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Star Trek: Lower Decks explores two fronts the franchise is seldom known for comedy and animation. Series creator Mike McMahan, whose credits include Adult Swim's Rick & Morty and co-creator of Solar Opposites, spoke to Collider about the balance between looking at Star Trek in a new light while also paying respect to the franchise. The series focuses the members of the lower decks of a starship crew instead of the senior officers and remaining bridge crew. "I'm a huge fan," McMahan said. "Nobody needs a Star Trek comedy that makes fun of [the franchise] or punches down, nor was I interested in doing that. I was interested in writing a Star Trek that could be canon. That follows the rules of other [previous] shows that I loved, and has everything that you love about [the franchise], including the way you tell stories. But I'm a comedy writer."

Despite the different formats, he didn't want to deviate from what already worked for the franchise as a template. "I'm never gonna write a serious Star Trek, so the way that we handled it's not on a capital ship. It's not about the bridge crew. It's about the lowest officers on that ship. But when we're breaking stories for the lower decks, every episode also has a proper Star Trek episode that's happening to the bridge crew, and our lower deckers aren't involved in it." McMahan explained the viewer will get the same elements they're used to but through a different perspective. "However, you can't have a big sci-fi thing happening on a starship and not have it affect them because that's their whole world," he said. "So if you're watching Lower Decks, you're getting a full Star Trek episode from the perspective of people who are having their own social and emotional stories and their own sci-fi stories, but they just aren't on the bridge. They don't have the information the bridge is getting, and they don't have the responsibility."

McMahon explained the importance of having characters that make sense within the realm of the franchise. "A big thing that was important to me was figuring out how do we comedically access these characters," he said. "How can these characters be funny and not break Star Trek? You can't have a Morty [from Rick and Morty] in Star Trek. You can't just have a stupid person in Starfleet, otherwise, it breaks the aspirational paradigm of what humanity is like in Starfleet. So our leads are foils for each other, but they're very much ingrained in Star Trek." The characters McMahan created drew inspiration from the existing canon.

"You have Ensign Beckett Mariner, who is sort of like our Tom Cruise/Maverick," he said. "Where she's amazing at Starfleet stuff, and she's incredibly knowledgeable, but she just hates following the rules and she bristles at the military structure. She wants to do whatever she wants. She's kind of like Captain Kirk if Kirk wasn't a captain and didn't have the power. Kirk would follow his gut, and she followers her gut. Then, Ensign Brad Boimler also knows everything about sci-fi stuff and is also an amazing Starfleet crew member, but he's so by-the-book and so burdened by following the rules that he can't follow his gut. So the comedic friction there is that they both want the same thing, they're both good at this stuff, but emotionally and from a human level, they're completely different about how they do it."

With the exception of an episode of Futurama and the short-lived Star Trek: The Animated Series, Gene Roddenberry's vision of the utopian future on the screen was a predominantly a live-action affair. Currently the franchise is seeing a renaissance not seen before since Roddenberry introduced The Next Generation in 1987. With TNG and The Original Series' films' success came TV spinoffs in Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. Following the cancellation of Enterprise in 2005, Star Trek's future became uncertain.

Despite J.J. Abrams' Kelvin Universe reboot in 2009, it wouldn't be until 2017 when the next series Discovery premiered not on The CW or in syndication, but on the streaming CBS All Access. As the flagship for the ViacomCBS SVOD service, the series generated renewed interest in the franchise unlike any before from audiences to the network itself. The success of Discovery led to expanded projects for executive producer Alex Kurtzman. Among them included the immensely popular Picard, Lower Decks, and now, Strange Worlds as the first direct spinoff of Discovery. Star Trek: Lower Decks premieres on CBS All Access in 2020.

I'm a follower of pop culture from gaming, comics, sci-fi, fantasy, film, and TV for over 30 years. I grew up reading magazines like Starlog, Mad, and Fangora. As a professional writer for over 10 years, Star Wars was the first sci-fi franchise I fell in love with. I'm a nerd-of-all-trades.

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Lower Decks: Mike McMahan On Why You Can't Have Morty in Star Trek - Bleeding Cool News

In just a few days (May 30, to be precise), The Arena Open tournament will be live on MTG Arena, promising cash prizes of up to $2000 USD to the top players. The first day of the tournament will be best-of-one (BO1) Standard, with players who manage to achieve 7 wins before 3 losses will advance to the second day. This is a rare case where a high stakes event is making use of the game mode, as most Magic: The Gathering tournaments are best-of-three. The first Mythic Invitational last year (won by Andrea Mengucci) experimented with this, but has not been repeated since.

