Since the start of the new year, the city of Nampo appears to be using its commercial department and tax offices to tighten up tax collection with a view to boost tax revenue, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Daily NK source in North Korea said Monday that the people’s committee of Nampo issued an order on Jan. 1 calling for “all-out efforts to simultaneously restore the state’s unitary control in the commercial sector and strengthen the role of tax offices.”
It also sent detailed instructions on how to do this to the city’s commercial department, the source said.
According to him, the Cabinet has called for boosting tax revenue as much as possible this year as taxes are the source of not only the national budget, but also the budgets of North Korea’s provinces and provincial level cities.
The people’s committee of Nampo responded to the order by instructing its commercial department and tax offices to launch efforts to survey, investigate and register new sources of tax revenue from the start of the year, issuing detailed guidelines for the offices to follow.
The source said Nampo is running an especially tight ship this year because it failed to deliver its national tax quota last year.
The source said Nampo’s commercial department is pressing marketplaces, procurement shops, stores for industrial goods and foodstuffs, general stores and other state commercial agencies to pay more in real estate fees to make up for last year’s deficits.
Tax offices, meanwhile, will inform households by Feb. 10 that they have more than tripled land and housing use fees compared to last year.
The source said that last year, residents of row houses, apartments and single-story homes paid 3% of their household income every month for housing use fees, which includes land use fees. Meanwhile, residents of detached homes paid separate housing and land use fees, with the latter set at KWP 100 per pyeong, a unit of measurement which roughly equals 35 square feet.
“Now, however, these residents must pay tax officers 3.5 times that much,” he said.
TAX OFFICERS TO REMEASURE LAND TO READJUST USE FEES
Moreover, Nampo will both measure and then include use fees for private gardens located in front of apartments or single-story homes into the household fees.
North Korea’s government receives quarterly real estate use fees from commercial entities for using government-owned buildings, and receives housing and land use fees from private individuals in return for providing homes. By collecting fees for the use of real estate, North Korea’s government is essentially levying a real estate tax.
In fact, tax officers are remeasuring the area of land used by detached homes in Nampo, explaining that the measure aims to “accurately measure the land and inform people of accurate use fees because this land, too, is the state’s property.”
The people’s committee of Nampo called on people to remember that North Korea “is a socialist country where everything is the property of the state and nothing is privately owned,” imploring them to realize that “it’s their duty as citizens to pay fees if they are using something.”
However, locals are reportedly whispering amongst themselves that tax agents — ignoring the separation between private and public money — must have made off with so much money last year that the people’s committee felt the need to force tax agents to submit itemized statements for use fees as a way to prevent corruption.
The city’s commercial department and tax offices are also looking for completely new sources of tax revenue, the source further reported.
He said the authorities have begun surveying and registering new sources of tax income by investigating the activities of people engaged in a wide range of commercial businesses, including selling homemade alcohol, candies or knitwear.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
A recession, if it takes place, will curb demand for offices that comprise 74pc of the company’s portfolio, while tough operating conditions for consumer-focused businesses are likely to lower demand for the trust’s retail locations that make up 18pc of its portfolio.
This could lead to a slowing rate of rental growth, lower occupancy levels and higher default rates.
However, the company’s portfolio consists of high-quality assets that are likely to perform relatively well in an economic downturn. Its office properties, for example, are energy efficient, well located and recently developed in desirable areas that are likely to experience robust demand even during a period of economic decline.
Similarly, its retail assets are situated in prime shopping centres and outlets that are less likely to be vacated by major brands who are seeking to rationalise their portfolios as online retailing grows in popularity.
Furthermore, investors appear to have fully accounted for a challenging period across the commercial property sector by demanding a wide discount to the company’s net asset value. Land Securities currently trades on a price-to-book ratio of around 0.7. While its net assets per share declined by 4.4pc in the first half of the year, and are likely to fall further in the near term, Questor views the stock’s current market value as being significantly below its intrinsic value.
