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Lifestyle
Uncle Ben's Rice Reveals New Name, Logo Uncle Ben's Rice Reveals New Name, Logo
Uncle Ben's Rice Reveals New Name, Logo Uncle Ben's, the country's top-selling rice product between 1950 and 1990 owned by Mars Incorportated, has changed its brand name. Parent company Mars Food made the anouncement on Wednesday, Sept. 23 after announcing in June it would be rebranding amid criticism for racial stereotyping. The newly branded rice product will be known as "Ben's Original," and has removed the iconic elderly African American man wearing a bow tie from packaging. For a look at the new logo, see the second image above. “Over the last several weeks, we have listened to thousands of consumers, our own Associat…

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by Christina Coulter
Police & Fire
Area Man Accused Of Driving 900-Plus Miles To Have Sex With 15-Year-Old Area Man Accused Of Driving 900-Plus Miles To Have Sex With 15-Year-Old
Area Man Accused Of Driving 900-Plus Miles To Have Sex With 15-Year-Old A 30-year-old Hudson Valley man has been accused of driving more than 900 miles to engage in sex with a teenager. Putnam County resident Andrew W. Wiese, of Patterson, was arrested by police just before 1 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29 in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Crystal Lake is about 50 miles northwest of Chicago and about 910 miles away from Patterson -- a car drive of about 15 hours. The arrest came after an officer-initiated suspicious persons investigation in the area of Sands Road and Smithana Road, in which it was learned Wiese drove from New York to meet the 15-year-old female resid…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
COVID-19: 'It Is Personal, Trump's Trying To Kill New York City,' Cuomo Says COVID-19: 'It Is Personal, Trump's Trying To Kill New York City,' Cuomo Says
Covid-19: 'It Is Personal, Trump's Trying To Kill New York City,' Cuomo Says New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo continued his crusade against President Donald Trump’s administration, this time accusing him of actively attempting to kill his former home city. During a COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 8, Cuomo cited a famous New York Daily News headline to serve as an analogy for what Trump is doing to New York during the pandemic. "There was a headline in the Daily News once: 'Ford to City: Drop Dead' ... What Ford did pales in comparison to what Trump is doing; not only did he tell New York City to 'drop dead,'” Cuomo said. “Trump is actively trying to kill New York…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Region Well-Represented In Newly Released Rankings Of Best Colleges: Breakdown By State Region Well-Represented In Newly Released Rankings Of Best Colleges: Breakdown By State
Region Well-Represented In Newly Released Rankings Of Best Colleges: Breakdown By State Over half of Niche's Top 10 ranked colleges are situated in the Northeast with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology leading in first place.  Following MIT, Harvard is the list's second-ranked university. Yale University is fourth, after Stanford University Duke University is ranked fifth and Princeton University sixth. For a list of best colleges by state, follow these links: New York Connecticut Massachusetts The list was assembled using data from the United States Department of Education and surveys of students and faculty. Academics, including the quality of pr…

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by Christina Coulter
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Larger Families Have Seen More Cases Of Virus, New Study Reveals COVID-19: Larger Families Have Seen More Cases Of Virus, New Study Reveals
Covid-19: Larger Families Have Seen More Cases Of Virus, New Study Reveals The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak not only targets densely packed cities and towns, but it also attacks poorer and rural communities where larger families live in smaller houses. A new study from the Wall Street Journal, which analyzed each of the countries 1,487 counties with at least 50 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday, June 7, found that the virus has been “stalking” households with families of more than five. "Across the country, the virus has spread more widely in places with the most crowded households, not necessarily places with the largest or densest populations,” the analysts s…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Starbucks Closing Up To 400 Stores In Shift To Takeout Strategy COVID-19: Starbucks Closing Up To 400 Stores In Shift To Takeout Strategy
Covid-19: Starbucks Closing Up To 400 Stores In Shift To Takeout Strategy Starbucks will close up to 400 of its traditional cafes due to fallout from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has put a stop to indoor dining in many areas. The company announced on Wednesday, June 10 that it will open dozens of pickup-only stores and renovate or move other existing stores in the United States and Canada in the next 18 months. “Starbucks stores have always been known as the ’third place,’ a welcoming place outside of our home and work where we connect over a cup of coffee,” said Kevin Johnson, the CEO of Starbucks. “As we navigate through the COVID-19 crisis,…

