Rebounding Net International Migration Drives Population Increase
DEC. 25, 2022 – After a historically low rate of change between 2020 and 2021, the U.S. resident population increased by 0.4%, or 1,256,003, to 333,287,557 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 national and state population estimates and components of change released today.
Net international migration — the number of people moving in and out of the country — added 1,010,923 people between 2021 and 2022 and was the primary driver of growth. This represents 168.8% growth over 2021 totals of 376,029 – an indication that migration patterns are returning to pre-pandemic levels. Positive natural change (births minus deaths) increased the population by 245,080.
“There was a sizeable uptick in population growth last year compared to the prior year’s historically low increase,†said Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Population Division at the Census Bureau. “A rebound in net international migration, coupled with the first year-over-year increase in total births since 2007, is behind this increase.â€
Huntsville, Ala.: For the second game in a row, the Thunderbolts came from behind to secure victory, this time by coming back from 3-1 down in the second period to defeat the Havoc 7-4 on Friday night in Huntsville. The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Wednesday, December 28th against the Birmingham Bulls at 7:00pm CT. For tickets, call (812)422-BOLT (2658), go to EvansvilleThunderbolts.com, or visit the Ford Center Ticket Office.
Evansville trailed early, as Austin Martinsen put the Havoc up 1-0 at 4:04, before Cameron Cook scored at 10:21 from Aaron Huffnagle and Kyle Thacker to tie the game. Late in the first period however, the Havoc struck to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission, as Robbie Fisher scored with 12.8 seconds remaining. Fisher scored again only 45 seconds into the second period to give Huntsville a 3-1 lead, but not long after, the Thunderbolts exploded offensively. At 8:06, Mike Ferraro scored from Scott Kirton and Dillon Hill to pull Evansville to within one goal, and with 1:02 left in the period it was Joseph Leonidas scoring in his first game as a Thunderbolt from Ferraro and Cook to tie the game going into the second intermission.
After a long stretch of scoreless hockey in the third period’s first half, Ferraro scored once again, on the power play at 9:34 from Cook and Brendan Harrogate to give Evansville their first lead of the night. Only 1:45 later, Andrew Shewfelt followed up with a goal from Cook to give Evansville a 5-3 lead at 11:19. With the Havoc net empty late, James Isaacs scored from the Evansville zone to make it 6-3 at 16:25, Evansville’s 5th unanswered goal. Huntsville got one back late as Rob Darrar scored a power play goal at 17:54 to make it 6-4, but Mathieu Cloutier added one more empty net goal from Kyle Thacker at 18:27 to wrap up the scoring in Evansville’s 7-4 victory, as the Thunderbolts get back to within 2 points of 1st place in the SPHL standings.
Ferraro led the way with two goals and an assist, Cook scored a goal and three assists, while Shewfelt, Leonidas, Isaacs and Cloutier scored one goal each. Thacker tallied two assists, and Zane Steeves stopped 29 of 33 shots faced in net for his 9th win of the season. These two teams meet again on January 11th at Ford Center.
Ford did so less than a month after Nixon resigned from this nation’s highest office.
Nixon did so in disgrace. He quit when it became clear that there were more than enough votes in the U.S. House of Representatives to impeach him—and after several U.S. senators had informed him the Senate would convict him and remove him from office.
Criminal charges stemming from the varied offenses against the law that history has labeled “Watergate†also awaited Nixon. The likelihood that he would be convicted on those charges was so great that Nixon was reassuring aides and associates that he would be fine behind bars.
Some great writing had been done from prison, he said.
That’s where Ford stepped in.
He decided that the American people, who already had endured two years of Watergate controversy and hearings and more than a decade of tumult regarding the Vietnam War, could stand no more upheaval. He let Nixon off the hook, Ford said, so the nation could move forward.
The immediate public reaction to Ford’s decision was savage.
The new president’s public approval rating plummeted. Two years after the pardon, Ford faced Democrat Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election.
Ford lost.
Lingering public anger over the pardon played a part in his defeat.
