan event promised a "meet and greet with the original 'Michael Jackson ONE' creative team, as well as representatives from the Michael Jackson Estate" before two shows. A Q&A with the cast was also streamed live on YouTube.

Michael Jackson died June 25, 2009, at his home in Los Angeles of an accidental drug overdose. He was 50.

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If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night. Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.

3M agrees to pay $6bn settlement in US military earplug lawsuit

 3M said it was not admitting liability and that the earplugs ‘are safe and effective when used properly’.

The 3M logo is seen at its global headquarters in Maplewood, Minnesota, US on March 4, 2020 [File: Nicholas Pfosi/Reuters]

Published On 30 Aug 202330 Aug 2023

3M has agreed to pay $6.01bn to settle lawsuits by United States military veterans and service members who say they suffered hearing loss from using the company’s earplugs, according to the company and lawyers for the plaintiffs.

The settlement, consisting of $5bn in cash and $1bn in 3M stock, will be made in payments that will run through 2029. The Minnesota-based company said it was not admitting liability and that the earplugs “are safe and effective when used properly”.

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The deal comes after a failed attempt by 3M earlier this year to move the lawsuits, which had grown into the largest mass tort litigation in US history, into bankruptcy court in the hope of limiting its liability.

About 240,000 people are expected to be eligible for the settlement, Chris Seeger, a lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, said at a press conference. 3M has the right to walk away from the deal if less than 98 percent of eligible claimants decide to participate, but Seeger said he was confident that the threshold would be met.

“This historic agreement represents a tremendous victory for the thousands of men and women who bravely served our country and returned home with life-altering hearing injuries,” Seeger and his co-lead attorneys, Bryan Aylstock and Clayton Clark, said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

Market boost

3M’s shares were up more than two percent on Tuesday. They closed 5.2 percent higher on Monday on earlier reports that a settlement was imminent. Some analysts’ estimates of the company’s potential liability from the earplug litigation had been as high as $10bn.

The Combat Arms earplugs were made by Aearo Technologies, a company 3M acquired in 2008. They were used by the US military in training and combat from 2003 to 2015, including in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuits claim that the company hid design flaws, fudged test results and failed to provide instructions for properly using the earplugs, leading to hearing damage.

The lawsuits were consolidated before US District Judge M Casey Rodgers in Pensacola, Florida, federal court in 2019. At its height, the litigation accounted for about 30 percent of all federal court cases nationwide.

Of 16 earplug cases that have gone to trial, 3M has lost 10, with about $265m being awarded in total to 13 plaintiffs. Those verdicts are included in the $6.01bn amount.

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Aearo filed for bankruptcy in July 2022, with 3M pledging $1bn to fund its liabilities stemming from the earplug lawsuits.

Not an admission of liability

3M argued that the mass tort litigation was unfair because Rodgers had kept scientific evidence favourable to the company out of trials and allowed thousands of “unvetted” claims to swell the court’s docket.

However, a bankruptcy judge in June dismissed the bankruptcy, finding that Aearo was not in enough financial distress to justify it.

In Tuesday’s announcement, 3M maintained that the agreement – which includes all claims in Florida’s multidistrict litigation, coordinated state court action in Minnesota, and potential future claims – was not an admission of liability.

“The products at issue in this litigation are safe and effective when used properly,” the company wrote. “3M is prepared to continue to defend itself in the litigation if certain agreed terms of the settlement agreement are not fulfilled.”

Monday’s settlement comes just two months after 3M announced a tentative $10.3bn deal with a host of US public water systems to resolve claims of water pollution by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, known as “forever chemicals”.

That deal is not yet final, but it cleared one potential hurdle on Monday as 22 US states and territories withdrew their earlier objections.

FREE ‘Little Mermaid’ ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie,’ ‘Cinderella’: Costume fun encouraged at these fall Houston movie events

 

This image released by Disney shows Halle Bailey as Ariel in "The Little Mermaid." (Disney via AP) (Photo courtesy of Disney., © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

HOUSTON – Discovery Green has announced its Screen on the Green fall schedule for its free movie events.

This season’s lineup for the 1500 McKinney St. venue celebrates the diverse ages, interests, and cultures of park visitors with family-friendly movies including “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Cinderella,” and “The Little Mermaid.”

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Attending in costume is encouraged.

“Bring a blanket or camping chairs and snacks or a picnic,” a news release read Tuesday. “As always, please leave alcohol and glass containers at home.”

Food, beer and wine are available for purchase at The Lake House.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie”

Saturday, Sept. 9, 7 pm (PG) 2023, 92 minutes, CC English

Based on the Super Mario video games, the animated film follows Mario on his adventures with his friends. Mario joins forces with Princess Peach and Toad. The trio is in search of Mario’s brother Luigi. Together, they hope to defeat the evil Bowser and save the Mushroom Kingdom from his destructive schemes. RSVP now!

“Cinderella”

Saturday, Sept. 30, 7 pm  (PG) 2021, 113 minutes, CC Spanish

In this modern musical retelling of a classic story, Cinderella is a poor yet ambitious orphan who dreams of meeting the prince, Robert. Unfortunately for her, her evil stepmother and stepsisters are intent on preventing that from happening. When all hope seems lost, her Fairy Godmother comes into the picture and makes her dream come true. RSVP now!

“The Little Mermaid”

Saturday, Nov. 11, 7 pm (PG) 2023, 120 minutes, CC English

Ariel, a mermaid princess, is curious about all things human. Ariel asks sea witch Ursula to take her voice in exchange for legs, as this is the only way she could explore the human world of Eric, her love interest. Her frustrated father, King Triton, is worried. But her trusted sea creature friends Flounder and Sebastian still watch over her. RSVP now!

Military officers in Gabon declare coup and place president under house arrest

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Military officers in Gabon have declared they were seizing power from President Ali Bongo Ondimba in a stunning coup, threatening the family’s half-century rule over the central African nation.

Late Rodri winner fires Man City to top of table

 SHEFFIELD, England, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Manchester City moved to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 win at Sheffield United on Sunday after Rodri scored an 88th-minute winner to secure their third victory of the season.

Mark Meadows' Attorney Has a 'Tight Needle to Thread:' Former Prosecutor

 

Former White House Chief of Staff during the Trump administration Mark Meadows speaks during a forum titled House Rules and Process Changes for the 118th Congress at FreedowmWorks headquarters on November 14, 2022 in Washington, DC.© Drew Angerer/Getty