Latest news with #Ezra
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Science
- RNZ News
Floating marae among designs by rangatahi showcased at science fair
Meremia and Ezra from Te Rangihakahaka Wakanoa and their model of a marae built to rise from floodwaters. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod A group of rangatahi have designed a marae that is able to rise above floodwaters and shown their work at New Zealand's only science fair that celebrates the intersection of Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and science . Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair took place in Rotorua from 23 - 25 July. The Rotorua-based science fair is run by Te Arawa Lakes Trust and has grown rapidly over the last five years and for the first time schools from around the country were invited to take part. Held inside the Rotorua energy events centre, students came up with ecological and climate solutions for tomorrow. Meremia, Miss-Mei, and Ezra are from Te Rangihakahaka. They designed a model of a marae built on a platform, Ta Waka Noa, which would be able to rise above floodwaters. They thought through inflation, flotation, and what was needed for survival while waiting for floodwaters to go down, including food and composting toilets. Hikareia and Kaitlyn from Te Kura o te Whānau a Apanui and their project counting birds at the river of Motu on the edge of Gisborne. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod Ezra said he hoped one day a system like it might save lives. "This is a disaster-relief system. So, when it floats, everyone will be in there, the whole iwi - anyone is allowed to come in here - so it's like a public marae," he said. Event co-ordinator Keeley Grantham said seeing projects like the one from Te Rangihakahaka was exactly why she was involved with the fair. "That's a real-life issue that we are looking at with climate change, rising sea levels and marae being on floodplains. That's an amazing solution." She said most New Zealand science fairs focus only on western science. "This science fair is all about enabling different types of knowledge, different types of sciences and embodying a te ao Māori lens." And there was a big focus on the environment, with categories including biosecurity, biodiversity and conservation, sustainability, marine and freshwater environments, Mātauranga Māori, and climate change adaptation and resilience. One of the fair judges, Te Rika Temara-Benfell (centre) with others from Te Puna Ariki Charitable Trust. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod One of the judges, Te Rika Temara-Benfell from Te Puna Ariki Charitable Trust, said the projects gave him hope for the future. "They're just far beyond anything I was doing at that age. Some of them [are aged] nine and ten and they are researching microplastics and things happening across our environment and community." An example of that is Hikareia and Kaitlyn from Te Kura o te Whānau a Apanui who counted birds at the river of Motu on the edge of Gisborne. "We do it to see if the nature is living," Hikareia said. They found terns, seagulls and plovers currently present in the environment. Temara-Benfell said he was amazed by the projects he saw. "It's been beautiful to see some of the solutions for these contemporary issues our rangatahi and children are facing, answered with Mātauranga Māori and not just that but from many different lens across other scientific fields and across community projects." An earlier version of this story incorrectly named the school as Te Rangihakahaka Wakanoa. The school's name is Te Rangihakahaka, and Te Waka Noa is the name of the project.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Science
- RNZ News
Floating marae among designs showcased by rangatahi showcase at science fair
Meremia and Ezra from Te Rangihakahaka Wakanoa and their model of a marae built to rise from floodwaters. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod A group of rangatahi have designed a marae that is able to rise above floodwaters and shown their work at New Zealand's only science fair that celebrates the intersection of Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and science . Te Tūkohu Ngāwhā Mātauranga Māori Science and Design Fair took place in Rotorua from 23 - 25 July. The Rotorua-based science fair is run by Te Arawa Lakes Trust and has grown rapidly over the last five years and for the first time schools from around the country were invited to take part. Held inside the Rotorua energy events centre, students came up with ecological and climate solutions for tomorrow. Meremia, Miss-Mei, and Ezra are from Te Rangihakahaka Wakanoa. They designed a model of a marae built on a platform, which would be able to rise above floodwaters. They thought through inflation, flotation, and what was needed for survival while waiting for floodwaters to go down, including food and composting toilets. Hikareia and Kaitlyn from Te Kura o te Whānau a Apanui and their project counting birds at the river of Motu on the edge of Gisborne. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod Ezra said he hoped one day a system like it might save lives. "This is a disaster-relief system. So, when it floats, everyone will be in there, the whole iwi - anyone is allowed to come in here - so it's like a public marae," he said. Event co-ordinator Keeley Grantham said seeing projects like the one from Te Rangihakahaka Wakanoa was exactly why she was involved with the fair. "That's a real-life issue that we are looking at with climate change, rising sea levels and marae being on floodplains. That's an amazing solution." She said most New Zealand science fairs focus only on western science. "This science fair is all about enabling different types of knowledge, different types of sciences and embodying a te ao Māori lens." And there was a big focus on the environment, with categories including biosecurity, biodiversity and conservation, sustainability, marine and freshwater environments, Mātauranga Māori, and climate change adaptation and resilience. One of the fair judges, Te Rika Temara-Benfell (centre) with others from Te Puna Ariki Charitable Trust. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod One of the judges, Te Rika Temara-Benfell from Te Puna Ariki Charitable Trust, said the projects gave him hope for the future. "They're just far beyond anything I was doing at that age. Some of them [are aged] nine and ten and they are researching microplastics and things happening across our environment and community." An example of that is Hikareia and Kaitlyn from Te Kura o te Whānau a Apanui who counted birds at the river of Motu on the edge of Gisborne. "We do it to see if the nature is living," Hikareia said. They found terns, seagulls and plovers currently present in the environment. Temara-Benfell said he was amazed by the projects he saw. "It's been beautiful to see some of the solutions for these contemporary issues our rangatahi and children are facing, answered with Mātauranga Māori and not just that but from many different lens across other scientific fields and across community projects."