Over time, though, a new consensus emerged, shaped in many ways by Ford himself. He insisted that he never regretted the decision. He titled his presidential autobiography “A Time to Heal.â€
The nation, after all, came to agree with Ford.
For much of the past 45 years, most Americans have seen Ford’s decision to allow Nixon to escape legal judgment as an act of patriotism, a decision by a president to put the nation’s interests ahead of his own.
Recently, historians and other observers have begun to question Ford’s pardoning of Nixon.
Two words explain this reexamination.
Donald Trump.
The revelations in recent days of the myriad and indiscriminate ways Trump violated his oath of office as president, the Constitution and the rule of law itself have prompted a reevaluation of the decisive act of Ford’s presidency.
It now appears certain that Trump will be indicted on at least some of the charges the select committee on the Jan. 6 insurrection of the U.S. House of Representatives recommended the Justice Department pursue. He also may be in similar trouble for election tampering in Georgia.
And the distribution of his tax records suggests whole new avenues for possible prosecution.
It seems clear that Trump lied when he said—again and again—that an Internal Revenue Service audit prevented him from releasing his tax returns as every president for the last 50 years, including Nixon, has done. It’s also likely that he exerted pressure on the Treasury Department to prevent legally required audits of his finances.
But those are rather small considerations.
If Trump’s tax filings show that he accepted payment or had financial dealings with foreign businesses or investors during his presidency, he may have violated the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. That clause prohibits presidents from accepting either money or gifts of value from foreign entities because the drafters of the Constitution, not unreasonably, wanted to be sure that the commander-in-chief worked for the American people, not some other nation.
If Trump did ignore the clause’s requirements, his wanton disregard for the Constitution he took an oath to uphold and defend could and should disqualify him from ever holding office again.
Trump’s willful and reckless spree of lawbreaking has prompted more than a few historians, legal scholars and students of this nation’s public affairs to ask again if Ford made the correct call regarding Nixon.
Their reasoning is that if Nixon had not escaped legal consequences for his transgressions, subsequent presidents—including Trump—might not have been so heedless regarding the restrictions the law and the office imposed on the office.
It’s a valid question—if for no other reason than it demonstrates that the decisions presidents make can outlive them, for good or ill, by generations or even centuries.
When Ford took the oath of office following Nixon’s resignation, he made a famous statement.
“My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over,†Ford said in his inaugural address.
No, it turns out.
Not quite.
FOOTNOTE: John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students. The views expressed are those of the author only and should not be attributed to Franklin College.
The City-County Observer posted this article without bias or editing.
Everyone we meet in the country of Georgia likes Peg. When we walk along the cobblestone streets or eat at one of the small and numerous restaurants Peg is frequently approached by complete strangers speaking a foreign language who manage to convey their goodwill toward her as they ignore me. I am used to it. I get it. I accept it. But the world does not know that Peg has a dark side that often involves misadventures for me.
My misogynistic side wonders if Peg’s enjoyment of my misfortunes is unique to her or if it is a more general wifely trait. Those of you who are involved in the connubial bliss of marriage can reflect for yourselves if the sweet-wife-turned-devious-Delilah is universal or just my lot in life.
Anyway, yesterday was the latest example of Peg lulling me into trying something foolish while she remained the amused spectator. It all began when we were discussing what we would give one another for Christmas.
I confess I am not an easy person to shop for. When I want a shirt or something to eat, I go buy it. I really like Christmas but I am not into the buying and getting part of it. The country of Georgia is good for the Christmas Season as many Georgians celebrate the Julian calendar Christmas Day of December 25th and many recognize the Gregorian calendar of January 7th. I like that approach. Peg and I have stayed with America’s December 25th so she gave me my “gift†yesterday as the weather was good. Weather good you say? Here’s why that mattered.
