Gunman in Seattle protest

A man exits a vehicle with a gun as a man is tended to by medics after being shot by a driver who tried to drive through a protest against racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Seattle, Washington, U.S. on Sunday. Protests persists in several major cities around the USA and the world calling for the end to racial inequality.

-reuters-

Quarantine motels spark fear in virus-struck Washington state

SEATTLE - A project to set up "quarantine motels" in the US coronavirus epicenter of Washington state has infuriated local residents who fear they will be exposed to a high risk of infection.

More than half of all US novel coronavirus deaths so far have struck in King County, which encompasses the city of Seattle. The region has suffered 43 fatalities.

With the entire northwestern state going into lockdown Monday -- bars, restaurants, gyms and museums are all closed -- officials have moved to fill four properties bought to house those unable to self-quarantine.

These include the homeless, people with mental health issues or those living in multi-generational households worried about exposing elderly relatives.

The scheme is intended to relieve hospitals as resources grow increasingly stretched by the pandemic.

But Maddy Clemons, who works at coffee shop Bri's Beans opposite one motel in Kent, said she fears bringing the virus home to her two-year-old if customers pass it on to her.

"It worries me that (residents) could just leave the motel and walk up here to grab a coffee," she said, adding that she only learned about the quarantine site from a television crew who came to report on the plan.

"I'm looking for new employment, I'm so worried about it."

Soon after the motel opened, a homeless person who had not yet learned their coronavirus test result left the property, stole goods from a 7-11 convenience store and boarded a public bus.

Kent mayor Dana Ralph has called for heightened security including physical fencing, writing on Facebook: "My fears for this facility have come true. The things I predicted would happen now have happened."

On Monday, Governor Jay Inslee moved to reassure residents.

"We can all understand why people would be anxious if one person walked away -- who turned out to be not positive by the way -- into our neighborhoods," he said.

"Those aren't the people you need to be afraid of or concerned about. You need to be concerned about your best friend or your family."

But two employees in a Denny's restaurant, also across the street from the motel, expressed fears.

"If I get sick, I'm suing," said one employee, asking not to be identified.

'UNDERHANDED' 

Currently, quarantine at the sites is voluntary. Residents will be provided with food and monitored by health professionals. 

Though it has space for 85 people, the Kent motel was empty Monday. Officials warn the virus may not peak for eight weeks.

King County communications director Alex Fryer said the property was bought for several reasons: each room has separate ventilation, doors all open to the outside and it was for sale as the crisis began to escalate.

But the emergency purchase was immediately controversial. City mayor Ralph took King County to court but lost.

Treasure Nazario, 27, who often shops at the 7-11 opposite the motel, called it "suspicious."

"I have four kids. I have a baby. It's scary. It seems underhanded," Nazario said.

Inslee has called for people to show "level-headed and community-minded" responses to quarantine sites in their areas.

But some residents of White Center -- home to large Asian and Hispanic populations, far from the main outbreak hub -- say the decision for their community to host another quarantine site was racist.

"Why would you put it inside our neighborhood among so many schools and homes?" asked health worker Isabelle Kihano, in Spanish, at a county meeting.

King County commissioner Jeanne Kohl-Welles said there "was no time" for a detailed review.

"Speed is paramount," she added. "We're in an unprecedented crisis."

str-amz/to/kaf

Agence France-Presse

'Don't panic' says US woman who recovered from coronavirus

SEATTLE — An American woman who has recovered from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a simple message for people who are worried: Don't panic -- but do think about high-risk individuals and stay home if you feel ill.

Elizabeth Schneider lives in Seattle, the biggest city of Washington state, which has the most deaths in the United States from the disease sweeping the globe.

The 37-year-old, who has a PhD in bioengineering, said she was sharing her story "to give people a little bit of hope" through her own relatively mild experience with the infection, which she treated herself from home.

But, she added, "obviously, it's not something to be completely nonchalant about, because there are a lot of people who are elderly or have underlying health conditions."

"That means that we need to be extra vigilant about staying home, isolating ourselves from others."

This week, US health authorities citing Chinese data said 80 percent of cases have been mild, while the remaining serious cases that required hospitalization affected mainly people over 60 and those with conditions like diabetes, heart disease or lung disease.

