title: Non-compete clause

text: In Portugal, CNCs are regulated by article 136 of the labor code and restricted to two years extendible to three years in cases of access to particularly sensitive information. The employer must pay financial compensation for the duration of the CNC but the law doesn't specify anything regarding the amount of the compensation.


title: Non-compete clause

text: In Romania, CNCs are regulated by articles 21–24 of the labor code and restricted to two years. The employer must pay financial compensation for the duration of the CNC, amounting to at least 50 percent of the last 6 months salary.


title: Non-compete clause

text: In Spain, CNCs are regulated by article 21 of the labor law. CNCs are allowed up to two years for technical professions and six months for other professions.


title: Non-compete clause

text: In the United Kingdom, CNCs are often called restraint of trade or restrictive covenant clauses, and may be used only if the employer can prove a legitimate business interest to protect in entering the clause into the contract. Mere competition will not amount to a legitimate business interest.


title: Non-compete clause

text: In Crown dependencies, as there are no directly relevant laws it is generally accepted that UK Crown law applies but in the case of intellectual property many financial and other institutions require employees to sign 10-year or longer CNCs which could be seen to apply even if they leave the country or enter an unrelated field of work.


title: Non-compete clause

text: The majority of U.S. states recognize and enforce various forms of non-compete agreements. A few states, such as California, North Dakota, and Oklahoma, totally ban noncompete agreements for employees, or prohibit all noncompete agreements except in limited circumstances. For this reason, non-compete agreements have been popular among companies with employees working in states where they are allowed. They are very common among commercial radio stations and television stations, especially for radio personalities and television personalities working for media conglomerates. For example, if a radio or television personality quits, is laid off or fired from one station in the media market they work in, they cannot work for another competing station in the same market until their contract expires with their former employing station.


title: Non-compete clause

text: As of 2018, non-compete clauses cover 18 percent of United States workers. While more prevalent among higher-wage workers, non-competes covered 14 percent of workers without college degrees in 2018. In March 2019, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission was under pressure by politicians, unions, and advocacy groups to ban non-compete clauses. A related petition estimated that "one out of every five U.S. workers – or about 30 million – is bound by such an agreement." In July 2021, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14036, urging the chair of the Federal Trade Commission which he had recently appointed, to "curtail the unfair use of non-compete clauses and other clauses or agreements that may unfairly limit worker mobility".


title: Non-compete clause

text: Non-compete agreements are automatically void as a matter of law in California, except for a small set of specific situations expressly authorized by statute. They were outlawed by the original California Civil Code in 1872 (Civ. Code, former § 1673).


title: Non-compete clause

text: A leading court decision discussing the conflict between California law and the laws of other states is the 1998 decision "Application Group, Inc. v. Hunter Group, Inc." In "Hunter", a Maryland company required that its Maryland-based employee agree to a one-year non-compete agreement. The contract stated that it was governed by and to be construed according to Maryland law. A Maryland employee then left to work for a competitor in California. When the new California employer sued in California state court to invalidate the covenant not to compete, the California court agreed and ruled that the non-compete provision was invalid and not enforceable in California. Business and Professions Code Section 16600 reflects a "strong public policy of the State of California" and the state has a strong interest in applying its law and protecting its businesses so that they can hire the employees of their choosing. California law is thus applicable to non-California employees seeking employment in California.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Whether California courts are required by the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the United States Constitution to enforce equitable judgments from courts of other states, having personal jurisdiction over the defendant, that enjoin competition or are contrary to important public interests in California is an issue that has not yet been decided.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Non-compete agreements in the state of Colorado are generally void unless they fall into a few select exceptions. Those exceptions include "(a) Any contract for the purchase and sale of a business or the assets of a business; (b) Any contract for the protection of trade secrets; (c) Any contractual provision providing for recovery of the expense of educating and training an employee who has served an employer for a period of less than two years; and (d) Executive and management personnel and officers and employees who constitute professional staff to executive and management personnel." At the time the statute was enacted, Colorado's approach to regulating non-compete agreements was a unique approach.


title: Non-compete clause

text: The enforceability of non-compete agreements in the state of Florida is quite common. Some law firms build their law practice around these agreements and represent employees, employers and potential new employers of an employee currently bound by a non-compete agreement. The agreement is not allowed to be overly broad and generally difficult to enforce if it is for more than two years. However, Florida courts will rarely refuse to enforce a non-compete agreement due to its length or geographic scope. Instead, under Florida law, courts are required to "blue pencil" an impermissibly broad or lengthy non-compete agreement to make it reasonable within the limits of Fla. Stat. § 542.335. Also if the agreement is part of a general employment contract then there is the possibility of a prior breach by an employer. This may cause the non-compete clause of the contract to become unenforceable. However, recent case law from Florida's appellate courts may reduce the scope of the prior breach defense.


title: Non-compete clause

text: A new law bars high-tech companies, but only such companies, in Hawaii from requiring their employees to enter into "non-compete" and "non-solicit" agreements as a condition of employment. The new law, Act 158, went into effect on July 1, 2015.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Non-compete agreements will be enforced in Illinois if the agreement is ancillary to a valid relationship (employment, sale of a business, etc.) and (1) must be no greater in scope than is required to protect a legitimate business interest of the employer, (2) must not impose an undue hardship on the employee, and (3) cannot be injurious to the public. While reasonable geographic and temporal limitations on the non-compete agreement are not expressly required by governing law, they tend to be examined as a measure of whether the scope of the non-compete is greater than is required to protect a legitimate business interest of the employer.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Unlike other jurisdictions, which follow the general rule that consideration is only important as to whether it exists and not as to whether it is adequate, Illinois will inquire into the adequacy of consideration. The majority of courts will require at least two years of continued at-will employment to support a non-compete agreement (or any other type of restrictive covenant). However, in certain cases involving particularly sharp conduct by an employee, courts have required less.


title: Non-compete clause

text: While Illinois courts state the rule above, logically the analytical steps should be in reverse order—because inadequate consideration is fatal to the claim. Thus, under "McInnis v. OAG Motorcycle Ventures, Inc." there are three requirements in order for a post employment restrictive covenant limiting a former employee's right to work for a competitor to be enforceable under Illinois law:


title: Non-compete clause

text: (3) it must be reasonable, considering whether it: (a) is no greater than is required for the protection of a legitimate business interest of the employer, (b) does not impose undue hardship on the employee, and (c) is not injurious to the public.


title: Non-compete clause

text: The "McInnis" decision interpreted the "Fifield" decision, above, to mandate two years’ employment in order for consideration to be adequate.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Before January 1, 2021, the Illinois Freedom to Work Act prohibited employers from entering into a covenant not to compete with Illinois employees earning the greater of (1) the hourly rate equal to the minimum wage required by the applicable federal, State, or local minimum wage law or (2) $13.00 per hour.


title: Non-compete clause

text: The Illinois legislature passed an amendment to the Illinois Freedom to Work Act in 2021, that will take effect on January 1, 2022, which prohibits employers from entering into a non-compete agreement with an employee unless the employee earns over $75,000 per year.


title: Non-compete clause

text: The law codified the Illinois common law conditions that the non-compete agreement must (1) be reasonably necessary to protect the legitimate business interest of the employer, (2) be ancillary to a relationship or valid contract, and (3) be reasonably supported by adequate consideration.


title: Non-compete clause

text: One legitimate business interest that Illinois law protects is long-term relationships between a business and its customers.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Additionally, the law further codified the common law concerning non-compete agreements in that (1) a non-compete covenant must be no greater than is required for the protection of a legitimate business interest of the employer, (2) the non-compete covenant must not impose an undue hardship on the employee, and (3) the non-compete covenant must not be injurious to the public.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Further, in order for a non-compete agreement to be enforceable, the employer must advise the employee in writing to consult with an attorney before entering into the non-compete agreement and the employer must provide the employee with a copy of the covenant at least 14 calendar days before the commencement of the employee's employment or the employer.


title: Non-compete clause

text: The Illinois Attorney General may initiation or intervene in a civil action in the name of the people of the state of Illinois if it believes that an employer is engaged in a pattern and practice prohibited by the Illinois Freedom to Work Act.


title: Non-compete clause

text: If an employer includes a choice of law provision in an Illinois employee's employment agreement, the court will still apply Illinois law as to the covenant not to compete.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Maine imposes a number of restrictions upon non-compete agreements, which the state defines as a contract that "prohibits an employee or prospective employee from working in the same or similar profession or in a specified geographic area for a defined period of time following termination of employment."


title: Non-compete clause

text: Maine's 2019 L.D. 733 considers non-compete clauses contrary to public policy and valid only to protect employers' legitimate business interests, such as trade secrets, confidential information and goodwill. Under L.D. 733, employees making 400% or less of the federal poverty level (changing every year, but approximately $50,000 annually once quadrupled) cannot be made to sign non-compete agreements. Additionally, with mixed exceptions for physicians, non-competes can only take effect after one year from the employee's start date or six months after being signed, whichever is later. Prospective employers must disclose in writing the existence of non-compete agreements to prospective employers before making job offers; if a non-compete is to be signed, the employer must deliver it to current or prospective employees at least three business days before the required signing date. Violations result in fines of not less than $5,000.


title: Non-compete clause

text: The same penalty is incurred for restrictive employment agreements, defined as agreements between two or more employers, including franchises and contractors/subcontractors, that “prohibit or restrict one employer from soliciting or hiring another employer’s current or former employees." Such agreements, commonly known as anti-poaching or no-poaching agreements, are categorically prohibited in Maine.


title: Non-compete clause

text: By 1837, Massachusetts had indisputably adopted the analysis established in "Mitchel". In 1922, the Supreme Judicial Court eliminated any doubt that restrictive covenants in the employment context would be enforced when reasonable.


title: Non-compete clause

text: The basic proposition enunciated long ago continues to apply: “A covenant not to compete is enforceable only if it is necessary to protect a legitimate business interest, reasonably limited in time and space, and consonant with the public interest.”