Ever since the announcement was made, competitive players who have been playing primarily BO3 matches have been testing the waters in the BO1 metagame. As many might know already, BO1 is by far the most played game mode in MTG Arena as it allows for quicker games. This will be a great opportunity to see some of the great minds of the game create some fine tuned decks for BO1, as until now they have been far and few between!

Below you will find a growing list of BO1 Standard decks from pros, streamers and Mythic players. This page will be updated until the tournament starts on May 30, which then after we will publish all the known successful decklists from day 1 in a separate article. We also collected some BO1 resources for you below, as the format is quite different to BO3 in many ways. We also have an overview article for it that coming soon.

Be sure to check out our new Metagame page for the latest tier list on all the top decks in Standard at the moment! You can also toggle between BO1 and BO3 decks while browsing our deck sections under Mode.

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Best-of-One (BO1) Standard Decks for The Arena Open from Pros, Streamers and Mythic Players MTG Arena Zone - MTG Arena Zone

Installing a deck in your backyard is a great way to add value to your home while also making it easier to enjoy outdoor meals and gatherings with family, friends, and neighbors. But not all decks are close to the ground. Depending on the setup of your home, you may find that it makes sense to build a deck well off the ground, in which case you'll be left with some space underneath it.

The question is: What should you do with that space? Here are some options to consider:

You may be inclined to write off the space under a raised deck as unusable, but actually, there's no need to do so. While grass underneath a deck may not thrive due to limited sun exposure, you can install a patio under your deck and use it for additional seating space. That patio can be made of simple concrete, or you can choose a higher-end material for it, like stone, that goes well with your deck from an aesthetic standpoint.

Sheds are a smart idea for many homeowners. If you have a lot of tools, adding a shed gives you lots of storage space, thereby eliminating clutter from your basement or garage. But if there's one drawback to sheds, it's that they can sometimes be an eyesore. The solution? Stick one underneath your deck, where it will be out of the way and less noticeable.

On a warm summer's day, there's certainly something to be said for escaping the heat. The beauty of having an above-ground deck is that the space underneath it is shaded. As such, you don't necessarily have to do anything specific with that space. Rather, you can use it as a play area if you have children so that they're guarded from the sun and heat. Move some toys under the deck, or invest in a small sandbox they can play in if you don't mind the potential ensuing mess (think sand being dragged into your home). There are plenty of options to explore without spending much, or any, money.

Of course, if you're really looking to hide the space under your deck, you could always try closing it off with a trellis or screen. Doing so could actually add a nice aesthetic element to your outdoor setup. But why give up that space when there are plenty of things you can actually do with it? Whether you choose to put in a patio, house a shed there, or take advantage of a shaded play area, be sure to explore your options before writing off the idea of putting the space beneath your deck to good use.

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Have a Raised Deck? How to Maximize the Space Below It - Motley Fool

Aby Rosen of RFR Realty and the Chrysler Building (Getty; iStock)

The last observation deck at the Chrysler Building closed in 1945. Now, its getting a new one.

Aby Rosens RFR Realty and architecture firm Gensler received unanimous approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission for the plans, which were presented in a Zoom meeting Tuesday.

The deck will be positioned on the terraces that frame the 61st floor of the 77-floor tower, according to the New York Post. They will feature eight-foot-tall protective glass walls, which Rosen reportedly told the commission would be virtually invisible from the ground.

RFR and partner Sigma Holding GmbH bought the ground lease for the building at 405 Lexington Avenue from Tishman Speyer and an Abu Dhabi fund last year for $151 million. Since then, Rosen has been discreet about his plans for the iconic structure, however, he told Bloomberg last year that he wanted to bring back the Cloud Club venue, and has reportedly expressed a desire to include retail and restaurants at the site.

The Real Deal previously reported that RFR gave existing retail tenants notice last June that their leases would not be renewed, because the owner wants to restore and renovate. At least six retailers, including a barbershop and a dry cleaner, have since vacated the site.