Since first being tipped by this column in June 2018, the stock’s price has fallen by around 23pc. This represents a hugely disappointing return when the FTSE 100 has gained 3pc over the same period on its way to a new record high.
However, with dividends paid by the company since being tipped equating to roughly 18pc of the original purchase price, the stock’s total return is far less dispiriting than its capital return. And with a dividend yield of 5.2pc, its long-term income prospects remain sound.
Undoubtedly, Land Securities faces a tough near-term outlook as further interest rate rises are likely to weigh on the commercial property sector. But with a solid financial position relative to its peers, a high-quality portfolio and the capacity to use the market cycle to its advantage, it remains an attractive long-term investment while it trades at a substantial discount to net asset value. Keep buying.
Questor says: buy
Ticker: LAND
Share price at close: 719.2p
Read the latest Questor column on telegraph.co.uk every Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 6am.
Read Questor’s rules of investment before you follow our tips
Emerald’s new Commercial Integrator Expo announced a partnership with Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA), an advocacy organization focused on the higher education AV industry, as a supporting organization for Commercial Integrator Expo 2023. As a result, Commercial Integrator Expo 2023 will feature educational opportunities, market insights, subject matter experts and networking addressing the needs of higher education technology managers and their institutions.
Audiovisual technology in the higher education vertical accounts for over $27B in annual spend. HETMA’s mission is to raise awareness of audiovisual technology issues unique to the higher education community by communicating with manufacturers, vendors and higher education administrators on the needs and challenges that technology managers face.
To this end, HETMA partners with members, manufacturers and key organizations to provide education, networking and advocacy to continue accelerating audiovisual technology in higher education. HETMA is dedicated to providing educational and networking opportunities to members and, as a result, can empower and grow an influence as an industry.
HETMA’s partnership with Commercial Integrator Expo will offer the opportunity to support the industry through education, insights and networking.
“Over the past three years, higher education saw the single largest operational upheaval accelerating the demand for leading edge audiovisual communications systems and solutions,” said Jason McGraw, CTS, group vice president and show director for Emerald. “We are pleased to partner with the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance in supporting the content program for our show launch. HETMA is advocating for technology managers’ needs and their respective higher education institutions within the greater audiovisual industry. Through our partnership, HETMA will broaden Commercial Integrator Expo’s educational programming by providing a track of relevant, forward-thinking educational sessions, with subject matter experts and market insights for technology managers.”
“The AV industry has made a huge shift over the past few years,” said Joe Way, PhD, CTS, co-founder and chair of HETMA. “Technology managers in higher education now serve a key role in the industry’s overall success. Representing over $30B in annual spending in the US alone means that our vertical’s professionals require strong relationships with our manufacturer partners and professional education and training specific to our needs. We value relationship building, knowing that we as a vertical are successful only when we as and industry are successful. Therefore, this partnership with Commercial Integrator Expo is a natural fit; it’s a natural win-win. We look forward to bringing an educational program that enriches our community and the general AV community while also showing off our many initiatives like a HETMA Approved classroom.”
Commercial Integrator Expo 2023 will feature a track of live educational sessions centered around today’s applications of higher education audiovisual technology. HETMA will advise and drive the educational content while creating a social experience for people to gather and exchange best practices. Commercial Integrator Expo will allow attendees to forge connections between peers and manufacturers and discover new opportunities and ideas through training on new markets and emerging technology trends.
Commercial Integrator Expo 2023, which will be co-located with CEDIA Expo 2023, is set to take place September 6-9, 2023, in Denver, CO.
CEDIA Expo is here: cediaexpo.com. Commercial Integrator Expo is here: expo.commercialintegrator.com
And, HETMA is here: HETMA.org
Americans celebrate its presidents in February on Presidents Day, combining the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, two of its greatest leaders. For Illinois, and Vermilion County in particular, Lincoln’s actual birth date of Feb. 12 holds special meaning due to his long association with the community.
As the Vermilion County Museum’s Don Richter outlined in his Jan. 28 column in the Commercial-News, Lincoln practiced law in Danville from 1841 until elected president and headed to Washington, D.C., in 1860.