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by Joe Lombardi
Schools
COVID-19: Remote Learning Could Go On For Years In US After Pandemic Ends, Reports Say COVID-19: Remote Learning Could Go On For Years In US After Pandemic Ends, Reports Say
Covid-19: Remote Learning Could Go On For Years In US After Pandemic Ends, Reports Say Schools may reopen their doors in the fall when the country comes out the other side of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but remote learning could reportedly be part of the “new normal.” According to some projections and blueprints for reopening economies and school districts, remote learning should continue while schools are doing staggered schedules, so that all students can keep up with their peers. Models also foresee further waves of the virus leading to future school shutdowns, another reason to keep remote learning plans in place. Plans from some school districts paint a p…

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by Zak Failla
News
College Student In Connecticut Being Monitored For Coronavirus College Student In Connecticut Being Monitored For Coronavirus
College Student In Connecticut Being Monitored For Coronavirus A college student who returned from Asia with symptoms that could possibly be signs of the deadly coronavirus is under isolation at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. The rare respiratory illness can cause pneumonia, fever, coughing and wheezing. The news was announced by the university as health officials in China said that the virus’ ability to spread was stronger than originally thought. "No diagnosis has been made," the university said in a statement. "Out of an abundance of caution, we are working with the state Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Cont…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
NJ Dance Instructors Accused Of Sexually Abusing Boys In Bergen, Rockland, Fairfield Counties NJ Dance Instructors Accused Of Sexually Abusing Boys In Bergen, Rockland, Fairfield Counties
NJ Dance Instructors Accused Of Sexually Abusing Boys In Bergen, Rockland, Fairfield Counties A New Jersey instructor with a competitive Irish dance organization sexually assaulted three boys, a trio of lawsuits filed in Hackensack charge. A second teacher, who has since died, was also accused by one of the three with assaulting him three decades ago. The plantiffs allege the abuse occurred in Bergen, Rockland and Fairfield counties, as well as in Syracuse, Orlando and Ireland, IrishCentral.com reported. One boy alleges that an instructor identified in court papers as "D.T." sexually abused him during consecutive summers at a River Edge, NJ home beginning in 1986, the report says. …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Politics
More People Are Leaving NYC Than Any Other US City, New Report Says More People Are Leaving NYC Than Any Other US City, New Report Says
More People Are Leaving NYC Than Any Other US City, New Report Says The mass exodus of New Yorkers leaving New York City has hit a record pace. According to new reports, as many as 277 people are leaving New York City each day, leading all U.S. metro areas, and more than double the number recorded last year. Los Angeles and Chicago were second and third on the list, with 201 and 161 residents reportedly leaving each day. The data came from the 2018 Ceneus data on migration in the largest 100 cities in the country. Between July 2017 and July 2018, New York lost 180,306 people and gained 131,746 new residents. A difference of 48,560 abandoned New York — the …

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by Zak Failla
Business
Luxury Retailer Barneys Closing 15 Stores, Files For Bankruptcy Luxury Retailer Barneys Closing 15 Stores, Files For Bankruptcy
Luxury Retailer Barneys Closing 15 Stores, Files For Bankruptcy Barneys has gone bankrupt. The luxury retailer has officially filed for bankruptcy due to decreased sales, and will be closing down 15 stores as part of a reorganization effort. “For more than 90 years, Barneys New York has been an iconic luxury specialty retailer, renowned for its edit, strong point of view, creativity, and representation of the world's best designers and brands," Barneys CEO and President Daniella Vitale said. "Like many in our industry, Barneys New York's financial position has been dramatically impacted by the challenging retail environment and rent structures that are …

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by Zak Failla
News
NY Attorney General Vows To Protect Undocumented Immigrants During Planned ICE Raids NY Attorney General Vows To Protect Undocumented Immigrants During Planned ICE Raids
NY Attorney General Vows To Protect Undocumented Immigrants During Planned ICE Raids New York is among as many as 10 cities nationwide that are going to be the target of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids targeting illegal immigrants, which are expected to begin this weekend and the state's attorney general is vowing to protect those undocumented immigrants. The raids come weeks after President Donald Trump tweeted ICE’s plans to conduct them, forcing the commander-in-chief to postpone the operation due to the leaked information and public outcry. They have now been re-scheduled to begin on Sunday, July 14, though few details have been released. The raids, which w…

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by Zak Failla