title: Del Bigtree

abstract: Del Matthew Bigtree is an American television and film producer who is the CEO of the anti-vaccination group Informed Consent Action Network. He produced the film Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe, based on the discredited opinions of Andrew Wakefield, and alleges an unsubstantiated connection between vaccines and autism. His frequent public speaking engagements and an influx of funding in 2017 have made Bigtree, who has no medical training, one of the most prominent voices in the anti-vaccination movement. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bigtree propagated conspiracy theories about the origin of the virus and COVID vaccines, and urged his audience to ignore the advice of health authorities. He served as communications director for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 presidential campaign.

text:
# Del Bigtree

**Del Matthew Bigtree** is an American television and film producer who is the CEO of the anti-vaccination group Informed Consent Action Network. He produced the film *Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe*, based on the discredited opinions of Andrew Wakefield, and alleges an unsubstantiated connection between vaccines and autism. His frequent public speaking engagements and an influx of funding in 2017 have made Bigtree, who has no medical training, one of the most prominent voices in the anti-vaccination movement.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bigtree propagated conspiracy theories about the origin of the virus and COVID vaccines, and urged his audience to ignore the advice of health authorities. He served as communications director for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 presidential campaign.

## Television producer

Bigtree grew up in Boulder, Colorado, the son of Jack Groverland, a minister at the Unity of Boulder Church. He attended the Vancouver Film School and eventually gained employment in the television industry.

He briefly worked on *Dr. Phil* and was credited as a field producer for five episodes. After a gap of two years, he served on the production team of the medical talk show *The Doctors* for which he produced 30 episodes over five years, although he has no medical training.

It was while he was working on *The Doctors* that Bigtree learned of Andrew Wakefield's opposition to the MMR vaccine and his later-discredited claims that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hid proof of a link between vaccines and autism. Wakefield was looking for help to produce a film based on his conspiracy theories. Bigtree decided he could assist and left the show to produce, write and appear in Wakefield's film.

## Anti-vaccination activism

Bigtree produced the film *Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe*, based on the discredited views of Andrew Wakefield on an alleged connection between vaccines and autism. The film debuted in 2016 and was widely panned by critics. The epidemiologist Ian Lipkin wrote that "as a documentary it misrepresents what science knows about autism, undermines public confidence in the safety and efficacy of vaccines, and attacks the integrity of legitimate scientists and public-health officials."

However, the film, its promotional bus tour, and funding from the Selz Foundation quickly established Bigtree as an activist in the American anti-vaccination movement. He has since spoken at multiple anti-vaccine events in which he repeats false information about the risks of vaccines and alleges governments are engaged in a vast conspiracy to hide the truth. His anti-vaccine advocacy has been described by medical professionals as fearmongering.

When Bigtree developed an association with Wakefield, several states, including California where Bigtree resided, had begun to consider legislation that would restrict the types of exemptions for which parents could apply to have their unvaccinated children attend schools. Bigtree strongly opposed such bills and has been criticized by the Anti-Defamation League and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum for wearing a Star of David at an anti-vaccination event in an attempt to compare the treatment of those opposed to vaccination to the persecution of Jews. Often in collaboration with Wakefield and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Bigtree still lobbies legislators to convince them to keep vaccination exemptions in place.

Bigtree is the chief executive of the anti-vaccination group Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), for which he received a salary of $221,000 in 2020. Under his leadership, ICAN promotes the conspiracy theory that government officials collude with the pharmaceutical industry to cover up grievous harms from vaccines. Bigtree hosts a regular stream webcast in which he frequently repeats anti-vaccination messages. The webcast is produced by ICAN and often features Kennedy. Before it was shut down in 2020, the YouTube broadcast of *The Highwire* attracted 174,000 subscribers.

In New York State in 2019, Bigtree was a keynote speaker at several anti-vaccination events targeting the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn and in Rockland County during a measles epidemic fueled by low vaccination rates. Bigtree gave an anti-vaccine speech as headline speaker at a natural health product conference in Toronto in 2018, but a repeat performance was canceled in 2019 after *The Globe and Mail* started asking questions.

### COVID-19 pandemic

Like other anti-vaccination advocates, Bigtree adapted several of the more popular anti-vaccination themes to the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting distrust in expertise, misrepresenting research results and encouraging the public to let the disease run its course.

He used *The Highwire* webcast to propagate a number of conspiracy theories, such as one postulating that the virus responsible had been made in a laboratory by the pharmaceutical industry. The weekly webcast quickly became a rallying point for anti-vaccination activists and conspiracy theorists early in the pandemic, according to Professor Dorit Reiss, who studies online COVID-19 disinformation. Going against the advice of health authorities, he recommended to his viewers to refuse the vaccine when it is developed and to make efforts to actually infect themselves with the virus, favoring not so much herd immunity as natural selection, with weaker humans dying like the "sick get eaten by the wolves. That's how we've thrived." He accused Anthony Fauci of leading a cabal of conspirators of wanting to vaccinate the whole world population under false pretenses.

Bigtree regularly speaks at events protesting vaccination and public health measures against the pandemic. In October 2020, he speculated to an audience of anti-vaccination activists that the new COVID vaccines may cause diabetes, lupus and other autoimmune diseases, although there is no evidence to support those claims. Bigtree spoke at the January 6, 2021, pro-Trump rally preceding the riot at the Capitol. He took this opportunity to attack federal health authorities and to contest the results of the 2020 presidential election. Other anti-vaccination activists were also present at this "Stop the Steal" rally, such as Ty and Charlene Bollinger. He was one of the main speakers at the Defeat the Mandates rally in Washington, D.C., on January 23, 2022, where he said doctors and journalists should be convicted in Nuremberg-like trials.

By 2023, Bigtree was calling for the imprisonment of public health officials and executives of pharmaceutical companies for favoring vaccination against COVID-19 over the use of ineffective drugs such as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, alleging people have been murdered in order to further the agenda of sinister globalist interests.

In July 2020, YouTube closed his account and channel for violation of its community standards against pandemic misinformation, and Facebook removed selected videos from Bigtree's account. As of June 2021, Bigtree's show *The Highwire* was still being distributed on Twitter. In August 2020, Bigtree announced that his videos were now distributed on Roku media players, despite the company's prohibition against content that is found to include "false, irrelevant or misleading information". He also found a receptive audience on Rumble, a video-sharing platform that does not have misinformation policies. *The Highwire* website itself is attracting some one million visitors per month, making it one of the most popular alternative websites.

Bigtree teamed up with Mikki Willis, the producer of the *Plandemic* conspiracy films, to exclusively stream the third *Plandemic* film on *The Highwire*.

## Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign

Bigtree provided fundraising assistance for the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 2024 presidential campaign in 2023. Among other activities, he participated to an online event bringing together several prominent anti-vaccination activists, such as Mikki Willis, Sayer Ji, Charles Eisenstein, Sherri Tenpenny and Joe Mercola. Bigtree is the sole managing member of KFP Consulting LLC, a firm established in May 2023. In July, the Kennedy campaign had paid $13,500 to KFP. In early January 2024, Bigtree replaced Stefanie Spear as communications director for the campaign.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2003 | *Partners* | Yes | No | No | Video short |
| 2005 | *Bitter Sweet* | Yes | Yes | Yes | TV movie. Also appears as an actor. |
| 2007 | *Sex and Sensuality* | Yes | No | Yes | Short film |
| 2007-2008 | *Dr. Phil* | Yes | No | No | 5 episodes, field producer |
| 2010-2015 | *The Doctors* | No | No | Yes | 30 episodes |
| 2016 | *Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe* | No | Yes | Yes | Anti-vaccination documentary |

## InfoBox

| Del Bigtree | |
| --- | --- |
| Bigtree in 2024 | |
| Born | Del Matthew Bigtree |
| Occupation(s) | Television and film producer |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Known for | Anti-vaccination activism |
| Notable work | *Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe* |
| Website | thehighwire.com |


title: Shiloh Hill, Illinois

abstract: Shiloh Hill is an unincorporated community in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. Shiloh Hill is 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Campbell Hill.

text:
# Shiloh Hill, Illinois

**Shiloh Hill** is an unincorporated community in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. Shiloh Hill is 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Campbell Hill.

## History

Shiloh Hill was originally called Steuben, and under the latter name was platted in 1856.

## InfoBox

| Shiloh Hill, Illinois | |
| --- | --- |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Main building from the former Shiloh College | |
| Shiloh Hill, IllinoisShiloh Hill, Illinois | |
| Coordinates: 37°55′31″N 89°37′16″W / 37.92528°N 89.62111°W / 37.92528; -89.62111 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Randolph |
| Elevation | 512 ft (156 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 618 |
| GNIS feature ID | 418421 |


title: John W. Cauthorn

abstract:
John W. Cauthorn is the current 21st District representative to the Missouri House of Representatives and former Republican member of the Missouri State Senate. Cauthorn attended Truman State University, and served in the National Guard for six years. He has three children: Elizabeth, Kaitie, and Andrew. He is a member of the Victory Christian Fellowship, Missouri Farm Association, Farm Bureau, Missouri Corn Growers Association, Missouri Cattlemen's Association, and is past president of the Soybean Association. Cauthorn and his family reside in Mexico, Missouri. Cauthorn was first elected to the State Senate in a special election in 2001, and won re-election the following year. While a state senator he served as chair of the Governmental Accountability and Fisch Oversight Committee, and on the following committees:
  - Agriculture, Conservation, Parks and Natural Resources
  - Small Business, Insurance, and Industrial Relations
  - Ways and Means. In 2009, he lost the general election for western Audrain County commissioner after being unopposed for the Republican nomination.

text:
# John W. Cauthorn

**John W. Cauthorn** (born December 11, 1946, in Audrain County, Missouri) is the current 21st District representative to the Missouri House of Representatives and former Republican member of the Missouri State Senate.

Cauthorn attended Truman State University, and served in the National Guard for six years. He has three children: Elizabeth, Kaitie, and Andrew. He is a member of the Victory Christian Fellowship, Missouri Farm Association, Farm Bureau, Missouri Corn Growers Association, Missouri Cattlemen's Association, and is past president of the Soybean Association. Cauthorn and his family reside in Mexico, Missouri.

Cauthorn was first elected to the State Senate in a special election in 2001, and won re-election the following year. While a state senator he served as chair of the Governmental Accountability and Fisch Oversight Committee, and on the following committees:

* Agriculture, Conservation, Parks and Natural Resources
* Small Business, Insurance, and Industrial Relations
* Ways and Means.