The previous observation deck, known as the Celestial, was on the 71st floor. Its unclear when the new deck will be opened to the public, but it will face competition. SL Green Realty is planning an observation deck at the nearby One Vanderbilt, and last year Related Companies opened The Edge at 30 Hudson Yards, the tallest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere. [NYP] Sylvia Varnham ORegan

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Aby Rosen is bringing back the Chrysler Buildings observation deck - The Real Deal

As I get older I worry a little less each year about weeds in the yard. Hey, if its green, were good. But one reason why I worry less about weeds growing in the yard is that I have fewer and fewer of them growing than just a few years ago.

Why? Well for one, I stopped being my own worst enemy when it came to weed control. I like a well-kept yard and I also believe that the best landscaping tool we have is our lawn mower. That said, it can also be the cause of many of our lawns issues as well.

Nothing helps a lawn naturally suppress weeds more than a thick stand of grass. We can overseed and fertilize to help our grass be more productive, but it is probably more important to not injure or kill the grass you have by operating your mower at less than optimal conditions.

The first thing you should try to do is raise your mower deck to 4 inches in height. Most all of our lawns are comprised of cool season grasses that grow best in the spring and fall. These grasses lose too much of their photosynthetic abilities if they are cut lower than 4 inches.

Warm season grasses, by comparison, should not be allowed to grow past one and a half to two inches in height. In our area, most of the warm season grasses are found on football field playing surfaces or golf courses, not in the normal lawn.

You may find that the only way to get your mower deck to mow at 4 inches is to trade your current mower. While that is a drastic step, it is something you should keep in mind if you are purchasing a new machine.

Besides mowing at 4 inches, you also need to check your blades for sharpness. Dull blades tend to tear the grass instead of clipping it. In much the same manner as an incision heals better than a laceration, clipped grass rebounds faster. That will equate to needing more mowing, but it will also mean that the grasses will tiller (spread out) more and cover more area resulting in a thicker turf.

Thicker turf will result in less sunlight penetrating to the ground level where baby broadleaf weeds like dandelion and thistles are waiting. Thicker turf will also keep the ground surface cooler so it will take less water to keep your lawn green. Finally, thicker turf just looks better so you dont react so quickly to put down extra grass seed and fertilizer.

Finally, mowing at the best height and proper sharpness will hide imperfections in our surface smoothness as well. Mowing low will bring out every rut and hole because the deck will strike the ground and skin the turf. Raising the deck helps this but I also recommend that one of the simplest things to do to ensure your lawn has a level mower is to check and balance your tire pressure. All too often, an out-of-balance clipping is not a deck or blade issue but rather simply a flat or almost flat tire.

June 19--Deadline to consign calves to the July VQA Sale.

July 15--VQA Sale, Tri State Livestock Market.

July 17--Deadline to Consign Calves to the August VQA Sale.

July 20--VQA Steer Take-Up, Tri State Livestock Market, 6:30 a.m. to noon.

July 22--VQA Heifer Take Up, Tri State Livestock Market, 6:30 a.m. to noon.

July 25-Aug 1--Rich Valley Fair.

*4-H Camp has been cancelled for 2020.

Sept. 28 Oct. 3--State Fair of Virginia.

Sept. 29 Oct. 1--National Ag Agents Meeting, Virginia Beach.

Oct. 14--Smyth County 4th Grade Ag Field Day.

Oct. 16--Deadline to Consign Calves to the Nov. 11 VQA Sale.

Oct. 20-22--Sunbelt Ag Expo.

Oct. 30--Deadline to Consign Calves to the Dec. 2 VQA Sale.

Nov. 11--VQA Calf Sale, Tri State Livestock Market, 7 p.m.

Nov. 16--VQA Steer Take Up.

Nov. 16--Private Pesticide Recertification Course, 6 p.m.

Nov. 18--VQA Heifer Take Up.

Nov. 19--Private Pesticide Recertification Course, 8:30 a.m.

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in these activities, call Andy Overbay or Pam Testerman at 276-783-5175/TDD 800-828-1120 from 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations five days prior to the event.

Dr. Andy Overbay is Smyth Countys agriculture and natural resources extension agent.

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Extension Answers: Dealing with weeds from the mower deck - Southwest Virginia Today

Mumbai: For the first time in the Tata Groups history, the chairman of Tata Sons and CEOs of all operating companies will take an estimated 20% cut in compensation as the conglomerate initiates cost-cutting measures. The move is aimed at leading by example, motivating employees and organisations and ensuring business viability, insiders said.