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I've Kept This Secret For 56 Years. I'm Telling The Truth Now In The Hope That It Will Save Lives.
'If your period is late, here's what you do: Boil up half a bottle of red wine and drink it while it's hot. Then stand on a chair and jump off several times. That should take care of it.' It was March 1957, and I'd just finished packing my trunk. I would be leaving the next day to sail from England to the United States, where I would marry Ezra, my soldier-fiancé. Those were my mother's final words of advice. Not 'never go to bed angry,' or 'pick your battles,' but how to abort a fetus. Her recommendation was unusual. Knitting needles were the instrument of choice for many British women trying to abort. Fewer Americans are knitters, so before Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in 1973, many women in the United States — or individuals from whom they sought assistance to end their pregnancies — used wire coat hangers. My mother believed her alternative method was a safe one. I smiled to myself, for I was pretty sure her instructions were useless. Only married women had access to contraception in the United Kingdom, so I planned to be fitted with a diaphragm as soon as I arrived in America. I was confident I would be able to avoid any unplanned pregnancies. The day after I landed, I looked up 'obstetricians and gynecologists' in the yellow pages and found a doctor nearby. I was disappointed when she refused to fit me, telling me I should come back after I was married. Just like in Britain, the United States only provided contraception to married women at that time. My wedding was two weeks away. What did this doctor think was going to happen on my honeymoon? Our first child, Ruth, was born after we'd been married for two years — just as Ezra and I planned. Dan was born 21 months later. Although I was often exhausted, I found taking care of two little children exhilarating. Watching their development was an unfolding miracle. Then, three and a half years later, when we were living in Palo Alto, California, I discovered I was pregnant again. While I was still in the throes of morning sickness, Ruth and Dan both came down with German measles, aka rubella. Everyone knew if you caught it when you were pregnant, especially in the first trimester, the baby was at high risk for serious birth defects like deafness, cataracts, heart malfunctions, developmental disabilities, and liver and spleen damage. The baby might also be stillborn. I asked my obstetrician what he would do if I contracted rubella. 'Nothing,' he replied with a shrug. A pregnant friend got rubella from one of her children and received the same answer from her doctor. She attempted suicide because of it and spent the rest of her life in a vegetative state. After our third child, Jonathan, was born, we moved to Berkeley, where I was fitted with an IUD. Ezra's architectural practice was thriving, and he was teaching at UC Berkeley. His work involved frequent travel to the East Coast, and he was away for weeks at a time. I was being pulled in many different directions by three children with very different needs. I began to feel inadequate as a parent — out of my comfort zone and overwhelmed. I struggled to hold things together for five years. When Jonathan entered kindergarten in 1969, I was thrilled to be able to return to my studies at the University of California. Kindergarten was half a day, and I was able to coordinate my classes with his. Life finally took on a comfortable rhythm. One morning in October that year, I woke up feeling the familiar signs of early pregnancy. At first, I denied the possibility. Abortion was illegal, so I continued to rely on my IUD, considered the safest form of birth control available at the time. I had been told they were 99% effective, which meant I was now part of the unlucky 1%. The thought of a baby growing together with the IUD was terrifying. What damage could that cause? But, more than that, I knew I couldn't handle taking care of another baby. Life was just beginning to feel normal. The prospect of dealing with a fourth child filled me with dread. I made an appointment with my obstetrician, who confirmed I was pregnant. 'I suppose I'll have to resign myself to having another baby,' I said, my eyes stinging with tears. 'We thought our family was complete. I don't know how I'm going to manage. I'm afraid it'll push me over the edge.' 'It sounds as if you might not want another baby,' my doctor said. 'No. I really don't. I'm stretched so thin already.' 'Go home and talk to your husband. If the two of you decide you definitely don't want to continue the pregnancy, here's what you'll do,' he told me. 'Call my office and tell them you are having a lot of bleeding. They will tell you to go to the emergency room, and I'll meet you there.' I had been looking down into my purse, groping for a tissue. I felt my jaw drop as I raised my eyes to meet his. He was smiling and nodding slowly as he spoke. In his subtle, gentle way, he was offering me a choice — one I'd never anticipated would be possible for me. A sense of relief washed over my entire body. I had thought I was trapped, and I had been offered a way out. When Ezra and I talked after dinner, there were no doubts — neither of us wanted more children. The next day was Saturday. I called my doctor's office and lied to the receptionist about bleeding heavily. Ezra drove me to the hospital, where we met the doctor. The two men shook hands, and the doctor told my husband, 'Not to worry — I'll take good care of her.' As I was wheeled into the operating room, the nurse walking beside the gurney squeezed my hand. 