In 2009, he lost the general election for western Audrain County commissioner after being unopposed for the Republican nomination.


title: Carl Siegfried

abstract: Carl Gustav Adolf Siegfried was a German theologian who specialized in Old Testament studies. He studied theology and philology at the universities of Halle and Bonn. In 1859, he received his doctorate from Halle, and afterwards worked as a teacher at the cathedral gymnasium in Magdeburg and at the regional school in Pforta. In 1875, he was appointed professor of Old Testament theology at the University of Jena.

text:
# Carl Siegfried

**Carl Gustav Adolf Siegfried** (22 January 1830, Magdeburg – 9 January 1903, Jena) was a German theologian who specialized in Old Testament studies.

He studied theology and philology at the universities of Halle and Bonn. In 1859, he received his doctorate from Halle, and afterwards worked as a teacher at the cathedral gymnasium in Magdeburg and at the regional school in Pforta. In 1875, he was appointed professor of Old Testament theology at the University of Jena.

## Selected works

* *Spinoza als Kritiker und Ausleger des Alten Testaments*, 1867  Spinoza as a critic and interpreter of the Old Testament.
* *Philo von Alexandria als Ausleger des Alten Testaments*. 1875  Philo of Alexandria as an interpreter of the Old Testament.
* *Lehrbuch der neuhebräischen Sprache und Litteratur*. 1884 (with Hermann Leberecht Strack)  Textbook of modern Hebrew language and literature.
* *Briefwechsel zwischen Goethe und V. Diez*, (as editor) In: Goethe-Jahrbuch 1, 1890, S. 24–41  Correspondence between Goethe and Heinrich Friedrich von Diez.
* "The book of Job. Critical edition of the Hebrew text", Leipzig, J.C. Hinrichs; Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press, 1893. (notes by Siegfried, English translation of the notes by Rudolf Ernst Brünnow).
* *Hebräisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament*, 1893 (with Bernhard Stade)  Hebrew dictionary of the Old Testament.
* *Kommentare: Prediger und Hoheslied*. 1898  Commentary on Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.
* *Esra, Nehemia, Esther*. 1901  Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.

Siegfried was the author of many articles in the *Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie*.


title: Sapouy Department

abstract: Sapouy is a department or commune of Ziro Province in southern Burkina Faso. The capital is Sapouy. The population of the department was 86,729 in 2019.

text:
# Sapouy Department

**Sapouy** is a department or commune of Ziro Province in southern Burkina Faso. The capital is Sapouy. The population of the department was 86,729 in 2019.

## Towns and villages

11°33′00″N 1°46′01″W / 11.5500°N 1.7670°W / 11.5500; -1.7670

## InfoBox

| Sapouy | |
| --- | --- |
| Department | |
| Sapouy Department location in the province | |
| Country | Burkina Faso |
| Province | Ziro Province |
| Area | |
| Department | 806 sq mi (2,088 km2) |
| Population (2019 census) | |
| Department | 86,729 |
| Density | 110/sq mi (42/km2) |
| Urban | 26,345 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT 0) |


title: Sébastien Roth

abstract: Sébastien Roth is a Swiss former professional football goalkeeper

text:
# Sébastien Roth

**Sébastien Roth** (born 1 April 1978) is a Swiss former professional football goalkeeper

## Club career

Roth played mostly for Servette FC. After the bankruptcy of Servette, he played half a year for FC Lorient and then for Yverdon-Sport FC, CS Chênois and FC Schaffhausen

## International career

Roth was a last-minute injury replacement for Fabrice Borer at the 2004 UEFA European Championship, but has yet to play a match for the Switzerland national football team.

## InfoBox

Sébastien Roth
| Personal information | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Date of birth | (1978-04-01) 1 April 1978 | | |
| Place of birth | Geneva, Switzerland | | |
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | | |
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | | |
| Senior career\* | | | |
| Years | **Team** | **Apps** | **(Gls)** |
| 1994–1997 | SR Delémont | 28 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | FC Solothurn | 64 | (0) |
| 2000–2005 | Servette | 68 | (0) |
| 2005 | Lorient | 11 | (0) |
| 2006 | Yverdon-Sport FC | 4 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | CS Chênois | 13 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Schaffhausen | 33 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | FC Le Mont | 13 | (0) |
| Total |  | **234** | **(0)** |
| International career | | | |
| 2004 | Switzerland | 0 | (0) |
| \*Club domestic league appearances and goals | | | |


title: Buteyko method

abstract: The Buteyko method or Buteyko breathing technique is a form of complementary or alternative physical therapy that proposes the use of breathing exercises primarily as a treatment for asthma and other respiratory conditions. Buteyko asserts that numerous medical conditions, including asthma, are caused or exacerbated by chronically increased respiratory rate or hyperventilation. The method aims to correct hyperventilation and encourage shallower, slower breathing. Treatments include a series of reduced-breathing exercises that focus on nasal-breathing, breath-holding and relaxation. Advocates of the Buteyko method claim that it can alleviate symptoms and reliance on medication for patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic hyperventilation. The medical community questions these claims, given limited and inadequate evidence supporting the theory and efficacy of the method.

text:
# Buteyko method

The **Buteyko method** or **Buteyko breathing technique** is a form of complementary or alternative physical therapy that proposes the use of breathing exercises primarily as a treatment for asthma and other respiratory conditions.

Buteyko asserts that numerous medical conditions, including asthma, are caused or exacerbated by chronically increased respiratory rate or hyperventilation. The method aims to correct hyperventilation and encourage shallower, slower breathing. Treatments include a series of reduced-breathing exercises that focus on nasal-breathing, breath-holding and relaxation.

Advocates of the Buteyko method claim that it can alleviate symptoms and reliance on medication for patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic hyperventilation. The medical community questions these claims, given limited and inadequate evidence supporting the theory and efficacy of the method.

## History

The Buteyko method was originally developed in the 1950s by physiologist Konstantin Buteyko in the Soviet Union.

The first official study into the effectiveness of the Buteyko method on asthma was undertaken in 1968 at the Leningrad Institute of Pulmonology. The second, held at the First Moscow Institute of Pediatric Diseases in April 1980, eventually led to the head of the ministry of health to issue an order (No 591) for the implementation of the Buteyko method in the treatment of bronchial asthma. Later, this method was introduced to Australia, New Zealand, Britain and the United States, where it has received increasing exposure. Anecdotal reports of life-changing improvements attributed to the Buteyko method abound on the Internet and in books.

The Buteyko method is one of a number of breathing retraining methods in use for treating lung diseases, including conventional techniques such as physiotherapist-led breathing exercises as well as alternative medicine techniques such as yoga.

In 2019, the popular Indonesian singer Andien posted images of herself, her husband and their two-year-old son with tape over their mouths on social media. The pictures prompted discussion and interest in the Buteyko method.

## Method

The Buteyko method emphasizes the role of carbon dioxide and hyperventilation in respiratory diseases as well as overall health. It is known that hyperventilation can lead to low carbon dioxide levels in the blood (or hypocapnea), which can subsequently lead to disturbances of the acid-base balance in the blood and lower tissue oxygen levels. Advocates of this method assert that the effects of *chronic* hyperventilation have wider effects than is commonly accepted. These effects include widespread spasms of the muscle in the airways (bronchospasm), disturbance of cell energy production via the Krebs cycle, as well as disturbance of numerous vital homeostatic chemical reactions in the body. The Buteyko method purports to retrain the body's breathing pattern to correct for the presumed *chronic* hyperventilation and hypocapnia, thereby treating or curing the body of these medical problems.

The Buteyko method is not widely supported in the medical community, in part due to the lack of research supporting the theory that hyperventilation and hypocapnia causes disease, with one review noting the absence of convincing evidence to indicate that trying to change asthmatics' carbon dioxide level is either "desirable or achievable." Some studies that looked to corroborate the theory sought evidence such as by measuring the carbon dioxide levels in practitioners of Buteyko but failed to find conclusive support, leading some to propose alternate theoretical pathways for this method to improve symptoms.

Although variations exist among teachers of the technique in different countries, the main objective is "normalization" of breathing and the three core principles of Buteyko remain the same: nasal breathing, reduced breathing, and relaxation.

### Nasal breathing

The Buteyko method emphasizes the importance of nasal breathing, which protects the airways by humidifying, warming, and cleaning the air entering the lungs. Many asthmatics have problems sleeping at night, and this is thought by Buteyko practitioners to be linked with poor posture and/or mouth breathing. By keeping the nose clear and encouraging nasal breathing during the day, night-time symptoms can also improve. Strictly nasal breathing during physical exercise is another key element of the Buteyko method.

### Reduced breathing exercises

The core Buteyko exercises involve breath control: consciously reducing either breathing rate or breathing volume. Many teachers refer to Buteyko as 'breathing retraining' and compare the method to learning to ride a bicycle. They say that after adequate practice time, the techniques become instinctive and the exercises are gradually phased out as the condition improves.

Buteyko uses a measurement called the *control pause* (CP), the amount of time between breaths that an individual can comfortably hold breath. According to Buteyko teachers, people with asthma who regularly practice Buteyko breathing will notice an increase in CP and decrease in pulse rate that corresponds to decreased asthma symptoms.

### Relaxation

Buteyko practice emphasizes relaxation to counter asthma attacks. The first feeling of an asthma attack is unsettling and can result in a short period of rapid breathing. Buteyko method claims that by controlling this initial over-breathing phase, asthmatics can prevent a "vicious circle of over-breathing" from developing and spiraling into an asthma attack.

## Medical evidence

Advocates of the Buteyko method claim that it can treat a wide range of other diseases and symptoms (numbering up to 150), including diabetes. However, studies into the effectiveness of Buteyko have focused almost exclusively on asthma with a small amount of research on sleep apnea. Members of the medical community have been skeptical of the efficacy of Buteyko due to the often "exaggerated and unsubstantiated claims" earlier made by Buteyko practitioners.

There are few high quality studies such as randomized controlled trials looking at the efficacy of treating asthma with "breathing retraining" methods in general, which include the Buteyko method, yoga training and other relaxation techniques. Many of the studies that have evaluated breathing retraining have significant methodological flaws, including small sample sizes, possible patient selection bias as well as heterogeneity in design that makes coming to a firm conclusion difficult. These studies are also hampered by the difficulty in proper blinding and placebo control which could introduce more bias into these studies.