title: Non-compete clause

text: Effective October 1, 2018, Massachusetts passed legislation — the Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act (MNAA) — that fundamentally changed its noncompete law in several respects. Most significantly, under the MNAA, noncompetes must be given to employees with at least 10 business days notice; must satisfy specific, new consideration requirements; must be limited to 12 months, absent misconduct by the employee bound by the noncompete; and may not be used for "(i) an employee who is classified as nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. 201-219; (ii) undergraduate or graduate students that partake in an internship or otherwise enter a short- term employment relationship with an employer, whether paid or unpaid, while enrolled in a full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate educational institution; (iii) employees that have been terminated without cause or laid off; or (iv) employees age 18 or younger.”


title: Non-compete clause

text: Reasonableness is the touchstone of the analysis and is highly fact-dependent. The context in which the CNC arises (such as employment relationship, contractual relationship) is a critical factor in the analysis. A CNC that is unreasonable because it is too broad, will be scaled back if it is in fact capable of being narrowed.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Even when a CNC is limited in duration, geographic reach, and scope, it “must be no broader than necessary to protect one or more of the following legitimate business interests of the employer: (A) the employer’s trade secrets; (B) the employer’s confidential information that otherwise would not qualify as a trade secret; or (C) the employer’s goodwill. A noncompetition agreement may be presumed necessary where the legitimate business interest cannot be adequately protected through an alternative restrictive covenant, including but not limited to a non-solicitation agreement or a non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement.” A CNC will be enforced "only to the extent . . . necessary to protect the legitimate business interests of the employer." Recognized legitimate business interests are the protection of trade secrets, confidential information, and goodwill.


title: Non-compete clause

text: An otherwise valid CNC must still, like other contracts, be supported by consideration. Accordingly, the Supreme Judicial Court has held that a CNC must be "ancillary . . . to an existing employment or contract of employment" or some other "permissible transaction . . . ." However, consideration can exist regardless of whether the CNC is entered into at the beginning of the employment relationship, during the term of employment, or even at the end of an employment relationship. Noncompetes entered into after October 1, 2018, must "be supported by a garden leave clause or other mutually-agreed upon consideration between the employer and the employee . . . .” There is, however, significant confusion, and no judicial guidance, about what will qualify as “other mutually-agreed upon consideration.” Further, if the noncompete “is entered into after commencement of employment but not in connection with the separation from employment, it must be supported by fair and reasonable consideration independent from the continuation of employment . . . .”


title: Non-compete clause

text: New Hampshire imposes a number of restrictions upon non-compete clauses. The state defines a non-compete agreements as "an agreement that restricts such a low-wage employee from performing work for another employer for a specified period of time; working in a specified geographic area; or working for another employer that is similar to the work done by the employee for the employer who is a party to the non-compete agreement."


title: Non-compete clause

text: RSA 275:70 (2014) requires employers to disclose to prospective employees the existence of non-compete agreements and to make copies of those agreements available to prospective employees before they accept positions. Failure to disclose renders the non-compete agreement unenforceable, although other provisions, such as non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and trade secret rules, remain in effect.


title: Non-compete clause

text: RSA 329:31-a (2016) makes unenforceable post-employment geographic restriction clauses for New Hampshire physicians' practice of medicine. This law applies to all forms of professional relationships with physicians, including partnerships and employment, and does not affect or invalidate other non-geographic post-employment restrictions.


title: Non-compete clause

text: RSA 275:70a (2019) prohibits and nullifies all existing non-compete contracts with low wage workers, defined as those earning hourly wages less than or equal to twice the federal minimum wage (assuming 2080 hours per year, the federal minimum yearly wage is $15,080; a low-wage NH worker makes ≤$30,160 per year).


title: Non-compete clause

text: The Rhode Island Noncompetition Agreement Act, made effective January 2020, imposes a number of restrictions on non-compete agreements.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Under the Act, non-compete agreements are not enforceable against employees 18 or under; school-enrolled undergraduate or graduate students (whether paid or unpaid or interns or employees); employees considered nonexempt under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); or low-wage employees, defined as those with annual earnings not greater than 250% of HHS federal poverty guidelines. While these guidelines change yearly, the current amount multiplied by 2.5 is over $31,000 annually.


title: Non-compete clause

text: The Act does not grandfather in pre-existing non-compete agreements. It also contains certain exemptions so as not to ensnare other forms of business agreement.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Under Texas law, a covenant not to compete Article 15 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code covers this issue.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Specific rules apply to physicians, notably that a physician cannot be prohibited "from providing continuing care and treatment to a specific patient or patients during the course of an acute illness even after the contract or employment has been terminated".


title: Non-compete clause

text: However, Texas courts will not enforce a covenant not to compete if the court determines that such a covenant "is against public policy and therefore substantively unconscionable".


title: Non-compete clause

text: Several Texas Supreme Court opinions from 2006 onwards have broadened the nature of the consideration necessary to render a noncompete covenant enforceable. In a 2006 case, "Alex Sheshunoff Management Services, L.P. v. Johnson and Strunk & Associates, L.P.", it was held that an "otherwise enforceable agreement" can include an executory promise made in conjunction with an at-will employment agreement. This case required that the employer actually perform the promise it made at the time that it secured the non-competition agreement, for example by providing access to certain proprietary information or training. In a later 2009 case, "Mann Frankfort Stein & Lipp Advisors, Inc.v. Fielding", the Supreme Court held that a covenant not to compete in an at-will employment agreement is also enforceable if the employee expressly promises not to disclose confidential information, but the employer makes no express return promise to provide confidential information, where "the nature of the employment for which the employee is hired will reasonably require the employer to provide confidential information to the employee for the employee to accomplish the contemplated job duties".


title: Non-compete clause

text: CNCs are enforceable, but any CNC entered into after May 10, 2016, may not extend for a period of more than one year.


title: Non-compete clause

text: In Virginia, the enforceability of covenants not to compete is governed by common law principles. As restrictions on trade, CNCs are not favored by Virginia courts, which will enforce only narrowly drafted CNCs that do not offend public policy.


title: Non-compete clause

text: In Virginia, a plaintiff must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the covenant is reasonable in the sense that it is: (1) no greater than necessary to protect its legitimate business interests, such as a trade secret; (2) not unduly harsh or oppressive in restricting the employee's ability to earn a living; and (3) not against public policy. "Paramount Termite Control Co., Inc v. Rector", 380 S.E.2d 922, 924 (Va. 1989).


title: Non-compete clause

text: In Virginia, courts weigh the (1) function, (2) geographic scope and (3) duration of the CNC against the employer's legitimate business interests to determine their reasonableness. Additionally, CNCs are only reasonable if they prevent the employee from entering into direct competition with the employer and must not encompass any activity in which the employer is not engaged. Virginia courts will not generally attempt to revise or enforce a narrower restriction in a non-compete agreement. As a result, a drafting error or unenforceable restriction may render the entire agreement unenforceable in Virginia.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Second, to enforce the CNC, a plaintiff must show that it is not unduly harsh or oppressive in restricting the employee's ability to earn a living. In Virginia, a CNC is not unduly harsh or oppressive if balancing its function, geographic scope and duration the employee is not precluded from (1) working in a capacity not in competition with the employer within the restricted area or (2) providing similar services outside the restricted area.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Third, to enforce a CNC, a plaintiff must show the CNC is reasonable from the standpoint of a sound public policy. Virginia does not favor restrictions on employment and therefore CNCs are generally held against public policy unless they are narrowly drafted as enumerated above. In Virginia, a CNC does not violate public policy if the restrictions it imposes do not create a monopoly for the services offered by the employer or create a shortage of the skills provided by the employee.


title: Non-compete clause

text: According to "Racine v. Bender", CNCs will be enforced by courts if they are validly formed and reasonable. There are exceptions, like in "Labriola v. Pollard Group, Inc.", where the Washington Supreme Court invalidated a CNC not supported by independent consideration by strictly enforcing the pre-existing duty rule.


title: Non-compete clause

text: The Washington Legislature in 2020, with RCW 49.62, nullified existing and future non-compete clauses for "low level" workers, defined as employees making $100,000 or less annually and independent contractors making $250,000 or less annually with both dollar amounts tied to inflation. Some criticized the setting of salary thresholds at only $100,000 as effectively exempting highly-paid Seattle tech-workers, noting how Amazon's lobbying efforts lowered the initial threshold, roughly $180,000, down to the enacted $100,000. Non-voided non-competes are also limited to a maximum post-employment length of 18 months, after which they become void. Additionally, employers must disclose the exact terms of non-compete agreements to prospective employees in writing before the prospective employees accept employment; failure to comply nullified the non-compete agreement.


title: Non-compete clause

text: Washington's restrictions on non-compete clauses excludes any such clause associated with the purchase or sale of any ownership interest or goodwill in a business.


title: Non-compete clause

text: While CNCs are one of the most common types of restrictive covenants, there are many others. Each serves a specific purpose and provides specific rights and remedies. The most common types of restrictive covenants are as follows:


title: Non-compete clause

text: The enforceability of these agreements depends on the law of the particular state. As a general rule, however, with the exception of invention assignment agreements, they are subject to the same analysis as other CNCs.


title: Donald De La Haye

text: Donald De La Haye Jr. (born December 2, 1996), also known online as Deestroying, is a Costa Rican-American YouTuber. He played college football with the UCF Knights (NCAA team) of the University of Central Florida (UCF). De La Haye is known for his videos demonstrating his kicking ability as well as his sports-related skits and vlogs talking about his life journey. He also made news while in college when the NCAA controversially banned him for profiting off his name and YouTube videos, which has sparked reform for student athlete compensation. He is also a partial owner of the FCF Glacier Boyz.


title: Donald De La Haye

text: De La Haye immigrated with his family from Costa Rica to the United States at the age of seven, spending the rest of his youth in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He played for the football team at the University of Central Florida as their kickoff specialist from 2015 to 2016. He also played wide receiver. De La Haye was a marketing major at UCF.