For the four months we have spent in Georgia we have watched boats dash around hauling fools attached by a long cable and held up by parachutes. These gaily decorated parachutes lull observers into ignoring the perils of falling a hundred feet into the chilly waters of the salty Black Sea. It looked like harmless fun from the safety of our apartment’s balcony. And that’s how Peg sold me on it as she would make comments like, “Jim, look at that guy under the parachute with the smiley face. Doesn’t that look like fun? You would really enjoy that.â€
So after I had firmly resisted her repeated efforts to have me succumb to such nonsense for several months, Peg said, “You’re so hard to buy for. How about a parasail ride for your Christmas gift. It will be fun!†I had an initial thought that “one husband’s fun†was likely to be “one wife’s insurance benefit collectionâ€, but I held my silence. And, as often happens with us, I forgot the various disasters for me that Peg’s innocent suggestions had wrought. I said, “Okay, thank you for my Christmas present, let’s go do it.†We went down to the dock and met a Fagin selling rides.
The wizened visage of the toothless boat captain astride his version of a motor boat did not alert me to my fate. That was my fault. I did not see or ask about any safety equipment. That was also my fault. There were no rehearsals or explanations of how this would transpire or what the precautions were for mishaps. Of course, he spoke only Georgian so it would not have mattered anyway.
The Ancient Mariner took Peg’s 150 lari (about $50.00) and strapped me into an apparatus of cords and buckles. There was no escape button. We got about one hundred yards out on the Black Sea then the captain began to let out the cable attached to the smily-faced parachute and me. I quickly was lifted off the deck into a panoramic view of the shore and the Sea. I admit, it was a thrill.
We rode around for about fifteen minutes, the advertised length of the ride, then we continued to bounce along the choppy waves for quite a while as I slowly realized something had gone terribly wrong. The captain could not get the cable to crank me back in. I remained in the harness one hundred feet above the Black Sea as the December wind swirled around me.
After thirty minutes another small boat with two young roustabouts who were disciples of Captain Fagin came along hoisting a long line with a hook attached. They made several attempts to hook my cable and finally did. Then they started hauling me down between the two boats. You, Gentle Reader, understand that the only thing between the boats was the cold, deep Black Sea into which I was thrust face first still attached to the parachute that was rapidly filling with water.
After noting the water was salty, I began to attempt to escape both my harness and the parachute, but the cords were wrapped tightly around both of my legs so I could not swim. My loyal captain did not jump into the Sea to rescue me and neither did the two faux sailors. I guess they all did not wish to get wet. Anyway, I managed to roll onto my back as the would-be dry, rescuers fished me out with a grappling hook type approach but using mainly their hands.
When we got back to shore I was soaked and cold but soothingly comforted by Peg who had filmed the whole episode on her iPhone as she sat warm and dry in the boat. She said the only thing that made sense, “Well, Merry Christmas.â€
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer announced signees for the 2023 class. The Screaming Eagles are welcoming 11 players to the program for the 2023 season.
“We’re extremely excited to welcome our first D-I recruiting class to the USI Soccer family,” Head Coach Eric Schoenstein said.
Morgen Alvarez (Anaheim, California) is a 5’4″ forward from Fairmont Preparatory Academy in Anaheim, California. Besides soccer, Alvarez also played tennis and volleyball at the prep level. Alvarez comes to USI with a knack for scoring goals. Alvarez started her prep career with 23 goals as a freshman and has continued her scoring way all the way through her senior season this past fall. Alvarez played club soccer for Platinis West Coast FC DPL.
Grace Bamber (Chesteron, Indiana), a 5’6″ midfielder out of Chesterton High School, comes to USI as one of the top attacking players in Indiana. This past fall, Bamber scored 12 times in her senior season and dished out six assists. She tallied 54 goals, 31 assists, and 139 points for her career. Bamber was named all-state Second Team in 2021 and 2022 as well as an all-district first team each year. In 2021, Bamber was named Northwestern Indiana Times Player of the Year. Bamber played her club soccer for FC Pride ECNL and Indiana Elite ECNL.
Kamryn Bea (O’Fallon, Missouri) is a 5’5″ defender and was a two-sport athlete, competing in cross country in addition to soccer. Bea was named all-state for 2022 and received multiple accolades in 2021, including all-state honorable mention, all-conference newcomer of the year, and all-conference first team in 2021. She played club soccer for St. Louis Development Academy Rangers, winning the state cup in 2021 and 2022 as well as finishing as a semifinalist at USYS Nationals in 2022.