In 2015 the Australian Government's Department of Health published the results of a review of alternative therapies that sought to determine if any were suitable for being covered by health insurance; the Buteyko method was one of 17 therapies evaluated for which no clear evidence of effectiveness was found. A 2020 Cochrane review has found that breathing exercises may have some positive impact on quality of life, hyperventilation symptoms and lung function (moderate to very low certainty). A 2014 British clinical guideline said that for adults the Buteyko method could improve some asthma symptoms and quality of life, but that it had little impact on lung function.


title: SeaRiver Maritime

abstract: SeaRiver Maritime is a wholly owned subsidiary of ExxonMobil. The company was formed in the early 1990s by Exxon when it spun off its maritime operations into the new company following the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. In 1994, SeaRiver applied for a federal subsidy to operate tankers in the Persian Gulf. The petition stated they needed the money to stay competitive, because the S/R Mediterranean was unable to operate in Prince William Sound following the passage of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which prohibits the tanker from operating in that area. In 1996, SeaRiver sought to put the S/R Mediterranean back into Prince William Sound by arguing that the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 was unconstitutional. The Act prohibits any vessel that has spilled more than a million gallons of oil from operating in Prince William Sound. SeaRiver claimed the act was retroactively being applied to the S/R Mediterranean. In 1998, a judge ruled against SeaRiver. The company currently operates three tankers engaged in the Alaska-West Coast crude oil trade. In July 2011, the company ordered two new crude oil tankers to be built at Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, due to be delivered in 2014, which will replace two existing vessels.

text:
# SeaRiver Maritime

**SeaRiver Maritime** is a wholly owned subsidiary of ExxonMobil. The company was formed in the early 1990s by Exxon when it spun off its maritime operations into the new company following the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.

In 1994, SeaRiver applied for a federal subsidy to operate tankers in the Persian Gulf. The petition stated they needed the money to stay competitive, because the *S/R Mediterranean* (the new name for the Exxon Valdez vessel) was unable to operate in Prince William Sound following the passage of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, which prohibits the tanker from operating in that area.

In 1996, SeaRiver sought to put the *S/R Mediterranean* back into Prince William Sound by arguing that the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 was unconstitutional. The Act prohibits any vessel that has spilled more than a million gallons of oil from operating in Prince William Sound. SeaRiver claimed the act was retroactively being applied to the *S/R Mediterranean*. In 1998, a judge ruled against SeaRiver.

The company currently operates three tankers engaged in the Alaska-West Coast crude oil trade. In July 2011, the company ordered two new crude oil tankers to be built at Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, due to be delivered in 2014, which will replace two existing vessels.

## InfoBox

SeaRiver Maritime
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| --- | --- |
| Industry | Maritime transport |
| Founded | 1993 (1993) |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Parent | ExxonMobil |


title: Puerto Rico Young Democrats

abstract: The Young Democrats of America Puerto Rico Chapter is a non-profit political corporation organized pursuant to General Corporate Law of Puerto Rico and duly registered in the Department of State of Puerto Rico. The organization is the official chapter of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico certified by the Young Democrats of America (YDA) and the Democratic Party of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (DPCPR). Its premier purposes are promoting Puerto Rican youth involvement and activism within the United States Democratic Party and representing the island at all YDA national meetings and conventions.

text:
# Puerto Rico Young Democrats

The **Young Democrats of America Puerto Rico Chapter** is a non-profit political corporation organized pursuant to General Corporate Law of Puerto Rico and duly registered in the Department of State of Puerto Rico.

The organization is the official chapter of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico certified by the Young Democrats of America (YDA) and the Democratic Party of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (DPCPR). Its premier purposes are promoting Puerto Rican youth involvement and activism within the United States Democratic Party and representing the island at all YDA national meetings and conventions.

## History

The Young Democrats of Puerto Rico (YDPR) was founded in 2003 by Francisco Domenech a year before the 2004 United States Presidential election between John Kerry and George W. Bush. Amid increased participation of young people on the island and their desire to play a larger role in the national political process, a team of fifteen Puerto Rican young democrats traveled to Florida in the winter of 2004 to campaign for John Kerry.

A month after the 2004 election, the Young Democrats of America's national winter meeting was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during which hundreds of young liberals from across the entire nation met to regroup and restrategize after Senator John Kerry lost the 2004 presidential election.

The organization subsequently increased its membership by executing multiple membership recruitment initiatives targeting local colleges and universities in the territory. This led to the creation of the award-winning YDPR College Tour in October 2010. Since then, YDPR have visited numerous college campuses across the island spreading the Democratic Party message and the importance of youth involvement in the national political debate.

Recognized Puerto Rican Democratic leaders such as Secretary of State Kenneth D. McClintock, former Governor Pedro Rosselló, Ricardo Rosselló and the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico, Roberto Prats have participated as guest speakers at the college visits.

In 2008, the chapter actively participated in the Democratic Party primaries between Senator Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama where its members volunteered on both campaigns.

In October 2010, a group of the organization's leadership once again traveled to central Florida to campaign for democratic candidates in the 2010 United States congressional mid term elections. During a span of ten days, the Puerto Rican young democrats volunteered through canvassing, phone banking and mobilizing the Hispanic vote for Congressman Alan Grayson and Gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink.

In July 2011, YDPR were presented with the "YDA Ongoing Event of the Year Award" as a result of the organization's YDPR College Tour initiative at the Young Democrats of America (YDA) National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

In 2011, Phillip Arroyo was elected to a second term as State President. The organization played a key role during President Obama's visit to the island.

In 2012, YDPR played an important role for the creation of the YDA Hispanic Caucus. In 2012, YDPR President Phillip Arroyo became the first chair of the newly created caucus. Since 2015, Anthony Carrillo, former YDPR National Committeeman, has served as its chair.

Ricardo Alfaro was elected YDPR State President on August 14, 2013. After the 2014 midterm elections, the YDA once again celebrated its national winter meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The meeting included the participation of Governor Alejandro García Padilla, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico Senate President Eduardo Bhatia, the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico Roberto Prats, and YDPR founder Francisco Domenech.

On August 23, 2015, the organization won its second national award by the YDA after receiving the Franklin D. Roosevelt Chapter of the Year Award in Los Angeles, California.

On July 16, 2015, the Young Democrats celebrated one of the most highly attended assemblies in its history with over 200 active members. It was the first time that a closed ballot system was used for the election of the 2015–2017 board. After a highly contested election, Ramón Ortiz won.

On October 1, 2016, Melissa Marzán became acting president after the resignation of Ramón Ortiz.

## 2023-2025

| Name | Office |
| --- | --- |
| Aurelio Agelviz | President |
| Alexandra M. Meléndez Iturrino | Vice President |
| Gabriela Firpi | National Committeewoman |
| Adriel Jared Vélez Torres | National Committeeman |
| Yarleen González Peña | Treasurer |
| Marino Puello Rivera | Secretary |

## 2021-2023

| Name | Office |
| --- | --- |
| Elisa Muñoz | President |
| Manuel Velez | Vice President |
| Gabriela Medina | National Committeewoman |
| Simón Carlo | National Committeeman |
| José Roa | Treasurer |
| Aurelio Agelviz | Secretary |

YDA Puerto Rico Chapter membership elects six state officers biannually at the organization's Convention. The President, National Committeeman, and National Committeewoman are automatic members of the Young Democrats National Committee.

## Presidents

| President | Term | Puerto Rico Status Affiliation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aurelio Agelviz | 2023–Current | Statehood |
| Elisa Muñoz | 2021–2023 | Statehood |
| Luis Augusto Martínez | 2019–2021 | Statehood |
| Fernando Sánchez | 2017–2019 | Statehood |
| Melissa Marzán | 2016–2017 | Commonwealth |
| Ramón Ortiz | 2015–2016 | Commonwealth |
| Ricardo Alfaro | 2013–2015 | Commonwealth |
| Phillip Arroyo | 2009–2013 | Statehood |
| Luis Caraballo | 2007–2009 | Statehood |
| Miguel Hernandez Vivoni | 2005–2007 | Statehood |
| Francisco Domenech | 2003–2005 | Statehood |


title: Del Bausch

abstract: Delone Bausch is an American former politician in the state of Washington. He served in the Washington House of Representatives and Washington State Senate as a Democrat from 1973 to 1981.

text:
# Del Bausch

**Delone Bausch** (born 1935) is an American former politician in the state of Washington. He served in the Washington House of Representatives and Washington State Senate as a Democrat from 1973 to 1981.

## InfoBox

| Del Bausch | |
| --- | --- |
| Bausch in 1973 | |
|  | |
| Member of the Washington Senate
from the 22nd district | |
| **In office**
January 10, 1977  January 12, 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Harry B. Lewis |
| Succeeded by | Dick Hemstad |
| Member of the Washington House of Representatives
from the 22nd district | |
| **In office**
January 8, 1973  January 10, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | Harold E. "Hal" Wolf |
| Succeeded by | Mike Kreidler |
|  | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1935 (age 8889)
Olympia, Washington, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Occupation | safety engineer |
|  | |


# 1738–1739 North Carolina smallpox epidemic

Between 1738 and 1739, a smallpox epidemic broke out among the Cherokee who resided in the Province of North Carolina, as well as in the Province of South Carolina. The epidemic was most damaging in Eastern North Carolina. The epidemic decimated the Cherokee and Catawba peoples, causing the deaths of about half of each tribe's population. Many other Native tribes were decimated as well. Smaller numbers of European settlers and Africans also died during the epidemic. The depopulation after the epidemic caused the Cherokee to abandon many villages, particularly in Georgia along the Chattooga, Tugaloo, and Chattahoochee rivers. The Cherokee did not begin to recover from their population loss until the end of the 18th century. An estimated 7,700–11,700 died during the epidemic.

The 1738–1739 epidemic was the first known occasion where doctors utilized widespread inoculation as a smallpox preventative. The epidemic was first brought to Charleston, South Carolina by sea. From there, the epidemic spread throughout North and South Carolina. James Kilpatrick was the main person responsible for inoculations in Charleston, inoculating between 800 and 1,000 people, of whom only eight died. The Irish-born historian James Adair claimed that smallpox was introduced by "Guinea-men", enslaved people from West Africa. The epidemic was probably spread to the Cherokee by white traders in the summer of 1739. The virus may also have come from Spanish Florida. 900 Cherokees had joined the British to fight the Spanish in Florida in 1739, and may have brought smallpox back with them. Cherokee "religious physicians" blamed the plague on "adulterous intercourse" among young married people, while Cherokee chiefs alleged that their people had been poisoned by infected rum brought by white traders. Thousands of Cherokee died from the epidemic. It was reported that upon seeing themselves become infected and disfigured, some Cherokee resorted to suicide. Adair claimed that Cherokee people shot themselves, cut their own throats, stabbed themselves with knives or sharp-pointed canes, or burned themselves alive. Cherokee healers attempted to use traditional medicine against the epidemic. Cherokee healers would "sweat" their patients and then dunk them into a cold river, but many Cherokee died from the shock. This caused some of the Cherokee healers to abandon their spiritual beliefs in despair. As the Cherokee began to abandon traditional spiritual beliefs because of their ineffectiveness against smallpox, this left an opening for Christian missionaries who were working to proselytize among the Cherokee.