title: Donald De La Haye

text: In 2017, De La Haye drew notable attention when the NCAA told him to delete or demonetize his YouTube Channel in order to stay on the football team, as the NCAA at that time forbid its athletes from profiting off their athletic ability aside from their scholarships. He was also not allowed to have his likeness or name in any of his videos if he decided to continue the channel. Faced with this dilemma, De La Haye ultimately chose to continue his channel normally, at the cost of his scholarship and NCAA eligibility. De La Haye sued UCF over this matter in July 2018, settling in November 2018 to finish his education there.


title: Donald De La Haye

text: De La Haye's case has been one of several incidents in which NCAA athletes are barred from profiting off their names, images, and likenesses. Legislation has since been issued in a few states, including California and De La Haye's home state of Florida, in an attempt to allow student athletes to profit while in school.


title: Donald De La Haye

text: While kicked off the UCF football team, De La Haye put more focus on his "Deestroying" youtube channel, which he started as a teenager in 2015. Evolving from skits on football stereotypes and kicker trick shot videos, the channel has also featured gaming videos, skits impersonating National Football League players such as Odell Beckham Jr., Tom Brady and JuJu Smith-Schuster, actual collaborations with players such as Smith-Schuster, Marquette King, Cam Newton, Antonio Brown, and Tyreek Hill and partnerships with the NFL and other sports organizations to create content. The channel has since surpassed 4.5 million subscribers after having just 94,000 when De La Haye left UCF.


title: Donald De La Haye

text: De La Haye has also collaborated with other YouTube personalities such as Logan Paul, competing in the latter's "Challenger Games" in July 2019. This was his most popular video as of March 2021, eclipsing over 12 million views.


title: Donald De La Haye

text: De La Haye has also attracted attention and collaborations outside of football such as his collaborations with other YouTubers like Flight and Cash Nasty, and continues to grow his channel.


title: Donald De La Haye

text: After years of advocating for an NFL team to sign him through his videos, De La Haye was signed by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League on May 19, 2019. The signing resulted in over 15,000 new followers on the Argonauts' official Instagram account. He appeared in both preseason games, making his one field goal attempt from a distance of 16 yards, and recording one punt for 46 yards. De La Haye was signed to the practice roster to begin the season. Due to limits on American players allowed on the roster, the Argonauts later placed De La Haye on the Suspended list in order to allow him to be free of team obligations and continue to upload videos consistently, which generates more income than being on the practice squad.


title: Donald De La Haye

text: Recently, he has been making YouTube videos that display him practicing kicks, in the ultimate goal of making the NFL. In 2021 De La Haye posted a video in which he got invited to work out for the NFL Scouting Combine. De La Haye also won the Kohls Pro Combine kickoff competition in 2021.


title: Donald De La Haye

text: De La Haye is also a co-owner of the FCF Glacier Boyz of Fan Controlled Football, along with Quavo and Richard Sherman.


title: PJ Morton

text: P.J. Morton (born Paul Morton Jr.; March 29, 1981) is an American Grammy winning musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Since 2012, he has been one of the keyboardists, alongside Jesse Carmichael, for the pop rock band Maroon 5. Morton originally joined the band as a touring member in 2010 and became an official member in 2012 after Carmichael went on indefinite hiatus (he returned to the lineup in 2014).


title: PJ Morton

text: Morton released his debut solo EP, "Following My First Mind", in March 2012, through the record label Young Money. Adam Levine and James Valentine were featured on the lead single, "Heavy". In May 2013, Morton released his first major-label debut album, "New Orleans". In 2016, he released his mixtape "Bounce & Soul Vol. 1" in March and the "Sticking to My Guns" EP in July. On April 14, 2017, Morton released his first self-released studio album "Gumbo", earning Morton two Grammy Award nominations for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Song at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.


title: PJ Morton

text: In April 2019, Morton said he would begin a project to restore the New Orleans home of jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden and create a museum and community space at the site. Bolden's former home has been owned by Morton's father's church for more than a decade, and had been cited for demolition by neglect.


title: PJ Morton

text: Morton was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father is Canadian-born American gospel singer and Founder of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, Bishop Paul S. Morton. His mother is Dr. Debra Brown Morton, pastor of Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church.


title: PJ Morton

text: Morton graduated St. Augustine High School and majored in marketing at Morehouse College, graduating in 2003.


title: PJ Morton

text: In 2010, Morton's friend and Maroon 5's musical director Adam Blackstone asked him to audition for a position in the band as a touring keyboardist and backing vocalist. Morton was the first to audition and left an indelible mark on the group. Since then, he has played with Maroon 5 in concerts and other live performances. From 2012 to 2014 Morton filled-in for the band's keyboardist, Jesse Carmichael, who was on an indefinite hiatus from performing with the group, as stated on their official website in March 2012. In 2012, he joined the band as a full-time member, contributing his vocal and keyboard parts on Maroon 5's fourth studio album, "Overexposed", and continuing to do so during the processes of recording the band's albums, "V" (2014), "Red Pill Blues" (2017), and "Jordi" (2021).


title: PJ Morton

text: Morton's solo work won the attention of Mack Maine, who signed him to his production company, Soothe Your Soul, and Young Money Entertainment in 2011. The "Following My First Mind" (EP) was released on March 27, 2012.


title: PJ Morton

text: On May 14, 2013, Morton released his major-label debut studio album with Young Money Records, titled "New Orleans". The album's lead single, "Only One", which features Stevie Wonder, was nominated for the Best R&B Song at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014.


title: PJ Morton

text: In 2016, Morton moved to New Orleans and opened a record label called Morton Records which he envisioned as "the New Orleans Motown". Same year, Morton started working on "Gumbo". About the album's title he said "I named it "Gumbo" because the actual dish is a bunch of things mixed in together to make [something] beautiful. I wanted to grow as a songwriter and talk about more things ... about where we are in the world today, the tension, how divided we are as a country. It kind of felt like I was dumping a bunch of subject matter together and I made it in New Orleans so that sounded like gumbo to me." As a first step, on March 25, 2016, Morton released "Bounce & Soul Vol. 1", a mixtape which includes re-imagined versions of his best songs in New Orleans' bounce style. On July 1, 2016, Morton released the "Sticking to My Guns" EP, featuring the single of the same name. The EP, besides including alternative versions of "First Began" and "Sticking to My Guns", also contains "Say So", a song that was later cut from the final tracklist of the album. On November 15, 2016, Morton released "You Should Be Ashamed", a Stevie Wonder-esque socially conscious song that was later replaced by "Religion". On March 13, 2017, Morton announced on his Instagram page April 14, 2017 as the release date of "Gumbo".


title: PJ Morton

text: "Gumbo" did not manage to enter on the US "Billboard" 200 chart but received positive reviews from most music critics, who complimented Morton's style and praised him for his singing and songwriting. The album earned Morton two Grammy nominations for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Song at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. On February 14, 2019, Morton collaborated with singer JoJo on the song "Say So", which served as the lead single for his sixth album "Paul".


title: PJ Morton

text: After winning Grammy Awards for his songwriting and production on India.Arie's "Interested", Morton won Dove and Stellar Awards in 2008.


title: PJ Morton

text: Morton was also noticed by AR Rahman, composer for "Slumdog Millionaire", who asked Morton to contribute "Sajna" to the soundtrack and movie for the Vince Vaughn comedy "Couples Retreat". Morton has also produced and written for musicians such as Jermaine Dupri, LL Cool J, Jagged Edge, Monica, India.Arie, gospel musicians Fred Hammond, Men of Standard, Brian Courtney Wilson, and Heather Headley. In 2009, he published a book entitled "Why Can't I Sing About Love?"


title: PJ Morton

text: Morton who wrote a song called "Battle Field" by Chinese singer Jane Zhang from the 2016 film "The Great Wall".


title: PJ Morton

text: He married his wife Kortni Morton on December 25, 2008. They grew up attending the same church and began dating as adults. They have three children.


title: Red Pyramid

text: The Red Pyramid, also called the North Pyramid, is the largest of the pyramids located at the Dahshur necropolis in Cairo, Egypt. Named for the rusty reddish hue of its red limestone stones, it is also the third largest Egyptian pyramid, after those of Khufu and Khafre at Giza. It is also believed to be Egypt's first successful attempt at constructing a "true" smooth-sided pyramid. Local residents refer to the Red Pyramid as "el-heram el-watwaat", meaning the Bat Pyramid.


title: Red Pyramid

text: The Red Pyramid was not always red. It used to be cased with white Tura limestone, but only a few of these stones now remain at the pyramid's base, at the corner. During the Middle Ages much of the white Tura limestone was taken for buildings in Cairo, revealing the red limestone beneath.


title: Red Pyramid

text: The Red Pyramid was the third pyramid built by Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu, and was built 2575–2551 BCE. The Red Pyramid is located approximately one kilometer to the north of the Bent Pyramid. It is built at the same shallow 43 degree angle as the upper section of the Bent Pyramid, which gives it a noticeably squat appearance compared to other Egyptian pyramids of comparable scale. Construction is believed to have begun during the thirtieth year of Sneferu's reign (c. 2590 BCE). Egyptologists disagree on the length of time it took to construct. Based on quarry marks found at various phases of construction, Rainer Stadelmann estimates the time of completion to be approximately 17 years while Rolf Krauss, based on this same graffiti, suggests a period of construction of 10–11 years, an estimate later supported by John Romer.


title: Red Pyramid

text: Archaeologists speculate its design may be an outcome of engineering crises experienced during the construction of Sneferu's two earlier pyramids. The first of these, the Pyramid at Meidum, collapsed in antiquity, while the second, the Bent Pyramid, had the angle of its inclination dramatically altered from 54 to 43 degrees part-way through construction.


title: Red Pyramid

text: Some archaeologists now believe that the Meidum pyramid was the first attempt at building a smooth-sided pyramid, and that it may have collapsed when construction of the Bent Pyramid was already well under way – and that the pyramid may by then have already begun to show alarming signs of instability itself, as evident by the presence of large timber beams supporting its inner chambers. The outcome of this was the change in inclination of the Bent Pyramid, and the commencement of the later Red Pyramid at an inclination known to be less susceptible to instability and therefore less susceptible to catastrophic collapse.