'You'll be fine,' she said. That's the last thing I remember about the procedure. When I awoke from the anesthesia, I got dressed and waited for Ezra and the children to pick me up in the hospital lobby. They arrived in the late afternoon. They'd gone to a football game, and the children were still excited about it. That evening, Ezra and I hugged and shared our thoughts about how relieved we were. He was particularly attentive and brought a stool so I could put my feet up. After he washed the dishes, he slipped out and came back with a tub of butter pecan ice cream — my favorite — our special way of marking important occasions. I didn't mention the experience to any of my friends. I had broken the law, and if word got out about my doctor's willingness to perform this procedure, his life could be ruined. The threat of legal action scared me into silence. I've maintained that silence until now. What would I have done if my doctor hadn't opened up this window of opportunity? Friends were going to Mexico for abortions, but the status of medical care in that country was a mystery to me. I could have ended up with a botched procedure, as often happened with the illegal abortions that were performed in so-called back alleys in the United States. Or what if I didn't have access to health care in the first place or the money to pay for the procedure, as many other women and families did — and do — not have. I also believed only a properly trained obstetrician could be trusted to remove the IUD nestling in my uterus beside my growing baby. Its removal was another opportunity for mistakes to be made. I am risk-averse and would have probably turned down these choices and carried the fetus to term. I would have been an angry, depleted mother to all my children. Today, at the age of 92, my reproductive years are far in the past, but old age doesn't temper the anger I feel towards the legislators who exercise their power to order a woman to carry her pregnancy to term whether she wants to or not. Women seeking abortions are often portrayed as foolish teenagers, but thousands of mature women with families are being put in this position just like I was. Our current legislators believe a few fertilized cells are more important than a woman's quality of life — a quality of life that ripples through her existing family. Right-to-lifers scream about 'partial birth abortions' while women who have suffered and wept through such rare procedures because of serious health issues are viewed as murderers. I'm telling my story now because maybe it will help wake us up to the nightmare we've created. Had I been forced to have a fourth child, the impact would have been devastating — not only for me, but for my family. We have failed the many women who find themselves in the same position I was. I was afraid to speak up back then. I am speaking up now. We are back in the days before Roe v. Wade, a time when women are being denied control of their own bodies. Doctors are understandably afraid to follow my obstetrician's example. Miscarriages are looked on with suspicion and without sympathy for a woman's grief when she experiences one. Women with dangerous pregnancy complications are told to wait for 'nature to take its course,' which puts their lives at risk. Many have died. Stories about women who spend their lives regretting their abortions and dreaming about the child-who-might-have-been spread throughout antiabortion communities. My post-abortion experience was the opposite. It enabled us to have the family we wanted. I've had no regrets. I will always be grateful to my obstetrician who was willing to risk imprisonment and the loss of his career to perform my illegal abortion. Now that we've gone back in time, women who don't want to bear a child will still find ways to abort a fetus just as they did before abortions became legal. They'll just be forced to do it in unsafe and potentially deadly ways. We are going back to the days of coat hangers and knitting needles. Cynthia Ehrenkrantz is a writer and storyteller. She was born in Britain and immigrated to the United States in 1957. Her memoir, 'Seeking Shelter: Memoir of a Jewish Girlhood in Wartime Britain,' is available wherever books are sold. She lives in Westchester County, New York. Do you have a compelling personal story you'd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we're looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@ Related... My Great-Grandpa Killed My Great-Grandma Giving Her An Abortion On Their Kitchen Table My 11-Year-Old Patient Was Pregnant. Here's What I Want You To Know About Being 'Pro-Life.' To My 2 Exes Whose Fetuses I Aborted: You're Welcome Solve the daily Crossword
NBC Sports
10-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
PEACOCK TO DEBUT PARALYMPICS DOCUMENTARY SERIES ‘ADAPTIVE' ON JULY 28