The epidemic was so damaging to the Waxhaw people that they abandoned their historic homelands in 1740 that were located in what is now Union County, North Carolina. The remnants of the Waxhaw people joined with the Catawba. The lands of the Waxhaw were subsequently occupied by English, German, Scottish, and Welsh settlers.


title: Semantic URL attack

abstract: In a semantic URL attack, a client manually adjusts the parameters of its request by maintaining the URL's syntax but altering its semantic meaning. This attack is primarily used against CGI driven websites. A similar attack involving web browser cookies is commonly referred to as cookie poisoning.

text:
# Semantic URL attack

In a **semantic URL attack**, a client manually adjusts the parameters of its request by maintaining the URL's syntax but altering its semantic meaning. This attack is primarily used against CGI driven websites.

A similar attack involving web browser cookies is commonly referred to as *cookie poisoning*.

## Example

Consider a web-based e-mail application where users can reset their password by answering the security question correctly, and allows the users to send the password to the e-mail address of their choosing. After they answer the security question correctly, the web page will arrive to the following web form where the users can enter their alternative e-mail address:

```
<form action="resetpassword.php" method="GET">
  <input type="hidden" name="username" value="user001" />
  <p>Please enter your alternative e-mail address:</p>
  <input type="text" name="altemail" /><br />
  <input type="submit" value="Submit" />
</form>

```

The receiving page, resetpassword.php, has all the information it needs to send the password to the new e-mail. The hidden variable username contains the value user001, which is the username of the e-mail account.

Because this web form is using the GET data method, when the user submits alternative@emailexample.com as the e-mail address where the user wants the password to be sent to, the user then arrives at the following URL:

`http://semanticurlattackexample.com/resetpassword.php?username=user001&altemail=alternative%40emailexample.com`

This URL appears in the location bar of the browser, so the user can identify the username and the e-mail address through the URL parameters. The user may decide to steal other people's (user002) e-mail address by visiting the following URL as an experiment:

`http://semanticurlattackexample.com/resetpassword.php?username=user002&altemail=alternative%40emailexample.com`

If the resetpassword.php accepts these values, it is vulnerable to a semantic URL attack. The new password of the user002 e-mail address will be generated and sent to alternative@emailexmaple.com which causes user002's e-mail account to be stolen.

One method of avoiding semantic URL attacks is by using session variables. However, session variables can be vulnerable to other types of attacks such as session hijacking and cross-site scripting.


title: Euborellia aporonoma

abstract: Euborellia aporonoma is a species of earwig in the family Anisolabididae.

text:
# Euborellia aporonoma

***Euborellia aporonoma*** is a species of earwig in the family Anisolabididae.

## InfoBox

| *Euborellia aporonoma* | |
| --- | --- |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Dermaptera |
| Family: | Anisolabididae |
| Genus: | *Euborellia* |
| Species: | ***E. aporonoma*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Euborellia aporonoma***<br>Borelli, 1909 | |
|


title: Dakota College at Bottineau

abstract: Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) is a public community college in Bottineau, North Dakota. Founded in 1906 as a forestry school, Dakota College's 35-acre campus is home to the North Dakota Forest Service Headquarters. It offers Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Associate of Arts (AA), and Associate of Science (AS) degrees with a focus on general education requirements for degree completion; AA and AS degrees are transferable to bachelor's degree programs at many colleges and universities. Diploma, certificate, and certificate of completion programs are also offered.

text:
# Dakota College at Bottineau

**Dakota College at Bottineau** (**DCB**) is a public community college in Bottineau, North Dakota. Founded in 1906 as a forestry school, Dakota College's 35-acre campus is home to the North Dakota Forest Service Headquarters. It offers Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Associate of Arts (AA), and Associate of Science (AS) degrees with a focus on general education requirements for degree completion; AA and AS degrees are transferable to bachelor's degree programs at many colleges and universities. Diploma, certificate, and certificate of completion programs are also offered.

## History

DCB was founded in 1906 as the **North Dakota State School of Forestry**. In 1968, the school was affiliated with North Dakota State University and changed its name to **North Dakota State University-Bottineau Branch**. In 1996, the school became affiliated with Minot State University, becoming **Minot State University-Bottineau Campus**. It received its present name on August 1, 2009.

## Admission

DCB is an open-enrollment campus for high school and GED graduates.

## Athletics

DCB's varsity athletic teams compete as the Lumberjacks (men's teams) and Ladyjacks (women's teams). DCB is part of the Mon-Dak Conference as part of the NJCAA. DCB athletic teams include Men's Baseball, Men's Basketball, Men's Ice Hockey, Women's Basketball, Women's Ice Hockey, Women's Fast-Pitch Softball and Women's Volleyball. The Dakota College at Bottineau Lumberjacks Ice Hockey men's ice hockey team has won the NJCAA national championship 10 times.

## Notable alumni

48°49′57″N 100°26′29″W / 48.83250°N 100.44139°W / 48.83250; -100.44139


title: Bulletproof (Godsmack song)

abstract: "Bulletproof" is a song by American rock band Godsmack. It was the first single off of their seventh studio album When Legends Rise.

text:
# Bulletproof (Godsmack song)

"**Bulletproof**" is a song by American rock band Godsmack. It was the first single off of their seventh studio album *When Legends Rise*.

## Background

The song was first released on February 28, 2018. as the first single from their seventh studio album *When Legends Rise*. The song is the band's first release since switching record labels from Universal Republic to BMG in 2016 for more artistic control over their music. Their prior single, a cover of the Beatles' "Come Together" was released as a single in 2017, but this was because it originated from the band's 2012 release *Live & Inspired*.

## Themes and composition

Lyrically, the song, along with its respective album, are related to the band still being together and functioning well as a unit for over twenty years. Frontman Sully Erna said of writing the song:

> I always write about things that have affected me on an emotional level...But if I choose to do that, I have to be prepared to be honest and vulnerable. And so the challenge is figuring out how 'exposed' you want to be with personal information. But I've also learnt over the years that, for me, being transparent, even to the point of embarrassment sometimes, is so much better than holding it inside and extending that pain longer than you need to. 'Bulletproof' is just another moment in my life when I allowed myself to be vulnerable and got hurt. It's this kind of carelessness from other people that eventually hardens you and forces you to put up that wall to protect yourself. So when and if they circle back around and try to get back in, you make yourself bulletproof.

Musically, the song was described as more melodic and catchy, and less aggressive, than the band's past music. Loudwire described it as having a "subdued vibe" in the choruses, with layers of guitar added gradually, until it "explodes" into the chorus, with heavy distorted guitars and melodic, soaring vocals.

## Track listing

Digital single

| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | "Bulletproof" | Lyrics: Sully Erna, Erik Ron; Music: Sully Erna, Shannon Larkin, Robbie Merrill, Tony Rombola | 2:57 |

## Music video

The music video for "Bulletproof" was released in April 3, 2018. It features guest appearances by Billy Ray Cyrus and Sebastian Bach. The 10 minute video was created by director Troy Smith and producer/editor Noah Berlow. The clip follows the band as they "audition" different directors to make their new music video, only to settle on Sully Erna's "cousin from Italy," Salvatore Pasquale. When asked about the making of the "Bulletproof" music video and the band's decision to take a comedic approach, Erna stated that "We just really enjoy having fun and laughing," adding, "Music is about entertainment just as much as it's about the art."

## Reception

### Critical

Reaction to the song has been mixed. Metal Injection sees the song as a "departure" for the band, instead opting for a "more melodic/catchy sound". MetalSucks however was critical of the new sound demonstrated by the song, comparing it to 3 Doors Down and pop music.

### Commercial

Upon its release, "Bulletproof" entered multiple charts, including the *Billboard* Mainstream Rock Songs. The single debuted at number 24, making it the highest debut and greatest gainer in charting for the week. The single ultimately peaked at number one where it remained for five consecutive weeks, giving Godsmack their eighth number one single on that chart. When asked about the single's chart performance, Sully Erna admitted that, despite "Bulletproof" being "the most commercial song on the record", he was still pleased to see the fans embrace it. The single was certified platinum by the RIAA on September 24, 2020 for accumulating 1 million certified units, almost a year after it was certified gold for accumulating 500,000 certified units. In addition to it being certified platinum, "Bulletproof" was the most-played song on rock radio in 2018.

## Personnel

**Band**

## Charts

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| --- | --- | --- |
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum | 1,000,000 |
| Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
 | | |

## InfoBox

| "Bulletproof" | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Single by Godsmack | |
| from the album  *When Legends Rise* | |
| Released | February 28, 2018 (2018-02-28) |
| Recorded | 2017–2018 |
| Genre |  |
| Length | 2:57 |
| Label | BMG |
| Songwriter(s) |  |
| Producer(s) | * Sully Erna * Erik Ron |
| Godsmack singles chronology | |
| "Come Together"
(2017) "**Bulletproof**"
(2018) "When Legends Rise"
(2018) | |
|  | |
| Music video | |
| "Bulletproof" on YouTube | |
|  | |


title: Pyramids (album)

abstract: Pyramids is the debut studio album by American post-rock band Pyramids. The album features a second disc of remixes, with contributions from artists such as Jesu and James Plotkin.

text:
# Pyramids (album)

Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | Rating |
| *Drowned in Sound* |  |
| Metal Storm | (8.8/10) |
| *Pitchfork Media* | (6.5/10) |
| *PopMatters* |  |
| *Tiny Mix Tapes* |  |

***Pyramids*** is the debut studio album by American post-rock band Pyramids. The album features a second disc of remixes, with contributions from artists such as Jesu and James Plotkin.

## Track listing

### Disc 1

| No. | Title | Length |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | "Sleds" | 3:10 |
| 2. | "Igloo" | 3:17 |
| 3. | "The Echo of Something Lovely" | 3:20 |
| 4. | "End Resolve" | 3:42 |
| 5. | "Hellmonk" | 3:14 |
| 6. | "This House Is Like Any Other World" | 3:01 |
| 7. | "Hillary" | 3:15 |
| 8. | "Ghost" | 3:27 |
| 9. | "Monks" | 2:29 |
| 10. | "1, 2, 3" | 2:35 |
| Total length: | | 31:30 |

### Disc 2 - Remixes

| No. | Title | Length |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | "The Echo of Something Lovely \[Toby Driver/Ted Parsons/Colin Marston\]" | 5:30 |
| 2. | "1, 2, 3 \[James Plotkin\]" | 4:27 |
| 3. | "The Echo of Something Lovely \[Jesu\]" | 6:13 |
| 4. | "Sleds \[loveliescrushing\]" | 3:35 |
| 5. | "Ghost \[Birchville Cat Motel\]" | 9:52 |
| 6. | "Sleds \[Blut Aus Nord\]" | 3:28 |
| 7. | "The Echo of Something Lovely \[James Plotkin\]" | 3:12 |
| 8. | "Sleds \[Alt. Mix, Ted Scarlett\]" | 3:11 |
| 9. | "The Echo of Something Lovely \[lovesliescrushing\]" | 3:26 |
| Total length: | | 42:54 |

## InfoBox

| Pyramids | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Studio album by Pyramids | |
| Released | April 22, 2008 |
| Genre | Experimental, post-rock |
| Length | 31:30 (Disc 1)
42:54 (Disc 2) |
| Label | Hydra Head Records (CD)
(HH666-154) |
| Pyramids chronology | |
| ***Pyramids***
(2008) *Pyramids with Nadja*
(2009) | |


title: Del Ballard Jr.

abstract: Delmas Perry "Del" Ballard Jr. is a professional ten-pin bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association. He was a 2009 inductee into the PBA Hall of Fame, and a 2011 inductee into the USBC Hall of Fame. Ballard is the husband of top female bowler Carolyn Dorin-Ballard with whom he has one daughter. The Ballard family now resides in North Richland Hills, Texas. He is also the brother-in-law of another top female bowler, Cathy Dorin-Lizzi. In recent years, Ballard has appeared laneside in several televised PBA matches, as a ball representative and coach for Storm Bowling.

text:
# Del Ballard Jr.