TCS, the groups flagship and its most profitable company, was the first to announce a cut for CEO Rajesh Gopinathan. Indian Hotels has already said its senior leadership will contribute a percentage of their salary this quarter to help with the survival phase of the company.

CEOs and MDs of Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Trent, Tata International, Tata Capital and Voltas, among others, will have their compensation reduced, executives said. Top officials close to the development said the cut would primarily be in current year bonuses.

These are times never before experienced in the history of our group and it calls for some tough measures to protect businesses, said a top group CEO seeking anonymity. We will do all that it takes to ensure right leadership with empathy. As a culture, the group has always ensured employees down the line are protected as much as can be.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran had told ET earlier that each company will review its HR policy, revenue planning and cash flow management.

Measures in View of Covid PandemicWe will be compassionate and each company will take a decision individually to ensure a viable business, Chandrasekaran had told ET.

Tata Sons and most group companies did not respond to ETs email on the subject. A Tata Steel spokesperson said, Remuneration is a decision which rests with the remuneration committee of the board of Tata Steel. It therefore may not be appropriate to pre-empt a way forward in the matter.

CEO remuneration at the top 15 Tata Group companies rose about 11% in FY19 from FY18 on average compared with a 14% jump in FY18 over FY17. Barring TCS, no other unit has published the FY20 annual report so far. However, the data is not strictly comparable as some CEOs joined during the financial year.

Chandrasekaran received a total remuneration of Rs 65.52 crore for FY19, which includes a Rs 54 crore commission on the profit of Tata Sons. His package was 19% higher than in FY18.

On the business front, Tata Group sales of 33 listed companies rose 10% to Rs7.52 lakh crore in FY19. Three companies Tata Motors, Tata Steel and TCS contributed nearly 82% of total sales. However, profits of the 33 companies declined 20% in FY19 from FY18. TCS contributed nearly Rs32,340 crore to Tata Group profit, followed by Tata Steel at Rs10,218 crore in FY19.

TCS chief executive Rajesh Gopinathans remuneration dropped 16.5% to Rs13.3 crore in the fiscal year ended March 31from Rs 16.04 crore in the previous financial year.

The executive remuneration for FY20 is lower than FY19 in view of the economic conditions impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, said the TCS annual report. He earned 215 times the median remuneration. Tata Motors CEO Guenter Butschek was paid Rs26.29 crore, the most among group CEOs and 351 times the median remuneration.

The company made a loss of Rs28,828 crore in FY19. Tata Steel, which reported a 16% compounded sales growth over three years and 88% profit growth during the period, raised CEO TV Narendrans salary by 19% to Rs11.23 crore in FY19. Titan and Tata Elxsi, the two best companies as far as growth was concerned, raised CEO remuneration by 15% each in FY19. The CEO pay package at Trent, Tata Chemicals, Rallis India and Tata Coffee rose about 10% in FY19.

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Covid impact: Tata's top deck to take up to 20% pay cut for the first time in group's history - ETtech.com

Monica Pahkala was still applying her makeup behind the bar of the Poop Deck, her nautical-themed spot on Galveston Island, on Friday morning when the first patrons walked in. The bar was roped off so guests couldnt approach it, and the bartenders told those who showed up to use hand sanitizer as they entered. Patrons couldnt order unless they were seated at a table.

The Poop Deck, which has an unobstructed view of the beach and is adorned by ropes and netting, had been closed for 65 days prior, due to city and state restrictions meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus. When Governor Greg Abbott announced last Monday that Texas bars could reopen at 25 percent capacity on Friday, Pahkala and her husband knew theyd open back up. They were concerned about their health, but had been relying on unemployment benefits while the establishment was shuttered. And Memorial Day weekend has long marked the unofficial start of the summer season in Texas, and is one of the busiest on the island.

The Pahkalas had fewer than four days to replace and replenish their alcohol, clean and sanitize every surface, and figure out the best way to configure the tables and chairs to keep guests at least somewhat separated. Inside, they limited capacity to 75 people. Outdoors, where there is no capacity limit per Abbotts order, they converted the small parking lot in front of the bar into a seating space. On the bars upper deck, which has a bronze-painted replica of the Statue of Liberty standing like Jack on the bow of the Titanic, they spaced chairs out, though not quite six feet apart.