title: Red Pyramid

text: The Red Pyramid is high, and wide. A rare pyramidion, or capstone, for the Red Pyramid has been uncovered and reconstructed, and is now on display at Dahshur. However, whether it was actually ever used is unclear, as its angle of inclination differs from that of the pyramid for which it was apparently intended.


title: Red Pyramid

text: The Red Pyramid, along with the Bent Pyramid, was closed to tourists for many years because of a nearby army camp. It is now usually open for tourists and a somewhat intrusive ventilation has been installed which pipes air down the entrance shaft to the interior chambers. Visitors climb steps cut in or built over the stones of the pyramid to an entrance high on the north side. A passage, in height and wide, slopes down at 27° for to a short horizontal passage leading into a chamber whose corbelled roof is high and rises in eleven steps. At the southern end of the chamber, but offset to the west, another short horizontal passage leads into the second chamber. This passage was probably closed at one time and the offset was a measure intended to confuse potential robbers.


title: Red Pyramid

text: The second chamber is similar to the first and lies directly beneath the apex of the pyramid. High in the southern wall of the chamber is an entrance, now reached by a large wooden staircase built for the convenience of tourists. This gives onto a short horizontal passage that leads to the third and final chamber with a corbelled roof high. The first two chambers have their long axis aligned north-south, but this chamber's long axis is aligned east-west. Unlike the first two chambers, which have fine smooth floors on the same level as the passages, the floor of the third chamber is very rough and sunk below the level of the access passage. It is believed that this is the work of robbers searching for treasure in what is thought to have been the burial chamber of the pyramid.


title: Catering

text: Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, hospital, pub, aircraft, cruise ship, park, festival, filming location or film studio.


title: Catering

text: The earliest account of major services being catered in the United States is a 1778 ball in Philadelphia catered by Caesar Cranshell to celebrate the departure of British General William Howe. The catering business began to form around 1820, centered in Philadelphia. Catering became a respectable and profitable business. The early catering industry was disproportionately African-Americans.


title: Catering

text: The industry began to professionalize under the reigns of Robert Bogle who is recognized as "the originator of catering." By 1840, the second generation of Philadelphia black caterers formed, who began to combine their catering businesses with restaurants they owned. Common usage of the word "caterer" came about in the 1880s at which point local directories began listing numerous caterers. White businessmen eventually moved into the industry and by the 1930s, the black businesses had virtually disappeared.


title: Catering

text: In the 1930s, the Soviet Union, creating more simple menus, began developing state public catering establishments as part of its collectivization policies. A rationing system was implemented during World War II, and people became used to public catering. After the Second World War, many businessmen embraced catering as an alternative way of staying in business after the war. By the 1960s, the home-made food was overtaken by eating in public catering establishments.


title: Catering

text: By the 2000s, personal chef services started gaining popularity, with more women entering the workforce. People between 15 and 24 years of age spent as little as 11–17 minutes daily on food preparation and clean-up activities in 2006-2016, according to figures revealed by the American Time Use Survey conducted by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.


title: Catering

text: A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle, cart or truck which is designed for the purpose. Mobile catering is common at outdoor events such as concerts, workplaces, and downtown business districts. Mobile catering services require less maintenance costs when compared with other catering services. Mobile caterers may also be known as food trucks in some areas.


title: Catering

text: Seat-back catering was a service offered by some charter airlines in the United Kingdom (e.g., Court Line, which introduced the idea in the early 1970s, and Dan-Air) that involved embedding two meals in a single seat-back tray. "One helping was intended for each leg of a charter flight, but Alan Murray, of Viking Aviation, had earlier revealed that 'with the ingenious use of a nail file or coin, one could open the inbound meal and have seconds'. The intention of participating airlines was to "save money, reduce congestion in the cabin and give punters the chance to decide when to eat their meal". By requiring less galley space on board, the planes could offer more passenger seats.


title: Catering

text: According to "TravelUpdate"s columnist, "The Flight Detective", "Salads and sandwiches were the usual staples," and "a small pellet of dry ice was put into the compartment for the return meal to try to keep it fresh." However, in addition to the fact that passengers on one leg were able to consume the food intended for other passengers on the following leg, there was a "food hygiene" problem, and the concept was discontinued by 1975.


title: Catering

text: Merchant ships – especially ferries, cruise liners, and large cargo ships – often carry Catering Officers. In fact, the term "catering" was in use in the world of the merchant marine long before it became established as a land-bound business.


title: Catering

text: A wedding caterer provides food for a wedding party. The wedding caterer can be hired independently or can be part of a package designed by the venue.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: "You Are Not Alone" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his ninth studio album, "" (1995). It was released on August 15, 1995, as the second single from the album.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: An R&B ballad, "You Are Not Alone" was written by American singer R. Kelly for Jackson in response to difficult times in his own personal life. Kelly sent a demo tape to Jackson, who liked the song and decided to produce it with him in his Chicago studio. Jackson's interest in the song was also linked to events in his personal life. The music video, which featured Jackson and his then-wife Lisa Marie Presley, featured scenes of semi-nudity.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: "You Are Not Alone" received generally positive reviews and was the recipient of Grammy and American Music Award nominations. It holds a "Guinness World Record" as the first song to debut at number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100, and was certified platinum by the RIAA. It also topped the charts in Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It was re-released in 2006 as part of Jackson's box set "," and re-entered at number 30 in the UK Singles Chart.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: "You Are Not Alone" was Jackson's thirteenth and final number-one US single during his lifetime. After his death in June 2009, Kelly paid tribute by including a version of the song performed by himself on his album "Love Letter" (2010). In 2011, a clip of the song was remixed with the Jackson song "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"; the final "Immortal Version" was released on the "Immortal" album.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: "You Are Not Alone" is a pop and R&B ballad about love and isolation. The song was written by R. Kelly and produced by Kelly and Jackson. Kelly wrote the song after losing close people in his life. Kelly was delighted to be able to work with his idol, explaining "I was psyched ... I feel I could have done his whole album. Not being selfish. I was just that geeked about it. It was an experience out of this world ... It's amazing to know that five years ago I was writing songs in a basement in the ghetto and now I'm writing for Michael Jackson ... I'd be a fool not to say it's a dream come true." Jackson contacted Kelly to see if he had any material available. Kelly forwarded a tape recording of the song and Jackson then agreed to work with Kelly on the piece. On the tape sent to Jackson, Kelly sung "You Are Not Alone" mimicking Jackson's vocal style, explaining, "I think I am him. I become him. I want him to feel that as well." Jackson found the interpretation amusing. They spent the last week of November 1994 together in the studio working on the track.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: Jackson explained that he instantly liked the song, but listened to it twice before making his final decision. Although the song was written by Kelly, Jackson was adamant that the production should be a collaborative effort among the two musicians. The tape sent to him had no harmony or modulations, so Jackson added a choir in the final portion and added a sense of climax and structure to the final piece. The song is written in the key of B major with the key later in the song changing to D♭ major then E♭ major. The song has a tempo of 60 beats per minute, making it one of Jackson's slowest songs.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: In 1993, Edward and Daniel van Passel wrote the score to a song titled "If We Can Start All Over". It was registered with the Belgian Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers (SABAM) that year. The score has never been commercially released, and can only be found as sheet music, which does not contain information about the timbre, rhythm or harmony.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: When "You Are Not Alone" became a worldwide success, the van Passel brothers approached SABAM saying it was similar to their song. The internal committee noted similarities between the melodies and recommended pursuing a lawsuit against Kelly and Zomba Record Holding Holland BV. The brothers applied to the Court of Leuven for an injunction on October 18, 1995. The Belgian Court rejected the claim of plagiarism on January 20, 2003, finding that the 43.46% similarity between the two melodies was a coincidence. The van Passel brothers submitted an appeal.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: On September 4, 2007, the Court of Appeal in Brussels reversed the 2003 ruling, based on the fact that Kelly's earliest evidence of writing "You Are Not Alone" was August 1995, 21 months after the brothers had registered their score for "If We Can Start All Over". The court concluded that it was possible that Kelly had accessed the score and developed this into "You Are Not Alone". Kelly maintains that he never met or heard of the van Passel brothers. The court also stated that the van Passel brothers "did not create their work merely in order to register it with SABAM and put it in a drawer, but at least informed third parties of the existence of their composition".


title: You Are Not Alone

text: Belgium maintains a ban on all radio and television broadcasts of the "You Are Not Alone" song and music video. Vendors found with copies face fines of €1000 for each copy of the song. The van Passel brothers have gained recognition as co-writers of the melody for "You Are Not Alone" in Belgium.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: 'You Are Not Alone' received positive views from music critics. In more recent years, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic expressed the opinion that it was amongst some of the best songs Jackson ever released, calling the song seductive. Steve Baltin from "Cash Box" described it as a "weepy ballad". James Masterton said in his weekly UK chart commentary in Dotmusic, that it "probably ranks as one of the most beautiful songs Michael Jackson has ever recorded". Pan-European magazine "Music & Media" wrote, "A far cry from Scream, Jackson undergoes a gigantic moodswing here. Sad as he is, the vibrato in his vocals perfectly complements the moody ballad". A reviewer from "Music Week" rated it five out of five, adding, "Barely a yelp or gulp to be had on this dead simple R Kelly-penned and produced ballad. Not the strongest slowie on the album but a lot of wayward fans will be hankering after some no-frills old style Jackson. A biggie." The R&B critic and journalist Nelson George described the song as lovely and supple. Jon Pareles of "The New York Times" said that it was the only conventional love song on the new material on "HIStory". He compared it to Mariah Carey's song "Hero" and said it "sounds like a surefire hit". James Hunter of "Rolling Stone" noted that, "the excellent current single 'Scream' or the first-rate R&B ballad 'You Are Not Alone' – manage to link the incidents of Jackson's recent past to universal concepts, like injustice or isolation. When he bases his music in the bluntness of hip-hop, Jackson sketches funky scenarios denouncing greed, blanket unreliability and false accusation".