**Delmas Perry "Del" Ballard Jr.** (born July 1, 1963) is a professional ten-pin bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association. He was a 2009 inductee into the PBA Hall of Fame, and a 2011 inductee into the USBC Hall of Fame. Ballard is the husband of top female bowler Carolyn Dorin-Ballard with whom he has one daughter. The Ballard family now resides in North Richland Hills, Texas. He is also the brother-in-law of another top female bowler, Cathy Dorin-Lizzi.

In recent years, Ballard has appeared laneside in several televised PBA matches, as a ball representative and coach for Storm Bowling.

## Bowling career

Ballard entered the PBA Tour in 1982 at the age of 19. He won two titles in 1987, including his first major at the U.S. Open Championship which earned him a then-record $100,000. In 1988, Ballard won his second major, the ABC Masters. (The Masters was not considered a PBA Tour event at the time, but is now recognized as a PBA title and a major). He went on to win two additional majors, the 1989 Firestone Tournament of Champions and the 1993 U.S. Open. In 1991, he had his most successful year on the tour, winning 4 titles. He won 13 PBA Titles in his career (all between 1987–1993) and has career total earnings of $1,176,912. He cashed in 287 of 518 tournaments. In 31 TV appearances (the championship round of a Tour event) he had a 30–21 record, with a 216.29 average.

Ballard received an exemption for the 2006–07 PBA tour season, by finishing tenth in the Tour Trials. He was unable to retain the exemption the following year.

No longer an active bowler on the standard PBA Tour, Ballard continues to work on tour as a ball rep/coach for Storm. He also manages the Motown Muscle PBA League team, while wife Carolyn manages the NYC Kingpins.

## The "Ballard Gutter-Ball" Moment

On March 2, 1991, Ballard was on the receiving end of one of the most bizarre and infamous incidents in PBA history. In the nationally-televised championship match at the 1991 Fair Lanes Open tournament in Baltimore, Ballard faced Pete Weber for the title. Weber closed off with three strikes in the tenth frame, putting Ballard in a position where he needed two strikes and at least seven pins on the third ball to win. Ballard did throw the two strikes that he needed, but the third shot unfortunately came too close to the right channel and fell in, thus handing Pete Weber the title. Ballard recovered from this loss a few weeks later, defeating Jim Johnson Jr. to win the Long Island Open.

Ballard said the gutter ball incident changed him forever, and not in the way many would think:

"The next week was in New Jersey. As soon as I checked in, I received a phone call in my room. It was a male who asked if I was Del Ballard. I said 'yes'. The next comment...he says, 'you threw the ball in the gutter against Pete and it cost me, and now I’m going to get you.' I immediately hung up and called the front desk. I know I joke around a lot and expected some razzing from the guys, but they said this same person had called the hotel numerous times during the day from an outside number. I immediately checked out and changed hotels. I was a changed man from that day forward. I knew then the impact of what you do on the grand stage."

## Personal life

Ballard is married to Carolyn and has a daughter, Alyssa. Alyssa is a standout freshman bowler for Vanderbilt University in 2022-23.

It was announced on PBA.com in August 2010, that Ballard was battling tonsil cancer. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments at Texas Oncology, an affiliate of Baylor University Medical Center, and prognosis for a full recovery was good. Wanting to turn a negative into a positive, he and wife Carolyn, along with a few friends, got together after one of his treatments and organized the "Ballard vs. The Big C" bowling tournament. By 2017, the tournament had raised over $300,000, which was donated to Cancer Care Services, Baylor Health Care and the North Texas Laryngectomy Society. Ballard was recognized by the PBA for his efforts, being presented with the PBA Tony Reyes Community Service Award for the 2017 season.

## Notable facts

* 13 PBA titles, including four majors
* Ballard needs only a PBA World championship title to complete both a Triple Crown and Grand Slam. (The Triple Crown for PBA Bowlers is The U.S. Open, PBA World Championship and Tournament of Champions. To complete the Grand Slam, a bowler must also win the USBC Masters.)
* Ballard became the 11th bowler in PBA History to surpass $1 million in career earnings in 1994.
* Ballard won the first six-figure first place prize in PBA History ($100,000 at the 1987 U.S. Open).
* Ballard was ranked #29 on the PBA's 2008 list of "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years."
* Ballard was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame on January 24, 2009.
* Ballard was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame on July 1, 2011.

## InfoBox

Del Ballard Jr.
| Personal information | |
| --- | --- |
| Birth name | Delmas Perry Ballard Jr. |
| Born | (1963-07-01) July 1, 1963
Keller, Texas, U.S. |
| Home town | North Richland Hills, Texas, U.S. |
| Years active | 1982-2007 (competition) |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Ten-pin bowling |
| Turned pro | 1982 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| National finals | 13 PBA Tour (4 majors)
17 PBA Regional Tour |
| Medal record      Representing  United States  World Senior Championships  2013 Las Vegas Fours   2013 Las Vegas Doubles | |


title: Short-footed Luzon tree rat

abstract: The short-footed Luzon tree rat or greater dwarf cloud rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in the Philippines, specifically in northern Luzon. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests. This species was long thought to be extinct. In 2008, Filipino researchers including Dr. Danilo Balete found a specimen in the canopy of Mount Pulag National Park, the first scientifically observed individual of the species since 1896. The captured individual was "about 185 grams and has dense soft reddish-brown fur, a black mask around large dark eyes, small rounded ears, a broad and blunt snout and a long tail covered with dark hair".

text:
# Short-footed Luzon tree rat

The **short-footed Luzon tree rat** or **greater dwarf cloud rat** (***Carpomys melanurus***) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in the Philippines, specifically in northern Luzon. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests.

This species was long thought to be extinct. In 2008, Filipino researchers including Dr. Danilo Balete found a specimen in the canopy of Mount Pulag National Park, the first scientifically observed individual of the species since 1896. The captured individual was "about 185 grams and has dense soft reddish-brown fur, a black mask around large dark eyes, small rounded ears, a broad and blunt snout and a long tail covered with dark hair".

## InfoBox

| Short-footed Luzon tree rat | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Conservation status | |
|
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | *Carpomys* |
| Species: | ***C. melanurus*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Carpomys melanurus***
Thomas, 1895 | |
|
|  | |


abstract: Three of the four New Hampshire incumbents were re-elected. Under New Hampshire law a majority of voters was required for election. Only three candidates achieved a majority, and so a run-off election was held for the fourth seat.

text:
# 1794 United States House of Representatives election in New Hampshire

Three of the four New Hampshire incumbents were re-elected.

Under New Hampshire law a majority of voters (12.5% of votes) was required for election. Only three candidates achieved a majority, and so a run-off election was held for the fourth seat.

| District | Incumbent | Party | First
elected | Result | Candidates |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First ballot | Second ballot |
| New Hampshire at-large
(General ticket) | Jeremiah Smith | Pro-Administration | 1790 | Incumbent re-elected to a new party.
**Federalist gain**. | **First ballot** August 25, 1794:
**Jeremiah Smith** (Federalist) 20.5%
**John Samuel Sherburne** (Democratic-Republican) 17.2%
**Nicholas Gilman** (Federalist) 13.0%
Abiel Foster (Federalist) 11.1%
Paine Wingate (Federalist) 8.1%
Others 30.1%

**Second ballot** December 8, 1794:
**Abiel Foster** (Federalist) 82.7%
Paine Wingate (Federalist) 17.3% |
| New Hampshire at-large
(General ticket) | John Samuel Sherburne | Anti-Administration | 1792 | Incumbent re-elected to a new party.
**Democratic-Republican gain**. | |
| New Hampshire at-large
(General ticket) | Nicholas Gilman | Pro-Administration | 1788/89 | Incumbent re-elected to a new party.
**Federalist gain**. | |
| New Hampshire at-large
(General ticket) | Paine Wingate | Pro-Administration | 1792 | Incumbent lost re-election.
New member elected.
**Federalist gain**. | |


title: Caribbean lanternshark

abstract: The Caribbean lanternshark is a shark of the family Etmopteridae found in the eastern and western Atlantic at depths between 180 and 720 m. Its length is up to 50 cm. Reproduction is ovoviviparous.

text:
# Caribbean lanternshark

The **Caribbean lanternshark** (***Etmopterus hillianus***) is a shark of the family Etmopteridae found in the eastern and western Atlantic at depths between 180 and 720 m. Its length is up to 50 cm.

Reproduction is ovoviviparous.

## InfoBox

| Caribbean lanternshark | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
|  | |
| Conservation status | |
|
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Subdivision: | Selachimorpha |
| Order: | Squaliformes |
| Family: | Etmopteridae |
| Genus: | *Etmopterus* |
| Species: | ***E. hillianus*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Etmopterus hillianus***
(Poey, 1861) | |
|
|  | |
| Range of the Caribbean lanternshark (in blue) | |


# 2015 sandalwood smugglers encounter in Andhra Pradesh

On 7 April 2015, Andhra Pradesh Police shot twenty Tamil Red sandle smugglers in the Seshachalam forest in Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force DIG Kantha Rao said that the smugglers attacked the team with sickles, rods and axes. Asked if the attack could have been quelled without such fatalities, Rao said, "We gave them several warnings but they did not stop attacking us. There were over a hundred of them." Asked how many of his men were grievously injured, he said, "Nobody is seriously hurt from our side. Their superior training saved their lives."

Human rights activists did not believe the police version of the shootings. They say some of the bodies had burn marks and others had bullet injuries in the chest and head. Witnesses said that some of those killed were pulled off a bus by the policemen.