THE PARTY

Schneider first began experiencing flu-like symptoms on February 25, three days after going to a party that was later identified as the place where at least five other people also got infected.

"I woke up and I was feeling tired, but it was nothing more than what you normally feel when you have to get up and go to work, and I had been very busy the previous weekend," she told AFP in an interview Wednesday.

By midday, however, she felt a headache coming on, along with a fever and body aches. She decided to leave the office of the biotechnology company where she works as a marketing manager, and went home.

After waking up from a nap, Schneider found she had a high temperature, which peaked at 39.4 Celsius that night.

"And at that point, I started to shiver uncontrollably, and I was getting the chills and getting tingling in my extremities, so that was a little concerning," she said.

She turned to over-the-counter flu medications to treat the symptoms and called a friend to be on standby in case she needed to be taken to an emergency room -- but the fever began to recede in the coming days.

Schneider had been following news reports about the novel coronavirus. The first US case was detected in Washington in late January.

The state has since gone on to become the epicenter of the disease in the country, with more than 260 cases and at least two dozen deaths. Nationwide, there have been more than 1,100 cases and 30 deaths.

Because she didn't have the most common symptoms like a cough or shortness of breath, "I thought, okay, well that's definitely why I don't have coronavirus," said Schneider.

She had gotten a flu shot but assumed her illness was a different strain. A visit to the doctor would only result in her being asked to go home, rest and drink plenty of fluids.

'PLEASANTLY SURPRISED'

A few days later, however, she discovered through a friend's Facebook post that several people from the party had all developed similar symptoms, and she began to get more suspicious.

Several of these people went to their doctors, where they were found to be negative for the flu, but they were not offered coronavirus tests because they too were not coughing or having breathing trouble.

Knowing that she would also likely be turned down for the test, she decided to enroll in a research program called the Seattle Flu Study, hoping it might provide an answer. The team behind the study sent her a nasal swab kit, which she mailed back and waited several more days.

"I finally got a phone call from one of the research coordinators on Saturday (March 7), telling me that 'You have tested positive for COVID-19,'" she said.

"I was a little bit pleasantly surprised, because I thought it was a little bit cool," Schneider admitted, laughing, though her mother cried when she told her.

"Granted, I probably would not have felt that way if I was severely ill," she said. "But from a scientific curiosity perspective, I thought it was very interesting. And also the fact that I finally got confirmation that that's what I had."

By this time, her symptoms had already subsided, and she was told by local health authorities to remain at home for at least seven days after the onset of symptoms or 72 hours after they subsided.

It's now been a week since she's felt better. She has started going out for errands but is still avoiding large gatherings and continuing to work from home.

Schneider said she hoped her example, which will probably be typical of the high majority of cases, could comfort others.

"The message is don't panic," said Schneider. "If you think that you have it, you probably do; you should probably get tested."

"If your symptoms aren't life-threatening, simply stay at home, medicate with over-the-counter medicines, drink lots of water, get a lot of rest and check out the shows you want to binge-watch," she said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

At least one killed, several injured in Seattle mass shooting

LOS ANGELES - At least one person was killed and seven others, including a child, were wounded on Wednesday after gunfire broke out in downtown Seattle near a popular tourist area, police and hospital officials said.

Police said at least one suspect was being sought in connection with the mass shooting that took place near a McDonald's fast food restaurant, just blocks away from the Pike Place Market.

It was the third shooting in the area in less than two days, and the latest incident of gun violence that has affected churches, cinemas and other public places in the United States.

"Officers investigating shooting near 4th and Pine," the Seattle Police Department said in a tweet. "Multiple victims. The suspect has fled, and police are searching for him. Officers and medics are providing first aid to the injured."

Police chief Carmen Best told reporters at the scene that one person, a woman, had been killed and several others were wounded in the shooting that occurred shortly after 5:00 pm (0100 GMT).

Officials at Harborview Medical Center, where all the wounded were transported, said seven people were being treated at the hospital, including a nine-year-old boy.

Police ordered people to stay out of the area and shut down a subway station as they searched for one or more suspects.