title: You Are Not Alone

text: Writer and journalist J. Randy Taraborrelli wrote of the song in 2004, "[it] remains among Michael's best songs ... On listening to 'You Are Not Alone', one wonders how many times Michael tried to tell himself, during his most desperate and anguished times, that he "did" have support in his life, from a higher power, or even friends and family, whether he actually believed it or not". Fred Shuster of the "Daily News of Los Angeles" described it as the best song on the album. Conversely, while Steve Holsey of "Michigan Chronicle" gave the album a positive review, he described the song as the worst on the album, calling the Kelly penned lyrics "trite" and below the standard set by Jackson's own lyrical skills. Robert Christgau of "Blender" would later call it "quietly yucky" while pop music critic Bill Wyman of "New York" called it "drony and unpleasant." Revisiting "You Are Not Alone" in 2022, Tom Breihan of "Stereogum" negatively described the song as "thin gruel" and as a "sort of generic sad ballad", while complimenting Jackson's vocals for sounding "as tender and reassuring as ever". "You Are Not Alone" received an American Music Award nomination and a Grammy nomination both for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".


title: You Are Not Alone

text: Commercially, "You Are Not Alone" remains one of Jackson's best selling singles and it is also his 13th and final number one song. It holds the "Guinness World Record" for the first song ever to debut at number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. It was also Jackson's last number one single on the chart. It debuted at number one with first week sales of 120,000 copies. The song was certified platinum by the RIAA and sold one million copies domestically. It broke the record set by his previous double A-side single "Scream" and "Childhood," which was the first song in the 37-year history of "Billboard" to debut at number five—where it peaked. It peaked at number one in the UK after a debut at number three in the prior week. The song also reached number one in Wallonia, France, New Zealand, Spain and Switzerland. In Canada it peaked at number two. It became a top ten hit in every major market.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: The accompanying music video for "You Are Not Alone" was directed by Wayne Isham on July 12, 1995, and begins with a large number of paparazzi taking photographs of Jackson. The plot then centers around two locations: a temple where Jackson appears in an affectionate semi-nude scene with his then-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, and a theater where Jackson performs the song to an empty hall. Jackson also appears alone in other locations such as deserts and along tide pools. The slightly extended version that appeared on "HIStory on Film, Volume II" was notable for scenes where special effects were used to give Jackson white, feathery, almost angelic wings. Several of these scenes included Jackson's side having been pierced by an arrow. The other version of the video is included on "Number Ones" and "Michael Jackson's Vision". The temple scenes were a homage to Maxfield Parrish's 1922 painting "Daybreak". The theater scenes were filmed at the Pantages Theatre, in Los Angeles.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: Jackson first performed "You Are Not Alone" at the 1995 Soul Train Music Awards, and also at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards. At the latter awards ceremony, the song was performed without the second verse. Jackson then performed the song at the Royal Brunei concert in 1996 where it was performed as a complete song. Jackson also performed it during the HIStory World Tour as a complete song, during which one girl was allowed to dance with him on stage, similar to the Soul Train Music Awards performance. Jackson's next performance of "You Are Not Alone" was at the MJ & Friends concert in Seoul on June 25, 1999; this also turned out to be the song's last performance by Jackson himself, occurring ten years to the day of his death. The song was performed without the second verse, similar to the "1995 MTV Awards" performance. The song was also due to be performed at the This Is It concert series, however the shows were cancelled due to his death.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: Diana Ross recorded a version of this song on her international-only released album, "Voice of Love" produced by Nick Martinelli. Ross would also close her successful 2010–12 with this song as a tribute to Jackson.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: The top twelve acts from the sixth series of TV talent show "The X Factor" in the United Kingdom released a cover version of the song on November 15, 2009, in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital. The finalists premiered the song live on the November 15 edition of the programme; the single was available for digital download that day and a physical release followed the day after. The release of the song follows a similar occurrence a year earlier, when the final twelve acts from the fifth series released a cover version of Mariah Carey's "Hero" in aid of Help for Heroes and raised over £1 million. It has been confirmed to have sold over 400,000 copies, therefore achieving a Gold single certification.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: The video is very similar to the video of the cover version of the charity single of the year before. It shows various contestants performing their part in front of a plain black background, then shows the 12 finalists together performing the song in front of a screen of photos. Photos and video footage of the finalists at the Great Ormond Street Hospital are shown throughout the video.


title: You Are Not Alone

text: R. Kelly recorded his own version of the song and put it on his 2010 album "Love Letter", he recorded it as a tribute to Jackson following his death. The song was a hidden bonus song on the album, shown as the final song on the album's track list. The song starts with Kelly paying tribute to Jackson, saying "In loving memories of my hero... MJ".


title: Hell's Kitchen (American season 15)

text: The fifteenth season of the American competitive reality television series "Hell's Kitchen" took place in October 2014 and premiered on January 15, 2016 on Fox. The prize was a head chef position at BLT Steak at Bally's Las Vegas. Country Club Chef Ariel Malone won the competition.


title: Hell's Kitchen (American season 15)

text: Gordon Ramsay and Marino Monferrato returned as head chef and Maître d' respectively. Season 10 winner Christina Wilson was the sous chef for the red team, although Andi Van Willigan-Cutspec, who got married, returned in episode 7 of this season when Hell's Kitchen hosted her wedding reception. Aaron Mitrano replaced James Avery as sous chef for the blue team. Wilson is the second former "Hell's Kitchen" winner to return as one of Ramsay's sous chefs, the first being season 2 winner, Heather West, who was the red kitchen's sous chef for season 6. Jason Thompson also returned as narrator for the first time since season 12.


title: Hell's Kitchen (American season 15)

text: This season holds two unique distinctions. It has neither a charity dinner service nor a Taste It, Now Make It challenge, both traditional staples of the latter half of the show. It is also the first season where every chef was nominated for elimination at least once. This season saw the return of normal single elimination before finals since season 6, instead of the tradition double elimination before finals. This season was also tied with season 7's record, with three times teams restructuring.


title: Hell's Kitchen (American season 15)

text: Following his exit at the end of episode 12, Frank, an active-duty Marine chef, stated his dislike for female chefs during his plea and claimed he never allowed any to work under him, saying, "The blue team never had any drama until the females came aboard and that's when the ship sunk. And that's exactly why I get fucking female Marines and I send them back wherever the fuck they came from." Following his comments, Marine public affairs representative Bryan Nygaard stated Frank's comments regarding female Marines "are not consistent with the Marine Corps' values of honor, courage and commitment," and he would "notify my chain of command as well as Sergeant Cala's chain of command to ensure that corrective action is being taken." Several days later, Frank was removed from his position with the Commandants' staff and transferred to the Enlisted Aide Program.


title: Hell's Kitchen (American season 15)

text: The fifteenth-season premiere of "Hell's Kitchen" premiered to an audience of 3.43 million, 660,000 lower than last season's premiere, and down 10,000 from season 14's finale.


title: Bruce Glover

text: Bruce Herbert Glover (born May 2, 1932) is an American character actor best known for his portrayal of the assassin Mr. Wint in the James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever". He is the father of actor Crispin Glover.


title: Bruce Glover

text: Glover was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Eva Elvira (née Hedstrom) and Herbert Homan Glover. He is of English, Czech, and Swedish descent.


title: Bruce Glover

text: He began acting with numerous appearances on various television shows including "My Favorite Martian" (1963), "Perry Mason": "The Case of the Golden Girls" (1965), "The Rat Patrol" (1966), "Hawk" (1966), "The Mod Squad" (1968), "Gunsmoke" (1969), "Adam 12" (1969), "" (1970), "Bearcats!" (1971), "Police Story" (1977), "The Feather and Father Gang" (1977), "CHiPs" (1978), and "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1979). In 1978, he appeared on the "Barney Miller" episode: "The Prisoner".


title: Bruce Glover

text: In 1971, Glover and jazz musician Putter Smith portrayed the assassins Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, respectively, in the James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever".


title: Bruce Glover

text: Glover played a motorcycle gang leader known as Bach in the "Adam-12" episode "Log 103: A Sound Like Thunder" (1969). He also played a redneck thug harassing well-meaning teenagers in the drama "Bless the Beasts and Children" (1971), was leaning on hustler James Coburn to repay his debts in "Hard Times" (1975), and contributed another icy performance as Duffy in "Chinatown" (1974). In addition, he appeared as "Captain Voda," a Soviet military officer, in "Doomsday, and Counting," an episode of "The Six Million Dollar Man".


title: Bruce Glover

text: Glover also appeared as deputy Grady Coker in the film "Walking Tall" (1973) and the sequels: "Walking Tall Part 2" (1975) and "" (1977). He remained busy through the 1980s and 1990s with more guest spots on TV shows including "Hart to Hart" (1981), "T.J. Hooker" (1982), "The A-Team" (1983), and "Murder, She Wrote" (1989). He also appeared in the films "Ghost Town" (1988), "Popcorn" (1991), and "" (1993).


title: Bruce Glover

text: In the 1950s, Glover began to teach acting. In the 1970s, he conducted acting classes with "The Indian Actors Workshops" and had various acting studios around Los Angeles, California. In the 1990s, Glover added an additional level to his West Los Angeles residence to accommodate an acting studio.


title: Bruce Glover

text: More recently, Glover was interviewed by Chris Aable on the cable television show "Hollywood Today" (1995), and appeared in the films "Night of the Scarecrow" (1995), "Die Hard Dracula" (1998), and "Ghost World" (2001).


title: Waikiki

text: Waikiki (; ; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii.


title: Waikiki

text: Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district, along with Queen's Beach, Kuhio Beach, Gray's Beach, Fort DeRussy Beach and Kahanamoku Beach. Waikiki Beach is almost entirely man-made.


title: Waikiki

text: There are beaches called Waikiki in other parts of the world, such as Tarragona (Spain), Western Australia (Australia), or Lima ( Peru).