He and Ward Hill Lamon, who later went with Lincoln to the White House as his unofficial body guard, had a law office in Danville at 6 N. Vermilion St.
Lincoln argued as many as 200 cases in the county courthouse, which stood at the site of today’s Vermilion County Courthouse.
Many of those cases were heard by Judge David Davis, who also later helped Lincoln gain the Republican nomination for president and, eventually, the president’s job.
Signs of Lincoln’s connection with Danville can be found around the city through markers placed by the local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter, the Vermilion County Museum and other Lincoln heritage groups. There’s also a mural on the rail bridge that spans Fairchild Street just east of Danville High School visible to westbound motorists.
The museum plans a full-blown birthday party 1:30-4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12, at the museum complex, 116 N. Gilbert St. Both the Museum Center and the Fithian House will be open for tours. Parking is available nearby.
When in Danville, Lincoln often stayed in the house of Dr. William H. Fithian. The two served in the Illinois Legislature together, both when the capital was in Vandalia and after it had moved to Springfield.
The house contains furnishings from the time period when the Fithians welcomed Lincoln as their guest.
There’s a story that Lincoln once spoke in 1858 to a crowd from a balcony on the south side when he was running for the U.S. Senate seat eventually won by Stephen Douglas.
In what has become a tradition, the museum invited area students to create birthday cards honoring Lincoln’s special day. Those cards will be on display during the open house, with winners announced at 3 p.m.
Visitors also will be able to enjoy a piece of birthday cake in honor of the 16th president’s 214th birthday.
For information on the day’s events, contact the museum at 217-442-2922.
The day offers residents a perfect opportunity to learn more about how Abraham Lincoln and Vermilion County are connected — and there will be cake!
The Hague Institute for Global Justice unveiled a compact on norms of behavior for commercial space operations last night in Washington, D.C. and presented it to the United Nations today. The “Washington Compact” is a set of non-binding principles for responsible and sustainable commercial space operations. They are somewhat akin to the Artemis Accords for governments, but these are for companies and civil society. The document, signed by 53 individuals, organizations and companies so far, was submitted to the U.N. Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
Lady Sohair Salam, President of the Institute, established the Off-World Approach in 2021 to formulate solutions that ensure the future of space is peaceful, inclusive and equitable.
Joining her as co-chair of the Off-World Approach is Kenneth Hodgkins, who retired from the State Department in 2020 after more than a dozen years as Director of the Office of Space and Advanced Technology and U.S. representative to the U.N. space committee or UNCOPUOS.
The Netherlands-based Institute is an independent, non-profit organization that “aims to shape discourse and bridge gaps between research, policy and practice on global issues at the critical intersection of peace, security and justice.”
For the past two years, Salam and Hodgkins have worked with an advisory group of experts in international space law and policy and representatives of the commercial sector to develop the Washington Compact. Many were in attendance at the Metropolitan Club in Washington last night where it was publicly released.
“For centuries, humanity has looked to the stars with wonder and aspiration, and today, we stand at the forefront of a new age of space discovery. A time where nations come together, not as competitors, but as partners, in a shared mission to advance our knowledge and understanding of the universe,” Salam said. Hodgkins added: “Civil society must lead in shaping a new global framework among governments, industry and the scientific community that is flexible, predictable, transparent and inclusive.”
The 12-page Washington Compact on Norms of Behavior for Commercial Space Operations affirms the importance of compliance with the four U.N. space treaties to which most space-faring countries are signatory (the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, 1968 Astronaut Rescue and Return Agreement, 1972 Liability Convention, and 1975 Registration Convention) and establishes a set of principles that “apply to activities conducted by civil society in outer space including the Moon and other Celestial Bodies.”
The principles cover —
- interoperability
- the human element (such as rendering assistance to each other’s astronauts, creating a space culture to inspire and educate youth, and reaffirming the value of space for economic growth, societal well-being and the improvement of life globally, particularly for developing countries)
- cooperation between civil society and states parties to the outer space treaties on implementation and compliance matters, and
- space law
The Washington Compact is reminiscent of the Artemis Accords, which were developed by an original group of eight countries led by the United States to guide sustainable exploration and use of the Moon. Twenty-three countries have signed the Accords and more are expected, but they apply only to governments, not the private sector.