Tyler Parsons, an employee at Victrola Coffee Roasters, told The Seattle Times that he was working when he suddenly saw victims falling to the ground as shots rang out.

He said several people ran into his shop to seek cover and he saw two people with gunshot wounds.

"The shooting was just kind of terrifying. Terrifying it's so close," he told the paper.

One body covered with a white tarp could be seen in TV images lying on the sidewalk in front of the McDonald's two hours after the shooting.

It was unclear if any of the victims were tourists.

Susan Gregg, a spokesperson for Harborview Medical Center, said a 55-year-old woman shot in the abdomen was rushed into surgery and the boy, who was shot in the leg, was in serious condition. The other victims -- five males -- are in satisfactory condition, she said.

Gregg added that the nature of the injuries varied from grazing wounds to life-threatening injuries.

One witness interviewed by local media said he had seen two men arguing loudly before they started shooting at one another, hitting bystanders.

Around 40,000 people died from various firearms-related incidents, including suicides and homicides, in 2017 in the US, according to government figures.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FBI seeks motive after US airline worker steals plane, crashes it

Federal authorities on Saturday were seeking to learn what drove an airline worker to steal an empty airplane from Seattle's airport in a security scare that caused the scrambling of US fighter jets and ended when the plane crashed.

A Horizon Air ground service agent got into a Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft on Friday night in a maintenance area at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and took off, Horizon sister carrier Alaska Airlines said.

He flew for about one hour, often erratically with attempts at aerial stunts, before crashing onto sparsely populated Ketron Island in Puget Sound, some 40 kilometers to the southwest.

The 29-year-old man, who has not been officially identified, was suicidal and appeared to have acted alone, according to authorities. He was believed to have been killed in the crash.

Relatives and co-workers identified the man as Richard Russell of Sumner, Wash., who also went by the name Beebo.

"He was a faithful husband, a loving son, and a good friend," the Russell family said in a statement.

"This is a complete shock to us. We are devastated by these events and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now," the family said.

Russell was not known to have had a pilot's license, Horizon Air Chief Executive Gary Beck said at a news conference, and it was not clear how he was able to take off and fly as he did.

"There were some maneuvers that were done that were incredible maneuvers with the aircraft," Beck said. "Commercial aircraft are complex machines. They're not as easy to fly as, say, a Cessna 150, so I don't know how he achieved the experience that he did," Beck said.

The local sheriff's department said on Twitter that either doing stunts "or lack of flying skills" caused the crash.

In partial recordings of Russell's conversations with air traffic controllers that were published online by Broadcastify.com, he said he was sorry to disappoint people who cared about him and described himself as a "broken guy."

"Got a few screws loose, I guess," Russell is heard saying in the recording. "Never really knew it until now."

He also admired the sunset, complained of lightheadedness, and asked whether he would go to prison if he landed safely.

He had worked for Horizon Air for 3-1/2 years and had clearance to tow planes, Alaska Airlines Chief Executive Brad Tilden said at the news conference.

Tilden said airplanes of that type do not have doors that lock or ignition keys like cars.

"The setup in aviation in America is we secure the airfield and then we have the mindset that we have employees that are credentialed and authorized to be there," Tilden said, adding that the airline was working with authorities to investigate.

The FBI is leading the probe, which also includes the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

"We are going to be thorough, which means taking the time needed to scour the area, delve into the background of the individual believed responsible, and review every aspect of this incident with all appropriate public & private partners," the FBI said in a statement.

Two F-15 fighter jets took to the air from a base in Portland, Oregon, and were on the scene within minutes. The jets were armed but did not open fire, North American Aerospace Defense Command spokesman Cameron Hillier said by phone.

Instead, the F-15 pilots and air traffic controllers tried to guide the plane west, away from populated areas, said Hillier. No one was hurt on the ground, authorities said.

It was unclear how the employee was able to taxi the plane on a runway and take off without authorization.

The Bombardier Q400 turboprop is designed for short-distance flights and can seat 76 passengers, Alaska Air said.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles Additional reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Kim Coghill)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Starbucks CEO Schultz to step aside, stay as chairman

NEW YORK - Howard Schultz, the charismatic head of Starbucks, will step aside as CEO next year, turning a major page in the history of a company he built into an iconic global brand.