title: Waikiki

text: Waikiki (Hawaii) is home to public places including Kapiolani Park, Fort DeRussy, Kahanamoku Lagoon, Kūhiō Beach Park and Ala Wai Harbor. Waikiki was the first capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1795 to 1796.


title: Waikiki

text: The Hawaiian language name means "spouting fresh water", for springs and streams that fed wetlands that once separated Waikiki from the interior.


title: Waikiki

text: The area was a retreat for Hawaiian royalty in the 1800s who enjoyed surfing there on early forms of longboards. A few small hotels opened in the 1880s. In 1893, Greek-American George Lycurgus leased the guest house of Allen Herbert and renamed it the "Sans Souci" (French for "without worries") creating one of the first beach resorts. Later that year Robert Louis Stevenson stayed at the resort; subsequently it became a popular destination for mainland tourists. The area at coordinates is still called "Sans Souci Beach".


title: Waikiki

text: Waikiki has had erosion problems since the late 1800s, because hotels and homes were built too close to the natural shoreline, while seawalls and other structures blocked the natural ebb and flow of sand along the beach.


title: Waikiki

text: In the early 1900s, Waikiki was home to many wetlands, which were believed to harbor disease-carrying mosquitoes. To get rid of the mosquitoes, islanders created the Ala Wai canal. The canal, originally known as the Waikiki Drainage Canal, was created by a Hawaiian dredging company run by Walter F. Dillingham. The project took about seven years, 1921–1928.


title: Waikiki

text: In the early 20th century, Duke Kahanamoku became a well-known surfer in Waikiki. Throughout his life and after competing in the Olympics, many people around the world wanted to learn to surf. Duke's influence made Waikiki beach a surfing hotspot. "Dukes", a club in Waikiki named for Kahanamoku, helped Don Ho produce music and hosted the longest-running show in Waikiki.


title: Waikiki

text: Seawalls and groins began to appear. These helped build sand at one beach, but typically appropriated sand from others. Before 1950, Waikiki beaches were continuous. They became separated into sections, some with sandy beach and others without. By 1950, more than 80 structures, including seawalls, groins, piers and storm drains, occupied the Waikiki shoreline.


title: Waikiki

text: Following World War II, Waikiki beach restoration efforts have occurred every few years. Sand was imported to this artificial beach from the 1920s to the 1970s, once by boat and barge from Southern California. of shoreline was replenished at a cost of $2.4 million following chronic erosion of more than a foot a year.


title: Waikiki

text: The first high-rise hotels on Waikiki were built in 1955, including the Waikiki Biltmore and Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel. Development boomed due to demand, and the area became filled with large resort hotels, such as the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Halekulani, the Hyatt Regency Waikiki, Marriott Waikiki, Sheraton Waikiki. These complemented historic hotels dating back to the early 20th century such as the Moana Surfrider Hotel and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel).


title: Waikiki

text: Importing stopped in the 1970s. In March 1971, the Corps of Engineers Pacific Ocean Division, created a Draft Environmental Statement for the Kuhio Beach Sector of Waikiki, which aimed to improve the overall quality and size of the fading and narrowing shoreline.


title: Waikiki

text: From October 29 through November 4, 2000, the first FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships were held in the waters off Waikiki Beach.


title: Waikiki

text: A partial restoration was completed in the spring of 2012. The project imported sand from nearby shoals and widened the beach by about between the Royal Hawaiian Hotel concrete groin and the Kūhiō Beach crib wall. The project temporarily restored the beach to its 1985 shoreline. Two aging sandbag groin structures were also removed that year.


title: Waikiki

text: In 2017, beach erosion worsened with high-energy king tides and elevated sea levels. Honolulu's mayor stated: "I'm not a scientist, but I'll get a jackhammer in there and remove all the concrete that's there creating this backwash and sucking out more sand, plus it's just downright dangerous."


title: Waikiki

text: The beach hosts many events, including surf competitions, outdoor performances, hula dancing and outrigger canoe races. The many amenities, shops, and hotels enable Waikiki to generate approximately 42 percent of Hawaiʻi's visitor revenue.


title: Waikiki

text: The neighborhood extends from the Ala Wai Canal (a channel dug to drain one-time wetlands) on the west and north, to Diamond Head ("Lēahi," tuna brow) on the east. Waikiki Beach is noted for its views of the Diamond Head tuff cone, its usually warm and cloud-free climate and its surf break.


title: Waikiki

text: The Waikiki skyline is filled with high-rises and resort hotels. Half of the beach is marked off for surfers. For some distance into the ocean the water is quite shallow, with numerous rocks on the bottom. The waves can have some force, particularly on windy days. The surf is known for its long rolling break, making it ideal for long boarding, tandem surfing and beginners.


title: Waikiki

text: Largely as a result of shoreline development, Waikiki has eight distinct beaches. They are Ft. DeRussy Beach, Duke Kahanamoku, Halekulani, Royal Hawaiian, Kūhiō Beach, Kapiolani Beach, Queens Beach and Kaimana. Since 1951, nearly of sand have been added to restore Waikiki beaches. Today, however, it is believed that very little of the added sand remains. From the beach the sunset in the sea is visible from mid-September to late March.


title: Waikiki

text: Ala Moana Beach Park, Hawaii's single most popular beach, is adjacent to but not technically part of Waikiki, and was similarly artificially made.


title: Waikiki

text: Waikiki's main thoroughfare is Kalākaua Avenue, named after King Kalākaua, which houses most of the high-end hotels (Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton, Hyatt, Moana Surfrider Hotel), most of the luxury designer brand stores (Apple Store, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Burberry, Dior, Tiffany & Co., Fendi, Cartier, Gucci, and Coach) and popular surf clothing brand stores (Quiksilver, Billabong, Volcom). Waikiki's other main thoroughfare, Kūhiō Avenue, named after Prince Kūhiō, is better known for its restaurants, cafes and grocers, along with its clubs, nightlife and prostitution.


title: Waikiki

text: In 1990, the bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku by Gordon Fisher was installed at Waikiki Beach, accompanied by a bronze replica of his surfboard, honorary spears, and commemorative bronze plaques. It serves as a culture and tourist locale with thousands of annual visitors and numerous cultural events. Seven years later, Billy Fields created The Stones of Life (in Hawaiian: "Nā Pōhaku Ola O Kapaemahu A Me Kapuni"), a sculpture incorporating ancient basaltic stones, was installed nearby and is considered a local monument.


title: Waikiki

text: At Kūhiō Beach and Queens Beach, three public artworks were installed in the early 2000s. The bronze statue of Prince Jonah Kuhio by Sean Browne and the children's story sculpture "Makua and Kila" by Holly Young were installed in 2001. Robert Pashby's "Surfer on a Wave" was installed at Queens Beach in 2003.


title: Waikiki

text: Waikiki beach has had repeated problems with erosion, leading to the construction of groins and beach replenishment projects. Imported sand came from California and from local beaches such as Pāpōhaku Beach on Moloka‘i, and a sandbar from Oʻahu's Northern side near Kahuku. Officials look for ways to sustain the existing sand by eliminating loss due to tidal flow.


title: Waikiki

text: Many homeless people settle around the beach because of the public shower and sanitary facilities available there.


title: Waikiki

text: The Honolulu Police Department has increased patrolling in and around Waikiki Beach with assistance from other city agencies and local businesses to prevent homeless people from making camp in this area.


title: Waikiki

text: Hawaii state Department of Education operates conventional public schools throughout Hawaii. Thomas Jefferson Elementary School is located in Waikiki proper, while Waikiki Elementary School is located nearby, at the "makai" (seaward) edge of the Kapahulu neighborhood.


title: Waikiki

text: The Kinks satirized the commercial aspects of Waikiki's mass tourism in their song "Holiday in Waikiki" from their 1966 album "Face to Face."


title: Alpha decay

text: Alpha decay or α-decay is a type of radioactive decay in which an atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle (helium nucleus) and thereby transforms or 'decays' into a different atomic nucleus, with a mass number that is reduced by four and an atomic number that is reduced by two. An alpha particle is identical to the nucleus of a helium-4 atom, which consists of two protons and two neutrons. It has a charge of and a mass of . For example, uranium-238 decays to form thorium-234.


title: Alpha decay

text: While alpha particles have a charge , this is not usually shown because a nuclear equation describes a nuclear reaction without considering the electrons – a convention that does not imply that the nuclei necessarily occur in neutral atoms.


title: Alpha decay

text: Alpha decay typically occurs in the heaviest nuclides. Theoretically, it can occur only in nuclei somewhat heavier than nickel (element 28), where the overall binding energy per nucleon is no longer a maximum and the nuclides are therefore unstable toward spontaneous fission-type processes. In practice, this mode of decay has only been observed in nuclides considerably heavier than nickel, with the lightest known alpha emitters being the lightest isotopes (mass numbers 104–109) of tellurium (element 52). Exceptionally, however, beryllium-8 decays to two alpha particles.


title: Alpha decay

text: Alpha decay is by far the most common form of cluster decay, where the parent atom ejects a defined daughter collection of nucleons, leaving another defined product behind. It is the most common form because of the combined extremely high nuclear binding energy and relatively small mass of the alpha particle. Like other cluster decays, alpha decay is fundamentally a quantum tunneling process. Unlike beta decay, it is governed by the interplay between both the strong nuclear force and the electromagnetic force.


title: Alpha decay

text: Alpha particles have a typical kinetic energy of 5 MeV (or ≈ 0.13% of their total energy, 110 TJ/kg) and have a speed of about 15,000,000 m/s, or 5% of the speed of light. There is surprisingly small variation around this energy, due to the strong dependence of the half-life of this process on the energy produced. Because of their relatively large mass, the electric charge of and relatively low velocity, alpha particles are very likely to interact with other atoms and lose their energy, and their forward motion can be stopped by a few centimeters of air.


title: Alpha decay

text: Approximately 99% of the helium produced on Earth is the result of the alpha decay of underground deposits of minerals containing uranium or thorium. The helium is brought to the surface as a by-product of natural gas production.