## Incident

The incident occurred at two places Eetagunta in Seshachalam forest area of Chandragiri mandal in Chittoor. Nine labourers were killed in Eetagunta, eleven in Vachindou Banda. As per Andhra Pradesh Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) R. P. Thakur, "Police had received information that a large number of smugglers were on the prowl in the forest. Teams of Red Sanders Task Force laid ambush at two places. The Task Force consisted of forest officials and armed reserve policemen too. When our teams asked them to surrender, the smugglers retaliated by hurling stones and they were armed with sickles and axes. When the task force opened fire, twenty of them were killed but many escaped. The smugglers were carrying red-sandalwood logs." According to reports, nearly 500 coolies, hired by a red sanders smuggler belonging to Chittoor district, were felling the trees when the police fired on them.

The accounts of two witnesses given before the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) say "at least 12 of those shot dead were pulled off a bus by Andhra policemen and arrested hours before the controversial encounter".

## Investigation

The post-mortem team of five doctors at the Venkateswara Ramnarain Ruia Government Hospital, however, said the men "were shot at close range". On 10 April 2015, Hyderabad High Court ordered the Andhra Pradesh government to register a case of murder for the killing of 20 alleged red sandalwood smugglers. "Why should not a case of unnatural death under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code be filed?" the court asked.

A fact-finding team led by the Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisation (CDRO), after visiting the spot on 11 April 2015, maintained that there were several inconsistencies in the version put forward by officials and termed the killing of 20 red sanders coolies as a 'fake encounter' and sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the issue. "There were no visible signs of conflict at the location. The distance between bodies of coolies is less than 10 feet and blood marks were not found elsewhere. It is surprising that there were no injuries, when the task force men have opened fire on a group of 150 coolies," they said.

Three men, who survived the alleged 'encounter' testified to the NHRC on how their friends and family members were wrongly detained and later shot dead.

An eight-member fact-finding team found instances where the bodies of some victims in the encounter were brutally disfigured and tortured. One of the members of this team and former member of NHRC, Satyabrata Pal, said that he has seen hundreds of cases while serving as a member in the NHRC for five years but rarely had he come across as brutal and as inhuman an act as the killings. Many members found this encounter is fake because it does not have any encounter signs.

On 17 April, Hyderabad High Court ordered the re-postmortem of five more victims and Saikumar of the alleged encounter, it also directed the Osmania Medical College principal to form a team of not less than three doctors to conduct the postmortems in Tamil Nadu.

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) vice chairperson Ravi Thakur, visited the site, with forest department officials, where the 20 Tamil Nadu woodcutters were shot dead, and expressed dissatisfaction over the failure of officials in explaining the reason behind the massacre.

The NHRC decided to send its team for investigation where killing happened and favoured a judicial enquiry by Andhra Pradesh Government into firing incident.

The Hyderabad High Court had directed the Andhra Pradesh Police to furnish the case diary before the court, relating to the case registered in connection with the killing of the 20 people in police firing. Expressing dissatisfaction over the case diary that was produced by the investigating officer to the court, it ordered Special Investigation Team(SIT) to be constituted to probe the killing and wants SIT to complete its investigation in 60 days and submit a report to the court.

K. Kranthi Chaitanya, State executive member of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee (APCLC) stated that "We have always maintained that it was a fake encounter and that the workers were brought to the spot and killed. The forensic report, call data records, SIT report, etc. all prove our stand."

## Reaction

O. Panneerselvam, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in a letter to the Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, called for a probe to fix responsibility for possible human rights violations. "Many of these persons are reportedly from Tiruvannamalai and Vellore districts of Tamil Nadu. While it is possible that these persons may have been engaged in illegal activities, the occurrence of such high casualties in the operation raises concerns whether the (AP) Task Force personnel acted with adequate restraint."

The Andhra Pradesh government has been ordered by the Hyderabad High Court to file a case that murder of 20 alleged red sandalwood smugglers. The incident exposed as an extrajudicial killing since an eyewitness claim that some of them were taken off from a bus and killed. It is mentioned that no security personnel was killed or injured that deny the police interview.

The killings sparked uproar in the victims' home state of Tamil Nadu. It brought protest outside Tamil Nadu among activists. They mentioned that the bodies had burn marks and bullet holes that implied that the men were shot at a close range.

The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) condemned the shootings and termed it a massacre. It also demanded the immediate registration of a FIR under charges of 'murder' and 'conspiracy to murder' against the officials who were responsible.

## InfoBox

| 2015 Andhra shootout | |
| --- | --- |
| Chandragiriclass=notpageimage|Location of Chandragiri, Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh | |
| Location | Chandragiri Mandal
Chittoor District
Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Date | 7 April 2015 (2015-04-07)
05:00 a.m. (local time) (UTC+05:30) |
| Target | Red sanders smugglers |
| Attack type | Shooting, encounter killing |
| Weapons | Rifles |
| Deaths | 20 |
| Perpetrators | Andhra Pradesh Police |
| Motive | Punishment |


title: Euborellia jeekeli

abstract: Euborellia jeekeli is a species of earwig in the family Anisolabididae.

text:
# Euborellia jeekeli

***Euborellia jeekeli*** is a species of earwig in the family Anisolabididae.

## InfoBox

| *Euborellia jeekeli* | |
| --- | --- |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Dermaptera |
| Family: | Anisolabididae |
| Genus: | *Euborellia* |
| Species: | ***E. jeekeli*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Euborellia jeekeli***<br>Srivastava, 1985 | |
|


title: TC OT 39

abstract: TC OT 39 is a non-peptide partial agonist of the oxytocin and vasopressin V2 receptors and antagonist of the vasopressin V1A receptor.

text:
# TC OT 39

**TC OT 39** is a non-peptide partial agonist of the oxytocin and vasopressin V2 receptors (Ki = 147 nM and \>1000 nM, respectively) and antagonist of the vasopressin V1A receptor (Ki = 330 nM).

## InfoBox

TC OT 39
|  | |
| --- | --- |
| Clinical data | |
| ATC code | * none |
| Identifiers | |
| IUPAC name * (2S)-N-\[\[4-\[(4,10-dihydro-1-methylpyrazolo\[3,4-b\]\[1,5\]benzodiazepin-5(1H)-yl)carbonyl\]-2-methylphenyl\]methyl\]-2-\[(hexahydro-4-methyl-1H-1,4-diazepin-1-yl)thioxomethyl\]-1-pyrrolidinecarboxamide | |
| CAS Number |  |
| ChemSpider |  |
| CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |  |
| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C32H40N8O2S |
| Molar mass | 600.79 g·mol−1 |
| 3D model (JSmol) |  |
| SMILES * Cc1cc(ccc1CNC(=O)N2CCC\[C@H\]2C(=S)N3CCCN(CC3)C)C(=O)N4Cc5cnn(c5Nc6c4cccc6)C | |
| InChI * InChI=1S/C32H40N8O2S/c1-22-18-23(30(41)40-21-25-20-34-37(3)29(25)35-26-8-4-5-9-27(26)40)11-12-24(22)19-33-32(42)39-15-6-10-28(39)31(43)38-14-7-13-36(2)16-17-38/h4-5,8-9,11-12,18,20,28,35H,6-7,10,13-17,19,21H2,1-3H3,(H,33,42)/t28-/m0/s1 * Key:KSNHHKZYKYNBEI-NDEPHWFRSA-N | |


title: Samagidi

abstract: Samagidi or Asamagidi is a town in Kokori sub-clan in Agbon Kingdom in Ethiope East Local Government Council Area of Delta State in Nigeria.

text:
# Samagidi

**Samagidi** or **Asamagidi** is a town in Kokori sub-clan in Agbon Kingdom in Ethiope East Local Government Council Area of Delta State in Nigeria.

## Geography

Samagidi is bounded by Eku in the West, Okuidjerhe in the East, Urushue and orogun in the North, and Onumane and Okpara in the South.

## Education

There is a school, Ibruvwe Grammar School, in the village.

## Residents

Prominent indigenes include Chief Godwin Ogbetuo, the late Chief James Edewor, Mason Oghenejobor, Austin Oghenejobor, Sonny Akpoduado, Professor Vincent Otokunefor and Chief Emma Avworo who is the current President-General, Dr. Oghenegueke Chris Ejiro.

## Industry

Samagidi is an oil producing community in the Kokori oil field.


title: Seaford Town, Jamaica

abstract: Seaford Town is a settlement located in the parish of Westmoreland in Jamaica. It is located on the westernmost side of the island. It is commonly known as "German Town," due to the settlement of the area by German labourers in approximately 1835.

text:
# Seaford Town, Jamaica

Seaford Townclass=notpageimage|Location of Seaford Town in Jamaica

**Seaford Town** is a settlement located in the parish of Westmoreland in Jamaica. It is located on the westernmost side of the island. It is commonly known as "German Town," due to the settlement of the area by German labourers in approximately 1835.

## History

It was founded by Charles Ellis, 1st Baron Seaford.

18°15′03″N 77°54′24″W / 18.250963°N 77.906747°W / 18.250963; -77.906747


title: Punta Santiago, Humacao, Puerto Rico

abstract: Punta Santiago is a barrio and fishing community located in the municipality of Humacao, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2020 was 3,716. Located in the estuary of Humacao, Punta Santiago is famous for its fishing heritage, its iconic pier and Cayo Santiago, popularly known as Monkey Island after its Rhesus macaque population. The barrio is also the home of the Humacao Nature Reserve and the Punta Santiago Beach and Vacation Area. Punta Santiago is one of the most vulnerable barrios to flooding and complete destruction whenever hurricanes enter Puerto Rico through the area of Humacao.

text:
# Punta Santiago, Humacao, Puerto Rico

**Punta Santiago** is a barrio and fishing community located in the municipality of Humacao, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2020 was 3,716. Located in the estuary of Humacao, Punta Santiago is famous for its fishing heritage, its iconic pier and Cayo Santiago, popularly known as Monkey Island (Spanish: *Isla de de los Monos*) after its Rhesus macaque population. The barrio is also the home of the Humacao Nature Reserve and the Punta Santiago Beach and Vacation Area. Punta Santiago is one of the most vulnerable barrios to flooding and complete destruction whenever hurricanes enter Puerto Rico through the area of Humacao.

## History

The fishing village of Punta Santiago was originally called **Playa de Humacao** as it was the closest beach to Humacao Pueblo, the historic and administrative downtown area of Humacao. The community of Punta Santiago used to be part of two former barrios of Humacao, one called Humacao Playa and the other called Mabú. By the end of the 19th century barrio Mabú had been eliminated and incorporated into barrio Playa, now renamed Punta Santiago after the geographical headland or point (*punta*) where the fishing village is located.