Three-part series follows the journey of four athletes to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Presented by DICK'S Sporting Goods in proud partnership with NBC Sports Los Angeles, CA – July 10, 2025 – Peacock today announced that the new sports documentary series ADAPTIVE will debut exclusively on the streaming service July 28, 2025. The series will additionally be available to view on TeamUSA TV. ADAPTIVE is an intimate and in-depth look into the lives of world-class Paralympic athletes. This inaugural season captures the journey from the Tokyo 2020 to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games of four Team USA Paralympians – Ezra Frech (Para track & field), Jamal Hill (Para swimming), Courtney Ryan (Wheelchair basketball), and Josie Aslakson (Wheelchair basketball). ADAPTIVE is presented by DICK'S Sporting Goods, in partnership with NBC Sports. The three-episode series is produced by new shingle Vitium Productions, with production partners Far Between Pictures, Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios (a DICK'S Sporting Goods company and award-winning TFA Group, which released the documentary film Watershed on Peacock during the Paris 2024 Games. ADAPTIVE was produced with the support of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. ADAPTIVE is directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ryan S. Porush (A School Grown in Watts, The Passengers) and produced by Clayton Frech, Jay Snyder, Colin Weatherby, Ryan Suffern, and Christopher Stoudt. Angel City Sports, a leading provider of adaptive sports for youth, adults, and veterans with physical disabilities, is the exclusive series impact partner. 'ADAPTIVE is a shining example of the original, compelling, and authentic storytelling that Peacock and NBC Sports consistently deliver to our audiences,' said Joe Gesue, SVP of Olympic & Paralympic Programming and Planning, NBC Sports. 'We are thrilled to work with our wonderful and dedicated partners to highlight the journeys of Ezra, Jamal, Courtney and Josie and build momentum for our live coverage of both the 2026 Paralympics in Milan Cortina and what we will all anticipate will be a game-changing Paralympics at home in Los Angeles in 2028.' 'We are so incredibly proud to help tell Ezra, Jamal, Courtney and Josie's stories,' said Mark Rooks, VP of Creative, Sponsorships & Entertainment at DICK'S Sporting Goods. 'At DICK'S, we ground ourselves around the idea that sports have the power to change lives, and we truly believe that anyone who watches ADAPTIVE will feel inspired to chase their dreams, just like the incredible athletes in this series have done and continue to do.' Two-time Paralympian Ezra Frech adds that 'I hope viewers fall in love with the adaptive and Paralympic sports movement - because it's everything sports should be. Our sports are amazing and fiercely competitive, our athletes are world-class, and our stories are riveting. The show authentically portrays our journeys which are filled with drama, laughter, tears, failure and the highest of highs. Grab your popcorn.' Executive Producers include Dave Pantano, Ezra Frech, Bahar Soomekh, Bill Bindley, Mike Karz, Jay Ruderman, and Mallory Weggemann. *** About Peacock: Peacock's expansive sports programming features live coverage including Olympic and Paralympic Games, Sunday Night Football, Big Ten Football and Basketball, Notre Dame Football, Premier League, NASCAR, golf, the NBA beginning in 2025-26, the WNBA beginning in 2026, SuperMotocross World Championship, La Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026, BIG EAST basketball, and much more. Peacock also offers daily sports programming on the NBC Sports channel. About DICK'S Sporting Goods: DICK'S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) creates confidence and excitement by inspiring, supporting and personally equipping all athletes to achieve their dreams. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, the leading omni-channel retailer serves athletes and outdoor enthusiasts in more than 850 DICK'S Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, Public Lands and Going Going Gone! stores, online, and through the DICK'S mobile app. DICK'S also owns and operates DICK'S House of Sport and Golf Galaxy Performance Center, as well as GameChanger, a youth sports mobile platform for live streaming, scheduling, communications and scorekeeping. Driven by its belief that sports have the power to change lives, DICK'S has been a longtime champion for youth sports and, together with its Foundation, has donated millions of dollars to support under-resourced teams and athletes through the Sports Matter program and other community-based initiatives. Additional information about DICK'S business, corporate giving and employment opportunities can be found on and on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X. About Vitium Productions: Vitium Productions is a film and television production company formed by Clayton Frech (Founder, Angel City Sports), actress Bahar Soomekh (Crash, MI3, Saw III), and their eldest son Ezra Frech (2x Paralympian, 2x Paralympic Gold Medalist). Vitium, which means disability in Latin, develops film, tv and commercial projects with the purpose of raising awareness for the adaptive and Paralympic sports movement and ultimately changing how society sees disability. About Angel City Sports: Angel City Sports is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing adaptive sports opportunities for youth, adults, and veterans with physical disabilities and visual impairments. Since 2013, Angel City Sports has provided 28,000 athlete experiences and addressed the myriad of challenges in the