title: Alpha decay

text: Alpha particles were first described in the investigations of radioactivity by Ernest Rutherford in 1899, and by 1907 they were identified as He ions.


title: Alpha decay

text: By 1928, George Gamow had solved the theory of alpha decay via tunneling. The alpha particle is trapped inside the nucleus by an attractive nuclear potential well


title: Alpha decay

text: and a repulsive electromagnetic potential barrier. Classically, it is forbidden to escape, but according to the (then) newly discovered principles of quantum mechanics, it has a tiny (but non-zero) probability of "tunneling" through the barrier and appearing on the other side to escape the nucleus. Gamow solved a model potential for the nucleus and derived, from first principles, a relationship between the half-life of the decay, and the energy of the emission, which had been previously discovered empirically and was known as the Geiger–Nuttall law.


title: Alpha decay

text: The nuclear force holding an atomic nucleus together is very strong, in general much stronger than the repulsive electromagnetic forces between the protons. However, the nuclear force is also short-range, dropping quickly in strength beyond about 3 femtometers, while the electromagnetic force has an unlimited range. The strength of the attractive nuclear force keeping a nucleus together is thus proportional to the number of the nucleons, but the total disruptive electromagnetic force of proton-proton repulsion trying to break the nucleus apart is roughly proportional to the square of its atomic number. A nucleus with 210 or more nucleons is so large that the strong nuclear force holding it together can just barely counterbalance the electromagnetic repulsion between the protons it contains. Alpha decay occurs in such nuclei as a means of increasing stability by reducing size.


title: Alpha decay

text: One curiosity is why alpha particles, helium nuclei, should be preferentially emitted as opposed to other particles like a single proton or neutron or other atomic nuclei. Part of the reason is the high binding energy of the alpha particle, which means that its mass is less than the sum of the masses of two free protons and two free neutrons. This increases the disintegration energy. Computing the total disintegration energy given by the equation


title: Alpha decay

text: where is the initial mass of the nucleus, is the mass of the nucleus after particle emission, and is the mass of the emitted (alpha-)particle, one finds that in certain cases it is positive and so alpha particle emission is possible, whereas other decay modes would require energy to be added. For example, performing the calculation for uranium-232 shows that alpha particle emission releases 5.4 MeV of energy, while a single proton emission would "require" 6.1 MeV. Most of the disintegration energy becomes the kinetic energy of the alpha particle, although to fulfill conservation of momentum, part of the energy goes to the recoil of the nucleus itself (see atomic recoil). However, since the mass numbers of most alpha-emitting radioisotopes exceed 210, far greater than the mass number of the alpha particle (4), the fraction of the energy going to the recoil of the nucleus is generally quite small, less than 2%. Nevertheless, the recoil energy (on the scale of keV) is still much larger than the strength of chemical bonds (on the scale of eV), so the daughter nuclide will break away from the chemical environment the parent was in. The energies and ratios of the alpha particles can be used to identify the radioactive parent via alpha spectrometry.


title: Alpha decay

text: These disintegration energies, however, are substantially smaller than the repulsive potential barrier created by the interplay between the strong nuclear and the electromagnetic force, which prevents the alpha particle from escaping. The energy needed to bring an alpha particle from infinity to a point near the nucleus just outside the range of the nuclear force's influence is generally in the range of about 25 MeV. An alpha particle within the nucleus can be thought of as being inside a potential barrier whose walls are 25 MeV above the potential at infinity. However, decay alpha particles only have energies of around 4 to 9 MeV above the potential at infinity, far less than the energy needed to overcome the barrier and escape.


title: Alpha decay

text: Quantum mechanics, however, allows the alpha particle to escape via quantum tunneling. The quantum tunneling theory of alpha decay, independently developed by George Gamow and by Ronald Wilfred Gurney and Edward Condon in 1928, was hailed as a very striking confirmation of quantum theory. Essentially, the alpha particle escapes from the nucleus not by acquiring enough energy to pass over the wall confining it, but by tunneling through the wall. Gurney and Condon made the following observation in their paper on it:


title: Alpha decay

text: It has hitherto been necessary to postulate some special arbitrary 'instability' of the nucleus, but in the following note, it is pointed out that disintegration is a natural consequence of the laws of quantum mechanics without any special hypothesis... Much has been written of the explosive violence with which the α-particle is hurled from its place in the nucleus. But from the process pictured above, one would rather say that the α-particle almost slips away unnoticed.


title: Alpha decay

text: The theory supposes that the alpha particle can be considered an independent particle within a nucleus, that is in constant motion but held within the nucleus by strong interaction. At each collision with the repulsive potential barrier of the electromagnetic force, there is a small non-zero probability that it will tunnel its way out. An alpha particle with a speed of 1.5×10 m/s within a nuclear diameter of approximately 10 m will collide with the barrier more than 10 times per second. However, if the probability of escape at each collision is very small, the half-life of the radioisotope will be very long, since it is the time required for the total probability of escape to reach 50%. As an extreme example, the half-life of the isotope bismuth-209 is .


title: Alpha decay

text: The isotopes in beta-decay stable isobars that are also stable with regards to double beta decay with mass number "A" = 5, "A" = 8, 143 ≤ "A" ≤ 155, 160 ≤ "A" ≤ 162, and "A" ≥ 165 are theorized to undergo alpha decay. All other mass numbers (isobars) have exactly one theoretically stable nuclide. Those with mass 5 decay to helium-4 and a proton or a neutron, and those with mass 8 decay to two helium-4 nuclei; their half-lives (helium-5, lithium-5, and beryllium-8) are very short, unlike the half-lives for all other such nuclides with "A" ≤ 209, which are very long. (Such nuclides with "A" ≤ 209 are primordial nuclides except Sm.)


title: Alpha decay

text: Working out the details of the theory leads to an equation relating the half-life of a radioisotope to the decay energy of its alpha particles, a theoretical derivation of the empirical Geiger–Nuttall law.


title: Alpha decay

text: Americium-241, an alpha emitter, is used in smoke detectors. The alpha particles ionize air in an open ion chamber and a small current flows through the ionized air. Smoke particles from the fire that enter the chamber reduce the current, triggering the smoke detector's alarm.


title: Alpha decay

text: Radium-223 is also an alpha emitter. It is used in the treatment of skeletal metastases (cancers in the bones).


title: Alpha decay

text: Alpha decay can provide a safe power source for radioisotope thermoelectric generators used for space probes and were used for artificial heart pacemakers. Alpha decay is much more easily shielded against than other forms of radioactive decay.


title: Alpha decay

text: Static eliminators typically use polonium-210, an alpha emitter, to ionize the air, allowing the 'static cling' to dissipate more rapidly.


title: Alpha decay

text: Highly charged and heavy, alpha particles lose their several MeV of energy within a small volume of material, along with a very short mean free path. This increases the chance of double-strand breaks to the DNA in cases of internal contamination, when ingested, inhaled, injected or introduced through the skin. Otherwise, touching an alpha source is typically not harmful, as alpha particles are effectively shielded by a few centimeters of air, a piece of paper, or the thin layer of dead skin cells that make up the epidermis; however, many alpha sources are also accompanied by beta-emitting radio daughters, and both are often accompanied by gamma photon emission.


title: Alpha decay

text: Relative biological effectiveness (RBE) quantifies the ability of radiation to cause certain biological effects, notably either cancer or cell-death, for equivalent radiation exposure. Alpha radiation has a high linear energy transfer (LET) coefficient, which is about one ionization of a molecule/atom for every angstrom of travel by the alpha particle. The RBE has been set at the value of 20 for alpha radiation by various government regulations. The RBE is set at 10 for neutron irradiation, and at 1 for beta radiation and ionizing photons.


title: Alpha decay

text: However, the recoil of the parent nucleus (alpha recoil) gives it a significant amount of energy, which also causes ionization damage (see ionizing radiation). This energy is roughly the weight of the alpha (4 u) divided by the weight of the parent (typically about 200 u) times the total energy of the alpha. By some estimates, this might account for most of the internal radiation damage, as the recoil nucleus is part of an atom that is much larger than an alpha particle, and causes a very dense trail of ionization; the atom is typically a heavy metal, which preferentially collect on the chromosomes. In some studies, this has resulted in an RBE approaching 1,000 instead of the value used in governmental regulations.


title: Alpha decay

text: The largest natural contributor to public radiation dose is radon, a naturally occurring, radioactive gas found in soil and rock. If the gas is inhaled, some of the radon particles may attach to the inner lining of the lung. These particles continue to decay, emitting alpha particles, which can damage cells in the lung tissue. The death of Marie Curie at age 66 from aplastic anemia was probably caused by prolonged exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation, but it is not clear if this was due to alpha radiation or X-rays. Curie worked extensively with radium, which decays into radon, along with other radioactive materials that emit beta and gamma rays. However, Curie also worked with unshielded X-ray tubes during World War I, and analysis of her skeleton during a reburial showed a relatively low level of radioisotope burden.


title: Alpha decay

text: The Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko's 2006 murder by radiation poisoning is thought to have been carried out with polonium-210, an alpha emitter.


title: Dasara (film)

text: Dasara is an upcoming Indian Telugu-language action drama film written and directed by newcomer Srikanth Odela. Set in the backdrop of Singareni coal mines near Ramagundam's Godavarikhani of Telangana, the film stars Nani and Keerthy Suresh. "Dasara" is scheduled for a theatrical release on 30 March 2023.


title: Dasara (film)

text: In October 2021, actor Nani next project was announced with the title "Dasara" under the direction of debutant Srikanth Odela. It is produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri under his banner of Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Cinemas. The film was formally launched in February 2022.


title: Dasara (film)

text: Nani described "Dasara" as "pure raw, rustic, and adrenaline-rush of a film." The film is set in the backdrop of Singareni coal mines near Godavarikhani in Telangana.