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The phone has been ringing nonstop, Pahkala said Friday morning. Are yall opened? When are yall gonna open?

The interior of the Poop Deck on Friday, May 22, 2020, in Galveston.

Photograph by Brittney Martin

While several Galveston bars reopened before the city and state restrictions were lifted, Pahkala wasnt willing to risk it. She was worried she could receive a fine or the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission could revoke the bars license to sell alcohol if it opened early. I wasnt taking the chance, she said.

But visitors started filtering in immediately upon open Friday. Victor Garcia, 61, whos been coming to the bar for years, drove in from Houston that morning. By 10:30 a.m., he had already downed a bowl of seafood gumbo at the nearby Gumbo Diner and was on his third beer at the Poop Deck. Im not Republican or Democrat, but I believe that [bars] should be open, he told me. And if people want to take a chance on their lives or not take a chance, I think its their prerogative.

Garcia sat down next to Jim Massey, 59, on the bars upper deck, where the two quickly discovered they attended the same high school in Baytown.

This is my place to come and decompress, man, Garcia told Massey. Its so unpretentious. You can let your hair down and feel the breeze.

Garcia, who is bald, was wearing a black bandana around his neck, which he couldve used as a mask but didnt. He said he wants the bar to be his final resting place and that hes given his brother strict instructions for how to carry out his last wishes.

I said take my ashes, go to the Poop Deck, and just throw them off the balcony, Garcia said.

When a couple near Garcia and Massey got up and left, a bartender in a white sailors hat sprayed down the bar and chairs with disinfectant and wiped them with paper towels. Garcia said it was cool that the bar was taking steps to make people feel safer. He mused that it shouldve had these practices in place before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Massey, whos been spending most of his time at home over the past few months to avoid getting the virus, said he didnt mind having to use hand sanitizer upon entering. He also thinks he mightve already gotten COVID-19, after attending the Galveston Mardi Gras celebration in February and coming down with flu-like symptoms.

We recovered in like two weeks so hopefully Ive got the immunity, Massey said, laughing. I got over it, so yall dont have to worry. Im not still contagious.

Twelve hours later, at 10 p.m., more than 100 people had flocked to the bar. A local cover band, Nite Wave, played on the bottom floor, about six feet from the nearest table. The majority of people gathered out front in the parking lot-turned-patio space.

Monica Marshall, 50, who was the first ones in the door when the Poop Deck opened that morning, was still there.

Everybody here is so friendly, Marshall said, a can of Bud Light in her hand. Pre-quarantine, she would come to the bar three or four times a week. She didnt think it was fair that bars were one of the last businesses allowed to reopen.

Its hypocritical. They let everybody go to Bolivar [Peninsula] during Jeep weekend, you can be up each others butts in the grocery store, she said. But then [bars] have to mind their ps and qs, or they get fined.

Marshall, a veteran who served in the Navy and Coast Guard, said she wasnt bothered by the extra steps the Poop Deck had taken to comply with social distancing requirements, but she didnt totally agree with them.

Its Memorial Day weekend, Marshall said. Were supposed to remember the ones who gave their lives for the very freedom that theyre taking away.

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If People Want to Take a Chance, Its Their Prerogative: Inside One Bar on the First Day of Reopening - Texas Monthly

When you hear the phrase "transatlantic cruise," does it evoke images of black-tie dining, dancing into the wee hours of the morning while sipping champagne from delicate coupes?If Rose's upper-deck experience in the movie Titanic is anything to go by, then the answer is probably yes. But there's plenty of truth to her adventures with Jack while navigating the glitz and glamour, and lower-deck shenanigans, of life on a steamship. Grand ocean liners allowed the journey to become one of leisureand a status symbolfor a certain class of citizens starting in the 19th century. They clamored aboard, trunks in tow (packed with formal dress and white gloves right besides their swimsuits and sportswear), ready to live up those unfettered sea days at full hilt. While they commonly sailed from Southampton to New York City and back, some routes began in Italy, Germany, and other parts of Europe. Though they never really died outCunard's Queen Mary still sails transatlantic routes todaymaking the journey by plane overtook sailing in the mid 20th century. We gathered some colorful photos from the era that share a taste of what it was like. Grab your badminton gear and cigarette case, we're all aboard this trip of nostalgia.