disability community, including limited access to programs, lack of coaching, high cost of equipment, and transportation barriers. With year-round sport clinics, premiere events, multi-sport days and an equipment loaner program, Angel City Sports fosters an inclusive community where athletes of all ages and abilities have access to participate and develop their skills across thirty sports, free of charge. Find more info at or @angelcitysports. About the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee: Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. The USOPC is focused on protecting, supporting and empowering America's athletes, and is responsible for fielding U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, and serving as the steward of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the U.S. For more information on TeamUSA TV, visit
The National
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
George Ezra hails Scottish folk group Kinnaris Q
Describing them as 'some of the musicians I admire most', Ezra has invited them to play in his Hertford hometown this week, as well as use his state-of-the-art studio free of charge to record new music. The multi-platinum-selling artist first met Kinnaris Q when they were invited to play on a documentary about his walk from Land's End to John O'Groats for Amazon Prime – an invitation that band member Aileen Reid initially thought was a wind-up. It turned out to be genuine, and Kinnaris Q are the only Scottish band whose music was kept on the End To End documentary, produced by Catherine Miller who also produced the hit Freddie Flintoff documentary. READ MORE: One-woman play will explore consequences of explosion in extreme sex acts on OnlyFans Ezra said later: 'From the very start, their energy was infectious and, combined with the sheer brilliance of their music, made it one of my all-time favourite musical encounters.' Kinnaris Q were filmed playing outside in Glencoe, not long after the Covid lockdowns. 'The whole day was magic,' said Reid. 'It was funny because I was wearing a white dress and George was in his walking boots, shorts and T-shirt so some of the people who walked past didn't know who he was and thought we had just got married. 'The band is in the documentary for a brief five minutes or so but we spent a full day together blethering about lots of things, particularly about an instantaneous change as soon as they arrived all by foot into Scotland – people were so friendly and good craic. 'Needless to say they absolutely loved Scotland and that strangely made my heart sing. 'We spoke about how living away from our hometowns for years made us realise how much we loved where we came from – Glasgow, for me and Hertford, for George.' Reid said the love of their hometown had led Ezra and his sister Jess to celebrate their roots through the creation of a free magazine to nurture the community spirit in Hertford. 'Through this, they're bringing us down to perform in a local venue,' Reid said. This week's gig sold out quickly with tickets priced on a 'pay as you feel' basis. 'George's priorities are to put on good music in Hertford and enable people to experience a gig who otherwise might not be able to afford it,' Reid explained. Both the gig and the free studio time are a welcome boost for Kinnaris Q, with Reid pointing out that the pandemic and cost of living crisis have hit the music industry badly. Ticket prices are now so high for big concerts that fewer people are turning up for regular gigs from less well-known musicians. 'Live gigs are almost dead for people, it's awful,' said Reid. 'There's a big chunk of young people who didn't have that natural experience of going to festivals and gigs because of the pandemic. 'All of that stopped for several years so that culture has been skipped for that generation yet it is so important for anyone within the music industry. 'I don't just mean musicians and bands, I mean engineers and the cleaners who clean the venue. 'Everybody is on what feels like a bit of a sinking ship because that was our main income.' Streaming has also wiped out music sales, but if musicians don't stream then they automatically cut themselves off from a huge audience. 'We are blessed to have a talent but that is not the sole reason we make music,' said Reid. 'We have children, we have homes and bills to pay. It is not just a hobby for us.' With studio costs also extremely high now, the invitation to record at Ezra's has been welcomed by the band, who also see it as a chance to work with new people and bring their music to a new audience. (Image: Rockstarimages) 'It's totally magical and brought us a bit of faith in humanity,' said Reid. 'George and his sister Jess have been absolute diamonds and such generous supporters of our music and more. 'Since day one, we've run the entire KQ operation ourselves – no agent, no label, no management – so to be offered this opportunity purely out of respect for our craft and musicianship has been mega. What a boost!' Originally called Kinnaris Quintet, the name is being shortened to Kinnaris Q in order to allow more flexibility in the line-up. 'It opens us up to work with guests rather than keeping it to a quintet all the time,' Reid explained. Although the gig in Hertford on Wednesday is sold out, the band can be seen in Edinburgh at the preview night for the Edinburgh International Festival on July 30.