Mike Gold was a key figure in drafting the Artemis Accords in 2020 when he was at NASA with then-Administrator Jim Bridenstine. Now with Redwire, he also was closely involved in drafting the Washington Compact. Last night he said “Establishing norms of behavior is critical for the safe, successful, and sustainable development of space. I’m thrilled that the Hague Institute is tackling this vital topic to help ensure a peaceful and prosperous future in space for all of humanity to enjoy.”
Scott Pace, who was Executive Secretary of the White House National Space Council when the Accords were written and also is working with the Institute, added: “The space domain has become globalized and democratized. As such, developing norms of behavior for safe and responsible space operations requires the participation of multiple stakeholders, not just States. Governance of the space domain requires a bottom-up approach and cannot be imposed top down.”
Pace is now back at George Washington University and Director of the Space Policy Institute there. He is one of 10 individuals who signed the Washington Compact along with former NASA Administrator and former astronaut Charlie Bolden, former Romanian cosmonaut and former Chair of UNCOPUOS Dumitru Prunariu, former Director of the U.N. Office of Outer Space Affairs (which administers UNCOPUOS) and former Director General of Malaysia’s National Space Agency Mazlan Othman, and former Director General of the French space agency CNES Gérard Brachet.
Companies and organizations signing the Washington Compact span the globe and include Spaceflight Launch Services, Simera Group, Ad Astra Rocket Company, Dhruva Space, the Space Foundation, Beyond Earth Institute, Association of Space Explorers, European Space Policy Institute, and the Regional Center for Space Science and Technology for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of UNCOPUOS is currently meeting in Vienna, Austria and the Institute submitted the Washington Compact there today in support of the Space2030 Agenda.
Last Updated: Feb 08, 2023 11:12 pm ET
An exasperated Don Lemon delayed a commercial break after CNN aired an interview with James Comer moments before.
Lemon, one of the network’s most recognisable anchors, was vexed by Mr Comer’s decision to favourably cite The New York Post in his interview with colleague Kaitlin Collins.
“That’s the time that we’re in, where facts are sort of flexible and you just throw things out there – citing uncredible sources (sic), like citing the New York Post as a credible source and saying that facts are – it’s just, I can’t believe that we’re here,” Lemon said.
Collins was asking Mr Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, about upcoming hearings on the topic of Hunter Biden’s laptop.
“We don’t know what all is going on with Biden,” Mr Comer said. “Our investigation with Biden is over influence peddling. There’s a concern among a lot of Republicans that some of these classified documents may have been part of the business model with the president’s brother and the president’s son in some of their shady business dealings.”
Mr Comer did not produce any new evidence to back his claims. Lemon was seemingly unimpressed both with Mr Comer’s statements and the interview as a whole, targeting the Post even though much of its reporting on Mr Biden’s laptop was later confirmed by other outlets.
Lemon’s co-host Poppy Harlow responded by praising Collins’s reporting.
“That’s why we’ve got Kaitlin Collins on the Hill, fact-checking in real time,” Harlow said. “It was a great interview.”
Lemon did not join in the praise, nor did he allow the show’s producers to segue into a commercial break after they began playing outro music.
“Hold on please, with the music,” Mr Lemon said. “That’s a big issue when it comes to the American people. The American people are going to have to suffer through all of this stuff from election deniers to people who don’t believe in facts, we don’t have a shared reality. And now it has taken centre stage.”
Mediaite reported that Lemon circled back to the interview later in the show and praised Collins’s interviewing skills after conspicuously failing to do so alongside Harlow.
“As I was watching that very good interview by Kaitlin Collins with Comer, and I had to come out and say something because he is citing sources as credible that are not credible, he is talking about facts [as] something that’s kind of flexible, and maybe you believe one thing or maybe another, facts are facts,” Lemon said.