Since December 1938, Cayo Santiago, located immediately off Punta Santiago, has been the home to a population of free roaming Rhesus macaques imported from India by the School of Tropical Medicine in San Juan, the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the University of Puerto Rico.

The area where the Humacao nature reserve is located today saw a number of bunkers and defensive infrastructure built during the Second World War, including a lookout post at the top of *El Morrillo* hill. This area which contains a number of mangrove and Pterocarpus forests was later proclaimed a wildlife refuge in 1986.

### Hurricane Maria

Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. The hurricane eye entered the island close to Punta Yeguas in Yabucoa, not far from Punta Santiago. The barrio was particularly vulnerable to the associated storm surges. According to Father José Colón, the local Catholic priest, the hurricane caused the total flooding of Punta Santiago.

> "The town was flooded from all directions, from the ocean, rain and nearby rivers..."

Punta Santiago was one of the most impacted communities in the aftermath of the hurricane. It was the location of the viral image of an SOS message written on one of the roads of the community. The Punta Santiago Vacation Center was greatly affected by the hurricane, and it remained abandoned by 2023.

## Flood zone

In 2019, updated flood zone maps show that because of its location- where most cyclones enter the island, Humacao is one of the most vulnerable areas of Puerto Rico. Humacao was working on flood mitigation plans and shared that its barrios located on the coast; Antón Ruíz, Punta Santiago, Río Abajo, Buena Vista and Candelero Abajo barrios, are prone to flooding and in danger of being completed destroyed by a hurricane.

## Demographics

Punta Santiago was in Spain's gazetteers until Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became an unincorporated territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico finding that the combined population of Punta Santiago and San Francisco barrios was 1,754.

Historical population
| Census | Pop. | Note |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1910 | 988 |  |  |
| 1920 | 1,201 |  | 21.6% |
| 1930 | 1,847 |  | 53.8% |
| 1940 | 2,185 |  | 18.3% |
| 1950 | 2,498 |  | 14.3% |
| 1960 | 2,433 |  | −2.6% |
| 1970 | 2,351 |  | −3.4% |
| 1980 | 5,750 |  | 144.6% |
| 1990 | 5,900 |  | 2.6% |
| 2000 | 5,524 |  | −6.4% |
| 2010 | 4,723 |  | −14.5% |
| 2020 | 3,716 |  | −21.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census
1899 (shown as 1900) 1910-1930
1930-1950 1980-2000 2010 2020 | | | |

The population of Punta Santiago in 2020 was 3,716, a 21.3% decrease from 4,723 in 2010.

## Landmarks and places of interest

## InfoBox

| Punta Santiago | |
| --- | --- |
| Barrio | |
| View of ocean and beach from a boardwalk in Punta Santiago | |
| Location of Punta Santiago within the municipality of Humacao shown in red | |
| Punta SantiagoLocation of Puerto Rico | |
| Coordinates: 18°09′52″N 65°45′02″W / 18.164424°N 65.750547°W / 18.164424; -65.750547 | |
| Commonwealth | Puerto Rico |
| Municipality | Humacao |
| Area | |
| Total | 3.17 sq mi (8.2 km2) |
| Land | 2.20 sq mi (5.7 km2) |
| Water | 0.97 sq mi (2.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 3 ft (0.9 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| Total | 4,723 |
| Density | 2,146.80/sq mi (828.88/km2) |
|  | Source: 2010 Census |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (AST) |
| ZIP Code | 00741 |


title: The A-List (novel series)

abstract: The A-List is a series of young adult novels by Zoey Dean. It is a spin-off of the popular series Gossip Girl. The series, about a group of rich friends who live in Beverly Hills, has ten books, with the first eponymous novel being released under the Little, Brown imprint Poppy. A spin-off series with new characters titled The A-List: Hollywood Royalty was released in January 2009. Despite commercial success, the series was criticized for being too mature for teen readers, featuring drug usage and sex scenes.

text:
# The A-List (novel series)

**The A-List** is a series of young adult novels by Zoey Dean. It is a spin-off of the popular series Gossip Girl. The series, about a group of rich friends who live in Beverly Hills, has ten books, with the first eponymous novel being released under the Little, Brown imprint Poppy. A spin-off series with new characters titled *The A-List: Hollywood Royalty* was released in January 2009. Despite commercial success, the series was criticized for being too mature for teen readers, featuring drug usage and sex scenes.

## List of books

1. *The A-List*
2. *Girls on Film*
3. *Blonde Ambition*
4. *Tall Cool One*
5. *Back in Black*
6. *Some Like It Hot*
7. *American Beauty*
8. *Heart of Glass*
9. *Beautiful Stranger*
10. *California Dreaming*

Spin-offs 1. *The A-List: Hollywood Royalty*
2. *The A-List: Sunset Boulevard*
3. *The A-List: City of Angels* came out March 8, 2010

## Plot overview

The series follows Anna Percy, an Upper East Side Manhattan private school girl who moves to Los Angeles to live with her father. Anna moves there to reinvent herself and to break free from her preppy Upper East Side life. She often refers to the 'This is How We Do Things Big Book, East Coast WASP Edition', not a real book, but a set of 'rules' that Anna grew up with (e.g. always answer that you're fine). Anna meets Ben Birnbaum on the airplane and instantly falls in love with him.

The other main characters are Samantha 'Sam' Sharpe, Camilla 'Cammie' Sheppard, and Delia 'Dee' Young. Other relevant characters include, but are not limited to, Parker Pinnelli, Adam Flood, Susan Percy, Ben Birnbaum, Eduardo Muñoz, Jackson Sharpe, Poppy Sinclair, and Clark Sheppard.

## Character descriptions

**Anna Percy** \- Originally from the Upper East Side in Manhattan, she moves to Los Angeles with her father to finish her senior year and then apply for an internship while hoping to change her boring life. She is serious and intelligent, and frequently refers to the imaginary "This Is How We Do Things Big Book, East Coast WASP Edition" - a set of rules she grew up with in her patrician family. Her parents, Jane Cabot and Jonathan Percy are divorced and she has a somewhat strained relationship with her father that slowly begins to improve. She is a leggy, blonde, patrician beauty, who is often compared to Grace Kelly. She is often referred to as a "tight-ass" by other characters because of her tendency to play things safe and not take risks. Anna is usually very careful with her trust, but knows her way around people. Before moving to L.A., Anna planned to major in English at Yale but quickly found herself to have a talent for screenwriting. Anna is not particularly overwhelmed or impressed by the L.A. lifestyle, nor by the celebrities the characters encounter or talk about throughout the series. She and Sam become fast friends at Beverly Hills High although Anna intensely dislikes Sam's other friends, Dee Young and Cammie Sheppard.

En route to L.A. in the first book, Anna meets the charming Ben Birnbaum on the plane and he invites her to be his date at Jackson Sharpe's wedding. Anna is enthralled by Ben and almost loses her virginity to him but Anna quickly believes Ben is only a player after he inexplicably abandons her after she told him she wanted to take things slow. Anna is still reluctant to trust Ben, especially when she finds about his romantic past, but she eventually forgives him after he explains the misunderstandings between them. Ben and Anna are often on and off throughout the series as Anna tries to decide what she really wants from her life.

**Samantha 'Sam' Sharpe** \- Daughter of Jackson Sharpe, aka "America's Most Beloved Action Star", she is often nicknamed "Sam" or "Sammy". A witty and clever brunette, Sam has many insecurities about her size 10 figure, which is not helped by the fact that all her friends are much tinier than her. Even though Sam's friends try to assure her she is beautiful, Sam never quite really believes it until she meets Eduardo Muñoz, who loves her just as she is. Sam's home life is strained as she craves attention from her ever-absent father and clashes with Poppy Sinclair, her new stepmother who is pregnant with Jackson's baby and only four years older than her. Even though Cammie and Dee are her best friends, Sam does not completely trust them and welcomes Anna to their group because she admires Anna's sophistication, poise, and down-to-earth attitude even though Sam originally had a crush on Ben. She eventually moves on from him and often helps reconcile Ben and Anna throughout the series.

She and Anna become friends after doing a short film together for a school assignment, which led to Sam encouraging Anna to pursue screenwriting. Sam is interested in becoming a filmmaker in her own right and pulls the "Jackson Sharpe's daughter" card to entice people into being her films. Towards the end of the series, Sam is on the lookout for the script to make her feature directing debut with but decides to team up with Anna to make a film loosely based on their senior year instead.

**Camilla 'Cammie' Sheppard** \- Daughter of Clark Sheppard, Los Angeles' uber agent in the film industry, Camilla is always called Cammie. She is described as the most beautiful girl but also the bitchiest with her size 2 figure with impossibly long legs, long strawberry blond curls, bee stung lips, wide set honey colored eyes, perky 34D breasts, and a personality to match. Cammie has very little scruples and goes after what she wants, no matter the consequences. Cammie is Ben's ex-girlfriend and she was hoping to win him back at Jackson Sharpe's wedding and ended up tearing Anna's dress in a fit of jealousy instead.

Cammie claims she got her ruthless attitude from her father but it may be a front to protect herself from getting hurt. Cammie's mother died in a freak boating accident and since then, Cammie made a rule to never wake up away from home lest her father die too. Cammie wishes to be loved as like Sam, her father is rarely home and she clashes with her stepmother Patrice, who makes it no secret that she hates Cammie too. Clark claims that Cammie has no ambition but Cammie surprises everyone when she takes a young model Champagne under her wing and helps Ben open up his own successful night club.

Cammie tries to pursue Ben throughout the series but she falls in love with Adam Flood to her surprise. With Adam, Cammie lets her walls come down and slowly transforms into a slightly more kinder person. She and Anna detest each other but slowly reach peace when they serve community service together although Cammie tells Anna that if she and Ben break up, Cammie will be waiting.

**Delia 'Dee' Young** \- Daughter of a famous music producer Graham Young, she goes by Dee and is described as flaxen haired with big blue eyes and five feet tall with a size zero figure. Dee is very spiritual and is often into the next New Age fad, which often causes her friends to roll their eyes at her. Dee was once in love with Ben and slept with him when they were both drunk on her college tour with Princeton. Afterwards, Dee claimed to be pregnant with Ben's baby but is quickly found out to not be true.

Dee loves to make other people happy and often reaches out to others but often weirds out other characters with her strange ways. Eventually, it is discovered that Dee is hearing voices and she goes to seek treatment at Ojai Mental Health Institute. Once released, Dee is much more clearheaded although her personality is mostly the same.

**Ben Birnbaum** \- Son of Dr. Dan Birnbaum, Hollywood's plastic surgeon to the stars, Ben is an attractive student who studies at Princeton and meets Anna on the plane to L.A. on his way to Jackson Sharpe's wedding. He invites her to be his date, not knowing that his three female friends (Cammie, Sam, and Dee) are all secretly in love with him and hoping to win him over. Anna originally believe Ben to be a player after he ditches her on his father's boat in the middle of the night after she refused to have sex with him, but he explains the reason for his absence: his father has an intense gambling problem and he was ready to commit suicide because he had too many debts.