Eva Boer (St. Charles, Illinois) is a 5’9″ forward from Burlington Central High School. Boer can play multiple positions either at the front of the attack or back on defense. The basketball and soccer letter winner in high school earned all-conference and all-sectional in her 2022 soccer season. Her 2021 squad was sectional and regional champions. Playing her club soccer for Team Chicago SC, Boer and her club teammates were state cup finalists in 2020 and 2021 in addition to being NPL National Finalists in 2021.
Lydia Bordfeld (Evansville, Indiana) is from Memorial High School down the road in Evansville. The 5’11” midfielder also played basketball in high school. Bordfeld racked up five goals and five assists this past fall season for Memorial High School. For her career, Bordfeld has totaled 13 goals, seven assists, and 33 points. A player on a two-time Class 2A state championship squad in 2021 and 2022, Bordfeld was all-state second team in 2022 to go along with first-team all-district, all-city, and all-conference honors. Her club team, FCE United 05Girls, won the Indiana State Cup in 2022.
Reese Frericks (Richmond, Illinois), from Richmond Burton High School, is a 5’3″ forward/midfielder who also lettered in volleyball in high school. Frericks is coming off a 100-point season in 2022, scoring 45 goals and recording 10 assists. In the two high schools season played, Frericks sits as the all-time leader in goals scored with 70. Her team made it to the 1A Elite Eight in 2021 and was the 1A state runner-up in 2022. Frericks was named player of the year and all-conference first team in 2022 among other accolades, including first-team All-Area, All-District, and first-team Chicagoland All-State. Plus, she was also named all-conference first team in 2021. Frericks played club soccer for Eclipse Select ECNL.
Kate Johnson (Manchester, Missouri) is a 5’10” defender from Parkway South High School. A two-sport athlete, Johnson was named all-conference first team in 2021. Johnson was a four-year varsity player at Parkway South. Johnson’s club soccer team, Missouri Rush ECNLRL 04/05, finished in the final four at ECNLRL Nationals.
Kerigan Kivisto (Collierville, Tennessee), a 5’4″ midfield/forward from Collierville High School, is a versatile player who can score and set up her teammates. Kivisto’s high school squad went 10-6-1 this past fall, finishing second in AAA District 15. She was named All-District and All-State in 2022. Kivisto’s Lady Lobos Rush club squad was USYS Southern Regional Champions in 2022.
Charli Miller (Evansville, Indiana), a local player from Reitz High School in Evansville, is a 5’6″ midfielder who also ran track in high school. This past fall, Miller’s team won an IHSAA Class 3A sectional title and made it through to the regional semifinals. Miller scored 10 times individually and passed out 14 assists this past fall. For her high school career, Miller recorded 26 goals, 36 assists, and 88 points. Miller played club soccer for Indiana Fire South ECNLRL.
Greta Ohlwein (Chicago, Illinois), a 5’1″ wing player, signs with USI after her high school career at Highland Park High School. Ohlwein is a versatile player who plays on the outside either as a defensive back or as a forward. Her high school squad was the CSL North Conference Champions in 2021 and BodyArmor Series Champions in 2022. Ohlwein was also a cross-country runner and was a kicker/punter on the varsity football team at Highland Park in her senior year. Ohlwein played her club soccer for Chicago FC United.
Elena Summanen (Westerville, Ohio) is a 5’9″ goalkeeper from Westerville Central High School and a four-year varsity player. Her high school squad went 13-6-3 last season. Summanen was second-team All-OCC in 2021. She was also an academic letter winner for four years. Summanen played her club soccer for Ohio Premier ECNL.
“Elena is an incredible shot-stopper, communicator, and distributor from the keeper position,” Schoenstein commented.
“Kam, Kate, and Greta bring speed, tenacious defending, and quality distribution to the back line. Lydia and Charli bring height, strength, and work rate to the holding midfielder role. Grace and Kerigan bring a great deal of skill, speed, and vision to our attacking midfield spot. Morgen and Reese deliver speed, dynamic attacking abilities, and goalscoring to the roster. Plus, Eva adds strength, power, a great touch, and an ability to score from anywhere.”