Turno, the India-based commercial electric vehicle platform, will today announce it has raised $13.8 million of Series A funding just a year after is launch. The business has won a 20% market share since it began trading in five states of India in January 2022, and now has plans to expand rapidly.
Launched by founders Hemanth Aluru and Sudhindra Reddy, who met when working at car sharing business Zoomcar, Turno aims to make it far easier for small and medium sized enterprises in India to secure commercial electric vehicles (EVs). With these SMEs accounting for around 90% of the country’s logistics industry, the project has the potential to substantially accelerate adoption of commercial EVs in the country – driving significant sustainability benefits.
“We can see an inflexion point around EVs,” says Aluru of buyers’ willingness to switch away from vehicles that depend on a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) for power. “But the key is to get the financing right, and to do that over the lifetime of the vehicle.”
The high upfront cost of all commercial vehicles means most purchasers need credit when buying new vehicles – particularly SMEs with leaner balance sheets. But in the EV market, that has proved problematic. Lenders want to lend against the value of the asset, rather than on the borrower’s credit rating, but they don’t yet have a clear view of how EVs depreciate over time – and they worry that EV batteries have short shelf lives, particularly compared to ICE-powered vehicles. The result is that buyers often have to put up substantial deposits and pay high rates of interest, making EVs prohibitively expensive.
Turno’s solution relies on an innovative technology solution that enables it to work much more competitively with SMEs. The company’s platform connects SMEs with EV manufacturers in the first place, provides credit to finance a new purchase, and guarantees the buyer a minimum resale value in the future.
That value proposition is powered by Turno’s understanding of the electric battery market. It has identified a significant resale market for EV batteries – while these may no longer be suitable for use in vehicles after, say, five years, they can be redeployed as stationary assets in locations such as data centres and infrastructure installations.
This is what enables Turno to lend with more confidence – funding is provided in conjunction with finance providers – and also to offer a guaranteed resale value. In addition, SMEs that buy a commercial EV on the platform agree to Turno receiving data on how the vehicle is used. Using analytics, Turno can then get a much clearer idea of the battery’s health, and thus its likely future value; it can even offer purchasers incentives to drive in such a way as to minimise usage.
Turno founders Hemanth Aluru and Sudhindra Reddy
turno
Aluru believes this innovative model can drive far more rapid take-up of EVs by commercial customers, who are responsible for far greater mileages and carbon emissions than car drivers. By lending at cheaper rates and guaranteeing a resale value, the company estimates it can reduce the total cost of ownership of a commercial EV by 30% compared to other financing solutions.
“Today, 80 to 85% of India’s automotive fuel consumption is driven by commercial vehicles with internal combustion engines, but there is a strong desire to transition to a green economy and commercial EV adoption therefore holds significant promise,” says Aluru. “Turno was founded with the mission to convert these gasoline miles into electric miles, having a significant positive impact on the environment.”
SMEs appear enthusiastic, with Turno now picking up 20% of all commercial EV sales in India. The company is growing at a rate of 30% a month and earning revenues that translate to $20 million a year.
Investors have taken note. Today’s Series A round is led by global venture capital firms B Capital and Quona Capital, and has also attracted interest from new investors including Alteria Capital and InnoVen Capital, and existing investors Stellaris Venture Partners and Avaana Capital.
“Commercial EV sales are heavily dependent on the availability of attractive financing options and today the Indian market is plagued by lack of truly customer-centric options,” says Karan Mohla, General Partner at B Capital. “Turno has identified a key missing element in the ecosystem that solves the problem of financing as well as distribution and servicing.”
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Don Lemon delayed a CNN commercial break on Tuesday to awkwardly heap praises on his co-host Kaitlan Collins for her interview with Republican Rep. James Comer.
Lemon was apparently so incensed by comments made by Comer, a Kentucky Republican who serves as the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, in his interview with Collins that he stopped outro music signaling a cut to commercial.
He also hit out at the New York Post, claiming it is not a ‘credible source,’ after Comer praised the outlet for breaking the news about Hunter Biden‘s laptop.