Anna eventually forgives him and when they first start their relationship, Ben is too controlling and jealous, which causes Anna to break up with him. When he returns to Princeton, they agree to go on a break but eventually get back together at the end of the series. Ben eventually decides to drop out of school to pursue nightclub management and is annoyed when he believes Anna isn't supportive which causes him to end up in Cammie's arms. However, Cammie is surprised that she cares as much about the club as she does about Ben.

**Adam Flood** \- Moved to LA with his parents from Michigan, Adam is an all-around nice guy with morals, unlike most people in LA. He has dark hair and blue star tattoo behind his left ear, which he scratches when he's nervous. He had a crush on Anna, and they briefly dated, but was broken-hearted when she dumped him to get back together with Ben. He begins dating Cammie, and eventually loses his virginity to her. He helps Cammie become a nicer person and helps her solve the mystery surrounding her mother's death.

He and Cammie briefly broke up when he decided to stay in Michigan longer for the summer vacation and was seriously considering attending college there.

## Secondary characters

**Jane Cabot Percy** \- Anna Percy's mother. Lives on the Upper East Side in Manhattan and goes by "This Is How We Do Things Big Book, East Coast WASP Edition". Anna has patrician features like her mother. Jane likes collecting art and often has flings with young artists. She is usually in Italy for this and is divorced from Jonathan Percy.

**Jonathan Percy** \- Anna Percy's Father. Lives in Los Angeles, where he grew up, since his divorce form Jane. He has subdural hematoma so he often smokes marijuana for his pain. Anna is surprised to see her father as a relaxed, laid back, and open person as the Jonathan Percy she grew up was an uptight money manager in a six-thousand-dollar hand-tailored suit.

**Susan Percy** \- Anna's sister and formerly a drug and alcohol addict. Susan is similar in appearance to Anna except she bleaches her blonde hair to platinum and favors a more rebellious look. Susan is intelligent and studied at Bowdoin University until she fell in with the wrong crowd. Susan despises her father for paying off her ex-boyfriend into dumping her, in a misguided attempt to get Susan off drugs. Anna helps the two reconcile and Susan returns to rehab, this time at White Mountains in Arizona. When she finishes, she gets a job at the Kripalu institute. In her next appearance in the series, Susan is sober and much happier.

**Parker Pinelli** \- Part of the A-List crew but is secretly poor and hopes to find his big break in acting so he can finally live his life the way he wants. He often hooks up with older, richer women so they will pay his bills and while in Las Vegas, Sam finds out but promises not to tell. Parker is often described as a James Dean look alike and Sam enlists him into seducing her step-mother to discover whether or not she is having an affair. Parker is hesitant as he has just landed a role in Jackson Sharpe's remake of Ben-Hur and worries that Jackson Sharpe will blacklist him if he finds out Parker seduced his wife but it turns out his worries are for nothing as Poppy's adultery is caught by another tabloid magazine.

At the end of the series, Parker is dating Citron Simms and his acting career is beginning to take off, thanks to the Ben-Hur remake.

**Jackson Sharpe** \- America's favourite action star hero and father of Sam Sharpe. In the beginning of the series, he marries Poppy Sinclair, a budding actress, but that ends in divorce after he finds out she's cheating on him. At the end of the series he ends up remarrying his ex-wife, Dina Sharpe. Jackson does love his daughter but due to his demanding career, he rarely gets to show it.

**Monty Pinelli** \- Brother of Parker Pinelli. He doesn't have good looks or anything like that but has connections to the A-List which he uses. Sam usually asks him to help with small films she makes.

**Ruby Hummingbird Sinclair-Sharpe** \- Daughter of Jackson Sharpe and Poppy Sinclair. Sam hates her at first, since throughout Poppy's pregnancy, Sam was often pushed to the side and ignored but then once Poppy leaves, Sam warms up to the baby and promises to be a great older sister. Since the divorce of Jackson and Poppy, the custody of her is shared although Sam hopes to change her name to something more normal.

**Dina Sharpe** \- Sam Sharpe's mother. She was married to Jackson she divorced him as she was unhappy with life in Hollywood. She rarely contacted Sam throughout the years, which causes Sam to resent her. Sam reluctantly agrees to contact her as she helps Cammie solve the mystery around mother's death, as Dina was close with Cammie's mother, Jeanne.

Dina eventually remarries Jackson and Sam is pleased to have her family back together.

**Clark Sheppard** \- Cammie Sheppard's father and one of the best agents in the business. He is also feared by some people and works for Apex with Margaret Cunningham. He is remarried to Patrice, a former star whose career he helped resurrect, and has a stepdaughter, Mia. He is blunt, ruthless, and cold-hearted. He is not afraid to punish Cammie when she intentionally sabotages his show "Hermosa Beach" in an attempt to make Anna look bad, by canceling her credit cards and taking away her car.

As Cammie shows more ambition and direction, Clark is pleasantly surprised and teaches his daughter how to be a successful businesswoman and agent.

**Jeanne Sheppard** \- Cammie's mother, who is deceased before the beginning of the series. Jeanne was a friendly schoolteacher whom Cammie adored. The two shared a passion for E.B. White and were even painting a mural of the characters from Charlotte's Web on Cammie's bedroom wall but when Jeanne died in a freak accident, Cammie couldn't bring herself to finish it. When the Sheppards moved, Cammie insisted the wall be installed in her new room as well.

It is revealed towards the end of the series that Jeanne was suffering from clinical depression and committed suicide. She left Cammie a touching note to be read on her wedding day that inspired Cammie to become a kinder person.

**Jack Walker** \- Best friend of Ben Birnbaum and also goes to Princeton with him. He was Dee's blind date to the senior prom and then ends up falling in love with her. He wants to create his own reality TV show because his little sister, Margie, loves them.

**Danny Bluestone** \- Danny is the co-producer on Hermosa Beach. He and Anna got along really well while she was working on her internship with Clark Sheppard at Hermosa Beach. They shared a few kisses but only stay friends.

**Caine Manning** \- Intern of Jonathan Percy and dates Anna for a while. Has tattoos of Botticelli on his arms and moonlights at a club. He breaks up with Anna after Benadette, his ex-girlfriend, wants to get back together.

**Poppy Sinclair** \- Former wife of Jackson Sharpe and the mother of his second child, Ruby Hummingbird Sinclair-Sharpe. The two met onset of filming Jackson Sharpe's latest movie and had a torrid affair, not unlike the other flings Jackson had before on the set of his previous films, but when Poppy became pregnant, Jackson happily married her. She is gorgeous with long legs and hair but is described by Sam as nothing more than a bimbo. She splits from Jackson after he finds out she was having an affair with her Yoga teacher, Bodhi, and leaves Ruby Hummingbird behind.

**Cynthia "Cyn" Baltres** \- Anna Percy's best friend from New York, a more rebellious and wild child, the two have an unlikely friendship. She goes out with Scott Spencer, Anna's former crush, but then breaks up with him after the relationship becomes boring and confronts Anna for never saying anything while Cyn pursued him. Cyn encourages Anna to be more outspoken and go after what she wants.

The two reunite when Anna visits New York and Cyn tells Anna that they will always be friends.

**Scott Spencer** \- Anna's former crush and ex-boyfriend of Cynthia Baltres. Anna was attracted to Scott's intelligence and good looks but when he and Cyn join Anna and her L.A. friends on their trip to Las Vegas, Anna realizes she only loved the idea of him but is nonetheless embarrassed when she admitted her crush in front of everyone while she was hypnotized. Cyn also breaks up with him because their relationship was becoming stale.

When Anna visits New York, she sees him in a relationship with a pretentious playwright named Tabitha whom she and Cyn dislike.

**Logan Creswell** \- Anna's lifelong friend. The two attended the same Upper East Side prep schools until Logan left to attend boarding school. The two reunite when Anna visits New York with Sam and Anna is relieved that he is as unsure as she is about college. He decides not to go to school and instead go into the family business of hotel management. He visits Anna in L.A. and invites her to Bali with him to check out his family's hotel. After some reluctance, Anna agrees but when their plan has engine trouble and has to return to L.A., Anna realizes she does not want to be with Logan so he takes the next flight to Bali by himself.

**Django Simms** \- Jonathan Percy's assistant and chauffeur. Known as a man of mystery who plays the piano extremely well with a taste for jazz. He lives in the guesthouse at Jonathan's house and comes from Louisiana. He and Anna are on good terms.

**Citron Simms** \- Sister of Django Simms and aspires to make it in L.A. as a jazz singer. She lives in the guesthouse with her brother Django. She starts working as a waitress at the Beverly Hills Hotel and meets Parker and Sam there. She starts dating Parker near the end of the series.

**Graham Young** \- Dee's dad and a famous music producer

**Cici Young** \- Dee's mother and shares similar traits to Dee.

**Stefanie Weinstock** \- The A-List crew's enemy. Sam, Cammie and Dee took her under their wing but once Stephanie transferred to the rival school Pacific Palisades, she made it her mission to try to make her former friends look bad. She throws a joint BHH and Pacific Palisades school graduation party, and deliberately ruined Anna and Ben's relationship by inviting Blythe, Ben's ex from Princeton, to cause drama.

**Pashima Nusbaum** \- Best friend of Stephanie Weinstock and co-host of the joint BHH and Pacific Palisades graduation party. Thrives on her bitchy attitude and her ability to make people feel worthless. Both her and Stephanie are hated by Cammie, Sam, and Dee.

**Blythe** \- A student at Princeton who was "hanging out" with Ben while he and Anna were on a break from their relationship. Blythe was unintentionally led on by Ben and the two had sex. Blythe, however, is a good sport and agrees to stop pursuing Ben after she finds out he wants to get serious with Anna. However, Anna did not know the exact details of their relationship until the joint BHH and Pacific Palisades graduation party and breaks up with Ben for lying to her.

**Madeleine McGee** \- A family friend of the Birnbaum family. She used to weigh over 300 pounds but after getting her stomach stapled, she now has a new curvy figure. She was severely bullied at school for her weight and moved from Michigan to attend Pacific Palisades school and is a junior there. Anna worries that Maddy has a crush on Ben but then finds out that she actually has a crush on one of her teachers.

No longer threatened, Sam, Cammie, Anna and Dee help Maddy get ready for prom by giving her a full makeover.

## InfoBox

'The A-List'
| The first three books of the series pictured in a boxed set. | |
| --- | --- |
| ---  --- | |
| Author | Zoey Dean |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Media type | Print |
| No. of books | 10 |