Having led the company's rise from a sleepy Seattle chain into the world's biggest coffee business, Schultz will stay on as executive chairman and chairman of the board, the coffee giant said Thursday in a surprise announcement that sent the share price down after hours.

The change will take effect April 3.

Schultz will hand the reins to president and chief operating officer Kevin Johnson, a close friend who was tapped as number two at the company in 2015 and has been a Starbucks board member since 2009.

The move comes as the firm faces an increasingly crowded market for higher-quality retail coffee shops and seeks to bolster foot traffic.

Schultz will devote his time to developing high-end superpremium coffee shops around the world known as Starbucks Reserve Roasteries, the company said in a statement.

It plans to open 20 to 30 outlets in the coming years.

"I will be here full-time," Schultz told a conference call with analysts. "I am not leaving the company, I am here day to day."

NEW INITIATIVE

Schultz, who joined Starbucks in 1982 as a sales manager, is considered the driving force behind the worldwide success of the coffee chain begun in 1971.

He briefly left in 1986 following a dispute with the then-owners to set up his own company, Il Giornale, before buying out their shares in 1987 with support from local small investors.

Starbucks now operates more than 25,000 stores in more than 75 countries, with a turnover of around $20 billion in fiscal year 2015.

Schultz, 63, told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that the company's new initiative would help maintain in-person sales as consumers increasingly move to online shopping rather than visiting malls, where many Starbucks outlets are located.

"I don't have any time horizon that would limit my engagement in the company," he said. "This gives me the entrepreneurial freedom to do what I think I do best."

Incoming CEO Johnson is a tech industry veteran, having spent 16 years at Microsoft and five as CEO of the networking equipment company Juniper Networks.

Prior to the announcement, the company's share price closed up 0.9 percent in New York but fell 3.35 percent in after-hours trading to $56.55 at 2250 GMT.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
Schultz is outspoken about social issues such as gay rights and gun violence and has worked to make Starbucks socially responsible.

The company increased the base salaries of its US employees by 5 percent in July after they expressed concerns about the effect new software enabling customers to place orders on their smartphones would have on jobs.

The company has also opened outlets in poor areas and supported initiatives against racism.

Schultz is close to the Democratic former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, whom he supported during the election campaign. But he has dismissed persistent rumors he would run for office himself. Many, including some of his friends, have said he may run for president in four years.

He steps down as Starbucks goes ahead with plans to double the number of its stores in China over five years.

But it has run afoul of European regulators, one of several major US companies the European Commission accused of having received illegal tax benefits from Ireland.

In October 2015, the commission also ordered Starbucks to repay up to 30 million euros ($33 million) in the Netherlands, saying tax breaks there amounted to unlawful state aid.

The Dutch authorities are fighting the decision.

Schultz has sought to step away from running Starbucks before.

The Wall Street darling became the company's chairman in 2000 before returning as chief executive in 2008 with the onset of the global financial crisis.

Shares worth $10 at that time climbed to a record high of more than $60 by the end of last year.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Seattle Luxury Real Estate on Mercer Island

For a warm, inviting neighborhood to purchase Seattle luxury real estate in, consider Mercer Island. This peaceful suburb is located right on Lake Washington yet remains connected to Seattle and Bellevue by way of the Interstate 90 bridges. The island is roughly 5 miles long and about 1½ miles wide. This family-friendly community has the small-town feel but the charm of a big city. It’s perfect for those who want to raise a family but also stay connected with the fast-paced culture.

Seattle luxury real estate in Mercer Island is also ideal for individuals who have retired and are looking for a property with a wonderful view. Children and grandchildren will enjoy coming to visit and finding tranquility in the natural beauty of the area. Not only with the astonishing views be enough to draw in your visitors, but the recreational waterfront and beach parks will be enough to keep relatives coming back as well.