The awkward exchange came amid reports that Don Lemon has fallen out of favor with his female co-hosts, and even made Collins run off crying.
Don Lemon awkwardly delayed a commercial break on Tuesday to heap praise onto his co-host Kaitlan Collins
Kaitlan Collins (right) was interviewing Rep. James Comer (left) for the CNN show
In the interview with Comer on CNN This Morning, Collins pressed the Republican on upcoming House investigations into Hunter Biden’s laptop and suggestions from the Twitter Files that the FBI tried to suppress those stories.
Comer said he was grateful for Twitter revealing how the FBI worked with social media companies to suppress stories related to Hunter Biden’s laptop, saying: ‘Thank goodness for Elon Musk.
‘We wouldn’t know that the government was involved in censoring conservative speech were it not for Elon Musk being transparent and not disclosing the Twitter Files,’ he said before praising the New York Post for breaking the story.
The congressman called the paper a ‘credible outlet’ and ‘the fourth biggest newspaper in America.’
But when the interview concluded and Lemon was left to transition to a commercial break, he seemed stunned by Comer’s comments as his co-host Poppy Harlow praised Collins for ‘fact checking in real-time.’
‘That’s the time that we’re in, where facts are sort of flexible and you just throw things out there — citing uncredible sources like the New York Post as a credible source and saying that facts are — it’s just… I can’t believe that we’re here,’ Lemon said.
Harlow then looked directly at the camera, seemingly taken aback by Lemon’s comments and said: ‘That’s why we got Kaitlin Collins on the Hill fact checking in real-time.’
Still, Lemon continued his rant even as the outro music started to play, signaling a cut to commercial.
‘Hold on, please with the music,’ he told the crew, who immediately shut off the sound.
He then went on to claim there is no ‘shared reality’ with people like Comer, saying: ‘American people are going to have to suffer through all of this stuff from election deniers to people who don’t believe in facts.
‘We don’t have a shared reality, and now it’s center stage.’
Lemon was supposed to transition to a commercial break following Collins’ interview with Rep. James Comer
The two discussed the upcoming hearings on Hunter Biden’s laptop, when Comer praised the New York Post for breaking the story — much to Lemon’s chagrin
At that point, Harlow tried to interrupt again, as she continued to praise Collins for pointing out that special counsels for probes into Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump were both appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
She called it ‘critically important’ to fact-check in real time as the show finally cut to a commercial.
When it came back, Lemon praised Collins’ interviewing skills, saying: ‘As I was watching that very good interview by Kaitlan Collins with Comer, and I had to come out and say something because he is citing sources as credible that are not credible.
‘He is talking about facts of something that’s kind of flexible, and maybe you believe one thing or maybe another, facts are facts.’
Hunter Biden’s laptop story was highly questioned by Biden supporters ahead of the 2020 presidential election, and even led to the New York Post being suspended from Twitter for a period.
But multiple outlets — including CNN — have since confirmed that the laptop is authentic.
The awkward interaction came amid reports Lemon has had a falling out with Collins
CNN insiders say Lemon is having trouble sharing the spotlight with his two morning show co-hosts, noting they used to arrive at events together but now come separately
Lemon’s awkward attempt to praise his colleague on Tuesday came amid reports that he and his female co-hosts have not been getting along.
Sources have said that the network’s golden boy went ‘ballistic’ on Collins back in December for interrupting him, apparently berating his co-host in front of the television crew.
The incident was later featured in a company newsletter, prompting Lemon to ‘blow up’ at staff, according to RadarOnline.
He was told to take a day to ‘cool off’ by CNN boss Chris Licht.
When the two co-hosts finally reunited on Monday, their interactions were notably icy towards one another, speaking to each other only once during the hour-long show.
That interaction came when Lemon appeared to nearly interrupt Collins again, pointing to her and asking her whether she recycles in a discussion about climate change.
Collins barely looks at her co-host as she quickly replies ‘yes, we recycle’ before directing her attention back to their guest.