USI Women’s Soccer heads into its second season as an NCAA Division I program in 2023, coming off a postseason berth in the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament. The 2023 schedule will be released at a later date.
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing two important documents from its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Program: The Office of Research and Development (ORD) Staff Handbook for Developing IRIS Assessments (IRIS Handbook) and the final IRIS Toxicological Review of Perfluorobutanoic Acid and Related Salts. These publications demonstrate EPA’s commitment to transparency and rigorous science for use in decision making.
The IRIS Handbook transparently provides procedures for staff developing IRIS assessments, including how to apply systematic review approaches. Systematic review uses prespecified scientific methods to identify, select, assess, and synthesize the findings of similar, but separate, studies. In IRIS assessments, such studies are used to identify human health hazards associated with exposure to chemicals found in the environment and derive toxicity values for health effects resulting from exposure.
The procedures set forth in the IRIS Handbook will apply to newly initiated IRIS assessments moving forward; however, many elements of the Handbook have already been incorporated in recently finalized assessments and assessments that are currently in progress. The IRIS Handbook does not supersede existing EPA guidelines and does not serve as direction for other EPA programs.
The IRIS Handbook went through public comment in 2020, and it received a favorable external peer review from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) in 2021. The Handbook will be updated as needed based on method advancements and experience gained through its application to a broader spectrum of assessments to ensure consistent application of best practices in future IRIS assessments.
“EPA is committed to developing IRIS assessments using consistent, transparent, and scientifically rigorous methods,†said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “I am very proud of the scientists who have worked hard to produce a rigorous Handbook at the leading edge of assessment science, and of those scientists who have finalized the PFBA assessment, which will help EPA continue our important work to address PFAS.â€
Today, the IRIS Program also released its final IRIS assessment of Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) and Related Salts. PFBA is a breakdown product of other PFAS that have been used in stain-resistant fabrics, paper food packaging, carpets, and consumer products; it has also been used for manufacturing photographic film.
As a scientific document, the final IRIS assessment was developed in accordance with Agency policies for scientific integrity and peer review. The PFBA assessment also incorporates best practices outlined in the IRIS Handbook. The multi-step IRIS assessment process included public comment on a systematic review protocol, public comment on the draft assessment, and external peer review prior to finalization.
The final IRIS assessment reviews the evidence on the potential noncancer and cancer human health effects resulting from exposure to PFBA. The final assessment found that sufficient oral exposure to PFBA likely causes thyroid, liver, and developmental effects. The final assessment also includes a noncancer estimate of the amount of PFBA that one can ingest every day that is likely to be without harmful effects. These noncancer estimates can be used when conducting risk assessments to inform decision making. Regarding PFBA’s potential cancer effects, the final assessment concludes that there is “inadequate information to assess carcinogenic potential.â€
The final IRIS assessment of PFBA can be used to support a wide variety of decision-making needs across EPA’s program offices and regions, and state agencies. IRIS assessments are only part of a risk assessment. The scientific conclusions regarding hazard identification and dose response from IRIS assessments are typically combined with other scientific information, including information on human exposure, to inform decisions. Such decisions incorporate risk management policy considerations and undergo separate review processes.
EWSU Holiday Office Hours, Trash and Recycling Schedules, Christmas Tree Disposal Service: Evansville Water and Sewer Utility business offices will be closed Friday, December 23, and Monday, December 26, for the Christmas holiday.
Utility offices will also be closed Friday, December 30, and Monday, January 2, for the New Year’s Day holiday. Republic Services will observe Christmas on Monday, December 26, and News Year’s Day on Monday, January 2.
All trash and recycling routes will operate on a one-day delay during those weeks. The annual Christmas tree disposal service will begin on Tuesday, December 27, and continue through Friday, January 6, 2023.
If you are an EWSU residential customer, simply place your Christmas tree next to the trash cart at the curb on the day of your scheduled trash collection and Republic Services will pick it up. Happy Holidays!