Mercer Island properties are close enough to the bigger cities, but just far enough way to be a lovely neighborhood all of its own. Learn more about Mercer Island luxury real estate and other properties throughout the Seattle metropolitan area today – contact the dependable realty team at the Stroupe Group now.

source: 20smoney.com

Woman buys lottery ticket for 1st time, wins $90-M jackpot

SEATTLE - A Washington state woman on Thursday claimed a $90 million Powerball lottery jackpot after buying a ticket for the first time, and said she would quit her job at plane maker Boeing Co and buy a new Subaru.

Lisa Quam, who bought her ticket at a grocery story in Auburn, south of Seattle, had the six correct numbers in Saturday's multi-state drawing, the lottery said in a statement.

"Sent out an email to my co-workers and friends at work this morning and told them what a pleasure it was to work with them and to check the news today, and they'll come to an understanding of why I am writing this note," Quam said to laughter at a news conference in Olympia.

Quam and her husband bought two Powerball tickets on a Thanksgiving Day run to buy a newspaper and pumpkin spice, the lottery's statement said. She posted the tickets on the refrigerator and checked the numbers on Sunday.

"I yelled to my family, 'Get up here!' They all thought I was mad and angry about something," she said in a statement through the lottery. "My daughter asked, 'Is this an emergency?' and I said, 'Yes!'"

Quam has not decided whether to collect the prize as a lump sum, which would amount to roughly $56.8 million, or as an annuity of 30 payments.

The largest-ever Powerball jackpot was for $590.5 million and went to the holder of a single winning ticket last year.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 175 million. The game is played in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Quam was the first Powerball jackpot winner in Washington state.

"We have student loans just like every family, house repairs. Maybe we'll buy a house for one of the kids," she said when asked by reporters about her plans.

Quam said she expected to travel more and had already identified her next new car: a Subaru Forester. (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Eric Walsh)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Seattle helicopter crash adds to concern about chopper safety

Troubled by an "unacceptably high number of helicopter accidents" during the last decade, the National Transportation Safety Board in recent weeks has asked the helicopter industry to take extra care when inspecting and fixing helicopters. Officials have also suggested that pilots spend more time training on simulators.

The deaths of a pilot and a photojournalist in a fiery helicopter crash in downtown Seattle on Tuesday are likely to bring more urgency to that safety campaign. Already, Seattle's mayor has said he wants to reexamine the city’s regulations about helipads.

The KOMO-TV news chopper had just taken off from its helipad atop a downtown building when witnesses described hearing unusual noises, including the sound of a "whining" engine, the NTSB said. The aircraft starting spinning and sputtered into the ground, where it exploded and damaged three cars. One of the drivers was hospitalized for serious burn injuries.

More than 500 people have died in at least 1,600 helicopter crashes since 2004, the NTSB said in January. The agency attributed part of what it described as an alarming upward trend to the growing demand for helicopters to serve as ambulances, help with searches, cover news events and serve in private tours.

Helicopter crashes have been a cause for concern worldwide. In just the last week, four men died in a crash in England and a radio journalist died in El Salvador while covering a bike race from a helicopter that smashed into the ground shortly after takeoff.

The 11-year-old Eurocopter AS350 B2 that went down in Seattle was owned by Helicopters Inc., which says on its website that it operates choppers for more than 50 news organizations. KOMO-TV and KING-TV had been jointly leasing a helicopter from the company. But the one that crashed was a temporary replacement while the usual one received upgrades,  KOMO-TV said.

A Boston television station, WBZ-TV, reported that it and another local station, WFXT-TV, had been using the same helicopter for a decade before switching it out last fall.

Investigators trying to determine what caused the fiery crash will examine the pilot's background and the remains of the aircraft. They will also consider environmental factors such as the weather, said Dennis Hogenson, the NTSB's acting deputy for the Western Pacific region.

The agency's weeks-old safety campaign has spurred action from helicopter manufacturers and helicopter operators. At a helicopter trade conference last month, industry leaders said pilots should make precautionary landings and ground their helicopters if they feel something is amiss. Pilots shouldn't worry about ridicule from colleagues or punishment from the FAA, they said.

"If we are so good at landing anywhere, how come we don't use that feature when we need it the most -- to prevent an accident?" Matt Zuccaro, president of Helicopter Assn. International reportedly said of the "Land and Live" message. "If the weather is closing in, if you are unsure of your ability to reach your fueling point, if there is a maintenance sound or an indication on the panel or if the pilot is not feeling well physically, why not just stop that sequence of events?"