title: Dasara (film)

text: Keerthy Suresh was cast as the female lead opposite Nani, which marks her second collaboration with him after "Nenu Local", while other actors and actresses like Samuthirakani, Prakash Raj, Rajendra Prasad, Roshan Mathew, Sai Kumar, Zarina Wahab were signed on to play pivotal roles.


title: Dasara (film)

text: Principal photography commenced in March 2022. In April 2022, the makers shifted to Hyderabad to shoot a song. In July 2022, the third schedule commenced.


title: Dasara (film)

text: The film score and soundtrack album of the film is composed by Santhosh Narayanan. The music rights were acquired by Saregama. The first single titled "Dhoom Dhaam Dhosthaan" was released on 3 October 2022. The single "Dhoom Dhaam Dhosthaan" opened to positive reviews from many critics mainly praising the makeover of Nani and Santhosh Narayanan's unique composition.


title: Dasara (film)

text: "Dasara" is scheduled for a theatrical release on 30 March 2023. It is planned to be released in Telugu in addition to dubbed versions in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi languages.


title: Asp (snake)

text: "Asp" is the modern anglicisation of the word ""aspis"", which in antiquity referred to any one of several venomous snake species found in the Nile region. The specific epithet, "aspis", is a Greek word that means "viper". It is believed that "aspis" referred to what is now known as the Egyptian cobra.


title: Asp (snake)

text: Throughout dynastic and Roman Egypt, the asp was a symbol of royalty. Moreover, in both Egypt and Greece, its potent venom made it useful as a means of execution for criminals who were thought deserving of a more dignified death than that of typical executions.


title: Asp (snake)

text: In some stories of Perseus, after killing Medusa, the hero used winged sandals to transport her head to King Polydectes. As he was flying over Egypt, some of her blood fell to the ground, which spawned asps and amphisbaena.


title: Asp (snake)

text: According to Plutarch, Cleopatra tested various deadly poisons on condemned people and concluded that the bite of the asp (from aspis—Egyptian cobra, not European asp) was the least terrible way to die; the venom brought sleepiness and heaviness without spasms of pain. The asp is perhaps most famous for its alleged role in Cleopatra's suicide after Mark Antony (her husband) killed himself by falling on his sword due to a false report of Cleopatra killing herself. Some believe it to have been a horned viper, though in 2010, German historian Christoph Schaefer and toxicologist Dietrich Mebs, after extensive study into the event, came to the conclusion that rather than enticing a venomous animal to bite her, Cleopatra actually used a mixture of hemlock, wolfsbane and opium to end her life.


title: Asp (snake)

text: Nonetheless, the image of suicide-by-asp has become inextricably connected with Cleopatra, as immortalized by William Shakespeare:


title: Asp (snake)

text: Othello also famously compares his hatred for Desdemona as being full of "aspics' tongues" in Act 3, Scene III of Shakespeare's play "Othello".


title: Asp (snake)

text: The hypnalis is a legendary creature described in medieval bestiaries. It is described as a type of asp that kills its victim in their sleep. "Cleopatra placed it on herself (at her breasts) and thus was freed by death as if by sleep."


title: Union Carbide

text: Union Carbide Corporation is an American chemical corporation wholly owned subsidiary (since February 6, 2001) by Dow Chemical Company. Union Carbide produces chemicals and polymers that undergo one or more further conversions by customers before reaching consumers. Some are high-volume commodities and others are specialty products meeting the needs of smaller markets. Markets served include paints and coatings, packaging, wire and cable, household products, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, textiles, agriculture, and oil and gas. The company is a former component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.


title: Union Carbide

text: Founded in 1917 as the Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation, from a merger with National Carbon Company, the company's researchers developed an economical way to make ethylene from natural gas liquids, such as ethane and propane, giving birth to the modern petrochemical industry. The company divested consumer products businesses Eveready and Energizer batteries, Glad bags and wraps, Simoniz car wax and Prestone antifreeze. The company divested other businesses before being acquired by Dow including electronic chemicals, polyurethane intermediates, industrial gases (Linde) and carbon products.


title: Union Carbide

text: The "Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation" was formed on November 1, 1917, from the merger of the Union Carbide Company founded in 1898, the National Carbon Company founded in 1886, Linde Air Products Company, a maker of liquid oxygen at Buffalo confiscated from "Gesellschaft für Linde's Eismaschinen AG" under the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917, and the Prest-O-Lite company, manufacturer of calcium carbide in Indianapolis. In 1920, the company set up a chemicals division which manufactured ethylene glycol for use as automotive antifreeze. The company continued to acquire related chemical producers, including the Bakelite Corporation in 1939. The company changed its name to "Union Carbide Corporation" in 1957 and was often referred to as Carbide. It operated Oak Ridge National Laboratory from 1947 to 1984.


title: Union Carbide

text: During the Cold war era, the company was active in the field of rocket propulsion research & development for aerospace and guided missile applications, particularly in the field of chemicals and plastics, solid rocket motors, and storable liquid fuels. R&D was conducted at the Technical Center in South Charleston, West Virginia. The Aerospace Materials Department was part of the company's Carbon Products Division.


title: Union Carbide

text: "Ucar batteries" was Carbide's industrial and consumer zinc chloride battery business. The business, including Energizer alkaline batteries, was sold to Ralston Purina in 1986, following a hostile takeover attempt.


title: Union Carbide

text: After the Bhopal disaster, Union Carbide was the subject of repeated takeover attempts. In order to pay off its debt, Carbide sold many of its most familiar brands such as Glad Trashbags and Eveready Batteries. Dow Chemical announced the purchase of Carbide in 1999 for $8.89 billion in stock. The deal was consummated in 2001 and valued at $11.6 billion.


title: Union Carbide

text: The Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster took place between 1927 and 1932 in a West Virginia tunnel project led by Union Carbide. During the construction of the tunnel, workers found the mineral silica and were asked to mine it for use in electroprocessing steel. The workers were not given masks or breathing equipment to use while mining. Due to silica dust exposure, many workers developed silicosis, a debilitating lung disease. According to a marker on site, there were 109 admitted deaths. A congressional hearing placed the death toll at 476.


title: Union Carbide

text: In the early 1960s, Union Carbide Corporation began mining a newly identified outcrop of chrysotile asbestos fibers near King City and New Idria, California. These fibers were sold under the brand name "Calidria", a combination of "Cal" and "Idria", and sold in large quantities for a wide variety of purposes, including addition into joint compound or drywall accessory products. Union Carbide sold the mine to its employees under the name KCAC ("King City Asbestos Mine") in the 1980s, but it only operated for a few more years.


title: Union Carbide

text: Union Carbide India Limited, owned by Union Carbide (50.9%) and Indian investors (49.1%), operated a pesticide plant in the Indian city of Bhopal. Around midnight on 3 December 1984, methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas was accidentally released from the plant, exposing more than 500,000 people to MIC and other chemicals. The main reason was the poorly managed safety measures, which were either malfunctioning or not working, and weren't repaired in order to cut costs. The government of Madhya Pradesh confirmed a total of 16,000 deaths related to the gas release. It left an estimated 40,000 individuals permanently disabled, maimed, or suffering from serious illness, making it one of the world's worst industrial disasters.


title: Union Carbide

text: In 1982, Carbide's auditors warned of a possible 'runaway reaction'. Carbide insisted the accident was an act of sabotage by a rogue worker. Union Carbide was sued by the Government of India and agreed to an out-of-court settlement of US$470 million in 1989. The plant site has not yet been cleaned up.


title: Union Carbide

text: Warren Anderson, CEO at the time of the disaster, refused to answer to homicide charges and remained a fugitive from India's courts. The U.S. denied several extradition requests. Anderson died on 29 September 2014 in Florida. Seven UCC employees were convicted of criminal negligence in 2010 and fined $2,000 each.


title: Union Carbide

text: The year after the Bhopal disaster, a faulty valve at the UC plant in Institute, West Virginia caused a large cloud of gas that injured six employees and caused almost 200 nearby residents to seek medical treatment for respiratory and skin irritation. Union Carbide blamed the leak of aldicarb oxime (made from MIC but does not contain any MIC itself), the main ingredient in the popular farm pesticide Temik, on a valve failure after a buildup of pressure in a storage tank containing 500 pounds of the chemical. A company spokesman insisted that the aldicarb oxime leak “never was a threat to the community.”


title: Union Carbide

text: Union Carbide's operations in Australia commenced in 1957, when it purchased the plant of the Australian-owned company Timbrol Ltd. The Timbrol factory was on the shore of Homebush Bay in the Sydney suburb of Rhodes. Homebush Bay is on the Parramatta River which flows into Sydney Harbour. Tibrol produced phenol, the insecticides chlorobenzene/chlorophenol/DDT, and the herbicides 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. Union Carbide continued the production of the 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T until 1976 and chlorobenzene/chlorophenol/DDT until 1983. Union Carbide also commenced the production of bisphenol A in 1960 and phenol formaldehyde resins in 1964.


title: Union Carbide

text: Union Carbide reclaimed land on neighboring properties by depositing spent lime and ash into the adjacent marshes in Homebush Bay. This practice, which had been approved by the Maritime Services Board, ceased in 1970.


title: Union Carbide

text: Union Carbide ceased operations in Australia in 1985. In 1987, the New South Wales Pollution Control Commission ordered Union Carbide to remediate the site. This work, which cost Union Carbide $30 million, was conducted between 1988 and 1993. The work involved excavation and encapsulation of the contaminated soil.


title: Union Carbide

text: In 2004, the New South Wales Minister for Planning granted consent for additional remediation of the former Union Carbide site to proceed, including parts of Homebush Bay. Approximately 900,000 tons of soil were excavated from the site, 190,000 tons of soil from the adjacent Allied Feeds site, and approximately 50,000 tons of sediment from the bay. Remediation of the Allied Feeds Site was completed in August 2009, Homebush Bay sediments in August 2010, and the Union Carbide site in March 2011. The cost of the remediation work was $35M for the Allied Feeds site, and $100 million for Union Carbide site and Homebush Bay sediments.