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Elon Musk and his US$2 trillion fiscal fantasyNEW ORLEANS (AP) — A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, t-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. The dog’s fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote “Ode to Scrim” to the tune of Ricky Nelson’s 1961 hit, “I’m a Travelin’ Man.” Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything — home, car, possessions — in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. “I was like, ‘This is what I should be doing,’” Cheramie said. “I was born to rescue.” She launched Zeus’ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers — the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search has galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. "Being a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you," Brown said. And neighbors like Tammy Murray, who had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's Disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. “Literally, for months, I’ve done nothing but hunt this dog,” said Murray, 53. “I feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.” Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues' van towards reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim had come to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter, for stealth. Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades have prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. “We’re all running from something or to something. He's doing that too,” she said. Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas — they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. “The streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,” Cheramie said. “It’s too dangerous.” Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by multiple projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. “I wholeheartedly believe the gangster-ass cats were messing with him,” Murray said. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best — maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, “where he can just breathe and be." Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96
Heisman Trophy? Nope. These are the Wiseman Trophies, college football's almost-as-prestigious awardsLocated on the 34th floor of its Chulia Street headquarters, OCBC’s premier private client centre caters to high net worth clients – those who have at least $1 million in deposits or investments with the bank. It also hosts high-fliers of another kind: a pair of peregrine falcons, who have set up their home in a recess 10m above the centre’s balcony. The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal on earth, able to fly at speeds of more than 320kmh when diving for prey. The subspecies which resides in Singapore, Falco peregrinus ernesti, can be identified by its solid black head. It is smaller than the migrant Falco peregrinus calidus, which has a thin black facial stripe and flies to the tropics during the winter months in the northern hemisphere. The bird, with a wingspan of up to about 1m, typically mates for life. A biodiversity record compiled by researchers from the National Parks Board (NParks) was published in scientific journal Nature in Singapore in August. It reported that a pair of eggs had been spotted in the recess above OCBC’s premier private client centre, believed to be the first locally documented sign of breeding for the peregrine falcon. Researchers document rare sight of two pangolins fighting The eggs, however, appeared to have been abandoned by the bird that laid them. To retrieve the eggs, NParks enlisted the help of robotics researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). Though initially intending to use a drone for the task, the five-member team opted instead to use a device consisting of a telescopic pole and a claw controlled by cables on the ground. Taking inspiration from the falcon’s scientific name, the device was named Ernest, which is short for Egg Retrieval and Nesting Enhancement Support Tool. The apparatus was inspired by the claw machine games found in arcades, said SUTD’s Associate Professor Foong Shaohui, who leads the team. The two eggs were taken to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, where it was found that the lighter egg had a small crack and a sulphurous smell, indicating that it had decomposed. While the heavier egg was intact, examinations found that it was viable but likely non-fertile. “These observations suggest that the eggs may have been abandoned by the parents due to shell damage,” said Dr Malcolm Soh, principal researcher for wildlife management research at NParks. A research team from NParks installed on Nov 22 a nesting tray with loose gravel in the recess, to assist the falcons in creating a better home and helping them breed. The birds will be able to dig a small scrape in the loose gravel where eggs can be laid, providing them with a softer, more suitable surface for nesting, said Dr Soh. A CCTV camera system was installed to allow researchers to monitor the progress of the falcons’ breeding cycle. The nesting tray will be left in the recess to allow the falcons to familiarise themselves with it ahead of their nesting period which stretches from around end January to early February. If nesting is successful, the eggs are expected to hatch in March 2025, with chicks fledging, or developing the feathers and wing muscles necessary for flight, the following month. The research team will continue to monitor the nest site for subsequent breeding cycles and maintain it if needed, such as by removing debris and replacing the nesting tray substrate. Dr Soh, who leads the research, noted that while the peregrine falcon is one of the most widespread species in the world, most research has been focused on temperate subspecies. The data collected will help bridge the “significant gap” in the understanding of the peregrine falcon’s breeding behaviour in the tropics, he said, adding he believes there are just a “handful of breeding pairs” here. In a natural environment, the falcons would typically nest on limestone cliffs, said Dr Soh. The skyscrapers in the central business district provide a man-made alternative to these cliffs, he added, noting however that the birds will not just choose to nest in any tall building. “The OCBC Centre is quite nice for nesting because they have this very nice overhang shelter, and there’s also a recess where they can feel quite safe when they go in to nest or to rest,” he noted. Pigeons in the CBD also provide an abundant food source for the falcons, Dr Soh added. For staff at the OCBC Centre, the birds have become a familiar sight, with the bank donating $10,000 to support the installation of the nesting tray and CCTV system. OCBC group brand and communications head Koh Ching Ching said the bank is “embracing the wonders of this surprise right outside our office windows”. “Given our longstanding relationship with NParks, we are happy to play a small part in their quest to learn more about this rare breed of peregrine falcon,” she added. “It is sometimes said that when a bird chooses to nest at your home, it can bring good luck to the owner.”Harris' campaign leaders say there was a 'price to be paid' for shortened campaign against TrumpCross-border finance FinTech AstroPay has introduced its multicurrency wallet. The new offering, announced by the London-based company Tuesday (Dec. 17), is aimed at simplifying how users manage money across borders. “We’re making it easier for users to manage their money and take control of their finances, regardless of where they are or what currencies they need,” Marc Sacal , CEO of AstroPay, said in a news release. “This launch is a pivotal step in our mission to unlock opportunities for individuals to thrive in the global marketplace and empower millions to conduct secure, cross-border transactions with unmatched speed and ease,” Sacal added. According to the release, the wallet lets users store, manage and exchange multiple currencies, helping them simplify international travel and work. “ Cross-border money transfers come with competitive exchange rates and rapid processing times, ensuring fast and cost-effective solutions for personal and professional needs,” the company said, adding that users can also access both local prepaid cards issued by Mastercard and/or Visa. The release noted that the launch of the wallet coincides with AstroPay’s European expansion, with the company gaining an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license in Denmark. Now operational in Denmark, Spain and Portugal, AstroPay aims to extend its services to additional EU countries, including Germany, France, Italy and Poland, by the end of next year. The debut of the new wallet comes as consumers continue to embrace digital wallets, in many cases using them for things other than payments . “While online payments remain the most common use for digital wallets, the technology is also being leveraged for non-financial purposes,” PYMNTS wrote earlier this month, citing data from the report “ Digital Wallets Beyond Financial Transactions: U.K. Edition ,” a collaboration with Google Wallet. That report showed that 21% of U.K. consumers have used their digital wallets for travel-related activities, like presenting boarding passes or public transport tickets. This trend is popular among younger users, with 37% of Generation Z and 27% of millennials saying they’ve used their digital wallets while traveling. Digital wallets are also a popular way of making peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions , with 19% of Gen Z and 12.5% of millennials regularly use digital wallets for bill-splitting. “As younger generations embrace this functionality, they’re changing how financial exchanges happen among peers, making digital wallets indispensable for everyday financial management,” PYMNTS wrote.