Lemon was reportedly told to take time to ‘cool off’ after admonishing Collins for interrupting him in a segment in December. He is pictured here last week
A spokesperson for the network denies there is any animosity between the co-hosts, calling them ‘friends’
A CNN insider has since told Fox News that Lemon is ‘having a hard time sharing the spotlight’ since losing his solo hosting gig for his primetime show, saying: ‘Don’s having a hard time sharing a show. He’s having a hard time sharing the spotlight.’
Lemon anchored CNN’s 10pm ET time slow for years but its viewership had been steadily declining.
He was then pulled from the top slot by Licht in September and asked to appear alongside Collins and Harlow for a revamped morning show.
It was intended to replace the Jeff Zucker-era program ‘New Day.’
Eric Hall had served as executive producer of the show when it launched but he was pulled from the role last month and reassigned to prime time.
Collins and Lemon, along with Harlow, used to arrive to red carpets and events as a unit.
But now, they arrive separately and seem to want to stay far away from each other.
‘At this point, Kaitlan wants to be on set with Don as little as possible,’ another source told The Post. ‘It’s messy.’
To Collins’ advantage, CEO Licht wants the morning show hosts out in the field more than on set.
Collins, who is also CNN’s White House correspondent, has recently spent a lot of time in DC.
CNN previously issued a statement saying that the reports of Lemon’s outburst are overblown, but other outlets have confirmed that the events being described are largely accurate.
‘Don, Kaitlan and Poppy were friends before they were co-anchors and they remain friends today,’ a statement reads.
Ashton Kutcher has been in the public consciousness for a while. The actor became a household name by starring in That ‘70s Show in the late ‘90s, then went on to hosting the MTV show Punk’d, to now starring alongside Reese Witherspoon in Your Place or Mine. Now, the Jobs actor is recounting how he went from an amateur coder at the University of Iowa to being cast in one of the most beloved sitcoms of the ‘90s within two years time.
Kutcher has gone through all sorts of phases of his career, but nothing was as drastic as going from his midwestern life as a wannabe geneticist to becoming a TV star in only a couple short years. The actor sat down with the Barstool podcast, Viva La Stool, and discussed how he was able to make it all happen for himself. Kutcher chronicled his humble beginnings by detailing:
I went to school and I was studying biochemical engineering. I wanted to be a geneticist. I learned how to code-computer code- in like 1996… and then I did every junior high school play, [and] high school play. I was in the thespian society, and competed in like acting competitions and things like that because I always wanted to be an actor but I was in Iowa.
It’s incredibly difficult to develop an acting career in a place like Iowa without the kinds of resources coastal cities have for aspiring movie stars. Thankfully he was able to find his own way in. Unusually, The Ranch alum’s breakthrough came in the form of an unexpected visit from a modeling recruiter while he was at a bar. Kutcher recounted:
I was at a bar, [and this lady]- it was actually funny- she comes up to me and was like ‘how old are you’ and I said ‘One second-I can I have a beer? Amazing- I’m 19’ And then she asked ‘Have you ever thought about being a model’ and I was like ’no but I’ve thought about being an actor.’ And she said ‘well this would be a good way in’
For Kutcher, this certainly was a good way for him to break into the business. After his modeling career took off, doors opened for the young aspiring actor. Small steps along the way quickly led to him becoming a successful employed actor. The actor continued:
And then I started getting work as a model and then I did like an NYC student film, and then I booked a Pizza Hut commercial. And then I flew to LA to test for a show, and then I booked That ‘70s Show the first couple of days I was there.
That ‘70s Show ended up becoming a massive success and is still finding new audiences who are discovering the show for the first time and loving it. The period teen sitcom played on Fox and ran for 8 seasons. Kutcher got more than just a career from starring on the series. The actor ended up meeting and then later marrying his That ‘70s Show co-star Mila Kunis.