In Seattle, Mayor Ed Murray said a review of helipad regulations was necessary because the crash could have been "much worse." The crash site was across from popular tourist attractions, including the Space Needle, a monorail and a music museum. But the area was quiet about 7:40 a.m. when the crash occurred, he said at a televised news conference.

Emmy Award-winning photojournalist Bill Strothman and the helicopter pilot, Gary Pfitzner, died. Richard Newman, 38, escaped from one of three cars damaged by the crash and was hospitalized in serious condition with burns on up to 20% of his body.

The wreckage was taken to a hangar at Auburn Municipal Airport about 30 miles away. A preliminary report on the crash should be available within five days, the NTSB said, though investigators may not have determined a cause by then.

source: latimes.com

Fans bid Cynthia Alexander good luck and farewell

Fans crammed into Conspiracy Bar in Quezon City on Saturday to hear and witness the final set of Cynthia Alexander. The songwriter—whose intense prose-poetry set in unusual melodies has earned followers from the music, art, and literary communities—is set to leave the Philippines this Wednesday, and to migrate to Seattle, USA, with her family.

But it’s not farewell she insists.

“Its not goodbye, goodbye Philippines; Pilipino tayo,” she said. “We are such a sentimental lot. And like I’ve been telling my audience, I’ll be back next year. Because this is my home.”

This is not the first time she’ll be living in Seattle. Two years ago, she stayed there for a six months; to her memory, nobody noticed. But last week, after a Yahoo article headlined that she’s leaving the country due to lack of support, followers of the Filipino music scene were abuzz with concern for the state of OPM.

Alexander agrees that the climate for the local music scene is becoming more discouraging. Piracy is rampant and remains the No. 1 enemy of the music industry. And yet, but the watchdogs set up to protect local artists hardly seem to be putting up a fight.

Worse yet, unthinking policies are actually keeping independent artists like Cynthia from promoting herself.

“You know the OMB, the optical media board – it’s a government office, right? I myself can’t even print my own CDs. I have to get a license to print myself. So when I go to the CD duplicator ‘I’m sorry ma’am I can’t print you anymore dahil hinahabol kami ng OMB dahil wala ka raw license. License to what? Ma’am wala kang license to print your own music.’ I think there’s something wrong there. The OMB was created to combat piracy. But you think we pirate ourselves? We’re just small fish trying to survive.”

At first she tried her luck with a major music label she opts not to name. She brought 30 songs for their first meeting and while she was told they sounded fresh, she was instructed to come back the week after with something that sounded like Alanis Morisette.

“I was heartbroken,” she recalls. “It’s just the way it is. I suppose that opened my eyes.”

To prove that she can be original and marketable, she managed to sign with another label. But after the release of her first album, Insomnia and Other Lullabyes, in 1996, she felt she was not getting the support needed to get her music out. After six months she signed a release from them and was told her she’ll never have a second album.

And so Alexander decided to just do it herself.

“I’ve written without anyone’s dictation. I didn’t study music. But I did the best with the tools that I have and I think that’s the message. I make do with what I have, which is a very Filipino thing. In the most difficult situation, to build something out of very meager tools, resources and you’re able to come up with something.”

The result was Rippingyarns. Released in 2000, it won the nine major awards including Best Album and Best Producer in the Katha Music Awards. She has released two albums since then, Comet’s Tail (2005) and Walk Down the Road (2009), and has gained a solid and loyal fan base.

She believes if Filipino independent music got the same attention as the Pinoy indie films, then maybe it would have a fighting chance again.

“You know, it’s hard. You think about artistry: is it just the production of work. Because we are people! We have to eat. When it becomes sustainable—that which you produce is giving you enough back so you can eat and raise your family then I think maybe somehow there is progress.”

Until then she will explore other options for the time being. Alexander acquired an artist visa to the US.

“I write music here and I write music there. So when the album comes out, of course I’ll release it here. I can’t rip the Philippines off my heart. Taga-dito ako.” —With interview by Juan Carlo Gotinga.

source: interaksyon.com