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15 Retro Photos That Capture the Glamour of the Transatlantic Cruise - Cond Nast Traveler

Password management and online checkout have always been pain points for online shoppers. Fast, a one-click login and checkout startup, is looking to solve that problem. And it just raised a $20 million Series A led by the $36 billion fintech giant Stripe.

"The issue that we're actually solving is that there's basically a missing layer of the internet, which is the identity layer," Domm Holland, co-founder and CEO of Fast, told Business Insider.

Fast integrates with online merchants to offer customers the ability to log in and checkout with one click.

The first time a consumer sees the Fast checkout button, they can sign up for free. After that, they can check out with one click everywhere they see the Fast button. So to grow its user base, Fast will look to integrate with as many online merchants as possible, from e-commerce retailers to online media companies.

While Fast's one-click password product is already live, with this latest fundraise, it will now roll out one-click payments and checkout features.

"Much of our growth over the next 12 months is basically putting the button on as many websites as possible," said Holland.

Part of that growth will come through its partnership with Stripe, as starting next month, all of Stripe's merchants will be able to integrate Fast into their checkouts. Long-term, the startup will look to build more online shopping products for consumers, like order tracking and returns management across different online stores, Holland said.

To be sure, Fast isn't the only one looking to solve this problem. PayPal, for one, offers a one-click checkout product, and credit card issuers like Visa and Mastercard have partnered up on a one-click checkout, too.

But Holland says that a key differentiator for Fast is its platform-agnostic approach. Apple Pay, which also integrates into merchant check-out windows, is Fast's biggest competitor, Holland said. But its checkout product can only be used by iPhone users and when shopping online, only on Apple's Safari browser.

Fast's Series A, which closed at the end of March, comes at a time where venture investors are shying away from early-stage companies, focusing much of their capital on existing investments.

But founders could take this opportunity to meet with as many people as possible, albeit virtually, realizing that relationships may take longer to build, Holland said.

For founders looking to raise, keeping potential investors in the loop is also key.

"You want to be lines, not dots, and you want to show traction," said Holland. "The first thing I always say to anyone who's going to be fundraising is start putting out investor updates and send them to everyone who you would want to have in the round."

And while it's easy to try and answer all possible questions in a pitch deck, Holland instead advises to keep it light on text.

"You should be structuring a pitch deck in a way that you actually know what question they're going to ask you because it's missing a bit of information that you expect that they will want," Holland said.

Not only will this keep investors engaged, it will also demonstrate the founders' ability to articulate the pitch and answer questions live, Holland added.

Stripe's funding comes just months after Fast's November seed round, which was led by Index Ventures with participation from Global Founders Capital and Kleiner Perkins.

Here's the 15-slide pitch deck it used to raise its Series A.

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One-click checkout startup Fast used this pitch deck to nab $20 million from investors like fintech giant Stripe. Here's a look at its vision for...

The future home of the UAB Blazers will be outfitted with artificial turf that can have sod laid over it after the BJCC board of directors approved the move at its meeting Friday.

Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority Board Chairman Dennis Lathem noted that the surface is pricier than other options such as grass or hyrbid turf, but he said the type of turf the board went with makes the most sense" because it offers more flexibility.

He did not say how much the playing surface would cost or the types of events that would be played on sod, but the stadium is expected to hold World Games events in 2022 after the festivities were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Construction on the $174 million open-air stadium is on track to be completed by the end of October 2021 with the whole project expected to be finished by November 2021, Lathem said. The Blazers will be moving from Legion Field to Protective Life Stadium.

In other business, the hotels owned by the BJCC -- the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel and the Westin Birmingham -- have been severely impacted by COVID-19 with the hotels operating at a nearly $500,000 loss last month combined, the board reported.

The Sheraton, where there are no occupied rooms, lost $195,000 in April and only generated a little more than $8,100 in revenue.

The Westin, which had a 29.1 percent occupancy rate, lost $289,000 in April and had $216,000 in revenue against a $1.26 million budget.

Also at the meeting, which was held at the North Civic Hall and via teleconference because of the pandemic, the board approved a measure that decreases the cost of construction of the Legacy Arena renovation by more than $301,000.

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Protective Life Stadium will have turf with option for sod over artificial surface - AL.com