The couple share two children together. Netflix recently launched a spinoff series titled That ‘90’s Show where the duo reprised their roles from the original show, giving back to the franchise that did so much for them. Kutcher has done a lot since the sitcom, and you can listen to him further recounting his career below:
Hard to believe this is the same guy who played a goofy stoner on That 70’s show pic.twitter.com/go2j2FvlkTFebruary 7, 2023
Netflix subscribers can catch Ashton Kutcher’s latest film, Your Place or Mine, when it starts streaming on the platform on February 10th. Fans of the actor can also revisit his career-making performance on That ‘70s Show, which is streaming now with a Peacock subscription. For more information on other projects coming to streaming in the near future, make sure to check out our 2023 winter TV premiere schedule.
Steamboat Springs City Council approved the first reading of the city’s proposed mandatory commercial recycling ordinance in a divided vote Tuesday, Feb. 7, after a slight adjustment.
If council passes the second reading of the ordinance, all commercial businesses and multi-family residences will be required to offer recycling.
“When I first moved here seven years ago, I thought this was already a thing,” said council member Dakotah McGinlay. “Let’s try to find a way to pass this ordinance this evening and get our community’s diversion rate in the right direction.”
McGinlay proposed council adjust the ordinance to remove any penalties for not complying in the first two years, to ease any concerns of fellow council members. That change was adopted and the ordinance passed 5-2 with council members Heather Sloop and Michael Buccino opposed. The ordinance comes after 94% of surveyed residents told the city they wanted to see more recycling options.
In comments just before the vote, Council President Robin Crossan said she had walked into the meeting expecting to vote against the ordinance, but changed her mind during the discussion.
“We have 18 months, and we have an employee that can do her magic, and we have an exception and we have waivers,” Crossan said. “The sooner people get on board, we will have the ability to see who can actually do this and who can’t.”
As written, the new recycling requirements will roll out over the next 18 months, with incremental goals for haulers to offer recycling. Recycling is already mandatory for single-family residences and duplexes.
The first goal is that 33% of trash users receive recycling service within six months, a goal that the city’s Special Projects and Intergovernmental Services Manager Winnie DelliQuadri said is already happening. Haulers need to offer recycling to 66% of customers within a year, and everyone by the end of the 18-month rollout.
“Roughly 50% of the customers already have it, so really the first six months and half of the second six months are working with people who already have recycling to do more education and outreach,” DelliQuadri said.
The ordinance also includes a waiver process for businesses to avoid the new requirement if they don’t have space for recycling or the ordinance will cause some other hardship on their business. DelliQuadri said that waiver process is still in the works and would need to be approved by council later.
Sloop said she voted against the ordinance for two reasons. First, she questioned the ordinance’s requirement for businesses and multi-family complexes to offer half the capacity for recycling that they offer for trash service. Sloop said she felt some — largely industrial businesses on the west side of town — wouldn’t use this capacity and that the mandate would only lead to added costs.
Second, Sloop noted that businesses are already having trouble with finding space to store snow this winter, and she was certain they would struggle to find space for a separate recycling dumpster.
“I don’t think this is ready for primetime, I think there is way too many holes in this,” Sloop said. “Every time I talk to restaurateurs they say please don’t do this to us.”
Buccino said he was uncomfortable with the mandate that the ordinance puts on businesses. Instead, he lobbied for council to vote against the ordinance and see what progress, in terms of diversion rate, the city’s recycling coordinator could make. He also suggested the city invest in a centralized recycling facility that residents and businesses could access for free.
In response to Buccino’s suggestion, Council Member Joella West noted that recycling is already required for many residences. Stripping the new ordinance of the mandate wouldn’t significantly increase the amount of trash diverted from landfills, she added.
“Who are the non-recyclers at this point?” West asked, before answering her question. “My guess is that there is a reason they don’t recycle and what you’re proposing is not going to suddenly cause them to see the light and come forward with their cardboard.”
Council will need to pass the ordinance on second reading before it goes into effect, though the second reading hasn’t been scheduled yet. The rollout of the new requirements is expected to start next month.
To reach Dylan Anderson, call 970-871-4247 or email danderson@SteamboatPilot.com.